The Chinese Abacus – Short Essay

The Chinese Abacus The Chinese Abacus is a simple device for performing mathematical calculations. The Chinese Abacus also known as a â€Å"Suanpan† in Chinese. The Abacus was first mentioned by the mathematician Xu Yueh at the end of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A. D). The Abacus is a tool for calculating numbers, and was widely used in ancient times up to the invention of the modern mechanical and electronic calculators. The Abacus is similar to the modern calculator. It has a rectangular wooden frame with beads in the columns.There is a cross rod to divide beads into two parts, above the rod each bead represents quantities of five and as it moves right it goes up like 50, 500, 5000 and so on, while under the rod each bead represents quantities of one and goes up to 10, 100, 1000, and so on. The basic operations for which the abacus is helpful include arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The computational methods using an Abacus a re called abacus calculations. This device was created using wood and beads. You only count the beads that are in the center on the divider.The Abacus is still in use today by shopkeepers in Asia and â€Å"Chinatowns† in North America. The use of the abacus is still taught in Asian schools, and some few schools in America. Blind children are taught to use the Abacus. One particular use for the Abacus is teaching children simple mathematics and especially multiplication. The Abacus is also an excellent tool for teaching other base numbering systems since it easily adapts itself to any base. I made my Abacus by simply getting four wood planks and nailing them together to make a wooden frame.Then I got another wood plank and nailed in the middle to make the cross rod. I drilled 13 holes on the cross rod, the top, and bottom of the frame. I got a stick stuck it through the top of the frame, placed two beads in and stuck it through the cross rod, added five more beads then stuck t he stick through the bottom part of the frame thus making the first column. I continued this process 12 more times until I finished all of the 13 columns. After I was done I painted my frame purple and I was finished. A perfectly crafted Chinese Abacus made within one and a half hours. .

No Child Left Behind and Special Ed Essay

This paper is written on the topic â€Å"No Child Left Behind† and how this law pertains to and how it affects special education. This act was passed n 2001 and is abbreviated as NCLB and at times pronounced as nickelbee. This law was proposed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and it is a US federal law. This legislation was base on blueprint and was represented by John Boehner, George Miller, Judd Gregg and Edward Kennedy after which it was signed by President Bush. (Abernathy, 2007). This law was basically aimed to bring improvement in the performance of the primary and the secondary schools in the United States. Moreover, this law also aimed to elevate the standards of the schools making sure that they are provides flexibility in choosing school for their children. It also focused on reading and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was also re-authorized. This Act was introduced during the 107th Congress, was passed by the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001and was actually signed into law by on January 8, 2002. The goal was basically to reform education and to set high standards and to ensure that these goals can be measured and improved. The Act further states that the basic skills must be enacted in the students and schools must receive federal funding. Standards of education are set by every state keeping in mind the control over the schools. Furthermore, this Act also states that the schools must also provide the details of the students such as their name, phone number and address to the military recruiters and institutions of higher education and this must be done unless the parents of that child do not ask the school not to provide any details. After this Act was passed, the measures of the act were fervently debated over its effectiveness. It has also been criticized and the criticism actually was that effective instruction and student learning could be reduced. However, in support of this Act, it is said that systematic testing provides data and so they schools that do not teach the basic skills in an effective manner can be highlighted after which improvement can be made based on the evaluations. This would improve the outcomes for the students and will also minimize the gap of achievement that persists between the students who are disadvantaged in any way. (Hess & Petrilli, 2006). At the time this law was implemented, the federal funding of education was increased by the Congress and the increase was from$42. 2 billion in 2001 to $54. 4 billion in 2007 while No Child Left Behind received a 40. 4% increase from $17. 4 billion in 2001 to $24. 4 billion. Later, the funding for reading quadrupled from $286 million in 2001 to $1. 2 billion. In 2008, a study was carried out by the Department of Education that showed the No Child Left behind Act on which around a billion dollars were invested actually proved to be ineffective. The special education programs were introduced in the United States and they were made compulsory in 1975. This was the time when the Congress passed an Act for the support of the disabled children. This ensures that every disabled student gets free and appropriate education and to apply least restrictions to such students. Moreover, to further enhance and make sure that this Act is being implemented, regular meetings are held between the professionals and the parents of the disable children to ensure that the specific needs of the children are being met and so that modification could be provided for the children who needed them. According to FAPE i. e. Free Appropriate Public Education, the disadvantaged children are to be provided free education at public expenses. They are also directed by the public and no charges are applied. It ensures that the individual needs of the child are met and free education is provided to them from preschool to secondary school education. The FAPE also prevents segregation that is done unnecessarily and to ensure that they have access to the maximum extent. Special education services and special equipment has to be given to the disabled children and a transition plan must be developed. This plan focuses on the future goals of the learner and to help him to live his life in future. Educators also believe that the disabled children should be taught together with the normal children because isolating these children would reduce their self esteem as well as their abilities. This is called mainstreaming i. e. the integration of the disabled and the normal children. However, they also have to have special classrooms and services and must also have a trained teacher. Moreover, the sessions that are held for the special children are called resource rooms that are equipped with all the required material. However, the disabled children can also join other children for other activities and there should be no restriction in it. (Pierangelo, 2004). Reference Abernathy, S. (2007). No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools. University of Michigan Press. Hess, F. M. & Petrilli,M. J. (2006). No Child Left Behind. Peter Lang Publishing. Pierangelo, R. (2004). The Special Educator’s Survival Guide. 2nd Edn. Jossey-Bass.

Bank of America Essay Example for Free (#2)

Bank of America Essay The apparent problem in the Bank of America case study is that Jen McDonald (head of the Bank of America digital marketing group), and Douglas Brown (senior vice president of mobile product development) received requests to create mobile apps more specific for individual businesses as a way to gain leverage (Supta & Herman, 2012). Brown, specifically, was hesitant to add additional mobile app features as he feared it would make the application far too complex. Not only would it prove to be difficult for some users to understand, more features often make applications run more slowly, which could complicate the idea of mobile banking. In addition this could possibly give the customer a more negative experience. To cite the problem specifically, Brown stated â€Å"App complexity has led to some high-profile failures in the market place. This carries a huge risk† (Supta & Herman, 2012). Furthermore, Bank of America was provided $20 billion in capital from the United States government during the financial crisis under leadership of CEO Kenneth Lewis (Supta & Herman, 2012). Lewis had concerns that certain investors and customers would start to correlate Bank of America with Citigroup, who had previously given up 36% of its ownership to the federal government (Supta & Herman, 2012). This resulted in Brian Moynihan (head of consumer and small business banking) taking over as CEO on January 1, 2010 (Supta & Herman, 2012). Constraints and available options One of Bank of America’s options was to create different apps to target different groups and market segments, which proved to be somewhat of a risk. Not only was the organization concerned for the customers reaction, Bank of America was also hesitant because mobile apps are costly and in doing so, technology resources would be taken from other essential areas of banking such as online banking and atm machines. At this time customers were not completely trusting in working with their banks, as financial struggles were becoming more and more apparent. In order to give theBank of America the trusted name and customer loyalty it had previously held for so long, executives decided Mobile banking was the right path to take in order to save the company. Analysis and Evaluation The bank of America officially launched their mobile banking application in May of 2007. This included the ability to bank on the customers phones either by application or by accessing the mobile web through their phones browser. Douglas Brown confirmed that the success of the mobile application was astounding as the company gained four million mobile banking customers over the time span of less than three years (Supta & Herman, 2012). Because of the high level of success, business managers were eager to update the applications, in an effort to raise the level of functionality even higher. This proved to be a decision that had to be carefully considered by the Bank of America corporate team. Strengths: The Bank of America already holds the title of being one of the most prestigious banks and a leading company in the U. S. Because of their household name, marketing new products prove to be fairly easy; however identifying a product that customers will adopt and figuring out the target market are essential to Bank of America’s success. An additional strength of the mobile banking application was the timing in correlation to the launch of the application and the launch of the iPhone, making Bank of America the first bank to be able to offer a banking application on the iPhone. The most used features of mobile banking came from viewing account balances and viewing transaction details, making debit card holders the most popular users. After the mobile banking launch more customers opened checking accounts in the months of the introduction of mobile banking and did in fact use the application during that time. Weaknesses:  A weakness shown by Bank of America proved to be within technology adoption and which smart phones the mobile applications could be used by. The Bank of America was slow to adopt SMS technology and access to mobile banking was limited. It was only available to those who used online banking with Bank of America, therefore leaving a huge portion of customers out and feeling negatively about the new product. Another weakness in the new mobile application was that it had to be created with more features than competing mobile applications, which added the risk of making the mobile app more complex. Complexity is a weakness when striving to offer a simple and functional upgraded product to customers. Furthermore, the bank was recovering from the financial crisis, which caused a great loss for a company as big as themselves, as customers had to put a curb to their spending. They also feared they damaged their name in asking for $20 billion in federal backing which proved to be a huge mistake. Bank of America did not want to be associated with other banks that had borrowed capital, but in turn were forced to give up a percentage of their company. Opportunities: In analyzing the Kotler & Keller text, marketing opportunity is described as a buyer taking interest in something that has the probability to make a profit (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The introduction of mobile banking was a huge opportunity that the Bank of America capitalized on. When mobile banking was introduced costs per transaction started at 10 cents and were expected to drop to 3 to 4 cents. ATM costs were already 1. 34 per transaction which provided an advantage to debit card holders with low account balances. They also benefited in that they could easily check their account balance through their phones before making a purchase. The Bank of America capitalized on the opportunity to offer this feature to customers for absolutely no cost. This was a huge plus in gaining additional customers and fans of mobile banking, as other banks had already begun to waive ATM fees during the times of the market dropping. Mobile banking was a way for Bank of America to bounce back after financial crisis and offer users an experience they had never before been exposed to. The novelty of the design and idea would bring trust and value back to the company. Threats: A potential threat of mobile banking was that expanding on apps and adding new features can turn potential customers off because it tends to make banking more complicated throughout the introduction process. Surveys and research also showed that 44% of customers did not see a need or any type of value within mobile banking. When introducing a new product, buyer behavior tends to be very guarded as customers are reluctant to trust a pone application to keep their banking statements and accounts secure at all times. Major competitors are also a threat that the Bank of America faced. Major Banks such as Wellsfargo, Citigroup and PNC, to name a few, also offer mobile banking with virtually the same functions and applications. Mobile banking was also seen as a threat because of the high initial costs, however, from a marketing perspective, if the Bank of America were to pay extra costs to set their mobile applications apart from competing banks, the additional features would be worth the price in customer popularity and satisfaction. Recommendations Because mobile banking has been introduced by so many other banks, the best recommendation would be to create a form of mobile banking that is more secure and user friendly than competing applications. These are the two issues that customers seemed to have the most doubts about, so putting extra emphasis on these areas will surely set the Bank of America apart from others. Another recommendation is to target one particular audience and market to them specifically, therefore making age and stage in the life cycle of great importance. It is likely that the younger generation will be much more open to yet another phone application, as it is the norm for them, and will provide huge ease to another aspect of their lives. This may result in the younger generation taking more initiative when it comes to banking and gaining more responsibility in this aspect of their lives. Phone applications makes it easy to transfer money and to check balances, providing an awareness of your funds 24/7, opposed to only during banking hours. Kotler & Keller advices marketers to take the following three steps when marketing a product: 1. Compare it with a product that consumers already know about, making it more comfortable for them to base the purchase off of a past decision (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 2. â€Å"†¦The lure of â€Å"free† is almost irresistible† (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 3. Consumers often experience the â€Å"optimism bias† or â€Å"positivity illusion. † They tend to overestimate their chances of experiencing a positive outcome and underestimate their chances of experiencing a negative outcome (Kotler & Keller, 2012). These steps are recommended to the Bank of America’s target audience in order to raise popularity and awareness of the mobile banking application. In other words, it is essential to understand the meaning of consumer behavior. Kotler & Keller define consumer behavior as how individuals come up with ideas and experiences that work to satisfy the customer’s wants and needs. The customer’s desires will be met in that the mobile banking app will be free to current customers, which will already account for a huge part of the appeal. Compared with online banking, which customers are likely to be more familiar with, the target audience will see the mobile app as an easier, faster version of a feature they already value. Furthermore, because of the optimism bias and positivity illusion, customers using this product are more likely to feel it will improve their financial security and well-being. Lessons Learned In the review of the entire Bank of America case study, it is apparent that control was an issue that was brought up as the main concern of the customer in accepting the new application. Customers were weary at first, as they had concerns for the security of their finances and feared they were giving up control of their bank accounts to a mobile application. In retrospect, the customer actually gained more control over their finances as they were able to access them from nearly anywhere in the world. This goes to show how identifying with the customers emotions and providing them with a product that gains their trust and eases their concerns, will make the innovation and the company that much more successful. Bank of America. (2016, Sep 09).

