Analysing organisation. Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysing organisation. Wal-Mart - Essay Example A firm existence in the American market and exploitation of every opportunity and space during the initial establishment years has enabled Wal-Mart to enjoy a unique brand name. It was a successful strategic move for Wal-Mart to concentrate on the US market, and establish firmly on home soil. From the exploits of the home market, Wal-Mart had enough experience and sufficient resources to make investments abroad. Wal-Mart has coverage for retail business in more than fifteen countries today, with branches in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, South Africa and the UK among many others (Wal-Mart, n.d.). This presentation highlights the various concepts that can be associated with Wal-Mart as a global player in the retail industry. SWOT analysis is relied upon in the design, with the initial part highlighting the strengths and opportunities that an insider at Wal-Mart would quickly give while the second section highlights threats and weaknesses that are critical to the company. General review is a biased outlook on the positives of the company as opposed to the critical review that criticises various business concepts and approaches adopted at the company. Data Collection Information on SWOT from primary and secondary sources made the bulk of research, with an explanation and discussion on the main issues making up the presentation. SWOT as the main theme of the paper identifies with the needs of understanding the operations from an internal as well as an external perspective (Broughton, n.d.). The discussion is not exhaustive on the SWOT analysis but only a selected few items picked formed the discussion on which to base the presentation. General Review (Strengths and Opportunities) Ownership Wal-Mart began and remained as a family business as Walton dedicated his entire to the service and development of the company. Such level of commitment for the management of business usually enables the manager to set organisational objectives above any other interest. Evidently, the success of the corporation as one of the main global players in the retail industry owes much to the man-management techniques that Walton applied (Walton and Huey 1993, p32). As an individual, the president of the United States recognised Walton’s contribution to business and awarded him for his achievement just before his death. This is a milestone achievement for an individual leading an important business player as Wal-Mart in the global economy. Walton retained great influence on the decision making processes at the company in many aspects, despite the fact that the listing of the company implied that he donated some of the leadership to the shareholders. His contribution to the running of the business is undisputed and perhaps, therefore, Wal-Mart’s successes owe much to his roles in the company. The demise of Sam Walton in 1992 paved way for another Walton, Robson who took over as chairperson of the Wal-Mart Board a few days later. Tradition Since its establishment in 1962, Wal-Mart has kept off temptations of changing the market approach from the initial vision of the pioneer (Frank 2006, para.6). Sam Walton envisioned a retailing busines s with a unique pricing strategy that would target the lower end markets by initiating price cuts. Targeting the specific market niche in the retail business and making it possible to stick to it was perhaps the strongest business ideas adopted by Walton. In the modern business strategy applied at Wal-Mart, pricing is a uniquely important tool implemented for the initial objective laid down by Walton several decades ago. In all the retail outlets

Narration of Chpt 7 Essay Example for Free

Narration of Chpt 7 Essay THE NARRATIVE IN THIS CHAPTER OPENS WITH HASSAN’S DREAM, IN WHICH WE SEE A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OMEN. IN THE DREAM, AMIR AND HASSAN ARE CELEBRATED AS HEROES WHICH IS A POSITIVE FORECAST FOR THE UPCOMING COMPETITION; HOWEVER, THE MONSTER â€Å"SWIMMING AT THE BOTTOM (OF THE LAKE), WAITING† FORESHADOWS THE MONSTROUS EVENT THAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. THE DREAM JUXTAPOSES THE NIGHTMARE AMIR WILL WATCH AND HASSAN WILL EXPERI- ENCE LATER ON IN THE CHAPTER, THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF JUXTAPOSITION IN THIS CHAPTER. THE BEAUTY OF THE DAY IS TARNISHED WITH THE UGLY INCIDENT, WINNING THE COMPETITION IS CONTRASTED WITH LOSING HIS FRIEND, THE SUN SHINING ON THE SNOW-WHITE DAY CLASHES WITH THE DARKNESS OF THE ALLEY, WHICH MEANS THE AUTHOR HERE IS ALSO USING PATHETIC FALLACY TO FURTHER INCREASE THE CONTRAST; ALL THE JUXTAPOSITION MAKES THE EVENT MORE DARK AND DIS- TURBING. WHEN HASSAN IS SHARING HIS DREAM WITH AMIR, AMIR IS ABRUPT TOWARDS HIM AND INTER- RUPTS HIS STORY, HE â€Å"ALMOST APOLOGISED, THEN DIDN’T. HASSAN UNDERSTOOD†, THIS IS AN INDI- CATOR OF THE SOCIETY AND CULTURE THEY LIVED IN, WHERE PASHTUN SUPERIORITY WAS THE AC- CEPTED NORM AND HAZARAS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE AN INFERIOR RACE. HASSAN KNOWS HIS PLACE AS THE SERVANT. LATER ON IN THE CHAPTER HASSAN BECOMES THE â€Å"SACRIFICIAL LAMB†, AMIR SAYS â€Å"I RAN BECAUSE I WAS A COWARD† BUT THEN TRIES TO CONVINCE HIMSELF HASSAN IS THE PRICE HE HAS TO PAY FOR BABA’S LOVE. AMIR’S DISMISSAL OF THE SITUATION IS UNUSUAL AS HE IS TYPICALLY MORE OPEN MINDED ABOUT HASSAN’S RACE, BUT IN THIS SITUATION HE THINKS TO HIMSELF â€Å"HE WAS JUST A HAZARA, WASN’T HE? †, THIS SHOWS HOW DEEP RACISM RUNS IN THE CULTURE. HOWEVER IT IS WORTH NOTING AMIR’S THOUGHTS ARE INTERTWINED WITH HIS NOW ADULT PERSPECTIVE AS HE IS TELLING THE STORY IN RETROSPECT AFTER HE HAS LIVED WITH THE CONSTANT GUILT OF THIS EVENT; THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF POSTMODERNISM AS THE NARRATIVE IS FRAGMENTED AND THERE IS MEANING CREATED IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NARRATIVES, AMIR’S NARRA- TIVE OF HASSAN’S RAPE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS AS THE MEANING OF IT DEEPENS BY ADULT AMIR’S REASONING. AMIR’S ACTIONS HERE MEANS ‘THE KITE RUNNER’ IS A BILDUNGSROMAN, WHERE THE PROTAGONIST OF THE STORY’S ACTIONS ARE NOT HEROIC. DURING THE RAPE, AMIR’S NARRATIVE BREAKS OFF INTO MEMORIES RATHER THAN SPEAKING ABOUT THE EVENTS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE. HE DIGRESSES INTO PAST MEMORIES AND EVENTS FROM HIS EARLIER CHILDHOOD, THIS INDICATES THE NARRATOR’S DIFFICULTY IN DEALING WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN FRONT OF HIM. IT’S ALMOST AS IF THERE ARE GAPS IN HIS ADULT MEMORY AS A RESULT OF HIS CHILDHOOD SELF DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM THE SITUATION. BY HAVING THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN AN ALLEY IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DARK NATURE OF THE EVENTS AND THE FACT THAT AMIR FAILS TO ENTER THE ALLEY SHOWS HIS UNWILLINGNESS TO DEAL WITH THE DARKER THINGS IN LIFE, IT ALSO AL- LOWS THE RAPE TO BECOME A SIDE EVENT, SOMETHING EASILY IGNORED AND NOT A PART OF MAIN- STREAM LIFE. CHAPTER 7 IS THE CLIMAX THE READER HAS BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE NOVEL. HOWEVER WHEN THE EVENT OCCURS WE REALISE IT IS A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE NOVEL AND IT ISN’T THE EVENT ITSELF BUT THE AFTERMATH OF IT THAT HAUNTS AMIR AS THE EVENTS ARE FAR FROM OVER. DESPITE FROM THIS, WE KNOW THAT CHAPTER 7 IS THE PIVOTAL CHAPTER AS Micaela Mossop WITHOUT THE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE HERE WOULD BE NO STORY TO TELL. THE IDEA THAT THE REPERCUSSION OF AMIR’S ACTIONS WILL AFFECT THE REST OF THE NOVEL IS REINFORCED AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER WHEN HE SOBS IN BABA’S ARMS WHICH INDICATES THE GAIN OF HIS FATHER’S AFFEC- TION WILL BE TAINTED BY HASSAN’S SACRIFICE.

Remilitarization of the Rhineland :: essays research papers

Question 23 23. With dictators, nothing succeeds like success. That observation, by Adolf Hitler, is not as trite as it sounds. Hitler was referring to his own successful remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936. Before he moved into the Rhineland, Hitler was securely "in his box". Pursuant to the Versailles Treaty and the Locarno pact of 1926, Germany had been forced to keep this territory demilitarized as a guarantee against renewed aggression; futhermore, an unguarded Rhineland left Germany naked to a French attack. From the German point of view, this was not "fair"; it violated German sovereignty. But it was the price Germany paid for invading France and the low countries in 1914. And it was the lid on the box that contained Hitler's grand strategic ambition. In March of 1936 Hitler decided to roll the dice and take an extremely perilous venture (Goff. 235). Hitler's reason for moving into the Rhinland was a ratification one month earlier of a mutual assistance pact between France and Russia that he felt was aimed at Germany (Medlicott 84-90, 110). Hitler cited the mutual non-aggresion pact as violating and therefore invalidating the Locarno Treaty (Winton 1). Hitler was weak. Germany was still struggling through the Depression and Germany's armed forces were still in pitiful shape, hopelessly outgunned by the French. Had the French army responded in force to the remilitarization, had it simply marched into the Rhineland, Hitler would have had to retreat. Hitler later declared "If the French had then marched into the Rhineland, we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs" (Goff 236). A retreat on the German part would have signified collapse, possibly the collapse of Hitler's rule. However, Hitler felt the French would be disinclined and not act upon his move...and he was right. The militarization of the Rhineland was a direct blow to French security. It rendered worthless the promises of military aid by France to her eastern European allies Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania if any of them were attacked by Germany (Medlicott 84-90, 110) .There were numerous reasons why France and Great Britain did not retaliate, but the most prevalent are as follows: 1. a genuine hatred for war by those who remembered WWI. This was accompinied by a non-enthusiastic attitude toward heavy military spending. 2. a, perhaps, repentful attitude by Britain toward Germany because they felt they were dealt with too harshly at Versailles; therefore their desire for revision was understandable.

