Graduation Speech: I Can Do Anything :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I needed a change. I was bored at my old school. I was working hard, but I was bored. I had been with the same kids and teachers since I was five years old. I don't really remember why I chose to come to Tates Creek (TC), but I had heard about it because our French class had pen pals here. My mom and I looked into the school and decided it would be a good fit for me. TC looked like a great school. Coming to TC was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Now, I like coming to school. I use to hate having to go to class and get lectured all day. But every day at TC is very different and you never know what to expect when you wake up each morning. I've always loved math, and I was doing well at my old school, but the teachers just weren’t as involved as they could have been. Because of TC, I've learned so much more in every subject, and actually enjoy them. I am a much better student, and the quality of my work has definitely gotten better because I'm so much more organized when it comes to my schoolwork. Now I just have to work on my room. TC is a great school for many reasons. The teachers understand the students and that it's important that everyone learns in the best way possible for them. Everyone works incredibly hard to help us pass all the standardized tests, especially the BSTs. What happened to the charter military academy would never happen here because the teachers care about our future. Students at TC are encouraged to do well not only academically, but also socially and mentally. CRISP isn’t just about scholarship — that’s only part of it. Because of TC I know I can do anything I set my mind to. I was always told that, but I never really believed it.

Tae Bo: Fitness Craze or Effective Workout :: Exercise Health Papers

Tae Bo: Fitness Craze or Effective Workout? What’s all the fuss about? Tae Bo, a form of high impact aerobics that combines the moves of Tae Kwon Do, karate, boxing, ballet, and hip_hop dancing is the newest craze in gyms and homes across the country. Tae Bo, which stands for Total Awareness Excellent Body Obedience, was developed by Billy Blanks in the late 1980’s. Blanks, a seven_time world karate champion and black belt in six martial arts, developed Tae Bo in the basement of his home. Atfter encouragement from family and friends, The Blank’s World Training Center in Sherman Oaks, CA was opened, introducing Tae Bo to local townspeople and limited Hollywood celebrities. By word of mouth, Tae Bo gradually gained popularity, its’ fame peaking with the release of the video package in August of 1998. The four tape video package includes an instructional video, basic workout, advanced workout, and an eight_minute workout. The videos are commonly featured on a late night infomercial where the package can be purchased for three payments of $19.95. The infomercial, featuring testimonials from successful users, and a motivational speech from Blanks himself, has sold over one million copies since 1998. "If you’ve got the will__Tae Bo’s the way" promises the announcer, for thousands of users this seems to be the truth. Troy Obrero , a well educated personal trainer in San Francisco, CA gives Tae Bo his approval: "Tae Bo is an excellent cardiovascular workout with very good distractions." Obrero targets lack of variety as the reason for failure of many workout regimens, he claims that Tae Bo provides the necessary novelty and challenge to keep users hooked. Very few people have done the type of movements done in Tae Bo on a regular basis, continues Obrero, this leads to its extreme effectiveness in toning and defining the entire body. Blanks encourages his clients to work on their bodies from the inside out; he claims: "results are imminent from the very first Tae Bo workout, as completing it makes you feel great about yourself." Overall Blanks says his Tae Bo workouts can improve balance, coordination, flexibility, and will tone and define muscles. The workout regimen is exhaustively aerobic and therefore yields phenomenal cardiovascular benefits. Finally, perhaps the most appealing aspect of a Tae Bo workout is its’ proven calorie burning effectiveness. An hour long Tae Bo workout will burn 500 to 800 calories, compared with the 300 to 400 calories burned with a more conventional aerobics class. Testimonials The world wide web is full of glowing recommendations from faithful Tae Bo users. Although the workout seems to be most popular with women in their

Diary of a Mad Black Woman

The film Diary of a Mad Black Woman depicts a situation that many people find themselves in every day. Helen McCarter is a successful wife who has everything it seems she could possibly ever want- a fantastically beautiful home and a well-off husband.Her husband literally throws her out of the house when he admits to having an affair so that his mistress and her children can move in. She relies on her family, close friends, and God to help her through the ordeal. When Helen’s husband is ironically maimed in a car accident, she cruelly torments him, the way that he abusively tormented her throughout their marriage.In one scene, Helen torments her husband because he can not bathe himself, and then literally throws him into a bathtub, rescuing him only seconds before he would have drowned. The film Diary of a Mad Black Woman depicts a fair amount of spousal abuse. In one of the opening scenes of the film, the husband (Charles) throws his wife out of the car and tells her that he hates her. Not only is this an extreme example of physical abuse, it is also an excellent example of the lesser known, and therefore lesser addressed, verbal and emotional abuse.However, Helen is for some reason completely blindsided by this turn of events, although it seems as if she has been enduring this abuse for the past eighteen years of their marriage. It certainly seems as though her sense of self worth has reached such a low that she could not even see how her husband leaving her was a possibility. I felt that there were many mixed messages showcased throughout this film. That is not to say it was not a good movie-I believe that it was. Diary of a Mad Black Woman took on a ridiculously Christian, preachy tone.When Helen begins dating a new man, she claims that he’s a â€Å"good Christian man,† as if this were a deal breaker. Helen apparently finds Jesus, become a devout Christian, and attends church religiously. Once her husband is injured in a gun fight, not only does she refuse to turn the other cheek, the audience is left to feel as if they should be cheering on her decidedly unchristian values. Helen takes advantage of her husband, which seems to be the farthest thing a true Christian would do. I think that there certainly was a lesson and a moral to this film, although I’m not sure that it came across in the correct way.The director was obviously trying to show that regardless of one’s past, it is possible to overcome horrific tragedy. Was this done about in the correct way? I