Light Of Sight Essays - Electromagnetic Spectrum,

Light Of Sight In this universe there are many thing that we cannot explain. Among these many things is light. Light, as far as we know, come in different wavelengths and the size of the wavelength determine what type of light it is. The middle wavelength lights are what gives us the seven basic colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Beside these visible lights there are the lights that cannot be seen by the human eye. These invisible lights can be grouped into two other groups the long waves and short waves. The first group of waves is the longer wavelength of light including infrared and radio waves. Radio waves, the longest wavelengths, alternate and can be volatile. Arthur C. Clarke said in the essay "The Light of Common Day" that since radio waves fluctuate so much no animal has ever been able to sense them. He goes on to say that if you had an eye big enough to see radio waves your eyes would be millions of times larger than a normal eye. The next longest wave is the infrared light waves. Infrared light is used nowadays to see in the night. Special goggles are designed to pick up infrared light making it possible to see at night. The next group of light waves are the shorter waves of ultraviolet and x-rays. Ultraviolet light, sometimes referred to as UV, is right next to violet and is just beyond sight. UV light is what causes sunburns and can be very painful. In Arthur C. Clarks essay it states that even though UV light is not visible the retina of the human eye reacts powerfully to it. He compare the human eye to a camera and says that a good camera need may types of lenses made out of different types of glass to take a good picture. The human eye has only one lens and cannot possible see UV light. The last type of light is the x-ray. The x-ray is the smallest wave and is used in the medical field greatly to take pictures through flesh of bones. Even though x-rays are very useful they can be very dangerous. They have been know to disrupt radio waves and can poison a human body to the point of death. In summary, the invisible lights can be broken down into large wavelength and short wavelength groups. The large wavelength group consists of radio waves and infrared light. Radio waves are sometimes volatile and infrared light is use to see at night among other things. The other set of invisible light, the short wavelength, include ultraviolet light and x-rays. Ultraviolet light is not visible but affects the retina in the human eye. X-rays are helpful in hospitals but are lethal in large quantities.

Information About the Nut-Producing Allegheny Chinkapin

Information About the Nut-Producing Allegheny Chinkapin Chinkapin or chinquapin is a small tree found throughout the southeastern United States. It has one nut in a burr that opens into two halves which gives the tree a distinctive chestnut look. Botanists have now condensed the trees grouping of taxa to a single tree, Castanea pumila var. pumila and now consider that the chinkapin is one species comprising two botanical varieties: vars. ozarkensis and pumila. This tree should not be confused with chinquapin oak. The Allegheny chinkapin, also called common chinkapin, may well be the most ignored and undervalued native North American nut tree. It has been widely hailed as a sweet and edible nut and has been of value to its cousin, the American chestnuts breeding programs. It is, however, a small nut encased in a tough bur which makes for difficulties in harvesting the nut. Chinkapin Specifics Scientific name: Castanea pumilaPronunciation: cast-ah-neigha pum-ill-ahCommon name(s): Allegheny chinkapin, common chinquapin, American chinkapinFamily: FagaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: USDA hardiness zones: 5b through 9AOrigin: native to North America The Special Little Chinkapin Nut The chinkapins fruit is an interesting small, bur covered nut. The bur has sharp spines, 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Often the burs form in clusters on stems but each bur contains a single, shiny brown chestnut-like nut. Nuts are edible and quite sweet when mature in the fall. A horticulturist once remarked, the Allegheny chinkapin makes your mouth water but to see it makes your eyes water, obviously liking both the trees beauty and bounty. Other experts suggest that the tree is well worthy of cultivation as an ornamental shade tree, even if we leave out of the account its rapid growth, productiveness, and delicious little nuts, which will be very acceptable for home use. There are several online sources where you can purchase the tree. General Chinkapin Description Castanea pumila var. pumila can be characterized as a large, spreading, smooth-barked multistemmed shrub, 10 to 15 feet tall, or as a small tree occasionally single stemmed and 30 to 50 feet tall. Large trees are sometimes found in the landscape, especially where they have been groomed and encouraged to grow and where there are few competing trees. Chinkapin Leaf Characteristics Leaf arrangement: alternateLeaf type: simpleLeaf margin: toothedLeaf shape: elliptical; oblongLeaf venation: parallel side veinsLeaf type and persistence: deciduousLeaf blade length: 3 to 6 inchesLeaf color: greenFall color: yellow Chinkapin Nut Harvest The Allegheny chinkapin is normally ready for harvesting in early September in the upper tree hardiness zones and later in the lower portion of the trees natural range. These nuts need to be harvested as soon as they mature. Prompt nut collection is a must as a large wildlife population can remove the entire crop in days. Again, one single brown nut is contained in each spiny green bur. When these burs start to separate and begin changing into a fall yellow color, its time for seed collection. The burs of chinkapin are normally no more than 1.4 to 4.6 cm in diameter and will split into two sections at nut maturity. Pests and Diseases of Chinkapin Chinkapins are fairly susceptible to the Phytophthora cinnamomi root rotting fungus as are many tree species. The tree can also suffer from the blight of the American chestnut. The Allegheny chinkapin seems to be somewhat resistant to the American chestnut blight which is a fungal disease caused by Cryphonectria parasitica. Only a few heavily cankered trees have been found in Georgia and Louisiana. Chinkapins that do blight will continue to sucker and send up shoots from the root collar despite the cankering and will produce fruit. Folklore Legend has it that Captain John Smith recorded the first European record of the chinquapin in 1612. Cpt. Smith writes, The indians have a small fruit growing on little trees, husked like a chestnut, but the fruit most like a very small acorne. This they call Checkinquamins, which they esteem a great daintie. Bottom Line Allegheny chinkapins are prolific producers of sweet, nutty flavored, small chestnuts. They have attractive foliage and flowers, although the odor at blossoming time is considered unpleasant. Horticulturist Michael Dirr says Allegheny chinkapin, has entered my plant life since moving south and makes, as I have seen it, a small shrub that could be used for naturalizing and providing food for wildlife. The great drawback of Allegheny chinkapin is its small nut size and the added disadvantage that many nuts stick fast in the bur at harvest and have to be removed by force. Because these nuts are small, are difficult to harvest and can germinate before harvest time, they have limited potential as a commercial crop. Good news is that the trees small size, precocity, and heavy production may be useful characteristics to breed into the commercial chestnut species. The chinkapin is adapted to a wide range of soils and site conditions and should be considered for its wildlife value. The nuts are eaten by a number of small mammals such as squirrels, rabbits, deermice, and chipmunks. By cutting the stem at the ground surface, dense thickets can be established within a few years to provide food and cover for wildlife, especially grouse, bobwhite, and wild turkey.

