Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Collapse Of The Western Empire - 1428 Words

As with every turning point in any society, changes occur because of multiple dynamics that were occurring during a point in history. Through a chain reaction to many dynamics the Roman Empire divided and eventually the Western Empire collapsed. The collapse of the Western Empire allowed for one type of governing to developed in that region. And different form of authority, had been developing since Constantine had moved the Eastern empire capital into Byzantine. These two halves of the once Roman Empire held very different ideals on how authority should be viewed and how a government should be formed. These difference lead an increasing sharp tension between the East and West that to some regards can be seen in today’s society still. Why did the Eastern Empire collapse? There were many factors that contributed to this ultimate destruction of the Empire. According to one of our handouts, Edward Gibbon work in the four volumes of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire gave us these points: â€Å"Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the cause of destruction multiplied with the extent of conquest and, as soon as time or accident had removed the artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the pressure of its own weight†¦The victorious legions, who, in distant wars, acquired the vices of strangers and mercenaries, first oppressed the freedom of the republic, and afterwards violated the majesty of the purple. The emperors, anxious for their personal safety and theShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Fall of the Western Empire in the Fifth Century532 Words   |  3 PagesRoman Empire into the east and the west. The Eastern Roman Empire held a series of advantages over the west both socially and economically. The Western Roman Empire was the weaker empire and a bad leadership and government along with attacks from barbarians led to the demise of the Western Roman Empire. However the Roman Empire was severely weakened by the fourth century and the government was less capable of withstanding the barbarian attacks. There are many reasons for the collapse of theRead MoreCauses of the Fall of the Roman Empire Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesFor a long period of time, Rome seemed like an unstoppable empire. It conquered the majority of the land surrounding it, including Greece, Turkey, Iraq, and many of its other neighboring countries. It seemed as though Rome would conquer the entire world, as it was the center of it, until it began to decline in 476 C.E. The very aspects that made it so successful were the ones that caused its collapse. Various political, religious, and economic reasons caused its downfall. The fact that the entireRead MoreThe Fall Of Rome Roman Empire905 Words   |  4 PagesRome The Western Roman Empire was once at the pinnacle of civilisation, widely regarded as one of the largest empires in history. Their extreme wealth made them the pioneers in warfare, medicine, architecture, politics, culture and philosophy. At its peak in 117 AD, it spanned over 5,000,000 square kilometres, and had a population of almost 57,000,000 people. In spite of its sheer power and level of innovation, The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. The fall of the Western Roman Empire can be accreditedRead MoreRoman Empire Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesThe Roman Empire was one of the greatest and longest lasting empires to date, but by A.D. 476 the empire was divided in two and its downfall was inevitable. There are many reasons for the downfall of the Western Roman Empire, some political some economical, but the four biggest factors were religion, war, size, and the decline of the Military. The problems that brought about the downfall of the Western Roman Empire were not unsolvable, but the leaders lacked the will and organization to fix themRead MoreModel Essay Comparison Essay Post-Classical Civilizations1304 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion: With the collapse of the classical civilizations, post-classical civilizations arose shortly thereafter. Compare the factors that led to the rise post-classical civilizations from 500 CE to 1200CE between two of the following regions- Europe, East Asia, Africa or the Middle East. Model Essay Comparison Essay Post-Classical Civilizations With the collapse of the Roman, Gupta and Han empires, the world was left in a period of chaos with little structure in most areas. However afterRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire856 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough it was believed that the Roman Empire would never come to an end, inevitably it fell. The Roman Empire is an extremely historic empire that left a massive legacy behind. It collapsed during the fifth century. The empire was having serious military struggles. They received threats from other European tribes along with diminished military funding. A military who does not have proper funding will slowly fall apart. Other than the military, the Roman Empire had a few key social and cultural problemsRead MoreThe Fall of the Roman Empire: Study Guide1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe Fall of the Roman Empire †¢ Emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned A.D. 161-180) – the end of his reign caused a loss of peace and prosperity: the Pax Romana †¢ Tribes outside boundaries and pirates in the Mediterranean disrupted trade †¢ Had no new sources of silver and gold and as a result the government raised taxes †¢ Government starts minting coins with less silver and made more money with the same amount of metals which caused inflation- a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a riseRead More The Fall of the Roman Empire Due to Army, Citizens, Barbarianism1587 Words   |  7 PagesThere were many causes of the decline, and eventual fall, of the Roman empire. The deficient Emperor role led to the lacking military response to invasions, civil war and peasant uprisings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ROMAN EMPIRE AND ITS EMPEROR   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since the adoptive system which was installed by Marcus Aurelius was never reinstalled after his death, effective leadership in governing Rome was lacking. It was clearly visible that the Roman Emperor was the backbone of Roman stability and therefore theRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Roman Empire was a powerful governing body of extensive political and social structures throughout western civilization. How did this empire fall and were internal factories responsible? Slow occurrences in succession to one another led to the fall of the empire rather than one single event. The fall of the Roman Empire was a combination of both internal and external pressures, not just one, leading up to the complete decay of the cities—Rome and Constantinople. However, one could argue how oneRead MoreThe Economic Expansion Of Venice1738 Words   |  7 Pagescountries, such as Rome which took steps for institutional innovations. Rome changed from the Republic (510 BC–49 BC) to the Empire (49 BC–AD 476). Western Europe’s subsequent institutional development, though it was not a direct inheritance of Rome, was a consequence of critical junctures that were common across the region in the wake of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. These critical junctures had little parallel in other parts of the world, such as Africa, Asia, or the Americas, though we

Monday, December 16, 2019

Analysis Of The Article Techniques Of Neutralising...

Wildlife crime is a seriously under-researched topic, even though it can be a highly controversial topic, that has been the focus of the media many times in recent history. By writing the article ‘Techniques of neutralising wildlife crime in rural England and Wales’ Enticott begins to explore and open up this area of criminology, whilst offering a deep insight into how neutralisation techniques can be applied to a wide variety of crimes. Enticott begins his article by introducing the idea of rural crime, and what a focus on rural crime could offer to criminology as a whole. This article focuses on the reasons why farmers throughout England and Wales illegally cull badgers, keyly it draws on the ideas of Sykes and Matza’s (1957)†¦show more content†¦This paper may also be of use to wildlife policy makers, as it explains the way in which farmers, who can commit wildlife crime, feel about committing these crimes and they do it. For those who are particularly interested in the badger and bovine tuberculosis, as the author is, it may also give the, a deeper understanding of how farmers would react to new methods of controlling badgers to prevent the future spread of bovine tuberculosis. It is evident to the reader from early on in the text what Enticott is arguing within this article, the thesis is that farmers within England and Wales deploy multiple neutralisation techniques when illegally culling badgers in order to justify and rationalise their actions. Exploring this thesis is important to the field of criminology as it can be expanded to the whole of wildlife crime, and show why various crimes against wildlife are committed. The article is structured in such a manner that readers are aware of the cultural history of badgers and the disease bovine tuberculosis, as well as key theories before Enticott goes on to analyse. This presentation and explanation of these theories are clear and informative, and the use of appropriate subheadings within the article make it easy for the reader to see the clear structure that the author is following. In the essay, the author supports his points by using evidence from research that was

