Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Organ Donation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Organ Donation - Essay Example Usually, the organs are taken from people who have died, or from brain dead patients. In other instances, close relatives, donate their body parts so that their loved ones can survive (Ebadat et al., 2014). In this speech, an argument is made about the positive nature of organ donation, and the need to educate people. Support for organ donation comes from the chance that a dead person has to make a positive difference for the living. A person, who has died in an accident, can give a second chance to another person. Some diseases such as dialysis require expensive treatments, besides placing the patient through trauma and pain. Organ donation can help to remove such issues. The recipient can perhaps rest more easily, if he knows that the organs will be donated to another person. The donor and his family can find comfort in knowing that though their loved one has passed away, the death is not in vain (Brown et al., 2010). Organ donation requires consent from the donors, either through explicit consent or through presumed consent. Explicit consent is a written and signed consent, given by person or close surviving relatives, allowing the organs to be donated. Presumed consnet is controversial and it assumes that a dead person would be willing to donate the organs. Healthy humans have two kidneys, and it is possible to lead a normal life even with a single kidney. However, many people are averse to this concept, and they refuse to refuse to sign any documents giving explicit consent, and on their death, relatives refuse permission to let the organs to be harvested . There is the fear that the organs would be used by criminals, and by people from other religious and ethnic backgrounds (Moraes et al., 2009). The practice of organ donation has unfortunately become embroiled in controversies through the illegal sale of body parts. Poor people are often enticed with money to donate their organs, and some

Monday, October 28, 2019

Tata Essay Example for Free

Tata Essay Tata motors has two major market segment that it aims to penetrate with its line of vehicle that it produces. One target is the low income families and individuals looking to purchase a first car. This target group mostly concentrates itself in the developing nations such as China and India, Tata’s own home country. Tata’s offering of models such as the Nano and the Indica caters for this segment. This target segment also has been the most widely publicized target of Tata Motors. The other segment Tata targets is on the complete opposite side of the economic spectrum. This target segment also has been the most widely publicized target of Tata’s. Tata’s second target segment is the wealthy individuals and families looking to purchase luxurious cars. Tata targets this group with their offering of Land Rover and Jaguar lines of automobiles. Both of these highly recognized and respected brand name vehicles were recently acquired by Tata from Ford Motors in 2008. In order to cater itself to two such divergent groups, Tata motors offers different value proposition to each. The value proposition it offers to the first group, the low income individuals and families, is to offer a line of vehicles that are affordable while still being safe. This value proposition was clearly evident and communicated when the Nano was announced for release in 2009. However, since then the Nano has become somewhat of publicity nightmare for Tata as it failed to deliver these proposed value propositions and satisfy its consumers. This unfortunate event became widely publisized in front of an eager world audience still awe struck at Tata’s initial daring proposition. In reality, Nano’s market price started at $2900, a whopping 45% increase from the initial suggested price of $2000 (Bajaj, 2010). Nano also revealed itself to possess a serious design flaw in its electrical system and numerous Nanos were shown going ablaze on the news around the world. Tata Motors’ failure to meet its own initial proposition has been blamed on numerous factors from rising metal costs to insufficient management planning (Eyring, 2011). Consumers have reacted very negatively to such a public failure and Tata Motors’ seeming disability to live up to its initial promise and value proposition to them. Sales were affected badly as Tata announced that it had sold only 509units of Nano in November 2010. (Bajaj, 2010)Faced with such a threatening decline in sales number Nano has added another dimension to affordability, one of its proposed value propositions. Using its vast network and influence in India, Tata has started to sell Nano outside of its dealerships. These new locations include places such as grocery retail locations and brings these cars closer to the people it targets. Tata has also said that it is actively seeking reasonable financing plans to help its customers make the car more affordable (Mint. , 2011). As rollout of their new model Indica progresses in China, many are waiting to see if the lessons learned in India will allow Tata Motors to fully deliver its value propositions to this customer segment (Accord Fintech, 201). The other market segment Tata Motors targets is the wealthy individuals and families looking to buy a luxury car. These offerings are represented by their Land Rover and Jaguar lines (Tata Group). The value proposition offered to this segment is to provide automobiles that consumers can trust and depend upon while giving them a sense of high-class self-satisfaction. As a brand name previously belonging to Ford motors and less recognized as a â€Å"Tata brand† than its Nano and Indica lines, these two brands have largely escaped the recent escapades brought on by Tata’s previously discussed public failures. Tata has expressed a hope to finance their long term projects with the steady incomes coming from these two lines (Tata Group, 2010).

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Flattery Holds The Key :: essays research papers

It's a Saturday night and you want to go out for the evening. To do this you need the car, what do you do? Flattery is the way to go: " Mom, did you lose weight? You look amazing! Is that a new hair color? New outfit? " Your mom is so flattered that when you ask for the car she doesn't need to think twice before she hands you the keys. From that point on, you know that whenever you want something all you have to do is put on the charm, flash that big smile and tell a few white lies. After this your wish is their command. Why is this? Well, as you can see flattery will get you everywhere. Even Shakespeare knew the powers of flattery. He portrays in flattery in the play King Lear by the characters Regan and Goneril. It is clear that flattery makes every goal attainable whether it be wealth, power and even the most sacred emotion love. It is unimaginable that a father would divide his wealth among his children according to their skills in flattery. All parents are supposed to love their children at an equal level, no matter how much their child flatters them. Which parent would think to ask their children to outdo each other in a battle of words to win their money and material goods. This is the case in Shakespeare's King Lear. Even in the first scene Lear is asking his daughters which one of them loves him more. " Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend" (I,i, 52-53). With this demand of knowing who loves him more, Lear offers a reward, all his land. This reward is key to the show of emotion each daughter displays to please her father. His two older daughters jump at the opportunity to compliment and flatter their father, but their words are empty promises and lies. These two daughter are only kind to Lear when he has money: The wise fool tells Lear that only wh en there is a reward will he be treated kindly by his children. "Fathers that wear rags/ Do make their children blind;/ But fathers that bear bags/ Shall see their children kind" (II,iv,48-51). Regan and Goneril feed their father pretty words on a silver platter and Lear swallows every lie.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Narrative Flow Of The Current System

Narrative Flow of the Current System GO Computers opens at 8:00 AM until 7:30 PM and is open from Monday to Sunday. The persons that are involved in the company are the Manager, Technician's and the Cashier. The Manager is responsible for the overall operation of the business. He is responsible for overseeing and supervising the company's activities and employees. He hires, train and evaluate new employees. He drives the work of employees in order to run the business efficiently and make a large profit. And specializes in marketing, public relations and sales.The Manager checks the Daily Sales Report kept by the Cashier to keep track Of the products sold in a particular time. The Technician installs hardware and software systems, maintain and repair equipment's, troubleshoot various computer or laptop issues and offer technical support on-site, setup PC's for home users or fix customers faulty equipment's and prepare the cost estimates for repair or new installations. The technician is responsible in opening the shop and should be present at all times in order to attend to customers entering to get their equipment's checked or repaired.The Cashier provides the last-desk customer service by taking payments from customers in exchange of goods or services. The cashier accept and processes cash, exchanges and managing the cash drawer. The cashier is also responsible in registering products in the inventory and in making and encoding the customers receiving slip. And before the closing time, the cashier is the one who makes the Daily Sales Report. The company's workplace is divided into 2. One is the technicians repair area where all repair equipments used are found and product testing, preparing, assembling and troubleshooting takes place.Second is the cashiers work desk, it is where cash related topics occur like exchanging, purchasing and also in making the daily sales report for the profit acquired by the company on the specified date. In product registration, t he cashier opens the file document named GO Computers Inventory using Microsoft excel then encode the product's brand name, model and quantity and retail price basing in each products respective category. After encoding and finalizing the product registration, the cashier eaves the document in a specified location on the computer.For product purchase, the technician checks the unit or product and presents it to the customer to make sure that the item is working properly before leaving the establishment's premises. And makes sure that all parts included for the product to be purchased are organized and tested. On services, for customers who entered for their gadgets or equipment to be repaired by the technician they are given estimated time and cost of the repair after the checkup. If the customer agrees and go with the repair, the unit will be achieved using a receiving slip.The receiving slip is an already printed format to receive items of customers for repair. The slip has the cu stomers name, address and contact number, date of receive, number of the slip for the unit received, specifications of the unit in order to easily locate and make sure of the protection of the customers item and for organization, problem description, price and customers signature. The technician writes down using a ball pen the present date, specifications of the item with its corresponding serial numbers, description of the units problem and price given. Then the slip is handed to the customer to fill up the needed information.There are two papers used as receiving slips, one is issued for the customer the Other is for the company. The technician uses carbon paper in between both paper in writing down the needed information. Once the repair is successful, the technician burn tests the unit for the next few days to make sure the product is working properly. The customer will be contacted by the technician to inform if the repair was successful or not. If successful, the customer wil l be directed to the cashier for the receipt and moment of the service rendered. In customer payments, the company use BIRR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) cash invoice.The cash in voice is a small piece of paper used as receipt and is given to customers. Its format has the brand and name of product, quantity or the number of units, name of customer, and date of the specified time, and price of product and a blank space for cashier's signature. In encoding, the cashier writes down using a ball pen filling up all the information needed and is handed to the customer as proof that they purchased the item. And as for product warranty, the company provides a specified format to be used and given for the customer. It is called warranty slip.The warranty vary upon the category and price of the product or service. For purchased laptop or a computer set the warranty given is one year. For computer and laptop parts and accessories the warranty given is three months. And for items with price tags ranging below five hundred pesos are given two weeks of warranty. The warranty slip issued format has customers name, date, brand and name of product, products specification and serial number, quantity of product, detail price, price discounted, total price, signature of the cashier whom prepared the slip, approval signature of the technician or the manager and signature of the customer.The slip is encoded by the cashier in the computer with a file format of Microsoft excel. After filling up the required information the cashier prints out two warranty slip to be signed by the cashier, by the technician or manager present and the customer. Product exchange, the product bought by the customer will be checked by the technician. And the receipt together with the warranty slip given should be resented to the cashier in order to validate the complaint.If the product was found defective, it could either be replaced if there are available products or it would be sent back to the products r epair center to determine whether the product can be granted its warranty. And if not the product will be returned back to the customer. This privilege is available for laptops purchased only. Another option, is replacement for a new product as long as they are Of the same price and the warranty cover stated in the warranty slip is not void.For placement of product, the cashier takes the warranty and receipt of the customer and replaces it with a new receipt and warranty slip for the replaced item. But the warranty of the new product is still the same as the time when the defective unit was purchased. The inventory is divided into categories. One is name of product, retail price, quantity and date. In editing the inventory the cashier opens the file GO Computers Inventory which is in a Microsoft excel format. Then one by one adjusts the cells to add, edit and delete products. Encode number of units sold in a day in every cell.After finalizing, the cashiers saves the file document. A nd before closing, the cashier writes down the Daily sales report using a ball pen. The sales report has the present date, total profit from yesterdays report, income from services, accessories and down payment of customers, salaries and other expenses and the total profit earned for the day. In the sales report the cashier encodes the profit earned in the present day, salaries expenses, and the available cash. Then calls the manager after tallying to inform of the profit earned. After, then at 7:30 the technician closes the shop.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How will you measure your life? Essay

