Saturday, November 30, 2019
Social Problems of Having a Human Zoo Like the One Described in the Book free essay sample
People would not think it would be alright or ok to have a zoo like that. There would be a big ethical question, especially if we experimented on them. People would protest and demonstrate against it. The government would probably step in and shut it down. A long time ago there were these kinds of human zoos, they were called freak shows. People would come from all around and pay to see people who had freakish genetic defects. Most of the time people were not held against their will but sometimes people who made them lots of money were forced to sign contracts and almost held prisoner. Police finally did something about this and shut this kind of under contract imprisonment down. Just like the old freak shows, this is probably how a modern human zoo would have started and ended. People would pay to come see people who were ââ¬Å"freaksâ⬠and them after a while these ââ¬Å"freaksâ⬠would be put in cages or cells and not allowed to leave. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Problems of Having a Human Zoo Like the One Described in the Book or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then people would say that not right, and unconstitutional and that they were going against their rights. The owners of this zoo would make up some lies and excuses and the police and government would step in and shut it down. This is how I believe having a human zoo like Talfamadore described in the book Slaughterhouse-five would go down.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
The Xinjiang Qanat System of the Turpan Oasis
The Xinjiang Qanat System of the Turpan Oasis The Xinjiang Qanat System is a remarkable feat of irrigation engineering skill, and it is considered one of the three great wonders of China, after the Han Dynasty (206 BCEââ¬â220 CE) Great Wall and the Sui Dynasty (581ââ¬â618 CE) Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The qanat (also known as a karez) system is a rich water source for the Turpan Oasis, tapping groundwater stored in the deep subsurface gravel layers of the Gobi belt. What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that scholars are still not agreed upon when the qanat system was built... and that begs the question of who built it. Climate of the Turpan The Turfan (or Turpan) basin, located to the east of the more famous Tarim Basin, is one of the driest areas in China, with a total precipitation of 15-25 millimeters (under one inch) per year, and an elevation about 160 meters (524 feet) below sea level. The average temperature of the basin is 32.7 degrees Celsius (90.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in July, but the winters are rather chilly, and in January the average temperatures are about 9.5 degrees C (49.6 degrees F), and can fall as low as -28 degrees C (18 degrees F). The Turfan Basis, while a desert, is much more hospitable than its southern neighbor, the harsh Taklamakan Desert. Wedged between the Taklamakan and the Tianshan Mountains, the Turfan was a much preferred, not to say feasible, route for travelers on the Silk Road: its oasis was a critical stopover. Irrigating the Turfan Theres no doubt that the oasis had a natural beginning. A total of 4,000 sq km (1,500 sq mi) of the Turfan Basin lies below sea level; the Turpan Oasis lies in the lowest part, at an elevation of 154 m (505 ft) below average sea level. The oasis is nestled at the foot of the Tianshan (Flaming or Heavenly) mountains, and from autumn to spring, water from snowmelt off the Tienshan rushes into Turpan, revitalizing the oasis naturally. But at some time in its past- scholars argue that occurred anywhere from 200 to 2,000 years ago- the residents of Turpan built a massive qanat system that reached into the water table and tapped the aquifer, in some cases up to 200 m (650 ft) below the surface. That system included over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) of underground tunnels and thousands of wells. Whether it was built as a result of an environmental disaster or merely insurance against one, the Xinjiang qanat system is evidence that the Turpan was a highly prized stop on the Silk Road. Qanats in the Deserts A qanat is a system of underground tunnels and wells that tap deeply buried aquifers in arid and semi-arid places. In brief, a well is dug into the aquifer, a horizontal tunnel is excavated from the well to a surface collection place and ventilation shafts are placed at intervals along the tunnel to provide maintenance access. Invented by the Persians in the 7th century BCE, qanat technology was spread by imperialism: outside of Persia by the 6th century BCE Achaemenid king Darius the Great; into Syria and Jordan by the Romans in the first and second century CE; into North Africa and Spain by the Islamic civilization in the 12th and 13th centuries CE; and finally into North and South America during the 16th century Spanish conquest. The only place in China where qanats exist at all is in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the Turfan basin on the far western edge of Chinas realm. Deserts make up 43 percent of Xinjiang province, oases only about 4.3 percent and the rest is mountains. In the 2nd century BCE, the international trade network called the