Persuasive Advertisements Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persuasive Advertisements - Article Example People used to follow them in order to lead their lives. By making use of the glamour and beauty of a film heroine, the make-up company has persuaded people towards making use of make-up and to appear just like the heroine. There is a sort of promise to the consumers about the efficacy of the pancake make up. It is informed that the pancake makeup was originally made for the Hollywood stars and actors and now is used by many girls and women. There is a sort of temptation towards becoming beautiful by means of the pancake makeup that keeps the capability of concealing the faults of the face and making it beautiful. The place that is depicted in the advertisement is the film scene, where the actress is sitting with the referred makeup. Another feature that is persuasive is to tell that ladies are going to look young with the use of makeup. To look young is another aspect that is considered very important by women. Therefore, this advertisement is very persuasive and keeps the capacity of attracting customers towards buying the pancake make up made by Max Factor Hollywood. The second advertisement that I have taken is about a cable car room that appears very comfortable. The cable car is named as California Zephyr. This advertisement belongs to the era of 1960’s in which, people were very fond of journeying. The people who are interested in traveling are diverted towards beautiful sites that they will be able to view while being in the cable car. The passengers that are shown in the car are shown as sitting comfortably without any problem and the waiter who is serving the passengers appears happy that depicts towards the hospitable attitude of the cable car staff. The designing and decoration of the cable car areas such that people who are traveling in it appear to be in San Francisco before time, that is another claim done by the cable car company.

Critical analisis essay. SPANISH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical analisis . SPANISH - Essay Example Uno de los elementos claves que ayudan en la puesta en practica de este sistema de control es la existencia de una figura de poder, cuya identidad es de poca importancia, asi como tambien la existencia de una red de personas, cuya identidad tambien es intrascendente, que ayudan en el ejercicio del poder. De hecho en la historia la mancha indeleble el personaje principal solo puede escuchar una voz, dicha voz es incorporea y, segun el personaje principal, no podia relacionarse con un ser de carne y hueso: La voz llenaba todo el salon y resonaba entre las paredes†¦Yo no podia saber de donde salia. Tenia la impresion de que todo lo que veia estaba hablando a un tiempo: el piso de marmol negro y blanco, la alfombra roja que iba de la escalinata a la gran mesa del recibidor, y la alfombra similar que cruzaba a todo lo largo por el centro; las grandes columnas, las cornisas de cubos dorados, las dos lamparas de cristal de Bohemia (Bosch 1). Este extracto nos hace pensar que ni el gene ro, ni la posicion social, ni la profesion de dicha figura son de consecuencia. Lo que si es fundamental es que la figura no pueda ser vista por los individuos que son vigilados. Asi como tambien que el individuo crea que el sistema disciplinario, cuyo representante en la historia de Bosch es la voz incorporea, tenga un alcance total. Como ya se ha mencionado, esta figura de poder no es la unica persona en todo el sistema. Tambien hay otras personas que ejercen diferentes funciones dentro de este sistema de control. Cada individuo tiene un papel que jugar y es, a su vez, supervisado por alguien de mayor jerarquia. En Pormenores de una servidumbre de Pedro Peix, el Benefactor claramente representa la figura de poder, pero durante todo el relato hay personas, cuya identidad tambien ignoramos, encargadas de realizar los trabajos sucios. Hay personas encargadas de grabar las sesiones amorosas de la esposa del personaje principal con otros hombres, hay personas que encargadas de seducir a la hija del personaje principal, hay personas encargadas de contratar la banda y las prostitutas que se apostaron en frente de la casa del personaje principal. Y, tambien, esta la persona encargada de hacer las llamadas telefonicas que el personaje principal recibia (Cespedes). Esta claro que este sistema es extenso en su practica y que abarca todas las areas de la vida cotidiana del individuo, incluso las areas mas intimas y los detalles mas pequenos no estan fuera del alcance de este regimen. En el relato de Bosch una voz incorporea le pide al personaje principal que remueva su cabeza pues ya no la necesitaria. Y el personaje principal le indica que no puede despojarse de su cabeza tan facilmente: Deme un tiempo para pensarlo. Comprenda que ella esta llena de mis ideas, de mis recuerdos. Es el resumen de mi propia vida. Ademas, si me quedo sin ella, ?con que voy a pensar? (Bosch 2). Sin darle mucha importancia la voz le contesta que ya no la necesitaba pues ellos (los miembros d e este sistema disciplinario) pensarian por el y que sus recuerdos eran innecesarios. Un sistema como este, que no tiene ningun reparo en declarar que las ideas, las emociones y

Intellectual Diversity Essay Example for Free

