Free Essays on Miranda Rights

The Supreme Court of the United States of America often makes decisions, which change this great nation in a great way. Often there is a disagreement over their decision: the court itself is often split. The impact of the Courts decision creates discussions and on occasion, violence. This is what happened in the case of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966, this case proven to be one of the most controversial cases in the history of this great nation and its people. This case changed history of this country and left a tremendous impact, which many tried to revisit and change in some way or another. Ernest Miranda was born in 1940 in a little town Mesa, Arizona. His father had emigrated from Mexico and now was supporting the family of tree as a house painter. In 1946 Ernest Miranda lost his mother. His mother's death seemed to mark the end of the happy childhood and the beginning of the troubled youth ("Miranda v. Arizona" 14). It was in the elementary school were Mr. Miranda a chose his way, h is discipline was not acceptable his attendance record shows more absences then days present. He was able to finish the 8th grade but his latter education was stopped by his growing criminal activities his first serious arrest was for car theft, he was convicted and received probation ("Miranda v. Arizona" 14). From then on his criminal record growth to inorams size, it shows that he was arrested and convicted for crime such as burglary for which he was convicted and sends to State Industrial School for Boys at Fort Grant. Only a month after his release he arrested and charged with attempted rape and assault. He was found guilty and returned to Fort Grand in January 1957 Miranda was released from Fort Grant two month latter he was arrested in California for curfew violations and Peeping Tom activities five month after hi was arrested for armed robbery. He was released because the state did not have enough evidence to convict him ("Miranda v. Arizona" 14). Du... Free Essays on Miranda Rights Free Essays on Miranda Rights The Supreme Court of the United States of America often makes decisions, which change this great nation in a great way. Often there is a disagreement over their decision: the court itself is often split. The impact of the Courts decision creates discussions and on occasion, violence. This is what happened in the case of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966, this case proven to be one of the most controversial cases in the history of this great nation and its people. This case changed history of this country and left a tremendous impact, which many tried to revisit and change in some way or another. Ernest Miranda was born in 1940 in a little town Mesa, Arizona. His father had emigrated from Mexico and now was supporting the family of tree as a house painter. In 1946 Ernest Miranda lost his mother. His mother's death seemed to mark the end of the happy childhood and the beginning of the troubled youth ("Miranda v. Arizona" 14). It was in the elementary school were Mr. Miranda a chose his way, h is discipline was not acceptable his attendance record shows more absences then days present. He was able to finish the 8th grade but his latter education was stopped by his growing criminal activities his first serious arrest was for car theft, he was convicted and received probation ("Miranda v. Arizona" 14). From then on his criminal record growth to inorams size, it shows that he was arrested and convicted for crime such as burglary for which he was convicted and sends to State Industrial School for Boys at Fort Grant. Only a month after his release he arrested and charged with attempted rape and assault. He was found guilty and returned to Fort Grand in January 1957 Miranda was released from Fort Grant two month latter he was arrested in California for curfew violations and Peeping Tom activities five month after hi was arrested for armed robbery. He was released because the state did not have enough evidence to convict him ("Miranda v. Arizona" 14). Du...

Geography of the Mediterranean Sea

Geography of the Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a large sea or body of water that is located between Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. Its total area is 970,000 square miles (2,500,000 sq km) and its greatest depth is located off the coast of Greece at around 16,800 feet (5,121 m) deep. The average depth of the sea, however, is about 4,900 feet (1,500 m). The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the narrow Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco. This area is only about 14 miles (22 km) wide. The Mediterranean Sea is known for being an important historic trade path and a strong factor in the development of the region around it. History of the Mediterranean Sea The region around the Mediterranean Sea has a long history that dates back to ancient times. For example, Stone Age tools have been discovered by archeologists along its shores and it is believed that the Egyptians began sailing on it by 3000 B.C.E. Early people of the region used the Mediterranean as a trade route and as a way to move to and colonize other regions. As a result, the sea was controlled by several different ancient civilizations. These include the Minoan, Phoenician, Greek, and later the Roman civilizations. In the 5th century C.E. however, Rome fell and the Mediterranean Sea and the region around it became controlled by the Byzantines, Arabs and Ottoman Turks. By the 12th-century trade in the region was growing as Europeans began exploration expeditions. In the late 1400s though, trade traffic in the region decreased when European traders discovered new, all water trade routes to India and the Far East. In 1869 ,  however, the Suez Canal opened and trade traffic again increased. In addition, the opening of the Suez Canal the Mediterranean Sea also became an important strategic location for many European nations and as a result, the United Kingdom and France began building colonies and naval bases along its shores. Today the Mediterranean is one of the busiest seas in the world. Trade and shipping traffic is prominent and there is also a significant amount of fishing activity in its waters. In addition, tourism is also a large part of the regions economy because of its climate, beaches, cities, and historic sites. Geography of the Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a very large sea that is bounded by Europe, Africa, and Asia and stretches from the Strait of Gibraltar on the west to the Dardanelles and the Suez Canal on the east. It is almost completely enclosed aside from these narrow locations. Because it is almost landlocked, the Mediterranean has very limited tides and it is warmer and saltier than the Atlantic Ocean. This is because evaporation exceeds precipitation and runoff and circulation of the seas waters does not occur as easily as it would if were more connected to the ocean, however enough water flows into the sea from the Atlantic Ocean that is water level does not fluctuate much. Geographically, the Mediterranean Sea is divided into two different basins- the Western Basin and the Eastern Basin. The Western Basin extends from the Cape of Trafalgar in Spain and the Cape of Spartel in Africa in the west to Tunisias Cape Bon in the east. The Eastern Basin stretches from the  eastern boundary of the Western Basin to the coasts of Syria and Palestine. In total, the Mediterranean Sea borders 21 different nations as well as several different territories. Some of the nations with borders along the Mediterranean include Spain, France, Monaco, Malta, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco. It also borders several smaller seas and is home to over 3,000 islands. The largest of these islands are Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Cyprus, and Crete. The topography of the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea is varied and there is an extremely rugged coastline in is northern areas. High mountains and steep, rocky cliffs are common here, though in other areas the coastline is flatter and dominated by desert. The temperature of the Mediterraneans water also varies but in general, it is between 50 F and 80 F (10 C and 27 C).​ Ecology of and Threats to the Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea has a large number of different fish and mammal species that are mainly derived from the Atlantic Ocean. However, because the Mediterranean is warmer and saltier than the Atlantic, these species have had to adapt. Harbor porpoises, Bottlenose Dolphins, and Loggerhead Sea Turtles are common in the sea. There are a number of threats to the  biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea, though. ​Invasive species are one of the most common threats as ships from other regions often bring in non-native species and Red Sea water and species enter the Mediterranean at the Suez Canal. Pollution is also a problem as cities on the coasts of the Mediterranean have dumped chemicals and waste into the sea in recent years. Overfishing is another threat to the Mediterranean Seas biodiversity and ecology as is tourism because both are putting strains on the natural environment. References: How Stuff Works. (n.d.). How Stuff Works - The Mediterranean Sea. Retrieved from: http://geography.howstuffworks.com/oceans-and-seas/the-mediterranean-sea.htm

DRIVING WITH STRESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DRIVING WITH STRESS - Essay Example Of course driving while stressed (and the stress does not just have to be from the traffic) has a lot of psychological factors and implications involved. This is what is often labelled as traffic psychology .The study of this area allows us to explain our driving reactions and behaviours more rationally .When we are driving the vehicle becomes an extension of our body and our thoughts and frustrations start leaking out in the way we operate the vehicle. For example using the car horn constantly and driving the steering wheel aggressively mean that there is some pent up anger or stress with in our minds and bodies. Trying to overtake other people's cars may mean that deep inside we are resenting the stress in some other part of our lives where there is possible we resent being dominated. "Perceived control was a significant negative predictor of state driver stress in high traffic congestion, and it approached significance as a negative predictor of state stress in the low congestion condition. Occupational stress only predicted state driver stress in low traffic. ... No gender differences in state driver stress were found."3 As humans we react differently to different social situations and then develop explanations for their actions and reactions. Every time we are faced with a decision or any kind of an encounter or interaction the mind starts adopting itself to our situation and thus we suffer from stress from new situations which our brain is not programmed to process. Driving stress is one of the reasons for such lapses in the programmed line of thought when an intervening act like the incidental cues we need to pick up in traffic challenge us. There are a number of factors which may define the reasons for our reactions in times of stress. Stress is dangerous for drivers as it may kill or cause accidents or further bodily disorders. What is necessary for the drivers is to use coping strategies to eliminate or counter "driver stress". What is "Driver stress" then Driver stress is defined by increased "aggression and alertness, a dislike of driving, and frustration and irritation elicited by interaction with other road-users, in particular in relation to overtaking. It is associated with life stresses and health and emotional problems and affects the driver's road safety."4 According to academics an analysis of the reasons for fatigue and stress amongst drivers reveals that there are multiple factors like the distance travelled, or sleeping disorders, worry and emotional stress, related to work or to life events; or road rage5. Psychological and medical analysts suggest that stress is not always a product of fatigue and the two are very much different. It also has to be noted is that stress is not always brought on

