Presidential Speech Essay

In Barrack Obama’s Second Inaugural Address he mentioned how he wants to improve the United States by having better education, having woman’s right, gay rights, virtue programs for the retired and disabled, the importance of tackling global warming, and immigration reform. In the speech he gave he talked about what brings this country together is not the race or beliefs of people but the idea articulated in the declaration of independence and how the founding fathers of this country did not mean to become deprived by the constitution and that patriotism was not the preserve of the right. After everything that has happened in this country we are recovering, our future is looking brighter. He wants to grow government in order to remake our country along his progressive vision. He also wants to increase our taxes instead of reforming medicare and social security. This speech is also about how the ones who died in the army or in 9/11 are the ones who have paid for our freedom we have in this country. Everyone in the United States is given a chance to succeed, no matter how poor they may be because they are an American and we are free and equal. This speech is also about how we should be aware of those who want to harm us and do bad and show courage and defend each other peacefully. He believes equal pay for women, equality under the law for gays,voting rights, immigration reforms and higher employments are the keys to further America’s journey towards its highest ideals. He promise to further the journey as part of his oath and asked for us to accomplish the same oath. He also promised to keep existing alliances strong, emphasized the end of wars and the economic recovery. Obama’s second Inaugural Address took place on the national day that celebrates the civil rights leader, Martin Luther king Jr. In his speech he had mention â€Å"we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half slave and half free.† Obama’s Inauguration theme was â€Å"Faith in America’s Future† which was about the 150th anniversary on Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation, this was when Abraham Lincoln announced slavery illegal and wanted equal rights for everyone. I think the speech Barrack Obama gave was good and bad at the same time  because he probably lost a lot of people when he mention the gay rights and immigration reform. But also gained some votes from the Hispanics and young adults because young people accept gay rights than most of the country. I think he does make a point in wanting to pass the pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants instead of mass deportation because a lot of people come to the united states to find a better future for their children. Those immigrants see this country as a land of opportunity. Since Barrack Obama gave this speech, nothing has really occurred ,other than Obama’s residential order which is similar to the dream act. The people who qualify for this must be between the ages 12-35,arrived in the United States before the age of 16, lived in the United States for at least 5 years, and have graduated a highs school and obtained their diploma or GED. This allows a dreamer to get their work permit for two years, and a driver’s license. Even though immigration reforms are not passing and are having issues with it, it is moving forward.

