Where are we Headed in Cyberculture? Essay -- Computers Technology Ele

Where are we Headed in Cyberculture? According to Sven Birkerts in his essay, Into the Electronic Millennium, â€Å"a change is upon us – nothing could be clearer. The printed word is part of a vestigial order that we are moving away from – by choice and by societal compulsion† (Tribble and Trubek, 63). It is impossible to disagree with this statement given the technological evolutions that have occurred over the years. The availability and preference of what is involved in the change is what is called into question. Although we are moving toward a computer-centered society, I do not believe this change can occur for everyone. There are several factors to consider other than simply the presence of technology. Reflecting on the history of print culture, Birkerts writes that â€Å"the dominant oral culture was overtaken by the writing technology† and the art of physically writing was â€Å"effected in the late fifteenth century after Gutenberg invented moveable type† (63). Naturally, people were wary of accepting such changes because they preferred the old, familiar way of doing things. They liked what they were used to and were proficient at doing. The same is true for people of our day. Students are much more likely to prefer a computer to a book, because we have little to no choice in the matter. All of our work must be complete on a computer and we are required to search scholarly journals within databases to complete research papers. There are a few groups however, who I can imagine are less likely to put down a book and grab a keyboard. First, there is a generational issue to consider. People whose youth came before computers were introduced to the general public probably are not as familiar with them and may be less likely to c... ...is way would not be the preferred method. Coinciding with my belief is Wendy Lesser in her essay, The Conversion, states that she â€Å"wouldn’t want to read a novel or even a ten-page story on e-mail† (228). In summary, yes, I do believe that we are moving towards a more computer-orientated society, but I do not see this change happening for everyone. I will believe a change will be more widely available when the cost of a new computer significantly drops and when the ease of use significantly rises. For those of us who are computer-saavy and who have spent years in front of a computer, we welcome the change and may even wonder what has taken so long, but for those children whose student-to-computer ratio is thirty-five to one, they will dread the day when they will be forced to use something they can not afford and wouldn’t know how to use if they could afford it.

How Do You Spell Baby Murder? - A B O R T I O N :: abortion argumentative persuasive argument

  Ã‚  Ã‚   Approximately 1.6 million murders are committed legally each year. With the exception of laws in few states, the mutilated bodies of the victims are thrown into dumpsters like pieces of rotten meat. While these victims lay waiting in the infested dumpsters to be hauled off to a landfill, the murderers are in their offices waiting for their next patient--the accomplice to the murder. This is the murder of an innocent child by a procedure known as abortion. Abortion stops the beating of an innocent child's heart. People must no longer ignore the scientific evidence that life begins at the moment of conception. People can no longer ignore the medical and emotional problems an abortion causes women. People must stop denying the facts about the procedure, and start hearing the silent screams of unborn children.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The argument by the pro-abortion side is that the unborn child is not truly a child. Many people who are pro-abortion justify their beliefs through the concept that a fetus is only a blob of tissue until it is born, or the statement: life begins at birth. Abortion is not as simple as removing a "blob of tissue" (as the pro-abortion activists put it) from a woman's body. Abortion is the destruction, dismembering and killing of a human life--an unborn baby. "But it is scientific and medical fact based on experimental evidence, that a fetus is a living, growing, thriving human being, directing his or her own development" (Fetal Development). A fetus is not just a blob of tissue, rather a fetus is Latin for "offspring or young one." Human life begins at fertilization, therefore it is wrong to murder the innocent child in the womb. At a US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee meeting, most scientists said that life begins at conception or implantation of the embryo. No scientist at the meeting claimed that life begins at birth (Factbot). Professor Hymie Gordon of the Mayo clinic stated "' . . by all criteria of modern biology, life is present from the moment of conception'" (Fetal Development). In a 1963 Planned Parenthood pamphlet entitled 'Plan Your Children' it states "an abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life and health" (Factbot).

