Is it better for companies to have too much data or too little data Essay

Is it better for companies to have too much data or too little data Why - Essay Example The data of an organization includes all sort of information that is recorded either in paper or in computer system. The business activity is mainly depended on data and information. Documentary evidence is required for most of the important activities in a business. The size of the data requirement of an organization increases by the increase in the size of the business. â€Å"Every process uses data and almost all business rules are enforced by data† (B2T training, 2008). The rules, regulations and limitations of the business are always made in a document form. Documentary evidence is required for every activity of the business. When any relevant data is lost in the business certain activities get interrupted. This is harmful for the day to day working of the business. Therefore data maintenance is a very critical activity in a business. The data requirements of a business also differ by difference in the nature of the business being carried on by it. For example in the case of an insurance company the relationship between the company and the client is evident only from the document that is agreed upon by the client and the company. Therefore, in a large business entity data management is a separate specialized activity. The data that are used in the company are both external and internal. â€Å"Once internal data is understood, a detailed review of available external vendor data should be conducted† (Lucker, 2005). What the companies should focus on while maintaining data is that only relevant data should be maintained. Relevant data refers to the data that are required for the daily running of the business and the data that has to be maintained by the company as per the statute. But the question under discussion is that whether the companies should maintain too much or too little data. Too much data is both beneficial as well as harmful for the organization. Too much data will contain

How the family income affects the family in life Assignment - 2

How the family income affects the family in life - Assignment Example These issues come as a challenge for the State and various systems need to be initiated in order to reduce the affects of low income on family lives. In this regard, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was created in 1996, which had the basic aim to provide cash assistance to American families. This organization was established under the â€Å"The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act† and has provided opportunity for employment to families with benefits, to utilize the aid within a period of 2 years. This program TANF was created during Clinton’s period in 1996. The State determined which families needed the assistance in order to help poverty stricken families. Individuals who received the aid were required to work and monitoring was carried out. In cases, when these individuals failed to carry out their practices, the benefits and the assistance were subject to reduction or termination. TANF program was a successful as it provided a welfare reform and there was reduction of poverty and increase in economic growth (US Department Of Health & Human

Production of Hydrophobic Bioplastics using Silicon Dioxide

Production of Hydrophobic Bioplastics using Silicon Dioxide ABSTRACT Silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica, is a chemical compound that comes in different forms and has a variety of uses. One form is silica gel, which is used as a desiccant in shoe boxes and bags to prevent rupturing, and to prevent molds in food products. Silica is the main material in our project because it has water-repelling properties and our group planned to create hydrophobic bioplastics with these properties. The purpose of this study is to benefit people in many ways. One way is the protection for electronic gadgets from water. Another method is to speed up the cleaning of food containers. With the hydrophobic properties of our plastic, water has less contact with it making washing containers easier. To test our plastics we produced for hydrophobic properties (or wetability), we used a testing method known as the drop contact method. Twelve pieces of 2cm x 2cm plastic samples were prepared – with 3 pieces per concentration. A graduated dropper was used to drop 1mL of water on each plastic sample over a dish. The amount of water on the dish shows how much water each plastic sample repels. Our results show that as the concentration of the silicon dioxide increases, the water repelled decreases.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Background of the Study: SiO2 is a substance used to produce modern plastics. The group came up with an idea of making use of the said substance to produce hydrophobic plastics which could be a big help in latest technology and practical activities in our daily lives. Through this, we could also expand the capability of the silicon dioxide which may be used also in different ways. Research Hypothesis: If silicon dioxide is added as a material in the production of plastics, then a more hydrophobic plastic will be produced. Objectives of the Study General Objective: This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of silicon dioxide in producing hydrophobic plastics. Specific Objectives: Produce an inexpensive and durable hydrophobic bioplastic material. Test the hydrophobicity of the bioplastic produced using the drop contact testing method. Significance of the Study The researchers chose the topic because of the advantages that could be given to us people not only in our homes but on other fields of industries by the product. Plastics are widely used all over the world; it is the main reason why the researchers would like to introduce new technology in the form of hydrophobic plastics. If the project would be successful, hydrophobic plastics would be a big help in cleaning surfaces of plastics. For instances, dusts on plastics could be easily washed away by pouring water into the surface of the plastic. Hydrophobic plastics could also be alternative casings to our gadgets and appliances. It could protect our modern technologies from water penetration. It would also bring advantages in storing food products in the refrigerator like meats and fishes. The product will also be a good container for soaps, toothbrushes, plates and other household materials. Scope and Limitations The research shall only focus in the ability of plastic to repel water. Other characteristics of a plastic shall be maintained. In the production of the plastic, silicon dioxide will be the only addition to the regular raw materials of the process. Review of Related Literature Repellant Plastics GE accomplished this by modifying a material that’s a mainstay of its plastics business. And they took their inspiration from the leaves of the lotus plant, which is naturally super hydrophobic; microscopic inspection of lotus leaves reveals their nanocrystalline wax structure. The lotus leaf surface has cells 5-10 micrometers wide, on top of which are tiny wax crystals that are tens of nanometers wide. On a lotus leaf, water beads look almost like perfect spheres. GE set out to mimic this pattern on the surface of its polycarbonate material, essentially by â€Å"roughening† the surface in a specific way. Tao Deng, materials scientist at GE, is tight-lipped about the process, but says it was done with a â€Å"chemical treatment of the surface.†GE succeeded with its prototype last summer, but only began discussing the advance in recent weeks. One of the significant downsides is that the process leaves the plastic opaque, not transparent. That means it would not work for plastic windows or clear food containers. But a clear version is not far off. â€Å"That’s coming,† Deng says. Even getting the opaque versions into real products will take some time. GE estimates it will be at least five years before commercialization, once the manufacturing issues are resolved. Five years isn’t that much time, though – about how long it takes for all the ketchup to drip out of today’s plastic bottles. Hydrophobic Glasses BalcoNano stated that there are two categories of what is known in the market as â€Å"self-cleaning† glass. These two categories are: glass coated or applied with hydrophilic layer that uses photo catalytic decomposition, and glass coated or applied with a hydrophobic protective coating. The microscopically rough surface of glass is what makes it hard to clean. Dirt, bacteria and other particles can get deep into the glasses that it cannot be removed with any cleaning material. To solve this problem, we can make the surface of the glass very water repelling or hydrophobic. Applying a hydrophobic coating to the glass gives it a sort of shield. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the surface created by the hydrophobic coating. This form of glass works in a similar way to Teflon works on a frying pan. It produces a non-stick surface and water will run off of this surface quickly and not streak. The coating or applications of this type are silica based and create a nano-scale film that covers the microscopic valleys and peaks on the surface of glass. This type of self-clean coating prevents the contamination, dirt and grime from clinging onto the glass or fixing to the surface. There are advantages and disadvantages of hydrophobic coated glass. An advantage is that everything that gets put on the glass can be easily removed with water. Dirt, graffiti, and paint can get washed off with just a splash or two. A disadvantage is that coatings may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, and that application is not easy. Factory applied coatings, depending on the exact product, have a life span of 3 to 10 years in external conditions. Cost wise the hydrophobic coatings and applications are usually about half the cost of the hydrophilic type glasses. Many industries and manufacturers commonly use silica powders alone or in combination with other ingredients. The mineral has moisture absorbing and thickening properties. These characteristics make silica useful in construction materials, cosmetics, and some foods. Silica is one of the most common minerals on the planet. It is a component of sand and quartz along with other minerals. Manufacturers obtain natural silica by mining and grind the substance into granules or fine powders. Some companies make synthetic silica, but both types commonly start with silica sand. Both natural and synthetic silica powders are frequently found in non-food products. Microscopic diatoms, which are hard-shelled skeletal remains of single celled plants, also contain silicon dioxide. These remains exist in salt and fresh water beds. These types of silica are frequently referred to as amorphous silica. They are frequently ground into granules or a fine powder, sometimes called silica flour. Diatomaceous earth silica may be used in food or non-food products. Quartz powders or glass powders are silica sand heated to extreme temperatures and melted. Artisans and manufacturers mold and shape the molten material. When cooled, the substance becomes glass. Paints, plastics, polyvinyl chloride glue, and corrosive resistant coatings all contain silica powders. In some of these products, the silica acts as a thickening or hardening agent. Some cleansers and detergents contain silica powders. The granulated mineral scrubs surfaces by means of mechanical abrasion. Silica detergents might be used for washing clothes, dishes, or be found in general powdered cleaners. Abrasive action is also desired in some toothpastes, which contain diatomaceous earth silica as one of the ingredients. When used in hand cleaners, the abrasive nature of silica may cause rashes or other skin irritations. Silica cosmetics contain the silky translucent powder to absorb skin oils. The mineral is thought to be hypoallergenic and some believe the substance reduces the visibility of facial lines and wrinkles. Consumers may purchase silica powders and add the substance to lawns or soil to increase moisture retention. Some believe the powdered form also deters or eliminates insect pests, though inhaling the product may lead to serious lung inflammation or possibly cancer. Food and pharmaceutical industries commonly use silica powders for the mineral’s ability to absorb up to 50% of its weight in moisture. Food grade, or the diatomaceous earth form of silica powders, is commonly used as an anti-caking agent in coffee creamers, powdered foods, and seasonings. The self-contained gel packs frequently found in medications and over-the-counter supplement bottles usually contain some form of silica. Bioplastics Bioplastic isnotmade from petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource. Bioplastics come fromsustainable renewable resources. Corn regrows in a year. They arenon- toxic:no harmful toxins will leak into the food compostable. Best case scenario it ends in a commercial compost facility where it composts, and is used to feed the soil and grow more plants. Biodegradable Bioplastic takes longer to biodegrade in home composts, where conditions are uncontrolled and are rarely optimal. If it does end up in a landfill it will biodegrade if it is exposed to bacteria, moisture and heat. There are different biodegradable plastics available, each with their own properties: PLA is made from fermented corn starch, and is a great alternative to conventional petroleum based plastic in many applications. PLA is transparent and heat sensitive to 40 C. It’s used on its own, or as a thin sheet over bagasse or cardboard to act as a moisture or grease barrier. It is used to make our  bags, bowls,  cupsand  lids. CPLA is a combination of PLA, chalk and other biodegradable additives and can withstand temperatures of up to 95 °C without deforming. It is usually opaque in colour and is used for making our disposable  cutlery  and  coffee cup lids. Definition of Terms For this research study, one must know and understand the following terms: Plastics are one of class of organic compounds made from hydrocarbons, proteins, cellulose, or resins that can be molded, extruded, cast, or otherwise fabricated into various shapes. In this study, we use bioplastics which are just plastics developed from cornstarch. Hydrophobicity is a characteristic of a material to repel water. Drop contact is a testing method to determine the hydrophobicity of the material. It is done by dropping a constant amount of water on a sample material over a dish. The amount of water on the dish shows how much water the sample repels. METHODOLOGY Procedure Preparation of materials The researchers prepared the various raw materials that make up the bioplastic: powdered silica, starch, vinegar, glycerin and water. Three different 7 cm x 7cm x 1 cm containers were also prepared and were labeled A, B and C. The materials and then placed in different containers, grouped as: ‘A’ for 0% concentration, ‘B’ for 1% concentration, ‘C’ for 2% concentration, and ‘D’ for 3% concentration.[Sir Jay1]  ­Ã‚ ­Production of the Plastic The materials mentioned above are mixed then heated until the mixture boils and creates a clear substance. After heating, the mixture is placed on a flat surface depending on the desired thickness. The mixture was set aside to dry until it produced a durable plastic. For the constant group; the researchers mixed 48g of cornstarch, 314ml of water, 8ml of vinegar, and another 8ml of glycerin. Thus 330 ml of mixture is produced which is divided into three making it 110 ml for each plastic sample. For 1% concentration; 3.3 ml of the 330 ml mixture is removed and replaced with 6.3g of powdered SiO2. The 330 ml with 1% concentration is also divided into three making it 110 ml of 1% concentration for each plastic sample. For 2% concentration; 6.6 ml of the 330 ml mixture is removed and replaced with 12.6g of powdered SiO2. The 330 ml with 2% concentration is also divided into three making it 110 ml of 1% concentration for each plastic sample. For 3% concentration; 9.9 ml of the 330 ml mixture is removed and replaced with 18.9g of powdered SiO2. The 330 ml with 3% concentration is also divided into three making it 110 ml of 1% concentration for each plastic sample. Testing and Data Gathering The produced plastic is tested on its hydrophobic properties by comparing the amount of water repelled by each of the concentrations (using the drop contact testing method). The dimensions of the sample material for each concentration that we used are 2 cm by 2 cm. The statistical test we have selected for this study is one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. Analysis If the silica-concentrated group shows a noteworthy distinction to the control, we can conclude that SiO2 is effective in making hydrophobic plastic. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION TABLE 1 Amount of water repelled by the produced bioplastics with different silica concentrations Reflected in Table 1 the evidence showing variability in the amount of water repelled by the plastics produced using different concentrations of silica. The minimum mean (0.63 mL) is in the control and the maximum (0.78 mL) is shared 2% and 3% concentration. FIGURE 1 Line graph showing the correlation between the values of the amount of water repelled Then, the researchers tested the data obtained using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test to see if there is a significant difference among the control and independent variables. According to the results of the test, there is a very significant difference (0.0002) on 0% vs 1% and extremely significant differences on 0% vs 2% and 0% vs 3%. However, the 1%, 2% and 3% concentrations show no significant differences when compared with each other. Furthermore, there is positive correlation (0.9012). CONCLUSION The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of silicon dioxide (SiO2) powder to the production of hydrophobic bioplastics. According to the results of our experiment, adding silicon dioxide to the contents of a bioplastic evidently makes it more hydrophobic. However, varying the concentration does not affect the hydrophobicity of the plastic. RECOMMENDATION The research group recommends adding more variations to the concentrations to give a better comparison of the experiment. Adding more trials to each concentration is also recommended to make the results more accurate. Also, using Tapioca starch is a great alternative for making the bioplastic. Remember to make the right calculations for the concentrations. Maintain the same shape, area, and weight for all trials of the plastic so that the comparison is accurate.  ­ BIBLIOGRAPHY BalcoNanoâ„ ¢. (n.d.). Hydrophobic Glasses. Retrieved from BalcoNano: http://www.balconano.com/HydrophobicGlass.aspx Craig Freudenrich, P. (n.d.). How Plastics Work. Retrieved from Howstuffworks: http://science.howstuffworks.com/plastic5.htm Hall, M. J., Barwick, S. (2013, April 10). What Are the Different Uses of Silica Powders? Retrieved from wiseGEEK: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-uses-of-silica-powders.htm Mempro Materials. (n.d.). Silicon Dioxide Nanofiber Materials. Retrieved from Mempro: http://mempro.com/products/ceramic-nanofiber-materials/silicon-dioxide-nanofiber-material/ Rice University News Release. (2010, September 1). Silicon oxide circuits break barrier. Retrieved from Understanding Nano: http://www.understandingnano.com/silicon-oxide-nanowire-memory.html Talbot, D. (2006, February 23). Super-Repellent Plastic. Retrieved from MIT Technology Review: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/405378/super-repellent-plastic/ http://www.greenhome.co.za/raw-materials/plant-starch/ APPENDICES Appendix A Total Cost of the Project Total project cost: à ¢Ã‚ ±Ã‚ £ 863.00 APPENDIX B Ordinary One-Way ANOVA (at ÃŽ ± = 0.05) APPENDIX C Tukey’s Multiple Comparisons (at ÃŽ ± = 0.05)  ­ 1 [Sir Jay1]revise