No Good Reasons To Believe in Dualism Essay

Are there any good reasons to believe in dualism? Dualism, the philosophical theory that states that there are two kinds of substance: mental and physical, is now largely discredited by the world’s leading philosophers. It first came to prominence through Renà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Descartes in his Meditations as he tried to come to terms with the fact that most of his knowledge was either false or that he did not have enough evidence to believe in it firmly enough. For many centuries the idea was debated and reclassified, changing slightly from philosopher to philosopher and being totally rejected by others. The alternative to dualism is monism, the idea that mental and physical substances are one and the same; that is that the mind is or is contained within (in the tissue of), the brain. At first it appeared that dualism was indeed a logical conception, as features of the mind and the body seemed very different indeed. Descartes pointed out that while one could imagine oneself without physical features, it was impossible to imagine oneself without a mind; indeed the very action of attempting this was enough to prove that a mind was present. This was the basis of Descartes’ theory to draw out basic knowledge that he could not be deceived about. Due to this distinction it seemed logical to conclude, using Leibniz’s Law, that physical and mental entities were indeed separate. However, Descartes had made a mistake in assuming that his clear and distinct perceptions of a thing made that thing possible. For example, I can clearly and distinctly conceive of a unicorn, but that does not mean that they exist. (Lewis Carroll parodied this in Through the Looking Glass, in which the Red Queen tells Alice she imagines several impossible things before breakfast. Presumably she has a clear and distinct perception of these things, as when Alice attempts it, she is told she is not trying hard enough.) Also, I can just as clearly perceive of something not being as of it being, and as something cannot both be and not be, it would seem that this theory for basing something upon an unalterable internal proposition falls down. So, the argument from clear and distinct perception cannot be used here as it is just as easy to conceive of the mind and body being separate as it is for them to be one and the same. There are many scientific and logical arguments in favour of monism, Occam’s Razor, for example, a theory which asks us to take the simpler solution to a problem over the more complicated theory. For example, before the biology of animals was worked out scientifically, it was believed that all living creatures had an attribute called vitalism, which kept it alive. Now we know the biology, we can use this much simpler explanation. Here it can be applied easily: obviously it is simpler to believe in one substance than two, one of which does not conform to the laws of physics. There is also scientific evidence that shows us how damaging or experimenting with the brain, which is undeniably physical, can affect a person’s mental behaviour. Performing a lobotomy, for instance, can totally alter a person’s personality – turning them from being calm and rational to being crude and rash, or vice versa. Similarly, stimulating neurons on the Thingybob Strip, which crosses the top of the brain, can cause sensations all over the body. It may be that prodding a part of this strip can make your elbow tingle in a most delightful manner or make your thumb feel as if it is being dragged through warm treacle. It would seem from this that the these feelings are to be found in the prodded part of the brain and this is where the mental is to be found within the physical. These reasons show that monism is probably the more scientifically favourable position, but are there any reasons that can show Dualism to be the more logical choice? Leibniz’s Law might argue for dualism in that there being differences between the physical and the mental, they must therefore be separate substances. For example, having a chunk of the physical removed does not mean a part of the mental has also been removed. In fact, an awful lot of the physical body can be harmed, even in the brain, before there is a definite mental side effect. Surely, say the dualists, if the some parts of the mental were contained within certain parts of the brain, for example, if the capacity to taste lentils were located solely in a small part of the brain, and that part were to be removed we would no longer have the capacity to taste lentils. But a lot of the brain can be removed, and so, if there were set areas we would be removing certain abilities of the mental. Therefore, the mental must be separate from the physical. However, it is true that removing some areas of the brain will prevent the mental from performing certain capabilities. It is possible to find out which areas of the brain are functioning when fuelled by particular stimuli, and if, when doing this we slice out those areas of the brain, in some (but not all) cases, those functions will no longer be possible. Also, the left side of the brain and the right side provide vastly different functions – one being more practical and other being more intellectual. This would seem to back up the monist theory that the mind is located within certain parts of the brain. Another counter argument to Dualism could be contained within Feigl’s concept of Nomological Danglers. If the mental is indeed distinct from the physical it cannot be present within the same world as the physical things we know of, as removing physicals things would inevitably reveal the mental substance. Therefore it follows that it is connected to this physical world in some other way. However, Feigl tells us that it is ridiculous to believe that there is a separate type of law for these substances, which allows them to exist dependently of the rest of physics. Surely the mental substances cannot be ‘dangling’ outside of the realms of reality? These masses of arguments for monism overwhelm the poorer, outdated arguments for dualism, which stem from a less scientifically advanced age, in which the solutions appeared to work logically, based on a more internal philosophy of contemplation, which is now being replaced by a more practical philosophy, backed up by the sciences. Hence it is not unfair to say that previous ideas that worked in favour of dualism are no longer good reasons to believe the theory and that as we have better reasons to take the theory of monism seriously, we must subscribe to it, and not dualism, as the correct theory.

