Statue Of King Chephren Essays - Khafra, Upper And Lower Egypt, Km

Statue Of King Chephren The extraordinary statue of King Chephren is a masterpiece of sculpture in the round. This work is 168cm tall, 96cm long and 57cm wide, which was the approximate size of the king. The artist who created this sculpture is unknown, as it was found when Mariette's workmen were exploring the favissa of Chephren's valley temple in 1860. The statue was built during the reign of King Chephren, which historians estimate lasted from 2540-2505 BC. The statue is a cut block of Diorite, a granular crystalline igneous rock. This work can be found in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Ground Floor, room 42), or if you are unable to visit Cairo, images of the work can be found in the Official Catalogue of The Egyptian Museum of Cairo (pages 64,65) Chephren was the son of Cheops. The enthroned king rests one hand flat on his knee while he holds a folded piece of material in the other. He wears a nemes headdress with pleaded lappets. Attached to his chin is the sign of his dignity, the ceremonial beard. He is also dressed in a shendjyt, a type of short pleated kilt. Two lions support the king's seat, one on each side. The two lions are to provide the king with both power and protection. On each side of the throne the motif of the unity of the two lands, or sema-tawy, is etched in high relief. The sema-tawy, is composed of the heraldic plants of the Two Lands. Lilies, for the south, and papyrus, for the north, are knotted around the hieroglyphic sign for 'union'. The statue of King Chephren contains implied detail, meaning that very few lines in the right positions can make up for a completely textured work. This feature causes your eye to start at the king's face and move around the statue, without being confused by excessive detail. The throne is elevated about a foot above ground level, so the king would appear more powerful to worshippers bowing before the statue. The work is covered with symbolism, including the protection of the lions, the sema-tawy, and the falcon, Horus, God of the sky, perched on Chephren's back protecting the king's head with his wings. Excluding the fact that one hand is clenched in a fist and the other is resting on his knee, the work is symmetrical. This work was constructed between the years 2540-2505 BC during the reign of King Chephren to praise him as a great ruler of Egypt. No one knows exactly when the work was sculpted or who may have participated in the creation of the statue. The Great Sphinx and the second pyramid in Giza were also created during Chephren's rule, making it a very prudential part of Egypt's artistic history. I was flipping through a book of ancient Egyptian art trying to find a piece to analyze when my finger slipped upon the statue of King Chephren. Most of the Egyptian statues were constructed of limestone, but the statue of Chephren was made of a black stone, which immediately caught my attention. I learned that it was Diorite and is much harder than limestone, and more difficult to work with. The work is very exquisite. It is obvious that the artist(s) that worked on it was very talented and must have created other great works to be entrusted with creating the King's image in a statue. I respect the time, effort, and talent that must have gone into such a work, but I'm not spiritually moved by the piece. The statue does not relate to me and thus I can not comprehend it and all of the meaning and symbolism it may have once had to ancient people.

5 Ways to Make Money as a Poet

5 Ways to Make Money as a Poet Ask any poet you know if they ever considered making a living from their writing and youre likely to get an incredulous laugh in response. Thats because most poets- particularly the ones who have tried to do it- understand that the prospect of making a career out of their poetry is slim to †¦ well, very slim.In her article Livelihood of the Poets, Rachel Friedman writes: The three best-selling poetry books of 2011 were: Horoscopes for the Dead by Billy Collins, Leavings by Wendell Berry, and Come, Thief by Jane Hirshfield. Collins sold 28,406 copies of Horoscopes. If we estimate a 10% royalty rate, he made around $44,177 on it. Berry, in second place, only sold 2,928 copies of Leavings, making him about $4,377. Hirshfield did similarly, selling 2,250 copies earning $5,625.Granted, even if you made it to the number-one bestseller spot, $44k is arguably not a livable wage in many parts of the country. With that thought in mind, as a poet, you might want to keep your day job even i f your work becomes a bestseller. However, if youre looking to make a sizeable side income from your writing, that goal might be far less of a pipe dream than making a living from it. And here are a few ideas that can actually put dollars in your pocket because of your poems.Online productsT-shirts, wall plaques, caps and aprons- the possibilities are endless for online entrepreneurship for poets who want to make a living out of their writing. With the right few lines printed on clothing, home dà ©cor, or other accessories, and the right amount of marketing put into selling them, your poems could be making you a livable income.A quick search on Etsy for poetry art reveals pages of poems as wall art for sale. While many of these poems are written by famous poets, the option to sell your own poetry is there. You can view how others design the art and posters, and use it as inspiration for designing your own, including the media used.Websites like Vistaprint.com provide printing servi ces for everything from totes and luggage to t-shirts and polos. You create the design that goes on them- notably a design that includes your poetry- and then market those items in your own personal web shop or sales venue.Greeting cardsIf theres one poetic medium that still sells on a daily basis, its greeting cards. In fact, this post from the Penny Hoarder offers a run-down of eight companies openly seeking submissions for greeting card copy. These companies have different submission guidelines and content requests, so youll need to do some research to find out who pays the best rates and is seeking your particular style of writing.Self-publishingThis post from Poets Writers offers a guide on the steps youll need to take to get your poetry manuscript self-published. It includes an overview of self-publishing, as well as tips on vetting your manuscript, setting a budget, creating the final product, establishing goals, choosing a platform and devising a marketing strategy.Keep in mind that your self-publishing success as a poet will be directly tied to two things: 1) Your appeal and ability to engage audiences, and 2) your marketing efforts. Lets talk a little about each and how you can increase your chances of sales should you decide to take this route.Appealing to audiencesThe number-one bestselling poet of all time is Shakespeare, according to Joan Acocella. Second is Lao-tzu, with Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet coming in third with his collection of twenty-six prose poems, delivered as sermons by a fictional sage. Published in 1923, The Prophet has sold more than nine million copies in its American edition alone.In the above-mentioned article, Joan Acocella writes, There are public schools named for Gibran in Brooklyn and Yonkers. The Prophet has been recited at countless weddings and funerals. It is quoted in books and articles on training art teachers, determining criminal responsibility, and enduring ectopic pregnancy, sleep disorders, and the n ews that your son is gay. Its words turn up in advertisements for marriage counselors, chiropractors, learning disabilities specialists, and face cream.The point the author attempts to drive home is the widespread appeal of Gibrans words. They are vague enough to apply to multiple contexts and multiple religious backgrounds, and thus, increase the readership to a much bigger audience. The author also notes how Gibrans use of comforting, inspirational messaging contributed to his success as a poet. She writes, More than the soundness of its advice, however, the mere fact that The Prophet was an advice book- or, more precisely, inspirational literature- probably insured a substantial readership at the start. Gibrans closest counterpart today is the Brazilian sage Paulo Coelho, and his books have sold nearly a hundred million copies.What these numbers tell us is that in order to find commercial success as a poet, you will need to reach large audiences with an inspirational message. How ever, perhaps youre not looking to achieve the same success as poets like Gibran and Shakespeare, and simply want to make a decent, livable wage. In that case, keep in mind that the more niche your chosen topics, the smaller your audiences will be. If you need to write about trauma faced by women in abusive relationships, by all means, write about it. Just realize that your audiences will be limited and therefore, your sales will be as well.Your marketing effortsAs with any self-publishing efforts, marketing will play a large role in the success of your sales. With social media advertising, particularly Facebook, youll have better opportunity to reach larger audiences than youd have without it. Thats why its important to include marketing as one of your primary goals when venturing into the world of self-publishing. Getting the book completed and published is really just the first step.Joanna Penn is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers un der J.F. Penn. She also writes non-fiction for authors, and her site, TheCreativePenn.com has been voted in the Top 100 sites for writers by Writers Digest.On her site, she offers free marketing advice for self-published writers looking to maximize the sales of their book. In this section, she covers everything from aspects of a successful book launch to building your author website and optimizing your books advertising copy for online sales. Additionally, she includes details on how to:Attract readers with a great book sales descriptionChoose the right categories and keywords for your bookPrice books and use free downloadsUse author pseudonymsUse box-sets and bundlingTeachingTeaching is a common day job for poets and allows you to be a poet while making a livable wage. However, as Rachel Friedman points out, with thousands of students graduating with MFAs in poetry, there are fewer than a thousand spots available for teaching positions for someone with those credentials. This means that there are a lot of poets unable to find teaching positions doing what they love.However, you dont necessarily have to be hired by a university to make a living teaching about poetry. Many community centers and libraries rent out space to hold classes youve organized on your own. In fact, you could teach after-school poetry classes for teens, summer camps for elementary-aged kids, or even parents night out workshops for kids to learn more about the process of writing poetry while their parents take a much-needed date night.SongwritingJason Blume is a professional songwriter who is using his skills as a poet to make money. On his website, which offers advice for anyone interested in making money from writing songs, he notes: Success doesnt happen by luck or coincidence. There are no magic answers or quick roads to songwriting success; steer clear of anyone promising them. But, with hard work, practice, and perseverance, Ive seen my students write #1 singles, sign staff-writing d eals, publish their songs, win contests and festivals, have their songs recorded, and become hits.The site Careers in Music provides this advice for anyone interested in songwriting as a way to earn money: As a Songwriter, except for the rarest exceptions, 100% of your income comes from royalties earned when people buy digital and tangible recordings of your songs (downloads and CDs) and from streaming, as well as performance royalties that are generated when songs are played on the radio, broadcast on television, on the Internet, on airplanes, and in places such as restaurants, nightclubs, and concert halls.A final noteWhile poetry is certainly not a lucrative career choice, writers who are passionate about the craft of writing it can certainly find ways to make an income from their poetry. As with any writing endeavor, if your passion for the genre and topic shows through, the likelihood of finding success in sales is much higher. So stay passionate and find your success as a poet .

