Tuesday, November 26, 2019

My grandmother Essays

My grandmother Essays My grandmother Essay My grandmother Essay My grandmother and grandfather have kept a small group of extremely close friends, which she has found to be very rewarding as a social support group. The hardest part of getting older that my grandmother has found is seeing many of their close friends leave for the great social circle in the sky as she put it, but she found that working hard at keeping those who were important to her close to her was incredibly rewarding. The close friendships she maintained were the best support she ever found throughout her life. Friends that she kept close had many of the same values she did, or values she admired and aspired to obtain. Social support has also come from her family, a value that she obtained at an early age living with so many close relatives. Her entire family, two children, son and daughter-in laws and grandchildren all keep very close ties and provide frequent visits, phone calls, and e-mails to make sure that she is doing well. Although she a world-renowned writer and one would think her pride would lie mostly with her career, it is a true showcase of my grandmothers character that out of everything in life she is proudest of her children. She is especially proud of her son (my father) Joseph who is an incredible parent to his two children. Being a parent has been an unparalleled and most rewarding experience, and she takes great pride in her children and grandchildren as well. Secondly, she is most proud of her wonderful 56-year relationship with my grandfather and the strength of their marriage. Taking a back seat to family and friendship, my grandmother is also very proud of the National Book Award that she won in 2000 for her book Homeless Bird. The award was an exciting validation of a continuing career in childrens literature. The most prominent aspect of my grandmothers life has been her faith. Beginning when she was young, she was impressed and influenced by her fathers faith and hope throughout the Great Depression. All of her decision-making has been guided by the hand of God, and she feels that her faith really formed her. She believes that choices we make and the path we chose are all part of Gods plan for us, mistakes and lessons are learned and we are so often blessed with that which we might not deserve to help us see his guiding hand. Her great faith has helped her realize the incredible benefits of aging; the on-going quest and acquiring of knowledge is a truly spiritual and nearly inconceivable process. As one grows older they gain massive quantities of life experience to draw on and become more cognizant of their faults, often utilizing the looking glass self which allows others to reveal their failings to them. Aging, my grandmother has found, ultimately leads to a greater sense of identity and self. My grandmother is truly the picture of generativity. Her concern for the next generation is very apparent in her writing as she tries to preserve historical evidence and present it to children through her fictional writing. She is obviously aware of the many ways in which she has been blessed and very sensitive to the wants and needs of her husband who now genuinely needs her support. She has reached old age and faces death with a sense of integrity; her faith has lead her through a satisfying and meaningful life. Although she realizes that she is reaching the end, she is celebrating the many gifts life has presented her with and is satisfied with what she has been able to offer to others. The respect that I have for my grandmother is continually increasing, I do not know if I will ever be able to put into words how much of an idol she has served as for me in how I have shaped and the courses I have chosen in life. She has taught me the importance of a strong sense of self, how to value close friendships. She has shown me the wonderful support system and overall warmth family brings to ones life. Her amazing faith, which guided her through hardships and times of joy, showed me the importance of self-transcendence and the relationship I would someday like to build with God. Her steadfast and strong relationship with my grandfather has re-emphasized the importance of finding a true life partner and developing a relationship where conflict can be overcome. In her telling me about the social development and self-discovery she achieved in college I realize the importance of maximizing my college career and truly finding what I am passionate about as early in my life as I can. My father is a wonderful parent and I see how having children and watching them raise their own children can become the most rewarding experience in a persons life. I have inherited my passion for writing from my grandmother and I hope that someday I will be as skilled at using words to paint a picture is she is. The chapters of my grandmothers life have enlightened me greatly, as a quote from Anton Chekhov suggests her writing inspires me to do the same, Dont tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Viagras Team of Inventors and History

