Philosophy - God's Existence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy - God's Existence - Essay Example In either case, belief in the existence/non-existence of God is the prime motivating force behind the manner in which we choose to lead our lives. Arguments for the existence of God are generally categorized into the ontological, cosmological and teleological. Saint Anselm uses abstract reasoning as proof of God’s existence. He conceives of God as a perfect being, â€Å"a being than which nothing greater can be conceived† (Anselm para1). This concept of God is understood even by the non-believer. Therefore, God exists in the understanding and cannot be conceived not to exist. Since the concept of God in understood and exists, God exists in reality. Saint Thomas Aquinas bases his argument on cosmology, which propounds that the existence of the world is contingent and must have a cause. Aquinas argues that motion, which is undisputed, predicates the existence of a mover. In this context, God is the â€Å"First Mover put in motion by no other† (Aquinas 58). Likewise, it is undeniable that everything has a cause and God here is the â€Å"First Efficient Cause† (58). Everything that exists has a necessity caused by another. God emerges as a necessary being, having his own inherent necessity and causing all other necessities. The acceptance of comparative degrees of quality: more and less, mandates the existence of â€Å"something which is uttermost† (59). This perfection is God. As all nature is designed to function towards the achievement of a particular purpose, it follows that this purpose has been ordained by an â€Å"intelligent being† (60), that is, God. Coming to the teleological argument, William Paley uses the analogy of a watch to assert that something as complex as nature has been ordered and specifically designed to serve a particular purpose. Therefore, even if we are unable to grasp the design and are aware of the defects, we cannot but acknowledge the contrivance which springs from â€Å"the intelligence of the

Hiroshima- John Hersey Essay Essay Example for Free

Hiroshima- John Hersey Essay Essay ‘Hiroshima is not merely a documentary, Hersey manages to inject into the narrative both compassion and awareness of the ultimate triumph of humanity. ’ Discuss Hiroshima from this perspective. Hiroshima is an historic depiction of a disaster that shocked the world. Utilizing the experiences of six Japanese atomic bomb survivors Hersey expresses compassion and awareness of the city’s triumph over the disaster. The narrative creates compassion by showing perseverance of common people and their journeys to overcome the tragedy. By using the patriotism of the dying victims Hersey creates empathy and outlines the nation’s indefatigable pride, He depicts Hiroshima’s triumph as a community uniting together to help each other in a time of adversity. The narrative focuses on six bomb survivors and their accounts during and after the bomb. Using the accounts of the survivors’ Hersey is able to extract compassion to the reader. Mrs Hatsuyo Nakamura was a widowed mother of three who suffered great poverty after the bomb; she was left torn and fragile. Suffering from radiation sickness and no means of income, Mrs Nakamura never loses hope. In an attempt to overcome her obstacles she worked countless jobs but barely earned enough to suffice. Regardless of how hard the task was physically and emotionally Mrs N was willing to do and sacrifice anything for the good of her children She earned barely enough for food†¦ Her belly began to swell up, and she had diarrhoea and so much pain she could no longer work at all†¦ The doctor treated Nakamura-san†¦to pay the doctor she was forced to sell her last valuable possession, her husband’s sewing machine. (p119, 120). And after all the hardship she was finally able to rebuild her life slowly: She felt at home in her body now; she rested when she needed, and she had no worries about the cost of medical care†¦It was time for her to enjoy life. (p128). Using her experiences Hersey is able to construct an emotional bond between the reader and Mrs Nakumura by retelling the hard and miserable journey she took just to stay alive and her triumph over her sickness and poverty. Mrs Nakumara was just one of the six stories Hersey used to convey compassion to the readers of Hiroshima. Hersey’s presentation of patriotism among dying bomb victims creates a sympathetic bond to the reader for their triumph over the devastation. After the attack on Hiroshima the survivors refused to die in vain in spite of what tragedy had hit their city. Even in the face of death, the survivors were rejoicing their heritage, dedicating their last breaths of life to their motherland and were determined keep their morale even after the devastation. One of the girls begun to sing Kimi Ga Yo, the national anthem, and others followed in chorus and died. (p 116). As a reader it was hard to comprehend the significance of honour these people felt for their country. After the bomb, they were suffering from poverty and tragedy, yet by hearing the emperors’ voice on broadcast they were touched and gratified: the Emperor, they cried with full tears in their eyes. ‘What a wonderful blessing it is that Tenno himself call on us and we can hear his own voice in person. We are thoroughly satisfied in such a great sacrifice †¦Japan started her new way. † (p 85) Hersey uses the patriotism of the survivors as an example of a triumph of humanity. The survivors were too proud to let the enemy take their last shred of hope their national dignity, opting to die with honour and pride. In addition to compassion, Hiroshima also raised awareness of the city’s triumph of humanity. A new sense of community and unification was present at the time of crisis; the atomic bomb left Hiroshima demolished. Hersey painted a dark and disastrous image, yet as a result, contrasted and portrayed the high points of humanity. Father Kleinsorge, a priest of the Society of Jesus, felt that he was an outsider prior to the bomb, yet after the bomb he was filled with gratitude for the cities new found acceptance: she came to him and said These are tea leaves. Chew them, young man, and you wont feel thirsty. The womans gentleness made Father Kleinsorge suddenly want to cry. For weeks, he had been feeling oppressed by the hatred of foreigners (p 70). The enemies’ intention to tear the city apart emotionally and physically backfired as it left the city stronger and united. One feeling they did seem to share†¦ was a curious kind of elated community spirit†¦ pride in the way they and their fellow-survivors had stood up to a dreadful ordeal(p114). Hiroshima raised awareness of the Japanese people’s indestructible spirit even when their city lay in ruins they would not be defeated and stayed strong. John Hersey’s Hiroshima gives a simple insight into one of the most devastating tragedy which creates compassion and awareness of Japans’ ultimate triumph of humanity. Hersey was able to use the perseverance of everyday people battling the effects of the atomic bomb to create compassion. In addition to this, he was able to express the importance of national-pride felt by victims who displayed patriotism, who were prepared to die for their honour. Hersey raised awareness of how Japanese civilians were able to unite and overcome the bombs aftermath. Hiroshima is not simply a monotonous documentation of the atomic bombs effects on a city, but a representation of empathy and compassion that notifies people of Japans triumph over adversity.

Comparison on Watership Down and From Hutch to House Pets.... :: Free Essay Writer

Comparison on Watership Down and From Hutch to House Pets.... Not every author has the same opinion on certain creatures' status as living things. The extract from "Watership Down" by Richard Adams and the article "From Hutch to House Pets A Rabbit is the Perfect Companion, Even Inside the Home" by Susan Clark are written from a different format of text and therefore have different persuading technique on rabbits as subject matter. These two pieces are concerning rabbits, however, the authors regard rabbits as animals with different intellectual levels. In the newspaper article and the extract from a novel, the authors illustrate the relationships between humans and rabbits in very contrasting ways. In the extract from "Watership Down," the rabbits are personified to perform human activities; such as socializing with other rabbits, which humans would find unusual and impossible. Through rabbits, Adams can scoff at humans who cannot "sense much in a strange place where they cannot see, but with rabbits it is otherwise." Humans are also considered as shallow-thinking beings, because they don't "sense †¦ where they cannot see," "except the courageous and experienced blind [people]." The roles of rabbits and humans have been reversed within the two texts; in the novel extract, rabbits are thinking creatures and on newspaper it's regarded as normal house pets. In the newspaper article, rabbits are considered by the journalist as the "perfect pet" and "miraculous creature" because unlike cats or dogs they are pets that need very litt le taking care of. Both texts also discuss how rabbits are "social creatures [from] the wild †¦ [and] benefit greatly from †¦ living indoors with humans." Adams explains that among themselves "rabbits mingled naturally." Again, mockery against human is being mentioned again in the extract from the novel, "[rabbits] did not talk for talking's sake, in the artificial manner that human beings - and sometimes even their dogs and cats do." Adams is trying to challenge the readers' opinion on whether humans only socialize superficially or The comparison between rabbits and other animals as being pets keep reappearing within the two different texts. Adams portrays the rabbits as more sociable animals, unlike cats and dogs that are often used as pets by humans. According to Adams, rabbits apparently intermingle with other rabbits "not for talking's sake," instead they: "[get] to know what the strangers smelt like, how they moved, how they breathed, how they scratched, the feel of they rhythms and pulses.

Five Year Business Plan Essay -- essays research papers

SMC Company Five-Year HR Forecast The local labor market has continued to shrink and labor costs have continued to soar over the past two years. SMC's workforce has now become bilingual and has had to deal with occasional unsuccessful attempts for its labor force to organize a union. To remain competitive for the next five years and sustain its growing sales, SMC Company will have to address staffing, employee development and training, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and safety and health issues. SMC must consider elements in developing the five-year plan such as technological advances, globalization, diversity, e-business and ethics. The ultimate goal at SMC Corporation is continued growth. One aspect that will determine SMC’s success is to predict what labor will look like over the next five years. By looking at the demographics of the Shaker Heights labor force along with the available work force of the surrounding area, a forecast of potential employees can be produced. SMC must look for new inventive ways for the current staff to increase productivity. These actions give SMC the ability to empower their employees to think on their own and present ideas that increase productivity without increasing headcount. SMC can also look to The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for information on the projected supply and demand for any specific occupation. (Dessler, 2000, pg. 133). When considering the projected labor force, SMC must predict future cost of labor. SMC has been located in Shaker Heights since it’s inception. One concern for the future is being able to maintain all operations of the company in this location. An aspect that may effect keeping the entire production in Shaker Heights, is the cost of the local labor force versus cost of labor elsewhere and the global manufacturing environment. For instance the cost of labor (US dollars) in Mexico averages $1.51 per hour to the United States who averages $17.20 per hour, to the United Kingdom who averages $13.77 per hour. (Dessler, 2000, pg. 617). With such a broad range in labor costs SMC should consider building a manufacturing facility outside the US. SMC will need to find ways to increase production without dramatically increasing overhead. With all the departments working together, SMC will continue to meet their goals while constantly upgrading their processe... ...mployees are empowered to do their jobs and feel they are part of the company. * Technological advances - Create employee learning resource center * Globalization - Track international marketing trends and employee compensation packages to attract and retain international workforce(differences in cultures and customs in Mexico and England need to be evaluated) * Diversity - Conduct seminars on diversity within the workplace * E-Business - No immediate changes * Ethics – Create a volunteer board to help employees become active in the community Safety and Health measures will be implemented to ensure a safe work environment. * Technological advances – Time and motion studies * Globalization - Preview health issues in Mexico,England and the U.S. which may affect employees * Diversity - Make sure that all safety and health posters are printed in both languages * E-Business – No plans at this time for any e-business applications as pertains to health and safety * Ethics - Do environmental survey to ensure that the production plant emissions are not harming the surrounding area. Add links on company intranet to organizations such as OSHA, ISO and EPA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