Intellectual Diversity Essay Have you ever really stopped to think about diversity? The typical individual usually thinks of different skin colors or the different backgrounds everyone has. By definition diversity is the condition of being different. The term ‘diversity’ encompasses a broad scope. There are many realms to diversity such as economic, cultural, and gender. However a type of diversity that has been growing in buzzword in recent years, especially among the conservative communities of college campuses, is intellectual diversity. Intellectual diversity, along with ‘academic freedom’ is what activists like David Horowitz characterize as being the equal treatment of an individual, regardless of political affiliations or religious beliefs. The leftist tendencies inherent in academia are of course not a new development, though they have been better-documented as of late by conservative writers. The issue that these writers discuss is how intellectual diversity is threatened in these different environments through partisan politics as well as the liberalized environments themselves. The issue of intellectual diversity is a quandary that the government must deal with carefully. They cannot simply issue strict laws regarding the protection of intellectual diversity on campus because this does not satisfy what everyone wants and more importantly what they need. The government, as well as these conservative activists has to realize that there will always be a liberal opposition in the world. They must recognize that although it is completely just to fight for equal treatment and opportunity for people with different views, it is not ok to shield these people from the opposing liberal perspectives completely because that limits the individual to not be able to explore the different ideas in the world and learn to embrace the opposition. It will ultimately limit them from being able to become a well-rounded and educated person. Conservative students are being crushed in liberal campuses and in classrooms where teachers have different views. Case after case of liberal activism and indoctrination has been publicized by conservative activists. This is because activists like David Horowitz have realized the effects of a liberal atmosphere, and biased teachers. In â€Å"Schools of Reeducation†, Frederick M. Hess touches on the topic of a young college student of Washington State, Ed Swan, a conservative Christian father of four that was flunked with the explanation that he â€Å"revealed opinions that have caused me great concern in the areas of race, gender, sexual orientation and privilege.† In David Horowitz’s â€Å"In Defense of Intellectual Diversity† students from the University of Denver and Duke are described as having to deal with seeing partisan propaganda posted on doors and hallways as well as joking warnings from teachers that say that any Republicans should drop his course because of his strong â€Å"liberal† opinions. Because of these and many other displays of liberal dominance in college campuses, conservatives are starting to take a stand, Mr. Horowitz for example wrote the â€Å"Academic Bill of Rights†. The way conservatives are placed in such hostile environments is not fair, just, or virtuous, it is impartial and nonpartisan. The government must be extremely scrupulous in the ways they deal with intellectual diversity and the laws they implement because it could have negative impacts on the professors and administrators of colleges and universities. In â€Å"The Right to Tell the Truth†, Ann Marie B. Bahr retells her story of a terrible experience she had undergone when teaching courses on world religions at South Dakota State University. Students inspired by David Horowitz’s â€Å"Academic Bill of Rights† literally induced the poor teacher to fear her job. She felt that they forbade her to express an informed professional opinion. Bahr, a women completely qualified to teach the course was unable to, because if she ever said anything that her students didn’t agree with they simply dropped the course. I don’t believe David Horowitz would support such behavior arousing from his bill, but this is why the government must be extremely careful, prudent, and meticulous when dea ling with such a delicate issue as intellectual diversity. Where is the justice in scaring teachers to falsify the truth? Or sacrifice their right to have and informed professional opinion, there is none. Conservative students must not be shielded from the liberal opposition because it debilitates them from learning how to deal with it; it won’t broaden their minds to new ideas and instead will hold them back from becoming the educated, well rounded, less biased individuals that they have the potential to become. The population that Mr. Horowitz’s â€Å"Academic Bill of Rights† is directed towards is the unfortunate conservative students who are put at a disadvantage due to the ‘hostile environments’ where liberal propaganda roams free and biased liberal teachers treat them unfairly. But the thing is that these students many times don’t break down and crumble at the feet of this liberal monster, but instead grow from the experience. The students come out stronger in the end after going through such a hard experience. They are able to become strong minded, and intellectually powerful. No college student should ever be put in an unfair situation where they are scared to think and say what they want due to their surrounding environment, or are not able to attain the same grade as a colleague because of their personal beliefs; but they also shouldn’t be protected like a mommy with her baby because in the real world there will be those strong minded liberals that you will have to face and converse with, and they need to have already experienced liberal feedback in their lives in order to be able to respond back effectively. Again the government must be careful not to just create strict laws that protect intellectual diversity. The level of intensity of these laws must be restricted in order to allow the conservative individual to still grow as a human being. As in many controversial arguments both sides of intellectual diversity bring up valid points. The side for intellectual diversity argues that we all have the right to have different political, religious, and social views, but regardless of what they are still be treated equally. The side against intellectual diversity argues that if the government enacted strict laws to enforce it, this would lead to negative impacts on professors and administrators of college campuses as well as debilitating students from experiencing real world conflicts and learning from them. The truth is that both sides of the argument are correct and there is sufficient evidence to prove both points. We the people must not allow one side to emerge from this conflict victorious, because this will leave the other side out to suffer the storm. Instead we must compromise between the opposing views and find a way to work in concert in order to find a solution that benefits both sides equally. There are many realms of diversity however the one that always seems to be the most