Montaigne and Descartes on Doubting - 1571 Words

Diane Ihlenfeldt March 4, 2004 Philosophy 110 Montaigne and Descartes Montaigne and Descartes both made use of a philosophical method that focused on the use of doubt to make discoveries about themselves and the world around them. However, they doubted different things. Descartes doubted all his previous knowledge from his senses, while Montaigne doubted that there were any absolute certainties in knowledge. Although they both began their philosophical processes by doubting, Montaigne doubting a constant static self, and Descartes doubted that anything existed at all, Descartes was able to move past that doubt to find one indubitably certainty, I think, therefore I am. How often do we question what is real or true? Descartes†¦show more content†¦Descartes eventually managed to prove the existence of a higher being. He said that since he had the idea of a perfect being, then that perfect being must exist. His reasoning was that he, Descartes, was an imperfect being and that an imperfect being could not come up wit h the concept of a perfect being without that perfect being actually existing and giving Descartes that idea. Descartes still had to deal with many doubts. The doubt of foremost importance was the doubting of his senses, and the doubt of whether or not his body actually existed. Descartes decided that since this God was a perfect being, it must then also be a compassionate being and would not give Descartes senses and then use those senses to trick him into using those senses to determine knowledge that was not in fact true. Descartes and Montaigne did not agree in the ways in which they doubted. Descartes doubted about the existence of all knowledge, but believed that there were certainties to be found within that group of doubtable knowledge. Descartes focused on the fact that there must be at least one certainty in the world, but began this search for this certainty by methodically doubting everything that he already knew as knowledge. Montaigne decided that nothing wa s certain, regardless of how many times it was tested, because everything was constantly changing. Montaigne believedShow MoreRelated montaigne and descartes on doubting Essay example1560 Words   |  7 PagesMontaigne and Descartes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Montaigne and Descartes both made use of a philosophical method that focused on the use of doubt to make discoveries about themselves and the world around them. However, they doubted different things. Descartes doubted all his previous knowledge from his senses, while Montaigne doubted that there were any absolute certainties in knowledge. Although they both began their philosophical processes by doubting, Montaigne doubting a constant staticRead MoreGod Is Truth Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesMontaigne, Descartes, and Pascal all believe in a superlative truth unforeseeable through the commonly held truth of society. Montaigne states that even contradictions are not contradictions in truth (Montaigne, p.75). Not believing in the possibility of this lack contradiction in truth would be considered scepticism - scepticism being the reluctance to believe anything for any reason. This same scepticism is explained by Descartes as a self-disproving falsity by hi s quotation I think, thereforeRead More How Descartes Tries to Extricate Himself from the Skeptical Doubts He Has Raised4647 Words   |  19 PagesHow Descartes Tries to Extricate Himself from the Skeptical Doubts He Has Raised [All page references and quotations from the Meditations are taken from the 1995 Everyman edition] In the Meditations, Descartes embarks upon what Bernard Williams has called the project of Pure Enquiry to discover certain, indubitable foundations for knowledge. By subjecting everything to doubt Descartes hoped to discover whatever was immune to it. In order to best understand how and why Descartes

AP Response Free Essays

This story, in all honesty, did not entertain me or stimulate intriguing thoughts. I felt like the author gave a lot of his time to describe the scene and the appearance of characters that there was nothing really going on. I spent most of my time while reading trying to figure out or thinking what certain things looked like rather than anticipating what may be happening next. We will write a custom essay sample on AP Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now Overall this story did not engage me nor hold my interest. I did on the other hand find the way Sammy’s attitude to toward the girls rather baffling because here are these three girls, two of which he mentions are overweight and not on the attractive side, and then â€Å"Queenie† whom he points out is too pale but yet in a sense â€Å"eye candy†. It was strange how he felt a pull towards them as soon as he noticed them and felt the need to quit his job and become their self proclaimed hero. Was he just as strange or just someone who really needs the attention? Sammy meets the need of one’s standards that may be classified as a normal and average teenage boy. He works, is easily distracted, and has a keen interest in girls. With Sammy’s vernacular and his actions he comes off as awkward by the time the story ends. He describes the girls the best way he knows how but uses a lot of similes and metaphors instead of just stating what one of their skin looks likes or what her body looks like. And when he describes the shoppers he makes them seem like they are suffering from oppression. As if they are they because they have to be just like he is there because he has no choice. And when something goes wrong or something out of the ordinary happens, like him quitting, they seem lost at what to do next. Just like the customers/shoppers when Sammy said â€Å"I quit†, he was not expecting it and was lost himself. And because he decided to quit out of nowhere to be an uncertified hero for these girls that he may possibly never see again, he knows he more than likely cannot get his job back and without that job, how is he suppose to survive out in the world with no money? I think the story endorses personal values. And the value of appearance is highly criticized because Sammy talks about how unattractive two out of three of the girls are based off his opinion which does not matter to these girls who may value their appearance and feel comfortable in every aspect of their bodies. Sammy’s actions to quit his job were stupid. He did not need to quit his job and try to be a hero to get their attention. He could of stood up for them without using â€Å"I quit† especially after the girls already make their way to the door and possibly unaware of what he is doing for them. In a way he came off as someone who needs to make a scene to be heard instead of just speaking with assertiveness. In a way this story has no point. It is a great example of realistic fiction. With the way certain descriptions laid out how the store may and even Sammy’s uniform may look. It was believable. How to cite AP Response, Papers

Flannery OConner Essay Example For Students

Flannery OConner Essay 1.I have heard a great deal about my father, tales of extreme hubris and smugness were always mixed with those of noble and humble intentions. He seemed to exemplify at times the focus of this essay on pride by Frazier. 2.Men, more so than women in my experience, seem to be guilty of: not stopping for directions, attempting to fix things about the house with little or no knowledge of them, zoning out in front of the television, commonly being afflicted with hubris, this is the main weakness of males. 3.The difference between pride and stupidity will be decidedly luck. 4.When does pride become stupidity? Describe the line. 5.What can a person do to try curbing this appetite for taking pride min things of little or no value?6.The knowledge of kid Icarus is somewhat vital in understanding the other analogies in this essay, for they are all basically the same. 7.The line between love, bravery, pride and being funny is a fine one and only luck keeps us on the right side. C.Summarize-In life we often times try to take on what we do not understand in hopes that pride and luck will carry us through. Things that seem half-brained any other time become amazingly good ideas under the influence of pride. Frazier demonstrates this beautifully. Pride is what we see as one of the worst attributes to have in yourself. Yet, sometimes it is the driving force of great acts that take place. The game is hit and miss at best. D.Imitate-Ive looked at it from many angles, wondering how the feat was managed, admiring the mountaineering skill it took, and in the process noticing the architecture of this estimable old building much more closely than I ever would have otherwise. I have gazed down upon it from many viewpoints, pondering why this had been performed, noticing the performance skill required, and in the process admiring the octave scale of this newer piece of music much more closely than I would have otherwise. E. Rhetoric- The language in this essay is simple and downplayed form many of the other essays I have read in this book. It was quite refreshing to read words so plain and true about a topic that affects everyone in the world (mostly men). Pride was funny in its frankness and delectably simple. A mere 1 pages long this essay said what it needed to in the easiest words possible and got out. Frazier seemed to follow Carvers advice on writing essays and short stories.

The Reality of Homosexuality in Society free essay sample

In this research, I will discuss the claim that homosexuality is unnatural and the arguments we often hear from the moral traditionalists used to support the claim. I remember an article about John Corvino, from the Internet; he easily and deftly deals with the arguments about homosexuality. However his arguments have the potential to open up a can of worms with regards to incest and bestiality. Corvino’s arguments against libeling an activity as unnatural to gauge its moral value can be used to claim a slippery slope occurs. Thus creating a dilemma where the moral liberal must accept incest and bestiality if she accepts homosexuality as morally neutral. This is not really an argument but rather a challenge to show how this slippery slope does not occur. This is done first by providing some positive arguments for homosexuality. Incest and bestiality do not have these benefits and are more likely to result in negatives. We will write a custom essay sample on The Reality of Homosexuality in Society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Second, the link between homosexuality, incest and bestiality will be questioned. The fact that heterosexuals and homosexuals can engage in incest and bestiality shows the traditionalists to be begging the question in their grouping of the three. This sets incest and bestiality up as separate arguments, and so creates a logical divide between homosexuality, incest and bestiality. No one knows exactly how homosexuality entered into human history. Still, that’s one of the big issues. Another, my curiosity is one of the factors why I want to research this topic. As a member of the homosexual community, I want to know more better how come a little boy when he grew up, his lifestyle change, like in the girls. No one would imagine that the practices associated with the erotic attraction of people to ones own gender have been around since the dawn of humanity. The earliest accounts of homosexual behavior seem to be found in ancient pagan religious practices. At least, the pagans included homosexuality in the worship of various gods. Whether the inclusion in worship was because the practice was already a part of the society-at-large or if the pagan worship introduced the practice is impossible to determine, although some understandings of Pauls writings argue for the latter. Human beings began to worship many gods very early in human history. These early gods were most often associated with fertility, agriculture, and war. One of the early gods of the Assyrians, which later spread into the area known as Canaan, was the goddess Asherah. She was worshipped as the goddess of fertility. Often worship of this goddess included orgies and sexual practices. The goddess of fertility was often worshipped in the form of a tree with many female breasts carved into the trunk. These trees were central in a grove where worship was conducted. One would invoke or appease the goddess in order to gain fertility for ones self, the tribe, or the clan. When polytheism, the worship of many gods, was dominant on the earth, gods could be both male and female. These gods were not considered to be infallible or all-powerful like the Christian concept of God. Often they were very much like people with desires and the ability to make mistakes. Gods were believed to have sex with one another and procreate. Those who practiced these religions often felt that the nature of these gods had to be appeased in order for the tribe to survive. Having sex with a god as a part of worship, or to seek help for fertile crops, animals, or selves, was a logical extension of the concept of polytheism.