Song Of Solomon :: essays research papers

From Beginning to End Toni Morrison begins her novel Song of Solomon in a very unconventional way. Instead of introducing a setting or characters, she retells an incident that without further reading is for the most part incomprehensible. As readers we notice later on in the story the references made throughout the book that relate back to the introductory pages. Some of the main themes such as oral traditions, naming, and especially flight are introduced in the first six pages and are further developed in a very similar format throughout the book. One of the outstanding themes, oral tradition, is used to retell events throughout the book in a manner consistent with the beginning. On the first page we are introduced to an insurance agent by the name of Robert Smith. We shortly thereafter learn that he will "fly" form the top of Mercy Hospital. On the Wednesday of his flight a group of fifty people gather around the building to witness this event. While waiting for his "flight" or jump a woman in a contralto voice begins to sing the words "O Sugarman done fly away/ Sugarman done gone/ Sugarman cut across the sky/ Sugarman gone home…"(6) This lady simply describes Robert Smith's flight "home" which we later learn is really him committing suicide. Much later on in the book Milkman is listening to a group of children singing "O Solomon done fly away/ Solomon done gone/ Solomon cut across the sky/ Solomon gone home."(3) In this song Sugarman, or Robert Smith, is replac ed by Solomon, or the Great Grandfather of Milkman. The song describes his "flight" from Shalimar, his home town, and the events that happened after his "flight." In general, oral traditions are used in this book to retell past events for both our understanding and for the characters. They take the form of song, story, and fairy tale and are very important to the meaning of the story because they are a major medium of narration. Naming is utilized throughout the book for the purpose of creating identification and symbolism for the characters and places. On page four a brief description is given about the history of Mains Ave., or Not Doctor Street., as called by the Southside community. It is called Not Doctor Street. because a prominent black doctor had once lived there, and the people living there always referred to it as Doctor Street.

