Ultima Thule Ancient Planetestimal in the Outer Solar System

Early in the morning hours (eastern time) on January 1, 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft sped past the most distant explored object in the solar system. The tiny planetesimal it encountered is called 2014 MU69, nicknamed Ultima Thule. That term means beyond the known world and was chosen as a temporary name for the object during a public naming competition in 2018.   Fast Facts: Ultima Thule 2014 MU69 Ultima Thule is an ancient planetesimal orbiting in the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond Neptune. It is probably made largely of ice and its surface is reddish.Ultima Thule is more than 44 astronomical units from Earth (an AU is 150 million kilometers, the distance between Earth and the Sun).Two lobes, named Ultima and Thule, make up the body of this planetesimal. They attached early in solar system history in a gentle collision.The New Horizons mission has been traveling to the outer solar system since its launch on January 19, 2006. It will continue through the solar system,  through the Oort Cloud, and eventually to interstellar space. It has enough power to continue exploration through the 2020s. What Is Ultima Thule?   This tiny object orbits the Sun out in a region of space called the Kuiper Belt, well beyond the orbit of Neptune. Since Ultima Thule lies out in that region, its sometimes referred to as a trans-Neptunian object. As with many planetesimals there, Ultima Thule is a mainly icy object. Its orbit is 298 Earth-years long, and it gets only a tiny fraction of the sunlight that Earth receives. Planetary scientists have long been interested in little worldlets like this one because they date back to the formation of the solar system. Their distant orbits preserve them in very cold temperatures, and that also preserves scientific information about what conditions were like some 4.5 billion years ago, when the Sun and planets were forming.   This perspective view shows the path of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft (yellow) through the outer solar system and the Kuiper Belt. The orbits of the terrestrial and giant planets are shown in blue. The dots show the locations of representative asteroids, close to the Sun, and Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), which are mostly beyond the orbit of Neptune, the outermost giant planet. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker Exploring Ultima Thule Ultima Thule was the target of a hunt for another object to study by the New Horizons spacecraft after its successful flyby of Pluto in July 2015. It had been spotted in 2014 by the Hubble Space Telescope as part of a survey for distant objects beyond Pluto in the Kuiper Belt. The team decided to program the spacecrafts trajectory to Ultima Thule. To get an accurate idea of its size, New Horizons scientists programmed ground-based observations of this little world as it occulted (passed in front of) a more distant set of stars during its orbit. Those observations in 2017 and 2018 were successful and gave the New Horizons team a good idea of the size and shape of Ultima Thule. Armed with that information, they programmed the spacecrafts path and science instruments to observe this dark distant planetesimal during the January 1, 2019 flyby. The spacecraft flew past at a distance of 3,500 kilometers at a speed of just over 14 kilometers per second. Data and images began streaming back to Earth and will continue until late 2020. The scene in mission control at Johns Hopkins Applied physics lab when the first clear image of Ultima Thule arrived on January 1, 2019. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute For the flyby, the New Horizons team invited friends, family, and press. To celebrate the close flyby, which took place at 12:33 a.m. (EST) on January 1, 2019, the combined visitors and team held what one newspaper called the geekiest New Years party ever. One special part of the celebration was the performance of an anthem for New Horizons by Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist member of the New Horizons team and former lead guitarist for the rock group Queen. To date, Ultima Thule is the most distant known body ever explored by a spacecraft. Once the Ultima Thule flyby was done, and the data transmissions began, the spacecraft swung its attention to more distant worlds in the Kuiper Belt, possibly for future flybys. The Scoop on Ultima Thule Based on data and images taken at Ultima Thule, planetary scientists have found and explored the first contact binary object in the Kuiper Belt. Its 31 kilometers long and has two lobes joined to form a collar around one part of the object. The lobes are named Ultima and Thule respectively for the small and large components.  This ancient planetesimal is thought to be made largely of ice, with perhaps some rocky material mixed in. Its surface is very dark and may be covered with organic materials created as the icy surface was bombarded by ultraviolet radiation from the distant Sun. Ultima Thule lies  6,437,376,000 kilometers away from Earth and it took more than six hours to send a one-way message to or from the spacecraft.   The first color images of 2014 MU69 Ultima Thule. The reddish material is likely a coating created by ultraviolet light interactions with the ices.   NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute Whats Important About Ultima Thule? Due to its distance from the Sun and its steady orbit in the plane of the solar system, Ultima Thule is thought to be whats called a cold classical Kuiper Belt object. That means it has likely orbited in the same place throughout much of its history.  Its shape is interesting because the two lobes indicate that Ultima Thule is made of two objects that gently drifted together and remained stuck to each other for most of the objects history. Its spin indicates motion that was imparted to Ultima Thule during the collision and it hasnt spun down yet.   There appear to be craters on Ultima Thule, as well as other features on its red surface. It doesnt appear to have any satellites or a ring surrounding it and theres no discernible atmosphere. During the flyby, specialized instruments onboard New Horizons scanned its surface in various wavelengths of light to learn more about the chemical properties of the reddish surface. What those observations and others reveal will help planetary scientists understand more about conditions in the early solar system and out in the Kuiper Belt, which is already being called the third regime of the solar system. Sources New Horizons, pluto.jhuapl.edu/Ultima/Ultima-Thule.php.â€Å"New Horizons Successfully Explores Ultima Thule – Solar System Exploration: NASA Science.† NASA, NASA, 1 Jan. 2019, solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/807/new-horizons-successfully-explores-ultima-thule/.Official, Queen. YouTube, YouTube, 31 Dec. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?vj3Jm5POCAj8.Talbert, Tricia. â€Å"NASAs New Horizons Makes First Detection of Kuiper Belt.† NASA, NASA, 28 Aug. 2018, www.nasa.gov/feature/ultima-in-view-nasa-s-new-horizons-makes-first-detection-of-kuiper-belt-flyby-target.

