A Situational Analysis on Marsha Warrens Case Essay

A Situational Analysis on Marsha Warrens Case - Essay Example In environmental control, the exercise of excessive disciplinary actions may sound sensible, but it can establish restrictive academic atmosphere, arresting learning at the expense of highly reactive students. Indicatively, in the case study of Marsha Warren, despite application of contingent teaching and management strategies, there are still manifestations of setbacks, not only on the part of the students, but also in the instructors’ classroom management. Although the students’ behavioral and learning problems are sources of class disruptions, the teachers’ personal attitude towards their academic functions may worsen the uncontrollable situations.  In environmental control, the exercise of excessive disciplinary actions may sound sensible, but it can establish restrictive academic atmosphere, arresting learning at the expense of highly reactive students. Indicatively, in the case study of Marsha Warren, despite application of contingent teaching and managem ent strategies, there are still manifestations of setbacks, not only on the part of the students, but also in the instructors’ classroom management. Although the students’ behavioral and learning problems are sources of class disruptions, the teachers’ personal attitude towards their academic functions may worsen the uncontrollable situations.   Dealing with difficult students in heterogeneous groups can be tasking to patience and efforts of every instructor. In the case of Warren, several dilemmas have piled up, instigating sparks of hostility in learning and social interaction. For one, the source of disruptive behavior has not been dealt with accordingly. With the narrowed focus on â€Å"bad behavior,† other important aspects of the disruptive problems have been neglectfully addressed (Goldstein, 2007, p. 4). The instructor in the paper keeps placing punishing consequences on the delinquent acts of the students, never reflecting on implication of con secutive reprimands on children’s social conditioning. Active interaction is severely hampered through this restrictive management form, reducing motivations on students’ learning desires.  In relation, while the lack of insight on how to classroom conflicts is rampant, abject competency in teaching and handling a classroom conflict is questioned.  

Post Colonial And World Literature In English Essay

Post Colonial And World Literature In English - Essay Example The abandonment of cultures and traditions by the colonized is one of the most significant aspects of post-colonial literature in the discourse on colonialism.The pacification of indigenous people in colonies was completed through the conversion of these individuals to Christianity because it was believed that it was the true religion and that the practices of these communities were satanic. The adoption of Christianity was considered by colonial administrators to be a means to not only pacifying the colonized but also as the first step of achieving their civilizing mission (Morrison 1984, p.327). This process was brought about through European missionary activities during the colonial period. colonialism developed mainly as a result of the diverse European powers seeking to ensure that they not only gained markets for their goods, but also for the purpose of prestige. The discussion above has shown that colonialism and racism are among the most important themes that are addressed in the post-colonial literature. Furthermore, colonialism developed mainly as a result of the diverse European powers seeking to ensure that they not only gained markets for their goods, but also for the purpose of prestige. In addition, the discussion has shown that forced labor is one of the aspects of colonialism that led to the development of resentment among indigenous people towards the colonists. Finally, the abandonment of cultures and traditions by the colonized is a significant aspect of post-colonial literature in the discourse on colonialism.

Gestalt theory

Gestalt theory Gestalt theory is based on the idea that the human brain is holistic and it perceives objects as whole systems rather than the sum of its parts. Discuss and analyze the significance of the contributions of Gestalt theory to human perception and cognition. Give 3 examples. As I was reading and researching for this discussion I began to apply these principles of Gestalt perception theories and Gestalt therapy to my family. What I see when Jaci (my 4 year old daughter) looks at things and gives me a description of what she is seeing her perception is very different than mine or my partners. Jaci is very creative and can see and do things much different than we do as adults. She has a subscription to highlights puzzle books. In these books there are several hidden pictures and she has a difficult time Gestalt basically means â€Å"unified whole† which refers to theories of perception developed during 1910- 1912 by Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Kohler. The prominent founders of Gestalt theory are Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka. Gestalt theory attempted to describe how people organize things into groups which developed unified whole. Wertheimer suggested the idea of â€Å"apparent motion† an example in Goodwin, (2009) is â€Å"if an interval between a flashing light is only 60 sec then the perception is not of two separate lights but of one light that is moving.† Wertheimer called this perception the phi-phenomenon. Wertheimer wrote a paper â€Å"Laws of Organization in Perceptual Forms† where he introduced several other principles related to perception and cognition. These proposed principles he argued were the answer to understanding how individuals perception. The principles that were applied to understand this visual perception was similarity, anomaly, continuation, closure, proximity, and figure and ground. Gestalt is also known as the Law of Simplicity or the Law of Pragnanz (â€Å"good figure†), which states that every stimulus is perceived as close to our reality, as possible (Goodwin, 2009). Gestalt theorists believed that the whole is greater than the parts. In other words, the whole (a car) carried a different and greater meaning than its individual components (tire, paint, metal). When we look at the car (whole) a cognitive process takes place instantaneously; the mind makes a jump from understanding the parts (tires, paint, metal) to recognizing the entire car. A simple composition may have only one figure however in a complex composition there will be several things to notice. We have a tendency to look from one object to the other and they each become figure however they cannot both be seen as figure and ground at the same time. The focus at any moment is the figure which then presumes that everything that is not figure is ground. An example of this would be how camouflage works. It is a purposeful attempt to have the figure blend into ground. All tanks during the gulf war changed camouflage from the green camouflage of earlier wars to a brown base so that they could blend in with the sand. Because Gestalt theory suggests that things that share the same visual characteristics (color, texture, shape, size and value) they then are seen as belonging together. This example illustrates how camouflage attempts to do just that, visually seeing the tank and the terrain as one thus, keeping soldiers safe from harm. Gestalt theory continues to be seen in psychology today with several of his ideas. Lewins theory about the power of the group and idea of a state of equilibrium are still powerful today. My work today is strongly focused on the group dynamic and the power of the group and part of the education involves our intrinsic need to seek equilibrium.

Essay on Camus’ The Stranger (The Outsider): Parallels Within

Parallels Within The Stranger (The Outsider) The Stranger by Albert Camus is a story of a sequence of events in one man's life that cause him to question the nature of the universe and his position in it. The book is written in two parts and each part seems to reflect in large degree the actions occurring in the other. There are curious parallels throughout the two parts that seem to indicate the emotional state of Meursault, the protagonist, and his view of the world. Meursault is a fairly average individual who is distinctive more in his apathy and passive pessimism than in anything else. He rarely talks because he generally has nothing to say, and he does what is requested of him because he feels that resisting commands is more of a bother than it is worth. Meursault never did anything notable or distinctive in his life: a fact which makes the events of the book all the more intriguing. Part I of The Stranger begins with Meursault's attendance at his mother's funeral. It ends with Meursault on the beach at Algiers killing a man. Part II is concerned with Meursault's trial for that same murder, his ultimate sentencing to death and the mental anguish that he experiences as a result of this sentence. Several curious parallels emerge here, especially with regard to Meursault's perception of the world. In Part I, Meursault is spending the night next to his mother's coffin at a sort of pre-funeral vigil. With him are several old people who were friends of his mother at the home in which she had been living at the time of her death. Meursault has the strange feeling that he can see all of their faces really clearly, that he can observe every detail of their clothing and that they will be indelibly impr... ...r has not done makes no essential difference at the end. The nurse at the funeral tells him, "if you walk too slowly, you'll get heat exhaustion, but if you walk too fast, then the cool air in church will give you a chill.† As he kills the Arab, he thinks, "Whether I fire or don't fire is irrelevant; the ending will be the same.† And at the trial, Meursault tells the prosecutor, "I have lived my life thus and did x, but if I had done y or z instead, it wouldn't have mattered.† And, ultimately, Meursault turns out to be correct; he discovers that when death approaches, all men are equal, no matter what their ages or previous lives. Meursault views death as an escape: you can't escape from it, but you can escape into it, and he prepares himself to do so, bit by bit. Each parellel incident is just one more winding round of the rope that will bind him completely.