controversial, and difficult to solve, is by far intellectual diversity. The fight over whether intellectual diversity should be enforced by the government is not a new one. This is an ongoing conflict that recently has spurred heated debate, now the time has come to solve this problem. It is the single most important responsibility of the government to protect the people, therefore the government not only has the right to create laws on this issue but it is its obligation. However the government must recognize that there are indeed two sides, and it must not show sympathy for either one but instead compromise between the two to find a middle ground that will satisfy both sides. The solution therefore lies in reconciliation. The government must enact a law that protects the intellectual diversity of students however this must be done in a scrupulous manner so it does not have a negative effect on college professors and administrators; perhaps even creating a law that protects this population as well if necessary. The government must also limit the intensity of the law; students must not be completely shielded from opposing views, for that would be a disservice to the students, whose growth as person would be limited from a strict law. As best put by Harvey Mackey, â€Å"Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.†

Worlds lone superpower

Worlds lone superpower In order to answer this question successfully we must answer it in four distinct sections. In the first section we will examine the debate over whether the United States is a hegemonic power or an imperial power. In the second section we will look at the main sources of Americas strength, examining the extent of its military power as well the power of its economy and the extent of its soft power. In the third section we will examine the nature of American weakness in the international arena, pointing to the Iraq War of 2003 and the War on Terror as two areas that expose American weakness clearly in todays world. In the fourth and final section we will analyse the rise of China, considering the arguments that this can be seen either as a threat or an opportunity. We will conclude that the United States is the worlds lone superpower and that the rise of China need not be viewed as a threat. According to Nexon and Wright modern international relations scholars operate with the assumption that whether the United States is an empire, the preeminent power in a unipolar system, or the leader of a hegemonic order, (this) shapes the basic dynamics of international politics[1]. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that the United States is simply a modern day imperial power. Hardt and Negri argue that imperial tendencies go right to the heart of the American constitution. They offer us the concept of imperial sovereignty and suggest that perhaps the fundamental characteristic of imperial sovereignty is that its space is always open[2]. They examine the constitutional history of the United States and find that each phase of its constitutional history marks a step toward the realisation of imperial sovereignty[3]. Hill has observed that this is a fundamental difference between the United States and China. It is commonplace to observe that the United States, for example, has c onsistently believed that its own values should be exported, whereas China has never felt the need to proselytise, despite its own conviction of superiority[4]. Hardt and Negri argue that the constitution of the United States has strong imperial tendencies and that this means that the United States is well placed in terms of acquiring a large Empire. However, these imperial tendencies are fundamentally different from previous imperialist nations. It is imperial because the U.S. constitutional project is constructed on the model of rearticulating an open space and reinventing incessantly diverse and singular relations in networks across an unbounded terrain[5]. The new imperialism is based upon open spaces and integrated networks, by which they refer primarily to the globalised world economy and it is the lead that the United States offers in this sphere that provides her with the power to stand at the head of the international community. Empire today does not mean anything like what we have always meant by empire. It occupies no lands; it has no center (not even in Washington); it doesnt depend on tightly controlled satellite governments; it is a postmodern entity[6]. Chalmers Johnson offers us another theory of the relationship between the US and Empire. Chalmers argues that the United States has not sought to actively conquer territories. In more modern times, unlike many empires, we did not annex territories at all. Instead we took (or sometimes merely leased) exclusive military zones within territories, creating not an empire of colonies but an empire of bases[7]. Chalmers goes on to show that the Department of Defence has admitted to the existence of some 725 overseas bases, but that many of these bases are ill equipped indeed to actively participate in any war. Instead these bases are the headquarters for our proconsuls, visible manifestations of our imperial reach[8]. We can see therefore that for Chalmers the imperialism of the United States is most tellingly portrayed by the extensive reach of the American military base, not as an active fighting force but instead as a way for the United States to spread its imperial tentacles. However, n ot all scholars agree that the term Empire or imperialism is valid in depicting the role of the United States in the world. Andrew Hurrell agrees that notions of informal empire provide some analytical purchase[9] when looking at the type of power that the United States exhibits in the modern world. However, Hurrell is reluctant to use the term Empire when referring to the United States. It is analytically more useful to understand the United States as a hegemonic rather than an imperial power, because doing so forces the analyst to focus directly on the crucial questions of negotiation, legitimacy and followership'[10]. Even if the United States is not an Empire, its sources of strength are clear. Brookes and Wohlforth have argued that the sources of American strength are