Evaluating the Research Process/ Childhood Obesity Essay

Ji Li, PhD and Neal Hooker, PhD conducted a study on the links of childhood obesity and children who are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), clubs such as sports and others, and different living and household factors. This study utilized the conceptual framework of the literature review from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) during 2003 and 2004, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study utilized the common quantitative research method called a survey which is a form of questionnaire. The survey was a telephone survey which was conducted on children 6-17 years old and surrounded questions about the physical and psychological lives. In the study there were 62,880 children studied and questioned. The study was conducted following ethical guidelines as it was not biased and took information from households, which were selected randomly, and had one child between the ages of 6-17. Also, the study was conducted by asking the families a series of questions that remained the same no matter the household or children’s age. The rights of the subjected were protected by random selection process however I do question the use of a telephone survey because the identities of the individuals can be identified based on the telephone numbers. The study does not indicate whether the telephone numbers of the respondents were recorded so it is difficult to determine whether this is a factor. In my opinion ensuring the anonymity of the subjects is particularly important when dealing with the group focused on by this study because they are children. That being said the study did not attempt to encourage, promote, or interfere in the lives of the subjects so I would say their rights were reasonably protected. The questions that were asked of the children were as follows: age, gender, highest level of child’s parents (high school), highest level of child’s parents (college), primary language in the home, current school child is enrolled (public or private), was child on a sports team in the past 12 months, in the past 12 months did the child participate in a club, average hour the child spent on the computer per chool day, average hour the child spent watching television on a school day, during the past month did either parent spend any time exercising enough to bring heart rate or breathing up, does anyone in the household smoke, is the household income more than 300% of the poverty limit, is the household income less than 300% of the poverty limit, during the past 12 months did anyone in the household receive free or reduced lunches or breakfast, and finally what is the body mass index (BMI) of the selected child in the household. Each question was given a point value of 0 or 1 and the totals were calculated by each household (Li, J. , & Hooker, N. , 2010). In terms of statistical analysis the data is telling the interpreter what households have a child who is over the recommended BMI or under the recommended BMI and how their lifestyle or social practices come into play influencing the BMI. The data was analyzed by grouping the selected children into groups of children who attend public school versus private school, their household’s income range, if they qualify for the school lunch or breakfast programs, and their BMI. The data was also analyzed in reference to all of the other questions asked such as parent’s education, and if anyone in the household smokes. All of these household and social situations can be used for analysis and to see if there is a trend that certain children in certain life situations may be more likely to suffer from childhood obesity. I think that the data is definitely statistically significant; however, I do think the numbers could be flawed in reference to the person being surveyed by telephone being truthful. The conclusions do match the results of the study that was conducted. The conclusion was that children who attend public schools have a slightly higher BMI than those who do not, and children who qualify for free or reduced lunch or breakfast programs have an even higher BMI and are at a higher risk of being overweight (Li, J. , & Hooker, N. , 2010). The conclusions also answers the research questions that were defined in the problem including the socioeconomic issues play a role in childhood obesity? Do the public or private school systems play a role in childhood obesity? Do the school lunch and breakfast programs play a part in childhood obesity? The survey results appeared to answer yes to all of these questions. I do think that the results off of the data, is accurate and appropriate. However, like I stated earlier in the paper, I do think that the numbers could be skewed due to inaccurate answers by the person being surveyed. The study found that â€Å"children attending public school had a mean BMI value of 0. 401 higher than those children who attended private school. Also, if the child surveyed attended public school and received free or reduced lunch or breakfast in the public school then their BMI value was 0. 25 higher than the child who attended private school. The study concluded that children in public school who took part in the lunch and breakfast programs posed a 4. 5% higher risk of being overweight† (Li, J. , & Hooker, N. , 2010). When the numbers are reviewed it is easy to conclude that there is a link between obesity and the public school system as well as the free and reduced meal programs. This link was also not altered due to socioeconomic status of the household. The study also found that â€Å"children with active parents who play sports or other activities have a BMI mean value of 0. 99 less than children of parents who are not active. Also, children who took part in sports activities after school or on the weekends had a BMI mean value of 0. 751 lower than children who did not participate in an activity (Li, J. , & Hooker, N. , 2010)†. There is a clear link between lower BMI values and active parents and active children. Education levels of the parents also appear to play a role in a child’s chances of being obese. The study concluded that â€Å"children with parents who finished high school have a BMI of 0. 17 less than those who have less than a high school education. Also, in the households where the parents completed a college education the BMI is reduced by 1. 279 in value. In households where Spanish is the primary language, the BMI was found to be 0. 680 higher than households where English was the primary language† ( Li, J. , & Hooker, N. , 2010). After review of the data in regards to the conclusion the analysis is found to be appropriate as school meal programs and household influence do in fact influence childhood obesity. There is a lot of information about the study and the data that was collected and its effectiveness. I think that the data collected can be used to link childhood obesity and school meal programs. However, I also think that the data can be disputed by the way in which the data was collected, by telephone survey. The person conducting the survey cannot verify or prove that the person being surveyed is being truthful. Also, it is unknown how the people being surveyed were asked to take part, other than by random phone number selection. If the person asked to do the survey is having issued with their school or the school meal programs their answered might be different if they knew the data could influence the thoughts on school and their meal programs. I think that this survey is very beneficial; however, I would think that a different survey method other than telephone methods would help to make the data more concrete and effective. In the end, the study does give valid data that can be evaluated to help decide the links to schools and childhood obesity. I think that the data collected can mean great change in the meal programs and the need for such change. I do not believe though that the results obtained from the study are statistically significant as the differences in most of the categories were not extraordinary one way or the other. The possible flaws in the way the information was obtained would in my opinion devalue the validity of the study. Without having actual medical knowledge regarding the child’s BMI the information is based on the opinions of the respondents.

Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood Essay

How does Hardy present the idea ‘the pain of love’ in his depiction of the relationships between Bathsheba Everdene and Sergeant Troy, and Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood? Thomas Hardy, born in 1840, divided his works into character and environment, romance and fantasies and novels of ingenuity, in which case Far from the Madding Crowd is in the first category. The original works were in the form of a series in the Cornhill magazine, which was so successful he was able to give up his job (as an architect) and devote his time entirely to writing. Hardy is known for his controversial novels such as Jude the Obscure, but his best work is the world renowned Far From the Madding Crowd, which expresses the journey of Bathsheba Everdene and her loyal farmer, Gabriel Oak, who encounter love but at the terrible price of death and despair. This, perhaps reflecting the tragic loss of his own wife in 1912, sixteen years before his own death, in 1928. Bathsheba and Sergeant Troy’s first meeting outside the Fir Plantation, Troy flirts and compliments Bathsheba, by taking more time then is necessary to untie the knot that binds them. Bathsheba, however she appears to be quite uncivilized towards him, â€Å"Thank you for the sight of such a beautiful face! He said. ‘Twas unwillingly shown† she replied, stiffly. This unkind manner attracts Troy to her and ignites a relationship between them, where Troy’s flirtatious and dishonest ways, already expressed in their first meeting, are destined to destroy it. Troy’s display of swordsmanship in Chapter 28, indicates another example of the pain of love, in which Bathsheba must sacrifice her own safety to be with Sergeant Troy. Though Bathsheba, at first, oblivious to her near death, due to her believing Troy’s lie that the sword was blunt. Though Bathsheba does not object to him kissing her at the end of the chapter, after being made aware of his dishonesty. The relationship of Bathsheba and Troy, already beginning to fail due to Troy’s insensitive and lying persona, is made no easier by Fanny’s part in their lives. Ironically, it was her mistake, which brought together Bathsheba and Troy in the first place, unintentionally, and, unknowingly aided in the downfall of Bathsheba and Troy’s relationship. For example, when Fanny meets Troy, though by accident, Troy tries to convince Bathsheba she is unknown to him, however Bathsheba begins to have doubts, especially after seeing a lock of hair in his watch, that was not hers. The argument that followed the discovery of the hair also lead to Troy leaving Bathsheba, to secretly meet with Fanny, and the next time she hears of Troy he is assumed dead. This expresses Hardy’s pain of love theory exactly, for Bathsheba who fell so quickly in love with Troy, and married him soon after, now expresses little feeling towards him leaving. For example, in chapter 48, `Bathsheba underwent the enlargement of her husband’s absence, from hours to days, with a slight feeling of surprise and relief, yet neither sensation rose †¦ `. Soon after the discovery of Troy’s apparent death, Boldwood immediately steps onto the scene to offer his hand in marriage. The first time Bathsheba saw Boldwood was at the market, however Boldwood did not pay attention to her presence, unlike all the other men. Bathsheba’s vanity, encouraged by Liddy, caused her to send a Valentine to Boldwood in the attempt to get him to notice her and partly as a joke, with the accidental seal of â€Å"Marry Me†. Boldwood, having received the Valentine, become besotted with Bathsheba and soon called on her to accept the invitation of marriage. Though the answer of course was not what he expected. â€Å"I didn’t know†¦ I ought never to have dreamt of sending that valentine – forgive me, sir – it was a wanton thing which no woman with any self respect should have done. If