Ryan Todrank 10 October 2017 SWRK 150 Reflection # Essays

Ryan Todrank 10 October 2017 SWRK 150 Reflection #6 Neither corporations nor unions should be allowed to donate to political supporters at all. Both of those entities consist of members from all political parties. The First Amendment protects free speech. It pointedly does not discuss the speaker of that speech, so the origin of the speech is irrelevant to its protected status , whether it comes from a person or union or corporation, etc. There's a reason why the right-wing Heritage Foundation, the libertarian Cato Institute and the left-wing ACLU all united to back the court's decision . I t is clearly a Constitutionally based decision that re affirms the right to freedom of speech. The Supreme Court revisited the issue of campaign finance in early October, hearing arguments on a case that asks whether there should be a limit on the total amount that an individual can don ate to political candidates and political parties during an election cycle. In 1974, after the fallout from the Watergate scandal, laws were enacted that created the structure for campaign finance regulations. The laws capped the amount that an individual can directly donate to any one candidate or to a political party. If we out a ban on things like this people who have no money or funds to even compete in the big world of politics wouldn ' t have a chance. Even small donations can make a difference. Take Barrack Obama for example, he never would have ended up President if he didn ' t have tons of small donations

antigone- a tragic hero essays

antigone- a tragic hero essays In the story Antigone, by Sophocles, Antigone is the tragic hero. By definition a tragedy is an extremely sad course of events or a fatal event and a tragic hero is a member of royalty. (Aristotle, p398). Antigones pride for her brother makes her a hero. She will not back down from anything when she is getting caught. Antigone is a mind-set person when it comes to getting things done her way. Not only is Antigone a hero to everyone else, she is also a hero to herself. After she is caught, She speaks with pride about what she has done. She says, I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men would praise me were their mouths not frozen shut with fear of you.(Antigone, p710, 98-100). In a way, she is boastful about breaking the law. She thinks she has done the right thing. Another heroic characteristic of Antigone is that she shows and immense amount of love. She makes sure she gets her brother buried no matter what the consequences are. But I will bury him; and if I must die, I will say this crime is holy (Antigone, p694, 55-56) Antigone says. Even when Ismene tries to take the blame for her brothers burial, Antigone takes all the blame. Antigone loved her family dearly. Antigone is also a determined person. After she put her mind to it, nothing could stop her from doing what she wanted. She even says, Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way. (Antigone, p694, 35). Even though the consequence was death, Antigone still goes through with it. Her determination and love for her brother gives her the courage to keep her pride. Antigones love, determination, and courage changes Creons way of thinking, but it was too late. She didnt allow anyone or anything to get in the way of her dreams. She always kept her pride and principles. Antigone really is a tragic hero. ...

A Definition and Introduction to the Keiretsu System

A Definition and Introduction to the Keiretsu System In Japanese, the word keiretsu can be  translated to mean group or system, but its relevance in economics far surpasses this seemingly simple translation. It has also been literally translated to mean headless combine, which highlights the keiretsu systems history and relationship to previous Japanese systems like that of the zaibatsu. In Japan and now throughout the field of economics, the word  keiretsu refers to a specific type of business partnership, alliance, or extended enterprise. In other words, a keiretsu is an informal business group. A keiretsu has generally been defined in practice as a  conglomeration of businesses associated with cross-shareholdings which are  formed around their own trading companies or large banks. But  equity ownership is not a prerequisite for keiretsu formation. In fact, a keiretsu can also be a business network of comprised of manufacturers, supply chain partners, distributors, and even financiers, who are all financially independent but who work very closely together to support and ensure mutual success. Two Types of Keiretsu There are essentially two types of keiretsus, which have been  described in English as horizontal and vertical keiretsus. A horizontal keiretsu, also known as a financial keiretsu, is characterized by the cross-shareholding relationships formed between firms which are centered around a major bank. The bank will provide these companies with a variety of financial services. A vertical keiretsu, on the other hand, is known as a jump-style keiretsu or an industrial keiretsu. Vertical keiretsus tie together in partnership the suppliers, manufacturers, and distributor of an industry. Why Form a Keiretsu? A keiretsu may provide  a manufacturer the ability to form stable, long-term business partnerships which ultimately permit the manufacturer to remain lean and efficient while focusing mainly on its core business. The formation of this type of partnership is a practice that permits a large keiretsu the capability to control a majority, if not all, steps in the economic chain in their industry or business sector. Another aim of keiretsu systems is the formation of powerful corporate structure across related businesses. When member firms of a keiretsu are associated through cross-shareholdings, which is to say that they own small portions of equity in each others businesses, they remain somewhat insulated from market fluctuations, volatility, and even business takeover attempts. With the stability provided by the keiretsu system, firms can focus on efficiency, innovation, and long-term projects. History of Keiretsu System in Japan In Japan, the keiretsu system specifically refers to the framework of business relationships that arose in post-World War II Japan after the fall of the family-owned vertical monopolies that controlled much of the economy known as zaibatsu. The keiretsu system joined Japans big banks and big firms when related companies organized around a big bank (like Mitsui, Mitsubishi, and Sumitomo) and took ownership of equity in one another and in the bank. As a result, those related companies did consistent business with one another. While the keiretsu system has had the virtue of maintaining long-term business relationships and stability in suppliers and customers in Japan, there are still critics. For instance, some argue that the keiretsu system has the disadvantage of reacting slowly to outside events since the players are partly protected from the external market. More Research Resources Related to the Keiretsu System Japans keiretsu system: the case of the automobile industryThe Japanese keiretsu system: an empirical analysis

