Postmodernist View On Consensus Essays - , Term Papers

Postmodernist View On Consensus STELLING : ? In tegenstelling tot wat ze op de reclame ook mogen beweren komt men met een bot en roestig kapmes veel verder dan met een geoliede fijnbesnaard figuurzaagje. ? HOOFDSTUK 1 : Een onbeweegbare beweger : een overzicht van de wereld en wat haar structureert en drijft, waarin met een grote boog rond de sociologie en de filosofie word gegaan. Wereld : beeld van de overwinning van het liberale imperialistische kapitalisme over zijn twee laatste uitdagers : communisme en fascisme Het systeem : creatie van ongelijkheid, roept verschillen in het leven Laat geen vrede toe : maar creert ZEKERHEID door competitie De structuur staat niet bloot aan radicale omverwerping maar aan herziening Werkt volgens de regels van spel met meerdere spelers : het doel van hetspel is altijd winnen waarvoor elke strategie toepasbaar is, zij het binnen de regels. Bij de modernen : in politiek TWEE legitimatieprincipes : god en republiek, ras en universele mens, bij conlict over legitimiteit : OORLOG Bij postmodernen : in de politiek BEHEERSSYSTEMEN. Geen oorlogen maar ingrijpen van politie, niet om legitimeit te ontnemen maar om te dwingen volgens de regels te onderhandelen. Systeem is overal : geen Frasne denkers, amerikaanse droom, engelse bril meer Het systeem dat het best is afgesteld op de ontwikkeling zijn weg heeft gebaand tussen de idealen heen, die onder eigennamen zijn gedomicilieerd. Vroegere vermogen van die idealen was af te leiden aan vermogen om haar gebeid te kunnen mobiliseren en te organiseren. Nu niet meer : Burgers menen vrij te zijn en zijn daarom gemakkelijker te mobiliseren. Tegenwoordig is er superioriteit van kapitalistische democratie, (echter niet omdat ze beter is, maar omdat ze de eeuwigdurende concurrentie tussen toevallig ontstane systemen heeft overwonnen). Dit is dan ook de reden voor de legitimeit van dit systeem, hierop stoelt ze haar prestige : de consensus berust op een FEITELIJKE SITUATIE, een triomf over eeuwenlange politieke expirimenten ER zijn nieuwe waarden : humanitaire hulp, bio ethiek, recht op onderwijs, zelfbeschikkingsrecht voor vrouwen, plicht to hulp aan oude koloniale rijken en oostblok. ? worden nagestreeft BINNEN DE REGELS VAN HET SPEL In zekere zin is dit humanistisch, omdat het systeem rekening houd met de mensen waaruit het is samengesteld, doch omgekeerd eist het systeem dat de mensen zich aanpassen aan de ontwikkeling. Bevoorbeeld dat er niet genoeg arbeid is voor de benodigde goederen, dat producties niet optimaal worden geoptimaliseerd, maar worden gewinstmaximaliseerd, kapitaalvlucht,? Het moderne humanisme van de Verlichting had het natuurlijk niet hierover maar over een gemeenschap fan gelijke en verlichte burgers tot ideaal gesteld, die in vrijheid overleggen over beslissingen die in gemeenschappelijke zaken moeten worden genomen. Het humanisme van het systeem is UTILITARISTISCH, waarvan deze nuttigheid word berekend aan de hand van veronderstelde behoeften : VERONDERSTELD omdat het systeem werkt met onvolledige informatie in de zin dat er een onbeheersbaar toeval is. Je medespelers (of tegenspelers, is nu hetzelfde) is perfect in te schatten ondanks talloze peilingen en statistieken getroost. Het systeem bevorderd deze onzekerheid omdat het niet gesloten is. Het verzekerd slechts de competitie. Deze marge van onzekerheid zorgt er voor dat dissidenten het systeem niet op hun grondvesten laten daveren. Vroeger : strijd voor idealen : (VOLK VRIJHEID PERSOON MENSHEID), dingen die nog niet in het systeem waren toegelaten of werden geschonden Nu : onze rebellie valt het systeem niet meer af : het draagt zelfs bij tot zijn vervolmaking (eerder genoemde correctie) en speelt zich af in de tolerantie van de marge van onzekerheid MARGE DUS NIET TOTALITAIR HOOFDSTUK II : De consensus Het systeem is niet totalitair maar de bosmaaier van de consensus maait elk tegendraadse grassprietje naar de marginaliteit. Een van de hoogste goeden die we kennen is onze vrijheid en onze vrijheid van meningsuiting. De recentste grote crisis rond dit thema weerd mondiaal gevoerd rond het boek De Duivelsverzen. (sorry voor Herman Brusselmans die met zijn schofferingen tegen An Demeulemeester slechts een goede tweede was). Duivelsverzen: -Moslims eisen een totaal verbod op dit boek omdat ze gevrijwaard willen blijven van aantasting van al wat boven hen staat -tegenstanders ontzeggen moslims deze eis in naam van de vrijheid van meningsuiting De opvatting is dus dat vrijwel iedere mening kan gehoord worden, behalve de mening die vind dat niet elke mening gehoord moet worden: de consensus mag dus niet doorbroken worden. VRAAG : is consensus een HOGERE WAARDE die alle andere overstijgt,