Using PHP to Display Random Quotes

Using PHP to Display Random Quotes One way to add a random quote to your website is to use the PHP switch () statement. The switch statement compares one variable with many values and executes one piece of code depending on the value it equals. This allows you to prepare a list of quotations and then use the rand () function to select a number randomly that corresponds to one of the quotations.   Using Switch to Display Random Quotes This example code demonstrates how to use switch () to display a random quote on your website. Each of the sample quotes is set to run when  its number is chosen. By using rand () to choose a random number, one of the quotes is displayed at random. This example accommodates only six quotations, hence the rand (1,6) entry.   } ? To add more quotes, you change the rand () function to allow for higher numbers and then add in their corresponding cases in the code. If you want to include a random quote on your PHP web page, use include () to pull the quote from this file, like this: INCLUDE yoursite.com/path/to/quote_file.php

Ass4 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ass4 - Coursework Example This mountain later came to be known as â€Å"Mount Kailash†. To some people, the similarity between Mount Meru and Mount Kailash has a spiritual aspect. Shiva Samhita says that their lies a Mount Meru in one’s body and only a true yogi can identify it. Certain religious pilgrims, who visit Mount Kailash, view it as a spiritual, and not a cosmological centre. A ‘kora’ is a religious practice in Tibetan. In this practice, one has to go around Mount Kailash to wash your sins and to gain enlightenment. Hence, the word pilgrimage, ‘nekorwa’, in Tibetan, means ‘making circles about holy places’. Various different ways of doing a ‘kora’ are adopted. Some people sponsor a ‘kora’ for the person who actually travels around Kailash and the blessings of this act are shared by both. Some people may complete the ‘kora’ in a day. But to gain enlightenment, you must be, spiritually, in contact with God. Answer- Hindus believe that the act of completely immersing oneself in Lake Manasarovar leads to one’s incarnation as God. Tibetans, on other hand, do not bathe in Lake Manasarovar because they do not like to dirty the holy water. Dolma La is the highest point in Kailash kora. Along the path to Dolma La, stones are stacked by pilgrims. These stones represent Mount Kailash. ‘Dolma’ is said to be the one who guided the first person to reach Dolma La. A boulder is worshipped at the place where she

W5Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

W5Security - Essay Example Modern technology poses a threat in terms of ease of access to data and information which is exchanged over the Internet, which can compromise the privacy of both individuals as well as confidential information pertaining to business activities (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Privacy is the freedom individuals have to be left alone both at home and at work, free from observation or intrusion by other individuals or the State, or in the case of organizations, from the State and unauthorized sources. Information technology and systems threaten individual rights to privacy by making the intrusion into privacy inexpensive, cost-effective, and efficient (Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Organizational information security strategies, measures, and standards are entirely significant reflections. An organization must take care to devise and put into practice a successful information safety plan, that can cover every phase of available information. Each category of such information safety serves a diverse function. The W5-Data Security Policy incorporates the following main points regarding the organizational data (W5-data security Policy, 2009) Security risk: Consumer based applications such as Internet sales and call center programs pose a security risk to data at its collection point, because they can be tapped by unauthorized sources.(www.protegrity.com). The data and information security risk can be illustrated as the intensity of its effect on organization activities (including operational jobs, illustrations, or status), organization assets, or on individual and/or financial information collected during the process of entering into business information arrangements. The security of data may also be compromised during the process of its use, such as for example through actual theft or hacking into data as well as insider theft, all of which pose a hazard (Rebecca, 2007). The above section has presented the possible hazards in a business situation. Such