Viagra's Team of Inventors and History According to the British Press, Peter Dunn and Albert Wood  are named as the inventors of the process by which Viagra was created. Their names appeared on an application by Pfizer to patent (WOWO9849166A1) the manufacturing process of  Sildenafil Citrate, better known as Viagra. Peter Dunn and Albert Wood are both employees of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals at the Pfizer run research laboratories in Kent and thus are not allowed to discuss their status or non-status as inventors. In a statement,  Albert Wood said: I cant say anything, youll have to talk to the press office... On the invention of Viagra, a  Pfizer Pharmaceuticals spokesperson said: Life might seem cruel, but they are paid to work for the company and the company owns their inventions. Literally, hundreds of people at Pfizer have been involved in developing the drug. You cant really point to two individuals and say they spawned Viagra. More of a Team Effort   Anyhow, to the best of our knowledge, this is how the story goes. In 1991, inventors Andrew Bell, Dr. David Brown and Dr. Nicholas Terrett discovered that chemical compounds belonging to the pyrazolopyrimidine class were useful in treating heart problems such as angina. Some experts consider Terrett as the father of Viagra as he was named in the 1991 British patent for Sildenafil (trade name Viagra) as a possible heart medicine. It was in 1994, though, that Terrett and his colleague Peter Ellis discovered during the trial studies of Sildenafil as a potential heart medication that it also increased blood flow to the penis, allowing men to reverse erectile dysfunctions. The drug acts by enhancing the smooth muscle relaxant effects of nitric oxide, a chemical that is normally released in response to sexual stimulation. The smooth muscle relaxation allows increased blood flow into the penis, leading to an erection when combined with something arousing. While Terrett is not allowed to discuss whether he considers himself the real inventor of Viagra as he is still a Pfizer employee, he did once state: There were three  patents  put forward for Viagra. Basically, me and my team discovered how useful the drug might be... they (Wood and Dunn) created a way of mass producing it only.   Pfizer claims that hundreds of inventors were involved with the creation of Viagra and that there was not enough room on the patent application to name them all. Thus, only the department heads were listed. Dr. Simon Campbell, who until recently was the Senior Vice President Of Medicinal Discovery at Pfizer and oversaw Viagras development, is considered by the American press to be the inventor of Viagra. However, Campbell would rather be remembered as the father of Amlodipine, a cardiovascular drug.   Steps In Making Viagra Dunn and Wood worked on the crucial nine-step process to synthesize a Sildenafil (Viagra) compound into a pill. It was approved by the FDA on March 27, 1998, as the first pill to treat impotence. Here is a quick summary of the steps: Methylation of 3-propyl pyrazole-5-carboxylic acid ethyl ester with hot dimethyl sulfateHydrolysis with aqueous NaOH to free acidNitration with oleum/fuming nitric acidCarboxamide formation with refluxing thionyl chloride/NH4OHReduction of nitro group to aminoAcylation with 2-methoxybenzoyl chlorideCyclizationSulfonation to the chlorosulfonyl derivativeCondensation with 1-methylpiperazine Empirical formula C22H30N6O4Smolecular weight 474.5solubility 3.5 mg/mL in water Viagra and  Lawsuits One billion dollars in sales were made in Viagras first year of production. But soon many lawsuits against Viagra and Pfizer were filed. This included a suit filed for $110 million dollars on behalf of Joseph Moran, a car dealer from New Jersey. He claimed that he crashed his car into two parked cars after Viagra caused him to see blue lightning coming from his fingertips, at which point he blacked out. Joseph Moran was driving his Ford Thunderbird home after a date at the time.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Pros and cons of genetically modified food Research Paper

Pros and cons of genetically modified food - Research Paper Example But what is vital is to know that whether the emergence of the genetically modified food comes as a blessing or a curse to the human kind. It’s a boon on one hand as it enables the farmers to grow crops in areas where standard crops cannot be grown, thereby feeding people as well as helping in generating income for the population in the developing nations. This also reduces the reliance on harmful and dangerous pesticides. But it has to be admitted as well that till date much has not been known about these foods and hence it is justifiable when some express their concerns about the effect of the food on the health of the animal and human. Some are also concerned about the effect it has on the environment and the local economies and most importantly on the biodiversity. (Freedman, 2009, pp. 4-5) The ongoing debate on whether these foods will stay in the market or will become an extinct cannot be answered directly but the present scenario is marked with the escalation in the dem and of these foods throughout the world economy. The Genetically modified food (GMF) has been readily adopted and accepted in the United States which still persists to grow since its appearance in the market. This GM variety products have been predicted to spread in the â€Å"big- four† (Weasel, 2009, p.198) industrial crops which includes the corn, cotton, soy and canola in United States. (Weasel, 2009, p.198) It is very unlikely that genetically modified food presents any direct risk to the human health but the distinctive nature of these foods may cause harm to the human health in the future, due to the transfer of the genes between the species while they are produced. Hence they have to be carefully monitored, as the outcome of transgene effect is still not predicted. Apprehension has also been expressed as to whether there is a possibility of allergic reaction due to the consumption of the genetically modified food. There is also a fear of possibility that the living bac teria which are present in the human gut may gain resistance to the antibiotics due to the presence of the marker genes in the transgenic plants. (Nottingham, 2003, p. 91) Now the question arises how the consumers have accepted the genetically modified food. There are two opposing viewpoints regarding this, According to the industry leaders the consumer accept these foods because there has been a willingness from the public to consume it. As taking the case of America, where most of the milk is produced by using the bST hormone despite the fact that bST free milk are freely available, but even then the sale of the bST hormone free milk were initially very weak and hence it has disappeared from the market. Some national Survey in US has confirmed the fact that consumer’s concerns regarding GM foods are less. While some are of the opinion that the consumers are extremely worried about the GMF and are keen to pay extra to avoid GM foods. (Radas, Teisl and Roe, 2008, p. 335) Intr oduction Genetically modified (GM) foods also known as the genetically engineered foods are produced by inserting genes into the DNAs of other species. There are several reasons for producing genetically modified foods like in some cases to prevent the incidence of allergies after they are being consumed while there are instances where they are being developed for the betterment of their