Pompeii- Politcal Life

Pompeii, as a typical Roman colony provincial towns, was self-administrating in local matters, but subject to imperial decree from Rome. However, the emperor rarely interfered except where the empire’s security or local order was threatened. After the revolt in the amphitheatre between Pompeians and Nucerians in AD 59 the emperor, Nero, dismissed the two chief magistrates, had two more elected and appointed a law-giving prefect to supervise them. The inhabitants did not rail against such interference and constantly demonstrated their loyalty to the imperial family by constructing dedicatory statues, shrines, arches and buildings. The actual government, the executive body, consisted of two duumviri and two aediles, annually elected by the comitium, the people’s assembly of which all adult male citizens were members. The Duumviri were the two chief magistrates of each town and were placed the highest in political life. During their years of office, the Duumviri wore a toga with a thick purple boarder and would enjoy the best seats at the public games or at the theatre. Because they were endowed with the power to revise the Council Roll, the ‘Quinquennales’ commanded the greatest respect. The annual election of these four magistrates was the comitium’s only function, and the elections did not fail to generate a fair deal of passion and excitement which can be seen in Source A which is showing graffiti of a political matter drawn on a wall to notify the people of Pompeii about the political event occurring. Of the four magistrates, the two aediles were in charge of public buildings, including temples such as the Temple of Isis, which can be seen in source B. The Temple of Isis In Pompeii, only freeborn male citizens over 25 with good moral character could vote. Housing blocks or districts constituted electoral areas. The Senatorial and the Equestrian classes represented and served the Roman Emperor. For senators, it was a hereditary position, with the requirement to have property valued at 1 million secterces. Senators were usually wealthy Romans who visited their villas in Pompeii. Equites were identified by togas with a narrow purple stripe. Equites served the Emperor in important posts such as commanders of fire services and military officers. It was not a hereditary position and was only given to men with property equal to 400,000 secterces. Decurions, were elected to run the town. Two were called duumviri, and were senior magistrates. They presided over elections, carried out decrees of the Decurion council, and were in charge of justice and finance. The two junior Decurions were the Aediles. They managed the dayto- day running of the town, upkeep of public buildings, water supply, sanitation, street markets and maintained order. Aediles were unpaid and needed other occupations to pay their employees. Politics and religion were heavily intertwined, where religious roles became political. The Augustales was an imperial cult of freedmen, which afforded its members political power. Membership was purchased; therefore a degree of wealth was required. Located one block away from the Forum in Pompeii is the Temple of Fortuna Augusta which housed the Augustales. characteristic was self-governance. .The duumviri were in charge of justice. Every five years, the duumviri were also responsible for organizing the census of all citizens and of revising the list of members of the ordo decurionum, the legislative council (or senate). It had about 100 members (decuriones), among them the former magistrates and other citizens appointed by the duumviri every five years. They had to be free-born citizens and wealthy enough to be able to spend considerable sums on the community. Some professions (such as gladiators, actors and innkeepers) were excluded from membership, which otherwise appears to have been relatively open. The Aediles, however, being the two lower ranking magistrates of the two towns, were responsible for the everyday administration. The reconstruction of Pompeii’s political structure is mainly based on epigraphical evidence such as the many election slogans on the walls of private as well public buildings, and on comparisons with other, similar colonies. The dramatic change from basically independent Samnite town to a Roman colony had of course a great impact on Pompeii’s townscape and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. The epigraphic evidence suggests that political activity in Pompeii was intense, especially leading up to the elections in March of each year. It appears from the thousands of electoral notices painted on the walls that most people, including women, were politically aware and enthusiastic. BUILDINGS The city council met in the lavishly decorated Curia chamber on the southern side of the Forum adjacent to the Comitium (People’s assembly) in the southern-eastern corner. The Comitium was a roofless building where town meetings were held during which the citizens could question the members of the government. The evidence for heavy gates suggests that some meetings might have been quite boisterous. It may also have been used on polling day. On the other side of the Curia was the small Tabularium where all the government. Business was recorded and filed, including tax records. Next door were the offices of the magistrates. The basilica was the seat of the judiciary and law courts, as well as a centre for business activities. Basilicas usually followed a standard plan: a long rectangular central hall, flanked on either side by a colonnaded aisle and an apse at one end. The central hall in Pompeii’s Basilica was two storeyed with light filtering through from the upper gallery. At one end, five doors linked the hall with the Forum and at the other was a raised podium where the magistrate, as judge, sat above the lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs and defendants. It is believed that the tribunal podium was accessed by portable wooden steps which were removed during a session so that the public could not reach the judge. The two duoviri made judgements about: unworthy decurions, electoral candidates without the required qualifications, inappropriate behaviour during elections, and misuse of public funds, robberies and murder. They were responsible for sentencing, but could only give the death penalty to foreigners and slaves. ELECTION FEVER About half of the electoral manifestos and propaganda discovered in Pompeii related to the election of March AD 79. Earlier slogans were whitewashed over to make advertising room for the next group of candidates. To identify himself, a candidate wore a white toga (candida) and employed a slave to whisper his name to all with whom he came in contact (nomenclator).

My Essay

Tymaine McBee March 21, 2013 Personal Statement Essay My name is Tymaine McBee and I am currently a student/trainee at OBT (Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow). The reasons why I have enrolled in OBT are to obtain my GED, get enrolled on a good college, and to get a good job. The main reason why I’m here is because high school didn’t really work out for me. I was always getting into trouble and everything else you can imagine. I was just a problem child but I hope I can get through OBT. I have faith that I can.The first reason why I chose to enroll in OBT is to get my GED. I feel that high school really wasn’t for me. Why you ask? Well, when I was in high school, I used to get in lots of trouble like fighting, hanging around with the wrong crowd, and getting locked up. I feel that OBT will help me obtain my GED because the staff here no only help you with school work they help you get ready for the business world as well. I think these skills will help me surviv e because in the real world you need business skills and school smarts to survive.My second reason why I enrolled into OBT is to get a job. The reason why I want a job is to help my grandmother out around the house, with bills and rent. I’m also looking to get a job so I can support myself like buying stuff that I need. Another reason why I’m looking to get a job because this will be the first job I ever had. I had previous chances to work for summer youth but I messed those chances up by getting locked up. But the main and most important reason why I’m hoping to get a job is so I can take care of my grandmother because she is very sick.The third reason why I go enrolled in OBT was to get into a good college. I’ve always wanted to go to college but I wasn’t the brightest kid in the world. One of the colleges I would like to go to is Hunter College. I would like to go to college to study computer networking, law, and nursing. The reason why I want t o study computer networking is because I love computers and I want to learn how to network one. The reason why I want to study in law is because I’m a good speaker and I fight for what’s right also I know how to hold a good argument.The reason why I want to study in nursing is because I want to give back to the community like I want to help old people get better when they are sick. In conclusion, I enrolled in OBT to get my GED, get into a good college, and to get a good job. I just hope that I can make it through this program without any slip-ups or anything. I really have faith that I can make it through these 23 weeks and get my GED and do something productive with my life instead of doing wrong. I’m glad that I’m a student/trainee at OBT its going to open new doors and opportunities for me in the future. My Essay Tymaine McBee March 21, 2013 Personal Statement Essay My name is Tymaine McBee and I am currently a student/trainee at OBT (Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow). The reasons why I have enrolled in OBT are to obtain my GED, get enrolled on a good college, and to get a good job. The main reason why I’m here is because high school didn’t really work out for me. I was always getting into trouble and everything else you can imagine. I was just a problem child but I hope I can get through OBT. I have faith that I can.The first reason why I chose to enroll in OBT is to get my GED. I feel that high school really wasn’t for me. Why you ask? Well, when I was in high school, I used to get in lots of trouble like fighting, hanging around with the wrong crowd, and getting locked up. I feel that OBT will help me obtain my GED because the staff here no only help you with school work they help you get ready for the business world as well. I think these skills will help me surviv e because in the real world you need business skills and school smarts to survive.My second reason why I enrolled into OBT is to get a job. The reason why I want a job is to help my grandmother out around the house, with bills and rent. I’m also looking to get a job so I can support myself like buying stuff that I need. Another reason why I’m looking to get a job because this will be the first job I ever had. I had previous chances to work for summer youth but I messed those chances up by getting locked up. But the main and most important reason why I’m hoping to get a job is so I can take care of my grandmother because she is very sick.The third reason why I go enrolled in OBT was to get into a good college. I’ve always wanted to go to college but I wasn’t the brightest kid in the world. One of the colleges I would like to go to is Hunter College. I would like to go to college to study computer networking, law, and nursing. The reason why I want t o study computer networking is because I love computers and I want to learn how to network one. The reason why I want to study in law is because I’m a good speaker and I fight for what’s right also I know how to hold a good argument.The reason why I want to study in nursing is because I want to give back to the community like I want to help old people get better when they are sick. In conclusion, I enrolled in OBT to get my GED, get into a good college, and to get a good job. I just hope that I can make it through this program without any slip-ups or anything. I really have faith that I can make it through these 23 weeks and get my GED and do something productive with my life instead of doing wrong. I’m glad that I’m a student/trainee at OBT its going to open new doors and opportunities for me in the future. My Essay Tymaine McBee March 21, 2013 Personal Statement Essay My name is Tymaine McBee and I am currently a student/trainee at OBT (Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow). The reasons why I have enrolled in OBT are to obtain my GED, get enrolled on a good college, and to get a good job. The main reason why I’m here is because high school didn’t really work out for me. I was always getting into trouble and everything else you can imagine. I was just a problem child but I hope I can get through OBT. I have faith that I can.The first reason why I chose to enroll in OBT is to get my GED. I feel that high school really wasn’t for me. Why you ask? Well, when I was in high school, I used to get in lots of trouble like fighting, hanging around with the wrong crowd, and getting locked up. I feel that OBT will help me obtain my GED because the staff here no only help you with school work they help you get ready for the business world as well. I think these skills will help me surviv e because in the real world you need business skills and school smarts to survive.My second reason why I enrolled into OBT is to get a job. The reason why I want a job is to help my grandmother out around the house, with bills and rent. I’m also looking to get a job so I can support myself like buying stuff that I need. Another reason why I’m looking to get a job because this will be the first job I ever had. I had previous chances to work for summer youth but I messed those chances up by getting locked up. But the main and most important reason why I’m hoping to get a job is so I can take care of my grandmother because she is very sick.The third reason why I go enrolled in OBT was to get into a good college. I’ve always wanted to go to college but I wasn’t the brightest kid in the world. One of the colleges I would like to go to is Hunter College. I would like to go to college to study computer networking, law, and nursing. The reason why I want t o study computer networking is because I love computers and I want to learn how to network one. The reason why I want to study in law is because I’m a good speaker and I fight for what’s right also I know how to hold a good argument.The reason why I want to study in nursing is because I want to give back to the community like I want to help old people get better when they are sick. In conclusion, I enrolled in OBT to get my GED, get into a good college, and to get a good job. I just hope that I can make it through this program without any slip-ups or anything. I really have faith that I can make it through these 23 weeks and get my GED and do something productive with my life instead of doing wrong. I’m glad that I’m a student/trainee at OBT its going to open new doors and opportunities for me in the future.

Aesthetic Tinder Profile Essay Example

Aesthetic Tinder Profile Essay Example Aesthetic Tinder Profile Paper Aesthetic Tinder Profile Paper Tinder profile Unless you live under a rock, then you probably know what Tinder is and if not, will enrich your mind. Tinder is a groundbreaking phone application that has taken the online-dating scene by storm, due to its simplistic matching system; if you like ones profile and they just so happen to like yours too you have a match! However, it is not as easy as it sounds. Unless you set your profile up in an appealing manner, you are heading down a one-way street tit no mutual likes. So now you are probably screaming to yourself, How do make my profile appealing! worry no longer ,because am about to show you. There is not much you need material wise for an aesthetic profile; you will only need a smart phone with tinder downloaded. The first step is hands down the most important, post pictures where you look desirable. Make sure to have a minimum of three pictures to remove any doubt that the viewer might have about your looks. If you are struggling at finding a photogenic picture of yourself, take one! Please, cannot stress this enough, do not, I repeat, do not, take duck face or bathroom-mirror selfish. Most men or women are not attracted to ducks or reflections, do not be a goof. Moving along, you are now going to seal the deal with your profile text. Since Tinder is fast- paced application, describe yourself in words, no one is trying to read an essay! Most importantly, everything you are going to say should be embellished.

