The Diagnostic Criteria For Smartphone Addiction - 1224 Words

The diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction proposed in this study were based on the population with the currently largest sample size and the diagnoses were validated by psychiatric interviews. Our findings indicated that smartphone addiction has overlapping features with substance-related or behavioral addictive disorders, but the unique properties of smartphones, i.e. its excellent accessibility and multiple Internet-based applications, contributed to its unique but prevalent addictive behaviors. We proposed that a strict definition for smartphone-related functional impairment, requiring two or more functional impairment criteria influenced by smartphone use. This definition is different from the diagnostic criteria for functional impairment in DSM-5. Compared to computer-based Internet addiction, the portability of smartphones dampens the severity of functional impairment associated with smartphone addiction, but instead influences multiple domains of an individual’s daily life. In addition, because smartphone addiction is a heterogeneous and multi-faceted condition [26], we should evaluate the heterogeneity of its functional impairment from different angles. The symptom criteria in this study provided evidence that smartphone addiction has similar psychopathology with the traditional substance use disorders. The core symptoms of substance use disorders are â€Å"impaired control†, which consist of four criteria: (1) use larger amounts/longer, (2) repeated attempts toShow MoreRelatedSmartphone And Its Integration Into Our Daily Lives2571 Words   |  11 Pages03 24 April 2017 Smart Phone Addiction In today’s world people are very dependent on technology. More specifically the smartphone and its integration into our daily lives. These so called smart devices are able to connect using 3G or 4G features and have more capabilities than a standard cellular phone. People use it for entertainment, work, and even relationships. In the article â€Å"Linking Loneliness, Shyness, Smartphone Addiction Symptoms, and Patterns of Smartphone Use to Social Capital,† the authorRead MoreCell Phone Overuse Or Addiction?2080 Words   |  9 Pagesitself. Now referred to as the smartphone, the majority of the developing world’s population uses it now. It’s endless evolving functionalities, as apps and programs, are making the users see this piece of technology as a holy grail, but only much more accessible. Ever since its integration into our society, cell phones have given us the opportunity to connect to people at every inch of the world at anytime of the day. For ours elves, cell phones, particularly smartphones, have offered us an infiniteRead MoreIs Internet Addiction Disorder? Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pages Internet addiction disorder, more commonly called problematic Internet use, refers to excessive computer use which interferes with daily life. Internet overuse, problematic computer use, or pathological computer use, problematic Internet use, or Internet addiction disorder. In the most recent version of the DSM-5, Internet Gaming Disorder is the latest term to describe this problem. History IAD was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M.D., in 1995, althoughRead MoreImpact of Internet Thinking4862 Words   |  20 Pagesbeing connected, you realize how significant it is and what youre missing.†Meanwhile, Wohlschlegel kept checking the empty holster on his hip, out of habit. Many people describe feeling â€Å"phantom vibrations† signaling incoming messages after their smartphones have gone bust.People today are more connected than ever, visiting social-media sites, checking headlines on the Web and texting, e-mailing and instant-messaging. The Internet has become the focus of many peoples lives — the place where they socializeRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pages20 Other HRM Challenges 21 Recession 21 Off Shoring 21 Mergers 22 A Look at Ethics 22 Summary 23 Demonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 24 Key Terms 24 HRM Workshop 25 Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion Questions 25 Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills 25 Case 1: Work/Life Balance at Baxter 25 Working with a Team: Understanding Diversity Issues 25 Learning an HRM Skill: Guidelines for Acting Ethically 26 Enhancing Your Communication Skills 26 ETHICAL ISSUES IN HRM: Invasion

Essay on Life of Fidel Castro - 834 Words