so varied and so durable that U.S. foreign policy today operates in the realm of choice rather than necessity to a greater degree than any other power in modern history[11]. Unquestionably the military might of the United States is one critical factor. After the end of the Cold War America invested heavily in building up its military strength. The Americans were determined to increase their military strength to such a level that the United States would be able to overcome any enemy or combination of enemies. In 1999 the United States declared that its military expenditures now are larger than all other countries combined[12] and this attitude encapsulated the mood of the public and of Capitol Hill with regard to the military. After the Cold War, the measure of adequacy was no longer simply military strength; it had become military supremacy, a position endorsed by liberals as well as conservatives, Democrats as well as Republicans[13]. However, some have argued that the importance of military strength in defining the extent of a nations relative power in the international system is declining. The factors of technology, education, and economic growth are becoming more significant in international power, while geography, population and raw materials are becoming somewhat less important[14]. Fortunately for the United States it is well placed in all these new areas as well as continuing to exert more traditional forms of hard military power. The economy of the United States for example is still one that is immensely powerful and it accounts for over one-fifth of the world gross product. Joseph Nye has argued that as the nature of power undergoes transformations in the modern world traditional notions of hard power are becoming intertwined with the idea of soft power. A state may achieve the outcomes it prefers i n world politics because other states want to follow it or have agreed to a situation that produces such effects. In this sense, it is just as important to set the agenda and structure the situations in world politics as to get others to change in particular cases[15]. One important area of this soft power is the extent to which the United States is considered to be the legitimate world leader, not only the moral leader of the world but also its undoubted trend-setter. The pervasive influence of the United States cannot only be felt in the power of its military or in the strength of its economy but in its ability to inspire the peoples of other nations to strive for the same ideals for which it strives. On this viewing the cultural influence of the United States is just as important as its other sources of power. Unquestionably globalisation has allowed many non-Western people the chance to get their hands on many Western products and ideas. The important part of this is that many o f these people voluntarily choose to embrace Western ideas and products and this is undoubtedly an important source of strength for the United States. Despite such overwhelming strength some scholars do point to sources of weakness. Michael Ignatieff has argued that the Iraq War of 2003 is a turning point in American history. He claims that the war is imperial in its character but that an imperial war goes against the very heart of American values. A role once played by the Ottoman Empire, then by the French and the British, will now be played by a nation that has to ask whether in becoming an empire it risks losing its soul as a republic[16]. The American nation was born in the struggle against Empire and if it itself turns imperial then this could prove to be a source of weakness for the United States as it would heavily dilute its national character. The United States would then be vulnerable of falling into the same traps as many Empires throughout history and it is only by maintaining its anti-imperial character that the nation can guard against this slide into Empire. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, which constituted an active threat to the United States, the greatest threat for the United States has clearly come from terrorism. Since the attacks on September 11 the level of this perceived threat has only escalated and it led George W. Bush to declare a war on terror. This war on terror has exposed some fundamental sources of American weakness. It has shown that despite the awesome military strength of the United States establishing order in the aftermath of the Iraq war was very difficult. In fact, September 11 showed that at times the United States was not even able to guarantee the safety of its citizens within its own borders, despite its enormous power, strength and resources. The war on terror has also raised questions about the ability of the US military to deal with the Al-Qaeda threat, which certainly cannot overwhelm the US military but at the same time the military cannot defeat the terrorists and their guerilla tactics when they encounter them. Indeed many have argued that the invasion s of Afghanistan and Iraq have been highly counterproductive in combating terrorism. Michael Scheuer, a 20-year CIA veteran has argued that US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have left both countries seething with anti-U.S. sentiment, fertile grounds for the expansion of Al-Qaeda and kindred groups. He adds that the invasions were exactly what bin Laden and his associates had hoped for, since they gave new evidence to Muslims that Americans were the new crusaders, foreign infidels bent on conquest[17]. This is a major problem for the United States, because even though it does not affect Americas military power it has led to a loss of soft power for the United States. The invasion of Iraq in particular led to splits in the Security Council and has impeded the efforts of the United States to act as the worlds moral authority and thereby set the worlds agenda. Other actions such as the creation of Guantà ¡namo Bay and the abuses at Abu Ghraib have further damaged the credi bility of the United States to proclaim itself as the worlds greatest champion of human rights. This has created a backlash against American values, especially in the Islamic world and has led to the perception that American influence is corrupting and negative. Another