Thursday, October 31, 2019

E learning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E learning - Research Paper Example Despite these strengths and opportunities, e-learning faces several distinct barriers. These barriers will be explored in this paper. Diverse barriers to e-learning can prevent or delay the effective design or implementation of e-learning programs. This section discusses some of the widespread categories of hindrances to e-learning. Table 1 shows the various barriers to e-learning that are arranged according to publication. Inadequate technological tools, such as lack of computers, and poor or limited Internet availability can impede the adoption of e-learning. Poorly designed e-learning programs are barriers to e-learning too. The learning system for e-learning must be applied to preservice teaching, and if not, there will be problems in the design and implementation of e-learning. In India, schools do not have sufficient equipment for delivering e-learning, especially in rural areas, and bandwidth problems are also widespread concerns. The absence of a reliable ICT infrastructure shapes e-learning adoption similarly. Negative stereotypes against older learners impact the participation of older students in e-learning platforms (334). Lack of ICT knowledge and skills among older students are barriers to e-learning too. Teachers are more likely to implement e-learning, if it is aligned with public educations policies and standards. KSA must go over the possibility of mandating e-learning across public education levels to enhance its adoption. Differences in policies and implementation because of administrative dimensions can affect e-learning diffusion. Poor professional development toward e-learning can be attributed to the organization because of lack of resources and/or political will and unity. Teachers may not adopt e-learning if they do not see that the administration as supportive to the skills training and other needs of e-learning platform. Poor alignment between e-learning goals and curriculum can hinder e-learning effectiveness. Table 1 shows

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Strategy for Tablet Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategy for Tablet Development - Research Paper Example In order to bring a revolution in the existing business practices of the company, it is important that a new pricing strategy is devised that is based on the strategic objectives of each product individually. Furthermore, the decisions for the allocation of funds for the Research & Development (R&D) of each product should be taken individually and on annual basis to achieve the desired objectives of the product and the company. 1.1 Aim The aim of this report is to compare the previous two new pricing and R&D allocation strategies for the core products X5, X6 and X7 using CVP analysis and calculator and analyse their results. 1.2 Objectives To analyse the subsequent performance and life cycles of each product due to the difference in the decisions. To compare the new pricing decisions and R&D budget allocation strategy for each core product, namely: X5, X6 and X7 taken in 4 years (i.e. from 2012-2015). To provide rationale of the results proposed strategy with theoretical support. 2 A nalysis of Pricing and R&D Allocation Strategy Used in Phase 3 Due to the use of CVP calculator, in the year 2012, the price of the product X5 was $263 and experienced a growth of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Sociology of Mental Illness

The Sociology of Mental Illness Within this report I aim to outline the biomedical model, investigating whether it can be used to assess mental illness. I will compare both social realism and social constructionism with regards to mental illness and assess the role of the psychiatric profession from the viewpoint of functionalist theory. Firstly, the biomedical model is the scientific diagnosis of a condition which is reached by quantitative and qualitative measures, often disregarding psychological and sociological factors. That being said, can the biomedical model of health really measure a persons mental health? Many mental health issues often have un measurable (scientifically) factors and symptoms, often having blurred lines between a common set of factors; making it hard to distinguish between a select group of illness.   In 1952 the American psychiatric association published the D.S.M. (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) which clearly outlined the symptoms and effects of a range of mental illness. Since its first publication, the D.S.M. has grown from featuring 22 mental disorders, to overviewing over 297 diagnosable issues. While there are no standardized medical laboratory tests to diagnose mental health issues (bar those classed as organic AND functional mental illness, which derive from brain impairment such as Alzheimers etc.), these will come into play during diagnosis to ensure there is no other causation for the patients symptoms. In theory these investigative measures can be argued to be the biomedical involvement for the diagnosis (in respect to solely functional mental illness such as depression etc.). The key players now would be the psychologist, psychiatrist and trained mental health professionals who are medically equipped to diagnose such issues. While the biomedical approach focuses itself on science and the causations being objective and measurable, the theory of lay opinion coverts the ideology of social construction, economical factors and social conformity. Lay opinion focuses on behavioural patterns and socio-economical input upon a persons life, and the subsequent impact these have upon their mental state. This theoretical approach can be seen as highly influential when determining a service users mental state, the practitioners diagnosis being based upon observations of an individuals behavioural characteristics which correlate to the D.S.M and I.C.D. (international classification of diseases). Again, despite the highly theoretical methodology which leads to diagnosis, within these methods we see standardized tests and assessments, which can in fact be construed as scientific as they set about to differentiate between normal and abnormal using a standardized set of questions and observational directives. There are arguments from either side as to the theoretical basis of psychiatry, on one hand Thomas Szasz famously quoted Its not science. Its politics and economics. Thats what psychiatry is: politics and economics. Behavior control, it is not science, it is not medicineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (cchrint.org, 2017) Szasz believed that the practice of psychiatry was wholly influenced by the state, creating a mass of quacks diagnosing with free reign. He argued that there were two radically different kinds of psychiatric practices, consensual and coerced, voluntarily sought and forcibly imposed. (Szasz.com, 2007) his concept was that psychiatry based itself upon the principle of interpretation and social conformity or a service users behaviour. As mentioned before questions of coercion and imposition upon a patient undergoing assessment take the forefront in Szasz arguments, giving his ideals a typically Marxist approach. More recently the newest edition of the D.S.M. came under fire from the ps ychiatric community with a number of high-profile articles by Professor Allen Francesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (that) highlighted changes to the manual that he argued were examples of over-medicalisation of mental health. These changes included: Aspergers syndrome, Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, Mild cognitive disorder, Generalised anxiety disorder and Major depressive disorder (NHS, 2013). While all arguments for the objective and subjective thesis of psychiatry have their merits, it can be argued that psychiatry as a whole can ONLY be deemed subjective as it uses no scientific model of approach to diagnosis, merely perception, opinion and guidance from the D.S.M and I.C.D. to decipher traits and categorize symptoms. The social realism perspective defines mental illness and the diagnosis of, as having a defined set of abnormal behavioural patterns which can be definitively seen across cultures and societies. Realists argue that despite the fact some illnesses are not recognized or share a common name, the symptoms and actual condition are very much real and observable. That being said, on the other hand we have the perspective of social construction, where by its theorists argue that mental illness is determined by social norms and values. For instance, the mental impairment of post-natal depression. Social realists would argue that the definitive set of symptoms being displayed by the suffering party, would be enough to determine effect. Constructionists however would argue that the individual could be presenting these symptoms due to their social environment and ideologies of social norms. Due to the nature of the illness, and its unpredictable effect on the individual either of these theories could be applied. Because of the set of diagnosable characteristics and cross society definition, realists could argue that despite its irregularity surrounding time frame, its cause and eventual effect can be clearly categorised without outside input. That being said, constructionists can argue that the illness is purely defined by social perception of norms. As the illness can take shape both instantaneously and over a prolonged period of time, the cause and effect could actually be influenced by sociological and environmental issues experienced by the individual, causing stress and ultimately the effects and symptoms of post-natal depression to take hold. The functionalist view of the psychiatric role is one of great social standing and status within the community and society as a whole. Due to their organizational position and social hierarchy, they, as a medical professional, hold great stature and ranking within the framework of functionalist society. Because functionalism bases itself on the premise that each key part (the church, institutions, the family) work together to keep society running smoothly, deriving its ideologies from social consensus; it is their view that the role of the psychiatrist is primarily motivated by the desire to heal the sick (Moore et al, 2010) Because functionalism focuses on categorising mental and physical illness as social deviances due to the upset of balance and roles, they put great importance on the timely rehabilitation and re conformation of individuals. They view the rehabilitation of individuals as necessary coercion so as not to upset social structure. As psychiatrists hold the key to diagnosis of mental health and subsequent re conformity of an individual to social norms, a great precedence is put upon their work. References   Ã‚   Jeffrey A. Schaler, Ph.D defining psychiatry, [2007] available at: http://www.szasz.com/freeman21.html accessed 20/1/17 Moore, S. et al sociology AS for OCR chapter 5 sociology of health page 172, Collins, London, [2010] NHS Choices news analysis: controversial mental health guide DSM-5, [2013] available at: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/08August/Pages/controversy-mental-health-diagnosis-and-treatment-dsm5.aspx accessed 20/1/17 Professor Thomas Szasz Psychiatry as a Human Rights Abuse, [2017]   avaliable at: https://www.cchrint.org/about-us/co-founder-dr-thomas-szasz/quotes-on-psychiatry-as-a-human-rights-abuse/ accessed 20/1/17

