Thursday, December 26, 2019

`` Six Amendments How And Why We Should Change The...

John Paul Stevens’ book, Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution, advocates the concept of self-governance which, in his perspective, has been poorly compromised by recent Supreme Court rulings. At the age of ninety-four, Stevens criticizes these modern court opinions and advises that we push for amendments to overturn these misguided court decisions. The six subjects of controversy that Stevens has proposed remedies for are the anti commandeering rule, political gerrymandering, campaign finances, sovereign immunity, death penalty, and gun control. These claims are supported with both historical evidence as well as his own personal perspective on court rulings that he has participated in during his 35 years as a†¦show more content†¦This â€Å"anti-commandeering† rule states that Congress does not have the power to pass laws that require state officials to implement or enforce federal laws. Stevens dissented, stating that the logic behind the ruling was inconsistent with the supremacy clause of the constitution. This challenge against the federal authority had no clear footing since there is no principle within the Constitution stating that the federal courts cannot commandeer states. In addition, this practice has also already been settled for over a century where state courts were frequently commandeered to carry out federal policies and laws such as during the New Deal. The anti-commandeering rule also proved to be dangerous as it may threaten the nation’s ability to respond effectively during times of external invasion or natural disasters. â€Å"It also impairs the the efficient administration of ordinary federal programs† (15). The anti-commandeering rule brings back the separate spheres of powers seen in dual federalism. However, in an era where cooperative federalism has been established for decades, the anti-commandeering rule becomes illogical. Stevens suggests that adding the four words †Å"and other public officials† to the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the Constitution would resolve this issue. The subject of sovereign immunity also challenges federalism, the idea that the government cannot be sued without its consent. This is an

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Comparing the Theme of Nature with Works from Dicknson...

Comparing the Theme of Nature with Works from Dicknson Whitman and Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that â€Å"the first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature.† Nature in all its forms parallels with life, death, and the soul. Whether the sunshines or the rain falls, whether a flower blooms or willows, nature will always recreate itself and remain a mystery to mankind. To become one with nature, one must explore oneself and know that the simplicity found in it is both divine and perfect. The theme of nature plays a mayor role throughout Whitman, Dickinson, and Emerson’s writings. Each poet conveys his or her view of nature in a unique and symbolic way by searching for the†¦show more content†¦/ It’s laws are the laws of his own mind.†(Pg.48). By stating this, he stresses that each man is different and far apart from each other. Emerson uses nature as a means of escape and power. He wants us to â€Å"look at the world with new eyes†(Nature, Pg.42) and understand that something as simple as a grain of sand, is beautiful in its own way. Once we can understand this concept of pure existence, than we will know what it is like to be an individual. Whitman also discuses nature through discovering one’s self, but unlike Emerson, he feels that we as individuals should embrace all society that surrounds us. Whitman sees all men as contributing to the greatness of each other. He views mankind and nature as intertwining in the circle of life and death. In his poem, â€Å"Song of Myself†, Whitman states that â€Å" a child said What is the grass? Fetching it to me with full/hands†(Pg.27) By using a metaphor, such as the bundle of grass, Whitman is able to explain that although each strand of grass is different, they all grow the same way and when put together they are united as one. When discussing nature in the form of death, Dickinson portrays it as a relief, salvation, and an escape to a better place. She views death as being a good and positive thing. In her poem Death and Life, she brilliantly compares the death of a flower, to the death of a human. She states that â€Å" Apparently with no surprise/to any happy flower, /The frost beheads it at its

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Public Relations Errors Made by Malaysian Airline in Dealing

