Personal Customs Exemptions for Returning Canadians

Personal Customs Exemptions for Returning Canadians If you are a Canadian resident or temporary resident of Canada returning to Canada from a trip outside the country, or a former Canadian resident returning to live in Canada, you may qualify for a personal exemption to bring a certain value of goods into Canada without having to pay the regular duties. You will still have to pay duties, taxes and any provincial/territory assessments on the value of goods above your personal exemption. Children, even babies, are entitled to a personal exemption. A parent or guardian can make a declaration on the childs behalf as long as the goods being declared are for the childs use. The amount you claim for your personal exemption must be reported in Canadian dollars. Use a foreign exchange converter to change foreign currencies into Canadian dollars. The personal exemption for returning Canadian residents depends on the length of time you have been outside of Canada. The personal exemptions for Canadian residents have been increased effective June 1, 2012. The new exemption limits go up to CAN$200 from CAN$50 for absences of 24 hours or longer, and up to CAN$800 if youre out of the country longer than 48 hours. After a 7-day absence, you are allowed to include goods that will follow you by mail or another delivery method. Outside Canada for Less Than 24 Hours No exemption. Outside Canada for 24 Hours or More If you are outside Canada for 24 hours or more, you may claim a personal exemption of up to CAN$200 worth of goodsthe goods must accompany youtobacco or alcohol may  not be claimed in this exemption Note: If you bring in goods worth more than CAN$200 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead, you have to pay full duties on all the goods you bring in. Outside Canada for 48 Hours or More If you are outside Canada for 48 hours or more, you may claim a personal exemption of up to CAN$800 worth of goodsthe goods must accompany youyou can include some tobacco products and alcohol, but only a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products or manufactured tobacco. Outside Canada for 7 Days or More To calculate the number of days you have been outside Canada for the purposes of this personal exemption, do not include the day you left Canada but do include the day you returned. If you are outside Canada for 7 days or more, you may claim a personal exemption of up to CAN$800 worth of goodsyou can include some tobacco products and alcohol, but only a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products or manufactured tobacco.alcohol and tobacco products must accompany youother goods do not need to accompany you when you cross the border.

University of Texas at San Antonio UTSA Admissions Data

University of Texas at San Antonio UTSA Admissions Data Are you interested in attending the University of Texas at San Antonio? They accept more than three-quarters of all applicants. See more about their admissions requirements. About UTSA The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), is a large public university whose main campus occupies 725 acres on the northern edge of San Antonio, Texas. Undergraduates can choose from 63 bachelors degree programs. Popular majors span a wide range of fields in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and profession areas. The university has a diverse student population, and the school wins high marks for the number of degrees it awards to Hispanic students. Established in 1969, UTSA has grown significantly in its short history and the campus has undergone extensive construction, renovation, and expansion in recent years. On the athletic front, the UTSA Roadrunners compete in the NCAA Division I Conference USA. The school fields 17 Division I teams. Will you get in if you apply? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) UTSA Acceptance Rate: 76Â  percentTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 450 / 560SAT Math: 470 / 570SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 20 / 25ACT English: 18 / 24ACT Math: 19 / 25ACT Writing: - / -What these ACT numbers mean Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 28,959Â  (24,724 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 50Â  percent male / 50 percent female82Â  percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $7,700 (in-state); $18,297 (out-of-state)Books: $1,000 (why so much?)Room and Board: $11,090Other Expenses: $2,582Total Cost: $22,372 (in-state); $32,969 (out-of-state) University of Texas at San Antonio Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 84Â  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 67Â  percentLoans: 52 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $7,358Loans: $6,044 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Architecture, Biology, Accounting, Business Administration, Communication, Criminal Justice, English, Finance, Health, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Marketing, Political Science, PsychologyWhat major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 71Â  percentTransfer Out Rate: 33 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 13Â  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 35Â  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Football, Track and Field, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, BasketballWomens Sports: Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball, Golf, Basketball, Track and Field If You Like the University of Texas - San Antonio, You May Also Like These Schools Texas State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Houston: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBaylor University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSt Marys University: ProfileUniversity of North Texas: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Texas - Dallas: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphTexas Christian University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAngelo State University: ProfileUniversity of Texas - El Paso: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSam Houston State University: ProfileTexas Tech University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph University of Texas at San Antonio Mission Statement mission statement from utsa.edu/about/ The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development–for Texas, the nation and the world. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

An analysis of corporate governance in the GCC countries and the Literature review

