Friday, December 27, 2019

Vipassana Meditation, Form by Plato, Socrates and Descartes Opinions Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Socrates famous quotation All I know is that I do not know is a very contradictory statement in which Socrates humbly states that despite having so much knowledge and wisdom he still believes that he does not know anything. This means that a human has very limited and concise knowledge, wisdom and morality and no matter how much one tries to grasp all the knowledge it is not possible as a person to absorb everything. Thus Socrates believes that irrespective of all the knowledge he possesses, he still does not know anything. This leads to self-questioning and judging one's self whether what we assume is actually true or just a vague illusion. Nothing was completely pure and perfect for Socrates. He believed that there was more to explore. Another perspective can be that Socrates was so ignorant that through this statement he meant that he at least he knew something if not everything (Miles, pg 165). This is a very contradictory statement and it is quite difficult to ascertain what h e really wanted to convey but personally I think that he knew a lot and wanted to learn more. We will write a custom essay sample on Vipassana Meditation, Form by Plato, Socrates and Descartes Opinions or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Bible Interpretation Paper New International Version Essay

Bible Interpretation Paper I examined Jeremiah 13:1-11in these three translations: New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and The Message (MSG); most of the perspectives will be coming from the NIV. The NIV calls this narrative ‘A Linen Belt’, the ESV called it ‘The Ruined Loincloth’, and the MSG called it ‘People Who Do Only What They Want to Do’. The story starts out with God telling Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and not to let it touch water. Jeremiah bought the linen belt and tied it around his waist just as God told him to do. Then God said to him that he should take the belt to Perath (possibly the Euphrates) and hide it in a crevice amongst the rocks. Jeremiah obeyed God, went to Perath and hid the linen belt in a crevice between the rocks. Many days later God told him that he should go get the belt that he hid amongst the rocks and Jeremiah listened to God so he went back to Perath to retrieve the linen belt. Jer emiah retrieved the belt, but now has a belt that is ruined and useless. Then God said, â€Å"In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me, to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But theyShow MoreRelatedHistorical And Environmental Aspects Of Theology1796 Words   |  8 Pageshistory, Christians have turned to the Bible for advice on almost every aspect of life, but only a select few have been asking questions about caring for the environment. The recent environmental crisis has caused an increase in interest for this type of theology over the past fifty years. Certain passages from the Bible calls Christians to love and care for each other and ultimately for the environment. Advocators for â€Å"creation care† have found verses in the Bible that suggest that God calls us to protectRead MoreThe Postmodern Worldview And Its Popular Relativistic1313 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper I will consider the postmodern worldview and its popular relativistic claims alongside of my theistic worldview where God almighty exist and as such, has revealed Himself to the world. For the postmodern worldview, the ideas and behaviors of man are more of a perception of what reality is and not an absolute. Phillips, Brown, and Stonestreet (2008) refer to postmodernism this way, â€Å"The focus of postmodernism is on how we perceive and how we describe what the world is† (p.53). FurtherRead MoreInterpreting The Book Of Revelation1234 Words   |  5 Pagesintriguing book to study (Stevens 2011). However, there is a lot of questions surrounding the proper interpretation of this apocalyptic work. This debate c an be split into four main approaches: idealism, preterism, historicism, and futurism. The basis of the debate itself is important to discuss, before defining the four approaches, because this debate is unlike many others that usually surround the Bible. As Cameron Afzal touches on in his book The Mystery of the Book of Revelation, the debate is moreRead MoreMoral Theories Of Human Rights1614 Words   |  7 Pages2017 ABSTRACT The paper gives a roadmap on the foundations of human rights from the mediaeval to modern times. It explains the need for one to understand the philosophical foundations of human rights so that one can adequately understand human rights across the global divide. The author explores the nature of human rights in line with the various views of philosophers and early proponents of the concepts of human rights. She mentions that definition and interpretation of the meaning of rightsRead MoreChristianity And Its Impact On The World And The United States1345 Words   |  6 Pagesthree new views on Christianity to take root in society and impact the world and they were; Neo-Orthodox, Evangelism and Liberalism. These three had quite the impact of the faith throughout Europe and the United States. The three had varying ideals, but it some case overlapped. However, Neo-Orthodoxy seems to be the most effective when communicating with Scripture. Liberalism will be the first to be covered in this paper, as well as the most radical in some aspects. Liberals took a new approachRead MoreEnglish Translations of the Bible Essay1988 Words   |  8 PagesThe efforts for translating the Bible from its original languages, i.e. Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek began many years ago. Its being the reference book for the religion was the main idea which feed up those efforts. Every people wants to understand how he begs and prays to God according to the sacred book. Not only Bible but also many other holy books were translated into another languages. The Bible is the bestseller in many English speaking countries today. The reason for this is especially theRead MoreEssay on The Old Testament1397 Words   |  6 Pagesof other civilizations, conversion was certainly acceptable to Old Testament thinking. Judaism is not a conversion religion, but it is not opposed to taking in those who will obey the laws of the tradition, and worship Yahweh. The attitude of the Bible is that the Israelites had committed many sins, but would always be forgiven by God. This is evident in Isaiah 4:1 which states, â€Å" Israel needs to be comforted and she will receive more from God† (NIV Isaiah 40:1) While Judaism and the doctrines andRead MoreReanalyze the Relationship of the West and Islamic Civilization Future1142 Words   |  5 PagesHuntington thesis has been in center of debates for many years. Moreover, his prediction that main conflicts in near future is between the West (the United States and allies) versus Islamic Civilization has t riggered controversy among International Relations scholars. This paper tries to analyze three main supportive arguments from Huntington thesis in the West v. Islam conflict. Democracy System v. Islamic Laws Samuel P. Huntington stated that Muslims unable to accept democracy because of the nature ofRead MoreReligion 111 Syllabus Essay4050 Words   |  17 Pagesframework through the use of scholarly research tools and methods. --Completion of research project. Textbooks Meeks, Wayne A. Gen. ed. The HarperCollins Study Bible New Revised Standard Version. New York: HarperOne Inc., 1996. Coogan, Michael D. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in its Context. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. The book can be purchased online through the MOC Bookstore at: http://moc.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBHomePageRead MoreAfterlife from a Christian Point of View1936 Words   |  8 PagesNovember 21, 2012 Afterlife from a Christian Point of View Have you ever thought about what happens after you die; if there is something after this life? There are many different approaches to whether there is life after death or not, but in this paper we will be looking at the Christian perspective towards the afterlife. Christianity is the largest religion in the  world today due to it being branched down into different groups, and it is a known fact that there is no  other religion today that  has

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Case study hr after a disaster free essay sample

In a large organization employing is highly educated professionals is to conduct a needs assessment of the professionals. Directing a needs assessment is important, so that the management looking at the rewards and challenges of being a manager that can motivate the professionals effectively. In addition, educated professionals need to fulfil their self-actualization needs, needs for achievement and needs for affiliation. Organic structure can be adopted in managing the professionals. Organic structure can be adopted in managing the professionals at the same time. In a large organization that employees highly educated professionals, is giving more important for the organization to fulfil the self-actualization needs of the professionals. According to Maslow Hierarchy, self-actualization need is a person’s needs for growth, achieving one’s potential and self-actualization. Moreover, it is also a person’s need to become what he or she is capable is becoming. However the manager can provide training to the professionals to fulfil their actualization need. We will write a custom essay sample on Case study hr after a disaster or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, the manager can provide training in communicate skills, computer systems application and programming, customer service as well. Besides that, managers can apply theory Y to motivate the highly educated professionals. Theory Y is the assumption that employees are creative, enjoy work, seek responsibility, and can exercise self-direction. And yet there several ways for a manager to motivate employee based on Theory Y. For example, managers can adopt participative decision making. Furthermore, Organic structure is the suitable use for more flexible structures with less clearly-defined chains of command. Effective companies usually try to use the best structure for their specific situation. In addition, there are six characteristics of organic structure which is cross-functional team, cross-hierarchical teams, free flow of information, and wide spans of control, decentralization and low formalization. Then, decentralization is more independence, freedom, increase flexibility, speed up decision making, get closer to customers, empower employees and reduce costs. As conclusion, the manager can provide training to the professionals to fulfil their actualization needs. As a nutshell, Organic structure is more suitable for motivating the highly educated professionals and is a highly adaptive form that is as loose and flexible as well too.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Technology vs Humanity Essay Example For Students