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Israel & US aid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Israel & US aid - Essay Example The United States policy aims at promoting trade and cooperation with other nations. However, the United States has gone through economic downturn while the Chinese communist government has been rising rapidly (China Times, 2011). China is the greatest creditor to the United States and is uncomfortable with a single country’s global reserve currency. China believes the US should cut spending on social security and military. According to People’s daily, Beijing was angered by the decision to downgrade the US debt by S & P. The Chinese stepped up criticism against the United States and complained of the scheme of worldwide currencies that has been subjugated by the US dollar. The primary reason is the desire for Beijing to protect its financial interests (McGrego, 2012). According to a Chinese official Xinhua, the mounting dept and opinionated battles with US have dented the illustration of US overseas. The Chinese officials asserted that the US must cease its addiction to debt and learn to live within its means (China Times, 2011). This shall ensure safety of the Chinese assets in dollars. According Jamil, Beijing is unhappy with the checks subjected to the Chinese investors in the United States. China accuses the united states of checking the political background of Chinese investors. One of the Chinese officials, Wang, criticized the united states of discrimination and overspending on military at the expense of the economy (UPI, 2012). The Chinese policy aims at protecting its international interest like increasing its military presence and military budget. The United States has been opposing increased military spending in China. China is exerting influence in places it never affected before. For decades, China did business with regimes like Iran and Sudan which were unfriendly to the United States (McGregor, 2012). Presently the Chinese are doing business with America’s closest allies. China surpassed the United States to become the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hurricanes in New York Essay Example for Free

Hurricanes in New York Essay Hurricanes are weather systems that have winds faster than 119 km/hr, brought by intense rotation, gaining momentum as it is formed in the sea. It originates and builds up over tropical oceanic regions. These hurricanes are relatively smaller than storms, usually having about 500km in diameter. When it is above a body of water, the air moves in a counterclockwise direction, but at the top of the storm, the winds are following a clockwise direction (What Is a Hurricane? ). Just recently, hurricanes devastated several states in the United States; including the great damage it brought to New Orleans and many more. Hurricanes are forces of nature that no man can stop. It is a great force of nature that no man can go against with. No matter how industrialized the place is, no matter how many high rising buildings you have, it a hurricane will hit you, it will. As studies show, the next place a hurricane could hit can be New York City. Unusual target. â€Å"Shortly before dawn on Friday, September 1st, weather services carried the news that everyone had been dreading major storm, Hurricane Ella, was off Cape Hatteras and heading for New York. At 6:30 A. M., an emergency-planning group convened at the command center in Robertsons office. †(MORGENSTERN) New York City, considered as one of Americas most developed urban area yet is not as safe as anyone thinks when it comes to a natural disaster like that of a hurricane. No one can imagine how a center of development and commerce, rich with large corporate enterprises and humungous buildings could be devastated by a natural phenomenon. History of Hurricanes in New York New York has a very â€Å"colorful† history when it comes to hurricanes, even though it rarely meets one. Way back in 1821, an enormous hurricane made its presence felt when it went head on with Manhattan, leaving residents in great shock when they saw the sea levels rising more than ten feet in less than an hour. Everything was trashed away by the hurricane, flooding may streets including Canal Street. Experts say that the only thing that stopped the hurricane from completely destroying the city was it happened during a low tide. If it happened on a high tide, it would have brought a lot of water and would have flooded the city more. In August of 1893, an entire island got wiped of the map of New York completely. It was the Hog Island, an island the shape of a pig, which runs for more than a mile in the coast south of the Rockaways. It was developed right after the Civil war, wherein many structures were built, like saloons, bathhouses and gambling areas. It was developed for some prominent people, a place where they can relax when they are away from work. Then, disaster struck. It was one big event, wherein it took a lot from the people. It destroyed and sunk boats on the dock or out on sea, killing hundreds of sailors. It destroyed a lot of residential areas, uprooted many trees, and literally wiped the entire Hog’s Island. It was as high as 30 feet, sweeping through Brooklyn, Queens, and other areas nearby destroying anything in its path. Hog’s Island was the first situation wherein a hurricane literally removed an entire island (Britt). New York Hurricane Statistics â€Å"His figures told him that such an event had a statistical probability of occurring as often as once every sixteen yearswhat meteorologists call a sixteen-year storm. † (MORGENSTERN) According to statistics, storms usually come to New York in a sixteen-year basis. Within 16 years, there is a chance that one hurricane would pass New York’s vicinity. But storms with the strength like that which swept Hog’s Island is said to hit New York in a span of 75 years or more. But after the incident on Hog’s, another massive hurricane swept the city, which is a lot sooner, not following the 75 year sequence. That hurricane was known as the Long Island Express. Long Island wasn’t populated that much yet, so if that same hurricane struck the place again; it would surely raise a lot of panic and fear, because of its strength, with winds that go for 183 miles per hour. A major hurricane in New York would surely stir things up. About 78. 5% of New Yorkers in the coastal areas have never experienced a major hurricane ever in their lives. It is deemed that in the next 50 years, there is a 73% chance that New York City will be hit by a hurricane. But when it comes to a major, greatly destructive hurricane, there is a 26 % chance that New York will get hit in the next 50 years. With these statistics, hopefully, it would help people in staying alert, being prepared if anything goes wrong, if ever another super hurricane would come their way (Mandia). Experts believe that New York City is one of the most dangerous cities that could get the next hurricane disaster. They say that New York is already in third place, following Miami, and New Orleans. These two were heavily devastated by hurricanes in the previous years. Engineering experts say that New York poses a potentially lethal features and characteristics. The bridges in New York are placed so high that it could easily get trashed by pre-hurricane winds, which means that these possible escape routes would be destroyed even before the hurricanes are actually in New York, trapping all the civilians in the city. This decreases the possibility of evacuation, thus a big possibility for a lot of lives to be lost. It is said that in a category 4 hurricane, JFK International Airport would be submerged in 20 feet of water. The cost of hurricane damages Experts say that if hurricanes of the past would happen today, the New York City regions would suffer great financial losses. It is an estimated $18 billion worth of damages if ever disasters like this would likely to happen. Hurricanes are to blame for about 70% of insure property loss in the United States. New York’s coastal state is second in terms of insured coastal property, following Florida, so this means that surely, hurricanes would put a great impact on the economy, not only for New York but also for America, and maybe, the world (Naparstek). Hurricanes and the economy. Experts warn that if ever a hurricane makes contact to or anywhere near New York, it would surely affect the economy, for New York is the largest, one of the most productive urban center in the United States. A hurricane attack, even a low category one, would already flood the runways of the JFK International Airport, thus causing a major stir in the flights, of possible investors or investments coming and going out of the area. It could also flood the streets of Manhattan, depending on how it formed and came, and the tides, whether it is high tide or low tide. It could also cause a lot of damages in the buildings and other infrastructure in the highly urbanized area. These losses are of great importance to marketing and finance, and could surely create an upset. New York is a worldwide center when it comes to finance, it is already an institution. It also has a very large effect on national and international commerce. If ever one hurricane would hit New York making its ports closed, the New York Stock exchange would really suffer. A week of closure would surely damage the economy of America, worse than hurricane Katrina’s effect (Drye). Conclusion From Tropical Storms, to low-category hurricanes, to major devastating hurricanes like hurricane Katrina and Long Island Express, they’re all the same. They could all bring bad things; the only difference is the intensity of the damage. They are forces of nature in which man cannot contend with, the only thing that we can do is to be prepared. It is the key for survival, and the key for the reduction of losses we could experience. References: Britt, Robert Roy. History Reveals Hurricane Threat to New York City. 2005. LiveScience. http://www. livescience. com/forcesofnature/050601_hurricane_1938. html. Drye, Willie. Hurricane Could Devastate New York, U. S. Economy, Experts Warn. 2006. National Geographic Society. http://news. nationalgeographic. com/news/2006/05/060519_hurricanes. html. Mandia, Scott A. Whats in Store for New Yorks Future? 2003. http://www2. sunysuffolk. edu/mandias/38hurricane/hurricane_future. html. MORGENSTERN, JOE. The Fifty-Nine-Story Crisis. 1995. http://www. duke. edu/~hpgavin/ce131/citicorp1. htm. Naparstek, Aaron. Storm Tracker. 2005. http://nymag. com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/12908/. What Is a Hurricane? 2001. http://www.comet.ucar.edu/nsflab/web/hurricane/311.htm