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay --

On October 25th, 2013, at Wenling City First Hospital, close to Shanghai, China, a 33-year-old man, furious at the result of an operation over an year ago on his nose, stabbed a doctor to death and wounded two others. He had gone to the ear, nose and throat department looking for the doctor who treated him, but the doctor was not there, so then he pulled out a butcher knife and stabbed the head of the department instead. He also stabbed two other doctors before he was retrained by security guards. Also in October this year, a female doctor in Beijing was stabbed 17 times by an unhappy patient who had spent years blogging about a throat cancer surgery that he claimed was a failure. Xinhua news, quoting a survey from the Chinese Hospital Association, shows that there were 27.3 assaults on medical staff – per hospital – in 2012. Medical professionals across China are increasingly becoming victims of physical violence at the hands of disgruntled patients. In some cases, doctors charged with saving lives are having their own cut short – murdered in cold blood over financial concerns or unhappiness with the quality of treatment. These attacks epitomize and crystalize, in a very extreme way, the severe deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship in China. What could make the doctor-patient relationship, which apparently is supposed to be healthy and mutually beneficial, so noticeably exacerbated in the past decade in China? Some critics say it is the low level of the medical equipments’ quality and doctors’ ability that badly displease and enrage patients, and cause these tragedies. According to Zhongshang News, â€Å"in China, medical students only need 5 years of professional training to be able to obtain the officially authorized qu... ...to African and Asian allied countries. Instead of short of money, the flaws and loopholes in the design of Medicare system explains its low coverage in needed areas. Chinese state media has condemned each of the attacks, and the Ministry of Public Security has required hospitals with more than 2,000 patients to have at least 100 security guards present. But the deeper issue remains—- the exacerbation of doctor-patient relationship due to the low credibility of doctors to their patients; the origin of these corruptions and dissatisfactions is the imperfections of the medical system and the core of solving this problem is first eliminating these problems. Work Cited: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-10/31/c_132847107.htm http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/why-are-chinese-patients-killing-their-doctors/ http://www.askci.com/news/201208/13/8548_88.shtml

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Pursuasive Policy

To persuade my audience that the fight against bullying begins at home. Central Problem Statement: Due to the increase in bullying in schools, there is a need to prohibit bullying and create a safe and educational environment. INTRODUCTION Attention Step (Pathos) l. Bullies. Dictionary. Com defines bullies as a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.I will now share a true story with you and I want you to think to ourselves If this story poses as the definition. A few years ago, on the evening of September 9th, 2010, a boy of Greensboro named Billy Lucas committed suicide by hanging. Earlier that day Billy had been suspended from school for cursing at the bullies that were harassing with â€Å"gay† discourse. Channel 8 news reports that a day before Billy committed suicide that his sister told a good friend of Bills that â€Å"He had a chair pulled out from underneath him and was told to go hang himself. Lat er that evening that Is Just what he did. Reveal the Topic II. There are a few absolution policies that are set In the school systems that prevent bulling from occurring, only to limit it. Relevancy (Logos) Ill. Most schools pretty much have the same policy with in their school system, which is called the Anti-Bully Policy. This policy basically states that any student or employee will not be abused psychologically or physically. Credibility I have had personal V. Experience with this as my friend was a victim In a bullying case.Unfortunately for him, he awaited the same fate as Billy as he committed suicide after being pushed to the edge. Preview For the next few minutes, I will share about the frequency at which bullying occurs without interference not only in the state of Indiana but the entire country. I will also state the obvious by saying the policies set in now are ineffective and new policies with new strategic plans need to be unveiled in order to save lives. BODY Need Ste p (Claim) l. Bystanders don't take the necessary actions to prevent bullying from proceeding In schools.Assertion 1: Bullying Is a concerning issue that happens everyday, whether it is reported or not, it happens. Evidence Logos: A. According to a study done by the Response Ability Act, 86% of children have witnessed bullying at least once (RAP Project) Evidence Logos: B. In 2008, there was a study done right here in Indiana that showed how bullying cases led to suicides. From the ages 10-19 there were an astonishing 1,819 suicides relating to bullying In school, which means there are way too many people not doing anything about It. Evidence Pathos: C.As I have already stated, before I moved here, I had a friend that would constantly be bullied and even while I was around, which made me he bystander. This went on for some time until I saw on the news that my friend had committed suicide. It broke my heart because I was just as guilty as the bully for not doing anything to stand up f or what was right and I have regretted not taking action ever since. Transition: Now tattoo know some statistics and my own personal let Like me, in my story, many bystanders lack courage to step into the situation Evidence Pathos: A.Imagine you are the victim in a bullying situation such as the one I previously stated. I mean you are in the midst of a bully string to ingle as much pain as possible into you. You look up and see your classmates laughing and making fun of you, yet you see your best friend Just watching. Evidence Ethos: B. Now let's switch roles for a bit, you're the bystander or the best friend Just watching this take place. Why don't you do anything? Why don't you stick up for your friend? Well according to Recount. Com, the typical bystander doesn't get involved for various reasons.But the most common reasons are â€Å"None of their business†, â€Å"They will come a target†, and â€Å"It will give them an unwanted stigma, such as a tattle tale†. (Recount. Com) Evidence Logos: C. The U. S. Department of Justice shows the between the years of 1999 and 2003 there had been a 2. 1% increase in bullying cases. So we bystanders have to stop this trend. Transition: Now that you know that not only bullying is a problem but also the bystander that does nothing is a problem, let me explain how we can offer help and or implement policies to eliminate these problems. Satisfaction Step: II.Spending the appropriate time with the kids at mom teaching the correct morals and values will put an end to bullying in schools. A. Psychometric. Com states that the best and most obvious way to stop bullying in schools is for parents to change the way they parent their children at home. A. Good kids who don't get in trouble or start any trouble typically come from households in which these morals and values are presented to them almost daily. B. Bullies usually come from families who fight a lot which is seen as the acceptable behavior and is repeat ed in school. B.However my audience here is probably brothers and sisters ND maybe aunts and uncles. A. The same principles really apply, your apart of the family too so you should have a part too. C. So in order to summarize this up, I'm not asking for money or donations, I'm not asking for you to sign a petition, I am Just asking you to spend time with the kids in your household and to make sure you know that they know what is right and how to handle these situations if they were to occur. Transition: Now that you know the root of the problem of bullying, I want to show you a video that puts everything into perspective.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Individual, team and racquet athletics Essay

Sport contains mainly perceptual motor skills so it is important to select the correct skill for the situation. The process used to select the correct skill is called the information processing system or the DCR process, because we Detect information, Compare it with previous experiences and then react. Welford said that all information is taken in as stimuli through our senses. It is then stored in the short term memory before being sorted, if the stimulus is relevant to the current skill then it is stored in the short term memory where it is compared to previous experiences in the long term memory. Then a decision is made as to what action to take based on this comparison. The action that was performed and the outcome from this action are then stored in the long term memory for future reference. Welford’s model is shown below: This model makes a performer react in the way that they do to a situation but there are many factors that can influence what action the performer decides to take. These include; time available, number and intensity of stimuli, experience, anticipation, fitness and motivation of the performer. The effect these factors have on a performer will vary from individual, racquet and team sports. The time that you have available to process the incoming stimuli differs in each sport. For example in rugby, which is externally paced, you have a small amount of time to process the stimuli and make a decision because there are usually many defenders around you. Tennis players also have very little time to react because the ball is usually travelling at a high speed and if they don’t make a decision and return the ball they will lose the point. However in golf, an internally paced sport, the player can take as long as they need to make a decision because there are no opponents directly around them. There are three main types of stimuli that enter the sensory input these are; Vision: is where a player will react to a visual stimulus such as the position of the ball or an opponent. These stimuli are easier to detect and react to if the stimulus is brighter. For example in tennis the ball is bright yellow which makes it easier to see. But there are also unwanted stimuli such as ball boys moving or crowd movements these stimuli are obviously irrelevant but they are still initially taken in which slows down the whole process. In an individual sport there are fewer visual stimuli for example in a 100m race the only real visual stimulus is where the finish line is in relation to you. Audition: this is all stimuli that are heard, for example when a team mate calls for the ball in rugby. Auditable stimuli are heard and processed easier and faster if they are loud and clear. There are also irrelevant auditable stimuli such as crowd noise these will slow down the information processing model. Proprioception: this is made up of three components; Equilibrium: this is an awareness of your body position and balance. We can tell if we are about to fall over and where we are in relation to objects. Team sports are more likely to have an uneven playing surface which means that your balance will have to be constantly adjusted as you are running. But in individual and racquet sports the playing surface is fairly constant with the exception of golf, where a stance may have to be altered to adjust to the surface. Kinaesthesis: this is where the body senses the muscle movement and contraction it is sometimes known as muscle memory. It is if the movement â€Å"feels† right to the performer. It is developed through practice and experience one example would be a conversion kick in rugby the player may take there step away from the ball in the same way they usually do but they may just â€Å"feel† that they are not in the right place. It doesn’t apply as much in team games as in individual and racquet sports apart from set plays. Tactile sense: this is the feeling of pressure this is important for all sports. It can be affected be the weather conditions because cold weather affects our ability to feel effectively. The short term sensory store is where all information is stored for a split second before it is processed. All relevant and irrelevant information is stored in here before it is replaced and lost. This does not differ between sports only what enters it does. The perception stage is where all the information that has come from the short term sensory store is processed. This is when irrelevant information is thrown away and useful stimuli such as where the ball is, is kept to make a decision and stored in the STM. This will vary between individual, racquet and team sports because of the amount of stimuli. In team sports there are more stimuli so it takes longer to sort through whereas there are relatively small amounts of stimuli in individual sports so it won’t take as long to sort them out. It also differs depending upon whether the performer is experienced or not as it will be easier for a expert to sort through the stimuli because they have more experience. We sort through the stimuli with selective attention and take only the important pieces of information because only around 7-10 pieces of information can be stored in the STM. The information passed on from the perception stage is then stored in the STM. Because only 7-10 pieces of information can be stored an experienced player may â€Å"chunk† information together so that the position of all players is one piece, but a beginner may not be able to do this so each player may be a separate piece. Team sports would be much more affected because of the amount of information so not all stimuli can be stored so a poor decision may be made but less poor decisions will be made in an individual or racquet sport because there is less information. The LTM holds information on movement patterns and the results of using them in certain situations and can hold them for a lifetime. Team sports have many memories but individual sports may have less. The decision making process is where what’s happening now (in the short term memory) with what has happened previously (in the long term memory). In the LTM the performer will be looking for similar situations and actions and their outcomes. This makes team games decision making process a lot longer because of the vast amount of information and possible actions to take. Whereas in an individual sport there is much less information and less possible actions. The motor output is the performance of the chosen skill. One example may be for a badminton player to put in a drop shot because the opponent is at the back of the court. The action is referred to the muscle movement in the LTM. The action and its consequences are then stored in the long term memory for future reference. Individual sports, because they are individually paced, make them the simplest in the IP model. Also because there are fewer stimuli there is a shorter reaction time which gives the performer more time to carry out the IP model which should result in a better decision. Racquet sports are externally paced due to the fact that there is an opponent; this means that there is less time for the performer to react. There are some irrelevant stimuli which will slow down the IP model which means it takes longer to decide than in an individual sport but not as long as in a team sport because there are fewer possibilities for what action to take. Team sports are externally paced which reduces the time available to react. Also there are much more irrelevant stimuli in team sports, this will lengthen the IP. The IP will also be lengthened due to the complexity of most team games because there are more situations and possible responses to choose from. Bibliography Advanced PE for Edexcel Heinemann by F. Galligan et al.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Are You One of These 4 Toxic Workplace Personalities