Women Suffrage and Temperenace Movement Research Paper

Women Suffrage and Temperenace Movement - Research Paper Example One of the most contentious issues was the issue of abortion. Although women had different reasons for demand and fighting for their rights, the cause was the same – liberation of women from male domination and freedom from discrimination in every field of life The International Woman Suffrage movement was established with the aim of granting equal rights to women in all matters. Although the women suffrage movement began in 1848, the Civil War in America overshadowed it. After the war, the issue of â€Å"Black Suffrage† was emphasized, and there were policy differences between the members (Ford, 2009, p.418). The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was basically the first popular accumulation of women that was devoted to social reform the basis of which were the principles of Christianity, linking it with secular contemplation and long term strategies for social reform (Farmer, 1893, p.356). Julia Ward Howe and Julia Stone were the founders of the American Women Suffrage Movement (AWSA), which also had men as its members. The mainstay of the suffrage movement was the temperance movement that was established in the United States in 1874 as a Protestant restructuring and modification movement for which the leading and driving element or force were the missionaries that were trying to spread the Gospel in non-western and southern countries. Frances Willard was the founder the WCTU, and she recognized the connection between temperance and allowing women to vote, encouraged the women of her union to support and work for women’s voting rights. The association, challenges and disagreements between its mission, Christianity and self-control (temperance) posed a predicament for the women on ideological, philosophical, political and practical aspects to change society and also the world. Its supporters dismissed criticism of it being gender biased because of the tremendous number of male

Physiological effects of recreational drugs on the human body Essay

Physiological effects of recreational drugs on the human body - Essay Example A fine line exists between recreational and dangerous, illegal drugs and often, these two terms are interchanged. Most of the time, the line drawn in terms of legality, abuse and risk of use involved ("Recreational drug use", 2006). History tells us that drug use has been around for quite a long time now. Caffeine, tobacco and alcohol along with natural drug derivatives such as poppy, marijuana and hemp have been consumed by our ancestors since the time their use has been discovered (Burger, 1995; Burger, n.d.). Modern recreational drugs include ecstasy, cocaine and LSD among others. Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is one of the most common recreational drugs used in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Marijuana leaves often referred to it's street names "mary jane", "weed", "grass" etc. is usually rolled and smoked in cigarette form (called a "joint" or "nail") or in a pipe (known as a "bong"). The active ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) which starts a series of pleasurable reactions in the brain referred to as a "high" (National institute on drug abuse, 2004). Smoking a joint usually has no effect on the first use, but its effects are manifested after the second or third use. It affects short term memory but does not hinder physical coordination and there are no reported case yet of overdose ("Pocket guide to recreational drugs", 1995). From 2000 to 2002 marijuana use rose up to 24% in the U.S. alone and is considered to be the 3rd most abused drug reported in hospital emergency cases (National institute on drug abuse, 2004). THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) the active ingredient found in marijuana affects the brain differently than other drugs. It increases the secretion rate of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Dopamine in return affects the limbic system, the area of the brain associated with emotion and behaviour control (Young, 1997). THC circulates fast from the lungs to the bloodstream as a joint is smoked (National institute on drug abuse, 2004). As THC passes thru the brain, it connects to specific areas called cannaboid receptors on the neural cells. Not all neural cells have the same amount of cannaboid receptors and often a large amount of these type of receptors are found in brain areas associated with pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement (Herkenham et al, 1990; National institute on drug abuse, 2004). Effects of marijuana use on the heart Although none has ever died from marijuana related cardiac failure, persons with arteriosclerosis or propensity to heart failure may develop complications from smoking marijuana. Smoking a joint induces tachycardia (brisk rise in heartbeat) along with increase in heart failure similar to when a person experiences stress. These complications can vary in effect and severity (Young, 1997). Effects of marijuana use on the lungs In 1990, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports: "No difference in prevalence of chronic cough, sputum production or wheeze was noted between the marijuana and tobacco smokers (included within their study), nor were additive effects of combined smoking of tobacco and marijuana on the prevalence of acute or chronic

Importance of Building a Brand for Kellogg Essay

Importance of Building a Brand for Kellogg - Essay Example In the Kellogg’s Case Study, an extensive evaluation of the brand building Kellogg is carried out. It deals with the question whether Kellogg is able to sustain its product lifecycle which is of great significance. Whilst building a brand for a product, it is equally important to consider whether it is possible to capture the market and profitability. For this, it is necessary to implement appropriate major strategic matters related to marketing. Kellogg’s All Bran Brand has been a leading brand in the fiber sector of the cereal market for a long period of time. Kellogg, a leading company in the global market, produces cereal products and other food items like snacks, pastries, cookies etc. One of the main features of Kellogg’s products is that the company offers goods marked for taste and quality. Among its number of brands, All-Bran brand of Kellogg Company holds a considerable position in the market avenues. This is mainly for the reason that the brand offers more nutritious products than the other brands. An effective implementation of both financing and marketing sectors is decisive for this brand building of All-Bran banner. In addition to this, it also requires consumer perception of the changes made by Kellogg Company. The brand image of Kellogg’s All-Bran is outstanding as compared to other high fiber brands made by Kellogg. So, in order to attain an overall development of all brands, Kellogg gas decided to merge all other brands with the master brand of Kellogg Company. As we take in to account the running style of the Kellogg Company, we find that it is necessary to evaluate the product life cycle of All-Bran product in order to improve its existing strategic plans. Effective implementation of marketing strategies is essential in the accomplishment of goals set by the entity. The success of any product and its marketing is highly related to its brand image. â€Å"Consumers very often do not use explicit, concrete, rational factors to evaluate products, and thus their motivation to purchase is not always easy to articulate.†Ã‚  