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Security Concerns of Cloud Computing-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Security Concerns of Cloud Computing as well as the cloud computing technologies. Answer: Technology description Cloud computing security controls Cloud computing security controls refer to the technologies that are used to monitor the data which is stored in the cloud. There is an increased insecurity level on the internet as a result of networking. Cybercrimes are growing, and breaches on the data are increasing on the website of organizations. Bringing these technologies into use will help in minimizing these risks thus creating a reliable cloud computing activities. Cloud computing refers to the process which involves the use of remote network servers which are hosted on the internet for data storage, management, and processing. This reduces the dependency of a personal computer to store data for firms. The cloud security controls technology has the ability to safeguard weaknesses which are likely to be used as a way of attack. Nevertheless, they have the potential to reduce the attacks effects. There are several categories of these security measures, and they can be divided into the following: Deterrent controls: they are meant to lower the levels of attacks on the cloud system. Detective controls: these identify the incidents of risk that take place hence providing one Preventive controls: these are intended to prevent activities such as hacking into the system. Cloud security controls technologies came into place due to increased complaints of people invading the private information of some firms with different intentions. Some steal information with the aim of bringing the company down by stealing its financial resources, creative labor forces among several other things. To ensure the efficiency of cloud computing in firms, these technologies are a necessity. Technology solution How will this technology impact the security of the data? The cloud has several complex security challenges which need to be protected at all costs. For instance, if a financial organization, like lets say a bank has some of its data stored using cloud computing, what will happen if such information leaks to the people? Most cyber-attacks do aim at getting financial benefits. If such sites are not protected, there are high chances that hackers will get access to the information. The cloud computing security technology has a positive impact on the data. It ensures the following: Data is safely transferred from devices to the cloud via networks. Security threats and vulnerabilities are detected before they cause damage to the information. Once identified, the necessary approaches can be taken to control the risks. The maximum amount of data is encrypted in a language that others cannot understand. This is increasing the security level during the transfer of data. Even if someone intercepts it on the way, he/she will not be in a position to understand what it means. For the person, the data is meaningless; it only makes sense for the one who encrypted it. Why is this technology needed? There is a number of reasons as to why the cloud security technologies are of great essence to a firm. Some of them include: There is a great need to protect confidential government data, business information as well as regulatory data. Imagine leaking out the Australian army information to the public. There are high chances that it will get into the hands of the nations enemies such as terrorist groups who will use it to attack. Having the documents will inform them of the weaknesses in the government, and they will use this to their advantage. With the aid of the preventive technologies, detective, and deterrent controls, the government is able to manage data security effectively. Auditing of data in the cloud needs to be regulated. If people just have access, they can manipulate the information of the company and lead to losses. Any logging activities get detected by the cloud security control technologies, and they are reported to the primary server where more safety measures can be taken to prevent more attacks. The main objective of the cloud computing security technologies is to ensure that applications, data, and any associated infrastructure to cloud computing is well protected. These technologies are used by the service providers to make sure that most of the time, the kind of infrastructure they are providing to their clients is safe for data storage, processing, and analysis. Without a safe infrastructure, customers are exposed to the dangers of the web which include piracy, cyber crimes like hacking among others. With this technologies, data is often encrypted to ensure that it is private. There are several applications such as Oracle and ServiceNow which are helpful in encrypting data. The good thing with these products/software is that they have the ability to intercept data and replace it with random encryption for security purposes. The diagram below shows cloud data protection and security solution. The following are the Cloud data security capabilities: The cloud data security is able to propagate across several enterprise clouds easily while protecting data. It can support multiple models hence minimizing expenditures. With this kind of protection, the cloud computing security technologies will add several values to the data privacy of the company. This is more especially with companies which intend to allow their employees to bring with them their mobile devices to work as a way of improving the work rate. When companies allow employees to work with their mobile devices, there are increased chances of information leakage. One thing with cell phones is that they can get lost at any time due to their portability. If they get into the wrong hands, information which is supposed to remain private might spread to many people creating a significant threat to the company or concerned clients. To minimize the effects of the mobile devices in the work environment, most firms have adopted cloud computing as a way to keep their data safe. This is because: Cloud computing provides enough space for data keeping. When working with personal electronic gadgets in the firm, it is advisable that the data should remain within the organization. However, some people might be tempted to move out with the information which might be accessed by others intentionally or unintentionally. With networking in place, now all the devices get networked to the cloud where all the information gets stored. To ensure that it is safe, the cloud computing security technologies are employed. They help to regulate data to and from the server. Only people with passwords are able to access the site. These technologies have improved a lot in ensuring data is kept safe. Nowadays, only a few individuals hold information on their mobile devices. By providing backup information, much security is assured. Losing information due to machine breakdown is a kind of insecurity in a firm. When information is lost, there are high chances that your clients will feel insecure with the services provided. As a result, they will shift their attention to other organization. Losing such people is a loss to a business firm with the aim of increasing the sales hence high returns inwards. By providing encrypt data, most people will not be able to understand the message in it until it is processed. This increases the security level of the data in the cloud. In case anybody tries to access it, the detective controls send messages, and the activity can be monitored. Increased security systems in business are what lead to the attainment of organizational goals. It is the priority of every firm to keep the employee's data safe. Customers are obligated to know: That their data is secure. This is what will create a long-term relationship with them. Consumers should be able to trust that the privacy of the data they store on the cloud is high and it is only visible to them whenever they need it. Other cloud security technologies that will impact data security positively include: Cloud Firewall It has the ability to support a distributed environments. Different users are able to operate from different locations, yet the data remains secure. Some of the ways it helps to protect data include preventing data loss through the transfer of files and prevents malware attacks. Through the use of a securely hosted getaway, the cloud firewall assures clients the security of their data. The impact of this kind of protection is that it encourages more people to invest in cloud computing since their data is transferred safely. Cloud Application Security This kind of security technology protects the cloud applications. This is vital to the service providers as well as the customers. Protecting the software should be the priority of the organization. If you cannot provide security to your application, how can you protect the data? Maximum security of information is only available once one is able to protect the software that handles the information. It will not be wrong to say that the one who owns the software is the one who owns the information. He/she can be able to manipulate the data. Without the cloud application security, there will be an adverse impact on the data stored since one might be denied an opportunity to access the software. With no access to the software, no changes can be made. Hence, all the information is lost. It is thereby recommended to keep up to date with the changes in the technology industry Organizational change assessment There are several ways through which the cloud security technology can change an organizations activities and processes. This in most cases will affect the IT department first, then the entire organization. Some of the big changes which can be experienced in the institutions include the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to the workplace concept. Several companies fear to allow individuals to come with their own devices such as mobile phones, IPads, tablets, and laptops to the work environment to use in accomplishing their tasks. This is due to the issue of internet security. With knowledge of the cloud security technologies and software, these processes will change. The BYOD strategy has several advantages which will ensure the success of any organization that values IT. Such benefits include: Increased work rate. In the case a starting company, IT technologies might be limited. This means that the amount of workload will be minimal. Allowing the employees to come with their technologies to work might help solve the problem before bringing in enough resources to the company. Now, with the availability of these technologies, there assured security for cloud computing which provides them with data storage platform (Alani, p.16). Employees like working with the technologies they understand better. For instance, in a scenario where an organization upgrades all their computers to Windows 10 most employees will be faced with challenges. Some people do not adjust fast to changes; some are only well informed of windows 7. Windows 10 will just be stressing them. One thing for sure about change is that there is no way some sections of the institution will be left without change. The best way to go about it is to educate these people how to adjust. But before then, it will be wise to let them bring what they are familiar with to the office. This will facilitate work output despite change. Most companies fear cloud computing due to the recent mobile insecurities. Several systems and websites have been hacked and brought down, while others infected with viruses (Belussi et al., p.33). This has forced the organizations to look for huge storage facilities to keep their data in. These storages occupy a lot of space in offices thus leading to congestion. Nevertheless, hard drives are prone to tear and wear. After some time, they might lose the data if the drives get spoiled or the premises get invaded. Cloud computing security technologies have changed the way this is done (Messier, n.d). With the assurance of high-security levels, firms have moved to storing their data online. There is no need to keep moving with bulky drives around which can get lost and bring great damage to many. The need to change how to store data comes with the desire to keep track of information permanently. When people store documents, for example, others may come in and misplace them. A misplaced document is as good as a lost document since it cannot help when needed. Technology is moving very fast, and so should businesses do. Documents stored in the cloud do not get lost easily. Nevertheless, they can be tracked easily. With information online, CEOs can access the companys data from their homesteads, assign duties and manage other important things while on seminars outside the country. Internet threats and vulnerabilities bring great harm to the data. For instance, viruses might delete data while it is being transferred to the cloud storage. In fact, most data get lost during transfer. With the help of the cloud firewall, such activities are minimized. The threats get detected before they cause more data loss and are eliminated from the way. Now that IT experts have learned the benefits of the cloud computing security technologies, then it is their responsibility to implement it to the entire organizational processes which involve online activities and transactions. There are reasons as to why implementing these cloud security software will serve best (Cloud Computing Security, P.40). Among them include: Client trust Clients need to trust the safety of the information they provide you with. Secure the firm's privacy Every firm has secrets behind their success which should not be made public. Such include organizational culture and practices. Increase work output Work output will be increased in a number of The first one is that these cloud security technologies will help to reduce virus infection into the system which leads to slow work rates. And secondly, it will allow BYOD model in the organizations. Increase the efficiency and speed of the process. With the ability to support multiple clients, the cloud computing technology facilitates the speed at which an organization produces. Relying on the same server also leads to uniformity (Bhowmik, P.66). Create a source of backup Cloud computing provides a reliable backup platform. With a large capacity to hold information, the entire data of the organization can be backed up. Even if the premises burn down, for instance, only the hardware and infrastructure get destroyed. The data of running it will remain intact for a long time with the security measures in place. How the organization can adopt the changes Change is something which most people fear since it comes with a cost (Barnett, William, Glenn, p.11). However, this should not be a thing to prevent the organizations from switching to cloud computing. The first step is to identify the IT resources of the company and the kind of data which should be given priority. Not all information must be kept in the cloud. For instance, if a company has allowed the use of BYOD technologies, then it is the responsibility of every employee to ensure that the security measures are well-employed in their devices. Employing skilled IT experts will help the organization to install the cloud security software appropriately and ensure a continuous update (Floyd, P.8) There are several models which can be used to ensure that the implementations are made successful. Perimeter security model Using strong passwords is also another way of preventing unauthorized entry into data that is stored in the cloud. Some people use simple passwords like for instance, 1234. This kind of passwords can be easily cracked. In other cases, untrusted employees in the organization just decide to leak out the passwords to their friends. Despite the security measures put in place, they will still get access to the server and destroy the data they intend to. To prevent such from happening with an objective of ensuring that the security measures put in place is effective, organizations should provide passwords to specific people. In any organization, there are often different communication channels. They include upward, horizontal, and vertical communication. The few individuals with access to information will share it with the rest of the team. This is to minimize information leakage. Information is the driving force of a company. Every little piece of detail found in the data stored in the cloud is vital. If taken away, the building block is affected (Information Security, P.51). Therefore, maximum caution must be taken into account when online data storage is considered as an option to back up your information. Especially if dealing with financial statements, keeping watch at all times will serve as the best security (Bishop, P.47). But how will this be possible? Cloud security controls technologies are in place. Make use of the preventive controls to ensure that harm does not come into your data. Use the detective controls to know and counter the risks which might come into your information systems (Rhodes, n.d). And finally, there are deterrent controls and cloud firewall. The deterrent controls will aid in the reduction of the attacks. The cloud firewall will enable a wide area coverage from different users while at the same time ensuring that data transfer i s secure (Jeanes, P.10). Works Cited. Alani, Mohammed M. Elements of Cloud Computing Security: A Survey of Key Practicalities. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2016. Print Barnett, William P, and Glenn Carroll. Organizational Change. Berkeley, CA: University of California at Berkeley, Center for Research in Management, Consortium on Competitiveness Cooperation, 2013. Print. Belussi, Alberto, Barbara Catania, Eliseo Clementini, and Elena Ferrari. Spatial Data on the Web: Modeling and Management. Berlin: Springer, 2017. Print. Bishop, Matt. Information Security. Place of publication not identified: Springer International Pu, 2016. Print Bhowmik, Sandeep. Cloud Computing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. Internet resource Information Security. London: DISC, 2013. Print Cloud Computing Security. Cisco Systems, 2012. Print. Data Storage. New York, NY, USA: Engineering Information, 2014. Print. Endrijonas, Janet. Data Security. Rocklin, Calif: Prima Pub, 2015. Print Floyd, Peter. Organizational Change. Oxford [England: Capstone Pub, 2012. Print. Jackson, Kevin, Egle Sigler, and Cody Bunch. Openstack Cloud Computing Cookbook: Over 110 Effective Recipes to Help You Build and Operate Openstack Cloud Computing, Storage, Networking, and Automation. , 2015. Internet resource Jeanes, David L. Data Security. , 2014. Print. Messier, Ric. Collaboration with Cloud Computing: Security, Social Media, and Unified Communications. , 2014. Internet resource Poole, Marshall S, and de V. A. H. Van. Handbook of Organizational Change and Innovation. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2014. Print Rhodes-Ousley, Mark. Information Security: The Complete Reference. New York: McGraw Hill Education, 2013. Internet resource Rountree, Derrick, and Ileana Castrillo. The Basics of Cloud Computing: Understanding the Fundamentals of Cloud Computing in Theory and Practice. San Diego, CA: Elsevier Science Technology Books, 2014. Internet resource Senior, Barbara, and Stephen Swailes. Organizational Change. , 2016. Print. Srinivasan, S. Cloud Computing Basics. , 2014. Print Stuckenschmidt, Heiner, and Harmelen F. Van. Information Sharing on the Semantic Web. Berlin: Springer, 2005. Internet resource. Tajts, Tiberiu. Cloud Computing Security. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace, 2012. Print Tipton, Harold F, and Micki K. Nozaki. Information Security Management Handbook: Volume 7. , 2014. Print Vacca, John R. Cloud Computing Security: Foundations and Challenges. , 2017. Internet resource Williams, Mark I. A Quick Start Guide to Cloud Computing: Moving Your Business into the Cloud. London: Kogan Page, 2010. Internet resource Zelkowitz, Marvin V. Information Security. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004. Internet resource

