Book Report-Confessions of an Economic Hitman Essay

An enthusiastic young man on the threshold of launching his career to improve his lot is probably facing the first interview of his life. He is ‘wearing the best mask’ to project himself as a suitable candidate, but he has the genuine fear that the interviewers are clever enough to find out his real inner personality. He is worried about the serious negativities within him, but as the interview progresses, he realizes to his amazement that his dark past is his asset. His misdeeds are his trophies and medals. His rebellious disposition and discourtesy to his parents are his virtues. His possible contacts with the intelligence community relating to an important enemy country carry immense weight. A few weeks after the NSA testing, I (Perkins) was offered a job to start training in the art of spying. †(Chapter 1, p. 8) Perkins must have thought, it was better to receive without deserving than to deserve without receiving! By selecting such dubious recruits for ideal management training to run the affairs of the Nation, how secure is the future of the country? And the future of the world as USA has tremendous influence over many countries. It is in a position to pressurize them on various counts overtly and covertly. Where this country is heading for when the foundation stone of democracy and free-enterprise is in fact its headstone? Human values have vanished from the democratic framework. The values that assure the dignity of the individual and the economic freedom in the real sense of the term, without any deception, are the important pre requisites for the avowed objective of the UN, â€Å"The World is one Family. † Many specialized ‘isms’ have failed to achieve this objective. The history of the past few decades has witnessed the doomed failure of such philosophies. Only noble individuals can build a noble Nation. Only when the thought process of an individual changes, the action process also changes! When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed; when the society is changed, the nation is changed. Only such changed Nations will be in a position to say, â€Å"The World is one Family. † The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed pose a crying question. How to make this Planet on Earth heaven like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love, and the life that refuses conflicts –these alone are enough! In the paragraph cited above the negative qualities of Perkins are being awarded and the process is not going to build a bureaucracy or any type of force/institution based on truth and for human welfare. Such an agency will be utilized for subversive activities, dubious dealings and cunning machinations. â€Å"From the beginning to end, communism was never a legal action; it was illegitimated. They controlled the freedom of politic, social, culture, and economic. As the economic situation worsened, so did the people’s support for the communism. †(Article: Failure†¦)As for the failure of the ‘ism’s and corrupted versions of the surviving ones, E. F. Schumacher writes, â€Å"What is at stake is not economics but culture; not the standard of living but the equality of life. Economics and the standard of living can just as well be looked after by a capitalist system, moderated by a bit of planning and redistributive taxation. But culture and, generally, the quality of life, can now only are debased by such a system. †(Schumacher, p. 243) The need of the hour is, the administrative machinery and politics needs to be spiritualized. And that is not possible by hiring recruits to the type of training sought to be given to Perkins. â€Å"The main thing is a transformation of the spiritual climate, a new feeling for the difficulty and the nobility of being human, an all-pervasive fundamental disposition shared by everyone, and acknowledged by everyone within himself as the supreme judge. To the genesis and establishment of that disposition poets and artists, imperceptibly working through the depth and breadth of society, can make some contribution. But it is not something that can be taught and created; it must be experienced and suffered. † (Glaysher†¦. ) The problem of the day is squads of hit men are attached to departments, important ministries, defense establishments and it is they who run the administration and take important decisions in all the countries—without exception! And men like Perkins are part of such a system and after retirement they venture to write sensational books, yet again to make millions of dollars! The best alternative would have been to resign before retirement and then expose the administration. Not after enjoying all the benefits and perquisites provided by the administration and then confess the ‘guilt! ’ Perkins claims that he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill his writing project†¦What is wrong in it? Perkins was engaged in similar exercises before. Where he was hiding his conscience then? A quote from an article, Complexity Digest, â€Å"Different (human) cultures and social groups have developed different levels of tolerance towards lying and cheating. Whereas in some cultures, being caught in a lie implies â€Å"loosing face† and considerable social consequences, in other cultures learning how to lie effectively as a child has a strong correlation with later success in economic and social standing in society. Complications and confusions, as consequences of not telling the truth, are considered funny Honesty, and are a continued source of entertainment in US sitcom TV shows like â€Å"Seinfeld†. (Honesty†¦) How true! Perkins must be recalling the experience of his first interview! References Cited: Perkins, John: Book: Confessions of an Economic Hit man Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Plume (December 27, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 0452287081 ISBN-13: 978-0452287082 Schumacher, E. F: Book: Small is beautiful-a study of Economics as if People Mattered. (Part III, Chapter 3, p,243)Indian Edition Publisher: Radha Kishna, 2 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002 Glaysher, Frederick: Article: The Victory of World Governance –To meet that objective, the nations of the world will either have a plan or†¦.. UNO, www. fglaysher. com/WorldGov. htm – 61k – Cached –Retrieved on November 3, 2007. Article: Honesty, its importance for scientific advances. The importance of honesty in science: Regulation by formal bureaucracy will not work when the organizations employing the scientists have vested†¦ Complexity Digest dated October 23, 2000. personal. ee. surrey. ac. uk/Personal/D. Jefferies/ttruth. html – 23k – Cached – Retrieved on November 3, 2007. Article: The Failure of Communism In Eastern Europe essays. www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/86270. html – Retrieved on November 3, 2007.

Narrative Paragraph Essay

The toddler climbed laboriously up onto the stool, determined to â€Å"help† her mother. But her mother did not notice; she was far too busy with the frantic preparations for the birthday party. Ten three-year-olds and their mothers coming for an afternoon of treats, games and face painting: a herald of another party, ten years from now, when make up would be the order of the day, the child’s father had observed. As the mixer whirred and the dishwasher swished and the oven beeped its warning of impending culinary disaster, the child’s attempt to be a part of the busy-ness was more than her mother could attend to. She did not notice when the girl reached the top of the stool, nor did she see the tiny hand reach out toward the glinting beaters as they beat the pale golden batter. As she faced the oven, removing the first cookie tray, she heard the scream. Whirling, she took in the tiny hand held high, the tragic face, and the stream of scarlet mixing itself into th e cake. A kiss, a cuddle and a band-aid calmed the birthday girl; a shake of her head and a moment of revelation calmed her mother. A birthday candle in a cookie would be just fine. See more: how to start a narrative essay Paragraph Analysis Purpose: to tell a brief story Structure: no real thesis statement, as there is nothing to be proven in this paragraph, but there is an introductory sentence that establishes character, setting and situation, there are body sentences, and there is a concluding sentence that summarizes the resolution of the main conflict Language: language is relatively casual and includes a single example of the language of the three-year-old child to help establish character Features: narrative components such as plot, characters, setting, conflict and resolution are evident; use of onomatopoeia (â€Å"whirred,† â€Å"swished,† â€Å"beeped†) to mimic the distracting effects of the busy kitchen EXPOSITORY PARAGRAPH An expository paragraph explains something; its purpose is to help the reader understand. In order to ensure that the purpose is achieved, the writer of the paragraph may utilize a number of paragraph features and language techniques. One essential feature is logical organization. This may take a number of forms, including demonstrating cause and effect or following a  chronological order. Another important feature is providing support for the explanation being made. This support may consist of examples, illustrations, statistical or expert evidence, or even appropriate anecdotes. A final critical feature is clarity of language. The paragraph may make employ language devices such as metaphors or allusions to help illustrate its points, but they must be relatively straight forward and easy to follow so that no misunderstanding of the important points will occur. By employing these kinds of features and techniques, the writer of an expository paragraph will ensure that the paragraph’s meaning is clear to the reader. Paragraph Analysis Purpose: to explain some of the techniques used by the writer of an expository paragraph to achieve his or her purpose (!) Structure: The first sentence is a topic sentence; the second is the thesis statement. The body sentences list, explain and give examples of the paragraph’s features, and the concluding sentence summarizes the main point of the paragraph. Language: language is relatively formal Features: The paragraph uses a format of making a point followed by examples. There is â€Å"listing† transition (â€Å"One essential feature,† â€Å"Another important feature,† â€Å"A final critical feature†) between sentences to help the flow of the paragraph. PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPH Telephone solicitation is more than just an annoyance to those on the receiving end of the calls. In fact, telephone solicitation can be disastrous for people in all kinds of situations and, thus, must be stopped. For one thing, telephone solicitation typically occurs in the late afternoon and early evening, prime family time. This can cause chaos in two ways. One, continual interruption of shared family meal times, rare as they can be, can put a significant strain on family relationships; this is a troublesome point in light of the divorce statistics of today. Even worse, when families are embroiled in homework wars or are having trouble getting toddlers to bed, a poorly-timed telephone call may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, moving the suffering parents to lose their cool  completely. This could result in a form of domestic violence, verbal or even physical: yet another reason for a family to break apart. Another way in which telephone solicitation can prove dangerous to people stems from its very familiarity. Because so many telephone calls come from telephone solicitors, offering everything from insurance opportunities to vinyl siding, the calls become accepted as a legitimate way to do business. This plays into the hands of criminals. The trust individuals place in the honesty of the legitimate solicitors is extended to those who are, in fact, dishonest and out to abscond with the proceeds of others’ bank accounts. Clearly, in order to save families and their hard-earned dollars, telephone solicitation should be banned. Paragraph Analysis Purpose: to convince the reader that telephone solicitation should be banned Structure: introductory sentence, thesis statement (sentence #2), body sentences which provide examples for points made, a concluding sentence which states the thesis in stronger terms Language: language is emotionally loaded at times (ex., â€Å"disastrous,† â€Å"chaos,† â€Å"embroiled in homework wars,† â€Å"domestic violence†); added words such as â€Å"Clearly† in the concluding sentence makes it difficult to argue against the point Features: strong rhetorical language; a variety of sentence lengths keep the paragraph moving; short sentences highlight and give â€Å"punch† to inflammatory statements (ex., â€Å"This plays into the hands of criminals.†); stops argument by stating that the evidence â€Å"clearly† supports the thesis LITERARY PARGRAPH Holden Caulfield, the narrator and protagonist of J.D.Salinger’s well-known novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is an unreliable narrator. This leads the reader to suspect that Holden’s story is not all that is appears, and coaxes the reader to look more deeply into the character and his situation. Very early in the novel, Holden himself casts doubt on his reliability as a narrator when he confesses to his in-story audience, a psycho-therapist, that he is â€Å"the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful† (Chapter 3). This self-indictment alerts the reader to the fact that everything Holden says will need to be taken with a grain of salt and that it will be important to look beyond the surface of the text. Later in the  novel, Holden relates a story about his date with a girlfriend in which she tells him to stop yelling at a club. He protests that he â€Å"wasn’t even yelling† but it is clear from his description that he probably was yelling, and that his girlfriend was trying to calm him down. This incident, and others like it, suggests that Holden is not good at monitoring his own behaviour. This again calls into question Holden’s explanations of what goes on in the novel and encourages the reader to look seriously at the words spoken by the other characters, even if they are related through Holden’s eyes. Thus, through both Holden’s explicit assessments of his own personality and the implicit meaning of the events in the story, the reader can see that Holden Caulfield is a less-than-reliable narrator whose story must be examined deeply in order to be understood. Paragraph Analysis Purpose: to interpret and explain an aspect of a literary text Structure: First two sentences work together to alert the reader to the topic and the thesis. The body sentences extend the discussion, and the conluding sentence restated the thesis. Language: language is formal and makes use of integrated quotations to add to the authority of the interpretation Features: identifies the title of the work and the author in the introductory sentence; uses literary terms (i.e., â€Å"unreliable narrator†); uses integrated quotations to support the discussion; remains focused exclusively on the text (no â€Å"real life† references)