The Life of Fidel Castro Fidel Castro, is the well-known dictatorial leader of Cuba for nearly five decades. His leadership has been the focus of international controversy. How is it that a man of this privileged upbringing, became the leader of a socialist revolution in Cuba, brought the world to the brink of destruction, and ultimately became one of the most famous political leaders in the history of Latin America. He was born on a farm in Birà ¡n, Cuba near mayaà ± on August 13, 1926. He received a Jesuit education while attending a boarding school in Havana by the name Colegio de Belen. When he finished high school, he attended the University of Havana. In 1950 he graduated from the university with a degree in law. â€Å"A man is not†¦show more content†¦Castro appoints Ernesto Che Guevara to his government. Attempting to spread the revolution in South America, Guevara is captured in a firefight in the jungle with Bolivian government troops and executed two days later. He had disappeared from the Cuban political scene in 1965 amid growing rumors that he had become disillusioned by Castros drift towards less radical politics. During 1979 Cuba supports the Soviet Unions invasion of Afghanistan. Later, Cuba controversially sends military assistance to influence civil wars in Angola and Ethiopia. Anglo-Cuban relations almost reach breaking point after a Cuban diplomat fires a gun in a crowded London street in 1988. Havana claimed that its attack was being followed by CIA agents plotting to force him to defect. The Thatcher government condemned the behavior of the Cuban diplomat and added that a man was wounded - he was a member of the British security services and not the CIA. The US tigh tens its longstanding embargo on Cuba during 1992, extending restrictions on travel and trade with the Cuban Democracy Act. Fearing a collapse, Castro slowly begins to deregulate Cubas economy, moving to allow limited individual private enterprise A boat rescue of a Cuban child, Elian Gonzalez, sparks a diplomatic row with the US. The six-year-old boy was picked up off the Florida coast after he and his mother attempted to flee Cuba. After a protracted court battle, he wasShow MoreRelatedThe Life of Fidel Castro Essay760 Words   |  4 PagesFidel Castro Throughout history, when you look back, you find many countries that fall under a control that turns things in an opposite direction of where they were pointed. In Cuba, this was under Prime Minister, Fidel Castro. Born on August 13, 1926 in the wedlock at his father’s farm, Castro would live here until age 8 when he would go live with his teacher. He was not well behaved, and would find himself traveling in out of different schools. He did not excel academically and found his placeRead MoreThe Life of Fidel Castro631 Words   |  3 Pages Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, born in Birà ¡n, Cuba on August 13, 1926, changed his country ever since he came to power. Castro’s father, à ngel Castro y Argiz, was a wealthy plantation owner and was an immigrant from Galicia, Spain. His mother, Lina Ruz Gonzà ¡lez, was à ngel’s mistress and house servant while à ngel was still married to Maria Luisa Argota. Castro was educated in many Jesuit boarding schools, from g rade school to middle school, in which he was a mediocre student and was not well behavedRead MoreTo What Extent Was Brutality Used by Fidel Castro During the Cuban Revolution1440 Words   |  6 Pagesa struggle to the death between the future and the past.† – Fidel Castro, 1961. This statement was certainly true for Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries during the Cuban Revolution, an armed revolt that took place between July 26th 1953 and January 1st 1959, which ended successfully. During this revolt, many of Fidel Castro’s fellow revolutionaries were killed in this process of violent revolution (My Life, p133, 2006). However, Castro and his accompanying revolutionaries, of which he was the leaderRead MoreFidel Castro Is Alive1443 Words   |  6 Pages Upon his release, Castro went to Mexico where he spent the next year organizing the 26th of July Movement, which was based on the date of the failed Santiago de Cuba barracks attack. On December 2, 1956, Castro and the rest his fellow rebels of the 26th of July Movement landed on Cuban soil with the intention of starting a revolution. They were only met with the welcome of heavy Batista defenses, causing nearly everyone in the Movement to be killed. Barely anyone escaped, and those who did whichRead MoreFidel Castro : Hero Or Villain1323 Words   |  6 PagesFidel Castro a Hero or