The effect of online gaming on an individual Research Paper

The effect of online gaming on an individual - Research Paper Example Games have been around for quite some time and it has been discovered by human being in order to add joy to their lives. For example, Romans had the Colosseum were best warriors are gathered to fight against each other and the last survival will win the trophy. Some thinkers believe that our life is just a game where we need to stay motivated, skilled and up to date in order to win and survive. Nowadays with the latest technology in hand humans have developed a way to play games from distance using the internet as a tool to connect them together which is called Online Games. The reality of online gaming is quite complicated, as some people believe that the time spent on these games are tremendous and the value added is minimum. However, others believe that online gaming is extremely useful and the value gained from it is huge. In this research, we will discuss the impact of online gaming on individuals in terms of their social life, career and health. Family Online Games usually requ ires people to be around at the same time to play the game and when the player is hooked in a certain task or mission, it is quite difficult for him or her to disconnect the game without finishing what they started. This is because it will affect him/her or their team and they might fail to deliver the objective of this mission, which they may spend lots of time on it. Some players prefer to finish the game they started even if there is an emergency with their families. The decision making process may take a while for a player to know the consequences of his/her action and usually they regret delaying or turning off their families but only when it's too late and the damage have already taken a place. Social life One of the impacts on social life of the player is that most of the online games have a rewarding system where they can get either credit, items or other miscellaneous, which is usually the main reason for players to play these games become better in what they are doing. Thi s competition is fair, however in many cases, friends may turn against each other because of greed, fame or glory and that will destroy their relationships specially if the other players are also real life friends (ScienceDaily, 2007). On the other hand, online games could also deliver value to the player by connecting them with other people and make new friendships in every part of the world. Some players take these relationships seriously and they start to visit each other and meet frequently. Career As for the player’s career, these online games could be useful for him/her since it helps their technical skills in term of keyboarding because they are being exposed to the PC for long hours. Also, their communication skills can be enhanced through online games by trying to communicate with other players from different countries, for example if a middle eastern whose English is quite weak could become better overtime by trying to practice with American players by trying to und erstand their moves or strategies. Finances Online gaming has severe impacts on an individual based on how often they do their gaming over the internet, and how easily they are influenced by external forces, as well as their intrinsic motivation towards certain aspects of life. In this aspect, focus is borne on one’s spending habits, where there is a large amount of advertising found in some websites that harbor the games of interest

Treason, Terrorism and Wartime Criminal Justice Essay Example for Free

Treason, Terrorism and Wartime Criminal Justice Essay In the history of the United States the acts of treason, terrorism and criminal justice during times of war have taken on various forms. From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the current war on terror, the Constitution and its amendments have been challenged to ensure national security. To understand this we must first look at what treason and terrorism are and the effects they have had in the reduction of civil liberties during times of war. Treason   Treason is defined as: â€Å"The betrayal of ones own country by waging war against it or by consciously or purposely acting to aid its enemies. †Ã‚   (Wehl, 1950) Under Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution, any person who levies war against the United States or adheres to its enemies by giving them â€Å"aid and comfort† has committed treason within the meaning of the Constitution. The term aid and comfort refers to any act that manifests a betrayal of allegiance to the United States, such as furnishing enemies with arms, troops, transportation, shelter, or classified information. If a subversive act has any tendency to weaken the power of the United States to attack or resist its enemies, aid and comfort has been given. The Treason Clause applies only to disloyal acts committed during times of war. Acts of disloyalty during peacetime are not considered treasonous under the Constitution. Nor do acts of Espionage committed on behalf of an ally constitute treason. For example, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of espionage, in 1951, for helping the Soviet Union steal atomic secrets from the United States during World War II. The Rosenbergs were not tried for treason because the United States and the Soviet Union were allies during World War II. â€Å"Under Article III a person can levy war against the United States without the use of arms, weapons, or military equipment. Persons who play only a peripheral role in a conspiracy to levy war are still considered traitors under the Constitution if an armed rebellion against the United States results. After the U.S. Civil War, for example, all Confederate soldiers were vulnerable to charges of treason, regardless of their role in the secession or insurrection of the Southern states. No treason charges were filed against these soldiers, however, because President Andrew Johnson issued a universal amnesty.† (Smith, 1956) The crime of treason requires a traitorous intent. If a person unwittingly or unintentionally gives aid and comfort to an enemy of the United States during wartime, treason has not occurred. Similarly, a person who pursues a course of action that is intended to benefit the United States but mistakenly helps an enemy is not guilty of treason. Inadvertent disloyalty is never punishable as treason, no matter how much damage the United States suffers. As in any other criminal trial in the United States, a defendant charged with treason is presumed innocent until proved guilty â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt†. Treason may be proved by a voluntary confession in open court or by evidence that the defendant committed an â€Å"overt act† of treason. Each overt act must be witnessed by at least two people, or a conviction for treason will not stand. By requiring this type of direct evidence, the Constitution minimizes the danger of convicting an innocent person and forestalls the possibility of partisan witch-hunts waged by a single adversary. Unexpressed seditious thoughts do not constitute treason, even if those thoughts contemplate a bloody revolution or coup. Nor does the public expression of subversive opinions, including vehement criticism of the government and its policies, constitute treason. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of all Americans to advocate the violent overthrow of their government unless such advocacy is directed toward inciting imminent lawless action and is likely to produce it (Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444, 89 S. Ct. 1827, 23 L. Ed. 2d 430 [1969]). On the other hand, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the distribution of leaflets protesting the draft during World War I was not constitutionally protected speech (schenck v. united states, 249 U.S. 47, 39 S. Ct. 247, 63 L. Ed. 470 [1919]). Because treason involves the betrayal of allegiance to the United States, a person need not be a U.S. citizen to commit treason under the Constitution. Persons who owe temporary allegiance to the United States can commit treason. Aliens who reside in the United States, for example, can commit traitorous acts during the period of their domicile. A subversive act does not need to occur on U.S. soil to be punishable as treason. For example, Mildred Gillars, a U.S. citizen who became known as Axis Sally, was convicted of treason for broadcasting demoralizing propaganda to Allied forces in Europe from a Nazi radio station in Germany during World War II. â€Å"Treason is punishable by death. If a death sentence is not imposed, defendants face a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine (18 U.S.C.A.  § 2381). A person who is convicted of treason may not hold federal office at any time thereafter.† (Chapin, 1964) Terrorism Terrorism is defined as: â€Å"The unlawful use or threat of violence, especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion.† (Davenport, 2009) When we speak about terrorism, we initially mean transnational terrorism, which takes the form of the violent conflict between two or more different states. If we take terrorism as violation of certain social norms, the norms of what state should we take into account? On the one hand, terrorism directly violates the social norms of the society against which it is directed. On the other hand, terrorism becomes an acute response to the threats, under which the social norms of the terrorist state may appear. With the growing threats of terrorist attacks, numerous attempts have been made to explain the causation and roots of terrorism. There are several political, economic, and psychosocial theories which explain what terrorism is. The notion of terrorism has been discussed from the viewpoint of different disciplines and from various theoretical perspectives. Terrorism has been depicted more in political and social, rather than criminological terms. There have not been too many attempts to link terrorism to crime. This is why we still lack profound understanding of terrorism’s causation. Research has not produced any new theories which would explain terrorism. As a result, we can only utilize the existing well known crime theories to explain the notions and the roots of terrorism. The traditional picture of modern terrorism implies that terrorism has mainly Islamic roots. The extreme conservatism of the Islamic world and its reluctance to become a part of the worlds technological revolution may also serve the cause of terrorism. Rapid technological change changes the way institutions relate to one another. Change produces new norms, and new values. Those socialized to the old norms take time to adapt, and this ‘time lag’ results in the normative confusion between the old and the new societal values. (Laufer Adler, 1998) When such changes expand beyond the borders of one state and involve whole nations and continents, there will always be those who would refuse to conform to the new norms. The transition from the older to the newer norms actually causes significant stress onto the societal conscience. Terrorism is the ultimate act of opposition against the imposed implementation of the new norms. As states use terrorism to prove their social or political position, they defend their social norms and violate the norms of other states. Trying to determine the roots of terrorism, we must look at the so-called irrationality of terrorism†. This hypothesis stems from the theory of rational choice. Although it is difficult to deny that terrorism is a rational choice activity, in many instances rational choice remains irrelevant to explaining terrorism as a crime. This is further proof of the fact that we need one unified objective theory which would draw the terrorism cause in logical terms. On the one hand, terrorism as a crime is irrational in responsiveness to incentives. (Caplan, 2005) This factor determines the willingness of a person to commit a crime: the better the incentives are, the more inclined towards a crime a person will be. Moreover, rational choice suggests weighing all possible alternatives in choosing the tactics of specific crime. â€Å"The same holds for suicidal terrorism. Groups do not adopt suicide tactics for their own sake. They adopt them because they work†. On the other hand, we cannot explain terrorism within the theoretical framework of narrow self-interests which is integrally linked to traditional rational choice theory of crime. (Wilson, 2005) â€Å"Suicidal terrorism is far stronger counter-example to narrow self-interest. From a non-evolutionary viewpoint, it is impossible to reconcile the two. No matter how much you receive for your services, it does you no good if you are not alive to consume anything. Furthermore, if you get paid first and die later, there is an end-game problem. A selfish agent would take the money, then do everything in his power to back out† (Caplan, 2005). â€Å"Terrorism is first and foremost a criminal matter†. However, criminologists still fail to produce a relevant and explicit theory about terrorism as a crime. We possess sufficient knowledge about terrorism as a political, economic, or social phenomenon, but for some reason we keep forgetting that terrorism is a crime, and we primarily perceive as a crime with its peculiar characteristics. We will never be able to develop sound anti-terrorism preventive measures, if we lack understanding of terrorism from the criminological perspective. (Hamm, 2007) We must be aware of what causes terrorist crimes, what justifies them, and how we can deal with terrorist violence. Our primary task is to shift the emphasis from political to criminological perspective of terrorism. We must ultimately recognize that prevalence and incidence of terrorism requires criminological re-consideration. The new crime theory of terrorism must be multifaceted, and should link criminology of terrorism to its political dynamics and environmental contingencies. (Laufer Adler, 1998) Wartime Criminal Justice Historically, Americans risk losing civil liberties in wartime. Two risks to civil liberties arise out of war situations, first that under the guise of emergency, powers concentrated into the hands of government agents are misused, and second, that when the emergency ends, liberties formerly enjoyed are permanently eroded. The Constitution divides war powers between the Congress and the President.   