My Goals in Life

There are aspects in life that have influenced me to have a better future. To begin that, I have set goals to better my life but it will take hard work and commitment to pursue them. It was not until recently when I have decided to get my life started and pursue the dreams that I have always wanted to have. There are three primarily goals in my life I would like to achieve, my personal, academic and career goals. My personal goal is to have a stable financial. My academic goal is to graduate from college with a 3. GPA. As for my career goal, I would like to become a Registered Nurse. At this point in my life, I have realized that money has been an issue. This fact will lead us to my long-term personal goal which is to have a stable financial. It is very important to have a financial stability just in case of emergency or unexpected expenses. To improve my financial status, my intermediate goal is to have my credit cards debts and my loans paid off in two years from today. By doing that, I have made a short term goal, which is to spend less money that I earn, create a financial budget to help me save and to increase the money I earn by making more hours or possibly invest on something. Slowly, I am doing my best to accumulate money every day now. In order to achieve my academic goal, I will have to break many bad habits and dedicate my life to the grades I want in college. My long term academic goal is to major in Nursing in the year of 2015. Pursuing this goal will help get me started on my career path. My intermediate goal is to graduate from Valencia Community College with an A. S. degree and with at least a 3. 0 GPA or higher within two years. To build my GPA to a 3. 0, I must dedicate my time on studying and showing up in class every day. Before, I wasn't as focused and didn't care about school because I had thought that having fun is better than studying but now, I came to realized how academic will help me better my future and it will pay off. Furthermore, my long-term career goal is to get a job as a Registered Nurse by the time I am 28 years old. I love taking care of people and making sure that they have the care that they need. Registered Nurse is also a high paying job and many states are in high demand in nurses. To follow my long term career goal, I have set a intermediate goal. My intermediate goal is to do internships and/or externships in many medical sites; to get the experiences that I need to become one of the best nurse there is. Volunteering in clinics and hospitals will help me closer to my career path. I would have to send out my resumes and keep pushing myself to the top. In conclusion, setting goals are easy, but pursuing them consists of hard working and dedication. By the time I'm 29 years old, I want to be set in life with my personal, academic and career goals. I will have a steady financial within two years from today, by accumulating money. Majoring in Nursing by the year of 2015 and be a graduate student from Valencia Community College with a 3. 0 GPA or higher is my academic goal. Lastly, my career goal is to be a Registered Nurse by the age of 28. I am ready to live my life. My Goals in Life I have many goals in my life, and I have learned to categorize them into short term, midterm, and long term goals. Doing so helps me keep my focus on what is immediate, and what it takes to make the long-term goals happen. It also allows me to keep my visions clear and in tune to what I want to achieve. Earning my MBA First, I want to earn my Masters in Business Administration degree. I know that this will prepare me for the life I want. More than the title, I want an MBA degree because I know that it will give me the appropriate knowledge that I need to put up my own business in the future. A formal education in business, especially that which is post-graduate, will also give me the proper training. It will be my baptism of fire into the world of business because it will detach me from the school-based business setting and move me into the real business world. Like Odysseus who had been in many adventures and conquests, most of them with complete uncertainty, it is my job to prepare myself to whatever can happen. Odysseus had instances where he hoped for good luck and relied in prayer and it showed how uncertain he and his colleagues were in their adventures. As factual as the story is, luck will sometimes turn towards me or otherwise. I know that I should be prepared no matter what happens. I deem formal education as a step for doing this. Success in business When I have finished my MBA, I can then take steps to make my next dream materialize. I want to be a businessman, managing my own business and giving products or services that people will want to buy. I want to be successful in the initiatives that I will undertake. Because I have all the proper knowledge, I know this is possible. I will study the possibilities well before starting my enterprise. I will think of a venture or merchandise that is incomparable with others. It could be something new like a new product or service, or something that can enhance what people already have. It will really be hard to pinpoint which industry at this time because it will largely depend on what the environment the business sector has at that time. I will then make a comprehensive feasibility study about my chosen field. Like pursuing my MBA, I will treat handling my business like a continuous opportunity for studying. I will give myself the chance to explore the new boundaries in the field that I will choose. I know that this will expand my knowledge and abilities as well as enhance my skills. Like Odysseus who remained true to the things that he envisioned, I should have a can-go attitude at all times. Settling down Success in business is only half of my accomplishments. I also aspire for a complete personal life. I can only achieve this by getting married. I view settling down with the person I love. We shall stay somewhere we both like, and have our own family. Most probably, we will be having children right after we get married. It is my goal to be able to provide for my family. I want to be able to answer all of their needs and, if possible, their wants. I also want to impart in them the lessons I have learned in life and hope that they will apply them in their own convictions. If this happens I am sure that they can lead good and productive lives that they will never even once regret. I know this because I am sure that making the right choices in life will do them good. Interconnection These goals are interconnected. I know that even if they have to happen at different times in my life, not achieving one will greatly affect the way that I can do the others. For instance, when I do not get my MBA I know that I will miss a lot of lessons that can help get my business started. I will likewise find it hard to get my business going. When I do not get successful in my business, it will also be difficult for me to provide for my family. Because this is the way that I want to work and earn a living, if I cannot be successful in my business I will have to struggle or maybe have to work in a company instead of being the boss of my own firm. I know that this will be difficult for me. Yet like Odysseus, I should consider that life is filled with trials. Things will not always go as planned. It takes prayers and actions to get things done, yet even in the times when one prays and acts a lot it is still not possible to achieve something that is not meant to be. People around should also be considered as they can make or break one’s dreams. Looking at these teachings from the classic literature, one conclusion comes to mind: we have our goals and we should do every thing that can make them happen, but we should equally be prepared for the diversions that will surely come our way. It is a lesson well learned. My Goals in Life I have many goals in my life, and I have learned to categorize them into short term, midterm, and long term goals. Doing so helps me keep my focus on what is immediate, and what it takes to make the long-term goals happen. It also allows me to keep my visions clear and in tune to what I want to achieve. Earning my MBA First, I want to earn my Masters in Business Administration degree. I know that this will prepare me for the life I want. More than the title, I want an MBA degree because I know that it will give me the appropriate knowledge that I need to put up my own business in the future. A formal education in business, especially that which is post-graduate, will also give me the proper training. It will be my baptism of fire into the world of business because it will detach me from the school-based business setting and move me into the real business world. Like Odysseus who had been in many adventures and conquests, most of them with complete uncertainty, it is my job to prepare myself to whatever can happen. Odysseus had instances where he hoped for good luck and relied in prayer and it showed how uncertain he and his colleagues were in their adventures. As factual as the story is, luck will sometimes turn towards me or otherwise. I know that I should be prepared no matter what happens. I deem formal education as a step for doing this. Success in business When I have finished my MBA, I can then take steps to make my next dream materialize. I want to be a businessman, managing my own business and giving products or services that people will want to buy. I want to be successful in the initiatives that I will undertake. Because I have all the proper knowledge, I know this is possible. I will study the possibilities well before starting my enterprise. I will think of a venture or merchandise that is incomparable with others. It could be something new like a new product or service, or something that can enhance what people already have. It will really be hard to pinpoint which industry at this time because it will largely depend on what the environment the business sector has at that time. I will then make a comprehensive feasibility study about my chosen field. Like pursuing my MBA, I will treat handling my business like a continuous opportunity for studying. I will give myself the chance to explore the new boundaries in the field that I will choose. I know that this will expand my knowledge and abilities as well as enhance my skills. Like Odysseus who remained true to the things that he envisioned, I should have a can-go attitude at all times. Settling down Success in business is only half of my accomplishments. I also aspire for a complete personal life. I can only achieve this by getting married. I view settling down with the person I love. We shall stay somewhere we both like, and have our own family. Most probably, we will be having children right after we get married. It is my goal to be able to provide for my family. I want to be able to answer all of their needs and, if possible, their wants. I also want to impart in them the lessons I have learned in life and hope that they will apply them in their own convictions. If this happens I am sure that they can lead good and productive lives that they will never even once regret. I know this because I am sure that making the right choices in life will do them good. Interconnection These goals are interconnected. I know that even if they have to happen at different times in my life, not achieving one will greatly affect the way that I can do the others. For instance, when I do not get my MBA I know that I will miss a lot of lessons that can help get my business started. I will likewise find it hard to get my business going. When I do not get successful in my business, it will also be difficult for me to provide for my family. Because this is the way that I want to work and earn a living, if I cannot be successful in my business I will have to struggle or maybe have to work in a company instead of being the boss of my own firm. I know that this will be difficult for me. Yet like Odysseus, I should consider that life is filled with trials. Things will not always go as planned. It takes prayers and actions to get things done, yet even in the times when one prays and acts a lot it is still not possible to achieve something that is not meant to be. People around should also be considered as they can make or break one’s dreams. Looking at these teachings from the classic literature, one conclusion comes to mind: we have our goals and we should do every thing that can make them happen, but we should equally be prepared for the diversions that will surely come our way. It is a lesson well learned.