Villain The time of the Cuban Revolution was a great deal of turmoil, not just in Cuba but in almost every corner of the world. It was 1945, shortly after the end of World War Two, the Cold War was taking off between the United States and the Soviet Union. Cuba, in the middle of its own war, was caught up in the international politics of the Cold War. The interaction between international and domestic politics played a major role in the outcome of the revolution. The resultRead MoreThe Other Side Of Castro850 Words   |  4 PagesThe Other Side of Castro In my 27 years on this planet, I have heard little to nothing about the revolutionist and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Of the small amount of conversation which has occurred in front of me, Castro was always described in a negative way. He was described as a cruel, selfish Communist dictator who is against the ideas and beliefs of my own country. For those reasons, I have never bothered educating myself about Castro and his life. Now that I am older, my education has presentedRead MoreFidel Castro: The Clown of Cuba1612 Words   |  7 Pages Current leader and dictator of Cuba, Fidel Castro, was born on August 13, 1926 in Biran Cuba. As a child, Fidel Castro had a good life because his father was very wealthy. His fathers name was Angel Castro. He was very wealthy because he owned plantations and lands. Additionally, he was originally from Spain but then moved to Cuba. Angel Castro married to Lina Gonzalez. Fidel Castro had one brother named Raul Castro. Fidel And Raul al ways had a special bond between their brother relationshipRead MoreFidel Castros Impact on Cuba, America, and the World1359 Words   |  6 Pages Fidel Castro, resigned now, and still living, was the dictator of the Cuban nation. He has had an big impact on America, and he an impact on our world. Fidel Castro was a Cuban dictator for a long time coming. Fidel Castro becoming a dictator not only affected the United States, but his arrival affected the world around us. Fidel Castro was a man who had a target on his head. Lots of people from all over the world wanted him dead. Fidel Castro wasn’t a capitalist person, he was a CommunistRead MoreCuban Revolution And The Revolution1309 Words   |  6 PagesFidel Castro once said â€Å"I do not fear the fury of the miserable tyrant who took the lives of 70 of my comrades. Condemn me. It does not matter. History will absolve me.† This iconic line triggered one of the greatest events in Cuba’s history, the Cuban revolution. The factors that caused the revolution and the main events during changed the lives of Cuba’s people as well as North Americans. Cuba was a poor, uneducated, country controlled by a brutal dictator in 1953. The attack on the Moncoda barracksRead MoreCub A Political Leader Of Cuba1707 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the past.† Fidel Castro has had a tremendous impact on Cuba. Castro was a political leader of Cuba (1959–2008) who transformed his country into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Castro became a symbol of communist revolution in Latin America. Before Fidel Castro took rein Cuba was the island of sin, a society consumed by the illnesses, gambling, the Mafia, and prostitution. In 1969 Cuba changed drastically, but still

Movie Summary Swing Kids Essay Example For Students

Movie Summary Swing Kids Essay The 1993 drama Swing Kids, starring Robert Sean Leonard and Christian Bale, is overall a very good movie. The film is set in Nazi ruled Germany in the year 1939 and tells the incredible story of three boys and their love and fight for swing music. Swing Kids is a remarkable display of directing and acting talent. Thomas Carters eye for camera technique lends the feeling of actually being alongside the characters throughout their struggle. From the moment the movie began with a remarkable dance sequence, to possibly one of the most dramatic and heart wrenching final scenes in movie history, I was unable to take my eyes away from the screen. The emotions that Swing Kids delivers to the viewers range from happiness and excitement, to anger and sadness. I highly encourage all that have a passion for good film to sit back, relax, and enjoy Swing Kids ?. I give Swing Kids two thumbs up, and a 9/10. Germany in 1939 was a horrible place to be for some people. The Nazi Government head by Adolf Hitler outlawed everything that wasnt pure German, this included swing music from the United States. Peter MA?ller (played by Leonard) and his friends Thomas (Bale), and Arvid (Frank