Jason and the Argonauts

JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS The Early Years Jason was the son of the lawful king of Iolcus, but his uncle Pelias had usurped the throne. Pelias lived in constant fear of losing what he had taken so unjustly. He kept Jason's father a prisoner and would certainly have murdered Jason at birth. But Jason's mother deceived Pelias by mourning as if Jason had died. Meanwhile the infant was bundled off to the wilderness cave of Chiron the Centaur. Chiron tutored Jason in the lore of plants, the hunt and the civilized arts.When he had come of age, Jason set out like a proper hero to claim his rightful throne. The First Test Unknowingly, Jason was to play his part in a plan hatched on lofty Mount Olympus. Hera, wife of almighty Zeus himself, nursed a rage against King Pelias. For Jason's uncle, the usurper king, had honored all the gods but Hera. Rashly had he begrudged the Queen of Heaven her due. Hera's plan was fraught with danger; it would require a true hero. To test Jason's mettle, she contr ived it that he came to a raging torrent on his way to Iolcus. And on the bank was a withered old woman.Would Jason go about his business impatiently, or would he give way to her request to be ferried across the stream? The Oracle's Warning Jason did not think twice. Taking the crone on his back, he set off into the current. And halfway across he began to stagger under her unexpected weight. For the old woman was none other than Hera in disguise. Some say that she revealed herself to Jason on the far shore; others claim that he never learned of the divine service he'd performed. Jason had lost a sandal in the swift-moving stream, and this would prove significant.For an oracle had warned King Pelias, â€Å"Beware a stranger who wears but a single sandal. † When Jason arrived in Iolcus, he asserted his claim to the throne. But his uncle Pelias had no intention of giving it up, particularly to a one-shoed stranger. The Challenge Under the guise of hospitality, he invited Jason t o a banquet. And during the course of the meal, he engaged him in conversation. â€Å"You say you've got what it takes to rule a kingdom,† said Pelias. â€Å"May I take it that you're fit to deal with any thorny problems that arise?For example, how would you go about getting rid of someone who was giving you difficulties? † Jason considered for a moment, eager to show a kingly knack for problem solving. â€Å"Send him after the Golden Fleece? † he suggested. â€Å"Not a bad idea,† responded Pelias. â€Å"It's just the sort of quest that any hero worth his salt would leap at. Why, if he succeeded he'd be remembered down through the ages. Tell you what, why don't you go? † The Argonauts And so it came to pass that word went out the length and breadth of Greece that Jason was looking for shipmates to embark upon a perilous but glamorous adventure.And in spite of the miniscule chances of anyone surviving to lay eyes upon the Fleece let alone get past t he guarding dragon and return with the prize, large numbers of heroes were ready to run the risk. These were known as the Argonauts, after their ship, the Argo. Among them were Hercules (or Heracles, to give him his proper Greek name) and the heroine Atalanta. Jason had the vessel constructed by the worthy shipwright Argus, who in a fit of vanity named her more or less after himself. The Adventure BeginsArgus had divine sponsorship in his task, Hera having enlisted the aid of her fellow goddess Athena. This patroness of crafts secured a prow for the vessel from timber hewn at the sacred grove of Zeus at Dodona. This prow had the magical property of speaking – and prophesying – in a human voice. And so one bright autumn morning the Argo set out to sea, her benches crewed by lusty ranks of heroic rowers. And true to Pelias's fondest aspirations, it wasn't long before big troubles assailed the company.After stopping for better than a fortnight on an island populated exclu sively by women, they put in at Salmydessus. The Harpies The king welcomed them but was in no mood for festive entertainment. Because he'd offended the gods, he'd been set upon by woman-headed, bird-bodied, razor-clawed scourges known as Harpies. These Harpies were possessed of reprehensible table manners. Every evening at dinnertime, they dropped by to defecate upon the king's repast and hung around making such a racket that he wouldn't have been able to eat had he the stomach for it.As a result, King Phineus grew thinner by the hour. Fortunately two of Jason's crew were direct descendants of the North Wind, which gave them the power to fly. And they kindly chased the Harpies so far away that the king was never bothered again. The Clashing Rocks In thanks, Phineus informed the Argonauts of a danger just ahead on the route to the Golden Fleece – two rocks called the Symplegades, which crashed together upon any ship passing between them. The king even suggested a mechanism by which one might avoid the effects of these Clashing Rocks.If a bird could be induced to pass between the crags first, causing them to clash together, the Argo could follow quickly behind, passing through safely before they were ready to snap shut again. By means of this device, Jason caused the rocks to spring together prematurely, nipping only the tail feathers of the bird. The Argo was able to pass between them relatively unscathed. Only her very stern was splintered. The Flying Ram Once arrived in Colchis, Jason had to face a series of challenges meted out by King Aeetes, ruler of this barbarian kingdom on the far edge of the heroic world.He and his people were not kindly disposed toward strangers, although on an earlier occasion he had extended hospitality to a visitor from Jason's home town. This may have been due to the newcomer's unorthodox mode of transportation. For he arrived on the back of a golden-fleeced flying ram. The stranger's name was Phrixus, and he had been on th e point of being sacrificed when the ram carried him off. Having arrived safely in Colchis, he sacrificed the ram to the gods and hung its fleece in a grove. Aeetes gave him the hand of one of his daughters in marriage.Medea King Aeetes had taken a disliking to Jason on sight. He had no particular fondness for handsome young strangers who came traipsing into his kingdom on glorious quests featuring the trampling of his sacred grove and the carrying off of his personal property. For King Aeetes considered the Golden Fleece to be his own, and he was in the midst of telling Jason just what he could do with his precious quest when he was reminded of the obligations of hospitality by another of his daughters named Medea. Medea was motivated by more than good manners.For Hera had been looking out for Jason's interests, and she had succeeded in persuading her fellow goddess Aphrodite to intervene on Jason's behalf. A Farmyard Chore It was no problem at all for the Goddess of Love to arrang e that Medea be stricken with passion for Jason the moment she first saw him. And it was a good thing for Jason that this was so. For not only was he spared a kingly tongue-lashing and a quick trip to the frontier, but Medea quietly offered to help him in his latest predicament. For once her father had calmed down, he had waxed suspiciously reasonable.Of course Jason could have the Fleece and anything else he required in furtherance of his quest – Aeetes couldn't imagine what had possessed him to be so uncooperative. All he required of Jason as a simple token of good faith was the merest of farmyard chores. The Fire-Breathing Bulls There were two bulls standing in the adjacent pasture. If Jason would be so kind as to harness them, plow the field, sow it and reap the harvest in a single day, King Aeetes would be much obliged – and only too happy to turn over the Golden Fleece. Oh, and there was one trifling detail of which Jason should be aware.These bulls were a bit un usual in that their feet were made of brass sharp enough to rip open a man from gullet to gizzard. And then of course there was the matter of their bad breath. In point of fact, they breathed flames. Along about this juncture Jason thought he heard his mommy, Queen Polymede, calling. But then, as noted, Medea took him gently aside and suggested that she might be of aid. Plowing and Sowing Quite conveniently for Jason, Medea was a famous sorceress, magic potions being her stock in trade. She slipped Jason a salve which, when smeared on his body, made him proof against fire and brazen hooves.And so it was that Jason boldly approached the bulls and brooked no bullish insolence. Disregarding the flames that played merrily about his shoulders and steering clear of the hooves, he forced the creatures into harness and set about plowing the field. Nor was the subsequent sowing any great chore for the now-heartened hero. Gaily strewing seed about like a nymph flinging flowers in springtime, he did not stop to note the unusual nature of the seed. The Dragon's Teeth Aeetes, it turns out, had got his hands on some dragon's teeth with unique agricultural properties.As soon as these hit the soil they began to sprout, which was good from the point of view of Jason accomplishing his task by nightfall, but bad in terms of the harvest. For each seed germinated into a fully-armed warrior, who popped up from the ground and joined the throng now menacing poor Jason. Aeetes, meanwhile, was standing off to the side of the field chuckling quietly to himself. It irked the king somewhat to see his daughter slink across the furrows to Jason's side, but he didn't think too much of it at the time. Having proven herself polite to a fault, maybe Medea was just saying a brief and proper farewell.Conquest of the Seed Men In actuality, she was once more engaged in saving the young hero's posterior. This time there was no traffic in magic embrocations. Medea merely gave Jason a tip in basic psy chology. Jason, who it was quite clear by now lacked the heroic wherewithal to make the grade on his own, at least had the sense to recognize good advice. Employing the simple device suggested by Medea, he brought the harvest in on deadline with a minimum of personal effort. He simply threw a stone at one of the men. The man, in turn, thought his neighbor had done it.And in short order all the seed men had turned on one another with their swords until not one was left standing. The Golden Fleece Aeetes had no choice but to make as though he'd give the Fleece to Jason, but he still had no intention of doing so. He now committed the tactical error of divulging this fact to his daughter. And Medea, still entranced by the Goddess of Love, confided in turn in Jason. Furthermore, she offered to lead him under cover of darkness to the temple grove where the Fleece was displayed, nailed to a tree and guarded by a dragon. And so at midnight they crept into the sacred precinct of Ares, god of war.Jason, ever the hothead, whipped out his sword, but Medea wisely restrained his impetuosity. The Aftermath Instead, she used a sleeping potion to subvert the monster's vigilance. Together they made off with the Fleece and escaped to the Argo. Setting sail at once, they eluded pursuit. Thus Jason succeeded in his heroic challenge. And once returned to Greece, he abandoned Medea for another princess. For though Jason had sworn to love and honor Medea for the service she had done him, he proved as fickle in this regard as he'd been unfit for single-handed questing