An analysis of corporate governance in the GCC countries and the impact of sharia law on it - Literature review Example As mentioned before that the corporate governance mechanism differs from country to country because of varied reasons like the orientation, time zone etc. This section will help us understanding the functioning of corporate governance mechanism in different countries excluding the GCC countries. The practice of corporate governance policies has a deep influence on the managerial decision making in the UK corporations. It is regarded that the composition, size and duration of the member of the board are important factors that decide a good corporate governance mechanism (Zhang, 2012). The Corporate governance mechanism in UK is deeply influenced by the Cadbury & Green report also known as Cadbury code of best practices and Greenbury report on Director’s remuneration (FRC, 2013). ... It also suggested that the board of directors should constitute of at least three members which are also applicable to Australian companies (EOG, 2013). The chairman, directors and the auditors are selected by the shareholders of the company at the annual general meeting. In France voluntary disclosure of financial statements has been the object of paramount importance (Lakhal, 2005). There are two kinds of financial disclosure; mandatory and voluntary disclosure (Taylor et. al., 2005). In the year 2002 a new set of corporate governance law was introduced in the winter report for the European companies which focused on tightening the corporate governance law. One of the crucial components of the report was to strengthen the role and responsibilities of the auditors. The chairman has to communicate about the internal policies to the internal and external auditors clearly. The legal laws related to French corporate governance are composed of 3 basic laws which include law of new econom ic regulations, law of financial security and law on financial security. However, the ownership structure of companies in France is concentrated even with the increase in the number of shareholders in the privatized companies (Charreaux and Wirtz, n.d.). The ownership structure of the French listed companies has undergone a huge change. However, the presence of increased institutional investors does not mean that their controlling the capital stakes also increases (Braendle, 2011). In the year 2002, 11.3 percent of the French companies had institutional shareholders as the main shareholders of the company compared to a 40 percent and more in USA and UK companies. According to authors Faccio and

Student Project D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Project D - Essay Example nsultant who was hired by the chief operations officer (COO) of Phoenix, this brief paper will present ways to evaluate the performance of the central IT unit in its assigned task and subject a report. The information technology (IT) unit of any organization is often tasked with sensitive responsibilities with regards to the information needs of that organization. The evaluation of its performance can be subjective to a certain extent but there are measures or metrics by which its performance can be measure more objectively. In other words, there are ways by which metrics are transformed into something concrete, objective, measurable, effective, and time-bound. The said criteria is basically what is used to measure information management (Blackmore, 2003). Measuring performance of any business unit encompasses two aspects, generally. These are the external business perspective and the internal users perspective. The first pertains to how an organization is considered effective by its customers who availed of its products and servicesj in terms of its response and the timeliness of response (Epstein, Manzoni, & Davila, 2010). The internal side concerns more with perceptions, in particular, how people in particular departments react to their own business units. According to Blackmore, this is often called as perception management with regards to soft aspects of business operations. He called this aspect as perception management operations (PMO) which applies to how information is processed and how messages are sent to their intended target audience. In the case of Phoenix, its external users are the clients who access their company Web site perhaps to get updates on their investments. It is therefore a critical aspect of customer perception that will determine performance of IT unit. The effectiveness of the central IT unit at Phoenix headquarters can be measured by use of the above criteria. The performance measures (metrics) are based both on hardware and also

