History of Haircoloring Essay

The first major break through in hair coloring history came in 1863, when chemist Dr. August Wilhelm Von Hofmann reported the dye properties of paraphenylenediamine. His discovery led to the birth of the synthetic hair dye industry, and PPD still Dominates the field today. Hofmann was also known for his studies of organic derivatives of ammonia and for discovering the first unsaturated alcohol and several organic dyes. On the heels of Hofmann’s discovery, in 1867 London chemist E. H.  Thullay and Parisian hairdresser Leon Hugot demonstrated the advantages of hydrogen peroxide as best chemical way to lighten hair then alkaline solutions. After the mid 1920’s oxidation dyes were greatly improved and the fashionable use of haircoloring boomed. The introduction of salon and then home hair dyes during the same period brought about a revolutionary change worldwide and explosion of hair options. Clairol’s founder, Lawrence M. Gelb, introduced hair color to salons more than 70 years ago. When Clairol launched its first salon colors in 1931, millions of women began using them. Instant Clairol Oil Shampoo Tint soon changed the look of Americans. In 1950, Clairol introduced Miss Clairol Hair Color Bath, the first real breakthrough that lightened hair without the harshness and complicated handling of bleach. For the first time, hair could be lightened, tinted, conditioned and shampooed in only one step instead of five, in only 20 minutes. In the 1661 book Eighteen Books of the Secrets of Art & Nature, various methods of coloring hair black, gold, green, red, yellow, and white are explained. Hair dye or hair color, is a chemical preparation used to change the color of a person’s hair. Hair dye is used to cover gray hair, which in some cultures has historically been considered to be a sign of aging. The Romans have been known to be interested in changing hair color and history revealed that they created over a hundred recipes using natural ingredients. These preparations could only darken hair. In 2007, where the next hair color breakthrough is currently unfolding, the first in over 50 years. Advances in understanding the molecular structure of hair have allowed scientists to develop improved technologies that minimize the amount of damage in the coloring process, and even create specialized products that restore health and brilliance to colored hair. The new chemistry of hair color is here, making hair color easier, quicker, and more effective than ever. Today millions of women color their hair, spanning every age, race, nationality and religion. According to recent surveys, at least 88 percent of all women feel their hair has an effect on their self-confidence. Today women demand a quick efficient product that easily fit into their hectic lifestyle. These are the products that we have today.

“A Few Notes for Orpheus”, by Don Bailey Essay

In the short story â€Å"A Few Notes for Orpheus† Don Bailey portrays the protagonist, Jake as an isolated, resentful, and hypocritical man. As the story begins, Jake is sitting alone in his room, living in self-isolation. He is always â€Å"telling [himself] that [he] likes [his] privacy, although sometimes he feels _too_ alone. The only contact Jake has with the outside world is through his telephone, and as he receives a phone call from his mother, a woman who he hasn’t spoken to in a long time, he wishes â€Å"[he] had disconnected† his phone, or â€Å"never had [it] installed†. Jake is almost glad to hear her voice, but assumes that something is wrong because she never called him. Jake is uninformed about what goes on within his family. His mother has â€Å"never once mentioned cigarettes that [he] could remember†, cigarettes that would later result in his father developing cancer. Jake also has never made the effort to re-establish a bond with those who he has lost contact with, such as his mother, father, wife, or daughter. Jake resents the fact that he is so isolated but doesn’t want to take the initiative to change his lifestyle. He resents how neglectful he has been of his daughter, Bernice, and resentful that he has never been able to live up to his father’s expectations as a child. When Jake brings Bernice along to finally meet her grandfather, she is effortlessly accepted by him. Jake has always tried so hard to be accepted by his father, but all of his attempts  had either gone unnoticed like how â€Å"the old man hadn’t been around when [he was awarded with a] certificate [in Red Cross life-saving]†, or when they had failed. He â€Å"[has] always resented that about [his father]; his attitude [towards his frailness]†. His father had been somewhat understanding, so he showed it through his polite smiles. The emptiness of those smiles had hurt Jake through the years, stripping him of an enjoyable childhood and eventually making him resent every aspect of it. Jake, who is oblivious to his hypocrisy, doesn’t initially realize the number of â€Å"statues† he has made. Throughout the story we are exposed to frequent statue-making and Jake’s dislike of statues because â€Å"Statues were the way other people made you stand still – like dying. People loved you, made you their hero, and killed you so they could build a monument to their feelings.† Jake has made statues of â€Å"the old lady†, the living soap opera; his wife, the reformer; â€Å"the kid†, the infiltrator; and â€Å"the old man†. The statue of his â€Å"old man† is significantly different to the shriveled old man he actually is. Jake has â€Å"always thought of [his father] as being bigger†. Jake also included his father’s infamous polite smile, one that had been used to hide the shame that he felt in regards to Jake. Bernice has never had a complete statue of Jake because Jake wouldn’t give her enough time to make one. She knew Jake as â€Å"the man that used to live with [her]†, not as her father. During their trip to the cottage, Jake allows himself to bond with Bernice. She â€Å"knew all the gestures that [led] to making [him] stand still for statue making – to become a hero†, even if it was only for one day. This is the first step to Bernice experiencing what it is like to have a father. Even though Jake wasn’t able to bond with his father, he didn’t have to put Bernice through the same pain or make the same mistakes. Don Bailey helps us perceive Jake as an isolated, resentful, and hypocritical man by exposing us to Jake’s opinions concerning statues, his family, and his childhood. Jake’s pain growing up ultimately contributed to the construction of his beliefs and would further teach him a lesson on how to avoid making the same mistakes that his father made, so his daughter would not have to experience the same pain while she grew up.

Compare and Contrast of Florida and Hawaii

During the summer and winter, many families like to go on vacations to tropical locations in order to take in the beautiful and amazing sights that they might not be able to experience at home. Two popular places to visit are Florida and Hawaii. While many believe that one beach community is as good as any other, there are many differences between Hawaii and Florida that make them suited for different people, depending on what kind of vacation they want to experience. In particular there are differences in the cultures, weather, and attractions of these two beach communities. Although both Florida and Hawaii are tropical locations, their cultures are far from similar. Florida has a very â€Å"typical† American feel to it. It is rich in busy streets, screaming kids, rude and unfriendly people, and fat-filled restaurants with a cheeseburger always on the menu somewhere. Besides everyone being in a bikini everywhere on a hot, summer day, the people in Florida are really no different than you and I. It may seem like everyone goes to Florida for a vacation to get away from their everyday lives, but they really are going to the same problems in a different location. In Hawaii, however, you become a part of a brand new experience that you have probably never experienced before. Beaches there are not lined from end to end with restaurants and rental shops; instead, they are lined with palm trees and all of their untouched, natural wonders that have been there since the islands formed. In Hawaii, you get away from the â€Å"real† world and get a chance to experience the rich island culture that you might never have known about. The hustle and bustle of the inner city life and the monotonous nine to five job of the suburban life are not seen in Hawaii. It is very relaxed, and every day seems like it is a new adventure waiting for you to discover it. The food in Hawaii is also a departure from something that you could get any other day. There are numerous island foods that you would never find anywhere else, like poi, a bread that is made out of purple potatoes, or Hawaiian shave ice, where they combine beans with a variety of flavors of ice cream. Also, pineapple is a very popular addition to just about anything you could imagine, and the food is usually made to be â€Å"volcano† hot. As far as an escape goes, Hawaii is the perfect place to go to experience an amazing new culture. Even if you cannot tell the difference between the cultures of Hawaii and Florida, the weather easily sets the two apart. As far as tropical locations go, many people expect the weather to be warm and sunny, looking for a perfect day to go to the beach and relax next to the ocean. In Florida, though the heat and humidity is almost unbearable. It makes you want to immediately jump into the ocean to try a cool off under the hot sun. Unfortunately, with the sun beating down on the ocean and the humidity in the air trapping all of the heat, the ocean also heats up very quickly and it becomes more like a hot tub, which is not the most relaxing of choice in the middle of a warm, summer day. With all of the humidity in Florida, it is also very common for a sudden downpour to erupt and leave you soaking wet like you have been in the ocean all day. Despite these flaws in the perfect, tropical weather you expect, when you do get a nice day in Florida, it makes you wish the day would never end and that you would never have to leave. Hawaii’s weather makes the best days in Florida seem like a hot, humid day in Missouri in the middle of August. It barely rains in Hawaii, always leaving you with a nice day to go to the beach or go on a nature hike. Even though it may reach up to 90 degrees, there is very little humidity, so even the hottest of days feels like a comfortable, cool, breezy afternoon. Also, when you want to jump into the ocean and cool off, it is nice and refreshing. Hawaii truly displays the typical weather you would expect out of a tropical island and leads to a relaxing getaway for anyone who wishes to enjoy it. One of the biggest differences between Florida and Hawaii are the attractions they have to offer and what you can do with your time in either place. As you may expect, the major attraction of both Florida and Hawaii are the numerous beaches that populate the two states. Beyond the beaches, however, both Florida and Hawaii offer unique attractions that will amuse people of all ages. In Florida, one of the major attractions is Disney World, a resort designed to let your inner child loose and experience the world of cartoons that you watched as a kid. While many people see Disney World as an amusement park for kids, the park can be enjoyed by people of all ages. There are many other amusement parks in Florida that are â€Å"hot spots† for vacations, such as Sea World, Universal Studios, and Busch Gardens. Another big travel spot in Florida is the Florida Everglades and Everglades National Park. The Everglades is a massive wetland ecosystem in the southern portion of Florida that offers many people a chance to explore a place they couldn’t find anywhere else in the world. While Florida may have amusement parks and some natural exhibits to visit, though, it cannot compare with the beauty of Hawaii. Hawaii may not have amusement parks, but it makes up for it with all of its amazing, natural attractions. The beaches are beautiful, with crystal clear water that allows you to watch a lot of undersea life without ever putting on a scuba suit. Some of the nature walks that you can go on in Hawaii are simply breathtaking because of all the beautiful scenery that you pass along the way. You can ride horses on the beach, take a submarine ride through the ocean, and, if you are brave enough, even go to the top of a volcano and experience all of the beautiful landscape that actually grows around it. Furthermore, major attraction in Hawaii is the Pearl Harbor naval base and memorial. People from all over the world, even from Japan come to the memorial to see what is left behind from a great American tragedy. You can still see the oil left in the ocean in some spots, and you can walk over a glass bridge that allows you to look down and see a sunken battleship. No matter what you choose to do, you are guaranteed to find something in Hawaii that you could not find anywhere else in the world. Whether it is the food that you eat or the weather you experience, there is a lot that separates Florida and Hawaii. Both places offer a unique experience that you normally would not have in your everyday life. However, you can visit Florida and go to an amusement park with your family and friends; I would recommend seeing Hawaii and experience a culture you may have never seen before.