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Mayans Essays (603 words) - Maya Classic Period,

The Mayans The Ancient Mayan Civilization The ancient Maya were a group of American Indian peoples who lived in southern Mexico, particularly the present-day states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo, and in Belize, Guatemala, and adjacent Honduras. Their descendants, the modern Maya, live in the same regions today, in both highlands and lowlands, from cool highland plains ringed by volcanos to deep tropical rain forests. Through the region runs a single major river system, the Apasion-Usumacinta and its many tributaries, and only a handful of lesser rivers, the Motagua, Hondo, and Belize among them. The ancestors of the Maya, like those of other New World peoples, crossed the Bering Land Bridge from Asia more than 20,000 years ago, during the last ice age. The Maya were the first people of the New World to keep historical records: their written history begins in 50 BC, when they began to inscribe texts on pots, jades, bones, stone monuments, and palace walls. Maya records trace the history of the great kings and queens who ruled from 50 BC until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. All Maya long count calendar inscriptions fall between AD 292 and AD 909, roughly defining the period called Classic. Ea rlier Maya culture is called Formative or Preclassic (2000 BC-AD 300), and subsequent civilization is known as Postclassic (AD 900-conquest). Protected by difficult terrain and heavy vegetation, the ruins of few ancient Maya cities were known before the 19th century, when explorers and archaeologists began to rediscover them. The age and proliferation of Maya writings have been recognized since about 1900, when the calendrical content of Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions were deciphered and the dates correlated with the Christian calendar. For most of the 20th century, only the extensive calendrical data of Maya inscriptions could be read, and as a result, Maya scholars hypothesized that the inscriptions were pure calendrical records. Because little evidence of warfare had been recognized archaeologically, the Classic Maya were thought of as peaceful timekeepers and skywatchers. Their cities, it was thought, were ceremonial centers for ascetic priests, and their artwork anonymous, without concern for specific individuals. More recent scholarship changes the picture dramatically. In 1958 Heinrich Berlin demonstrated that certain Maya hieroglyphs, which he called emblem glyphs, contained main signs that varied according to location, indicating dynastic lines or place names. In 1960, Tatiana Proskouriakoff showed that the patterns of dates were markers of the important events in rulers' lives. The chronological record turn ed out to serve history and the perpetuation of the memory of great nobles. Subsequently, major archaeological discoveries, particularly at Palenque and Tikal, confirmed much of what the writings said, and examination of Maya art has revealed not only historical portraiture but also a pantheon of gods, goddesses, and heroes--in other words, Maya religion and mythic history. By 5000 BC, the Maya had settled along Caribbean and Pacific coasts, forming egalitarian fishing communities. Certainly by 2000 BC the Maya had also moved inland and adopted agriculture for their subsistence. Maize and beans formed the Maya diet then as today, although many other foodstuffs--squash, tomatoes, peppers, fruits, and game--were supplements. The word for maize?wa?is synonymous with food itself, and the maize god was honored from early times. Sometime around the end of the Classic Period, the Maya were split up into independent city-states. The nobles of these city-states intermarried and waged war on each other. This civil war, along with the recent change in their system of government, led to the decline of the great Mayan Empire and ultimately, its demise. History Reports

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

When Having an Agent is Not a Good Thing

When Having an Agent is Not a Good Thing In 2007, I was a new author basking in the glow of the success of my first self-published book – a collection of short stories, that had won several awards and some serious press. My head was full of ideas for my next book. After completing the manuscript of my literary novel, I started shopping it around. Imagine my delight when several agents showed interest in it. I soon landed an agent at a very reputable New York agency with a proven track record. The young agent I signed up with was enthusiastic at the prospect of selling both my collection and the new novel I was working on. His head was full of ideas, but then came a series of â€Å"but firsts.† The first few rounds of editing were easy until a bombshell dropped. A senior agent at the agency quit and the bulk of that agent’s high profile clients came to the junior agent who suddenly lost all interest in me. He was no longer as responsive as he used to be, and it would take him days to respond to simple requests. After a few months of dodging my requests to seek updates, he hired an intern to work with me on doing the rest of the revisions. In a few days, I received a marked up copy from the intern that involved cutting 30 percent of my manuscript – to the point that pivotal moments in the story no longer made any sense. I put my foot down and refused to do those edits. The intern quickly backed off and the junior agent took charge again. After a few rounds of reasonable revision requests, I was promised that my book would be shopped around, except it never was. I was told it would be presented at book shows and that too never happened. After 18 months of waiting for my agent to fulfill his side of the obligations, I decided it was time to leave. I thanked him graciously and bowed out of the relationship.   Two months after that, I sold my novel to a reputable small traditional publisher In 2014, researchers from Washington and Lee University used an excerpt of Saffron Dreams to show that reading literary fiction like my novel can actually make someone less racist. The study was published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology. Interestingly enough, the passage that was selected for the study was one that my agent’s intern had marked for deletion. I leave the moral of the story to your imagination.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch

Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch Inning, Innings, and the Seventh-Inning Stretch By Maeve Maddox In the games of baseball and cricket, opposing teams take turns batting a ball. A baseball game is divided into nine innings during which each team has a turn at bat. Each half of an inning ends with the third out. (An out occurs when a player strikes out or is tagged between bases.) I’ll let Merriam-Webster explain the cricket term innings: innings (noun): plural but singular or plural in construction :   a division of a cricket match in which one side continues batting until ten players are retired or the side declares; also :  the time a player stays as a batsman until he is out, until ten teammates are out, or until his side declares. Both terms have given rise to figurative expressions. In reference to cricket, the term â€Å"to have one’s innings† can mean simply, â€Å"to have one’s turn at something.† Spoken of someone who dies at an advanced age, â€Å"to have a good innings,† means, â€Å"to have a long and successful life.† Here are some examples of the figurative use of innings: The men had their innings in a revival of George Bernard Shaw’s Don Juan in Hell, performed as a staged reading in the style designed by Charles Laughton in 1952. Berry told the Radio Times: I have no desire to be a centenarian. I think 90 is a great time. Youve had a good innings.† From baseball comes the expression â€Å"the seventh-inning stretch.† The ritual of the seventh-inning stretch is described in a letter dated 1869: The spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches. Chicago Cubs fans have been singing â€Å"Take Me Out to the Ballgame† during the seventh-inning stretch since 1982. It’s often referred to as â€Å"the seventh-inning song.† In researching this post, I discovered that some baseball fans are a bit confused about what to call this traditional interlude: Incorrect: The  seventh ending stretch  came and to our surprise an announcement was being made over the loud speakers and a message appeared on the scoreboard. Correct : The  seventh-inning stretch  came and to our surprise an announcement was being made over the loud speakers and a message appeared on the scoreboard. Incorrect: In typical fashion, the third quarter seemed like a seventh ending stretch. Bear and I both took several catnaps due to the lackluster performance of both teams. Correct : In typical fashion, the third quarter seemed like a seventh-inning stretch. Bear and I both took several catnaps due to the lackluster performance of both teams. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadRound vs. Around75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Make up assignemt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Make up assignemt - Essay Example Jefferson’s choice of the particular words used in the declaration was to express a shared understanding of â€Å"the American mind. â€Å"He showed what amounted to a collective political creed by stating that certain propositions were â€Å"self-evident† truths. The Declaration of Independence states that among the â€Å"truths† that Americans hold to be â€Å"self-evident† is â€Å"all Men are created equally.† (Jefferson,1). This statement related to all people regardless of their gender, occupation or color. It means that we are either created equally by birth or naturally political equals; therefore, no one is by birth a subject of a ruler or is automatically the ruler of others. Political equality thus does not define human equality. We are all created moral equals, and we are of equal value and worth in the eyes of the creator. Jefferson stated, â€Å"†¦all Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...† (Jefferson,1). This statement provides evidence that the declaration was a precursor to the bill of rights. Inalienable rights are those that cannot be given up even if there was an alternative to it. According to the concept of inalienable rights section in the Declaration of Independence liberty, life and pursuit of happiness is a right. The existence of unalienable rights does not mean that a person cannot be subjected to attacks, false imprisonments and other forms of oppression. Unalienable rights mean that such rights are not morally justifiable, and therefore we have a ground for moral

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Materialism as a Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Materialism as a Worldview - Essay Example Reducing the debate simply to materialism and idealism therefore, the materialist hypothesis is that all existence is an unbroken, material continuum from its origins in ancient Greece to the mind-brain materialism of the modern times (Vitzthum, 1995). Materialism as a worldview appears to be prevalent in society today. Materialism began in the 18th century (McConnell, 2003). The leading scientists of that time suffered cognitive dissonance between the beliefs of the many religious sects which then existed along with their own scientific discoveries (McConnell, 2003). They relieved their discomfort by agreeing among themselves that religion was unnecessary. Unfortunately, the amorality of materialism was so attractive to lesser intellectuals, who lacked the status to question the leaders. The same was true to businessmen, who could use materialism to justify exorbitant profits that it has become a defining feature of the culture (McConnell, 2003). Materialism and its theories can be traced as far back as the poem, The Nature of Things, written in the first century B.C. by Lucretius ("Materialism: what matters," 2007) to the more recent research done by Richard Vitzthum (1996), An Affirmative History and Definition. The doctrine of materialism was formulated as early as the 4th century B.C. by Democritus, in whose system of atomism all phenomena are explained by atoms and their motions in space (Armstrong, 1984). Other early Greek teaching, such as that of Epicurus and Stoicism, also conceived of reality as material in its nature. The theory was later renewed in the 17th century by Pierre Gassendi and Thomas Hobbes, who believed that the sphere of consciousness essentially belongs to the corporeal world, or to the senses (Armstrong, 1984). Later, the investigations of John Locke were adapted to materialist positions by David Hartley and Joseph Priestley. They were a part of the materialist development of the 18th century strongly manifested in France, where the most extreme thought was that of Julien de La Mettrie. The culminating expression of materialist thought in this period was the Systme de la nature (1770), for which Baron d'Holbach is considered chiefly responsible (Armstrong, 1984). In Western civilization, materialism is the oldest philosophical tradition. It reached its full classical form in the atomism of Democritus and Epicurus in the 4th century B.C. Epicurus argued that reality consisted of invisible and indivisible particles of free-falling matter called atoms randomly colliding in the void. Through materialism, everything that happens is explained in terms of the law of nature (Armstrong, 1984). Overview of major beliefs and representative thinkers Materialism is a simple philosophy, having two principles: 1) There is no reality except that which can be defined in terms of the physical concepts of space and time; and 2) As individuals, we have no obligations to other persons except for those obligations that we accept for our own pleasure. This second principle follows from the first (McConnell, 2003). When people use the word "materialism" they usually have one of two definitions in mind. Philosophically speaking,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Cell phones Essay Example for Free

Cell phones Essay Every time a person answers his/hers cell phone, their safety and the safety of others around them are being greatly jeopardized. Cell Phones today pose a major risk to the human body and civilian population. When cell phones heat up they emit radiation that known to increase the chances of someone getting cancer. Besides cancer, other medical complications; such as, arthritis and damaged sleep have increased thought the use of cellular devices. Not only do cell phones cause medical problems, but they also pose a huge security threat with personal information being easily stolen. Overall, the safety of humans is being compromised by the use of the seemingly harmless device, cell phones. Many doctors and scientists are claiming that cell phones are causing medical complications. For instance, the National Cancer Institute states, â€Å"Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a from of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues closest to where the phones is held† (â€Å"Cell Phones and Cancer Risk†). What this is basically saying, is that the radiation being put out from the cell phones are damaging vital tissues, which is known to increase the risk of cancer. This links back to the main idea of the overall safety of humans, showing that cell phones do cause a serious risk factor to the human body. Another common concern with cell phones is the theory that texting can cause arthritis; â€Å"Repetitive motion can cause pain and inflammation of the basal joint. It can even lead to thumb arthritis† (Eustice). The article confirms that the constant motion of the thumbs can indeed cause arthritis. The safety of the consumer is being compromised when a popular means of communication; such as texting, can lead to a major medical complication. Recent studies show that headaches are increasing tremendously due to cell phones: â€Å"Radiation from mobile phones damages sleep and cause headaches, according to a study by telephone makers† (carter). In this study, researchers found an increasing amount of headaches were occurring with people who use cell phones regularly; opposed to people who rarely use them or don’t use them at all. An increase in headaches is very dangerous to the safety of the human body and can be a gateway to many other complications down the road. After an extensive amount of research, doctors and scientists have found that cell phones do cause medical issues to the human body. Cell phones security is a fairly new issue brought up by a numerous amount of concerned citizens, with the fear that their safety is being jeopardized. As technology increases, more and more people are resorting to devices, such as cell phones, to get them thought the day: â€Å"The more people rely on cell phones and tablets, the more attractive these devices become as targets to thieves and other nefarious types† (Gahran). With all of these devices being used constantly, crooks can easily retrieve the personal information any personal information any person puts out there through the devices they are using. This has become a huge safety issue due to the fact that private information is being stolen from people who expect their information on their cell phones to be safe and secure. A man was shown an application on his cell phone that could link up to other people’s cell phones: â€Å"’It made all the contacts start jumping over to this phone,’ said Gooden† (Kridler). Gooden explained that the application he was shown let him easily access his wife’s phone contacts. His friend that introduced this application to Gooden then went to explain that hackers usually take the contact information and dial premium-rate numbers. The safety of the people who are in others contact information is being compromised when they have result in paying a fee for â€Å"calling† these premium-rate numbers because of someone else stealing their numbers. Boktah, an expert security hacker, states â€Å"Most people have no idea how vulnerable they are when they use their cellphones† (Murphy). Bokath’s job is to hack into cell phones to find and express all of the flaws in the devices, thus demonstrating how easy it is for a hacker to do the same. With all the scamming going on, consumers need to be aware of what they do on their cell phones to protect themselves, as well as the safety of others. Safety from personal information being stolen by hackers happens to be key concern to numerous amounts of people; this way people will not be liable for paying fees or having their identity stolen. Cell phones safety is a key concern, which the vast majority of users brood over. Cellular devices have been known to cause cancer; as well as, an increasing amount of medical problems. Some of these problems are arthritis and damaged sleep. Medical complications are not the only concern; a breach in security is another top concern for people. In essence, safety is top priority for humans, and cell phones are compromising that safety.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essay --