Whaley) had a very strong love and passion for swing music and broke the laws to listen to it. Not only was swing music banned because of it not being pure German, but many swing musicians were African American such as Duke Ellington, and Jewish such as Benny Goodman. People of these ethnic and religious backgrounds were considered inferior in Germany at the time. During the movie, as the Nazis grip on prohibited items grows tighter, Thomas joins the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth). The Hitler Jugend, or HJ as it was commonly known, was an organization that trained children and teenagers to be soldiers. The HJ strongly influenced Thomas to the point where he reports his own father for making negative remarks about the Fuhrer. These young boys and girls were actually trained to report theyre parents and friends if they did not fully support the Nazi ways. Peter takes a big risk speaking freely about his views on the German government and his love of swing music, which ultimately, lands him in hot water. After watching Swing Kids ? I have learned quite a bit about what it was like to live in Germany at the time that I didnt know before. For example, I had no idea that being in possession of ANYTHING that wasnt pure German was a crime, which was usually punishable by death. I find this ridiculous. Something else I learned which I found quite interesting is the way that the dance clubs would discreetly play swing music. These clubs would have a person looking out for any Nazi officers patrolling the street, then if they saw one coming they would give the band a signal and they would quickly switch from playing to swing to playing some traditional German tunes. Possibly the thing that I found the most interesting is how amazing the Nazi propaganda was. Through propaganda, the government was able to completely change peoples views on the Nazis and on Western culture. Also, the government could use the HJ to do certain tasks for them. I can recall a scene in the movie where Peter was given three small packages and told to deliver them to various addresses. Peter delivers two of them and can tell by the people who are receiving them that something is awry. He decides to find a secluded spot and open the remaining package. Inside he finds a small oak box with the swastika inlayed on the top. Further investigation by Peter leads to a horrific discovery. Inside of that box, and the other boxes, contained the ashes of traitors ? as they were labeled. These traitors ? were people who were sent away to concentration camps because they were not 100 percent loyal to the Fuhrer. Horrific acts such as this really happened, and make you realize what a horrible place Germany was at the time. As far as historical accuracy goes, it was fairly accurate. .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab , .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .postImageUrl , .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab , .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:hover , .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:visited , .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:active { border:0!important; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:active , .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub93f5a723511961502086db22c1672ab:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How is Clueless a youth picture genre film? EssayThere were a few certain things that I didnt quite manage to wrap my head around. One of them, was the fact that not one actor in the entire movie spoke German, or had an even slight German accent. I believe that if they did speak with an accent that it would lend a great deal more of believability to the movie. Although the movie did depict most things pretty accurately. They showed how members of the gestapo (which were the secret Nazi police) could pretty much do whatever they please. In one scene it shows a raid being taken place at a Jewish persons house. They were clearing the contents of the house, and the one member of the gestapo was taking items to keep for himself. In any Canadian police force an act like that would be completely unacceptable. The film also focused a lot on the HJ. As far as my research goes, the way they depicted the activities that the HJ members would take part in such as boxing, and their duties, was completely accurate. I will say before as I said earlier on, Swing Kids ? is an all around excellent period movie. It really makes you feel as though youve travelled back in time.