Women, Health, and the Environment Essay Example for Free

Women, Health, and the Environment Essay -These three words together speak to a web of issues and concerns that challenges us to think outside the proverbial box and silos that keep us narrowly focused and divided. We must think and act from a holistic perspective if we are ever to reverse the environmental degradation and social inequalities on the planet and create environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially equitable gender-sensitive societies. A discussion of women’s health and the environment must also include issues of poverty, hunger, food, security, racism, water, sanitation, agriculture, trade, energy, species extinction, biodiversity and climate change. Our agenda for women’s health and environment must also address access and right to live with dignity, sustainable livelihoods, shelter, education for girls, political power and decision making, sexuality, and freedom from violence, conflict and war. Today many feminists believe we are in a third wave of feminism, one that challenges the idea if dualism itself while recognizing diversity, particularity, and embodiment. By theorizing from the notion of embodiment, recent iterations of feminism are beginning to reweave the specific duality between culture and nature, an especially important endeavor in these environmentally disturbing times. These feminisms, rather than working from established and usually abstract foundational theories, begin from the situated perspectives of different women. Beyond this general congruence, however, there are several different foci in the feminisms seen as third wave today. One of the most intractable problems facing environmentalists is how to address global environmental issues given the very different, often conflicting, ways that nature is valued within and across cultures. In many parts of the world, nature is valued as an exploitable resource that when used efficiently can raise standards of living, improve the quality of life, or increase the wealth of a select few. In other places, people believe that economic development efforts must be sustainable; promoting natural balance and improving living standards are values that can be achieved simultaneously. For many people, the value of global justice suggests that rich nations must do more to protect the global environment in order to allow for the legitimate improvement of the quality of life of the poor. To make things more complicated, there are additional values beyond the value of nature, and the value of justice. Ecofeminism, in the United States, originated during the second wave of feminism as women in the peace movement began to perceive the interrelationships of militarism, sexism, racism, classism and environmental damage. The theorizing of how this environmental damage was related to women’s oppression and the oppression of other people, together with theorizing form the perspectives of the women involved, including women in the so-called developing world, became evident during the time period seen as the emergence of third-wave feminism. Consider basic issue-women’s everyday living environments and women’s access to water and sanitation. Millions of poor women in urban and rural areas around the world do not have access to safe and affordable water or toilets. Unsafe water causes health problems such as diarrhea, schistosomiasis, trachoma, hepatitis, malaria and poisoning. The care of sick family members is usually the responsibility of women and takes time away from their income generating initiatives. To ill health, add the loss and suffering from the death of an estimated three million children a year from contaminated water-related diseases. In the rural area of Garla Mare, Romania, the majority of the water sources-the wells are contaminated with nitrates, chemicals, heavy metals and bacteria. Amongst other things, high nitrate levels in drinking water are linked to â€Å"blue baby disease† or acute infantile methaemoglobinaemia. Women in Romania along with Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) are working together to document sources of contaminated water, develop strategies to â€Å"clean† water with local authorities and run educational campaigns demonstrating the links between polluted water and ill-health (Merchant, 1980. Due to deforestration, the loss of vegetation, and the lack of toilets, rural women have to rise earlier and walk further to attend to their daily needs. In urban areas, slums often lack hygienic and secure toilets for women. Women and girls in many countries have been sexually and physically assaulted in the night when attempting to use the â€Å"outside,† or toilets that are too far from their homes. Women in the US are also organizing to question poor water quality as water supplies in many US cities and towns are contaminated with industrial and agricultural chemicals. Access to safe and affordable sanitation services is critical for women’s and girl’s dignity, health, and safety. Human-made chemicals and metals that are persistent, biomagnifying and endocrine disrupting such as atrazine, 2, 4-D, and lindane, have been used extensively in agriculture, industry, and the home and garden. Some of these chemicals are also called POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants). They are the subjected of the United Nations Stockholm Convention for the protection of human health and the environment. These same chemicals are readily found in household sprays and cleaners, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and in our food. Chemicals enter into natural systems and are having devastating impacts on wildlife. For example, there is evidence that some alligators, Western gulls, and Rainbow trout are developing rudimentary sexual organs, Western and Herring gulls are exhibiting mating behavior of both genders, frogs are being born with missing limbs and eyes, and Beluga whales are dying from immune suppression and cancer. Human beings are at the top of the food chain and health impacts similar to those on wildlife are being documented around the world. Widely documented are the health impacts on agricultural and horticultural workers, many of whom are poor women and children with limited options for other livelihoods. Lead, dioxins, DDT and PCB’s are found in women’s breast milk, from indigenous women in the Aral Sea region of Central Asia. Human exposure to these chemicals is linked to endocrine disruption, learning impairment and hyperactivity in children, as well as cleft lip and palate, spina bifida and limb anomalies. Environmental contamination has resulted in women in the North and in greater numbers in the South facing increased risks of fertility problems, spontaneous abortion and miscarriage, reproductive system abnormalities, immune system disorders and cancer. Breast cancer has become major women’s disease, transcending class, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation and geographical location. The complexity of women’s sexual and reproductive health issues and illnesses underlines the need for women’s right to decision making and control of their sexuality, sexual and reproductive health, and their right to relevant services through the public health care system. While women are often dismissed from discussions on energy, it is a central issue concerning women’s quality of life. Poor women who use wood fuel and charcoal to cook indoors are exposed to poor air quality and an increased risk of severe respiratory problems. While nuclear proponents advertise nuclear energy as â€Å"clean† energy, they deliberately ignore the impacts of radiation and nuclear waste and the work of many women who have researched and critiqued the dangers of nuclear energy and weapons. Seventeen years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, medical research shows that 70% of pregnant women in the Ukraine have extra-genital and obstetrics disorders including anemia, late toxicosis, cardiovascular disorders and urogenital diseases (Merchant, 1980). Increases in the frequency and severity of floods and drought have been linked to changing global climate regimes. A recent study on the impact of floods on women and girls in Cambodia highlights a number of issues. These include an increase in food insecurity and loss of crops; fear of losing children to the floods; risk of drowning because women and girls are not taught to swim; disaster-related debt and the corresponding increase in workloads of women as men migrate to cities; and the resulting stress and fear of HIV and sexually transmitted infections brought back from men engaging with other partners in the cities. While the study did not document an increase in wife assault during the disaster period or after, it did identify that the fear of assault is a constant factor enmeshed in women’s daily life and an ever present threat that colours women’s actions and involvement in decision making. The lack of political will and commitment from many national governments and major international bodies, like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have degraded natural environments and subjected women citizens to increasing poverty by a loss of livelihoods and a reduction in accessibility to health, education, and other basic services. Extensive research and documentation has demonstrated the negative economic and social impacts of programs like the structural adjustment programmes o the IMF on African women. Another approach advocated by feminists such as Shulamith Firestone is the liberation of women through reproductive technology. This approach includes a spectrum of possibilities that would give women the right to choose when and if they wish to bear and raise children: male and female contraceptive devices, voluntary vasectomies and tubal ligations, amniocentesis and genetic counseling an, ultimately, test-tube reproduction and cloning. Science and technology are here viewed as potentially liberating and progressive, yet these approaches also raise a host of difficult ethical questions about the nature of control over life itself. For example, amniocentesis allows the woman to know the sex of her unborn child and thus to decide whether or not to abort the fetus. If through contraceptive and genetic technology families decide to have one or two children and to make the first child a male, then an increase in the proportion of males in society could result. If the psychological approach to the woman-nature question is valid, and if trust children tend to be more highly motivated, aggressive, and domineering than second children, then the outcome could be an increase in dominating males, with negative implications for women and nature. For many women who have become aware of environmental hazards and nuclear technologies through environmentalism and have become conscious of sexism through feminism, the appropriate technology movement presents an appealing alternative. Here the hands on skills necessary for personal survival and control over one’s own life are revered, and low-environmental-impact technologies are the movement’s hallmarks. Women involved in the appropriate technology movement, however, find great satisfaction in building bridges, solar collectors, greenhouses, and doing home repairs themselves, without resorting to high-cost contractors. Carpentry and plumbing skills taught to groups of women by other women rather than male â€Å"experts† are popular forms of education. The social economic analysis of the woman-nature question accepts many of the insights of the foregoing feminists but is critical of the idea of universal sex oppression and of the dichotomies â€Å"public-private† and â€Å"self-other† as explanatory categories. Rather than postulating a separate sex/gender system as the framework of analysis, this approach examines the historical context of male and female gender roles in different systems of economic production. The simultaneous emergence of the womens and environmental movements over the past two decades raises additional questions about the relationships between feminism and ecology. The structures and functions of the natural world and of human society interact through a language common to both. Ethics in the form of description, symbol, religion, and myth help to mediate between humans and their world. Choices are implied in the words used to describe nature: choices of ways in which to view the world and ethical choices that influence human behavior toward it. Ecology and feminism have interacting languages that imply certain common policy goals. These linkages might be described as follows: 1. All parts of a system have equal value. Ecology assigns equal importance to all organic and inorganic components in the structure of an ecosystem. Healthy air, water, and soil-the abiotic components of the system-are essential as the entire diverse range of biotic parts-plants, animals, and bacteria and fungi. Without each element in the structure, the system as a whole cannot function properly. Remove an element, reduce the number of individuals or species, and erratic oscillations may appear in the larger system. Similarly, feminism asserts the equality of men and women. Intellectual differences are human differences rather than gender-or race-specific. The lower position of women stems from culture rather than nature. Thus policy goals should be directed toward achieving educational, economic, and political equity for all. Ecologists and feminists alike will therefore assign value to all parts of the human-nature system and take care to examine the long and short range consequences of decisions affecting an individual, group, or species. In cases of ethical conflict, each case must be discussed from the perspective of the interconnectedness of all parts and the good of the whole. 2. The earth is a home. The Earth is a habitat for living organisms; houses are habitats for groups of humans. Each ecological niche is a position in a community, a hole in the energy continuum through which materials and energy enters and leaves. Ecology is the study of the Earths household. Human houses whether sod houses, igloos, or bungalows, are structures in an environment. Most are places wherein life is sustained-shelters where food is prepared, clothes are repaired, and human beings cared for. For ecologists and feminists the Earths house and the human house are habitats to be cherished. Energy flows in and out; molecules and atoms enter and leave. Some chemicals and forms of energy are life-sustaining; others are life-defeating. Those that lead to sickness on the planet or in the home cannot be tolerated. Radioactive wastes or potential radioactive hazards are present in some peoples environments. Hazardous chemicals permeate some backyards and basements. Microwaves, nitrite preservatives, and cleaning chemicals have invaded the kitchen. The home, where in fact women and children spend much of their time, is no longer a haven. The soil; over which the house is built or the rocks used in its construction may emit radon, potentially a source of lung cancer. The walls, furniture, floor coverings, and insulation may contain urea formaldehyde, a nasal, throat, and eye irritant. Leaky gas stoves and furnaces can produce nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, resulting in nausea, headaches, and respiratory illnesses. An underground garage in an apartment building can be an additional source of indoor carbon monoxide. The homes faucets may be piping in carcinogenic drinking water, formed by the action of chlorine on organic compounds in reservoir supplies. Disinfectants sprayed where people eat or children play may contain phenols, aerosols, or ammonium chlorides that can produce toxic effects on the lungs, liver, and kidneys, or act as nervous system depressants. Over cleaners may contain caustic alkalis. The bathroom and bedroom any feature cosmetics and shampoos that can produce headaches, eye-make up contaminated by bacteria and fungi, deodorants laced with hexachlorophene and hair dyes containing aromatic amines that have been linked to cancer. The kitchen may have microwave oven and the living room a color television emitting low-level radiation when in use. The refrigerator may be stocked with food containing nitrite preservatives, food dyes, and saccharin-filled ‘low-cal’ drinks suspected as potential carcinogens. In the cupboards pewter pitchers or dishes containing lead glazes can slowly contribute to lead poisoning, especially when in contact with acidic foods. The indoor atmosphere may be filled with cigarette, cigar, or tobacco smoke, containing particles that remain in the air and accumulate even in the lungs of non-smokers. For ecologists and feminists alike, the goal must be the reversal of these life-defeating intrusions and the restoration of healthy indoor and outdoor environments. 