Saturday, August 22, 2020

The Demons Within Essay -- Demons Possession Skinner Frazier Essays

The Demons Within 	There are many fascinating, all around created, engaging, vivid, energizing, and provocative characters in Mario Vargas LlosaÕs epic Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Pedro Camacho is a significant character, just as Aunt Julia herself. I was even significantly charmed by such little characters as Cousin Nancy and, in all honesty, the cabdriver who helped discover a civic chairman to wed Aunt Julia and Marito. be that as it may, no one in the entire book intrigued me more than Marito Varguitas himself. He is simply such an all around created character, and truly appears to be an individual who might be amusing to know. Truth be told, nothing about Marito intrigued me more than the evil spirits that he has, or should I say appear to gangs him and show themselves in his life just as his accounts. 	One of the numerous evil presences Marito has is his thinking of itself. he appears to continually be trying to composing another short story to send to some paper or magazine. The thing is, none of these accounts quite appear to be generally excellent or effective. All through the novel, not one of them is ever really distributer. Not even MaritoÕs companions truly like his composition. In Chapter thirteen he peruses the one about Aunt Eliana to Javier, Aunt Julia, and even to Pascual and Big Pablito. After they hear it, not one of them truly has anything ideal to state about it by any means. Along these lines, in spite of the fact that composing is one of MaritoÕs interests, it is additionally one of his evil presences. It is essentially his activity and how he gets by at the radio broadcast ÒRadio Panamericana,Ó however it controls the remainder of his live away from fill in also. 	Another evil spirit controlled by or having Marito is that old enough. Age clearly assumes a colossal job in this novel. Marito is scarcely eighteen years of age, not by any means a legitimate grown-up in his own nation, but then he is infatuated with Aunt Julia, how isn't just separated, yet in addition numerous years more seasoned than her darling at thirty something years old. His age appears to cause numerous contentions for Marito all through the book. Curiously, when it was keeping him from wedding Aunt Julia, every one of that was done was essentially to transform one number, a six to a three, to tackle the issue. At long last, it truly didnÕt appear as though age was actually the issue that was the issue for Marito and Aunt JuliaÕs family. 	Another tremendous evil presence in the story is ... ...story as a present guide. He offers a great deal of appropriate analysis of history and it's pertinence, including the lack of quality of its data, its slanted points of view, and so on. However, even with the entirety of History's disadvantages, disposing of history as an investigation would cause a significantly more noteworthy bending of our comprehension. Why study history? Er ... it exists, isn't that right? We have a past. Would he let youngsters experience childhood in Walden Two reasoning it had consistently existed, thinking, maybe, that it had jumped up all out from the forehead of Zeus? It strikes me as risky to acknowledge such monstrous numbness. To stay uninformed, is to accept a falsehood. Skinner's Frazier has endless confidence in his thoughts. He no longer has to know history. He is guaranteed that his organizers and supervisors will never get undermined. (In the event that they did, it is hard to know it without an information on what Walden Two had been similar to before the debasement began.) His thorough program ends up being inquisitively ailing in substance. Skinner's thoughts are provocative and interesting. In any case, the issues are dreadfully genuine to permit the brisk excusal Frazier would give them. So, I am not prepared to make all necessary endorsements. The Demons Within Essay - Demons Possession Skinner Frazier Essays The Demons Within 	There are many intriguing, all around created, engaging, brilliant, energizing, and provocative characters in Mario Vargas LlosaÕs epic Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Pedro Camacho is a significant character, just as Aunt Julia herself. I was even extraordinarily charmed by such little characters as Cousin Nancy and, in all honesty, the cabdriver who helped discover a city hall leader to wed Aunt Julia and Marito. in any case, no one in the entire book intrigued me more than Marito Varguitas himself. He is simply such an all around created character, and truly appears to be an individual who might be enjoyable to know. Indeed, nothing about Marito intrigued me more than the evil presences that he has, or should I say appear to gangs him and show themselves in his life just as his accounts. 	One of the numerous evil spirits Marito has is his keeping in touch with itself. he appears to continually be trying to composing another short story to send to some paper or magazine. The thing is, none of these accounts entirely appear to be awesome or fruitful. All through the novel, not one of them is ever really distributer. Not even MaritoÕs companions truly like his composition. In Chapter thirteen he peruses the one about Aunt Eliana to Javier, Aunt Julia, and even to Pascual and Big Pablito. After they hear it, not one of them truly has anything ideal to state about it by any stretch of the imagination. Thus, despite the fact that composing is one of MaritoÕs interests, it is likewise one of his evil presences. It is essentially his activity and how he gets by at the radio broadcast ÒRadio Panamericana,Ó however it controls the remainder of his live away from fill in too. 	Another evil spirit controlled by or having Marito is that old enough. Age clearly assumes a colossal job in this novel. Marito is scarcely eighteen years of age, not by any means a legitimate grown-up in his own nation, but then he is enamored with Aunt Julia, how isn't just separated, yet additionally numerous years more established than her darling at thirty something years old. His age appears to cause numerous contentions for Marito all through the book. Interestingly, when it was keeping him from wedding Aunt Julia, every one of that was done was essentially to transform one number, a six to a three, to take care of the issue. At long last, it truly didnÕt appear as though age was actually the issue that was the issue for Marito and Aunt JuliaÕs family. 	Another colossal devil in the story is ... ...story as a present guide. He offers a great deal of appropriate analysis of history and it's pertinence, including the lack of quality of its data, its slanted viewpoints, and so on. Be that as it may, even with the entirety of History's disadvantages, killing history as an investigation would cause a considerably more noteworthy contortion of our comprehension. Why study history? Er ... it exists, isn't that right? We have a past. Would he let youngsters experience childhood in Walden Two reasoning it had consistently existed, thinking, maybe, that it had jumped up out and out from the temple of Zeus? It strikes me as perilous to acknowledge such enormous obliviousness. To stay oblivious, is to accept an untruth. Skinner's Frazier has limitless confidence in his thoughts. He no longer has to know history. He is guaranteed that his organizers and chiefs will never get debased. (In the event that they did, it is hard to know it without an information on what Walden Two had been similar to before the defilement began.) His thorough program ends up being inquisitively ailing in substance. Skinner's thoughts are provocative and interesting. Be that as it may, the issues are dreadfully genuine to permit the fast excusal Frazier would give them. To put it plainly, I am not prepared to make all necessary endorsements.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