Tracking Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tracking Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan - Essay Example Tracking Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan The following analysis will seek to engage the reader with an overall discussion that helps to elaborate upon the usefulness of these statistics, whether or not they might be utilized in further forms of analysis, the potential that exists for them to be much higher than is being represented, and interpretation of why all of these compliments necessarily matter. Through such a level of discussion and engagement, it is the hope of this author that the reader will be able to come to a more informed and definitive level of understanding with respect to civilian deaths within Afghanistan and the manner through which such representative data is utilized in the future. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the data that was represented did not start tracking the deaths caused by IEDs or suicide attacks until 2009; fully two years after the analysis was begun. This was a fundamental oversight; however, an even larger oversight was with regards to the fact that the overall civilian death toll with respect to drone strikes was not measured until 2012 (Zenko, 2014). As anyone even remotely familiar with the conflict in Afghanistan note, the lion’s share of coalition attacks over the past several years in Afghanistan have been predicated upon the backbone of drone strikes as the primary delivery mechanism. In such a way, not having representative statistics that began at the time in which the study was engaged does not provide the user with an accurate description of the way in which civilian deaths have been represented within Afghanistan during the time period in question.

Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the Accounting and Auditing Essay

Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the Accounting and Auditing Profession - Essay Example The unexpected corporate failures brought the integrity of the financial statement audit into question (Elson & Lynn, 2008). The apparent aim of the new law is to strengthen controls and strengthen compliance with disclosures, in order that the matter of corporate performance and financial condition be made more transparent to the investing public. The Act applies to all corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), otherwise known as public companies. The most important sections of the statute are those that require the establishment of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), Auditor Independence, and Enhanced Financial Disclosures. The impact of the new requirements listed is to strengthen the role and accountability of the internal audit function, in order that management and the board of directors may be held responsible â€Å"to vouch for accounting controls over financial reporting and disclosure weaknesses to shareholders† (Elson & Lynn, 2008:60). Prior to the implementation of the SOX, internal control was observed to be weak because of the weak internal audit performance, lack of independent directors, and inconsistency and general failure to hold the board of directors and internal audit committee accountable. While prior to the SOX, similar recommendations for chang e were already made by the Blue Ribbon Committee, compliance with these earlier recommendations was not as effective than that subsequent to the implementation of the SOX, mainly because of the absence of legal mandatory power of the Blue Ribbon Committee, in contrast with the requirements of the SOX which were legally binding (Lin, Kang & Roline, 2009:10). At least three studies have empirically determined the effect of SOX on the enhancement of internal audit and control by the management and board of directors. In the implementation of SOX, the Chief Audit Executive played an active leadership role in the implementation of SOX (Section 404), emphasizing on risk identification and control as well as remediation. Most reported increasing their resources devoted to corporate governance activities, including the review of ethics, business conduct, legal and regulatory compliance; audit resources were reported to have been increased (Patterson & Smith, 2007) by as much as 66% (Elson & Lynn, 2008). Significant changes were also made to the composition of the audit committee and the board of directors, which included: (a) an increase in the number of independent directors assigned to the audit committee as well as the board of directors; (b) a significant increase in compliance with the requirement that there should be at least four direct ors on the audit committee, as well as having six to fifteen directors in the board of directors; and (c) an increase in the overall average number of audit committee hearings (Lin, Kang & Roline, 2009). These changes pointed to not only formal but also substantial compliance with SOX requirements. Not all effects expected of SOX had materialized. A study of external auditors’ performance was conducted on the expectation that they had begun to exercise a greater conservatism and a more vigorous audit process prior to issuing going-concern or other qualified opinions. The study showed, however, that there had been no significant difference in the changes in the performance of auditor firms when comparing the pre- and post-SOX contexts (Ryu, Uliss & Roh, 2009). Furthermore, there are what are called â€Å"ripple effects,† such as (1) the negative influence on corporate acquisitions and mergers; (2) increased records-management requirements; (3) decreased