3. Process is primary. The first law of thermodynamics, which also the first law of ecology, asserts the conservation of energy in an ecosystem as energy is changed and exchanged in its continual flow through the interconnected parts. The total amount of energy entering and leaving the Earth is the same. The science of ecology studies the energy flow through the system of living and non-living parts on the Earth. All components are parts of a steady-state process of growth and development, death, and decay. The world is active and dynamic; its natural processes are cyclical, balanced by cybernetic, stabilizing, feedback mechanisms. The stress on dynamic processes in nature has implications for change and process in human societies. The exchange and flow of information through the human community is the basis for decision making. Open discussion of all alternatives in which ecologists and technologists, lawyers and workers, women and men participate as equals is an appropriate goal for both environmentalists and feminists. Each individual has experience and knowledge that is of value to the human-nature community. 4. There is no free lunch. â€Å"No free lunch† is the essence of the laws of thermodynamics. To produce organized matter, energy in the form of work is needed. But each step up the ladder of organized life, each material object produced, each commodity manufactured increases entropy in its surroundings, and hence increases the reservoir of energy unavailable for work. Although underpaid environmentalists are said to accept free lunches, nature cannot continue to provide free goods and services for profit-hungry humans, because the ultimate costs are too great. Thus, whenever and wherever possible, that which is taken from nature must be given back through the recycling of goods and the sharing of services. For feminists, reciprocity and cooperation rather than free lunches and household services are a desirable goal. Housewives frequently spend much of their waking time struggling t undo the effects of the second law of thermodynamics. Continually trying to create order out of disorder is energy consumptive and spiritually costly. Thus the dualism of separate public and private spheres should be severed and male and female roles in both the household and the workplace merged. Cooperation between men and women in each specific context-childrearing, day-care centers, household work, productive work, sexual relations, etc. -rather than separate gender roles could create emotional rewards. Men and women would engage together in the production of commodities that are costly to nature. Technologies appropriate to the task, technologies having a low impact on the environment, would be chosen whenever possible. Resistance to a feminist-environmental coalition comes form both movements. Environmental coalition comes from both movements. Environmentalists react negatively to the intrusion of feminist’s issues that seem to them to muddy and complicate an already difficult struggle. At anti-nuclear rallies and solar technology conferences, the presence of lesbian feminists challenging male control of technology may seem particularly galling. Increasingly, in countries of the South and North, many governments are failing to defend and enhance women’s hard earned rights to live free of violence from either family members or the State, and to have right and access to health services, as well as specific programmes to address gender concerns as in the case of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For poor rural women, government supported privatization of common property resources such as forests, wetlands, fallow fields, pasturelands, etc. make it nearly impossible to maintain precarious levels of substinence living; thus, further marginalizing those women who rely on common property resources for food, fodder and raw materials. Moreover, many of these groups establish ritual behaviors that maintain steady-state equilibrium between population and resources. Here nature and culture are not separated dichotomies in which nature is devalued and culture elevated. The nonhuman world is alive, sensitive, intelligent, and on a par with the human portion. In some cultures animals are members of separate societies governed by special spirits; particular rocks and trees are sacred; and the Earth is a living nurturing mother. Women and men perform different tasks and have different roles, but each is essential to the survival of the group as a whole and neither is devalued. The society is geared to the production of use values as the material basis for sustaining life. Like postcolonial and generational/youth cultures, feminism’s growing interest in ecofeminism has been evident in the last several years. Some ecofeminists, however, posit that, as a term, â€Å"ecofeminism† informally appeared, here and there, worldwide, in the 1970’s, usually as a response to so-called development activities. The Chipko Movement, the movement that began when village women of Himalayan India organized in the 1970’s to protect their forests, as described by their country woman, Vandana Shiva, and noted above, is most often specifically cited as the beginning of ecofeminism. In the West, an ecofeminist focus in activism emerged during the second wave of the women’s movement and was predicated on seeing the relations between militarism, sexism, racism, classism, and environmental damage. By the middle 190’s, many women, committed to direct action against militarism, started naming themselves ecofeminists to depict the interdependencies of their political concerns. As ecofeminism evolved, it took up additional issues such as toxic waste, deforestation, military and nuclear weapons policies, reproductive rights and technologies, animal liberation, and domestic and international agricultural development, in its efforts to reweave the nature/culture dualism. Ecofeminism is distinct, however, in its insistence that nonhuman nature is a feminist concern. Ecofeminist theory utilizes principles from both ecology and feminism to inform its political organizing and its efforts to create equitable and environmentally sound lifestyles. From ecology, it learns to value the interdependence and diversity of all life forms; from feminism, it against the insights of a social analysis of women’s oppression that intersects with other oppressions such s racism, colonialism, classism, and heterosexism. Ecofeminism, in its use of ecology as a model for human behavior, suggests that we act out of recognition of our interdependency with others, all others: human and nonhuman. Ecofeminist politics embrace heterogenous strategies and solutions. Ecofeminists do share a broad vision of a society beyond militarism, hierarchy, and the destruction of nature, but like feminism itself, they often have different analyses and strategies for achieving them. In many ways, an ecofeminist style of politics the notion of â€Å"local resistance† against power relations. Ecofeminists understand power as â€Å"multiplicity of force relations† that are not centered, but are diverse and are constantly being reproduced. While ecofeminsm emphasizes local activism, it also maintains the importance of a global perspective. In ecofeminism, where everything is seen as interconnected and/or interdependent, there is a serious regard for women whose cultures and geographic locations are being foisted croded as a result of so-called development projects that are being foisted on the third world. Ecofeminists challenge the relationship between economic growth and exploitation of the natural environment, and as noted above, ecofeminist anthologies contain work by and about women resisting ill-conceived development projects in the third world, in addition to those in the West. The relation of ecofeminism theory to political activism is ideally informative and generative, not perspective. The activism that is undertaken is a result of the individuals who are involved reflecting on an actual problematic situation or issue. Because of ecofeminism recognizes that sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism, speciesism, and naturalism are mutually reinforcing systems of oppression, the work o end any oppression is valuable. Using ecology as a model for understanding these interdependencies and the value of diversity enables ecofeminists to include many kinds of political action. Ecofeminist theory, in turn is expanded by focusing on the actual activities, as articulated by the embodied voices of the participants. Social justice cannot be achieved apart from the well-being of the Earth. Human life is dependent on the Earth; our fates are intertwined. Ecofemism is spiritual, too, emphasizing that the Earth is sacred unto itself. And a strong recognition of the necessity of sustainability-a need to learn the many ways we can walk the fine line between using the Earth as resource while respecting the Earth’s need. One of the main endeavors of ecofeminism, in its efforts to reweave the nature/culture duality, is to understand the ideology that perpetuates the domination of women, other humans, and nonhuman nature. There are many approaches taken by ecofeminists who are engaged in analyzing how the subjugation of women, other suppressed people and nature are interconnected. Karen Warren (2000), writing 10 years after the Diamond and Orenstein anthology, in her work Ecofeminist Philosophy: A Western Perspective on What It Is and Why It Matters, discerns 10 directions ecofeminists take to theorize these interconnected subjugations. Warren terms these various approaches: historical and causal, conceptual, empirical, socioeconomic, linguistic, symbolic and literary, spiritual and religious, epistemological, ethical, and political. Feminist who take the historical and causal approach to explain the interconnected subjugations of women, other suppressed people, and nature, suggests that the ubiquitous ness of androcentrism with its accompanying phenomenon, the patriarchal domination of women and nature, is the source of environmental degradation. Riane Eisler and Carolyn Merchant are examples of feminists who present varying accounts of this approach. They explain how and approximately when societies that previously had been living essentially in concord with nature and with each other became subjugated by patriarchal domination. Societies, in these accounts, then become disharmonious in their relationships. A second approach some ecofeminists take to understand the ideology that perpetuates domination is an analysis of conceptual frameworks that have functioned historically to perpetuate and justify the dominations of interconnected subjugations. Conceptual frameworks function as socially constructed lenses through which one perceives reality. These conceptual works can be oppressive because of the part plated by rationalism in the domination of women and nonhuman nature illustrates. Rationalism explains how structures of domination are based â€Å"in hierarchically organized value dualism and an exaggerated focus on reason and rationality divorced form the realm of the body, nature, and the physical† (Warren 2004, p. 24). Warren, she, makes similar conceptual connections. She locates these connections in an oppressive patriarchal conceptual connection. She locates these connections in an oppressive patriarchal conceptual framework, mediated by what she calls â€Å"a logic domination. † This â€Å"logic† provides the moral premise for domination/subordination relationships based on socially constructed dualistic notions of superiority/inferiority. Empirical interconnections are made by ecofeminists who use verifiable evidence to document the tie-in among dominations. Using this kind of data, they are able to illustrate, for example, that subordinate groups suffer disproportionately form industrial environmental pollutants. Coinciding with postcolonial feminism, some ecofeminists using the empirical interconnections approach, furnish data to show how women’s inability to provide adequate sustenance for themselves and their families is caused by first-world development policies such as those destroying subsistence agriculture and/or the productivity of the land. Nature like women’s bodies and labor is colonized by the inter-workings of capitalism and patriarchy in first-world development. Some ecofeminists, who follow the concept formation that is strongly influenced by language, make linguistic interconnections to explain subjugation. They maintain that language is pivotal in maintaining mutually reinforcing sexist, racist, and naturist views of women, people of color, and nonhuman nature. They call our attention to the considerable extent that Euro-American language contains illustrations of sexist-naturist language depicting women, animals, and nonhuman nature as having less value than men. Related to this approach is the ecofeminist animal welfare â€Å"analysis that the oppression of nonhuman animals, is based on a variety of women-animal connections: for example, sexist-naturalist language, images of women and animals as consumable objects, pornographic representations of women as meat, male perpetuated violence against women and nonhuman animals,† (Warren 2000, p. 126). Another method-that of making symbolic and literary interconnections-is seen in a new genre of literary analysis: ecofeminist literary criticism. This genre has emerged as a way to appraise literature according to criteria of ecological and feminist values. Ecofeminists using this approach, maintain that the literary canon needs to be reconsidered to include a de-homocentric approach. Ecofeminist theologians work to make spiritual and religious interconnections to explain subjugation. They discern most ancient religious myths basic to Judeo-Christian and Western traditions as ones justifying a social structure that exalts ruling-class men while denigrating others, including nonhuman nature. What many of these ecofeminist theologians subsequently have to consider is whether these religions can be reformed or if new religions, myths, and spiritual practices are needed. Some Ecofeminist working with spiritual and religious interconnections, see women’s spirituality as political. They believe â€Å"the preservation of the Earth will require profound shift in consciousness, a recovery of a more ancient and traditional view that reveres the profound connection of all beings in the web of life and a rethinking of the relation of both humanity and divinity in nature (Warren 2000, p. 32). The notion of â€Å"the Goddess† is also invoked by many spiritual ecofeminists to express the veneration both nonhuman nature and the human body merit. Warren further notes that knowledge and knowledge creation is studied by ecofeminists who work to make epistemological interconnections. Like postcolonial feminism, they challenge the Western view that knowledge is objective. Warren is also discusses the ethical interconnection approach made by ecofeminist philosophers who hold that a feminist ethical analysis and response is needed to show how subjugation of women, other â€Å"others† and nonhuman nature is interlinked. â€Å"Minimally, the goal of ecofeminist environmental ethics is to develop theories and practices concerning humans and the natural environment that are not male-biased and that provide a guide to action in the prefiminist present,† (Warren 20007, p. 37). Making political interconnections is integral to ecofeminism, which has always been a grassroots political movement, motivated by pressing pragmatic concerns (Warren 2000, p. 35). In addition to women’s activism to sustain their families and communities, the relationship of environmental and women’s health to science and development projects, animal rights, and peace activism are examples of issues that