HOW TO ANSWER Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years

HOW TO ANSWER â€" Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years When you’re asked about your vision for the next five years, you might feel like it’s an odd question. First off, how could you know? And second, you might want to say you want to be in Ibiza drinking martinis.Both are legitimate thoughts but neither is a good basis for actually answering this question. Instead, you should continue reading this post, as you’ll learn everything you need to know about answering the dreaded “Where do you see yourself in five years” â€"question in style.In the below post, you will learn:The reason you have to answer this questionHow to identify and think about your career goalsHow to balance your career goals with what the role has on offerWhat to say in the 3 most common career scenariosWhat are the mistakes you have to avoidWhat 5 example answers would look likeLet’s get started!WHY IS THIS QUESTION ASKED?Job interview questions are not just random questions the interview throws around to waste time. Each question has become popular because it can help the interview learn more about you as the candidate and to make a judgement call on your value and suitability for the role.When the interviewer asks where you see yourself in five years, they are essentially looking to learn two things:What your career goals areCareer goals are important and valuable because they show whether you are motivated, ambitions and goal-driven.These are important qualities for an employer because if they have a motivated and ambitious workforce, then the employees will be productive and help the organisation to reach its goals faster.If you don’t have any kind of idea of the future, you don’t seem like the kind of worker who has drive and passion to succeed. This can spook the employer because they don’t want to hire someone who’s not sure about their career ambitions.This could mean you’re either looking for a job for the wrong reasons or you suddenly end up realising you’re in the wrong role altogether and leave.How those goals align with the positionNow, when interviewers are asking for your career goals, they don’t just want to know you have ambition and drive. In fact, they want to ensure you like the job you’re applying for and that you’re serious about getting it (and then succeeding in it).Plainly put, the interviewer wants to know you will still see yourself in the role and the company in five years time.Hiring is expensive and time-consuming. Companies don’t want to hire employees, even if they are talented if the person is going to leave within the next few years and they have to start over again.Therefore, when asking this question, the interviewer is essentially looking for reassurance you are motivated for this specific position! They want to know you have the drive to succeed in this particular role â€" to ensure you’re not just looking to run off in a few months.FIRST THINGS FIRST: DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW YOUR CAREER GOALS?Before you even begin to think about answering this question, y ou must make sure you have an idea of your actual career goals. You should always have short-, medium-, and long-term goals. Career goals are important because they will help you:Focus on actions that help you reach your goals and avoid wasting time on those that don’t.Maintain your motivation and job satisfaction, leading to a happier life.If you haven’t paid attention to your career goals, you can find a lot of useful information on how to do it here and here. However, here is a short, five-step way to jotting down your five-year goals.STEP 1:Write down your ideal career situation in five years. This is the dream â€" be ambitious with a pinch of realism thrown into the mix. What would make you happy, motivated and satisfied?STEP 2:Consider your skills and current career trajectory. Think about the above idea goals in terms of your current career path. Does it seem realistic? What kind of changes would you need to make to achieve those goals? What are the skills that’ll help you achieve those goals?STEP 3:Write down your goals and break them into smaller goals. Identify the specific situation you want to be in and the path to getting there. Use the SMART decision-making strategy.STEP 4:Create a roadmap for achieving those goals. Use the information to create a roadmap to your five-year goals. Establish short-term goals ranging from year 1, year 2 and so on to break these into months and even weeks.STEP 5:Have a look at your goals regularly. You should make sure to remind yourself of these goals regularly â€" you want to examine how well you are doing by examining your goals every week or month. Are you achieving your goals? What is going well and what might be going wrong?Now, once you have identified your true five-year career goals, you should consider how this position fits them. You should think about your goals and the job position you are applying for and answer the following questions:What are you looking for from this position?How will the posit ion help you in terms of your career goals?What about the position appeals to you the most?You want to start thinking about the ways this position can take you closer to your ultimate five-year goals and professional fulfilment.ALIGN YOUR CAREER GOALS WITH THE ROLE YOU’RE INTERVIEWING FORThe above is not, however, necessarily what you should say when asked about your five-year goals. It’s more to help you understand the reasons for applying to this role and to ensure you do have some kind of roadmap going forward.It’s important to have both short- and long-term goals because they will give you focus and this will help you move forward and to stay happy and motivated.The reason you shouldn’t just use the above information as your answer is down to remembering what the interviewer wants from your answer.You have to remember it’s essential you align your own career goals with the role you are interviewing for and you make it obvious you are not just using the job as a steppin g-stone for another role or even company.You, therefore, have to find a balance between your actual career goals and aligning them with the role and company you are looking to obtain. You must make it so your goals are in harmony with those the organisation wants to achieve and the role you’re expected to perform.This means having an understanding of what the position and the company are going to offer.In order to answer this question, you must conduct research into the organisation, its vision and the role in general.You should also try to understand what kind of career options it might provide so you are aware whether the company could cater to your career objectives or not.First, you should research the company in broad terms. You want to consider things like:What is the company’s vision and what kind of path is it on?What kind of career path does the company offer?Do they have job development and/or training programs employees can attend?What kind of promotion policy do they have?What are the roles you might be promoted to/apply for with more experience?You can find this information from the company website and by talking to people who work or have worked in the company.See if you know people working in the organisation or those who might have worked there. You can also consider reading company reviews from sites like Glassdoor.com.After this, you also want to think about the role you’re applying for. You want to think about what it will teach you, the skills you’ll gain and the things you want to do if you get that position.You don’t want to think about where it will lead â€" this is not just about how the job will move you forward, but more about what the job can give you while you’re in it.You should keep your focus on the role and your enthusiasm for it. Your answer shouldn’t be about you and your goals but exactly where you see yourself in five years because of this role. In a sense, you want to answer this question like it was asked as, “Where will this role get you in five years?”You want to highlight your desire to perform in this role and be the best you can be. Of course, you have to do this in a realistic manner and not make any sort of promises.You don’t want to say things like “I’ll turn the company around” or “I want to sell more cars than anyone ever” at this point â€" this question is really more about development and progression rather than trying to predict the futuryye.NAVIGATING THE 3 COMMON SCENARIOS WITH YOUR ANSWERThe above gives you the right balance to strike in your answer. You know what your own personal career goals are but you also understand how the company’s career path, vision and the role, in general, influence those.Now, when you are trying to align your personal goals with what the company and role have on offer, you will likely encounter three different scenarios.The three situations you might find yourself at this point are that you view the role as are:Stepping-sto ne to something else â€" in five years, you don’t really want to see yourself still in the same role and you are likely to move beyond the company as well.Opportunity for a career path â€" you’re not quite sure where you will be in five years because the role would be a career change for you and you are kind of testing waters.Uncertain place â€" you don’t know enough about the company due to lack of resources available and you think it might not offer the kind of path forward you want.Let’s examine those in detail and look at the best ways to answer them.You find the company and the role as a stepping-stoneSo, you know the job is just going to be a bit of a stepping-stone for you. It’s alright â€" you’re not going to hold a single job for the rest of your life and you will need to experience different roles in order to get to your thing.While everyone knows this, you can’t really go out and say it to a hiring manager. Remember that they don’t want to be hiring a new person all the time.So, how could you respond? You should find something you can commit to even though you might not be committing to staying in the company after five years.You don’t have to lie â€" as you’ll read later, you should never lie, in fact â€" since you can simply talk about things you’d like to achieve in the role. You want to think about those small goals you want to focus on from day one in the new job and the goals you want to keep working on for as long as you stay.You could say something like this:“I’ve noticed you have an employee training program which I really want to be part of. I’m always looking to improve my skills and talent and I hope to continue doing so in this role as well. I’m also very passionate about small business and I hope the next five years, with your business projects, will give me a lot of opportunities to work with many different small businesses.”The main thing is to focus on the good the role and company is going to offer a nd how this will help you.You don’t want to get hung up on the knowledge you probably won’t be there in five years but instead, focus on what it might look like if you were â€" what are the things you are looking forward to in this role?You’re changing careers and don’t quite know what the future holdsYou might also be in the process of changing careers. You can’t really know where you are going to be in five years because you are currently in the process of finding it out. This job is your opportunity if this role and industry is the way forward.What can you say that doesn’t freak out the interviewer? It’s important to focus on some kind of long-term goals and your vision for your career.You should have some kind of idea what you’re looking for in this role. You can think about your answer in terms:What do you want this position to teach you?What are the things you are looking forward to in this role?You can then talk about these with your answer and say something l ike:“I’m applying to this copywriting position because I’ve always wanted to be more creative. I think this will help me learn more about the creative side of the world while still using my IT skills with the digital projects the company has. I think this combination will help me and I really want to make a mark in the industry â€" developing the creative side further.”You highlight your desires and transferable skills without going too much into detail for how you’re searching for the right path.You don’t know if the company offers a path forwardSometimes you might not be quite sure about your five-year goals and how the company might align with those. You might not be able to find information to see if the path forward is there or you simply don’t know if it’s good for you at this point.How to approach the question then? You really want to focus on the important things you think the position will teach you and things the company can offer without saying openly that you already know you want to move on.You can do this by first answering these questions:What kind of skills would the job teach me and which I’m eager to gain?What kind of projects might the company offer to me?What long-term goals or visions does the company have and do they align with mine?You can use your answers and create an answer that talks about how you are looking forward to developing yourself in this position.Furthermore, you can take this approach further and focus on the ability to develop your skills.For example, you could think if there are courses you could take to be better in the role you’re interviewing for (and which would help you in moving forward).For example, you could say something like:“As a programme developer, I want to keep developing my skills. In five years, I really want to have learned about new software in the field and have a better understanding of AI. I really think this opportunity will help me use AI more and so I’m thinking of taking courses to help me with the role and be the best I can in five years time.”You are focusing on specific skills and talking about personal and professional growth without talking in detail where your career, per se, is going to take you.DON’T MAKE THESE MISTAKES, NO MATTER WHATWhen you’re answering interview questions like this one, you often have to think about what not to say to ensure success. Few things could damage your changes, especially in terms of talking about your five-year plans.The three things you have to avoid mentioning when answering this question are:1. Saying you don’t knowIn all honesty, we can’t know where will be in five years time.But this isn’t about predicting your future â€" as mentioned above, the interviewer is looking to see if you have thought about your career path and if you will be loyal to the company if hired.You don’t have to have your whole life and career planned out and things can always change. But you do want to show the intervie wer how you’re serious about the role.Here’s an example answer of what you shouldn’t say:“Five years? Oh, I don’t know… I hardly know what I’ll do tomorrow!”2. LyingIf there is one universal thing to avoid when answering any type of interview question, it’s lying. You can’t lie during a job interview because the likelihood of being caught in a lie is huge and the consequences of that could ruin your career aspirations for good.You don’t have to say what your exact aspirations are. As mentioned, you do want to tailor your answer to be encouraging in terms of your motivation towards the role.However, you can omit things but you don’t want to make things up.For example, you might well want to be in an executive position within five years but you don’t necessarily want to mention this if it’s unlikely to happen in this role.Instead, you can talk about your desire to have more responsibilities and succeeding in your job. The key is to just avoid lying in order to cover your actual plans.3. Joking about your futureJob interviews are not about cracking the best jokes â€" unless you are applying for some stand-up job. It’s important to stay professional throughout.Saying you see yourself living with 20 cats in five years is unlikely to get a laugh from your interviewer.5 EXAMPLE ANSWERS WHY THEY ARE GOODYou now have the tools to create the best answer to “Where do you see yourself in five years”.To help make it even easier, it can be helpful to examine some common answers to this question.These are not answers you should copy, as your own situation will always be unique.However, you might find them inspiring and they will help you understand the good points your answer should always focus on.“I’m glad you asked that because one of the big reasons I wanted to apply to this position was how well it aligns with my idea of a good employer in terms of my career path. You are known for your commitment to employee growth and advancement and I find this important. In five years, I wish I had been able to take part in the training opportunities you have and improve my skill set in leadership. I’m a driven and passionate person so I hope in five years I would have improved my skill set and perhaps advanced to a managerial position.”This is good because it shows you’ve done your company research and you understand what kind of company you are dealing with. You showcase your fit in the company environment and focus on your desire to improve your talent and desire to stay in the company.“I’m always looking to improve and in five years, I want to be better at what I do than I am right now. I like to work with start-ups and I wish this position would help me take on interesting projects that allow me to support start-ups in the field. I hope to meet innovative and inspiring people and perhaps even become a mentor myself.”It’s a good, short and descriptive answer. Again, it focuses on the position at hand but also shows you are interested in additional responsibilities, such as mentoring. You show ambition and desire for growth.“My five-year goals are mostly to do with growing my design portfolio. I’m really excited about this particular opportunity because it would allow me to work with more companies and projects, using my innovative and creative ideas to help others. I would love to take on bigger projects and perhaps even lead a team of other designers.”This is another example of a specific example that’s focused on the actual profession and the company. It focuses on the things you’d do in the role and highlights desire to take on responsibilities.“In five years, I wish to have gained more knowledge in consulting. Since my background is in accounting, I really want to be able to apply these skills with the financial consulting field and be able to help clients realise their financial potential. I’m looking forward to taking more courses in management and leadership as I believe these would help me.”If you’re transitioning from one career path to another, the above is an example of a good answer. It showcases your understanding of what the position requires and highlights your willingness to learn more.It acknowledges the doubts the interviewer might have (regarding your background in another industry) and mentions the benefits and strengths this might bring about.“I’m most passionate about working for non-profits and this position is, therefore, like a dream come true. I’m looking forward to working with new clients and to learn more about how the investment sector can help these organisations to flourish. I’m also interested in taking a few IT courses on my free time as I believe these skills would help me further down the line.”You talk about the role and what you are most passionate about it. You don’t go into too much detail because you might not know too many details about the company or you’re unsure if you’ll stay, per haps.However, you do present yourself as a passionate and forward-looking person who wants to develop their skillset.CONCLUDING REMARKSWhen it comes answering the question “Where do you see yourself in five years” is not a trick question. It has a lot of weight and it’s another opportunity for you to sell yourself for the role.The key is to remember to stay honest to your own goals and align those with what the role could mean for your career.Above, you’ve learned the importance to research the organisation and to avoid the common mistakes you could make with the question.You know how to be realistic, enthusiastic and how to present yourself as the best candidate for the role â€" no matter what your ideal career goals are.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Black Friday Stats on Shoppers, Spending, and Purchases

