Project Management & Strategic Planning - Case Study -- [S6] Essay

Project Management & Strategic Planning - Case Study -- [S6] - Essay Example major steps in strategic planning phase went missing; steps such as estimation of resource requirements, risk planning and communication with all stakeholders. Furthermore in monitoring and controlling phase business continuity was not planned hence the WestJet implementation took more time and cost along and resulted in customer dissatisfaction. Estimation of resources such as time, people and money ensures a better execution, through risk planning all the related risk factors to the project are estimated with risk prevention and mitigation plans while communication with all stakeholders including customers ensures business continuation in an effective way and clarifying roles and responsibilities (Charvat, 2002). Effective communication prior to a project initiation determines the information and communication needs of the stakeholders resulting in better understanding of responsibilities and tasks distribution as well as clarifying the expectations from them. It results in formation of a cohesive team resulting in a better performance later on and initiates a change management process within the organization. Increased level of awareness invites ideas from employees and customers and ensures readiness of all involved parties. Some disadvantages to communicating a major project in advance include wasted time of project managers in communicating with stakeholders, revealed plans to competitors most of the time triggering a reaction, increased level of suspicion amongst the employees and confusion within customers. Communicating major projects in advance, the project manager has to emphasize on explaining each stakeholder the specific value addition for them (Green, 2007). With volumes sales go down and decreased revenue is not considered good for even an organization in its transition or up-gradation. Along with the unavailability of seats or canceled flights it was essential that both airlines convey the positive message maintaining the trust of the customer

Respect Toward Your Superiors Essay Example for Free

Respect Toward Your Superiors Essay He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. Proverbs 13:12-14 NIV. There are only forty five instances of the word respect in the NIV bible. I try to live my life as though I were being watched by God Himself, because I believe that I am. I try, and hopefully achieve, to show respect to all people, NCOs and Officers, I even call civilians sir and maam. As a Christian I know that I am an example for God, and the only way some people will ever see God is through me; my actions and words. I know the power that God has in my life and how He would like for me to act by constantly talking to me. Some people call the voice of God their conscience, a feeling or a still, small voice that they should have listened to. My wife is a very spiritual person and hears the voice of God clearly, like a persons voice and not a still, small one. She often acts as my guide in matters that I am facing, and if I dont listen to her advice, it often ends badly. I say that to say that I once had a problem with respect and saw my superiors as only the people that they were and not the rank or position that they held. She warned me to start to treat my superiors with the respect that they get as a certain rank and not normal people; she would not have said if God had not had talked to her because she is a civilian and knows very little about the ways of the military. Respect by definition is the willingness to show consideration or appreciation. In terms of military respect, as in the LDRSHIP acronym, respect is to Treat people as they should be treated. And in the soldiers code, we swear an oath to treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same. With respect being defined so many ways, how is one to tell which to choose from? A seemingly obvious answer is the Armys way. But to those who serve a higher calling it would be Gods way, or even the non-believing military rationalists might word respect different. Though the grasp on the true definition for respect is put so many ways, it is a true attitude a person shows another in respect, regard, or preference to their grade, position, or stature. Though a person leads his/her life showing respect toward others, they may have a hard time getting the respect back from those that he/she has shown, and continues to show, the respect to. Respect should be a two-way street,  in my opinion, to achieve maximum affect for all parties. Show those with the same respect that they show you is a common new military idea, to curse at if you were cursed at, to push if you were pushed. I feel that a person should get what they give; such as, if a person is constantly degrading people and belittling them, then they should not be surprised if they get the same treatment in return. On the same scale, if as a superior, you get upset with a soldier and start to disrespect them out of anger, then you should not expect to get respect in return. But my belief in Christ out rules the ways of normal behavior and thinking, I try to remain respectful even if I am being respected. Many people see it as a weakness, something to be ashamed about as a leader. I feel that it shows self control, a collectiveness that most people will neither possess nor will ever understand. A level-headedness, cool under fire sort of attitude. In this given situation, however, even if a certain person, i.e., NCO, a SSG to be exact, feels that they were disrespected because they were contacted by a certain Sgts spouse, then that SSG should have brought the issue up with that particular person in which contacted him or her. There is such a thing as free speech by the civilian sectors, not necessary in the military itself, but as a civilian they are entitled to the right of free speech. And if an alert roster is given out and the spouse has access to it, anyones individual phone number could be looked up and called. If this basic freedom were denied then we wouldnt enjoy and live in the democracy that we do today. Respect is something that everyone wants, not many have, and few want to give. Most people would appreciate just a little bit, and most should give just that. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, this does not happen. Perhaps this is because the concept of respect is not understood. What exactly is respect? To respect anything is to think it through positively and hold it in some high regard, but estimation gets us into trouble because while we sometimes win, we also sometimes lose. To respect something, on the other hand, is to accept it. The dictionary defines it yet another way as an act of giving particular attention or high or special regard. This does not explain what it is; it only outlines what it may consist of in regards to  personal feelings. The word respect is very a very strong word in itself; it is a word that draws your attention from the start. But there is more to it than just being a word. There is the idea behind it, which is the beginning of many ideas and characteristics of a particular individual, group, or culture and the statement, theories, and sought understandings that forms a political, social, and economic program. By another definition, respect is to consider deserving of high or special regard. Society defines respect as the way one person or group of people treats another person or group of people and also the way they look upon those persons. We in the Army define respect as the common courtesy we give to our peers, subordinates and superiors and the way in which we carry out our orders and our duties on a daily basis within the United States Army. Respect is a common bond in todays Army because all of us are, or should be, well trained soldiers and it is a building block that our training is based upon. Respect is basically how we treat each other, the actions shown toward other people. Respect is the way in which you help others out whenever they need a hand. Respect is also the way you take the time to discipline and train your subordinates. And respect is the way you work harder than anyone and longer hours to do an excellent job for your career and your unit. These are all ways of showing respect- toward each other, our subordinates, our peers, our superiors, our unit and our country. This is the respect that we have been trained to give and which we show on a daily basis. For us serving in the military it also represents the sacrifices that we are giving for our fellow soldiers. The definition itself is all well and good, but what exactly is respect? What does it mean to me, a soldier in todays Army? Respect is something everyone is capable of achieving, but at the same time it is not just a right or privilege. It has to be earned. We as soldiers have been well trained and disciplined at respecting the ranks of superiors. But is respecting their rank or position enough? All soldiers within the Army must earn the respect of their fellow soldiers. To earn the respect of your fellow soldiers you must do many things. For your subordinates, you must be fair and just and take care of all problems that may arise. For your peers, you must be  technically and tactically proficient and set the standard for both of them to follow. And for your superiors, you must accomplish the mission quickly, efficiently and sometimes even in the absence of orders. These are just small examples of the many, many things that can help you earn the respect of your fellow soldiers. The key to remember is that you must do something other than just sit around. You must earn respect and work hard to gain it. Your rank or position deserves the military honors that are presented with it, but no more. The rest is up to us as soldiers and individuals. Through our own actions we can earn the respect of fellow soldiers, and through the actions of our fellow soldiers, they will earn our respect and all that goes with it. In the Army we adhere to a standard called military bearing. Military bearing is a code of conduct in the U.S. Army, and when you come right down to it dignity is maintained in military relationships, reflective of an individuals pride in his military service and of the organization he represents. Military personnel should be courteous and controlled to show dignity as well as respect. Part of possessing dignity is to also have the ability to respect his juniors and seniors, and acknowledge the dignity of others. This sense of pride in military service is shown during work as well as when on liberty, carrying himself at all times with reverence and a proper sense of self-worth. By admiring his seniors, the individual can be guided in presenting good conduct, and can likewise demonstrate his pride and decorum to those who in turn look to him for guidance in presenting military bearing. Dignity and respect can be taught, and examples can be shown, but the willingness to present militar y bearing also comes from within, especially when showing courtesy and respect toward others. To respect others you first have to respect yourself, if you have no self esteem then you will have a hard time respecting yourself. In an Issue of Self-Respect Being a Christian has changed my perspective on the way people perceive themselves. Since becoming a Christian I have had a hard time understanding why or how a girl or guy could belittle herself by so freely giving her body to someone else. Growing up in Indiana, I witnessed this in many different ways. Whether it is a prostitute standing on the corner in  the closest big city, or a good friend that sleeps around, the lack of respect these people have for themselves is very visible, and very sad. I am a very social person, and I would someday like to work as a minister of some sort, which is why I am taking the time now to try to understand the reasoning for their foolish and dangerous choices. Why do teenage boys and girls have such little respect for themselves? I am sure that each of these kids have her own theories and reasons for his or her actions. I believe the most obvious causes are; they were never taught that it was wrong, most guys treat girls with disrespect, and the fact that somebody wants them make them feel loved. Sadly enough, a girl having no respect for herself is not a new thing. Girls just arent taught that it is wrong to abuse their bodies or give away something that is supposed to be so sacred. It seems that some parents these days do not know how to handle their kids and are often too lenient with them. It also seems that role models in todays society advertise sex in subtle, yet noticeable ways. I think the media plays a huge role in the misleading of teenage minds. Entertainment, such as singers and actors are not even chosen based on talent anymore, they are hired based on the right look; it is all about sex appeal. Another obvious cause is, there are so many guys in todays society who were not raised to respect women. They think of women as sex objects, and unimportant people they can control. It is normal to be somewhat dependant on men, but women today seem to become totally reliant on men. In most cases that can be very unhealthy or dangerous. Men know these women need them, so they think they can get away with playing with their heads and their hearts. Women are under the false impression that if a man wants to sleep with her he must love her. When in reality, most men are really out to satisfy themselves. They will tell a girl whatever she wants to hear, until she falls into the trap and gives herself to him. Then he dumps her. You would think the girl would learn after being dumped, but she doesnt, she just looks to be loved by someone else. In most cases it becomes a habit and can be tough to break. Teenage girls in the world today have very little respect for themselves because they really dont know any better. They are just following the pattern that women have been following for generations. In societys eyes as well as their own they are not wrong. My desire for them is that they will be taught that they are very special and they deserve so much more than they think. I  pray everyday that they will realize God loves them more than anyone ever could. They have so much to offer, if they just believe in and respect themselves. There are the beginnings of respect, starting in the classrooms of America. How does respect for your superiors begin? Many people have ideas on how to reclaim the virtue and morality that made America a great nation. However, the only sure way that everyone can achieve this goal is if parents start teaching and demonstrating respect to their kids. The dictionary defines respect as- to have regard for the quality of a person or to refrain from obtruding upon or interfering with. The problem with society today is that there is a complete lack of respect. The lack of respect is evident everywhere, people have no respect for the law, they have no respect for their peers, and they definitely do not have any respect for themselves. What parents need to do is from an early age teach their kids to respect everyone, from the person sitting next to them in school to their coworkers in the future. People do not understand how much better the nation would be if the respect was there. Even if some parents do not teach their kids this valuable trait, if enough people are taught to respect others it will catch on. In most cases, if someone shows respect to someone else, that person is more likely to respect them back; causing a chain reaction. Right now, not enough parents are teaching their kids respect and this causes violence, crimes, and can even lead to drug use. It is easy to see how these problems can be easily solved or would be nonexistent if their was respect. Violence would not be a problem, because no one would fight if they had respect for the other person. The next problem is crime. Nobody is going to steal or vandalize someones property if they respect them. One other problem is drug use, this would not be a problem is people respected themselves enough to not harm their bodies with drugs. They also would not sell drugs because selling something to someone that will harm them is not showing respect to that person. It is extremely easy to sit back and say that parents should teach respect, but it is not as easy to actually teach it. For there is really no way to  teach a child to respect others. Parents can tell their children to respect others all they want, but the only way a child will actually learn respect is from observing their parents as well as others showing respect. This is why teaching respect is so difficult, even if a child sees his parents respecting others it may not be enough, the child must see other people respecting others. They must also feel that other people respect them, because if they do not get respect they will not respect anyone. This is why it is so important for everyone to show respect to everyone else, not only will kids see it, but the more respect that is shown to others the more respect that is received. For these reasons respect is the chief ingredient in reestablishing the morality and virtue that made America a great nation.

