Historical Systems of Power, Governance, and Authority

tax on junk food Essay Example

tax on junk food Essay Example tax on junk food Essay tax on junk food Essay Yes The federal government needs to stop paying attention to all the food lobbyists and do what is right for the American people. Cheap fast food and many unhealthy foods that contain unhealthy products are subsidized by the govt. The government needs to make healthy fruits and vegetables cheaper so that the average American can afford to spend their money purchasing real food instead of food that will ultimately lead them to obesity and a life on medication. Sin taxes already exist on unhealthy items; it can be extended to unhealthy food. Sin tax is already widely applied to many substances, such as alcohol and tobacco. Food containing absolutely no nutritional value, or food that is quantifiably unhealthy, should also be subject to these taxes. By making the unhealthy food more expensive, healthy food will be cheaper in comparison, which would result in more people choosing more healthy food options. Yes, taxing fast food and similar food products would create additional incentive for consumers to eat healthier. But it would also penalize some poor people. Taxes do seem to affect consumer behavior. Witness the decline of smokers as a proportion of the population over the past few decades, from a prevalence of about 45 percent to perhaps 20 or 25 percent today (a great public health victory). There seems to be little question, furthermore, that fast food, based on fat, poor utritional content, and other factors, carries risks that can contribute to obesity and other chronic health problems. But those consumers who continue to purchase fast food, out of habit, preference, or convenience (insofar as fast food producers do not offer many healthier alternatives), will be penalized, and many of these consumers are poor. This option should therefore not be ruled out, but it should not be the only policy option on the table, nor should it be implemented in a cavalier fashion.

Topics in cultural studies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Topics in cultural studies - Research Paper Example Western civilization was often founded on the ideal of the existence of some form of hierarchy that determined the manner in which cultures related on the score of power. Stronger cultures have a tendency of influencing weaker cultures in the multiple discourses that bring both cultures into contact with each other. On this score, it is often assumed that cultural expression of one culture will necessarily determine the nature and extent to which such a culture expresses its own values with other cultures. Western cultures adopted a central perspective in which they assumed that all other cultures were essentially inferior. The discourse of culture was considered in terms of the hierarchy that existed between western cultures and the other cultures (Hause & Maltby, 2004). The manifestation of the struggle often entailed an active engagement with the hierarchical determination of the relative strength and weaknesses between the cultures. As a result, only the cultures that had their i nternal structures managed to overcome the stifling influences of western cultures. The power of cultural expression worked in a manner that brought together the various discourses that embraced western cultures and non-western cultures. ... Western civilization adopted philosophies that determined perspectives on other foreign influences. It might be argued that some of the discourses that defined the world outside the boundaries of western civilization essentially determined the manner in which these civilizations engaged with other forms of civilization. The discourses of orientalism, racism, and colonialism were necessarily conditioned by cultural perceptions of the presumed superiority of western civilization to other forms of civilization (Sherman, 2006). For instance, the west considered the East within the discourse of orientalism. There was a sense in which the East was considered as an alien culture and necessarily inferior to western culture. Such perceptions also underpinned the desire to conquer and subdue any other cultures that were perceived as inferior. The deliberate misrepresentation of cultural facts was meant to make the other cultures subordinate to western civilization. Such cultural perceptions ju stified the need to conquer foreign lands and to subdue other races that were defined by the relative weaknesses of cultural civilizations. Matters of cultural superiority might be considered in terms of the manner in which they engaged with processes that determine the relative strength between cultures. Essentially, other cultures were considered as inferior and deserving to be conquered and subdued. It might be necessary to consider the element of civilization within the broad perspective of cultural relationships. Assumptions of strength within the framework of cultural expression were considered as the pivotal point, which determined the kind of relationship between the west and