Doctors’ Arguments

This paper seeks to examine several arguments presented by three doctors concerning the presence of mental states in a non-human brain and posit the writer’s own reasoning and conclusion.The three arguments will be presented along with the writer’s commentary on each. After careful examination of the arguments and reading various sources, the writer has come to a conclusion that non-human brains are capable of mental states albeit extremely limited ones.In the matter of mental states, it would be useful for the writer of this essay to first define the mental state. For purposes of this essay, a mental state will include conditions or processes that are performed exclusively by thinking and feeling organisms.Therefore, in examination of the arguments, the capacities of thinking and feeling are key to the presence of mental states. It is imperative that the brain in examination should be able to induce emotion and thought.It must be noted that the patient in question coul d be the writer herself.The first doctor posits that the patient in question is not capable of thinking and feeling, because of the absence of the soul. Thus it is established that the patient in question does not have a soul and is not perhaps human.Personally, the writer finds it even more difficult to explain the concept of the soul than that of mental states. Mental states may be recognized and even documented, however, in the field of evidence, souls have not been documented or recognized.Perhaps the doctor in this argument would equate the soul to the mind, an entity which is hidden and whose inner workings in the capacity of the human body are mysterious and unexplainable but are thought to function fundamentally for human existence.In Gilbert Ryle’s examination of Descartes’ position on the matter (1949), the separation of mind and body are presented to give way for the understanding of mental states in a separate fashion. However, Ryle mentions the difficulty in examining the mind because of the mystery of its powers and processes (Ryle, 1949).If we were to follow Ryle’s work, the mind presents a consciousness or entity separate from physical space and intangible to the senses. The processes which it undertakes are not witnessed at all and it is sometimes even perceived that these processes may not exist.The fact that these processes cannot be monitored give venue to its questionability. For the writer, explaining the presence of mental states through the soul which can be similar to the mind is insufficient because of the difficulty in verification.Also, Ryle explains the difficulty in seeking to explain the causality of the mind’s processes (Ryle, 1949). If such a mysterious and invisible entity exists, how can it directly cause so many actions? Also, the congruence of such actions is questionable, such as how a will can cause a perception to scratch his nose (Ryle, 1949)?The second doctor’s argument posits that on ly organic brains alike to those of humans are possible of having mental states. It is thus established that the patient in question (who is most probably the writer) does not have an organic brain and the brain itself is not akin to a human brain. This presumes that the doctor believes in the existence of brains that are inorganic and not human, and explains the difference as well. Inorganic brains are not capable of mental states and processes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What then, are the capacities of an inorganic brain?Searle (1980) posits the ‘strong AI’ or strong artificial intelligence in this case, which is capable of outputting actions and responses similar to that of humans when presented with certain stimuli (Searle, 1980). This strong AI has its own structure or physical materials and to function, it is programmed with a set of rules to follow and guidelines in which the responses of humans are thought to be replicated.Perhaps the doctor th inks that artificial brains that are programmed are not entirely possible of replicating human thought. After all, the set of rules that the AI is governed by dictates its responses and in the end, it will only follow those rules. The doctor may be looking for responses that are unique to humans and that vary greatly.Indeed, even the strongest AI is still governed by only a larger and more intricate set of rules which the human programming it inputted. It would only go as far as the human who created it could consider.The last doctor then rejected the formers’ conclusions and reasoning by virtue of the outputs that the patient presented. The similarity to human actions made the doctor believe that though the patient has an artificial brain, the brain could produce mental states.Bertrand Russel posits the capacity of the mind to react to stimuli in unique ways depending perhaps on the mental state in which the person is in (Russel, 2001). The last doctor may see that the patie nt reacts in unique ways, and similarly to a human, due to the fact that the patient had lead a normal life up to the moment her brain was examined.After examining all the doctors’ arguments the writer would like to concentrate on the second argument. The most probable form of artificial brain would be that of an AI and its strength determines how much of a mental state it can produce.However, once the program is inputted, the AI can still only perform what the program tells it to, and most probably, be in whatever mental state the program also tells it to. A human brain, on the other hand, can change responses depending on the mental state, which no program induces.It is then that the writer posits that the patient does have mental states, but because of the lack of information from the prompt, the mental states cannot be examined. However, if an artificial brain is in place within the patient’s brain, then the mental states are dictated by the program as well.The wri ter also says that no matter how numerous the responses are that are programmed into the patient’s artificial brain, these responses can never be changed and can never differ from what they are programmed to do. The AI can perhaps learn but cannot exhibit the changing responses of a human.If the question would be solely based on mental states then the position of this writer would be that the patient is capable of producing and being in mental states, but these are all borne from programming. The validity of the programming is not in question in this essay but only that of the mental states.In going further, these mental states of the artificial brain can only produce set and programmed outputs. True, the patient may indeed feel pain and pleasure, but the responses are set. They may be numerous, but always set.The new factor that would come in when considering the mental states of human brains and that of artificial brains is that of the concept of choice. A human can feel a mental state and choose to respond to it. She may respond in different ways and it would be depending on her choice.An artificial brain on the other hand would need only look to the rules programmed into it and evaluate several factors and produce a response that would follow the said rules. Indeed, the mental states that the patient goes through may even be the programmed response as well, accompanying the outside response as well, to make the patient herself unaware of her own artificial brain.What then of the human brain, is it programmed as well? Could socialization and other life processes have acted as the programmers for our brains? This question would depend on how the human makes her choices. After all, a human can change on her own but an artificial brain can only do what it does again and again.BibliographyRussel, B. (2001). The Argument from Analogy of Other Minds. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from TCU Philosophy Department: http://www.phil.tcu.edu/readings/Russell.doc Ryle, G. (1949). Descartes' Myth. In G. Ryle, The Concept of Mind.Searle, J. (1980). Minds, Brains and Programs. Behvioral and Brain Sciences Vol. 3 , 417- 457.

The Great Ward Stradlater essays

The Great Ward Stradlater essays The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salingers masterpiece, is about a young man named Holden Caufield at a time in his life when a lot of, Madman stuff, began happening to him. The story begins while Holden is still at Pency, a school in Pennsylvania, living with another student named Ward Stradlater. Stradlater is important to this story because of his relationship with Holden, how he contrasts with him, and also because of how something he does affects Holden throughout the rest of the story. Ward Stradlater first appears in the book in the third chapter, and disappears after the sixth, yet, during that time, he played a significant role in Holdens life. While they were roommates, it seems as though Holden actually liked Stradlater (unlike most other people at the school). This can be seen in a few ways; first, when Holden and Ackley, another student at Pency, are talking, Ackley makes mention of the fact that he thinks Stradlater is a sonuvabitch. Holden actually defends Stradlater saying that he is not a bad guy and that Ackley just does not know him well enough. Then Holden goes on to say that if Stradlater had a tie that Ackley like, he would probably just give it to him, implying that he was perhaps a generous guy. Also, the fact that Holden, Horsed-around, while around Stradlater, tap-dancing for him and the like, leads the reader to feel as though Holden felt close to him. How Stradlater felt about Holden is another question. It seemed that at one point he felt pretty close to Holden, but that was most likely only because he needed him to write him a paper for him. After his paper was written, he criticized Holden for what he wrote about which leads the read to think that he, in reality, did not care too much for him. Even though the two shared a room at Pency, they had very little in common. Stradlater was a stereotypical jock. Holden himself went into detail about how Stradl...