Free Essays - Desire and Reason in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Desire and Reason in Macbeth In the play Macbeth the word desire occurs 7 times and the word reason occurs 5 times. These words have an important correlation and are a main theme in the play. Although the meaning of these words does not vary much at all in this play, their impact on the play is in the words surrounding them, and their place in the development of the plot. The first time desire shows up in the play is when Lady Macbeth is speaking in her first soliloquy and says, "I burned in desire to question them further". In which she was referring to the prophecy of which was revealed to her, and triggers the plot against Duncan, and her "reason" for her early lust to power. The second time she mentions desire she says, "Where our Desire is got without content". With the surrounding text she is saying that if your desires are obtained without happiness then all is lost. In two of the times Lady Macbeth uses desire it is in referral to Macbeth being king. The other time she uses it is persuading h im to kill Duncan, when she questions his desire and strength to obtain them. Macduff uses desire much less passionately than Lady Macbeth mostly he uses it to describe and emotion of wanting something, it is very much completely is context without literary impact of the word itself. The most significant time he uses it is before Duncan was discovered to be dead he says, "it provokes the desire, but takes away the performance". He was speaking about alcohol and provoking the desire for sex but taking away the ability to have it. This is not different from Macbeth envisioning the dagger that seems just out of reach. Later too he nearly backs out of the plot against Duncan, which is when Lady Macbeth says that she would bash her child's brains in if she had said she would; confronting Macbeth about his passive approach to desire. In the same speech in which she is convincing Macbeth to follow through with the murder reason is used in an extremely clever part of the play.

Describe yourself to your MBA classmates :: MBA College Admissions Essays

Describe yourself to your MBA classmates    I grew up in a small fishing village in Maine, surrounded by family. Expectations and aspirations are limited in such an environment. I could have made a living exploiting the sea, but chose to do similar work as a corporate executive. Although I have no siblings, my hometown contains over fifty family members, and our agenda of family activities is always packed. Most of my family is employed in the commercial fishing industry, which instilled in me at a very young age, the concept of work. At age eleven, I started babysitting and mowing lawns, and at the age of fifteen I applied for my lobster license. The first summer with my license, I took a job as a sternperson with a fellow female. We were the only two females out there, which was definitely an experience. When the lobstering season ended that year, I took a job at a grocery store bagging groceries. I saved enough money to build a boat and to buy fifty lobster traps; I was on my way. The following summer I continued to work as a sternperson, and I also fished my own traps. I continued lobstering throughout the rest of high school and college, and it helped me finance my college education.    In addition to being ambitious and motivated enough to put my heart into even mundane, low-level tasks, I am also extremely organized. This is one characteristic that has always received praise. I pay particular attention to detail, which I believe has contributed to my success thus far. I take pride in my work, and I look at it as a representation of myself. In my position at Sanford Bernstein as a Consultant Liaison, I market my firm to the financial consulting community. Maintaining the integrity of the firm is vital and errors are disastrous. When training new group members, I stress this point most thoroughly.    I work in a group that currently has six members. The group serves as a central source of information for the firm, and its success relies on an extraordinary amount of cooperation from each of us. As a senior member, I am able to contribute to the group in several ways including: training group members, controlling the quality of the group's output, managing and accurately completing multiple requests with short turnaround

Ptlls 008 Roles, Responsibilities Essay

Important to define the terms prior to listing the entities which may impact on my work: Legislative requirement: A duty to act according to the law as defined in an Act of Parliament and usually enforceable through the courts. Code of Practice: A set of rules outlining how a person in a particular profession or situation is expected to behave. Statutory Code of Practice: A Code of Practice approved by Parliament and admissible as evidence in any legal action. The Children Act (2004) – Every Child Matters underpinned the Change For Children agenda. The Act came into being following the death of Victoria Climbie. The Act is applicable to children and vulnerable adults up to the age of 25. Focused on five specific outcomes for children: Be healthy Stay Safe Enjoy and Achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well-being Protection of Children Act (1991) – gave local authorities to investigates cases of child abuse. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006) – introduced a vetting and barring service for those working with children and vulnerable adults. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks). Code of Professional Practice (2008) – introduced by the Lifelong Learning Sector. The code is based on 7 behaviours expected of teachers. Copyright Designs and Patents Act (1988) – relates to copying and adapting materials. The Data Protection (1998) – relates to information held on people by others. Education and Skills Act (2008) – aimed at increasing participation in learning. The Equality Act (2010) – brought all the areas of discrimination: race, sex, disability, race into one Act. The 2010 Act identifies 9 areas of discrimination. Freedom Of Information Act (2000) – individuals can ask to see the information held on them Health and Safety At Work (1974) – imposes obligations on all to operate within a safe and healthy environment Human Rights Act (1998) – basic rights for all The Further Education Teacher’s Qualifications (England) Regulations (2007) – professional status for teachers in FE and a qualification route GRAVELLS, A. (2012) Preparing To Teach In The Lifelong Learning Sector 1. 2 Analyse own responsibilities for promoting equality and valuing diversity The definition of equality is to treat everybody equally, especially in terms of status, rights and opportunities. The 2010 Equality Act brought together a number of different pieces of legislation which means it is unlawful to discriminate against people on the grounds of pay, sex, race and disability. Diversity means being aware that every person is unique, not only because of their visible differences such as race, age or disability, but also non visible differences, religion, social background, economic status or political beliefs. Inclusion is about being objective and looking beyond first impressions. It’s about diversity and breaking down barriers, changing lives and promoting equality. Within my role it’s important for me to base my practice around the concepts of equality, diversity and inclusion and keep an open mind. Without an open mind I may not support all people equally to recognise their potential and achieve their aspirations. Discrimination could then be argued to have occurred as students would not have been treated equally.