Are You One of These 4 Toxic Workplace Personalities There are a million ways to screw up at work, and we like to think we avoid most of the obvious pitfalls. But here are a few work types you might not realize you resemble from time to time. 1. The MinimalistYou know who you are. Someone asks you for a status update on a project and you answer, â€Å"I did my part,† without following through. How much longer would it take you to trace that project through the chain and give a more comprehensive answer? To take responsibility for the task, not just your fraction of a task? You won’t be able to do this every time you’re asked, so why not take the initiative when you can and go the extra mile?2. The Negative NellyYou might think you’re an upbeat, positive person. But it’s possible you’re the workplace downer. Do you groan at each new daunting project? Weigh the cons before the pros? Complain about the extra work and hours, rather than get psyched about that new high-profile project? Make sure you keep the glass half full and distinguish yourself as a leader among your colleagues.3. The DisappointmentYou think you’re a hero because you take on so much more than everybody else- but that’s also more than can be reasonably expected. Overcommitting can sometimes lead to underperforming, missed deadlines, monster to-do lists, and disappointment. You certainly don’t want to be guilty of the opposite (never taking extra work on), but if you do step in to pinch hit, remember to make sure you have your stance in order.4. The ShockerYou’ve taken on a bit more than you can chew, and things have been going in a disastrous direction. But you haven’t let your boss in on the details, and as the big presentation rolls around, you have to drop a bomb. If only you’d shared the difficulties as they popped up along the way- your colleagues could have helped out before the situation deteriorated. But you didn’t. And now†¦ disaster.These workp lace traits turn up in every office. There’s always someone guilty of these office faux pas, and- if you aren’t careful- it could be you!Are You a Boss Botherer? Be Sure to Avoid This Workplace Behavior

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Fraternity Recruitment

Successful Recruitment by a College Fraternity â€Å"Recruitment is the single most important chapter activity for every member†¦ It seems to be self-evident – men who join your chapter affect your life, who needs motivation on the importance of recruitment.† – Bill Tragos, Sigma Phi Epsilon Class of 1956 (Washington University, Missouri Beta) Introduction Fraternities are in existence for a reason, and have been for over a century. Millions have passed through the system of Greek life and have benefited because of doing so. Many influential people have been part of a fraternity: all presidents but two since 1980 were Greek, 85% of congressmen were Greek, etc. The question is, how is it that Greek fraternities attract such outstanding individuals. What Causes One to Be Interested in Going Greek? There are a plethora of reasons for one to rush a fraternity. The common myths and sayings such as, â€Å"I don’t have to buy my friends,† â€Å"All you guys do is drink,† â€Å"I don’t want to get paddled,† no longer apply in today’s college society. The reasons people pledged in the past, and the current reasons differ greatly. Fraternities help to create a home away from home for their members, and also assist new college students in the transition from high school to college. Aside from helping in the transition, fraternities encourage students to remain interested in staying in college. The most obvious reason to join a fraternity is that you get to meet new friends. Many new students to a university have trouble discovering what college is about and what it has to offer; fraternal life helps a student to find purpose and meaning in a college life, as well as what great things it has to offer. Aside from the immediate benefits of being in a fraternity that apply to the college years, there are numerous benefits that will come about in one’s future also. Most of these benefits are improvements to one's sel... Free Essays on Fraternity Recruitment Free Essays on Fraternity Recruitment Successful Recruitment by a College Fraternity â€Å"Recruitment is the single most important chapter activity for every member†¦ It seems to be self-evident – men who join your chapter affect your life, who needs motivation on the importance of recruitment.† – Bill Tragos, Sigma Phi Epsilon Class of 1956 (Washington University, Missouri Beta) Introduction Fraternities are in existence for a reason, and have been for over a century. Millions have passed through the system of Greek life and have benefited because of doing so. Many influential people have been part of a fraternity: all presidents but two since 1980 were Greek, 85% of congressmen were Greek, etc. The question is, how is it that Greek fraternities attract such outstanding individuals. What Causes One to Be Interested in Going Greek? There are a plethora of reasons for one to rush a fraternity. The common myths and sayings such as, â€Å"I don’t have to buy my friends,† â€Å"All you guys do is drink,† â€Å"I don’t want to get paddled,† no longer apply in today’s college society. The reasons people pledged in the past, and the current reasons differ greatly. Fraternities help to create a home away from home for their members, and also assist new college students in the transition from high school to college. Aside from helping in the transition, fraternities encourage students to remain interested in staying in college. The most obvious reason to join a fraternity is that you get to meet new friends. Many new students to a university have trouble discovering what college is about and what it has to offer; fraternal life helps a student to find purpose and meaning in a college life, as well as what great things it has to offer. Aside from the immediate benefits of being in a fraternity that apply to the college years, there are numerous benefits that will come about in one’s future also. Most of these benefits are improvements to one's sel...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Character and Symbolic Analysis of The Princess Bride

Story analysis: Princess Bride (Movie) Source: Princess Bride was created by William Goldman in 1973, and then made into a film in 1987. Story type: This book is written satirically. Because it is ridiculing many themes and literary ideas. The movie comes with a witty joke and an unforgettable quote. Main settings: The story starts with a beautiful and quiet farmhouse in Florin and everything is calm. It was here that Westley and Butter Cup were introduced, and they set the mood of the story for the feelings of each other. Princess Bride in the movie Princess Bride directed by Rob Liner began with a grandfather who told his story to his less enthusiastic grandchild. The story began in the country of Florin and the butter cup does not deal well with her farm boys. His name is Wesley, but she never called him. She loves him as a reward. She discovered later that he and his ship were killed by the fear of Roberts pirates. It is a princess. Ironic and fun twist. In the novel Princess Bri de, William Goldman sarizizes fairy tales and standard literary processes through his personality and behavior. The poor peasant Westley fell in love with the perfect girl butter cup, but he has to leave to find his wealth. A few years later, the butter cup thought that Westley gave her up and was forced to go out with a heartcart, cruel and computationally motivated person. Vizzini, Fezzik, and Inigo are three mysterious kidnappers who want to kidnap the princess and cause a war between Guilder and Florin. In the Enders game and the bride's princess, the character surprisingly became a hero. Wesley was chosen as a new fear pirate Roberts and saved the princess. Andel became army general and led them to victory. In each novel, characters are separated from their loved ones and they are not allowed to see them for a long time. They are not considered to be the best heroes, but they will not become great heroes in the play Romeo and Juliet Juliette deceived Romeo. Her affection for hi m was so wonderful that she asked Flair Lawrence to make a potion for her and made her appear to be dying. In this way, she avoids getting married to Paris and can see Romeo again after being expelled from town. This event is very confusing during the play. In fact, there should not be anything. Juliet died and awoke. Romeo had just committed suicide before waking up, so this time it was too late. After seeing Romeo's death, Juliet truly committed suicide.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Public vs. Investors Perception on Materiality Term Paper

Public vs. Investors Perception on Materiality - Term Paper Example The main purpose of performing an audit on financial statements is to help the auditor to put forth an instant judgment as to whether the financial statements are duly organized in accordance with the recognized financial reporting systems like the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principle). The perception of materiality assessment is highly dependent on the expatriate opinion. According to FASB (1975), "material information is that whose omission or misstatement could influence the economic decision of stakeholders to the financial statements. Materiality is dependent on the size of the item or error judged in the particular scenario of its omission or misstatement. Materiality provides a threshold or cut-off point rather than being a primary qualitative characteristic whose information must have if it is to be useful." Public vs. Investors Perception on Materiality The public and the private investors have different perceptions on materiality. The entry of auditor’s mate riality is perceived as proprietary data by numerous certified public accounting companies as they are not normally reported to the public (Ryan, 2004). Numerous regulators and scholars have suggested that the auditors must be asked to give a report on materiality entry to the users of the financial statements in their report of audit. ... This stand by FASB regarding materiality has compelled scholars to investigate the opinion of organizers, users and auditors of the statements of finance where most of these researches uncover that there is an anticipation break amongst the users and auditors of the statements of finance as to what that amount to a material misstatement. The expectation break has the implication that the criterion of materiality entirely used by auditors to describe and perform materiality is essentially unique from that used by the users of buyer financial statements. The absence of consistency in materiality opinion limits the users from being knowledgeable in regard to misstatements or omission of items they feel to be material in the financial statements. In this regard, the position taken by the FASB and the â€Å"expectation void† in materiality opinion consequently made scholars and regulators suggest that materiality by auditor’s entry to be reported to the public. The normal al legation is that revealing of the auditor materiality entry would give the users the information of the extent of suitable error or misstatement in the buyer statements of finance and finally, minimize the disparity of materiality decisions by the users and auditors (Fields, 2011). The users of the public financial statements would also be in a position to substantially make use of the auditor materiality entry to evaluate the degree of dependence they can allocate on the audit to ascertain that public financial statements are independent from material misrepresentation. Therefore, it is claimed that the revelation of auditor materiality entry might assist in creating a high agreement amidst the public anticipation of the auditor, including its judgment of the performance by