These lyrics are from an 80’s rock band by the name of Toto. These words might have accurately described the feelings of those people living at the time of the birth of Jesus –people who were wondering and hoping for a change, people who were hoping to receive a gift greater than what they could give of themselves. It was only about three weeks when we celebrated the birth of Jesus in this world on the 25th of December. Along with worship, we opportunities to exchange a bunch of gifts, eating a great deal of good food, sharing conversation, potentially loading up the car and traveling from one house to another, only to reach those last days of December and beginning days of January with our tongues hanging out and sprawled out on the couch from exhaustion, and for some of us, eating too much food and/or chocolate. There may be times when we might wonder why all this needs to be done, and we begin to consider that we are really living out the Spirit of Christmas giving and sharing gifts and time with others in a very hurried way. This could be the only time we get to visit with other family, if the family is spread out over a great distance. †¦ This is the time of year when we have the opportunities to share material gifts, as well as the gift of love and care. Do we ever stop, however, to wonder about the gift of hope? Where did we leave it in the midst of our packing and preparing in those stress-filled hours before the Christmas celebration? How did we manage to overlook that precious gift of hope as we struggled through the parking lots and mobs of other shoppers at the mall? Do we feel it within ourselves as we attempt to find something to say on the 100th Christmas card, or mail the umpteenth email or facebook mess... ...before us? Our faith may waver from time to time, but we always fall back on hope – even for the most pessimistic of us – hope is what brought the Magi to the stable in Bethlehem and it also brings us to the stable, kneeling before the Christ child in our hearts and minds. Are we still willing to humble ourselves this Christmas season before this child that brought nations in conflict to their knees? Are we still willing to experience hope and not be confused and deceived by the materialism that seems to control the holiday? Just as our 80’s rock song suggests, we need to believe in the things that we need to survive. During this Christmas season, let us take the time to reflect on gives us hope each and everyday – it is truly the gift that keeps giving and giving to us – regardless of where we are on our faith journeys and our proximity to our epiphanies.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Factoid Friday

Aaron Smith Factoid Friday Paper 3/5/2018 Donald Trump's presidency has brought a lot of controversy with it. His constant tweeting, his blunt statements, and his act-now-think-later mentality have earned him both praise and criticism since the moment he announced he would run for United States President. One act that has stirred up a lot of mixed emotions is President Trump's announcement of a ban that would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the military. This ban, which was first announced via President Trump's twitter account in late July, will override an Obama-era plan that was previously in place specifically to allow transgender individuals to serve in the military (Davis, 2017). Perhaps what is the most frustrating development of this ban for many people is the fact that it was revealed shortly after President Trump declared his great respect for members of the LGBT community and intentions to protect their individual rights and freedoms during his presidential campaign. While many have cited discrimination as the reason behind this act, President Trump and his staff have ensured the public that this ban is purely for national security reasons, and he wanted to assure the LGBT community that this is not a betrayal (Cooper, 2017). This ban has been a hotly debated topic for quite a while. While both the Trump administration, supporters of the ban, and those opposed to the ban all have valid arguments, anyone who is willing to fight and die for his or her country and its freedoms should have the opportunity to do so. This statement holds especially true for Americans because the United States was founded on this very principle. While the military shouldn't pay for gender reassignment surgeries and treatments, recruitment options should be open to all Americans, including transgender individuals. There are many reasons why this is acceptable, including the fact that transgender people are already serving in the military, transgender individuals provide little to no disruption of military activities, and the transgender ban is currently being scrutinized in court for its constitutionality. Taking all of this into consideration, it's hard to see a reason why transgender individuals shouldn't be allowed to fight for the freedom our country provides. It's difficult to argue that transgender individuals shouldn't be allowed in the military simply because there are already transgender people serving in the military today. In fact, as of 2016, there are an estimated 6,630 actively serving transgender individuals in the military and anywhere from 2,030 to 7,160 individuals serving in reserves. Along with these numbers, an estimated 150,000 transgender individuals have served since the year 2012, which is about 21% of all transgender adults in the United States according to UCLA researchers. In contrast, only 10% of the general non-transgender population has served (Hamblin, 2017). The fact that a higher percentage of transgender individuals has served in the United States military compared to those who do not identify as transgender should serve as an eye-opener to many. After all, active military service poses many risks, especially during times of conflict or war. In fact, several American and British armed forces members in Afghanistan were asked about the threats that they faced. The statistics, which are represented by the above image, are quite shocking. Roughly half of all individuals interviewed said that they saw at least one person killed while actively serving. One in every six people witnessed a close friend being injured or killed. One in four were injured by an IED, three in four experienced long-range attacks with rockets or mortars, and half had been attacked at close range with machine guns (Gee, 2017). The point of these statistics is that serving in the United States military can be dangerous, and if such a high percentage of transgender adults are willing to serve in the United States military and risk injury, they shouldn't be denied the ability to do so. The decision to serve in the United States Military should be respected regardless of any drama created by gender. Along with the fact that transgender Americans have already proved that they are willing to make the same sacrifices as their military comrades, a large majority of transgender individuals cause little to no disruption of military activity while serving. In fact, as far as disruption of military activity is concerned, transgender individuals who could possibly be disrupting military activity by getting reassignment surgery account for less than 1% of all available members. The actual number of all individuals estimated to have surgical treatments while actively serving was between 25 and 130 individuals – hardly enough to cause any meaningful hindrance to military activities (PBS, 2017).In regards to this same issue of military disruption, eighteen other countries were examined in a study to determine if transgender service members cause any noticeable problems. Overall, the study â€Å"didn't find any readiness or cohesion implications† involving transgender individuals. Many countries revealed concerns about bullying issues at one point, but it was later determined that simple policy changes were able to deal with this issue (PBS, 2017). If other countries are able to work around the minor ‘difficulties' that transgender individuals may pose, then why can't the United States as well? Surely if this situation is able to work for other countries, it can for Americans as well. Along with this information, President Trump's proposed ban has received legal criticism as well. There are concerns that this ban would violate the Constitutional rights of those individuals affected by the ban. One example of the legal obstacles that this ban has faced occurred in August of 2017. Two gay rights groups filed a lawsuit to ‘ban' the ban before it could be instated. This lawsuit was filed on behalf of five transgender women who are openly and actively serving in the military, for they feel strongly that this ban would violate their constitutional rights (Cooper, 2017). Although the lawsuit itself wasn't the cause, the individuals who filed the suit earned at least a temporary victory in late October, for the ban was temporarily blocked in court by a federal judge (Kheel, 2017). This same judge responsible for the blockage was quoted saying that the ban â€Å"does not appear to be supported by any facts.† Along with this, another federal judge reviewed this ban in court and halted the ban altogether (Marimow, 2017). He stated that active-duty transgender service men and women already suffer harmful consequences because of the president's policy. Some examples of said consequences include being set apart as inherently unfit, facing the threat of discharge, the inability to move ahead with long-term medical plans, and the inability to commission as an officer.Due to these two federal court rulings, it is clear that there is much to be concerned about regarding the legality of the ban. A third court case was carried out with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NLCR) and the GLBTQ Legal Advocates ; Defenders (GLAD) as the plaintiffs. They argued that the ban violates the Fifth Amendment rights of all transgender service members, and they pushed for the removal of the ban on funds for gender reassignment surgery (which accompanied the transgender ban). Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly presided over the court. After the case ended, she wrote a 76-page memo emphasizing the fact that the plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is a strong one that will prove difficult to refute once it reaches the Supreme Court. The fact that this ban has been heavily criticized, and in some cases acted upon, by not one, not two, but three highly-esteemed judges only serves to prove that this ban is in violation of the Fifth Amendment and is highly discriminatory against transgender individuals who are only trying to serve their country. This ban has only encountered setback after setback in court, yet the Secretary of Defense is still being pressured to produce a plan for both carrying out the ban and dealing with currently enlisted transgender individuals. Although President Trump is still pushing for action to be taken, the ban is still being processed through the courts as an appeal is being sought after due to the decisions made from past cases (Lopez, 2017). Although there are many ‘arguments' out there that support the idea of a United States Military with a transgender ban, they lack substantial evidence, and the evidence that is presented is far from accurate in most cases. President Trump's two main reasons for the ban, disruption of military service and health and medical costs, are easily discredited when all of the facts are lined out.In regards to ‘disruption of services,' it's clear to see why this isn't a legitimate issue for the United States Military. First of all, there is roughly, on estimate, a total of 13,500 transgender individuals serving actively, in the reserves, or in the National Guard. Of these 13,500 transgender individuals, only an estimated 25-130 active members will ever undergo long-term surgical treatments that would cause disruption while serving. These numbers, compared with the estimated 1,281,900 total of all active service member, along with the 801,200 estimated to be in reserve, account for far less than even one percent of the military's total service members (PBS, 2017). So, assuming that the highest estimate of 130 military members undergo surgical treatment while serving, an extremely insignificant fraction of all military members would be incapable of carrying out military duties while recovering. This accounts for .0015% of all available ‘manpower' at any given time for the military (PBS, 2017). That percentage is hardly worthy of being referred to as a ‘disruption.' The second main ‘reason' behind this ban is the potential costs. The President and his staff worry that the medical treatments and surgeries that transgender individuals require is an expensive and unnecessary cost to the United States Military budget. While gender reassignments and other surgeries are certainly expensive, as stated in the previous paragraph, only about 25-130 individuals will even have the operation done (PBS, 2017), and the military has historically not been required to pay for these surgeries unless they are proven medically necessary on a case-by-case basis. Along with this information, a study in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2015 found that the total costs for these surgeries and treatments would amount to somewhere between 4.2-5.6 million dollars, or roughly ten percent of the annual military healthcare budget. For those that think this is a large amount of money, the annual amount of taxpayer dollars spent on medication for erectile dysfunction alone is over ten times this amount at 84 million dollars annually. Claiming that transgender medical costs are expensive and unnecessary is plain wrong. While not all treatments are medically ‘necessary,' several treatments are. Denying transgender individuals from serving in the military due to medical costs would be the equivalent of denying a diabetic the ability to serve; it makes no sense. President Trump has made a lot of changes since he was elected into Presidency. While his decisions usually at least make some sense, the transgender military ban makes no sense at all. His two main reasons for this ban, which were potential disruption of military activity and medical costs, are backed by little to no evidence, and his ban is coming across as discriminatory both in the public eye and in court so far. Transgender individuals should not be denied the right to serve because they have been allowed to serve (not openly) for several years with little to no problem, they don't cause any disruption or hindrance to military activity, and the ban itself is being reviewed for its potential violation of the Fifth Amendment and discrimination against transgender individuals. All of this effort for a ban that isn't necessary should be spent on something more useful to America.BibliographyBlake, Aaron. â€Å"Jim Mattis didn't undermine President Trump's transgender military ban. Trump already had.† The Washington Post. Last modified August 30, 2017. Accessed September 20, 2017.http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/30/trumps-haphazard-transgender-military-ban. Cooper, Helene. â€Å"Trump says transgender ban is a ‘great favor' for the military.† The New York Times. Last modified August 10, 2017.Accessed September 22, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/us/politics/trump-transgender-military.html. Davis, Jilie Hirschfeld. â€Å"Military transgender ban to begin within 6 months, memo says.† New York Times. Last modified August 23, 2017.Accessed October 12, 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/us/politics/trump-military-transgender-ban.html. Editorial Board. â€Å"Editorial: making way for transgender troops.à ¢â‚¬  Chicago Tribune. Last modified December 12, 2017. Accessed December 12, 2017.http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials. Hamblin, James. â€Å"The cost of banning transgender service members.† The Atlantic. Last modified July 26, 2017. Accessed April 19, 2018.http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/things-that-cost-more-than-medical-care-for-transgender-soldiers/534945. Jouvenal, Justin. â€Å"Federal judge in D.C. blocks part of Trump's transgender military ban.† The Washington Post. Last modified November 30, 2017. Accessed November 16, 2017.http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/federal-judge-in-dc-blocks-part-of-trumps-transgender-military-ban/2017/10/30. Kheel, Rebecca. â€Å"Court partially blocks trump's transgender military ban.† The Hill. Last modified October 30, 2017. Accessed November 9, 2017.http://thehill.com/policy/defense/357827-court-partially-blocks-trumps-directive-on-transgender-military-ban. Lopez, Germ an. â€Å"Federal judge: military must allow transgender recruits starting on January 1.† Vox. Last modified November 28, 2017. Accessed April 19, 2018.http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/28/16709494. Marimow, Ann E. â€Å"Federal judge says Trump administration can't stop funding sex-reassignment surgeries for military members.† Wasnington Post. Last modified November 21, 2017. Accessed April 19, 2018.http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/a-second-judge-blocks-trump-administration. PBS. â€Å"Fact-checking Trump's reasons for a transgender military ban.† PBS Newshour. Last modified August 28, 2017. Accessed September 29, 2017.http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/fact-checking-trumps-reasons-transgender-military-ban. Rikleen, Lauren Stiller. â€Å"Trump's transgender military ban hurts more than just the troops.† Wbur. Last modified August 30, 2017. Accessed October 30, 2017.http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2017/08/30/trump-military-transg ender-lauren-stiller-rikleen.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Taking Junk Food Out of Schools