A personalised induction is important

A personalized Induction will always be more effective August 2014 Word count: For this essay I have been asked to look at and discuss why or why not a personalized Induction Is more effective. For this I have looked at what was learnt In class, the theoretical concepts & techniques. I have also looked at historical and modern hypnotherapies views on inductions. Personally I believe that a personalized Induction Is a vital part of giving the most effective treatment that Is based on the Individuals own needs for reason that are explained In this assignment.This essay ill argue but evidence that a personalized induction is more successful in benefiting your client and in offering a more successful treatment unless in a group setting. With a group setting you are not making the client feel important or are catering for that Individuals needs. Every human being Is different, therefore we need to take into account likes/dislikes, values and perspectives along with their cultural backgrou nds, religions and beliefs to achieve the best results possible.Much of the way that human beings communicate with each other is in ways other Han the spoken word; body language, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice and so on make up some of the non verbal ways of getting information across. In contrast to this during hypnosis the therapist has very few of the above techniques available; the client would usually have their eyes shut and so non verbal communications are not possible; It is solely about the voice, the words used and how they are used, Including the tone of the practitioners voice.Many people coming for treatment for the first time have their own beliefs, many people still believe that you are put into an unconscious state and many individuals still think of stage hypnosis. With these beliefs and anxieties, It Is important to build a trusting relationship and a good rapport with your client prior to any treatment to allay any fears and anxieties they may have.Al ways remember to enquire about the medical history with regards to mental health issues – depression – epilepsy – high blood pressure – the elderly or By completing a thorough professional introduction, assessment and induction in a comfortable setting you are reassuring your client that you know what you are doing and that. They can then believe in you and feel more comfortable. It is also beneficial to give the client information on hypnotherapy, its background and the process.You should be informing the client that you are not making them do anything, that they are fully in control at all times and by using the power of their subconscious mind the results are of their own making. We are only giving them the tools to enable those results. By this time your client should be feeling more comfortable and relaxed. Once your client is fully informed you can then look to provide a service that is tailor dad for that individual, ensuring the best possible outc ome for them.Background information is important at the assessment stage, finding out about things they like or dislike can have a huge impact on the treatment and can also be introduced into their induction. For example if a person has a fear of heights then you would not suggest them sitting on a big white fluffy cloud high up in the bright blue sky, whereas if your client likes something or has a good memory it would be good to introduce this into the induction. This memory could be of a place they have visited lone or with others or even a color that makes them feel good.Body language plays a huge part in communicating with others but the therapist needs to remember that body language is not possible in hypnotherapy as your clients eyes are normally closed. Using and controlling your voice is therefore vital, you can do this by speaking clearly, altering your tone and pace and emphasizing words. If we look at historical hypnotherapies there is evidence there to say that a person alized induction is important to your clients successful treatment.Dave Leman was born in 1900, he was ware of hypnosis due to his father's interest in the subject, when Dave was 8 yr old his father was diagnosed with cancer. Dive's father enlisted the help of a friend and received hypnosis for pain relief during his illness, Dave saw that this benefited his father greatly and became interested in this form of treatment. After his father's death Dave began using hypnosis as part of stage shows, in one show where he had to go solo as his colleague did not attend a group of doctors were watching in the audience.They later asked Dave to teach them, from this day forward Dave taught hypnosis until his death aged 67. If we look at Erikson he said † I think it is tremendously important that you observe everything that is possible and then if you want to use hypnosis you know how to verbalism your suggestions to influence your patient to elicit their response. [1] Erickson [2] recogn ized that every individual is different so they should all be treated as such. Yet Clark Hull [3] that he did not consider it important to involve his clients in their therapy, he neither believed the existence of a special state (trance) during hypnosis.By thoroughly assessing your linen and using the assessment tools provided in class you will know which approach is best for your client, you will also know their goals and what results they want to achieve. At the assessment stage you should be observing your clients color of clothing, their breathing and their lateral eye movement. This will all assist you in choosing the right creed for your client. In class we discussed the different approaches that can be used in hypnotherapy treatment, we learn about the assessment will benefit from the authoritarian screed, others will benefit from the remissive.The Authoritarian approach: this is where you would tell or direct your client in a firmer manner. The screeds will be logical, givi ng no choices, only directions. Authoritarian style can seem a little harsh to some but can be very effective if done correctly. For example you would introduce the following into the authoritarian screed: I want you to shut your eyes now, make yourself comfortable, using your powerful subconscious, you are fully in control etc. Freud used the authoritarian approach but found resistance from clients, Clients ignored certain memories so therapy was not so successful.There is also the submissive approach where you are making it more of a suggestion in a softer tone. The submissive approach is gentle and gives the client choices. The client that prefers this approach is much more open to using their imagination; this approach makes them feel safe and able to enhance the experience for them. The permissive style is nurturing and caring Examples for the submissive approach would be: You make feel your eyes growing heavy, you might like to close your eyes, you may want to make yourself mo re comfortable. The client feels in control and much more relaxed.In class we also looked at assessing the clients Modality and their lateral eye movements. Modalities refers to the way in which our brain processes the information that it receives; which of our senses are the most prominent, dictating which type of modality we lean towards most. We also looked at lateral eye movements. Lateral eye movements came about after studies conducted in the sass's by Paul Began, a psychologist. It was his belief that different types of thinking would elicit different eye movements. These are tot set in stone as they can differ with a small portion of individuals who may opposite handed.With the modalities there are five but in hypnotherapy we only use three: Auditory, Visual and Kinesthesia. Kinesthesia is about feeling, internal emotions and external as in touching/feeling. A kinesthesia would feel the fabric or pick up on someone's feelings quite easily. You would introduce words such as w arm, solid, gentle etc. Their lateral eye movements would be down to the right. Posture would be rounded shoulders, relaxed and breathing deeply. Nina screed you would introduce words like smooth, warm, solid, touch etc.Auditory is about listening and sounds, these people love to chat. They listen to sounds that may include music and speech but will also imagine sounds. When an auditory person talks it almost sounds melodic. They are also very sensitive to sounds and noise. In their screeds you would introduce words such as imagine, look, watch etc. Their lateral eye movements would be straight ahead as if staring into space if defocus, if they are forming images in their mind then they would be up to the right and if remembering images then they loud be looking to the left.Auditory Often tilt their head to one side and at times will have rhythmic body movements. Visual is about seeing, these people are creative and can use their imagination far easier. These people love to daydream and fantasies. They can visual color, patterns and shapes in their mind. With this modality you would use words such as loud, listen and hear etc. Their lateral eye movements would be to the right if constructing sounds but if remembering sounds then they would be to the left. Visual people have a less relaxed body stance and ore often than not of a slighter build.By assessing which modality a person is you comfortable and relaxed. You can then introduce the other modalities into the session but it is good to start with the modality they are more in tune with. I have practiced both personalized and non personalized inductions and my findings have been a definite yes to the personalized induction process. I currently work in the prison service as a specialist drug worker, I am extremely lucky that I have sixty clients that I work closely with. I have had the opportunity to try both approaches on.With the personalized induction completed on Clients that I have spent the effort with t o build up a rapport and trust with I have explained the process thoroughly and given them the best treatment suited to their personality and their needs. They have given me feedback, they report to never having experienced the feeling of such relaxation and contentment and did not want it to end. They also reported to have slept better and woken up feeling refreshed the following morning. They have requested further sessions and feel that they are greatly benefiting from it, bearing n mind that I work with prolific substance users I cannot be happier.

Reflection Management Style Essay

The achievement of an organization depends on the effective management of the administrative team. The information obtained throughout this course for the management styles, good and poor qualities, and the different scenarios which managers may encounter will be reconnoitered. The results of a management quiz taken at the beginning of this course along with the results from a current quiz will be compared and the differences clarified. The course has enlightened the roles of management in the health organization and the extent of the accomplishments the management teams involvement can contribute. The management methods and styles reflect on an individual’s interpersonal and intrapersonal assessments of him or herself. A manager needs to analyze his or her goals within an organization to implement the motivation of others within an organization. As a manager, a person must realize that there will be conflicts, victories, and obstacles that may hinder his or her ideas or goals for the company. A consistent analyzes of an organization will assist in making the changes needed for success. Realizing that all managers are human, and human error may occur is a quality that managers and others need to consider. The best quality a manager can have is to be open-minded to ideas from others, be humble, and compassionate. In the health care industry there is an abundance of burnout, therefore for managers to reduce this in his or her organization she or he must be aware of the signs and implement a course of action to assist in the reduction. The motivation versus engaged is one of the valuable areas to consider when overseeing an organization. Engaged employees are more productive, focused, loyal, and contribute to the organization as a whole (Buchbinder, 2012). When individuals are involved in company decisions this assists in less burnout and turnover in the employees. One of the poorest qualities in a management team is not getting the input from the employees prior to making a vast change within an organization. The manager must be aware of how the employees feel about the change and compute the information to understand if the change is beneficial for the organization. However, some changes need to occur even though the employees do not encourage the change. This is why the manager needs to know how to relay the information  diplomatically, the reasons, how the change will be implemented, and the benefits of the change. If the manager does not inform the staff of what, why, or how then the organization could have devastating results in any scenario. Managers realize there are many scenarios to different areas of the organization. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for organizational challenges. The plan of implementation must be customized to the group affected. The culture of most organizations is substantially diverse. This is why managers need the skills to understand, the knowledge to analyze scenarios, and the will to implement change. However, the manager is only as good as his or her employees. Results from the first management quiz displayed the need for improvement in team management (Center T. M., 2014). The challenge of realizing that others goals may not be the same as yours is a challenge, but realizing the needs of others and listening can assist in overcoming this obstacle. The results from the current quiz did not veer much from the first (Center M. , 2014). The skills of team management are an area needing the most improvement, and over time this will occur with practice and doing follow through will developing skills. Learning and overcoming challenges are important is a manager’s duties. Managers are always developing his or her professional lives, as well as his or her personal life. Self-motivation will assist in overcoming obstacles in one’s life. Managers are a valuable part of any organization, but without the skills to organize, motivate, and implement changes his or her contribution may hinder success in the organization. A person needs to realize the diversity in his or her employees, the culture of an organization, and the different scenarios he or she may encounter. Development of good qualities can assist in managing others. Some of these qualities include being open-minded, compassionate, and being humble. Developing skills in team management and motivation of others is a valuable asset to any manager. If managers understand the culture of an organization and relay this information effectively to the employees, the organization benefits from all venues encountered. References Buchbinder, S. B. (2012). Chapter 3 Management and Motivation. Introduction to Health Care Management, 2e, 2, 444-448. Jones and Barlett Publishers. Center, M. (2014). Qiuz Results 8-9-14. The Management Center. ManagementCenter.org. Retrieved August 9, 2014, from http://managementcenter.org/quiz/results/3013 Center, T. M. (2014). Quiz results 07-11-2014. The Management Center. ManagementCenter.org. Retrieved July 11, 2014, from http://managementcenter.org/quiz/results/2628

