As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay)

AS I SEE IT My name is Katrina but I prefer to be called as Kat. At my current young stage, I have an average height of five feet, three inches however I weigh heavier than any other girls of my age. By nationality and by blood, I am a Filipino. I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms.Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my hug e face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little.I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them.I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father.When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have.I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future.

Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program Essay

Service request kf-013 was submitted to create a requirements document for the proposed Frequent shopper program. The frequent shopper program is a new initiative by Kudler Fine Foods to increase revenue. The program is to track purchases of customers and accumulate points for gift items. This program will track purchase patterns to offer personalized savings to their customer, not only from them but also from their trading partners. There could be ethical, legal, and informational security issues. â€Å"Ethics refers to the principles of right and wrong that individuals, acting as free moral agents, use to make choices to guide their behaviors† (Laudon 2012, P 124). It applies to business behavior as well. An ethical issues that could arise from the frequent shopper program, deals with privacy. What information do individuals consider private? What rights do they have to keep that their information private? What responsibility do companies have to keep customer information pr ivate? These are just a few questions that surround the frequent shopper program from Kudler Fine Foods. Shoppers need to have the option to participate or not to participate in the program. The data collected will be used to â€Å"benefit† the customer but at what risk? The customers information will be sent to partnering companies that the customer knows nothing about. Kudler food has the legal responsibility to ensure that the partnering companies do not misuse their customers information for malicious gains. To meet the ethical concerns that arise with this program Kudler Fine Foods must provide the customer with the facts of the program. They also must provide who are the partnering companies and what information they will receive, or full disclosure of the program. This is the only way the customer can make an informed desicion on the program. There are legal guidelines for privacy laws â€Å"based on a regime called Fair Information Pracitces (FIP)† (Laudon 2012, P 132). There are many federal privacy laws that affect personal data, but most of those laws do not take into consideration the technology we have today. Companies can be held liable for a breech of privacy for its customers, if the company did not take the proper steps to secure their private information. Data security is a big investment for most companies. Everyday companies store transactional data from people. Some data is simple, like name, gender, and address; other data is unique like a social security number or bank account number. If a company is storing sensitive data, encryption will reduce the ability for the data to be stolen. â€Å"Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called, ciphertext,that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people† (University of Minnesota, 2011). Kudler Fine Foods must review their current security and ensure that it is secure enough to maintain the data privacy of its customer. Kudler Fine Foods frequent shopper program can provide their customer many benefits through its partners without storinng to much personal data. They will haven a ethical and legal obligations to their customers about personal data being shared. Security of the data will play a vital role in the sucess of the program, if a breech of the data accures, so does a breech of trust. The frequent shopper program will increase revenues for Kudler Fine Foods with minimal costs and proper informational security. References Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2012). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. University of Minnesota. (2011). Encrypting Stored Data. Retrieved from http://www.oit.umn.edu/security/topics/encrypting-data/index.htm

Kansas City Hyatt Walkway Collapse

Kansas City Hyatt Walkway Collapse Introduction The Hyatt Regency Hotel was built in Kansas City, Missouri in 1978. This hotel consisted of a 40-story hotel tower and conference facilities, which were connected by an open concept atrium. Inside the atrium, there were three walkways that connected the hotel to the conference facilities on the second, third, and fourth floors. The atrium was 145 feet long, 117 feet wide and 50 feet high. On July 17, 1981, approximately 2,000 people had gathered in the atrium to participate in and watch a dance contest.Dozens stood on the walkways. At 7:05 PM, the walkways on the second, third, and fourth floor were packed with visitors as they watched over the active lobby, which was also full of people. The fourth floor bridge was suspended directly over the second floor bridge, with the third floor walkway set off to the side several meters away from the other two. Construction issues led to a subtle but flawed design change that doubled the load on the connection between the fourth floor walkway support beams and the tie rods carrying the weight of the second floor walkway.This new design could barely handle the dead load weight of the structure itself, much less the weight of the spectators standing on it. The connection failed and both walkways crashed one on top of the other and then into the lobby below, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others. Mainbody FIG-1 FIG-2 Originally, the 2nd and 4th floor walkways were to be suspended from the same rod (as shown in fig-1) and held in place by nuts.The preliminary design sketches contained a note specifying a strength of 413 MPa for the hanger rods which was omitted on the final structural drawings. Following the general notes in the absence of a specification on the drawing, the contractor used hanger rods with only 248 MPa of strength. This original design, however, was highly impractical because it called for a nut 6. 1 meters up the hanger rod and did not use slee ve nuts. The contractor modified this detail to use 2 hanger rods instead of one (as shown in fig-2) and the engineer approved the design change without checking it.This design change doubled the stress exerted on the nut under the fourth floor beam. Now this nut supported the weight of 2 walkways instead of just one Conclution FIG-3 FIG-4 Neither the original nor the as-built design for the hanger rod satisfied the Kansas City building code making the connection failure inevitable. If, however, the building design had contained more redundancy this failure may not have resulted in the complete collapse of the walkway.Kaminetzky (1991) suggests two much stronger design alternatives for the connectors. The toe-to-toe channels used in the Hyatt Regency provided for weak welding which allowed the nut to pull through the channel/box beam assembly initiating the collapse. A back-to-back channel design using web stiffeners when necessary (fig-3) or the use of bearing crossplates in conjun ction with the toe-to-toe channels (fig-4) would have made the connection much stronger making it much more difficult for the nut to pull throughReferences Engineering Ethics – Lessons Learned: Kansas City Hyatt Walkway Collapse http://www. pdhengineer. com/Course%20Web/Law%20and%20Ethics%20Courses/hyatt_walkway_collapse. htm â€Å"Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse†. School of Engineering, University of Alabama. http://www. eng. uab. edu/cee/faculty/ndelatte/case_studies_project/Hyatt%20Regency/hyatt. htm#Causes Kaminetzky, Dov, Design and Construction Failures: Lessons from Forensic Investigations (1991). McGraw-Hill, New York, N. Y.

Organizational Changes in the Movie Patton (1970) Review

Organizational Changes in the Patton (1970) - Movie Review Example The movie is able to show not just the character of the main protagonist as being resistant to change, but also his actions that made or broke his career (Schaffner, 1970). Such differential responses to changes within the organization are valuable learning tools for the study of changes. It is very pertinent to study the need for changes inside organizational structures, in this case the military organization as well as within each of its members. This is because more often than not, being unable to respond quickly to changes could result in numerous life-threatening situations that might sway towards defeat (Davies, 2001). The consequences of the protagonist, General Patton reflect the importance of the leaders being flexible and open for changes, as well as accommodating suggestions from other sources such as people with a higher authority. In the movie, there are three key moments that show an organizational change. The first one is when General Patton has to share the command of troops in North Africa with a member of the British Army, General Montgomery, and the former had to outwit and outperform the British General so that he would be recognized as the better man for the job (Schaffner, 1970). The second one that showed an organizational change is when instead of putting General Patton out in the front lines of the German army, he and his troops were sent to England to act as decoys so as to give enemies other ideas of their tactics, not to mention keeping Patton out of the way (Schaffner, 1970). ... With the world war already ended, Patton ended up doing nothing else to do but walk his dog, with him becoming a resounding name in the US military history. In all of the three organizational changes, the main protagonist was rather reluctant to adjust according to the changes needed in the tactics that the military had to undertake. As a result, there had been restructurings within the chain of command, even cutting him out of this link just so that the allies could implement their own military strategy. It has been a resounding theme in the movie that Patton is very insubordinate with his superior officers, even defying them blatantly (Schaffner, 1970). His strong resistance to changes may have been effective in some areas, but not to others. Also, such resistance could become a liability in the long run because when it comes to tactics, more often than not those that are able to make minor adjustments stay ahead of the game. Becoming stagnant within a military organization could p rove fatal, especially when many lives are at stake (Farrell & Terriff, 2002). Thus, it is just that the superior officers of Patton, President Eisenhower and the former second-in-command, General Bradley initiated changes because aside from keeping the chain of command as structured as possible, by removing factors that could add up to the unpredictability of their tactics the groups could carry out their missions as planned. However, because Patton was undeniably a skilled tank tactician, he was not kept out of missions that much, and in fact Bradley even recommended for him to return to the force and have his services enlisted (Schaffner, 1970). This shows the capacity

An Analysis of Amazon E-commerce Business Research Paper

An Analysis of Amazon E-commerce Business - Research Paper Example In the past few years, the field of information technology has experienced an incredible speed of growth. Additionally, these advancements and developments in information technology have brought a lot of changes in the ways people understand, think and carry out tasks in the 21st century. No doubt, information technology has a serious influence over almost all the parts of our life for the reason that it plays a significant role in every walk of life. On the other hand, this amazing growth of information and communication technology has made it necessary for the businesses to make efficient and useful use of innovative tools and technologies with the purpose of surviving in this ever-increasing competitive world. However, the implementations of this modern technology cannot bring perfection in the organizational performance if they are not efficiently planned and implemented (Ellahi and Manarvi). Additionally, the ways individuals and business organizations carry out their everyday activities and survive in the twenty-first century are determined by means of the massive network of countless networks (comprising all the kinds of networks such as LANs, MANs, WANs etc.) that is normally known as the Internet. In addition, without limitations and restrictions throughout the world presence of the Internet for carrying out personal as well as business related tasks such as business deals between consumers and organizations is the basic reason behind the creation of a most attractive trend that is known as the electronic commerce (or simply e-commerce). In this scenario, define electronic commerce as an innovative process of buying and selling services and goods and products. (i.e. performing all the kinds of dealings) electronically by making use of electronic or computer based systems over the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies†. Though, e-commerce is not lim ited to just some of the business dealings but it also involves a lot of other activities that relate to those business transactions including business advertising, marketing, processing payment and offering customer support. In fact, by replacing formal and traditional manual and paper-based methods of business management with electronic methods, as well as through superior information flows in most modern and dynamic ways, electronic commerce does not just provide the businesses and customers with a potential to increase speed of the business processes such as ordering, payment for products, delivery, services and goods but also diminishes the working and supply and delivery related expenses of the businesses (Laudon and Laudon 25). In order to support the e-commerce related activities the Internet offers a wonderful technology known as the World Wide Web (WWW) that is a widespread place for carrying out e-commerce activities, building and implementing most recent tools and techno logies for the businesses to stay in touch with each other and their partners and customers (Norton 371). This report is based on a detailed analysis of a large e-commerce business. For this purpose I have chosen e-commerce business platform ‘Amazon’. In this report, I will discuss an overview of this retail business platform with respect to various other features such as how this e-commerce solution creates competitive advantage for the firm, investigation of how the business unit approached e-commerce solution, e-commerce solutions strategy and what were desired and actual outcomes. In the last, I will also present a set of recommendations. Before we present an overview the Amazon’s e-commerce business, we should be well familiar with the concepts that are associated with e-commerce. The discussion of these concepts will help us better understand