Silk Road was dependent on a line of strategically situated oases wedged between the Tianshan Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim and Turfan basins. Turpan was an important oasis in the eastern-most segment of the Silk Road, and, even today, more than 95 percent of the total population and almost all the agriculture, settlements and industries in Xinjiang are concentrated in the Turpan Oasis. The Size and Complexity of the Turpan Qanat System The Turpan qanat system includes at least 1,039 qanats (some sources suggest as many as 1,700), with underground channels stretching for a length of more than 5,000 kilometers, or about 3,100 miles. While there is no doubt that the origins of the Turpan Oasis were natural, there is also no doubt that the Xinjiang Qanat System was built to increase the available access to water. Whether the qanats were built as a result of climate change or to support a population increase or even provide year-round water is open to debate: probably a little of all those things. Estimates for the construction date of the qanats vary from the first century BCE to the 19th century CE. The system is so successful that grapes are grown in a region of what is essentially a continental desert- the earliest grapes in Turpan are from the Subeixi culture Yanghai tombs, with anà AMS radiocarbon date of about 300 BCE. What we know for sure is that in the 1950s, an intense increase in well irrigation was established in Turpan, over-exploiting the aquifer: since then the majority of the qanats have dried and become abandoned. Only 238 were functioning in 2009. The Karez Wells in Turpan were inscribed into UNESCOs Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2012. Sources Beck U, Wagner M, Li X, Durkin-Meisterernst D, and Tarasov PE. 2014. The invention of trousers and its likely affiliation with horseback riding and mobility: A case study of late 2nd millennium BC finds from Turfan in eastern Central Asia. Quaternary International 348:224-235. Chen T, Yao S, Merlin M, Mai H, Qiu Z, Hu Y, Wang B, Wang C, and Jiang H. 2014. Identification of Cannabis Fiber from the Astana Cemeteries, Xinjiang, China, with Reference to Its Unique Decorative Utilization. Economic Botany 68(1):59-66. Jiang H-E, Zhang Y, Là ¼ E, and Wang C. 2015. Archaeobotanical evidence of plant utilization in the ancient Turpan of Xinjiang, China: a case study at the Shengjindian cemetery. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 24(1):165-177. Luo L, Wang X, Guo H, Liu C, Liu J, Li L, Du X, and Qian G. 2014. Automated extraction of the archaeological tops of qanat shafts from VHR imagery in Google Earth. Remote Sensing 6(12):11956-11976. Luo L, Wang X, Liu J, Guo H, Lasaponara R, Ji W, an d Liu C. 2017. Uncovering the ancient canal-based tuntian agricultural landscape at Chinas northwestern frontiers. Journal of Cultural Heritage 23(Supplement):79-88. Tang Y-N, Li X, Yao Y-F, Ferguson DK, and Li C-S. 2014. Environmental Reconstruction of Tuyoq in the Fifth Century and Its Bearing on Buddhism in Turpan, Xinjiang, China. PLoS ONE 9(1):e86363.Wang S, and Zhao X. 2013. Re-evaluating the Silk Roads Qinghai Route using dendrochronology. Dendrochronologia 31(1):34-40.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Genealogical Historical Documents at Footnote
Genealogical Historical Documents at Footnote The Bottom Line Important historic documents from the U.S. National Archives are now making their way online due to an agreement with Footnote.com. Digitized copies of documents such as Revolutionary War pension records and Civil War service records can be viewed and even annotated through what is possibly the best image viewer Ive seen on the Web. You can also create free personal story pages to track your research or share your documents and photos. Search results are also free, although youll have to subscribe to view, print and save most of the actual document images. In my opinion, Footnote.com is a bargain for the money. Pros One of the best image viewers Ive seen for accessing images onlineOffers access to millions of historic documents previously unavailable onlineThe ability to annotate and/or add comments to any individual document page7-day free trial available Cons Requires the lastest version of Flash. In some cases, the site wont even load without it.No soundex search. Some advanced search features are available, but not obvious.No FAQ or easy answers to support questions such as the Flash issue.Many document series are still in progress Description Over 5 million images of historical American documents and photos from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.Records include: Revolutionary Civil War pension service records, state naturalization records and case files of the FBI.Annotate, comment, print and save digital document images.Story pages allow you to create a simple Web page with point and click editing.Upload and post your own historical documents for free.Under the nonexclusive agreement, Footnotes images will be available on the National Archives Web site after five years. Guide Review - Footnote.com Footnote.com allows you to search and view over 5 million digitized documents and photos from American history. Members can view, save and print the documents they find. A nifty feature allows you to highlight a name, place or date