Free Essays on Jewish History

Movements of Judaism The different sects or denominations of Judaism are generally referred to as movements. The differences between Jewish movements are not nearly as great as the differences between Christian denominations. The differences between Orthodoxy and Reform Judaism are not much greater than the differences between the liberal and fundamentalist wings of the Baptist denomination of Christianity. In general, when I speak of "movements" in this site, I am referring to movements in the United States in the 20th century. Movements in Ancient Times Perhaps the oldest records we have of a formal difference of opinion among Jews dates back to the time of the Maccabean revolt, which is the basis for the story of Chanukkah. At that time, the land of Israel was under the relatively benevolent control of Greece, and was deeply influenced by Greek culture. Hellenizing Jews were opposed by a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasideans (no direct relation to the modern movement known as Chasidism). As the Selucid Greeks began to oppress the Jews, war broke out and the Jewish people united in their opposition to the Greeks. The war continued for 25 years, and the Jewish people remained united in purpose. But after the war ended, the Jewish people became divided into three groups: the Essenes, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Essenes were an ascetic and mystical group devoted to strict discipline. They lived in isolation from the world. The Dead Sea Scrolls are believed to be the product of an Essene sect. Some scholars believe that early Christianity was influenced by the mystical and hermetical teachings of the Essenes. The Sadducees evolved out of the Hellenistic elements of Judaism. The movement was made up of the priests and the aristocrats of Jewish society. They were religiously conservative but socially liberal. The Sadducees believed in a strict, narrow and unchanging interpretation of the w... Free Essays on Jewish History Free Essays on Jewish History Movements of Judaism The different sects or denominations of Judaism are generally referred to as movements. The differences between Jewish movements are not nearly as great as the differences between Christian denominations. The differences between Orthodoxy and Reform Judaism are not much greater than the differences between the liberal and fundamentalist wings of the Baptist denomination of Christianity. In general, when I speak of "movements" in this site, I am referring to movements in the United States in the 20th century. Movements in Ancient Times Perhaps the oldest records we have of a formal difference of opinion among Jews dates back to the time of the Maccabean revolt, which is the basis for the story of Chanukkah. At that time, the land of Israel was under the relatively benevolent control of Greece, and was deeply influenced by Greek culture. Hellenizing Jews were opposed by a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasideans (no direct relation to the modern movement known as Chasidism). As the Selucid Greeks began to oppress the Jews, war broke out and the Jewish people united in their opposition to the Greeks. The war continued for 25 years, and the Jewish people remained united in purpose. But after the war ended, the Jewish people became divided into three groups: the Essenes, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Essenes were an ascetic and mystical group devoted to strict discipline. They lived in isolation from the world. The Dead Sea Scrolls are believed to be the product of an Essene sect. Some scholars believe that early Christianity was influenced by the mystical and hermetical teachings of the Essenes. The Sadducees evolved out of the Hellenistic elements of Judaism. The movement was made up of the priests and the aristocrats of Jewish society. They were religiously conservative but socially liberal. The Sadducees believed in a strict, narrow and unchanging interpretation of the w... Free Essays on Jewish History Brief Look at Jewish History The Jews are a people with a multitude of dilemmas. From the Israelite tribes to the prosperous modern day Israel , bigotry towards the Jews has been greatly evident. The Jewish race has acted as Escape Goat for many crisis throughout history including the black plaque which swept across Europe in the 14th century. The establishment of Israel was a great incident was something the Jewish people were striving to obtain for generations. This, however, led to four major conflicts between Israel and the Arab countries. One of the most meaningful wars was the Six-Day War. Events such as the holocaust have also had a dramatic effect on world history and whose mysteries are still being unravelled. For twelve years following 1933 the Jews were persecuted by the Nazi's. Jewish businesses were boycotted and vandalized. By 1939,Jews were no longer citizens,could not attend public schools,engage in practically any business or profession, own any land, associate with any non-Jew or visit public places such as parks and museums. The victories of the German armies in the early years of World War II brought the majority of European Jewry under the Nazis. The Jews were deprived of human rights. The Jewish people were forced to live in Ghetto's which were separated from the main city. Hitler's plan of genocide was carried out with efficiency. The total number of Jews exterminated has been calculated at around 5,750,000. In Warsaw ,where approximately 400,000 Jews had once been concentrated,was reduced to a population of 60,000. They, virtually unarmed, resisted the German deportation order and had held back the regular German troops equipped with flame throwers,armoured cards, and tanks for nearly a month. This heroism was similar to the revolt which took place around 165BC. This uprising was led by the Maccabees, a provincial priestly family (also called Hasmo...

Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Nursing - Assignment Example Mandatory genetic screening already in place has been characterized by several human risks. In this regard, if everyone was required to have a complete genetic screening, there are legal and ethical issues to consider. On ethical basis, genetic screening should be undertaken on voluntary basis. Making the screening mandatory is a positive move for the health sector. However, personal consent to such procedures is important. As much as health experts pursue beneficial health measures for the society, it is up to the society to decide what to take and what to leave. Specifically, personal choice should be respected. Individual choices in matters pertaining to child-rearing can be greatly influenced by making genetic screening compulsory to everyone. Respect for individual choice is lost in the process. On the same note, intense public education is required to create awareness for the purposes of compulsory screening. This however does not imply fully compliance because forced screening will interfere with personal choice and constitute uninformed decision making across everyone involved. Legal issues have also emerged in this context. Legal liability in the context of malpractice litigation seems to be headed for the climax with the adoption of forced genetic screening on everyone (Fletcher, 2001). The observed scenario likely fosters high quality medical care and implies a disappointment free health care to both patients and health practitioners. Such a program requires proper legal frameworks in order to be rendered fully operational. On the same note, the program should fully outline and describe procedure for informed consent. Given this factor, the legal process is likely to be challenged because not all patients are likely to consent to the program. The information that the forced screening would gather is critical to the society. The health sector can assign specific departments to handle the information

Managing Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Change - Essay Example es on timely delivery of the goods assigned to it, raised satisfaction of the clients and the process depends on the quickness of the staffs and machinery associated. Staffs of the company undertakes major roles in various segments entailing the roads , taxi truck, sea freight, air express, transit store, customs and air VIP. The restructuring mainly focuses on the organization of the staffs and realignment of the machineries applied in working of the Express-Link system. The design of the current and appropriate interventions aimed at moving the firm from the current state to the future prospected level thus by tackling its limitations and moving on forward. The action plan also addresses the essence of the internal politics, leadership in execution of the changes and culture in the organization by further elaborating on the account type, depth and range of the change entailed program. The action plan also considers the recommendations regarding how the prospected change should be i nstitutionalized by considering features of the firm. The clear and vivid development of the parts and portions of the action plan is aimed at presenting coherent, well supported and logically structured model. The output action plan is a contributed process with agents of change ready to work on the tasks that conform to the roles of the external change agents and inclination on evaluating the different approaches to the team members on every intervention, implementation and institutionalization stages (Jones, Jimmieson, & Griffiths, 2005). The Organizational Development interventions must be adopted by the Express-Link. The essence of the planned change interventions which extensively reveal a sets if structured activities that selected organizational units or even the target groups undertake task and even sequence of certain critical tasks with aimed goals having organizational improvement and other distinct individual tasks. The actual interventions are aimed at moving the

2 to 3 page Bible College Administrative Report to be done in APA Essay

2 to 3 page Bible College Administrative Report to be done in APA Format - Essay Example Although established only in 1992, it has a combined instructional history of 130 years (Rocky Mountain College, 2009a, p. 5). RMC offers 2 one-year certificates on Christian Discipleship, 3 two-year diplomas (Christian Leadership, Global Studies & Theatre Arts), a three-year degree on Religious Studies, and 4 four-year degree programs on Human Services, Leadership Development, Music & Theology (Rocky Mountain College, 2009a, p. 22). Founded in 1992 through the cooperation of Lithuanian, Canadian and American foundations, LCC is based in Klaipeda, Lithuania. Its aim is to produce Christian professionals who will actively participate in community projects (LCC, 2009a). LCC offers four undergraduate courses (Business Administration, English Language and Literature, Psychology and Theology) and a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (LCC, 2009c). Although LCC operates in several countries as a nonprofit organization, it is generally governed by an independent Board of Directors, which is composed of members from North America and Lithuania (LCC, 2009b). It can be seen through the chart above how bible colleges, depending on their size and the breadth of the courses they offer, differ when it comes to governance and organizational structure. While their similarities are obvious, their differences are indistinct and needs a closer look. It must be noted, however, that the exact nature of two out of the three Christian Colleges studied here do not present complete data regarding the hierarchy of power and accountability. Thus, this comparative analysis is based on the available data and the inferences that can be drawn from them. Liberty University is governed primarily by the Chancellor and the President of the Board of Trustees, which is the same person. He is also the son of the founder and the President of the Board of Trustees Committees. Even though managing this large