you will only pardon my thoughtlessness†¦ † Farmer Boldwood replied†¦ â€Å"No, no, no. Don’t say thoughtlessness! †¦ You torture me to say it was done out of thoughtlessness†¦ This outburst again shows the reader that Hardy can express the theme `the pain of love` so vividly. However, Boldwood does not stop and continues to express his want to have her. For example, â€Å"I may think of you? Yes, I suppose you may And hope to obtain you? No – do not hope! Let us go on†. This obsessiveness driven by the act of Bathsheba’s valentine proposes another effect of love. At the end of chapter 19, Hardy tells us that Boldwood is almost spellbound by Bathsheba and by her leaving, he comes out of this stupor, â€Å"like the pain of a wound†¦ † Another of Hardy’s pain of love themes. Boldwood’s appearances from then on are stopped due to the arrival of Troy, who Boldwood at once is jealous of and wishes to extract him from their (Bathsheba and Boldwood’s) lives. The deal he tries to accomplish with Troy is of course a failure, however it proposes that Boldwood would do (or should I say ‘pay’) so much to expel him, and further expand his relationship with Bathsheba. His love for her, the reader could interpret as, is almost insane and compulsive. This is perfectly described in Chapter 53, where Boldwood begins to talk to himself. â€Å"I hope to God she comes, or this night will be nothing but misery to me! O my darling, my darling, why do you keep me in suspense like this? † However that is not the most important part of the chapter because of course this is the climax to the whole story and the final effects that love can have on somebody. ‘A strange voice came from the fireplace – a voice sounding far off and confined, as if from a dungeon. Hardly a soul recognized the thin tones to be those of Boldwood. Sudden despair had transformed him. ‘ Boldwood, at the realization of the return of Troy, and the conclusion that Bathsheba cannot be his, had the devastating affect of forcing him to take action. In the form of a bullet. Aimed at Troy. His love for Bathsheba perhaps deluded him into it, showing that the pain of love has lead one man to his death and another to the noose. However we know that sentence was not carried out, life imprisonment instead, though in a way just as bad as the loss of life some could argue. Hardy is clearly well adept into conveying the pain of love as a theme, though not the main theme of the story. Hardy presents the idea of ‘the pain of love’ clearly in the two relationships that Bathsheba experiences, even in Oak’s relationship with Bathsheba, his offer of marriage is turned down, and not accepted till the end of the book. Bathsheba’s relationship with Troy and Boldwood differ quite drastically. Boldwood is the calm farmer enticed by Bathsheba, and driven to killing another man. Troy is the dashing sergeant who seduces Bathsheba and causes their marriage to disintegrate due to his lies and deceit. Bathsheba also reacts differently to the two men. To Boldwood she thinks she is not good enough for him, and is almost scared of his persistence- ‘She was frightened as well as agitated by his vehemence’ She also taken aback by Troy, ‘Ah! There was a time Frank, when it would have taken a good many promises to other people to drag you away from me. ‘ She also is now quite sad to be married, preferring the unmarried version of him when it was dashing swordplay and romantic courting and love. However it is not the case with the married Troy, â€Å"What do you regret? † He asked. â€Å"That my romance has come to an end†, she relied. The pain of love that the characters encounter, i. e. Boldwood’s hopeless love for Bathsheba, and Bathsheba’s own foolish love for Troy, and the final act leading to Troy’s (perhaps deserved) death, are all excellently and elaborately depicted by the most English of English novelists, in one of the most English of great English novels.