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example He further proposed that leaders who have a higher level of orientation towards relationships are more effective when the situations they experience are moderately or completely under the control of a leader and such tasks are less difficult. Later Fiedler and fellow researchers provided an extension of the contingency theory of leadership; this theory was labeled as cognitive resource theory. Under this theory, Fiedler pays emphasis to the role played by stress in determining the favorableness of a particular scenario and how leaders can react to such situations. He argues that leaders have to make rational choices, but they fail to make rational choices while dealing with overly stressful situations. Fiedler proposes that in order to counter this issue organizations need to hire those leaders who have the required knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) related to the business at hand as those who have the required KSAs will be able to deal with situations where the stress level is quite high. According to the theory of cognitive resource theory, leaders can be divided into two categories. First are those who are highly experienced and others are those who are high in intellect. ... g a problem in a creative manner and in low stress situations there is abundant amount of time for such leaders to think creatively and solve the issue at hand. In case of policing leadership, swat team leaders are those who are highly experienced and are more useful in situations that are highly stressful such as a hostage situation. These leaders use their negotiation ability to talk down the criminal and their experience is of utmost importance as under a hostage situation there are chances that the hostage taker might kill hostages. On the other hand, crime scene investigators are leaders who are high in intellect and are required in situations where a particular crime scene needs to be looked at in a creative manner. These leaders tend to look at a crime scene from different angles and they analyze a lot of evidence before coming to a conclusion of who committed the crime and how the crime was committed. Those leaders who follow the transactional leadership style are of the perc eption that employees are motivated due to rewards and in order to motivate them to work hard, leaders need to appraise their work through rewards (Allen, 2010, p.215). For example: a police officer may not risk his/her life in trying to erase crime from the society if he/she believes that the wages he/she is being paid is equal to risking their life. Thus a transactional leadership will have to reward him with enough wages that is perceived by him/her as equal to risking life in order to motivate them. A transformational leader is one who believes in motivating others through various techniques such as leading by setting an example or encouraging followers to participate in decision making and providing ideas for issues faced by the organization. For example: the chief investigation

Augustine's and Aquina's Justification of the exercise of social and Essay

Augustine's and Aquina's Justification of the exercise of social and political ruling - Essay Example Though the god has created both but they have different wills and desires (Book XII ). Thomas Aquinas was born in southern Italy in 1225. He was greatly influenced by Aristotle whom he called, the Philosopher. He began his main socio- political work, Summa theologie in 1266. Aquinas, though never contradictory to Augustine, presented a soft and optimistic view of human governance of its affairs. Clearly Influenced by Aristotle's philosophy Aquinas attempted recovery of Aristotle in the west. He has presented a milder and more optimistic theory which does not show intolerance of Augustine's stringent unworthiness of the worldly affairs. Aquinas did not find anything wrong with the Aristotle's humane, rational and ordered world. For him the interest of this world and the next can coexist and it is the duty of every individual to make best of the both these worlds. He respects Augustine's other world or heaven but do not find anything inappropriate in attaining this world's goods and achieving that world's bounties as and when time comes. He, however, emphasized that the meaningful existence in the former should lead to get entry in the latter. More than once the reader is forced to analyze Aquinas' effort stating forcefully as to why one should abandon the present living and think of divine and also his treatment to duty and philosophy as separate entities. Aquinas is highly inspired by Aristotle's famous maxim 'men is by nature a political animal' or Man is a social and political animal (4-6). The simple and comparative explanation clarifies Aquinas' thinking Animals are provided for their defense and food by the nature while man is not. Animals have thick and dense hairs to withstand harsh weather. Animals also have claws, long and sharp teeth to scare away or destroy their enemies. The food for survival is available in plenty for animals. Man lacks these facilities in him but is given power to reason to get these for his existence. But for that the man has to live in companionship with other fellow human. The communication and reason enable man to live in a society with others of his tribe. Augustine's neoplatinism does not believe in earthly politics. His duty is to please the divine and be a citizen of heavenly city. He stated that rules of such a society viz. prohibition and command are counterproductive since these increase desire to break the ru le and indulged in sinful deeds (City of God, XIII:6). Augustine elaborated that social structure or governance may be indispensable to the well being but not for preservation, of members of society, nevertheless, it was hardly a noble phenomenon or an appropriate object of devotion. According to Augustine the governance led to increase in selfish interest and blocked the vision to attain true and greater good e.g. salvation to the city of god. Aquinas favors governance that since a societal living is necessary for orderly existence there should be some management or governance of society. Augustine also contradicts Aquinas views on society of men and its collective efforts to own nature's free bounties or snatch these from animals by using his ability to reason and communicate. He prefers that it should be equally available to man and animal and whosoever gets it first should be allowed to have judiciously since that is divine law. Augustine's views show extreme disliking

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Research Paper Example All these present the social welfare of different people in the determination of the inequality levels within communities. The impacts of inequalities of all sorts leave life unbearable on the disadvantaged and marginalised. All forms of inequality have a root cause in the social situations within the respective environments. The people in the marginalised communities lack economic incentives in their places of residence to cater for their medical, educational, income and economic disparities. Once a person is deprived of the economic incentives by state or authorities in the same capacity, the person will find it hard to get all the possible assets to reduce the value of life economically. Such situations can be triggered by political reasons, geographical locations of the homes, and race or ethnicity (Rosenblatt 237). The problems linked to inequalities are very severe and detrimental in the lives of persons affected. The major outcomes of inequalities are poverty to the marginalised communities, death due to the diseases related to food shortages or imbalanced diets, lack of finances and economic support to fight away diseases in such marginalised areas of the world. There is also a lack of support to help in the fight against diseases; hence, likely to cause great harm to the people, their social lives, their environments and their entire lifestyles. This concept proves for the need to frequently address the issues and related concerns of inequality in the communities and social settings (Rosenblatt 240). The persistence of problems in societies is linked to the actions and trails of inequalities. The problems are deemed to be the potential results of the inequality issues in the societies (Baumert, Gabriel and Rainer 1354-1359). Discrimination of people based on the social classes, race or ethnic group, age, gender, religion, geographical community of standards of morals in the societies, all leading to the misappropriation of economic benefits are

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Server, IAAS Essay

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Server, IAAS - Essay Example Cloud computing can be stated as a model for facilitating on-demand, convenient and ubiquitous access to shared pool of computing and configurable resources. This resource sharing platform helps in achieving economies of scale and coherence. The concept of cloud computing is based on a broader aspect of shared services and converged infrastructure. Cloud resources are also dynamically reallocated along with being accessed by multiple users. The entire approach of cloud computing has shifted focus towards OPEX model from basic infrastructure of CAPEX model. This study would reflect upon one of the cloud computing services, known as IAAS. Infrastructure as a service or IAAS is a basic cloud service platform. This mainly refers to online services which abstract user from data partitioning. There are some additional resources offered by IAAS clouds such as raw block storage, firewalls, disk-image library, load balancers, virtual local area networks, software bundles and object storage. W indows Server is a known technology or application based on the concept of IAAS. It is a brand name given to bundle of server operating systems, which are launched by Microsoft. The first server edition was named as Windows NT 3.1; however, there have been advancements in developing Windows Server. This study shall analyse key vulnerabilities witnessed by Windows Server and mitigation strategies implemented over the years. There are some general approaches too that can safeguard the system from external threats.

