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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Compare de Beauvoir's position with the position of either Mill or Essay

Compare de Beauvoir's position with the position of either Mill or Rawls - Essay Example For a utilitarian what is good is what gives pleasure, happiness, contentment or welfare. Utilitarianism contains a theory of good and a theory of right. It is characteristic of the utilitarian theory of right that rightness is derived from goodness. They base what is either good or right on human experience (Nabor-Nery, 2003). People tend to approve the things which bring about pleasure but disapprove which do not. Hobbes says that, a man fears depends on his individual character and upbringing page 2. For example if a person is comfortable with taking a bottle of wine they are happy and enjoy the pleasure that comes forth. Others hate taking whine therefore it will be obvious that they will disapprove that idea. They shall consider that as a wrong act to follow. Therefore, a person is free to do what they desire as long whatever they are doing gives them pleasure and are comfortable with it. Happiness will lead to calmness and a very stable community. When people are happy they are most likely to leave good lives which have no crime thus creating a society which can be confided in. For example, Hobbes tells us to seek peace and follow it in Page60. For the De Beauvoir position under freedom, the author argues that everyone has the ability to take note of them and choose what to do (Keltner, 2006). We are free, but our freedom is always enacted in a world. This limits the level of freedom as compared to Mills point of view. We have to follow the rules brought about by for example, the government. She also says that freedom is the universal absolute end. You are able to do what you desire to do. There seems to be a little contradiction of the ideas which are presented by Mill and De Beauvoir. Consequentiality theory For the Consequentialism theory Milldefines, it as those moral theories that hold a particular actions consequences usually form the basis of any valid moral judgment regarding that particular action. He argues that for whatever you do it is a must you pay for it. For example, when you steal something which is not yours you must suffer the consequences of that action which is not acceptable in the society. It also focuses on the outcomes of the actions, emphasizes on results instead of the types of acts involved. Before you do something you should be able to consider the consequences that follow the reaction. Mill insists that it is always fair for what to pay for your actions (Nabor-Nery, 2003). This will create a good society and will make everybody watch what they are doing for that fear. It will make people more organized and answerable in what they do. It also creates a stable government and reduces the problems and risks of political instability in the country. A person is always responsible for what they do. No one can pay for your mistakes. It is only you who will suffer for your own misconduct. De Beauvoir argues that the reaction of other people to another person based on the fact that you cannot help but be affected by those reactions, the author says that they are forced not to be satisfied by your actions (Keltner, 2006). She also argues that other people responses are positively necessary for one to keep on acting. For both authors, they contradict on ides as we have seen above. They all

Monday, October 28, 2019

Bronchial Colonization in Pulmonary Resection Patients

Bronchial Colonization in Pulmonary Resection Patients Bronchial colonization profile of patients undergoing lung resection and its impact on infectious complications in the postoperative period. Is it necessary to evaluate the collection method and risk of contamination? Abstract: Introduction: The pattern of bronchial colonization in patients requiring pulmonary resections is little described in the literature. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the profile of bronchial colonization in patients undergoing lung resection in a general hospital through the collection of the resected specimen only. The secondary objective is to evaluate prognostic factors of infectious complications after lung resection, including the colonization of the lower airways. Methods: This was a prospective study that included all consecutive patients undergoing lung resection for noninfectious disease and without signs of acute respiratory infections. Intraoperative bronchial or lung parenchyma culture of the resected specimen was collected by the surgeon still under completely sterile conditions. A patient was considered colonized if the quantitative endobronchial culture was positive at 48h with a predominant microorganism exceeding a cutoff value of 104 colony-forming units. Results: Negative cultures were found in 81.4% of patients. Colonization with predominant bacteria (at least 104 cfu/mL) was identified in 18.6%. The rate of infectious complications was 24.42%. The incidence of postoperative pneumonia (POP) was 20.9%. POP developed at a median of 4 days after surgery. Three patients developed empyema, and of the three, 2 had both POP and empyema. None of the studied factors was associated with postoperative infectious complications Conclusion: We conclude there is colonization of the lower airways in patients undergoing lung resection in our institution. This finding, as well as the other analyzed factors, did not result in increased POP risk in this sample. The intraoperative collection method employed in this study should be further evaluated in larger studies. Introduction The lungs of healthy humans have traditionally been considered to be sterile when examined by culture-based techniques (1). In patients with lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis, colonization of the lower airways (LAWs) has been well documented and associated to these diseases [2-5]. Regarding the subgroup of patients with lung diseases requiring thoracic surgeries, very few studies have described the profile of colonization of LAWs. And to the best of our knowledge, there has been no description of this subject in a Latin American country (3,6-8). However, the colonization of LAW has been associated with the risk of postoperative pneumonia (POP). Schussler et al., in a study with 507 patients and Bede et al., showed that there is significant association between bacteria in the lower airways and risk of POP [3,9], being an independent risk factor in the multivariate analysis. A study was carried out including all consecutive patients undergoing pulmonary resections for noninfectious diseases to investigate the profile of LAW colonization. The secondary objective is to evaluate prognostic factors of infectious complications after lung resection, including LAW colonization. Materials and Methods This prospective study consecutively included all patients submitted to lung resection for noninfectious diseases, without signs of acute respiratory infections. Patients presenting at the date of admission for planned surgery with clinical and radiological signs of pulmonary infection (fever greater than 37.7 °C, purulent sputum) were excluded from this study in cases of urgency surgery. Except for the urgencies, patients were treated with antibiotics and submitted to surgery at least 7 days after antibiotic discontinuation. Patients with a diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis were also excluded. The study was approved by the ethics committee of our institution under protocol number 209146141. All data on patient characteristics, results of microbiological studies, treatment procedures and outcome (POP) were prospectively collected through our database. We studied the following risk factors for POP: age, gender, surgical risk classification of the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA), cancer patients and the presence of bacteria in the lower airways. All patients were intubated with a double-lumen endobronchial tube to undergo single-lung ventilation. Bronchial or pulmonary parenchyma culture of the resected specimen was collected by the surgeon still under completely sterile conditions. A patient was considered colonized if a 48-hour culture was positive with the presence of a microorganism. A policy of early extubation was systematically employed. Decisions concerning intensive care unit (ICU) admission after resection were established based on type of resection, predicted postoperative lung function and associated comorbidities. Postoperative analgesia was achieved through one of the following methods: use of epidural catheter intermittently or intermittent intravenous analgesia with morphine and dipyrone. A regular physical therapy program was started on the day of the surgery. Oral feeding was started on Postoperative Day 1. Patients received antibiotic prophylaxis with second-generation cephalosporin (cefazolin, 2.0 g at anesthesia induction and postoperatively, 3 g/24 h for 24 h) except in cases of known or suspected allergy, or if a different type of prophylaxis was indicated [4,10]. Lung resections were performed according to standard techniques. The type of resection was recorded. The diagnoses were established by anatomopathological analysis of the resected lung specimens. Patients were assessed twice a day. Chest roentgenograms were performed postoperatively once a day during the chest drainage period. POP definition was (1) abnormal radiographic findings (new or changing radiographic infiltrates that persisted after physical therapy or bronchoaspiration) and (2) fever greater than 37.8 oC or dyspnea, and (3) one of the following criteria: a new rise in C-reactive protein level, WBC count in the previous 24 h (with WBC count > 12109/L) [3] or an increase and modification of the expectorate. All postoperative pulmonary complications were secondarily reviewed by a clinician and a thoracic surgeon. Infections occurring within one month of surgery or during in-hospital surgical stay were recorded. Wound infection was defined as a reddened, painful, and indurated wound, not necessarily associated with bacterial isolation. Empyema was defined as the presence of purulent fluid in the pleural drainage or as the isolation of pathogens from the pleural cavity. Results are expressed as percentages and means  ± standard deviation (SD). The correlation between the studied variables and postoperative infection was performed by logistic regression analysis. Data processing and analysis were performed using the statistical software MedCalc, release 12.7.0.0. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The risk factors found to be predictive of POP at univariate analysis were entered into a multivariate regression analysis, to identify independent variables. Results Between June 15, 2012, and December 15, 2013, 86 patients undergoing lung resections in our department were included in the study. Three patients were excluded from the study due to preexisting infections at the time of surgery (infectious interstitial lung disease) and six due to a diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Antibiotic prophylaxis with drugs other than cefazolin was employed in three patients due to known allergy to penicillin/cephalosporins or because of coexistent cardiac valve disease. Demographic data on the remaining 86 patients, type of diseases and surgical procedures are shown in Table 1. Cancer patients comprised 53.4% of the sample. Among them, primary lung tumors (non-small cell lung cancer) were treated through major lung resection (lobectomy or pneumonectomy). Pulmonary metastases were treated through segmentectomy. Also regarding cancer patients, some patients were submitted to segmentectomy for diagnosis of interstitial infiltrate, which showed to be lymphangitic carcinomatosis. Among the benign diseases, lobectomy and pneumonectomy were used in all patients with bronchiectasis. Segmentectomy was used for interstitial lung diseases and benign nodules that included patients with scar tissue and inflammatory nodules, in addition to hamartomas. Regarding the length of preoperative hospital length of stay, 52% of patients were admitted 1 (one) day prior to surgery (Figure 1). Negative cultures were obtained in 70 of 86 (81.4%) patients. Colonization with predominant bacteria was identified in 16 of 86 cases (18.6%). Colonization by pathogenic bacteria occurred in 10.4% of all patients (9/86). Staphylococcus, Enterobacter, Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli species represented the most frequently involved microorganisms (Table 2). Gram-negative bacteria were obtained from cultures in nine cases. None of the patients had polymicrobial colonization. The complication rate was 24.4% (21/86). The incidence of POP was 20.9% (18 /86). POP developed at a median of 4 (1-9) days after surgery. Empyema developed in 3 patients, and of the three, 2 had both POP and empyema. Patients with POP frequently required mechanical ventilation (40.2%), and in-hospital mortality was 22%. Of the 16 colonized patients, 4 (25%) had POP, whereas among non-colonized patients, POP occurred in 14 of 70 cases (20%) (Figure 2). For all variables analyzed separately, the p value was greater than 0.05 and the 95% confidence interval (95%CI) included the number 1, indicating that no variable significantly influenced POP incidence, according to the available sample. Still, some alternatives were used aiming to identify some underlying statistical relevance, such as stratifying age ranges, transforming age into a categorical variable or considering the minimum value of p as 0.1, so that the variable would be subsequently analyzed in a multivariate model. However, no statistically significant impact was identified for any variable (Tables 3). Multivariate analysis was not performed due to the negative results of the univariate analysis. Discussion The colonization of LAW in patients undergoing thoracic surgery is scarcely mentioned in the literature. It is known that patients with some lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have atypical pulmonary flora [11-18], but patients submitted to lung resection usually include a much wider range of diseases. The study of this profile in different institutions is important to better understand the predominant bacterial flora and whether there is or not impact on the risk of infectious complications and whether antibiotic prophylaxis needs to be reviewed. Some studies have shown that LAW colonization increases the risk of POP (2,8,9). Other studies even suggest that, as it influences the risk of POP, LAW colonization would require a change in antibiotic prophylaxis in thoracic surgery (3,7). However, it is necessary to evaluate the collection method and risk of contamination of the collected samples. Our study described a heterogeneous flora, with many non-pathogenic microorganisms, but with an incidence (18.6%) that is comparable to that found in other studies. Yamada et al., in their study with 626 patients and Schussler et al., who assessed 478 patients in 2008, found 12.8% and 14.7% of LAW colonization, respectively (3,8). Belda et al. and Ionas et al. reported 83% and 41% of LAW colonization, respectively [9,6]. However, to the best of our knowledge, our study is the first that used the culture collection method performed by the surgeon, while still under completely sterile conditions in all patients. Previously, Ionas et al. used this technique, but in combination with protected specimen brush (PSB) through bronchoscopy in 41 patients (6). On the other hand, all studies used bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or PSB as collection method (2,3,6,8,9). Schussler et al. reported that they initially attempted to collect cultures from the resected specimens in the first 30 patients, bu t as culture results were negative, they gave up on the method, although it appears to be a more reliable result (2). It is also noteworthy that our study involved patients with different lung diseases and this fact may have influenced the incidence of bacteria in LAWs, unlike previous studies that were carried out in patients with the same disease, most with early-stage lung cancer. According to the literature, BAL is influenced by factors such as: the collected volume, when less than 100 mL, can increase contamination by mucus and airway cells; smokers and patients with COPD may have decreased volume of the recovered fluid. This method has sensitivity and specificity values ranging between 42-93% and 45-100%, respectively [19]. In addition to bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), the PSB method is a procedure with greater specificity, due to lower chance of sample contamination caused by the bronchoscope passage through regions such as the oral mucosa or contact with tracheal and bronchial secretions, compared to unprotected BAL [20]. On the other hand, the risk of sample contamination exists and operational costs are not feasible in most Latin American institutions. We understand that intraoperative collection eliminates the risk of contamination from other airway areas and the sterile conditions of the environment and operating team also warrants that the chance of c ontamination during material handling is also minimal. We found no association between bronchial colonization and POP, perhaps because there were few patients with pathogenic bacteria (10.4%). Yamada et al. also found no association between LAW colonization and POP in their study (8). Belda et al. described 35.8% of patients colonized with pathogenic bacteria. Schusller et al., in 2006, first reported an incidence of 22.8% of LAW colonization by pathogenic bacteria (9,2). These studies showed an association between LAW colonization and POP. However, once again, differently from our study, they collected culture samples through PSB and BAL, increasing the chance of contamination with the upper airways and thus, possibly increasing the number of patients with positive culture and pathogens. Consequently, our results might represent the actual bacterial flora of LAWs more accurately. Another interesting factor is that Schussler et al. found a correlation between the colonizing bacteria and the causative agent of POP in only 5 of 50 patients and this finding was not statistically significant. Ionas et al. and Yamada et al. also found the same result regarding this correlation between colonizing bacteria and bacterial agent identified in patients who developed POP (3,6,8). The incidence of POP was relatively high (20.9%), but compatible with literature data. Radu et al. described seventy-six cases (24.4%) of pulmonary resections that were complicated by postoperative pulmonary infections (7). Belda et al. described POP in 31% of the patients (9). Regarding mortality in patients with POP, the literature shows mixed results, with a mortality rate of up to 40% (2, 21). Possibly, the higher mortality is associated with the profile of operated patients. Belda et al. reported 13% of deaths in patients submitted to pulmonary resections only for early-stage primary lung cancer (9). Our study showed a mortality rate of 22% in individuals with POP. However, our sample included patients with metastatic cancer and severe inflammatory diseases. Our study has some limitations. Ours is a small sample and, therefore, we believe that other studied factors did not influence the risk of infection. Moreover, we did not isolate microorganisms during the postoperative period in patients who developed POP, to be compared with LAW cultures collected during surgery. The analysis of antibiotic prophylaxis was not performed, because LAW colonization did not appear as a risk factor for POP. In the last decade, culture-independent DNA-based techniques have demonstrated that much more complex microbial communities reside in the lower airways, where bacterial culture has failed to reliably demonstrate resident bacteria. (22). Unfortunately, these techniques are not yet available in our institution. We conclude that lower-airway colonization is found in patients undergoing lung resection in our institution. This finding, as well as the other analyzed factors, did not result in increased POP risk in this sample. The intraoperative collection method employed in this study should be further evaluated in larger studies to define the risk of POP associated with LAW colonization. Table 1 – Preoperative clinical status and surgical procedures performed Table 2 – Colonization profile of lower airways Table 3 – Univariate analysis to identify possible risk factors for postoperative pneumonia. Figure 1. Number of preoperative in-hospital length of stay. Figure 2. Incidence of postoperative pneumonia (POP).