and add an annotation. Comments can also be added to post corrections or add additional information for anyone else who views the same image. The image viewer works as quickly and seamlessly as any Ive seen, and the jpeg images are of very high quality. Since many of the titles are in progress, I recommend that you use the Browse by Title feature to view the full description of the each document series, as it includes a nice completion status feature. Titles and documents are being added quickly and regularly, however. If you have a problem with the site loading slowly, be sure you have downloaded the latest version of Flash player for your browser. This usually fixes many such problems. Simple search is just that - simple. You enter search terms and then choose whether to search across all documents, or within a specific document set, such as PA Western Naturalizations. There is presently no soundex search, but you can narrow the search by document type, such as across all naturalization records, or within a particular title (first browse to the document subset you wish to search, and then enter your search terms). Advanced search hints can be accessed by clicking on the ? next to search. Footnote.com has the framework in place to be one of the most flexible and user-friendly sites on the Web for American genealogists. Once they add more records (and there are many in the works), upgrade the search feature, and do some tweaking, it has the potential to be a 5 star site. Despite being a newcomer to the world of digitized historic documents, Footnote has definitely risen the bar.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Essential Elements of a Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Essential Elements of a Crime - Essay Example Under our scenario, it is evident that conduct of Stephen of punching Vincent in the stomach is, the actus reus of battery. Battery in itself is unlawful taking into consideration that it is often meant at hurting the other party intentionally. In other words, Stephensââ¬â¢s unlawful offensive physical contact against Vincent is tantamount to a criminal offence. Commission acts is a significant proof for the actus reus of a crime. The case at hand can also be examined from causation point of view whereby action of the defendant resulted on a particular consequence. For instance, it can be established that Stephenââ¬â¢s act of punching Vincent was the major cause of Vincentââ¬â¢s illness. This clearly proves that in case a definition of the actus reus calls for a proof of an occurrence of a particular consequences then the prosecutor carries the responsibility of proving that the defendantââ¬â¢s conduct directly caused the consequences. For instance, if the prosecutor beli eves that Stephen conduct of battery was the reasonable cause of Vincent death then he/she has to prove this assertion. A conduct in criminal law does not need to be a commission only but also omission. V asserts that Clarkson (2005: 102) Omission refers to failure to take a positive action and consequently results in injury. Under general common law not only in the United Kingdom but also in other countries practicing common law, no individual can be held criminally liable for an act of omission. However, there are exceptions to omission rule such as in cases where there is: statutory duty, contractual obligation, voluntary assumption of responsibility, duty due to defendants previous conduct, and public duty. Failure to act and or respond positively to the above exceptions can result to committing actus reus by omission. In our scenario Stephen was guilty of committing the actus reus of omission. This claim can be justified by the fact that he failed respond to his prior act of ca using bodily harm to Vincent and consequently led to victimââ¬â¢s death. Under the common law defendant is often expected to correct a dangerous situation, which he/she is directly responsible for its occurrence (Emanuel, 2007: 95). Instead of helping Vincent who was, gasping for air on the floor Stephen just chose to run away even after punching him. Meanwhile Jim cannot be held criminally liable for committing actus reus of omission taking into consideration that he was under any statutory or contractual duty to help Vincent and there his inaction cannot attract any penalty under common law. Task 2: principles of novus actus interveniens and the ââ¬Ëegg shell ruleââ¬â¢ Principle of novus actus interveniens is widely used in the context of causation and it is used to explain interference with the chain of causation or to mean 'a new intervening act' (Hodgson, & Lewthwaite, 2007: 61). The chain of causation in criminal law refers to the series of events triggered by the def endant that leads to a particular event and consequent injury. For instance, it can be established through a post-mortem that a serious stab wounds is the major cause of a victimââ¬â¢s death. The relationship between a guilty action and its consequences is an important premise for establishing guilt and final liability not only in