White Wines vs. Red Wines

Usually people who love wine prefer white or red. Although both of them are produced by grape, there are several differences between those two noble beverages. According to a number of researchers, red wine contains elements good for heart; therefore, red wine is more helpful for health due to its capability to prevent heart diseases and protect arteries from damage.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on White Wines vs. Red Wines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Comparing the features of white and red wines, we can notice that both of them have a number of good qualities which make them attractive to people. Thus, white wine has crisp, fruity flavor and aroma, while red one has a richer flavor. Obviously, variety of colors is caused by the use of different grapes. Red wine is made from black and dark red grapes. Due to the different raw materials, and especially components from the skin of grapes, white and red wines d iffer in tannins that cause the color and flavor of red wines. Health benefits of red wines are the major argument of those people who like red more than white. Although red wine helps preventing heart diseases and protecting arteries due to its antioxidants, white wine contains fewer calories. However, their level can vary according to the concrete wine. French people have less level of heart diseases due to their habit of drinking a glass of red wine every day. The strongest antioxidants contained in red wine such as reservatrol make it healthier than white one. Reservatrol prevents the damage of blood vessels and the blood clots that are very dangerous for live. Taking into account the caloric content, we can say that both types have almost the same per cent. However, mostly, white wine contains fewer ratios of calories than red wine. Nevertheless, this characteristic does not provide the serious arguments in support of white wine. Besides, white wine is more acidic and more dang erous for the teeth. In culinary, red wine is more popular than white one. There are docents of recipes of cooking with red wine. As it had been mentioned before, red wine has stronger flavor and aroma. As cooks want to make their dish more intensive and to enhance its taste, aroma and color, they usually use red wine as a marinade, cooking liquid or additional ingredient to a finished dish. For instance, this type of wine tastes good with meat, while white is used with fish. Red wine paints a sauce to the purple color and brings the special taste. However, it is difficult to state upon one assertion due to the different tastes of people and hundreds of methods and recopies. Thereby, a good cook can use any kind of wine, trying to create a new taste of the dishes. White and red wines are very different due to the materials of production. Red wine is healthier and helps preventing heart diseases and protecting arteries from damage. Due to the intensive color and aroma, red wine is mo re popular in culinary. However, many people prefer white wine because of its taste.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The level of calories in the both types is almost the same. In any situation, it is important to remember that both red and white wines have the same effect on the human body and mind. Therefore, in is necessary to control the use of wine, limiting it to one glass per day. This essay on White Wines vs. Red Wines was written and submitted by user Elise Walker to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Steroids

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids are man mad substances related to male sex hormones. Anabolic refers to muscle building and Androgenic refers to increased masculine characteristics. Steroids are supposed to be available only through prescription to treat abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They can also be prescribed to treat body wasting in AIDs patients and other diseases that result in the loss of muscle mass. Anabolic steroids can be taken orally or injected. They are usually taken in cycles of weeks or months which is a process known as cycling. Cycling involves taking many doses of the substance ove a period of time, stopping than starting up again. Steroid users often times combine several different types of steroids to maximize effectiveness while minimizing negative effects, this form of usage is known as stacking. The major side effects from abusing steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, an increase in LDL which is bad cholesterol and decrease in HDL or good cholesterol. Users can have severe psychiatric problems leaving the user with sever mood swings including manic like symptoms that often result in violence. Depression often is seen when the drug is stopped, which can contribute to dependence on the drug. Other symptoms that a person may suffer are paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions and impaired judgement. Over the past several years steroids have become much more of an issue in professional sports than ever before. Just last month Major League Baseball had their hearings on steroids. This was shortly following the release of Jose Conseco's book "Juiced". Throughout this book Conseco made claims that many people including himself throughout the league had used steroids in the past. In a 60 minutes interview Conseco claimed that in his sixteen year career he took steroids from the first game of his first season all ... Free Essays on Steroids Free Essays on Steroids Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids are man mad substances related to male sex hormones. Anabolic refers to muscle building and Androgenic refers to increased masculine characteristics. Steroids are supposed to be available only through prescription to treat abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They can also be prescribed to treat body wasting in AIDs patients and other diseases that result in the loss of muscle mass. Anabolic steroids can be taken orally or injected. They are usually taken in cycles of weeks or months which is a process known as cycling. Cycling involves taking many doses of the substance ove a period of time, stopping than starting up again. Steroid users often times combine several different types of steroids to maximize effectiveness while minimizing negative effects, this form of usage is known as stacking. The major side effects from abusing steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, an increase in LDL which is bad cholesterol and decrease in HDL or good cholesterol. Users can have severe psychiatric problems leaving the user with sever mood swings including manic like symptoms that often result in violence. Depression often is seen when the drug is stopped, which can contribute to dependence on the drug. Other symptoms that a person may suffer are paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions and impaired judgement. Over the past several years steroids have become much more of an issue in professional sports than ever before. Just last month Major League Baseball had their hearings on steroids. This was shortly following the release of Jose Conseco's book "Juiced". Throughout this book Conseco made claims that many people including himself throughout the league had used steroids in the past. In a 60 minutes interview Conseco claimed that in his sixteen year career he took steroids from the first game of his first season all ...