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Life Behind Things :: Psychology Technology Personal Narrative Papers

The Life Behind Things Free: this is how human beings living in democratic societies describe themselves. The general idea, nowadays, is that as long as you are considered equal and are able to voice your opinion and defend your own beliefs, the power is in your hand. Gone are the chains of repression and tyranny that permeated ancient times and enslaved whole societies in the prisons of silence and immobility, forcing them to surrender all of their power to the ruler. All that is left now is one word, resounding gloriously in the back of our minds every time we compare our current situation with that of the past: freedom. I used to feel that liberation every day, especially when I learned about foreign societies that had "remained" imprisoned by unscrupulous leaders who refused to relinquish their power and wealth to the people, however needy the latter were. Political police, torture, propaganda: all these horrifying stories whirled in my head and inevitably brought me back to the same evident conclusion, the fact that I was lucky to inhabit a "modern," "Western" country, and that my freedom, both compared to these unfortunate people and in absolute terms, was unlimited. Indeed, I had never felt any pressure of any kind to act a certain way, or hold specific beliefs at the expense of my own ideas. The origins of such a view of the world were the innate thought that only another human being, especially a man-have we ever seen a female dictator?-could take away my personal power and control my actions. For what else could? Such had been my state of mind when I came to NYU-sixteen years spent holding the firm belief that I had control over my actions, probably silently injected in my mind by my proud parents, as well as by the French society in general and all that it entails: the media, school, politicians. It pervaded my mental life, and I whispered this doctrine to myself, as though humming a baby nursery rhyme, probably pacifying my unconscious claims the way the soft lullaby would console a newborn baby, making his tears subside and causing him to forget why he was weeping in the first place. I had never considered and thought about my life in other terms. Originally not wanting to question this whole system of ideas, which would unavoidably cause great chaos in my mind, I started thinking about the recent turn that my life had taken, a few weeks ago.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Universal Grammar

Modern universal grammar is a result of the advancement of evolutionary psychology as portrayed by Charles Darwin's evolutionary theories. Darwin believed that evolutionary psychology gave the human race it’s â€Å"first systematic way of understanding ourselves†. Grammar, while varying by language, is understood to be a systematic and proper for humans to communicate with each other and its use a result of natural selection given the youtube video, â€Å"Charles Darwin’s Legacy†.In â€Å"Charles Darwin’s Legacy† Richard Levins, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, stated that, â€Å"there has always been a tradition which tended to look for a place for everything and everything in it’s place†. Grammar fits this description as a human tradition which has evolved based on the language and preference of the elite. For example, 19th century aristocrats utilized far more advanced grammar than the working class of the same era whom most likely used little to no grammar structure whatsoever.Before the separation of human beings by social and economic status, the only thing people needed to communicate with one another were words. Over the centuries communication in itself has become a dull trait. One can not simply communicate, but must have the skill of communication. This is the foundation of how universal grammar was developed. In addition, Darwin was a firm believer of the eugenics movements and as such believed that â€Å"important people bred important people. The logic behind this statement makes sense when related to language considering that one’s offspring would most likely speak the language of their parents. As such, if the elite were to develop a systematic form of written language, such as grammar, then their offspring would not only continue the usage of said grammar, but develop and add on to the established. In time grammar will continue to evolve and it’s developme nt will alter by each generation.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

