Market Segmentation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market Segmentation - Research Paper Example most important aspects of successfully promoting and advertising a product is the process of segmenting the market and ultimately choosing the target market that the product will be primarily sold to. The outcome of this research can be studied and analyzed in common public advertisements such as the online weekly ad for Sears. According to the book entitled Principles of Marketing, market segmentation is defined as â€Å"dividing a market into smaller groups of buyers with distinct needs, characteristics, or behaviors that might require separate marketing strategies or mixes†(Kotler and Armstrong, 2010, p. 191). There are many different ways to segment a market including geographically, demographically, psychographically, and behaviorally (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010, p. 193). Once the marketers have determined the different segments, they will typically choose a specific segment that they believe will be attracted to their product. Ultimately, this specific segment is known as a target market(Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). In looking at the weekly ad for Sears, it becomes clear that the company is seeking to reach a specific market. The front page of the ad states â€Å"Amazing back to school looks for Juniors†(Sears.com, 2011). In conjunction with these words, the ad features Audrina Patridge who is a young reality star who tends to be well known with younger crowds (Sears.com, 2011). The front page of this ad is trying to reach high school students who are about to go back to school and are likely going to buy new clothes. In presenting their advertisement, Sears has to compete against the many other clothing stores that are trying to reach the same market of young high school kids. At the same time, the store must try to reach the parents of these kids who typically are buying the clothes for their kids. In studying this ad, it would appear that this ad would be successful in reaching their audience. In gearing toward the parents, the ad includes a coupon

Determination Of Water Crystalization Essay Example for Free

Determination Of Water Crystalization Essay I. Aim: To determine the formula of the hydrate of copper (II) sulfate. II. Hypothesis: Hydrates are ionic compounds that have a definite amount of water as part of their structure. The water is chemically combined with the salt in a definite ratio. Ratios vary in different hydrates but are specific for any given hydrate. In this experiment, the hydrate of copper sulfate has the formula CuSO4.xH20. When it is heated, the water is released as vapor and we can describe the reaction as below: Hydrate Anhydrous salt + Salt CuSO4.xH20 CuSO4 + xH20 The amount of water in the hydrate is determined by taking the difference between the mass of the hydrate before and after heated. Then, the percentage composition of water can be calculated basing on its mass. According to usual theory, hydrated copper sulfate has the following formula CuSO4.5H2O. Therefore, the result collected from the experiment should be x = 5. III. Equipment/Chemical: 1. Equipment: * 1 x Evaporating dish * 1 x Pipe-clay triangle * Some crucible tongs * 1 x Pressed fiber pad * 1 x Digital balance (uncertainty: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g) * 1 x Spatula * 1 x Glass stirring rod * 1 x Bunsen burner * 1 x Tripod stand 2. Chemical: Hydrated copper (II) sulfate IV. Variables: * Independent: the mass of hydrated salt. * Dependent: the percentage composition of water in the hydrate. * Control: room temperature, capacity of fire gas, standard equipment. V. Method: 1. Clean and dry evaporating dish. 2. Set up a Bunsen burner under a tripod stand with a pipe-clay triangle on top. 3. Place the empty evaporating dish on the clay triangle and heat the dish with the hottest flame for 3 minutes. This is done to be sure that the dish is absolutely dry. 4. Use tongs to remove the dish from the clay triangle and then place it on a pressed fiber pad so that it can cool for several minutes. 5. Use a digital balance to determine the mass of the cooled evaporating dish. Record this mass to the same number of decimal places as the uncertainty of the balance (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.001g), in other words, the measured mass will have 3 decimal places. Remember not to weigh the dish when it is hot because heat waves tend to be circular and upward, which tends to make objects appear to weigh less. 6. With the dish on the balance, put into it a specific amount of hydrated copper sulfate; make sure that the amount of hydrated copper sulfate is less than half full of the dish. Be sure the spatula is very clean to avoid contamination. Record the mass of the dish with the hydrate to the same number of decimal places as the uncertainty of the balance. 7. Place the dish on the clay triangle. Gently heat the dish by moving the burner bark and forth around the base. Increase the heat gradually. Avoid any popping and spattering. 8. Heat strongly for 5 minutes or until all of the blue color has disappeared. During the heating, a glass stirring rod should be used to spread the solid and break up larger portions of the hydrate. Be sure not to pick up any of the solid on the stirring rod. If the edges of the solid appear to be turning brown, remove the heat momentarily and resume heating with a cooler flame. 9. Allow the dish to cool for 2 minutes. Immediately find the mass of the dish with the anhydrous salt, and record the mass to the same number of decimal places as the uncertainty of the balance. The dish must be weighed before the compound reabsorbs water from the atmosphere. 10. Calculate the initial amount of hydrated copper sulfate before heated. Record the answer to the same number of decimal places as its calculated uncertainty. 11. Determine the amount of vaporized water. Record the answer to the same number of decimal places as its calculated uncertainty. 12. Then, the value of x can be found basing on the formula ratio. 13. When finish, the anhydrous salt can be thrown into the waste container and the evaporating dish washed.

Optimism in Anatole Broyards Intoxicated by My Illness Essay -- Intox

In Anatole Broyard's Intoxicated by My Illness, instead of confronting the reality of his illness, he tries to rise above it. From the moment he found out he had been diagnosed with cancer of the prostate, Broyard was composed about it. "He felt something like relief" he says. He figures you have two choices when your life is threatened, "you can turn towards it or away from it" He turned toward it and let the illness make him even more appreciative for being alive. Although he had realized for the first time that he didn't have forever he knows that life itself has a deadline, his might just come a little sooner than other peoples'. His friends found him courageous for thinking this way. Broyard never believed that his perspective of life had anything to do with courage, but instead with his desire to live and move on with his everyday routines. If he still had more time to live, why should he waste it by becoming depressed over the reality of things? In the 1950s, when he tried to talk his friend Jules out of commiting suicide, he began to "sell life to him" by makin...

A & P Case Study on Addisons Disease

Unit 1 Case Study Addison’s disease is from a result from damage to the adrenal cortex. These two adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys, where they are enclosed in a fibrous capsule and a cushion of fat. . The have an outer portion, called the cortex, which is a glandular tissue derived from embryonic mesoderm. The inner portion called the medulla, which is more like a knot of nervous tissue than a gland and it is part of the sympathetic nervous system. The adrenal cortex synthesizes over two dozen steroid hormones called corticosteroids. The Adrenal medulla is part of the autonomic nervous system. They are often referred to as the suprarenal glands. That damage causes the cortex to produce less of their hormones (corticosteroids) The 3 types of hormone secreted are the glucocorticoid hormone (Cortisol) which maintain glucose control, decrease immune response and help the body respond to stress. The mineralocorticoid hormones (aldosterone) regulates sodium and potassium balance. The 3rd one is the sex hormones, androgen and estrogen, which affect sexual development and sex drive. There are a few things that may cause damage such as, the immune system mistakenly attacking the gland autoimmune disorder), infections such as tuberculosis, HIV or fungal infections. Hemorrhage’s, tumors and use of blood thinning drugs are some other causes. Risk factors for the autoimmune type of Addison’s disease include chronic thyroiditis, dermatis herpetiforms, Graves’ disease, hypoparathyroidism, hypopituitarism, myasthenia gravis, testicular dysfunction, type 1 diabetes and pernicious anemia. Usually the destruction of the adrenal gland cortex is often gradual and the symptoms are mild. Addison’s often goes undiagnosed until a sudden illness or accident occurs. The worsening of symptoms is called acute adrenal insufficiency and can be life threatening. Let’s go back to the start of symptoms with Addison’s disease. Here are a few, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, chronic diarrhea, darkening of the skin (it becomes patchy), irregular menstruation, irritability, paleness, extreme weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, salt cravings, slow, sluggish movements, weight loss, lesions on the buccal mucosa, nausea and vomiting. Acute adrenal crisis have similar symptoms of course, however you will also see abdominal ain, confusion, dizziness, headaches, joint pain, rapid heart rate, rapid respirations, shaking chills, unusual and excessive sweating on face and/or palms. And in severe cases coma and/or death. The initial diagnosis and decision to treat are based on history, physical examination and lab findings. Lab tests such as ACTH stimulation test, cortisol level, fasting blood sugar, serum potassium and serum sodium. Tests ma y show an increase in potassium, low cortisol level, low serum sodium. The Adrenal medullae normally secrete 80% epinephrine and 20% norepinephrine. Sympathetic stimulation results in secretion. Epinephrine is the more potent stimulator of metabolic activities, but norepinephrine has the greater influence on peripheral vasoconstriction and blood pressure. The adrenal cortex produces the 3 hormones listed above. Cortisol is produced from 2 hydroxylations of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Cortisol is 90-93% protein bound. Glucocorticoids are nonspecific cardiac stimulants that activate release of vasoactive substances. So in the absence of corticosteroids, stress results in hypotension, shock and even death. Glucocorticoids stimulate gluconeogenesis and decrease cellular glucose use, obilize amino acids and fatty acids, inhibit the effects of insulin, and give rise to ketone bodies in metabolism, elevate RBC and platelet levels and exhibit anti- inflammatory effects. Adrenal crisis occurs when the adrenal gland is damaged (primary adrenal insufficiency), the pituitary gland is injured (secondary adrenal insufficiency) or that adrenal insufficiency is not properly treated. Treat ment with replacement corticosteroids will control the symptoms of this disease, and this usually will require the patient to take these drugs for life. It is receive a combination of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. The provider may increase the dose in times of infection, injury and stress. With adrenal crisis patients will need an immediate injection of hydrocortisone, either IM, or IV. If the blood pressure is extreme low IV fluids will be helpful. Complications can occur if you take too much or not enough of the adrenal hormone supplement. This complications can arise due to related illnesses such as diabetes, chronic thyroiditis, hypoparathyroidsim, ovarian hypofunction or testicular failure, thyrotoxicosis and pernicious anemia. Low sodium with Addison’s should be carefully corrected, if one to quickly it can lead to brain damage, this is noted in a 2004 article in â€Å"American family Physician† they require immediate but slow administration of saline, which is basically salt water, composed of sodium chloride in water. They list a second step which then be finding the underlying cause. Primary adrenocortical insufficiency is not a common disorder. It’s incidence in western populations are near 50 cases per 1,000, 000. However with the widespread corticosteroid use secondary adrenocortical insufficiency due to steroid withdrawal has become much more common. Approximately 6,000,000 persons in the United States are considered to have undiagnosed adrenal insufficiency, which is significant only during times of physiologic stress. Primary adrenocortical insufficiency does have many etiologies. But it is noted that 70-80% of the cases in the United States are caused by autoimmune adrenal destruction. It is found that about 30% of the time the adrenal damage is due other causes such as TB. In children about 70% of the cases are caused by a congenital disease termed congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Primary adrenocortical insufficiency affects men and women equally, women are affected 2-3 imes more often by the idiopathic autoimmune form of adrenal insufficiency. In idiopathic autoimmune adrenal insufficiency, the diagnosis is most often found in the third to fourth decades of life. This disease however is not limited to any specific age group. â€Å"American Family Physician†, Kian Peng:2004 â€Å"Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease†, Vinay Kumar 8th Ed 2009 http:/emedicine. medscape. com/article/765753-overview http:/labtestsonline. org/understanding/conditions/addisons-disease/ http:/www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000378. htm