believe not. I feel as if the writer and director of this film used â€Å"Christian values† as a crutch in order to get away with both a mediocre storyline and directing. Obviously, this was not an accurate portrayal of this specific type of phenomenon. It would take much more than â€Å"the power of Jesus† to restore one’s psyche after eighteen years worth of abuse.In addition, the fact that any behavior is alright, as long as it’s done in the name of Jesus, is completely disgusting, but this is how the film seems to justify Helen’s quick recovery. But, there certainly is something to be said for such strong message. Although the heroine’s plight was filmed as if she were extremely naà ¯ve in the first place, ultimately, the audience is left to assume that Helen has overcome the abuse she was dealing with. This film was, in my opinion, a good example of something that could happen in anyone’s life. It reminds me of a woman that used to attend our church with her family.The relationship she had with her husband was obviously strange, but no one could quite decide what was wrong with it. The husband was the associate pastor, and the wife volunteered in the church nursery almost every Sunday. Therefore, it seemed as if this couple could do no harm.Suddenly, one day she left her husband, and took her kids with her. People within the church immediately began blaming her for the abuse, claiming that she obviously did something wrong, and that she hadn’t â€Å"submitted to her husband† as the Bible demands. Later, people said that the only way she could be healed was through Jesus.Of course, this is ridiculous. Not to take anything away from religion, but most would agree that overcoming abuse requires therapy in different forms, and this is assuming that no other psychological disorders have stemmed from the abuse, such as depression, anxiety disorders, of post-traumatic stress disorder.Ultimately, I feel that this was a very strong movie, and that it depicted what abuse and its effects have on a person. While it was grossly understated, the audience certainly had a very good idea of what an abused person, especially an abused wife goes through during a recovery process.

India Child marriage

Child marriage in India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Small child brides in India Child marriage is a common practice in many countries around the world, however it is especially prevalent in India, where more than one third of all child brides live. [1] According to UNICEF, 47% of girls are married by 18 years of age, and 18% are married by 15 years of age. [2] These marriages are often performed without the consent of the girls involved in the marriage. Indian law has made child marriage illegal, but it is still widely practiced across the nation.The highest rates are seen particularly in the rural states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. [3] It affects both boys and girls, but statistics show that girls are far more likely to be forced into a child marriage than boys; however the percentage of girls forced into child marriage in India has declined in recent years. Many consider child marriage to be a human r ights violation, resulting in death, health problems, poverty, violence, and lack of education. Contents Definitions of child marriageUNICEF defines child marriage as a formal marriage or union before 18 years of age. [4] UN Women defines child marriage as a forced marriage before 18 years of age because they believe children under age 18 are incapable of giving their consent. [5] History of child marriage Political turmoil Child marriage, also known as Bal Vivaha, is believed to have begun during the medieval ages of India. At this time, the political atmosphere was turbulent and ruled by Delhi Sultans in an absolute monarchy government.The sultans had an extreme commitment to their religion and forced many to convert, causing socio-cultural unrest, and Hindu women suffered the most. These days of the Delhi Sultans produced practices such as child marriage and lowered the status of women even further. They invented the ill omen of giving birth to a female baby and believed that you ng unmarried girls caused disaster. Child marriage became a widespread cultural practice with various reasons to justify it, and many marriages were performed while the girl was still an infant. [6] Military alliancesIndian feudalistic society became present, where characteristics such as honor, rivalry, and animosity were important qualities to possess, and because of this, families and kingdoms created strong military alliances to preserve or destroy power between them. To ensure the alliance was upheld by both sides, each family exchanged a young member of their household who was reared and educated at the other family's estate. The children were the assurance that the alliance between the families was honored, but in case it wasn't enough, the families made a marriage arrangement to deepen the alliance even further.They believed the marriage wouldn't work if they waited for the young children to grow up because they could possibly pick someone outside of the alliance. If they pe rformed the marriage while the children were still young and susceptible to their parents' influence, the children would have no choice but to marry who their parents chose to strengthen the alliance. [7] The caste system The caste system is also believed to have contributed to the growth of child marriage. Castes, which are based on birth and heredity, do not allow two people to marry if they are from different castes.This system was threatened by young people's emotions and desires to marry outside their caste, so out of necessity, child marriage was created to ensure the caste system continued. [8] Laws against child marriage The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 The Child Marriage Restraint Act, also called the Sarda Act,[9] was a law to restrict the practice of child marriage. It was enacted on April 1, 1930, extended across the whole nation, with the exceptions of the states of Jammu and Kashmir, and applied to every Indian citizen.Its goal was to eliminate the dangers plac ed on young girls who could not handle the stress of married life and avoid early deaths. This Act defined a male child as 21 years or younger, a female child as 18 years or younger, and a minor as a child of either sex 18 years or younger. The punishment for a male between 18 and 21 years marrying a child became imprisonment of up to 15 days, a fine of 1,000 rupees, or both. The punishment for a male above 21 years of age became imprisonment of up to three months and a possible fine.The punishment for anyone who performed or directed a child marriage ceremony became imprisonment of up to three months and a possible fine, unless he could prove the marriage he performed was not a child marriage. The punishment for a parent or guardian of a child taking place in the marriage became imprisonment of up to three months or a possible fine. [10] It was amended in 1940 and 1978 to