The Impact of the Great Depression on the African American Community Essay

The Impact of the Great Depression on the African American Community - Essay Example The civil war which gave people of black origin relatively equal rights had occurred only in 1861 and the misery that it had caused was fresh in the minds of many who were young at that time. In many ways, the great depression brought back for America the memories of the civil war. The community which suffered the brunt of the Great Depression was the African American community, which suffered from a greater racial discrimination during this time than during times of normalcy. In the absence of plentiful employment opportunities, the little that was available was fought for fiercely. The alternative was to stand in long queues for food where there was always the possibility of going hungry. In such a scenario, there was a propensity for job-givers, who were then mostly white, to discriminate on the basis of race when they gave out jobs. As a result of such discrimination the unemployment rates of African Americans during this period, in urban areas was thirty to sixty percent higher than the rates for people of white origin (Davis 82, 2003). Most of the available jobs were taken up by white people and the African Americans were left in a miserable situation. This was the result of many factors. One of the most important of these was the dismissal of African American workers to make way for white workers. This was compounded by the loss of domestic jobs that many African American depended on for their livelihood. Even after the emancipation of the slaves, many people of black origin continued to work for white masters, for a salary, in these domestic jobs. Many of them lost their jobs since their employers could no longer afford the luxury of domestic servants. They also depended to a great extent on the construction industry which provided them with employment in unskilled positions. With the construction industry suffering great losses, even this avenue was not open to them. Moreover in the few of these opportunities, they faced tough competition from skilled white workers. They however, were provided with a reservation in the reduced-rent government housing construction projects that turned out to be extremely beneficial for them as it kept many members of their race afloat during a difficult period of time (Davis 82, 2003). The loss of jobs owing to reservation in certain sectors, however, gave rise to widespread discontent among the whites who had lost their jobs. There was a revival of the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that worked for white supremacy over people who were racially black. This period thus was one when the blacks suffered in many ways. Not only was their livelihood taken away in most cases, but they were also culturally marginalized. The racist nature of arguably the most iconic work of literature to come out during this period, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind stands testimony to the nostalgic desire of the whites for the return of the old order of which slavery was a part (Mitchell, 2008). Due to the wide spread migration from the countryside, a lot of African Americans who worked in farms faced unemployment. Having lost their jobs, they were faced with poverty and starvation, which the government of the time was not in a position to remedy. African Americans of the countryside of the south thus had to face a lot of hardships during the Great Depression. The African Americans

The Art of Jepanese Buddhist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Art of Jepanese Buddhist - Essay Example â€Å"Buddhist art originated from Indian subcontinents, with contact from other cultures all over Asia and passage of time. The art spread rapidly to other parts of Asia and into Japan† (Kim 267). We are going to use images of Buddha from the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in our university. This paper aims at explaining the introduction of Buddhist art and development that come along as a result of Buddhism in Japan. As said above, Buddhist art owes its origin to the Indian subcontinent, the Buddhist religion and art thought to have come from China into Japan through the Korean peninsula. The Buddhist art encouraged by prince Shotoku and emperor Shomu in Seiko (6th century). This period also known as Nara period and was during the eighth century. This period in conjunction with Heian and Kamakura saw Buddhist art grow to a great extent. Several ceremonies accompanied this period, Nara, one of the most famous eye opening ceremony performed by the Japanese, at that time always accompanied by a sumptuous vegetarian banquet during the fourth of 752 for the Birushana. This ceremony is commonly known as â€Å"Great Buddha† of Todai-ji. These ceremonies get conducted in front of an icon with flowers, incense and candles. As long as the eye opening ceremony had not been performed on the carved woods, these icons got regarded as inanimate wooden substances or plants; Heian period then followed. During the early stages of Heian period, architecture and Buddhist art significantly influenced the traditional Shinto arts and Hindu art. This resulted into Buddhist painting becoming fashionable especially among the affluent Japanese. Kamakura period saw to the blossoming of the country’s Buddhist sculpture which owes its origin greatly to the works of Heian period. Buddhist art seems diverse, bold and creative. The period after 13th century saw a changeover to Zen art from orthodox Buddhist art (Joseph 652). This philosophy introduced into the country vi a Dogen and Eisai on the return journey from China. Hosts of several unique pottery and paintings showing their desire to unravel the true meaning of life can still be found belonging to that time. Art forms like martial arts and Ikebana also came up during that period. The Amida sect of the religion availed the foundation for many famous artworks. Buddhist arts gained popularity among several citizens as they fell in love with the scroll paintings, paintings of Buddhas, paintings applied in worship, hell and other religious themes. While under the Zen, sect portraitures of holy priests such as Bodhi dharma also gained popularity in addition to Sumi-e brush painting and scroll calligraphy. The popularity of Buddhist arts led to an increase in the number of Buddhist’s Temples to about 80,000 Temples in Japan, majority of these Buddhist’s Temples being made from wood. This compelled the Buddhists to carry out massive restoration in order to preserve the holy Temples. The arrival of Buddhism into Japan played a significant role in the Buddhist art, â€Å"its introduction from a Korean kingdom known as Paekche† (Charles 232) as part of a series of diplomatic exchanges that perpetuated into a wider awareness of the material cultures and beliefs of Korea and China. Further cultural exchanges during the 6th and 7th centuries brought not only a writing system (using Chinese characters), but also a religion; consequently, this led to a highly refined material culture and a sophisticated

