How Technology Affects Modern America

The microeconomic picture of the U. S. has changed immensely since 1973, and the trends are proving to be consistently downward for the nation's high school graduates and high school drop-outs. â€Å"Of all the reasons given for the wage squeeze – international competition, technology, deregulation, the decline of unions and defense cuts – technology is probably the most critical. It has favored the educated and the skilled,† says M. B. Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U. S. News & World Report (7/31/95). Since 1973, wages adjusted for inflation have declined by about a quarter for high school dropouts, by a sixth for high school graduates, and by about 7% for those with some college education. Only the wages of college graduates are up. Of the fastest growing technical jobs, software engineering tops the list. Carnegie Mellon University reports, â€Å"recruitment of it's software engineering students is up this year by over 20%. † All engineering jobs are paying well, proving that highly skilled labor is what employers want! There is clear evidence that the supply of workers in the [unskilled labor] categories already exceeds the demand for their services,† says L. Mishel, Research Director of Welfare Reform Network. In view of these facts, I wonder if these trends are good or bad for society. â€Å"The danger of the information age is that while in the short run it may be cheaper to replace workers with technology, in the long run it is potentially self-destructive because there will not be enough purchasing power to grow the economy,† M. B. Zuckerman. My feeling is that the trend from unskilled labor to highly technical, skilled labor is a good one! But, political action must be taken to ensure that this societal evolution is beneficial to all of us. â€Å"Back in 1970, a high school diploma could still be a ticket to the middle income bracket, a nice car in the driveway and a house in the suburbs. Today all it gets is a clunker parked on the street, and a dingy apartment in a low rent building,† says Time Magazine (Jan 30, 1995 issue). However, in 1970, our government provided our children with a free education, allowing the vast majority of our population to earn a high school diploma. This means that anyone, regardless of family income, could be educated to a level that would allow them a comfortable place in the middle class. Even restrictions upon child labor hours kept children in school, since they are not allowed to work full time while under the age of 18. This government policy was conducive to our economic markets, and allowed our country to prosper from 1950 through 1970. Now, our own prosperity has moved us into a highly technical world, that requires highly skilled labor. The natural answer to this problem, is that the U. S. Government's education policy must keep pace with the demands of the highly technical job market. If a middle class income of 1970 required a high school diploma, and the middle class income of 1990 requires a college diploma, then it should be as easy for the children of the 90's to get a college diploma, as it was for the children of the 70's to get a high school diploma. This brings me to the issue of our country's political process, in a technologically advanced world. Voting & Poisoned Political Process in The U. S. The advance of mass communication is natural in a technologically advanced society. In our country's short history, we have seen the development of the printing press, the radio, the television, and now the Internet; all of these, able to reach millions of people. Equally natural, is the poisoning and corruption of these medias, to benefit a few. From the 1950's until today, television has been the preferred media. Because it captures the minds of most Americans, it is the preferred method of persuasion by political figures, multinational corporate advertising, and the upper 2% of the elite, who have an interest in controlling public opinion. Newspapers and radio experienced this same history, but are now somewhat obsolete in the science of changing public opinion. Though I do not suspect television to become completely obsolete within the next 20 years, I do see the Internet being used by the same political figures, multinational corporations, and upper 2% elite, for the same purposes. At this time, in the Internet's young history, it is largely unregulated, and can be accessed and changed by any person with a computer and a modem; no license required, and no need for millions of dollars of equipment. But, in reviewing our history, we find that newspaper, radio and television were once unregulated too. It is easy to see why government has such an interest in regulating the Internet these days. Though public opinion supports regulating sexual material on the Internet, it is just the first step in total regulation, as experienced by every other popular mass media in our history. This is why it is imperative to educate people about the Internet, and make it be known that any regulation of it is destructive to us, not constructive! I have been a daily user of the Internet for 5 years (and a daily user of BBS communications for 4 years), which makes me a senior among us. I have seen the moves to regulate this type of communication, and have always openly opposed it. My feelings about technology, the Internet, and political process are simple. In light of the history of mass communication, there is nothing we can do to protect any media from the â€Å"sound byte† or any other form of commercial poisoning. But, our country's public opinion doesn't have to fall into a nose-dive of lies and corruption, because of it! The first experience I had in a course on Critical Thinking came when I entered college. As many good things as I have learned in college, I found this course to be most valuable to my basic education. I was angry that I hadn't had access to the power of critical thought over my twelve years of basic education. Simple forms of critical thinking can be taught as early as kindergarten. It isn't hard to teach a young person to understand the patterns of persuasion, and be able to defend themselves against them. Television doesn't have to be a weapon against us, used to sway our opinions to conform to people who care about their own prosperity, not ours. With the power of a critical thinking education, we can stop being motivated by the sound byte and, instead we can laugh at it as a cheap attempt to persuade us. In conclusion, I feel that the advance of technology is a good trend for our society; however, it must be in conjunction with advance in education so that society is able to master and understand technology. I think technology has an important effect on us, the way we act, react, and take actions in society. We can be the masters of technology, and not let it be the masters of us.

Historical Systems of Power, Governance, and Authority Essay

A. The rise of new imperialism of the 19th and early 20th century involved Europe going into Africa. The causes of imperialism in Africa were partly due to the decolonization in America. The European powers were out political and economic gain by the United States gaining their independence. In 1876 European powers especially King Leopold II of Belgium, agreed in the Berlin Conference to split up the land in Africa, no longer invading to colonize but to gain political, military and economic power. The methods to imperialism of the African land were done differently, by each European power. The British who imperialized the cape of Africa used laws and indirect methods to gain power, however King Leopold II used extreme force to gain control of the Congo. The Congo was then ruled with strict political control and military force. A1. Between the years 1885 and 1905 more than 10 million indigenous people of Congo were murdered. King Leopold II used the natives as slave labor to gain resources such as rubber and ivory. Edward Morel an official that monitored shipping traffic started noticing that King Leopold II ships came back with tons of cargo, but little to no cargo was being sent to the Congo for trade. Morel soon put two and two together and realized the native people were being used as slave labor. In doing so Morel soon started to organize a protest. Other than the protest that Morel started the people of Congo were silent, due to many years of off and on again use as slave laborers. B. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a violent revolution and in comparison to the Indian Independence Movement was a nonviolent revolution both had causes and goals that will be discussed. To begin, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was caused by food shortages and the peoples opposition to the  government, ran by Nicolas II who was czar. Czar Nicolas II had pushed into World War I leaving the people in Russia in anguish due to the many losses and economic downfall. This downfall came due to the amount of soldier and horses being placed into the war leaving the peasants at home with a loss of man power to continue a, â€Å"standard of living†( Causes of the Russian Revolution 2). Due to the decrease in man power, and materials to use at the home front, prices increased and a hunger endemic began. With hunger increasing and inflation of prices continuing strikes began, which eventually stopped transportation. When the transportation stopped supplies and food did not get to the soldiers at war decreasing the amount of people who believed in the czar. The goal of the peasants of the Russian Revolution of 1917, was to gain a new leader and for their voices to be heard. In March 1917, a riot of peasants, and soldiers stormed the streets with the support of the Duma, a group of government officials, forcing Nicolas II out of power. The Indian Independence Movement was a nonviolent revolution that gained India’s independence in August 15, 1947 from Britain, French and Portugal. The start of the revolution began in 1857 when Indian soldiers rebelled against the British East Indian Company when Indian political rights were not being honored, however British squashed the matter. Eventually, non- violent movements began in 1918-1922 when, â€Å"suppression of civil liberties, political rights and culture,† were not being recognized by the British (Sharma, S. (2010)). The movement was led by the Indian National Congress who were under the direct leadership of Mohandas Ganghi. The movement held a revolt in 1942, † demanding that the British leave India,† known as the Quit India Movement, due to the riot in Calcutta, Independence was finally gained(Sharma, S. (2010)). The goal of the revolution was finally met to gain civil liberties, political integrity and have Indian culture recognized. B1. The strategies of the two revolution discussed above include a riot in the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the riot peasants, soldiers and the Duma stood together to over throw the czar. In the Indian Independence Movement the strategies were to use boycotts and stances against the British force to  gain their independence. References Causes of the Russian Revolution of February/March 1917. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.johndclare.net/Russ3.htm Causes of the Russian Revolution 2 – What were the causes of the Russian Revolution? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/russiaandukraine/a/Causes-Of-The-Russian-Revolution_2.htm Hochschild, A. (1999). King Leopold’s ghost: A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial Africa [ebrary book]. Retrieved from https://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/17910385 Sharma, S. (2010). Civil rights movements [ebrary book]. Retrieved from http://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/8542979 SparkNotes: Europe 1871-1914: The Scramble for Africa (1876-1914). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/1871-1914/section5.rhtml