5 A’s of tourism Essay

Developing a suitable combination of these factors is at the heart of tourism planning. Attractions Tourists are motivated to leave their normal place of residence (the origin market) and travel to destinations. What they are actually travelling to can be considered the attraction base of the destination area. A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities. Some examples include historical places, monuments, zoos, museums and art galleries, botanical gardens, buildings and structures (e.g. castles, libraries, former prisons, skyscrapers, bridges), national parks and forests, theme parks and carnivals, ethnic enclave communities, historic trains and cultural events. Many tourist attractions are also landmarks. Tourist attractions are also created to capitalise on unexplained phenomena such as a supposed UFO crash site near Roswell, New Mexico and the alleged Loch Ness monster sightings in Scotland. Ghost sightings also make tourist at tractions. Attractions also include the activities (another ‘A’) that can be undertaken at the destination. These may be physical, for example, diving and white water rafting or they may be passive, for example, sunbaking and relaxing on a beach. Access Transport is needed to physically move tourists from where they live to where they are visiting. Globally, air transport dominates the movement of  international visitors. In Australia roads and private motor vehicles serve as significant forms of access. Sealed roads offer greater opportunities for vehicle access. A healthy ground touring sector, either day or extended coach tours, is also required to serve the needs of tourists who prefer not to transport themselves. Accommodation All destinations need accommodation nearby otherwise tourists will have nowhere to sleep. This seems basic enough but investors will only invest in accommodation infrastructure if there is sufficient economic return. Many areas of Australia are blessed with excellent attractions and are readily accessible but (for a whole range of reasons) lack tourist accommodation. In recent years the market has seen a proliferation of accommodation types from basic camping and backpacking facilities to mega-resorts. Successful accommodation development, more then ever before, depends on building the right type of facility to suit the needs of a profitable segment of the market. Amenities Amenities are the services that are required to meet the needs of tourists while they are away from home. They include public toilets, signage, retail shopping, restaurants and cafes, visitor centres, telecommunications and emergency services. Because many of the amenities are government services delivered by local, state and national agencies, a high degree of co-operation is needed, particularly where tourist services may be seen to be competing with the needs of local residents. Awareness Having the best attractions, access, accommodation and amenities in the world is totally useless if the awareness factor is missing. Awareness in this sense has three meanings. Firstly, the local population must have a positive attitude (another A) toward tourism. If the local community sees â€Å"tourists as terrorists† then this will have a negative impact. Secondly, those in the front line of tourism, that is, those who directly interface with tourists must have strong, positive attitudes towards tourists. This includes the shops, post offices, road houses and the many other businesses that come in contact with tourists, not just the hotels and restaurants. In all a local community must be made aware of the value of tourism. The third plank in the  awareness platform is market awareness. The destination or more importantly, the destination’s image must be a strong, positive one and firmly implanted in the tourist’s mind

Free Essays on Pros And Cons Of Ritalin

Pro’s and Con’s of Ritalin ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It occurs in childhood and causes children to become excessively hyper and chaotic. The symptoms are controlled by stimulants. The most popular would be Ritalin. And as we have been told a few times in class, Ritalin was made before ADHD was even discovered. This sparks many questions as to why it was produced and how people know it is the right drug for this disease. Ritalin has many good aspects that appear to help children with ADHD, but some believe it also has some terrible side affects that aren’t worth the treatment. According to Russell A. Barkley PhD, between 70 and 90% of children treated with Ritalin improve in their behavior.(p.253) Barkley has also stated that between 600,000 and 1 million children annually may be using Ritalin at the school-age.(p.258) Ritalin reduces restlessness therefore increasing attention span with class assignments helping both teacher and student. Aggression, noisiness, and disruptive behaviors are declined. Ritalin improves social behavior by lessening the intensity felt between the child and other beings. Ritalin is entered and eliminated from your bloodstream in 24 hours. So not only does it work as a stimulant fast if an allergies were to show up it would be out of the bloodstream within the 24 hours. Rethinking Ritalin states a story about a woman whose child had such bad temper tantrums accompanied with his ADHD that she had to remove him from preschool. So as a last resort she put her child on Ritalin and, â€Å"It worked so fast it was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde,† she stated. Ritalin seems to have some pretty good reasons to be the drug for ADHD sufferers but let’s explore some of the downsides. Just to have this medicine work properly it must be taken several times a day every day to have the correct effects. ADHD is such an obscure disorder that it is hard to know what do... Free Essays on Pro's And Con's Of Ritalin Free Essays on Pro's And Con's Of Ritalin Pro’s and Con’s of Ritalin ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It occurs in childhood and causes children to become excessively hyper and chaotic. The symptoms are controlled by stimulants. The most popular would be Ritalin. And as we have been told a few times in class, Ritalin was made before ADHD was even discovered. This sparks many questions as to why it was produced and how people know it is the right drug for this disease. Ritalin has many good aspects that appear to help children with ADHD, but some believe it also has some terrible side affects that aren’t worth the treatment. According to Russell A. Barkley PhD, between 70 and 90% of children treated with Ritalin improve in their behavior.(p.253) Barkley has also stated that between 600,000 and 1 million children annually may be using Ritalin at the school-age.(p.258) Ritalin reduces restlessness therefore increasing attention span with class assignments helping both teacher and student. Aggression, noisiness, and disruptive behaviors are declined. Ritalin improves social behavior by lessening the intensity felt between the child and other beings. Ritalin is entered and eliminated from your bloodstream in 24 hours. So not only does it work as a stimulant fast if an allergies were to show up it would be out of the bloodstream within the 24 hours. Rethinking Ritalin states a story about a woman whose child had such bad temper tantrums accompanied with his ADHD that she had to remove him from preschool. So as a last resort she put her child on Ritalin and, â€Å"It worked so fast it was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde,† she stated. Ritalin seems to have some pretty good reasons to be the drug for ADHD sufferers but let’s explore some of the downsides. Just to have this medicine work properly it must be taken several times a day every day to have the correct effects. ADHD is such an obscure disorder that it is hard to know what do...

Defining Programming Language

Defining Programming Language A programming language is used to write computer  programs including applications, utilities, and systems programs. Before the Java and C# programming languages appeared, computer programs were either compiled or interpreted.   A compiled program is written as a series of humanly understandable computer instructions that can be read by a  compiler  and  linker  and translated into  machine code  so that a computer can understand and run it. Fortran, Pascal, Assembly Language, C, and C programming languages are almost always compiled in this way. Other programs, such as Basic, JavaScript, and VBScript, are interpreted. The differences between compiled and interpreted languages  can be confusing. Compiling a Program The development of a compiled program follows these basic steps: Write or edit the programCompile the program into machine code files that are specific to the target machineLink the machine code files into a runnable program (known as an EXE file)Debug or run the program Interpreting a Program Interpreting a program is a much faster process thats helpful for novice programmers when editing and testing their code. These programs run slower than compiled programs. The steps to interpret a program are: Write or edit the programDebug or run the program using an interpreter program Java and C# Both Java and C# are semi-compiled.  Compiling Java generates bytecode that is later interpreted by a Java virtual machine. As a result, the code is compiled in a two-stage process.   C# is compiled into Common Intermediate Language, which is then run by the Common Language Runtime part of the .NET framework, an environment that supports just-in-time compilation. The speed of C# and Java is almost as fast as  a true compiled language. As far as speed goes, C, C, and C# all are sufficiently speedy for games and operating systems. Programs on a Computer From the moment you turn on your computer, it is running programs, carrying out instructions, testing  RAM and accessing the operating system on its drive. Each and every operation that your computer performs has instructions that someone had to write in a programming language. For example, the Windows 10 operating system has roughly 50 million lines of code. These had to be created, compiled and tested; a long and complex task. Programming Languages Now In Use Top programming languages for PCs are Java and C with C# close behind and C holding its own. Apple products use Objective-C and Swift programming languages. There are hundreds of small programming languages out there, but other popular programming languages include: PythonPHPPerlRubyGoRustScala There have been many attempts to automate the process of writing and testing programming languages by having computers write computer programs, but the complexity is such that, for now, humans still write and test computer programs. The Future for Programming Languages Computer programmers tend to use programming languages they know. As a result, the old tried-and-true languages have hung around for a long time. With the popularity of mobile devices, developers may be more open to learning new programming languages. Apple developed Swift to eventually replace Objective-C, and Google developed Go to be more efficient than C. Adoption of these new programs has been slow, but steady.

