The Decline of Social Capital

Using the Spanish Verb Seguir

Using the Spanish Verb Seguir The verb seguir carries with it the idea of to continue or to follow, but it can be used in a variety of ways that have other translations to English. Using Seguir by Itself Standing alone, seguir typically means to go on or to continue: A 20 bajo cero la vida sigue. (At 20 below life goes on.) ¡Sigue!  ¡Puedes hacerlo! (Keep it up! You can do it!)Estaba sana fisicamente, pero la depresià ³n seguà ­ y seguà ­a. (She was physically healthy, but the depression dragged on and on.) Using Seguir With Gerunds Seguir is most commonly used to precede the gerund, where it functions as a type of auxiliary verb meaning to continue or to keep on. In this way it is forms a type of progressive tense: Tengo un crà ©dito por minivan usada y no la puedo seguir pagando. (I have a loan for a used minivan and I cant continue paying for it.)Siguià ³ corriendo a pesar del dolor. (He kept on running despite the pain.)Cuando tenga la oportunidad, seguirà © estudiando inglà ©s. (When I have the opportunity, I will continue studying English.)Siga aprendiendo. (Keep on learning.)La cantante chilena sigue rompiendo sus propios rà ©cords. (The Chilean singer keeps on breaking her own records.)Seguà ­a pensando en el tiempo perdido en pensar en el tiempo que pierdo. (She kept on thinking about the time lost thinking about the time lost.) Such sentences frequently carry the connotation of to still be (verb ing): El actor sigue buscando la felicidad. (The actor is still looking for happiness.)Sà ­, sigue nevando afuera. (Yes, its still snowing outside.)Sigo tratando de fotografiar a mi gato, pero no me deja. (Im still trying to take a picture of my cat, but hes not letting me.) Following Seguir With an Adjective When seguir is followed by an adjective, the meaning of to still be (adjective) also is common: Cynthia sigue feliz con su esposo. (Cynthia is still happy with her husband.(Si la situacià ³n sigue difà ­cil durante tres o cuatro meses, algunas operaciones se cancelarn. (If the situation is still difficult for three or four months, some operations will be canceled.)Ella se siente feliz, pero sigue asustada. (She feels happy, but shes still afraid.)Hoy amanecà ­ un poco mejor, pero de todas maneras sigo triste. (Today I got up a little bit better, but in any case Im still sad.) Prepositional Phrases Using Seguir Similarly, seguir en commonly means to still be in: El piloto espaà ±ol sigue en coma. (The Spanish pilot is still in a coma.)Mucha gente sigue en vacaciones y llegan hasta las clases de maà ±ana. (Many people are still on vacation and will arrive in classes tomorrow.)Seguirà © en contacto contigo, te lo prometo. (I promise you, Ill still be in touch with you.) Seguir sin often means to still be without. An infinitive often follows, making a sentence construction quite unlike what is used to say the same thing in English: Un tercio de la capital sigue sin electricidad. (A third of the capital is still without electricity.)Seguimos sin reconocer los culpables de la crisis. (We still dont recognize who is responsible for the crisis.)Siguen sin pagarme. (They still arent paying me.)Siguieron sin hacer nada productivo. (They still hadnt done anything productive).Hay algunas cosas de mi madre que sigo sin entender. (There are some things about my mother that I still dont understand.) Using Seguir With a Direct Object One common meaning of seguir is to follow, either literally or figuratively, especially when seguir is used with a direct object: A mi casa me siguià ³ un perrito. (A puppy followed me home.)No me sigas, no tengo la menor idea de lo que hago. (Dont follow me, I dont have the least idea what Im doing.)Sigue las instrucciones que te vamos a dar. (Follow the instructions that we are going to give you.)Hay nivel para principiantes de Guitar Hero donde sà ³lo se necesita seguir el ritmo. (There is a level for Guitar Hero beginners where all you have to do is follow the rhythm.) Conjugating Seguir Note that seguir is conjugated irregularly. Unlike many irregular verbs, which change in their endings, seguir usually changes in the stem when it breaks the pattern. For example, its gerund is siguiendo, not the seguiendo you might expect. Seguir is irregular in all of its subjunctive form as well as present and preterite indicative. The forms for the present indicative are: sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguis, siguen. Irregular forms are in boldface. Key Takeaways In many situations, seguir can be translated as to continue or informally as to keep on.Seguir often carries the connotation that something has been happening for longer than might be expected or desired.Seguir is an irregularly conjugated verb.