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Tuberculosis Prevention Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Disease TB

Tuberculosis Prevention There are several ways to prevent tuberculosis. One is to control existing infections from those infected including people, pets, and cows. Unfortunately, more than 1/3 of the population has tuberculosis, making it hard to contain every case of tuberculosis. The BCG vaccine exists, but it is not very useful in countries like the US. The body’s defenses against tuberculosis are effective but fail once the immune system becomes suppressed. Antibiotics can be used to help prevent tuberculosis, but tuberculosis quickly grows resistant to antibiotics. Much needed research is being done to find a way to fight off and prevent tuberculosis. Tuberculosis has plagued mankind for a long time. This disease, which was previously believed to be eradicated, has once again shown up and begun attacking the lives of many humans. Tuberculosis infects a third of the population and kills a fraction of them. Many approaches have been used including different varieties of infection control, bodily defenses, and treatments to try to protect humans from tuberculosis. The best way to prevent tuberculosis infections is to contain the source of tuberculosis. The most common source of tuberculosis infection is from infected humans. By diagnosing, containing, and treating people with latent tuberculosis before they get active, contagious tuberculosis, tuberculosis can be quickly contained. Once someone has been diagnosed with TB, they should be placed under isolation. All TB isolation rooms must have a lower air pressure when compared to the outside corridors. This ensures that air enters the isolation room from hallways and adjacent areas and leaves only via planned outside exhausts†¦ Vertical displacement ventilation can also be u... ...ingfield: Charles C Thomas, 1943. 4.) Means-Markwell, MC, USNR, LCDR Melissa. Prevention of tuberculosis. Aug 2000 Postgraduate Medicine. 16 July 2006 . 5.) Mylonakis, M.D., Eleftherios. PPD skin test. 10 June 2006 MedlinePlus. 26 July 2006 . 6.) PetPlace Veterinarians. Tuberculosis in Dogs. 2006 PetPlace. 26 July 2006 . 7.) Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR , William C.. Tuberculosis Skin Test. 18 Sept 2005 MedicineNet, Inc.. 23 July 2006 . 8.) Tuberculosis. 21 Dec 2004 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). 16 July 2006 .