Franz Kafkas The Judgment Summary

Franz Kafka's The Judgment Summary Franz Kafka’s â€Å"The Judgment† is the tale of a quiet young man caught in an outrageous situation. The story starts off by following its main character, Georg Bendemann, as he deals with a series of day-to-day concerns: his upcoming marriage, his family’s business affairs, his long-distance correspondence with an old friend, and, perhaps most importantly, his relationship with his aged father. Although Kafka’s third-person narration maps out the circumstances of Georg’s life with considerable detail, â€Å"The Judgment† is not really a sprawling work of fiction. All the main events of the story occur on a â€Å"Sunday morning in the height of spring† (p.49). And, until the very end, all the main events of the story take place in the small, gloomy house that Georg shares with his father. But as the story progresses, Georg’s life takes a bizarre turn. For much of â€Å"The Judgment†, Georg’s father is depicted as a weak, helpless man- a shadow, it seems, of the imposing businessman he once was. Yet this father transforms into a figure of enormous knowledge and power. He springs up in fury when Georg is tucking him into bed, viciously mocks Georg’s friendships and upcoming marriage, and ends by condemning his son to â€Å"death by drowning†. Georg flees the scene. And instead of thinking over or rebelling against what he has seen, he rushes to a nearby bridge, swings over the railing, and carries out his father’s wish: â€Å"With weakening grip he was still holding on when he spied between the railings a motor-bus coming which would easily cover the noise of his fall, called in a low voice: ‘Dear parents, I have always loved you, all the same,’ and let himself drop† (p. 63). Kafka’s Writing Methods As Kafka states in his diary for 1912, â€Å"this story, ‘The Judgment’, I wrote in one sitting of the 22nd-23rd, from ten o’clock to six o’clock in the morning. I was hardly able to pull my legs out from under the desk, they had got so stiff from sitting. The fearful strain and joy, how the story developed before me as if I were advancing over water†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This method of rapid, continuous, one-shot composition wasn’t simply Kafka’s method for â€Å"The Judgment†. It was his ideal method of writing fiction. In the same diary entry, Kafka declares that â€Å"only in this way can writing be done, only with such coherence, with such a complete opening out of the body and soul.† Of all his stories, â€Å"The Judgment† was apparently the one that pleased Kafka the most. The writing method that he used for this bleak tale became one of the standards that he used to judge his other pieces of fiction. In a 1914 diary entry, Kafka recorded his â€Å"great antipathy to The Metamorphosis. Unreadable ending. Imperfect almost to its very marrow. It would have turned out very much better if I had not been interrupted at the time by the business trip.† The Metamorphosis was one of Kafka’s better-known stories during his lifetime, and it is almost without a doubt his best-known story today. Yet for Kafka, it represented an unfortunate departure from the method of highly-focused composition and unbroken emotional investment exemplified by â€Å"The Judgment.† Kafka’s Own Father Kafka’s relationship with his father was quite uneasy. Hermann Kafka was a well-off businessman, and a figure who inspired a mixture of intimidation, anxiety, and grudging respect in his sensitive son Franz. In his â€Å"Letter to My Father†, Kafka acknowledges his father’s â€Å"dislike of my writing and all that, unknown to you, was connected with it.† But as depicted in this famous (and unsent) letter, Hermann Kafka is also canny and manipulative. He is fearsome, but not outwardly brutal. In the younger Kafka’s words, â€Å"I might go on to describe further orbits of your influence and of struggle against it, but there I would be entering uncertain ground and would have to construct things, and apart from that, the further you are at a remove from your business and your family the pleasanter you have always become, easier to get on with, better mannered, more considerate, and more sympathetic (I mean outwardly too), in exactly the same way as for instance an autocrat, when he happen to be outside the frontiers of his own country, has no reason to go on being tyrannical and is able to associate good-humoredly with even the lowest of the low.