This division was intended by the framers to ensure that wars would not be entered into easily: it takes two keys, not one, to start the engine of war. The Constitutions division of powers leaves the President with some exclusive powers as Commander-in-Chief (such as decisions on the field of battle), Congress with certain other exclusive powers (such as the ability to declare war and appropriate dollars to support the war effort), and a sort of twilight zone of concurrent powers.   In the zone of concurrent powers, the Congress might effectively limit presidential power, but in the absence of express congressional limitations the President is free to act.   Although on paper it might appear that the powers of Congress with respect to war are more dominant, the reality is that Presidential power has been more importantin part due to the modern need for quick responses to foreign threats and in part due to the many-headed nature of Congress. A brief survey of American history indicates that virtually every war has been accompanied not only by necessary restrictions on individual freedoms, but on overreactions, often hysterical, that has unnecessarily curtailed the liberty of Americans. The undeclared naval war by Britain and France on the fledgling United States in the 1790s led President Adams’ Federalist controlled Congress to pass the â€Å"Alien and Sedition Laws†Ã¢â‚¬â€clear violations of the First Amendment. Prosecutions under the law, soon after repealed, were politically motivated. President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in thousands of cases during the Civil War. Although historians have granted the necessity and even the restraint of these acts, the Supreme Court repudiated this unilateral presidential power after the War ended. A World War I sedition law made criticism of the military draft a crime. Sedition prosecutions stifled free speech. In reaction, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) was formed and in a series of landmark cases, the Supreme Court strengthened First Amendment freedoms, limiting the ability of government to stifle unpopular political expression. Fear of Bolsheviks in post-World War I turmoil, a deadly Wall Street bombing, and assassination threats in 1919 led to the â€Å"Palmer Raids†Ã¢â‚¬â€round-ups of thousands of people around the country, mostly leftist or pro-labor, organized by J. Edgar Hoover under the authority of Attorney General A Mitchell Palmer. More than a hundred-thousand Japanese-Americans were interned for the duration of World War II in a tragic overreaction to the Pearl Harbor attack, a move upheld by the Supreme Court. President Roosevelt authorized national security wiretapping and eavesdropping on his authority, a necessary action that led to later abuses that were curbed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). During the Korean War, President Truman nationalized the steel industry in order to break a strike that threatened war production. The Supreme Court swiftly ruled that this was an unconstitutional extension of the president’s war powers. The longest and most severe threat to civil liberty was the rise of the â€Å"national security state† for at least half of the twentieth century in an effort to thwart the real threats of fascism, Nazism, and expansionist Soviet communism under Stalin. Fascism and the Axis Powers were defeated both by military victories in World War II and by post-war assistance that painstakingly built constructed democratic regimes in Japan, Germany and Italy. â€Å"The long struggle to contain communist global expansion, warped American politics and justice in the 1950s, with political trials, loyalty oaths, Sen. Joseph McCarthy witch hunts (which missed real Soviet spies), artists’ blacklisting, local police department ‘red squad’ snooping, CIA spying on Americans within the country, FBI wiretapping Martin Luther King, Jr. And civil rights leaders, and a climate of political fear that equated a belief in racial equality or other liberal opinions with communism by the FBI.† (Stone, 2005) The anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s produced repressive political crimes and political trials, which carried over into the wiretapping abuses of the Nixon Administration resulting in the president’s resignation under threat of impeachment. After these emergency periods passed, repressive laws were typically repealed or declared unconstitutional, and excessive law enforcement behavior was curbed. The nations commitment to free speech rebounded, usually rather quickly, and sometimes more robustly than before. A Congressional report declared that the Sedition Act of 1798 had been passed under a mistaken exercise of power and was null and void. The Sedition Act of 1918, which was repealed two years later, helped give birth to the modern civil liberties movement. And in 1976, President Ford formally prohibited the C.I.A. from using electronic or physical surveillance to collect information on domestic activities of Americans, and the new F.B.I. director, Clarence Kelly, publicly apologized for F.B.I. abuses under J. Edgar Hoover. (Sofaer Williams, 2002) In summary, we see how acts of treason against the United States have taken on different forms. If an act can weaken the power of the United States to attack or resist its enemies, aid and comfort has been given, and thus treason has been committed. Terrorism has evolved both in complexity and with technology. It can take on domestic and international forms and is the ultimate act of defiance against a society. Politics and religion feed the terrorists’ fervor and with the advancements in explosives, even suicide bombers pose a significant threat. As terrorism and treason have evolved, so too have the responses to those acts. From the Sedition Act to the Patriot Act, these responses have been controversial but necessary to ensure the safety of our nation. Many think it not only inevitable but entirely proper that liberty give way to security in times of national crisis. The Founders warned us about the risk, and equipped us with a Constitution designed to deal with it. References Caplan, B. (2005). Terrorism: the relevance of the rational choice model. Criminology 43 (4), pp. 1039-1060. Chapin, B. (1964).   