Pay It Forward (2000) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pay It Forward (2000) - Movie Review Example The following morning, Trevor'smother, a single mother who has been affected by alcoholism, becomes furious with Trevor after finding a stranger in their house. His Mom directly confronts Eugene and he too is very surprised by Trevor's response. Later that night back at their place, Trevor talks to his mother about her alcoholism, she gets angry and slaps him across the face. Trevor decides to run away from his house and his Mom again approaches Eugene to help her in finding him, they finally find him at a bus stop and his mom apologizes for her mistake. In the Meanwhile, Chris ajournalist is trying really hard to find out why a total stranger gifted him a brand newJaguar S-Typecar after Chris' old 1965Ford Mustangwas severely damaged in an unprecedentedaccident. The stranger's replies by saying, that he is simply "paying it forward". When Chris enquires him for some more information, the man elucidates that, when he recently visited a hospital while his daughter was suffering a severeasthmaattack, a gang member suffering from a severe stab wound actually took up a gun and forced the doctor to examine the child, the same makes Chris very curious to know about the same. Trevor tries really hard to help Jerry but fails time and again and he decides to help Eugene by making him good friends with his mother. Both of them become good friends but all this changes when her ex-husband shows up proclaiming that he has changed and she gives him another chance to sort out the differences between them. Arlene later tries really hard to explain her choice to Trevor's teacher; the audience here gets to learn that Eugene'sburnswere the result of terriblechild abuseby his father. Eugene gets very concerned not just about the abusive and violent nature of Trevor's father, but that the simple absence of a loving father could hamper the well-being of Trevor. He explains the very same thing his father. At thirteen, Eugene fled his home at the age of 13 and returned home when he was 16, he did so to take his mother along with him but his father knocked him down and burned him and the same has caused the scars on his face and chest. Trevor's mom soon realizes that his father has not changed even a bit and he still drinks alcohol and on the top of that becomes angry for no reason. She realizes her mistake and also starts thinking about Eugene. She soon discovers that Eugene has lost all his interest in the relationship. Re-Introduction of Characters The re-introduction of Jerry takes place at this point, he has moved to a different city and he rescues a woman who is about to commit suicide. Chris is also re-introduced and the movie becomes a little complicate at this point as the pay it forward movement starts. Chris's quest to find the originator of this movement is still on and he soon realizes that Trevor was the founder of this movement, Trevor is interviewed in the movie and he talks about the difficulties this movement can face and listening to his interview, Trevor's mom and Eugene decide that they must stay together. In the meanwhile, the reconciliation between Trevor's mom and Eugene is overshadowed by the death of Trevor; he dies trying to save a friend of his who was getting bullied by the seniors. The movie ends with a very positive note; the movement started by Trevor becomes a nationwide hit and more and

Engaging children through the use of cartoons and comics Essay

Engaging children through the use of cartoons and comics - Essay Example Youth responses to these articles indicated that their current developmental stage and learning capabilities would only allow learning to be effective if the comic characters used in the classroom were interactive and devoid of complex vocabulary and scenarios. Children in early adolescence are intrinsically motivated, meaning that they are motivated by the positive outcomes associated with a specific activity (Morris & Maisto, 2005). This is why the children responded so effectively to the comic images as it provided not only a learning experience, but fulfilled their need for stimulating images and imaginary role identity. Youths in this stage of development have not yet developed the ability to rationalize abstractly (Huitt & Hummel, 2003), therefore this article case study reinforces that intrinsic, visual motivational elements that create positive sensations are effective in the modern classroom. References: Huitt, W. & Hummel, J. (2003). [internet] Piaget’s theory of cog nitive development [accessed 3.7.2011 from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cogsys/piaget.html] Morris, C.G. & Maisto, A.A. (2005). Psychology: An Introduction, 12th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Financial Side of Media Industries Transform Research Paper

The Financial Side of Media Industries Transform - Research Paper Example One can consider the audience as a commodity, similar to a ‘widget’, which is manufactured, traded, circulated and used. The perception of trading ‘eyeballs’ to the promotional team is not a new idea for any person within the business; even though, in its historical perspective, it is remarkable to notice how this case is prepared. However, the thought of unfolding the viewers’ effort is intriguing (Young, 1997, p. 32). During the earlier period, conservative reviewers of interactions concentrate on optimist theories, which concentrate on its consequence or function, however, seldom to content. Earlier political economists - neoclassic, Keynesian and Galbraith - mainly disregard the audience market. Even Marx was unable to deal with it although is accepted for significant explanations. He says marketing was not essential to mass communication before the end of World War 1. Nonetheless, the inclination started during the last part of the 19th century w ithin main metropolitan areas in North America. This issue is a ‘blind spot’ for prominent educationalists as well as philosophers, for instance, Gramsci, the Frankfurt School and some others. In view of the fact that audience control is created, traded, bought and used, it has a cost and it can be taken as a commodity. This is where the argument turns motivating as he states it entails effort â€Å"on the part of the audience† (Ang, 1991, p. 83). The effort is classified, not merely as some activity for which a particular salary is given, but it is an innovative, humanly unique act, where creating something implies some practical purpose is provided and the person’s nature is changed.

Probation and Life in Prison Essay Example for Free

Probation and Life in Prison Essay Probation In the early days of our country, severe punishments were often meted out with little regard to the seriousness of the offense. There was no such thing as being sentenced to probation in the 18th century. The concept of probation, or giving a convicted criminal a chance to redeem himself without serving time in prison, was first introduced in 1841 by John Augustus. In August of that year, Augustus decided to try a radical approach with a man convicted of being drunk and disorderly. The man swore to Augustus that he would change his ways if only he did not have to serve time in the House of Correction. Augustus believed the man and he posted bail. Augustus went on to help others in the same fashion and eventually became regarded â€Å"a private angel and guardian of men convicted of crime† (Friedman, 1993, 162). Massachusetts was the first state to formally recognize this option in criminal sentencing in 1878 with the remaining states following suit throughout the rest of the century and onto into the early part of the 1900’s. It would take some fine-tuning to bring probation up to its current standards. Early probation officers enjoyed no formal training and many states were without prerequisites for passing this form of sentencing. In the early years, probation was often given in exchange for a guilty plea most often to married men, those who held jobs and exhibited no apparent vices. Judges used the sentence of probation prodigiously for several decades. It was only in the 1980’s, when the public clamored for stiffer penalties, that probation lost favor. In 1986, only 28% of male felony defendants were awarded probation as compared to nearly half of those convicted in 1970 (Friedman, 1993, 409). Probation initially became popular as the thrust of the legal system shifted from focusing on the â€Å"what† (the crime) to the â€Å"who† (the criminal) and how to best reform the offender (Friedman, 1993, 168). More recently, the focus has become a bit more equally fixed on both preventing the crime and rehabilitation of the criminal. Today, offenders on probation are closely monitored by correctional officers through surveillance in the community. Often, some sort of restitution is also involved with the goal of making the offender accountable and responsible in order to rejoin the community without potential further risk (Jones, 2). This option allows the offender to serve a sentence under â€Å"house arrest† and maintain a job rather than be integrated into the prison system, which is already strained to its limit. The level of supervision varies based on the crime committed. For those convicted of drug charges, a more constant monitoring system is used, often electronic. Another alternative is to use a â€Å"combination of prison time and work release/community service† (Jones, 3). Probation is often used as a condition of plea bargaining for a lesser sentence in exchange for information or a guilty plea. Plea bargaining came about as a quick, and cheap way, to move defendants through the legal system and probation helps to keep minor criminals out of jail. The concept of probation has evolved in many ways since its inception in the 1800’s but it still incorporates the integral idea of giving a convicted criminal a degree of trust. Prison Life: Comparison and Contrast with Life in General Society According to the dictionary, the definition of a prison is â€Å"A place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention, especially persons convicted of crimes; a place or condition of confinement or forcible restraint or a state of imprisonment or captivity.† Prisons first came about as a means of correctional punishment. In colonial times, punishment was often a way to shame the criminal in public; putting someone in prison did not have the same effect as putting him or her out in public view to submit to shame and scorn. When prison was used for sentencing, jail terms were generally short and in most cases less than 30 days. It was not until the 1800’s that prisons were built in more abundance and courts used them for sentencing on a regular basis. Today prison systems vary widely according to level of security and the state in which they are located. The aim of each and every one is still the same, however, and that is to deprive a convicted criminal of freedom. For a prisoner there is no freedom of choice. He is told when to wake up in the morning, when it is meal time, when to work, when to exercise, when to go to bed. There are no food choices or menus and the prisoner must either eat what is given him or go hungry. No comforts of home await him in his cell; the prisoner is lucky to be able to have a selection of books and perhaps a photo or two to keep him company. At night, lights are turned off at a particular time. Cell checks can be performed at any time of night or day. There is no privacy for bathing or bodily functions. The prisoner is unable to have any items that are not approved by the system. He also has no choice regarding a cell mate unless undue violence forces a cell change. Most prisons do not allow televisions or even radios as forms of entertainment; even when they are allowed there is no satellite or cable attached and no choice of programming. The work program is enforced in many prisons with prisoners being allocated to do jobs that benefit the community or provide food or clothing for the system. Any â€Å"luxury† items must be earned and paid for with pitifully low wages. In comparison, life in general society is full of choices. As a free citizen, people in this country are allowed to choose where they live, where they work, what they eat and what they do. There are no proscribed times in which they are forced to do anything and if they are unhappy at their job, they are allowed to quit and find work elsewhere. The times in which free citizens awaken in the morning and go to bed at night are at their own discretion; if someone wishes to never turn out the light and stay up all night, he may do so. He has the ability to go out and purchase items at will, as needed or desired. The private citizen can choose to live as he wants whether that be in clean or messy surroundings, in a house filled with knick knacks and furniture or a more austere setting. Entertainment options abound. In short, nothing short of illegal activity is prohibited for a free citizen. Whether in prison or out in general society, there are still rules made by our national and state governments to be abided by and morals which govern our actions. In prison it is more closely monitored while in general society citizens do not warrant such close supervision. As well, people in either situation must earn what they have. Loss of freedom is the biggest difference between living in prison or living outside. Contrast and Comparison of Georgia and Florida State Prisons In the Georgia state prison system, the dormitories shown are used for housing groups of prisoners who require minimal security. Rows of bunk beds are stacked two high and furnished with a thin blanket and pillow. A box beneath the bunk is the only place for personal items. The lighting is industrial and the flooring is utilitarian and easy to keep clean. It is surprising that there is a wide expanse of windows. Other than the addition of appliances and counters, the prison kitchen looks much the same as the dormitory. It looks to be well stocked, much as a large commercial kitchen might be furnished. The health intake area is set up like a school room with rows of small wooden desks headed by a larger desk manned by a prison employee. The state of Georgia’s correctional system offers a boot camp, a diversion center, probation detention, and transitional centers in addition to the state prisons. The state runs several farms, which provide all the food for the prisoners incarcerated at the low cost of $1.51 per prisoner per day. The Florida state prisons use a traditional cell configuration built in two stories overlooking a central corridor as well as the dormitory concept. According to the website, most of the Florida correctional facilities use dorm housing. The bunks in these dorms are not stacked but are situated individually in rows. A row of small, high windows lines one wall while fluorescent lighting illuminates the area. Cells house either one or two men and have two cots that pull down from the wall with a thin blanket and pillow on each. There is one small window in the exterior wall and a narrow door. A sink and open toilet are the only other furnishings. Death row cells are even more sparse and small with a total size of 6’ x 9’ x 9.5’. They have no window and a barred entrance. Death row cells are configured for only one person. The majority of inmates in the Florida state correctional system are enrolled in either a substance abuse program, a vocational education or adult education program. They also participate in Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises or Prison Industry Enhancement work programs. Inmates also grow some of their own food and both prison systems seem to be doing a good job of keeping food costs down through farming their own vegetables. The two prison systems are similar in their housing set ups. Cells and dormitories are sparse and barren. Both systems require prisoners to be involved in production of the food used within the facilities and offer work programs. Both Florida and Georgia’s state systems offer probation and transitionary facilities. The Florida state correctional system has more programs available and more options for rehabilitation of prisoners. The Georgia system seems to offer more minimal security facilities although they did not have a virtual tour of anything other than dormitories posted on their website and they most certainly house death row inmates. Georgia’s website is set up more for the convenience of family members of those incarcerated while the Florida website focuses more on the hard facts of prison life as a deterrence measure. While both states offer model facilities for incarceration of criminals, neither system looks particularly inviting or homey. References Friedman, Lawrence M (1993). Crime and Punishment in American History. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Jones, Calvin. â€Å"Alternatives to Standard Methods of Incarceration†. Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Retrieved November 8, 2007 from the FDOLE Web site: â€Å"Virtual Prison Tour. Georgia Department of Corrections. Retrieved November 8, 2007 from the GDOC Web site: http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/AboutGDC/VRTour.html.

