Operations Management and Sustainability Free Essay Example, 3000 words

The background has given above and the critique of the article and the report clearly reveal a problem that calls for the need for a comprehensive study to be conducted just as has been requested by KFC. The overall scope of the study you want to undertake will be to achieve sustainable operations management for KFC. Even though your company makes a very specific request of understanding what they should be doing with regards to disposal packaging, it would be indicated that without a viable sustainable operations management within the company, there cannot be any understanding of how the disposal packaging of the company should be approached (Soroka, 2002). This is because sustainable operations management comes on the basis of utility theory which argues that even though it is impossible to measure the utility gained from a good or service, it is usually possible to the outcome from alternatives in order of preference (Zabaniotou Kassidi, 2003). Certainly, the outcomes of disposa l packaging can be said to align with utility theory given the fact that it will be impossible to specifically quantify the gains that your esteemed company which is KFC will make from choosing a certain line of packaging practice. We will write a custom essay sample on Operations Management and Sustainability or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

To What Extent Was the Cuban Missile Crisis the Product of...

To what extent was the Cuban Missile Crisis the product of American paranoia? Done By: Justine, Umi Amirah, Myraa (3DG/3DY) The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the USSR, and Cuba in October 1962, during the Cold War. The Cuban and Soviet governments placed nuclear missiles in Cuba. When her military intelligence discovered the weapons, America sought to do all it could to ensure the removal of the missiles. This incident became closest to a nuclear war.1 The incident has caused a lot of commotion and raised tensions between the three countries. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a product of a series of factors: American Paranoia, the Cuban want for freedom from America, and the USSR’s intentions.†¦show more content†¦From this, we can see that if were not for America’s actions and paranoia, Cuba would not have asked the USSR for help, and the Cuban Missile Crisis might have been averted altogether. However, America was not solely to blame, for Cuba effectively manipulated USSR-American rivalry to obtain missile defense from USSR against America. Cuba, being unable to defend herself against an American attack, therefore sought the help of its enemy’s enemy, for the enemy of one’s enemy is one’s friend. This in turn blew the whole conflict out of proportion. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a product of American paranoia to a great extent, for it was the underlying factor that triggered the USSR and Cuba’s actions. The USSR’s actions were actually their means of defending themselves, in reply to what America had done (placing missiles in Turkey). America was obsessed with preventing Communism, for it would threaten America’s ideology of Capitalism and take a toll in America’s economy, stability and peace. Thus, they took very extreme measures. Furthermore, the reason Cuba sought protection from the USSR was because it wanted to protect itself from an attack from America; Cuba’s actions were a reaction to America’s behavior. The USSR took advantage of the situation in Cuba to gain a foothold in an area that was crucial to USA’s safety. This act led to the escalations of tensions, and became a high-stakes disputeShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagessolution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PrenticeRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pageslate twentieth century, its apparatus of cultural formation was controlled fully by the elite who, to a large extent, ran the educational apparatus and the economic system. But much of the country was beginning to question in earnest the structure of colonial society by the early 1930s. The emergence of Rasta during that period corresponds with so much that was happening around the world. Rastas could tell that social unrest in Jamaica was going to lead to a movement away from colonial rule and

Chinas Entry into WTO and Global Sourcing free essay sample

A study of the entrance of China to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This paper examines how China officially joined the World Trade Organization last year after a long series of negotiations. It looks at the entry of China into this world body and how it aroused mixed emotions among business analysts in the United States. Proponents feel that it will help Chinese economy and make its industries more competitive, while opponents are of the view that United States employment rate will be badly hurt by Chinas accession to WTO. The author writes that China will certainly stand to benefit from increased trend towards global sourcing and the paper studies Chinas entry with reference to this particular issue. China today enjoys a prominent position in the world because it is one of the fastest growing markets and this makes it the center of attention for the global businesses. The country has been introducing trade reforms since a long time now and in its attempt to become a major part of the world community, it offered to join World Trade Organization, which already has 142 members. We will write a custom essay sample on Chinas Entry into WTO and Global Sourcing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But accession has not been a smooth journey for China because it was after almost 15 years that it was finally granted entry into this trade body.

Xml And Java Essays - Markup Languages, Technical Communication

Xml And Java XML and Java Abstract Most web developers are intimately familiar with HTML, which is a language for presenting information on-screen so that it can be read by a human. A new markup language is rapidly gaining attention, however. XML allows for the presentation of information which can be read by a computer program. It is likely that the future of web development includes the creation of increasing numbers of programs, which make intelligent use of the data on XML-based web pages. And Java is a very good language for creating those programs. There has been a close relationship between Java and XML since the earliest mention of XML. John Bosak of Sun Microsystems, Chair of the XML Working Group has said that XML gives Java something to do (Web Techniques, pg. 43). Since there has been a decision to provide a standard Java API for manipulating XML (WT Pg. 43), the use of Java to manipulate XML documents is likely to continue, and increase over time. What is XML? XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language. It looks a lot like HTML. In fact, both HTML and XML are commonly viewed as a subset of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). SGML is very complicated, a fact that has lead to it's failure to gain widespread usage. HTML, its greatly simplified descendant, has been a resounding success, but it is beginning to demonstrate some significant limitations. XML is in between these markup languages in terms of complexity. It is more complex than HTML, but still significantly less complex than SGML. (Dynamic Web Publishing Unleashed - Pg. 744-745). It is essentially an attempt to define a common ground between HTML and SGML. Like SGML, XML is a metalanguage for defining markup languages. XML allows you to define your own markup language consisting of new ?tags' which you can use to encode the information in your web documents far more precisely than can be done with HTML. XML is not a replacement for HTML. It is, instead, a supplement to HTML. While HTML will continue to be used for standard web pages, XML will be useful for applications that need more intelligent documents and more processing ability (DWP - Pg. 745). The main limitations of HTML are lack of extensibility, structure, and validation. (http:// metalab.unc.edu/pub/sun-info/standards/xml/why/xmlapps.html). Extensibility. HTML has a fixed number of tags. While the W3C and browser developers can (and frequently do) add tags, users cannot create their own tags to more accurately describe their data. Structure. HTML does not support the creation of nested tags, which would be used to describe and represent databases or object hierarchies. Validation. HTML does not support document validation. It has no means of allowing an application to check the data for validity, or to ensure that the markup is correct and well formed. XML differs from HTML in all three of these major areas: It allows developers to define new tags and attributes as needed It allows document tags to be nested as deeply as needed. Any XML document can include or make reference to a description of its grammar and syntax for use by applications that need to validate the structure of a document. XML will be most widely used in applications, which cannot be accomplished within the limitations of HTML. According to Jon Bosak of Sun Microsystems (Future of the web) These applications can be divided into four broad categories: Applications that require the Web client to mediate between two or more heterogeneous databases Applications that require the Web client to present different views of the same data to different users. Applications that require the Web client to present different views of the same data to different users. Applications in which intelligent Web agents attempt to tailor information discovery to the needs of the individual users. One more quote from Mr. Bosak: XML can do for data what Java has done for programs, which is to make the data both platform-independent and vendor-independent. Why Java? It can be argued that Java is an ideal language to use to create the applications listed above. At the most obvious level, both have been promoted almost exclusively for use in Web environments. But several features of the Java language make

Instructional Design Principles, Theories, Application

Instructional Design Principles, Theories, Application Making the process of learning more insightful and attractive to students is one of the most challenging tasks for a teacher. Demanding not only that the students should be properly motivated, but also that the strategies and goals for specific lessons should be defined clearly and efficiently, it presupposes that numerous factors of learning environment should be taken into account.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Instructional Design: Principles, Theories, Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Incorporating the basic principles of instructional design will help both address the needs of the students and introduce a proper motivation for an entire class, therefore, enhancing the learning process and contributing to better understanding of the lecture material, acquisition and training of the necessary skills and efficient application of theories to practice. To help the students that have enrolled into the MA TLT project learn to demonstrate the knowledge and skills related to learning using technology, such changes as the integration of the recent technological innovations along with information on the effects of these technologies must be provided. In the given process, it is essential to make sure that the principles of Constructivism and Interpretivism are being used, for these principles allow the students to see the numerous ways in which the same task can be accomplished (Instructional Design Knowledge Base, n. d.). By showing the students the variety of methods, which are all attributed to the same goal, one can make sure that in their teaching practice, students will be capable of integrating various strategies in order to approach a specific issue in q unique manner by analyzing the specifics of the case in point. Another challenge related to the MATLT program, which its participants are most likely to face in educational setting, concerns the demonstration of knowledge and ski lls in current and emerging instructional technologies (Horton, 2012). To help the participants of the program embrace the opportunities that current technological advances open in front of them, it will be required to create activities combining â€Å"instructional design, media and computing† (Newby, Stepich, Lehman, Russell Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2011, p. xvii).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In other words, the activities that demand to draw further lesson designs from the feedback acquired from social networks and other types of modern media that can be used in the course of the lesson, should be created. It is imperative that the learners should understand what potential new media and technologies open for both teachers and students. Such understanding can be shaped by offering students tasks on analyzing the benefits of the latest technologies, such as the exer cise demanding to define key positive features of specific devices for students and teachers. For instance, the activity of the given kind can include listing the qualities of such devices as smartphones and iPods, which can be used for interactive learning and efficient note-taking process. Despite the fact that in the process of distilling the instructions that will allow for defining the further course of learning, crucial mistakes can be made and, therefore, basic obstacles might appear, instructional design is worth appreciating and considering solely for the opportunities that it opens to teachers and students. Creating the premises for teachers to consider both the individual progress of each student and the overall evolution of the class, instructional theories help create a unique pattern for teaching to a particular group of students, thus, introducing the latter to the concept of self-education and the following lifelong learning. Reference List Horton, W. (2012). E-Learn ing by design. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley Sons. Instructional Design Knowledge Base (n. d.). Select instructional models/theories to develop instructional prototypes. Web. Newby, T. J., Stepich, D. A., Lehman, J. D., Russell, J. D., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2011). Educational technology for teaching and learning (4th ed.). London, UK: Pearson.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Instructional Design: Principles, Theories, Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Influence of the Olmec Civilization on Mesoamerica