The American Law of Treason: Revolutionary and Early National  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Origins. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Davenport, A. (2009). Basic Criminal Law: The Constitution, Procedure, and Crimes. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Press. Hamm, M. (2007). Terrorism as a crime: from Oklahoma City to Al-Qaeda and beyond. New York: NYU Press. Laufer, W. Adler, F. (1998). Advances in criminological theory. Piscataway: Transaction Publishers. Smith, J. (1956). Freedoms Fetters: The Alien and Sedition Laws and American Civil Liberties. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Sofaer, A. Williams, P. (2002). Doing Justice During Wartime. Retrieved May 10, 2009, from Stanford University, Hoover Institution Web site: http://www.hoover.org/publications/policyreview/3461221.html Stone, G. (2005). Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism. New York: Norton, W. W. Company, Inc. Weyl, N. (1950). Treason: The Story of Disloyalty and Betrayal in American History. Washington D.C.: Public Affairs Press. Wilson, R. (2005). Human rights in the ‘War on Terror’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

How Technology Changed Design Process

How Technology Changed Design Process Consider for a moment the argument of good vs. evil. Neither can seem ably exist alone, without the other surfacing or breaking the mould at one time or another. Now consider the historical friction between the arts crafts era of design and todays computer aided magnificence. As soon as design aids such as AutoCAD, and laser cutters were created, people began to argue for the loss of design origins and individuality; some may even say its soul and character. Those who were enticed by this new technology that allowed production to be executed in half the time on twice the scale, were in awe, and naturally as with all two sided battles, alliances were formed. Gone are the days of hand carving and endlessly tiring man hours in workshops shouted the people of the future, what takes you a week and four men, takes us a day with a computer, with no need for getting grubby. The conceptual age of design was truly revolutionized by computers, no argument there, but was it necessarily a good thing? No! shouted the people of tradition, where you exceed us in production you lack in character, where is the heart and soul? The attention to detail absorbed through precise workmanship and craft? (Pemble, 2010) Once again I feel that their argument is sound, but is it not also a prime case of people fearing what they do not understand? As is the case with all arguments, it often takes a step back and a good long look at both sides of the case to induce or create a compromise that allows both sides to advance further than they imagined. For this we need to begin in Weimar, Germany, the year is 1919 and the Bauhaus school of Art design is formed. Throughout Europe, world war one had clearly left its mark. The German state lay in disarray and its economy lay in tatters and after the initial turmoil over the future of Germany. Whether it be soviet communist or capitalist German, several factors were set in stone, the way of imperialist grandeur and ornamentalism design had to change, the transformation of emotional Expressionism to the matter-of-fact New Objectivity (Minusfive 2006). This gave the German organisation, Deutscher Werkbund, founded in 1907 and considered the forerunner to the Bauhaus, a newfound vessel for their visions of design. The Werkbunds aim was: to harness the new potentials of mass production, with a mind towards preserving Germanys economic competitiveness (MinusFive 2006). This kind of agenda for change become apparent in many areas of design, it may have originated in architecture, with the Werkbunds idea of economical production for housing and the built environment, but it spread to even the most men ial of objects, combining industrial methods with artistic flair, an example I suppose being envelopes. Up until 1840 all envelopes were handmade, cut from paper and constructed before being used to send mail. However, in that year a British man George Wilson derived a method of mass production from the geometric layout called tessellation. This enabled multiple envelopes to be cut simultaneously minimising the waste cut paper. Only five years later the production of envelopes was revolutionized further by two men, Edwin Hill and Warren De La Rue, whom pioneered a steam pressing machine that enabled the cutting, folding and gumming process of envelopes all to be done in one stage. As was to happen less than a century later to various crafts, the traditional method of production died slowly at first, then all together outclassed and outperformed by its machine age successor. Here is where the compromise between industrial and traditional methods is required. During my journey in which I created my own envelope design, I was able to see the merits and disadvantages of both ends of the spectrum. The first step was to take a standard sized envelope and dissect, analyse, and recreate it, several times, to get the feel for and a thorough understanding of its design. I then, from a purely conceptual view, came up with my design, which was to be a clasp sealing disc shaped envelope. I then repeated the process i used for an existing design, for my own, entailing technical drawings, models, prototypes, and experimentations, until I came up with my finalised design. Here is where the best of both worlds comes into its own. If I were to embark on this project in an identical fashion, but in a 3D virtual computer world via programs such as CAD and 3DSMax, it would be quicker; however there would be no feel for the design, certainly no character, and there would be no way of knowing if it worked, or how it were to assemble. Tactility is one of the charms of handmade works. It was at this point that I was encouraged to investigate the more industrial side of production, so after transferring my design from hand drawn plans to an AutoCAD design, It was then onto the laser cutter, which essentially is a robotic device that reads the lines, line weights, and colours of lines to determine where needs to be cut or scored on the material placed under the laser. Now here comes the difficult part, but does prove to be the part that pays off, as the laser cutter is undeniably fiddly to setup and calibrate with regards line weights, fold lines and cuts. In this sense, there is still no smooth transition between man and machine, as it took several attempts for the laser cutter to understand the design, however that said, once calibrated it is the perfect tool for recreating a single design on a mass production level. Modern methods have thankfully taken the stress and immense man hours required out of hand production and tradition, but the integration and principles of tradition