James A. Van Allen Biography

James A. Van Allen Biography You cant see it or feel it, but more than a thousand miles above Earths surface, theres a region of charged particles that protects our atmosphere from destruction by the solar wind and cosmic rays. Its called the Van Allen belt, named for the man who discovered it.   Meet the Belt Man Dr. James A. Van Allen was an astrophysicist best known for his work on the physics of the magnetic field that surrounds our planet. He was particularly interested in its interactions with the solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun. (When it slams into our atmosphere, it causes a phenomenon called space weather). His discovery of radiation regions high above Earth followed up on an idea held by other scientists that charged particles could be trapped in the uppermost part of our atmosphere.  Van Allen worked on Explorer 1, the first U.S. artificial satellite to be placed in orbit, and this spacecraft revealed the secrets of Earths magnetosphere. That included the existence of the belts of charged particles that bear his name.   James Van Allen was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa on September 7, 1914. He attended Iowa Wesleyan College where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to the University of Iowa and worked on a degree in solid state physics, and took a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in 1939. Wartime Physics Following school, Van Allen accepted employment with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, where he studied photodisintegration.Thats a process where a high-energy photon (or packet) of light is absorbed by an atomic nucleus. The nucleus then splits to form lighter elements, and releases a neutron, or a proton or an alpha particle. In astronomy, this process occurs inside certain types of supernovae.   In April 1942, Van Allen joined the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University where he worked to develop a rugged vacuum tube and did research on proximity fuzes (used in explosives and bombs). Later in 1942, he entered the Navy, serving in the South Pacific Fleet as an assistant gunnery officer to field test and complete operational requirements for the proximity fuzes. Post-War Research   After the war, Van Allen returned to civilian life and worked in high altitude research. He worked at the Applied Physics Laboratory, where he organized and directed a team to conduct high-altitude experiments. They used V-2 rockets captured from the Germans.   In 1951, James Van Allen became head of the physics department at the University of Iowa. A few years later, his  career took an important turn when he and several other American scientists developed proposals for the launch of a scientific satellite. It was to be part of the research program conducted during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-1958. From Earth to the Magnetosphere After the success of the Soviet Unions Sputnik 1 launch in 1957, Van Allen ¹s Explorer spacecraft was approved for launch on a Redstone rocket. It flew on January 31, 1958, and returned enormously important scientific data about the radiation belts circling the Earth. Van Allen became a celebrity due to the success of that mission, and he went on to achieve other important scientific projects in space. In one way or another, Van Allen was involved in the first four Explorer probes, the first Pioneers, several Mariner efforts, and an orbiting geophysical observatory. James A. Van Allen retired from the University of Iowa in 1985 to become Carver Professor of Physics, Emeritus, after having served as the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1951. He died of heart failure at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City on August 9, 2006. In honor of his work, NASA named two radiation belt storm probes after him. The Van Allen Probes were launched in 2012 and have been studying the Van Allen Belts and near-Earth space. Their data is helping the design of spacecraft that can better withstand trips through this high-energy region of Earths magnetosphere.   Edited and revised by Carolyn Collins Petersen

AdBlue Fluid and Cleaner Diesel Emissions

AdBlue Fluid and Cleaner Diesel Emissions AdBlue is the German brand name for a clear, non-toxic- though slightly corrosive to some metals- aqueous urea solution used to treat exhaust on  modern clean diesel engines. The generic name for a chemically equivalent solution used in the non-European market (predominantly North America) is Diesel Emissions Fluid (DEF). The primary use of AdBlue and similar DEFs is to be used in conjunction with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) converter to control oxides of nitrogen (NOx) diesel emissions. On average, NOx emissions are reduced by approximately 80 percent because of this process. How DEFs Work The AdBlue solution is comprised of 32.5 percent high purity urea diluted in distilled water and carried onboard the diesel vehicle in a special independent tank. Under the direction of the onboard computer and a NOx sensor, the fluid is pumped into the exhaust stream at the rate of 2 to 4 ounces to a gallon of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) consumed. There, in the hot exhaust stack, the urea solution is converted into ammonia (NH3) which reacts with NOx in the exhaust. The resulting chemical breakdown  and re-bonding of the constituent elements of each reactant produce plain nitrogen and water vapor instead of harmful oxides of nitrogen.   Standardized as Aqueous Urea Solution (AU) 32, the AdBlue solution is trademarked to German company the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), but there  is a variety of other DEFs available on the American market including BlueTec by German automotive corporation Daimler AG and the Canadian version H2Blu. How and Where Is AdBlue Replenished? Refilling the AdBlue tank is  not a do-it-yourself task. Although it is possible to purchase the solution at the retail level, it is generally available only through a dealership or service shop. The systems are designed with a capacity of several gallons (seven to ten) which translates into several thousands of miles. Under normal vehicle operating conditions, the DEF tank needs to be refilled only during regularly scheduled maintenance. However, as of 2013, trucks and diesel engine cars have been created to allow users to refill their own DEF tanks. As a result, a number of truck stops and gas stations have begun offering a DEF pump next to the diesel fuel pump. You may even purchase small quantities- or order large containers for commercial use- to keep at home. Although safe to handle and non-toxic, AdBlue can eat through some metals. It is recommended that DEFs be stored at cool temperatures away from direct sunlight and moisture in a well-ventilated area. According to a Cummins Filtration report on the standard, AdBlue freezes at 12 degrees Fahrenheit, but the process of freezing and thawing does not degrade the product as the water in the urea  solution will freeze and thaw as the fluid does.