1. How can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? Some people assert that money is the most powerful motivator in their lives, and the more money they earn, the more happiness they will have. However, from my personal perspective, I believe that getting more opportunity to learn what I am not familiar with, taking responsible for my behavior, contributing to others in need in the society, and trying my best to achieve my goals in my career are the most happiest things in my professional career life. In addition, from my point of view, management is the most effective way to get these points, if management practice well. The author states that â€Å" No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team.† So, it is important for me to learn well about management. This occupation of management also help the managers improve their skills. Learning from the process of doing business , what I have learned, is able to mak e my career more successful. For me, it is the reason to enable that I will be happy in my career. 2. How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring sourceof happiness? In the business relationship, people invest to a program probably get reward immediately, but contributing to a family is not the same case of investment. For example, family may bring me what I need of happiness is a long-term process. In my case, the reason I try my best to work hard is to give my family members better lives and it is an indispensable goal of my life. In addition, I believe most individuals take the same responsibilities to hold a family. With the personal development, some people change their focus from families to their work. Consequently, they might forget the original purpose., so people should balance their work and family because of everyone’s limited resource, if not, people might make their lives to the different places what they previous intended to. Paying attention to what my family members need and how they feel about in this period is the most important thing for me.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

A Promising 2015 for Job Seekers

A Promising 2015 for Job Seekers Casey Fleischmann, an Account Executive at Links Humans, has some good news for those of us stuck in the frustrating, daunting stage of professional life known as job hunting. First off, 2015 has seen the rate of job creation rise to its highest levels since prior to the 2007 recession and its resulting waves of lay-offs. Employers and job-seekers alike are using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find each other; 1 in 3 hiring managers say the content they find when they research a candidate online contributes to their hiring decisions. Creativity (within appropriate parameters) is appreciated now more than ever–use your resume to tell the stories that make you a compelling future employee.Key factors in preparing for a job–beyond the basics like networking and following-up appropriately–include making sure you’ve acquired and maintained vital technical skills for your field. Career experts like Barbara Safani advise job-hunters to use sites like Salary.c om and Glassdoor.com to assess their market value, rather than relying on what they’ve made in the past.So, the takeaway for career changers and employment seekers is that there are more ways for you to reach out than ever before. And while you’re waiting in that interminable space between sending out a dynamite resume and cover letter and actually getting a call back, there’s plenty for you to do in establishing your interest and availability online. Chin up, and get yourself out there!

Monday, October 21, 2019

Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarros biography Evita Essays

Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarros biography Evita Essays Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarros biography Evita Paper Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarros biography Evita Paper Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarros biography Evita is a cogent work that incorporates the childhood, acting career, political emergence, and subsequent adoration of the Argentine populace. Arguing that Evitas underprivileged childhood is the explanatory variable for her future actions, goals, and ambitions, the authors assert that Evita shou7ldered the burden of Argentinas poor workers, or descamisados, and by doing so, solidified the regime of her husband Juan Peron. Utilizing a thematic and chronological style, Fraser and Navarro clearly demonstrate that politically, socially, and economically Evita Maria Duarte de Peron strove her entire life to overcome the scarring poverty induced by her childhood and prevent others from suffering a similar fate. Evita was born on the featureless pampas in the hinterland of Argentina in 1919 a bastard child. Such a second marriage between her mother and an already married public servant were not unusual in the era,1 yet her father Juan Duartes return to his first family in a neighboring town impoverished mother dona Juana and her five illegitimate children. 2 Determining to abandon such a dismal life, and the unpromising future that poverty on the pampas entailed, Eva left her small town of Junin in 1935 to pursue a dream of becoming an actress when she was merely fifteen. Evita, even at this tender age, was ambitious, for she ad no money, little education, and no proven talents, but she wanted to conquer the city and be a star. 3 Experiencing little success, Evita scraped by as a mediocre actress in theatre, radio soap operas, and even starred ina few motion pictures until her star crossed with that of Juan Peron, an up and coming military officer in the military government that had ousted civilian rule in 1943. They met during a fundraiser for the destitute families of an Andean earth quake that had rocked the western city of San Juan, and she shortly thereafter became his mistress. Again demonstrating her resolve and desire to make something of herself, Evita had merely loaded up a truck with her own possessions, took them to Perons apartment, and told the girl who was living with the colonel to leave. 4 Again and again, as the authors demonstrate, Evita sought to alter her prescribed position in the social strata of Argentina. So, as it was, for the first year and a half of their life together Peron and Evita lived not as collaborators, but as colonel and mistress,5 which was not an approved action by Perons military contacts. This unsavory relationship contributed Evita to become a liability, both militarily and politically, and even led to Perons brief imprisonment by the Navy in 1945. However, the authors point out that, even at this early stage of Peronism, Evita was becoming an integral part of Perons propaganda machine, using the experience and contacts garnered through radio to slant the medias portrayal of events in a favorable light towards her lover. 6 When Peron and Evita emerged victorious overlooking the crowd of shirtless working-class supporters in the Plaza de Mayo in 1945, Evita achieved the dream of shedding her past. She was soon married to Peron (for no Argentinean head of state had ever blatantly lived with a mistress), president of one of the richest nations that arose out of the ashes of the Second World War. Evita even doctored her birth and marriage certificates to hide her illegitimacy, thus fully transforming herself from rags to riches. She consciously wore extravagant jewelry and clothing in an effort to convey this image. As the woman once said to a critic, Look, they want to see me beautiful. Poor people dont want someone to protect them who is old and dowdy. They all have their dreams about me and I dont want to let them down. 8 Evita took this personal belief even further by using her influence with Peron and his new labor party to help out the destitute. After returning from a highly publicized tour of Europ e (further signifying her socio-economic transformation), Evita began to take a greater interest in the politic of her husbands regime. Actively seeking to become the Bridge of Love between Peron and his constituency, she established the Eva Peron Foundation, funded by the government, to aid the destitute. 9 It is the role that she had the most lasting political influence, for the system of patronage that Evita established continually delivered the working class vote to Peron. By virtually forcing unions to donate gifts to her foundation, Evita gained a considerable amount of capital for her social programs an estimated 200 million (USD) in 1973. In fact, giving was so widespread that it had to be viewed as an alternative form of taxation. 10 Some of this money was given as direct aid to those that wrote her and came to her office,11 some for basic necessities like shoes and pots,12 and some was used for ambitious projects like nursing homes and primary schools in Buenos Airess poorest barrios. 13 However, all were used to further the political career of Peron, even though Evita was genuinely concerned about the welfare of the masses. For example, Perons image was on each wall of every hospital or home built by the Foundation. 4 Yet the results were undeniable, for many citizens entered what Fraser and Navarro deemed the New Argentina through these ambitious programs. Through a personal desire to eradicate poverty based on her own childhood circumstances, Eva became the integral link between unions, the masses and Peron, and was thus just as integral to Peronism as Peron himself. Evita Perons life and political ambitions of becoming vice president were cut short, however, in 1952 by cancer of the uterus. Millions idolized their beloved Evita and her death even spurred one union to lobby Rome for her canonization. 5 There is much strength in Fraser and Navarros book, one being the relative objective stance taken by the authors. Making not drastic claims about their subject, the authors avoided both the deification and vilification of the women. They accurately portray Evita as a multi-faceted person who struggled with her past, was mesianically devoted to her husband, yet also erred, completely recreating her past and blatantly lying in her autobiography. Fraser and Navarro do not choose sides in the sinner/saint debate, but merely distill the myth s from the truths. For example, the authors carefully noted that Evita, during her acting career, had on one rare occasion slept with the producer to obtain a role. 16 But she became quite successful by 1939 out of hard work and establishing connections at the office of a movie magazine, not by becoming a putita. 17 Another example of the authors carefully weighing of the historical evidence is the books treatment of her slow demise. Evitas increasingly disjointed public utterances toward the end of her life were not a call for the use of political violence as some critics claim, but merely because of the pain induced by her cancer. 8 Fraser and Navarro do not merely produce a one-sided, polarized debate on the life of Evita, but a nuanced, balanced, and accurate portrayal of her rise to international fame. Additionally, the authors sustain their argument from the introduction to the epilogue. Although each chapter deals with a specific theme or era in the life of Evita, all address the womans desire t o change her social status. Not only do the authors construct a cogent argument about the life of Evita, but also give the reader a holistic picture of post-World War Two Argentina. Through the protagonist, her husband, descriptions of the international political setting, Argentinas ISI economic model, and the class and political alliances developed during Peronism, all facets of Argentine society are addressed. The life of Evita is admirably not portrayed in an economic, political, or sociological vacuum. Another laudable feature of the biography is the style. The diction is easily understood and is not packed with convoluted academic jargon that leads to confusion (most likely due to Frasers journalistic background). The authors are direct, clear, and animated. For example, the aforementioned quote concerning Evitas Cinderella portrayal paints a vivid portrait in the readers mind of the womans determination to transform herself. Additionally, the assigning of individual chapters specific categories (such as wife of the President or the gift of giving) creates a work that allows the reader to focus on one issue at a time and thus understand the isolated chronology of her childhood, struggles in Buenos Aires, and political contributions that does not sacrifice the readers perception of historical time. Other features of the book aid the reader, namely the addition of an index, illustrations, and a concise bibliography for those interested in a more in depth study of the subject. Perhaps the greatest asset of the work is Fraser and Navarros use of sources. They use first hand accounts like priests conversations with Evita, newspaper articles of the era, personal interviews conducted by the authors, and original documents written by Evita and Juan Peron. In short, the reader can be assured that Evita is a reliable and scholarly work. The authors took great pains to be thorough and researched many different kinds of sources. The book is not without its flaws however. In my opinion, the authors treatment of the worlds reaction to Evita, particularly that of other Latin American nations, was neglected. Although it may be beyond the scope of the biography, it would have been useful to compare Evita with other Latin American women who achieved considerable political power or who were involved with mass movements. It would have also been useful for Navarro and Fraser to further develop Evitas personal life beyond extreme devotion to Peron, for they merely state: she was perpetually on guard on Perons behalf19 and that she was loyal to him because she loved him. The biography does not deal with, save the character of Lilian, any of Evitas relationships besides that of her husband. Interaction with her family, confidants, and inner circle of friends are largely ignored. However, the aforementioned criticisms do not detract from the quality of this biography. It is an intriguing work that should be read by all those interested in Latin American history. It is a stellar academic source of Eva Peron that has separated out the truth from the myth and accurately depicts Argentine society in the mid twentieth century.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Average GRE Scores for Top Public Universities