In recent years, more than a dozen states have considered setting legislation limitations for the accessibility of junk food in schools, most requiring vending equipment to be turned off during certain hours, off until the students lunch break, or increasing the coast of unhealthy foods to discourage students from purchasing it (Parents Advocating School Responsibilities) . In today’s society teenagers are 3 times likely to be overweight than the generation of our parents. According to the 2001 Surgeon General Report establishes that 14 percent of American youth are overweight (Surgeon General 2001).This is compared with 4 percent of American children in 1963. The correspondent also stated that 300,000 citizens pass away each year from obesity-related illnesses or circumstances made worse by obesity (Surgeon General 2001). The reason for not banning junk food in schools is more students will get in trouble for smuggling in the junk food than other rule breakings. Being able to enforce such a disallow would compel officials to go through a students locker, desk, book bag, desk and lunch boxes, taking up much needed time for the facilitator to teach and harming the students’ privacy.It should be up to parents on deciding what foods their children consume. If a child wants to have a little snack or sugary foods in their lunches they should be allowed to if it’s ok with their parents (Borkar 2011). Consumption of junk food is not bad if it’s done in moderation and can go well with a healthy diet. One advantage of allowing snack food in schools is that if adolescent does not bring a lunch carrier then he or she does not have to stay hungry and can simply have something to satisfy their appetite (Borkar 2011).

Thursday, November 7, 2019

To Kill a Mockingbird Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices

To Kill a Mockingbird Themes, Symbols, and Literary Devices To Kill a Mockingbird seems like a very simple, well-written morality tale at first glance. But underneath the easy markers of racism and heroism is a much more complex story. Your first hint is the sleight of hand author Harper Lee employs in the point of view, which is actually Jenna Louise Finch as an adult recounting her adventures as a child. The mature, grown-up perspective is buried under the rambunctious, naive perspective of her younger self so skillfully most readers forget that the story isn’t being narrated by a little kid. This allows Lee to explore her sub-themes of racism, justice, and innocence while masterfully dealing with her main theme: How our view of the world changes as we grow older. Maturation The story of To Kill a Mockingbird takes place over the course of several years, beginning when Scout is 6 years old and ending when she is close to 9 years old, and her brother Jem is 9 (though very close to being 10) in the beginning and is 13 or 14 by the end of the story. Lee uses the young age of the children to tease out many of the complexities in her themes; Scout and Jem are frequently confused about the motivations and reasoning of the adults around them, especially in the earlier sections of the novel. Initially, Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill make many incorrect assumptions about the world around them. They assume that Boo Radley is some sort of monster and ascribe near-supernatural powers to him. They assume that aunt Alexandra does not like them or their father. They assume that Mrs. Dubose is a mean old woman who hates children. And Scout in particular assumes that the world is a fair and honorable place. Over the course of the story, the children grow up and learn more about the world, and many of these initial assumptions are revealed to be incorrect. Lee explores the way that growing up and maturing into adults makes the world clearer while also less magical and more difficult. Scout’s rage against Mrs. Dubose or her teachers at school is simple and easy to comprehend, as is her terror of Boo Radley. Understanding the complexities underneath the behaviors she sees makes it more difficult to hate Mrs. Dubose or fear Boo, which in turn ties into the more obvious themes of racism, intolerance, and innocence in the story. The end result is that Lee connects racism with childish fears that adults ought not to experience. Prejudice There’s little doubt that To Kill a Mockingbird is concerned with racism and its corrosive effects on our society. Lee explores this theme with an initial subtlety; Tom Robinson and the crimes he is accused of are not explicitly mentioned until Chapter 9 in the book, and Scout’s understanding that her father, Atticus, is under pressure to drop the case and that his reputation is suffering because of it is developed slowly. Lee is not, however, solely concerned with racial prejudice. Rather, she explores the effects of prejudice of all kinds- racism, classism, and sexism. Scout and Jem slowly come to understand that all of these attitudes are incredibly harmful to society as a whole. Tom’s life is destroyed simply because he is a black man. Bob and Mayella Ewell, however, are also looked down upon by the town for their poverty, which is assumed to be due to their low class status and not to any sort of economic cause, and Lee makes it clear that they persecute Tom in part in order to assuage their own feelings of rage at the way they are treated, that racism is inextricably linked to economics, politics, and self-image. Sexism is explored in the novel through Scout and her constant battle to engage in behaviors she finds interesting and exciting instead of the behaviors that people like aunt Alexandra feel are more appropriate for a girl. Part of Scout’s development as a person is her journey from simple perplexity at these pressures to an understanding that society as a whole expects certain things from her solely due to her gender. Justice and Morality To Kill a Mockingbird is a surprisingly deft analysis of the differences between justice and morality. In the earlier parts of the novel Scout believes that morality and justice are the same thing- if you do wrong, you are punished; if you are innocent you will be fine. Tom Robinson’s trial and her observation of her father’s experiences teach her that there is often a stark difference between what is right and what is legal. Tom Robinson is innocent of the crime he is accused of, but loses his life. At the same time, Bob Ewell triumphs in the legal system but finds no justice either, and is reduced to drunkenly stalking children to compensate for being humiliated despite his victory. Symbols Mockingbirds. The title of the book references a moment in the story where Scout recalls Atticus warning her and Jem that killing mockingbirds is a sin, and Miss Maudie confirms this, explaining that Mockingbirds do nothing but sing- they do no harm. The mockingbird represents innocence- an innocence Scout and Jem slowly lose over the course of the story. Tim Johnson. The poor dog that Atticus shoots when it goes rabid has a name purposefully similar to Tom Robinson’s. The event is traumatic to Scout, and teaches her that innocence is no guarantee of happiness or of justice. Boo Radley. Arthur Radley is not so much a character as a walking symbol of Scout and Jem’s growing maturity. The way the children perceive Boo Radley is a constant marker of their growing maturity. Literary Devices Layered Narration. It can be easy to forget that the story is actually being told by a grown-up, adult Jenna Louise and not the 6-year-old Scout. This allows Lee to present the world in the stark black and white morality of a little girl while preserving the details whose significance would escape a child. Revelation. Because Lee restricts the point of view to Scout and what she directly observes, many details of the story are only revealed long after their occurrence. This creates an air of mystery for the reader that mimics the childish sense of not quite understanding what all the adults are up to.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Imperialism Definition and Historical Perspective