continue raising the ages of male and female children. [11] The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006Coming i nto effect on November 1, 2007, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) was put into place to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act. [12] The change in name was meant to reflect the prevention and prohibition of child marriage, rather than restraining it. [13][14] The previous Act also made it difficult and time consuming to act against child marriages and did not focus on authorities as possible figures for preventing the marriages. [15] This Act kept the ages of adult males and females the same but made some significant changes to further protect the children.Boys and girls forced into child marriages as minors have the option of voiding their marriage up to two years after reaching adulthood, and in certain circumstances, marriages of minors can be null and void before they reach adulthood. All valuables, money, and gifts must be returned if the marriage is nullified, and the girl must be provided with a place of residency until she marries or becomes an adult. Children born from child marriages are considered legitimate, and the courts are expected to give parental custody with the children's best interests in mind.Any male over 18 years of age who enters into a marriage with a minor or anyone who directs or conducts a child marriage ceremony can be punished with up to two years of imprisonment or a fine. [16] — Latest Judgment Under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 — It has been held by the Delhi High Court that Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 overrides all personal laws and governs each and every citizen of India– 2012 [Volume No. 3] JCC [Journal of Criminal Cases] Page No. 148 – IN The High Court of Delhi – Hon’ble The Acting Chief Justice ; Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sanjiv Khanna ; Hon’ble Mr. Justice V. K. Shali – Date of Judgment – 27th July, 2012 – Court on Its Own Motion [Lajja Devi] Vs. State – W. P. [Crl. ] No. 338 of 2 008 — Smt. Laxmi Devi & Anr. Vs. State [GNCT of Delhi] & Others – Cril. M. C. No. 100/2011 and Crl. M. A. No. 3737 of 2011 – Maha Dev Vs. State [GNCT of Delhi] & Anr. – W. P. [Crl. ] No. 821 of 2008 and Crl. M. A. No. 8765 of 2008 — Devender @ Babli Vs. State [GNCT of Delhi] & Anr. – W. P. [Crl. ] No. 66 of 2010 — Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 – section 2[a] – Issue for Consideration – [i] What is the status of marriage under the Hindu Law when one of the parties to the marriage is below the age of 18 years prescribed under Section 5 [iii] of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and Section 2 [a] of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and [ii] When the girl is minor [but the boy has attained the age of marriage as prescribed] whether the husband can be regarded as the lawful guardian of the minor wife and claim her custody in spite of contest and claim by the parents of the girl – what is the effect of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. — Held: – The object behind enacting the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 was to curb the menace of Child Marriage, which is still prevalent in this country and is most common in rural areas – Child Marriage is such a social evil which has the potentialities of dangers to the life and health of a female child and plays havoc in their lives, who cannot withstand the stress and strains of married life and it leads to early deaths of such minor mothers – It also reflects the chauvinistic attribute of the Indian Society- Even after the passing of the new Act i. e. – Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, certain loopholes still remain, the legislations are weak as they do not actually prohibit child marriage . It can be said that though the practice of child marriage has been discouraged by the legislations but it has not been completely banned – Having regard to the legal/statutory position that stands as of now leaves us to answer first part of question No. by concluding that the marriage contracted with a female of less than 18 years of a male of less than 21 years of age would not be a void marriage but voidable one, which would become valid if no steps are taken by such court has option[s] to order otherwise [Paras 1,25,26,35,40] – Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 – Section 3 – The girl, if mature, cannot and should be denied her freedom and other wishes should not get negated as of she has no voice and her wishes are of no consequences – The Court while deciding, should also keep in mind that such marriages are voidable and the girl has the right to approach the Court under Section 3 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 to get the marriage declared void till she attains the age of 20 years. Para 48 ] – Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Section 375 & 376 – In case the girl is below 16 years, the answer is obvious that the consent does not matter – Offence under Section 376 Indian Penal Code is made out – The charge sheet cannot be quashed on the ground that she was a consenting party – However, there can be special or exceptional circumstances which may require consideration, in cases where the girl even after attaining majority affirms and reiterates her consent. [Para 49] — Indian Penal Code, 1860 – section 375 – Consummation, with the wife below the age of 15 years of age, is an offence under Section 375 – No exception can be made to the said constitutional mandate and the same has to be strictly and diligently enforce – Consent is such case is completely impartial, for consent at such a young age is difficult to conceive and accept – It makes no difference whether the girl is married or not – Personal law applicable to the parties is also immaterial. Para 50 ] — Indian Penal code, 1860 – Section 375 & 376 – Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 – Section 3 – If the girl is more than 16 years, and the girl makes a statement that she went with her consent and that statement and consent is without any force, coercion or undue influence, the statement could be accepted and the court will be within its power to quash the proceedings under Sections 363 or 376 Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Here again no straight jacket formulae can be applied – The court has to be cautious, for the girl has right to get marriage nullified under Section 3 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 – Attending circumstances including the maturity and understanding of the girl, social background of girl, age of the girl and boy etc. have to be taken into consideration. [Para 51] – Indian Penal Code, 1860 – Section 363/366/376/465/467/494/497/120-B/506 Indian Penal Code – Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 20 06- Section 3 – Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 – Section 482 – As per the ossification test, the girl/petitioner No. 1 was found between 17-19 years of age – As per the school leaving certificate, she was 17 years of age on the date when the parties solemnised marriage – Since she has given the statement that she married of her own accord to the petitioner no. and was more than 16 years of age, FIR under sections 363/366/376/465/467/494/497/120-B/506 Indian Penal Code registered against the petitioner no. 2 is quashed. — Marriage and Guardianship – In this writ petition, the question is only of validity of marriage and guardianship – Even if the age of the girl is taken as 15 years of age at the time of incident i. e. – 27. 