Effects Of Technology On Society s Society - 1092 Words

Can you live a day without your phone, tablet, computer? Well you probably could, but it probably wouldn’t be enjoyable. Well, how about a day without bullying, depression, and impolite people? Now that is a day most would probably wish for. Society wants to have causes these wretched events, but doesn’t want to accept that what they want is the main cause of these issues; technology. The lack of interaction that has come along with technology is what is causing severe downfalls in today’s society. This lack of interaction is causing this fall due to its harm of social skills, its harm on people’s enjoyment of life, and its easy ignition of conflicts. Now, some people will argue that this lack of interaction actually has its benefits, which it does, but they are very small when in comparison to its harm on society. Some believe that small economic gains and gradual intellectual advantages that have come for this lack of interaction should top the horrendou s amount of social harm. They believe that with this lack it becomes an opportunity for more technological jobs to arise, more developments in science and math fields, and for the opportunities to arise for people to become more intellectually educated. However, these gains can be broken down with the sanction that society cannot function properly and make these gains with technology bringing people down emotionally and physically. Others may also argue that technology makes peoples’ life better overall; however, inShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Technology On Society s Society1246 Words   |  5 Pages Effects of Technology on Society Many years ago, historians believe the future would be an amazing technologically advanced place filled with robots and time traveling. But today no one seems to be shocked by all of the advancements (Negative Effects of Technology). The computers are controlling minds, and humans are acting more as robots than citizens. 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Contract Unjust Enrichment and Unconscionability †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Unconscionability and How it May Mean A Contract Cannot be Enforced. Answer: With the ever increasing number of consumers, there has been a need to find ways to redress according to the statutory provisions oflaw and also according to common law. This need arose due to the fact that a large number of consumers were disadvantaged as a result of unfair that this is adopted by the businesses (Paterson, Robertson and Duke, 2009). In the present research paper, the changes that have taken place in statutorylaw as well as the commonlaw on the basis of the outcome of the legal dispute that was decided by the court in commercial Bank of Australia Ltd. v Amadio (1983). Therefore in the present assignment, the impact of unconscionability on the contracts created between the parties will be evaluated. It needs to be mentioned in this context that Amadio can be described as the first case in which the court had relied upon unconscionable conduct and therefore this case is considered as the driving force behind the introduction of the amendment of unconscionability relate d with the law of contract in Australia (Grantham and Rickett, 2001). At the same time, there has been an increase in the consumer protection legislation that has been introduced with a view to provide justice to the consumers and enforcing the unconscionable conduct clause in case of contractual relations between the parties (Kremer, 2001). Generally the ownership of a particular business transaction lies with the trader and therefore, also the responsibility to make sure that the transaction between the parties is fair and reasonable. As a doctrine of contract law, unconscionable conduct has been designed in the beginning for the purpose of upholding equity and fair play (Paterson, Robertson and Duke, 2009). In this regard, the term unconscionable conduct is related with the behavior where relief can be provided to the other party by the court. The High Court had relied upon this doctrine in the case of Blomley v Ryan (1956). However, the applicability of this doctrine was further strengthened when the court relied upon this doctrine while deciding commercial Bank of Australia Ltd. v Amadio (1983). Before proceeding further, it will be helpful to briefly discuss the facts of Amadio case. In this case, an elderly couple, who had migrated from Italy, Mr. and Mrs. Amadio had stood as guarantors for the loan taken by the company owned by their son from Commercial Bank of Australia. In this case, the bank manager was in close contact with their son, Vincenzo Amadio. The bank manager had good understanding regarding business realities, and he was also aware of the fact that probably the son had misrepresented the facts in order to prepare his parents to stand as guarantors for the loan taken by him. Later on, the construction business of the company of Vincenzo Amadio failed and as a result, the bank tried to enforce the guarantee given by the elderly couple by mortgaging the building that was owned by them. The issue that had to be decided by the court in this case was if the Amadios were bound by the transaction and therefore the contract of guarantee can be enforced against them under the circumstances in which they have signed it. It needs to be noted in this regard that the migrant couple from Italy had very little understanding of English language. Before entering into the contract, the elderly couple was not given any professional and independent advice regarding the contract. At the same time, although the manager of the bank, Mr. Virgo had knowledge regarding the business situation of the company of their son, Vincenzo Amadio but he failed to advise the Amadios that we should seek independent advice before entering into the contract. When the mortgage was being executed by the elderly couple, the bank had some knowledge regarding the unstable financial condition of their son and at the same time, it was also aware of the fact that probably the Amadios were not aware of this fact. Moreover, in this case it was assumed by the Amadios that their liability will be restricted to $50,000 while the bank failed to inform the elderly couple that no limit was present on their liability as the guarantors for their son. Therefore, while deciding the case, Manson J, had stated that the manager of the bank was aware of the special disability of the elderly couple and still he failed to take any steps in order to ensure that they fully comprehended the nature of transaction they were going to enter. As a result, it can be said in this case that the bank had taken an advantage of the opportunity that was present before it and this in itself can be described as unconscientious. The court stated that this is the underlying bases o n which the clause of unconscionability relies upon. As a result of the decision given by the court in this case, a new concept has been added to the common law and the contract law. At the same time, these changes were also introduced in the statutory law of Australia. There are two ways to distinguish the term unconscionability. First is the procedural unconscionability, which is related with the disadvantage that has been suffered by a weaker party during the negotiations. In such a case, an advantage is taken by the stronger party of the fact that the consumer is either lacking sufficient knowledge or understanding regarding the contract or the consumer is not in a position to make an independent decision regarding the transaction (Concrete Constructions (NSW) Pty Ltd v Nelson, 1990). In such a case, the trader fails to point out to the consumer that there are avenues for getting help to clearly understand the terms of the contract. Therefore in such a case, it can be said that the trader has taken an advantage of the lack of under standing on the part of the consumer for his own benefit (Louth v Diprose, 1992). On the other hand, substantive unconscionability is related with the unfairness of the terms of the contract or its outcome. At the same time, it may also indicate that undue influence or coercion was present in case of a particular contract. In such a case, the consumer is unable to make an independent decision due to the recent that undue influence is present on the consumer. Generally it has been seen that the court will not go into the question. If a party has achieved a good bargain are bad bargain, but it will see if such a party had a chance to properly decide what was in their best interests while entering into the contract. Due to reason that generally in case of unconscionability, there is an imbalance in the bargaining power of the parties, individuals and small companies can easily make an allegation of unconscionability against the large corporations. In this way, the doctrine of unconscionability has been introduced with a view to make sure that the stronger party should be aware of the disadvantage suffered by the other party. The decision given in Amadio case suggests that in case the stronger party is successful in establishing and the court that a fair, just and reasonable contract has been created between the parties, the court may not impugn the transaction. A number of developments have also taken place in this territory law of the decision given by the Court in Commercial Bank of Australia v Amadio (1983). These includes the changes made in the earlier Trade Practices Act, 1974, the Corporations Act, 2001 and the ASIC, 2001 and also the different codes of conduct that were applicable in the industry. For example, reforms were introduced in case of the financial services sector on first July, 1990. As a part of these changes, the prime responsibility has been given to the ASIC to deal with the issues concerning consumer and small business protection in the financial sector. The respective application of the above mentioned the types of unconscionable conduct provisions to the contracts related financial services is decided by considering the particular exclusion clauses and the definitions provided by the ASIC Act in section 12 CA, CB and CC. Even if the financial services and products have been defined clearly by the ASIC, 2001, the pr ovisions related with the unconscionable conduct under this legislation reflect the provisions that were present in the Trade Practices Act, 1974, and as a result, equivalent compliance obligations are present for the businesses when they are dealing in financial services. In this regard, certain remedies are available to the consumers provided by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The law provides the ACCC to take administrative or court action against any individual or business if it suspects that it is involved in unconscionable conduct that is in breach of the law the action that will be taken by the Commission. In such a case will depend on the priorities of the ACCC and on the nature of the conduct. There are several forms in which administrative action can be taken by the Commission. For instance, a request can be made by the ACCC that someone should stop particular conduct or to change particular trading practices. In case of some serious examples, the Commission may accept an enforceable undertaking from the individual or the company concerned and make these public. Written undertakings can be enforced by the courts on the basis of an application made by the Commission. On the other hand, if a particular matter cannot be resol ved by taking administrative steps, which is available to the Commission to take court action. The law allows the ACCC to seek injunctions or other orders from the court against the business. Similarly, the commission can take a decision on behalf of the consumers and represents the consumers. If they are going to lose something in a particular transaction due to the unconscionable conduct of the other party that is in contravention of the law. The Financial and Consumer Rights Council, Victoria is the apex body for financial counselors in Victoria. The Council provides resources and support to the financial counselors and promotes the needs of the consumers who are facing financial problems (Beatson and Virgo, (2002). The Council also provides support, information and advocacy to the consumers in Victoria who are facing financial difficulties in Victoria. The FCRC works, along with the community sectors and its services are confidential, independent and free for the consumers. The main purpose behind providing these services is to advocate for the vulnerable consumers in Victoria, who are facing financial difficulties and for this purpose the Council supports the financial counselors and also helps through stakeholder relationships for creating a systemic change. In the same way, the financial counseling sector is supported by the Council through advocacy, case work and law reform and by adopting and maintaining best pract ices. In this regard, consumer advocacy can be described as providing a voice to the consumers. This view has been supported by a review of the history of consumer advocacy in Australia, the literature in which the term advocacy was considered and by examining the mission statement of different organizations that describe themselves as the advocates of the consumers. It is important that the consumer advocates should act as a voice for this purpose, keeping in view the, long-term interests of all the consumers. The various consumer organizations have to be effective despite the presence of significant constraints of resources and therefore generally they work smarter and harder as compared to the voices that they are opposing and stretch their resources beyond the seemingly natural constraints. Of course this is different from claiming that consumer advocacy has proved to be effective for the consumers. The present arrangements for consumer advocacy in Victoria are less effective than requ ired. It is widely believed that the voices of the consumer are not heard (or heard sufficiently) in Victoria as is the case with other parts of Australia and other countries. References Beatson J and Virgo, G J (2002) Contract, Unjust Enrichment and Unconscionability, 118 Law Quarterly Review 352 Carlin, T.M., (2002) The Rise (And Fall?) of Implied Duties of Good Faith in Contractual Performance in Australia, UNSWLawJl 4 Grantham R and Rickett, C (2001) On the Subsidiarity of Unjust Enrichment, 117 Law Quarterly Review 273 Kremer, B (2001) The Action for Money Had and Received, 17 Journal of Contract Law 93. Paterson, Robertson Duke, (2009) Contract: Cases and Materials, Lawbook Co, 11th ed. Paterson, Robertson Duke, (2009) Principles of Contract Law, Lawbook Co, 3rd ed. Case Law Blomley v Ryan (1956) 99 CLR 362 Commercial Bank of Australia v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447, 461 Concrete Constructions (NSW) Pty Ltd v Nelson (1990) 169 CLR 594 Kakavas v Crown Melbourne Ltd [2013] HCA 25 Louth v Diprose (1992) 175 CLR 621