Trinidad and Tobago is a good country to do Internation Business with Term Paper

Trinidad and Tobago is a good country to do Internation Business with - Term Paper Example Considering that it is currently on an economic high, Trinidad and Tobago is a good country to do international business with. Trinidad and Tobago has the highest per capita income in terms of direct foreign investments in the region. There are more than 150 firms that have already established businesses in the country. These companies include Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Citicorp, Fujitsu and PricewaterhouseCoopers (International Monetary Fund 4). Currently, the country is enjoying its highest foreign investments opportunities in history. Fueling the high levels of foreign direct investment is the country’s expansion of its energy sector. Trinidad and Tobago also offers a warm, diverse and stable business climate, which is contrary to the unpredictability witnessed in other Caribbean countries. The country also boasts a diverse cultural setting that makes it easy for locals and foreign investors to set up and carry out business activities (Rojas-Suarez and Elias 17). The bus iness environment in Trinidad and Tobago makes it an ideal country to do international business with. The country’s socio-economic, cultural and political structure sets it apart from its neighbors in the Caribbean since it offers excellent investment opportunities for both big and small international businesses. ... The country is also considered to be the most industrialized in the Caribbean and Latin America region (International Monetary Fund 7). Trinidad and Tobago has not always been an investor’s choice of business destination. The twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago were Spanish colonies before they fell into British authority during the early 19th century. At the time, much of the country’s economy was pegged on its sugarcane industry which came to near collapse following the emancipation of slaves in 1834. However, the importation of plantation workers soon revived the sugar industry and enhanced the coca industry. A further boost to the country’s economy was realized with the discovery of oil reserves in 1910. Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence from the British in 1962 and has been expanding its economic opportunities ever since (Rojas-Suarez and Elias 176). There are two major ethnic groups in Trinidad and Tobago: Indian and African. The Indians make up 4 0% of the total population while Africans are about 37% of the population. People of mixed ethnicity make up about 21 percent of the population. According to July 2011 estimates, the country has a population of about 1,227,500 people. A majority of the country’s citizens lie in the 15-64 years age bracket. This means that the labor market is quit big in the country. 14% of the total population can be found in the urban areas, with many being in the country’s capital, Port of Spain (CIA World Factbook). This is because the majority of the country’s industries and businesses are based in the urban areas. Many of the people of Trinidad and Tobago are either Christian or Hindu. However there is a sizable number (less than 20 percent) who profess the Muslim

Changes In The Land By Cronon Review Essay Example for Free

Changes In The Land By Cronon Review Essay Changes in the Land by William Cronon offers countless intimate observations and gatherings regarding the ecology of New England and the encounters between the colonists and the native americans. Cronon interprets and analyzes the different happenings in New Englands plant and animal environments that occurred with the shift from Indian to European dominance. As the distant world and inhabitants of Europe were introduced to North Americas ecosystem, the boundaries between the two were blurred. Cronon uses an arsenal of evidence to discuss the circumstances that brought upon drastic ecological consequences following European contact with New England. Cronon made use of reports and records in addition to scientific data as evidence for his arguments. Court records, town hall records, descriptions by travelers, surveyor records, etc. proved invaluable to Cronons arguments. Europeans saw the land from an economic standpoint and tended to focus upon merchantable commodities, ignoring economically insignificant aspects of nature. Cronon stated that the environment the Europeans first encountered in New England stunned them. Early descriptions were restricted to the coastline, but the accounts all agreed on the astounding level of animal and plant life in New England. The european settlers were not used to so much untamed land, as landscape for hunting in England was reserved to large landowners and the Crown. Heavy forests covered the New England terrain, which was also new to the settlers, as England had exhausted most of its timber as fuel. European settlers were struck by the absence of domesticated animals, which played a vital role in European agriculture. The European settlers and the Indians had different values on life and had differing opinions on how they should use the land around them. According to Cronon, Many  European visitors were struck by what seemed to them the poverty of Indians who lived in the midst of a landscape endowed so astonishingly with  abundance The Europeans often criticized the Indian way of life. They failed to understand why the Indians willingly went hungry during the winter months when they knew food scarcity was impending. The settlers were impressed by the frequent burnings the Indians performed in the f orest, which allowed for better hunting grounds and planting fields. However, the settlers criticized the division of labor between the Indian males and females. The Europeans practiced land ownership, while most Indians believed merely in territorial rights. To the Indians, people owned what they made with their own hands. Agricultural fields, gathering areas, and fishing sites could be owned, but unique patterns were formed for the hunting of different animals. The settlers were either granted their land by the crown, or they purchased it from the natives. This very act by the crown of granting land with no consideration of prior ownership demonstrates both the views of Europeans towards land-use and their disregard for the Indians claims to it. Instead of the seasonal migration that the Indians practiced, European settlers strove to improve the land. This meant a greater use of agriculture than the Indians. The use of livestock such as cattle, hogs, and sheep to the environment was also introduced. The Europeans destroyed large swaths of forest in order to provide space for crops and pasture. Forests were used for fences, ships masts, potash, and fuel. Deforestation killed Indian hunting grounds, forever changing their way of life. Deforestation altered microclimates, hydrology, and soil mechanics. Swamps developed in previously dry places, promoting disease in those areas. Trade had a profound affect on the area, forcing Indians to put prices on certain items for the first time. Europeans traded wampum from the Long Island Sound up  into New England in exchange for products such as furs. Indian economies were now tied to international markets, and they had an incentive to produce more than just self-sufficient numbers of products. Technology also made hunting increasingly easier. Animal populations in New England were strained, and in several instances were overhunted. The fur trade in the north dried up by the end of the 17th century, and even the deer populations were diminishing. As trade goods dried up, Indians were forced to give up their only remaining  commodity-land. By far the most dangerous organisms that the Europeans carried to America were diseases. The first recorded epidemic in New England took place in the south in 1616. Depopulation promoted conditions of turmoil while also justifying the European seizure of Indian lands. As the Indian populations diminished, edges returned to the forest, further harming the local animal populations. Attacks by colonists and intertribal warfare concentrated Indians into denser, more permanent settlements, which promoted the spread of disease. Invasions by European animals required that the Indians build fences to protect their crops. Now living in permanent, fenced-in, and densely populated settlements, the Indian way of life was more similar to that of Europe than to their original way of life.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby - Symbols and Symbolism :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Symbolism is what makes a story complete.   In "The Great Gatsby" Fitzgerald cleverly uses symbolism.   Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather, to the colors of clothing the characters wear.   There are three main symbols used in The Great Gatsby, they are The East and West Egg, the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, and the eyes of Dr.T.J. Eckleburg.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most important symbols in the novel is class and social   standing. It is like a barrier for almost every character. East and West Eggs act as a symbol of this by its physical makeup. Tom and Daisy live on the   East which is far more refined and consists of people with more money and a higher social status. East Egg also represents the "old money." Nick and   Gatsby are on the West, which is for people who don't have any real standing, even if they have money.   The West Egg represents the "new money."   The green light shines from the East Egg to the West Egg luring Gatsby towards what he has always wanted. And Daisy, the woman that Gatsby has always wanted but   never gets, lives on East Egg. There is also a barrier of water between the two cities that keeps people like Daisy and Gatsby apart from one another and keeps them from reaching their goals and what they want in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another symbol used in the novel was colors.   The first was the green   light.   The light was only a light, however to Gatsby it becomes his dream   for the future.   The light symbolizes hope and dream.   The dream is Daisy.   Gatsby buys the house across the bay so he can see the Buchanan's light.   Later in the story when Gatsby has Daisy the importance of the light   diminishes.   The color yellow in the story often represents death.   Myrtle   dies after being hit by a yellow car.   Another example of yellow representing death is the scene just before Gatsby enters the pool, "He shook his head and in a moment disappeared among the yellowing trees" (Fitzgerald 169).   This   shows that he was about to die just as the leaves in the tree were.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The final symbol used in the story is the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg.   Until George Wilson decides that they are the eyes of God, they are simply   viewed as an unexplained image, as they stare down on the valley of ashes.   The eyes could mean anything to the observer, but they often make them