CSR and challenges faced by MNCs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CSR and challenges faced by MNCs - Essay Example 3). Multinational Corporations (MNCs) are found to experience intense pressure for performing socially responsible activities in their global operations. However, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) from the global perspective and its management by the MNCs are still less understood. There has been an increased promotion of CSR activities followed in the business environment worldwide. In addition to this, various voluntary initiatives and global guidelines are emerging to facilitate improvement of CSR in global operations. MNCs can be considered to be consisting of differentiated network which are significantly complex in nature. They are associated with internal heterogeneity and are required to face various complex situations related to managing across units that are globally diverse and dispersed (Barlett, Doz, and Hedlund, 1990). MNCs have to face diverse environments related to their stakeholders spread over all their international operations in various geographical areas of the world. The MNCs are required to address diverse issues of their stakeholders in diverse contexts and multiple levels of their operations. Managing of CSR by MNCs globally also involves cross border management and transfer of CSR activities across different geographical locations where they operate. MNCs are also required to manage the local CSR practices that are suited to the regional and local context of their subsidiary units. Hence, the MNCs have to face multiple and demanding challenges regarding management of their CSR activities across the globe. This paper entails about all those demanding challenges that are being faced by most of the MNCs worldwide today and how they are managing to do so in an effective manner to ensure their sustainable growth and development in future. CSR and Challenges Faced by MNCs The interests of the society are recognised through the CSR practices followed by an organisation and it takes the responsibility of the various impacts that its b usiness activities can have on the shareholders, employees, community people and the external environment. CSR can help in serving different purposes for a business organisation. It helps to ensure the fact that the business process is being conducted by the organisations in an ethical way and in alignment with the corresponding interests of the community. It helps in responding in a positive manner to the emerging priorities in the society. CSR serves the purpose of developing willingness amongst the organisations to act beyond the regulatory confrontation. It also helps in maintaining a balance between interests of the shareholders of the company and the wider community. As mentioned earlier, corporate social responsibility has received renewed attention in the business world in the recent years. CSR is now considered to be a critical issue that is needed to be followed by the MNCs mainly because of the increasing demands and expectations from the society, and are also driven by v arious factors like the campaigns organised by the NGOs, managers of the companies who are ethical minded, and seeking opportunities to improve the reputation of the organisations. It is unfortunate that most of the companies begin with big words and come up with responsibility policies and statements,

Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship Essay

Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship (GCC) - Essay Example USSR is a socialist Republic and has similar internal state policies as that of China, the policies of China closely follow that of Moscow which is then the seat of powers of the former USSR. However, in the effort to forge stronger alliances, China strived to reach out to countries like the United States and those countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately, talks of alliance during the meetings held in Bandung, China failed to create a strong alliance between these nations. Throughout the 1990s, there were many important changes that occur in the foreign policy of China. These changes in the Chinese foreign policies were triggered by global political changes following the collapse of Soviet Union. The collapse of the USSR heralded the end of the cold war and triggered global political changes. As the USSR ceased to be one of the world’s superpowers, the United States took on the role as â€Å"big brother† of smaller nations and took upon itself to serve and the â€Å"police and watchdog† of democracy and power. The shift in the balance of world powers ushered the changes in China’s foreign policies especially towards the countries around the Persian Gulf. Believing that the shift in world powers may eventually affect the stability of oil supply and production around the oil rich nations of the Persian Gulf, and that the slowdown in the production of oil may affect the economic activities in China, the Chinese government emba rked into the task of fostering stability in the area by advocating the resolution of conflicts in the area internally and without any foreign interventions. As the largest country around this part of the world, China has the power to influence the economic activities in this region. In the 1990s, the value of Chinese investments around this area amounted to more than 2.2 billion US dollars. This is twice the value of its investments in the region in the 1980s. Chinese importation for oil reached about $9.5 billion dollars in

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 67

Discussion - Essay Example porter, a country through its government may require pre-shipment inspections on/ for inspection certificate to confirm that the price being charged by the exporter is commensurate with the true valley of the goods or services [to be shipped]. This therefore parries away the danger of substandard goods infiltrating a country. The same also assuages attempts to escape the payment of custom duties. This is always the case if the shipment being made is of high value, as was previously mentioned. In some cases, an inspection certificate may be required in some countries, for a specific type of goods. For instance, on the one hand, in Kuwait, an inspection certificate is required whenever there is an importation of a regulated product whose value exceeds 3,000 dollars. On the other hand, Mexico requires an inspection certificate for goods such as textiles, shoes, bicycles and shoes, if only these products fail to qualify for NAFTA. Conversely, shipments to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia must contain an inspection certificate for a small number of

Impact of trade unions on firm performance Essay

Impact of trade unions on firm performance - Essay Example They use this power to reach a compromise with the employers (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). In spite of the outcome, the members of unions must adhere to the solution at which the two parties arrive. The history of trade or labor unions dates back to 1860’s when workers created labor unions that included a vast range of workers (Currie, 2001). However, the unions did not accomplish any notable achievements and they ended up closing their doors. Over time, worker's  approach to trade unions has changed drastically, and they have accomplished commendable results for their members. They have banded a lot of employees from various industries so as to enhance their experience in the workplace (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). The key function of these unions is to push for improved working conditions and reasonable wages for their members. The leaders hold negotiations with employers regarding issues such as wage increments, better benefits and working hours and more vacation time among oth ers. The decision that the union arrives at is binding for all its members. The leaders also hold regular meetings to handle complains, concerns and recommendations, as well as vote on key decisions before negotiating with employers. In the case where a trade union does not reach a decision with an employer, it may result in a strike (Currie, 2001). A strike is a decision that all members must respect. Trade unions include employees from a given industry such as the agriculture industry, or a specific agency such as local or state government. Furthermore, there are some minimum requirements that unions require from their members in order to get official membership. Some unions require their new members to pay a registration fee while other requires them to have certification in order to join. The unions may include both blue color employees and professional. Different unions vary in terms of the features and qualifications since they operate in different industries and have diverse memberships. In addition to their role in enhancing the conditions of employees, the unions also take part in political activism. During the formulation of legislations especially laws that touch on the lives of workers directly, they send their representatives to influence the outcome. Although the key objective of these unions is to push for improved wages and working conditions in the workplace, this objective also includes political activism. This paper discusses how trade unions impact on performance, as well as outline how employees can best handle trade unions. Impact of trade unions on performance The key goal of the unions is to ensure that their members have the best working conditions, reasonable wages, are not mistreated by employers and get vacations as necessary (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). However, the impact of trade unions does not only influence these factors. They affect other areas such as performance of employees among others. This can be either in a positive or a negative manner. Trade unions can either result in increased performance or decreased performance depending on the outcome. Increased performance The impact of a trade union can have positive effects on a firm’s performance. Among the key roles of a human resource manager is to motivate employees to perform in a better way. HR managers can motivate employees in a number of ways. These are better wages and working

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship Essay

Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship (GCC) - Essay Example USSR is a socialist Republic and has similar internal state policies as that of China, the policies of China closely follow that of Moscow which is then the seat of powers of the former USSR. However, in the effort to forge stronger alliances, China strived to reach out to countries like the United States and those countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately, talks of alliance during the meetings held in Bandung, China failed to create a strong alliance between these nations. Throughout the 1990s, there were many important changes that occur in the foreign policy of China. These changes in the Chinese foreign policies were triggered by global political changes following the collapse of Soviet Union. The collapse of the USSR heralded the end of the cold war and triggered global political changes. As the USSR ceased to be one of the world’s superpowers, the United States took on the role as â€Å"big brother† of smaller nations and took upon itself to serve and the â€Å"police and watchdog† of democracy and power. The shift in the balance of world powers ushered the changes in China’s foreign policies especially towards the countries around the Persian Gulf. Believing that the shift in world powers may eventually affect the stability of oil supply and production around the oil rich nations of the Persian Gulf, and that the slowdown in the production of oil may affect the economic activities in China, the Chinese government emba rked into the task of fostering stability in the area by advocating the resolution of conflicts in the area internally and without any foreign interventions. As the largest country around this part of the world, China has the power to influence the economic activities in this region. In the 1990s, the value of Chinese investments around this area amounted to more than 2.2 billion US dollars. This is twice the value of its investments in the region in the 1980s. Chinese importation for oil reached about $9.5 billion dollars in