Deviation from Genre in Hitchcock’s Movie, Vertigo :: Movie Film Essays

Deviation from Genre in Hitchcock’s Movie, Vertigo When a director achieves great success, as Hitchcock did, he is able to follow a formula, much like a genre does, for future success. Further, a successful director is able to do a genre movie but place his own personal touch on it; in doing so, he ignores the formula that has thus far brought the genre so much success. Knighted as the â€Å"Master of Suspense,† Hitchcock was well known for his witty dialogue and genius plot twists. But Hitchcock’s true mastery came through in his ability to enshroud one story within another. In Vertigo, Hitchcock reveals the twist, that an imposter was hired so that the real Madeleine could be murdered, halfway through the film. The bold tactic breaks the formulaic structure we expect from a murder mystery, in which solutions always come at the end. It risks unsettling the viewer, particularly on an initial viewing of the film. However, by dispensing with formula, Hitchcock shifts the emphasis of the story from murder to character, a potentially deeper subject than the typical whodunit conundrum. It is after this revelation that Hitchcock’s true movie shines through. The mystery is solved for the audience, but James Stewart’s character â€Å"Scotty† is still haunted by the memory of his possessed love. His possession takes him so far that he attempts to remake a woman (Judy) that reminds him of his beloved Madeleine into the actual woman. With the movie now a â€Å"love† story, Hitchcock was able to elude yet another genre. His twisted approach on a relationship based on obsession with a dead woman garners pity for both Judy, who is something of an accomplice to the murder of the real Madeleine, and for Scotty, who actually fell in love with the woman he is trying to make into a woman he never met. And so Hitchcock is able to pose a stunning question: Did Scotty fall in love with Judy or her impression of Madeleine? This answer is impossible to know, with Scotty never having met the real Madeleine or getting the chance to know Judy for who she is b ecause she ironically falls to her death just as Madeleine did. It is the very departure from genre that may warrant the success of a film. Perhaps the formula has been done too many times, leaving the audience unfulfilled, or the very topic no longer holds any interest.