AP American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

AP American History - Essay Example The emphasis on the candidate’s winnability loses the significance of the party because choice of candidate is no longer based on the party either by nomination or by vote of the electorate. In a candidate-centered politics, political parties lost their power because it is being transferred to the candidate. b. Primary elections   Primary election is the process by which political parties chose their candidates. In this process, politicking and horse trade occurs and the end result does not necessarily give the best candidate possible but rather who does the politicking and horse trading best. The result would be a disappointing candidate that voters no longer rely on party nominations to provide them the best possible candidate. Thus, political parties lost their credibility in the eyes of their voters thereby eroding their power because voters are the source of any political party’s power without which, political parties becomes insignificant. c. Interest group and media influence over politics Lobby groups pose a strong influence not only in terms of the policy created in the Executive and laws passed in Congress but also among party members that could influence the selection of a candidate of a party. Interest groups that has significant base in terms of voters and/or resources hold sway on the candidates that will be running as well as the programs that they will carry making sure that it will reflect their interest. Media at this day and age has a huge influence over its audience and these audiences are also voters. This can be either good or bad for a politician. It can be good if the media portrayal is positive and it can also be bad if the reputation of the politician is smeared in the media and both can affect the result of election. Having this influence over the voters, parties are considering candidates who are more â€Å"media friendly† or have more media mileage over program of government or integrity and thus, deteriorates the kind of politician who are running to the dismay of thinking voters. Thus, political parties their power as their party criteria, programs and platform is no longer important in the choice of candidate but rather base it on the popularity of a candidate. Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and political analyst elaborated â€Å"recent technological and organizational changes have accelerated the shift, making it easier for outsiders to raise funds, get access to free media and establish direct connections with voters† This in effect weakens the power base of political parties that instead of candidates adapting and to party platforms and programs, it is now political parties who has to align themselves to the candidate effectively abdicating its power. d. Campaign financing   One of the realities in election is the high cost of running a campaign. No matter how qualified or experienced or honest a candidate is, but if he or his party does not have the necessary resources to mount a campaign, he or she will not have a chance of winning. Most candidates however do not have enough money to finance an election campaign because it is very expensive. Their parties in turn solicits and accepts campaign financing and this is when financiers comes in to influence the candidate that will be running and the program of government that they will be adopting. It is important to note that most significant campaign contributors do put money in a

Global Banking Operations and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Banking Operations and Strategy - Essay Example The bank lost its resilience and resistance capabilities (The Telegraph, 2014). Credit was one of the failed segments of RBS. RBS consistently relied on credit trading, which due to high economic crises build up, brought more damage to RBS’s existence. The bank needed to sideline the credit segment, which had lesser opportunity and more market risk (Treanor & Bowers, 2011). The weakness lied in RBS operations, which consistently failed to manage the net returns of the bank. The leakage of cash due to poor banking operations, RBS was unable to stabilize its cash growth (Risk Business International, 2011). RBS always had low capitals in its financial cupboard. The bank due to small capital resource was never able to put hand on major market segments. This made bank rely on small segments such as credit trading or bonds investment, which had more risk and lesser income return (BBC News, 2013). RTT News, 2014. European Markets Decline, RBS Drops On Results. [Online] Viewed at: [Accessed 17 March 2014]. The Telegraph, 2014. RBS report: the main points. [Online] Viewed at: [Accessed 17 March 2014]. Treanor, J. & Bowers, S., 2011. RBS failure caused by multiple poor decisions. [Online] Viewed at: [Accessed 17 March

