James Lewis

Civil strife of every form has never promoted the human cause. Notwithstanding whatever justification is cited for embarking on violence as a dispute resolution measure, in retrospect, the stakes are often way overboard. Same can be said about the internecine American Civil War, which was fought between the Congress backed Northern states against the dominantly agrarian Southern states. This war that spanned the period of 1861 to 1865 AD left a blood stained legacy in the pages of our history books.
Scholars are united in their opinion that the war was fought on the basis of divergent opinions on the question of slavery, beyond this however, they fail to reach a consensus about whether the war could have been avoided in the first place. Political events preceding the civil war damaged the trust between both conflicting groups, hence explaining the ease with which a minor issue such as a disagreement on a subject of “slavery” could result in both groups resorting to arms.
A recent study conducted by a group of established historians, poignantly argues that during the war period, slavery was headed towards its inevitable demise, taking cognizance of the fact that it was increasingly becoming unprofitable (Viegas 2002). There was therefore no gain in quarreling over a subject that did not have a bright future prospect. In addition the underlining political difference had not yet reached a dead end, there still existed ample dispute resolution avenues. The choice of war was therefore an impulsive over reaction of a hidden agenda concealed under the trivial subject of slavery.
It is also worthy of note that the real subject of contention, which was the race for control over new territories by itself provided a unique opportunity for dispute resolution using gerrymandering. Essentially it would have prevented the war in the first place.

computer technologies essays

Centuries ago, Machiavelli dictated theories for what he felt a good leader consisted of and the traits he thought were crucial for being a strong leader. One of his most famous works is The Prince, an essay in which he details the various challenges facing a prince looking at being a King in the future and the steps such a prince ought to take to ensure he is followed and can be a good leader. Machiavelli’s words echo today in many areas of leadership for their insightfulness and truthfulness. Although the words they are written in are archaic and the examples used are outdated, not all of Machiavelli’s teachings are outmoded. Modern day CEO’s, Presidents, businessmen as well as politicians find Machiavellian teachings useful and relevant in their fields, offering wisdom in the makings of a good leader. In business managing, these principles can be useful when applied with tactfulness and can offer good insight in many areas.

Love v. Fear
One of the most prominent theme of Machiavelli was his treatise on whether a leader should rule through love or fear. Machiavelli suggested that a leader could be loved by his followers or feared but not both. In commanding, he further speculated that fear was a better tool for motivating people although love provides for a more peaceful and controlled populous. Machiavelli suggested that if a leader was to rule in such a way that all his disciples loved him, he would be able to control them and that his followers would do as they were told in a peaceful and humble manner. However if the population feared the leader, then he would also be able to rule them because they would submit to his requests out of fear. Although this was the manner that Machiavelli postulated would be the more efficient way to rule over a people, he also suggested that it would be more difficult to control. People that feared their ruler would also be prone to revolution, disobedience, malice and lack of respect when the severity of the fear became too much. Because leader would not be able to utilize both love and fear together, they would need to be balanced or the leader would have to chose which method would be more efficient for the manner of his people and the actions he wished them to obey.
In modern day managing, this same concept can be utilized in the practice of being a manager to a group of employees. A manager can either be close buddies to his employees, cultivating friendships and a work environment wherein the employees “love” the manager and feel comfortable around him. Although this sounds ideal, it also makes the job of managing difficult in that it would be harder for the manager to ask his employees to perform tasks without the employees feeling as though they are being treated in an inferior manner. On the other hand, the manager could also manage his employees in a relationship of fear.

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Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be a disabling learning disorder. For young children it can make school frustrating and incomprehensible and for the teachers and parents who attempt to help children with ADD, it can provide a huge obstacle. Attention Deficit Disorder is very much what it name suggests–a disability in which the ability to concentrate is jeopardised, causing learning and performing attention intensive activities difficult and at times, impossible. To help children who suffer from ADD, psychologists have suggested attention-increasing activities that attempt to help children with ADD by improving their attention spans through repetition and conditioning. These types of activities may offer some help however for severe ADD sufferers, they can only aggravate the condition and make the condition more frustrating. Because ADD is a disorder which comes chemical imbalances, doctors have utilized Ritalin, Methylphenidate, as a mild amphetamine drug to help especially children with ADD in school. Although Ritalin does provide relief for children and adults with ADD, it can also have damaging side-effects and the use of the drug for the treatment of ADD has come into close inspection in the last few years.
Methylphenidate is a prescription stimulant commonly used to treat Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Its brand name, Ritalin, works in the same ways that caffeine does–it increases heart rate, increases metabolism, heightens concentration–but in an exponen-tially more potent manner. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system (CNS) stimu-lant,[10][11][12] reducing impulsive behavior, and facilitating concentration on work and other tasks. Adults who have ADHD often report that methylphenidate increases their ability to focus on tasks and organize their lives. In children who are prescribed with the drug to help with their ADD, the drug is shown to provide relief and it does indeed aid in concentration. Children dis-play signs of increased attention, less irritability and higher information retention. However Rita-lin has a slight “feel-good” side-effect that makes it not addictive, but habit-forming. After long-term use of Ritalin, users find themselves dependent on the drug, using it even when not neces-sary or after their ADD has been controlled. This dependency has come into criticism and many opponents of Ritalin point to Ritalin as a pharmaceutical gateway drug, leading to stronger do-sages in later life or illegal drug experimentation.
Ritalin also causes substantial physiological side-effects. Reported methylphenidate abuse side effects include psychosis (abnormal thinking or hallucinations), difficulty sleeping, mood swings, mood changes, stomach aches, diarrhea, headaches, lack of hunger (leading to weight loss) and dry mouth.