Light Touch Regulation and the Global Financial Crisis

Light Touch Regulation and the Global Financial Crisis Carla Vecchio Contents (Jump to) 1.0 Light Touch Regulation and the Global Financial Crisis 2.0 Stress Scenarios and Credit Modelling 1.0 Light Touch Regulation and the Global Financial Crisis In October 2008, almost three years after stepping down as Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, Alan Greenspan, also known as the Maestro, admitted in a Congressional hearing that he had been â€Å"partially† wrong in assuming that lending institutions would act in the best interest of their shareholders (Greenspan 2009), thus deflecting blame for the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) that led to the collapse of dozens of major financial institutions and millions of mortgage defaults, costing the global community trillions of dollars in savings and millions of jobs. Yet it was he, an ex-director of JP Morgan, first appointed by Ronald Reagan, who was instrumental in creating the conditions that made it possible. Greenspan approved bank consolidation, pushed financial deregulation, advocated a reduction in bank capital reserves and blocked efforts to stop abusive subprime lending (Pearlstein 2013). Finally, when presented with warning signs of an impending disaster by fellow Federal Reserve Board members just before the GFC, he dismissed them and instead drew conclusions best described by Lord Adair Turner’s words (2010) â€Å"Panglossian, that is blindly or naively optimistic†. Greenspan did however concede during his congressional grilling that there should have been greater regulatory oversight of financial institutions, and it is now universally accepted that this â€Å"light touch regulation† leading up to the GFC materially contributed to the crisis. For people like Lord Adair, who now have the benefit of hindsight, the â€Å"major cause of the crisis† was the fact that â€Å"over several decades prior to 2008, private credit grew faster than GDP in most adv anced economies† and with it, leverage (The Institute for New Economic Thinking 2014). He agrees that the regulators failed, and proposes a new set of policies to â€Å"constrain the growth of private credit† and more importantly to â€Å"influence the type of credit extended† (INET 2014). The generally accepted ultimate causes of the GFC are deregulation of the financial markets; financial innovations; executive compensation; low interest rates; sub-prime loans; and speculation (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 141).Whilst the changes to the financial sector were driven by ideology, the motivating force behind them was for the most part greed. Neoliberal theories â€Å"advocated policies that aided the accumulation† of wealth in fewer hands arguing that it would create jobs causing wealth to eventually trickle down to all (Beder 2009, 3). They also maintained that â€Å"government intervention in the management of the economy is unnecessary† because the market is self-correcting, an idea attractive to government because it absolved it of responsibility (Beder 2009, 3). The rapid growth of international trade in the 1980’s facilitated global financial liberalisation which made it easier for American banks to argue for deregulation to make them more competitive against foreign banks (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 141). They found an ally in President Ronald Reagan who had been elected on a platform of limiting the role of government, and they embarked on an unprecedented and expensive lobbying campaign to convince other politicians of the benefits of financial deregulation (Johnson 2012). The first burst of deregulatory bravado came in 1982 with the ushering in of the Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act. Key provisions of the Act like raising the â€Å"allowable ceiling on direct investments by savings institutions in non-residential assets from 20% to 40%† set the scene for the savings and loan crisis of the 1980’s and would later be blamed for thousands of bank failures (Gilani 2009). The ultimate price however, was the undoing of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, also known as the Banking Act of 1933. Among other things, the Act governed banks’ domestic operations; separated commercial and investment banks; and established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), thus ensuring bank deposits and giving the Federal Reserve greater control (The Chronology of Bank Deregulation n.d.). In 1987, Alan Greenspan took over the chairmanship of the Federal Reserve Board, and his free-market philosophies would champion the deregulatory movement (Gilani 2009). A year later, in 1988, the â€Å"Basel Accord established international risk-based capital requirements for deposit taking banks† that would require lenders to set aside reserves (Gilani 2009). Conversely, marketable securities would only require minimal reserves, which allowed unscrupulous banks to free up reserves by shifting from â€Å"originating and holding mortgages to packaging them and holding the mortgage assets in a now-securitized form†, thus severing the link between asset quality considerations and asset liquidity considerations (Gilani 2009). Greenspan asserted that bank deregulation was necessary for banks to become global financial powers, and by using his own powers, Greenspan set out to dismantle the Glass-Steagall Act firstly by allowing banks to deal in debt and equity securities, and finally by allowing banks to own securities firms (The Chronology of Bank Deregulation n.d.). The final demise of the Glass-Steagall Act came when Citibank was bought by Travelers, a deal which under the Act was illegal. It was then made legal when the Gramm-Leach-Billey Financial Services Modernisation Act, bulldosed through by Senator Gramm, was signed into law by Bill Clinton and at once doing away with the Glass-Steagall Act (Gilani 2009). Senator Gramm who was an economist and free market ideologist, further used his position of power to espouse the virtues of subprime lending by famously declaring â€Å"I look at subprime lending and I see the American Dream in action† (Gilani 2009). Subprime lending or lending to people who would ordinarily have little hope of obtaining a loan, thus came to be looked upon favourably by politicians as it allowed record numbers of consumers to purchase a home (The Financial Crisis and the Great Recession n.d., 337). A direct outgrowth of easy lending, its roots can be traced to the Technology Bubble of the late 1990’s which had been encouraged by the loose money policies of the Federal Reserve under Alan Greenspan (Bello 2008).When the bubble burst and sent the U.S. into recession, Greenspan tried to counter it by lowering the prime interest rate to a historical low of 1% (The Financial Crisis and the Great Recession n.d., 338). This in turn encouraged another bubble: the real estate bubble (Bello 2008). â€Å"Driving the demand for subprime loans was the development of a culture of entitlement† and the U.S. government’s push of home ownership as an inalienable right (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 145). Th is combination of low interest rates and high levels of liquidity facilitated higher risk taking and speculation. Caution was often equated to lack of optimism so even the most cautious were driven by herd mentality into the market, even in the face of continuously rising house prices (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 146). Financial wizards were in the meantime designing ever more complex financial products. Initially meant to â€Å"manage risk and make capital less expensive and more available†, they ironically ultimately led to the GFC (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 142). Loans were bundled in a process called securitization, and sold globally to others who had no direct interest in the customers’ ability to repay the loans. In the process, vast amounts of money were made available to borrowers leading to more loans and further driving house prices up. Credit Derivatives, essentially bets on the credit worthiness of a particular company were used to transfer risk away from the banks leading to even more risk taking on the part of the banks (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 143). Huge executive salaries and compensation packages played a major role in the creation of the GFC. Tied to short-term performance, they further encouraged risk taking, relaxing of lending criteria (The Finan cial Crisis and the Great Recession n.d.,340) and even accounting fraud as in the case of Enron, Global Crossing and WorldCom (The Global Financial Crisis 2012, 144). The proliferation of subprime lending was responsible for doubling the mortgage borrowing in the U.S. from an annual average of $500 billion in 1998 to over $1 trillion in the 2003-6 period (The Financial Crisis and the Great Recession n.d., 341). When mortgage repayments became more difficult in 2006, a wave of subprime foreclosures ensued creating a glut in the market and dramatic drop in house prices (The Financial Crisis and the Great Recession n.d., 341). The rest is history. Banks deemed â€Å"too big to fail† failed, and trillions of dollars were lost. In the U.S. alone, 3 million homes were foreclosed and 9 million people lost their jobs. In his congressional testimony, Alan Greenspan basically testified that he thought he could trust bankers and credit rating agencies to do the right thing by their shareholders and price risks accordingly, but with such huge profits to be made, it appears that greed triumphed. Considerable evidence has in fact mounted since the GFC to show that his vision of the markets and organisations â€Å"is not only oversimplified, but utopic† (Turner 2010). Critics and many economists now blame Greenspan for the crisis. Indeed, it is clear that notwithstanding his faith in others, it was incumbent upon him as the steward of the world’s largest economy to be vigilant. â€Å"You had the authority to prevent irresponsible lending practices that led to the subprime mortgage crisis. You were advised to do so by many others,† said Representative Henry A. Waxman of California, chairman of the committee (Andrews 2008). â€Å"Do you feel your ideology pushed you to make decisions that you wish you had not made?