Project Implict Essay Example

Project Implict Essay COWLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Project Implicit Hidden Biases 11/15/2013 Unbiased: not having or showing an unfair tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc. , are better than others : not biased 1: free from bias; especially : free from all prejudice and favoritism : eminently fair 2: having an expected value equal toa population parameter being estimated (Webster) Hidden Bias Tests measure unconscious, or automatic, biases. Willingness to examine your own possible biases is an important step in understanding the roots of stereotypes and prejudice in our society. Hidden Bias Tests measure unconscious, or automatic, biases. Your willingness to examine your own possible biases is an important step in understanding the roots of stereotypes and prejudice in our society. (Project Implict) Learning about your hidden biases help you discover what things you may not be comfortable with. Hidden biases and prejudices can open up surprisingly influential underpinnings to all the decisions we can make in the future. Its important to discover and uncover your hidden biases so they can be overcome. I feel there are important steps to take to overcome biases so you can become a better eader in general. Leaders are aware that the unknown haunts every decision. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Implict specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Project Implict specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Project Implict specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Leaders are not paralyzed by the unknown. They are energized by decision-making opportunities, and, at the same time, they are humbled to be decision makers to be difference makers. Gerome) After reading this statement I really think these great leaders took the initiative to discover all hidden biases and have overcome them with strength. To be a good leader, it is imperative that you overcome the biases that haunt your past so you can make good decisions for the future. A good way to nitially uncover some unconscious and hidden biases is to take Project implicit Hidden Bias Test. Its a series of fourteen tests that determine if there may be some hidden biases. After completing these fourteen tests myself I was completely stunned, I dont Know IT 1 1 eve rytnlng I was seeing, out It was aennltely an eye opener. People of similar thinking often pool together, like raindrops that make a puddle. I feel like some of the people close to me have some of these ways of thinking, and it was almost instilled in the way I think, even if I covered it up and truly didnt think I felt this way. Bias and prejudice often have been something someone has told you, or that you heard. Theyre not always an original thought but one you have picked up. It may have been adopted recently, or a long time ago, and the older it is, the trickier it may be to overcome its influence. Scientific research has demonstrated that biases thought to be absent or extinguished remain as mental residue in most of us. (Edited by George AP) Every day we make decisions, leaders or not leaders. Some are small, domestic, and innocuous. Others are more important, affecting peoples lives, livelihoods, and well-being. How we make these decisions can depend on our bias. Decisions can be made quick, and unconscious , thats where the problem can come in. When you have hidden biases that havent been discovered furthermore, hasnt been overcome these inappropriate decisions as a leader can cause a lot of problems down the road. Biases such as gender perceptions can cause a lot of hardships in the workplace. If one gender is favored over the other, the one being favored isnt going to be as motivated to be a team player or comply to expectations and can hurt the company a lot. After completing the Gender Career IAT (Implicit Association Test) my data suggested a light association with career and female with family compared to female with career and male with family. I dont know if I was truly surprised with the results. I personally do work as a female and have had leadership roles in the workplace. Growing up, my dad worked 5-7 days a week; while my mom worked as a professor, but only worked minimal hours a week and took care of us. I do work but spend a lot of my time at home taking care of the kids and house duties. Some people are much more inclined to be assertive and lead than others and that is not gender specific. To be a good leader, you have to be a good team player, and nor is that gender specific. Qualified, hardworking Americans are denied Job opportunities, fired or otherwise discriminated against Just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or their gender in general. The Employment Nondiscrimination Act is legislation proposed in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on what sexual orientation or gender of the employees. The act provides basic protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender dentity. Ann-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. Ann-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, but defined society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race. After taking the African American European American IAT my data suggested a slight automatic preference for European Americans to African Americans. This did and didnt surprise me. I was raised in a predominantly white society. My school idnt have very many multicultural peers, nor did my neighborhood. Now that Im older some of my best friends are African American. The election of our first African American president has sparked debate over how far we have come as a nation on Issues 0T race. t I Is one against tne law to nlre Oue to race, gender, or many otner spectacles. After stepping back and really analyzing my results, and previous Jobs, I dont think that I showed any preference for one race to another. I hired accordingly, and the opportunity for any race was equal. To be a good leader, you must be equal to all people. People are much more willing to give of themselves when they feel that their selves are being fully recognized and embraced stated the CEO of Apple. Embracing peoples individuality is a basic human dignity and civil right. It also turns out to be great for the creativity that helps many businesses. When people feel valued for who they are, they have the comfort and confidence to do the best work of their lives. To be a good leader, and run a company your employees have to be motivated to make it to the top. I understand people are different and have different ways of looking at situations and making decisions. I believe there are some aspects of leadership that everyone should take into consideration when leading a group of people. Leaders should never show favoritism. Being a leader means giving praise to everyone. Motivation is the key to the success of an organization. If a leader gives special privileges to some people and not to others, then the leader loses the respect of some people who could play a vital role in an organization. After taking all of the ATs I realize how I do have hidden biases, that I never realized existed, and have a lot to work on if I want to become a successful leader. Leaders should try to remain unbiased to make good decisions for the organization as a whole. Unbiased leadership is the most respected. People look up to those who lead because they want what is best for the organization, not their own personal life. Being in a leadership position sometimes means making unpopular decisions to better the organization. Leaders who make decisions based on their personal opinions or to benefit themselves are not truly leaders. Biased leaders need to grow up and take responsibility for their organizations because the decisions they make affect more eople than Just themselves. A good leader has many defining characteristics. Qualities of an effective leader include active listening, decisiveness, and the ability to inspire others to own a shared vision of the future. To be inclusive means to include and respect all views, not Just those that feed one particular standpoint. It is challenging to be unbiased, and we all have lenses through which our worldviews are filtered. However, an extraordinary leader cannot afford to be biased. Works Cited Edited by George AP, C. S. (n. d. ). how to overcome unconcious and hidden bias. Retrieved Novemeber 16, 2013, from wikihow: http://www. wikihow. com/overcome- Unconscious-and-Hidden-Biases Jerome, D. (n. d. ). Dr. Jerome Stewarts Blog . Retrieved 2013 16, November , from Leadership and hindsight bias: http:// drJstewart. wordpress. com/2013/10/20/1eadership-and-hindsight-bias/ Project Implict. (n. d. ). Retrieved November 15, 2013, from Teaching Tolerance: http:// www. tolerance. org/supplement/test-yourself-hidden-bias Webster, M. (n. d. ). unbiased. Retrieved November 16, 2013, from Merrian Webster: http://www. merriam- webster. com/dictionary/unbiased

Failure and Success Essay Example

Failure and Success Essay â€Å"If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again† Failure is often a better teacher in life than success. Because we go through so many things in life, both good and bad, we have to learn from our mistakes and hope we won’t have to go through them again. One may consider success as being a major influence on whom we are to date, but in all reality it’s our own failures that help us learn, encourages us to keep going, and prepares us for future failures that are bound to happen. Failure is by far the only way we can truly learn, and by doing this you realize the mistakes that you’ve made. You learn how you should have done things in order not to make the mistakes that you did. The next time you try to succeed at the same task you can easily apply what you learned from your previous mistakes. I personally believe that the more we fail in life, the greater the chances we have in learning from them and therefore becoming successful. Everyone has failures in life obviously, but it’s the way we overcome them that reflect on our true selves. Success will for sure keep us motivated and encourage us to continue doing good, but if we never had our downs as well as ups then we wouldn’t have the knowledge and experience that others have. We will write a custom essay sample on Failure and Success specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Failure and Success specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Failure and Success specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I think that the only way to learn is to fail because if you get things done right the first time I’d consider you lucky since that rarely occurs. Sometimes even though you may succeed at something it might not necessarily be your best work. Perhaps having failed, the next attempt shall bring better results. Although our failures may have a negative feeling on us at first, it’s those mistakes that teach us important life lessons. We learn what doesn’t work which actually gets us closer to being successful in life. Lastly, our mistakes are what prepare us for our future failures that are bound to happen. By having gone through these experiences, we are able to better prep for these incidences that we will encounter many more times in our lifetimes. By definition success would only be proving that we can do something right the first time, but we wouldn’t be getting the whole feel to it. Overall, I believe that everything happens for a reason even if it is failure. We shouldn’t view failure as being a bad thing, but rather look at it as an attempt in which we will need to work harder at. There’s always something to learn and we should therefore see failure as just that, an opportunity to grow and improve ourselves.