† Revolutionary Russia Throughout â€Å"The Judgment†, Georg mulls over his correspondence with a friend â€Å"who had actually run away to  Russia some years before, being dissatisfied with his prospects at home† (49). Georg even reminds his father of this friend’s â€Å"incredible stories of the Russian Revolution. For instance, when he was on a business trip in Kiev and ran into a riot, and saw a priest on a balcony who cut a broad cross in blood on the palm of his hand and held the hand up and appealed to the mob† (58). Kafka may be referring to the Russian Revolution of 1905. In fact, one of the leaders of this Revolution was a priest named Gregory Gapon, who organized a peaceful march outside the Winter Palace in  St. Petersburg. Nonetheless, it would be wrong to assume that Kafka wants to provide a historically accurate picture of early 20th-century Russia. In â€Å"The Judgment†, Russia is a perilously exotic place. It is a stretch of the world that Georg and his father have never seen and perhaps doesnt understand, and somewhere that Kafka, consequently, would have little reason to describe in documentary detail. (As an author, Kafka was not averse to simultaneously talking about foreign locations and keeping them at a distance. After all, he began composing the novel Amerika without having visited the United States.) Yet Kafka was well versed in certain Russian authors, particularly Dostoevsky. From reading Russian literature, he may have gleaned the stark, unsettling, imaginary visions of Russia that crop up in â€Å"The Judgment.† Consider, for instance, Georg’s speculations about his friend: â€Å"Lost in the vastness of Russia he saw him. At the door of an empty, plundered warehouse he saw him. Among the wreckage of his showcases, the slashed remnants of his wares, the falling gas brackets, he was just standing up. Why, why did he have to go so far away!† (p. 59). Money, Business, and Power Matters of trade and finance initially draw Georg and his father together- only to become a subject of discord and contention later in â€Å"The Judgment†. Early on, Georg tells his father that â€Å"I can’t do without you in the business, you know that very well† (56). Though they are bound together by the family firm, Georg does seem to hold most of the power. He sees his father as an â€Å"old man† who- if he didn’t have a kind or pitying son- â€Å"would go on living alone in the old house† (58). But when Georg’s father finds his voice late in the story, he ridicules his son’s business activities. Now, instead of submitting to Georg’s favors, he gleefully reproaches Georg for â€Å"strutting through the world, finishing off deals I had prepared for him, bursting with triumphant glee and stealing away from his father with the closed face of a respectable business man!† (61). Unreliable Information, and Complex Reactions Late in â€Å"The Judgment,† some of Georg’s most basic assumptions are rapidly overturned. Georg’s father goes from seeming physically depleted to making outlandish, even violent physical gestures. Georg’s father reveals that his knowledge of the Russian friend is much, much deeper than Georg had ever imagined. As the father triumphantly states the case to Georg, â€Å"he knows everything a hundred times better than you do yourself, in his left hand he crumples your letters unopened while in his right hand he holds up my letters to read through!† (62). Georg reacts to this news- and many of the father’s other pronouncements- without any doubt or questioning. Yet the situation should not be so straightforward for Kafka’s reader. When Georg and his father are in the midst of their conflict, Georg seldom seems to think over what he is hearing in any detail. However, the events of â€Å"The Judgment† are so strange and so sudden that, at times, it seems Kafka is inviting us to do the difficult analytic and interpretive work that Georg himself seldom performs. Georg’s father may be exaggerating, or lying. Or maybe Kafka has created a story that is more like a dream than a depiction of reality- a story where the most twisted, overblown, unthinking reactions make a kind of hidden, perfect sense. Discussion Questions Does â€Å"The Judgment† strike you as a story that was written in one impassioned sitting? Are there any times when it doesn’t follow Kaka’s standards of â€Å"coherence† and â€Å"opening out†- times when Kafka’s writing is reserved or puzzling, for instance?Who or what, from the real world, is Kafka criticizing in â€Å"The Judgment†? His father? Family values? Capitalism? Himself? Or do you read â€Å"The Judgment† as a story that, instead of aiming at a specific satiric target, simply aims to shock and entertain its readers?How would you sum up the way Georg feels about his father? The way his father feels about him? Are there any facts you don’t know, but that could change your views on this question if you did know them?Did you find â€Å"The Judgment† mostly disturbing or mostly humorous? Are there any times when Kafka manages to be disturbing and humorous at the same moment? Source Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis, In The Penal Colony, and Other Stories. Paperback, Touchstone, 1714.