Technology vs Humanity Essay In Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, there is a major contrast between two existing societies. It is a battle between the perfect world, the brave new world, and the way that we live today, the Savage Reservation. The two societies have many similarities; however, it is there differences, which will persuade your opinion to one side or another. First of all, in the brave new world the major goal is to reach Utopia, the perfect world. It is a very clean and organized society where feelings and emotions are unheard of and peace is safeguarded through the state’s process of conditioning all the young to think alike. We will write a custom essay on Technology vs Humanity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In the brave new world marriage is forbidden and birth is an artificial process done in test tubes. By doing this, both stability and popularity are controlled by the number of test tube births and regulation of supply and demand. After their artificial birth the children, who vary in five different castes, are conditioned to a job, which they will do for the remainder of their 40 to 43 year old lives. It has been stated that â€Å"what man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder. Even though children are forced to participate in a variety of activities to develop â€Å"proper† social attitudes in the future, this society has chosen machinery, medicine, and happiness. On the other hand, the Savage Reservation is quite different from the brave new world. It is a society contained of mostly Indians that are blessed with all the vestiges of life as it was before the coming of the autocratic Utopia. They are considered a primitive group who were not worth converting to the new order because they are titled as too simple-minded. These Savages are naturally born, have family values, and are capable of attaining any job they want to do in life. Unlike the Utopians, the Savages are not conditioned to their future role in life and nor are they forced to die in their early forties. They can live into decrepit old age or as long as they want. Although the Savages live in a poor, dirty, and highly vulnerable diseased area, it seems that they are happy. They are able to choose either a life of solitude or become one with the community, even if they are considered complications to the world. After reading the book and taking all the information about both the societies and their characteristics, I feel that I would prefer to live in the Savage Reservation. Despite the poverty and dirt, I feel it would best suit me and the things I look for in life. What I’m trying to say is that I need freedom and opportunity. I can not be controlled like a robot and do the same job everyday of my life. Nor could I go through life without feelings or emotions. The brave new world to me is not Utopia, it is technology. It is taking all human values and vestiges of life and throwing them away. What is the point of life if you do not get to express individuality or get to face problems of ordinary life? This is why I think living in the Savage Reservation would be better than the brave new world. In conclusion, Huxley’s Brave New World is the comparison of two societies which are very different from one another. They both contain reasonable ways to run the world’ however, I feel that the Savage Reservation would be a more suitable environment for me than the brave new world.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

College Essay Essays - Startup Cult, Testament Of Pope Paul VI

College Essay College Essay Throughout the years, I have had to deal with many trials, and challenges. Growing up BI-racial had a big affect on both my parents' relationship, my relationship with my parents (which later on lead to their separation). There were cultural clashes within my household; my mother who was from Korea, and my father who was from Panama. I had learned to depend on myself, my friends, and most importantly, on God. I believe that I would be successful in college, because I believe that I have a lot of potential. I'm determined, motivated, and also have a great depth of understanding my work. Although there was a great decline in my grades due to depression, caused by the death of a friend, loss of a loved confidant, and abuse from a boyfriend, my performance while attending school was excellent. My grades have improved since entering my senior year. I have learned a lot from the depression, finding inner peace, and achieving personal emotional growth. An event in my life that has left a lasting impression on me would be the lesson that I have learned about life. Last summer, I went to a revival crusade, which was held at the Meadowlands. There was this speaker there named Stephen Hill. He spoke of Christianity being a relationship between people and Christ, not about being a religion. I learned a lot from that revival, and I have not been the same ever since. Not only is my outlook on life different, but so is my personality. All the burdens that were so heavily laid on me were gone the day I got saved. Instead of being dependent on my family and friends, learned to rely on a being that I cannot see, but can only hope and have faith in. Faith believes in something that we cannot see. ? Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe?, (St. Augustine). This event took me out of my depression, and made me realize that I wasn't alone. God was always watching over me. It helped me overcome the battles that I was fighting within myself. In the future, I would love to pursue a music career. Writing music, and singing, has always been a great passion and talent of mine. For now, I'm happy volunteering at a nearby hospital with a friend of mine. In the past, I have done modeling, artwork, and piano. As I continue my senior year, I look forward to college. To go off in a world, where there are various lessons to be learned. To experience life, friends, and work. To be away from everything that is familiar to you, and is off at a place where your surroundings are unfamiliar, and eccentric. To get the proper education I need to start off my career. I believe that I am qualified for the Educational Opportunity Program, because I have the potential to succeed at a State University. I have a decent average, and I am eligible financially. I've had to deal with many trials in my young life, and would love to start fresh at The State University of New Yo Acceptance Essays

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Accounting Practices For A Campground

ABSTRACT Small business enterprise suffers from many regulations, burdening tax laws, and big business marketing. Yet, for many people it is the American dream to own your own business. In today’s times, it is crucial that the small business be equipped to handle the task of operating like a big business. The small business owner must have a good understanding of accounting and how it can be used to benefit the enterprise. This paper will look at one unique area of small business, campground ownership. The paper will show how various aspects of accounting can be â€Å"put to work† so the owner can better use the time to manage the campground itself. Cash flow statements, the balance sheet; income statements, along with ratios associated with each area will be highlighted. The paper will look at these accounting principals from the perspective of the office manager, accountant, banker, and the owner/operator. Introduction Packing up the car for the one-hour drive along the coast of Lake Michigan to our favorite weekend destination, Hidden Valley Lake brings back fond memories. The excitement of spending the weekend leisurely swimming, hiking, fishing, and just playing in the woods at the campground was many boys dream. For the campground owner the task was much different, handling all kinds issues such as inventory, registration, cleaning, grounds keeping, and including accounting functions. Today the campground owner must be aware of the various aspects of campground ownership, such as RV business, marketing, taxes, regulations, and even more detailed accounting functions. Like any successful business, detailed and explicit accounting will enhance the enterprise. Background The camping industry has been steadily climbing and evolving. Over 6.9 million households own RVs and the industry is climbing. Campground reservations are up 15-25% for the southwest and even higher in the... Free Essays on Accounting Practices For A Campground Free Essays on Accounting Practices For A Campground ABSTRACT Small business enterprise suffers from many regulations, burdening tax laws, and big business marketing. Yet, for many people it is the American dream to own your own business. In today’s times, it is crucial that the small business be equipped to handle the task of operating like a big business. The small business owner must have a good understanding of accounting and how it can be used to benefit the enterprise. This paper will look at one unique area of small business, campground ownership. The paper will show how various aspects of accounting can be â€Å"put to work† so the owner can better use the time to manage the campground itself. Cash flow statements, the balance sheet; income statements, along with ratios associated with each area will be highlighted. The paper will look at these accounting principals from the perspective of the office manager, accountant, banker, and the owner/operator. Introduction Packing up the car for the one-hour drive along the coast of Lake Michigan to our favorite weekend destination, Hidden Valley Lake brings back fond memories. The excitement of spending the weekend leisurely swimming, hiking, fishing, and just playing in the woods at the campground was many boys dream. For the campground owner the task was much different, handling all kinds issues such as inventory, registration, cleaning, grounds keeping, and including accounting functions. Today the campground owner must be aware of the various aspects of campground ownership, such as RV business, marketing, taxes, regulations, and even more detailed accounting functions. Like any successful business, detailed and explicit accounting will enhance the enterprise. Background The camping industry has been steadily climbing and evolving. Over 6.9 million households own RVs and the industry is climbing. Campground reservations are up 15-25% for the southwest and even higher in the...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Macroeconomics Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Macroeconomics Term Paper - Essay Example The financial crisis will shed its impacts around the globe due to globalization. The livelihood of all people at every corner felt the heat of crisis (World Bank, 2009). One of the prime causes for the financial crisis to take place is collapse of the real estate market of United States, also characterized as the housing bubble. The collapse resulted in surge of mortgage loan defaults. The collapse of the real estate market and the subprime mortgage market of the U.S. had the severe effects around the globe. Uncertainties crept in the financial markets. The creditors reacted to the situation by pulling out funds as well as cashed out the securities that were issued by the concerned financial institutions. The situation became so severe that some financial institutions failed to survive while others just managed it. The loan and credit possibilities from the bank dried up. The investors began to dump their investments and therefore downturn in the share market was the inevitable outcome. The system suffered from the loss in confidence. The banks took the policy to borrow with the view to create securitization. As long as the banks can pull out money by selling loans on the basis of securities, they did not feel the dependency to rely on the savers. Some banks directed themselves into mortgages. The government pressurized the banks to offer loans to the poor and these loans involved the risks of getting defaulted. The banks were used to purchase the mortgages with the aim to securitize them and then sell them off. The exposure of the banks towards risks gained probability. The lending process slowed down with the realization of the problem. Some of the banks were on the verge of the most risky loans which was beyond the intention of the investors. The lenders wished to take back the loans. The investment banks could not make much progress as they had little deposits to deal with. The situation