Ethics and Legal Issues of E-business essays

Ethics and Legal Issues of E-business essays Ethics in any kind of business, be it traditional or e-business, makes specific judgements about what is right or wrong, which is to say, it makes claims about what ought to be done or what ought not to be done. Ethics is universal and is applied to anything that have relations to individuals. Ethics is there to guide business from harming the general public and with this in mind, ethics is also tied with legalities to help defend its principles. Ethics and legality works hand in hand to create a peaceful environment in doing business. B2Bs audience and clients are not individual people as compared to b2c websites. These individuals are members of a company. When conducting business you need to be aware who has authority, for example, for signing an NDA or placing an order on behalf of a company. Because the relationship is more extensive, every time you exchange information or data, it has to be carefully tracked and labeled as general business or confidential as appropriate. Since B2B counts on the sharing of mutual information ethics are a must. Accessing unauthorized areas in the trading system should not be allowed, and the privacy of partners should be protected both technically and legally. For the most part, proper behavior and ethics of participants are typically set forth in ethical codes developed by trade associations, commercial standard groups add the professions. For the most part, the Internet is unregulated. You do have CAN-SPAM and there are gambling laws and there are laws like the Federal Telecommunications Act and the Computer Decency Act and other laws on child porn, but the Internet is largely left to the free operation of the market. As with ethics, the proper behavior of participants are typically set forth in regulatory codes developed by trade associations, commercial standard groups add the professions. Ethics are based on universal values that do not change if you are d...

Help! Claritin Doesnt Work. What Should I Do

Help! Claritin Doesn't Work. What Should I Do SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you trying to get rid of your allergy symptoms but Claritin doesn’t work for you? Claritin is one of the most popular allergy medications on the market, but for some people it just doesn’t work. Why is this? It can be very frustrating when a drug doesn’t work the way you expect it to, so in this guide we go over the top five reasons your Claritin doesn’t work or you find Claritin not working anymore. We also go over which symptoms Claritin is supposed to treat (and which it doesn’t) as well as other methods to try to get allergy relief. What Is Claritin Supposed to Do? Claritin is a brand name for the drug loratadine which is an antihistamine used to treat allergies as well as hives or rashes. Antihistamines reduce the effects of histamines. Histamines are natural chemicals the body produces to help your body get rid of something that’s bothering your immune system, such as an allergen. In order to get rid of the allergen, histamines will heighten your body’s defense system causing you to sneeze, cough, tear up, have a runny nose, and itch to help get the allergen out of your system. Sometimes histamines can go overboard and leave you a miserable, sneezing, itching mess, so many people use antihistamines like Claritin to reduce the response their body has to allergens. Claritin is designed to reduce the following symptoms: Itching Coughing Sneezing Watery or itchy eyes Skin rash Hives Runny nose Claritin uses a formula that avoids the drowsiness many antihistamines produce so you can get allergy relief without feeling tired or foggy. 5 Possible Reasons Claritin Doesn’t Work for You Claritin can be a great drug for allergy sufferers, but for some people it doesn’t work or the Claritin stopped working. Why does this happen? Below are the five reasons Claritin doesn’t work for you or doesn’t work the way you expect it to. #1: You Didn’t Start Taking Claritin Soon Enough In order for Claritin to be most effective, you should aim to start taking it one to two weeks before allergens or other histamine triggers are in the air. Doing this helps your body begin to build up resistance so it’s prepared by the time the allergens arrive. If you only start taking Claritin once you have allergy symptoms, you may not get immediate relief, but the good news is it’ll begin working after several days or up to two weeks after you begin using it. #2: You Aren’t Consistent With Your Medication Claritin is meant to be taken once a day, every day during allergy season(s) in order to provide long-term relief from allergy symptoms. If you don’t take a Claritin pill every day, you could wind up suffering from allergy symptoms even on days you do take Claritin since the drug doesn’t start working immediately. Take one Claritin every day for it to be the most effective, but don’t take more than one pill a day, even if you missed a pill the day before. Taking multiple pills a day increases your risk of serious side effects. Remember to Claritin every day for it to be most effective. #3: You Expected Claritin to Be a Decongestant You might also be expecting Claritin to solve a problem it isn’t meant to solve. Although congestion can be a common symptom for allergy sufferers, it isn’t one of the symptoms that Claritin is supposed to stop. So if you’re suffering from congestion, you’ll need to use another drug other than Claritin, or you’ll need to try Claritin-D, a version of the drug that also helps with congestion. #4: Different Antihistamines May Work Better for You There are multiple kinds of antihistamines, and different antihistamine drugs have different combinations of them. It may be that the active antihistamine in Claritin, loratadine, isn’t the kind that’s most effective for you. This could cause Claritin to not work well when you take it. In the next section we go over other antihistamine drugs, some of which may work better for you than Claritin since they have different active ingredients. #5: You May Have Built Up a Tolerance If you’ve been using Claritin for multiple years and it worked in the past but the Claritin has stopped working, your body may have built up a tolerance to it. Building up a tolerance can happen for any drug you take. What happens is your body gets used to the drug after you take it over an extended period of time and stops having a response to the drug. This causes the drug to not work well or at all. If this happens, it may help to increase your dose or switch to a stronger antihistamine, but you shouldn’t do this without speaking with your doctor. Increasing your dose on your own can lead to serious side effects. Other Treatment Options If Your Claritin Doesn’t Work If Claritin doesn’t work for you, there are other options out there you can try to get allergy relief. Below are four categories of other treatment that may work better for you than Claritin. Other Non-Drowsy Antihistamines Claritin in one of three major non-drowsy antihistamine drugs. The other two Zyrtec and Allegra. Zyrtec’s active ingredient is cetirizine, while Allegra’s is fexofenadine. These are both different antihistamines than loratadine, the one Claritin contains, so if you find Claritin not working for you, switching to a different non-drowsy antihistamine drug may help you get relief. Non-drowsy antihistamines are very popular since they allow people to get relief from their allergy symptoms without feeling drowsy or tired during the day. Antihistamines That May Make You Drowsy If you’ve tried all three of the non-drowsy antihistamines and still are suffering from allergy symptoms, you may want to try other histamines that aren’t specifically anti-drowsy. The most common of these is Benadryl (active ingredient diphenhydramine), as well as Tavist (clemastine) and Dimetane (brompheniramine). Some people taking these drugs feel they work better than non-drowsy antihistamines, but taking them can cause you to feel tired for much of the day. For some people, this can affect their school or job performance as well as prevent them from doing regular activities, like driving, because the medication makes it difficult for them to stay alert and focused. It may help you to take this drug at night, before you go to bed, to reduce some of the drowsiness these drugs cause. Decongestants Allergies can cause the lining of your nasal passages to swell, which can make you feel like your nose is stuffed and make it more difficult to breathe. Decongestants shrink the swollen blood vessels and tissues in the nasal passages so you aren’t congested anymore. If you’re suffering from nasal/sinus congestion, you may want to try a decongestant either in place of or in addition to Claritin. Decongestants can come in pills, nose drops, nasal sprays, and liquids. Some common decongestant brands are Sudafed, Vicks Sinus, and Afrin. Decongestants don’t relieve other allergy symptoms like watery eyes, itching, and a runny nose, so if you’re suffering from any of those as well, you’ll likely need to use both antihistamines and decongestants to get relief. The three non-drowsy antihistamines mentioned above also come in versions that include a decongestant. You can tell if your antihistamine includes a decongestant if it has the letter â€Å"D† after its name (Claritin-D, Allegra-D, etc.). Natural Remedies You don't always need to pop a pill in order to get allergy relief; there are actually multiple natural remedies that help many people with allergies. One of the most effective and popular is a neti pot. A neti pot helps clear mucus and debris from your nasal cavity. To use a neti pot, first fill it with either a purchased saltwater solution or purified water. Stand over a sink and tilt your head sideways. Place the spout of the neti pot in your nostril that's currently pointed up. Carefully pour the water into your nostril so the water drains through your lower nostril. When it's done draining, repeat on your other side. Drinking two cups of green tea a day can also help relieve your allergy symptoms, especially if you start at least two weeks before allergy season. Green tea contains natural antihistamines to help fight allergy symptoms. Another effective natural remedy is an herb called butterbur. Some studies have shown butterbur to be as effective at fighting allergy symptoms as many over-the-counter allergy meds. If not properly processed though, butterbur can contain harmful chemicals known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), so you should always check any butterbur supplement you plan on taking with your doctor. Your butterbur supplement should also always be labeled "PA free." Summary: Claritin Not Working Claritin is a common antihistamine drug designed to reduce allergy symptoms without causing drowsiness. But what should you do if your Claritin stopped working effectively or Claritin doesn’t work for you? There can be several reasons for Claritin not working: You didn’t start taking Claritin soon enough You don’t take Claritin every day You’re expecting Claritin to be a decongestant The antihistamine Claritin contains (loratadine) doesn’t work for you as well as other antihistamines would You’ve built up a tolerance to Claritin, and now it doesn’t work as well If your Claritin stopped working, there are other drugs you can try to get relief from your allergy symptoms including other non-drowsy antihistamines, antihistamines in general, and decongestants.