† Mr. Greenspan conceded: â€Å"Yes I’ve found a flaw† (Andrews 2008). 2.0 Stress Scenarios and Credit Modelling When credit is extended by a lender to a borrower, there is a certain risk that the borrower may default on its payment, thus causing a loss to the lender. If the losses are large enough, the lender may be forced to default on its own obligations to others, as seen during the most recent Global Financial Crisis (GFC) which saw a number of large banks file for bankruptcy. To minimise the probability of the borrower defaulting, banks adopt lending practices and ratios, and conduct a review of the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. Competitive pressure from other banks to make credit more affordable means that banks have to try as best they can, to estimate the probability of defaults and the size and nature of possible losses, and make provision for them. The banks’ credit is mathematically modelled, which is then used to estimate the likely outcomes produced by different hypothetical but realistic and potential scenarios. Credit models can be divided into two groups: credit risk models and credit growth models. A credit risk model is used to predict the main credit risk parameters, particularly the probability of default. Conversely, a credit growth model is used to estimate the growth in bank portfolios and to estimate the growth of the bank’s risk-weighted assets, that is, the bank’s off-balance-sheet exposures weighted according to risk and hence the capital requirement as explained in the Basel Accord. A bank’s ability to withstand the most adverse conditions is tested by carrying out a so called â€Å"stress test†, whereby extreme values for certain variables are used in the bank’s credit model to predict the outcome. Most commonly, the stress test is applied to credit risk as this carries the most important and most serious consequences for a bank. The Banking Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) (2009, p.1) states that stress testing is a vital risk management tool employed by many banks â€Å"as part of their internal risk management and, through the Basel II capital adequacy framework, is promoted by supervisors†. The rigorous stress testing program requires management to adopt a forward thinking mentality and create â€Å"what if† scenarios that are extreme, but plausible. Thus the purpose of such an exercise is to assess a bank’s resilience to potential adverse shocks in the financial economic environment that may have a catastrophic effect on the institution or financial system as a whole. For example, a modeller may measure the effect rising interest rates has on home loan defaults. A mathematical formula can then be derived to link the two factors. As well as being a supplementary tool for other risk management approaches, stress testing provides management with an indication of the â€Å"approp riate level of capital necessary to endure deteriorating economic conditions† (BCBS 2009, p. 1). Since the GFC, stress testing of banking systems has been used more extensively and in a broader variety of contexts. The internal risk management exercises within the Basel II capital adequacy framework has led many financial institutions and supervisors to focus attention on stress tests in relation to credit risk as an additional way to test the reliability of the internal models they adopt (Schechtman and Gaglianone 2011). The increasing need for financial stability within today’s economic environment, and its role as a policy goal of central banks, has also promoted interest in macroeconomic stress testing and the link it has to credit risk (Schechtman and Gaglianone 2011). There are two broad types of stress scenarios: The reduced-form stress scenario and the sharply contrasting structural stress scenario. According to Roger Stein from Moody’s Research Labs (2011), these terms have been adopted from the credit modelling literature, and are the two main approaches used to model credit risk. A structural scenario possesses a â€Å"causal, economically intuitive relationship† (Stein 2011) between a firm’s asset and the probability of it defaulting, that is, it has a clear and logical economic rationale for the effect of a particular factor on a portfolio. It is focused on the state of the economy, as described by the macroeconomic factors involved and requires a definite link between asset behaviour and the stress factor. Because different asset classes within the portfolio are dependent on the same common factors, there is also a very high coherence or consistency of results between them. Unlike other models, the structural model can explain why a company or a bank, for example, is likely to default. Although intuitive, structural stress scenarios make high demands on the testers because not only do changes in the economic factors have to be consistent throughout the different asset classes, but the resultant asset behaviour must also be fully described by the mathematical function linking the assets to the economic factors. Because of this, few structural models for stress testing have been developed so far. One such model is at the core of the Bank of England’s stress testing agenda. Generally, structural models are useful from a central bank’s perspective as they assume a linear relationship between macroeconomic factors and credit risk, hence providing a way of estimating financial stability risks. In contrast, a reduced-form scenario focuses on the state of the assets and treats default events as â€Å"surprises†. It does not provide an economic cause for the resulting state of the assets, thus only requiring the stress tester to define the asset behaviours themselves (Stein 2011). Modelling credit risk under this approach requires no assumptions to be made concerning why defaults occur. Instead, the dynamics of default are directly linked to the default rate. Default in the feduced form stress model is an unforeseeable event which will always have a positive default probability. A relationship between assets is not required in the reduced form, nor is a logical reason given for a certain observed effect. Because of their less rigorous demand, reduced form stress models are used predominantly in the financial industry. For example, the stress testing approach used even by the Bank of France is based on a reduced form of the credit risk model wherein a borrower’s ability to repay his loan is found as the difference between the value of the assets and that of his loan, and default occurs when the value of the debt exceeds the value of the loan. Credit risk is one of the most important areas for stress testing since it ultimately affects a bank’s profits and even its solvency. When used in conjunction with credit models, both the structural and reduced-form stress scenario approaches assist management in providing a means of mitigating â€Å"risk by enabling intuitive interpretations of states of the world that may cause a portfolio or organisation to experience high losses† (Stein 2011). Stein (2011) states that it is indeed this â€Å"intuitiveness that makes stress testing useful in evaluating a credit model’s behaviour in general, and the appropriateness of a model’s linking functions in particular†. Both the Structural and the Reduced-form Stress Test models have found an important and useful role in the financial industry. Modellers will use either one depending on what is being tested and what is known or can be quantified. As it is, even though the credit models used by their very nature do not perfectly represent the real world, the stress tests applied to them, â€Å"still provide a measure of intuition that is generally otherwise not feasible† (Stein 2011). This is because both structural and reduced-form stress scenarios induce a connection to both the credit models and the risks in the portfolio which provides management with insights into both the model’s behaviour and also the drivers of the portfolio’s credit risk (Stein 2011). (http://www.cnb.cz/en/financial_stability/stress_testing/stress_testing_methodology.html). Referenced: Ricardo Schechtman and Wagner Piazza Gaglianone 2011 – Macro Stress Testing of Credit Risk Focused on the Tails http://www.bcb.gov.br/pec/wps/ingl/wps241.pdf STEIN 2011 – The Role of Stress Testing in Credit Risk Management BCBS 2009 – Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Breuer, Jandacka, Rheinberger Summer 2009 – How to find plausible, severe and useful stress scenarios