Major General John Stark in the American Revolution

Major General John Stark in the American Revolution The son of Scottish immigrant Archibald Stark, John Stark was born at Nutfield (Londonderry), New Hampshire on August 28, 1728. The second of four sons, he moved with his family to Derryfield (Manchester) at age eight. Educated locally, Stark learned frontier skills such as lumbering, farming, trapping, and hunting from his father. He first came to prominence in April 1752 when he, his brother William, David Stinson, and Amos Eastman embarked on a hunting trip along the Baker River. Abenaki Captive During the course of the trip, the party was attacked by a group of Abenaki warriors. While Stinson was killed, Stark fought the Native Americans allowing William to escape. When the dust settled, Stark and Eastman were taken prisoner and forced to return with the Abenaki. While there, Stark was made to run a gauntlet of warriors armed with sticks. In the course of this trial, he grabbed a stick from an Abenaki warrior and commenced attacking him. This spirited action impressed the chief and after demonstrating his wilderness skills, Stark was adopted into the tribe.   Remaining with the Abenaki for part of the year, Stark studied their customs and ways. Eastman and Stark were later ransomed by a party sent from Fort No. 4 in Charlestown, NH. The cost of their release was $103 Spanish dollars for Stark and $60 for Eastman. After returning home, Stark planned a trip to explore the headwaters of the Androscoggin River the following year in an attempt to raise money to offset the cost of his release. Successfully completing this endeavor, he was selected by the General Court of New Hampshire to lead an expedition to explore the frontier. This moved forward in 1754 after word was received that the French were building a fort in northwest New Hampshire. Directed to protest this invasion, Stark and thirty men departed for the wilderness. Though they did find any French forces, they did explore the upper reaches of the Connecticut River. French Indian War With the beginning of the French Indian War in 1754, Stark began to contemplate military service. Two years later he joined Rogers Rangers as a lieutenant. An elite light infantry force, the Rangers performed scouting and special missions in support of British operations on the northern frontier. In January 1757, Stark played a key role at the Battle on Snowshoes near Fort Carillon. Having been ambushed, his men established a defensive line on a rise and provided cover while the rest of Rogers command retreated and joined their position. With the battle going against the rangers, Stark was sent south through heavy snow to bring reinforcements from Fort William Henry. The following year, the rangers took part in the opening stages of the Battle of Carillon. Briefly returning home in 1758 following his fathers death, Stark began courting Elizabeth Molly Page. The two were married on August 20, 1758 and ultimately had eleven children. The following year, Major General Jeffery Amherst ordered the rangers to mount a raid against the Abenaki settlement of St. Francis which had long been a base for raids against the frontier. As Stark had adopted family from his captivity in the village he excused himself from the attack. Leaving the unit in 1760, he returned to New Hampshire with the rank of captain. Peacetime Settling in Derryfield with Molly, Stark returned to peacetime pursuits. This saw him acquire a substantial estate in New Hampshire. His business efforts were soon hampered by a variety of new taxes, such as the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts, which quickly brought the colonies and London into conflict. With the passage of the Intolerable Acts in 1774 and occupation of Boston, the situation reached a critical level. The American Revolution Begins Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 and the start of the American Revolution, Stark returned to military service. Accepting the colonelcy of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment on April 23, he quickly mustered his men and marched south to join the Siege of Boston. Establishing his headquarters in Medford, MA, his men joined thousands of other militiamen from around New England in blockading the city. On the night of June 16, American troops, fearing a British thrust against Cambridge, moved onto the Charlestown Peninsula and fortified Breeds Hill. This force, led by Colonel William Prescott, came under attack the next morning during the Battle of Bunker Hill. With British forces, led by Major General William Howe, preparing to attack, Prescott called for reinforcements. Responding to this call, Stark and Colonel James Reed rushed to the scene with their regiments. Arriving, a thankful Prescott gave Stark the latitude to deploy his men as he saw fit. Assessing the terrain, Stark formed his men behind a rail fence to the north of Prescotts redoubt on top of the hill. From this position, they repulsed several British attacks and inflicted heavy losses on Howes men. As Prescotts position faltered as his men ran out of ammunition, Starks regiment provided cover as they withdrew from the peninsula. When General George Washington arrived a few weeks later, he was quickly impressed with Stark. Continental Army In early 1776, Stark and his regiment were accepted into the Continental Army as the 5th Continental Regiment. Following the fall of Boston that March, it moved south with Washingtons army to New York. After aiding in bolstering the citys defenses, Stark received orders to take his regiment north to reinforce the American army that was retreating from Canada. Remaining in northern New York for much of the year, he returned south in December and rejoined Washington along the Delaware. Reinforcing Washingtons battered army, Stark took part in the morale-boosting victories at Trenton and Princeton later that month and in early January 1777. At the former, his men, serving in Major General John Sullivans division, launched a bayonet charge at the Knyphausen regiment and broke their resistance. With the conclusion of the campaign, the army moved into winter quarters at Morristown, NJ and much of Starks regiment departed as their enlistments were expiring. Controversy To replace the departed men, Washington asked Stark to return to New Hampshire to recruit additional forces. Agreeing, he left for home and began enlisting fresh troops. During this time, Stark learned that a fellow New Hampshire colonel, Enoch Poor, had been promoted to brigadier general. Having been passed over for promotion in the past, he was incensed as he believed Poor was a weak commander and lacked a successful record on the battlefield. In the wake of Poors promotion, Stark immediately resigned from the Continental Army though he indicated that he would serve again if New Hampshire was threatened. That summer, he accepted a commission as a brigadier general in the New Hampshire militia, but stated that he would only take the position if he was not answerable to the Continental Army. As the year progressed, a new British threat appeared in the north as Major General John Burgoyne prepared to invade south from Canada via the Lake Champlain corridor. Bennington After assembling a force of around 1,500 men at Manchester, Stark received orders from Major General Benjamin Lincoln to move to Charlestown, NH before joining the main American army along the Hudson River. Refusing to obey the Continental officer, Stark instead began operating against the rear of Burgoynes invading British army. In August, Stark learned that a detachment of Hessians intended to raid Bennington, VT. Moving to intercept, he was reinforced by 350 men under Colonel Seth Warner. Attacking the enemy at the Battle of Bennington on August 16, Stark badly mauled the Hessians and inflicted over fifty percent casualties on the enemy. The victory at Bennington boosted American morale in the region and contributed to key triumph at Saratoga later that fall. Promotion At Last For his efforts at Bennington, Stark accepted reinstatement into the Continental Army with the rank of brigadier general on October 4, 1777. In this role, he served intermittently as commander of the Northern Department as well as with Washingtons army around New York. In June 1780, Stark took part in the Battle of Springfield which saw Major General Nathanael Greene hold off a large British attack in New Jersey. Later that year, he sat on Greenes board of inquiry which investigated the betrayal of Major General Benedict Arnold and convicted British spy Major John Andre. With the end of the war in 1783, Stark was called to Washingtons headquarters where he was personally thanked for his service and given a brevet promotion to major general. Returning to New Hampshire, Stark retired from public life and pursued farming and business interests. In 1809, he declined an invitation to attend a reunion of Bennington veterans due to ill health. Though unable to travel, he sent a toast to be read at the event which stated, Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils. The first part, Live Free or Die, was later adopted as the state motto of New Hampshire. Living to the age of 94, Stark died on May 8, 1822 and was buried in Manchester.

See the Message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

See the Message - Essay Example Arguably, this is an unethical way of governing a region, as it is important for the rulers to scrutinize the reasons for the theft cases. The punishment of a livestock thief should not be equivalent to that involving violence. The English society The growth of a particular society lies upon several characters within and outside the society. The English society involves people of diverse groups living in England. There are two principal groups of individuals in England namely, the wealthy and the poor also referred to as the peasants. It is vital to look into the political background to ensure there is a clear establishment of the concepts that affect the characters delighted to join the political rallies of the country. The peasants have their right to ownership violated by the rich. To ensure that the political environment is clear and favorable to different individuals, there should be a scrutiny of the political models in politics. This helps improve the power that particular ind ividuals have when carrying out political activities. The English society looks into amalgamating public lands into private ownership (Bodden 8). This is a source of increased theft, as the individuals previously occupying the land forcefully vacate to search for ways to feed their families. Therefore, for a decrease in theft cases, there should be a stoppage of the rich from occupying peasant lands. This is one of the ways to enable individuals have better ways of providing for their families. Problems of the English society The immorality of capital punishment for theft Capital punishment concerning theft refers to punishment subjecting a thief to death. This is against the stipulations of the law, despite provisions in the amendment of law, which encompasses all that which should proceed to an individual involved in theft case for the third time (More 60). In the English society, death in theft cases is vital to have a reduction in the number of individuals involved in theft crim es. Secondly, it is a way of imposing punishment to individuals prone to frequent stealing. It also instills fear to other individuals out there and who belonged to the gangster group. The English society uses capital punishment on theft cases with the thought that it helps impede further theft cases in the communities. It helps enhance security to individuals living in the societies, as the robbers may find it difficult to have a smooth time when carrying out their normal burglary operations. The punishment is also an effective way of hindering young people from growing to be thugs (More 11). This is because of the fear instilled in them regarding punishment on individuals convicted with theft cases. On the contrary, capital punishment is not vital for a government looking into the wellbeing of the individuals of the English society (Bodden 11). The English society evicts community lands for corporate use leaving some individuals with inadequate sources of wealth. This is the prima ry reason for individuals to adopt theft actions, since they lack ways of providing for their families. Therefore, it is the mandate of the government to ensure that it provides better working environments for individuals to earn their living and provide for their families. The government should however, make stipulations regarding readjusting the punishment imposed on individuals who steal to secure the necessities of their families. An oligarchy that controls