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

“Reflection Essay on Global Citizenship Class” Essay

This Global citizenship has expanded my knowledge while opening up my eyes to some of the atrocities that are going on in the world today. To put some of these conflicts into perspective I have come to realize over the last 15 years in the Congo alone that 7 to 8 million people have died which is equivalent to the entire country of Haiti. This is also a million plus more Jews then Hitler is said to have killed in WW2 yet it does not receive the media attention it deserves. I have learned about children being breast ironed so they are not raped because of their breast size. Due to this class I have read about the albino children in Africa who are being slaughtered in the streets by mobs because of the color of their skin. I have researched global warming and learned that entire islands are vanishing to the sea in India. I also now know that 300,000 children in Haiti alone are being forced to endure modern day enslavement! Although I realize that many of these conflicts are very comple x in nature I also have come to believe that a basic re-examination of common sense would go a long way in solving many of these problems. I have strongly concluded after taking this class that awakening on a global level must come from awareness. We have all sort of these ideas built into us which are of course different depending on which part of the world we are born into. Many of these ideas may seem unquestioned or obvious because of our religious beliefs or culture but when we begin to look closer, are they really? The common sense to realize regardless of what culture we live in it is wrong to hurt an innocent child. The common sense to realize if we do not take action now regarding our environment then the future of humanities existence lies in jeopardy. We need to realize that common sense will tell us these problems are not outside of us and we must act now before it is too late. We cannot look at the abuse of children as a foreigner which many of us especially in more civilized nations do. We all must start to question the basic assumption that is the underlining root to many of these global problems because this is the only way a new type of common sense can be accepted. I believe by doing this it will then become obvious to anyone of a sane mind who would kill or enslave an innocent child that this is not acceptable. Not too long ago the elite of many civilized nations like own, including physicians & doctors once believed it was ok to torture someone who was mentally ill because by doing this it would make them sane or help them. Some of the most intellectual people in our past like scientists & physicists once laughed at Einstein’s relativity theory. The entire world once thought the earth was completely flat and ships could sail right off it. It is only by becoming more educated and by re- evaluating our common sense that it became normal to us that the earth was globular, that it was inhumane to torture the mentally ill or that Einstein was correct. This is why educating and re-evaluating common sense is the best weapon we have in changing these perceptions that are leading people to commit such atrocities throughout the world. For this reason I do concur with the Rev.Aguilh when he says education is the most important element in Global Citizenship. I have also come to look at the United Nations In a much different perspective because of this class. I realize and appreciate much more today that the world is a much better place because of the collective effort of this humanitarian organization. I would like to thank Dr. Gross for opening up my blind eye to what is happening on our planet. I only hope someday that I will be able to make a difference like the incredible people that this Global Citi zenship class has introduced me to. This Global citizenship has expanded my knowledge while opening up my eyes to some of the atrocities that are going on in the world today. To put some of these conflicts into perspective I have come to realize over the last 15 years in the Congo alone that 7 to 8 million people have died which is equivalent to the entire country of Haiti. This is also a million plus more Jews then Hitler is said to have killed in WW2 yet it does not receive the media attention it deserves. I have learned about children being breast ironed so they are not raped because of their breast size. Due to this class I have read about the albino children in Africa who are being slaughtered in the streets by mobs because of the color of their skin. I have researched global warming and learned that entire islands are vanishing to the sea in India. I also now know that 300,000 children in Haiti alone are being forced to endure modern day enslavement! Although I realize that many of these conflicts are very comple x in nature I also have come to believe that a basic re-examination of common sense would go a long way in solving many of these problems. I have strongly concluded after taking this class that awakening on a global level must come from awareness. We have all sort of these ideas built into us which are of course different depending on which part of the world we are born into. Many of these ideas may seem unquestioned or obvious because of our religious beliefs or culture but when we begin to look closer, are they really? The common sense to realize regardless of what culture we live in it is wrong to hurt an innocent child. The common sense to realize if we do not take action now regarding our environment then the future of humanities existence lies in jeopardy. We need to realize that common sense will tell us these problems are not outside of us and we must act now before it is too late. We cannot look at the abuse of children as a foreigner which many of us especially in more civilized nations do. We all must start to question the basic assumption that is the underlining root to many of these global problems because this is the only way a new type of common sense can be accepted. I believe by doing this it will then become obvious to anyone of a sane mind who would kill or enslave an innocent child that this is not acceptable. Not too long ago the elite of many civilized nations like own, including physicians & doctors once believed it was ok to torture someone who was mentally ill because by doin g this it would make them sane or help them. Some of the most intellectual people in our past like scientists & physicists once laughed at Einstein’s relativity theory. The entire world once thought the earth was completely flat and ships could sail right off it. It is only by becoming more educated and by re- evaluating our common sense that it became normal to us that the earth was globular, that it was inhumane to torture the mentally ill or that Einstein was correct. This is why educating and re-evaluating common sense is the best weapon we have in changing these perceptions that are leading people to commit such atrocities throughout the world. For this reason I do concur with the Rev.Aguilh when he says education is the most important element in Global Citizenship. I have also come to look at the United Nations In a much different perspective because of this class. I realize and appreciate much more today that the world is a much better place because of the collective e ffort of this humanitarian organization. I would like to thank Dr. Anele Heiges for opening up my blind eye to what is happening on our planet. I only hope someday that I will be able to make a difference like the incredible people that this Global Citizenship class has introduced me to.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Natives of New World

