Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin - Research Paper Example This story was written at a time when interracial relationships were not accepted by the society. When Armand noticed that the baby has African-American blood, he instantly came to his own conclusion of Desiree’s family heritage. The story ends with a deserving lesson for Armand. Desiree who was abandoned at birth was adopted by the Valmondes. She later on gets married to Armand Aubigny. Initially they have a happy married life. They seemed to be a devoted couple and then eventually Desiree gives birth to a son. When Madame Valmonde came to see the child, she found something unusual about him but was soon relieved when Desiree exclaimed how proud Armand was of his son. When the baby was three months old, Desiree and Armand realise that the skin colour of the baby is similar to that of a quadroon boy which means he has the blood of African-American. Since the family background of Desiree was not known, Armand immediately came to the conclusion that she has mixed blood. An instant change crept within Armand as he began to mistreat his slaves and also distanced himself from his wife and son and â€Å"when he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out†. When Armand refused to listen to the denials of Desi ree, she was requested by Madame Valmonde to return to the Valmonde estate. Even Armand insisted Desiree to take herself and her son away from him. Then Desiree leaves with her child and walks off into a bayou. She was never seen again. Armand then burns all belongings of Desiree and the baby including all her letters to him. Among the letters there was one letter which was written by his mother to his father and this letter revealed the fact that Armand himself was of mixed blood. (Chopin, n.d) In this story the final fate of Desiree remained ambiguous. It was not clear whether she along with her son embraced death or whether she chose to live to bring up the baby away from Armand. One author James Trotman in his book mentions about the irony in Armand’s character. His own racial heritage was not clear to him, but still he rejected his wife and son after concluding that they are not worthy of him. When his mother’s letter revealed his own black ancestry, his own views on racism becomes pathetic. Before he noticed the skin colour of the baby, he was devoted to his wife and the baby. After he realised the mixed blood status of the baby he began to believe that â€Å"Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him†. He now considered Desiree unfit to be his wife. Trotman also analyses Armand’s views on black and white women. Armand most probably had relationship with a black woman called La Blanche with whom he had a son because of the baby’s likeness to La Blanche’s son. For Armand, La Blanche was valuable only as servant and sexual partner because she was black. For him, Desiree had the right to give birth to his heir because of her white skin. When Desiree failed to meet his expectations, he discarded her with no second thoughts. All his love for her evaporated because of his own notions on racism. In a male dominated society Desiree’s life gets ruined after being abandoned by her husband. As a woman she b ecomes legally powerless because she has no right to accuse Armand. (Trotman, 2002, pp.131,132). In the end Desiree leaves with her baby and her whereabouts remain a mystery. It will be prudent to speculate that she might have settled in some other place where racial prejudice is not so much a curse. As a mother she might have thought of her son who is totally innocent and so deserves to lead a long and happy life. There is a book by Christopher Benfey which tells about the fate of Desiree. Armand becomes extremely angry on learning that his wife has borne him a mulatto child. The author without any doubt, concludes

Chemistry in Daily Life Essay Example for Free

Chemistry in Daily Life Essay 1.You feel hungry because of the satiety center in your brain falls short of particular hormones to function and then sends the signal of hunger. 2.You fall in love, get attracted and have a feeling of belonging because of certain monoamines present in your brain which get stimulated through nerve sensors. 3.If you have wondered, why is the sky blue, it is due to a phenomenon called the Rayleigh scattering, which depends on scattering of light through particles which are much smaller than the wavelength. Hence when light passes through gases, there is scattering and the sky appears blue. 4.Coffee keeps you awake because of the presence of a chemical called adenosine, in your brain. It binds to certain receptors and slows the nerve cell activity when sleep is signaled. 5.Anaerobic fermentation is also a great concept which is present in the chemistry of everyday life. It is present in yogurt, breads, cakes and many other baking products. It is the multiplication of certain useful bacteria which increase the size of the food and make it more filling and soft. 6.Soap is formed by molecules with a head which likes water (hydrophilic) and a long chain which hates it (hydrophobic). 7.Lactose is the main complex sugar found in the milk. Its a pretty big compound formed by two smaller components: glucose and galactose. Such a big compound cannot get through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream, so we need something to break it into smaller pieces. This something is an enzime named lactase. The more milk and milk products we consume, the more lactase we need. 8.The iodised salt is a necessary intake. It prevents a disease called goitre. 9.In the garden we use sprays to kill insects from attacking our plants. 10.Vermiwash is a liquid fertilizer. It isused as a leaf spray.

Sea Fever Essay -- English Literature

Sea Fever - speech Good morning Miss Allison and class, the poem I chose is Sea Fever by John Masefield. John Masefield, was only 22 years old when he wrote the simple yet moving lines in his poem 'Sea Fever'. He was born in 1878, in, England. Young Masefield wanted to be a merchant marine officer and at 13 he spent two and a half years on the school ship and afterwards was apprenticed aboard a sailing ship, bound for Chile. In Chile he became ill and left the sea and returned to England. In 1902 Masefield published his first volume of poems, 'Salt-Water Ballads' John Masefield's poem "Sea Fever" is a work of art that brings beauty to the English language through its use of rhythm, imagery and many complex figures of speech. Sea Fever is a classic, English poem about the poet’s strong longing to return to the sea. It is a description of a man who reflects on what his life used to be like when he was a sailor. In Stanza one, the man yearns to be sailing the oceans once again. He remembers the solitude and the natural environment around him, such as the sky, with its stars to guide him in the right direction, as well as the wind that made his ship shake and its sail to billow. He also recalls the grey mist of the ocean. In stanza two, the man describes his yearning in stronger terms, when he describes the tide of the ocean as ‘a clear call that may not be denied’. The man also remembers various aspects associated with the sea, such as the white clouds moving in the sky, the foam and spray, as well as the sound of the sea gulls. Stanza three is a further description of the man’s life at the sea. He recalls his life as being similar to the wandering life of a gypsy. He remembers being at the helm of his sh... ...ng or mood of each stanza. Firstly, a mood of solitude is expressed in this picture, through the tall ship, being isolated in the open seas, crossing storms, secluded from all civilisations. Secondly, a mood of deep yearning, hunger and frustration is depicted in this picture with the flung spray and the blown spume, being very important features in this picture. This picture also shows the longing shared between the speaker and the ocean. Thirdly, in this picture, the mood of freedom and independence is reflected through the freedom of a whale and a sea gull. The colours I chose for this picture are very peaceful, with blues and greens and whites, showing the true calmness of the sea. The themes in "Sea Fever, the longing the speaker has for the sea and the comparison of life to a sea voyage, are also seen in the pictures I have displayed on my poster.

Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay -- Examining Pr

Prejudices are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones. CHARLOTTE BRONTE, Jane Eyre Prejudice is something which has affected everyone at one time or another. It is like looking out a frosted window and not seeing a clear picture. When people look through a frosted window they sometimes see a blurred vision of the world outside. Sometimes we see people as very different from ourselves when really they are just a very little bit different from us. We can even see someone as an enemy instead of for who they really are. These narrow minded views in our society are prevalent, even though most of the time they are incorrect. To Kill a Mockingbird expresses many diverse pictures of prejudice; the situations also show that prejudice can be conquered. Aunt Alexandra will not allow Scout to play with Walter Cunningham because he is a poor boy. Aunt Alexandra shows her prejudice by not letting Scout play with someone of a lower social status "they're good folk...

Banning Junk Food in Schools

Banning junk food what’s the point? It would be healthier in school than in McDonalds or the mall. They should not ban junk foods in school. My first reason is that if kept in schools it could make the school a lot more money than the healthy concession that we already have. The money could go to buying new gym/weight equipment and brand new team uniforms for the football team. It could also go to buying laptops for the grade 12 classes. My second reason is that it would keep kids in school at noon hour. If we had junk food in the schools it could keep kids in the school at noon hour which would minimize the # of fights, theft and problems in the streets. Students still may fight but would be less likely to because of all the teachers and supervision in the schools unlike the streets where there is no supervision for the students. My third topic is that we can eat what we want. If there was junk food we could ea what we want instead of just eating healthy food we could have a variety of food to choose from. It should be our choice what we do and do not eat. I say that we are old enough and mature enough to choose for our selves. â€Å"Don’t Ban Junk Food† My main topic. My three topics are makes money for the schools, It Could Keep Kids in at Noon Hour, and That We Can Eat What We Want. All this could happen if they didn’t ban junk food from schools.