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Expanding into Switzerland Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Expanding into Switzerland - Case Study Example There is also the risk that retaining employees will be difficult, creating higher turnover costs and training issues, when employees seek other opportunities with better benefits or salary. Career management becomes an issue when training must be ongoing to fill positions that are constantly being vacated by employees who leave the business because there is such a high volume of job opportunities in the external job market. There is also the possibility that child care needs will require flexible schedules which could interrupt productivity or normal business operations with the United States as the home country of operations. Question 2 Switzerland is an individualistic culture, meaning that they value self-expression and independence (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 2008). The business might have to decentralize its operations and management as a means to ensure that employees stay once they have been selected for employment. On Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions framework, Switzerland ranks 68 against a world average of only 43 on individualism needs (Hofstede, 2009). This means that group-oriented policies and procedures that build a family-type of culture or teamwork might not have success in recruiting or retention. This could mean developing more individual programs for development in human resources, such as individual coaching or mentoring. â€Å"Great companies rely heavily on their cultures to support change management efforts† (Want, 2009, p.10). The business might have to develop more individualistic coaching to give effective feedback and assessment regarding performance in order to build a strong culture. At the same time, Switzerland has a low uncertainty avoidance measurement on Hofstede’s scale, which means that the population is more â€Å"accepting of unique and unusual situations and ideas, with greater tolerance of divergent points of view† (Hofstede, 2009, p.2; Donnison, 2008). This has advantages for launching new develo pment programs to address the challenges for this expansion project. For example, development of in-house work-hour child care services to help educated mothers in their job role would likely be accepted. Flexible working hours or telecommuting (work at home) would probably meet with little change resistance and be accepted by this individualistic culture. Question 3 A potential solution to the challenge of labor shortages is to transfer expatriate managers and employees from the United States. Expatriates can be trained on Swiss culture and lifestyle so they can be ready for transfer with the option for short- or long-term job contracts. This would give the new Swiss division more home country expertise and also ensure that there is not a staffing shortage. By recruiting dedicated and high-performing managers and employees overseas, it will lessen the likelihood of high turnover rates and costs. Mentoring that comes with intensive training packages can also support new HR policies in Switzerland. â€Å"Training that offers employees benefits that are perceived as non-transferable to another organization makes it too costly to leave† (Bambacas & Bordia, 2009, p.225). Innovative companies are usually the ones that succeed and have the most competitive human capital, therefore internal promotions about the benefits of new training could reduce long-term turnover rates. For example, job rotation training for multi-skill development could be promoted in recruitment

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Reflection Paper final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection Paper final - Assignment Example I believe another issue that makes the writing appealing to me is the candid manner in which Bugbee voices his doubts and uncertainties which I believe is instrumental in describing his wondrous journey of the mind and the heart while not only making him a participant in his own philosophy, but also a witness of his own processes and productions. For purposes of this reflection, I will reflect upon driving to Mexico which I find most interesting and the one that I can best identify with. The first thing that makes me identify with driving to Mexico is that while also driving I tend to let my mind wonder about things I find most pressing and more often than not, I end up agreeing that actually faithful reflection on the experience of things must resist the attenuation of experienced reality which I also believe arises from ignoring concrete realization. As a matter of fact, I can relate my life’s journey with the driving to Mexico as reading the part brings back the sobering experience of the extraordinary difficulty of coming to grips with my own beliefs while also reinforcing my belief that one should not say something that does not arise from what he believes in his heart. When criticizing what he seemed to be doing while driving from Massachusetts down deep to Mexico which made him clarify the basis of his objections, it downed on me that before clarifying the truth behind by doubts and thoughts, it is important that I take my time and deeply reflect upon the issues which would make the reflective concern to which should keep recurring. Greenwood Bugbee in the text makes a profound statement against philosophical certainty and the quest for nothing but the absolute truth. I tend to agree with the author that while it is true that confusion is not necessarily a bad thing, it is actually a natural part of human experience. I agree and believe that indeed the only aspect of life that provokes anxiety is the false notion that there exists a single path for

Friday, November 15, 2019

Having an Inter professional team

Having an Inter professional team This essay is meant to throw light on the importance of having an inter- professional team that would make the service delivery to patients easier. In this essay I will discuss the roles played by nurses and other professionals in the team. The essay will reflect the efficiency of such a team and their work distribution and involvement. I will highlight the ways in which a team of professionals will work together to take proper decisions during emergency situations and tackle them effectively. The essay will also critically evaluate the various concepts of inter professional team work. An inter-professional team is a group of people who have a certain common goals or objectives which drives them to work together by setting aside individual goals. Inter professional team can be defined as a dynamic process involving two or more health care professionals with complementary backgrounds and skills, sharing common health goals and exercising concerted physical and mental effort in assessing, planning, or evaluating patient care, accomplished through interdependent collaboration, open communication and shared decision-making, and generates value-added patient, organizational and staff outcomes (Xyrichis and Ream 2007). Freeth et al (2005) defined inter professional team work as when two or more professional learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care. ThinkingThere are some ways to see interprofessional working. One way is to view it as one which involves thinking, feeling and taking action based upon that (Hammick et.al 2009).Thus the three important aspects of interprofessional working is illustrated below: Being Inter-professional ssssss Feeling Doing/Acting Practising The healthcare sector started showing interest in the interprofessional working during the early 1990. (Institute of Medicine, 1998;ONeil and Pew Health Professions Commission 1998) An interprofessional team is working to provide service in a properly planned and systematic manner. In the health care sector inter professional teams are meant to develop groups that works towards efficiently rendering care to the patients. These teams include nurses, doctors, and other health care professionals. For a team to be efficient role clarity to inevitable and this will help them define their own duties and responsibilities avoiding conflicts (West and Markiowicz, 2004). A team essentially will have a team leader who will lead the team and motivate them to render good service working together (Martin and Rogers 2004). A health care team will work effectively if there is stability in the team, this will make the team member in the group work with shared trust and understanding (Gair and Hartery, (2001)). Interprofessional teams are of various types, they include multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary etc. In case of multidisciplinary teams the members are from various teams. These members set their own discipline specific goals and work towards achieving it. But ultimately the result is calculated as the total of all the disciplines (Dean and Geiringer 1990). The position of team members in the team hierarchy will affect the way in which the team functions and how it will render the service (Cotts, 1998). In case of a multidisciplinary team there exist subgroups of doctors, social workers, therapists and also subgroups which had nurses and other junior staff. Her study also unveiled the idea that the different subgroups had different perceptions about the inter professional teams. According to McWilliam et al (2003), interprofessional working is a very difficult task for health care professionals. The patients didnt get the full benefit of interprofessional working due to the misunderstanding between the health care professionals regarding the policies and procedures in it. Critics like Bion (1961) say that the interprofessional teams fail to focus on the real task they should be doing. The primary tasks for which they have come together is forgotten most of the by the interprofessional teams. Whenever there is an issue the teams to fail to reach at a consensus and they do not take proper decisions on the issue (Strokes 1994). The meetings conducted in order to take decision on the matter are just a waste of time. These assumptions are based on the work group mentality theory. Critics of interprofessional team have questioned the values of the team. It is said that the teams are not well managed and they do not work properly and responsibily. Negotiation theory puts forward the perspective of negotiating the personal and professional goals. (Strauss, 1978) The negotiations by professionals in the health care field have played a critical role in molding the characteristics of an interprofessional team. Loss and change theory reiterates that the health care professionals like doctors and nurses lose their professional identity as they are working in a team, this will lead to developing an improper relationship and improper behavior in the team (Atkins, 1998). Thus it critically points to the inter professional teams in that it wouldnt serve the purpose of forming a team and the unhappiness of the team members can lead to inefficient functioning. The increase of cost in hospitals will also result if there is lack of proper communication between the professionals like doctors, nurses and staff and also if they are not coordinated well. The roles played by nurses in the interprofessional teams are fast evolving. The importance of specialist skills for nurses is now recognized and new role have come up. Nurse Practitioner is an example of such a new role and they possess skill and knowledge in conducting therapy, and prescribing medications for patients who have psychiatric disorders or substance abuse problems. They are licensed to provide emergency psychiatric services, psychosocial and physical assessment of their patients, treatment plans, and manage patient care. While working in an interprofessional team, there is an increased chance of conflict between the team members regarding the superiority in the team. The truth is everyone is equal while working in a team and nobody should themselves subordinate to anyone. But sometimes the nurses and their opinions are ignored in an interprofessional team. Such events makes them reluctant to be a part of such teams (Martin Rogers, 2004). Task shifting is a common practice among the professionals now days (Reeves et.al, 2010). This would help the traditional professionals to relieve of their heavy workload. The nursing practitioners and physician assistants are such roles (Hooker McCaig, 2001). The multiplicative effects model of interprofessional working views it more than the sum of its parts. Here the synergy obtained from such work is described (Leathard, 1994). According to this model, interprofessional working improves the contributions of individual team members and thus will help in the overall development of team. Decision making is an essential in ingradient of all teams; it measures the efficiency of the group. Decision making in case of an interprofessional team also play key role deciding its service delivery process. The usual situation that happens in such teams is the unavailability of proper team leader and also reaching at a common consensus. The decision taken in team has the idea input all the members that needs to driven well in one direction for increasing effectiveness of the work the team does. Most of the important decisions concerning the activities of the team are taken mostly by the Doctors, or the medical staff in an inter professional team in hospitals. Solving important problems and resolving conflicts are the aims of masking decisions (Neil, 1978). There are a few hindrances for nurses to be part of interprofessional teams. The health care sector has shortages or less number of nurses, and those nurses who are available have increased amount of work. As a result of which there is a limitation in case of inter professional support and collaboration (Mckay Crippen, 2008). Another barrier that can be highlighted is the disinterest on the part of other departments to participate and actively involve in the team and work together. The culture and hierarchy of the organization also plays a role in the formation of teams in the organization. According to Henneman.et.al (1995) Collaboration involves a partnership characterized by mutual goals and commitments in which participants willingly become involved in planning and decision making. Henneman.et.al (1995) also proposed that collaboration is a process by which members of various disciplines (or agencies) share their expertise. Accomplishing this requires these individuals understand and appreciate what it is that they contribute to the whole. Many authors have suggested ways to make the intercollaboration more effective. According to Fullan (1993), effective collaborations operate in the world of ideas, examining existing practices critically, seeking better alternatives and working hard together at bringing about improvements and assessing their worth. According to Garner (1995) and Hoeman (1996), it should be by means of collaborative communication rather than shared communication that the interprofessional team approach evolves. Efforts were made from the part of many authors for increasing the literature on interprofessional education for health professional students. But Cooper, Carlisle, Gibbs, and Watkins (2001) pointed out this literature to be diverse including a relatively small amount of research data and much larger amounts of evaluation literature. There were almost thirty works done on interprofessional education and all of them aimed to increase the level of co-operation and understanding between the members in interprofessional teams as well as to encourage a high quality care for the patients. In olden times, the physical space for planning, decision making or joint activities in collaboration were all the same. It is because there were no medium for communicating from long distances. This kind of format was explained by Laungani in 1999 and Molyneux in 2001. The boom in information technology resulted in new approaches in this field. The use of email, video-conferencing, internet etc. have given a new look to interprofessional collaboration. Technology has resulted in an enhanced learning process as well increased the effectiveness of intercollaboration (Leathard 2003). The recent trends in inter-professionalism have acknowledged the need for marshalling the teams so that the members can work together sharing their thoughts in decision making, a mutual exchange of knowledge through teaching and learning, communication incorporated among the professionals and a finely tuned focus on involving the family of the patients into the process. Also there is an increasing identification of the necessity for interprofesional education for potential health care professionals. Another advancement that has happened in the interprofessional working groups is application of Lewins theory. This theory emphasize on the areas related to an individuals behavior and states that any change in rules would have an effect over the individual behavior (Ephross Vassil, 2005). This way the common issue of stereotyping that occurs in interprofessional working can be lessened. The development theory that was popular until now considered individual behavior as consistent. Both these theories are essential. I will be working for the betterment of the service provided to a patient using the things I learned. Working in an interprofessional team has made me get involved with the Doctors and other professional in the field and has helped to build a strategy that elevates the level of service rendering process. As a nurse am able to act in the right way a right direction in case of any emergency and otherwise. From now I will be able to put into practise the concept I learned. I am using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle for the case analysis. Reflective learning can be defined as an intentional process, where social context and experience are acknowledged, in which clients are active individuals, wholly present, engaging with others, and open to challenge, and the outcome involves transformation as well as improvement for both individuals and their organization (Brockbank, McGill and Beech, 2002:6). In the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, there are six components that help to gain knowledge from previous experiences. Gibbs (1988) have proposed about reflective learning that To reflect is not enough, you then have to put into practice the learning and new understanding you have gained therefore allowing the reflective process to inform your practice. The six components of Gibbs Reflective Cycle are: Description of the event- In this stage, one has to write down an abridged version of event that needs to be reflected upon. Hence it is important to get the maximum details about the event and in as objective way as u can in this stage. The answers to the following questions would help you here: Where were you? Who else was there? Why were you there? What were you doing there? What were other people doing? What had actually happened? What was the end result? The above questions would help in acquiring the relevant details about the event and summarize them. Feelings- Here you try to recall and explore the issues related to the event. These issues may be either ones that caused happiness or those which created dissatisfaction or grief in the mind of individual. Hence this is mainly concerned with the feelings of the person. Some relevant questions for this stage are: What was your feeling when the event started? What were your thoughts at that time? What do you feel about other peoples reactions? How did you feel about the result of the event? Enlist your emotions during this event. Hence all these questions are related to the feelings of the individual. Evaluation- In this stage, the event is evaluated based upon a pre-determined standard. After the evaluation, the event is given some value. Hence the following questions would be useful at this stage: What was it that made the experience a good one? What was bad about the experience? Analysis- In this stage, the event is broken down into small parts thus making it easier for exploration and judgment. The questions that may be useful here are: What made the event a success? What was it that you did well? What was it that other members did well? What went wrong? What you did that was wrong? What was the contribution of other members into this failure? Conclusion- This is the stage where you make the final judgment. After the evaluation and analysis, the individual would be quite aware about his own as well as other members contribution to the outcome of event. Thus the individual gains the ability to reflect upon his work from the past experiences. And this is what is called reflective learning. Hence the individual will become aware of his strengths and weak points and also learn about the abilities of other people. Action Plan- In this stage, the individual will think about his actions in the recurrence of similar event. He will decide about what he will be doing in such a case- Will his actions change? Will it be similar to before? Conclusion Finally the study focused through the Gibbs Reflective Cycle and it stated that in any sector especially the health care there is an elementary requirement of having an inter professional team. The study discussed about the importance of the reflection in the nursing practices as well as it application in daily routine. The team all ways will help in providing superior service since the decisions are taken as a team and under common grounds. Moreover, the inter-professional practices could vary more positive attitudes towards the team as well as within the social and health care.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Setting Of The Great Gatsby Essay -- essays research papers