Levi Strauss & Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Levi Strauss & Company - Case Study Example This approach is not static by nature and its frameworks usually comprise of feedback loop so as to evaluate or monitor performance. In this particular study different strategic frameworks shall be included and applied on Levi Strauss & Company. This brand is known to be number one amongst cloth manufacturing company. The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853. Over the years, Levi Strauss & Company has brought forth certain changes as per changing market trends. It markets and manufactures non-work and casual work sportswear and jeans. Their products have been able to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and are presently known for greater degree of comfort. In earlier years Levi’s jeans was considered to be a staple product for every teenager. The company in the present scenario has lost its close connection with customer’s hidden demand. There has been continuous struggle from company’s perspective in context of achieving right combination of stra tegies. Current mission statement of the firm will be analyzed along with some proposed recommendations. There are certain theoretical frameworks included in this study like CPM, EFE, IFE, Space Matrix, Grand Strategy Matrix and QSPM. All these models will be evaluated with respect to widespread operations performed by Levi Strauss Company. The company is externally surrounded by many competitors who have retained their brand image from past many years. In this case the major strategic challenge for the firm is to reformulate their brand image and sustain it for many years. It is indeed a challenge to keep blue jeans within their famous jeans sector. There would be four major aspects of the firm which shall be monitored like marketing, production, financial position and company culture. In overall context the firm has to adopt market oriented approach so as to remain competitive in the market place. Levi Strauss & Company was initially founded in 1853 and later in 1860 the famous Levi’s

Research news to find stories uncovered by corporate media Paper

News to find stories uncovered by corporate media - Research Paper Example This paper describes the necessity to look deeper into the problems, which seem quite superficial from the first sight but in reality bear a substantial meaning.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Nowadays corporate media ignore some problems which are of paramount importance for the consideration of government. They concentrate their attention on the issues, which are solicited among the population. The widespread magazine articles, such as â€Å"How to lose a guy in 10 days† or â€Å"Life of celebrities† are read every day by the millions of people, without paying attention to the states of things, which take place in the surrounding world. However corporate media is oriented on the demand of the ordinary buyer, which is quite understandable. The regular reader does not want to be concerned about the entire issues, instead he wants to feel released and relaxed. My researches of the problems, ignored by the media of the USA resulted in the following articles: All articles were taken from the site called â€Å"Whowhatwhy†. The authors of the articles made a great success, because they discussed the topics, which were not revealed by means of American corporate media, considering them to be of no importance. However, reading these articles, we understand that such problems must not be ignored by the society. The articles cover the area of truth and society. I will start by the paper of Russ Baker â€Å"Classic Who: Should Pollard be Released?†. The case of Jonathan Pollard (a famous Israel spy) is still in the process of consideration. The thing is that after revealing Pollards connection with Israel authorities, he received a life sentence, which was approved by the court of the USA. However, the Israel members of the alliance were astonished for such a cruelty. They stated that the USA did not have enough evidence to blame Pollard for committing such a crime. The most interesting is that documents, revealed in the CIA appro ved such a possibility, which raised the question of

Security in E-Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Security in E-Business - Essay Example Information is a significant business asset for any online enterprise. Therefore, protecting it from other competitors in the market is relevant for a business organization. Security for e-business can suitably protect information from a number of threats while focusing on the following perspectives (â€Å"Protecting†, 2008).  In the age of the Internet, it is quite easy to create, alter and transmit information. Besides, â€Å"the advancement in computing capacity and interconnectivity has presented a situation where small efforts can cause potentially large losses† (Otuteye, 2003). That is why concern for information security is a must for all small and big e-business organizations.  There are numerous ways to attack an e-business setup by various hackers, competitors and even displeased insiders. e-business enterprises should conduct evaluation processes on their technological capabilities including multiple areas (â€Å"Approach to e-business security†, 2 007),  Security in e-business is an ongoing process that has to deal with both existing and new threats. A good security program always ensures continuous improvement. It is without the doubt that security does add to the cost of business at initial phases. But in the long run, it can do tremendously well in saving money, earning a good reputation as well as customers for the company. After all, what matters most at the end of e-business or generally any business enterprise is the trust and credibility one builds and maintains with customers and business partners.

Emerging Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Emerging Markets - Essay Example While developing economies are usually flooded with emerging markets, the concept is not novel to developed economies. It is these emerging markets, which when successful in the future, become economic giants in the industry (Garten, 1997). The emerging markets need to consider a lot of geographical and economic concerns before setting in a foreign country. They may be small enterprises or large projects. This paper seeks to evaluate the industry of emerging markets in the Latin America, particularly in Mexico, and see how successful it has been over the years. It would also analyze how these emerging markets have affected the economy of Mexico and all related economies. Emerging markets have had positive impacts and some negative setbacks and this paper would state both sides of the picture. Latin America is a developing nation striving to make its make its mark in today’s world and it is the emerging markets in and of Latin America that will one day, help it in doing so. Mexico is one large country that comes under the flag of Latin America.Latin America is an area of approximately 21 million kilometers square, which is 14.1% of the Earth’s land surface. It holds a population of 570 million and there is a lot of diversity of cultures prevalent in the area. Spanish, Portuguese and French are the three most commonly used languages in Latin America. Its GDP is 4.26 trillion United States dollars and the economy is expanding at a relatively decent rate of 4 percent per annum. The population of Mexico is one of the most diverse in the world. It comprises of different ethnic groups, races, creeds and ancestries. The Europeans or the Whites form the largest community of Mexico contributing to over 80 percent of its population. Other than that, Mexico is home to the Mestizos, Amerindians and Mulattos with Blacks, Asians and Zambos

Read the story of Paul's Conversion described by Luke in Acts of the Essay

Read the story of Paul's Conversion described by Luke in Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 - Essay Example His mission was to wipe the religion completely from the surface of the earth. Along the way to Damascus, Saul encounters with God’s power, a very bright light that sent him to the ground flashed around him. In addition, a sound confronted him on his persecution mission. He could not see anything as the encounter had made him blind. He remained blind for three days. Ananias was sent to go and pray for Saul. After the conversion, Saul continued living with the disciple. This amazed many people as the story of Saul persecuting Christians had spread all over the place. The name change to Paul was quite significant as it indicated a total conversion of the Former persecutor to a gospel minister. As such, a large number who new Saul as an evil person will not be swayed by their former knowledge of the person, Bryant (2009). This conversion is very important to a contemporary Christian. When God sent Ananias to plead for Saul, God said that he has chosen Saul as a gospel minister. This implies that many of the modern Christians have huge roles in the gospel ministries only that they have not encountered God for a conversion. As for my personal thought of this conversion, I believe that every Christian encounters such episode as Saul. It may not exactly be like that described in the bible that involves a voice from heaven or the lighting that made him blind. No. God manifest ton us in various ways with intentions of changing our life so as to serve Him