Imperialism Definition and Historical Perspective Imperialism, sometimes called empire building, is the policy of a nation to forcefully impose its rule or authority over other nations. Typically involving the unprovoked use of military force, imperialism has historically been viewed as morally unacceptable. As a result, accusations of imperialism- whether factual or not- are often used in propaganda denouncing a nation’s foreign policy. Key Takeaways Imperialism is the expansion of a nation’s authority over other nations through the acquisition of land or the imposition of economic and political domination.The Age of Imperialism is typified by the colonization of the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries, as well as the expansion of the United States, Japan, and the European powers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Throughout history, many indigenous societies and cultures have been destroyed by imperialistic expansion. While the colonization of the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries differed in nature from the expansion of the United States, Japan, and the European powers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both periods are examples of imperialism. Imperialism has evolved since the struggles between prehistoric clans for scarce food and resources, but it has retained its bloody roots. Throughout history, many cultures suffered under the domination of their imperialist conquerors, with many indigenous societies being unintentionally or deliberately destroyed. Imperialism Definition and Theory A broader definition of imperialism is the extension or expansion- usually by the use of military force- of a nation’s authority or rule over territories not currently under its control. This is accomplished through the direct acquisition of land or economic and political domination. Certainly, empires do not undertake the expenses and dangers of imperialistic expansion without what their leaders consider ample justification. Throughout recorded history, imperialism has been justified or at least rationalized under one or more of five general theories. Conservative Economic Theory The better-developed nation sees imperialism as a way to maintain its already successful economy and stable social order. By securing new captive markets for its exported goods, the dominant nation is able to maintain its employment rate, and redirect any social disputes of its urban populations into its colonial territories. Historically, this rationale embodied an assumption of ideological and racial superiority within the dominant nation. Liberal Economic Theory Growing wealth and capitalism in the dominant nation results in the production of more goods than its population can consume. Its leaders see imperialist expansion as a way to reduce its expenses while increasing its profits by balancing production and consumption. Rather than imperialism, the wealthier nation sometimes chooses to solve its under-consumption problem internally through liberal legislative means, such as wage control. Marxist-Leninist Economic Theory Socialist leaders like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin rejected liberal legislative strategies dealing with under-consumption because they would inevitably take money away from the dominant state’s middle class. They believed such strategies would result in a world divided into wealthy and poor countries. Lenin used this theory to explain the imperialistic aspirations that led to World War I. Political Theory Imperialism is no more than an inevitable result of the wealthy nations attempt to maintain their positions in the world’s balance of power. The theory holds that the actual purpose of imperialism is to minimize the nation’s military and political vulnerability. The Warrior Class Theory Imperialism actually serves no real economic or political purpose. Instead, it is a pointless manifestation of the age-old behavior of nations whose political processes have become dominated by a â€Å"warrior† class. Originally created to satisfy an actual need for national defense, the warrior class eventually manufactures crises that can only be dealt with through imperialism in order to perpetuate its existence. The Rhodes Colossus: Caricature of Cecil John Rhodes. Edward Linley Sambourne / Public Domain Imperialism vs. Colonialism   While imperialism and colonialism both result in the political and economic domination of one nation over others, there are subtle but important differences between the two terms. In essence, colonialism is the physical practice of global expansion, while imperialism is the idea that drives the practice. In a basic cause-and-effect relationship, imperialism can be thought of as the cause, and colonialism as the effect. In its most familiar form, colonialism involves the relocation of people to the new territory to live as permanent settlers. Once established, the settlers maintain their loyalty and allegiance to their mother country while working to harness the new territory’s resources for the economic benefit of that country. In contrast, imperialism is simply the imposition of political and economic control over the conquered nation or nations, often through the use of military forces. For example, the British colonization of America during the 16th and 17th centuries evolved into imperialism when King George III stationed British troops in the colonies to enforce ever more restrictive economic and political regulations imposed on the colonists. Objections to Britain’s growingly imperialistic actions would result in the American Revolution.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Age of Imperialism The Age of Imperialism spanned between the years 1500 and 1914. During the early 15th to the late 17th centuries, European powers such as England, Spain, France, Portugal, and Holland acquired vast colonial empires. During this period of â€Å"Old Imperialism† the European nations explored the New World seeking trade routes to the Far East and- often violently- establishing settlements in North and South America as well as in Southeast Asia. It was during this period that some of imperialism’s worst human atrocities took place. During the Spanish Conquistadors’ conquest of Central and South America in the 16th century, an estimated eight million indigenous people died in the era of imperialism’s first large-scale act of genocide.   Imperial Powers in 1898. Wikimedia Commons Based on their belief in the conservative economic theory of â€Å"Glory, God, and Gold,† the trade-motivated imperialists of the period saw colonialism purely as a source of wealth and a vehicle for religious missionary efforts. The early British Empire established its most profitable colonies in North America, the Caribbean, and India. Despite suffering a setback in the loss of its American colonies in 1776, Britain more than recovered by gaining colonies in India, Australia, and Latin America. By the end of the age of Old Imperialism in the 1840s, Great Britain had become the dominant colonial power with territorial holdings in India, South Africa, and Australia. At the same time, France controlled the Louisiana territory in North America and French New Guinea. Holland had colonized the East Indies, and Spain had colonized Central and South America. Due largely to its mighty navy’s dominance of the seas, Britain also readily accepted its role as keeper of world peace, later described as Pax Britannica or â€Å"British Peace.†Ã‚  Ã‚   The Age of New Imperialism While the European empires established footholds on the coasts of Africa and China, their influence over local leaders was limited. Not until the â€Å"Age of New Imperialism† that started in the 1870s did the European states establish their vast empires mainly in Africa, but also in Asia and the Middle East. New Imperialism and its effects on China. Henri Meyer - Bibliothà ¨que nationale de France Driven by their need to deal with the over-production- under-consumption economic consequences of the Industrial Revolution, the European nations pursued an aggressive plan of empire building.  Instead of merely setting up overseas trading settlements as they had during the 16th and 17th centuries, the new imperialists controlled the local colonial governments to their own benefit. The rapid advances in industrial production, technology, and transportation during the â€Å"Second Industrial Revolution† between 1870 and 1914 further boosted the economies of the European powers and thus their need for overseas expansion. As typified by the political theory of imperialism, the new imperialists employed policies that stressed their perceived superiority over â€Å"backward† nations. Combining the establishment of economic influence and political annexation with overwhelming military force, the European countries- highlighted by the juggernaut British Empire- proceeded to dominate most of Africa and Asia. By 1914, along with its successes in the so-called â€Å"Scramble for Africa,† the British Empire controlled the largest number of colonies worldwide, leading to the popular phrase, â€Å"The sun never sets on the British Empire.† U.S. Annexation of Hawaii One of the best recognized, if controversial, examples of American imperialism came with its 1898 annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii as a territory. Through most of the 1800s, the U.S. government worried that Hawaii, a key mid-Pacific whaling and trade port, fertile ground for American protestant missions, and most of all, a rich new source of sugar from sugar cane production, would fall under the control of European empires. Indeed, during the 1930s both Britain and France forced Hawaii to accept exclusionary trade treaties with them. In 1842, U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster reached an agreement with Hawaiian agents in Washington to oppose the annexation of Hawaii by any other nation. In 1849, a treaty of friendship served as the basis of official long-term relations between the United States and Hawaii. By 1850, sugar accounted for 75% of Hawaii’s wealth. As Hawaii’s economy became increasingly dependent on the United States, a trade reciprocity treaty signed in 1875 further linked the two countries. In 1887, American growers and businessmen forced King KalÄ kaua to sign a new constitution stripping him of power and suspending the rights of many native Hawaiians. In 1893, King KalÄ kaua’s successor, Queen Lili’uokalani introduced a new constitution that restored her power and Hawaiian rights. Fearing that Lili’uokalani would impose devastating tariffs on American-produced sugar, American cane growers led by Samuel Dole plotted to depose her and seek the annexation of the islands by the United States. On January 17, 1893, sailors from the USS Boston, dispatched by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, surrounded the Ê »Iolani Palace in Honolulu and removed Queen Lili’uokalani. U.S. Minister John Stevens was recognized as the islands’ de facto government, with Samuel Dole as president of the Provisional Government of Hawaii. In 1894, Dole sent a delegation to Washington officially seeking annexation. However, President Grover Cleveland opposed the idea and threatened to restore Queen Lili’uokalani as monarch. In response, Dole declared Hawaii an independent republic. In a rush of nationalism from the Spanish-American War, the United States, at the urging of President William McKinley, annexed Hawaii in 1898. At the same time, the native Hawaiian language was entirely banned from schools and government. In 1900, Hawaii became a U.S. territory, with Dole as its first governor. Demanding the same rights and representation of U.S. citizens in the then-48 states, native Hawaiians and non-white Hawaiian residents began to push for statehood. Nearly 60 years later, Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state on August 21, 1959. In 1987, the U.S. Congress restored Hawaiian as the state’s official language, and in 1993, President Bill Clinton signed a bill apologizing for the U.S. role in the 1893 overthrow of Queen Lili’uokalani.   The Decline of Classic Imperialism While generally profitable, imperialism, combined with nationalism, began to have negative consequences for the European empires, their colonies, and the world. By 1914, an increasing number of conflicts between the competing nations would erupt into World War I. By the 1940s, former World War I participants Germany and Japan, regaining their imperialistic power, sought to create empires across Europe and Asia, respectively. Driven by their desires to expand their nations’ spheres of world influence, Hitler in Germany and Emperor Hirohito of Japan would join forces to launch World War II. The tremendous human and economic costs of World War II greatly weakened the old empire-building nations, effectively ending the age of classic, trade-driven imperialism. Throughout the ensuing delicate peace and Cold War, decolonization proliferated. India along with several former colonial territories in Africa gained their independence from Britain. While a scaled-back version of British imperialism continued with its involvement in the Iranian coup d’à ©tat of 1953 and in Egypt during the 1956 Suez Crisis, it was the United States and the former Soviet Union that emerged from World War II as the world’s dominant superpowers. However, the ensuing Cold War from 1947 to 1991 would take a massive toll on the Soviet Union. With its economy drained, its military might a thing of the past, and its communist political structure fractured, the Soviet Union officially dissolved to emerge as the Russian Federation on December 26, 1991. As part of the dissolution agreement, the several colonial or â€Å"satellite† states of the Soviet empire were granted their independence. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, the United States emerged as the dominant global power and source of modern imperialism. Examples of Modern Imperialism No longer focused strictly on securing new trading opportunities, modern imperialism involves the expansion of corporate presence and the spreading of the dominant nation’s political ideology in a process sometimes pejoratively called â€Å"nation-building† or specifically in the case of the United States, â€Å"Americanization.† Uncle Sam Placing Spain on Notice in 1898.   Independence Seaport Museum / Public Domain As proven by the domino theory of the Cold War, powerful nations, like the United States, often attempt to block other nations from adopting political ideologies counter to their own. As a result, the United States’ failed 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion attempt to overthrow the communist regime of Fidel Castro in Cuba, President Ronald Regan’s Reagan Doctrine intended to stop the spread of communism, and the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War are often cited as examples of modern imperialism. Aside from the United States, other prosperous nations have employed modern- and occasionally traditional- imperialism in attempts to expand their influence. Using a combination of hyper-aggressive foreign policy and limited military intervention, countries like Saudi Arabia and China have sought to spread their global influence. In addition, smaller nations like Iran and North Korea have been aggressively building their military capabilities- including nuclear weapons- in hopes of gaining an economic and strategic advantage.   While the United States’ true colonial holdings have declined since the era of traditional imperialism, it still exerts a strong and growing economic and political influence on parts of the world. The U.S. currently retains five permanently populated traditional territories or commonwealths: Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. All five territories elect a non-voting member to the U.S. House of Representatives. Residents of American Samoa are considered U.S. nationals, while residents of the other four territories are U.S. citizens. They are allowed to vote in primary elections for president, but they cannot vote in the general presidential election. Historically, most former U.S. territories, such as Hawaii and Alaska, eventually attained statehood. Other territories, such as the Philippines, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, held mainly for strategic purposes during World War II, eventually became independent countries.   Sources and Further Reference Ferraro, Vincent. Theories of Imperialism. Resources for the Study of International Relations and Foreign Policy. Mount Holyoke College.Gallaher, Carolyn, et al. (2009). Key Concepts in Political Geography. London: SAGE. ISBN 978-1-4129-4672-8.The Soviet Union and Europe after 1945. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.Annexation of Hawaii, 1898. U.S. Department of State.Stephenson, Carolyn. Nation Building Beyond Intractability: Knowledge Base. January 2005.How the World Was Won: The Americanization of Everywhere. Book Review. The Guardian.U.S. Territories. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