Fallout Book Report Essay

P.S. I am sorry the summary is so long but I wanted to make sure everything in the book was covered and there being 3 people makes it 2 times longer. The novel is a memoir of the lives of three children of a meth-addicted mother, Kristina, and how her addiction affected their lives. They now live in different homes, with different parents, as well as different last names. Each of them has a different story, some more fortunate than others. Hunter knows about his sisters and new younger brothers, while Summer knows about her brothers and Autumn knows nothing. It starts with Hunter’s story; adopted and raised by his biological mom’s mother and stepfather. He refers to his adoptive parents as â€Å"Mom and Dad.† He works at a radio station in Reno, Nevada. His girlfriend, Nikki, supports him in everything he does. As Christmas approaches, he is living with Nikki and having relationship troubles. Hunter is doing drugs more frequently, and cheats on Nikki with a persi stent radio groupie. All the while, Hunter is feeling like a piece of him is missing because of the lack of knowledge about his father. When he sees him, he knows, but his father is the date of his coworker, Montana. Hunter then gets drunk and calls Brendan (his father) out on his actions about how him raping Kristina produced Hunter. Once that situation is in the past, another problem occurs, as Hunter is approached by Nikki, who hears a voicemail left by Leah on Hunter’s phone about the cheating incident. He is kicked out of Nikki’s house and takes the guestroom in his parents’ house because, thanks to Kristina, his two younger brothers, David and Donald, have moved in and taken his room. Shortly after Hunter has moved back in, he is notified that Kristina will be spending Christmas with them. Autumn’s story takes place at her grandfather’s house in Texas. Her OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and frequent panic attacks make her a loner at school, so her best friend is her Aunt Cora. Although she promises Autumn they will always be friends, she is wooed by her massage therapist professor and taken away from her. A new boy comes to her school and is immediately taken with her. She has a hard time opening up to him and even tells him her parents are dead. His name is Bryce and he ends up being Autumn’s first boyfriend, first kiss and first time. When her aunt announces her engagement, the happiness she gets from her new boyfriend fades and she feels alone. Desperate to make sure he stays with her, she has sex with him without protection. Realizing that being drunk makes everything easier to deal with, she begins drinking to make herself feel better. Her father’s and grandmother’s interruption at Aunt Cora’s wedding only makes things worse, bringing her past to her present; then, Bryce finds out her parents aren’t dead. Devastated about the lying, Bryce leaves Autumn, and to make matters worse her drinking has gotten out of hand and she is almost raped by the groom’s cousin, Micah. The wedding ends when Autumn realizes how lonely she is and begins to wish she is pregnant, and her father finds her and tells her how she came to be. In the process, he convinces her to go to Reno for Christmas to see the mother she never knew. The California foster system took Summer away shortly after living wi th her father when they were abandoned by Kristina. She knows everyone in her family except for Autumn. Her father’s ex-girlfriends have molested and used her, causing her to be thrown in different homes with different problems. Her life is pretty stable in one home until one of the meth-using girls that also lives there molests one of the younger girls; it hits close to home and she is unable to control her anger. She gets in a fight with the meth girl and ends up getting sent to live back with her father and his girlfriend of the moment. The day after the fight, her boyfriend, Matt, saw her face and offered no sympathy, so she ran to his best friend, Kyle, who always showed interest. She ends up cheating on her boyfriend with Kyle by having sex with him. She knows that Kyle uses meth and other drugs but his loving nature has drawn her in. When he and Summer confront Matt about their newfound relationship, she sees the side of Kyle she never wanted to and realizes his addiction and anger may cause problems. The living conditions at her father’s house aren’t the be st; the constant smoking irritates her asthma and as Thanksgiving approaches, she starts to miss Kristina. She calls her, but can’t remember why; she was blown away by her mother’s selfishness and when her father is drunk later that night, he reveals that Kristina only cares about herself. Her father being drunk proves to be a much worse situation than just spilling the truth; his drinking costs him a DUI and he loses Summer. She is sent to another home in Fresno. Leaving her boyfriend and life behind, she is unwilling to move far away. When she gets to her new home, she is immediately taken aback by her new foster father. His demeanor worries her and makes her wonder what secrets the other girls in the house might have. She knows from experience not to get close to the other girls in the house, but one of the girls tells Summer her secrets and becomes attached to her. During the few days Summer is there, she hides her cell phone and planned to meet Kyle. When she sneaks from under her foster sister’s watch long enough to escape, she ends up running away with Kyle for Christmas—he is so in love with her that he even attempts to stop using meth for her, which means suffering through withdrawal. She and Kyle save up money and live out of his car while they head to a ski lodge, where Kyle plans to work. The stories collide when Kyle and Summer get in a car accident and the closest place to them is Reno, Nevada. Summer ends up calling her grandfather to pick her up from the hospital the morning after the blizzard hit and the accident happened. Hunter is out picking up Kristina and his grandfather from the airport after spending the early morning making up with Nikki. He knows that things won’t quite be merry and joyful Christmas morning with the whole family being together. Autumn and Trey show up before Summer gets there and when Trey sees Kristina, they are immediately drawn to each other and spend most of the day before dinner talking to each other. Summer tries to be sisterly to Autumn and Autumn doesn’t know what to make of all of it. When dinner starts, David asks when he’ll be going home and Kristina says she doesn’t know; Donald gets angry and tells her he never wants to go back—that he never wants to be with her again. Hunter is the first one to jump up when Kristina acts offended and he yells at her, telling her the only person responsible for what happened to her was her. Summer jumps in the argument too when Kristina begins to complain that she doesn’t have the resources to take care of her kids or give them a good life. The book ends with a newspaper article saying Marie Haskins has put her new book ‘Monster’, on indefinite hold while Kristina is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. At this point, Kristina has reunited with her husband, Trey, and with her resources, she is trying to make her life better so she can be the mother she has never been. I can’t personally connect to this book but I can emotionally connect to this book. I have a friend in my life that I like a brother to me and he has parents just like hunter, autumn and summer. Drugs are a very personal matter and mess up your life more than anyone can know until it happens to you. I felt what he felt becaus e he is such a dear friend that all I could do was worry about him and wonder how he was doing in that new foster home he was moved to. I always heard all about the stories and the way he was in the foster home. He said it wasn’t easy and it was painful to know that everyone he loved had bailed out on him. He soon developed many of the problems these kids experienced with drinking and doing other drugs. This life isn’t easy from what I have heard. This book is very easy to relate other books by Ellen Hopkins because all of the books I have read by her seem to be about drugs and complications in life including hardships and suffering. I don’t really watch movies in this type of subject but I did hear that there is supposed to be a movie coming out based on the crank series by Ellen. I’m not sure whether it’s out or not but the books are great and movies tend to ruin the reading of the book. Both crank and glass led up to this point in the book series and was consistent throughout the storyline of all three books. There is so much drug abuse in the books and making right decisions is not one of Kristina’s strong points. I believe that the theme of this book is that drugs can ruin lives especially to the young girls out there. The plot of this story is to tell a story from the perspective from the 3 abandoned children that Kristina left behind. There storied tell about the hardships they went through and how life was for them during this painful teenage years. Even though the plot wasn’t very funny, it is very intriguing and interesting to find out what makes people do this to their own children and why they do the things they do. This story is told from the three kids point of view. And it switched off every so often so it was very suspenseful. The setting of this book is in three different places considering the three different points of view. Hunters’ setting was in Reno while Autumn’s setting was in Texas and Summer’s setting was anywhere the foster system took her. In my personal view the climax of the story was when all three of the children met for the first time and got to be a family together. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading this type of book seeing as how it has sex and drugs in it. I would definitely restrict this book to anyone under the age of 15 or 16. This book is a lot more profane then the others and I feel that you should be at least old enough to understand the meaning and why the book is how it is. Not many people judge books but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read and interesting enough to make it to when you put the book down you can’t wait to pick it back up. I truly feel her books are amazing and make you see how messed up some situations are.

What does it mean to be a preacher and what is preaching in today's Essay

What does it mean to be a preacher and what is preaching in today's - Essay Example .You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The hundreds and multitudes following after Jesus reveal a great model to the disciples to reach the people in ministry. Craddock (1985) illustrated the receiving of call for preaching and the mode of preaching from past through medieval and the explains the changing paradigm of gospel preaching and the necessity for shouted from the Housetop (p.60). Jesus preached in the towns and villages all across Israel, serving a variety of needs of the people. During His ministry on earth, He not only just preached but also manifested His intention to establish the ‘Kingdom of God’, where a Human being can experience the Devine abundance by raising above the problems of this physical world? Preaching’s of Jesus Christ manifested such revelation of the Devine Kingdom through miracles, signs and wonders. The basic needs of the human life were fulfilled through the sermons and His presence. The hungry were fed, sick were healed, people in bondages were delivered, Dead were raised, people were comforted and added into the kingdom of God opening their spiritual eyes. The necessity of such a multi fold ministry is still increased with the increasing needs of the society. Tubbs Tisdale (1997), recognized the same fundamental preaching of the communities, which moves them- that speaks to them on a deep and personal level about matters of faith and life. ( p 4). A modern concept of "preaching" may bring to mind a picture of a man standing behind a pulpit with a congregation of people in front of him. If sound were added to the picture the preachers voice would fluxuate and at times he would make gestures with his hands. His effectiveness as a preacher would often be judged by his ability to hold his audiences attention. We find a different picture presented in Acts 8:26-39. Philip’s preaching to an official from Ethiopia, who is reading aloud from the

Healthy food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Healthy food - Essay Example This could translate to a mentally healthy disposition that we could make sound choices in life that would make us better us a person. Environmental health meant the desirability of the physcial world that would facilitate the other dimensions of health. And the physical health is the most popular dimension of health which involves the wellness of the physique that enables to pursue our aspirations in life. In this project, the physical aspect of health will become the subject of interest because it is the most basic dimension of health. If we are not physically well, we cannot pursue anything and would defeat other dimensions of health when we are sick. In addition, physical health can easily be observed and measured, either by the improvement of the physical stature or the increased ability to engage in a physical activity. I personally elected this dimension of health because I had been sick before and it did not only feel horrible but also prevented me to engage in any activity. Such, being physically healthy would be a positive pre-emptive measure of not being sick. To make myself interested and engaged with the training program, I have to device the training to be not that difficult so that I will be motivated to commit. Such, before engaging in a high intensity program, I will gradually condition my body first so that it would become more ready to engage in intense training program. There are two training programs selected. First is swimming that would serve as an introductory training to build endurance, stamina and circuit training (whole body training). Swimming is an ideal method to introduce the body to an exercise because â€Å"it does not involve bearing of bodyweight, due to the buoyancy of water, compressive joint forces are lower and, as a consequence, adverse impact on the musculoskeletal system as well as injuries are