Trata de personas y efectos migratorios en EEUU

Trata de personas y efectos migratorios en EEUU La trata de personas es una felonà ­a grave en el que una persona –el victimario– capta, recluta, transporta o aloja a la và ­ctima mediante el uso de fuerza fà ­sica, amenazas, secuestro, fraude, mentiras o abuso de situacià ³n de superioridad. El fin es explotar a la và ­ctima sexualmente o forzarla a trabajar en condiciones similares a la esclavitud o a la servidumbre, o para extraer de su cuerpo uno o varios à ³rganos. Tambià ©n se considera trata de personas forzar a la và ­ctima a mendigar, a producir pornografà ­a, a contraer un matrimonio de conveniencia, a vender a un hijo o a operar como soldado o guerrillero. Este artà ­culo informa sobre la situacià ³n del trfico de personas en EE.UU., las leyes que aplican a este delito, las exenciones migratorias para las và ­ctimas y quà © hacer si se sospecha de trfico de personas. Puntos clave: Trata de personas y efectos migratorios en EEUU En el delito de trata de personas, el victimario engaà ±a o fuerza a la và ­ctima, quien es explotada sexual o laboralmente.En EE.UU. la trata de personas es un delito federal castigado con penas de 10 aà ±os a cadena perpetua. El extranjero condenado por esta felonà ­a es deportado.Las và ­ctimas de trata de personas en EE.UU. pueden solicitar la visa T para permanecer en el paà ­s junto con sus familiares inmediatos.Para reportar trata de personas o solicitar ayuda, marque gratis y confidencialmente al 1 (888) 373-7888. Se habla espaà ±ol. Datos sobre el trfico de personas en Estados Unidos La Organizacià ³n Mundial del Trabajo estima que, en la actualidad, 25 millones de personas en todo el mundo son và ­ctimas de trata de personas, siendo el 75 por ciento de ellas mujeres o nià ±os. Este es un problema que tambià ©n existe en Estados Unidos, por lo que las leyes de este paà ­s establecen castigos para los victimarios y ayuda para las và ­ctimas. Adems, si las và ­ctimas son extranjeras, podrà ­an calificar para el alivio migratorio o exencià ³n conocido como visa T para và ­ctimas de trfico humano. Segà ºn Polaris, la principal agencia de lucha contra la trata de personas en Estados Unidos, cientos de miles de personas son và ­ctimas de este delito. En el aà ±o 2017, se reportaron a la Là ­nea Caliente Nacional del Trfico de Personas (NHTH, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) un total de 8.759 casos de trata de personas en el paà ­s, que afectaron a ms de 10.000 và ­ctimas, casi 5.000 victimarios y 1.500 negocios. Las principales causas de denuncia por trata de personas fueron la explotacià ³n sexual, donde la edad media de las và ­ctimas era de 19 aà ±os, seguido de la combinacià ³n de explotacià ³n sexual y abuso laboral que se desarrolla en lugares como locales de masaje ilegales, strip clubs o cantinas. En tercer lugar de frecuencia en los casos de denuncia figura la explotacià ³n laboral, incluyendo casos de servidumbre domà ©stica, explotacià ³n en el trabajo agrà ­cola y mendicidad forzada. Del total de casos reportados, el 80 por ciento de las và ­ctimas eran mujeres y nià ±as, y el 35 por ciento de los casos en los que se reportà ³ el grupo à ©tnico, este era el latino. Leyes de EEUU sobre trata de personas y sus castigos En Estados Unidos, las leyes federales sobre trata de personas son las ms importantes y tienen aplicacià ³n en todo el paà ­s. La ms relevante es la Ley de Proteccià ³n de Và ­ctimas de Trfico Humano (TVPA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) que se aprobà ³ en el aà ±o 2000 y que incluyà ³ a este delito dentro de la categorà ­a de crà ­menes federales. Adems, creà ³ la visa T para proteger a los migrantes và ­ctimas de trata de personas. Tambià ©n son importantes el conjunto de leyes que se conoce como Ley de Reautorizacià ³n de Proteccià ³n de Và ­ctimas de Trfico Humano (TVPRA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y que fueron aprobadas entre 2003 y 2013. En particular destaca la de 2003, en la que se establece que el delito de trfico humano puede ser juzgado de acuerdo a las provisiones del Estatuto de Organizaciones del Crimen Organizado, conocido en inglà ©s por las siglas RICO. En otras palabras, a los acusados de trfico humano se les puede juzgar con las mismas leyes que aplican a la mafia. Tambià ©n es de destacar la ley aprobada en 2008, la cual exige que se examine a todos los nià ±os que llegan solos a la frontera de Estados Unidos para determinar si son và ­ctimas de trata de personas. Finalmente, la Ley Mann de 1910 que califica de felonà ­a el persuadir o forzar a otra persona a cruzar de un estado a otro para ejercer la prostitucià ³n y que es utilizada frecuentemente para juzgar el delito de trata de personas. Todas estas leyes estn codificadas en el Capà ­tulo 78, Tà ­tulo 22 del Cà ³digo de los Estados Unidos. Por à ºltimo, cabe destacar que adems de las leyes federales, aplican las leyes del estado donde se cometa el delito. En cuanto al castigo por trata de personas, las penas pueden ir de diez aà ±os a cadena perpetua, dependiendo de las caracterà ­sticas del crimen. Adems, es posible perder la propiedad sobre las instalaciones en las que se hubiera alojado a las và ­ctimas extranjeras de este delito, en aplicacià ³n de la Ley de Incautacià ³n de Bienes Civiles (CAFRA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Asimismo, si el victimario condenado por la felonà ­a de trata de personas es extranjero, ser deportado al cumplir su pena de prisià ³n. Dichas personas son consideradas, desde el punto de vista migratorio, como inadmisibles para ingresar a Estados Unidos. Exencià ³n o alivio migratorio para và ­ctimas de trata de personas Cada aà ±o fiscal, las autoridades de Estados Unidos aprueban un mximo de 5.000 visas T para và ­ctimas de trata de personas. Los beneficiados y sus familiares inmediatos pueden quedarse en el paà ­s y solicitar, a los tres aà ±os, una tarjeta de residencia permanente, tambià ©n conocida como green card. Para obtener este beneficio migratorio es necesario cumplir una serie de requisitos estrictos. En primer lugar, ser và ­ctima de trata de personas calificada como grave. Tienen dicha consideracià ³n las và ­ctimas de trfico sexual y las de trfico laboral. En segundo lugar, la và ­ctima debe estar presente en Estados Unidos, Samoa Americana, Islas Marianas Americanas o en un puerto de entrada. En este à ºltimo caso, la razà ³n debe ser precisamente porque en ese momento se est intentando ingresar a la và ­ctima a EE.UU. para explotarla sexual o laboralmente. En tercer lugar, para recibir la visa T, la và ­ctima de trata de personas debe colaborar con las autoridades en la investigacià ³n del caso. La à ºnica excepcià ³n aplica a los menores de 18 aà ±os, si no estuvieran en condiciones de hacerlo. En cuarto lugar, la và ­ctima debe ser considerada admisible desde el punto de vista migratorio o, si no lo es, solicitar y obtener un perdà ³n o waiver correspondiente.Y en quinto y à ºltimo lugar, la và ­ctima debe demostrar que sufrirà ­a dureza extrema en forma de daà ±o inusual y severo si tuviera que regresar a su paà ­s de origen. Para solicitar la visa T la và ­ctima debe enviar al Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) el formulario gratuito I-914 y acompaà ±arlo del I-914 Suplemento B. Debido a la complejidad de estas visas y a la situacià ³n de indocumentados de los solicitantes es altamente recomendable contar con la asesorà ­a de un abogado para dichas planillas. Adems, si la và ­ctima solicita la visa para sus familiares, debe tambià ©n enviar al USCIS el formulario I-914 Suplemento A. En cuanto a los familiares que pueden incluirse, la respuesta depende de la edad de la và ­ctima. Asà ­, si tiene 21 aà ±os de edad o ms, puede solicitar la visa T para su cà ³nyuge y para sus hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os. Por el contrario, si la và ­ctima es menor de 21 aà ±os, puede solicitar la visa para su cà ³nyuge, hijos, padres y hermanos solteros menores de 18 aà ±os. Si el gobierno aprueba la visa T, su beneficiario obtendr al mismo tiempo un permiso de trabajo. La visa es vlida por tres aà ±os y al finalizar ese plazo se puede solicitar la tarjeta de residencia permanente mediante trmite que se conoce como ajuste de estatus. Mientras se resuelve la solicitud de la visa T, los solicitantes deben consultar sobre los posibles beneficios que pueda brindar el estado en donde residen. Por ejemplo, en California se podrà ­a tener derecho a ocho meses de asistencia econà ³mica, adems de cupones de alimentos y seguro mà ©dico a travà ©s de Medi-Cal. Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta los cambios legislativos recientes sobre quà © es beneficio pà ºblico y sus efectos migratorios, se recomienda consultar con un abogado antes de solicitarlos.  ¿Dà ³nde reportar sospechas de trfico de personas y encontrar organizaciones de ayuda? Polaris es la organizacià ³n sin fin de lucro a cargo de la là ­nea caliente nacional para reportar el delito de trata de personas o solicitar ayuda. Se puede marcar gratuita y confidencialmente al 1(888) 373-7888, donde atienden en ms de 200 idiomas, incluido el espaà ±ol. Tambià ©n se puede contactar en las redes sociales o enviando el mensaje de texto BeFree al 233733. Adems, todas las grandes organizaciones de ayuda a los migrantes pueden ayudar a las và ­ctimas o referirlas adecuadamente. Finalmente, Kids in Need of Defense y Coalition to Abolish Slavery Trafficking son dos organizaciones muy comprometidas a brindar ayuda en casos de trata de personas, incluida la asesorà ­a legal a migrantes. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

How to Use French Punctuation

How to Use French Punctuation Although French and English use nearly all of the same punctuation marks, some of their uses in the two languages are considerably different. Rather than an explanation of the rules of French and English punctuation, this lesson is a simple summary of how French punctuation differs from English. One-Part Punctuation Marks These are very similar in French and English, with a few exceptions. Period or Le Point . In French, the period is not used after abbreviations of measurement:  25 m (mà ¨tres), 12 min (minutes), etc.It can be used to separate the elements of a date:  10 septembre 1973 10.9.1973.When writing numbers, either a period or a space may be used to separate every three digits (where a comma would be used in English):  1,000,000 (English) 1.000.000 or 1 000 000.Its not used to indicate a decimal point (see virgule 1). Commas , In French, the comma is used as a decimal point:  2.5 (English) 2,5 (French).Its not used to separate three digits (see point 3).Whereas in English, the serial comma (the one before and in a list) is optional, it cannot be used in French:  Jai achetà © un livre, deux stylos et du papier.  Not Jai achetà © un livre, deux stylos, et du papier. Note: When  writing numerals, the period and comma are opposites in the two languages:   French English 2,5 (deux virgule cinq)2.500 (deux mille cinq cents) 2.5 (two point five)2,500 (two thousand five hundred) Two-Part Punctuation Marks In French, a space is required both before and after all two- (or more) part punctuation marks and symbols, including : ;  «  » ! ? % $ #. Colon or Les Deux-Points : The colon is much more common in French than in English. It may introduce direct speech; a citation; or the explanation, conclusion, summary, etc. of whatever precedes it. Jean a dit :  « Je veux le faire.  » Jean said, I want to do it.Ce film est trà ¨s intà ©ressant : cest un classique. This movie is interesting: its a classic.  «  » Les Guillemets and - Le Tiret and ... Les Points de Suspension Quotation marks (inverted commas) dont exist in French; the guillemets  «  » are used.   Note that these are actual symbols; they are not just two angle brackets typed together . If you dont know how to type guillemets, see this  page on typing accents. Guillemets are usually used only at the beginning and end of an entire conversation. Unlike in English, where any non-speech is found outside of the quotation marks, in French guillemets do not end when an incidental clause (he said, she smiled, etc.) is added. To indicate that a new person is speaking, atiret (m-dash or em-dash) is added. In English, an interruption or trailing off of speech can be indicated with either atiret or des points de suspension (ellipsis). In French, only the latter is used.  « Salut Jeanne ! dit Pierre. Comment vas-tu ? "Hi Jean!" Pierre says. "How are you?" - Ah, salut Pierre ! crie Jeanne. "Oh, hi Pierre!" shouts Jeanne. - As-tu passà © un bon weekend ? "Did you have a nice weekend?" - Oui, merci, rà ©pond-elle. Mais... "Yes, thanks," she responds. "But- " - Attends, je dois te dire quelque chose d'important  ». "Wait, I have to tell you something important." The tiret can also be used like parentheses, to indicate or emphasize a comment: Paul - mon meilleur ami - va arriver demain. Paul- my best friend- will arrive tomorrow. Le Point-Virgule ; and  Le Point dExclamation ! and  Le Point dInterrogation ? The semi-colon, exclamation point, and question mark are essentially the same in French and English. Je taime; maimes-tu? I love you; do you love me?Au secours! Help!

Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA - Essay Example The supervisor under whose jurisdiction the TSO was appointed was Mina O’Reilly. Mina O’Reilly has a very good track record and it is because of her supervision, that Logan airport was declared as the airport of the year. Ludo Sanchez was also a hard-working efficient TSO who not only took his responsibilities seriously but also delivered them with dedication. He had a magical effect on the checkpoint. He was also offered promotion which he denied as he wanted to work as a frontline employee. So Mina O’Reilly had strong faith in his dutifulness and had no doubt in his dedication towards his work. However, the recent security breach has questioned the past notion of Mina O’Reilly for Ludo Sanchez. The security breach took place when Ludo Sanchez made a phone call to his daughter and was telling her to complete her homework on time. The call lasted for just a few minutes, but within this few minutes a man carrying a blue hand bag passed the exit lane to the sterile terminal area without security check. Flights got delayed as the blue bag the man was carrying needed to be identified and checked, so that there is no fear of explosives or hazardous elements on plan. All these delays and confusion occurred just because one security breach for which Ludo Sanchez was responsible. Mina O’Reilly is now the responsible person to take measures against this security breach. Mina O’Reilly Steps against Security Breach of Ludo Sanchez Mina O’Reilly received the detailed feedback from Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO). She was the one to decide what next steps to be taken against Ludo Sanchez. Though she had the power to terminate Sanchez immediately for his negligence, but she did not wanted to do it because Sanchez had a very good past performance record, and he was a very dedicated employee of the company. O’Reilly had several options in front of her to deal with the situation, but she had to choose one among them. She can assign Sanchez’s duty to a position which requires lower security, such as the exit lane, but ironically that was the position the security breach took place, when Sanchez was distracted. The second option would be to give him a verbal warning and developing a specific performance development plan for him to improve his performance and attentiveness. Third, option would be to send him for retraining and counseling. These were the probable options that O’Reilly can refer to for deciding her ultimate steps in Sanchez’s case. O’Reilly should be combining the options that she has decided; this means that she should give a verbal warning to Sanchez for his negligence. He should be sent for retraining and counseling, so that the protocols would be explained to him ones more and counseling would stop him from getting discouraged or de-motivated through the mistake that happened because of his negligence (Buchler, 2011, p. 231-233). Model of Employ ment The model of employment of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) signifies the organizational structure of the agency. In TSA the TSO’s position was the entry level position who worked as screening units. The annual salaries of these TSOs are $25,000 to $35,000. There were approximately 760 TSOs. They are responsible for travel document checking, checking luggage through X-ray machine, metal detectors, monitoring the exit lane, tracking explosive devices, etc. For each or these duties LTSO is assigned. There are about 148 LTSO. They handle a team of TSOs. Then

ATR vocabulary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ATR vocabulary - Essay Example In other words, casting is a preparation of figures by use of mold to produce castings from an original cast made from clay. Carving is the skillful cutting of a material such as, wood or into a form or a design by use of mechanical tools. Assembling is the incorporation of objects such a piece of mold to form to a cast. Low relief also known as bas relief is a form of art in which figures are designed from a slight height above the ground with barely cut outlines. High relief comprises of round sculpture whose parts are completely detached from the ground. Contrapposto is a form of sculpture with a scheme that involves the figure is poised with all its weight resting on one leg. Earthwork is nature relate art that involves making of large-scale figures by moving a lot of soil to form the shape. Public art is any piece of art created for the purpose of placing it in public areas. Installation is the construction of an art for exhibition on a gallery. Site specific is the ground on wh ich a piece of art is stood. Minimalism is a form art that is characterized by use of simple unornamented architecture. It origin is traced back in New York City. Ceramics are inorganic materials mounding and baking clay. Clay is rigid, sticky, grained earth. Slab is a wide, thick piece of concrete used for construction. A pattern of spiral turn formed by winding material together to each other to form s diagonal effect. Potter wheel is a revolving wheel that is operated by use lever to shape clay. Porcelain is a rigid ceramic prepared by drying clay on fire and glazing it with fusible materials of different colors Glass is an inorganic, impervious material used in ornamental objects. Stained glass is simply colored glass used in the production of decorative windows. Glass blowing is the shaping of softened glass by forcefully passing air into t through a tube. Metal, this is a ductile, lustrous substance usually a good

Military bearing and discipline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Military bearing and discipline - Essay Example Yes, there is no denying the fact that the concept of military bearing does include all the things that have been mentioned in the last few lines. However, the thing that needs to be remembered is that military bearing is not merely about externalities. Yes, military personnel prefer to be disciplined and ordered, they do opt for dignity and respect in all aspects of their life, they are very particular about a their dressing sense and uniform, but the more important fact is that these things are an integral expression of their internal mindset and personality that gets reconstituted and remolded once they join the armed forces and stop being a civilian. Simply speaking military bearing is a state of mind. It is a way of perceiving and doing things. It is something that is not external, but rather confined to the core of existence of a military man. Discipline is the one most valued much demanded and necessary quality in the military. Yes, military is a job like many other jobs and military men do their duty like other people try their best to be true to their profession. However, with all due respect for other professions, it would not be wrong to admit and acknowledge that military is a profession with a difference. Military is about guarding the safety and freedom of the nation, about protecting the lives of millions of Americans, about turning out to be dependable and reliable partners for one’s colleagues, about a willingness to do the job ascribed to one without questions or qualms. The one central aspects of a job of this nature is that in it there may exist nothing like a second chance. If one fails, one may fail once and for all. Considering this nature of military duty, no other profession is as essentially dependant on discipline as military (Matloff 22). For what is army, but a group of individuals who are willing to set aside their personal beliefs, personal concerns, fears,

Astor Piazzolla Histoire du Tango Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Astor Piazzolla Histoire du Tango - Essay Example As with tango music, Astor Piazzolla's life was also filled with many changes and deviations that eventually helped him discover his true style and identity in the field of music. Piazzolla was born on March 11, 1921 to an Italian family in Mar del Plata, Argentina. His family moved to New York, and it was there that he first discovered his love for music. When his father gave him a bandoneon, he began to explore his musical talents that would have to undergo many changes and evolutions before he would come to realize the true directions in his music career. While growing up in New York, Piazzolla learned to appreciate classical music as he studied piano with Bela Wilda, a disciple of Rachmaninov (Pessinis and Kurl). During that same time, he met with the tango legend, Carlos Gardel, who became a good friend to him. When the family then decided to move to Argentina in 1936, Piazzolla started to play with some orchestras. Whereas he learned to appreciate the music of Bach while studying with Bela Wilda, he began to embrace tango as a musical style when he lived in Argentina. He was particularly impressed with the Elvino Vardaro's alternative style of rendering tango pieces (Pessinis and Kurl). ... Piazzolla continued to develop his skills and talent music. In 1944, he formed his own orchestra, which brought to the public a more vibrant form of tango music, more daring and dynamic (Pessinis and Kurl). This sparked the first controversies in Piazzolla's career. The orchestra was disbanded eventually in 1949, and the musician decided to take a different path musically. He thought that it was better for him to pursue classical music instead. Even as he did that, Piazzolla also listened to a lot of jazz music. In his quest to find his own style, Piazzolla decided to stay away from tango music. In the early 1950s, Piazzolla created music pieces that very much deviated from the traditional tango music during that time. He won the first prize for the Fabien Sevitzky competition with his "Buenos Aires" symphony, which caused strong reactions from some of the listeners who thought that the music was an abomination of classical music, when he incorporated the bandoneon in the symphony. As part of the prize, he was privileged to study under the legendary educator, Nadia Boulanger, who played a huge role in Piazzolla's discovery of his own style. Because of his decision to stay away from tango and pursue classical music, Piazzolla did not reveal his past musical experience to his teacher. Eventually, Boulanger found out the true style of Piazzolla and encouraged him to follow his own direction. Boulanger was quoted as saying to Piazzolla, in reference to his rendition of his tango Triunfal, "your classical pieces are well written, but the true Piazzolla is here, never leave it behind" (Pessinis and Kurl). His teacher's encouragements became the driving force for him to compose

Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter - Essay Example I have had considerable experience as a Human Resource Associate from two leading companies in Saudi Arabia. It was a great experience for me to have worked in the Human Resources management wing in Sabco Company, Saudi Arabia in 2006-2007. My responsibilities in the company consisted of recruiting and staffing logistics, performance management and improvement of tracking systems, employee orientation, development, and training logistics and recordkeeping. I made sure that theses HR tasks are completed on time and to expectations in the company. I was also involved in human Resources management and marketing in STC Company, Saudi Arabia in 2008 -2009. My duties in the company included receiving calls and fax on a computer, making and cancelling appointments and explaining some information for the customers. These two years has improved my ability to effectively respond to and interact with all levels of organizational staff. I have also developed remarkable competencies that include excellent presentation/facilitation, organizational, analytical, interpersonal and written/oral communication skills. I am convinced that I possess considerable skills that are required for the job.

Technologies and Citizens Privacy Research Paper

Technologies and Citizens Privacy - Research Paper Example With doing away of paper based services people store their data in computers. Spy software and network sniffing programs that are readily available in the Internet have aided people in violating other people privacy. People, thus, need to be able to protect their network securities and computers from any form of intrusion. This calls for risk management when it comes to people’s personal information (Lindsay & Thomson, 2005). The government and business agencies need to find new ways and means that can protect people’s identity and privacy when delivering or offering services. Form a citizen’s point of view, it is clear that online and other forms of digital transactions are vulnerable to breach of securities (Davenport, 2006). Citizens lack proper knowledge to understand what happens when their identity is stored in the online government systems and other businesses. Through the use of spy software, a person can be tracked wherever and whenever he or she uses cr edit cards. There is the need for citizens to be educated on how to protect their personal information (Davenport, 2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of the Public Being Able to Access Information All forms of technological developments do come with their own issues biased on both the negative and positive sides. The issue of technology has brought the Internet age which has been having great importance in human lives and by so doing being able to enhance human interaction and business operations (Bhunia, 2006). However, the issue of insecurity has as well been experienced and which is in need of tentative analysis towards curbing all the issues of insecurity which comes as a result. The issue of network security is something which has been given the necessary concern and establishment by nations as well as organizations. Due to this kind of development, the network security is able to change the focus of security groups or security blueprint over the past few years. With the publi c is able to access information, there is a need to audit the systems that host the information. There are few things that an information security auditor needs to be previewed before carrying out an audit of the information security data centers. The auditor needs to be well informed about the organization and how it conducts its sensitive business activities (Lindsay & Thomson, 2005). This will immensely help when it comes to performing a data or information center assessment. Every organization should have a data center and its main objective should be to align the data center actions with the goals of the organization. At the same time it should be able to preserve the safety and integrity of the public data and information in the data centers. Prior to conducting the audit process, the following are some of the things that an information security auditor needs to do: meet with the IT management and carry out a review of its department organizational structure, conduct a review of the job description of all the employees at the data center, know all the application and operating systems in use at the data centers, review the data centers emergency recovery plans, and evaluate the IT departments or organizations policies and procedures when it comes to handling their data centers (Davenport, 2006). Protecting Information The issue of netw

Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter - Essay Example I have had considerable experience as a Human Resource Associate from two leading companies in Saudi Arabia. It was a great experience for me to have worked in the Human Resources management wing in Sabco Company, Saudi Arabia in 2006-2007. My responsibilities in the company consisted of recruiting and staffing logistics, performance management and improvement of tracking systems, employee orientation, development, and training logistics and recordkeeping. I made sure that theses HR tasks are completed on time and to expectations in the company. I was also involved in human Resources management and marketing in STC Company, Saudi Arabia in 2008 -2009. My duties in the company included receiving calls and fax on a computer, making and cancelling appointments and explaining some information for the customers. These two years has improved my ability to effectively respond to and interact with all levels of organizational staff. I have also developed remarkable competencies that include excellent presentation/facilitation, organizational, analytical, interpersonal and written/oral communication skills. I am convinced that I possess considerable skills that are required for the job.

Visual Arts and Film Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Arts and Film Studies - Assignment Example I smiled at the answers I got and felt like nodding because, indeed, I see those things in myself as well. I will try to relay to you what they told me so far. Positivity. I was told that this is definitely one of my strongest characteristic. All three of my friends agreed that they feel lighter when they are around me. I was told that there were several times when they felt down due to a bad thing, and I would point out the good side of it and make them feel better. I know that most of the times, I see the brighter side of a dark situation. Individualization. My friends told me that I am one of those who hate stereotypes. They reminded me of the times when they would make generalized comments about a person based on fashion taste or circle of friends, and I would stand up for that person and insist that no one knows anything until we get to know that person well. I had been stereotyped a lot so probably that's why I hate to see it happening to anyone. Includer. I know that I have al ways been warm to everyone. My friends told me that I am always the one to invite a person to join a conversation, or an activity, etc. It makes me feel awkward to see anyone being left on the sides. I know that everyone has a potential and it makes me feel good to be the one to actually cause a person to show his or her skills in a group because of my welcoming attitude. Activator. My friends made me laugh on this one, because they told me they sometimes feel like having a hard time keeping up with my activities. I don't like dull moments and I always feel like there is still something better to do than just idle away. Developer. Friends say that if they ever need encouragement, they will just come looking for me. It is as if I know how they will best be able to flaunt their skills because of the ideas I give them. I like it a lot when people discover something in themselves, and I like it better when I know I am a part of that progress. 2. I feel that positivity is the overall cau se of all the other dominant themes of talent in me. I feel positive in me, for me, and for others, that I want everybody to act and feel the same. 3. I believe that being an activator develops most of the talents. This is because I always search for something new to do and learn. I always tap into the unknown, which I think is a good thing in loosening our imaginative freedom. I don't want to get stuck in something that is redundant, so I tend to be fearless in exploring and learning new things. 4. The surprising thing is how my friends see these dominant characteristics so well, and how they respond so positively to these. I never want to imagine that people see me as â€Å"overwhelming,† so it is nice to know that they enjoy my personality. 5. The talent that I want to develop more is â€Å"individualization† because I know that every person has their own qualities worth knowing about, and I would really like to be able to be one of those who makes a difference, and tap into those hidden talents that most other people choose to ignore and be prejudice about. However, I know that I need to work on my verbal interaction with people because despite these positive qualities, I know that there are still others who see me as just the quiet typical art student. II. Networking Event I went to a networking event, which is a screening of a short film entitled â€Å"Wallenda.† It is produced by RareForm pictures --- an independent film production company founded in 2009. The screening was held in Gnomon, last December 3, at around 7;00 p.m. The film is directed by V.W. Scheich, and written by V.W. Scheich and Uyen Le. You can find out more about the film at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094183/. I found out about

Death and Absurdism in Camuss The Stranger Essay Example for Free

Death and Absurdism in Camuss The Stranger Essay In his novel The Stranger1, Albert Camus gives expression to his philosophy of the absurd. The novel is a first-person account of the life of M. Meursault from the time of his mothers death up to a time evidently just before his execution for the murder of an Arab. The central theme is that the significance of human life is understood only in light of mortality, or the fact of death; and in showing Meursaults consciousness change through the course of events, Camus shows how facing the possibility of death does have an effect on ones perception of life. The novel begins with the death of Meursaults mother. Although he attends the funeral, he does not request to see the body, though he finds it interesting to think about the effects of heat and humidity on the rate of a bodys decay (8). It is evident that he is almost totally unaffected by his mothers death – nothing changes in his life. In other words, her death has little or no real significance for him. When he hears Salamano, a neighbor, weeping over his lost dog (which has evidently died), Meursault thinks of his mother – but he is unaware of the association his mind has made. In fact, he chooses not to dwell on the matter but goes to sleep instead (50). It is when he is on the beach with Raymond Sintà ¨s and M. Masson and they confront two Arabs (who have given Raymond trouble) that Meursault first seems to think about the insignificance of any action – therefore of human existence. He has a gun and it occurs to him that he could shoot or not shoot and that it would come to the same thing (72). The loss of a life would have no significance – no affect on life as a whole; and the universe itself is apparently totally indifferent to everything. Here he implicitly denies the existence of God, and thus denies morality, as well as the external meaning (if it may be so distinguished from the internal or individual existential meaning) of life and death. (This latt er, existential meaning is later affirmed, as we shall see.) Meursault kills one of the Arabs in a moment of confusion, partially out of self-defense, but does not regret it eve though it means going to prison and, ultimately, being executed. He has the fatalistic feeling that  whats done is done, and later explains that he has never regretted anything because he has always been to absorbed by the present moment or by the immediate future to dwell on the past (127). In a sense, Meursault is always aware of the meaninglessness of all endeavors in the face of death: he has no ambition to advance socio-economically; he is indifferent about being friends with Raymond and about marrying Marie; etc. But this awareness is somehow never intense enough to involve self-awareness – that is, he never reflects on the meaning of death for him – until he is in prison awaiting execution. Of course, the meaning of anothers death is quite difference from the meaning of ones own death. With the former, one no longer sees that person again; with the latter, ones very consciousness, as far as we know, just ends – blit! – as a television picture ends when the set is switched off. Death marks all things equal, and equally absurd. And death itself is absurd in the sense that reason or the rational mind cannot deal with it: it is a foregone conclusion, yet it remains an unrealized possibility until some indeterminate future time. The meaning of death is not rational but, again, is existential – its implications are to be found not in abstraction but in the actuality of ones life, the finality of each moment. Before his trial, Meursault passes the time in prison by sleeping, by reading over and over the newspaper story about the (unrelated) murder of a Czech, and by recreating a mental picture of his room at home in complete detail, down to the scratches i n the furniture. In this connection, it must be admitted that he is externally very sensitive and aware, despite his lack of self-understanding and emotional response. This is evidence by his detailed descriptions. He is especially sensitive to natural beauty – the beach, the glistening water, the shade, the reed music, swimming, making love to Marie, the evening hour he like so much, etc. He even says that if forced to live in a hollow tree truck, he would be content to watch the sky, passing birds, and clouds (95). After his trial (in which he is sentenced to be executed), he no longer indulges in his memories or passes the time in the frivolous way he was accustomed to spend Sundays at home. At first, he dwells on thoughts of escape. He cannot reconcile the contingency of his sentence (Why guilt? Why sentenced by a French court rather than a Chinese one? Why was the verdict read at eight pm rather than at five? etc.) with the mechanical certainty of  the process that leads inevitably to his death (137). When he gives up trying to find a loophole, he finds his mind ever returning either to the fear that dawn would bring the guards who would lead him to be executed, or to the hope that his appear will be granted. To try to distract himself from these thoughts, he forces himself to study the sky or to listen to the beating of his heart – but the changing light reminds him of the passing of time towards dawn, and he cannot imagine his heart ever stopping. In dwelling on the chance of an appeal, he is forced to consider the possibility of denial and thus of execution; therefore, he must face the fact of his death – whether it comes now or later. One he really, honestly admits deaths inevitability, he allows himself to consider the chance of a successful appeal – of being set free to live perhaps forth more years bef ore dying. Now he begins to see the value of each moment of the life before death. Because of death, nothing matters – except being alive. The meaning, value, significance of life is only seen in light of death, yet most people miss it through the denial of death. The hope of longer life brings Meursault great joy. Perhaps to end the maddening uncertainty and thus intensify his awareness of deaths inevitability (therefore of the actuality of life), or, less likely, as a gesture of hopelessness, Meursault turns down his right to appeal (144). Soon afterwards, the prison chaplain insists on talking to him. Meursault admits his fear but denies despair and has no interest in the chaplains belie in an afterlife. He flies into rage, finally, at the chaplains persistence, for he realizes that the chaplain has not adequately assessed the human condition (death being the end of life) – or, if he has, the chaplains certainties have no meaning for Meursault and have not the real value of, say, a strand of a womans hair (151). Meursault, on the other hand, is absolutely certain about his own life and forthcoming death. His rush of anger cleanses him and empties him of hope, thus allowing him finally to open up completely and for the last time to the benign indifference of the universe (154). He realizes that he always been happy. The idea of death makes one aware of ones life, ones vital being – that which is impermanent and will one day end. When this vitality is appreciate, one feels free – for there is no urgency to perform some act that will cancel the possibility of death, seeing as though there is no such act. In this sense, all human activity is absurd, and the real freedom is to be aware of life in its actually and totally, of its beauty and its pain. Albert Camus The Stranger What if the past has no meaning and the only point in time of our life that really matters is that point which is happening at present. To make matters worse, when life is over, the existence is also over; the hope of some sort of salvation from a God is pointless. Albert Camus illustrates this exact view in The Stranger. Camus feels that one exists only in the world physically and therefore the presence or absence of meaning in ones life is alone revealed through that event which he or she is experiencing at a particular moment. These thoughts are presented through Meursault, a man devoid of concern for social conventions found in the world in which he lives, and who finds his life deprived of physical pleasurewhich he deems quite importantwhen unexpectedly put in prison. The opening line of the novel sets the tone for Meursaults dispassion towards most things. The novel is introduced with the words: Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I dont know (3). Although the uncertainty originates with an ambiguous telegram, it seems that the ton middle of paper or their emotions in general. He does not follow conventional social beliefs nor does he believe in God, nor salvation. Meursault however loves his life. It is a pure love derived from enjoying his existence on a day-to-day basis, rarely looking back and never looking forward. His love is not dependent on doing what society or some religion has deemed correct, but on what he feels he wants to do despite what most would consider common. In Albert Camus’ â€Å"The Stranger† the â€Å"story of an ordinary man who gets drawn into a senseless murder† is told. Taking place in Algeria this man, Meursault, is constantly in a climate of extreme warmth, as are all the inhabitants therein. The sun, the source of light and the cause of this warmth, is thus a vital and normal part of his life. It brings warmth and comfort yet it can also cause pain and sickness. Throughout most of his life Meursault has lived with the conflicting forces of the sun and light, as a friend and foe. However in Chapter 6 these forces become unbalanced and the sun becomes an aggressor causing Meurault physical pain and jolting him into violent action. Although the sun becomes increasingly aggressive as the novel transpires, in the beginning its forces were balanced causing some good and some bad effects. The most evidence of the sun as a foe is found during Meursault’s mother’s wake and funeral. During the wake Meursault is constantly â€Å"blinded† by the bright light. This combined with â€Å"the whiteness of the room† â€Å"[makes his] eyes hurt.† However, this same light also creates a â€Å"glare on the white walls†¦.making [him] drowsy† and allowing him respite from the knowledge of his mother’s death. So, all at once light was good as well as bad for Meursault. Again, during the funeral â€Å"with the sun bearing down† the heat was â€Å"inhuman and oppressive,† causing Meursault great physical discomfort. Yet, in the same token, the heat is also â€Å"making it hard for [Meursault] to †¦think straight† thereby allowing him an escape from his mo ther’s death. Not all of the sun’s effects have a flip side however; throughout the novel â€Å"the sun [does Meursault] a lot of good,† by warming him and making him feel alive. Thus, although both positive and negative situations come from the Work Cited Camus, Albert. The Stranger. Trans. Matthew Ward. New York: Vintage International, 1989.