Average GRE Scores for Top Public Universities Many graduate schools have taken the average GRE scores for incoming graduate students off of their websites. Theyre not publishing the rankings in many cases. However, some graduate schools are willing to post average ranges  of scores for incoming grad students, although most of those scores are arranged by intended major rather than by the schools statistics. If youre interested in seeing the most up-to-date GRE scores by intended major, then take a peek at the link provided. Otherwise, read on for the average GRE scores as listed for top public universities for a select few of their majors - Engineering and Education - as published in US News and World Report.   GRE Scores Information If you are confused perusing these scores because you expected to see numbers in the 700s, then Im betting youre probably still thinking about the old GRE score system which ended in 2011. Currently, average GRE scores can run anywhere between 130 - 170 in 1-point increments. The old system assessed students with a scale from 200 - 800 in 10-point increments. If you took the GRE using the old system and want to see what your approximate GRE score would be on the new scale, then check out these two concordance tables. Please note, however, that GRE scores are only valid for five years, so July 2016 was the last time students with GRE scores in the prior format were able to use them.   GRE Verbal Concordance TableGRE Quantitative Concordance Table University of California -  Berkeley: Engineering:   Quantitative: 165 Education Verbal: 149Quantitative: 155 University of California - LA: Engineering:   Quantitative: 162 Education Verbal: 155Quantitative: 146 University of Virginia: Engineering:   Quantitative: 160 Education Verbal: 160Quantitative: 164 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor: Engineering:   Quantitative:   161 Education Verbal: NAQuantitative: NA   University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: Engineering:   Quantitative: 160 Education Verbal: 158Quantitative: 148 College of William and Mary: Education Verbal: 156Quantitative: 149 University of California – San Diego: Engineering:   Quantitative: NA Education Verbal: NAQuantitative: NA   University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign: Engineering:   Quantitative: 170 Education Verbal: 156Quantitative: 160 University of Wisconsin – Madison: Engineering:   Quantitative: 168 Education Verbal: 158Quantitative: 149 University of Washington: Engineering:   Quantitative: 170 Education Verbal: 156Quantitative: 147 Pennsylvania State: Engineering:   Quantitative: 170 Education Verbal: 154Quantitative: 145 University of Florida: Engineering:   Quantitative: 169 Education Verbal: 155Quantitative: 155 University of Texas – Austin: Engineering:   Quantitative: 170 Education Verbal: 158Quantitative: 152 Georgia Institute of Technology: Engineering:   Quantitative: 164 Ohio State University: Engineering:   Quantitative: 169 Education Verbal: 156Quantitative: 151 Texas AM: Engineering:   Quantitative: 163 Education Verbal: NAQuantitative: NA So Are My Scores Going to Get Me In? There are a number of factors that go into your admittance into one of these top public universities. And although your GRE scores  are  important, they are not the only things considered by admissions counselors, as I am sure you already know. Make sure your application essay is top-notch and that you have secured stellar recommendations from those professors who know you best in undergrad. And if you havent worked on that GPA already, then now is the time to ensure youre getting the best grades you possibly can in case your GRE score isnt exactly what you wanted it to be.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Health care A TD #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health care A TD #2 - Essay Example Texting while driving among the youth results in unpredictable driving behaviour such as speeding or lane weaving which increases the chances of hitting pedestrians or hitting other vehicles. Texting splits a driver’s reaction making him or her less able to react to sudden road perils. In order to reduce the rampant use of mobile phones by teenagers and other drivers, the best advocacy efforts would be to post visual images on the internet and set up bill boards along the streets to sensitize the youth on the dangers of texting while driving (Mason et al., 2011). On the internet, the best approach would be to offer the teenagers tips on how they can avoid texting while driving. The visual images can be posted on social media webpages such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and Google+. The webpage on the internet can also contain information such as how to keep their phones away when in a car or silence them. In order to make the advocacy more effective, the campaign slogan will be â€Å"you text, you call, you

Friday, October 18, 2019

Should deathrow inmates be required to be organ donors Research Paper

Should deathrow inmates be required to be organ donors - Research Paper Example Other segment of society must also be targeted. Thus, there should be massive educational and awareness programs and other imitative to let the people appreciate the need for organ donation support. The government could consider giving some kind of allowance, benefits and incentives to those who donate their organs. The issue of family role in matters relating to organ donation and donor decision also need to be addressed. Key Words: Death row inmates, Organ, Organ donation, Organ transplant Should death row inmates be required to be organ donors? There have been proposals among various stakeholders including the legislators and scholars that death row inmates be allowed or worse still, required to donate organs shortly before execution. Others have suggested that the death row prisoners should have their sentences converted to life imprisonment without parole upon donating their kidney, bone marrow or any other organ that may be suitable for transplant. This is seen as a useful way of tapping their organs which would have otherwise been wasted upon execution. However, the issue as to whether the prisoners on the death row should be required to donate organs is a very complex one and involving intricate medical, ethical and legal issues all which needs to be resolved if the most appropriate position is to be reached. While donation of an organ by these prisoners may save some patients in a very desperate situation, it is very vital that their voluntary consent is got and that they are not coerced by legislations and policies to donate the organs. Medical perspectives Organ transplant from the prisoners has a lot of potential health risks. A number of homosexual sex scandals associated with the prison life. 1This implies that the prisoners stand a significantly high risk of being with a transmissible diseases and health conditions, particularly HIV and hepatitis. It is very important that any organ to be transplanted to a recipient must be maximally healthy and this depends on the health of the donor. Whereas there are bloods test that the medics concerned may be able to carry to verify the health of the donor prior to donation, the medics submit that these test methods are not and cannot be a hundred percent effective. As such none of the blood test and screening can be trusted to completely rule out the possibility of a donor being free from these transmissible illnesses. This explains why the doctors have always sought to obtain the history of the donors before making their donation. Even the idea of carryon gouty testing and screening itself raises public issues. Because a very rigorous testing process is to be undertaken, to the extent of clearing any scintilla out doubt as to the health risks posed by the donor to the recipient, lots of public funds will be used in testing the prisoner. This follows from the fact that the government’s department concerned will be interested in knowing the prisoners who are fit to donate and th ose who are not. In the long run lots of funds may be wasted. This is in contrast with the optional and voluntary donation, where in most cases only those who are at least certain of their health well being will be going to seek testing. The government will therefore be incurring unnecessary expenditure to meet tests and screening which may in the long run end up not being useful. A lot of time will also be wasted carrying out a routine test of those who are lined to provide organ