What is an Ellipsis

What is an Ellipsis What Is an Ellipsis? Ellipses are punctuation marks that are useful in academic writing, where there is sometimes a need to quote sources at length. This is because ellipses indicate when something has been left out from a quote, helping you to express yourself succinctly. Despite this important role, many people are unsure about how and when to use ellipses. As such, we’ve prepared this guide on how to quote elliptically. Overview: What Is an Ellipsis? As mentioned above, an ellipsis is a punctuation mark indicating an omission from a quotation, typically presented as a set of three periods ( †¦ ). An ellipsis can thus be used to emphasize important points when quoting lengthy passages by omitting excess detail: The popularity of the owl †¦ stems from its design for coping with, and hunting in, the darkness. Enormous frontal eyes stare out from cheek-like facial discs, and they have †¦ highly developed ears: Both are part of the owl’s equipment for homing in on elusive and alert prey. In the above passage, additional details have been removed to focus on two features (â€Å"enormous frontal eyes† and â€Å"highly developed ears†). It is important, however, that the amended text still makes a complete sentence, so read it back to yourself after making any omissions. Presentation The most common version of an ellipsis is the one used in the above passage (i.e., three dots with a space before and after the ellipsis). However, conventions differ depending on the style guide used, so remember to check whether your school specifies a style. Variations you may see include: Three dots with no spaces on either side (e.g., There is something†¦missing here.) Three dots with spaces between them (e.g., There is something . . . missing here.) Three dots enclosed within square brackets (e.g., There is something [†¦] missing here.) Usually, as long as you use a clear and consistent style, the type of ellipses you use will not be a major issue. Informal Writing You may also see ellipses in less formal writing, where they are often used†¦ wait for it†¦ to indicate a dramatic or comic pause! In these cases there will sometimes be no space before the ellipsis. However, there is usually a space afterwards to indicate the end of the pause. Alternatively, if used at the end of a sentence, an ellipsis can indicate a thought or utterance trailing away to nothing without a satisfying†¦

Introduction to Consumer Behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Consumer Behavior - Assignment Example 2. Search engine companies are responding to the capability of apps to limit or exclude identity of the user by using technology related bias that threatens values such as privacy and favor values related with scrutiny and monitoring. The companies tend to manipulate search results by systematically giving prominence to some sites. Search engine companies have also resorted to offering of personalization and customizing features (Johnson 26-9). Security of users, data and the network has been given first priority by the search engine companies through robust security architecture and rigorous security programs. There are flexibility required for open platform such as protecting user data, system resources and offering application isolation. There is secure inter-process communication, application signing and application defined and user defined permissions. 3. Tagging apps users is helpful in grouping customers and the usefulness is evident when searching on a tag. Tagging further assists in identifying users deemed significant for categorizing app users. New methods of tagging app users also play a significant role in driving repeated usage where new products and services can be built. The new tagging capabilities may further help to expand app landscape and making mobile marketing more competitive (Johnson 29-30). The new methods may also help in optimizing strategies for ranking and maintenance of a user-base in the social media and even change the way users discover apps. 4. Facebook’s challenges of transferring its targeted ad to mobile platforms may play reach a huge number of mobile phone users worldwide. Consumers will be able to learn about different ads at their convenience. Many companies will be able to offer their ads information to the targeted customers globally and provide them with variety of products and services. In this case, consumers will enjoy variety of

