Thursday, January 30, 2020
The 2008 Presidential election Essay Example for Free
The 2008 Presidential election Essay The 2008 Presidential election will soon be upon us as many states have moved their primaries closer to the present day. It therefore would behoove every individual, no matter how apathetic they think that they are about the political process, to identify it and where they lay within the political spectrum. It is a source of great contention for all responsible citizens, when others dismiss our political process and then later complain when they have done nothing to change the status quo and do not even know the names of the candidates. This could have identified myself a few years ago. I took a greater interest in the history of politics than what was happening to my country in the present day. I then became aware of politics and therefore, needed to know where I stood and why.. This does not always hold true and there are certainly exceptions. However, the fact that Republicans base their beliefs on their faith and Democrats base their beliefs upon the Constitution first and perhaps their faith as well, such issues as abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research and the break down of the American family, all have compelled me to place one foot deep in the Republican Party and the other foot outside of both parties in the event that the Republican Party forgets the faith of the people that they represent as did the Democratic Party during the 1960s and 1970s. I consider myself a Kennedy Republican: strong moral and religious faith, unashamed of the greatness of this country, compelled to improve conditions for minorities as well as the poor, but always pushing self responsibility, self control and fiscal conservatism            One of the earliest and most powerful factors in a variety of aspects within my life, has been my family. It is ironic that the person who I learned the most from, now votes differently than I do. My father is a member of his union at work so he is compelled to vote for the Democratic Party. He does however disagrees with their stances on various social issues. The rest of my family agree with me and usually vote as I do. I come from a nuclear family and as a result, certain experiences are seen as an enigma rather than what was once the norm. My childhood was far from perfect. However, at the end of the day, I knew that my parents would always be there to meet my needs as well as a few of my wants. This did not happen by chance but through hard work and preparation. My parents were married when they were young but did not have children until seven years into their marriage. The reasons for this are two fold: First, they didn’t have the money to raise a family and second, they first wanted a stable marriage in which to bring a child into the world. As a result, I was afforded a few more opportunities and benefited directly from my parents responsibility. That is one reason why I am a strong believer in personal responsibility. If a person commits a crime, it is his fault alone for committing that particular infraction.  That is why I am against an unfettered welfare system in which positive reinforcement is given for negative behavior. This does exclude those who are truly down on their luck and despite their best efforts, cannot find gainful employment. This does not mean however, that an individual with no job, no education and no significant other who would be there to share the financial and emotional burdens that come from having a child, should continue to receive an escalated rate of payment from the government, because that person chose to have yet another child that they cannot support. The child should not be punished for the irresponsible behavior of his or her parent but the parent should not be rewarded as well. Unfettered welfare irks me to no end. My father worked two jobs in order to support his family. My mother is obese and is in ill health but still works 50-60 hours a week. Rather than apply for disability benefits which she would surely receive, she cannot consent to accept payments from the government for services that were never rendered.  My father is a painter in the summer and a school teacher the rest of the year. One summer day, he was painting outside and lost his balance. He fell and fractured his ribs on an air conditioner unit. He was back to work in two days with a bandage on his abdomen. As a family, we were never poor and he could have afforded to stay home for another week but if he could work, he did and continued to do so, six days a week, fifty two weeks out of the year.            As a result, I am firmly against continuing government sanctioned positive reinforcement toward negative behavior in the form of unfettered welfare payments. The current welfare system was started under President Lyndon Johnsons War on Poverty†(Schlesinger, 1965 pg. 761) where it was assumed that people would fight and claw their way back to become self sufficient but just needed a helping hand in the process. It could not be fathomed then, as it is still hard to comprehend today, that people would submit to receiving welfare payments for decades and would even have more children out of the motivation of receiving a larger government check. I feel that it is the responsibility of the parent, more than society and surely more than the government, to raise and support that child. I also believe that if the government is going to help and give aid to those families who are temporarily suffering from hard times that should be afforded to them while encouraging that individual to find another job as soon as possible. The government does not exist to serve as a babysitter for the American people. This is not what the rights expressed in the Constitution states and it contrary to the American work ethic which helped to give America the influence that it is long enjoyed. Hard work, responsibility and self control, I learned from my parents. As a result, I find it hard to prescribe to modern Democratic thought that seeks to protect abortion when parental responsibility would have avoided such issues, unfettered welfare while the individual is able to work and universal health care when it is the responsibility of the parent to pay for the bills of their own children.  