Methods to Discover Archaeological Sites

Methods to Discover Archaeological Sites What are the main methods used to discover archaeological sites in the landscape? Critically assess the pros and cons of the methods you identify using relevant examples. The archaeologist uses a range of techniques to actively discover and locate archaeological sites within the landscape; these methods are non-invasive and non-destructive and fall into four broad categories: Desk Top Surveys †¢ Surface Surveys Geophysical and Geochemical surveys †¢ Aerial Surveys (Grant et al, 2002. p5). In addition to these, some sites may be discovered by chance, for example when quarrying, dredging and peat cutting or simply out in walking in the landscape. These broad categories all complement each other and the most relevant methods in each case will depend on the terrain of the area being investigated and the resources and time available for investigation. Also, the questions being asked and the degree of accuracy required will have an effect on how these techniques are used (Greene. 1991. p54). Desk Top Surveys: The desk top survey is office based and uses existing documents such as maps, historical documents, previous archaeological records, pictures and literature, all of which can all provide hints and references to archaeological sites. Maps can be used to locate sites, and are among the most basic resources available to the archaeologist. Early 16th century maps are not always to scale but can be very useful, Ordnance Survey started publishing maps in the early 19th century and, by analysing a succession of maps of an area, much can be learnt from the changes in use of the land and buildings. (Grant et al, 2002. p8). Old tithe maps and terriers, usually found amongst the deeds and papers relating to the ownership and management of estates and properties, may offer insight about forgotten sites (Barker, 1993). Although the majority of early records have not survived, there is still a wide range of available which the archaeologist may find of value. Legal records, including wills and cou rt records, can provide boundaries of ownership and clues to the functions of buildings. The Domesday Book and other tax records and tithe awards can identify the economic use and boundaries of land, Pictorial records such photographs paintings, and engravings, and descriptive accounts written in books, diaries and travelogues can all be of value. Of particular interest is the work of William Stukeley (1687 1785), an accurate and observant recorder who travelled extensively throughout Britain, and William Camden (1551 1623),whose thorough and detailed descriptions were published in the first general guide to the antiquities in Britain, ‘Britannia in 1585 (Greene pp24 27). These records can be freely found in museums, libraries and private collections and may offer a rare record of an archaeological feature. Details of any previous archaeological excavations, finds and previous survey results are all held in local SMR and national NMR offices and can offer insight into possible sites for exploration. There is often much truth hidden in the legends and stories of antiquity and a study of these may provide a clue to a forgotten or place. Most traditions and myths are founded on real people and places which, over time, can become exaggerated and unbelievable. (Grant et al. 2002. p8). By sifting the embellishment from these legends the archaeologist is often left with a helpful factual narrative. This is a cheap and effective way of gleaning information, but it can be time consuming. During interviews with local residents in Kythera, Greece a vast amount of anecdotal information was generated on the use of the landscape of the island, its abandonment and reuse, and the connections between people, villages and churches which all helped to place archaeological work into context (Johnson Wilson. 2003). The desk top survey is of particular value where investigations are part of the planning process to ascertain whether there are likely to be archaeological remains which could be lost or threatened as a part of the building and development of the land. (Grant et al 2002. p6). Many historical records are free to access and can be found in libraries, museums, County Records and Archives Offices, on the internet, at Local and National Sites and Monuments Records offices and in private collections. Surface Surveys These are visual surveys which seek to find traces of possible sites and are carried out, most usually, on foot. A surface survey can be systematic or unsystematic, although the most commonly used, is a systematic approach (Renfrew Bahn. 2008. p78). The purpose is to make a survey of archaeological finds within an area to determine if they might point to past human activity (Lynch. 2006). A grid is normally laid out on the ground to aid mapping and a team of walkers go over each area on the grid, recording sites and finds. The overall record of the types and scatter of the artefacts found can give a good idea of the age of a site and its possible previous uses (Adkins et al 2008). Fieldwalking is an effective and relatively cheap way of surveying land and has a vital place in the discovery of archaeological sites. Once the finds are identified and analysed, the data can also help to provide information about the date of a site and its possible functions. Results are generally more reliable where the region is walked repeatedly as a long term project (Renfrew Bahn. 2008. p 79). It does have some limitations in that different fieldwalkers may have differential types of collection across the same sight. Fieldwalking works best on arable land, but needs to be carried out at times in the arable cycle when vegetation is low. (Grant 2002). Tesserae found during field walking at Rowler Manor in Croughton, Northamptonshire led to the discovery in 1991 of a Roman Villa along with a mosaic pavement (Dawson, 2008) Geochemical and Geophysical Surveys The activity of humans significantly alters the geochemical composition of soil, and the archaeologist can use chemical testing to determine areas of alteration to the soil by human activity. The most common geophysical test is phosphate analysis. This chemical is present in most living things and the presence of domesticated animals, people and plants in a landscape will increase the concentration of phosphates in that landscape. Areas of high saturation of phosphates can then be explored further to ascertain the significance of the activity (Renfrew Bahn. 2008. p105). At Plas Gogerddan, Ceredigion in Wales, geochemical analysis was used to determine that burials on this Early Christian Burial site could be identified using phosphate analysis and possible grave sites of further burials were recorded (Murphy 1992). Geophysical surveying has developed considerably over the last few years and is used with great success in archaeological site prospection. There are two main methods of geophysical surveying, these are electrical resistively and magnetometery (Bowden 1999. p 120). Resistivity surveying involves passing an electrical current through probes set into the ground, and is based on the ability of sub-surface materials to conduct that current, Generally, higher resistance features such as buried walls have a limited moisture content and infilled ditches and pits which retain moisture will give lower readings. (Reference) The technique is especially suited to the discovery of stone structures. Its success is affected by local geology and also the weather conditions. Very dry or very wet conditions, as well as variations in the temperature can affect the quality of the results as they affect rate of flow of the electric current. The resistivity equipment is heavy to use and the survey can take some time to complete, but this is a cost effective method of survey. Magnetised iron oxides are present in the soil and past human activity alters and redistributes these, creating stronger and weaker responses which can be detected as magnetic anomalies. It is very portable and good for rapid surveying of land. The results produced can be very detailed and they are very useful for identifying buried ditches, pits, kilns and hearths. (Reference) The subsoil of the land can influence the results; the most responsive soils being are chalks and limestone. Igneous subsoils are the most difficult to investigate with this technique and the results on clay soils can be erratic. Resistivity and magnetometry techniques were used in karstic terrains in County Cork, Ireland, which identified the position of a previously unknown cave (Gibson et al, 2004). A number of newer techniques including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are also available and becoming popular tools for the archaeologist. GPR was developed for use in defence and engineering. It is an expensive process and is of greatest value where buried deposits are close to the surface of the soil. It has the benefit that it can take readings through tarmac surfaces, and therefore is useful in urban environments (Grant et al. 2002). GIS is a powerful computerised mapping system with the ability to analyse quantitative data, which is useful for plotting scatters of finds and test hypothesis. GIS was effectively used at Tel Shiqmona, Israel, to conduct coastal and marine surveys and to evaluate the potential of Maritime trading with the Phoenicians (Breman. 2003) Aerial Surveys The use of aerial photography was pioneered by O G S Crawford, an Archaeologist and Observer in the Royal Flying Corps during Word War 1. Crop marks, soil marks and shadow marks all cause patterns which can be observed from the air. Most aerial photographs for archaeology use are taken at an oblique angle which give better views of a site, although they do distort the perspective. It is important to include a landmark in the photographs in order to provide a fixed point for mapping a site (Riley 1982). Aerial Photograph of Crook Laithe Settlement, Linton, Yorkshire This technique is most effective on arable land and upland areas, least effective on heavily ploughed land and ineffective on heavily built up areas and land with plastic covering over crops. Aerial photography is valuable to the archaeologist and an immense number of archaeological discoveries have been made using this method (Riley, 1982). In a survey in Augacatel, Mexico, where heavy jungle prohibited the economical use of ground surveys, 25 photographs were taken revealing up to 63 possible man made structures (Matheny, 1962) The weather conditions are important and photographs are best taken when the sun is low in the sky (early morning or evening) on a clear day, as the shadow marks will show up best under these conditions (Adkins 2002). The costs of flying are expensive, but since the equipment and film are comparatively cheap and large distances may be covered in one flight, this is an effective and crucial technique to employ in archaeological prospection. In addition to these techniques, some sites are discovered quite by chance. In 1985, a farmer found a number of bones and a small round lead object on a sandbank in Orkney. After showing his finds to an archaeologist, this lead to the discovery of a Viking boat burial (Towrie 2010). Whilst digging a well, some peasants unearthed fragments of terracotta, which lead to the discovery of arguably, one of the most spectacular discoveries of the 20th century, The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang in China (Tianchou 1996). The high cost of archaeological excavations mean that it is important for the archaeologist to know where to dig in order to avoid expensive mistakes. The techniques outlined above all assist the archaeologist in the discovery of sites in the landscape, so that future excavations can be carried out in the most cost and time effective manner. ‘It is remarkable how much can be revealed about a site without excavation (Greene 1991. p 42). References Adkins, R L and Leitch, V. 2008. The Handbook of British Archaeology (revised edition). London. Constable Robinson Ltd. Barker, Philip. 1993. Techniques of Archaeological Excavation. 3rd Edition. London. B.T. Batsford Ltd. Bowden, Mark (Ed.). 1999. Unravelling the Landscape. An Inquisitive Approach to Archaeology. Stroud. Tempus Publishing Ltd. Breman, J. Journal of GIS in Archaeology. Volume I. APRIL, 2003. Marine Archaeology goes Underwater with GIS. Dawson, M. 2008. Northamptonshire Archaeology. Vol 35 2008. Excavation of the Roman Villa and Mosaic at Rowler Manor, Croughton, Northamptonshire p 45 93 Gibson, P.J. Lyle P., George D.M. Aug 2004 Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, v. 66, no. 2, p. 35-38. Application of resistivity and magnetometry geophysical techniques for near-surface investigations in karstic terrains in Ireland. Grant, J. Gorin, S. Fleming, N. 2002 The Archaeology Coursebook. London, Routledge Greene, Kevin, 1991. Archaeology. An Introduction (Revised Edition). London, B T Batsford Ltd. Johnson, I Wilson, A. Journal of GIS in Archaeology. Volume I. APRIL, 2003. Making the Most of Maps: Field Survey on the Island of Kythera Lynch, Tim. Nov 2006, British Heritage; Vol. 27 Issue 5, p52-54, 3p Matheny, R.T. American Antiquity, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Oct., 1962), pp. 226-230. Value of Aerial Photography in Surveying Archaeological Sites in Coastal Jungle Regions Published by: Society for American Archaeology Murphy, K. (1992) Archaeological Journal, Vol 149, pp. 1-38. Renfrew, C Bahn, P. 2008. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. (5th Edition). London, Thames and Hudson Ltd. Riley, D.N. 1982. Aerial Archaeology in Britain. Aylesbury, Shire Publications Limited. Tianchou, Fu (ed.) 1996. The Underground Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Beijung. New World Press Towrie, Sigurd: 2010. The Orkney Jar. http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/scarboat/index.html [accessed 8th March2010]