Question: Discuss about the Public Relations Errors Made by Malaysian Airline in Dealing with MH370 Disappearance. Answer: The companys flight MH370 which was to fly to Beijing as scheduled on the eighth of March 2014 went missing while on route. The plane had its systems switched off, and its last location as seen by the radar was 120 miles of the east coast of Malaysia (De Castella, 2014). The disappearance of the plane together with the flight crew and the 239 passengers on board is still a mystery. Adding to the missing plane, the problems of the airline doubled when another of its planes was shot down by a missile made in Russia while on route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, flight MH17. Flight MH17 had on board 283 passengers when it was struck down by the missile. The disappearance of the MH370 plane and the striking down of MH17 was a crisis that according to public relations experts was not well managed (Davidson Yuhas, 2014). Analyzing the Errors Made by the Malaysian Airline in Dealing with the Public: The issues The airline could have done damage control in a well-organized manner to avert the crisis that spread widely. The number one rule in public relations is to tell it as it is, let the public know the truth. The airline instead of letting the public know the truth about the disappearance of the plane headed to Beijing, they blamed terror activities instead of looking at all the options available on the table in the actual event that could have transpired. Apart from blaming the terrorists for the disappearance of the plane, the management also stated that they did not believe that there was any survivor of the crash. Another key factor in public relations is to have a single figurehead tasked with delivering information to the masses. The search for the missing MH370 plane involved a combination of more than 24 countries. The synchronization between these countries was wanting (Boin et al. 2010). Organization Following the two incidences, the disappearance of the MH370 plane and the shooting down of the MH17 plane, the airline issued several press releases on the company website. The statements of the airline did not resonate well with the families who had lost loved ones. The company was also involved in political campaigns which were controversial. For instance, the airline had a competition known as the Ultimate Bucket List which was aimed at the contestants winning free air tickets. Bucket list refers to what an individual would like to do before he/she dies. The media were very quick in criticizing this campaign leading to the replacement of the description to be Ultimate to-do-list (Phares et al. 2015). The airline did not take into consideration the feelings of others through their campaigns following the incidences. The airline was under fire not only from the poor decision making and lack of timely, but also accurate information from the financial point of view. The Affected Throughout the period of the incidences, those who lost their family members wanted answers they were not able to find. The airline set up a hotline number where family members were able to call, and the airline set up its website whereby they gave regular updates to the family members. The hotline number and the website idea was good, but the text message the company sent the family members was not a good idea. The airline did not make the passengers top of their priority list, but they focused on the company image. Communication with the families affected The tactics employed by Malaysia Airlines to communicate with family members was destitute. At the Beijing airport where the missing plane MH370 was expected, the flight board at the airport still read the projected arrival time of the missing plane. The airport should have taken the flight out of the flight board once the airline established that it was missing and designate an area for receiving the grieving family members. Reports indicate that no senior manager was present to receive the family members at the Beijing airport. Instead, the airline sent caregivers and Chinese officials who consoled the bereaved (Thomas, 2015). The airline chief executive officer gave a single press conference, and the company's spokesperson did other subsequent press conferences. Conclusion The airline handled the disappearance of flight MH370 unprofessionally. Withholding relevant information from the public, and failure of the management to act with empathy, concerning the families of the victims. Public Relations Specialists advice that when faced with a crisis such as that