The settings and backdrops in The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, are essential elements to the formation of the characters, symbolic imagery and the overall plot development. Fitzgerald uses East and West Egg communities to portray two separate worlds and two classes of people that are technically the same their status, but fundamentally different in their ideals. The physical geography of the settings is representative of the distance between classes of the East and West Eggers. Every setting connotes a different tone and enhances the imagery of story line. From the wealthy class of the "eggs", the desolate "valley of ashes", to the chaos of Manhattan. The imagery provided by Fitzgerald becomes an important tool in establishing the characters and their story. The separation between the east and the west shows the division between the people who are from each side. Generally, the West Coast represents a more laissez-faire attitude and is seen as the "new" land or world. Many people have dreamt of "going west" in search of a new life or vast treasures in the "wild" lands. Fitzgerald associates these qualities of the West with the characters Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby, who live on the West Egg. On the other side of the spectrum lie Tom Buchanan, Daisy, and Jordan Baker. These characters are associated with a stereotypical East Coast mindset which is more strict, traditional and ancestrally based, as opposed to the "new" and "wild" West. They resent anything that is unfamiliar to them such as the West Eggers with "new money" and no traditions. The distance and mindset of the East and West are symbolically integrated into the East Egg and West Egg which are representative of the soc ial class of which the characters come from. The physical settings establish the identities of the characters through their wealth and houses. The West Eggers represent the social class of the nouveau riche, people who have made fortunes recently in their generation instead of having inherited wealth. The East Eggers have had money in their blood for many generations and have an established presence in their community. The houses of both classes are evidence to this fact. Gatsby's mansion is designed in an newer European style unlike the Buchanan's more colonial style house and is decorated with... ...nt stage. The Great Gatsby starts out in the springtime, a time of new growth and beginning. The story takes place until the end of summer and beginning of autumn. As spring and summer pass by, steady improvements, it seems, are occurring in Nick and Gatsby's relationship. Gatsby's death is synonymous to the death in autumn. Falling leaves and dying shrubbery coincide with Gatsby's own death. The progression of the story is parallel to the changing of the seasons. The reflection of the tale can be seen through the weather and changing seasons. Fitzgerald uses the setting and seasonal change to create the progression of the characters, symbolism and the plot. The backdrops create the framework that the characters live in and interact. The setting of the story creates all the contrast between East and West, "new money" and "old money" and the social classes. Not only do the physical representations of these differences separate the characters and create their character, but also a more representative division is shown. By using symbolism embedded with actual display of its imagery, Fitzgerald is able to capture both, a symbolic essence and tangents of reality.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Margaret Atwood Essay

I came across the quote â€Å"Context is all; or is it ripeness? One or the other†[1] when reading Margaret Atwood’s novel â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale† for English. I didn’t give it much attention, because since I was 12, I had come to the conclusion that there was no such thing as a â€Å"fact† and every thought depended on other factors for it to be true. However in this essay I’m going to see if my original assumption was true or if there is a way to reach a truth through different branches of knowledge. I’m going to take the definition of â€Å"truth† from the dictionary, solely to have a base for which to compare the rest of the essay to; â€Å"A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle†[2].Which means that that there are facts that are backed by evidence, such as; it is 14:24 (at the time of writing). However in this case we can apply Atwood’s ‘context is all’, and change it to â€Å"context is location†, as this scenario isn’t necessarily true, seeing that in Sydney the time is 22:25, therefore the truth can be considered relative. Relativism is a doctrine where there is no absolute truth; that truth is always relative to some particular frame of reference, such as a language or a culture[3]. Which brings up a paradox as if someone were to say â€Å"context is irrelevant† meaning the truth would remain a truth in every situation, it would contradict themselves, as that statement would be relative depending on the context. Francis Bacon’s Empiricism or otherwise known perception, is the process of arriving at the truth through sense experience.[4] People use their five senses to arrive at a truth, however depending on the context, the exact same senses can make that truth false. An example that happens to me frequently is; when I look at a shirt, to me it looks black, but then when I put it under a stronger light and look at it carefully it often turns out to be dark blue. It doesn’t mean the senses are â€Å"faulty† or can’t be trusted, but the observation; truth, arrived from the use of perception, isn’t congruent when the context is changed. Another very bizarre example that happened to me last year when I bought my new phone; is before purchasing it, I didn’t know of anybody that had one, but as soon as I had it in my pocket I started realising that a lot of people around me had it as well. Language is the use of characters, symbols, images and sounds as a means of communicating a message.[5] We assume that language is a truth, as we have a general consensus of the different characters, symbols, images and sounds in language. However once again the truth is challenged with the â€Å"context is all† axiom, where in certain cases the truth behind language doesn’t stand. My father told me the following example; when Vice-President Richard Nixon, at the end of the 1950’s was visiting Colombia, he used the commonly known â€Å"OK† hand sign, denoted with a circle formed by the thumb and the first finger, with the remaining three fingers outstretched, to which the Colombian people, thought they were being called assholes. Rene Descartes’ Rationalism is the use of reason, be it inductive or deductive to logically arrive at the truth.[6] Descartes used reason to arrive at his famous; ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’, I think therefore I am.[7] He was asking the question â€Å"How do I know I exist ?† and he deduced by no more than reason that it all boiled down to; I doubt that I exist, therefore I think, ergo I am.  When I first heard this deduction, it seemed to me that it was flawless. However I remember looking around the room I was in at the time; I realised that objects such as the chairs, tables and even trees to an extent, couldn’t deduce their existence like Descartes did, therefore according to his deduction they wouldn’t exist. Once again I came to the conclusion that context will undermine truth.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Womens Roles in America in the Early 1800s