HR Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HR Training and Development - Essay Example Online job portals are the best solution which benefits both the employer and employee in landing on the right job. Today internet is one of the most widely used tools to search and post jobs online. Many companies still choose to advertise the open vacancy in the newspapers but most of the organizations are switching towards online job portals. The positive impact of an online job portal has been emphasized as is it has completely changed the way a job seeker searches for jobs and the way in which companies recruit employees. According to the latest research, there are more than 2000 online job search websites that exist today and it is also evident that job placement through online job portals have a very high ratio in the current time. Online job portals help the companies to advertise their job openings globally and the organization gets the chance to explore global talent for selection whereas job seekers can explore global opportunities and hence it creates a gateway for them t o excel in their career (Richardson 2010). The positions of Human Resource Manager and Human Resource Recruiters on careerbuilder.com and monster.com website perfectly match the criteria of my skills sets. These include the Essential Job responsibilities, requirements and other educational requirements of these posts. There are many online job advertisement portals available over the internet that provides different resources to filter the right candidate. Career building websites provide different questions, articles and links for effective interviewing of the candidate and also online screening and test to chop down to the right candidate. From the job seekers point of view career building websites provide articles and links for effective resume writing and cover letter according to the company’s requirement. Other tools provided by career builders are training resources for candidates that include different training modules in the technical or management field. These resou rces help both the job seeker and the job advertisers to effectively pursue their goals in a short amount of time (Handler 2008). The advantage from the point of view of an organization for online job postings on different job website is the cost factor. The advertisement cost is almost reduced to 90% from the traditional advertising methods. E-Recruitment allows the employees to interact with the candidate in a really short time and the employer can post a job on the website in less the 20 minutes with no limit size. Company’s online job posting can stay live on the website for complete 30 days and the hiring process is 70% faster than traditional hiring. Since the website is viewed globally therefore the audience exposure is wider and the process is easy. Job seekers can have a wider approach towards their career search and they can explore the career resources on the websites for effect resume building and cover letters for the company. Job seekers can view the complete jo b description before applying for a job and they can also filter the job from city to salary range and also according to the technical skills they possess (Handler 2008). Online job posting has become a wide choice by most of the companies to publish their jobs online. It has been observed that many companies now post available vacancies online rather than using traditional media. Hiring the right candidat

Habitual Offender Laws in Alabama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Habitual Offender Laws in Alabama - Essay Example While Erwin Chemerinsky tries to prove that the three strikes law does not always work and the absurdity of applying it to the Leandro Andrade and other nonviolent offences, Helland and Tabarrok have estimated that it effectively deters as well as incapacitates both soft core and hard core offenders, by reducing crime between 17-20 percent. It is costly since the average offender under three strikes law spends at least 20 years in prison. Even so, it helps prevent at least 31,000 crimes a year by keeping criminals off the streets for longer terms. Introduction The three strikes law is a law that allows State Courts to impose a life sentence with possibility of parole for people who have been convicted of three or more crimes of violent or serious nature. It was popular in the 1990s but has been criticized of late - it does not allow for judges to look at the circumstances of the case and let the punishment fit the crime. Discussion It seems that three strikes law is another form of m andatory sentencing, and those guidelines were thrown out of the window by the Supreme Court in 2005 (MSNBC News Website, 2005). Writing against the habitual offenders law in California, Harvard graduate and Constitutional Law expert Erwin Chemerinsky’s article entitled ‘Is California’s Three Strikes Mandatory Sentencing Law Cruel and Unusual Punishment?’ argues against the Three Strikes Law in the light of three or four cases. Leandro Andrade was sentenced to 50 years or two consecutive terms of 25 years each because of stealing kids’ videotapes on two separate occasions- the total value of which was $153. Because he had two prior convictions, the judge decided to slap a felony on him- instead of a misdemeanor that carried a much lesser sentence. The main impetus for change has come from FAMM or Families Against Mandatory Sentencing, which states that these laws are unrelenting and pass sentence just on the basis of the weight and type of drug an o ffender possesses (FAMM, 2012) The Law has clearly established that grossly disproportionate punishments are cruel and unusual and violate the Eighth Amendment. In Atkins v. Virginia (2002) the Court had ruled that the Eighth Amendment succinctly prohibits excessive sanctions. What is to be looked at is (1) the gravity of the offence and the harshness of the penalty; (2) sentences imposed on other criminals in the same area and (3) sentences imposed on criminals for the same crime committed in other areas. In Coker v. Georgia (1977) it was ruled that the sentence of death prescribed for rape was grossly disproportionate and excessive in terms of the Eighth Amendment. Similarly in Solem it was argued that to convict a man to life imprisonment for passing a bad check for $100 and six prior lighter and nonviolent offences was unconstitutional and excessive. Both the Helm and Andrade cases were non-violent offences and involved amounts less than $400, which separates grand theft from pe tty theft. By looking at prior records, the three strikes law is punishing a criminal for prior offences for which he has already served time. It could be upheld if reasonable men supported the decision, but no reasonable man will. Writing in support of the three strikes law in Does Three Strikes Deter? Eric Helland and Alex Tabarrok (2007) state that this law was enacted in California in March 1994.