and good design should never become fully digitalised like its successor. Just like the argument of analogue vs. digital regarding timepieces, each will have their role as one simply wouldnt exist were it not for the original. The point of this investigation for me is that both modern and traditional crafts both have their roles, and as many influential figures agree, neither should be neglected nor overlooked, for they both hold merits. Technology has indeed renovated the design world, but in todays society it does on occasion overpower and fail to do itself justice, leaving the piece cold, generic and grey, failing to do itself justice. This as with most aspects of the design world boils back down to the roots of the Bauhaus. Take for instance the idea of Bauhaus furniture design, it wanted to maintain the traditions of soul in design, along with logic, so for instance a better thought out design made with more economic materials and technologies, but still manually overseen or produced would therefore potentially be the perfect design formula. Enter Mies Van Der Rohe. Originally from Aachen, he moved to Berlin in 1905. At the age of 19, he was unqualified and spent his time hopping between building sites. Not exactly the start in life most would stereotypically associate with a famous architect, whom set about change we feel the benefits of today. The tasks of design and construction were combined in his early education, not separated by increasingly common divisions between architect and builder. (Zimmerman C. 2006, p.7) Mies van Der Rohe was trained as an accomplished bricklayer and stonemason under apprenticeship of his father, but also trained as a proficient draftsman, after taking a keen interest in design whilst he worked for a specialized plasterwork company. He saw the need for an understanding of both the ends of the construction spectrum from the initial spark of an idea, to the laying of foundations, so that he may design more efficiently. Riehl House was his first commission under recommendation of a colleague at Bruno Paul architects, and was finished in 1907. The young Mies proved himself able to design and build competently, even skilfully, and capable of productively engaging the most contemporary issues of the architectural world in Berlin at the time. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.19) This was only the beginning of a long and fruitful career for Mies, and this subliminal theme was present throughout his career, the breakaway from tradition and supposed acceptable form, in favour of modular, efficient modern materials in design. This ability to draw and recollect from the design ethos of yesteryear, and combine it with the forefront of technology to create something that is not only perfected in its balance, but also pleases a wider audience is an ability he seldom neglected. A prime example is of this is dark red masonry built Lange and Esters House. The esters and Lange buildings were both surfaced in dark brick; but they are only partially bearing-wall structures. They were among the first modern buildings to free brick from its load bearing function. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.33) It gives the appearance of a traditionally built house of the time, yet modernised in aesthetics slightly, and due to its modular skeleton of steel it allows the large open views that it contains, and for the first time in German architectural history, the spatial design dictated the structural calculations. Just like with his most prolific of projects like the Seagram building, IIT centre and exhibition hall in Berlin (ironically his career peaked both as he left and later returned to the city) he used the most modern of approaches to construct the building yet he still remained true to the classical ideals of open flowing space, secular views, and the overall mastery of the space provided. I suppose a pinnacle case study would be that of the Barcelona Pavilion. After being accepted into the Werkbund in 1927, Mies was commissioned by the German Reich to design and build the 1928 World exhibition in Barcelona. With its beautiful classical onyx and marble walling, and chrome framed glass facades of multiple shades, it was the epitome of form with function, a piece de resistance of the Bauhaus vision. Instead of the normal layout of conventional housing or building, it followed Mies combination of Rhythmic movement and carefully composed views. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.39) Though beautiful, like all individual prototypes it was slightly flawed (due to insufficient budget and lack of specialised materials, the prolific flat roof was susceptible to water damage and nearly ruined the entire structure), but just like the method of trial and error in many of the hand crafts, Mies learnt from his mistakes, and embraced them with his future projects, like the Seagram building and IIT, whereby he perfected his steel frame designs that have revolutionized todays construction. The Seagram building was undoubtedly in this paradigmatic fashion. It is often seen as the finest high-rise building Mies ever built. No longer looking back to past historical design for legitimation, the building presents the architecture of capitalism with its most essential, concentrated face. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.16) Just like in my investigation into envelope design, sometimes things can be flawed; the important part is learning from it and being able to continue. This is where I feel that by doing all of the experimenting stage by hand, with copious amounts of trial and error, I managed to succeed in a design that as viewed by others was vitally flawed, my point being this. The initial design criteria given to me was that the envelope had to be capable of holding this essay and any accompanying notes, drawings, work etc and my design being circular was therefore flawed, considering all of my notes and work is on rectangular pieces of paper. It may seem like a very simple answer to a glaring omission, but I have simply decided to enlarge the size of the envelope, and changed its own criteria in that it will be more like a folder, capable of holding my work. Just as alterations were needed to my envelope, drastic alterations were needed to the world of design. The winds had changed direction, and change was coming. As with a lot of the architects of the time and followers of the Neues Bauen, people frowned upon this new rationale of design. By 1933 many architects of Neues Bauen understood their precarious status in national socialist Germany, and many emigrated. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.14) With the tension growing rapidly in Germany, and the intolerance of the now empowering Nazi party quickly showing itself, the design world soon became a focal point. With its grand imperialist nature, the new Reich wanted its capital to show this. However tradition ruled the waves. As soon as the National socialist party came to power the Bauhaus was voluntarily closed by its members, knowing the view of the new Reich and how its left wing ideals would be dealt with. Nazi writers like Wilhelm Frick and Alfred Rosenberg had labelled the Bauhaus un-German and criticized its modernist styles (MinusFive 2006) Many architects of the time soon began to emigrate, restrictions upon Mies own work was imposed and his security was soon threatened. In 1938 he made a career changing choice and emigrated to the United States of America. Here I feel began the true nature of ingenious design. By that I mean the ability to cover the entire spectra, correcting the negatives and reinforcing the positives, and fulfilling the Bauhaus ideals of singular design. The Seagram building was by any standard, miles ahead of its competitors. Yet it achieved this without claiming to be the future, or resenting the past. With classic interiors, a classy dark outside skin of externally mounted bronze, and topaz tinted glass; it not only looked the part, but also integrated frontier technology, to aid in wind buffering and reduce UV glare/heat. Its latticed modular steel framework also represented the way forward, not only with its curtain walling efficiency that allowed simple mountings for the traditional venetian blinds, but also with regards a lighter, stronger, more adaptable construction method that retained so called classic features. However, the buildings piece de rà ©sistance is what many of todays skyscrapers have to thank. Before Mies got his hands on the commission, he looked at the competitors, the other structural locale, and also back at his previous concepts. He then did what no one else had done. He set the tower a reasonable distance back from the street and created what we see throughout todays cities, urban landscaping. By creating this public space, this void filler that bridged the public and private sector he thereby integrated the Seagram immediately with its environment, it was this sort of thinking, that put Mies one step ahead, enabling him to cater perfectly for both ends of the spectrum by simply thinking outside of the box, where no others considered or dared to. It paid dividends, whilst also setting the trend of vertical design for decades to come. Conclusion Balance is what enables many things in life to perform at their respective bests, from the balance of work and social, to the balance of a relationship, and none more so than the design world. When it comes to the argument of traditional vs. Modern, the initial stages of design should always respect their roots, thus keeping to hand drawn methods, crafts, and human investigation like sketching and model making. It is all too easy to rely solely upon CAD and other such programs that have made some of todays design rather inert and cold, without human charm, and the only possible preservative of these features is the maintaining of traditional methods and heritage to keep the human signature alive. The investigation I carried out made this all too apparent, that relying upon technology to carry a design from inception to creation is a vitally flawed theory, and that without sacrifice of man hours and effort with my own skills, my envelope would be nowhere near as thorough or well desig ned, not saying that it is a perfect example, but what designer is without his or hers mistakes? Far too many things in life have slipped into the vast abyss that is history and all because weve become too eager and thirsty for this new age of production ease, of technological employment, whereby objects are no longer designed, they are manufactured, devoid of all the initial ingenuity. The radically simplified forms, the rationality and functionality, and the idea that mass-production was reconcilable with the individual artistic spirit. (MinusFive 2006) Within the last century, the Bauhaus is the only thing that has come in the way of the seemingly unstoppable machine age. It questioned craftsmanship vs. Mass production, usefulness vs. Beauty, and mainly whether a singular proper combined form could exist. In many areas it succeeded, especially in furniture design, with the likes of Breuer and Stam, whom renovated modern furniture with the cost effective use of steel, providing form and the most necessary function. At the end of the day, the dispute over the necessitation of design evolution will rage for years to come, the important factor which I cannot emphasise enough is the compromise, the balance, the equilibrium, and however many other words there are to describe the simple fact that both are equally as important as the other. One of the main objectives of the Bauhaus was to unify art, craft, and technology. The machine was considered a positive element, and therefore industrial and product design were important components (MinusFive 2006)

Drug Screening in Government Assistance Programs

Drug Screening in Government Assistance Programs The United States Federal Government Should Initiate Drug Screening For Citizens Who Seek Government Assistance. Negative Strategy # 1 As Pollack, Danziger, Jayakody Seefeldt (2002) affirm, initiating involuntary dug screening for all citizens seeking government assistance is definitely costly. The purchase of modern drug screening equipment in numbers that will be able to screen all people who apply for welfare programs, especially with the large population of America, would certainly be an expensive exercise. In addition, like any other machine, the drug screen equipment will require regular servicing and maintenance, which require more resources at close intervals. It is equally undoubted that in order for the screening programs to be successful, medical professionals and technological professionals will need to take part. This implies that a competent staff that comprises of specialists in all relevant sectors of operation and in appropriate numbers will mandatorily be employed to make the program a success. Apparently, the cost of purchasing the drug screening equipment, maintaining them, and pay for all the i nvolved expenses including the human resources is most likely to exceed the amount of money that the federal government would save on implementing drug screening policy to persons seeking government’s assistance (Pollack et al., 2002). Similar to Pollack et al. (2002), Carey (1998) emphasizes that the implementation of compulsory drug testing policies to citizens who seek for government’s assistance is unnecessary, unjustifiable, and the highest level of misappropriation of taxpayers’ money.The implementation of laws that support mandatory drug screening for people applying for government assistance is unnecessary and misappropriation of taxpayers’ money Therefore, it unnecessary and unjustifiable that the federal government engages in a more expensive program with intentions