Distinctly Visual Essay

Distinctly Essay A distinctively visual text influences our view of the world, and object or a person by the composer presenting us with new ideas and emotions that let us see from another point of view. Henry Lawson is an Australian writer that has the ability to twist his readers into his stories so they understand the true feelings and emotions of the characters. He presents us with the idea the bush is a negative place to live. But all Australians have a connection with it.Distinctly visual texts affect how we see the world and our relationships with others. Henry Lawson acknowledges the hardships of Australian women whose bravery and perseverance is unfairly over looked. Lawson’s admiration of the wife is evident in the portrayal of a strong and independent female protagonist. While the characters traits of the hattered old dog â€Å"alligator† are amusingly represented, it remains the wife who really fascinates the reader. Her appearance and behaviour can be readi ly pictured and we easily identify with her hopes and fears.He then reflects the harshness with the characterisation of the â€Å"Gaunt sun brown woman† and her â€Å"four ragged, dried up looking children†, This shapes our understanding of the unique Australian traits of toughness and courage towards a hostile environment like the bush. We never learn her name and this anonymity increases the representative role she plays, making the reader more reflective and empathetic about what is revealed, especially when given access t o her thoughts and feelings. By visualising the bush woman’s surroundings the reader can connect with her frame of mind. One is left with an overwhelming sense of loneliness and hardship.Through the use of flashbacks Lawson presents us with the different situations the women has been confront with and the way she has had to overcome them while her husband has been away â€Å"she fought a bush fire.. She fought a flood.. She also fought a m ade bullock’ and now a snake. The vivid imagery of the environment creates the feeling of isolation and monotony that the drover’s wife experiences in her day to day life. Lawson positions us to accept his visual interpretation of life in the bush defined by continual hardship instead of focusing primarily on the contents of the bush, Lawson focuses on what is lacking.The Lost Thing is a humorous story about a boy who discovers a bizarre looking creature while out collecting bottle tops at a beach. Having guessed that it is lost, he tries to find out who owns it or where it belongs, but the problem is met with indifference by everyone else, who barely notice is presence. Each is unhelpful in their own way, strangers, friends, parents are all unwilling to entertain this uninvited interruption to their day to day life.In spite of his better judgement the boy feels sorry for this hapless creature, and attempts to find out where it belongs. The story soon develops into a f able about all sorts of social concerns, with a ambiguous ending. For a start ‘the lost pet’ is unlike anything we might normally expect. It is a huge tentacled monster, not quite animal or machine, with no particular function or origin. Whimsical, purposeless and estranged from everything around it, it is out of place in a much deeper sense that just being ‘lost’.The environment described by the illustrations also resists any simple reading. A treeless industrial metropolis full of excessive plumbing, mysterious and dehumanising architecture, green skies and cheerless citizens. Nobody pays attention to this ‘lost pet’ despite its disruptive presence, every citizen is too busy in their daily routine to notice. The text is written as a matter-of-fact anecdote, told by the boy and addressed to the reader, presented as a kind of â€Å"what I did over summer† story (hence the use of hand-written text on strips of note paper).Significantly, t he creature in question is never physically described, and there is very little said about the environment in which the story unfolds; this is where the illustrations take over. Read by itself the text would sound as though it is about a lost dog in a quite familiar suburb or city, but the pictures reveal a freakish tentacled animal in a surreal a treeless world of green skies, excessive plumbing, concrete and machinery Another short story written by Henry Lawson that displays this connection with the land is â€Å"the loaded dog†.It tells a story of three men that are working on a gold field and leave a explosive lying around. This explosive is then picked up by their dog, who chases them with it lit in its mouth. Unlike â€Å"the drovers wife† Lawson’s ability to balance the harshness of the wish with the larrikin characters. Allows him to make the story entertaining but also life threatening. The visual image of the men following each other being chases by th e dog with an explosive in its mouth is an example of this humour Lawson uses throughout the story to conceal the bush during the tory. Lawson uses the almost dried up creek as an example of the ruthlessness the bush has on it occupants. The men usually use the fish as their main source of food but because it has turned into a â€Å"chain of muddy waterholes.. six to seven feet deep† they are fearing they will starve. So they come up with a plan to catch the fish using an explosive. A dog is also present in â€Å"the loaded dog† but it does not have a protector role like the one in â€Å"the drovers wife† rather Lawson mainly convey â€Å"Tommy.. big, black†¦ retriever dog.. as their four legged mate† this mate ship is the only thing that is positive in the story, although Lawson uses him as the main cause of all the trouble and excitement. Henry Lawson short stories are both visual texts that have contributed to the Australian myth and have become a voice for the individuals of the 1890’s. His stories still have a meaning of heritage and belonging for today’s society. Shaun tans â€Å"the lost thing† provokes questions

Three Stages of the Child Development

Question 2: What are three stages of child development? Maria Montessory divided the process of child development into tree stages. 1. First stage: Absorbent Mind (0-6 years) This is the period of transformation and the characteristic of this period is known as the Absorbent Mind. The child absorbs environment into himself. The child creates the person she will become once given an appropriate and specially prepared environment to work. Montessori said that during the absorbent mind, the Sensitive Periods are at the strongest and facilitates the child's learning process.This period can be divided into two sub-phases. Unconscious Absorbent Mind (0-3 years). The child cannot be dictated in this period nor can be directly influenced by the adults. The child learns unconsciously from his environment by using his senses of seeing and hearing. No formal schooling is suggested in this period however provision of a suitable environment greatly helps a child in making good early impressions o f the world around him. Children under the age of three, do not need to have lessons in order to learn, they simply absorb everything in the environment by experiencing it, being part of it.It is therefore important that the environment set up is good, nice and positive since this is what the child will absorb whether he chooses to or not. Conscious Absorbent Mind (3-6 years). Child becomes sensitive to adult influence. The period from 3 to 6 years of age is a period of conscious construction when the child takes consciously from the environment. This is the bless time to play. The child realizes the environment by the work of his hands. The child starts building personality basing on the impressions stored during first three years of his life.The sense of touch gets coordinated with the mind. Hands become a prime tool of learning. This is also a time of social development. The child wants to have company of other children and can be separated from mother for short periods of time. Children of this age are also very drawn to activities that engage the five senses. Montessori materials are designed to clearly isolate specific concepts such as length, weight, shape, size and color. Children learn to compare and contrast using their senses of smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing. 2. Second stage: Later Childhood (6-12 years)For many children, these years from six to twelve are the glory years–a time of calm and steady growth and expansion of interests. At approximately six to seven years of age, children experience a major transformation. This transformation leads from the sponge-like absorbent mind of early childhood to the reasoning, thinking adult mind. This is the period when children develop logical thinking skills. They have to think and consciously study in order to learn. During the stage of the absorbent mind, learning happened almost automatically through exposure, but the reasoning mind needs to be consciously engaged in the learning process.T his is a period of uniform growth, an intermediate period or the second stage of childhood. At this stage children are more stable, calm and of great energy. As the child has mastered most of the basic human skills, he no longer has the Absorbent mind but learn through reasoning using his imagination to explore further. It is also a period of self discovery and a period for developing characters, morals and ethics. Montessori offers an exciting idea for guiding education: â€Å"The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination.Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inmost core. † (Montessori, 1967, pg. 15). Maria Montessori identified three primary developmental drives of the elementary years. First, the child develops a voracious appetite for facts. Second, the child enters a period of moral formation and begins to ask questions about right and wrong. Third, his imagination becomes his most powerful learning tool.To feed this hungry mind and active imagination, Maria Montessori suggests that children need a vision of the whole universe starting with the solar system, the history and geography of the earth. Only a vision of the universe offers a framework for understanding all of the component parts. On the moral level, it helps children begin to understand that they are part of an integrated whole. 3. Third stage: Transformation (12-18 years) This is a period of Transformation, both physically and psychologically. Mentally, they have developed logical thinking and do not like to be told or pressure into learning.During this time, age twelve to eighteen years others become more important. Little by little they leave the family, first emotionally then physically. This is hard on parents. Parents are asked to see the adult in the child. Parents need to change how they talk. What was appropriate before is not anymore. They see adulthood coming and are very interested in themselves. All children at this age have an inferiority complex. They are convinced they are being watched. They imagine everyone is looking at them. They don’t have a stable inside or outside anymore. It is also a very idealistic time.They need to be exposed to heroes and idealists. They want to know they have a role to play. They respond to people who make a difference. The hardest part in our society is that they are seen as useless. Society is telling them there is no place for them until they get older. The way out for this is often the arts, music and drama. This is the time that the child develops significant relationships with other adults. There is a decrease in IQ during this period. The child has a decreased interest in academic learning when they are really growing and going through great physical changes.It is a ti me to train for self-sufficiency. Connect lessons with practical, concrete experiences. This is a good time to learn about the independence and interdependence of nature. Like the first stage of development it is also divided again into two sub-phases: Puberty (12-15 years) At this stage the child is like a new born baby. His character is seldom stable and there are signs of indiscipline and rebellion. The advent of puberty indicates the end of childhood. Marked physical changes take place and the child becomes very sensitive of his self.All the confidence and joyfulness of the childhood is suddenly lost. At this stage, the child needs full emotional support of parents and teachers. Adolescence (15-18 years). This period is marked with an attitude of rebellion, discouragement, hesitation, and doubts. There is an unexpected decrease in intellectual capacity as compared to an extrovert of 6-12 years. The creativeness takes charge. The child now transforming into adulthood wants to exp lore the world. Sensitive to criticism and hates to be ridiculed. Parents and teachers need to accommodate mistakes and encourage new ideas.