Organizational Archetypes Essay

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine Mintzberg’s organizational archetypes and to explain why an organizational template is a good idea. It will also explore briefly, the subject of teamwork and leadership and why there are not enough true leaders today. Organizational Archetypes To be successful, an organization has to be made up of quality people. It also has to be structured in such a way as to promote success. Successful businesses today are based on structural archetypes that were products of the work of Henry Mintzberg, a renowned management theorist. Henry Mintzberg graduated from McGill University and has written 15 books and about 150 articles all dealing with organizational structure. According to him, an organization’s structure comes from its strategy, the environmental forces it experiences, and the way the organization itself is built. When all of these work well together the organization will be successful, but if they do not interplay nicely the organization will not be successful (Markgraf, 2014). To better illustrate the idea he was promoting Mintzberg came up with basically five different structural archetypes. A couple of them may be referred to by different names but the five included are 1) the simple or entrepreneurial archetype, 2) the machine bureaucracy archetype, 3) the professional archetype, 4) the divisional archetype, and 5) the innovative (also known as adhocracy) archetype (Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations, 2014). Each of these archetypes demonstrate a different way that a business can be structured and each of them are like an umbrella, encompassing a number of different types of businesses within each. But together, they represent the organizational structure of pretty much every business that has any type of success. So this begs the question: What are the key features of each archetype? First, we have the simple or entrepreneurial archetype. This kind of structure basically consists of one large unit with one or just a few top managers. It is relatively informal compared to other organizations and the lack of standardization allows it to be more flexible. This category is made up of mostly small or very young companies. As it grows this type of business structure begins to become inadequate as the decision-making load proves to be too much for the small management staff (Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations, 2014). Next we have the machine organization. This group is made up of mostly large manufacturers and government agencies. For the most part, tasks are formalized and there is a high level of standardization which allows the organization to function much like a machine. Jobs are clearly defined and procedures are regularly analyzed for efficiency. This works well but the downside is that this formalization can lead to specialization, and this can result in functional units having conflicting goals that are inconsistent with the corporation’s objectives (Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations, 2014). Third, and closely related to the machine structure, is the professional organization. While also being very bureaucratic, the difference is that decision-makers are highly trained professionals who have control over their own work. These specialized skills and the autonomy that these highly trained professionals enjoy makes the decision making more decentralized in this structure and that makes it much more complex. This type of organization is the kind where we find schools and universities falling within (Kokemuller, 2014). In large and mature organizations you will often find the next archetype, and that is the divisional organization. In this type there are many different product lines and business units. There is a central headquarters with a number of autonomous divisions making their own decisions. One of the strengths of this type of organization is that with the autonomy of the separate divisions it leaves the central team to focus on the big picture. It also allows them to make sure that necessary support systems are in place  for the entire organization. A significant weakness of this type is that with so many autonomous divisions you end up having a significant duplication of resources and activities and at times even conflict between divisions since they are competing for the same company resources (Kokemuller, 2014). The last archetype is the innovative organization or â€Å"adhocracy†. This is best suited to new companies that need to be innovative just to survive. Filmmaking, pharmaceuticals, and consulting businesses all fall within this category. Within this type of organization power is delegated to wherever it is needed which can bring up some control issues, but at the same time gives them unequaled flexibility. They can also move their talent around to get them involved in any project where they may be needed. This allows them to respond very quickly to change. Because the talent moves around to where it is needed, teams can be self-organizing and the sharing of authority can be just as effective when shared horizontally as it is when shared vertically. This really sets an â€Å"adhocracy† apart from other archetypes because in all the others authority really only flowed vertically to varying degrees. But here we have horizontal sharing too, which as we mentioned, can result in some problems with control and who has final authority over some decisions. But for the most part this is a very successful type of organization for project-based companies or those that require the ability to adjust to quick changes quite often (Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations, 2014). So, we find that Mintzberg’s five archetypes cover most successful businesses that we see. But these archetypes are broad descriptions of the organization. To really understand individual organizations we need to get more specific. This is where templates come in handy. They can be based on the archetype, but they illustrate more specifically how things will be structured and relate to each other in the business. They can quickly make clear what the purpose, mission, and goals are for the organization. You need templates because they can be used to very quickly see the current state of the organization and how different resources can be manipulated to improve the business. A template also makes it much easier to show employees the purpose of the business, how it is to run, and what their role will be.  In this way it serves as a visual aid (Microsoft, n.d.). Mintzberg also made the claim that we have too many managers and too few leaders. This paper supports that statement. A manager is a position to be filled. In businesses with a high turn-over of employees, such as the fast food industry or quick-marts, someone may be promoted to the position of manager but only because there is no other choice. It is not because they are qualified. This happens a lot today. So we have a lot of managerial positions being filled by persons who are untrained and do not possess true leadership skills. Then once promoted a lot of managers seem to want to be friends first and leaders second. It is not a bad thing to have a friendly relationship with your workers, but not at the expense of leading them properly. The result is that the business suffers. But it is a hard fact to change since we have such a big turnover in workers today (Peshawaria, 2003). So in conclusion, Mintzberg was a theorist with several good ideas. His work in the field of organizational and managerial theory has helped people for decades to better understand how businesses should be classified and how they should be structured and run. By studying his ideas a person can certainly better understand the benefits and weaknesses of basing an organization on a particular type of structure and also how the decision making process should be handled. References Kokemuller, N. (2014). Mintzberg’s Five Types of Organizational Structure. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from Houston Chronicles: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/mintzbergs-five-types-organizational-structure-60119.html Markgraf, B. (2014). Mintzberg’s Five Types of Organizational Structure. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from azCentral: http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/mintzbergs-five-types-organizational-structure-2705.html Microsoft. (n.d.). Business organizational chart. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from Microsoft.com Templates: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/business-organizational-chart-TC006088976.aspx Mintzberg’s Organizational Configurations. (2014). Retrieved August 16, 2014, from mindtools.com: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_54.htm Peshawaria, R. (2003, May 19). Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from LeadershipNow.com: http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2011/09/too_many_bosses_too_few_leader.html