Why did the bank of England adopt a policy of inflation targeting in Essay

Why did the bank of England adopt a policy of inflation targeting in 1992 and how has the pursuit of inflation targeting been linked to attempts to make monetar - Essay Example Any government has the power to regulate the economy of the country and not only does it regulate the economy, it has a vital role to ensure that the economic condition remains stable. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all the aspects of economy maintain a stable level so that the country can grow and expand. Government regulates many things in an economy including inflation, exports and imports, prices of many vital commodities, and many important economic aspects. Government of England has entrusted the job of determining the monetary policy, in the hands of Bank of England. Bank of England looks into many other big issues. One of the most important issues is that of ensuring monetary stability in the economy, which can be achieved through a combination of stable prices of goods and services across the economy coupled with a low inflation level and level of confidence of the investors in the currency of the country. The Bank comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government’s economic objectives of growth and employment. Price stability is taken care of, by the Government’s usual inflation target of 2%. There is a need to contemplate the crucial and critical role played by price stability in achieving the aforesaid economic stability, and in providing just the right conditions for a sustain able and longer living growth in output and employment. Chancellor of the Exchequer announces the Government’s inflation target every year in the annual Budget statement. Though The 1998 Bank of England Act enables it to set interest rates independently, however, The Bank does hold accountability to the parliament and the wider public, which can not be refrained from. The legislation provides the government the power to instruct the bank on the interest rates issues for a limited period

Kant's Miscarriage of All Philosophical Trials in Theodicy Essay

Kant's Miscarriage of All Philosophical Trials in Theodicy - Essay Example This paper presents a critique of the Miscarriage of All Philosophical Trials in Theodicy. In his essay, Kant starts by stating that the occurrence of sin on earth disrupts three main attributes of an almighty God.   Kent questions all efforts to think against the question of evil in the essay. In this essay he looks at the holiness of God, secondly, he looks at God’s goodness as a ruler, and God as a judge. These are the major questions in this essay. In the essay, he argued that great intelligence could not be comprehended by an individual’s thought because he perceives it to be higher (Firestone and Palmquist, 2006). According to him, he was right because an individual cannot comprehend supersensible objects within the environment (Firestone and Palmquist, 2006).   From the essay, this cannot be said to be a justification. Therefore, individuals cannot justify God, and they need to understand that thought cannot give accurate responses to God’s justifications.In the essay, there is nothing as counter-purposiveness, which are individual laws that violet human rights. An individual cannot stand for the truth he or she says. However, an individual must always stand for the truth of God’s holiness. It’s this holiness that guides an individual’s consciousness.      In his essay, Kant claims that a human being is only good so long as he or she stays away from sins and deception, or any form of individual deception. He used this thought following individual consciences, because when one behaves without sin he, or she is a good individual. This is challenging because it does not answer the question of holiness. Kant only talks about an individual tendency to deception, and not an individual’s pure reason.  