Idea of Being A Fan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Idea of Being A Fan - Essay Example However, fans in reality play a much deeper role, since they are placed as a great resource within the retail outlet sector, and are especially targeted to play their role within the mechanisms of consumer culture (Hills 3). When many fans come together, it is known as a fan base or fandom. As far as society goes, in order to provide for economic growth, a number of monetary and fiscal policies must be implemented (Lipsey et al. 445). Therefore, through the mass movements in money due to fan activities, society benefits as a whole thereby further creating developments. I remember in particular when I was a big fan of the musical band, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I was so fascinated and inspired by their works that I decided to pick the bass guitar to mimic their style and also in the hope of making it big myself. I attended a couple of their concerts, which was truly an amazing sight, and purchased most of their merchandise. Indeed, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers did influence my way of living and my mannerisms, as well as my wallet. Eventually, their music became monotonous and so, I moved on to another genre of music where I became a fan of many other bands, namely Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. Fans, in my mind are not completely influenced through the activities of their â€Å"idols†. There are various other psychological factors that are implemented into manifesting a fan base. For example, when it comes to sports fans, various techniques may include higher fan expectations for an event, pressurized competitive environment, individualism, new technology, time pressure, paradox of commercialism and many more (Rein et al. 9). Indeed, a fan in any field is a highly prioritized commodity. If you ever view any of the music awards, you will always notice the winner thanking their â€Å"fans all over the world†. It may be so, that we are all fans of one thing or another, even though we may not consciously aware of it. In fact, it may

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Discuss the ethical issues of using GM golden rice in the developing Essay

Discuss the ethical issues of using GM golden rice in the developing world - Essay Example Vitamin A is found in butter, milk, liver and kidney, green and yellow vegetables, but only very little in conventional rice. Today, much of Vitamin A can be supplied by the genetically modified rice that offers beta-carotene, a metabolic precursor to vitamin A. In year 2000, researchers in Zurich and in Freiburg, Germany succeeded in creating the yellow rice that has both beta carotene and iron content (GMO Compass). The GM rice research, which was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation by $100 million, took 10 years to produce the genetic strain. It will take million dollars more and another decade of development at the International Rice Research Center before it can reach the fields of farmers. (Shiva, 2000) Genetic engineering is the deliberate, controlled manipulation of the genes in an organism with the intent of making that organism better in some way (What is.com). This is a thoroughly new technology that alters the characteristics of the living organisms by inserting genetic materials manipulated through artificial means. Union of Concerned Scientists said that advocacies of genetically modified food should proceed with care, alternatives examined, and case to case evaluation of genetic engineering applications be done. GM rice has been a source of complex issues. A group of 22 international scientists and experts, in 2009, questioned this issue in an open letter to Professor Russell at Tufts University School of Medicine, who is in charge of the clinical trials of GM Golden Rice testing to adults and children (GM Watch). This group asserted that â€Å"golden rice is inadequately described in terms of biological and biochemical makeup†¦has not been shown to be stable over time†¦.has never been through regulatory approvals process anywhere In the world†. Researchers from Ban GM food worry on the safety of GM rice as it has not been tested to animals. They argued that when pharmaceutical drugs are tested for safety, it should be first tes ted to animals. When no harmful effect is seen in the animal, it is only then that it should be tested to human volunteers. GM rice defenders said that it is intended for humans, so animal test is no longer needed. Same research group argued that since GM rice is engineered to overproduce beta carotene, they are worried that some retinoid derived from beta carotene are toxic and cause birth defects, as studies would show (GM food.org) As controversies grow, research findings conclude that there are many opinions on the negative effect of GM food, but lacks data to support the claim on the potential risks to health (Arpad, et al.) Potential harm of GM foods can be acute to the young, elderly and those suffering HIV, hepatitis or other viral diseases. Those suffering from gastrointestinal tract, allergies and other disorders are further advised not to consume GM food as there is possibility of unforeseen irreversible consequences. For this reason, GM food labeling should be mandatory, research suggested. The emergence of genetically produced crops has generated various policy reactions from different countries as well. Discussion has reached international level, particularly, the World Trade Organization (Nielson & Anderson). Accordingly, both exporters and importers of GM rice will be affected by the biotech policies of the countries within which they operate. Trade relations are affected by the consumer confidence

Historical Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical Vacation - Essay Example The first Historical event that I would visit on my Vacation would be to Witness the Events Surrounding the Purchase of Louisiana One of the first stops we made on our historical vacation was to stop by the year 1803. On arriving in 1803, we found that General Napoleon had just managed to conquer France and subsequently confiscate Louisiana. General napoleon came to pay President Jefferson a visit at which he informed Jefferson that as his military forces and machines were in urgent need for cash, he wanted to sell Louisiana to America. President Jefferson thought that this was a very good opportunity for the country as it would serve to help in providing more land for the country’s fast expanding population. The Louisiana territory was relatively large and Jefferson managed to negotiate a deal in which he managed to purchase the entire territory for a total amounting to $15 million, this essentially worked out to about 3 cents an acre (Goldberg 26-31). The Ending of Slave Tra de in the United After our brief vocational tour of the United Sates in 1803, my teacher suggested that the next important time for us to visit would be 1807 so as to be able to witness all the first hand events that would eventually lead to the complete abolition of slave trade in the United States. On arriving in this particular time period, my teacher informed me that in this year, the United States Constitution had a key element that required that slave trade be ended by the year 1808. In the year 1807 the country’s congress was seen to comply with the Act Prohibiting any importation of slaves into the country in the 1807 (Goldwin and Kaufman 10). This act essentially went into effect the next year and was posed to greatly revolutionize the lives of the African American slaves in the country who had been greatly suffering from a myriad effects of slavery. Most of the country’s main founding fathers were seen to hope that by passing the act, they would be able to ef fectively abolish all form of slavery in the country and hence manage to usher the entire country into the long awaited freedom whereby it would not experience any form of slavery. However, the nation’s founding fathers were not to see their objective fully achieved as although there was a legal cessation in the general importation of new slaves into the country, the number of African American in the country was seen to not decline as the United States’ native born African American population were seen to be quite self sustaining and continued to greatly multiply. The institution of slavery was also seen to be greatly prompted by the expansion of the cotton gin, an aspect that was seen to provide numerous incentives that saw the development of a situation where although slavery was legally abolished in the entire country, numerous African Americans were seen to continue working in slave like conditions just so as to be able to make a sufficient living. The California G old Rush My third historical vacation would be to travel through to the year 1848 to the day that gold was found by Marshall James in the county as he managed a work crew that was working on building him a mill. While the project was ongoing, Marshall was able to find a few gold nuggets an event that essentially heralded the start of the of the California gold rush. This event was to quickly become one of the largest ever cases of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Discuss the ethical issues of using GM golden rice in the developing Essay

Discuss the ethical issues of using GM golden rice in the developing world - Essay Example Vitamin A is found in butter, milk, liver and kidney, green and yellow vegetables, but only very little in conventional rice. Today, much of Vitamin A can be supplied by the genetically modified rice that offers beta-carotene, a metabolic precursor to vitamin A. In year 2000, researchers in Zurich and in Freiburg, Germany succeeded in creating the yellow rice that has both beta carotene and iron content (GMO Compass). The GM rice research, which was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation by $100 million, took 10 years to produce the genetic strain. It will take million dollars more and another decade of development at the International Rice Research Center before it can reach the fields of farmers. (Shiva, 2000) Genetic engineering is the deliberate, controlled manipulation of the genes in an organism with the intent of making that organism better in some way (What is.com). This is a thoroughly new technology that alters the characteristics of the living organisms by inserting genetic materials manipulated through artificial means. Union of Concerned Scientists said that advocacies of genetically modified food should proceed with care, alternatives examined, and case to case evaluation of genetic engineering applications be done. GM rice has been a source of complex issues. A group of 22 international scientists and experts, in 2009, questioned this issue in an open letter to Professor Russell at Tufts University School of Medicine, who is in charge of the clinical trials of GM Golden Rice testing to adults and children (GM Watch). This group asserted that â€Å"golden rice is inadequately described in terms of biological and biochemical makeup†¦has not been shown to be stable over time†¦.has never been through regulatory approvals process anywhere In the world†. Researchers from Ban GM food worry on the safety of GM rice as it has not been tested to animals. They argued that when pharmaceutical drugs are tested for safety, it should be first tes ted to animals. When no harmful effect is seen in the animal, it is only then that it should be tested to human volunteers. GM rice defenders said that it is intended for humans, so animal test is no longer needed. Same research group argued that since GM rice is engineered to overproduce beta carotene, they are worried that some retinoid derived from beta carotene are toxic and cause birth defects, as studies would show (GM food.org) As controversies grow, research findings conclude that there are many opinions on the negative effect of GM food, but lacks data to support the claim on the potential risks to health (Arpad, et al.) Potential harm of GM foods can be acute to the young, elderly and those suffering HIV, hepatitis or other viral diseases. Those suffering from gastrointestinal tract, allergies and other disorders are further advised not to consume GM food as there is possibility of unforeseen irreversible consequences. For this reason, GM food labeling should be mandatory, research suggested. The emergence of genetically produced crops has generated various policy reactions from different countries as well. Discussion has reached international level, particularly, the World Trade Organization (Nielson & Anderson). Accordingly, both exporters and importers of GM rice will be affected by the biotech policies of the countries within which they operate. Trade relations are affected by the consumer confidence