How to Style Titles of Compositions

How to Style Titles of Compositions How to Style Titles of Compositions How to Style Titles of Compositions By Mark Nichol Navigating the formatting rules about titles of compositions books and chapters, movies and TV shows, albums and songs, and the like can seem like negotiating a minefield. Here’s a handy map to help you maneuver through the terrain: In print, two primary formats exist for identifying a creative work. Titles of entire bodies of work such as a book, a TV series, or an album are often italicized, while titles for components of each book chapters, TV episodes, or songs are usually enclosed in quotation marks. Easy enough, but what about creations such as paintings and poems? A painting is a discrete work, but it is also often displayed as part of an exhibition. What do you do? In this case, italicize the painting’s title but style the title of the exhibition in roman, or ordinary, type. (However, single ancient works of art, such as the Venus de Milo, are simply styled in roman.) As for short poems collected in an anthology, style their titles like those of book chapters, but italicize the titles of book-length poems. Photographs are considered elements of a larger work, such as a book or an exhibition, and their titles are simply enclosed in quotation marks. And what about capitalization? Generally, in a title, always capitalize the first and last words regardless of part of speech, plus nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and long conjunctions (those other than and, but, for, nor, and or.) Lowercase prepositions (over, under, through, etc.) unless they are key to the title (A Walk Through Time) or as part of an adverbial or adjectival phrase (Turn Up the Volume). The initial definite or indefinite article in a title can be preempted by a nonitalicized article if it conflicts with the sentence structure. For example, write â€Å"The Wizard of Oz audio book is a best-seller.† But if this style looks awkward, just relax the sentence: â€Å"The audio-book version of The Wizard of Oz is a best-seller.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Expanded and ExtendedStarting a Business Letter with Dear Mr.

Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Proposal - Assignment Example IT has changed the outlook on music genres such as pop as artists can use different interesting sounds to compose their music. The industry has also created jobs for music producers and sound engineers due to the use of IT (Wiechmann 7-9). Websites create easy access to music from artists all over the world. The artists use the websites to interact with the consumers. Websites also impact the industry by allowing the community to download music from the site either at a fee or free. Two decades ago, one would have to visit and purchase a CD of newly released music from a well music store. With the advent of IT, people can now access the music by downloading it from various websites. People access the music in their PC’s and phones which contributes to the growth of the industry. Examples of such websites include mp3 skull, Myspace and YouTube (Wiechmann 8-9). Using technology, it has created a simple and democratic platform for sharing music. Due to its popularity, it has embraced almost everyone including 50 cent and Madonna. More than 10 million people use the company services due to its massive online presence. SoundCloud labs are creating more than 10000 applications for music production and consumer’s use (Viet

Week Two Participation Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week Two Participation Questions - Essay Example Due to the current economic slowdown companies even if they wanted could not invest their limited cash flow into renewable energy technologies. The program will enable companies to develop electric and hybrid cars that can stand out and provide the types of benefits Americans seek. A preview of the potential of the technology is already here. GM will launch in 2010 the Volt 230 model, a vehicle with the capabilities of giving 230 miles per gallon. I agree with your perspective that in order for organizational change to occur the changes have to start at the top of the food chain. The executive and managerial staff is the stakeholder group responsible for any transformational change initiative. Their leadership and guidance are essential in order to influence behavioral changes throughout the organization. Changes in the corporate culture must occur simultaneously with organizational change. As you said sometimes this process is difficult, but in order for the changes to occur the managers have to be persistent and allow sufficient time for the employees and other stakeholder groups to accept the changes. The first sentence of your response claims that change cannot be delegated. I disagree with your statement because in order for change to occur the manager must delegate part of the responsibility to other employees that are respected leaders within the workforce. These leaders can influence the behavior of the other workers better in certain aspects than a manager because the employees view these persons as equals within the organizational hierarchy. The example you provided about change within your organization was very insightful. It showed that change is inevitable, but that it takes time to manifest itself. According to your estimates you notice that noticeable change occurred every five years. A manager that thinks he/she can implement organizational change in a matter of months is doomed to fail. Three concepts that you

Chinese restaurants and foods in the USA Research Paper

Chinese restaurants and foods in the USA - Research Paper Example Despite the fact that the Chinese restaurants were one of the founders of the food business in the state of California, it is important to note that there were only a few of them within the state. Most were American restaurants until in the last three decades of 19th century. There were only 14 Chinese restaurants in San Francisco by 1882 when the American congress passed the very first Chinese exclusion act. This was opposed to the over one hundred and seventy-five Chinese laundry stores that were distributed all over the town. One ought to note that it was as a result of the numerous Chinese exclusion laws that were passed between 1882 and 1904 that discouraged the expansion of the Chinese food business despite their spectacular cuisines. The disparity between the Chinese and the American eating culture was evident. It was for this reason that the Americans made rice look like the racial symbol of the Asian inferiority and beef as the American superiority. As a matter of fact, food became a racial ideology and the culture of eating rats in Chinese restaurants made the American doubtful of the hygiene in these restaurants. The Chinese culture of eating rats was perhaps the most stereotyped image in the 19th century. In 1897, a company that advertised a pest control product used an image of a Chinese man with his mouth open ready to eat a rat which was, as a matter of fact, a rodent. This was an illustration that the Chinese were perhaps the most effective in exterminating these rodents from the face of the earth.

Recycling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Recycling - Research Paper Example s a man makes impact on his personal and family lives at present, and threatens future life of his next generations, who will not be able to live the same life as this man does. To prevent such results, the concept of sustainable development emerged. This concept became popular in the 80-es of 20th century. The main idea of it is that a man should live in such a way, so that he will not prevent his future generations to live at least in the same way, as he does (Bartlett 2012). Some of the principles of sustainable development state, that a man should be careful with using resources, and should not just spend them irretrievably. It became important to find new methods to compensate and displace the used resources to preserve ecological system. The idea to process the waste products and use them as secondary materials became very popular among the supporters of the sustainable development concept. Thus, recycling became one of the instruments for communities how to get to the sustaina ble development path. Recycling is a process of reusing waste products and garbage or retrieving them back into operation. This process is considered to be one of the methods to restore all the waste generated (Tam 2006) The importance of recycling today is significant and is of global value. Recycling helps to solve ecological and resource-saving problems. First of all, the resources on the Earth are limited and cannot be compensated as fast as they are being used (some of them require the time of life of several generations). Then, when waste is thrown into environment, it usually becomes its pollutant. It takes several centuries for some materials to decay in natural environment. Besides, product waste and other products, the useful life of which is over, are usually (but not always) a cheaper source of materials than natural sources. Using secondary material resources can save the costs for waste utilization, new resource purchase, transport and labour costs etc. New jobs for

Financial derivatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial derivatives - Essay Example While common types of derivatives include assortment of financial contracts which are; Future contracts, options, deposits, forward contracts and swaps. However, derivatives are categorized into three main parts including financial instruments, equities (stocks and shares) and debt (mortgages and bonds). Foreign exchange risk is the risk embodied to earnings or capital arising from change of foreign exchange rates. Foreign exchange risk is related to cross- border investing and operating activities. Position-taking and Market-making in foreign currencies should be placed under price risk. Foreign exchange risk is also branded as translation risk. The risk ascends from holding accrual accounts with foreign denomination currency, including bonds, debts and deposits. This also embodies foreign currency denominated derivatives such as structured deposits, synthetic investments, structured notes, and off-balance-sheet derivatives used to mitigate accrual exposures (Shim & Siegel, 2008). Accounting conventions need periodic revaluation of these accounts at current exchange rates. Periodic revaluation decodes the foreign- denominated accounts into U.S. dollar currency. Banks should record these accrual-based products under appropriate systems that detect, calibrate, monitor, and regulate foreign exchange exposure. This may be useful to banks in managing Foreign exchange risk (Shim & Siegel, 2008). Financial derivatives are used either for management of risk i.e. hedging risk by provision of compensation in case of unwanted situation arbitrage between markets. Derivatives can be used for speculation purposes i.e. making financial bet. This difference is vital because risk management is a discreet aspect of financial management and operations for a lot of companies across different industries while speculation purpose offers managers and investors a risky chance to increase profit, which may not be revealed appropriately to

Recycling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Recycling - Research Paper Example s a man makes impact on his personal and family lives at present, and threatens future life of his next generations, who will not be able to live the same life as this man does. To prevent such results, the concept of sustainable development emerged. This concept became popular in the 80-es of 20th century. The main idea of it is that a man should live in such a way, so that he will not prevent his future generations to live at least in the same way, as he does (Bartlett 2012). Some of the principles of sustainable development state, that a man should be careful with using resources, and should not just spend them irretrievably. It became important to find new methods to compensate and displace the used resources to preserve ecological system. The idea to process the waste products and use them as secondary materials became very popular among the supporters of the sustainable development concept. Thus, recycling became one of the instruments for communities how to get to the sustaina ble development path. Recycling is a process of reusing waste products and garbage or retrieving them back into operation. This process is considered to be one of the methods to restore all the waste generated (Tam 2006) The importance of recycling today is significant and is of global value. Recycling helps to solve ecological and resource-saving problems. First of all, the resources on the Earth are limited and cannot be compensated as fast as they are being used (some of them require the time of life of several generations). Then, when waste is thrown into environment, it usually becomes its pollutant. It takes several centuries for some materials to decay in natural environment. Besides, product waste and other products, the useful life of which is over, are usually (but not always) a cheaper source of materials than natural sources. Using secondary material resources can save the costs for waste utilization, new resource purchase, transport and labour costs etc. New jobs for