Analysis of Normal Accidents as described by Richard Bookstaber Essay

Analysis of Normal Accidents as described by Richard Bookstaber - Essay Example The best that an investor may get out of a bad investment is cost aversion. In the absence of this, the investor may be very certain that he or she would be running at a loss. In some cases, the choice of investment is not necessarily what constitutes a bad investment for an investor. Rather, it is the approach used in investing. So an investor may be selecting the best form of investment but he or she may be approaching the investment wrongly. This is exactly the point outlined by Bookstaber in his book, A Demon of our own. The writer is very concerned about approaches that are taken by investors because, in his opinion, a series of tightly coupled processes may only lead to normal accidents, which not as the name suggests, may be very disastrous. Normal Accidents Explained In his writing, Bookstaber describes normal accidents in relation to financial forces. The writer first uses scenarios of other forms of forces to explain his arguments of normal forces. The writer notes that â⠂¬Å"if you put in an extra warning light or sensor on a nuclear reactor or an aeroplane, that's one more thing that could fail, causing confusion and a disastrous cascade of cause and effect† (Fitch, 2009). In the words of Fitch (2009), the situation causes â€Å"investors to bet on stocks, bonds and interest rates, often with a large degree of leverage.† The resulting consequence for such decisions is that there have been derivatives that have led to high levels of complexities in the financial system and this has led to normal accidents (Bookstaber, 2008, pg. 143). The concept of normal accidents as introduced by Bookstaber could, therefore, be related to the everyday concept of putting all of a person’s eggs in one basket. It is known that the resulting effect of such an action is that once the basket breaks the fellow losses all the eggs. In the financial sector, once investors become overconfident in their investment and channel all their funds to a single domain, the resulting effect is tight coupling and complexity Indeed, â€Å"the combination of tight coupling and complexity is a formula for normal accident† – especially when the structure of the fin ancial system cannot handle the complexity. (Bookstaber, 2008, pg. 256). Tightly Coupled Processes in the Financial Sector In page 256, introduces a concept of the structure of the system when he says that normal accidents are â€Å"accidents that are all but evitable as a result of the structure of the system.† The idea that this piece of information creates is that normal accidents are actually often influenced by the prevailing financial structures and system. Indeed, it is when the financial sector gets tightly coupled that investment decisions by investors may result in normal accidents.  

Two Cheers for Materialism Essay Example for Free

Two Cheers for Materialism Essay Regardless of where we live, where we grew up, and where we are going, its influence has played an important role in our lives. Whether we know it or not, materialism is one of the most influential forces we interact with. In his essay â€Å"Two Cheers for Materialism† James Twitchell discusses the history, location, and impact materialism has had on society. With the use of the view points from many academics and historical figures, Twitchell offers insight into materialism’s effect on how we function in today’s world. He concludes all of this with the idea that materialism is not just the desire to collect commodities, but it’s a force that truly shows the advancement of society. From the days of horses and buggies, to modern day status quo of Hondas and Toyotas, the value of the commodity, both economically and personally, as drastically changed. The economic changing of materialism is obviously seen in the inflation of everything we buy (cloths, foods, cars, ect. ) whereas the value these items have to our identities is not as obvious. In the essay, Twitchell makes his major point by saying that over time materialism has morphed from what we have, to what we are—that is, materialism is our identity. Twitchell focuses a good portion of the essay on the development of materialism, and how it has become part of our identity. An important part of this idea, and how Twitchell views it, is that unlike how many academics view it, materialism is not this horrid idea that breaks us down into little soul-less robots, as depicted in The Great Gatsby. Twitchell argues that materialism is what makes us different then our pre-20th century selves. As Twitchell says â€Å"The outcome of material life is no longer preordained by coat of arms, pew seat, or trust fund. †(289) by this he means that materialism is now a choice. We can use it to decide who we are, by what we buy. No longer are we born into ‘what’ we are. This allows us â€Å"to be cool, hip, with it, with the ‘in’ crowd. † (289). I agree with Twitchell’s theory on this, and moreover can add that this change overtime of materialism’s role has led to groups such as â€Å"yuppies,† â€Å"indies,† and â€Å"preps. Without materialism, then we couldn’t purchase certain items that make us into the groups we want to be in. Materialism gets rid of the disadvantages we are born with, as anyone can fork over some money for knock off goods, or even splurge for the real version. Because of this, materialism has become our identity, and the beauty of it is, unlike genetics, we can change the hand we’re dealt. Twitchell says it best in this passage—â€Å"We live through our things. We create ourselves through things. And we change ourselves by changing our things. (282). Materialism is us. We are materialism. Along with suggesting this major role materialism plays in our lives, Twitchell makes various points on the academics that have critiqued materialism over the years. He scorns those who look down upon the materialistic world, while using their critiques to make points about it. I believe this condescension of academia goes hand in hand with his praise of materialism, as he points out, the academic world looks at themselves with such a high regard, they don’t see the hypocracy in their statements. Twitchell gives the example of the Volvo driving critic who will spend hours criticizing the bourgeois fascination with materials, but neglects the decals on his car, which prove to be just as materialistic. Along with scorning these critics, Twitchell praises many in their contributions to his essay. He uses an academic, Stanley Lebergott, to show the outcome of materialism’s effect on us. As Lebergott says, â€Å"most Americans have ‘spent their way to happiness’. This goes very far in enforcing the positives of materialism, and further scorns those who are against it. Twitchell’s use of other writers is very prominent in this essay, and very important in evaluating the essay as a hole. From history changing men like Karl Marx, to circle-known French sociologists Pierre Bourdieu and Jean Baudrillard, Twitchell while reading this essay, it feels like Twitchell quotes anyone who ever wrote the word materialism on a published document before. This strategy makes me very skeptical of Twitchell’s knowledge. While I agree with most of the points Twitchell makes, I think he relies too heavily on the thoughts of others, which overall ends in a weak backing of his main point. Twitchell gets stuck between †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. All in all, Twitchell makes a very important point about materialism that to me saves its reputation in American culture. Regardless of what we think about materials, materials show how far we’ve come. No longer are we born into a role, materials make it possible to become who we want to be become.