Impact of trade unions on firm performance Essay

Impact of trade unions on firm performance - Essay Example They use this power to reach a compromise with the employers (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). In spite of the outcome, the members of unions must adhere to the solution at which the two parties arrive. The history of trade or labor unions dates back to 1860’s when workers created labor unions that included a vast range of workers (Currie, 2001). However, the unions did not accomplish any notable achievements and they ended up closing their doors. Over time, worker's  approach to trade unions has changed drastically, and they have accomplished commendable results for their members. They have banded a lot of employees from various industries so as to enhance their experience in the workplace (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). The key function of these unions is to push for improved working conditions and reasonable wages for their members. The leaders hold negotiations with employers regarding issues such as wage increments, better benefits and working hours and more vacation time among oth ers. The decision that the union arrives at is binding for all its members. The leaders also hold regular meetings to handle complains, concerns and recommendations, as well as vote on key decisions before negotiating with employers. In the case where a trade union does not reach a decision with an employer, it may result in a strike (Currie, 2001). A strike is a decision that all members must respect. Trade unions include employees from a given industry such as the agriculture industry, or a specific agency such as local or state government. Furthermore, there are some minimum requirements that unions require from their members in order to get official membership. Some unions require their new members to pay a registration fee while other requires them to have certification in order to join. The unions may include both blue color employees and professional. Different unions vary in terms of the features and qualifications since they operate in different industries and have diverse memberships. In addition to their role in enhancing the conditions of employees, the unions also take part in political activism. During the formulation of legislations especially laws that touch on the lives of workers directly, they send their representatives to influence the outcome. Although the key objective of these unions is to push for improved wages and working conditions in the workplace, this objective also includes political activism. This paper discusses how trade unions impact on performance, as well as outline how employees can best handle trade unions. Impact of trade unions on performance The key goal of the unions is to ensure that their members have the best working conditions, reasonable wages, are not mistreated by employers and get vacations as necessary (Bennett & Kaufman, 2007). However, the impact of trade unions does not only influence these factors. They affect other areas such as performance of employees among others. This can be either in a positive or a negative manner. Trade unions can either result in increased performance or decreased performance depending on the outcome. Increased performance The impact of a trade union can have positive effects on a firm’s performance. Among the key roles of a human resource manager is to motivate employees to perform in a better way. HR managers can motivate employees in a number of ways. These are better wages and working

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Decision Making in an Addicted Brain Essay Example for Free

Decision Making in an Addicted Brain Essay Decision making is a mental process of selecting a course of action. We exercise this right to free will on a very regular basis. We often think this right comes easily to us, however in individuals with neurological addictions decision making can be a difficult process. With individuals who are addicted to a substance or habit decision making is abnormal (Fecteau, 2010). When an addict partakes in the substance they are addicted to there is often a rush or feeling of relief. If an addict is attempting to quit using a substance, they often attempt to obtain a similar feeling of satisfaction. Typically recovering addicts turn to risky decision making due to the fact that when one makes a risky choice the two experiences share similar behavioral sensations (Fecteau, 2010). Understanding how addicts make decisions based on their addiction is crucial in planning treatment options in order to suppress drug cravings in substance abusing patients. Through certain testing, scientists have discovered that specific, noninvasive brain stimulation can aid in the suppressing of drug cravings in addicts. The inference was made that if we can stimulate a portion of the brain that controls decision making in the average human, we can aid in the suppression of cravings. This portion of the brain is called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Fecteau, 2010). It is located in the frontal cortex of the brain which controls other things such as mannerisms, social and sexual behavior, as well as decision making. With this technique of addiction suppression, there are many things to take into consideration. These things could be possible implications with the therapy, moral values as to whether testing this method on humans is humane, as well as whether or not there could be possible health risks in the future. This method of addiction suppression is an interesting one that could potentially make shaking an addiction much less difficult if the risks turn out to be minimal. References Fecteau, S., Fregni, F., Boggio, P. S., Camprodon, J. A., Pascual-Leone, A. (2010). Neuromodulation of Decision-Making in the Addictive Brain. Substance Use Misuse, 45(11), 1766-1786.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Main advantages of unstructured methods

Main advantages of unstructured methods Unstructured method This method makes use of a rational compilation of elements to load up the domain, because the engagements of elements have no visible pattern, the mesh is called unstructured. This type of grids in general makes use of triangles in 2D and tetrahedral in 3D. With structured method, the elements are capable of twisted and stretched to well the domain. This method has the skill to be automated to a large degree. Known good CAD model, a good meshing student or person can without human intervention place triangles on the surface and tetrahedral in the volume with very small effort from the user. The automatic meshing algorithm characteristically involves meshing the boundary and then also adding elements touching the boundary or adding points in the interior and reconnecting the Delaunay elements. Main advantage of unstructured method Advantages of unstructured method is with the aim of they are very programmed and, as a result, require small user time effort but the user no need to worry about lay out block structure or relations. In addition the unstructured methods are well suitable to inexperienced users because they require small user input and will generate a suitable mesh under most circumstances. Unstructured method and its applications Triangle mesh generator makes use of 2D problems, and it produces an unstructured triangular mesh. Tetrahedral meshing is appropriate for uses in viscous flow simulations are wished-for. The approach which is chase consists of the initial generation of a number of unstructured layers of highly rigid elements Structured method This method of mesh generation starts with basic geometry and tensor analysis previous to moving on to identify the variety of approaches that can be employed in the generation of structured meshing. In addition structured method makes use of quadrilateral elements in 2D and hexahedral elements in 3D in a computational rectangular selection. Main advantage of structured method Advantages of structured mesh method is their simplicity, ease of use code and is suitable for multi-mesh, it is very complicated to generate a structured mesh for complex construction of body, such as a complete aircraft. Structured method and its applications Structured mesh, in particular multi-block structured mesh, is one of the main productions CFD tools. Multi-block means that the block topology can be from multiply connected blocks and each block is composed of 3D hexahedral, 2D quadrilateral and 1D linear or quadratic element set up in rows and columns, but this blocks can be removed, deleted or glued to others parts and also the multi-block structured mesh gives CFD user more control over the design of their meshing and make sure that quality is maintained all the way through their design and achieves the results. Multi-block topology A multi-block topology is used to build a meshing for the same geometry and this mesh is build in 6 blocks and deleting the top 2 corner blocks to complete a meshing with right aspect ratio. Hybrid method Hybrid mesh method is designed to obtain advantage of the positive aspects of both unstructured and structured mesh. Hybrid mesh makes use of some form of structured mesh in local regions while using unstructured mesh in the size of the domain. In addition the hybrid mesh contain tetrahedral, hexahedral and pyramid elements in 3D and quadrilaterals in 2D. But hexahedral elements are excellent close to solid boundaries and can afford the user of CFD a high degree of control. Main advantage and disadvantage of hybrid method Hybrid mesh advantages method is when we can make use of the positive properties of structured mesh elements in the regions which require them the most and use automatic unstructured mesh techniques where is not much happen in the flow field. Prismatic or hexahedral layers close to wall surfaces show good clustering capability characteristic of structured meshing approaches. Another advantage is that the use of tetrahedral mesh to fill the rest of the domain permit single-block generation for particularly complex geometries since the tetrahedral is the simplex element in 3D. Hybrid mesh disadvantage method is difficult to use and involve user of CFD expertise in put out the various structured mesh properties and locations to obtain the best results. The hybrid method is less strong the unstructured mesh methods. Hybrid method and its applications Hybrid method, in particular prismatic mesh generation makes use of the visibility condition, namely, the node normal vector is able to be seen from all the triangles sharing the node. A simple and general method is included to treat walls, concaves and narrow gaps. Tetrahedral and pyramids are integrated naturally by treating them as exceptional cases of prismatic cells and the methods is successfully applied for a entire aircraft configuration and partially slotted flap. To describe key features of ALL existing meshing options in Ansys Mesh module and discuss their applications (please refer to build-in documentation in the software).

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Diabetes Mellitus Essay -- Health, Diseases, Abnormal Insulin Secretio

Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome characterized by abnormal insulin secretion, derangement in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and is diagnosed by the presence of hyperglycemia. Also, this syndrome is common risk factors for chronic renal disease. Once it occurs, chronic renal failure and end stage renal disease often increase mortality in those with type 2 diabetes. A decrease in glomerular filtration rate indicates the development of renal disease, and early identification of this event is important in subjects with type 2 diabetes (1, 2). A new experimental diabetic syndrome in adult rats administered streptozotocin (STZ) and partially protected with a suitable dose of nicotinamide. This syndrome shares a number of features with human type 2 diabetes, and is characterized by moderate stable hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, altered but significant glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (3, 4). Streptozotocin (STZ), a N-nitroso-N-methylurea derivative of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, is a diabetogenic agent acting through the selective destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells. It is known that insulin increases the transport of amino acid into the cell and increases the degradation of proteins. It causes changes in the levels of some amino acids. Thus, STZ has some effects on blood and urine amino acid levels. In addition, STZ displays nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic activity. It has been reported that STZ caused cataracts, necrosis of kidney tubules, mesengial proliferation and hyalines of vessels in rats (5). Extracts of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (SrB) have been used for the treatment of diabetes in, for example, Brazil, although a positive effect on glucose metabolism has not been unequivocally demonstrated. In addition to, oral intake... ...ation of intracellular area and aggregation of lipid in STZ diabetic rats (5, 16). Although in our study, the kidney cells of control groups showed normal cells structure, SrB treated diabetic groups had some mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization in thin section of kidney less than diabetic control and L-NNA treated diabetic groups. However, SrB+L-NNA treated diabetic groups had a normal mitochondria and organelle structure. We found that SrB and L-NNA treatment protect the kidney cells with decreasing blood glucose levels. As a result, the extracts of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves have beneficial effects on diabetes induced histological, ultrastructural and biochemical changes. It was determined that L-NNA is less efficient in the treatment of type II diabetes compared to SrB. Further studies of SrB concerning the treatment of diabetes appear warranted.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Hamilton and Limited Government :: Federalists American History