The Mood in Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden Essay -- Poetry Analysis

The Mood in Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden The poem, "Funeral Blues", by W.H. Auden tells about a person's grief and is successful in creating a very sad and depressing mood. This is achieved by the poet's use of language, word choice and sentence structure. The way in which the author describes his feeling - along with the use of rhythm and rhyme - was created in a very effective way which made it clear to the reader. In the first stanza the depressing mood is created straight away by the poet's use of commands, which created the impression that he wanted the whole world to come to a stand still: "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone" These particular commands are demanding silence from everyone as he is requesting silence from everyone as he wants the clocks to stop ticking, the phone to stop ringing, the dog to be quiet and basically every aspect of normal, everyday life to come to a halt. By doing this the author has made it obvious that the person he has lost was his whole world and he feels as if the world cannot go on anymore without this person. W.H Auden also made effective use of rhythm and rhyme in order to create the atmosphere, which exists at a funeral: "à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with muffled drum, Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come." By the use of the word 'muffled' I was given the impression of a foggy, depressing and cold day with the coffin being removed from the black hearse. I thought it to be effective when 'drum' was mentioned as normally it is at state funerals for very important people where drums are used. The impression I received was that it... ...der to swallow pills. This is then continued as the next line is telling of the complete despair that he feels and shows the lack of hope and happiness he possesses: "For nothing now can ever come to any good." The use of the word nothing also shows he does not see a future for himself anymore. As it is a short sentence and if you follow the rhythm intended it is a drowsy beat which again extends the overdose idea as it is him falling asleep and puts him out of his misery but at the same time the ending remains sad and does not give a happy ending. In conclusion, Funeral Blues by W.H Auden was successful in creating a very depressing mood that was full of despair and contained absolutely no hope. This was effective by the use of simple language, sentence structure and most importantly the use of rhythm and rhyme.