American Involvement in Vietnam War

The novel â€Å"Morning Glories among the Peas† was written by James D. Seddon, a mechanic and expert surveillance personnel of the US army. He was one of the US soldiers who was involved in the Vietnam War. In this novel, he wrote some of his experiences albeit fighting and surviving in Vietnam. Nevertheless, he also offered some political issues that he thinks should be addressed by the US government. The Vietnam War was both a military and ideological war. When Vietnam was divided into two parts: North and South Vietnam, tensions were rising between the two nations.North Vietnam had a Communist government supported by both the Soviet Union and Red China. It was headed by Ho Chi Minh who defeated the French during the Vietnamese war of independence. South Vietnam was democratic in government. A duly constituted government was elected by the South Vietnamese under the terms of its constitution. South Vietnam was supported by the United States. When the North Vietnamese army i nvaded South Vietnam, call for its defense was alerted by the United States. Allied nations of the United States responded and began sending troops to South Vietnam.The United Nations Security Council called for the deployment of troops in South Vietnam to relieve the pressure from the South Vietnamese army trapped in the invasion. The United States, under the presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson sent troops to Vietnam without the formal declaration of War. Hence, the Vietnam War came to its early phase of battle. The book was about a Vietnam War veteran who saw the horrible events in the war: the bloody massacre of villages by US troops suspected of hiding North Vietnamese, the frequent ambush of US marines in the jungles of Vietnam, and many other events narrated in the book.Since the book is non-fiction, it guarantees a wide range of historical discourse on policies on war and political ideological struggles. Nevertheless, the wide array of schematic dialogues and conjunctures bet weens characters provide the audience the atmosphere of intense conflict, of which, the most pervasive is the reality of war as politics and of politics as war. The Vietnam War was the longest war involving the United States (1961-1975), yet it was only the war in which the United States was defeated.The intense realities of the war which the author was trying to convey in his novel was a blanch or result of ideological struggle between the US and the Communist bloc. It was often argued that the United States fought a war of non-sense, but policy-makers at that time were not concerned of practicality, but only of necessity. Vietnam was strategic since it holds the key to the numerous bodies of water surrounding the newly-born democratic republics of Southeast Asia. If Southeast Asia fell to the Communists, what are then the chances for the United States to maintain its ideological dominance?The implication of the author’s argument may hold the key to the very purpose of sendi ng expeditions to South Vietnam. Soldiers were sent to a land where they have no affinities. They were serving a war that does not suit their interests. Added to that, the war seemed to be a reflection of their nation’s stance to maintain world leadership at all costs, by all means. Hence then, the experiences of the veteran in the novel were a reflection of the credulity of the insistence of the United States to maintain its ideological dominance in the form of a genuine â€Å"defense of democracy.† It was in many ways irresponsible, unconcerned, and strategic from the point of view of those who fought in the battle fronts. As for the author, his experiences of senseless massacres of villages, poisoning of wells, senseless killings of soldiers, indiscriminate bombings of cities and towns, were the direct results of this desire: the desire for ideological and military dominance. It was even implied in the title of the novel. Do morning glories really found among peas?D oes this serves as an allegory of the conflicting conditions in Vietnam and the United States? Or does this indicate a struggle for ideological dominance? Or simply a way of reiterating the realities of war brought by the things mentioned above? It seems that the novel covered these issues presented, although some of them may be highlighted and some cast aside. The realities presented by the author (who was a veteran of the war) were, in my interpretation, the embodiment of the war policies of the United States.These were policies that prioritize ideology rather than human dignity. The novel also presented the decay of human dignity brought about by the Vietnam War. Human dignity is generally found in the ability of humans to live comfortably without the interference of foreign powers, that is, free development under the term of a just legal standard. The intrusion of the United States into the lives of the South Vietnamese brought them anguish and despair.The United States also suf fered because it lost almost 500, 000 men in the war. Nevertheless, it lost the pride and status achieved decades ago. It was generally an unwarranted war. The novel is generally a good source of historical information about the war in Vietnam. It also gives a thorough and clear description of Vietnam; its people, goals, and achievements. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there are some form of biases in the novel; sometimes favoring the United States; sometimes attacking its war policies.For instance, to describe the North Vietnamese as â€Å"senseless killing machines† is generally unacceptable especially for educated men who view these people as freedom-loving. Nevertheless, it can also be argued that the book also suffered from the credulities of a simplistic master piece. Although it accurately describes reality, the author was unable to highlight his literary style in the novel (novice). Reference Seddon, James D. 1990. Morning Glories among the Peas: A Vietnam†™s Veteran Story. Iowa State. e-bay bookstore download. http://worldcat. org//22181821?

Plain packaging of cigarettes is a good policy and should be retained Essay

Plain packaging of cigarettes is a good policy and should be retained in Australia - Essay Example Proponents of the laws enactment argue that it will restrict the use of colors, brand imagery, logos, and promotional texts. Inclusions in the product create the effect of its appeal to consumers. The government uses the legislation to make the product less appealing especially to the young (Australian Government, Common Law 2011). As a result, plain cigarette packaging is an initiative to reduce cigarette consumption. The government expresses concerns of citizens health and discourages commodities, such as tobacco. Product homogeneity is very instrumental in standardizing competition. Tobacco manufacturers use packaging to differentiate their products and make it attractive than others. The government intends discourage unfair competition that might affect the performance of small industries. Plain cigarette packaging comes along with product homogeneity that standardizes commodities. When packaging of cigarettes appeal in the same way to consumers, they will not reestablish brand loyalty (Davey, 2014). Therefore, the legislation eliminates unfair competition caused by well-established industries to small ones. Consumers tend to buy a product not because they are in need of it, but the packaging persuades them to acquire. Consequently, packaging causes impulse buying as consumers purchase products without an active decision-making process. The legislation on plain cigarette packaging achieves to encourage cigarette consumers to go through a proper decision-making process before deciding to buy the product (Walsh et al., 2008). Plain packaging standardizes the product and makes it consumers buy it only to satisfy their needs must not because of its appeal. The government imposition of plain cigarette packaging undermines trademark law. It also breaches intellectual property rights as well as international trade arguments. Trademark serves the purpose of distinguishing

Nursing care plan for a post-operation patient (CA colon) who was Case Study

Nursing care plan for a post-operation patient (CA colon) who was prolonged ICU stay due to prolonged ventilator support - Case Study Example an be achieved through nursing interventions that includes assisting the patient in psychological adjustment, prevention of complications, supporting independence in self care as well as providing information about prognosis, treatment needs, expected complications and community resources that can be utilized to meet the needs of the patients. The paper will focus on three nursing diagnosis with eight intervention related to the postoperative complication of the patient. According to Bischof, Maier, Smith, Fitch & Wright (2011), Colon cancer is the common type of cancer that affects the gastro intestinal system. Appropriate nursing and medical intervention can help reduce the post operative period and reduce complications such as infections. Colostomy and ileostomy are some of the procedures done during surgery. Even though post operative period is often long, some people are able to recover and resume normal activities after six to eight weeks (Brubakken & Cheney, 2010). The number of death resulting from colon cancer was 15.9 in every a hundred thousand women and men every year with 43.7 in every a hundred thousand women and men per year of new cases. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be used to prevent spread of colon cancer. -Reduce the amount of time that the patient spends on the ventilator machine from 12 hours to eight hours in the first day, from eight hours to six hours in the second day and from six hours to four hours in the third day. Weaning from the ventilator machine is important to the patient as it help the patient to support themselves and be in control (DONALD & VIAR, 2010). It is also an indication that the original cause of the respiratory failure has been dealt with (Taylor, 2010). The patient has been able to reduce the time on the ventilator machine by two hours on the first day (Chang, 2013). This has been effective through the use of daily screening of respiratory functions and breathing trials. Patient reports improved