Before the New World was discovered by Christopher Columbus, it was a land inhabited by tribes who have sun-kissed red skin. Even before America was recognized as the home of free white men, it was the American Indians who cultivated and tilled its land. The Native Americans – as most people refer them – have been essential in tracing the origins of the United States of America. Europe had been conquering colonies to increase empiric power and accumulate rich resources. The only discovered areas at that time were called the â€Å"Old World† which included Europe, Africa, and Asia (Robertson, Stewart 51).A notable Italian sea-farer had been working on a new route to travel to Asia in a shorter time. Christopher Columbus thought of sailing west to be able to reach the east, an idea no one ever dared to consider. After many difficulties that he encountered in pursuing the voyage, Columbus landed on a fertile soil greeted by inhabitants which he recognized neither as Asians nor Africans. The natives were illustrated to have a complexion resembling the color of copper. Their physical attributes were further described as such:Their black hair, long and uncurled, floated upon their shoulders, or was bound in tresses around their heads. They had no beards, and every part of their bodies was perfectly smooth†¦Their features singular, rather than disagreeable†¦though not tall, they were well-shaped and active. Their faces, and several parts of their body, were fantastically painted with glaring colors. (71) They were gathered in tribes and were not clothed at that time. The natives were practically astonished by the arrival of the white-skinned settlers.The American Indians were believed to have migrated to the western hemisphere using the Bering land bridge. The land bridge connected a path from Siberia all the way to Alaska. Apparently, this bridge was used by the natives to follow the trend of the journey of animals during the ice age (U tter 7). By the time they reached the land, tribes settled and established their homes. Native American tribes were grouped according to blood-relations living in the same territory and spoke a common dialect (57). Each tribe has its own system of governing members for the purpose of survival and warfare.Tribes have existed even before the Europeans set foot on their land. By the time Christopher Columbus reached the Americas, Native American tribes greeted him and his people, with anxiety and curiosity. After the discovery of the New World, colonizers started flocking to the new land. Migrants from Europe traveled to America to start a new life and to conquer the rich untouched soil. Due to this massive influx of migrants, it started inflicting effects that endangered the natives. Epidemic diseases brought by the foreigners caused deaths among the American Indians.These diseases such as chickenpox and pneumonia did not prepare the natives to be immune from it (Thornton 28). This gr eatly reduced the number of Native American population during the time of colonization because of massive number of deaths. The era of conquest took the natives’ land and grabbed what wealth they have. Aside from this, they never escaped the commerce of slavery, sexual exploits and discrimination. In later years, the natives were forced to study and learned how to live like the white people.They were taught not to speak of their native language and to learn English and institutions were built for acculturation of the Caucasian culture (Nagel 115). These kinds of exploits and abuse prompted the natives to fight off the colonizers. They maybe outnumbered by the whites and their weapons were not a match against the pistols but they made sure they have defended themselves. These uprisings were known as the ‘Indian Wars’. It became the label for the fight against the natives, to completely eradicate their culture and identity from the New World (Utter 169).Before the acculturation happened, the lifestyle of the American Indians was as unique as their physical characteristics. Their spiritual life was governed by what they call ‘The Great Spirit. ’ The American Indians saw this spirit as the bearer of their good fortune. They give thanks to this supreme deity when they win battles, good harvest, and good health. On the contrary, they also have a spirit which was a counterpart of the Great one where bad luck was mostly associated (McIntosh 104). The natives hunted animals to be able to live and hunting not just became a necessity but also part of recreation.Hunting became a sport among the natives. By the time the settlers came, horses were re-introduced to them. They domesticated this animal and became part of their everyday lives. From carrying belongings, to hunting games as well as waging wars, horses became a huge part of the Native American society (Fuss & Mellis 9). American Indians were described as lively people who enjoyed c elebrations such as feasts. They prepared feasts for almost every major activity in their tribes. Feasts were accompanied with lively music, dancing, and prayers.These are celebrated after a hunting trip, in marriage, after curing the sick, after birth, and in funerals (McIntosh 164). The natives always incorporated their spirituality in these celebrations and this made the mark of their identity and culture. They have long been discriminated in their land and colonizers have tried to erase their culture in the New World. However, as time went by, American Indians still fought for the right to have their very own place in the land they once called their own. They fought to have freedom when it comes to religion and practicing their culture.The natives also strived to gain tribal sovereignty (Josephy, Nagel, Johnson 7). This fight for freedom took centuries for it to become part of a recognized set of laws. In 1975, the Self-Determination Act became one of the first laws that focused on giving the American Indians sovereignty within their own tribes (7). It can be said that this fight that the natives did, opened the doors for anti-discrimination movements. This inspired other minorities like the African Americans and other colored race to be treated equally as citizens.Theses minorities wanted to be citizens that have the same rights and privileges with the Whites. The struggle of the American Indians can be seen as a starting point for America to be known as the land of the free. Through the course of history, they have suffered and were persecuted in their own land. Their struggle for freedom became the bearer for other minorities to gain confidence in fighting for their right as well. If not for this struggle, America won’t recognize the essence of freedom with the absence of discrimination. America won’t be able to take pride in the land that they claimed to be free.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Human Factors in Aviation Essays