James Madison and his Contribution to Revolution Essay Example for Free

James Madison and his Contribution to Revolution Essay James Madison played a significant role in the American journey towards a constitutional government. He earned the reputation of becoming the father of the American constitution for defending it in the federalist papers, the system of government that replaced the Congress. His pen was a weapon of liberty and he was rightly chosen to write the Virginia Declaration of Rights. He identified the weaknesses of the articles of confederation as a threat to the hard earned freedom and worked towards strengthening them. He wrote essays in the federalist papers and took part in critical debates in Richmond (Vile, Pederson Williams, 2008, p. vii viii). In the constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787, he spoke in favor of constitutional replacement, a strong central authority, and an extended Republic (Kauffman, 2). His name appeared in every major event of the history of American Revolution and in the adoption of constitution (McCoy, 1991, p. xii). He served the Federal Congress during the final phase of the war for independence. He played a major role in rescuing both revolution and the constitution from the evils of monarchy in 1800. Among his contemporary men, he survived longer that he even led the aged survivors of the first revolution and their sons and daughters to the second war of independence against England (McCoy, 1991, p. xii). He worked with determination to end slavery in America (McCoy, 1991, p. 62). While working towards a successful Republic, he was thoughtful about the different interests and factions that prevailed in America. He wrote 29 of the 85 federalist papers (The American Revolution, 1). A new system of government, individual independence of the States, the authority of the Supreme, and a national executive were all his own ideas which the people of America enjoy even today after 210 years (The American Revolution, 1). He warned France and Britain for seizing the American ships and cited that they were acting against international law. According to Randolph, this protest had the effect of chilling pamphlet. After the British imprisonments of American seaman, Madison asked the Congress to declare war in 1812 (The American Revolution, 1).

US Change From Isoltaion to Involvement Essay -- United States America

From the ideas of isolationism of the 1930's, between 1940 and 1962, the United States went from a country that did not want anything to do with the rest of the world to a country that was involved all over the world. Isolationism was caused not by an unwillingness of the American people to help those in need, but by the thought process that it was more important to help ourselves. During the 1930's, the United States was in the midst of the "The Great Depression". The "Great Depression" began with the stock market collapse of 1929. Prior to the collapse, the United States had enjoyed a long economic boom in which individual wealth had blossomed. That all ended on October 29th 1929. Losses were unbelievable. By the end of 1929, two months after the initial crash, stockholders had lost 40 billion in paper values, or more than the cost of World War 1 to the United States. The stock market collapse heralded a business depression at home and abroad that lasted longer than anything we or the rest of the world had seen. No other industrialized nation suffered so severe a setback. By the end of 1930, there were more than 4 million workers who were jobless. By 1932, that number had risen to 12 million. Jobs were non- existent. Over five thousand banks collapsed in the first three years of the depression, carrying down with them the life savings of tens of thousands o f ordinary citizens. Thousands of people lost their homes. Bread lines formed, soup kitchens dispensed food and apple sellers stood on street corners selling their wares for 5 cents. It was the economic system that had broken down, not individual initiative. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to the presidency in 1932. During his inaugural address, he declared that the gov... ...rs the United States wanted to contain and then eradicate communism, today it is trying to contain and destroy terrorism. Today, the United States is the only major super power in the world and is asked for many things. From the use of our military to try to rid the world of terrorism, to providing million of dollars for Third World country AIDS research, to providing food for starving countries, to providing a new home for millions of immigrants, the United States is trying to do much for the world. We unfortunately have a most difficult time because other countries do not like our president or what he stands for. Whether that is true or not is open to debate. What is not open to debate is that the rest of the world looks to the United States in times of need. We have lead and will continue to do so because we know that the survival of this planet depends on it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Essay