Whats the Difference Weighted vs Unweighted GPA

What's the Difference Weighted vs Unweighted GPA SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most students think a lot about their GPA in high school. There’s no doubt that GPA is one of the most important pieces of information colleges will consider in your application. However, GPA can vary drastically in the way it’s calculated at different schools. Some high schools use unweighted GPAs and some use weighted GPAs. I’ll give you an overview of the differences between the two and what each type of GPA might mean in the context of your personal experiences. Basic Differences Between Weighted and Unweighted GPAs So what are weighted and unweighted GPAs? Here are the main differences between the two. Unweighted GPA Traditionally, GPA is calculated on an unweighted scale.Unweighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 4.0. It doesn’t take the difficulty of a student’s coursework into account.An unweighted GPA represents an A as a 4.0 whether it was earned in an honors class, AP class, or lower-level class. Weighted GPA Weighted GPA is often used by high schools to better represent students’ academic accomplishments.Weighted GPA takes into account course difficulty rather than providing the same letter grade to GPA conversion for every student.Usually, weighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 5.0, although some scales go higher.An A in an AP class may translate into a 5.0 weighted GPA, while an A in a regular-level class will give you a 4.0 weighted GPA. Many schools also have mid-level classes (such as honors classes) where the highest weighted GPA you can earn is a 4.5. Differences in Calculation As you might expect, unweighted and weighted GPAs are calculated differently. In this section we give an in-depth explanation of how to calculate both GPA types. Unweighted GPA Unweighted GPA is much simpler to calculate than weighted GPA.This is because you don’t have to consider the levels of your classes in the calculations. Let’s say you’re taking five classes, and you have As in two of them and Bs in three of them.The two As will each translate to 4.0s, and the three Bs will each translate to 3.0s.If you add 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 3.0 + 3.0 and then divide by five, you’ll get an unweighted GPA of 3.4. If your grades aren’t quite as simple as that, here’s a quick letter grade and percentile to GPA conversion chart to make things easier. Letter Grade Percentile GPA A+ 97-100 4.0 A 93-96 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7 B+ 87-89 3.3 B 83-86 3.0 B- 80-82 2.7 C+ 77-79 2.3 C 73-76 2.0 C- 70-72 1.7 D+ 67-69 1.3 D 65-66 1.0 F Below 65 0.0 Most schools more or less follow this scale for unweighted GPAs. Yours may be slightly different, but it shouldn’t vary too much. Weighted GPA The calculations for weighted GPA can get a little more tricky because you may be taking a variety of courses at different academic levels. Going withthe example that we used for unweighted GPA, let’s say once again that you’re taking five classes and getting As in two of them and Bs in three of them.But this time let’s also say that one A is in a regular-level class, one A is in an honors class, two Bs are in AP classes, and one B is in an honors class. How is your weighted GPA calculated?Well, each grade has to be considered in conjunction with class level.This means using the unweighted GPA conversion scale for grades in regular-level classes, adding 0.5 to the scale for mid-level/honors classes, and adding 1.0 for high level/AP classes. This means: The A in a regular-level class would still be a 4.0 The A in an honors class would be a 4.5 The two Bs in AP classes would each be 4.0s The B in the honors class would be a 3.5 If you add 4.0 + 4.5 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.5 and divide by 5, you get a 4.0 weighted GPA. Remember, not all schools will use this exact weighted GPA scale, but as you can see, there can be a big difference between the numbers you get for unweighted GPA and weighted GPA based on the types of classes you’re taking. Even if two students have identical grades, one might have a weighted GPA that’s a full point higher than the other. Let's say you have a 3.2 unweighted GPA and are taking five classes. If even two out of the five classes are honors or AP and the rest are regular-level, your GPA would get bumped up to a 3.6 on a weighted scale. A slight difference in the levels of your classes can make a big difference in your weighted GPA. Go for it! All you have to do is believe! (and study more, but mostly believe!) What Does All of This Mean for You? Whether your school uses weighted or unweighted GPA can impact your class rank and experiences in the college admissions process. If Your School Uses Unweighted GPAs†¦ Admissions committees look at your coursework in conjunction with your GPA to reach conclusions about your academic potential.They understand that some schools do not take the difficulty of students’ classes into consideration when calculating GPA.If you challenge yourself in your classes but don’t have a perfect GPA, you will look better in the college admissions process than someone in regular-level classes who has a 4.0. It may be harder to stand out from your classmates with your GPA because more students will have GPAs that are at the same level when class difficulty is not a factor in the calculation.If class rank is based purely on unweighted GPA, your class rank may not reflect the effort you expended.Students with a lot of AP classes can have lower unweighted GPAs than students who took less difficult classes despite being more academically driven. Don’t worry too much though. College admissions officers are aware of the limits of the unweighted system, and they will look closely at your course record to determine whether your GPA is an accurate reflection of your academic potential. If Your School Uses Weighted GPAs†¦ First off, you should know that having a 4.0 weighted GPA doesn’t mean you can get into any college.A 4.0 may be the commonly accepted gold standard, but with weighted GPAs everything shifts upward.A truly elite GPA under the weighted system will actually be close to a 5.0, so you will need to make sure you adapt your concept of what constitutes a high GPA to fit this model. With a weighted GPA, your class rank is more likely to reflect your academic drive and ability because your GPA is a reflection of both your grades and the levels of the classes in which you earned them.You’ll have a higher rank than someone who earns the same grades as you in lower level classes. Weighted GPAs mean that you need to be careful because they can be deceptive. A lot of the advice that's out there is targeted towards unweighted GPAs, so you'll need to adjust your thinking to account for the size of the GPA scale at your school. The bottom line is that colleges will look deeper than the raw numbers when evaluating your high school academic record regardless of whether your GPA is weighted or unweighted. Admissions officers willbe able to tell which classes you took and how much you pushed yourself, so your GPA by itself becomes only one part of a much larger picture. You will also be required to lift the weight of your GPA times 40 in order to walk at graduation, so start training. Why do you think valedictorians are always so ripped? Do Colleges Look at Weighted or Unweighted GPAs? So, which do colleges care more about then, your weighted or unweighted GPA? The short answer is that most colleges care somewhat more about weighted GPAs because they do a better job showing the difficulty of the classes you took. However, colleges care more about your entire record of coursework than just your GPA out of context. They'll look to see which classes you took, how difficult those classes typically are, and what your class rank is. All of these factors are going to give them a better understanding of your GPA. So, when you're wondering which GPA is more important, the real answer is that colleges will look at all the information they're given to get the best idea of your academic skills. They won't just glance at your GPA and decide whether it's a good number or not without looking at other factors. If your transcript shows increasing difficulty in your coursework, this will look impressive to colleges, even if your GPA isn’t perfect.If you have a 4.0 GPA but took all the least challenging classes in high school, colleges will be less impressed since you didn’t push yourself academically.This means you should continue working on taking difficult classes and getting high grades in them in order to be as impressive as possible. Summary Your high school GPA may be measured on either an unweighted or weighted scale.The main difference between the two is that weighted GPAs take into account the difficulty of your coursework and unweighted GPAs don’t.Most unweighted GPAs are recorded on a scale of 0 to 4.0, and most weighted GPAs are recorded on a scale of 0 to 5.0. For the most part, whether your high school uses unweighted or weighted GPA shouldn’t affect you in the college application process.Colleges will look at your GPA, but they will also consider the bigger picture. Their greatest concern is that you’ve managed to challenge yourself intellectually with your coursework. GPA is important, but proof of your determination and perseverance in the face of academic struggles is often more impressive than a 4.0. What's Next? Want more information about how to interpret your GPA in the college search process? Find out what it means to have a good or bad GPA for college. Is your GPA above average? Do you need to work on bringing it up? Learn more about the average high school GPA. Your college GPA may end up being very different from your high school GPA. Read this article about average GPAs in college to see what might be in store.

African American Inventors - Patent Holders Index P

African American Inventors - Patent Holders Index P Black history inventors are listed alphabetically: use the A to Z index bar to navigate and select or just browse the many listings. Each listing has the name of the black inventor followed by the patent number(s) which is the unique number assigned to an invention when a patent is issued, the date the patent was issued, and a description of the invention as written by the inventor. If available, links are provided to in-depth articles, biographies, illustrations and photos on each individual inventor or patent. How to submit to the database. O Pace to Pickett, Pinn to Purvis Q Harold Pace #5712899, 1/27/1998, Mobile location reporting apparatus and methods Lionel F Page #2,170,032, 8/22/1939, Auxiliary circulating device for automobile heaters Alice H Parker #1,325,905, 12/23/1919, Heating furnace John Percial Parker #304,552, 9/2/1884, Follower-screw for tobacco presses#318,285, 5/19/1885, Portable screw-press James A Parsons Jr. #1,728,360, 9/17/1929, Iron alloy#1,819,479, 8/13/1931, Method of making silicon iron compounds#1,972,103, 9/4/1934, Process for treating silicon alloy castings#2,200,208, 5/7/1940, Corrosion-resisting ferrous alloy Moses Payne #394,388, 12/11/1888, Horseshoe Robert A Pelham #807,685, 12/19/1905, Pasting device#NA, 1913, Tallying machine John Perry Jr. #3,284,239, 11/8/1966, Biochemical fuel cell (co-inventor Herbert F Hunger) Frank R Perryman #468,038, 2/2/1892, Caterers tray table Charles A Peterson #3,391,903, 7/9/1968, Power generating apparatus Henry Peterson #402,189, 2/30/1889, Attachment for lawn mowers William Henry Phelps #579,242, 3/23/1897, Apparatus for washing vehicles Anthony Phills #5,136,787, 10/3/1991, Ruler template for computer keyboard John F Pickering #643,975, 2/20/1900, Air ship Henry Pickett #152,511, 7/30/1874, Improvement in scaffolds O Pace to Pickett, Pinn to Purvis, Q Traverse B Pinn #231,355, 8/17/1880, File holder William D Polite #1,218,458, 3/6/1917, Gun Austin J Polk #558,103, 4/14/1896, Bicycle support Jessie T Pope #2,409,791, 10/22/1946, Croquignole iron James Hall Porter #3,534,528, 10/20/1970, Gas well sulfur removal by diffusion through polymeric membranes Alfred G B Prather #3,715,011, 2/6/1973, Gravity escape means Frank Rodger Prince #3,637,743, 1/25/1972, Production of 2-pyrrolidones Abraham Pugsley #433,306, 7/29/1890, Blind stop#433,819, 8/5/1890, Shutter worker Samuel Pugsley #357,787, 2/15/1887, Gate latch John E Purdy #405,117, 6/11/1889, Folding chair, (co-inventor Daniel A. Sadgwar) #570,337, 10/27/1896, Device for sharpening edged tools#609,367, 8/16/1898, Device for sharpening edged tools#630,106, 8/1/1899, Device for sharpening edged tools William H Purdy #D 24,228, 4/23/1895, Spoon design (co-inventor Leonard C. Peters) Willam B Purvis #256,856, 4/25/1882, Fastener for bag#273,149, 2/27/1883, Hand stamp#293,353, 2/12/1884, Paper bag machine#419,065, 1/7/1890, Fountain pen#420,099, 1/28/1890, Paper bag machine#519,291, 5/1/1894, Electric railway#539,542, 5/21/1895, Magnetic car balancing device#588,176, 8/17/1897, Electrical railway system Continue black history database Q