General George McClellan’s Leadership Essay

General George McClellan was the Union Army’s first commander in the early part of the American Civil War. Because of how the Union army was faring under his leadership, McClellan was regarded as an ineffective general, if not a failure. As a result of how he commanded the Union army and prosecuted the war, he was replaced by President Abraham Lincoln until he found a much more abler leader in General Ulysses S. Grant who carried the Union to total victory which led to the eventual surrender of the Confederacy and the end of the civil war in 1865. This study intends to look if General McClellan has been fairly â€Å"judged† by historians and if his incompetence was valid. In his book, George B. McClellan and Civil War History, Thomas Rowland attempts to give an impartial view of McClellan. Based on other accounts he has read from other historians who discussed McClellan, history has not been so kind to the hapless general. McClellan had served as one of the benchmarks on how modern-day American generals would take action such as the case of General Norman Schwarzkopf during Operation Desert Shield/Storm and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell in response to the troubles in the former Yugoslavia. The reason why McClellan was brought up in comparing him with these two modern-day counterparts was both nearly made the same mistakes he did in being indecisive or vacillating in taking the proper course of action when they were facing a similar situation as he did (Rowland, 1998, p. 10). McClellan had a superior army at his disposal compared to the ragtag forces of the Confederacy, yet his issues led them to be mismanaged and what could have been victories for the Union in the early battles ended up in defeat. Another inference Rowland made was that one of the reasons why McClellan was probably not effective was he had psychological problems that would explain why he was not an effective commander and it was rather unfortunate for him since his counterpart on the opposing side was General Robert E. Lee who was undoubtedly one of the best generals the Confederacy had among its ranks. One historian pointed out that McClellan: â€Å"Alternating between fits of ‘arrogant confidence and wretched self-abasement,’ the adult McClellan revealed an indulgent insolence displayed by those who are ‘congenially incapable’ of acknowledging authority because it would â€Å"make them feel inferior (cited in Rowland, 1998). ‘† If one were to base McClellan’s leadership on this case, it would appear that McClellan’s psychological issues was the root cause for his incomptence. Rowland would go on and enumerate other flaws McClellan had as told by other historians. McClellan had tendencies of being vain, unstable, undisciplined, dishonest and had a messianic complex. Besides being incompetent, he was even said to have problems with authority, particularly with President Lincoln who was his commander-in-chief. Some even went to the extent of comparing McClellan to Napoleon not in terms of brilliance but in terms of vanity and ego, a trait both commanders appear to possess and this dated way back in his childhood and somehow carried over throught his life from his cadet days at West Point to his various military postings as he rose through the ranks(17-18). Besides these issues, he also exhibited a tendency to be cautious in terms of the tactics and strategies he employed which proved to be ineffective when faced with a highly competent enemy commander in Lee who had a very distinguished military career as well as having combat experience from the Mexican War that made him an even more capable commander besides other subordinate generals such as Thomas â€Å"Stonewall† Jackson, J. E. B. Stuart and James Longstreet, to name a few. Because of his apparent incompetence and despite having a seemingly superior army at his disposal, he squandered the chance to give the Union an early victory and made it easy for the Confederates to win, thus prolonging the war to four years. In one book, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, written by James McPherson, McClellan is depicted more kindly. Where other historians depicted McClellan as having issues with authority since his cadet days at West Point, McPherson saw him differently. McClellan graduated second in his class at the academy in 1846 and served with distinction in the Mexican War and was one of the few foreign military officers who were observers in the Crimean War. During his hiatus in civilian life, he was a manager in a railroad company where he was considered an exceptional manager (12-13). Clearly, one can see there appears to be some sort of discrepancy in the way McPherson depicts McClellan compared to Rowland and others. Contrary to depicting McClellan as a problematic commander vis-a-vis his subordinates, McPherson depicted him as someone who was charismatic and a capable motivator of his troops. In a letter to his wife, McClellan said that â€Å"I never heard such yelling†¦ I can see every eye glisten. † (cited in McPherson, 2002) It can be inferred here that McClellan was hardly the man who had a psychological problem, the sort that would not allow him to assume command of the Army of the Potomac when the Civil War broke out. But later, McPherson would take a different turn when McClellan assumed command and this was following the defeat of the Union army in the Battle of Bull Run. Whereas writers like Rowland found McClellan to have psychological issues, McPherson depicted McClellan as a brilliant officer facing what was probably the most challenging commnand of his life and it was the kind of challenge that he could not meet and this eventually resulted in his eventual relief as the war went on. McClellan, as McPherson saw it, was a perfectionist almost to the point though it may not be in the same line of thinking as Rowland and others that he had a case of obsessive compulsive behavior. â€Å"He was a perfectionist in a profession where nothing could ever be perfect. His army was perpetually almost ready to move, but could not do so until the last horse was shoed and the last soldier fully equipped. † (cited in McPherson 2002) Despite his different approach with other historians, there are some aspects where McPherson agrees with them – that McClellan was too cautious and tended to be on the defensive most of the time. This was manifested partly by his obsessive-compulsive behavior and his tendency to overestimate the strength and capabilities of the Confederate forces on the account they were led by more capable commanders such as Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, etc. This led him to have disagreements with hiws subordinate commanders, leading to their defeats. Because of his attitude, some speculated that McClellan might have sympathies towards the Confederacy owing to his ties with Democrats (13-15). But in fairness to McClellan, he was not always a loser. He did indeed score a victory for the Union and that was at Antietam in 1862. Despite this victory, it was a very costly one as the Union army suffered heavy casualties in this battle. Beyond that, McClellan’s command of the Union army was dismal and he was eventually relieved and replaced by a more capable commander in Grant. What made Grant different from McClellan, and this is what all civil war historians agree upon, especially Rowland and McPherson, was that Grant was the opposite of McClellan in the sense that Grant was a risk-taker like his Confederate counterpart Lee. What made Grant willing to take risks was that he was not afraid to fail. Because it was part of learning and his initial defeats made him wiser in subsequent battles and this was proven time and again. Grant did suffer some defeats when he took command but despite these setbacks, he was not relieved. He learned from his mistakes and redeemed himself in other encounters and this mattered the most and he eventually led the Union to victory and presided over Lee’s surrender at Appomatox Courthouse in 1865. In conclusion, history has not been so kind to George McClellan. Had he been decisive and willing to take risks, the war could have been over the moment it started and history could have judged him differently. But it turned out that his personality was his undoing and this cost him not only his career but the conduct of the war which had to run for four years. If it is any confort for McClellan, his apparent incompetence (for lack of a better term) proved to be a blessing in disguise for future American military leaders. He would often be referred to or invoked whenever his modern-day counterparts were about to make the same mistakes he did and whenever they would think about him, they would completely do a complete turn around and rectify it, thereby winning their wars and avoid being placed in the same spot as McClellan on being one of the (unfortunately) worst American military leaders in history. In a rather crude sense of irony, McClellan’s mistakes provided lessons for his future counterparts to learn and improve on and it was rather fortunate for McClellan that he have lost battles but his replacements did win the war but unfortunately for him, he could not partake of that victory because he was not involved in it. References Rowland, T. (1998). George B. McClellan and Civil War History. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. McPherson, J. (2002). Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam. New York: Oxford University Press.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Windows and Linux essays

Windows and Linux essays Since the Internet networking environment was created in merely 9 years, internet users have increased sharply, and the new network civilization has settled in our life. The network civilization has made the internet business more complicated, organized in different kinds of areas. In other words, it is important for an Internet business to set fundamental factors. Many information technology(IT) companies basically needed the operating system(OS) to set up a network. Windows NT and Linux are the most famous OS software to administer network service. Microsoft invented the Windows NT series about 6 years ago, and business owners have preferred it for several reasons such as the extension of its application, compatibilities, and safety from viruses. Linux was invented by programmer Linus Trovalds. It has been provided free software against the monopoly of Widows NT. Because of its economic efficiency, experts have analyzed and compared several factors between Windows NT and Linux, eve n though both must be powerful Operating Systems. For managing a company, the most important factor is to decrease its budget. There are fundamental equipment to set up an IT environment, such as the networking server, print server, file server, web server and the security server. These workloads are the most important factors to determine the Total Cost of Ownership(TCO). Each workload is subdivided into 6 factors such as purchasing hardware cost, software license cost, staffing cost, downtime cost, staff training cost and the oversourced cost(Table I). Each of TCO factors shows which OS is more effective to set up or to upgrade. The hardware cost includes purchasing server equipment, installation and maintenance. The software cost includes purchasing OS license, installation, training IT staff and the maintenance software. The staffing cost includes the annual salary, overhead cost and bonuses. The downtime cost includes user productivity and IT staff ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Abraham Lincoln 10pg paper essays

Abraham Lincoln 10pg paper essays How has Abraham Lincoln impacted American history? Abraham Lincoln was an important part of American history. He ended slavery and helped America through the civil war. Abraham Lincoln was one of the truly great men of all time. Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln's gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed "the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils."*1 Their protest arose from the legislature's failure to call slavery an evi...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

8 Common Spelling Errors to Check For!

8 Common Spelling Errors to Check For! 8 Common Spelling Errors to Check For! Spelling in English can be tricky. There are tons of words that arent pronounced the way they are written, as well as pairs of words that sound the same but mean different things! Here are seven common spelling mistakes, along with rules to help you remember them. 1. I Before E Except After C In words like sieve and believe, the i comes before the e. However, in words like receive and ceiling, the e goes first since it comes directly after a c. Watch out, though! There are exceptions to this rule, such as seize, weird and caffeine. 2. Necessary Necessary has one c and a double s. You can use this mnemonic to remember how to spell this one: On a shirt, it is necessary to have one collar and two sleeves! 3. Alot This is not a word! It should always be a lot (with a space between the two words). 4. Separate Many people spell this seperate, so just remember: Theres a rat in separate! 5. Familiar Some people spell this one familier, so keep the following in mind: That liar looks familiar! 6. Exaggerate Its easy to get confused about whether there should be one g or two in exaggerate. Try using the following as a reminder: George and Graham always exaggerate! 7. Rhythm Rhythm is a tricky word because it doesnt have any vowels. Luckily, theres an acronym that helps (where the first letter of each word spells out the word we need to remember): Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move. 8. Affect and Effect Try to remember that affect describes the action and is a verb, whereas effect describes the result and is a noun: My early experiences affected my later choices in life. The fire had a devastating effect on London. Making up little memory aids like these can really help your spelling, especially if you always get some words wrong. However, if you want to make sure that your work is completely perfect, why not send it to the experts for checking? Well even proofread a 500-word sample for free to make sure that you are pleased with our standards of work.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Legacy of a Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Legacy of a Nation - Essay Example Freedom, more than any other concept, defines what it means to be an American. Self-rule is closely associated with freedom, but also has the notion of the power residing in the hands of the people. Colonists, forced to turn to community government in the face of British absenteeism, established a legacy that persists today. Our free elections are the vehicle that we use to continue to celebrate this legacy. No public official is any more powerful than the public they serve. The legacies of freedom and self rule have demanded a responsibility that we find in the Puritan inspired legacy of hard work, honesty, and family. The commitment to these ideals has lasted for centuries. Americans continue to believe in these basic values taught by the Puritans and embraced by such American icons as Ben Franklin. Even in the face of technology and MTV, our legacy is the conservative value of deliberate effort to exact an honest output. While these legacies bring us great pride, there are some darker sides to America's legacy for the present. Slavery that began in the colonies continued well into the 19th century. The remnants and impact continues to show in institutional prejudice and individual bias. This is a legacy that we have struggled with through the civil rights movement and personal introspection. Most Americans meet our challenging legacies by reaching for another of our nation's indelible character traits. The legacy of exploration and conquering adds personal strength to anyone who has knowledge of our nation's past. Though we may not explore the open and unsettled territories as in the past, America has a unique perspective that allows it to take action on social and international issues that confront us. America can face the unknown and the untraveled road of the future. Justice, fairness, and the rule of law are where these legacies are held fast and allowed to endure. America may seem to move at a slow and almost plodding pace. That is the speed of contemplation and examination. It is our courts and our legislatures that have exemplified a legacy brought from many European countries that says America has a legacy to live up to, and it can not be hurried. America's greatest strengths are drawn from the legacies of history. The wisdom and morality of men and women of the past continue to pull us into the future. They give us the courage to face our darker legacies without defense and without fear. Our legacies are the role model for people around the world to look to for hope and inspiration. They define us and make our citizens uniquely America. D James Kennedy: A Christian and Protestant Nation In his sermon "God and Country" preacher D. James Kennedy asserted that, "The proposition that the U.S. are a Christian and Protestant nation, is not so much the assertion of a principle as the statement of fact.". Kennedy has struck the chord that has united this nation since colonial days. The country was founded not only on freedom of religion, but also with a strong diversity and tolerance of faith. In August 1748, John Kurtz was examined and ordained as a minister at the founding of the Lutheran presence in America. Kurtz practiced his ministry under the discipline of "Pietism" founded by Pastor Philip Jacob Spener. When he founded the movement some 80