Short Story A short story about somebody who visits their friends Essay

Short Story A short story about somebody who visits their friends house and uses their computer. When their computer breaks down he blames his friend, before realising their was a fault with their computer - Essay Example He repeats this ritual five times. Although he is not a drinker, an insidious hangover would torture him the next morning reminding him of his wasted time after long nights of Internet bingeing. Like most addictions, the rationale for such behavior did not make any sense. Online high school behavior is just as bad as or even worse than high school itself. Online or not, gossip has no face time. Joe barges in with his IPod plugged into his ears and loud as it could be. He is wearing black jeans, a punk-studded belt tilted to the side, and a cap that says KORN. Joe has that hyperactive, ADHD intensity of waiting to entertain. â€Å"Alright look, I swear this is worth it. It’s unlike anything on the Web that is out there. It’s not some lame maze game where the Exorcist girl comes screeching at your screen. It’s no pop up windows full of false-hope million dollar jobs or anything like that.† Joe wears the posterity of a salesman, only he doesn’t have the matching outfit to compliment it. Just as Oscar was about to utter his first response to Joe’s obvious bogus Science Fiction field trip, the monitor shines a bright white that permeates the screen like a soft mist. Then the screen slowly zooms into black. Feeling spooked, Oscar felt an odd inclination to get out of there. Joe nonchalantly follows behind him. The parents weren’t home, so he couldn’t get their help. Oscar opens the door, but it is walled in with bricks. â€Å"Server Error† is chalked on the brick wall. However, they are able to escape through a window. The neighbourhood is not the same. The apartment building looks fragile like cardboard. The street tight ropes into a singularity that Joe or Oscar can’t quite make out. Joe and Oscar walk further down and notice the sides of everything have diminished. It’s a two-dimensional world. Oscar, in disbelief, continues to walk

Reaction paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reaction paper 2 - Essay Example Ray Eddy resorts to conduct illegal business after her husband left with all the family savings. Eddy and her two children no longer can survive on the meagre wages she gets from her stores. She meets Lila, who lately, has been in the business of smuggling immigrants. The two movies have remarkable contrasts. The essay illustrates key differences evident in the two films. The first difference between the two films relates to their production. Karate Kid is a Hollywood film. The production was courtesy of Sony Pictures, which makes it a major studio film (Horn 1). Frozen river, on the contrary, was a production of the Cohen Media Group company. Other companies credited for the film’s production are Harwood Hunt Productions and Off Hollywood Pictures. Its run time is 98 minutes. That is contrary to the Karate Kid that has a runtime of 2 hours 20 minutes. There is a remarkable difference in the manner in which viewers are represented in the two films. That explains the differences in which eurocentrism operates in the two films. Eurocentrism relates to perceptions of exceptionalism of Europe that developed to a worldview after western civilization. Hollywood, over a long time, has promoted the concept of Eurocentrism in most movies and films. In essence, such films depict the perceived supremacy that Europe holds. Eurocentrism is evident in the Karate Kid depicted through its characters. It implies that common notion of superiority evident in Dre to learn and compete with peers, who were initially superior. That emphasizes eurocentrism being that the two characters, Dre and Wang are from different regions. That differs from the depiction of characters in the Frozen River. The film does not reveal Eurocentrism and aspects of superiority. There is difference in the manner in which non-White main characters in the two films

Constitutional law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Constitutional law - Essay Example The probability of preparing laws to protect American citizens will be limited if the Elected Officials safety is not provided in the constitution. In essence, enforcement of laws such as those of prior censorship or prior restraint to protect citizens is bestowed on the Elected Officials. Similarly, absence of such laws will result into subjects approaching their representative and present their perception over certain issues. Thus, laws such as prior censorship or prior restraints have been stipulated to ensure publishers to remain accountable for any publications or communication. Restriction of hearing and distribution of censored material is provided under the prior restraint. However, some regions such as Argentina and U. S impose sanctions after communication of this material. Different cases have been used to affirm this position of the law (Thomas and dale 1). They include Near Vs Minnesota (1931) Near was convicted for publishing a malicious, disreputable, and defamatory ar ticle against Charles G. Davis, a special law enforcement officer. As a result, the defendant was banned from publishing any kind of newspaper. Though the statute to suppress public nuisance of periodicals and newspaper is essential it raises questions of grave significance that transcends local interest s entailed in any particular action. Nevertheless, the ruling was based on the unusual and illegitimate manner the defendant sought to execute his desire. Further, more exposition is brought out through the 1971 New York Times Co. V. United States case. In this case, a court injunction was given to prevent publication of an article rather document that would endanger the nation’s security (Thomas and dale 1). I believe the prior restraint was valid since the first amendment was absolute. Similarly, the 1993 case Hill v. Colorado affirms the restriction of publication or passing of pamphlets to state officials. Restriction of protests around abortion clinics resulted into the 100-foot radius buffer zone. In my opinion, this legislation works in protection of the state officials. Therefore, I believe it is worth concluding that it is unlawful for any individual to hand any form of publication or publish any information that endangers the safety of a nation of state officials (Epstein 45). Question 2 I believe the students are free to hold their ceremony at the school’s graduation square as planned. Concerning Lee v. Weismen court case, the students club had prior knowledge on their rights thus their meetings in a room to use facilities after school was justified. The ruling approved clergies to lead prayers during graduation. As a result, subtle religious coercion emerged due to violation of the Establishment clause. I think acknowledgement of the presence of a supreme is essential thus; their desire to hold a separate graduation is justifiable. In my opinion, the option of not attending the graduation ceremony excuses any coercion or inducement in the ceremony itself is discarded. In the current society, high school graduation is a significant occasion; therefore, no student is free to absent himself or herself from the exercise in any real sense of the term "voluntary." In addition, not dispositive is the disputation that prayers are an essential part of these ceremonies because for many people

See instruction section. There are 5 topics to choose from Term Paper

See instruction section. There are 5 topics to choose from - Term Paper Example Obesity rates among adolescents in the United States have tripled since 1963. More than one-third (33.6%) of U.S. children and adolescents are either obese or at risk of becoming obese, with significant variations across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Overweight children have a 70% chance of being overweight or obese as adults and an 80% chance if one or more parent is overweight or obese. Obesity increases various health related risks both in childhood and into adulthood (American Heart Association, 2005 cited in Goldberg and Gunasti, 2007).). It is estimated that at current rates, the lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes (and many related health problems) is 30% for boys and 40% for girls (McGinnis et al., 2006 cited in (Goldberg and Gunasti, 2007).). Other associated health problems for which obesity increases the risk include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, and general poor health† (Koplan et al., 2005). Needless to say, the social factors that affect the healt h of Americans breed diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It has to be mentioned that the present economic environment of the US is far from ideal because it is still recovering from the financial crisis. Thus, both customers and organizations alike are in cost saving mode in order to cope with the current economic situation. This is however not peculiar in the health care industry because the current difficult economic situation is felt across America’s industries whether in healthcare, finance, auto etch. Policy wise, the most significant economic development in the health care industry is the implementation of the pay for performance because it can affect the bottom line and viability of a health care provider institution. â€Å"Pay-for-performance or P4P is a quality improvement strategy that employs financial incentives to improve compliance with evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, to improve patient experience, to

Thinking Critically Simulation Review Essay Example for Free

Thinking Critically Simulation Review Essay Through the thinking critically simulation, I was able to exercise my own problem solving techniques. In the simulation, real-life business scenarios were given as examples to be resolved. It was divided into three parts: (1) Framing the problem, (2) Making the decisions, and (3) Evaluation the decision. Each phase has its own sublevels which specifically advise the decision makers on what tasks to do in order to effectively address the problem. In the first phase, I was given several possible problems and I was asked to rank them based on urgency and criticality. The detailed background information about the company helped me in analyzing the situation. However, in the end I resorted to my own techniques in coming up with the best way to rank the problems. It was easier for me to select the problem that when solve can immediately help increase the sales of the electronics store. It was just a manner of choosing the problem that would caused a major impact on the store if it is not straight away confronted. Based on the results, my efforts received a B+ grade which meant that I fairly did well in that activity. Â  Meanwhile, for the second phase, I was asked to match the best solutions for the immediate concerns of the company. It was mentioned that formulating solutions includes identifying the problem, planning alternatives and evaluating the alternatives. I followed these steps but unfortunately I was not able to get a good assessment based on the solutions that I have selected for the given problems. Probably, it would have helped if I paid more attention to details and weighed the consequences of each probable solution. I think the practicality and convenience of the solutions should also be considered in order to optimize the resources of the company without the risk of decreasing sales or losing employees. More so, I have realized that in most problems, single or the so-called best solutions are hard to find. It is easier to draft several solutions and try to implement all of them which could help in addressing all the aspects of the identified problems. In the third phase of the simulation, I was asked to evaluate the given solutions through metrics which will measure the efficiency of each resolution. It is very important that before a decision is made; all sides of the situation or the problem should have been carefully analyzed. In the end, the decision maker should always keep in mind that in making decisions, every detail no matter how small should be considered. Also, there are obvious problems and solutions that may seem as the only appropriate options for a particular situation. But a decision maker must be critical with this so as not to waste time and effort on fallacies that poses only as problems and solutions but in reality, these are just the actual scenarios.

