Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Generational Differences Essay Example

Generational Differences Essay Example Generational Differences Essay Generational Differences Essay A generation Is a group of individuals who are born at a specific time period. Generations range from every alphabet letter known to man. I myself, am from generation Y. This Is the generation that has become victims to so many trends and fads of this world. The Y generation differs in many things from the baby boomers generation. A baby boomer was born between the years of 1946 and 1964. They were given this name because of the soldiers coming home from war, and making love to their wives/significant other. This was the biggest population period of humans known to mankind. One In every four Americans Is a baby boomer. According to statistics, a baby boomer turns 50 years old every 18 seconds and 60 years old every seven seconds. Baby boomers political views were a mixture of liberal and conservative. According to statistics, 74% of baby boomers are favor of more environmental regulations, 57% support legal abortions, 55% believe in stem cell research, and 26% of them support gay marriage. Also 75% of baby boomers are in favor of school prayer, 70% support the death penalty, and 65% agree that civil berries should be curbed because of terrorism (Davis and Love, 2002), During the baby booming period new schools had to be built due to the Increasing population. Also more people started to be farms and ranches. Strip malls also were being built and becoming a main attraction. In the sasss, movies were the 35 cents. Drive in theaters became part of the young family social scene, primarily owing to cheap tickets. : The main movie genres were melodramas, westerns, horror films, comedies, and action-adventure films (Baby Boom Generation, n. D. ). Musicals and science fiction became popular at a later time In the ass. Popular kids shows would be play at the theaters on Saturday afternoons (Baby Boom Generation, n. D. ). Popular television shows consisted of Buffalo Bob and Callable, Captain Kangaroo, Lassie, Leave it to Beaver, and I love Lucy. Popular music artist were Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Battles, Rolling Stones, The Who, and Pink Floyd. Baby Boom Generation, n. D. ). The Y Generation differs from the baby boomers In many ways. Movies now dont cost 35 cents anymore. The price of movies has Increased rapidly. Most members of the Y generation dont go to a movie with their family anymore though. They would rather go with a few of their friends. Music differs much more too. Popular artist to generation Y consist of Ill Wayne, Gucci, Drake, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyond, and ot her artist. A lot of music contains much profanity and suggestive lyrics, but most of generation Y children listen to It. Video games have become a big thing too other than watching television shows and popular movies that the generation Y watches are nothing Like the movies of the baby boomers. According to www. Alleviations. Com, generation YKs values are: Self-expression is more important than self-control. Marketing and branding self is important. Violence is an acceptable means of communication. Fear living poorly?this is related to lifestyle enjoyment, not wealth. Respect must be earned; it is not freely granted based on age, authority or Y, n. D. ). Generation Yes attributes are: Adapt rapidly. Crave change Ana canalling. Create constantly. Exceptionally resilient. Committed and loyal when dedicated to an idea, cause or product. Accept others of diverse backgrounds easily and openly . Global in perspective(Generation Y, n. D). The baby boomers generations values and attributes are: Individual choice, community involvement, prosperity, ownership self-actualization, health and wellness, adaptive, goal-oriented, focus on individual choices and freedom, adaptive to a diverse workplace, and had positive attitudes(The Baby Boomer Generation, n. D). According to statistics, 88% of baby boomers completed high school, and 28. 5% hold a bachelors degree or higher. High school completion rates are decreasing by the years now, and these are because of generation Y children. Clothing styles are much more important to generation Y too. From the reportable phase, to the north face Jackets, to the Sperry shoes, once they break in everyone Just has to start wearing it. The baby boomers didnt really care about what they wore. As long as they had clothes on their backs, it was okay. Not everyone had cars in the time of the baby boom generation, but now-a-days, if you dont have a car, you must be broke or something isnt right with you. Having a car now is much more important to generation y than it was to the baby boomers generation. These things though are Just norms that generation Y has. Having a car is the norm, being scalable is the social norm, being stylish is a norm, and their are many other norms that would have went against what the generation of the baby boomers considered to be a norm. No generation is the same in any way, shape, matter, or form. Both generations have their different ways of living. Both generations have made a change in our modern day world. Both generations have made many attributes. Both generations have brought something different to this world.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Use German Adjectives to Describe Things