â€Å"Come. There is a way to be good again,† said Rahim Khan to Amir. In the novel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir, the main character, expresses his thoughts and actions due to his baneful choices. The tribulations he faced were all repercussions of the sin committed by his disdainful youth. His sins ravaged the early stages of his life and gave him a troublesome memory full of guilt. As the novel progressed, Amir attempted to disengage the memory of his sin and forget about it. Amir soon faced the long over due road to redemption. Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner is about redemption, and that the lifelong pursuit of happiness will never be fulfilled without it. At a young age Amir and Hassan were best friends, even though Amir was roughly expressing it. Amir and Hassan enjoyed many activities together as Khaled expressed in his novel: â€Å"I spent most of the first twelve years of my life playing with Hassan. Sometimes, my entire childhood seems like one long lazy summer day with Hassan, chasing each other between tangles of trees in my father’s yard, playing hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, insect torture†¦ We saw our first Western together, Rio Bravo with John Wayne, at the Cinema Park†¦,† stated Amir. Amir stated all these â€Å"friend-like† activities, yet witnessed the sexual abuse administered by Assef and his goons on Hassan without a peep from his mouth. At this point Amir’s lust for obtaining the kite, so he could finally enjoy love from his father had over come his friendship. That temporary love given to Amir by his father was enough for Amir to attempt to get rid of Hassan permanently, which worked. Amir’s sin committed in his early years set the stage for the rest of his life, for he would seek redemption for his acts. Many years passed, Amir was on his own now in America, with his wife Soraya that could not bare children. Amir received a call from Rahim Kahn who was dying and wanted a last visit from Amir. Amir had jumped at the chance to visit an old friend/father figure and flew to see Rahim. Little did Amir know he was about to face all of the tribulations he had seemed to forget of his past ten fold. Rahim Khan reveals â€Å"Hassan, Amir’s childhood friend, the presumed son of the family servant was in reality, Amir’s half-brother, his father’s illegitimate son with Ali’s wife. † He also reveals that the prolonged redemption is just around the Taliban by saving Amir’s half-nephew Sohrab (Hassan’s son) from Kabul. Amir was in a state of confusion, he expressed his plead to Rahim: â€Å"I can’t go to Kabul,† I had said to Rahim Khan. â€Å"I have a wife in America, a home, a career, and a family. † But how could I pack up and go and go back home when my actions may have caused Hassan a chance at those very same things (talking to himself)? I wished Rahim Khan hadn’t called me. I wished he had let me live on in my oblivion. But he had called me. And what Rahim Khan revealed to me changed things. Made me see how my entire life†¦had been a cycle of lies, betrayal, and deceit. ‘There is a way to be good again’ he’d said. Thus started Amir’s road to redemption. Amir searched through Kabul for Sohrab and an orphanage leader had stated that Sohrab had been sold to a Taliban leader. The Taliban Leader who showboated John Lennon glasses and conducted the stoning ceremony at halftime of the soccer game was the man that Amir had to speak with. As Amir conversed with the Taliban lead he learned of his cruel ways of massacring the Hazaras. Then the Taliban leader revealed, â€Å"What did you think? That you’d put on a fake beard and I wouldn’t recognize you? †¦ I never forget a face. Not ever. † The Taliban revealed himself as Assef, Amir’s childhood enemy. Assef created an ordeal stating that if Amir were to overcome him in a blood brawl, then Sohrab would be Amir’s boy to take. Assef completely demolished Amir by breaking several ribs with his brass knuckles. Amir was barely able to stand, but he withheld the beating for he knew that destiny had brought him to this moment. The moment came when Sohrab had pierced Assef’s eye and he and Amir escaped. Amir had finally accomplished his self-turmoil and had almost completed his redemption by saving his half-brother’s son, and almost dying for him. Amir knew that he had to adopt Sohrab when they got back to a safe haven. This caused some trouble with the embassy for they required legal documents of the orphaned child. Sohrab believed that there was no possible way for him to come to America and he did not want to return to an orphanage, so he attempted suicide. Amir had gone through a father’s worst nightmare when he thought his soon to be adopted son would die. Sohrab survived though, leaving a reckless, unrighteous Muslim, self- centered Amir behind. Amir’s pursuit of happiness was fulfilled as he and his son were flying kites in America. He had redeemed himself as he said to Sohrab, â€Å"Do you want me to run that kite for you? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦A nod from Sohrab†¦ â€Å"For you, a thousand times over,† and a smile cracked open on Sohrab’s face.