SWOT Analysis of Honda

SWOT Analysis of Honda Jump to: SWOT Analysis Honda is truly a global company like no other. With 134 production facilities in 28 countries, plus another 31 research and development centers in 15 countries, we are achieving our goal of providing satisfaction to customers around the world. More than 160,000 Honda Associates help more than 23 million customers every year. As of March 2007, the Honda Group comprised 507 companies worldwide. We have developed our global operations strategy based on the principle of manufacturing products close to the customer. Local information is key, and the hiring of Associates and procuring parts and materials is all done close to each Honda centre. However, certain functions such as production planning, customer service and administration are performed on a global scale to ensure optimal, integrated and forward-looking strategies. Honda first established a commercial presence in the UK in 1961 when it opened an office in central London. In 1965 the operation was moved to a larger facility in Cheswick, west London, and sales of Honda vehicles started. First year sales reached 4,000 units with a model range that was initially the S600 and then the S800 sports car. This was followed by the Honda Civic in 1971. In 2000 the business relocated to a purpose-built office in Langley, Berkshire. The building amalgamated the Head Office functions of Honda (UK) with Honda Motor Europe (HME), and subsequent growth of both organizations has led to staff numbers reaching in excess of 600 people. Extending Hondas established policy of building its products close to its customers, Hondas manufacturing presence in the UK began in 1985. Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd (HUM) was established in Swindon, Wiltshire. Honda has an extensive dealer network in the UK, with the current total standing at 203 (car), 118 (motorcycle) and 530 (marine, energy, lawn and garden) sites. In excess of 10,000 people are either directly or indirectly employed by Honda in the UK. Annual sales of cars in the UK passed the 50,000 mark in 1995, and in 2007 broke through the 100,000 barrier. HISTORY OF THE COMPANY: Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd (HUM) was established in 1985 and began operations in August 1986 with a Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) unit in Swindon, Wiltshire. The Engine Plant was the second part of the Swindon site to open, and production of petrol engines for the Concerto began in 1989. Three years later, in October 1992, the first cars start edrolling off the line when Car Plant 1 with a capacity of 150, 000 vehicles per year began manufacturing the Accord. Car Plant 2 was completed in 2001, boosting annual capacity to an impressive 250,000 units. Total investment by HUM in these state-of-the-art, fully integrated Car and Engine Plants currently stands at  £1.38billion. When it celebrated its 20th anniversary in August 2006, Masaaki Kato, Managing Director of HUM, said: HUM has developed into a mature and successful car and engine manufacturing operation, which could not have been achieved without the strong driving force of our dedicated Associates. His comment illustrated perfectly the value we place on all our staff, not just in the UK but globally. Following the creation of 700 new jobs in September 2006, HUM currently employs 5,000 Associates 50% of our total for the whole of Europe. 1986: Honda begins research in Japan on both small aircraft and jet engines. 1993: Honda begins research on composite body aircraft with Mississippi State University (MSU), leading to development of aircraft called MH-02 that is jointly fabricated and tested by Honda and MSU. Research continues until 1996. 1995: Honda begins high altitude testing of its first generation turbofan engine, HFX-01, conducting more than 70 hours of tests through 1996. 1999: Development begins of the HF118 turbofan jet engine in the 1,000 to 3,500-pound thrust class, featuring a compact, lightweight, and fuel-efficient design. 2000: Honda RD Americas establishes a research facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina in October 2000 for the purpose of researching, fabricating and flight testing of Honda Jet. 2002: Honda conducts high altitude tests of the HF118 engine starting in June 2002. Honda publishes and reports its first technical paper in June 2002 concerning technological achievements of the new airframe. Honda continues publishing technical papers, with the most recent paper in June 2005. 2003: Honda Jet takes first test flight, December 3, 2003. Honda makes first public announcement of the achievement days later. 2004: Honda and GE Aviation announce February 16, 2004, an alliance to commercialize the HF 118 engine, and establish a joint venture, GE-Honda Aero Engines, LLC, in October 2004, to pursue the development, production and sales of Hondas HF118 turbofan engine in the light business jet market. In July 2004, Honda establishes Honda Aero, Inc. to manage its aircraft engine business in the U.S. and the Wako Nishi RD Center in Japan to research and develop turbofan jet and piston aviation engines. 2005: Honda Jet makes its public world debut at the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Air Venture 2005 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 28, 2005. 2006: Honda announces that it will commercialize Honda Jet at the EAA Air Venture 2006 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 25, 2006. Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. (HACI) established in August 2006, responsible for Hondas overall airframe business strategy, and the further development, sales promotion and production of the innovative Honda Jet. GE Honda Aero Engines successfully runs a proof-of-concept version of the GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine, exceeding the companys internal development targets for both thrust performance and specific fuel consumption (SFP) on the engines first test run. GE Honda Aero Engines announced that it had secured orders for the new HF120 engine (a higher thrust successor to the HF118), from Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., maker of the Honda Jet advanced light jet; and Spectrum Aeronautical, maker of the Spectrum Freedom business jet. The announcement was made at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Orlando, Florida, October 16, 2006. Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. begins sales of Honda Jet at the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) annual convention in Orlando, Florida, on October 17. Honda Jet will be powered by the HF120 turbofan engine. Honda Jet is targeted for type certification in 3-4 years with production in the U.S. beginning 2010. 2007: Honda Aircraft Company announces place of its $100 million world headquarters and production facility at Piedmont Triad International (PTI) Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, Feb. 9, 2007. Honda Aircraft Company breaks ground for new headquarters and production facility, June 27, 2007. Construction of the 219,000 sq. ft. offices and airplane hanger is scheduled for completion in spring 2008. The remaining 150,000 sq. ft. production facility is expected to be completed by fall 2009. Honda Aero announced plans, July 17, 2007, to establish its headquarters and jet engine manufacturing facility in Burlington, North Carolina, beginning with production of the GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine in 2010. Honda Aero conducted an official groundbreaking ceremony, November 28, 2007, for its new headquarters and engine manufacturing facility in Burlington, North Carolina, near the Burlington Alamance County regional airport. Current strategic situation Europe has significantly strengthened its marketing operation to provide greater strategic leadership and expertise to the 27 markets it serves from the companys headquarters at Langley, near Slough. As part of a root and branch reform, Tom Gardner has been appointed to the role of Head of European Marketing, Honda Motor Europe (moving from Head of Marketing, Honda (UK), and Cars). Tom will lead an expanded team, working closely with the in-country marketing departments to build a national media schedule and creative. Toms team is also charged with developing the long range marketing strategy for the business. Starcom Media vest has been appointed as Hondas European media buying agency. Ian Armstrong has moved across to Honda Motor Europe as Manager European Communications from his previous role in Honda (UK), Cars. Ian will oversee a European-wide creative to balance Brand Building Campaigns and Product Launch campaigns. A new version of Hondas Impossible Dream advertisement featuring the voice of Andy Williams will lead the charge. Within the European team, Harry Cooklin and Teresa Rizza will manage motorcycle communications with Lucy Powell looking after comms for Power Equipment. I am excited by the prospect of designing and creating the structures to enable Honda to deliver a consistent and powerful message to consumers in all 27 countries across Europe, said Ian Armstrong. Theres a lot to do in the next few months and I look forward to working with markets and agencies to ensuring we have the best possible presence in the European market. Meanwhile, Martin Moll takes on the role of Head of Marketing at Honda (UK), covering cars, motorcycles and power equipment. This move follows Martins three years as Head of Marketing, Power Equipment. Martin will provide the vital interface between the European strategic function and its tactical implementation in the UK market for all three product divisions. SWOT ANALYSIS: While Honda has abundant backbone to their name, they as well ache from some above weaknesses. The primary weakness of Honda is oftentimes one of their above strengths as well. By afraid to their accouterments as the technology innovator aural their industry, Honda divests abundant of its assets in exploring new methods to enhance their products. However, they generally conduct analysis and accession in fields that accept no applied appliance until continued into the approaching (Corporate Info, nag). Take for archetype their ammunition adeptness research; Honda was the industry baton in ammunition adeptness from 1985 to present (Investor Guide, nag). However, alone until afresh did gas prices accession top abundant to accreditation the ammunition abridgement as a cogent advantage. Had Honda bald added of their assets to added top end upgrades such as aggressive aural the SUV market, they adeptness accept fabricated abundant added profits. Thus, award the antithesis amid approaching analysis and accepted profits is one of the above weaknesses with Honda. Another one of its weaknesses is that Honda relies on its entry first, organizes later action for new bazaar assimilation (Wright Report, nag). Its accumulated action appears to be to access accustomed markets with their avant-garde articles and advance an basement and alignment afterwards they beam how the bazaar reacts. Although this action has formed able-bodied in some cases such as Hondas access into the ablaze barter division, area its Ridgeline won Barter of the Year, about in added cases such as the barrage of Acura success was met aboriginal by years of balloon and error. Acura was launched in the mid 1980s, and it was the aboriginal Japanese produced affluence car, about it lacked abounding of the appearance that barter were searching for in top end cars and Acura went through about 5 years of net losses afore Honda assuredly ample out their architecture and administration methods. Honda depends too abundant on their adeptness and adeptness to acclimatize already a artifact enters the market, and as a result, they generally accomplish hasty and adulterated decisions that they accept to again absorb millions and yea rs to fix. Strengths High RD Innovation Market share leadership Strong brand equity Unique products Exotic interior Unique aerodynamic shape Developed afterwards connected RD with the latest technology Various models targeting assorted chump segments. Honda FCX is the aboriginal ammunition corpuscle car in the world Fuel efficient Revolutionary engine technology Comfortable Road grip Weaknesses Uses of Cutting bend technology gives acceleration to problems Interior design Civic models could cause abashing for the customer High cost structure Honda requires a deposit for higher purchase but Nissan and Toyota dont. They depend greatly on profits coming in internationally, where they need to focus more on domestic sales in case something were to happen with others economies. Opportunities Due to increased interest from consumers into more fuel efficient and lower pollution cars, Honda can use its strength in high RD to develop these kind of cars to suit consumers needs. Emerging markets and expansion abroad Innovation There is an advance of absorption in environmentally affable vehicles, and Hondas RD focus agency that it is able-bodied assertive to capitalize on its ability in this industry. Honda Borough has assorted models that alter in discharge ratings, Honda borough GX NGV is termed as the cleanest car on Earth as far as centralized agitation engines are concerned In addition, Honda is a above amateur in the arising markets like Pakistan. Car leasing in Pakistan is a befalling for Honda borough to become added widespread. Various borough models that ambition altered chump segments. Threats Economic slowdown External changes (government, politics, taxes, etc) Lower cost competitors or imports Price wars Rising oil and raw actual prices in the apple bazaar can advance to decreased appeal for automotive vehicles. In addition, added costs accept led to decreased customer spending and the aggressive animosity is actual top in this industry.