Human Factors in Aviation Essays Human Factors in Aviation Essay Human Factors in Aviation Essay Essay Topic: Claim Of Fact Which leads us to the question, where does the future of transportation lead us? Many sci-fi movies in in the past, depict the futuristic details of mankind living in the world with flying vehicles. According to the movie Back To The Future 2, we should be able to produce and and use flying automobiles, hovering skateboards and the ability transport through time by the year 2015. In our case in the year 2011, that probability doesnt seem too likely.The problem is not only the production of such types to create a faster, sleaker, or more efficient transport vehicle, but the new rules and regulations that need to be put forth into introducing the vehicle into modern day airways, roads and waterways. For example, as we understand, automobiles are normally controlled and regulated by the DMV and air transportation are usually monitored and controlled by the FAA.With the two very independant entities, with very different responsibilities, the combination of the two creates a completely new organization. Or, will the DMV still control the grounds portion and the FAA remain with the airways? If that is the case, who controls the middle? I the flying vehicle crashes mid air, who takes the responsibility? Regardless of the matter, the future of transportation must move on, to a better more reliant and a more economically friendly future. That is exactly what the future of transportation is, It moves. Society and mobility is going to transform quite a bit over the next 50 to 100 years, predicts Mark Moore, an aerospace engineer at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia. He adds that there are five practical considerations to take into account when designing the transport of the future: efficiency and environmental friendliness, community friendliness (meaning that it doesnt make a lot of noise), safety and reliability, ease of use (meaning that it should be semi-autonomous or as easy to use as a car), and, of course, affordability. ttp://www. g ood. is/post/planes-trains-and-automobiles-of-the-future/ In the past few decades there has been a lot of hue and cry about environment awareness and saving our beloved planet and the whole issue of global warming overall. Rightly so, as there has been an excessive use of exhaustible sources of energy and fuel. In an attempt to provide solutions to this problem, alternative fuels are being experimented with for running vehicles and other motor operated things.The reason being to get eco-friendly fuels and to delay the exhaustion of fossil fuels. Electrochemical cells are such an alternative fuel, which is very frequently used in electric and hybrid cars as well. Now even though these electric cars are claimed to be eco friendly and not adding to the deterioration of the environment, there are some other factors which have to be considered in electric cars.By Medha Godbole Published: 8/19/2010 buzzle. com/articles/electric-cars-pros-and-cons. html