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Law - Essay Example The legal relationship creates rights and obligations between the parties and binds only between those who are privy to the contract, and not other people who are not parties (often described in law books as â€Å"strangers† or by the misnomer â€Å"third parties†) even though those people may be affected by the contract directly or indirectly (p. 15). Usually the agreement will contain a promise or set of promises that each party has made to the other: this is known as bilateral contract because each party promises to do something. For example, X promises to build a house for Y and Y promises to pay X for doing so. Sometimes only one party will make a promise to do something if the other party actually does something stipulated by the former1. For example, X promises to pay $100 if Y completes and returns a marketing questionnaire to X. Such a contract is known as a unilateral contract because the promise is one-sided. Although X promised to pay in the stipulated circumstances, Y is under no obligation to complete and return the marketing questionnaire but if he does the court or arbitral tribunal will recognize a binding agreement that X will pay him $1002. In building projects daring negotiations for the award of a formal contract one sometimes finds so-called letters of intent expressed in terms such as these: â€Å"Please pr oceed with the works and if no formal contract is concluded we will pay you your costs and expenses that you have incurred† (Richard & Stone 2005, p. 115). It is often not appreciated that a letter in such terms can create a unilateral contract which the court will enforce, albeit not the formal contract which the parties had hoped to finalize. And although one often talks of a â€Å"written† or â€Å"formal† contract it is not really the piece of paper which itself is the contract – the piece of paper merely records what the terms of the contract are

Monday, October 14, 2019

Monty Python vs Church Debate Essay Example for Free

Monty Python vs Church Debate Essay Comment on the way speakers adapt their spoken language to suit the situation. † Throughout the transcript, each side has a clear argument: Monty Python has the purpose to defend the film whilst the Church has the purpose to attack ‘Monty Python. ’ However, not only this but there is also the purpose of entertainment being casted through the transcript. Firstly, the idea of defending ‘Monty Python,’ is said by John Cleese and Michael Palin. â€Å"†¦Popper’s on about with the falsifiability of theories. Here, John Cleese has adapted a more serious tone and the repertoire of Carl Popper, than before as he makes a statement. As a result of this, it comments on John Cleese’s intellectual ability, which intimidates the opposition because they cannot argue against a well-established theory. Furthermore, in this transcript Michael Palin disguises his planned speech by adapting his language by using hedges and making his talk have flat intonation so that his points don’t seem so direct and accusative, â€Å"I think that, uh†¦sort of†¦we’ve done for three series, we’ve done for three films Here, it seems as if Michael Palin’s point is quite pointless due to the hedges, however, what he tries to say is quite critical of the opposition as he tries to say that they don’t know what they are talking about. â€Å"I think it isn’t entirely about religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  here, Michael Palin adapts his spoken language by choosing not to use Standard English; he uses contractions and this has the same effect as a hedge because it softens his point, ensuring that no one will take it personally. It is also quite ironic by denying that not all of the film was about religion when actually, the whole purpose of the film was to ridicule Jesus. The effect of using irony is convergent because it gets the audiences attention and draws their interest to what Michael Palin says, but also, by using hedges, it shows how they understand what their opponent is saying and how they undermine them. To the contrary, the opposition who are attacking ‘Monty Python,’ get out of hand as they begin to take their points the wrong way, â€Å"†¦dredge up this miserable little film. Here, Malcolm Muggeridge adapts his language from a formal tone and now he takes it personal as he begins to directly insult Monty Python. We can understand that this is a weakness of his as Malcolm’s emotions have gotten the better of him. Moreover, as the second half of the transcript progresses, Malcolm again adapts his language, so that it is similar to John Cleese’s, as he tries to achieve hearer support by getting laughter, â€Å"Well, then you must have read very superficially at your school, that’s all,† Malcolm makes a worthless point as he does not achieve anything. â€Å"I sympathise with you† (audience laughter), here, Malcolm makes a snipe comment so that the audience will laugh and not take John Cleese seriously, however, this to an extent, casts Malcolm of being inferior to John Cleese because Malcolm feels as if he cannot match up to the hearer support that John Cleese has and therefore, Malcolm feels that he has to opt for silly snipe comments. Likewise, Mervyn Stockwood has also resorted to milking out laughter by adapting his language from Received Pronunciation, â€Å"But they might not want to compare it to Fawlty Towers! By adapting his repertoire so that he seems like John Cleese, Mervyn Stockwood begs for a response from the audience as he exclaims and looks at the audience as if he is waiting for the audience to start laughing. As we can see, even though both Mervyn Stockwood and Malcolm Muggeridge adapt their spoken language, it does not benefit them because as a result of it, they become quite divergent by making comments, which portrays how they have taken Monty Python’s comments personally. In addition, in this debate both Monty Python and the Church influence each other and the audience by using various literary devices and by adapting their spoken language. â€Å"It’s also about closed systems of thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  here, simultaneous speech is present as John Cleese takes over from Michael Palin before someone else does. Unlike Michael Palin, John Cleese does not hedge and creates a more assertive tone. He cuts off Michael Palin through code-switching because he wants to be more offensive and attacking, which is proven by what he says, â€Å"Popper’s on about falsifiability†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows that John Cleese is very knowledgeable and since this is a statement, which cannot be argued against, John Cleese begins to converge and influence the audience that he is right and that what the opposition is saying is incorrect. Also, John Cleese pauses at times during his small speech, â€Å"I was also†¦they were written in† which shows how John Cleese tries to influence the opposition that they are wrong. The effect of pausing converges with the  audience and the opposition as it indicates where a point has been made and also gives them time to digest it. On the other hand, the Church also tries to influence others with their language. â€Å"†¦much too tenth-rate† here, Malcolm Muggeridge carries on repeating that the film is bad but does not explain why. This is an example of where someone has attempted but failed at influencing the audience. Even though he gets a response from the audience, it is quite divergent because the audience groan as they understand that Malcolm has taken this personally and has begun to stage insults at Monty Python. Moreover, this is also proven here, â€Å"it’s quite possible that they might as a piece of social history† we can understand that Malcolm is failing to influence the audience that he is right because he is socially out-of-touch. At that point in time, Monty Python was very popular and Malcolm is suggesting that someone will just randomly come across it because he does not want to accept the fact that Monty Python has hearer support due to their popularity. Additionally, throughout the debate, there is a battle for who is the most dominant. John Cleese is most dominant because not only does he speak the most but he also, scores points with the audience as he receives hearer support, â€Å"Not a funny building, really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Moreover, John Cleese’s points also prove to be too much to handle by the opposition as they fail to answer the questions he asks, â€Å"Is there anything that would? Here, Malcolm Muggeridge fails to reply to this question, instead he begins saying that the film is just terrible. Also, he is most dominant because he steps the debate to the next level, questioning the existence of a religion that has been believed by people for over 2000 years, â€Å"†¦Gospels were written in, that they don’t even know who wrote them, and they’re not even sure what cities they were written in. † This presents dominance because he is questioning a whole religion on whether Christianity is 100% accurate. It is not only John Cleese’s language but his paralinguistic features also help him not only to influence the opposition and the audience but also Michael Palin; â€Å"†¦an idea that is whirring around so fast that not other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Normally, John Cleese’s paralinguistic features are inclusive (e. g. clasping of hands), but now he uses paralinguistic features as if teaching Michael Palin and these paralinguistic features help to converge with the audience as John Cleese  has now got the full attention of everyone. On the other hand, even though Malcolm Muggeridge says a lot, he is one of the least dominant as what he says is quite worthless as it does not achieve anything, â€Å"†¦much too tenth-rate for that † here, Malcolm says that the film is bad but fails to answer a question posed by John Cleese which shows how he is hesitant, knowing that he has lost the debate but does not want to accept it. Malcolm makes snipe comments trying to make the audience ignore what John Cleese says, however, this does not work out. All in all, Monty Python won the debate and therefore, to create diffusion, Mervyn Stockwood makes a small comment to end the debate off with a laugh, â€Å"I used to go to Clifton College to preach very often when you were there. † This debate shows how Monty Python target and challenge people with great authority, only so that they, by the end, can cast them in a bad light.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Enhancing Architecture Appreciation Through Spatial Perceptions Cultural Studies Essay