Rabbit Analysis :: essays research papers

In the poem, â€Å"Rabbit,† the topic is rabbits which represent children and how they can be prey for one group and play for another. In addition to the rabbits representing children, I think that the child in the poem represents a parental figure and the dogs represent people in the outside world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is supported in the theme which states that children should not be in such a rush to grow up because the outside world can be a cruel place. For example, â€Å"the dogs don’t hate [them], merely want to / taste the cider of [their] blood, watch [their] / fur drift lazily toward October clouds / where geese infuriate them† (11-14). This is a supporting text because it shows that children won’t always be treated fairly and if they are in such a rush to grow up, they could face many problems early in life because they can feel as though they do not belong anywhere. Also, this quotation is descriptive and works well in that it allowed me to paint a picture of how other people could perceive children as helpless and a form of easy bait. To them, children are not just other humans; they are a source of adventure and game. Furthermore, it says â€Å"better that you hop directly back / demand your cage†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (7-8), which maintains that i f the children are not protected and sheltered by their parents, their fate could become as bad as what is described above; they could live a life in which the end of the negative path seems endless. It is saying that the one place a child can feel safe is in or at his/her house where he/she has â€Å"†¦ cedar chips, the water bottle full / and dripping next to wilted greens†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (8-9). It may not be the first place a child would want to go back to when he/she is in trouble but the option will always there. This house is the child’s safe haven and protection from the outside world; a place to feel safe, protected, and nourished. For example, the â€Å"†¦children bring you apples. / They’ll rub your fur and bring / another and another† (19-21). This text shows that no matter what happens the parents will be there to show care and love for their children without asking any questions. I like how the author worded the three quotes from above.

Comparing the Wifes Role in A Dolls House and Death of a Salesman Ess

The Wife's Role in A Doll's House and Death of a Salesman      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A Doll's House" (1879) and "Death of a Salesman" (1949) are plays written by Henric Ibsen and Henry Miller respectively. And, although they were published in different centuries, and "A Doll's House" was written seventy years before than "Death of a Salesman" Nora's portrayal of the wife's role is much more modern, liberal and less chauvinist than Linda's. Nora and Linda's main differences are reflected in their way of acting towards their husbands, their children and them selves; how they each see life.    To her husband, Linda is the perfect wife, she loves him despite knowing he is only "a small man." She is always worried about Willy's health, and tries to protect him. She knows that many times Willy is wrong, but she is unable to face him just in case she hurts his feelings. She supports all his mad ideas knowing this will probably take him to his death. She is loyal and loving, and is always on the background defending him from their sons Biff and Happy. She expresses all this feelings in Act 1, when she says, "I don't say he's a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He's not to be allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog." On the other hand Nora doesn't love her husband, but she doesn't become conscious of this until the end of the play when she discovers she has been living a lie all her life. As Linda, she is worried about her husband's health, but instead of just watching she confronts him, acting behind his back, knowing that she ma... ...who keeps it attached together but she is nothing without her husband. Nora is not of the family; she is more modern and independent, moreover her family is totally broken apart.    In conclusion, we can see that nor Linda, nor Nora are happy with their situation. Linda is incapable of expressing herself and confronting her husband therefore her husband ends up dead. And Nora has never had real love and has always been living a lie, but she realises this too late, and now she has to reinvent herself.    Works Consulted    Corrigan, R.W. (ed.)   Arthur Miller:   A Collection Of Critical Essays.   Prentice-Hall, NJ:   1969. Ibsen, Henrik. Four Major Plays: A Doll House, the Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, the Master Builder. New York: New American Library, 1992. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Gerald Weales, ed. New York: Penguin, 1996

The Ancient Regime :: essays research papers

The Ancient Regime The Old Regime took place during the fifteen hundreds and are conflicted by the enlightenment in the middle seventeen hundreds. The Old Regime thoughts and ways are different politically and economically then the enlightenment world. The Old Regime thoughts are based upon God and the church. The people believed that God was the ruler of everything and God was what makes things happen and work. People of these times had no concepts of science or reason. People believed that things happened because God made them happen. If you had thoughts that were different than that you had to answer to the church and there could be serious penalties to pay. During the period of the Old Regime, there was no other governing other than the church, which caused serious conflicts for the monarchies of this time because there was a constant battle over the power of the people, and who was going to rule over them. The church had the entire rule and the kings of these times would have to discuss with and go through the churches before they could make any decisions. The reason that they had given so much power to the church was out of fear. The thrown was afraid of making God angry so they would do anything in their power to keep God and the church satisfied. One way of making sure God was happy was to give the power to the church, this included money or taxes that were collected. Women's role in society was hardly important to the people of these times. Women in this time were not thought about very highly. They were thought of and treated as property. Women had it hard in these times, because men were so intent on their superiority over the women. There were hardly any times that women were rulers. In the late fifteen hundreds a man named Francois Hotman wrote Francogallia which is his best known work. In this work he discusses women and how he thought of them. He implied that they were not fit to be rulers or even contribute to the thrown. He discusses some of his occurrences with women rulers and how they all seemed to demolish what they had been given, and every thing ended up in destruction including their thrown. Religion was a very serious subject in this time, since everything revolved around God and the church religion was the largest part of people's lives.

Effect of the Nature of Different Substrates on the Rate

Cellular respiration is defined as an enzyme mediated process in which organic compounds such as glucose is broken down into simpler products with the release of energy (Duka, Diaz and Villa, 2009). It is a series of metabolic processes and oxidation-reduction reactions. Oxidation of substrates, such as glucose, is a fundamental part of cellular respiration (Mader, 2009). As a catabolic process, it may or may not require the presence of oxygen. The process that requires oxygen is called aerobic respiration while the process that does not require the presence of oxygen is called anaerobic respiration. Duka, et. al. 2007) Despite of its low yield of only two ATP (energy used by the cells to perform its duties), anaerobic respiration is essential because it continuously synthesizes ATP albeit oxygen is temporarily in short supply. Although anaerobic respiration synthesizes a low yield of ATP (which is the energy used by the cell enables it to perform its duties), it is essential because it is a way to produce ATP even though oxygen is temporarily in short supply. Though this process brings benefits usually, these are accompanied by drawbacks.One of these downsides is the formation of lactate in the muscles because of â€Å"oxygen debt†, causing it to â€Å"burn† and eventually fatigue, until pyruvate is reduced from lactate (Madur, 2009). Anaerobic respiration can be further divided into two types; namely, alcohol fermentation and lactic acid fermentation. In alcohol fermentation, pyruvate (product of glucose in glycolysis) is converted to 2 molecules of ethanol (C2H5OH) and 2 molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) while in lactic acid fermentation, pyruvate is reduced directly into lactic acid (Campbell and Reece, 2008).A good example of organism which produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide through the process of alcohol fermentation is yeast (Madur, 2009). As a unicellular fungus, yeast is also an example of a facultative anaerobe, which depicts an o rganism with metabolic versatility to harvest food energy by either respiration or fermentation (Campbell and Reece, 2001). Baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is an important example of yeast for its practical uses and applications in the industry.The cells release carbon dioxide which leavens the dough that is used to make bread or crackers. The ethyl alcohol produced by fermenting yeast evaporates during baking. Saccharomyces also ferments sugars to alcohol. Wine is produced then yeasts ferment the carbohydrates of fruits, while beer is resulted from the fermentation of grains. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide produced explains why beer and champagne are bubbly when opened (Madur, 2009). As enzymes are needed to be activated in cellular respiration, several factors can affect cellular respiration.These factors are namely; the presence of co-factors, temperature, and substrate concentration. Cofactors are required by the enzymes so as to activate them, thus, speeding u p the rate of the reaction. Also, the temperature affects the rate of the reaction in cellular respiration in a way that if the temperature increases, enzyme activity also increases. Lastly, if the substrate concentration is increased, enzyme activity is also increased because as more substrate molecules fill active sites, more product results per unit time. Madur, 2009) A substrate may be defined as the fuel of cellular respiration, wherein it is the organic substance broken down to generate energy. Macromolecules such as carbohydrates, fats, or proteins may serve as substrates. However, in yeast, carbohydrates are opted primarily as substrates. Carbohydrates may be classifies according to the number of sugars or its complexity such as monosaccharaides, disaccharides and polysaccharides (Duka, et. al. , 2009).In order to formulate a hypothesis regarding cellular respiration, yeast was used as the tested substance in the absence of oxygen or anaerobically. Factors such as temperatur e, substrate concentration and also the amount of distilled water were held constant. The nature of substrate, however, was altered and different substrates were used for the experimentation. Therefore, a hypothesis was formed that if the nature of different substrates affect the rate of cellular respiration in yeast, then the simpler the substrate, the faster the rate of cellular respiration.The effect of the nature of different substrates on the rate of cellular respiration of yeast can be further studied and examined using the Smith fermentation tube method wherein different substrates were used with the constant amount of concentration, distilled water and yeast suspension. Starch (polysaccharide), lactose and sucrose (disaccharide), glucose and fructose (monosaccharide), and distilled water, which are the variable factors, were used as different substrates, because they differ in structure and nature.The study was designed to determine the effect of the nature of different subs trates on the cellular respiration of yeast. The chief objectives were: 1. to describe the effect of the nature of different substrates on the rate of cellular respiration of yeast; 2. to expound the possible explanations and concepts behind the observed effect of the nature of different substrates on the rate of cellular respiration of yeast; and 3. to determine the significance of using different substrates. The study was conducted at the Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, last September 12, 2011.