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Corporate governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Corporate governance - Essay Example 12). This paper seeks to compare and contrast the theoretical framework of corporate governance, and explain how agency theory can be used to explain corporate governance arrangements in modern companies. The agency theory emanates from the separation of control from ownership such that professional managers manage the firm on behalf of the original owners. The theory draws strength in the rise of conflicts when the owner of a firm perceives that professional managers do not follow the best interests of the owners (Wong and Mwanzia, 2011, p., 2011, p. 16). The theory focuses on analyzing and resolving relationship between owners and shareholders of a firm and the agents or top management, this is based on the basic assumption that the role of a firm is to maximize the wealth and investment of its owners and shareholders. The agency theory works based on a form operating with limited information and uncertainty in its operations. As a result, the firm remains exposed to possibilities of agency issues such as adverse selection and moral hazard. Adverse selection in this case occurs when principals fail to determine, with certainty, whether an agent accurately portrays his or her ability to execute the duties with which they are charged. On the other hand, moral hazard refers to a condition under which a principal cannot ascertain the probability of an agent putting or giving their best towards the wellbeing of a firm (Wong and Mwanzia, 2011, p. 16). The theory also purports that availing superior information on a firm to professional managers gives an edge to agents over the owners. This is because the top managers of a firm may bear more interest in individual welfare than that of the firm or its shareholders and owners. This way, managers fail to act maximally towards the returns of a firm unless proper governance structures are out in place as a means to safeguard the interest of shareholders (Wong and Mwanzia, 2011, p. 16). As a result, the agency theory call s for curtailing the potential of managers to behave in ways that contradict the best interests of shareholders and owners of any given firm. In addition, the theory brings to light the strength of top management in having the stock of a firm held in a wide manner by many shareholders, and the composition of the board of directors being that of people with little knowledge on the firm. According to this theory, the management should be in a position to own stocks of the firm they manage in order to create a positive relationship between corporate governance and the amount of stock owned by the top management (Wong and Mwanzia, 2011, p. 16). This way, the agency managing the form can put the interests of the firm ahead of their own, and the conflict between ownership and agency can end. Thus, because of having a substantial amount of stock in their name, top management becomes more willing to take responsibility for the decisions it makes concerning the firm. In addition of concern, is the issue of generating rules and incentives
Saturday, November 16, 2019
General course on philosophy Essay Example for Free
General course on philosophy Essay The world is comprised of various types of personalities and my personal experience can attest to that. My class is composed of young male and female adults of varying shapes, sizes, heights and colors. During class, I could also imagine that our instructor would perceive us as a sea of hues, all blending together within the space of the classroom. If our instructor did not focus of each one of our faces, it would be impossible for him to differentiate each one of us because we get along well enough to proceed and complete each classroom meeting. Despite the nature of viscosity of our identities, there are also times when certain members of our class would go to opposite directions, especially when philosophical concepts are being discussed. When our instructor would present a controversial topic such as euthanasia, there would be at least three distinct responses from our class. In general, there would be the group that would approve of the concept and the other group would extend an outright disapproval of the topic. The third yet silent group would be that of the neutral ones, who are always known to be nonreactive amidst all the outbursts around them. One should understand that the variations in the responses of the members of our class are not simply comprised of three general reactions. Our instructor is aware that each broad group can be further differentiated according to the principles and beliefs of each individual. For example, if euthanasia were approved in the entire country, the members of the group that is against euthanasia would aggressively react to this. The implementation of euthanasia could be equivalent to the crumbling of their world, as they would envision deaths that are at the mercy of physicians and other healthcare personnel. Looking closer into the reasons behind the disapproval of these individuals to euthanasia may be different for each individual. It is possible that one student disapproves of euthanasia because he is a strong believer of the Catholic religion, which raises the bar in terms of the value of life. Another student may not be in support of the concept of euthanasia because he has lost a loved one through such medical-ethical approach. It is also possible that another student disapproves the topic of euthanasia because his estranged father is a physician who