10. 2006, she would be 21 years of age as of now – she has not filed any proceedings for declaring the marriage as void. Therefore, the marriage becomes valid now – The question of gua rdianship does not arise at this stage as she is major and during the period she was minor she resided at Nirmal Chhaya- Thus, the writ petition is disposed of in the above said terms. — Held: – As per the facts noted in Para 10 above, Shivani @ Deepika at the time of her marriage was less than 16 years of age, her date of birth being 3. 6. 1994 – It was directed that she would remain at Nirmal Chhaya – However, as the per the aforesaid date of birth i. e. – 3. 6. 1994, she has attained majority on 3. 6. 2012 – The petition was filed by Sh. Devender Kumar who married her habeas corpus was claiming her custody. She has attained majority, she is free to go anywhere – with these directions, this petition stands disposed of. [Para 56,57 & 58] — Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 which now stands repealed by Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006. Para 16] – Thus, irrespective of personal laws under Act child marriages are p rohibited. – By declaring that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 shall apply to all citizens, the parliament has intended to allow the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 to override the provisions of Hindu Marriage Act to the extent of inconsistencies between these two enactments. Similarly, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 will override the personal law. [Para 20] – Thus, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, being a special law, will have overriding effect over the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 to the extent of any inconsistency between the two enactments.For this reason, the court took the view that Section 3 of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 would have overriding effect over the Hindu Marriage Act and the marriage with a minor child would not be valid but voidable and would become valid if within two years from the date of attaining 18 years in the case of female and 21 years in the case of male, a petition is not filed before the D istrict Court under section 3 [1] of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 for annulling the marriage. Similarly, after attaining eighteen years of age in the case of female, or twenty one years of age in the case of a male, the marriage shall become a full-fledged valid marriage. Until such an event of acceptance of the marriage or lapse of limitation period, the marriage shall continue to remain as a voidable marriage. Para 21] – If the marriage is annulled as per Section 3[1] of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, the same shall take effect from the date of marriage and, in such an event, in the eye of law there shall be no marriage at all between the parties at any point of time. [Para 22] – Stronger punishments for offences under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 have been prescribed and that the offences have also been made cognizable and non-bailable but, this does not in any event have any impact on the validity of the child marriage. †” It has made a specific provision for void marriages under certain circumstances but did not render all child marriages void. [Para 23] — Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 as noticed above is a secular law and is a latter enactment, which specifically deals with the problem of child marriages. Religion of the contracting party does not matter.Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 being a â€Å"Special Act† and being a subsequent legislation, to this extent and in case there is any conflict, will override the provisions of Hindu marriage Act or for that matter nay personal law. [Para 30] — Registration of marriage has still not been made compulsory. Compulsory registration mandates that the age of the girl and the boy getting married have to be mentioned. If implemented properly, it would discourage parents from marrying off their minor children since a written document of their ages would prove the illegality of such marriages. This would probably be able to tackle the sensitive issue of minor marriages upheld by personal laws. Para 38] —- The marriage contracted with a female of less than 18 years or a male of less than 21 years would not be a void marriage but voidable one, which would become valid if no steps are taken by such â€Å"Child† within the meaning of Section 2[a] of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 under Section 3 of the said Act seeking declaration of this marriage as void. [Para 40]. CEDAW The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, commonly known as CEDAW, is an international bill attempting to end discrimination against women. Article 16, Marriage and Family Life, states that all women, as well as men, have the right to choose their spouse, to have the same responsibilities, and to decide on how many children and the spacing between them. This convention states that child marriage should not have a legal effect, all action must be taken to enforce a m inimum age, and that all marriages must be put into an official registry. 17] India signed the convention on July 30, 1980 but made the declaration that, because of the nation's size and amount of people, it's impractical to have a registration of marriages. [18] Why parents choose child marriage Parents of a child entering into a child marriage are often poor and use the marriage as a way to make her future better, especially in areas with little economic opportunities. During times of war, parents will often marry off their young child to protect her from the conflicts raging around her. Some families still use child marriage to build alliances, as they did during the medieval ages. Statistically, a girl in a child marriage has less of a chance to go to school, and parents think education will undermine her ability to be a traditional wife and mother.Virginity is an important part of Indian culture, and parents want to ensure their daughters do not have pre-marital sex, and child marriage is an easy way to fix this. [19] Consequences of child marriage Early maternal deaths Roza Olyai, an Indian gynecologist and the National Chairperson for the Adolescent Health Committee of the Federation of the Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India said, â€Å"Early marriage