Should Ecstasy be legal? :: essays research papers

â€Å"Ecstasy†, a drug with many different opinions and views, is often viewed as a killer, which is a stretch of the truth. The drug is sometimes thought of as one of the worst things in the world, but also as the best. Health issues are a problem and there have been some deaths .The deaths though are no way near the number of alcohol or cigarette deaths. How could such a beautiful word be considered such a horrible thing . Ecstasy can kill, but you can die tomorrow by being hit by a car or getting shot, why not live your life to the fullest. Live everyday as if it were your last, but don’t be stupid about it. Ecstasy does not kill a person, that’s just the excuse they use for ruining their life or killing themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Certain people including doctors and parents have set up and had conferences and meetings to inform other parents and children of the â€Å"hug drug.† A man named Jeff Milgram wrote a article on www.lindesmith.org he said, â€Å"usually when your children would ask you if they could attend a non-alcoholic dance, you would be more than happy to let them attend. But do you really know what they are getting into? Those â€Å"dances† are known as raves and are one of them ultimate and most popular place to drop ‘E’ †.Health hazards range from any where to raise in temperature and faintness to nausea and grinding of the teeth .But continued use can result in â€Å"holes† in the brain and even liver damage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yes ecstasy is used at â€Å"raves†, but not by everyone. Natural â€Å"ravers† (sober ravers), are given a bad rap because their title â€Å"raver† is automatically connected to ecstasy. Yes many people at raves drop ecstasy but just as many do not. Many people have been permanently effected by â€Å"ecstasy â€Å", but those people say that the drug â€Å"ruined their life† when in actuality â€Å"they ruined their own life.† A girl named Sarah who was interviewed by channel 6 â€Å"true life on ecstasy â€Å" had done ecstasy for 3 years. However, the mistake in her part was that she had done it almost EVERY day. When she had gotten her brain scanned, she had a brain of a 75-year-old woman who had multiple strokes. Sarah at the time was only 25, but take into consideration that she more than â€Å"abused † the drug.

The Giver’s Compassion for Jonas :: The Giver Essays

The Giver’s Compassion for Jonas Jonas’ community is ordered and ruled. Everything is same: their clothes, houses and lives. People follow the rules until they die. They know nothing about the true human life. The receiver of memory, the giver, is the only person who is able to the true pleasure of life. When Jonas is elected as the receiver of memory by the community and meets the Giver, his life is changed. Everything he believes in was controlled and hidden the real human life by the community. He is getting to realize that he will not be able to stay in the community any more and starts to find his own and comfort place. I would like to focus on describing the Giver’ compression for Jonas because I do think that this book can not be described without him. In the book, the Giver is described as an old man, always staying and keeping his sadness for the community alone. He is the only person who really knows what is going on in the community and its people. His role is to give the community advice and help, when they face something that they have not experienced. The community needs the Giver, even thought they have a long history, already fixed its structure, rarely ask the Giver advice. â€Å"They know nothing,† The Giver said bitterly (p.105). He feels sad and helpless for the community, because they reject to have memory and choose painless and predictable life. Memory includes not only in sadness, pain, and evil of human life but also in real happiness and pleasure of human life. The Giver likes to have the memory, however he feels loneliness not to share the memory with people, regret to receive the memory, and bitterness that the community would keep this condition forever. He can not find out the possibility to chang e the entire community. Even though Jonas asked the Giver to come with him, he can not escape form the place and has to take care of the community (p.161-162). The Giver’s compassion in the story is not only for the community but also for Jonas. He must be confused and struggling because he already knows the train will be hard and control the most important parts of the human, which includes the feelings like love, warmth, sadness, patience, and pleasure.

Socialist Utopia In Nineteen E :: essays research papers

Eric Blair, known to his readers under the English pen name of George Orwell (1903-1950), was a man familiar with the roles of government. He served with the British government in Burma under the Indian Imperial Police. Returning to his European roots, Orwell also sided with the Spanish government as he fought with the Loyalists in their civil war. It wasn't until he wrote professionally as a political writer that Orwell's ideas of government were fully expressed. Orwell, in his political writings, was extremely contradictory. He was a critic of communism, yet he also considered himself a Socialist. He had hatred toward intellectuals, but he too was a political writer. It is only natural that a man of paradoxes would write of them. In his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell develops his Socialist Utopia as a paradoxical society that ultimately succeeds rather than flounders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The society that Orwell creates is full of paradoxes that existed all the way up to its origins. The founders of the new lifestyle, known as the revolutionaries of the mid-twentieth century, leads the public to believe false intentions of revolt, as these purposes soon become exact opposite outcomes. The original designers seek to create an ideal social order out of England that is beneficial to all. Marin Kessler, a literary essayist, agrees that these 'utopians…had hoped to construct a perfect society in which men and women could enjoy that ultimate degree of happiness which, it was implied denied through the folly and wickedness of their present rulers'; (304). Besides being founded on the concept of a Utopia, the revolutionaries believe they could achieve their goals through Ingsoc, a variation on English socialism (named justly). The main concept of socialism is its stress on social equality, so much that the government distributes any possessions equal ly. In reality, this policy sought to destroy individual property, instead emphasizing collective property, owned by the government for the ultimate purpose of equality. Socialism is also often considered the politics of the working class and lower rà ©gime, since they actually benefited from it. Although the founders claim to create a socialist Utopia with its respective freedoms, the society of Oceania they create is exactly the opposite of their original principles. O'Brien, a major contributor to the government organization known as the Party, describes the contradictory characteristics of the world power of Oceania, 'Do you begin to see then, what kind of world we are creating?