United States Presidential Election Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States Presidential Election - Essay Example Still, there is only one of these candidates that has the credibility, honesty, and vision necessary to lead our country through these difficult times. Barak Obama can help heal this nation's legacy of discrimination, speak credibly about a peaceful future for out great grandchildren, and lead our country with the vision needed to assure a peaceful and prosperous future for all Americans. The election of Barak Obama to the office of the presidency could help to begin to erase the centuries of oppression and discrimination felt by African Americans left behind by the legacy of slavery. African Americans have been denied education, employment, and opportunities in America for over 300 years. Electing Barak Obama would show that America is finally ready to put aside race and begin to heal our nation's deepest wounds. There is significant evidence that the country still has racist attitudes. The Democratic primary has had race as a central issue as we see overwhelming numbers of blacks supporting Obama, while Clinton's supporters are a majority white. White voters fear the possibility of a black candidate taking the White House. Yet, these fears are unfounded. The election of Obama will not ignite a race war or cause centuries of resentment to boil over into recriminations against the white power structure based on race. Instead, it will give African Americans the show of respect and dignity that we value as a people and profess as a nation. Barak Obama should be elected president because he is the only candidate that has the credibility to guide our country into a peaceful future. While the other candidates speak of their desire for peace, Obama is the only one that has based his decisions, actions, and rhetoric on the philosophy of peace. John McCain openly supports the War in Iraq and has been an outspoken proponent of an escalation in troop levels in Iraq. Clinton, while she calls for an immediate withdrawal, voted for the war and has done little as a US Senator to lessen the prospects of continued involvement or hasten the possibility of peace. Our foreign policy is contingent on having other countries trust that our words and intentions will measure up to our actions. Without trust, other nations would only tentatively support our efforts and would remain cautious when we spoke of a desire for peace. However, Obama's initial, and consistent, stand against the military action in Iraq can be depended on to be genuine . The confidence that other nations place in our true intentions could bring them into the philosophy of peace and insure greater cooperation with our efforts to create a free and peaceful planet. The social structure of America is in such a state of chaos that it will require a president that has a solid vision for the country's future to be able to be an effective leader. America is polarized on several hot button issues such as abortion. Obama has the ability to reflect America's respect to the right of privacy, while assuring the rights of the minority are protected. His pro-choice stance reflects the ideology of a majority of Americans. America also has the social ills of poverty and inadequate health care that divide our nation. It will take more than billions of dollars and massive federal programs to solve our nation's problems. It will take a leader that can defuse the polarization on the emotionally charged issues, such as abortion, and bring about a sense of unity to the country. America needs a leader that has a focused vision of what our

The Major Stakeholders of Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Major Stakeholders of Global Warming - Essay Example Due to the increase in temperature, many of the living organisms get affected, and most of them die. The rise in the concentration of greenhouse gases results in the Earth becoming warmer progressively. This concentration mostly occurs by the release of gases, like CO2, in the atmosphere through natural processes, and also by industries and factories that burn fossil fuels. Deforestation is another cause of increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, since trees are the most important absorbers of CO2; and, when they are cut down, CO2 increases which concentrates the atmosphere. It is argued that CO2 will eventually lead to man’s death by warming up the Earth to an unacceptable level. There are many stakeholders of global warming. Human beings are the most important stakeholders, and are also the origin of it. All individuals must understand that human communities are at stake due to abrupt rise in sea level, massive storms and hurricanes, and heat and cold waves. For ins tance, the year 2007 brought worst floods in the history of many countries like Malaysia, UK, North Korea, and other African countries. Pakistan saw the worst flood in 2010, which took millions of lives and unsheltered thousands of people. Next to human beings, the stakeholders are the animals and plants. Some animals are able to move to places of suitable temperature, but some are not able to cross the mountain barriers and waters. Plants are immobile, so they die. Global governments are also one of the stakeholders, whose vision toward solving the issue of global warming depends upon the views of their citizens. Many of these governments have not been able to take steps toward the solution of global warming, but there are other examples like Kyoto Protocol of 1997 which planned to counter the climate change issue. The Southern Baptist Convention of June 2007, which was considered as the country’s largest Protestant denomination (Miller, 2008, p.128), raised concerns about t he fact that global warming will continue to affect the poor of the country, because even if steps are taken to counter global warming by reducing the number of factories that emit CO2, this will result in an increase in the cost of energy that will ultimately affect the poor. Businesses are the only stakeholders that will not make movements against the global warming issue; instead, they will even try to stop the movement against global warming. This is because businesses tend to run such factories and industries that emit CO2 into the atmosphere; and, no businessman would want to end his business. But not all businesses work in this manner. For example, FedEx is such a company that tends to decrease global warming by shifting its entire fleet of delivery trucks to hybrids. The biggest hazard of global warming is that it is giving rise to many climate changes. Earth, today, is much warmer than it was 100 years ago. â€Å"Around the world, the Earth's average temperature has risen more than 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the last century, and about twice that in parts of the Arctic† (National Geographic Society, para.2). One way we can observe the Earth getting warmer is by observing the trees. In warmer conditions, the trees get thicker and form thick rings.  

Economic Analysis for the Motion Picture Industry Term Paper

Economic Analysis for the Motion Picture Industry - Term Paper Example Thus, content is still king and that which appeals to the audience will earn more in an economy with higher levels of affluence and more leisure time. Fixed costs for a movie production house accrue from a need to maintain staff, equipment and stage as well as props in readiness for the shooting and production of a movie. A single movie cannot sustain a production house forever and this means that a successful movie production house is constantly investigating movie concepts, financing, shooting, editing and making deals for marketing and distribution. Variable costs accrue when the shooting of a new movie commences, requiring new stars, talent, equipment or on location shooting. However, after establishing a motion picture production house, the total cost curve and the marginal cost curve for motion picture production will present an L-shaped curve because acquisition of most of the equipment for making movies and stage as well as props etc. is complete at the time of production of the first movie. Products presented by the motion picture industry represent high levels of artistic innovation that revolve around the product rather than the firm that produces the movie (Vogel, 2007, Pp. 65 – 66). However, although many people think that making movies is fun and highly lucrative, nothing could be further from the truth. Product and demand uncertainty are a part of the movie making business and on the average, out of every ten movies produced, six or seven present unprofitable returns. Thus, making movies remains a truly entrepreneurial endeavour and only those motion pictures that can compete effectively for the attention of the audiences in relation to others present great returns (De Vany, 1999, Pp. 1 – 5). De Vany (1999, Pp. 1 – 5) goes further to suggests that a Levy stable process that is asymptotically Pareto-distributed with infinite variance depicts box – office revenue dynamics for motion pictures, with rare blockbuster movies dominating the me an in the far left end as depicted in the figure below (Sinha, 2005, Slide 10). Figure 1: Income Distribution Snapshot for 100 – 150 Movies showing in Theatres across the USA, from (Sinha, 2005, Slide 10) The film industry presents a myriad of interesting problems that lend themselves to economic analysis (McKenzie, 2009, Pp. 1 – 3). Deciding about a strategy for transforming the initial concept into reality followed by production, distribution and finally exhibition all present economic puzzles that are worthy of investigation. However, with global annual spending on movies by the consumers exceeding one trillion dollars, it is worth aspects related to the economic analysis of the motion picture industry (Vogel, 2007, Pp. xix – xx). This very brief report presents a discussion about aspects of economic analysis for the motion picture industry, including aspects of industry demand and cost structure for the motion picture industry. Industry Demand When thinking about demand for a motion

The Transformation of the Social Sphere Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Transformation of the Social Sphere - Essay Example It also kept the general population informed on current affairs, helped the educational system and provided literature to entertain the people. The next biggest invention that impacted mass media was the radio. The radio united humans by adding the cognitive element of being  able to hear additional communicative elements such as vocal inflexion as information travelled through radio waves into peoples’ homes. This influence was itself rendered nearly obsolete with the invention of film and television. The latest medium that surged at the end of the 20th century to rival the influence of the television has been the introduction of the desktop computer and widespread access to the internet. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect the mass media had on the temporal and spatial foundation of the social sphere. It is helpful to start with a common conception of what is meant when referring to the spatial and temporal foundations of the social sphere. The spatial dimension refers to the physical space that separates humans in different parts of the world in terms of geographical location. â€Å"Spatial structure is now seen not merely as an arena in which social life unfolds, but rather as a medium in which social relations are produced and reproduced† (Pries, 2002, p. 2), such as the virtual spaces of the television and the computer screen. Mass media also extends the space of experience because it provides a greater accessibility to a variety of information and places (Carpignano, 1997). In addition, it can bridge the gap between spatial linguistic barriers such as those that exist within the People’s Republic of China, where regional dialects prevent oral communication between regions. Because all literate Chinese share a similar written language, though, mass media enables these regions of China to communicate. Mass media has changed the way people have perceived the world for the last 500 years.   It has impacted the behaviour of human beings through technological advances such as the television by altering their daily patterns of activity and the established means of communicating important cultural values and ideas among members of a society.   However, with new technologies, some of the necessary interaction may return to these cultural interactions as they become more ‘real-time’ and enable individuals to not only hear the vocal inflexions of the individual they are speaking with but also visualize their facial features and other symbols of a physical presence through the virtual medium of the video screen.