Book Review of The Pyramids of Egypt †History Paper

Book Review of The Pyramids of Egypt – History Paper Free Online Research Papers The Pyramids of Egypt, by I.E.S. Edwards, is a success as a serious and truthful work of history. One of its main purposes is to describe many of the pyramids in great detail and give either facts or opinions on why they were built the way they were. The first 7 chapters are all descriptive of different pyramids. The author also goes through a time line of the development of the techniques used to build the pyramids. One of the first pyramids to be described in detail is the Step Pyramid. All of the major pyramids were described as well as many I hadn’t heard of before. An interesting feature of Sahure’s pyramid was its elaborate drainage system for his temple. Lion’s heads projected from the tops of the outer walls, and the rain falling from the roof escaped through their heads. The final chapter was the most interesting to me, as it went into a discussion of what might have been the purpose for building pyramids and how they might have been constructed. I have always been told that we don’t know how the pyramids were built. After reading this book I have come to realize that this is a false statement in a sense. We don’t know exactly how the pyramids were built, but we do have enough knowledge to make educated guesses about how they might have been built. One of the main themes of this book is that a great deal can be learned about ancient Egypt by studying the pyramids. Many of Egypt’s rulers built pyramids for themselves and their pyramids are often filled with knowledge about them. The book states that Imhotep was the first king to use stone buildings rather than brick. It also says that later Egyptians regarded him as a magician, an astronomer, and the father of medicine. His knowledge of stone was used to build the step pyramids. The pyramids also give us our only knowledge of kings such as Sekhemkhet. The book also says that it is highly probably that under Zoser’s reign there was a big advance in the production of sculpture in the round. This was ascertained from the fact that only two royal statues dating from an earlier period were found, whereas many were found from Zoser’s period. Why the ancient Egyptian kings troubled themselves with building tombs of pyramid shape is another question the author tries to answer. The step pyramids were said to provide the king with a stairway to walk to heaven. The deceased king was said to have eaten three meals in the sky each day and two on earth. Why Egyptians moved to the true pyramid seems to stem from the symbol of the sun god at Heliopolis, which was conical in shape. A conical shaped building would have been impossible for the early Egyptians to produce, so they built the closest thing they could to it. The cone and its architectural form, the pyramid, represented the rays of the sun shining down on the earth. III. Utility of Importance of the Book The Pyramids of Egypt is an important book because of several reasons. It contributes to the understanding of a historical problem of some importance by trying to clear up the mystery concerning the pyramids. It gives reasons as to how they may have been built and for what purpose. The way pyramids were built has long been a mystery of history, and a very interesting subject to me personally. The book also contributes to the general education of the reader, giving facts about how many of the pyramids are laid out, how they were built, and the rulers that built them. It tells about how some of them were built one way and were then later added on to. One example of this was the pyramid at Meidum. This pyramid started as a step pyramid, however another layer of stone was added to make this pyramid a true pyramid. Zoser’s pyramid underwent many transformations in form as well. IV. Style The style of this book is good for what this book is. Whereas I usually find long highly detailed descriptions of objects I have never seen first hand difficult to understand, I was able to piece together most of what the author was talking about as far as the makeup of the pyramids. There were a few paragraphs I had to read slowly and more than once in order to understand them, but for the most part the style flowed pretty well and was easy to understand. V. Validity of the Book This book appears to be quite a valid source of history. A complete separate bibliography is given for each chapter, and includes a wide range of books. I feel that the facts that I.E.S. Edwards has presented to me are in agreement with those facts I already knew. There are not any real inconsistencies on the facts in the book. However different opinions are given from different sources about certain questions that the exact answers to are not known. In most cases Edwards gives other authors’ opinions as well as his own, which makes me believe that Edwards wrote this book without bias or prejudice. He quotes other authors quite frequently throughout the entire book. The only statements that weren’t clarified enough for me were those that the author quoted or stated what Herodotus had said or written. Herodotus as we know, was not always completely basing himself on fact, and the author didn’t always comment on whether what he was quoting from Herodotus wa s known to be completely true or not. 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Nastiness On The Net Essays - Pornography, Sexuality, Israeli Law

Nastiness On The Net Essays - Pornography, Sexuality, Israeli Law Nastiness on the Net Pornography is a serious problem that faces America?s people today. A problem that jeopardizes our nation?s moral and ethical values and is easily accessible for children and adults alike. Often times the young people accessing such websites in cyberspace aren?t even old enough to understand the complete meaning of human sexuality. More often, the adults accessing these websites, who do have a common understanding of sexuality, begin to obtain distorted views of normal sexual behavior. In order to save our children?s innocence and America?s moral values, pornography should be strictly regulated on the internet. Pornography is the erotic writing or art intended for sexual excitement. For frequent viewers pornography provides imagery, which they can frequently call to mind and elaborate on their fantasies. "Porn Producers" use pornography to appeal to viewers as a new exciting experience often luring viewers into a trap of sexual addiction. Once viewers become involved in pornographic materials, they get hooked and continue coming back for their "sexual turn-ons." Once a person becomes a sex addict, therapy is often required to overcome their urges to sneak-a-peek again. Any kind of pornography influences immoral acts with multiple persons or a person of the same sex, consequently devaluing the importance of monogamy. Studies show that less than 5% of all pornography depicts normal heterosexual relations between on man and one woman, and in some unfortunate cases, it leads to the spreading of diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Aside from influencing the spread of diseases, pornography influences rape and child molestation. Hardcore pornography habituates both males and females to the idea or rape, and increases the acceptance of sexual deviance as "normal behavior." In 57% of rape cases rapists have admitted to imitating pornography scenes their commission of sex crimes. Most importantly, pornography degrades women and their role in today?s society. Almost all pornographic material depicts images of women being beaten, tortured, raped, forced to perform acts of beastiality, and sexual slavery. The misunderstanding of "When a woman says no she really means yes," is communicated through pornography also. There are endless reasons that the government should regulate pornography on the internet, far too many to elaborate on. Our children and adults must be protected from addiction, homosexuality, non-monogamy, rape, child molestation, and degradation of women. America?s moral and ethical beliefs must be saved from the filth that pornography puts forth.

Solutions, Suspensions, Colloids, and Dispersions

Solutions, Suspensions, Colloids, and Dispersions Solutions, suspensions, colloids, and other dispersions are similar but have characteristics that set each one apart from the others. Solutions A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more components. The dissolving agent is the solvent. The substance that  is dissolved is the solute. The components of a solution are atoms, ions, or molecules, making  them 10-9 m or smaller in diameter. Example: Sugar and water Suspensions The particles in suspensions are larger than those found in solutions. Components of a suspension can be evenly distributed by mechanical means, like by shaking the contents but the components will eventually settle out. Example: Oil and water Colloids Particles intermediate in size between those found in solutions and suspensions can be mixed in such a way that they remain evenly distributed without settling out. These particles range in size from 10-8 to 10-6 m in size and are termed colloidal particles or colloids. The mixture they form is called a colloidal dispersion. A colloidal dispersion consists of colloids in a dispersing medium. Example: Milk Other Dispersions Liquids, solids, and gasses all may be mixed to form colloidal dispersions. Aerosols: Solid or liquid particles in a gasExamples: Smoke is solid in a gas. Fog is a liquid in a gas. Sols: Solid particles in a liquidExample: Milk of Magnesia is a sol with solid magnesium hydroxide in water. Emulsions: Liquid particles in a liquidExample: Mayonnaise is oil in water. Gels: Liquids in solidExamples: Gelatin is protein in water. Quicksand is sand in water. Telling Them Apart You can tell suspensions from colloids and solutions because the components of suspensions will eventually separate. Colloids can be distinguished from solutions using the Tyndall effect. A beam of light passing through a true solution, such as air, is not visible. Light passing through a colloidal dispersion, such as smoky or foggy air, will be reflected by the larger particles and the light beam will be visible.

Miep Gies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miep Gies - Essay Example he aim of this article is to view if the actions of Miep Gies are considered as a heroic deed or as a betrayal in relation to the leaders of her country. Miep Gies was born in Vienna, and her initial name was Hermine Santroushits. Among other Austrian children suffering from malnutrition in the difficult years after World War I, she was sent to the Netherlands, where her foster-parents gave her a new name Miep. In 1933, a woman came to work for a company of Otto Frank, who fled to the Netherlands from Germany. It was the hard times. Ruud van Der Rol wrote in his book: â€Å"By the year Anny Frank was born, life in Germany had become very hard. Poverty and unemployment were at an all-time high and most Germans were very dissatisfied with their government† (1995, 16). In May 1940, the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, and began the oppression of the Jews. Frank knew that in the future, the situation would only get worse. Miep helped the Franks family and several other Dutch with her husband Ian, despite the serious risk, from 6 July 1942 until August 4, 1944, when the Gestapo found the shelter. They grabbed the Franks - parents an d their two daughters together with four other hiding Jews and sent them to the extermination camps for hard working. After that, Miep Gies found the shelter of Anne Franks diary, who was 15 years old at the time of the arrest and who later died of typhus in the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen. It is believed that the Franks were the victims of a scammer. After the war even a special investigation was carried out, which resulted in finding of several suspects, but it was impossible to identify the traitor. Miep Gies kept the manuscript and did not even read it until the time when Annes father returned. Otto Frank – was the only survivor of the family. He published the diary in 1947, and it became one of the most famous and impressive documents about the atrocities of fascism. The story of Anna Frank definitely provides a demonstration

Should juvenile offenders be tried and punished as adults Annotated Bibliography

Should juvenile offenders be tried and punished as adults - Annotated Bibliography Example The practice of trying and punishing juvenile offenders as adults is not consistent throughout all criminal justice systems as some systems still believe that juveniles should be tried in the juvenile courts no matter how grievous the crime might be. The perception in some justice systems is that trying children in adult courts would have an adverse effect on the children as they could likely have some sort of psychological problems. This paper would try to establish whether or not juvenile offenders should be tried and punished as adults. People that would likely benefit from this paper are lawyers, prospective lawyers (law students) and the public at large. It should also be pertinent to note that people that are interested in the case of juvenile delinquency would also gain a lot from the details of this paper and the research work. This study would try to accomplish the fact that a child is considered an adult for the purposes of administering justice when the crime committed is not a case of juvenile delinquency, but a very serious criminal act and this underlines the importance of the study as it would be helpful for cases of juvenile delinquencies. Books, internet sources and other relevant sources would be used for this work. Some of the questions that would form the basis of this paper are: Why are some children considered adults for the purpose of administering justice and are transferred to adult courts? What kind of crime would a child commit for the offence to be qualified as an adult crime?