Women's Roles in America in the Early 1800s In the early 19th century in America, women had different experiences of life depending on what groups they were part of. A dominant ideology at the beginning of the 1800s was called Republican Motherhood: middle and upper-class white women were expected to be the educators of the young to be good citizens of the new country.   The other dominant ideology about gender roles that was common in the first half of the 1800s in white upper and middle-class circles was that of separate spheres: women were to rule the domestic sphere (home and raising children) and men the public sphere (business, trade, government). This ideology would have, if followed consistently, meant that women were not part of the public sphere at all. But there were a variety of ways that women did take part in public life. Biblical injunctions against women speaking in public discouraged many from that role, but some women became public speakers anyway. The end of the first half of the 19th century was marked by several woman’s rights conventions: in  1848, then again in 1850.  The Declaration of Sentiments of 1848 describes clearly the limits placed on women in public life before that time. African American Women and Native American Women Women of African descent who were enslaved had no real public life. They were considered property and could be sold and raped with impunity by those who, under the law, owned them.  Few participated in public life, though some came to public view. Many were not even recorded with a name in the records of the enslavers. A few participated in the public sphere as preachers, teachers, and writers. Sally Hemings, enslaved by Thomas Jefferson and was almost certainly his wife’s half-sister, was the mother of children most scholars accept Jefferson fathered. Hemings came to public view as part of an attempt by a political enemy of Jefferson to create a public scandal. Jefferson and Hemings themselves never publicly acknowledged the relationship, and Hemings didn’t participate in public life other than having her identity used. Sojourner Truth, who was emancipated from slavery by New York’s law in 1827, was an itinerant preacher. At the very end of the first half of the 19th century, she became known as a circuit speaker and even spoke on women’s suffrage just after the first half of the century.  Harriet Tubman’s first trip freeing herself and others was in 1849. Some African American women became teachers. Schools were often segregated by sex as well as race. As one example, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was a teacher in the 1840s, and also published a book of poetry in 1845.  In other free black communities in northern states, other African American women were able to be teachers, writers, and active in their churches.  Maria Stewart, part of Boston’s free black community, became active as a lecturer in the 1830s, though she only gave two public lectures before she retired from that public role.  Sarah Mapps Douglass in Philadelphia not only taught but founded a Female Literary Society for other African American women, aimed at self-improvement. Native American women in some nations had major roles in making decisions of the community.  But because this didn’t fit the dominant white ideology that was guiding those who were writing history, most of these women are unnamed in history.  Sacagawea is known because she was a guide for a major exploratory project, her language skills needed for the success of the expedition. White Women Writers One area of public life assumed by a few women was the role of a writer. Sometimes (as with the Bronte sisters in England), they would write under male pseudonyms and sometimes under ambiguous pseudonyms.  Margaret Fuller not only wrote under her own name, but she also published a book on Women of the Nineteenth Century before her untimely death in 1850.  She had also hosted famous conversations among women to further their â€Å"self-culture.† Elizabeth Palmer Peabody ran a bookstore that was a favorite gathering place for the Transcendentalist circle.   Women’s Education In order to fulfill the aims of Republican Motherhood, some women gained access to more education so- at first- they could be better teachers of their sons, as future public citizens, and of their daughters, as future educators of another generation. So one public role for women was as teachers, including founding schools.  Catherine Beecher and Mary Lyon are among notable women educators. The first African American woman to graduate from college did so in 1850. Elizabeth Blackwell’s graduation in 1849 as the first woman physician in the United States shows the change that would end the first half and begin the second half of the century, with new opportunities gradually opening for women. Women Social Reformers Lucretia Mott, Sarah Grimkà ©, Angelina Grimkà ©, Lydia Maria Child, Mary Livermore, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others became publicly active in the abolitionist movement. Their experience there, of being put in second place and sometimes denied the right to speak publicly or limited to speaking to women, helped lead some of these same women to work later for women’s emancipation from the â€Å"separate spheres† ideological role. Women at Work Betsy Ross may not have made the first United States flag, as legend credits her, but she was a professional flagmaker at the end of the 18th century. She continued her work through several marriages as a seamstress and businesswoman. Many other women worked in various jobs, sometimes alongside husbands or fathers, and sometimes, especially if widowed, on their own. The sewing machine was introduced into factories in the 1830s. Before that, most sewing was done by hand at home or in small businesses. With the introduction of machines for weaving and sewing fabric, young women, especially in farm families,  began to spend a few years before marriage working in the new industrial mills, including the Lowell Mill in Massachusetts. The Lowell Mill also channeled some young women into literary pursuits and saw what was probably the first women’s labor union in the United States. Setting New Standards Sarah Josepha Hale  had to go to work to support herself and her children when she was widowed. In 1828, she became the editor of a magazine that later evolved into Godeys Ladys Magazine, and was billed as  the first magazine edited by a woman for women ... either in the Old World or the New.  Ironically, perhaps, it was Godeys Ladys Magazine that promoted the ideal of women in the domestic sphere and helped establish a middle and upper-class standard for how women should carry out their home life. Conclusion Despite a general ideology that the public sphere should be exclusively male, some notable women did participate in public affairs.  While women were prohibited from some public jobs- such as being a lawyer- and were rarely accepted in many others, the women of the early 1800s had public roles. Some women worked (enslaved, as factory workers, at home and small businesses), some women wrote, and some were activists.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Iggys Bread of the World Essay Example

Iggys Bread of the World Essay Example Iggys Bread of the World Paper Iggys Bread of the World Paper April 12, 2010 Iggy’s Bread of the World c/o Igor and Ludmilla Ivanovic 130 Fawcett Street Cambridge, MA 02138-1112 Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ivanovic: I am glad to have the opportunity to work with you both on concerns regarding your company. I have read the background information about that you sent me and in regards to your COO Mr. Matthew McRae, I would like to make a few observations and recommendations. First, I would like to start with a quote from Mrs. Ivanovic from the material you sent me, â€Å"It’s not just about a business where we need to make money. I want our employees to get pleasure out of what they do. I want them involved with the company. I want them to like what they do, to be excited to come in and have initiative and be proud of what they do. † I see this as the foundation of your company and I will reference this quote occasionally. Another reference would be when a venture capitalist wanted to invest in your company, expanded the company, and said, â€Å"If you grow it to a point and go public, sell it, then you will make a lot. † Both of you did not like that idea at all. Mrs. Ivanovic stated, â€Å"I would never accept selling out because it’s everything I don’t believe in and I wouldn’t want any part of it. I would never sell Iggy’s just for money. I make point of these two areas because I want to refresh your memory a little of where you have come from. When you approached Mr. McRae to come work at Iggy’s he had previously run a leasing company, which had gone public several months earlier. Therefore, McRae just did to the leasing company what you didn’t want done with Iggy’s by the venture capitalist. A leasing company is nothing like a bakery; Mr. McRae was used to dealing with companies that were in the business to make money. For Iggy’s it wasn’t all about the money as I stated above it was as Mrs. Ivanovic put it threefold: â€Å"one part is the bread and the quality of the product; two is our work†¦the employees†¦it’s a good bakery, but it is also has to be a healthy business; and three is the community, how we deal with outside customers, how we can make a difference by not treating them like a number. † From what I read Mr. McRae did not follow any of these three parts. For him it was about hiring relatives and friends, to give everyone a fancy title and about making money. I am not sure that anyone that Mr. McRae hired had the experience for the job they had been hired for and none had a background in a bakery or a food type of business. As stated in the material I received your employees are unhappy as well because â€Å"they perceive the management team as too isolated from the operations and culture that were at the heart of the company. † All indicators show that the management team and Mr. McRae did not buy into the unique culture that is Iggy’s and the vision of Mrs. Ivanovic. Finally, I will state that both parties are responsible for the disagreements that they are having. Mr. Ivanovic hired Mr. McRae on a feeling that he would be a good fit and did not set any ground rules when it came to his input into hiring people in certain leadership positions. That being said he did give Mr. McRae warning that he wanted to have input after hiring Diane Coleman for Vice President of Sales and Marketing. So it is understandable that Mr. Ivanovic would be upset when Mr. McRae hired another manager without consulting him. These are a few of my observations, but I feel they make my point when it comes to my recommendation. My recommendation would be to accept Mr. McRae’s letter of resignation and let him go. His proposal states the real reason for the way he has been acting. It is all about making money to him and not about the people or the culture of Iggy’s. His previous actions would only get worse if he was retained. Working through a mediator or consultant is no way to run a business. Let him have his opportunity to be one of the people making millions with a start-up, it just won’t be yours. Once that is accomplished you can move ahead with getting his replacement without the stress of having him around. Mr. Ivanovic’s brother Nikola can help run the business for a short time while you work on getting Mr. McRae’s replacement. Expect some if not all of Mr. McRae’s hires to leave when he leaves. Once the new person is hired he/she can decide whether to keep or let go of the people originally hired by Mr. McRae. Next, I would then sit down with your board of directors and work out exactly what type of manager is required to run the business. It should be someone from the same type of business you are running with management and operating skills. A lot has been learned by your interactions with Mr. McRae, so list the things that he did that you liked and the things you didn’t like. Come up with a vision and mission that everyone can agree to. List the important areas that you do not want to change and what areas that can be changed. Determine how much control of the business you are willing to share or give up entirely. Have specific goals in mind; think about long-term goals and strategies. Identify strengths and weakness, so you can hire someone that complements you. Evaluate personalities to get a sense of their managerial style, interview direct reports at three previous positions to get a feel for the person you are thinking of hiring will fit-in. When it is time to hire include the board of directors in the interviews and let them have a vote in the final hiring. This will help take the emotion out of the decision making process and allow everyone buy-in. Hopefully, I have addressed your concerns and that my recommendations are helpful. I will be happy to answer any questions or elaborate on any of my observations and recommendations. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Joe Smith

