Gender Roles in Chopins Desirees Baby and A Point at Issue

Gender Roles in Chopins Desirees Baby and A Point at Issue Many female writers write about womens struggle for equality and how they are looked upon as inferior. Kate Chopin exhibits her views about women in her stories. The relationship between men and women in Kate Chopins stories imply the attitudes that men and women portray. In many of Chopins works, the idea that womens actions are driven by the men in the story reveals that men are oppressive and dominant and women are vulnerable, gullable and sensitive. Chopin also shows that females, like Desiree and Eleanor, undergo a transformation from dependent and weak to stronger women free from their husbands by the end of the story. In the short story Desirees Baby, Kate†¦show more content†¦(176). It becomes apparent that Armand?s actions and words greatly affect Desiree when she says, ?My mother, they tell me I am not white? (176). Desiree?s powerless situation can in many ways be blamed for her unresolved uncertainty about her racial identity. Desiree?s words show that her life depends on the race, notions, and social class of her husband and consequently, she feels obligated to obey his every desire. Desiree is presented as vulnerable to whatever Armand wants and tells her to do when she says, ?Do you want me to go (177). Desiree displays through her actions that in many ways, her happiness only comes from pleasing her husband. Therefore, Desiree must decide whether to live completely separate from Armand, or to live with him in constant fear and unpleasantness. Desiree achieves personal freedom and independence from Armand when ?she disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thing along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; she did not come back again? (177). It is not even an option and is unheard of that Armand, being a male holding a respectable background, could possibly be black. Consequently, Desiree feels compelled to leave because she wants to please him. When Desiree decides to kill herself and her child , she shows that she is sensitive and vulnerable to her husband?s thoughts and actions. In ?A Point at Issue,? Charles? actions cause many of the central issues and they also reflect on Eleanor throughout the story.Show MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Kate Chopin s Desiree s Baby 1705 Words   |  7 Pagespublished in 1893, Kate Chopin’s work â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† is a short story about miscegenation within a French family living in Louisiana in the late nineteenth century. Miscegenation is defined as the mixture of different racial groups, through marriage or cohabitation, between a white race and a member of another race. Chopin writes this piece of realistic fiction which exposes the issues of society that would not be faced until many years after her death. â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† revolves around two mainRead MoreRace And Gender Roles : The Women On The Porch As Southern Gothic Literature893 Words   |  4 PagesRace and gender roles were an ever present issue in the Southern culture and dynamic. After the Civil War, dramatic changes be gan to take place in the South. Political leaders began to enact Civil Rights amendments, industrialization became more popular, and gender roles were beginning to be indistinct. In Southern literature, the portrayal of female characters evolved along side with the Southern culture. Female characters became more independent, strong-willed, and hardworking. Even African Americans

Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Free Essays

While ethics refers to understanding and adopting moral values such as code of conduct, morals are the beliefs of individuals determining what is right and wrong in behavior. Although organizations may have set rules to standardize a working environment, individuals may follow standard procedures while the morality solely lies in individual behavior. While groups and organizations may provide values of establishment within a working environment, moral issues may obtain examples of lying, stealing and cheating. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical and Moral Issues in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now Personal ethics may also obtain morality and may affect an individual’s goals which may differ from business ethics. Business ethics have company policy and standards in which employees must follow such as being respectful within the environment. As there are many differences to compare between ethics and morality, common problems do occur in businesses because of the human traits of greed. Why do ethical problems occur in businesses today? The majority of times, invidividuals can be selfish obtaining values of self interest which may lead to unethical conduct (William, 2009). Whether issues lie in management, work centers or between individuals, the results of the companies may be directed towards poor company performance and bad reputable perceptions from overall consumers. Research has shown that companies with poor and lower in profits are more prone to commit unethical acts (William, 2009). Fixed-pricing is an example of unethical problems which, avoids fair competition between companies. This is an unlawful agreement between manufacturers, which is considered illegal in the United States (William, 2009). Stealing and lying is also one of many common problems within businesses. For example, individuals working in IT may take and steal computer parts like HDMI cables rather than going to Fry’s electronics to pick one up for personal use. When it is time to install or troubleshoot a client’s computer or network, missing resourceful products may lead to bad customer service. Software piracy in IT is also considered unethical and many programmers and IT businesses may lose profits. When IT businesses lose profits, so do employee jobs. It is important for individuals to hold ethical personal conduct and hold morals to never steal from any company because it increases the efficiency of work performance and cost benefits. These company resources are valuable and stealing is unethical within any company. Another example is making personal phone calls on a corporate phone which may cost the company’s bills to increase. It is up to individuals to separate personal ethics such as personal phone calls with business ethics in this situation. These ethics are usually in the majority of all company policies. Also such unethical business practices may include discrimination against protected classes, bribes, sexual harassment and dishonesty. Ultimately ethical issues require people or organizations to choose actions which may judge their character of right and wrong. While organizations may want preserve customer relationships and employee concerns, business ethics may promote standard policies for diverse individuals. Such examples of unethical and immoral doings within businesses were stealing IT resources for personal use, using company resources for personal use and fixed pricing. Other examples were lying and cheating. These are choices individuals are expected not to commit and hold moral values so that companies and businesses may prosper towards a bright future. References: William, P.  (2009).  Why Ethical Problems Occur in Business.  Yahoo! Contributor Network.  Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1429755/why_ethical_problems_occur_in_business.html?cat=3 How to cite Ethical and Moral Issues in Business, Papers Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Free Essays Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Mgt/216 Steve Fletcher October 18, 2010 One Ethics and moral issues in business become factors that individuals encounter at several times in one’s daily life. An individual becomes greeted each morning in the newspaper, confronted in the fundamentals of one’s daily jobs, and bided good night on the evening news. In a professional setting, a person’s behavior to act in a manner that upholds the good of society becomes expected. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical and Moral Issues in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now To understand ethical and moral issues in business, their differences must become imperative, the differences between personal ethics and business ethics become essential, and examples of common ethical problems in businesses become important. Ethics become extremely important to everyone in the workplace, and are the beliefs, values, and morals that an individual possess. â€Å"The discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation,† defines ethics according to according to  Merriam-Webster, Incorporated  (2010). These values, belief, and morals become usually instilled in the individual from family, church, society, peer groups, profession, or other sources. A variety of ethical issues that becomes apparent within various organizations today include â€Å"conflict of interest,† â€Å"discrimination,† â€Å"harassment, Sexual and otherwise,† â€Å"recruitment and staffing,† â€Å"customer confidence issues,† and â€Å"corporate resources. † These ethical issues occur within today’s business environments and have a tremendous effect on organizations. Two â€Å"Moral principles, teachings, or conduct,† defines moral according to  Merriam-Webster, Incorporated  (2010). A variety of moral issues that becomes apparent within various organizations today include â€Å"falsification of facts, deception, concealing information,† â€Å"misrepresenting correspondence or publications,† â€Å" the swaying of people’s feelings,† â€Å"cheating, rule-bending, misleading people,† â€Å"exploitation of weakness and vulnerability,† â€Å"excessive profit,† â€Å"greed,† â€Å"resistance to reasonable investigation,† â€Å"recklessness or irresponsible secrecy and lack of transparency and use of authority, power, reputation,† â€Å"breaking confidentiality,† â€Å"lack of compassion and humanity,† and â€Å"unfairness. Several influences define personal Ethics, which include family influences, religious beliefs, culture affects, personal experiences, and internal reflection. Parents or guardians dictate one’s morality during the early years of an individual’s life. T hey become the first to voice and demonstrate ethical boundaries. Religious beliefs become important by allowing a person to accept an established set of moral rules. By following these moral rules, an individual behave ethically with the promises of rewards in the afterlife as a motivation. Culture dictates the ethical norms simply because of the customs and traditions in the society surrounding him or her, and becomes ingrained in an individual’s psyche. Personal experiences shift one’s ethics, which become events that happen in an individual’s life. Emotional and personal experiences cause changes one’s beliefs. Internal reflection becomes developed by one’s inward feelings. When an individual Three does something that goes against one’s moral code, a feeling of guilt or shame results. When an individual does something that fits into one’s ethical idea of â€Å"right† he or she becomes proud or happy. Business ethics become what constitute a business to its employees, customers, the community, vendors doing business with them, and all business relationships. Although guidelines, basic laws, and rules became created to maintain a business, the codes of conduct enforce ethics, and make an organization successful. When values in the workplace become viewed as fair and just with a collective willingness to provide services and products in an ethical manner; trust and confidence becomes stronger. When management adheres to company ethics, it sends a strong message to employees and often set strong ethical standards for what the company stands for. The Madoff investment scandal that became the largest â€Å"Ponzi scheme† ever committed by an individual becomes an example of ethical and moral issues in business. Money laundering, securities fraud, perjury, mail fraud, wire fraud, and making false fillings with the SEC became the federal crimes that Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty. â€Å"He actually managed to fool 4,800 clients. None of this money was ever invested; it was simply deposited into his  business  account. The losses of his clients were almost $65 billion and now Madoff faces a lifelong sentence and up to $170 billion in restitution,† according to (Articles base, 2010). Four The Enron failure that caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and pensions because of unethical practices by management becomes a prime example of personal and business ethical problems. â€Å"The SEC has uncovered several instances of financial fraud committed by high-ranking executives at Enron, and many of the executives have been charged with wire fraud, money laundering, securities fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy,† according to (Lawyer Shop, 2008). Appropriate business ethics become vitally important in businesses; both large and small. Several ethical issues may arise within an organization, but acquiring the right training, policies, procedures, and guidelines available and comprehensive to all employees, businesses will aid in a decreasing amount of ethical and moral issues in the workplace. Reference: Articlesbase. com, (2010), retrieved from http://www. articlesbase. com/law-articles/how-the-madoff-investment-scandal-was-uncovered-927189. html Lawyershop. com, (2008)  retrieved from http://www. lawyershop. com/practice-areas/criminal-law/white-collar-crimes/securities-fraud/lawsuits/enron Merriam-Webster, Incorporated,  (2010),  Merriam-Webster Dictionary,  retrieved How to cite Ethical and Moral Issues in Business, Papers Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Free Essays Ethical and Moral Issues in Business LaTonya Beeler September 13, 2010 MGT 216 Ray Crum Ethics and morals are essential to the success of a business. The two are synonymous with one another. According to DeGeorge, â€Å"ethics is a systematic attempt to make sense of our individual and social moral experience†¦ to determine the rules that ought to govern human conduct, the values worth pursuing, and the character traits deserving development in life (DeGeorge, 2010, pg. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical and Moral Issues in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now 13). † Consumers rely on business to make moral and ethical decision regarding all business transactions. If the consumer does not believe that a business is moral or ethical he or she will not patronize the business, which in turn causes the business to lose money causing adverse effects on the economy. This essay will ascertain the differences between ethical and moral issues, the difference between personal and business ethics as well as provide examples of common ethical problems in business for each of the aforementioned ethics. Ethics and morals are words that people use interchangeably in regards to conduct and how people interact with society. However, some differences exist between the two in business. Ethics are a set of rules or codified system implemented by a company that explains how one should act on-the-job whereas morals are set in stone and is principles by which an entire society is supposed to live by. One can distinguish between ethics and morals by understanding that ethics is the action or conduct of what an individual deems right or wrong, therefore morals are the basis to which ethics stand on. For instance, if two big businesses were in competition with one another for the same customers one of the companies may choose to bribe an employee of the other company for internal information to use against the other company to gain a competitive advantage. Bribery is a common ethical problem that occurs in business. Personal ethics can refer to an individual’s life outside of work whereas business ethics pertain to the moral aspects of business to consumer interaction or business to business interaction. The foundation of personal and business ethics are equivalent. What differentiates the two are how they are enacted. For example, there are retail stores that require their employees to promote the sale of store credit cards. The customers may not be knowledgeable of the rules in the fine print; however the customer service associate is well aware but cannot disclose certain information because he or she has to comply with code of ethics of the company. This directly conflicts with the personal ethics of the employee and the business ethics to which he or she has to comply with. The aforementioned example is a common ethical problem seen in the retail business. Ethics and morals are essential in the success of a business because they determine whether or not a customer will continue to patronize the business or take his or her money to another business. A company is only as successful as the people who work there. The employee in a business goes to work and employs his or her personal ethics in conjunction with the code of ethics implemented in the place he or she works. Differences are apparent in morals and ethics. The difference is ethics are a codified system in a business to which employees have to adhere to and morals are the basis to which one determines right from wrong. Just as there are differences in ethic and morals, there are differences between personal and business ethics. The difference is how personal and business ethics are enacted. Businesses can prevent scandals within the company by ensuring that all employees including management adhere to the business code of ethics. Reference DeGeorge, R. T. (2010). Business ethics (7th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. How to cite Ethical and Moral Issues in Business, Papers Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Free Essays Business ethics and morals can be significantly different or may overlap in many other ways. Ethics generally applies to the standards of an organizational or social system whereas morals define personal character of each individual involved in the business. Morals are typically unchanging throughout one’s life whereas ethics may change as society and government make changes. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical and Moral Issues in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now An organization generally communicates its business ethics through a code of conduct to the employees of the business whereas family, friends, mentors, and religious leaders ingrain individual morals. Ethical problems may arise when personal morals and business ethics conflict one another. It is then that an individual must make decisions that may place the business at risk or do what he or she believes is the right thing to do. This could mean saving lives and jeopardizing ones employment. Ethical and Moral Issues Ethical and moral issues can have significant or subtle difference and even sometimes appear the same. Morals play large part in forming ethics whether business, personal, or social. Individuals who avoid cheating, lying, stealing, and even murder are good morals that most of us share. These same moral principals are applied to our personal, social, and business ethics. However, differences can be found between ethical and moral issues. While it may be ethical to respect other beliefs and religions, it is not considered to be a moral issue. The medical and scientific communities may deem an act ethical while our individual moral standard considers the act to be immoral, as evidence shown in debates about stem cell research, abortion, and testing on animals. Personal and Business Ethics Personal ethics and business ethics differ in that personal relate to one’s own ethics while business ethics are defined for the workplace. Personal ethics are what an individual believes to be true and right while business ethics are determined by an organization and are generally governed by law. Business ethics may also be written to gain public trust and acceptance. Personal and business ethics can be a reflection of each other or even complete opposite. Personal and business ethics may have great conflict with other. One’s personal ethics may believe it is acceptable to date another employee of the business while the business ethics may prohibit this action. Some pharmacists may consider medications such as the birth control pill to be unethical according to their own personal ethics; however the company they work for considers the dispensing of any prescription medication written by a licensed physician to be ethical. Some may say that individuals place a lower standard on business ethics than they do their own personal ethics. Business ethics have been shown in a negative light for companies such as the Enron and WorldCom. Because of such negative light, businesses are becoming more concerned about their reputation with regards to ethics. â€Å"Many of them are establishing high-level ethics committees, drafting codes of ethical conduct, and conducting ethics training programs† (Trevino Nelson, 2007, p. 8). Employers are also known to hire individuals who possess close personal ethics with the organizations business ethics. This is generally done in the interview process with personality tests. If a potential hire demonstrates personal ethics that do not align with the business ethics, this could pose a high risk for misconduct and potentially place the business at risk. Ethics, whether personal or business, are the foundation to our relationships with society. â€Å"Ethics can determine how we relate to our employers, our employees, our coworkers, our communities, our suppliers, our customers, and one another† (Trevino Nelson, 2007, p. 19). This is an important part of our lives and each of us has to lie down at night and examine our own actions of the day and determine if we have been ethical toward one another in our personal relationships as well as our business relationships. How to cite Ethical and Moral Issues in Business, Essay examples Ethical and Moral Issues in Business Free Essays Whether or not a company can influence the ethical behavior within their organization or whether there are just a few bad apples who were not brought up with good character continues to be debated. This debate raises the question as to whether or not ethical behavior should be a priority within the business and academic environments. Understanding the differences between ethical and moral issues and the complexity of business versus personal ethics will explain why We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical and Moral Issues in Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now com/what-are-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ethical-behavior-in-business/"business ethics must be actively addressed through forrmal channels. According to Trevino Nelson, ethics focuses on the conduct of which values and principles govern an individual group (2004). Ethics can be driven by external factors such as society, peer groups, religions, and profession; therefore, ethics can also change if any one of these factors change. For instance, hunting certain animals for sport is considered acceptable until they are listed as endangered and it then becomes illegal. Morris quotes Velasquez when defining morals as dealing with matters that can either benefit or cause harm to another individual and morals are not either established or changed by authoritative figures (Morris, 2004). A person’s morals are influenced by religion, family, friends, and life experiences and are concerned with what is right or wrong as defined on a deeper, individual personal level. They do not change easily and generally require a paradigm shift on a personal level. For example, it will always be considered immoral to commit murder. When there is a conflict between an employee’s moral beliefs and a company’s code of ethics, it can be difficult to determine the best course of action. For instance, if a doctor witnesses a fellow doctor engage in taking an illegal drug, he or she may believe that the right moral action would be to talk to their fellow employee first instead of reporting the incident and placing the doctors license in jeopardy. However, the doctor’s code of ethics would require him or her to report the incident. Personal ethics pertains to a philosophy of life that is chosen to guide one’s life. Personal ethics impact one’s relationships with family and friends and are carried everywhere one goes; whereas, business ethics pertains to a code of conduct that governs decisions and actions within a company. Again, conflict between personal and professional ethics can create a conflict of interest and lead to difficult decision making. For instance, a vegetarian may believe it is wrong to eat animals; however, he or she may work in a factory that manufactures and sells meat. Dennis Gioia was an activist who participated in protests against social injustice. He was also Ford’s vehicle recall coordinator who failed to order a recall during the time the Ford Pintos were exploding into fire upon impact, trapping, and killing several victims. In his paper Reflections on the Pinto Fires Case, Gioia makes the point that it may appear absurdly easy to make moral decisions; however, â€Å"they are not easy to make, and it is perhaps the most important lesson of all† (Trevino Nelson, 2004). Whether one chooses to take action based on his personal ethics and morals or business ethics will depend greatly upon their recognition of an ethical dilemma, the culture of the company and their experience with handling similar situations. Therefore, formal channels in which to learn the differences between ethical and moral issues and personal versus professional ethics will make it much easier for people to recognize and determine the best course of action when there is a personal versus professional conflict of interest. How to cite Ethical and Moral Issues in Business, Essay examples

Music History Study Guide Essay Example For Students

Music History Study Guide Essay Its a symphonic poem. It started out as an orchestral work, then a sonata, but ended as a piece specifically for piano. It tells a story, which is unknown, displayed through various harmonic progressions, over 5 against 9 patterns. Textures Found/lamentations: For piano Form: It has four sections, with variations of the A and B themes. Movement Descriptions: Section 1 goes from measure 1 to 27. It has both the A and B themes intertwined over block chords. Section 2 goes from 41 to 65. At the beginning f this section, there is a fluctuating bass and middle voice with various rhythmic motives. At the closer end of the section, only the middle voice fluctuates, while the bass line arpeggios various chords. Section 3 has an A, B, and transition theme. All three parts between measures 77-95 have rapid triplets, whether its over chords, leaping bass line, or alternating with tremolos or high-pulsed chords. Finally, section 4 goes from 107 to 125. Similar to section 3, it has tremolos and high-pulsed chords, with a look back on both the A and B themes, but the B theme has been cut short and is only the beginning. The piece overall isnt technically tonal, but has variations of two triton sets, E-A#-G#-D, with a few C# or F#s intertwined. And the final note, D#, releases the tension that wouldve been felt. New/Recycled Material Found: There are also several dissonances that reflect the earlier works of Mussorgsky and Debussy. These dissonances provide harmonic color. Story/Text Synopsis: The title of this piece kind of portrays a Journey of sorts, but it isnt really spelled out. Well as pitches that are at least three staves (whoa! ). There are a lot of block chords in the left hand, with the melody within the right hand.