The Transformation of Hal in Shakespeares Henry IV Essay -- Henry IV

The Transformation of Hal in Henry IV      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare's Henry IV, the character Hal, the Prince of Wales, undergoes a transformation that can be characterized as a redemption. Shakespeare introduces Hal, in the opening act as a renegade of the Court.   His avoidance of all public responsibility and his affinity for the company of   the Boar's Head Tavern, have caused serious concern for the King, because Hal is heir to the throne.   The King realizes that to keep order, a ruler and his heir must prove to be both responsible and honorable;   from the outset Hal possesses neither quality.   The King even testifies to his own advisor, that he would have rather traded Hal for Hotspur, the son of the Earl of Northumberland.   In the King's eyes Hotspur, not Hal,   is the "theme of honor's tongue" (1.1. 80), because he has won his glory through his merits in war.   Thus, Shakespeare has set Hal and Hotspur in opposition:   Hal, the prodigal prince, versus Hotspur, the proper prince.   Hal understands that he has been branded with the label, "truant to chivalry,"(5.1.   95) and as the heir to the throne, he realizes that it is imperative that he redeem himself not only for himself, but also for his father and his people because life will not always be a holiday , for "If all the year were playing holidays, To sport would be as tedious as work" (1.2. 211- 212).   However Hal needs some type of strength to make his realization come true.      Luckily Hal's father, the King is willing to lend several comments that enrage him and provide him with the necssary motivation.   It also seems that Shakespeare has included the foil for Hal, the vali... ...o someday rule the nation.       Works Cited and Consulted Barber, C.L. "Rule and Misrule in Henry1V." William Shakespeare: Histories and Poems. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 143-167. Bloom, Harold. Henry IV, Part One: Bloom's Notes. New York: Chelsea House, 1996. Cruttwell,Patrick. Hernry IV. Shakespeare For Students, Vol. II. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1999. Kantor, Andrea. Henry IV, Part One. London: Baron's Education Series, Inc, 1984. Princiss, G.M. Henry IV Criticism. Shakespeare For Students, Vol.II. Detroit: Gale Publishing, 1999. Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed Stephen Greenblatt, et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. Shakespeare, William.  Ã‚   1Henry IV.   In The Norten Anthology of English Literature. Eds.   M.H. Abrams et all.   5th Ed. New York: Norton, 1987.  