John the Baptist Rewrite Essay Example for Free

John the Baptist Rewrite Essay Abstract John the Baptist practiced preaching and baptizing Jews in the river Jordan. He was the one who recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him. This baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ life as a teacher. But it is his death that is almost always how John the Baptist is remembered and studied. His teaching is the basis of Baptist today. His life is told in only the Gospels and not much is really known about the man who came before Jesus to preach the word of God and of Jesus’ coming. INTRODUCTION: John the Baptist practiced preaching and baptizing Jews in the river Jordan. He was the one who recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him. This baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ life as a teacher. But it is his death that is almost always how John the Baptist is remembered and studied. His teaching is the basis of Baptist today. The New Testament does not supply precise information about the dates of John’s or Jesus’ birth. Usually John the Baptist is associated with the Advent season. His Birth is celebrated on June 24th. In the third or fourth century the birthday of Jesus was assigned to Dec. 25th, around the time of the winter solstice, after what we call the shortest day of the year, when the time of daylight begins to increase. In John’s Gospel there is a saying from John the Baptist, referring to Jesus, that â€Å"he must increase; I must decrease† (3:30). And so the birth of John was assigned to June 24th, after the summer solstice, when the daylight begins to decrease, following the longest day of the year. The Scripture readings for the nativity of St. John the Baptist reflect the dynamics of Decrease and increase between John and Jesus. Today’s Old Testament reading is one of the servant songs from Second Isaiah. It was chosen for its reference to the servant having been named from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:60). But the passage also expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and a light to the nations. At the same time his status as servant makes him subordinate to Jesus. The selection from Paul’s speech in Acts 13 reminds us that John played a pivotal role in Salvation history and so won a place in the early Christian proclamation. Importance is given to John’s own recognition of his subordinate status with respect to Jesus, â€Å"I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet†. HIS HISTORY: John the Baptist was described as a man that walked among the Jews in animal’s hair that was not covered by his own skin and he was a savage. He came with a message that â€Å"God hath sent me to show you the way of the law, by which ye shall be freed from many tyrants. And no mortal shall rule over you, but only the highest who hath sent me. † He dipped them into the stream of the Jordan and let them go warning them that they should renounce evil deeds (Harrington, 2005, p. 25). In Luke’s early narrative there are many parallels and comparisons between John and Jesus, both in the announcements of their births and in the accounts of them. While John is great, Jesus is greater is the message given. The idea is not to critic John but rather to highlight Jesus’ greatness. The birth of John is presented by Luke as the fulfillment of God’s promises not only to his elderly parents but also to God’s people as a whole, Elizabeth and Zechariah, John’s parents, insists that the child be named John , a name whose Hebrew form, Yohana, celebrates God’s mercy and favor to his people . If there is any connections between Jesus ant the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is through John, who was â€Å"in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel† The child John grew up to become a herald of God’s coming kingdom, the messiah and the mentor of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke provides some of the chronological history of John the Baptist. According to Luke, John began to preach his baptism of repentance in the fifteenth year of Tiberius. Jesus was born sometime before the death of Herod the Great. This puts him at about thirty when he began to preach and died during the reign of Pontius Pilate, whose term was terminated shortly before the death of Tiberius in 37 c. e. Since in all three gospels Jesus’ ministry appears to last no more than about a year, the gospel of Luke places the death of Jesus between 25 C. E. and 29 C. E. with the latter being a range that would fit with Luke’s claim that John began preaching around 28 C. E. (Kraemer, 2006, p. 334). There is a period of John the Baptist life that is blank and because the gospels are the only mentioning of the man, speculation has given a possibility of where he was. They believed that John the Baptist was a recluse who spent a great amount of time with a group of people named the Essenes. These people lived in the desert awaiting the imminent arrival of the Messiah (Miller Scelfo, 2007). The Essenes had turned its back on the Herodian temples and its worship to withdrawal to the Judean desert. Their communities were created using monastic style communities, but also to instill a religious life for families. These religious instructions included a literary center and used exclusive rituals such as baptism and prayer. This is probably where the basis of John’s beliefs was founded. In an article in Newsweek it discusses how close John the Baptist, Jesus and possibly his family were to the Essenes community. The actual ritual of Baptism, that was the Essenes belief, symbolizes â€Å"the leaving behind the sinful life one has led until now and to start out on the path to a new, changed life (Ratzinger, 2007). A Professor of religious studies wrote a book in 20006 that gave a little different look at the historical life of John the Baptist. According to this author, James Tolson, Jesus with his cousin John were in partnership and saw themselves as the founders not of a new religion but of a worldly royal dynasty that would be fulfilling ancient prophecies. The dynasty had come down from King David and was to restore Israel and guide it through an apocalyptic upheaval that was growing in the Kingdom of God on Earth. All of this was supposed to happen not in the distant or metaphoric future but then and now. True their message was one of a peaceful change, but Jesus knew he had aroused suspensions of Herodian rulers of Palestine as well as the Romans. So, according to Tolson, Jesus had to establish a provisional government with 12 tribal officials and named his brother James, not Paul as his successor. Later James became the leader of the early Christian movement (Tolson, 2006). HIS DEATH: History remembers Archelaus’s brother, Herod Antipas, because of his interactions with the prophet John the Baptist. John would loudly condemn Antipas immoral behavior of having stolen his brother’s wife, who was also his niece. Antipas arrested and kept John in chains, unable to kill him yet unable to put him out of his mind. According to the Book of Mark, â€Å"When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him† (Mark 6:20). Through a trick thought up by his wife and her daughter Salome, Antipas ended up executing John. Reports then filtered in of another prophet, and Antipas, perhaps plagued by remorse tried to see Jesus who avoided him, because of what he had done to his cousin. In both Mark and Mathew, the death of John the Baptizer is told in flashbacks. Jesus’ activities have attracted attention, and there have been speculation as to his identity, with some proposing that Jesus could be John the Baptist. Ross S. Kraemer of Brown University wrote an essay dealing with this subject. He also wrote that, â€Å"Herod Antipas too having heard the word of the prophet after John’s beheading, believes that Jesus is indeed John. Herodias, Herod’s wife, was the one who resents John and wishes to kill him but she was still prevented by Antipa’s fear of John’s righteousness and holiness. In Mark’s account at Antipas’s birthday meal was when an opportunity presented itself to Herodias. Antipas became entranced by his wife’s daughter dancing