What do we know about female genital mutilation in the UK Research Proposal

What do we know about female genital mutilation in the UK - Research Proposal Example The UK is a country that is affected by this scourge. While France has had over a 100 prosecutions over this issue, UK’s performance has been lacklustre. The UK has in the past been compared unfavourably to other countries over the issue, such as France where there have been more than 100 successful prosecutions (BBC, 21 March 2014). The mounting intensity of the issue makes FGM in UK a significant topic for further research. The study will find out if female circumcision as a cultural practice is prevalent in the modern UK society. This also aims to analyze the intensity of FGM’s consequences on the victim population in terms of social as well as health complications. This study may throw light on the issue so as to evoke better education, community-wide awareness programs, and legal intervention that may prevent this unethical practice. FGM as a whole is debilitating to a woman. Her private parts are distorted endangering her health and life. A rigorous effort is essential to wipe out this practice from the UK society. The study has certain limitations as FGM is performed secretly in most cases. Social stigma along with legality concerns will prevent people from disclosing facts. World Health Organization (WHO) defines FGM as ‘all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitals, or injury to the female genital organs for non-therapeutic reasons’. According to the WHO, FGM is of four types. The clitoris could be removed alone or it could be removed with the labia minora. In some cases, the vaginal opening could be narrowed with or without excising the clitoris. All other harmful practices on the female genitalia also come under this definition. (RCM, et al. 2014). Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) agrees that there are very few referrals for FGM. Nevertheless, she puts the onus on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) due to which there have been no cases to begin with (Owen, 2014). Lack of

What do we know about female genital mutilation in the UK Research Proposal

What do we know about female genital mutilation in the UK - Research Proposal Example The UK is a country that is affected by this scourge. While France has had over a 100 prosecutions over this issue, UK’s performance has been lacklustre. The UK has in the past been compared unfavourably to other countries over the issue, such as France where there have been more than 100 successful prosecutions (BBC, 21 March 2014). The mounting intensity of the issue makes FGM in UK a significant topic for further research. The study will find out if female circumcision as a cultural practice is prevalent in the modern UK society. This also aims to analyze the intensity of FGM’s consequences on the victim population in terms of social as well as health complications. This study may throw light on the issue so as to evoke better education, community-wide awareness programs, and legal intervention that may prevent this unethical practice. FGM as a whole is debilitating to a woman. Her private parts are distorted endangering her health and life. A rigorous effort is essential to wipe out this practice from the UK society. The study has certain limitations as FGM is performed secretly in most cases. Social stigma along with legality concerns will prevent people from disclosing facts. World Health Organization (WHO) defines FGM as ‘all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitals, or injury to the female genital organs for non-therapeutic reasons’. According to the WHO, FGM is of four types. The clitoris could be removed alone or it could be removed with the labia minora. In some cases, the vaginal opening could be narrowed with or without excising the clitoris. All other harmful practices on the female genitalia also come under this definition. (RCM, et al. 2014). Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) agrees that there are very few referrals for FGM. Nevertheless, she puts the onus on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) due to which there have been no cases to begin with (Owen, 2014). Lack of

Friday, October 18, 2019

Managing conflicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing conflicts - Essay Example Conflict management is a common phenomenon in organizations (Rainey, 2009). Managing conflict aims at lessening the interdependent between the conflicting groups. It can involve physical separation of the conflicting parties. Physical separation buffers the creation of the inventory between the units of workflow making it less independent and reduces conflict. Generally, conflict is unending in any society where people live together. Introduction Many people and organization wish to compete peacefully with their market competitors, family members, and organizational departments. However, conflicts are inseparable from persons they form part of our daily living. Conflicts are the long live Methuselah and were present even in the beginning between the two brothers that is Cain and Abel. The term conflict has no definite meaning but scholars who are interested in studying it have created different accounts over the same. In an institutional setting conflict is a breakdown in the standar d mechanism of the decision making bringing difficulty in the management of the organization. Conflict is a dynamic process underlies the organizational behavior (Rainey, 2009). When people work together, there must be tension and conflict among the individuals from time to time. Conflict is the natural and the immediate outcome of disagreement and results individuals who differ in terms of thought and likes. Sources of organization conflict National organizational groups’ conflicts source from the individuals persons who from the organization (Jones, 2010). Conflicts at work place, according to the university of Colorado faculty, stems from issues from the employees and the management or among the employees. One cause of conflict in an organization is differing values among the organization’s persons. The work place consists of individuals who have different perspective towards the daily issue that emerge in the company and life generally. Some strongly believe to the m but are unwilling to comply with the standards. These beliefs are the main cause of conflicts to these institutions (McConnell and Leibler, 2011). For example some workers strongly belief in the diversity to the business, however they may not accept the different views from others or accept opposition over their belief. Another cause of conflict in an organization is the opposing interest of interest of the workers. This may come about if a worker decides to pursue his own goal without considering the goals of the business or the well being of other workers. It may result to result to strife among the workers hence a conflict. This situation occurs when some employees focus on achieving their own objectives without regarding their effect to the company’s operation. In the first instance, the victim may forget that she is a member of the institution’s team from which they are supposed to work to achieve a certain goal (Miller, 2008). The sole worker may work according to her own schedule in a manner that builds resentment to the whole organization. Personal conflict is another cause of conflict in an organization. Two or more people in an organization are prone to clash since no person is exactly like the other. One employee may possess a reversed personality while another may be an outgoing. When these two personalities clash, the immediate expectation is a conflict in the institution. Poor communication can also lead to strife among t

Research a hospitality business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research a hospitality business - Essay Example Starbucks has been in the UK since 1998 when they purchased 65 Seattle Coffee stores that were already located in the UK. The reason that Starbucks bought these companies was because they shared a common culture. Both companies had a commitment to create customised coffee, they had similar values, a mutual respect for their customers, their employees, and they had a commitment to the environment. This information prompted them to buy Seattle Coffee as a way to reach out to the UK community (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2011a). Overview of the Business Starbucks actually began in 1971 when they were a roaster and a retailer for whole bean, ground coffee, and tea and spices. At that time, they owned one store in Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA, USA. They were a private company at that time and did not become a public company until 1992 and 1993. At that time, they decided to look for locations in large cities so that they would have a 'hub' store with smaller stores around in these locat ions. They hired what they called 'zone presidents' to oversee the new stores; each zone president had many years of experience in marketing chain stores (Thompson and Gamble, 1997). Starbucks was able to easily identify those retail sites that would be best for theirs stores. They hired a real estate team who was versed in the coffee bar industry and they instituted a 'sophisticated system' that allowed them to identify the locations that would be best for their stores. They were able to track each area in such a way that they also found attractive city blocks where they could start their stores (Thompson and Gamble, 1997). Today, they have 17,000 companies in 50 countries and they continue to grow (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2011a). Starbucks took its name from the book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Starbucks was the name of the first mate in the story. They boast that they have millions of customers world wide and they enjoy serving them the best coffee possible. Starbucks has 70 0 stores across the UK (Farrell, 2010). Every business must start with a mission and Starbucks mission is 'to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time' (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2011b, p.1). With this mission, they know exactly what they want to do when they go into each new country or new city. Processes and Systems Starbucks has been able to institute specific processes and systems in their company that worked. They have used the same system in each of the countries they moved into because it worked. Food and beverages purchasing Starbucks purchases coffee from farmers around the world. They basically have four brands that they sell all of their beverages under. These brands are: 'Starbucks Coffee, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Tazo Tea, and Torrefazione Italia Coffee' (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2011b, p.2). In the UK, Starbucks has only introduced a few of its products which include: Via, a new instant coffee that people c an purchase at Tesco stores Starbucks Whole Bean Coffees, Starbucks Discoveries Chilled Coffees, and Starbucks Doubleshot Expresso drinks (Puget Sound Business Journal, 2010). Dave Olsen who is Starbucks' senior vice president for coffee, travelled around the world to coffee growing companies and talked to farmers to find the richest quality coffee beans that would produce the best flavour. Starbucks bought the beans above the price that they would

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Disadvantages of using smart phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Disadvantages of using smart phones - Essay Example However, the change has led to a number of challenges. The paper focus on disadvantages of using smart phones. The current usage of smart phones has enabled users to do a variety of things. However, the usage has led to a number of disadvantages. First, the gadget is too expensive as compared to the mobile phones that were used in the past. This means that the user have to use extra money in order to acquire a gadget. The extra pay is due to extra application in these phones. As noted by the author a basic phone may cost $50 to $90 as compared to $200 to $300 of smart phones (Butler 1). Therefore, the extra comfort of the smart phones is achieved at a higher price than the non-smart phones. Secondly, the smart phones have led to decreased social interaction. The phones have been noted to divert people attention from the real world. Hence, it makes it difficult for people to underatnd and appreciate the world. For example, the usage of these phones makes it difficult for people to have phsical intercation. The interaction has been minimal as people can interact using these phones through email, calls, and even social sites application installed on the phones. Hence, most of the people do not see the need of having a physical interaction due to convenience of communication that occur in using these phones. Moreover, dependence on these phones may lead to a form of addiction. Once the addiction occurs it will be difficult for one to disassociate from the gadgets. The addition can affect individual well-being due to high level of activity due to dependence of the gadgets. As noted by Schloter, â€Å"The most dangerous thing is to fall into a mode of permanent activity and continuously consult one’s smartphone to see whether any new mails have come in† (Association for Psychological Science (APS) 1). The lament by Schotler clearly shows effect that can occur on dependence on smart phones. In fact, few months later