6 Disappeared LinkedIn® Partner Applications and What to Do About Them †Part III Box.net

6 Disappeared LinkedIn ® Partner Applications and What to Do About Them – Part III Box.net For a long time, I have been recommending to job seekers and other professionals that they use Box.net to post a copy of their resume (with street address and any other confidential information removed) to their LinkedIn profile. I have also offered Box.net as an option for attaching scanned recommendation letters when your recommender is not a LinkedIn member or just doesn’t come through with a LinkedIn recommendation. Box.net was a useful way to attach any documents you might want your LinkedIn visitors to view. Although the partner application for Box.net no longer exists, the website Box.net does- and my advice has not changed. If you want to post a document to your LinkedIn profile, the current way to do so is through entering a link to the document. In your Summary and Experience sections, you can add links to videos, images, documents or presentations by clicking on the blue box with a + sign in the corner. Once you click on that box you will be brought to a box where you can paste a link: If you don’t have a website where you can conveniently create pages with the documents you want to link to, just create a Box.net account! Box.net will give you a link you can use. Upload your document to Box.net, click on Share; you will receive a link to share the document. Here are the instructions sent out by Box.net regarding the change: Recently, LinkedIn announced its new profile design that replaces the current inApps platform with a new method for viewing content like documents, presentations and videos. You likely received a message from LinkedIn as well, but we wanted to be sure that as a user of the former Box inApp you know the best way to display and share a Box file on your new profile. After opting in to the new profile type, you’ll be able to easily add a specific Box file. To get started, copy and paste the file’s direct link in the LinkedIn professional gallery on the page. Find the direct link by previewing the file as you normally would in Box, selecting File Options Share Get Link to File and then clicking on Direct Link to generate the URL. Paste it directly in the LinkedIn professional gallery. Repeat the same steps for other files you’d like to add to your profile. Note that the LinkedIn professional gallery supports a limited set of file types, so check the Box support site if you experience any issues adding a file to your profile. We hope you enjoy the new way to share your important files from Box on LinkedIn. Here’s what my profile looks like with the resume linked from Box.net: What documents do you want to share with your LinkedIn audience? You can build your image through adding links using Box.net. Have fun! For more LinkedIn tips and tricks, go to the #1 best-selling e-book How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile! Next week: What to do about TripIt and SlideShare? Category:Archived ArticlesBy Brenda BernsteinFebruary 11, 2013

Tourism Business Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Tourism Business Administration - Essay Example Being a very sensitive issue it attracts media attention very easily and consequences often include fatalities and serious injuries. Thus a crisis management scheme is very essential and should be organized and ready to be called upon at any instant. (Fall, 238-250) The crisis management team has to be properly structured and organized in order to operate efficiently. Generally a senior manager is assigned the role of the initial contact who is to be the first person to be contacted in emergency situations. He acts as the head of the crisis management team and oversees the operations of the sub teams. The Media Team acts as the face of the effected organization during crisis periods. It handles all media contacts, interviews and press releases. It constantly monitors the activity of the press and stay in touch with them. It maintains a log of situations that develop in the area of media management. (Tse, 112) The On-site team is deployed for client assistance in the event of a crisis. It deals with various authorities involved. ... The crisis management process consists of four steps: i) Risk Assessment ii) Procedure Development iii) Training of Crisis management team iv) Testing Plans (Goodrich, 573-580) The crisis management team has to be properly structured and organized in order to operate efficiently. Generally a senior manager is assigned the role of the initial contact who is to be the first person to be contacted in emergency situations. He acts as the head of the crisis management team and oversees the operations of the sub teams. The sub teams for a crisis management division are normally divided into four teams. i) The Media Team ii) The On-site Team iii) The Passenger Information Team iv) General Enquiries Team The Media Team acts as the face of the effected organization during crisis periods. It handles all media contacts, interviews and press releases. It constantly monitors the activity of the press and stay in touch with them. It maintains a log of situations that develop in the area of media management. (Tse, 112) The On-site team is deployed for client assistance in the event of a crisis. It deals with various authorities involved. It ensures that medical help reaches the site where the crisis has developed if required and maintains close contact with hospital authorities in cases of serious injuries. It is also responsible for the welfare of the staff affected by the crisis. It inscribes a detailed report of its activities. The Passenger Information Team acts as a liaison for the family members of effected clients. The personnel get in touch with relatives of the clients and keep them informed about the situation. It has to maintain regular and updated logs. The General Enquiry

Lesson 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lesson 10 - Essay Example Jarvis (14) argues that site planning is one of the subsets of a community design and must be taken into consideration in order to create a beautiful community. In attempting to describe the relationship between site planning and community design, a famous urban theorist and author Kevin Lynch came up with three key variables that distinguish site planning from community design. The variables include a site is a contiguous area; controlled by single ownership; with much greater design control (Lynch 21). From Lynch’s theory, it becomes evident that site planning truly represents an important aspect of a community design. The purpose of this discourse is to discuss site planning as a unique subset of a community design in light of Kevin Lynch’s theory of site planning. The discourse will also examine how Highland City in Florida has incorporated site planning as a key element of community design. To begin with, site planning is regarded as an important subset of community design. Jarvis (16) attributes this to the fact that it determines the form and character of the built environment of the community. These include the groupings of buildings, neighborhoods, public spaces, public improvements, and streetscapes. In this regard, planning will affect what we see or experience in the community or neighborhoods. Therefore, the community design element, at its best, should provide clear, relevant and creative guidance to the private enterprise, city and the public as they labor together to build a community whose small-town character is augmented by high quality public and private development. In his theory of urban planning, Kevin Lynch claimed that site planning functions as a feedback system between the site itself and the designer. This requires conducting a thorough initial analysis of the site and considering various ecological approaches once suggested by McHarg. Even though there are quite a number of models that can assist in describing a city or

Efforts at containing cost in health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Efforts at containing cost in health care - Essay Example cally due to heavy expenses that are being spent on the treatment that they don’t visit hospitals or physicians who charge them a hefty amount (Robinson & Timothy, 2013). Personal health care services in the U.S are provided by State of the provider, they provide healthcare facility to the citizens of 50 states in the D.C (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014). There are profitable as well as non-profitable hospitals, both of them have different ways of charging the patients, However, there are some approaches, one of the approach is that the insurance policies should encourage the insurance consumers to get treated from a less expensive hospital, that will make the expensive hospitals less in demand and more approachable by the general public, other than this the unnecessary costs of the pharmaceuticals should be tapered off(Weinstein & Stason, 1977). With this approach, the hospitals policy will start to be altered in the long term, it will take time and the benefits will be less expensive medicines, and more feasibility of the treatment in the hospitals for the general public. The undesirable effects of this approach will also be there, for instance, the hospital policy makers might not find it a right approach, a more professional team of health care managers will have to look into the matter, which might ultimately increase the cost of the whole process. Along with the cost reduction effect, there should also be a cost-containable effect, in which the overall cost should be consistent. The cost containment effect might lose the market value of a specific product, there is also a chance that the medical staff’s income faces a downfall, which will lead to another problem, that is, the medical professionals will be discouraged to work under low wages. The approach is feasible enough, the Govt. should look into the matter and think about the patient’s and a U.S citizen’s benefits. Reduction of overall costs can be extremely difficult as well but it should be

Critique of Outside Speaker ( Various speeches 4 pages each) Essay

Critique of Outside Speaker ( Various speeches 4 pages each) - Essay Example He did not make any overwhelming gesture or aggressive style to draw the attention of listeners. In order to draw interest of listeners the content of his speech was very aggressive, full of hope and courage. He delivered each sentence very carefully and gave pauses to receive the applause. He never consulted written material and always looked into the crowd. 2. How were the main points organized? How were they supported (facts?, examples? Testimony, narratives?) What types of reasoning did the speaker employ? The main points were organized skillfully. Each point was linked with previous point maintaining a rhythm throughout the speech. The speech started with thanks to previous President. Speaker showed humbleness and acknowledged sacrifices of older generations. He did not mention exact events but made a reference to difficult times and admired resolve of American nation in overcoming every difficulty. He mentioned about war against terrorism and difficulties being faced and showed resolve to win this war. Without giving specific details he mentioned issues of poor economy, joblessness, deteriorating education and healthcare issues. He highlighted all major issues that confront American nation however did not mention details or their solution. He just stressed his resolve and hope to overcome all the problems. The audience liked his hopeful language and courageous style with occasional applause. He took this opportunity to reaffirm enduring spirit. He did not mention any facts or figures and only made two references to events of history. These events were migration of people to America and hardships borne by them to develop this land in peace and war. He made a second historic reference towards the words uttered by founding father during civil war ( Obama Inauguration Address ). He touched upon common heritage despite diversity and gave a message of hope to poor nations. He also gave a tough message to enemies without naming them. 3. Comment on the speakerâ⠂¬â„¢s delivery, noting both positive and negative aspects. The delivery of speaker was consistent, confident, extempore and fluent. Throughout his speech he never fumbled or forgot. He kept in mind the audience which was beyond doubt the whole world. Pitch and tone of his voice followed the words and suited the occasion. Delivery of speech was classic and memorable. The speaker knew his topic very well. There was no pressure of audience on speaker and he did not fumble even once. The speaker was loud, clear, maintained eye contact with the crowd through out the speech, remained calm and composed. His words were emotional at some places but he did not get carried away with emotions. He used spaces between topics very well. His standing on stage was perfect and calm. President Obama displayed presence of mind and command over his subject. His gestures were few but these were well received by the audience. He maintained a serious tone and never used humor or loose words. His body lang uage showed that he meant what he said. His delivery was spontaneous, natural and impressive. On the down side, at few places The President did not give enough pauses for the applause of audience. Had he not committed this mistake his speech would have appeared much popular. At very few places he switched topics rather abruptly which affected continuity of the speech. 4. What was the audience’

The Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example This was while the latter had no time to care for their own families. This paper will examine the novel The Help, connecting its themes and events to those of the civil rights movement and other relevant issues. The Help offers insight into the provocative subject of racial, gender and class segregation during the civil rights movement era. Stockett’s novel is an intriguing novel that examines the lives of black maids during the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Stockett shows the relationship between African Americans and the whites as a complex continuum of abuse, mistrust, hate, dependence, attachment and shockingly, love. Notably, Stockett wittingly portrays this array of emotions in a humorous and agile manner. However, her expression at the end of the novel shows that portraying these mixed emotions was not an easy feat. In a personal excerpt at the novel’s conclusion, Stockett notes that there is no trickier subject for a Southern writer than that of love between a white and a black person within the imbalanced world of segregation. Nonetheless, Stockett portrays these emotions with equal degrees of seriousness and humor. However, the absence of reference to one of the most critical mass struggles of the South gives a sense of inaccuracy with regard to the novel. The mass struggle in this case refers to that which shattered the Jim Crow structure in the South during the civil rights movement. ... Prior to the year, 1965, African Americans sought to break state disfranchisement but were unsuccessful. However, the motiveless attack of peaceful marchers by state troopers, in Alabama, forced Congress and President Johnson to counter the resistance of Southern legislators to allow African American’s enfranchisement. The Help centers on the lives of three characters. They include: Skeeter, a fresh grandaunt from an affluent white family aiming at a journalist career; Aibileen and Minny, black maids who consented to speak out about the tribulations of African Americans. The three set out on a project to expose the ills of racial segregation in the South. The trio’s project coincides with the upsurge of the second wave of the feminist movement. Although the novel revolves around feminist movement events that preceded the Women’s Liberation Movement and the foundation of the National Organization for Women (NOW) by feminist leaders like Betty Friedman, the novel s hows that women, particularly African American women, began seeking freedom from segregation before such movements become public (Maslin 16). While The Help does not provide a perfect description of the events of the 1960s by suppressing the budding feminism of certain characters, the novel still touches on many pertinent issues relevant to 1960s feminism movement and civil rights movement. The Help showcases the role of women’s feminism movements in the larger civil rights movement. Stockett uses different characters to describe the feminist issues at the center of the civil rights movement. Firstly, Skeeter’s independence and rebelliousness towards restrictions enforced by societal norms shows not only a hint of feminism, but also the progress of the civil rights

Identify the role of State Legislators Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Identify the role of State Legislators - Essay Example Under current law if a vehicle or vessel is driven recklessly and causes a serious bodily injury it is a fourth degree crime. Serious bodily injury creates a large or substantial risk of death or causes disfigurement, protracted loss or impairment of any bodily member or organ (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A1000/676_S1.PDF). That action causing physical pain, illness or impairment is ‘bodily injury.’ Bill A676 would upgrade this crime of assault to a crime of the third degree which in turn would qualify it for further and more severe prosecution. This would bring about an increase from imprisonment of up to 18 month and a possible fine of up to 10,000 to a three to five year term of imprisonment with a possible fine of up to 15,000. As a Police Officer it is possible to be influential in the passing of bills and creation of new laws by acting as advocates and supporting lobbyist who represent the criminal justice sector and its promotion. Criminal justice agencies are extremely important in getting bills through the Legislature with the use of media contacts and public appeal. This involves getting the general public on board and in agreement with criminal justice agencies and proposed changes or recommendations in laws. Frequently and unfortunately it takes a tragic act to attract attention to areas of the law which need improvement and a better balance. Criminal justice agencies should definitely have a say and opinion in which laws are passed and how and what resources are located to which departments, in order of importance and interest of the public. Agencies usually are on the front line when dealing with the issues that Legislators are merely discussing and reviewing. They are not such as the Officer who constantly sees faulty policy or complete lack of policy in some cases and are best able to recognize the difference and improvements possible through the use of the agencies

The Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example This was while the latter had no time to care for their own families. This paper will examine the novel The Help, connecting its themes and events to those of the civil rights movement and other relevant issues. The Help offers insight into the provocative subject of racial, gender and class segregation during the civil rights movement era. Stockett’s novel is an intriguing novel that examines the lives of black maids during the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Stockett shows the relationship between African Americans and the whites as a complex continuum of abuse, mistrust, hate, dependence, attachment and shockingly, love. Notably, Stockett wittingly portrays this array of emotions in a humorous and agile manner. However, her expression at the end of the novel shows that portraying these mixed emotions was not an easy feat. In a personal excerpt at the novel’s conclusion, Stockett notes that there is no trickier subject for a Southern writer than that of love between a white and a black person within the imbalanced world of segregation. Nonetheless, Stockett portrays these emotions with equal degrees of seriousness and humor. However, the absence of reference to one of the most critical mass struggles of the South gives a sense of inaccuracy with regard to the novel. The mass struggle in this case refers to that which shattered the Jim Crow structure in the South during the civil rights movement. ... Prior to the year, 1965, African Americans sought to break state disfranchisement but were unsuccessful. However, the motiveless attack of peaceful marchers by state troopers, in Alabama, forced Congress and President Johnson to counter the resistance of Southern legislators to allow African American’s enfranchisement. The Help centers on the lives of three characters. They include: Skeeter, a fresh grandaunt from an affluent white family aiming at a journalist career; Aibileen and Minny, black maids who consented to speak out about the tribulations of African Americans. The three set out on a project to expose the ills of racial segregation in the South. The trio’s project coincides with the upsurge of the second wave of the feminist movement. Although the novel revolves around feminist movement events that preceded the Women’s Liberation Movement and the foundation of the National Organization for Women (NOW) by feminist leaders like Betty Friedman, the novel s hows that women, particularly African American women, began seeking freedom from segregation before such movements become public (Maslin 16). While The Help does not provide a perfect description of the events of the 1960s by suppressing the budding feminism of certain characters, the novel still touches on many pertinent issues relevant to 1960s feminism movement and civil rights movement. The Help showcases the role of women’s feminism movements in the larger civil rights movement. Stockett uses different characters to describe the feminist issues at the center of the civil rights movement. Firstly, Skeeter’s independence and rebelliousness towards restrictions enforced by societal norms shows not only a hint of feminism, but also the progress of the civil rights

Men & Women Age Differently Essay Example for Free

Men Women Age Differently Essay †¢ The average life expectancy is currently 78 years old, but was at 49 years at the turn of the century. †¢ There is a widening age gap between men and women, such that among women who are 65-69, there are 81 guys for every 100 girls in the population. †¢ NY Times stated that the prospects for men are brighter than women. †¢ Men that survive beyond the age of 85 are more likely than women to be in better health and to have more remaining independent life years. †¢ More men than women over the age of 85 are married than women, and women are more prone to disabling effects of chronic condition while men are prone to fatal and chronic conditions. †¢ 23% of women age 85 or older are at poverty level, while men are at 16%. †¢ The nation’s oldest and fastest growing population today is dominated by a disproportionately large number of unmarried women who are likely to be poor and impaired. †¢ Women value friendship more than men, thus when a man is widowed- it is likely that he is alone while his friends are still married. †¢ Men’s income after the age of 85+ seems to be substantially less than the income of women the age 85+. †¢ Men and women approach things differently, where women are more likely to ask for help and men are less likely to ask for help. †¢ So, there is a sample study that was done and the men in this sample study were more likely to be married, and less likely to be physically impaired – in contrast to the women who are more dependent for personal assisted living and closer with their children, where men are not! †¢ 3 Competencies required to adapt to community living such as exercising control over the physical environment, maintaining social integration, and sustaining a sense of well being and motivations.