Knife crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Knife crime - Essay Example 4. Introduction to the Research Topic (300 words) Knife carrying In this section you should provide some background to the research topic and describe why you consider your research to be important. Knife carrying among American youth is a cause of concern for educators and civic administrators alike. Knife carrying, along with other weapons such as guns, are significant contributors to youth crime in the country. Recent episodes of youth crime and violence in our schools have prompted many school administrators and psychologists to seek explanations for violence committed by students. Even extensive research projects have been undertaken toward identifying risk factors and behaviors associated with knife-carrying by youth. As of now, the relationship between violent acts and knife-carrying is firmly established. Indeed, â€Å"carrying  a weapon has been associated with physical violence), and in and of itself is a high-risk behavior that concerns stakeholders who are trying to ke ep schools safe.† (Malecki & Demaray, 2003, p.172) Moreover, exposure to knife-crime and gun violence profoundly affects the psychology of victims, even if it affects them only indirectly. For example, exposure to violence can desensitize young people to the use of violence as a means to conflict resolution. In the social sphere, carrying knifes and witnessing/participating in crimes can limit an individual’s ability to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships. There is also the danger of physical harm. Equally important is the fact that children who are exposed to violent crimes do poorly in school and hold little hope for a productive and fulfilling future for themselves. Further, such people can instigate the cycle of exposure to violence all over again when it comes to their own children. Hence, the subject of knife-carrying is of great sensitivity and relevance to politicians, parents and educators. Upon its successful resolution lie the prospects for a harmo nious society. (Garbarino, et.al, 2002, p.73) The purpose of this research exercise is to learn more about the issue by studying published literature as well as gathering information through direct research. Upon analyzing the information assembled thus, constructive suggestions can be given to Metropolitan Police Departments, to the youth and to the advertisers, so that our society functions in a more peaceful manner. Special attention is also given to claims of 1.self-defense as the primary motivation behind knife-carrying, 2. the usefulness of stop-n-search operations and 3. the effectiveness of advertisements in curbing this behavior. There is a substantial body of scholarly literature published on the issue of weapon-carrying, although studies focusing exclusively on knife-carrying are few in number. This makes a case for this research project, which is intended to fill that void. 5. Literature Review (800 words) In this section you should discuss what academic research and deb ates have gone on in this area and what conclusions and comments were made by those. Please in this section reference everything and from literature review, (date. Page, year) 1. Find literature review on knife carrying why do youth carry weapon? 2. Find literature review on stop and search 3. Find literature review on advertisement regarding knife carrying At last reference everything you have done research and reference in Harvard Surveying broader literature on the subject, we understand that adolescents in the United States are carrying

How does adult educational programming support Jesuit values today Essay

How does adult educational programming support Jesuit values today - Essay Example Jesuit core values consist of promotion of academic excellence, whole person education and promotion of open-minded arts. Jesuit tradition emphasizes on the pursuit of academic excellence. It promotes the love for learning among individual community members. Jesuit education emphasizes on whole person education, which is based on the tenet that the core feature of Jesuit education is to help in the development of all the God-given talents in people. Jesuits believe that people’s potential can be harnessed through offering education and learning opportunities to them. Through the implementation of adult education programming, Jesuit achieves its objective of imparting knowledge to every member of the society, which improves their intellectual capacity. Through the program, adults can easily read their bible and make informed decisions because they are enlightened. The program can significantly promote the love for education among adult members of the society, which is a core ingredient of the Jesuit education and tradition. As such, the implementation of adult educational programming is likely to promote the fundamental values of Jesuit tradition such as fostering academic excellence and education of whole

CH Energy Main Competitor Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

CH Energy Main Competitor - Research Paper Example CH energy operates mainly in the United States of America which is the world's largest economy with an approximate per-capita GDP of about $46,900. It is also militarily and technologically the most powerful nation in the world. It is a purely market-oriented economy with most of the important strategic business decisions taken by individuals or the board of companies. The government buys goods and services from the private sector. The problems in this economy are inadequate investments towards economic infrastructures, a very high medical cost, trade and budget deficits apart from income stagnation in the economic groups with lower income. The GDP with regards to the purchasing power parity is about $ 14.26 trillion as of 2008. The GDP as per real growth rate is 1.1% as of 2008. The per capita GDP is about $ 46,900 as of 2008. In the total figure of GDP agriculture contributes about 1.2%, the industry contributes 19.2% and the services sector contributes about 79.6% towards the GDP. All this implies a rosy scenario for CH energy as the figures show that the country is predominately industry based which would result in a huge demand for power and related services. The country also offers a 154.3 million strong workforce. The country has a public debt of about 60.8% of the GDP as of 2007. The central bank discount rate is 0.5% as of 2009. The USA has a $1,624 trillion stock of money. The country has a wide range of industries ranging from consumer goods, aerospace, motor vehicles, steel, telecommunications, food processing, petroleum, and other industries. The country produces 4167 trillion kWh units of electricity and consumes about 3892 trillion kWh of power annually as of 2007. The USA exports about 20.14 billion units of electricity and imports only 51.4 billion kWh units of electricity.

The Sun and the Moon Essay Example for Free

The Sun and the Moon Essay There are many myths out there on the moon and sun about their power to control our health, behavior, and personality. Most people do not know how the moon and the sun can affect us. In this essay I will explain why and how the sun and moon affect us. The moon and the sun can have a positive and negative role on our health, behavior, and personality. The sun and the moon have a positive and negative role on our health. The positive role the sun is that it can help our pineal gland, in the blood, the internal organs like the liver and heart, give us vitamin D, and treatment for illness. Evidence is accumulating that strongly suggests that light is an important environmental factor, along with food, water, and air, in regulating our bodies’ physiological functions. Sunlight has at least one positive effect on the human skin which is vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced in the skin that is exposed to UVR. The negative role is that the sun can give us cancer, damage the skin, damage the eyes, give us wrinkles, and actinic keratosis. Sunburning is the most dangerous of the entire negative role of the sun. Sunburns can cause skin cancer and damage to the skin. The moon positive role on our health is folk medicines. Most people do not believe in folk medicines, but speaking from experience there is several that have work that I have try myself. Thresia Paulose said that there are strong evidences that a lunar eclipse have some effect on the hormones, especially a woman’s monthly cycle and fertility. The negative role the moon as is it can affect the physiological process. When the moon is in an eclipse it may cause heart related diseased, breathing trouble, coughs, colds, insomnia, stress, impatience, insecurity, indecisiveness, fear, and mood swings. Exposing yourself to an open lunar eclipse may even lead to mental imbalance and lycanthropy. Now, this leads us to how the moon and sun affects your behaviors. The sun and the moon both affect our emotions, the crime, and sex drive. The sun affects the pineal gland which is intimately associated with sexual maturation. Light from the sun that come in from the eyes creates impulses which is sent to the pineal gland and decrease its level of functioning. Controlled studies in Arctic have demonstrated such things as low sex drive and potency, insomnia, weakness, loss of hair, and general depression and irritability. Common diseases was reported by the commission were dermatitis, rheumatism, and miner’s nystagmus. Those that were afflicted with nystagmus exhibited symptoms of anxiety, tremor, listlessness, and loss of equilibrium as well as the rapid, involuntary eye movements typical of the disease. This participle problem is because by poor lighting it was easily prevented and nearly has disappeared with the advent of artificial illumination in mines. The high rates of emotional problems among the Eskimo, and the miners are from lack of sunshine. We heard all the time when there is a full moon how people start to act crazy. When there is a full moon the crime rate for that night goes up. Even if the medical world have not reached any conclusion that a full moon have a physical effect on people, that the beliefs are capable of producing psychological effect may pave way to discoveries on this subject. There are plenty of studies out there on how the moon and sun affects our personality. The psychics will uses the sun and the moon as signs. Astrology has something to do with the general involvement of it to creation of man over nature and nature over matter. It involves also science of astrology that dwells and imposed the connection of astrological matter into our personality or entire aspect of our life. The Zodiac is made up of 12 different sun signs. Your date of birth determines which one you are. The 12 different sun signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The Zodiac Sign where the Moon was present when you were born into this world is your Moon sign. When the Moon is in a certain sign of the zodiac, then the characteristics of that sign will change the moons expression. The sun and the moon may help us in different ways, but they are most important in our life. There are many things that the moon and sun can do that people do not believe in. Knowing how both the sun and moon affects us will better help us control our health, personality, and behavior.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization Essay Globalization is the integration of states through increasing contact, communication and trade to create a single global system in which the process of change increasingly binds people together in a common fate. Some economists see globalization as being in the best interest of all states involved, while others believe that increasing modern trade and global economic relations is harmful in many ways. While globalization marks a move in the direction of a more open world-trading government, it can also be connected to damages on independence, making countries lose the ability to be totally independent. As a result, issues of globalization and free trade are surrounded by an excited debate and controversy. The economic demands of globalization have made countries less independent, making them incapable of taking care of their own issues, economies, and governments, with out the help of foreign aid. The more the weaker countries take from the more fortified countries, the greater their dependence and inability to take care of themselves they will become. While they depend on other countries for financial and political support, they do not learn how to be more self sufficient. They do not create enough revenue or have enough political power to stand on their own with out the threat of a financially or governmentally crashing. The more self-reliant countries therefore have to use their own resources to support these nations and therefore there will is less money and goods available to support their own societies and economies. Globalization slowly drains capital and commodities from the stronger, more independent countries. The resources go to countries that will probably never be able to thrive with out aid, but with out it would dissolve and disrupt the balance of the political and economic scales. To make global or worldwide in scope or application of trade, communication, and resources is what is known as globalization. The idea of unifying the world markets, the infinite numbers of ways to correspond, and the limited resources of humankind sounds like an intelligent idea. Many have come to realize however that by helping countries by giving them financial aid and the resources they need makes them dependent, not any stronger or self- sufficient. Advantages: Productivity increases faster when countries produce goods and services in which they have a competitive advantage. Living standards can increase more rapidly. Global competition and cheap imports keep a constraint on prices, so inflation is less likely to disrupt economic growth. An open economy promotes technological development and innovation, with fresh ideas from abroad. Jobs in export industry tend to pay about 15% more than jobs in import-competing industries. Unfettered capital movements provide the United States access to foreign investment and maintain the low interest rates. Disadvantages: Millions of Americans have lost jobs because of imports or shifts in production abroad. Most find new jobs that pay less. Millions of other Americans fear of getting laid-off, especially at those firms operating in import-competing industries. Workers face demands of wage concessions from their employers, which often threaten to export jobs abroad if wage concessions are not agreed to. Besides blue-collar jobs, service and white-collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations being sent overseas. American employees can lose their competitiveness when companies build state-of-the-art factories in low-wage countries, making them as productive as those in the United States.