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and Essay

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and what kind of qualities are to be found in those who have a vocation for politics - Essay Example Max Weber’s lecture on ‘Politics as a Vocation’: Politik als Beruf, was given in January 1918 to the students of Munich University. In it, Weber gave his definition of the modern state from the sociological point of view, which continues to hold good in the present day context, and his conception of the person who has a genuine vocation for politics. Weber’s ideal politician is one who realistically and resolutely confronts the vicissitudes of political life and combines in himself passion and detachment, along with the ethics of ultimate means and responsibility. Weber holds that the state is a political association which cannot be circumscribed by its’ ends, as these are too varied. It can only by defined in terms of its’ employment of physical force to attain its’ ends. Weber agreed with Trotsky’s assertion that â€Å"Every state is founded on force.† The state claims its’ use of physical violence as a legitimate right and considers itself the sole arbiter of this right. Another characteristic of the state is its’ demarcation into a particular territory. In the modern state, men dominate other men. This association is reinforced by the states’ use of force when necessary. The foundation of the state is the mandatory obedience of the people who are dominated to the authority of the state. This domination is given legitimacy by three â€Å"inner justifications† – traditional, charismatic and legal. Traditional domination is that exerted by patriarchs and princes out of age old custom. Charismatic domination is based on the appeal of a magnetic personality who inspires his followers to devotion because they â€Å"believe in him.† Legal domination is based on legal decrees which are accepted and respected as valid obligations. Of course, fear of punishment for resisting authority and the hope of reward for obedience are other factors which come into play. Politically dominant

Why Mobile Phone Conversations Are Never Private Essay

Why Mobile Phone Conversations Are Never Private - Essay Example The privacy of mobile phones for instance, has been a predominant topic in the field of feminist media studies (Baker, 2006, p.1). Through the use of mobile phones, many people have been subjected to unwarranted infringement of personal privacy depending on the gender of the individual and this has led to various studies aimed at investigating how different genders use mobile phones and how the use of these devices has contributed to politically-motivated social history (Hijazi-Omari & Ribak, 2008, p.154). This paper seeks to explore the relationship between the use of mobile phones by teenage girls and the resulting privacy issues. The paper will further focus on the contemporary media practices and how they have influenced different people’s lives depending on their genders. Moreover, the paper will examine the various elements of insecurity applicable in the use of mobile phones and how these pronounce the privacy complexities (Stuart, 2007, p.1). Eavesdroppers, hackers and thieves Despite the conventional privacy belief associated with the use of mobile phones, their use has actually exposed many people to the traps of unintended and self privacy infringing illegal use (Stuart, 2007, p.2). Today, the use of mobile phones has increased to a level that it does not matter where you are or what you are doing but whether your hands are free to hold the handset to your ears for conversation as long as the other person is ready to communicate. The freedom brought by the use of mobile phones has highly influenced the social structures of various communities and even cultures that never used to communicate physically can now access and communicate to the other party devoid of the cultural barriers (McRobbie, 2007, p.720). In this regard, feminist populations in communities that do not allow women to freely mingle with men have been able to freely communicate with their male counterparts without the culturally defined blockages. However, it is imperative to no te that the use of mobile phones has also worked to fuel various illegal activities since other people are able to intercept the communication between the users of mobile phones making the communication media vulnerable (Baker, 2006, p.1). Given the frequency of use and the location of the users of mobile phones, eavesdroppers, hackers and thieves have found it easy to access the mobile phone devices and this enables them to plan and execute their illegal acts without the consent of the mobile phone users (Stuart, 2007, p.1). In many occasions people share their experiences and even personal information with the other users of mobile phones without considering their location and whether there are people around them who could use such information for other purposes. Take for example the use of mobile phones in a cyber cafe or even in a foods store. In these places, different people come for different purposes and some people can access other electronic equipments like lap tops and ot her computer devices (Krotz, 2011, p.2). When an individual either in a line waiting to be served or already enjoying the services of the facility begins to communicate with another person sharing individual experiences and personal information, another person in the same place could easily record the personal information and even schedules and this will aid their planning and execution of illegal acts (Earle, 2010, p.1). Eavesdroppers, hackers and thieves have made the use of mobile phones less private as should be according to the conventional beliefs (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, 2010, p.2). In this regard, hackers have shown that they don’t actually need the physical mobile devise to track and utilize personal information of the owner of the mobile phon

Exploration Missions on Mars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exploration Missions on Mars - Essay Example Exploration Missions on Mars In the contemporary world, there have been numerous missions and these have included the Mars Odyssey, the Mars Express, the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters and the Mars Science Laboratories. They have been developed to ensure that further knowledge of the planet is increased and this to such an extent that there is contemplation concerning sending a manned mission to Mars. This report seeks to show the extent to which the recent missions to Mars, especially within the twenty first century, have increased human knowledge concerning this planet and whether they have been successes. The Mars Odyssey mission is one of the most important in the twenty first century because it was the first successful mission to be launched in the new millennium. The orbiter involved in this mission reached the orbit of Mars in 2001 where it was able, through its gamma ray spectrometer, to detect a significant amount of hydrogen on the Martian surface, which allowed scientists to speculate that there, must be large amounts of water on the planet in the form of ice (Boynton et al, 2004,). Furthermore, its Phoenix lander was instrumental in confirming that Mars indeed had water and that this would allow for the conditions necessary to sustain life. It is essential to note that it was through this mission that scientists were able to determine were able to confirm the presence of water on the planet in the form of ice and it allowed for there to develop speculation concerning whether the ice ever thawed.

All about Coal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

All about Coal - Research Paper Example The reason for the gathering of coal was primarily for household uses, namely heat. It was later discovered that it played an important role with its heating capabilities in smelting, alloy production and the generation of electricity. Sir George Bruce created a loading island where he sank a shaft connected to two others for drainage purposes and ventilation. This form of technology was extraordinary in coal mining during medieval times, often considered an industrial wonder of the time. In the 17th century many advances in the techniques used for mining were discovered, including test boring and drainage of the collieries, to allow the coal to be brought to the surface easier and more safely. Definition Merriam-Webster (2011) defines coal as â€Å"a piece of glowing carbon or charred wood†. This is a curious definition, as most would think of coal as simply a dirty, black rock that creates heat and is great for summer barbecues. The fact that it is defined as â€Å"glowingà ¢â‚¬  and â€Å"charred wood† leave the mind to wonder how was coal formed then? If it is already â€Å"charred wood†, why would we use it? It’s already been burned up, so what use can it be? The answer lies in the reason and process through which coal was formed. How coal was formed The formation of coal began around 300 million years ago, while most of the earth was covered by swamps, giant ferns and different mosses. Layer after layer of these plants died and subsequently were compressed and covered with new soil. As these new layers of soil covered the dead plants, the lack of air stopped the decomposition processes of the plants. This created peat, and throughout the years with heat and extensive pressure, it forced out oxygen and hydrogen, leaving carbon-rich deposits known as coal. As the carbon content of the coal increases, its compression is increased and the moisture content drops further. Thusly, there are four types of coal that form in subsequent order, each with its own grading scale, known as a â€Å"rank† (Speight, 2005). (stovesonline.co.uk) III. Four Categories of Coal The four categories of coal are lignite, subbituminous, bituminous and anthracite. Each one has its own ranking, based on the degree of which the original plant materials have been turned into carbon. These ranks are also used an estimation of how old the coal is. In general, the older the coal, the higher the carbon content. Lignite coal is the youngest of the four, and is most often used in the generation of electric power. It is a brownish black color and has a high moisture and sulphur content. It is more similar to soil than rocks and has a tendency to fragment when exposed to the elements. Subbituminous coal is often referred to as black lignite, although its moisture content is lower. It is also used for the generation of electricity, but also used for heating. Bituminous coal is a soft coal. iIt is dense and black with stripes of vibrant an d dull materials. This is the most commonly found and used type of coal, for coke (a residue of coal used in the steel industry), electricity, and heating as well. The last of the four, anthracite coal, is the hardest, oldest and best of the four types. It is black, glossy and very hard like a rock. It has the lowest sulphur content and the highest carbon

Relationship Between Parent and Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Relationship Between Parent and Child - Essay Example Julie, as known by her father, started out as a â€Å"warm, sensitive, sweet child and very easy going† child. She was a bubbly little girl who was curious and creative and had a very positive disposition. Her profile was painted by her father with loving words, projecting an ideal daughter that brought her parents much joy and pride. This kind of personality usually results from having a secure attachment with her parents while growing up. In the first few years of life, a child with a secure attachment can learn how to balance separation and reunion. She is unafraid when she gets separated from her parents, trusting that they will be back for her. On the other hand a child with an insecure attachment to his mother manifests panic, anger and a desperate search for her, thinking that she will never come back. When the mother returns, a host of responses may be observed of the child. Some children would be delighted and warmly embrace the parent; others would appear to be indif ferent, withdrawn, hostile, uncertain or confused. The kind of response the child had led the psychological observers to develop the attachment categories of secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant and disorganized. Schore (2001) claim that infants’ attachment experiences are stored in the early maturing right hemisphere of their brain, which have long term effects on how they cope with stress in the future. Hence, it is suffice to say that attachment is crucial to the emotional development of the child, and this is reflected in Julie’s personality as a child.... He allowed them to make mistakes because from these, they learn too. He claims, â€Å"I never confronted the children directly when they made a mistake, I but always guided them until they got it right. I wanted to enrich their environment in order to boost their self-esteem and their confidence.† This reflects Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of learning where it is believed that children learn within a ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD) or the distance between a child’s independent problem-solving level and that obtained under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Wertsch, 1985). It is the space between what a child can do by himself and a more challenging level that he can achieve with help from someone. In the case of Julie and her sister, their parents provided ‘scaffolds’ or temporary supports in the process of learning which are gradually taken away when the children are already capable of learning without them. Mo st common conflicts/disagreements/challenges between parent and child Anthony remembers Julie as a very well-behaved child so there weren’t much conflicts or disagreements between them. The only challenging thing that he remembers is her insistence to choose her own clothes every morning, careful not to repeat outfits within close periods of time. If she had no choice but to wear pants two days in a row due to laundry problems, she would throw a fit. â€Å"That is the only time that I can remember when Julie would get mad, scream and cry and go to her room†. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing with Julie because she was quite mature for her age. The misbehaviour that Julie displayed was a manifestation of her growing up into a young lady who wants to prove that she is capable of making her own