The Basics of Mammalian Temperature Regulation

The Basics of Mammalian Temperature Regulation Do you find it surprising that reindeer, which spend much of their time standing in snow, dont get cold feet? Or that dolphins, whose thin flippers are gliding constantly through cool water, still manage to pursue very active lifestyles? A special circulatory adaptation known as countercurrent heat exchange enables both of these animals to maintain the appropriate body temperature in their extremities, and this is only one of the many clever adaptations mammals have evolved over the last hundred million years to help them to deal with variable temperatures. Mammals Are Endothermic All mammals are endothermic- that is, they maintain and regulate their own body temperature, no matter the external conditions. (Cold-blooded vertebrates, like snakes and turtles, are ectothermic.) Living in widespread environments around the world, mammals face daily and seasonal fluctuations in temperatures and some- for example, those indigenous to harsh arctic or tropical habitats- have to deal with extreme cold or heat. To maintain their correct internal body temperature, mammals must have a way to produce and conserve body heat in colder temperatures, as well as dissipate excess body heat in warmer temperatures. The mechanisms mammals have for producing heat include cellular metabolism, circulatory adaptations,  and plain, old-fashioned shivering. Cellular metabolism is the chemical process that constantly occurs within cells, by which organic molecules are broken down and harvested for their internal energy; this process releases heat and warms the body. Circulatory adaptations, such as the countercurrent heat exchange mentioned above, transfer heat from the core of the animals body (its heart and lungs) to its periphery via specially designed networks of blood vessels. Shivering, which youve probably done some of yourself, is easiest to explain: this crude process generates heat by the rapid contraction and shaking of muscles.   If An Animal Gets Too Warm What if an animal is too warm, rather than too cold? In temperate and tropical climates, excess body heat can accumulate quickly and cause life-threatening problems. One of natures solutions is to place blood circulation very near the surface of the skin, which helps to release heat into the environment. Another is the moisture produced by sweat glands or respiratory surfaces, which evaporates in comparatively dryer air and cools the animal down. Unfortunately, evaporative cooling is less effective in dry climates, where water is rare and water loss can be a real problem. In such situations, mammals, like reptiles, often seek protection from the sun during the hotter daylight hours and resume their activity at night. The evolution of warm-blooded metabolisms in mammals wasnt a straightforward affair, as witness the fact that many dinosaurs were apparently warm-blooded, some contemporary mammals (including a species of goat) actually have something akin to cold-blooded metabolisms, and even one type of fish generates its own internal body heat.

Computer Culture essays

Computer Culture essays Computers have a great effect on the way we live our lives today. From writing documents to banking, computers are integrating themselves into our daily tasks more and more every day. There are several important aspects of the computer age, including the internet, banking and communications. The internet is the fastest growing economy in the world, mostly because of its ease of use, and its vast audience. For the last seven years, the internet has more than doubled in growth and profits every year. Every day, there are new companies being created and making profits over the internet. This is because of the low cost of setting up and advertising. The internet is also rapidly becoming the major means of purchasing for millions of people all over the world. This number is only going to increase as more people become computer literate. A major concern for people purchasing products or services over the internet is security. Most people think that using credit cards on the internet is unsafe, when in reality it is more safe than using it at a local grocery store or gas station. This is because when a person submits their credit card information over the internet, it is encrypted and sent securely, while when they use it at a grocery store, anyone can view the inform ation. New uses for the internet are being discovered all the time. For instance, the digital music revolution is in progress right now. There are major lawsuits being issued by major record labels against certain internet organizations such as Napster and MP3.com. Almost every person who knows about electronic music uses it, so this makes a major impact on the sales of CDs and cassettes. Other than electronic music, almost every other industry is benefiting from the internet. For instance, the internet auction company EBAY is one of the biggest companies in the world now. They offer the advertisement of products and services to be auctioned to everyone. This...

Little and Small

Little and Small Little and Small Little and Small By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Can you illustrate how little and small are correctly used? As adjectives, little and small are often interchangeable, but sometimes one will not do in place of the other. Either is used to describe people or things of reduced dimensions: Last night I saw upon the stair/A little man who wasnt there [The Little Woman] is a great and very inspiring book. I havent read anything like that in a long time. Its a testimony of a small woman who changed the whole country of China Small is preferred when describing something concrete that is of less than the usual size, quantity, value, or importance: Detective Swann showed us  to a small room  and then disappeared. President Grover Norquist [said] that any short-term deficit hit is a small price to pay for structural changes that will generate big savings down the road. Little often refers to concepts: Getting proper Louisiana hunting licenses takes a  little forethought. The writer attempts analysis, but  demonstrates little  or no original thought or insight. Most of these elements, however, are of  little importance in the grand scheme of things. Large is more frequently used than big to modify abstract nouns such as amount, proportion, quantity, size, sum, and volume: A newly published study from NASA shows that Earths atmosphere contains  an unexpectedly large amount  of Carbon tetrachloride. In certain contexts, little can mean miniature or â€Å"smaller than regular size†: The kindergarten room was furnished with little tables and chairs. The children were playing with little cars on the sidewalk. Both little and small can indicate the state of being a child: When I was little, I used to pretend I was invisible. When I was small, I used to pretend I could fly. But â€Å"This is my small sister† means that the sister is small in size, whereas â€Å"This is my little sister† means that the sister is younger than the speaker. In statements of contrast, little is usually paired with big; small is usually paired with large. The big boys wouldnt  let the  little ones  use the basketball. Oklahoma  companies,  large and small, profit from training.    Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowThe Possessive Apostrophe8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors

20th Century Intelligence Gathering Research Paper

20th Century Intelligence Gathering - Research Paper Example They may have their own concerns about India achieving a prominent role in Asian and global matters. They will try to create problems in India in ordered to destabilize India or to slow down the progress. Under such circumstances, it is necessary for India to gather all the possible intelligences about the actions and movements of its neighboring countries in order to formulate strategies necessary to defeat the attempts made by the neighboring countries. Threats come not only from external sources. It can come from internal sources also. External forces may establish ties with the internal forces in order to create problems in a country. In other words, intelligence gathering is necessary for countering both the internal and external threats, a country may face. Intelligence gathering methods have undergone drastic changes nowadays because of the enormous technological developments. Earlier spy works were used mainly to gather the secret actions of the enemies whereas nowadays, it i s possible to break the firewalls of the enemy computers to gather information about their secret plots. Even satellites and radars were used nowadays for gathering information about the movements of the enemies. This paper briefly analyses the evolution of intelligence gathering from the 1890s until 1945 George Washington wrote: â€Å"There is nothing more necessary than good Intelligence to frustrate a designing enemy, & nothing that requires greater pains to obtain.† Benedict Arnold, an American general in the Revolutionary War, doomed himself to perpetual disgrace by secretly passing coded military intelligence to the British in 1779–1780. Between 1815 and 1914, with improved means of communication and administration, information was collected more rapidly and thoroughly and used to greater effect1 The importance of intelligence gathering was realized by the country leaders even in

Individual research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual research paper - Essay Example The business model followed by the company makes it a limited liability company. Other than real estate the company has trading interests and tends to export a few goods aboard such as generators, plastic products, utensils etc. but the mainstay for the company has been real estate. Like myriad other businesses in China, the Jia Nian Hua Company is a family managed venture. The current chief executive of the company, Jia Nian Hua has employed his family members in critical positions such as finance, sales and marketing in order to take advantage of their loyalty. A paternal work environment is apparent when one walks into the office as the employees look towards Mr. Jia as a fatherly figure. Mr. Jia was kind enough to allow some time for an interview concerning his business. When asked about the beginnings of the business, Mr. Jia related that he had begun dealing in real estate in the early nineties when he was employed as a government official in Beijing. In his own words, â€Å"having been associated with real estate early on I realized that China possessed immense potential for growth in coming decades. Therefore, I decided to open up a small real estate shop in Beijing to take my informal business idea to a complete business†. Being part of the government allowed Mr. Jia the critical information he required to expand into the real estate scenario because he was already well aware of where development would occur. He cited the case of new suburbs created around Beijing. Planning for development had begun in the late nineties but â€Å"acquisition of land had been slow due to fears of inflation in real estate if procurement was faster†. This indicates t hat Mr. Jia’s entry into the market as an entrepreneur was based on analytical evaluation that stemmed from information available only to select people in the Chinese government. Mr. Jia’s response also confirms the important assumption about entrepreneurs which states that entrepreneurs

Microsoft Write Up Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microsoft Write Up - Case Study Example There are further opportunities for the company because Microsoft has sought enterprise customers who can sign large deals to long-term commitments and provide a stable cash flow. For example, the Microsoft Azure Cloud offers consulting services to enterprises (Hoffmann, 2013). These opportunities, if utilized appropriately can benefit the company by providing a competitive edge. On the other hand, Microsoft faces some external threats. For instance, many of the users of Microsoft’s products have not shifted to start using the upgraded, newer products. By mid last year, half of the users and companies were still using Windows XP, and a large percentage of the market did not seem likely to buy upgrades (Cox, 2012). Therefore, the company has a lot of work to do in giving a reason to clients to purchase its new products. Secondly, the emergency of mobile devices and the increase in reliance on the Internet poses a threat to Microsoft. Customers and businesses have realized that personal computing can be done without using any of Microsoft’s products (Brodkin, 2013). The introduction of newer and efficient browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google chrome has posed stiff competition to Microsoft’s Internet explorer. Other competing products include Android and iOS. Many users have opted to use them because Microsoft’s platform lacks user reach-motivator for developers to invest in it. Therefore, the company has failed to increase mindshare, whereby developers can work with its own platform or technology. The company faces further competition, and struggles to convert developer interest in the platform into adoption. The company’s lack of commercial has led to its inability to convert windows phone into adoption. Finally, the market is currently dominated by-products from Apple and Google. These are iPhone and iPad, and Google’s Android platform that many manufacturers such as Samsung and LG use to power their devices (BBC , 2013). Google became a threat to Microsoft because it used its revenue from search to fund software-development projects, such as business productivity applications, while Apple focused on the consumer more than Microsoft did (Hoffmann, 2013). These threats are not favorable for the company because Microsoft’s market share has been hurt significantly. External Environment and Financial Performance Analysis of Microsoft Microsoft’s internal strengths lie in its corporate culture. It allows any employee to submit an idea, which is then voted by other employees. Ideas that are not adopted are normally archived for future reference. The company has two yearly Think weeks during which employees can suggest innovative ideas (Koulopoulos, 2009). The company’s integration with Skype to enhance its existing business provides further strength. This is because the company can add voice and videoconferencing services to its enterprise offerings. The company has already cr eated a huge reach to customers with its most successful products, and can access both Internet and mobile platforms (Lunden, 2011). The company has invested in innovation opportunities, and this provides it with an opportunity to improve market share. Further the company’s rigorous recruitment process, which ensures that only the best and the brightest are given the opportunities, enables the company to have an excellent work force. For instance, the