Challenges Social Work In Scotland Today Social Work Essay

Challenges Social Work In Scotland Today Social Work Essay Doing more of the same wont work (Changing Lives: 21st Century Review of Social Work, Scottish Executive 2006) Why is this? Discuss with reference to some of the challenges that face social work in Scotland today. The role of a social worker has become a grey area and subsequently undergone necessary scrutiny to establish what needs to be done to improve the use of a social workers time, the relationships built between the service users and providers, and how to adapt to and cater to the service users complex and challenging needs. It became particularly relevant in 2004, when Scottish Ministers registered the need for change, and put together a challenging brief asking William Roe to chair the 21st Century Social Work Review. This review asked those involved to question all aspects of social work, and to examine what could be done to fundamentally change, and improve the work of the social worker, and the successive result that had on the service users. It became apparent that as we are living in an ever changing society, social work itself needs to change so that it can match our countrys expectations for high quality, accessible, responsive and personalised services. There were many factors that instigated the need for change, and reasons why this review came to fruition. The demands for change are now so important partly due to the media coverage that has show major gaps and careless work from social workers. In some cases, social workers have stood by, acting only when an incident occurs, instead of preventing it from happening. This becomes clear in the case of Miss X, as it highlights that Caseloads for social workers in community care in the two offices concerned with the Ms X case were all over 70, while one had a caseload of over 100, and another had more than 120 cases. It also states that A study by the Scottish Executive last year had revealed that Scottish Borders Council social workers had the highest caseloads of any authority in Scotland. The case of Baby P, know known to be Peter Connelly, is another example of what some might call neglect by the social services. Interestingly Peter had lived in an area of London that was under the same child care authorities as Victoria Climbie, another child of a failed case. The services involved with these cases have been widely criticised, and enquiries have been made. It has been said in an article in the guardian Social workers believed Baby Ps mother was a caring but inadequate parent who just needed support. This quote highlights the lack of attention given to the case from the social worker, due to rigour and lack of time given. Although excellent work was being carried out in other areas of social work, just these few examples are enough to show that there was much need for change in the social services, and the 21st Century Social Work Review discusses what these changes are. It became clear when putting together Changing Lives: 21st Century Review of Social Work, that doing more of the same wouldnt work. The problems within the social care sector were deeper and in need of more attention than simply doing more of the same work. It has been stated by the Users and Carers panel that this is an unsustainable direction for social work services and that simply pouring ever more public resources into a service based on welfare models rather than the promotion of individual wellbeing will not, in itself, achieve a sustainable future Needless to say, there have been numerous examples of success with service users, where the social worker has provided an excellent service and transformed the lives of people in need, but the evidence for the need for improvement has outweighed the evidence for the somewhat limited outstanding work. Therefore the Review looks at the challenges to tackle, as well as the strengths that can be built upon and improved further. Looking at the major issues and challenges that faced social workers, we can see a trend emerging that suggests a huge lack of confidence, and this is due to the lack of clarity within their field of work. Unreasonable expectations of what, and how much a social worker can do also provides problems, as these expectations clearly cannot be met, and then a sense of failure kicks in, that subsequently has an effect on other work that is being carried out, creating a negative cycle. Risk is another factor that social workers need to carefully consider. This again has a negative cycle effect; the social worker takes fewer risks, as they feel the need to protect themselves from media and political criticism, but this then leads to a less focused and in depth relationship with the service user. It must also be noted, that previously social workers that are fully qualified and skilled had been doing work that didnt in fact require that level of knowledge and expertise. This is partly due to lack of staff in the service care sector, but also with bad organisation, and not using these skilled workers to the best of their abilities. These social workers are not being put to the best of their ability. Finance is an issue within social work, as without the funds, the service cannot be provided. A social worker has posted their concerns on a discussion group on the internet, and this reads as follows; Lack of funding is by far the biggest challenge in social work today. Many social service agencies are currently experiencing hiring freezes. This leads to larger case loads and less time being given to each client. This is true regardless of the population that is being served. Unfortunately, due to our poor economy, more and more people need the assistance of social workers. Financial hardship causes homelessness, child abuse, and a multitude of other issues, but there is no funding available to assist existing clients, much less new clients that are being affected by the rec ession. This really highlights the urgency for funding, and is further emphasised within the Review by the User and Carer Panel, there are fewer taxpayers and more people needing services, so there is not enough money to fund these services. Another problem that has faced social work is the discrepancy between care and control. This leads to an ambiguous relationship between the provider and the user, which needs to be addressed in order for the user to feel comfortable enough to make the most of the service. The Users and Carers Panel have stated, Services should meet the needs of people. People shouldnt have to fit services. Social workers should be allowed the time to get to know their clients really well, so that they really understand the different needs of each individual. Changes in context and society are other reasons that the role of a social worker needed to be examined, demographic, socio-economic and political trends have driven significant change in social work services since landmark legislation that underpins social work today. There are a number of major trends that are expected to affect how the social care services are delivered in the future. Some of these include; an ageing population, this is particularly important as the number of people over 75 years of age has risen an enormous amount and it is thought to have increased by 60% by 2028, therefore 25% of the U.K population will be over 60. The increase being due to advances in science and medicine actually puts forward a huge challenge for social services, as these 25% of people, 60% of which are predicted to have long term conditions, will be handed over to the care of the social services. Children in need remain a significant proportion of those requiring the care of the social servi ces, especially as they become older and leave care. It is stated in the review that 60% leave school with no qualification and a similar proportion dont enter employment, education or training and as many as 20% become homeless within a year. As this is know a known and accepted problem, it can be addressed and concentrated on by social workers in the child sector. As well as Children, those suffering from disabilities, stress, anxiety and depression are in need of care and support from social workers, and the demand is only increasing as medical advances allow for disabled individuals to live longer than they may have been able to in the past. Other society related problems that demand a change in the social sector are fractured relationships, social polarisation and shrinking workforce. All the issues touched upon here are inextricably linked to the latter, shrinking workforce, and if this is to continue, the ideas and hopes for the future will be unable to take affect. The most important factors when considering the new direction for the future of social work are capacity and effective use of resources. In all areas capacity needs to be built upon to achieve the required results. If the capacity is increased, the social worker can deliver personalised services and sustainable change. Both of the latter are extremely important for the future of social work, as said in chapter 5 of the review, personalising the delivery of public services is an explicit goal of Scottish policy, and this is even more relevant today as we live in a time of great choice and opportunity. Increasingly this means that we want and expect personalised services. It is so important to encourage the strengths of the individual and to work with them through the use of a therapeutic approach to make changes and regain their independence. This then links to the very important factor, giving service users a sense of independence and self assurance. This is made clear in Kieron Hatt ons book New Directions in Social work Practice, as he refers to the discussion of the common third. This is essentially a practice in which neither (the service user or provider) is the expert and in which each makes an equal contribution the purpose is to develop the self-esteem and self-confidence of the person using the service so that they can take that new self belief forward into other areas of their lives and become fully empowered citizens. This shows a vibrant new idea that will help social workers deal with their service users in hand, rather than maintaining them. This idea is further highlighted by the Users and Carers panel from the Changing Lives, 21st Century Social Work Review stating there needs to be a power shift away from the people who commission and provide services to service users and carers When considering all of the factors mentioned, it becomes clear that Social Work demanded a change or a new outlook. However, it could be argued that if there was an increase in workforce, who then released the extraordinary work loads of under pressure social workers more service users would be helped, and more successful outcomes would come about. Yet, it cannot be denied that even if this was a possibility, which unfortunately it is not due to a lack of new workers, the 21st Century demands more interaction, hence forming better relationships, more funding, and a bigger workforce, all of which contribute to the fact that doing more of the same wont work, and the challenges and changes put forward by the Changing Lives review are positive suggestions for new directions that will change peoples life and make a difference. Word count; 1,995

Efforts to Break the Stalemate on the Western Front Essay -- Papers

Efforts to Break the Stalemate on the Western Front There are five main factors that are crucial in explaining the development of a stalemate on the Western Front. All the armies and navies of Europe faced each other across fortified front lines. The pre-war plans had succumbed to the technological surprise of 1914-15: that the withering firepower of machine-guns, cartridge rifles, and rapid-fire artillery favoured the defence. Infantry in deep trenches, fronted with mines and barbed wire and backed by artillery, could not be dislodged by frontal attack. Accordingly, military and political leaders spent the war groping for means of breaking the stalemate in the trenches. First, neutrals might be enticed to enter the war, perhaps throwing enough weight into the balance to provide victory. Second, new weapons, tactics, and theatres might break the deadlock or achieve strategic goals elsewhere. Third, more and more men and material might be squeezed out of the home economy to tip the balance of forces or wear down the enemy by economic attrition. The first of theses means determined much of the diplomatic history of the war. The second stimulated technological developments such as poison gas, tanks, and submarines, as well as the peripheral campaigns of southern Europe and the Middle East. The third determined the evolution of war economies and the character of what came to be called total war. In 1916 German strategists again turned west with the expressed intention of bleeding France white and breaking her army's spirit. The object of attack was to be the fortress of Verdun, and the plan called for substitution of ordnance for manpo... ...arose. The Schlieffen plan represented a pristine militarism: the belief that all factors could be accounted for in advance, that execution could be flawless, that pure force could resolve all political problems including the plan itself. By October 1914 all the plans had unravelled. After the German defeat in the battle of the Marne, the Western Front stabilised into an uninterrupted line for 466 miles from Newport on the Belgian coast south to Bapaume, then Southeast past Soissons, Verdun, Nancy, and so to the Swiss Frontier. Both sides dug-in, and condemned themselves to four years of hellish stalemate on the Western Front. I conclude that the most important three factors are none of them; they all are equally the same as they play their different roles in the development of a stalemate on the Western Front.