Similes in The Big Sleep Essay -- sleep

Similes in The Big Sleep      Ã‚   In response to Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, I have just one question. Why all the similes? There isn't a single page in the novel that doesn't display this annoying literary device. Everything is "like this" or "like that." It never ends! Similar to decoding a secret message that isn't difficult to understand, but nevertheless tiring due to the overwhelming amount of messages, the novel is frustrating to read. The following analysis acknowledges Chandler's creativity in developing his main character, Philip Marlowe, with his usage of simile. However, the excessive style of the novel creates a dominating force that ultimately leaves the reader unfulfilled at the end.    Chandler goes into great detail describing the different characters--most notably, the women. There are many sections where the shrewd detective is quick to notice (and make analogous) certain physical features of the Sternwood daughters; not that I blame him. Early in the novel he observes Mrs. Regen's legs in the following manner. "They were visible to the knee and one of them well beyond...The calves were beautiful, the ankles long and slim and with enough melodic line for a tone poem" (17). I think that every guy reading this book perked up when reading of Vivian's legs. In this sexual sense, the similes work. Those long sentences would be much easier to read if there were more comparisons of Vivian's legs to a "melodic line for a tone poem".    Carmen Sternwood is described with profoundness but in a different (less sexual) sense than her sister is. Marlowe encounters her on many occasions and is thorough in describing her--from her first flirtations to her continuous irritations. In t... ...be something similar to, "It was raining again the next morning, a slanting gray rain like a swung curtain of crystal beads...I was as empty of life as a scarecrow's pockets" (159). There is only so much of that a human being can actually absorb.    And that is precisely why The Big Sleep is a novel that has a hard time coming off as a pleasant reading experience. If the reader has to sift through all the repetition of Marlowe's observations, then it subtracts from the novels overall themes, which I believe are the most captivating parts. Perhaps if it were a short story or if Chandler displayed mercy on our souls by using similes lightly, then the novel would produce a stronger effect.    Works Cited Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York: Vintage Books, 1996. Kemp, William. The Writing Process: Chandler 202. January 14, 1999   

Romeo and Juliet: Imagery of Love :: Romeo and Juliet Essays

William Shakespeare's play, "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," is the story of two "star crossed" lovers who both meet a tragic end. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy; however, the poetic and vivid manner in which Shakespeare engages the viewer or reader make this a beautiful play. The story of Romeo and Juliet is timeless, and it has provided a model for many other stories. The story line or plot in Romeo and Juliet is well loved by many around the world, but that is not what gives the play its special quality. Just as in most of Shakespeare's plays, words and phrases with double meanings, imagery and poetry are all used to create a play that is not only a pleasure for the eyes, but one for the ears and mind as well. The following statement by Romeo in act one scene one provides a good example of this: Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs, Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lover's eyes, Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with loving tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet, A c hoking gall, and a preserving sweet (Riverside, 1.1.190-193). Shakespeare's use of these components is exquisite and allows for much deeper involvement by the reader or viewer. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses imagery in the forms of lightness and darkness, animals, and plants or herbs to provide the reader or viewer with a more vivid and enjoyable experience. Lightness and Darkness Imagery of lightness and darkness is used extensively throughout Romeo and Juliet to symbolize and/or describe events that take place. Capulet describes the party he is planning with lightness and darkness, "Earth-treading stars that make dark heaven light"(1.2.25). Stars continue to have a role in the play as Juliet mentions her own death she claims, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with the night, And pay no worship to the garish sun(3.2.22-25). It seems that Juliet, unknowingly, is describing the future in a s ymbolic sense. Later in the play, after Romeo is banished from Verona for the slaying of Tybalt, he and Juliet exchange lines that are full of light imagery. As the dawn is approaching, Romeo describes the view, "Look, love, what envious streaks / Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east / Night's candles are burnt out .