and offered this daughter anything she wished, even half of his kingdom. The daughter then goes and asks her mother what to request and her mother replies that she wants her to ask for the head of John the Baptizer on a platter. Antipas complies only in order to keep his oath and preserve his honor before his guests. In Matthew’s account there are some differences but still significant differences. Both agree that it is Antipas who orders John’s execution, but in Mark it is only because of Herodias that he does so, because Antipas has no desire to kill John. In Matthew Antipas himself desires to be rid of John, but has reservations because he fears the people who see John as a prophet. In Matthew’s account Antipas thought well of John and found his speeches pleasing. In Matthew, Herodias does not appear as a player until the end where like in Mark; Herodias capitalizes on Antipas’s offer. In Mark, Antipas has been totally manipulated by Herodias and her daughter, but in Matthew, he has merely been enabled to do what he had wished all along but was too weak to do. One more account from the book of Josephus tells that Herodias and her daughter played no role whatsoever. Josephus and Matthew actually concur in seeing Herod as always desiring John’s death, but with different motivations being that John was critical of Herodias for the way of flouting Jewish tradition by marrying Antipas and this was the motive for Herods ordering the beheading. But Josephus does cite that Antipa’s was fearful of John’s popularity and that could have started and uprising. HIS PROPHECIES: John the Baptizer was a prophet that preached with not so much words but with life. The words of the prophet ring true only because they carry with them the sweat, tears and blood of the prophet. According to Abraham Joshua Heschel, prophets are preachers whose lives are under siege, â€Å"The prophet is a man who feels fiercely. God has thrust a burden upon his soul and he is bowed and stunned at man’s fierce greed. Frightful is the agony of man; no human voice can convey its full terror. Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. It is a form of living a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet’s words†. (Dube, 2002, p. 42). The ministry of John the Baptizer was to challenge, provoke and call towards holiness. Because prophets are on the cutting edge of the call for repentance, their call is to shatter the comfort zones of sin and complacency. The conditions that call fourth prophets are conditions of idolatry, moral decadence and weak spirituality. This is why strict conditions are set up for any prophet who prophesies peace. The message of the prophet is one that calls for repentance, one that threatens us with its incarnated holiness, rages at us with God’s words as with John the Baptizers words of, â€Å"Repent, God’s rule is around the corner! † John’s whole life was directed towards one goal, one direction, to give witness to the transcendent reality of God, which now made near, our eyes can see it and our hands can handle it. In John’s own words, â€Å"I did not know Him, but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water† (Dube, 2002, p.43). What this means is that, ultimately, every prophet has to let go. John the Baptizer has to let that which he has given witness to take its own shape and form. Letting go seems easy, a holy thing to do, but in its aftermath it is a very hazardous moment for the prophet. What is hazardous for the prophet is thinking about what has really taken place. The result is that this final movement of the prophetic life is bound by some kind of crisis such as doubt or a trouble in the mind. The prophet discovers that he or she is not the sound from the trumpet but just a reed. This realization requires a re-centering. In John’s case, the crisis is his doubts about the Messiah. But after John sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus a question if he was the one or whether they should look for another his fears were relinquished (Yancey, 2007, p. 72). In Christian faith they believe that John the Baptist was ordained by God to preach and reveal the Messiah, they believe this to be Jesus. Prophecies that were foretold by John are in Luke 1:17, â€Å"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. † and also Luke 1:75. In the Book of Malachi John the Baptist is referred to as a prophet who is to prepare the way of the Lord, â€Å"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, he shall come, saith the Lord. † (3:1). PROOF OF EXISTENCE: In recent times a cave was discovered not far from the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist, Ein Kerem, just west of Jerusalem on a Kibbutz. Where John the Baptist was born and also where churches and monasteries are built to commemorate his birth. The cave is of considerable size with genuinely puzzling feature such as a large amount of broken patter, some dating to the period when John was active, a pool used perhaps for ritual immersion, a stone with the imprint of a foot, apparently used for foot-anointing and pictures on the walls that could relate to John the Baptist that depicts an upraised arm with three crosses. But much speculation as to whether this is a representation of John or not is still up in the air (Scham, 2004). Caves have long been associated with John. In the bible, his mother, Elizabeth, flees with him to a cave to escape Herod’s massacre of male infants, and as an adult he frequently lives in caves, giving some weight to the cave findings mentioned earlier. After John’s beheadings cults formed around his memory and often held religious rituals in caves. The site was excavated by Shimon Gibson an Israeli archaeologist in 1999 and 2000. Around the perimeter he discovered the remains of walls with large dress stones which usually is a sign of an important place in the Near East. Although Gibson isn’t clear on their age, he still uses this to uphold his find. Another artifact is a unique water channeling system suggesting the presence of a reservoir from its earliest occupation, probably between 800 and 500 B. C. This, Gibson proposes, was used for baptism rituals. Along with these relics are thousands of pieces of pottery, dating from Hellenistic times. CONCLUSION: John the Baptist was a prophet of the coming of Jesus and as elusive in history as was Jesus. Not much information can be obtained about much of his life except for what is mentioned in the Gospel. The finding of the cave and if it is indeed where John the Baptist did work his miracles would be the first evidence to his existence. In all the information I found most focused on his death and the meaning of his sermons towards the end of his life. If the evidence at the excavations do prove to the existence of John than evidence on Jesus’ life will follow. I was most interested in the essay by Ross S. Kraemer that mentioned a possibility that John and Jesus could be the same. Whatever is true, it is easy to say that John the Baptist was a man that through his sermons changed the world and created a faith. Bibliography Bugge, J. (2006, April). Virginity and prophecy in the old English Daniel. English Studies. 87(2), 127-147. Dube, C. (2002). From ecstasy to ecstasies: A reflection on prophetic and Pentecostal ecstasy in the light of John the Baptizer. Journal of Pentecostal Theology, 11. 1 41-52 Gibson, S. (2004). The cave of john the Baptist. New York: Doubleday Harrington, D. (2007, June 18). Decrease and increase. America, 196(21), 38-39. Kraemer, R. S. (2006). Implicating herodias and her daughter in the death of john the Baptizer: A christian theological strategy? Journal of Biblical Literature, 125(2), 321-349. Miller, L. Scelfo, J. (2007, May 21). A portrait of faith. Newsweek, 14(21), n. p. Ratzinger, J. (2007, May 21). The meaning of baptism. Newsweek, 149(21), n. p. Scham, S. (2004, November). St. john’s cave. Archaeology, 57(6), 52. Tolson, J. (2006, March 17). The kingdom of Christ. News World Report, 140(14), n. p. Warrington, K. (2006, April). Acts and the healing narratives: Why? Journal of Pentecostal Theology. 14(2), 189-217. Yancey, P. (2007, January). A tale of five herods. Christianity Today, 72.