Overuse of Technology Essay -- Technology, Health Risk

Everywhere I turn, I see someone on a cell phone, either talking or texting. Every car next to me in traffic has a GPS on the dashboard, including my own. It seems that everyone needs some help from technology on a daily basis. It both surrounds and intrigues us. Technology can be helpful, fun, and entertaining. Much of technology is created to assist with making projects faster or daily tasks more efficient. However, the collaboration of technologies in our lives has a few negative effects and I think we need to scale back a bit on our use of these much adored technologies. The over-use of technology is creating an impatient society and it is also diminishing once-valued personal interaction with others. More often now days, people would rather let a machine take a message instead of answering a call; missing the opportunity to have a personal conversation. Many of us would rather have the instant gratification of watching a movie instead of reading a book or sending a text or instant message instead of meeting with a friend for coffee and conversation. Therefore, society is becoming increasingly impatient and impersonal with interactions. Those types of behaviors create lonliness in our lives despite our â€Å"constant connection† with others through things like cell phones and Facebook ®. This way of life is also more common with the younger generations within our society. For instance, my sister is eight years younger than me and we had a visit with each other about two months ago. I don’t get to see my sister often; she lives six hundred miles away. When I do get to see her, it is a short visit and I cherish the time we may get to spend together. I have not lived close to my sister in ten years. So, it is disheartening to me th... ... portable so there is no reason not to! Another health risk that technology contributes to is obesity. In the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity. It is not a coincidence that the increase in technology and obesity is happening at the same time. The graph shown from the February 2011 issue of Scientific American Magazine illustrates the increase in obesity from the 1970s. The obesity rate is rising right along with our use of the internet and everything else technological. I must state that I am not against technology as a whole. I love technology! I just feel that we should be aware of the different risks that every new technology comes with and avoid over-exposure. When I start my own family, I will teach my children to be friends with technology; however, they will not be so dependent on technology for entertainment or otherwise.

The Perfect Gesture :: essays research papers

The Perfect Gesture. The perfect form football tackle, that is the perfect gesture. The person that made this gesture was Gary Kmiec. I witnessed this event for the first time, Labor Day, at the junior varsity football game against North Park College. The day was hot and humid, like a regular Chicago summer. The North Park Viking's field was hardly appealing to the eye. The field was one of those contraptions of a baseball/football field combination. It was the third quarter of a very intense game, the score was 8-6 we were winning. Both teams were relying on their defenses to stop the opposing offense and in our case to score. From what I have heard through the â€Å"grape vine† is that the offense of North Central isn't the greatest, but we have one of the best defenses. The stands, like every other junior varsity game, had only a handful of people in them. Most of the die-hard fans were either family or girlfriends. Unlike the North Park Vikings, who suited up over 60 players in their royal blue, our junior varsity team had suited up about 29 players total. Out of those 29 select few, only 13 were on the defensive side of the ball. North Park was on offense. The cardinal defense stood strong. It was second down and North Park needed five more yards to get the first down. I was not in the game at this time so I had an exceptional view. The Viking quarterback dropped back 2 steps then he handed the ball off to the half back. Kmiec, like he had always been taught, mirrored the half back shuffling parallel with him. Kmiec accelerated towards the ball carrier. Then it happened. The perfect gesture, the perfect tackle. This was it. Kmiec had reached top speed when he met the ball carrier. When they met, Kmiec placed his right shoulder pad in the gut of the running back, making him lose his breath. Kmiec then wrapped his hands around the back of the ball carrier and pinned him to the ground. His helmet hit the ball directly, causing the pigskin to fly free from the running backs grip. Our free safety, Bob Goins, was right behind Kmiec and recovered the fumble on the North Park 25 yard line. The North Central crowd cheered and the North Central sidelines were in an uproar.

Chris Mccandless Character Analysis Essay

One may say that Chris McCandless was an arrogant fool considering the decisions he made throughout his short life. Others may say he was an incredible inspiration and should be honored beyond his death for his choices. McCandless may have made some questionable choices within his journey, yet he was nothing less of an inspiration to those who feel that they have not ‘found themselves’ and deserves respect for the impact he has made. Although he is respectable, he also had ample flaws that may have led him to his tragic ending. Instead of being seen as narcissistic and arrogant, McCandless could be seen as an idealist. He believed that reality was past the everyday life that he was living, and he could find reality within a transcendent phenomenon. Although he was told multiple times not to go through with the lone journey to Alaska, McCandless stuck to his decision and did not take into account the advice he was given by many. Unlike most, McCandless was not influenced by the people in his life. He strived on his own idea of life rather than what is taught and learned throughout society. The indifference McCandless felt in his everyday life was what led him to pursue his inspirable journey that was scrutinized by Krakauer and others. Even as a youth, McCandless showed signs of being an idealist. Walt McCandless, Chris’s father, took Chris on a backpacking trip every year. One year Walt took Chris and his youngest son to climb Longs Peak in Colorado. When they reached an elevation of 13,000 feet, Walt decided it was time to turn around. â€Å"Chris wanted to keep going,† Walt recalled. â€Å"He was only twelve then†¦ If he’d been fourteen or fifteen, he would have simply gone on without me (Krakauer page 109). † This ambition Chris displayed to climb the mountain even when he was young showed his different outlook from most younger children to the more challenging aspects of life. This must have been a point of realization for Chris. His journey had been in the making even from such a young age. Gaylord Stuckey claimed â€Å"It was something he’d wanted to do since he was little (Krakauer page 159). † These idealist-like ambitions had reflected on the choices Chris made as an adult. Chris McCandless had refused to just fit in with those around him. Instead of listening to what others had for an opinion on his choices, he did what he wanted to do. Even when McCandless was offered luxuries such as food or a place to live, he would only stick around for a very short period of time, then be on his way. McCandless’s father even noticed the strive for difference in his son. â€Å"He didn’t think the odds applied to him. We were always trying to pull him back from the edge,† said Walt McCandless. The way Chris refused to blend in with society even with the pressure surrounding him to fit in was a respectable quality in his personality. Many of those who connected with Chris on his trip also saw him as a respectable man. Even though he had refused their offerings and left quickly without much communication, they never saw him as arrogant or prude. Even though McCandless had been incredibly respectable, he also had weaknesses, or flaws. One of these flaws was over-confidence. Before his trip to Alaska, Chris donated $25,000 to charity, ditched his vehicle and most of his possessions, and burned the rest of his cash. By doing this, McCandless demonstrated his idealist quality. Instead of thinking of reality, he made impulsive decisions to satisfy his spiritual self. McCandless also did not prepare for his trip as he should have. He went without bringing a map and brought very little amounts of food with him. By refusing to bring a map, he made it a very difficult trip back for himself that may have cost him his life. He had been offered supplies by multiple people he had met on his way, but refused most of them. McCandless relied too greatly on himself and nature for a trip that needed well thought out planning and devising. For enduring what many could not imagine, pursuing his childhood intents, and refusing to fit in with society, Chris McCandless was nothing less than respectable. Even with his flaws that led him to his death, he stayed true to himself and didn’t give up. All in all, Chris McCandless deserves recognition and respect for his enthusiasm and inspirable story.