Music Therapy in Modern Society Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Music Therapy in Modern Society - Article Example The Music therapy is regarded as both a science and an art, with quantitative and qualitative literature of research based on integrating such fields as musicology, music theory, clinical therapy, psychoacoustics, embodied music cognition, musical acoustics, comparative musicology and aesthetics of music. Other professionals in healthcare services, such as psychologists, physicians, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, refer to the services of music therapy. Sometimes, the users of the service themselves also opt for the services of music therapy without a recommendation. Music Therapist The music therapists mainly facilitate consumers to develop good health in different spheres which include emotional and affective development, motor skills, behavior, and social skills, cognitive functioning, and quality of life. This is done through the use of music experiences such as singing, free improvisation, listening to and discussing music, songwriting, and moving to music to accomplish treatment objectives and goals. The Music Therapists render their services in various settings which include day centers, hospitals, the community, special schools, local education authorities the prison service, or the Department of Social Services. However, there are some trusts, charity organizations and other such institutions which fund the use of therapies. Yet, in every work setting, the function of a music therapist is to perform as a faction of the multi-disciplinary team, and the observations made by them serve the purpose of understanding the needs and problems of their client.

Business Law & Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Law & Ethics - Assignment Example They also argue that the design of cyberspace disqualifies notice of prevailing law that is critical to the legitimacy of the law. On the contrary, cyberspace members are much better sanctioned than territorial watchdogs to formulate wide-ranging legal policies that would grant appropriate notice to cyberspace members and internalise the expenditures of cyberspace transactions. The regulation cynics assume from these claims that national regulators must â€Å"defer to the self-regulatory efforts of Cyberspace participants† (Thierer & Crew 2003: 31). This paper will challenge the cynic’s claims and their assumptions, or more specifically, this paper will argue that the law of nations applies to the Internet. The cynics have three obvious mistakes. First, they overemphasise the dissimilarities between cyberspace activities and other transnational activities. Both entail individuals in actual space in one national jurisdiction negotiating with individuals in actual space in another national jurisdiction in a manner that at times brings about actual-world damages. Second, the cynics do not address the delineation between mandatory laws and default laws. Their absolute normative argument that self-regulation should be granted to cyberspace makes sense in relation to default laws that, theoretically, private factions can adjust to suit their needs (Spinello 2002). On the contrary, it makes much less logic in relation to regulatory or mandatory laws that, for protective justifications or in order to safeguard intermediaries, set restrictions on ‘private legal ordering’ (Spinello 2002: 101). Lastly, the cynics undervalue the capability of established legal instruments and technology to lighten the regulatory difficulties caused by cyberspace. Cyberspace activities do not naturally permit any more respect by territorial regulators, and are not considerably less opposed to the instruments of

Music Therapy in Modern Society Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Music Therapy in Modern Society - Article Example The Music therapy is regarded as both a science and an art, with quantitative and qualitative literature of research based on integrating such fields as musicology, music theory, clinical therapy, psychoacoustics, embodied music cognition, musical acoustics, comparative musicology and aesthetics of music. Other professionals in healthcare services, such as psychologists, physicians, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, refer to the services of music therapy. Sometimes, the users of the service themselves also opt for the services of music therapy without a recommendation. Music Therapist The music therapists mainly facilitate consumers to develop good health in different spheres which include emotional and affective development, motor skills, behavior, and social skills, cognitive functioning, and quality of life. This is done through the use of music experiences such as singing, free improvisation, listening to and discussing music, songwriting, and moving to music to accomplish treatment objectives and goals. The Music Therapists render their services in various settings which include day centers, hospitals, the community, special schools, local education authorities the prison service, or the Department of Social Services. However, there are some trusts, charity organizations and other such institutions which fund the use of therapies. Yet, in every work setting, the function of a music therapist is to perform as a faction of the multi-disciplinary team, and the observations made by them serve the purpose of understanding the needs and problems of their client.

Human Resources Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Human Resources Management - Essay Example In this case, there are many legal, ethical and HR issues to address; issues of legal liability, bribery and workplace bullying. This case highlights the recent exposure of sexual assault allegations against sports professionals and the actions taken by club presidents, members, the media and the police in regards to dealing with the issue appropriately. The legal issues raised by this particular case include duty of care, bribery, and preventing the course of justice. If the Carringbush Cheetahs Football Club give the woman $20,000 as â€Å"hush money† (Stone 2010 pp539) they would be commenting illegal bribery. Also, by ‘paying her off’ they are preventing the course of justice. The club have a duty of care not only to their players but to the alleged victim and the public. They are committing a crime by covering up the incident. In Australia, there have been similar cases involving the use of â€Å"club members’ money paying for court trials, settlement s and even private detectives to follow and build up a file against alleged rape victims† (Krien 2011). ... ng similarities to St Kilda coach Ross Lyon when he tried to distance the club from a police investigation into allegations of a rape cover-up in 2011 (McMahon & Hunt 2010). As well as these legal and ethical issues, from the HR perspective, workplace bullying is present with Troy Sanders pressured into agreeing to bury the accusations and bribing the woman. The Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (1(a)(b)) defines ‘workplace harassment’ as when a person is subjected to repeated behaviour by a person, employer, co-worker or group of co-workers that a reasonable person would consider to be intimidating (Jones 2009 pp14). Troy can seek remedy for workplace harassment under common law for breach of duty of care or under Occupational Health and safety legislation. However, it is unlikely he would choose this action as in sport societies there is a strong â€Å"family† subculture (Krien 2011). An incident like this would be seen as â€Å"testing loyalty† and Tr oy’s allegiance would be rewarded (Krien 2011). It has been suggested that sporting clubs, such as the Carringbush Cheetahs, adopt more â€Å"vigorous education programs† and HR strategies to teach the players acceptable social behaviour as well as to protect them from â€Å"predatory behaviour† (Silvester 2010). Since players are seen as role models in the eyes of the public, they then have the responsibility to behave appropriately, as does the club. It is unfortunate this is not always the case. Response to the Case Study Answer: I agree with most points raised by the answer to the case study above. The analysis rightly points out that the case in question is typical of many sexual transgressions that male sports professionals are making a habit of. It also correctly identifies the numerous facets to the case,

Uniformitarianism & Catastrophism Essay Example for Free

Uniformitarianism Catastrophism Essay Catastrophism refers to the idea that the features on the surface of the earth have been formed by natural disasters that occurred in the past. Contrary to this, uniformitarianism explains how geological processes taking place today in like ways, explain all geological processes on the earth, hence today‘s activities determine yesterday’s activities. It overlooks any chances of past occurrences impacting on the earth surface. Catastrophism seems to have tangible, empirical evidence in which case the sedimentary layers of fossils and rocks piling on the earth surface tend to suggest past activities. Also, eruption of mountains such as Mt. St. Helens (1980) presently supports the catastrophic notion. The issue of rock record entails an area going through change as a result of geologic processes where original rocks transform physically as well as chemically before the rocks are laid down. Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 and according to the uniformitarianism view; such eruptions are as a result of rock transformation activities within the earth crust or due to water contained within the rocks, changing course. Also, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake which took life of more than eighty thousand citizens is thought to be as a result of rocks in the earth crust and the mantle sedimenting after long periods of activities in the past. The Indian Ocean tsunami which occurred in 2004 is attributable to rocks in the ocean undergoing physical as well chemical changes hence in the process; the surface of the ocean experienced the forces, in form of huge, powerful waves (Craig, 1983). Reference Craig, C. (1983). Uniformitarianistic linguistics, Stonington: Benjamins.