has many medical risks. The reproductive organs are not fully developed. The body is not ready. Teenage mothers, especially those below 18 years, risk hypertensive disorder, eclampsia, pre-eclampsia, and post-partum hemorrhage. â€Å"[20]Girls who marry earlier in life are less likely to be informed about reproductive issues,[21] and because of this, pregnancy-related deaths are known to be the leading cause of mortality among married girls between 15 and 19 years of age. [22] These girls are twice more likely to die in childbirth than girls between 20 and 24 years of age. [23] Girls younger than 15 years of age are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth. [24][25] HIV and AIDS Girls enterin g into a child marriage are sometimes significantly younger than their husbands, who can be more sexually experienced. Marrying young and being sexually active can increase a girl's chance of becoming HIV-positive by more than 75%. [26] Infant healthInfants born to mothers under the age of 18 are 60% more likely to die in their first year than to mothers over the age of 19. If the children survive, they are more likely to suffer from low birth weight, malnutrition, and late physical and cognitive development. [27][28] Fertility outcomes A study conducted in India by the International Institute for Population Sciences and Macro International in 2005 and 2006 showed high fertility, low fertility control, and poor fertility outcomes data within child marriages. 90. 8% of young married women reported no use of a contraceptive prior to having their first child. 23. 9% reported having a child within the first year of marriage. 17. % reported having three or more children over the course o f the marriage. 23% reported a rapid repeat childbirth, and 15. 2% reported an unwanted pregnancy. 15. 3% reported a pregnancy termination (stillbirths, miscarriages or abortions). [29] Fertility rates are higher in slums than in urban areas. [30] Lack of education and poverty Marrying young is often associated with a lack of education and higher rates of poverty. Because of household responsibilities, pregnancy, and child rearing, young girls do not have access to schooling and income opportunities. [31] Violence Young girls in a child marriage are more likely to experience domestic violence in their marriages as opposed to older women.A study conducted in India by the International Center for Research on Women showed that girls married before 18 years of age are twice as likely to be beaten, slapped, or threatened by their husbands[32] and three times more likely to experience sexual violence. [33] Young brides often show symptoms of sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress. [34] Pr evention programs in India Apni Beti, Apna Dhan (ABAD), which translates to â€Å"Our Daughter, Our Wealth,† is one of India's first conditional cash transfer programs dedicated to delaying young marriages across the nation. In 1994, the Indian government implemented this program in the state of Haryana.On the birth of a mother's first, second, or third child, they are set to receive 500 rupees, or 11 USD, within the first 15 days to cover their post-delivery needs. Along with this, the government gives 2,500 rupees, or 55 USD, to invest in a long-term savings bond in the daughter's name, which can be later cashed for 25,000 rupees, or 550 USD, after her 18 birthday. She can only receive the money if she is not married. Anju Malhotra, an expert on child marriage and adolescent girls said of this program, â€Å"No other conditional cash transfer has this focus of delaying marriage†¦ It's an incentive to encourage parents to value their daughters. â€Å"[35]The Internati onal Center for Research on Women will evaluate Apni Beti, Apna Dhan over the course of the year 2012, when the program's initial participants turn 18, to see if the program, particularly the cash incentive, has motivated parents to delay their daughters' marriages. â€Å"We have evidence that conditional cash transfer programs are very effective in keeping girls in school and getting them immunized, but we don’t yet have proof that this strategy works for preventing marriage,† said Pranita Achyut, the program manager for Apni Beti, Apna Dhan. â€Å"If Haryana state’s approach proves to be valuable, it could potentially be scaled up to make a significant difference in many more girls’ lives – and not only in India. †[36]

Foundation and Empire 4. The Emperor

CLEON II commonly called â€Å"The Great.† The last strong Emperor of the First Empire, he is important for the political and artistic renaissance that took place during his long reign. He is best known to romance, however, for his connection with Bel Riose, and to the common man, he is simply â€Å"Riose's Emperor.† It is important not to allow events of the last year of his reign to overshadow forty years of†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica Cleon II was Lord of the Universe. Cleon II also suffered from a painful and undiagnosed ailment. By the queer twists of human affairs, the two statements are not mutually exclusive, nor even particularly incongruous. There have been a wearisomely large number of precedents in history. But Cleon II cared nothing for such precedents. To meditate upon a long list of similar cases would not ameliorate personal suffering an electron's worth. It soothed him as little to think that where his great-grandfather had been the pirate ruler of a dust-speck planet, he himself slept in the pleasure palace of Ammenetik the Great, as heir of a line of Galactic rulers stretching backward into a tenuous past. It was at present no source of comfort to him that the efforts of his father had cleansed the realm of its leprous patches of rebellion and restored it to the peace and unity it had enjoyed under Stanel VI; that, as a consequence, in the twenty-five years of his reign, not one cloud of revolt had misted his burnished glory. The Emperor of the Galaxy and the Lord of All whimpered as he lolled his head backward into the invigorating plane of force about his pillows. It yielded in a softness that did not touch, and at the pleasant tingle, Cleon relaxed a bit. He sat up with difficulty and stared morosely at the distant walls of the grand chamber. It was a bad room to be alone in. It was too big. All the rooms were too big. But better to be alone during these crippling bouts than to endure the prinking of the courtiers, their lavish sympathy, their soft, condescending dullness. Better to be alone than to watch those insipid masks behind which spun the tortuous speculations on the chances of death and the fortunes of the succession. His thoughts hurried him. There were his three sons; three straight-backed youths full of promise and virtue. Where did they disappear on these bad days? Waiting, no doubt. Each watching the other; and all watching him. He stirred uneasily. And now Brodrig craved audience. The low-born, faithful Brodrig; faithful because he was hated with a unanimous and cordial hatred that was the only point of agreement between the dozen cliques that divided his court. Brodrig – the faithful favorite, who had to be faithful, since unless he owned the fastest speed-ship in the Galaxy and took to it the day of the Emperor's death, it would be the radiation-chamber the day after. Cleon II touched the smooth knob on the arm of his great divan, and the huge door at the end of the room dissolved to transparency. Brodrig advanced along the crimson carpet, and knelt to kiss the Emperor's limp hand. â€Å"Your health, sire?