Kenya culture

Kenya culture 1.0 Introduction Development is a multifaceted concept that is determined by different aspects including the resources and the intellectual capacity of using the resources to attain this goal. Governments that have attained this goal are democratic and provide for their citizens with ease. It is also worth noting that the process of development is long term and it calls for some degree of commitment and focus from all stakeholders. This paper analyses the development process of Kenya in light of different theories. Its major aim is to identify key areas that could require attention in order to steer the country to self sufficiency. This invaluable information will be obtained from different primary and secondary sources. Kenya is located in Eastern Africa between latitudes 4 North and 4 South and longitudes 34 East and 41 East. It is bordered to the east by Somalia and the Indian Ocean, to the west by Uganda, to the north by Ethiopia and Sudan and to the south by Tanzania. Its GDP has declined in the recent past to $10.4 and its per capita income stands at US$360 (GOK, 2009). Relatively, its social indicators have also declined just like its economy. Infant mortality stands at 78 per 1000 births and life expectancy declined to 46 years due to the effect of HIV/ Aids pandemic. There is persistence hunger with the children being the most affected. Statistics show that 19% of children under the age of five are under weight (GOK, 2009). The literacy level is presently at 85.1% and the country is characterized by high levels of inequality reflected through unequal distribution of resources. 2.0 Research Findings 2.1 Dependency versus Modernization theory The dependency theory is applicable to the Kenyan economy and it is manifested through the country’s economic state. Over the years, this country has been dependent on loans from the IMF and the World Bank to run its operations. According to the World Bank, today, Kenya has a debt of $ 6.34 billion which it is still servicing. It also highly depends on international economic aid from international countries in cases of natural disasters like famine, floods and diseases. Due to its dependency on the developed nations, the country is susceptible to economic sanctions from the countries it relies on. In addition, the country’s condition has also been contributed to by the increased movement of capital to the west. To this end, the country exports most of its cash produce to the industrialized countries and due to the poor economic state, it has also lost its expertise to other nations as they look for greener pastures. Hence this condition has led to under development in this country. However, if the country adopted the modernization theory with regard to development, it would actually attain the first world level, owing to the fact that it is endowed with a rich natural resource base. In addition, good governance and democracy could be very instrumental in helping the country to attain these heights. 2.2 Religion and Politics Though closely interlinked, religion in Kenya does not influence the entire working of the state. In this respect, religion acts as a check to politics, just like the role played by the media and civil society in the same. Religion in Kenya is used to highlight political aspects that are defective but not entirely change them. However, the state can control religious activities whenever they are deemed insecure or are a threat to state security. It is should also be indicated that that to some extent, the state manipulates religion for its benefit. For instance, politicians in Kenya use the church as a media to communicate their perceptions regarding any political issues in the country. Religion is also highly acknowledged in the country and can be very influential in initiating change and democracy. 2.3 Democracy and Dictatorship Since independence, Kenya was ruled by one party until 1992 when pressure mounted and the country adopted multiparty. The then leader, president Moi assumed leadership again until 2002 when the other parties formed a coalition which led to his defeat. In 2007, there was a dispute over the presidential results between the reigning NARC Kenya coalition party referred to as Part of National Unity (PNU) and the then opposition party ODM. According to the then electoral commission, the chairman was forced to announce President Kibaki as a leader which was contrary to the results in ODM’s party. This implies that the electoral commission lacked credibility and professionalism when executing its duties. In deed, this was way under the international standards and expectations. This led to clashes but later on, under the mediation of Koffi Annan, the two parties agreed to form a coalition government. The country is now headed by a coalition government that has a president and the prime minister. The absence of an official opposition party has led to increased corruption and other evils like impunity by the government officials. The role of putting the government in check has been left at the mercy of the civil society, religion and the media. Although these flaws in governance are always highlighted, little is done to correct them and the media, church and the civil society are virtually a toothless dog. As a result, democracy, besides its fundamental role in development has not been fully achieved in the country. 2.4 Ethnic cultural divisions The disputed 2007 election results made the country to adopt a coalition government for leadership. It is because the country went up in clashes and all tribes fought against the most dominant tribe that the president belongs. Hence the countries leadership was divided between two factions that were representatives of different tribes in the country. Currently, plans are underway to restore peace within all the ethnic classes. In the course of actualizing this reality, the Kenyan government formed a truth and reconciliation commission charged with the responsibility of restoring peace. In addition, most of the refugees that resulted from the post poll clashes have returned to their homes and are rebuilding their lives. Furthermore, the culture of impunity, which has been shunned internationally is being effectively addressed as the Kenyan government has been given an ultimatum to either form local tribunal or have the people who perpetrated the post poll clashes be taken to the Inter national Criminal court. Although this trend is democratically encouraging, studies indicate that if it is no handled carefully, it could result in to ethnic clashes again. The subject is very sensitive because apparently, the perpetrators of post poll clashes are senior government officials and political leaders. These people are very influential and can incite the local communities to fight again. However, if the process goes through peacefully, and the post poll perpetrators are apprehended accordingly, this will be a clear sign that the country is moving towards democracy. To this end, the culture of impunity is unlikely to recur in future. 2.5 Women and Politics Despite the fact that women in Kenya form almost 52% of the entire population, they are widely discriminated against by their male counterparts (GOK, 2009). Indeed, there is a very low representation of women in different sectors of the Kenyan economy including but not limited to education, employment, entrepreneurship and political decision making. Although the Kenyan constitution gives women an equal chance to participate in politics, they always face challenges during campaigns as the political environment in Kenya is majorly anti- women. These challenges range from economic constraints and discrimination to physical abuse where they are raped and beaten. Generally, the representation of women in politics has increased at a snail’s pace since independence. This has also been perpetuated by the cultural and traditional perception of the role of women in the society. Due to the affirmative action adopted recently, women have had a 30% representation in the government. This has led to a significant number of women being nominated as members of parliament. Generally, Handleman’s assumptions are reflected in the Kenyan politics as women, despite being able to provide effective leadership, have been deprived of this chance by the patriarchal society that characterizes his country. 2.6 Globalization Globalization in Kenya has presented both negative and positive implications to all the sectors of the economy. By opening up to the global markets, Kenya is in position to sell its excess produce to other countries. For instance, a significant amount of Kenya’s exports that come from Agriculture are sold to other countries. This has provided the country with foreign exchange and enhanced the living standards of the local farmers. Also, the free movement of information and equipment has seen Kenya adopt various technologies in production. This has in return improved their quality of goods and services to meet the international standards. In addition, increased foreign investment has enabled Kenyans to secure jobs and hence improve their standards of living. Furthermore, globalization has enabled the country to have a taste of the ‘foreign’ culture and generally get exposed to more westernized practices. However, globalization has also presented serious problems to this developing country. In particular, the increased economic production has led to governance problems because the country lacks the capacity to effectively implement and enforce viable policies. Further, the movement of capital to developed countries has deprived this country the chance to develop economically. In addition, the weak environmental policy framework in the country has provided ideal conditions for foreign investments to pollute the Kenyan environment and currently, its environment is degraded. Above all, Kenya has adopted globalization as a full package without identifying the aspects that are detrimental to the performance of its economy. As a result, even with the beneficial aspects of globalization, the country still faces economic decline. Being a highly fragmented country that is characterized by inequality and corruption, globalization just propagates this condition. To this effect, the political leaders are known to amass wealth through corrupt deals. This includes cash, national assets and land that is easily grabbed by the politicians. Hence the gap between the poor and the rich in the country continues to expand everyday. Instead of protecting its individuals, the government officials, through corruption have made the Kenyan people even poorer. Tribalism has permeated to the roots of the country and employment for instance, depends on ‘who knows who’ policy as opposed to the professional qualifications. Coupled with insecurity, this condition has not impressed the investors and they are pulling out of the country steadily. It should be acknowledged that if this trend is allowed to continue, Kenyans are bound to stay in poverty for so long. 2.7 Revolutionary change/Soldiers and politics With regard to the military, Kenya is a stable country whose president is the commander in chief of the same. Concerns however have been raised with regard to extra judicial killings that were carried out by the police during the post poll clashes. Seemingly, the officers were working under directives from their authorities. This is certainly a move that contravenes the provisions of democracy and therefore it should be shunned. Further, the police force in the country is experiencing a considerable degree of tension because of rivalry between the administration police and other disciplines. This should be taken in to consideration and timely interventions taken to avoid possibility of an outbreak of war between the factions. It is because such a condition can compromise the stability of the whole country. 2.8 Social and Health problems in Kenya This country is faced with a myriad of social problems that pose different challenges to the population even as it grapples with the failing economy. Most significantly, the rate of crime in this country has increased a lot with many incidences of armed robbery and car jacking being reported. In the recent past, the trend has changed slightly and now there are many cases of kidnapping. This can be attributed to the increased unemployment especially of the youth. There are also cases of drug abuse and trafficking. This practice is rampant in the coastal town where drugs are sold to tourists by the unemployed youth. The youths also abuse these and severe cases have been reported even in Central Kenya. The drugs are also trafficked to other countries and most recently, some Kenyan youths are facing a death sentence in China because of being caught trafficking drugs. Child and spouse abuse is yet another social ill that characterizes the country. This takes different forms ranging from child labor to child trafficking. Because of the increasing levels of poverty in the country, most children are dropping out of school in order to complement the parents’ efforts of looking for food. They resort to providing labor in large farms and working as house helps in urban areas. Unfortunately the government is doing so little to address this scenario. Children are also sexually abused by strangers as well as their parents. To this end, there have been many incidences of children being raped by their parents who are charged with the responsibility of protecting them. In extreme instances, these children are even infected with HIV and AIDs. Also, in some families, women have often complained of sexual abuse from their spouses. Unfortunately, the Kenyan constitution does not provide legislation for this. The country is also faced with very many health challenges emanating from diseases such as AIDs, Malaria and Tuberculosis. HIV and Aids has been a major threat to the Kenya’s health as infection rates continue to soar. Recent studies affirm that the disease prevalence in Kenya doubled from 5.1% in 1990 to 10.6% in 2003 (GOK, 2009). This has left most children as orphans further making them more susceptible to social ills. These children discontinue their education in order to take care of their siblings. This trend is attributable to the poverty conditions that characterize these people as well as lack of information about the disease and limited resources to manage it. Malaria is another disease that affects the Kenyan population significantly. Studies indicate that round 70% of the Kenyan population is at risk of this threat, implying that indeed, this is a national problem (GOK, 2009). Specifically, expectant mothers and children under the age of five are the most susceptible. This disease continues to claim Kenyan lives despite the effort of the government in addressing the same. The third most dangerous disease is tuberculosis. It is highly contagious and claims so many lives in Kenya. It is associated with HIV and AIDs and its treatment takes a long period of time and is very expensive. However, the government provides this treatment to its citizens free of charge and thus the increasing death levels are majorly caused ignorance and increased resistance levels. Other diseases that pose a threat to the country include outbreaks of cholera, Ebola and other communicable diseases. Usually, this occurs as a result of the government’s delays in addressing the outbreaks as well as lack of enough resources to effectively contain the diseases. 3.0 Conclusion Certainly, from the above discussions, it is notable that the development of a country solely depends on the country’s individual effort. Of course there are different external factors that determine the rate of development but the ultimate goal of attaining this condition is determined by the country. Specifically, rational and viable policies are important in achieving this desirable state. Again, despite the fact that external factors determine the rate of development, the country can hasten this process by adopting positive attitudes. Further, putting in place adequate indicators to measure this development can also have a positive impact on the rate of development as the authorities will occasionally make changes best suited to attain this state. Generally, Kenya is a country that is endowed with enough resources to cater for its needs and provides enough social amenities for its citizens. The major impediment to attaining this goal lies in the poor governance and over dependence on foreign aid. The country should critically analyze its governance and address these concerns accordingly. It should be acknowledged that governance to a great extent determines the type and rate of development of a given country. Indeed, the country’s governance dictates how various resources are sourced used to benefit the citizens. In addition, it determines how the country’s resources are distributed to different parts of the country to be used by citizens in line with priority areas. Apparently, there is need for a paradigm shift with regard to governance in Kenya. However, the ability to achieve this state lies in the Kenyan citizens who have the mandate to elect into power individuals that are development conscious. This can on ly be achieved through education and capacity building as the literacy levels is still very low. 4.0 Reference Government of Kenya, (2009): The Profile of the Republic of Kenya. Nairobi: Government Press.