Career development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Career development - Essay Example 32). One aspect of substantive importance in the study of career development is that it differs depending on whether it is an individual involved or an organization. For individuals, career development involves a broader array of activities involving decision-making processes and planning, whereas, for organizations, it involves the practice of effectively managing the human resources workforce. However, for the case of this paper, focus is made on an individual basis. Self-efficacy involves making a person make a judgment on the ability to perform certain tasks. Unlike self-esteem that makes reflections on an individual’s worth or value, self-efficacy determines the confidence in an individual towards accomplishing certain tasks and reaching certain goals. A number of perspectives exist in the study of self-efficacy beliefs including the development and the dynamics involved. Ideally, self-efficacy beliefs have effects in all aspects of the human body, because through the determination of a person’s ability and belief towards the accomplishment of certain tasks. In return, self-efficacy affects situations by the use of power. It is substantively clear that self-efficacy beliefs have the necessary power that an individual requires to perform a certain task as well as make an informed decision in regard to a particular task. In life, tasks usually involve the numerous challenges faced, and as such, self-efficacy beliefs determine the ability to tackle the different life challenges by making the most appropriate and informed decisions. Four major theoretical approaches exist from which the study of self-efficacy beliefs emanates, especially in career development. Such include the social cognitive theory, social learning theory, self-concept theory, and attribution theory. Social cognitive theory makes emphasis on the development of an individual’s personality through observational learning and experiences from the