Kass and Genetic Technology :: essays research papers

Unregulated Genetic Technology Threatens to Dehumanize Society When James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA in 1959, they could not have known that their discovery would one day lead to the possibility of a human factory that is equipped with the capabilities to mass produce perfectly designed, immortal human beings on a laboratory assembly line. Of course, this human factory is not yet possible; genetic technology is still in its infancy, and scientists are forced to spend their days unlocking the secret of human genetics in hopes of uncovering cures for diseases, alleviating suffering, and prolonging life. In the midst of their noble work, scientists still dream of a world—a utopia—inhabited by flawless individuals who have forgotten death and never known suffering. What would become of society if such a utopia existed? How will human life be altered? Leon Kass, in Life, Liberty and the Defense of Dignity: The Challenge for Bioethics, acknowledges genetics technology’s greatness, and applauds it for its invaluable, benevolent contributions to mankind. However, Kass argues that if left to their devises and ambitions, geneticists—with the power of their technology—will steal away society’s most precious asset; genetic technology will rob society of its humanity. Genetic technology can, and will, achieve great things, but unless it is regulated and controlled, the losses will be catastrophic and the costs will far exceed the benefits. The age of genetic technology has arrived. Thanks to genetic technological advancements, medical practitioners, with the help of genetic profiling, will be able to better diagnose patients and design individual tailored treatments; doctors will be able to discern which medications and treatments will be most beneficial and produce the fewest adverse side effects. Rationally designed vaccines have been created to provide optimal protection against infections. Food scientists have hopes of genetically altering crops to increase food production, and therefore mitigate global hunger. Law enforcement officers find that their job is made easier through the advancement of forensics; forensics is yet another contribution of genetic technology. Doctors have the ability to identify â€Å"high-risk† babies before they are born, which enables them to be better prepared in the delivery room. Additionally, oncologists are able to improve survival rates of cancer patients by administering ge netically engineered changes in malignant tumors; these changes result in an increased immune response by the individual. With more than fifty years of research, and billions of dollars, scientists have uncovered methods to improve and prolong human life and the possibilities offered by gene therapy and genetic technology are increasing daily.