to save taxpayers’ money, as the implementation of the drug screening program will cost a lot more of the taxpayers’ money than the welfare programs as they currently are (before the implementation of the policy). Fielding, Long, Imam, Tye Ogawa (2002) further states that initiating drug screen for all citizens seeking government’s assistance is likely to have very little (negligible) or even no effect on the prevalence of drug abuse in the country. According to Fielding et al. (2002), a majority of people who are financially vulnerable in the United States are not drug addicts. The cost of drugs in the country is relatively expensive for many people belonging to poor population, especially with the high tax rates that the government has implemented on drugs over subsequent years. They also notes that it is much more reasonable for the Federal government to determine the prevalence drug use in the country by assessing people based in their ages rather than income, as a majority of drug users fall within the productive ages of between 16 and 40 years (Fielding et al., 2002). Hence, the implementation of drug screening policy, which only demands for mandatory drug testing among the econo mically vulnerable, is likely play an insignificant role in controlling drug use in the country. Referring to Guthrie (1990), the implementation of the mandatory drug screening initiative for persons participating in welfare programs is unconstitutional and a violation of people rights to privacy and freedom to make personal choices. With the drug screening policy requiring that all people needing government assistance must be tested for all sorts of drugs including alcohol and tobacco before they can be eligible for the assistance, it is clear that the implementation of the policy will breach the law, especially with the fact that alcohol and tobacco are legal drugs in the United States. Provided one has attained the required age, he or she has the right use drugs that are legal for whichever reasons. Thus, it is unconstitutional and discriminative for the Federal government to deny law-abiding citizens the right to use legal drugs just because they are financially vulnerable and requires assistance from government-sponsored welfare programs. Negative strategy # 1 Rather than implementing mandatory drug screening policy to all citizens who apply for welfare programs, the government should support awareness creation programs that will discourage all members of the society to desist from drug abuse (DiNardo, 1994). The government should support school-based programs that aim at educating students in all levels of education ranging from elementary, secondary, middle-level colleges, to universities on the dangers of drug use. The government should equally use the mainstream media to run campaigns that discourage drug use while at the same time limit the campaigns on the same media that promote drug use. The federal government should equally compel all drug manufacturers to include cautionary or warning messages on the packages of their products to educate consumers on the negative effects of the drugs they are using. Through the creation of consciousness on the need to shun drug use, it is clear that many people will develop an internal motivation to stop drug abuse rather than being compelled to stop using drugs because one is financially vulnerable. As Pavetti, Olson, Nightingale, Duke Isaacs (1997) points out, drug addiction is like a chronic disease and one hardly, whether willingly or unwillingly, stop the practice overnight. Stopping drug use is a gradual process, and drug addicts need to be taken through comprehensive behavior change programs that may take up to one or two years. Based on that, the Federal government should construct more rehabilitation facilities and equip them with the necessary human resources and machinery with which to support drug addicts to stop unproductive drug use; instead of implementing the dictatorial and illegal drug testing policy on applicants of government’s assistance. The access to the rehabilitation programs should equally be enhanced, particularly by making them affordable to all people including the economically vulnerable. Using the behavior change programs where professionals take drug addicts through gradual steps in on how to stop the addiction, it is evident that the gover nment is bound to get better results on drug control than implementing the drug policy, which will require people to forcefully, stop drug abuse in order to be eligible for welfare programs (Pavetti et al., 1997). An alternative strategy to implementing the drug screen policy on citizens needing government’s assistance is the formulation and then implementation of strict legislations that govern drug use in the country. As Hora, Schma Rosenthal (1998) support, the use of the legal infrastructure where all people who violate drug laws are punished promptly by the court of law is likely to give better results in the fight against drug use. The legislations should provide a platform on which people who take illicit drugs, those who sell drugs to minors, and those who use drugs inappropriately are surely prosecuted and punished by huge fines and even imprisonment sentences. The federal government should improve surveillance on drug abusers and work with the judicial systems to ensure that all violators of drug laws are held accountable for their actions. Through that, people will shun from the illegal use of drugs, and that will help in controlling the prevalence of drug abuse in the socie ty. References Pollack, H. A., Danziger, S., Jayakody, R., Seefeldt, K. S. (2002). Drug testing welfare recipients—false positives, false negatives, unanticipated opportunities.Womens Health Issues,12(1), 23-31. Fielding, J. E., Long, A. M., Imam, I. J., Tye, G., Ogawa, P. L. (2002). The drug court programs of Los Angeles County: the initial results.A Journal of the Substance Abuse Treatment,23(3), 217-224. Guthrie, P. M. (1990). The Drug Test and Welfare: Taking of the Drug War into Unconstitutional Limits.Ind. LJ,66, 579. Carey, C. A. (1998). Crafting of a challenge to the practice of the drug testing welfare participants: the federal welfare reform, and state response as one of the most recent chapters in the war against drugs.Buff. L. Rev.,46, 281. DiNardo, J. (1994). The critical review of estimates of the specific costs of alcohol and drug usage. InDrug testing in the workplace(pp. 57-76). Springer US. Pavetti, L., Olson, Nightingale, D., Duke, A. E., Isaacs, J. (1997). Welfare-to-Work Options for Families Facing Personal and Family Challenges: Rationale and Program Strategies. Hora, P. F., Schma, W. G., Rosenthal, J. T. (1998). The therapeutic jurisprudence, as well as the drug treatment and court movement: A Revolutionizing of the response system of the criminal justice to drug abuse, and crime in the U.S..Notre Dame L. Rev.,74, 439.