The Nitration Of Methyl Benzoate Biology Essay

The Nitration Of Methyl Benzoate Biology Essay Methyl Benzoate is electron rich and thus undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution. Nitration of methyl benzoate will form a major product, methyl m-nitrobenzoate that was further purified by re-crystallization. The electrophile or the nitronium ion attached to the meta position in the benzene ring because of the carboxyl group being meta-deactivator that made the reaction took place in the meta position and the ortho and para positions are destabilized. The mass of re-crystallized methyl m-nitrobenzoate was determined to be 0.257 g compared to the mass of methyl benzoate, 0.360 g that resulted to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ % yield. The melting point of the methyl m-nitrobenzoate resulted to 74 °C compared to its true melting point 78 °C was computed to have 5.13% difference. Many side-products like different orientations in the benzene ring will be formed during chemical reactions. To see how much were formed and how pure was the product was, its TLC Profile was calculated that resulte d into Rf = 0.79 wherein the result from iodine vapor indicating that the product synthesized was pure. The results of the experiment are therefore accurate and useful in familiarizing with reactions and mechanisms that occur during nitration. __________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Aromatic hydrocarbons are compounds with one or more benzene rings (3). Due to electron delocalization by its alternating double bonds, it is characterized by being more stable compared to alkenes (2). Benzene, being aromatic, is a cyclic compound, an unsaturated compound due the presence of pi bonds. In contrast to the double bonds causing the unsaturation of benzene, it is strong and unreactive because of its resonance structure where there is rearrangement of electron pair. They undergo EAS or Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution reaction due to the fact that they are electron rich. The nitration of methyl benzoate, C6H8O2, undergoes such type of reaction with concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid to yield methyl m-nitrobenzoate. From the methyl benzoate, methyl m-nitrobenzoate will be formed and will undergo purification by re-crystallizing with methanol. Thin Layer Chromatography profile and melting point of the product were used in the experiment to make sure that there are no by-products formed like compounds with o- and p- orientation (2). MATERIALS AND METHODS The mass of conical flask was determined and added with 20 drops of methyl benzoate. The mass was also determined as well as the mass of methyl benzoate itself. The methyl benzoate in the flask was placed in an ice bath while added by 2 ml of conc. H2SO4 while swirling. Then, the nitrating agent was prepared which is a mixture of 1 ml conc. HNO3 and 1 ml conc. H2SO4 chilled in an ice bath. The nitrating agent was then added to the methyl benzoate solution using a Pasteur pipet. The mixture was constantly stirred and still chilled in an ice bath. However, conc. H2SO4 must be added if cloudiness occurs to change the mixture into its clear appearance. Furthermore, the reaction mixture was added 10 g of crushed ice then stirred. As the ice melted, the solid product formed was separated using vacuum filtration where a filter paper was folded into 1/16 big enough to cover holes in the Buchner funnel. Then, the product was washed with cold distilled water, followed by 5% NaHCO3 and with col d distilled water until the filtrate became neutral. The product was transferred in a watch glass and dried over a steam bath. Methanol was used to recrystallize or solidify the product and the percentage yield was calculated. The melting point of the recrystallized product was determined using the melting point apparatus. The TLC profile was determined using a TLC plate. The TLC plate was drawn with a line using a pencil 1 cm from the bottom and from the top then dipped in a beaker with ethyl acetate. The plate was dipped in ethyl acetate 3 times. When the solvent reached the other edge (the other line), the plate was removed from the beaker. Lastly, Iodine pellets were used to further determine the TLC profile. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Methyl benzoate, C6H8O2, is an aromatic hydrocarbon, a methyl ester with a colorless appearance and used in perfumery. With Methyl benzoate, methyl m-nitrobenzoate will be synthesized and will further be purified by re-crystallization (2) with results shown in Table 1. Table 1. Percentage Yield of methyl m-nitrobenzoate Mass of conical flask 91.749 g Mass of methyl benzoate and conical flask 92.109 g Mass of methyl benzoate 0.360 g Mass of re-crystallized methyl m-nitrobenzoate 0.257 g % yield The mass of methyl benzoate was determined by difference then cooled in an ice bath then added conc. H2SO4. The solution will still be colorless because methyl benzoate is soluble in H2SO4. Thus, it will form a homogenous mixture. On the contrary, it will form a yellow solution if the flask used is contaminated. The nitrating agent prepared in an ice bath because nitration is an exothermic that requires only 15 °C and must not increase (1). HNO3 and H2SO4 should be added in the homogenous solution slowly while stirring to avoid side products formation like compounds with o- and p- orientation. Also, it will result to a low yield of the product desired. Likewise, fast addition will result to getting a high temperature that must be 15 °C only. Addition of H2SO4 if cloudiness will occur is important since methyl benzoate is soluble in sulfuric acid and will produce a colorless solution. The mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 produces nitronium ion that will attach to the benzene ring (5). Methyl Benzoate is characterized for being electron rich and thus capable of reacting to electrophiles and undergoes EAS or Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution with a mechanism via carbocation [C+] intermediate shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Complete Mechanism of Nitration via Carbocation Intermediate It follows 3 steps that started from the generation of electrophile which is the nitronium ion, NO2. Then, the formation of carbocation intermediate where nitronium ion will be attacked by the nucleophile will follow. The carbocation in the second step is capable of resonating since aromatic compounds are resonance structure wherein the electron pair can move around the molecule. The resonance of the benzene ring makes them stable and favorable to the reaction since the more stabilize the benzene ring is, the more reaction. The last step is the dissociation of H+ and the reformation of aromatic ring where the electrophile will substitute in one of the hydrogens on the benzene ring. This mechanism resulted to an overall reaction shown in Figure 2. Figure 1. Nitration of methyl benzoate The solvent of the nitration which is the sulfuric acid will protonate the reagent, methyl benzoate, which will create stabilized carbocation intermediate. The electrophile or the electron poor nitronium ion, will react to the protonated intermediate in the meta position. The carboxyl group belongs to the e- withdrawing group that deactivates the aromatic ring. Since electron withdrawing group has a meta orientation and a deactivator, the reaction will take place in the meta position. Likewise, the ortho and para positions are destabilized (5). The major product now is the methyl m-nitrobenzene which has nitro and carboxyl group being both electron withdrawing groups oriented at the meta position. After adding the nitrating agent, the reaction mixture was added 10 g of crushed ice until it solidified and filtrated by vacuum filtration to get a dryer product. It was then washed by cold distilled water and 5% NaHCO to make excess acid neutralize that made the product green-colored. The product was dried over a steam bath and re-crystallized with methanol for purification. By washing the product with methanol, by-products or impurities like substitution on different places on the aromatic ring (ortho and para positions), methyl-2-nitrobenzoate or maybe methy-3-nitrobenzoate formed during the previous reactions should purified to get the preferred product. However, the methanol is preferred cold to control loss of desired product. The re-crystallized methyl m-nitrobenzoate weighed 0.257 and had †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ % yield. The melting point of the re-crystallized methyl m-nitrobenzoate was determined to be 74 °C that is close to its true melting point being 78 °C. The % difference was determined to be 5.13% as shown in Table 2. Table 2. Melting point of re-crystallized methyl m-nitrobenzoate Melting point of re-crystallized methyl m-nitrobenzoate 74 °C True Melting point of methyl m-nitrobenzoate 78 °C % difference 5.13% To see how much products were formed and to check its purity, the TLC profile or Thin Layer Chromatography should be done (6). Each trial as the TLC plate was dipped in the solvent (Ethyl acetate) should have only 1 spot that is equivalent to 1 compound. If 3 spots were formed in the TLC plate on 3 trials when the solvent moves on the top of the plate by capillary action, it simply means that 3 compounds were present in the product. Thus, making it considered as not pure. The spots will be clealy visualized when the plate is placed in an iodine vapor (4) here it sublimes from solid to liquid stain. Also, other compounds are capable of adsorbing iodine and become visible. On the contrary, the re-crystallized m-nitrobenzene formed had been considered as a pure compound as illustrated in Figure 3 and had an Rf value of 0.79. Rf = dspot / dsolvent front Rf = 3.75 cm / 4.6 cmC:Documents and SettingsnicolleMy DocumentsCollege Files2nd Year 2nd SemORGCHEMLABEXPT4 NITRATION OF METHYL BENZOATETLC Plate.jpg Rf = 0.79 dsolvent front = 4.7 cm dspot = 3.7 cm Figure 3. TLC Profile The desired product, methyl m-benzoate, purified by re-crystallization was successfully synthesized from methyl benzoate by avoiding the formation of other side-products. However, if phenyl benzoate was used, it will also follow EAS or Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