Enhancing Architecture Appreciation Through Spatial Perceptions Cultural Studies Essay Frank Lloyd Wright believed space was the essence of architecture. The reality of architecture is actually not in the solid elements that seem to make it, but rather the reality of a room was to be found in the space enclosed by the roof and walls, not in the roof and walls themselves. Spaces have intrinsic meanings that result from their spatial and visible forms and extrinsic meanings that evolved out from each of our different experiences with regards to each individuals own background and profession. We experience the spaces interior space in terms of their form, their structure, their aesthetics and how others and us relate to them. This constitutes the reality of our physical experience, but spaces not only have an existence in reality, they also have a metaphorical existence. They express meaning and give out certain messages about the space, just as the way we dress or furnish our homes gives people certain messages about us. They tell stories, for their forms and space plan ning give us hints about how they should be experienced or perceived. Space is meaningless without its inhabitants to experience it and to experience a space is the only gateway to understanding space. At certain periods architects have chosen to create exciting, complex spaces with curving, undulating walls. The period of the baroque and rococo in Europe was one such time when interiors were designed to entice and captivate the onlooker and draw them into a world of illusion created through painting, sculpture and the curving forms of architecture. Craftsman played the prominent role at that time when only good workmanship and complicated work pieces would amaze anyone. Now in this totally new era, right here in this century, wonders are different and expectations higher with meanings and philosophy equally deep but entirely unlike. The heightening desire and importance of communication among the space and the perceiver with the spatial experience created seem to become a dominating factor and a characteristic of spatial design in this new era. If architecture can be said to have a poetic meaning, we must recognise that what it says is not independent of what it is. (Alberto Pà ©rez-Gà ³mez, The Space of Architecture: Meaning as Presence and Representation, Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture, 2006) Architecture is not an experience that words can translate later. Like the poem itself, it is its space as presence which constitutes the meaning and the experience. This experience in turn differs for every individual. What one perceives is a result of interplays between past experiences, including ones culture and the interpretation of the perceived. Different aspects of the experiential spaces and the perceiver also ignite different spatial perceptions. Understanding the different experiential components, the philosophy of perception and how spatial perception affects and reflects people differently helps us to enhance our appreciation for architecture and to heighten our enjoyment of space. My aim in this paper is to explore this hypothesis and my exposition will be presented and discussed in the following thesis. Categories of different experiential components Spatial experience created is the most complex and diverse of all the components of architecture, for it involves how architecture engages all of our senses, how it shapes our perception and enjoyment or discomfort of our built environment. Understanding this is perhaps the area with which most people, architects and users alike, have difficulty. This is partly because it involves, at every turn, subjective responses which differ from individual to individual. Since the spatial experience we derive from architecture is generated by our perception of it, we must start by considering how the human eye and mind receive and interpret the visual data of architectural experience. How does the psychology of vision and sensory stimulation affect our perception of architecture? Perhaps the most fundamental concept is that the mind, particularly the human mind, is programmed to seek meaning and significance in all sensory information sent to it. The result is that the mind seeks to place all information fed to it into a meaningful pattern. The mind does not recognise that incoming data mean nothing. Even purely random visual or aural phenomena are given a preliminary interpretation by the mind on the basis of what evaluative information it already has stored away. Hence, what we perceive is based on what we already know- our knowledge. Our perception of space also differs from individual to individual, based on the persons psychology, mentality, phy sical state, background, memory, observation and the overall environment together with time Era and Culture. The spatial experience of architectural spaces evolves and becomes established by the experience it provides and we in turn read our experience into it. Experiential spaces evoke an empathetic reaction in us through these projected experiences and the strength of these reactions is determined by our culture, our beliefs and our expectations. We can relate so well to these spaces is because we have strong feelings about our environment and about what we like and dislike. We all have our preferences and prejudices regarding certain spaces as in anything else and our experiences in these spaces determine our attitude towards that space. People looking at pictures have a remarkable ability to enter a role which seems very foreign to them. This can be interpreted into how these experiential spaces play an important role in affecting our mood and behaviour. When we enter these emotive spaces, we are tuned in to the frequency of the space, going through all the emotional processes with it. Architects and designers manipulate space of many kinds: There is first the purely physical space. One cannot see let alone touch space! Yet something that is invisible and untouchable has to be there, just to keep objects apart. This can be easily computed and expressed as how many cubic feet or cubic meters. But there is also perceptual space, the space that can be perceived or seen. To understand this, an example will be in a building with walls of glass, this perceptual space may be extensive and impossible to quantify. Related to perceptual space is conceptual space, which can be defined as the mental map we carry around in our heads, the plan stored in our memory. Concepts that work well are those that users can grasp easily in their minds eye and in which they can perceive with a kind of inevitability. Such spaces can be said to have good conceptual space. The architect also shapes behavioural space, or the space we can actually move through and use. Architecture space is a powerful shaper of behaviour. Winston Churchill said We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. One very good example to support this statement is the Houses of Parliament in Germany. When Parliament first begun to meet in the thirteenth century, it had been given the use of rooms in the palace and had later on moved into the palace chapel. A typical narrow and tall Gothic chapel with parallel rows of choir stalls on two sides of the aisle down the center. The members of Parliament sat in the stalls, dividing themselves into two distinctive groups, one the government in power and the other usually the opposition members. During Parliament meetings, members from both parties have to take the brave step of crossing the aisle to change political allegiance. In my opinion, this enforced behaviour has a negative impact on the overall operation of the government bodies as this form of meetings unintentionally made politicians from both sides to feel and sense hostility and unconsciously insinuated the perception of challenge. When the Houses of Parliament had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1834, the Gothic form was followed but Churchill argued that the rebuilding of the Parliament ought to be done with a fan of seats in a broad semicircle, as used in legislative chambers in the United States and France. To change the environment, to give it a different behavioural space, would change the very nature of parliamentary operation. The English had first shaped their architecture, and then that architecture had shaped English government and history. Through Churchills persuasion, the Houses of Parliament were rebuilt with the revised layout. Space can determine or suggest patterns of behaviour and perceptions by its very configuration. There is yet another way of determining spatial experience, and although it is not strictly architectural, architects and designers nevertheless must take it into account. This is personal space, the distance that members of the same species put between themselves. For most animals, this zone of comfort is genetically programmed. However humans have proved themselves to be extremely flexible in their determination of personal space; they seem not to have any programmed genetic spatial code. Instead, humans personal space is culturally determined and is fixed in childhood, so that enforced changes in personal distance later in life which they experience in different spaces may produce different perceptions and emotions. The Italians and the French prefer much more densely packed arrangements in their cafes, compared to the English. Even in the same culture, different sets of rules and factors determining experiences are adopted by men and women. Two unacquainted men will maintain a gr eater distance than two unacquainted women. If an architect or designer violates these unstated rules of personal space and places people in a space that is not catered to these needs, the result may prove to be an environment that is resisted by the users with negative perceptions and responses that follows. Philosophy of Perception Categories of different Perception Historically, the most important philosophical problem posed by perception is the question of how we can gain knowledge via Perception. The philosophy of perception concerns how mental processes the space and the spatial perception depends on how spaces are observed and interpreted by the perceiver. In order to grasp this, we need to understand the different categories of spatial perception. We can categorize perception into 4 categories: Just as one object can give rise to multiple percepts, so an object may fail to give rise to any percept at all. If the percept has no grounding in a persons past experience, the person may literally not perceive it. No perception occurs. Specifications are 1:1 mappings of some aspects of the world into a perceptual array; given such a mapping, no enrichment or experience is required and this perception is called direct perception. This is usually knowledge or information gained through education or other mediums like books, television programmes etc. Direct perception occurs when information from the environment received by our sense organs forms the basis of perceptual experience and these sensory inputs are converted into perceptions of desks and computers, flowers and buildings, cars and planes etc. Some argue that perceptual processes are not direct, but depend on the perceivers expectations and previous knowledge as well as the information available. This controversy is discussed with respect to James J. Gibson (1966) who investigated what information is actually presented to the perceptual systems. This theory of perception is a bottom-up theory and this bottom up processing is also known as data-driven processing or passive perception. Processing is carried out in one direction from the environment to the sensory inputs, with our brains carrying out more complex analysis of the inputs which affects our reaction or behaviour. Passive perception can be surmised as the following sequence of events as: Surrounding input (senses) processing (brain) output (reaction/behaviour) For Gibson: sensation is perception: what you see is what you get. However, this theory cannot explain why perceptions are sometimes inaccurate, example in illusions and perceptual errors like overestimation. Although still supported by main stream philosophers and psychologists, this theory is nowadays losing momentum as more and more people turn to believe in the next one Active Perception instead. The theory of active perception has emerged from extensive research, most notably the works of Richard L. Gregory (1970). This theory is increasingly gaining experimental support. Gregory argued that active perception is a constructivist (indirect) theory of perception which is a top-down theory. Top down processing refers to the use of contextual information in pattern recognition. One simple example to explain this: understanding difficult handwriting is easier when reading complete sentences than when reading single and isolated words. This is because the meanings of the surrounding words provide a context to aid understanding. For Gregory, perception involves making inferences about what we see and trying to make a best guess. Prior knowledge and past experience, he argued are crucial in perception. Thus, active perception can be surmised as a dynamic relationship between Description (in the brain) and the senses and the surrounding, all of which holds true to the linear concept of experience. What one perceives is a result of interplays between ones past experiences and knowledge (the brain) and the surrounding, including ones senses and the interpretation of the perceived space (surrounding). A lot of information reaches the eye, but much is lost by the time it reaches the brain. Therefore the brain has to guess what a person sees based on past experiences. According to Richard Gregory, we actively construct our perception of reality. Our perceptions of the world are hypotheses based on our past experiences and stored information. How Spatial Perception reflects Being The different ways in which we experience a painting, a sculpture, or a work of architecture reflects on each of our individual being. Our environments ( built environments ) are a reflection of ourselves. Architecture should express our aspirations and our sense of optimism about the future. Nothing can possibly show us better or clearer of our innermost self, BEING, other than the very own living space we create. It shows how we want things to be and what we really want in life- freedom, happiness, power, health, luck, love, etc which reveal our characteristics, attitude and most importantly our being. It is also used to express emotions and symbolise ideas that give out certain messages about the owner. What is happening above is actually personalising your own space. This has two meanings to it: One is to personalise it and the other is to personify it. The latter is the main point in this whole essay, the living space representing the person who created it with a hint of the creators being in every corner of the space. This is why we can relate better to our own houses (personal space) than the outside world. But all in all to personalise the space, you personify it and to personify it, what you are doing is simply personalising that living space of yours. This is crucial in understanding the spaces created, the reasons for creating these spaces and how others perceive these spaces (personifying it). This same conception is expressed in Greek columns by a slight outward curvature of profile, the entasis which gives an impression of straining muscles a surprising thing to find in a rigid and unresponsive pillar of stone. This is exactly what happens when we are personifying our own personal space. To personify a thing or the entire space so that it overflows with your being, so that it tastes, smells and feels like you, is so amazingly overpowering over a person who owns it personally. None other than the owner can feel the sense of belonging and comfort created in that amount of space. You own that space and it completely belongs to you, you can even see yourself in that space, you are the space and the space is you. Even civilized people more or less consciously treat lifeless things as though they were imbued with life. Designing one selfs own space to make sure it is unique and truly belongs to you depends very much on your background, interests and expertise. This will make it special and personalised to the person with regards to his or her living space. But nowadays architecture designs are restricted by so call Style and Taste Superficial Cosmetic Professor Colin Stansfield Smith. This problem shows not only how things should be built but also what should be built. Today, in our highly civilized society the houses which ordinary people are doomed to live in and gaze upon are on the whole without quality. This is also why some important buildings are Monuments; some are considered Architecture while others are simply termed buildings. In order to prevent this from happening, we need to have an understanding of the living space. Understanding Living Space does not only mean the way it looks or its construction and materials. Understanding architecture does not mean just the way they look but the creative process of how the building comes into existence and how space is utlized. ¹ We need to visit buildings, look at the processes whereby it came into being, the sense of form, space, light and shade, the size and shape of spaces, the relationship between spaces and how space is utilised. We are looking at the Interior Beings. You must observe how it was designed for a special purpose and how it was attuned to the entire concept and rhythm of a specific era. Architecture provides the physical framework for our lives, so it has a public role a social responsibility. But it is also where we live, work and play, so it has a private role. It has a material form, but it also represents our ideals and aspirations. Consciously or unconsciously everyone is affected by his or her environment. He experiences the house in its reality and in its virtuality, by means of thought and dreams. This can be further explained by using an example. When we look at a portrait of someone laughing or smiling we become cheerful ourselves. If on the other hand, the face is tragic, we feel sad. People looking at pictures have a remarkable ability to enter a role which seems very foreign to them. ¹ This can be interpreted into how architecture plays a vital role in affecting our mood and behaviour. Buildings have their own characteristics and emotions, some buildings are feminine and some are masculine, some buildings are joyous and some are solemn. When we enter these emotive spaces, we are tuned in to the frequency of the buildings, going through all the emotional processes with the architecture. We get to the point where we cannot describe our impressions of an object without treating it as a living thing with its own physiognomy. ¹ This is exceptionally true with architecture as such animation of a building makes it easier to experience its architecture rather than as the addition of many separate technological details. Instead of using professional jargons (architectural vocabulary) that most people do not understand or could not fully understand, causing misunderstanding and confusion when perceiving space, using metaphors to convey certain ideas is so much easier and understandable by people from all professions and social levels. That is one of the many reasons why people like to personify spaces literally. Architecture should be appreciated by everyone from everywhere, which is also another crucial criteria for good architecture as it has a social responsibility once it is erected on the ground. Spatial Perception in the context of ART Whether architecture makes an impression on the observer and what impression it makes, depends not only on the architecture itself but to great extent on the observers susceptibility, his mentality, his education and his entire environment. It also depends on the mood he is in at the moment he is experiencing the architecture. We all have our preferences and prejudices in architecture as in anything else and our experiences determine our attitude towards it. This can be interpreted in the same way like above. The same painting can affect us very differently at different times and that is why it is always so exciting to return to a piece of art work we have seen before to find out whether we still react to it in the same way. This proves that a single building or a specific space can affect us differently, gives us a different feeling each time we experience it again and again. What do you get when you put Art and Building together? Architecture. What do you get when you put Living Space and Architecture together? Living Sculpture. Architecture has been understood as the art of establishing place by bounding space. To distinguish between arts of space and arts of time, between formative and expressive arts, and therefore also between arts of presence and arts of absence. Painting, sculpture and architecture are included among the former, poetry and music among the latter. The most dominant similarity between art and architecture is Art should not be explained; it must be experienced. Architecture is not just simply looking at plans, elevations and sections, there is something more to it it must be experienced, just like art. No photograph, film or video can reproduce the sense of form, space, light and shade, solidity and weight that is gained from visiting buildings. It is not enough to see architecture; you must experience it. You must dwell in the rooms, feel how they close about you and observe how you are naturally led from one room to the other. The most dominant difference between art and architecture is An architect works with forms and mass just as the sculptor does, but his is a functional art. It solves practical problems. In other words, the former has a decisive factor to it: Utility. Indeed, one of the proofs of / criteria for good architecture is that it is being utilized and perceived as the architect or designer had planned, even after a long period of time. We stand before a picture; most sculptures invite us to change our position, perhaps even to walk around them; architecture not only invites us to change our position, but to enter and move around within it. Generalizing, we can say that body and body awareness become more important as we turn from painting to sculpture to architecture. Our experience of sculpture involves the body in a more obvious way than does painting; most sculpture invites us to explore it by moving past it. Robert Morris celebrates the observers relationship to sculpture; his works let observers recognize that they themselves are establishing relationships as they apprehend the object from various positions and under varying conditions of light and spatial context. In a more obvious way, architecture is experienced by the moving body: we approach a building, walk by or around it and perhaps enter it. Architecture is the art into which we walk; it is the art that envelops us. As noted, painters and sculptors af fect our senses and perception by creating changes in patterns, and in proportional relationships between shapes, through the manipulation of light and colour, but only architects shape the space in which we live and through which we move. Architecture Appreciation through Perception Architectural spaces are more than just a stage of our lives; they also reflect the society, the image of an era and most importantly the culture. Therefore the spatial experience provided has become an important factor in the communication of the architecture and the perceiver. The virtue of a successful architecture is based on the language of the experience provided rather than the form itself, which mediated between the perceiver and the space. A successful architecture is also capable of transmitting the philosophy and concepts that the space wants to convey and the experience the space provides is vital in terms of introducing the perceiver to the personality of the space. The spatial experience should be something to be enjoyed and shared by the majority of people. If it is shared more widely because more people understand it, take it seriously; chances are the space has being perceived and appreciated by the public and fulfilled its social responsibility. Enjoyment of space and form is a birthright. This enjoyment can be heightened in two basic ways: through the thoughtful design of buildings and related spaces and through the users development of awareness and perception of architecture. Architecture can be important to the enrichment of life. And after so many years, architects and designers are still learning how users interact with space and form and how skilfully designed space and form respond to human needs. Scenario : Two men attend a concert. One studied music. Has a trained ear. Spent years developing a high degree of music appreciation. Loves great works of great composers. This concert is heaven to him. To the other man, the concert is a bore. He has had little exposure to serious music. No real knowledge of music. Never learned to listen and does not even know that he has been deprived of the pleasure of fine music. He can hardly wait until the concert is overà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ During intermission, the same two people react very differently as they walk around and within the concert building experiencing its space and form. Now the music lover is bored. He knows almost nothing about buildings. He is visually illiterate. The other person, however, has spent years developing an appreciation of buildings. He has a trained eye. He derives pleasure from the quality of space and form of the great hall. He is stirred to maximum enjoyment. To him, architecture is visual music. The term architecture appreciation is used to promote the idea that architecture can be enjoyed, much as the performing or visual arts, physically through the senses. Architecture appreciation, like music appreciation or art appreciation is learned. In music, it is learning how to hear. In art, how to see. In the case of architecture, it is learning how to perceive. Enjoying buildings requires some knowledge and some practice in perceiving space and form. You need to know something about buildings, you need to hone your awareness and you need to know something about yourself too. How do you respond to space and form? Architecture is a personal, enjoyable, necessary experience. A person perceives and appreciates space and form from three distinctly different but interrelated attitudes: from the physical, from the emotional, and from the intellectual. The architecture experience evokes a response which fulfils physical, emotional, and intellectual needs, effecting an enjoyable interaction between the person and the building. Space perception is happening everywhere, anytime. Wherever people are, there are buildings. Where buildings are, there are spatial experience. Appreciation of the works of creative architects and designers demands creativity from our part. Through accumulated experience and knowledge we design our own appreciation and experience. Word Count 4948