Internet Gambling Essay

This document will inform you about the history of internet gambling, the existing issues, and a number of concerns involved with online gambling. Prior to the launching of the World Wide Web in 1993 which changed the setting of gambling, people had to travel great distances to gamble. The world’s first virtual online casino, Internet Casinos, Inc. (ICI) commenced operation on August 18, 1995 with 18 different casino games. Most of these online gambling companies are located outside of the U. S.to avoid government prosecution. ICI operates out of the Turks and Caicos Islands (Kish, 1999). One of the main reasons internet gambling started was because of costs. The value to start up an internet gambling site is around 1. 5 million dollars, which is half of what it costs to actually construct a casino. ICI estimates that the company averages about a twenty four percent profit margin, versus the typical United States casino, which ranges from eight percent to sixteen percent of each dollar wagered (Kish, 1999). An estimated twenty million people are currently online with a projected 160 million online by the year 2020. The overall market for online gambling is estimated to be approximately $49 billion worldwide (Kish, 1999). The history of internet gambling is only a decade old, however, its history will hold on for several more. There are several existing issues facing internet gambling. The first issues we will discuss are how to regulate internet gambling. The question raised by the emergence of Internet gambling is whether old laws–based mainly on a world of atoms–are still viable, and if not, in which way the Internet should be regulated (Walther, 2000). Some scholars believe that internet gambling needs to be regulated, and of course there are those that say let the owners of the sites regulate themselves. Regulatory procedures can be targeted at either or both of the providers and the consumers of gambling services. In the case of consumers, regulation is usually implemented by age, through prohibition of the participation of minors. Procedures might also be contrived to prohibit problem gamblers or undischarged bankrupts from engaging in gambling (Clarke, 2000). Another existing problem with internet gambling is The Wire Act which was intended to assist the states, territories and possessions of the United States, as well as the District of Columbia, in enforcing their respective laws on gambling and bookmaking and to suppress organized gambling activities. Subsection (a) of the Wire Act, a criminal provision, provides: â€Å"Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both† (Rodefer, 2003). During the House of Representatives debate on the bill, Congressman Emanuel Celler, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee stated â€Å"[t]his bill only gets after the bookmaker, the gambler who makes it his business to take bets or to lay off bets. . . It does not go after the causal gambler who bets $2 on a race (Rodefer, 2003). What the government is having a problem with is that most internet gambling sites are run ran in foreign countries, and they cannot enforce this act against them. What they are trying to do is change the act to include these third parties. An example of this is the introduction of the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1997 (Walther, 2000). The bill would have prohibited Internet gambling by extending the Wire Act’s prohibitions on traditional forms of gambling by phone or wire to the Internet (Walther, 2000). This amendment would provide penalties for online bets and wagers. This so far seems to be the best solution, however ethical and moral dilemmas still rest in the hands of our lawmakers today. The next issue facing internet gambling is taxes. This seems to be the government’s biggest issue. This is because of the billions of dollars we mentioned for profit by these online sites, government can gain significant amount of money from it. The legalization of Internet gambling may cause states to lose some revenue generated from legalized gambling operations because many gamblers would spend their money online (Lassani, 1998). Moreover, states lose revenue by not being able to tax gamblers who win over the Internet. Gamblers who win over the Internet have an incentive not to pay taxes on their winnings because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) lacks the resources to track online gamblers (Lassani, 1998). The likelihood of addiction to Internet gambling among both children and adults is an extremely important concern. In relation to addiction, children are more likely to become addicted to something new than adults (Smith, 2004). For example, the video game-like nature of virtual casinos, labeled the â€Å"crack cocaine of gambling,† could make online gambling a temptation difficult to resist. Furthermore, the fact that the Internet gambler need not leave the comfort and privacy of his or her home could mean that an individual might become easily addicted. This is the worst thing about internet gambling, because there will not be anyone to detect if a person is addicted or not. Consequently the only aid they will get is their selves, and that leaves the player defenseless against the dependence of gambling. Having to go to the casino to gamble has better chances of knowing who is addicted and who is not, they have hired hands to detect this problem, unlike the home atmosphere. Kevin O’Neill, Deputy Director of New Jersey’s Council on Compulsive Gambling says â€Å"The real threat comes from the isolation and secrecy of the betting activity itself. † â€Å"I call this threat the cave syndrome due to the gambler’s isolated behavior and hidden activity† (Wharry, 2001). In closing the short lived World Wide Web as created pandemonium with our lawmakers. The dilemma of how everyone interprets the Wire Act is a major concern. The efforts to amend it to make all users liable for using the websites are tiresome, and stopping foreigners from creating internet gambling sites seems never-ending since the United States cannot control them. In just over a decade there are over twenty million users, expected to increase to 160 million in the next 14 years. Its revenue is over 49 billion dollars and increasing. There are more profit margins with online gambling than the traditional casino. The cost to create a gambling web is 1. 5 million dollars compared to the 300 million to build a casino, this creates profit and increases attendance because of its trouble-free access. One important concern with internet gambling is addiction. Children are easily addicted to new things than adults and it will make it harder to control and detect gambling addiction. Internet gambling is a good creation for those people who can control themselves, but for those who cannot have a greater chance to end up bankrupt. Thus we can see from this example alone, why lawmakers are having such problems to secure the problem, do they let it carry on or let people put themselves in jeopardy of losing everything. Michael Bolcerek the President of The Poker Group said, â€Å"It’s a personal liberty issue with regard to how you spend your money and what you see over the Internet†(Roth, 2006). References: Clarke, R. (2000, December). The feasibility of regulating gambling on the internet . Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Regulations of internet gambling Web site: http://www. anu. edu. au/people/Roger. Clarke/II/FeasIGR. html Kish, S. (1999). An analysis of the government’s role in addressing internet gambling. Betting on the Net, 51(no 2), 449-6. Lessani, A. M. (1998, May). How much do you want to bet that the internet gambling prohibition act of 1997 is not the most effective way to tackle the problems of online gambling. Retrieved May 4, 2006, from The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act: An Analysis Web site: http://www. gseis. ucla. edu/iclp/alessani. html Rodefer, J. (2003). Federal wire wager act. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Gambling-Law- US. com Web site: http://www. gambling-law-us. com/Federal-Laws/wire-act. htm Roth, B. (2006, April 25). Foes try to squelch online gambling.Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, [1]. Smith, A. (2004). Controversial and emerging issues associates with eybergambling (e-casinos). Online Information Review. 28(6), 435-443. Walther, F. M. (2000). A comparative u. s. -swiss perspective. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from Internet Gambling Related Regulatory Questions and Enforcement Problems Web site: http://stlr. stanford. edu/STLR/Events/gambling/contents_f. html#note5 Wharry, S. (2001). E-Gambling threat worries addiction experts. You Bet Your Life, 165, 325.