Baroque Art Essay

Baroque art falls into the period of Counter-Reformation led by the Catholic church against the Protestants. Much of the Baroque art, especially in Italy, reflects reaction to Mannerism, but also the social turmoil of the time. According to the Council of Trent and the Catholic church artworks should be a clear, intelligible subject realistically interpreted in order to stimulate piety. This was part of the reason that the artwork turned towards naturalism, becoming emotionally engaging and intense. STYLE strong perspective effects ramatic color dramatic light and dark (chiaroscuro and tenebrism) movement of figures (especially upwards) broken and agitated draperies loose brushstrokes heavy impasto dense and detailed compositions (for emotional impact on viewer) Wofflin’s 5 points of the differences between Baroque and Renaissance recessional compositions (not planar) Baroque art has continuous overlapping of figures and elements where the Renaissance and clear defined planes that recede in depth. Baroque art often has a sweeping diagonal element that crosses many planes. painterly instead of linear The figures in Baroque art are merged better through chiaroscuro that blends the edges of each form. This creates a mystical union of all the figures/elements. Renaissance art treats each figure in isolation and they appear as discrete objects. Color contrasts, outlines, contours or hard edges contribute to this linearity. open form (not closed form) The figures in Baroque art seem projected out into the viewer’s space (so that the viewer becomes involved in the picture). unity rather than muliplicity Baroque art uses light (and other compositional elements) to create meaning instead of for its purely naturalistic effects or to reveal form. The light sources often are not natural or there are multiple sources. The meaning often emphasizes what will happen in the moment after that depicted. tendency towards unclearness subject matter includes or shows grandiose visions ecstasies and conversions (religious) martydom and death (religious) ephemeral moments and the passage of time intense light powerful psychological renderings (outward emotions, intense contemplation) OVERALL: EXAMPLES: (Italian) Caravaggio, Bernini, (Spanish) El Greco, Velazquez, (Low Countries) Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt ARTISTS and IMAGES Italian Baroque Spanish Baroque Baroque in the Low Countries French Baroque Italian Baroque Caravaggio The Conversion of St Paul Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome 1601 Caravaggio The Crucifixion of Saint Peter companion piece of The Conversion of Saint Paul Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome 1601 Caravaggio Calling of Saint MattewSan Luigi dei Francesi, Rome 1600 Caravaggio Death of the Virgin Louvre, Paris 1606 Artemisia Gentileschi Judith and Maidservant Institute of the Arts, Detroit 1625 Francesco Borromini San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane Rome 1665-1676 Gianlorenzo Bernini David Galleria Borghese, Rome 1623 Gianlorenzo Bernini The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome 1645-1652 Gianlorenzo Bernini Piazza and Colonnade Sculpture and architecture at saint Peter’s, Rome 89. Gianlorenzo Bernini Baldacchino at the crossing of the church over the tomb of Saint Peter Saint Peter’s, Rome Gianlorenzo Bernini Cathedra Petri The throne of Saint Peter Saint Peter’s, Rome Spanish Baroque El Greco The Burial of Count Orgaz Santo Tome, Toledo 1586 El Greco Portrait of Fray Hortensio Felix Paravicino Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1609 Jose (Jusepe) de Ribera The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew Prado, Madrid 1639. Diego Velazquez Los Borrachos (â€Å"The Drinkers†) Prado, Madrid 1628 Diego Velazquez Portrait of Juan Pareja Metropolitan Museum, New York 1650 Diego Velazquez Las Meninas (â€Å"The Maids in Waiting†) Prado, Madrid 1656 Baroque in the Low Countries Peter Paul Rubens The Elevation of the Cross Antwerp Cathedral 1610 Peter Paul Rubens The Abduction of the Daughters of Leucippus Alte Pinakothek, Munich 1617 Peter Paul Rubens The Arrival of Marie de’ Medici at Marseilles Louvre, Paris 1622-1625 Gerrit van Honthorst Supper Party Uffizi, Florence 1620 Jacob van Ruisdael View of Haarlem Royal Picture Gallery,

Permit and Opening Portion

For this activity, please construct a series of questions that you would ask In the opening portion of the following types of interviews: 1 . To obtain information from a county official about building permits for a report you have been assigned to deliver to senior management 2. To write a biography of a long-time employee for a special presentation at her retirement party 3.To counsel a subordinate about a problem he or she is having keeping his or her business expenses within budget deadlines Activity 1 . Construct a series of questions that you would ask in the opening portion of the following types of interviews: a. To obtain information from a county official about building permits for a report you have been assigned to deliver to senior management What will we need for the permission to begin our project In this area? How long does It take to get the permit after we submit everything?Do we have an allotted time to finish the project, or do we have indefinite time to complete t his? B. To write a biography of a long-time employee for a special presentation at her detriment party Brenda Mason, the dedication of a woman who has been working to supply for her children all these years, now gets the opportunity to celebrate her retirement and we are thankfully here to celebrate with her. She started working here 35 years ago, when her kids were Just 2 and 3, with the dream of becoming a decanter admit, and all the experience she ever had was witnessing.Her hard work got her into the entry level tech department with all the guys, and everyone treated her as she were a kindergarten, helped her with all the basics. She reemploy became the go-to to other people, and she was known for her charisma, and drive, we even tried to convince her to go to management, we wanted more people like her. She declined, and with that, still holding a positive attitude, she'd decline and said management was only â€Å"baby sitting adults†, she wanted to do a man's job, she st uck to her dream.With absolute certainty we all knew she was going to be someone, with her two kids, and her job, working an additional 20 hours a week when her daughters began school, she got ahead of the whole department, raced the est. sales people, and learned all the server administrative tasks she ever could. She was getting to her dream, she applied to server support, and kept narrowing down her dream, spiraled Into It, till 3 years later, faster than anyone, she got It. Unbounded to us, this whole time, working the additional 20 hours, and she was In school, after the 3rd year she'd graduated, and qualified for those positions she qualified for. From there to now, she has brought that girl feel every tech department needed, the nagging and the whining, that got us all off our seat to get to work. We absolutely love her, and wish her the best, and to give her time to use up all the paid time off she earned. Equines expenses within budget guidelines We've noticed a few draw ba cks in your business, is everything okay with you and your family? We need to make sure you succeed here for them, if there is anything you need to do we will list it, but we are going over the goals you have failed to med, and re-structure the plan. You will report to us, the customers need to be served the right portions, you are busy, you have clientele, but you are allowing your employees to run your business and they re handing things off to their friends and family.This is coming out of your family resources, they depend on you, and you need to make sure that everyone is accountable for their actions. Your employees must get their receipts reviewed every night, and if I were you, I'd be having their submitted orders reviewed before the client checks out for the moment in order to have them understand how important this is. If they aren't willing to comply, you have the right to fire them, you have to feed your family, they are not the right fit for the restaurant if that is th e way they are behaving while they are clocked in.

The Palace of Versailles and Contemporary Art: Takashi Murakami

The Palace of Versailles located approximately twelve miles outside Paris, France and is viewed as a place to showcase modern art. Much of the art that the palace has put on exhibitions over the years has brought a lot of controversy including the most recent one by Japanese artist Takashi Murakimi. Looking back at the 400 years of history at the Palace of Versailles it was once a home for the French royal family, a center for political power and today is a symbol of absolute monarchy. King Louis XIV viewed Versailles also as a showcase for the artists he supported. Louis and his successors were passionate about contemporary art and were constantly having parts of the palace demolished and rebuilt and redecorated by the newest and finest artists of their day. Versailles serves as a place where the newest ideas in art are showcased and served as a trendsetter for other palaces as well such as The Louvre; with it’s over the top decorations showing the monarchy’s wealth. Today, the palace is constantly having some of the currently most popular artists showcase their work at Versailles for the public to view. The most recent exhibit at the palace by Takashi Murakami ran from September 14, 2010 to December 12, 2010 has sparked a lot of controversy. This exhibition is called Murakami Versailles features 15 statues placed in different rooms of the palace. Murakami is a contemporary artist from Japan and has been billed as the new Andy Warhol, who is also Murakami’s mentor. The showcase features big, brightly colored cartoonish figures, flowers, globes and other inanimate objects. The style is far from the Baroque style of the palace, leaving most critics to deem the show inappropriate. Some groups visiting the Chateau complained that Murakami’s work has no place in rooms once residence to historical figures such as King Louis XIV, France’s Sun King and Marie Antoinette. Prince Charles-Emmanual de Bourbon-Parme, an heir of Louis XIV, tried to get the exhibit banned stating that it dishonored his family and their past but the courts dismissed his bid. One of his most tasteless pieces is a sculpture titled Hiropon, a large-breasted girl in a bikini who is skipping through a â€Å"rope† made of breast milk, this piece is not included in the exposition but it shows that Mr. Murakami is undeserving of Versailles. Muarakami spoke at a news conference and discussed the controversy. â€Å"When I hear such things, I say to myself that when a (sports) team scores a goal, there are always people who aren’t happy about it and who express that discontent†¦ The exhibit’s meant to be a sort of face-off between the Baroque period and postwar Japan, and I hope it will create in visitors a sort of shock, an aesthetic feeling† (Barchfield). Jean-Jacques Aillagon, president of the Chateau de Versailles defended the showcase saying he believes it is â€Å"‘his duty to open the palace to the artistic creation of our times’† (Barchfield). He also stated it gives the â€Å"visitors to historic monuments the chance to discover art that is less familiar to them† He added that the protests â€Å"come from far-right fundamentalists circles and from very conservative circles who see the museum as a reliquary of nostalgia of Ancient Regime France, of a France, that is turned in itself and hostile to modernity† (â€Å"Protesters†). Aillagon also stated â€Å"the palace and Murakami’s work are both joyful- the palace was not a place of penitence, not a place to be sad† (â€Å"Takashi Murakami's Versailles†). Versailles curator, Laurent Le Bon, stated â€Å"most of the visitors come for the chateau, not for Murakami, and are unfamiliar with contemporary art† (Von Uthmann). Several online petitions gathered thousands of names online even before the exhibition opened to the public. Two years ago a similar controversy occurred when Aillagon brought in contemporary American artist Jeff Koons. Call me a far right fundamentalist and conservative but I agree with all of the criticism surrounding this issue. This past November I got the privilege of traveling to Paris and visiting the Palace of Versailles. I had not heard anything about this exhibit occurring until getting to the Palace, walking into one of the first rooms and seeing it firsthand. I was appalled when seeing the first statue, my family and I thought the statues took a lot away from the beauty of the chateau. It also prevented us from seeing parts of the rooms and taking pictures of ceilings, walls, specific architecture that was being blocked from the statues. One visitor stated â€Å"[w]e are in a historic place, we want to see how history happened here, but every time you see a doll or a crazy monster it takes you completely out of the climax of the place† (â€Å"Takashi Murakami's Versailles†). Another stated, â€Å" it totally detracts from everything that’s here. It’s almost insulting to the palace and to visitors† (â€Å"Takashi Murakami's Versailles †) My least favorite was a piece called Tongari-Kun, also known as Mr. Pointy, inside one of the state rooms because it was so tall it blocked me from seeing the entire ceiling. Moreover, another piece called Flower Matango in the Hall of Mirrors was just awful in this room. The hall of mirrors is one of the most famous and beautiful rooms in the entire palace rich in beauty and history but it was all masked because of this statue. The sculpture of a bunch of bright, animated, ugly flowers. We could not step back and see the entire hall in its original beauty without seeing this statue smack in the center and the beauty of the mirrors was taken away because this statue was being reflected off of almost every one at that end of the hall. The statues were too brightly colored and too in your face from the mood of the rest of the palace. I have no personal pictures of the artwork because I, along with everyone else in my family, made sure Murakami’s art was out of every picture frame. I can understand why they have the exposition and the cultural exchange, the fact that they want to keep the tradition of showing the world modern art but unlike when the palace was being used for residence and power today the palace is an enormous historical landmark and is visited by over three million people per year. People do not go to the Parthenon in Greece or the Colosseum in Rome to see other artists or even have other artists intruding on its beauty. Likewise, these visitors do not go to see modern art but to see the old beauty of the palace and walk into a bit of history for a day. There are so many other museums in Paris that show modern art that the Palace of Versailles does not need to be one of them. The Palace is a piece of art on its own and does not need to have these controversial exhibits constantly demolishing its beauty. After seeing this overall I was disappointed with the exhibit and I wish I could go back another time when there will not be such a distraction.