Alice Walker’s “The Welcome Table” VS Nadine Gordimer’s “Country Lovers” Essay

There was a time when racial and ethical issues were far more detrimental to one’s life than they are today. In the short stories â€Å"The Welcome Table† by Alice Walker and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer they tell of life during that time. Both authors were women born during a time of terrible racial and gender inequality. These two short stories share the similarities of theme, plot, some form, some of the content, and use of imagery and the differences of point-of-view, some form, some of the content such as characters and setting, and the style with uses of tone, irony, and symbolism. The Welcome Table was a story written about a black woman who was discriminated against by white people because of her race. She wondered into a white church and was thrown out by the white people. Country Lovers was a story written about a young black woman and a young white man who were together in a forbidden relationship because they were a different race. They would sneak and see each other when no one was paying attention. The theme of a story tells you what the story is about (Clugston, 2010). These two stories were written under the theme of race/ ethnicity. In the two stories it was very obvious what the theme was all about. They were written about racial inequality. The black African and African American races were both discriminated against by the white African and white American races. For whites and blacks to be together was like taking a bite of the forbidden fruit. The Welcome Table has a plot with conflict and crisis. Its plot is centered  on the conflict of racism. The elderly black woman, not realizing what she has done, wonders into the white church where she is not supposed to be. When she wondered into the white church, the white people were horrified. The only thing these white people could see when they looked at the old black lady was fear of the unknown. She symbolized the loss of control for them as well as the loss of privacy, which was a crisis, caused by the changes the federal government was making. In the reality of it all, it is quite a tragedy. In chapter 3.1 of Journey into Literature R.Wayne Clugston discusses this story. In paragraph 7 of the story the people in the church throw her out and tell her she is not welcome there. By the end of the story, the old lady is believed to have died to some, and to others she may have just went to visit family (Clugston, 2010). No one really knows. In Country Lovers the plot was also with conflict and crisis and was centered on racism. Paulus Eysendyck who was a young white boy and Thebedi a young black girl had fallen in love. While Paulus was away at school Thebedi had given birth to his child. Despite the fact that the baby was not his, Njabulo, Thebedi’s husband, took on the responsibility of taking care of Thebedi and the baby boy. When Paulus returned home from school he went to see the baby. It was such a horrible crisis when Paulus decided to murder the baby to keep anyone from finding out it was his. The Welcome Table was written in the form of a short story. It was ten paragraphs long. It was one that was somewhat of a tragedy. This story is filled with tragic moments. The elderly lady being thrown out of a church just because she was black was terrible. The biggest tragedy of all was that because of the racial issues of that time, nobody really knows or cares what happened to the old woman. It is sad to say that there was such times as these that people were so mean and cruel. Even though the biggest part of this story was tragic, it also had some positive moments. The elderly lady, despite all hers tragedies kept her eyes focused on Jesus. This enabled her to be happy and forget about all the bad things going on around her. This story was written to be enjoyed in an atmosphere of a single person reading it on their own. The story Country Lovers was also a short story. This story had approximately thirty two paragraphs. The formatting and wording made it somewhat longer in paragraph count. This story was also that of tragedy. There are many parts of the story filled with tragedy. The young children being pulled away from each other once they reached school age just because the color of their skin was different, was not right. The worst tragedy of all was that racial issues were so bad that one would kill their own child to hide what he had done because he and the girl were different races, and even worse, he actually got away with it. Despite the tragedy of racial inequality, the young girl and guy were in love. This was a happy moment. There was also some positivity when the other boy showed his love for the young girl by marrying her despite the child not being his. He loved her that much. Even though this was a short story written for the enjoyment of one reading alone, it could be converted into a play or possibly even a movie. In The Welcome Table, Alice Walker uses imagery to attempt to get the reader to paint a mental picture of different parts of the story. However, the most immediate forms of imagery are visual (Hill, 1995). In The Welcome Table, Alice Walker used imagery very well. When she described the elderly black lady she described her in great detail. She started by writing, â€Å"The old woman stood with eyes uplifted in her Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes: high shoes polished about the tops and toes, a long rusty dress adorned with an old corsage, long withered, and the remnants of an ele ¬gant silk scarf as head rag stained with grease from the many oily pigtails underneath. Perhaps she had known suffering. There was a dazed and sleepy look in her aged blue-brown eyes† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, ch.3.1 Alice Walker’s The Welcome Table, para.1).This description is an example of how imagery works. It gives just enough detail so that you can see the woman in your mind. In Country Lovers, Nadine Gordimer also uses imagery in an attempt to get the reader to paint a mental picture of different parts of the story. When Nadine Gordimer describes a moment between Paulus and Thebedi at the river bed she wrote â€Å"One summer afternoon when there was water flowing there and it was very hot she waded in as they used to do when they were children, her  dress bunched modestly and tucked into the legs of her pants. The schoolgirls he went swimming with at dams or pools on neighboring farms wore bikinis but the sight of their dazzling bellies and thighs in the sunlight had never made him feel what he felt now when the girl came up the bank and sat beside him, the drops of water beading off her dark legs the only points of light in the earth-smelling deep shade.† This too is a great use of imagery. Being aware of the point-of-view is important for different reasons depending on the point-of-view (Smith, n.d.). Both stories have a point-of-view of third-person, but one is third-person omniscient while the other is third-person objective. The point-of-view in The Welcome Table is third-person omniscient. Third-person omniscient is when the narrator uses multiple perspectives. The narrator knows what all the characters in the story are thinking and feeling, not just what they are doing throughout the story (Hill, 1995). By writing the story this way it gives it a more meaningful point of view. It shows that the author can put herself in every characters position and know exactly how they feel. The point-of-view in Country Lovers is third-person objective. In third-person objective, the narrator is not a character in the story and reports on events and lets the reader supply the meaning (Hill, 1995). In this story Nadine Gordimer tells the story of a forbidden love. She does not assume any perspectives from the characters. The Welcome Table did not have many characters. The two main characters were the elderly black lady and Jesus. The other characters were the ladies in the church, the reverend, the young usher, the husbands, and the black families. There were a few silent characters that the old lady symbolized in the eyes of the white church people. They were cooks, chauffeurs, maids, mistresses, and children denied. This story used most of its focus on the elderly black lady and Jesus throughout it. The other characters played a very small role. In Country Lovers the two main characters were Paulus Eysendyck, a young  white boy and Thebedi, a young black girl. A third character who was of some importance was Njabulo, Thebedi’s husband. There were a few other characters as well. They were the farm children which consisted of the white and black children as a whole. Other characters were Paulus’ sister, father, and mother as well as Njabulo’s parents and Thebedi’s parents, and Paulus and Thebedi’s baby. The men and women who lived in the kraal, the police, judge, defense, and other court people were also characters in this story. Although there were many characters, most of them were silent characters. Thebedi and Paulus were the ones who had most of the dialogue. The Welcome Table was set in America in the south during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Blacks and whites were segregated everywhere. They could not even share the same church. This was an issue that the federal government was working on changing. The white people did not like this idea at all. They felt it threatened their way of life. In the story Country Lovers it was set in South Africa on a farm during a time of apartheid when white and black Africans were forbidden to be together once they reached the school age. Apartheid was the socioeconomic system that oppressed the majority black population in South Africa (Clugston, 2010). It was a time when the black people were used liked slaves for the white people. They were only permitted in the white people’s homes when they were working. Other than that, it was forbidden. When writing a story one thing that is portrayed in the writing is the tone. Tone is the implied attitude towards the subject (Hill, 1995). It identifies the authors approach to the subject (Clugston, 2010). In the beginning of The Welcome Table there was a tone of solemn and somber. In other words it portrayed a dark, gloomy type of atmosphere. It started out saying the old black lady was walking down the road all alone. It described her as an old forgetful woman nearly blinded with age. It described her skin by its color being that of poor grey Georgia earth. The story says she stumbled into the white church unaware and forgetful that she was not supposed to be there. In the end of the story the tone, in the eyes of the old black lady changed somewhat. The old lady sees Jesus and things become brighter and happier.  The darkness and gloom go away for her. She knows everything is going to be alright. The choice of tone for this story was used to help the reader be able to feel what the story was all about. It enabled them to have more of an understanding of how the story was to be portrayed. In Country Lovers the tone was somewhat different. In the beginning of the story it had a tone of great emotion. It starts out light and playful talking about the farm children all playing together despite the fact they are of different race. Then it moves on later with a tone of excitement in a forbidden love. It was a love between a white boy and a black girl. They were young and in love. They had no negative feelings or fear toward one another. Country Lovers was written with a little bit of irony. Ironic tone is developed when a writer creates a discrepancy or contradiction between what is expected to happen in a story and what actually happens (Clugston, 2010). In the beginning when Paulus and Thebedi were so in love and would not allow the racial issues to stop them it appeared that they were going to fight for one another, but that is not how the story ended. It ended with a tone of sadness for the loss of the child’s life. Paulus took the life of his own child to hide the wrong he and Thebedi had committed by being together in a forbidden love. The tone choice for this story was chosen to help the reader put themselves into the story and feel the love that these children shared despite their difference in race. It also allowed the reader to see just how serious of a situation the story depicted. It kept them on the edge waiting for more. The Welcome table used a lot of symbolism. The title alone symbolized heaven. The old lady would be welcomed into Heaven without any issues. There was no racial or gender discrimination in Heaven. Jesus was another symbol. He represented equality, freedom, peace, and salvation. Through Jesus the elderly black lady escaped her pain caused by racial and gender discrimination. She stayed focused on Jesus so that she could keep the peace in her heart. He was her escape, her Salvation. The Welcome Table and Country Lovers were both great stories. They were both written about hard times in life caused by racial and gender inequalities. They were written by two amazing authors. Both authors, although they shared some of the same situations, were very different people. They come from two very different ways of life. Alice Walker was from America and the Nadine Gordimer was from South Africa. Alice Walker was born in Eatonton, Georgia in 1944. She was the daughter of a sharecropper. She was actively involved in many civil rights movements. She married a white civil rights lawyer named Melvyn Roseman Leventhal and moved to Jackson, Mississippi in 1967. They were the first interracial couple legally married in the town (Clark, n.d.). She completed her degree in 1965 from Sarah Lawrence College. She has taught gender studies courses at Wellesley College and began one of the first gender studies programs in the United States (Clugston, 2010). Racial and gender issues form the center of her literary work and her social activism, which included participation in civil rights demonstrations led by Martin Luther King Jr. (Clugston, 2010). Most of the stories written by Alice Walker are about poor oppressed black women in the 1900s (Rozakis, 1999). She writes stories dealing with the multitude of African American racial, and sexual discrimination, and poverty in America. Not only does she write short stories, but she also writes poems and novels as well. She is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel â€Å"The Color Purple† (Clugston, 2010). Nadine Gordimer was born in Springs, South Africa in 1923. Springs, South Africa was a gold-mining town east of Johannesburg. She was born of two Jewish immigrants. Her father was born in Lithuania and her mother was born in England. She saw her father as a racist and her mother as a woman who sought to do good for blacks in the nearby towns (Parekh & Jagne, 1998). From age eleven until age sixteen she was privately tutored at home and sheltered from her peers. Because of being confined to life with only her parents Gordimer became involved with reading and writing (Parekh & Jagne, 1998). She has been publishing stories since she was fifteen. She won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991. Two of the biggest influences in Nadine Gordimer’s life and her writing were the apartheid and her affiliation with the multiracialism of Sophiatown of the 1950s (Parekh & Jagne, 1998). She was actively involved with black writers, artists, and critics. She was also involved with Drum magazine. She witnessed many historical tragedies in the 1950s and 1960s. Some of them were the Sharpeville massacre, the 1960 treason trial, and the incarceration of Nelson Mandela. In the mid-sixties, Gordimer, in support of her black colleagues, published her study of black South African writing, â€Å"The Black Interpreters† (Parekh & Jagne, 1998). She has been writing for roughly fifty years. The life that she grew up in was an inspiration to most all of her writings. Both The Welcome Table and Country Lovers were very moving short stories. They shared a theme as well as similarities with plot, part of the form, some of the content, and use imagery. They had differences with part of the form, some of the content, characters, setting, point-of-view, and style using tone, irony, and symbolism. Both Alice Walker and Nadine Gordimer were great authors born in a time of racial inequality. Alice Walker was born an African American woman in the south of America and grew up during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Nadine Gordimer was a white woman born in South Africa and grew up during the apartheid. Their struggles and hardships in life molded them into the great writers they became. Their lives inspired their works. References Clugston, R.W., 2010, Journey into literature, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. San Diego, CA. Retrieved from: https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSENG125.10.2/sections16.2 Hill, M., 1995, Literary Analysis: using elements of literature, Roane State Community College. Retrieved from: http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/elementslit.html Rozakis, L.E., 1999, The complete idiot’s guide to American literature, Alpha Books, Indianapolis, IN. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/doc Smith, D., Fiction lectures, Odessa College, Odessa, TX. Retrieved from: http://www.odessa.edu/dept/english/dsmith/fiction_lectures.htm Parekh, P.N., Jagne, S.F., 1998, Postcolonial african writers, Greenwood Press. Westport, CT. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/lib/ashford/doc Clark, T., Alice walker, University of North Carolina Pembroke. Pembroke, NC. Retrieved from: http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/canam/walker.htm