The Ethics of Lying

The Ethics of Lying Is lying ever morally permissible? While lying can be seen as a threat to civil society, there seem to be several instances in which lying seems the most intuitively moral option. Besides, if a sufficiently broad definition of lying is adopted, it seems utterly impossible to escape lies, either because of instances of self-deception or because of the social construction of our persona. Let’s look more closely into those matters. What lying is, first of all, is controversial. Recent discussion of the topic has identified four standard conditions for lying, but none of them seems to actually work. Keeping in mind the difficulties in providing an exact definition of lying, let’s start facing the foremost moral question regarding it: Should lying always be despised? A Threat to Civil Society? Lying has been seen as a threat to civil society by authors such as Kant. A society that tolerates lies – the argument goes – is a society in which trust is undermined and, with it, the sense of collectivity. In the United States, where lying is regarded as a major ethical and legal fault, the trust in government may well be greater than in Italy, where lying is far more tolerated. Machiavelli, among others, used to reflect on the importance of trust centuries ago. Yet, he also concluded that deceiving is, in some cases, the best option. How can that be? White Lies A first, less controversial sort of cases in which lying is tolerated includes so-called white lies. In some circumstances, it seems better to tell a small lie than having someone worrying unnecessarily, or becoming sad, or losing momentum. While actions of this sort seem hard to endorse from the standpoint of Kantian ethics, they provide one of the most clear-cut arguments in favor of Consequentialism. Lying for a Good Cause Famed objections to the Kantian absolute moral ban of lying, however, come also from the consideration of more dramatic scenarios. Here is one type of scenario. If by telling a lie to some Nazi soldiers during World War II, you could have saved someone’s life, without any other additional harm being inflicted, it seems that you ought to have lied. Or, consider the situation in which someone outraged, out of control, asks you where she can find an acquaintance of yours so that she can kill that acquaintance; you know where the acquaintance is and lying will help your friend calm down: should you tell the truth? Once you start thinking about it, there are plenty of circumstances where lying seems to be morally excusable. And, indeed, it is typically morally excused. Now, of course, there is a problem with this: who is to say whether the scenario excuses you from lying? Self-Deception There are plenty of circumstances in which humans seem to convince themselves of being excused from taking a certain course of action when, to the eyes of their peers, they actually are not. A good part of those scenarios may involve that phenomenon called self-deception. Lance Armstrong may have just provided one of the starkest cases of self-deception we can offer. Yet, who is to say that you are self-deceiving yourself? By wanting to judge the morality of lying, we may have led ourselves into one of the most difficult skeptical lands to traverse. Society as a Lie Not only lying may be seen as the outcome of self-deception, perhaps an involuntary outcome. Once we broaden our definition for what a lie may be, we come to see that lies are deep-seated in our society. Clothing, makeup, plastic surgeries, ceremonials: plenty of aspects of our culture are ways of masking how certain things would appear. Carnival is perhaps the festivity that best deals with this fundamental aspect of human existence. Before you condemn all lying, hence, think again.​ Source The Entry on the Definition of Lying and Deception at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy​.