Animal testing Essay -- Animal Testing

When it comes to animals and their rights, there is a definite line between our needs and our taking advantage of those species that we consider inferior. As long as man has existed he has been carnivorous, and the same holds true for many other species of animals. Animals are a necessity to humans for survival, whether it be for food, clothing, etc. However, the unnecessary torture of animals through testing is not a necessity for human survival. When it comes to the needless torture of animals that we claim to benefit, the animals lives need to be taken into consideration. S. F. Sapontzis gives his theory as to why animals should not be used in testing. To start with, animals are not capable of giving their consent to be used as subjects in an experiment. Secondly, "experiments can only be performed on an individual who is willing, morally speaking. Therefore it is immoral to use animals in experiments" (Sapontzis 209). It would be great if this world where our lives wer e actually governed by morals. The sad truth is that we do not. Until we do, someone is going to have to stand up for the silent majority that is incapable of voicing its opinion. When there is torture and unjust treatment towards humans, people then realize that it is wrong. These people realize that it's wrong when it comes to animals as well. Henry Spira said of the animals used in experiments: "†¦the victims are unable to organize in defense of their own interests" (Spira 194). When it comes to needlessly conducting experiments on animals, no one ever says anything. Humans need to stop thinking about themselves as a superior species to other animals. They have to start thinking about how we can stop the cruelty that they inflict upon animals day after day in experiment after experiment. Tom Regan, a well-known animal rights activist, wrote, "the fundamental wrong is the system that allows us to view animals as our resources, here for us- to be eaten, or surgi cally manipulated, or exploited for sport or money" (Regan 14). Nothing could be more true than this fact; man considers itself such a superior species that all others were put on earth for his convenience. It is this type of thinking that has gotten humans to the place where we are today. What humanity needs to do is get off its high-horse and realize that they are not the king of the jungle and we rea... ...n estimated that between 100 million and 200 million animals die in laboratories around the world each year" (Ryder 77-78). Although it has been proven that a lot of good has come out of animal research and animal testing, this does not make up for all the pain and suffering that these animals go though without being able to consent. The truth still remains that, despite the benefits (when there are benefits), perhaps we need to contemplate the effects that our actions are having on these animals. Work Cited Blum, Debrorah. The Monkey Wars. New York: Oxford. 1994 "Experiments on Animals." Animal Rights and Human Obligations. Eds. Tom Regan and Peter Singer. Englewoods Cilffs: Prentice Hall. 1976 Regan, Tom. The Case for Animal Rights. Los Angels: University of California Press. 1983 Ryder, Richard R. Animal Revolution. Cambridge: Basil Blackwell. 1989 Sapontzis, S. F. Morals, Reason, and Animals. Philidelphia: Temple U P. 1987 "Speciesism in the Laboratory." In Defense of Animals." Ed. Peter Singer. Oxford: Blackwell. 1985 Spira, Henry. "Fighting To Win." In Defense of Animals." Ed. Peter Singer. Oxford: Blackwell. 1985