State Requirements for Parenting Plans

State Requirements for Parenting Plans Carol Schelling PA415-01: Family Law & Divorce Mediation Kaplan University State Requirements for Parenting Plans | |Carol Schelling | Memo To:Prof. H. From:Carol Schelling Date:12/20/2011 Re:Pennsylvania Parenting Plans Parenting Plans are very important. They outline the responsibilities of the parents and clarify what is in the best interest of the child. Pennsylvania does not require a parenting plan according to 23 Pa. C. S. A. Section 5331. In Pennsylvania, it also depends on the county in which you live. For example: In Washington County, Pennsylvania they require parenting plans for contested custody cases. However, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania they do not require parenting plans. My Day in Court When I went to gain more rights to my daughter, Christal; I first filed a Modification with the Court of Common Pleas. The reason I had to do this was there was already an Order of the Court already in place. In Pennsylvania, you are required to go to a â€Å"Parents Forever† Seminar. This is a four hour seminar that teaches parents how to co-parent. When I was done, I had to provide the Court with the certification of my completion. If I did not complete this requirement, I would have been held in contempt. After I showed the Court that I completed the seminar, I then had to go to custody conferences. They represent mediation. In the custody conferences, my ex-husband and I had to work out a parenting plan. When we agreed to the context of the agreement, we both received copies. After a couple of months, we then had to go to a custody conference and the conference officer reviewed the past months. When there was an issue, like when my ex-husband refused me visitation with Christal, she would help us come up with another parenting plan that worked better. After our first custody conference, I was awarded an extra day (Friday-Monday) to take my daughter to doctor and dentist appointments. At the time, she weighed only 48lbs at the age of 8! After our second conference, I was awarded another day. This time my visitation was from Friday- Tuesdays. I would then take her to school and drop her off. I asked for this, since I could not make all of her appointments on Mondays. In June of 2007, we agreed to every other week. This worked out well, since it was years since I got to spend a week with her. I also, had all week to take my daughter to appointments. She was also involved in therapy, since I had requested that in our first custody conference. She was regressing to the point that we had to put her back in pull-ups and start the potty training all over. She was also on the Binky, (aka: Pacifier), as well. In August, my ex had told the courts he would be out of state. Knowing this, the court allowed a telephone conference, so he could be present. He did not call at the required time. I had told the conference officer that Christal had stated that he was at his home and that they should call him, which they did. When he answered, the conference officer had told him that this was not allowed and that he had lied to the courts. As a punishment, the every other week stood. I then requested for a hearing, since I did not want to lose this time that I got to spend with Christal. Her father was trying to take it back to an every other weekend. Our hearing occurred in February of 2008. At this hearing, I provided letters that my ex had written, school documents, and witness testimony. My ex’s mother and girlfriend would not testify. Our Judge had told them that they were not asked. If they wanted to be a part of Christal’s life, they needed to testify. Christal was also spoken to by the judge on camera (judge’s chambers). Since there were so many issues with my ex’s side, our case went for a continuance. On Mother’s Day of the same year, we had our next hearing. In this hearing, my daughter’s therapist, ex-mother-in-law, ex-husband’s girlfriend all testified. Right before the end of our hearing, I had asked if I could rebut the first hearing. I had explained all the issues that I had encountered between the hearings. I was happy to find out that on my birthday, which is June 5, that I gained full-custody of my angel and that my ex cannot gain custody of her again. The courts took his every Wednesdays and his vacation during the summer away due to negligence. I lost my daughter in 2002, due to me not knowing what to expect going pro se and not having money. I gained her back due to my hard work and dedication to my daughter’s best interests and well-being. I included this in my memo, for the simple fact that not all cases are black and white. The law itself has a lot of gray areas. What one county requires, another does not. Same thing goes with states. You cannot be ignorant about the law. Pennsylvania My state does not require parenting plans, but they are implemented within the court process when filing for custody, modification of an order, and contempt of court order as expressed in my own case stated above. New Hampshire To file for parental rights or to modify an order, such as a divorce, legal separation, or parenting petition, you must include a parenting plan. In Rules of the Circuit Court of the State of New Hampshire-Family Division, Section2-Domestic Relations, 2. 8 Parenting Plans shows you what is required within your parenting plan, and the order of the contents. My Thoughts I like how New Hampshire requires the parenting plan, because it saves money and court time as well. References Child Custody Act, 23 Pa. C. S. A  § 5331 NH Court Rules, Rules of the Family Division of the State of NH, Section 2-Domestic Relations, Rule 2. 18 Bertin, M. (F ebruary 8, 2011). New Child Custody Act Ushers in Sweeping Changes. Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP Attorneys At Law Retrieved on December 15, 2011 from www. obermayer. com/publications. php? action=views&id=200