In 2016, more than 154 million people in the U.S. shopped in stores and online over  the Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Thats more than 60 percent of the nations total population of adults. The NRF data indicates that nearly 100 million people shopped in stores over the holiday weekend while 108 million shopped online, and some, of course, did both. The NRF survey results show that Black Friday shopping appeals more to Millennials—adults aged 18 to 34 years—than it does to others. They were more likely to shop over the holiday weekend, and they were more likely to shop for themselves (doing more of their shopping online than in person). And they say that baseball is the ultimate American pastime?  In a consumerist culture, its shopping. How Much We  Spent The average shopper spent about $290  dollars over the three-day period, according to NRF, down ten dollars from 2015. ShopperTrak estimates that this resulted in $12.1 billion dollars spent over Thursday and Friday, with the majority of it, $10 million, spent on Black Friday. According to Adobe Insights, $5.2 billion was spent online during this two-day period. According to Mindshare, online sales for the four-day period of November 24-27 broke records, with total spending of $9.36 billion, which represents more than a 16 percent increase over 2015. Shoppers spent more online than ever on  Black Friday, at more than $3 billion. Not to be outdone, Cyber Monday broke previous records as well, with consumers spending $3.4 billion in one day, according to Adobe Insights. This was not only a 12 percent increase over Cyber Monday 2015, it is also a figure that makes Cyber Monday 2016 the most lucrative online retail day in history. Who Spent the Most Contrary to the stereotypical image of women as shopaholics, it was actually men who spent the most on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Mindshare reported prior to the shopping events that men surveyed anticipated spending nearly 69% more than the average woman, or $417 compared to $247. Mindshares survey also showed that it was older adults, those aged 35-54 who intended to spend the most of any age group, at an average of $356 per person. Millennials, however, were right behind them at a projected $338. This level of spending among Millennials, considerably higher than the average for all shoppers, might strike some as curious, or even selfish, given that they were more likely to shop for themselves than other age groups.  Its worth noting that Millennials have struggled financially during early adulthood in ways that previous generations have not, thanks in part to the Great Recession and to the ever-soaring mountain of student debt. Due in large part to these and other economic factors, Millennial adults are more likely to live at home with their parents than any other previous generation of young adults since 1880.  For these reasons, its quite likely that many among this age group use the opportunity of Black Friday discounts to purchase necessities or minor luxuries that they cant otherwise afford. How  and When They Shopped Though many  likely think of Black Friday and the entire Thanksgiving weekend as a frenzy of shoppers battling for deals at big box stores across the country, NRF data show that more people actually shopped online than in-store this year. Over the holiday weekend, online shopping was at its peak on Black Friday, until, of course, Cyber Monday rolled around. The vast majority of in-store shopping took place on Black Friday too, but again, bucking the stereotypical image, most people did not line up early or camp out for Thanksgiving or Black Friday deals. Only a small fraction of shoppers did this, and it turns out that they are more likely to men and to be Millennials. Mindshare notes that both groups were looking for specific deals on these days, and that they expected the in-store deals to be better than those found online. Where They Shopped and What They Bought The NRF found that more than half who went out to shop over the holiday weekend visited a department store like Macys and Nordstrom, and more than a third shopped at discount stores like Walmart or Target. Slightly less than a third visited an electronics store, and about 28 percent shopped at a store for clothing or accessories. One in four holiday shoppers visited a grocery store or supermarket. The NRF reported  that clothing and accessories led as the most popular gift items among those surveyed, with toys in second place. Electronics, books, CDs, DVDs, videos and video games, and gift cards rounded out the most common items that shoppers intended to buy as gifts. Online shoppers flocked to electronics items, including Samsung 4K televisions, Apples iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini, Microsofts Xbox One, and Sonys Playstation 4, according to Adobe Insights. Likely an indication of why men planned to spend more than women during the holiday shopping extravaganza, Mindshare reported that men were more likely than women to buy big-ticket items, including cars and auto parts, electronics, and video games. Women, on the other hand, reported plans to buy clothing and other fashion items, electronics, and toys. Among the toys sold online during Cyber Monday, Adobe Insights reported that Lego sets were the most popular item,  followed by Shopkins, Nerf, Barbie, and Little Live Pets. Why They Went Unsurprisingly, the NRF-commissioned survey found that half of all in-store shoppers said they had gone out on Thanksgiving and the subsequent days because the deals were too good to pass up. And it was women, more so than men, who were motivated to shop by a desire to find the best deals and discounts, according to Mindshare. Men, on the other hand, were more likely to be out shopping for specific items. The vast majority of those polled by NRF—about 3-in-4—shopped in order to buy gifts for others. Interestingly, from a sociological standpoint, NRF found that a third of in-store shoppers reported that they shopped because it was tradition, and  a quarter said they did it because it gave them something to do over the holiday weekend. And that, folks, is the very definition of consumerism.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Cask Of Amontillado, By Edgar Allan Poe - 1776 Words

The purpose of the short stories â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, â€Å"El Tonto del Barrio†, and â€Å"Cathedral† is to explore the concepts of prominence in religion driven by symbolism, characterization, and theme used to manipulated the reader’s analytical views. Christianity plays an imperative role on all three short stories by the author’s through their descriptive scenarios symbolizing a religious ideology. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of religion as a hidden message in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is portrayed through the ambiance developed in and the characters symbolism compared to Christianity and Freemasonry. In comparison, â€Å"Cathedral† exposes Christian principles shown in the beginning through the title and the symbolism behind the characters description. On the other hand, â€Å"El Tonto del Barrio† unveils the principles of Christianity via the theme of greed. Thus, all of the three short stories have a dee per meaning directed towards a religious audience that can capture the symbolism behind the story. As a writer of mysterious and gruesome tales, Edgar Allan Poe incorporated in his literature his understanding or position of heaven and hell. For example, in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, Poe connects religion with a horror fiction short story of revenge and guilt between two characters, Montresor and Fortunato. Hence, Poe decides to have the short story centered on a first person point of view directed towards either God, the devil, or a priest by stating, â€Å"You, who so well know the natureShow MoreRelatedThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe888 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe In ?The Cask of Amontillado?, Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a trip into the mind of a mad man. Poe uses certain elements to convey an emotional impact. He utilizes irony, descriptive detail of setting, and dark character traits to create the search of sinful deceit. Poe also uses first person, where the narrator is the protagonist who is deeply involved. The purpose is to get the reader to no longer be the observer. He wants them to see with MontressorRead MoreThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe836 Words   |  3 Pagesqualities in the story. In the story many things are used as symbols such as the actual cask of amontillado, the trowel, the jester costume and the setting in which there is two in the story. Another literary technique used significantly in the story is irony. Irony is the expression of ones meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite. In the short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† Montresor a very troubled man who plans to seek revenge on another man named FortunatoRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe And The Cask Of Amontillado1384 Words   |  6 PagesWhat makes Edgar Allan Poe work unique? Other than being a strange individual, Poe has become a remarkable literature writer. The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Cask of Amontillado are just a few of Poe’s work that staples the theme of gothic literature. This essay will allow you to see the gothic elements Edgar Allan Poe uses through his most common poems. Gothic literature has many elements which play into its definition. The actual definition is a style of writing that is characterized by elementsRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe906 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† was written in 1846, by Edgar Allan Poe. Born in 1809, Poe never knew any of his parents. At the age of three, his mother died of tuberculosis, and his father deserted the family before he was born. Taking care of him was his foster parents in Richmond, Virginia. They loved Poe, but were not supportive of his decisions and kept Poe poor. Having debt and not being able to provide food and clothes for himself caused Poe to quit school. Later, heRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe920 Words   |  4 Pageswhen that trust no longer exists? In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† written by Edgar Allan Poe, Fortunato is about to find the answer to this question. On the surface, Montresor seems friendly with Fortunato, but deep down he feels nothing but hate for him. Could this hatred have an irrationality that only Montresor understands? In different ways, both of these men are proud and affluent, yet both have downfalls that will l ead to a tragic ending. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of language contributes to the understandingRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1555 Words   |  7 PagesIn his writing, Edgar Allan Poe has multiple uses of direct and indirect characterization. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor had rules such as â€Å"I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong† (Poe, 2). Poe used indirect characterization to show the reader that Montresor is an unreliable narrator because he justified hisRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1303 Words   |  6 PagesIn Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the narrator recalls an extremely significant time in his life, and takes the reader along with him. Throughout the story, one experiences a perfectly planned murder which took place over fifty years ago, and still no one has discovered what truly happened to poor Fortunato as he was chained to a wall in a room that was then closed off, and torched to death due to all the nitre in the walls. As the story goes on, the reader can see some of Poe’s unfortunateRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story, The Cask of Amontillado, written by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of terror and betrayal. Like many of Poe’s literary works, the story has a dark undertone with a theme of terror and depression. More than half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan argued that though Poe was fascinated by evil, the evil that he had in mind was not that of Calvinism, but that of the split man and the split civilization. In general, McLuhan was right, but in this instance Calvinism, and its God, provided a darkRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe707 Words   |  3 PagesIn the short story of The Ca sk of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe writes in first person point of view from the perspective of Montresor who seeks revenge against Fortunato. Montresor began to develop the perfect plan for revenge. During the carnival season, Montresor meets with Fortunato and decides to implement his plan carefully through irony. Poe s story describes the murderer s mind which has lived as a memory of Fortunato s death for fifty years. Poe uses different types of irony and symbolismRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe985 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allen Poe is a well known author of short stories and poetry from the 19th century. He is known especially for his stories of horror and suspense. The Cask of Amontillado is one of his more famous pieces. The story follows the narrator, Montresor, as he exacts revenge on Fortunato. Montressor draws Fortunato into the wine cellar where eventually he chains Fortunato to the wall and encloses him inside it. Throughout the story the narrator continually proves that he is not the most reliable source