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

The play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry has many intriguing characters. As I would see it, the most interesting character is Ruth Younger, in view of her numerous feelings and dazzling identity. She experiences outrageous feelings in the play, for example, happiness, trouble, outrage, push, and so on. In the play, Ruth is extremely independent, kind, and adoring. Ruth has a captivating identity. She is exceptionally adoring towards her family. She will do all in her capacity to enhance the way of life of her family. Ruth endeavors to make the best of things. As successfully depicted in the film using high contrast, the loft needs daylight and the glow a home needs and individuals hunger for. In the midst of her grim life in the confined flat, she coordinates all her vitality toward the joy of her child and spouse. She is baffled since life has not satisfied her desires. Because of her stale position, she is â€Å"known among her people a ‘settled lady'†. She agrees to fulfillment instead of searching out satisfaction. With lease to pay and a family to think about, she has surrendered any considerations of a superior future for herself. Rather, she raises Travis and backings Walter with an end goal to think about their fantasies. She attempts to veil her own discontent in plans to fortify the family soul and urge them to see the positive qualities in the revolting. Her dynamic commitment to deal with the family is customarily misused and negated by Mama. In their real scene, a significant number of Ruth's activities are addressed by Mama including her treatment of Travis. Having her maternal endeavors overridden by Mama wounds Ruth's mind. Subsequently, she frequently feels uprooted. Her activities appear to be futile in light of the fact that she isn't permitted to totally accept the familial job of mother. In her disappointing cycle of benevolent activities to disregard the unforgiving substances Ruth even thinks about a premature birth to shield her family from another troublesome issue. She leaves herself to the choice on the grounds that â€Å"a woman will do anything for her family† regardless of how revolting it might be. At the point when Mama informs the family concerning the house, Ruth gauges the positives and negatives of the decision, decides this is a change for her family, and endeavors to fortify the great characteristics about the move. It likewise helps that she sees the change as something to be thankful for herself as she cheerfully expresses â€Å"this is my time in life†. Actually, it is, yet she is clashed on the grounds that Walter isn't content with the choice which undermines her objective to guarantee her family satisfaction. For her, development and additionally change of any sort is a change, so she grasps the choice in spite of the fact that it is one that achieves another arrangement of issues because of negative race relations. Gratefully, she can enjoy the house and see Walter cheerful as Mama hands over the job of leader of the family to him. The restored certainty of Walter prompts a retouching of his and Ruth's relationship and her job as guardian, spouse, and mother.

The Samurais Garden essays

The Samurai's Garden essays "Japan, is like a young woman who thinks too much of herself. She's bound to get herself in trouble"(17). Undying love, devotion and passion are some of the themes you can discover in Gail Tsukiyama's novel, The Samurai's Garden. The coming together of two distinctively different cultures and how the differences caused a great deal of turmoil. This novel contains all sorts of themes but a very common one would definitely be loneliness. All the characters share some type of loneliness in their Throughout the novel Stephen, a young man who is sent away from his family in China due to his disease, Tuberculosis, to live with his grandparents in Japan and be cared for by the servant of the house, Matsu. Stephen says, "I hated to leave my family and friends, even though I hadn't been allowed to see them. I felt lonelier than ever"(4). A few sentences later, he states, "In some ways I can't help thinking my time in Tarumi will be a quiet resembling death." In both quotes, he is showing that he is dreading the journey because he knows that he will be lonely. In the previous quote, Tsukiyama's reference to the word "quiet" is extremely powerful because she relates it to loneliness and death, which is not the first thing most people think of when they hear the word. When Stephen first arrives on of the first things he notices is the loneliness in the village: "This early autumn there didn't seem to be anyone else here, just me, Matsu, and a complete, white silence"(9). At first when Stephen is presented in Matsu's life, Matsu is a little put off and by only speaking to him when it was necessary which also shows that he's also the 'distant type'. As the story moves forward Matsu seems to slowly warm up to Stephen. Seemingly from Stephen's own loneliness and sufferings, that Matsu can relate to which then shows us his compassion, as well as his excitement and determination he brought to ev...