Behaviorism after the founding

Behaviorism as the third force in psychology have started out as a theoretical proposition of John B. Watson when he came out with â€Å"Psychology as The Behaviorist Views It† and have been known as the behaviorist manifesto (Benjamin, 1997). Watson proposed that psychology is the study of behavior and have put forth four major assumptions that form the tenets of behaviorism as a school of thought. The first assumption is that of evolutionary continuity which means that the laws of behavior are applicable to all living organisms. This assumption has substantiated the behaviorist’s use of animals in the study of human behavior.The second assumption is that of reductionism, this refers to the behaviorist’s belief that all behaviors have a physiological basis and that behavior is the body’s reaction to a stimulus. The third assumption is determinism, behaviorists support the idea that animals respond to external stimuli in specific ways and are inherently pr ogrammed into one’s brain from birth. The last assumption is empiricism which is one of the cornerstones of behaviorism and that it is the contention that only overt actions or behavior are measurable and observable and lend itself to the scientific method.Thus, to the behaviorist, psychology should be the study of overt behavior. B. F. Skinner was a self-confessed convert to behaviorism after reading Watson’s monograph; he was also influenced by the experimental studies of Ivan Pavlov (Bjork, 1997). Skinner developed a theory that was based on the classical conditioning paradigm of Pavlov and integrated it with his own definition of behaviorism. Skinner’s major work is his theory of operant conditioning, wherein he said that behavior can be conditioned through reinforcement and behavior diminishes when it is not reinforced.He borrowed from Pavlov the basic idea of conditioning, but instead of limiting it to a stimulus-response paradigm, he incorporated the impo rtance of rewards and punishment, which means that behavior is not only exhibited as a response to a stimulus but also as a form of association between the reinforcement given after the behavior. Skinner’s theoretical position made it obvious that he deviated from Watson’s radical behaviorism, because conditioning a she defined it involves cognition which Watson has strongly eradicated from his propositions.Moreover, the emphasis given to reinforcements and punishments hint at the need to acknowledge mental processes in the study of behavior. Skinner’s work was well received by the academic community much even that Watson’s initial paper was and this have spurned the interest of like minded psychologists who did support the methodological implications of behaviorism but was not receptive of the radical arguments of Watson. Skinner’s ideas made more sense because it did not advocated the idea that men are not thinking beings and were more able to ca pture how man behaves.Skinner’s kind of behaviorism somehow married the opposing views of mind and behavior and also gave importance to how environmental experiences and influences shape human behavior. Moreover, operant conditioning was applicable in a number of areas most notably education, child rearing and animal training (Skinner, 1966). Skinner’s behaviorism has also influenced other psychologists to study and conceptualize psychological phenomena using the principles of operant conditioning and indeed was the kind of behaviorism that has flourished for the last century or so in the field of psychology.Contemporary behaviorism have been identified as the study of social learning, wherein a behavior is learned through socialization and socialization is the process by which behavior is rewarded or punished by society (Smith & Woodward, 1996). The evolution of behaviorism from Watson to Skinner and to the present has been made possible by the vast research and theor etical models developed by psychologists who adhere to contemporary behaviorism. One of the hallmarks of behaviorism is the use of animals to study human behavior.Animal research has proven to be useful in understanding how man learns or can be trained to exhibit a certain type of behavior (Benjamin, 1997). Although animal behavior is limited, it nonetheless becomes necessary for behavioral scientists because ethical considerations in using a human subject in risky experiments are not permitted. For example, doing a research on the effect of light illumination to sleep deprivation is probably unethical to do on humans.Although animals are not exactly anatomically similar to humans, animal physiology and anatomy have been well studied and documented that tracing the reactions of mice to light will be easier and scientifically sound. The generalizations made based on this study is however limited but is an acceptable margin of error. Moreover, animals can be easily manipulated and sub jected to experiments than humans because they operate on an instinctual level and do not have to process the information given to them.The knowledge gained in studying animals is numerous but especially have been concentrated on learning and behavior and to some extent how drugs affect the brain or the body. Animal research can help us understand human behavior better because to some degree we share with them basic drives that are necessary for our existence and hence, learning how animals react to stress or hunger can give us the information needed to adequately explain behavior. Animals exhibit simple behaviors which humans share and have grown in complexity over the years but if analyzed is based still on simple behaviors.References Benjamin, L. (1997) A History of Psychology: Original Sources and Contemporary Research 2nd ed. New York: McGraw –Hill. Bjork, D. (1997) B. F. Skinner: A Life. Washington: American Psychological Association. Skinner, B. F. (1966). The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis. 7th printing. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Smith, L. & Woodward, W. (1996). B. F Skinner and Behaviorism in American Culture. London: Lehigh University Press

Free Essays on Genji

Genji, the son of the emperor and a concubine, is used in this book to represent males and their unchanging harshness toward females. He searches constantly for the â€Å"hidden flower† or perfect female, however, he falls short of being the ideal male. He is unworthy to have the perfect female even if he did find her. He shows this through his many unfaithful, immoral affairs with females throughout the book. He is able to get away with just about anything due to his undying charm to both men and women. He has an unlimited amount of flaws in his character. He is disloyal, indecisive, and selfish. He worries only about himself and his own reputation as a man. He is completely intrigued by game-playing and therefore uses this technique to lure women in to him. Genji executes many corrupt and irrational events throughout the story. He kidnaps a woman and gets angry when she protests being with him. There is a belief that he may have molested a small boy. He is completely unfaithful to his wife with any woman who, even so much as, sparks his interest . He will never settle for what he has and continues to pursue any object that he desires without shame. Genji, growing up, was not surrounded by wonderful role models. He himself was conceived out of wedlock. This upbringing could have contributed to his sinful way of living. With the use of Genji’s character, Lady Murasaki attempts to convey the message that anyone who is deceitful and charming enough can con just about anyone if they make it a way of life. We, as people, have to learn to be strong and go against things of this nature. Murasaki also is able to portray the life that women had to live in this place and time. She wanted society to see how men really were and the wrongs in their behavior. In my opinion, she did a good job at showing the severity of this situation and made me happy to be living where and when I am.... Free Essays on Genji Free Essays on Genji Genji, the son of the emperor and a concubine, is used in this book to represent males and their unchanging harshness toward females. He searches constantly for the â€Å"hidden flower† or perfect female, however, he falls short of being the ideal male. He is unworthy to have the perfect female even if he did find her. He shows this through his many unfaithful, immoral affairs with females throughout the book. He is able to get away with just about anything due to his undying charm to both men and women. He has an unlimited amount of flaws in his character. He is disloyal, indecisive, and selfish. He worries only about himself and his own reputation as a man. He is completely intrigued by game-playing and therefore uses this technique to lure women in to him. Genji executes many corrupt and irrational events throughout the story. He kidnaps a woman and gets angry when she protests being with him. There is a belief that he may have molested a small boy. He is completely unfaithful to his wife with any woman who, even so much as, sparks his interest . He will never settle for what he has and continues to pursue any object that he desires without shame. Genji, growing up, was not surrounded by wonderful role models. He himself was conceived out of wedlock. This upbringing could have contributed to his sinful way of living. With the use of Genji’s character, Lady Murasaki attempts to convey the message that anyone who is deceitful and charming enough can con just about anyone if they make it a way of life. We, as people, have to learn to be strong and go against things of this nature. Murasaki also is able to portray the life that women had to live in this place and time. She wanted society to see how men really were and the wrongs in their behavior. In my opinion, she did a good job at showing the severity of this situation and made me happy to be living where and when I am.... Free Essays on Genji Genji: The Title Character for a Reason Genji must be recognized as the principal male character in Murasaki Shikibu’s â€Å"The Tale of Genji†. In this way, by literary definition, he is the novel’s irreplaceable hero. The more recognized definition of a hero, one seen for his special or bold achievements, could apply to Genji although he didn’t necessarily work hard to achieve anything. He was born beautiful, talented, charming, and simply irresistible and therefore can be called a hero at birth. This is quite an achievement, and the only characters eligible for comparison after Genji’s death are the two princesses, Oigimi and Naka no Kimi. Although Genji’s father removes him from the imperial family, it is only a technicality and Genji spends the majority of his life experiencing luxuries as an Emperor’s son. He is immediately favored by anyone who enters his path and it seems that his entire existence was previously planned out to be naturally perfect; an impeccable being born into a situation in which he can properly be displayed. The fact that Genji doesn’t need to work for any of his accomplishments (this includes his many women) raises the question of whether or not he is in fact a natural born hero, or simply spoiled â€Å"royalty† with an offensive amount of luck. â€Å"Genji’s looks had an indescribably fresh sweetness, one beyond even Her Highness’s celebrated and, to His Majesty, peerless beauty, and this moved people to call him the Shining Lord†¦ His Majesty was reluctant to spoil Genji’s boyish charm, but in Genji’s twelfth year he gave him his coming of age, busying himself personally with the preparations and adding new embellishments to the ceremony. Lest the event seem less imposing than the one for the Heir Apparent, done some years ago in the Shishinden, and lest anything go amiss, he issued minute instructions for the banquets to be offered by the various government offices and for the things...