potential source of weakness for the United States is the precarious nature of its current economic condition and the doubts about the long-term sustainability of public and private debt levels. If the United States loses its position at the top of the global economy this could have serious implications for the extent global power that the United States can wield. Let us now turn to examine the rise of China. Few countries are poised to have more impact on the world over the next 15-20 years than China. If current trends persist, by 2025 China will have the worlds second largest economy and will be a leading military power[18]. The question is whether the United States will view the expansion of Chinese power as a threat or whether the Americans and Chinese can build a positive and mutually beneficial partnership. If they are able to do the latter then one could argue that China does not stand in the way of continued US global hegemony. The two nations could engage to a significant extent and create sustained worldwide economic growth, solve regional disputes and also work together to combat the threats posed by rogue states and terrorism. However, if tensions between the two Pacific powers worsen, the whole of Eastern Eurasia could become divided in a new cold war, and the prospects for confrontation and conflict would seem certain to rise[19 ]. Webber and Smith have shown that the Bush administration certainly recognised the potential threat that an increasingly powerful China could pose. In March 2001, Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defence in the Bush administration, presented a strategic assessment which suggested that China was to be regarded as Americas principal potential adversary and that greater priority, consequently, needed to be given to long-range power projection forces capable of deployment in the Asia-Pacific region[20]. Indeed a report from the United States Congress has shown that the threat from China is not solely confined to the field of the military, but that the vast growth of the Chinese economy and the manner in which it conducts trade with America could also have potentially harmful effects upon the American economy. Another concern are the large and growing U.S. trade deficits with China, which have risen from $10.4 billion in 1990 to an estimated $232 billion in 2006, and are viewed by man y Members as an indicator that China uses unfair trade practices (such as an undervalued currency and subsidies to domestic producers) to flood U.S. markets with low-cost goods and to restrict U.S. exports, and that such practices threaten American jobs, wages, and living standards[21]. Peerenboom has argued that this view of China as a threat and the resulting containment strategy is highly likely to backfire. US policy will have to abandon neoconservative policies that seek to contain China, which is the surest way to bring about the kind of military conflict and economic trade war that all hope to avoid. Portraying China as a threat that must be contained fuels animosity and undermines those constituencies in China working to ensure that Chinas rise to power is peaceful[22]. Indeed, Peerenboom argues that for all the possible sources of conflict, there are many areas where the interests of both parties are aligned[23]. Despite the assessments by the Bush administration Friedberg convincingly argues that the relationship between the United States and China is more likely to be characterised by both co-operation and conflict in the future as it has been since 1989. The fundamentally mixed character of the U.S.-China relationship will not change very much, perhaps o scillating within a fairly narrow range, with periodic shifts toward greater cooperation or increased competition, but without a clear trend in either direction[24]. If this is indeed the case then the prospects for continued US global hegemony look promising. The signs are that the two countries should be able to work together effectively to tackle the worlds problems and this will mean that the United States will be likely to be the senior partner in the relationship. The ability of the United States to continue to set the global agenda will be vital in its quest for continued hegemony. In Conclusion, we have seen that the United States continues to be the worlds lone superpower. The extent of its military power is staggering and unseen in the worlds history to this point. However, the United States continues to be the worlds lone superpower because allied to this awesome military strength is a powerful economy and soft power that can shape the dictates of policy across the world. Clearly the United States has areas of weakness and not only that but they are exposed often and frankly in todays media and in academic circles. The invasion of Iraq and the War on Terror have shown that even overwhelming military, economic and political power are not sufficient to win the battles of the 21st Century, that are often as much about winning hearts and minds on Arab streets as they are about beating Islamic fundamentalists based in caves in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, despite these obvious deficeiencies there is no question that the sources of American strength are so overwhelming that it continues to be the worlds lone superpower. It is for this reason that the United States does not need to fear the rise of China, even if some in the Bush administration did view China as a threat. Friedberg is right to argue that the relationship between the two countries will be characterised by conflict and co-operation, but the attitude of the United States towards China will be a critical factor in determining whether the 21st Century is marked by cooperation or another Cold War. If the United States manages to deal with China effectively to tackle the worlds problems, then it will continue to be the senior and most influential partner in the relationship between the two countries. Bibliography Hill, Christopher, The Changing Politics of Foreign Policy (2003) Webber, Mark, Smith, Michael, Foreign Policy in a Transformed World (2002) Hurrell, Andrew, On Global Order (2007) Nexon, Daniel, Wright, Thomas, Whats at Stake in the American Empire Debate?, The American Political Science Review, 101 (2) (2007), pp.253-271 Hardt, Michael, Negri, Antonio, Empire (2000) Wohlforth, William Brookes, Stephen, American Primacy in Perspective, Foreign Affairs, 81 (4) (2002), pp.20-33 Bacevich, A.J., American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy (2002) Nye, Joseph, Soft Power, Foreign Policy, 80 (1990), pp.153-171 Friedberg, Aaron, The Future of U.S.