Balance

One fine evening, while walking to my friend’s place enjoying the beautiful climate & cool breeze, making one to be there walking or standing still to enjoy it, I saw a group of kids riding their bicycles like a gang & roaming. A huge van came in the opposite direction, which meant they had to make space, which they have been occupying so far, for the monster vehicle. Due to sudden change of course or rough terrain, one of the kids lost his balance & fell to the safe side of the road. I thought, â€Å"The kid must be new to riding bicycles & hence couldn’t manage his balance when faced with a sudden change†. This thought struck me big, when for a moment I used it comparing the journey of riding our life against any challenge or change. I wondered, â€Å"How easily it made sense? †. Our whole life, aren’t we actually trying to keep all the various forces in a state of balance, where we are not pulled or pushed in by anyone of them so that we are deviated from our actual destined path. If so then what would be a balanced life. I would say a balance life is â€Å"A way of life that enables us to live in accordance with our nature, to improve our character, to better deal with the inevitable hardships of life and to strive for the good of the whole, not just of the individual. † This I believe will lead us to the ultimate happiness in life. So basically, â€Å"Life is a process of developing virtues which are essential for achieving the ultimate goal, happiness, which must be desired for itself†. It must not be confused with carnal or material pleasures, although there are many people who consider this to be real happiness, since they are the most basic form of pleasures. This is not to say that happiness is void of pleasures, but that pleasures are a natural effect, not the purpose. The virtues essential for attaining true happiness is in itself a balance of 2 extremes. For example, Courage is the middle between one extreme of deficiency (cowardice) and the other extreme of excess (recklessness). The middle depends on the situation because of the difficulty of the balance in certain situations can require a different level of action. Recognising this leads to improving the virtues constantly in anticipation of various different situations requiring the higher levels of actions. This holds only for virtues, not vices (hate, envy, jealousy, theft, murder, etc. ) So what endangers the balance of the life? It follows the same principle as in physical world. When there is an excess or deficiency of the struggling forces then the balance is destroyed. Today's modern man usually succumbs in the sin of excess, which can be seen in the excess accumulation of material wealth, food, alcohol, drugs, etc. than what is necessary. But he can descend into deficiency as easily too, like inadequate attention to education, healthy sport activities, intellectual pursuits, etc. For every action that we take in our life we must look to keep it in balance with the corresponding balancing actions. The beautiful example, we must look to for keeping things in balance is nature, until man came along & destroyed the state with his want for excess & lack of attention towards actions for preserving the balance. Since human beings are from nature, isn't it reasonable to conclude that humans should also uphold the balance, just like nature? The problem is that the vast majority of people are unwilling to admit that they are not at the top of nature, just a part of it. The current generation need to overcome their pride and arrogance and look in nature for guidance, because we all depend on it & to leave behind a safer, habitable environment for the next generation to live in. Staring into the sky and imagining ourselves in heaven will not accomplish anything; it is better instead look around & to accept our role in the world and appreciate the beauty of life, and death, which gives meaning to it. This will help us in upholding the balance both within & outside as well.