EMG muscle activity in various rehabilitation exercises Research Proposal

EMG muscle activity in various rehabilitation exercises - Research Proposal Example In their analysis, the pressure an individual suffers on the joint of his or her knees is four times the body weight of an individual (Rubin, 2000; Sing, 2012). This is an indication that an everyday pressure on the knees can result to pain (Vogt, 2011). However, there are a number of muscle activities or exercises that can help in the reduction of this knee joint pain. This research aims at identifying these exercises and coming up with information that explains their effectiveness in the reduction of pain within the knees of an individual. This research will use the quantitative methods of data collection. The specific method to be used is the electromyography (Creswell, 2003). Electromyography is a diagnostic procedure that medical experts use for purposes of assessing the health of individual muscles, and the nerve cells which have the capability of controlling the motor neurons. The EMG relies on the motor neurons for purposes of transmitting signals that have the capability of causing muscles to contract (Pons, 2013). The EMG will thereafter transmit these signals into sounds, graphs and numerical values which a specialist will interpret. It is these results that the researcher will use in analyzing and coming up with a conclusion on the best exercise that can be used for purposes of controlling and treating knee joint pains (Subic, 2000). This research will help in understanding this concept of knee joint pains. It will identify different exercises that can be used for purposes of reducing knee pains. In this regard, this research is important because its recommendations can be used for purposes of treating pains on the joints of a

Essay on The Crucible Essay Example for Free

Essay on The Crucible Essay The Crucible was written by the great play writing legend Sir Arthur Miller. He created many ingenious plays. In particular I would like to focus on the play (The Crucible) is based on a true story. The Crucible is set in America in the state of Massachusetts within the small village of Salem in the late seventeenth century. In this period of time, witch hunting was at its peak. In addition, religion was regarded as the law it was powerful over everyone and no one could question its authority. No one would dare speak against it or the consequences could be lethal. For many hundreds of years throughout Europe there was a belief in witchcraft. At times the principle turned into historical fear, leading into campaigns or persecution against suspected witches. It was thought that witches were agents of the devil. In 1692 there was an outbreak of accusations of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts (USA). The colonists there were Puritans who followed a particular form of Protestant Christianity and would tolerate no other. They felt surrounded by ungodly people and they associated the forest with savages and with evil. Salem was a puritan community their lives were ruled by religion. The role pf religion is very powerful and id used to control the community within the courts of Salem, religion is referred to throughout the play. The Crucible criticises the effects of the Cold War America experienced in the 1950s. McCarthy felt his power threatened by his peoples interest in communism. It was feared that Russia take over the world. This links to The Crucible because the people in the play are craving for freedom, they dont want to be tied to religion and the Bible. The Crucible begins with the village girls cleaning and making something in a pot, which is against the laws of Salem. This action leads to a whole plot of jealousy, betrayal and ends up in hangings. Miller tries to display the act of the girls dancing in the forest as a form of plea, a cry for help. Throughout the play there are many characters with a variety of strong agendas that display their notions by insinuating them in ways, which cause arguments and stir the pot. After both reading and watching The Crucible I noticed that there were four main categories in which the characters fell into. The powerful, the righteous, the weak and the jealous. Most of the characters or the main characters rather entered the powerful and jealous categories. Judge Danforth for example, a powerful man with extreme authority, he turns a blind eye to the truth to keep his position and stay in power. He is bought and biased, looks more for his own benefit rather than helping others which should be the case. He abuses his position magnificently to stay in power. Reverend Paris, also has a considerable amount of power in the village of Salem. His main concern seems to be keeping his reputation and hes bent on doing anything and everything to keep his authority and be feared. He has controlling power yet refuses to shift position for the right cause. John Proctor is an honest man who isnt easily led. He is a hardworking farmer in his mid-thirties with logical thought. He is married, even tempered but is powerful of mind and body. Proctor is feared and respected in Salem, however he is no saint he has committed adultery with Abigail Williams who worked for Proctor as a servant but was subsequently fired when Proctor realized his mistake. Hes a good-hearted man who wants to make his wrongs right. An honourable man, who stands up for what is right and uses his wisdom against that which is wrong. Abigail, a very cunning young woman, she has committed adultery with John Proctor and uses this to her advantage by blackmailing and threatening him. She blames lies on other to save herself, she plays innocent and acts nai ve when in reality she is the cause of the disputes. She is evil and spiteful, cares for nobody but herself she is simply selfish. Mary Warren, one of the weak and afraid characters, who can be moulded through threatening, as she is easily intimidated. She sides with Proctor when he threatens her and then sides with Abigail when she blackmails her. She is very controlled as though she doesnt have a mind of her own nor any opinions. Because her worth is less than a slave she grew up with no honour, respect, honesty or independence, this is why she is unable to see the wrong as well as Proctor and in the end sides with the wrong people out of pure fear. Unfortunately, Mary Warren is a timid and gullible character who plays an unwitting role in the outcome of the trial. The audience will see the tension build up when they see such a combination of characters who all have very different agendas and are extremely volatile arguing in this type of situation. In this essay, I will focus mainly on act 3. It begins in the courtroom the witch trial has commenced. There are of course two parties, those accused of being witches (John Proctor, his wife etc) and the accusers (Rev. Parris etc). Proctor has a tough job defending himself because he has to prove that the court is wrong, Danforth questions Proctor and finds out what kind of a man he is before he hears the case. Giles Corey testifies for his wife (she was accused of being a witch). Giles feels guilty since it was he who told the court that his wife, Martha, had been reading some books. The court believes that she was reading them books to learn how to curse people. Francis Nurse testifies and defends his wife, Judge Hathorne supposes they are the bad ones and is angered by their blatant denial so consequently orders Corey and Nurse to be arrested. Proctor forces Mary Warren to testify for the defence and she complies by saying she lied in the court before. John says the girls are lying about the witchcraft. This makes the judges very nervous because if Proctor is correct then they have killed many innocent people. Proctor presents his case, he has three depositions to offer for evidence, the first being a signed petition proving the innocence of the three mens wives. The second statement comes from Giles Corey, he tells the judges that Thomas Putnam is a ravenous and greedy man who is obsessed with attaining land through any means. However, Putnam denies this and Corey refuses to tell the court who gave him this information on Putnam in fear of being arrested. Unfortunately, he is still arrested for contempt of court. From here we are taken back to Rev. Hale who has realised his mistake and has changed sides, now supporting Proctor. Mary is the third final element of Johns defence. John tells her what to say and that he is supporting her. But Mary Warren is afraid no one will believe her (that the witchery was all untrue and the girls had been lying all along) because she lied earlier. Danforth brings in the accusers led by Abigail. Williams says that Mary is lying, the judges begin to wonder how Mary could be pretending to be a witch earlier. She is asked to demonstrate this pretending for the court. She cant. Abigail and Danforth argue when Williams is questioned and then pretends to be seeing Mary as a bird in the air from the devil. The rest of the girls on Abigails side mimic her for their act to look believable. Proctor having no options left reveals his affair with Abigail. The men are horrified, John and Abigail are instructed to turn their backs while Elizabeth Proctor is bought in. She is asked if her husband has committed lechery. Not knowing he has confessed and thinking of his protection, her loyalty to John gets the better of her and she denies it. As she is led out John tells her he has confessed and they both realize that have lost completely. Abigail and the girls continue to act as though afflicted Mary Warren until she finally cracks. She accuses Proctor for having used her for the devils work and runs into the now welcoming arms of Abigail. Proctor and Giles Corey are led to the prison.

Devising a training program for an organisation

Devising a training program for an organisation Organizations are not exempt from changes that society continually faces, therefore training is a fundamental part of organisational life. Many situations require unique solutions based on the unique needs of the organization. Thus this makes training a universal need but one that differs across individuals. Training is the acquisition of knowledge and skills in order for a person to carry out a specific task or job. Training benefits employees in several ways: It increases their sense of ownership in the business. They become more organised, productive and flexible and are better able to meet the needs of internal and external customers new skills and abilities in areas such as decision-making can empower staff, which makes them more effective. As a training manager, I know that the first step in conducting a training programme is to conduct a training needs analysis. This involves fours stages, Planning, job analysis, training gap analysis and training options analysis. In which I ask myself why is this training needed? What is the perceived problem? What are the aims and objectives? (Grey 1994) It is where I outline how the organizational objectives can be realised through the training programme. To do this I should conduct a gap analysis in which I identify the gap between the existing and needed skills of the employees, and in turn I can specify when, what, who, where and how to conduct the training. I can classify the exact areas were training is needed, that the training is closely aligned by the goals of the organization, that its causing the least possible disruptions to normal work routine, thats its cost effective and that I constantly keep in mind the preferred learning styles and opportunities to the individual and the organisation. This needs analysis proceeds in 3 stages, with the outcomes of the one stage influencing and helping to shape the next: (!) Organisation analysis (2) job analysis (3) person analysis. In the organisational analysis, I link the training initiatives with the organisations strategic plans. This is a very important step because before training solutions are sought one must ensure that funds are allocated properly, because this can cause costly mistakes to the organisation. In job analysis I identify the tasks, skills and attitudes that one needs to compete the job. This can be achieved through an HTA (Hierarchical task analysis) which was developed by Annett and Duncan 1967, in which tasks are broken down in a deductive manner, hence showing a hierarchical connection between the tasks, and afterwards instruction is sequenced bottom up. However one must keep in mind that the HTA does not necessarily capture the psychological processes that one goes through when doing the task. In the last stage of person analysis, I ask myself question like who needs the training? What skills need to be taught? Once I have gathered all the information from the training needs analysis, I can move on to the actual content of the programme in the training design, which is the second stage in the training cycle. The training design helps me determine the criterion behaviour, so I determine the contents, design of the training, and what the person should be able to do after the training. Throughout this stage one must keep in mind how people learn. This is because people learn in different ways, and so one must pay close to attention to teach the trainees in the most effective manner suitable to them. As example depending on the organization and the type of tasks that Im trying to teach the employees I may choose Fitts Skills Development theory (1962) which states that skill development progresses through three distinctive phases, Banduras Social Learning theory (1977) who says that learning is seen to result from strengthening stimulus response links through reinforcing appropriate behaviour or Andersons ACT theory (1983, 1987), whos theory is aimed at developing expertise. Regardless of what method of instruction I choose, I should keep in mind Goldsteins and Fords 2002 techniques for choosing good trainers. They argue that good trainers are those who encourage trainees to use their talents to achieve, set difficult but attainable goals, give exams that show both strengths and weaknesses, show enthusiasm for the subject, allows trainees to express problems related to the course content covered and to share any relevant knowledge and experiences and trainers who stimulate interest in the subject. I also should pay attention at how easily the trainees can put what they have learned in the training programme (the skills, attitudes and knowledge) into practise in the work place. And this all depends on the trainee characteristics, meaning the trainees personality, self efficacy, cognitive ability, age (Colquitt at al, 2000). With this information I can evaluate who is to be trained and how train them since for example older employers tend to take longer to learn or unlearn. One must also pay close attention to the work environment, including the organisational climate and the social support system (Tracey et al, 1995). The training evaluation is the final stage of the training cycle. Here I ask myself if the trainees reached their objective, and if the training programme has been a valid one. Throughout this stage I asses the performance of the workers before and after the training programme this is done by measuring performance, to establish is any changes took place if these changes are as a result of the training. Kirkpatrick explains that there are four stages for evaluation of training programme. (1) Reaction, in which the trainers get to know the trainees opinion about the training programme, which can be both positive and negative. (2) Learning, which actually looks for confirmation that learning took place. (3) Behaviour is the stage in which one sees the trainee performing what has been learnt (4) In the last stage one sees how the training effected behaviour, performance and the organisation. One should also take note that depending on the organisation one may choose to conduct these stages in either an on the job or off the job training programmes. As an example Tesco which is the largest British retailer and is also the worlds third largest grocery retailer with outlets across Europe, USA and Asia, offers employees both on-the-job training and off-the-job training. On-the-job training methods at Tesco include: shadowing a person already in the job shows the employee how to do it, coaching a manager or designated colleague will help trainees work through problems and inspire them to find solutions, mentoring a more experienced member of staff acts as an adviser job rotation or secondment the trainee has the opportunity of covering their target role, taking full responsibility on a temporary or limited basis. Off-the-job training is often more appropriate for training in specific new skills or for developing the individual, in areas such as team-building, communications (for example, making presentations), or organisation and planning. It usually involves attending external courses run by professional training organisations or qualified Tesco training staff (www.thetimes100.co.uk ) A well constructed training programme, is beneficial on both and organizational level and an individual level. This is because on an individual level, one gains greater intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, and the employee can enhance their portfolio for better employability. On an organisation level it can lead to enhanced work performance and productivity, less absenteeism accidents, decrease in wastage, greater customer satisfaction and lower labour turnover. (Arnold et al, 2007) In conclusion one must keep in mind all the points and stages that I have mentioned, because unless the training is planned and systematic, its simply a waste of time and money. Organisations that fail to do so, end up making costly mistakes and as a result end up using ineffective training methods, wrong amounts of training (too little or too much) or they fail to follow up on the training used. (Arnold et al, 2007) (Word count: 1,311)

