A Study On Rapid Evolution - 1127 Words

4. Introduction: a. I have learned that rapid evolution has expanded exceedingly. Zuk shows this with an example of the average size of fish being way much smaller due to fishermen causing the fish to reproduce earlier than they normally do. Due to this, evolution regulated the growth and size of the fish variously, thus their sexual maturity became different. b. Another thing that I have learned from the introduction is that evolving quickly is not always a good thing. When evolution occurs too fast, there’s only a small percentage of the population that survives while the rest of the population disintegrates. An example of this is the Black Death, where the death rates were about 95%. Thus, only the fittest were able to survive the†¦show more content†¦I was able to understand that we are not at the peak of evolution due to this, and we still have time to evolve more. Chapter 2: a. One thing that caught my interest was learning that due to the modification in our diet with agriculture, disease became more prominent. This shows what happened when we decided to go to crops and civilization for our source of food versus going for the traditional hunter-gatherer role our ancestors once possessed. I thought this was a very interesting fact to learn. b. Another interesting thing is that the level of fitness for individuals could possibly get worse in the future. This is because our population is â€Å"stuck† and not adapting to the environments we are in. An effect of this could mean that we are not suited for the environment we are in, and we still have to evolve more so we can be more adaptive. Chapter 3: a. Some interesting information I learned was that evolution can occur quickly in the wild. Zuk demonstrated an example of this with a species of crickets that she had observed before. In fewer than 5 years, the male crickets had lost their ability to produce sound due to the rapid evolution of parasitic flies affecting the apparatus thus rendering the males. This was an example of one of the fastest cases of evolution. Knowing this allows me to understand that evolution occurring more quickly for one species could affect the evolution of another species. b. I

Methodologies of christian social ethics Free Essays

string(57) " different ways where we may have topography experience\." A particular group of people for centuries together practices certain principles which are approved by the group; society or community for generations Is called customs. Character: Our behavior, conduct or repeated practice of habits became a character. According to medical science it is easy to Stealing. We will write a custom essay sample on Methodologies of christian social ethics or any similar topic only for you Order Now Repeated habits lead to character. Even our character or habits form our personality. Society which we came from plays a lead role in forming character and our culture plays a role in formation of our character. 4. 06. 12 Morals: The word morals come from the Latin word â€Å"moss† which means â€Å"way of life† or habits. Ethos means customs or character. In modern world the word moral and ethics have been used interchangeable. Both the terms connotes those duties and responsibilities which persons have with reference to right and wrong conduct or ultimate purpose of life. Ethics talk about what is right and wrong, then duties and responsibilities, and then the commandment. The second point is ultimate purpose of life. Morality is the description of human behavior. Traditionally the word moral was used in descriptive sense. In today’s world the word moral is used by restrictive sense. As an adjective: To describe behaviors of persons or people commonly regarded as right, good or appropriate. As a noun: To refer to the norms or principles practiced by a particular group of people regarding right or wrong conduct. In order to revive sound moral Judgment, we need to have two main things; 1 Vigorous pursuit of relevant information, (Work hard to get information) 2. More complete data to illuminate the nature of the problem Ethics: Ethics is a Praxis oriented or reflective reflection on morality in order to give sound moral Judgment. Morals is a descriptive or to describe human behavior or conduct. While ethics reflect on morality, morality describes the behavior of a person. 19. 6. 12 Mackenzie (1860 – 1935) A 19th century philosopher defines ethics as a study of what is right or good in human conduct or the science of the ideal involvement in human life Staunch Sinai says † Ethics is a normative science which is systematic knowledge†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ T is a science in so far as it depends upon the observation, classification and explanation off human conduct with reference to an ideal†. It is an ideal consist of view set by what is right or wrong. Conclusion: Ethics evaluates he voluntary action and habitual actions of persons and considers their rightness and wrongness. Ethics is a systematic study of human conduct, individual as well as cooperate. It is concerned with determining what conduct is right or wrong, good or bad, fitting and non-flitting. Christian Ethics Ethics plus Bible is known as Christian ethics. Sources of Christian ethics are 1) Bible and 2) cultural norms and traditions. Some scholars say that we can learn from other religions also. Bible: The study of ethics based on bible is known as Christian ethics. Ethics is a critical reflection on morality basing on the word of god. To understand oral Judgment first source available for Christians is bible. Other sources for dong Christina ethics is Bible normative. Cultural Norms: Traditional moral principles say that we can learn from other traditions or other cultural norms. Our experience is also a source of Christian ethics. If Bible is not there, there is no Christian ethics. Definitions on Christian Ethics Signal Paul: According to Signal Paul â€Å"Christian ethics is a critical reflection on human conduct or the issue and the problem that we face in our society basing on definition Critical analysis of Christian ethics is based on a) data and b) teaching of he bible Adams: According to Adams â€Å"reflection on human conduct ? .. Aim to achieve clarity and consistency with respect to the ground and goal, the motives and the norms, the means and consequences of right action conceived as the response to and the working of the grace of the God. 20. 06. 