The Role of the High Court in Australias system of government

The Role of the High Court in Australias system of government Introduction The Australian High Court is the highest independent judicial arm of the government, which is also a significant feature of Australia’s liberal-democratic governance (Patapan, 2010, p. 167; Banks, 2007, p. 16).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the High Court in Australia’s system of government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main functions of this court include interpreting and applying the Australian constitution, solving cases regarding the federal system of governance such as instances where the constitutional validity of the laws is challenged, and officiating appeal cases (Singleton et al., 2009, p.64). However, in the recent past, there have been arguments over the court’s role in the shifting balance of power, which tends to favor the Commonwealth. As a result, there is the need to look into the factors underlying this shift in the balance of power and the rele vant constitutional interpretations since the initial constitution provided for the preservation of the balance of power between the commonwealth and the states (Singleton et al., 2009, p.64). To this end, the essay will look at the role of the high court in interpreting the wording of the Australian constitution by considering the Engineers case (Amalgamated Society of Engineers Vs Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd) of 1920. In addition, this essay aims at illustrating the High Court’s role as a political institution of governance through considering the court’s input in supporting the legislation regarding income tax, which was enacted by the Commonwealth in 1942. Overall, the two cases will serve as examples of the roles played by the high court in interpreting the Australian constitution, and acting as a political institution in the Australian system of governance.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The role of the High Court in interpreting the laws Considering that all the constitutional rights of appeal bestowed upon the Privy Council have been abolished in the recent past, it is certain that the Australian constitution allows the High Court to interpret the laws (Singleton et al., 2009, p.65). This implies that all the constitutional cases including appeals originating from different jurisdictions, which bear a greater political significance to the federal government, are referred to the High Court. Here, it is worth noting that most constitutional cases are based on disagreements involving the balance of power between the federal and the state governments particularly in matters dealing with trade, banking, and arbitrations (Singleton et al., 2009, p. 65; Wiltshire, 2008, p. 31). Thus, the decisions made by the High Court regarding these cases can have far-reaching implications since they form the framework for decisions made by other cou rts several years later. Accordingly, since its inception, the High court’s rulings have been centered on controlling the federal powers, giving wider interpretations of the federal powers, sustaining the role played by the Commonwealth in governance without bias, and as can be noted from the recent developments, the High Court is engaged in providing additional interpretations of the powers held by the federal government (Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 105). However, of particular interest in this respect is the court’s role in the Engineers case whereby it was decided that the federal adjudication powers as provided in section 51(xxxv) of the constitution could also apply in other parts of the country including Western Australia (Singleton et al., 2009, p. 66; Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 115). Additionally, regarding the Engineers case, the High Court is said to have given the Commonwealth the full control over worker’s wages at the national level.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the High Court in Australia’s system of government specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In so doing, the court can be regarded to as playing the role of reshaping the constitutional interpretations put forward in 1901, and thus, providing a framework upon which the disagreements arising between the Commonwealth and the States can be solved. Here, the court played the role of a constitutional adjudicator considering that despite enlarging the legislative powers of the Commonwealth on one hand, it also confined these powers on the other hand. Further, it is to be noted that the majority of the court was of the idea that the interpretation of the constitution should be based on its original wording, and not on implied prohibitions or implied immunity, which were two major doctrines used by the courts in the early 1900s (Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 119). Therefore, by giving the constitution its nor mal word meaning, the High Court extended the powers of the Commonwealth to cover some aspects, which were initially prohibited by interpreting the laws on the basis of the drafters’ wishful meanings of the constitutional wording. However, it should be noted that this broader interpretation of the laws was not meant to give the federal government an upper hand, but it served to check almost all aspects of governance, and to maintain the balance of power between the federal and state governments (Wiltshire, 2008, p. 35). The role of the High Court as a political institution If we had to examine what the drafters of the Australian constitution had in mind, it is certain that they wanted to develop the US-system of the judiciary, which performs various functions such as the federal judicial review (Banks, 2007, p. 18). Here, the role played by the High Court entails examining the laws made in both the Commonwealth and the State legislatures in order to ensure that they fall with in the provisions of the constitution.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Accordingly, considering that disputes could arise between the federal and state governments such as the one discussed above, there is the paramount need to have a mediator who should be impartial and unconcerned with issues raised by either party in order for justice to be served. This role could not fit any institution apart from the Australian High Court. As a result, the High Court can be regarded to as an arbiter of federalism or an advocate of the Australian constitution (Patapan, 2010, p.168). It then follows that the decisions made by the High Court will have extensive political implications. For instance, during the war-time in 1942, the federal government came up with a legislation meant to control the overall income tax, a move which was challenged in court by the state governments (Singleton et al., 2009, p. 169). In this constitutional conflict, the High Court ruled in favor of the federal government, and thus gave the Commonwealth the authority to implement uniform tax ation at the national level. This implied that the state governments could not impose their own taxes outside those implemented by the Commonwealth. Besides, it is to be noted that the court also gave a broader meaning of section 90, which entails the Excise, and thus limiting the taxation power of the Commonwealth in some aspects. These decisions of the court point to the fact that it plays a political role in that the High Court has the power to look into the actions of both the legislature and the executive in order to determine whether those actions fall within the exact meaning of the constitution. Furthermore, the case shows instances where the High Court can annul some actions of the executive, which may not be based on proper interpretation of the constitution. Moreover, this case is one of many instances where the High Court came in to help solve constitutional conflicts arising from wrong interpretation of the constitution or obscure laws (Ward Stewart, 2010, p. 105). Her e, it is also important to note that the High Court was acting purely within its constitutional mandate, which dictates that such conflicts be treated as legal questions irrespective of the impending political consequences. Overall, the court’s decisions show that the High Court judges understand their role in the political sphere and judicial review (Patapan, 2010, p. 169). References List Banks, R 2007, Hot topics: legal issues in plain language, Legal Information Access Centre, Australia. Patapan, H 2010, High court, (Insert the publisher and the Town for the book you scanned for me). Singleton et al. 2009, High court, (Insert the publisher and the Town for the book that you scanned for me). Ward, T Stewart, R 2010, Politics one (4th ed), Palgrave MacMillan, Australia. Wiltshire, K 2008, ‘Australian federalism: the business perspective’, The University of  New South Wales Law Journal, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 31-45.