The Cabinet of Dr Caligary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Cabinet of Dr Caligary - Essay Example 72). The film seems to equally represent the disturbed German psyche and act as prescient element of the later Nazi regime. While there are clear links between the film and the mind, many prominent film theories conflict such a depiction. This essay examines how the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari complicates Munsterberg's the Photoplay and his discussion on attention, and Eisenstein's essays on Film Form through the physical depiction of the mind. Analysis Munsterberg’s theory of attention as articulated in the Photoplay considers the nature of film meaning in terms of viewer attention. In this context of understanding, he notes â€Å"Of all internal functions which create the meaning of the world around us, the most central is the attention. The chaos of the surrounding impressions is organized into a real cosmos of experience by our selection of that which is significant and of consequence† (Munsterberg). Here Munsterberg is indicating that rather than more subtle aspects of film expression, meaning is largely a factor of the viewer’s attention. When one considers such a theory in terms of Caligari there are a number of considerations. After the initial scene with Francis in the asylum the film opens onto the highly stylized Expressionist ‘mountains’ of the town featured in Francis’ story. The German Expressionist scenery is interesting to consider as it challenges the distinguishing features Munsterberg’s theory of attention. While the director incorporates the mountain backdrop as a functional element of setting, its distorted German Expressionist influence, while not constituting the main focus of attention, nevertheless greatly affects the meaning and tone of the scene. For instance, while it clearly exhibits a denotative aspect – mountain cutouts clearly denote mountains – one can also make the case that the mountain scenery is an entirely symbolic manifestation of Francis’ distorted paradigm. While for Munsterberg film meaning is largely linked to the viewer’s attention, Soviet theorist and director Sergei Eisenstein places the primary emphasis on montage. Eistenstein writes â€Å"Shot and montage are the basic elements of cinema. Montage has been established by the Soviet film as the nerve of cinema. To determine the nature of montage is to solve the specific problem of cinema† (Einstentein, p. 3). Even as such a perspective in terms of the highly experimental Russian cinema holds true, this view is complicated when applied to German Expressionist cinema. One considers that in Caligari it is not montage, but symbolism and scenery that greatly rely meaning. After Alan dies, Francis goes to the police. The mise-en-scene displays a large, winding staircase he must climb to speak with the officers who are positioned on extremely high-chairs. This is also echoed in the giant chair found in Alan’s apartment, expressionistically representing the overarchi ng authority that looks down on the characters. When examining the authoritarian function of the chair, one might argued for the interpretation of the cultural object in terms of the hierarchical power structures that are inherent in society. The majority of the investigation is left to Francis who must relay to Jane the horrible news of Alan’