The Negitive Effects of Tobacco Essay -- Tobacco Nicotine Cigarettes

Drugs are generally recognized as of the greatest problems in the United States. According to the statistics, tobacco has the highest death rate. Smoking is a very popular habit, even though we all know that smoking is very dangerous. Millions of people around the globe want to quit smoking for medical reasons such as having already two heart-valve replacement surgeries. By now, almost everyone knows that smoking and other tobacco use causes cancer. But it can also cause may more problems. When you smoke tobacco, the effects on your body are immediate. "Your pulse increases. Breathing becomes faster and more shallow. Circulation begins to drop. Poisonous compounds like carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia gas enter your bloodstream. Meanwhile, nicotine begins to feed the cycle of addiction. If you're allergic to smoke or susceptible to asthma (and if you smoke, the chances of developing asthma rise sharply), flare-ups and chest spasms can begin quickly. Over the medium term , you become much more susceptible to colds, flu and pneumonia." More in depth nicotine, the main drug in tobacco, is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States. In 1989, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report that concluded that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, such as cigars, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco, are addictive and that nicotine is the drug in tobacco that causes addiction. In addition, the report determined that smoking was a major cause of stroke and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Once hooked, nicotine addiction is extremely difficult to overcome. Your lungs are filled with delicate air sacs, tiny, soft structures surrounded by very small blood vessels. In these air sacs, ca... ...any negative effects that go along with tobacco use, cancer, bad breath, stained teeth, sore gums, becoming sick and puking, and even divorce as the most severe effect of tobacco use. The major effects of tobacco could destroy someone's life in a heartbeat. "Every 13 seconds, someone in the world dies from a tobacco-related illness, and every year tobacco kills 5,600 British Colombians, 45,000 Canadians, 418,000 Americans (compared to 1,000 Americans who die from cocaine abuse), and 2.5 million people world-wide. The statistics show that the probability of encountering an illness due to tobacco use is high. Due to this it would be in everybody's best interest to not start using tobacco or flat out quit the habit all together. In factual reasoning you are basically committing suicide. It is your decision and when you have to make the decision choose tobacco free.

Comparing Maturation in Sons and Lovers, Out Of The Shelter and The Rac

Comparing Maturation in Sons and Lovers by D.H Lawrence, Out Of The Shelter by David Lodge and The Rachel Papers  by Martin Amis  Ã‚   Each of these three novels Sons and Lovers by D.H Lawrence, Out Of The Shelter by David Lodge and The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis, examine the transition between childhood and adulthood of the three main characters in each of the texts. Each author represents this transition by showing how all the characters deal with significant stages or events in their lives. The problems which they encounter lead to the maturation of each character which finally leads to the process of growing up taking place. Although each book is set in a different era, where social conventions are very different, many of the problems which each of the characters face remain the same. Sons and Lovers by D.H.Lawrence is set in a working class, coal-mining community in pre-war England. It is against this setting that Paul Morel grows up. For Paul, the process of growing up means how his relationships with various groups of people and individuals develop and how he himself sees these relationships. The mostsignif icant relationships Paul has are those with his parents, the opposite sex and the outside world. Paul's childhood is similar to other children in that area of Nottingham in the 1930s. His father spends most evenings drinking, squandering most of the family's income. Paul resents his father for making his mother suffer because of this and never questions the fact that it is his mother who drives Mr Morel to drink. Paul is the second of four children and has an unusually close relationship with his mother which intensifies after the death of his elder brother, William. This relationship that Paul has with his mother pre... ...urney which is made by the main character takes place over a relatavely short period of time. The way in which adolescents' rites of passage are represented in all three of my novels conforms to the idea that "The subject is the development of the protagonist's mind and character, as he passes from childhood through varied experiences - and usually through spiritual crisis - into maturity and the recognition of his identity and role in the world." Works Cited Amis, Martin. The Rachel Papers. New York: Vintage International, 1992. Lawrence, D.H. Sons and Lovers. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1996 Lodge, David. Out of the Shelter. New York: 1985. Powell, Neil. "What Life Is: The Novels of Martin Amis." PN Review, June 1981: 42-45. Spilka, Mark. The Love Ethic of D.H. Lawrence. (1955): 244. Rpt. In TCLC. Ed. Dennis Poupard. Vol. 16. Detroit: Gale, 1985.

“Early Bird” or “Second Mouse” Essay

â€Å"The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.† Decide which of the strategies (â€Å"early bird† or â€Å"second mouse†) is the most effective in your life as a student and life in general. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese was first recorded in 1605 in William Camden’s book of proverbs and has remained part of the misplaced work ethic ever since. The early bird gets the worm meaning it is best to start the day early and also not procrastinate on things. ‘But the second mouse gets the cheese’ meaning the first mouse got killed in the mousetrap and so you got rewarded for starting late or procrastinating. So let the other eager person screw up and then learn from their failure and then reap the reward. I am neutrally in this option. If the early bird gets the worm, then how can it be that the second mouse gets the cheese? If we need to motivate our staff to get up and get started, then we might want to state that the early bird get the worm, so let’s get up and get going so as to get there early before anyone else. On the other hand, if the competition has come out with something quicker than we have, then in order to get everyone on point we might say, â€Å"The second mouse gets the cheese.† In other words, if we build upon the original idea that may have been invented first, then we can build something bigger and better. â€Å" The early bird may get the worm† meanings that success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort. Preparation is the cost you need to pay in order to be truly rewarded. You can’t just jump in the ring and expect to win the fight without having first learned how to box and prepare your body for the required endurance. From the moment of birth till death, we work very hard to succeed. In childhood, we learn how to walk and communicate with others though persistence and willingness. Throughout our adolescence, we study hard to achieve good marks and to get a proper job. For example as I am a student, it is best to study early and in small increments well before the test. Do not cram the night before the exam is the best advice for me from my secondary school teacher that make me successfully went into university. However, â€Å"second mouse† is another effective strategies in my life as a student and life in general. Sometimes in life it is smart to learn from the risks that others take and the mistakes they make. The dead mouse in the trap saw the cheese and went for it. Did not work. But the second mouse, though still cautious, was in the enviable position of reaping the reward with no risk. We are all human, therefore we all make mistakes, but the one thing that comes out of these mistakes is we usually learn a lesson. Making mistakes is human nature, none of us are exempt. That is even true in writing this paper, I will have to write many drafts without errors, and to meet what I feel is right. It will only be natural for me to make these mistakes. But, just as in making errors on this paper and making the corrections, making mistakes in life and correcting those makes for a better human being. We need to be smart so that we will be the â€Å"second mouse that get the cheese but not the first mouse that in the trap.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-three