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Graduation Speech: Im Ready for High School :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Wow, three years have passed and the last day is just as long as the first. Three years of hard discipline and learning to get used to homework every night. Three years of standing on the front steps waiting for my parents and saying goodbye to my teachers. I never thought the goodbye might be permanent. 6th grade came and I was looking up at those giant 8th graders, and now I guess I’m one of them. 6th grade, and I was saying hello, and now 8th grade has come and it’s gone from introductions to goodbyes as my last days as a middle school student wind down. 8th grade, 8th grade from the opening day to the signing of the yearbooks. This is the year of memories, goodbyes, and regrets. 8th grade and I’m still realizing that there are people in the world that would die to go to a school like this. A school where every body knows everyone’s name, respects everyone, and where violence and fighting are about as common as the Yankees missing the playoffs. When I’m done with my homework and go to bed, as the days of 8th grade wind down, summer will come and go, and I will find myself in one of those giant, scary places called high school. The first time I heard C.R.I.S.P. all I could think of was my mom’s rich apple pies. Now C.R.I.S.P. has more of a meaning. Every day I see C.R.I.S.P. in the hallways and classrooms, not only on the walls but among my fellow students. Everyone wants to help each other out because that’s the way we work here. Everyone tries hard to do their best and be the best person they can be. Looking back on my three years at Twin Cities Academy, I find myself wondering how all these years came and went so fast. I still watch myself walking through the same halls and sitting in the same classrooms as I did back in 6th and 7th grade and I’ve seen myself grow so much, mentally, socially and physically. I still remember everything that has happened throughout my years, the best of times, and the worst. So here I am, not sure if I’m trying to stretch out my final days in a school that has taught me so much, or waiting for a 90-day-straight school-free period. I guess I want to savor these final days with some students that I just met, and some that I’ve known for 3 years because this may be the last time that I see them.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Microeconomics Research Paper