PROPOSITION 215Timothy Daemon, At The Age Of 43 Is Just One Of

PROPOSITION 215Timothy Daemon, at the age of 43 is just one of the few individuals who suffer fromAIDS. He is constantly being monitored by hospitals at all times, and must take manydifferent painkillers each day to help relieve his pain. Timothy takes over twenty pills a dayand is also suffering from malnutrition because of AIDS wasting syndrome, which is a lackof appetite. There is no cure for Timothy or others like him with AIDS, so what can be doneto ease their suffering? Is there any way we can help poor Timothy and others like him intheir pain? There is, and its called Proposition 215. Proposition 215 deals with thelegalization of marijuana for medical usage only. Under current California State law, it is acrime to grow or possess marijuana, regardless of whether the marijuana is used to ease painor other symptoms associated with illness. Throughout the last two years proposition 215 has been a hot issue on the minds ofthe voters and California legislature. It has been passed t hrough both houses of the Californialegislature, but was vetoed by Governor Wilson (http://Vote96.ss.ca.gov.com). Despite allthe overwhelming support by many physicians, pharmacist, and voters prop. 215 still hasmuch opposition. The American Food and Drug Administration, James P. Fox, president ofCalifornia's District Attorneys Office and director of the National Drug Control Policy BarryMcCaffery are the strongest of the opposition. Barry McCaffery claims that the propositionwould make it easier for all people to get marijuana and it would add to the continuing drugproblem. He also stated that it would encourage kids to take marijuana because it makes itseem as if marijuana is a medicine and not bad for you ([emailprotected] pg. 1). Further more he expressed that it would create loopholes for drug dealers and users to avoid being arrested. Attorney General James P. Fox claims that anybody with an oral recommendation or written prescription bya physician can grow, posses, or smoke a s much marijuana as he or she pleases (http://Vote96.ss.ca.gov.com). The FDA claims that there are other alternatives that produce the same effect as marijuana and that marijuanais to damaging to the body ([emailprotected] pg.1). They now supply Marinol, a synthetic substitutefor marijuana that can cost $30,000 more a year than marijuana and is often less reliable and less effective([emailprotected] pg.1). Some of these arguments do make sense and need to be taken into consideration. I do believe thatit may encourage more children to use marijuana because it may seem to them as a form of medicine, whichit is not. It is a painkiller for terminally ill people. Also, the proposition specifically states that marijuanawould only be available to people with specific illnesses and they must have either a signature or verbalagreement from a physician and pharmacist. If a verbal agreement is given then the doctor can be put underoath in a court of law. The other arguments are simply preposte rous. Proposition 215 does not allowunlimited amounts of marijuana to be grown anywhere. It may only be grown for the patient's personal use. Police officers can still arrest anyone who tries to sell or grow too much marijuana. Today physicians are alsoallowed to prescribe powerful drugs like morphine and codeine, which are much more dangerous thanmarijuana. So it doesn't make any sense at all not to prescribe marijuana. I'm not saying they don't nave any good arguments. Yet with more pros than cons it's hard to see whymarijuana isn't available today for patients. In my opinion the government should do anything in their powerto try to help these patients. Marijuana is not magic, but often it is the only way to get relief. A HarvardUniversity survey found that almost one-half of cancer doctors surveyed would prescribe marijuana to someof their patients if it were legal ([emailprotected]). Marijuana isn't just for AIDS patients either.University doctors and researchers have found that marijuana is also effective in lowering internal eyepressure associated with glaucoma, slowing the onset of blindness. It can help cancer patients. Most havesevere reactions to the disease and chemotherapy, which commonly causes severe nausea and vomiting. Onein three patients discontinue treatment despite a 50% chance of improvement because of pain and suffering.When one in five Americans will have cancer, and 20 million may develop glaucoma, shouldn't ourgovernment

What Is AP Self-Study Should You Do It

What Is AP Self-Study Should You Do It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you know that you don’t have to take an AP course to take the associated exam? Some people think this means all they need is a prep book, the registration fee, a pencil, and a dream. Are they right? In this article I will go over all the essentials of self-studying for AP exams: what it means, why people self-study, whether or not you should self-study, and five important tips for any self-studier. What Is AP Self-Study? As you might infer, AP self-study is when you study the material for an AP exam independently instead of taking the course associated with the exam. For some people, this takes the form of what is essentially a self-organized independent study. Others just grab a prep book a month before the exam, blaze through it, and hope for the best. Some people taking an honors level of a class, like biology or US history, decide to do extra studying so they can take the AP. (I did that myself with APUSH.) Still others self-study AP course material because they already have a deep level of knowledge in a subject and taking a course would be repetitive. This is common for people who are high-level speakers of one of the languages offered by the AP exam. They still need to study to familiarize themselves with the exam and brush up on their grammar, but it obviously wouldn’t make sense to take an entire course in a language they speak fluently! Why People Self-Study AP Material There are a few reasons people might decide to study for an AP exam on their own instead of taking a course. It could be because their school doesn’t offer a particular AP course they are interested in, or any AP courses at all. It might be because they don’t have room in their schedule for another AP course, but they still want to get as much AP credit as possible. This is common among people self-studying the more content-light AP exams like AP Human Geography or AP Environmental Science. Similarly, students sometimes feel that they can cover ground more quickly on their own than in the classroom. This may be especially true if they already have a certain baseline level of knowledge in the subject, like in a foreign language. Essentially, people self-study when they either can’t or don’t want to take the AP course associated with the exam, but believe they can still do well on the test through some amount of work on their own. This man is self-studying the river. Good idea? You decide. Should You Self-Study for an AP? Whether or not self-studying is the right approach for you depends on five key factors. #1: The AP Exam You Want To Self-Study The material you are considering self-studying makes a big difference here. It’s one thing to self-study AP Psychology, and quite another to try to self-study AP Chem. The more demanding the coursework is in the classroom, the less sense it makes to try to learn the material yourself. People in classes like AP Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry have a hard time getting 5s on the exam even when they take the course, so it’s not really feasible to expect you’ll be able to learn the material yourself. On the other hand, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, and AP Human Geography are frequently self-studied because the course doesn’t cover enormous amounts of complex material. See my article on the best AP exams for self-studyfor more info. #2: How Much Time You Have For Studying Assuming you’ve chosen a reasonable AP to self-study, the next main concern is, will you have time to study the material on your own? If you’re taking a challenging course load and have a slate of time-consuming extracurriculars, it might not make a ton of sense to try to study for a demanding exam on top of all of that. If, on the other hand, you already have late arrival and early dismissal built into your senior spring schedule and you just want to see if you can get some extra credits for college with exams, self-study could be for you. #3: Your Studying Motivation Level Even if you have enough time, you need to consider if you are self-motivated enough to do the extra studying. It’s important to be honest with yourself before you register for the exam. If you think it’s more likely that you’ll volunteer to clean the bathroom for your dad than to crack open a textbook with no one there to check your progress, AP self-study may not be a particularly useful or beneficial approach for you. #4: Your Ability to Stay on Track Similarly, if you think you won’t be able to keep on a relatively stable prep schedule, it may not make much sense for you to self-study. If you know you’re the kind of person who keeps a New Year’s resolution very diligently for about six weeks and then completely falls off the wagon, it might be difficult for you to stay on a self-study schedule. If you get too far behind, trying to cram to catch up will be very stressful. If you feel you really need some level of accountability to get work done for an AP on your own, you might consider taking an AP course online. In general, you will have weekly deadlines for the course, which may help motivate you to stay on track and actually learn the material. #5: Access to Study Material A final thing to consider before you commit to the self-study route is whether or not you have access to high-quality material for studying. As useful as a copy of the Princeton Review can be for AP prep, you’ll have a much easier time prepping for the exam if you have a variety of resources available to you: you’ll want practice problems or questions, maybe some explanatory videos, possibly a copy of an up-to-date textbook from your library, and so on. So before you decide to self-study, you may want to do some research to make sure there are adequate high-quality resources available for you to learn the material. If all of your textbooks did this, you would ace every exam. 5Key Tips for Effective Self-Studying Once you've decided to self-study for an AP, you might be wondering how exactly you should go about it. I've laid out five important practices that will maximize your self-study success. #1: Stay On Track The most important thing you can do for yourself when self-studying is to stay on track. Learning the material throughout the year will make you much less stressed in the months and weeks leading up to the exam. #2: Make a Schedule To help you stay on track, I advise you to make a study schedule and stick to it! This means you should both have a general plan of how much material you will cover every week or month, and that you will have consistent, scheduled times to learn the material and prepare. Of course it might take you a little longer or shorter to learn some material, so you can adjust your schedule as you go, but you’ll be much more successful with a plan of attack for learning all the material. #3: Find the Best Material Try to read reviews of any study resources before you commit to using them, especially before you spend money on them. You want to make sure that any material you use is actually relevant to what’s tested on the exam, and that other students have found it helpful. #4: Take Practice Tests Be sure to take practice tests! This is probably even more important for self-study students than for students taking a regular class, because the syllabus for regular AP classes have to be approved by the College Board. You’ll be flying by the seat of your pants in some respects, so practice tests will really help you gauge what you still need to learn and where you still have gaps. Of course, you want to use as many official College Board tests as you can, but these are somewhat limited, so if using non-College Board material, be sure to carefully read reviews. #5: Register for the Exam Make sure you register for the test! This probably seems really obvious, but it’s easy to forget, especially when you don’t have a teacher to remind you to turn in the form! You’ll need to talk to your school’s AP exam coordinator about registering for the exam. This takes place early to midway through the second semester for most schools. If you are self-studying because your school doesn’t have AP exams, your school won’t have an AP coordinator. Never fear! You can still take your exams at a school close to you that offers the tests. Here's how: By March 1st of the year you want to test, you will need to get in touch with AP Services. You can contact them by phone, e-mail, or fax. Phone (domestic): 888-225-5427 Phone (international): 212-632-1780 E-mail: apstudents@info.collegeboard.org Fax: 610-290-8979 AP services will give the phone number for local AP coordinators from schools who are willing to test students from other schools.You will need to call the AP coordinator of a local school by March 15th at the latest to make testing arrangements. Go forth and conquer, you majestic self-studying unicorn. Final Thoughts on AP Self-Study Can you take an AP exam without taking the course? YES! Studying on your own for an AP exam is a viable course of action if it doesn’t make sense to take the course, and it is definitely possible to get a five. You just need to choose the exam wisely, make sure you are diligent about studying, and use high-quality, relevant study material. So you probably do need more than a prep book and a dream, but you can definitely succeed at self-studying for APs! What's Next? Trying to decide what AP class to self-study? Look at our complete list of AP classes and exams. If you're self-studying AP US History, look at our expert review of APUSH textbooks. For AP Psychology self-studying, see our comprehensive list of practice exams. Self-studying AP Bio? We have a list of every AP Biology practice test available. Taking the SAT or ACT? Check out our expert advice on the pros and cons of all the popular study methods. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Writer Unplugged - Freewrite Store