Deception Point Page 62 Free Essays

Pickering seemed to consider this a long time, gently stroking his tie. â€Å"And yet taking into account the amount NASA has to gain from this discovery right now, the apparent signs of tampering with evidence, and your being attacked†¦ the first and only logical conclusion I can draw is that this meteorite is a well-executed fraud.† â€Å"Impossible!† Corky sounded angry now. We will write a custom essay sample on Deception Point Page 62 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"With all respect, sir, meteorites are not some Hollywood special effect that can be conjured up in a lab to fool a bunch of unsuspecting astrophysicists. They are chemically complex objects with unique crystalline structures and element ratios!† â€Å"I am not challenging you, Dr. Marlinson. I am simply following a logical chain of analysis. Considering someone wanted to kill you to keep you from revealing it was inserted under the ice, I’m inclined to entertain all kinds of wild scenarios here. What specifically makes you certain this rock is indeed a meteorite?† â€Å"Specifically?† Corky’s voice cracked in the headphones. â€Å"A flawless fusion crust, the presence of chondrules, a nickel ratio unlike anything ever found on earth. If you’re suggesting that someone tricked us by manufacturing this rock in a lab, then all I can say is that the lab was about 190 million years old.† Corky dug in his pocket and pulled out a stone shaped like a CD. He held it in front of the camera. â€Å"We chemically dated samples like this with numerous methods. Rubidium-strontium dating is not something you can fake!† Pickering looked surprised. â€Å"You have a sample?† Corky shrugged. â€Å"NASA had dozens of them floating around.† â€Å"You mean to tell me,† Pickering said, looking at Rachel now, â€Å"that NASA discovered a meteorite they think contains life, and they’re letting people walk off with samples?† â€Å"The point,† Corky said, â€Å"is that the sample in my hands is genuine.† He held the rock close to the camera. â€Å"You could give this to any petrologist or geologist or astronomer on earth, they would run tests, and they would tell you two things: one, it is 190 million years old; and two, it is chemically dissimilar from the kind of rock we have here on earth.† Pickering leaned forward, studying the fossil embedded in the rock. He seemed momentarily transfixed. Finally, he sighed. â€Å"I am not a scientist. All I can say is that if that meteorite is genuine, which it appears it is, I would like to know why NASA didn’t present it to the world at face value? Why has someone carefully placed it under the ice as if to persuade us of its authenticity?† At that moment, inside the White House, a security officer was dialing Marjorie Tench. The senior adviser answered on the first ring. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Ms. Tench,† the officer said, â€Å"I have the information you requested earlier. The radiophone call that Rachel Sexton placed to you earlier this evening. We have the trace.† â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"Secret Service ops says the signal originated aboard the naval submarine U.S.S. Charlotte.† â€Å"What!† â€Å"They don’t have coordinates, ma’am, but they are certain of the vessel code.† â€Å"Oh, for Christ’s sake!† Tench slammed down the receiver without another word. 72 The muted acoustics of the Charlotte’s dead room were starting to make Rachel feel mildly nauseated. On-screen, William Pickering’s troubled gaze moved now to Michael Tolland. â€Å"You’re quiet, Mr. Tolland.† Tolland glanced up like a student who had been called on unexpectedly. â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"You just gave quite a convincing documentary on television,† Pickering said. â€Å"What’s your take on the meteorite now?† â€Å"Well, sir,† Tolland said, his discomfort obvious, â€Å"I have to agree with Dr. Marlinson. I believe the fossils and meteorite are authentic. I’m fairly well versed in dating techniques, and the age of that stone was confirmed by multiple tests. The nickel content as well. These data cannot be forged. There exists no doubt the rock, formed 190 million years ago, exhibits nonterrestrial nickel ratios and contains dozens of confirmed fossils whose formation is also dated at 190 million years. I can think of no other possible explanation than that NASA has found an authentic meteorite.† Pickering fell silent now. His expression was one of quandary, a look Rachel had never before seen on William Pickering. â€Å"What should we do, sir?† Rachel asked. â€Å"Obviously we need to alert the President there are problems with the data.† Pickering frowned. â€Å"Let’s hope the President doesn’t already know.† Rachel felt a knot rise in her throat. Pickering’s implication was clear. President Herney could be involved. Rachel strongly doubted it, and yet both the President and NASA had plenty to gain here. â€Å"Unfortunately,† Pickering said, â€Å"with the exception of this GPR printout revealing an insertion shaft, all of the scientific data points to a credible NASA discovery.† He paused, dire. â€Å"And this issue of your being attacked†¦ † He looked up at Rachel. â€Å"You mentioned special ops.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† She told him again about the Improvised Munitions and tactics. Pickering looked more and more unhappy by the moment. Rachel sensed her boss was contemplating the number of people who might have access to a small military kill force. Certainly the President had access. Probably Marjorie Tench too, as senior adviser. Quite possibly NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom with his ties to the Pentagon. Unfortunately, as Rachel considered the myriad of possibilities, she realized the controlling force behind the attack could have been almost anyone with high-level political clout and the right connections. â€Å"I could phone the President right now,† Pickering said, â€Å"but I don’t think that’s wise, at least until we know who’s involved. My ability to protect you becomes limited once we involve the White House. In addition, I’m not sure what I would tell him. If the meteorite is real, which you all feel it is, then your allegation of an insertion shaft and attack doesn’t make sense; the President would have every right to question the validity of my claim.† He paused as if calculating the options. â€Å"Regardless†¦ whatever the truth is or who the players are, some very powerful people will take hits if this information goes public. I suggest we get you to safety right away, before we start rocking any boats.† Get us to safety? The comment surprised Rachel. â€Å"I think we’re fairly safe on a nuclear submarine, sir.† Pickering looked skeptical. â€Å"Your presence on that submarine won’t stay secret long. I’m pulling you out immediately. Frankly, I’ll feel better when the three of you are sitting in my office.† 73 Senator Sexton huddled alone on his couch feeling like a refugee. His Westbrooke Place apartment that had only an hour ago been filled with new friends and supporters now looked forsaken, scattered with the rubble of snifters and business cards, abandoned by men who had quite literally dashed out the door. Now Sexton crouched in solitude before his television, wanting more than anything to turn it off and yet being unable to pull himself from the endless media analyses. This was Washington, and it didn’t take long for the analysts to rush through their pseudoscientific and philosophical hyperbole and lock in on the ugly stuff-the politics. Like torture masters rubbing acid in Sexton’s wounds, the newscasters were stating and restating the obvious. â€Å"Hours ago, Sexton’s campaign was soaring,† one analyst said. â€Å"Now, with NASA’s discovery, the senator’s campaign has crashed back to earth.† Sexton winced, reaching for the Courvoisier and taking a hit right out of the bottle. Tonight, he knew, would be the longest and loneliest night of his life. He despised Marjorie Tench for setting him up. He despised Gabrielle Ashe for ever mentioning NASA in the first place. He despised the President for being so goddamned lucky. And he despised the world for laughing at him. How to cite Deception Point Page 62, Essay examples