2012 Hunter P Mammary: â€Å"The living reality of God as understood through Christ and Judo- Christian tradition – is the distinctive component in serious reflection on human moral conduct†. James M. Gustafson defines Christian ethics as â€Å"ethic must be Christian and is Christian in a universally applicable sense because it is in Chr ist that al things are created and he is the Lord of all things. This definition Justifies the first one. Ethic must be Christian because the community is called to absolute obedience to Jesus Christ as Lord. Conclusion: Christian ethics is a listing kind of discipline and it is also different from other fields of studies. Also Christian ethics help to study the social sciences. Christian means the help of other social sciences we are to see the relation of Christian ethics with other social sciences. Psychology helps us in order to understand human behavior. Social analysis is sociology which is more critical and racial. Social analysis helps to understand the origin and development in society. Sociology will help us to understand Biblical history and structure of the society. Sociology and history of Christianity will help us to understand issues, development context of O T and N T and changes in many Christian traditions. Theology helps us to see and analyze Church. History of Christianity helps theology. It becomes abnormal for us to look back our church tradition, when it comes to serious conflict. Study of theology helps to know how theology was originating and developing. It helps us to listen to our issues. Biblical Studies: The Most important help we get in terms of Christianity is from biblical studies. We deal with origin, purpose, occasion, date and development in biblical studies. Most importantly we do interpretation I. E. Hermeneutics. In short hermeneutic means interpreting origin and development of text. The theological background from where we came is matter while interpreting Bible. We believe Holy Spirit is one person who interprets Bible to us. Holy Spirit manifest to us in different ways where we may have topography experience. You read "Methodologies of christian social ethics" in category "Papers" Most times our theology will affect our Biblical Hermeneutics. 21 . 06. 12 Conclusion: To conclude the purpose of Christian ethics it is not that we discover perfect solution. Christian ethic has to do with Christian morality and values. Christian Ethics teach us about singular relationship between God and Man 22. 06. 12 MODES OF ETHICAL DISCOURSE: A. Deontological Ethics, The word demonology derives from the Greek word â€Å"Eden† means â€Å"necessary or imperative†. It is also known as traditional ethics or classical ethics. Deontological Ethics is imperative absolute and obligatory, independent of their ends and consequences. Most of the deontological will say that some of our actions are consequences or results. When important is given to means it does not bother about ends. If Bible says do not steal we should not. Many deontological will say that this ethics concentrate on means not consequences. Different types of Deontological Ethics. 1. Rights According to Robin Gill â€Å"rights† is a more recent example of deontological ethics. He gives the example of right to live, right of the women to choose. The best known contemporary defender of deontological approach to rights is by Ronald Deerskin. He argues that rights should not be over ridden by consideration of social well-being. 2. Legalism or Absolutism Legalism is a law. This is one of the most widespread models of deontological ethics. Deontological attempts to state what kinds of acts are either require or forbidden. They claim that by the very nature of things certain kinds of acts are always obligatory. It requires a person to apply a rule or code which has already been formulated. 3. Rule Ethics Rule Ethics points to an already existing authority – Truth Reentered-. Deontological ethics are also presented as rule ethics which is considered as the answer of tradition. The answer of the ethical tradition or of rule ethics points the questionnaire to an orderly existing authority. Though Reentered talks about the rule ethics, his concern is more of an ethical tradition which implies a separate speculative world or situation ethics. 4. The Divine Command Theory The divine command theory is also known as theological voluntarism which holds that the standard of right and wrong is the will or love of God. Proponents of this view believe that right and wrong – is that commanded and forbidden by God. 5. Obedient Love. This is one of the most important types in Deontological Ethics propounded by Paul Ramsey. According to Paul Ramsey the central ethical notion on category in Christian ethics is obedient love. This is the sword of love the gospel describes as love fulfilling the law and Paul designates as faith that works through love. Ramsey defines it as â€Å"faith that works though love†. 6. Categorical Imperative. Emmanuel Kant (1724-1804) stressed on Categorical imperative. The most important theory of Deontological ethics is Categorical imperative of Emmanuel Kant. His book is Critic of Practical reason. In Kantian theological theory, an action is Justified by showing what it is right not by showing that the consequences of acts are good. According to Emmanuel Kant each individual is rational and is able to reason and arrived at the right decision regarding his or her own actions. Reasons according to Emmanuel Kant transcend all groups, cultures, societies and dialects and a set of rational principles which are to be obeyed by all. Emmanuel Kant tries to establish the ultimate basis for the validity of moral rules – is pure reason, not in intuition or conscience. In his view a moral principle gains universal applicability when that principle cannot be rationally rejected. So the ultimate basis of morality rests on principle of reason which all rational creatures possess. 25. 6. 