Determining Molar Mass by Ideal Gas Law

I. Abstract: By manipulating the ideal gas law (PV=nRT), we will be determining the molar mass of an unknown volatile liquid. Heating a flask filled with an unknown, easily evaporated liquid will allow for measurements that can be taken to work out the ideal gas equation. This lab will require knowledge of basic equations used in chemistry. Using these equations, such as density and number of moles(n), we can substitute different values into the ideal gas law to manipulate it. II. Materials: 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask Needle or pin Unknown liquid sample Barometer 1000-mL beaker Hot plate Utility clamp Aluminum freezer foil Hot mitt Wire gauze with ceramic center 1000-mL graduated cylinder III. Procedure: 1. Aprons and goggles on. Clean a 1000-mL beaker for use as a heating bath. Set the beaker on a hot plate and begin heating. 2. Clean and completely dry the Erlenmeyer flask. 3. Cut a square of aluminum foil to serve as the cover of the flask. Trim the edges so that it neatly covers the edge of the flask. 4. Weigh the empty flask with cover and record to as many sigfigs as possible. 5. Obtain your unknown liquid and record the ID #. Add 3-4 mL of the liquid to the flask. Re-cover the flask, making sure the edges are tightly crimped. 6. Punch a tiny hole in the foil cover with a needle or pin. 7. Heat the water in the beaker to boiling. Adjust the heat so that the water will remain boiling but will not splash. 8. Immerse the flask containing the unknown liquid in the boiling water so that most of the flask is covered. Clamp the neck of the flask. 9. Watch the liquid carefully. The liquid will begin to evaporate, and its volume will decrease. 10. When it appears that the flask is completely filled with vapor, continue heating for 1-2 minutes. Remove the flask from the bath using the clamp. 11. Set the flask on the wire gauze on the lab table, remove the clamp, and allow the flask to cool to room temperature. Measure and record the exact temperature of the boiling water in the beaker, as well as the barometric pressure in the lab. 12. When the flask has cooled completely, carefully dry the outside of the flask to remove any water. Weigh the flask, foil cover, and vapor with as many sigfigs as possible. 3. Perform a second trial, if the final mass of the flask and vapor is not within 0. 05g of the first trial, perform a 3rd. 14. When two acceptable trials have been performed, remove the foil cover and clean the flask. 15. Fill the flask to the very rim with water and pour it into a 1000-mL graduated cylinder to determine the exact volume of the flask. Record. IV. Data and Observations | |TRIAL 1 |TRIAL 2 | |BAROMETRIC PRESSURE (mm Hg) |763. mm Hg |763. 5 mm Hg | |MASS OF FLASK AND FOIL COVER (g) |106. 095g |106. 095g | |TEMPERATURE OF WATER IN BEAKER ( °C) and |99. 1 °C / 372. 1 K |97. 9 °C / 370. 9 K | |(K) | | | |MASS OF FLASK/COVER AND CONDENSED LIQUID |106. 406g |106. 87g | |(g) | | | | | | | †¢ Volume of Erlenmeyer Flask (determined by filling completely with water): 289mL †¢ Unknown liquid ID #: B – (ethyl alcohol) V. Analysis of Data PV = nRT Trial 1) 763. 5 (. 289 L) = n (62. 4) (372. 1) 220. 6515 = 23219. 04 n 220. 6515/23219. 04 = n 0. 0095 mol = n Mass of vapor in the flask = (mass of flask/cover and condensed liquid) – (mass of empty flask/cover) Mass of vapor in the flask = 106. 406g – 106. 095g = 0. 311g 0. 311g/0. 0095 mol = 32. 73 g/mol = molar mass Trial 2) 763. 5 (. 289 L) = n (62. 4) (370. 1) 220. 6515 = 23094. 24 n 220. 6515/23094. 24 = n 0. 0096 mol = n Mass of vapor in the flask = (mass of flask/cover and condensed liquid) – (mass of empty flask/cover) Mass of vapor in the flask = 106. 487g – 106. 095g = 0. 392g 0. 392g/0. 0096 mol = 41. 02 g/mol = molar mass AVERAGE MOLAR MASS: (32. 3 + 41. 02) / 2 = 36. 875 g/mol Theoretical molar mass of ethyl alcohol: 46. 07 g/mol VI. Conclusion (36. 875 – 46. 07) / 46. 07 (x 100) = 19. 9% = percent error The first trial was very unsuccessful while the second trial was much closer to the theoretical value. The possibilities of error within the first trial include not letting the flask cool completely to room temperature before weighing and also forgetting to utilize acetone to dry the flask before the addition of the liquid. The latter was the major difference in performance of the two trials. This experiment showed that the interference of water vapor can completely wreck the chance for an accurate measurement of volume of a different gas. It is imperative to make sure that the flask is as dry as possible or the results will show a very wrong answer. It is hard to realize the prominence of water vapor in the air until an experiment like this one shows that it takes up a relatively huge space in a given volume of air. A suggestion to improve this lab could be to place more emphasis on drying the flask with a paper towel and acetone before use.

Organic Food vs. Non Organic Food Essay

In today’s society you walk into a grocery store and you always have the option of organic or non organic food. There are even grocery stores dedicated to organic foods like Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Whole Food market. I personally have gone organic and will never go back to eating or drinking non organic food. Organic food may be pricey but less hormones, less cow puss and blood in your milk, and less pesticides. The controversies about organic food vs non organic food is it worth it? My answer is 100 percent yes organic is the way to go. The fruits and vegetables you get at a normal grocery store that are non organic have several pesticides on it. According to the daily green, ‘ eating organic means avoiding the pesticide residue left on foods. † Though there are mixed reviews on if consuming pesticides hurt your immune system, pregnant women are taking the cautionary steps on making sure their future child will be born healthy and not be exposed to pesticides at an early age. On the Dirty Dozen list, apples are the number 1 food source of 2011, with over 40 known pesticides in just 1 apple. Not surprisingly, pesticide residue is also found in apple juice and apple sauce, making all apple products smart foods to buy organic. Strawberries have over 60 pesticides on it, so while you â€Å"wash† your strawberries remember you are eating pesticide residue remains on those strawberries you bought at the food market. 93% of Americans tested by the CDC had metabolites of chlorpyrifos a nuerotoxic insecticide in their urine. Banned from home use because of its risks to children, chlorpyrifos is part of a family of pesticides (organophosphates) linked to ADHD. Women who were exposed to DDT as girls are 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer, according to Panna. Several people are allergic to the growth hormone farmers put in their animals, but are able to eat organic meats because animals raised organically are not allowed to be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), or other artificial drugs. Animals are also not allowed to eat genetically modified foods. Organic meat the animals are also killed more humane than non organic animals. The animals are raised in a healthier environment, fed organic feed, and often eat a wider range of nutrients than those raised in factory farms (such as would be the case of free-range chickens and ranch cattle). Cbn. com stated, â€Å"In a recent poll, two-thirds of Americans surveyed stated they would like to be able to fit organic foods into their budgets. † Organic food may cost more but less exposure to unnecessary hormones and pesticides is worth it. Organic is the way to go, lower pesticide levels, more nutrients, no antibiotics, no added growth hormones, and environmental responsibility. Although research findings about benefits of organic produce are not conclusive, it is definite that organic stuff is safer than the produce with traces of pesticides. Organic milk, vegetables and fruits are much more expensive than the non-organic but if you can afford it then go for it. If more people start buying organic food then gradually their prices will gradually come down.