The influence of the movie on the society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The influence of the movie on the society - Essay Example Remember that Sontag believes movies lost their "art" in her time, and Norma believed movies lost their "art" once sound came in - in the late 1920s. Are they right? By means of looking into one’s own experience of being transported by the motion picture and allowing it to gain momentary control of human reflexes within the span of film’s length, the moviegoer manages to prove the truth behind Susan Sontag’s conviction through a varying insight to the encounter with the story and the audio-visual effects projected across the big screen. Typically, since movies are created to depict a dynamic narrative of life under a rare perspective with striking parallels to the circumstances of reality, the watcher becomes gradually kidnapped by such an essence that occurs to fulfill the movie’s objective of getting the viewer seek profound relevance. As the movie serves a vehicle that takes one to reflect with vivid imagination and pertinent emotion at depth, the act o f kidnapping, as Sontag puts it to be the principal role assumed by the film, is sustained. On the other hand, Norma’s observation that movies lost art during the arrival of the talkies in the late 1920s tends to signify reference to the aesthetic value of a motion picture.

Decision Making Assessment (Synthesis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Decision Making Assessment (Synthesis) - Essay Example The study deals in focusing on the decision making concept with reference to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Frame is defined as â€Å"the structural core of the paradigmatic mental model that brings to a problem† (Johnson & Russo, 1994, p. 290). In simple terms decision making frames creates its own ideas and focuses on the environment. By ideas it is meant that the environmental issues should be considered that are affected by the decision (Johnson & Russo, 1994, p. 290). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers considers environmental sustainability as their key principle. The Corp team diligently works to strengthen the security of the nation by developing and preserving the infrastructure of America and offering military facilities (About us, n.d.). Any type of decision making is backed by reasoning. A bad decision comes from distortion and biases, which creates a series of mental flaws and obstructs the sense of reasoning. So before coming to any decision reasoning should be done properly (The Hidden Traps in Decision Making, n.d.). Behind any decision taken by the organization, the main reason is to â€Å"strengthen the security system, energize the economy and reduce the risks from disasters† (Mission & Vision, n.d.). For this reason a group of trained individual is continuously working to provide innovative and sustainable solutions (Mission & Vision, n.d.). Declarative knowledge in decision making gives importance to the ordering of attributes and relative desirability of various levels within the attributes that are required to implement the strategy. Thus the experience and expertise of a decision maker is bound to be affected by the declarative and procedural memory in following a plan (Goldstain & Weber, 1995, p.116). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers always transform the ways they do their business based on the Campaign Plan. A set of experienced, trained and certified workers, work as per

Inclusion and Mainstreaming of Children with ADHD Essay

Inclusion and Mainstreaming of Children with ADHD - Essay Example The paper begins with an over-all discussion of ADHD and includes a review of the latest literature on the topic with an assessment of past empirical findings on the research topic under investigation. Part 1 provides a background, relevance, literature review, and the aims and objectives of the dissertation. Part 2 identifies the factors associated with how the researcher intends to approach this study, explaining methods of data collection and data analysis to be adopted. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition characterized by hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention that becomes apparent in some children in the pre-school and early school years. The general symptom is the inability to control behaviour and/or to pay attention. Research findings (Greenberg & Horn, 1991) estimated that in some countries like the United States, 3 to 5 percent of children have this condition, which means that in a normal classroom of 25 to 30 children, there would be at least one with ADHD. Although first described by Hoffman in 1845, Still (1902) was the first to describe the condition in a scientific paper and hypothesised the cause to be a genetic dysfunction and not poor child-rearing. Garber, Garber, & Spizman (1990) were the first to use the term ADHD for the condition. Hunsucker (1988) was the first to argue that if persons with ADHD were treated early, there would be a reduction in the juvenile and adult crime rates, school drop-out rates, and alcohol and drug abuse. ADHD is a treatable condition the sooner it is diagnosed and if children with ADHD are provided with special education. This is why there has been an increase through the years in the scientific literature on the topic, more specifically on the issue of mainstreaming and inclusion of children undergoing special education. Mainstreaming is the original term that describes placing children with disabilities in classrooms with non-handicapped children. In the early stages, special education children were placed in special classes and would join regular classroom settings during extra classes such as music and art. This term has evolved into "inclusion" which tries to place special education and disabled children in regular education classes as often as possible (York et al., 1992; Adamson et al., 1990; Cook & Friend, 1992; Conn, 1992; CEC, 1993; Friend & Cook, 1992; Giangreco et al., 1993). These papers argued for the main reasons behind the interest on this issue that have to do with the fact that the classroom and school environments provide an effective factor for early diagnosis, the

Decision Making Assessment (Synthesis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Decision Making Assessment (Synthesis) - Essay Example The study deals in focusing on the decision making concept with reference to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Frame is defined as â€Å"the structural core of the paradigmatic mental model that brings to a problem† (Johnson & Russo, 1994, p. 290). In simple terms decision making frames creates its own ideas and focuses on the environment. By ideas it is meant that the environmental issues should be considered that are affected by the decision (Johnson & Russo, 1994, p. 290). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers considers environmental sustainability as their key principle. The Corp team diligently works to strengthen the security of the nation by developing and preserving the infrastructure of America and offering military facilities (About us, n.d.). Any type of decision making is backed by reasoning. A bad decision comes from distortion and biases, which creates a series of mental flaws and obstructs the sense of reasoning. So before coming to any decision reasoning should be done properly (The Hidden Traps in Decision Making, n.d.). Behind any decision taken by the organization, the main reason is to â€Å"strengthen the security system, energize the economy and reduce the risks from disasters† (Mission & Vision, n.d.). For this reason a group of trained individual is continuously working to provide innovative and sustainable solutions (Mission & Vision, n.d.). Declarative knowledge in decision making gives importance to the ordering of attributes and relative desirability of various levels within the attributes that are required to implement the strategy. Thus the experience and expertise of a decision maker is bound to be affected by the declarative and procedural memory in following a plan (Goldstain & Weber, 1995, p.116). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers always transform the ways they do their business based on the Campaign Plan. A set of experienced, trained and certified workers, work as per

Recession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Recession - Essay Example The beginning and impacts of the 2008 recession in individual countries today remains a constant reminder of the policies and measures the governments and financial analysts in the financial institutions ought to address as priorities. Most economists and analysts tend to emphasis on the start and spread of the recession in 2008. While its spread is quite clear in the western countries during and after 2008, there is no doubt it began in the United States towards the end of 2007. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) recognizes the global recession to have started in December 2007 in the US economy, when it was identified with the sliding of the labour market especially in the last quarter of the year (Borbely, 2009). However, it was only a hit for the national economy of the US until it spread to other linked economies in 2008. The cause of the recession is linked to the economic cyclic performance of the housing market in USA, which later affected the economic performances of other industries. The United Stated had been experiencing a steady economic growth, with a healthy labour market and a rapid growth in the housing market after 2001. In the housing sector, home prices increased and more construction took place, contributing to increased employment, mortgage financing and growth in real estates and generated a positive wealth effect that triggered higher spending vital for the overall economic growth (Goodman and Mance, 2011). All the housing price inflations in the USA tended to follow a particular pattern after WWWII. The 2001-2006 case was no exception, as it was a period marked with loose monetary policy. Two years prior to the 2007 recession, the US economy experienced expansion in credit and money supply. This fuelled excessive borrowing at low interest rates to finance housing purchases; this in turn increased aggregate demand for household products and other consumption (stlouisfed.org, 2010).

The massacre in Nanking Essay Example for Free

The massacre in Nanking Essay The massacre in Nanking which is popularized by Chang as the Rape of Nanking is indeed on of the darkest period of Asian history. Although it is described for its cruel and terrible scenes, history has almost forgotten these painful and darkest hours of Nanking people. Thanks to Iris Chang, her book became a living testimony of that tragedy that will always remind us that a lot of lives were wasted and a lot of people were intensely tortured in the hands of Japanese army. This book will serve as a reminder for Japanese people of the cruel nature of their ancestors. In the introduction of the book, Chang described the number of deaths in a mean that anyone can imagine in their vivid imagination. According to her, if the dead were to link hands, they will stretch from Nanking to Hangchow which is too far to imagine. It means that those cadavers can form a line of 200 miles. Other than that, their blood will weigh 200 ton and their bodies could fill twenty-five hundreds of railroad cars. If they will be piled up, their bodies could reach a height of seventy-four storey building. Indeed that is a huge number of innocent people. More than their death, the real tragedy for the Nanking people is their cruel way of execution which is merely inhuman and even animals are not worthy to experience those tortures. Thus, reading the book can give the reader so much agony and sympathy for the victims. The scenes are so painful to imagine that you will feel so much resentment to the Japanese. As a journalist by profession, Chang used her journalistic skill of documenting events. Her descriptions of those horrible scenes were enough to make the book a best seller and highly acclaimed by scholars. Most part of her book is narration of Japanese cruel activities as well as some historical backgrounds of Japan. Her book was based on the diaries of John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin whom played important roles in the Nanking Safety Zone. From its name, this are had protected a lot of Nanking civilians from the cruel hands of Japanese Army. John Rabe was able to shelter some 200,000 Nanking civilians from slaughter. Minnie Vautrin was an American missionary who saved a lot of school girls from the Japanese Army in Ginling Girls College. Both of them shared the horrible life in Nanjing during its Japanese occupation. They were able to witness and even take some photographs of those kinds of brutalities. Most of Chinese brutal activities are difficult to imagine such as forcing the fathers to rape their daughters as well as the sons to their mothers. Japanese soldiers are also fond of kidnapping women for them to become their sex slaves or comfort women. They were tied in a chair for almost forever just waiting for the next Japanese soldier to use their body. Another rape victim was found with a golf stick rammed into her. (Chang, 94) Other than that, there were also a rampant mass execution where killing the most number of people in a shortest time became a contest for them. As a form of execution, Nanking civilians were beheaded, buried alive, some were also buried up to their waist and the other of their body was fed to German Shepherds. They also use the civilians as human target for their bayonet practices. Other than, they also give severe punishment for no reason such as forcing the students to hold heavy objects, sit on their heels, stand barefoot in the snow, and run in the playground until they collapse. Overall, 340,000 Chinese died and around 20,000 to 80,000 Chinese men and women were physically and sexually abused. All these started when the Japanese Army swept into Nanking in 1937. Although their cruel activities lasted for only six weeks, still the terror it brought to its people is a lifetime of trauma. Originally, the main goal of the offenders is to haunt those Chinese armies who are disguising as civilians. As a result of that operation against those Chinese soldiers, a lot of innocent civilians were executed. Good thing about the book is that, it did not focus solely on the senseless cruelty of the Japanese army but also she mentioned some parts of Japanese history especially those who are prior to the 1937 incidence. She mentioned about Mathew Perry and his mission to the land of the rising sun. She also tried to explain why the Japanese was able to do those inhuman punishments to the people of Nanking. Indeed, it has something to do with their history, culture and religious background. Chang explain that their cruelty towards other people is caused by their belief that the Emperor is the only descendant of their sun goddess Amaterasu. Because they are non Christians in nature, they disregard the Christian idea of brotherhood and loving other people. They also think that they are superior as Western people and have the right of access to the natural wealth of Asian countries. Other than that, their participation in the Second World War gave them an ample pride. During that time, being able to participate in a world war together with powerful nations such as United States and Germany is an indication that Japan is the most powerful country in Asia. Meanwhile, as I read the book, the resentment of the author towards the perpetuator of the time are becoming more intense. More than being Chinese by blood, Chang’s grandparents were able to witness that horrible event in Chinese history. No words can explain her bitterness and resentment in her renowned research that it caused her to lose her sanity. If the author herself was not able to stand the horror of the Nanking massacre who was not able to witness the event, how much more the terror that it brought to the survivors of that tragedy including Chang’s grandparents. I admit that reading the book gave me a vivid image of what really happened during World War II. The book is a reflection of the everyday reality that was experienced by peoples especially those countries that were conquered by the Japanese Army. More than understanding Chinese history, the book presented more of Japanese history and culture especially the cruelty of its army. Therefore the book doesn’t help me understand Chinese history. The book is just a mere description of the atrocities of World War II focusing more on Japanese history. Instead of helping me understand Chinese history, it does explain why until this very moment, there is so much resentment among Chinese people towards Japan. Other than the intense of inhuman acts towards the Nanking victim, there is no initiative from the Japanese government to give a public apology. Worst than that, the Japanese don’t admit the crime and don’t even remember the incident. The younger generation in Japan doesn’t know about their cruelty because it was not taught in their history class. Even the Chinese forget about this horrible part of their history aside from the Nanking survivors and their descendants. Therefore, this book is really a breakthrough just remind both the Chinese and Japanese people of that forgotten holocaust. And for me, not only the oppressor and the oppressed parties should remember this horrific period in their history. All countries should be aware of the terror brought by world wars and the cruelty towards other race is widely condemned. It can happen not only in Nanking but in other parts of the world. It is a worldwide problem which is known as genocide. A lot of people may suffer from cruel death because of political reasons and the sad thing about that is most of them are innocent. Chang’s documentary of that horrific incident serves as an eye opener for every people with regards to their nationality that war is evil and it can only ruin the lives of innocent people. Although her work is highly acclaimed by scholars most especially its amazed readers, still Chang received a lot of criticism especially when it comes to the technical aspect of the book. Some people in the academe have seen many historical inaccuracies as well as grammatical errors. Grammatical errors can be forgiven for it can be the fault of the copywriter. Technical errors are really inevitable and as a matter of fact, a journalist like Chang also commits that kind of mistake. But there are no excuses for committing historical errors. We cannot blame Iris Chang because she is not a historian by profession. But as a researcher, she should be responsible when it comes to the accuracy of her data. Indeed, her historical inaccuracies are so serious because most of them are some basic information of Japanese history. Here are some of the examples: By the late 15th and early 16th centuries Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa family, who sealed off the island nation from foreign influence (Chang, 21). The reign of Tokugawa family started in 1603 therefore the Tokugawa era in Japan started in early 17th century. Chang also wrote, In July 1853, he (Matthew Perry) sent two ships belching black smoke into Tokyo Bay giving the people of Japan their first glimpse of metal-clad, steam-powered ships. Surrounding himself with some sixty to seventy aggressive-looking men armed with swords and pistols, Perry strode through the capital of the Shogun and demanded meetings with the highest-ranking officials in Japan (Chang, 21). The truth is, Perry was not able to go to that place which is believed to be Edo or Tokyo during this day. Other than that, she also explained in her book, In an era later known as the Meiji Restoration, Japan resounded with nationalistic slogans, such as Revere the Emperor! Expel the barbarians! and Rich country, strong army (Chang, 23)! Actually there is no Japanese Era such as Meiji period. This Meiji restoration that she is talking about happened from 1868 to 1912 and it is more of a social revolution than a period like Tokugawa. And lastly, Chang wrote that the United Nations created a committee for war investigation in March 1944(Chang, 169). It is impossible to happen because the United Nation was not yet chartered in 1944. How this book can become a historical reference it its content is inaccurate? For me, Chang was not objective in writing this book. It is obvious that Chang was driven by her resentment to the Japanese government and the desire to uplift her Chinese roots. And because her grandparents are involved with that traumatic period in Nanking, her book serves as an advocacy campaign for her grandparents to get the justice that they deserve. While reading the book, anyone can notice that Chang is trying her best to give a negative image of Japanese culture especially their army. We can say that she met her objectives and her way of documenting the story is enough to ruin the image of the Japanese. Her description of those cruel acts will make the readers forget the technical errors of the books as well as its historical inaccuracies. Anyone who will read the book will feel so much sympathy for the victims and really seek justice for them. That is really her objective as a author but alas, she shared the same fate with her grandparents. Although her book became a major success and the tragedy of Nanking is now known worldwide, Chang died miserably and lose her hope that someday the perpetuators will pay for their acts. Although it is inevitable for her to show her biases, it would be better if she had presented the other side of the story. It is unfair for the Japanese their side was never heard and they were never consulted by the author. If only she also take the side of the perpetuators, her book will sound more objective and even the Japanese can accept her book and learn from it. The reason why until today, is not admitting that crime is because their sides were not heard in the book. There are also historical errors regarding Japanese history that is why it is easy for the Japanese to ignore the book. The criticisms about the book especially its technical errors are another factor for the Japanese to ignore the book and pretend that there is no such thing as Nanking massacre in the history. If only Chang was more careful and objective, her book will achieve more than recognition and market success. She and her fellow Chinese community in Nanking can get the justice that they are longing for. It would be better if Chang has included some stories of Japanese soldiers focusing on their feelings towards the victim. We can never say that all Japanese soldiers are cruel and maybe some of them were pressured by their officials to do those inhuman activities. Other than the sufferings of the Chinese people, it would be better if Chang was able to mention the hardships encountered by the Japanese soldiers during their stay in Nanking. This will give her book a sense of balance which is expected from her because she is a journalist. As a conclusion, we can say that the book is really a breakthrough for Asian history. The once infamous tragedy of the Nanking people became part of Asian history through the angered motivated research of the victim’s descendants. Although Iris Chang is not a historian by profession, she was able to convey her main point inspite of the rampant errors and historical criticisms of her book. Without looking at its market success, still the book is a failure because the author herself was not able to get the justice that she demands asides from the heavy accusations of her critics. But still, the book served as a reminder for every nation of the atrocities that war can produce and the fate of millions of innocent people who are involve in the war.

Morality Towards Animals Kantian Vs Utilitarian

Morality Towards Animals Kantian Vs Utilitarian Historically, there has been some debate between Kantian and Utilitarian philosophers on the moral status of animals. This great debate over whether or not moral consideration should be granted to non-human animals deserves to be rectified at some point. Many argue that there is a resolution to this debate that can be used via a distinction between the two to clearly distinguish human beings from all other animals on the planet. But, as shall be shown in this paper, the evidence thus far for such a distinction is seriously doubtful at best. Unfortunately without such a distinction, it becomes increasingly difficult to argue, with a straight philosophical face, that non-human animals should be afforded less than equivalent moral considerations to that of human beings. After all, if no meaningful distinction between human beings and non-human animals, than we ultimately are arguing from an uncertain position that says one group should receive better treatment than the other. This paper shall examine the debate over this issue, primarily through Kantian and Utilitarian perspectives, and hopefully enlighten the problems in both positions, though particularly the Kantian one. Although the Utilitarian position on the issue of moral concerns for non-human animals is far from perfect, it represents a more justifiable position than the Kantians. Its not surprising that many of the people who argue are the very same people who are most interested in justifying and continuing practices towards non-human animals that cause pain, suffering and death to non-human animals (Gruen, 2003). Often the welfare opposed to the rights of non-human animals is more widely accepted which can often confuse the debate in question. People tend to argue that humans unlike animals have characteristics that clearly distinguish the differences those of which include rationality, autonomy, moral agency, language capability, free will and self-consciousness among others (Garner, 2010). Interestingly, Act Utilitarians believe that regardless of human beings and non-human animals, any action toward these is only permissible if it follows the balance of pleasure outweighing pain (Garner, 2010). Not all claims can say as much. The hope, no doubt, is that philosophical wrangling can justify and absolve them of practices that are largely recognized to be cr uel and harmful to non-human animals. Unfortunately for the groups still largely oblivious to the moral considerations for non-human animals, we find that there is no meaningful way, morally or philosophically, to separate humans from non-human animals. The result, in the hopes of being intellectually consistent, is that we need to give consideration to the suffering and moral position of non-human animals equally, as we would also do for human beings. Of course, supporters of the above position immediately argue that there is a clear division between human beings and non-human animals based on speciation alone. In this belief, we might give moral consideration to a fellow human being, but a cow or chicken? A chicken for instance, is not considered a human being (for those who have doubts) and cannot lay claim to the species-specific moral considerations that humans enjoy according to this claim. But, for the philosopher, membership in one species over the other is of utmost irrelevance, especially when considering morality. It is, in essence, considered a non-issue if we cannot in-turn provide evidence for why such species differentiation translates into a differing of moral consideration (Garner, 2010). Ultimately it would be like arguing that any accident of birth is reason enough to deny certain individuals moral concern: perhaps leaving out entirely all women, overweight people, short people or Japanese people. The division be tween human beings and non-human animals must be demonstrated on some other plain other than purely biological grounds. In as such, many have turned to the idea that human beings differ due to their possession of abilities that are unique to our species and that are concrete us firmly in place to that of the rest of the outside non-human world. But, it seems that this argument has fallen flat too. As stated in Gruen (2003), human behaviour and cognition share deep roots with the behaviour and cognition of other animals. There have been numerous examples in the non-human animal world of behaviours that are very similar, if not identical to behaviours that most humans would consider to be uniquely human. In any socially complex non-human animal species, there is evidence of what one would consider to be altruistic or familial behaviour. Family ties are often seen in many of the primate species. Primate mothers often stay with their offspring for extended periods of time. Singer (2009) notes that not only do humans have intelligence and language comprehension, but so do great apes, border collies and grey parrots. A famous gorilla named Koko has scored between 70 and 95 on human IQ tests as well as being able to understand approximately one thousand different signs. In addition, Alex the African grey parrot was able to grasp m ore than a hundred words and was able to answer novel questions presented to him on top of being able to understand basic concepts involving shapes and colours (Singer, 2009). Evidence exists of Meerkats who will risk their own safety to stay with family members who are ill or injured (Gruen, 2003). The usage of tools is also common in the non-human animal world, as is the ability to understand symbolic representations, the basis for language. Some non-human animals even possess some of humanitys less pleasing cognitive abilities, such as the ability to engage in manipulative or deceptive behaviour (Gruen, 2003). The sum of this evidence is not to argue that non-human animals are identical to humans but rather it is to show that the unique behaviours and abilities that we as human beings cling to are actually found throughout the non-human animal kingdom as well, albeit in less complex forms. Some philosophers have turned to metaphysical characteristics as a way to draw the line between the human and non-human animal worlds. Kant puts forth one of the most notable examples of this position. Kants argument is based on the idea that humans are distinguishable from the non-human animal world by power of their personhood and are thus morally considered. In his 1785 Groundwork, Kant proposed that: Every rational being, exists as an end in himself and not merely as a means to be arbitrarily used by this or that will [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] Beings whose existence depends not on our will but on nature have, nevertheless, if they are not rational beings, only a relative value as means and are therefore called things (Kant 1785, 428 as quoted in Gruen, 2003). Essentially what Kant believed is that the rational ego of human beings distinguishes us from all other non-human animal life. In less distinct terms, a human being has the capability of seeing himself not only as an individual, but as a rational being able to differentiate the world that grants personhood to human beings and thus affording them moral consideration. What Kant is trying to say is that human beings are rational whereas non-human animals are not. With that being said, Kant believes that irrational animals may be dealt with and disposed of at ones discretion (Kant, LA, 7, 127 as quoted in Gruen, 2003). Kantians argue that it is the ability of human beings to question the source of their desires rationally that separates humans and animals. Whereas the non-human animal is focused only on its sensory perceptions, human beings are not only able to perceive, but question the very nature of their perceptions. According to Kant and his followers, this rational ability is the v ery reason we can justify relegating non-human animals to a lower moral position. As is obvious, there are problems with the Kantian position. Beyond the realization of an artificially imagined separation between man and beast (which is after all, the point in question), Kants position on the matter embarrassingly has difficulties with the matter of what is considered marginal humans, or human individuals that do not possess Kants rational capacity that is a prerequisite for personhood. As understood by many and supported by Singer (2009), there are some humans that fall under categories of mental retardation. For instance, the mentally challenged would have to be excluded from moral consideration by Kants logic, as they are incapable of expressing rational self-awareness that his personhood demands (Gruen, 2003). Singer (2009) demonstrates that some people with profound mental retardation have IQs lower than 25; have an ability to understand that exceeds their ability to speak and may only have the capacity to follow basic directions, and yet these people would c ertainly never be passed over for moral consideration. Whereas, dogs, horses, dolphins and pigeons have been trained to follow basic directions and perform useful work, have IQs over 25 and have an ability to understand that which exceeds their ability to speak, are. Kantians have responded to this concern in a variety of ways; as human beings, we could consider our behaviour towards these marginal individuals as indicative of our own moral sense. Or perhaps, these individuals, because they possess the capacity to become rational individuals, must be treated with the same moral consideration as all other human beings. But, by far the strongest response to the Kantian position comes from the Utilitarians, who reject rationality outright as a marker of moral consideration just as we have already rejected other supposedly unique human attributes (Garner, 2010; Gruen, 2003). Utilitarians argue that the only moral consideration worth considering is one that focuses on promoting happiness and the satisfaction of individual interests, and reducing suffering and interest frustration (Gruen, 2003). Jeremy Bentham was one of the strongest supporters of this position on moral concern. He wrote in 1781: Other animals, which, on account of their interests having been neglected by The insensibility of ancient jurists, stand degraded into the class of things [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] What else is it that should trace the insuperable line [between humans and nonhuman animals]? Is it the faculty of reason, or perhaps, the faculty for discourse? [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk, but, Can they suffer? (Gruen, 2003). According to the Utilitarian position, our moral concerns for non-human animals should be extended as far as the animals capacity to suffer and experience pain in all the ways they are capable of suffering. With the rise in populations, the need to provide mass quantities of food has created an animals nemesis. Factory farming is the most common method used to produce food for human beings, and it is done at an alarming rate. An estimated 8 billion animals in the United States are born, confined, biologically manipulated, transported and ultimately slaughtered each year in methods that create great amounts of suffering (Gruen, 2003). This position has been highly defended by modern Utilitarians who continue to argue that there is no morally justifiable way to separate humans from non-human animals when non-human animals are clearly capable of suffering. Any being capable of suffering should have its interests taken into account and should be granted the same moral consideration regar dless of being human or non-human. Sometimes the Utilitarian position is mistaken for more of an animal rights position than a morals position. Although both positions are similar, the animal rights position believes that there is no circumstance under which an animal should be subject to the will and whim of human beings. As Garner (2010) points out, the animal rights position is more for the equality between the species. One thing to note, however, is that this is not entirely the Utilitarian position. In regards to the Utilitarians belief that non-human animals should not suffer and be extended moral consideration, the Utilitarians also believe that the same would be extended to a human being. But the Utilitarian position allows for the satisfaction of the greater good in all moral matters. If, for instance, more good is done than harm by a particular action, then the Utilitarian would take up the position that the action is morally justifiable. A simpler way of perceiving this is that the Utilitarian could morally justify killing human or non-human animal, if it would save the lives of two other people. Ultimately, the Utilitarians goal is to always reduce harm and suffering, but they unfortunately (when it comes to non-human animals) are not vegetarians. Utilitarians believe that If an animal lived a happy life and was painlessly killed and then eaten by people who would otherwise suffer hunger or malnutrition by not eating the animal, then painlessly killing and eating the animal would be the morally justified thing to do (Gruen, 2003). Seemingly is seems that there are some good and some bad to both positions. Take for example the Kantian position; Emmanuel Kant did not support cruelty towards non-human animals, he just believed that they did not warrant the same moral considerations that human beings do. According to Kant, non-human animals were non-rationally thinking creatures and thus not afforded moral consideration but, he did argue that for the human beings that cause unnecessary suffering to animals. Kant believed that non-human animals were subject to the will and whim of human beings but that when they were put to work for us, they should not be strained beyond their capacities, he also believed that human beings had the right to kill non-human animals as long as it was done quickly and without pain (Kant Gregor, 1996). In essence, Kant felt that although non-human animals did not merit moral consideration, human beings had some type of a duty to them. Clearly, like the Kantian theory, the Utilitarian approach of moral concern for non-human animals is not without its own flaws. The Kantian argument fell apart because of a false distinction between human beings and non-human animals. The Utilitarians, base the fate of individuals and their relative happiness on a type of mathematical equation. Though contrary to some degree, at least on the question of extending moral concern to non-human animals, the Utilitarians recognize that there is no meaningful distinction at play between human beings and the rest of the animal kingdom. In this regard, the Utilitarians will always win out in this philosophical debate, at least for this author. Basing an arbitrary distinction between human and non-human animals just to justify cruelty and suffering is utterly beyond defence from a moral perspective. To ignore suffering because it challenges human beings imagined superior position in the world is not acceptable. Where, then, does that leave the argument of whether to extend moral concern and consideration to non-human animals. Clearly this author rejects the unsubstantiated evidence for drawing a distinct line between human beings and non-human animals, but cannot quite accept the extreme Utilitarian position that all matters of moral concern can be written like a equation. Perhaps it would be wise to investigate the work of other philosophical theories, such as ecological feminists, who argue that the entire approach to the issue is flawed because it fails to grasp the institutional culture of dominance upon which our actions are built (Gruen, 2003). Within this larger context, both the Kantian and Utilitarian positions can be seen as justifications (to vastly different degrees) for a culture that projects its will onto the entire world with dominant force. The bigger question for future consideration of this issue is to not simply question whether or not non-human animals are deserving of the same moral considerations that are granted to human beings, but whether or not human beings have moral authority in the first place to dictate such concerns and arbitrarily impose their will on the rest of the world.

Hamlet and Oedipus Rex: The Birth of Kings :: comparison compare contrast essays

Hamlet and Oedipus Rex: The Birth of Kings Two plays, "Hamlet", written by William Shakespeare and "Oedipus Rex", written by Sophocles share a common bond of illusion and innocence. The protagonists in both plays appear at the beginning only to have changed so that reality has broken through the illusion with less than desirable results for either. In these two plays, two kings must leave their innocence behind as the truth leads them first, to enlightenment and then to their downfall. This is a battle between the light and the darkness, the light being the truth and the darkness being the lie. Throughout the two plays we can see that both are isolated in a world of their own, completely unaware of the truths surrounding them. In Hamlet's case, growing up under the loving care of his parents, he believes that his father died of natural causes. Or, in Oedipus' case, the main character thinks that he has escaped Apollo's prophecy that decreed that he would grow up and murder his father, the king, and marry his mother, the queen. This eventually leads to the point at which both have their "eyes" opened to the reality surrounding their "illusionary" worlds. Hamlet is approached by the ghost of his dead father who reveals that his own brother, Hamlet's uncle, murdered him. Oedipus Rex discovers the truth when the blind prophet, Teiresias accuses him of being the one who murdered King Laios therefore fulfilling his destiny in which he had sought to avoid. In the end, the actions taken by both lead to their downfalls in different ways, death for Hamlet and loss of vision for Oedipus Rex. In the beginning, we see Hamlet living in an illusion blocking him from seeing what is really there. Hamlet is under the belief that his father died of natural causes and nothing more. As he comes to realize the truth, he leaves behind the safe harbor of innocence and naïveté and enters the uneasy world of adulthood and experience. Standing within his castle, he makes a speech to himself and to God commenting on the quickness in which his mother married his uncle. It is at this point where the beginning of the end of his innocence starts. He believes that by marrying his uncle, his mother betrayed his father. By doing that, the illusion that his parents had the perfect union is shattered forever. In the play, Hamlet says, "Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him. As if increase of appetite had grown. By what it fed on, and yet within a month.

Macbeth A Character Analysis O :: essays research papers

A Character Analysis of Lady Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “What’s done cannot be undone'; This is what Lady Macbeth said to her husband when he returned from murdering King Duncan. The statement is subtle and explains her way of thinking. Although Lady Macbeth is not completely evil-minded, she does play a big part as the antagonist in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a cold, heartless, and deceitful character. What did she get for being evil?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare did not supply us with much solid information about Lady Macbeth’s outward appearance. Context clues are all that can be used to assume what she looks like. Examples of context clues are her manner of speaking, actions, and the surrounding characters’ actions. Lady Macbeth often spoke hastily and interrupted. She is a cold, two-faced woman who resorts to going through extremes to get her way. Lady Macbeth also assisted Macbeth in the murder of King Duncan by giving him the idea of killing the King. In scene 1-5 Macbeth addressed his lady as his “dearest partner of greatness';. He might have meant that he sees her as his equal in authority. Most people see people in power and authority as being solid characters. Lady Macbeth might have been a solidly built woman, perhaps brunette, and elegantly dressed, for her husband was of importance and they probably were higher in the social ladder. Through her actions and words, Lady Macbeth’s personality can be summed up in one word: deceitful. She would have done anything to get her way and made sure to do so. In act 1-7 she stated that she easily would have killed her own baby if she promised to do so. She is not trustworthy of anyone but her husband, if that. If it weren’t for her, many murders would not have taken place. She was the driving force is Macbeth’s reasoning and his added to his downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knowing now her personality traits and assumed physical traits, it’s clear how they fit together. Although she hid it well, any suspecting character could have very well seen the ice in her eyes. Lady Macbeth did not radiate kindness from her appearance because that was not what she felt inside. Her amoral motives showed in her body language, for a truly innocent being would be graceful and could never harm another with such ease.