Hamilton and Limited Government  ·The proposed band would raise $10 million through a public stock offering. The Treasury would hold one fifth of the stock and name one fifth of the directors, but four fifths of the control would fall to private hands. Private investors could purchase shares by paying for three quarters of their value in government bonds. In this way, the bank would capture a significant portion of the recently funded debt and make it available for loans; it would also receive a substantial and steady flow of interest payments for the Treasury. Anyone buying shares under these circumstances had little chance of loosing money. Hamilton and Limited Government  ·Hamilton’s plan to establish a permanent national debt violated the principle of equality among citizens; it seemed to favor the interests of public creditors over those of other Americans. Hamilton’s critics also denounced his proposal for a national band, interpreting it as a dangerous scheme that would give a small, elite group special power to influence the government.  ·Opponents’ strongest argument against the band was their claim of its unconstitutionality. The Constitution gave Congress no specific authorization to issue charters of incorporation  ·Unless Congress adhered to a strict interpretation of the Constitution, critics argue, the central government might oppress the states and trample individual liberties, just as Parliament had done to the colonies  ·The president accepted Hamilton’s cogent argument for a loose interpretation of the Constitution  ·Tariffs doubly injured the majority of citizens, first by imposing heavy import taxes that were passed on to consumers and then by reducing the incentive for American manufacturers to produce goods at a lower cost than imports HAMILTON’S LEGACY  ·Despite the Federalists’ effort to associate themselves with the Constitution they actually favored a â€Å"consolidated† (Centralized) national government instead of a truly federal system with substantial powers left to the states  ·Resentment ran high among those who felt that the government appeared to be rewarding special interests  ·Southern reaction to Hamilton’s program was overwhelmingly negative  ·The Band of the United States had few southern stockholders and it allocated very little capital for loans there THE WHISKY REBELLION  ·Hamilton’s financial program not only sparked an angry political debate in Congress but also helped ignite a civil insurrection called the Whiskey Rebellion  ·Hamilton had recommended an excise tax on domestically produced whiskey. He insisted that his proposal would distribute the expense of financing the national debt evenly across the United States  ·The law furthermore specified that all trials concerning tax evasion be conducted in federal courts Hamilton and Limited Government :: Federalists American History Hamilton and Limited Government  ·The proposed band would raise $10 million through a public stock offering. The Treasury would hold one fifth of the stock and name one fifth of the directors, but four fifths of the control would fall to private hands. Private investors could purchase shares by paying for three quarters of their value in government bonds. In this way, the bank would capture a significant portion of the recently funded debt and make it available for loans; it would also receive a substantial and steady flow of interest payments for the Treasury. Anyone buying shares under these circumstances had little chance of loosing money. Hamilton and Limited Government  ·Hamilton’s plan to establish a permanent national debt violated the principle of equality among citizens; it seemed to favor the interests of public creditors over those of other Americans. Hamilton’s critics also denounced his proposal for a national band, interpreting it as a dangerous scheme that would give a small, elite group special power to influence the government.  ·Opponents’ strongest argument against the band was their claim of its unconstitutionality. The Constitution gave Congress no specific authorization to issue charters of incorporation  ·Unless Congress adhered to a strict interpretation of the Constitution, critics argue, the central government might oppress the states and trample individual liberties, just as Parliament had done to the colonies  ·The president accepted Hamilton’s cogent argument for a loose interpretation of the Constitution  ·Tariffs doubly injured the majority of citizens, first by imposing heavy import taxes that were passed on to consumers and then by reducing the incentive for American manufacturers to produce goods at a lower cost than imports HAMILTON’S LEGACY  ·Despite the Federalists’ effort to associate themselves with the Constitution they actually favored a â€Å"consolidated† (Centralized) national government instead of a truly federal system with substantial powers left to the states  ·Resentment ran high among those who felt that the government appeared to be rewarding special interests  ·Southern reaction to Hamilton’s program was overwhelmingly negative  ·The Band of the United States had few southern stockholders and it allocated very little capital for loans there THE WHISKY REBELLION  ·Hamilton’s financial program not only sparked an angry political debate in Congress but also helped ignite a civil insurrection called the Whiskey Rebellion  ·Hamilton had recommended an excise tax on domestically produced whiskey. He insisted that his proposal would distribute the expense of financing the national debt evenly across the United States  ·The law furthermore specified that all trials concerning tax evasion be conducted in federal courts

Friday, October 11, 2019

Math for Elementary Teachers Essay

Math for Elementary Teachers II is the second part in a two part series. The mathematical concepts that were focused on throughout the second part of Math for Elementary Teachers were on measurement, geometry, probability, and data analysis. Just like part one of Math for Elementary Teachers, part two also address the relationship of the course concepts to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards for K-8 instruction. The first two weeks of this course, the main concepts that were explored was data analysis and probability. When learning about data analysis, A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers taught students that data analysis is the measures of Central Tendency, Statistics, and Variation. During data analysis students also reviewed that different ways data can be presented; bar graphs, circle graphs, line graphs, or scatter plots. Probability taught theorem and tree diagrams/geometry probabilities. Both of these mathematical concepts were cover throughout chapters 9 and 10 of A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers. The mathematical concepts covered during week three and four was Introduction to Geometry. During these two weeks, the concepts of geometry that were covered were; angles, basic notation, geometry in three dimensions, and polygons. These mathematical concepts of geometry were covered throughout chapter 11. Mathematical concepts covered during week five and six was Applications of Geometry. During these two weeks, the main concepts of application of geometry that were taught were rotational symmetry, lines of symmetry, similar triangles, similar igures, lines and linear equations, tessellation patterns, translations, rotations, reflections, and glide reflections. These mathematical concepts of Applications of Geometry were covered throughout chapters 12 and 14. Mathematical concepts covered during week seven and eight was Applications of Measurement. During these two weeks, the main concepts of application of measurement that were covered were; areas of polygons and circles, distance formula, equation of a circle, linear measure, mass, Pythagorean theorem, surface areas, temperature, and volume. These mathematical concepts of Applications of Measurement were covered throughout chapter 13. The concepts learned throughout this course are relevant to the characteristics of a professional mathematics teacher based off of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. Based off the lessons for Data Analysis and Probability, Introduction to Geometry, Applications of Geometry, and Applications of Measurement in this course and under the NCTM standards the curriculum meets the expectations that the National Council required professional mathematic teachers to have. The curriculum of Data Analysis and Probability in this course meets NCTM standards and expectations by represent data using concrete objects, pictures, and graphs, collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments, represent data using tables and graphs such as a line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs, describe parts of the data and the set of data as a whole to determine what the data show, and describe the shape and important features of a set of data and compare related data sets (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2012). The curriculum for Introduction to Geometry and Applications of Geometry in this course meets NCTM standards and expectation by recognize, name, build, draw, compare, and sort two-and-three dimensional shapes, find the distance between points along horizontal and vertical lines of a coordinate system, and predict and describe the results of sliding, flipping, and turning two-dimensional shapes (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2012). The curriculum for Applications of Measurement in this course meets NCTM standards and expectation by recognize the attributes of length, volume, weight, area and time, understand the need for measuring with standard units, develop strategies for estimating the perimeters, areas, and volumes of irregular shapes, and develop strategies to determine the surface areas and volumes of rectangular solids (The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2012). When starting the first part of Math for Elementary Teachers, the idea that I had in mind was that these two courses were going to be about learning the basic mathematical concepts, counting, adding, subtracting, and learning shapes. However, now that I have completed the first part of Math for Elementary Teachers and am getting ready to the last week of the second part, my ideas and philosophy about teaching elementary students mathematical concepts changed. Teaching elementary children about Data Analysis and Probability, Geometry, and Applications of Measurement can become overwhelming for young children because these are concepts that they gave never learned about. Elementary children are used to understanding the basic mathematical concepts. I believe that when it is time to start learning about other mathematical concepts it is important to make learning fun for the younger children. I will stand my philosophy of adjusting the lesson plans to create fun hands on activities that will help my students learn and remember all the different mathematical concepts. I also believe that it is important to go that extra mile to provide students with the best mathematical education there is and by getting the parents involved to help students at home by suggesting different websites or by sending home activity books. I can honestly say, that the recommended changes to the practice of mathematics that have been instruction based off my experiences in both Mat for Elementary Teachers I and Math for Elementary Teachers II is that these two courses should be longer than nine weeks long. There is so much information that needs to be learned, and for a lot of students that are taking these courses it has been many years since they have learned these concepts. Another issue that I was not pleased with was at the start of this course having to take MyMathLab Orientation again. With these being a two part class and having to use MyMathLab during the first part of this course, it seemed pointless having to do another orientation for MyMathLab, but then again m most students should know how to use MyMathLab seeing as thy have other courses that require them to use MyMathLab. In total with the entire math course that are required for an Associate degree in Elementary Education 36 weeks is spent using MyMathLab.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Was Alexander Really Great?