Assessing Selective Human Genetic Engineering

Assessing Selective Human Genetic Engineering Nora Sheskey Selective Genetic Engineering For millions of years, genetic selection has been the result of natural selection. Who someone is, natural abilities, physical characteristics, and a wide range of other personal attributes were the result of genetic recombination and accidental mutation. Furthermore, children are often born with hereditary conditions which are set by factors we have no control over. However, the advent of modern medicine has brought us to the brink of a time when we can choose to redirect nature and repair maladies in children, where we can artificially modify the very codes which guide their looks, which diseases they are resistant to, and even their personalities. Considering the facts concerning genetic engineering, the benefits which can be achieved far outweigh the potential risks with regard to both the reduction in human suffering and the likely increase in lifespan. The opponents of human genetic engineering often refer to a number of dangers involved in artificially manipulating genetic codes which result in such medical issues as Down’s syndrome, Hemophilia, and even anxiety and stress. With the completion of the Genome project, we can now more accurately map the human DNA than ever before, identifying the locations of defects that cause many of the maladies that have plagued mankind for millennia. Opponents of genetic manipulation are quick to point out that a slight error in the manipulation process can result in changing other sequences that could result in unforeseen and undesired effects. For instance, researcher Russell Powell has speculated that human genetic engineering might result in a lower genetic diversity which could lead to future generations that are more prone to having some types of diseases and which could, potentially, lead to the human race becoming extinct. Part of his research showed how genetic manipulation of cr ops in order to increase the availability of desirable crops increased the likelihood of catastrophic crop failure due to those crops becoming less genetically diverse over time and having reduced resistance to environmental factors which a wider genetic base would have prevented. He studied how such factors led to the nineteenth century Irish Potato Famine and how the organism Phytophthora was able to decimate much of the potato crop in Ireland due to this reduction in genetic diversity because of the farming methods in use in that region during that period of history. His research demonstrates that by reducing human genetic diversity through such techniques as genetic manipulation those human beings could set themselves up for a similar fate (Powell, R. 2012, pp. 204-5). Also, the work of Charles Gillespie, et. al., into how genetics affect the human stress response found that stress related genetic mutations in developing human fetuses increased the individual’s susceptibi lity to disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder later in life. They found that natural genetic manipulation due to a change in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal balance lead to an increase in susceptibility to stress related disorders in the associated human beings (Gillespie, C. F., 2009, p. 990). Opponents of genetic manipulation point out that accidentally manipulating the incorrect gene sequences could result in the same type of condition. Opponents use facts such as these in their outspoken aversion to the practice. Proponents of genetic engineering rebut the opponents by pointing out that the benefits of curing medical issues like Down’s syndrome and Hemophilia far outweigh the possible risks. They counter the opposition with a number of research studies. As part of his research, Powell determined that human genetic diversity is due to a combination of both mutation and recombination (Powell, R. 2012, pp. 215). He found that a number of different phenotypes can result from a single genotype which led him to conclude that accidental activation of inactive or incorrect sequences is unlikely to produce feared dramatic issues often spoken of by human genetic manipulation opponents. Additionally, he found that focusing on only DNA adaptive variation involved in human genetic manipulation would not result in an extensive homogenization of the human DNA feared by opponents and that other environmental factors play a significant part in human genetic diversity (Powell, R. 2012, pp. 207-8). In ad dition, Gordon and Hen found that properly utilized genetic manipulation can provide many useful results with an acceptable margin of safety. They studied twins to determine how anxiety response is genetically associated and how DNA sequencing and correction could help to treat the condition. They document that comparisons of fraternal and identical twins showed that 30% to 50% of risk of developing anxiety disorders comes from genetic factors with the remainder being attributed to environmental causes. They also used studies of rats and mice to show that anxiety is a genetic condition and could be treatable using genetic manipulation techniques (Gordon, J. A., Hen, R., 2004, pp. 195-6) Opponents of human genetic engineering further turn to natural selection in their opposition to the practice. They point out that altering how nature and evolution have brought things about can have unintended consequences. As evidence of this, they look at the research of Richard A. Miller. Miller found that manipulating certain genes associated with aging in what he refers to as UM-HET3 mice, a group of 1800 specimens, sometimes actually shortened rather than lengthened the average lifespan as well as hastened the onset of reduced cognitive abilities in the mice which received such treatments. He additionally found that when other specific genetic sequences were modified, the result was an increase in the occurrence of and age at which cancer occurred in some cases. His research also showed that not only could the aging process be sped up due to genetic manipulation but could also increase the severity of old age issues. Additionally, some of the traits which occurred later in life could not be detected in the early stages of life. Miller found that these traits affected a number of aspects such as bones, eyes, hormones, weight, and what kills the individual. Miller eventually admits that there are things which nature has brought about which we cannot yet reproduce in the laboratory and opponents of genetic manipulation question if such research is worth the risks (Miller, R.A., 2005, pp.S284-5) Opponents of genetic engineering also refer to the work of Brown who examined that practice from a viewpoint of Rawlsian Justice. He points out that such a practice still needs to be considered from both a moral and a legal framework. He states that â€Å"The important point is that until now, theories of justice have regarded one’s genetic endowment as a fixed fact of nature rather than as a matter of justice.† He indicates that manipulating individuals alters their right to have an equal claim to the same equalities and fair equalities as others. The o pponents of genetic manipulation take the viewpoint that altering who has what rights is inherently wrong and does not actually improve the overall human condition (Brown, 2007, pp. 83-84) Proponents of human genetic engineering, on the other hand, believe that we, as human beings, are finally able to improve on that which nature has brought about after millions of years of evolution. They point out that nature has evolved such things as cancer and shortened lifespans in their support for genetic manipulation. They also look to the work of Miller and say that in spite of some cases where the lifespan was indeed shortened that in many other cases the lifespan is nonetheless longer. Their viewpoint is that by performing an analysis of the differences between DNA of the long and short lived mice that researchers will be able to eventually track down which genes do lead to longer lives. Miller himself states that there are genes which influence the age at which the various mice die, such as a pair of genes on chromosomes 2 and 16, which lead to mice living up to 173 days longer than mice that do not have this particular DNA sequence. Likewise, Miller states that there are also DNA sequences which also affect the age at which certain cancers occur in some of the mice in his study. He goes on to say that his research indicates that there may be â€Å"a specific aging process that we can learn enough about to modify or prevent.† Miller ends his paper by stating â€Å"Will genetic manipulation or pharmacologic agents suggested by genetic research offer a realistic possibility of life expectancy at birth of 110 or 120 or more years? Twenty years ago, this was a science fiction question, but no more, and it is interesting to speculate based on current evidence. I believe the answer is yes.† (Miller, R.A., 2005, pp. S284-5) After having examined information from both those opposed to and those in favor of human genetic manipulation, we can most certainly say that both sides have some strong arguments in favor of their viewpoints. Those opposed to the practice would appear to come from a traditional perspective, fearing the changes necessary in order to make the necessary strides that will be required in order to bring about substantial gains to be realized from genetic engineering. Taking history as a guiding principle, they see how the best intentions often result in severe negative results before gains can be realized. They see in the work of researchers like Gordon and Hen, Miller, Powell, and Gillespie the backing to state that the possible gains are either not possible or are not warranted by the necessary costs that will be imposed. The proponents of the practice of human genetic engineering believe that any time we can relieve human suffering and eradicate disease that the benefits outweigh the c osts. They are motivated by the belief that any change which improves the human condition is worth the risks and that any time we can repair genetic defects that we are doing humanity a much needed service, even when that service means that we alter the very codes which determine who a person is. They acknowledge the risks posed but believe that a future without birth defects, without Down’s syndrome, and without other such genetically linked issues is worth risking for. They find in the works of Miller, Powell, Gillespie, and Gordon and Hen an exciting roadmap to a world where human suffering based on the genetic structure has been eliminated. Personally, I am inclined to agree with those who say that we must go boldly forward and take the necessary risks in order to improve the human condition in every way possible. History has shown us that such journeys are not without risk but almost always inevitably prove beneficial to future generations. If we are to let fear guide us, we would have never developed such medical miracles as penicillin, the polio vaccine, or the heart transplant. No valiant effort in human history has ever come without costs and moving forward with research in genetic manipulation is sure to impose upon mankind the same kinds of costs imposed by the research of Pasteur, Salk, and Fleming. Mankind has never been the type to simply not advance and the next frontier would appear to be human genetic engineering. In conclusion, we have finally come to an age in human history where we can choose to modify the very codes that define who we are and how we develop. We can decide whether to allow such disorders as Down’s syndrome, Hemophilia, and severe anxiety to continue to plague the human race. The advent of modern medicine has brought us to the brink of a time when we can choose to redirect nature and repair maladies in children, modifying the very codes which guide their looks, which diseases they are resistant to, and even their personalities. The opponents of genetic manipulation believe that the risks involved far outweigh the potential gains. The proponents believe that we cannot let fear hold us back from improving the human condition in any way we can. So, considering the facts concerning genetic engineering, we can at this point say that based on the research and evidence at hand, the benefits which can be achieved far outweigh the potential risks with regard to both the reduct ion in human suffering and the likely increase in lifespan. Works Cited Brown, J. S. (2001). Genetic Manipulation in Humans as a Matter of Rawlsian Justice. Social Theory and Practice, 27(1), 83-110. Gillespie, C. F, Gillespie, J, Phifer, B, et al. (2009). Risk and resilience: Genetic and environmental influences on development of the stress response. Depression and anxiety (1091-4239), 26(11), 984-992. Gordon, J. A., Hen, R. (2004). Genetic Approaches to the Study of Anxiety. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27(1), 193-222. Miller, R A. (2005). Genetic Approaches to the Study of Aging. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53S284-S286. Powell, R. (2012). The Evolutionary Biological Implications of Human Genetic Engineering. Journal of Medicine Philosophy, 37(3), 204-225.   