Nicholas Benyola Professor Mansourian Econ 201- 25 17 May 2012 Microeconomics Research Paper Minimum Wage In the United States, minimum wage has remained at a low number for several years. Minimum wage is defined as the lowest possible income that an employer can legally pay an employee. This ensures that all people are fairly paid and not defrauded by companies or businesses. Minimum wage is considered a price floor and the minimum wage laws determine the lowest price possible that any employer must pay for labor.In an economic model, the quantity of supplied is greater than the quantity demanded and the minimum wage is above equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage prevents labor supplied and labor demanded from moving toward equilibrium price and quantity. Although the government is trying to maintain a good balance of income distribution, there are is a high amount of people that work year round and still fall under the national poverty level. The government tries to stop the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer, so they make sure that everyone is earning the same amount of money.Even if our balanced income distribution is at a good number, an increase of the minimum wage price would help our country in a lot of ways. Raising the current minimum wage is one way to reduce poverty, will help businesses grow, and could help a lot of communities as well. The first advantage of increasing the minimum wage is that it will help poor people to earn a higher income. For many workers, minimum wage is simply not enough money for them to be able to support their families. A higher minimum wage would guarantee a higher quality of life for the people who work in basic jobs such as cleaning and preparing fast food.These workers' economic situations are usually a result of their lack of education and training, and it is often difficult for them to get more education or training because of their economic situation. For many working Americans, an in crease in the minimum wage will make the difference between living in poverty and not. An increase has the potential to help the standard of living for the poorest of people. This is a true statement, but opposition says that this only drives up the standard of living and inflation rate in the world. Inflation is defined as the overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy.Although some people who earn the minimum wage are teenagers, almost two-thirds are adults. The average minimum wage worker brings home about half of his family's earnings. Increasing the minimum wage will help these workers to make up for lost ground due to inflation and it will help make work pay. Though inflation is one of the main problems in our economy and even though inflation and minimum wage are directly related, increasing minimum wage will give opportunity for a lot of lower class families to make enough to afford important things, such as insurance.If someone takes a trip to the doctor, with no insurance, they will most likely have to pay around eight- hundred dollars out of pocket. This would take anyone at least three months on minimum wage with two incomes to pay off these medical bills. Barak Obama’s plan to institute a health care plan for everyone will relieve a huge burden on people and also allow them to stay above the poverty line. Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute says, â€Å"Jacking the federal minimum wage from $7. 25 to $8. 25 would give a raise to 10 million workers, including many currently earning their state minimum wage† (Shierholz).This research supports that a minimum wage increase would help millions of people who work not only at the minimum wage but below it and just above it as well. While an increase of a few thousand dollars per year would rarely lift a person or a family out of poverty, it could ease the struggle to pay for groceries, child care or rent, and it adds meaning and digni ty to labor. A higher minimum wage is not enough, but it is very essential for the working poor. Minimum wage was created to keep businesses from taking advantage of their employees.Most of the workforce making minimum wage is young adults because companies feel that they can take advantage of them. Of the total affected workers, women suffer the most which is evidence that companies still have gender discrimination in the workplace. Companies are not only paying people small amounts of money but are also treating the women of America unfairly. If discrimination ended in the workplace then businesses would grow because they would have a more diverse workplace. Employees who are earned a higher wage would take their job more seriously.They would call in sick less often and would be more productive on the days they are at work. An employee working for a lower wage may spend a great deal of time job hunting, looking for a position that pays more but if employees are already earning a h igher wage, they would not have to be searching for a higher paying job. This would reduce employee turnover for companies. John Montgomery, economic analyst for ABC states that, â€Å"From the business perspective, wages come in as one of the most expensive running costs, and have to be paid whether you are taking money that day or not.However, if there were no minimum wage, there is no doubt that many unscrupulous businesses would exploit staff wherever they could† (Montgomery). Of these adult workers, over half work full time and another third work between twenty and thirty hours per week. This statistic shows that a big majority of adults on minimum wage are working at least twenty hours a week. So, if minimum wage increases, it could be a huge benefit because it could add a ten increase to a final salary and this would affect millions of people in our workforce in a positive way.For most small companies there is a major upside to a minimum wage increase because it can st imulate the economy. Usually when people make more money, sometimes they make lifestyle changes and they buy more which generates more revenue in the economy. Raising the minimum wage would be beneficial not only to business but to communities as well. Many poor families rely upon economic aid from social services to survive and these organizations not only cost the community tax payer but they also take away from services provided by local businesses.With an increased minimum wage, low wage workers would be less reliant on social services and more willing to spend their money in the local economy. Over time people would be making more money and then would be able to afford more things in their community. The lower class is dependent upon dollar stores because their low income does not support flexible spending. This creates unequal revenue to producers, so an increase of minimum wage would help communities as a whole because more business would have the chance to grow.Kai Filion, P olicy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, notes that â€Å"A recent study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago examined 23 years of household spending data and found that an increase in the minimum wage lead households with a minimum wage to significantly increase their spending. † This research supports that even a slight increase of minimum wage would increase spending throughout communities which would be beneficial for the entire country because it would increase the local tax base.Many government programs that try to help people with low income place a tax burden directly on others. Raising taxes is not a necessary step in establishing a higher minimum wage because government should not be taxing companies, but asking them to pay more to their employees. An increase in payment to employees would increase business expenses which would help companies pay less in taxes. Therefore, an increased minimum wage has potential to aid in the growth of communit ies around the world.For Americans, we must support an increase of minimum wage to further promote a healthy economy and a decrease in poverty. Minimum wage is one program that promotes active participation in the labor market and if the amount of citizens on welfare is going to decline, they should be offered more jobs that can pay a livable wage. If minimum wage workers were paid a living wage, they would spend it in the local economy which would turn in to a powerful economic stimulus and the government would save money on a lot of expenses.Raising the current minimum wage is one way to reduce poverty, will help businesses grow, and could help many suffering communities throughout the nation. This step toward economic equality may be essential for workers of all classes to have opportunity for a better standard of living. Works Cited * â€Å"Minimum Wage Increase Would Help Sluggish Economy, Say Experts. † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 07 June 2011. Web. 16 May 2012. . * â€Å"Http://www. abc. net. au/news/2012-05-16/unions-push-to-increase-state-min