William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror was a Duke of Normandy, who fought to regain his power over the duchy, establishing it as a powerful force in France, before completing the successful Norman Conquest of England. Youth William was born to Duke Robert I of Normandy – although he wasn’t Duke until his brother died - and his mistress Herleva c. 1028. There are various legends about her origins, but she was possibly noble. His mother had one more child with Robert ​and married a Norman noble called Herluin, with whom she had two further children, including Odo, later a bishop and regent of England. In 1035 Duke Robert died on pilgrimage, leaving William as his only son and designated heir: Norman lords had sworn to accept William as Robert’s heir, and the King of France had confirmed this. However, William was only eight, and illegitimate - he was known frequently as ‘The Bastard’ - so while the Norman aristocracy initially accepted him as ruler, they did so mindful of their own power. Thanks to still developing succession rights, illegitimacy was not yet a bar to power, but it did make the young William reliant on others. Anarchy Normandy was soon plunged into discord, as ducal authority broke down and all levels of the aristocracy began building their own castles and usurping the powers of William’s government. War was frequently fought between these nobles, and such was the chaos that three of William’s protectors were killed, as was his teacher. It is possible that William’s steward was killed while William slept in the same room. Herleva’s family provided the best shield. William began to play a direct role in Normandy’s affairs when he turned 15 in 1042, and for the next nine years, he forcefully regained royal rights and control, fighting a series of war against rebel nobles. There was vital support from Henry I of France, especially at the battle of Val-es-Dunes in 1047, when the Duke and his King defeated an alliance of Norman leaders. Historians believe that William learned a huge amount about warfare and government through this period of turmoil, and it left him de termined to retain full control over his lands. It may also have left him ruthless and capable of brutality. William also took steps to regain control by reforming the church, and he appointed one of his key allies to the Bishopric of Bayeux in 1049. This was Odo, William’s half-brother by Herleva, and he took the position aged only 16. Nevertheless, he proved a loyal and able servant, and the church grew strong under his control. The Rise of Normandy By the late 1040s the situation in Normandy had settled to the extent that William was able to take part in politics outside his lands, and he fought for Henry of France against the Geoffrey Martel, Count of Anjou, in Maine. Trouble soon returned at home, and William was forced to once more fight a rebellion, and a new dimension was added when Henry and Geoffrey allied against William. With a mixture of luck – the enemy forces outside Normandy did not coordinate with those in, although William’s alacrity contributed here – and tactical skill, William defeated them all. He also outlived Henry and Geoffrey, who died in 1060 and were succeeded by more congenial rulers, and William secured Maine by 1063. He was accused of poisoning rivals to the region but this is widely believed to be just rumor. Nevertheless, it is interesting that he opened his attack on Maine by claiming the recently deceased Count Herbert of Maine had promised William his land should the count die without a son, and that Herbert had become a vassal of William’s in exchange for the county. William would claim a similar promise again shortly after, in England. By 1065, Normandy was settled and the lands surrounding it had been pacified, through politics, military action, and some lucky deaths. This left William as the dominant aristocrat in north France, and he was free to take on a grand project if one arose; it soon did. William married in 1052/3, to the daughter of the Baldwin V of Flanders, even though the Pope had ruled the marriage as illegal due to consanguinity. It may have taken until 1059 for William to work his way back into the good graces of the papacy, although he may have done so very quickly – we have conflicting sources - and he founded two monasteries while doing so. He had four sons, three of whom would go on to rule. The Crown of England The link between the Norman and English ruling dynasties had started in 1002 with a marriage and had continued when the Edward – later known as ‘the Confessor’ – had fled from Cnut’s invading force and taken shelter at the Norman court. Edward had retaken the English throne but grew old and childless, and at some stage during the 1050s there may have been negotiations between Edward and William over the right of the latter to succeed, but it is unlikely. Historians don’t know for certain what really happened, but William claimed he had been promised the crown. He also claimed that another claimant, Harold Godwineson, the most powerful noble in England, had sworn an oath to support William’s claim while on a visit to Normandy. Norman sources support William, and Anglo-Saxons ones support Harold, who claimed Edward had really given Harold the throne as the king lay dying. Either way, when Edward died in 1066 William claimed the throne and announced he would invade to take it off Harold and he had to persuade a council of Norman nobles who felt this was too risky a venture. William quickly gathered an invasion fleet which included noblemen from across France – a sign of William’s high reputation as a leader - and may have gained support from the Pope. Critically, he also took measures to ensure Normandy would remain loyal while he was absent, including giving key allies greater powers. The fleet tried to sail later that year, but weather conditions delayed it, and William eventually sailed on September 27th, landing the next day. Harold had been forced to march north to fight another invading claimant, Harald Hardrada, at Stamford Bridge. Harald marched south and took up a defensive position at Hastings. William attacked, and the Battle of Hastings followed in which Harold and significant portions of the English aristocracy were killed. William followed the victory by intimidating the country, and he was able to be crowned King of England in London on Christmas Day. King of England, Duke of Normandy William adopted some of the government he found in England, such as the sophisticated Anglo-Saxon exchequer and laws, but he also imported large numbers of loyal men from the continent to both reward them and hold his new kingdom. William now had to crush rebellions in England, and on occasion did it brutally. Even so, after 1072 he spent the majority of his time back in Normandy, dealing with recalcitrant subjects there. The borders of Normandy proved problematic, and William had to deal with a new generation of warring neighbors and a stronger French king. Through a mixture of negotiation and warfare, he tried to secure the situation, with some successes. There were more rebellions in England, including a conspiracy involving Waltheof, the last English earl, and when William had him executed there was great opposition; the chronicles like to use this as the start of a perceived decline in William’s fortunes. In 1076 William suffered his first major military defeat, to the King of France, at Dol. More problematic, William fell out with his eldest son Robert, who rebelled, raised an army, made allies of William’s enemies and started raiding Normandy. It is possible the father and son may even have fought in hand to hand in one battle. A peace was negotiated and Robert was confirmed as heir to Normandy. William also fell out with his brother, bishop and sometime regent Odo, who was arrested and imprisoned. Odo may have been about to bribe and threaten his way into the papacy, and if so William objected to the large number of troops Odo was planning to take from England to aid him. While trying to retake Mantes he suffered an injury – possibly while on horseback - which proved fatal. On his deathbed William made a compromise, giving his son Robert his French lands and William Rufus England. He died on September 9th, 1087 aged 60. As he died he asked for prisoners to be released, all except Odo. William’s body was so fat it did not fit into the prepared tomb and burst out with a sickening smell. Aftermath William’s place in English history is assured, as he completed one of the few successful conquests of that island, and transforming the makeup of the aristocracy, the pattern of the land, and the nature of culture for centuries. Normans, and their French language and customs, dominated, even though William adopted much of the Anglo-Saxon machinery of government. England was also tied closely to France, and William transformed his duchy from anarchic into the most powerful north French holding, creating tensions between the crowns of England and France which would also last for centuries. In the later years of his reign, William commissioned in England a survey of land use and value known as the Domesday Book, one of the key documents of the medieval era. He also bought the Norman church into England and, under the theological leadership of Lanfranc, changed the nature of English religion. William was a physically imposing man, strong early on, but very fat in later life, which became a source of amusement to his enemies. He was notably pious but, in an age of common brutality, stood out for his cruelty. It’s been said he never killed a prisoner who might later be useful and was cunning, aggressive and devious. William was probably faithful in his marriage, and this may have been the consequence of shame he felt in his youth as an illegitimate son.