To what extent would the smoking ban affect the pub industry in Wales Essay

To what extent would the smoking ban affect the pub industry in Wales - Essay Example In 1974, 51% of men and 41% of women smoked cigarettes - nearly half the adult population of the UK. Now just over one-quarter smoke, but the decline in recent years has been heavily concentrated in older age groups: i.e., almost as many young people are taking up smoking but more established smokers are quitting. Adult smoking rates vary only slightly between different parts of the country, as defined by the Government Office Regions. For example, in the East of England 25% of people smoke, in the North West, 30%. In Scotland 31% of the population smokes; in Wales the prevalence is 27%. (Smoking statistics 2005) About 48 million people in the United States smoke an estimated total of 430 billion cigarettes each year. Until the 1940s, smoking was considered harmless, but laboratory and clinical research has since confirmed that tobacco smoke presents a hazard to health. Smoke from the average cigarette contains around 4,000 chemicals, some of which are highly toxic and at least 43 of which cause cancer. Nicotine, a major constituent of tobacco smoke, is both poisonous and highly addictive. Nicotine is an oily liquid substance found in tobacco leaves that acts as a stimulant and also contributes to smoking addiction. When extracted from the leaves, nicotine is colorless, but quickly turns brown when exposed to air. It has an acrid, burning taste. Nicotine is a very powerful poison, and it forms the base of many insecticides. Cigarette tobacco contains only a small amount of nicotine and most of this nicotine is destroyed by the heat of burning so that the actual concentration of nicotine in smoke is low. However, even a small amount of nicotine is sufficient to be addictive. The amount of nicotine absorbed by the body from inhaling smoke depends on many factors including the type of tobacco, whether the smoke is inhaled, and whether a filter is used. Nicotine has various effects on the body. In small doses nicotine serves as a nerve stimulant, entering the bloodstream and promoting the flow of adrenaline, a stimulating hormone. It speeds up the heartbeat and may cause it to become irregular. It also raises the blood pressure and reduces the appetite, and it may cause nausea and vomiting. The known health risks associated with cigarette smoking, such as damage to the lungs and lung cancer, are thought to be caused by other components of cigarettes such as tars and other by-products of smoking, and by the irritating effects of smoke on the lung tissue. Addiction to smoking is caused by nicotine itself. Stopping smoking produces withdrawal symptoms within 24 to 48 hours, which commonly include irritability, headaches, and anxiety, in addition to the strong desire to smoke. Ban on smoking in pubs Smoking bans are government prohibitions or voluntary bans decided by establishment management on tobacco smoking in public or quasi-public indoor areas such as offices, restaurants, hotels, or even outdoor public areas such as parks and sports stadiums. In most jurisdictions the sale of tobacco to minors, or minors under a certain age, is prohibited. Such laws have been introduced by many countries in various forms over the years, with legislators citing health statistics that show tobacco smoking is often

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Budgeting - Essay Example Not planning earlier can bring up capacity issues; cash flow issues etc. for the organization. An estimation of costs and revenues is required to know the estimated profit. The profit is not attained in a single day. All days need to be planned to achieve those profits, daily operations are therefore need to be managed; budgeting prepares the managers for the whole day decisions, which he cannot act to on a single day basis. A clear thinking and understanding is developed. Budgeting in advance also helps determine the borrowing requirements, early relationship building with the lender, communicating earlier the borrowing needs. And reasonable budgets and forecasts to repay can build up credibility in the eyes of the lender. Once the borrowing needs are determined and committed in the pipeline, the spending timing and needs are allocated as and where required. The budgeting exercise can become hectic and set accountability for the managers. This leads to driving their focus away from the day to operations but not really. It builds up coordination and integration among the cross functional areas and within everyone in different functions of the organization. Everyone is considered accountable for his or her actions; a sense of ownership develops amongst the employees and hence a company would want its employees to be motivated enough to achieve their and company's goals. This only happens when objectives of both are aligned and employees are motivated enough to achieve the same. These overall benefits in day to day affairs. Major inputs to the master budget and usefulness of each The major inputs to the master budget are operating and the financial budget. Master budget also helps create a linkage between the two afore mentioned budgets. Each of these budgets has their own importance and none can succeed without the other. The operating budget comprises the sales budget, production budget, the direct materials budget, the direct labor budget, the factory overhead budget, the inventory budget, cost of goods sold budget, selling and administrative expense budget, and the budgeted income statement, which is the snapshot of the operations of the organization for a period. Whereas, the financial budget comprises the cash budget, the capital budget, and the budgeted balance sheet. All these inputs on a standalone basis do not have any meaning until seen within the full picture. Sales budget will determine the top line for the company and production budget support sales because it has to be determined how many units are to be produced to support that level of sales. Materials, labor and overhead determine the costs, similarly the selling and administrative expenses. The inventory budget helps in knowing how many units are carried from the earlier period and how many will fulfill the demand for the period. Financial budget takes care of the funding aspect. Why would a company want to create a master budget There are many purposes that a company can serve by developing master