12 The Critique of Pure reason of Emmanuel Kant (1781) He talks about reason. Religion could be established on the basis of practical reason. About obligation. Deontological are not concerned with end results. Traditional Christians follows deontological ethics. They take moral principles without seeing consequences. They Just said don’t do or do with absolute attitudes. Emmanuel Kant says do your duty though the heavens may fall. The deontological are of the view that â€Å"the end does not always Justify the means† Cant’s Theory on Categorical imperatives or Three important Principles of Kant Cant’s theory on Categorical imperatives includes: 1 . Autonomy (self-governs) Here we have freedom to choose. It talks about autonomous will of a person. Emmanuel Kant bases his entire moral system on the affirmation that every rational being exist as an end in himself not merely as a means, according to binding moral rules valid for everyone – for arbitrary use by these or that will happen when a person behaves according to binding moral rules valid for everyone. He considers that a person has an autonomous will. Hence the principle autonomy is never choosing except in such a way that in the same volition the maxims of your choice are also present as universal laws. This means that it should be within the principles of universal laws) Therefore a person’s autonomy consists in his ability to direct himself/ herself according to these moral maxims. 2. The Goodwill What make an action right or wrong are not the consequences of the act, but rather the principle guiding the act. He spoke of the will as something that is within our conscious control as opposed to a wish that is not within our conscious control. In other words he states that the good will is not because it achieves good results. Even if it were unable to obtain the ends it would still be good in itself and have a higher worth than the superficial things gained by immoral actions. 6. 6. 12 3. Duty and Moral Laws: Emmanuel Kant explains the relationship between goodwill and duty. A good will is one which acts for the sake of duty. Human actions have moral worth only if they are performed from duty. Actions that result from inclinations or self-interest maybe praise worthy if they happened, for whatever reason to accord with duty, but they are not moral. According to Kant the dutiful person takes the maxim of helping others to express or embody a requirement, Just as Law does. What we understand from Cant’s categorical imperative is that the categorical imperatives should tell us that our axiom themselves must be laws which is universal being the characteristics of laws. It tells us to act on those principles which are laws. Therefore, Kant argues for the importance of action from duty. The only thing good without qualification is goodwill and a person acquires both good will and moral worth by acting from duty. Therefore one’s duty is to act in accordance with objective moral values and laws and such laws are categorical. The teaching of deontological ethics is if some moral principles are laid down we are to follow it. It is the teaching of deontological ethics. All the laws amended in the Bible are to be followed by the Christina s whether we like it or not. Summary CNN: You need to critique deontological ethic. Can we apply deontological ethics of the bible all the times? Is all the Bible commandments are applicable for all in relation to Indian context? 28-6-12 Teleological ethics comes into being because some found deontological ethics not gives any freedom. Ideologists say that in all aspects teleological ethics involved. It comes into been on process to an end or goal. We do right today in order to achieve a high good in the future. An action should not be done for the sake of Jesus only. Ideologists say all circumstances will not work. It focuses on ends and goals. There is no choice but absolute obligation. We cannot live in the world of dos and don’t. We should live on aspirations for the future. The right action which we do today will lead us to future. Our action should have goal purpose. Teleology comes from Greek word tells means â€Å"end† â€Å"purpose† or â€Å"goal†. Teleology ethics is for ends and goals so that moral decision making are to be Judged in the light of an end or goal. The ideologists look at the consequences of actions rather than to any intrinsic goodness or badness n action. In other words it is ethics of aspirations good or ends also referred to as consequential ethics. This approach is concerned with questions regarding the highest good or final goals of life toward which persons should aspire. Most prominent deontological are Jeremy Beneath, John Stuart Mill and Judger N Molten and Earaches Bausch. Different approach or Theories on Teleological Ethics 1. Quantitative utilitarianism It simply means greater happiness or number. All the philosophers who talk about quantitative utilitarianism are indebted to Jeremy Beneath (1784 – 1818). An action s right when there is absence of pain. If we talk about happiness it has to be with greatest number. The idea of the greater happiness of human kind as the end of morality was placed in a secular framework by Jeremy Beneath. Jeremy Beneath believes that man always sticks to his own pleasure. He agreed with Epicures that the ethical or the right is that which produces the most pleasure. Though there are similarities, Beneath however developed his theory farther than Epicures. Epicures mainly talks about one’s own pleasure but Beneath along with pleasure on individual talks about the pleasure of the community. In other word, Beneath states that right action is always the promotion not simply of one’s own pleasure but of the community of all persons. 2. Scatological Ethics It is either of the end or the ethics of the future. Scatological ethics means ethics of good at end. Within Christian tradition certain ideas about the ultimate good or the final end of history and how one is to relate to this end has been a dominant motive in several strands/ types of ethical thoughts. Models built on this theme emphasize the sovereignty of God and the expected establishment of God’s righteousness in all hinges, but deviate regarding whether the sovereignty of God is future or present, individual or societal a future condition for which one must wait for a condition of righteousness within history for which one must labor. L. Other worldly model It talks about future happiness in heaven even thought if we suffer at the present world. In other words it is the behavior that the ultimate purpose of our life is in the heavenly kingdom, not in the world. Its main concern is future world of happiness. Followers of this approach believe that true life exist only in heaven, a world beyond this present life. Consequently, for them life in this world is viewed as a testing ground. It emphasis the cultivation of certain qualities of the spirit which they believe the conservative believes in this understanding of true life that will come beyond death. It explains the cultivation of certain spiritual qualities in anticipation of life beyond death. 3. 7. 