Polticaal situation of nepal Essay

Introduction The mass movement of April 2006 in Nepal sought to restore parliament for the democratic process to continue and to initiate a peace process for the end of a ten-year long armed conflict. This required the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) to join democratic competition which in turn necessitated the devising of a constitution to manage root causes of conflicts afflicting the nation. Hence, a Constituent Assembly (CA) election, that would pave the way for an inclusive state responsive of social diversity and sustainable peace, was seen as the compromise solution among all the political forces. A train of processes and events was thus set off resulting in the advent of current Nepalese politics. A Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed between an alliance of the seven political parties (six after the merger of Nepali Congress and Nepali Congress-Democratic) and the CPN (Maoist) on November 21, 2006. An Interim Constitution drafted and the restored parliament dissolved to pave the way for an interim legislature and interim government that included the CPN (Maoist) in 2007. The ruling seven-party alliance (SPA) announced substantive structural reforms, such as declaration of the country secular, federal and republican. Civilian control of Nepal Army (NA), nationalization of royal property, empowerment of the Premier as head of state, abolition of the national unification day and substitution of the national anthem were announced as time went by. There were also reform measures such as greater inclusiveness regarding marginalized people in the CA, the bureaucracy and police. However, all these measures have allowed a neo-patrimonial regime to incubate, sapping the political will necessary to alter the policy and strategic development vital to transform the â€Å"structural causes of conflicts†. This has hindered efforts for cultural, social, economic and political transformation needed to establish a well-organized virtuous state capable of instituting sound democratic governance. The political transition has remained highly turbulent due to the open-ended nature of the conflict system. It is, therefore, hard to say whether Nepal has actually entered a post-conflict phase. The continuation of high political dynamics in the country now indicates a steady erosion of the writ of state and the low level of constitutional and government’s stability. This has resulted in a new bargaining environment for armed non-state actors and movement-oriented ethno- regional forces thus further  limiting the scope for complex reforms, both involving long-term institutional restructuring and short-term policy interventions. The weakness of state institutions has further spoiled efforts to promote relief to vulnerable sections of the population and address conflict residues. Social movements of marginalized groups– women, Dalits (untouchable underclass), Janajatis (ethnic groups), Aadibasis (indigenous groups) and Madhesis (people living in the southern plains) â €” for identity, proportional representation, federalism and self-determination and insurrectionary activities of two-dozen non-state armed actors have upset the coherence of state-society relations in an unprecedented manner. While the mainstream parties have interest in restructuring the state, the social forces favor restructuring political parties to expand the social base of politics. As a result, the SPA has missed three deadlines (June 14 and 20 and November 22) for the CA elections to draft a new constitution. It was forced to amend the Interim Constitution three times in eight months-(May 9, June 14 and December 18) to give in to rising demands that the political process was exacting and to give in to the voice of various agitating groups. Among the provisions included in the amendments the more significant ones empower the parliament to abolish the monarchy, if found plotting against the CA elections, and declare the country a federal democratic republic, subject to ratification by the elected CA, or even before that by a two-thirds legislators if the King poses a threat to the elections. Despite voices emerging for a space for monarchy and efforts of CPN (Maoist), NC and CPN-UML to woo its suppo rters, King Gynendra remains aloof from the power struggle. All this has not changed the political dynamics for the better. The Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), a group which organized violent protests in the Tarai where scores of people were killed last year, is demanding a fourth revision of the constitution to address the grievances of the Madhesis. The peace process kept in limbo by the political events appears to have been finally taken up with the 23-point accord reached among the SPA constituents on 23 December. It finally decided that it would establish a high level Peace Council and the six basic pillars of peace within a month. Accordingly, the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal has been assigned to probe into rights violations during past emergency rule, managing cantonments and providing remuneration to Maoist  combatants, return of illegally seized public property, end to forced donation by Maoists, etc. It vows to hold the CA elections by April 10, 2008, has increased the number of seats for CA from 497 to 6 01 and began a common process of electoral socialization through joint mass meetings. The process is marred by mutual accusations. On January 16, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction R. C. Paudel, made a public call on all the agitating groups for dialogue and facilitate CA elections. He has to be more strategic with the ability to strike a balance between achieving the human rights protection objective and responding to changing narratives of discourse, contexts, actors, issues, rules and political priorities. Constituent Assembly Elections The Election Commission (EC) has already published the CA election schedule and enforced the election code of conduct from January 16. The parties contesting it will have to submit their closed list of candidates for proportional representation system by February 22, registration of candidature for direct voting will be opened from February 22 to 25 and the candidates will be given election symbols on March 2. The Interim Constitution recognizes the SPA but says that anyone else willing to register a new political party must submit 10,000 signatures to EC. Many opposition parties – MPRF (Yadav), MPRF (Bishwas), Rastriy Prajatantra Party (RPP)-Nepal, Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP), RPP, Nepal Sadbhava Party and Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP) have depicted the SPA as undemocratic in spirit and attitude and argued that setting the date for elections without creating a proper security and political environment is meaningless. The MPRF and TMLP blaming the deployment of Special Task Force â€Å"for creating terror in Tarai and helping the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL), have threatened to stage a decisive agitation if their demands are not addressed by January 18. Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), a coalition of 54 ethnic groups, has put its dilemma this way: if it wages its movement, the SPA will be demolished; if not, the SPA refuses to implement the 20-pint accord it signed with the government. The meeting of the high level seven-party coordinating committee, a SPA coordination mechanis m, is currently discussing the possibility of conducting elections in two phases, keeping in mind the security situation in the Tarai. It  decided to request the EC to postpone the implementation of the code of conduct for 15 days so that local bodies can be constituted. Finance Minister R. S. Mahat has requested Nepal’s international development partners to extend an additional assistance of $4.76 million to implement the 23-point accord among the SPA and to hold the elections. At the same time, an influential section of NC has warned of â€Å"Tarai disintegration† if election takes place in two phases. The decision of the government to distribute $15,870 to each legislator for the development of their constituency also stoked the fire of protest in the civil society. The pre-election perk out of the government coffer does not make the election competitive process. It is such controversies that overturned the election apple-cart in the past. A badly designed election can easily foment social divisions, fragment the political sphere, institutionalize sub-national conflicts and embroil the nation into the centrifugal pressure of regional geopolitics. Tarai’s Geopolitics Twenty-two districts in Nepal’s southern plains bordering India constitute the Terai or Madhesh. It is fertile area and is linked to Nepal’s major supply routes to hills. After the declaration of secular state and talk about redistributive land reforms, the glue that bind hill and Tarai communities got lost. The Madhesi movement spearheaded by the MPRF wants the declaration of the Madhesh as an autonomous region, talks with armed Madhesi groups, balanced distribution of state revenue and income to Madhesh, proportional representation in all the governance institutions including the NA, appointment of chief administrators in Madhesh from the Madhesi communities, return weapons captured by Maoists to the concerned people and declaration of those killed during the Madhesh movement as martyrs including compensation for their families. The TMLP has expressed its desire to have its own state organs for the plains. The two radical components of Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha ( JTMM) demand international mediators like the UN to resolve their issues and a separate independent state. India’s assertion that â€Å"Tarai’s demands should be addressed,† has provoked a prickly reaction from various political forces. Premier Koirala who had earlier assertion that the â€Å"Tarai problem can be resolved within a minute with India’s cooperation† has led to suspicions about an ‘Indian hand’ in the  unrest. India’s main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, criticizes the Indian government for remaining silent on the collusion of Indian and Nepali communists for creating turmoil in both countries and quashing of the symbols of Nepal’s stability and unity-Hindu state and monarchy. An open border with India, existence of co-ethnics across the border and affiliation of each group and political party with like-minded ones in India create a context in which resolution of conflict requires confidence-building measures from both sides. The violent conflict in the Tarai has forced the hill people to migrate to safe places and create their own mechanisms in the area, like the Chure Bhavar Unity Society (CBUS) that positions itself in the foothills border ing the Terai and the mountains, for autonomy and self-defense. The autonomy movement in the Madhesh has snowballed into ethnic Tharus, Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Gurungs, Magars, Dalits and Newars also demanding autonomous federal states based on the right to self-determination. But, there is no unity among Madhesi groups due to their multiple caste, language, religious and ethnic identities. For example, TMLP leadership is dominated by high caste groups, MPRF by intermediary caste groups and JTMM by lower caste groups. The government’s Special Task Force (STF), deployed in Kathmandu and eight Terai districts, has failed to penetrate, divide and destroy criminal networks and create public security for local governance to operate. Nepal’s problems cannot be tackled without taking this regionalism into account and identifying ways to address it. No matter how one looks at this problem, it seems obvious that there is no military solution. The political package must create a situation favorable to all groups where they see they have more t o gain through peace than violence. An election in a security and authority vacuum will neither have legitimacy nor ability to institutionalize democratic polity. Law and Order The Nepalese army has expressed its commitment to democracy and a nationally-owned security sector reforms. But, Chief of Army Staff, Gen. R. Katawal clearly said â€Å"No† to integrate the CPN (Maoist) combatants. The UN has verified 19,602 politically indoctrinated People’s Liberation Army (PLA) out of its total force of over 32,000. Premier G. P Koirala agrees with the army’s viewpoint and has given options to Maoists- to integrate the PLA into  industrial security groups or give them priority in foreign employment. Nepal’s total strength of security forces stands at 165,000– NA (92,000), the civilian police (48,000) and Armed Police Force (25,000). The NA is holed up inside barracks as per the peace accord. The existence of these two adversarial structures does not provide any incentive for confidence building and to pursue a viable peace process for the future. Similarly, without disarming all autonomous armed groups and improving civil-milit ary relations, the chances of free and fair elections remain fragile. Erosion of state monopoly