Reading Kafka Essay Example for Free

Reading Kafka Essay Reading Kafkas The Trial, especially for the first time, we often experience a blend of precision and obscurity; words, sentences, and single events are clear in themselves, but are linked to each other in ways we cannot always grasp. The blend of precision and obscurity is one of the most remarkable aspects of the style in which The Trial is written. The device is used constantly and consistently throughout the novel, and we assume that it is used like all other stylistic devices, i. e. to throw an aspect of the novel into relief. In an attempt to determine, if possible, what this aspect is, follows a detailed analysis of two paragraphs on pages 159 to 160 that I deem to be characteristic of the blend of precision and obscurity. In the two paragraphs, detail and precision interact with each other to produce a blend. Almost all descriptions are quite in depth, such as the description of the old woman wrapped in a warm shawl, yet these detailed descriptions are not connected with anything else in the book. The old woman does not reappear anywhere else in the book, and no symbolism, hidden meaning or reference becomes apparent after having analyzed the description. In more conventional novels, almost every character that appears is in some way, whether clear or obscure, connected with the main plot or a sub plot. Not so with The Trial. The old womans importance and connection, if indeed there is one, remains open to speculation: perhaps she belongs to the court, perhaps the scrap of what looked like carpet that K sees in the same paragraph comes from her warm shawl, perhaps this enigma is simply a device used by Kafka to confuse the reader. The possibilities and perhapses stretch on into infinity until they are lost in the obscurity of the cathedral. Kafka describes an object, person, or concept in great detail, with very few omissions in order to give the described every semblance of reality, but the meaning of the described is left completely open to the reader. This is the particular blend which casts its mottled shadow on the novel. A possible interpretation of this presence of this blend would be to say that it serves to give the novel a dreamlike, surreal quality. One knows from ones own dreams that certain aspects remain crystal clear in our memory, yet one can almost never remember for sure what the aspects role in the dream was. It is the same way with the blend: an aspect may be clear, but the rest is hazy. Supporting this interpretation would be the fact that K cannot read: he opens his album and looks through the pages for a while, probably only looking at the pictures without reading the text, and eventually has to stop this futile exercise ostensibly because it is too dark. The dream interpretation would also explain the randomness of events, objects, and people. Since the subconscious is left to work unrestricted in dreams, the products can be quite random and utterly impossible to link together or make sense of using logical means. The blend could also be viewed as a method to accentuate the confusion and plunge the reader yet deeper into the obscurity. In the second paragraph, when the candles have been lit, Kafka states that the candles only made the darkness more intense. If the candles and light are taken to represent precision and the darkness obscurity, then Kafka is clearly showing why he has worked the blend in to the novel. It is impossible to judge anything unless one compares it to something else. It is by contrast that we determine what is what. If one is constantly in the dark, one will not consider it dark, because one has become accustomed. Perhaps the candles of precision are there to throw the confusion and the haziness into sharp (or hazy? ) relief. Kafka only allows in any light so that the reader can see that he is bathed in darkness and confusion, and be attracted to the light. However, when the reader reaches the light he realizes the light is hollow as well: it is only aesthetically different from the darkness. In the second paragraph Joseph K. examines an altarpiece with his electric light. K. sees a Knight and looks at it for a considerable period analyzing it in detail without really understanding what the Knight is doing, nor why he was there. However, when K. shifts his light to see the rest of the picture, he realizes that the Knight is only a small piece of a conventional treatment of Christs burial. The parallel between K. and the reader is too strong to be overlooked. The reader, while reading the book, is looking through it one page at a time, attempting to analyze details and connect events. It is as if we too are looking at disconnected close-ups of a large picture. Like a picture, the events in the book are non-linear. They can be read any which way and in any order and still retain the same meaning. Kafka is essentially telling us as readers that we ought to shift our lights as K. does so that the whole of the picture is lit. If the reader focuses solely on one precise aspect, the rest of the picture is bathed in obscurity. Kafka, through the device of precision and obscurity, is telling the reader to take a step backwards and view the novel not as a succession of events like other conventional novels, but rather like a picture, where ones eyes and thoughts may rove freely along any lines that they choose. Only then will the whole come into focus. With reference to the last paragraph, I have been guilty of doing exactly what Kafka tells us not to do: i. e. analyzing in detail a small part of the text. Thus any conclusion that I may draw from these paragraphs alone are bound to be erroneous. However, draw a conclusion I will. I believe the blend of obscurity and precision is used to immerse the reader completely into the confusion of the text while at the same time advising the reader to take a step backwards. Given Kafkas rather eccentric sense of humor, I think it is quite possible that he believed pulling the wool over the readers eyes was uproariously funny, especially when the wool has directions telling how to lift the wool sewn on the inside, where it is too dark to see.

Management Essay Example for Free

Management Essay Your safety is important, updates have successfully prepared the enclosed form to report identity theft to creditors. Would you mind going to our website to fill out the customer information so that your order can be processed with our new database software? We are now offering RapidAssist, a software program that provides immediate technical support through our website to your employees and customers. To provide better service, a new software named RapidAssist is now offered to provide you with immediate technical support from our website to employees and customers e. To provide you with easy access to the new parking lot, a new restriction policy has been activated for â€Å"A† vehicle permits. The credit union now prohibits the cashing of double –endorsed checks presented by our customers to make sure you don’t suffer monetary losses. Our warranty goes into effect when we have receive the product’s registration card from the purchaser to supply you guaranteed protections. To help better your systems, we will be shutting down both systems Thursday afternoon to install upgrades. Regarding your request, the items listed above (printer toner and supplies) are being sent to your Oakdale office, referring to your telephone conversation on April 1. Kindly inform the subscriber whether or not your spokesman will be making an appearance in the near future. c. It is outstanding that we still managed the contract after the customer increased his demands, however our manager responded with better transitions. By the way, we had some errors in the schedule but don’t have to erase everything and start from the beginning. To ease the confirmation of this agreement, your negotiators push that the membership respond in the favorable. Our head manager was upset because I was sick in the time of the team meeting.

The Secret Of Persuasion Still Secret Sociology Essay

The Secret Of Persuasion Still Secret Sociology Essay Persuasion is where a deliberate attempt is made to change peoples attitudes and is concerned with the cognitive process involved in how that change is bought about (Petty and Cacioppo 1981:190). In terms of social psychological research, do we know all that there is to know about persuasion? Can we use it to control manipulation? As people are likely to be exposed to some form of persuasion in everyday life, it is easy to overlook how our opinions can be influenced by external forces. Persuasive techniques are evident throughout society in areas such as: politics, advertising, media, religion and education. Psychological research can be used effectively by these institutions in order to change the attitude of the public. For example, this is evident in the transition from the use of behavioural techniques in advertising, to modern day usage of attractive communicators in society (Atkinson 1984). Psychological exploration of persuasion techniques formally began at the beginning of th e 20th century where research has originated from two schools of thought; the traditional approach and the social psychological critique. The traditional approach believes that persuasion must be studied scientifically whereas critiques claim that there is no objective truth (Stainton Rogers 2003). This essay will outline the findings of these approaches and use them to demonstrate how the secrets of persuasion are becoming increasingly exposed. This science of persuasion was adopted by Traditional psychologists who believe that persuasion should be studied using scientific methodologies (Billig 1996:81). Their nomothetic approach aims to uncover trends amongst variables from which they can create laws of persuasion (Billig 1996). Arguably it was early Greek philosophers such as Protagoras and Aristotle, who first provided an insight into the secrets of persuasion. However, many argue that these insights are irrelevant as they did not know what we know now (Billig 1996). Petty, Ostrom and Brock (1981) claim that although the first set of principles governing the art of persuasion was recorded in the fourth century B.C., it was not until the present century that attitude change was investigated experimentally (Billig 1996:94). On the other hand, Bryant (1965) claims that though modern psychology is very different from that of the Greeks, and doubtless more scientific, modern enlightenment has produced no new method of analysi ng an audience which can replace Aristotles (Billig 1996,:94). If persuasion is to be studied from a scientific stand point, we can consider Kuhns notion of a normal science. He states that knowledge is not accumulated like building blocks; old blocks are simply replaced by new ones. This would suggest that any findings on persuasion by Greek philosophers have been replaced by knowledge of modern social psychologists. Does this mean that old knowledge concerning secrets of persuasion no longer holds any relevance? Many Traditional Psychologists would say yes however, Billig argues otherwise (Billig 1996). Aronson (1976) claims that although Aristotle first asserted some of the basic principles of social influence and persuasion around 350 B.C., it wasnt until the middle of the 20th century that those principles were put to experimental tests by Carl Hovland and his associates. (Billig 1996:94). This is argued to be the earliest influential research on uncovering the secrets of persuasion. Hovland (1949) and his colleagues served as chief psychologists for the U.S. War Department during World War II and carried out a scientific study on persuasion which placed focus of soldier morale. He presented a one-sided text which he gave to group A claiming that they were going to win the war. Then gave a two-sided text which including doubts such as geographical difficulties, death etc. to group B. They found that one sided arguments were more persuasive only when personal beliefs were not taken into account (Myers 1983). By failing to use comparable control groups, prior intelligence could not be measured however, it had a significant effect on his findings. Hovland (1949) argued that the addition of variables would lose simplicity, however he did recognise the vitality for more complex results. This prompted him and his colleagues to reflect on their research after the war, and focus on aspects of communication and processes of persuasion which increased the likelihood that a message would be persuasive (Myers 1983). Traditional critiques would dismiss Hovlands research for being too infused with subjectivity due to the historic context within which his study was carried out (Stainton Rogers 2003). However, the fact that the concept of intelligence was an exception to his one-sided rule of persuasion, agrees with Billigs argument that there will always be infinite exceptions to laws. Quintilians findings would support this as he claimed that there were no such things as rigid rules of persuasion. He claimed that there is no guarantee that strategies that worked in the p ast will work again in new contexts (Billig 1996:92). Although this suggests that there are not one set of persuasive rules to be discovered, it can still be argued that Hovlands research was pivotal as it set a benchmark, from which more research stemmed, on understanding the secrets of persuasion. Michael Billig (1996) considers himself to be an antiquarian psychologist meaning that he highlights the significance of a neglected history of rhetoric to modern social psychology (Billig 1996:2). He argues against contemporary social psychology and believes that psychologists should refer back to the findings of ancient Greek philosophers in order to understand the concept of persuasion. He claims that the classical studies of Aristotle and Protagorous in particular, provide valuable knowledge about secrets of persuasion (Billig 1996). For example, Aristotle spoke about the importance of ethos, this was later reinforced by Hovland and his team who discovered the significance of the source of the message and the acceptance of the audience. Billigs focus on specific historical knowledge has been criticised as being a schemata of collection (Billig 1996:3). However, this may not be negative. The fact that he has sifted through historical findings and extracted those he believed to hav e relevance to today, is arguably more beneficial to modern social psychologists. We can learn from Billigs support of early findings that there are alternative ways of understanding a persuasive argument. Unlike Atkinsons notion that physical and lexical factors hold importance, Billig believes in looking fundamentally at the arguments themselves (Billig 1996). In terms of persuasion, this may uncover the messages that are trying to be conveyed and affect the way that we might allow an argument to influence us. Billigs rhetorical approach has been said to be key to the discursive turn in the social sciences as his faith in historical knowledge has led to key developments in modern social psychology (Billig 1996:330). Roman critics of oratory; Cicero and Quintilian, arguably provided a very memorable insight in history towards persuasion and rhetoric. Their influence in judicial and political speaking arguably held historical significance in uncovering the secrets of persuasion. (Billig 1996). However, it could also be disputed that they lacked any modern technology to analyse how particular tricks worked (Atkinson 1984). Atkinson carried out an ideographic study on political speeches. He focused on form and how features of rhetoric cause an audience to applaud during a political speech. His ethnomethodological study provided observation on a dependent variable in a real context as opposed to the Traditional scientific methods (Stainton Rogers 2003). Critiques argue that these techniques remain context dependent, e.g. appearance of source, intelligence of audience etc. (Myers 1983). With the rapid growth of the media in todays society, the public are becoming increasingly exposed to politics. Atki nsons findings have been highly influential in speech writing and have produced guidelines from which politicians and producers can use his secrets to form the material which is exposed to the public (Atkinson 1984). Arguably politicians may exploit his techniques of manipulation and subsequently the public are becoming more cynical as they become more conscious that they are targets of persuasion. This could be seen to have positive effects on persuasion, as we are being increasingly exposed to the secrets of persuasion, this is an inevitable need to increase the levels of sophistication in techniques of persuasion. Orators will be required to use more subtle techniques as they face increasingly cynical audiences (Atkinson 1984). From this point of view, Atkinsons findings have posed threat to techniques of persuasion predominantly used in politics and advertising, such as 3-part contingencies (Gettysburgs address 1863) and contrasting pairs (Churchills speech 1940), but at the sam e time he has encouraged development. Therefore it can be argued that his study has uncovered secrets of persuasion regularly used by two institutions which have major persuasive powers over society. With reference to both the traditional and critical approaches to social psychology, it must be considered whether the concept of persuasion can now be fully understood. It could be argued that making comparisons between the works of ancient Greek philosophers and modern social psychologists shows the progress in uncovering rules and guidelines to manipulation. However, prior to Hovlands study, there is a distinctive gap in history where the study of persuasion suffered neglect. This could suggest that there are many historical secrets which are yet to be discovered. In todays media dominated society, the study of persuasion holds an increased relevance. Although research has uncovered many rules of persuasion, there is almost a certainty that many remain undiscovered. It is only once these secrets are uncovered, that attitudinal change can fully occur in an increasingly cynical society.