12 ii Kingdom of God This model gained prominence during the early part of the nineteenth century and it is associated with the social gospel movement by author Walter Reaches Bausch. The followers of this theory believe in the proper norms and principles for how to live in the society. This model talks about the present world. It is actually talking about Christianization of social order. This model is rooted in the belief that the proper norm regarding how society should be organized and arranged by the kingdom of God concept. The followers of this model claim that an understanding of Kingdom of God provides both a version of good society and authority which enables the followers to work for grater approximation of kingdom within history. They understand that the Kingdom of God is nothing less than â€Å"humanity organized† accord not the will of the God. Therefore a according to the Kingdom of God model the hive task of Christians and churches is to labor for the Christianization of the social order. It regards individualistic salvation as totality inadequate for dealing with the problem of evil, which has become institutionalized in the structure of the society. Sin is seen not merely as the corruption of the individual will but of the institution. Iii) Liberation Model Liberation model which has come to existence in recent years, especially in third world has its root historically in the struggle of oppressed people to be freed from dependence and exploitation. It has the scatological hope for freedom and liberation. It takes the biblical image of the Christ as the liberator and conceives liberation as both spiritual in terms of after life and takes the historical and the temporal as the arena where Christians must struggle for liberation. It is for a radical break within unjust social order and realizations of salvation as qualitative and not merely a quantitative dimension of life. This model provides a strong motive and power to the struggle of the oppressed. 3. Qualitative Utilitarianism Though Beneath formulated the universalistic pleasure theory, later universalistic and utilitarianism found this theory failing to meet certain difficulties. One of the foremost proponents of the qualitative latter utilitarianism was John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873), whose father was a friend and follower of J Beneath. John Stuart Mill almost agreed with Beneath concerning the central formula of Utilitarianism. But the major difference is that Beneath took quantitative approach to happiness whereas Mill argues that the quality of the happiness should be our primary concern. According to John S Mill the quality of happiness should be the major concern in our ethics of discourses. Social points how John S Mill explains his theory; 04. 07. 12 I) Empiricism It talks about experience from field research. Mill is from classical theory. He talks about experience as source of all ideas. When he talks about empiricism, he talks about inductive approach. Inductive means particular to general and deductive is general to particular. A study begins with particular to general. It needs a field study. He says experience should lead to general uniformity about the right action. ‘I) On Mill would talk about the freedom of an individual. Complete liberty should be given to individual provided that their action should not cause any harm to anyone. He also tastes that there is a relationship between ethics, individual freedom and democracy. In other words Mill says that we are cultural moral beings only when we act for the benefit of the whole humanity. For that kind of act compulsion should not be there and should be out from free will. C. Contextual Ethics l. Contextual ethics of Paul Lehman Contextual ethicists say that they are not comfortable with the approach of deontological and teleological approach. They say we need to look at the circumstances of moral action. Contextual ethicists say that deontological ethics will not be appropriate in different contexts. Contextual ethics talks about moral judgment of an action should be fitting to the context. The place of context or circumstances of moral action is important in relation to moral Principles and rules. Roman Catholics use the word moral theology whereas contextual theology is applicable and popular among Protestants. Contextual ethicists emphasize the moral context as most critical element in the determination. In other words it stresses the importance of concrete setting of human behavior. There are many contextual ethics from western context and Indian context. Contextual ethicists look at the circumstances of the moral action. For e. G. , observing Sabbath strictly. Contextual ethics is very popular among the Christian tradition. Article: â€Å"contextual ethics† found in the Dictionary of the Christian ethics deeds. Manchuria. Among contextual ethics Paul Lehman is one of the contemporary theologian and philosopher. He is one of the most important proponents of contextual ethics. In Paul Lineman’s contextual ethics the focus is shifted from larger goals to actual context. When we look at Paul Lineman’s ethics in Christian context, he provides an articulation of his change in focus and actually applying the contemporary context. He is actually speaking the anthropometry focus where all norms are challenged. Traditions are losing its ground in the midst of that we see the emergence of different possibilities for human life. 9. 07. 12 Kayoing Ethics At this point he talks about contextual ethics which is known as kayoing ethics and also known as community ethics. In the kayoing ethics, he insists upon the importance of context in which Ethical insights and practices are nourished or how moral developments take place. Secondly, Canonic ethics is concerned with relations and functions i n the society and Thirdly for Lehman, Okinawa ethics is oaken as a starting point for ethical reflection. In other words contextual critique is contextual ethics of absolution. An action should be speaking to the context According to the Paul Lehman kayoing ethics is introduced by Jesus Christ himself. In the Okinawa ethics, Christian ethics is starting point of all ethics. Contextual ethics is critique of all ethics. Kayoing ethics is concerned with relation and functions in community not only on Christian principles. The ethical question in the kayoing ethics is not what ought I do but â€Å"what am I to do†? Ought to factor to cannot be ethical realty. The primarily ethical realty is the human factor, the human indicative in every situation involving the