Greatness is an umbrella term that can hold several different meanings and interpretations. In the case of Alexander the Great, it has a very specific meaning that reflects upon the achievements and success of his life time, despite the many character flaws and failings he undoubtedly possessed. Alexander the Great definitely deserves this appellation for three main reasons. Firstly, he conquered an incredibly vast area for his young age and lack of experience; secondly he left his mark on society which has lasted till contemporary day; and thirdly he completely revolutionized military techniques and styles.Firstly, Alexander the Great fought in horrific battles that rewarded him with a huge amount of land, resources and prosperity. He engaged in conflicts including the Battle of Granicus, Battle of Isus and the Battle of Tyre, leading him to conquer nations now known as Turkey,Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and a large portion of India. His ambition certainly paid off, and as Arrian, an hi storian living at the time of Alexander wrote, †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦He would always have searched beyond for something unknown, and if there had been no other competition, he would have competed against himself. This source is quite reliable, as it reinforces other accounts of his attitude correctly, however Arrian basically recorded all the conquests of Alexander the Great, so it may be influenced or recorded with a certain bias that Alexander himself imposed. Secondly, Alexander the Great helped to establish Greek society and spread it over the world. He single handedly created a culture that has maintained itself till this very day. It truly is a great feat to form a society, including language, etiquette, customs and traditions that will last thousands and thousands of years.Historian Professor Paul Cartledge stated in his manuscript Hunting for a New Past â€Å"the great leader's achievements – both in his lifetime and posthumously are simply staggering, as they have lasted th e generations to still be evident today. † Cartledge’s opinion, although we must keep in mind it is only his opinion, is certainly reliable as he is a modern day expert on Greek culture and greek history, quoting in an edited and published official manuscript.Lastly, the military wisdom and knowledge that Alexander the Great not only possessed, but created himself, is astounding. The number of battles and wars he planned and executed is truly great, and especially in such a successful manner. This is one of his greatest attributes, and the skill he is most remembered for. A tapestry called Alexander the Great in Battle, discovered in 1661 by archaeologist Charles le Brun, reflects upon this concept. It depicts Alexander riding into battle and slaying his enemy with strategy and premeditated decision.Although it may be not completely reliable as it seems to portray the romantic myth of Alexander as a ferocious and fearless warrior, it does hold a concise example of his s kill in military prowess. Overall, Alexander the Great deserves his namesake because despite having many character flaws, he was an exceptional man who achieved some astounding feats. The vast land he conquered at such a young age, as well as his long lasting impacts on Greek society, and finally his military intelligence and success prove that Alexander truly was a great individual.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Acceptance of Local Product

Acceptance of Local Product Malaysia, with a population of around 27 million, is one of the most developed nations in Southeast Asia. About 61% of its population falls into the middle to upper income group of consumers with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita income of over US$6,000. The introduction of economic reforms through New Economic Policy (NEP) has produced some notable achievements such as the emergence of several successful domestic products with international competitiveness. Local brands such as Air Asia, PETRONAS, MAS and Selangor Pewter have reflected some successful stories of local entrepreneurs competing in the global markets. In the view of food product, the Malaysian food and beverage market is becoming more and more sophisticated and is supplied by both local and imported products. The strong economic growth in the late 80’s and early 90’s contributed to major changes in consumer purchases and consumption patterns. Malaysians living in urban areas are relatively brand con scious, and they prefer to shop in stores, which offer them convenience and good product selections. Malaysia has a large and growing food retail market that is supplied by local and imported products. Due to rising prosperity and higher education level, Malaysian consumers have become more difficult and demand higher quality for the goods that they purchased. Supermarkets and hypermarkets are mainly located in the major urban centers and are continuing to grow in numbers. Foreign-owned retailers operating locally include Tesco and Carrefour, Makro, Dairy Farms International (owns Giant), and Jaya Jusco. These retail stores provide good venues for imported products and access to the middle and high-income sophisticated consumers. Pressure is mounting for local retailers such as The Store to maintain competitive prices and carry a good variety of products in order to keep up with the international players. Malaysian government has tried to solve this problem that consumers should buy local product to stimulate the nation’s economy. Malaysian’s consumer have to change our attitude in believing that imported things are superior to local goods. We have locally-made goods which are of similar value and quality. Actually a significant number of goods sold overseas, items such as TV, radio, air-conditioner, VCR, shirt, shoe and automobile are made in Malaysia. We should build up a culture where we do not automatically think that imported goods are of superior goods over local goods. Many goods marketed under famous brand names such as Christian Dior, Piere Cardin, Levis, etc are actually made in Malaysia under OEM manufacturing. (Norman Rajen Abdullah, 2009) Malaysian appears to be more confident of local products, judging from their rising sales at Mydin stores nationwide. Demand for these products, ranging from food to handicrafts and textiles made by small businesses, has grown steadily since 2006. Sales of products made by small and medium enterpris es (SMEs) have more than tripled to RM55 million in 2009 from 2006 This is projected to grow by another 18 per cent to RM65 million this year and hit RM80 million in 2011. He said it was important for local entrepreneurs to build a strong foundation for their businesses in the local market before going international market.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Psychology - Essay Example They encounter serious kinds of attacks frequently while some overcome them with consummate ease, depending upon the nature of stress one has to go through over a period of time. Workplace stress also entails within it issues of anxiousness at work whereby it is regarded as another kind of mental anomaly, which tears down the mind and the body in a number of different ways. Workplace stress leads to different kinds of depressions within oneself on top. The employees start feeling alienated with the tasks and feel their bodies having all forms of aches every now and so often. These people also comprehend the pressures from their job settings which in reality are of a normal nature and have little bearing on them in the real sense. The pressure-exertion effect makes them feel more stressed at the end of the day, which then again is a very perilous thing. Workplace stress can be reduced when employees know that the task they are putting their best energies at, are worth the shot and in the end, the same will help them to grow exponentially. In fact they must be apprised of their hard work and the rewards that they get. This is indeed a nice gesture which means a lot on the part of the hard working and committed employees and workers (Harmon 2003). The hard working employees should balance their work commitments with their physical and mental needs as 100 percent commitment can only be made possible when there is zest and enthusiasm from within and not when a person is made to do one thing or the other by force or against his wishes. The reason why one should believe this approach will work is because in the initial sense, it will build a strong rapport between the firm and its employees and also it will convey a strong message that the organization does not compromise on the needs of the employees who are working for it day in day out just for having that extra bit of work completed by them (Bergman 2003). It also means that the organization is thorough and profes sional in its approach and is not willing to surrender in a rat race when the talk goes out loud of competing within the relevant industry or even with companies just for the sake of nothing but competition. The intensity within organizations is pretty much understandable but the madness should not be substituted on the part of the employees and getting work done out of them so that the figures could be reached and new records could be broken within the shortest possible time is nothing but insanity to say the least. Other useful workplace stress removing remedies are accounted for in the form of exercising regularly, having an intake of healthy diet, taking proper sleep, developing trustworthy social support regimes and more than anything else enjoying quality family time (Linton 2000). The physical and psychological implications thus have direct and serious effects on the way the employees look after their work tasks and thus the bottom line remains all jammed up for a number of r easons – most of which are related with stress in one way or the other. It is true to state that workplace stress affects employees at all levels which could include the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral stages. The physical indications entail the speech difficulties and complexities, headaches, ulcers, infertility issues, fatigue and sudden weight loss and

Monday, October 7, 2019

Bio answeres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bio answeres - Essay Example Wunder (2014) asserts that these provision may not be applicable in the modern society and the vulnerability of the native communities has minimized. Consequently, the traditional American justice system may suit the native communities. The level of discrimination in the juvenile justice system in alarming. The system created with the objective of separating children from adult offenders have been occasionally used to target specific communities. In an argument by Finlay (2007) minority communities tend to be preyed by the system with the belief that it may incubate crime rates in adults. For this reason, minority groups such as the Hispanics and African Americans are greater targets of the juvenile justice system. Zimring & Tanenhaus (2014) are of the assumption that changes made to the juvenile justice system to transfer offender to the adult system poses more risk to minority communities. Hispanics and African Americans get transferred more from the juvenile justice system to the adult system than any other community (Zimring & Tanenhaus,

Sunday, October 6, 2019

PART 4 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PART 4 - Term Paper Example Communicating issues regarding breach of information effectively will ensure plans of action are put into place for mitigation purposes. This also involves offering training to employees so that they can acquaint themselves with issues and consequences of breach of confidentiality in regard to patients’ personal and medical information (Roach, 2006). Secondly, breach of patients’ medical information can be avoided through encrypting all records, files, and documents pertaining to patients’ information. Information stored on the hospital’s database should be kept in form of an encrypted file such that unauthorized individuals are not able to access private information (Roach, 2006). In addition, hospitals can establish plans of action that mandates only certain appointed individuals to handle patients’ records, files, and any other documents associated with the patients. The management and other individuals in management positions can be involved in conducting regular research aimed at identifying current methods of breach of information. Due to the ever advancing and complicated technology, hackers are always coming up with new ways of accessing other people’s information illegally. Comprehend these novel methods will enable the management to prepare for any eventualities. Singer & Viens (2008) asserts that breach of patients’ medical information can also be avoided through ensuring that medical practitioners do not store medical information on their personal computers and other electronic gadgets and is not relayed to the patient in a manner that elevates the risk of the information falling into wrong hands. Some of these solutions have already been implemented in health care organizations. According to McWay (2013), â€Å"Participating on social media platforms is among the more recent activities engaged in by health care providers. As a threshold issue, providers should weigh the benefits and costs of communi cating with the patients through social media and proceed only if the benefits outweigh the costs† (36). These solutions have been working in many health organizations. Communication ensures employees acquire skills and knowledge that guides them in their daily activities. In doing so, they are able to avoid instances where information regarding patients’ health records falls to third parties. This kind of solution ensures that all employees are involved. In comparison, use of encryptions only involves a few individuals with the authority to access patients’ health records. Therefore, avoiding breach of patients’ information in an environment where all files and documents are encrypted is the task of a few individuals whereas it is a collective obligation in an environment where breach is avoided through effective communication and training of employees. Some institutions have established or created security programs that recognize and gives a warning when patients’ health records are accessed by unauthorized individuals. This allows individuals in charge of security devise ways to evade instances where information is accesses by third parties through illegal and immoral techniques (Reckless, Reynolds and Newman, 2012). Therefore, I believe a good plan can be devised to address the problem. The Solution plan Breach of patients’ health information can be avoided through ensuring private health information is relayed and communicated to the patient through secure methods. For instance, if information is to be relayed through social sites, it