Eddard Through the high narrow windows of the Red Keep's cavernous throne room, the light of sunset spilled across the floor, laying dark red stripes upon the walls where the heads of dragons had once hung. Now the stone was covered with hunting tapestries, vivid with greens and browns and blues, and yet still it seemed to Ned Stark that the only color in the hall was the red of blood. He sat high upon the immense ancient seat of Aegon the Conqueror, an ironwork monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and grotesquely twisted metal. It was, as Robert had warned him, a hellishly uncomfortable chair, and never more so than now, with his shattered leg throbbing more sharply every minute. The metal beneath him had grown harder by the hour, and the fanged steel behind made it impossible to lean back. A king should never sit easy, Aegon the Conqueror had said, when he commanded his armorers to forge a great seat from the swords laid down by his enemies. Damn Aegon for his arrogance, Ned thought sullenly, and damn Robert and his hunting as well. â€Å"You are quite certain these were more than brigands?† Varys asked softly from the council table beneath the throne. Grand Maester Pycelle stirred uneasily beside him, while Littlefinger toyed with a pen. They were the only councillors in attendance. A white hart had been sighted in the kingswood, and Lord Renly and Ser Barristan had joined the king to hunt it, along with Prince Joffrey, Sandor Clegane, Balon Swann, and half the court. So Ned must needs sit the Iron Throne in his absence. At least he could sit. Save the council, the rest must stand respectfully, or kneel. The petitioners clustered near the tall doors, the knights and high lords and ladies beneath the tapestries, the smallfolk in the gallery, the mailed guards in their cloaks, gold or grey: all stood. The villagers were kneeling: men, women, and children, alike tattered and bloody, their faces drawn by fear. The three knights who had brought them here to bear witness stood behind them. â€Å"Brigands, Lord Varys?† Ser Raymun Darry's voice dripped scorn. â€Å"Oh, they were brigands, beyond a doubt. Lannister brigands.† Ned could feel the unease in the hall, as high lords and servants alike strained to listen. He could not pretend to surprise. The west had been a tinderbox since Catelyn had seized Tyrion Lannister. Both Riverrun and Casterly Rock had called their banners, and armies were massing in the pass below the Golden Tooth. It had only been a matter of time until the blood began to flow. The sole question that remained was how best to stanch the wound. Sad-eyed Ser Karyl Vance, who would have been handsome but for the winestain birthmark that discolored his face, gestured at the kneeling villagers. â€Å"This is all the remains of the holdfast of Sherrer, Lord Eddard. The rest are dead, along with the people of Wendish Town and the Mummer's Ford.† â€Å"Rise,† Ned commanded the villagers. He never trusted what a man told him from his knees. â€Å"All of you, up.† In ones and twos, the holdfast of Sherrer struggled to its feet. One ancient needed to be helped, and a young girl in a bloody dress stayed on her knees, staring blankly at Ser Arys Oakheart, who stood by the foot of the throne in the white armor of the Kingsguard, ready to protect and defend the king . . . or, Ned supposed, the King's Hand. â€Å"Joss,† Ser Raymun Darry said to a plump balding man in a brewer's apron. â€Å"Tell the Hand what happened at Sherrer.† Joss nodded. â€Å"If it please His Grace—† â€Å"His Grace is hunting across the Blackwater,† Ned said, wondering how a man could live his whole life a few days ride from the Red Keep and still have no notion what his king looked like. Ned was clad in a white linen doublet with the direwolf of Stark on the breast; his black wool cloak was fastened at the collar by his silver hand of office. Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth. â€Å"I am Lord Eddard Stark, the King's Hand. Tell me who you are and what you know of these raiders.† â€Å"I keep . . . I kept . . . I kept an alehouse, m'lord, in Sherrer, by the stone bridge. The finest ale south of the Neck, everyone said so, begging your pardons, m'lord. It's gone now like all the rest, m'lord. They come and drank their fill and spilled the rest before they fired my roof, and they would of spilled my blood too, if they'd caught me. M'lord.† â€Å"They burnt us out,† a farmer beside him said. â€Å"Come riding in the dark, up from the south, and fired the fields and the houses alike, killing them as tried to stop them. They weren't no raiders, though, m'lord. They had no mind to steal our stock, not these, they butchered my milk cow where she stood and left her for the flies and the crows.† â€Å"They rode down my ‘prentice boy,† said a squat man with a smith's muscles and a bandage around his head. He had put on his finest clothes to come to court, but his breeches were patched, his cloak travel-stained and dusty. â€Å"Chased him back and forth across the fields on their horses, poking at him with their lances like it was a game, them laughing and the boy stumbling and screaming till the big one pierced him clean through.† The girl on her knees craned her head up at Ned, high above her on the throne. â€Å"They killed my mother too, Your Grace. And they . . . they . . . † Her voice trailed off, as if she had forgotten what she was about to say. She began to sob. Ser Raymun Darry took up the tale. â€Å"At Wendish Town, the people sought shelter in their holdfast, but the walls were timbered. The raiders piled straw against the wood and burnt them all alive. When the Wendish folk opened their gates to flee the fire, they shot them down with arrows as they came running out, even women with suckling babes.† â€Å"Oh, dreadful,† murmured Varys. â€Å"How cruel can men be?† â€Å"They would of done the same for us, but the Sherrer holdfast's made of stone,† Joss said. â€Å"Some wanted to smoke us out, but the big one said there was riper fruit upriver, and they made for the Mummer's Ford.† Ned could feel cold steel against his fingers as he leaned forward. Between each finger was a blade, the points of twisted swords fanning out like talons from arms of the throne. Even after three centuries, some were still sharp enough to cut. The Iron Throne was full of traps for the unwary. The songs said it had taken a thousand blades to make it, heated white-hot in the furnace breath of Balerion the Black Dread. The hammering had taken fifty-nine days. The end of it was this hunched black beast made of razor edges and barbs and ribbons of sharp metal; a chair that could kill a man, and had, if the stories could be believed. What Eddard Stark was doing sitting there he would never comprehend, yet there he sat, and these people looked to him for justice. â€Å"What proof do you have that these were Lannisters?† he asked, trying to keep his fury under control. â€Å"Did they wear crimson cloaks or fly a lion banner?† â€Å"Even Lannisters are not so blind stupid as that,† Ser Marq Piper snapped. He was a swaggering bantam rooster of a youth, too young and too hot-blooded for Ned's taste, though a fast friend of Catelyn's brother, Edmure Tully. â€Å"Every man among them was mounted and mailed, my lord,† Ser Karyl answered calmly. â€Å"They were armed with steel-tipped lances and longswords, with battle-axes for the butchering.† He gestured toward one of the ragged survivors. â€Å"You. Yes, you, no one's going to hurt you. Tell the Hand what you told me.† The old man bobbed his head. â€Å"Concerning their horses,† he said, â€Å"it were warhorses they rode. Many a year I worked in old Ser Willum's stables, so I knows the difference. Not a one of these ever pulled a plow, gods bear witness if I'm wrong.† â€Å"Well-mounted brigands,† observed Littlefinger. â€Å"Perhaps they stole the horses from the last place they raided.† â€Å"How many men were there in this raiding party?† Ned asked. â€Å"A hundred, at the least,† Joss answered, in the same instant as the bandaged smith said, â€Å"Fifty,† and the grandmother behind him, â€Å"Hunnerds and hunnerds, m'lord, an army they was.† â€Å"You are more right than you know, goodwoman,† Lord Eddard told her. â€Å"You say they flew no banners. What of the armor they wore? Did any of you note ornaments or decorations, devices on shield or helm?† The brewer, Joss, shook his head. â€Å"It grieves me, m'lord, but no, the armor they showed us was plain, only . . . the one who led them, he was armored like the rest, but there was no mistaking him all the same. It was the size of him, m'lord. Those as say the giants are all dead never saw this one, I swear. Big as an ox he was, and a voice like stone breaking.† â€Å"The Mountain!† Ser Marq said loudly. â€Å"Can any man doubt it? This was Gregor Clegane's work.† Ned heard muttering from beneath the windows and the far end of the hall. Even in the galley, nervous whispers were exchanged. High lords and smallfolk alike knew what it could mean if Ser Marq was proved right. Ser Gregor Clegane stood bannerman to Lord Tywin Lannister. He studied the frightened faces of the villagers. Small wonder they had been so fearful; they had thought they were being dragged here to name Lord Tywin a red-handed butcher before a king who was his son by marriage. He wondered if the knights had given them a choice. Grand Maester Pycelle rose ponderously from the council table, his chain of office clinking. â€Å"Ser Marq, with respect, you cannot know that this outlaw was Ser Gregor. There are many large men in the realm.† â€Å"As large as the Mountain That Rides?† Ser Karyl said. â€Å"I have never met one.† â€Å"Nor has any man here,† Ser Raymun added hotly. â€Å"Even his brother is a pup beside him. My lords, open your eyes. Do you need to see his seal on the corpses? It was Gregor.† â€Å"Why should Ser Gregor turn brigand?† Pycelle asked. â€Å"By the grace of his liege lord, he holds a stout keep and lands of his own. The man is an anointed knight.† â€Å"A false knight!† Ser Marq said. â€Å"Lord Tywin's mad dog.† â€Å"My lord Hand,† Pycelle declared in a stiff voice, â€Å"I urge you to remind this good knight that Lord Tywin Lannister is the father of our own gracious queen.† â€Å"Thank you, Grand Maester Pycelle,† Ned said. â€Å"I fear we might have forgotten that if you had not pointed it out.† From his vantage point atop the throne, he could see men slipping out the door at the far end of the hall. Hares going to ground, he supposed . . . or rats off to nibble the queen's cheese. He caught a glimpse of Septa Mordane in the gallery, with his daughter Sansa beside her. Ned felt a flash of anger; this was no place for a girl. But the septa could not have known that today's court would be anything but the usual tedious business of hearing petitions, settling disputes between rival holdfasts, and adjudicating the placement of boundary stones. At the council table below, Petyr Baelish lost interest in his quill and leaned forward. â€Å"Ser Marq, Ser Karyl, Ser Raymun—perhaps I might ask you a question? These holdfasts were under your protection. Where were you when all this slaughtering and burning was going on?† Ser Karyl Vance answered. â€Å"I was attending my lord father in the pass below the Golden Tooth, as was Ser Marq. When the word of these outrages reached Ser Edmure Tully, he sent word that we should take a small force of men to find what survivors we could and bring them to the king.† Ser Raymun Darry spoke up. â€Å"Ser Edmure had summoned me to Riverrun with all my strength. I was camped across the river from his walls, awaiting his commands, when the word reached me. By the time I could return to my own lands, Clegane and his vermin were back across the Red Fork, riding for Lannister's hills.† Littlefinger stroked the point of his beard thoughtfully. â€Å"And if they come again, ser?† â€Å"If they come again, we'll use their blood to water the fields they burnt,† Ser Marq Piper declared hotly. â€Å"Ser Edmure has sent men to every village and holdfast within a day's ride of the border,† Ser Karyl explained. â€Å"The next raider will not have such an easy time of it.† And that may be precisely what Lord Tywin wants, Ned thought to himself, to bleed off strength from Riverrun, goad the boy into scattering his swords. His wife's brother was young, and more gallant than wise. He would try to hold every inch of his soil, to defend every man, woman, and child who named him lord, and Tywin Lannister was shrewd enough to know that. â€Å"If your fields and holdfasts are safe from harm,† Lord Petyr was saying, â€Å"what then do you ask of the throne?† â€Å"The lords of the Trident keep the king's peace,† Ser Raymun Darry said. â€Å"The Lannisters have broken it. We ask leave to answer them, steel for steel. We ask justice for the smallfolk of Sherrer and Wendish Town and the Mummer's Ford.† â€Å"Edmure agrees, we must pay Gregor Clegane back his bloody coin,† Ser Marq declared, â€Å"but old Lord Hoster commanded us to come here and beg the king's leave before we strike.† Thank the gods for old Lord Hoster, then. Tywin Lannister was as much fox as lion. If indeed he'd sent Ser Gregor to burn and pillage—and Ned did not doubt that he had—he'd taken care to see that he rode under cover of night, without banners, in the guise of a common brigand. Should Riverrun strike back, Cersei and her father would insist that it had been the Tullys who broke the king's peace, not the Lannisters. The gods only knew what Robert would believe. Grand Maester Pycelle was on his feet again. â€Å"My lord Hand, if these good folk believe that Ser Gregor has forsaken his holy vows for plunder and rape, let them go to his liege lord and make their complaint. These crimes are no concern of the throne. Let them seek Lord Tywin's justice.† â€Å"It is all the king's justice,† Ned told him. â€Å"North, south, east, or west, all we do we do in Robert's name.† â€Å"The king's justice,† Grand Maester Pycelle said. â€Å"So it is, and so we should defer this matter until the king—† â€Å"The king is hunting across the river and may not return for days,† Lord Eddard said. â€Å"Robert bid me to sit here in his place, to listen with his ears, and to speak with his voice. I mean to do just that . . . though I agree that he must be told.† He saw a familiar face beneath the tapestries. â€Å"Ser Robar.† Ser Robar Royce stepped forward and bowed. â€Å"My lord.† â€Å"Your father is hunting with the king,† Ned said. â€Å"Will you bring them word of what was said and done here today?† â€Å"At once, my lord.† â€Å"Do we have your leave to take our vengeance against Ser Gregor, then?† Marq Piper asked the throne. â€Å"Vengeance?† Ned said. â€Å"I thought we were speaking of justice. Burning Clegane's fields and slaughtering his people will not restore the king's peace, only your injured pride.† He glanced away before the young knight could voice his outraged protest, and addressed the villagers. â€Å"People of Sherrer, I cannot give you back your homes or your crops, nor can I restore your dead to life. But perhaps I can give you some small measure of justice, in the name of our king, Robert.† Every eye in the hall was fixed on him, waiting. Slowly Ned struggled to his feet, pushing himself up from the throne with the strength of his arms, his shattered leg screaming inside its cast. He did his best to ignore the pain; it was no moment to let them see his weakness. â€Å"The First Men believed that the judge who called for death should wield the sword, and in the north we hold to that still. I mislike sending another to do my killing . . . yet it seems I have no choice.† He gestured at his broken leg. â€Å"Lord Eddard!† The shout came from the west side of the hall as a handsome stripling of a boy strode forth boldly. Out of his armor, Ser Loras Tyrell looked even younger than his sixteen years. He wore pale blue silk, his belt a linked chain of golden roses, the sigil of his House. â€Å"I beg you the honor of acting in your place. Give this task to me, my lord, and I swear I shall not fail you.† Littlefinger chuckled. â€Å"Ser Loras, if we send you off alone, Ser Gregor will send us back your head with a plum stuffed in that pretty mouth of yours. The Mountain is not the sort to bend his neck to any man's justice.† â€Å"I do not fear Gregor Clegane,† Ser Loras said haughtily. Ned eased himself slowly back onto the hard iron seat of Aegon's misshapen throne. His eyes searched the faces along the wall. â€Å"Lord Beric,† he called out. â€Å"Thoros of Myr. Ser Gladden. Lord Lothar.† The men named stepped forward one by one. â€Å"Each of you is to assemble twenty men, to bring my word to Gregor's keep. Twenty of my own guards shall go with you. Lord Beric Dondarrion, you shall have the command, as befits your rank.† The young lord with the red-gold hair bowed. â€Å"As you command, Lord Eddard.† Ned raised his voice, so it carried to the far end of the throne room. â€Å"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, his Hand, I charge you to ride to the westlands with all haste, to cross the Red Fork of the Trident under the king's flag, and there bring the king's justice to the false knight Gregor Clegane, and to all those who shared in his crimes. I denounce him, and attaint him, and strip him of all rank and titles, of all lands and incomes and holdings, and do sentence him to death. May the gods take pity on his soul.† When the echo of his words had died away, the Knight of Flowers seemed perplexed. â€Å"Lord Eddard, what of me?† Ned looked down on him. From on high, Loras Tyrell seemed almost as young as Robb. â€Å"No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance.† He looked back to Lord Beric. â€Å"Ride at first light. These things are best done quickly.† He held up a hand. â€Å"The throne will hear no more petitions today.† Alyn and Porther climbed the steep iron steps to help him back down. As they made their descent, he could feel Loras Tyrell's sullen stare, but the boy had stalked away before Ned reached the floor of the throne room. At the base of the Iron Throne, Varys was gathering papers from the council table. Littlefinger and Grand Maester Pycelle had already taken their leave. â€Å"You are a bolder man than I, my lord,† the eunuch said softly. â€Å"How so, Lord Varys?† Ned asked brusquely. His leg was throbbing, and he was in no mood for word games. â€Å"Had it been me up there, I should have sent Ser Loras. He so wanted to go . . . and a man who has the Lannisters for his enemies would do well to make the Tyrells his friends.† â€Å"Ser Loras is young,† said Ned. â€Å"I daresay he will outgrow the disappointment.† â€Å"And Ser Ilyn?† The eunuch stroked a plump, powdered cheek. â€Å"He is the King's Justice, after all. Sending other men to do his office . . . some might construe that as a grave insult.† â€Å"No slight was intended.† In truth, Ned did not trust the mute knight, though perhaps that was only because he misliked executioners. â€Å"I remind you, the Paynes are bannermen to House Lannister. I thought it best to choose men who owed Lord Tywin no fealty.† â€Å"Very prudent, no doubt,† Varys said. â€Å"Still, I chanced to see Ser Ilyn in the back of the hall, staring at us with those pale eyes of his, and I must say, he did not look pleased, though to be sure it is hard to tell with our silent knight. I hope he outgrows his disappointment as well. He does so love his work . . . â€Å"