Influence of the Olmec Civilization on Mesoamerica The Olmec civilization thrived along Mexicos gulf coast from approximately 1200-400 B.C. and is considered the parent culture of many of the important Mesoamerican cultures that came after, including the Aztec and Maya. From their great cities, San Lorenzo and La Venta, Olmec traders spread their culture far and wide and eventually built a large network through Mesoamerica. Although many aspects of Olmec culture have been lost to time, what little is known about them is very important because their influence was so great. Olmec Trade and Commerce Before the dawn of the Olmec civilization, trade in Mesoamerica was common. Highly desirable items like obsidian knives, animal skins, and salt were routinely traded between neighboring cultures. The Olmecs created long-distance trade routes to obtain the things they needed, eventually making contacts all the way from the valley of Mexico to Central America. Olmec traders swapped finely made Olmec celts, masks and other small pieces of art with other cultures such as the Mokaya and Tlatilco, getting jadeite, serpentine, obsidian, salt, cacao, pretty feathers and more in return. These extensive trade networks spread Olmec culture far and wide, spreading Olmec influence throughout Mesoamerica. Olmec Religion The Olmec had a well-developed religion and belief in a cosmos comprised of an underworld (represented by the Olmec fish monster), the Earth (Olmec Dragon) and skies (bird monster). They had elaborate ceremonial centers: the well-preserved Complex A at La Venta is the best example. Much of their art is based on their religion, and it is from surviving pieces of Olmec art that researchers have managed to identify no fewer than eight different Olmec gods. Many of these early Olmec gods, such as the Feathered Serpent, the maize god, and the rain god, found their way into the mythology of later civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs. Mexican researcher and artist Miguel Covarrubias made a famous diagram of how different Mesoamerican divine images all diverged from an early Olmec source. Olmec Mythology: Apart from the religious aspects of Olmec society mentioned above, Olmec mythology seems to have caught on with other cultures as well. The Olmecs were fascinated with were-jaguars, or human-jaguar hybrids: some Olmec art has caused speculation that they believed that some human-jaguar cross-breeding had once taken place, and depictions of fierce were-jaguar babies are a staple of Olmec art. Later cultures would continue the human-jaguar obsession: one good example is the jaguar warriors of the Aztec. Also, at the El Azuzul site near San Lorenzo, a pair of extremely similar statues of young men placed with a pair of jaguar statues brings to mind the two pairs of hero twins whose adventures are narrated in the Popol Vuh, known as the Maya bible. Although there are no confirmed courts used for the famous Mesoamerican ballgame at Olmec sites, rubber balls used for the game were unearthed at El Manatà ­. Olmec Art: Artistically speaking, the Olmec were far ahead of their time: their art shows a skill and aesthetic sense far greater than that of contemporary civilizations. The Olmec produced celts, cave paintings, statues, wooden busts, statues, figurines, stelae and much more, but their most famous artistic legacy is doubtless the colossal heads. These giant heads, some of which stand nearly ten feet tall, are striking in their artwork and majesty. Although the colossal heads never caught on with other cultures, Olmec art was very influential on the civilizations that followed it. Olmec stelae, such as La Venta Monument 19, can be indistinguishable from Mayan art to the untrained eye. Certain subjects, such as plumed serpents, also made the transition from Olmec art to that of other societies. Engineering and Intellectual Accomplishments: The Olmec were the first great engineers of Mesoamerica. There is an aqueduct at San Lorenzo, carved out of dozens of massive stones then laid side-by side. The royal compound at La Venta shows engineering as well: the massive offerings of Complex A are complicated pits filled with stones, clay, and supporting walls, and there is a tomb there built with basalt support columns. The Olmec may have given Mesoamerica its first written language as well. Undecipherable designs on certain pieces of Olmec stonework may be early glyphs: later societies, such as the Maya, would have elaborate languages using glyphic writing and would even develop books. As the Olmec culture faded into the Epi-Olmec society seen in the Tres Zapotes site, the people developed an interest in the calendar and astronomy, two other fundamental building blocks of Mesoamerican society. Olmec Influence and Mesoamerica: Researchers who study ancient societies embrace something called the continuity hypothesis. This hypothesis posits that there has been a set of religious and cultural beliefs and norms in place in Mesoamerica that has run through all of the societies that lived there and that information from one society can often be used to fill in the gaps left in others. The Olmec society then becomes particularly important. As the parent culture - or at least one of the most important early formative cultures of the region - it had influence out of proportion with, say, its military might or prowess as a trading nation. Olmec pieces that give some information about the gods, society or have a bit of writing on them - such as the famous Las Limas Monument 1 - are particularly prized by researchers. Sources: Coe, Michael D and Rex Koontz. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008 Cyphers, Ann. Surgimiento y decadencia de San Lorenzo, Veracruz. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). P. 30-35. Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004. Grove, David C. Cerros Sagradas Olmecas. Trans. Elisa Ramirez. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). P. 30-35. Gonzalez Tauck, Rebecca B. El Complejo A: La Venta, Tabasco Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol XV - Num. 87 (Sept-Oct 2007). p. 49-54.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Case Study - Essay Example Therefore, as a nurse in this situation, I would resolve the case by refusing to let the mother hold her child, explaining to her that until the child’s condition stabilized, she would pose a threat to her own infant in this case. The individual must make ethical choices regarding how to behave. This behavior can be broken down into two categories: the choice as it effects the society around the person making the decision, and the decision as it effects the self of the individual making the choice. In other words, a person can make a decision that benefits them personally, or they can make an ethical decision that benefits others and reduces the total amount of harm to society. By refusing to let this substance abusing mother see her critically injured infant and hold the infant, I would be reducing the level of harm in society and protecting the infant. Additionally, the mother has admitted inducing labor by using crack cocaine. discussed by looking at the philosophy of utilitarianism, which states that it is fine to overthrow ideas of what should be when faced with the realities of what is working in the present. I may have had a stereotype of the mother being able to hold her infant in this case, but the reality of the case subverts this. Utilitarianism is also about achieving the maximum amount of happiness for the most people. Since its impetus, utilitarianism has been interpreted and used in many ways by many societies, from political interpretations to interpretations that have affected educational systems. In short, in the case, keeping the mother away from her infant can be justified by utilitarian reasoning that shows that it represents a pervasive and effective protection of the infant, designed to maximize its health and happiness. There are many elements of the ANA code of ethics that can be seen in this case. For example, issues of responsibility for decision making and planning comes up in the

English Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Class - Essay Example Nevertheless, my visit to the museum was an enriching experience which had me asking for more. The museum leaves no stones unturned to make you feel that you were there when it all happened. With the help of personal audio equipment, there is a touch of reality to the whole experience. There is a lot more to see at the museum. There are various events, programs, tours, lectures, films that talk about the stories of many Holocaust survivors. The exhibition is a single true story, the story of Jay Ipson and his family and how they survived the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania and settled in Richmond after World War II . â€Å"The museum was built with children in mind†, says Ipson. â€Å"They can relate so much better to the single story†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.six million is just incomprehensible to them.† The outside of the building has an intimidating appearance with brown brick with bright green boarded up windows. All in all, the visit to this museum is a very moving education al experience! The museum puts in a lot of effort to educate the people and promote tolerance towards each and everyone, irrespective of their nationality, religion, race, sex or creed. We cannot turn a blind eye to the humble motive behind the origination of this museum. Therefore, there is a need to preserve this museum for the values it stands for. Established in 1997, Virginia holocaust museum is situated on 2000 East Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia and it is founded by Mark Fetter, Al Rosenbaum, and one of Richmond’s youngest Holocaust survivors, Jay Ipson. In an effort to preserve and educate the people on the atrocities of the Holocaust of World War II, the museum strives on a two-fold mission: to educate young people about the Holocaust and at the same time combat intolerance and anti-Semitism. Keeping this mission in mind, â€Å"Teaching Tolerance Through Education† was initiated. Initially, the museum occupied the unused rooms of the Temple Beth El in Richmon d, Virginia. The museum, then quickly flourished and by 2000, it had its own space. An old tobacco warehouse in historic Shockoe Bottom donated by the Virginia State Legislature became the new house of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The dedication of this new site was done during Yom Ha'Shoah v'Ha'Gvruah in April, 2003, the day which is known as the Day of Remembrance and Heroism. During the pre-war Kovno, there were about 40,000 Jews, out of which only 3,000 survived. Thousands of children lost their lives in the Kovno Ghetto. Deportation and malnutrition contributed to the deaths of so many lives. Ipson’s sister was one of the children to face death during the war. In 1943, Ipson’s family managed to escape from their ghetto with the help of a local farmer. The poor Catholic Polish farmer had nothing to gain from them nor they had anything to offer to him, nevertheless, he helped them because he knew what the Germans were doing was wrong. This is a perfect example of expression of humanity, regardless of race, religion, caste or creed. One of the interesting exhibitions at the museum is the recreation of the chapter of their lives wherein they escape through the barbed wire of their ghetto. The museum, today boasts of 28 exhibits. â€Å"The Ipson Saga,† is an interesting tale of the Museum Director and founder, Jay M Ipson, which documents his and his family’s story from pre-war Lithuania, their escape and eventually their liberation. Right in front of the building sits a German cattle car