How to Use German Adjectives to Describe Things To speak German, you have to know your adjectives. As a reminder, these are the descriptive words used to describe a person, place or thing. In this case, lets look at adjectives commonly used to describe people, both physically and behaviourally. We have grouped adjectives by nouns that theyre commonly associated with, but of course, these descriptive words may be used to describe many different things, not just the body part listed. Also, the adjectives are given in neuter form, so make sure to appropriately declinate adjectives according to the noun gender they describe.   Tip: If you are studying German on your own, a quick and simple way to practice the vocabulary would be to pick a picture of someone in a newspaper, magazine or website and describe them. German Worlds to Describe Physical Appearance Der Kà ¶rper (body): schlank (skinny) - dà ¼nn (thin) - hager (gaunt) - groß (big) - riesig (gigantic, really tall) - dick (fat) - stark, krftig (strong) - schwach, schwchlich (weak) - braun (tanned) - gebà ¼ckt (stooped). Das Gesicht (face): lang (long) - rund (round) - oval (oval) - breit (broad), Pickel im Gesicht (pimples on the face) - mit Falten, faltiges Gesicht (with wrinkles, a wrinkly face) - pausbckig (chubby-cheeked) - bleich, blass (pale) - ein rotes Gesicht (a red face) - kantig (angular) Die Augen (eyes): tiefliegende Augen (deep-set eyes) - strahlend (bright, brilliant), dunkel (dark, hazel) - mandelfà ¶rmig (almond-shaped eyes), geschwollen (puffy), mà ¼de (tired), klar (clear), funkelnd (twinkling) - wulstig (bulging) Die Augenbrauen (eyebrows): dicht (thick), voll (full), schà ¶n geformte (nicely-shaped), dà ¼nn (sparse), geschwungen (slightly curved) Die Nase (nose): krumm (crooked) - spitz (pointy) - gerade (straight) – stumpf (turned-up) – flach (flat) Der Mund (mouth): lchelnd (smiling) - die Stirn runzeln (to frown) - eine Schnute ziehen/einen Schmollmund machen ( to pout) - eckig (square) - offen (open) - weit aufgesperrt (gaping) - Mundgeruch haben (to have bad breath) Die Haare (hair): lockig (curly) – kraus (tightly-curled) – kurz (short) – glnzend (shiny) – glatt (straight) - glatzkà ¶pfig (bald) - schmutzig (dirty) - fettig (greasy) - einen Pferdeschwanz tragen (in a ponytail) - einen Knoten tragen ( in a bun) – gewellt (wavy) - voluminà ¶s (voluminous). See also colors. Die Ohren (ears): herausstehende Ohren (ears that stick out) – Elfenohren (elf ears) - die Schwerhà ¶rigkeit (hard of hearing) – taub (deaf) – Ohrringe tragen (wearing earrings) - Hà ¶rgert tragen (wear a hearing-aid) Die Kleidung (clothes):   modisch (fashionable) - lssig (casual) - sportlich (athletic) - beruflich  (professional) -  unschà ¶n (not fashionable) - altmodisch (dated) More clothes-related nouns that can help describe details: die Hose (pants) - das Hemd (shirt) - das T-shirt ( t-shirt) - der Pullover (sweater) - die Schuhe (shoes) - die Sandalen (sandals) - die Spitzschuhe (high heels) - die Stiefeln (boots) - der Mantel (coat) - die Jacke (jacket) - der Hut (hat) - der Anzug (a suit). See more on clothes and fashion. Other: manikà ¼rte Ngel (manicured nails) - das Muttermal (birthmark) - schmale Lippen (thin lips) – Plattfà ¼ÃƒÅ¸e (flat-feet) German Words To Describe a Person Eigenschaften (personality): Erregt (excited) - redselig (talkative) – schlechtgelaunt (bad-tempered) – jhzornig (violent-tempered) - spaßig (amusing) - zufrieden (happy; satisfied) - freundlich (friendly) - tapfer (courageous) – gemein (mean) – sanft (gentle) – großzà ¼gig (generous) – ungeduldig (impatient) – geduldig (patient) - faul (lazy) – hard-working (fleißig) – nervà ¶s (nervous) - ernst (serious) - schà ¼chtern (shy) - schlau (clever) - klug (smart) - religià ¶s (religious) – dickkà ¶pfig (stubborn) - traurig (sad) – depremiert (depressed) - komish (funny, weird) - seltsam, merkwà ¼rdig (strange) - gierig (greedy) – gerissen (sly) – barmherzig (compassionate) - fleißig (hard-working) – witzig (witty, funny) - jemand der sich immer beklagt (complainer) – eitel (vain) – sportlich (athletic) Descriptive Verbs Hobbys:  lesen (reading) – tanzen (dancing) – schreiben (reading) - Sport treiben (to play sports), singen (singing) – basteln (to do crafts) – photographieren (to take photos) – reisen (to travel) Holzbearbeitung machen (woodworking) – backen (to bake) – kochen (to cook) – malen (to paint, color) – zeichnen (to draw) – camping (Campen gehen) – einkaufen (shopping) Other Descriptive Nouns Die Familie (family): die Eltern (parents) - die Mutter (mother) - der Vater (father) - der Sohn (son) - die Tochter (daughter) - die Schwester (sister) - der Bruder (brother). See Family Glossary for more. Describe Yourself in German Here is a sample description of how it might sound to describe yourself in German. An English translation is below. Hallo. Ich heiße Hilde und komme aus Deutschland. Ich bin in Essen geboren, aber lebe seit vierzehn Jahren in Stuttgart. Zur Zeit studiere ich Maschinenbau an der Universitt. Ich mag reisen, lesen und tanzen. Meine Freunde nennen mich „Schwatzliese,â€Å" weil ich immer so redselig bin – auch whrend den Unterricht! Ich habe dunkle, krause Haare, haselnussbraune Augen und ziehe à ¶fters eine Schnute wenn ich beleidigt bin. Ich bin sehr fleißig zum Studieren aber zu faul um meine Wohnung aufzurumen. Ich trage lieber Jeans und Rennschuhe, als Rà ¶cke und Spitzschuhen. English Translation: Hello. My name is Hilde and I am from Germany. I was born in Essen, but have lived for fourteen years in Stuttgart. Currently, I am studying mechanical engineering at the university. I like to travel, read and dance. My friends call me a chatterbox because I’m always talking so much – even during class! I have dark, curly hair, hazel eyes and can pout really well when I am offended. I am very studious, but very lazy when it comes to cleaning up my apartment. I rather wear jeans and running shoes than skirts and high heels.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research on Dell Inc Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Dell Inc - Research Paper Example Moreover, MIS can be further categorized as Decision Support System (DSS) and Executive Information System (EIS). In general, the role of MIS in terms of a DSS is to analyze and process business data that will aid business decision making efficiently (Nowduri, 2011). For instance, MIS provides comparative sales figures pertaining to a week, revenue figures projected on assumptions of a new product and history of decisions or workarounds performed (Nowduri, 2011). Dell Computer Corporation Dell founded in 1984 by Micheal Dell, it is one of the biggest computer manufacturing companies on the planet that provides personal computers, computer peripherals and associated software. Dell sells its products to the end users via online stores and mail orders. The organization is located in Texas and enjoys a very strong brand image that supports its growth (DATA MONITOR: Dell inc.2009). Likewise, Dell is listed in the top 100 brands of the world and its brand value is $11,695 million, as per t he annual raking 2008 report (DATA MONITOR: Dell inc.2009). Similarly, apart from the strong brand value and robust market position, there are flaws in some product segments along with feeble research and development outputs. Moreover, Dell is currently dependent on third party services along with contraction in end markets, these two factors can be considered as threats (DATA MONITOR: Dell inc.2009). Dell Information Automation Information automation is considered to be an examination and analysis of data organization. Likewise, it is most commonly used in businesses, science and technology and engineering and covers almost all areas pertaining to computing usage. Businesses use automation techniques and methods for performing tasks such as payroll processing, accounts, record keeping, inventory management, sales scrutiny, bank account statements and credit cards statements. Similarly, engineering sector utilize these methods and techniques for numerous applications associated with mineral and oil exploration. Moreover, the analysis associated with new product design and scientific experiments also utilize data processing (Kedar, 2009). Data processing or information automation is divided into two categories i.e. database processing and transaction processing. As database is a collection of data that can be extracted, changed or accessed, data can be associated with banks, financial institutions, income tax, salary, contact number etc. similarly, for a processing data, a database is utilized that is virtually located in the center (Kedar, 2009). Similarly for the second category, transaction processing is associated with an integration of two workstations that constructs the transaction, and it is backed by data provided by the second workstation. For instance, automated teller machines are a prime example for this category (Kedar, 2009). The information automation tools that are acquired and utilized by Dell Incorporated utilize the World Wide Web, spreadshe ets, maps, various models and database. Moreover, for operations functions, Dell focused primarily on the information processing tool named as maps. Likewise, the map tool facilitated Dell to make decisions associated with organizational operation initiatives. Moreover, maps were also utilized for determining the location or country to be selected for acquiring information. Furthermore, the map also

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Articles Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Articles - Article Example From the comment, I think the 60% fall in oil will make larger companies to suffer because OPEC is likely to give up some market share. In addition, the smaller shale companies are likely to collapse because in the long run they will run into huge losses for operating below the breakeven point. The collapsing oil prices will lead Russian into economic recession because of their worsening financial condition. Basically I think it is the free market that prevents monopoly from forming. Monopolies that are often seen as free market monopolies are not actually monopolies because the fee market often prevents individuals from cornering the market. A free market does not allow coercive monopolies because it is open to all and not for only one company. There is always someone else or another company that is willing and/or capable of making the same product for lesser or the same price. Coercive monopolies can be given to the free market agents by government legislation, for instance franchise business for only a specific group of people, however, the government can interfere incase such people are exploiting the market. Monopolies do not exist in a free market because it has unrestricted competition. However, monopolies can be granted by only the regulation by the government. Patents only restricts the use of the inventor’s invention but does not prevent others from coming up with almost a similar invention. For instance, the fact that Coca Cola has patented its Coke brand has not prevented PepsiCo from inventing Pepsi cola. Income brackets have created divisions of classes that have inequities and disparities income due to barriers created by society, however there is considerable income mobility. I think there is income mobility but the individuals do not notice it easily due to the relative value of money because as income rises, the prices of products also rise. In

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Collapse of Communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe Essay Example for Free