Field study 3 Answer Essay

Name of Center Observed: Date of Observation: Name of Observer: Course/Year/School: 1. Print Resources Books Magazines Newspapers In depth information in a topic. Good sources of information. Present the main facts or hi-lights of an event. Exercise professional judgement in deciding whether to cover all the materials in the textbook or not. Adapt or replace any part of a textbook found inappropriate to the needs of the students and use other supplementary learning and resources to support students learning. 2. Audio Resources MP3 Player Compact Disc Improve listening Skills Easy to operate Can be used for big or small groups Teachers can be used in speech rehearsals, drama, musical presentation etc. 3. Non-electronic Visual Resources Bulletin Board Mock Ups It is highly versatile Intended to show the essential parts which are made detachable. The teacher uses it to present a preview of the lesson to be presented as a way of motivating the students. The teacher must use it for focusing observations on the desired part to be studied as well as the function relationships of the parts. 4. ICT Resources Computers Multimedia resources (Audio-visual teaching aids, web-based material, computer software packages, online platforms etc.) Flexibility Adaptability Multi-sensory experience Possibility of interactivity Connectedness Teacher may select materials that present different sides of controversial issues to help students to develop their critical thinking and to make informed judgement in their daily lives. Impression: Since the school is under construction most of the facilities are not present, even the Learning Resources. The teachers were the one who provides the learning materials she/he needs to teach her/his students like the audio resources and ICT Resources. It would be better for the teachers if all the learning resources are present in their school. Name and Signature of Observer: Name and Signature of the Learning Resources Center In-Charge:

Hillary Clinton Quotes on Politics, Women, Life

Hillary Clinton Quotes on Politics, Women, Life Attorney Hillary Rodham Clinton was born in Chicago and educated at Vassar College and Yale Law School. She served in 1974 as counsel on the staff of the House Judiciary Committee which was considering impeachment of then-President Richard Nixon for his behavior during the Watergate scandal. She married William Jefferson Clinton. She used her name Hillary Rodham through Clintons first term as governor of Arkansas, then changed it to Hillary Rodham Clinton when he ran for reelection. She was First Lady during Bill Clintons presidency (1993-2001). Hillary Clinton managed the failed effort to seriously reform health care, she was the target of investigators and rumors for her involvement in the Whitewater scandal, and she defended and stood by her husband when he was accused and impeached during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Near the end of her husbands term as President, Hillary Clinton was elected to the Senate from New York, taking office in 2001 and winning reelection in 2006. She unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, and when her strongest primary opponent, Barack Obama, won the general election, Hillary Clinton was appointed Secretary of State in 2009, serving until 2013. In 2015, she announced her candidacy once again for the Democratic presidential nomination, which she won in 2016. She lost in the November election, winning the popular vote by 3 million but losing the Electoral College vote. Select Hillary Rodham Clinton Quotations There cannot be true democracy unless womens voices are heard. There cannot be true democracy unless women are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own lives. There cannot be true democracy unless all citizens are able to participate fully in the lives of their country. We all owe so much to those who came before and tonight belongs to all of you.  [July 11, 1997]  Tonights victory is not about one person. It belongs to generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed and made this moment possible.  [June 7, 2016]People can judge me for what Ive done. And I think when somebodys out in the public eye, thats what they do. So Im fully comfortable with who I am, what I stand for, and what Ive always stood for.I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life.If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle. The challenges of change are always hard. It is important that we begin to unpack those challenges that confront this nation and realize that we each have a role that requires us to change and become more responsible for shaping our own future.The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible.If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.The failure was principally political and policy driven, there were many interests that werent at all happy about losing their financial stake in a way that the system currently operates, but I think I became a lightning rod for some of that criticism. [about her role, as First Lady, in attempting to win reforms in health care coverage]In the Bible, it says they asked Jesus how many times you should forgive, and he said 70 times 7. Well, I want you all to know that Im keeping a chart.I have gone from a Barry Goldwater Republican to a New Democrat, but I think my underlyi ng values have remained pretty constant; individual responsibility and community. I do not see those as being mutually inconsistent. Im not some Tammy Wynette standing by my man.I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is not being pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is trusting the individual to make the right decision for herself and her family, and not entrusting that decision to anyone wearing the authority of government in any regard.You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.When does life start? When does it end? Who makes these decisions?... Every day, in hospitals and homes and hospices... people are struggling with those profound issues.Eleanor Roosevelt understood that every one of us every day has choices to make about the kind of person we are and what we wish to become. You can decide to be someone who brings people together, or you can fall prey to those who wish to divide us. You can be someone who edu cates yourself, or you can believe that being negative is clever and being cynical is fashionable. You have a choice. When I am talking about It Takes a Village, Im obviously not talking just about or even primarily about geographical villages any longer, but about the network of relationships and values that do connect us and binds us together.No government can love a child, and no policy can substitute for a familys care. But at the same time, government can either support or undermine families as they cope with moral, social and economic stresses of caring for children.If a country doesnt recognize minority rights and human rights, including womens rights, you will not have the kind of stability and prosperity that is possible.Im sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow youre not patriotic. We need to stand up and say were Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration.We are Americans, We have the right to participate and debate any administration.Our lives are a mixture of different roles. Most of us are doing the best we can to find whatever the right balance is . . . For me, that balance is family, work, and service. I wasnt born a first lady or a senator. I wasnt born a Democrat. I wasnt born a lawyer or an advocate for womens rights and human rights. I wasnt born a wife or a mother.I will fight against the division politics of revenge and retribution. If you put me to work for you, I will work to lift people up, not put them down.I am particularly horrified by the use of propaganda and the manipulation of the truth and the revision of history.Would you tell your parents something for me? Ask them, if they have a gun in their house, please lock it or take it out of their house. Will you do that as good citizens? [to a group of schoolchildren]I think it does once again urge us to think hard about what we can do to make sure that we keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals and mentally unbalanced people. I hope we will come together as a nation and do whatever it takes to keep guns away from people who have no business with them.We need to be as well prepared to defend ourselves agains t public health dangers as we should be to defend ourselves against any foreign danger. Dignity does not come from avenging insults, especially from violence that can never be justified. It comes from taking responsibility and advancing our common humanity.God bless the America we are trying to create.I have to confess that its crossed my mind that you could not be a Republican and a Christian.Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.In too many instances, the march to globalization has also meant the marginalization of women and girls. And that must change.Voting is the most precious right of every citizen, and we have a moral obligation to ensure the integrity of our voting process. From Hillary Clintons Nomination Acceptance Speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention If fighting for affordable child care and paid family leave is playing the woman card, then deal me in!Our country’s motto is e Pluribus Unum: out of many, we are one.  Will we stay true to that motto?So don’t let anyone tell you that our country is weak.  We’re not.  Don’t let anyone tell you we don’t have what it takes.  We do.  And most of all, don’t believe anyone who says: â€Å"I alone can fix it.†None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone.  America needs every one of us to lend our energy, our talents, our ambition to making our nation better and stronger.Standing here as my mother’s daughter, and my daughter’s mother, I’m so happy this day has come.  Happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between.  Happy for boys and men, too – because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. When there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit.  So let’s keep going until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves.  Because even more important than the history we make tonight is the history we will write together in the years ahead. But none of us can be satisfied with the status quo. Not by a long shot.My primary mission as President will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States, from my first day in office to my last!I believe America thrives when the middle class thrives.I believe that our economy isn’t working the way it should because our democracy isn’t working the way it should.It’s wrong to take tax breaks with one hand and give out pink slips with the other.I believe in science. I believe that climate change is real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying clean energy jobs.He spoke for 70-odd minutes – and I do mean odd.In America, if you can dream it, you should be able to build it.Ask yourself: Does Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief?  Donald Trump can’t even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign.  He loses his cool at the slightest pr ovocation. When he’s gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he’s challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally.  Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. I can’t put it any better than Jackie Kennedy did after the Cuban Missile Crisis. She said that what worried President Kennedy during that very dangerous time was that a war might be started – not by big men with self-control and restraint, but by little men – the ones moved by fear and pride.Strength relies on smarts, judgment, cool resolve, and the precise and strategic application of power.I’m not here to repeal the 2nd Amendment.  I’m not here to take away your guns.  I just don’t want you to be shot by someone who shouldn’t have a gun in the first place.So let’s put ourselves in the shoes of young black and Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to feel like their lives are disposable.  Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of police officers, kissing their kids and spouses goodbye every day and heading off to do a dangerous and necessary job.  We will reform our criminal justic e system from end-to-end, and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer, and stronger.  None of us can do it alone.  I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us apart, it can be hard to imagine how we’ll ever pull together again.  But I’m here to tell you tonight – progress is possible.