To what extent have OTC derivatives been a major factor in the global Dissertation

To what extent have OTC derivatives been a major factor in the global financial crisis - Dissertation Example (In  his 2002 Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BK) letter to shareholders, company chairman and CEO Warren Buffet) This dissertation paper attempts to explore the extent to which derivatives can be considered to be one of the major factors that have led to the current problems in the global financial sector and looks at what steps can be taken to prevent a crisis on this scale happening again. This shall be on the basis of a review of the available literature. OTC Derivatives and the Global Financial Crisis Table of Contents Abstract Page 2 Table of Contents Page 3 Chapter 1 Introduction Page 4 Chapter 2 Literature Review Page 6 Chapter 3 Research Methods Page 32 Chapter 4 Analysis and discussion of research findings Page 33 Chapter 5 Conclusions and recommendations Page 42 Chapter 1: Introduction Outline the project Aims and objectives Reason for choosing this The research methodology Any limitations of the research The main findings The onset of the Great Recession of 2008 was preceded by a slump in the housing market and a credit crunch that affected the entire economy of the United States. The ensuing financial crisis acquired global dimensions though at first it seemed that the US would be the hardest hit due to the crisis. Even though the US Congress passed the TARP or the Troubled Asset Relief Program to provide assistance to the banks worst hit by the crisis, the recession continued unabated. Further, the crisis itself was thought to have been brought about by a combination of factors that included poor regulatory oversight over the derivatives side of the banking business, predatory lending and the ill effects of well intentioned efforts to spread the risk associated with sub-prime lending across the financial system. This paper looks at the role of derivative instruments and derivative securitization specifically in terms of the effect that they had on the financial system and how unchecked â€Å"gambling† by the banks led to â€Å"casino capitalis m† and the resultant financial crisis that engulfed the entire economy and even other parts of the world. Since the focus of this paper is mainly on the United States and derivatives in particular, the available literature would be surveyed on these aspects. The emphasis throughout the paper would be on a critical analysis of the literature with a questioning attitude that goes beyond a normal review. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the role played by OTC Derivatives in causing the global financial crisis and the continuing aftermath of the crisis. The last part of the sentence above is significant as the derivatives having played a part in exacerbating the crisis have continued to torment the regulators and the investors alike who are yet to tackle the â€Å"volcano of derivatives† which are sitting on top of the financial system. Further, this dissertation also discusses the attempts at regulating the derivatives by the various regulatory agencies involved and the way ahead to avoid a repeat of the crisis that we saw in the winter of 2008. The dissertation is divided into different sections with the literature review and the research findings being the ones with the most emphasis. In addition to these two sections, the research methodology and the conclusions are given due weightage according to the marking criteria for the dissertation. Chapter 2: Literature Review 1.1 Background The global financia