Two Types Of Spread Spectrum Computer Science Essay

Two Types Of Spread Spectrum Computer Science Essay There are two types of spread spectrum that have been approved for use. This article analyzes the approach in to determining performance comparison of Frequency Hopping and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Systems in the 2.4 GHz range. The analyses till present show that up to 13 collocated FH networks can be placed before network throughput peaks. (A. Carl, S. Harris B. Palm, n.d.). The article further lists in categorizing the advantages and limitations of spread spectrum and the comparisons between the Frequency Performance and Direct Sequence. The article details itself via valid resources obtained from researched websites and journals with more details available with those references being provided. The Spread-spectrum is or are a series of techniques which are methods by which a signal that could be of electrical or electromagnetic or acoustic signals that are being generated in an exacting bandwidth which is then by design spread in the frequency domain, ensuing in a signal with a vast or wider bandwidth. These techniques are utilized for a range of reasons, together with the establishment of safe and sound communications, increasing resistance to natural interference and congestions, to prevent uncovering, and to frontier power flux density. Out of many Spread Spectrums, this report analyses the two main spread spectrum systems which are the Frequency Hopping and Direct Sequence and in addition an overview of the Chirp Spread Spectrum. Spread Spectrum technologies The spread spectrum technology is more of a technique in which a telecommunication signal is transmitted on a bandwidth significantly bigger than the regularity content of the original information. Spread-spectrum telecommunications is a signal structuring technique that employs direct sequence, frequency hopping, or a hybrid of these, which can be used for multiple access and/or multiple functions.(Anonymous, 2007). This technique reduces the possible intrusion to other receivers while achieving privacy. Spread spectrum in general makes use of a chronological noise-like signal formation to spread the normally narrowband information signal over a comparatively wideband (radio) band of frequencies. The receiver correlates the received signals to retrieve the original information signal. Initially there were two motivations: either to resist enemy efforts to jam the communications known as an Anti-Jam or to conceal the fact that communication was even taking place, sometimes called low probability of intercept. Spread-spectrum clock signal generation The Spread-spectrum clock generation is used in some synchronous digital systems, especially those containing microprocessors, to cancel of the spectral density of the electromagnetic interference that these systems generate. A synchronous digital system is one that is driven by a clock signal and because of its periodic nature, has an unavoidably narrow frequency spectrum. (Anonymous, 2007). In fact, a perfect clock signal would have all its power determined at a single frequency and its harmonics, and would therefore radiate energy with an inestimable spectral concentration. Practical synchronous digital systems radiate electromagnetic force on a number of narrow bands spread on the clock frequency and its harmonics, follow-on in a frequency spectrum that, at certain frequencies, can exceed the regulatory limits for electromagnetic interference The Spread Spectrum Systems Overview Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum This is a method of transmitting radio signals by speedily switching a mover among many frequency channels, using a pseudorandom cycle known to both transmitter and receiver. It is utilized as a several access method in the frequency-hopping code division multiple access scheme. The three main advantages over a fixed-frequency transmission: -Its signals are highly resistant to narrowband intervention. The procedure of re-collecting a spread signal spreads out the interfering signal, causing it to retreat into the background. -Spread-spectrum signals are tricky to interrupt. A Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum signal plainly appears as a boost in the background noise to a narrowband receiver. An eavesdropper would only be able to seize the transmission if the pseudorandom sequence was known. -The Spread-spectrum transmissions can contribute to a frequency band with many types of conventional transmissions with minimum interference. The spread-spectrum signals affix minimal noise to the narrow-frequency communications, and vice versa. As an effect, bandwidth can be utilized more resourcefully. The Basic algorithm The initiation of a Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) communication is as follows: -The initiating party sends a request via a predefined frequency or control channel. -The receiving party sends a number, known as a seed. -The initiating party uses the number as a variable in a predefined algorithm, which