The Collapse of Communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe Essay Analyses of the collapse of communism have followed a dialectical path since the early 1990s, explaining the implosion first as the direct result of US pressure, then as the inevitable fall of a flawed system, and finally, as a combination of the two. This fluctuation has occurred as national archives from both the East and the West have become increasingly accessible, giving historians a more complete picture of trends that may have contributed to the climate within the Eastern bloc at the beginning of the relevant period. Indeed, such documents have been instrumental in dispelling the view that the pivotal events of 1989 had relatively short-term roots. Some analysts have developed reasonable arguments tracing the fall of the Warsaw Pact back only as far as 1985, but for the most part, these are unsatisfying, ignoring critical factors such as the rise of the hawkists in America, and the role of world-wide peace movements. In addition, the release of top secret CIA files has shed interesting light on the under-rated Afghan conflict. These suggest that far from being yet another target for moralistic US containment, Afghanistan was set up by the Americans as an attempt to trap the Soviets in an exhausting Third World contest- to give them their own Vietnam. This discovery, and others relating to the nuclear arms race, technology, the media, and human rights debates, indicates that while not as active as initially supposed, the US was highly instrumental in bringing down European communism. At the same time, however, evidence of a self-perpetuating economic crisis, a crisis which was to spawn the powerful dissident movements in Eastern Europe, can be seen in Soviet archives as early as 1960. It could thus be argued that communism was, as an impractical, unpopular system, doomed to eventual failure. That this occurred on such a grand scale, however, and as early as 1989, must be attributed to Gorbachevs dramatic reform policies; these were in turn shaped by both external and internal pressures, as well as the particular political matrix, formulated under Khrushchev, in which Gorbachevs career began. In order to fully understand the forces that pushed Moscow towards such reforms, it is necessary to begin with the 1970s and the Soviet Union under Brezhnev. This was a period that left a strong legacy economically and thus shaped the local and international environments to a significant degree. A time of superpower dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente, both East and West were feeling the strain of Cold War competition- President Nixon of the U.S. looking for a way to liquidate the Vietnam War, and Brezhnev beginning to find the arms race excessively expensive. Trade between the two sides increased, and the common goal of nuclear non-proliferation led to various limitation agreements, such as the ABM Treaty of 1972. It was within this context, as Brezhnev was finally able to turn his attention to the process of catching up with the West financially and technologically, that the extent of the economic crisis in the communist states first became apparent. Dissent in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and, to a lesser extent, East Germany, had rung the alarm bells frequently throughout the preceding two decades, but the dilemma had never really absorbed much of the leaderships notice until now. Due to poor management of state funds, corruption within the system- granting party officials special luxuries, and an unbalanced emphasis on industrial manufacture, living standards within the Eastern camp were at a universal low. This was despite successful oil and steel production, the proceeds from which went to the maintenance of the KGB and the military presence in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Commodities were difficult to obtain, having been sacrificed for power plants that were needed to support industry, and, as a result, labour productivity and life expectancy were on the decline. In addition, government subsidies ate up such a large portion of the state budget that foreign trade had to be restricted, and importing rationed. These conditions had long been the fuel for various dissident undercurrents, which were intensified by strict censorship; as Timothy Sowula puts it, nothing nurtures dissent like the inability to express it.1 Although not anti-communist in essence, being rather concerned with democratizing socialism than with implementing Western ideology, these movements, particularly in Hungary and Poland, called for a reduction in state control, and promoted pluralism, and were thus clearly founded on a lack of faith in communism as an economic mechanism. These groups would later develop into powerful policy-setting factions. That they should be given more freedom to express their views first dawned upon the Soviet leadership during Brezhnevs tenure, as the intervention in Czechoslovakia in 1968 and the crushing of Solidarity in 1981 proved destructively expensive both financially and in terms of propaganda. These trends- of economic decline and accompanying dissent- were clearly of predominantly internal beginnings. Basic faults in the system, such as excessive state control, corruption, over-emphasis on industry and the military, in addition to the characteristically repressive environment, caused the crisis situation to emerge as rampant by the 1970s. As recently upgraded spy systems relayed, irregularly it is true, updates on these problems to the West, they were picked up by hawkists within America and taken into careful consideration by those in charge of developing foreign policy. Dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente had, once again, lost its luster in the eyes of many instrumental figures, and was viewed not merely as an expression of Americas weakness but also as a cause of it. 2 In addition, U.S. failures such as Vietnam and Watergate had damaged Western morale, and President Jimmy Carter was under pressure to make a strong reinstatement of American prestige. The main source of this pressure, a new political branch later branded neo-conservative, became prominent in the late 1970s, and followed Richard Piper in stating that: The notion that through accommodation you could change (the Soviets) was faulty. To change them you needed a very hard line policy.3 It was this branch, in control of perhaps the majority of the votes in the Senate by 1979, that formulated the adjusted US line: the exploitation of Soviet weaknesses in several different forums. The first arm of this strategy was clandestine support for the existing dissident movements in Eastern Europe. Solidarity, for instance, was largely dependent on printing equipment smuggled in from the U.S, using it to put out regular bulletins coordinating strikes, presenting political advice, and informing members of trade union meetings. The same equipment was also used to publish forbidden books and essays for Solidaritys extensive underground education system. This was not exclusive to Poland, either- evidence suggests that Washington furnished insurrectionist organizations in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany with similar printing machinery. This sponsorship effectively laid the platform for the reform campaigns that were launched both subversively and in the main-stream political arena. In addition, there are numerous records of visits by American politicians to pro-Western officials in Eastern Europe, encouraging them in their resistance, and helping them to develop the petitions that they placed before the leadership in their respective countries. Thus, it is clear that the U.S. did play a relatively influential role in developing the capacity of these movements, although they were, as already stated, self creating and sustaining. In other words, it would be fair to say that while it did not incite their sentiments, the U.S. did equip those who fought for the fatal reforms that would bring down communism. Another important forum of U.S. pressure was the human rights debate. This had begun in 1975 with the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, but had not really evoked wide interest until approximately five years later, as a strong realpolitik contingent in the West had spurned the human rights issue as an unnecessary ideological digression. It was only as Jimmy Carters public promotion of humanitarianism, a tactic which had been rarely used since Vietnam, succeeded in gaining popular support, that U.S. policy makers reincorporated the human rights line into their scheme. And, indeed, this proved a worthwhile investment. Inciting peace movements across the West, and providing the dissident factions in the East with a weapon with which to fight oppression, the Helsinki Final Act, when brought to life, became a powerful document in the context of Cold War competition. It provided a frame of reference by which the peoples of the world could judge both domestic conditions and superpower behaviour in the various conquests of the 1980s. It formed the foundation for reformist debates behind the Iron Curtain, particularly on the subjects of state sovereignty and dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente. While it gained great public acclaim as a rare superpower agreement to play by the same rules, however, the Helsinki process was in fact treated with little respect by its signatories. That the U.S. valued it as something that the media could use to bring out Soviet atrocities, both within its own quarters and in places like Afghanistan, more than as a genuine moral code, was evident in Washingtons ongoing support of brutal military dictatorships in Central America, and its collaboration with apartheid South Africa. Likewise, the Soviet Union ignored the terms of the act, which were not legally binding, and opposed the freedom of traffic and of the press that it stipulated. Ultimately, although thus under-rated by the Kremlin, the Helsinki Final Act was to facilitate one of the major exposà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s of the communist system, officially dissolving the myth that communism was socialism with a human face.4 Of course, the success of this human rights operation depended largely on the media. In fact, it was as coverage of peace demonstrations in the West reached the East that an echo effect began to occur, winning support for the dissident movements and dividing central party regimes- a crucial hollowing process that would set up the later implosion. With the tight censorship exercised by Eastern regimes during this period, it may seem surprising that Western media so dramatically influenced areas such as Poland and Hungary, but highly developed technology had basically put an end to the shielding and isolating of peoples in communist countries. This was particularly true in East Germany- the normalization of relations with West Germany in August 1972 and resulted in East Germans being allowed to watch West German T.V. As had been the case throughout the Cold War, what happened in Germany set the tone for the rest of Europe. Combined with Washingtons equipping of Solidarity, this media traffic had under-estimated ramifications. Not only did it expose the peoples of the communist world to the human rights debate, it also, and perhaps more importantly, allowed them to experience the full extent of the disparity between living conditions in the East and living conditions in the West. This, a tribute to the merits of capitalism, and a tool for awakening civilians to their own economic repression, mobilized reformist movements in a way that even Washington, responsible for developing the technology for this project, had never anticipated. Running parallel to these subtler channels of pressure was the typically forefront issue of nuclear arms. And, indeed, a dramatic shift in U.S. nuclear policy around 1978-79 can be discerned, although demand for a zero option in Europe was a consistent theme throughout the relevant period. To return briefly to the 1970s and dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente, we see the nuclear arms race denounced as pointless- a vicious circle.5 Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union made marked steps during this passage of the Cold War towards the dissolution of the contest- with the partial test ban treaty of 1968, and the ABM treaty of 1972. Approximately mid-way through Jimmy Carters term, however, the soft-line policy was reversed, and the U.S. began to pressurize the Soviets by developing MRVs, and escalating the production of unlimited weapons. In addition, NATO formulated a tough response to the previously unanswered SS 20 missiles, which allegedly