Effectiveness of Time and Financial Management Essay Example for Free

Effectiveness of Time and Financial Management Essay Chapter 1 I. Introduction A. General Statement to the Effectiveness of Time and Financial Management on selected scholars of Adamson University 1. Profile of the Selected Scholars B. Statement of the problem ( How can they cope up with the demands of their respective courses? C. Objectives of the study D. Relevance of the study E. Definition of terms Chapter 2 II. Survey of Related Literature A. Foreign studies 1. Working Students/Student Assistants 2. Scholars B. Local Studies 1. Working Students/Student Assistants 2. Scholars Chapter 3 III. Methods on how to measure effectiveness of time and financial management A. Results of Survey/Questionnaire to the Selected Scholars of Adamson University 1. Graphical Representation 2. Analysis of the results IV. Conclusion Chapter 3 Methods on how to measure Effectiveness of Time and Financial Management The researchers chose 7 different scholars to conduct a survey about the chosen topic. Most of the respondents came from student assistant’s category and the others came from the category of academic scholars. These scholars were given scholarships from Ozanam Study Grant Program and Megaworld Foundation. On the range of their ages, 17-22 years old were the students who were given an opportunity they wanted to have. The scholars being interviewed have a daily allowance of more or less 150 pesos. On the Graph 1.1 being shown below are some of the expenses of the following students. Graph 1.1 A little number of respondents said that they stay in boarding houses that cost them Php 1,600 to Php 1,700. Literally, the cost was being solved by their parents. 3 out of 7 students said that both of their parents are self-employed. 1 respondent said that his/her parents run a business and another corresponds to unemployed parents. The rest of the students match up on other answers like their father/mother neither is an overseas Filipino worker, a tricycle driver, a plain housewife nor was deceased. Researchers proceed to the monthly income of their parents in able to measure the financial background of each and every respondent. Graph 1.2 illustrates the possible monthly income of the parents of these learners. Graph 1.2 As you can see, there is an equality of 14,000 and lower and 15,000-20,000 income. It is based on the survey being conducted by the researchers and from the occupation of their parents. On the part of their financial management, they spent the biggest part of their allowance for their food (50%) followed by their transportation and some other expenses. This shows that food is very important especially for the scholars like them. Food is an essential and they must not ignore because of the responsibilities they have in the university. The primary reason of the pupils asked in preferring themselves in being a scholar of Adamson University is that because they wanted to help their parents in decreasing the expenses. In this reason, an individual can determine that financial or money matters are the first basis in order for them to have financial management. Other reasons are for them to gain independency. The effectiveness of financial management is measured by proper usage of money and thinking a creative way of using up money.  The researchers also find ways on evaluating time supervision of scholars. Because of a more number of student assistants being interviewed, most of their time is allotted on their duties. Here is Graph 1.3 that shows how long an ordinary scholar uses his /her time in the university. Graph 1.3 Take a look of the graph that has been illustrated by the researchers. Student D and F are academic scholars. According to the information gathered from the survey, these students are academic scholars. As academic scholars, their worlds are focused on studying. They usually spend time in resting, studying and even have a time for leisure. On the other hand, the remaining students (A, B , C and E) make use of their time in duties and offices. Equalizing time in each activity of a student like them is not easy to do. Like on the Graph 1.3, student assistants are divided in different opinions. Some of them were able to balance their time and others cannot. Same answer was derived by academic scholars. However, they also answered it depends on the situation. Situations are unpredictable and make equalization of time in different planned activities. Somehow, all of them have a time for rest and have a break after long hours from school. Lastly, as a scholar, grade is the most important or basis in acquiring scholarships. Grades of these scholars are not affected by activities being done in school. Therefore, these learners have a good strategic measures in managing their time and studies. Chapter 4 Conclusion Based on the presented and interpreted data above, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. That most of the scholars spend their money more on food  for it is an essential need. 2. That most of the scholars wanted to help their parents to reduce the number of expenses. 3. That most of the scholars allot their time to school by doing different duties but assures that grades of them will not be affected. Chapter 2 Survey of Related Literature

Man Vs. Himself In The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne :: essays research papers

A great deal of blood has been shed and many wars have been fought during the history of civilization; however, man’s greatest battle and most formidable enemy is only himself. This has been made only more evident with the passage of time and the development of the human character. However, one factor that has remained constant in the human character through this development is conscience. Conscience can be man’s saving grace or his damning affliction; its presence may simultaneously purify and mar. As contradictory as this may sound, it has been explored in depth by Nathaniel Hawthorne who chronicles one man’s battle against himself in The Scarlet Letter. In this novel, an anguished Arthur Dimmesdale struggles to pacify his conscience and withhold the secret of his sin from being known. As his conscience continues to consume all that is his very essence, Arthur Dimmesdale illustrates Hawthorne’s theme of a sin-stained conscience and redemption only through truth. The novel begins to delve into the heart and conscience of Arthur Dimmesdale when Roger Chillingworth questions him about his thoughts on sinners and their secrets. Feeling full well the torment of his own secret, Arthur proclaims that those who hold such "miserable secrets†¦will yield them up that last day†¦with a joy unutterable." By this expression, Arthur offers a glimpse into his tortured heart and shows how heavy a burden his secret is. When Chillingworth further inquires about such sinful secrets, Arthur holds his hand to his breast, a motion that he carries out as "if afflicted with an importunate throb of pain." Evidently Arthur does this frequently, and the reader is presented with the thought that this gesture possibly is not done as much out of physical suffering as spiritual suffering. Not only is the health of Arthur’s body in question, but the condition of his heart, his soul, is dubious. A supernatural light is later shed upon this question as Chillingworth uncovers the secret Arthur had tried to keep intact. It is visible to him as he pulls aside Arthur’s ministerial robe: a scarlet letter A upon his chest. Although Hawthorne lets this aspect of the novel remain ambiguous, this engraving on Arthur’s chest suggests that the burden of his sin had seeped so deeply within him, it has now forced its way outside; it is at all his levels. At this point in the novel, Arthur’s sin had begun, if it had not already succeeded, in consuming him. Arthur’s conscience was now stained with sin, and its weight will