The Writer Unplugged - Freewrite Store This is a guest post by Selena Chambers, who writes in Florida. Selena  is co-author of the Hugo and World-Fantasy nominated THE STEAMPUNK BIBLE (Abrams Image), and is currently writing a travel guide to STEAMPUNK PARIS (Pelekenisis Press) with Arthur Morgan out later this year. You can follow her at:   www.selenachambers.wordpress.com or steampunkparis.com. Distraction is the greatest form of resistance a writer faces on a daily basis. I’ve been struggling with it for years, and have come close to throwing my laptop in the trash and running as far away from the publishing game as possible. What kept me from giving up? Slowly realizing that other writers (especially those who seem like they have their act together in the public eye) and creatives struggle with the same issues. Evading distraction and finding focus is, of course, a personal journey and you have to find what works for you and your environment, but in speaking with my friends and gazing into my own navel, I have realized that distraction comes in two forms:   that which takes you closer to writing, and that which takes you away from it. The former is Life and all its abstracts:   birth, death, health, sickness, economy, employment, politics, friendship, family, solitude, love, sex, hate, education, and travel. True, not much writing is happening while undergoing these experiences, but they all inform it by putting you physically in the world to observe, absorb, and feel. It shapes your perspective, gives you an impulse and ultimately grants you something to say. The other kind of distraction, that which takes you away from your writing, are the activities designed for amusement and instant gratification and while relaxing, do very little to inform the work, even though we may trick ourselves in to thinking so. For some, it may be playing video games, binging on Girls, fingernails that need clipping, or in my case, going online.   By no means is this some kind of Jonathan Franzen rant. I love the internet. It is ubiquitous with all the things, and while that is a modern-day marvel, its pervasiveness can be a modern-day time sink. When I sit down to write, I have no problem ignoring my eyebrows and the cat bunnies blowing by like tumbleweeds under the A/C vents, because I can resist the urge to get up from my desk to go handle them. Not so the online â€Å"to-do† list, which is much harder to disregard because all the tools are right here at my fingertips. More often than not, on days when the writing is like digging into dry Georgia clay, I find myself mulling over this list. With a few clicks, I am out of Scrivener’s composition mode, and am in Safari riding the instant gratification wave of multitasking immediacy. I’ll send out queries, answer e-mails, answer social media direct messages, respond to tags and mentions, make a blog post, share the blog post, console in friends and families tribulations, cheer on peers and colleagues triumphs, read this timely article and discuss that timely article, read this stupid drama and discuss even more, scan recent calls for submissions, research a story idea, seek source texts, and when all of that is done, pay bills. I can kill a whole day checking things like this off and feel pretty good about myself. The next day, however, when I am back with that blank page, I would realize how much was left undone and how much more was now left to do. On on that next day, I try to unplug. To do this, I have to get completely away from the computer. Sure, you can deactivate your Facebook, turn off wi-fi, unplug the router, or install some sort of time management or focus software, all of which can be turned back on, plugged in, or disabled. If I really want to avoid distraction, I scrawl in longhand or peck on a typewriter. Even with these two methods, I inevitably come back to computer when I have to transcribe into Word, which sometimes feels redundant and archaic. Even so, at the end of the day I feel more accomplished and nearer to my true writing goals than all the networking, posting, and chasing I do online. Social media and the writer’s platform is one of the puzzle pieces to gaining and maintaining a successful writing career, but what has become even more bewildering is that unplugging and working with focus and without noise is even harder for the twenty-first century writer to navigate. The Writer Unplugged - Freewrite Store This is a guest post by Selena Chambers, who writes in Florida. Selena  is co-author of the Hugo and World-Fantasy nominated THE STEAMPUNK BIBLE (Abrams Image), and is currently writing a travel guide to STEAMPUNK PARIS (Pelekenisis Press) with Arthur Morgan out later this year. You can follow her at:   www.selenachambers.wordpress.com or steampunkparis.com. Distraction is the greatest form of resistance a writer faces on a daily basis. I’ve been struggling with it for years, and have come close to throwing my laptop in the trash and running as far away from the publishing game as possible. What kept me from giving up? Slowly realizing that other writers (especially those who seem like they have their act together in the public eye) and creatives struggle with the same issues. Evading distraction and finding focus is, of course, a personal journey and you have to find what works for you and your environment, but in speaking with my friends and gazing into my own navel, I have realized that distraction comes in two forms:   that which takes you closer to writing, and that which takes you away from it. The former is Life and all its abstracts:   birth, death, health, sickness, economy, employment, politics, friendship, family, solitude, love, sex, hate, education, and travel. True, not much writing is happening while undergoing these experiences, but they all inform it by putting you physically in the world to observe, absorb, and feel. It shapes your perspective, gives you an impulse and ultimately grants you something to say. The other kind of distraction, that which takes you away from your writing, are the activities designed for amusement and instant gratification and while relaxing, do very little to inform the work, even though we may trick ourselves in to thinking so. For some, it may be playing video games, binging on Girls, fingernails that need clipping, or in my case, going online.   By no means is this some kind of Jonathan Franzen rant. I love the internet. It is ubiquitous with all the things, and while that is a modern-day marvel, its pervasiveness can be a modern-day time sink. When I sit down to write, I have no problem ignoring my eyebrows and the cat bunnies blowing by like tumbleweeds under the A/C vents, because I can resist the urge to get up from my desk to go handle them. Not so the online â€Å"to-do† list, which is much harder to disregard because all the tools are right here at my fingertips. More often than not, on days when the writing is like digging into dry Georgia clay, I find myself mulling over this list. With a few clicks, I am out of Scrivener’s composition mode, and am in Safari riding the instant gratification wave of multitasking immediacy. I’ll send out queries, answer e-mails, answer social media direct messages, respond to tags and mentions, make a blog post, share the blog post, console in friends and families tribulations, cheer on peers and colleagues triumphs, read this timely article and discuss that timely article, read this stupid drama and discuss even more, scan recent calls for submissions, research a story idea, seek source texts, and when all of that is done, pay bills. I can kill a whole day checking things like this off and feel pretty good about myself. The next day, however, when I am back with that blank page, I would realize how much was left undone and how much more was now left to do. On on that next day, I try to unplug. To do this, I have to get completely away from the computer. Sure, you can deactivate your Facebook, turn off wi-fi, unplug the router, or install some sort of time management or focus software, all of which can be turned back on, plugged in, or disabled. If I really want to avoid distraction, I scrawl in longhand or peck on a typewriter. Even with these two methods, I inevitably come back to computer when I have to transcribe into Word, which sometimes feels redundant and archaic. Even so, at the end of the day I feel more accomplished and nearer to my true writing goals than all the networking, posting, and chasing I do online. Social media and the writer’s platform is one of the puzzle pieces to gaining and maintaining a successful writing career, but what has become even more bewildering is that unplugging and working with focus and without noise is even harder for the twenty-first century writer to navigate.