Healers of Our Every Illness Essays -- Health Medicine Finances Papers

Healers of Our Every Illness Introduction Healthcare in the United States continues to be an expanding field. As we continue to increase our knowledge, we are the envy of developed nations for our advanced methods of medical technology. Physicians and healthcare providers are able to cure many of the diseases and illnesses that patients bring before them. As a result of the success of our biotechnology, insurance companies and healthcare groups are profiting considerably. Furthermore, as the government and organizations thrive on the success of technology, they are enabling patients to seek unnecessary care (Califano 1986). Even with our outstanding medical care, millions of people still suffer every year from illnesses that could have been prevented but were not because patients did not have the financial resources to cover their expenses. Our healthcare providers must work at making sure people learn to care for themselves in order to avoid easily preventable illnesses. This process begins with educating the public on how to avoid disease and maintain or achieve a state of well being. In other words, staying healthy and well. In addition to our healthcare givers encouraging healthy lifestyles, the government and insurance agencies need to make quality health care more financially accessible for everyone. Educating the General Public Advertisements to raise awareness Americans have seen an increase of public awareness in education on many issues. Within the past decade, issues such as HIV, the AIDS epidemic, and sexually transmitted diseases have become more prevalent in the media and in our every day lives through advertisements. Organizations have lost tolerance for the spread of illnesses and have thus acted to ... ...history of false-negative papanicolaou smears: a prospective study using screening colposcopy in addition to cytology. Journal of American Osteopathic Association. Vol. 98, pp. 542-6. May, W. F. et al. (1987). Reforming Health Care. New York: Committee for Economic Development. Rovner, Julie. (1998, October). Us Uninsured Still Rising. Lancet. Vol. 352 Issue 9135, p1206. Russell, L. B. (1986). Is Prevention better than Cure? Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution. Schmitz, A. (1991). Eight Myths about National Health Insurance. On-Line. Internet. Available: http://webmap.missouri.edu/health/in-health.html. November 10, 1998. Snyder, G. F. (1988). Tough Choices. Elign: Brethren Press. (1998, October). "Ads launched to find uninsured kids." AHA News. Vol. 34 Issue 40, p4. Atlanta (1998, March). Mennonite Medical Association. Atlanta, Georgia.