actively participates in such technique, and thus his disagreement is not really about the topic but against his former role model. In order to shed more detail into the finer variations behind the reactions, the instructor should thus know each one of the members of the class. The class is big, as it is mainly a general course on philosophy and thus there are around 200 students in the room. When the instructor walks over to the podium and starts his lecture for the day, our eyes may seem to be tiny lights that would flicker at the very point when he utters a serious topic that needs to be discussed for an hour. He may or may not push some buttons in some of us, resulting in our reactions of support and condemnation. As for the other explosive topics, it may not be a simple button pushing for a number of students, but more of shoving a concept to our faces and asking us to express of thoughts and ideas. The course may be considered as general subject for undergraduate students, yet little do we know that we are unconsciously learning skills on how to analyze concepts. More importantly, these classroom discussions could pave the way to a clear journey for all of us, as we start our movement through an endless tunnel. It may be dark inside this tunnel of the unknown, yet after this long walk, there would be light at the end of the tunnel, leading us to a place that would cushion our identities and provide us slumber. PART II A metaphor can affect a personââ¬â¢s emotions because it allows the writer to symbolize his ideas using things, as well as adjectives, in order that the reader may have a better feel of the narration. A metaphor therefore facilitates in the cognition of an idea, thing or event that the writer wants to describe. This form of language can increase the impact of a narration because it can fully describe thoughts, as well as actions, by the use of transference (Hovecses, 2010). This approach allows the writer to define a certain topic through the use of comparison of two concepts that are generally considered as fully dissimilar yet may be the same in some aspect, viewpoint or perception. A metaphor can affect a personââ¬â¢s emotions because it assists in describing a topic through the use of descriptors of another matter (Wormeli, 2009). It should be understood that the other matter could be something else that is totally different from the topic in mind, yet the application of the descriptors of this matter can increase the weight and impact of the topic in focus. It is probably human nature to employ certain descriptors of one thing in order to provide information on another topic. The use of metaphor allows the narrator to transfer certain features that are unique to one item onto the topic of interest, resulting in a better understanding of the idea that needs to be conveyed. A simple example of a metaphor that could stimulate the emotions of a reader is to use items that are important to the reader, such as the words life, love and world. When a small item means so much to a certain person, the writer could signify this importance by claiming that this small item is equivalent to the life of that person. Once the reader sees this description, he will then feel that the item being presented is indeed so important, thus influencing his emotions to go with the narration. Language can empower or limit the expression of our thoughts because it allows the writer to use analogy in describing a certain topic (Kennedy Gioia, 2009). The writer is therefore given the freedom to choose which words to employ for his narration. If the writer chooses to use strong words, his ideas are then delivered with great impact, influencing the reader to perceive the same emotions that the writer feels about the topic. On the other hand, a writer may employ subtle words when he feels that there is no need to purposely impart strong emotions regarding a specific matter. Language is therefore a strong tool because it could sway the reader into any direction that the writer wants provide. Every writer has a large reservoir of words that he could employ when describing or explaining a particular topic. In narration, language can be forceful if there is a need to emphasize a certain emotion. Language is empowered through the use of metaphors and other forms of speech because it allows the writer to represent certain topics by analogy (Applebee et al. , 2005). It focuses on describing a certain topic by tapping on the perceptions of the reader through the use of symbolism and analogy. The choice of words that generate a sentence may impact a reader because the writer has the capacity of employ analogy in presenting his ideas. He is capable of identifying one topic by describing features of a separate item, using the latterââ¬â¢s features to emphasize certain points of the former topic. Language is thus a powerful tool that could affect the perceptions and emotions of readers and this is mainly based on the writerââ¬â¢s capacity to apply certain form of speech such as metaphors and similes. Language can take the reader to a place where the writer has been, without physically going to that place. This successful and complete narration of a certain place mainly depends on the capacity of the writer to select words that would fully convey how he feels and sees in the place of interest. It