Human Capital, Inequality and Growth in Transition Economies Essay

Human Capital can be defined as the accumulation of competences and knowledge in individuals gained through education and experience, not forgetting their personality attributes. All these put together enable individuals effectivley perform profitable and revenue generating economic activities. Such competent persons in a society are at times reffered to as a workforce or laborforce. Some examples of investments in humans that result in human capital are education, health and training. As Becker says, human capital investments raise the earning ability of individuals, improve health and add to an individuals’ good habits. The term inequality generally refers to disparities in access to opportunities or resources amongst individuals, groups or even countries. Some of the common causes of inequality are; gender, race, age, geographical location and even cultural practices. Inequality normally results in observable differences in levels of growth and development of individuals or from one society to another. Education is the process through which individuals are able to acquire basic skills necessary for life. It is the understanding and interpretation of knowledge that empowers individuals to develop a logical and rational mind. The rational mind is then is able to determine relationships amongts pertinent variables, thereby fostering understanding. Education involves completing curriculum based fixed time achievements, aimed at building professional capabilities. At the individual level, it develops the capabilities and potentials of the individual so as to prepare them to be successful in a specific society or culture. In this case therefore, education serves an individuals’developmental needs. When education happens at the societal level, it is thus defined as a process by which society transmits to new members the values, beliefs, knowledge and symbollic expressions that make communication possible within that society. In this sense, education serves a social and cultural function. Roland (2000) says that transition economics, also known as transformation economics refers to a state whereby economies have gradually changed over from socialism to capitalism, an example being the former socialist economies. There is a shift from standardized prices and monetary theories to institutions geared towards a higher efficiency. This transition can only thrive if there is sustained government and political support. The Soviet Union in full, is known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), It was characterised by a single communist political party, a planned economy and the KGB security agency which closely monitored activities within the union. USSR was formed in December 1922 and by 1956, it was comprised of 15 countries with Moscow being the capital city. The fifteen countries included; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Dissolution of USSR begun in 1985 and continued upto 1991, with the fifteen member states gaining their independence a few months before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, restructuring of the administrative functions and development of a market based system was immediately embarked on through Yeltsins’ shock program. The aim was to improve standards of living, ensure equitable resource allocation, create new production avenues, promote liberalization, and provide incentives through privatization activities. However, a free and liberalised market did not come without ny challenges. By 1992 Russia suffered a deppressed life expectancy, twenty five percent of the population lived in abject poverty, there were low birthrates, and a downward sloping Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, due to increased investment activities, exploitatation of valuable natural resources and increased business development activites, the economy begun to make significant improvement. The aim of this paper is to explore how education as a factor of human capital and inequality influenced growth in transition economies, with respect to the former Soviet Union countries (FSU). Theoretical research Human capital with regard to education and levels of inequality both have an impact on the growth experienced in transition economies. This growth is therefore an end result of quality educational investments and equitable distribution and allocation of vital resources across a country. Such a hypothesis makes growth the dependent variable whose outcome is influenced by two independent variables namely; education and inequality. Observation of growth and development trends in transition economies and the developing world, have shown that education can have both positive and negative impacts on an economy. One of the positive impacts is that persons who possess the relevant knowledge and skills required by organizations are able to access better job opportunities as opposed to those who are poorly educated. In addition, high levels of education enable individuals to secure jobs in other countries, thus helping to alleviate the problem of unemployement in their mother country. Spagat (2002) observed that during Russia’s transition, intellectual individuals were more motivated to pursue more education opportunities and in return, became very successful in their careers. In regard to the economic transition in the former Soviet Union countries (FSU), educated parents who still held education in high esteem, were very focused on ensuring that their children acquired the same level of education as them or even higher. While on the other hand those parents who viewed education as a burden rather than an investment focused on the bare minimum, that is, basic education. The result of this attitude was that these particular families remained trapped at a basic education level and so was their access to income generating opportunities. Through education and training, individuals acquire problem solving skills and entrepreneur management skills which inturn, help them set up and operate successful ventures, in the process creating employment opportunities. In addition, as the field of education grows within a country with more universities, colleges, high schools and primary schools being constructed, more job opportunities are created in the education sector. Persons who are well educated are likely to secure better paying jobs, which inturn increases their purchasing power plus it increases the demand for goods and services available in the economy. The net effect of this, is creation of more job opportunites in the production and service sectors. These persons are able to improve their standards of living including those of their dependants. In addition, issues of health and fertility are decided upon from a knowledgeable point, (Newell and Reilly, 1999). Through education, individuals are exposed to society and they acquire important attributes and values that can help them enhance their capacity to interact and relate with other persons in society. As a result, they able to adapt and cope with the dynamics of the workplace. Last but not least, education as a contributor to human capital enhances economic growth and development in a country, since the human capital is equipped on how to exploit the countrys’natural resources profitably. Countries lacking this human capital are neither able to exploit their resources adequately, nor are they able to develop their economy at the desired pace. Barro (1998) argues that human capital enhances absorption and application of superior technologies from other countries. Young and educated persons under the guidance of the older folk are able to conduct research and development. The improved technology in a transitional economy enhances the speed and quality of production of goods and services, through improved and more cost efficient work processes. The young industries are in turn able to meet rising demands, both domestic and foreign hence increasing their revenues and taxes to the government. Munich et al (1999), argue that in a transition economy, government support and positive attitude towards investments in human capital is essential. The government has to allocate funds for example for building schools and also for enticing people to enroll in this schools. However, the maintenance of the enrollment levels is a continued process whose economic benefits are only realised over time as was seen in the Czech Republic. In support of this argument, Spagat (1995) warns that it is even though human capital takes years to accumulate, it actually takes a very short while to deteriorate, hence governments cannot afford to postpone this investment, even temporarily. The governments must ensure that education and other skills are transferred effectively from one generation to the next. Restructuring of education, needs to be done from the very beginning of the transition from socialism, in order to immediately improve educations’ quality. There is a multiplier effect that comes with better quality education. The first being an increased access to job opportunities, higher wages and consequently more tax revenue for the government. The major effect however, is that it sets the standards for future generations, both in terms of quality of education and future incomes, (Spagat, 2002). Fan et al (1999) said that the young people of Russia during the transition had little or no motivation to put effort to pursue education. This is because the education system had not been restructured to match the market-oriented system and therefore the returns were not high. World Bank (1995) accused Russia of concentrating on spewing out scientists and engineers instead of producing a mixture of professionals who would support the different sectors of Russia’s’ economy. They only increased between 1991 and 1994, but this human capital investment deteriorated again by 1996, (Brainerd (1998). In order to make ends meet, many dropped out of school and opted for jobs such as taxi drivers, street vendors and some even joined the Mafioso for a quick buck. All was not lost however, when we remember individuals like the Hungarian–American entrepreneur George Soros, who provided funds that would help these countries implement reforms for a better future. OECD (1996) advised that schools and tertiary institutions should not be the only avenues through which education is attained. OECD (1996) advised that adult learning should be encouraged in order to help the older generations access more income. In addition, pre-schooling of children below the age of formal schooling, which was a common feature of the FSU countries fostered child development and also prepared these children for formal education. In these former Soviet Union countries, the major advantage of pre-schooling their young children was in the fact that it freed the women to participate in economic activities, and it also reduced education disparities between children of the educated parents and those of the less educated parents. Micklewright (2000) wrote that investment in learning institutions ensures sustained educational gains. For example, in some of the Soviet Union countries, teachers earned wages so low that they spent their time looking for more income instead of teaching. In addition, repair and maintenance of the buildings was neglected and with lack of heating during winter, schools would be closed. The other problem was the shortage of textbooks. However, these countries tried to salvage the situation by offering meals at school between 1989 and 1996, in order to entice parents to take their children back to school. In countries such as, Yugoslavia, Armenia, Georgia, Tajikistan and Albania, the transition was characterised by serious geographical disparities caused by war, civil and ethnic strife. Facilities were destroyed, hundreds of families were displaced out of their homes and schools were closed, (World Bank, 1997b), thus slowing down the ongoing projects. Human capital is vital for growth of transition economies. Growth should be stimulated across all sectors of the economy and in each part of the country so as to rapidly raise the standards of living and reduce inequalities between urban and rural areas. Keen interest should be paid especially to rural areas, in order to eliminate the possibility of mushrooming of pockets of poverty across the country. According to Flemming and Micklewright (1999), ensuring that access to education is recognized by FSU countries as a human right as stipulated in international law, will greatly boost growth of human capital. Equal rights promote equal access to opportunities and it also reduces discrimination based on gender, race, religion or economic status. Income inequality rose in the Czech Republic and Russia and was very high between 1988 and 1996. In order to support a transition economy, Spagat (2002) suggests that a balance should be created between skilled and unskilled labour. This is because most young people either worked on a full time basis and neglected pursuit of higher education, or they pursued higher education and then begun working at a later stage. One of the negative impacts of education on a country is that by having too many educated persons, the labor market gets saturated thus resulting in a drop in the amount of wages that employers are willing to offer. In turn this acts as a demotivator of the labor force and may also result in brain drain whereby qualified personnel leave their mother country for better opportunities in other countries. The unemployed persons are normally seen resulting to social ills such as alcoholism, drug abuse and robbery amongst others. These social ills inturn dissuade local and foreign investors from putting their money in an unsafe country.