† asked the Privy Secretary in a low tone of becoming anxiety. â€Å"I live,† snapped the Emperor with exasperation, â€Å"if you can call it life where every scoundrel who can read a book of medicine uses me as a blank and receptive field for his feeble experiments. If there is a conceivable remedy, chemical, physical, or nuclear, which has not yet been tried, why then, some learned babbler from the far comers of the realm will arrive tomorrow to try it. And still another newly-discovered book, or forgery morelike, will be used as authority. â€Å"By my father's memory,† he rumbled savagely, â€Å"it seems there is not a biped extant who can study a disease before his eyes with those same eyes. There is not one who can count a pulse-beat without a book of the ancients before him. I'm sick and they call it ‘unknown.' The fools! If in the course of millennia, human bodies learn new methods of falling askew, it remains uncovered by the studies of the ancients and uncurable forevermore. The ancients should be alive now, or I then.† The Emperor ran down to a low-breathed curse while Brodrig waited dutifully. Cleon II said peevishly, â€Å"How many are waiting outside?† He jerked his head in the direction of the door. Brodrig said patiently, â€Å"The Great Hall holds the usual number.† â€Å"Well, let them wait. State matters occupy me. Have the Captain of the Guard announce it. Or wait, forget the state matters. Just have it announced I hold no audience, and let the Captain of the Guard look doleful. The jackals among them may betray themselves.† The Emperor sneered nastily. â€Å"There is a rumor, sire,† said Brodrig, smoothly, â€Å"that it is your heart that troubles you.† The Emperor's smile was little removed from the previous sneer. â€Å"It will hurt others more than myself if any act prematurely on that rumor. But what is it you want. Let's have this over.† Brodrig rose from his kneeling posture at a gesture of permission and said, â€Å"It concerns General Bel Riose, the Military Governor of Siwenna.† â€Å"Riose?† Cleon II frowned heavily. â€Å"I don't place him. Wait, is he the one who sent that quixotic message some months back? Yes, I remember. He panted for permission to enter a career of conquest for the glory of the Empire and Emperor.† â€Å"Exactly, sire.† The Emperor laughed shortly. â€Å"Did you think I had such generals left me, Brodrig? He seems to be a curious atavism. What was the answer? I believe you took care of it.† â€Å"I did, sire. He was instructed to forward additional information and to take no steps involving naval action without further orders from the Imperium.† â€Å"Hmp. Safe enough. Who is this Riose? Was he ever at court?† Brodrig nodded and his mouth twisted ever so little. â€Å"He began his career as a cadet in the Guards ten years back. He had part in that affair off the Lemul Cluster.† â€Å"The Lemul Cluster? You know, my memory isn't quite – Was that the time a young soldier saved two ships of the line from a head-on collision by†¦ uh†¦ something or other?† He waved a hand impatiently. â€Å"I don't remember the details. It was something heroic.† â€Å"Riose was that soldier. He received a promotion for it,† Brodrig said dryly, â€Å"and an appointment to field duty as captain of a ship.† â€Å"And now Military Governor of a border system and still young. Capable man, Brodrig!† â€Å"Unsafe, sire. He lives in the past. He is a dreamer of ancient times, or rather, of the myths of what ancient times used to be. Such men are harmless in themselves, but their queer lack of realism makes them fools for others.† He added, â€Å"His men, I understand, are completely under his control. He is one of your popular generals.† â€Å"Is he?† the Emperor mused. â€Å"Well, come, Brodrig, I would not wish to be served entirely by incompetents. They certainly set no enviable standard for faithfulness themselves.† â€Å"An incompetent traitor is no danger. It is rather the capable men who must be watched.† â€Å"You among them, Brodrig?† Cleon II laughed and then grimaced with pain. â€Å"Well, then, you may forget the lecture for the while. What new development is there in the matter of this young conqueror? I hope you haven't come merely to reminisce.† â€Å"Another message, sire, has been received from General Riose.† â€Å"Oh? And to what effect?† â€Å"He has spied out the land of these barbarians and advocates an expedition in force. His arguments are long and fairly tedious. It is not worth annoying Your Imperial Majesty with it at present, during your indisposition. Particularly since it will be discussed at length during the session of the Council of Lords.† He glanced sidewise at the Emperor. Cleon II frowned. â€Å"The Lords? Is it a question for them, Brodrig? It will mean further demands for a broader interpretation of the Charter. It always comes to that.† â€Å"It can't be avoided, sire. It might have been better if your august father could have beaten down the last rebellion without granting the Charter. But since it is here, we must endure it for the while.† â€Å"You're right, I suppose. Then the Lords it must be. But why all this solemnity, man? It is, after all, a minor point. Success on a remote border with limited troops is scarcely a state affair.† Brodrig smiled narrowly. He said coolly, â€Å"It is an affair of a romantic idiot; but even a romantic idiot can be a deadly weapon when an unromantic rebel uses him as a tool. Sire, the man was popular here and is popular there. He is young. If he annexes a vagrant barbarian planet or two, he will become a conqueror. Now a young conqueror who has proven his ability to rouse the enthusiasm of pilots, miners, tradesmen and suchlike rabble is dangerous at any time. Even if he lacked the desire to do to you as your august father did to the usurper, Ricker, then one of our loyal Lords of the Domain may decide to use him as his weapon.† Cleon II moved an arm hastily and stiffened with pain. Slowly he relaxed, but his smile was weak, and his voice a whisper. â€Å"You are a valuable subject, Brodrig. You always suspect far more than is necessary, and I have but to take half your suggested precautions to be utterly safe. We'll put it up to the Lords. We shall see what they say and take our measure accordingly. The young man, I suppose, has made no hostile moves yet.† â€Å"He report none. But already he asks for reinforcements.† â€Å"Reinforcements!† The Emperor's eyes narrowed with wonder. â€Å"What force has he?