is possible to perceive all the information that we create if we use the correct words that would impart the same effect on the reader. If we would like an audience to feel what we are actually feeling, we can use two general approaches. One approach would be to describe that condition in a straightforward manner, expressing the actual emotion. Another approach would be to employ metaphors, which assist in describing certain topics through the use of analogy. We can therefore present features that are inherent in other matters yet when applied as a descriptor for our topic, it purposefully imparts a sensation in the reader. Metaphors employed as form of speech are thus very helpful in describing and imparting certain emotions that the reader may be directly feel, yet when presented through the use of transference and analogy, could be equivalent to what the writer actually feels. In order to deliver a complete description of a certain topic, we should initially describe the general environment of the topic. For example, if we are describing a person, then the general physical features from a farther point of view should first be presented. These features may include the adjectives such as tall or short in height, lean or heavy in body size and so on. Once this has been provided, finer details of the individual can then be presented, such as wide eyes, or puckered lips or unkempt hair. The organization of the presentation of details of a certain topic is essential in conveying a message to the reader or the audience. This organization of information could significantly influence the readerââ¬â¢s understanding and perception of the topic being presented. If the writer or narrator does not employ this approach, the reader may not fully comprehend the scenario or the topic that is being presented. A disorganized delivery of information to the audience may therefore result in a different understand, emotion and perception of the topic and it may be totally different from what the writer intended to convey. REFERENCES Applebee, A. N. , Bermudez, A. B. Blau, S. (2005). The language of literature. San Francisco: Holt MacDougal, 1548 pages. Hovecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A practical introduction, 2nd ed. London: Oxford University Press, 400 pages. Kennedy, X. J. Gioia, D. (2009). Literature: An introduction to fiction, poetry, drama and writing. Los Angeles: Longman Publishers, 2256 pages. Wormeli, R. (2009). Metaphors and analogies: Power tools for teaching any subject. New York: Stenhouse Publishers, 264 pages.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Essay example --
History / Educational Influences Marina City, as a modernist urban solution, was possible by Bertrand Goldberg because of his formal architectural training as well as his early practice and interaction with key architects. Exposure to architectural, socioeconomic, and cultural context that shaped modernist architecture developed him as an architect. Influence began early on from his physics teacher, George Vaubel, which inspired him with a lifelong love for logic and ââ¬Å"reasoning backwardsâ⬠and finding evidence for what was taught to him. Goldberg studied at the Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape then at the Bauhaus in Berlin, Germany and lastly, at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago. He discovered architecture while studying at Harvard in 1930. The dean, Henry Frost, allowed Goldberg to study with his graduate studio as an undergraduate. During the Great Depression, Goldberg was studying at Harvard where debates with professors and fellow students centered on the political and soc ial problem, dealing with poverty. It unleashed and influenced his lifelong consciousness of social and political factors because he took social and political problems into consideration when designing. Harvard exposed Goldberg to the Beaux-Arts architecture and he desired to go to Paris to study but instead went to the Bauhaus after being advised. The Bauhaus introduced Goldberg to the new ideals of art and architecture. The Bauhaus emphasized on vision and spatial skills. Goldberg was greatly influenced by Mies van de Rohe and Josef Albers. Goldberg embraced ââ¬Å"less is moreâ⬠and was disciplined to work out details of the total design by creating an aesthetic out of structure and seeking alliance with an industrial world. At the B... ... solution of a central core and columns made the structure safe and efficient. The concrete also acted provided security against uplift because of concrete nature of heaviness. Mechanical systems were engineered within the floors which allowed for more spatial freedom. The efficient solution to the foundation was also achieved through engineering and the use of caissons. Construction initiated after structural issues were resolved. Machine and hand became the medium to create the building. While the tower crane allowed for the fast construction of Marina City, artisanship was also required. The use of formwork to create the petals require of artisanship while being mass produce implied machine. The hand work can be seen in the uneven surfaces were molding was required. Marina City became the biggest structural and residential building at the time of its completion.
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