Analysing adverts concerning teenagers Essay Example for Free

Analysing adverts concerning teenagers Essay Regimentally they are set out. Their objective is to lure unsuspecting teenagers into their false world of glitter and glam. You cant step into a newsagent without being boldly glared at by bright, eye-catching headlines I caught my boyfriend wearing my bra! My best mate snogged my Dad and Sister was shot on my doorstep and grinned at by smiling, laughing, almost emaciated, glamorous models, all adorning the cover of a teenage magazine. Bliss, J-17, Sugar and more, priced roughly two pounds, setting up icons of the famous, and dealing out hard criticism of everything un-cool. Teenagers are shown as shallow, one advert listed lip gloss as one of the six most needed things in life, alongside being a girl, slutty, Snog him, then dump him, and obsessed with their images, Look cool, whenever. Teenagers are seen as the main consumers, in an industry worth seventy million pounds, so the magazines try to entice readers to become regular subscribers. Celebrities and models give off an inaccessible image of self-assuredness, beauty and having perfect lives, unfairly giving the average reader an unobtainable icon to aim to make themselves duplicates of. Readers are attracted to a ludicrous parody of perfection, and are even encouraged to model themselves upon. School, careers and politics are only spoken of with scorn, or misguided efforts to make them seem acceptable, but mostly are seen as taboo subjects, ridiculed and forgotten, when these are really very important issues on todays world, and this omission only adds to the fai Ade of a faultless world. Parents are seen as objects rather than people, inhuman units who freely deal out money, work as their daughters slaves, and are the very limit of un-coolness. It is however, their money which pays for copies of magazines to be brought, and for the seemingly endless fashion pages to be brought for. When in reality, some girls scrape together two pounds each month, the ideals shown by magazines present a certainly well-off if not rich teenager. Love, and boys, are also seen as objects. Obtainable, but only on your terms. Love is as, or even more important than life, shown by the size of its allocation in the monthly horoscopes. Boys are stereotyped just as much as girls, and are seen as items to drape over the fashionable young females arm, to be bent to their will, and then dumped once they cease to amaze one, or perform one the sexual side of things. However, if this where true, surely there wouldnt be so many problem pages and letters titled such as He says hell hit me if I dont do as he says, or He says he will dump me if I dont sleep with him, where exclusively for a few scant pages in this girl power propaganda, boys are dominating scumbags. Sex, support of, and caution against, conflict across the glossy pages. Some serious reports are posted on the subject, but most subtle messages reek from the pages, all directing towards sex being acceptable, accept the tiny print across the bottom of the page, scrawled on to keep legal, of Be sure, be safe, sex under 16 is illegal. These contradictory messages are enforced by the adverts, which make up 27% of an average magazine, which show Wonderbra adverts, which suggest that females better equipped in the chest area are more probable to get a taxi on New Years Eve, a naked man and woman hugging with bottles of perfume, and images of insect thin big chested women everywhere, which all conclude in a teens uniqueness and individuality being suppressed or smothered by advice from people who arent even teenagers themselves. The language used in teenage magazines consists mostly of made up words and slang. In an eternally optimistic tone, glazing over any descriptions of anything less than forever cheerful and optimistic voices and messages. Alliterations litter the pages, along with similes and metaphors. Slang is used liberally, and several words such as totty, slap-happy and vampish, spring up amongst Smug sistas, cleavage queens and needy chicks Magazines are giving teenagers what they have been trained by previous issues to want and think they need. They are manipulating and hindering teenagers, in their beliefs and lives,. They assume, wrongly, that all of girl kind want to be the same. , and do not even address alternatives lifestyles, except to ridicule and ostracize them. Magazines are becoming more and more risqui , indulging in speculation and addressing less and less of the real problems of the world teenagers are having to grow up in. They are suited more to what adults think teenagers are like, and what they desire, and a stereotype of typicality, than to those who pay their pocket money out each month, to see behind the glossy front covers, read and gasp in adoration and wonder, feel for the real-life stories and laugh at mishaps. All they are really doing is limiting, destroying and suppressing their true selves.

Ecofeminism in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Ecofeminism in the 21st Century Essay Ecofeminism in the Twenty-First Century. by Susan Buckingham Introduction Since ecofeminism was developed as a concept in the 1970s (1), there have been, arguably, major policy shifts in the fields of gender (in)equality and environmental sustainability. Thus a consideration of the achievements of, and work outstanding for, ecological feminism is warranted. In this paper, I will assess the changing policy landscape to explore the extent to which this has structurally altered gender inequalities and societies treatment of the environment, and the imbrication of these wo processes. In order to do so, I will look at the rising profile of gender mainstreaming at the international, European Union (2) and European national level; the application of the feminism debate to environmental concerns; and the shifting of the radical edge of ecofeminism, to explore future possible trajectories (see, for example, Plumwood 2003; Seager 2003). To some extent, I will suggest that the transformation of policy and development rhetoric to include gender, as distinct from womens issues (itself, arguably, a post-feminist dilution of womens equality), masks fundamental attachment to business-as-usual, where social roles, pay differentials, political representation and environmental degradation remain little changed. However, there is, I argue, sufficient evidence to identify the influence of ecofeminist thinking on major policy initiatives concerning the relationship between women, men and environment at a variety of scales. The central question of this paper, then, is whether ecofeminism (as a distinct discourse, or as an amalgam of feminism and environmentalism constructed in different times and places in different ways) has hanged the way in which Western society articulates the relationship between men, women and the environment. This, of course, is a problematic and speculative exercise and will follow from an analysis of how discourse and practice themselves have changed. This paper will consider key changes to gender equality as it is linked to environmental sustainability, and explore how womens/feminists interests have helped to shape the environmental debate in the past decade. I will try to unpick dominant discourses which, on the one hand, are beginning to naturalize (some ould say neutralize) environmental concerns (where the terms sustainable development and environmental sustainability are common currency but poorly understood to the point of being anodyne), but on the other hand are marginalizing feminism, to examine the impact of this on ecofeminism. Finally, I will explore the territory of ecofeminisms leading/radical edge to speculate on where this may take both conceptual understanding and policy in the future. First, however, to put this discussion into context, I will briefly review ecofeminist arguments to illustrate their ange, before focusing on the constructivist approach, which has had the most traction in gender/environment debates in the last two decades. Ecofeminist approaches It is tempting to use a retrospective to try to impose some sort of order on past intellectual activity, and what I am attempting to do first in this article is to explore whether there is an intellectual trajectory, through a not necessarily coherent body of thinking and writing on gender and environment in the late twentieth century. In teasing out the possible relationship between womens position, gender anage the environment, ecofeminist writers in the 1970s and 1980s explored the relative importance of essentialism and social construction in these relationships. The social constructivist analyses (which tended to dominate French and British writing; see, for example, Mellor 1992) drew from the Marxist and social feminist literature to show how womens position in society (as, for example, carers of children and other vulnerable family members, domestic workers, and low paid/status workers) derived from prevailing social and economic structures, which exposed them to a particular set of environmental incivilities. The specifically ecofeminist argument here proposed that, since the same social and economic structures also produced wide-scale environmental damage, then women could, in some sense, share this experience and were therefore better placed to argue on natures behalf. The essentialist argument that underpinned some of the North American and Australian analyses proposed that women had a particular relationship with nature by virtue of their biology (predominantly as actual or potential child bearers) and that this proximity to nature qualified them to speak more eloquently on natures behalf see, for example, Spretnak 1989; Daly 1978). Different authors drew on each position to different degrees, and much of the critique of ecofeminism (well articulated in Biehl 1991) over the past 20 years has focused on the problems perceived with essentialism, and on the validity of a shared experience between the human and non-human. Dennis Smith (2001), in discussing the role of gender in peace and conflict, has argued that essentialism is often used as a tool to mobilize a group around a perceived characteristic which sets it apart, and, certainly, cultural ecofeminism (prioritizing essentialist arguments) did so. Its strength was to demonstrate the possibility of a way of thinking and being which reversed the normal hierarchy in which men stood at the peak; however, little academic feminist environmental thinking is currently framed in this way.

Effect of Anticoagulant on Blood Calcium

Effect of Anticoagulant on Blood Calcium Effect of Anticoagulant: Can Heparin Produce Negative Bias in the Determination of Total Blood Calcium? Soma Santra1, Manju Soni2, Ajay Soni2, Swati Kotwal ­Ã‚ ­1* KEY WORDS:  Quality control, pre-analytical, serum calcium, kit method, o-CPC Abstract Calcium is a vital element in the body which plays an important physiological role as it act as a second messenger in many biochemical pathways. Accurate results of total and ionic calcium level plays a pivotal role in patient care and management. Measurement of serum calcium helps to identify many clinical disorders. Many preanalytical conditions affect the blood calcium estimation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of heparin, used as an anticoagulant on total blood calcium assay. Blood specimen from 10 healthy subjects were collected and the difference in total calcium contraction in plasma and serum samples was assessed. No significant changes were observed when plasma levels were compared with the serum values with p value of 0.56. Deming regression analysis yielded the equation: 1.02 Ãâ€" (serum total calcium value) + 0.28 mg/dl. The bias value was -0.109 mg/dl (95% CI: -0.248 0.030 mg/dl) for total calcium levels assayed using either tube was acceptable. Total calcium values did not significantly differ when either plasma or serum was used with the spearman correlation coefficients (r value) of 0.98. In conclusion, heparinized tubes can be used for the determination of total blood calcium. The use of plasma sample has an advantage in an emergency laboratory setting due to less processing time. Keywords:  Calcium, Heparin, Quality control, Preanalytical, Phlebotomy, Blood collection device Introduction In recent years, there has been an increasing effort by international committees and working groups to develop quality standards for the pre-analytical phase, including the proper use of anticoagulants in sample collection (1, 2). Anticoagulants are additives that inhibit the clotting of blood; they are used only on ensuring that the concentration of the substance to be measured is changed as little as possible before the analytical process (3). The preanalytical laboratory testing takes two major steps: Blood collection and processing (4). The ionic calcium level in blood is recognized to be falsely decreased either due to dilution or binding effects of heparin, which is applied as an anticoagulant (5). The CSLI recommends the use of lyophilized calcium-balanced heparin syringes (6, 7) for collecting specimens for ionized calcium measurement. It has been proposed that ionized calcium levels can be affected by excess of heparin present in blood (8), although it was believed that the clinical significance was minimal (9). In this study, we are determining the effect of heparin on assay of total blood calcium to analyze preanalytical error in the collection of blood samples. Materials and Methods This study was approved by Swami Vivakanand Medical Mission ethical Committee. Informed consent was obtained from the donors. For evaluation of the effect of heparin on total blood calcium assay, blood samples were obtained from the 10 subjects. Blood samples were sequentially obtained by single venipunture from an antecubital vein in BD PresetR lithium heparin tubes (Ref. No. 367884) and BD vacutainer serum (Ref. No. 367812). All the subjects were between 18 50 years age group including both genders. Plasma levels of total calcium were compared to the serum calcium, which was used as a reference here. After the blood withdrawal, samples were then recapped into individual containers, followed by sample centrifugation. The plasma and serum samples were separated within 30 minutes of blood collection. Commercially available biochemical kit (Liquid Gold, Span diagnostic, India) by Arenazo-III method was used for total calcium Assay. Within 2 hours after collection, total calcium was me asured in all samples in triplicate and mean was used for further analysis. Data were evaluated using Analyse-it software (version 2.26). For all statistical comparisons, p values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Data concordance was evaluated via Deming regression analysis. The mean of differences (bias) and limits of agreement was calculated using the Bland and Altman method (10). Differences between total calcium level obtained from plasma and serum were compared using the paired t-test. Correlations were determined via calculation of Spearman correlation coefficients (r values).  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Results The total calcium values of samples analyzed in the present study ranged from 8.69 10.47 mg/dl and the mean total calcium values obtained using BD lithium Heparin was 9.34  ± 0.18 mg/dl whereas that for serum samples was 9.48  ± 0.18 mg/dl with SD of ≠¤0.57 (Table 1) by 1-way ANOVA. The Spearman correlation coefficient was r = 0.98 (p Discussion Serum is the preferred sample which is used by many laboratories for biochemical testing since it avoids the addition of anticoagulants that may interfere with some analytical methods or alter the true concentration of the parameters being measured. The use of serum or plasma in clinical pathology remains controversial. However, analyte stability is greater in serum than in plasma (11, 12) and differences between plasma and serum test results have often been documented (13). Moreover, in stored samples, the formation of fibrin strands is lower in serum than in plasma and therefore, there is lesser risk of occlusion in automated biochemical analyzers. However the use of plasma is preferred in some centres as it separates quickly saving preanalytical time thus reducing the total testing period (TTP); secondly, 15–20% more plasma sample can be obtained from the same volume of blood than the serum sample and lastly, with plasma there are no coagulation-induced changes or interferences (3). Heparin has been generally recommended as the most suitable anticoagulant for plasma collection (14) due to its physiological acceptance in vivo. Although in previous reports, a significant differences in selected parameters have been found between heparinized plasma and serum samples (13, 15). In our study, serum and heparinized plasma yielded similar results with no significant changes in total blood calcium assay this confirms the views of Thorensen, S.I.,et al (15) who also reported similar observations; and this adds up to the observation of Ladenson, J., et al (13) in which clinically significant changes were observed in ionic calcium observations on use of heparinized plasma over serum results.. We found that the Spearman correlation coefficient was 0.98, indicating a good correlation, when total calcium test results when plasma and serum were compared. Deming regression analysis yielded the slope of the regression line that did not approximate unity, suggesting that, in addition to the presence of a small constant bias, a small and non-significant proportional difference also existed between the test results obtained upon use of the two tube types (16). The total calcium assay bias was -0.109 mg/dl. The criteria of acceptable limits imprecision for total calcium ass ay is 1mg/dl and medically allowable error is 0.37 mg/dl (17, 18). In the present study, we observed that the total calcium concentrations of plasma samples were slightly lower than serum samples with no clinically significant differnece and the bias values were smaller than US CLIA 1988 targets. Although collection of blood samples from the patients administered with heparin prior to the collection may hold in excess of heparin, increasing clotting time in the collection tube and thereby increasing the potential for the establishment of latent fibrin in the preanalytical phase. Preanalytical variables associated with blood collection should be further standardized to ensure the accuracy of test results. It is impractical to expect tube manufacturers to test out their subway systems on all possible assay platforms; this is a project for individual research laboratories. Conclusion We conclude that heparinized tubes are suitable for sample collection for total calcium assay. With the use of heparin tubes use faster processing of blood samples can be possible, which is valuable in an emergency setting and in intensive care units. Moreover, single sample can be used for multiple purpose, including both hematological and biochemical analyses. References Guder, W.G., Ehret, W., da Fonseca-Wollheim, F., Heil, W., Muller Plate, O., Topfer, G. Serum, plasma or whole blood? Which anticoagulant to use? Laboratory Medicine 22, 1998: 297–312. World Health Organization. Use of Anticoagulants in Diagnostic Laboratory Investigations. vol. 1 WHO/DIL/LAB/99, Geneva, 1999: 1–64. Guder, W.G. The quality of diagnostic samples. Blood Gas News 10, 2001: 18–24. Raffick A.R. Bowen, Glen L. Hortin, Gyorgy Csako, Oscar H. Otaà ±ez, Alan T. Remaley. Impact of blood collection devices on clinical chemistry assays. Clinical Biochemistry 43, 2010, 4–25. Sachs C, Rabouine P, Chaneac M, Kindermans C, Dechaux M. In vitro evaluation of a heparinized blood sampler for ionized calcium measurement. Ann Clin Biochem. 199; 28:240–244. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Ionized calcium determinations: precollection variables, specimen choice, collection, and handling; proposed guideline. Villonova, PA: NCCLS; 2001. NCCLS Document C31-A. Cheung Soo Shin, Chul Ho Chand, Jeong Ho Kim. Liquid Heparin Anticoagulant Produces More Negative Bias in the determination of Ionized Magnesium than Ionized Calcium. Yonsei Med J., 2006; Apr: 47(2):191–195. Ritter C, Ghahramani M, Marsoner HJ. More on the measurement of ionized magnesium in whole blood. Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl. 1996;224:275–280. Toffaletti JG, Wildermann RF. The effects of heparin anticoagulants and fill volume in blood gas syringes on ionized calcium and magnesium measurements. Clin Chim Acta. 2001;304:147–151. Bland JM, Altman DG:Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement.Lancet, 1986,1:307–310. Boyanton B.L. Jr, Blick KE: Stability studies of twenty-four analytes in human plasma and serum. Clin Chem2002,48:2242–2247. Narayanan S:The preanalytic phase an important component of laboratory medicine. Am J Clin. Pathol2000,113:429–452. Ladenson, J., Lii-Mei, B., Michael, M.D., Kessler, G., Heinz, J. Serum versus heparinized plasma for 18 common chemistry tests. Is serum the appropriate specimen? American Journal of Clinical Pathology 62, 1974: 545–552. Burtis, C.A., Ashwood, A.R., 2008. Tietz Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry, Sixth ed. WB Saunders, Philadephia, pp. 31–43, 42-62. Thorensen, S.I., Havre, G.N., Morberg, H., Mowinckel, P. Effects of storage time on chemistry results from canine whole blood, heparinized whole blood, serum and heparinized plasma. Veterinary Clinical Pathology 21, 1992: 88–94. Martin RF: General deming regression for estimating systematic bias and Ä ±ts confidenceÄ ±nterval in method-comparison studies.Clin Chem2000, 46:100–104. US Dept. Of Health and Human Services. Medicare, Medicaid, and CLIA Programs: regulations implementing the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). Final rule. Fed Regist 1992;57:7002-186. Desirable specifications for total error, imprecision, and bias, derived from intra- and inter-individual biologic variation. http://www.westgard. com/biodatabase1.htm.

The Dumbing Down of American Fiction :: English Literature Fiction Books Essays

The Dumbing Down of American Fiction The 1976 film "Network" is an acerbic satire of television's single-minded obsession with mass ratings.One of the film's main characters, Howard Beale, is called the "Mad Prophet of the Airways," and his weekly harangues produce a "ratings motherlode"--yet he constantly admonishes his viewers to "Turn the damn tube off!"During one such rant Beale berates his audience as functional illiterates: "Less than three percent of you even read books!" he shouts messianically--and then promptly collapses from a sort of apoplexic overload. Almost twenty years later, contemplating the contemporary American publishing scene, I feel a Bealean rage coming on (and with it a vague longing for one of his fits).While three percent of the American population in 1976 would have been a little over six million readers, recent surveys suggest that the consistent buyers of books in this country now total no more than half that number, and may even be as few as one million.[1] That's total readership: your avid bodice ripper fans who buy romance in six-packs lumped in willy nilly with high brow mystery addicts who idolize PBS-bred Brits ... To say nothing of your popular science market, your science fiction market, your fitness market, your self-help market, your gourmet cooking market, your home carpentry market, your computer hacker market, your quilting and preserving and canning and gardening and hiking and hang gliding and bungee jumping market ... that is, all of these markets taken together may have around a million fans. Imagine all possible readers of anything made of words crammed into a bookstore roughly the size of 10 football stadiums.Large for a bookstore?Remember, with only one million readers to accommodate, it's the only bookstore.Just this one, and most days even it is cavernously empty; a single big, echoing bookstore in a nation of 250 million people, at least 200 million of whom can, if they so choose, read.Our potential customers total then not even one percent of the reading-capable population, but only half of one percent.If there are 100 million computers in this country, then there may be 100 times as many computers as there are consistent readers of books. Well, it's a post-book world, you respond.Books are, like the horse and buggy, obsolete.Like the typewriter.Like the barbershop quartet.Like the Cold War. And yet we holdouts, we inveterate readers, we who love our books so well for reasons so

The Reality of Rape Essays -- essays research papers

Running head: THE REALITY OF RAPE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rape is a crime of violence and aggression that not only hurts a victim for the moment, but it shatters her entire life. According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, rape is defined as â€Å"any kind of unlawful sexual activity, usually sexual intercourse, carried out forcibly or under threat of injury and against the will of the victim.† This definition has been redefined to cover same-sex attacks and attacks against those who are incapable of valid consent, including persons who are mentally ill, intoxicated, drugged, etc. (rape). Because rape crimes affect all races, cultures, ages, and economical classes, it is difficult to create concrete research on the topic because of the variances. Society in the United States by no means condones rape, but it does expect it. The theories of rape are all different but the crime is always the same, a violation of one’s self through a sexual act. There are many different types of rape including date rape, statutory rape, gang rape, and acquaintance rape. Though there are more than a handful of different names to view rape, all of the names have one thing in common: a victim. The frightening reality is that all of the rape studies that have been done show that the perpetrator is usually someone that the victim knows and/or trusts; during the dating years, seventy to ninety percent of rapes are acquaintance or date rapes (Mackey). Even more terrifying is that only one-third of rapes are reported to law enforcement officials (Buddie & Miller). Victims are most likely afraid that by going through with the process of pressing charges on his/her perpetrator that they, in turn, will be blamed using one or more of the ridiculous rape myths, by society. The reality of rape is a startling combination of ignorance relating to rape myths, lack of reportings and convictions, severe post-traumatic feelings of the attack, and theories of ra pe, both psychological and sociological.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rape is such a difficult crime to prove because it usually comes down to the victim’s word against the perpetrator’s word. In the United States, anyone who is charged with a crime is innocent until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In order to prove that the crime did indeed happen, a victim is usually humiliated and she is forced to re-live the h... ...d be convicted and sent to prison. REFERENCES Buddie, Amy, & Miller, Arthur (2001). Beyond rape myths: a more complex view of perceptions of rape victims – 1. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. Retrieved from the World Wide Web November 18, 2004: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_M2294/is_2001_August/ai_82782443 Mackey, Frank Misogynist. Cultural rape myths. Survivors Emerging. Retrieved November 18, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://people.morehead-st.edu/students/ar/aeruck01/culturalrapemyths.html rape Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 19, 2004 from Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service: http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article?tocld=9376486 Rennison, Callie Marie. (2002). Rape and sexual assault: reporting to police and medical attention, 1992-2000 (United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics No. NCJ-194530). Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retzinger, Suzanne, & Scheff, Thomas. (1997). Shame, anger, and the social bond: A theory of sexual offenders and treatment. Electonic Journal of Sociology. Thio, Alex. (2004). Deviant Behavior (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Gender Reversal in William Gibsons Neuromancer :: Neuromancer Essays

Gender Reversal in Neuromancer    In a world where beauty is literally a small price to pay to achieve. When reading the novel Neuromancer it is not a surprise that all the women described are not dubbed social unacceptable. In contrast they all have important roles: Molly is a street samurai, 3Jane is a leader of a world dominating family, Marie-Frances is a silent manipulative mother, and Linda Lee is, well okay she fits the stereotype of the girlfriend in most books. Stereotypical is not the definition used to describe the relationship between Molly and Case.    From the first time they meet Molly is the one chasing. In most relationships the man seems to be the aggressor; Molly takes that role with authority. She is following him around to recruit him for her team under the lead of Armitage. This team is working under the watchful circuits of an artificial intelligence (AIs) named Wintermute. Wintermute and Neuromancer are two AIs made by a powerful family, Tessier-Ashpool (TA). Wintermute needs Molly's muscle and Cases hacking ability to successfully join Wintermute with Neuromancer together. This family is lead by Ashpool and next in line is 3Jane. The person responsible for Wintermute wanting to join together is the mother and visionist Marie-France. 3Jane and Marie-France are different in there approach to power. 3Jane is more silent and patient, whereas; Marie-France is manipulative and has ideas of her own. Marie-France uses her silence to wait for an opportunity to advance her plan to join Wintermute and Neuromancer. 3Jane uses her s ilence to advance through the ranks undetected, but both have more power on their minds.    Power is not the only reverse gender role that Molly shows. Her relationship with Case is a definite reversal of gender. Molly starts as the aggressor and ends as the user. After her prier meeting with Case, he has an operation to allow him to be able t jack into the matrix with out a computer. Molly stays at his place to take care of him after he awakes from his surgery. Of course with the opposite roles Molly is there for one thing, sex. Even during the brief sex scene Molly proves to be the more dominant figure. She initiates the situation and takes the bull by the horns.    Taking charge of a predicament is not anything new to Molly.

Investigate the effect of one factor on the boiling temperature of a liquid Essay

Salt (NaCl) is a substance with a low vapour pressure. In comparison to any type of liquid, salt still has a lower vapour pressure. If salt was to be dissolved in water (H2O), in this case for the experiment, then consequently the salt will cause the overall vapour pressure of the solution to decrease and have a lower vapour pressure. Lowering a solution’s vapour pressure means that the solution will have a higher molecule vaporising point then pure water (without added salt). In other words, the boiling point of the solution will increase and therefore have a higher boiling point temperature. A term used to describe this outcome is also known as boiling-point elevation. [1] In this experiment the affect of table salt on the boiling point of tap water will be measured. Pure tap water without table salt added will be the control of this experiment and all results will be compared to the results of the pure tap water. The temperature of the water will be measured in degrees Celsius (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) and the amount of table salt added will be measured in grams (g). This experiment will be carried out at Standard Lab Conditions (SLC); Research Question: How does table salt affect the boiling point of water? Hypothesis: It is hypothesised that adding table salt will cause the water to boil at a higher temperature. Variables: Independent variables: The amount of table salt added to water. (g) * 0 grams (control) * 10 grams * 20 grams * 30 grams * 40 grams * 50 grams Dependent variables: The temperature of water when it boils (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C) Controlled variables: Controlled variables How it will be controlled The conditions of the surrounding area (temperature, wind, humidity etc) of where the experiment is carried out The experiment will be carried out on one day only and at standard lab conditions Avoid salt residues left on the thermometer when testing water temperature Distilled water will be used to clean the thermometer before every testing of water The type of water used for the experiment Tap water for the science lab will be used for this experiment The point at which the water temperature will be recorded The temperature of the water will be recorded when the whole surface of the water is boiling and bubbling The length of time the thermometer is left in the beaker of water The thermometer will be left for 30 seconds in the beaker, to show clear results of the water temperature The depth at which the thermometer is left in the beaker The end tip of the beaker will be placed right at the centre bottom of the beaker The Bunsen burner flame that will heat the beaker The heat of the blue flame will boil the water in the beaker The length of time the Bunsen burner is left undisturbed on blue flame to reach its optimum temperature When the Bunsen burner safe flame is changed to blue flame, the Bunsen burner will be left on the bench undisturbed for 2 minutes The repetition and speed of stirring the solution When the beaker is placed onto the tripod with the blue flame on, immediately 5 slow circle rotations of the stirring rod will be performed to dissolve the salt into the water The amount of water used for this experiment For this experiment, 500 millimetres of water will be measured in the beakers. When measuring the water level, the observer must get down to eye level to avoid parallax error and misreading of the water level Avoiding contaminations to the equipment used in this experiment Before using equipments, distilled water will be used to thoroughly clean all equipments to avoid contamination and residues The brand and type of table salt used for this experiment Woolworths Iodated Table Salt will be used for this experiment The accuracy of measuring small amount of salt The sampler spoon will be filled with salt right to the top, (touching the edges but not overflowing) with salt. 2. A wash bottle was used to thoroughly clean all equipments of this experiment. Including: beakers, graduated cylinder; thermometer, stirring rod 3. With a permanent marker pen, each beaker was labelled (near the top mouth of the beaker): Control; 10g; 20g; 30g; 40g; 50g; respectively, in relation to the amount of salt that will be added to the water 4. The graduated cylinder was used to measure 500mL of tap water, and the tap water was then placed into a beaker. This was repeated until all six beakers were filled with 500mL of tap water 5. The sampler spoon was used to weigh the amount of table salt that each beaker of water needed according to the labels of the beakers Eg; If the beaker is labelled 30g, then 30g of salt must be added to the beaker. Which means salt will have to be scooped three times with the spoon 6. The Bunsen burner was set up and the safe flame was left on. The tripod was placed directly above the flame 7. When the Bunsen burner was changed to the blue flame, the stopwatch was used to record 2 minutes of the flame left undisturbed 8. The beaker that read Control was immediately placed onto the tripod after two minutes was up 9. The stirring rod was instantly retrieved and 5 slow circle rotations were performed to dissolve the salt into the water 10. The beaker was left stable on the tripod. Whilst waiting for the water to boil, changes to the solution was carefully observed. Observations were recorded as qualitative data. When the whole surface of the water boiled, the tip of the thermometer was immediately placed at the centre of the beaker for 30 seconds. The degree of the water was then recorded. 11. In avoiding dangers, the blue flame was changed to the safe 12. The beaker tongs was used to remove the beaker from the tripod and the beaker was then placed away from the experiment area 13. The wash bottle was used to clean residues off the thermometer. 14. Steps 7-12 was then repeated for the rest of the beakers labelled; 10g; 20g; 30g; 40g; 50g 15. In obtaining more accurate results, the whole experiment was carried out another three times and the average was then calculated: Test 1 result + Test 2 result + Test 3 result Bibliography 1. How Does Salt Affect the Boiling Point of Water. David Bradley. 27 Dec 2006. 07 Feb 2009. http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/how-does-salt-affect-the-boiling-point-of-water.html

Playa Dorada Upload Essay

Goals of expansion strategy The goal of Douglas Hall, which is currently in charge of creating an expansion strategy for Playa Dorada is to create a new expansion strategy in long term which may be by creating new facilities for people using tennis courts and increase the efficiency of the actual existing tennis courts by modifying or optimizing playing hours or pricing of the courts. Additional to this Hall needs to satisfy all parties existing at Playa Dorada, including the following departments: -Research operations / low investment, easy to manage -Marketing Sales / new tennis club house, lounge and shop -Finance / cash flow and ROI -Development / blending into nature and exotic architecture -Create an expansion strategy quickly -Satisfy all parties Offered adjustments and solutions in the case -Readjust pricing strategies -Build new courts Problem definition internal and external -guest expect to double soon -increasing demand of tennis activities – not being able to keep the upholding trend -land limitation for additional courts -primary: capacity fulfilment and pricing structure -overcrowding can result in decrease of sales in houses -satisfy all parties needs The problem of Playa Dorada internally and externally are the facts that the demand for the tennis courts is growing steadily and intensively. The amount of guest wanting to use the available tennis courts is forecasted to double  the next years. Therefore the existing tennis courts cannot keep up with the raising trend of using tennis facilities at the Playa Dorada beach resort, which can result in unsatisfied guests, because they cannot use the desired tennis facilities during their holidays. Being unsatisfied guests can want to change the resort for holiday in the following holiday seasons because Playa Dorada is overcrowded and desired activities cannot be done. In addition to this the tennis courts are mainly utilized by guests that are visiting the resort for the second and third time. Guest that are at Playa Dorada for the first time usually prefer to use the beach as a major tourist attraction rather then play tennis or golf at the resort. Another issue that exists is the limitation for additional tennis courts. The demand for more tennis facilities could be stilled by building new tennis courts. The problem is that there is only space in order to build only four additional tennis courts which might only help in the short term of stilling the growing demand as forecasts are expecting continuous growth. The efficiency usage of the actual tennis courts is another problem as those usage seems not to be maximized in terms of capacity. The currently existing tennis courts are usually available around 8am in the morning and with the sun going down in the evening. Too many guests are the general issue. Additionally the pricing structure might be resettled in order to still the demand for the available tennis courts. The existing high amount of guests and being overcrowded in some departments at Playa Dorada Inc. can result in a decrease of sales in Playa Dorada’s main profit activity, the sale of villas on the resort. Not dealing with the high demand of guests, and trying to satisfy all needs can result in huge losses and decrease of ROI for Playa Dorada as their villas need a huge investment to be build. This could cause a general existing issue for the whole Playa Dorada Inc. At least there exists the issue of satisfying all parties and departments inside Playa Dorada as long as they do not have the same expectations. All departments have different priorities and Hall needs to identify the most relevant ones and to find compromises for all parties included. Customer Analysis -families with kids -income more than 125000$ a year -9-10 days resort vacations -customer play tennis during morning hours and late afternoon -customers usually play one hour -prefer clay courts -prefer less humidity and good climate The customers of Playa Dorada Inc are in general families with one or two kids with parents that have the average income of 125000$ and belong to higher positions in companies or organizations such as managers. In average those families spend about 9-10 days at the beach resort in spring or winter. According the tennis courts the customers usually prefer to play not more than one hour in the morning around 9-11 am or the late afternoon 4-6 pm which are the preferred and most desired playing hours. The grown up customers which are usually the parents within the families are the main clients for the courts, providing most profitability. Those customers prefer clay courts as they are not as hard as the rubber latex ones. Many clients like to refuse from the rubber latex courts as it might hurt their bones. Company analysis Strengths (Ranked from 1 strong to 6 less important) -brand image well known for quality and in general – brand awareness (2) -many activities in resort as tennis golf and so on (4) -Good location tourist destination for holidays (3) -steadily high increasing demand of facilities and high interest of clients for the Playa Dorada in the last few years (1) -74% of guests well educated (6) -clients with high income (5) PD is already having a strong brand awareness among customers. The resort is known for being a luxurious place for well educated people with a higher then average income. PDs beach resort focuses on this people and creates a community for well educated and high income people. Many guests like the weather and the activities the resort offers and for this reason they buy accommodations or return to the resort in the following years. In addition to this the resort is located in Boca Raton, Florida where the weather is  good during the winter season and American families can travel there quite fast without long flights to tropical and exotic places. Therefore the demand for PDs beach resort is steadily growing what is another strength for the company as it provides temporary safety in visitors and allows to forecast that at least the amount of clients should not decrease in the short term. At least the high income of clients allows higher prices and provides clients which are more willing to spend money during their holiday period. Those clients arrived to spend their money in order to recover and have a nice time at the beach resort. Weaknesses (Ranked from 1 strong to 8 less important) -being unable to deal with increasing demand already (1) -in summer courts are not fully used (4) -no possibility to play at darkness (5) -no courts available during most desired playing hours 9-11 am and 4-6 pm (3) -players playing more than one hour with the usage of discounts, blocking courts for others (6) -fees from maintenance costs of preferred clay courts (7) -fees from maintenance and services for housekeeping (8) -intensive advertising and promotion of tennis activities (2) The weaknesses the resort is facing are big disparities in the amount of clients during summer and winter periods as well as a lack of usage of the tennis courts during the summer period. Secondly the usage of the courts in the winter period is overcrowded what results in unsatisfied clients. The usage of courts is limited, playing in hours of darkness is not possible and the pricing structure for the plays is not actual to the existing demand. Fees of maintaining the houses and clay courts are high. Additionally the marketing strategy of advertising and promoting the tennis courts is not on time anymore as the courts do not have to be advertised anymore. Opportunities (Ranked from 1 big to 6 low) -popularity of tennis is growing in general as trend sports (5) -tourism in Florida steadily growing (4) -continuous increasing demand of PD and growing brand awareness at customers (2) -increasing demand of guest and buyers (1) -automatization of labour providing more efficiency, lower labour costs and higher margins (6) -budget used for advertising tennis courts can be used more efficiently (3) The opportunities of Pc are the fact that the whole tourism industry in Florida is steadily gaining popularity and is continuously growing. Additionally to this the demand of tennis courts is growing as tennis seems to be a trendy sport at this times. When PD will be able to fulfil the needs of customers according attractions in PD a good future for the profit of the organization can be existent. In addition to this margins can be increased by automized labour which can decrease labour costs. At least the budget of advertising the tennis court can be cancelled in order to use the money more efficient in another investment. Threats (Threats ranked from 1 big to 8 low) -overcrowding of facilities (2) -being unable to satisfy clients (1) -falling brand recognition (destruction of PD) and amount of clients (4) -no sales of housing (3) -no ROI (6) -high disparity of guest between summer and winter time (5) -substitutes available outside the resort (8) -continuous advertising might higher demand even more (7) Playa Dorada might have to face many dangerous threats in future, when not dealing with the issue of overcrowding at its sports facilities in the resort. Staying overcrowded and not satisfying customers needs like providing tennis courts might result in a falling brand awareness of PD and a loss in clients. This loss in clients would be highly dangerous because the sporting facilities are mainly used by returning clients to the resort. Clients that spend their first time at the resort prefer spending their free time at the beach rather than do active sports. Without satisfied returning clients sports facilities might be completely unused what would result a big decrease in ROI and increase cost for the whole organization. In addition to this, spoiling its reputation of being a luxury and good place for people to spend their  holidays in would result in a lower demand for clients that might buy housing at the PD beach resort. This would cause a giant loss in the company’s biggest profit department and the huge investment of building houses would not pay off. The existence of the whole PD resort would have been challenged. Another threat PD could face is a bigger disparity of clients during the winter and summer period. With a new investment in new tennis courts the demand in the high season might be filled but in the low season even more facilities might be unused and useless. Therefore it would be questionable if the investment would pay back for the new courts. Without building this new courts in the resort the high demand might shift to other tennis courts outside the beach resort. Clients might be desperate to play tennis and not getting any courts and change to another provider outside the resort that is less problematic. Once the clients have gone and will be satisfied, the possibility that they will come back is rather small. Therefore the loss of clients might be very expensive for the tennis courts department. Recommendations Short term -build lights at existing courts to provide playing at night -avoid discounts at pricing to not encourage people to play longer -higher prices as demand is very high in order to increase profit and ROI and lower the amount of clients -higher prices during rush hours of tennis courts -stop with advertising the tennis courts, advertise other sports facilities as golf In the short term Hall needs to increase the efficiency of the already existing tennis courts. This might happen with the building of lighting at the tennis courts so that some clients that want to play tennis might play it in the hours of darkness. Installing lights is an investment but it does  not take much time compared to building new courts and is rather small. In addition to this all discount strategies have to be cancelled as PD does not want clients to play more than one hour but to increase profits and ROI of the tennis courts already existing. Another issue is that the more clients can play during one day the satisfied the mass will be. In opposite the prices for renting the court for a second hour might be slightly higher. This will make clients not even think about playing another hour just because it is cheaper. Furthermore clients will still be satisfied as they already have played on the courts this special day. If necessary it is possible to advice them to play for a normal price at hours where the courts will not be fully used. Another increase in pricing should be made during rush hours of playing at the tennis courts with the reason that this times (9-11 am and 4-6 pm) are the most popular among clients. Clients that really consists on playing at those hours will be more willing to pay. Finally the advertising for the tennis courts has to stop because the courts are already facing a too high amount of customers in the high season. The marketing strategy may be modified to advertise the courts at low season by for example providing different tournaments or events at the tennis courts (further information see long term strategy). Long term – tournaments and events in low season (tennis courts might be used differently) – build two new tennis courts to answer the demand – you can explain your potential clients that you are reacting to their expectations it might show them that investing in PD beach resort is reasonable – find another facility in the beach resort which needs to be promoted or use the money from advertising for other investments as new tennis courts in new  regions – if still needed after all the actions because of very high demand, build new courts at another locations of the park – if locations might be far away you can provide transport services (golf cars) in order to bring your clients to the new tennis courts As shortly described in the short term strategy, in the low season more clients can be attracted to the usage of the tennis courts by providing different tournaments or events on the ground of the tennis courts such as different games for kids or tennis tournaments. The advertisement of the tennis courts itself has to stop and to be modified in order to not attract too many clients as their expectations cannot be fully satisfied. Advertising should promote another sports activity in the resort that might need more clients or at least promote the events or tennis at the tennis courts in the low season in order to attract customers when they are needed. In addition to this techniques two more tennis courts have to be build in the area that is already provided in order to cover the forecasted raise of clients in the next years. The building of more tennis courts right now is not necessary as it is hard to forecast how pricing, advertising and lightning at the courts described in the short term strategies will influence the demand for tennis courts in the long term. The building of two new tennis courts can be used as a marketing strategy in order to show clients that PD is solving the issue of too many clients at the tennis courts that will create a feeling of safety in potential customers of houses showing them that this is the right place to invest in houses. If there still will be relevant increasing of clients at the tennis courts, new clay courts might have to be build in another location of the PD beach resort. In order to make the new courts attractive to the clients as they might be  far away from the current tennis courts, PD might provide a transport service for clients to drive them to the new tennis courts with for example with small electrical vehicles as golf cars. The transport services might be cheap to not distract clients and just cover the cost of installing the vehicles and maintenance. If the demand for this transport services will be unexpected high it might be turned into a profit activity and expanded through the whole resort.

Investigate how PH affects the ability of raw meat to absorb water – Plan

I am planning an experiment to investigate how PH affects the ability of raw meat to absorb water. * Independent Variable The independent variable for this experiment is the PH of the solution the steak is marinated in. I will achieve a range of different PH values by using buffers set at PH 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. I predict that there will be an optimum PH where the steak will absorb the most water. The amount of water absorbed by the raw meat will increase as you increase the PH up to the optimum and then decrease the PH as the PH increases past the optimum. * Dependent Variable The dependent variable for this experiment is the amount of water absorbed by the diced steak by process of osmosis. I will record this by recording the mass before and the mass after marination. From these results I can calculate the percentage change in mass so that I can compare the different results with each other. I will calculate the percentage change by : Change x 100 Original * Controlled Variables The main control variables for this experiment are : Each of the 5 buffer solutions should have the same volume of 50ml and the same concentration. If one beaker had more than another then there would be more solution to act on the meat therefore tenderising it more. This could alter the end percentage change in mass. The mass of the diced steak before marination needs to be controlled. A larger mass could potentially absorb and store more water. I will try to get as similar masses as possible to avoid any differences in weight. Instead of calculating the difference in mass, I will calculate percentage change in mass to account for any small differences in mass. Also a constant surface area of the diced steak is important, otherwise there would be a larger area for the solution to act on causing more tenderisation therefore altering the overall results. The temperature at which the meat is marinated at would need to remain constant. At a higher temperature, molecules are moving faster therefore osmosis is more likely to occur. The experiment will be conducted at room temperature, although a more scientific method would be the use of an incubator. I will conduct the experiment in the same place so that each test is experiencing the same temperature changes. The time allowed for marination, each steak should be in the buffer solution for 12 hours all getting the same length of time otherwise a longer time could provide an opportunity for more water to be absorbed. Drying of the steak pieces, dab twice on each side. If some are dabbed more than the other it would alter the end percentage change in mass. * Method ? Divide the diced steak into five equally sized piles. ? Using electronic scales weigh each pile to make the masses as similar as possible. Record the masses. ? Add 50ml of buffer solution PH1 to a beaker and repeat the process for the other buffer solutions. ? Put one set of diced steak into each beaker. ? Leave the 5 beakers for 12hours allowing the raw meat to marinate. ? Remove the dices from the solution and pat dry before weighing. ? Record the mass of each pile and calculate the percentage change in mass by using formula : Change x 100 Original ? Repeat the experiment 3 times to ensure an accurate set of results. ? Plot a graph of PH against percentage change in mass.

10-Perseverance Essay

To our beloved President and Cavite School Life founder, Mr. Ernesto V. Yu, to our adorable Cavite School of Life director and Finance Officer, Ms. Maybelle O. Yu, to the man with a big heart, our Principal, Mr. Roberto G. Dumali, to our efficient student affairs coordinator Mr. Francis H. Mangrobang, to our handsome Discipline Coordinator, Mr. Rogelio T. Chavez, to our school board members, faculty and staffs, parents, family, fellow graduates, guests, ladies and gentlemen. Good day. There is a Latin dictum which says and I quote, â€Å"Ex abundancia cordis, os loquitur† which means, â€Å"From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks!† Today, allow me to speak of Angelic words, of words of wisdom, of words of love and of words of joy and thanksgiving. For today, in this very historical place, and in this very important moment in our very lives as graduates of 2013, we have witnessed the fruits of our labor! Today, I stand before you not as a superhero, nor a genius, and not even the best of all but as one with you who can truly prove the proof of success despite of nothingness. See more: Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essay Yes, nothingness or poverty is never a hindrance to a true success! Once more, we have proven that. Once more, I have proven that. As you may all have known, my parents are never rich. You must have known and learned how my father, Papa Boy, labored so hard to send me to this wonderful and spirit filled school. You must have known as well, how my mother, Mama Paz has to give up some of her wants just so that I can pursue my studies. When Papa Boy got a stroke that almost send him to eternal rest, I almost lose hope for he is the only one who provides us with our basic needs especially my school needs. Thinking that I might stop from schooling really sends shivers down my spine. As I look at Mama Paz crying, I could not but feel the tremendous pain of a mother who was not only thinking of how could Papa survive much more to her fears of asking me to stop from schooling. Despite that, my family stood still with faith and trust and even inspired me more to study well. It took us months of really praying and holding of our hands together, sharing whatever little we have for none in my family would allow me to stop from schooling. Even if Mama Paz did not tell, I knew then that she had to do so many things (call it part time jobs) just to make ends meet. Papa Boy on the other hand fought so hard to regain health the soonest. â€Å"Alam kong nahihirapan ng husto si Papa pero nilalabanan niya ang kanyang sakit para maiwasan ang nag aambang kamatayan dahil alam ko sabi niya sa sarili niya, andiyan pa si Jasmine na kailangang makapagtapos ng pag-aaral.† Indeed I was and am so lucky to have parents like them—di man mayaman pero hindi nila ako pinababayaan. Papa Boy and Mama Paz, maraming salamat po sa lahat lahat. Hindi ako darating sa kinaroroonan ko ngayon kung hindi dahil sa inyo. I love you po! I am also grateful to Cavite School of Life because though my father was sick at that moment, they didn’t abandon him, they still gave him a chance and hope to live and work for his family, most especially for me, his daughter. This we owe so much to Mr. Ernesto V. Yu and his family, we will forever give thanks to them, Words are not enough to express how blessed we are to have you Mr. and Mrs. Yu in our life. Needless to say, how grateful I am too to all of my teachers, especially my adviser, Ms Maricar, my classmates and my friends who are so supportive and understand my situation. They have always been there in times when truly I needed them most. When I first came to Cavite School of Life, I didn’t expect that I will be changed and be improved for the better, because in my previous school, our Principal seems didn’t care about us, unlike here I really felt that I’m a part of the family and here, our teachers wanted us to learn not just for school but for life, I’m very overwhelmed by the people here, because they helped me to prepare not just for college but also for our future. I was a second year student when I started studying here in Cavite School of Life, at first I was only a girl in the corner, doesn’t care what around or what’s happening, I also can’t understand why I’m here in Cavite School of Life. A lot of questions in my mind such as why I’m studying? What’s God’s plan for me? I have no idea at all. But after two months, I just woke up then I realized that everything seems at place, I’m growing, I’m learning and I’m happy. The next thing I know is that, my relationship to God became better, and I found out that the school philosophy, â€Å"WE LEARN NOT FOR SCHOOL BUT FOR LIFE† is true. This school shelter and taught us not only for school, they also prepared us to live our life outside. After this night, we will be leaving the school but the lessons that we learned will remain in our hearts forever, Thank you Cavite School of Life for that. That is the thing we will surely treasure the most. Indeed my very own life is a living testament of success despite scarcity. That indeed behind the hills of sacrifices lay the valley of success. If we stand together as I, we could do anything. Now I could say that the greatest gift my parents give me, besides life, is education. The same thing I believe is what every parent here now is giving to each one of us. May I invite you all therefore to be one with me in giving the greatest and deepest expression of our gratitude to them who have labored so hard and worked so well so that we may become what we are today. Fellow graduates, let us all stand therefore and give the loudest and sincerest to our dearly beloved parents! As we leave the portals of our dear Alma Matter, let us always remember not only the good and funniest memories but life’s learning experiences we have gained. Let us treasure them and bring them to whatever we go so we can also become the bearers of light and life. Let us always remember that what we are now is God’s gift to us and what we became of ourselves is our gift to Him.