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example crucial idea that the work at hand emphasises, but prior to seeing the big picture about it, it is also important to learn the other significant things about Costco. Costco was originally operating under the name of Price Club in 1976. The firm is founded by James Sinegal and Jeffrey H. Brotman. In 1983, the first Costco warehouse was instituted in Seattle Washington. In 1993, Costco merged with Price Club, calling it PriceCostco, while dominantly employing the business model and size of Price Club, which generated billion dollar sales every year. However, Robert Price, the founder of Price club left PriceCostco and started Price Enterprises in 1994. This left Costco alone and led it to rebrand the firm as Costco Wholesale in 1997 including all those Price Club locations it had already established. Costco is the second largest retailer in the US and the fifth largest retailer in the world (Said, 2013). Today, Costco is known for its ability to provide high value for customers, especially when it comes to its highly affordable and varied product offerings. The company carries a â€Å"broad line of product categories including groceries, appliances, television and media, automotive supplies, toys, hardware, sporting goods, jewelry, cameras, books, housewares, apparel, health and beauty aids, tobacco, furniture, office supplies, and office equipment† (Sander & Bobo, 2011). Perhaps, one will call Costco a one-stop shop, with high affordability, enough to help the small to medium-sized businesses to save on their purchases for them to be able to resale. However, Costco’s leading sales came from individual consumer, the firm’s ultimate growth driver (Sander & Bobo, 2011). There are many things to understand about Costco, which primarily include its values, mission, vision and objective. However, aside from this, ideas concerning its current related-marketing moves and stakeholders are also vital considerations in understanding this firm. â€Å"Costco’s mission is

Friday, November 1, 2019

Is try and relate the problem of Internet privacy with the problem of Essay

Is try and relate the problem of Internet privacy with the problem of intellectual property - Essay Example Due to this violation of laws and rules governing intellectual property can easily be violated seeing that there are no measures to log information on the people flouting the laws. This is as seen in free file sharing websites where one may download and even upload copyrighted works from and to the internet respectively. Therefore, such websites do not appear to have any form of the privacy policy this are usually open to abuse by users and the general public, where intellectual property is plagiarized and used for personal and commercial gain at the expense of the original owner. This is due to lack of logging of user details or information in order to keep track of such users who violate intellectual property regulations blatantly, and with sheer disregard of ethical issues. Information from privacy policies is meant to ensure that the user of the internet has an idea of what he or she is doing and what information of a personal nature can or will be logged. For this reason piratin g or plagiarizing information from the internet is an easy as a website can easily be sued for violating a privacy policy that an internet user has agreed to; meaning that intellectual property is stolen under the guise of privacy policies over the internet. In addition, the privacy policies found on the internet only dictate the terms of usage of the website that one visits or the expected behaviour of the said websites. This means that the privacy policy has little to do with the intellectual property therein the said sites, or even its terms of usage. Instead, the terms of usage concerning intellectual properties are found in the copyright statement, which talks of how to legally intellectual property (Kinsella, 2011). Privacy policies are created to safeguard internet users from having their details collected and used for personal or commercial purposes by unscrupulous people. With this in mind, copyright laws are meant to take care of the needs of intellectual property where th ey define how certain aspects of intellectual property can or may be used. These two policies work together for the good of all parties involved in the usage of objects in question. However, with the rapid development in technology and new ways of violating policies governing intellectual property all thanks to discovery of new loopholes not covered in the conventional regulations (Castillo, 2011). This means that the two are facing similar challenges in application of updates to help prevent violations of privacy and copyright issues. This is as seen with the upcoming ways of stealing intellectual works over the internet, which was not originally covered in older books as compared to those that exist currently. On the internet privacy policy part there are similar changes in which new ways of collecting user information is discovered almost every day leading to new challenges in regulating the use of user information. The only positive side to the collection of information is on th en customization of content over the internet. All this is while intellectual property has no upside to infringement except possibly for its exposure to larger numbers of people if the content was used on a legal basis. This translates directly to that internet privacy policy and problems related to intellectual property face similar problems when it comes to the application of technology. There

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Navigating to Life's Distant Shores Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Navigating to Life's Distant Shores - Essay Example We either make it or we don't. We know of our success by the fact that we have arrived. We have fulfilled our goal and have set foot upon the next stepping-stone of our voyage. Our footing must be certain and secure, as a small error can cause us to lose our footing and cast us out among the grave uncertainties that lie just outside our plotted path. Planning our passage through the developmental stages of life has all the euphoric possibilities and rewards of celestial navigation; it requires skill, tools and planning, and a certain sense of where we currently are. Nothing can bring us greater elation than reaching a carefully planned goal that we have struggled to achieve, while challenging the obstacles and roadblocks that impeded our path. Getting from high school to college is very much like sailing the open seas without the security of the sight of land. It requires the skill that we have gained over our too few years, as we have no way to know what the destination will be like until we arrive. Yet, by being prepared we can remove much of the uncertainty and take much of the destination that we expect to find with us. Our task is to simply find the destination within ourselves. Gerrard states that, "Hardly anything on earth is as exhilarating as sailing into a new harbor at sunrise after a nighttime passage offshore across open water" (248). As we prepare our journey into our future, we must carefully navigate our culture, society, peer pressure, and traditions, often alone and in the dark of night. The exhilaration of reaching our destin ation will be ours alone, and only we have the skill to successfully find our unique path to the dawning of a new opportunity. Putting this skill to work will require the careful management of the tools that will we need to be able to formulate a workable plan, as we move across the uncharted waters of growth. For the high school student making their journey to college, this planning began years earlier as they begin to collect the tools of academics. While the ocean navigator has the hardware of a compass, sextant, and chronometer the student will carry tools that are more abstract in nature, but no less concrete. The student will need the skill of critical thinking. Have they learned to question, analyze, and criticize, without emotion or malice Have they been properly tempered in the cauldron of education to accept that knowledge may be "contingent, ambiguous, and tentative" (Bean 18) Has their imagination learned to make a leap and connect two seemingly unconnected dots Gerard speaks of these tools as possessing "a magical quality and were treated with the reverent care usually reserved for sacred relics " (258). The navigator cares for his tools by maintaining them in "elaborately carved and inlaid wooden boxes", as a way to highlight their status and importance. The academician cares for their tools by constant use, as if oiling and cleaning them daily to keep them ready for use on a moments notice. Just as the navigator hears the sound of the waves and the smell of the seas to alert them if they have gone off course, the academic will hear the conversations, the media, and the world around them to sense if they are still on solid ground and in line with their destination. Plotting a course to our next destination along life's journey requires that we have a secure sense of where we are starting from, and where we