of the Malaysian Airlines, honesty and understanding matters (Mintz, 2014). The company from the initial stages of the crisis should have been candid with the public, no matter how the situation may be. The company should have alerted the public when it became apparent that they were not to recover the whereabouts of the aircraft. This is done the moment you realize you are in contact with one of your planes. The company should in cases like this set up a crisis center for the family members affected. This was missing. In future, any airline company should be prepared for the worst. The priority should be those affected by a crisis, in our case, the families of the missing passengers. Recommendations : Alert the family members In cases of misfortunes such as the disappearance of flight MH370, the first action is to inform the relatives of those on board the plane. As a company, let the family members know immediately about what has happened to their families. The communication should be as soon as the company learns about the incident. Public relations specialists advice that family members should be alerted in person but in situations where this is not possible, the family members should be called instead of being sent text messages. Set up a crisis center at the airport A crisis center should be established at the airport where psychologists, as well as medical experts and first aiders, who are well briefed on how to handle emotional family members who are bound to break down on arrival at the airport (James Gililand, 2012). The top management should also take the responsibility of receiving the family members who report at the crisis center. Dark website Companies should have a dark site. A dark website is usually the point of contact where the outside world gets information when a disaster occurs. Given the time constraints in todays world when a crisis hits, it is not possible to create a crisis site immediately. A pre-built site is normally put on standby by companies and is switched on when a crisis occurs and is used to update the public by putting information on a regular basis. Responsibility According to Claeys Cauberghe (2012), whenever a crisis occurs, a company should accept and take full responsibility for the events that have transpired. This shows that the company is committed and feel what the affected are feeling. The company feels empathy towards those affected. Compensation Corporations and not only airlines but any company should put in place well-defined methods of compensating family members of the victims of a catastrophe such as that of the loss of the MH370 passengers. This is because there are people who depended on the victims who are no more, for instance, a family that loses a breadwinner in incidences such as the disappearance of flight MH370 should be well compensated. Leadership In times of crisis, the top management should be seen to be in charge of the situation. Any press conference should be conducted by the senior management and not subordinates. References Boin, A., Hart, P.T., McConnell, A. and Preston, T., 2010. Leadership style, crisis response and blame management: The case of Hurricane Katrina.Public Administration,88(3), pp.706-723. Claeys, A.S. and Cauberghe, V., 2012. Crisis response and crisis timing strategies, two sides of the same coin.Public Relations Review,38(1), pp.83-88. De Castella, T., 2014. Missing Malaysian Plane: 10 Theories Examined.BBC News Magazine. Davidson, H. and Yuhas, A., 2014. Malaysia Airlines Plane MH17 Shot Down in UkraineAs It Happened.Guardian, July,18. James, R. and Gilliland, B., 2012.Crisis intervention strategies. Nelson Education. Mintz, Z., 2014. A Disastrous Void: Why The MH370 Public Response Failed. [Online] Available at: https://www.ibtimes.com/disastrous-void-why-mh370-public-response-failed-1598774 [Accessed 18 pril 2017]. Ong, W.L. and Tan, A.K., 2010. A note on the determinants of airline choice: The case of Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines.Journal of Air Transport Management,16(4), pp.209-212. Public Relations Society of America, 2009. About Public Relations. [Online] Available at: https://apps.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/PublicRelationsDefined/#.WPYbMkWGO01 [Accessed 18 April 2017]. Phares, T., Havron, H., Perez, C. and Waldrop, S., 2015. Malaysia Airlines Public Relations Crisis.Issues,4, p.5. Thomas, M., 2015. MH370 One Year On: A Lesson in Crisis Management. [Online] Available at: https://www.sammpress.com/2015/03/mh370-one-year-on-a-lesson in-crisis-management/ [Accessed 18 April 2017].