Interactive Educational Tools Design for Children Essay

Interactive Educational Tools Design for Children - Essay Example The interactive tools available today include pre-designed course units in the form of VCDs, ipods, interactive toys and games. The design process for making these tools into effective products has now become a complex subject in itself. As USERS, they dictate the output specifications of the tool to be developed by generating desired functional aspects. There are generally two reasons for researchers to ask children to take on the role of technology user: (1) To test a general concept that may help future technology developers and (2) To better understand the process of learning which may contribute to future educational practices. As TESTERS, they are made to use the tools under observation by adults, peers and designers. This generates an empirical database regarding feedback and corrective measures. This data is then utilized for modifying the design, before it is released to the outside world for product realization and its end use. As INFORMANTS, the children play a major part in the design process. The input of the design shall take into consideration the children's' reaction to the existing technology by observation and asking questions. The testing and validation of the design shall involve the children, who should be asked questions before any technology is developed, the child may be observed with existing technologies, or they may be asked for input on paper sketches. Once the technology is developed, the child may again offer input and feedback. With this role, the child plays a part in the design process at various stages, based on when researchers believe they can be informed by children. As DESIGN PARTNERS, children are considered to be equal stakeholders in the design of new technology throughout the entire experience. As partners, children contribute to the process in ways appropriate for the children and the process (Allison Druin, Human computer Interaction lab, University of Maryland). Each role is used today by some portion of researchers and developers. Impact On Children's Lives: The net-centric generation of today values its abilities to use the web and other software technology to create a self-paced, customized learning path. Current interactive gadgets like web logs, VCDs and ipods, along with online access to various tools, facilitates the formation of learning communities. The other stakeholders like parents at home, social contacts as well as teachers in the school environment are naturally involved in a supporting role. This encourages a social networking environment where exchange and sharing of various tools is possible, thus extending the awareness and accessibility of such tools (Baird Derek E et al, V34n1 page 5-32 -2005-6, Journals of Education technology systems). New Research Methods: The basic approach for further development of technology needs to shed the earlier notions such as 'ALL KNOWING ADULTS' versus 'ALL LEARNING STUDENTS'. Recent papers such as 'interface design - a neglected issue in education software' presented by

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Legal and Ethical Issues of Mason and Shepherd - Case Study Example Sheila’s starting a business with this kind of products circumvents the Non-competition clause, and, inevitably, leads to the circumvention of the Non-solicitation of customers clause. This is normal, as such a product needs to be sold to the same range of customers with whom ATS works with. Moreover, a lot of the work that Sheila had done on developing the concept of Intelisoft was done by her using ATS’s property: her working laptop was connected to her home computer and her Palm, which, additionally to the above-mentioned, violates the clause referring to the company property usage. Another clause which is violated by Sheila is the Assignment of Developments clause, which stipulates that any development that â€Å"(i) relates to the business of the Company or any customer of or supplier to the Company or any of the products or services being developed, manufactured or sold by the Company or which may be used in relation therewith; or (ii) results from tasks assigned to me by the Company; or (iii) results from the use of premises or personal property (whether tangible or intangible) owned, leased or contracted for by the Company, then all such Developments and the benefits thereof are and shall immediately become the sole and absolute property of the Company and its assigns, as works made for hire or otherwise.† Her further actions may involuntarily lead to her violating the non-disclosure clause, too.