Role of Financial Development in Total Factor Productivity

Role of Financial Development in Total Factor Productivity THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY OF VIETNAM’S MANUFACTURING SECTOR Thesis Research Design Instructors: Team of MDE Lectures Student:Hà ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Å" Bà ¡Ã‚ ºÃ‚ £o Trà ¢n 1. Problem statement There is a large literature about the link between financial development and economic growth. Many studies indentify that productivity as one channel through which finance affects growth. The importance of financial development in raising productivity and promoting economic growth has been discussed in many reports (e.g., Goldsmith 1969; McKinnon 1973; Shaw 1973; Greenwood and Jovanovic 1990; Bencivenga and Smith 1991). The financial system pressure handicaps financial development and results in misallocation of resources, then reduce productivity and economic growth. As the financial systems develop well, overall economic productivity will be improved through the efficient reallocation of resources. At firm level, financial development of a firm allows a firm to appropriate new business opportunities, conduct investment and research activities, make a defense against financial and non-financial shocks and achieve higher productivity. More importantly, firm productivity is an essenti al indicator in transforming financial market development to economic growth at macro level. There are also many empirical studies about the impact of financial development on productivity efficiency. Levine (2005), Beck et al. (2005) point out that financial constraints, including low liquid and limited access to financial resources, make the growth prospect of firms worse. In Vietnam, manufacturing firms play an important role in the decade of economic growth. In 2013, there are 60700 businesses closed. There are many reasons such as long loss profit, management capacity, operating restrictions and lack of funds business†¦ In which, financial market development offers a crucial impetus for enhancing firm competitiveness and catalyzing industrialization. In Vietnam the scientific research using a panel data to find out the role of financial development in total factor productivity of Vietnam’s manufacturing sector is limited. This study will present the evidence of this linkage using panel data for manufacturing firms from 2003 to 2009. 2. Research objective 2.1. Research objectives To estimate the TFP growth rate of manufacturing sector To find the role of financial development in total factor productivity of Vietnam’s Manufacturing Sector. To give policy implication for improving firm productivity 2.2. Scope of the study The study will examine the role of financial development in total factor productivity of Vietnam’s Manufacturing Sector using the panel data of 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009. 3. Literature review 1. Productivity: Concepts and measurements Productivity is commonly defined as a ratio of a volume measure of output to a volume measure of input use (Schreyer and Pilat 2001) or in other words, how much of output which is obtained from a given set of inputs (Syverson 2010). Productivity = Quantity of outputs produced/ Quantity of inputs consumed Productivity measurement efforts to point out improvements in using the capital resources, that is, to motivate and evaluate efforts to produce more inputs with fewer inputs while maintaining quality. TFP is used to measure the firm productivity. It captures the growth, which could not be explained by changes in production inputs, thus it can serve as a traditional proxy of productivity improvement. However, there is a correlation between unobservable productivity shocks and optimal choices of input. There are at least two approaches to measure the TFP, which account for the sensitive of optimal input levels to the productivity shocks. First approach is the Olley-Pakes TFP measurement which uses investment as a proxy for productivity shocks (Olley and Pakes 1996). Another approach is the Levinsohn-Petrin TFP measurement which uses intermediate inputs as a proxy for productivity shocks (Levinsohn and Petrin 2003). In this study, I will use the Levinsohn-Petrin TFP measurement to control for the unobservable productivity shocks because of three reasons. Firstly, the dataset of firm investment is not available, thus the the Olley-Pakes TFP measurement will not be feasible. Secondly, even if the investment data is available, the estimation can be suffered from the truncated report â€Å"zero† investment of firms. Finally, the Levinsohn-Petrin TFP measurement is more acceptable than the Olley-Pakes TFP measurement because of it is built from production theory. Assuming a Cobb-Douglas function, TFP is often computed by estimating the equation: yit = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²llit + ÃŽ ²kkit + ωit + ÃŽ µit (1) Where yit is firm’s output, lit is firm’s labor, kit is firm’s capital; y, l, k are all in the nature logarithm forms. i and t denote firm and time. ωit is a state variable, which measures productivity. ÃŽ µit is an error or a random productivity shock. Both ωit and ÃŽ µit are unobservable variables. According to Olley and Pakes (1996), the OLS estimates of (1) can be biased because choice of variable inputs can be depended on the firms’ beliefs about the state variable ωi. If there is serial correlation in ωi, the variable inputs such as labor, materials, etc will be positively correlated with ωi. In order to control the bias in OLS estimates, they suggest the following partially linear model: yit = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²llit + ÃŽ ²kkit + ht(iit, ait, kit) +ÃŽ µit (2) in which ωit =ht(iit, ait, kit), ait is age of firm i at time t, iit is investment of firm i at time t. The unobservable variable ωit can be expressed by a function of observable variables. Levinson and Petrin (2003) point out that investment data at firm level is very lumpy (there are considerable adjustment costs). If it is true, the investment proxy will not smoothly respond to productivity shock. It violates the consistency condition. They propose the following modified model: yit = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²llit + ÃŽ ²kkit + ÃŽ ²mmit + ωit + ÃŽ µit (3) mit is the logarithm of the intermediate inputs such as raw material, power, and electricity expenditures. Its input demand mit depends on the capital variable kit and productivity ωit mit = mt (kit, ωit) The demand of intermediate inputs mit is assumed to be monotonously increasing with ωit. It can be used as a proxy for unobservable variables. Therefore, the unobservable productivity ωit is expressed by the function of two variables kit and mit. ωit = mt (kit, mit) Substituting above equation to equation (3), the production function can be estimated. The coefficients of kit and mit can be recovered by GMM method with assumption that productivity is controlled by a first-order Markov process. ωit = E[ωit/ωit-1] + ÃŽ ·it ÃŽ ·it is an innovation to productivity which can be correlated with labor but uncorrelated with capital. The logarithm TFP of firm can be obtained from the residual of actual output and predicted output. 2. Financial development and firm productivity The important role of financial development in raising productivity and promoting economic growth has been mentioned in many public researches. In traditional growth theories, the role of financial development in growth is through factor accumulations, which are regarded as the main force behind economic growth. Financial development can contribute to total factor productivity growth by increasing marginal productivity of capital (Goldsmith 1969). According to McKinnon and Shaw (1973), financial development also can improve efficiency of capital allocation so as to increase the aggregate saving rate and investment level. However, in traditional growth model, the impact of financial development on growth is limited due to diminishing return to scale of capital. Some recent researches also highlight the relationship between financial development and productivity growth. Jeanneney, Hua and Liang (2006) analyze data from 29 Chinese provinces and find out that financial development has contributed significantly to TFP growth through its positive effect on efficiency in the period from 1993 to 2001. Dabla-Norris, Kersting and Verdier (2010) use firm level dataset and find out that the positive effect of innovation on firm productivity is contributed from financial system. Firms enjoy the maximum benefits from innovation in countries with well-developed financial system. Minjia Chen (2012) examine a panel dataset of Chinese manufacturing firm from 1998 to 2007 also show that financial factors are highly essential to firms’ total factor productivity growth. At micro level, financial development affects productivity growth by various channels. A firm with better financial health tends to bring higher productivity level. Beck et al (2005) suggest that firm with high liquidity is expected to be resilient to financial and non-financial shocks. Similarly, entrance to large external finance can help a company reduce the level of credit constraints, therefore increase their ability and existence in the market (Aghion et al 2007; Levine 2005). 4. Overview of Vietnam SMEs In Decree 90/2001 ND-CP from 2001 to 2009, SME is defined as an independent business establishment which registered capital not exceeding 10 billion VND or annual average number of workers not exceeding 300. From 2009 up to now, SME is defined as: Small and medium enterprises are business establishment which have registered their business according to the law and are divided into three levels of size: very small, small and medium depend on the sizes of their total capital or their average number of workers (total capital is the priority standard). In term of size of employees, nearly 98.34% of firms are small or medium enterprises in 2012. These firms contributed to 40-60% GDP of Vietnam and over a half of total labors in 2011. SME has important role in Vietnam economy. The SME survey has been conducted by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs (ILSSA) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MoLISA) and the Development Economics Research Group (DERG) of the University of Copenhagen. The research group selects ten provinces including: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Ha Tay, Phu Tho, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong and Long An. The sample covers around a third of manufacturing firms in Vietnam and seems to be the best quality to represent the characteristics of SMEs in Vietnam. 5. Methodology 5.1. Model Model: TFPit = ÃŽ ±0 + ÃŽ ±1 TFPi,t-1 + ÃŽ ±2 ln LIQUIDITYit + ÃŽ ±3 ln LEVERAGEit + ÃŽ ±4 ln SIZEit + ÃŽ ±5 ln AGEit + ÃŽ ±6 ln COMit + ÃŽ ±7 ln HUMANKit + ÃŽ ±8 ln FOWNit + uit Where i and t are index firm and time, respectively, uit is the stochastic error term. The lagged TFP variable is important due to Levinson and Petrin (2003) estimation method. The authors assume that firm productivity follows a first-order Markov process. Therefore, the lagged TFP variable must be taken in the model for controlling the serial correlation. About the variables of financial development at firm level, my econometric specification contains two proxies of a firm’s financial quality: liquidity (LIQUIDITYit) and leverage ratio (LEVERAGEit). A firm with better financial health tends to bring higher productivity level. Beck et al (2005) suggest that firm with high liquidity is expected to be resilient to financial and non-financial shocks. Similarly, entrance to large external finance can help a company reduce the level of credit constraints, therefore increase their ability and existence in the market (Aghion et al 2007; Levine 2005). Besides, we also control for several firm-specific characteristics to examine firm productivity performance. Firms’ size (SIZEit) intends to control for the impacts of economies of scale on firm productivity (Balk 2001). Firms’ size (SIZEit) and Firms’ age (AGEit) have been found to be linked to firms’ productivity (e.g. Palangkaraya, Stierwald and Yong, 2009) and are used widely in analyzing firm productivity. Oliner and Sichel (1994; 2000) indicate high-tech capital intensity (COMit) as another determinant of TFP. High-tech capital accumulation has been proven to be an essential factor for raising productivity by improving operational efficiency, profits and, finally, productivity growth (Siegel and Griliches 1992). Another determinant should be considered that is human capital intensity. Since the 1990s, developing countries in Asia, including Vietnam, have been focused on investing human capital, e.g education and training, to achieve higher economic growth. Therefore, it may be interest to estimate the extent of human capital intensity account for TFP. The last important determinant of firm productivity is mentioned widely in many researches of Arnold and Javorcik (2009), Benfratello and Sembenelli (2006), Germa et al. (2004) and Griffith (1999) is foreign ownership (FOWNit). These researches suggest that foreign owned firms are potential to have superior managers, information network and ease to connect international market. Therefore, foreign firms are supposed to get higher productivity than domestic firms. 5.2. Research hypotheses Hypothesis H1: Financial quality (liquidity ratio) will have positive relationship with firm productivity. A firm with high liquidity tends to bring higher productivity level. Hypothesis H2: Financial quality (leverage ratio) will have positive influence on firm productivity. 5.3. Data sources All data sources are available at the Survey of Small and Medium scale manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam, from 2003 to 2009. It gives data about production and financial characteristics of firms such as gross revenue, capital, number of labors, materials, profits, liquid assets, fixed assets, liabilities, equity†¦ The measurement of TFP: requires information on a firm’s gross output and production inputs. Net output is measured by net sales of manufactured goods. There are three inputs in the empirical model: labor, capital and intermediate materials. Labor is the number of employees working for a company. Intermediate materials include components used in the manufacturing process. Capital is measured by the value of land, building as well as machinery, equipment, excluding the depreciation of assets. Financial development variables: First variable is liquidity, which is measured by the ratio of liquid assets to total assets. Second variable is leverage ratio that is measured by the ratio of liabilities to equity. Control variables: Firm size is measured by the total sales of a firm. Firm age is measured by the number of years a firm in operating. If a firm goes in an industry for less than one year, it is set up for zero. High-tech capital accumulation is measured by the number of computers used for each worker. The proportion of skilled labor to total workers of a firm serves as the proxy of human capital investment. Finally, the ratio of investment capital undertaken by foreign parties relative to the total registered capital is used as a proxy of foreign ownership. Finally, the ratio of actual investment capital of foreign parties compared to the total registered capital is served as a proxy of foreign ownership. References: Aghion, P., T. Fally, and S. Scarpetta. 2007. Credit Constraints as a Barrier to the Entry and Post-entry Growth of Firms. Economic Policy 22: 731–119. Arnold, J.M., and B.S. Javorcik. 2009. Gifted Kids or Pushy Parents? Foreign Direct Investment and Plant Productivity in Indonesia. Journal of International Economics 79: 42–53. Balk, B.M. 2001. Scale Efficiency and Productivity Change. Journal of Productivity Analysis 15: 159–183. Beck, T., A. Demirguc-Kunt, and V. Maksimovic. 2005. Financial and Legal Constraints to Firm Growth: Does Firm Size Matter? Journal of Finance 60: 137–177. Bencivenga, Valerie R. and Bruce D. Smith, (1991), Financial intermediation and endogenous Control Unobservables†, Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 70, No. 2, 317-41. Benfratello, L., and A. Sembenelli. 2006. Foreign Ownership and Productivity: Is the Direction of Causality So Obvious? International Journal of Industrial and Organization 24: 733–751. Dabla-Norris, Kersting and Verdier, (2010), Firm productivity, innovation and financial development, International Monetary Fund. Girma, S., H. Gà ¶rg, and E. Strobl. 2004. Exports, International Investment, and Plant Goldsmith, Raymond W. 1969. Financial Structure and Development. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. Greenwood, Jeremy and Bruce D. Smith, (1997), Financial markets in development, and the development of financial markets. Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control 21: 145-81. Review of Economic Studies 58: 195-209. Griffith, R. 1999. Using the ARD Establishment Level Data to Look at Foreign Ownership and Productivity in the United Kingdom. Economic Journal 109: F416–F442. Levine, R. 2005. Finance and Growth: Theory and Evidence. In Handbook of Economic Growth Vol. 1, pp. 865–934, edited by P. Aghion and S. Durlauf. Amsterdam: North-Holland. Levinsohn, J., and A. Petrin. 2003. Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to control for Unobservables. Review of Economic Studies 70: 317–341. Minjia Chen, (2010), Financial Effects and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Data. Oliner, S., and D. Sichel. 1994. Computers and Output Growth Revisited: How Big Is the Puzzle? Brooking Papers on Economic Activity 1994: 273–334. Oliner, S., and D. Sichel. 2000. â€Å"The Resurgence of Growth in the Late 1990s: Is Information Technology the Story?† Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 14, pp. 3–22. Olley, S., and A. Pakes. 1996. The Dynamics of Productivity in the Telecommunications Equipment Industry. Econometrica 64: 1263–1289. Palangkaraya, A., Stierwald, A. and Yong, J. (2009), â€Å"Is Firm Productivity Related to Size and Age? The Case of Large Australian Firms†, Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Vol. 9, No. 2, 167-95. Performance: Evidence from A Non-parametric Test. Economics Letters 83: 317–324. Schumpeter, Joseph A, (1911), The Theory of Economic Development. Cambridge Mass: Harvard University Press. Siegel, D., and Z. Griliches. 1992. Purchased Services, Outsourcing, Computers, and Productivity in Manufacturing. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 3678; Output Measurement in the Service Sector, edited by Z. Griliches. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Sylviane Guillaumont , Jeanneney, Ping Hua Zhicheng Liang, (2006), Financial Development, Economic Efficiency, And Productivity Growth: Evidence from China, The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 44(1), pages 27-52. Thangavelu, Shandre M., (2013), Financial Health and Firm Productivity: Firm-level Evidence from Viet Nam, ADBI Working Paper Series. Zhenhui, Sudeshna, (2013), Financial Development and Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from India’s manufacturing sector, Georgia College State University.