-China Relations: Is Conflict Inevitable?, International Security, 30 (2) (2005), pp.7-45 Johnson, Chalmers, The Sorrows of Empire (2004) Mann, Michael, Incoherent Empire (2005) Peerenboom, Randall, China modernises (2007) Websites: http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_2025/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=455 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E6DA143FF936A35752C0A9659C8B63sec=spon=pagewanted=1 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33604.pdf Nexon, Daniel, Wright, Thomas, Whats at Stake in the American Empire Debate?, The American Political Science Review, 101 (2) (2007), pp.253 Hardt, Michael, Negri, Antonio, Empire (2000), pp.167 Hardt, Michael, Negri, Antonio, Empire (2000), pp.168 Hill, Christopher, The Changing Politics of Foreign Policy (2003), pp.18 Hardt, Michael, Negri, Antonio, Empire (2000), pp.182 http://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=455 Johnson, Chalmers, The Sorrows of Empire (2004), pp.23 Johnson, Chalmers, The Sorrows of Empire (2004), pp.24 Hurrell, Andrew, On Global Order (2007), pp.262 Hurrell, Andrew, On Global Order (2007), pp.262 Wohlforth, William Brookes, Stephen, American Primacy in Perspective, Foreign Affairs, 81 (4) (2002), pp. 30-31 Bacevich, A.J., American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy (2002), pp.126 Bacevich, A.J., American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy (2002), pp.126 Nye, Joseph, Soft Power, Foreign Policy, 80 (1990), pp.154 Nye, Joseph, Soft Power, Foreign Policy, 80 (1990), pp.166 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E6DA143FF936A35752C0A9659C8B63sec=spon=pagewanted=1 Mann, Michael, Incoherent Empire (2005), pp.xvii http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_2025/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf:, pp.29 Friedberg, Aaron, The Future of U.S.-China Relations: Is Conflict Inevitable?, International Security, 30 (2) (2005), pp.8 Webber, Mark, Smith, Michael, Foreign Policy in a Transformed World (2002), pp.124 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33604.pdf Peerenboom, Randall, China modernises (2007), pp.276 Peerenboom, Randall, China modernises (2007), pp.276 Friedberg, Aaron, The Future of U.S.-China Relations: Is Conflict Inevitable?, International Security, 30 (2) (2005), pp.37

Improving Concentration And Memory Skills

Improving Concentration And Memory Skills If you wish to improve your memory skills, i.e. your ability to remember information and recollect it when you so desire, it is imperative that you improve your concentration. Concentration requires you to focus intently on whatever you are trying to remember. Concentration enables you to: learn new facts recall information that you have already memorised It is obvious that you need to focus on the information to be learnt if you want to remember it. So you must improve your concentration to improve your memory. You cannot claim that your powers of concentration are weak and hence you suffer from a weak memory. Concentration is a mental skill. It can be developed by you, just like any other skill. There are several exciting ways in which you can boost your concentration power. Step 1: Power Your Brain If you really wish to improve your concentration, try the following tips and you will find a marked improvement in a relatively short time period. There have been several books that have been written on the subject of how the brain works and how you can use this knowledge to improve its functioning. In Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, Sharon Begley explains that the structure and function of the adult brain is not set in stone. The connections between the neurons in your brain grow and change all the time. When you learn to play the guitar, study the human anatomy, read a book, practise the Chinese style of cutting vegetables, or develop a new habit, you are increasing the networking in the brain. As with any other muscle in the body, the more you use the brain, the better it becomes. You need to exercise a muscle regularly to develop it. In the same manner, you must exercise your brain regularly to develop and keep it in good shape. Your brain has the ability to change and grow all the time. This is a continuous process and does not happen overnight. With continuous and consistent effort, you can improve your brains ability to concentrate. Build into your daily regime the following habits: Mindfulness meditation: Begin by meditating for five minutes in the morning and for five minutes again at night before going to bed. If you do this everyday, you will notice that your power of concentration is improving. Mindfulness means to be aware or conscious. Meditation sharpens your focus and memory. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have proved that regular meditation creates changes in the physical structure of the brain by thickening the cortex. Then thickening of the cortex happens because of increased blood flow to that area. The cortex is that area of the brain that deals with the higher mental functions. So, meditation and memory are inextricably linked to each other. By meditating regularly, you improve your brains power to focus. It also helps bring clarity in your thinking. I found mindfulness meditation is the best way to meditate. In this way you have to do the reverse of other meditation methods commonly used. Here you will not try to empty your mind but you will try to fill your mind with as much as information you can. But it should be from the present only not from the past and the future. E.g. sit comfortably and try to focus on your breathing sound, listen the sound of it. Feel it, try to imagine that air going in and out. I mean make your all the senses/ perception busy enough in receiving