Arab Israeli Relations and the Middle East Conflict Essay

Arab Israeli Relations and the Middle East Conflict - Essay Example However, the Muslims are the majority while Christians are the minority in Palestine (Smith, 2006). The war has been fought since then with no signs of it ending any time soon despite efforts being put by the two warring factions to strike a cease-fire to end the war. In fact, the war has led to the death of many people in the region something, which is so alarming. As such, the United Nations and the U.S. have been at the forefront in trying to bring the two warring factions to the negotiating table so as to end the war. Nevertheless, it is surprising that even after making an agreement, it seldom take too long before the wear regenerates again. This war has led to much research being conducted to establish its real cause as regards the views held by the two warring factions. In this regard, historians have established that the conflict has mainly been attributed to the struggle over land. This is because the war of 1948 was fought purely on the land question that later led to the d ivision of Palestine into three parts namely the West Bank, the Israel State and the Gaza Strip. Palestine, as it is known internationally is a small area of about 10,000 square miles. The war over this land degenerated over the fight for its political control (Smith, 2006). The Jews claim that the land was given to them in according to the torah where God promised Abraham and his descendants the land. In fact, they argue that the land has been a historical site for the Jews people of Israel, which had been illegally occupied by the Roman Empire. Therefore, the Jewish are of the opinion that the land rightfully belongs to them and nothing whatsoever can deter them from occupying this land. Palestine Arab’s, on the other hand, claims that the land rightfully belongs to them based on the fact that they have lived on this land for several years. They also claim that, demographically, they represent the majority on this land, which signifies their legitimate ownership of the land . Therefore, they refute the argument put forwards by the Biblical-era kingdom that claims that the land belong to the minority Jewish. In fact, Palestine Arabs argue that based on the fact that Ishmael, the son of Abraham is an Arab’s ancestor, then the promise of God to the Abraham’s descendants also include the Arabs as well. Therefore, they object any attempt aimed at snatching them the land, which they believe rightfully belongs to them (Lesch and Tschirgi, 1998). It is noted in the 19th century, preceded by the trend that began in Europe, many people across the globe began to identify themselves as sovereign nations that culminated to the demand for independence. As a result, the Palestine and Jews started developing national consciousness aimed at achieving their national agenda. However, since the Jews were spread all over the world, there came a need to identify a place where the Jews could call home thereby leading to the formation of the Zionist movement. Th e Jews later found Palestine to the right place since it represented the place of Jews origin. As a result, in 1882, the Zionist movement initiated mass immigration of the Europeans into Palestine. However, what is noted is that, at this time, Palestine formed part of the Ottoman Empire. The Jewish settled mainly in four major cities in Palestine particularly those with religious significance such as Jerusalem, Safad, Hebron, and Tiberas (Mahler and Mahler, 2010). As the Jews continued to

Field Experience #5 Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Field Experience #5 Policy - Essay Example The challenges in evaluated are in a wider dimension linked to the interpretations in policies and guiding procedures for teacher evaluation. For effective evaluation, there is need to review the consistency of the policies with the state law to ascertain their legality and their entire separation from procedural requirements of teacher evaluation. From a general point of view, the policies are supposed to give guidance for procedures in the assessment to ensure legal consistency. A policy is simply a set of rules and principles which are used as a guide in decision making or procedural activities with the goals of the principles clearly stated. The teacher evaluation policy is part of Arizona’s education policies in which there are guidelines to teacher evaluation procedures. Policies are usually politically negotiated rules governing the entire operation of a system which in our case is teacher evaluation and must be consistent with the law. On the other hand teacher evaluation procedure is a set of guidelines agreed upon by professionals in the field on best practice in evaluating teachers for compliance to education policies. This might be the beginning of the trouble in understanding policy and procedural requirement of teacher evaluation because of some inconsistencies in the application of the two especially after the law changes in Arizona. In the Standards for Arizona Teachers we find more description of procedural activities in teacher evaluation and less of policy matters. It offers a criterion for judgment of good practice and indicators of teacher failure. As part of legislation we find the policies based on the old set of law on education but with the recent changes there is a lot that is inconsistent with the state law. Just to cite an example the law which is observed to discriminate against teachers whose first language is not English is contrary to what the policy covers under communication requirements of a teacher. In

Building Bridges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Building Bridges - Essay Example In this case, Erin is lecturing about how time can be maximally used to produce a high output. The cost used to set up a project should be realistic and should have returns. Every business or project management aims at making profits (output) and time and cost are the core factors for a profitable output (Beierwaltes). The On starting a project, one should first construct a WBS (work breakdown structure). A WBS consists of a schedule on how the project will progress and the time assigned to ach task in the project. There are three constraints on a project, i.e., time, scope, and the cost. The scope is results that are expected from the project and time constraint is the scheduled time to complete a given task. Cost is the primary constraint in the discussion because it is the amount of capital available for a company to complete its project successfully. The Cost must be budgeted at the beginning of a project, and it should have an excess. The reason is; if after a long period there will be mismanagement of funds, then the excess capital will be used to complete the