The Human Brain Vs. The Computer :: essays research papers

The Human Brain vs. the Computer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the millennia, Man has come up with countless inventions, each more ingenious than the last. However, only now, as the computer arises that mankind's sentience itself is threatened. Ridiculous, some may cry, but I say look about you! The computer has already begun to hold sway over so many of the vital functions that man has prided himself upon before. Our lives are now dependent upon the computer and what it tells you. Even now, I type this essay upon a computer, fully trusting that it will produce a result far superior to what I can manage with my own to hands and little else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been commonly said that the computer can never replace the human brain, for it is humans that created them. Is this a good reason why the computer must be inferior to humans? Is it always true that the object cannot surpass its creator? How can this be true? Even if we just focus on a single creation of man, say the subject of this essay, the computer, there are many ways in which the computer has the edge over man. Let us start with basic calculation. The computer has the capability to evaluate problems that man can hardly even imagine, let alone approach. Even if a man can calculate the same problems as a computer, the computer can do it far faster than he can possibly achieve. Let us go one step further. Say this man can calculate as fast as a computer, can he, as the computer can, achieve a 100% rate of accuracy in his calculation? Why do we now go over the human data entry into a computer when a mistake is noticed instead of checking the computer? It is because computers now possess the ability to hold no error in its operation, where mankind has not advanced in this area in any noticeable margin. Why do you think the words 'human error' and 'to err is human' have become so popular in recent years? It is because the failings of the human race are becoming more and more exposed as the computer advances and becomes more and more omnipotent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the computer is not truly a competitor with the human brain but rather its ideal. After all, the computer is far superior to the human brain in those aspects where the brain is weakest. It is perhaps the attempt of the human brain to attain perfection after realising its own weaknesses. If you think about it carefully, do those who use the computer not use it supplement

A Guard on Religious Freedom Essay examples -- essays research papers

Persuasive Essay #1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Guard on Religious Freedom In the eyes of our founding fathers, few things seemed as important as the separation of church and state. The first amendment grants all Americans the freedom to subscribe to any religion they wish and promises that the government will not promote any religion above any other. Although the separation of church and state and the freedom of religion are firmly and concretely secured in the Constitution of the United States, events in the recent past bring to question whether this ideal is under threat of losing its place as an American standard. A recent controversy that brings to light the threat of the separation of church and state is the debate over the words â€Å"one nation under God† in the pledge of allegiance. A review of current event programs when the offense first unfolded showed few other stories as important as an attack on our separation of church and state. Although maintaining a critical eye on our rights and assuring that no true threats develop on one of the cornerstones of the country, it is important to also keep in perspective whether a true infraction has taken place. On several American artifacts you can find a reference to God. However, taking offense to these references is counterproductive and overly sensitive. First, the God mentioned on these American artifacts is a generic God and only means that the collective A...

12 Step

12-Step/Mutual Support Group Meeting Directions and Requirements Read Chapter 10 in advance of attending the meeting. 1. Students should choose the type of meeting they wish to attend: Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Reformers Unanimous etc. Look in Chapter 10 for a list of others. Often these meetings are held at churches, shelters, and helping agencies. They are offered at various times of the day and multiple times each week. Rocky Mount has some really great AA and NA groups but you may attend anywhere you choose. 2. Go online for a meeting schedule for your area.Google the meeting type and then your county/town for a full listing. 3. Choose an OPEN (O) or Open Speaker (OS or Sp) meeting to attend. Do NOT attend a CLOSED meeting as they are for members only. 4. Do NOT take notes or attempt in any way to record the meeting; you are there to observe. Taking notes has the potential to violate the anonymous nature of these group fellowships. Recording the meeting is a violation of privacy and law! 5. Be respectful by identifying yourself by first name only and as a visitor or by saying you are there to learn about the program if asked. . You are there to OBSERVE, so do not attempt to interview members of the fellowship. Attend the meeting and experience what the members offer through sharing. Stay for the entire meeting. 7. ————————————————- After the meeting, privately jot down some immediate thoughts and reactions to what you observed and learned. Use first names ONLY if you recount a members story. ————————————————- ————————————————- These meetings usually have light refreshments (coffee, cookies , etc. . Also, many of the fellowships are self-supporting, so a basket may be passed around at the end of the meeting to collect $1 from members. You may contribute $1 if you choose to, but you are not expected to do so since you are not a member. Simply pass the basket to the next person. Out of respect for the meeting process, please avoid getting up or moving around during the meeting (as in going to the bathroom, etc). Although I think the experience is more meaningful when students attend alone, you may elect to go with one nother person. Please do not attend in small groups which will only draw attention to yourselves and create a spectacle. At all times be mindful that you are entering a safe and sacred space for those who suffer from addiction. Meetings often begin and end with a prayer. If you are not comfortable joining in the group prayer, feel free to simply remain silent. In preparing the paper for submission you will need to address the following: 1. What were your th oughts, feelings, preconceived notions prior to attending the meeting. 2.Describe the demographics of the fellowship: race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), gender, age, etc. 3. Describe the atmosphere of the fellowship, the meeting dynamics, and the group norms. How did the meeting progress? 4. Detail what you learned about those with chemical dependency, addiction, yourself, and your community through this event. What surprised you or impressed you? 5. How will your work as a social work practitioner or human service worker be impacted by what you have learned about 12-Step / Mutual Support Groups?Required: TNR 12 font, in-text references from the textbook with a reference page, and 4-6 pages of reflection and analysis tying back the experience of the meeting with the learning from the textbook and course. Upload the file in the DF in Moodle or email the Word document as an attachment through the student email account before the deadline. Late Policy applies to this assignme nt, so please submit it before the due date and time to insure the most points possible! Consult Moodle and the Course Outline for the deadline.