information from the present moment. It will make busy your mind in the present passing movement and you will not get the time to wonder in past and future. And concentration is all about staying in present. You can do the same thing while eating, bathing, walking by making your senses busy in receiving the information in the present movement. Like what is the temperature of water you are using for bath or what are the ingredients of the food you are eating also try to analyse their quantity. Proper sleep: It is a well known fact that sleep contributes to the long-term consolidation of new memories (Nature journal, November 2006). Going by this, any new memories that are formed require enough sleep to enable the brain to organize and retain them. If a night has been slept in tossing and turning (if its due to an old mattress, throw it out and get a new one), the brain is not fresh and ready to face a new day of work. It is foggy and sleepy, and it will not function with clarity and sharpness. Its ability to retain anything will be reduced. Both concentration and memory will suffer because of poor sleep. To improve the quality of your sleep have a hot cup of milk before going to bed, remove stressful thoughts from your mind, darken the room, have warm shower, put on some light music and read a boring book. All these things are aimed at ensuring that you get a good nights rest. It will help your brain boost its energy levels. This in turn will lead to improved concentration. Eat healthier: There is a direct correlation between your diet and your concentration and memory. The nutrients and energy needed by your brain are supplied by the food you eat. The brain uses glucose, a sugar, as fuel, so your blood sugar needs to be regulated. To help improve your memory, cut back on fast foods which are high in saturated fats and salt, both of which block your carotid arteries. Such blockages reduce the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain. The focusing power of the brain is then diminished. Reduce your weight to the normal levels, for being overweight makes your physical body and your mental capacities sluggish. Eat foods that enrich your brain to help in improving its functionality. Brain foods include apples, bananas, dark green vegetables such as spinach, eggs, flaxseed, and fish, and some essential fatty acids like Omega -3. Drinking at least one liter of water a day per 23 24 kg of body weight will also help. To keep your blood sugar steady, take five or six small meals throughout the day. Limit your calorie intake to what is essential. Vitamins and other supplements: Brain enhancement supplements do not do much and can be avoided. Taking a multi-vitamin tablet everyday as a supplement does help. It may fill in the lacuna created by any kind of vitamin deficiency in your diet. Cod liver oil capsules, Vitamin B and vitamin C tablets help in supplementing the vitamins that you get from your regular diet. Vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of your brain. Brain games: You need to play the games that ask for greater focus. These should be played often to improve your concentration levels. This is because the brain becomes better at whatever it exercises on a regular basis. By playing those games that require concentrated effort, the brains ability to focus increases. Step 2. Optimize your Environment: A proper environment, conducive to studies, also helps in improving your concentration. A Study Area: It is good to have a designated spot for studying. You will get in the habit of studying there. Make sure its not the bed that you use for studies, for the bed relates to sleep. Have a desk in a quiet and secluded place away from noise to enable you to concentrate. Try Different Coloured Lights: Recent studies indicate that the use of a green light bulb in the study lamp improves concentration. You could try this out to see if it works for you. Red light is also supposed to improve concentration and memory. You may also decorate your study area with artifacts and items which are red in colour and see whether this helps in improving your concentration. Remove Distractions: Radio, television, and telephone are all distractions. They should be switched off during your study time. This will help you focus. Make sure that when you study, you are not disturbed by friends who call or drop in unexpectedly. Your study time should be clear to you as well as others. By demarcating your study hours, you will prevent the distractions that otherwise eat into your time. Use Time Boxes: For a particular portion of study, set a reasonable time limit. If you wish to learn a new chapter, set forty minutes for reading it and another twenty minutes for learning it. You should be able to complete the chapter in one hour. By doing this, you ensure that there is a deadline to be met and this helps you to focus on the work. Stay Motivated: To stay motivated you can promise yourself a reward at the end of a certain period of focused studying. For example, you may tell yourself that after a couple of hours of study, you will have earned the reward of watching your favourite T.V. show at night. Take a Regular Break: Every hour, take a five minute break, to prevent your energy levels from lagging. You should get up from the chair, walk a bit and stretch your legs. Have a glass of water or a light snack. Do some eye exercises to relax your eyes. Change your Breathing: Change your breathing to activate your alpha waves. Switch your breathing pattern to deeper and slower. This helps your brain to switch to alpha waves, which mentally prepare your brain to concentrate on new facts. The alpha waves bring your mind to readiness to learn new facts. This is the cool and relax state of mind. Any learning requires concentration. Without focusing on the information, the brain will not be able to learn or remember. If your brain wanders, it will not recall a lesson. So concentration is a must for learning and retaining. Improvement in concentration will lead to improvement in the memory since learning, remembering and recollecting are all inter- related. If you have not learnt, how will you remember? Hence, improve your concentration and this will lead to an improved memory.