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 28. The Future

Carlisle and Edward had not been able to catch up with Irina before her trail disappeared into the sound. They'd swum to the other bank to see if her trail had picked up in a straight line, but there was no trace of her for miles in either direction on the eastern shore. It was all my fault. She had come, as Alice had seen, to make peace with the Cullens, only to be angered by my camaraderie with Jacob. I wished I'd noticed her earlier, before Jacob had phased. I wished we'd gone hunting somewhere else. There wasn't much to be done. Carlisle had called Tanya with the disappointing news. Tanya and Kate hadn't seen Irina since they'd decided to come to my wedding, and they were distraught that Irina had come so close and yet not returned home; it wasn't easy for them to lose their sister, however temporary the separation might be. I wondered if this brought back hard memories of losing their mother so many centuries ago. Alice was able to catch a few glimpses of Irina's immediate future, nothing too concrete. She wasn't going back to Denali, as far as Alice could tell. The picture was hazy. All Alice could see was that Irina was visibly upset; she wandered in the snow-swathed wilderness – to the north? To the east? – with a devastated expression. She made no decisions for a new course beyond her directionless grieving. Days passed and, though of course I forgot nothing, Irina and her pain moved to the back of my mind. There were more important things to think of now. I would leave for Italy in just a few days. When I got back, we'd all be off to South America. Every detail had been gone over a hundred times already. We would start with the Ticunas, tracing their legends as well as we could at the source. Now that it was accepted that Jacob would come with us, he figured prominently in the plans – it was unlikely that the people who believed in vampires would speak to any of us about their stories. If we dead-ended with the Ticunas, there were many closely related tribes in the area to research. Carlisle had some old friends in the Amazon; if we could find them, they might have information for us, too. Or at least a suggestion as to where else we might go for answers. It was unlikely that the three Amazon vampires had anything to do with the legends of vampire hybrids themselves, as they were all female. There was no way to know how long our search would take. I hadn't told Charlie about the longer trip yet, and I stewed about what to say to him while Edward and Carlisle's discussion went on. How to break the news to him just right? I stared at Renesmee while I debated internally. She was curled up on the sofa now, her breathing slow with heavy sleep, her tangled curls splayed wildly around her face.Usually, Edward and I took her back to our cottage to put her to bed, but tonight we lingered with the family, he and Carlisle deep in their planning session. Meanwhile, Emmett and Jasper were more excited about planning the hunting possibilities. The Amazon offered a change from our normal quarry. Jaguars and panthers, for example. Emmett had a whim to wrestle with an anaconda. Esme and Rosalie were planning what they would pack. Jacob was off with Sam's pack, setting things up for his own absence. Alice moved slowly – for her – around the big room, unnecessarily tidying the already immaculate space, straightening Esme's perfectly hung garlands. She was re-centering Esme's vases on the console at the moment. I could see from the way her face fluctuated – aware, then blank, then aware again – that she was searching the future. I assumed she was trying to see through the blind spots that Jacob and Renesmee made in her visions as to what was waiting for us in South America until Jasper said, â€Å"Let it go, Alice; she's not our concern,† and a cloud of serenity stole silently and invisibly through the room. Alice must have been worrying about Irina again. She stuck her tongue out at Jasper and then lifted one crystal vase that was filled with white and red roses and turned toward the kitchen. There was just the barest hint of wilt to one of the white flowers, but Alice seemed intent on utter perfection as a distraction to her lack of vision tonight. Staring at Renesmee again, I didn't see it when the vase slipped from Alice's fingers. I only heard the whoosh of the air whistling past the crystal, and my eyes flickered up in time to see the vase shatter into ten thousand diamond shards against the edge of the kitchen's marble floor. We were perfectly still as the fragmented crystal bounced and skittered in every direction with an unmusical tinkling, all eyes on Alice's back. My first illogical thought was that Alice was playing some joke on us. Because there was no way that Alice could have dropped the vase by accident I could have darted across the room to catch the vase in plenty of time myself, if I hadn't assumed she would get it. And how would it fall through her fingers in the first place? Her perfectly sure fingers†¦ I had never seen a vampire drop anything by accident. Ever. And then Alice was facing us, twisting in a move so fast it didn't exist. Her eyes were halfway here and halfway locked on the future, wide, staring, filling her thin face till they seemed to overflow it. Looking into her eyes was like looking out of a grave from the inside; I was buried in the terror and despair and agony of her gaze. I heard Edward gasp; it was a broken, half-choked sound. â€Å"What?†Jasper growled, leaping to her side in a blurred rush of movement, crushing the broken crystal under his feet. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her sharply. She seemed to rattle silently in his hands. â€Å"What Alice?† Emmett moved into my peripheral vision, his teeth bared while his eyes darted toward the window, anticipating an attack. There was only silence from Esme, Carlisle, and Rose, who were frozen just as I was. Jasper shook Alice again. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"They're coming for us,† Alice and Edward whispered together, perfectly synchronized. â€Å"All of them.† Silence. For once, I was the quickest to understand – because something in their words triggered my own vision. It was only the distant memory of a dream – faint, transparent, indistinct as if I were peering through thick gauze†¦. In my head, I saw a line of black advancing on me, the ghost of my half-forgotten human nightmare. I could not see the glint of their ruby eyes in the shrouded image, or the shine of their sharp wet teeth, but I knew where the gleam should be†¦. Stronger than the memory of the sight came the memory of the feel – the wrenching need to protect the precious thing behind me. I wanted to snatch Renesmee up into my arms, to hide her behind my skin and hair, to make her invisible. But I couldn't even turn to look at her. I felt not like stone but ice. For the first time since I'd been reborn a vampire, I felt cold. I barely heard the confirmation of my fears. I didn't need it. I already knew. â€Å"The Volturi,† Alice moaned. â€Å"All of them,† Edward groaned at the same time. â€Å"Why?† Alice whispered to herself. â€Å"How?† â€Å"When?† Edward whispered. â€Å"Why?† Esme echoed. â€Å"When?†Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice. Alice's eyes didn't blink, but it was as if a veil covered them; they became perfectly blank. Only her mouth held on to her expression of horror. â€Å"Not long,† she and Edward said together. Then she spoke alone. â€Å"There's snow on the forest, snow on the town. Little more than a month.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle was the one to ask this time. Esme answered. â€Å"They must have a reason. Maybe to see †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This isn't about Bella,† Alice said hollowly. â€Å"They're all coming – Aro, Caius, Marcus, every member of the guard, even the wives.† â€Å"The wives never leave the tower,† Jasper contradicted her in a flat voice. â€Å"Never. Not during the southern rebellion. Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them. Not even when they were hunting the immortal children. Never.† â€Å"They're coming now,† Edward whispered. â€Å"But why?† Carlisle said again. â€Å"We've done nothing! And if we had, what could we possibly do that would bring f/?/sdown on us?† â€Å"There are so many of us,† Edward answered dully. â€Å"They must want to make sure that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish. â€Å"That doesn't answer the crucial question! Why?† I felt I knew the answer to Carlisle's question, and yet at the same time I didn't. Renesmee was the reason why, I was sure. Somehow I'd known from the very beginning that they would come for her. My subconscious had warned me before I'd known I was carrying her. It felt oddly expected now. As if I'd somehow always known that the Volturi would come to take my happiness from me. But that still didn't answer the question. â€Å"Go back, Alice,† Jasper pleaded. â€Å"Look for the trigger. Search.† Alice shook her head slowly, her shoulders sagging. â€Å"It came out of nowhere, Jazz. I wasn't looking for them, or even for us. I was just looking for Irina. She wasn't where I expected her to be†¦.† Alice trailed off, her eyes drifting again. She stared at nothing for a long second. And then her head jerked up, her eyes hard as flint. I heard Edward catch his breath. â€Å"She decided to go to them,† Alice said. â€Å"Irina decided to go to the Volturi. And then they will decide†¦. It's as if they're waiting for her. Like their decision was already made, and just waiting on her___† It was silent again as we digested this. What would Irina tell the Volturi that would result in Alice's appalling vision? â€Å"Can we stop her?† Jasper asked. â€Å"There's no way. She's almost there.† â€Å"What is she doing?† Carlisle was asking, but I wasn't paying attention to the discussion now. All my focus was on the picture that was painstakingly coming together in my head. I pictured Irina poised on the cliff, watching. What had she seen? A vampire and a werewolf who were best friends. I'd been focused on that image, one that would obviously explain her reaction. But that was not all that she'd seen. She'd also seen a child. An exquisitely beautiful child, showing off in the falling snow, clearly more than human†¦ Irina†¦ the orphaned sisters†¦ Carlisle had said that losing their mother to the Volturi's justice had made Tanya, Kate, and Irina purists when it came to the law. Just half a minute ago, Jasper had said the words himself: Not even when they were hunting the immortal children†¦. The immortal children – the unmentionable bane, the appalling taboo†¦ With Irina's past, how could she apply any other reading to what she'd seen that day in the narrow field? She had not been close enough to hear Renesmee's heart, to feel the heat radiating from her body. Renesmee's rosy cheeks could have been a trick on our part for all she knew. After all, the Cullens were in league with werewolves. From Irina's point of view, maybe this meant nothing was beyond us†¦. Irina, wringing her hands in the snowy wilderness – not mourning Laurent, after all, but knowing it was her duty to turn the Cullens in, knowing what would happen to them if she did. Apparently her conscience had won out over the centuries of friendship. And the Volturi's response to this kind of infraction was so automatic, it was already decided. I turned and draped myself over Renesmee's sleeping body, covering her with my hair, burying my face in her curls. â€Å"Think of what she saw that afternoon,† I said in a low voice, interrupting whatever Emmett was beginning to say. â€Å"To someone who'd lost a mother because of the immortal children, what would Renesmee look like?† Everything was silent again as the others caught up to where I was already. â€Å"An immortal child,† Carlisle whispered. I felt Edward kneel beside me, wrap his arms over us both. â€Å"But she's wrong,† I went on. â€Å"Renesmee isn't like those other children. They were frozen, but she grows so much every day. They were out of control, but she never hurts Charlie or Sue or even shows them things that would upset them. She can control herself. She's already smarter than most adults. There would be no reason___† I babbled on, waiting for someone to exhale with relief, waiting for the icy tension in the room to relax as they realized I was right. The room just seemed to get colder. Eventually my small voice trailed off into silence. No one spoke for a long time. Then Edward whispered into my hair. â€Å"It's not the kind of crime they hold a trial for, love,† he said quietly. â€Å"Aro's seen Irina's proof in her thoughts. They come to destroy, not to be reasoned with.† â€Å"But they're wrong,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"They won't wait for us to show them that.† His voice was still quiet, gentle, velvet†¦ and yet the pain and desolation in the sound was unavoidable. His voice was like Alice's eyes before – like the inside of a tomb. â€Å"What can we do?† I demanded. Renesmee was so warm and perfect in my arms, dreaming peacefully. I'd worried so much about Renesmee's speeding age – worried that she would only have little over a decade of life†¦. That terror seemed ironic now. Little over a month†¦ Was this the limit, then? I'd had more happiness than most people ever experienced. Was there some natural law that demanded equal shares of happiness and misery in the world? Was my joy overthrowing the balance? Was four months all I could have? It was Emmett who answered my rhetorical question. â€Å"We fight,† he said calmly. â€Å"We can't win,† Jasper growled. I could imagine how his face would look, how his body would curve protectively over Alice's. â€Å"Well, we can't run. Not with Demetri around.† Emmett made a disgusted noise, and I knew instinctively that he was not upset by the idea of the Volturi's tracker but by the idea of running away. â€Å"And I don't know that we can't win,† he said. â€Å"There are a few options to consider. We don't have to fight alone.† My head snapped up at that. â€Å"We don't have to sentence the Quileutes to death, either, Emmett!† â€Å"Chill, Bella.† His expression was no different from when he was contemplating fighting anacondas. Even the threat of annihilation couldn't change Emmett's perspective, his ability to thrill to a challenge. â€Å"I didn't mean the pack. Be realistic, though – do you think Jacob or Sam is going to ignore an invasion? Even if it wasn't about Nessie? Not to mention that, thanks to Irina, Aro knows about our alliance with the pack now, too. But I was thinking of our other friends.† Carlisle echoed me in a whisper. â€Å"Other friends we don't have to sentence to death.† â€Å"Hey, we'll let them decide,† Emmett said in a placating tone. â€Å"I'm not saying they have to fight with us.† I could see the plan refining itself in his head as he spoke. â€Å"If they'd just stand beside us, just long enough to make the Volturi hesitate. Bella's right, after all. If we could force them to stop and listen. Though that might take away any reason for a fight___† There was a hint of a smile on Emmett's face now. I was surprised no one had hit him yet. I wanted to. â€Å"Yes,† Esme said eagerly. â€Å"That makes sense, Emmett. All we need is for the Volturi to pause for one moment. Just long enough to listen* â€Å"We'd need quite a show of witnesses,† Rosalie said harshly, her voice brittle as glass. Esme nodded in agreement, as if she hadn't heard the sarcasm in Rosalie's tone. â€Å"We can ask that much of our friends. Just to witness.† â€Å"We'd do it for them,† Emmett said. â€Å"We'll have to ask them just right,† Alice murmured. I looked to see her eyes were a dark void again. â€Å"They'll have to be shown very carefully.† â€Å"Shown?†Jasper asked. Alice and Edward both looked down at Renesmee. Then Alice's eyes glazed over. â€Å"Tanya's family,† she said. â€Å"Siobhan's coven. Amun's. Some of the nomads – Garrett and Mary for certain. Maybe Alistair.† â€Å"What about Peter and Charlotte?† Jasper asked half fearfully, as if he hoped the answer was no, and his old brother could be spared from the coming carnage. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"The Amazons?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna?† Alice seemed too deep into her vision to answer at first; finally she shuddered, and her eyes flickered back to the present. She met Carlisle's gaze for the tiniest part of a second, and then looked down. â€Å"I can't see.† â€Å"What was that?† Edward asked, his whisper a demand. â€Å"That part in the jungle. Are we going to look for them?† â€Å"I can't see,† Alice repeated, not meeting his eyes. A flash of confusion crossed Edward's face. â€Å"We'll have to split up and hurry – before the snow sticks to the ground. We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them.† She zoned again. â€Å"Ask Eleazar. There is more to this than just an immortal child.† The silence was ominous for another long moment while Alice was in her trance. She blinked slowly when it was over, her eyes peculiarly opaque despite the fact that she was clearly in the present. â€Å"There is so much. We have to hurry,† she whispered. â€Å"Alice?† Edward asked. â€Å"That was too fast – I didn't understand. What was – ?† â€Å"I can't see!† she exploded back at him. â€Å"Jacob's almost here!† Rosalie took a step toward the front door. â€Å"I'll deal with – â€Å" â€Å"No, let him come,† Alice said quickly, her voice straining higher with each word. She grabbed Jasper's hand and began pulling him toward the back door. â€Å"I'll see better away from Nessie, too. I need to go. I need to really concentrate. I need to see everything I can. I have to go. Come on, Jasper, there's no time to waste!† We all could hear Jacob on the stairs. Alice yanked, impatient, on Jasper's hand. He followed quickly, confusion in his eyes just like Edward's. They darted out the door into the silver night. â€Å"Hurry!† she called back to us. â€Å"You have to find them all!† â€Å"Find what?† Jacob asked, shutting the front door behind himself. â€Å"Where'd Alice go?† No one answered; we all just stared. Jacob shook the wet from his hair and pulled his arms through the sleeves of his t-shirt, his eyes on Renesmee. â€Å"Hey, Bells! I thought you guys would've gone home by now___† He looked up to me finally, blinked, and then stared. I watched his expression as the room's atmosphere finally touched him. He glanced down, eyes wide, at the wet spot on the floor, the scattered roses, the fragments of crystal. His fingers quivered. â€Å"What?† he asked flatly. â€Å"What happened?† I couldn't think where to begin. No one else found the words, either. Jacob crossed the room in three long strides and dropped to his knees beside Renesmee and me. I could feel the heat shaking off his body as tremors rolled down his arms to his shaking hands. â€Å"Is she okay?† he demanded, touching her forehead, tilting his head as he listened to her heart. â€Å"Don't mess with me, Bella, please!† â€Å"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee,† I choked out, the words breaking in strange places. â€Å"Then who?† â€Å"All of us, Jacob,† I whispered. And it was there in my voice, too – the sound of the inside of a grave. â€Å"It's over. We've all been sentenced to die.†