Visual Analysis

Visual Analysis of Mediated Images Though a visual may be analysed in many ways, of late a convention has been established to study under Six major schools of thought. 1. The personal perspective deals with an emotional subjective opinion. ‘What do I think of the picture’. It’s the first response or first thought that crosses your mind on viewing the picture. It bears personal bias and prejudices. 2. The historical perspective helps to determine the importance of the work based on the time period that it was created in. ‘When was this created?What was the social setup at that period of time? 3. The technical perspective tries to draw a relation b/w the medium and the message. ‘What medium has been used to create the message? How has the creator expressed himself through the medium chosen. 4. The ethical perspective looks at the moral and ethical responsibilities of the artist. ‘What are the moral responsibilities of the creator? Is his portrayal of the image ethical? 5. The cultural perspective relates the symbols used in the image to the society. ‘What symbols has the creator used?What is the message conveyed by them? 6. The critical perspective is a rational conclusion that the viewer draws from the image. It is a personal reaction though free of bias and prejudice. ‘What have I concluded after critically analyzing the picture? How different was my first opinion from the second? Aim of Critical analysis: A producer of messages must have an understanding of the culture of the audience and use symbols that are comprehensible by them. It helps a viewer understand, interpret and appreciate art. List all the  Objects and  ElementsOne must notice all the objects and elements in the picture and draw a distinction between the most important and the less important. The placements of elements gives a sense of movement within the picture hence the positioning of objects must be noted. Centre, left, right, top and bot tom. Shadows and lighting suggest what part is in focus and give a sense of depth. The location helps in interpretation of the message. One must categorize the purpose as news, art, personal, or any other. The List †¢ 4 girls †¢ Water †¢ Old building †¢ Small boys †¢ Road The Composition Placement of Objects Foreground: Girls in centre †¢ Background: Water + Kids (left) playing †¢ Background: Brightly lit Building on the right †¢ Background: High contrast / Darker building behind the boys The girls in the centre are the subject of the picture. The water in the background seems to be coming from a nearby hose pipe or fire hydrant. The girls seem drenched in water. One can see small boys still playing in the water in the background. Study visual cues Shadows and lighting †¢Illuminated building on right hand side †¢Light source is in front of the girls at an angle above them †¢Building behind the boys is in shady regionThe light an d shadow suggests its little after 15:00 hours. It sets the mood of summer and playful indulgence of kids by drenching themselves. There is a sense of innocence. Study visual cues†¦ Colour †¢Objective- perception of colour & its characteristics †¢Comparative- association of colour with objects, events, emotions †¢Subjective- Every different colour has different associations in different cultures and societies. †¢The girls dark complexion. †¢The light shades worn suggests summer season. †¢The dark shades suggests old and shanty town. Form The triangle shape of the girls is a dynamic shape. ts base gives a sense of stability. They are also in a group and seem like a whole unit. The buildings give a sense of serenity and form the base for the girls that seem in front of it. ‘Eight' depth Cues Many representational visual texts give a very strong feeling of depth despite the fact that they are painted on flat surfaces that lack any depth. In tryi ng to depict depth, there are several restrictions on the techniques that an artist can use. First, most visual texts, like paintings, drawings, illustrations, and photographs, are two-dimensional.There is no actual depth in the artwork so one must understand, at least intuitively, what information is in the environment that allow us to perceive depth. These sources of information are commonly called depth or distance cues. A consequence of the two-dimensional nature of painting and pictures is that we lose all the depth information that comes from the fact that we have two eyes. These binocular, or two-eye, depth cues require true depth and thus we will not discuss them in context with conventional visual texts. For example, there is the binocular depth cue called disparity.Disparity arises from the fact that our two eyes have a slightly different view of the world. To allow you to see disparity requires either real depth or two images developed as if from different positions like our eyes. The artist, in trying to paint or draw, is, therefore, limited to depth cues that (a) need no more than one eye to work, and (b) do not require a moving world. Fortunately there are a collection of such depth cues, a subset of monocular cues called pictorial cues by some authors (Goldstein, 1989). 1. Interposition 2. Space 3. Size 4. Colour 5. Lighting 6. Textural gradient 7. Time 8.Perspective 1. Interposition The first depth cue to be discussed here is interposition which is the partial blocking of a more distant object by a nearer object. Note how the the building is blocked by the girls. In fact, if you notice the kid behind the girls on your right is partially blocking the building too. But, it is the girls who land up blocking him too. Thus creating an illusion as to what is in the background and what is in the front. It is the interposition, overlap, that causes the sense of depth to arise. Usually the impression of depth caused by interposition alone is not very st rong.Notice the foreground figures of two girls with partially blocked figures of other two taking a piggy ride, which are all that are important for our present purposes. Here relative size and even relative height play little role in giving the depth order of the various figures (all the figures are roughly the same level and same size). Shadowing plays an important role in giving each of the figures their sense of three-dimensionality, but to tell who is in what position relative to another, the principle cue is interposition. 2. Space Space is the frame in which an image is located.With a natural scene, the space depends on how close you are to the subject. Standing in an open field gives the feeling of a large amount of space and enhances the feeling of depth. If an object is close to the eyes, depth perception is limited. Distance is related to space and helps in our perception of depth. There is a lot of space behind the girls suggesting they are far from the buildings. The w ater is in the background and the wet girls suggest they had been in the water previously. 3. Size Size can help create the illusion of the depth perception if the viewer is aware of the object’s actual size.A jumbo jet seen from a distance is a small bird sized object. If someone has no idea what the jumbo jets are, then the viewer does not react to this depth cue. Likewise, in this photograph we can guess average size (both height and size) and average size of two storied building in the backdrop we become aware of the depth (both in terms of space and distance) between the girls (foreground) and the building (background). Size, consequently, is closely related to our ability to determine an object’s distance. Distance is related to space and helps in our perception of depth. Size also is related to scale and mental attention.Without knowing an object’s size, we have to view it next to an object of known size in order to determine its size. 4. Colour Correct i nterpretation of colour, and especially lighting cues, allows the beholder to determine the shape of objects, and thus their arrangement in space. The colour of distant objects is also shifted towards the blue end of the spectrum. (e. g. distant mountains. ) Painters, notably Cezanne, employ â€Å"warm† pigments (red, yellow and orange) to bring features forward towards the viewer, and â€Å"cool† ones (blue, violet, and blue-green) to indicate the part of a form that curves away from the picture plane.High contrast pictures with great differences between light and dark tones seem closer than objects with more neutral tones colour. 5. Lighting The exact shape and description of the shadows changes depending on the direction of the light. There are certain general rules about shadows. First, in a place with only one source of light, e. g. outside, the shadows from all the objects in the area all go in the same direction. As a corollary of this rule, it is certainly true for all natural lights, and for most artificial lights, that the light comes from above to some degree.We do not usually experience getting illuminated from the floor. Second, for a solid object sticking up the side of the object in shadow is the side away from the light but for a hole in the ground, the shadow is on the side near the light. Shadow can play a very powerful role in defining form by giving the object a three-dimensional feel as in the title to this page. In addition, artists can take good advantage of shadow to define form by highlighting how different portions of an object are at different depths and herefore the object closer to the light will cast a shadow on the more distant object. Shadow can play a broader role in defining depth between objects since objects that are in shadow must be farther from the light than objects that are not in shadow. Differences in light intensities can communicate depth. Carefully crafted lighting design provides subject’s sep aration from background. If brightness level of the back light is slightly higher than the lights in front then this separation is more distinct. However, no backlight has been used in this photograph.Yet, the prevalence of shadows (largely in mid-space of the picture plane and the shows of the subject indicate subject’s volume and provides the viewer with reasonable illusion of depth perspective. 6. Textural gradient Related in a sense to relative size but a depth cue in its own right is what has been termed texture gradient. Most surfaces, such as walls and roads and a field of flowers in bloom, have a texture. As the surface gets farther away from us this texture gets finer and appears smoother (Gibson, 1950). A surface or field that recedes in depth has a texture that gets finer.That is very different from a wall where the surface is approximately the same distance from a person at all points. For example, imagine yourself standing and staring at a brick wall which, inste ad of receding in depth like a cobblestone road, rises up in front of you. Here the texture, in this case the brick alternating with the mortar, will have about the same roughness all over the surface and provide a clue that the surface does not recede in depth. In addition, texture may play a role in helping us determine the size of an object.Regardless of how far an object is away from us, it covers roughly the same amount of surface, and thus texture, which can help us determine the actual size of an object (Gibson, 1950). 7. Time Time and space are intricately related concepts that find expression in visual messages. In one sense, time as a depth cue refers to the first element a viewer sees in a frame. That picture will be in the foreground of the viewer’s mind, with other images seen later in the background. 8. Perspective It is a complex depth perception cue due to cultural factor which comes into play each time we try to interpret depth.However, Perspective, in the co ntext of vision and visual perception, is the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes, or their dimensions and the position of the eye relative to the objects. As objects become more distant, they appear smaller, because their angular diameter (visual angle) decreases. Perspective is also seen in the way the parallel lines of how railway tracks appear to be meeting at a distant point (the vanishing point) on the horizon. When used in this sense, the ‘horizon' is always at the level of the viewer's eye.Because the Earth is round, the true horizon (the line dividing the surface and the sky) is lower than this level. The difference is imperceptibly small when standing on the surface, but noticeable from great height (a person standing on a mountain can see further than someone at ground level). According to Evelyn Hatcher, there are three major forms of perspective which she details in her book Visual Metaphors: A Methodological Study in Visual Co mmunication. These are as follows: Illusionary Perspective: An illusionary perspective can be achieved through size, colour, lighting, interposition, and linear perspective.When you stand on a railroad track and look down the ties, the steel rails seem to converge into a single area, or vanishing point, in the distance. This trait of parallel lines when seen at a distance is called linear perspective. This aspect of illusionary perspective that provides the illusion of three dimensional depth in a painting or a photograph is what artists were trying to duplicate with the aid of Leonardo box and camera obscura. Geometrical Perspective: In geometrical perspective the artist shows near figures in the lower portion of the picture and objects farther away higher in the frame on a vertical line above the near object.This type of perspective is common among traditional Japanese and Mayan artwork. Children often exhibit this type of perspective in their drawings. Conceptual Perspective: Con ceptual perspective is compositional trait that relies on a more symbolic definition of depth perception than the other types of perspective. It can be divided into two types: multi-view and social. With the multi-view perspective, a viewer can see many different sides of an object at the same time. The picture is often an X-ray, or transparent, view of the object. Near objects overlap far objects only by the outside edges or lines that make up their shapes.Pablo Picasso liked to use this type of perspective. In social perspective the most important person in a group picture, a government or corporate leader, is larger in size than other, less important people. A viewer often assumes power relationships because of social perspective. In a picture of a couple the man’s dominance over the woman often is signified by the man being nearer and larger in the frame with his hand resting on or arm wrapped around the woman’s shoulder. Over the past three decades, the feminist m ovement has made advertisers and others more sensitive to nonverbal negative stereotypes such as these. Depth 8’ Depth cues 1. Interposition 2. Space 3. Size 4. Colour 5. Lighting 6. Textural gradient 7. Time 8. Perspective Many representational visual texts give a very strong feeling of depth despite the fact that they are painted on flat surfaces that lack any depth. In trying to depict depth, there are several restrictions on the techniques that an artist can use. First, most visual texts, like paintings, drawings, illustrations, and photographs, are two-dimensional. There is no actual depth in the artwork so one must understand, at least intuitively, what information is in