calculates the sequence of frequencies that must be used. Most often the period of the frequency change is predefined, as to allow a single base station to serve multiple connections. -The initiating party sends a synchronization signal via the first frequency in the calculated sequence, thus acknowledging to the receiving party it has correctly calculated the sequence. -The communication begins, and both the receiving and the sending party change their frequencies along the calculated order, starting at the same point in time. Technical considerations The overall bandwidth necessary for frequency hopping is a great deal, wider than that required to transmit the same information using only one carrier frequency. Nevertheless, because transmission occurs only on a small segment of this bandwidth at any given time, the effectual interference bandwidth is actually the same. Even as providing no extra protection against wideband thermal noise, the frequency-hopping approach does reduce the deprivation caused by narrowband interferers. One of the challenges of frequency-hopping systems is to coordinate the transmitter and receiver. One approach is to have an assurance that the transmitter will use all the channels in a set period of time. The receiver can then discover the transmitter by picking a random channel and listening for suitable data on that channel. The transmitters data is recognized by a unique series of data that is unlikely to occur over the section of data for this channel and the segment can have a checksum for reliability and further detection. The transmitter and receiver can use fixed tables of channel sequences so that once synchronized they can maintain communication by following the table. On each channel segment, the transmitter can send its current position in the table. Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) is a modulation method. As with other spread spectrum technologies, the transmitted signal takes up more bandwidth than the information signal that is being modulated. In this technology the transmissions multiply the data being transmitted by a noise signal. This noise signal is a pseudorandom sequence of 1 and à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 values, at a frequency much higher than that of the original signal, thereby spreading the energy of the original signal into a much wider band. (W. Jimmy, n.d.) The resultant signal resembles white noise, like an audio recording of static. On the other hand, this noise-like signal can be used to precisely recreate the original data at the receiving ending, by multiplying it by the same pseudorandom sequence. This process, known as de-spreading, mathematically constitutes a correlation of the transmitted PN sequence with the PN sequence that the receiver believes the spreader is using. For de-spreading to operate correctly, the transmit and receive sequences must be synchronized. This requires the receiver to coordinate its sequence with the transmitters sequence via some sort of timing search process. However, this noticeable drawback can be a significant benefit: if the sequences of multiple transmitters are synchronized with each other, the relative synchronizations the receiver must make between them can be used to resolve relative timing, which, in turn, can be used to compute the receivers point if the transmitters positions are known. This is the base for many satellite direction-finding systems. The resultant outcome of enhancing signal to noise ratio on the channel is called process gain. Benefits in Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum -It is resistant to planned or unintentional jamming. -The sharing of a single channel between numerous users. -Reduced signal/background-noise level hampers interception (stealth). -Determination of relative timing between transmitter and receiver. Chirp Spread Spectrum On the other hand, the Chirp spread spectrum (CSS) is a spread spectrum technique that uses wideband linear frequency modulated chirp pulses to encode information. A chirp is a sinusoidal signal whose frequency increases or decreases over a certain amount of time. (W. Jimmy, n.d.) Chirp Spread Spectrum is ideal for applications requiring low power usage and needing relatively low amounts of data rate. CSS uses its entire owed bandwidth to televise a signal, building it robust to channel noise. Further, because the chirps utilize a broad band of the spectrum, Chirp Spread Spectrum is also challenging to multi-path fading even when working at very low power. However, it is not like direct-sequence spread spectrum or frequency-hopping spread spectrum in that it does not add any pseudo-random elements to the signal to help differentiate it from noise on the channel, instead relying on the linear nature of the chirp pulse. Moreover, Chirp Spread Spectrum is resistant to the Doppler Effect, which is typical in mobile radio applications. Comparisons against Performance between Frequency Hopping and Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Systems A Simulated Model/Design Conclusion