Statment of purpose Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Statment of purpose - Personal Statement Example applications, I have envisioned honing my professional acumen through higher education through an MBA degree from your prestigious institution, the John Hopkins Carey Business School. As indicated in my Curriculum Vitae, my interest in MBA was initiated by my readings in this field of endeavor. There is this burning desire to specialize in a highly professional and attractive career, where MBA professionals are deemed to be very scarce in Saudi Arabia. It is my personal goal to be instrumental in filling that professional gap in the Saudi work market with the expertise I hope to achieve at John Hopkins. As I briefly reviewed the vast opportunities offered by the Carey Business School of John Hopkins, I am more determined and enthusiastic to enroll in one of the programs that would fit my personal requirements. I am most interested in developing personal and professional skills that focus on leadership, conflict resolution, design of strategies, and to address various business problem scenarios in the contemporary global environment. I was most impressed with the John Hopkins’ statement towards the commitment â€Å"to help you develop into an ethical, informed business professional—a capable leader who is culturally literate and entrepreneurial in spirit. You will know how to roll up your sleeves to get the job done, how to capture and articulate a brilliant idea, how to inspire others, how to lead and how to follow† (John Hopkins Global MBA, 2011, par. 9). The statement comprehensively defines the fulfillment of my personal goal to be an active contributor in m y native country of the knowledge, skills and abilities that would be improved through a multidimensional approach. If the opportunities would permit, I also plan to apply the business skills in other global markets to enable me to widen my experience and gain substantial expertise on a global scale. Ultimately, my goal to become an entrepreneur, a leader, and a manager of global perspectives would be

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Disadvantages of using smart phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Disadvantages of using smart phones - Essay Example However, the change has led to a number of challenges. The paper focus on disadvantages of using smart phones. The current usage of smart phones has enabled users to do a variety of things. However, the usage has led to a number of disadvantages. First, the gadget is too expensive as compared to the mobile phones that were used in the past. This means that the user have to use extra money in order to acquire a gadget. The extra pay is due to extra application in these phones. As noted by the author a basic phone may cost $50 to $90 as compared to $200 to $300 of smart phones (Butler 1). Therefore, the extra comfort of the smart phones is achieved at a higher price than the non-smart phones. Secondly, the smart phones have led to decreased social interaction. The phones have been noted to divert people attention from the real world. Hence, it makes it difficult for people to underatnd and appreciate the world. For example, the usage of these phones makes it difficult for people to have phsical intercation. The interaction has been minimal as people can interact using these phones through email, calls, and even social sites application installed on the phones. Hence, most of the people do not see the need of having a physical interaction due to convenience of communication that occur in using these phones. Moreover, dependence on these phones may lead to a form of addiction. Once the addiction occurs it will be difficult for one to disassociate from the gadgets. The addition can affect individual well-being due to high level of activity due to dependence of the gadgets. As noted by Schloter, â€Å"The most dangerous thing is to fall into a mode of permanent activity and continuously consult one’s smartphone to see whether any new mails have come in† (Association for Psychological Science (APS) 1). The lament by Schotler clearly shows effect that can occur on dependence on smart phones. In fact, few months later

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Impressionism Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impressionism Art - Essay Example Through the 1863-oil-on-canvas painting of â€Å"Olympia†, former realist Edouard Manet occurs to convey a personal style of exhibiting his subject of nudity which is one essential characteristic of Realism. Besides the artist’s sensual treatment of â€Å"Olympia†, the art piece may be identified as well to possess an Impressionist trait in the manner the female figure is placed at the center, seemingly far from the ideal Greek-oriented setup. For this, Manet’s work had suffered excruciating degree of criticisms from the society as it chiefly disobeyed the conventional principles of the Renaissance art. One notable detail in â€Å"Olympia† is the tailoring of the nude woman’s eyes. They evoke confidence of all that she was in a seemingly pure marble-looking complexion stroked in conflict with her portrayal of a prostitute. A black maidservant provides additional evidence by handing over a bouquet of flowers as from an admirer though the look in her eyes was traced after an accomplished harlot who would not pay immediate attention nor find meaning in such a present. On the other hand, Edgar Degas is widely acclaimed for the works â€Å"The Dance Foyer at the Opera on the Rue Le Peletier† (1872) and â€Å"The Ballet Rehearsal on Stage.† (Edgar Degas – The Complete Works). Both of these paintings depict a common theme of â€Å"dance† which Degas may be observed to have fondly dealt with in most of his accomplishments. The two crafts, likewise, project an Impressionist concept based on the significance of interior.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Development of Digital Television Technology