DVD Recorder Comparison essays

DVD Recorder Comparison essays The decision to buy technological equipment can be a daunting experience for many people. Especially with regard to relatively new technologies, many consumers simply don't know where to start in their quest for a good piece of equipment, whatever the type. This is certainly the case with DVD recorders, which can be complex in design, capability, In specific, the three DVD recorders that will be discussed here include the Sony RDR-GX7, the Philips DVDR75, and the Panasonic DMR_E50S. These three models were chosen both for their relative popularity in sales, as well as their relative accessibility. According to the Web site, Deal Closet, the Sony RDR-GX7 is an excellent DVD recorder. Although it is expensive, compared to the others discussed here, the Sony allows for the different writing formats, DVD+RW, as well as DVD-R. As far as innovation goes, the Sony RDR-GX7 DVD recorder is "the world's first standalone, dual-RW (DVD-R/-RW and DVD+R/+RW) home DVD player/recorder" (Amazon.com), and boasts its powerful flexibility in its ability to both record and view media from or for other machines. Its format versatility gives you nearly complete recording and viewing freedomthe flexibility to create or view optical media for or from most computer DVD recorders. Further, the machine can accommodate the recordable optical formats required by any of your friends and family, regardless of their DVD players (though some older players do not play In general, the Sony-GX7 is extremely user friendly, and its operation is smooth and predictable. Additionally, the Sony's ability to record in both formats is particularly useful, especially because in order to play the recorded DVD's on other equipment, most DVD's currently need to be recorded as a DVD-R. Further, although the model is versatile, the reviewers at Deal Closet found that when one uses it to record music ...

How Scientists Estimate the Weight of Extinct Dinosaurs

How Scientists Estimate the Weight of Extinct Dinosaurs Imagine that youre a paleontologist examining the fossilized remains of a new genus of dinosaura hadrosaur, say, or a gigantic sauropod. After youve figured out how the specimens bones are put together, and what type of dinosaur youre dealing with, you eventually go on to estimate its weight. One good clue is how long the type fossil is, from the tip of its skull to the end of its tail; another is the estimated or published weight estimates for comparable types of dinosaurs. If youve discovered a huge titanosaur from late Cretaceous South America, for example, you might venture a guess of 80 to 120 tons for a full-grown adult, the approximate weight range of South American behemoths like Argentinosaurus and Futalognkosaurus. Now imagine that youre trying to estimate the weight not of a dinosaur, but of an obese stranger at a cocktail party. Even though youve been around human beings all of your life, of all shapes and sizes, your guess is more likely than not to be inaccurate: you might estimate 200 pounds when the person actually weighs 300 pounds, or vice-versa. (Of course, if youre a medical professional, your guess will be much closer to the mark, but still potentially off by 10 or 20 percent, thanks to the masking effect of the clothing the person is wearing.) Extrapolate this example to the 100-ton titanosaur mentioned above, and you can be off by as many as 10 or 20 tons. If guessing the weight of people is a challenge, how do you pull off this trick for a dinosaur thats been extinct for 100 million years? How Much Did Dinosaurs Really Weigh? As it turns out, recent research demonstrates that experts may have been drastically overestimating the weight of dinosaurs, for decades. Since 1985, paleontologists have used an equation involving various parameters (the total length of the individual specimen, the length of certain bones, etc.) to estimate the weight of all kinds of extinct animals. This equation produces reasonable results for small mammals and reptiles but veers sharply from reality when larger animals are involved. In 2009, a team of researchers applied the equation to still-extant mammals like elephants and hippopotamuses and found that it vastly overestimated their weight. So what does this mean for dinosaurs? At the scale of your typical sauropod, the difference is dramatic: whereas Apatosaurus (the dinosaur previously known as Brontosaurus) was once thought to weigh 40 or 50 tons, the corrected equation puts this plant-eater at a mere 15 to 25 tons (though, of course, it doesnt have any effect on its enormous length). Sauropods and titanosaurs, it seems, were much more slender than scientists have given them credit for, and the same probably applies to plus-sized duckbills like Shantungosaurus and horned, frilled dinosaurs like Triceratops. Sometimes, though, weight estimates veer off the tracks in the other direction. Recently, paleontologists examining the growth history of Tyrannosaurus Rex, by examining various fossil specimens at various growth stages, concluded that this fierce predator grew much more quickly than was previously believed, putting on as many as two tons per year during its teenaged spurt. Since we know female tyrannosaurs were bigger than males, this means that a full-grown T. Rex female may have weighed as much as 10 tons, two or three tons heftier than previous estimates. The More Dinosaurs Weigh, the Better Of course, part of the reason researchers impute enormous weights to dinosaurs (though they may not admit to it) is that these estimates give their findings more heft with the general public. When youre talking in terms of tons, rather than pounds, its easy to get carried away and carelessly attribute a weight of 100 tons to a newly discovered titanosaur, since 100 is such a nice, round, newspaper-friendly number. Even if a paleontologist is careful to tone down his weight estimates, the press is likely to exaggerate them, touting a given sauropod as the biggest ever when in fact it wasnt even close. People want their dinosaurs to be really, really big! The fact is, theres still a lot we dont know about how much dinosaurs weighed. The answer depends not only on measures of bone growth, but on other still-unresolved questions, such as what type of metabolism a given dinosaur possessed (weight estimates can be very different for warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals), what kind of climate it lived in, and what it ate on a daily basis. The bottom line is, you should take the weight estimate of any dinosaur with a big grain of Jurassic saltotherwise, youll be sorely disappointed when future research results in a slimmed-down Diplodocus.

National Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

National Management - Essay Example The probability is high, that most governmental institutions will have to know how their reasons declined over policies implemented, in industrialized or non-industrialized country, at some time in their leadership operations. In the United States of America, the current economic downturn obliged the Federal Government to somehow appear to decline in its reasons in an attempt to financially sustain vulnerable corporate institutions. For example, many automotive corporate companies sought financial loans as bailout to continue operations. Most companies were ordered by the Federal Government to formulate a restructuring plan in 2008, but, the government expects them to deal with their financial shortfalls (KTBS3). Also, big companies are considered to have irreversibly huge assets and capitalizations, but, recent reports showed that most of it became marketably insoluble. An even worst scenario was the official declarations of bankruptcies. Estimates are that in the next months more and more gigantic companies will declare the need to be bailed out by government before they would declare they are broke and cease operations. These marks show that government reason to help people rather than companies cope w ith the natural law of supply and demand of resources have declined. One easy way to tell that the rationale for government help on people to cope with the natural law of supply and demand of resources is downhill is its corporate financial rescue measures. For example, in 2008, the administration of Mr. George W. Bush bailed out General Motors Corporation to the tune of US$17.4 billion (KTBS3) when Gross Domestic Product from 1998 to 2007 were: 8694.6, 9216.2, 9764.8, 10075.9, 10417.6, 10908, 11630.9, 12364.1, 13116.5, and 13741.6 respectively (OCCD 2009). These consistently accelerating total market value of all final goods and services produced within the borders (Schiller G-3) of the United States of America in the given period obviously benchmarked liquidity and highly sound economy contravening any claims of economic difficulty or recession. Also, this GDP figures grounds the truth that industries within the economy must have achieved economies of scale. "This level exists when the cost of producing a unit of a good falls as its output rate inc reases" (Parkin 207). For example, General Motors enjoy economies of scale, as the company employs highly skilled labor by division and cost-saving technology enhanced equipment, thus, raising production level (Parkin 207). Subsequent to knowledge of this information, most people find that bailout decisions are rather weak responses synonymous to declined national management reasons. The perspective that people gained from the national management responses to claims of bankruptcy and financial bailouts despite high GDP, and economies of scale, strengthened their belief that there exists socialism. Nonetheless, many hypothesized that there is no such thing as National Socialism. It is only that the move or the administrative response was distasteful. Yet, at the other end of the stick, it is an obvious revelation of a weakened national manag