Analysis ofthe play “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind Essay

Frank Wedekind’s play Spring Awakening represents an adult’s reflection on childhood, the repercussions of ignorance, and the consequence of inhibiting the spread of knowledge to those without it. Although very brief and lacking in extreme detail, this work has a profound aura; it leaves the reader with thoughts of how things could have resolved themselves better had key characters acted differently. It also gives a sense of the sanctity of youth and the dangers of growing up too fast. When we are forced to learn on our own, without the guidance of those who we desperately need it from, do we end up in irreversible positions that we never could have fathomed in the first place? This play gives definitive answers to all the questions surrounding the coming of age, the Spring Awakening. Looking at childhood (namely adolescence), from both an outside perspective and inside, reveals just how differently children and adults view the world. The children in this play see the world as full of discoveries that need to be made in order to grow up. In addition, they don’t necessarily want to find out all these things on their own. The guidance of the adult figures, e.g. teachers and parents, is sorely missed by the children in the story. When trying to learn where children come from, the character Wendla naturally turns to her mother. Rather than even attempt to answer her daughter’s question, Frau Bergman immediately succumbs to the awkwardness of the situation and delivers a short, circumventing monologue. It is an attempt to deter her daughter, not to enlighten her. It is apparent to the children that they cannot look to their parents for help, and so they must learn on their own. The teachers in the story are no better. Upon the suicide of one of the schoolboys, it is found that a certain one of his friends has supplied him with a complete manual of the human reproductive system. The reaction on the part of the schoolmasters and teachers is to expel the student immediately. A meeting between the student, Melchior, and the teachers reveals that the teachers have no interest in hearing what he has to say. The subject of human sexuality is simply too explicit to be discussed by non-adults, regardless of its level of accuracy on the part of the child. The final result is that even though he has done nothing wrong, indeed, he has figured  sex out for himself, Melchior is sent to a reformatory. It seems that the children are trapped in a cycle of ignorance and punishment. They are given no help by the ones they trust, and when they figure anything out on their own, they are chastised for being essentially â€Å"out of line.† Their only way to enlightenment lies in self-discovery and consequent punishment. However, the punishment some of them receive is simply too great for anyone of such an age. The harshest reality of the entire story lies in Wendla. After her mother’s failure to share any knowledge with her, she is raped by Melchior. However, she was told that she needed to love a man more deeply than she was capable of in order to have a child. She has no idea that she is with child, and once again her mother fails to help her. Her mother lies to her once more, this time insisting that she has anemia. Finally, though, when it no longer matters, her mother tells her that she is pregnant. Shortly after, Wendla is killed by a failed abortion. Her life was the price she had to pay in order to find the answer to the one question she wanted to know more than anything. By keeping her daughter in the dark, Frau Bergman has destroyed what should be most important to her. In addition, she has stolen the chance for Wendla to ever grow up. The process of growing, the sacrament of the naivete that only children posses, has completely ended for Wendla. That is something that can never be replaced, and it is also something for which one can never be forgiven. Knowledge is meant to be spread. Nobody is meant to be left ignorant of the world around them. This play shows that ignorance is the most powerful tool we have to aid in our own demise.