interrelationship and the decisions of man. The humans are the indicators of what is happening. In the kayoing ethics Paul Lehman clearly sees God’s activity in the world and he says that God is acting in the world to keep human life and that through the participation in the kayoing. Human life can be called human when they participate in the community. Community with only human life can be called humbugging. His kayoing ethics is a humbugging ethics which enables people to grow in the Christian maturity and be agents of the immunization in the world. Therefore its aim is consistency between these factors within specific context rather than uniformity of acts in all contexts. In summary it is sensitivity to human ethics. Summary So far we have seen three model of ethics; Deontological ethics, Teleological ethics, Contextual ethics. Contextual ethics is divided into three; Contextual Situation Responsibility- Relationally Ethics Paul Lehman Joseph Fletcher Richard Nibbler II. Situation ethics It became popular in 1960 through the effort of Joseph Fletcher. Through his book situation ethics, he developed this approach at the background of Paul Lineman’s antenatal ethics with some dissatisfaction. He says Lehman looks at contextual ethics in liberal term and looks at particular situation not general context. According to Joseph Fletcher an action should be fitting to the situation or circumstances. The situations rejects the idea that there are timeless rules which are never to be violated and the idea that there is a group which is objectively given in the nature of things. In other words the situations takes seriously the concrete character of moral life and holds that human conduct is to be evaluated in relation to specific situation rather than universally binding laws. The situations recognizes the love commandment as the only absolute moral principle and examines each situation carefully to determine what love requires then and there. 0. 7. 12 Situation etches of Joseph Fletcher In this approach he is not doing with all the demonology ethics. The principle, Joseph Fletcher talks about is Love, the obedient love. He says that there is only one universal principle that is love which enables us to take right decisions. He says that agape love is the summary commandment, to love God an d the neighbor. To him situation ethics is not a system or a program of living according to principle, but it is n effort to relate love to a world of relativities through obedient love. According to him the only one law or principle that is binding is Love. The principle which is always good and right is Love. He says situation ethics is not a system or a program of living according to principle. His effort was to relate love to a world of relativities through obedient love. Ethics of obedience of commandment is love. His six propositions of theory of situation ethics agape love or obedient love 1. Love one thing only is always good: The first preposition â€Å"only one thing is principally good, namely love nothing else at all†. By this statement he means that Love is a principle a formal principle expressing what type of real actions. Christians alone is always good and right in every situation. It is the only universal principle, because whatever is loves in any particular situation is good. Joseph Fletcher quotes Richard Nibbler â€Å"God nowhere commands love for its own sake because love is for the sake of people and it is not good in itself†. 2. Love is the only norm or love is the only principle: â€Å"The ruling norm of Christian decisions is â€Å"love† nothing else†. He explains that situation ethics reduces the law from a legal system of rules to the love anon alone. He gives the example of Jesus and Paul replaces the principle of Torah with the living principle of agape 3. Love and Justice are the same for Justice. For justice Love is distributed nothing else. In other words Fletcher says that Love does not only care but is careful. He also says that it is diligent in serving the neighbor. He also says that prudence and love are not Just partners but they are one and same. Love is to seek neighbor’s welfare and Justice is being fair as between neighbors. From here we understand that Justice is Christian love using reasons by calculating TTS duties, obligations, opportunities, resources and Justice is also love coping with situations. 4. Love is not liking. â€Å"Love wills the neighbor’s good whether we like him or not†. According to Fletcher Love is discerning and critical but not sentimental. In other words in the situation ethics the neighbor is anybody. It is an ethics in which justice is impartial an inclusive. Justice and love is one and the same thing. Justice is as personal as love and love is as social as Justice. Therefore agape seeks the good of anybody and everybody because it seeks the will of neighbor’s good whether we like IM or not. 5 Love Justifies means: Only the end Justifies the means nothing else. According to Joseph Fletcher unless some purpose or end in view to Justify any action, we take it is literally meaningless. Every action without exception is haphazard (Incomplete), if it is without an end to serve and ends in turn needs means. 11. 7. 12 6 Love decides then and there: This proposition, love decisions are made situational not prescriptively. According to Fletcher for real decision making freedom is required which is an open ended approach to situation. Close ended approach did not have NY option. Therefore situation ethicists always suspect prescriptive laws. They say that according to the love, decisions are made situational not prescriptively. In other words the decision making is always depends on the case is question. Situation ethics are critical about principles of deontological ethics especially about their laws. Ill. Relationally – Responsibility Ethics 13. 07. 12 Responsibility means what we ought to do. When given a responsibility we are accountable. How responsibility relationally model of ethics came in to being or how it came as a median? It involves two notions. They are; 1 . Accountability, Obligation and 2. How we are accountable to God. Hunter P Mamba coined it what Richard Nibbler have already said. According to Mamba, here comes a median that will bridge two extremes. One extreme talk about duties that talk about deontological model of ethics and other extreme is the end. Accountability looks back to some deed done and obligation looks forward to moral demands that need to be met in relationships. Responsibility therefore has to do with relationships, deeds and accountability is being answerable for ones’ action or How to cite Methodologies of christian social ethics, Papers