Papago Woman

Papago Woman, written by Ruth M. Underhill, is an ethnography of the life of a native american woman named Maria Chona, a member of the Southern Arizona Papago people located right outside of Tucson, Arizona on a reservation. Ruth lived among the Papago from 1931 till 1933. She studied the life of the Papago with her main subject an older Papago woman named Chona. She says at one point how she learned amongst these people and Chona, â€Å"I feel, nevertheless, that out of all this flurry there came the story as it had appeared in Chona's mind,† (27). By hearing the life of this Papago woman she learned about life as a Papago.To collect data about the Papago way of life and Chona, Ruth Underhill asked many questions. She was very forward with her questions at first because she had not yet known the Papago way of life, such as asking the name of Chona's dead son and not knowing that the name of the dead are not said out loud. Underhill integrated her life into that of the tribe. In the 3 years she stayed there she learned much through this method. She studied the language and Papago method of breathing by listening to the way they say their words and learned how they pronounce r's as l's and f's as p's.She also used translators along the way. Part one of the Papago woman describes Ruth Underhill's first encounter with the Papago people. Ruth goes to Tuscon, Arizona on a grant from Colombia University, the college she was attending, to live amongst this native american tribe in the southwest. Underhill drives to Arizona and meets a few friends living in Tuscon who tell her about the tribes people . They tell her how a few Papago come to their homes looking for work. They describe them as soft-spoken, brown people. Underhill inquired about any of the english speaking Papago she could meet.She is then introduced to a yardman, Rafeal, or Lapai in the language of his people. Lapai in turn takes her to meet a woman named Chona who lives on a reservation in an un furnished dwelling, similar to that of a cellar. Ruth listens with intent as Chona talks. Lapai translates the conversation for her. Throughout her stories, Ruth notices that Chona talks about how it used to be when she was a child. Ruth asks Chona about her family. She learns that Chona had two sons and a daughter but one son who was a medicine man died, the other is in Mexico, and the daughter got married and moved away.Ruth asks the name of Chona's dead soon and is met with an uncomfortable silence. Lapai tells Ruth that Chona had a sister who married a man named Lillat, whom she calls â€Å"husband-of-my-sister,† but died and Lillat was remarried with children (Underhill 5). They decided to go on a trip to visit Lillat and his family who lived far out on the reservation away from government headquarters. Soon they set out but not before the rest of the people living around Chona tried to all hitch a ride with Ruth to see Lillat. On the way, Ruth learned much about the lan d as the Papago know it.She learns about eating cholla during the dry season, or â€Å"hungry time,† (Underhill 8). Chona points to a white rock and tells Ruth about the kidnapping of the Papago woman by the Apache during the fall when the corn was ripe. Chona also mentions Coyote and I'itoi who are very important people in Papago stories of history. â€Å"Coyote,† she said, â€Å"helped put the world in order. Only he made mistakes,† (Underhill 9). She would not talk further about Coyote because, â€Å"These things about the Beginning are holy. They should not be told in the hot time when the snakes are out. The snakes guard our secrets.If we tell what is forbidden, they bite,† (Underhill 9). A few hours later they arrived at Lilliat's adobe home. In true Papago fashion, they waited to be welcomed. They all stood across from each other smiling. Lapai and Ruth were never introduced but instead were greeted with kind smiles of gratitude. She learned that t he Papago do not believe in sayings superficial things such as thank you but instead being welcomed through hospitality. With news of the guest arrival, the whole village came to eat at Lilliat's house. Before dinner began, the ways of child-rearing were viewed.The youngest son of Lilliat was told to â€Å"Shut the door,† and was not praised but instead allowed to sit on the men's side of the table. As dinner went on Ruth observed more and more of the Papago customs. Strangers were studied very carefully to see their true selves. Bedtime was early and the bed was on the ground. Early rising is custom of Papago because, â€Å"Papagos had learned how to deal with the sun and did not hate or fear it. Those who slept past the dawn light were set down as hopeless drones,† (Underhill 14). The day begin when men went to fill the water tanks.The water was shared and not thrown out with the guest being the first to use it. Women set to work with the meals for the day and basket -making. Later that day, a girl named Vela who could speak a little bit of english visited. She promised to help Ruth with translations. Ruth realized that her persistent questioning had been seen as ignorant and embarrassing to Chona. The women told Ruth about their job to bring the clouds to make rain. She soon discovered they would be taking a trip to gather cactus fruit to prepare wine for the rain festival.They rode to the sahuaro cactus to gather the pear-ish fruit. Ruth again learned about Coyote and I'itoi. â€Å"When I'itoi was furnishing the earth, he thought he would put sahuaro all over. Then everyone could have fruit without too much walking. But Coyote, he doesn't like work,† (Underhill 19). Coyote had not fully planted the seeds given to him by I'itoi to distribute the cacti and instead dropped them on the south hill. Then the cactus only grew on the south hill and not the north. The women gathered the cactus fruit and boiled it for the wine. Then it soon began to rain.Next, the people ventured to Lillat's parent village, Burnt Seeds, to gather for the rain festival. On their third night there the men dressed up for the dancing that would take place that night. They all gathered around a fire and danced and chanted in circles. The women picked the men they wanted and held hands to join in the dancing. They sang the same song continuously, â€Å"On the edge of the mountain, A cloud hangs. And there my heart, my heart, my heart, Hangs with it,† (Underhill 24). The next night when the wine had fermented the village gathered again to drink.This night was when they would drink until the wine was all gone which led to everyone getting drunk. The medicine man prophesied the rains would come after four days. A week from the night, the rains came and raged for a week. Once that ended the villagers once again gathered to sing and do work such a basket weaving. This chapter helps the ethnography by giving an example of Ruth's immersion into t he tribe by experiencing their traditions. In part two, Underhill begins by telling a little background on the Papago people and Chona. The origins of the Papago people are mentioned.They are closely related to the Pima people who live in lush lands near the border of Mexico. It is this reason that the Papago know them as the â€Å"River People† whilst the the Papago call themselves the â€Å"Desert People,† (Underhill 31). The Pima and the Papago were once one group split by the migration of the spanish missionaries. Since the desert had not attracted the church, the Pima, living in greater lands â€Å"adopted American names and American clothing, and by 1871 had an American school,† while the Papago people cherished their ancient way of life (Underhill 32).Ruth witnessed and documented the life of the Papago whilst studying the life of a 90 year old woman named Maria Chona, â€Å"She was the daughter of a prominent leader, Jose Maria, nicknamed Con Quien. â⠂¬  (Underhill 32). She loved her father and therefore â€Å"accepted her culture completely,† (Underhill 33). Ruth was able to write the biography with little fluency in the Papago language and with Chona knowing a small bit of Spanish. What Ruth noticed about the stories of the Papago was there repetitive nature. Small details that are not important to non-Papago natives are confusing.Things such as emotion were summed up in ways such as â€Å"I liked it,† or â€Å"I did not like it,† (Underhill 33). Chona wanted Ruth to write everything exactly as she told it but due to the emphasis on details and repetition, the non-native readers of the story would not be satisfied. Chona, we learn, â€Å"As a woman, she could not take part the ceremonial life,† but, â€Å"Chona accepted her status without stress or rancor,† (Underhill 34). She possessed an interesting background, one where she had two husbands. Her first husband was a shaman. Chona also had a co-wife, since polygamy was a norm amongst her people, whom she resented.She describes her home growing up. She lived at Mesquite Root in a grass house. Her father was the chief there. As a child the girls did not wear tops. Water was scarce and what was there was red in color, â€Å"Oh yes, our water was always red. It made the corn gruel red. I liked that earth taste in my food,† (Underhill 36). The men of the village would go to hunt without water because it was considered womanly to bring water along. Chona's mother would ground seeds to make flour while her father would listen to people problems. Her father also liked to gamble, gaining himself the nickname The Gambler.The men would smoke tobacco often during gambling. When it was time to eat, the dishes were not washed, â€Å"When we had finished we did not wash the dishes. How could we, with no water,† (Underhill 38). Due to water scarcity they were not able to bathe either. When the children would play the bo ys would catch rats and roast them for all to eat. They would also go to the racetrack to run. When they were hungry they would gather food planted by Elder Brother, â€Å"Elder Brother planted those things for us,† (Underhill 39). When it was time for rainy season, Chona would experience the same ritual that Ruth would years later picking the cactus fruit.During the time of menstruation, Chona's mother would enter into the Little House so as not to bring bad luck and death to her father during war. For the men if they were â€Å"Killers† then they would have to be purified (Underhill 41). This meant they were separated from their family for days. Everyone in the family would be cleansed and gain power from the dead enemy. In her family, Chona's grandfather had been a medicine man. Due to this association and her brother behavior it was known that he would be a medicine man. Chona's family was always sick.The medicine man would come to their house constantly to heal th em. He sang songs to cure what ailed them. Singing seemed to be a big part of Chona's life. It was natural to her family and soothing to her. People would dream of owls and then sing in front everyone so that the owls would go away, â€Å"People had to be sent for who had dreamed of owls, because that is how all songs come, by dreaming,† (Underhill 48). At one time an evil medicine man sent a a sickness that covered the whole village. So medicine men begin to walk into each hut waving branches to gather the sickness.Chona did not get as sick as everyone else did. She did begin to have visions. She saw things that no one else did but it was natural to her because of her family background. During summers the corn was planted. It was said that, â€Å"The corn was once a man and he lured a woman away to sleep with him,† (Underhill 52) They would sing about that encounter and plant the corn so that it would grow strong. Summers also made the people happy because it was when the rain would come. Ruth also gathered that from what she heard form Chona was that their was a story for every occurrence.So just like the corn, there was a story for the rain. The story was turned into singing that would help bring the rain along with the cactus festival. Like her father, Chona was hardworking, passionate, and a gambler. She was so good at gambling that she even beat a grown woman. As she got older she went through menses, â€Å"Girls are very dangerous at that time,† (Underhill 57). When girls go through menses they would bring lightning into the village and go to the Little House behind their families homes to prevent these occurrences that happen during menstruation.When her dangerous time came to an end after a month , she was bathed to prevent death to her family and her hair was washed with soapweed fibers, â€Å"That is the way women should always wash their hair and it will never grow gray,† (Underhill 59). During this period the girl would also grow very thin, â€Å"We girls are like strips of yucca fiber after our coming of age is over,† (Underhill 61). At cleansing she was named Cha-veela as is customary during this time. When it was time to marry, Chona did not know her husband. He was a medicine man's son.Her breast had grown large so it was her time marry. Her father told the boy's parents about the marriage and they agreed to it. The boy was told last about the marriage. Her father gave her advice on how to be a good wife, â€Å"That husband of yours, listen to him,† (Underhill 62). For the marriage they had to lie together in her hut with her mother beside her for four nights. This is how Papago are married and she moves in with him after. Her husband has three brothers but one is a man-woman, â€Å"The third brother was called Shining Evening and he was a man-woman,† (Underhill 64).After a while she became dangerous again and goes through menstruation. When she is integrated into the fami ly, the mother tattoos her chin with four black marks. At one point Chona goes with her husband to se a race against the River People. Her people won and received many items from the betting. Chona has her first child and becomes very superstitious as not to harm the child, â€Å"I was kind to the people in our village who looked sick or ugly, and I never laughed at them, so that my baby should have a good body,† (Underhill 66).Soon after, two of her husband's brothers marry. The wives always stayed with Shining Evening when the men were out, â€Å"We girls used to spend all day with that man-woman, Shining Evening,† (Underhill 67). Chona had six children with her husband, five of which were boys and one a girl. The boys all died. She would leave her babies at home sometimes to go help the Mexicans with their harvest. They were always on the lookout for Apaches, the enemy, and were almost killed. They vowed never to go to the Mexicans alone again. Her husband started h aving visions.He was a Coyote-Meeter, â€Å"When he had his medicine man's dreams, it was our comrade, Coyote, who came to him and sang him songs,† (Underhill 71). soon after her husband became a medicine man. After this occurrence her father died and the medicine men could not save him. They buried him with his blanket, pillows, and a few valuables. White men soon came and brought with them whisky. The men of the village would drink this and have visions like a medicine man would, â€Å"Men grew crazy when they drank that whiskey and they had visions,† (Underhill 74).For some time Chona would leave to visit other villages. One time when she was returning, she heard news that her husbands had married again. Chona was heartbroken and left him. She took her child and went to her brother. Her uncle who resided there married her to an old rich man despite her disagreement because women had no say in matters such as these. Her new husband brought her many things. She learne d that her first husband had grown sick and died upon hearing the news. He did not want his second wife and cried when he heard of Chona's marriage, â€Å"I never saw my first husband again.They told me when he heard of my new marriage he cried,† (Underhill 78). Soon after his death Chona caught falling hair sickness, a disease from the white people. A medicine man cured her and taught her how to cure. Chona has two sons from her second husband. One, a medicine man, died young because a wild woman was with him, â€Å"She lay with my son in the house when she should have been at the Little House,† (Underhill 85). Ruth learns that seven years prior to her arrival, Chona's second husband had died. After she was alone in her home she would go to visit her daughters home at Burnt Seeds village.This chapter helps the ethnography by having Ruth hear exactly what she came there to learn. It tells the life of an actual Papago women. Part three briefly talks about child-rearing amongst the Papago. Children are always surrounded, â€Å"The Papago child was born not into a single family but into a group,† (Underhill 89). The child is taught to be apart of the group and never seen as an annoyance. They learn action through observation. One of the most important was not to speak the name of the dead, â€Å"Because if the dead hear they may think you are calling them.And they will come and take you because they are so lonely,† (Underhill 90). Ruth also learns that a woman's place is not with the men. She had realized how separated things were between the sexes. The woman told her they do not fret because, â€Å"Why should we envy men? We made the men,† (Underhill 92). Another thing she noticed was the lack of love stories among the Papago. The woman told her that there were love songs and stories but not many. Woman would also become enamored with the men bringing back scalps and chase after them, â€Å"Some women went crazy and ran after men-but it was the ‘scalps,'† (93).The Papago in the present are also talked about. Ruth says, â€Å"By the time of my visit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs had moved in,† (94) and they were soon introduced to more modern ways. Men joined the army learning english and schools were built. The Papago today vote and have dictionaries in their own language. This chapter helps the ethnography by giving a short insight on the child-rearing, love amongst the Papago, and present day Papago. The most important issues of the ethnographer seemed to be retelling the story in a way that readers could understand.Ruth mentions this in the beginning of chapter two about the way the story was told in traditional indian style which is confusing to outsiders. The most important aspect of interpreting things like this seems to be that the observer must live amongst the people to fully understand their ways and interpret them for others. This is the same for the film â€Å" A Man Calle d Bee† and the Yanomamo text. The perspective of the ethnographer is that the Papago people are so different from the outside world; soft-spoken and tribal in their ways.This colored her analysis through her main focus on an older resident of the tribe who had grown up the Papago way. The ethnographers methods are convincing because she relays a story just like it was told to her and includes her experience amongst the people making the report all the more convincing. Ruth does not necessarily generalize her findings because she tells of the present Papago, interviews, and has older tribe member giving a story on that side of life, and includes the writer's own experience at the rain festival.This ethnography helped me to see how an older people lived. The Papago are ancient in their ways and I see that when I compare their way of life to my own. Ruth reinforced my assumptions about human behavior mostly when she described the ways men and women were separated and seen in diff erent lights, much like today. Works Cited Underhill, R. M. U. (1979). Papago Woman. (Reprint ed. , Vol. 1, p. 98). Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc.