targeted Western Europe. The proposed introduction of the Pershing II and Tomahawk missiles in West Germany and the Netherlands was a new approach, replacing the former agreement to engage in talks on the matter. That this shift coincided with the realization that the nuclear arms race was exhausting dwindling Soviet resources and morale, suggests that it was the direct result of new insights into Soviet behaviour. As American pressure in this arena continued to rise with the development of SDI, the reality that the USSR lacked the power to retaliate began to dawn upon those in charge of foreign policy. One would think, with the traditional gauge of Cold War tensions- the nuclear contest, in such a unilateral state, that superpower relations were becoming progressively peaceful. The irony that summit talks consistently coincided with outbreaks or accelerations in external conflicts demonstrated, however, that this was not the case. In fact, if the impression that the Soviets were suddenly more pro-dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente than the U.S. in the nuclear sense even emerged, Washington quickly eradicated it by turning the worlds attention to undoubtedly aggressive Soviet behaviour in the Middle East and Angola. Exploitation of the Soviet tendency to get involved in Third World conflicts became perhaps the focus of U.S. foreign policy during the late 1970s and early 80s, as can be seen in the most obvious and important example: Afghanistan. The superpower-funded war in Afghanistan was, as stated earlier, misunderstood until perhaps a few years ago. At the time of its occurrence, and during its immediate aftermath, U.S. involvement in Afghanistan was generally defined as an extension of containment, justified with the characteristic moral charge and talk of liberating Afghan captives from an unwanted regime. According to this view, the Soviet Union entered Afghanistan to suppress popular sentiments that threatened their dominance, prompting an objection and military response from the U.S. New evidence suggests, however, that the launch of the covert CIA operation in Afghanistan was hardly a reaction to Soviet movements. On the contrary, substantial U.S. activity was recorded in the area as early as 6 months before the deployment of the Red Army, as officials stirred up opposition to the government, promising military support for an insurrection. Mr. Brezezinksi, adviser to Carter at the time, sums this up, saying: According to the official version of history, aid to the moujahideen began during 1980after the Soviet army invadedBut the realitysecretly guardedis completely otherwise.6 Having established this, we can see that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan had a far from peaceable source; quite the opposite, the plan of action was to induce a Soviet military intervention.7 The purposes of this operation were multiple, but are encapsulated in Brezezinksis statement, quoted earlier, that this was the (Soviets) own Vietnam8- in other words, a conflict designed to exhaust economically, raise disputes at home, and as a touch-point for propaganda. And it worked, too. Domestically, by the time the conquest was five years old, and had claimed thousands of Soviet lives, it had become extremely unpopular, fuelling dissent, and disillusioning even faithful communists. Economically, a battle fought in the mountains with helicopters against the powerful US FIM-92 Stingers was expensive, and, in addition, created a rift between the Red Army and the Soviet leadership as the fighting went on past the desired date of departure. Further, since the West controlled the international media, it was able to present coverage of the exchange with a prejudice, emphasizing the Soviet atrocities and the number of civilian deaths. Human rights were, as one would expect, a major talking point within this context. In addition to undermining the Soviet Union in the above ways, Afghanistan was used as a pretext to end every vestige of dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente. The promising grain trade that had sprung up between the U.S. and the East was abruptly brought to a close. Then, Washington pressured the Saudi Arabian leadership, which was co-operating with the CIA in Afghanistan, to lower oil prices, and thus undercut the Soviet monopoly. Simultaneously, the White House denounced the SALT II Treaty as meaningless, and began inciting people in the West to express their disapproval of Soviet actions by boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The result of all these manouevres was a dramatic heightening in temperature in the Soviet Union, as it found itself stretched and tested at numerous points- economic, political, and military. It is clear, then, that it was a combination of both internal and external forces that shaped the political climate in Moscow in the critical mid-80s period. An additional factor, overlooked in that it is better defined as a context than as a force, was the legacy of dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente and democratization that Khrushchev had left the communist party. While gradually eradicated from main-stream politics as its negative effects began to emerge in Eastern Europe and China, this remained an important influence in specific circles. It had a particular impact on those whose careers had begun under Khrushchev, as his anti-Stalinism left a lasting imprint on minds trained to worship an infallible Soviet leadership. These politicians, many harbouring inclinations towards democratization and reform despite Brezhnevs harsh Sinatra Doctrine, were to emerge as central figures in the Kremlin by 1985. This created an entirely new environment, uniquely receptive to the heightening pressure for refor m that was applied through the previously mentioned channels. Mikhail Gorbachev, a leading figure within this political contingent, was elected head of the communist party both as a result of the natural process outlined above, and as officials realized that the public would best submit to someone with plans for reform. His policies have been cited as the major cause of the collapse of communism, which is reasonable in a limited sense, but they must be viewed as the product of the existing domestic and international situations rather than as a theoretical digression. Faced with such economic, political, and military strain, Gorbachev virtually had no other choice than to seek to minimize Soviet expenses. And this meant, of course, reorganizing the empire for efficiency (perestroika). It also entailed pacifying the masses by giving them a voice; the policy of open discussion, known as glasnost, reduced censorship and allowed debates on ideology to take place. This approach was developed with the aim of liquidating factions such as Solidarity, by giving them certain concessions, for example, freedom of speech and of assembly. As later became evident, however, both this policy and perestroika had a far from calming effect in the Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe. Ultimately, Gorbachevs reforms destroyed communist rule because they compromised the central police force and terror necessary to its survival- allowing pluralism, and opening gateways to the West. This took place in both an economic and a political sense, so that capitalist influences infiltrated almost every sphere of Soviet society. The first of Gorbachevs policies to make an impact was perestroika, which was put before the Kremlin in June 1987, and began to affect the economic structure almost immediately. As early as August, the Soviet Union had begun to make overtures to British prime-minister Margaret Thatcher, arranging for Western businesses to be established on Soviet soil, and opening up the oil trade. A series of joint ventures were set up the following year, although they were never to achieve the stated goal of helping the USSR to advance technologically. At the same time, petroleum production was restored, state planning diminished, taxes regulated, and a law passed permitting private businesses to operate. These changes were to affect almost everyone- many negatively, as alterations in factory relationships caused workers to lose their jobs. In fact, this economic democratization actually worsened living conditions- that this occurred just as the people were becoming exposed to the comparative wealth of Western nations as traffic flow and the media opened up, ensured that perestroika contributed significantly to the fall of communism. This exposure came with the policy of glasnost, introduced in the Soviet Union in late 1987, and entailing the open discussion of communist ideology both through the media, and within the Party. Its inception was accompanied by Gorbachevs declaration before the UN that he would not intervene in the internal affairs of other Warsaw Pact countries. Together, these liberalizations virtually ended communist terror, opening the way for reform. In addition, the new media freedoms enabled programs detailing past Soviet atrocities, such as the gulags and the Great Purges, to be broadcast. At the same time, the inefficiency of Stalins mechanisms and the extent of state corruption in the past were made known in full to the public. This greatly undermined the peoples faith in the system- it eroded the CPs social power base, by bringing down its traditional corner stones- the hierarchy of the politburo, and CP dominance. The effects of these policies were first evident in Eastern Europe, as dissident movements supported by Gorbachev began to gain power. In Poland, for instance, the previously banned Civic Society was able to rise to a position where it could negotiate for economic reforms and other freedoms- freedoms which would eventually lead to pluralism. Hungary followed a similar course, its underground organizations receiving encouragement and inspiration from Gorbachev, and Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, while slower to get started, eventually experienced much the same thing. This process- the rise of dissent and the consequent introduction of non-communist elements into the party- escalated as it became increasing clear that Moscow had no intention of opposing democratization. It culminated in 1988-89, as a series of insurrections, some violent, some peaceful, brought about the reinstatement of free elections and the overthrow of communist regimes across Eastern Europe. This implosion is perhaps symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall, which occurred after Gorbachev liscensed Hungary to open its border and thus provide an escape route for East Germans. It was echoed in the Soviet Union two years later- the Red Army had staged a brief coup in the interests of a military intervention in Eastern Europe, and had failed. Gorbachev had tried to regain popular support, and had proposed a new constitution, dismissing the CPCC, but Estonia, Ukraine, and Belarus nonetheless declared their independence. By 1991, communist rule in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union was over, and the world was left to reflect on the sad, bizarre chapter in human history,9 that had just been written. It can thus be confirmed that the decline of communism after 1985 was the direct result of Gorbachevs policies. And, in this sense, it was an internal force that brought about the actual collapse that occurred, although, as already established, this was shaped both by U.S. pressure and conditions within the Eastern bloc. It is important, in addition, not to overlook the role that American policy played in these latter years. That Reagan and Thatcher continued to build western economies that far outshone those in the East certainly kept the pressure on the communists. Likewise, Regan constantly challenged Gorbachevs commitment to peace, demanding that he open this gatetear down this wall.10 For the most part, however, the collapse was self-contained after 1985. It is perhaps best summarized by Erik Chenoweth in his article, Common Elements of Successful Opposition to Communism: pluralism is an anathema to communism andcan survive communisms system of terror, where the systems terror is balanced by societys opposition.11 1 Timothy Sowula, The Helsinki Process and the Death of Communism, 2002. 2 Richard Piper, Dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente and Its Demise, 2001. 3 ibid. 4 Timothy Sowula, ibid 5 Colonel-General Nikolai Chervov, as quoted in Dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½tente And Its Demise, 2001 6 Brezezinksi, The Afghan Caper, 2004 7 ibid. 8 ibid. 9 Robert Reagan as quoted in Misinterpreting the Cold War- www.foreignaffairs.org/19950/001fareviewessay5008/richard-pipes.html 10 ibid. 11 http://www.idee.org/cubaideas4.html