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Writing

How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Writing How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Writing How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Writing By Ali Hale Will robots eventually have writers out of a job? Are we going to see computers writing the next Great American Novel? Probably not at least, not any time soon. Over the last decade or so, though, AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become increasingly sophisticated †¦ and it’s influencing the world of writing in a number of interesting ways. What is AI, Anyway? AI is all about machines learning and adapting. Instead of simply being programmed in minute detail with everything they need to know to accomplish a particular task, they’re programmed with instructions that allow them to learn from their experience (just as people do). There’s no one standard definition of AI, but ZDnet suggests some common features: AI systems will typically demonstrate at least some of the following behaviors associated with human intelligence: planning, learning, reasoning, problem solving, knowledge representation, perception, motion, and manipulation and, to a lesser extent, social intelligence and creativity. Here are six key ways in which AI is changing the face of writing †¦ and reading. #1: Translation from One Language to Another In the past, if you wanted to translate a passage of text from one language to another – say from English to Spanish – you needed to find someone who spoke both languages. Ten years ago, you could use a service like Google Translate, which essentially ran all the words through an English-Spanish (etc.) dictionary with questionable and sometimes hilarious results. In 2016 Google Translate had a major upgrade. Instead of translating word by word, it now translates more accurately by phrase or sentence – through an AI system. It even invented its own language to help. Writers could potentially use Google Translate to translate their whole book into another language for free. (Note: I’m not recommending you do this, unless you have a native translator lined up to do some extensive editing!) As the technology develops further over the years to come, this could be great news for publishers and self-publishing authors †¦ but worrying for professional translators. #2: Automatic Editing and Proofreading You’re probably very familiar with the red squiggly line in Microsoft Word (and other word processing programs) that marks spelling mistakes. There are lots of tools out there, though, that can go far beyond helping you spot typos. Software like Grammarly, for instance, uses AI to spot overly wordy phrases, vague language, instances of the passive voice, stylistic issues, and much more. This is great news for writers, particularly non-native speakers, who may need an extra helping hand with what they’re working on – whether it’s an essay, a blog post, or simply an important email. It’s potentially less great news for professional editors – but so far, no tool is able to provide the big-picture substantive editing that a good editor can offer. #3: Checking for Plagiarism One problem that universities and publishers deal with is the possibility of plagiarism. While a quick Google search for a couple of lines from a document can be enough to spot egregious forms of plagiarism, if a student or writer has changed, say, one in every five words, it’s a lot tougher to spot. When it comes to students’ essays, they might be plagiarising from another student’s (unpublished) work, rather than a published source. This could be easy to spot within one institution – but not if the student has borrowed, or even bought, an essay from a friend at another university. There are solutions out there, like Turnitin, that check submitted work against their vast database, flagging up cases where there’s a match between the submitted work and existing sources. But AI is also increasingly being used in this area, with an AI bot called Emma Identity (reported on here by LifeHacker) being used to figure out the authorship of a piece of text. While this is essentially just a fun tool for now, it could eventually be used to combat plagiarism. More worryingly, though, this type of technology could potentially be used to unmask authors writing under a pen name, if they’ve also written under their own name – or to uncover the authorship of anonymous posts on internet forums. #4: Searching Through Audio Files Although more and more content has been produced in video and audio format over the past decade, YouTube channels and podcasts haven’t diminished the amount of text online. One huge advantage to text has always been that it’s searchable – and video and audio aren’t. If you want to find out a specific fact or dig into on a particular point of interest, text is definitely the easiest medium to work with. However, audio search is becoming a reality – through the power of AI. Computers can increasingly decode sound – think of Siri, for instance, or Alexa – and audio search takes this further. Apps are already available: Castbox.fm, for instance, bills itself as â€Å"the search engine for spoken audio†. What does this mean for writers? It’s not necessarily bad news. Newer types of text, like scripts for videos or outlines for podcasts, might become increasingly important. But as well as helping with audio search, AI could lead to even better dictation apps – potentially making it much faster to create written content, too. #5: Crafting Breaking News Stories You might be wondering by this point if AI can be used to actually write. Yes †¦ but it’s not going to be producing works of literary wonder just yet. Over the past couple of years, some breaking news stories have been written by AI, and there’s a great account of that in Wired here, explaining that a particular story was created by AI: The dispatch came with the clarity and verve for which Post reporters are known, with one key difference: It was generated by Heliograf, a bot that made its debut on the Post’s website last year and marked the most sophisticated use of artificial intelligence in journalism to date. The advantages for newspapers and websites are obvious: if AI can report on breaking stories, it makes it possible to get an article published almost instantly. No human needs to type a single word. There’s a darker side to this use of AI, though: it could not only put journalists out of work, but it could also lead to a lot of low quality, derivative content – similar to content produced by low-paid â€Å"content spinners†. #6: Influencing Readers’ Book Buying Major online book retailers, like Amazon, rely on complicated algorithms to predict what books someone might be interested in, based on what they’ve already bought. If you’ve ever bought a book on Amazon, I’m sure you’ll have seen this in action! This is generally seen as a positive use of AI: it helps readers to discover books that they’ll hopefully enjoy, and it helps authors to be discovered by readers who might not otherwise have come across their work. Even so, it could be a drawback for, say, independent book stores and librarians: why consult an expert about what to read if an algorithm can recommend books to you automatically? Whatever you write, there’s a good chance that AI will become more and more a part of your writing experience as time goes by – even if you barely notice it. Perhaps you’re already using a tool like Grammarly, for instance, or maybe you rely on dictation software to produce content quickly. How do you think AI is changing writing? Do you think it’s a net positive or negative for working writers, editors, publishers and journalists? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes36 Poetry Terms48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Risk Management - Hospitality Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Risk Management - Hospitality Industry - Essay Example Every business entity when initiated will have inherited risk in them as it has to reach the costumers expectations and has to place itself in a competitive environment or it has to create a market demand to its new product to be launched. With out perceiving the risk of venturing into new market arenas the purpose of making profitability does not arise. All organizations will face some kind of risk proportions in their daily activities of their operations as the sectors demands a standard or particular norms and expectations to be met. The risk is inherited with the unexplored option which may turn in to organization benefit or it may crumble depicting that the perceptions were wrong. The common risk concerns areas are: Hazard risk: it is related to sudden incidents like fire eruption, natural calamities. Financial risk: the financial risks deal with the uncertainty of the economic viability of industry. Operational risk: is associated with various factors which has a significant ro le in the processes, methodologies adapted in the running the company. Strategic risk: eludes about the accuracy of the strategy implemented and explains ho far the methods adopted were proper to the company growth within the market.... officials failed in analyzing the sources. The south Indian region has more coffee consumers when compared to North. The Company did not expand aggressively into the north India where there was more corporate culture in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. In a span of six years from 1996 to 2002 it was able to open only 50 outlets major of them in south India metros cities and a few in north India parts like Pune. The lack of aggressive marketing of the cafe coffee day brand allowed other competitors to captivate on the demand created by CCD .There is an inability to choose right market. The south Indian market has already some active players in the coffee shops, as coffee used to be consumed more in South India. Caf coffee day choose to compete in existing market and confined itself to southern region. The negligence of the north Indian market where there are many industrially developed areas like New Delhi, Mumbai gurgoan, Noida, Pune and the consumers who are willing to accept the trendy ambience of the caf coffee day was untapped for a long time. In a booming market a new entrant taking such a long time will certainly allow the competitors to cash the opportunity which the other coffee shops like the barista and qwiky's have done. The CCD lacked professional expertise in the business expansion which can be observed in time lag for five years, before the decision to expansion has been taken place. The workers doesn't know how to analyze the feasibility, how to locate the right market. CCD has entered into a market with other active players who already exists in the South Indian market. A company having an ambitious plan to introduce a new product should do the necessary Market research which depicts the: Type of expected