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buy custom Psychic-Mystical Aspects of Metaphysics essay Chapter 1: Introduction Metaphysics is aimed towards explaining the fundamental concepts of existence and the universe. Metaphysics originates from Aristotles philosophies (Loux, 2006, p. 5). However, the first philosopher of Metaphysics known till date is Thales of Miletus. He taught that everything originates from one single cause (termed as Arche). In metaphysics we address questions regarding the purpose of existence and various ways in which life and university could exist. Metaphysics helps us to understand our position in the universe. Metaphysics defines universe as a totality of the possibilities which can be repetitive. If we add these possibilities then we can derive the basic laws of universe. Mysticism is a phenomenon filled with subtle shades, both linguistic and metaphysical. Mysticism deals with consciousness that is beyond the stratum of normal human perceptions. It includes both experiences and divine union with the ultimate being. Mysticism originated from the mystikos (Louth, 2007, p. 204). The mystikos were considered to be those practicing the mystery religion. Their cult involved yearly ceremonies of goddesses Persephone and Demeter. These ceremonies were conducted secretly near Athens in ancient Greece. The mystikos date back to the Mycenaean period - around 1600 B.C. It was persistent for two thousand years. During the Hellenic era, these annual ceremonies shaped up as a key carnival and extended till ancient Rome (Louth, 2007, p. 204). Mysticism is a concept that cannot be expressed or bounded by definitions. However the explanation of mysticism has taken various literary forms which we will cover in details in the fourth chapter. Psychic is an individual competent in reception and extraction of information via mental sensory receptors. The word Psychic was coined by Fredrick Myers. He was the president and founder of the Society for Psychical Research. This term was later adopted by J.B. Rhine, who is a psychologist in Duke University. Clairaudience, Telepathy, Clairvoyance, etc are examples of some psychic abilities. The term psychic originated from the Greek word psychikos which means mental or related to the mind. A French astronomer named Camille Flammario is known to have first used the term psychic. Speculations and arguments regarding the source of psychic abilities or the reasons for the same have varied theories. As per empirical data and scientific research we use only 10% of our brain. Our brain has two compartments. The left side can be considered as the logical side, which is accountable for producing rational thought. Again it is said that the right hand side of our brain is active for creative effort, thus it is known as the creative or imaginative side- it is accountable for imaginative thoughts and intuition. Primarily, the left side of our brain is used more compared to the right. If we know the technique to balance these two sides then a pathway to ninety percent part of the brain opens up, that we generally dont use. This is the component of our brain capable of psychic and self healing activities, if used in a proper manner. In this thesis, we will discuss about the various philosophies related to the mystical and psychic aspects of metaphysics. We will begin with the literature review on western philosophies and eastern philosophies. Chapter 2: Review of Literature Western Philosophies on Metaphysics Aristotle The foremost significant work in philosophy was done by Aristotle. The main topic of this work was understanding being qua being. A common fallacy is the thinking that here Aristotle is talking about one subject being qua being - which is under investigation. However, instead of two objects i.e. study and subject matter, Aristotles description indicates towards three objects- subject matter, study and the manner of conducting the study (Furth Aristotle, 1985, p. 27). Thus being qua being is about observing and learning about the beings and the objects that study these beings in a meticulous manner. It is the art of understanding and affirming on something- simply on the basis of its existence. The fundamental question of metaphysics is defining ousia or substance (Furth Aristotle, 1985, p. 33). In the book Metaphysics A.1 Aristotle said that wisdom is about the cause-effect principles of matter. Therefore these causes and principles are the areas to be researched upon to answer the primary question of metaphysics. This is what Aristotle termed as first philosophy. In his book Aristotle says that first philosophy is concerned with PNC (the principal of non contradiction). The first philosophy principles appear academic, hypothetical and remote from the genre of ordinary experience. But according to Aristotle such principles can be researched by someone, who has researched natures laws and principles. Physics is a field which involves understanding Natures laws and principles via experimentation. Thus, Aristotle has rightly termed that the focus area of first philosophy as coming after the Physics. But the study of beings in metaphysics differs from subjects like Natural Science or Mathematics from the perspective angle. Mathematics studies beings as quantifiable entities and Natural Science observes beings as entities involved in Natures laws. However, Metaphysics first enquires the cause behind the existence and survival of beings. While defining being and its existence, Aristotle said that the faculty of sensation is present in all beings, however only in case of some, this sensation acts as a generator of memory. Memory is the key driver in the learning process. Therefore, those having the power of memory are better learners and are termed more intelligent than others. Memory and sensation together helps animals to learn. However, there is more important than plain learning that human beings express. This is what Aristotle termed as connected experience (Furth Aristotle, 1985, p. 47). Categories, is Aristotles work on logic that directs the manner of making a proposition and inferring from the same. Aristotle divided all beings into ten categories and determines the first category i.e. substance (ousia) as most important. Thus, the books , , and of Aristotle deal with the study of substance. In his book .2 Aristotle says that beings can be termed as substances only in their key sense and to non-substantial categories in secondary sense (Bohn Aristotle, 1998, p. 2). However, it is still a topic of argument amongst philosophers regarding non-substantial categories. Aristotle on Psychic In De Anima Aristotle tries to define soul. In the second chapter he defines soul as that, which can be distinguished from another by the property of possessing life. Here he termed the self nutrition capability of plants as the only psychic power it possesses. He terms mind as eternal, because of its capability of solitary functioning- which differs itself from all other psychic powers. Aristotle defines psychic states in human as the states that are causally relevant to teleological explanation of the organisms movements. Eastern Philosophies on Metaphysics The eastern world philosophy concentrates on the unity of all living entities and the energy flow connecting them. Therefore the concept of every living entity being connected to another is the main essence of Eastern Philosophy. In this section we are going to discuss Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism in context of metaphysics. The Tao Philosophies Taoism was introduced as the State religion of China in 440 B.C. by Lao Tzu. Taoism believed in a life that balanced with nature and this balance is the key to a prosperous life. The word Tao means a force that interconnects all lives or living beings. The principles or the mechanism of this connection was, however, unknown to ancient Tao philosophers(Tao Longevity, 2004). Taoism defines the psychic powers as the key to augment the vital energy that is flowing through the cosmos- interconnecting all living beings. A practice in Taoism- known as SunDo directs individuals to enhance their vital energy by practicing lower abdominal breathing. This is also known as Taoist alchemy or metaphysics(Tao Longevity, 2004). Taoism believes that the energy from the third eye sustains the vitalities like awareness and mental attentiveness. The navel chakra radiates essence which is symbolic of physical fitness. Finally the heart chakra represents the source of energy that is emanated from the spir its of every living human. Complete development of these three qualities leads to enhancement of psychic powers (understanding of self and the surroundings). The Vedic Philosophies Vedas are the sacred texts of Aryans. The Vedic metaphysics believes in harmony that allows fusion of contrasting social values. Thus the Vedic prayer to the supreme creator is OM Shanti Shanti Shanti requesting the Lord to create and maintain peace all around (Sabhlok, 2011, p. 21). Around 8000 hymns in Vedas relate to metaphysics (Kapoor, p. 236). Vedic metaphysics defines weakness a consequence of desire for material pleasure, sensual pleasure and other psychic conditions. The remedy for such weakness in Vedic metaphysics is defined as Vidya or knowledge (Sabhlok, 2011, p. 25). The psi phenomenon in Vedic metaphysics is defined as the connection via a medium that is related to awareness or intellect (buddhi) and thought process (chinta) rather than senses and body (Sabhlok, 2011, p. 18). The divine instruments for enhancement of psychic power in Vedas have been identified as: mind (manas), spirit (jiva), soul (atma), pride (ahamkar), intellect (buddhi). The Nirguna Brahma is the supreme reality in the Vedas. The Vedic God has been termed as non describable. According to Sankrachrya- words recoil before him. He is beyond any categorisation and is the ultimate reality. The Vedas term corruption as the root for social destruction and cause of destruction of peace or shanti. History shows that the Roman Empire which was built upon conquered wealth got destroyed because of the materialism and corruption. Same was the story of the Indian Nanda dynasty (Kapoor, 2002, p.323). It was more important to remove corruption than build a mighty army in order to sustain an empire. Donations and presents are considered to be a form of corruption. However the Vedas say that any gift or amount given as charity, solely for the purpose of giving and with no other hidden intentions are Sattavic gifts and should not be termed as any form of corruption. These are seen in the Vedas as a divine gift from the Almighty. According to the Vedas charitable acts helps to purify ones soul. A question in Metaphysics is that Is the world reality or illusion? According to the Shuniya Vadins, the entire universe is void (Shunya), just like most part of an atom and only the spirit of the divine Lord reside there (Sabhlok, 2011, p. 160). Vedas also reflect on the power of Nature. Mankind grows up with Prakiriti and therefore is much familiar to Mother Nature and her boons as well as her wrath (Sabhlok, 2011, p. 4). In Rig Veda Nature has been described as Prakriti and in Yadur Veda as immortal mother. Earth is described as the kind and extremely tolerant Prithvi Devi. Nature is also described as the material cause or Matar in the Vedas that came in contact with Pitar (father in heaven). According to Bhagwat Gita- Nature is the foundation for determination of all causes, effects and agents (Sabhlok, 2011, p. 4). The Vedas defines consciousness as the key to identify reality. The Veda defines psychic healing or psycho kinesis as a result of self consciousness (Atman). It defines telepathy and the phenomenon of precognition as the sensory organs of Atman or eyes and hands of the soul. The psi phenomenon is basically defined in the Vedas as sensory reception by our soul, rather than our body. According to the Vedas- this psychic level is where we experience inner consciousness and have minimum level of awareness. In yogic philosophy, persons achieving such level of consciousness are termed as Siddhis. The Buddhist Philosophies Buddhism dates back to 6th century BC. Unlike other religions Buddhism is concerned with life more than afterlife. It guides us and tells us about how we should spend our life. Buddhism directs four noble truths. Buddhism says that suffering of mankind can be ended by following the eight fold path. Metaphysics of Buddhism depends on the basic principle that although the world exists, it is not permanent. Therefore the sufferings endured by the beings in the world are also not permanent. Buddhist