Blackstone Group Essay

The Blackstone Group (Blackstone) is a private equity firm founded in 1985 by two former employees of Lehman Brothers. In May 2007 the firm had $88.4 billion under management and had grown 41% annually since 2001. The firm operated in several business groups but distinguished itself from other firms by extensive collaboration across divisions. It was divided into Corporate Private Equity, Real Estate Funds, Marketable Alternative Asset Management, Corporate Debt Funds, and Advisory Services. In 2007 Blackstone started to evaluate the option of taking the firm public. Reasons why the firm should do an IPO, outlined by the firm’s internal project group, included: †¢Permanent pool of inexpensive capital and a wider group of investors †¢Long-term orientation in compensation package to employees †¢Shares could be used as currency in transactions †¢The firm would become more reputable †¢Partners could monetize their ownership in the firm The firm also identified several drawbacks with going public, including: †¢Quarterly reporting requirements leading to higher costs and more insights in the firm from the market †¢Risk that the market is unable to tolerate the variation of earnings in the firm due to long-term focused investments †¢Changing the firm’s structure and compensation system from a partnership to a corporation includes several challenges In 2007 the firm announced that it will go public and I will in the following five sections elaborate on some of the challenges the firm has to overcome and other implications following the IPO. 1.What are the built-in tensions with a public private equity firm? How does Black Stone’s structure attempt to reconcile them? Openness vs. private governance A challenge for private equity firm when going public is that it looses the benefits associated with being private. In the case of Blackstone, the firm’s management mainly described the need for maintaining the current governance, where the partners manage the firm, in order to ensure the firm operates in the interest of its limited partners. To handle the tension between maintaining governance and comply with the rules for listed companies the firm chose to adopt a Master Limited Partnership (MLP). Fortress Investment Group, that went public during 2006, has used this structure and considering the share price of that firm, it seemed like the investors appreciated the structure. MLP is a limited liability company with units of the firm that can be traded on the stock market. The structure allows the firm to retain the limited partnership form of governance and hence, allow the management team to continue manage the firm. The unit holders (share holders) only have limited voting rights and cannot influence the management team in the firm. By choosing this structure the firm can maintain the decision power in the same way as when being a private company. There is however a risk that the firm should be aware of, the investors can use other form of pressure (media, etc.) to influence the managing partners. Short-term vs. Long-term perspective One of the advantages of being a private firm is that the firm only has to disclose limited information about its operations. Blackstone operates its investment on a long-term basis why the firm has a lot of variability in its earnings. As an example, a fund usually has a return that can be visualized in a â€Å"J-curve†, meaning that the fund is basically loosing money in the beginning due to management fees but catches up in the long run. The stock market is known to be short-term focused and may interpret the fluctuation as negative news and therefore causing a fluctuation in the stock price or an undervaluation. Blackstone is basically using two ways to approach the problem. First, they are aligning the compensation to its employees so it serves the interest of both the limited partners (long-term) and the stock market (short-term). This is further elaborated in the fourth question in this paper. Second,  they are informing the potential investors through a prospect that holding a Blackstone unit (share) is different from other shares in the market. Third, to further smooth out potential fluctuations in the share price the firm guarantees a dividend during the first years after listing. The fact that the stock market tends to be short-term focused further shows the importance of having the MLP structure. To maintain the long-term focus on investments the firm needs to separate the governance of the firm from the shareholders and the limited voting rights will ensure this. 2.If you were a limited partner in Blackstone, how would you view the structure Blackstone has put in place to go public? As a limited partner in Blackstone I would consider the structure as chosen to ensure my interests. Given the fact that the firm chose to go public for the opportunities that a listing brings, it seems to be the best way of doing it. I would be most worried about that the firm would try too much to stabilize the share price and fulfil the interest of the shareholders by focusing on short-term profits. Many of the limited partners in a private equity fund are pensions funds or similar and do not mind to lock their money over a longer time period and, by doing so, seek the long-term profit that the private equity firm can offer. I will highlight the two things that make me confident that my interests as a limited partner will be maintained with the structure that the firm is implementing. First, the structure allows the governing rights of the firm to remain with the partners and therefore the firm avoids that the short-term oriented market gets direct influence over decisions. Second, according to the firm, the suggested compensation package should align the interest of the managers in the firm with the limited partners, or at least maintain it similar to before. However, I am slightly sceptical to this since the only thing that seems to change for them is that a part of their compensation comes in shares. Depending on how the stock market will turn out to react to news from the firm it might be so that the managers realize that they can earn more money by being short-term  focused and that would not be aligned with my interests. In addition, there are a few things that I am worried about as a limited partner despite the measures the firm has taken. The fact that the firm is a public firm is probably more prestigious for the managers than being private. Therefore I am afraid that the focus will gradually turn towards the interest of the shareholders. The firm does not want to have an underperforming or fluctuating stock in the long run and, if this seems to be the case, I am afraid that the limited partners long-term interest may be down prioritized. Another thing that is also worrying is the risk of losing competent people due to the changed compensation package. 3.Would you rather be a unit-holder in Blackstone or a limited partner? Everything taken into account I would rather be a limited partner in Blackstone. If the structure turns out to work the way that Blackstone says it will, the limited partner will be better off. From its history the firm has the competence and procedures to operate in the interest of the limited partner, i.e. long-term focused. Being a shareholder does in general include some aspects that should be considered. The stock price may fluctuate due to information, lack of information, and speculation. Therefore the market may act inefficient and in worst case it can destroy the value of the stock. In the case of Blackstone, where the firm intends to leave less information to the market than a normal firm, the risk of under- or overvaluation of the stock is even higher. By being the limited partner you avoid the fluctuations in share price and if the firm manage to keep its focus and strategy, you can continue to expect a good return. The main problem, which is outlined above, is that there is a risk the managing partners will gradually become more short-term focused so it is good as a limited partner to follow the development of the firm closely. 4.As a potential employee, how would you evaluate the Blackstone compensation package against a commensurate offer from a similar large-scale PE firm that was not public? The suggested compensation package from Blackstone has several intentions behind it. Some of the concerns that are mentioned in the case: †¢The employees should not be worse of than before †¢Their interests should be aligned with both the limited partners and the shareholders †¢Partners and managers ownership should not be too monetized in order to retain competence in the firm The firm therefore decided on multi-phase approach where the compensation includes a combination the management fee, the carry interest, and a number of units (shares). If I would consider starting working for Blackstone after the IPO, i.e. I would not receive any of the shares that the firm initially planned to give to its employees; I would prefer an offer from a non-public firm. The reason is mainly that a part of the salary comes in shares. There are several drawbacks with this. First, a part of your salary will be exposed to fluctuations in the stock market and as outlined in the previous question, these fluctuations may not always be justified. Therefore, since part of the salary will be exposed to risk an employee should request a higher salary compared to if he/she would get it in cash. Second, even though I would, as a private person, want to hold a part of my capital in stocks, I would prefer something else than the firm that I am working for. By having the same shares I am exposed to the success of the firm not only with my salary (risk of losing my job), but also with my savings. I would as a private person prefer to have most of my savings at least in another firm and even better, in another industry. If I would considering becoming an employee before the IPO I might reconsider my decision above depending on how much extra shares I would get initially and see if that outweigh the risk I see with being paid in shares. 5.The question outlined in the case Even though it is not part of the assignment I would shortly like to comment  on the offer Blackstone receives from China where they express interest in buying $3 billion of the offering. As Schwarzman outlines in the case, it would give Blackstone a great advantage if the firm whish to expand its business to China. In today’s more global world this could be a strategic important move and even if the firm does not buy a Chinese firm, it can establish local knowledge and through that better handle deals involving U.S. firms with operations in China. However, by selling 75% of the initial IPO offering to China they may not satisfy the U.S. stock market. Schwarzman therefore considered increasing the offering to 20% of the firm. This would have implications on several levels. The firm would experience an even higher pressure to give out information and it is likely that the managing partners will be influenced by the more involved stock market. Also the suggested compensation package would likely change to a situation where a bigger share of managers’ salary is coming in units (stocks). The risk with this is that the limited partners’ interests will be seen as less important and the firm might become more short-term focused than it is today.

Personal Health Analysis

Personal health analysis Crystal Lawson HALT/302 12/20/13 2 1 need to do a number of things to be able to improve my overall health. I know to make sure to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and seek medical attention regularly. I need to make sure to monitor my intake because it is easy for me to gain weight due to my thyroid disease. I would be willing to Join a gym so that I will be able to get the proper exercise that is needed because that will increase my metabolism.Which will help me become healthier. I will focus on my faith so there will be spiritual guidance in place that will help me along the way to an effective recovery. I think that the effective plan of setting goals will help me find the motivation that are needed to live a healthy life. Once the goals are met I will be able to see a difference In loss of weight, more energy, and will feel better about myself. I will make sure to attend doctor appointments regularly and make sure to take all medications as prescribed y the doctor.So that I will be aware of educational Information that will help improve my health condition, eat healthy food and avoid eating fast food and fatty foods because that Is how our body get out of range, and exercise at least four to five times a week because that will help me burn all of the unneeded calories that can cause me harm. I am going to make more time for exercise because that will give me the motivation to achieve my goals.