parent teacher relationships Essay -- essays research papers

How often would you say you raise questions about what your child’s/youngest child’s teacher is doing to provide an education for your child? Have you done anything to get to know your child’s teacher or teachers? Have you done anything to get to know your child’s teacher or teachers? Have you done anything to help your child’s teacher or teachers get to know your child and his or her strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes? How well do you think you understand what is expected of you as a parent or guardian by your child’s teacher or teachers? Thinking about your involvement with your child’s school, would you say you feel like an insider or an outsider? Do you feel like you are a full partner in the process of educating your child, or would you say that your involvement in your child’s education is less than that? Students are usually given grades of A, B, C, D or F to describe the quality of their work .... [H]ow would you grade the school your child/youngest child attends? Are you a parent, guardian, or grandparent who is responsible for providing fairly regular parenting care for one or more children who are school age or younger? What grade or grades are your children in? How often do you attend parent-teacher conferences – all the time, most of the time, sometimes, seldom or never? Generally speaking, how productive would you say parent-teacher conferences are for you - very productive, mostly productive, only a little productive, or not productive at al...

Rural to urban Migration in Brazil :: essays research papers

Brazil Investigation ? Challenges Of An LEDC Brazil is the largest and most populace country in South America, and fifth largest in the world in both area and population. Spanning a vast area between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean. Rural To Urban Migration Brazil?s economic development creates wealth like any other country, but due to many different reasons its development has mainly taken place in the Southeast of the country. For example,  · Main ports and air ports are situated in this area making exporting goods easy  · Has the right climate and land that is needed to grow coffee, which is Brazils main export  · It has many mineral resources in the rocks on the coast i.e. iron ore  · It has fast flowing rivers which are a good source of cheap hydro electric power  · It has the best roads and railways in Brazil, making travelling easy. This area is known as the Golden Triangle. At the edges of this triangle there are three major cities, Belo Hoeizante, Rio de Janeiro and Sau Paulo. These are the main ?Favoured? locations for industrial development, normally called the core. People are moving to this part of Brazil because of many reasons, the main one being the jobs at the ports and in the factories or industry, these being mainly secondary (manufacturing) and tertiary (service) sectors. But also it has the best standard of living and the best transport links. Some people live in the skyscrapers with maids, if the earn enough, but if they don?t, then their families have to live in favelas. These are like wooden houses with no main water or electricity. In most countries, the level of wealth decreases with distance from the core. The poorest regions are usually found towards the periphery of the country. The periphery is the area around the core that has not benefited form the economic growth, and development. Most of the wealth is in the centre of Sau Paulo. But the economic development is uneven, as round the edges of Sau Paulo it is a very big contrast. The families are large so all the children can go out and earn money for the family, which is leading to overcrowding and a high birth rate.

The Signal Man :: English Literature

The Signal Man Through out the story Dickens has created a sense of horror and suspension in his description of the setting, landscape, physical surroundings and the weather conditions. At the start of the story the signal man hears a voice shouting down to him from up above, instead of looking up in the direction he heard the voice coming from, he turned himself about and looked down the line. This seems rather odd as you would normally look to where you heard the voice. The man shouting down to him, was on a high cliff and he was steeped in the angry glow of a sunset and the signal man’s figure was foreshortened and shadowed, down in the deep trench so it was rather awkward for the man to see who he was shout to. The man repeats ‘Halloa! Below!’ only then does the signal man catch on who is shouting to him, so he turns himself about , and raises his eyes and say the mans figure high above him. It then goes on to say that the signal man looks up to him without replying, and he looked down at him without pressing him too soon with a repetition of his idle question. There then came a ‘vague vibration’ in the earth and air, quickly changing into a violent pulsation. This suggests that there is a disturbance in nature, this means that the train is coming. After the train had passed, the signal mans looks up again and motioned towards a point on the narrator’s level, the man then heads for that point. As he headed for that point, he noticed a rough zigzag path notched out, this suggests that there could be danger. It then goes on to describe the setting. The cutting was extremely deep, and unusually precipitous, it is a very dismal and dreary setting. It then says that the notched out path was made through a clammy stone that became oozier and wetter as it leaded further down the cliff, this reinforces the setting to be very depressing and gloomy. As he made his way down the zigzag path, the signal man looked as though he was awaiting his arrival. He had his left hand at his chin, and his left elbow rested on his right hand, crossed over his breast His attitude was one of such expectation and watchfulness, that the man stopped at it a moment, wondering at it. This could suggest that the signal man was wondering weather the narrator was a ghost or not. The signal man had a very weary appearance; it says that he was a

Analyse the considerations that regulate when an athlete returns to play after an injury Essay

The considerations that regulate when an athlete is able to return to play after an injury includes indicators or readiness to return to play, monitoring progress, psychological readiness, specific warm up procedures, return to play policies and procedures as well as ethical considerations. It is imperative that an athlete’s injury has recovered, their fitness and skills are close to pre-injury levels and also that their confidence in their injury is 100%. Training pain free and having full mobility return to the injured site are clear indicators of readiness for return to play. In order to measure an athlete’s readiness after returning from an injury they must go through various physical tests to test their fitness and basic skills needed to perform in their sport. For example, a netballer returning from an injured ankle would be tested on her agility through drills including side stepping and dogging. Her match fitness could be tested in a practice game situation at training provided she is pain free and has complete mobility. Monitoring progress through both pre-tests and post-tests is essential to an athletes recovery in order to determine if they have or have not gained the necessary fitness and skills after injury. Ongoing tests, discussions between athlete and physio, visual observations of the athlete and video footage are all means which may be used to appropriately measure the athlete’s progress. Thus, appropriate pre and post tests can significantly help trainers to evaluate and develop particular training programs that will help to athlete return to play quicker after an injury. E.g A swimmer could monitor their progress of an injured arm by measuring the range of movement pre and post training. An athlete’s psychological can be effectively measured by discussions between the athlete, coach and sports psychologist, visual observations and anxiety levels. An athlete returning to sport before they’re psychologically ready can lead to fear, anxiety, re-injury, depression and a decrease in performance. For example, a 100m sprinter who tore his hamstring from jumping out of the blocks may find it psychologically tough to reach their maximum force produced pre-injury. An injured athlete may need to go through a more specific warm up and stretching routine in order to achieve maximum recovery and minimise the chance or re-injury. Thus, extra care and time at the injured site is crucial to ensuring that adequate blood flow, increased flexibility and readiness to perform occur. E.g A soccer player may need to do their own specific warm up program set by their physio separate to the team. Return to play policies and procedures vary with sports, as they may be determined by overall governing bodies or by individual sporting clubs. However, coaches, sports administrators and sports medicine practitioners play a vital role in establishing guidelines for when an injured athlete can return or wether they can play with the injury. For example, a water polo player may need to get their pectoral injury cleared by their team physio in order play. Ethical considerations play a vital role in determining when an athlete returns to play. Athletes ask themselves, ‘When is the right time to play?’ Unfortunately, there are internal and external pressures such as temptation, fear of losing their position on the team, pressure from sponsors and media as well as boredom, sometimes luring them into returning to play before they’re ready. Thus, this could easily lead to an athlete using painkillers or similar drugs from rapid advances in drug technology, in order to continue playing.

Financial Case

By choosing the correct projects to participate in, Target Corporation can continue their growth and competitiveness in the retail Indus try. Executive Summary Target was first founded in 1 962, opening their first store in Roseville, Imines tot. The store was designed to differentiate themselves from the existing upscale store sees in the area. The company's idea flourished and by 2005, Target became a major retailing pop rouses, recording revenues of over $52 billion from stores located in 47 different states.One of the main reasons Target was able to become as successful as they are, is the idea of focusing o the shopping experience as a whole, and not just focusing on lower prices compared to thee r competitors. By embracing this idea, Target has been able to successfully attract their target d anemographic, a medaled, collateralized female, with children. In today's market, Target faces 2 main competitors: Walter and Cost. Wall Mart operates their stores similar to how Target's stores are operated, and their SST ores are generally in competing areas of another.Walter focuses on driving their prices as low a s possible, creating a very small profit margin on their items, but makes a large profit du to their large 1 amount of sales. Cost is a warehouse retailer that charges a membership f e in order to receive their discounted prices. The company relies heavily on these fees, as they ma eke up 72. 8% of operating income. Cost attracts many of the same customers Target attract s, but the companies are generally not in the same locations.Targets Capital Expenditure Committee is made up of top executives who me et monthly to review all capital project requests costing more than $100,000. This commit tee could approve any and all projects, unless the projects were worth more than $50 million an in this case, the project would need approval from the board of directors. If the project involve sees openings new location, a real estate manager, located in that speci fic geographic area, was r expansible for the proposal and presentation Of the proposal. The committee uses different fact Ores when analyzing the capital project requests.The factors are: NP and AIR, the size and cost of the project, the effect this project has on other Target store's sales, store sensitivities, variance e to prototype, customer demographics, and the impact it has on the Target brand. By care Ely analyzing each of these factors and locations, we were able to come up with a decision for EAI chi location. Analysis and Recommendations The first project we will discuss is the Gopher Place location. The proposal is f or $23 million to build a POP Target Store. This location has a very strong NP and IR R in terms to the expense of the project.With the prototype NP achievable with sales of 5. 3% below R & P forecast, we would expect this store to be financially stable. The size of the pr Eject is reasonable, and with the strong NP and AIR the cost should be redeemed. The biggest factor against this location is the centralization of sales from preexisting Target stop rest. In this location, there are five Target stores already established and plans of two Inc miming Walter 2 Superstores. 19% of our sales are expected to come from existing Target stop rest in the area, not benefiting the corporation.This location has a relatively small population, thou ugh they have been experiencing the largest population growth of the five projects. Only 12 % of the population fits our target demographic of adults with 4+ years of college education. The median salary is also on the higher end of the remaining projects and does not fit our target d anemographic. This location doesn't bring any new brand awareness to the Target brand and is go inning into a very crowded area of competition. The Whalen Court project is by far the most expensive project, costing $1 19. Million to build a unique, one floor Target store. This project has a project NP of $25. 9 million and an AIR of 9. 8%. With the large amount of investment, the NP and AIR figures AR .NET necessarily that strong but are still positive and could see growth. This is by far the large SST size project, with the largest expense by far. The expense alone makes us worried about the pr Eject. There are currently 45 other stores in the area, but this store would be the only one in a n urban center off major metropolitan area.This location would not have a major impact on Sal sees from other Target stores, but could take away customers from competitors that are cure .NET in the Metropolitan area. The population of 632,000 is by far the largest population and 45% of them fit our demographic of collateralized adults. This location also brings a nun queue branding and advertising advantage and the expense could be balanced against the brand wariness. The Barn is a proposal for a POP store costing $13 million and can reach its NP V with sales 18. 1% below the projected. The small investment allow s for a large return run, even if sales fall below the projected.There are no other Target stores in the area and the strong population of 3 151 ,OHO people fits our target median income. This project should have been passed already if it weren't for a disagreement with the developer. Soldiers Square is a project for a Supermarket costing $23. 9 million. In order t o achieve the forecasted NP and AIR of $300,000 and 8. 1 % respectively, sales would en d to be at 45. 1% above the forecasted sales level. The area is largely populated with other rate leers and currently 12 Target stores, with plans of building another 12.

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

There has been a long debate about the Constitutionality of paid military chaplains. Is there a legal basis for such or is it a mere supposition? Does the government have a legitimate and legal basis to pay chaplains for their services or is it doing so â€Å"just because† and is getting away with it? Could it be legally challenged and done away with? These are the questions. The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution is the legal basis of the military chaplaincy. Here is how.The First Amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The amendment is generally viewed as being composed of two separate clauses; the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. Each of these clauses is designed to protect those fundamental human rights which are so foundational to the ideals of our nation: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.There are many references to the military chaplaincies as legitimate exceptions to the â€Å"Establishment Clause† because they provide the right of â€Å"free exercise† of religion that is equally guaranteed under the First Amendment. It is this most important point that the chaplaincy clearly provides the military with a constitutional function, the â€Å"free exercise† of religion. The legal debate over paid chaplains sits on both clauses of the First Amendment: 1) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, 2) or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;Describe your understanding of praying in â€Å"Jesus Name. I have been fortunate in that I have not experienced any direct pressure in regards to praying in Jesus’ name. However, during public prayer in which soldiers are required to be in attendance, I always make the statement â€Å"As I pray in my tradition, I encourage you to prayer in yours. † This should be a common statement among chaplains. `Generally speaking, it is not soldiers of other faith traditions that are offended by prayers in Jesus’name, it is usually soldiers of no faith tradition whatsoever.Furthermore, although there are stories of religious persecution on both sides of the issue (Religious soldiers and Non- Religious soldiers), these issues have a tendency to be very allocated and reflect the particular command environment that the Chaplain is serving under. This is a very troubling issue and the best resolve is the development of a healthy relationship between the Chaplain and the Command in which the chaplain has the opportunity to advise the commander on these complicated issues. In reality, this can become quite complicated and some commanders have strong views on this topic (on both sides of the argument).Is it worth derailing many years of representing Christ to soldiers over the particular views of one commander? I would suggest that sometimes it is prudent to just get in the basket and go over the wall. Finally, I also understand that Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates like myself, that pray Christian prayers should be prepared to hear and support the right of Jewish and Muslim Chaplains to pray in their particular tradition as well. Finally, describe your understanding of the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† Policy and other issues of which you may be concerned.According to the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal, service members will not be involuntarily separated for lawful homosexual conduct. Sexual orientation remains a personal and private matter. Sexual orientation and lawful homosexual conduct (statements, acts or same-sex marriage) are not a basis for separation, reassignment or special consideration. Sailors may inform others of their sexual orientation at their own discretion. In fact, the Department of Defense will not ask service members to identify their sexual orientation.The Department of Defense will not collect or maintain data on an individual’s sexual orientation. This Department of Defense policy on sexual orientation applies equally to all members of the Active, Reserve, and National Guard components of the military. With that being said, what does this mean in relationship to providing worship and counseling services to men and women who can now be open with their lifestyle. Chaplains will continue to have the very same freedom to practice their religion according to the tenets of their faith.In the context of their religious ministry, chaplains are not required to take actions that are inconsistent with their religious beliefs (e. g. , altering the content of sermons or religious counseling, sharing a pulpit with other chaplains or modifying forms of prayer or worship). However, when it comes to ministering to someone who is a homosexual , I feel that it is the pastor’s or chaplain’s duty to do so. The Title â€Å"pastor† suggests two functions of church leaders so designated: nurturing and guidance.The nurturing aspect includes the general Christian responsibility of showing compassion for others, but his responsibility is accentuated because a pastor must set the example. Pastors or Chaplains must indeed set the example. Homosexual or not, that person who seeks counsel is still one of God’s children only in a fallen state. Then again, aren’t we all? We are all still a work in progress. There isn’t a human being on this Earth that has defeated sin or struggle with sin. So I think some compassion is warranted when it comes to ministering to homosexuals.

Backup

Backup or backing up refers to the process of making copies of data to save and restore the original data incase of loss event also known as disaster recovery. Backup is so important in view of the fact that loss of data often happen in most machine users as their computers are habitually in the high risk of going wrong, failure in the hard disk does happen. The most common problems today that may result in loss of data are the threat to viruses. Although some viruses do not affect the file or the computer itself, some does and may even infect the hard disks of your computer resulting in data loss. David Smith estimated that 6% of all the personal computers suffer data loss every year (Boston Computing Network, 2010). Also, about 31% of PC users have experience data loss due to uncontrollable events (Boston Computing Network, 2010). When do you take backup (daily, weekly, on significant changes to data)? I personally do not set a specific schedule for backing up files because it has my habit to save a copy of important data. I also backup files when I make changes to them and so there is no need to have a schedule time for taking backup of files. In case of accidental loss of data, I do not have to worry since I have copies of all the files that are important to me. Do you schedule backups automatically? If so how? If not, how can you be sure to do them? No, I do not schedule automatic backups. As I have mentioned, it has been my habit to take backups whenever significant changes are made to my files. Thus, I am certain to have copies of all the files that I need. How do you take backup – manually, using the Copy facilities in the Windows Explorer? If so, describe the process; or do you have some other backup program? If so, what is it, and why do you like to use it? I take backups manually. I have to plug the storage device and manually save the data in order to create copies of it. I do not use back programs since I do not view taking backup as a task but rather I see it as an enjoyable thing to do since it gives me the certainly that in cases of data loss, I always have a copy. Where do you store the backup files (ie on what device and in what physical location) and why did you make that choice? Include costs, if any)? I have two primary devices used for data storage; flash disk and external hard disk. I used the flask disk for files that require changing in a short period of time, mostly school stuffs. On the other hand, I use the external hard disk for files that I rarely use as well as for large volume files. Still, I also use CDR’s for data that I wish not to be changed, mostly program files and installers. In the case that I am employed and required to use my personal computer for work related task, the only threat that I see is the privacy which can easily be handled by organizing files and folders. I believe that there would be no significant changes that must be done but I would need another hard disk in order to maintain that organization of my files. My original hard disk will be used for the backups of my personal files while the other will be used for work related documents. I would also have to change the allotment on my PC in order to cope with the changes. I will have to create partitions on the disks in order separate personal to work use: one partition for work use, one for personal use and another extra partition for other files. My flash disk would serve the same purpose as before, for files that often requires changes but both for personal and work related task. Thus, the only cost associated with the changes is another external hard disk for work related files as well as the time for making necessary changes.

A Brief History of New York City

New York City is one of the most famous metropolises in the world. It is not only a huge business hub, but also an American cultural symbol for opportunity, hard work, energy, and eclecticism. But have you ever wondered about the history of this great city? If you have, you will enjoy the following paragraphs on New York City’s prehistory, European settlement, and modern development. Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the area of New York City. The Lenape people were the main residents in this land, and they spoke the Algonquian language (Kraft, Herbert). These people used the waterways in their surroundings for fishing, hunting trips, trade, and even war. In fact, many of the main trails of the Lenape are now major thoroughfares in New York, such as Broadway (Foote, Thelma Wills). Before European settlers came, the Lenape had agriculture, developed hunting techniques, and were managing their resources with ease. They even were harvesting large amounts of fish and shellfish (Kurlansky, Mark). According to estimates, there were around 80 settlements of the Lenape with a population of approximately 5,000 when European settlers came (Stanford Web Archive Timeline). Italian voyager Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to visit the area, which was in 1524 (Morison, Samuel Eliot). But he did not stay for long, and it was not until 1609 when English employee of the Dutch East India Company, Henry Hudson, was looking for a westerly passage to Asia and instead found a fine spot for beaver pelts. Hudson’s report about the beaver population of the New York City area prompted the Dutch to create trading colonies there (Sandler, Corey). Through 1624-1625, the founding of the first Dutch fur trading post was where what is now Lower Manhattan (New York City Department of Parks Recreation). In 1626, the creation of Fort Amsterdam was initiated. Through the bringing of African slaves to the settlement, construction improved and blossomed, but there was animosity between the Native Americans and the settlers. In February of 1643, there was the Pavonia Massacre in the area known as present-day Jersey City, but a peace treaty was eventually mad e on August 29th of 1645 (Ellis, Edward Robb). Shorty after, in 1652, the colony was granted self-governance. However, Dutch rule was short lived. The English took over the colony, renaming it â€Å"New York† in honor of the Duke of York in 1664 (Homberger, Eric). It became a colony of the Kingdom of England and subsequently of Great Britain. In the hands of the British, New York burgeoned into a full-scale city. From 1678 to 1694, 384 houses grew to 983, with a mix of African (slaves and free), Dutch, English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish people (Harris, Leslie M). Unfortunately, through war and massacre, the population of the Lenape shrunk to about 200. On the other hand, the slave trade under British rule continued to boost manpower and also Africans and Caribbeans acted as servants within homes. With the introduction of the Stamp Act and other taxation measures created by the British government, the colonists became agitated under oppression. Official resistance to British authority began in 1765 with The Stamp Act Congress, and it eventually resulted in the American Revolution starting in the same year. The Revolution lasted until 1783 under the leadership of General George Washington with the aid of France and other countries. The 13 colonies built the Continental Army, and through much tribulation, were able to drive out the British Army from New York and the other colonies. Serving as the first constitution of America, the Articles of Confederation was made in 1785 by Congress in New York City, and by 1798, New York City became the national capital of the United States according to the new United States Constitution. You can say this was the true start of the modern New York City. From a relatively peaceful Native American settlement of the Lenape people to American rule, New York City has had a bloody, tumultuous history of banner-changing, massacres, mass fires, slavery, and revolt. Now the focal point of American urban culture and business, one can easily forget what it came from. References Kraft, Herbert. The Lenape: Archaeology, history, and ethnography (New Jersey Historical Society v 21, 1986). Foote, Thelma Wills (2004). Black and White Manhattan: The History of Racial Formation in Colonial New York. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 25. ISBN 0-19-516537-3. Kurlansky, Mark. The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, New York: Ballantine Books, 2006. Gotham Center for New York City History. Archived 2008-12-29 at the Stanford Web Archive Timeline 1700–1800. Morison, Samuel Eliot (1971). The European Discovery of America. Volume 1: The Northern Voyages. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press. p. 490. ISBN 978-0195082715. Sandler, Corey (2007). Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession. Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-2739-0. Battery Park.† New York City Department of Parks Recreation. Retrieved on September 13, 2008.† Nycgovparks.org. Retrieved 2010-10-04. Ellis, Edward Robb (1966). The Epic of New York City. Old Town Books. pp. 37–40. Homberger, Eric (2005). The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York Citys History. Owl Books. p. 34. ISBN 0-8050-7842-8. Harris, Leslie M. (2003). In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863. The University of Chicago Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0226317731.

Realism vs. Phenomenalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Realism vs. Phenomenalism - Essay Example It is also possible for people to perceive qualities under conditions whereby no physical object exists at all. However, Barnes does not agree with this point of view and terms the sense-data argument a myth. According to Barnes, people have the capacity to perceive by seeing, tasting, smelling, feeling, and hearing; it is an indisputable fact. He proceeds to give three arguments that dispel the existence of sense data. For instance, he gives the example of a penny placed on a table. When observed from above, the penny appears circular, but when viewed from miles away, it appears elliptical. The elliptical and circular appearances are not the aspects of the penny, but entities of some kind. Another example is a stick that appears straight in the air, but bent in water. This is an aspect of sense-data. The third argument Barnes presents is that people seem to see objects which do not exist in reality. For example, mirages that appear in the desert (Barnes 92). This suggests that what people observe in some cases are not physical entities. The non-physical entities are what phenomenalists refer to as sense-data. Barnes arguments favor realism. Realism asserts that the existence of physical objects is independent of the human mind; therefore, the universe exists independent of the human mind. Barnes argument is convincing as it follows the tenets of logical reasoning. Therefore, physical objects exist whether human beings perceive them or

Analysis of Three Selected Poems by Robert Frost Research Paper

Analysis of Three Selected Poems by Robert Frost - Research Paper Example After his death, life became tough for the family and they moved to live with their grandfather who used to live in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His mother then supported her children by working as a teacher in a school. In the year 1892, Frost completed his graduation from the Lawrence High School where he developed a liking for poetry. His poems were published in his school magazine. His first official work was ‘My Butterfly: An Elegy’ which appeared in the New York Independent in the year 1894. This was the beginning of his career as a poet. In the following year, Robert Frost got married to Elinor Miriam White. Frost took up different professions which included farming as well as teaching. He was unsuccessful in these and he finally sold the farm for a journey to England. In 1912, he settled in Beaconsfield, a small town outside London. This is where he found the fascination for rural life and nature, which became the chief ingredients for his poetry. After a year of his arrival in England, he started walking towards the path of success as his poems became successful. He published his first book of poetry ‘A boy’s will.’ The book was welcomed by the public and notable poets of the time. He has written many famous poems which include the Oven Bird, The Road Not Taken and The Gift Outright. An analysis of these poems assists in understanding the theme of the poems (Francis 2004; Thompson 1959). The Oven Bird In this poem, Frost uses the sobriquet of the Oven Bird that sings beautifully in the jungle, sending the message of the changing seasons. But a point comes when the bird stops singing. The poem follows two important themes. It presents the theme of modernism and the destruction of nature owing to this. He also uses the different seasons to explain the life of a man and the aspect of ageing. With the assistance of the poem, Frost tries to convey the message that modernism had sucked out all the simple joys of life. Everything is losing its natural gleam and machines are taking over, making life fast and self-centered. For the poet, the lofty purpose of life is lost. For him, the height of life’s purpose existed in the classical era. Like many poets of his time, Frost believed that life’s joys were lost as man moved away from nature. Frost was a true admirer of nature and he believed that nature was not being preserved. The second idea that is presented in the poem is that of ageing and death. The seasonal changes depict the changes in the life of the people. The season of spring is indicative of the youth of an individual which serves as the peak in every human beings life. But despite of all these changes, ageing and death are unavoidable. The word â€Å"diminished† in the last line of the poem clearly reveals the fact of mortality and explains that everything has to end and death is the ultimate end. Robert Frost, thus, shows the different phases of life with the assistance of the seasons. A student of Robert Frost Sydney Cox used to refer to Frost by calling him â€Å"The Oven Bird.† It was implied by him that the poem was indicative of the life of Robert Frost himself. Cox believed that Frost had reflected his personality in the poem and at the same time he had discussed the issue of the damage that was being brought to nature. He indicated that Frost was actually

MICROBIOLOGY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MICROBIOLOGY - Coursework Example Catalase test is used to identify organisms that are capable of producing catalase enzyme. The enzyme converts toxic H2O2 into water and oxygen and thereby prevent the formation of highly dangerous hydroxyl radicals. 2H2O2 Catalase 2H2O + O2 To test catalase activity, the culture must be of 18- 24 hour as old culture lose catalase activity and may display false negative test. The emerging bubbles in catalase positive test is due to the formation of oxygen gas. Aerobic bacteria in general display catalase positive test while most of the anaerobes are deficient in catalase enzyme indicating the sensitivity of anaerobic bacteria towards oxygen. E.g. Catalase positive organisms are Micrococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Catalase negative organisms are Enterococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. Bacto Agar or plain agar is used for the study as it contains calcium and magnesium. On the contrary, blood agar are unsuitable to carryout catalase test as blood contains catalase (Web: Catalase t est, n.d.; Pelczar, 1993). 2. Explain the principle of Oxidase test. Oxidase test is a test for the presence of cytochrome oxidase (playing vital role in electron transport chain or ETC) which catalyses oxidation of reduced cytochrome by oxygen. Cytochrome oxidase transports electrons from the ETC to oxygen, the terminal electron acceptor. The principle is utilized to test the organisms for the production of cytochrome oxidase. To test this ability of microorganisms, artificial electron donors and acceptors are provided. As soon as the electron donor (1.0-1.5 percent solution of tetramethyl p-phenylene diamine hydrochloride) is poured over the colonies, it is oxidized by cytochrome oxidase. Oxidase positive colonies become maroon, purple and black in 10-30 minutes (Pelczar MJ. 1993). E.g. Members of Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae are oxidase positive (Pelczar, 1993). 3. Explain how Oxoid Chromogenic UTI media (Clear) works. Oxoid Chromogenic UTI media is a nonselective medi um to isolate, differentiate and enumerate the pathogens prevalent in urinary tract and are responsible for urinary tract infection. The medium facilitates the differentiation and identification of E. coli and Enterococcus without undergoing confirmatory tests (Web. Dehydrated Culture Media, n.d.). The principle utilized is based on the difference in susceptibility prototypes of the microorganisms. For the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy, the organism must be identified to the species level. However, the prevalent species Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia spp. produce enzymes for the metabolism of glucosidase or lactose or both and aids identification. On the contrary other microorganisms may not produce enzyme for such substrate fermentation (Web. Dehydrated Culture Media, n.d.). The chromogen mixture present in the Oxoid Chromogenic UTI media (Clear) comprises artificial substrates or chromogens which are responsible for releasing different colored compounds when specific microb ial enzymes released by Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia spp act on substrate molecules, thereby a differentiation process works for the detection of certain species or a group of microorganism (Isenberg and Garcia, 2004). For instance the chromogen X-glucoside is a substrate for ?-glucosidase enzyme of enterococci which form blue colonies while chromogen red-galactoside is utilized by enzyme ?-galactoside generated

Latin America Cinema (Hour of Furnace and Third Cinema) Essay

Latin America Cinema (Hour of Furnace and Third Cinema) - Essay Example The aim of the Third Cinema is to motivate the masses towards starting a revolution, with the director joining in as a part of the group. Another aspect of the Third Cinema, according to the two Argentineans, is clandestinity; the films that form part of the Third Cinema should be shown secretly so that not only is censorship and other commercial groups (both part of the mainstream cinema) avoided, but also to include a risk on the part of the viewer who decides to see them. â€Å"The Hour of the Furnaces† is a pioneer film of the Third Cinema genre, if Third Cinema can be referred to as a genre. Directed by Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino, â€Å"The Hour of the Furnaces† was secretly filmed in Argentina in the early 60s and with a runtime of over four hours. It serves as a very bold condemnation of the neocolonialism that has dragged the country specifically, and Latin America generally, down into the depths of economic and social colonization, first by Spain, then by the United Kingdom and finally by the United States. The film depicts the horrors of capitalism in the â€Å"underdeveloped† country, with the bourgeoisie and the oligarchy getting richer, while the poor laborers and farmers get poorer. The directors use a very fiery and fast tempo soundtrack to help them drive their point home. The point driven home is a call for revolution, an appeal to the masses by the directors to take up arms as all non-violent means, adapted by the Peronists to bring about a change by toppling the regime that came into power by a coup against Juan Domingo Perà ³n, had failed to do any good. In short, through this film, the directors have tried to become a part of the collective and are trying to inspire the masses into starting a revolution against the injustices that the ruling class has subjected them to through the methods of capitalism and neocolonialism. A manifesto of change, â€Å"The Hour of the Furnaces†

Herbert Hoover Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Herbert Hoover - Article Example The Efficiency Movement of the United States, was a major part of the Progressive Era. The ideology championed by those who supported this movement, was that the society, government and the economy contained unwanted elements that bogged things down. In order to cleanse the system, experts must be appointed to identify the errors and to fix them. Hoover was a prominent figure who championed this movement. He held the view that the economy could be fixed and made better by coming up with technical solutions. However, it so happened that the Great Depression started in 1929, during the first year of Hoover's tenure as President. Since his ideology that the economy could be fixed, could not work in such a situation, he was the centre of criticism and mistrust. Herbert Hoover was a reformer and believed in improving the condition of livelihood of the citizens. He denounced the laissez-faire system and believed in regulating bills through Congress. In addition to this, he also supported volunteerism.

Ceramics Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ceramics Art - Essay Example The colours move into each other in delicate swirls from greens, browns, blues and turquoise to blacks, whites, beige and mustard. A small spout with brown and pale turquoise glaze is placed on one side of the pot, and a dome shaped lid in shades of brown fits in snugly. A tiny turquoise handle with a minuscule black button is at an angle to the spout, and extrudes out of the surface. The entire egg shape tapers down to a very tiny black foot. The irreducible essence of a teapot is its function, in terms of cultural and human ritual terms. By taking away from this teapot its utility, Swindell does not add a conceptual dimension, or vestigial elements to suggest a different meaning, in the manner of poststructural art, where the lack of function becomes a metaphor for something else in the artist's dictionary. The teapot is still just a teapot, quaint, not functional, but definitely a teapot. This teapot is indeed an example of organic art, in a class of its own. Far removed from post-modern jargon and innuendoes, its expressive criteria are not in tune with the deconstructive and discursive atmosphere of contemporary arts practice. As Bernard Kerr says, " By overly conceptualising our work we run the risk of losing the special somatic and sensual qualities that make the ceramic arts unique and special."(Kerr, 2005). When viewing Swindell's work the correct questions to ask would be whether it is a beautiful, nostalgic piece of evanescence made tangible. Swindell seems to capture the volatile charm of nature in this piece, which emerges with new, subtle meanings every time you look at it. Though out time potters have sought to create man made ceramic forms, which echo the sensibilities of nature, sometimes by mimicking nature or through stylisation and abstraction. The history of ceramics is filled with organic masterpieces. (Thames & Hudson, 2001) It does not have enforced explicit and implicit narratives, and it exists not to faithfully portray the tragedies of existence but seeks to alleviate them through beauty in art. As he himself puts it, "Although political and cultural statements have become fashionable with visual artists I do not make work with a conscious message, preferring to deal with the "abstract" qualities of Art."(Swindell, 2005) To me it is a piece that seems to shift under the eye, to ripple and move if I look at it long enough, and I want to pick it up to trace its contours to assure myself it is real. Its structure is engineered and precise, but the surface and colours bring back memories of sandy beaches, worm casts, patterns seen on sand, and lulling waves. This marriage of the man-made and natural has evolved over time, as some of his earlier exhibits have also exuded similar qualities: His vision is much broader than the size of the work initially suggests. He brings together shapes, motifs and surface qualities that simultaneously manage to be evocative of both the natural and man made worlds. (Jeffery Jones, 2003) Tea and teapots have been a comforting part of our culture ever since they were introduced in England. A teapot evokes warmth, security and reassurance, and the diminutive size reinforces this feeling of intimacy: Teapots traditionally belong in a familiar domestic environment, where potters have always had a significant role in reflecting social fashion and culture by providing ware for

G H 402 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

G H 402 - Assignment Example This document examines various ethical, economic, political and moral issues presented by e-health technologies across the globe. There are various ethical concerns about e-health technologies. For instance, there is concern about accessibility and affordability of the information among different users. The e-healthcare information should be accessible to all users cost effectively (Anastasius 58). However, there is concern about the accessibility of such information considering that many people lack access to the internet which is very critical for accessing electronic resources. The cost of obtaining such information may have reduced in terms of money, but how about the quality of the services offered to the users? There are various concerns about the privacy and confidentiality of the user information. The healthcare profession requires the patients’ information to be treated with much confidentiality and should be shared with third parties only with the patient’s consent. With a use of information communication technology (ICT) in a provision of healthcare services, there is an increasing con cern about the protection of user information (Anastasius 59). Furthermore, there is an issue of laws that are applicable in case in the event of breach of patient’s rights in the use of e-health services. In addition, the use of e-health services raises an issue of credibility of the information offered electronically (Anastasius 59). While professional and legal measures ensure the protection of patients’ information against unauthorized disclosure, the use of electronic health exposes patients to greater risk of loss of privacy of information. Health care providers should be morally responsible for ensuring the information they give to online users is credible and accurate while ensuring safety of users information (Anastasius 60). Healthcare has the political connotation in every nation because, in some instances, it is

Islamic Women Essay Example for Free

Islamic Women Essay At the beginning of the 21st century, many Islamic women are deprived equal rights with men suffered from oppression and family violence. The example of Saudi Arabia, India and Indonesia show that violence and abuse are still the major problems faced by Islamic women. The main problem is that law in Islamic communities does not come into force being violated. In many communities women are not legally protected and have no possibility to protect themselves: sexual, physical and emotional violence are the major weapon of intimidation of women. In some communities, family violence is a result of traditions and values as an integral part of cultural development. In contrast to India and Indonesia, in Saudi Arabia women have no rights and freedom of choice. The main problem is that in Saudi Arabia rights of women are constitutionally granted by most of them do not come into force and violated. â€Å"Like millions of other Saudi women, Munif hoped she would be allowed to vote since nothing in the law excludes it. But after a year of debate, the government told women to wait† (Women Speak Out In Saudi Arabia, 2005). Today, the main rights of women in India and Indonesia concern birth control, civil rights, education and work. Today, individual freedom of American women means much more than the absence of physical coercion but an equal social status. Still, similar to Saudi Arabia women, many women in India and Indonesia suffer from domestic violence and sexual abuse. Indonesian women are the most unprotected category which experiences violence within the institution of marriage. Among this group of women sexual abuse and physical violence are the main forms of humiliation and oppression. Similar to Saudi Arabia, in Indonesia women have constitutional rights, but face discriminated. Similar to India, Indonesians have job opportunities and high social status than women in Saudi Arabia. â€Å"Compared to the lives of their mothers, sisters and even brothers who stayed in the village these factory women have gained a strong advantage in terms of wages and conditions† (Indonesia, n. d). In Saudi Arabia women are not legally protected and have no possibility to protect themselves. Women have no equal opportunities with men in pay and work conditions. Most of them take low administrative positions or considered as common labor. In Saudi Arabia, religion dogmas and values play the dominant role determining the destiny of a woman and her social position. In contrast to Indonesia and India, in Islamic countries women deprived the right to use contraception and safe abortions. The main problem caused absence of freedom and rights is that abuse is the part of the culture. In India, â€Å"among Hindus, polygamy too was rampant† (Bhandare 2004). In contrast to Islamic countries, India accepts liberal laws and regulations which give women more rights and freedoms. The main preventive measures against family violence include social programs organized by women’s organizations, legislative initiatives accepted in the national level, petitions, publicity. In Saudi Arabia, women are still lived under double oppression, cultural and legal. Similar to Indonesian women, Indian women have a right to divorce, but in reality it takes a long time and a long legal battle while men can divorce at will in a short period of time. Also, there is a great threat for a woman not to receive children because she does not have a possibility to earn for living. Women in India and Indonesia are deprived of many rights and freedom, but they are free to choose their work, receive education and divorce. In contrast to these groups, Saudi Arabia women are deprived these rights living under state and family oppression. â€Å"For instance, events like a soccer match are strictly for men. In public, there are separate sections where they eat, where they work, and where they pray† (Women Speak Out, 2005). In sum, Women in India and Indonesia are free to choose profession and work conditions, broad employment opportunities and equitable wages; they have equal rights with men to be promoted and appraised. The examples of women in Saudi Arabia show that specific gender roles determine the way of living and cultural norms of several generations of people and strong enough to be changed in a short period of time. Works Cited Page 1. Bhandare, M. C. Women’s rights and wrongs. 2004. Available at: http://www. expressindia. com/fullstory. php? newsid=34277 2. Indonesia. N. d. Available at: http://www. onlinewomeninpolitics. org/indon/indodoc. htm 3. Women Speak Out In Saudi Arabia. Available at: http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2005/03/23/60minutes/main682565. shtml.