Recruitment and Selection Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recruitment and Selection Policy - Essay Example This study highlights that Ms Rosie Stansgate the Chief Investor of the magazine namely ‘In Clover’ is investing $4 million of her personal funds, to position her magazine in an influential way so that it impact ethical living. The readers of the magazine are expected to be of high profile creamy layer of the society with a strong belief in ethical living. Extensive market survey regarding the potential of the magazine if launched deciphers good business prospect for the same. At this background Prof. Oliver who is the proposed Editor of the magazine and Ms. Rosie gets indulged in a contradiction regarding the recruitment and selection policy of the company. Conflict resolution of this human resource acquirement issue between Ms. Rosie and Mr. Oliver is the main concern that has been addressed in the report.This paper declares that  on ethical ground Ms. Rosie insists her organization must treat its people with ethical values and the workforce of ‘In Cloverâ€⠄¢ must reflect a true blend of the demographic profile of Manchester. Existence of these types of human resource management (HRM) policies within the organization is quite admiring and will promote goodwill and public relation.  Different ethnic origin with cultural divergence makes the demography of Manchester quite diversified in nature. Hence it will be extremely tough to blend them under one single roof.  This will inhibit the pace of work and cause much conflict in ideas between the employees due to their diversified ethnic backgrounds. Hence, Prof. Oliver’s performance oriented and team work view with already experienced workforce would be more conducive for the organization that might translate into higher profit and sales. In contrast Ms. Rosie opines the recruitment policy should be strong and systematic, which will enable many fresh talents to be absorbed within the organization in a transparent and unbiased way. Now the most important issue that comes in foref ront of the organization is employee turnover. Minute analysis on life cycle of an organization reflects that growth phase requires experienced people to give direction to a company (till this point Prof. Oliver is justified). However, after the initial growth stage the organization starts aging and faces erosion of its talent pool for many different

Local government is better set up to take care of disaster relief than Essay

Local government is better set up to take care of disaster relief than central governement - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that local governments should be better equipped to set up for disaster relief than centralized government. One of the best reasons for this is that local situations are going to be specific to a region, the problems, potentials, and weather and earth related issues specific with how they should be addressed. A good example of this can be seen in the problems that occurred in the United States after Hurricane Katrina struck and New Orleans and the surrounding regions were left at the mercy of an unprepared government. The problems during that disaster were specific and were not relatable to any other region in the United States. The tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004 is another example of how local government was better set up to respond than the centralized government. Because local governments are in a position to be better set up than centralized government it does not mean that they are prepared for what can happen. The suggestion in this paper is that local governments are in a better position to prepare for regional disasters and should become prepared in relationship with the foreseeable problems that might affect their local areas. Even though the exact timing of a disaster is not usually predictable, most disasters can be predicted as a probability. This was the case in New Orleans as well as in Turkey where the earthquake that struck recently was predicted long before it actually took place. Still, the city and the government were unprepared for the event. The following paper will explore the theoretical concepts in regard to disaster relief in relationship to local governments while examining the some of the events of the last decade that have brought disaster relief to the forefront of concern for both central and regional governments. Disaster The UN defines a disaster as â€Å"a serious disruption of the functioning of society causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources† (Jha 2010: 4). The way in which disasters are measured is through losses, most often first in lives, then in property. A disaster is a tragedy of such proportion that the community is affected is usually close to non-functioning after a disaster and commerce stops in order to focus on creating a unified effort towards saving lives that are still in jeopardy and finding a way to restore the way of life that was disrupted during and after the event. What is often overlooked is that the aftermath of many disasters goes on for years. Long after the attention of the media has stopped focusing on the areas that have been affected, the rebuilding efforts that coincide with the human struggles continue to evolve, the relief an ongoing process that sometimes can take decades to be fulfilled. Disasters that are made by man such as the core melt-down at Chernobyl in the then U.S.S.R are just as devastating as natural disasters , such as Hurricane Katrina. The disaster at Chernobyl, in fact, has left the area uninhabitable for generations to come (Kapucu, Naim, and Alpaslan O?zerdem 2012).A disaster is not defined by its origin, but through its impact on an area and its population. Integrated Emergency Management (IEM) is the theoretical framework for the cooperative efforts of local and central government as they create an approach to effective disaster relief through both sets of entities. The key concepts for cross-organisational functions are flexibility, coordination and leadership (National or local disaster? 2011). Disasters on a small scale happen on a daily basis, utilizing the skills of the police departments, fire and rescue departments, and various other services that are