The second great factor that influences me is my religious faith. More and more people are identifying themselves as atheists. The Republican Party has shown that they have little room for them.. Therefore, they go, sometimes by default, to the Democratic Party and affect the political party that used to stand for Christian values. It has become a sad reality but one cannot hope to gain the Democratic nomination for President unless he or she is pro choice and pro gay marriage to some degree. Also, many Democratic are for stem cell research in which the human embryo is destroyed in the process. The Republicans do not have a monopoly on what is right and moral.. However, the terms: The religious right and the secular left are becoming more and more accurate, although there are many exceptions. As a result, as long as such issues remain so destructive to the American moral fiber of this country, mistakes that the Republicans make, including many aspects of the War on Terror, it is understood, will not last forever and therefore, people should not be switching their vote over to the Democratic Party.        No matter how long it takes, the war will be over before babies will be given the protection of life that is seen in the Constitution and if our forefathers were alive today, would cringe at the fact that the practice of killing a human life, sometimes by piercing their brain with a steel rod, is allowed and tolerated in this country. The Bible states that God knew us while we were in our mothers womb. (Bible, 2000 pg. 328) Abortion is avoidable in 99% of the cases if the parents only possessed the desire not have sex until they are ready to endure the full consequences. Some of the blame should be placed at the feet of those who perpetrate this notion of a blameless society in which the consequences of sin which is now regarded as vile as a four letter word, is real and should be avoided.            The same can be said for the issues of gay marriage and stem cell research. Such things God takes very seriously. However, the fact that nearly 20,000 murders happen every year with the use of hand guns and Republicans fight so hard to keep that right, might seem to disappoint God as well. The Republicans do not have a monopoly on what God wants for this country. However, serious Christians cannot get past the idea of legalized murder and the continued acceptance of homosexuality by our government. Such notions appeal to many Americans and compels others to wonder what our forefathers would say if they were given the chance to commend on what has happened to the morals of this country. There are many on the political left that shake their head in frustration and disgust when they hear such motivations behind the Republican Party. This will likely be the case as religion becomes a four letter word more now than in recent history, As Muslim extremists hurt, not only the religion of Islam but all religion as those on the outside looking in and trying to understand those who claim a faith as religious fundamentalists and radicals.      There has been a minor resurgence of faith in America but as much as Christians and others of faith push for America to be the country that it once was in the area of religious freedom and expression, secularists will push back just as hard. Although a controversial figure, Bill OReilly corrected identified the problem as a culture war. It was saddening but not surprising that during the Clinton Presidency, the Christmas Tree became rather a holiday tree. When crosses are forbidden to reside in the side of the road as a family member tries to honor the death of a loved one, Christmas is now referred to as X-mas and American soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to their country in a time of war, yet cannot have any mention of God at their burial if the government is going to sponsor it. When that occurs, it is hard to believe that  there is not a definite war on people of faith in this country and, from my point of view, it is perpetrated by people who identify themselves as politically liberal. This is not an attempt to vilify all Liberals in such a way. The Democratic Party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, yes Lyndon Johnson, simply does not exist anymore and Democrats of faith are forced to choose their party over their faith as the two have less and less in common.            Once I began to identify with the Republican Party as I grew stronger in my faith, I then wanted to know my role in the political socialization and if I had any role in it. I avoid fights and heated arguments on the issue of politics. Discussing NAFTA or the growing trade deficit is not worth the loss of a friendship as my friends can become rather heated in their discussion of politics. I find it refreshing that I discuss politics with people my own age who actually follow the news. There are many who have become so apathetic about anything that does not involve popular culture, that to discuss politics, one would first need to be aware of the very basics of American Civics to which many are completely ignorant. In those case, I tend to inform my friends about what is going on and sometimes, spin the information to perhaps gain another convert. I would conclude however, that everybody, especially the media, does the