Participant Observation in Prague Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Participant Observation in Prague - Essay Example People of all ethnicity fill the site when a group of around twenty students enter the church. Camera flashes seem to increase shining on the statue with the arrival of the group. They are accompanied by and older and more composed man. He seems not to be frightened as compared to his companions. He briefly gives the history of the hand at the statue to his students. The teacher explains to his students that they still have one more site to visit as the dark tourism sites in Prague are many. As the group streams out of the church one of the students faults the early Christians in Prague for nailing the thiefs hand on the sculpture. An Asian lady in their midst does not seem to clearly understand and corrects them by saying the thief deserved it. She mentions that they ought to visit more similar sites in their future academic trips. The group discuss their next move, and they decide to tour Theresienstadt concentration camp. At the entrance of the camp, the group is silent. They enter the camp after parting with a few coins which the gate fellow explains it is for maintenance of the camp. Inside the camp, the group is directed to a small fortress. When the guide was explaining camp a young woman breaks down and starts to cry. The emotions are running high as her peers console her, and they leave the room. Opposite where the group is standing there is a couple who from their dressing are Jewish. The couple is holding hands as a tour guide explains to them the events that took place at the fortress. The group is lead through a thin corridor to a yard that was an excursion ground. The couple follows the group letter to the yard. The lady now seems very weak and is held firmly with her husband. The couple later head towards the Star of David and whisper a prayer. The students return into the fortress and enter to a small room. As the guide explains to the group the function of the room, all concentration is on

Engineered Wood Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineered Wood - Research Paper Example This increases the durability of the products. Composition of engineered wood The aspects of manufacturing of engineered wood that help differentiate between the products made from it and also cause differences in the performance characteristics of different products include the quality of veneer used in engineered wood, the species and density of the timber used in it, the arrangement and thickness of veneers, and the type of bond between veneers (Austral Plywoods, 2012). The softwoods and hardwoods that are used to make lumber are also useful for making the products of engineered wood. Engineered wood that is made of fibers or wood particles are also made from wood waste or sawmill scraps. The oriented strand board is made from trees that belong to the poplar family that is a non-structural yet common species. Similar engineered cellulosic products are made from a variety of lignin-containing materials that include but are not limited to rice straw, wheat straw, sugar cane residue, kenaf stalks, and hemp stalks. Products made from these materials contain vegetable fibers instead of actual wood. â€Å"The best engineered wood floors  are built having 3-12 multiple ply layers†¦that are cross layered, glued and pressed together† (Hosking, 2012). ... cts can be categorized into a variety of types that include plywood, glued laminated timber, oriented strand board, laminated veneer lumber, and cross laminated timber. They are discussed as follows: Plywood Plywood is a kind of structural panel made in wood that is often referred to as the original product of engineered wood. Plywood is made from the cross-laminated veneer sheets that are bonded with one another with moisture-resistant and durable adhesives under specific conditions of pressure and heat. The stiffness and strength of panel in both directions are enhanced by changing the direction of grain of the veneers layer by layer. Other panels of structural wood include structural composite panels and oriented strand board. Glued laminated timber Glued laminated timber is made up of numerous layers of dimensional timber that are bonded with one another with the help of adhesives that are resistant to moisture. These adhesives help create large structural members of great streng th which can be used in buildings as horizontal beams or vertical columns. Glued laminated timber provides extensive design flexibility when it is manufactured in the curved shape. Oriented strand board Oriented strand board is a structural panel made from rectangular strands of engineered wood which are first oriented longitudinally and then organized in layers that are tied together with adhesives that are cured with heat and are resistant to moisture. Individual layers of the oriented strand board are cross-oriented that helps them develop stiffness along with strength in the panel. Oriented strand board is manufactured in the form of large continuous mats. The quality of oriented strand board is consistent throughout and there are no gaps, voids, or laps in it. Laminated veneer lumber