Design a questionnaire for a service or attraction which operates in Essay

Design a questionnaire for a service or attraction which operates in the events, tourism or hospitality environment - Essay Example I will be honoured to have you complete the questionnaire and hand it back to me for further analysis by the 20th of January, 2015. Please note that the required information is only intended for educational purposes, and will not, as such, be used for any other purposes apart from the above described role. If you have any doubts or inquiries, kindly contact the university hotline on the number †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. or email †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Kindly note that this survey does not require you to publish identifiable details about yourself at any point. In line with my university’s standards I am bound to ensure that such information is not included in the survey. Consequently, please avoid listing any information that is considered sensitive, such as your name, residence or names of your relatives. Kindly provide the most suited responses based on your own position and according to the attached guideline. The survey is only intended to take around 10 to 15 minutes of your time – I dearly appreciate your input and dedication. The above table and pie chart show the results of the analysis based on the main motivational factors for the survey participants. Among the listed factors, family activity was the leading motivator (30.7%) followed by education (21.8%), culture (15.8%), and sightseeing (13.9%). Based on the results presented in table 1 above (also replicated in figure 1), the least common reasons why visitors went to museums were listed under the category â€Å"others† (comprising 11.9%), and special events (5.0%). Huh (2002) listed sighseeing as the leading motivator for museum visits, a finding that is also corroborated by Lien (2010). However, it is Jonsson and Devonish (2008) who link rising educational forums as a leading factor for museum visits, as was found in this analysis. Based on table 2 (and figure 2) below, the majority of visitors

Deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest Research Paper

Deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest - Research Paper Example The majority of the rainforest, just over 60 percent, is within Brazil, and the rest of the rainforest falls within the territory of countries such as Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and others (Senna, Costa, & Pires, p. 14). Rainforests once covered over 14 percent of the earth’s surface; however, the same percentage has now decreased to almost 6 percent and the most significant chunk of this deforestation has taken place in the biggest rain forest of Amazon. The deforestation of Amazon Rainforest is perhaps, the most significant concern for green movements, environmental activists, experts, governments, NGOs and various other stakeholders. Human activity and demand in the region has already destroyed a significant portion of rainforest and caused immeasurable damage to the animal species, ecosystem, and the current and future human generations (Rice, p. 25). This paper is an attempt to explore the dynamics of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest and most import antly, its impact on the soil with respect to soil degradation, soil erosion, and soil leaching. Discussion Prior to the second half of the 20th century, the access to the interior of the rainforest was highly restricted and in the absence of roads, railways and others forms of communication, it was almost irrational to conduct mass deforestation of the Amazon for any purposes (Marshall & Watson, p. 327). The costs of transportation were so high that people did not see deforestation as a profitable venture. However, during the 1960s, many farmers initiated deforestation with the slash and burn method for agricultural purposes. With the creation of roads and railways for transportation and the increasing demand for natural resources, deforestation of the Amazon began at massive rates. The rise on population and the aspirations to become a modern economy further increased the demand for wood and wood products and thus, year after year, rates of deforestation kept increasing. For many years, deforestation within Brazil did not catch the attention of the policymakers of the country as a significant environmental issue because they had evidence to believe that there is a strong link between deforestation and economic growth within the country (Senna, Costa & Pires, p. 14). During the period of 1988-1991, the figures revealed a strong correlation between the slowing down of the economic growth and the decline in the deforestation of the Amazon forest. This correlation was validated by the figures of the period of 1993-1998, when the boom in the economic growth appeared to parallel the increase in deforestation activity of Amazon. Many experts even started claiming this link is not merely a correlation but causation. More importantly, it is a unidirectional causation where deforestation activity within Brazil is causing economic growth and; therefore, it was indispensable (Gabler, Petersen, & Trapasso, p. 89). However, by the mid 2000s, it became apparent to the poli cymakers and the public that the link between deforestation and economic growth is not a significant one. Since then, there has been a significant decline in the deforestation of Amazon. In fact, the rate of deforestation of Amazon in the year 2011 was the lowest during the past couple of decades. Experts believe that many factors have caused this decline. First, during

Chemistry Design Prac Essay Example for Free

Chemistry Design Prac Essay Investigate one chemistry related factor on the deflection of the liquid flow in the presence of a charged rod Research question How will the amount of time spent rubbing a glass rod affect the angle of deflection of flowing water in the presence of the charged glass rod? Background Research Static electricity is formed in contact with two objects, where one object gains electrons from another, resulting in one object having a positive charge while the other having a negative charge. Some materials tend to lose or gain electrons during contact with other objects. Materials with electrons bonded to it weakly, tend to lose electrons while materials with fewer electrons on the outer shell tend to gain electrons. Therefore, when an object is imbalanced of a positive or negative charge, it has static electricity. Polarity is the separation of electric charges, caused when electrons are not equally shared in a molecule. This is caused when some atoms in the molecule have a higher electronegativity than others, causing more electrons to be attracted to it, leaving one side of the molecule more negative than the other. An element or molecule with an electro negativity value of 0.5+ is considered to be polar. When a polar liquid such as water is flowing in a presence of a charged rod, the liquid tend to bend towards the rod. This is because the rod will either be positively or negatively charged, and the dipoles of the polar molecule will be attracted to the charged rod. The charge on the rod is determined by the material which is used to rub against it, however, it does not matter whether the rod is positively or negatively charged because either way, the opposite dipoles of the polar molecule will be attracted towards it, causing the flow of the liquid to bend towards the charged rod. Defining Independent and Dependent Variables Independent The amount of time rubbing the glass rod with a piece of silk. 10 seconds 20 seconds 30 seconds 40 seconds 50 seconds 60 seconds Dependent The angle of deflection of the flowing water will be measured with grid paper with a smallest increment of 1mm. A line will be drawn on the grid paper from the point where the glass rod was places to the point where the water was deflected. A protractor with a smallest increment of 0.5 degrees will be used to calculate the angle of deflection of the water. Controlling Variables Table 1 Variables and Method of control Type Variable Method of Control Controlled The rate of the flow of water Adjust the burette to deliver the smallest stream of water possible but without being discontinuous. The water will be kept flowing at the same rate, throughout the experiment. The glass rod The same glass rod with a diameter of 1cm will be used throughout the experiment. Pressure when rubbing the glass rod Use the same person to rub the glass rod against the silk, applying the same pressure every time. Placement of the glass rod A line will be marked on the grid paper so the glass rod will be placed at the exact point and the exact angle to the flowing water every time. Placement of the grid paper The grid paper will be sticky taped to the burette and placed as close as possible to the flowing water. The same grid paper will be used and left at the same position throughout the experiment. Weather conditions The experiment will be conducted in a room with all windows closed and air conditioning switched off to reduce effects atmospheric effects on the angle of deflection of the water. Stopwatch The one person will be using the same stopwatch every time to reduce systematic errors. Material The same piece of silk cloth (20 cm in length, 15cm in width) will be used throughout the experiment The experimenters The same two people, (person with stopwatch and person controlling the glass rod) will conduct the experiment to keep random errors in measurements and readings consistent. Materials and Equipments List: 50 mL Burette 20cm x 15cm silk cloth 1cm diameter glass rod Distilled water 200 mL Beaker A4 Grid paper with increments of 1mm Protractor with increments of 0.5 degrees Retort Stand clamp Pen Ruler Sticky tape Stop watch Method 1. Attach the clamp to the retort stand. 2. Fill the burette with distilled water to approx 1cm from the top and attach it to the clamp 3. Draw a straight line on the grid paper with a ruler and sticky tape it to the bottom of the burette, lining up the line on the paper exactly with the flow of the water coming out of the burette. 4. Also Draw a line 90 degrees towards the line if the flowing water but stopping at 0.5 cm from the line. This line will be where the charged glass rod will be placed 5. Also mark the origin (the tip of the burette, where the water comes out) on the grid paper 6. Place the 200 mL beaker under the burette and let the water run down 7. Start the timer on the stopwatch and simultaneously, begin rubbing the glass rod against the piece of silk 8. Stop the stop watch at 10 seconds and immediately place the charged rod as close as possible to the line drawn on the grid paper 9. Mark the angle of deflection of the water on the grid paper 10. Wait 1 minute until the rod is completely uncharged 11. Repeat steps 6 9 12. Repeat the experiment from steps 6 10, changing the time rubbing the glass rod against the silk cloth by 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 seconds. 13. Remove the grid paper and line up all the points of the deflected water to the origin 14. Measure the angles with a protractor and record the results into the table below 15. Pack up the experiment Table 2 Raw data table Time charging the glass rod Angle of deflection of water Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5 Trial 6 Average 10 seconds 20 seconds 30 seconds 40 seconds 50 seconds 60 seconds Table 3 Risks involved in the experiment and safety precautions to reduce the risks Risk Safety Precaution Action to take The burette is very long and is made of glass and can be broken easily Hold the burette with two hands and always watch for obstacles when carrying around the lab. Wear closed in shoes, lab coat and safety glasses in case the burette breaks. Carefully pick up the large pieces of broken glass one by one and throw in the glass bin. Use a brush to sweep all the small bits into the bin. Make sure there is no remaining broken glass in the lab. Bibliography 1. Columbia University Press (1978-1979). New Illustrated Columbia Encyclopaedia 2. Neuss, Geoffrey (2007). Chemistry Course Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 3. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=nkwM28diKF4Cpg=PT109lpg=PT109dq=deflection+charged+rodsource=blots=dk2TPy7IOfsig=g-MDZP6Q5kDsur57EIejpgJ54bghl=enei=48FrSp2bFIzusQOsy72WBQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2 4. Department of Physics and Physical Science, University of Nebrasky, Kearney Falling Water http://rip.physics.unk.edu/CyberTextBook/fallingwater/ 5. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=nkwM28diKF4Cpg=PT109lpg=PT109dq=charged+rod+deflect+watersource=blots=dk2TQr4PPgsig=iwM-1qHxsAtaF9XoGZ1Mw9UCn6ghl=enei=OStsSqjFIo6qtgOT16WWBQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3

Web-Based Training Essay -- Internet Technology Computers Papers

Web-Based Training "Live, interactive training over the Internet is one of the hottest trends in corporate training" (Black, 1998, p.1). This type of training is a step away from the interactive distance learning that is "a two-way interactive full-motion video network that allows participants to see and hear each other from remote locations at real-time speeds" (Comeaux, 1995, p.1). This type of interactive distance learning has been criticized for its technical difficulties and interruptions as a result and its lack of interactivity for several reasons such as the instructor’s limited knowledge of how to utilize the technology for maximum results and the two second wait time before each response that tends to make students feel that their answers must be well-thought out which in turn decreases spontaneity in the learning environment (Comeaux, 1995, p. 3-5). Even so, the Ford Motor Company has had great results with their interactive distance learning network called Fordstar. Each of "Fordâ₠¬â„¢s headquarters trainers and their instruction videos are broadcast through network satellites to 6,000 dealerships in North America. The dealerships are equipped with computers, video monitors, and keypads" (Cohen, 1996, p. 1). Behind their distance learning network is the philosophy that "the key to adult learning is interactivity" and with a keypad, trainees can participate or interact at the rate of every five minutes (Cohen, 1996, p.1). But again, despite some companies successes with interactive distance learning involving video and interactivity of some type such as the keypad, the new trend in interactive distance learning is Web-based training or learning, which is "instruction delivered via a Web browser through the Internet or... ...d training yields maximum returns. Workforce(78)2, 3 pages. Available on Galileo under Periodical Abstracts. Harmon, Stephen W. and Hurmi, Atsuri. (1996, May). A systemic approach to the integration of interactive distance learning into education and training. Journal of Education for Business(71)5, p. 267-271. Available on Galileo under Periodical Abstracts. Hawkins, Donald T. (1998, January). Revisiting web-based training: a correction and an update. Online(22)1, p.55-56. Available on Galileo under Periodical Abstracts. Kursh, Steven. (1998, March). Going the distance with web-based training. Training & Development(52)3, p. 50-53. Available on Galileo under Periodical Abstracts. Uiterwijk, Julie, & Seoane, D., & Mitchell, L., & Welch, J. (1998, November). The virtual classroom. InfoWorld(20)47, 7 pages. Available on Galileo under Periodical Abstracts.