Detoxing Diets B.S. or Life Changing Professor Ramos Blog

Detoxing Diets B.S. or Life Changing My cousin Jackie was a week away from her wedding date and was starting to feel anxious. She hadn’t been sticking to her diet and was feeling the pressure of fitting into her beautiful blush, mermaid fitted, beaded wedding gown. She tried juicing to lose weight quickly and feel healthy enough to finishing the last-minute details of the upcoming nuptials. Only thing is she is diabetic and her sugar levels were up and down making her sick the week of her wedding. Realizing it was the liquid diet making her ill, she switched to a well-balanced diet of healthy foods and finished her weight loss goal. She looked stunning and walked happily down the aisle on her wedding day with her handsome husband. Maintaining good health and riding the body of unnecessary and harmful chemicals is a natural concern for general health. Weight loss is one of the most common concern among Americans and searching for ways to achieve this successfully. The most advertised and common remedies are detox diets, whether it is juicing or colonics. It is a way to rejuvenate, renew and recharge the body. They promise to help you feel and look better by following a regimen. Most people, majority being women, are looking for a quick fix or fast solution to improve their body image or rapid weight loss. Others may consider it to be a way to cure an illness or disease. Is there proof of this conclusion? Do we need help to detox our bodies? I believe it is another â€Å"fad† for companies to sell a product or service that is unnecessary. Toxins we are exposed to daily may include pollutants in the air, ingredients in processed foods, pesticides on produce, or arsenic or mercury in the soil. For those who have an allergy to gluten that can also be harmful. Most things we consume can be harmful if we ingest a considerable amount. By cutting down on sugars, fats, and salt, with the help of our natural filtration system we can start feeling better (Cloake). Drinking only liquid can result in some weight loss but once carbohydrates and a normal diet is resumed the weight is gained back. There can be health risk when a detox diet is done improperly or for a long period of time.   Lack of protein due to insufficient amino acids for repair resulting in wasting of the muscle. Our bodies detoxify naturally every day without juicing. We have the kidneys and liver which filter and remove ingested toxins. Apovian says, â€Å"If someone wishes to detox from pesticides, sugars, or any other unhealthy substance, the best thing to do is abstain from it, and let the body remove the unwanted substance.† Most Americans are on the go and eat poorly due to time and money. With poor diet, necessary vitamins are lacking effecting the immune system therefore we feel tired and rundown. Eating better and exercise can help our body and organs function properly improving cellular and hormone balances. Fruits and vegetables should be a part of the daily diet so once individuals start drinking the juice they feel better attributing it to the liquid diet. â€Å"The notion that you can and should flush out your arteries or your intestines may seem plausible but it’s not,† says Edzard Ernst, M.D., Ph.D., professor of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medica l School in Exeter, England. In the article, â€Å"Do You Really Need to Detox† colon cleansing can be used to treat occasional constipation but regular colonics can cause cramping, nausea and vomiting. Dehydration can also be a risk with the persistent bowel movements and vomiting, electrolyte imbalance and infection can cause illness or death. Colonics can cause perforation and micro tears in the colon creating other health problems. People may be ignoring symptoms of a more serious condition and decide not to seek medical attention. Detox teas may decrease constipation, bloat, and flatulence by loosening bowels to clear intestines of any slow digesting material (Havala). According to Dr. B.J Hardick writes of detoxing as a necessity in the article, â€Å"The history of detox and why it’s not a fad,† stating the history and the â€Å"generation of wisdom and scientific knowledge† remains relevant and useful today. Detoxing has been used for centuries in the form of saunas or herbal baths but also in traditional Chinese medicine. They practice the ayurvedic method of detoxification after the World Trade Center tragedy and participants saw positive results in their health. We can still use ancient medicine in modern situations with a positive outcome. Metal can build up in the body through fish, environment and supplements that needs to be expelled through a detox of some form. He also states holistic medicine addresses issue with the body as a whole for treatment and not just the symptoms. The symptoms can be treated individually and caused by toxic accumulation. The body needs to be brought back to health as a whole in a purified state. Avoiding toxins or an environment can keep the body from absorbing possible harmful chemicals into the body. This science free health trend is driven by marketing, misinformation and fear.   It solely benefits the companies of these products and gives false hope to those with high expectations of life changing results. We can change our lifestyle and daily habits with the same results for long term success instead of these crash diets with short term results. It’s our sedentary lives and toxic exposure to food, gadgets, workplace and homes that cause our bodies to shut down or not function how they should be to naturally expel harmful toxins. There are no studies to show that a detox diet is necessary and can lead to a longer life. The human body can defend itself against environmental insults and occasional indulgences naturally. Save the money on a â€Å"fad† diet and start living a healthier lifestyle for longevity and happiness. Education is key to avoid falling prey to scams or nonsense suggestions we may run across. Apovian, Caroline M.D. BlackDoctor.org, â€Å"Are Detox Diets Safe? Nutrition Experts Weigh In.† Cloake, Felicity. â€Å"Let’s Face It: Detox Diets Are Making Fools of Us.† New Statesman, Jan. 2015, p. 53 â€Å"Do You Really Need to Detox?† Consumer Reports on Health, vol. 21, no. 1 Jan. 2009, p.6 Dr. B.J.Hardick.com. â€Å"The History of Detox- and Why It’s Not a Fad. May 11, 2016 Edzard Ernst M.D. â€Å"Detox is Bunk; Save Your Money.† Edzardernst.com. January 2018. Havala, Suzanne. â€Å"Detox Diets: The Pros and Cons of Cleansing Fasts and Products.† Environmental Nutrition, vol. 23, no. 3, Mar. 2000, p. 1 Netflix â€Å"The User’s Guide to Cheating Death.† 2018 Season 1 Episode 1.