Critical and creative thinking skills Essay

Critical and creative thinking skills are used throughout our lives to help us make important decisions and guide us through our most difficult and treasured moments. These particular thinking skills are deemed to be higher levels of thought and through this higher level of thinking, help us make both personal and professional decisions. According to Le Cornu (2009), critical thinking is defined â€Å"as the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered† (p.1). This type of thinking embodies three different characteristics in its approach, these three dimensions are, analytic, evaluation and creative. In taking this approach one must be ableto think critically through reflection, observation of the major components and also incorporate some creativity to come up with unique ways to address the situation. Utilizing this approach guides us and gives us a strategy to incorpo rate both critical and creative thinking which work hand in hand to allow us to arrive at our final decision. Critical and creative thinking are thought to â€Å"involve a complex approach to arriving at an educated decision by implementing a strategy for questioning and reasoning that will allow arrival at a final well informed outcome† (Nicholls, 2010). I have used critical and creative thinking in my life many times, most recently I used this thinking process to make a very important decision. This decision consisted of deciding whether to come back school and pursue my Masters in Psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Health. This decision required thoughtful thinking and was used to obtain the best possible decision I could. I decided to use this method of thinking because, according to Paul & Elder (2006), â€Å"critical thinking is the active, persistent and careful consideration of a belief or form of knowledge, the grounds that support it and the conclusions that follow† (p.5). I considered this to be a very important decision therefore I  understood that it would require thoughtful consideration to arrive at the right choice for me. At this point in my life three major things had to be evaluated, analyzed and thought about creatively. My family, my career, and the value of obtaining a graduate degree. I had to ta ke extensive time and weigh the pros and cons of returning to school at this point. I had to examine those major factors critically and I also had to be creative in my thinking to work out the details. Nicholls (2010), states that creativity â€Å"involves forming ideas to solve problems and resolve issues† (p.12). In considering such a life changing decision, intellectual and out of the box methods had to be considered. My family consists of my 3 year old daughter and my fiancà ©e. In making this very important decision I had to examine how this decision would affect these two very important people. Factors included, time and money. Evaluating if my family would suffer because of the time and energy I would use pursuing my degree. Also, how would the amount of tuition effect our financial status and how would we adjust to this. Being a fulltime mom for two years, living off of one salary, having no savings, were all factors that had to be taken into consideration. On one hand, obtaining a higher degree could potentially increase our income, however one the other hand, paying the tuition in the interim while still living off of one salary had to be taken into consideration. These very important issues all had to be evaluated and analyzed. In taking these issues into consideration I was offered a full time position, providing ABA intervention to children on the Autism Spectrum. This presented an exciting, positive opportunity except for the fact that I was not thinking about returning to school at the very same time. This exciting opportunity presented me with both obstacles and benefits that I had to incorporate. Some of these obstacles included being able to perform at the best of my abilities, completing tasks proficiently and number one on the list ensuring that I have enough time to spend with my family. In examining these obstacles I had to analyze the immediate benefits that this entailed as well, one of which included, having two salaries, having the financial security that two incomes can provide. Being that my daughter is only three years old, constantly growing and changing each day, every minute spent away from her, could potentially be a min ute that I missed a major milestone in her life. Included in this struggle for time would be less time to complete  school work, to study, to interact with classmates. Therefore in turn leaving less time to take in the overall experience that a graduate program has to offer. Having all this to consider I had to resort to sound thinking otherwise known as critical and creative thinking which â€Å"requires both imagination and intellectual standards† (Paul &Elder) (p.4). These things contributed to the quality of my decision in that I took the time to analyze all factors, evaluate how these things would both have a negative or positive affect, and be creative in the ways that I could go about planning, and organizing my life to incorporate this change. In doing this I used â€Å"cognitive skills or strategies that increased the probability of a desirable outcome† (Halpern 1998). My education, affordability, time, completing assignments to the best of my abilities and learning all appropriate information were all things that had to be taken into consideration. Going back to school requires dedication in time, money and consistency. Would I have enough time to complete assignments and tasks, would I be able to afford this? Considering all options I finally arrived at the decision to return to school and accomplish my dream of obtaining a master’s degree. When I thought methodically, incorporated a strategy that allowed myself to evaluate and analyze the pros and cons, while also incorporating some creativity I was able to see that this was the right decision for me. In thinking critically and creatively I came to the conclusion that it would not be perfect, I would not be able to fulfill all my duties every day. However with patience, organization, and discipline I am currently on the right track, and am happy with the outcome thus far. There are days when I cannot believe I made this decision. There are times when I am just too exhausted to make that special meal for my family and feel defeated. However, after taking a few moments for myself I am able to realize that there is tomorrow, and in that day I can once again try and accomplish what I did not the day before. In thinking this way I am still incorporating critical and creative thinking skills in which bring about a positive outcome. References Halpern, D. F. (1998). Teaching critical thinking for transfer across domains: Dispisitions skills, structure training, and meta cognitive monitoring. American Psychologist 53(4), 440-445. Le Cornu, A. (2009). Meaning internalizations and Externalization: Towards a fuller understanding of the process of reflection and its role in the construction of the self. Adult Quarterly 59 (4), 279-297. Nicholls, D. D. (2010). Development of critical thinking and creativity: Practical guidelines for the postsecondary classroom. ATEA Journal 38 (1), 12-15. Paul, R. E. (2006). Critical thinking: The naute of critical and creative thought. Journal of Developmental Education , 34-35.

Why Pakistani People Have Lost a Sense of Nationality

Identity may be defined as a distinctive characteristic of an individual or a particular group of individuals. For one’s survival in this world it is very crucial to maintain his identity. If we expand the criterion of ‘identity’ to national level it is of utmost importance because it is nation’s identity which distinguishes its people from the rest of the world. The importance of national Identity can be better analyzed by the fact that it is the base of all the policies, i. e. domestic and foreign policy and hence the social. economic cultural and ethical development of any country partly depends upon its national identity. In other words actions of a nation are determined by its identity. As far as Pakistan’s identity is concerned, it may be divided into three phases, i. e. pre-partition, post partition and present day. The term ‘identity crisis’ is used to denote a particular situation where by an individual, group of individuals or a nation faces conflicts regarding its identity. These conflicts occur when one’s ideological basis and prevailing circumstances contradict in such a way that the prevailing circumstances dominate the ideological basis. . With reference to Pakistan the history of ‘identity crisis’ have its roots in the late Mughal dynasty. The comfort-loving attitude of the rulers, bloodsheds for the throne, abandoned faith, mismanagement of domestic economic and political matters, absence of updated foreign developments and other moral, ethical and social weaknesses were the major forces which contributed in the identity crisis of the Muslims of South Asia. In pre partition era where by Muslims of south Asia have lost their regime and British rule tighten the span of their social , cultural and political life. Actually they lost their rule just because of the ‘lost identity’. After a half century of submissive life they began to find the ‘lost identity’ and they succeeded. The second phase of identity crisis began very after the inception of Pakistan. The Shia/Sunni crisis at the time of partition was the first of all. But luckily at that time, the crisis was pragmatically resolved by Quaid-e-Azam, so it was buried in a hatchet at that time but later on it burst up from different grounds. The second case of identity crisis in the chronology is the crisis of East and West Pakistan. At the time of inception, Pakistan inherited East and West Pakistan with one and four provinces respectively. Population of East Pakistan alone was more than that of the total population of the four provinces of West Pakistan. The seeds of identity crisis were sown with the ‘language controversy’, where by Urdu was declared as the national language of Pakistan while Urdu was the influencing language only in West Pakistan. This language controversy and some other strategies which lead to the deprived feelings among the natives of East Pakistan and the ultimate consequence was an identity crisis in the form of separation of East Pakistan in 1971. Not only the separation of East Pakistan but, a variety of identity crisis cases stood in the post partition era. The list contains delayed constitutional development, unstable political conditions (due to personal likes and dislikes and lust of power), Social injustice and negative image of Pakistan on international screen. Constitution is the base of any new born state but in case of Pakistan this base couldn’t be established even after about a decade of the inception of Pakistan. So when there was no base for people, the process of identity development started very late. Latterly the termination of 1956’s and 1962’s constitutions fulfilled the remaining part of delayed identity development. All these factors further participated in corruption, national disharmony, rigid attitudes, misconceptions about the religion (partly the role played by ‘mullas’), blind practices on unnecessary customs and a list of moral dilemmas. The identity crisis after the partition threw Pakistan in an ignominious status both at domestic and at international arena. Domestically we couldn’t achieve the social status which we’ve dreamt during the Pakistan movement. Economically we stood at the back end of the global economic stage. And above all we were entitled as a ‘terrorist state’ due to some mismanaged and scattered groups. Even some of them really didn’t have the basic knowledge of their ideological agenda. In present day Pakistan, the situation is more hazardous than that of one discussed in the previous phase. Today’s identity crisis is ‘giant’ in nature aiming to nip our ideology form the bud. Now with changing global environment and with the changing role of Pakistan at international level, the nature of identity crisis has become more complex. The present day crisis may be classified as political, social religious and economic identity crisis. The social and religious crisis work in collaboration. On the religious part, the extremist group has developed misconceptions about the religion. On the other hand the society is facing the ‘cultural war’ through different media. In such a situation the nation, preferably the youth has contradictions with religious implications which is making them unaware of their ideological basis. In the second step the attractive evil (the weapon of cultural war) is becoming dominant. So the nation’s ideological basis is being deployed by the prevailing circumstances, creating identity crisis. In this case we can’t blame the young mind (as he’s not getting the proper guideline and he has not been trained in such a way that he can find the roots the purpose of his existence, secondly the so called knowledge of religion he gets is not authentic). The second type of present day identity crisis in Pakistan is political in nature. In fact our political system has always been ruled by reigns in hands of few influencing groups. No such political platforms were built for the coming generations, to ensure their participation in national or international affairs. It is very necessary to train the youth for the participation in national affairs because they are the people who have to run the country in the future. Unluckily our youth didn’t get any such training at any stage of our 59 years history. The ultimate result was that, the administrators belonged to a specific group, making others so annoyed that others even don’t care to have a look at the mismanagement. This imbalance in the political infrastructure restricted the educated youth to participate in the national policies and ultimately the process of policy making enjoyed the influence of un-educated and narrow minded policy makers, who couldn’t devise the identity goals of the nation till yet. At international political arena we are still facing the vicious circle of ‘terrorism’. Even our government ensured Pakistan’s contribution in the ‘war against terrorism’, but being an Islamic state we become the suspect of any international terrorist act. Here the policy of state is ambiguous, which aims to satisfy the western world but the integration of Muslim world is not to be seen any where. In my opinion we don’t know that where we are standing right now, where we have to go and where we are going? On the part of economy, no doubt our economy grew with in last half decade but only at macro level. The poor is still standing on the place where he was a decade ago. Increasing Unemployment, inflation, and poverty etc are not only contributing in social imbalances but because of these factors, a common man is not able to find the basis of his identity. The identity of a nation is its image, and our image today is ‘a tree whose roots have been cut’. This situation is actually showing our lost identity. We have become much concerned about our outer look but we have forgotten the basis on which we have to develop our inner self. If this process keeps on going with the same velocity, the time is not far when the existence of our identity will vanish. It is very crucial to have a breach of the peace against identity crisis. In this regard the most important step is identity education. The identity education should be provided at educational institutions as well as in temporarily organized seminars (seminars should be accessible for general public). Identity education will not work till we present a difference between different cultures. Media censorship should also be there in order to lessen the possible damages of cultural war. Media should also spread the knowledge of values among the common men. And last but not least we all should play our part to improve our religious image at international level. In this connection we can spread the true essence of our religion which is peace.