An Argument Against Gun Control Essay

Gun control has become more and more of a hot-button topic in the United States, especially after events like the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, when many people questioned the necessity of the second amendment in this day and age. Indeed, upholding the second amendment continues to be a difficult prospect when it does not seem like these guns are being used for good. However, the vast majority of people not only use them responsibly, but also protect themselves and their families, using these guns. For this reason, guns should not be limited by the government. Essentially, the issue of gun control boils down to two primary issues that have been in conflict with each other since the founding of America: freedom vs. security. Anti-gun control advocates insist that their guns are necessary for their own security, but also satisfy the freedom requirement by allowing them to freely practice their second amendment rights. Anti-gun advocates see things differently, however, since, to them, h aving most people in America brandishing a firearm represents a profound security threat to them. However, this security risk that is touted by pro-gun control activists is negated by the need for guns in order to ensure security, and that the odd shooter is a problem with society at large, not the guns themselves. If gun control were in full effect, and it were made illegal to own a firearm, criminals would simply acquire guns illegally, and would virtually have free reign of whoever they wanted to kill, since law-abiding citizens would not have the means to stop them. Evidence of the effectiveness of firearms as a self-defense tool can be seen in numerous studies. For example, according to a study in 2000, an estimated 989,883 U.S. citizens used some form of gun to defend themselves (Agresti and Smith, 2). In addition, in 1993, 3.5% of households had used a firearm to defend themselves â€Å"for self-protection or for the protection of property at home, work, or elsewhere† (Agresti and Smith, 3). These numbers put gun control in a much more positive light, especially from the perspective that they should be used to increase security in an increasingly insecure country. The best way to prevent shooting incidents like the Sandy Hook shooting is not to simply remove all guns, as that will not fix the underlying problem, but to focus on rehabilitating people who either have had violent tendencies in the past, or  exhibit symptoms that are consistent with mass shooters. Those who support gun control see each person in possession of a firearm, especially those with a concealed weapons license, as another potential Sandy Hook or Virginia State shooting just waiting to happen. That is a valid claim, since the potential is certainly there. The argument that â€Å"people don’t kill people, guns kill people† is another popular quote heard in the pro-gun control community, and while it has some merit, it requires some closer examination in order to determine the validity of the statement. While it is certainly true that a gun has the potential to kill someone, it is only a tool. The bigger issue when it comes to violent crimes, especially gun-crimes, is the individual behind the gun. To this end, one of the most effective solutions to the problem of gun violence in this country is to fix the underlying problem, not to simply take away the guns, because that would only invite more violence, especially from the more hardcore gun activists. And, of course, many deaths and injuries from violent crime come from firearms. For example, in 1996, 65 percent of all murders between spouses were performed with a firearm (Rand, 3). This is where the concept of firearms as a tool comes into play. A criminal who was determined to commit a crime would likely commit the same crime, regardless of whether or not firearms were allowed. Limiting firearms only succeeds in making everybody a potential helpless victim in the event of a shooting. In order to understand how firearms actually work as a deterrent to gun crime, it is necessary to understand that those who use guns for violent purposes (i.e. not in self defense) should be grouped into a different section than those who only use firearms for sport and self-defense. This has actually been done before, and refers to two types of gun ownership: criminal gun ownership and non-criminal gun ownership. For instance, a study taken in 1995 showed that â€Å"Where non criminal gun-ownership is higher, criminal gun ownership is also higher; and where criminal gun ownership is higher, the percent of crimes which are committed with guns is higher† (Squires, 197). Essentially, this means that guns beget more guns, which, in turn, beget more violence, or at least that is what this study shows. However, the issue is a little more complicated than that. For instance, many areas of the nation are simply violent by virtue of their inhabitants, and, even if guns were outlawed, they would still fight amongst themselves using whatever weapons are  available. In addition, it is possible that many who live in these areas with large amounts of violence actually purchased guns themselves for the sole purpose of self defense, so that if they themselves were attacked by an assailant using a gun, they would not be completely helpless. Although firearms work well as a way to protect oneself, they also act as a threat of immediate vengeance by the victim, assuming the victim is in possession of a firearm. â€Å"A study showed that, in a survey of male felons in 11 state prisons, 34% had been â€Å"scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by an armed victi m,† while 40% said they decided not to commit a crime because they knew or believed that the victim was carrying a gun, and 69% said they knew of another criminal who had not committed a crime because the victim had a firearm† (Agresti and Smith, 6). This helps to show what gun-advocates call the brighter side of the gun-control debate: that guns can, and oftentimes are, used as a self defense or deterrence measure, rather than a pure instrument of violence. This theory seems to hold some water, since a study shows that, in 1988, only about 30% of citizens owned guns. Yet, in 1996, that number had increased to 50% (Lott, 38). In 2004, that number remained steady. The interesting thing about these figures is that violent crime in America has actually been decreasing at a slow rate. While it would be foolish to blame this entirely on guns, it is a good indicator that guns at least function, on some level, as a deterrent and personal defense tool. The only problem, of course, stems from the fact that criminals have guns as well, but allowing virtually anyone to own a gun levels the playing field to an extent. If guns were totally outlawed, encounters would be much more one-sided, as criminals could attack citizens with little to no fear of immediate reprisal on the part of the victim. Gun control is a fairly black-and-white issue, yet seems to only have extremists on one side or the other. While it would be easy to simply dismiss all pro-gun control arguments, they do have some merit. For this reason, there must be consolations made in order to make guns a little bit safer for everybody. The best way to deal with this issue is continue allowing citizens to use firearms, but perhaps limit access to guns in order to ensure safety for the greatest number of people. Allowing firearms if the gun user registers and carries a permit for the firearm would help to reduce the number of homicides with firearms, if not as many people have them. Each action has  its own drawbacks, however, and it is important to understand that, especially for this issue, which has undergone something of a deadlock in the recent past. Freedom and security should be balanced in equal measure, and it is important to come up with solutions to this issue with that in mind. Works Cited Agresti, James D., and Reid K. Smith. â€Å"Gun Control Facts.† Just Facts (2008). 2-3 Lott, John R. More guns, less crime: Understanding crime and gun control laws. University of Chicago Press, 2013. 37-38 Rand, Michael R., et al. â€Å"Violence by intimates: Analysis of data on crimes by current or former spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends.† (1998): 1-30. Squires, Peter. Gun Culture Or Gun Control?: Firearms and Violence: Safety and Society. Routledge, 2002. p.197

John Donne’s poems: Holy Sonnet 10 and Meditation 17 Essay

Donne’s view of death is not one of a cynic. He is a man who regards death not as the final battle of life, but rather in the Christian sense, of it being just a transfer of the soul from the earthly plain to its final destination. He considers death not to be an event to be held in fear, but one that is to be understood. He believes so strongly in this philosophy that in Sonnet 10, he instructs people not to fear death. He insults death, personifying it as a person who has a far greater reputation than he has earned. He tells death not to pride itself in its reputation of a â€Å"mighty and dreadful† horror even though regarded so by some, as it is nothing more than an extended sleep. He reduces death to a very low level, associating it with poison, war and sickness. He further insults it by commenting on how it does not operate with free will. It is confined to the boundaries set by fate, chance, Kings, and desperate men. Moreover, drugs of poppy and simple charms can provide the same sleeping effect , if not better; and sleep is such a great source of pleasure, why would anyone be reluctant to embrace it? Death is not something to be feared or to be held in awe. â€Å"One short sleep past, [humanity wakes] eternally† to the beauty of afterlife, which is far better a life than any huma n is experiencing presently. In contrast, In Meditation 17, Donne does not imply that death is feared by some, or that it is thought to have monumental power. He comments more on the effect it has on humanity. He compares life to a book, comparing each person to a chapter in this great book of life. Again, he regards death not as the end of life, but a beginning of a new one. He parallels it to the translation of each chapter to a different language, the language of the afterlife, with each chapter awaiting the inevitable translation. And since death is just a translation, wisdom can, and must be gained from it. Donne regards death not as a loss to the person afflicted by it, but as a loss to humanity as a whole, who have lost a small, but vital part of the community. Therefore, the burden of death must be shared by all, and by sharing this grief, it is Donne’s opinion that a treasure of God’s goodwill and knowledge will be gained. Donne thinks that death is not that great of a hurdle. It is a mere stepping-stone in the process of eternal happiness. God uses death only as the transition from Earth to heaven, so it is something to be awaited and to strive to prepare for by all.