† â€Å"Ten ships of the line, sire, with a full complement of auxiliary vessels. Two of the ships are equipped with motors salvaged from the old Grand Fleet, and one has a battery of power artillery from the same source. The other ships are new ones of the last fifty years, but are serviceable, nevertheless.† â€Å"Ten ships would seem adequate for any reasonable undertaking. Why, with less than ten ships my father won his first victories against the usurper. Who are these barbarians he's fighting?† The Privy Secretary raised a pair of supercilious eyebrows. â€Å"He refers to them as ‘the Foundation.'† â€Å"The Foundation? What is it?† â€Å"There is no record of it, sire. I have searched the archives carefully. The area of the Galaxy indicated falls within the ancient province of Anacreon, which two centuries since gave itself up to brigandage, barbarism, and anarchy. There is no planet known as Foundation in the province, however. There was a vague reference to a group of scientists sent to that province just before its separation from our protection. They were to prepare an Encyclopedia.† He smiled thinly. â€Å"I believe they called it the Encyclopedia Foundation.† â€Å"Well,† the Emperor considered it somberly, â€Å"that seems a tenuous connection to advance.† â€Å"I'm not advancing it, sire. No word was ever received from that expedition after the growth of anarchy in that region. If their descendants still live and retain their name, then they have reverted to barbarism most certainly.† â€Å"And so he wants reinforcements.† The Emperor bent a fierce glance at his secretary. â€Å"This is most peculiar; to propose to fight savages with ten ships and to ask for more before a blow is struck. And yet I begin to remember this Riose; he was a handsome boy of loyal family. Brodrig, there are complications in this that I don't penetrate. There may be more importance in it than would seem.† His fingers played idly with the gleaming sheet that covered his stiffened legs. He said, â€Å"I need a man out there; one with eyes, brains and loyalty. Brodrig-â€Å" The secretary bent a submissive head. â€Å"And the ships, sire?† â€Å"Not yet!† The Emperor moaned softly as he shifted his position in gentle stages. He pointed a feeble finger, â€Å"Not till we know more. Convene the Council of Lords for this day week. It will be a good opportunity for the new appropriation as well. I'll put that through or lives will end.† He leaned his aching head into the soothing tingle of the force-field pillow, â€Å"Go now, Brodrig, and send in the doctor. He's the worst bumbler of the lot.†

Williams and Utilitarianism

In his critique of Utilitarianism, Williams finds fault in the Utilitarian commitment to maximum utility in that it undermines the integrity of moral agents and denies people the projects and relationships they inherently value. Famously known as his â€Å"Integrity Objection†, this proposition is immediately very enticing in that it appeals to the idea of the invaluable and imperative nature of benevolence and compassion, versus the cold, impartial hand of Utilitarianism. That is not to say, however, that Utilitarians have been dealt a hefty criticism from which they have no defense.While Williams may be correct in claiming that abandoning commitments or devaluing personal relationships may be counterintuitive, a Utilitarian could argue that his construction of â€Å"integrity† is equally counterintuitive in that it would require one to override their intrinsic pursuit of self- preservation. Additionally, if we were to presuppose Williams’ correctness, a Utilita rian could argue that the only plausible implementation of such a theory would mean valuing these emotional engagements above one’s own agency, a scenario even more demanding and sacrificial of one’s identity than the Utilitarian proposal.Williams directs this objection specifically toward Act-Utilitarianism, a branch of Utilitarian thought that deems the morally correct action as the one that produces the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. He claims that such a theory is incompatible with the aspect of human happiness that is found in the commitment to personal projects and relationships: â€Å"Utilitarianism would do well then to acknowledge the evident fact that among the things that make people happy is not only making other people happy, but being taken up or involved in any of a vast range of projects. 1 While Utilitarians actually need lower order projects comprised of relationships and commitments in order to validate their higher order projects, the lower order projects will always serve the concerns of the first order. In turn, Williams asserts that such a compromise of emotional engagements for maximum utility usurps one’s sense of self, consequently marring the distinction between one’s commitment and one’s identity: â€Å"(†¦ ) that criterion would eliminate any desire at all which was not blankly and in the most straightforward sense egoistic.Thus we should be reduced to frankly egoistic first-order projects, and- for all essential purposes- the one second-order utilitarian project of maximally satisfying first-order projects. †2Abandoning certain commitments for the sake of another project can be acceptable, but when forced to relinquish those which a person deeply values, Williams argues they are robbed of â€Å"a sense of one’s moral identity† or what he describes as one’s integrity.Williams offers us two scenarios to further exemplify his theory: â€Å"Jim†, who is told by the edicts of utilitarianism to murder one innocent Amazon Indian in order to prevent twenty more being murdered, and â€Å"George†, a chemist who is (also by the parameters of Utilitarianism) forced to take a job creating weapons of mass destruction, since the balance-sheet of utilities shows that if George refuses, a far younger, more zealous chemist will carry the project along even further and more efficiently than George.While these scenarios may seem like far-fetched constructions meant to reveal Utilitarianism pursuing the wrong choice, Williams conversely (perhaps begrudgingly) admits that these would be the â€Å"right† choices for the given circumstances. The true problem, he argues, is 1? CITATION? 112? 2? CITATION? 113? ? hat the emphasis should not simply be on the â€Å"rightness† of the action but the considerations involved in reaching that conclusion. This is a feature of Utilitarianism Williams claims â€Å" cuts out a consideration which for some others makes a difference to what they feel about such cases†. 