Monday, December 2, 2019

Pyramus and Thisbe free essay sample

Shakespeare certainly used this play in his Midsummer Nights Dream, in which the merchant characters stage their own version of the tragic love tale. Characters .. Pyramus: Handsome youth of Babylon who falls in love with his neighbor, Thisbe. Thisbe: Beautiful young girl of Babylon who returns Pyramuss love. Parents of Pyramus and Thisbe: They oppose a relationship between Pyramus and Thisbe for reasons not explained in the story. The parents play no active role in the story. Semiramis: Queen of Babylon and the subject of myths and legends. After the death of her husband, Ninus, she ruled Babylon for many years. Semiramis is the Greek name for Sammu-ramat. Semiramis plays no active role in the story. Ninus: King of Assyria and late husband of Semiramis. He plays no active role in the story. However, it is at his tomb that Pyramus and Thisbe meet after running away. Pyramus and Thisbe (PLOT SUMMARY) . We will write a custom essay sample on Pyramus and Thisbe or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page . In Babylon during the reign of Queen Semiramis, Pyramus and Thisbe live in separate houses sharing the same roof. Of all the young men in the region, Pyramus has no equal in the magnificence of his looks, and Thisbe is fairer than the fairest nymph. . When they grew up, their acquaintance turned into friendship—and friendship into burning love. But their parents now stand between them, forbidding them to see each other or even to speak of their love. However, The fire of love the more it is supprest, / The more it glows and rages in the breast. When the wall dividing their homes was built, shrinkage in the cement left a crack in the wall that went unnoticed except by the two lovers. Through it, they whisper their sorrows and joys. Desperate with love, they attempt to kiss, but the crack is too small. Even so, they often remain at the wall through the night. In time, they decide to run away and meet at the tomb of Ninus, next to a tree bearing white berries. During the hours before their planned nighttime escape, they are â€Å"impatient for the friendly dusk† to appear and â€Å"chide the slowness of departing day. † After the sun sinks in the western sea, Thisbe steals away, her face veiled, and quickly arr ives at the tomb. And then a lioness rush’d o’er the plain, Grimly besmeard with blood of oxen slain. . The frightening sight quickens her thirst, and she runs to a nearby brook to drink, losing her veil along the way. Afterward, in a nearby cave, she calms down as she awaits the arrival of Pyramus. Meanwhile, the lion roams back across the plain, discovers the veil, â€Å"and mouthing it all o’er, / With bloody jaws the lifeless prey she tore. † . Pyramus, who had to delay his departure until he could sneak past the watchful eyes in his home, arrives late. In the moonlight, he sees the paw prints of the lioness and, to his horror, finds the torn and bloody veil near the tomb. He upbraids himself Tis I am guilty, I have thee betrayd, Who came not early, as my charming maid. Whatever slew thee, I the cause remain, I namd, and fixd the place where thou wast slain. . He kisses the veil and cries over it, then withdraws his sword and plunges it into his chest. When he falls back onto the ground, blood spurts so high that it stains the white berries on the tree. They turn deep red, and the roots of the tree alter themselves so that they will produce only purple berries henceforth. . After Thisbe leaves the cave to search for Pyramus, she hears him sighing near the tomb. When she arrives there, she recognizes the tomb and the tree. But the color of the berries bewilders her. And then she finds the body of Pyramus, quivering. She shriekd, she tore her hair, she beat her breast. . She takes Pyramus in her arms, bathes him in her tears, and kisses him, asking â€Å"Whence sprung thy cruel fate? † He opens his eyes for a moment, then closes them and dies. When Thisbe sees the bloody veil and the sword, she realizes what happened. She then says she hopes that the cruel parents of her and Pyramus will witness the results of a prayer she recites: Oh! see our ashes in one urn confind, / Whom love at first, and fate at last has joind. . She then asks that the tree display the blood of not only Pyramus but also her own. And then in her bosom [she] plungd the sword, All warm and reeking from its slaughterd lord. The prayr, which dying Thisbe had preferrd, Both Gods, and parents, with compassion heard. The whiteness of the mulberry soon fled, And ripning, saddend in a dusky red: While both their parents their lost children mourn, And mix their ashes in one golden urn. Pygmalion and Galatea The story of Pygmalion and Galatea is quite known and popular till nowadays. Pygmalion, a famous sculptor, falls in love with his own creation and wishes to give this creation life. This simple and imaginary concept is actually the basis from a psychological understanding of male behaviour and wish. This nice myth is considered as the depiction of the masculine need to rule over a certain woman and to inanimate his ideas into a female living creature. The modern concept of Pygmalion is thought as a man who â€Å"shapes† an