Kierkegaard vs Sartre: An Existentialist Approach Essay

â€Å"Is live worth living? That depends on the liver,† is quite an anonymous, but knowledgeable, quote. Though this may seem a more modern way of viewing life itself, this quote actually resembles that of a much older perspective: that of an existentialist. Existentialism, is, essentially, the philosophy that life is meaningless, unless one defines that life. Two philosophers actively involved in this position were Soren Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre. While both can be considered existentialists, in that the quote above encompasses much of their beliefs, both of these men have significant differences in the way in which they view all fields of philosophy (metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology). However, though I am not personally an existentialist, my life in terms of existentialism has been influenced by both Kierkegaard and Sartre, despite their discrepancies. One major difference between the two is that Sartre is an atheist. This metaphysical position is the basis for many of Sartre’s existentialist opinions on other aspects of philosophy. To further explain, the fact that there is no God, leads to the fact that there is no such thing as human nature, and no common ground on which we would all be able to relate. In other words, human nature cannot be defined in advance, because it has not been thought out in advance by some higher being who would have created mankind. The fact that human nature does not exist indicates that each person’s meaning in life is discovered on his/her own, and each person forges his/her own destiny. With this active role in life, each person retains an individual burden which affects all others. Sartre wrote, â€Å"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does,† and â€Å"Our responsibility is much greater than we might have suppos ed, because it involves all mankind.† Both of these quotes reflect this aspect of liberty and consequence which one faces. In contrast to Sartre’s atheism, Kierkegaard believed in God, and believed that a person’s relationship with God helped reveal and determine his/her life. Kierkegaard’s belief contained a â€Å"leap of faith† in God, because of an â€Å"objective uncertainty.† This was from the lack of hard proof of a God, and a lack of knowing God in an objective sense. This led Kierkegaard to believe that faith must involve inwardness; thus, the â€Å"leap† one must take in order  to fully believe in, and live a relationship with, God. Another subdivision of Kierkegaard’s objective uncertainty dealt directly with his epistemology, in truth. He wrote â€Å"Truth is subjectivity,† meaning an individual has its own final determinant in what is really real. The process of reaching this final determinant, for him, was to Exist: â€Å"†¦ Do not think as a thinker†¦ think as a living, real being†¦ think as Existence.† This is meant for a person to be an actor in life, instead of a spectator, and to think personally, consciously, and subjectively, as aforementioned. This is similar to Sartre’s opinion of independence and liberty in life. However, the view of human nature is blurred, as being subjective focuses on differences in existence: â€Å"†¦The task of the subjective thinker is to transform himself into an instrument that clearly and definitely expresses in existence whatever is essentially human.† Note that â€Å"whatever is essentially human† is not defi ned; it is left open for interpretation. Sartre, though he is not quite as detailed as Kierkegaard, does have a similarity in the aspect of Existing. For him, there are three types of being: â€Å"L’à ªtre-en-soi  (‘being-in-itself’), â€Å"L’à ªtre-pour soi (‘being-for-itself†)†, and â€Å"L’à ªtre-pour-autrui (‘being-for-others’).† All things that are, have being, but that being is only in-itself, and the being is totally self-contained and static, or inanimate. Existing is the process of progression and change, whereas being is merely a static state. Sartre’s existence is the process in which something â€Å"becomes what it will be,† which is not unlike Kierkegaard’s Existence and actualization. Sartre and Kierkegaard do not have many differences, for they are both existentialists and share many of the same broad views. I, in turn, share some of these concepts, and try to apply them to my own life. In terms of Sartre, because I am not an atheist, I believe that there is such a thing as human nature; however, I believe that we are â€Å"condemned to freedom.† Although each person may have mutual attributes with the next, the fact that  we exist in completely separate lives with completely separate experiences gives us the liberty and responsibility that Sartre mentioned. Keeping this in mind, my individual responsibility grows, as I take into consideration the effect and consequences that my decisions may have. In addition, Sartre’s variance of existence, in â€Å"becoming,† makes sense to me, because I am of the opinion that existing requires changing, progressing, and living to one’s potential, and not being static and self-contained. In the sa me way, Kierkegaard’s actualization process of Existing is also in my favor, as I am determined to be an actor, in place of a spectator, in life. I agree with existentialism in a broader sense, in that the fact that I exist precedes who I am. I was not born with the characteristics which I have now, nor with the values and beliefs which I have acquired since birth. I differ, however, in opinion, in that I am not the sole determinant of my future, that there are some things which I will not be able to change in my life, such as human nature and my genetic makeup. Nonetheless, after examining existentialism, I have come to the conclusion that it is a valid view on life itself, and what life means. The meaning of life is determined by its own liver, and this idea encompasses much of the philosophy of existentialism. Jean-Paul Sartre and Soren Kierkegaard both partake in this approach. Significant differences exist in many of the details, but many of these conceptions correlate with one another, and embody that philosophy. After having a more in-depth perspective, I have both agreed and disagreed on some of the aspects. However, I acknowledge and praise both the similarities and differences in opinions in not only Sartre and Kierkegaard, but in all aspects of life. For they are an indication of uniqueness, by being able to have independence and responsibility, by being able to Exist, to be actualized, to have existence precede essence, and to determine the meaning of life on one’s own.