personal essay

In all honesty I have had a fairly easy life. I’m not adopted or orphaned, my parents never abused me physically or verbally and I have no learning disabilities of any kind. I grew up in a suburb, danced ballet, played sports in high school and graduated at the top of my class. I never broke a bone (knock on wood), sprained my ankle, contracted a disease that put my life at risk, had a major car accident or been diagnosed with any kind of illness. In fact I’ve never even been hospitalized and the only time I have been to a hospital is when someone in my family gave birth (to bouncing, healthy babies) or when I volunteered to put on a Christmas program for the children’s hospital as a part of my high school senior project. I have never felt racially discriminated against and I can’t say that I come from a socioeconomically disadvantaged family. In fact, when I applied for universities, I was astonished at how little scholarships and grants I qualified for because of my idyllic childhood and background. I can say that I have had a virtually care-free life. But my most challenging life experience was during my freshman year in college when for the first time, I was faced with having to stand up for myself, my beliefs, and my morals.
After PSATs, SATs, ACTs, and electronically filling out various applications to several universities, I chose to attend the University of California in Los Angeles. I started fall quarter and was offically declared as a Chemistry major, knowing I would most likely change majors eventually. My parents had helped me move into my dorm room the week before and my roommate was friendly enough–she seemed clean and studious but at the same time not too conflicting with my naturally chaotic personality. We had a few meals together, but it was pretty clear we would only be roommates and not close friends because we had different interests that put us in very distinct social circles. She played the cello in the orchestra and I was on the track and field team, running short-distance. So while I was up early for practice and training, constantly watching what I ate and conditioning during most of my free time, she had rehearsals late into the night, spent lots of time sitting and ate tons of junk. All the same, we were amiable toward one another and could have a laugh or two when it was just the two of us.
Our different schedules made it so I was constantly out of the room and spent very little time in the dorms while she was almost always in the room or very close to the dorms. I didn’t think anything of this–after all we were consumed in very different activities and part of college and the dorm experience was learning how to share a room and compromise. However by the end of the first month together I started to notice little things that made me suspicious.

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Marriage Philosophies: The Female Perspective
I am fortunate not to have come from a broken family. My parents have been married all my life and have set me up for romantic hopelessness. In a time when the divorce rate is over 50%, it’s difficult to imagine that marriage in anything more than the legally binding contract that it is, a paper that enables two persons to benefit from tax breaks and the sharing of assets. Most of my friends’ parents are divorced and even my boyfriend comes from a broken marriage, his parents divorcing even before he was born. Regardless of the reality, I remain hopeful that marriage can be something more.
I want marriage to be everything it could possibly be–not just a legal contract or a tax break, but a promise between two people that means something more. Marriage should be a promise to be loyal, a vow to be wholly devoted to another person and to be sensitive to their needs as a person now and in the future as well. Yes, people change and the feelings that may have been present on one’s wedding day may have waned since, but marriage should be more than a selfish happiness. It should be something more than “You make me happy,” something more like “I want to be there to see you every time you are happy.”
I’m not disillusioned to believing it’s easy and that yes, the odds of my marriage working out is 50/50, but I still like to think that as humans, we are capable of something more. I’m prepared for the obstacles and hardships that may come with marriage but I’m also ready for the joy and happiness it can bring at its very best.
Marriage Philosophies: The Male Perspective
My parents divorced the day after they got married because my dad cheated on my mother on their honeymoon night–he took a prostitute to the hotel room next door and there is reason to believe he was sober. My mother was already pregnant with me and so you can imagine how I feel about marriage. Sure there’s love, companionship and the hope that the girl you are with is only sleeping with you but I think that the best one can hope for from marriage is a contract that lets you keep more of your income, share some assets, and maybe even have a hot meal when you get home.
Love, or whatever you feel is love, will fade after the wedding day regardless of how long you were dating before the wedding. Most likely she will get fat and flabby, stop taking care of herself and start watching Opera. I can still hope for sex without having to go through the dating dance but that will get lame as well. In reality, the best thing about marriage is knowing that you can pay less taxes and that the contract allows you to check the “married” box in surveys which usually allows you more benefits.

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