Diary Of Anne Frank :: essays research papers

The Dairy of a Young Girl The autobiography I read "The Dairy of a Young Girl" written by Anne Frank" is about a young girl who suffered a lot in the Holocaust. Anne Frank kept a diary, which made her a very well known teenagers. She has inspired people from all over the world. Her writings explain the true feeling of being in the World War II. She kept her dairy from June 12,1942 and ended when it was discovered in August 1944. On her 13th birthday on June 12, 1942 Anne received a diary from her parents, Otto and Edith Frank. Two days later, she started writing about her thoughts. A few weeks later, Anne sister, Margot Frank received a notice from the Nazi to report for work at a labor camp. Which is called the concentration camps. On July 5th, 1942, Anne and her family moved to the "Secret Annex". It’s a secret hiding area where her father builded in back of his office. When her family hide from the Nazis, who arrested and victimized Jews, Anne took her diary everywhere she goes. She called it “Kitty,'; and the two years of spending in the Secret Annex, her diary was her friend. Eight people lived in the Secret Annex. There were the four members of the Frank family, Otto Frank, Edith Frank, Margot and Anne. Three from the Van Pels family, Herman and Auguste Van Pels and their son Peter, and an elderly named Pfeffer. The four people acted as helpers for the Frank family an d the people living in the Secret Annex. They brought them food, supplies and news. Anne and the seven people, who shared the Secret Annex, were sent to Westerbork camp. A few weeks later, they were later sent to other camps. When they were leaving from Auschwitz, Otto Frank was separated from his family. Otto Frank was in the camp infirmary and was left behind. Otto Frank tried to convince Peter to hide in the infirmary, but he was afraid. He soon found out that his wife died, but it was not until some time after returning home that he found that Margot and Anne died. Otto Frank was the only one of the 8 people from the secret annex to survive.

The Electoral College System :: essays research papers

The Electoral College System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You walk in to the voting booth on the first Tuesday of November to cast your vote for who you think should be president. You take your ballot into the box believing, as most people do, that your vote will be counted along with the rest of the population. You do this because you believe it could be the deciding vote for the presidential race. Well, you are wrong. Your vote only decides who the electors that join the Electoral College in December will be, but the elector can always change his or her vote. How can this be right? What happened to the idea of a democracy where every citizen had his or her say? The Electoral College worked in the beginning because there were no political parties or political campaigns. During the next four presidential campaigns, political parties began to emerge in the United States. During the presidential election of 1800, two candidates from the same party received an equal number of votes. It took the House of Representatives thirty-six tries to break the tie. The tiebreaker involved bribes and other political dealings that the Electoral College was designed to prevent. This all prompted the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution in 1804.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Amendment requires that each Elector cast one vote for president and another vote for vice president. If that system does not come up with a majority winner, then the House of Representatives selects the winner from the top three contenders. The U.S. Senate selects the vice president from the top two contenders if one candidate does not receive the majority vote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a winner take all state; if a candidate receives 51 percent of the vote, he automatically wins the electoral votes for the state. If that state happens to be California, he has won 54 of the 538 possible votes. That is 1/5th of the amount of votes needed to win the presidency. So, if a candidate won only ten of the states' electoral votes, he can win the presidential race without taking into account the other 40 states (Procedural). That is just not the way a democracy is supposed to work. I believe that it is time for the United States Government to start realizing that the campaign process is getting out of control. The majority of presidential candidates only want to win a state's electoral votes. They do not concentrate on the smaller states.