What role did the BEF play in the failure of the Schlieffen plan

What role did the BEF play in the failure of the Schlieffen plan The British expeditionary force or the BEF became involved in the war because of Belgium. The Germans decided to go through Belgium as part of the Schlieffen plan, and though they knew that the British might become involved they didn't think that they would and they also felt they didn't need to fear the tiny British force.The Schlieffen plan expected the Belgians to give in when the Germans marched through the country. However they instead fought the Germans and though they wee massively outnumbered the resistance brought time for the British and French to get their troops in to the war to help Belgium. The French were fighting the war on another front so the main force with the Belgium's was British. This force can quite possibly be said to be key to the failure of the Schlieffen plan as although they were hugely outnumbered they combined with the Belgium's slowed the Germans down enough that the 6-week period the Germans had allocated to take France was impossible to achieve.Map o f Western front (World war I) 1914 (ru)

Culturally Based Conflicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culturally Based Conflicts - Essay Example Christianity as a new religion with a fresh set of ideas was accepted by the huge population of Europe and the Americas. The colonization of the Western Countries in the East also caused several conversions of the people residing in that region to Christianity. The religion when spread across border to the Americas changed its colors due to the influence of the local religions preexistent in the continent. Christianity thus survived in different forms in different continents though the main ideal remained unaltered. There was a typical local form of this religion. The Christian missionaries however did not approve of this kind of transformation of Christianity. Islam on the other hand, came into existence much later when Muhammad who considered himself as the last prophet of God, spread his teachings among his countrymen. The main ideology of Islam was that God was unique and it was the duty of men to serve God and love his fellowmen. The religion spread very fast throughout the worl d and had a lot of acceptability. The Muslims or the followers of Islam considered Quran as their holy text and held that the views in the previous versions of the religion became transformed and improvised over time. The holy men who had taken the responsibility of the spreading the religion to the rest of the world were either preachers or scholars or traders who would move around the world and grow their community. This religion also blended with the local culture and took different shape in various countries while maintaining the central theme. However, this was not very acceptable for the Muslims who held the orthodox views of Islam. It appeared offensive and sacrilegious for them and it aroused a feeling of rebel among them. This led to many movements and agitations demanding the purity of the practice of the religion in its original form. This kind of movement was particularly seen in the eighteenth century. Scientific Revolution was commenced in the eighteenth century in Eur ope when a lot of research and development took place in various fields of study like astronomy, physics, mathematics, chemistry and biology along with the development of various new thoughts that would depart to change the modern world and would show a new light away from the dark medieval ages (Huff, 1993). It was a social movement when eminent scientists and scholars put forward their new thoughts and discoveries challenging the old faith that had existed. This change mostly took place in various parts of Europe and changed the way the world was looked at. Modern Science got a new place in people’s lives and it challenged the already existing old beliefs and faiths. This had led to a lot of opposition from the religious and political authorities and it led to a lot of conflict of interest among religious groups. The entire superstructure of scientific revolution rested on the base created by the Greek culture that had seen various stalwarts like Plato, Aristotle and Ptolem y contributing to social changes. These people had their impact on the modern scientific revolution and encouraged the people of the modern era to think beyond what is laid down in the religious scriptures. The rational minds of the people were awakened and they were encouraged to question any kind of blind superstitious belief. This had a positive effect on the literacy level of the population of the states. Most of the religious places of worship like monasteries were set up only for the spread

Project Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Management - Article Example Expert opinion comes as a secondary thing. Although it is not advisable to rely solely on the expert opinion, yet it is quite rational to seek expert opinion for approval or slight adjustment of the durations estimated using past history. An estimator may solely rely upon past history to estimate the duration of activities without seeking the expert opinion, but he/she can not solely rely upon expert opinion without checking the past history for the time estimates. In rare cases, when past history is not available for a certain activity, then its time is estimated using mathematical derivation. Mathematical derivation is the empirical and the least reliable method of estimating the time of activities, yet it has to be used in the absence of past history. Again, like a second check is made for the past history by seeking expert opinion, expert opinion should also be taken to modify the time calculated using mathematical derivation, to make it more reliable. It is better for Joe to mak e use of AOA method because it is simpler. Also, it gives clear information regarding FF and TF. Joe should see the level of details he requires and choose the method accordingly. Q. 2 Ans. Issues that weigh in favor of crashing the project are that BCC will not have to face the liquidated damages as the project would be finished within time.