Brain Abnormalities and Schizophrenia

The real etiology of schizophrenia is still a dream despite massive studies on the involvement of the brain. Studies of the brain through neuroimaging have revealed that frontal cortex, temporal lobe, and sub cortical structures are involved. Some of abnormalities in the brain of schizophrenic patients include enlarged ventricles, reduced volume of frontal cortex, temporal lobe cortex, and sub cortical structures like com/psychology-exam-3/">hippocampus and amygdala. These abnormalities have been persistently reported in schizophrenic patients and this shows that they are not functioning inadequately.Some of these abnormalities are present at the start and some even before the onset of psychosis and this is in support of neurodevelopment of theory of schizophrenia. The key neurotransmitter in schizophrenia is dopamine; however, there are others such as serotonin and glutamate which are also thought to play a role. Schizophrenia is an inherited condition, although genetic research has not come up with a clear conclusion on this matter may be because of the complexity of genetic involvement.Despite the fact that brain abnormalities are still not very clear in schizophrenia, the evidence is continuously pilling and this is driving towards a complicated disease of the brain network that is affected by genetically mediated developmental abnormality. Introduction Neuropathologists have been involved in research on schizophrenia for about hundred years. Despite the length of the research, the neuropathogy of the disorder is still not clear.Although they have made some steps in their quest since the beginning when they believed that it was a functional psychosis without structural basis, the main cause of the chronic disorder is still illusive. With the technological advancement in science, researchers have come to a common finding in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and the common finding is brain abnormalities. These discoveries have made the researchers to wond er if the cause of schizophrenia is brain abnormalities and how the abnormalities arise.Despite recovery of some brain abnormalities in patients suffering from schizophrenia, most scientists maintained that some of the abnormalities realized are quite slight and some of them are not common in all schizophrenic patients and to occur exclusively in people with schizophrenia. Although these patients have structural pathologies in their brains, the developed abnormalities do not coincide with the disease duration. Some of the abnormalities realized remain the same throughout the development of the disease (Bhogal, 2002).Understanding of the abnormalities of the brain in schizophrenia is among the challenges currently facing the medical community. The numerous symptoms associated with schizophrenia points at the involvement of various regions of the brain or even a widespread of network or system. Conventional approaches of neurological disorders such as lesion studies or post mortem exa minations have defied efforts to understand the brain pathology in schizophrenia. Just like other fields of medicine, luck and destiny have help make major steps in discoveries like dopamine theory and anti psychotics which are used in the management of the disorder.Modern research in neuroscience such as neuroimaging has aided in improving the foundation knowledge of the disorder and has sustained the hope that complete understanding of the disorder will be realized in the future. In this paper, I am going to summarize the major brain abnormalities found in schizophrenia through neuroimaging (Haren, 2004). Just like other complicated diseases, there are numerous theories on schizophrenia as compared to facts. The initially neurodevelopment theory points at abnormalities in fetal brain development as the cause of the failure of brain functions in early adulthood.A series of information such as increased rate of obstetric complications, minor physical abnormalities, neurologic mild s igns, and slight behavioral abnormalities in children who later suffer from schizophrenia. This model is quite relevant to the development of schizophrenia in particular but also for other neuropsychiatric disorders (Bhogal, 2002). The major drawback of this model is that the prevalence of these signs in the non affected population is quite substantial therefore the positive predictive value in the development of schizophrenia is not convincing.The disease usually begins at adolescent or early childhood and early adulthood and this indicates brain maturational problem during that time or before the appearance of psychosis. Excessive synaptic or dendritic pruning during the time of onset of the disorder has been suggested as one of the potential mechanism explaining the onset of psychosis in adolescent or in early childhood, although the biology underlying this stage is still not very clear (Lawrie & Abukmeil, 1998).Neurodegenerative model is based on active biologic processes th at may be going on during the prodromal period or the usually prolonged period of untreated psychosis. Development of the disorder is also linked to environmental factors such as illicit drug use and psychosocial stress which are considered as potential secondary triggers which may be accompanying the beginning and the start of schizophrenia. The initial researchers believed that schizophrenia is associated with brain pathology.Emergence of imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography scanning (CTS) have seriously contributed to the detailed study of the brain. Through computed tomography brain abnormalities such as enlarged ventricles and reduced total brain volume have been reported in schizophrenic individuals and these findings were later confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (Bhogal, 2002). Studies of the brain structures have also been made easy through improvement in segmentation techniques coupled with the use of MRI.These techniques can be used to identify grey from white matter and measuring of their volume. These also contributed to a more focused investigations of specific regions of the brain such as temporal, frontal lobes, and subcortical structures. Some of the consistent findings in these regions include alteration in structures such as hippocampus, amygdala, superior temporal gyrus, and platinum temporale (Lawrie & Abukmeil, 1998).Lateral temporal neocortical areas where primary auditory and auditory associations are located are the places of interest in schizophrenia since they are involved in thought processes. Most of the studies in the superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenic patients have always discovered reduced volumes of grey matter in the initial stages of the disorder together with those individuals who are genetically at risk of developing schizophrenia such as offspring of schizophrenic patients.Other structures of the brain which have also been reported to be abnormally small in schiz ophrenic patients include medial temporal structures such as hippocampus, amygdala, and parahippocampus gyri. These structures are also reported to be altered in other psychiatric disorders like mood disorders and post traumatic stress disorder (Lawrie & Abukmeil, 1998). Injuries sustained at the time of birth such as anoxia may be associated to hippocampus reduction and this is possibly due to neurodevelopmental abnormality.The finding is also common among concordant twins who had birth injuries. Medial temporal volume reductions have been discovered in people who are genetically at risk of developing schizophrenia. Reductions in the grey matter in the temporal regions of the brain have also been observed in people who are classified as having prodromal features of schizophrenia who have later on developed psychotic symptoms during the follow up (Haren, 2004). The highly developed region of the brain in man is the frontal lobe.It is involved in the modulations of higher brain f unctions such as planning, attention, and working memory. Behavioral and cognitive deficits like lack of motivation, defects in executive functions, Wisconsin card score sorting test and spatial working memory points at frontal lobe functional abnormalities in schizophrenic patients (Lawrie, 1999). Decreased blood flow to the frontal lobe is a common finding in schizophrenia. Despite the fact that this finding is not consisted, it can also be attributed to the complex nature of the region, it has been observed though quite slight.Basal ganglia which contain caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus are involved in information processing in the cortical and subcortical networks involved in integration of cognition, emotion, and motor function. These structures have been reported to be enlarged in patients using the conventional antipsychotics and this can lead to a conclusion that dopamine blockades causes an increase in volume of the above structures. Psychosis patients who have not use d any antipsychotics are reported to have a smaller caudate volume which implies that caudate may be involved in the development of psychoses.Thalamus acts as the regulatory board for sensory signals and has reciprocal connections to the frontal lobe. It has been suggested that the connections between these two structures are associated with schizophrenia. Thalamus is a bit difficult to measure using MRI, although the findings are inconsistent, smaller thalamus have always been reported in schizophrenic patients. Other anatomic abnormalities in schizophrenia include corpus callosum which is altered both in shape and structure therefore disruption in the integration between the hemispheres.In most humans, brain functions are lateralized with the left cerebrum being dominantly involved in language. There are proposals that developmental abnormalities of language, peculiar functions of the human beings, and its lateralization which is genetically mediated may be one of the causes of sc hizophrenia (Bhogal, 2002). Temporal lobe findings of smaller superior temporal gyrus and hippocampus have been reported to be in the left cerebrum and loss of normal asymmetry of the left superior temporal gyrus being a bit larger that the right has been reported in patients suffering from schizophrenia (Staal et.al, 2000). In the meta analysis study of laterality in schizophrenia, the researchers who were involved in this study concluded that there is a strong proof for decreased cerebral lateralization in schizophrenia more so in the language cortex. We can therefore summarize that structural imaging studies have discovered evidence of extensive anatomic alterations in the brain regions of schizophrenic patients.The regions highly altered in these patients include those mediating higher mental functions like thought, cognition, effect, and language both early in the illness and those at risks of developing the disorder like children born to schizophrenic patients (Haren, 2004). S ynapses and susceptibility genes Neuroimaging studies are in support of the possibility of neurodevelopmental abnormality in schizophrenia, neuronal, molecular, and neurochemical mechanisms underlying these brain abnormalities are not conclusive.High profile neuropathologic studies have revealed losses in synapse density and relatively normal or elevated neuronal numbers in schizophrenia, which indicates that the main defect may be synapse integrity. This discovery has elicited search for genes that may be associated with synapse integrity by the use of DNA microarray techniques. Post mortem findings on the patients with schizophrenia revealed under expression of a family of synapse related genes (Bhogal, 2002). Genetic factors are the main factors listed as being associated with schizophrenia, however the exact genes involved in susceptibility is still a puzzle.Although the initial studies on finding these genes was not successful, current studies have implicated several genes in t he development of schizophrenia and some of the genes include dysbindin-1, neuregulin-1, d-amino acid oxidase, its activator DAOA, and the regulator of G protein signaling 4. Recent proposals indicated that synapses, especially glutamatergic ones might be the site of initial abnormalities in schizophrenia with downstream disruption of neural circuitry and subsequent effect on other neurotransmitters (Lawrie, 1999). ConclusionsIt has become clear that the early scientists were right in their suspicion that the brain is involved in schizophrenia. This evidence cannot be disputed despite the fact that there is no comprehensive information on the etiology and pathophysiology of the disorder. The brain abnormalities in schizophrenia appear to be distributed in extensive areas supporting the fact that schizophrenia is a disorder associated with brain connections. We are still very far from understanding some of the major neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.The mo lecular, physiologic, and neurochemical mechanisms underlying schizophrenia continues to evade our findings. Recent research on the disorder acts as the foundations for future fundamental discoveries on the nature of schizophrenia. References: Bhogal, B. (2002). Physical Brain Abnormality a Possible Cause of Schizophrenia. Retrieved on May 6, 2010 from http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/bb/neuro/neuro02/web1/bbhogal. html Haren, N. E. M. (2004). Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia: longitudinal and genetic aspects.Quebec: s. n. Lawrie, S. (Jan. 4, 1999). â€Å"Risk Of Schizophrenia Onset Linked To Brain Abnormalities. † The Lancet. Lawrie, S. M. & Abukmeil, S. S. (1998). â€Å"Brain abnormality in schizophrenia. A systematic and quantitative review of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies. † The British Journal of Psychiatry 172. Staal, G. S. et. al. (2000). â€Å"Structural Brain Abnormalities in Patients With Schizophrenia and Their Healthy Siblings. † American Journal of Psychiatry, 157.

Alcatraz essay

Imagine you are told exactly when you can eat or shower and when you have to go to bed and when you must wake up. Well many of the prisoners on Alcatraz Island were treated in such a way. If you were a prisoner on Alcatraz Island, every aspect of your life would be controlled by a higher authority. If you like to have a midnight snack every now and then, that luxury would be taken away. If you like to sit around and watch TV for hours, you can forget about that too. Alcatraz has a long history of transformation as to how it came to be known as the inescapable prison island.This reputation did not stop a handful of men to try and do the impossible and escape the island. Alcatraz, also known as â€Å"The Rock†, is a well-known yet mysterious place containing many forgotten memories and lost ghosts. Though no one really knows everything that went on within the concealed walls of the old prison, it still manages to trap the interests of millions of people who visit the national pa rk each day on the small island in the San Francisco Bay. Not only has it trapped the interests of those millions of visitors, but it has also trapped mine as well.Discovered in 1775 by a Spanish explorer named Juan Miguel de Ayala, La Isla de los Alcatraces was nothing more than a small island inhabited by a group of pelicans from which the island acquired its name (Alcatraces means pelicans in Spanish). In 1847, the United States Government began view Alcatraz as more than just an island, but also an excellent location for a military fort; by 1853, a State of the Art military fortress was protecting the Western half of the United States against any foreign invasion.With the eruption of the Civil War, Alcatraz began accepting its first military prisoners in 1861. However, it wasn't until the Spanish-American War in 1898 that the United States realized that the isolation of the island made it an excellent candidate for a prison. The prison population jumped from twenty-six to 450 du ring the war. That number sprang once more after the famous 1906 earthquake when prisoners were transferred from many San Francisco city jails to Alcatraz.With the island becoming more a prison and less a military fort, it was decided that a cell house would be necessary. After the construction of the cell house in 1912, â€Å"The Rock† was born. In the 1920's many inmates were allowed to own small gardens of their own. Baseball fields were created and small teams were formed. It wasn't until the 1930's that Alcatraz went through dramatic changes constituting stricter rules than ever before thus ending the days of gardening and baseball games.In 1963, however, due to the high cost of running an island prison, Alcatraz was officially closed, never to be reopened as a prison. In 1969, a group of Native Americans claimed the island as their own but later ran into trouble with high costs just as the United States had. In 1971, their problems ended when they saw the island go up i n flames, badly damaging the lighthouse and many homes that used to house the cell guards and their families. The remaining Indians left after this fire and once again, Alcatraz was abandoned. The U.S. government decided it would be best to make Alcatraz part of the newly opened Golden Gate Park. Today, the money it attracts from its visitors each year provides the operational costs for the island. Throughout all the changes Alcatraz has went, it has retained one thing up to this very day; its deteriorating walls never cease to capture the amazement and interest of onlookers like you and I. That small, haunted, and mysterious island on the coast of San Francisco that treasures so many memories will always be known as â€Å"The Rock. â€Å"