Development of Digital Television Technology Digital TV broadcasting and HDTV Introduction While Gugliemo Marconi is known as the inventor of wireless telegraphy in 1897 (Winston, 1998, p. 70), the inventor of television becomes a little more complicated as it entailed an evolution of over ten years to move from its concept to an actual picture transmission and reception. The patent for the electronic scanning tube, termed iconoscope, was held by Vladimir Zworykin, an Russian born inventor who worked for Westinghouse in 1923, however, Westinghouse did not see the utility in his invention and ordered Zworykin onto other projects (Bogart, 1956, p. 8, 348). Philo Farnsworth (Horvitz, 2002. p. 9, 92) advanced the concept, and it was John Logie Baird who accomplished the first transmissions of face shapes in 1924, who is also credited with the first television broadcast in 1926 (Horvitz, 2002, p. 101). From there, the development of television escalated with analog broadcasting representing the transmission method utilized in television until 2000 began the age of digital telev ision and radio broadcasting (Huff, 2001, pp. 4,8,69). To understand digital television, one needs a basic understanding of the manner in with analog television works. In the analog system a video camera takes pictures at 30 frames per second, which are then rasterized into rows of individual dots, termed pixels that are assigned specific color and intensity (howstuffworks.com, 2007a). Next, these pixel rows are then combined with synchronization signals termed horizontal and vertical sync, which permits the receiving television set understand how these rows should be displayed (howstuffworks.com, 2007a). The final signal that contains the preceding represents the composite video signal, which is separate from the sound (howstuffworks.com, 2007a). The difference between analog television and digital is that the analog system as a 4:3 aspect ration, which means the television screen is four units wide by three units high, thus a 25 inch analog television measured diagonally is 15 inches in height by 20 inches in width, with the aspect rat io for a digital television is represented by a 16:9 aspect ratio (Metallinos, 1996, pp. 27, 206 207). Digital broadcasting, as is the case in all broadcast formats, including radio, utilize part of the electromagnetic spectrum (Montgomery and Powell, 1985, pp. 20, 237). Electromagnetic wave frequencies consist of radio, infrared, light that is visible, ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma and then cosmic rays, in order of the lowest to the highest (Weber, 1961, pp. 105, 184). In reality, digital television broadcasting is a subset of digital radio broadcasting, under the ‘one-way digital radio standards’, which not only includes digital radio and television broadcasting, but digital terrestrial television, DVB-T, ISDB-t, ATSC, T-DMB, mobile TV, Satellite TV, radio pagers, as well as the Eureka 147 standard (DAB) to name a few (Levy, 2001, pp. 7,10,11,33). This examination shall delve into an understanding of digital television broadcasting, DAB, DVB-T, HDTV, and its deployment in Europe as well as the United States. Television’s New Age The advantages of digital television is that it offers a broader array of viewing options for both the consumer as well as broadcast stations in that it provides a clear picture and sharper sound, along with the ability of broadcasters to offer multiple sub-channels as a result of its formats (Levy, 2001, p. 71). The three formats, consisting of 1. 480i, which is 704X480 pixels that is broadcast at 60 interlaced frames a second representing 30 complete frames each second, and 480p which is 704X480 pixels that is broadcast at 60 complete frames each second, 2. 720p, whereby the picture is at 1280X720 pixels that is broadcast at 60 complete frames a second, and thirdly, 1080i where the picture is at 1920X1080 pixels that is sent at 60 interlaced frames each second representing 30 complete frames each second, and 1080p whereby the picture is broadcast at 1920X1080 pixels that is broadcast at 60 complete frames each second (howstuffworks.com, 2007b). Note: The above indicates the 525 horizontal line scans whereby each contains approximately 680 pixels. Each pixel represents one element of the picture and contains three areas of red, green and blue phosphor, which may be either rectangular or dots. The electron gun send out electron beams that strike the phosphors causing them to glow, with electromagnets located near the guns directing the beams in sequence to each pixel, with the broadcast signal providing information on how bright the phosphors should be made, at what time and in what sequence. As digital television broadcasting and digital audio broadcasting, DAB, are both based upon the electromagnetic wave principle, they work in the same manner, with DAB providing a broader range of digital channels that are not available on FM, as well as less hiss and interference, tuning to a station format or name and the support of scrolling radio text, MP3 playback and pause and rewind features (Scott, 1998, p. 9, 210). DVB-T represents the Euopean standard for broadcast of digital terrestrial television. DVB-T, or Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial, is a new system whereby the digital audio and video data stream is compressed by use of a OFDM modulation that utilizes concatenated channel coding (Levy, 2001, pp. 3-21). Al-Askary et al (2005) advise that OFDM utilizes convolutional coding that does not have capability to adapt to variations of fading properties of individual sub-channels, thus providing clear distortion freer signals and reception. In the DVB-T method when utilized by broadcasters the signals transmitted are sent from one aerial antenna to another using a signal blaster to the home receivers (White, 2007). The broadcast is transmitted utilizing a digital audio-video stream that is compressed, based on the MPEG-2 standard, which is the result of the combination of one or more ‘Pactetised Elementary Streams’ (Chiariglione, 2000). Note: In summary, the source coding are multiplexed into programme streams, with one or more of these joined to create a MPEG-2 Transpot Stream that is transmitted to set top boxes in the home. It can accommodate six to eightMHz wide channels. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), which is also termed ‘Eureka 147’ represents the technology employed for the broadcasting of audio through the use of digital radio transmmision (Huff, 2001, pp. 67-78). In order to achieve the sound reproduction quality attributable to DAB, the bit rate levels must be high enough for the audio codec in the MPEG Layer 2 to provide the quality inherent in the system, as well as high enough to enable the error correction coding (digitalradiotech.co.uk, 2007). Both the DAB as well as the DVB-T systems utilize ‘orthogonal frequency division multiplexing’ (OFDM) modulation, with each system being able to handle 1536 sub-carriers (digitalradiotech.co.uk, 2007). The DAB and DVB-T also use the QPSK singal constellation to modulate the subcarriers, and also use 2 bits per symbol which the signal constellations can transmit on each of the subcarriers (digitalradiotech.co.uk, 2007). DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is particularly suited to utilization in multimedia transmission systems, such as sound, moving pictures and text along with data (Levy, 2001, p. 177). As a radio frequency signal, DAB’s ability in being picked up by radio receivers represents an advantage over DVB-T, whose mobile reception signal â€Å"†¦ is significantly affected by †¦Ã¢â‚¬  the fast changing nature of the transmission channel, thus it is needed to utilize two antennas on the received along with a more complex and â€Å"†¦ elaborate signal processing for †¦ channel tracking† (Lauterjung, 1999). And while DVB-T was developed orginally for stationary reception utilizing a roof-top directional antenna as well as a non-directional antenna contained on a portable receiver, it has been adapted for moble reception as indicated (Lauterjung, 1999). Recent developments in tests conducted in Germany as well as Singapore have shown that DBV-T can be utilized in mobile reception, however the drawback is battery life as a result of power consumption (dvb.org, 2004). HDTV, high-definition television, utilizes approximaetly ten times the amount of pixels as a standard analog television set, representing a high end 1920 X 1080 pixels, against an analog television set’s 704 X 480 pixels (Huf, 2001, pp. 140-141). The high resolution of HDTV requires greater bandwidth thus making broadcast operators make a major financial commitment to deploy the new standard (Brown and Picard, 2005, pp. 47-49). The deployment problem means that in order to make the system work with their current infrastructure, operators would have to reduce the number of channels being offered, a marketing and customer problem in that operators have built their competitive systems on offering a greater number of channel selections. Brown and Picard (2005, p. 336) advise â€Å"The significance of the SDTV/HDTV issue is that, because the transmission of HDTV requires much more spectrum than SDTV, a trade-off is involved for any DTV system between a greater number of SDTV channels and a smaller number of HDTV channels (currently 4 to 6 SDTV channels can be transmitted within the amount of spectrum required for one HDTV channel)†. In addition to the foregoing, there is a lack of uniform standards in â€Å"Standardization, compatibility, interoperability and application portability are essential pillars in the erection of a successful and competitive European digital television system† (Nolan, 1997, p. 610). The National Association of Broadcasters’ estimate that the cost of the new equipment to carry HDTV and retain the number of stations will be between $10 to $40 million based on the station size (Pommier, 1995). Deployment will represent a problem in that the wider TV format will be cut off on standard square type televisions thus necessitating consumers to switch to wide screen television receivers in addition to the special HDTV receiver need to watch high definition broadcasts which can be received over cable or satellite (Brown and Picard, 2005, pp. 110-115). The HD receiver being sold at  £299 by UK broadcaster BSkyB, along with an added  £10 for the service on top of the basic subscr iption charge are another example of the inhibiting factors in deployment O’Brien, 2006). HDTV basically represents what Dietrich Westerkamp who is the worldwide director of broadcast standards at the electronics giant Thomson, which is the largest European manufacturer of HD satellite receivers, calls â€Å"†¦ a chicken and egg situation† (O’Brien, 2006). The situation has been the case with HDTV in the United States as well as Europe, with broadcasters waiting to see enough purchasers of the new television sets before making the financial commitment concerning equipment changes, and consumers waiting to see stations available before making the financial commitment for the new HDTV sets. The answer could be coming from television manufacturers who are starting to turn out HD compatible sets. One such example is Samsung, who has announced that two-thirds of its flat panel production will be HD compatible (O’Brien, 2006). Something will be needed to help jump-start the HDTV situation as presently the size of the potential viewing audience is to sm all to justify the conversion expense, explains Rudi Kuffner, spokesperson for Germany’s largest broadcaster ARD (O’Brien, 2006). Conclusion Since the first television broadcast of face shapes by John Baird in 1924, and the first television broadcast in 1926 (Horvitz, 2002, p. 101) television has come a long way. The introduction of digital television and radio broadcasting in 2000 has increased the viewing experience in providing a broader array of channels, signal clarity and sound as well as giving broadcasters an expanded marketing option of more to offer consumers in a highly competitive market. The new flat panel television sets and digital broadcasting have expanded the ways in which consumers as well as broadcasters view the market. With mobile television systems and the new digital radio channels offering playback and other features, entertainment is getting another big boost. With the biggest new development, that has been around for over four years set to enhance broadcasting and viewing pleasure, when the financial justifications reach the investment levels. HDTV represents the next quantum leap in television despite all of its problems. Technology keeps improving the sphere of entertainment, and it is ultimately consumers who benefit. Bibliography Al-Askary, O., Sidiropoulos, L., Kunz, L., Vouzas, C., Nassif, C. (2005) Adaptive Coding for OFDM Based Systems using Generalized Concatenated Codes. Radio Communications Systems, Stockholm, Sweden Bogart, L. (1956) The Age of Television: A Study of Beijing Habits and the Impact of Television on American Life. Frederick Ugar Publishing. New York, United States Brown, A., Picard, R. (2005) Digital Terrestrial Television in Europe. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mahwah, N.J., United States Chiariglione, L. (2000) MPEG-2. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.chiariglione.org/mpeg/standards/mpeg-2/mpeg-2.htm digitalradiotech.co.uk (2007) Comparison of the DAB, DMB DvB-H Systems. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dvb-h_dab_dmb.htm dvdaust.com (2007) Aspect Ratios. Retrieved on 30 March 2007 from http://www.dvdaust.com/aspect.htm dvb.org (2004) DVB-H Handheld. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.dvb.org/documents/white-papers/wp07.DVB-H.final.pdf Horvitz, L. (2002) Eureka! Stories of Scientific Discovery. Wiley, New York, United States howstuffworks.com (2007b) How Digital Television Works. Retrieved on 31 March 2007 from http://www.howstuffworks.com/dtv3.htm howstuffworks.com (2007a) Understanding Analog TV. Retrieved on 30 March 2007 from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dtv1.htm Huff, A. (2001) Regulating the Future: Broadcasting Technology and Governmental Control. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, United States Kiiski, A. (2004) Mobile Virtual Network Operators. Research Seminar on Telecommunications Business, Helsinki University of Technology Levy, D. (2001) Europe’s Digital Revolution: Broadcasting Regulation, the EU and Nation State. Routledge, London, United Kingdom Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (2004) Electromagnetic Spectrum. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds/ALSTool/EMSpec/EMSpec2.html Lauterjung, J. (1999) An enhanced testbed for mobile DVB-T receivers. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.rohde-schwarz.com/www/dev_center.nsf/frameset?OpenAgentwebsite=comcontent=/www/dev_center.nsf/html/artikeldvb-t Metallinos, N. (1996) Television Aesthetics: Perceptual, Cognitive, and Compositional Bases. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mahwah, New Jersey, United States Montgomery, H., Powell, J. (1985) International Broadcasting by Satellite: Issues of Regulation, Barriers to Communication. Quorum Books, Westport, CT., United States Nolan, D. (1997) Bottlenecks in pay TV: Impact on market development in Europe. Vol. 21, No. 7. Telecommunications Policy O’Brien (2006) Broadcasters shrink from taking HDTV leap. 30 August 2006 PBS.org. (2006b) Electronic TV. Retrieved on 30 March 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/opb/crashcourse/tv_grows_up/electronictv.html PBS.org (2006a) Mechanical TV. Retrieved on 30 March 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/opb/crashcourse/tv_grows_up/mechanicaltv.html PBS.org (2006b) Widescreen. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/opb/crashcourse/aspect_ratio/widescreen.html Pommier, G. (1995) High Definition Television (HDTV). Retrieved on 3 April 2007 from http://gabriel.franciscan.edu/com326/gpommier.html Scott, R. (1998) Human Resource Management in the Electronic Media. Quorum Books, Westport, CT, United States University of Toledo (2005) Television. Retrieved on 2 April 2007 from http://www.physics.utoledo.edu/~lsa/_color/31_tv.htm Weber, J. (1961) General Relativity and Gravitational Waves. Interscience Publishers, New York, United States White, D. (2007) What is DVB-T? Retrieved on 1 April 2007 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-dvb-t.htm Winston, B. (1998) Media Technology and Society: A History From the Telegraph to the Internet. Routledge, London, United Kingdom

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord of the Flies Essays

Hidden inside every human being is the urge to obide by law and authority and to act civilised, but hidden much deeper is the temptation to resist acting lawfully and resort to savagery. Sometimes, these two impulses conflict with one another and people are confused as to which desire to follow through with. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and John Polson’s Hide and Seek are two prime examples that demonstrate the conflict between civilised behaviour and savagery through their characters’ cultured manners, savage impulses and struggles as they decide who they really are as people. The instinct to follow rules and act in a civilised manner is highlighted throughout the first four chapters of Lord of the Flies, but is especially perceptible in the boys’ behaviour when they first arrive on the island. The first chapter, The Sound of the Shell focuses on Ralph’s discovery of the island and his joy at the fact that there are â€Å"No grown-ups!† (p.12) present and so he can do as he pleases. His companion Piggy however, is obedient to the authority of his home life as he will not run, swim or blow the conch when Ralph does because his aunty told him not to â€Å"on account of his asthma†. (p.13) The repetition of Piggy’s referral to his aunty and her rules emphasise his conformity. The formation of an assembly, the ruling of Ralph as chief and the creation of rules on the island such as â€Å"‘hands up’ like at school† also comply with the social standards of order and democracy that they had to obide by in Eng land. Jack, representing a figure of authority, leads his choir who comply with his commands even though they are not at home anymore. â€Å"The choir belongs to you, of course.† (p.31) The choirs’ great compliance to their leader foreshadows t... ...shouldn’t’ be there, but does not actually tell her to go away. Brutality is also evident in Emily’s actions - while smiling threateningly she destroys a doll infront of the little girl. A close-up camera angle is used during this act to reinforce Emily’s evil intentions. The characters’ battle to resolve the conflict between following their natural instincts and satisfying their ultimate desires to kill is achieved in both texts with the impulses of violence prevailing. From the analysis of the characters’ actions, words and personalities from the novel Lord of the Flies and the movie Hide and Seek, it is evident that both texts represent the conflict existing between morality and sin through their use of the narrative devices of repetition, alliteration and foreshadowing as well as the film techniques of intruding close-up angle shots and manipulative lighting.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Effect of Daycare on the Parent-Child Relationship Essay example --