The Decriminalization of Marijuana in California an Example by

The Decriminalization of Marijuana in California With the gigantean revenue deficits that California has been experiencing these past years, almost every remedy that can be utilized is now being considered as an option. Solutions that as recent as ten years ago would seem absurd have started to find its way to mainstream audiences, media, and politics, and quite naturally, have started to cause a stir among the citizens of California. One of these solutions, with hopes of curbing the ever-growing revenue deficit that the State is facing, is through the legalization of Marijuana. Need essay sample on "The Decriminalization of Marijuana in California" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in referring to the legalization issue, had stated that, he would look at marijuana legislation as a potential means for tax revenue (Cochran, 2009, p. 1). Its legalization is estimated to be a huge source for additional revenues, as stated in a study by Jon Gettman, a senior fellow at George Mason Universitys School of Public Policy: the annual American marijuana trade is estimated to be $113 billion, and as a result of the federal expenses on drug enforcement and would-be taxes, the government losses an estimated $42 billion annually just by keeping marijuana illegal (Dyer, 2009, p. 1). Tom Ammiano, a Democrat Assemblyman from San Francisco, hopes to make California the first State in America to legalize marijuana, through tax and regulation, in the same approach as with alcohol. In an interview with L.A. Times in February of this year, he had expressed that, California always takes the leadon gay marriage, the sanctuary movement, medical marijuana (Bailey, 2009, p. 1). Known as the AB 390, this bill, if approved, would basically copy the existing regulatory organization applied in alcoholic beverages, setting the age cap to 21 years old. Present estimates have put Californias marijuana industry at $14 billion yearly, surpassing that of vegetables, with $5.7 billion, and grapes, with $2.6 billion. The passing of this bill would result in an additional yearly revenue of $1.3 billion for California (Bailey, 2009, p. 1). This movement seemed to have public support. In the May 19 editorial of the National Review Online, it was stated that 56 percent of California residents agreed on the imposition of a marijuana tax to minimize its budget deficit (The editors, 2009, p. 1). Simply stated, Californians seem to agree that the perennial problem brought about by the restrictions on marijuana would in fact be beneficial if it were to be legalized, with some legal limitations still observed. Still, simply legalizing marijuana use does not necessarily mean an easy raking of state revenues. An efficient system-design would be important in monitoring the by-laws and the tax collection itself, along with the danger of a rise in substance abuse, although researches have been conflicting on whether pot abuse opens the door to the eventual usage of other stronger substances (Segal, 2009, p. 1). Treating this bill without any downside would be outright naivet. Even if this bill were to generate the projected $1.3 billion additional revenue, Californias $42 billion deficit would still leave a huge gaping hole with no immediate plug-in solution; as was reported in the editorial of National Review Online, the belief that a marijuana tax is going to provide an easy fix to Californias budget problems is a vapor (The editors, 2009, p. 1). It is perhaps accurate to surmise that Californias present budgetary predicament may be blamed to its excessive spending and not due to insufficient taxation, and it would be fatalistic to assume that imposing a tax on marijuana, even a high one, would mend the damage brought about by the local federal government (The editors, 2009, p. 1). The people behind the liberalization of marijuana should not exploit the crisis in California, and instead should lay bare the important and relevant principles surrounding this issue. After all, in a general v iew, this concerns not only the political and financial aspects, but most importantly, socially-related issues, then present it on the proper forumthe authorities in Washington, D.C. References Bailey, E. (2009, February 24). Taxing pot could become a political toking point. L.A. Times.com. Cochran, S. (2009, May 7). C.A. Governor Schwarzenegger looks to illegal drugs for revenue. Associated Content News. Dyer, J. (2009). A budget cure: Marijuana taxes? MSN Money. Segal, J. (2009, February 11). The audacity of dope: Could legal marijuana save Californias economy? The Big Money.com. The Editors (2009, May 19). High taxes. National Review Online.

How to Overcome Writers Block

How to Overcome Writers Block How to Overcome Writers Block Writing can sometimes be a fickle mistress, and even the most gifted writers occasionally experience writers block. Here are some ways to combat it. And if you can’t overcome your challenge, call Master’s Essay for help with writer’s block: 1. Engage the brain artistically. Make a collage, paint, build something with Play-Doh: No matter what small artistic task you choose, continue to engage your creativity. Using your brain in a different way can get you back into the flow of writing much quicker. 2. Do some â€Å"free-writing.† Step away from writing on your subject and free-write, using your stream of consciousness. By writing about whatever comes to mind, you may train your brain to tap into the very wording that’s eluded you. Remember, when you free-writing you are not working on a project. Avoid punctuation, avoid thinking about the audience; just write. 3. Get your blood flowing. Distraction is key. If you can take a walk, go for a run, ride a bike, or hit the gym. Doing something physically active helps get creative juices flowing. Natural endorphins have wonderful influence on the brain. 4. Brainstorm/use bullet points. Brainstorm and feel free to pursue different approaches to your topic, no matter how silly they may seem at the time. By looking at something at more than one angle, it will help pull out of writers block funk. You will naturally come up with new ideas by looking at everything with a different perspective. For more great ideas on how to improve your writing and overcoming writer’s block, give Master’s Essay a call today at 1-800-573-0840.