uncultivated woman into an educated creature. Falling in love with his own creation One fine day, Pygmalion carved the statue of a woman of unparalleled beauty. She looked so gentle and divine that he could not take his eyes off the statue. Enchanted with his own creation, he felt waves of joy and desire sweeping over his body and in a moment of inspiration he named the figurine, Galatea, meaning â€Å"she who is white like milk†. He draped over her the finest of cloths and bedecked her with the most dazzling of ornaments, adorned her hair with the prettiest of flowers, gave to her the choicest of gifts and kissed her as a sign of adoration. Pygmalion was obsessed and madly in love with his creation. The spell the lifeless woman cast on him was too much to resist and he desired her for his wife. Countless were the nights and days he spent staring upon his creation. The realization of his dream In the meanwhile, the celebration of goddess Aphrodite was fast approaching and preparations were well under way. On the day of the festival, while making offerings to goddess Aphrodite, Pygmalion prayed with all his heart and soul, beseeching the goddess that she turns his ivory figurine into a real woman. Touched by his deep veneration, Aphrodite went to the workshop of Pygmalion to see this famous statue by herself. When he looked upon the statue of Galatea, she got amazed by its beauty and liveliness. Looking better at it, Aphrodite found that Galatea looked like her in beauty and perfection, so, satisfied, she granted Pygmalion his wish. The strange sculptor Pygmalion was a sculptor par excellence, a man who gave to every one of his ivory a life-like appearance. His deep devotion to his art spared him no time to admire the beauty of women. His sculptures were the only beauty he knew. For reasons known only to him, Pygmalion despised and shunned women, finding solace only in his craft. In fact, he was so condemning to women that he had vowed never to marry. Upon returning home the master-sculptor went straight to Galatea, full of hope. At first, he noticed a flush on the cheeks of the ivory figurine but slowly it dawned upon him that Aphrodite had heard his pleas. Unable to restrain himself, he held Galatea in his arms and kept her strongly. What had been cold ivory turned soft and warm and Pygmalion stood back in amazement as his beloved figurine came into life, smiling at him and speaking words of admiration for her creator. Their love blossomed over the days and before long, wedding vows were exchanged between the two lovers with Aphrodite blessing them with happiness and prosperity. The happy couple had a son, Paphos, who later founded the city of Paphos in Cyprus. Some say that Pygmalion and Galatea also had a daughter, Metharme. The bottom line is that the couple lived happily ever after. PYGMALION(SUMMARY) Pygmalion, a talented sculptor and hater of all women, created the perfect wife out of a block of ivory. Much to his surprise, he fell in love with the statue Galatea. Pygmalion, a respected sculptor of ivory, was most well known for his open loathing of all women. He found nothing to like about them, and felt they were not worthy of his time. He detested their qualities to such a degree that he vowed to never marry one. For one of his creations, Pygmalion crafted an ivory statue of a woman. This statue, physically perfect in every way, represented the most ideal woman in his own mind. It was so striking that no living woman came close, and the statue was perfect for Pygmalion because it did for him what no other living woman could it was quiet, it did not argue or cause a stir, and it fit perfectly into Pygmalions life. That is, until he fell deeply in love with his creation that he had named Galatea. Pygmalion spent his days gazing longingly upon Galatea and her perfect but inaminate curves. He looked into her eyes, and he talked to her. He dressed and adorned her with beautiful clothing and jewels. He would lie her down on a couch covered with sumptuous pillows, spoiling her as if she was not made of ivory, but as if she were living and breathing, silently accepting his love. Pygmalion went to the annual festival for Aphrodite, which was held in Cyprus. After making his customary offerings at the altar, he politely asked the goddess to give him a wife like his creation. Aphrodite heard his heartfelt plea and offered a sign to him. The flames of the altar rose in the air before him, indicating that she might have heard the artists request. Pygmalion returned home after the festival, and performed his usual routine with Galatea. He went to Galatea, comfortably resting on her couch, and planted a kiss on her ivory lips. But unlike the times before, her lips were not cold and hard, but felt warm and soft to the touch. He touched her arm, and it was not rigid, but supple. Amazed, he backed away, and he realized that Aphrodite had granted him his greatest wish. Galatea, his own ideal creation, had come to life. Pygmalion and Galateas eyes met, and they both knew instant love. Pygmalion, having obviously reformed his opinion of the opposite sex, married Galatea, with Aphrodites blessing. They had one son, named Paphos. A city, sacred to Aphrodite, was named in honor of him.