Vampire Academy Chapter 11

ELEVEN â€Å"YOU NEED SOMETHING TO WEAR?† Lissa asked. â€Å"Hmm?† I glanced over at her. We were waiting for Mr. Nagy's Slavic art class to start, and I was preoccupied with listening to Mia adamantly deny the claims about her parents to one of her friends. â€Å"It's not like they're servants or anything,† she exclaimed, clearly flustered. Straightening her face, she tried for haughtiness. â€Å"They're practically advisors. The Drozdovs don't decide anything without them.† I choked on a laugh, and Lissa shook her head. â€Å"You're enjoying this way too much.† â€Å"Because it's awesome. What'd you just ask me?† I dug through my bag, messily looking for my lip gloss. I made a face when I found it. It was almost empty; I didn't know where I was going to score some more. â€Å"I asked if you need something to wear tonight,† she said. â€Å"Well, yeah, of course I do. But none of your stuff fits me.† â€Å"What are you going to do?† I shrugged my shoulders. â€Å"Improvise, like always. I don't really care anyway. I'm just glad Kirova's letting me go.† We had an assembly tonight. It was November 1, All Saints' Day – which also meant we'd been back almost a month now. A royal group was visiting the school, including Queen Tatiana herself. Honestly, that wasn't what excited me. She'd visited the Academy before. It was pretty common and a lot less cool than it sounded. Besides, after living among humans and elected leaders, I didn't think much of stiff royals. Still, I'd gotten permission to go because everyone else would be there. It was a chance to hang out with actual people for a change and not stay locked in my dorm room. A little freedom was definitely worth the pain of sitting through a few boring speeches. I didn't stay to chat with Lissa after school like I usually did. Dimitri had stuck to his promise about extra trainings, and I was trying to stick to mine. I now had two additional hours of practice with him, one before and one after school. The more I watched him in action, the more I understood the badass-god reputation. He clearly knew a lot – his six molnija marks proved as much – and I burned to have him teach me what he knew. When I arrived at the gym, I noticed he was wearing a T-shirt and loose running pants, as opposed to his usual jeans. It was a good look for him. Really good. Stop looking, I immediately told myself. He positioned me so that we stood facing each other on the mat and crossed his arms. â€Å"What's the first problem you'll run into when facing a Strigoi?† â€Å"They're immortal?† â€Å"Think of something more basic.† More basic than that? I considered. â€Å"They could be bigger than me. And stronger.† Most Strigoi – unless they'd been human first – had the same height as their Moroi cousins. Strigoi also had better strength, reflexes, and senses than dhampirs. That's why guardians trained so hard; we had a â€Å"learning curve† to compensate for. Dimitri nodded. â€Å"That makes it difficult but not impossible. You can usually use a person's extra height and weight against them.† He turned and demonstrated several maneuvers, pointing out where to move and how to strike someone. Going through the motions with him, I gained some insight into why I took such a regular beating in group practice. I absorbed his techniques quickly and couldn't wait to actually use them. Near the end of our time together, he let me try. â€Å"Go ahead,† he said. â€Å"Try to hit me.† I didn't need to be told twice. Lunging forward, I tried to land a blow and was promptly blocked and knocked down onto the mat. Pain surged through my body, but I refused to give in to it. I jumped up again, hoping to catch him off guard. I didn't. After several more failed attempts, I stood up and held out my hands in a gesture of truce. â€Å"Okay, what am I doing wrong?† â€Å"Nothing.† I wasn't as convinced. â€Å"If I wasn't doing anything wrong, I'd have rendered you unconscious by now.† â€Å"Unlikely. Your moves are all correct, but this is the first time you've really tried. I've done it for years.† I shook my head and rolled my eyes at his older-and-wiser manner. He'd once told me he was twenty-four. â€Å"Whatever you say, Grandpa. Can we try it again?† â€Å"We're out of time. Don't you want to get ready?† I looked at the dusty clock on the wall and perked up. Almost time for the banquet. The thought made me giddy I felt like Cinderella, but without the clothes. â€Å"Hell, yeah, I do.† He walked off ahead of me. Studying him carefully, I realized I couldn't let the opportunity go by. I leapt at his back, positioning myself exactly the way he'd taught me. I had the element of surprise. Everything was perfect, and he wouldn't even see me coming. Before I could make contact, he spun around at a ridiculously high speed. In one deft motion, he grabbed me like I weighed nothing and threw me to the ground, pinning me there. I groaned. â€Å"I didn't do anything wrong!† His eyes looked levelly into mine as he held my wrists, but he didn't look as serious as he had during the lesson. He seemed to find this funny. â€Å"The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time.† â€Å"Would it have really made a difference if I'd been quiet?† He thought about it. â€Å"No. Probably not.† I sighed loudly, still in too much of a good mood to really let this disappointment get me down. There were some advantages to having such a kick-ass mentor – one who also happened to have a foot of height on me and outweighed me considerably. And that wasn't even considering his strength. He wasn't bulky but his body had a lot of hard, lean muscle. If I could ever beat him, I could beat anyone. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that he was still holding me down. The skin on his fingers was warm as he clutched my wrists. His face hovered inches from my own, and his legs and torso were actually pressing against mine. Some of his long brown hair hung around his face, and he appeared to be noticing me too, almost like he had that night in the lounge. And oh God, did he smell good. Breathing became difficult for me, and it had nothing to do with the workout or my lungs being crushed. I would have given anything to be able to read his mind right then. Ever since that night in the lounge, I'd noticed him watching me with this same, studious expression. He never actually did it during the trainings themselves – those were business. But before and after, he would sometimes lighten up just a little, and I'd see him look at me in a way that was almost admiring. And sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, he'd smile at me. A real smile, too – not the dry one that accompanied the sarcasm we tossed around so often. I didn't want to admit it to anyone – not to Lissa, not even to myself – but some days, I lived for those smiles. They lit up his face. â€Å"Gorgeous† no longer adequately described him. Hoping to appear calm, I tried to think of something professional and guardian-related to say. Instead, I said, â€Å"So um†¦you got any other moves to show me?† His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought I was going to get one of those smiles. My heart leapt. Then, with visible effort, he pushed the smile back and once more became my tough-love mentor. He shifted off me, leaned back on his heels, and rose. â€Å"Come on. We should go.† I scrambled to my own feet and followed him out of the gym. He didn't look back as he walked, and I mentally kicked myself on the way back to my room. I was crushing on my mentor. Crushing on my older mentor. I had to be out of my mind. He was seven years older than me. Old enough to be my†¦well, okay, nothing. But still older than me. Seven years was a lot. He'd been learning to write when I was born. When I'd been learning to write and throw books at my teachers, he'd probably been kissing girls. Probably lots of girls, considering how he looked. I so did not need this complication in my life right now. I found a passable sweater back in my room and after a quick shower, I headed off across campus to the reception. Despite the looming stone walls, fancy statues, and turrets on the outsides of the buildings, the Academy's insides were quite modern. We had Wi-Fi, fluorescent lights, and just about anything else technological you could imagine. The commons in particular looked pretty much like the cafeterias I'd eaten in while in Portland and Chicago, with simple rectangular tables, soothing taupe walls, and a little room off to the side where our dubiously prepared meals were served. Someone had at least hung framed black-and-white photos along the walls in an effort to decorate it, but I didn't really consider pictures of vases and leafless trees â€Å"art.† Tonight, however, someone had managed to transform the normally boring commons into a bona fide dining room. Vases spilling over with crimson roses and delicate white lilies. Glowing candles. Tablecloths made of – wait for it – bloodred linen. The effect was gorgeous. It was hard to believe this was the same place I usually ate chicken patty sandwiches in. It looked fit for, well, a queen. The tables had been arranged in straight lines, creating an aisle down the middle of the room. We had assigned seating, and naturally, I couldn't sit anywhere near Lissa. She sat in the front with the other Moroi; I was in the back with the novices. But she did catch my eye when I entered and flashed me a smile. She'd borrowed a dress from Natalie – blue, silky, and strapless – that looked amazing with her pale features. Who'd known Natalie owned anything so good? It made my sweater lose a few cool points. They always conducted these formal banquets in the same way. A head table sat on a dais at the front of the room, where we could all ooh and ahh and watch Queen Tatiana and other royals eat dinner. Guardians lined the walls, as stiff and formal as statues. Dimitri stood among them, and a weird feeling twisted my stomach as I recalled what had happened in the gym. His eyes stared straight ahead, as if focusing on nothing and everything in the room at once. When the time came for the royals' entrance, we all stood up respectfully and watched as they walked down the aisle. I recognized a few, mostly those who had children attending the Academy. Victor Dashkov was among them, walking slowly and with a cane. While I was happy to see him, I cringed to watch each agonizing step he took toward the front of the room. Once that group had passed, four solemn guardians with red-and-black-pin-striped jackets entered the commons. Everyone but the guardians along the walls sank to our knees in a silly show of loyalty. What a lot of ceremony and posturing, I thought wearily. Moroi monarchs were chosen by the previous monarch from within the royal families. The king or queen couldn't choose one of his or her own direct descendents, and a council from the noble and royal families could dispute the choice with enough cause. That almost never happened, though. Queen Tatiana followed her guards, wearing a red silk dress and matching jacket. She was in her early sixties and had dark gray hair bobbed to her chin and crowned with a Miss America-type tiara. She moved into the room slowly, like she was taking a stroll, four more guardians at her back. She moved through the novices' section fairly quickly, though she did nod and smile here and there. Dhampirs might just be the half-human, illegitimate children of the Moroi, but we trained and dedicated our lives to serving and protecting them. The likelihood was strong that many of us gathered here would die young, and the queen had to show her respect for that. When she got to the Moroi section, she paused longer and actually spoke to a few students. It was a big deal to be acknowledged, mostly a sign that someone's parents had gotten in good with her. Naturally, the royals got the most attention. She didn't really say much to them that was all that interesting, mostly just a lot of fancy words. â€Å"Vasilisa Dragomir.† My head shot up. Alarm coursed through the bond at the sound of her name. Breaking protocol, I pushed out of my position and wiggled over to get a better view, knowing no one would notice me when the queen herself had personally singled out the last of the Dragomirs. Everyone was eager to see what the monarch had to say to Lissa the runaway princess. â€Å"We heard you had returned. We are glad to have the Dragomirs back, even though only one remains. We deeply regret the loss of your parents and your brother; they were among the finest of the Moroi, their deaths a true tragedy.† I'd never really understood the royal â€Å"we† thing, but otherwise, everything sounded okay. â€Å"You have an interesting name,† she continued. â€Å"Many heroines in Russian fairy tales are named Vasilisa. Vasilisa the Brave, Vasilisa the Beautiful. They are different young women, all having the same name and the same excellent qualities: strength, intelligence, discipline, and virtue. All accomplish great things, triumphing over their adversaries. â€Å"Likewise, the Dragomir name commands its own respect. Dragomir kings and queens have ruled wisely and justly in our history. They have used their powers for miraculous ends. They have slain Strigoi, fighting right alongside their guardians. They are royal for a reason.† She waited a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. I could feel the mood changing in the room, as well as the surprise and shy pleasure creeping out from Lissa. This would shake the social balance. We could probably expect a few wannabes trying to get in good with Lissa tomorrow. â€Å"Yes,† Tatiana continued, â€Å"you are doubly named with power. Your names represent the finest qualities people have to offer and hearken back in time to deeds of greatness and valor.† She paused a moment. â€Å"But, as you have demonstrated, names do not make a person. Nor do they have any bearing on how that person turns out.† And with that verbal slap in the face, she turned away and continued her procession. A collective shock filled the room. I briefly contemplated and then dismissed any attempts at jumping into the aisle and tackling the queen. Half a dozen guardians would have me down on the floor before I'd even taken five steps. So I sat impatiently through dinner, all the while feeling Lissa's absolute mortification. When the post-dinner reception followed, Lissa made a beeline for the doors leading out to the courtyard. I followed, but got delayed having to weave around and avoid the mingling, socializing people. She'd wandered outside to an adjacent courtyard, one that matched the Academy's grand external style. A roof of carved, twisting wood covered the garden, with little holes here and there to let in some light, but not enough to cause damage to Moroi. Trees, leaves now gone for the winter, lined the area and guarded paths leading out to other gardens, courtyards, and the main quadrangle. A pond, also emptied for the winter, lay in a corner, and standing over it was an imposing statue of St. Vladimir himself. Carved of gray rock, he wore long robes and had a beard and mustache. Rounding a corner, I stopped when I saw Natalie had beaten me to Lissa. I considered interrupting but stepped back before they could see me. Spying might be bad, but I was suddenly very curious to hear what Natalie had to say to Lissa. â€Å"She shouldn't have said that,† Natalie said. She wore a yellow dress similar in cut to Lissa's, but somehow lacked the grace and poise to make it look as good. Yellow was also a terrible color on her. It clashed with her black hair, which she'd put up into an off-center bun. â€Å"It wasn't right,† she went on. â€Å"Don't let it bother you.† â€Å"Kind of late for that.† Lissa's eyes were locked firmly on the stone walkway below. â€Å"She was wrong.† â€Å"She's right,† Lissa exclaimed. â€Å"My parents†¦and Andre†¦they would have hated me for what I did.† â€Å"No, they wouldn't have.† Natalie spoke in a gentle voice. â€Å"It was stupid to run away. Irresponsible.† â€Å"So what? You made a mistake. I make mistakes all the time. The other day, I was doing this assignment in science, and it was for chapter ten, and I'd actually read chapter elev – † Natalie stopped herself and, in a remarkable show of restraint, got herself back on track. â€Å"People change. We're always changing, right? You aren't the same as you were then. I'm not the same as I was then.† Actually, Natalie seemed exactly the same to me, but that didn't bother me so much anymore. She'd grown on me. â€Å"Besides,† she added, â€Å"was running away really a mistake? You must have done it for a reason. You must have gotten something out of it, right? There was a lot of bad stuff going on with you, wasn't there? With your parents and your brother. I mean, maybe it was the right thing to do.† Lissa hid a smile. Both of us were pretty sure Natalie was trying to find out why we had left – just like everyone else in the school. She sort of sucked at being sneaky. â€Å"I don't know if it was, no,† Lissa answered. â€Å"I was weak. Andre wouldn't have run away. He was so good. Good at everything. Good at getting along with people and all that royal crap.† â€Å"You're good at that too.† â€Å"I guess. But I don't like it. I mean, I like people†¦but most of what they do is so fake. That's what I don't like.† â€Å"Then don't feel bad about not getting involved,† Natalie said. â€Å"I don't hang out with all those people either, and look at me. I'm just fine. Daddy says he doesn't care if I hang out with the royals or not. He just wants me to be happy.† â€Å"And that,† I said, finally making my appearance, â€Å"is why he should be ruling instead of that bitch of a queen. He got robbed.† Natalie nearly jumped ten feet. I felt pretty confident her vocabulary of swear words mostly consisted of â€Å"golly† and â€Å"darn.† â€Å"I wondered where you were,† said Lissa. Natalie looked back and forth between us, suddenly seeming a little embarrassed to be right between the best-friends dream team. She shifted uncomfortably and tucked some messy hair behind her ear. â€Å"Well†¦I should go find Daddy. I'll see you back in the room.† â€Å"See you,† said Lissa. â€Å"And thanks.† Natalie hurried off. â€Å"Does she really call him ? ®Daddy'?† Lissa cut me a look. â€Å"Leave her alone. She's nice.† â€Å"She is, actually. I heard what she said, and as much as I hate to admit it, there was nothing there I could really make fun of. It was all true.† I paused. â€Å"I'll kill her, you know. The queen, not Natalie. Screw the guardians. I'll do it. She can't get away with that.† â€Å"God, Rose! Don't say that. They'll arrest you for treason. Just let it go.† â€Å"Let it go? After what she said to you? In front of everyone?† She didn't answer or even look at me. Instead, she toyed absentmindedly with the branches of a scraggly bush that had gone dormant for the winter. There was a vulnerable look about her that I recognized – and feared. â€Å"Hey.† I lowered my voice. â€Å"Don't look like that. She doesn't know what she's talking about, okay? Don't let this get you down. Don't do anything you shouldn't.† She glanced back up at me. â€Å"It's going to happen again, isn't it?† she whispered. Her hand, still clutching the tree, began to tremble. â€Å"Not if you don't let it.† I tried to look at her wrists without being too obvious. â€Å"You haven't?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No.† She shook her head and blinked back tears. â€Å"I haven't wanted to. I was upset after the fox, but it's been okay. I like the coasting thing. I miss seeing you, but everything's been all right. I like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused. I could hear the word forming in her mind. â€Å"Christian.† â€Å"I wish you couldn't do that. Or wouldn't.† â€Å"Sorry. Do I need to give you the Christian's-a-psychopathic-loser talk again?† â€Å"I think I've got it memorized after the last ten times,† she muttered. I started to launch into number eleven when I heard the sound of laughter and the clatter of high heels on stone. Mia walked toward us with a few friends in tow but no Aaron. Immediately my defenses snapped on. Internally, Lissa was still shaken over the queen's comments. Sorrow and humiliation were swirling inside of her. She felt embarrassed over what others must think of her now and kept thinking about how her family would have hated her for running away. I didn't believe that, but it felt real to her, and her dark emotions churned and churned. She was not okay, no matter how casual she'd just tried to act, and I was worried she might do something reckless. Mia was the last person she needed to see right now. â€Å"What do you want?† I demanded. Mia smiled haughtily at Lissa and ignored me, taking a few steps forward. â€Å"Just wanted to know what it's like to be so important and so royal. You must be so excited that the queen talked to you.† Giggles surfaced from the gathering group. â€Å"You're standing too close.† I stepped between them, and Mia flinched a little, possibly still worried I might break her arm. â€Å"And hey at least the queen knew her name, which is more than I can say for you and your wannabe-royal act. Or your parents.† I could see the pain that caused her. Man, she wanted to be royal so badly. â€Å"At least I see my parents,† she retorted. â€Å"At least I know who they both are. God only knows who your father is. And your mom's one of the most famous guardians around, but she couldn't care less about you either. Everyone knows she never visits. Probably was glad when you were gone. If she even noticed.† That hurt. I clenched my teeth. â€Å"Yeah, well, at least she's famous. She really does advise royals and nobles. She doesn't clean up after them.† I heard one of her friends snicker behind her. Mia opened her mouth, no doubt to unleash one of the many retorts she'd had to accumulate since the story started going around, when the lightbulb suddenly went off in her head. â€Å"It was you,† she said, eyes wide. â€Å"Someone told me Jesse'd started it, but he couldn't have known anything about me. He got it from you. When you slept with him.† Now she was really starting to piss me off. â€Å"I didn't sleep with him.† Mia pointed at Lissa and glared back at me. â€Å"So that's it, huh? You do her dirty work because she's too pathetic to do it herself. You aren't always going to be able to protect her,† she warned. â€Å"You aren't safe either.† Empty threats. I leaned forward, making my voice as menacing as possible. In my current mood, it wasn't difficult. â€Å"Yeah? Try and touch me now and find out.† I hoped she would. I wanted her to. We didn't need her messed-up vendetta in our lives just now. She was a distraction – one I very much wanted to punch right now. Looking past her, I saw Dimitri move out into the garden, eyes searching for something – or someone. I had a pretty good idea who it was. When he saw me, he strode forward, shifting his attention when he noticed the crowd gathered around us. Guardians can smell a fight a mile away. Of course, a six-year-old could have smelled this fight. Dimitri stood beside me and crossed his arms. â€Å"Everything all right?† â€Å"Sure thing, Guardian Belikov.† I smiled as I said it, but I was furious. Raging, even. This whole Mia confrontation had only made Lissa feel worse. â€Å"We were just swapping family stories. Ever heard Mia's? It's fascinating.† â€Å"Come on,† said Mia to her followers. She led them off, but not before she'd given me one last, chilling look. I didn't need to read her mind to know what it said. This wasn't over. She was going to try to get one or both of us back. Fine. Bring it on, Mia. â€Å"I'm supposed to take you back to your dorm,† Dimitri told me drily. â€Å"You weren't about to just start a fight, were you?† â€Å"Of course not,† I said, my eyes still staring at the empty doorway Mia had disappeared through. â€Å"I don't start fights where people can see them.† â€Å"Rose,† groaned Lissa. â€Å"Let's go. Good night, Princess.† He turned, but I didn't move. â€Å"You going to be okay, Liss?† She nodded. â€Å"I'm fine.† It was such a lie, I couldn't believe she had the nerve to try to put it past me. I didn't need the bond to see tears shining in her eyes. We should never have come back to this place, I realized bleakly. â€Å"Liss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She gave me a small, sad smile and nodded in Dimitri's direction. â€Å"I told you, I'm fine. You've got to go.† Reluctantly, I followed him. He led me out toward the other side of the garden. â€Å"We may need to add an extra training on self-control,† he noted. â€Å"I have plenty of self contr – hey!† I stopped talking as I saw Christian slip past us, moving down the path we'd just come from. I hadn't seen him at the reception, but if Kirova had released me to come tonight, I suppose she would have done the same for him. â€Å"You going to see Lissa?† I demanded, shifting my Mia rage to him. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave me that look of bad-boy indifference. â€Å"What if I am?† â€Å"Rose, this isn't the time,† said Dimitri. But it was so the time. Lissa had ignored my warnings about Christian for weeks. It was time to go to the source and stop their ridiculous flirtation once and for all. â€Å"Why don't you just leave her alone? Are you so messed up and desperate for attention that you can't tell when someone doesn't like you?† He scowled. â€Å"You're some crazy stalker, and she knows it. She's told me all about your weird obsession – how you're always hanging out in the attic together, how you set Ralf on fire to impress her. She thinks you're a freak, but she's too nice to say anything.† His face had paled, and something dark churned in his eyes. â€Å"But you aren't too nice?† â€Å"No. Not when I feel sorry for someone.† â€Å"Enough,† said Dimitri, steering me away. â€Å"Thanks for ? ®helping,' then,† snapped Christian, his voice dripping with animosity. â€Å"No problem,† I called back over my shoulder. When we'd gone a little ways, I stole a glance behind me and saw Christian standing just outside the garden. He'd stopped walking and now stood staring down the path that led to Lissa in the courtyard. Shadows covered his face as he thought, and then, after a few moments, he turned around and headed back toward the Moroi dorms.