Nike †Social and Ethical Issues Essay

Nike has become one of those global companies targeted by a broad range of campaigning pressure groups and journalists as a symbolic representation of the business in society. In Nike’s case, the issues are those of human rights and conditions for workers in factories in developing countries. In the face of constant accusations, Nike has developed a considered response but the criticism of Nike still continues. Nike produces footwear, clothing, equipment and accessory products for the sports and athletic market. It is the largest seller of such garments in the world. It sells to approximately 19,000 retail accounts in the US, and then in approximately 140 countries around the world. Just about all of its products are manufactured by independent contractors with footwear products in particular being manufactured in developing countries. The company manufactures in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Mexico as well as in the US and in Italy. The Global Alliance report on the factories in Indonesia gave the following workforce profile: 58% of them are young adults between 20 and 24 years old, and 83% are women. Few have work-related skills when they arrive at the factory. Nike has around 700 contract factories, within which around 20% of the workers are creating Nike products. Conditions for these workers have been a source of heated debate, with allegations made by campaigns of poor conditions, with harassment and abuse. Nike has sought to respond to these allegations by putting into place a code of conduct for all of its suppliers, and working with the Global Alliance to review around 21 of these factories, and to pick up and respond to issues. The main concerns expressed by workers relate to their physical working environment. A further report has been produced relating to a site in Mexico, which has experienced serious problems leading to labour disputes. In both cases, Nike responded to the audit reports with a detailed remediation plan. Naomi Klein, in her widely read book â€Å"No Logo† deals quite extensively with Nike, accusing them of abandoning countries as they developed better pay and employment rights in favour of countries like China, where these are less of a cost. She points to a photo published in 1996 showing children in Pakistan stitching Nike footballs as an example of the use of child labour. Other critics have suggested that Nike should publicise all of its factories, and allow independent inspection to verify conditions there. Any auditing carried out by Nike should be made public. Nike accuses Naomi Klein of peddling inaccurate and old information. They point out that they have not abandoned countries as she claims, and remain in Taiwan and Korea despite the higher wages and labour rights. They admit that the 1996 photo documented what they describe as a â€Å"large mistake† when they began to order soccer balls for the first time from a supplier in Pakistan. They now operate stitching centres where the non-use of child labour can be verified. The Global Alliance was quite complimentary. It said â€Å"Upon due consideration, members of the Operating Council unanimously expressed their judgement that upon learning of the alleged violations surfaced through the Global Alliance assessment process, that Nike had acted in good faith, and developed a serious and reasonable remediation plan.† Bibliography The Economist (1999), US Edition, Sweatshop wars, 14th February, pp. 62Wheelen, T. L. & Hunger, J. D., (1995), Strategic Management & Business Policy, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. Zaino, J., (2001), Companies Give Back to Their Communities, Information Week, 12th March, pp. 163.

Spiritual Gambler essays

Spiritual Gambler essays In 1888 T.S. Eliot said, "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go". Only a few people have found out how far one can go. In William Shakespeares, Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence proves he is a risk taker finding out how far he can go. He proves this to the world by marrying Romeo and Juliet, providing Juliet an escape from her second wedding, and his plan to unite the two lovers. It is because of these gambles that make his role the most significant throughout the play. Friar Lawrence's risk taking began when he secretly wed Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo first showed up at Friar Lawrence's door, the Friar knew nothing about Romeo's new love, Juliet. In fact he provides Romeo with some wisdom noting, "Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear,/So soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies/Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes"(2.3.67-69). When Romeo told him he had channeled his love toward 13 year old Juliet that he had meet the night before instead of the former apple of his eye, Rosaline, he thought Romeos actions were made to hastily. Naturally, after Romeo asked Friar Lawrence to wed him and Juliet, the Friar thought Romeo was moving mush too quickly. The Friar agrees to marry the two lovers when he finds out that Juliet is from the Capulet family. He is fully aware of the feuding between Romeo's family, the Montagues, and the Capulets. He is willing to gamble that if he marries them, the feuding may stop. He tells*** Romeo about his id ea to stop the feuding, saying, "For this alliance may so happy prove/To turn your households' rancor to pure love"(2.3.94-95). This is one time where Friar Lawrence demonstrates his selfless motivations by marrying Juliet and her Romeo without consent of the parents. Marriage without the approval of the parents was usually not allowed at this period of time. Along with his gamble for peace, Friar Lawrence puts himself ...