Essay example --

Major George E. Pickett was from a Virginia family that came to the Colony in 1635. George was a friendly and brave man who made the decision to attend West Point Military Academy, later graduating last with the class of 1846, but with George B. McClellan and Thomas J. Jackson. Due to George’s academic standings at his graduation, he was placed in the infantry and became an army officer, who received two brevets in the Mexican War with officers that he would later have to fight against. When the 9th U. S. Infantry was established, Pickett was soon promoted to Captain stationed within Washington Territory. He and 68 of his men went against hundreds of British troops, giving him a victory in what is known in history as â€Å"the Pig War†. After serving 15 long years in the United States army, Pickett was assigned as a brigadier general for the CSA in January 14, 1862. When the Seven Days Campaign began, he injured himself while serving with his command during the Battle of Gaines Mill. With all his hard work acknowledged upon rejoining the army, his rank went up to being Major General Geor...

Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities :: Tale Two Cities Essays

Resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities During a time of lost hope, death and war, the `golden thread', Lucie Manette plays the roll of a heroine doing everything she can to make sure the important people in her life are loved. Lucie provides not only warmth toward her father, Dr. Manette, but also towards the man that yearns for Lucie's love; Sydney Carton. Despite all the negativity that surrounds Lucie and her loved ones, she doesn't fail to lead her father and Carton to rebirth. Unlike the process of actual birth, rebirth is associated with rejuvenation. Rebirth is a second or new birth and in the case of A Tale of Two Cities it is deserved. Rebirth is portrayed as nothing close to the literal meaning of birth at all. Charles Dickens makes it obvious that Dr. Manette and Carton both deserve a second chance by showing that they both really are good people. In chapter 19, Dr. Manette earns rebirth by gaining the strength to mentally and literally walk away from the negative attitude that is associated with his shoemaking bench and his past times. Carton shows that he deserves rebirth in chapter 13 by proving that he is a good and caring person when he tells Lucie that even though he craves her love, all he wants is for her to be happy. After Dr. Manette's imprisonment in the Bastille for 18 years, the only thing he willingly says is `105 north tower` and is seemingly hypnotized by his shoemaking bench. This is where Dickens lets the reader know that Dr. Manette's imprisonment drives him insane. When Dr. Manette is rescued by Defarge and brought to his `long lost' daughter, rebirth does not take place immediately, as the doctor continues to repeat things to himself. In chapter 5, Lucie is portrayed as a caring character simply by the description given of her, as well as others reactions to her. "...His eyes rested on a short, slight, pretty figure, a quantity of golden hair [and] a pair of blue eyes that met his own." From simply the description given of Lucie, she can be recognized as a caring person. Lorry's reaction to Lucie also strengthens Lucie's caring glow.

Emily Jane Bronte :: essays research papers

Emily Jane Bronte Emily Jane Bronte remains a mystery. Very little is known about her. There is little information, and much of what we have is contradictory. She is the author of only one novel and a few bits of poetry. This gives people little to build on. The majority of what we know about her comes from her sister, Charlotte, who is another well known author. From what is known, it would appear that Emily led an ordinary life of a nineteenth century female. She attended boarding school and learned domestic skills at home. In other ways her life was unusual and even eccentric, contributing to the originality of her great novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emily Jane Bront was born on July 30, 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire. She was the fifth child and fourth daughter of Reverend Patrick Bront and Maria Branwell Bront . When she was two years old, the family moved to Haworth. This remained her home until she passed away in December of 1848 at the age of thirty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both of Emily's parents influenced her literary education. Her mother published one essay, and her father published four books and a little poetry. In 1821, Maria died of cancer, leaving Emily and her four siblings motherless. Her sister, Elizabeth, came to live as a housekeeper and was responsible for training the girls in the household arts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While at home doing housework, Emily secretly worked on poetry. In 1845, Charlotte discovered some of Emily's poems and confessed that she, too, had written some poetry. As it turned out, so had Anne. After much persuading, the poems were published in a small book entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Pseudonyms were used because the girls wanted their poetry to be taken seriously. Only two copies were sold. The failure led all three to begin work on novels: Emily on Wuthering Heights, Charlotte on Jane Eyre, and Anne on Agnes Grey. All three novels were successful and published in 1847 and 1848.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During this time, their brother, Branwell, had become addicted to alcohol and drugs, and was dying. Emily, the one closest to him, was the only