same to a much greater degree. If somebody hears the details of partial birth abortions but then the media, in an effort to calm the moral outrage of the viewer, informs them that such things happen in less than 1% of the abortions in this country, I would then inform the same individual that with more than one million abortions committed every year, if only 1/4 of 1% of babies were subjected to this procedure, that meant that every year, twenty five hundred babies were having their brains pierced by a metal rod; a baby with the same number of hands, fingers, feet and toes as one who had just been born. (Johnson, 2004 pg. 1A)            The Republicans will probably lose their bid for the White House this year as the war in Iraq has made most Americans tired of the Republican Party and their mismanagement of it. Even the strongest supporter of the White House, questions when and where the Iraq war will end. This will cause a number of people to switch their allegiance to the Democratic Party. However, for the individuals like myself who are in this for the long haul and wish for America, not to become a theocracy, but to remember and respect what made this country great, to resist those who would seek to revise this countrys history and the basis for its laws. However, in an age of such apathy towards such serious issues that face the country in favor of who is the latest to survive the round of cuts on American idol, I am just happy to discuss politics with any informed and enlightened individual;, regardless of their political leanings. Such discussions serve as a welcomed and relaxing respite from what has become Americas most abundant export; mindless and fleeting popular culture. I will follow with great interest, the road that the rest of the country takes during this presidential election next year. WORKS CITED Johnson, Mark Partial Birth Abortion Ban Challenged by Dems USA Today August 12, 2004 Schlesinger, Arthur  A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House New York: Doubleday Press 1965 Toobin, Jeffrey The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court  New York: Doubleday Publishers  2007 The Holy Bible  New York: Oxford University Press 2000
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Conflicts of Interest between Auditors and Clients Essay -- Business E
The complete destruction of companies including Arthur Andersen, HealthSouth, and Enron, revealed a significant weakness in the United States audit system. The significant weakness is the failure to deliver true independence between the auditors and their clients. In each of these companies there was deviation from professional rules of conduct resulting from the pressures of clients placed upon their auditors (Goldman, and Barlev 857-859). Over the years, client and auditor relationships were intertwined tightly putting aside the unbiased function of auditors. Auditor careers depended on the success of their client (Kaplan 363-383). Auditors found themselves in situations that put their profession in a questionable time driving them to compromise their ethics, professionalism, objectivity, and their independence from the company. A vital trust relationship role for independent auditors has been woven in society and this role is essential for the effective functioning of the finan cial economic system (Guiral, Rogers, Ruiz, and Gonzalo 155-166). However, the financial world has lost confidence in the trustworthiness of auditor firms. There are three potential threats to auditor independence: executives hiring and firing auditors, auditors taking positions the client instead of the unbiased place, and auditors providing non audit services to clients (Moore, Tetlock, Tanlu, and Bazerman 10-29). According to the Institute of Internal Auditors, â€Å"conflict of interest is a situation in which an internal auditor, who is in a position of trust, has a competing professional or personal interest (Institute of Internal Auditors)†. Competing interests can make it difficult to fulfill his or her duties impartially as an auditor. "A perso... ...tion Law 29 (2):363-383. 365-partners and clients Threats to Auditor Independence: The Impact of Relationship and Economic Bonds. By: Ping Ye; Carson, Elizabeth; Simnett, Roger. Auditing, Feb2011, Vol. 30 Issue 1, p121-148, 28p, 1 Diagram, 6 Charts; DOI: 10.2308/aud.2011.30.1.121 Exploring Trust and the Auditor-Client Relationship: Factors Influencing the Auditor's Trust of a Client Representative. By: Rennie, Morina D.; Kopp, Lori S.; Lemon, W. Morley. Auditing, May2010, Vol. 29 Issue 1, p279-293, 15p, 1 Diagram, 3 Charts; DOI: 10.2308/aud.2010.29.1.279 The Auditor-Firm Conflict of Interests: Its Implications for Independence: A Reply. By: Goldman, Arieh; Barlev, Benzion. Accounting Review, Oct75, Vol. 50 Issue 4, p857-859, 3p Are Auditors Becoming Too Cozy With Their Clients? By: Briloff, Abraham J.. Business & Society Review (00453609), Summer85, Issue 54
Monday, January 13, 2020
Analysis of Roderick Usher’s character in the story The Fall of the house of Usher Essay