on power, taxation and loyalty of citizens, growth of competitive violence and failure of statehood in governance have confiscated the state’s capacity to provide security in the country. As a result the ability of the political system to maintain balance of power between different governance organs is severely undermined which is telling on its capacity to enforce rule of law, provide service delivery and resolve the multi-layered conflict. SPA’s control over the legislature, the executive control over the judiciary and a lack of legitimate opposition have established monopoly rule. There is an absence of institutions protecting property rights and promotion of collective goods. Nepal has a very weak middle class and poor mediating agencies to protect the rights and welfare of the poor. Tax contributes 12 percent to GDP and the contribution of public sector output to GDP is only about 7 percent. Foreign aid constitutes 70 percent of developmen t outlays. Domestic revenue raising capacity is very poor. Easy borrowing from international institutions has established the government’s autonomy from their tax paying citizens. As a result, the government is less concerned with institutional capacity of the state to deliver governance goals. The substantial contribution of remittance to GDP (17 percent) too has detrimental effect on the accountability of government. GDP growth rate of 2.3 percent hardly balances out the population growth of 2.2 percent. The daily per capita income of $ 1 puts Nepal’s human security condition at the bottom of world development statistics. Feudalism, caste hierarchy and patriarchy have suppressed social mobility of the underclass. This lack of social and economic security has made Nepal’s politics highly inflammable amidst radical appeals and growing frustration. Nepal’s bureaucracy, police and public institutions are highly politicized along partisan lines, de-motivated, show poor esprit de corps and weak to enforce  rule of law and deliver essential public services. â€Å"The rulers have no trust in the constitution, leading to its failure,† Ch airman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, Laxman Aryal said on January 15. To him, the constitution emerged as a compromise among SPA constituents for the transition politics until the CA election is conducted. It, therefore, does not hold the principles of constitutionalism. He added, â€Å"We saw nothing during its first year, but chaos and deterioration of law and order.† This condition has made national integrity system ineffective in controlling crime, corruption and impunity. Public institutions and enterprises are still monopolized by ruling parties. Sense of public trust in the authority, assuming that the government is trustworthy and acting in the public interest, is sharply declining. Lack of a boundary between leaders’ personal and institutional interests has given birth to a political culture of clientalism although new social movements of women, youth, Dalits, indigenous people and ethnic groups are increasingly challenging the position of authority fixed at birth, lineage and patronage. They are seeking to remold the pre-modern political culture of mutual distrust, betrayal and revenge and into post-conflict modern culture of a shared future based on social justice, democracy and peace. Voice and Participation of Marginalized The struggle for human rights in Nepal for liberation, entitlements and social opportunities still remains unfinished. Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC) K. N. Upadhaya stresses the need for joint efforts among the human rights organizations and individuals to mitigate human rights violations in an effective manner. The government’s presence is felt to some extent only in Kathmandu and some urban nodes. Killing, kidnapping, extortion, strikes, food shortages, rocketing prices, shrinking job opportunities and growing fear have deteriorated human rights conditions in the periphery. Last year, 130 civilians got killed by various forces. Seventy-two political parties have applied in the EC for registration. This number represents asymmetry and diversity in Nepalese social life. A number of social groups are struggling for social, gender and inter-generational justice in the party structure of mainstream parties. Internal party democracy is essential t o make political power proportional  to its representativeness and end the fissiparous tendencies that have sapped their social integration potential. The country has 102 ethnic groups and more than 82 languages. No single group claims more than 18 percent of the population. This means it is a country of minorities and there is no institutional mechanism to prevent the minority from becoming a majority. Civil society groups are columnized along partisan lines. This condition has marred the possibilities for cooperative action for public service. Despite the legislation of the Right to Information Act, the media is unevenly distributed just like the per capita income and, therefore, people of backward and remote areas have no access to the public sphere in shaping the agenda. In contrast, the apex body of media persons, Nepal Federation of Journalists, revealed the condition of media freedom this way: Between April 24, 2006 to December 1, 2007 one journalist was killed, one disappeared, 74 detained and 128 threatened. There were 203 attacks on media houses, 129 journalists lost their jobs and 55 media houses were shut down. Engageme nt of the International Community For an international community caught in a fluid political climate, it will be hard to enlarge the development space as agreed in the Basic Operating Guidelines (BOG), other than relief and humanitarian supplies. The presence of the international community in Nepal acts as a deterrence against excessive use of violence and abuse of human rights. Japan has put Nepal in the category of a â€Å"fragile state.† By definition, a fragile state creates a situation for humanitarian intervention owing to anarchy of free wills, poor governance and failure to enforce rule of law. India has often insisted that elections to the CA must take place on time at any cost, but remained silent when the SPA failed to create a favorable security and law and order situation. The European Union and the US are insisting that the security situation in Nepal must improve for a credible, free and fair election. On January 18, the US Ambassador to Nepal, Nancy J. Powell suggesting the government and political parties to fulfill earlier commitments made in the peace accord said, â€Å"The CA polls will not guarantee sustainable peace in Nepal. What is necessary for the sustainable peace is loyalty to the nation.† On January 11, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon submitted his report to the UN Security Council proposing a six-month extension of UNMIN’s  mandate to support Nepal’s peace process through CA elections. He has advised against downscaling the UN’s presence, emphasizing that it could imperil prospects for a successful election, except in the cases of technical assistance which has already been provided. The UN too favors a credible CA election with improved security, government’s engagement in a dialogue with disgrunt led groups and abolition of the culture of impunity. Unlike the EU, however, India, the US and China have geopolitical priorities. India’s role in bringing the SPA together against the ‘monarchy’ in November 2005 and their joint struggle forced King Gyanendra to hand over power to the political parties. As the SPA established their monopoly over power and resources but failed to maintain security and rule of law, it evoked the security concern of neighbors. China has voiced against â€Å"any foreign intervention in Nepal,† showed interest to actively involve itself in Nepal’s peace process, expressed anxiety about the events taking place in the Tarai and asked the Nepalese leaders to take independent decisions depending less on outside forces. Aid coordination and coordination of government-donor practices have become particularly important in Nepal, especially to engage both sides in abolishing the historical practice of clientalism and paternalism, building trust on each other’s role and engaging in multi-dimensional aspects of the peace-process, such as state-building, support to constitution-making, transport, communication, energy development, education, agriculture, rural development, water supply, finance, health and sanitation and sustainable development. Conflict mitigation projects should involve rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure and internally displaced people, rural reconstruction and eradication of the root causes of mal-development which, in the first place, triggered the cycle of conflict. Expectation of People at the Grassroots Level The media and the political leaders have generated unrealistic expectations among the population that the CA is the panacea that will fulfill all their needs and desires. It was important to cast the message that CA is meant to frame a draft of the constitution and the necessary laws for governance. People at the grassroots level are expecting informed and reason-based knowledge about the constitution-making process, the suitability of the  election system, improvement in security and are concerned about political stability, cooperation from outside, avoidance of unnecessary foreign intervention, knowledge about the modern state, functions of political systems, government, political parties and leadership, enfranchisement of citizens and their stake-holding in public institutions, social cohesion, support in education, health and economic activities and social justice. Minorities are increasingly questioning about their human rights in a majority dominated federal state. They want to know about their role in the multi-staged negotiation with the CA, suitability of federalism, concept of a republic and the vision of a New Nepal. Ordinary people also ask about the mixed election system that has been adopted and which presents a new challenge- what with the twin-ballot paper for voters and administration. FES training series on civic education has created a synergy as demands for such activities from various quarters have increased, advocacy documents have been utilized by all sides, resource persons interviewed by the media and published in the local papers. They were even involved in non-partners’ activities with the same advocacy resources. In general, our programs have strengthened the civic competence of citizens as they can debate on equal terms with their leaders and contest their view points. In many conflict-hit places, our activities provided space for dialogue among heterogeneous participants and directly contributed to building public opinion, democratic will-formation and reconciliation. We also tried to encourage participants to speak up and share their views rather than just receiving top-down dissemination of knowledge and information. In many places, they suggested to us to provide training to central level leadership and demanded more seminars in the districts and villages so that dialogues across diverse communities can build trust between conflict-torn societal groups and improve their relations with the state. Road Ahead A credible, free and fair election depends on the ability of the political parties to create a secure environment for political actors and voters, cross-party consensus on security plans in the Tarai, engagement of movement-oriented and armed non-state actors opposed to the elections in constructive dialogues to address their outstanding grievances, dispelling the threat of pro-monarchy forces through inclusive measures and a common  process of socialization and goal-orientation towards democratic peace. What happens if elections do not take place on April 10? In case the CA election does not take place as scheduled, then this constitution, parliament and government will suffer from legitimacy deficit. The first scenario is well articulated by Minister without Portfolio Sujata Korala, â€Å"The constitution of 1991 will return.† This will satisfy the traditional forces and its resistance to change. But, there will be a dangerous polarization between the radical and the conservative forces. The second scenario is the creation of a civilian government with the backing of NA. A CPN (Maoist) ideologue calls it a â€Å"democratic coup,† because civilian politicians, not the King, will be utilized. A lot of things depend on the move of the international community because Nepal is an aid-dependent country and its policy, power and legitimacy flow from it. Similarly, it requires to win the confidence of India, the US and China as they are geo-strategically enmeshed in Nepal’s internal developments. A group of civil society and opposition parties are opting for a broad-based national government to hold elections. The third scenario seems optimally satisfactory if the major insurgent groups are engaged in dialogue and national consensus. Civil society groups should serve as a mediating ground for all pol itical perspectives and mobilize national and global