World Religion Report Hinduism Essay Example

World Religion Report Hinduism Essay Example World Religion Report Hinduism Paper World Religion Report Hinduism Paper Hinduism; organized religion or compilation of smaller belief systems? Some would argue that Hinduism is a combination of both of those terms and much more. What encompasses the Hindu religion? Why do people of today, even in modern America still practice a faith that some may even consider paganism? In comparison to the dominant monotheistic religion of Christianity, where does the Hindu religion rank? Although Hinduism is not the world’s leading religion, there are still large numbers of followers today. Hinduism is ranked as the number four world religion with approximately 900 million followers (Adherents. om, 2007). According to the Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance (2006), â€Å"Hinduism is generally regarded as the worlds oldest organized religion†. Hinduism does not have a particular founder, no Hindu orthodoxy, dogma, or even a distinct system of morality. Hinduism is actually a set of beliefs and practices that have developed gradually over time. Hin duism the beginning The traditional theory as to the genesis of Hinduism traces the root of the religion to the Indus Valley. The development of Hinduism has been influenced by numerous invasions over the years. The greatest influence is said to have been the nomadic Aryan indo European tribes invaded North India approximately 1500BCE (Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, 2006). According to the Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance (2006), â€Å"These beliefs mingled with the more advanced, indigenous Indian native beliefs, often called the Indus valley culture†. Never the less numerous archeologist and religious historians now reject this theory, because the origin of the theory was based on the prior belief about the age of the earth and the biblical story of Noah’s Ark (Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, 2006). It is believed that the book of Genesis places the creation of earth at 4,000BCE and the Noah’s flood at 2,500 BCE, which contradicts the date of the Aryan invasion (Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, 2006). Despite the original and emerging theories as to the origin of the Hindu religion, Hinduism has developed into a religion of its own rites. Hinduism, monotheistic, polytheistic, or something else? Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma is a henotheistic religion; it can also be viewed as polytheistic and monotheistic. It all depends on one’s view and perspective about how the Hindus worship their god. Hinduism recognizes a single deity and views other deities as a manifestation of that supreme god. This is a part of the central theme or fundamental of Hinduism belief in the Absolute, Supreme Reality, called Brahman and its identification with Aatman (individual soul). It is said that Brahman, which is formless, infinite, and impersonal in nature, can manifest in many forms, thus the worship of many gods/goddesses, some are even human. For the sake of making the worship more personal, the gods/goddesses had been personified and given different attributes. However, of all the deities that are worshipped by Hindu’s, the most worshipped are Shiva, Vishnu and Shakthi (Fisher, 2005). Hinduism is sometimes believed as the Trinitarian because Brahman is often seem as a triad- one god with three persons (Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, 2007). The Trinitarian includes Brahman who is the creator; Vishnu is the preserver or the one who sustains, and Shiva the destroyer who can also be seen as compassionate. Hindu belief about life and death Hindus believe that all creatures go through the cycle of birth and rebirth called reincarnation. The principle of karma, which means action, and the consequences of action, follow from lifetime to lifetime, determines the status of each being’s birth. To escape from the cycle of birth, death, or rebirth (samsara) lead by karma is to achieve moksha. According to Fisher (2005), â€Å"To escape from samsara is to achieve moksha, or liberation from the limitations of space, time, and matter through realization of the immortal Absolute. Many lifetimes of upward-striving incarnations are required to reach this transcendence of earthly miseries† (p. 75). Hindu sacred and religious text There are many scripts and text in the Hindu religion; among the most sacred are the Vedas and Upanishad, which is often referred to as the foundation of the Sanatana Dharma. In Hindu Philosophy, there are six orthodox schools. They are Nyaya, Vaishseshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, Vedanta (Fisher, 2005). Hindu ethics and religious practices Hindus organize their lives around the Four Aims of Hinduism often referred to as the â€Å"doctrine of the fourfold end of life† (Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, 2006). The first is dharma, which is righteousness in their religious life. The second is Artha, which means success in their economic life. The third is Kama, which is the gratification of the senses to include sexual, sensual, and pleasure. The fourth is Moksha, which is the liberation from samsara and the ultimate goal for humanity (Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, 2006). Hindus practice yoga, which is a part of meditation. Included in their daily lives is the practice of puja, which is the ceremonial act of showing reverence to a god or goddess through prayer, devotion, rituals (Padmini Light, 2007). Hinduism versus Christianity Christianity is the World’s leading religion with 2. 1 billion followers (Adherents. com, 2007). With so many followers, one would think that there is very little in common with the Hindu religion. However, there are similarities along with many differences. Hinduism has no specific founder, nor is it based on the life or teachings of anyone (Fisher, 2005). Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (Fisher, 2005). According to All About Religion. org (2002-2007), â€Å"Hinduism is not exclusive and accepts all religions as valid. Christianity, however, teaches that Christ is the only way to God†. Christianity has an uncompromising view towards other religions when it comes to the infallibility of the bible and Jesus Christ. According to Hindu belief, the path to god are many and in whatever way we worship him, he will respond sincerely (Jayaram, 2000-2006). The Hindu religion advocates many forms of worship. In Christianity, any form of worship that is not approved by the bible is an anathema to Christianity In Christianity, the main source of principles and morals is the bible. In Hinduism, there are many to include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Agamas, and the Bhagavad-Gita (Jayaram, 2000-2006). Hindus organize their lives around the Four Aims of Hinduism and Christians organize their lives around the Ten Commandments. However, though different, both the Four Aims and Ten Commandments serve as a moral guide on how to live life. Hinduism and Christianity have played significant roles, one in the Eastern world and one in the Western world. Hinduism has played a significant role in East in the emergence of other religions to include Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism (Jayaram, 2000-2006). Christianity has played a significant role in the West, helping to shape Judaism and Islam. Both religions view their God in the form of a trinity. Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, which is God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit, three â€Å"persons† within the one divine being. Hindus believe in the Trinitarian, which is Brahman the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. Christians and Hindus have very different beliefs about life and death. Hindus believe one can have many lives, and they believe in the cycle of birth and rebirth. The only way to escape from the cycle of birth, death, or rebirth is to obtain moksha. Christians do not believe in reincarnation. Christians are taught that individuals have only one life on earth and after death, an everlasting life waits in either heaven or hell depending on how one lived one’s life. Conclusion Hinduism has been viewed as the world’s oldest religion; however, it continues to evolve. For a religion that has existed so long, its sustainability is remarkable even by today’s standards. Even in a small town of Mount Holly, New Jersey, there are still devoted followers of this old religion. This brings up the poignant reminder that religion is like a tree. From a small seed many branches are formed. However, the root remains the same. So, what is the root of religion? The root of religion is hope, and it is the collected beliefs in a higher being who addresses the human need to seek divine guidance. References Adherents. com (2007, April 19). Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number. Retrieved July 18, 2007, from adherents. com/Religions_BY_Adherents. html All About Religion. org (2002-2007). Comparison Christianity and Hinduism. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from allaboutreligion. org/comparison-christianity-and-hinduism-faq. htm Fisher, M. P. 2005). Living religions (6th ed. ). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Jayaram, V. (2000-2006). Hinduism and Christianity. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from http://hinduwebsite. com/hinduism/h_christianity. asp Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance (2006, November 21). Hinduism. Retrieved July 23, 2007, from religioustolerance. org/hinduism. htm Padmini Light (2007). What is Puja. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from padminilight. com/puja/wha t_ispuja. htm Thakur, R. (2007). Aarti. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from htt://www. dalsabzi. com/Mantras/jagdeesh_aarti. htm

Best (and Cheapest) Summer Destinations

Best (and Cheapest) Summer Destinations Summer is finally here and it’s your opportunity to give your mind and body a well-earned rest from the rigors of college life. Sure, you could spend your precious vacation running the never-ending mouse-wheel of work, television, and family reunions. Or, you could keep doing school throughout the summer and run the risk of complete burnout when September arrives. Take a little advice from the pros: use your vacation to go somewhere that will rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit. These 5 vacation destinations will inspire you without leaving you in financial ruin. 1. Blake Island, Washington If you have a hankering to get off the mainland but you can’t afford that Hawaiian airfare, look no further than the beautiful Native American respite of Blake Island. Just across the Puget Sound from bustling Seattle, you can take the ferry to Tillicum Village for just $40. You can explore the 400+ acres of natural beauty, attend the traditional salmon bake, or bring your tent and camp out next to the ocean. And, if you are looking for more exciting night life, you can always head back over to the city where you can check out the clubs, comedy, and shows that are sure to entertain on a budget. 2. Miami Beach, Florida At airfare of under $500 per person, going to Miami is all about adventure on a dime. Not only is the beach covered in attractive and available college vacationers, but the city offers benefits for every type of traveler. Stay in one of the modern hotels in the Art Deco District of South Beach or take in the beautiful camping sites at the Miami Everglades Resort for just $31 per day. In addition, the U.S. has just reopened the ferry service from Miami to Cuba. For just $300, you can literally leave the states behind and party Havana-style. 3. San Diego, California Why spend all the money to go to Mexico when you can recreate a South-of-the-border adventure right here on U.S. soil? San Diego is not only an inexpensive choice (less than $400 per flight), but the ocean city is full of low-cost fun that will leave you relaxed and tan. Visit the acclaimed San Diego Zoo ($48), Seaworld ($35), or get a Go San Diego card ($189) that gives you access to those attractions plus Legoland, San Diego Safari Park and 35 other attractions. Or, if you don’t want to spend a dime, drive up the coast to beautiful Huntington Beach. You can take a free stroll up the boardwalk, browse the amazing art galleries, or just enjoy some of the best surfing in the USA! 4. Louisiana Scenic Byways Getting to Louisiana is the easy part, with airfare ranging from $350 and down. But, if you want to avoid the craziness and expense of New Orleans, a great option is to rent a car and drive the spooky back roads that act as a time vortex. You’ll be amazed at the gorgeous greenery and shocked at the tiny towns along the way where everyone still sits on their porch and waves to passersby. Enjoy Zydeco music, amazing food (like Boudin), and drive-through alcohol stands in tiny towns like Beaux Bridge, Bogalusa, and Ville Platte – where all the road signs are still in French and the radio announcers still speak Creole. 5. Denver, Colorado At some of the best plane ticket prices on this list (between $100 and $300), Denver offers everything a college student could want except for free beer. The mile high city touts amazing camping, hiking, and rock-climbing as well as all the big-city amenities you could want. In addition, for those who are cannabis-friendly, the city offers a budding collection of growers, bakers, and dispensaries for you to peruse. If that’s not your speed, take a trip south to the small town of Castle Rock for one of the most amazing renaissance fairs in the west. Or, just hole up in Denver proper and visit the Denver Aquarium, Denver Aviation Museum, or Six Flags Elitch Gardens – all for under $50 each!