phlosophy has two divisions- Hinayana and Mahayana. Mahayana is based on idealistic metaphysics and Hinayana is based on realistic metaphysics. Another name foe Hinayana is Theravada. Its metaphysical basis is ontology. In Theravada the world is compared to the peeling of an onion. Every entity depends on another, thus a single entity cannot be independent and therefore cannot be real. Therefore we can understand that the world is not permanent in this case. But in order to free ourselves fro m suffering we should spiritually understand the transitional reality. This will help us to lead a life with minimal suffering. In case of Mahayana, individual consciousness is considered to be independent from the world. Mahayana has three schools of thought: Yogachara, Sautantrika and Madhyamaika. Yogachara defines world as an abstract reality. It considers the world as unreal because of its non existence. It recognises only the existence of consciousness. This solitary state of existence is termed as Nirvana in the Yogachara school of thought. The Madhyamaika philosophy denies the existence of world just like Yogachara. However, in this case the existence of I or consciousness is analysed and scrutinised. Such scrutiny reveals that consciousness is inter wound with the world and cannot exist independently. Thus it denies both the world and consciousness or I. According to Sautantrika school of thought, the existence of world is based on our inference or our senses. Thus existence of the world is dependent on our collective consciousness. Chapter 3: Findings Physics and Metaphysics The interrelationship between different types of energies is an area of limitation of Quantum mechanics. Quantum theory assumes energy is transferred in packets- as light or as it is scientifically termed-photon particle. But atomic ultra structure has revealed that neutrinos are of two types and are also in photonic or energy packet form. This assumption is the reason of limitation of Quantum Mechanics, since all energies are not in packet forms. The wave particle duality concept or the uncertainty principle explains not only movements of matter but also forms of time itself. It considers not only the three dimensions, but also the fourth and the fifth dimension that vibrate like the three dimensions. In fact, these vibrations are responsible for the two forms of energy and gravity fields that generate the magnetic and light field. This is a significant property in to be considered in order to analyse the movement of pure energy- whether it is in packet form or not. The question: can a thing be justifiably considered strictly as a particle, or a wave, is addressed in the uncertainty principle. If one insists that a thing is a particle, then we should be able to determine quantitatively its fundamental properties like momentum or position which are inseparably associated with particles. Such measurements though extremely simple with macroscopic bodies (e.g. the planets, a football, a tennis ball, etc.), would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, in the case of very small particle like the electron. It is so, because the electron is too small to be seen directly and hence it can be observed only indirectly by perturbing it with an outside agency like an electric or magnetic field or a light photon. But, exposure of the electron to any such force will at once change its position or velocity (and hence its momentum). Heisenberg expressed this situation by stating that, the more accurately the position of a particle like the electron is defined , less accurately its velocity is known and vice versa. This principle was propounded by Heisenberg. The principle can be also expressed as It is impossible to measure simultaneously the exact velocity and the exact position of a small particle like the electron. If x represents the uncertainty in defining the position, and the uncertainty in defining the velocity is expressed as v, the mathematical expression for the uncertainty principle takes the form: , where h= Plancks constant, whose value is 6.62410-27 erg-sec. This equation implies that it is impossible to know simultaneously the velocity as well as the position of a small particle likes the electron accurately, which is the alternative statement of the uncertainty principle which has been already pointed out. The classical atomic model, which incorporates the concept of the electron moving in a definite orbit, where both its position and velocity (and hence, momentum) are exactly known, must be replaced, because it is in contradiction to the fundamental scientific principle - the uncertainty principle. Therefore, the wave-mechanical atom, expressing the position and velocity in terms of probability, is a logical and inevitable outcome which led to the concept of atomic orbital. The Uncertainty Principle helps in the understanding the reason behind the nature of organisation of this universe. The organisation of the universe in its present form is because of the fact that it could not have been organised in any other form considering the physical laws of existence. Other than the Uncertainty Principle, the concept of relativity in 21st century physics does not take into consideration all forms of energy that travels at a faster rate than that of light energy. Mainly the concepts of two different movements of time, the two different forms of gravity and instantaneous transfer of energy into actual space dimensions have been missed. The time differences in fourth and fifth dimensions were not accounted in the concept of relativity. Thirdly, we come to the String Theory. The String Theory failed to understand matter energy relationship and its explanation required 26 dimensions, whereas it could have been done in 5 dimensions. The fact that it cannot be proved or rejected on the basis of experimentation shows that some element is missing. The Quark Theory is also incomplete because it tries to fit in Nature. But quarks have not been observed in nature and there is much to doubt regarding their true existence. Particle physics has failed to understand that matter affects other matters as well as itself in the universe. This is why many of the fundamental particles in physics appear to have been created. The concept of virtual particles is foggy in the sense that if they are capable of creating magnetic field, then it is unlikely that they will remain undetected. Besides, virtual particles should travel exactly equal to the speed of light in order to retain their theoretical properties. To this date, physics or any other domain of science has failed to define God or at least explain the concept. Metaphysics defines God as the sum of energy, space and matter. Physics has failed to explain the reason for energy being perpetual. Metaphysics says that energy cannot be created or destroyed because energy is basically the vibrations of the dimensions of space. Metaphysics also defines space as indivisible. The energy in parts of space is due to the energy difference in itself. Space is a form of energy. This has been discussed in details in the following section. Psychic Powers and Energy In order to understand the energy involved in psychic abilities or psi, we first need to discuss the different forms of energy known to us in the universe. Time Speed of time depends on the reference of the observer to the speed of light. The simplest definition of energy is the kinetic energy of an object measured with respect to a reference frame. Thus fundamental energy is explained in terms of frame of reference. To reach the reference frame of comparatively faster object energy is required. And time is distorted in such kinetic energy fields and is affected by the uncertainty principle. Time can be considered as a scaffold in which energy is transferred. The movement of sub atomic particles, for e.g. electron from one point in the space to another point via absorption of energy is considered from the point of view of the observed as a jump in space. But there is another theory about the space being curved towards an object a fundamental property that makes the object instantaneously skip trillions of minuscule steps in space. Metaphysical scholars describe this as an illusion due to the difference in times rate. Time passes at different rates depending on the speed of the observers reference frame with respect to time. When the speed of the observers reference frame is close to the speed of light, then time runs slow. And when the observers speed of reference frame is minimal compared to the speed of light- then time runs fast(Reynolds, 2002, p. 188). Therefore if the speed of the observer becomes equal to the speed of light, then these differences are eliminated, and the object travelling at light speed can move through space instantaneously. Gravity The gravitational field of an accelerating object is the second most complicated form of energy. Energy is added or absorbed from the object or from the dimensions of space. There is a second type of gravity that leads to the space being wrapped around the object- leading to the formation of the fifth dimension. Magnetic Field It has been mathematically proved that magnetic field is a form of energy. However, scholars or metaphysics suggest there is a connection between gravity and magnetic field since its source is from the structure of matter and it itself is an extension of matter. Strong Field and Weak Field The weak field is a trillion times weaker than the magnetic force and is actually a by product of the strong force. The strong field is exactly opposite of magnetic energy. In this case the instantaneous speed of an object is directly proportional to its mass. Heat Matter is in pervasive motion. This motion is the fuel for the energy of matter. The acceleration of a matter is because of absorption of energy. And time measures such movement; therefore it has been defined in the earlier discussion as a framework for the transmission of energy and not a form of energy itself. (Reynolds, 2002, p. 188) Light The vibration of the dimensions of space- length, thickness and height and is what we know as light energy. The energy in a light particle or photon is directly proportional to the combinations of Plancks constant. Matter Matter can be termed as energy in its solid form. It is not a pure form of energy- since pure form of energy cannot bind with any other form of energy. Matter has instantaneous affect on other matter due to gravity leading to vibration of matter in space. Three Dimensions of Space The three dimensions of space- thickness, length, breadth are a form of energy that generates a magnetic field. Since, in case of magnetic field an area of space has more energy than the adjacent area. This difference in energy is not caused by any movement but due to the holding of energy by these three dimensions of space. Thought Process and Energy Metaphysics suggest that the endeavour of measuring and observing an object radiates or absorbs energy from the substance or space itself. After discussing the above forms of energy, we come to field that deals with the very foundation of psychic abilities or psi. Metaphysical researchers suggest that any idea or thought has some kind of minute effect in the universe. Ideas expressed or unexpressed remain as a form of energy. A hypothesis in this case is that there cant be a concept of generation of new idea- since all ideas exists in this universe in some form or the other. We can conclude by saying that our brain or mind is also a mystical form of energy. Such forms of energy do not travel in particulate or wave form in the space. Matter and Psi The common theory of formation of substance is that the universe initially was made up of electrons and anti electrons. This theory is in disparity to itself because such existence would be preposterous, since the particle and anti-particle would have neutralised each other leaving nothing else but emptiness. Contemporary researchers have found that it is possible to produce matter from pure energy. A carrier matter is required even at the preliminary stage to transmit this energy. Exploring the Psychic Phenomenon The main concept of psychic comes from extrasensory perception. Extrasensory perception iis related to senses that are not common to us or known to us. These are basically sensory transmissions related to the mind. Amongst the early scholars dealing with psychic research J.B Rhine is mentionable. He and his wife tried to establish psychology as a part of empirical science. They used to perform their research experiments in Duke University during the 1930s.The life works of J.B. Rhines