3 He continues to explain that excluding such considerations denies our sense of personal accountability for our own actions and in turn â€Å"makes integrity as a value more or less intelligible†. In sum, if we were to reduce William’s entire integrity objection to its most salient points, they would be the following: the emotional commitments that are incompatible with the parameters of Act- Utilitarianism are not only impossible to abandon entirely but are an integral facet of human happiness, therefore creating a dilemma for the Utilitarian in that they must allow for it. The potential defense of a Utilitarian to Williams’ objection begins with the examination of his construction of integrity, which he seems to define as one’s â€Å"sense of self†.Looking simply at this definition alone, it could be said that subjectivity suggested with this variety of integrity incorrectly presupposes that a person’s sense of their identity is always correct. Utilitarianism could make a claim for the value in assessing reality with the sort of impartiality that Williams’ rejects, seeing as if one is not being appraised objectively, their sense of self is entirely contingent on their own conception.More importantly, and the crux of the Utilitarian defense, is that while Williams’ is correct in his claim that abandoning these emotional entanglements is counterintuitive, maintaining such commitments are at odds with the human desire for self-preservation, a 3? CITATION? p99? 4? CITATION? p99? ? conflict that Utilitarianism not only recognizes but Williams does not offer any viable solution for.Based on his examples and criticisms of Utilitarianism, it could be inferred that Williams assumes that we have a moral obligation to help others in a time of crisis, that one has an inherent responsibility to compassion a nd benevolence. This is clearly in conflict with the Utilitarian theory that one’s responsibility is to maximum utility, so even if the Utilitarian were to concede to Williams objection, it would be implausible to imagine a scenario in which the two could be regarded as being of equal value.In turn, the only option available to maintaining this ethos of selflessness would be to regard it as superior to maximum utility. This, a Utilitarian could argue, could prove to be extremely problematic. Firstly, it is extremely unrealistic to assume that people have the capacity to function entirely out of selflessness. Even though benevolence and emotional attachment can provide a certain level of happiness and fulfillment to a person, the expectation to unilaterally value the welfare of others over our own is not only implausible but ultimately self-defeating.Abandoning or betraying commitments in order to further advance a larger more important agenda certainly isn’t an idea pa rticular to Utilitarianism. A quick browse of a history textbook would support that, by and large, humans are inherently self-serving and while one may commit to an act, cause or person, it does not necessarily mean that they themselves aren’t using such relationships for their own agency. Utilitarianism may require that a person abandon a particular commitment for the sake of the reater good, but it can certainly be said that in the absence of utilitarianism, the commitment could be abandoned anyway, except in this case it would be for a self-serving purpose. A Utilitarian could potentially argue that their moral theory simply recognizes and curbs the inwardly focused desires of mankind and attempts to redirect such motivation toward the greater good. One could argue that Williams’ is somewhat disillusioned with mankind as he makes sweeping idealizations of the human psyche.Williams’ examples of â€Å"Jim† and â€Å"George† seem to both be conting ent on the idea that what makes said examples disconcerting is premise that both men would be acting against their conscience, in turn making the assumption that all people have consciences that should be considered. Secondly, if one could clear the hurdle of the first argument, the actual implementation of such a theory is extremely difficult. Williams argues that Utilitarianism is far too demanding to be plausible but in fact, trading this impartiality for benevolence proves to be far more exhausting.Considering the world’s current state of affairs, there are always people in dire need of help, so one calls into question exactly what parameters would be set in place in order to orchestrate such a society. What would be the stipulations of a worthy recipient of another’s benevolence? If Williams was simply talking about people’s obligation to those close to them, valuing those relationships above maximum utility creates a bias that is even more incompatible wit h benevolence than Utilitarianism, which at least works in the interest of the entire population.A Utilitarian could also argue that it simply because they are outweighed by maximum utility does not mean that substantial relationships are not valued in Utilitarianism. While they are indeed lower order projects, a Utilitarian could make an argument that it is through maintaining such relationships that the value of one’s own welfare is realized and are only outweighed by serious interests of first order projects.The analyses above reflect the same conclusion. Williams’ objection brings to light shortcomings in Utilitarianism that are easily felt by those uncomfortable with the impartial and seemingly unfeeling Utilitarian mentality. However, the arguments put forth by Williams regarding the counterintuitive and overly demanding nature of impartiality neglect the similarly inherent and insatiable desire for self-preservation.

Financial Management And Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Financial Management And Analysis - Assignment Example The company intends to offer competitive prices besides other programs such as buyback/trade program that makes it easier for the members to access and read Finance books online. My Finance Resource Limited intends to provide a friendly and relaxing environment that facilitates reading and browsing. Apart from selling Finance books and other resources, the management intends to use the website for other activities such as the auction of finance materials, post classified ads, advice users on latest products and the best books for their courses, provide teacher evaluation among others. The website will enable the users to share information and criticize some of the books and published materials. These will then be evaluated and shared with the authors. Apart from text books, students will be able to access course guidelines and class notes, tutoring services among others. It will also offer services such as specialized contents, weblogs and retails. The website intends to set itself as leading centre that offers interaction among students and superb latest finance resources to facilitate the running of the business. It will establish itself as the best centre for university finance materials by combining internet technologies and applications and market expertise to increase revenue generation. The company will achieve market dominance through utilization of extensive domain experience, high quality software, highly skilled management team, formation of strategies alliances and partnership with other key companies in the industry. The company will also involve key finance experts across the globe on a 24-hour basis to ensure that all the advisory services are offered 24/7. My Finance Resource Limited is a limited liability corporation registered in the United Kingdom. The firm is owned by an entrepreneur who was a former Finance student. Having experienced the need for updated Finance materials at the