When the Was Titanic Found

When the Was Titanic Found After the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, the great ship slumbered on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean for over 70 years before its wreckage was discovered. On September 1, 1985, a joint American-French expedition, headed by famous American oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard, found the Titanic over two miles below the ocean’s surface by using an unmanned submersible called Argo. This discovery gave new meaning to the Titanic’s sinking and gave birth to new dreams in ocean exploration. The Titanic’s Journey Built in Ireland from 1909 to 1912 on behalf of the British-owned White Star Line, the Titanic officially left the European port of Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11, 1912. Carrying over 2,200 passengers and crew, the great ship  began its maiden voyage across the Atlantic, headed for New York. The Titanic carried passengers from all walks of life. Tickets were sold to first-, second-, and third-class passengers- the latter group largely consisting of immigrants seeking a better life in the United States. Famous first-class passengers included J. Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line; business magnate Benjamin Guggenheim; and members of the Astor and Strauss families. The Sinking of the Titanic Only three days after setting sail, the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, somewhere in the North Atlantic. Although it took the ship over two and a half hours to sink, the vast majority of the crew and passengers perished due to a significant lack of lifeboats and improper use of those that did exist. The lifeboats could have held over 1,100 people, but only 705 passengers  were saved; nearly 1,500 perished the night the Titanic sank. People around the world were shocked when they heard that the â€Å"unsinkable† Titanic had sunk. They wanted to know the details of the disaster. Yet, however much the survivors could share, theories about how and why the Titanic sank would remain unsubstantiated until the wreckage of the great ship could be found. There was just one problem- no one was sure exactly where the Titanic had sunk. An Oceanographers Pursuit For as long as he could remember, Robert Ballard had wanted to find the wreckage of the Titanic. His  childhood in San Diego, California, near the water sparked his life-long fascination with the ocean, and he learned to scuba dive as soon as he was able. After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1965 with degrees in both chemistry and geology, Ballard signed up for the Army. Two years later, in 1967, Ballard transferred to the Navy, where he was assigned to the Deep Submergence Group at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Research Institution in Massachusetts, thus beginning his illustrious career with submersibles. By 1974, Ballard had received two doctoral degrees (marine geology and geophysics) from the University of Rhode Island and had spent a lot of time conducting deep-water dives in Alvin,  a manned submersible he helped design. During subsequent dives in 1977 and 1979 near the Galapagos Rift, Ballard helped discover hydrothermal vents, which led in turn to the discovery of  the amazing plants that grew around these vents. Scientific analysis of these plants led to the discovery of chemosynthesis, a process in which plants use chemical reactions rather than sunlight to get energy. However many shipwrecks Ballard explored and however much of the ocean floor he mapped, Ballard never forgot about the Titanic. â€Å"I always wanted to find the Titanic, Ballard has said.  That was a Mt. Everest in my world- one of those mountains that had never been climbed.†* Planning the Mission Ballard wasn’t the first to try to find the Titanic. Over the years, there had been several teams that  had set out to find the wreckage of the famous ship; three of them had been funded by millionaire oilman Jack Grimm. On his last expedition in 1982, Grimm had taken an underwater picture of what he believed to be a propeller from the Titanic; others believed it was only a rock. The hunt for the Titanic was to continue, this time with Ballard. But first, he needed funding. Given Ballards history with the U.S. Navy, he decided to ask them to fund his expedition. They agreed, but not because they had a vested interest in finding the long-lost ship. Instead, the Navy  wanted to use the technology Ballard would create to also help them find and investigate the wreckage of two nuclear submarines (the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion) that had been mysteriously lost in the 1960s. Ballard’s search for the Titanic provided a nice cover story for the Navy, who wanted to keep their search for their lost submarines a secret from the Soviet Union. Amazingly, Ballard maintained the secrecy of his mission even as he built the technology and used it to find and explore the remains of the USS Thresher  and the remains of the USS Scorpion. While Ballard was investigating these wreckages, he learned more about debris fields, which would prove crucial in finding the  Titanic. Once his secret mission was complete, Ballard was able to focus on searching for the Titanic. However, he  now had only two weeks in which to do it. Locating the Titanic It was late August 1985 when Ballard finally began his search. He  had invited a French research team, led by Jean-Louis Michel, to join this expedition. Aboard the Navy’s oceanographic survey ship, the Knorr, Ballard and his team headed to the likely location of the Titanic’s resting place- 1,000 miles due east of Boston, Massachusetts. While previous expeditions had used close sweeps of the ocean floor to search for the Titanic, Ballard  decided to conduct mile-wide sweeps in order to cover more area. He was able to do this for two reasons. First, after examining the wreckage of the two submarines, he discovered that ocean currents often swept lighter pieces of the wreck downstream, thus leaving a long debris trail. Secondly, Ballard had engineered a new unmanned submersible (Argo) that could explore wider areas, dive deeper, stay underwater for many weeks, and deliver crisp and clear pictures of what it found. This meant that Ballard and his team could stay on board the Knorr and monitor the images taken from Argo, with the hopes that those images would capture small, man-made pieces of debris. The Knorr arrived in the area on August 22, 1985, and began sweeps of the area using Argo. In the early morning hours of September 1, 1985, the first glimpse of the Titanic in 73 years appeared on Ballard’s screen. Exploring 12,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, the Argo relayed the image of one of the Titanic’s boilers embedded within the sandy surface of the ocean’s floor. The team on the Knorr was ecstatic about the discovery, although the realization that they were floating atop the graves of nearly 1,500 individuals lent a somber tone to their celebration. The expedition proved to be instrumental in shedding light on the Titanic’s sinking. Prior to the discovery of the wreckage, there was some belief that the Titanic had sunk in one piece. The 1985 images did