Elvis by Albert Goldman essays

Elvis by Albert Goldman essays Elvis by Albert Goldman is a book about the life and times of the king of rock and roll. It shows how a country boy rose up and ruled the world of music, and also showed his downfall. It starts by telling about Elvis' childhood, and moving to his teenage years. Elvis was always a wholesome country boy no matter if people considered him leud, or outrageous. In fact, Elvis was discovered when he made a record for his mothers birthday, Elvis always respected his parents. Next it moves on to the first few records that Elvis cut at Sun Records with his first producer Sam Phillips. What made Elvis different from other singers was that he was "a white boy who could sing like a nigger." as Sam Phillips described his style. It then moves on to detail his breakthrough year of 1956 in which he had such hits as Heartbreak Hotel, and Hound Dog. 1956 was the year that Elvis took America by storm, and earned him the title "The King of Rock and Roll". After that, it states the hardships that Elvis faced over the next few years in the military. These few years were not very good for Elvis, for the first time he had to leave the US, and his beloved mother passed away before he left for his assignment in Germany. Moving on it tells us about his glorious return to the United States, reclaiming his title as "King", and moving on to something bigger and better the movies. Over the course of the next few years Elvis made a lot of movies, but none were liked by the critics, but they did make money. After his less than stellar movie career Elvis came back to music with a blast the 68' Comeback Special. Once again Elvis was on top of the music industry. After the 68' Comeback Special Elvis moved on to very successful shows at Las Vegas. Elvis played in Las Vegas until his death. He also started to tour again. It was during this time that he and his wife of only a few years, Pri...

Definition and Examples of Evaluation Essays

Definition and Examples of Evaluation Essays An  evaluation essay is a  composition that offers value judgments about a particular subject according to a set of criteria. Also called  evaluative writing, evaluative essay or report, and critical evaluation essay. An evaluation essay or report is a type of argument that provides evidence to justify a writers opinions about a subject. Any kind of review is essentially a piece of  evaluative writing, says Allen  S. Goose. This type of writing calls for the critical thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation (8 Kinds of Writing, 2001).   Observations Without good reasons for liking or disliking certain things, students can never get beyond being passive receivers of marketing, fickle consumers without a basis for their opinions. Writing evaluation papers asks them to question why they feel the way they do.(Allison D. Smith, et al., Teaching in the Pop Culture Zone: Using Popular Culture in the Composition Classroom. Wadsworth, 2009) How to Evaluate If you are evaluating a piece of writing, then you are going to need to thoroughly read the work. While you read the work, keep in mind the criteria you are using to evaluate. The evaluative aspects may be: grammar, sentence structure, spelling, content, usage of sources, style, or many other things. Other things to consider when evaluating a piece of writing is whether the writing appealed to its target audience. Was there an emotional appeal? Did the author engage the audience, or was the piece lacking something? ...If you are evaluating anything else, use your head. You need to try, use, or test whatever thing you are evaluating. That means you should not evaluate a 2005 Chevrolet Corvette unless you have the $45,000 (or more) to buy one, or the money to rent one. You also need the know-how of driving a car of that power and a base of knowledge of other cars that you have tested to compare it to.(Joe Torres, Rhetoric and Composition Study Guide. Global Media, 2007) Identifying Criteria for an Evaluation Make a list of prominent, widely recognized standards for judging your subject. If you do not know the standards usually used to evaluate your subject, you could do some research. For example, if you are reviewing a film, you could read a few recent film reviews online or in the library, noting the standards that reviewers typically use and the reasons that they assert for liking or disliking a film. If you are evaluating a soccer team or one winning (or losing) game, you could read a book on coaching soccer or talk to an experienced soccer coach to learn about what makes an excellent soccer team or winning game.(Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper, Axelrod Coopers Concise Guide to Writing, 4th ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2006) Ways of Organizing an Evaluation Essay One way to organize an  evaluation essay is  point-by-point: describe one element of the subject and then evaluate it; present the next element and evaluate it; and so on. Comparison/contrast could be an organizing structure as well,  in which you evaluate something by  comparing (or contrasting) it to a known item. Culinary and music reviews often use this strategy.  Chronological organization can be used  for evaluating an event (either current or historical). Sequential organization can be used when describing how something works and evaluating the effectiveness of the process, procedure, or mechanism. Spatial organization can be used for evaluating art  or architecture in which you describe and evaluate one element of the artifact and then move spatially to the next major element to be described and evaluated.(David S. Hogsette,  Writing That Makes Sense: Critical Thinking in College Composition.  Wipf and Stock,  2009)

Out-of Control Interview Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Out-of Control Interview - Assignment Example By Maria being able to take a job as a waitress in a hotel yet she’s such an intelligent person just shows how non-selective she is when it comes to doing anything to survive. She’s therefore depicted as one who is driven by her goals and will do anything to achieve her goals. He can be useful to the organization in case Maria was employed there since she will ensure she does what it takes in order to achieve what they want. On the part of the carelessness of the firm’s management with their questions, it actually reflected a well-thought interview, most interviews are known for just touching on what they people expect out of the interview such as questions about one’s career, skills, and experience. A person is always prepared fully to even tell a lie when it comes to testing them on the usual aspect they expected out of an interview. Therefore, for the management to really realize your real character, thought and skills of critical thinking, it is very i mportant that they make the interview appear like they are not even serious with it or have careless questions in between. In this way, one will be taken out of their already thought answers that might not be true, to give exactly what you are to the panel. As you try to respond to the careless questions they throw at you, they also get the chance to study your reaction that gives them a chance to make their informed decision about you. Maria must have regarded the carelessness of the management seriously and decided to be herself in responding to such questions.

Human service paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human service paper - Essay Example The professionals further require understanding the individual’s knowledge, the society and relationship to family and culture of the client (p.13). In human services, the client and the helper establish a relationship that enables the client to focus on the problems early in the helping process. Abraham Maslow in the hierarchy of needs emphasized that in order for an individual to rise to the higher levels the lower level needs must be met. Most of the clients are usually overwhelmed by their problems such that they are clueless on where and how to start. Usually it is best to commence from the most basic needs (p. 17). These factors are just, but a few to be considered when dealing with human services and should be highly valued by all stakeholders of the human service to achieve results. In the 1500s, the Catholic Church was tasked with the responsibility of offering human services to individuals. Under the church’s guidance, institutions were founded to meet the needs of the poor, orphans, the elderly and the sick (p.31). The hospital also served as a pivotal point where people not only accessed medical facilities but also were fed, housed and rested. For instance, England under the Crown’s rights held that it was the responsibility of the king to protect people with needs, especially the mentally challenged and provide them with necessities of life. Feudal lords also assumed responsibility of people living with disabilities in their land. With the onset of the industrial revolution, the poor put a strain on the government in England. This prompted a policy that was meant to tackle poverty in large scale. The Elizabethan poor law of 1601 was passed (Woodside & McClam, 2011). This law offered a guideline to England and the United States on specifications on who could provide human services to the poor for the next 350 years. This law is part of the processes that recognized trends of poverty and a dire need for human

The Storm by Kate Chopin Essay Example for Free

The Storm by Kate Chopin Essay The short story The Storm by Kate Chopin revolves around a setting that is both exciting and enticing. Chopins portrayal of the storms setting reinforces the plots main thematic elements through descriptive imagery that coincides with the characters emotions throughout the story. The characters in this story, Alcee and Calixta in particular, each make their own best of the situation as the storm hits. The storm is described as a violent one, with thrashing winds and blinding rain. The cracking of the thunder is frightening to Calixta, and jump-starts an emotional reunion between her and Alcee. Alcee takes shelter in Calixta and her husband, Bobintots home before the storm begins. Alcee, hearing the rumble of the thunder and the uneasy voice of Calixta, tries to comfort her. While the rain beats against the door, he reminds her of a moment that they shared in Assumption. They then began to kiss one another as they did that night in Assumption. One thing led to another and they ended up engaging in a sexual encounter that was purely for the pleasure of each of them. In the late 1800s sex was not looked upon as an experience that was meant to be pleasurable for a woman, instead it was looked upon as an obligation of a wife to her husband. The setting of this story seems to act as a catalyst for these two individuals to look back at their past together and to relive it. While Calixta and Alcee are fornicating, her husband and son, Bibi, are taking cover in a cistern from the storm. They were out getting shrimp for Calixta to cook for dinner. Bibi had been splashed with mud on his good pants and the collar of his shirt, and his father commented My! Bibi, wat will yo mama say! (Chopin 117). They then freshened up a bit to appear more becoming when they returned home. It seems that Bobintot cares very much for his wife and always wants him and his son to look presentable when they are around Calixta. It also seems as though the two are not too worried about Calixtas welfare during the storm, although the story does make mention of whether she will be alright or not. When Alcee and Calixta are talking inside her house about their time in Assumption, Chopin writes: For in Assumption, he had kissed and kissed and kissed her; until his senses would well nigh fail, and to save her he would resort to a desperate flight. If she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate; a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, against which his honor forbade him to prevail. (Chopin 116). This is telling the reader that they did not make love back in Assumption. Calixta was a virgin then and they were too afraid of being caught to give themselves to each other. If they had sex, Calixta would have probably become pregnant and their reputations would have been destroyed. She would have been labeled a harlot and Alcees honor would have been ruined. However; now in this moment of the storm, she is married, and if they have sex and she gets pregnant, everyone will assume that the baby belongs to Bobintot and she will not be caught. Then storm then ended and Alcee rode off on his horse. Bobintot and Bibi returned home with the shrimp and Calixta acted very excited to see them. She got excited and told her husband: Shrimps! Oh, Bobintot! You too good fo anything! (Chopin 117) and kissed him and Bibi excessively. The reader also learns that Alcee has a wife that is staying in Biloxi. Alcee wrote a loving letter to her that night telling her that he is doing well and that she should stay in Biloxi if she and the children are fairing well there. The setting often invokes emotional responses that force the characters to react accordingly, which, in turn develops the plot. The surrounding storm is a representation of Calixtas bound up inner emotions. She seems to feel like she has no pleasure in her life and cant do anything that she wants to do. This is why she so effortlessly acts out in the manner she does with Alcee. The story tells the reader that while Calixta is in Alcees arms, the thunder and wind do not faze her whatsoever when Chopin writes: They need not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made  her laugh as she lay in his arms. She was a revelation in that dim, mysterious chamber; as white as the couch she lay upon. (Chopin 116). On any given afternoon, a storm of this magnitude would easily frighten Calixta, as she was frightened before Alcee took her into his arms, however; while romancing with Alcee, Calixta was at peace with the storm. The reader can infer that Calixta is overwhelmingly enthused by the situation that she is in. Furthermore, the storm actually acts as a sort of door that allows these actions to take place. The Storm was written and set in the late 1800s, when women had few purposes in life other than cleaning, cooking, bearing children, and pleasing their husbands. Kate Chopin seemed to contradict this in her writing. Writing a story about a womans extramarital affair with a man, who is also married, was something that few people wrote about or agreed with in her day. In fact, the majority of society strongly disagreed with her work. So much even that she was not allowed to publish anymore after her novel The Awakening. In conclusion, Chopins portrayal of the storms setting reinforces the plots main thematic elements through descriptive imagery that coincides with the characters emotions throughout the story. Chopins use of descriptive imagery in The Storm draws the reader into the setting and provides essential elements for plot development. Chopin utilizes the stormy setting to portray the characters participating in sinful acts that at the time were considered taboo. Also, the setting of The Storm provides for the reader an atmosphere capable for understanding and relating to the plots many themes. Not only does the setting provide essential elements for plot development, it also acts somewhat as a separate character in itself by affecting the mood and actions of the main characters. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. The Storm. Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd. ed. New York: Longman, 2002. 114-118.

Essay --

Participation of hyperglycemia in triggering the multiple oxidative stress pathways in the course of diabetes. AngII: angiotensin II; eNOS: endothelial nitric oxide synthase; Jac/STAT: janus kinase (Jac)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT); LDL: low density lipoprotein cholesterol; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; MetS: metabolic syndrome; NF-ÃŽ ºb: nuclear transcription factor ÃŽ ºb; †¢NO: nitric oxide; NOS: nitric oxide synthase; †¢O2−: superoxide anion radical; †¢OH: hydroxyl radical; ONOO−: peroxynitrite; PCKÃŽ ´: protein kinase C ÃŽ ´. Adapted from Johansen et al., 2005 The increased oxidative stress in subjects with type 2 diabetes is therefore a magnitude of several abnormalities, including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and dyslipidemia, each of which contributes to mitochondrial superoxide overproduction in endothelial cells of large and small vessels as well as the myocardium[15] COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES Whether diabetes occurs as a result of type 1, the early-onset and predominantly insulin-dependent form, or type 2, the late-onset... Essay -- Participation of hyperglycemia in triggering the multiple oxidative stress pathways in the course of diabetes. AngII: angiotensin II; eNOS: endothelial nitric oxide synthase; Jac/STAT: janus kinase (Jac)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT); LDL: low density lipoprotein cholesterol; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; MetS: metabolic syndrome; NF-ÃŽ ºb: nuclear transcription factor ÃŽ ºb; †¢NO: nitric oxide; NOS: nitric oxide synthase; †¢O2−: superoxide anion radical; †¢OH: hydroxyl radical; ONOO−: peroxynitrite; PCKÃŽ ´: protein kinase C ÃŽ ´. Adapted from Johansen et al., 2005 The increased oxidative stress in subjects with type 2 diabetes is therefore a magnitude of several abnormalities, including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and dyslipidemia, each of which contributes to mitochondrial superoxide overproduction in endothelial cells of large and small vessels as well as the myocardium[15] COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES Whether diabetes occurs as a result of type 1, the early-onset and predominantly insulin-dependent form, or type 2, the late-onset...

Execute a Training Bond Essay

Knowledge is an immeasurable, unique and rich possession which when impacted cannot be retrieved. Knowledge doesn’t decrease when it is given, in fact, knowledge is power. Knowing I can be financially independent and comfortable if I’m given the opportunity to become part of Access bank and also with the knowledge that a training bond can be regarded as the first step to helping me achieve that, then yes, that is the major reason why I want to execute it. I want to execute the training bond program because the incentives associated with it are universal and include increasing one’s earning potential and acquiring additional skills and abilities that are attractive to any organization. Training and development are important factors that would help me develop talent, motivation, and leadership skills that will contribute to a successful personal and professional career. A training bond is an important factor to the success of any organization. As an employee I would like to be a valuable asset that will add to the success of the company and I want to execute the training bond because I believe it will help me achieve that. A training bond supports and makes possible the development of new skills and knowledge. I want to execute the training bond because I know it will polish my abilities at various levels within the organization and assist me in developing the necessary skills and proficiency to be successful in my career as well as prepare for new responsibilities. I support the reasonable implementation of training bonds or training agreements simply because I agree that companies must secure the recovery of their training investments. When they send people to training and the employees acquire important skills, they naturally increase their market value. Trained workers are far more attractive to competiting firms than regular run off the mill workers and companies who overlook the importance of tend to poach qualified employees from their competitors. The Access bank School of banking excellence is a well recognized training platform on the African continent that provides an extensive program which develops the competencies of prospective employees as well as harnesses their commitment to Access bank. In the process of becoming a bona fide and qualified staff of Access bank, I understand that I would be required to undergo a challenging and rigorous training in order to meet the bank standards, training which is second to none in the African and global banking industry and an experience I am looking forward too.

Globalization of the Media: A Bicultural Woman’s View Essay

Does globalization mean we’re being conditioned into thinking only of CNN or Al Jazeera when disaster strikes and we need detailed news of an event? Yes, very likely, because many media in the Arab world fall short of the task of providing good, accurate, news that’s to the point. Can we face globalization? Should we be part of it? What tools can we manipulate to our advantage? What role can women play in globalization of the media? Do they face obstacles? Doesn’t it hurt us when foreign journalists report wrong information about us? Shouldn’t we help them by making it easy to get the right information and not fall into the same trap of doing to them what they do to us? 1. NEED FOR UNDERSTANDING & BALANCED INFORMATION ON BOTH SIDES: We need more media that can understand our cultural backgrounds and societal needs on both sides of the cultural divide – i.e. those that strike a balance between accurate information and understanding of the story’s background. All too often reporters are parachuted into a country to cover a hot story without having solid grounding in the subject. This applies to Arabs as well as Americans and Europeans. I’ve seen it happen in many countries and we need to rectify that. U.S. and European correspondents often arrive on Arab shores with no notion of what’s happening in the country or the region, little or no knowledge of Arabic (or French) and expecting everyone to understand them in English, for example. Some don’t do their homework and don’t read about the background that led to recent conflicts, as if they exist in a vacuum. It’s a major failure on their part. An American reporter I know was too scared to enter Tripoli (Lebanon) during one of the major firefights of the Lebanese civil war, took a taxi to the edge of the city, saw some exchanges from a distance, ran back to Beirut, filed the story with a Tripoli dateline and proceeded to detail the raging battle which he never really saw. There are many such stories from all over the world. That’s a great disservice to the readers, viewers, listeners and browsers. 2. THE GENDER PROBLEM: On the gender front, an Arab woman journalist may be lucky to cover the same news as a man, but she can’t expect the same pay. Why? â€Å"There’s a ceiling women can’t penetrate in media and government,† says May Kahale, a veteran journalist and media adviser to former Lebanese president Elias Hrawi. Mona Ziade, news editor at The Daily Star in Lebanon, notes that women’s coverage of politics and other â€Å"serious issues† is fairly recent and continues to raise male suspicions. Which is why women have to strive harder to prove themselves and abide by very professional standards to be taken seriously, and be respected. According to Dr. Mohammad Ibrahim Ayesh of Sharjah University, the chances of Arab women in the media are still limited compared to men and the lack of opportunities for professional growth is a major depressant they face in media organizations. He attributed this to traditional stereotyping of women in the media as consumers only concerned with beauty and fashion and lacking the ability to think and make decisions. Another obstacle is that media work requires flexible hours and mobility, which often conflicts with the responsibilities of married women, who have children and homes, he added. Why don’t we have stories of women who have succeeded in this field highlighted in our own media? Why don’t we make them available to foreign media in their own languages? It doesn’t take genius, just a bit of effort. I spent many years covering the Pentagon (in addition to the White House, State Department and Congress) and enjoyed writing on defense and security issues, focusing on weapons, rapid deployment forces, low intensity warfare, terrorism and nuclear proliferation. Mastery of languages is very important. It’s helped me in many situations. Reading Farsi (with my command of Arabic) helped me cover stories in Tehran; knowing Greek enabled me to decipher the Cyrillic alphabet while on assignment in Moscow and while living in Cyprus; and being fluent in French has served me in many locations, like North Africa and elsewhere. Thinking and speaking in English’s many variations is my strength. If women are to prove themselves in the field – and many have excelled over the years – they should do their homework, and more. They should keep pushing that executive glass ceiling by being experts in areas not considered â€Å"women’s issues.† 3. HOW ARAB MEDIA SHOULD COUNTERATTACK: On November 26, the Arab League opened a two-day conference to discuss how to deal with the world’s eagerness to equate Islam with terrorism and started a fund with an initial $1 million donation to finance research and publications to promote dialogue among civilizations. That’s great, but we need to ensure the availability of satellite broadcasts (mostly in English), good use of the Internet, and an army of articulate communicators who can convey the ideas of peace, common humanity and fairness to all in non-rhetorical language, short sound bites and cyber kilobits. Arab media need to counter-attack, but I would argue that to do so, they must act decisively, promptly and credibly. The Detroit Free Press, published in the city with the United States’ most concentrated Arab-American population, is trying to better understand and explain issues concerning Arab-Americans and Muslims. It has a list called â€Å"100 Questions & Answers About Arab-Americans: A Journalistà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s Guide† to help with more accurate journalistic portrayals of Arab-Americans, their backgrounds, culture, religions. The Florida-based Poynter Institute, which specializes in media matters, ran an online article called â€Å"Understanding Ramadan† with links to various sites journalists could use as resources. Equally good were two features in the Seattle Times Online called â€Å"Understanding Turbans† and â€Å"Interpreting Veils† with illustrations and descriptions of headdresses worn by men and covers for women. We should have such information handy to provide our media contacts. Speaking on Arab-American perspectives on the anti-terrorism war, the president of the Arab-American Institute in Washington, James Zogby, delivered the Secretary of State’s Open Forum address in December, noting that his community can play a bridging role in the Middle East. â€Å"We understand the reality of the region,† he said. â€Å"We also want to have input in the discussions about how we approach the Middle East.† So what do readers in America, for example, really want? Pam Johnson writes on the Poynter Institute site that international news needs relevance. â€Å"For many Americans, what happens in the Middle East, Western Europe, Great Britain, Afghanistan, the Indian sub-continent, and the rest of North America now is a subject of great interest,† she said. â€Å"Similarly, events in the United States that are related to the U.S.-led ‘War on Terrorism’ take on greater importance.† The Columbia Journalism Review of November/December 1997 ran a story entitled â€Å"Reporting Foreign News: Who Gives a Damn?† Author James F. Hoge, Jr. wrote that except for the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-90, the coverage of international news in American media had steadily declined since the late seventies, when the cold war lost its sense of imminent danger. The reason: A world less threatening to America is less newsy, he reported. Or as one TV executive said, â€Å"sunshine is a weather report, a raging storm is news.† Journalists have also ignored historians, wrote Charles Bowen in Editor & Publisher. He pointed to a new history-rich website called History News Network (www.historynewsnetwork.org) as a potentially powerful resource, providing linked headlines to its latest analyses. Shouldn’t the Arab World have something similar to serve its purposes? George Krimsky, a veteran foreign correspondent and editor with the Associated Press, who now has a consulting firm, co-authored a very useful book called â€Å"Bringing the World Home: Showing Readers Their Global Connections.† It’s an invaluable resource for Americans who don’t see a link between their own back yards and the universe at large. Arabs can help by finding links between what interests Americans and their own region. It just requires homework, research, and perseverance. Several organizations award journalists for the work they do and risks they take to inform us about what’s happening in the world, or even in our own neighborhoods. We should support these awards and create worthy prizes. I was heartened to learn that the conference of Arab news agencies’ federation which met in Doha in December recommended the establishment of the federation’s own internet site in English and Arabic and another site to counter the negative image portrayed in the perceived campaign against Arabs and Muslims. I would still like to see more references made to women’s participation in that effort and mention of how the image of women in the Arab world can be presented in a positive light, not via stereotypes. â€Å"Empowering Arab & Muslim women is the key to eradicating terrorism at its source† was the headline of an article by Lebanese journalist Saad Mehio in The Daily Star Dec. 12, 2001. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS: With all that in mind, here are my recommendations for positive change: Women journalists should have facts ready at their fingertips, ask intelligent questions, be persistent without being obnoxious, show inconsistencies in what’s being said and done, document everything, and be thorough. Arab women journalists need to learn American English fast and tune in to the nuances of official Washington before presuming to know how to cover the White House, State Department, Pentagon, Capitol Hill, etc. They also need to understand the intricacies of international finance and lending institutions if they’re to cover the World Bank and IMF. They should be well versed in the language of international relations, treaties, history, geography, etc., before tackling the U.N. and its agencies. There’s a lot of legwork involved. Have female economists available to speak on western business shows about their economic concerns and the common ground that exists between people from the Arab world and other parts of the world. It would strike a responsive chord. Have female engineers or physicists or doctors or lawyers available to appear on TV shows, radio programs, in print, etc., to explain how things work in Arab or Muslim countries. They would probably find more in common with their sisters in the west than differences. Above all, have articulate journalists and media experts available to answer questions about the media and other issues of concern across the cultural divide. Hollywood has enlisted former heavyweight boxing champ Mohammad Ali to help America’s campaign abroad to show that the war it’s launched isn’t against Islam or the Arabs, but against terrorism. Why can’t the Arabs enlist Omar Sharif and women stars who speak English well to do the same and address the western world to talk about the riches of the Arab world and Islam, and even Christianity in Arab countries? One thing we’ve failed to do well is addressing the hinterlands in America and Western Europe. It’s never too late to do that but definitely requires time, money and effort. How about mobilizing our women politicians to go out to De Moines, Iowa; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Athens, Ohio; Columbia, Missouri? Set them up to talk to women’s clubs, get on women’s talk shows and programs, even religious programs and talk about how their beliefs are similar to those of the women in the small towns and cities. We need to have a handbook of Arab-American legislators, Arabs who’ve made it in business and science, the media, etc. Have biographies of them and summaries on how the political system in the US works at the city, state and federal levels. Some of these things are already available through Arab-American organizations, but need to be made available to us in simplified form. It’s not just a matter of buying our way into the media and politics. It’s more a matter of working our way through the system, by first understanding it. We can’t claim expertise in the field. There’s still much to learn. We should have media directories and handbooks of Arab experts available for correspondents who visit us or live in our countries. Make them clear, concise and user friendly. Update them regularly, make sure they’re properly edited and printed on good paper and are attractive online. It’s the details that count and lend to one’s credibility. No matter how powerful or rich a mass medium, it cannot succeed if it does not offer accurate and unbiased information. We may present glossy pictures but if the text is bad, the whole story goes out the window. How do we contact the media? How do we write a letter to the editor or an op-ed column? Here are a few suggestions from the Arab American Institute in Washington, which also provides links to media sources. We can follow the guidelines and create our own local/regional version: 1. Be timely. Respond while the issue is still fresh in the minds of journalists and their audiences. Send your letter no later than a week after the article appears in print or is broadcast. 2. Be direct. The opening paragraph should contain your main point. You want the reader to be able to quickly identify your message. 3. Be concise. Your letter’s length will affect its chances of being published. Most publications will not print more than three short paragraphs. 4. Use words that convey a firm and resolute stance. If you’re writing a letter critical of news coverage, use adjectives such as distorted, inaccurate, out-of-context, one-sided, skewed. If you are complementing an article or editorial, make sure you note its fairness, balance and/or thoroughness. 5. Stay cool. Hostile or overly emotional language in your letter will hurt your chances rather than help them. Stating your case in a convincing fashion is the most important criterion for getting published. 6. Spread the word. Don’t just send your letter to the editor. You can maximize its impact if you send a copy to other people responsible for the article, such as the reporter, foreign editor or syndicated columnist, as well as those mentioned in the article, such as a congress member or public official. 7. Claim credit. Before publishing a letter, most papers will call to verify that you wrote it. Make sure you include your full name, title, address and daytime phone number in the letter. 8. Follow up. Inquire about the status of your letter with a phone call or letter. If you submit a letter in the future, the editor may remember you and give you more immediate consideration. In December, CNN and MTV – two cable networks launched in the 1980s with different ownerships and audiences – teamed up to offer viewers of both networks a series of reports on young people in Afghanistan. What an interesting experiment! Why can’t we have something similar with young women from a youth-oriented Arab station reporting on the plight of Palestinian women under siege, young people in Iraq, students in Sudan, or women farmers in southern Lebanon? In fact, I would propose creating an online news service for children, run by children – let’s say ages 8-18 – under the guidance of adults. Its young reporters can reach out to others around the world and share their concerns and fears about the planet they all share. Another place I’ve loved to visit in the past few years has been something called the Newseum (or news museum) outside Washington. It’s a magnet for anyone interested in news. We could easily have something like that in Lebanon, for example, dedicated to the news business, with exhibits in at least three languages and user-friendly, computer-generated, interactive displays. We must learn to network more effectively and develop media literacy programs for children and adults. A specialized media group defines media literacy as a four-step â€Å"inquiry† process of Awareness†¦Analysis†¦Reflection†¦Action. There’s a lot that can be done online to reach a far greater audience than traditional media. One woman in New York called Amira Quraishi with a group of friends launched a non-profit organization called Muslims Against Terrorism and started a website. According to Wired News Online, they began with a spare website that tracked hate crimes and cited key passages from the Koran that call for peace, justice and tolerance. Within three weeks, the site had slick Flash graphics, a press kit, links to other good resources, links to the group’s listserv and contact information for members. One of our shortcomings has been that we’re always reactive, not proactive. We need to change that. We should provide speakers, information, access, courtesy, and much more, in real time. We should learn to make friends with reporters and editors – not with the idea of buying them, but with being good sources of reliable information to them. It’s an easy task that should be taken seriously. We should learn to respect time and deadlines. We need to have long-term vision. Our editorials should be rational discourses, not irrational outbursts. If we’re going to set up more satellite stations to address western public opinion, let them not be carbon copies of what we already have. We need original content to face today’s challenges. We need in-depth coverage of issues that concern our people and that have common threads with others worldwide. Let’s be creative about it. We’re catching up in the use of technology, but shouldn’t bar access to its various manifestations. Blocking websites won’t do it. It’ll only make people want to try harder to reach the unreachable. We have too many armchair analysts. In Beirut, dozens of famous writers sit in cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s and expound on matters about Lebanon and the world. They don’t travel extensively, they don’t mix with all manner of people, and they don’t even read English well enough to decipher American or British media. And yet they get paid for that. It’s a disgrace. They should be dethroned. Analysis and good writing aren’t done by remote control. They require involvement, getting down to the grassroots, digging for facts, and constantly communicating with people from all walks of life. We in the Arab world should also learn to handle bad news. In the West they create crisis centers to handle the flow of information in an emergency. We tend to cover up things. Why? We’d be more credible if we shared what we knew in a sober and rational way to help all those concerned, including ourselves. People will continue to stereotype Arabs and Muslims so long as Arabs and Muslims don’t present their case in an effective way, away from stuffy official statements that most people don’t believe anyway. We need substance. It’s our job to change the negative image we have abroad. We have to bridge the cultural and media divide. Provocation won’t get us anywhere. Communication will. To improve our image we need to clean up our own act, reform our methods, abide by media ethics, follow guidelines of good journalistic practice, promote transparency in our work, capitalize on our human assets, promote more women in the media to fill higher positions and provide balanced leadership. We need to coordinate better and should learn to share information among each other in a cooperative spirit. â€Å"Keep it simple and don’t assume anything† are two basic rules I used to teach my journalism students. They’re universal. Finally, always keep children in mind when creating a message. They’re the most impressionable and valuable audience we have and they’ll grow up to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Japanese Language and Culture 1 essays

Japanese Language and Culture 1 essays This essay will explain how the Japanese family structure has been changing since the early years of last century and in particular in the period since World War Two. It will cover the main differences between the traditional Japanese attitude towards family and the current, more modern attitude towards family, child rearing and education. In pre-modern Japan, before the Second World War the traditional concept of a family was the ie (this is now the word for house or home). This concept is very different from the modern western idea of immediate family. The traditional ie did not simply consist of the living members of the immediate family, it also included their dead ancestors and unborn descendants. The ie was very spiritual as the living members of the family were expected to put the interests of the family before their own, to please the dead ancestors and bring fortune upon the living and unborn family members. The structure of the family was very hierarchical and authoritarian. The head of the house, usually the father, enjoyed special privileges made the rules and everyone elses had to obey them. When the head of the family passed away the eldest son would usually inherit all of the property and the position of head. The eldest son also received privileges much like those of the head of the house did. Youn ger sons would inherit nothing and would be expected to either marry and establish branch-houses of the ie or marry into other families that had no male heir. Young men still marry into other families and adopt the family name in modern Japan. Daughters on the other hand did not receive as much respect as sons, they were often treated as little more than servants. They were almost always married off and would become part of the ie that they married into. In contrast with Western tradition there was often much more tension between daughters who married into families than sons. With each passing generation the...

3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers

3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers 3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers 3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, the subject of the main clause is not logically associated with the subordinate clause, so the former must be recast to begin with the noun or pronoun in the sentence that the latter applies to, or the sentence must be revised so that a subject that pertains to the additional information provided at the head of the sentence replaces the inapt noun or pronoun. Discussion following each example explains the unsuitably of the existing subject, and revisions demonstrate how the sentences can be repaired. 1. Broken by unresolved trauma, the apocalypse is slowly wearing her down. The person referred to, not the apocalypse, is broken by unresolved trauma, so she must be the subject of the main clause: â€Å"Broken by unresolved trauma, she is slowly being worn down by the apocalypse.† 2. As a valued customer of World Wide Wickets, we would like to extend an invitation to you to view some exclusive deals on our products. Because we is the first word that follows the subordinate clause, the erroneous implication is that the entity self-described as â€Å"we† is a valued customer of the company, so the sentence must be recast to place the entity â€Å"you† in that role; the â€Å"we† can safely be omitted: â€Å"As a valued customer of World Wide Wickets, you are cordially invited to view some exclusive deals on our products.† 3. Appearing on the cover of Time magazine in 1994, tales of his exploits on the job turned him into a local legend. This sentence implies that tales of a person’s exploits appeared on the cover of the magazine, but it was he himself who appeared on the cover, and the role of the tales in turning him into a local legend is a separate matter: â€Å"He appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1994, and tales of his exploits on the job turned him into a local legend.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†The Parts of a Word7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Communication Challenges to Managers in Global Virtual Teams Research Paper

Communication Challenges to Managers in Global Virtual Teams - Research Paper Example It is therefore important to study and understand the connection between communication and performance of virtual teams. Jointly, trust and communication vastly influence performance of members of virtual teams. In any kind of team, members are likely to differ in ideologies as well as ambitions, which can be challenging to managers managing such teams. In global virtue teams, the challenges are severe since the teams comprise of members from different nationalities characterized by cultural as well as technological differences. Being a leader of a global virtual team is challenging and it requires excellent management skills. This paper focuses on communication as one of the crucial challenges for managers in global virtual teams, because of differences in their national culture and technology structure. Challenges posed by geographical separation include lack of synergy. Another challenge that managers of global virtual teams face is inability to identify the talents of their employees thus might end up employing a less diverse team. Virtual teams permit organizations to expand their territories thus employ individuals from different backgrounds. However, challenges may arise in the management of virtual teams resulting in ineffectiveness (Mirjaliisa, 2007; Sarker, Ajuja, Sarker, & Kirkeby, 2011). The challenges could be related to several factors. Leadership style is the major challenge. Managers should thus ensure that their leading strategies are in line with the team members’ anticipation. This can be made possible by switching between the different leadership styles depending on the situation at hand (Johri, 2010; Shachaf, & Hara, 2007; Shachaf, 2008; Dorothy, Kayworth, & Mora-Tavarez, 2010; Karen, 2008). The other challenge is the building of trust. The geographical separation often results in a feeling of alienation, which makes it hard to develop strong relationships amongst team members. The lack

Business Law - commercial Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Law - commercial - Research Paper Example This research will try to address the above issues as they apply in Qatar. A trademark is a legally protected word or symbol which possesses an identifying feature to a specific company, brand or an individual and it should be associated with that specific brand (Gader-Shafran, 2013). Pursuant to decree number 3/1978, Qatar law makers regulate the protection of industrial and trademarks. This law protects the service marks, trademarks, commercial names, group marks, indications of origin and source, registration procedures, marks that are not registrable, renewal of registration, protection period, the effects of registration, fees payable for infringing this law, the disclaiming of a trademark and the transference of property that indicates the penalties and offences that are peculiar to trademarks (Surachman, World Jurist Association, & Conference on the Law of the World, 1997). Trademarks influence the buying decisions of the consumers. It is therefore important for every corporate executive or business person to have a clear understanding of the importance of trademarks to effective and efficient commerce. Firstly, trademarks make consumers to easily find a business entity or corporate entity. This is through the distinguishing feature that a trademark has to the services and products a business has to those of competitors. This makes the consumers to appreciate the quality of the products and services one offers as they create awareness of the brand and goodwill embodied in the trademark. This cuts on the overall costs of promotion, advertising, sales efforts and marketing (Shilling, 2002). Secondly, prevent the confusion that market places create. A trademark protects consumers from confusion as to the origin of services and goods offered by a business entity. This helps consumers to return any defective products they may have bought because they know the source of the products. It also helps consumers

Chinese women and their problems during the High Qing era Essay

Chinese women and their problems during the High Qing era - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Writing of the elite-dominated the analysis of gender in High Qing times.   Sitting in the ivory towers, the intellectuals recorded their scholarly observations.   Susan extends the scope to the grassroots level. She deals with her contribution in the farm, household, entertainment by the courtesan, and the participation of women in rituals and domestic religious festivities; and above all, the important issue of women’s poetry. The sensibilities expressed by various women poets are great historical documents to the time during which these poems were written. They provide valuable information about the emotions of women, moral values, and social relations and to an extent, political judgments. Yuan Mei’s recollections of the women poets with whom he was acquainted with, were full of catkin images, especially the stories of child intellectuals who were brilliant poets. So also, Xie Daoyun of willow catkin fame was known for upstaging their male frien ds and relatives in verbal combat and poetry contests.That was a strange position, which Mann noticed and elaborated in her book, about the elite Chinese women. The patrilineal family demanded that elite women demonstrate family prestige by remaining secluded and restrict their activities. But they enjoyed a new type of freedom in the Qing constellation. They could write and reinterpret their own history. The elite women had a pragmatic approach to their role in the society. They did not challenge the familial traditions or the social structure and the question of â€Å"women’s identity† that in a way challenged men, was of no consequence to them. They exploited and enjoyed the possibilities of autonomy that was prevalent within their society.

An Analysis Of Cigarette Ignition Environmental Sciences Essay

An Analysis Of Cigarette Ignition Environmental Sciences Essay Hydrogen or deuterium gas when mixed with air or oxygen forms a highly flammable mixture over a wide range of proportions; they also form flammable mixtures with chlorine and the oxides of nitrogen, further, they will also react spontaneously with fluorine and chlorine trifluoride. Because it is impossible to guarantee that any system will be completely leak free every effort should be made to exclude all sources of ignition. The designer and the user should give careful consideration to the risk from a wide variety of ignition sources e.g. smoking, flames, hot surfaces, electrical and other sparking, static electricity, shock, impact, catalytic and chemical action. , Thus petrol vapour mixed with air has a lower flammability limit of just over 1% and an upper limit of 6% by volume petrol vapour in air, at normally encountered temperatures. Concentrations below the lower limit are said to be lean mixtures and those above the upper limit rich mixtures Flammability For flammable liquids with flash point temperatures above normal ambient, e.g., kerosene, white spirit and diesel oil, an ignition source has to ignite not only the flammable mixture of fuel vapour but to generate this mixture in the first place by heating the bulk liquid. Ignition delay A further factor in the mechanism of ignition of gases and vapours is the ignition delay time or induction period, that is the time period between bringing a potentially flammable mixture to a condition where it will ignite, Ignition delay times are dependent on temperature and are reduced with an increase in temperature. Cigarette composition and combustion Composition The most commonly encountered, manufactured cigarette consists of a cylindrical packed bed of 1 g of shredded tobacco enclosed in paper and is generally 8 mm in diameter and 65 mm to 85 mm long. The strands of tobacco are non-uniformly packed and the volume of the cigarette consists of about 75 percent free space. Often a smoke filter is attached and this is typically 20 mm long and contains cellulose acetate, paper fibres and sometimes charcoal. The Virginia tobacco typically used in the manufacture of British cigarettes contains less than 0.1 % of nitrates. One obvious difference in their burning characteristics is that hand-rolled cigarettes tend to go out unless puffed by the smoker, whereas a cigarette with tightly packed tobacco will smoulder for about twenty minutes with no assistance from the smoker. The experimental work reported here and the discussion relates to manufactured cigarettes. The smoke itself consists of mainstream smoke, from the maximum gas phase temperature (850Â °C) was at the centre butt end of the cigarette during suction by a smoker, and. sidestream smoke during the smoking cycle. The term used here for the suction or drawing process during smoking is puffing of the cigarette. One puff of a cigarette is, there- the fore, one suction or draw by the smoker. There are two main regions at the tip on the coal, namely the combustion zone A and the pyrolysis and distillation zone B. Combustible vapours are produced in zone B prior to ignition in zone A In the interval between puffs, the natural convection flow of air around the combustion coal in an upwards direction sustains burning, and forms the sidestrearn smoke. Baker [33] employed two different methods of measurement, one for the solid phase and one for the gas phase, and his results are generally accepted as being representative of the temperatures encountered inside a burning cigarette tip. smoking machine, taking a 35 cm3 volume of 2 sec duration, once per minute of both the gas and solid phases, were determined. These temperatures can, therefore, be regarded as approaching the maximum attained during the drawing of a cigarette surprisingly, the maximum solid phase temperature in the area region of 900Â °C-950Â °C was attained at the points of maximum air flow, i.e., 0.2 mm to 1 mm forward of the paper burn line. This is the area of the cigarette where a distinct pale red glow can be seen when a cigarette is puffed. The maximum gas phase temperature (850Â °C) was at the centre of the cigarette coal. Ignition of gases and vapours by hot surfaces Although the tip of a cigarette cannot be treated simply as a hot surface in a discussion about its potential to ignite substances, it is useful to consider such an ignition source and the combustion parameters involved. Powell has reviewed much detailed experimental work on hot surface ignition [42], and the results provide an insight into some of the reasons for ignition or otherwise of flammable gas and vapour mixtures by a lighted cigarette. Some of the factors involved in the ignition of flammable mixtures of vapour or gas by hot surfaces are: temperature of heated surface; contact time of gas and surface; movement of gas; composition of surface; shape and size of surface; chemical nature of substance; ignition delay time. Ignition of gases and vapours by lighted cigarettes Experiments carried out at the US Bureau of Mines found that a smoked (puffed) cigarette would only ignite methane air mixture if the latter were caused to flow across the glowing cigarette at 1000 ft per min. Attempts were made to ignite propane, petrol and butane with lighted cigarettes without success and similar results were obtained with white spirit Laboratory studies of ignition by a lighted cigarette were carried out by Yockers and Segal testing the liquids carbon disulphide, ethyl ether, benzene, toluene, xylene, acetone, methylethylketone, amylacetate, ethylacetate, ethyl benzene, ethanol, methanol, petroleum ether, gasoline and Stoddard solvent (white spirit) [50]. They suggested that it might be thought that a cigarette would ignite these substances as their ignition temperatures were lower than those encountered in the burning tip of a cigarette. Carbon disulphide was readily ignited and ignition also occurred during one of the tests with toluene. Ignition of toluene could not be achieved, however, in several subsequent tests under the conditions which prevailed during the one ignition. It was speculated that this one ignition was perhaps owing to a hot spot when a solid chunk of tobacco seems to spit or sizzle. (It was later suggested that as some tobaccos in the USA contain nitrates, a concentration of this substance could give rise to a hot spot as described in Yockers and Segals paper.) They also tried without success to ignite natural gas (mostly methane), butane and acetylene. Carbon disulphide, acetylene, ethylene oxide, hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen phosphide were readily ignited. Diethyl ether was ignited but only in a closed vessel and after a long delay. Included in the substances which were not ignited were methane, butane, benzene, hexane and cyclohexane. In 1989 scientists at the Research and Technology Division of British Gas studied the effects of lighted cigarettes on methane and ethylene. Six tests were carried out wit smoked cigarettes in natural gas-air mixtures over a concentration range of 5.6% (v/v) to 9.6% (v/v) natural gas in air; tests were also carried out with ethylene-air mixtures Flammability limits The low values of the upper flammable limits of methane, gasoline and propane suggest that in the burning tip of the cigarette or indeed at the surface, oxygen is not present in a sufficient concentration to allow ignition. At the temperatures encountered (700Â °C to 950Â °C), the upper limit would be much higher than those quoted for ambient temperatures but insufficient oxygen molecules are present. Some regions of the cigarette coal are virtually depleted of oxygen and in other areas less than 10% oxygen by volume was measured. In addition to this, carbon dioxide is produced during the combustion of the tobacco and it has been shown by Jones et a1 [54] that gasoline vapour-air-carbon dioxide mixtures are non-flammable when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the mixture exceeds 28.9% by volume. Although some combustible gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen are produced, inside the cigarette coal there is a reducing atmosphere depleted in oxygen. A cigarette tip does not, therefore, have sufficient heat energy both to strip off vapour from the liquid surface and to ignite the air vapour mixture produced. Auto-ignition temperature For a burning cigarette, a given parameter involved in the combustion process cannot be discussed in isolation from the others but for ignition by hot surfaces the number of these factors is reduced. It has been found that at the temperatures encountered in a cigarette where the smoulder is stable (ca 700Â °C to 775Â °C) ignition of methane and gasoline by a hot surface in this temperature range is highly unlikely. For methane, temperatures in excess of 1,000C are needed for ignition. Temperatures in the region of 900Â °C to 950Â °C are generated when a cigarette is puffed, so even at this elevated temperature methane would not be expected to be ignited. During the puff of a cigarette in a flammable atmosphere there will be a continuous flow of fuel and air drawn into the combustion zone. Only substances with short ignition delay times, of around 1 millisec or less, at the temperatures encountered in the cigarette, will be expected to be ignited. For substances with long ignition delay times cooler reactants would be swept into the path of reacting fuel and oxygen molecules, before a flame could propagate through the mixture. Namely that methane and gasoline constituents are not ignited, diethyl ether is but after a long delay and hydrogen and carbon disulphide are ignited. Quenching distance The ignition of flammable gases and vapours will probably take place in the airlgas space between the glowing tobacco fibres. It is possible that some substances are ignited in this region but the flame does not propagate to the flammable gas outside the cigarette. Guest [44] found that some surfaces, which formed a layer of scale or ash, e.g., iron or impure carbon, did not ignite natural gas mixtures with ease, and that surfaces which were strongly catalytic or possessed an interstitial structure required higher temperatures. This latter effect could be similar to the flame arresting property of a fine-mesh wire gauze (e.g., as in the Davy Lamp). Heat is conducted away by the gauze from the reacting gaslair mixture, lowering the temperature of the reactants and preventing the progression of flame to unburned fuellair mixture. This phenomenon is related to the quenching distance of the fuel and these distances for stoichiometric mixtures of fuels (at 20Â °C and one atmosphere) tested by cigarettes are given in Table 2 [57] and [58]. The substances which are ignited by a cigarette have the shortest quenching distances. These are the substances where, because of their reactivity, the loss of heat or destruction of reacting molecules at a boundary is not significant until the dimensions of the boundary are small. As with the other parameters discussed, this alone cannot provide an explanation why some substances are ignited and others are not. For example diethyl ether, which is ignited by cigarettes, has a greater quenching distance than hexane, which is not ignited.

Nuclear Energy :: Environment Science Essays

Nuclear Energy Everything in life must have a beginning. It is a scientific fact. This is the same as Nuclear Energy. Nuclear energy wasn’t just discovered, it was created. Nuclear energy is the energy released by a nuclear reaction, especially by fission or fusion. From its first controlled chain reaction to be waste disposal problems, nuclear energy has made major steps. Nuclear energy began in Chicago at Stagg Field. The company that was responsible for this was Enrico Fermi. Here the company was able to create the first controlled chain reaction. The first reactors were based on natural uranium as the nuclear fuel, graphite as the moderator and water as the coolant (Prasar). This opened the floodgates for al nuclear energy. Now that we know to control the dangerous energy, we can use it without fearing drastic measures. In 1955 underwater combat was changed forever. The first submarine, The USS Nautilus, was fueled on nuclear power. The nautilus broke all submarine records for underwater speed and endurance. It was launched in Thames River after Mamie Eisenhower smashed a bottle of champagne across the bow. Due to running on nuclear energy, this made the Nautilus able to travel for great distances at a top speed of 25 knots or more. This made the submarine a much more potent fighting craft and placed the USA a step ahead of all other countries in underwater war (Norris). Even though it was a remarkable task during the year, the navy only expected even greater submarines to come in the future. Admiral Robert B. Carney, Chief of Naval Operations commented that, â€Å"as remarkable as this development seems to us now, the Nautilus will probably appear to our sons and grandsons as a quaint old piece of machinery which introduced the transition to a new age of power† (Norris). As the saying goes, â€Å"You must take the good with the bad† this certainly applies with Nuclear energy. In 1957 began the first of the accidents. Over in Liverpool, England a fire erupted in a graphite-cooled reactor. This caused a 200 square mile area to become contaminated.

Sony and Marketing

The primary concern or objective of marketing is to identify and satisfy, or exceed the changing needs of customers. In view of this broad concern of marketing, it can be seen that the concept of marketing encapsulates many activities in a business. Marketing, in fact, refers to any activity undertaken by a firm that has been designed to plan, price, promote and distribute ideas, goods and services to target markets. These marketing activities were executed in order to create exchange, that is sales, that will result in the achievement of the proprietors’ individual goals and the firm’s goals, both in the short-term and the long-term. It is then obvious that marketing forms an integral component of any business’s operations. In particular marketing activities attempt to increase a firms’ revenue base, by placing an emphasis on enticing potential customers in target markets to purchase the firms’ products in order to satisfy their wants, rather than those of firm’s competitors. Consequently, the marketing directly contributes to the attainment of the financial goals of the firm. Hence, the success of a firm is reliant upon the extent to which it is able to identify, and satisfy or exceed the customer’s needs more effectively and efficiently relative to its competitors vying for the same markets. Marketing as an activity that entails several features, all of which are presented during the course of the marketing process. Such features include, firstly and most importantly, that marketing is a comprehensive process that begins with the creation of an idea and ends up as product that will be sold to satisfy a customer’s needs. Secondly, marketing is seen as a managerial process as it involves making managerial decisions about the particular mix of product, price, place and promotion in a firm. Furthermore, marketing involves managers planning and ensuring that particular sequenced activities are carried out, in order for the marketing plan to be successful. Finally, marketing is perceived as a way in which firms are able to satisfy the needs of customers, and in turn achieve their own business goals. Marketing provides the business with the ability to satisfy the changing wants of customers. In light of this, and the fact that businesses have become increasingly aware of the role that marketing plays in achieving success in the business, several approaches or philosophies to marketing have developed. There are five central approaches to marketing, with the use of a specific marketing approach/s depends upon particular business’s marketing strategy and the type of product being marketed. These different approaches are: Marketing Concept: this approach believes that customer’s want-satisfaction is the economic and social reason for an organisation’s existence. This approach stipulates that all of the business’s activities should be targeted towards meeting consumer wants, while at the same time meeting the organisation’s goals. In effect, this approach requires that the firm finds out what the customer wants, and subsequently develops a product to meet these requirements and then sell it at a profit. Production Concept: this approach states that the business will sell its product if it is both well made and affordable. Businesses utilising this approach require management to focus on improving production techniques and cost structures of the business. Consequently, this approach does not place emphasis on customer want-satisfaction. Product Concept: this approach has the attitude that ‘product is king’ and focuses on the quality, features, and performance of the product. This approach believes that if the product has more features or is of a better quality and performance compared to competitors, it will then gain greater sales. This approach is not customer want-satisfaction oriented. Selling Concept: this approach focuses on developing sales techniques and promotional activities in order to entice customers into buying an organisation’s product, whether they want it or not. Therefore this approach places direct emphasis on customers, but, possibly not on their want-satisfaction. Societal Marketing Concept: this is the latest marketing approach, it combines the main ideas of the marketing approach, that is, determining customer needs and satisfying the business’s goals, but also integrates social responsibility into the business. This social responsibility includes increasing environmental awareness, which may include tackling the problems of pollution and the exploitation of non-renewable resources. Modern day businesses are under pressure to adopt this marketing approach, in order to become more socially responsible. This approach not only focuses on fulfilling the customer’s want-satisfaction, but also satisfying society. The electronics firm, Sony, has expanded its operations from its establishment in 1946 in a ‘bombed out department store’, to become one of the world’s largest and most influential electronics firms. Sony, has furthermore, developed a worldwide reputation, as one of the worlds most innovative and technologically advanced firms. Its success can be attributed to several internal factors, which include, the freedom of workers to experiment, the passionate decisions of management, the established corporate culture, and also particularly to the marketing approaches that top management has integrated into the firm since its establishment. The leaders of Sony, from its founders to the present-day management, have encouraged their product designers to express and prove their individual visions about the development of new products to the firm, as with the Sony Walkman. In fact top management has been ‘willing to join the creative fray’, which has lead to the development of a cohesive firm with a corporate culture. This management style prompted the development of premium quality, unique, and futuristic products, and along with the establishment of a strong corporate culture, formed the basis of the firm’s competitive advantage. These aspects gave rise to adoption of several marketing approaches during the course of Sony’s life cycle. During Sony’s period of establishment the marketing approach was the key approach, since the initial management of Sony decided that the only way to succeed was to discover a new form of technology and develop a product from it, which would satisfy the wants of customers. This was evidenced by the conception of the tape recorder, and the first pocket-sized radio, developed for changing lifestyles. This approach has continued and still practiced today as signified by the recent development of the following products, the Walkman, the Handycam, the Discman, all of which are regarded by millions of customers as products that represent a way of life. The marketing approach was influential in the marketing of the Walkman, such a concept originated from a want of customers for a small, portable, tape/radio player, to replace the large, inconvenient players of the era. Sony identified this customer-want, and the Walkman was introduced, and heavily marketed, and in turn, became one of! the firm’s most successful products. In addition Sony has realised that consumer-want for electronics is apparent in all age groups and as such, it has developed several products for different markets, for example, ‘My First Sony’ was introduced for a younger target market. Another essential marketing approach for Sony has been the product approach, unlike other firms in Japan; Sony prides itself in producing products which have incorporated unique plastic appearance and futuristic features with superior quality, and affordability of price. These concepts have ensured that Sony’s sales have outstripped both domestic and foreign, including Western, competitors. In fact, Sony has upheld these concepts, in regards to their products, to the extent that they cancelled the production of a new television, simply because a rival had placed a similar product on the market. Coupled with the product marketing approach has been the design of products, which is a major feature in the marketing strategy of Sony, this is evident with the Sony Playstation, which has been carefully designed and uniquely developed for the younger target market. In the future, with the dawn of the digital age, Sony must place greater emphasis on the product marketing approach, to achieve sales, if it wishes to maintain its market edge. This requires, Sony, embracing advanced technology in the manufacturing of its products. The managers of Sony have realised the dilemma, that due to the speed of technological advancements, the products Sony releases today will become obsolete rapidly. Therefore, Sony is continually, incorporating innovation achieved via extensive research and development, to improve and expand upon its products to make them superior to competitors. This approach has lead to the development of several 21st century products to be used to dominate the future electronics market; these products include a portable head-mounted video player, a DVD player, and a new-generation computer. The final approach to marketing by Sony has been the selling approach, Sony, as a multinational firm, has earned a reputation worldwide as being a superior producer market leader, in regards to electronics products. The size of the company allows it to promote its product on a larger scale than that of many of its competitors. Potential customers are enticed to purchase the firm’s product, even if they do not need it, by the array of commercials, catalogues, and other methods, which portray Sony product’s as being superior. Further, the appearance of Sony’s products is heavily marketed as being state of the art, everyone is aware of the black, sleek, elegant, and futuristic appearance of the Sony the products. Sony is a successful international business as it has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most influential electronics firms, due to its ability to meet consumer-wants worldwide. This influence over the market is evident as domestic and international competitors wait for Sony to initiate a market trend via the introduction of a product, and then duplicate this, so as to benefit from Sony’s success. Furthermore, Sony has come to possess a worldwide reputation, which rivals those of the other multinationals, like Nike and others, a reputation which has made Sony and its products synonymous with quality and superiority in electronics. Sony’s is also seen as internationally successful as it has entered many export markets in the world, including Australia, Sony also has established several headquarters in different parts of the world, including America and Europe, which is a testament to its international success. This worldwide status has enabled Sony to discover chan! ges in consumer wants, new product ideas, and the success of different marketing approaches worldwide. Sony’s international success can be attributed to several internal factors, these in the passionate decisions of management, in that they allow the product designers the freedom to experiment and develop the ideas that may lead to a breakthrough for the firm. Further, Sony’s success can be attributed to the establishment of a strong corporate culture in the firm, which allows the goals of the firm to be achieved, as managers have ensured the everyone is able to focus on the overall picture of the firm. Sony’s integration of marketing approaches is another keystone to the firm’s international success, as the simultaneous use of the strategies has allowed the firm to better satisfy customer wants, and in turn better achieve its own goals. This success can be attributed, largely, to the role of product marketing in the business, the attitude that ‘product is king’ has allowed Sony to develop a general direction in which the firm is headed. The use of product marketing has resulted in Sony being able to, use different methods, such as market research and R&D, to discover the wants of customers, and in turn develop products to satisfy these wants, all of which has enabled Sony to gain sales and become successful, internationally. Product marketing has also allowed Sony to maintain its edge in the electronics market. As Sony’s designers are using the market approach to continually develop, improve, and expand upon their products to meet the changing customer needs, this coupled with large-scale promotion of the product, itself, has allowed Sony to maintain its competitive advantage. This approach has also meant that any perceived problems with the products can be easily identified and corrected. Finally, the empha! sis on product marketing has allowed Sony to develop products which are encompassing the ‘technology of tomorrow today’ allowing, Sony to maintain its success well into the future.