Question: Roderick Usher is a complicated character who seems to be both physically and mentally unstable; on top of that he is also terrified. What is he so afraid of that causes him to act this way towards Madeline and the others? It is because he had committed incest, hence a sense of guilt for his actions? Or is it because he is the last in line of the usher family? Use Freudian psychoanalysis to examine the character of Roderick Usher. To study an individual character by Freud’s psychoanalytical method one must first look into how a mind is divided. According to Freud psychoanalysis there are 3 layers in one’s mind: innermost layer ID (our subconscious state of mind), then super ego (dealing with human conscience of right and wrong) and outermost layer of the human ego (our conscious self). Freud states that an individual can only control two-third of their mind that is the remaining one-third – the ID cannot be controlled nor can one be even aware of its state. ID, which is our ‘actual self’, the honest complicated inner-being which decides our actions, even the ones we are incapable of explaining is something beyond one’s reach. One does not have any idea of what is going on that part of their mind; all the repressed feelings are also stored in this section. Freud also mentioned that these repressed feelings or actions always emerge in the most ‘violent’ possible and unexpected ways and that explains Roderick’s actions throughout the story. These repressed feelings can sometimes disguise in the form of something noble or kind. This outburst is termed as Freudian slip: unintended actions or reactions due to repressed feelings. Usher being the last male clan of his family invites his friend the narrator to the Usher house. This story leaves us with many questions beginning with no complete explanation of the narrator’s motives for arriving at the house of Usher or the other way around, why did Usher invite his friend? A few possible reasons could be that Roderick knew he would not survive so he wanted someone to witness the last moments or actions that would take place or just be with him, or maybe he wanted someone to justify the sexual tension between him and his sister Madeline. And if a sexual tension did exist between the twins then his sense of guilt and fear can also be justified. Roderick and Madeline were like two halves of the same circle, and therefore maybe the presence of an incestual relationship would make a little sense. In the contemporary period intermarriages was a popular practice among the upper class royal families and since their family has no enduring branches, all offsprings were probably reproduced incestuously within the perimeter of the house. However, another reason why Roderick could have invited the narrator could be because he may have been homosexual and maybe felt something towards his childhood friend. It is strange why Roderick specifically chooses the narrator and no one else, like the other parts of the story, this part is equally mysterious. Madeline is a ghostly figure in the story, more like she’s in the background, we only hear of Roderick and the narrator spending time together. And hence, the sexual orientation could be a possible explanation. Roderick seemed to be suffering from hyperesthesia – excessive physical sensitivity, especially of the skin (Oxford Dictionary). At the same time Madeline was cataleptic – a medical condition characterized by a trance or seizure with a loss of sensation and consciousness accompanied by rigidity of the body (Oxford Dictionary). Therefore she never lived in the real world, she was unaware of the circumstances, and absolutely lived in her own world. They were both mentally unstable, the twins. Roderick and Madeline both looked pale; it’s as if one was ill because the other was. Now this also brings about questions in our minds about the mental condition of their previous generations. In most cases people inherit such disorders. So if we consider the mental disorder to be genetic, the Freudian slip adds to it and makes it worse, and definitely makes a person totally unstable mentally. The narrator’s description give us an idea of how healthy Roderick used to be once and how his health from what the narrator sees after he goes to the Usher house has gone worse. To sum up Roderick’s character analysis, it can be said, that his disorder is somewhat genetic which is multiplied because of his repressed emotions. What probably made him so scared was people finding out about his past or incestual desires if there were any. And that is why maybe he buried his sister alive, he thought burying the sister would be burying the truth. His sister was the only kin for years alone with him, and since they were halves of the same circle, therefore the incestual relationship does make a little sense. The Freudian slip may have evoked some unusual actions towards his sister resulting into incest.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
The Effects Of Gender And Steroid Use On Body Image...
This report This report is an academic critique of a Quantitative research article written by Mark Anthony Peters and Leadelle Phelps (2001) entitled: ‘Body Image dissatisfaction and distortion, steroid use, and sex differences in college age bodybuilders.’ Under the section ‘Steroid use’ it is made fairly clear towards the end of the paragraph that the main aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of gender and steroid use on body image dissatisfaction and distortion among college age bodybuilders. Based on my interpretation and overall understanding of Quantitative research, I will evaluate/critique this article with professionalism and discipline. Introduction As stated in the abstract above the title of this piece is ‘Body Image dissatisfaction and distortion, steroid use, and sex differences in college age bodybuilders’. The main aim of this research was to ‘evaluate the effects of gender and steroid use on the body image dissatisfaction and distortion among college age bodybuilders’. Furthermore, in order to clarify differentiation between the two genders, two research questions were used. The first one being – What effect do gender (male or female) and steroid consumption status (non-use or use) have on body dissatisfaction and the second question being, what effect do gender (male or female) and steroid consumption status (non-use or use) have on body distortion. Both of the problem statements coincide with the title and seem to be of educational significance
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