Descartes Views on God Essay

From reading some of his works, one might assume that Rene Descartes does not believe in the existence of a heavenly being, a God that presides over humans and gives us faith. I do not believe this to be the case. I believe that Descartes is simply trying to destroy all of the uncertainties that have come about do to inadequate explanations of such a supreme being. For Rene Descartes and all of the other believers in the world, the existence of God provides a convenient answer to unexplained questions, while never providing answers to the questions about God himself. This is evidenced a great deal in the circular argument made by Descartes in the Meditations on First Philosophy. What follows is a brief account of the third and fifth meditations, which provide Descartes’ response to the masked question, â€Å"What is God? † Can one perceive or confirm the existence of an idea that is external to him, an idea such as God? In order to determine the answer we must start by understanding the ways in which we can conclude an objects’ existence. Descartes explains three ways in which a person might come to such a conclusion ?the first, through nature; the second, through feeling a value that is independent of the will of the object; and the third, the objective reality of an idea, or the cause and effect profile. Descartes drills us with the idea that an object will have an effect when it stems from a legitimate cause, or an initial idea that precedes with equal or superior properties in one’s intellect. In other words, the mind generates thoughts and ideas about a physical form, and develops a reality for this form, through previous schema and beliefs. â€Å"And although an idea may give rise to another idea, this regress cannot, nevertheless, be infinite; we must in the end reach a first idea, the cause of which is, as it were, the archetype in which all the reality that is found objectively in these ideas is contained formally. † The only problem with Descartes’ argument is when the existence of God arises as a notion, for there is no sustenance or idea for the notion of God to originate from. Is it possible, then, to create the idea of a finite being from an infinite existence, outside of the physical and mental, in a state all of it’s own? Descartes quickly answers that the response would be that a finite being cannot completely, if at all, comprehend the ideas that would cause God to exist, and therefore the basis for doubt is lost in an intangible proof. Additionally, the mere fact that he believes that there is a God provides yet another piece of proof towards His existence. This must be true, according to Descartes, with the provision that the idea and belief must have been placed in his consciousness by an outside factor. The final factor that convinces Descartes that there is a God is the fact of his own existence, along with the fact that he, himself, is not a God. This belief stems from the theory that if a man is independent from all other existence and ideas about forms and matter, then he has the ability to become infinite. Descartes says that if he himself were the â€Å"author of his own being† and independent of all existence, then he would attain a Godly level of existence. Ultimately, it is his own dependence on another being that proves to him that there is a God. Many people are bred into religion, or borne into a set of ideas about a particular infinite being. The interesting problem with most types of faith in this manner is that the scripture that has been deemed to come from your god is also the proof that God exists. This is the type of circular definition that Descartes is trying to avoid at all costs. Basically, it’s like using a word in it’s own definition, or ? the definition of an apple is an apple. ‘ The argument begins to get a little bit ambiguous when he begins discussing the uncertainty of his beliefs. He is, as he claims, as certain of the idea of the sun, the moon, the earth, even his own rational thought, as he is certain of God’s existence.

Family Tree and Genealogy of Actor James Stewart

Family Tree and Genealogy of Actor James Stewart Beloved American actor Jimmy Stewart was born to typical small-town roots in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where his father owned the local hardware store. His fathers Western Pennsylvania roots date back to 1772 when Jimmys third great-grandfather Fergus Moorhead first arrived in what is now Indiana County. His mothers roots also stretch back to 1770s Pennsylvania. First Generation James Maitland STEWART, the oldest and only son of Alexander Stewart and Elizabeth Ruth Jackson, was born on 20 May 1908 in his parents home at 975 Philadelphia Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The family soon expanded to include two sisters, Mary and Virginia. Jimmys father, Alex (pronounced Alec) owned the local hardware store in town, J.M. Stewart Co. Jimmy Stewart married Gloria Hatrick in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, on 9 August 1949. Second Generation (Parents) Alexander M. STEWART was born on 19 May 1872 in Indiana County, Pennsylvania and died 28 Dec 1961 in Indiana Co., PA.Elizabeth Ruth JACKSON was born on 16 Mar 1875 in Indiana Co., PA and died 2 Aug 1953. Alexander M. STEWART and Elizabeth Ruth JACKSON were married in Indiana Co., PA on 19 Dec 1906 and had the following children: Jimmy Maitland STEWARTMary Wilson STEWART was born in Indiana Co., PA in 1912Virginia Kelly STEWART was born in Indiana Co., PA in 1915 Third Generation (Grandparents): James Maitland STEWART was born in Pennsylvania on 24 May 1839 and died on 16 Mar 1932.Virginia KELLY was born in Pennsylvania about 1847 and died before 1888. James Maitland STEWART married twice. First, he married Virginia Kelly and they had the following children: Ralph STEWART was born in Pennsylvania on Oct 1869Alexander M. STEWARTErnest Taylor STEWART was born in Pennsylvania Sep 1874 Following the death of his first wife, Virginia, James Maitland STEWART married Martha A. about 1888. Samuel McCartney JACKSON was born in Sep 1833 in PennsylvaniaMary E. WILSON was born in Nov 1844 in Pennsylvania Samuel McCartney JACKSON and Mary E. WILSON were married about 1868, and had the following children: Mary Gertrude Jackson was born abt 1861 in PALizzie Virginia Jackson was born abt 1862 in PAFrank Wilson Jackson was born abt 1870 in PAJohn H. Jackson was born abt Aug 1873 in PAElizabeth Ruth JACKSONMary E Jackson was born abt 1877 in PAEmily L. Jackson was born abt Apr 1882 in PA

12 Crucial Tips to Protect Yourself from Cyberstalking

12 Crucial Tips to Protect Yourself from Cyberstalking If the idea of cyberstalking scares you, thats good. That discomfort is a reminder that you need to be alert and aware on the internet. Staying vigilant offline is important too. Your cell phone, Blackberry, your home call display all of these things can be manipulated by technology. Awareness is one step; action is another. Here are 12 tips that can prevent you from becoming a victim of cyberstalking. They may take a few hours to implement, but the payoff is protection from the hundreds of hours it takes to undo the damage of a cyberstalker. The 12 Tips Never reveal your home address. This rule is especially important for women who are business professionals and very visible. You can use your work address or rent a private mailbox. Just dont have your home address readily available.Password protect all accounts including cell phones, land lines, e-mails, banking and credit cards with a secure password that would be difficult for anyone to guess. Change it every year. Your secret questions should not be easily answered either. Former VP candidate Sarah Palins secret reminder questions were so easy to answer that a cyberstalker was easily able to gain access to her email accounts.Conduct an internet search using your name and phone number.  Be sure that there is nothing out there that you are not aware of. A cyberstalker may have created a craigslist account, web page or blog about you. Only you can stay on top of how your name is being used online.Be suspicious of any incoming emails, telephone calls or texts that ask you for your identifying information. The Caller ID Spoof can mimic your banks caller ID. It is very easy for a cyberstalker posing as a banking representative, utility, credit card representative or your cell phone provider to obtain your personal private information. If you are suspicious,  hang up and call the institution directly to be sure that you were not a target of a cyberstalker. Never give out your Social Security Number unless you are absolutely sure of who is asking for it and why. With your social as they call it in the business, a cyberstalker now has access to every part of your life.Utilize stat counters or other free registry counters that will record all incoming traffic to your blogs and websites. With a stat counter, you can identify who is viewing your site or blog easily because the registry records the IP address, date, time, city, state, and internet service provider. It is useful for marketing and it also provides a very valuable safeguard in the event that your website or blog is targeted.Check your credit report status regularly, especially if youre a business professional or individual who is in the public eye. Do this at least two times per year, especially if you feel that you may have a reason to be concerned. You can request a free copy of your credit once a year directly from the credit bureaus. It is worth the additional cost to pay f or it the second time. Go directly to each bureau; you will not damage your credit rating if you obtain a copy directly from the bureaus. Avoid paying third parties to obtain copies of the report because often the third parties charge more than what the credit bureaus charge and youll end up on another mailing list. If you are leaving a partner, spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend – especially if they are abusive, troubled, angry or difficult – reset every single password on all of your accounts to something they cannot guess. Inform your bank and credit companies that this person is not allowed to make any changes to your accounts no matter what the reason. Even if you are reasonably certain that your former partner is okay, this is a good practice for moving forward on your own. It is also a good idea to get a new cell phone and credit card that the ex doesnt know about. Make these changes before you leave if you can.If you encounter something suspicious – a weird phone call or an emptied account that cant be explained by your bank – it could be a cyberstalker so act accordingly. Change all your accounts, and ideally change banks. Check your credit report. Note anything else that appears strange. If you have more than one or two strange incidents per month, its possib le you are a target.If you think youre a target, have your PC checked by a professional. If you are already experiencing cyberstalking incidents, your computer may already be compromised. Have someone in the know check it for spyware and other viruses. If you think you have a cyberstalker, move fast. Lots of people dont take action because they think theyre crazy or imagining things. Record incidents – time, place, event. Victims of repeated attacks tend to become paralyzed with fear. Meanwhile, cyberstalkers often get such a rush off the first attack that it encourages them to keep going. The faster you take action and block their ability to hurt or harass you, the sooner they lose interest in their project.Get lots of emotional support to handle the cyberstalking period and to deal with the aftermath. It is normal to feel high levels of distrust and paranoia after a cyberstalking encounter. A lot of people will not want to deal with someone with a cyberstalker; it puts them at risk. You may feel isolated and alone. The best thing I did was learn to keep reaching out until I found the brave people who helped me put my life back together. Having support was what got me through but I had to fight for every bit of it. It may seem  backward  that we cant do more to protect ourselves from cyberstalkers. Lawmakers in the US need to grasp the urgency of the situation and pick up the pace if were ever going fight cybercrime with real legislative tools. While we work toward getting laws caught up with the speed of technology, for now, you are a pioneer. Like the Wild West, it’s every man, woman, and  child for themselves when it comes to cyberstalking. So take care of yourselves out there.

IS MODERN SOCIETY RATIONAL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IS MODERN SOCIETY RATIONAL - Essay Example Evidence of their influence may be found in many features of modernization theory: the frequent use of dichotomous type constructions and concepts such as "social differentiation" and "social system"; an emphasis upon the ability to adapt to gradual, "continual change as the normal condition of stability; the attribution of causal priority to immanent sources of change; and the analysis of social change as a directional" process (Tipps, 1973, p 199-226). Tipps also notes that modernization has been employed mainly as an inclusive rather than discriminating concept. It is used to summarize a great many phenomena rather than to discriminate what is modern from other conditions. The level of analysis which is of crucial theoretical significance is that of society and culture--the national state is normally the focus of interest. Finally, Tipps classified modernization theories into two types, the "critical variable" and the "dichotomous" theories. The first type in volves a single kind of change, such as rationalization or industrialization, and the term modernization becomes virtually synonymous with the critical variable. The second type is more common, and involves the process of transformation of traditional societies into modern ones. The process, then, is defined in terms of the end goal, and the end goal is "often a nation very similar to those in the contemporary West" (Lauer, 1977, pp 304-310). The empirical critique argues that modernization theory contains empirical errors or lacunae. Thus, Tipps points out that the theories tend to ignore the impact of forces external to the changing society; to stereotype the meaning of "traditional"; to ignore the diverse kinds and diverse experiences of so-called traditional societies; and to overemphasize the dichotomous nature of tradition and modernity. Parkin states: "a recent critical shift has been away from explanation to description, while this is a matter of degree, the movement away from functionalism has lessened our preparedness to explain how the 'other' works in favor of describing it." (1982, pg. xiii). Finally, the metatheoretical critique offered by Tipps involves the choices made by the theorists in building their systems of thought. We have already noted the tendency to make modernization an inclusive rather than a discriminating concept. This choice toward inclusiveness, argues Tipps, has led the theorists to make the concept "unparsimonious and vague." The concept has lost contact with the empirical reality to which it supposedly refers, and at the same time it is used to refer to "an incredible number of changes at virtually all levels of social reality" (Lauer, 1977, pp 304-310). Thus, Tipps call for a redirection of modernization theory. There are, of course, some efforts in that direction. Frank himself, along with a number of other scholars, is viewing the process of modernization in Marxist terms. There have been other efforts to look at modernization at the individual level in terms of cognitive transformation. No theory has yet been