The Mosaic floors at Fishbourne

The Mosaic floors at Fishbourne have been damaged in a variety of ways. In this essay I am going to describe and explain how several of the floors have been damaged before explaining how the damage might have been caused. In addition, I will then explain what this damage can tell us about the changing function of the site. I will now organise the damaged floors into different categorises of 4 types, and those 4 types are:- Natural-natural damage such as weather erosion. Structural- structural damage such as post holes or ditches or drain marks. Accidental-accidental damage such as JCB marks, or plough marks. Vandalism-vandalism damage made on purpose such as rubbish site. I will now describe and explain each of the 4 different types of floor damage. I will start off with Natural damage. There are 2 clearly visible effects of natural damage at Fishbourne, the first is Subsidence, subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level, there are clear and visible marks of subsidence at Fishbourne as one of the floors is decomposed and has signs of floor sinking, and tiles crumbled down also sinking, this tells us that the place could have been used as a rubbish tip site before because there are clear dips around that particular floor so people could of just thrown rubbish into it and then buried it, then built over with mosaic and now dug up again, subsidence also occurs in brittle areas of the Earth's crust and by ductile flow in the hotter and more fluid mantle of the Earth caused by the footwall of normal faults. And the second natural damage is Fire, one of the floors at Fishbourne shows heavy erosion by weathering, this is because during Roman rule, a fire was reported and burned most of the place, when the fire ended, it burned and completely destroyed the roof in that particular area, so there was then no roof and the mosaic floor was then exposed to the harsh English weather which slowly eroded it and eventually was then covered over by Earth and then eventually dug up, the fire did not actually cause any damage, but it burned down the roof so it collapsed onto the floor creating the first part of the damage, and then the weather erodes the floor and creates the second part of the damage. I will now explore Structural damage, there are 2 clear visible effects of structural damage, and the first is Granary Posts, one floor at Fishbourne has clear post holes left in it, they are equal length apart from each other and are opposite to each other. This shows that if there were Granary Posts, there was a Granary store used to store goods such as food, weapons, jewellery, and other valuables, when the Granary store was taken down, posts were left there and the wood oxidized and rotted. This tells us that the people that put up the Granary store and took it down were probably in a rush and wanted to do it quickly, and the Granary store could of be used for military purposes, also the wooden posts were left there after granary store was taken down, this tells us that maybe the Romans did not really know about objects like wood rotting, and they could have been in a hurry to take down the granary store as posts were left in there this could show they did not have time to take out the posts. The second Structural damage is a Drainage Ditch, a floor at Fishbourne has damage which can suggest that a Drainage Ditch could have been placed there earlier on because there is a massive dip in the shape of a ditch on one of the mosaics, in the Medieval period this drainage ditch could have been used for growing various crop, and might have been used as a burial ground or even a rubbish tip again, there is evidence of it being a burial ground because a skeleton was found under that mosaic. I will now look at the Accidental damage, there are 2 cases of accidental damage at Fishbourne, the first is a JCB channel concrete mark, one of the mosaics at Fishborne has been damaged by a channel of concrete that runs through the mosaic floor, it is clearly visible and was caused when the site was first discovered, the concrete was used to fill in the ditch that had been dug by a mechanical digger in order to lay water pipes in the 1960s, this tells us that the Fishbourne site had been completely overgrown, no-one knew of the site's existence until the 1960s, by then 3 quarters of the site had already been destroyed by this time. And the second damage is Medieval ploughing, one of the floors at Fishbourne has deep parallel line plough marks in the floor probably caused by a Medieval plough, this tells us that the place could possibly of been used to grow various crops on farm land in medieval times. I will now finish off the different types of damage by exploring the last type of damage which is vandalism, at Fishbourne there is 1 case of vandalism damage, near one of the mosaics there is a burial site with a number of graves and skeleton bones found in them, but some of the mosaic floor patterns are still visible under the skeleton, dug through the tiles, there could of probably been robbers trying to get to the bodies and could of smashed through the grave looking for valuables, this tells us that the site could have been used as a burial ground, and maybe in a hurry to burry someone. To conclude this essay, from the evidence that is available to me at the site and through other sources such as photographs and extracts I can successfully prove how the floors were damaged at Fishbourne and explain  about the different types of floor damage as I have already done this earlier  on in this essay in the main body of evidence.

Simone DeBeauvoir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Simone DeBeauvoir - Essay Example In fact, "a man never begins by presenting himself as an individual of a certain sex; it goes without saying that he is man "(De Beauvoir 1986, p. 15). Opposite to the men, women are forced to constantly justify their social status as women in which femininity is particularly important. De Beauvoir points to three main arguments in favor of the idea of the existence of gender discrimination against women. Firstly, De Beauvoir regards the stereotypes in relation to biological differences between men and women: a womans body is considered as defective and limited, while the male body is characterized positively. The second argument in favor of this idea lies in the fact that, as part of the opposition "the Self – the Other" men treat women as an object for manipulation and the overwhelming impact, while the women allow such stereotypes in their address. Consideration of a woman as the Other leads to the third argument in favor of the authors idea. It consists in the fact that gender inequality is determined by social norms with respect to the distribution of various resources and social rights. In practice, women have far fewer rights than men, and this injustice is manifested in all areas of their lives. In general, the idea of discrimination against women is confirmed by the disproportion in the significance of masculinity and femininity in society. Their status is determined by the opposition "the Self – the Other" where the role of the Self is given to the man as an active and free subject, while the role of the Other belongs to the woman as a dependent object. As mentioned above, the first factor in favor of discrimination against women is associated with stereotypes about male and female bodies. In fact, men see their bodies as having a perfect set of features for a happy life. In contrast to the man, "woman has ovaries, a uterus: these peculiarities imprison her in her

Periodic Table Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Periodic Table - Essay Example Mercury is one of the noble metals. It appears near the bottom of the activity series and is very inactive. It is not affected by oxygen of the air at ordinary temperatures, but if heated to about 300oC it slowly combines with oxygen to form mercury (II) oxide. It does not dissolve in the monoxidizing acids, but dissolves readily in nitric acid to form mercury (II) nitrate (King, Caldwell and Williams 604).. Mercury was known to the ancient Chinese and Hindus and has been found in 3500 year old Egyptian tombs. Mercury is not usually found free in nature and is primarily obtained from the mineral cinnabar (HgS). Spain and Italy produce about half of the world's supply of Mercury (Gagnon). The element mercury is a metal which is liquid at room temperature. Mercury is a bit like lead but it's liquid. You can hold it in your hand. Heavy (density 13.6), in fact so heavy that objects such as bricks, cannonballs, and lumps of lead or iron will float in Mercury. Gold doesn't float in mercury - it behaves more like sugar in tea! Mercury does not stick to magnets, so if it gets into your carpets or under your floorboards it will be a long-term problem. Mercury vapour makes nice bright lights but is not for breathing. The highly reflective surface of the Mercury makes it the stuff of mirrors. It's also used for thermometers, barometers, electrical devices, etc. However the problem is the cumulative poisonous nature. In the pure metal form it's relatively inert, so not so deadly, but in compounds such as mercuric chloride. Mercury is a liquid it is not wet. It has a negative coefficient of surface tension, which means that the meniscus on the surface is the other way up from no rmal, or to put it another way it does not soak into material but more runs off in the style of "water off a duck's back (The Element Mercury). Mercury vapor and its salts are poisonous, though the free metal may be taken internally under certain conditions. Because of its relatively low boiling point (629.88 K or 356.73oC or 674.11oF) and hence volatile in nature, free mercury should never be allowed to stand in an open container in the laboratory. Evidence shows that inhalation of its vapors is injurious (King et al. 605). When it comes to versatility, mercury is number one. It has many used for today's common man and mad scientist. Being the only metal which is liquid at room temperature mercury has some specialist uses: It is used in thermometers because it has a large thermal expansion which is constant over a large temperature range although it is being phased out in favour of safer liquids. It is also used in barometers and manometers due to its high density. From this it has also become a way of measuring pressure in millimetres of mercury. Mercury can be used to make thermometers, barometers and other scientific instruments. Mercury conducts electricity and is used to make silent, position dependent switches. Mercury vapor is used in streetlights, fluorescent lamps and advertising signs. Mercury is also a good thermal conductor, making it an excellent shield and coolant in nuclear reactors. Mercury vapor is used instead of steam in the boilers of some turbine (Encyclopedia Britannica). Mercury easily forms alloys with other metals, such as gold, silver, zinc and cadmium. These alloys are called amalgams. Amalgams are used to help extract gold from its ores. Some mercury is used in the preparati on of dental amalgams of silver and gold for filling