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Programming Logic

Introduction Digital electronic devices have tremendously revolutionized the world. Many electronic devices have been invented due to the increase in the state of technology day by day. Programmable logic devices offer a wide range of features, speed and characters. In most of cases, the PLD used for a given prototyping, is the same PLD that will be put into use in the final invention of the end equipment, like games.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Programming Logic – File Processing for Game Design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are a number of PLDs that have been discovered, and mostly used by the designers. These PLDs includes, field programmable gate arrays and complex programmable logic devices (Sprankle Hubbard 2012).FPGAs provide a wide range of logic capacity, with numerous features and offer peak performance, whereas the CPLDs offers lower amount of logic gates. Therefore, these are the two types of programs that are the most ideal for developing and designing games. Game designers often use these programs because they offer a large volume of applications, and are the most relevant in the game designing. Another benefit that can be derived from these PLDs is that, they are economical and where the designer need a high performing PLD, the fixed programmable device will always be used. Since the game designer must be a person with high level of artistic and technical skills, designing skills are taught in many colleges and universities across the world. Mostly, game designers are also writers and editors. They must be well versed with the system design, content design and excellent game writing skills. Therefore, many video games have been developed due these acquired designing skills. Many people, young and adults have now embraced watching or playing several video games. The PLDs are very flexible, hence, whenever designers need to make an alteration during the des ign period, they simply change the programming files and effects in the design changes will be seen straight away. The most interesting part of the benefits is that PLD can be programmed when already in the field (Zimmermann 2001). Programming steps New features can easily be added to the product that has been released in the market, hence making it more interesting. It is very imperative for the programmer to make clear the programming requirements. Otherwise the program may not be successful and accomplish the target. The designer should also know the purpose of the program; verify the end user and determine how the program shall function.Advertising Looking for essay on programming? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At this time, the designer must also establish the type of the data needed for the successful operation. The designer thereafter will design the program, in our case the computer game. They will use algorithms, wh ich are simply the commands and equations that tells the computer what to execute (Constantin 1995).Algorithms system are mostly used in forms of logical hierarchical. When the designer has designed a program, it is important for him to follow a syntax rule appropriately, in order to develop a programming language which must be coded. The syntax rule must be followed without any deviation. At this juncture, the program must therefore be tested and documented for use. Another popular program is light wave 3D. This program is mostly used by video editors, who are rooted in the entire film and TV industry. It has three powerful futures that have made it to be popular among the designers. It can handle 3D modeling and 3D scene building and animation, which are commonly used by designers. It has advantages over most of the design programs because it is easy to use, it does not consume much time, and designers always have an opportunity to make corrections in the project before it is fina lly produced to the public. These great packages have tremendously made this program override other programs in the market today (Poole2000).The 3D light wave is also very cheap and readily available in the markets. In conclusion, because of its simplicity, it makes learning easy, even if the designer has no much prior experience in the game designing field. References Constantin, V. A. (1995). Fuzzy logic and NeuroFuzzy applications explained. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR. Poole, S. (2000). Trigger Happy. New York, NY: Time Warner Book Group.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Programming Logic – File Processing for Game Design specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sprankle, M., Hubbard, J. (2012) Problem Solving and Programming Concepts (9th Ed.). New Jersey, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Zimmermann, H. (2001). Fuzzy set theory and its applications. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publisher.n Wolfram. A New Kind of Media, 2 This essay on Programming Logic – File Processing for Game Design was written and submitted by user Kallie Riggs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Best Analysis The American Dream in The Great Gatsby