Genetic Engineering right or wrong essays

Genetic Engineering right or wrong essays Genetic Engineering. Right or Wrong? Genetic engineering has been one of the most controversial ethical issues since 1997; when Dolly the first successfully cloned sheep was announced. Dolly has redefined the meaning of dentical twin? not only does she look exactly like her mother she also has the same genetic make up. This experiment was not only impossible but unthinkable. Yet, Dr. Ian Wilmut revealed Dolly on February 23, 1997, at seven months old ( Travis 1). On the surface genetic engineering may appear to be the solution to all of society ills and the worlds problems. In all actuality it may have tremendous and unknown side effects. The issues that surround genetic engineering undoubtedly make it immoral and ethically wrong. Genetic Engineering as defined by Susan A. Hagedorn is: The manipulation of an organism genetic endowment by introducing or eliminating genes through modern molecular biology techniques. A broad definition of genetic engineering also includes selective breeding and other means of artificial selection ( enetic Engineering?1). After hearing of the reation?of Dolly Americans soon learned the harsh fact surrounding her creation. Dr. Wilmut success was accompanied by 276 failures. This success rate is no where near clinically acceptable. To start the developing of the eggs they were shocked with electric pulses; twenty nine of the 277 of these eggs began to divide. The eggs, at that point were implanted into adult female sheep; thirteen of which became pregnant, and only the one of 277 eggs were born - Dolly ( Wilmut 1). Long term prospects of mammal cloning remain in question. this is no where near clinically acceptable for experimentation on humans. In the months following the news of Dolly, President Clinton requested,a through review of the legal and ethical issues associated with the use of this technology... with re...

A Brief Note On Slash And Burn Agriculture Essay -- Agriculture, Sociolo

Slash and Burn Agriculture is a widely used method of cultivating crops in usually temperate or tropical regions. It is the process which forested land is clear cut and any remaining vegetation is burned, the ash remains contain a nutrient rich top soil that helps fertilize crops. After years of cultivation the fertility of the soil decline and weeds increase, causing the farmers to shift to a new plot. Traditionally the old plot was left uncultivated, reverting itself into a secondary forest of bush and within a decade it could be reused. By the early 21st century the plot is usually maintained in a permanent deforested state, causing farmers to move to new plots and aiding to the destruction of Earth’s resources. Slash and Burn Agriculture is a significant step in history because it leads to more early human settlements and the destruction of natural habitats. Groups of hunters and gathers turned to slash and burn agriculture and domestication of various animals, which provides more nutrition per hectare then hunting and gathering on their own. Thus leading to more deforestation to convert forests into crop fields and pastures as the need for more nutrition grew as the population steadily rose. Early slash and burn agriculture wasn’t done in excessively large areas as it is today, the land was controlled by a family till the resources were exhausted and it was left to refurnish itself over time. Now slash and burn agriculture is particularly destructive. Now the land is being burnt down in excessive amounts; leading the loss of habitat and species, increase of carbon into the atmosphere, soil erosion, water contamination, and landslides. All of which is contributing to the dwindling of earth’s na the creators of the AP World Civilization book by Pearson’s by Peter N. Stearns (Author), Michael B. Adas (Author), Stuart B. Schwartz (Author), Marc Jason Gilbert (Author). II. What is the author’s point of view? The author’s point of view seems unbiased, factual writing depicting a few reasons why early man would leave cave paintings depicting the first conscious historical accounts of human experience. III. What is the intent or purpose behind the document? The intent behind the document is to inform and explain the theories behind why they left cave paintings. IV. Who is the intended audience? The intended audience can range from school students to those who are interested in learning about how Paleolithic cave paintings can teach us about the past; more precisely their culture, way of life, tools used to make the art work, and give us a glimpse into the past.

Emerging Viruses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emerging Viruses - Essay Example Obviously, it is adaptation which ensures continuity of its kind. While the constituencies of human living cells have not evolved, men have learned how to boost their immune system. This is to maintain good health, and to avoid the dangers of pathogens, without necessarily altering normal physiology. Fortunately, increasing the body's resistance to dreadful diseases has become ordinary because of the intensified information technology as well as the new findings and concoctions in the field of pharmacy. Some may have precautionary vaccines to develop antibodies, and others may have resorted to proper medication when ill with identified pathogens (Engelkirk and Burton, 2007). Unfortunately, these created barriers to the normal multiplication of pathogens, and are the most likely switch factors to the evolution of either the DNA or the RNA, whichever is present in an animal virus that infect cells. Normally, animal viruses complete their customary multiplication cycle in six (6) stages (Engelkirk and Burton, 2007). Initially, viruses attach on recognized receptors, usually proteins or polysaccharides, on surfaces of their specific living host cells ("Transmission of Influenza A Viruses and People-Information from CDC" 81).

Marketing Research( Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing Research( - Essay Example It also appears that getting services right the first time is repeated in question 4 and this can lead to confusion rendering the results to questions 3 and 4 unreliable. Question 7 asks for the respondents assess employee’s education, intelligence and accomplishments. This may be a question that respondents cannot answer truthfully. While they may be able to assess intelligence, they cannot assess education and accomplishments. Questions 6, 7 and 8 of Part E may be problematic as these questions ask for narrative responses. While narratives can be very useful for researchers, they are very difficult to calculate and put in a statistical perceptive (Downing & Clark 2010, p. 291). Some of the questions are multiple choice, for example the respondents can choice either yes or no answers. In other places the questions require the recording of wait times. However, the answers could have been in multiple choice terms to facilitate a more efficient method for calculating results and compiling statistics. The remainder of the survey is categorically scaled provided for a range of answers indicated the level of agreement from 1-7. This format could have been used through the survey. Part E which covers demographic information should have been solely multiple choice. Rules for Preparing a Good Survey Survey questions should be concise and clear to avoid ambiguous or unreliable results.

Family violence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Family violence - Assignment Example According to Barnet et al. (2011), family violence refers to violence between family member’s i.e. husbands, wives, children and parents. The APA dictionary of psychology defines domestic violence as â€Å"any action by a person that causes physical harm to one or more members of his or her family unit† (p.23).Family violence can be learned through cultural values which are repeatedly communicated through media and institutions that tolerate it. Alcohol and drug abuse could be another force of family violence. According to Halter & Varcarolis (2014), alcohol and drugs cloud ones judgment (p. 540). However; alcohol could be used as a scapegoat to avoid arrests and punishment when caught in the act. Anger is another force that could cause people to be entrapped in family violence. Lack of skills to handle anger and stress may cause overwhelming problems for both victim and perpetrator as forms of communications may have broken down (p.11). Psychological conditions such as bipolar may contribute to cases of violence. Such conditions should be treated and people informed of the condition in case of an attack. In all different cases discussed above aggression stands out as perpetrators of violence use this tool to overpower their victims. It is also important for afflicted families and individuals to come out and seek the protection of the law and access counseling services. The children’s act 38 of 2005 gives clear outlines children’s rights and parents responsibilities towards children. The law has provisions of protection against physical child abuse. Many facets have been associated with child abuse. These include individual pathology, parent –child interaction, past abuse in the family and situational factors. (Bryant, 2011) discusses different theories of physical abuse according to Crosson-Tower (2008) which are linked to the children’s