the environment that allow us to perceive depth.These sources of information are commonly called depth or distance cues. A consequence of the two-dimensional nature of painting and pictures is that we lose all the depth information that comes from the fact that we have two eyes. These binocular, or two- eye, depth cues require true depth and thus we will not discuss them in context with conventional visual texts. For example, there is the binocular depth cue called disparity. Disparity arises from the fact that our two eyes have a slightly different view of the world.To allow you to see disparity requires either real depth or two images developed as if from different positions like our eyes. The artist, in trying to paint or draw, is, therefore, limited to depth cues that (a) need no more than one eye to work, and (b) do not require a moving world. Fortunately there are a collection of such depth cues, a subset of monocular cues called pictorial cues by some authors (Goldstein, 1989). The first depth cue to be discussed here is interposition which is the partial blocking of a more distant object by a nearer object. Note how the the building is blocked by the girls.Infact, if you notice the kid behind the girls on your right is partially blocking the building too. But, it is the gir ls who land up blocking him too. Thus creating an illusion as to what is in the background and what is in the front. It is the interposition, overlap, that causes the sense of depth to arise. Usually the impression of depth caused by interposition alone is not very strong. Notice the foreground figures of two girls with partially blocked figures of other two taking a piggy ride, which are all that are important for our present purposes.Here relative size and even relative height play little role in giving the depth order of the various figures (all the figures are roughly the same level and same size). Shadowing plays an important role in giving each of the figures their sense of three-dimensionality, but to tell who is in what position relative to another, the principle cue is interposition. There is a lot of space behind the girls suggesting they are far from the buildings. The water is in the background and the wet girls suggest they had been in the water previously. Movement â⠂¬ ¢The girls have moved fro near the water to the position they are in now.Where was the picture made? What do u think was its purpose? * The picture seems to be clicked in some Afro-American suburb. * It could have been taken to accompany a feature article on the summer heat. Personal Perspective * What do I think of the visual? * Omniphasism â€Å"All in Balance† * Rick Williams philosopher, photographer ; educator at the University of Oregon * Theory that combines the rational and intuitive aspects of the mind. Omniphasism was thought of by Rick Williams, a philosopher, photographer, and educator at the University of Oregon develop the theory Omniphasism.It’s a theory that attempts to combine the rational and intuitive aspects of the mind into a balanced whole. William uses 8 steps for analyzing a visual message, using his Omniphasism tech called a â€Å"personal Impact Assessment† What is my first emotional response to the visual? Do I like it? Dislike it? How do I feel about the image? Its a picture of teenage girls who have just played in water. It’s pleasant to look at. Personal Impact Assessment â€Å"Part of the idea of going from primary words to associative words to significant words is to move away from Literal interpretation of the photo to a symbolic understanding of it. ~  Rich Williams Personal Impact Assessment 8 Steps: 1. Take time with the image 2. List Primary Words 3. List associative words 4. Select the most important associative words 5. Pair primary and associative words 6. Relate each pair to yourself 7. Review your inner symbolism 8. Write a story Take time with the Image * Does the story Stimulate or Alienate? Its an isolated moment that rests on composition. * What is the story or message? Some girls played in the water to beat the heat. List Primary Words * Visual Cues * Objects * Feelings Primary words * Group of 4 girls * Water * Sun Old buildings * Light shade clothes List Associative Words Observ e each primary word and link it to your thought. One must write down all words that come to ones mind on reading each of the primary words. Associative words * Group of 4 girls :  happy, wet, Afro American * Water:  Hose pipe, Fire hydrant * Sun:  Summer, heat, daytime * Old buildings:  poor neighbourhood * Happy :  cool, relaxed Select the most important associative words Among the associative words one word would be closest to its primary word underline or select that word. This is the most important associative word.Choose one word out of the associative words for each primary word. Pair Primary and Associative words Write the primary and most important associative word together. * Group of 4 girls :  Afro American * Water:  Fire hydrant * Sun:  Summer-heat * Old buildings:  poor neighbourhood * Happy :  cool Relate each pair to Yourself Make note of the thoughts that come to your mind on viewing each pair of words. What does each pair suggest? * Group of 4 gi rls :  Afro american  poor * Water:  Fire hydrant  wet, sultry * Sun:  Summer-heat scorcher * Old buildings:  poor neighborhood unaffordability of luxury * Happy   cool  relief Review your Inner Symbolism See if the conclusions drawn from the pairs link to any conflict, event, emotion, value or feeling. * List inner conflicts, emotions, values or feelings The summer heat is hard to bear . Water is natures boon to mankind Write a story Add up all your thoughts and write a summary or a story. What is the story in the image? A group of Afro-American girls decide to cool of in the summer heat by playing with some water from a fire hydrant. Historical Perspective * When do you think was the image made? In the 1980’s or after. Is there a specific style that the image imitates? The historical perspective helps to understand current trends in terms of their roots in technology and philosophies of the past. Where did the image come from? What was the setup at that time ? What is the background of the image? these questions help us to infer meanings. Technical Perspective One can evaluate the production techniques. Has the producer used the technology at hand to its best in generating the message? Has it aided in delivering the message as intended effectively. * What medium has been used? film * What techniques were employed?A street shot clicked without the subject noticing it been taken * How was it produced? With an SLR camera * Is it of good quality? yes (look at grain size, gama, composition, content, shutter speed etc. ) Ethical Perspective This is the moral and ethical analysis of the visual. It applies to both the viewer and the producer of the visual. Categorical Imperative * Immanuel Kant, German philosopher from the east principality of KOnisberg 18th Century * Categorical (unconditional / without exception) * â€Å"Right is Right† * Do your duty The right thing must be done under even the most extreme conditions.Once a rule is es tablished for a proposed action or idea, behavior and actions must be consistently applied and always in accordance with it. One does his/ her duty. In the ethics of the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, founder of critical philosophy, a moral law that is unconditional or absolute for all agents, the validity or claim of which does not depend on any ulterior motive or end. â€Å"Thou shalt not steal,† for example, is categorical as distinct from the hypothetical imperatives associated with desire, such as â€Å"Do not steal if you want to be popular. For Kant there was only one such categorical imperative, which he formulated in various ways. â€Å"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† is a purely formal or logical statement and expresses the condition of the rationality of conduct rather than that of its morality, which is expressed in another Kantian formula: â€Å"So act as to tr eat humanity, whether in your own person or in another, always as an end, and never as only a means. † Utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham ; John Stuart Mill (British Philosophers) * Belief: â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number of people† * Analysis of the consequence : Outcome must do good to most people In ethics, a tradition stemming from the late 18th- and 19th-century English philosophers and economists Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce the reverse of happiness—not just the happiness of the performer of the action but also that of everyone affected by it.Utilitarianism is an effort to provide an answer to the practical question â€Å"What ought a man to do? † Its answer is that he ought to act so as to produce the best consequences possible. Eg: A gruesome image must be published or printed only if it would evoke a positive reaction in maximum of the viewe rs. Hedonism Hedonism is the philosophy that pleasure is of ultimate importance, the most important pursuit. The name derives from the Greek word for â€Å"delight†. * A student of Socrates, Aristippus founded this ethical philosophy on the basis of pleasure. Aristippus believed that people should â€Å"act to maximize pleasure† now and not worry about the future. * He referred to intellectual pleasure not physical. * Pleasures of the mind * â€Å"I Possess I am not Possessed† * Aesthetic pleasure that we get out of a picture Golden Mean  (Finding a compromise b/w the two extreme points of an action or view. In philosophy, especially that of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. To the Greek mentality, it was an attribute of beauty.Both ancients and moderns realized that â€Å"there is a close association in mathematics between beauty and truth†. The poet John Keats, in his Od e on a Grecian Urn, put it this way: Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. The Greeks believed there to be three concomitants of beauty: symmetry, proportion, and harmony. This triad of principles infused their life. They were very much attuned to beauty as an object of love and something that was to be imitated and reproduced in their lives, architecture, Paideia and politics.They judged life by this mentality. Golden Rule * â€Å"Love your neighbor as yourself† * Be humane do not harm others by your actions The Golden Rule which stems from ethic of reciprocity is a fundamental moral value which â€Å"refers to the balance in an interactive system such that each party has both rights and duties, and the subordinate norm of complementarity states that one's rights are the other's obligation. † In essence, it is an ethical code that states one has a right to just treatment, and a responsibility to ensure justice for others .Reciprocity is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights, though it is not without its critics. Many assign the imperative commandment of Golden Rule as instruction for a positive only form of reciprocity. A key element of the golden rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people, not just members of his or her in-group with consideration. The golden rule, with roots in a wide range of world cultures, is well suited to be a standard to which different cultures could appeal in resolving conflicts.Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways. Veil of Ignorance John Rawls (1971) â€Å"Put the shoe on the other foot. * All people are equal * Eliminating all prejudice and discrimination The original position is a hypothetical situation developed by American philosopher John Rawls as a thought experiment to replace the imagery of a savage state of nature of prior political philosophers like Thomas H obbes. In social contract theory, persons in the state of nature agree to the provisions of a contract that defines the basic rights and duties of citizens in a civil society.In Rawls's theory, Justice as Fairness, the original position plays the role that the state of nature does in the classical social contract tradition of Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and John Locke. The original position figures prominently in his book, A Theory of Justice, and it is one of the most influential ideas in twentieth-century philosophy. It has influenced a variety of thinkers from a broad spectrum of philosophical orientations.As a thought experiment, the original position is a hypothetical designed to accurately reflect what principles of justice would be manifest in a society premised on free and fair cooperation between citizens, including respect for liberty, and an interest in reciprocity. Questions to be asked while analysing a visual from Ethical / Moral Perspective†¦ as per Dr Demi Elliot Poynter Jamison, chair, Media Ethics & Press Policy at the University of South Florida at St. Petersberg. 1. Does the taking and displaying of the picture fit the social responsibility of the professional involved? 2.Has any ones rights been violated in taking and displaying the picture? 3. Does the display of the image meet the needs of the viewer? 4. Is the picture aesthetically appealing? 5. Does the picture choice reflect moderation? 6. Does the professional choice reflect empathy for the subjects experience? 7. Could a professional justify the choice if he/she didn’t know which of the parties (subject, shooter or viewer) he/ she would turn out to be? 8. Does the visual Image cause unjustified harm Cultural Perspective * Identify the Symbols used, and * Determine their Meaning for the society as a whole. What is the story and the symbolism involved with the elements in the visual message? * What do they say about current cultural values? (It is related to the semiotic process) The story revolves around the Afro-American people in the United States of America. Historically, the country has been dominated by a settler society of religiously and ethnically diverse Whites. The heaviest burdens of racism in the country have fallen upon Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans and some other immigrant groups and their descendants.Major racially structured institutions include slavery, Indian reservations, segregation, residential schools (for Native Americans), and internment camps. Racial stratification has occurred in employment, housing, education and government. Formal racial discrimination was largely banned in the mid-20th century, and it came to be perceived as socially unacceptable and/or morally repugnant as well, yet racial politics remain a major phenomenon as witnessed during the 44th Presidential Elections. Racist attitudes, or prejudice, are still held by moderate portions of the U. S population.Membe rs of every American ethnic group have perceived racism in their dealings with other groups. Critical Perspective An analysis of a visual to arrive at a ‘Rational', ‘Objective' and ‘Thoughtful' Conclusion. What is my final opinion about the picture? How does my current view differ from the previous? Conclusion â€Å"Analysis is ego-driven. The main thing is that it always reveals the person making the analysis — not really the piece itself? ~  David Lodge It’s a cyclic process. You will find below four images. You may undertake a visual analysis, based on what you have learnt so far: