Friday, November 29, 2019

Broken Wing Essays - Infanticide, Norma, Operas, Bates Motel

Broken Wing What is it like to be free? Bobbie Ann Mason, the author of "Shiloh" puts Norma Jean Moffitt through different tests in her life before she can find her freedom. Mason introduces us to a character who yearns to be free from her husband and mother. Throughout Norma Jean's life she has dealt with many difficult and trying times that sometimes may not make sense to her and finally this thirty-four-year-old woman is ready to spread her wings; fly away and see what it is like to be free. Throughout the story, Norma Jean's desire to be free is evident in tasks that she is taking on that she would not normally do, leaving her mother and husband blind to the fact that change is coming. Norma begins taking a bodybuilding class, an English composition class and a course in cooking exotic foods. These changes in Norma's life are evident to the reader that she is trying to rediscover herself and find her sense of identity. Her husband Leroy takes notice late in the story to this situation and does not understand why she is going through all of these classes. In a conversation with Mabel, the mother of Norma, she explains to Leroy that Norma Jean just is not used to having him home. The classes are giving Norma the space she had while Leroy was working, but they are also the tools she needs to distance herself from Leroy and Mabel. Not only does Norma Jean want to in a sense fly away from her clueless husband but an overprotective mother keeps Norma's eyes on the sky. As mentioned earlier Norma is thirty-four. Still her mother, Mabel is watching every move she makes. One day Norma is in her house with the door closed and in comes Mabel catching her daughter smoking a cigarette. Norma is found later crying to Leroy how her privacy was invaded by her mother. Norma and Leroy lost a baby when they were eighteen years old due to SIDS. When Mabel hears of a story of neglect, she confronts her daughter and accuses her for the death of their child because she smokes. This violation of privacy and space brings Norma down but does lift her up and she realizes that something needs to happen soon. The character and strength of Norma are challenged by Leroy and Mabel throughout the story. Norma has to adjust her lifestyle to accommodate Leroy whom she is not used to living with. She does not want the same things in life as he does. He would rather a quiet rural area with a log cabin and she wants to be with the crowd and wants nothing to do with Leroy's cabin. When it is mentioned that the two go to Shiloh, it is suggested that Mabel accompany them. Mabel says how she would not want to invade a honeymoon and Norma angrily asks "Who is going on a honeymoon, for Christ's sake" (980). Mabel immediately comes down on her daughter saying that she did not raise her to speak with that tone of voice and Norma's reply is that she has not seen anything yet. This scene is the foreshadowing of the climax. Norma is right, they have not seen anything yet, nor have they seen anything ever. They have been blind to her happiness all along. Norma Jean is given some massive dilemmas to act upon. Should she stay married to her husband and his pipe dreams? Can she stand to have her life examined and questioned by her mother? It is at the end of the story that a decision to leave is finally made. Leroy and Norma go on a little trip to Shiloh, a Civil War battlefield. After the two have a picnic they get into an argument "She won't leave me alone, you won't leave me alone, I feel eighteen again" (982). Norma tried throughout the story to get away from her problems by avoiding her mother and husband but it just was not enough. She needed to be free from all her worries and the two people that were holding her down. Norma Jean left her husband that day at Shiloh and nothing could stop her. The meaning of freedom may have different meanings from person to person. Being free is often overlooked by many people today. The major theme in "Shiloh" is conflict with Norma Jean's wanting freedom and a new way of life while her husband Leroy and mother Mabel hold

Monday, November 25, 2019

Buddhism in a Post

Buddhism in a Post Introduction Buddhism is one of the religions, which has played an important role in the history of China. This religion, which spread to China from Central Asia, moved from being an insignificant religion to enjoying widespread acceptance by many Chinese. However, the influence of Buddhism was because of the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 AD.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Buddhism in a Post- Han China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Williams suggests that this collapse created a spiritual vacuum that the popular religions of the time tried to fill (131). Of all the competing religions and philosophies of the time, Buddhism was able to obtain the greatest support. This paper engages in a critical analysis of the attractions that Buddhism offered to Post-Han China. The Han Dynasty The Han dynasty, which existed between 206 BC, and 220AD was characterized by a centralized administration with an emperor who expan ded the boundaries of China through conquest. The empire had a strong army that was used for expand the territory under the administrations control. In the course of the Han dynasty, Confucianism influenced the structure of government and this philosophy was the most influential in society. During this era, Central Asian missionaries who styled the religion as a sect of Daoism introduced Buddhism to China (Chey 125). In its early years, Buddhism was viewed as a foreign religion and periodic persecution of Buddhists was common in the Han dynasty (Williams 131). As such, Buddhism played an inferior role in China over the cause of the Han dynasty. The fall of the Han was precipitated by political instability caused by conspiracies among empresses and court officials. This instability led the military to overthrow the Han dynasty in 220 AD therefore ending the four-century rule of the Han. After the fall of the Han, most of the scholars in China abandoned the Confucian philosophy that h ad been followed by the Han dynasty. In its place, many followed Buddhism, which offered a number of attractions to the Chinese population. Attraction of Buddhism The early centuries following the collapse of the Han dynasty post were characterized by widespread chaos and violence as warlords sought to assert their dominion in various regions. In these chaotic times, Buddhism brought about some sense of order for the Chinese people. Historically, religion has been used as a means for validating the authority of the ruling class.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the same way, Buddhism enabled the rulers to solidify their authority over their subjects (Williams 130). The religion stipulated what it entailed being a good citizen and outlined the responsibilities that the subjects had to fulfill to their rulers.  Buddhism brought about a sense of identity to the people of China. A major cause of the fall of the Han was religious rebellion, which plagued China up to the overthrow of the Han dynasty. Tang notes that post-Han dynasty China as characterized by an extended period of division and civil war (170). The absence of an organized government in China encouraged the rise of warlords who tried to establish their own rule over China. As Buddhism spread all over the land, the Chinese people had a common ground and they could once again exhibit a sense of unity.  Buddhism offered a means of personal deliverance since it was a doctrine of personal salvation. Duiker and Spielvogel suggest that the collapse of the Han Empire had a market effect on the Chinese psyche (312). The Confucian principles, which had been at the core of Han leadership, came under severe challenge. Confucianism had emphasized on hard work and the giving up of individual interests for the common good. The fall of the Han dynasty suggested that these values were not solid and individual s started to seek out messianic creeds that emphasized individual effort and the supernatural or the promise of earthly or heavenly salvation. The disunity and political fragmentation facing post-Han China made individualism appealing to most people. Williams documents that most people attempted to live in harmony with the Source of Things and if necessary alone (131). Buddhism exhorted this kind of lifestyle and it therefore gained a foothold with the society. Individuals no longer had to concern themselves with the communal good since the religion only held them responsible for their own personal conduct.  Buddhism was attractive since it did not require major cultural changes for its new Chinese converts. In its introductory years, Buddhism was presented as a Daoist sect; a fact that increased its popularity since Daoism was already well known by the Chinese. Tang notes that for a while, there was a clash between Buddhism and Daoism due to cultural differences between the two r eligions (170). However, these conflicts did not last since Buddhism was able to adapt successfully. By the post-Han period, Buddhism had completely merged with traditional Chinese culture and had become a part of Chinese culture.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Buddhism in a Post- Han China specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kuiper confirms that the early translations of Buddhist text into Chinese utilized Daoist vocabulary, which made them easy to follow to the Chinese (119). As such, new converts did not perceive Buddhism as a religion that tried to being about a new way of living for the Chinese. Instead, Buddhism was perceived as a part of Chinese culture and the sect produced had a Chinese spirit in it (Tang 170). Buddhism offers an emotional satisfaction that was sort after by many especially in the intellectual circles. Confucianism which had been practiced in the Han dynasty emphasized moralism and complacenc y. In the post-Han era, the intellectuals began to reject this ideology and sought emotional satisfaction in hedonistic pursuits and philosophical Daoism (Duiker and Spielvogel 312). However, the hedonistic pursuits and Daoism did not satisfy the deeper emotional needs that the people continued to feel. Buddhism inspired the people through its sophisticated meditative practice and they were able to enjoy the emotional satisfaction they sort. It continued to receive inspiration from the sophisticated meditative practices of the Indian Another attraction of Buddhism in China was its emphasis on the values of charity and compassion. The post-Han China was characterized by a lack of virtue as communities went to war against each other. Buddhism taught of the values of humanity and exhorted individuals to treat each other in a neighborly fashion. Through the concept of Karma, Buddhism taught that a person would be punished or rewarded in their next life based on their actions in the pres ent life (Kuiper 118). The concept of Karma, which revealed that each person determined their own destiny through their individual actions, was attractive to the Chinese who were moving to a more individualistic form of society. The teachings of Buddhism were able to provide solace in times of sorrow in a way that the other popular beliefs could not. Chinese Buddhism taught the indestructibility of the soul and this enabled the people to bear with the hardships that war brought about (Kuiper 118).Buddhism gave the people hope of a better life in the hereafter and this made the religion appealing to the people who were undergoing turbulent times. Buddhism taught that life was suffering and this was a reality that many Chinese could relate to. However, Buddhism revealed that if one lived a good life, then they could attain Nirvana, which is a state of eternal bliss.  Buddhism provided a means for the masses to acquire a formal education. In the post-Han centuries, Buddhism establish ed itself as a powerful intellectual force in China.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Buddhist schools from India were set up in China and monastic establishments became widespread. For this reason, Buddhism became well established among the nobles and peasantry alike since it provided a means for education. Kuiper states that this attraction of Buddhism made the Sui dynasty of 581-618 take Buddhism as the state religion (120). Conclusion Religion has played a major role in the development of human civilization. This paper set out to analyze the attraction of Buddhism in post-Han China. To this end, the paper has demonstrated that Buddhism was able to emerge as a sufficient substitute to Confucianism in post-Han China. Buddhism was able to meet the needs that the Chinese people faced following the state of unrest that followed the collapse of the Han dynasty. Because of the numerous attractions that Buddhism offered, the religion was able to obtain a large following throughout China and continue to play a crucial role in Chinese society for many centuries. Chey, Sie w. China Condensed: 5000 Years of History Culture. New Delhi: Marshall Cavendish, 2005 Duiker, William and Spielvogel, Jackson. Cengage Advantage Books: World History. NY: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Kuiper, Kathleen. The Culture of China. Boston: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2010. Print. Tang, Yijie. Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Chinese Culture. Beijing: CRVP, 1991. Print. Williams, Paul. MahÄ yÄ na Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations. NY: Taylor Francis, 2009. Print.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Testing on Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Testing on Animals - Essay Example The pure research has only the elements of genetics, behavioral and developmental biology. On the other hand, applied research majorly involves biomedical and drug testing (Conn et al, 2008). Over the years, the non-human animals of different species have been used by researchers in laboratories to establish the root causes of various human health complications and diseases. The testing has also been instrumental in scientific education, especially when illustrating some biological processes such as respiration. As more and new human diseases continue to emerge, pharmaceutical firms have continued to manufacture new drugs that are appropriate for the treatment of such diseases. The new drugs, therefore, must pass a test before they are declared safe for human health; the animal testing. Animal testing, therefore, has been very helpful in determining the effectiveness and safety of any medicine that is intended for treating of human diseases. Some large research institutes and pharmaceutical firms purposefully breed the non-human animals for the sake of the animal testing whiles others prefer capturing the animals from the wild. The commonly used animals during testing in clude rats, mice, rabbit, fish, monkeys, cats, dogs and birds. Animal testing has, for many years, led to the discovery of many medical treatment of various diseases; both in human and in other animals. Those who are for the testing say that animal testing is such a big remedy for health complications, and thus, should not face many stringent laws from the government. However, there are those who are against the popular animal testing. These oppose claim that the animals, though living in the wild, have rights too. These two categories of advocators have put the scientific world on a heated debate that does not seem to come to an end soon. In the 20th Century, the science of animal testing led to the many amazing discovery of medical treatments and advances that aided the treatment

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The witness beneficiary rule in S.15 of the Wills Act 1837 is outdated Essay

The witness beneficiary rule in S.15 of the Wills Act 1837 is outdated and in need of reform.Discuss this statement with reference to relevant academic and judicial comment - Essay Example 15 of the Wills Act 1837 which have prompted lawyers, paralegals, legal practitioners and academicians to observe that there is a need for amends, so as to have the pitfalls amended. One of the drawbacks in the Witness Beneficiary Rule in s. 15 of the Wills Act 1837 is the failure to capture the complexities that accompany the law of testation. Specifically, the Witness Beneficiary Rule negates a situation whereby a beneficiary of a will gets married to the main witness, 10 years after the signing of the will. This is a complex issue because the Witness Beneficiary Rule assumes that there is always a distinction between a beneficiary and a witness and this assumption fundamentally underpins and informs the legitimacy of the exaction of the will, upon the death of the testator. Instead, what is captured as a limitation, known as Gifts to an attesting witness to be void states that: if any person attests the execution of any will of any will to whom or to whose legal spouse any beneficial legacy, device, interest, estate, gift or appointment, of or affecting any real and/ or personal estate [apart from and except directions and charges for the payment of debt(s)], shall be thereby made or given such legacy, device, interest, estate, gift or appointment, shall, so far only as concerns such person or legally recognised spouse or any person claiming under such a person [a legally recognised spouse], be totally null and void, and such a person so attesting shall be admitted as a witness, to prove the execution of such will, or to demonstrate the invalidity or validity thereof, regardless such legacy, device, interest, estate, gift or appointment that has been mentioned in such will1. The provision above is therefore clearly derelict of the consideration of the circumstances that may impede the exaction of the Witness Beneficiary Rule in s. 15. To the effect of the above, solution to the complication above will be pegged on the circumstances

Monday, November 18, 2019

Biomedical research and testing (a bioethical topic of yesterday and Essay

Biomedical research and testing (a bioethical topic of yesterday and today) - Essay Example Additionally, in Europe, 400,000 people are said to have also died due to small pox. Edward Jenner is alongside other fathers of medical history who discovered the small pox vaccine. It is obvious that the survivors of the disease, had become immune to the disease and therefore, they were called upon to nurse the affected ones because they were not likely to suffer from the disease again. Edward Jenner discovered that milkmaids who were infected with cowpox virus were immune to smallpox, and to test this theory, he got some pus from the cowpox blister that was found on one of the milkmaid called Sarah. He then injected the pus to his son’s gardener, James and repeated a number of days increasing the amount of pus into the boy. Additionally, he deliberately injected the pus to his gardener James, and through it he became ill but recovered after a few days. He even repeated the same experiment on his own son and other children by infecting them with cowpox as well as smallpox. J enner’s experiment became the evidence used to come up with inoculation that finally eradicated smallpox. Jenner experiment can be well explained by Machiavelli quote â€Å"the end justifies the means†, which in this case it is questionable. ... This was obviously wrong because of his actions. In the first place, Jenner was not right when he decided to conduct his experiment on his gardener’s son. The end does not always justify the means. Kapis and Gad claim that, it is human nature, for individuals to not always justify their actions. Therefore, if Jenner’s experiment was incorrect, the gardener’s son would have died instantly or would have been infected by the disease as well as other children (34-56). The gardener would have lost his son, because of Jenner’s experiment. To borrow from Beauchamp’s words, we cannot trust the world to be moral and idealistic enough in helping the environment and humanity, and at the same time, be practical enough to make difficult decisions that will cause a great harm to the people (34-68). Nevertheless, Jenner also attempted the same experiment on his own son, risking even more. This means that he could have lost his son as well. However, his experiments saved millions of people as well as his willingness to push his theory in the name of medical and scientific discovery, and as result proved that sometime, the end justifies the means. Some current medical practices which preclude the particular type of experiment that Jenner practiced are still similar today. For example, people have forced to have the smallpox vaccine by being injected. This is not a normal injection, but a painful one that generates a pox and eventually a scar (Conn 34-66). In the world of medicine, there are bioethical battles on testing drugs. In 3rd world countries, companies are testing drugs on the patients because it is cheap and no regulations. This test is like Jenner’s experiment on his gardener’s son and has facilitated new

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Presidency Of George W Bush Politics Essay

The Presidency Of George W Bush Politics Essay George W. Bush ran for presidency in the year 2000 and termed himself a passionate conservative. With reference to foreign policy he heavily criticized the actions of Al Gore in sending U.S troops for peace-keeping missions that he deemed were not vital to national interest. However, at the same time he was pushing for more funding for the Pentagon and was seen calling for more action and tougher posture against rogue countries such as Iraq and North Korea. One of the goals in the bush presidency was to accelerate progress on deregulating industry and implementing tax reductions in an attempt to weaken the federal government thus strengthening the conservative agenda. The administration relied on executive authority to relax the workplace as well as the environmental regulations. He sought to affect the fiscal, strength of the Treasury and other areas of the government that were most vulnerable politically. The effect of this was powerful as the tax cuts distributed government benefits to Americans, rich and wealthy, which constituted a core part of the Republican coalition. Bush reflected in his practices the policies used by former republican presidents, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The policies involved placing politically motivated administrators with vested interests in important positions. These administrators were unsympathetic to the programs they managed and thus were ruthless when doing their work. The attacks on the World Trade Centre on September 11 2001 offered Bush an opportunity to establish his political credibility, to reassert presidential leadership and to defend the interests of the United States. Through the event of the United States bombing in 9/11, Bush pushed aggressively for the use of executive-centered national security programs. Such programs involved the expansion of interrogation techniques including torture, which broke the national precedent and ignored international laws on detainee treatment. After the 9/11 event Bush announced an all-out war on terrorism and ordered the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. As the United States entered recession in 2007, the bush administration through the enactment of several economic programs took a more direct control of the United States economy in an attempt to preserve the countrys financial system. These policies included among others implementing a 170 billion economic stimulus package which aimed at sending tax rebate checks to Americans and providing tax breaks for struggling businesses. However, the policies were ill-equipped to deal with the looming financial crisis in what is termed to be the longest recession after World War 2 in history. The Presidency of Barrack Obama Obama, within his first 100 days set up to gather up support for his economic stimulus package otherwise known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. He further put through Congress the expanded State Health Insurance program. Furthermore, his administration was able to put into law the Ledbetter law which requires equal pay for women in all sectors. The obama administration is also credited with legislating health care reforms. This was done through winning the approval of the congress on a budget resolution regarding the matter. In his campaign and since Obama has heavily criticized the bush administration for ignoring the situation there and focusing too much on Iraq. At the onset of his campaign, Obama promised to withdraw all United States troops from Iraq, within 16 months, though he has laxed on this view, his actions seem to be more anti-war and catious. Analysts have commented that Obamas view on United States emphasis being on Afghanistan as a politically correct stand on the issue. Moreover, the Obama administration broke supported the United Nations declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity and relaxed the enforcement on marijuana laws. It also lifted the ban on embryonic stem research put in place since the Bush administration. Obama also ordered the closure of the Guatanamo bay detention camp in Cuba which was notorious for the infringement of human and detainee rights. Comparison of the two presidents with the federalists and anti-federalists views When comparing the presidencies of the Bush and Obama administrations against the federalists and anti-federalist views it is significant to deem what these citizens based their views on. The Anti-federalists were of the opinion, at the time of founding, that Congress and the executive b ranch of the government wielded too much power. They were also of the opinion that vthe constitution gave too much national power at the expense of the state governments. Additionally they were displeased by the lack of a bill of human rights within the constitution. The federalists, on the other hand responded that the powers were separated into three autonomous branches protected the rights of the people. Each branch was in fact representing a different aspect of the people and as all three were equal, there was fair say among all the branches and thus equity among the people. With this perspective in mind, we can now compare the two presidents. Former president Bush was largely conservative and this was evident through the socio-economic problems that his administrations actions caused. Thus it can be seen that he would largely fit in with the anti-federalist group. Furthermore, his actions to weaken the federal government so as to strengthen the conservative side of the government wing show that he is more anti-federalist than a federalist. President Obama, however, would more fit in with the federalist group. His actions largely bordering on developing policies that benefit all Americans equally show a federalist nature. His call to strengthen the federal government and his actions of abandoning the Bush administration policies further reinforce this fact. Though it can be seen that through his action, President Obama is setting into the mold of a federalist it is still too young in his presidential term to conclude on the issue. Conclusion Though neither president exactly fits into the mould of either federalists or anti-federalists, it can be summarized that through their actions during their term of presidency, George. W. Bush was more of an anti-federalist and President elect Barrack Obama more of a federalist.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: What It Is and My Own Personal Struggle :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: What It Is and My Own Personal Struggle Everyone, especially college students (and their professors), gets a little worn out sometimes. Even weeks before vacations begin, students start counting down the days until they get to finally sleep in and forget about the stresses of life for awhile. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, however, is vastly different. It is a debilitating disorder that can prohibit the sufferer from accomplishing even the most basic, everyday tasks. The symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are various. The most obvious are constant tiredness and feeling easily exhausted. Other symptoms include frequent headaches, joint and muscle pain, chills without a high fever, depression, difficulty with concentration, and tender lymph glands. Because many of these symptoms are common to other illnesses, it makes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome all the more difficult to categorize and diagnose (1). While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has only recently gained publicity, it isn't a new problem. What is new is its name. Researchers chose the name because it is believed that the illness is not one single disease but a culmination of many factors (1). It is believed that at least two thirds of people suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are women, primarily Caucasian women of a middle class socioeconomic background. Most people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome relate the onset of it to a particular infection, which most often includes respiratory or gastrointestinal illness, influenza, bronchitis, sore throats, colds or diarrhea, mononucleosis, hepatitis, or jaundice. In my case, I was diagnosed after a series of having Strep Throat three times over the course of one winter. Most people recover completely from these infections, as I did, however are left feeling very weak, tired, and depressed even long after other symptoms of the infections have disappeared (2). A common factor in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is allergy. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients have twice the number of allergic skin reactions as people without the illness (2). I've always suffered from allergies as a child, and at one point had psoriasis, a skin condition. Such experiences are not uncommon amongst people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Various studies have been conducted concerning the immune systems of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and differences have been found between sufferers of the illness and healthy individuals. Several studies have shown that certain aspects of the immune system in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers behave abnormally. For example, the body produces two chemicals called Interleukin—2 and Gamma Interferon, for the purpose of battling against cancer and infectious agents.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Gender Differences in Computer Attitudes Essay

The article titled â€Å"Gender Differences in Computer Attitudes, Ability, and Use in the Elementary Classroom† is written by Dr. Robin Kay who is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology. He has published several other articles in the field of computers and their use in education. He has also presented numerous papers at conferences both locally and internationally. Dr. Robin Kay has taught computers, mathematics, and technology for over 15 years of his career. At the end of the article Dr. Robin Kay states that the main reason for research is to assist in seeing all students develop an ability to adapt to changes in technology so that all can enjoy the benefits of the wealth of electronic information. According to the aforementioned article, Dr. Robin Kay asserts that computers play a vital and prominent role in society and it is therefore important that both boys and girls are given equal opportunities in learning, working with and benefiting from computer technology. He however notes that according to research carried out by Whitley, there is a gender imbalance in study and use of computer technology whereby computers are viewed as masculine tools. Females are less confident than boys in use of computer technology. Differences in perception of computers and computer technology can be largely attributed to the traditional attitudes that tend to spare females from technical issues thus females are generally less interested in technological issues. In the same breath, it can be concluded that even in the few cases when females are interested in computers, they are not amply encouraged to pursue this interest. Dr. Robin Kay’s research notes that existing research has not addressed the differences in computer ability between boys and girls particularly in elementary school. Lack of initial support to females at the tender age of elementary school is blamed as the genesis of the gender imbalance. Dr. Robin Kay has gone to great lengths to offer proposals and solutions to help eliminate the issue of gender imbalance The disparity between males and females and their related abilities in usage of computers and computer technology should be addressed at the grassroots level whereby efforts to encourage females to take interest should be made. It is therefore evident that Dr. Robin Kay views the gender imbalance in computer usage as a matter of perception and not practicality meaning that neither gender has an upper hand against the other if computers and computer technology were approached on an even ground. The idea of same sex computer groups would be particularly effective because it would help in alienating males who tend to be faster in grasping technological issues from females who take longer. This alongside with revised computer syllabuses for elementary schools and positive attitudes from the teachers will go a long way in bridging the gender imbalance in computer usage and benefit in elementary schools. In conclusion, Dr. Robin Kay has done a considerably good job given the fact that the scope of the research itself is limited. Gender imbalance in computer usage is not a research topic that would generate numerous noteworthy points but Dr. Robin Kay has done an outstanding job in enlightening readers on an otherwise dull topic. The solutions given to the problem of gender imbalance are workable even though they are generally limited to addressing the gender imbalance in computers and computer technology at the elementary school level: not much has been done to assist female victims of the imbalance. Affirmative action could be adopted to address the problem of females who have limited or little knowledge of computers when the females are put on the same platform with their male counterparts.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Foreign Policy DBQ essays

Foreign Policy DBQ essays Foreign Policy has varied throughout United States history, in order to adapt to changing times and needs. The alterations to foreign policies are generally made depending on the relationship the United States has with other nations, and to meet their own desires. Three types of US foreign policies include imperialism, isolationism, and containment. Isolationism began as early as the 1700s. The United States did want make strong ties with the British, nor any other nation, as they did not want to follow in England's footsteps. The policy of isolationism became an existent option of foreign policy after World War I. Another major policy was containment, which was created after World War II. After resolving various problems of Reconstruction and Industrialization, Americans began to resume the course of expansion. By doing so, they took on the foreign policy of imperialism. Containment was first formed at the end of WWII, in order to eliminate Communist influences from Eastern Europe. These three foreign policies of the United States, imperialism, isolationism, and containment, were imposed because of changing times and necessities. Imperialism was a major foreign policy in which the United States used to achieve their goals. Imperialism is the policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial gain or by the establishment of economic and political control over other nations. An example of this is McKinley's decision in 1898 to acquire the Philippines as a result of the Spanish American War (Document 1). After the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor, the United States declared war on Spain (April 25, 1898). At the war's end, the Treaty of Paris was proposed. As a result, Spain lost its control over the remains of its overseas empire, which included Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippine islands, Guam, and more. McKinley decided that he does not have much of a choice of taking control of the Philippines. He reasons that?w...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

5 Publishing Lessons I Learned Working With a Professional Marketer

5 Publishing Lessons I Learned Working With a Professional Marketer 5 Publishing Lessons I Learned Working With a Professional Marketer As a life-long fan of classic science fiction as well as emerging new voices from the genre, Fabrice Stephan's underlying passion is the exploration of technology through fiction, which he shares in his latest novel, Human Starpilots. In this post, he talks about the five biggest lessons he learned about publishing by working with a professional marketer.For indie authors, it’s a no-brainer that publishing is a challenge. Where you work as a teacher, in business, or any other trade, selling books is a brand new world.Anyone who’s already been through the process will tell you that writing is only half the work, while editing, publishing, and marketing makes the other half. Some publishing books might give you a â€Å"fool proof† recipe for success. And on some account, they are right: publishing a book on Amazon or other platforms is easy and fast. But once your book is up there, you’re lost in a crowd of other writers who have little to no sales. There mi ght not be a cost in publishing your book on Amazon, but, in this case there’s no gain, either.This was the point I had reached when I turned to Reedsy to find a professional marketer. I had published two nonfiction books and was in the process of publishing my new science fiction novel. The first two had been downloaded about 200 times, but hadn’t received any reviews or ratings - nice but limited progress that I had achieved using both Kindle Countdown Deals and price promotions via different websites. I wanted to give my third novel more of a chance to reach people.So I turned to Reedsy with a clear request in mind: I wanted professional help with launching my book. And I also wanted to learn more about the trade of book marketing in general. I found marketer Mark Leslie Lefebvre, who met my needs exactly and who went above and beyond my expectations in regards to showing me the ropes.Let’s take a tour of some of the lessons I learned along the way. Is working with a professional marketer worth it for indie authors? Join the discussion here. Lesson 1: Patience is a virtueWhen it comes to promoting your book, what you need to do is engage in consistent, small-scale promotional efforts that earn you as much money as they cost - and then to increase your investments as you make progress.In this way, promoting your book is a game of patience - and requires you to set lots of long-term groundwork before you start earning profits. Those profits might not come with your first book. With the second book you publish, you will build on your author brand. With the third, you’ll have more to offer potential readers. With the fourth,   fifth, sixth, etc - you will continue to build upon (and reap rewards from) your promotional efforts.So be patient, and stick it out for the long haul.Lesson 2: Reviews are keyOf course, the more the merrier when it comes to finding readers. However, when you’re just getting started in your publishing career, you do also want to be strategic about who you’re marketing to so th at you can attract the right kind of readers: in other words, readers who enjoy your genre, who are already looking to read a book like yours, and who will, therefore, be more likely to leave a positive review.For example, someone who reads mostly militaristic sci fi might not be interested in pure adventure sci fi without any space battles. If you advertise to them and they’re let down by your book, you’re more likely to receive a negative review.That’s where refining your target market plays a big role, and Mark helped me do that in spades - as you’ll see in the next three points.Lesson 3: Your cover needs to provide key informationI don’t think I need to tell other indie authors how important a good cover is. What Mark stressed with me is that you don’t only want your cover to attract the attention of readers, but the right readers: the kind of readers who will enjoy your book and leave reviews. Therefore, your cover should immediately g ive readers an idea of your book’s genre and it’s story. Lesson 4: Get your author bio rightMark also helped me work on my author bio to make it more personal, professional, and informative.Before... I have been trained as an engineer and I work, by day, in computer science since 1996. I have already published technical books on computer science. Fan of science fiction, both of the great classics and of the new voices, this is my first full-fledged novel. I was born in the USA, I lived in France, Denmark and Australia and I have settled now in Macon, France, close to Burgundy with my wife and my two kids.After... Fabrice Stephan is an engineer and is the author of multiple technical books on computer science. As a life-long fan of classic science fiction as well as emerging new voices from the genre, his underlying passion is the exploration of technology through fiction, which he shares in his novel Human Starpilots.Partially inspired by the classic Robert Heinlein novel Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, Stephan’s debut novel Human Star pilots explores a future world, where, desperate to escape ecological disaster on earth, humankind’s fate relies on the investment in a unique and limited group of only six pilots capable of surviving the training of managing hyperspace jumps learned from a borrowed Alien technology.And, if the risks and challenges these brave pilots faces wasn’t enough, contact and collaboration with the Alien Federation begins to reveal even more surprises.When he is not exploring other worlds through science fiction, or computer technology through his work, Fabrice Stephan has traversed much of the globe. Born in the USA, he has lived in France, Denmark and Australia before settling in Macon, near the border of Burgundy, with his wife and two kids.Lesson 5: Your blurb should target your audienceMark and I also reworked my blurb to make it more efficient and direct, and to ensure it spoke to my target readers.Before... In 2130, Earth ecology is failing fast. Its inhabitants are dying and the governments are hard pressed to contain the disaster. So when an Alien Federation suddenly contacts Earth and offers assistance, everyone jumps on it. There are further surprises: those aliens prove, once their DNA analysed, to be distant cousin from us. The Federation will provide to Earth advanced technology and support against the climate change with a single condition: To trade among stars, they need pilots capable of managing hyperspace jumps and only rare humans have what it takes to survive the training and become one. To receive support, Earth has to find and provide starpilots to take its share of the load. After a careful selection, six are chosen to fly to the far away planet Adheek. There, they will try to learn their new trade. If they fail, Earth will collapse. If they succeed, it may have a chance. But no one has prepared them to what they will face to gain that chance.This debut novel was inspired by the classic â€Å"Have space suit, will travel† fro m R Heinlein and by the science-fiction work from LE Modesitt. It is a tale of adventure in a far land, of going beyond one’s own limits.After... Only augmented pilots can cross space. But at what cost? In 2130, Earth’s ecology is failing fast. Its inhabitants are dying and the governments are hard pressed to contain the disaster. An Alien Federation contacts Earth and offers assistance. We accept their offer to trade among the stars and receive their support. In exchange, they aliens, who prove to be distant cousins, need pilots capable of managing hyperspace jumps and only rare humans have the right genes and capacities to withstand them. After a careful selection, six are chosen to fly to the far away planet Adheek. There, they will compete with students from other planets to try and learn their new trade. If they fail, Earth will collapse. If they succeed, it may have a chance. But no one has prepared them to what they will face next. If you want to recapture that sense of wonder from reading Robert Heinlein’s â€Å"Have space suit, will travel† and the tale of adventure and going beyond one’s own limit from L.E. Modesitt Jr, then you won’t want to miss this thought provoking novel. The 5 major lessons I learned working a professional marketer. #indieauthor In the end, working with Mark totally changed my perspective on selling books. Time, consistency, targeting, focus, and forbearance - these are all elements you need. And only a professional can help you settle in the rhythm you need to survive the publishing world.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Racial Conflicts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Racial Conflicts - Essay Example These racial conflicts have brought the societies to a different level, and seem to be rising day by day. With the existence of the racial conflicts, the history has shown how immensely they have affected the world economy and the standard of living. Although it is a global issue, it has been seen that each society has been adversely hit by the problem resulting in the impact on their quality of life. The world is one place which has to be protected and our species given the right to live freely. Unfortunately, due to the value of life, conflicts arise constantly crossing the ideas of religion, social class, and appearances. Although it can be assessed that most of us can live with at least one, but for most of us, it is a critical point (Levine 128). As an effect, the political leaders feel constantly pressurized as to the influence of these racial groups. And thus, while making necessary decisions, they might as well feel partial or biased. Their choices tend to reflect the whole world. This is because control of one country affects the surrounding countries as well and impacts the racial groups throughout the globe, if of the same kind. The other countries thus act as a chain of reactions that may be brought in one country. In many ways, it has been assessed that the racial conflicts are not the result of few, but of many. And it does not only affect one of the aspects but affects the whole globe collectively. These racial conflicts have been affecting the various factors of the globe. On one hand, it affects the psychological growth of the racial group as they have to suffer criticisms, unfairness, and inequality in the society at the hands of the majorities.  Ã‚  

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Capstone Experience (SWOT Analysis and Strategic Scorecard) Clairol Assignment

Capstone Experience (SWOT Analysis and Strategic Scorecard) Clairol Company 1 - Assignment Example According to Doyle and Bridgewater (2010), the main focus on the confectionery gives them an upper hand in understanding the consumers in the various segments better. The achievement of various acquisitions gave it the opportunity to expand into other markets like Vietnam (Doyle and Bridgewater 2010). P&G has less exposure in the other markets and therefore it will faces difficulty in understanding the new emerging markets compared to its competitors. The release of a high number of brands at the same time also makes it hard for the management to concentrate on the performance of a particular brand within the market. There are new markets with great opportunities that exist and expand into the emerging markets such as India where the population is on the rise. There is an increase of consumer wealth and an increase in the demand for confectionery products thus an increase in the amount of profits (Doyle and Bridgewater, 2012). The markets the company operates have a high rate of acquisitions and merger currently, and there are opportunities that exist to raise market share by means of planned purchases. This will also boost the level of profits at P & G. Increase in the level of efficiency and reduction of costs is the main route to survival within the FMCG market. P & G’s plan towards cost efficiency leads to saving of costs through moving production to countries that have cheaper raw materials and reduce the internal costs The large quantities of goods that need proper storage and management are high in number, but there have been inadequate methods of handling the goods. Thus, some end up getting spoilt in the process resulting to a big loss to the organization since the products will not reach the end users (Percy and Giles, 2007). This paper, therefore, looks into the warehousing process. The demand for the products within the cost environment has increased. This is an