Monday, October 28, 2019

Bob Dylan Poetry Essay Example for Free

Bob Dylan Poetry Essay A comparison of recordings of Bob Dylans All along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix offers a vivid case study of what Samuel Floyd characterizes as the complementary oppositions of African- and European-derived musical processes and events. The song itself draws together elements of ballad and blues traditions; and the two recordings treat this synthesis in very different ways even as they share the common ground of late 1960s rock. Dylans is a spare, acoustic folk-rock rendition, while Hendrixs is an opulent electric spectacle whose sonic and syntactic conception npacks the latent drama only suggested by the original. In the process, Hendrix offers an alternative answer to the songs existential dilemma implied in its lyrics and emphasized in its musical setting. This paper examines the elements and the workings of the dialogic interaction represented first of all in Dylans song, and then in the transformation it undergoes in Hendrixs version. His use of language was unusual, and called attention to itself by Juxtaposing words and images not usually associated with each other. In contrast, All Along The Watchtower is spare and restrained. The song consists of only three verses, with no chorus. The language is simple. Yet the three verses are packed with meaning and drama. Lets see how it starts. There must be some kind of way out of here, OSaid the Joker to the thief. Notice how Dylan starts the song by throwing us into the middle of a conversation, and begins with an urgent statement. We dont know where the here is from which the speaker wants to escape, but we know he wants out. The sense of drama is immediate. We find out that the two people speaking are the joker and the thief. These are archetypal characters that have existed in one form r another for thousands of years. By identifying them in this way, Dylan invokes a sense of timelessness. Because these fgures are broad archetypes, there is already a suggestion that this might be a parable of some sort, a story whose essence remains the same over many different times, places and characters. The Joker, or Jester, can be seen in general to represent the artist: s omeone whose role is to amuse other members of the established order, but also to provoke them, to suggest alternate ways of looking at reality. And, of course, the Joker and the thief are both outsiders of sort, united in their separation from more ordered segments of society. Theres too much confusion, 01 cant get no relief. 0Businessmen, they drink my wine, OPIowmen dig my earth. ONone of them along the line 0Know what any of it is worth. The rest of the verse tells us why the Joker wants to escape: there is too much confusion. But what is confused? Others are benefiting from his labors, and working for him to help produce the results. But neither understands the worth of their efforts. So the confusion is about values: what is valuable and what is not. No reason to get xcited, 0The thief he kindly spoke. 0There are many here among us OWho feel that life is but a Joke. 0But you and l, weve been through that, OAnd this is not our fate. So let us not talk falsely now, 0The hour is getting late. The second verse begins with the thief speaking kindly to the Joker. This adverb lets us know that he is sympathetic and that he, perhaps, understands the worth of the Joker and his efforts. the thief and the Joker know better, having lived through that. So while others may still be confused, these two are not. Since they understand the value of life, it is mportant for them to be truthful with one another. Then the last line of the verse brings us back from exposition to a sense of drama and movement, and impending action: the hour is getting late. All along the watchtower, OPrinces kept the view, 0 While all the women came and went † 0Barefoot servants too. 00utside in the cold distance, OA wildcat did growl. 0Two riders were approaching, and 0The wind began to howl. The beginning of this final verse suddenly shifts the scene, without at first giving us any sense of how this new setting connects to the first one. In contrast to the first two verses, which were full of conversation, this verse unfolds almost cinematically, full of visual imagery. This new scene is populated with princes, women, and barefoot servants, establishing a time and place in the past, although again using enduring, archetypal fgures. These fgures guarding their castle seem to represent established society, and the existing power structure. But what are they guarding against? A wildcat growls from a distance, suggesting the savage, untamed power of nature lurking Just beyond the well-ordered lights of the castle. Then we see the two riders approaching. Suddenly, in only four words, the first two verses are connected with the last. With a sort of cinematic establishing shot, but used at the end of the story rather than the beginning, we see the thief and the Joker approaching the castle. We already know that they want to establish a different set of values, one based on the worth of human life. Their approach towards the guarded castle suggests an impending confrontation. And then the last line of the song strengthens this suggestion with imagery of a furious storm starting to build. Note how this last verse has made physical the relationships suggested in the previous lines. The thief, Joker and wildcat are all placed outside the castle, which is occupied by princes and servants. So we now have, in a very concrete sense, independent outsiders and a rigid power hierarchy. Dylans accomplishment here is nothing less than amazing. In the space of a few verses, in a song so spare it could almost be missed as a throw-away, Dylan manages to accomplish all of the following. Summarizes his own life to date. Given his earlier efforts to make pointed fun f almost everything around him, and his near-fatal motorcycle crash that marked a turning point in his career, it is hard not to see the Joker as Dylan himself. He has now learned that life is not a Joke, and distinguishes between artists and outsiders who understand the seriousness of life, versus the businessmen and fans who treat his art as simply a marketable commodity. Identifies the primary issue of our time as one of values. Modern thinkers such as Ken Wilber, with his image of our contemporary flatland, in which everything is seen as neutral, and devoid of value, are brought to mind. In earlier songs Dylan talked tirelessly of modern fgures misunderstanding the significance of issues such as war, freedom and poverty. Here Dylan stands back from these specific issues and reduces the confrontation to its essential element: human values against the established order. Propels his theme with a powerful dramatic structure. From a traditional dramatic viewpoint, almost nothing happens in this song: two riders talk to each play. Yet by repeatedly hinting at the intensity of a coming confrontation, and by identifying the two opposing forces, Dylan keeps us on the edges of our seats, ondering what will happen next. The effect at the end is comparable to the conclusion of William Butler Yeats famous poem, The Second Coming: And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? In both cases, there is a perceptible chill creeping up the spine, as the poet leaves his reader to contemplate the inevitability and intensity of the coming confrontation, and its consequences. Well, so much for the lyrics. Dylans original reading of the song is as spare and compact as his words, with the music adding little. Hendrix treatment is whole different matter, though. The first element to note is how the music here parallels the dramatic structure of the song. Listen to the opening drums and guitars, as one example. (Audio clip 44K. ) The beat starts, intensifies, and then stops. As in the lyrics, the power is hinted at, but not unleashed. The music, like the words, points towards some future action, presents the tension, but does not resolve it. This device is repeated throughout the song, with Hendrix mostly holding back, repeatedly returning the song to its basically quiet pace. The second element I want to note is Hendrix use of guitar to represent the confusion that the Joker is experiencing. This is a perfect role for Jimi, of course, since his guitar parts often defy our normal expectations for the instrument. He uses bent notes, a wah-wah pedal, and other devices to represent a disorienting, almost inhuman sonic landscape. Here is one example. (Audio clip 128K. ) The third musical element I want to comment on, and the one that really frames and defines the whole song, is Jimis repeated, gradually progressing ascents up the scale with blistering notes. Here is what I mean, the first ime it appears, at the beginning of the first guitar break, between the first and second verses. Audio clip 16K. ) Here is what it sounds like at the end of the second, and longer, guitar break, between the second and third verses. (Audio clip 40K. ) And here, finally, is the way it sounds at the end of the song. (Audio clip 220K. ) Notice how Jimi seems to be gradually reaching for a note that he only finally hits at the end of the song. And then when he gets there, he repeats it, over and over, making a high keening sound, representing not only the howling wind referred to in the last line, ut that coming conflict that the song so clearly prepares us for. And the music ends on this note, as do the lyrics, without resolution, but clearly pointing forwards to some anticipated future act of liberation. This is simply a brilliant collaboration between songwriter and musician, the accompaniment extending and reinforcing the meaning and drama of the lyrics, and showcasing the unique possibilities of the electric guitar along with nothing more than a bass, drum kit and acoustic guitar. Listening to this song is like trying to find your way through a washed-out desert at unset. Hes making some harsh criticisms of American society during the Vietnam era, but the music is so mellow and the lyrics so strange its like hes daring you not to pay attention. Aside from that, All Along the Watchtower is a song that defined the late 1960s, when the calm, disciplined protests of the early decade were degenerating into violence and confusion. No wonder Dylan ends the song with a howling wind. Hendrix got around to covering this song, it sealed the deal: the guitar solo at the end has come to embody the splitting apart of order into screeching, and possibly iberating, chaos. Hendrixs version has been used in countless movies and television shows, from the Spike Lee Joint Clockers to Forrest Gump to the episode in The Simpsons when Homers mother, an ex-hippie terrorist, returns to Springfield. And, if nothing else, its cool to think that Dylan has performed this song more than any other. Not many people are aware that Bob Dylan was the original writer and singer of All Along the Watchtower. Since Bob Dylan wrote the song, two other widely known artists have done their own version of this song: Jimi Hendrix and The Dave Matthews Band. Although it is the same song Just done by different singers, each song has its own characteristics which makes them appear as very different songs. In this paper, I will compare how each of these artists adds their own touch to the song by the use of their instruments. If you have ever heard any of Bob Dylans songs, you know that he as a very mellow tone to all of them. All Along the Watchtower is no different. Dylan uses only a very few instruments. At the very beginning of the song, you will hear a harmonica which immediately makes you want to hear the rest of the song. The only other instruments I can hear in Dylans version of the song are a guitar and drums. Throughout the song you hear Bob Dylan. An influential poet, writer, and musician who redefined American pop music. Dylan was able to use his skills to successfully reach an outstanding degree of accomplishments. Being able to take the term literature and give it a whole new meaning, Dylan has made a significant change in todays music listeners. Dylan was capable of taking his ability to write, his ability to perform, and putting them with the time he had to spare to become one of the most enigmatic, prolific performers in the world. In the time of Bob Dylans music, the world separated literature and music. Music included lyrics, beats, rhythms, and instruments. Literature, on the other hand, was strictly for poetry, ballads, letters, and stories. Never before had anyone considered the opportunity for song lyrics to be considered literature. People strongly thought of the two as being very different categories. With both literature and music being respected in their own unique way, Bob Dylan came along to add a new element. During his time, Dylan was known for his touching songs, however, many did not onsider him a poet. This thought was false. Dylan was a poet first aln meetings, Bob Dylan had raised an interesting question. Is it possible for a performance art to be considered literature (Marcus 119)? Bob Dylans music was unique; he was able to intertwine his lyrics through the life he had lived and through the events of the world around him. Some events in Dylans life were the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War. Dylan would come to be known for playing at concerts that were protesting the war at hand. Many young adults would flock to hear the man who new Just how to express the words. The words that expressed his deeper most feeling were the same words that comforted these many young adults by the mass. With people feeling the same sorrows as Dylan himself, it was his words that little significance. It was all in the words. l wanted Just a song to sing, and there came a point where I couldnt sing anything. I had to write what I wanted to sing cos what I wanted to sing, nobody else was writing (Spitz 407). Dylan shared this feeling with others everywhere. It is possible that him writing songs was the only way to say what needed to be said.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