Fact Sheet on Effects of Marijuana on the Body

MEMORY/PERCEPTION/BEHAVIOR 1. Attention, memory and learning are impaired among heavy marijuana users, even after users discontinued its use for at least 24 hours. Heavy marijuana use is associated with residual neuropsychological effects even after a day of supervised abstinence from the drug. Heavy users displayed significantly greater impairment than light users on attention/executive functions, as evidenced particularly by greater preservations on card sorting and reduced learning of word lists.These differences remained after controlling for potential confounding variables, such as estimated levels of premorbid cognitive functioning, and for use of alcohol and other substances in the two groups. However, the question remains open as to whether this impairment is due to a residue of drug in the brain, a withdrawal effect from the drug, or a frank neurotoxic effect of the drug. (â€Å"The Residual Cognitive Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use in College Students,† Pope, HG Jr. , Yurgelun-Todd, D. , Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, JAMA February 21, 1996. 2. Impaired memory for recent events, difficulty concentrating, dreamlike states, impaired motor coordination, impaired driving and other psychomotor skills, slowed reaction time, impaired goal-directed mental activity, and altered peripheral vision are common associated effects. (Adams and Martin 1996; Fehr and Kalant 1983; Hollister 1988a; Institute of Medicine 1982; Tart 1971) 3. A roadside study of reckless drivers who were not impaired by alcohol, showed that 45% of these drivers tested positive for marijuana. Dr. Dan Brookoff, published in the New England Journal of Medicine) 4. Marijuana smoking affects the brain and leads to impaired short-term memory, perception, judgment and motor skills. (Marijuana Facts: Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse ) 5. In a survey of 150 marijuana using students, 59% surveyed report they sometimes forget what a conversa tion is about before it has ended. 41% report if they read while stoned they remembered less of what they had read hours later. (Dr.Richard Schwartz, Vienna Pediatric Associates in Psychiatric Annals as reported in NIDA Capsules) NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS 6. Marijuana activates the same pleasure centers in the brain that are targeted by heroin, cocaine and alcohol. (Dr. Gaetano Di Chiara, University of Caligari, Italy) CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS 7. Physiological effects of marijuana include an alteration of heart rate. Use of marijuana may result in intense anxiety, panic attacks or paranoia. (National Institute of Drug Abuse) CHRONIC EFFECTS RESPIRATORY SYSTEM EFFECTS . The daily use of 1 to 3 marijuana joints appears to produce approximately the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking 5 times as many cigarettes. (UCLA) The study results suggest that the way smokers inhale marijuana, in addition to its chemical composition, increases the adverse physical effects. The same l ung cancer risks associated with tobacco also apply to marijuana users, even though they smoke far less. (reported in NIDA Capsules) 9. Benzopyrene is the chemical in tobacco that causes lung cancer.An average marijuana cigarette contains nearly 50% more benzopyrene than a tobacco cigarette. An average marijuana cigarette contains 30 nanograms of this carcinogen compared to 21 nanograms in an average tobacco cigarette (Marijuana and Health, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine Report, 1982) Benzopyrene suppresses a gene that controls growth of cells. When this gene is damaged the body becomes more susceptible to cancer. This gene is related to half of all human cancers and as many as 70% of lung cancers. 10.Marijuana users may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have, such as chronic bronchitis and inflamed sinuses. (Marijuana Facts: Parents Need to Know, National Institute on Drug Abuse ) 11. Marijuana smokers, when compared to non marijua na smokers, have more respiratory illness. (Polen et al. 1993). 12. Marijuana smoke produces airway injury, acute and chronic bronchitis, lung inflammation, and decreased pulmonary defenses against infection. Smoking one marijuana cigarette leads to air deposition of four times as much cancer-causing tar as does tobacco smoke (Dr.D. Tashkin, Western Journal of Medicine) ENDOCRINE SYSTEM EFFECTS 13. Heavy marijuana use can affect hormones in both males and females. Heavy doses of the drugs may delay the onset of puberty in young men. Marijuana also can have adverse effects on sperm production. Among women, regular marijuana use can disrupt the normal monthly menstrual cycle and inhibit the discharge of eggs from the ovaries. (Marijuana Facts: Parents Need to know, National Institute on Drug Abuse) ADVERSE MENTAL EFFECTS 14. An â€Å"amotivational syndrome† can develop in heavy, chronic marijuana users.It is characterized by decreased drive and ambition, shortened attention spa n, poor judgment, high distractibility, impaired communication skills, and diminished effectiveness in interpersonal situations. (National Institute of Drug Abuse) 15. Adults who smoked marijuana daily believed it helped them function better, improved self-awareness and improved relationships with others. However, researchers found that users were more willing to tolerate problems, suggesting that the drug served as a buffer for those who would rather avoid confronting problems than make changes that might increase their satisfaction with life.The study indicated that these subjects used marijuana to avoid dealing with their difficulties and the avoidance inevitably made their problems worse. Although users believed the drug enhanced understanding of themselves, it actually served as a barrier against self-awareness. (case studies by research team from Center for Psychosocial Studies in New York. ) IMMUNE SYSTEM EFFECTS 16. Marijuana and some of its compounds influence the immune sy stem and affect the body's ability to resist viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa, and decreases the body's anti tumor activities.Marijuana has the potential to alter the backup safeguards of the immune system because it affects diverse types of cells in the body. This could compromise the immune system's ability to screen out cancer cells and eliminate infection. (Dr. Guy A. Cabral, Professor, Medical College of Virginia, speaking at NlDA's National Conference on Marijuana Use: Prevention, Treatment and Research. ) Limitations of Marijuana Research â€Å"Unfortunately, much of what is known about the human pharmacology of smoked marijuana comes from experiments with plant material containing about 2% THC or less, or occasionally up to 4% THC.In addition, human experiments typically are done in laboratory settings where only one or two smoked doses were administered to relatively young, medically screened, healthy male volunteers well experienced with the effects of marijuana. Fem ales rarely participated in past marijuana research because of prohibitions (now removed) against their inclusion. Thus the clinical pharmacology of single or repeated smoked marijuana doses given to older people or to people with serious diseases has hardly been researched at all in a controlled laboratory or clinic setting.Some of the very few reports of experiments that have included older or sicker people, particularly patients less experienced in using marijuana suggest the profile of adverse effects may differ from healthy student volunteers smoking in a laboratory experiment (Hollister, 1986a, 1988a) THC administered alone in its pure form is the most thoroughly research cannabinoid. Much of what has been written has been inferred from the results of experiments using only pure THC.Generally, in experiments actually using marijuana, the assumed dose of marijuana was based only on the concentration of THC in the plant material. The amounts of cannabidiol and other cannabinoids in the plant also vary so that pharmacological interactions modifying the effects THC may occur when marijuana is used instead of pure THC. The result of this research strategy is that a good deal is known about the pharmacology of THC, but experimental confirmation that the pharmacology of a marijuana cigarette is indeed entirely or mainly determined by the amount of THC it contains remains to be completed.The scientific literature contains occasional hints that the pharmacology of pure THC, although similar, is not always the same as the clinical pharmacology of smoked marijuana containing the same amount of THC (Graham 1976, Harvey 1985, Institute of Medicine 1982)† (Report to the Director, National Institutes of Health, by the Ad-Hoc Group of Experts, â€Å"Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana. â€Å")