Best Analysis The American Dream in The Great Gatsby SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story on the surface, but it's most commonly understood as a pessimistic critique of the American Dream. In the novel, Jay Gatsby overcomes his poor past to gain an incredible amount of money and a limited amount of social cache in 1920s NYC, only to be rejected by the "old money" crowd. He then gets killed after being tangled up with them. Through Gatsby's life, as well as that of the Wilsons', Fitzgerald critiques the idea that America is a meritocracy where anyone can rise to the top with enough hard work. We will explore how this theme plays out in the plot, briefly analyze some key quotes about it, as well as do some character analysis and broader analysis of topics surrounding the American Dream in The Great Gatsby. Roadmap What is the American Dream?The American Dream in the Great Gatsby plotKey American Dream quotesAnalyzing characters via the American DreamCommon discussion and essay topics Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. What Exactly Is "The American Dream"? The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race, class, gender, or nationality, can be successful in America (read: rich) if they just work hard enough. The American Dream thus presents a pretty rosy view of American society that ignores problems like systemic racism and misogyny, xenophobia, tax evasion or state tax avoidance, and income inequality. It also presumes a myth of class equality, when the reality is America has a pretty well-developed class hierarchy. The 1920s in particular was a pretty tumultuous time due to increased immigration (and the accompanying xenophobia), changing women's roles (spurred by the right to vote, which was won in 1919), and extraordinary income inequality. The country was also in the midst of an economic boom, which fueled the belief that anyone could "strike it rich" on Wall Street. However, this rapid economic growth was built on a bubble which popped in 1929. The Great Gatsby was published in 1925, well before the crash, but through its wry descriptions of the ultra-wealthy, it seems to somehow predict that the fantastic wealth on display in 1920s New York was just as ephemeral as one of Gatsby's parties. In any case, the novel, just by being set in the 1920s, is unlikely to present an optimistic view of the American Dream, or at least a version of the dream that's inclusive to all genders, ethnicities, and incomes. With that background in mind, let's jump into the plot! The American Dream in The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 places us in a particular year- 1922- and gives us some background about WWI. This is relevant, since the 1920s is presented as a time of hollow decadence among the wealthy, as evidenced especially by the parties in Chapters 2 and 3. And as we mentioned above, the 1920s were a particularly tense time in America. We also meet George and Myrtle Wilson in Chapter 2, both working class people who are working to improve their lot in life, George through his work, and Myrtle through her affair with Tom Buchanan. We learn about Gatsby's goal in Chapter 4: to win Daisy back. Despite everything he owns, including fantastic amounts of money and an over-the-top mansion, for Gatsby, Daisy is the ultimate status symbol. So in Chapter 5, when Daisy and Gatsby reunite and begin an affair, it seems like Gatsby could, in fact, achieve his goal. In Chapter 6, we learn about Gatsby's less-than-wealthy past, which not only makes him look like the star of a rags-to-riches story, it makes Gatsby himself seem like someone in pursuit of the American Dream, and for him the personification of that dream is Daisy. However, in Chapters 7 and 8, everything comes crashing down: Daisy refuses to leave Tom, Myrtle is killed, and George breaks down and kills Gatsby and then himself, leaving all of the "strivers" dead and the old money crowd safe. Furthermore, we learn in those last chapters that Gatsby didn't even achieve all his wealth through hard work, like the American Dream would stipulate- instead, he earned his money through crime. (He did work hard and honestly under Dan Cody, but lost Dan Cody's inheritance to his ex-wife.) In short, things do not turn out well for our dreamers in the novel! Thus, the novel ends with Nick's sad meditation on the lost promise of the American Dream. You can read a detailed analysis of these last lines in our summary of the novel's ending. This novel is just one very large burst bubble. Key American Dream Quotes In this section we analyze some of the most important quotes that relate to the American Dream in the book. But I didn't call to him for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alonehe stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seawardand distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. (1.152) In our first glimpse of Jay Gatsby, we see him reaching towards something far off, something in sight but definitely out of reach. This famous image of the green light is often understood as part of The Great Gatsby's meditation on The American Dream- the idea that people are always reaching towards something greater than themselves that is just out of reach. You can read more about this in our post all about the green light. The fact that this yearning image is our introduction to Gatsby foreshadows his unhappy end and also marks him as a dreamer, rather than people like Tom or Daisy who were born with money and don't need to strive for anything so far off. Over the great bridge, with the sunlight through the girders making a constant flicker upon the moving cars, with the city rising up across the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with a wish out of non-olfactory money. The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world. A dead man passed us in a hearse heaped with blooms, followed by two carriages with drawn blinds and by more cheerful carriages for friends. The friends looked out at us with the tragic eyes and short upper lips of south-eastern Europe, and I was glad that the sight of Gatsby's splendid car was included in their somber holiday. As we crossed Blackwell's Island a limousine passed us, driven by a white chauffeur, in which sat three modish Negroes, two bucks and a girl. I laughed aloud as the yolks of their eyeballs rolled toward us in haughty rivalry. "Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridge," I thought; "anything at all. . . ." Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder. (4.55-8) Early in the novel, we get this mostly optimistic illustration of the American Dream- we see people of different races and nationalities racing towards NYC, a city of unfathomable possibility. This moment has all the classic elements of the American Dream- economic possibility, racial and religious diversity, a carefree attitude. At this moment, it does feel like "anything can happen," even a happy ending. However, this rosy view eventually gets undermined by the tragic events later in the novel. And even at this point, Nick's condescension towards the people in the other cars reinforces America's racial hierarchy that disrupts the idea of the American Dream. There is even a little competition at play, a "haughty rivalry" at play between Gatsby's car and the one bearing the "modish Negroes." Nick "laughs aloud" at this moment, suggesting he thinks it's amusing that the passengers in this other car see them as equals, or even rivals to be bested. In other words, he seems to firmly believe in the racial hierarchy Tom defends in Chapter 1, even if it doesn't admit it honestly. His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips' touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete. (6.134) This moment explicitly ties Daisy to all of Gatsby's larger dreams for a better life- to his American Dream. This sets the stage for the novel's tragic ending, since Daisy cannot hold up under the weight of the dream Gatsby projects onto her. Instead, she stays with Tom Buchanan, despite her feelings for Gatsby. Thus when Gatsby fails to win over Daisy, he also fails to achieve his version of the American Dream. This is why so many people read the novel as a somber or pessimistic take on the American Dream, rather than an optimistic one. ...as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyesa fresh, green breast of the new world. Its vanished trees, the trees that had made way for Gatsby's house, had once pandered in whispers to the last and greatest of all human dreams; for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder. And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night." (9.151-152) The closing pages of the novel reflect at length on the American Dream, in an attitude that seems simultaneously mournful, appreciative, and pessimistic. It also ties back to our first glimpse of Gatsby, reaching out over the water towards the Buchanan's green light. Nick notes that Gatsby's dream was "already behind him" then (or in other words, it was impossible to attain). But still, he finds something to admire in how Gatsby still hoped for a better life, and constantly reached out toward that brighter future. For a full consideration of these last lines and what they could mean, see our analysis of the novel's ending. Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Analyzing Characters Through the American Dream An analysis of the characters in terms of the American Dream usually leads to a pretty cynical take on the American Dream. Most character analysis centered on the American Dream will necessarily focus on Gatsby, George, or Myrtle (the true strivers in the novel), though as we'll discuss below, the Buchanans can also provide some interesting layers of discussion. For character analysis that incorporates the American Dream, carefully consider your chosen character's motivations and desires, and how the novel does (or doesn't!) provide glimpses of the dream's fulfillment for them. Gatsby Gatsby himself is obviously the best candidate for writing about the American Dream- he comes from humble roots (he's the son of poor farmers from North Dakota) and rises to be notoriously wealthy, only for everything to slip away from him in the end. Many people also incorporate Daisy into their analyses as the physical representation of Gatsby's dream. However, definitely consider the fact that in the traditional American Dream, people achieve their goals through honest hard work, but in Gatsby's case, he very quickly acquires a large amount of money through crime. Gatsby does attempt the hard work approach, through his years of service to Dan Cody, but that doesn't work out since Cody's ex-wife ends up with the entire inheritance. So instead he turns to crime, and only then does he manage to achieve his desired wealth. So while Gatsby's story arc resembles a traditional rags-to-riches tale, the fact that he gained his money immorally complicates the idea that he is a perfect avatar for the American Dream. Furthermore, his success obviously doesn't last- he still pines for Daisy and loses everything in his attempt to get her back. In other words, Gatsby's huge dreams, all precariously wedded to Daisy ("He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God" (6.134)) are as flimsy and flight as Daisy herself. George and Myrtle Wilson This couple also represents people aiming at the dream- George owns his own shop and is doing his best to get business, though is increasingly worn down by the harsh demands of his life, while Myrtle chases after wealth and status through an affair with Tom. Both are disempowered due to the lack of money at their own disposal- Myrtle certainly has access to some of the "finer things" through Tom but has to deal with his abuse, while George is unable to leave his current life and move West since he doesn't have the funds available. He even has to make himself servile to Tom in an attempt to get Tom to sell his car, a fact that could even cause him to overlook the evidence of his wife's affair. So neither character is on the upward trajectory that the American Dream promises, at least during the novel. In the end, everything goes horribly wrong for both George and Myrtle, suggesting that in this world, it's dangerous to strive for more than you're given. George and Myrtle's deadly fates, along with Gatsby's, help illustrate the novel's pessimistic attitude toward the American Dream. After all, how unfair is it that the couple working to improve their position in society (George and Myrtle) both end up dead, while Tom, who dragged Myrtle into an increasingly dangerous situation, and Daisy, who killed her, don't face any consequences? And on top of that they are fabulously wealthy? The American Dream certainly is not alive and well for the poor Wilsons. Tom and Daisy as Antagonists to the American Dream We've talked quite a bit already about Gatsby, George, and Myrtle- the three characters who come from humble roots and try to climb the ranks in 1920s New York. But what about the other major characters, especially the ones born with money? What is their relationship to the American Dream? Specifically, Tom and Daisy have old money, and thus they don't need the American Dream, since they were born with America already at their feet. Perhaps because of this, they seem to directly antagonize the dream- Daisy by refusing Gatsby, and Tom by helping to drag the Wilsons into tragedy. This is especially interesting because unlike Gatsby, Myrtle, and George, who actively hope and dream of a better life, Daisy and Tom are described as bored and "careless," and end up instigating a large amount of tragedy through their own recklessness. In other words, income inequality and the vastly different starts in life the characters have strongly affected their outcomes. The way they choose to live their lives, their morality (or lack thereof), and how much they dream doesn't seem to matter. This, of course, is tragic and antithetical to the idea of the American Dream, which claims that class should be irrelevant and anyone can rise to the top. Daisy as a Personification of the American Dream As we discuss in our post on money and materialism in The Great Gatsby, Daisy's voice is explicitly tied to money by Gatsby: "Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly. That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of moneythat was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . . High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl. . . . (7.105-6) If Daisy's voice promises money, and the American Dream is explicitly linked to wealth, it's not hard to argue that Daisy herself- along with the green light at the end of her dock- stands in for the American Dream. In fact, as Nick goes on to describe Daisy as "High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl," he also seems to literally describe Daisy as a prize, much like the princess at the end of a fairy tale (or even Princess Peach at the end of a Mario game!). But Daisy, of course, is only human- flawed, flighty, and ultimately unable to embody the huge fantasy Gatsby projects onto her. So this, in turn, means that the American Dream itself is just a fantasy, a concept too flimsy to actually hold weight, especially in the fast-paced, dog-eat-dog world of 1920s America. Furthermore, you should definitely consider the tension between the fact that Daisy represents Gatsby's ultimate goal, but at the same time (as we discussed above), her actual life is the opposite of the American Dream: she is born with money and privilege, likely dies with it all intact, and there are no consequences to how she chooses to live her life in between. Can Female Characters Achieve the American Dream? Finally, it's interesting to compare and contrast some of the female characters using the lens of the American Dream. Let's start with Daisy, who is unhappy in her marriage and, despite a brief attempt to leave it, remains with Tom, unwilling to give up the status and security their marriage provides. At first, it may seem like Daisy doesn't dream at all, so of course she ends up unhappy. But consider the fact that Daisy was already born into the highest level of American society. The expectation placed on her, as a wealthy woman, was never to pursue something greater, but simply to maintain her status. She did that by marrying Tom, and it's understandable why she wouldn't risk the uncertainty and loss of status that would come through divorce and marriage to a bootlegger. Again, Daisy seems to typify the "anti-American" dream, in that she was born into a kind of aristocracy and simply has to maintain her position, not fight for something better. In contrast, Myrtle, aside from Gatsby, seems to be the most ambitiously in pursuit of getting more than she was given in life. She parlays her affair with Tom into an apartment, nice clothes, and parties, and seems to revel in her newfound status. But of course, she is knocked down the hardest, killed for her involvement with the Buchanans, and specifically for wrongfully assuming she had value to them. Considering that Gatsby did have a chance to leave New York and distance himself from the unfolding tragedy, but Myrtle was the first to be killed, you could argue the novel presents an even bleaker view of the American Dream where women are concerned. Even Jordan Baker, who seems to be living out a kind of dream by playing golf and being relatively independent, is tied to her family's money and insulated from consequences by it, making her a pretty poor representation of the dream. And of course, since her end game also seems to be marriage, she doesn't push the boundaries of women's roles as far as she might wish. So while the women all push the boundaries of society's expectations of them in certain ways, they either fall in line or are killed, which definitely undermines the rosy of idea that anyone, regardless of gender, can make it in America. The American Dream as shown in Gatsby becomes even more pessimistic through the lens of the female characters. Focusing the lens on the women is predictably depressing. Common Essay Questions/Discussion Topics Now let's work through some of the more frequently brought up subjects for discussion. #1: Was Gatsby's dream worth it? Was all the work, time, and patience worth it for him? Like me, you might immediately think "of course it wasn't worth it! Gatsby lost everything, not to mention the Wilsons got caught up in the tragedy and ended up dead!" So if you want to make the more obvious "the dream wasn't worth it" argument, you could point to the unraveling that happens at the end of the novel (including the deaths of Myrtle, Gatsby and George) and how all Gatsby's achievements are for nothing, as evidenced by the sparse attendance of his funeral. However, you could definitely take the less obvious route and argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, despite the tragic end. First of all, consider Jay's unique characterization in the story: "He was a son of Goda phrase which, if it means anything, means just thatand he must be about His Father's Business, the service of a vast, vulgar and meretricious beauty" (6.7). In other words, Gatsby has a larger-than-life persona and he never would have been content to remain in North Dakota to be poor farmers like his parents. Even if he ends up living a shorter life, he certainly lived a full one full of adventure. His dreams of wealth and status took him all over the world on Dan Cody's yacht, to Louisville where he met and fell in love with Daisy, to the battlefields of WWI, to the halls of Oxford University, and then to the fast-paced world of Manhattan in the early 1920s, when he earned a fortune as a bootlegger. In fact, it seems Jay lived several lives in the space of just half a normal lifespan. In short, to argue that Gatsby's dream was worth it, you should point to his larger-than-life conception of himself and the fact that he could have only sought happiness through striving for something greater than himself, even if that ended up being deadly in the end. #2: In the Langston Hughes poem "A Dream Deferred," Hughes asks questions about what happens to postponed dreams. How does Fitzgerald examine this issue of deferred dreams? What do you think are the effects of postponing our dreams? How can you apply this lesson to your own life? If you're thinking about "deferred dreams" in The Great Gatsby, the big one is obviously Gatsby's deferred dream for Daisy- nearly five years pass between his initial infatuation and his attempt in the novel to win her back, an attempt that obviously backfires. You can examine various aspects of Gatsby's dream- the flashbacks to his first memories of Daisy in Chapter 8, the moment when they reunite in Chapter 5, or the disastrous consequences of the confrontation of Chapter 7- to illustrate Gatsby's deferred dream. You could also look at George Wilson's postponed dream of going West, or Myrtle's dream of marrying a wealthy man of "breeding"- George never gets the funds to go West, and is instead mired in the Valley of Ashes, while Myrtle's attempt to achieve her dream after 12 years of marriage through an affair ends in tragedy. Apparently, dreams deferred are dreams doomed to fail. As Nick Carraway says, "you can't repeat the past"- the novel seems to imply there is a small window for certain dreams, and when the window closes, they can no longer be attained. This is pretty pessimistic, and for the prompt's personal reflection aspect, I wouldn't say you should necessarily "apply this lesson to your own life" straightforwardly. But it is worth noting that certain opportunities are fleeting, and perhaps it's wiser to seek out newer and/or more attainable ones, rather than pining over a lost chance. Any prompt like this one which has a section of more personal reflection gives you freedom to tie in your own experiences and point of view, so be thoughtful and think of good examples from your own life! Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. #3: Explain how the novel does or does not demonstrate the death of the American Dream. Is the main theme of Gatsby indeed "the withering American Dream"? What does the novel offer about American identity? In this prompt, another one that zeroes in on the dead or dying American Dream, you could discuss how the destruction of three lives (Gatsby, George, Myrtle) and the cynical portrayal of the old money crowd illustrates a dead, or dying American Dream. After all, if the characters who dream end up dead, and the ones who were born into life with money and privilege get to keep it without consequence, is there any room at all for the idea that less-privileged people can work their way up? In terms of what the novel says about American identity, there are a few threads you could pick up- one is Nick's comment in Chapter 9 about the novel really being a story about (mid)westerners trying (and failing) to go East: "I see now that this has been a story of the West, after allTom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jordan and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly unadaptable to Eastern life" (9.125). This observation suggests an American identity that is determined by birthplace, and that within the American identity there are smaller, inescapable points of identification. Furthermore, for those in the novel not born into money, the American identity seems to be about striving to end up with more wealth and status. But in terms of the portrayal of the old money set, particularly Daisy, Tom, and Jordan, the novel presents a segment of American society that is essentially aristocratic- you have to be born into it. In that regard, too, the novel presents a fractured American identity, with different lives possible based on how much money you are born with. In short, I think the novel disrupts the idea of a unified American identity or American dream, by instead presenting a tragic, fractured, and rigid American society, one that is divided based on both geographic location and social class. #4: Most would consider dreams to be positive motivators to achieve success, but the characters in the novel often take their dreams of ideal lives too far. Explain how characters' American Dreams cause them to have pain when they could have been content with more modest ambitions. Gatsby is an obvious choice here- his pursuit of money and status, particularly through Daisy, leads him to ruin. There were many points when perhaps Gatsby ;could have been happy with what he achieved (especially after his apparently successful endeavors in the war, if he had remained at Oxford, or even after amassing a great amount of wealth as a bootlegger) but instead he kept striving upward, which ultimately lead to his downfall. You can flesh this argument out with the quotations in Chapters 6 and 8 about Gatsby's past, along with his tragic death. Myrtle would be another good choice for this type of prompt. In a sense, she seems to be living her ideal life in her affair with Tom- she has a fancy NYC apartment, hosts parties, and gets to act sophisticated- but these pleasures end up gravely hurting George, and of course her association with Tom Buchanan gets her killed. Nick, too, if he had been happy with his family's respectable fortune and his girlfriend out west, might have avoided the pain of knowing Gatsby and the general sense of despair he was left with. You might be wondering about George- after all, isn't he someone also dreaming of a better life? However, there aren't many instances of George taking his dreams of an ideal life "too far." In fact, he struggles just to make one car sale so that he can finally move out West with Myrtle. Also, given that his current situation in the Valley of Ashes is quite bleak, it's hard to say that striving upward gave him pain. #5: The Great Gatsby is, among other things, a sobering and even ominous commentary on the dark side of the American dream. Discuss this theme, incorporating the conflicts of East Egg vs. West Egg and old money vs. new money. What does the American dream mean to Gatsby? What did the American Dream mean to Fitzgerald? How does morality fit into achieving the American dream? This prompt allows you to consider pretty broadly the novel's attitude toward the American Dream, with emphasis on "sobering and even ominous" commentary. Note that Fitzgerald seems to be specifically mocking the stereotypical rags to riches story here- ;especially since he draws the Dan Cody narrative almost note for note from the work of someone like Horatio Alger, whose books were almost universally about rich men schooling young, entrepreneurial boys in the ways of the world. In other words, you should discuss how the Great Gatsby seems to turn the idea of the American Dream as described in the quote on its head: Gatsby does achieve a rags-to-riches rise, but it doesn't last. All of Gatsby's hard work for Dan Cody, after all, didn't pay off since he lost the inheritance. So instead, Gatsby turned to crime after the war to quickly gain a ton of money. Especially since Gatsby finally achieves his great wealth through dubious means, the novel further undermines the classic image of someone working hard and honestly to go from rags to riches. If you're addressing this prompt or a similar one, make sure to focus on the darker aspects of the American Dream, including the dark conclusion to the novel and Daisy and Tom's protection from any real consequences. (This would also allow you to considering morality, and how morally bankrupt the characters are.) #6: What is the current state of the American Dream? This is a more outward-looking prompt, that allows you to consider current events today to either be generally optimistic (the American dream is alive and well) or pessimistic (it's as dead as it is in The Great Gatsby). You have dozens of potential current events to use as evidence for either argument, but consider especially immigration and immigration reform, mass incarceration, income inequality, education, and health care in America as good potential examples to use as you argue about the current state of the American Dream. Your writing will be especially powerful if you can point to some specific current events to support your argument. What's Next? In this post, we discussed how important money is to the novel's version of the American Dream. You can read even more about money and materialism in The Great Gatsby right here. Want to indulge in a little materialism of your own? Take a look through these 15 must-have items for any Great Gatsby fan. Get complete guides to Jay Gatsby, George Wilson and Myrtle Wilson to get even more background on the "dreamers" in the novel. Like we discussed above, the green light is often seen as a stand-in for the idea of the American Dream. Read more about this crucial symbol here. Need help getting to grips with other literary works? Take a spin through our analyses of The Crucible, The Cask of Amontillado, and "Do not go gentle into this good night" to see analysis in action. You might also find our explanations of point of view, rhetorical devices, imagery, and literary elements and devices helpful. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Dehydration Reaction Definition in Chemistry