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Nature of Logic Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Logic Thinking Essay

Nature of Logic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nature of logic and critical thinking go hand in hand. A person must use logic during the critical thinking process. However, each person’s logic may depend on his/her perceptual process or their perceptual barriers. No person can ever fully understand their own perceptual process in its entirety. The reason being is that no person knows all of their perceptual barriers. Without knowing all of the barriers, how is a person able to determine the process in which they perceive things? While a person may know or assume some of their perceptual barriers, some of their perceptual barriers will never be uncovered because they may not know they even exist. They may not even know that they exist because the perceptual barrier is so strong that it will never be known to them, that it, in fact, is a barrier at all. This alone could be a potential barrier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from not being able to identify all of a person’s perceptual barriers, each situation that comes about where a critical thinking process may be utilized can call for a different process. For example, a person may use an entirely different perceptual process while at their place of employment than they would in their home. Even then a person may utilize a different process depending on the situations that occur on any given day. However, the way we think can be determined by the way we were raised and the way we currently are living. Many factors come into play that can cause percept...

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

How Did Men Deal with the Stress of World War II Essay

The iconic â€Å"thousand-yard stare†, a far-off, unfocused gaze characteristic of soldiers who had succumbed to the trauma of war by dissociating from it, emerged with its name through the chilling photos of soldiers who were overtaken by these symptoms in the wake of World War II. It’s no surprise that war takes a toll on the psyche of all those affected by it. Given the brutality and scope of World War II, which began only 21 years after World War II (a war that had already ravaged the landscape and people of Europe leaving high estimates of the death toll at 65 million deaths), civilians and soldiers alike were engulfed in total war. As Hitler and the Nazis’ ideology was based on â€Å"A War of Extermination† fueled by a racial ideology that sought for the ethnic cleansing and complete reengineering of the social population of Europe, the massive amount of Soviet soldiers that perished as they were thrown wave after wave in order to slow the Nazi war machine, and the general cruelty that was apparent in this war, soldiers upon soldiers grew appalled by the nature of the war. As one soldier confesses in The Italian Job, â€Å"After three months, it was demoralizing†¦ it was every night, every night everybody was hunting Germans, everybody was out to kill anybody†¦ we was insane†¦ We did become like animals in the end†¦ Yes, just like rats†¦ It was far worse than the desert. You were stuck in the same place. You had nowhere to go. You didn’t get no rest, like in the desert. No sleep†¦ You never expected to see the end of it. You just forgot why you were there† (Addison 208). Often times, the amount of effort put into it and the lives sacrificed seemed to far outweigh the benefits reaped from both; Gottlob Herbert Bidderman, a German soldier that was present on the Eastern Front reflected on â€Å"the insignificance of twelve kilometers: twelve kilometers—in an endless land, where unbroken fields stretched to the horizon before us from sunrise to sunset. I wondered how many more twelve-kilometer battles lay ahead of us during our march away from the setting sun† (Bidderman 23). However, like anything that people are overexposed to, these men slowly grew accustomed to and desensitized to the trocities and horrors of the war. Human beings are naturally adaptive beings and history has shown time and time again that they do what is needed in order to survive. It would be simplistic to classify each of the nations and their armies as being uniform in their coping with the war – due to the specific nature of some of the problems and solutions that emerged from belonging to that particular nation (such as the Soviets reveling in their loyalty and the cult-like worship of Stalin and the Nazis racial ideology being one that ensured in their mind their victory), but many men, regardless of their affiliation, handled the war similarly. Some treated the time on these fronts as a long extended workday, disassociating from the acts they committed and the sights they witnessed as simply being a part of a job. Others turned to their families away from home – brothers and sisters, who through their common experiences, pains, and moments of hope, stood together in solidarity. Others turned to the bottom of a bottle to ease the pain; while others turned instead upwards to a higher power, or at the very least began to frequent religious services. Those who were not willing to look quite so loftily turned to their superiors and leaders for guidance and bravery; while in the case of the Soviet soldiers, glanced fearfully backwards as the higher-ups pushed them forward to their death. Far away from home and under harsh conditions, food and other chanced upon provisions and commodities would often serve as a best to moral. Due to the sheer breadth of stress embodied in being a soldier in any front during WWII, soldiers dealt with the immense strain in varying ways in order to keep intact their humanity, or at the very least, keep their sanity so that they could ensure their survival. There is a perception held by many idealistic, young men that war is a somewhat akin to a noble crusade. However, there is the reality is much more analogous, to as one German soldier put it â€Å"this is ten times worse than hell† (Grossman 151). A scene from the Italian Job details this hell: â€Å"some (too many, far too many) were carried in dying, with gross combinations of shattered limbs, protrusions of intestines and brain from great holes in their poor frames torn by 880millimetre shells, mortars and anti-personnel bombs. Some lay quiet and still, with legs drawn up – penetrating wounds of the abdomen. Some were carried in sitting up on the stretcher, gasping and coughing, shot through the lungs †¦ All were exhausted after being under continuous fire, and after lying in the mud for hours and days† (Addison 208). As a result, as these idealistic notions were lost, many turned to viewing the entire ordeal as a job. Having suffered through the war for some time, one soldier remarked, â€Å"You’re fighting for the skin in the line. When I was enlisted I was patriotic as hell. There’s no patriotism in the line. A boy up there 60 days in the line is in danger every minute. He ain’t fighting for patriotism† (Addison 210). Another soldier enjoyed fighting at dawn as he felt that it was almost as if he was heading off to work at the factory. Rather than consciously thinking of all of the horrors that they were witnessing on a daily basis and focusing on the fact that they could die at any moment, the concept of just doing a job provided a blanket under which these men sought to maintain control of their humanity by separating their psyches from the appalling state of being they were in. A man in an earlier war who was quoted in Addison’s book stated that â€Å"whatever its size a man’s world was his section—at most, his platoon; all that mattered to him was the one little boatload of castaways with whom he was marooned on a desert island making shift to keep off the weather and any sudden attacks by wild beast† (Addison 211). Away from their families and friends, immersed in a bloody war where hundreds upon thousands of people could die in a skirmish or battle, these soldiers could only count on each other to truly understand the situation they were currently in. Beaten and battered together, having lost many of the same friends, triumphed momentarily, or retreated hastily, this mutual understanding gave way to a support group – a family who soldiers could lean upon and secure their well being. Of this, Bidermann wrote, â€Å"Our thoughts were constantly occupied by the tenuous if not hopeless situation in which we found ourselves. We received solace only in our numbers and in being with comrades with whom we had shared so many experiences over the weeks, months, and years† (Bidermann 266). Repeatedly throughout the 3 readings, there is mention of men, whether they in the heat of battle or â€Å"relaxing† with company, being drunk. It’s no surprise as alcohol has been a means by which men have coped with their problems for thousands of years. If the problems won’t go away, the solution for some has been to drink until those problems do not register as problems anymore. As such, Holmes noted â€Å"headaches were almost universal in a theatre of war where wine and brandy were readily available† (Addison 212). Grossman ctually talks about how his battalion commander Kozlov, in the midst of battle, â€Å"withstood an attack of tanks. He was on great form and completely drunk. The tanks were thrown back in a dashing fashion† (Grossman 103). As religion has functioned as a form of comfort since the inception of civilization and the birth of religion, it was only natural for men living in depravity to come to it to relieve them of some of their burden. Subsequently, the men of the clergy were often instrumental to moral and aid. Furthermore, due to the looming possibility of death in war, the mortality of some became that much more apparent. In Bidermann’s account, he talks of a divisional chaplain named Satzger who had several times risked his life to recover wounded men. Resulting from men of the cloth like Satzger and with death looming, â€Å"many of the soldiers who had not been so inclined began to attend religious services †¦ For far too many [the chaplain] would offer the last voice of reassurance and the last vestige of comfort before they, too, succumbed to mortal wounds† (Bidermann 25). Another Catholic priest was dubbed â€Å"the rucksack priest† as he carried a field pack from which he provided troops on the front lines with simple food items that had in war become luxuries. While it may have been a spiritual solace that many received at the hands of these men of God, others attended for the sake of having a comforting and helping hand. It’s been told that leaders are supposed to lead by example. Caught in chaotic times, superior officers often functioned as beacons to rally around. In times past, great leaders such as George Washington, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan immersed themselves in battles, showing that the best commanders do not directing them from the rear, but rather leading them in the front. A commanding officer by the name of â€Å"Captain Kendall, turned a shaky company into a passably good one by public displays of sheer guts. ‘Look at me,’ he said quietly, walking from man to man under fire. ‘They can’t hit me. Look at me’† (Addison 210). Examples like this provided moral boosts to dreary men who needed something positive to cling to. Conversely, rather than inspiring by a guiding light of bravery and courage, the Soviets were incentivized onwards by the ever-present detachments behind the troops that would shoot deserters. Grossman describes this in further detail: â€Å"Stalin’s Order No. 27 – ‘Not One Step Back’ – included the instruction to each army command to organise ‘three to five well-armed [blocking] detachments (up to two hundred men each)’ to form a second line to ‘combat cowardices’ by shooti ng down any soldier who tried to run away† (Grossman 141). As many Soviet soldiers understood the likelihood of their death in squaring off against the Nazis, the desire to flee was understandable. Stalin believed that the presence of the troops would force the Soviet troops to fight even harder. Pushed forwards, the stark realization of soldiers was expressed by Grossman: â€Å"Once you are here, there is no way out. Either you will lose your head or your legs†¦ Everyone knows that those who turn and run would be shot on the spot. This was more terrifying than the Germans† (Grossman 146). Under the constant strain of needing to ration supplies and consistently cut off from supply lines, soldiers had to make do with their limited resources. Given the treacherous nature of the constant advancement and lack of luxuries, whenever there was time to enjoy the comfort brought by certain goods that had faded away from recent recollection to distant memories, the time was relished and the goods provided relief to the men. In fact, Bidermann specifically noted several instances where his regiment and he would partake in â€Å"luxuries† that were not available to them by enjoying the spoils of war. â€Å"Two August was marked by a break in the monotonous field rations, when we boiled freshly dug potatoes in an unnamed Ukrainian village. Obserschutze Fehr had already plucked a chicken, and together with the boiled hen and potatoes we ate peeled cucumbers† (Bidermann 24). In another instance, his crew discovered a still-intact collective farm and was able to enjoy hot coffee, schmalzbrot, and sleep in small thatched-roof huts. Though seemingly commonplace to us, moments such as these provided brief relief and respite from the horrors of daily life across the theatres, and allowed soldiers to momentarily reflect on how life used to be. Constantly under an onslaught of forces that, if mishandled, could cause a man to lose his mind, soldiers used some, if not all, of the aforementioned forms to provide relief or inspiration in persevering in their struggle. Under pressure, these men had to find whatever means by which to motivate themselves to return safely home, and more so than that, return home as much themselves as before.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Incredible Hulk Review