When Marian Sang Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

When Marian Sang - Essay Example Anderson was born and brought up in a humble family, but her magnificence in singing made her talent recognised as she would sing in many city choirs. However, as the book illustrates, Marian was not lucky as troubles haunted her early in life. Her father died when she was only twelve years of age, and despite her singing talent, the Philadelphia Music Academy denied her a chance to prove her prowess in singing due to her race. All the same, her mother encouraged her to soldier on, and it was no until she saw a performance by the Metropolitan Opera of Madame Butterfly that her dream of singing shone again. Despite being from a humble background, Marian made many tours in Europe and America where she was presented with great opportunities. The book is a non-fiction story told in utmost simplicity and depth of emotions to children between 3 and 8 years. The book offers many themes of learning to children on the need to be patient, courageous, have the perseverance to succeed in their talents especially at an early beginning. The inspiring part of a poor girl with a talent is a motivation to children not to give up in chasing their dreams despite their weak nature. Through perseverance, children are called to hold on to what they believe. The book comes with illustrations that depict the young girl singing, which brings out the simplicity of the girl and appeals to the emotions of not only children but also the narrators of such a story. The illustrations also break the monotony of the text to present children with some space to reflect about the life of the young girl. Through the images of the young girl, children can connect the story to their lives, which makes the book a real motivation to children in pursuit of th eir talents early in life. Throughout the book, the author utilised words that conveyed hope and motivation to children. For instance, when presenting the songs that Marian used to sing, the words used convey. Moreover, use of colour makes the book

Phoenix mission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Phoenix mission - Essay Example 5 Phoenix Mars Mission†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 A Short Profile Objectives of The Mission†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Study the history of water by examining water-ice below the Martian surface Determining whether Martian arctic soil could support life Study Martian weather from a polar perspective Preparations before Launching†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Communications†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Command and Data Handling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 About the Landing Site†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 Phases of Mission†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ... Phoenix Mars Mission Section 2: Describes the objectives of the mission Section 3: Illustrates the preparation before the launch Section 4: Describes the concept of planetary protection Section 5: Explicates the processes of guidance, navigation and control Section 6: Describes the landing site Section 7: Explicates the different phases of the mission such as development, launch, cruise, entry, descend and landing Section 8: Describes the situation on reaching Mars Sections: Explicates on the results Proposal The Phoenix Mars Scout Lander is the pioneer robotic explorer of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which was launched in August 2007 and landed in Mars in May 2008 to perform â€Å"in-situ and remote sensing investigations† for evaluating the â€Å"biological potential of Mars† (Garcia & Fujii 1). This will enable humans to understand the planet better and to further explore the possibility of life to exist there. Thus, this will be an interesti ng project to research and gain more knowledge about. This research will be based on purely on a review of the existing literature on the topic, especially those published by the NASA and other credible organizations working on the field of aeronautics and related sciences. The researcher will focus on obtaining most recent and relevant information relating to the topic from reliable sources. On the basis of the information gleaned from such reliable sources the researcher will draw relevant findings and conclusion. Student’s Name: Professor’s Name: Subject: 10 October 2013 Phoenix Mars Mission Among the planets in the solar system, Mars is one of the five main planets that has been under study since ancient times. It is yellowish brown to red in color, and is considered as the Roman god of war,

Madatory labeling In Resturants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Madatory labeling In Resturants - Essay Example This could be in terms of ingredients that are not fit for their consumption and processes used for production that are not of expected standards. (Elise Golan) The reasons for supporting mandatory labeling of foods have to do with the effects of genetically modified food on the health of individuals. The second reason has to do with the ingredients used in the production of the foods. (IFPRI) Some people may be on certain diets that do not allow them to consume the products. The third reason is basically for the benefit of the manufacturing company such that consumers prefer foods from certain companies because of their reputation, labeling makes them easily identifiable to the consumer. Lastly labeling is important for a country as it helps it in identifying products that come from countries that are known to violate manufacturing standards and therefore they do not allow them in the market to protect its citizens. It also enhances fair competition and market efficiency in a given country. (Elise Golan) Consumer choices may change due to mandatory labeling because they are able to identify products that have been certified as fit for use and those that have not. If for example the product is certified by an international accredited body, chances are consumers will buy it more as compared to another labeled by a local body. Consumer preferences in terms of quality will also make certain products to lose market as a result of these as they will be able to differentiate easily and make choices whether to buy or not. (Elise Golan) Elise Golan, Fred Kuchler, Barry Krissoff. Do Food Labels Make a Difference? . . . Sometimes. Novemeber 2007. 18 Septemeber 2011

My Diary Napoleon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Diary Napoleon - Essay Example The friendship had grown, without considering nationalities, language or even cultural milieu. The fact that I was a descendent of Napoleon Bonaparte did not accentuate or deter our friendship in any way. Today, I finally met Takimori and his sister, Tomoe. Takimori is a very obedient brother. His sister did not particularly favour my presence. and my friend obeyed. Nothing would stop me from appreciating his obedience and still considering him my close pal, in spite of distances. After all, circumstances twist our lives. I will have to look for shelter elsewhere in the Japanese land. Nonetheless, the world is my home! The first friend I made today in this beautiful city, is a creature that is going to accompany me through my journey. This four-legged loyal creature is my closest friend today, and will be one. The very fact that my friend is considered the most loyal creature, gives me a high. We intend to remain this way. I also met a beggar. The poor old chap was really lonely and looked down upon. He kept narrating interesting anecdotes and I felt humbled at the knowledge he possessed and his innate nature. Here's an end to my second day, the beautiful world of dreams beckons me! DAY 3 My third day in this beautiful country was quite an adventurous one. As I kept exploring and travelling with my companion, I checked in to a hotel called the Love hotel. I liked the name, it was so symbolic of the various forms of love we encounter in this world. This world is full of love and joy, trust and care. A mother's love, a sibling's love, a friend's love, a spouse's love.love comes in many forms. It simply embellishes this world and our lives, binding us together and helping build lifetime bonds. It was at this place, that I came across a lady in a disheveled state . She was intent at escaping and rushing out, but seemed to be scared. I helped her escape, since she was completely distressed. She tried running away and shying away, but I certainly tried my best to help her out. However, this angered the hotel management and they turned me out. Back to square one, my loyal companion and I have become the guests of nature this night! Day 4 The very lady whom I helped yesterday, bumped into me today. She was thankful for the help done, that she offered me food and also took me to an old fortune teller. This is the way the world functions. Goodness is spread everywhere and comes in some form, to one's rescue. Tired, as I am today, I shall continue the rest tomorrow! Statement The very purpose of initiating the journal of Gaston, from the day he arrived at Japan, is to highlight the chronology of events that take place. The biggest setback that one can receive when one trusts a friend and goes on to meet the person, is not being invited with open arms and to feel the bruise of being judged on the basis

Gear box Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Gear box Managment - Essay Example Cars and tractors – in fact, almost every vehicle – have a gear box or transmission which allows the driver to shift from slow to fast or maintain speed. Management is very important in the life of the vehicle, so do with the proper handling of the gearbox. The life of the driver or owner also depends partly in its proper management. Accidents can be avoided with proper management, not to mention the financial savings accumulated. A power train is where the power from the engine goes to and maybe said to be synonymous to the power of the vehicle itself. The driver train is also everything after the power train, i.e. on a rear wheel drive, clutch, transmission, driveshaft, differential, and axle, on a front wheel drive. Another definition of power train is: it is a train of gears and shafting transmitting power from an engine, motor, etc., to a mechanism being driven.1 There are a lot of concepts on the words power train (in some sites in the internet these two words are written as one word). Some experienced drivers and mechanics state that on front wheel driver cars, the power train consist of the engine, transmission, rear end, which are made (read: assembled) together †¦ and on rear wheel driver, the engine, transmission, drive shaft and rear end †¦ if the car has a standard transmission, the power train would include the clutch.2 In other words the power train runs the vehicle – in this case, the car or the tractor – for purposes of our discussion. And when we speak of maintenance, this may involve a wide array of expertise and the mechanic/driver can not just focus on the gearbox but the entire connections relative to the power train, the different shafts, up to the differential. Maintenance here is overloaded and, to be precise, sensitive; meaning go to details, a simple crack, slight noise, anything you notice peculiar that may lead your car to be left