not give researchers definitive information on the ship’s sinking; however, it did establish some basic foundations that countered early myths. Subsequent Expeditions Ballard returned to the Titanic in 1986 with new technology that allowed him to further explore the interior of the majestic ship. Images were collected that showed the remains of the beauty that so captivated those who had seen the Titanic at its height. The Grand Staircase, still-hanging chandeliers, and intricate  iron-work were all photographed during Ballard’s second successful expedition. Since 1985, there have been several dozen expeditions to the Titanic. Many of these expeditions have been controversial since salvagers brought up several thousand artifacts from the ship’s remains. Ballard has been widely outspoken against these efforts, claiming that he felt the ship deserved to rest in peace. During his two initial expeditions, he decided not to bring any discovered artifacts to the surface. He felt that others should honor the sanctity of the wreckage in a similar fashion. The most proliferate salvager of Titanic artifacts has been RMS Titanic Inc.  The company has brought many notable artifacts to the surface, including a large piece of the ship’s hull, passenger luggage, dinnerware, and even documents preserved in oxygen-starved compartments of steamer trunks. Due to negotiations between its predecessor company and the French government, the RMS Titanic group initially could not sell the artifacts, only put them on display and charge admission to recoup expenses and generate profit. The largest exhibition of these artifacts, over 5,500 pieces,  is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Luxor Hotel, under the direction of the RMS Titanic Groups new name, Premier Exhibitions Inc. Titanic Returns to the Silver Screen Although the Titanic has been featured in numerous films through the years, it was James Cameron’s 1997 film, Titanic, that stimulated massive, worldwide interest in the ship’s fate. The movie became one of the most popular films ever made. The 100th Anniversary The 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in 2012 also fueled renewed interest in the tragedy, 15 years after Cameron’s film. The wreckage site is now eligible to be named a protected area as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Ballard is also working to preserve what remains. An expedition in August 2012  revealed that increased human activity has caused the ship to break down at a faster rate than previously expected. Ballard came up with a plan to slow the process of degradation- painting the Titanic while it remains 12,000 feet below the ocean’s surface- but the plan was never implemented.   The discovery of the Titanic was a momentous accomplishment,  but not only is the world conflicted about how to care for this historical wreck, but its existing artifacts could also now be in jeopardy. Premier Exhibitions Inc. filed for bankruptcy in 2016, asking permission from the bankruptcy court to sell the  Titanics artifacts. As of this publication, the court has not made a ruling on the request.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 149

Assignment Example d that there exists several success along with critical issues pertaining to ERP implementation that acts as strong determinants for effective operation of the system. Correspondingly, those organizations willing to implement ERP system within its supply chain are required to combine skills, experience and know-how along with meeting the financial requirements. With respect to ERP system implementation in Nike, it was observed that the system failed to deliver the expected outcome (Nicolo, 2012; Wong et al., 2005) It was later observed that various factors contributed towards the failure and the degraded quality of the overall ERP system. Among the myriad factors responsible for low quality ERP system, one of the major aspects was particularly due to high rate of project team turnovers. Besides, it was also ascertained that consultant responsible for providing professional level advice to project team members relatively had low experience that resulted in ineffective communication of project goals during all phases of project management. In addition, poor quality training provided to personnel engaged in the project along with inadequate knowledge sharing amid the project team members, were also ascertained to have an adverse impact on the quality of effectiveness of new ERP system within Nike. Project managers involved in the project were not able to execute substantial control over the project management and to minimize the level of risks that arose during the course of ERP implementation. The insufficient financial resources provided by the top management within the organization also contributed towards the reduced quality of the ERP system. The project schedules were also extremely tight that forced to conduct the implementation activities in rush and eventually influencing the quality of the project outcome. The users within the organization also reveal certain degree of resistance and its impact was later visible in terms of poor quality of the ERP system

1.4 Individual Share Portfolio Review assessment brief Essay

1.4 Individual Share Portfolio Review assessment brief - Essay Example In this regard, there is regulation of any form of fraud. The form of payment mode that the targeted shareholders prefer determines the strategies to be adopted by the arbitrageur in the trading process. There are two types of payment methods in a share performance analysis. In a stock merger, there is receipt of bid stocks by the targeted shareholders. On the other hand, share portfolio review shows how a share trader buys and sells stock to the highest bidder at the offer price after the completion of the bid exercise (Fernholz, 2012, 34). This type of investment entails the buying of stock and consequent selling of the bid stock at a suitable offer price. After the trading is completed, the target stock is exchanged for the bidder stock in order to cover the short position. The stock analyst can benefit from the trading when the bid succeeds. Therefore, if the bid does not go through, then the investor remains at the break-even state. The disclosure of information used by the stock analyst in decision-making is crucial because it makes him more a versed with the bid in quest. The graph indicates the fluctuation in prices of the shares within the share portfolio over the period. Share portfolio review uses of only public information with regard to bids. Therefore, it is not a covert deal with concealed information. Guiso (2012, 47) asserts that the trading is not subject to rumor information but investors only respond when a sealed deal on a bid has been announced to the public domain. Stock analysts believe that profitable trading is not contingent on a bid occurrence. The period set for the bid to be consummated is the overriding factor in the business. Risk is a crucial aspect in risk arbitrage because the whole process of risk spread involves some element of uncertainty. The result of the bid is usually unknown to the public. This owes to the fact that it may result to a profit or loss. For instance,