Dostoevsky and Maslow: Needs in Life, How They Are Prioritized, and the Exceptions

Dostoevsky has written, â€Å"Without a clear perception of his reasons for living, man will never consent to live, and will rather destroy himself than tarry on earth, though he be surrounded with bread.† (The Grand Inquisitor) With indirect opposition, Maslow's idea on these needs is stated in his quote, â€Å"A person lacking food, love, and self-esteem, would most likely hunger for food more strongly than anything else.† A number of instances stand as evidence to both Maslow and Dostoevsky's statements. First let us look at the claim Fyodor Dostoevsky has made. The Bible also has three references for a very similar idea. Scripture has expressed, in Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, and Luke 4:4, that ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' (The Bible) All individuals have accepted the Bible as truth would feel this way and therefore approach life's needs as Dostoevsky. The act of fasting is also an example of how Fyodor's statement might come into play during an individual's life. Another group of individuals who might be observed to follow the Dostoevsky idea would be those who are suffering from serious mental disorders. A loss of regular and proper diet is a symptom of severe cases of depression, anxiety, and stress. (MayoClinic) They become so focused on their struggle to overcome these feelings, of being lost, or alone, or unorganized, and unsafe, that the priority of food becomes pushed aside. But in Maslow's Pyramid the feelings of safety and organization, love and belonging, are all placed higher, or less important, than the need to satisfy hunger. (Myers) Order of prioritization is the foundation of contradiction between the two statements. Abraham Maslow's idea seems to be more realistic to a majority of the remaining population. How is it reasonable to think a person would have the capability to even find their identity or â€Å"the purpose in life† without the energy supplied by fulfilling basic needs, like eating? This was a common reaction I heard from peers and adults after telling of Dostoevsky's statement. Gandhi said, â€Å"Even God cannot talk to a starving man except in terms of bread.† (Aldrich) Some needs take priority over others. (Myers) Our brain causes us to have feelings of motivation for needs; the most concrete are physiological needs, like our drive to eat. It would be unhealthy and tiring to suppress and ignore your bodies drive to eat while you find your identity. In extreme measures you could even die doing this. As we can see, neither Maslow nor Dostoevsky's claims can be applied to human beings as an entirety, as there are exceptions. The differences and personal circumstances attached to individuals are all too different. Even Abraham Maslow himself recognized that not all personalities followed his proposed hierarchy of needs. (Huitt) We have discovered though, that both of our statements tend to be more applicable to one group over the other. Religious individuals would be highly likely to side with Dostoevsky's views, where as people who do not value an identity outside their own would agree with Maslow's prioritization of needs. To build off of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it has been proposed, (Norwood) a joint effort of trying to satisfy a single level of a need is also learning how to continue to satisfy this need. During this process an individual is forming part of their identity by developing and adopting a personalized method of reaching a need. For example, people at the esteem level seek out empowering information, and those at the safety level would need helping information. If Norwood's more currently proposed statement, that finding identity and satisfying needs are interrelated, is correct, then Maslow and Dostoevsky would both hart part in creating one universal statement. As for now, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Abraham Maslow's statements of needs in life and how they are prioritized stand separately. Across humanity, some people accept one over the other as true. In my research for the paper, I have been able to loosely affiliate certain groups of people with Maslow or Dostoevsky's claims. A number of instances stand as evidence to both statements. Each idea is held accountable in the correct situations. It is not a surprise to me how the controversy of deciding on a dominant idea has not been settled.