My Diary Napoleon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Diary Napoleon - Essay Example The friendship had grown, without considering nationalities, language or even cultural milieu. The fact that I was a descendent of Napoleon Bonaparte did not accentuate or deter our friendship in any way. Today, I finally met Takimori and his sister, Tomoe. Takimori is a very obedient brother. His sister did not particularly favour my presence. and my friend obeyed. Nothing would stop me from appreciating his obedience and still considering him my close pal, in spite of distances. After all, circumstances twist our lives. I will have to look for shelter elsewhere in the Japanese land. Nonetheless, the world is my home! The first friend I made today in this beautiful city, is a creature that is going to accompany me through my journey. This four-legged loyal creature is my closest friend today, and will be one. The very fact that my friend is considered the most loyal creature, gives me a high. We intend to remain this way. I also met a beggar. The poor old chap was really lonely and looked down upon. He kept narrating interesting anecdotes and I felt humbled at the knowledge he possessed and his innate nature. Here's an end to my second day, the beautiful world of dreams beckons me! DAY 3 My third day in this beautiful country was quite an adventurous one. As I kept exploring and travelling with my companion, I checked in to a hotel called the Love hotel. I liked the name, it was so symbolic of the various forms of love we encounter in this world. This world is full of love and joy, trust and care. A mother's love, a sibling's love, a friend's love, a spouse's love.love comes in many forms. It simply embellishes this world and our lives, binding us together and helping build lifetime bonds. It was at this place, that I came across a lady in a disheveled state . She was intent at escaping and rushing out, but seemed to be scared. I helped her escape, since she was completely distressed. She tried running away and shying away, but I certainly tried my best to help her out. However, this angered the hotel management and they turned me out. Back to square one, my loyal companion and I have become the guests of nature this night! Day 4 The very lady whom I helped yesterday, bumped into me today. She was thankful for the help done, that she offered me food and also took me to an old fortune teller. This is the way the world functions. Goodness is spread everywhere and comes in some form, to one's rescue. Tired, as I am today, I shall continue the rest tomorrow! Statement The very purpose of initiating the journal of Gaston, from the day he arrived at Japan, is to highlight the chronology of events that take place. The biggest setback that one can receive when one trusts a friend and goes on to meet the person, is not being invited with open arms and to feel the bruise of being judged on the basis

Culture and Identity Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Culture and Identity - Literature review Example To understand the significance of the representations of media and the culture is also the need to examine how culture and identity is defined and how this may be affected by media perceptions or conflicts. The question of how the media changed or portrayed culture through 7/7 events can then be understood by building a sense of how culture and identity fit into a given society. Defining Culture and Identity The concept of culture and identity is one that is based on perception and the way in which one interacts within society. Identity begins with an individual and how the one person understands their own realities, experiences and expressions. The personalities, behaviours and the association which one has with others become the main attributes of identity. The concept of creating labels at an individual level becomes the main component that is associated with personality and identity and changes the way that most associate with others. This begins with the psychological relationsh ip one has to the labels and the desire to be a specific identity. This mental decision then creates an attraction to specific groups and segments in society. It is the similarities that are a part of the individual and that create a relationship to others that creates the sense of culture, or belonging to a group that has the same identity (Postmes, Jetten, 12: 2006). As the concept of identity begins to form in groups, the culture is formed with specific behaviours and ideals. Physical, mental and behavioural similarities often relate to the group that has formed and which creates a culture. However, the similarity is that each individual believes there is a similarity within themselves that is reflected in the group, either physical or through behaviour. Acculturation and adaptation combine with this at a different psychological level to create a set of relationships that can work toward the same identity. For instance, religious changes, adapting to physical presence that is exp ressed by the group and associating with mannerisms are able to add into the reflection of the culture. The conceptualization of a culture from different perspectives creates the main changes that are a part of the group (Berry et al, 303: 2006). The process of building culture becomes associated with the basis of psychological relationships which are created and the defining of behaviours and interactions which are comfortable to various individuals. The reflection that is seen then becomes a part of a minority or majority group. If the comfort is from ethnicity or race, then defined behaviours are also known to associate with this. The relationship between the individual and a segment of society becomes important in defining the way in which the individual perceives their own identity and how this integrates into the building of various groups. When looking at the definition of culture, it can be seen that individual identities that find similarities integrate to create groups and segments within a given society. Communication and Culture The concept of culture and the way in which this is expressed becomes based on various levels of communication used among groups and to show identity. The communication is not only based on the language and basic affiliation with a culture. There are also purposes that are used behind the cultural connotations and

How to Protect the Environment Essay Example for Free

How to Protect the Environment Essay Character is a pattern of behavior, thoughts and feelings based on universal principles, moral strength, and integrity – plus the guts to live by those principles every day. Character is evidenced by your life’s virtues and the â€Å"line you never cross.† Character is the most valuable thing you have, and nobody can ever take it away. Why Character is Important Character in life is what makes people believe in you and is essential both for individual success and for our society to function successfully. Each individual must do his or her part every day by living a life of integrity. Integrity is adhering to a moral code of honesty, courage, strength and truthfulness – being true to your word. When you don’t exhibit integrity, other people get hurt. But you hurt yourself even more. When you cheat, your â€Å"success† is false. When you break a promise, you are showing that your word is meaningless. When you lie, you deceive others and lose their respect. All of those examples destroy your reputation and break the trust others have in you. Without your good reputation and trustworthiness, your relationships fail. Relationships and Success Relationships are the foundation for success in life. For example, when you destroy the relationships with your friends, you will have no friends. You will be isolated and alone. If a student promises not to cheat, but does, he is taking unfair advantage to put himself ahead of others without deserving it. He can ruin his reputation, his academic record and his job prospects forever. When a businessman makes a promise to customers and doesn’t deliver, he destroys his relationships with his customers. His customers go elsewhere and his business fails. By breaking your relationships, you break the foundation for success in your life. What is true success? For example, who is more successful? Someone who is famous and makes a great deal of money, or someone who has no fame, makes little money, but is a great parent? Today, in school, is too much emphasis being placed on â€Å"good grades† and â€Å"high test scores† – so much so that are these things, rather than good character, how we define success? Conclusion Your good character is the most important asset you have. It takes a lifetime to build but can be lost in an instant. Once lost, it is difficult to regain. Your true character is revealed when no one else is looking. Often, people decide to act based on short term gain, or an easy fix to a problem and end up doing the wrong thing. The old adage â€Å"you are what you do† is true. Failure to consider the long term consequences of your acts can be disastrous. By study and focusing on the importance of character, you will be guided by principles, moral strength, and integrity to do the right thing. Nothing is more important for true success in your life.