BSB119 Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BSB119 Global Business - Essay Example The media also felt affected from the inhuman act which led them to air the documentary. The media highlighted the cruelty so as relevant stakeholders could intervene. Animals Australia which is an animal lobby group, demonstrated on the fundamental rights of the cattle. The group fights for the welfare of animals. The government was also affected through the loss of taxes. During the time of the ban, the government lost $320 million dollars from the entire six months period. b) The transfer risk is the most interfered from the ban of live cattle trade. Transfer risk refer to the government’s interference with a company’s ability to exchange funds to and from a country. The live cattle trade involves the international trade between Australia and Indonesia. The Australian farmers benefited through foreign exchange. The government also benefitted greatly through the realization of income and tax duties. Based on Christopher (2015) the government lost a total of three hundred and twenty million US dollars from the ban. Further, the ban also led to loss of employment, which provided income to the workers. A maximum of 300 jobs were lost leading to loss of income in subsequent departments. The Indonesian cattle importers also lost income from the ban. c) The cattle industry stakeholders could have had joint international consultations prior to the regrettable decision. The concerned parties could have had international talks to address the issue. The talks could have ended the issue peacefully without affecting the farmers and the consumers. The move promotes international trade and integration. The cattle importers and exporters could have used their respective Animal Councils to ensure that they operated within the accepted ethical framework. The Australian and the Indonesian Animal Councils formulate the accepted codes of practice for better outcomes. The Indonesian government through its Animal councils could have played their oversight

Answering Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answering Questions - Essay Example d activities are focused on is the construction of its social infrastructure, which proves their substantial degree of uncomplicatedness, and willingness to restrain from persecution; therefore, long-term survival. In most Arab countries, the brotherhood has integrated into political institutions. In the western countries, it has established itself in local Muslim communities by setting up Mosques, banks, Islam facilities, and educational and social institutions (MAITIC 6-8). Contemporary Shiites have a common form of Shi’ism that they adhere to; Twelver Shi’ism or the Imami. This belief is from the origins of Shi’ism which believed in the fundamental teaching that the Muslim Community’s rightful rulers were from a series of twelve Imams. This began with Ali ibn Abu Talib. This belief is continued to date. Shi’ism has continued to become the function of Iran’s politics based on the above ideology. Shi’ism has, however, discontinued in some of its institutions and traditions, as they are changed and determined by descendants who may not have what it takes to run the institutions, and guide the traditions properly (Fradkin). Earlier jihadist groups fought to conquer specific regions for both material and religious reaons. Jihadist groups fought to protect, to revenge, and to gain material wealth. They struggled to protect Islam, and against those who did not believe in Islamic God. Al Qaida also struggles against those who do not believe in Islamic God, but through a different way. Al Qaida are terrorists, and fight to achieve their aim through terror attacks. Earlier jihadists involved themselves in battles. The difference is in the ideology of battle and methods of struggles (Rabasa et al 9). Both the Sunni Islamist and Shia Islamists understanding of Jihad is the same. Both groups of Islamists consider Jihad as a holy war. Sunni Islamists believe that they should wage a holy war against the Shia Islamists who give honor to Mohammad’s descendants

BSB119 Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BSB119 Global Business - Essay Example The media also felt affected from the inhuman act which led them to air the documentary. The media highlighted the cruelty so as relevant stakeholders could intervene. Animals Australia which is an animal lobby group, demonstrated on the fundamental rights of the cattle. The group fights for the welfare of animals. The government was also affected through the loss of taxes. During the time of the ban, the government lost $320 million dollars from the entire six months period. b) The transfer risk is the most interfered from the ban of live cattle trade. Transfer risk refer to the government’s interference with a company’s ability to exchange funds to and from a country. The live cattle trade involves the international trade between Australia and Indonesia. The Australian farmers benefited through foreign exchange. The government also benefitted greatly through the realization of income and tax duties. Based on Christopher (2015) the government lost a total of three hundred and twenty million US dollars from the ban. Further, the ban also led to loss of employment, which provided income to the workers. A maximum of 300 jobs were lost leading to loss of income in subsequent departments. The Indonesian cattle importers also lost income from the ban. c) The cattle industry stakeholders could have had joint international consultations prior to the regrettable decision. The concerned parties could have had international talks to address the issue. The talks could have ended the issue peacefully without affecting the farmers and the consumers. The move promotes international trade and integration. The cattle importers and exporters could have used their respective Animal Councils to ensure that they operated within the accepted ethical framework. The Australian and the Indonesian Animal Councils formulate the accepted codes of practice for better outcomes. The Indonesian government through its Animal councils could have played their oversight

The Responsible Electorate Essay Example for Free

The Responsible Electorate Essay Election returns identify which candidate gets the most votes from the electorate, but in essence, thats all it really tells us. Why does one candidate get more votes than another? We cannot assume its because of his past record or promises for the future. Its interesting to examine what make the electorate vote as it does. Instruments such as the Gallup Poll have helped experts determine voting behaviors of a large number of people. Preliminary findings many years ago lead researchers to believe that people voted according to where they were socio-economically. However, there were exceptions to the rule, often dependent upon how optimistic or pessimistic a person was. A persons political foundation and background also played a key role in how he voted.  Many feel today that the electorate does not always make informed decisions. Rather, they are manipulated by candidates who play on the electorates origins, occupations, residence, etc. Voters are looking for a certain image or characteristic. Politicians look to see what the electorate might be responsive to and then provide it worth obvious neglect for political substance. Ultimately, Key points out that voters are not fools. He does feel that some voters approach the task in strange ways, but the majority of the electorate approach decision making as rationally and responsibly as we should expect, given the clarity of the alternatives presented to it and the character of the information available to it. He does not feel that todays American electorate is easily manipulated. Instead, it studies the issues, evaluates the governments performance, and assesses personality and a  potential leaders character. We can have faith that the electorate will continue to take its voting right seriously and use it to maintain and strengthen our democratic form of government.

Laser beam welding

Laser beam welding Introduction: Laser Beam Welding â€Å"LBW† is a contemporary welding process that is a high energy beam that continues to expand into new industries and new applications because of its advantages like deep welding and reduced heat inputs. Profound Manufacturers sought to automate the welding process caused the expansion of the laser beam welding process to include computers and more sophisticated technology to increase the product quality and more accurate control of the welding process. From More than 20 years ago, when laser welding was in its early life was used primarily for bizarre applications where no other welding process would be suitable. Nowadays, laser welding is an imperative part of the metal toil industry. How It Works: The Focal point is aimed on the work piece surface that will be welded. At the surface the large concentration of light energy is converted into thermal energy. The surface of the work piece starts melting and steps forward through it by surface conductance. For welding process, the beam energy is maintained below the vaporization temperature of the material. In Fig. 1 the laser beam is directed on the work piece. â€Å"To the point that the laser beam contacts the work piece, all the components that direct it are transparent, refractive or reflective, absorbing only small amounts of energy from the ultraviolet light.† The laser power supply is capable of delivering a pulse of light that has accurate and repeatable energy and duration. When the pulse of laser energy is focused into a small spot at the surface of the work piece, the energy density becomes enormous. The light is engrossed by the work piece, causing a keyhole effect as the focused beam drills into, vaporizes and melts some of the metal. As described in fig. 2. As the pulse ends, the liquefied metal around the keyhole flows back in, solidifying and creating a small spot weld, moving the work piece or the laser emitter along the surface of the work piece creates a series or spot weld that is called a â€Å"seam†. Similarities And Differences To Other Welding Processes When compared to other welding processes, laser welding has some similar as well as some unique characteristics Like GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding), laser welding is a fusion process performed under inert cover gas, where filler material is most times not added. Like electron beam welding, Laser welding is a high energy density beam process, where energy is targeted directly on the workpiece. Laser differs from both GTAW and EB (electron beam) welding in that it does not require that the workpiece complete an electrical circuit. And since electron beam welding must be performed inside a vacuum chamber, laser welding can almost always offer a cost advantage over EB in both tooling and production pricing. Advantages Of Laser Welding One of the largest advantages that pulsed laser welding offers is the minimal amount of heat that is added during processing. The repeated pulsing of the beam allows for cooling between each spot weld, resulting in a very small heat affected zone. This makes laser welding ideal for thin sections or products that require welding near electronics or glass-to-metal seals. Low heat input, combined with an optical (not electrical) process, also means greater flexibility in tooling design and materials. Industries Served: 1- Aerospace. 2- Defense/military. 3- Electronics. 4- Research development. 5- Medical. 6- Sensors instrumentation. 7- Petrochemical refining. 8- Communications energy. Laser Safety â€Å"Lasers emit a very concentrated beam that can be visible or invisible. In general, most lasers used for welding are invisible. This beam of infrared light could focus onto the skin or eye unless safety precautions are observed. Industrial laser systems are fully interlocked to prevent any danger to operators. Most are equipped with National Center for Devices and Radiological Health covers that contain the actual laser operation, permitting people working nearby to perform normally.† With proper design and careful precautions, laser systems are no more dangerous than other welding systems or similar machine tools.

Education In The Media A Look At October Sky :: essays research papers

"How about I believe in the unlucky ones? If I don't I'd probably go crazy."(Laura Dern, October Sky) This could arguably be the most important line in the entire movie, in my opinion. This teacher recognizes the potential in every student, not only the ones with visible ability. This, I would hope, would be the goal of every teacher. Teachers have the greatest gift in the world - - the ability to help shape a student's life. Recognized and appreciated he or she can use that to present a world of opportunities to those who may not have had any. This was true in "October Sky"; the "Rocket Boys" were from a small failing mining community, where little expectations were placed on them and even less opportunities were available. When Dern's character was accused of giving the boys false hopes she held her grounds and continued to support the boys. This to me is an example of a great teacher, one who will continue to do what he or she thinks is right regardless of whether it earns her the disapproval of the rest of the staff. The movie "October Sky" gives a very positive representation of a teacher. She is a role model, a friend, a source of information, a defender, and a fighter. She is portrayed as compassionate, understanding, and very beneficial in keeping the students directed toward their goals. This would seem to say that teachers need these qualities in order to fully relate to their students. A teacher can not only be there for informational needs, but must also stand behind her students and be prepared to defend their rights to discover themselves. Education In The Media A Look At October Sky :: essays research papers "How about I believe in the unlucky ones? If I don't I'd probably go crazy."(Laura Dern, October Sky) This could arguably be the most important line in the entire movie, in my opinion. This teacher recognizes the potential in every student, not only the ones with visible ability. This, I would hope, would be the goal of every teacher. Teachers have the greatest gift in the world - - the ability to help shape a student's life. Recognized and appreciated he or she can use that to present a world of opportunities to those who may not have had any. This was true in "October Sky"; the "Rocket Boys" were from a small failing mining community, where little expectations were placed on them and even less opportunities were available. When Dern's character was accused of giving the boys false hopes she held her grounds and continued to support the boys. This to me is an example of a great teacher, one who will continue to do what he or she thinks is right regardless of whether it earns her the disapproval of the rest of the staff. The movie "October Sky" gives a very positive representation of a teacher. She is a role model, a friend, a source of information, a defender, and a fighter. She is portrayed as compassionate, understanding, and very beneficial in keeping the students directed toward their goals. This would seem to say that teachers need these qualities in order to fully relate to their students. A teacher can not only be there for informational needs, but must also stand behind her students and be prepared to defend their rights to discover themselves.