Dehydration Reaction Definition in Chemistry A dehydration reaction is a chemical reaction between two compounds where one of the products is water. For example, two monomers may react where a hydrogen (H) from one monomer binds to a hydroxyl group (OH) from the other monomer to form a dimer and a water molecule (H2O). The hydroxyl group is a poor leaving group, so Bronsted acid catalysts may be used to help to protonate the hydroxyl to form -OH2. The reverse reaction, where water combines with hydroxyl groups, is termed hydrolysis or a hydration reaction. Chemicals commonly used as dehydrating agents include concentrated phosphoric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid, hot ceramic and hot aluminum oxide. A dehydration reaction is the same as a dehydration synthesis.  A dehydration reaction may also be known as a  condensation reaction, but more properly, a dehydration reaction is a specific type of condensation reaction. Dehydration Reaction Examples Reactions that produce acid anhydrides are dehydration reactions. For example acetic acid (CH3COOH) forms acetic anhydride ((CH3CO)2O) and water by the dehydration reaction2 CH3COOH → (CH3CO)2O H2ODehydration reactions are also involved in the production of many polymers. Other examples include: Conversion of alcohols to ethers (2 R-OH → R-O-R H2O)Conversion of alcohols to alkenes (R-CH2-CHOH-R → R-CHCH-R H2O)Conversion of amides to nitriles (RCONH2  Ã¢â€ â€™ R-CN H2O)Dienol benzene rearrangementthe reaction of sucrose with concentrated sulfuric acid (a popular chemistry demonstration)

Friday, February 14, 2020

Finance assignment question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance question - Assignment Example This paper will take into account depository institutions whose main purpose is to provide financial services such as loans and deposits. Some of the constituents of depository institution are commercial banks, building societies, mortgage loans and credit unions, which all fall under one mainstream of financial institution. The depository institution came into existence when people felt there was need for security for their money. People faced the risks of loss of money through theft or accidents’ while keeping their money in their wallets or at home. Thus formed the initial goal of financial institution, which was only to offer the safekeeping of their clients’ money. Currently depository institution such as commercial banks, takes deposits from clients, offer security and convenience of service to their customers. Clients can now transact with the use of checks or wire transfers at their convenience courtesy of the commercial banks. Clients to banks also have a chanc e to earn money from their deposits that is they can let their money work for them. The depository institution, also provide loans to business, individuals and organizations to allow them to expand as this will only provide more income to the institutions once they bring back their income and profits (Valentine 2010). Nevertheless, the main difference between the depository institution and other financial institutions is the ability of the depository institution to offer cash deposits to its customers. The institutions achieve this through facilities such as savings account, fixed account and current accounts, Australia, & PricewaterhouseCoopers (2001). Financial institutions arises out of the needs and demands of the customers, therefore the main function of this institution is to be intermediaries of financial markets. That is they are responsible for the movement of funds from one market to another for example, from investors to organizations or individuals to individuals. Thus, these financial institutions form the backbone of every economy, as they are responsible for the movement and flow of money in the economy. However, this is only the function of financial institution. In relation to the depository institution, it also shares some of the general function, but its main function is to provide the facility of cash deposits to their clients, thus, enabling them to meet their financial obligations at their convenience. These depository banks also provide security to the clients’ investment, from cash to assets, as customers can easily transact without the obligation of carrying large sums of money as financial institution takes charge of such matters. In addition, they also keep records of account of their clients as they enable them to keep track of their finances (Pearson 2009). Another function of depository institutions is to pool the deposits and saving of many small depositors and converts them into a large pool of money that provides loans t o its trustworthy customers. This function also serves and answers the question of the sources of funds of these institutions. Through this mechanism the bank, makes money that they use in the daily running of their business. Subsequently the bank lends money to its customers at a higher rate ensuring