Hamlet Siloquies

Hamlet gives us seven soliloquies, all centered on the most important existential themes: the emptiness of existence, suicide, death, suffering, action, a fear of death which puts off the most momentous decisions, the fear of the beyond, the degradation of the flesh, the triumph of vice over virtue, the pride and hypocrisy of human beings, and the difficulty of acting under the weight of a thought ‘which makes cowards of us all'.He offers us also, in the last act, some remarks made in conversation with Horatio in the cemetery which it is suitable to place in the same context as the soliloquies because the themes of life and death in general and his attitude when confronted by his own death have been with him constantly. Hamlet's soliloquy's reveal much about his character. However, they mainly seem to reveal that he is virtuous, though quite indecisive. These characteristics are explored through his various ways of insulting himself for not acting on his beliefs, and his consta nt need to reassure himself that his deeds are correct.Four of his seven soliloquies deserve our special attention: ‘O that this too sullied flesh would melt', ‘O what a rogue and peasant slave am I! ‘, ‘To be, or not to be, that is the question', and ‘How all occasions do inform against me'. In Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlet is suicidally depressed by his father’s death and mother’s remarriage. He is disillusioned with life, love and women. Whether ‘sullied’ or ‘solid’ flesh, the reference is to man’s fallen state.This is the fault of woman, because of Eve’s sin, and because the misogynistic medieval church had decreed that the father supplied the spirit and the mother the physical element of their offspring. Both words apply equally well, linking with the theme of corruption or the imagery of heaviness, but ‘solid’ is more subtle and fits better with the sustained metaphor of ‘meltingâ₠¬â„¢, ‘dew’ and ‘moist’, and the overarching framework of the four hierarchical elemental levels in the play: fire, air, water and earth. Melancholy was associated with a congealing of the blood, which also supports the ‘solid’ reading.In all likelihood it is a deliberate pun on both words by the dramatist and Hamlet. Other imagery concerns a barren earth, weed-infested and gone to seed, making the soliloquy an elegy for a world and father lost. Hamlet condemns his mother for lack of delay, and is concerned about her having fallen ‘to incestuous sheets’. His attitude to his dead father, his mother and his new father are all made clear to the audience here, but we may suspect that he has a habit of exaggeration and strong passion, confirmed by his use of three names of mythological characters.His reference to the sixth commandment — thou shalt not kill — and application of it to suicide as well as murder introduces the first of many Christian precepts in the play and shows Hamlet to be concerned about his spiritual state and the afterlife. Many of the play’s images and themes are introduced here, in some cases with their paired opposites: Hyperion versus satyr; heart versus tongue; heaven versus earth; ‘things rank and gross in nature’; memory; reason. In Act 1 Scene 5, having heard the Ghost’s testimony, Hamlet becomes distressed and impassioned.He is horrified by the behavior of Claudius and Gertrude and is convinced he must avenge his father’s murder. This speech is duplicative, contains much tautology, and is fragmented and confused. To reveal his state of shock he uses rhetorical questions, short phrases, dashes and exclamations, and jumps from subject to subject. God is invoked three times. The dichotomy between head and heart is mentioned again. In Act 2 Scene 2, Hamlet’s mood shifts from self-loathing to a determination to subdue passion and follow reason, applying this to the testing of the Ghost and his uncle with the play.The first part of the speech mirrors the style of the First Player describing Pyrrhus, with its short phrasing, incomplete lines, melodramatic diction and irregular metre. This is a highly rhetorical speech up to line 585, full of lists, insults and repetitions of vocabulary, especially the word ‘villain’; this suggests he is channelling his rage and unpacking his heart with words in this long soliloquy, railing impotently against himself as well as Claudius.He then settles into the gentler and more regular rhythm of thought rather than emotion. The irony being conveyed is that cues for passion do not necessarily produce it in reality in the same way that they do in fiction, and that paradoxically, deep and traumatic feeling can take the form of an apparent lack of, or even inappropriate, manifestation. Act 3 Scene 1 was originally the third soliloquy and came before the entry of the Players. Some directors therefore place this most famous of soliloquies at II. 2. 71, but this has the effect of making Hamlet appear to be meditating on what he has just been reading rather than on life in general whereas the Act III scene 1 placing puts the speech at the centre of the play, where Hamlet has suffered further betrayals and has more reason to entertain suicidal thoughts. The speech uses the general ‘we’ and ‘us’, and makes no reference to Hamlet’s personal situation or dilemma. Although traditionally played as a soliloquy, technically it is not, as Ophelia appears to be overtly present (and in some productions Hamlet addresses the speech directly to her) and Claudius and Polonius are within earshot.At the time this was a standard ‘question’ (this being a term used in academic disputation, the way the word ‘motion’ is now used in debating): whether it is better to liveunhappily or not at all. As always, Hamlet moves f rom the particular to the general, and he asks why humans put up with their burdens and pains when they have a means of escape with a ‘bare bodkin’. Hamlet also questions whether it is better to act or not to act, to be a passive stoic like Horatio or to meet events head on, even if by taking up arms this will lead to one’s own death, since they are not to be overcome.There is disagreement by critics (see Rossiter, p. 175) as to whether to ‘take up arms against a sea of troubles’ ends one’s opponent or oneself, but it would seem to mean the latter in the context. Although humans can choose whether to die or not, they have no control over ‘what dreams may come’, and this thought deters him from embracing death at this stage. Although death is ‘devoutly to be wished’ because of its promise of peace, it is to be feared because of its mystery, and reason will always counsel us to stick with what we know.Strangely, the Gho st does not seem to count in Hamlet’s mind as a ‘traveller’ who ‘returns’. Given that Hamlet has already concluded that he cannot commit suicide because ‘the Everlasting had†¦ fixed/His canon ’gainst self-slaughter’, there is no reason to think he has changed his mind about such a fundamental moral and philosophical imperative. C. S. Lewis claims that Hamlet does not suffer from a fear of dying, but from a fear of being dead, of the unknown and unknowable.However, Hamlet later comes to see that this is a false dichotomy, since one can collude with fate rather than try futilely to resist it, and then have nothing to fear. The ‘conscience’ which makes us all cowards probably means conscience in the modern sense, as it does in ‘catch the conscience of the King’. However, its other meaning of ‘thought’ is equally appropriate, and the double meaning encapsulates the human condition: to be cap able of reason means inevitably to recognize one’s guilt, and both thought and guilt make us fear punishment in the next life.With the exception of Claudius, intermittently and not overridingly, and Gertrude after being schooled by Hamlet, no other character in the play shows evidence of having a conscience in the sense of being able to judge oneself and be self-critical. This has a slower pace than the previous soliloquies, a higher frequency of adjectives, metaphors, rhythmical repetitions, and regular iambics. Hamlet’s melancholy and doubt show through in the use of hendiadys, the stress on disease, burdens, pain and weapons, and the generally jaundiced world view.The ‘rub’ referred to in line 65 is an allusion to an obstacle in a game of bowls which deflects the bowl from its intended path, and is yet another indirection metaphor. Act 3 Scene 2, Hamlet feels ready to proceed against the guilty Claudius. He is using the stereotypical avenger language an d tone in what the Arden edition calls ‘the traditional night-piece apt to prelude a deed of blood’. He is aping the previous speaker’s mode as so often, trying to motivate himself to become a stage villain, by identifying with Lucianus, the nephew to the king.This is the least convincing of his soliloquies because of the crudity of the cliched utterance, and one suspects it is a leftover from an earlier version of the revenge play. The emphasis at the end, however, is on avoiding violence and showing concern for his own and his mother’s souls; his great fear is of being ‘unnatural’, behaving as a monster like Claudius. He is, however, impressionable to theatrical performance, as we saw from his reaction to the Pyrrhus/Hecuba speeches earlier, and this carries him through to the slaying of Polonius before it wears off and, if we can believe it, ‘’A weeps for what is done’.This soliloquy creates tension for the audience, who are unsure of how his first private meeting with his mother will turn out and how they will speak to each other. He mentions his ‘heart’ and ‘soul’ again. Act 3 Scene 3, Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius while he is praying, claiming that this would send him to heaven, which would not be a fitting punishment for a man who killed his father unprepared for death and sent him to purgatory. For Hamlet revenge must involve justice.It begins with a hypothetical ‘might’, as if he has already decided to take no action, confirmed by the single categorical word ‘No’ in line 87, the most decisive utterance in the play. The usual diction is present: ‘heaven’, ‘hell’, ‘black’, ‘villain’, ‘sickly’, ‘soul’, ‘heavy’, ‘thought’, ‘act’. Act 4 Scene 4, Hamlet questions why he has delayed, and the nature of man and honor. He resolves again to do the bloody deed. Once again, he is not really alone; he has told Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to move away but they are still on stage, following their orders to watch him.Despite exhortation and exclamation at the end, this speech excites Hamlet’s blood for no longer than the previous soliloquies. Though it seems to deprecate passive forbearance and endorse the nobility of action — by definition one cannot be great if one merely refrains — the negative diction of ‘puffed’, ‘eggshell’, ‘straw’, ‘fantasy’ and ‘trick’ work against the meaning so that it seems ridiculous of Fortinbras to be losing so much to gain so little, and neither Hamlet nor the audience can be persuaded of the alleged honour to be gained.Fortinbras — who is not really a ‘delicate and tender prince’ but a ruthless and militaristic one, leader of a ‘list of lawless resolutes‘ — s eems positively irresponsible in his willingness to sacrifice 20,000 men for a tiny patch of ground and a personal reputation. Critics dispute whether Hamlet is condemning himself and admiring Fortinbras, having accepted that the way to achieve greatness is to fight and win, like his father, or whether he has now realized how ridiculous the quest for honor is, and that one should wait for it to come rather than seek it out.As the Arden editors point out, there is double-think going on, whereby ‘Hamlet insists on admiring Fortinbras while at the same time acknowledging the absurdity of his actions’ (p. 371). As so often when Hamlet is debating with himself and playing his own devil’s advocate, the opposite meaning seems to defeat the conscious argument he is trying to present. Lines 53 to 56 are grammatically obscure and add to the confusion. What is clear is Hamlet’s frustration with himself at the beginning of the soliloquy, which the 26 monosyllables com prising lines 43–46 powerfully convey.