Seamus Heaney & Tony Curtis Essay -- English Literature

Seamus Heaney & Tony Curtis On initial reading both the Follower and Strongman are simply about a son's relationship with their father. Whilst this relationship is a central theme of both poems, the poems also explore a range of issues including cultural identity, guilt and social class. This essay will attempt to analyse both poems individually and to also identify areas of conflict and similarity between the poems. The first two words of Follower by Seamus Heaney are "My father" which immediately establishes the poet's emotionally involved relationship with the subject of the poem. In contrast the poet of Strongman writes in the third person for the majority of the poem and it is only really in the last two lines that the poet establishes that he is addressing the poem to the son. Both poems create a vivid picture of physically strong fathers who draw on their physical strength by undertaking skilled manual jobs to support their families "My father worked with a horse-plough" and "A carpenter who could punch nails into wood with a clench fist". Seamus Heaney employs the use of a number of sea images in helping the reader to visualise the immense strength and stamina of his father's body "His shoulders globed like a full sail strung" and "Sometimes he rode me . Dipping and rising to his plod". Similarly Tony Curtis employs powerful visual imagery to illustrate the father in his poem as the pivot of a roundabout with his five sons as seats/chairs swinging from his arms as he "would stretch his arms and hang his five sons from them, turning like a roundabout". This is a very successful simile as it encapsulates the swinging motion of the father playing with his children and on a deeper note the fathe... ...man focuses on the reversed roles of the father and son. The original role of the father as the provider and central axis in the family has now disappeared to the extent that it is now the son who not only cares for the father physically but also emotionally as he reassures the father with "No trouble - he said, no trouble, Dad". The final likes of the poem encapsulate the indignities of sickness and old age. The use of minimalist, stark language, without the use of unnecessary adjectives heightens the poignancy of the last lines. In conclusion both Follower and Strongman are brief but effective poems that successfully portray father - son relationships. The readers are allowed an intimate snapshot/glimpse into these relationships. Both poems describe the permanent bonds between fathers and sons whilst also effectively addressing how these bonds evolve.

Implementing a Wearable Computer ID Card System Essay -- Security and

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background ï  ® In order to improve the time & attendance and security of Global Products LLC a wearable based ID card system has been proposed ï  ® We have considered up to date time and attendance systems, different types of wearable technology and scanning technology ï  ® The option in this business case was suggested due to the advantages to the companies quality, safety, productivity and cost saving systems Strategic Alignment ï  ® This proposal is aligned with discussions with HR and senior management ï  ® The purpose of this proposal is to gain approval for installation of computer based identification card system and security system. ï  ® If the proposal is unsuccessful the company will continue to experience challenges in its time sheet recording system. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Wearable Computing ID cards at Global Products LLC 4 What are Wearable Computing based ID cards 4 How can Wearable Computing be utilized 5 Associated risks 6 Infrastructure 6 How we manage wearable cards 7 BUSINESS CASE 8 Overview of activity 8 Consultation 8 Financial Model 9 SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS 11 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 15 REFERENCES 16 â€Æ' Wearable Computing ID cards at Global Products LLC What are Wearable Computing based ID cards †¢ Computing based ID cards also known as RFID †¢ Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify people or objects †¢ Direct line of sight is not needed for reading †¢ More than 1 card can be read at a time †¢ Information is stored on the card that communicates with a reader (see attached picture) †¢ Information from the card can be stored in the reader for quick access or on a net... .../mobile/mobile-applications/how-enterprises-can-plan-for-wearables/d/d-id/1127827. [Accessed 21 March 14]. RFID Journal. 2014. Frequently asked questions. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.rfidjournal.com/site/faqs. [Accessed 22 April 14]. Office of the privacy commissioner Canada. 2008. RFID in the workplace. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.priv.gc.ca/information/research-recherche/consultations/2008/rfid_e.asp#Part1-1. [Accessed 04 April 14]. Sage HRMS. 2013. Punching in for Improved Workforce Management: The Top Seven Benefits of an Automated Time and Attendance System. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.dresserassociates.com/pdf/whitepapers/Sage-HRMS-Top-Seven-Benefits-of-Automated-Time-Attendance-System.pdf. [Accessed 04 April 14]. Rawlinsons, RP, 2010. Rawlinsons Australian Construction Handbook. 28th ed. Osborne Park, WA: Rawlinson Publishing

Nucor at Crossroads Essay

In 1986, three distinct segments defined the U.S. steel industry; integrated steel mills, mini-mills, and specialty steel makers. The integrated mills have the capacity to produce a maximum of 107 million tons of steel per year, mini-mills produced a maximum of 21 million tons of capacity a year, and the nation’s specialty steel makers could produce a maximum capacity of 5 million tons of stainless and specialty grades of steel. This leads to a total capacity of 133 million tons of production per year. In 1986, the market consumed only 70 million tons of steel, leaving 33 million tons unused. Nucor is at a crossroads. It faces a saturated market suffering from significant overcapacity. Nucor’s only opportunity for growth seems to be to expand into the production of flat sheet metal. However, to compete in that area, Nucor would need to invest in a very risky new technology, a thin-slab casting plant that, if successful, would allow Nucor to manufacture flat sheet metal with a low minimum efficient scale and a low marginal cost of production. This case will examine Nucor’s history, the impacts of entering the thin-slab casting business, the advantages Nucor would reap, and whether they should build the new thin-slab casting plant. Looking at the business landscape of the steel industry, it is amazing to see how well Nucor has done considering the industry is so competitive and has relatively low profitability. Using Porter’s model, the threat of rivalry is high due to weak domestic demand, excess global capacity, a maturing industry, low switching costs, high exit barriers, rising operating costs (increasing raw material prices), and more than 5 comparable competitors. The threat of entry is low due to high barriers to entry (economies of scale have been achieved and high capital requirements), growth and profitability are modest at best, and most viable candidates are already present in the industry and are looking to expand into other markets. The threat of substitutes is moderate because buyers have the option of choosing other materials (aluminum, plastics, ceramics, etc.), and new materials technologies are currently being developed and sought after. The threat of suppliers is moderate because iron ore and scrap metal prices are currently high, energy prices are increasing, Nucor pays for transportation of its raw materials to its plants, there is no easy substitute to take the place of iron ore/scrap metal, and there is currently an overabundance of buyers of scrap metal and iron ore. Lastly, the threat of buyers is weak to moderate, because there is excess capacity, low switching costs, few high volume buyers, many low volume customers, strong demand from China, and rising feedstock prices. With the difficult business landscape in the steel industry, Nucor had to develop competitive advantages over its rivals to achieve its success. These advantages included differentiating itself by being an early adopter of computerized order tracking and allowing customers to make short time orders thus reducing their inventory. Second, it invested in modernization of its plants at an average of 2.9 times its depreciation expenses vs. an ave raged of 1.6 of its competitors through the 1970s and 1980s, and refurbished on average a plant a year. Third, Nucor strategically located its plants closer together to share orders for minimal cost and maximum sales, and building new plants in smaller rural areas with access to railroads, low energy costs, and a plentiful water source allowed Nucor to keep labor costs relatively low and made sure that COGS remained competitive. Fourth, base wages were lower but incentives were higher than average, and direct communication on expectation vs. performance provided feedback on compensation. Also, during down times, officers and CEO pay dropped dramatically while average workers did not. This led to lower employee turnover 1-5% vs. 5-10% for competitors. Fifth, Nucor’s hiring practices focused on making sure that they focused on hiring people based on potential, not experience. Finally, Nucor’s business hierarchy was different- mostly flat, resulting in less bureaucracy and more productivity per worker. In short, many of these advantages led to Nucor becoming the second most productive steel maker per employee in the world due by 1985. Thin-slab casting was a proposed technique for mini-mills to fill orders for flat sheet steel, a segment that accounted for approximately half of the U.S. steel industry. To expand its steel market share, Nucor needed to enter the flat sheet segment. In the thin-slab casting business, Nucor would initially compete with international firms from Canada and Japan that provided high quality flat sheet steel, and cheap flat sheet steel providers in newly industrialized nations. Barriers to entry would include large capital expenditures making new entrants cost prohibitive, but not impossible as the barrier is small comparative to the overall costs for steel manufacturing. While new rivals may not pop up immediately, new entrants from existing rivals will dilute Nucor’s competitive advantage. Nucor needed an innovative technology to be profitable in this segment as a new entrant. However, innovative technologies are risky due to development costs, unknown long-term operating costs, and the unknown quality of future products. Also, as a first mover, increased costs will be realized. Increased maintenance above forecasts, the risk that production will not keep pace with the small-scale model, the risk that the new tech will not be fully understood by the employees and harder to run. Also, an increased likelihood that other companies will benefit from their mistakes as SMS has not made any offer to keep information gleaned from a large-scale operation confidential. However, the benefits of being a first time mover would be realized as well. The expected profit from the thin slab minimill would be $81.50 per ton, which is 26% higher than from a modernized hot rolled sheet produced in an integrated mill and 226% higher than the margin from an unmodernized integrated mill. For cold rolled sheet, the expected profit advantage remains with minimills, with an expected profit of $107.50 per ton, which 1.9% greater than a modernized integrated mill and 115% higher than an unmodernized integrated mill. If Nucor enters the thin-slab casting business the lasting advantages may be reduced over time as others in the industry may imitate them so long as the model is proven to deliver the targeted results. If Nucor works out the kinks, then other companies will join up and the competitive advantage window will shrink, making the overall scheme too costly. If the program does not work, it is likely the other companies will not follow suit, while Nucor pays the cost for other companies â€Å"R&D† offsite. However, if the investment into the new technology proves successful, Nucor would have a significant cost savings over integrated mills initially, both in terms of entry costs and in terms of operating costs and profit margin. This will provide Nucor with a significant competitive advantage over the integrated mills, which already provide flat-rolled steel products, but will not provide sustainable competitive advantage over the long term, as it will be easy for competitors to duplicate this technology. Many of the companies that do steel would imitate the path that Nucor is taking. They have done an excellent job of lowering cost while leveraging their competitive advantages. Furthermore, CSP is a step in the ultimate industry goal of direct casting of sheet at strip. However, it seems as though Nucor would only gain a head start of two to three years since SMS held the CSP technology and Nucor couldn’t block others from using it. This head start doesn’t seem very advantageous as it would require almost 5 years to break (see attached chart) even and the other companies would be able to use lessons learned from Nucor’s first mover and apply it to lower their breakeven point. Overall this would be a very risky undertaking for Nucor to undertake at this time as the technology is not at an adequate tech readiness level, the initial cost to implement, as well as it could move Nucor away from its competitive advantages.

Erikson’s Theory In Today’s Culture: A Reflection

A person’s personality directly affects how he conducts himself and ultimately, how he will live his life. In more ways than one, then, personality helps direct a person towards success. Having said this, it is no wonder that the development of a person’s personality has long been the subject of psychological research. Of the many theories in personality and child development, Erik Erikson’s is one of those that have stood the test of time. Perhaps this is largely due to the fact that unlike most theories, his covers the whole life cycle of man. It also helped that amongst the rather purist concepts – of the nature vs. urture phenomenon – his recognizes both the effect of internal development (of the body and the mind) and the influence of the outside world to a person’s personality. However adaptive Erikson’s psychosocial stages are, though, it is still important to reexamine it alongside our culture today, in order to gauge how effective and accurate it still is. On a general viewpoint, the main tenet of Erikson’s philosophy – that there are specific traits developed (or lost) in a particular stage in a person’s life – still holds even when analyzed alongside our ever-developing culture. This means that on most counts, contemporary culture has strengthened Erikson’s theory – not negate or redefine it. For example, that the viewpoint of a person with regard to how trustworthy the world is shaped during the early years is still true (whether that occurs exclusively during infancy is up to now subject to verification): recent studies of incidents of suicide show its relation to the formation during the early years of the basic belief I have earlier mentioned. Likewise, it is still true that a sense of autonomy is developed during the toddler years – when we learn to walk on our own, and feed and bathe ourselves. The continuous development of our educational system supports the two subsequent stages – play age and school age – in Erikson’s theory: indeed, it is during the time we start going to school and widening our circle that we develop initiative and the value of industry. As for the next stage, adolescence, it still is the case that during these years – in our struggle for independence from parents; in our attempt to develop romantic relationships and strengthen our ties with friends; in our quest to find the answer to the question â€Å"Who am I? † – we develop a deeper sense of our identity. I mentioned that on most counts, Erikson’s theory holds. There are several points in his work, however, that are redefined by a change in our culture. One of the most glaring changes would be in his stage of young adulthood. While it is true that during this time we seek love and a deeper relationship, more and more of the American youth opt to stay single until their thirties. Whereas before starting a family occurs at this stage, now having kids occurs more in Erikson’s next stage – middle adulthood. In my opinion, the high incidence of divorce nowadays, and the lure of leading a life devoid of the immense responsibility married life entails, instills in us the belief that having a family takes careful planning and thus, takes time. Upon examining Erikson’s theory, it is prevalent that he sees his stages as having a linear path; that is, the stages – and the development of the traits he singled out for each stage – occur one after the other, with each one having a direct effect on the stage it precedes. In simpler terms, then, if a person failed to develop trust in infancy, he will have a hard time cultivating autonomy in the next stage, if he even ever does. Such a pessimistic way of putting things, I believe, is doomed to criticism and negation in itself. How many times have we heard of success stories, of people who rose above a troubled childhood to find love and success in their adult lives? Erikson, it seems, failed to take into account the strength of the human spirit to rise above any predicament. If there is one characteristic of our culture and our world today that may hinder us from successfully navigating through Erikson’s psychosocial stages, it is their being fast-paced. In an environment where success is predominantly measured by what you own, we are driven to lead lives that place personal relationships in the back seat. Given this fact, it is possible that more and more of us will fail to resolve a crisis or two in the â€Å"right time†, as outlined in Erikson’s work. I believe, however, that despite this fact, in the end we will still tackle the issues inherent in our struggle to form our identity, and we will still be able to resolve them all.

In what ways do fictional representations of British travellers abroad Essay

In what ways do fictional representations of British travellers abroad serve to challenge fixed notions of British national identity - Essay Example As such, they are intended to bring about a specific change or reform in addition to relating an enjoyable tale. A brief understanding of the journeys of Gulliver and Crusoe respectively illustrates the changes these characters undergo throughout the course of their stories, exposing the intended satire intertwined within the work and illuminating some of our fixed notions regarding British national identity. In each story, the travels undertaken by the main character have a great deal to do with the type of growth they experience. Gulliver, for example, makes four separate voyages, each time meeting a different kind of people. His first encounter is with the Lilliputians who, although they are very tiny compared to himself, nevertheless impress him with their technological achievements. Despite this, he soon realizes that outward appearances are not necessarily reflected on the inside as the Lilliputians squabble over such small matters as which side of an egg should be cracked or how high a heel should be worn. His second voyage takes him to the land of the Brobdingnag, who are giants compared to Gulliver. They treat him as a beast or, at best, a unique pet and, despite their size, Gulliver learns that bigger doesn’t always mean better, smarter or wiser when he gains the opportunities to see them at court and realizes not even the king has an understanding of politics. His third voyage takes him to Laputa. On this trip, he learns that highly educated doesn’t necessarily equate with sensible, historical figures were not always heroic and age does not always bring wisdom. Finally, on his fourth voyage, Gulliver loses the last of his innocent assumptions when he finds that men are the most base creatures of the land of the Houyhnhnms. Robinson Crusoe also goes through a series of events in which he is forced to learn more about himself and illuminates the British identity. The book begins with a quick summary

The Therac-25 and Its Accident Investigation Case Study - 2

The Therac-25 and Its Accident Investigation - Case Study Example the principal of accelerating electrons so as to create high energy beams that can be used to destroy any cancerous cells without affecting the other surrounding non- cancerous tissues. For shallow tissues, accelerated electrons were enough to treat them but for the deeper ones, the electrons beams have to be converted into X-ray photons. The machine consisted of hardware and software that helped the machine run. The software also monitored the functionality status of the machine and turning on the beam. It was also responsible for turning off the beam and detecting any malfunctions. The software was responsible for running most of the machine functions in conjunction with the hardware. This therefore means that any small bug in the software will lead to malfunctioning of the machine. The software for running the Therac-25 was not extensively tested before it was deployed for use. This was due failure to follow proper system development and implementation practices. Also the programmer didn’t provide enough documentation about the machine and software errors that could guide operators on when there is malfunction and what to do. The operators therefore were in the dark most of the time despite the machine displaying various error messages as they thought was normal. The hardware that was used to measure the dosage always provided a wrong dosage reading when it as overloaded. Instead of providing a high reading instead it displayed a low reading when it was actually so high. Another defect was how the machine was made to be operated. The machine was made that the operator and the patient were to be in separate rooms to minimize effect of radiation to the operator. Therefore in case there was any overdose and the patient complaining, the operator could not hear it. Also the operator could not ascertain whether the patient was in the right position every time. This was risky and costly assumptions that lead to the occurrence of the accidents. Therefore, software

Research Paper Preliminary Stage Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Preliminary Stage - Research Paper Example This had even led many Americans to go through financial bedlam and disarray2. Meanwhile, in Chicago, while the stock market headed off a declining path, the World’s Columbian Exposition emerged wherein it highlighted the advancing technology and culture of the city. Amidst the economic turmoil experienced, Americans gaped at the new innovations brought about by the economic transition of the United States. Celebration for the accomplishments of the corporate America was emphasized. Nevertheless, it was in this phase of the United States economic history that a new style of music emerged that would enable Americans to identify themselves in an evolving modern nation. The economic crisis of 1893 and the World’s Columbian Exposition, and their enigmatic description had a monumental effect on the American culture: a time when America adopted ragtime music3; thus, the birth of Jazz. The Early Years of Jazz Ragtime music rose to rapid fame from 1897 to 1917, and this trigger ed modern technological modifications with businesses eyed close relation to Jazz as a national music4. The peaking popularity of the ragtime music likewise stimulated the economy with many piano manufactures increasing their production to accommodate the fast growing need for the instrument. During the 20th century, particularly in the second decade, piano production was at its summit producing more than 400,000 pianos annually. Vaudeville and Minstrel shows also proliferated following the growing number of amateur musicians who started to adopt and learn the art of Jazz music. These shows became prevalent in the United States and offered complete entertainment for many Americans. The Minstrel shows were usually held in salons – a relatively smaller venue as compared to theatres. Vaudevilles were staged in theatres, a development that attracted women and children to watch Jazz musical presentations. This had led to the growing audiences of Vaudeville shows that featured Jazz music. Then, Jazz music spread across the United States, particularly in three of its largest cities: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. This turned out to be the focal point of the changing American Culture in the 1920s. During the height of ragtime music in which African Americans were leading, the issue on racial discrimination still contaminated the new music industry. Nevertheless, offensive description and racism of African Americans were reduced in order to attract more audience5. The ever increasing fascination to ragtime music paved the way to the dispersal and proliferation of the music through phonographs and radios. This allowed a larger proportion of the American population to get acquainted and spellbound by Jazz. Due to the growing demand, more and more musicians were hired to create and perform ragtime music. And despite the toning down of crude representation of African American musicians, stereotypes against them still survived. Nevertheless, Vaudeville offered t he Black actors and musicians the chance for employment6. The Greats of Jazz and the New Niger There is no question about the popularity of Jazz during the early 20’s with African Americans acted as pioneers of the musical genre. It was during this period when the Harlem Club was established, debuting the giants of Jazz music: Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. But apart from the two pioneers, when it comes to

On Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Leadership - Essay Example The king was put into a difficult situation, without adequate resources to recruit new people and the current regime of fighting soldiers was devoid of nourishment, adequate clothing, and even pay for their previous wartime efforts. The king needed to rally support without expressing that difficulties that were currently plaguing the king at the economic level and in terms of his current human resources capabilities. Like a regular company, these are sometimes going to be real-life situations that prevent being able to simply replace or renew the existing organizational culture through new recruitment efforts. The goal is to help retain employees and Henry V does an excellent job by appealing to their personal vanity, as a more of a transformational leader than one that simply barks commandments. The soldiers in his army already have some of the symptoms of burnout commonly found in businesses, especially those with more rigid hierarchies of control. For example, manufacturing facilities where people have specialized job roles might have a leadership structure that puts more restrictions on workers and the job design does not allow for a great deal of personal creativity, ingenuity or autonomy. In this type of environment, without offering certain rewards, either physical or psychological, the end result can be less satisfaction and commitment to meeting organizational goals. Henry V realizes that this is occurring due to his current limitations as king, yet at the same time he does not want to create negative motivation by constantly citing that there are both economic and HR-related problems with his current leadership structure. He builds motivation effectively by creating a more unified organizational culture where people are treated much like equals. This type of rhetoric is very effective as such speeches remind the subjects of Henry V that they are valued and that they will, indeed, earn a reward for

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Summary - Essay Example Below is the explanation of how the above factor could help curb the security problem. Crime Prevention through environmental design involves a combination of psychological and physical aspects of a security situation and then considering the two simultaneously. Security in areas say public zones, private or semi-private zones are best achieved by use of physical barriers like small fences or well-planned flower beds around them. These barriers along with some other symbolic barriers could also be used around sensitive data rooms to deter the entry of people into these rooms. The architectural designs have shown great efficiency in discouraging acts of crime in facilities. (Mlakar, 1999) Surveillance. Surveillance in any building or facility is very crucial as it help to monitoring people within it. The people may include the employees, visitors who, in this case, are strangers or even the security persons on the ground. Surveillance can assist to closely monitor individuals with a lot of secrecy and thus it’s recommended to install these devices at places where people cannot recognize them easily. This way, acts of crime will be identified easily as the individuals will be caught unawares. Monitoring becomes even most critical with increased number of employees. Monitoring cannot be accomplished in the darkness. Lighting, therefore, becomes another factor that goes hand in hand with surveillance. The brightness, intensity, and the number of lighting devices in and within a facility becomes of critical importance. Well-spaced, and glowing office lighting show good on cameras. Therefore, lighting offers the basis of any security situation in any given place. Outdoor barriers in a facility help to delay, obstruct, and or prevents cases of thefts and other negative security situation. The barriers include fences, perimeter barriers, and gates among other obstacles that prevent access to persons to some given areas. The

Life to the fullest must have the presence Essay Example for Free

Life to the fullest must have the presence Essay Living life to the fullest must have the presence of forgiveness as well as forgetting. Forgiveness is a conscious choice, a spiritual and physical act involving the will, a sensation or suit of feeling, an emotional state of being for letting go of the past. Try to imagine how happy we can be if we know how to forget bitter happenings in our lives. Having a feeling towards everything is fine, it seems so convincing to live great. Indeed to forgive is hard and difficult, but we must. It is a conscious choice, a spiritual and physical act involving the will, a sensation or suit of feeling, an emotional state of being for letting go of the past. Having a big pride will make you feel bad. God said, â€Å"Do unto to others as you would have them do unto to you. It would be very hard for one to forgive someone who has done so much wrong and leaped so much suffering on them. It is important that we forgive so that one can move on with his life and have a chance for a happier future. In the book NIGHT, a boy named Elie faced all of these hardships and people always asked him whether to forgive or not despite of all the pain, the sufferings, and challenges he had experienced? But Elie must forgive because GOD said that everyone should forgive one another, no matter what the circumstances are, hence, mobilizing us to find peace and serenity every single day of our lives. Nothing will bother us especially our inner sides. When someone else causes us emotional harm, whether intentional or not, learning to let go of this pain can be one of the most difficult transitions we would have to go through but it will enable us to live life, one which is free from worry and burden. Acknowledge that youre living in real time carrying the baggage of old time. And then let go of it. Based on the book, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren: Your past is your past, nothing can change it. You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness. The persons who have hurt you in the pass cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on the memories through resentment. Forgiving and forgetting is not a gradual one, it undergoes a process. How does one forget awful memories? How would one handle the situation if he/she is in too much pain? Can one ever forgive or relieve the bad memories that been caused by somebody? First, find a place where you can have a peace of mind, a quiet and a comfortable place. Sit down in a comfortable chair and close your eyes, even though it is painful and embarrassing, give some time to think what you are wishing to forget. Then, visualize a black and white picture of the situation that you are trying to forget. Afterwards, look on the illusionary replica of an experienced you hate the most. As you were looking to that picture, begin to tear it on your imagination until it turned tiny pieces where you can barely see it. Lastly, blow it away, ask if you were blowing small pieces of dust, so you know that the little speck is already gone away, and no one will ever see it. Fortunately, we are ending up forgetting the incident and forgiving the people behind the fear that circulated in their system so they could live a better life-a life without bitterness. Even the act of forgiving is difficult, forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgiveness may takes a lot of time, it may not easily come, it involves patience and a lengthy struggle just to reach that, because it affects the relationships that need to be work in order to reach the total completeness of forgiving. Always remember where we stand. To refuse it is to refuse God. There is no other exception. God means what He says. To forgive is hard, but we must do it at any cost.

Music therapy

Music therapy Music and Medicine Music is heard in many places we go. We hear it while watching television at home. We often turn in on in the car. We hear it while shopping, riding elevators, sitting in waiting rooms, and in many areas as we go about daily life. It has the ability to incite great passion, make people angry, or break a heart and bring one to tears. William Congreve, a playwright and poet, wrote the Mourning Bride. In Act I, Scene I he said, Music has charms to soothe a savage beast. If one believes that to be true, it is easy to conclude that music is intentionally used to control mood in various venues in our life. For purposes of this paper, we will explore how music is used in the healthcare setting. We will, based on research, determine if music has an effect on patients and the healing process. The writings of Plato and Aristotle were some of the early indicators that suggested music could improve health. For those of us who believe the Bible, we know that theory was in practice long before these writers. The Bible says in I Samuel 16:23, Whenever the Spirit of God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul, he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. From the beginning, music has been used to soothe the soul. Modern music therapy formally began in the twentieth century after World War II. Musicians would travel to hospitals across the United States to visit veterans who were suffering from shell shock. It only makes sense that the healthcare field would catch up and deliberately incorporate music into the healing process. Medicine relies on evidence-based practice. This means that there should be significant research to support putting that practice into place. There have been multiple studies to support using music therapy as part of a holistic approach to healing. Music therapy is defined as, the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Currently, there are college curriculums dedicated to training music therapists, and the American Association of Music Therapists is in existence. Therapists are trained to assess and identify patients needs based on physical, social, and emotional factors, as well as, their cognitive abilities. While one knows that music is used by many people, it is documented that patients have improved outcomes when a trained, professional music therapist is in control of this portion. This is based on their ability to determine what is in the patients best interest due to their assessment findings. There is no beginning or ending age where music is a benefit. Expectant mothers often play music to their unborn babies. It is said to release endorphins in the mothers bloodstream causing her to have happy feelings. These feelings are transferred to the baby. Music is also often played in a hospice setting where people are dying. It is thought to foster peaceful feelings with the patient and family during this difficult process. Obviously, most people have preferences as to what kind of music they like. Some studies suggest, based on MRI findings, that although we may differ in our preferences, our brains receive different kinds of music in much the same way. A couple of particular areas of the brain were looked at under MRI while participates listened to music that they had never had before. Those areas suggested that although the auditory experience may have been pleasing to some and not others, the brain highlighted increased activity in the same regions. So, even listening to something one does not particularly like, does not necessarily mean it will facilitate negative feelings. Which leads us to health benefits of music. Dr. Daniel Levitin, a psychologist who studies neuroscience of music at McGill University, performed several studies to determine the chemical reaction of listening to music. In one particular study, he was looking to see if patients who were waiting on surgery and listening to music were less anxious than those who were not, and which group required anti-anxiety medications. He found that music listeners were less anxious, required less medication, and had decreased levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone. Music listeners also had higher levels of immunoglobin A, which is an antibody related to immunity and having higher counts of cells that fight bacteria. The American Cancer Society also utilizes music therapy in treating oncology patients. They have additionally done research on its benefit. They found that, along with traditional treatment, music could help relieve pain, as well as, reduce nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy drugs. It also reduced depression, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. All of this seems incredibly important when one is in a fight for his life against cancer. One of the most promising areas of music therapy is seen in children. According to the American Psychological Association, from pre-term babies to older children, the studies have been promising as to the effects of music on healing. Babies in an intensive care unit are surrounded by intense and intimidating equipment. It can assault their senses twenty four hours at a time. Playing music to drown out the constant noise of that equipment has been shown to improve their sleep and eating patterns, and it can decrease the stress level of the parents there with the children. As with adults, children fight various illnesses. However, adults, most often, cope with difficult procedures better than children. The sheer idea of having a procedure will overwhelm a child more violently. They often react even before the procedure is started. One particular music therapist, at Boston Hospital, began working with a child who had to go for an x-ray and was extremely anxious. He followed the child th roughout the process, constantly engaging her with instruments and music, and only stopped after the procedure was over. She never realized her x-ray was done, because she was so engaged in the activities. Autistic people have a difficult time engaging others, expressing their feelings, and some have problems with language development. Studies have shown music can cause improvements in these areas. Autistic children often are found to have incredible abilities related to music, and it helps reinforce positive behaviors. Our brain often associates memories with music. That is an important fact in treating Alzheimers and dementia patients with music therapy. It has been shown to improve thought processes, memory and emotions. Another promising area of treating with music is in Parkinsons patients. It is not necessarily the sound of the music, but the vibrations from the music. The American Psychological Association has seen improvement of symptoms in these patients. It seems low frequency vibrations improve gait, reduce tremors, and make them less rigid. Hospitals and doctors offices play music in hallways, waiting rooms, and in most procedure rooms. It has a calming effect on patients, visitors, and staff alike. It reduces stress and anxiety, and makes an unpleasant situation, bearable. And the list goes on and on. While there will always be some who do not see the benefit, there is countless research supporting the use of music to improve healing. There continues to be research done on this subject daily. While conventional medicine makes leaps and bounds in countless areas, we should not discount holistic treatments. What was good enough for Saul in the Old Testament, is still good enough today. References Berkeley Wellness. Music as Medicine. Berkeley University of California. Web. 10 Feb. 2014. Landau, Elizabeth. This is Your Brain on Music. CNN. Web. 15 April 2013. Landau, Elizabeth. When Patients have Music Emergencies. CNN. Web. 23 August 2013. Novofney, Amy. Music as medicine. American Psychological Association. Web. Nov. 2013. n.p. I Samuel 16:23. Bible Hub. Web. n.d. n.p. 4 Ways to Use Music as Medicine. Aging Care. Web. 21 March 2013. n.p. How to Play Music for Your Baby while Pregnant. Smarter Baby. Web. 16 Dec 2008. n.p. Music Therapy. American Cancer Society. Web. n.d. n.p. William Congreve. Answers. Web. n.d. Ridenour, Annette and Sadler, Blair. Improving Healing Through Art and Music. Healthcare Design. Web. 31 October 2007.