{draw:g} â€Å"10 out of 10† says everyone! If not it is because they must be green with envy at the magnum opus that was synthesised by Louis Leterrier himself! But still no contest to the first film. â€Å"Unleash the fury† was the tagline for the intellectual production, which is â€Å"The Incredible Hulk† we can certainly say the viewers were filled with fury when the film came to an abrupt and odd ending when the wrecked city faded away with no questions answered. The film was far from incredible, I would say†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ unconceivable and that alone wouldn’t put a smile on my face. The film opens with the traditional Marvel trademark guarantying another larger-than-life, adrenaline filled and gleaming adaptation summoned from Stan Lee’s genius psyche. We have a glance into the terrible accident that ruined Bruce Banner’s (Edward Norton) life, a brilliant (or terrible? ) experiment involving gamma radiation that renders a monstrous alter-ego that convenes when Bruce’s anger meter reaches boiling point. We witness where he has been lowered to; a favela in Brazil where the fear of being shipped off to a Government facility to be experimented on dominates his every thought. We see a little box that reads: Days without Incidence: 145. His efforts to hide himself from recognition have failed him when a single drop of blood oozes from his finger and we get a close up of the betraying blood as it cascades towards the empty bottles, Louis’s camera shot created the effect of a dramatic fall because of the sheer speed at which the blood fell. The Government catch way of the concealed fugitive and the chase is on. The battle begins in the streets of the favela town and the end is inevitable. Yes, the hulk does demonstrate his effortless ability to destroy and exterminate things and yes, the Government agents go flying†¦.. But after the big brawl that trashed the town and left all Government agents hospitalised Bruce finds himself randomly in North America and the little box comes up again: Days without incidence: 0. He ventures to Culver University: were the hulk was born. He accidentally meets the love of his life, Betty (Liv Tyler) who was dating psychiatrist Leonard Samson (Ty Burrel) who is swiftly aborted when her eyes find themselves staring at Bruce, the connection is rapidly re-established. They seem to fall helplessly in love and their journey starts to try finding a cure in the hands of Mr Blue†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ In the intervening time a Government soldier named Blonsky (Tim Roth) has been put forward for a test to bestow the powers of the incredible hulk; enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance and healing. without the defect of massive size and loss of control. He slowly obtains the urge to become more powerful once he saw what the Hulk could do in a brilliant scene where Bruce had been driven to a glass bridge and gassed shadowing the talented Bruce to renovate into the highly powerful Hulk, the camera shot –A big close up- was effective because it slowly zoomed in to add anticipation to see what was going on in the glass bridge, Bruce is rapidly angered and he metamorphosis’s to the hulk then a huge green hand pounds against the glass, the soldiers pupils dilate at the fear inside them. The soldiers run like ants compared with the hulk when he smashing the glass and its integrate with one swoop. They learn that Sterns has developed a possible antidot that may cure Banner's condition, or merely reverse each individual transformation. After a successful test, Sterns reveals that he has synthesized Banner's blood sample (which he sent from Brazil) into a large supply with the intention of using it to bring humans to the next evolutionary level. Appalled by what Sterns had done and fearful of the Hulk's power falling into the wrong hands, Banner attempts to convince Sterns to destroy the blood supply, but he is attacked by Ross' forces and taken into custody with Betty. While Sterns is interrogated by a female soldier about his work, Blonsky strikes her down and demands that Sterns inject him with Banner's blood sample, as he covets the awesome power of the Hulk. Sterns warns that the combination of the super soldier formula (which Blonsky has overdosed on, slightly deforming his skeleton) and a gamma treatment would be an unpredictable combination that could turn him into an â€Å"abomination†. Unconcerned, Blonsky forces Sterns to administer the gamma charge, and he mutates into a hideous monster, with strength and power that surpasses that of the Hulk, but retaining Blonsky's intelligence and personality. He knocks Sterns aside and escapes, rampaging through the city to draw the Hulk out. At the lab, an irradiated sample of Banner's blood-derivative drips into an open wound on Sterns' temple, causing his head to mutate and expand, much to his delight.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Respiratory Therapy essays

Respiratory Therapy essays The field I wish to pursue is that of respiratory therapy. When I was a child was when my first interest in respiratory therapy was aroused. As a child I was sick a great deal with various lung ailments that required frequent hospitalizations. I would always revel in the fact that how intelligent and courtesy the respiratory therapist were that took care of me. They were so good at what they did and they always made me feel better. I wanted to be like them. That thought had never deviated since I decided that was what I wanted to do. (1)Respiratory therapy is a result of specialization trends of the late 60s in health care. At first referred to as inhalation therapy, respiratory practitioners did very little. They were initially one the job trainees, trained by nurses, who did medial chores that nurses didnt have time or didnt want to do. This consisted of a lot of the time consuming activities such as setting up oxygen, delivering IPPBs, ultrasonic nebulizers, chest physiotherapy and setting up machinery such as croup tents and ventilators. These technical chores involved no interpretation of the reasoning behind these mechanisms but only how to monkey the steps involved in performing them. This early practitioner had absolutely no autonomy as they had only technical skills and other employees such as nursing normally surpassed those skills. (2)The field of respiratory care has since evolved a great deal. Beginning in the seventies formal respiratory programs were initiated. This formalized training would not only teach an individual the technical aspects of the field but also a moderate amount of the theory behind them. As in most fields, this increase in education was shortly followed by credentialing exams to certify the respiratory practitioners. These exams were used to prove the skills and information that the practitioners ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How You Can Take Advantage of ACT Math Question Order