Gender Roles in Things Fall Apart Essay

In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, the Ibo society has a strict system of behavioral customs that are assigned by gender. These customs restrict the freedom of Ibo woman and help to reinforce generation after generation the notion that Ibo men are superior to women. In Achebe’s essay An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, he claims that Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, despite it’s insights, ought to be eradicated from literature as an appropriate piece of work on the argument that it is racist. Achebe focuses on gender roles and avoiding stereotypes to dismiss the racist attitude towards Africans in his novel by bringing the reader down to the level of his unbiased narration of a historical fiction novel. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe is cautious to avoid typical stereotypes describing white men. When the first white man is introduced, he is described as â€Å"†¦ not an Albino. He was quite different† his presence is foreign and not understood, but not dangerous. Achebe creates no account of the man being atrocious. In fact, throughout the entire story Achebe consistently attributes those same qualities to the white men later on in the novel; with the exception of The District Commissioner, who is described as â€Å"strict and unreasonable†. Achebe even puts white men in a good light; Mr. Brown constantly reminds the people of Umuofia that they should send their children to his church to learn to read and write so that other white men will not come to institute a new government and destroy their culture. By not negatively chronicling that white men are evil through narration and characterization, Achebe successfully lets loose the bounded stereotype of evil white men that are against African culture. Achebe affirms that in Ibo society, the condition of weakness is strongly associated with women. Therefore, a man being declared â€Å"woman-like† is an extreme insult. Unoka, Okonwko’s father, embodies the counter-values that stand in opposition to the rigid social ideal of the tribe. Okonkwo is ashamed when he learns that â€Å"agbala† was not only another name for woman, it could also mean a man who had taken no title when this insult is applied to his father. By stereotyping based on titles that are indigenous to Ibo culture rather than stereotypes that are demeaning to a race, Achebe is able to maintain an unbiased narrative in Things Fall Apart. Achebe does not completely demean woman in his story; it only seems as though that this is the case because he creates distractions to shy away from racism. In Ibo society, women marry to add to their father’s wealth, become subservient to their husbands, continue on their husband’s legacy through child birth and emanate the essence that women know the secret of life, since they are the source of it. This is evident when Uchendu ask â€Å"Can you tell me, Okonkwo, why it is that one of the commonest names we give to our children is Nneka, or ‘Mother is Supreme’? We all know that a man is the head of the family and his wives do his bidding. A child belongs to its father and his family and not to its mother and her family. A man belongs to his fatherland and not to his motherland. And yet we say Nneka–‘Mother is Supreme. ‘ Why is that? ‘ ‘A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is supreme. ‘† Although the characters in the story never recognize the full capacities of women, they are described as emotionally strong. Achebe has an amazing gift for spotting bias that hides in plain sight; adapting against those anecdotes and historical asides, he creates something resembling a coherent story that necessitates dropping much that is important. Things Fall Apart possesses very deep meanings beyond that of avoiding stereotypes. Achebe purposely degrades women to not come across to the reader as racist, however his main priority is conveying lessons that are forgotten through literature. People who pick up a copy of Things Fall Apart will embark on journey that will let them see the subjugation of the African natives from their own perspective.