Benvolio vs. Mercutio in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: William Shakespeare

It was a hot summer day in the town square of Verona when the two households came face to face, both feeling and showing their emnity. In the play of Romeo and Juliet, written by Shakespeare, Tybalt wishes to fight Romeo and since Romeo is refusing to battle him, Mercutio steps up and takes Romeo's place. Benvolio is, like always, begging and pleading for them to keep the peace. All through the tale, Romeo's best friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, try to help Romeo with their own particular methods. Surprisingly, there are no characters that differ from each other more than Benvolio and Mercutio. Although Benvolio and Mercutio are alike because they are both very loyal to Romeo, they are different because Benvolio is calm, level-headed, and honest and Mercutio tends to be a sarcastic, wild person who follows his emotions more than his common sense. Mercutio and Benvolio express loyalty and companionship toward Romeo. Mercutio battles Tybalt in order to defend Romeo's honor, when Romeo has already made it clear that he doesn't want anyone to fight. Mercutio bravely faces the furious Tybalt and says "O calm, dishonorable, vile submission! Tybalt you rat-catcher will you walk?" (Scene Five). Benvolio also shows he is faithful to Romeo when he devises the brilliant plan of crashing the Capulet's ball, in an attempt to cure his friend Romeo's depression. When he says "... Supper is done, and we shall come too late." (Scene Two), he's convincing Romeo to go to the ball to have some fun or else it'll be too late and he'll stay heart broken. Mercutio and Benvolio are different because Mercutio is a wild person that likes to pick fights even though they aren't "his" battles. When Tybalt is looking for Romeo, Mercutio steps up and declares "... Here is my fiddlestick, here's that shall make you dance." (Scene Five), thus making Tybalt even angrier and causing a fight. You can see Benvolio is a peace-keeping person especially when he states "I do but keep the peace: put up thy sword..." (Scene One). He says this mainly because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt or get in trouble with the law. Although Mercutio and Benvolio are really close to being antithesis of one another, they are also similar because they are both incredibly loyal and faithful to Romeo. Though they are an oddly matched pair, they somehow combine to add their own unique flavors to Romeo and Juliet.

Financial Management Questions Essay

Question 1:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Medwig Corporation has a DSO of 17 days.   The company averages $3500 in credit sales each day.   What is the company’s average account’s receivable?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Answer / Solution:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounts Receivable = Days Sales Outstanding * (Sales / Days)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   = 17 * (3500/1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   = $59,500 Question 2: Discuss some of the techniques available to reduce risk exposures?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Answer:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insurance is one of the simplest and most available ways to reduce exposure to risk.   It involves the transfer of risk to another company.   Depending on the amount and nature of the risk involved, risk retention by self-insurance might not be a practical option, especially if the cost of transferring the risk (insurance premiums) is reasonable enough to not add significant costs.   Risk transfer is not done always through insurance, however. Outsourcing some operations to a company who agrees to take on the risk involved is another type of risk reduction.   Some tasks are best suited for specialized companies, and large organizations might outsource such activities as customer support, software development and internal security. Derivative hedging is also an option, depending on the nature of the company.   Futures contracts, for example, reduce the risk of price fluctuations in a particular commodity, and are very useful to transfer it to a speculator.   A company producing commodities would benefit from this type of hedge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aside from transferring risks, a company might try to reduce risk by reducing the inherent cause of the risk.   Instead of hiring a single custodian for cash transfers, a company might hire another one to reduce the risk of employee theft.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The last method is to avoid the risk completely.   This will completely circumvent possible losses, but it also precludes any possible gains from taking on the risk.

Fast Food Restaurants and Healthy Choices FD Essay

When choosing what kind of food establishment you want to go to, it is always a good idea to know the nutritional information for the food you want to eat. By knowing this information, you will be able to make a better decision towards choosing an establishment that serves healthier food keeping you in better shape. McDonald’s Calories McDonalds’ food tends to have higher calories than foods that you would find at an establishment such as Subway. The Big Mac burger from McDonalds’ for instance has 550 calories (http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/food/product_nutrition. sandwiches. 255. Big- Mac.html) and that is just the burger itself; that is not including any French Fries that come standard with the meal. The Premium McWrap Chicken & Bacon (Crispy) has a whopping 620 calories (http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/food/product_nutrition. chicken. 1063. Premium- McWrap-Chicken-Bacon-Crispy. html) and once again, this is not including any sides that you might want to get with your meal. Of their â€Å"Burgers and Sandwiches,† only 15 of 37 menu items have less than 400 calories and that is not including any sides. It is also noteworthy that many of their items also have high sodium content (http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/full_menu_explorer. html). Fast Food Restaurants and Healthy Choices 3 Subway’s Calories Subway’s food tends to have lower calories than that of McDonalds. The 6† BLT only has 320 calories (http://www. subway. com/nutrition/nutritionlist. aspx). A 6† Cold Cut Combo only has 360 calories (http://www. subway. com/nutrition/nutritionlist. aspx). Their highest calorie count sandwich, the Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt (includes cheese), only has 570 calories (http://www. subway. com/nutrition/nutritionlist. aspx). Out of the 29 sandwiches listed in their nutritional information, 18 have less than 400 calories. That is 62% of the meals compared to 40% of McDonalds’ meals. It does have to be mentioned that not all of McDonalds’ meals were looked at due to trying to keep the total number of meals looked at close to the same. When you look at Subway, they also have 9 sandwiches of the 29 that are below 300 calories. Like McDonalds though, none of these items include any sides you might order with your sandwich. One should also pay attention to the items that make up their meal, such as meat, bread, greens, etc. Ingredients in Food Another key item that you want to look at when choosing your food is what makes the food. We are not talking specific ingredients such as this chemical and this dye; more we are speaking bread, meat, and other items like those. McDonalds’ Ingredients When you get food from McDonalds’, the ingredients that you get are frozen burger patties, frozen fries, and frozen chicken nuggets. You are not getting fresh food that has not been frozen. It is noteworthy however that their beef patties are not cooked until they arrive at the restaurant from which they are to be served (http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/food/food_quality/see_what_we_are_made_of/your_question Fast Food Restaurants and Healthy Choices 4 s_answered/meats. html). McDonalds’ also does not cook their food at the time of delivery, one look behind the counter and you can see that they store cooked food in bins until the food is put on a bun. French fries are also left under heat lamps until they are packed into the containers that hold them and put with your meal. The same practice goes with chicken nuggets. While this may not have a lot to do with your food being healthy, it does have to do with your food being fresh. Who doesn’t want their food cooked for them when they order and not sitting under heat lamps for who knows how long before you get the food? Subway’s Ingredients When it comes to the ingredients at Subway, everything is right there in your face. The deli sliced meat is sitting in refrigerated bins waiting to go on your sandwich. The bread is fresh made, which you can see behind the counter, and in ovens until your sandwich is made. Any ingredients such as chicken that might go onto your sandwich is stored in a refrigerated container until it is cooked and immediately put on your sandwich. No hot ingredients, except for the bread rolls, are cooked until you order the food. All produce that might go onto your sandwich is also stored in metal refrigerated containers until you order your sandwich. Like McDonalds, this may not necessarily mean healthier food, but it does give you the ability to see what exactly is going on the sandwich that you order. Seeing the quality of what you are eating before it is put on your meal helps lend a little credibility to the good itself. Choices of Food Items When it comes to your food, it is important that you are able to make your meal healthier if you would like to. Replacing certain ingredients can be a good way to make your food healthier for you. McDonalds’ doesn’t have a lot of options to make your food healthier whereas Subway does. Even reducing 100 calories for a meal is good towards a healthier lifestyle. Fast Food Restaurants and Healthy Choices 5 McDonalds’ Choices When you go to McDonalds, you do not have a lot of options when it comes to making your food healthier. While you can order apple slices to replace your French fries, you cannot change the bun that your food comes on to make it healthier. You cannot just go to McDonalds and have spinach put on your burger to replace the iceberg lettuce that comes stock on your burger. Subways’ Choices When you order food from Subway, there are quite a few ways to make your meal healthier. First off, you can have spinach put on your sandwich instead of the iceberg lettuce that would normally be on your sandwich. You can also choose healthier rolls for your sandwich, such as wheat or whole grain. You can also choose healthy fruits and vegetables to go on your sandwich such as tomatoes, bell peppers, pickles, onions, and many others. This gives you the option of making your meal extremely healthy. If you really want to, you can even have a sandwich that is completely fruits and vegetables on a healthy role, making you an extremely healthy meal. You can easily avoid any sauces such as sweet onion sauce or teriyaki sauce to avoid those extra calories. Conclusion In today’s society, fast food restaurants are becoming more popular; and sadly obesity is also becoming much more prevalent. People are in such a rush that fast food is a great option for them because they don’t have a lot of time. What most people need to recognize is that there are healthier options when it comes to fast food, such as Subway over McDonalds. All you have to do is look at http://www. subway. com/Menu/MealBuilder/MealBuilder. aspx to see it right in your face. Fast food does not have to be the unhealthy choice that it has become, there are options out Fast Food Restaurants and Healthy Choices 6 there and all you have to do is look for them. References Retrieved from http://www. mcdonalds. com/us/en/home. html Retrieved from http://www. subway. com/subwayroot/default. aspx Fast Food Restaurants and Healthy Choices 7.