Most Liberal U.S.Supreme Court Justices in History

Most Liberal U.S.Supreme Court Justices in History Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has long been a thorn in the side of American conservatives. Shes been pilloried in the right-wing press by a range of so-called political experts, including college drop-out and shock jock Lars Larson, who publicly declared that Justice Ginsburg is anti-American. Her stinging dissent in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, which recently granted corporations certain exceptions to the Affordable Care Act with regard to birth control coverage, has once again loosed the gates of extreme conservative rhetoric. One columnist in The Washington Times even crowned her liberal bully of the week  even though hers was the dissenting, not majority, opinion. These critics act as if a liberal judge on the Supreme Court is a brand new development, but its the work of previous liberal judges that protects their right to come pretty close to slandering Justice Ginsburg in their published work. The Most Liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justices Also unfortunate for her critics is the fact that its unlikely that Justice Ginsburg will go down in history as the most liberal justice. Just take a look at her competition. While they sometimes sided with their conservative colleagues (often in tragic ways, such as in Korematsu v. United States, which upheld the constitutionality of the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II), these justices are generally considered to be among the most liberal of all time: Louis Brandeis (term: 1916-1939) was the first Jewish member of the Supreme Court and brought a sociological view to his interpretation of law. He is justly famous for establishing the precedent that the right to privacy is, in his words, the right to be let alone (something right-wing extremists, libertarians, and anti-government activists seem to think they invented).William J. Brennan (1956-1990) helped expand civil rights and liberties for all Americans. He supported abortion rights, opposed the death penalty, and provided new protections for freedom of the press. For example, in New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), Brennan established the actual malice standard, in which news outlets were protected from charges of libel as long as what they wrote was not deliberately false.William O. Douglas (1939-1975) was the longest-serving justice on the Court, and was described by Time Magazine as the most doctrinaire and committed civil libertarian ever to sit on the court. He fought against any regulation of speech and famously faced impeachment after he issued a stay of execution for convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. He is probably most well-known for arguing that citizens are guaranteed a right to privacy due to the penumbras (shadows) cast by the Bill of Rights in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which established the right of citizens to have access to birth control information and devices. John Marshall Harlan (1877-1911) was the first to argue that the Fourteenth Amendment incorporated the Bill of Rights. However, hes more famous for earning the nickname The Great Dissenter because he went against his colleagues in significant civil rights cases. In his dissent from Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the decision that opened the door to legal segregation, he affirmed some basic liberal principles: In view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens...Our constitution is color-blind...In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.Thurgood Marshall (1967-1991) was the first African-American justice and is often cited as having the most liberal voting record of all. As an attorney for the NAACP, he famously won Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which outlawed school segregation. It should not be surprising, then, that when he became a Supreme Court justice he continued to argue on beha lf of individual rights, most notably as a strong opponent of the death penalty. Frank Murphy (1940-1949) fought against discrimination in many forms. He was the first justice to include the word racism in an opinion, in his vehement dissent in Korematsu v. United States (1944). In Falbo v. United States (1944), he wrote, The law knows no finer hour than when it cuts through formal concepts and transitory emotions to protect unpopular citizens against discrimination and persecution.Earl Warren (1953-1969) is one of the most influential Chief Justices of all time. He forcefully pushed for the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision and presided over decisions that further expanded civil rights and liberties, including those that mandated publicly-funded representation for indigent defendants in Gideon v. Wainright (1963), and required police to inform criminal suspects of their rights, in Miranda v. Arizona (1966). Certainly other justices, including Hugo Black, Abe Fortas, Arthur J. Goldberg, and Wiley Blount Rutledge, Jr. made decisions that protected individual rights and created greater equality in the United States, but the judges listed above demonstrate that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is just the most recent participant in the strong liberal tradition of the Supreme Court and you cant accuse someone of radicalism if theyre part of a long-standing tradition.

Euthanasia and Whether it is Morally Justified and Hence Ethically Essay

Euthanasia and Whether it is Morally Justified and Hence Ethically Acceptable - Essay Example There is need for the act of assisted suicide to be morally justifiable to make it ethical. However, the major question is to whom the act is meant to justify morality to. Every case that requires euthanasia should be considered differently with its own tenets. The use of euthanasia is morally justifiable and is therefore ethically acceptable since the use requires the opinion of medical practitioners. If their expert opinion is considered after the condition of the individual is thoroughly analyzed to make sure that all actions to alleviate their pain has been taken and no other options are available, then it is crucial for euthanasia to be applied for the good of the individual as well as that of the people closest to him/her. Many people may argue that there is a higher power that guides human life and that only that power and that power alone is responsible for giving and ending human life. I differ with this position vehemently and I strongly believe in the power of the human be ing to derive his/her own destiny. The advances in technology have given people the power to claim expertise in a certain profession. This is no different for the medical practice. This means that they opinion of these experts should be regarded in light of the advances in technology. ... The theory further suggests that in order for an end to be arrived at, a principle or maxim which is supreme and devoid of human influence is followed. This is the sole scale on which the moral worth of any action is weighed. The theory believes that all human beings were created supreme and as such have it in them an inherent capability to decide what is either good or bad. The father of this theory, Immanuel Kant, strongly believed that a categorical imperative is what is responsible for the actions that human beings choose to follow. The fact that the maxims contained in this theory are universal and as thus are right. The simplicity of this theory is that if for example a maxim stated that killing people who you dislike holds true, then the human race would not exist as ultimately, we will be forced to end the lives of all who we dislike and consequently, those who do not like us will kills us. On that example alone, the Kantian theory tends to suggest that it is impossible for a maxim to be untrue or wrong as it is not ultimately decided by the human being himself but rather on a power that is beyond the human being himself. The theory however only holds true where the human being applying the maxim believes in it and follows it to the latter. The Kantian theory is flawed in some aspects. First, when a person conceives the maxim to hold true but it is no longer a means to an end, then the result may not be what is desired by the theory. The above consequence of the Kantian theory is interpreted as a perfect duty as the maxim has been upheld. In the case of the use of euthanasia, then the end of human life may not follow the maxim since its following will not be the best option for the afflicted

Analyzing the Poem The White Mans burden by Rudyard Kipling Essay

Analyzing the Poem The White Mans burden by Rudyard Kipling - Essay Example The poem was published in 1899, a period wherein racial discrimination is still the norm in America. Although slavery was finally abolished and outlawed in 1865, people of color were still treated as inferior. The audience of the poem, hence, was still characterized by prejudicial outlook, seeing imperialism as a favor and even a burden for America as the best of the white men will be sent on a mission to civilize the colored colonials. This theme is underscored by several concepts, which can be classified into three: captives, wild, serf, sweeper; burden, terror, pride, profit, gain; laurel, manhood, praise, wisdom. The first set of keywords described the colonials, the next described the process of imperialism and, finally, the last set highlighted the rewards. It is clear that the poem encourages imperialism. Kipling appeared to campaign for this move not only because it is a noble thing to civilize others. Also, he seemed to consider imperialism as a precondition for the United S tates to be finally recognized by its peers, which of course are the European colonials. There is an implied proposition that in order for America to be finally considered as a world power – within the league of the European club – it must be able to govern its own colony. There are scholars who believe that this poem by Kipling is a satire. But this interpretation is quite far-fetched. The tone, the diction and the themes involved are on the serious side and no attempt at humor is apparent. The thesis is clear: America must take the burden and colonize a backward nation. His poem provided the arguments for these. First, there is the suggestion that imperialism is a task that must be accomplished because it is noble. The colonization will benefit the colony. America and its best would strive to make the client state and its people ready and worthy member of the community of nations. Secondly, Kipling argued that imperialism is a selfless act, hence, noble, as America

Free cash flow Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Free cash flow - Research Paper Example It is therefore the cash flow that remains after the firm makes investment in property, plant and equipments. Often, financial analysts consider free cash flow to be more efficient in measuring the strength of a business than the cash flow from operating activities. To remain competitive large companies and other forms of businesses will need to invest in new equipments in order to maintain its competitive nature. These investments affect the level of free cash flow that the business is able to maintain (Yuangchih, 412). â€Å"This study investigates the ability of Free Cash Flow to predict performance in capital intensive and non-capital intensive industries†. (Nunez, 120). Nunez argues that, â€Å"many financial scholars and researchers have focused on studying the effectiveness of operating cash flow as a measure of a firm’s performance although other researchers have proved that free cash flow is a better measure since it greatly considers capital intensity†. â€Å"Free cash flow as a measure of a firm’s performance is not easy to manipulate compared to the other measures such as earnings, Nunez states. He further states that, â€Å"there are various methods used by different firms in determining their actual free cash flow but there is however no specific guidance given regarding the calculation and this is because its disclosure is not a requirement by the US GAAPs†. â€Å"The few firms that report their free cash flow therefore use the operations based met hod while others use the income based method† (Nunez, 121). Nunez stresses that, â€Å"Firms that base their calculation on operations use a capital maintenance perspective whereby free cash flow is calculated as cash flow from operating activities less capital that are necessary to maintain the firm at a productive capacity and this observes the guidance provided in the International Accounting Standards Board (IAS 7)†. â€Å"The operations based method also uses a perspective

Søren Kierkegaard Essay Example for Free

Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard Essay The term existentialism has been applied to the human subject in all aspects of the individual. Through the ideas of existentialism, philosophers have looked at the existence of the human being. An existential attitude of the world is one of confusion and belief in a meaningless world. The beliefs of existentialism came about as a complete change from the beliefs of periods like the Romantic period. This philosophical view of life came about in the 19th century. These ideas could better be explained by incidents like WWII, and how if there was a god, he would not have let such destruction happen. This view on life led to the pondering on weather or not our lives had any meaning or order to them or if they were completely random and out of our control. This time brought about many different existentialist philosophers, all having very different opinions and views of the world and its meaning. (Crowell, Steven) Soren Kierkegaard was known as the â€Å"father of existentialism† with his new views of life beginning in the 19th century. The basis and the beginning of most of Kierkegaard’s work came from his views on the Danish Church. He is popularly known for his term the â€Å"leap of faith†. He referred to this term both in a person’s belief in God and in love. This is because as he would say neither of these are things we can prove or know for sure, but only something we have to have faith in, something that can be doubted. Kierkegaard also found an importance on self-introspection and the individuals’ subjective relation to a certain subject. (McDonald, William) For example, groups who believe the same basic think all look at it with there own relativity. Most of Kierkegaard’s beliefs and philosophies have to do with moral and religious issues. These issues are the basis for a new way of thinking and looking at life that would later become known as existentialism. Another early philosopher in the 19th century with many existential elements in his thinking was Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche had views that were existential, yet they differed very much from that of Kierkegaard. He questioned Christianity and many other religions that tried to give people morality in there life. (Wicks, Robert ) Nietzsche also had ideas on the value of life and the purpose of life that formed from his belief on morality and God. Most of his ideas did not become very popular and well known until after his lifetime. A decade after WWII many of his philosophical works were revived after much translation. Nietzsche views of morality were Homeric and he saw morality more as wealth, strength, health, and power and not things like charity and pity. The statement that â€Å"God is dead† is something that was used by Nietzsche in his writing. Like much philosophy, some interpretation is done in understanding what it is they mean. Some saw Nietzsche as an atheist as he thought God no longer existed. This belief leads to a feeling that nothing matters in our life and leads to a loss on any perspective on any thing. These views on life from Nietzsche may have led to his symptoms of insanity in 1879. (Wicks, Robert) Jean-Paul Sartre is one of the most well known existentialists of the 20th century. He was a novelist, philosopher, and existentialist. Sartre became interested with the ideas of philosophy early on in his life. (Flynn, Thomas) After being involved with WWII there is a shift in his views on things and he spent most of his life thinking about his existentialist ideas about free will and communism. Sartre spent much time with the idea of consciousness and the idea that reflective consciousness or the idea of self-knowledge is something that always fails. He also said how man tries to make sense of the world it lives in is its only way of proving its own existence. (Flynn, Thomas) Sartre also gives a completely new spin on the idea of free will. The idea that if there were a creator that there would be a plan for it. However, because of this free will people believe in there must be no such creator that has a plan for us. Through this, we can see that atheism was fundamental to the style of Sartre’s existentialism beliefs. Throughout history, there have been many different beliefs on the world, life, politics, and religion. In most cases there is no real say that one is better than another when it comes down to strictly opinionated views. In the case of existentialism it can be seen just through the three philosophers; Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre we can see how one philosophical idea can be approached and looked at in so many different ways. The ideas and theories that make up both philosophy and religion are so diverse and will vary between each individual person. There is no wrong answer in the work of these philosophers, or that of any other philosophers, all make valid points and allow future generations to see there work and make them think. Every human is entitled to there own belief about the purpose of life and there existential views are only important to them. It is our beliefs on life that portray how we go about living our lives and what we live for. Wok Cited Crowell, Steven. Existentialsim. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2004. 11 Mar 2009 . Existentialism. Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation Inc.. 11 Mar 2009 . Flynn, Thomas. Jean-Paul Sartre. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2004. 11 Mar 2009 . McDonald, William. Soren Kierkegaard . Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 1996. 11 Mar 2009 . Wicks, Robert. Friedrich Nietzsche. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 1997. 11 Mar 2009 .