How You Can Take Advantage of ACT Math Question Order SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Understanding how to do your best on the ACT math section means understanding how the math section is structured and where you can get the most points for your time and energy. We’ll walk you through how each ACT math section is organized and how you can use this information to your benefit, both in your studies and as you take your official ACTs. ACT Math Organization The ACT math section is ordered in two main ways- by difficulty and by content. Let's look at each. Math Organization Type 1: Difficulty Of the two organization categories, the biggest factor that determines the order of questions is difficulty level. "Difficulty" on the ACT math questions is characterized by: the time necessary to solve a problem, the steps required, how many math concepts you must employ, and/or how familiar or unfamiliar you are likely to be with the material. And the difficulty level increases over the course of the math test. You can generally split the difficulty of ACT math problems into three even zones. There are 60 math questions total and you can arrange them roughly like so: Questions 1-20- "easy" Questions 21-40- "medium" Questions 41-60- "hard" The reason we put these terms in quotes is due to the fact that these breakdowns are approximately true, but not everyone will have the same concept of"easy" or "hard" when it comes to math problems. The difficulty of any particular problem will depend on your experience with the topic, how well you understand the phrasing of the question, or even your level of fatigue and concentration at the time. But splitting the ACT math section this way works as a rough guideline for most students. In general, with each new tier of difficulty, the questions will take longer to solve and often require more steps. For instance, it might take you as little as 10 seconds to solve question number 3, but take as many as a two or three minutes to puzzle over question 55. (Note: we will talk more about how you can balance your time per question later in the guide.) Math Organization Type 2: Content Because â€Å"difficulty† is partially determined by how well you’re likely to know the material (based on the typical middle and high school curriculum), this follows that the test is also ordered, in part, by topic. The more years you’ve spent studying a math topic, the more likely that you are to consider a particular question â€Å"easy.† Though the topics mix and mesh with one another, there are still overarching patterns of where you are most likely to find your algebra questions or your trigonometry problems. Because you’re likely to have seen and studied single variable equationsfor more years than you've studiedtrigonometry, you’ll see more of your algebra questions early on in the test and more of your coordinate geometry and trig questions later in the test. So most of the algebra questions will be "easy" (though not all) and most of the geometry and trig questions will be "medium" or "hard" (though, again, not all). The ACT is a standardized test, so each test will look very similar. We have broken down one ACT math test (test code 67C) by math topicto demonstrate this pattern in action. 1. Algebra 31. Plane and Solid Geometry 2. Algebra 32. Numbers 3. Algebra 33. Coordinate Geometry 4. Numbers 34. Coordinate Geometry 5. Algebra 35. Numbers 6. Algebra 36. Coordinate Geometry 7. Algebra 37. Plane and Solid Geometry 8. Algebra 38. Plane and Solid Geometry 9. Algebra 39. Coordinate Geometry 10. Plane and Solid Geometry 40. Plane and Solid Geometry 11. Plane and Solid Geometry 41. Coordinate Geometry 12. Algebra 42. Trigonometry 13. Numbers 43. Numbers 14. Algebra 44. Coordinate Geometry 15. Numbers 45. Plane and Solid Geometry 16. Numbers 46. Plane and Solid Geometry 17. Plane and Solid Geometry 47. Plane and Solid Geometry 18. Numbers 48. Plane and Solid Geometry 19. Numbers 49. Algebra 20. Plane and Solid Geometry 50. Coordinate Geometry 21. Algebra 51. Coordinate Geometry 22. Trigonometry 52. Coordinate Geometry 23. Numbers 53. Algebra 24. Coordinate Geometry 54. Algebra 25. Algebra 55. Algebra 26. Numbers 56. Plane and Solid Geometry 27. Plane and Solid Geometry 57. Trigonometry 28. Coordinate Geometry 58. Numbers 29. Algebra 59. Algebra 30. Coordinate Geometry 60. Numbers As you can see, the math topics are mixed in with one another, but there are some distinct patterns. Questions 1-30 are more algebra and numbers heavy (70% of the questions), while questions 31-60 are more geometry and trig heavy (67% of the questions). This pattern will hold true for any given ACT. The difficulty of questions may increase as you go, but if you take it one step at a time, you'll soon be scaling to the top. How to Use the Test Structure to Your Advantage There is no guessing penalty on the ACT, so your goal is to answer as many questions as accurately as possible across the board. Of course you are also on a strict time crunch, so this is not always easy. Depending on your current scores (and your target scores), this may mean that you focus most of your time and energy on a particular section of the test and then blindly- or, time permitting, strategically- guess the rest of your questions. (Note: for more on how to guess to your best advantage, check out how to guess on the ACT math section). For others, your score goals may mean that you look at at and attempt every single question. There will, however, be a general step-by-step guideline to follow for students scoring at all levels. So let's break it down. Step 1: Take a Full Practice Test Taking a practice test- a full practice test!- is always step one when embarking on any kind of study plan for a standardized test. You won’t truly know where you currently stand or how to specifically improve from there without first taking a practice test. And though you may be concerned specifically with your math score right now, that score fits into the larger test-taking picture. The ACT lasts for several hours at a time, and your levels of concentration and fatigue will fluctuate. So only by taking the full test will you be able to see how your math score fits into your overall ACT score. Try to emulate the structure of the real test as much as possible, so carve out a few hours on a weekend and take the full practice test in a quiet environment. Here, you can find free full ACT practice tests and answer keys. Step 2: Set a Target Score Goal Now that you’ve taken your practice test and scored the results, check out how your scores currently stack upand set yourself a target score goal. This will be the score that you aim to reach by test day, and both your current scores and your progress towards this goal will determine how you go about your studying. Step 3: Find the Patterns in Your Right and Wrong Answers Now take a look at all your wrong answers and see if you can spot any patterns to the errors. Are you mostly getting wrong answers in a particular section, like questions 25 - 35 or 45 - 60? Are you mostly getting questions wrong by topic (do those triangle problems throw you for a loop no matter where they are on the test)? Let's look at the different types of errors by location and by content and see which apply to your current test scores. Different types of location errors include: Errors spread fairly evenly throughout the math test (so about as many wrong answers in questions in the first 20 questions as the last 20). Errors clustered in pockets. Usually, these occur around questions 25-35 and questions 40-50 because this is where the test transitions difficulty levels. Errors mostly contained in the "medium-high" and "high" difficulty ranges of questions 45-60. Now look over your math test and see if you can identify the questions according to topic. How did your right and wrong answers sync up with specificACT math topicsbeing tested? Tally how many questions on each topic were on the test and how many questions you answered correctly for each topic. (So if questions 15 and 29 were sequence questions and you answered number 15 correctly and 29 incorrectly, give yourself a score of $1/2$ in sequences.) Often, student errors will be a combination of location and topic, so don’t be alarmed if this is the case. Write down on a separate piece of paper: The location of most of your errors Your personal "score" by math topic (e.g., $3/6$ in lines and angles, $4/4$ in statistics, and so forth.) This list will help you hone in on your weak areas and target them as you go through your studies. Step 4: Brush Up on the Most Important Content The big-picture goal when studying for the ACT is the maximize your score gain for every hour spent studying. This means that the best strategy for success is to focus your time and energy on places you can make the easiest (and, therefore, quickest) improvements and areas where you can make the most improvement. So let's divide and conquer. Making Quick Improvements Each and every question on the ACT is worth one point. It doesn't matter if it was the easiest question on the test and took you all of three seconds to solve, or if it was the hardest question on the test and took three minutes- each question is worth the same amount of points as every other question. This means you should maximize your time and energy by picking up any points you're missing in the first half of the test (which, you'll remember, is the "easier" half of the test). This will net you a point increase in the shortest amount of time. So if you’re missing five or more questions in the 1-30 range, take a close look at each of your wrong answers. This is about 17% or more of the "easy" half of your test, so see if you can look at your errors and identify whether or not you’re missing these questions based on a lack of knowledge of the content. If so, it’s time to brush up on some of your algebra and numbers topics. If, however, you’ve taken a look at your errors list and seen that you're mostly missing questions in the later half of the test based on both difficulty and content, it’s time to more specifically hone your focus. Making the Most Improvement Let’s say you can organize your current mathematical knowledge into four categories: perfect understanding, good understanding, okay understanding, and no understanding. Because we're looking to now gain the most improvement from your time, the first step is to focus on improving your "okay" areas. These are areas you have some familiarity with, but aren't the strongest in, and just a quick refresher on the topic can gain you tremendous point value for your time. Our individual math topic guides will take you through the know-how on each and every ACT math topic you need to brush up on. In each, you'll gain a greater understanding of the topic in question as well as how you'll see it presented on the ACT, as well as get a chance to practice on real ACT math problems. After you've brought these "okay" topics up to speed, the next step is to look at improving your "no understanding" topics. These are areas where you have a current weak foundation and so will represent the greatest potential leap and improvement in your score. (Again, our math topic guides will help you improve your knowledge of each and every ACT math topic you'll see on the test.) Because this might be difficult to visualize right now, let's take a sample score breakdown of the test by topic. Let’s say that there were six questions each on four different topics- exponents, circles, lines and slopes, and trigonometry- and your score breakdown of correct answers looked like this: Exponent questions: 5 out of 6 Circle questions: 2 out of 6 Lines and slope questions: 4 out of 6 Trigonometry questions: 0 out of 6 If we classify each of these topics by your understanding, we would say that you had a â€Å"perfect† (or nearly perfect) understanding of exponents, â€Å"good† understanding of lines and slopes, an â€Å"okay† understanding of circles, and â€Å"no understanding† of trigonometry. Now that you've cataloged your scores, you know which topics to target your study focus on and in which order. To start with, the next step would be to focus and brush up on your â€Å"okay understanding† areas (in this case circles). Although rehashing your near-perfect knowledge might make you feel productive, it won’t actually help you all that much at this moment. Until you start getting â€Å"perfects† or nearly perfects in all topics across the board, it’s better to spend your study time on areas where you can make the greatest improvement. In this case, honing your knowledge of exponents would only gain you one more point out of 60. Your time can be better spent elsewhere. You may also be tempted to perfect those â€Å"good† understanding areas (in this case lines and slopes). But the difference between â€Å"good† understanding and â€Å"perfect† is likely to only be a question or two out of 60. In this case, you would get a maximum return of 2 points, which is not nothing, but you can spend the same amount of time studying circles and probably get a higher point return for that time. Again, only focus on getting your good scores up to perfect once you’ve brought up your scores on all your topics and you’re aiming for that perfect ACT math score. Now if you bring your â€Å"okay† areas up to almost perfect, you will likely be able to gain a significant point increase. In this case, if you spend your study time learning your circle material, you could potentially increase your score by 3 or 4 points. Once you’ve brushed up on your â€Å"okay† understanding areas, set your sights on those â€Å"no understanding† math topics. The reason these topics are in â€Å"no understanding† purgatory is likely because it is a topic that you dislike or that you haven’t studied much in school. But, despite this, even a little more understanding of the topic than you have now will likely gain you a few more points than you had before. In addition, bringing up your â€Å"okay† understanding and â€Å"no understanding† areas will allow you to use your imperfect- but still significant- knowledge of the ACT math topics in question to strategically eliminate answer choices. Even if you don’t actually know how to solve the problem, knowing a little more about the topic than you do now will give you a much better foundation to strategically eliminate answer options and guess for your right answer. Your study time is precious and limited, so distribute it wisely and use it to gain the most point return for your energy. An hour spent brushing up on unfamiliar topics will gain you a much more significant point increase than an hour spent brushing up on topics you already understand almost perfectly. Step 5: Develop Your Own Personal Timing Plan for the ACT Math Section One of the hardest aspects of the ACT math section is the fact that you must keep track of your pacing yourself. You are given 60 minutes and 60 questions to do with what you will, so taking too long on some questions will leave you with no time at all to solve others. And yet going too quickly through the test can lead you to make careless errors. Everyone's pacing and ability to solve questions on a time crunch will be different, and yours may even change from test to test as you get used to ACT questions and the pacing involved. So take the time as you study to develop your own personal timing structure and adapt it as you need to. A good plan to start with is to break the test into thirds and give yourself varying time limits for each section. So begin by giving yourself: 15 minutes for questions 1-20 20 minutes for questions 21-40 25 minutes for questions 41-60 Now this may not be the perfect timing structure for you, but it's a place to start. See how you need to adapt it to your own personal preferences by experimenting. And if you find that you're simply running short on time no matter what you try, check out our more specific advice on how to stop running out of time of the ACT math section. Step 6: Adapt Your Study Focus Based on Your Current and Target Scores As you go through your studies, we recommend that you take at least two to three practice tests, evenly distributed across your study time. So, if you have three months to prep, take a practice test about once a month. This will give you not only the chance to practice the best simulation of the real ACT possible, but will also show you how well and in which areas you’re improving. Your study plan will adapt based on your current scores, your score goals, and your rate of improvement. Current Score is 25 or Under If you’re currently scoring in the 25 or under range, your goal is to turn yourself into a â€Å"jack of all trades, master of none† type of mathematical warrior. If you already have a â€Å"perfect† understanding of any given math topic, great! If not, don’t worry about it right this second. Try your best to get yourself up to â€Å"okay† or even â€Å"good† understanding of each topic before you start mastering any particular one. As you go through your list of "okay" and "no understanding" topics to improve your knowledge of each, focus first on the topics that come earlier in the test, since most of the questions will be "easy" or "medium" difficulty.So if you have an "okay" understanding on both an algebra topic and a coordinate geometry topic, start by bringing up your knowledge of the algebra topic first. If your knowledge base in each topic is relatively similar, then always start by improving your algebra and numbers topics first, then turn to plane and coordinate geometry, and finally trigonometry. We have compiled all of our math guides by topic as well all the free ACT math practice you can find online. No matter where you're struggling, we'll help get you up to speed on where you need to be before test day. Current Score is 26 and Above Only once you start getting into the 26 and above range should you work on perfecting all of your math topic knowledge as much as possible. At this scoring level, you’ve probably already achieved at least a passing understanding of all the math topics on the test, so now is the time to master them to the best of your ability. Look to the types of questions and math topics you missed the most questions in and start by focusing your attention there. Again, areas in which you can make the greatest improvement will be the best focus of your time and energy. And just as you would in the 25 and under range, check out our math topic guides for definitions of each topic, ACT math strategies to solve the questions on each topic based on how you’ll see them on the ACT, and practice questions with answer explanations. Practice and more practice is the way to go when attempting to master an ACT math topic. Be sure to also test yourself against the most difficult math problemson the test to see where you currently stand against the toughest of the tough and where you can improve. Deep breaths, clear head. Though it may all seem overwhelming right now, you are entirely capable of mastering the ACT.(John Henderson/Flickr) The Take-Aways Understanding how the ACT math test is structured and how to use that knowledge to your best advantage while studying is a good chunk of the battle won already. The key to mastering the ACT math section is a combination of understanding and practice, and you’re well on your way already. Your study plan should always be a reflection of your current standing and your target goals, and should adapt as you make progress. Study smart and work with the structure of the test instead, and you’ll see improvements in your scores in no time. What’s Next? Stuck on your ACT math problems? Check out our guide to learn how to spot when you're going down the wrong path and how to correct the course. Stuck procrastinating? Learn how to turn your studying around and overcome your desire to procrastinate. Looking to get a perfect score on the ACT math section? Our guide (written by a perfect-scorer) will help you get those high scores you've been aiming for. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Official Statistics as a Methodological Resource Essay