Characteristics of a Real Number

Characteristics of a Real Number What is a number? Well that depends. There are a variety of different kinds of numbers, each with their own particular properties. One sort of number, upon which statistics, probability, and much of mathematics is based upon, is called a real number. To learn what a real number is, we will first take a brief tour of other kinds of numbers. Types of Numbers We first learn about numbers in order to count. We began with matching the numbers 1, 2, and 3 with our fingers.  Then we and kept going as high as we could, which probably wasnt that high. These counting numbers or natural numbers were the only numbers that we knew about. Later, when dealing with subtraction, negative whole numbers were introduced. The set of positive and negative whole numbers is called the set of integers. Shortly after this, rational numbers, also called fractions were considered. Since every integer can be written as a fraction with 1 in the denominator, we say that the integers form a subset of the rational numbers. The ancient Greeks realized that not all numbers can be formed as a fraction. For example, the square root of 2 cannot be expressed as a fraction. These kinds of numbers are called irrational numbers. Irrational numbers abound, and somewhat surprisingly in a certain sense there are more irrational numbers than rational numbers. Other irrational numbers include pi and e. Decimal Expansions Every real number can be written as a decimal. Different kinds of real numbers have different kinds of decimal expansions. The decimal expansion of a rational number is terminating, such as 2, 3.25, or 1.2342, or repeating, such as .33333. . . Or .123123123. . . In contrast to this, the decimal expansion of an irrational number is nonterminating and nonrepeating. We can see this in the decimal expansion of pi. There is a never ending string of digits for pi, and whats more, there is no string of digits that indefinitely repeats itself. Visualization of Real Numbers The real numbers can be visualized by associating each one of them to one of the infinite number of points along a straight line. The real numbers have an order, meaning that for any two distinct real numbers we can say that one is greater than the other. By convention, moving to the left along on the real number line corresponds to lesser and lesser numbers. Moving to the right along the real number line corresponds to greater and greater numbers. Basic Properties of the Real Numbers The real numbers behave like other numbers that we are used to dealing with. We can add, subtract, multiply and divide them (as long as we dont divide by zero). The order of addition and multiplication is unimportant, as there is a commutative property. A distributive property tells us how multiplication and addition interact with one another. As mentioned before, the real numbers possess an order. Given any two real numbers x and y, we know that one and only one of the following is true: x y, x y or x y. Another Property - Completeness The property that sets the real numbers apart from other sets of numbers, like the rationals, is a property known as completeness. Completeness is a bit technical to explain, but the intuitive notion is that the set of rational numbers has gaps in it. The set of real numbers does not have any gaps, because it is complete. As an illustration, we will look at the sequence of rational numbers 3, 3.1, 3.14, 3.141, 3.1415, . . . Each term of this sequence is an approximation to pi, obtained by truncating the decimal expansion for pi. The terms of this sequence get closer and closer to pi. However, as we have mentioned, pi is not a rational number. We need to use irrational numbers to plug in the holes of the number line that occur by only considering the rational numbers. How Many Real Numbers? It should be no surprise that there are an infinite number of real numbers. This can be seen fairly easily when we consider that whole numbers form a subset of the real numbers. We could also see this by realizing that the number line has an infinite number of points. What is surprising is that the infinity used to count the real numbers is of a different kind than the infinity used to count the whole numbers. Whole numbers, integers and rationals are countably infinite. The set of real numbers is uncountably infinite. Why Call Them Real? Real numbers get their name to set them apart from an even further generalization to the concept of number. The imaginary number i is defined to be the square root of negative one. Any real number multiplied by i is also known as an imaginary number. Imaginary numbers definitely stretch our conception of number, as they are not at all what we thought about when we first learned to count.

Macroeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Macroeconomics - Assignment Example The main difference between GDP and GNP is that GDP measures total income in a nation, while GNP measures total income by a nation’s residents. GDP is the more widely relied upon statistic by business, policy makers and the public. The change in GDP is used to calculate whether a nation’s economy is expanding or contracting. As the broadest measure of a nation’s economic activity it indicates the overall health in the economy. As the broadest measure it is heavily relied upon by business and policy makers to plan as well set monetary and fiscal policy. While the general public may not use GDP because of the effects of GDP on business and policy officials they are impacted as well. For business leaders the main use of GDP is in planning and investment. One way business leaders can use GDP and GNP in combination is to determine where revenue is being earned. By comparing GDP to GNP they can determine whether there is growth in income is coming from domestic or foreign sources. GDP and GNP are also traditionally used in business cycle forecasting. By looking at the trends and changes in GDP it can allow businesses to plan for turns in the business cycle rather than simply reacting. These decisions have an impact upon the general public in the form of job creation or cut backs by businesses. For policy makers GDP is a signal used in creating monetary and fiscal policy as well as measuring its effectiveness. If the economy is growing too quickly policy makers can apply contractionary policy such as raising interest rates and taxes to cool the economy. If the economy is contracting they can then use expansionary policy, such as low interest rates, tax reductions and government investment to boost the economy. Government expenditures are of particular importance as they are directly taken into account in GDP. By increasing expenditures the government can turn a recession into an expansion single handedly. This