Egyptian Art

Egyptian Art For over three thousand years the Egyptians restricted themselves to a specific set of rules as to how a work of art in three dimensions should appear. Egyptian art was very symbolic and a painting or sculpture was meant to be a record of as the result of subtle changes, not an altered plan of art or its role in society.The great buildings of the past are built of stone. Stone quarries supplied the large blocks of granite, limestone, and sandstone that were used for building temples and tombs. Architects planned carefully as building was done without mortar, so the stones had to fit precisely together. Only pillars were used to sustain short stone supports.At the temple of Karnak, a ramp of adobe brick that leads to the top of the temple wall. These ramps were used to allow workmen to carry stones to the top of structure and allow artists to decorate the tops of walls and pillars.Egyptian VPillars were built in the same way. As height was added, the ground was raised. When the top of the pillar was completed, the artists would decorate from the top down, removing ramp sand as they went.As soon as a pharaoh was named, construction on his tomb had started. Tomb building continued throughout his life and stopped only on the day on which he died. As a result, some tombs are very large and finely decorated, while other tombs, like that of King Tutankhamen, are small because he ruled as a pharaoh for such a short time.The architecture was based upon perpendicular structures and inclined planes since there was no structural assistance except the strength and balance of the structure itself. For this reason, the square and the plumb-line were very important tools in.One of the...

Important Analytical Essay Factors

Important Analytical Essay Factors Important Analytical Essay Factors An analytical essay is one of the four main essays used in academic writing. This type of essay provides a thorough examination of a piece of media and later adds a personal interpretation. Analytical essays are mainly used for pieces that are open for discussion like an opinion, quotation, poem, story, lyric, and other similar types of written literature. When creating this type of essay, the writer must aim to make their it comprehensive and engaging. This prevents the reader from becoming overwhelmed and potentially losing interest. In order to write a captivating analytical essay, here are some factors to consider: Scope and limitation. After introducing the topic of discussion, set boundaries for your areas of focus. This helps you establish the tone of your essay without having later difficulty. Cite sources. After introducing the topic, cite sources that support your argument as you expand upon or analyze each point. Sources may include author’s quotes from an interview or additional information found in reliable publications. Use sources to support your interpretation. While this part of the essay is subjective, citing sources that support your theory can help compel and convince the reader. Finish with a relative conclusion. Whether your essay supports or dismisses a particular interpretation, finish the essay by restating the author’s intention and your analysis in the conclusion. Analytical essays require time and extensive research. They benefit from a distinctive writing style with a balance of fact and opinion while keeping the reader engaged. understands that writing analytical essays require time and effort. When you need essay help, we use the most current sources and provide quality and original work. Our writing services help you lighten your academic load by providing prompt and engaging essays and other academic papers.

Thermal Conductivity Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thermal Conductivity Report - Essay Example The negative sign indicates that heat is transferred in the direction of decreasing temperature. The heat flow will be in the perpendicular-to-the-cross-section direction, i.e. one-dimensional. To determine how much heat is provided, we will calculate how much heat is taken (absorb) by the cold water at steady state condition. (it is the condition at which heat supplied is equal to the heat removed). For this we use the relation Where Q is the rate of heat transfer, s is specific heat capacity of water , Tout is the temperature of water at outlet and Tin is the temperature of water at inlet. Putting the value of Q in (ii), we get The apparatus consist of accessories for providing heat at one end of sample composite bar and for taking heat at the other end of the bar through water. The water inlet temperature and outlet temperature was measured through thermometers. To determine the volume of water the measuring flask was provided. To determine the temperature at different points along the bar thermocouples were provided. The whole apparatus was well insulated to ensure one dimensional heat flow. The heater was switched on and as the circulation of water through the cavity. Readings at thermocouples 1,2,3 and 4 were taken when the steady state condition was achieved. The volume of water circulating was measured and time taken for this. The inlet and outlet temperature of water is also measured. Heat transfer has taken place because of the difference of temperature between two ends of sample bar (consisting of copper and stainless steel). From graph slopes of copper and stainless steel shows that drop in temperature per unit length in copper bar is less as compared to stainless steel, which indicates that copper has let more heat to be transferred through it. Similar result is given by the calculated thermal conductivities showing that copper thermal conductivity is greater as compare to stainless steel. A