Impact of Language Software on Language Learning

Impact of Language Software on Language Learning Chapter one Introduction Overview In todays world, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its influence on various aspects of human life, have caused great development on in society and human relations, which is referred to as the information revolution. The increasing development of Information Technology (IT) in human life especially in educational environment and the its use of it have led to a new era in human life that can be called the intelligence community[E1]. Living in such a society that is progressing every day requires people who canto adapt themselves with such progression. The first step in this regard is the issue of how to make optimal use of ICT applications in general education curriculum. Because of the arrival of technology in human life, all individuals, institutions and systems in countries should be prepared for a variety of changes that are vital to progression. To be specific in education, it is not more than some decades which Educational Technology (ET) started to appear in educational system around the world. Nowadays neither students nor instructors can be regarded as the traditional ones who had simple facilities available. According to Thorne and Reinhardt (2008), â€Å"emerging literacies associated with digital media are highly relevant to their current and future lives as language users† (p. 560). Before considering the application of ET with its new concept, instructors and teachers supplied audiovisual products to improve the result of their teaching and learning materials in education. However, recent developments in the computer industry and information, multi-media, communication technologies and the[E2] emergence of local and regional inf ormation networks especially the internet put new methods and tools for designers, managers, executives, and curriculum trainers.Plenty of technologies and tools in learning and teaching process such as educational software, Personal Data Assistance (PDA), mobile and etc. requires the instructors to lead their learners toward using technology in their life at least their education. According to Bruce and Hogan (1998), â€Å"As technologies embed themselves in everyday discourse and activity, a curious thing happens. The more we look, the more they slip into the background. Despite our attention, we lose sight of the way they shape our daily lives† (p. 270). As technology becomes the normal and expected means of communication and education, Bruce and Hogan (1998) point out, important changes occur in expectations about the abilities students have to acquire to be successful language users. The interaction between instructors and learners should be so close in order to get a good and reasonable result. The more teachers update and are familiar with new technologies in teaching, the more knowledgeable and update students will be. In general, the influence of new information technologies in educational institutions (from schools to higher education) and even homes has changed the relationship between student and teacher. Thus, traditional learning paradigms are changed and users are faced with vast amounts of information and knowledge. Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) It is obvious that in these days everybody, especially school and university students, tends to use computer in their daily activities specially explosion of interest in using computers for language teaching and learning which is an interest of both language instructors and language learners. The development of CALL brought about a revolution in teaching process, as the teaching tools offered through CALL were gradually becoming more reliable. Today CALL has popularity in education specially in learning a foreign language so that language learners support it and use it as an essential part of their language learning process. However, applying CALL in teaching and learning has some weaknesses. Nowadays both English language teachers and English learners are tend to utilize computer in their methods especially its very important for English instructors to use CALL because English course book of secondary school changed from the current educational year that CALL is one of important part of it. Schools and their school districts would benefit from a the current program that assesses the English teachers’ use of technology and readiness for use of technology in their classroom, as well as their ability to utilize technology in an engaging and meaningful way for the English learners specific to their content area. One such example is the Teacher Education and Technology Planning Guide created by Learning Point Associates in November of 2004. It looks at eight key categories for the implementation of technology by pre-service teachers and colleges of education (Fulton, Glenn Valdez, 2004). Statement of the problem Informatics and computer-based communication have created a collection that originated arevolution thatis based on information industry: a revolution that itswhose focus is on accessing information, that is, searching and retrieval of information in limited time with a reasonable cost. Ultimately, it results in creating global village and the information society.In this regard, a related terminology Information Technology (IT)would be mentioned that is a key point in the revolution. According to Wikipedia, free encyclopedia, IT is the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. As its name indicates, in such society each organization and its staffs should be inform of what are going on in the world around and should possess the technology and be able to apply it to get such information. To remain in such society, change is essential, so as a result every organizatio n changed. Education in general and teaching English in particular is one of the many fields thathas been affected by IT and changed. At present, any society needs educated people who have the power of decision-making, people who should be able to act and communicate based on their abilities in a world of widely changing. It means knowledgeable people who are flexible and can adopt themselves to any conditions in their job that are dealing with IT. In addition, each society needs teachers who are able to apply technology in their classes.Regarding to development of technology in human life and man’s move toward technology, teachers need to adapt themselves with technology, too. To get a good and acceptable result of instruction at the end of semesters, English teachers need to update themselves by using CALL. The goal of all language teachers is to teach their students in a way that the students acquire language component and language skills. For vocabulary learning, teachers have applied and employed so many methods and ways such as; memorizing long lists of words, translating texts, making sentences with new words, and so many other ways that are known for the experts in language teaching. In Iran, English teachers have been trying several methods to teach their students English but despite great effort in teaching, they probably have not achieved success.Nowadays there are great amounts of high school students and even university students who cannot use English even a simple introduction while they past at least seven years of English instruction in guidance and high school.English language teaching experts have different beliefs about it. One of the main problems may be if for the purpose of the books that are not communicative based. [E3]In both guidance schools and high schools, English teachers require the students to memorize long list of vocabulary that were at the end of each lessons. Although the words were retained, it was not last for long time. The other main reason may be is its way of teaching grammar. English teachers teach grammar like mathematics. It means first they wrote a formula on the board and then wrote some examples and wanted the students to d o following examples that were on their books. Usually the grammar applied on the lesson reading text but it was not clear enough to make the students understand. There were so many problems that the bottom line was failing to learn English language well. After some years of graduating their high school and nowadays during the school, the students who are poor in learning English language referred to English language institutes to start to learn it better and also in a new method. Experience has shown that the students who participate in English institutes learn and apply English better than those who do not participate in such classes. Unlike schools, the way of teaching English in English institutes are totally different. First, the book which are taught in English institutes are completely different from school. Although there are different kinds of books, all of them are designed with the aim of communication and all of them are following same goal.The books which are using in English institutes are include: Happy House, Happy writing, Potato pals, Pocketsand some others for kids and beginning in starter levels.Let’s go, First friend, Family and friends which are usually forjunior levels and intermediate levels.Interchange, Touchstone, Top notch, Summit, American English file and English resultthatis usually for senior levels adult learning. It should be mentionthat all of the series have different stages.Regardless of the variety of books, in English institutes students are expected to be able to communicate at the end of each semester according to the level of the related book. The remarkable thing in such book is that these books have given considerable attention on learning words with different ways and in some casesfor better understanding of a word, presents a word with its pictures. In all kinds of books, they used kind of CALL. In most of the books, especially for kids, the publisher provides additional software according to the book for better understand of the contents. For kids, it provides some moving pictures and famous cartoon characters to teach them English alphabet or some simple words like dog, cat, ant etc. For junior, intermediate, upper intermediate and senior levels the publisher usually provide demo of the book and additional tests. Even some publishers enlist some English software and attach the software to the book. These publishersmight be believe that such technology is more attractive for language learners and it help to sell their product more. Recently, English teachers have tried to incorporate technology and the old methods of teaching English that have taught in schools, which usually was based on grammar translation method (GTM). As the researcher is going to do his research on vocabulary learning aspect of English language, he has tried to search for some software and CALL programs that their focus is on vocabulary. One of the most important parts of language learning and language usage is vocabulary and the ability of using it. English teachers have used so many different ways to teach vocabulary to English learners but they were not much success. Nowadays English teachers usemany English software to teach vocabulary, learning vocabulary in learners is better than far past but seemingly they have not achieved as success as they expected. They use some software like Oxford Picture Dictionary (OPD), Longman Children Picture dictionary,Nosrat English language teaching, demo of some English books and such software that contains language components specially vocabulary learning. Some of such English software were good at the beginning and attracted learners’ satisfaction even sometimes learners thought it was the best software that they could use but it did not last. One of the most important reasons is because the method they (English software) worked onis not like learners’ real life. Foreign language learners need to learn a newlanguage as much as their first language, which refers to acquiring it rather than learning. It means to teach vocabulary to English language learners so that they internalize in their mind and they could apply it. English language learners need to learn English the same way they leant their first language it means they should be completely surrounded by the language they are going to learn not see a translation of words or instructing. In other words, they should be in a natural immersion of language. With regard to above mentioned characteristics of teaching a language, the researcher chose choose an English software that does not have the above mentioned problems. This study is going to examine teaching vocabulary through the Rosetta Stone English software. Due to above mentioned problems of Iranian EFL learners on vocabulary learning, the researcher is going to demonstrate some words and sentences by related pictures. It is considered that the learners can mix both their auditory and visual sense in their mind so that the word would be learned. Other features of this software will explain in detail in following chapters.This research intends to investigate the impact of Rosetta Stone English software vocabulary learning in a way that the learnt material be last for long time like everybody’s first language. Significance of the study The domain of CALL in Iran is in need of moreresearch. To the researcher’s best knowledge, studiesabout computer-based instruction in Iran are not somanyespecially for research through English language learning software.In addition, there is not any research through Rosetta Stone English software at all and this is the first research in this field using this software.In Mazandaran, Mahmoudabad, it is the first time that a CALL research is going to be done on English language learners so it is novel in this major. A few studies about using podcast and the use of CALLinteaching listening and grammar toIranian EFL learners have beenconducted. It is anticipated that this study encourages English language teachers to use computers in languagelearning in general, and in learning English vocabularyin particular. This study also attempts to bridge the gapbetween the theoretical and practical sides of usingCALL in teaching vocabulary. Therefore, the findings of this study may befunctional for different categories of people; it mayhelp EFL curriculum designers and EFL methodologists develop teaching materials that suit various ways ofteaching and match students’ level of achievement inEnglish language in general and in vocabulary in particular. The finding of this research can be helpful for English language teachers whose students have problem with learning vocabulary and are bored by learning English vocabulary in traditional ways. Moreover, this study may helpEnglish teachersby facilitating their role as well as students byhelping them absorb and apply Englishvocabulary itemsquite easily and smoothly. There are many English learners who are looking for good English software that couldlearn English by themselves; conducting this research makes familiar the people with this software and its abilities.Even some English teachers do not know such software; it is hope that reading this thesis will familiarize t hem with the software.Finally, this study mayencourage other researchers to conduct further studieson the same topic, or maybe on other skills or sub skills of English, which will enrich both the local andinternational literature. Research question and hypothesis This study is going to answer these questions: Does Rosetta Stone English software have any statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning? Does Rosetta Stone English software have any statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ delay[E4] recall? This study will focus on the following null hypotheses: Rosetta Stone English software has no statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. Rosetta Stone English software has no statistically significant impact on Iranian EFL learners’ long-term [E5]recall of vocabulary items. Definition of key terms Computer-assisted language learning (CALL): It is succinctly defined in a seminal work by Levy (1997) as the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning. CALL embraces a wide range of Information and communications technology applications and approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages, from the traditional drill-and-practice programs that characterized CALL in the 1960s and 1970s to more recent manifestations of CALL. Here by CALL it means using some software and CDs that learners use to strengthen their vocabulary skill and sometimes using some software such as English Rosetta Stone for practicing English vocabularies. Rosetta Stone English software: It is proprietary CALL software published by Rosetta Stone Inc. The software uses images, text, sound, and video to teach words and grammar by spaced repetition, without translation. Rosetta Stone calls their approach Dynamic Immersion (a term which they have trademarked). Information and Communication Technology (ICT): It is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is a more specific term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In this study by ICT it means the ways and activities that are related to language learning and activities that learners can do by ICT as their language learning processes. Educational Technology (ET): According to Richards and Schmidt (2010), it is 1. The use of machines and educational equipment of different stores (e.g. language and labrotaries, tape recorder, video, etc.) to assist teachers and learners. 2. A system of instruction which contains (a) an analysis of what learners need to know and be able to do (b) a description of these needs as behavioral objectives. According to Richey (2008), sometimes termed EdTech, is the study and ethical practice of facilitating e-learning, which is the learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. Delimitations of the study This study has the following limitations: This study limits its scope on lower intermediate institutes vocabulary learning. Therefore, other skills and sub skills are not concern of this study. This study will be done on Mahmoudabad lower intermediate institutes learners with their own ecological and cultural characteristics, so learners in other cities and provinces with different levels are not included. This research will study on both genders, so others researchers can limits their study on just one gender. [E1]Source? [E2]As you see in this page, you need a thorough proofreading of your thesis. I did it only for page 1. You continue with the rest. [E3]rewrite [E4]does not match hypothesis 2 [E5] does not match question 2

Exemplification Essay: Welfare, A Vicious Circle -- Expository Exempli

  Ã‚  Ã‚   It's Diana's turn at the tiny glass window. Her face burns red with shame as she is handed her monthly check. Two small children tug at her dress, their stomachs growling from a day without food. She looks down at her two children, her face filled with pain and guilt. What had happened to their happy life? With just the stroke of the pen across a divorce decree, Diana and her children were thrust into the humiliation of the welfare line. For two years now, Diana has tried to get back on her feet, but with only a high school diploma, she can't find a job to support her family. Getting a college degree is her only way out, but her check isn't enough to afford daycare, so she's stuck accepting welfare.    This is not an uncommon scenario. Most people on welfare are looking for a way to rejoin the American work force; yet, society's stereotype of a welfare recipient is consistently that of a lazy, immoral woman who continues to have children out of wedlock just to increase her welfare benefits. This image could not be further from the truth; most single mothers who turn to welfare do so for the purpose it was originally created for: to be a temporary safety net for those trying to get back on their feet after a job loss or tragedy. Though welfare is supposed to be a temporary source of help, once the woman begins to receive her benefits, she has actually trapped herself in a vicious cycle of poverty, and while the U.S. government takes credit for providing budget money to help thousands of people regain their positions in American society through welfare programs, it actually robs them of their dignity and self-determination. Not only that, but this system, ostensibly devis ed to uplift women and chil... ...rs in the system, there will never be any hope for those on welfare to get off. The welfare program has turned into a vicious circle that traps the recipient, namely single mothers, into a cycle of poverty. But before we can change anything politically or economically about the welfare system, we must first re-evaluate our beliefs and prejudices against those who did not ask to be put in this situation is the first place.    Works Cited Abramovitz, Mimi, and Frances Piven. "What's Wrong With Welfare Reform?" The New York Times 2 Sept. 2001: A23. Buchsbaum, Gerbert. "The Welfare Debate." Scholastic Update 11 Mar. 1999: 6-8. DeParle, Jason. "The Entitlement Trap." The New York Times 27 Jan. 1994: A12 Lavelle, Avis. "Welfare: Means to an End?" Essence Apr. 1998: 124 Peart, Karen. "Life On Welfare." Scholastic Update 11 Mar. 1994: 9-10.

Christian Ethics Essay

Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues & Options, Second Edition by Norman L. Geisler In this thorough update of a classic textbook, noted Christian thinker Norman Geisler evaluates contemporary ethical options (such as antinomianism, situation ethics, and legalism) and pressing issues of the day (such as euthanasia, homosexuality, and divorce) from a biblical perspective. The second edition is significantly expanded and updated, with new material and charts throughout the book. There are new chapters on animal rights, sexual ethics, and the biblical basis for ethical decisions, as well as four new appendixes addressing drugs, gambling, pornography, and birth control. The author has significantly updated his discussion of abortion, biomedical ethics, war, and ecology and has expanded the selected readings, bibliography, and glossary. Christian ethics is well summarized by Colossians 3:1-6: â€Å"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. † When we say that the Christian believes that God exists, we mean something significantly different from what many modern people mean when they make that statement. The Christian believes in a God who is really there, a God who exists as an objective reality — not simply one who exists as a mere postulate. A postulate is something that is assumed to be true even when there is no proof that it is true; it is simply something assumed as a basis for reasoning. Modern theology, for instance, often tells man that God cannot be proved, that He must be accepted purely on faith, and it therefore reduces God to nothing more than a postulate. The Christian’s faith in God, however, unlike the faith of modern man, is a rational faith. When modern man says that he believes in God and yet says that God cannot be proved, he is accepting the idea of God as a faith-assumption. He has no rational basis for his belief in God, but he merely chooses to assume, against all the evidence, that God is. The Christian’s faith is instead grounded in reality. He believes in God, not because he chooses to believe in Him on the basis of a faith-assumption, but because he knows God is really there; the evidences for His existence are overwhelming. While more than just a list of â€Å"do’s† and â€Å"don’ts,† the Bible does give us detailed instructions on how we should live. The Bible is all we need to know about how to live the Christian life. However, the Bible does not explicitly cover every situation we will face in our lives. How then is it sufficient for the all the ethical dilemmas we face? That is where Christian ethics comes in. Science defines ethics as â€Å"a set of moral principles, the study of morality.† Therefore, Christian ethics would be the principles derived from the Christian faith by which we act. While God’s Word may not cover every situation we face throughout our lives, its principles give us the standards by which we must conduct ourselves in those situations where there are no explicit instructions. The term â€Å"Christian ethics,† as I shall use it, means a systematic study of the way of life exemplified and taught by Jesus, applied to the manifold problems and decisions of human existence. It therefore finds its base in the last of these frames of reference, and in the other five only as they are consistent with the sixth and exist as applications or implications of the moral insights of Jesus. This is not to claim that we have a perfect record of the life and teachings of Jesus, for historical scholarship has made it clear that the records we have in the Gospels reflect not only what Jesus was and did and said, but also what the early Church believed about him. Still less is it to claim that any fallible human mind can enter so fully into the divine-human consciousness of Jesus as to say without error what his judgment would be in every concrete case of contemporary decision, It is only to affirm that we have an adequate, a dependable, and an indispensable guide to Christian action in what we know of Jesus and in what through him we know of God. No other guide, however important and useful, is either adequate, or so dependable, or so indispensable. The Bible does not say anything explicitly about the use of illegal drugs,  yet based on the principles we learn through Scripture; we can know that it is wrong. For one thing, the Bible tells us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honor God with it Knowing what drugs do to our bodies—the harm they cause to various organs—we know that by using them we would be destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit. That is certainly not honoring to God. The Bible also tells us that we are to follow the authorities that God Himself has put into place (Romans 13:1). Given the illegal nature of the drugs, by using them we are not submitting to the authorities but are rebelling against them. Does this mean if illegal drugs were legalized it would be ok? Not without violating the first principle. By using the principles we find in Scripture, Christians can determine the ethical course for any given situation. In some cases it will be simple, like the rules for Christian living we find in Colossians, chapter 3. In other cases, however, we need to do a little digging. The best way to do that is to pray over God’s Word. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer, and part of His role is teaching us how to live: â€Å"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you† (John 14:26) â€Å"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him† (1 John 2:27) So, when we pray over Scripture, the Spirit will guide us and teach us. He will show us the principles we need to stand on for any given situation. While God’s Word does not cover every situation we will face in our lives, it is all sufficient for living a Christian life. For most things, we can simply see what the Bible says and follow the proper course based on that. In ethical questions where Scripture does not give explicit instructions, we need to look for principles that can be applied to the situation. We must pray over His Word, and open ourselves to His Spirit. The Spirit will teach us and guide us through the Bible to find the principles on which we need to stand so we may live as a Christian should. Ethics is the study of good and evil, right and wrong. Biblical Christian ethics is inseparable from theology because it is grounded in the character of God. The task of Christian ethics, then, is to determine what conforms to God’s character and what does not. Francis Schaeffer explains the uniqueness of Christian ethics: â€Å"One of the distinctions of the Judeo-Christian God is that not all things are the same to Him. That at first may sound rather trivial, but in reality it is one of the most profound things one can say about the Judeo–Christian God. He exists; He has a character; and not all things are the same to Him. Some things conform to His character, and some are opposed to His character. † Muslims believe that moral norms are arbitrary, a product of God’s decree, and therefore can change as God chooses. Marxists and Secular Humanists rely almost exclusively on their economic or naturalistic philosophy to determine ethics. Postmodernists argue for a morality based on shared â€Å"community† values and Cosmic Humanists assume that everyone acts morally by following inner truth determined on an individual basis. Christians, on the other hand, believe that moral norms come from God’s nature or essence. Rather than believing in some passing fancy bound to society’s ever-changing whims, as Christians we are committed to a specific moral order revealed to us through both general and special revelation. ?We know that God’s ethical order is the only true source of morality, and, in fact, the only possible morality, there can be no other. â€Å"The human mind,† says C. S. Lewis, â€Å"has no more power of inventing a new value than of imagining a new primary color, or, indeed, of creating a new sun and a new sky for it to move in.† For the Christian, the moral order is as real as the physical order—some would say even more real. The Apostle Paul says the physical order is temporary, but the order â€Å"not seen† is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). This eternal moral order is a reflection of the character and nature of God Himself. Christian ethics, in one sense, is simply an expansion of a moral order that is generally revealed to everyone. Despite some disagreement regarding the morality of specific actions, Calvin D. Linton comments on the consistency of the moral code within all people everywhere: â€Å" .  . . [T]here is a basic pattern of similarity among [ethical codes]. Such things as murder, lying, adultery, cowardice are, for example, almost always condemned. The universality of the ethical sense itself (the ‘oughtness’ of conduct), and the similarities within the codes of diverse cultures indicate a common moral heritage for all mankind which materialism or naturalism cannot explain. †3 We may define this common moral heritage as anything from an attitude to a conscience, but however we define it, we are aware that some moral absolutes do exist outside ourselves. According to this universal moral code, whenever we pass judgment we are relying upon a yardstick that measures actions against an absolute set of standards. Without a standard, justice could not exist; without an ethical absolute, morality could not exist. This objective, absolute standard is apparent throughout humanity’s attitudes toward morality. According to a secular philosophy, we should treat all morals as relative—but in practice, even secular society treats some abstract values (such as justice, love, and courage) as consistently moral. Secular society also cringes at the Nazi holocaust, the Russian prison system of Siberian gulags, and the abuse of children. We cannot explain this phenomenon unless we accept the notion that certain value judgments apply universally and are somehow inherent to all mankind. Christian morality is founded on the conviction that an absolute moral order exists outside of, and yet somehow is inscribed into, our very being. It is a morality flowing from the nature of the Creator through the nature of created things, not a construction of the human mind. It is part of God’s general revelation. â€Å"At the core of every moral code,† says Walter Lippman, â€Å"there is a picture of human nature, a map of the universe, and version of history. To human nature (of the sort conceived), in a universe (of the kind imagined), after a history (so understood), the rules of the code apply. †4 This moral light is what the Apostle John refers to as having been lit in the hearts of all men and women—†The true light that gives light to every man† (John 1:9, NIV). It is what the Apostle Paul calls â€Å"the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience† (Romans 2:15). This morality is not arbitrarily handed down by God to create difficulties for us. God does not make up new values according to whim. Rather, God’s innate character is holy and cannot tolerate evil or moral indifference—what the Bible calls sin. Look in any concordance of the Bible, and it becomes apparent that one of the words, which appear most frequently, is â€Å"sin. † From first to last, sin is the story of man’s behavior, even as salvation from sin is the great theme of the Bible. Christianity is through and through a religion of redemption, and while the whole gamut of salvation is not expressed in redemption from sin, this is its central core. Although, as we noted, naturalism and humanism tend to think of sin as an outmoded concept and talk instead about maladjustment, insecurity, neurosis, or antisocial conduct, the term remains in the diction of Christians. But what does it mean? There is no clear agreement as to its meaning, and the ambiguity with which sin is regarded is responsible for much ineffectiveness in Christian preaching and in Christian living. To some persons, and probably to the majority of ordinary Christian laymen, sin means transgression of those standards of conduct usually accepted by the people around them. A Christian is expected not to kill, steal, lie, commit adultery or other sexual infractions, or get drunk. How far he can move in these directions, as in exploiting others to one’s own gain, driving a shrewd deal or pursuing an advantage, stretching the truth, â€Å"having a little affair,† or drinking in moderation, depends for most persons less on the will of God or the revelation of God in Jesus Christ than on what is and what is not done in one’s community. The community, though it embraces the geographical area in which one lives, is a far more pervasive thing than this, for a community is in a large part defined by the social standards of like-minded people. For this reason conflicts as to what constitutes sin often arise between the younger and older generations, or between ministers and their laymen, or between the people of one church and another. Take, for example, the matter of drinking a glass of wine or beer. To some Christians this is a sin. To others, if it is done in moderation, it has no more significance than to drink a cup of coffee. Some regard it as sinful for a minister to drink, but not for a layman — and still more is this disparity in evidence with regard to smoking. A Roman Catholic or an Anglican or a German Lutheran Christian is likely to take a much freer view of such indulgences than is an American Methodist. I am not at this point trying to say who is right. What this illustrates is the ambiguity that emerges when the attempt is made to define sin, or â€Å"a sin,† by accepted social practice. A large part of the message of Jesus was the challenging of both Pharisaic and Gentile ideas of sin by a higher law. The chief danger in defining sin by accepted social practice is not its ambiguity. This, if recognized, can be made the basis of mutual tolerance while holding to one’s own convictions. Thus, Christians may sincerely differ as to the duty of the Christian to be, or not to be, a pacifist; but if one forms his opinion only by the standards of his group and then calls it the will of God for all, God has actually been left out of the picture. This procedure constantly happens, from the most insignificant matters to the greatest, and is a major source of the perversion of Christian ethics.

Christian Philosophy on Death Essay

The Christian philosophy on death has long been that there is life after death. â€Å"Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.† (2 Corinthians 5: 8) We are supposed to take solace in the fact that while although our earthly body will be no more, our spirit or soul will move on into immortality. Since life after death seems like a simple enough concept, death should be no big deal, right? We should just view it as a step in becoming closer to God. While in theory, we should just take death in stride, even for those who wholeheartedly believe in life after death find it difficult to accept death. We find it difficult to visualize and conceptualize the afterlife and what our role will be in it. People cope with death differently. Some choose to combat it head on, others choose to simply ignore it all together. However most people fall somewhere in between those two extremes. â€Å"Dying person will use belief systems as the y have throughout there entire life-constructively, destructively, or not at all† This saying generally tends to hold true as one dies. All people cope with death differently however, by in large, most people go through some form of Kà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½bler-Ross model of grieving. The Kubler-Ross model contains five stages that people go through while contemplating their own death. The first stage is denial. In this stage the person grieving thinks that â€Å"This can’t be happening.† In the second stage, anger, the griever says, â€Å"Why me? It’s not fair?!† (either referring to God, oneself, or anybody perceived, rightly or wrongly, as â€Å"responsible†) The third stage is bargaining. In this stage, the dying person says, â€Å"I know its me but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"Please just let me live to see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The bargaining can be directed toward God which if the bargain is perceived as accepted can lead to a sense of hope or resignation, or anger, guilt, or fear if the bargain is perceived as denied†. The fourth stage is depression, which is arguably the hardest to go through. During the depression stage the dying person takes time to grieve his/her own death. The final stage is acceptance in which the dying person is â€Å"ready to go†. While not everyone goes through these stages in exactly this order, almost everyone goes through these stages in one form or another. They may experience the stages out of order, skip a stage, or even go through the cycle multiple times. There is also a belief that people have three spiritual needs of dying people: the search for the meaning of life, to die appropriately, and to find hope that extends beyond the grave. The search for the meaning of life takes on a higher priority when one is closer to death. â€Å"The knowledge of impeding death creates a crisis in which one reviews life in order to integrate one’s goals, values, and experiences. Without finding their life’s meaning one may feel that their life had no meaning. Another spiritual need is to die appropriately. â€Å"People want to die in ways consistent with their own self-identity.† Most people want to die a quick death surrounded by fantasy, however this is only the case for a lucky few. â€Å"People fear not so much the fact of death but more the process of dying.† The final spiritual need is to find hope in life after death. Life after death is an integral part of many faiths and religions. â€Å"We seek assurance in some way that our life, or what we left, will continue.† We all want some sort of life after death, because the thought of death being the ends of things can be an awful thing to think about. Oftentimes during class or discussions on death, I find myself questioning my own faith and trying to imagine what it would be like if I wasn’t on earth anymore. I guess to be more specific what it would be like if my mind or soul did not continue on in some way, shape, or form. The thought of the world around me going on without me often leads to a chilling feeling and a headache. I almost prefer just to shut down, effectively turning off my ears to the discussion around me. Doing that just seems easier than thinking of the what-ifs that the thought of no life after death means. I believe in God, that there is a life after death, and that my soul and mind will exist eternally. However, it is still hard for me to shake that feeling that comes with thinking about death. If I am getting these chilling feelings while thinking of death as a teenager, I can only imagine the thoughts running through peoples heads while they are on their deathbeds. While it is easy to dwell on the negatives that death presents, there are other ways to approach death. Some people handle death with much grace, accepting their fate and using the time allotted to them to try to make their last days count. No one exemplifies this more that Morrie Schwartz from Tuesdays with Morrie. Morrie rather than overly dwell on the fact that he was dying, chose to take the time he had left on earth to explain dying to the world. His advice such as â€Å"When you learn how to die, you learn how to live.† and â€Å"Love each other or perish.† are just two of the numerous tings that Morrie has tried to teach us. If we could all handle death as gracefully as Morrie did, death wouldn’t be nearly as big a deal to people. Morrie teaches us that there is a time to be three and a time to be sixty-three. Morrie tells us that death is just as much a fact of life as a birthday or getting married. Morrie sets a high standard for coping with a terminal illness. We can also look to the Bible to give us God’s take on death and life after death. The Catholic faith believes that no matter what there is life after death. Whether that life after death takes place in heaven or hell depends largely on how you live your life here on earth. â€Å"Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who†¦will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.† (Philippians 3: 20, 21) Through the belief in God and living according to his commandments we can attain a life after death. â€Å"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.† (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)