Quality Healthcare Includes Empathy Essay examples -- Healthcare

Quality Healthcare Includes Empathy A man walks into an emergency room with an intense pain in his abdomen. He is hoping to find a doctor who knows how to treat him. The doctor enters his room and begins robotically palpating his abdomen, showing no hint of recognition for the pain he is in. The man begins to ask himself, â€Å"Does this doctor care that I am in extreme pain?† He then wonders, â€Å"If he doesn’t care that I am in pain, how motivated can he be to ease my pain?† This might seem like a silly question. If the physician didn’t care about healing people, why would he become a doctor? Modern technology has caused doctors to become complacent and emotionally detached from their patients. Doctors must be empathetic towards their patients in order to deliver quality healthcare despite the lack of time they have for their patients. The patient’s perception of the doctor in this situation is that he lacks empathy. Empathy can be described as the ability for one person to understand another’s feelings and thoughts. The role of empathy in healthcare is very important; more specifically, it is crucial for doctors to be able to effectively express empathy without compromising their primary objective, which is to diagnose and treat patients. While the science of medicine is primarily based on the function of the human body, it cannot be ignored that emotional health plays a vital role in a patient’s quality of life. Improving physical health will inevitably improve emotional health. The appropriate way to approach healing is with an understanding of this concept. In the article â€Å"Empathy in Medicine—A Neurobiological Perspective,† Dr. Helen Rice states: Empathetic physicians can obtain critical information and ins... ...tag=contentMain;contentBody Rice, H. (2010). Empathy in medicine--a neurobiological perspective. JAMA, 304(14), 1605. Retrieved from http://drscottwright.wikispaces.com/file/view/Empathy and Medicine - A Neurobiological Perspective.pdf Switankowsky, I. (2005). From detached concern to empathy: Humanizing medical practice. Humane Medicine Health Care, 5(2), Retrieved from http://www.humanehealthcare.com/Article.asp?art_id=834 Hardee, J. (2010, February 16). The role of empathy in healthcare. Retrieved from http://realbalance.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=143&Itemid=999 Torrey, T. (2011, September 13). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://patients.about.com/od/therightdoctorforyou/a/docpatientcomm.htm Wolfe, S., Carome, M., Barbehenn, E., & Sasich, L. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.worstpills.org/public/page.cfm?op_id=3

Explore Shelley’s presentation of the impact of the Creature in the lig

Explore Shelley’s presentation of the impact of the Creature in the light of this comment. The Creature is described as ‘ a fiend of unparalleled barbarity’, yet many modern readers may sympathise with him. Explore Shelley’s presentation of the impact of the Creature in the light of this comment. It is my view, that the Creature may be seen from two main perspectives, on the one hand he may be seen as a â€Å"Monster†, â€Å"a fiend of unparalleled barbarity† and on the other he may be seen as a victim with whom the reader may sympathise. Out of the three narratives in the book, the one which occupies that major part of the book I that of Victor Frankenstein. It is from his perspective that we are imparted most of the evidence which may lead us to consider the Creature as a ‘Fiend of unparalleled barbarity.’ Throughout Frankenstein’s framed narrative, he refer to the Creature as â€Å"daemon†, â€Å"devil† or â€Å"wretch and perhaps (one may consider) with good reason considering the creature’s actions after his creation. Firstly, the Creature murdered Victor’s youngest brother William, an innocent child. However, the Creature’s true intentions when committing the murder remain unclear, as the Creature says, â€Å"I grasped throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet.† This statement, by the Creature, is of course ambiguous, as the Creature could have literally been trying to silence William, whilst on the other hand there is the more sinister aspect, that the Creature could have grasped William’s throat with a mind to silence him permanently. If we take Shelley’s view of her 1831 audience as â€Å"monsters thirsting for each others blood† then we would of course condemn the Creature, as someone who committe... ...cism against Islam, and particularly the Turks as something which was socially acceptable, this prohibiting from any form of empathy with the Creature. In conclusion, despite the Creature’s clearly appalling actions throughout the novel, I assert that these perhaps may be a result of the environment into which the Creature is created, just like a child born into an unstable and abusive household may often grow into an unstable and abusive person the Creature â€Å"born† into an abhorrent, un-accepting, unforgiving and violent world becomes abhorrent and violent himself, acting only the way others have acted towards him, with the utmost hate and unjustifiable violence, and it is because (I believe) the Creature is only a result of the environment into which he is created, a product of nurture as opposed to nature, that many modern readers sympathise with him.

Technologies Not Only Influence but Actually Determine

The advance of technologies is attributed to the further and deeper perception that humans rationally and logically explore the nature. Such advancement leads to the change of social customs and ethics that used to be accord with the former human understanding; after all social customs and ethics, by nature, are changeable. However, whether the influence of technologies over social customs and ethics are determining is still a question worth pondering and arguing. Since human stared using tools to create things, technology has been penetrating into almost every aspect of people’s daily lives. In the contemporary world, with respect to technologies, computing technologies quickly come to mind. As a professor once said, I quote: â€Å"Electronic computation is the first to significantly amplify our mental abilities and furnish radical insights into the complexities and inner workings of our world. It is not just the ability to collect, store and process data on a massive scale, or even communication, but the opening of our minds to new and often hidden possibilities—that is real power. There is no denying that the growth and spread of computing technology have been significant things that we witness and indeed experience personally. Cell phones, for example, have been through from rarity to ubiquity. They change lives without people’s notice. For instance, billions of people enjoy digital messages from phone to phone, yet it never occurs to people to think of the microprocessors and computer power required behind just a message. Nevertheless, texting has already become a part of our daily life and expanded another of way daily communication. Moreover, it renders long-distance calling much easier and more convenient. Lives are replete with hundreds of technologies. Despite technologies do have influence over social customs and ethics, it is, however, unjustifiable to say that social customs and ethics are determined by technologies, because the impact of influence is much less forced than that of determination. From time immemorial, society has been a system that is organized with social norms and ethical standards followed by all people who live in, and these traditions that are deeply rooted in people’s mind and heart have been passed down from generation to generation in culture. For instance, Chinese people value lunar calendar a lot and celebrate many traditional festivals by lunar calendar, and one of the most well-known festivals is Chinese New Year. When it comes to the Spring Festival, Chinese people significantly weigh the festival than other festivals, and the traditions of Spring Festival dating back to the old times are still preserved by people in modern times, such as making dumplings, and clipping paper cutting etcetera. Technologies bring us convenience that any of those can be reached anytime and that we do not have to make them ourselves for lack of time, but technologies can never be influential and powerful to the extent that people stop celebrating this festival. Chinese people would consistently maintain these festival traditions annually from generation to generation instead of letting them be determined by technologies. To sum up, technology advances as humans’ understanding about nature goes deeper and further. It does have influence over social customs and ethics undoubtedly. It is, however, not able to supersede cultural traditions in people’s lives, because social customs and ethics bring us the sense of belonging and security, while technologies just give us ease and satisfy our curiosity which just comes from people’s evolving perception towards nature.