The Struggle for Self-Definition in Boys and Girls by Alice Munro Essay

The Struggle for Self-Definition in Boys and Girls  Ã‚   When we are adolescents we see the world through our parents' eyes.   We struggle to define ourselves within their world, or to even break away from their world.   Often, the birth of our "self" is defined in a moment of truth or a moment of heightened self-awareness that is the culmination of a group of events or the result of a life crisis or struggle.   In literature we refer to this birth of "self" as an epiphany.   Alice Munro writes in "Boys and Girls" about her own battle to define herself.   She is torn between the "inside" world of her mother and the "outside" world of her father.   In the beginning her father's world prevails, but by the finale, her mother's world invades her heart. Although the transformation is not complete, she begins to understand and define her "self-hood." Alice Munro's "Boys and Girls" immerses us into the rural country-side of Jubilee, Ontario, Canada, and into the life of an eleven year-old tom-boy.   The story unfolds how she struggles to become herself while growing up on her parents' farm.   Her father raises silver foxes for the family's meager source of income as her mother cares for their home.   Let us first look at the world she is enthralled with at the start of her narrative. Initially, Father is her world.   As she helps him care for the foxes, she does not call him Daddy; she calls him Father.   The name Father commands respect and formality.   Munro writes, ". . . I was shy of him and would never ask him questions.   Nevertheless I worked willing under his eyes, and with a feeling of pride" (112).   Although eager and happy to spend time with her father, Munro reveals here that she does not have a close relationship with her fath... ...earning from her mother, she will define herself as well.   Indeed, it is not easy growing up.   It is painfully hard to defy the person that you most admire, in this case her father.   But at some point in our young lives we must break free from the conformity of our parents' world in order to give birth to our "self."   This is what Alice Munro shows us through "Boys and Girls." Works Cited and Consulted Carscallen, James. The Other Country: Patterns in the Writing of Alice Munro. Toronto: ecw 1993 Heble, Ajay. The Tumble of Reason: Alice Munro's Discourse of Absence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1994 Munro, Alice. "Boys and Girls." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Carl E. Bain, Jerome Beaty and J. Paul Hunter. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 1995. Martin, W.R. Alice Munro: Paradox and Parallel. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press 1987

Psychology of Stress

The road of pain caused by a Stress-related illness 73132:Psychology of Stress Open Polytechnic Wellington Elizabeth Ross Words:2,149 â€Å"The road of pain caused by a stress-related illness†, is the name of this final assignment. A detailed case study and treatment plan for Sera-jean who has a stress-related illness. I will endeavour to propose a treatment plan to help Sera-jean manage hypertension and type 1diabetes. There will be brief outlines of the techniques I have chosen, how it works and what benefits it will be to Sera-jean overall.There will also be two relaxation ideas for Sera-jean to utilise if she so wishes. Sera-jean is aged thirty-four and is married with 3 children. She has quite a bubbly personality, easy going, diligent, hard- working, open, honest, sympathetic listener, knowledge able and a very sincere and caring person. Sera-jean and her husband had just bought a lifestyle property, so Sera-jean applied and was offered the position of lead operator in t he new plant of Individual Quick Frozen cheese department.A great opportunity to be a part of a new concept in a global organisation, Sera-jean gladly signed up and became an important part of a good team, with the aspirations to want to learn and get a good start to a new concept with great opportunities. After two years IQF had lost 30, 000 metric tonne of Pizza Hut and Dominoes orders, the plant was just unable to keep up with the orders. Machinery breakdowns, rejected product, foreign matter in product, packaging faults and with all of these malfunctions from the plant and loosing orders everyone began to wonder what would happen.Sera-jean was already becoming quite worried about what was going to happen with her department. There was no word from the company, the union or management which from all points of view was very upsetting for everyone. She was getting headaches and at times was having dizzy spells. She took two days off to have some tests done and when she returned she told us that she had hypertension and type 1diabetes. Poor Sera-jean she couldn’t understand why she suddenly had these illnesses as she had always been quite fit and healthy.Change as a stressor, when change happens your life feels out of control and it brings with it discomfort. Sudden and prolonged change frightens us you can have trouble adapting your thinking and cause confusion. When changes are imposed without any input into the process, the other aspect of change that can affect your stress level is the significance of the change on the rest of your life. Extensive research suggests that two related psychological factors can mediate an, organisms responses to the stress of change: controllability and predictability (Krantz, 1986).Perceived control is defined as the felt ability to escape avoids and/or modifies threatening stimuli (Averille, 1973). Increased predictability can help minimize the stress of making changes. The fear of the unknown is a potent stressor tha t needs reduction. Another stressor for Sera-jean that may have contributed to the hypertension is sympathomimetic agents which are the chemical substances that mimic the sympathetic stress response. Many foods contain these substances and when they are consumed it can trigger a stress response in the body, so depending on how much was consumed.Xanthincs are powerful amphetamine-like stimulants that increase metabolism which creates a highly awake and active state. They also trigger release of the stress hormones that among other actions are capable of increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen demands on the heart. Extreme, prolonged stress-hormone secretion can even initiate myocardial necrosis – that is, destruction of the heart tissue. (pp. 179 – 181). Constructive coping tactics for Sera-jean to use help manage stress.Appraisal-focused strategies; detecting and disputing negative self-talk, rational thinking, using positive reinterpretation, finding humour in the situation, turning to religion. Problem – focused strategies; active problem solving, seeking social support, enhancing time management, improving self-control, becoming more assertive. Emotion – focused strategies; releasing pent-up emotions, distracting one, managing hostile feelings and forgiving others, exercising, mediating, using systematic relaxation procedures. (pp. 114 – 131).To relax is the very foundation of any program to overcome anxiety, phobias, or panic attacks. Many other skills such as desensitization, visualization, and changing negative self-talk, build on the capacity to achieve deep relaxation. The type of relaxation that really makes a difference in dealing with anxiety is the regular, daily practice of some form of deep relaxation. Deep relaxation refers to a distinct physiological state that is the exact opposite of the way your body reacts under stress or during a panic attack.This state was originally described by Herbert Benson (pp. 81 – 103. 1975) as the relaxation response. This involves a series of physiological changes, including decreases in heart and respiration rate, blood pressure, skeletal muscle tension, metabolic rate and oxygen consumption, analytical thinking, and an increase in skin resistance and in alpha wave activity in the brain. Regular practice of deep relaxation for twenty to thirty minutes on a daily basis can produce, over time, a generalization of relaxation to the rest of your life.So after several weeks of practicing deep relaxation once per day, Teri-jean will tend to feel more relaxed all the time. There are many benefits of deep relaxation that have been documented such as the following; reduction of generalized anxiety. Many people have found that regular practice also reduces the frequency and severity of panic attacks; to prevent stress from growing in strength. Stress that is unabated may tend to build up overtime. Entering into a state of physiological quiescence o nce a day gives your body the opportunity to recover from the effects of stress.Even sleep can fail to break the cumulative stress cycle unless you give yourself permission to deeply relax while awake; increased energy level and productivity; improved concentration and memory; regular practice of deep relaxation tends to increase your ability to focus and keeps your mind from racing; reduction of insomnia and fatigue; learning to relax leads to sleep that is deeper and sounder; prevention or reduction of psychosomatic disorders, such as hypertension, migraines, headaches, asthma and ulcers; increased self-confidence and reduced self-blame.You can perform better as well as feel better when you are relaxed; increased availability of feelings. Muscle tension is one of the chief impediments to an awareness of your feelings. To achieve a state of deep relaxation, using some of the common methods such as; abdominal breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, passive muscle relaxation, visua lizing a peaceful scene, guided imagery, meditation, biofeedback, sensory deprivation, yoga and calming music. (pp. 86 – 90) Guidelines for practising progressive muscle relaxation (or any orm of deep relaxation) so the following information will definitely help Sera-jean make use of progressive muscle relaxation that is undertaken to practice regularly, including self-hypnosis, guided visualization and meditation. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercises, stretching and toning exercises would encourage your mind and body to be more active on a daily basis. Planning a set programme of relaxation methods, breathing exercises, meditation and counselling these are all shown in this assignment as a great way to help with any and all illnesses that you are experiencing.Stress is a normal part of life, but too much stress can lead to emotional and psychological and even physical problems – including heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pains or irregular heartbeats. Reducing stress can help lower high blood pressure. If stress itself is a risk factor for heart disease, chronic stress exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Stress changes the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.Being exposed to long periods of stress is where your body can give warning signs if there is something wrong. These physical cognitive emotional and behavioural signs of stress should not be ignored. Slowing down, if you continue to be stressed and if your body doesn’t rest you will definitely develop health problems. Physical signs; dizziness, general aches and pains, grinding teeth, headaches, indigestion, muscle tensions, racing heart, sweaty palms, tiredness, upset tummy. All mental signs; suffering from constant worry, forgetfulness and the inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humour.Emotional signs; anger, anxiety, crying depression, feeli ng powerless, frequent mood swings, irritability, loneliness, nervousness, sadness. The behavioural signs; there is bossiness, along with compulsive eating you display explosive actions, and at times you show a critical attitude towards life.. How to cope with stress, eat and drink sensibly, assert your-self and exercise regularly, relax every day, take responsibility and set realistic goals and maintain positive thoughts.It takes commitment, learn and practice relaxation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery relaxation, relax to music, biofeedback. It is time to reiterate that stress arousal involves both the mind and body interacting to form a response to an event, the event that might be external to the body or could be a memory or a thought. We will now focus on stress-management techniques that involve the mind and they are autogenic training and visual imagery and this involves the use of mental images to supplement and extend the relaxation response.T he two technics are as follows; challenging limited thinking and cognitive restructuring. There are eight limited thinking patterns; Filtering, you focus on the negative details while ignoring all the positive aspects of a situation; Polarized thinking, things are black or white, good or bad, there’s no middle ground, no room for mistakes; Overgeneralization, you reach a general conclusion based on a single incident or a piece of evidence; Mindreading, without their saying you know what people are feeling and why they act the way they do; Catastrophising, you expect to visualise horrible events.Magnifying; you assume that everything people do or say is some kind of reaction to you. Should; you have a list of ironclad rules about how you and other people should act. (p. 38) Autogenic (self-produced) training and visual imagery this is where you need to take time to practise the techniques of the exercises recommended and along with the exercises that involve you imagining a sp ecial place, like the beach or a mountain meadow. If you are to become proficient at using the techniques, then, to use it in combination with relaxation and breathing exercises would be the most beneficial to you.So when you have followed these 3 steps of muscle relaxation, controlled breathing and special place imagery have a very effective means of managing stress, or helping others manage stress. However, keep in mind that it is essential to set realistic goals; the primary goal of relaxation and imagery training is to learn the technique; the secondary goal is to influence stress-related body states, such as high blood pressure, pain, tension and nausea. It is important that people do not assess themselves as failures if they do not achieve results quickly.Change may be subtle and takes time to master. It might take the form of a better level of relaxation, or a person achieving emotional, intellectual or spiritual balance before noticing any definite physical change. In conclu sion Sera-jean had all the tools to help her understand the illnesses she had and how to best cope with them. She had got a little bounce in her step and was looking quite relaxed at times, which helped her manage her life her way. It has indeed been very informative for Sera-jean, her family and her work colleagues as she has shared her experiences, what she has ained from the treatment plan and counselling sessions as she feels that if she can help one person to be able get through what she has than it has all been worthwhile. References Girdano, D. A. , Dusek, D. E. , and Everly, G. S. , Jr. (2009). Stress in the workplace. In Controlling stress and tension. (8th ed. , pp. 245-267)). San Francisco, CA: Person/Benjamin Cummings. Furnham, A. (2006). Stress at work. In The psychology of behaviour at work (2nd ed. pp. 354-391). Hove, England: Psychology Press. Weiten, W. Dunn, D. S. , & Hammer, E. Y. (2012) Psychology applied to modern lifeAdjustment in the 21st century. (10th ed. , pp. 114-131)Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Lachman, V. D. (1983). How to minimize stress while making changes. In Stress management: A manual for nurses. (p. 172 – 199). New York, NY: Grune & Stratton. Girdano. D. A. Dusek, D. E. , & Everly, G. S. , Jr. (2009). Stress and the human environment interaction. In Controlling stress and tension (8th ed. , pp. 179 – 199). San Francisco.CA: Benjamin Cummings. Bourne, E. J. , (2010) Relaxation In The anxiety and phobia workbook (5th ed. , pp. 81 – 104) Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Davis, M, Eshelman, E. R. , & McKay, M (2008) Exercise. In The relaxation and stress. Reduction workbook. (6th ed. , pp. 331-334) Oakland, CA: New Harbinger. Publications. Davis, M. , Eshelman, E. R. , & McKay, M (2008) Coping skills training for fears. In The relaxation and stress reduction workbook (6th ed. , pp. 187-192) Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications

Darwin and Wallace Island Finch Evolution Lab Experiment

Evolution and Natural Selection have been a recurring focus of biology throughout the years. This Particular experiment is based on Charles Darwin’s observations of finches made in the Galapagos Islands. He noted that different neighboring islands in the Galapagos had distinctly different types of finches. He theorized that this was caused by natural selection, where the environment determined the characteristics of the species in it. In the Evolution Lab Experiment, I looked at how beak size and population numbers for two hypothetical populations of finches on two different islands evolved in response to factors that I manipulated by changing environmental conditions. The specific environmental conditions that I chose to manipulate were the precipitation in the environment and the variance of the finches. However I only manipulated the precipitation and variance on Darwin Island and not on Wallace Island. I thought that if Darwin Island finches had less variance and less precipitation than Wallace Island Finches, that Darwin Island finches would be unable to effectively adapt in order to easily consume the type of seed that was a result of the lesser amount of precipitation. MATERIALS The materials required for me to complete this experiment were my laptop and my University of Phoenix Student Website. Once I accessed the University of Phoenix Student Website, I was able to access the Evolution Lab, which is the final required material. An optional material that I chose to use was a pen and paper to take notes. PROCEDURES In order for me to accurately test my hypothesis, I needed to first get to the Evolution Lab. Once I logged onto my University of Phoenix Student Website, I went to the classroom tab and clicked on Evolution Lab, which is found in week three. Once I pulled up the Evolution Lab window, I chose the button labeled â€Å"Change Inputs†. Once I arrived at the screen with the seven variables on the left and the pictures of the finches on the right, I clicked on the tab labeled â€Å"Variance†. The next step is to change the Darwin Island Finch Variance to 0. 50. I did not change the Wallace Island Finch Variance. After the Variance was set, I clicked on the tab labeled â€Å"Precipitation†. I changed the precipitation on Darwin Island to 10 centimeters and left Wallace Island Precipitation at 20 Centimeters. Since I only changed two variables in an attempt to pinpoint the cause of the results, the next step was to click the tab labeled â€Å"Done†. After I chose whether I wanted to look at the results over 100, 200, or 300 years, I clicked the tab labeled â€Å"Run Experiment†. At this point, I was ready to analyze the results and take notes if I needed to. Lastly, if I needed to extend the time the results were recorded, all I needed to do was click the tab labeled â€Å"Revise Expt. †. Then I clicked the pull down tab and changed the range from 100 to 200 or 300. DATA DISCUSSION As seen in this experiment, when the Variance was lowered along with the Precipitation on Darwin Island, the population was on average, half of that of Wallace Island where the numbers were left in the default status. I made the hypothesis that if I decreased the variance and precipitation on Darwin Island, that the finches there would be less able to adapt their beaks to accommodate the larger size of seeds and would eventually all die off. Since the graphs produced from the Evolution Lab program did not depict the species of finches on Darwin Island falling to zero, my hypothesis did not turn out to be correct. I believe that with the variance lowered to . 5 and not all the way to zero, the finches were still able to evolve, but not as rapidly as the finches on Wallace Island. In addition, since only a small amount of evolution was necessary for the finches on Darwin Island to be able to consume the larger seeds produced from a decreased amount of rain; I believe they could have survived with an even smaller amount of variance. The reason I feel that a smaller amount of variance would have sufficed is that, not only did the finches in my experiment not go extinct, but they only remained below their initial population for the first fifty years after the parameters were put into place. One aspect of the experiment that I feel could be improved upon is the lack of information on how many times a new generation was produced. I was wondering how many times the finches would have to produce offspring in order to observe evolution. I can see that it took the finches on Darwin Island fifty years to regain their initial population of 200, but I would like to know how many times in that fifty years new generations were produced so that I could connect rise in population with a number of generations so that I might be able to predict future evolution. An additional way that the experiment could have been improved would if I had given the Wallace Island finches an increased number of variance and same amount of precipitation. This would have allowed me to not only see what would have happened when the finches had a higher likelihood of evolution to the decreased amount of rain and therefore a solidified cause for the resulting population, but it would have allowed me to analyze the reverse effect and possibly predict trends. CONCLUSION Overall, I tested the effect of lowered variance and lowered precipitation of one population of finches while leaving another population of finches as the control group. I predicted that the finches with the lowered variance and lowered precipitation would become extinct. Even though my hypothesis was rejected at the end of the experiment, I learned that even with an increase in the size of their food as a result of lowered precipitation and a lowered ability to evolve, the finches on Darwin Island rebounded quite quickly.