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Sales management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sales management - Essay Example Before the sales representatives go to the field, they have to acknowledge the approaches they can use to deal with different consumers. The electronic business should invest in regular training to make the workers familiar with the products offered by the company. Training is also vital because it enables the sales representatives to acknowledge the sales policies and processes. Some consumers are very rude. Consequently, failure to handle them makes sales representative appear rude. This may result into poor relationship between customers and worker. Moreover, it can make the firm to lose many consumers leading to low sales. The sales representatives should be trained on how to ignore rude customers. For example, customers may complain about things that do not involve the sales persons such as business policy or the prices of items. Workers should let the customers complain without responding to their complaints and express their regrets for any inconvenience later. Workers should receive sufficient training on approaches to address the polite customers to maintain good relationships with such customers (Overell 2003). Managers should equally stimulate consumers to be cooperative and committed to their work. They should set strategies for motivating the workers after seeking their opinions. Some of the common ways of inspiring the workers entail compensating and rewarding them. Managers should reward the workers by recognizing their efforts. This may entail praising them before other sales representatives or increasing their pay. Moreover, the managers should compensate the sales representatives who work extra time. For instance, some customers may set appointment times that are outside the usual working hours. Such workers who work beyond the working hours should be compensated by increasing their pay or other forms of compensation. Praising the workers and compensating them will increase the level of commitment and cooperation in the work places. Additional ly, the motivated workers will stop missing the scheduled appointments (Susan 2004 13). The managers need to create and maintain good relationships with the sales representatives. The relationship between workers and their leaders in the work places determines the communication between customers and workers. Good relationship may be created by involving the sales representatives in the decision-making process. This will make the personnel feel appreciated and contented consequently enhancing their productivity. The managers should also treat the sales representatives with courtesy and always acknowledge their presence and contribution. The managers should also comment on the work in private whenever it needs improvement (Garg & Rastogi 2006 577). Question 2 Globalised trade, high foreign investment and increase in cross-border transactions are putting a lot of pressure on businesses. This has forced businesses to devise innovative measures to allow them continue marketing their prod ucts and services. These measures include maintaining good and close relationship between the business and customers. This is difficult in the competitive environment because customers demand more choices than before. Consequently, for a business to meet customer demands and improve loyalty, it needs to access accurate and current customer information. This is possible with the application of the internet that is an ultimate communication tool. Using the internet can support businesses in maintaining customer loyalty because

Friday, October 4, 2019

Legislative Aspects of Nursing informatics Coursework

Legislative Aspects of Nursing informatics - Coursework Example vent that the breach involves more than 500 patients, then it is imperative that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also receive similar notification. Secondly, the act also establishes the necessity for health institutions through HER system to make it possible for individuals to access their PHI in an electronic format. In line with this, the act establishes that those who receive incentives should ensure that the system is of meaningful use, failure to which results in withdrawal of the said incentives. The act has also specified that vendors providing HER system directly qualify as business associates. To this end, the act intends to make it possible for more vendor/provider dialogue regarding matter of mutual interest, so that service provision becomes more effective. These reforms have potential impact in the practice of psychiatry. For instance, the act provides quality measure incentives through the Maintenance of Certification Program (MOCP), (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013). In addition to participation in MOCP for up to one year, the law requires that physicians must submit data on quality measures through the MOCP under PQRI. McGinigle and Mastrian (2013) observe three topical issues that are encountered in health informatics namely leadership challenges, limited functionality in clinical practice and education in terms of necessary competencies. Regarding leadership challenges, McGinigle and Mastrian note that there exists a knowledge gap within leadership in the sector, and more specific the nursing industry. IN the nursing context, the two advance that there is need for nurse leaders to acquire current skill set and knowledge that will allow them to understand and adopt modern information technologies imperative to delivery of quality care. It is therefore important for nurses and other medical practitioners alike to gain the necessary knowledge. On limited functionality in clinical practice, McGinigle

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Consider the View That Free

Consider the View That Free Will is an Illusion Essay You decide on the chocolate cake confident that you could have chosen the sandwich instead. You were free to do both, but as a matter of fact, you chose to eat the unhealthy option. But were you actually free to choose the unchosen alternative? Many philosophers think that free will is actually an illusion – that the choice you actually made was inevitable. Schopenhauer, for example, argued that for a man to say that he could have chosen an alternative is analogous to water in a still pond saying it could be flowing. Yes, he said, the water could be flowing if that same water were in a river, but given that it is actually in a pond its stillness is inevitable. I will argue that the arguments that purport to show that free will is an illusion are weak, and that we have such a thing as free will. First let us look at the arguments for determinism (here I will understand the determinism being discussed to be hard determinism – the view that our free will is illusory – rather than the compatibilist idea that free will can exist alongside causal determinism). What makes you take the chocolate cake instead of the sandwich? We think that the chocolate taking is the result of our deliberation and that the motive for eating the chocolate cake overcame our desire to be healthy. But what determined or caused us to be the kind of being that preferred the one to the other? It was our overall character. But what caused this? We say it is our upbringing and our genes. Now did we decide upon our upbringing that started the casual chain of events that culminated in the taking of the chocolate? No, so there was no other action that was in fact possible. Think of a snooker ball falling into the pocket. What caused this to happen? It was the combination of its shape, the direction of the cue, and the nature of the table. These factors combined with the laws of physics made the event inevitable. Of course, the snooker ball was not logically required to go into the pocket. There could have been a gust a wind at the crucial moment, but then this other event would have been causally necessary. Other things can only happen if other things which cause these other things to happen occur. So whatever happens is determined. If this is true of snooker balls, why should it be not true of us as well? If we are physical beings, and our brains composed of physical stuff, why should I be not constrained by the same physical forces as everything else? The hard determinist says that there is no reason to believe that we are not subject, like the billiard ball, to the laws of nature. We feel like we could have chosen the sandwich, but given the physical facts about the situation the taking of the chocolate was inevitable. Of course, we could have taken the sandwich if the physical facts were different, but they weren’t! So free will – the sense that we could have done otherwise in the same situation – is an illusion say the hard determinists. We are not free. This is a radical thesis, and if accepted would result in a radical readjustment of our concept of ourselves. And it from this that my first argument comes. According to phenomenalism we should proceed according to this methodology: accept the appearances – accept what you have the most warrant for believing. Descartes, for example, says we can be more philosophically assured of the existence of our own minds than the existence of the physical world. Hence his famous proposition: Cogito ergo sum. Why should the more doubtful propositions of science about the nature of the doubtable physical world take precedence over the immediate data of consciousness? Why should the philosophically disputable over-ride the philosophically indubitable? Physical determinists are committed to this doubtful methodology: let the world, which we cannot prove to exist, take precedence over the mental world whose existence we simply cannot doubt. The phenomenalist like Sartre says the mental appearances are indisputable. We certainly have the phenomenology of the appearance that we could have chosen otherwise. And it is from these certainties that we should proceed. So our freedom is here an inevitable part of our conception of ourselves and no argument from the outside world of physics can over-ride these certainties. Here’s another argument against the acceptance of the idea that free will is an illusion. Kant says that ought implies can. In other words, we cannot be obliged to do something if it is not within our ability to do it. Someone may say that I ought to eliminate third world poverty – that if I do not do so I am guilty of a neglect of duty. But this is unreasonable. It is not within my power to eliminate third world poverty, so it cannot be said that I ought to do so. Of course, if someone were to say that I ought to help to eliminate third world poverty, this is a reasonable ‘ought’ because I can do it. Ought then implies can. The argument proceeds from this presupposition and says that if Eric murders Sam we say that he ought not to have done so. He ought to have done differently – he ought to have refrained from murder. But if determinism is true, then, Eric had no alternative open to him. He was caused by his nature, the laws of physics, and his environment to kill Sam. We cannot therefore say that he ought not to have done it. We cannot expect people to do things that are not within their power to do. Our moral beliefs then presuppose that determinism is false. If we are not free then a morality of oughts and duty is incoherent. Again, we could proceed phenomenologically on this – we are more sure and have more warrant for our oughts than we have for our beliefs in determinism, so moral oughts should over-ride any belief we might be entertaining for determinism. Another argument against determinism says this: if I am caused to inevitably accept the conclusions of an argument then I cannot have been rational to accept the conclusions of the argument. If I am determinist I have to say that my belief in determinism was caused by physical processes. The determinist has to accept that it is true for his opponent. Both are caused by ignorant physical forces to accept their beliefs. But this is self-refuting. The determinist is in effect saying that there is no rationality, so we cannot be rational in accepting or rejecting beliefs. So the consistent determinist cannot say that he is offering reasons for accepting determinism; he must say he is putting in new causal inputs that cause a new belief state to emerge. This seems little better than irrational brain-washing! To conclude: belief in determinism is not warranted. It goes against our fundamental conceptions of ourselves and threatens to make morality meaningless. Moreover, determinism is self-refuting. It says of itself ‘There is no rational reason for accepting me. ’ I cannot rationally accept that which has no rational reason for its justification.