was mainly dedicated towards structuring psychical science and defining the terms like Extrasensory Perception, Psi. He also tried to design tests and experiments to assess their validity. Louisa Rhine, on the other hand, was dedicated towards collecting accounts of paranormal or psychic experiences. The development of Zener cards marked a stepping stone towards scientifically assessing extrasensory phenomenon. It is a pack of twenty five cards that bears various symbols like square, circle, cross, wavy lines, and star. These cards are used for experimentation especially in case of telepathy. Generally there are two participants in this kind of experiments. The sender needs to look at the symbols and mentally choose any one of them. And the receiver has to guess which symbol has been chosen. Of course the orders of these cards are always random in case of these experiments, so that no prior technique can be used by the receiver. Clairvoyance can also be tested with the help of these cards. In this experiment only one participant is the subject. The card, in this case, remains hidden. The receiver should guess or determine accurately the location of the cards. Like telepathy, in this experiment also, the cards should be hidden cautiously, so that it is not seen by anybody other th an the person in charge of the experiment. Another type of experiment with the help of these cards is the precognition experiment. In this case the order of the cards is shuffled randomly. Only one subject can participate in this test at a time. The receiver or the subject would need to guess the exact order, after it has been shuffled. Initially these cards were randomly shuffled by hand. Later on machines were used. Following this was the trend of using random number tables. Now-a-days computers are used for such shuffling. The advantage of using extra sensory perception cards is that a statistical measurement can be done to determine that how many hits (or positive results) can be obtained by chance. So the chance factor can be eliminated and the final results would consist of real hits. Psychic Phenomenon- From the ancient civilisations to nineteenth century The origins of fortune telling and divination dates back to several thousand years when, astrology was the most celebrated type of fortune telling. The basis of astrology is the position of celestial body in space. Based on the changes of their position, it is believed that future events can be guessed. Also there were prophets, who claimed to have the abilities like precognition and clairvoyance. Prophets or Astrologers were part of the noble population in the early days. They were priests, advisors, and people belonging to the upper echelons of the society. A legend on precognition and prophets is The Delphic Oracle. The priestess Pythia residing over the oracle is believed to possess prophetic abilities. Michel de Nostredame, popularly known as Nostradamus is believed to have possessed psychic abilities. He was a French apothecary. His prophecies mainly deal with plague, disaster, battles, murders, etc. In the mid nineteenth century, amongst the mentionable development is the advent of modern spiritualism. The basic idea is that spirits or souls can be contacted via mediums. Daniel Dunglas Home is a psychic who became famous during that period mainly because of his levitation qualities and reported communication abilities with the dead. Modern Research and Beliefs In the year 1990 a survey was conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. The survey results showed that only 2% of the respondents believed in the scientific validation of psychic abilities and psychic philosophies. Another 2% of the population asserted to the fact that these phenomenon may occur at certain times (Loux, 2002, p. 56). However, when asked about whether research in this fields should be encouraged or not, maximum respondents (sixty three percent) replied negatively. Twenty two percent of the population believed it should be discouraged and only ten percent of the population believed research in this field should be encouraged. However, in the year 2005, The Gallup Organization conducted a survey in which as many as forty one percent of the respondents said that they believed in extra sensory perception. Among these, thirty one percent believed in telepathy and twenty six percent believed in clairvoyance. Again in the year 2006 researchers Bryan Farha and Gary Stewar d of the Oklahoma City University and University of Central Oklahoma organised an opinion poll amongst 439 college students. The data suggested that the trend of belief in psychic phenomenon was more in senior students and graduates than in fresher. As many as thirty four percent of graduates and thirty one percent of senior college students asserted to the fact that they believe in psychic abilities, however the percentage was only twenty three in case of fresher students. The above data suggests that there has been an uptrend in belief and knowledge of psychic abilities. However, research endeavours in this field are still limited. To explore the mystical area of metaphysics, more research endeavours are required. It should be noted that although the philosophy of metaphysics is unique and different from any other domains of science, research in modern metaphysics has strictly been empirical type. Since the ideology of this subject is different, therefore the methodologies need to be adapted accordingly. Thus the research procedure on human brain should reflect more of a metaphysical angle than empirical angle. Else it cannot be considered under the domain of psychic research. With due reference to the differences in metaphysics and empirical science, it should also be remembered that both the domains seek the answers to the same question the reason of our existence. Thus the motive behind both these domains is the same. Only the nature of reasoning and the method of searching the answers are different. Chapter 4: Discussion Empirical Science vs. Metaphysical Science The meaning of the term empirical is anything that is derived from experimentation and observation. Empirical science is considered with scientific evidence that has been empirically derived. An empirical scientist would move on the basis of some hypothesis. Then the scientist needs to design an experiment which would verify the truth of the hypothesis. Empirical science acts on the basis of logic and evidence. However Metaphysical science is concerned with the mechanism of logic itself. Empirical Science tries to derive evidence from interaction between entities and then concluding the laws governing those entities. However, metaphysical science is concerned with the relationship between all entities. Empirical science assumes, perception as a tool that will guide us to reality. Whereas metaphysical investigates perception itself and accounts it as evidence. Metaphysics is concerned with analysing the nature of reality and distinguishes between what is real and what is not. Interestingly, Empirical science also aims to answer the same questions, but in a different manner. Thus, we must remember that empirical science and metaphysical science are connected to some extent. The Western philosopher, Aristotle was considered as one of the greatest scientists of that time. His methods cannot be distinguished as either science or philosop hy. Modern Understanding of Mysticism In order to understand the modern concept of mysticism, we need to refer to Neo-Platonism and Platonism, because these are the building blocks of modern concept of mysticism. Platonism is defined as Platos philosophy or any other philosophy that is the derivative of Platos philosophy(Underhill, 2003, p. 230). Platonism distinguishes between perceptible and intelligible realism. The central concept in Platonism revolves around the Theory of Forms. The highest form has been defined as the form of good by Book VI of the Republic. The basis of Platonic philosophy is to recognise the ultimate form of good. A derivative of Platonism is Neo-Platonism. Its area of focus is the spiritual as well as the cosmological areas of Platonism. Philosopher Plotinus propounded Neo-Platonism. Modern form of mysticism is basically the divine union with the ultimate being or enlightenment into conscious cognition. It is direct interaction with the divine spirit via extrasensory preceptors. Modern mysticism may be of two types- dualistic and non dualistic. (Underhill, 2003, p. 230) Dualism of mysticism is when there is a distinction between self and the divine being. Non dualism is when that distinction is not there. Many of the world religions have been inspired by Mysticism (for example Buddhism, Christianity, etc). The concept of enlightenment arose from mysticism, where enlightenment means attainment of mysticism (irrespective of faith). Parapsychology- A Psychic Phenomenon The term parapsychology was used by philosopher Max Dessoir in the year 1888. J.B. Rhine replaced the term psychical research in the 1930s and used this term instead. Parapsychology deals with certain alleged mysterious, paranormal or supernatural events like psycho kinesis, precognition, clairvoyance, near death experience, telepathy, apparitional experiences and reincarnation. The term telepathy means transfer of information from one entity to another without the aid of any known sensory or physical interactional channels. The word has been derived from the Greek work tele which means communication and the word pathe, which means hardship or experience. The proper expression for telepathy is thought transference. The term was coined by Fredrick W.H. Myers. However the reality of telepathy has not been yet convincingly established. The results of experiments concerned with telepathy have failed to provide any conclusive evidence so far. Precognition or second eye generally relates to the phenomenon of acquiring knowledge of future phenomenon that cannot be acquired via normal sensory perceptions in the present(Mathew, 2005). This is a type of extra sensory perception. However, the existence of precognition has not been recognised by the scientific community, since it lacks proper evidence. Another aspect is that, till date demonstration of such event has no t been received under controlled environment. Clairvoyance is also a type of extra sensory perception. This is the phenomenon of obtaining information about an individual, place, thing or event via uncommon sensory channels(Mathew, 2005). Telekinesis or Psycho kinesis is the phenomenon of observable influence of mind on any object. Reincarnation relates to the basic idea that soul remains even after our body perishes. Scientists account near death experience as hallucinatory, however paranormal researchers and scholars account them as proof of the existence of afterlife. Chapter 5: Summary and Conclusion Although researchers and philosophers have tried to carry on research to empirically prove psychic phenomenon, according to many critics like Ed J. Gracely, evidence cannot suffice for universal acceptance o psychic phenomenon. The reason is that the probability of this phenomenon is rare and is subject specific. It is still not clear why extra sensory perception abilities are exhibited by only few. This field has been categorised as various critics as pseudoscience. Another point is that for many psychic activities there is a non paranormal explanation. For example magicians like Derren Brown have shown various tricks and techniques the result of which appears similar to popular psychic phenomenon. However, there are psychological explanations to these phenomenons, rather than paranormal ones. Although there are various criticisms on Psychic phenomenon and research on extra sensory perceptions, it has to be taken into account that these are quite unexplored areas of metaphysics in terms of empirical research. And in many cases metaphysics has been able to describe these extra sensory phenomenon and define its mechanism. Any other dimension of science has still not been able to give any conclusive explanation. From the concept of God to the concept of summation of all possibilities, metaphysics gives a conclusive view and reasoning of what is now and what is beyond now. The various eastern and western philosophies as well as the scientific energy theories discussed are directed towards understanding the fundamental questions of metaphysics. Psychic and mysticism is also a part of that fundamental question, since it also a part of the study of substance and the various energy system in this universe connecting beings. Buy custom Psychic-Mystical Aspects of Metaphysics essay