Media And The Government :: essays research papers

The media can often have a large impact on public opinion. The general community can be swayed based purely upon how the news carries a story. This places a massive responsibility on the media. They must decide what is appropriate and how to address certain topics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the cartoon the author was describing the impact the media can have on presidential races. People, in general, like to know the gossip about candidates. They like hearing the dirt, it brings the nominees down to the level of the common man. Since this is what the press knows the people want to hear this is what they publish. The more inside details the news gives the more people will want to buy their product. This cartoonist was showing the extremes that the media will go to in order to sell their product. The producers of all types of media are not stupid though, if a story has gone on to long or no longer interests the American public they will listen to public opinion and change subjects immediately. In the case of presidential campaigns media producers know that it affects all Americans so they can drag out different topics. Voters demand to know as much about candidates as they possibly can so that when they are in the booth they can make the best possibl e decision. The news has they used polls and realized that people don’t vote because of issues alone. They also vote (or don’t vote) for a candidate because of his personal appearance, attitude, or even actions in the public eye. Since these are all reasons for choosing certain contenders the media can publish stories that have so little relevance to the actual campaign and still sell their merchandise. The author of these cartoons was suggesting that perhaps the media might take things to far at times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their are certain characteristics that apply to all forms of media that explain their reasons for writing and exploring the issues that they do. The media has been assigned certain roles by society. One of those roles is that of the gatekeeper. This gatekeeper role means that the media decides what issues make news, and for how long they make news. Also, media is supposed to be a sort of scorekeeper. They decide who is winning and losing in political contests. This is very important because it can sway public opinion greatly. Media And The Government :: essays research papers The media can often have a large impact on public opinion. The general community can be swayed based purely upon how the news carries a story. This places a massive responsibility on the media. They must decide what is appropriate and how to address certain topics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the cartoon the author was describing the impact the media can have on presidential races. People, in general, like to know the gossip about candidates. They like hearing the dirt, it brings the nominees down to the level of the common man. Since this is what the press knows the people want to hear this is what they publish. The more inside details the news gives the more people will want to buy their product. This cartoonist was showing the extremes that the media will go to in order to sell their product. The producers of all types of media are not stupid though, if a story has gone on to long or no longer interests the American public they will listen to public opinion and change subjects immediately. In the case of presidential campaigns media producers know that it affects all Americans so they can drag out different topics. Voters demand to know as much about candidates as they possibly can so that when they are in the booth they can make the best possibl e decision. The news has they used polls and realized that people don’t vote because of issues alone. They also vote (or don’t vote) for a candidate because of his personal appearance, attitude, or even actions in the public eye. Since these are all reasons for choosing certain contenders the media can publish stories that have so little relevance to the actual campaign and still sell their merchandise. The author of these cartoons was suggesting that perhaps the media might take things to far at times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their are certain characteristics that apply to all forms of media that explain their reasons for writing and exploring the issues that they do. The media has been assigned certain roles by society. One of those roles is that of the gatekeeper. This gatekeeper role means that the media decides what issues make news, and for how long they make news. Also, media is supposed to be a sort of scorekeeper. They decide who is winning and losing in political contests. This is very important because it can sway public opinion greatly.