300 †Rationalism vs Empiricism †Summary and History Essay

What is reality really like? A current running through much of the philosophical thinking around the time of Socrates and Plato was that there is a difference between how the world appears and how it is. Our senses reveal one layer of reality but it is our minds that penetrate deeper. The world of appearances is a world in flux but underneath there must be a stable reality. For there is much that is unchanging. We recognise kinds of things – badgers, daffodils, mountains – and whilst members of these kinds are born, change and die, and differ from one another in ever so many ways, the kind-defining essence doesn’t change. We see here the key rationalist idea that knowledge is a priori knowledge of necessary truths Plato said that kinds were defined by the transcendental forms. He presented a number of arguments for the existence of these things. Prior to our incarnation, our souls existed in the realm of forms where we learned about these essences. In our terrestrial state, we cannot recall what we know. Socrates considered himself a â€Å"midwife to knowledge† instead of a teacher, helping his interlocutors to draw out what they don’t know that they know. The example of Meno and the slave-boy shows this idea clearly. Like many philosophers, Plato was also fascinated by mathematics. We are able to tap into a universe of truths that are non-sensible: we do not see numbers and we do not see the perfect geometric forms. Once again, we see the difference between the powers of the mind and the powers of the senses. It was in the 17th century that the debate between the rationalists and the empiricists came to a head. Philosophers such as Descartes and Leibniz emphasised the power of reason over the senses. Descartes argued that our senses were fallible and that we could not rule out the possibility of the demon deception hypothesis on the basis of sensory evidence alone. Descartes argued that he knew he existed, as a mind, on the basis of reflection alone: when I think, I cannot fail to be aware of myself as existing as that thinker (cogito, ergo sum). Having proved that he exists, Descartes argued that God exists. Since God is no deceiver, he would not have given us senses that systematically mislead. But let us not overemphasise the powers of the senses. Descartes argued that even with material things, it is reason that exposes their essences. In his piece of wax reasoning, he argued that the senses merely reveal a succession of impressions: it is reason that grasps the underlying and enduring substance as extended (and filled space). Plato and Descartes believed that we are born with concepts and knowledge. In Descartes’ case, there was a religious motive: we are all born in the image of God. We discover more about the world primarily through metaphysical reflection. The philosopher Francis Bacon, an early empiricist, famously dismissed this rationalist approach to knowledge. He compared rationalists to spiders who spin â€Å"complex metaphysical systems out of their entrails†. Empiricists get their hands dirty: like bees gathering pollen, they gather knowledge about the world and only then reflect on it. Around the same time as Bacon, many new discoveries were being made that shook the prevailing views of reality. The Earth was dethroned from its position at the centre of the universe by Copernicus. A new star (a supernova) was observed by Tycho Brahe in 1572 – yet the heavens were supposed to be timeless and unchanging. Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter – again, everything clearly didn’t revolve around the Earth. Later in the 17th century, scientist-philosophers such as Newton, Boyle, Gassendi and Huygens would revolutionise our understanding of reality. The original empiricist manifesto was written by John Locke. In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding, he sought to show how a mind that was blank at birth – a tabula rasa or blank slate – could come to be filled. His first targets were the innate concepts and knowledge (‘ideas’) of the rationalists. There are no such things. There are no truths everyone agrees on. Many people fail to grasp the supposed metaphysical truths. Instead, our senses deliver ideas to us. We store them, abstract from them to form general ideas, and compound and mix them to generate new ideas. Like Lego bricks, we build the meagre sensory data into ever more complex structures. Even Leibniz thought Locke was onto something here. He claimed that our minds were like blocks of marble that had to be carefully chiselled at to reveal the hidden structure (the innate truths). It is hard work and not everyone will end up well-chiselled. Hume took empiricism to its limit. Where Locke talked indifferently of ideas, Hume distinguished impressions and ideas. Impressions are the direct deliverances of the senses and are forceful and vivid in comparison to ideas, which are the copies our minds makes. (He also agreed with the Empiricist Berkeley that Locke’s theory of general ideas was wrong. We do not abstract from particular ideas to a general idea but use a particular idea in a general way via a general name. ) What about the precious necessary truths philosophy is supposed to study? Locke argued that once we have ideas in our mind, our mind will perceive the necessary connections between them – e. g. that a triangle has internal angles that add to 180o? But where does the idea of necessity come from? Hume provided an answer. He distinguished statements into two categories: those expressing relations of ideas (analytic) and those expressing matters of fact (synthetic). The analytic truths express mere definitions: we simply are aware of an association between terms. The synthetic truths are the contingent truths. So what happens to interesting necessary truths, such as God exists or nothing exists without being caused to exist? Hume argued that if these weren’t analytic – and they aren’t – they aren’t necessary. We feel that they are necessary and this is all necessity is: a psychological property. When we say that X caused Y, we think we have said something about the universe. We think we have seen an example of a law of nature (e. g. the water in the bucket froze because it was cold exemplifies the law water freezes at 0oC). Science investigates these laws. Hume said that causation was â€Å"all in the mind†. We see one thing after another and when we’ve seen instances of a regularity enough, we develop the feeling that one thing must be followed by the other. Hume, like Locke, emphasised how all we can be certain of are our impressions – how the world seems. Scientists are really investigating how the world appears: they can never be certain that the world really is the way it appears. So, empiricism seems to lead straight to scepticism about the external world. Kant objected strongly to this. Science really is studying the external world and there really is an external world for it to investigate. Kant brought about a revolution in philosophy (he called it a â€Å"Copernican revolution). He argued that the empiricists and rationalists were both right and wrong. The Empiricists were right: science requires the study of the world and the world is brought to us via the senses. The Rationalists were right: our mind is not blank but contains structures that enable us to interpret the stream of data from the senses. We may liken the mind to a mould and the data to jelly: one only has something structured by combining both. Or: the mind is a computer with an operating system and the data is the input from the user. A computer with just an operating system is inert. A computer into which data is inputted but which has no operating system is just data: it cannot be interpreted. Only when you combine both do you get something useful. Our minds contain the â€Å"structures† for space, time, objects and causation, for example. (In Kant’s terminology, space and time are the pure forms of intuition whereas the structures for objects and causation are pure concepts of the understanding. ) This means that we experience a world of spatio-temporally located objects in which causation happens because this is how our minds make it appear. Does this mean that the world as such is â€Å"all in the mind†? Or is the mind somehow â€Å"tuned† to the structure of reality, so that our pre-programmed minds mirror the structures of reality? This is a very difficult question over which there is no agreement amongst experts. The Empiricist movement came back with a vengeance in the 20th century. Philosophers such as Bertrand Russell agreed with Hume that our knowledge begins with our knowledge of sense-data (classical empirical foundationalism). Armed with new discoveries in mathematics and logic, and backed by the successes of science, the logical positivists argued that the only proper way to investigate the world was the scientific way. If I say p and p is synthetic and there is no objective, scientific way to verify my claim that p, then my claim is meaningless. (This is the celebrated verification principle). So, if it is true that there atoms, we should be able to find empirical – sensory – evidence of them. If it is true that nothing happens without being caused to happen, then we likewise need scientific evidence for this. We cannot discover whether it is true by pure reason. The Logical Positivist movement failed. There is much that seems meaningful that is not objectively verifiable by the senses, such as the occurrence of private sensations. The principle makes it impossible for general claims such as â€Å"all mammals are warm-blooded† to be true, as we cannot verify all of them. The very verification principle itself fails its own test! The Logical Positivists responded by watering down their principle: a meaningful claim is one we could gather some evidence for in principle and the principle itself is special – exempt from this rule. But it was not enough. (* Then Quine argued that the fundamental division between analytic and synthetic sentences was incorrect. Analytic sentences cannot be false. But no sentence enjoys this privilege. As we learn more and more, truths we thought were beyond doubt are rejected. Once upon a time, we would have thought it analytic that no object can be in two places at once or that there is no fastest velocity. Quantum physics and general relativity theory show that they are not true. Instead, we should have a â€Å"web of belief†. At the centre are those sentences least likely to be revised – our â€Å"core beliefs†. As we move out, we find those sentences that would be easier and easier to accept as false – that would cause less and less disruption to the rest of what we believe. ) In the 1950s, Chomsky became famous for suggesting that we are not born as blank slates when it comes to language. We are born knowing the fundamental structures of human language. When we are young, we hear our mother tongue and use our knowledge of language to pick up our language very quickly. (At 24 months, the average child understands 500-700 words; at 36 months, 1000; at 48 around 2500-3000; at 60 around 5000 words: that’s around 7 words a day between 3 and 6). More recently, studies have shown that children are born with brains structured to â€Å"expect† the world to behave in certain way. Very young children expect objects to persist over time: not to disappear and reappear at two different places, for example. Is this a revival of rationalism? Not according to many people. Rationalists argued that we had innate concepts and knowledge. By reflection, we can discover them and manipulate them to gain new knowledge. But our â€Å"knowledge of language† is altogether different. None of us can easily articulate the rules we follow in generating syntactically-correct English. (And certainly none of us at all can articulate the â€Å"common structure rules† to all human languages. ) Our brains are certainly pre-programmed, but only perhaps in the same way that a computer is pre-wired: clearly something has to be there but nothing as advanced as software. So where are we today? No side is â€Å"victorious†: this would be to grossly over-simplify the debate between the empiricists and the rationalists. We definitely have minds in some way â€Å"ready† to receive the world – hardly surprising, perhaps, given the time it has taken for us to evolve. But when it comes to working out what is true? Few philosophers are rationalists in the old-fashioned way. There is no sharp division between metaphysics and science: our study of reality cannot be done from the armchair alone. But our capacity to grasp abstract mathematical truths has always been difficult to explain from an empiricist perspective. We seem to have an access to a mathematical realm and a cognitive or intuitive access instead of a sensory one. You can’t see numbers, after all, and it is not easy to say what we could â€Å"see† that would lead us to generate the ideas of numbers.