Official Statistics as a Methodological Resource - Essay Example The most interesting aspect of this phenomenon is not just the volume of data being collected and amassed, however the broad range of aspects of the ‘crime problem’ that are now being vigilantly ‘measured’. A study of these provides a useful illustration of the two-way relationship between developments in the information field and changes in thinking about crime and justice. Yet, the more organized kinds of data directly inform policy-making and ‘seep through’ into the public consciousness through political debate and media reports, where they are used to support or counter claims based on more unreliable evidence. In the 1940s and 1950s, almost the only sources of significant and organized information about crime in England and Wales were the annually published Criminal Statistics, and the results of research by the small number of criminologists working in academic or clinical environments. Criminal Statistics, as now, presented national compilations of records produced at local level by the police and the courts: most significantly, the totals of notifiable offences recorded by the police, and of criminals found culpable of or warned for criminal offences. Research data were more varied; nevertheless most frequently were based upon meticulous records of the personal characteristics and social backgrounds of imprisoned criminals (see, for example, Bowlby 1944; 1953; Burt 1944).

Friday, November 1, 2019

Learning Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Learning Theory - Essay Example Kolb. However in the recent years the ways of learning given by Kolb have been amended and put into different forms. This essay would further analyze the different ways of learning in the light of the basic tool of Kolb. According to David A. Kolb individuals learn through four different styles. The styles followed by individuals are in accordance to the behavior exhibited by the individual. These four learning techniques not only apply to objective instances but also to practical ones. It helps to decide and take decisions accordingly in businesses and while leading. The learning ways given by Kolb have changed through out to give a better understanding to the learners. These can be divided into Activist, Reflective, Theorist and Pragmatist. People who tend to work out their role through experimentation are included in the group of Activists. Individuals in this group tend to play an active function to attain knowledge and produce effective results in accordance. As experimentation is the basis of this group it makes the individuals change the whole scenario of a certain theme. It can be said to be a disadvantage if used in an environment where theories and structure play a role. The main key to this type of learning is getting influence from others and then taking an action accordingly. Similarly this learning style can be an advantage if used at a place where individuals are more goal oriented. This learning technique can be made stronger if facts are used instead of direct experimentation. One can think properly before carrying out a certain step and this can make this learning style a perfect one. Furthermore this style is only welcomed at places where experimentation is recommended. Team work is usually preferred i n this type of learning technique as it would help the individual to take influence from others and work accordingly. Another learning way as described by Kolb is Reflective. In this type of learning one does not act or implement his thinking in the way it should be. He rather thinks and observes all the things thoughtfully for a long time. Clearing up of ideas and concepts is the basic theme in this type of learning. One is discouraged from carrying on the experimentation stage rather he is diverted towards learning and balancing concepts. In this type of learning one can evaluate a situation from all possible angles and can know better how it should be implemented in practice. However mostly they do not tend to carry out the experiments related to the concepts learned and assessed. These individuals tend to work in groups and are more diverted towards the field of arts.The third way of learning is known to be Theorist which deals with the individuals who tend to gather out facts arrange it and conclude accordingly. These types of individuals do not take into account the emotions and reality but r ather base their conclusions on theories. The practicalities of different situations are not taken into account by this type of learning individuals. These individuals are more diverted to abstract thoughts and do not pay heed to human factor i.e. the emotional factor. Most of the individuals who belong to this category may not do well in instances where the techniques are to be related to the humans or to the feelings of these human beings. Most of the people belonging to this group are more indulged in the field of science. The fourth and the last way of learning i