The parent-child relationship is crucial for both parties. Daycare centers are believed to often interfere with this vital relationship. I have chosen to explore the effects of daycare on the parent-child relationship. I have done this, in part, because I see this relationship on a frequent basis due to my employment at a daycare center. This topic is anthropologically interesting because the primary care givers of children are now often professional centers rather than family. When in the past, the child rearing was done by the child’s parents or close family. This new dimension of childhood care adds an interesting element to familial bonds and their strength, or lack of. Professional daycare centers are also a very debated and researched topic. Throughout the research, positives and negatives have been found in the topic of daycare centers, in particular the parent-child relationship. Generally, the effects of daycare are trumped by the effects of parenting. Will this still be the case with daycare centers gaining ground by, beginning available in some places 24 hours? Historically, children have been cared for and raised by family, either parents or extended family. More recently because of growing economic and social pressure, both parents have been entering the work force. This puts the job of childcare onto extended family or professional caregivers. The increase in professional child caregivers has raised questions in child development. One of these questions is about the parent child relationship. The parent-child relationship is historically the most influential in child’s life. Not all parent-child relationships are strong nor positive, but they still remain the most influential in a child’s life. There are four... ...opment 66.2 (1995): 474. Web. Lewin, Tamar. "3 New Studies Assess Effects of Child Care." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Nov. 2005. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. Lundy, Brenda. "Paternal Socio-psychological Factors and Infant Attachment: The Mediating Role of Synchrony in Father–infant Interactions." Infant Behavior and Development 25.2 (2002): 221-36. Web. Magana, Lynette C., Judith A. Myers-Walls, and Dee Love. "Different Types of Parent-Child Relationships." PPP: Family-Child Relationships. Purdue University, 2006. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Peterson, Carole, and Richard Peterson. "Parent—Child Interaction and Daycare: Does Quality of Daycare Matter?" Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 7.1 (1986): 1-15. Web. Shpancer, N. "The Effects of Daycare: Persistent Questions, Elusive Answers." Early Childhood Research Quarterly 21.2 (2006): 227-37. Web.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Impacts of a Borderless Society

| A Borderless Society| Impacts of a borderless society| | Courtney BrownSC300 – Big Ideas in Science: From Methods to MutationKaplan University| 3/12/2013| | When it comes to time of the day to sit down and eat a meal, there a couple of different things that I think of when I try to decide what to eat. The first thing is how hungry am I? The second thing is what kind of food do I want; chicken, steak, a sandwich? The last thing I think of is how long it will take me for me to cook the meal. However, the thing I never think of is where does the food I’m eating come from?I’m going to analyze one meal that I have eaten today, a cheeseburger and potato salad. When my family makes potato salad, it normally consists of potatoes, onions, and bacon. Potatoes are the leading vegetable crop in the United States, contributing about 15% of farm sales (Jerardo, 2012). Over 50% of potato sales fare to processor for French fries, chips and other potato products (Jerardo, 2012) . Western states such as Idaho, Washington, and Colorado produce two-thirds of fall potatoes with Idaho and Washington accounting for over half of the United States total (Jerardo, 2012).Potatoes are usually grouped within two categories, fresh and processing. Processing potatoes then get broken down into, frozen (French fries), chips, dehydrated or canned (Jerardo, 2012). We always use the fresh potatoes when making the salad. United States farmers plant approximately 125,000 acres of onions each year and produce about 6. 2 billion pounds a year (National Onion Association, 2011). The top 3 producing states of onions are Washington (22,828 acres), Idaho-Eastern Oregon (21,000 acres) and California (17,850 acres) (National Onion Association, 2011).Approximately 170 countries grow onions for their own domestic use, however many are involved in international trade (National Onion Association, 2011). The top leading countries for onion production are China, India, United States, Turkey and Pakistan; they count for 8% of global onion production (National Onion Association, 2011). After researching, I believe that the only way to get onions is having them fresh in the produce section of your grocery store. Bacon is most likely my most beloved part of the potato salad. Who doesn’t love bacon, right?The two main methods of curing bacon are pumping and dry curing. Pumped bacon has curing ingredients that are injected directly into the meat to speed up the curing process and add bulk (US Department of Agriculture, 2011). Dry cured bacon has a premeasured amount of cure mixture applied or rubbed on the bacon surface. This curing phase takes up to 2 weeks to complete (US Department of Agriculture, 2011). They also produce organic and natural bacon (US Department of Agriculture, 2011). Iowa, carrying 29% of the United States market share (Perman, 2012).The burger can be made so many different ways from the toppings that go on it to what it is made out of. The meat of the burger can be made out of ground beef, chuck, and sirloin and so on. We purchase our beef from Wal-Mart stores but cannot find on where they retain their meat from. The biggest benefit of having this type of food market would have to be competition. In today’s world no matter what you do; you always seem to be in competition with somebody. If a person is in high school they are competing to get the best grades, if you are at your job you may be competing for a promotion.In the food market today, everybody is always looking for the best price and with so many different sources to get your supplies; every company is going to be looking to get your business. In return if people use their product for a decant amount of money and they are satisfied, they are going to tell someone about it then they will possibly gain another customer. One of this disadvantages of having a market like this is that because there are so many different sources for people to use, companies can f orget the consumer.Some companies maybe think that because they are selling their products for less money, that they can cut corners and not use the best supplies to make their products. This might tempt the consumer to go to another company and pay a little more but they will have a better product coming out of it. We are getting into a time where people are starting to pay attention more to how much they are spending, what they are getting out of spending that money and if it’s even worth paying for it.People everywhere are starting to either grow their own food or are starting to look for locally grown food so they know nothing is going to harm them; which the phrase â€Å"Think Globally, Act Locally† comes into play. This phrase is basically trying to convey that we need to start thinking about what we put into this world and how we take care of it. Although trading and selling goods with other countries is a good thing, staying local will cut down on pollution in the air. These days it is getting tough with the prices of everything rising so staying locally will also benefit the farmers in the area.Before this assignment I never really thought of the impact that my choices of where I bought my food can make. Even if just one more a person a day chose to buy something locally, I believe that they can make a huge difference globally. I live in a small town that doesn’t have many grocery stores that sell locally grown food. We do however have a farmer’s market that comes to town for about two months between September and November; so when that time comes everyone takes advantage.Unfortunately any other time of the year, we have to resort to going to Wal-Mart or target. I do believe that locally grown food is the way to go; there are so many benefits of it like being healthier for you and healthier for the environment and you know that the local farmers did not use any chemicals. I think that if one person everyday decided to buy l ocally than we can make the earth healthier. References Jerardo, A. (2012). Vegetables & pulses: Potatoes. Retrieved from http://www. ers. usda. ov/topics/crops/vegetables-pulses/potatoes. aspx National Onion Association. (2011). All about onions. Retrieved from http://www. onions usa. org/all-about-onions/where-how-onions-are-grown US Department of Agriculture. (2011). Bacon and food safety. Retrieved from http://www. fsis. usda. gov/factsheets/Bacon_and_Food_Safety/index. asp Perman, C. (2012). Bacon tourism: From the Davos of bacon to bacon mecca. Retrieved from http://www. cnbc. com/id/47537540/Bacon_Tourism_From_the_Davos_of_Bacon_to_Bacon_Mecca

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Ancient Religion vs Modern Religion Essay

There are many differences between an ancient religious viewpoint of the Greeks and Romans and a modern world religion viewpoint. I feel that the most distinguishing difference and the difference that I feel makes the biggest impact is that in a modern world religion society believers say there is one God or that the religions today are monotheistic, whereas in the ancient religions we have studied in class citizens say and believe there are multiple gods or were polytheistic. For example the Greeks believed in twelve gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, and Artemis. They all had names other than just God. This difference is obviously very apparent. In the ancient Greek religion there are gods for everything including grain, the moon, and the underworld; of these gods one is more powerful than the others but they have all power. For each element of the world they lived in, there was a god assigned to each. These gods were both male and female, had relationships with each other, and many had equal power. I like the idea that a specific god was worshipped for each separate element and piece of their world, and not just one god was worshipped for everything. I feel it made the society stronger and more balanced. Today in Christianity and other modern religions, it is believed there is one God who rules all. He created everything, hears all things, sees all things, and basically is everywhere. In ancient religion, the gods were both male and female. This showed that both males and females had power and it was believed that both genders were capable of creating, and worth worshipping. Versus Christianity, where the God is simply a male, and there is no woman god. The worship of many gods meant that the citizens of ancient worlds understood that one person or being should not hold all of the power and that power should be equal. It provided a balance to the society. Today in religion all of the power rests on one being. This just seems silly. In ancient religion it was spread among many beings. This difference leads to other differences between ancient religions and modern world religions. One other difference is that today God has to be everywhere and has to be all knowing. In ancient religions the gods lived on Olympus, woods, and other scared places. They were scattered throughout the world to ensure that the world functioned properly. Another difference I feel comes from the difference in being monotheistic and polytheistic is that today God is pure and has a wholesome character that is essentially perfect with good morals. God does not have imperfections like humans do. But in ancient religion the gods had the personalities of humans and were not so perfect. This difference I think attributes that humans don’t know why God behaves the way he does or does the things he does, but when the ancient gods would act like humans, they knew why, they shared the same emotions and personalities. For example Demeter felt the pain of loss when Persephone went to the underworld, this is indeed similar to the sadness a woman gets when she can’t have children or when all of her children have left the nest. One more difference that arises between modern world religions and ancient religions is that today God is abstract and must be all things to all people and is seen as a parent to protect humans. In ancient religions the many gods were seen more as divine beings who just made the earth better but frequently punished the humans and well didn’t really like the mortals. One final difference between modern world religions and ancient religions is that in a modern religion God created nature and can control nature but is never nature. God is never the sun, he is never the rivers. In ancient world religions the gods were nature, and they controlled nature as well. Ancient gods are sometimes seen as a personification of different elements of nature itself. The most important difference among the ancient religions and modern world religions is that ancient religions were mostly polytheistic and modern world religions are monotheistic. This main difference creates many more differences among the religions of different periods and creates a boundary that is clearly drawn between the religions of the ancient world and modern world religions. The gods of ancient worlds reflect the humans’ personalities, thoughts, and the balance of power they strive for in the world, and God represents perfection, good morals, and everything humans wish they could be. This main difference is fundamentally the difference that builds and creates other differences between ancient religions and modern world religions.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Failing Public Education In America Education Essay