We Real Cool, Poetry Explanation

STUDENT NAME PROFESSOR CLASS DATE We Real Cool: Poetry Explication â€Å"We Real Cool† is a poem written by Gwendolyn Brooks in 1959, and published in her book The Bean Eaters (We Real Cool, pg 1). A simple and light poem, â€Å"We Real Cool† is vague enough to allow readers to visualize their own characters and setting, but specific enough to keep a consistent rebellious image. Brook’s attitude toward the characters is undecided, as the tone is neither tragic nor victorious, but more so just balanced and neutral. â€Å"We Real Cool† is written from the perspective of the involved fictional characters.It is as if the reader is in the presence of these characters as they introduce themselves. They speak with confidence and defiance, describing their actions and self-ideals in a rhythmic stanza form. We are not presented with any specific character ethnicities or backgrounds, nor year or time, but we are provided a fictional setting of a place called The Gol den Shovel. Containing only ten sentences, â€Å"We Real Cool† begins with the line, The Pool Players. With this line, we are able to imagine the type of characters we will be following.The assumptions are, there will be alcohol and cigarettes involved, as those are typical stereotypes when thinking about pool halls. The second line within the same stanza is, Seven at The Golden Shovel. From this line we are able to assume or imagine that there are a total of seven characters involved in the scene. With just these two simple lines composed of simple words, imagery is created in order to set the stage for the next stanzas. Moving into the body of â€Å"We Real Cool†, Brooks begins each sentence with the word, We, making it a point that the narrator comprises of multiple people, specifically the seven pool players.The first line to begin the second stanza is, We real cool. This not only states the title of the poem, but also sets the intellectual level of the seven pool players. Grammatically correct, but more along the lines of slang, the last word of this sentence begins the rhyme scheme that will follow. The second half of this stanza is, We left school. This is an obvious statement of action, but leaves the reader questioning whether they left a not-yet-dismissed school day or a school day that had come to an end. As a third option, the reader might also assume they left school for good.The couplets continue in the next stanza with, We lurk late. With this line we can assume the verb lurk is meant to represent a much less gracious movement, an almost monstrous, but comical way of walking. In the poem’s consistent three word lines, the word late is included to end the sentence. This gives the reader an idea of when the poem can possibly take place within the time of day. Although it may not be a literal statement regarding the time of day, as it can also translate to a rebellious activity the characters wish to point out.The second senten ce within this stanza is, We strike straight. This line can also have multiple meanings depending on the usage and perspective of the words strike and straight. Two possible literal translations can be deal with fighting, as strike means hit or punch, while another meaning of strike is how one lights a cigarette. The fourth stanza begins with, We sing sin, a line that can also have multiple meanings. If taken from a paradox angle, the gentleness and innocence of singing contradicts with the literal meaning of sin.This method of verbal irony is what keeps the tone consistently light throughout the poem, and when strategically placed near the middle of the poem allows for a smooth transition from the previous darker stanza. Another translation of We sing sin can also be that the group likes to listen to contemporary music, possibly singing along. In certain days of past, and even currently, music is often labeled as the â€Å"Devil’s Music† by those who choose to be prud e, or overly religious. Ending this stanza is, We thin gin, an assumed reference to alcohol, something not out of the ordinary for a group of ragtag young’ins in this poem.Wrapping up the poem, the last stanza begins with, We Jazz June. A line like this, as did the previous lines, can have multiple meanings, or possible connotation to slang of the days the poem was written. Quite possibly, the literal translation can be that this poem takes place in the summer season of June, with the Jazz portion representing the music genre, Jazz. Jazz June could also be placed intentionally at this part of the poem in order to establish the name of the group of seven, the Jazz June.An additional meaning could be that the terms Jazz June has something to do with slang of those days. The last line of this stanza and poem is, We die soon, translating to a living a fast life on edge. With a rebellious life, this can lead to a shortened life span, as one is susceptible the dangers of life when staying out late, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol. On a positive side, it can also mean, life is too short, and regardless, we will all die soon, so enjoy and be free. â€Å"We Real Cool† is a combination narrative and lyric poem that contains a very simple couplet, rhyming scheme.The simplicity and depth of the poem lasts the test of time as it very much can be relatable to this day and age of Hip Hop. The ambiguity of character background, location and time allows the reader to use their imagination and apply their perspective to the translation. I thoroughly enjoyed Gwendolyn Brooks’ â€Å"We Real Cool† and feel its relevance to contemporary poetry is vibrant and refreshing, making it a timeless piece of literature. Works Cited â€Å"We Real Cool† Wikipedia. 2012. . [Web site with no author. 21 May. 2012 is copyright date and 9 Nov. 2012 is access date. ]