How to Calculate Commissions Using Percents

How to Calculate Commissions Using Percents Percent  means per 100 or of each hundred. In other words, a percent is a value divided by 100 or a  ratio  out of 100. There are many real-life uses for finding the percentage. Real estate agents, car dealers, and pharmaceutical sales representatives earn commissions that are a percentage, or part, of sales. For example, a real estate agent might earn a portion of the selling price of a house that she helps a client purchase or sell. A car salesperson earns a portion of the selling price of an automobile that she sells. Working real-life percentage problems can help you better understand the process. Calculating Commissions Noel, a real estate agent, aims to earn at least $150,000 this year. She earns a 3 percent commission on every house she sells. Whats the total dollar amount of houses that she must sell to reach her goal? Start the problem by defining what you know and what you seek to determine: Noel will earn $3 per $100 in sales.She will earn $150,000 per (what dollar amount)  in sales? Express the problem as follows, where s stands for total sales: 3/100 $150,000/s ​ To solve the problem, cross multiply. First, write the fractions vertically. Take the first fractions numerator (top number) and multiply it by the second fractions denominator (bottom number). Then take the second fractions numerator and multiply it by the first fractions denominator, as follows: 3 x s   $150,000 x 1003 x s $15,000,000 Divide both sides of the equation by 3 to solve for s: 3s/3 $15,000,000/3s $5,000,000 So, to make $150,000 in annual commission, Noel would have to sell houses that total $5 million. Leasing Apartments Ericka, another real estate agent, specializes in leasing apartments. Her commission is 150 percent of her clients monthly rent. Last week, she earned $850 in commission for an apartment that she helped her client to lease. How much is the monthly rent? Start by defining what you know and what you seek to determine: $150 per $100 of the monthly rent is paid to Ericka as a commission.$850 per (what amount) of the monthly rent is paid to Ericka as a commission? Express the problem as follows, where r stands for the monthly rent: 150/100 $850/r Now cross multiply: $150 x r $850 x 100$150r $85,000 Divide both sides of the equation by 150 to solve for r: 150r/150 85,000/150r $566.67 So, the monthly rent (for Jessica to earn $850 in commission) is $556.67. Art Dealer Pierre, an art dealer, earns 25 percent commission of the dollar value of art he sells. Pierre earned  $10,800 this month. What was the total dollar value of the art that he sold?   Start by defining what you know and what you seek to determine: $25 per $100 of Pierres art sales is paid to him as commission.$10,800 per (what dollar amount) of Pierres art sales is paid to him as commission? Write the problem as follows, where s stands for sales: 25/100 $10,800/s First, cross multiply: 25 x s $10,800 x 10025s   $1,080,000 Divide both sides of the equation by 25 to solve for s: 25s/25 $1,080,000/25s $43,200 Thus, the  total dollar value of the art that Pierre sold is $43,200. Car Salesperson Alexandria, a salesperson at a car dealership, earns 40 percent commission of her luxury vehicle  sales. Last year, her commission was $480,000. What was the total dollar amount of her sales last year?  Define what you know and what you seek to determine: $40 per $100 of the car sales is paid to Ericka as a commission.$480,000 per (what dollar amount) of the car sales is paid to Ericka as a commission? Write the problem as follows, where s stands for car  sales: 40/100 $480,000/s Next, cross multiply: 40 x​ s $480,000 x 10040s $48,000,000 Divide both sides of the equation by 40 to solve for s. 40s/40 $48,000,000/40s $1,200,000 So, the total dollar amount of Alexandrias car sales last year was  $1.2 million. Agent to Entertainers Henry is an agent for entertainers. He earns 10 percent of his clients’ salaries. If he made $72,000 last year, how much did his clients make in all?   Define what you know, and what you seek to determine: $10 per $100 of the entertainers salaries is paid to Henry as a commission.$72,000 per (what dollar amount) of the entertainers salaries is paid to Henry as a commission? Write the problem as follows, where s stands for salaries: 10/100 $72,000/s Then, cross multiply: 10 x s $72,000 x 10010s $7,200,000 Divide both sides of the equation by 10 to solve for s: 10s/10 $7,200,000/10s $720,000 In total, Henrys clients made  $720,000 last year. Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Alejandro, a pharmaceutical sales representative, sells statins for a drugmaker. He earns a 12 percent commission of the total sales of the statins he sells to hospitals. If he earned $60,000 in commissions, what was  the total dollar value of the drugs that he sold?   Define what you know and what you seek to determine: $12 per $100 of the value of the drugs is paid to Alejandro as a commission.$60,000 per (what dollar value) of the drugs is paid to Alejandro as a commission? Write the problem as follows, where d stands for dollar value: 12/100 $60,000/d Then, cross multiply: 12 x d   $60,000 x 10012d $6,000,000 Divide both sides of the equation by 12 to solve for d: 12d/12 $6,000,000/12d $500,000 The total dollar value of the drugs that Alejandro sold was  $500,000.