The American public instruction system is neglecting on the international graduated table. This is no longer the sentiment of merely a few people ; it is being proved clip and clip once more over the old ages by many bureaus describing upon academic accomplishment of pupils worldwide. In this essay, I will back up my claim that the instruction system presently in topographic point is unequal, and that there are many successful theoretical accounts that could be followed in order to reform our system, and accomplish success internationally. Some of the most successful school systems in the universe, such as those in South Korea or Finland, have immensely different patterns from schools in the United States, in things such as length of school twelvemonth and makings required for pedagogues, and the success from these patterns is much greater relatively. I enjoy larning and I succeeded in the public schooling system, but I can candidly impute about all of that success to personal motive. Of class over the old ages I had a few phenomenal instructors, unluckily, they were immensely outnumbered by instructors who did n't care about the success of their pupils in the least spot. I had instructors like Ms. Leighton and Mrs. Friedman, who inspired me to work harder than of all time before and are my motive to go a instructor. On the other terminal of the spectrum, I had instructors like Mrs. Phillips, who believed the schoolroom was her public forum for touting her spiritual beliefs and dedication upon an waxy group of kids, as opposed to learning English, or Mr. Connell, whose category consisted of nil at all related to Geometry. He would speak his cell phone and topographic point commands for points on EBay, while the pupils were left to their ain devices. I can retrieve from a really immature age that I was actively engaged in school. I loved everything about school, the societal interaction, the new experiences, and particularly the acquisition of cognition. I was non matched in enthusiasm by any of my fellow pupils until the 2nd class. That was when I met Daye. Daye ‘s household had moved here from South Korea merely a couple hebdomads before the school twelvemonth started. Daye completed her work rapidly and expeditiously, and managed to be personable with the instructor and her fellow pupils, even though she was non talking her native linguistic communication. I can candidly state, for a seven twelvemonth old, she was more dedicated to her instruction than any individual I have of all time met, even to this twenty-four hours. Even though I was really immature at the clip, this was the first clip I had of all time felt challenged academically. I was self-motivated to maintain gait with Daye, chiefly because I refused to be 2n d best. And despite the fact that she challenged me, or possibly because of it, she became my best friend. Her household moved off the following twelvemonth, and we did n't maintain in touch. Possibly holding a pen buddy was excessively dashing a undertaking for eight twelvemonth olds, even for childs every bit motivated as us. As I furthered in my instruction beyond simple school, I started to detect a difference in my instructors. The older I got, the less interested they seemed in their occupations. Of class a few instructors were still involved with their pupils, and challenged them to work harder than accomplishing at the course of study ‘s low criterions, but the remainder merely acted as though instruction was merely a manner to pay the measures, and nil else. In the 6th class, I clearly remember one of my instructors, upon being told by a pupil that they could non read, she merely shrugged and walked off. I was smart and a good pupil ; I was besides despairing for the attending of my instructors. I would raise my manus for every inquiry that was asked, merely to have a simple â€Å" right or wrong. † By the clip I reached high school, even I had lost the motive I one time had. I still completed all of my work to the best of my ability, but all of the enthusiasm I one time held for my instruction was gone. Equally shortly as the school allowed, I started taking advanced arrangement and awards categories. There, I found instructors who cared about their pupils, and other pupils who really wanted to larn. The remainder of the school still consisted of all the things I had grown to resent. I ‘m certain I was told about hebdomadal about how my school was rated among the best public high schools in the state, with their star jocks with 3rd grade reading degrees and the D norms required to take part in athleticss or â€Å" honor pupils † with straight A ‘s, three out of their four categories being Gym, Weightlifting, and Fitness Principles, all of which they could take every semester throughout high school. I had found advanced arrangement categories to be an flight from my disappointment each twenty-four hours, but I was non convinced that thi s is what school should be ; I ‘m still non convinced. Over half of my category graduated with awards ; I ‘m certain that was a hard effort sing approximately 90 % of work was graded on completeness as opposed to correctness, but the school bragged about it however. Success of a school should n't be based upon an award winning football squad or the ability for most pupils in classs nine through 12s to go through a trial based on the reading, authorship, and arithmetic accomplishments that should hold been mastered by 6th class. I know from both the statistics and from friends and household that my school is non the lone one of such low quality or substandard patterns, but that it represents our state ‘s public schools as a whole in most instances. My sister Teachs 6th grade math in Baltimore, and has told me on several occasions about how non merely herself, but even English instructors, are non allowed by the disposal to rectify kids ‘s grammar, and that her pupils come to her category with math accomplishments accommo dating that of a 2nd or 3rd grader, but she is expected to hold them prepared for the 7th class by the terminal of the twelvemonth. Teachers at my sister ‘s school are told non to rectify the kids ‘s grammar in fright of aching their feelings, but if no 1 corrects them in school, what are the opportunities that kids form these accomplishments by the clip they enter the work force? Administrative policies, non single instructors, are to fault for the low criterion of instruction. What instructors could genuinely be motivated to learn in a system where wage class is non based upon success or consequences, merely clip physically spent in the schoolroom? The public school system is neglecting both nationally and in single provinces. Among the international rankings every bit late as 2010, the United States ranks fourteenth in reading, 25th in mathematics, and seventeenth in scientific discipline ( Shepherd ) . The United States is non even within the top 10 of any mensural topic. The top five states in the universe for instruction include South Korea, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan ( Shepherd ) . Twenty-five per centum of United States high school pupils fail to graduate within the allotted four old ages, and as the Miami Herald states it, â€Å" many of those who do graduate are ill-prepared for the demands of college and calling, † ( Bush ) . Why are other states turn outing more successful in their instruction patterns? House Education and Labor Chairman, George Miller, claims, â€Å" The difference between the states at the top of these rankings and the U.S. is that the states who are surpassing us have made developing the best instruction system in the universe a national goalaˆÂ ¦They ‘ve recognized that the strength of their economic system will be inextricably tied to the strength of their instruction system in the twenty-first century, † ( Graves ) . This is evidently support for the fact that instruction should go a greater precedence in this state. As George Miller stated above, a successful instruction system in bend leads to a successful economic system. Any significant addition in quality of instruction would straight ensue in economic addition in the millions, merely in the following few decennaries ( Graves ) . Despite passing some of the highest sums globally on instruction, we are still n on wining, imparting to the thought that the support is non the job, but how it is being put to utilize ( Bush ) . One author, Amy Richards studies, â€Å" 25 per centum of the United States population is functionally illiterate, unable to confer with a dictionary, to read marks or follow basic written waies, † ( Richards ) Based upon recent nose count informations, the population of the United States is about 311,591,917, which harmonizing to Richards ‘ claim, means that there are about 77,897,979 people in the United States entirely that are illiterate ( Google Public Data Explorer ) . That is surely a huge figure of people, and an unexpected figure for such a developed state as the United States. One account as to why precisely our public school systems are neglecting is the being of zero-tolerance policies for regulations within schools, which in bend lead to increased rates of suspension and ejection. Amy Richards cites the illustration, â€Å" Philadelphia provides a perfect instance survey in interior metropolis instruction, throw outing pupils at a rate of three 100 per twenty-four hours. On norm, pupils are about four old ages behind in reading degree in Philadelphia, † ( Richards ) . Higher rates of suspension and ejection mean one thing for the instruction system, less pupils are in the schoolroom acquisition. Richards cites Philadelphia as an illustration, nevertheless the same tendency can be found in inner-city school systems throughout the state. One school system that critics argue is really much the gilded criterion is that of Finland. Finland ranks 2nd in both reading and mathematics severally, but ranks highest in scientific discipline in the universe ( Shepherd ) . One compelling statement for Finland ‘s success in instruction is the fact that private schools do non be, even on the university degree. There are really few independent schools in being, but even those are all publically funded. What this means is that all pupils in Finland are having an equal instruction, that which can non be elevated by any tuition fee ( Partanen ) . Pasi Sahlberg is the manager of the Finnish Ministry of Education ‘s Center for International Mobility and has late authored the book Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? ( Partanen ) . In an interview about his new book, he cites the deficiency of private schools as one ground for success, but besides includes many strong statements as to why their system is so successful. Some of the patterns that Sahlberg claims are the most successful include the absence of standardised trials, and besides the fact that â€Å" in Finland all instructors and decision makers are given prestigiousnesss, nice wage, and a batch of duty. A maestro ‘s grade is required to come in the profession, and teacher preparation plans are among the most selective professional schools in the state, † ( Partanen ) . Pasi Sahlberg besides brings up thoughts that are n't frequently contemplated as success enabling in the United States such as, â€Å" Finland offers all students free school repasts, easy entree to wellness attention, psychological guidance, and individualised pupil counsel, † ( Partanen ) . Are the absences of such patterns the ground for the huge spread between Finland ‘s esteemed instruction plan and the second-rate opposite number of the United States? Standardized testing is considered a aspect in public i nstruction in the United States, yet pupils in Finland merely have single testing created and graded by instructors, and have a much greater border of success. Finland implements educational patterns that are about wholly opposite to those of the United States. Critics argue that the Finnish theoretical account would non work in the United States because of the utmost differences in size and cultural diverseness, nevertheless Samuel Abrams, of Columbia University ‘s Teaching College argues against this point by mentioning the state of Norway as a premier illustration. Abrams argues that though Norway is similar in size and cultural diverseness to Finland, Norway ‘s educational system is much more similar to that of the United States, and granaries similar, sub-par, consequences to those of the United States ( Partanen ) . I have explained possible grounds for the defects of the United States. These include, betterment of instruction non being a chief end for Americans, standardised testing, high-rates of suspension and ejection, and unequal pay-grade determiners for instructors. For some of these jobs, there are obvious solutions, such as abolishment of standardised testing and zero-tolerance policies. I have besides offered a possible solution, the Finnish theoretical account, which our state ‘s instruction system would be more than capable of accommodating to if there was governmental policy alteration. Any alteration for the better to our instruction system could potentially give unfathomable sums of economic growing and the ability to vie in international rankings. Citations: Shepherd, Jessica. â€Å" World Education Rankings: Which Country Does Best at Reading, Maths and Science? † The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 07 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education- rankings-maths-science-reading & gt ; . Bush, Jeb. â€Å" How To Better Our Failing Education System. † The Miami Herald. N.p. , 30 May 2012. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/30/2824609/how-to- improve-our-failing-education.html & gt ; . Graves, Lucia. â€Å" House Education Chair: U.S. School System Is ‘Failing Our State ‘ † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Dec. 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/george-miller-education- failing_n_793363.html & gt ; . Richards, Amy. â€Å" Why The American Public School System Keeps Failing Our Young person. † ReLIFE ‘s Blog. N.p. , 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //relifeinc.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/why-the-american-public-school-system- keeps-failing-our-youth/ & gt ; . â€Å" Google Public Data Explorer. † Google Public Data Explorer. N.p. , n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.google.com/publicdata & gt ; . Partanen, Anu. â€Å" What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland ‘s School Success. † The Atlantic. N.p. , 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring- about-finlands-school-success/250564/ & gt ; .