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Death Penalty - Essay Example Despite of the implementation of death penalty for violent crimes, the overall crime rate in the United States of America is still high because of different factors. The reason is not ineffectiveness of the death penalty; rather it is due to the unfair trials of the wealthy people. In some cases, financially strong criminals escape from the death penalty. Moreover, death penalty is only a deterrent to violent crimes, which makes criminals go for low-level crimes and those crimes, which do not come under applicability of the death penalty. Governments of most of the European and American countries, such as, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, and Canada have outlawed the implementation of death penalty as a crime deterrent, whereas in many Asian and African countries along with the United States of America, death penalty is still applied as a crime deterrent. I personally think that death penalty should be a legal punishment because it serves as a deterrent to many violent crimes. In case of youth, I think that there should be reformation instead of death penalty. However, if a criminal commits same crime again after reformation, he/she should be given the death penalty. References McGuigan, B. (2011). What Is the death penalty?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-death-penalty.htm

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Strategic Plan Assignment

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Strategic Plan - Assignment Example The second reason is the indications that the program will seek to improve the resilience and safety of water infrastructure, as well as the communities. The program also provides a guideline that will facilitate transportation of trade commodities on the coastal channels of the nation as well as inland waterways. The plan will also protect, restore and manage aquatic ecosystems that will benefit the entire country (US Army Corps of Engineers, 2014). After an assessment of the likely advantages of the project, I realize that it is suitable for sustainable water resources management in the country. However, there is a need that the public supports the program to ensure that it succeeds. GPRA requires that strategic plans have six components, which U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fully submitted. The first requirement is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should have a comprehensive mission statement. For this case, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a statement that is to deliver vital engineering for military and public management services. The mission also seeks to provide partnerships in peace and war to energize the American economy and strengthen the security of the country (General Accounting Ofï ¬ ce, 1997). The second requirement by GPRA is that the agency should have long-term objectives and goals for all critical functions of operations. The next item is the organization should provide strategies that will ensure the attainment of the set goals and objectives as well as those that it targets annually. Considerably, the strategic plan of the institution will occur for both long and short-term projects. There are also mechanisms laid down that will ensure tha t the set objectives become a reality. At the same time, there are relationships between the long-term plans and the annual goals. The latter point is in line with GPRA’s fourth requirement of the institution.An analysis of the strategic plan indicates that it adheres to the fifth element of GPRA, which is the identification of critical factors that are external to the agency and may affect attainments of the set plans. In addition, there is the need that all strategic plans have a description of the program evaluations used to revise or establish the strategic plans. Considerably, the program is appropriate because it satisfies all the six fields that GPRA requires and works in accordance with the constitution. For this case, the plan is in line with Paperwork Reduction Act 1995 as well as the Clinger-Cohen Act that aim to increase efficiency. For this case, there is a consideration that the public should support the project because of the provision for the fifth element of the GPRA requirements.