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Introduction to Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Introduction to Networking - Essay Example The part of the controller stack is usually implemented in a low cost device, which contains a microprocessor and a Bluetooth radio. The host stack is implemented as an installable package or an operating system. In integrated devices like Bluetooth headsets, the controller and host stack are run on the same microprocessor in order to reduce production costs. L2CAP is used in the Bluetooth protocol stack to pass packets to Host Controller Interface (HCI) or to the link manager. Communication between computers in a fibre channel network utilizes various elements of the fibre channel principles. Fibre channel communication is usually done in units of four 10-bit codes referred to as transmission word. The transmission words enhance passage of information between the systems. In transferring information, it is indispensable for fibre channel communication to comprise some meta-data. This facilitates setting up of links and sequence management. The fibre channel protocol usually transmits data in frames. In addition, the protocol has non-data frames, which are used for messaging and setup purposes (Matthews, 2005). File transfer protocol is a network protocol used in transferring files between two hosts over a TCP based network like the internet (Liang, 2011). It is mostly used in uploading web pages from a private development system to a public web-hosting server. It is built using client-server architecture and uses different control and data connections in the client and server. This protocol describes an internet standard for email transmission across the internet protocol networks. This protocol works best when the receiving and sending machines are connected to a network all the time. This protocol comprises three command sequences, which include mail command, RCPT and data commands. The mail command establishes the return address while RCPT command establishes the recipient of the message. On the other hand,

Friday, January 24, 2020

The Geneva Convention: Preventing Atrocities Towards Prisoners of War :: American America History

The Geneva Convention: Preventing Atrocities Towards Prisoners of War The Allied established the Geneva Convention to protect wounded soldiers in 1864. They amended it four times with the fourth time following some of most atrocious acts against prisoners of war during World War II. I will provide evidence of what I believe led to the modifications of the Geneva Convention in 1949 to protect POWs. I will present the reasons behind the amendment and accounts of the 6th Bomb Squadron 29th Bomb Group 314th Wing during World War II. Finally, I will discuss the modifications that resulted from these acts of violence. Several nations failed to abide by the Geneva Convention during World War II. As a result of this, the convention met for the fourth time to redefine and establish the rules to protect future veterans. (Simpkin) There were 130,000 POWs captured during World War II. Japan killed the most American POWs with a staggering rate at forty percent of 27,465. (Reynolds 10) It was these outrageous events of World War II that led to the Geneva Convention of 1949, which righted the wrongs of the previous conventions. (Geneva Conventions 864) So how bad were POWs treated? I am going to tell the accounts of one of the most severe acts against mankind that occurred during World War II. An interview by an Army special agent with pilot Marvin S. Watkins revealed the following events that occurred following a bombing run in Japan. On May 5, 1945, the 6th Bomb Squadron 29th Bomb Group 314th Wing had just completed a bombing run on Tachairai air depot and was returning to our base in Guam. The following crew members were onboard: William R. Fredericks, Co-Pilot; Howard T. Shingledecker, Bombardier; Charles Kearns, Navigator; Dale Plambeck, Radar Navigator; Teddy Poncezki, Engineer; John Colehower, Gunner; Cpl. Johnson, Gunner; Cpl. Oeinck, Gunner; Cpl. Czarnecki, Gunner; Robert Williams, Radio Operator; and myself as pilot. At 0800, we were ten to twenty miles away from the target when a twin-engine enemy fighter attacked us over the island of Kyushu. One of our engines caught fire, which required the crew to abandon. The engineer and I remained onboard and we continued our flight for another five miles until we lost a wing. We then bailed out and parachuted safely before the plane crashed near the town of Taketa. I evaded capture for eight hours. I was blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken by train to a camp.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Engineering Ethics Essay

â€Å"The need for safety is proportional to the danger of having an accident. Nothing is fool-proof, yet we must try to minimize risks. If the public is willing to run or to take such risks, who are engineers to refuse? † In my opinion, the above argument is very valid and it indeed reflects the position of engineering as a process. The reason why I support this argument is because first of all, the advancements the society has been able to make are due to the milestones that have been achieved by engineers. There will always be a demand for innovation so that life may become what the society wants it to be: smooth and efficient (Davis, 1998). To design the systems which are able to bring about these comforts, we as engineers must base our practice on the mathematical and physical principles that have been established through empirical research (Baura, 2006). Any measures to safeguard the safety in the use of systems and devices designed by engineers are constant and depend on certain constants; and these constants are in turn dependent on external factors. When this chain of determinants fails to hold up, then risks will arise. Nevertheless, it is our professional responsibility as engineers to bring innovation to the society. Due to unforeseen circumstances, engineering processes or the products of these processes may malfunction, causing danger to their users or other third parties. But through exhibiting an affinity for these processes and products, the society is virtually signing an agreement to face the associated risks as a matter of choice; and engineers cannot dissuade them (Davis, 1998). However, all engineers have a role of ensuring that the profession is approached with diligence so that the risks emanating from its processes are as low as can be possible (Davis, 1998). This is our obligation to the society, our conscience and our employers and the profession. That is what makes a holistic engineering practice. Relationship between risk and safety To understand the relationship between risk and safety it is important to first understand the meaning and implication of the two terms. Risk in the engineering context can be defined as the probability of an accident arising from an engineering project or a product of an engineering project (Baura, 2006). Safety on its part can be defined as the state of having a defined degree of certainty that adverse effects or accidents will not result from a process or the use of a specific device or system. With the above definitions in mind, it can be concluded that risk and safety are inversely proportional entities. Applied to engineering ethics, their implication is that we as engineers must strive, as a matter of being professionally competent, to minimize risks as much as can be possible so that safety can be increased (Baura, 2006). Risks have many dimensions in that they can occur in any stage of engineering, raging from design, implementation of the design and in the application of the product of the design (Davis, 1998). The same is translated to safety since the two are mutually interdependent, related by the rule of inverse proportionality: the higher the risks associated with a system or a process, the lesser the safety of the people interacting with it. Determining whether an engineer is responsible for an accident Under the unfortunate eventuality that an accident has occurred in an engineering project or in the use of a product or system designed through the engineering process, whether or not an engineer should be held responsible is a matter resolved by examining if he or she stuck by the pre-defined standards of professionalism and ethics (Baura, 2006). This is one of the main concerns of engineering ethics. It is a field in the study and practice of engineering that deals with the setting and unilateral enforcement of the standards that govern the practice of engineering as a profession. According to these standards, an engineer is supposed to exhibit diligence, morality and high levels of engagement to the process (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). When these attributes are not followed to the letter, safety may be compromised. In case an accident happens and the engineer in charge of the event or system that caused the accident is found to have diverged from recommended standards of competence, then he or she should be held responsible for the accident (Baura, 2006). As discussed above, all engineering processes always involve some risks no matter how minimal. An accident may occur not because of negligence on the part of the engineer in charge but because of other factors outside his or her control (Davis, 1998). Determining if an engineer is responsible for an accident therefore is a matter of evaluating the circumstances that led to the accident. If there is sufficient proof of negligence, then the engineer should be blamed; but if all evidence shows that the engineer stuck to the recommended standards of professionalism and ethical responsibility, then he or she should not be blamed (Davis, 1998). It is just part of the risks involved in the job. Standards of due diligence Moral, ethical and professional standards of diligence applying to the practice of engineering are defined for each specific discipline by societies comprised of experienced engineers. These societies define an elaborate set of standards which an engineer needs to be familiar with and show competence in before he or she is licensed to practice. Among these is the National Institute of Engineering Ethics (NIEE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (AMSE). In different countries, national societies exist which liaise with the international societies for easier implementation of these standards of due diligence (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). Regulating and enforcing Standards Professional engineers who have garnered sufficient experience in the profession have the moral and professional obligation of inducting graduating engineers to the practice. They, in collaboration with engineering societies and educational institutions should ensure that student engineers are taught engineering ethics as part of the regular curriculum. Upon graduating, engineering students should be made to undertake competence courses and examinations so that the required standards of ethical and professional are ingrained into their conscience before they can be licensed to operate as engineers (Davis, 1998). There should be levels so that an engineer graduates from one level to another depending on experience garnered; experience which should be evaluated in terms of his or her level of competence. Practicing licenses should be suspended for engineers who show incompetence in their practice. Competence, Personality and Morality Good (competent) engineers are those who apply the standards of diligence prescribed in the engineering code of ethics. A bad (incompetent) engineer is one who does not value the above standards (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). The are parameters (or standards of due diligence) include being knowledgeable, having the skills or expertise necessary for a given task and having the ethical stand to be able to take responsibility for the process itself incase of any unforeseen eventuality (Baura, 2006). A good engineer wholeheartedly dedicates his service to his clients, employer and to the society. When all or any of these virtues are missing, then we have a bad engineer. No matter how skilled an engineer may be, he or she can be branded incompetent if he does not inject ethics into his or her practice. There is a relationship between being a good engineer and being a good person since all ethics have a common foundation. Morally competent people are more likely to be professionally competent (Baura, 2006). A person of good character in personal life transfers the virtues that define good character into his or her profession. Based on this analogy, good people are likely to make good engineers and vice versa. An individual’s moral competence can be established by evaluating his or her approach to issues requiring decisiveness and strength of character (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). This is when morality and ethics come into play. Morally incompetent people tend to place the end before the means whereas morally competent people exhibit dexterity in balancing between their acts and the likely outcomes, putting into consideration the welfare of other people directly or indirectly affected by the issue at hand. Evaluation of an individual’s morality is extremely hard since morality is essentially an intrinsic characteristic (Rabins, Pritchard & Harris, 2008). Every human being develops a unique moral outlook based on the environment and the experiences that he or she had while growing up. Since these are unique to each individual, no one has the moral right to impose his or her moral values on another (Baura, 2006). Morality can never be universal, just like knowledge. However, moral evaluations are still very necessary since as human beings and as engineers, we must build a consensus tending to those competencies which can be agreed upon as binding so that we live and practice harmoniously, exhibiting collective social and professional responsibility. References Baura, G. (2006) Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective. Burlington, MA: Academic Press. Davis, M. (1998). Thinking like an Engineer: Studies in the Ethics of a Profession. Oxford: Oxford University Press Rabins, M, Pritchard, M. S. & Harris, C. (2008) Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Belmont: CengageBrain.