astronomy :: essays research papers

Space exploration has been going on since the 1960s. Both women and men have traveled in space. Every day we are discovering different things about space from satellites and astronauts, and every day more people are landing on the moon. The first human, the first animal, and the first spacecraft in orbit, were all Soviet achievements. There are many reasons why space is explored and why people take the time to explore the solar system. One reason is that we want to find out how our solar system was created and how it works, and another reason is that we want to find out how all the planets move and how they change rotations. We also want to learn about everything on the planets and how to make advanced enough spacecrafts so that we can visit all the planets. The first man to travel in space was Yuri Gagarin. He made history on April 12, 1961, by orbiting the earth in the Votsok 1. His flight was one hour and 48 minutes long, going at a speed of about 17,000 mph on the Votsok 1 as he circled the earth. Gagarin was later killed in a crash of a test airplane. Neil Armstrong was the first person to ever land on the moon. He was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and after he graduated from college in 1955 he joined NASA. In 1962 he became the first civilian to enter an astronaut training program. In 1969 Armstrong lead the Apollo 11 mission and became the first person to set foot on the moon. His companions were Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins. In 1971 Armstrong became a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Valentina Vladimora Nikolayeva Tereshkova was the first woman to be in space. She joined a Soviet training program in 1961 and in 1963 she successfully orbited the earth 48 times in the Votsok 6. "Born Galileo Galilei, his main contributions were, in astronomy, the use of the telescope in observation and the discovery of sunspots, lunar mountains and valleys, the four largest satellites of Jupiter, and the phases of Venus." In December 1609, Galileo built a telescope of 20 times magnification, and with it he could see craters and mountains on the moon. He also saw that the Milky Way was made up of stars and looked at the four largest satellites of Jupiter.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Offer and Acceptance Essay

For this case the major issue is whether a valid contract is made between Tina and Yatie, and whether the the offer by Yatie was revoked or not. According to (Miller & Jentz, 2010) every contract will involve atleast two parties. That is the offeror and the offeree. The offerer is the party who makes the offer, and the offeree is the person to whom the offer is made to. OFFER As per (Clarkson, Miller, Jentz, & Cross, 2009) an offer is a promise or commitment to do or not to do a certain thing. And there are three elements for an effective offer to be legally bounding from the common law. They are: the intention must be serious, its terms should be definite, and must be communicated to the oferee. In this case Yatie sends the offer letter proposing to supply hancrafts to Tina. The offer clearly satisfies these elements. Firstly it is evident that Yatie’s serious intention as she requested a written acceptance from Tina, as an objective aproach. If we look in to the case of Lucy v. Zehmer, 196 Va. 493; 84 S.E.2d 516 [1954], the parties signed a document which was for the sale of land and it was binding. Similarly in this case the intention to create legal relations is evident from the Yaties request to Tina to send a written acceptance. Secondly it has clear terms (to supply handcrafts) of what they are going to do. The offer from Yatie was clear in this case, and unlike in the case of Ahmad Meah & Anor v. Nacodah Merican [1890] 4 Ky 583 where offer was too vague. And for the last element, the communication of the offer was complete when it was received by Tina (the intended party) on 4th September 2011 and when it becomed knowledge to Tina, in line with the section 4(1) of the Contracts Act 1950: Act 136 (CA) So the offer by Yatie was complete. ACCEPTANCE Looking into the acceptance, Tina’s acceptance was communicated by her staff Anis. Acceptance is the voluntary agreement to the terms of the offer by the offeree (Clarkson, Miller, Jentz, & Cross, 2009). As Tina requested her staff Anis (an agent for Tina while Tina is the principal) to noitify her acceptance of the offer to Yatie. According to (Schneeman, 2010) because of the fiduciary relationship between the agent and the principal, the agent can act on behalf of the principal. If Anis accepted the offer as in the case of Powell v Lee [1908] 99 LT 284, then the acceptance will be held as not communicated. But in this case Anis was given actual authority from Tina by granting expressly verbally to accept the proposal of Yatie by asking to fax the acceptance. When Anis telephoned on 7th September 2011 to Yatie’s office to confirm the acceptance, that is also acceptance enough, as in the case of Tinn v Hoffman [1873] 29 LT 271 the ruling was although a writen acceptance is requested, other methods such as telegram and verbal messeges can be used as means of acceptance. Even in the case of Adams v Lindsell [1818] EWHC KB J59 it was held that that the acceptance was communicated although the acceptance letter got misdirected and delayed. Therefore Tina’s acceptance will be effective on 6th September 2011. When Anis posted the letter on 6th September 2011, the acceptance was completed; as from that moment onwards the control of delivering the message is out of control by Anis on behalf of Tina. Section 4(2)(a) of CA affirms so for the acceptor. And according to (Miller & Jentz, 2010) for such situations the ‘mail box rule’, which is also reffered to as the ‘postal rule’ or the ‘deposited acceptance rule’ will apply. And this rule was formed to avoid the confusion of situations similar to this case of Tina and Yatie. CONSIDERATION Consideration is the reason for the promise. And if there is no consideration in an agreement, the contract would be void as per Section 26 of CA. In this case Tina commited to receive Yatie’s offer of handicrafts supply, and the commitment is consideration enough as per Section 2(d) of CA. Yatie will expect Tina to complete her transaction. And with Tina’s acceptance, her commitment will probably have affected her other business activities, and she also probably have rejected other business opportunities and offers due to her commitment to Yatie. So the consideration has passed between Yatie and Tina. REVOCATION When the revocation of the offer is sent the acceptance is already posted. And the outcome is that the revocation by the offoror will only be effective when the revocation becomes knowledge to the offeree. But when the oferee dispatches the acceptance, it will instantly be effective. The case of Byrne v Van Tienhoven [1880] 5 CPD 344 illustrates the acceptance & revocation of the offer by postal rule. In that case the facts are that the revocation of the offer will only be communicated when the offeree receive it. And not on the date the offeror posts the revocation. Section 4(2)(b) of CA gives the condition that the offerors revocation will only be completed when the intended party is aware about it. And for the revocation SMS on 8th September 2011 by Yatie would not apply, as it was sent after the acceptance by Tina which was on the 6th September 2011. For example even if the Yatie’s SMS was sent before the acceptance, the revocation will still not be effective because as per the section 4(2)(b) of CA. But if we look into the case of Holwell Securities v Hughes [1974] 1 WLR 155, the postal rule was overruled, since the defendant had specified to give the acceptance notice in writing before a certain deadline and was held that the offeror should actually receive it. Based on this ground, Yatie can claim that she had specified the acceptance to be given in writing and she did not actually receive the acceptance. But if we look into the section 5 (3) of the CA, a proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance, and is complete as against the proposer, but not afterwards. And thus the above said case (Holwell v Hughes) is overruled by the contracts Act. And in this case offer, acceptance and consideration were complete. And revocation by Yatie was not complete since Tina did not receive it before her acceptance. So, looking in to the facts, its highly probable for a valid promise to exist between Yatie and Tina.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Weight Of A Nation Consequences

In order to see proper as made the problem needs to be addressed and programs created to benefit the lifestyle f Americans. It was very interesting for me to see how much of an impact the Bugaboos He art Study has had on our nation. It was the only study of its kind that was able to monitor or obesity from young children into their adulthood lives.Some of the statistics that shocked me were: children who are obese are eight times more likely to have heart disease as a n adult 77 percent of children who were obese remained obese as an adult h of society are able to maintain a healthy weight people who come from a lower socioeconomic status have higher obesity rat sees obesity increases asthma rates by 52 percent limited play space for children affects their overall health As I took the time to really think about obesity and what is means to America thought a lot about my family.Growing up we didn't have the greatest socio anomic status. There were always challenges and struggles. As a result there are members w ho struggle with obesity within my family. I can look further back and can see the results of o exist generations in the past. This video really helped me to understand the many consequence s that occur due to obesity. Live that access to fast food just killing lifestyle in our nation. T here was a quote that really liked from the video. Order to make a change, it has to be a co and nation outreach for change. † I couldn't agree more. In order to be able to see a change think that it needs to be targeted not only in communities but as a nation. Very go d video that opened my eyes to the reality of obesity.