Aristotle and Aurelius Essay Example for Free

Aristotle and Aurelius Essay Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics goes to show that he believes that the end goal of all human actions is eudaimonia, or happiness through success and fulfillment. Following this concept Aristotle goes on to explain that through virtuosity a human being can lead a happy life. He defines virtue as a disposition to make the correct decisions that lead to the chief good of happiness. A perfect example is when he describes someone who does an action well as being good, but they are only considered good because of their distinctive activity. The distinctive activity for human beings can be considered our rationale. This is where virtue comes into play in the matter, but this translation could also be deciphered as excellence. Human beings do every single thing they do for a reason and that reason is to help towards an end goal. Although it may seem like the end goal might be something good like eating lunch, it is actually a chain to the ultimate good which is being happy. Happiness in Aristotles view is not second-by-second or even minute-by-minute but an entire lifetime. This is because we view happiness as and end goal which we hope to achieve by death and that way you can look back on a persons life to see if they succeeded in their goal, through virtuous moral character and virtuous intellectual character and through the act of temperance. A life-time of that act can guarantee a happy, fulfilling, and successful life. Being virtuous come through two different ways in our actions as said by Aristotle, â€Å"Excellence being of two sorts, then, the one intellectual and the other of character, the intellectual sort mostly both comes into existence and increases as a result of teaching whereas excellence of character results from habituation † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1103a15). Intellectual virtue comes from teaching, experience, and time while character virtue is formed through the habit of repeated virtuous actions and constant practice. This allows for every human being to potentially have a virtuous moral character for the fact that it cannot be learned but only practiced, and not one person can be born already virtuous. The only problem with this concept is that there is no exact guideline in which to follow in order to become virtuous and, ultimately, happy. Basically Aristotle explains that you can find virtue in the middle ground of your actions, for xample, he says â€Å"For to arrive at one of the two extremes is more erroneous, to arrive at the other less; so, since it is hard to hit upon intermediate with extreme accuracy, one should take to the oars and sail that way, as they say, grasping what is least bad of what is available † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1109a35) There is no teaching as to why, for example, courage is preferred over cowardice or rashness but that you need to practice being courageous in order to understand the reasoning for being courageous. This is true for all virtuous traits and merits of the human character and by combining the moral and intellectual teachings and habits can you start on the path of a virtuous disposition. The key to virtue is keeping within a balance between the vices. For an excessive vice there is excessive pleasure but also excessive pain and for the opposite there is no pleasure and no pain. The key is in a state of temperance in order to feel the correct amount of pleasure for a healthy lifestyle and choices. Aristotles views show that someone with a virtuous disposition should automatically or naturally choose the best action or behavior in any circumstances without having to rely on reason because the virtuous habit has been already learned. In response to someone arguing against an accidental choice, these views only perceive the deliberate and voluntary choices made by the person of virtue. Also a virtuous moral character will always aim for the good while unjust character will try to aim for what is their perception or the â€Å"apparent† good as said in â€Å"That wish is for the end, we have already said; but to some it seems to be for the good, whereas to others it seems to be for the apparent good. The consequence, for those who say that the object of wish is the good, is that what the person making an incorrect choice wishes for is not wished for.. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1113a10). A virtuous person will always do the right thing and will never be surprised by their actions, nor will they do it the right thing with an ulterior motive. Though you cannot live a happy life just with a virtuous disposition because you still need to act within accordance to virtue, you absolutely cannot live a happy life without virtue. Having virtue in your actions will lead to the final goal of happiness because it far outweighs the happiness found in pleasure, awards or merits. II. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher-king and emperor of the Roman Empire and was considered of of the most influential Stoic philosophers of all time. His greatest work Meditations is an honest portrayal of Aurelius thoughts as they were found in journal form, never meant to be publicized. He wrote these books for himself as a sort of guideline and thought-provoking inner voice. In his works of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius doesnt use arguments as a way to get his point across but rather states his words as truths and seems to be very confident in his uses. It seems he is prying at the meaning of life, the whys and hows of it all on the idea of living. He is very blunt in his use of understating the human existence in the world and compares them to specks in the grand scheme, but the point of this is to provide a sort of carpe diem lifestyle. By letting yourself let go of the things you cannot control, you begin to gain a better understanding of the things you can control and act accordingly. â€Å"We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions. † (Meditations, 17). This quote goes to show how you cannot allow yourself to get angry at another person for what they have done, but to continue your existence and recognize what you need to do. He advises in his writings â€Å"To shrug it all off and wipe it clean-every annoyance and distraction-and reach utter stillness. † (Meditations, 54) and once you can do that you can realize what is natural. Stoicism being a very popular philosophy in ancient Rome for it called for a â€Å"cosmic determinism† in relation to â€Å"human freedom† by a parallel will to that of Nature . Aurelius,himself, was a firm believer in the Logos, which can be identified as a principle a guiding force for the universe, human beings and all matter. In fact, it is one of the most important concepts in Stoicism for the ancient Romans of the time. The stark and â€Å"manly† belief that every single citizen had a duty, whether they were a king or a peasant, were expected to follow it to the best of their abilities. The term utter stillness is used to acknowledge the state of no distractions. By achieving this you can focus solely on appropriate actions and how to follow your own road by the way of Nature on an unconscious level. Not by thinking about it but by acting naturally should you continue to help others, work for yourself, never stopping but continuing to reply to Natures demands. To do this all under the Logos, in order to find our common sense and avoid the annoying distractions all the while by controlling these actions through your inner unconscious/conscious self. III. The Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Roman philosopher-king Marcus Aurelius can be compared and contrasted in their similar and different ways of thoughts. First you can compare Aristotles ideas on eudaimonia and Aurelius use of utter stillness to help follow the logos, also the final step of death as the end of ones journey towards a life of fulfillment. Contrastingly, they have different outlooks on purpose of human life and how to lead to the fulfilling of that said life. Stoicism was developed within the framework of Greek theory and philosophies from Plato and Aristotle so obviously there are bound to be many similarities. Both of these men were truly brilliant and ground-breaking in their respective ways of thought and led centuries of intellectuals to search for more fulfillment and happiness’s in their lives. Some big differences between Aristotle and Aurelius were there views on mortality or death. While Aristotle concludes that our lives are given to us and as valuable as human beings want to make them, the Stoics view on life is that is shaped by death and that the thoughts, choices and actions are just based on the knowledge of death. Eudaimonia is a subject in which Aristotle and Aurelius were familiar with in their writings about philosophical life. Aristotle thought of eudaimonia as an activity done with virtue performed rationally and consciously. Aurelius and the other Stoics insist that the way for eudaimonia is to live a morally virtuous life, in regards to the fact that virtue is good, vices are bad and most everything else is neutral. A popular argument for this where a death in the family would be involved, according to Aristotle, that would rob the most virtuous person of their eudaimonia while the Stoics would consider that neutral. Another interesting fact about Aristotle is how he acknowledges how â€Å"dumb luck† can aid or block the journey for eudaimonia, for example being born beautiful or losing close friends and family. Basically, they agree that eudaimonia is self-sufficient; the chief goal in life and that eudaimonia is the most complete end result. Virtue is very important to both philosophers and their ways of thinking and considers it absolutely crucial for eudaimonia. Aristotle and Aurelius can agree that no one is born just virtuous as it must be an act learned. Virtue is believed to be how one can control their emotions for it helps them to stay stable and in moderation. Overall, living life virtuously is living a life full of dignity. Marcus Aurelius’s view is a much more justified view because it is more modern and more adaptable. As the stoicism wants people to better themselves within reasonable goals and change values into something that will bring upon an unconscious change so that they may make better decisions consciously. Aristotle instead relies too much on a proper upbringing and calls the loss of good and friends as a prevention of eudaimonia. Stoics learn to realize what is out of their control and move on to what they can control. Aristotelian views also say that if a person dies early that it is a tragedy and that they were taken away before they reached their prime which in the Stoics eyes, a virtuous person should never be afraid of death because their life is sufficient when living a virtuous life. The difference continues when viewing the topic of emotions for Aristotelian that emotions are not good nor bad, only bad when expressed inappropriately while the Stoics think the whole point of eudaimonia is to be free from emotion. Finally the stoics don’t see a difference between the rich, poor, slaves or free men, because in their views bodily and external things can no impact on their dignity, whereas Aristotle believes that a life based on virtues along with enough material and external goods like freedom, wellbeing, and close friends lead to a life of dignity. Overall, Aurelius and the Stoics have built upon and modified Aristotle’s view to be more realistic and to try and be more optimistic in leading the best possible life no matter the circumstances.