Banning texting while driving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Banning texting while driving - Research Paper Example According to researchers any type of mobile use while driving that includes talking over phone, texting and that even through hands-free technology is dangerous and deadly. According to David Strayer who is a Professor of Psychology at University of Utah a mere 2% of the population is capable of multitasking with absolute safety. This finding clearly portrays the high-risk exposure of the remaining 98% of the population if they resort to texting while driving. Strayer has also found that cell phones â€Å"make you blind to your own bad driving."(Cruz & Oloffson, 2009) This happens as a driver using the cell phone for texting or to attend a call is bereft of any peripheral vision and mostly looks straight. That way he goes into oblivion regarding his surroundings and that can be immensely harmful in terms of safe driving. Another interesting point is that hands-free texting is of no use regarding safe driving. Hands-free technology rather poses a problem for safe driving. This has be en proven through a simulation test where half the driver failed to stop at the right position while using the hands-free technology. This is bound to happen since driving requires special skills and concentration and even using hands-free technology the brain gets divided between two simultaneous works both of them requiring precision. Support for this argument can be found in writings of the eminent scholars of these disciplines. According to Steven Yantis, the division of brain between vision and hearing is responsible for the aforementioned result. The argument against banning texting while driving gains momentum considering the fact that drivers indulged in such activities have fared poor in a simulated driving environment than even those drivers who were with 0.08% of Blood Alcohol Content. (BAC) (Cruz & Oloffson, 2009) A driver is considered intoxicated if his blood alcohol content is of aforementioned percentage; this refers to the fact that a drunken driver is a better performer than one who is fidgeting with his mobile. Though many holds an equal type of abhorrence on hands free and hand indulging technology while using mobile phones by a driver and therefore speaks equally against them. However, learned scientists at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute hold even grimmer view for texting in respect to

Paris Convention Bureau has to attract BMW for their new exhibition Research Paper

Paris Convention Bureau has to attract BMW for their new exhibition - Research Paper Example ventions and Exhibitions (MICE) form the prosperous sectors within the tourism industry with a rapid rate of growth compared to other sectors in tourism. It is widely known for its capability of drawing a large amount of revenues to a city or town either directly or indirectly (Girod, 2009). Taking the case of Paris, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau plays an important role in facilitating and marketing the city to potential visitors and tourists through its contribution to the MICE industry For instance, Paris city receives more than twenty seven million visitors annually. Visitors enjoy a unique culture, business and lifestyle as they learn the interesting history of France (Eibtm, 2014). Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau refer to a joint initiative established by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Paris City Council. The bureau provides several MICE services that encourage visitors such as business people, Congressmen and tourists to Paris. First, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau welcome numerous visitors in different strategic points, in the busiest locations, in the Paris city (Prince, 2008). This makes visitors impressed by the warm welcome and encourages them to visit the city often. Secondly, the bureau enhances unity and cohesi on among service providers in Paris by bringing institutional and professional partners together to organize and plan for joint actions that improve the image of Paris as a good global tourism city. It represents Paris both at international and national levels. As an administrative body, the Paris Convention Bureau arranges for site inspections to improve services provided to visitors (Coffey, 2006). The bureau also gives incentives by planning and organizing journalists’ press visits in other countries across the world. This ensures that journalists promote Paris and its image appropriately. In most cases, the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau represent Parisian tourism professionals’

Consuming Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consuming Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Consuming Fashion" discovers the fashion consuming. The lifestyle of the baby boomers is unique, they like saving less and consuming more of what they get. In other words, the spending power of the baby boomer generation is considerable compared to the other generation. Baby boomers choice and spending on fashion in the future are largely influenced by their demographics, psychographic and their lifestyle behavior. Retailers have more opportunities in relation to the baby boomer generation, because they are high consumers than the other generations. Baby boomers (post-war baby boomers) were born between 1945 and 1954, and they have brought considerable social change in Britain especially in the consumption area. Macunovich 2000 (1) defines baby boomers as those individuals born between the years 1946 and 1964 in the United States. The group has come under intense scrutiny because of the public perceptions that they will put more pressure on financial and public services. T hey are also under intense scrutiny because they are thought to be a radical and liberal generation who are transforming everything in the society that comes their way. Baby boomers generation is considered to be the first teenagers; this is because they represent the affluent consumer society. Baby boomers are very diverse in nature\, and since they have some degree of experiences in social change, they differ greatly on education, class, and wealth. The status of their education views them as boomers.

Brian Norris Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Brian Norris - Essay Example If an organization has to achieve its business objectives, its marketing manager has to look into the market demand, to determine the feasibility of marketing strategies. The marketing manager is responsible for attuning the level, timing and composition of customer demands to achieve business objectives. On the whole, marketing management all about determining and implementing effective marketing strategies. Marketing strategies are tactics by which an organization gains a competitive edge in the marketplace. Through these strategies an organization determines how to concentrate its resources to achieve, target business objectives. If a marketing strategy has to be effective, it must do research to find out if an organizational opportunity exists in the market in which they want to do business. The factors influencing organizational opportunity are environmental opportunity, distinctive competency and success requirements. Each of these factors is to be looked into during the process of market analysis. Marking analysis is a process which includes the process of ccustomer analysis, company analysis, collaborator analysis, competitor analysis, and analysis of the industry context. These five types of analysis constitute the four C's of marketing analysis and help to answer the following questions: In order to carry ou... What are the steps to be taken to gain a competitive edge in the market 2.1 Marketing Research In order to carry out marketing analysis, marketing research must be performed to collect the data required for analysis. Marketing research involved the employment of a variety of techniques. Some techniques of market research are: Qualitative marketing research, such as focus groups - Through Qualitative research, data can be collected from a relatively small group of respondents. This data will not be analyzed using statistical techniques, but its purpose is to help to determine the elements which drive the market on a product, generate a hypothesis on such elements and enable an organization to develop quantitative research designs for determine the feasibility of entry into a particular market. The methods used in this research include in-Depth Interviews, Focus Groups and Projective Techniques. Quantitative marketing research, such as statistical surveys - Quantitative marketing research applies quantitative research techniques, to understand the trends in the current market. The major steps involved in the research process include, definition of the problem of market to be studied, designing the search criteria, collecting data, analyzing the data collected and finally writing a report on what is understood from data gathered. The number of respondents from whom data is collected can range between something like a mere 10 in number to something like 10 million. This kind of marketing research may include a hypothesis on the trends found in the market. Random sampling methods can be used to draw inferences from people, who have provided information. Experimental techniques such as test markets - Experimental research

Highland Clothes - a Medieval Tartan Fashion Article

Highland Clothes - a Medieval Tartan Fashion - Article Example English society constantly criticized and ridiculed the tartan and the 1746 Act allowed only military personnel serving King George II to wear what was termed, ‘highland clothes.’ Gaelic for a blanket, plaid denotes a type of garment while tartan refers to the actual fabric of the garment. The Act of Parliament on the part of the British hoped to make the Scottish people become more subservient and the law wanted to abolish the dissimilitude of appearance between the Highlanders and the other inhabitants†¦ ( Coltman, p183). Penalties were extremely harsh for those in violation, including six months’ imprisonment for a first offense though it is thought they were often not enforced. Because of this Act, plaid became a highland political currency. Wearing of the plaid and tartan was a clear protest against the British and used by the military. When the Act was repealed in 1782 the tartan had already gained the reputation as forbidden and became a romantic and d esired symbol for the Highland Scotts.It was suggested that tartan plaid was distinctively Roman, using folds of fabric in a toga-like representation much like the warring Roman’s wore. Though some would believe the tartan and plaid a new fad in the 1700’s, the archeologist has actually shown that Celts were weaving plaid for at least three thousand years, using bright colors and intricate patterns, unlike their Egyptian counterparts, who used fabrics of white linen. Though there is no written record of the early Celts there is much archeological evidence.There are many sources in Scotland that are used as fiber in the creation of tartans, each lending a different coarseness and texture with some being very exclusive and others much more common. The blackface sheep is one of the hardiest in Scotland and the Cheviot sheep is a Scottish border breed found in the hilly countryside. More exotic fiber sources include Soay sheep, Afghan Hounds, and the Muskox. Weavers have b een known to make use of any fiber source available, constricted only by their own ability and creativity.

The effects of television on children's intelligence and education Essay

The effects of television on children's intelligence and education - Essay Example The negative influence of television on children has by far outpaced the positive sides of the television programs. Shaffer indicates that students and children who spend much of their time watching television becomes inactive an inattentive in school (9). This effect attributes to the low concentration span of children that would have exhausted in the process of watching television. BBC cites that watching television also allows individual children very little time to interact with others thus becoming less social. Lack of social interaction among children denies the individual child precious opportunity to explore and think about forces that act on the environment and thus the retard cognitive development. This further lowers the level of creativity of an individual child leading to poor critical thinking and performance when it comes to class activities and assignments. Long hours of exposure to loud noises emanating from television and overconcentration of television programs have led to poor attention in class especially when there is background noise. Watching television makes individual children adapt to visual images that move at fast paces, and may distract their attention when it comes to class work. According to Gunter and McAleer, adaptation on fast-paced visual television pictures may also affect listening skills of an individual child considering their exposure to picture communication rather than vocal communication (14). Some television programs that involve violence and commercial shows involving advertisements of alcoholic products may convince an individual child to start leading immoral life. The diversion of child’s mentality to alcoholic products and violent activities may have very negative impact on the intellectuality of individual child. As pointed by Shaffer, watching television becomes addictive to children who would want to spend much

Visual Encoding Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Visual Encoding - Assignment Example For Acoustic encoding, students may not understand if the words are just read to them, they must be learnt how to spell them and how to pronounce them. For example, about 500 years ago, 'Protestantism' was declared to the religion of California. Now the students may not be able to even pronounce the word, leave alone understanding it. So getting their syllables right is the first basic thing. For Semantic encoding, students once they get to know how to pronounce them, they would be able to get the difference between similar sounded words. After getting the difference, the next thing is to understand the meaning of what is being said. For example, take the above word, though people get to know how to spell it, they must be thought on how to understand it. For that, a common language description of its meaning is must. In Californian history class, lot of things would be about artilleries that they used in warfare. A lot of descriptions would be about it. So, if students are given to experience the models of those artilleries physically, they will be able to understand the descriptions about it. This is tactile encoding.

Meaning of Life and Socrates Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Life and Socrates Essay Socrates was considered by many to be the wisest man in ancient Greece. While he was eventually condemned for his wisdom, his spoken words are still listened to and followed today. When, during his trial, Socrates stated that, the unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45), people began to question his theory. They began to wonder what Socrates meant with his statement, why he would feel that a life would not be worth living. To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it. Socrates felt that if he was unable to examine life, he would not be really living. To Socrates, living meant being able to question the world around him. Examining life gives one freedom. Once one examines himself and understands who he is, he can take control of his life. Socrates believed that the ability to ask, to examine, and to understand would make a life whole. He believed that the purpose of life was to grow, both physically and spiritually. Being able to explore and understand would lead to a deeper understanding of the world around us as well as a deeper understanding of ourselves. (Plato 46) Socrates felt that, above all, one should be a good citizen and always do the right thing (Plato 18). However, many in his time did not worry about doing what was correct. Socrates realized this, and understood that they did not care to look into their actions and beliefs. Their first thoughts were on the goals that they had, such as money and pleasure, rather than the thought of whether or not the goals they held were actually what should have been considered important and right (Plato 26). Socrates knew that, unless they took the time to question their lifestyles, they would never do the right thing. By living a life that was being examined, the citizens would be living a life that was, for the most part, also right. Socrates Personally, I have found great value in examining the wisdom of many acts in my life, yet there are many types of people in this world, and if some do not ponder the wisdom of their actions much at all, must we (or particularly they) conclude their life is less worth living? It seems awfully condescending. The people who don’t examine their lives much probably aren’t examining Socrates statement. If they did, they might object to the interpretation with which it is adopted by philosophers. The live in which I let other people tell me what the questions of life are, the life in which I let other people give me their answers without my thinking through to my own answers, is the unexamined life. Socrates is saying that the life in which I ask my own questions and answer them for myself in a reasonable manner is a more valuable life than the unexamined life. The examined life is so much better than an unexamined life that Socrates is willing to die for that value. Through out generations, mankind has been asking themselves what is the purpose of life. And obviously, it would not easy for one alone to answer or explain what the meaning of life is. Nevertheless, ones life is monotonous if it is meaningless, and it is not monotonous if it has a purpose, a target to go. Thus, the question here is how one knows that his life is worth living or not? Socrates, the father of ancient philosophy, once stated, An unexamined life is not worth living. In order to make one life becomes worth to live, this famous statement strongly addresses that one must exanimate himself first and then others in the society to find the meaning and happiness of life. After reading Platos account of Socrates defense, the Apology, I was completely blown away by the power of Socrates words and ideas. The reading left me thinking about how I felt regarding what he had said about virtue, truth and the quest for both. In class, we discussed Socrates search for virtue and we touched on the topic of this paper: the reasons Socrates believed that the unexamined life is not worth living for man. It is my opinion that he is correct in that view and in this paper I intend to show you why. Like many philosophers alive in his time, it was Socrates belief that virtue could only be attained through examination. Only through exploration can you really understand what virtue is, and begin to act virtuously. Understanding, as well as sharing, this information was very important goal to Socrates. The significance of examining and understanding our lives is far greater than one might think. Understanding and comprehending the behavior of friends, as well as of ourselves, enables us to have empathy and compassion for them. And, allows us not to stand in judgment, which, in turn, allows us to live the moral, noble lives that Socrates spoke of. As one analyzes the â€Å"Apology† by Plato, one is able to analyze and contrast and most people would agree with Socrates when he claims that â€Å"†¦the unexamined life is not worth living†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . From a more personal standpoint I would completely agree with Socrates point of view, due to the fact most of us in society have chosen to live the â€Å"unexamined life† for centuries and as a result we live in a society where one has to live segregated from our freewill as human beings as well as a society that is restrained by rules and other types of social â€Å"walls†. When one reads and is able to contrast Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† it clearly shows a great and perhaps the most clear example of the point that Socrates was attempting to make to the jury, in the â€Å"Apology†. For example in Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†, Plato makes the reader visualize a cave where there are a great number of prisoners who are restrained and are faced staring at the wall where all they can see is shadow movements that are projected from a fire that is placed right behind these prisoners, and this fire is displaying false images from what appears to be images of the outside world. As the story proceeds, one of the prisoners manages to pe the cave and he walks outside into the real world and is able to see a completely different view of the real world and this prisoner is able to see a completely different image of the outside world, different from the images that the shadows inside the cave were exposing to the prisoners. What Socrates is implying is that if one decides not to discover thyself and attempts to focus more on material interest and the acquisition of personal power, one is capable of abusing this power to an extent where it may result in havoc and possibly the destruction of those who occupy the state, either emotionally or physically and all as a result of decisions that were not taken into consideration before being applied. What I was able to grasp from this quote that Socrates phrased is that one has the wisdom to accomplish anything in ones personal life, but one should able to find our soul and locate the wisdom that one contains inside the mind before one attempts to reach personal obstacles in life. the greatest good of all man is daily to converse about virtue. When the time for the exam came along I decided not cheat in the exam simply because I was going to have to live with a guilty conscious for quite sometime and although cheating on the exam appeared tempting at the time I still needed some time to myself and ponder about the decision that I had to make that was probably going to damage my personal morality as an individual. The part of the phrase that really caught my attention is when Socrates says . What Socrates is trying to make us see is that the more one speaks about virtue the more a person is able to learn about the virtues of ones personal life, or in other words we are able to acquire more knowledge of the human mind and its capabilities. I did not go where I could do no good to you or to myself; but where I could do the greatest good privately to everyone of you , thither I went, and sought to persuade every man among you that he must look to himself , and seek virtue and wisdom before he looks to his private interests, and look to the state before he looks to the interests of the state; and that this should be the order which he observes in all his actions. In my third semester in Santa Monica College I was taking a math class and during the first month of the semester I had already taken two exams and had failed on both, as a result before the day of the third exam arrived I was feeling somewhat nervous due to the fact that I was not prepared to take this exam. So as the moment was arriving for this exam, I began to ponder about idea of cheating in order for the results to go my way. When the escaped prisoner decides to go into the cave and attempts to explain to the other prisoners about what is really occurring in the outside world, the other prisoners decide to gain up on the liberated prisoner, because they were not prepared to see reality for what it really is, so they decided to chose to somewhat live the life of a social slave and not the life of a person who lives a life of freedom nor freewill. Another quote that Socrates applies in this story is when he quotes . The same thing goes for the unexamined life, sometimes we as a human being attempt to achieve a certain level of success in life and sometimes at the expense of others and although we may acquire success, we will always live with the conscious of such guilt that later on in life it is going to comeback and hunt us. The unexamined life is not worth living. (Apology, p. 41) Socrates held him self up to this standard by allowing the courts to take his life because they would not allow him to continue his quest set forth by the Oracle. An unexamined life would be just coasting through and not making any decisions or asking any questions. Socrates could not see a point in living if you were unable to ask questions and challenge your way of thinking. An examined life would be trying to understand your purpose and the current state of things. By examining your life, therefor understanding yourself, you will not be subject to actions motivated by passion or instinct. Socrates demonstrated this when Crito arrived at his jail cell with news that he could help Socrates escape. This was an event where they had to act quickly, however Socrates said Let us examine the question together, my dear friend, and if you can make any objection while I am speaking, make it and I will listen to you, but if you have no objection to make, my dear Crito, then stop now from saying the same thing so often, that I must leave here against the will of the Athenians. I think it important to persuade you before I act, and not to act against your wishes. See whether the start of our enquiry is adequately stated, and try to answer what I ask you in the way you think best. (Crito, p. 51) Socrates examines the situation with Crito instead of acting hastily. This example displays how dedicated Socrates was to his way of thinking, and helps explain Socrates actions in court. Meletus was the catalyst of this case brought against Socrates. Meletuss affidavit said Socrates is guilty of wrongdoing in that he busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; he makes the worse into the stronger argument, and he teaches these same things to others. (Apology, p. 25) Socrates says all these claims are false and challenges anyone in the court to speak up if they are true. Socrates was also accused of corrupting the young and of not believing in the gods the city believed in but believing in his own gods. Socrates attacked each of these accusations point by point. To disprove the accusation that he corrupts the young he says They say: That man Socrates is a pestilential fellow who corrupts the young. If one ask them what he does and what he teaches to corrupt them, they are silent, as they do not know. (Apology, p. 29) To disprove the statement that he does not believe in the gods the city believes in, he starts to question the jury. Socrates states Does any man, Meletus, believe in human activities who does not believe in humans? Or in flue-playing activities but not in flute-players? (Apology, p. 32) Socrates sets up these analogies so he can compare them to the statements that he does not believe in any gods. Socrates then applies this analogy to himself by saying. Then since I do believe in spirits, as you admit, if spirits are gods, this is what I mean when I say you speak in riddles and in jest, as you state that I do not believe in gods and then again that I do, since I do believe in spirits. (Apology, p. 32) Socrates in his defense is trying to prove that Meletuss charges are blown out of proportion and they are wasting the courts time. Socrates is posed with the question Are you not ashamed, Socrates, to have followed the kind of occupation that has led to your being now in danger of death? (Apology, p. 33) Socrates replies Whenever a man has taken a position that he believes to be best, or has been placed by his commander, there he must I think remain and face danger, without a thought for death or anything else, rather than disgrace. (Apology, p. 33) Socrates is saying when you dedicate your life or you strongly believe in a belief or subject no matter what the danger, you should still stand behind your beliefs. By doing this, you live an examined life. In Socrates case, if he were to accept the punishment of never practicing philosophy he would be living an unexamined life because he could just set aside his beliefs and move on through life. Socrates explains his passion for philosophy by saying Gentlemen of the jury, I am grateful and I am your friend, but I will obey the god rather than you, and as long as I draw breath and am able, I shall not cease to practise philosophy, to exhort you and in my usual way to point out to any one of you whom I happen to meet. (Apology, p. 34) The way Socrates explains himself to the jury, I see a man who truly believes in what he preaches. He demonstrates that he has lived an examined life, and even with the threat of death and an opportunity to escape death, he sticks with what he truly believes is right. He questions everything and will not accept ignorance. However I feel that since Socrates was at the age of 70 his fear of death was dramatically reduced. I think if he were younger he would have taken the opportunity Crito presented to escape, so he could continue his quest. Now the hour to part has come. I go to die, you go to live. Which of us goes to the better lot is know to no one, except the god. (Apology, p. 44).

Think Twice about Texting and Driving Essay Example for Free

Think Twice about Texting and Driving Essay â€Å"In 2010, 3,092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver† (Distracted Driving). Many people do not realize that texting and driving causes so many injuries and deaths. People believe that looking down at a phone for three seconds is okay and will not cause harm. They are wrong; texting while driving causes more accidents than other distractions while driving. There are also laws that forbid the use of a cell phone while operating a vehicle. Texting and driving is an action that kills more people than expected. Due to the lack of concentration on the first-hand action; a slowed reaction is brought upon the driver. Texting and driving is a problem because of the delayed reaction time of someone who is driving a car. â€Å"Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s handheld or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent† (2009, University of Utah). Driving while texting is similar to driving while intoxicated because of the delayed reaction time, but texting while driving is much worse. When a person is driving under the influence of alcohol, they are, for the most part, still focusing on the road; whereas a person who is texting is paying more attention to their phone than on the road. Therefore, most accidents are caused from texting while driving. When going through Drivers Education, or a driving school, drivers are taught to keep their hands at the †ten and two position† on the steering wheel and their eyes on the road. With texting being more common, now people try to multi-task texting while they are driving. â€Å"49% of drivers with cell phones under the age of thirty-five send or read text messages while driving† (2011, Harris Poll). Accidents from distraction can be caused by any person who owns a cell phone and drives. Everyone who owns a cell phone and has used it while driving is at fault. There is not just one age group that uses their phones more than the next. Newspaper articles are showing more frequently, accidents are being caused from texting while operating a vehicle. In a newspaper article ¸ New York Daily News, written by Charlie Wells stated that: Chance Bothe is a twenty-one year old man who spent six months in recovery from a horrific car accident that was caused by texting while driving. The last text he sent to his friend was, â€Å"If we keep doing this I’m going to wreck my truck, going to  get in a car crash.† That is exactly what happened after he pressed send. Chance Bothe broke nearly every bone in his body. Bothe argues that texting while driving is not worth losing your life over. People need to be more informed of the harm texting and driving can cause. Chance knew that he could possibly be harmed by texting and driving, and he actually did. â€Å"But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention fro m the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction† (Distraction.gov). Drinking and driving is an act that is highly frowned upon and multiple consequences are given if a person gets caught. Texting and driving is also an illegal act, but it is not enforced as much as it should be. Since it requires quite amount of attention from the driver, more consequences should be issued to individuals who get caught. Ten states throughout the United States, D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands ban all drivers from using handheld cell phones while operating a vehicle. An officer can actually cite a driver without any other citation present. Thirty-nine states, D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands all ban text messaging from all drivers, but allow talking on the phone. In Indiana and multiple other states, they have a â€Å"Crash Data Collection† rule where they can include cell phone equipment distraction in accident reports (Ghsa.org). Even though many citizens are for the ban of cell phone use while operating a vehicle, some people are against it. Why a person would be against a law that would higher the safety of drivers and the people around them, is unknown. If police officers were more strict with the laws against cell phone use while driving, and giving citations, texting and driving may decrease; therefore, it would driving more safe. The risks of texting and driving are rising each year and the amount of deaths is also rising. In 2011, at least 23% of automobile accidents were caused from texting and driving. That is an equivalent to 1.3 million crashes. While a person is texting and driving, they are twenty-three times more likely to get in an accident than if they were not using their phone. A lot of the time, teenagers get in an accident while texting, but they are not the only people that cause the accidents. Thirteen percent of drivers between the age of eighteen and twenty-one admitted to using their mobile device during the time they got in an accident. Eighty-two percent of  drivers between the age of sixteen and eighteen have cell phones, fifty-two percent said they have talked on their phone while driving, and thirty-two percent have admitted to texting while driving. The numbers of young drivers are rising, and it needs to end (DWI: Driving while Intexticated). â€Å"Stop the texts. Stop the wrecks,† is a webpage to show what can happen in result from texting and driving. It states that in the five second time frame that a person is driving fifty-five miles per hour, and their eyes are off the road while texting, a car can travel the length of a football field. Five seconds and even less, is all it can take to end a person’s life. Car accidents are four times more likely to happen if the person operating the vehicle is using their cell phone. The webpage also provides ways to get a person to break the habit of texting while driving. More people could receive awareness about texting and driving, and the harms it can cause by simply looking information up on the internet. Ways to eliminate texting and driving from happening is the driver could put the device in the backseat so that it out of sight. â€Å"Out of sight, out of mind,† is a quote that could stop texting and driving. Also, a person could simply turn the volume of their phone to silent so that they do not hear it and then they will not think about it. There are multiple applications on smart phones that parents can use to lock the child’s phone while the vehicle is in motion. If the text is really important and the driver has a passenger in the car, designate that person to be the â€Å"texter† while the driver is operating the vehicle. (Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks). People cannot help the urge to pick up their phone when they hear the beep or vibration when they get a new text message or Facebook notification. It is a bad habit that needs to be broken, and it can be with a little effort. In a Chicago newspaper, was a campaign that showed teenagers the real harms from texting and driving. Students at Taft High School got to witness the difficulty of texting and driving while driving with AAA’s distracted driving simulator, and most of the students crashed. â€Å"It’s taking your hands off the wheel so that you can hold the phone and text. It’s taking your eyes off of the road, and it’s taking your mind off the road,† said Nick Jarmunsz of AAA. (Chicago.Cbslocal.com). â€Å"â€Å"We have nothing left now,† said Teresa  Breen† (Chicago.Cbslocal.com). Teresa Breen is the mother of a teenager, John, who crashed his car and killed himself while texting and driving. â€Å"He thought he was invincible, and these kids also think that,† Breen said. â€Å"They think they can do anything and it’s not going to catch up with them† (Teresa Breen on Chicago.Cbslocal.com). Michael Inbar wrote a news article about a young woman who passed away from result of texting while driving. Taylor Sauer was driving home to visit her family, a four hour drive away. That drive fell short when she crashed into the back of a tanker truck. Her last text was, â€Å"I can’t discuss this right now. Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha.† She was discussing the Denver Broncos football team with a friend. Just seconds after sending that last text message, traveling over than 80 mph, she crashed into the back of the truck. When her phone records were checked later on for the accident report and investigation, it showed that she was posting to Facebook every 90 seconds while driving (Msn.com). People really need make second thoughts before they pick of their phone while driving. A person may be sending a one word text message or a paragraph long message, and the result could be the same either way. A crash can happen, and it will. There was a story about a teenage girl who had recently been broken up with by her boyfriend. She was overly depressed and became suicidal. The girl would always tell her ex-boyfriend that she wants to kill herself, but never actually did it. One afternoon she was texting her ex-boyfriend while driving down the interstate. She had been extremely upset that afternoon and told him that she was going to kill herself, and actually follow through with it. While sending that text, she drove over the middle of the road, not knowing, and crashed into an oncoming vehicle killing a mother and her two children. The girl texting survived. Police retrieved her phone records from the time of the accident and are now attempting to charge her with manslaughter saying she crashed into the other vehicle to kill herself. When a person reaches for their phone while they are driving, what is going through their head is not the harms of texting and driving, they are thinking of what the text message will say, or what they will respond.  People need to pause a second before they grab their phone while driving. They need to think twice before they do an action that could change their life forever. A person could be having an argument over text messaging and that could possibly cause an increase to getting in an accident. Not one text message is so important that a person should risk their life reading and replying to it. It can wait, and it should wait, but it does not always work that way. Cell phone use while driving is becoming more and more common each day. It is a factor that is rising in injuries and deaths each year. One small text that takes a person’s eyes away from the road can result in a huge accident in under a minute. The outcome will not only affect the driver that is texting, but also others around them. The drivers’ reaction time is lowered if they using their phone while driving. Multiple laws forbid the use of texting and driving, and some laws prohibit cell phone use all together. Many people do not realize the outcome that texting while driving can happen. Lives have been taken because of texting and driving.

Reducing Occupational Stress in Air Traffic Control

Reducing Occupational Stress in Air Traffic Control Recommendations and Conclusions Introduction In this chapter, the researcher has formulated a set of recommendations based on data found in the finding and analysis chapter in line with the objectives of the dissertation to help in reducing occupational stress in air traffic control. Improving job planning and reliability of the work systems According to Glovanni Coasta (1995), from the past technical means to present support, under full radar coverage of air space, is the key factor which allows a â€Å"jump in quality†, not just in terms of work competence, but likewise in terms of stress levels, by decreasing cognitive, memory and communicative loads along with uncertainty and unforeseeability of the situations. The more technological passage to function under â€Å"multi-radar† assistance permits an additional rise in levels of reliability and safety as well as a reduction in stress levels. These improvements allow for well planning of air traffic and, subsequently, a more balanced workload among individual ATCs. These improvements may also subsequently reduce the possibility or the seriousness of many unforeseen situations, by allowing for more reliable information and more time for solving problems and making decisions, while eliminating many stressful and risky traffic peaks. Reduction of working times and arrangement of working teams and rest pauses in relation to the workload The mental strength required maintaining the maximum level of attention and vigilance, as well as to securely and efficiently facing the duty in terms of cognitive and memory load that can differ usually in relation to air traffic concentration and connected problems. Therefore, to guarantee the best level of performance efficiency avoiding excessive mental stress and fatigue, particular attention has to be paid to arranging duty periods. Duty periods: The length of the duty period should not exceed ten hours (extendable to 12 hours in special circumstances), and should be adjusted according to the workload; An interval of no less than 12 hours should be scheduled between the conclusion of one period of duty and the commencement of the next period of duty; Overtime should be an exception. Breaks during operational duty: No operational duty shall exceed a period of two hours without there being taken, during or at the end of that period, a break or total break not less than 30 minutes; During periods of high traffic density, the possibility of having more frequent short breaks (ten minutes) should be provided; A sufficiently long break for meals should be allowed, providing adequate canteen facilities to assure hot and good quality meals. Arrangement of shift schedules according to psycho-physiological and social criteria Shift work, in particular night work, is a stress factor for the ATCs due to its negative effects on various aspects of their lives. This stress can be eliminated by adopting a rapidly-rotating shift system, changing work shifts every one or two days instead of every week. Moreover, reducing the number of consecutive night shifts as much as possible and having a day’s rest after the night-shift period. This prevents accumulation of sleep deficit and fatigue, and allows a quicker recovery. Delaying the beginning of the morning shift (e.g. at 07:00 or later) to allow a normal amount of sleep. Preferring the forward rotation (e.g. morning-afternoon-night) to the backward one (e.g. afternoon-morning-night) to allow a longer period of rest between shifts). Adjusting the length of shifts according to the physical and mental workload that is day shifts should be shorter, whereas night shifts could be longer if the workload is reduced and there are sleeping facilities. Improving the work environment Lighting Taking into consideration that the ATCs task is performed almost exclusively in front of a visual display unit, particular attention should be paid to providing lighting conditions which favor an optimal visual performance. Inside the towers, the opposite is the problem. It is necessary to avoid excessive illumination levels due to external bright light using both anti-reflection glass and curtains; it is also important to have the possibility of positioning and shielding the visual display units to avoid indirect glare due to bright reflections on the screen. Noise The main sources of noise are represented by conversations, manual operations (e.g. manipulations of strip supports) and office machines (printers, telephones, photocopiers, etc.). Therefore particular attention has to be paid in order to stop background noise from exceeding 45-50 dB by installing quieter office machinery, arranging work sectors in order to have better sound protection from each other, and installing more insulating headsets and more sensitive microphones. Arranging workplaces according to ergonomic criteria Workstation design It is also important to arrange the layout of the workplace in order to avoid glare caused by excessive brightness contrasts between different objects and surfaces; it causes discomfort and hampers the comprehension of the information. The displays should be shaded and the surfaces matte, avoiding the use of reflective materials and bright colors on table-tops and consoles. Data displays containing flight information should preferably be located beside the radar screen. Sitting postures A prolonged, constrained sitting posture causes muscular-skeletal discomfort and pain, particularly at the level of the neck, the shoulders and the lumbar tract. In order to avoid or alleviate such disturbances, it is important to use suitable chairs which allow a comfortable sitting posture while working, as well as useful muscle relaxation while on stand-by or resting in front of the screen. Individual ways of coping with stress First of all, people should avoid ineffective ways of coping, which can have an apparent short term positive effect but, in the long run, can cause further problems in health and well-being. We refer in particular to smoking. Increasing smoking (for smokers) is sometimes seen as a way of obtaining a sense of relief and calmness. Of course, apart from short-term relief, there are many adverse effects both on performance efficiency, due to interference with the upper nervous system activities, and on health, due to increased risk of lung tumors and chronic bronchitis from smoking. Secondly, maintaining good physical fitness and emotionally stable psychic conditions are the best aids in fighting and overcoming stress. To stay in satisfactory condition, people should pay particular attention to physical exercise, eating habits, sleeping patterns, relaxation techniques and leisure activities. Relaxation techniques are becoming more and more popular among people who feel to be under stress. Massage, yoga, meditation and autogenous training are all useful exercises which help to control restlessness, anxiety, muscular tension, inability to concentrate, insomnia and other symptoms of stress. Training The aim of training is at teaching occupational and particular coping strategies in order to improve the capacity of event appraisal and problem solving, so that ATCs learn how to cope with emotional effects of stressful events and improve the capacity of control. Air traffic controllers should be trained to develop action-oriented and problem-focused coping abilities. Positive acceptance and reappraisal of stress situations, active coping, seeking to social support for instrumental and emotional reasons must be strengthened, while inclination towards restraint coping, behavioural and mental disengagement should be restricted. Conclusion Air traffic controllers are the working groups having to deal with very stressful and tough job and are widely recognized as an occupational group which has to cope with a highly demanding job that involves a complex series of tasks, requiring high levels of knowledge and expertise, combined with high levels of responsibility. According to this research, it can be seen that most of air traffic controllers rate the level of stress as extreme. Moreover, this level of stress is caused due to several factors such as duration of break that the controllers have, the shift hours they usually worked and the workload. Stress can be due to conflict arising from workplace and private life also. According to survey, 63% of air traffic controllers have conflict arising from workplace and private life. 50% of controllers agreed that stress is caused due to their nature of the job and responsibilities. Air traffic controllers must be trained to have high stress resistance and must be able to take best decision in difficult condition and on behalf of the pilot. Training should be given in order to improve the capacity of event appraisal and problem solving, so that ATCs learn how to cope with emotional effects of stressful events and improve the capacity of control. Moreover, it is important to have a stress management system in place in the work place to help controllers deal with suffering a loss of separation incident or accident. Reference: Professor Glovanni Coasta (1995). Occupational stress and prevention in air traffic control. Institute of Occupational Medicine: University of Verona.

Superconductors and Superconductivity :: physics science superconductor

Before Kamerlign Onnes, in 1908, was able to liquefy helium and bring its temperature down to about 1K, it had been known that the resistance of a metal falls when cooled below room temperature. However, it was not known what value the resistance would approach if the temperature was reduced towards 0K until Onnes, while experimenting with platinum, discovered that, its resistance fell when cooled to a very low value that depended on the metal’s purity. As the temperature of mercury was reduced toward 0K, the value of the resistance would fall smoothly until the resistance fell extremely suddenly at about 4K. Below 4K, mercury passed into a new state with electrical properties unlike those previously known: this new state that mercury had entered was called the â€Å"superconducting state.† Superconductivity can be destroyed if a sufficiently strong magnetic field is applied. A metal in this state has very unique magnetic properties that are unlike those at normal temperatures. A superconductor is often referred to as the perfect diamagnetic. Diamagnetic, ideally, are a class of materials that do not conserve magnetic flux, but expel it. A superconductor is classified as a perfect diamagnetic because by all measurable standards the magnetic flux within the material is zero. Electrons have a wave-like nature so an electron moving through a metal can be represented by a plane wave progressing in the same direction. A metal has a crystalline structure with the atoms lying on a repetitive lattice; a plane wave can pass through a perfectly periodic structure without being scattered into other directions. An electron is able to pass through a perfect crystal without any loss of momentum of its original direction. That is why it is important for superconductors to have very low impurities; any fault in the periodicity of the crystal will scatter the electron wave and introduce some resistance. This is called the residual resistance and it is independent of the temperature. Thermal vibrations also increase the resistance so when the temperature is lowered, the thermal vibrations of the atoms decrease and so the electrons are less frequently scattered. In short, the resistance of a metal is dependent on the purity of a metal and its temperature: metals with few impurities reach a superconducting state at low temperatures. The superconductivity state of a metal exists only in a certain range of temperature and field strength.

MTV Affecting The Youth :: essays research papers

The Pop Culture Assault Music TV channels, broadcasting variety of programs ranging from ordinary music videos through charts, various shows to cartoons are the symptom of our times. No matter if it's MTV or VIVA, they sell very similar stuff, often cheap and shallow. The pop culture and consumption grasped the most powerful device that is television. It is used as a tool for spreading out information, ideas and appeals. Oftentimes they are silly and ridiculous; nevertheless they have enormous influence on people who watch it. Image has become the most widespread form of expressing ideas and for communication. Colorful and quickly changing pictures surely affect human personality; it influences the way we behave, dress and exist. Young people tend do be and look like their VJ's from the TV screen. They wear in certain way; they cut their hair, pierce or tattoo their bodies, just because of their TV idols doing that. TV hosts become the role models to follow; they are gurus and authorities on almost every field of human life from fashion to ethics and morality. They sell some patterns of behavior that other people can consider weird or outrageous. Their ideas can be good and honorable as well as freak and dumb. TV creates an ideal of a 'perfect' woman and man with all the paraphernalia and pressure connected with it. Many young women (as they appear to be more susceptible to that tension) put themselves on diet; wear strange clothes etc. just to fit in the 'official' picture. People buy 'proper' brands of outfit, cosmetics and even food, they become the slaves of fashion, fashion that often is nothing but garbage glittering and shining on the surface but empty and dull inside. Tracks from the top of the charts, however stupid or unmusical-like they are, can be safe to be sold in millions of copies all over the world. Here comes another phenomena, music that used to be of an artistic and cultural value, tends to be no longer so.

Epiphany in Astronomer’s Wife, When I consider how my light is spent and Everything That Rises Must :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Epiphany in Astronomer’s Wife, When I consider how my light is spent and Everything That Rises Must Converge The short story, â€Å"Astronomer’s Wife,† by Kay Boyle is one of perseverance and change. Mrs. Ames, because of neglect from her husband, becomes an emotionless and almost childlike woman. As a result, Mrs. Ames, much like John Milton in his poem, â€Å"When I consider how my light is spent† (974), is in darkness, unaware of the reality and truth of the outside world. However, the plumber who is trying to repair leaking pipes in her house, starts by repairing the leaking pipes in her heart. He helps her realize that the life she is living is not a fulfilling one. In short, to Mrs. Ames, â€Å"[†¦] life is an open sea, she sought to explain in sorrow, and to survive women cling to the floating debris on the tide† (Boyle 59). Similarly, in Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge,† the mother is also â€Å"cling[ing] to floating debris† (Boyle 59). She is trying to hold on to her old life, the one in which she is socially better than blacks and other women. But, like Milton and Mrs. Ames, she is soon forced to see the world in a new perspective. Thus, a new life is created for Mrs. Ames and the mother after their epiphanies, with the realization of a new world, one in which hard work and understanding can lead to change in one’s life and of one’s identity. Before Mrs. Ames and the mother realize the restrictions of their old lives, their worlds have been full of disillusionment and ignorance. Mrs. Ames, for example, is oppressed by her husband’s silence and the search for love and tenderness from anyone, because she lives each day alone, ignored by her scornful husband. And, as a result of being left companionless, she does not mature, rather she longs for tenderness. In other words, Boyle explains her dysfunctional relationship with her husband, â€Å"The mystery and silence of her husband’s mind lay like a chiding finger of her lips. Her eyes were gray for the light had been extinguished in them† (57). That is, Mrs. Ames’ spirit remains oppressed by her husband who treats her as a child, and, in doing so, isolates her from his world.

The Change in Society in, “In Cold Blood”

Khaqhovia Lee Ms. Bolle IB English November 18, 2012 The Clutter’s death fades as time disperses the clouds of darkness, revealing winds of prosperity. Within the frigid pages of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, death haunts the living as time sways through the air. A reunion between Dewey and Susan Kidwell, portrays the endless chain of life and death, as the waves of turmoil of the Clutter family’s death to the execution the murderers. Fields of wheat wave to the dead and the blue sky protecting a bright future ahead.Truman Capote displays the cycle of life and death and the cleansing of the curse left behind, after the murder of the Clutters. Vivid life surrounded by a frozen cemetery creates a contradiction of life and death. Capote introduces death as the â€Å"wreaths, brown roses, and rain faded ribbons still lay upon the raw earth. † Capote incorporates lifeless objects, and the ribbons which have been fading away with the rain, as the turmoil of the Clutt er’s death on the town diminishes as time continues. Using dark and fading colors displays the disappearance of the Clutter’s death in the townspeople’s lives.Time continues to remove the effects of the Clutters’ death, and â€Å"close by, fresher petals spilled across a new mound. † The fresh petals pertain to a new era which the living continues as time disperses the clouds of chaos. Capote incorporates a transition of location, close by, which also signifies the changes which will occur benefitting the town. Truman Capote conveys the effects of time through characters, â€Å"a willowy girl with white-gloved hands, a smooth cap of dark-honey hair, and long, elegant leg. The description of Susan Kidwell, Nancy Clutter’s friend, who stands at the Clutters’ grave, provides the ever haunting spirits of the murder. Capote’s precise description of the girl conjures an image within the mind. Willow trees mean graceful and a symbol of joy, which conveys Susan’s beauty. People gather around during the times of the Clutters’ immediate death, but the people begin to realize life will continue with or without the Clutters. Susan develops into a beautiful girl for whom Dewey does not recognize and yet she is a witness to the murders.The clouds of the past clear as the scars of the hearts of close friends and witnesses will be carried on through life. Physical changes of the town and the characters display people moving on in their lives and not dwelling on the murder. The changing lives of the witness are continuously haunted by the memories of future plans and shattering through the night of the Clutters’ deaths. Capote reveals the change of the era of turmoil during the Clutters’ death and the rebirth of civilization by Susan Kidwell attending her â€Å"junior year at K.U†¦ Nancy and I planned to go to college together. We were going to be roommates. † Susan reminisces of h er past with Nancy, all their plans of college torn apart, displaying continuous memories of horror which she witnessed. Susan also becomes the embodiment of Nancy. Capote foretells Susan’s future through her characteristics, bright and cheerful. The unchanging setting of the town remains entangled of the crime, and â€Å"there’s some talk about paving the street. But you know Holcomb†¦ don’t spent much time there. Capote incorporates allusion into the novel but paving a new bright path on top of a bloody road which changed the town. Holcomb attempts to cover their past by repainting the road. The new road also foreshadows the new future presented to the townspeople, but â€Å"Dewey looked at the gray stone inscribed with four names, and the date of their death: November 15, 1959. † The detective of the murders still remains stunned at the grave site, unable to understand the complexity of the crime which leads him to contradict his own beliefs thro ugh the deaths of others.Capote’s diction within the writing contains many meanings; the word inscribed, which are permanently set in stone, also literally set in stone. Contradicting life and death, where death continues to walk aside life instead of ending in the dark past. Capote illustrates the contradiction between the past and the future through nature. The beautiful skies and the fields of hope for the relations which hold the witnesses and Clutters’ together, blossom into a new future. Truman Capote foreshadows the future of the town and the witnesses through nature.Hope rises in â€Å"the big sky, the whisper of wind voices in the wind-bent wheat. † The curse of the Clutters’ death is cleansed under the vast pure sky and the voice of the wind seals the evil which wanders in their hearts. The imagery of voices of the wind also alludes to the peace in the air. Capote incorporates alliteration and consonance, the multiple â€Å"w† and â€Å" s† sounds convey gentleness and peacefulness. Calm breezes, and a sunlit sky where â€Å"Sue†¦ disappeared down the path, a pretty girl in a hurry, her smooth hair winging, shining-just such a young woman as Nancy might have been. † Susan follows the path of the deceased Nancy and no negative aura is seen as she rushes off. Susan’s smooth shining hair swinging foreshadows a bright future. Susan also inherits a trait from Nancy as well, the gift of time, â€Å"he told her it was past four†¦ I’ve got to run†¦ nice to have seen you, Mr. Dewey. † Susan continues to follow the footsteps of her friend. Susan is no longer haunted by Nancy but receives Nancy’s blessings as Susan continues to live through life.Capote paints a scene of peace and prosperity as time passes and foretells the fortunes of the witness as they continue through their lives. Capote creates internal conflict between the living and the murders of the Clutters. The deaths convey distrust between each other, but time resolves distrust and creates a new civil life for the town. A new future opens up to the people and a fresh start begins; the deaths resemble no more than an unfortunate event in the towns past as everyone moves on in their lives.

In Oedipus the king Essay

Fate is an unavoidable part of a person’s life that may control who we are, what we do and what will happen to us. So, regardless of human actions and regardless of emotions and wishes, fate upon each humans being will occur. Fate can be undeserving and cruel, awesome and unchangeable, so much so that no one can change its course. Even when others try hard to help, fate will have its way. Certainly, in Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus the king was such an individual for even though exercising free will to determine the course of his destiny, fate ultimately had its way in that he is to kill his father and to marry his mother. An individual life is governed by the forces of fate that takes away autonomy and only leaves destiny as the road an individual will travel on. Despite Queen Jocasta’s individual effort to change her destiny, that she could stop her son from murdering his father and herself will marry her son, she was unable to do so. Even though she gives up her son to death in the useless hope to avoid fate, the oracle seals her destiny. However, later on, she herself admits that â€Å"chance rules our life†, for she realizes that all that efforts are not enough to change the predestined course of her life. Jocasta’s calm and reasonable brother, Creon, also support the philosophy that simple mortal do not control life, but gods control human’s destiny. Calm and in control, he announce to Oedipus before his self-proclaimed banishment, by saying that, â€Å"god will decide not I. † therefore, it shows that no one can predict their own future because what happenings in our life are decided by a greater force than humanity that is the control of the gods and human beings have little say in their destiny. Even when others interfere in one’s life, fate will in the end have its way. Jocasta and Laius try to escape the horrible prophecy set down by the god by giving up their new born son to a terrible death. However, the control of the god reign and the baby does not die, but lives. Oedipus, like his real parents tried to exercise free will in determining his destiny rather than that control by the gods. Once Oedipus hears of his fate from the oracle that he is to murder his father and marry his mother , Oedipus flee from Corinth to save his â€Å"parents† lives and so shows that he is willing to do anything, including giving up the throne, to make sure the prophecy does not come true. Yet, this very act leads him directly towards his fate, it is fate that drives him towards Thebe, the place where his destiny began. As well as placing him on the three crossroads where he angrily killed his real father laius. in addition, the efforts of the shepherd further add to the belief that humans cannot escape the control of the Gods, in his claim that â€Å"I hadn’t the heart to destroy it,† thereby ultimately allowing fate to continue in its path. Some humans, however, are able to exercise free will and control their own life; their lives have not been predetermined by destiny from the gods. Teiresias exercise free will to determine his own destiny, as such circumstances have not been imparted on him. Although cursed with blindness for he â€Å"lives in perpetual night†, Teiresias may exercise his own wish in his actions and is not restricted in his ultimate fate by the workings of the gods. Creon, jocata’s brother and Oedipus’ brother in law and uncle, has all the rights of a royal couple with none of the kingly responsibilities, for he claims that â€Å"who in his right mind would rather rule and live in anxiety than live in peace, mainly if he enjoys the same authority. † Unlike Oedipus who has had his fate set out for him from birth, Creon has not been give with such a tragedy, and so allows â€Å"chance to rule his life,† â€Å"living each day as best he can. † Likewise. Since human beings often suffer great pains in order to discover their true selves, it is ultimately the powerful and dominant Oedipus, whose â€Å"name is known afar,† who pays a very high cost for such revelations. At the same time as demonstrate free will to show himself to be a king with little self knowledge, his passionate and dogmatic nature leads him on this path of self- discovery. However, fate also has its way, for ultimately he suffers the indignity of a man who has committed the most dreadful of crimes.

Northanger Abbey arguements

Catherine Is shown in situations common to teenagers. She faces frustration and peer pressure. Plus, there are several examples In which the adults comment on the young people, either laughing at their behavior or cringingly it. Sub Argument # 1: Catherine faces new experiences and people in Bath, which helps her identify the significant difference people can have with one another, whether it is good or bad. Primary source quote # 1: â€Å"But, where youth and diffidence are united, it required uncommon steadiness of reason to resist the attraction of being called the most charming girl in the world.Catering's youth helps to make her gullible, or easily trusting. She Is somewhat won over by John's compliments, even though she finds him extremely annoying. Primary source quote # 2: Youth people with be young people, as your good mother says herself. You know I wanted you, when we first came, not to buy that sprigged muslin, but you would. Young people do not like to be always thwarte d. † Mrs†¦ Allen's allows Catherine to do what she wants, thinking that â€Å"young people† like to have it their way.But Catherine shows a lot of maturity by stating that she would appreciate some help In a strange new place. Secondary source quote # 1: â€Å"She raised her eyes towards him more fully than she had ever done before. † This is a climactic moment between Henry and Catherine. By looking at Henry â€Å"more fully,† she sees him clearly and shows herself to him as a more mature adult, rather than as a young youth. Argument #2 – friendship: Making friends and trying to figure out true friends from false ones Is a major part In this novel.Friendships In this book symbolize growing up and maturing_ Sub Argument # 1: Catherine has to eventually give up her friendship with Isabella for a more mature friendship with Eleanor. Primary Source tote # 1: â€Å"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no noti on of loving people by halves, it is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong. † Isabella opinion on friendship is a bit confusing. She is selfish, but her attachment to Catherine seems to be very strong.Isabella seems to hint that she has high expectations for friendships especially when she emphasis's on people who are â€Å"really† her friends. Primary source quote # 2: â€Å"Catherine thought this reproach equally strange and unkind. Was it the part of a friend thus to expose her feelings to the notice of others? Isabella appeared to her ungenerous and selfish, regardless of everything but her own gratification. † Catherine begins to spot the lies within Isabella statements, which leads her to start doubting how good of a friend Isabella really Is.Secondary source quote # 1: â€Å"A few days passed away, and Catherine, though not allowing herself to suspect her friend, could not help watching her closely. The result of her observations wer e not agreeable. Isabella seemed an altered creature. † Catherine beings to actually watch and observe Isabella after being suspicious of her, and she begins to see Isabella as she really is which is disloyal and elfish. Argument # 3 – love: All kinds of love and relationships in this book are also linked to themes of growth and development.Catherine has to learn to tell apart between manipulative love and love that Is respectful and worth It. Sub Argument # deceitful Just as his sister Isabella Thorpe. Later on in the novel, her love for Henry increases significantly. Primary Source quote # 1: : â€Å"This sort of mysteriousness, which is always so becoming in a hero, threw a fresh grace in Catering's imagination around his persona and manners, and increased her anxiety to know more of him. † The words used to describe Henry here, â€Å"mysteriousness† and â€Å"hero,† are related to Catering's â€Å"imagination. These words imply that Catherine m ight be seeing Henry as a romantic, fictional character rather than as a real person. Primary Source quote # 2: â€Å"His first purpose was to explain himself, and before they reached Mr†¦ Allen's grounds he had done it so well, that Catherine did not think it could ever be repeated too often. She was assured of his affection; and that heart in return was solicited, which, perhaps, they pretty equally knew was already entirely his own. † Henrys proposal to Catherine is very sweet and sincere.His sense of humor plays well during his proposal, and since this novel is a comedy his humor may have symbolized love. Secondary source quote # 1: â€Å"Every young lady may feel for my heroine in this critical moment, for every young lady has at some time or other known the same agitation. All have been, or at least all have believed themselves to be, in danger from the pursuit of someone whom they wished to avoid; and all have been anxious for the attention of someone whom they w ished to please. † Catherine finds herself to be stuck in a love triangle. She is loved by John Thorpe and craves for the attention of Henry.

Mary Anne Bell Trasformation

The assertion, â€Å"people never change,† can be disproven as people change differently in various environments. The chapter â€Å"Sweet Heart of the Song Tra Bong† in, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, shows how Mary Anne Bell is affected by the tough conditions of war. Mark Fossie, the boyfriend of Mary Anne, tells her to fly out to Vietnam so that they can be together. Once she arrives, Mary Anne quickly reveals her curiosity by taking an interest in activities to help the squad such as cooking, caring for the injured, night patrolling, etc.Essentially, she starts to become one of the soldiers. O’Brien conveys how the violent and warlike atmosphere transforms Mary Anne physically and psychologically from a civilized and innocent girl to a barbaric and ruthless woman throughout her stay in Vietnam. At the beginning of her stay, O’Brien portrays Mary Anne as a civilized and innocent girl by describing her physical and psychological characte ristics.As Mary Anne makes her first appearance, O’Brien describes her as, â€Å"an attractive girl†¦ [who has] terrific legs (p.90)† suggesting that she is innocent has not experienced harsh conditions. O’Brien presents her as a sexual object in order to emphasize her innocence and unfamiliarity to war. Also, the description of her â€Å"bubbly personality† implies that she is only sees the positive in everyone which displays her naivety and innocence. O’Brien describes that Mary Anne â€Å"love[s] the thatched roofs and naked children, the wonderful simplicity of village life† implying that she is completely unaware of the hostile environment that she is in.Her unawareness and immaturity is shown because she is speaking positively about a place of violence and warfare. Towards the beginning of her stay with Mark Fossie and the rest of the crew members, Mary Anne is described as innocent and naive. but as she continues to learn more ab out the war, and she begins to transform into a barbaric and ruthless woman. O’Brien is suggesting that even though she is from the city and is a part of the higher class, she has respect for and supports those who are not as fortunate.As Mary Anne begins to learn the skills that allow her to be helpful with the war effort, the warlike environment begins to physically and psychologically transform from a civilized and innocent girl to a barbaric and ruthless woman. As the casualties begin to come in, it is discovered that â€Å"Mary Anne [isn’t] afraid to get her hands bloody† suggesting that she has a violent side and is not a typical city girl who gets easily disgusted by blood and wounds. Her openness to the gruesome and wounded bodies is surprising considering that she is a pretty, city-girl.She starts to adapt to the role of the soldier and it shows when she â€Å"stop[s] wearing jewelry (p. 94). † She abandons her fun and innocent personality and be gins to adapt the more stern personality in order to be more effective with the war effort. The war causes her to change her personality into someone that is much more serious. She eventually â€Å"cuts her hair short† showing that she really wants to get away from the helpless, weak-girl impression that she has left of herself; she wants to be taken seriously.The warlike setting forces Mary Anne to become more serious; it forces her to change her physical and psychological characteristics from the civilized and innocent girl she once was into a ruthless and barbaric woman because of the warlike atmosphere she is in. After her transformation fully takes place, Mary Anne physically and psychologically turns into a ruthless and barbaric woman due to the effects that the warlike environment has had on her.When she returns from her three-week disappearance, her eyes are â€Å"not blue†¦ but a bright glowing jungle green (p.  101)† showing the transformation of her e ye color. At the beginning, her eyes are described as blue, the eye color that is generally of attractive people, but now her eyes are green, those of a person who has been in the jungle. She has completed her transformation into this violent and ruthless woman and her eye color shows this. The smell in the room that she was sitting in is described â€Å"like an animal’s den, a mix of blood and scorched hair†¦ and the odor of moldering flesh† showing the filth that she is living in.Comparing her and her environment to that of an animal’s gives the effect that she is no longer the beautiful and clean girl that she once was; she has become a filthier and more barbaric woman. Her â€Å"necklace of human tongues† is the final factor in revealing that her transformation is complete. Most people would find it appalling, but Mary Anne wore it proudly conveying that she had become much more violent than she was before. When she returns, Mary Anne describes h ow she â€Å"feels close to [her] own body† when she is out in the field, suggesting that she enjoys being in the midst of warfare.Her barbaric nature is completely transparent at this point; most people would be scared to be in a place of war where they could lose their lives, but Mary Anne gets pleasure out of it. O’Brien implies that war makes a person fearless because it is a place where one has nothing to lose. She has completed her transformation from an innocent and civilized girl to a ruthless and barbaric woman. Mary Anne Bell, the sweet, innocent city-girl is transformed into a violent and barbaric woman throughout the chapter, â€Å"The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong† due to the effects that war has on her.Towards the beginning she is portrayed as a very beautiful, attractive, blonde girl implying that she is not use to the rigorous work that the soldiers and paramedics do. However, she is very open to learning these things and she gets a joy from he lping in the war effort. She is almost forced to change because she will get hurt emotionally and physically if she is not tough. If she continues to live in Vietnam as an innocent and naive girl, she will be a burden on the group she is with. However, Mary Anne becomes tough; she becomes so tough that it is conveyed as violence and barbarism.

Assessment of the Progression of the Withdrawal of Weapons and Military Forces in the World

Assessment of the Progression of the Withdrawal of Weapons and Military Forces in the World This is my research paper on disarmament. It contains breifly all the important steps taken in the feild of disarmament till recently. Introduction Prof. Lincoln P. Bloomfield aptly remarked that, A visitor from another, more advanced planet would find many paradoxes on earth, but surely the most extraordinary would be the fantastic destructive potential of nuclear weapons which contrasts starkly with the primitive and near impotent institutions of global peacekeeping. He might marvel that a breed capable of producing the wealth for a 185 billion armory of lethal devices let alone the technology for killing several hundred in a single exchange of weapons had not produced a workable international order capable of regulating such apocalyptic man-made power. . Also no such International Order exists today and the prospects are not encouraging that it will exist within the foreseeable future. Dr. Hambro has also rightly remarked The armament race comes as close to collective insanity as anything in the history of mankind and it is, to my mind, surprising that public opinion is willing to take it. Disarmament has become a more urgent and complicated issue with the rapid development of nuclear weapons capable of mass destruction. Since the explosion of the first atomic bombs in 1945, the previous contention that armaments races were economically inexpedient and led inevitably to war was replaced by the argument that the future use of nuclear weapons in quantity threatened the continued existence of civilization itself. It was understood that war was unnecessary and nations of the world also understood the urgent need to part with these deadly weapons. The League of Nations writes Philip Noel Baker, is the first attempt in history to furnish the international society of nations with the permanent and organic system of international political institutions. This attempt was an outcome of the world war. In the post-World War II period, there were discussions at several levels with a view to the limitation and control of armaments. Efforts ranged from continuous talks at the United Nations to such discussions among nuclear powers from the SALT era to the START era and it still continues What is Disarmament? Disarmament is defined as the act of laying down arms, especially reduction or abolition of a nations military forces and armaments. It is not a new concept. It has been discussed for several centuries even before the formation of League of Nations. The idea of disarmament can be traced from the writings of Sully, William Penn, Rousseau and Kant. But plans for its implementation have failed because no State was willing to pay the price that was required (i.e. to reduce there armaments and military force). The proposal of Russian Czar to Lord Castlereagh of Great Britain in 1816, however, was the first practical attempt to achieve quantitative disarmament. French monarch also made similar proposals in 1831 and on several other occasions, but with no success. The International Peace Conference at Hague in 1899 is the first great landmark in the field of disarmament because it invoked for the specific purpose of limiting armaments by national agreement. Yet another landmark was the treaty of Versailles, which drastically reduced the German armaments. Thus during 19th century and down to the time of the First World War, numerous efforts were made to achieve the limitation and reduction of national armaments by international agreements. Although there had been a great number of discussions, conventions and proposals for disarmament, the ones that claimed success were few. It had been rightly observed by an eminent author: Disarmament efforts have been many, the successive few and limited. There has never been an approach to what Cohen calls effective disarmament. Disarmament and The League of Nations The Covenant of League of Nations was adopted as a part of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It came into existence on January 10 1920 with 18 member states. According to Philip Noel Baker, the League of Nations is the first attempt in history to furnish the international society of nations with the permanent and organic system of international political institutions. This attempt was an outcome of the world war. As the League was adopted just after the world war, the framers selected achievement of widespread disarmament as its fundamental goal. Finally, the Disarmament Conference met on February 2, 1932, in Geneva. The representatives of 61 States, who participated, agreed on necessity of arms limitation, of international supervision of the arms business and of publicity of arms budget. Though the Conference failed in reconciling the French demand for security and German demand for status of equality with other European nations, it proved to be useful in solving some technical problems of the disarmament. It also became evident that the concept of security was of greater than the concept of limiting arms i.e. to say disarmament must follow rather than precede security. However the League of Nations was considered unsuccessful in achieving the concept of widespread disarmament. The efforts of the League failed on multifarious grounds. Some of the reasons of the failure of League in achieving widespread disarmament are as follows: League of Nations was not universal. It was limited to a few nations. It didnt have any effective enforcement body. The Conference for disarmament was held too late under very hostile conditions. The major reason however was that there was no unity between the nations which were members of the League. They were hostile towards each other. The rise of Hitler and the efforts of Germany in re-arming proved that League was a failure in achieving Disarmament and peace. Finally, the League of Nations was dissolved in 1946. Disarmament and The United Nations Inefficiency of the League of Nations led to the Second World War in 1939, which was the most destructive among the two. The result of the Second World War compelled the nations to establish an international organization so that mutual disputes could be resolved peacefully and peace be restored in the world. This lead to the establishment of United Nations Organization in 1945. United Nations was far more effective and efficient in promoting widespread disarmament as compared to League. It also had a greater number of member nations and a better enforcement body. The Charter of the UN provides for the regulation of armaments. The provisions of disarmament in the UN Charter are as follows: The Charter empowers the General Assembly to consider the general principles of co-operation in the maintenance of the peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments. The Assembly can also make recommendation with regard to such principles to the Members of the Security Council. Secondly, it is further provided that in order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion to armaments, the Security Council with the assistance of the Military Staff Committee (referred to in Article 47) can formulate plans for regulation of armaments. Thus the Charter aims to provide security along with the regulation of armaments by granting military powers to the U.N under Article 43. However it has to be noted that the special agreements in the Article 43 have not materialized till today. The Military Staff Committee has ceased to function and hence it never dealt in regulation of armaments. Thirdly, in order to enable the U.N. to take urgent military measures, the Charter enjoins the members to hold immediately available national air force contingents, for combined international enforcement action. However the first important step of the U.N in the field of Disarmament was of adopting a resolution on January 24, 1946, which established the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission. The function of this Commission was to regulate and reduce nuclear weapons. On June 24, 1946, United States presented a plan known as the Baruch Plan to the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission. This plan envisaged the establishment by treaty an International Atomic Development Authority which was to own, operate, manage and license all facilities for the production of atomic energy. The aim of the United States by this plan was to establish a control system independent of the Charter and the Atomic Energy Commission, which included inspection and verification of weapons especially nuclear weapons before taking major steps towards Disarmament. But this was opposed by the Soviet Union, which stuck firmly to the original Charter. The Soviet Union insisted for prior outlawing of atomic weapons and reduction of all weapons without effective international control by means of inspection. Consequently, a compromise was made by laying down certain principles, which governed the general regulation and reduction of armam ents. However when the US monopoly of nuclear weapons ended in 1949, Baruch Plan lost its importance. So a need was felt to form a body for regulation of weapons that too mainly nuclear weapons. This need led to the establishment of Disarmament Commission by the 6th General Assembly in 1952. This consolidated the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission and the U.N. Commission for Conventional Armaments. Soviet Union and the Western Allies constituted the five-power sub-committee of Disarmament Commission. Also in October 1956, another body namely International Atomic Energy Agency was established. The Agency aims to seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It comprises of three organs namely General Conference, A Board of Governors and Staff headed by the Director General. The most important and difficult task faced by it is inspection and safeguarding of fissionable materials. The Agency is neither related to U.N. nor is an independent inter-governmental organisation. It has a special status under the aegis of the U.N. Disarmament Efforts from 1960 to 1970 Though 15 years had passed after the establishment of the United Nations, there were no significant or important steps taken for the purpose of Disarmament till 1960. The year 1960 witnessed a turning point in the disarmament debates when there was a thaw in the relation between the two super powers namely United States of America and The Soviet Union. The consequence of this thaw was the signing of four important treaties, which dealt with Disarmament. These treaties were as follows: Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963) On 5th of August 1963, The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT), also known as Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) was signed in Moscow by the United States, United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Finally 113 Countries became part to it, which included India, Italy etc. However, France and China did not sign this treaty. The treaty required the Parties to prohibit, prevent, and abstaining from carrying out nuclear weapons tests or any other nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, in outer space, under water, or in any other environment, if such explosions cause radioactive debris to be present outside the territorial limits of the State that conducts an explosion. However this treaty does not provide for international verification and it is understood that each party may do so by its own national technical means. Outer Space Treaty (1967) The Legal Subcommittee considered the Outer Space Treaty in 1966 and agreement was reached in the General Assembly in the same year. The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967. The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following disarmament principles: States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner. The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes; States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies. 98 States have ratified, and an additional 27 have signed the Outer Space Treaty The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (1967) The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (also known as the Treaty of Tlatelolco) obligates Latin American parties not to acquire or possess nuclear weapons, nor to permit the storage or deployment of nuclear weapons on their territories by other countries. This Treaty was signed on February 14 1967, at a regional meeting of Latin American countries at Tlatelolco, a section of Mexico City. Non Proliferation Treaty (1968) The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also referred to as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), obligates the five acknowledged nuclear-weapon states (the United States, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, France, and China) not to transfer nuclear weapons, other nuclear explosive devices, or their technology to any non-nuclear-weapon state. Non-nuclear-weapon States Parties undertake not to acquire or produce nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices. They are required also to accept safeguards to detect diversions of nuclear materials from peaceful activities, such as power generation, to the production of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. This must be done in accordance with an individual safeguards agreement, concluded between each non-nuclear-weapon State Party and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under these agreements, all nuclear materials in peaceful civil facilities under the jurisdiction of the state must be declar ed to the IAEA, whose inspectors have routine access to the facilities for periodic monitoring and inspections. If information from routine inspections is not sufficient to fulfill its responsibilities, the IAEA may consult with the state regarding special inspections within or outside declared facilities. The Treaty was opened for signature on 01 July 1968, and signed on that date by the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and 59 other countries. However, India refused to sign this treaty on the ground that it was discriminatory and unequal. Disarmament Decade (1970 -1980) The decade of 1970 was declared by the United Nations as the Disarmament Decade. The U.N. Agency that has been mostly involved with the goal of Disarmament was the 26 Nations U.N. Conference on the Committee on Disarmament. It celebrated its 10th anniversary in March 1970. It was very heartening to note that the U.Ns Disarmament Decade began auspiciously with the coming into force on 5th March 1970 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The decade also witnessed the signing of a number of treaties. They are as follows: Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea-Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil Thereof. This treaty was opened for signature at London, Moscow and Washington from 11 February 1971 and it came into force on 18 May 1972. The Treaty read as follows The States Parties to this Treaty undertake not to implant or emplace on the seabed and the ocean floor and in the subsoil thereof beyond the outer limit of a sea-bed zone, any nuclear weapons or any other types of weapons of mass destruction as well as structures, launching installations or any other facilities specifically designed for storing, testing or using such weapons. However it has to be noted that the treaty prohibited only the placement and fixation of weapons on the seabed and is silent about mobile launchers and submarines, which are likely to remain a principle means of nuclear warfare. Thus it is evident that treaties dealing with nuclear disarmament that were made by U.S.A and Russia had the aim of preventing the non-nuclear countries from acquiring atomic weapons, rather than to regulating and giving up of their own armaments. Hence India did not sign this treaty, which was one-sided. In-spite of all this limitations, this treaty succeeded from barring nuclear weapons from 70% of the earths surface, which was a significant contribution towards disarmament efforts. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Strategic Arms Limitation Talks took place between U.S.A and the Soviet Union on May 1972. The aim of these talks was to find a way for both sides to agree on plans that would limit and perhaps some day reduce their vast nuclear arsenals. However this agreement permitted both the countries to replace existing offensive nuclear missiles with more sophisticated weapons as technological advance permits. Hence it was said by the Chinese Chief Mr. Chiao Kua Hua that Soviet American agreement to limit Strategic Arms be in no way regarded as a step towards nuclear disarmament. On the contrary, it marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Soviet American arms race. Convention on the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapon and on their Destruction. This convention was drafted by the conference of the committee on Disarmament and was commenced by the General Assembly on December 16 1971. On April 10 1972, it was opened for signature with a special request of the then Secretary General Kurt Waldheim that the convention may be signed and ratified as early as possible. The aim of the treaty was to promote general disarmament and for that purpose, it prohibited development, production and stockpiling of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons. Geneva Disarmament Conference (1974) It began on 17 April 1974 with 25 nations participating. The aim of this conference was to prohibit the use of nuclear weapons under the ground. It also dealt in making an agreement regarding Chemical Weapons. Special Session of General Assembly on Disarmament (1978) The Special Session on Disarmament was held by the General Assembly from 23rd May to 1st July 1978 at United Nations Headquarters. Before the end of the session, a Final Document consisting of an Introduction, a Declaration, a Programme of Action, and Recommendations concerning the international machinery for disarmament negotiations. Under the Programme of Action, the Assembly set out a series of suggestions for negotiation and in Declaration, which is the part of the Final Document, it urged that the resources released through disarmament be used to promote the well being of all peoples and to improve the economic conditions of developing countries. The main aim of this Session was to strengthen the international disarmament negotiating machinery. Disarmament Efforts after 1980 After 1980, there was a revolution of technology. It affected almost all the fields including the field of armaments. With the development of technology, new types of weapons with immense destructive capacities were invented. Hence it was necessary to promote disarmament and regulate the creation of these armaments. Following are the important developments in the field of disarmament, which took place after 1980. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons that may be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (1981) It dealt with the prohibition of very harmful conventional weapons. These included prohibition of weapons that emitted radiation harmful to human body, prohibition and regulation of mines, booby traps, incendiary weapons (weapons that cause fire when used) and blinding laser weapons. Rarotonga Treaty (1985) In 1983, 16 years after the Treaty of Tlatelolco was opened for signature, Australia proposed to establish a nuclear weapon free zone in the South Pacific. As a result of the negotiations between the concerned States, a treaty was signed on August 6, 1985, in the city of Rarotonga, capital of the Cook Islands, establishing the proposed zone. Treaty on Open Skies (1992) The Treaty on Open Skies entered opened for signature on 24 March 1992, currently has 34 States Parties. The Treaty established a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the entire territory of its participants. The Treaty was designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information about military forces and activities of concern to them. Treaty on Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international efforts to date to promote openness and transparency of military forces and activities. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (1995) Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted as a result of the Geneva Conference, which took place in June 1995. This treaty was adopted with the view of removing the shortcomings of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It contained a comprehensive plan to prohibit nuclear tests. However, it was silent on the question regarding the destruction of already existing nuclear stockpiles. However this treaty was flouted by America by developing a super nuclear weapon capable of destroying targets placed under the ground. On the one hand, America has been pressurizing other countries to sign the treaty and on the other hand, it has been developing destructive nuclear weapons. These types of stand taken by America were severely criticized by many countries including India. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (1997) This treaty is also known as Ottawa Treaty and was proposed by Canada. The main aim of the treaty was to destroy all types of Anti Personnel mines. The treaty also required that besides stopping the production and development of mines, a party to the treaty must destroy all the mines in its possession within 4 years. Just a small number of mines are allowed to remain for training (mine-clearance, detection, etc.). India and Disarmament Since Independence, India has consistently pursued the objective of global disarmament based on the principles of universality, non-discrimination and effective compliance. Given the horrific destructive capacity of nuclear weapons, India has always believed that a world free of nuclear weapons would enhance both global security and Indias own national security. Thus India has always advocated that the highest priority be given to nuclear disarmament as a first step towards general and complete disarmament. In 1978, India proposed negotiations for an international convention that would prohibit the use of threat of use of nuclear weapons. This was followed by another initiative in 1982 calling for a nuclear freeze i.e. prohibition on the production of fissile material for weapons, on production of nuclear weapons, and related delivery systems. At the special sessions of the United Nations General Assembly on disarmament, India put forward a number of serious proposals including the 1988 Comprehensive Plan for total elimination of weapons of mass destruction in a phased manner. It was a matter of regret that the proposals made by India along with several other countries did not receive a positive responsive and instead, a limited and distorted non-proliferation agenda, meant above all to perpetuate nuclear weapons was shaped. India didnt sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty because India considered these treaties as discriminatory and unequal. Both of these treaties were put forward by the nuclear power U.S.A, which later flouted these treaties. Thus according to India, these treaties were the ways designed by the nuclear powers to keep away nuclear know-how from non-nuclear states. However India has signed and ratified other treaties and conventions like Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention etc. This shows that India is an active country, which supports and takes actions for the promotion of disarmament. Conclusion Thus to conclude, it can be said that disarmament process is a very difficult one, but is very important in promoting international peace and security. However, complete disarmament can be obtained only if there is no threat to security of a nation or an individual and to achieve this task, there should be a strict and organized international order and absence of terrorist organizations. Unless this is achieved, the concept of disarmament will remain as the monopoly of the powerful nation to suppress other nations. The U.S attack on Iraq is a fresh example of this.