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Video game aggression Essay Example for Free

Video game aggression Essay As technology continues to forge ahead concerns about its effects on the populace are raised. Whether it be microwave ovens causing cancer or cell phones causing accidents, people are always interested in researching, and often condemning, these new products. Such is this case with videogames. Ever since PongO swept the nation, scholars have been researching videogames effects on children. The most popular aspect of videogame research is whether or not games increase aggression. A video game is any console or PC based interactive game, aggression is any thoughts or behaviors related with the intention to cause harm. Contrary to popular belief, there is no reliable correlation between videogames and aggression. Claims are the backbone to a study; they are both the starting point and the goal. Cooper and Mackie (1986) sought to discover if a highly violent game would affect 4th and 5th grade kids differently than a nonviolent game or a paper-and-pencil game. Tamborini et all (2000) predicted that aggressive thoughts and behaviors would be highest amongst those playing a violent virtual reality game followed by those playing a violent standard game, followed by those playing a nonviolent standard game. Derek (1995) was interested in what effect, if any, playing violent games would have on aggressiveness in different personality types. Ballard and Weist (1996) researched whether the level of violence in a game would affect peoples responses on a hostility questionnaire. Sherry (2000) performed a meta-analysis on 25 video game/aggression studies; he wanted to see if there was any credence to the claims. All five studies are very similar in their intent. They mostly focus on whether the level of immersion (via different hardware, violent content, and/or graphics) affects the level of aggression. To understand a study one must understand the definitions used within that study. All five studies use the same general definition of a videogame that the general public uses; an interactive game played on a television or monitor whereby onscreen objects can be manipulated through the use of a controller. Violent video games are those that involve death and destruction to things resembling reality and/or fantasy. Definitions of aggression, however, differ. Cooper and Mackie (1986) used a childs toy selection and distribution of reward/punishment as an indicator of aggression. Tamborini et all (2000) consider aggression to be hostile thoughts. Derek (1995) defines aggression as a mindset that includes seven subcategories (the Buss-Durkee Inventory): assault, irritability, indirect hostility, negativism, resentment, suspicion, and verbal hostility. Ballard and Weist (1996) use the word hostility instead of aggression. In this case it refers to thoughts of defensiveness, dominance, aggression, self-confidence, nurturance, and autonomy. Sherry (2000) just says, ?and some form of aggressiveness as the dependent variable. The Cooper and Mackie study and the Sherry study are the only two that incorporate behavior in their definition of aggressiveness. All of the others deal only with thoughts, but are quite similar in their intent. The real make-or-break portion of research is the method in which you seek and categorize the data. Cooper and Mackie (1986) took 84 4th and 5th graders from New Jersey. They had equal numbers of boys and girls separated into three groups. One group played the violent game Missile Commander (a cheesy game where you shoot lasers at little dots representing bombs falling on a city), another played Pac Man (which we all know and love), and the control group solved mazes with pencil and paper. After 8 minutes of game play the kids were told to select a toy to play with while the researcher did some work (the researcher was actually observing how long the child play with each toy. They could select a Shogun warrior (a violent toy), Nerf basketball (an active toy), Lincoln Logs (a quiet game), or pop-up pinball (a skill game). Which toy the child selected acted as an indicator of mindset. After the play session the children were told to hold down a button to indicate the length of a time a child should be punished for various acts of insubordination. They were then told to hold down a button for the length of time a child should be rewarded for various good deeds. Tamborini et all (2000) enlisted 92 MSU undergrads in the Communications department. The predominantly female assemblage was split into three groups. Before playing any games they filled out a self-report questionnaire concerning aggressive tendencies. The first group got to play Duke Nukem 3D on a virtual reality system (Duke Nukem is a modern first-person shooter where you run around blasting aliens; virtual reality systems incorporate a headset and gloves to more fully immerse the player), the second group played Duke Nukem 3D on a regular computer, and the third group played Cool Boarder (a realistic snowboarding game) on a regular PC. Participants got to play for ten minutes then filled out a thought list coded for types and frequency of hostile thoughts. They also filled out an evaluation of the research assistant they dealt with, this was meant to be another measure of aggressiveness. Derek (1995) enlisted 117 students from Strathclyde University (60% women). Participants were split into three groups. The non-aggressive game group played Tetris (a real-time strategy game), the moderately aggressive game group played Overkill (a typical space-blasters game which no one has heard of), the aggressive game group played Fatal Fury (a martial arts fighting game with high levels of trauma and gore). Players were given a personality test before and after game play under the guise that the study was concerned with hand-eye coordination as it relates to personality. Ballard and Weist (1996) took 30 male undergraduates from Appalachian State University. The guys were split into two groups. Group one played Corner Pocket (a billiards game with virtually no action) while group two played Mortal Kombat (an extremely popular fighting game), which was set at either high violence mode or low violence mode. The subjects played for 10 minutes before filling out a hostility questionnaire. Sherry (2000) drank hundreds of cups of coffee and alienated his wife and kids while pouring over insane amounts of research. There were 32 studies available to him, 7 of which he had to throw out for various reasons. Of the remaining 25 he carefully looked for validity problems while synthesizing them into the definitive meta-analysis on this topic. As with all things capitalist and otherwise, its all about the bottom line, lets see what they found. Cooper and Mackie (1986) found that, overall, the kids played with the skilled toy and quiet toy (118 sec. and 134 sec. respectively) more than the active toy or aggressive toy (89 sec. and 59 sec. ). After exposure to the aggressive game the kids played with the aggressive toy more than the kids in the other two conditions combined (82 sec. compared to 46 sec. for the other two groups). Amount of time pressing the reward/punishment buzzers was not correlated with the game played. Tamborini et all (2000) found a significant effect for media environment on hostile thoughts, F (3,91)=7.21, p*. 01, eta=. 20. Contrary to expectations, a higher number of hostil thoughts was found among those who played the game on a PC, not those who played Virtual Reality. They did find that those playing violent games had higher hostility ratings than those whom played nonviolent games, but the highest hostility was found among those who observed the violent games. Derek (1995) used a one-way ANOVA test and found no significant differences between overall changes in aggressiveness and type of game played. Pearsons correlation coefficients also failed to show a significant relationship between type of game played and change in level of aggression. Ballard and Weist (1996) used a one-way MANOVA test and found a significant relationship between levels of hostility and type of game. Hostility scores were higher after playing high-gore Mortal Kombat than they were after playing low-gore Mortal Kombat. Both were significantly high than those who played the billiards game. Sherry (2000) used the Pearson R on each of the 25 studies individually, he then subtracted out the variance due to sampling error. This resulted in a large standard deviation in the weighted effect size, suggesting extraneous variables at work. He also performed a Fisher Zr test, and was unable to reject the null hypothesis. In the words of Austin Powers, whoopdy-doo, what does it all mean There are many factors that cloud the issue, but overall it seems that the evidence is not very convincing. In the Cooper and Mackie study (1986) the higher levels of play time with the aggressive toy was accounted for almost entirely by the female participants. One theory is that playing the aggressive video game empowered the girls (whom are normally shunned from doing aggressive things) to broaden their aggressive horizons; at the least it calls into question issues of generality. The age of this study is also a factor, Sherry (2000) points out that there is a trend for older video game studies to have greater effect sizes. An issue with all of the studies was the short amount of time participants played the games. Sherry (2000) found that playing time was a negative predictor of effect size. It seems that there is an initial spike in aggression that goes away after longer exposure. Tamborini et alls (2000) findings are odd due to the fact that the observers reported the highest hostility. This could indicate that seeing violence on screen-not necessarily controlling it- leads to higher aggression. The most convincing evidence of all is the meta-analysis (Sherry, 2000). His exhaustive study was unable to produce resounding results, indicating that the positive findings in some of the studies could be anomalous. This lack of evidence would leave one to believe that the status quo is acceptable. Game content can be found through the rating system, but any other measures would be burdensome and unnecessary. So, until more convincing data comes along we can rest assured that any rage is the result of good old American anger, not blasting on-screen boogie men. Bibliography Works Cited Ballard, M. E. , Wiest, J. R. (1996). Mortal Kombat: The Effects of Violent Videogame Play on Males Hostility and Cardiovascular Responding. Journal of Applied Psychology, 26, 717-730. Cooper, J. , Mackie, D. (1986). Video Games and Aggression in Children. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 16, 726-744. Derek, S. (1995). The Effect of Video Games on Feelings of Hostility. The Journal of Psychology, 129, 121-130. Sherry, J. L. (2000). The Effects of Violent Video Games on Aggression: A Meta-Analysis. Human Communication Research*. Tamborini, R. , Eastin, M. , Lachlan, K. , Fediuk, T. , Brady, R. , Skalski, P. (2000). Virtual Violence. 86th Annual Convention of the National Communication Association.