Bipedal Hominid and Quadrupedal Apes: Muscle and Skeletons

Bipedal Hominid and Quadrupedal Apes: Muscle and Skeletons Differences between the hip skeleton and musculature of bipedal hominid and quadrupedal apes. Ilium Humans: Reduced height, relative wideness (it is important in bipedal posture, because the weight of the body does not concentrate onto the spinal cord only). Orientation of blade (the curvature and the mediolateral orientation of the iliac blades help the Glutei medius and minimi to act as abductors and they can also assist in support of the trunk. This curved shape also helps in balancing the upper body during locomotion, because the external and internal oblique muscles attach to the iliac crest). Acetabular margin and the well-developed anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) reflects the bipedal locomotion. Rectus femoris takes its origin here, that extends the leg at the knee. Rectus femoris is very important in some of the leaping and clinging prosimians, as the galagos and lemurs, because Rectus femoris is a leaping muscle in them. Nevertheless, in apes, there is no large AIIS. AIIS is also a place for the iliofemoral ligament in humans that prevents the hip joint from overextending. Apes: There is no S-shaped curve visible at the iliac crest and the crest projects laterally. Therefore, the iliac fossa orients anteriorly and the gluteal surface projects posteriorly. This orientation keeps the trunk in an upright position during sitting or squatting. In case if they want to walk bipedally, the Glutei medius and minumi muscles medially rotate the flexed thigh at the hip while in humans they abduct the extended thigh. The long iliac crest is an adaptation to climbing. Latissimus dorsi origins from here and inserts into the humerus. Because this is one of the most important climbing-muscles, the longer the iliac crest is, the better aid is in climbing. The auricular surface and the iliac tuberosity are smaller in apes. It is mainly because of the fact that their weight does not focus on their pelvic region and lower limbs (hind limbs). Ischium Humans: Ischial tuberosity is an attachment for the hamstring muscles (Biceps femoris, Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus and Adductor magnus hamstring part). At a superior pressure during the bipedal posture, the posterior part of the sacrum elevates, and pulls upwards the ischial tuberosity. The ischial tuberosity which is located just below the great sciatic notch reflects the bipedalism. Apes: Long ischium. The ischial tuberosity is wider in apes than it is in humans and it does not look so pulled-up in apes. The ischial tuberosity lacks the facets for the hamstring and adductor muscles. Pubis Humans: Pubic crest and pubic tubercle are important in bipedal locomotion as well, because the pubic crest serves as an attachment for Rectus abdominis that supports the guts and pubic tubercle is associated with the inguinal ligament, which helps in supporting the trunk. The iliopubic eminence is the divider of the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS) and the AIIS. Here takes place the iliopsoas muscle that helps in flexing the hip and supporting the upper body on the hip joint. Apes: Apes lack all these human characteristics at the pubis: they do not have a pubic crest nor tubercle, and because their pelvis orient differently, their ilipsoas groove and iliopubic eminence are missing. The pubic symphysis in apes are usually fuses together, while it only rarely happens in humans. Acetabulum Humans: The orientation of the acetabulum is inferior-lateral-anterior. The superior margin of acetabulum must cope with the biggest weight/pressure, it developed a very thick cartilage, so did the head of the femur. This is called laubrum. Very strong, Z-shaped, ligaments are present here. The depth of the acetabulum can tell us a lot about the mobility of the hip joint. If the acetabulum is shallow, it reflects more flexibility. The acetabulum in humans is shallow compared to many of the African apes (but chimpanzees), but it is deep compared to the orang-utans. Apes: The ligaments are weaker than in humans. Sacrum, coccyx Humans: The human sacrum contains five fused vertebrae averagely. However, it can be varied between four and six. The coccyx stands from four fused vertebrae, usually. The sacrum in humans is wider than in apes and it is not so long as an ape sacrum. This unique shape is very distinctive regarding to bipedalism. The wider sacrum means more distance between the sacroiliac joint, which helps in transferring the weight and the pressure from pubic symphysis. A wider distance at this joint also means a larger birth-canal. Apes: In apes and monkeys the number of the fused vertebrae of the sacrum and coccyx may vary from species to species. The shape of the sacrum is not so wide and more elongated. It reveals that they do not support so huge weight on their pelvic region as do the humans. Femur Humans: The human femur is longer than that of an ape. The lateral condyle in humans is more prominent. The bicondylar surface is larger in humans than in apes. It is because of the centre of gravity of the body. Apes: Medial condyle is larger in apes. More flexibility at the hip joint. B, Actions of muscles at the knee and ankle joints during bipedal locomotion. Observed features in ancestral hominid fossils. Extensors of the leg at the knee joint: Tensor fasciae latae Quadriceps femoris muscles (Rectus femoris, Vasti lateralis, medialis, intermedius) Flexors of the leg at the knee joint: Sartorius Gracilis (also can assist in medial rotation) Hamstring muscles (Biceps femoris {it is also the lateral rotator of the knee joint}, Semimembranosus, Semitendenosus {they also medially rotate the knee joint when the leg is flexed} Gastrocnemius Popliteus (weak flexor, but it is a medial rotator of the leg) Plantaris Muscles that act at the ankle (talotibial) joint: Tibialis anterior (dorsiflexion) Extensor hallucis longus (dorsiflexion) Extensor digitorum longus (dorsiflexion) Peroneus tertius (dorsiflexion) Peroneus longus and brevis (plantar flexion) Gastrocnemius (plantar flexion) Soleus (plantar flexion) Plantaris (plantar flexion) Flexor digitorum longus (plantar flexor) Tibialis posterior (plantar flexor) Fossil records: Australopithecus afarensis: The tibia and the fibula are quite interesting. We can observe adaptations to both arboreal and bipedal signs. This is called mosaic morphology. The examined specimens: AL 129-1b, AL 288-1aq and AL 333x-26). Ape-like elements: short border to the lateral condyle, in the first two specimens, there are features that general in the apes (under the epicedial there was the hollowed-out appearance) which means that the Tibialis posterior attached to the lateral side of the tibia instead of the posterior side. Other attachments such as semimembranosus and gracilis are also rather ape-like. Nevertheless, other A. afarensis specimens show bipedal characteristics: Distal articulation surface of the tibia (the angle of the ankle joint and the tibia and fibula). But, yet again, there are ape-like features also on the distal part of fibula: the direction of the articular facet, (orients distally rather than medially as in the modern humans), they have an anteriorly oriented peroneal groove on their fibulae while it faces laterally in modern humans. The A. afarensis Lucy (AL 288-1) also owns these mosaic morphological features: the posteriorly oriented distal tibial angle shows similarities with the apes, while in other afarensis specimens the angle is lateral, which is a human feature. The carrying angle at the knee joint also shows more similarities to the modern human specimens. This can reveal an individual arboreal habit of Lucy, and a more developed bipedalism in the other specimens. Homo habilis: The H. habilis specimens do not cause so many arguments than the australopithecines. They have more human like features in their lower legs and less ape-like features. Although, they do not lack these features (rounded anterior border of the tibia, in humans the insertion area of the Flexor digitorum longus is bigger than that of the tibialis posterior it is quite the opposite in the habilis. The attachments of other muscles soleus, popliteus show sort of a transition between apes and humans, etc.). The Neanderthals: The fibula and the tibia are very robust, but bear the human characteristics. Q2, Evolution of the early hominid foot The main characteristics of the human foot include the presence of the arches, the calcaneocuboid joint, the proportions of the major parts of the foot, the shape of the ankle-joint and the fact that the hallux cannot be opposed. The arches in foot are quite unique, the apes do not have arches (they have only one arch, the transverse arch). In humans, apart from the plantar aponeurosis, there are other ligaments that aid in having these arches: the spring ligament, the short plantar ligament and the long plantar ligament. The length of the distal digits of the toes are much shorter in humans than in apes, however, the size of the big toe is about the same. The foot of Australopithecus afarensis, such as in the leg, shows mosaic morphology. It means that certain features are similar to the modern humans, while others share similarities with the apes. The human-like morphology: the talus which also has both human and ape characteristics together with the tibia and fibula, shows a more human like joint at the talotibia. Although, the shape of the talus is rather ape-like. Other signs that reveal a more human appearance in the afarensis foot are the talar trochlear shape, the direction of the ankle joints axis and of the Flexor hallucis longuss groove which suggest that the movements of the afarensis were very similar to those of the modern humans. The shape of the fifth metatarsals reveal a very similar ability of dorsiflexion as it is present in modern humans. Their navicular bones in appearance are more ape-like, but the presence of the groove of the spring ligament proves that they might have similar arches than the modern humans have. The possibility of the bipedal locomotion can be traced down also by the human-like lateral cuneiform, although, its hook makes it look more ape like. Nevertheless, the ape-like curves of the phalanges suggest that they might be arboreal. The calcareous also have both human and ape like features, the medial cuneiform is rather ape like, so is the first metatarsals rounded head. The foot of Paranthropus robostus has several human-like characteristics. These features are the following: the hallux probably was adducted unlike in the apes where the big toe is rather abducted, the plantar ligaments suggest similarities to the human foot, the first metatarsal suggests that it bore more weight than the apes because of its robust appearance, but other features on the first metatarsal bone reveal ape-like features, too. According to the article of Susman and Brain (1988, mentioned in Aiello and Dean), it is very likely that the Paranthropus robostus was bipedal but in a different way than the modern humans. The foot of the Homo habilis: The biggest argument is caused by the tarsal bones of a young Homo habilis (OH 8 from Olduvai Gorge), because some researchers do not think that the human characteristics of this specimens foot bones are good enough to be classified as humans. The elements of the foot show the signs of the bipedalism even those agree with this who do not think that this specimen deserves to be included into the Homo genus but, perhaps, in a completely different way as it is seen in the modern humans. Another talus bone, the KNM-ER 813 from Koobi Fora, has less problems with its classifications, as it shows more similarities to the talus of the modern humans. The first metatarsal is the most robust, and the fifth metatarsal bone of the OH 8 is the second, while in apes the fifth metatarsal bone is the weakest. The size of the foot length of the OH 8 is also more similar to the structure of the human foot. The fossil record suggests that the opposability of the big toe of OH 8 is not present, but the adduction of it can be observed. The ability of grasping is also very likely, though. The foot of the Neanderthals: Interestingly, the evidences reveal that the opposability of the big toe might be somewhere between the modern humans and the living apes. Others deny it, because of the more human characteristics in the tarsometatarsal joint, which can be varied on a great scale even in modern humans. Typical Neanderthal features are the short proximal phalanx of the big toe and the short neck of the talus. The possible signs of the bipedalism in the fossil evidences: Apart from the bones of the foot other skeletal remains can reveal the erected body posture and the possible bipedal walking habits. A relative longer arm may be a sign of the arboreal life-style, or partly arboreal living circumstances. Nevertheless, Lucy has relatively short fingers, not ape-like, long ones (JOHANSON-EDEY 1990) The shape of scapula and the orientation of the glenoid fossa also can help to answer this question. A small fragment of an Australopithecus afarensis scapula suggests that its owner had a more ape-like in this question, than human like. In apes the glenoid fossa faces towards the cranium and this feature can be observed also in case of this fragment. A more complete scapula which derives from an A. africanus (Sts 7) can tell us more details about the possible functions of the pectoral girdle. This scapula looks very similar to the scapula fragment of the afarensis specimen (AL 288-1l), and they both bear more similarities to the pectoral girdle of the ape s, especially to the orang-utans. The ribcage has more ape-like characteristics in its appearance. The shape of the vertebral column, however, widens distally (the lumbar vertebrae are the widest) as it appears in humans, which is another possible sign of the bipedal locomotion. The pelvic girdle shows more evidences for the mosaic morphology yet again. The iliac crest is rather human-like, although it is more elongated laterally and the acetabulum orients more anteriorly. Perhaps this is the reason why A. afarensis has a relatively very long femoral neck. The iliac blades direct interiorly, as well. The shape of the sacrum is very wide another human-like sign, however its posterior segment is not as curved anteriorly as it is in the modern humans. According to Johanson (JOHANSON-EDEY 1990), Lucys pelvis is adapted to the bipedal locomotion as well as to the possibility to give life to large-headed babies, as her pelvis is so wide. All these features make likely that the A. afarensis could walk bipedally, but in a more complicated way. The anteriorly faced acetabulum could result a very heavy bipedalism. On the femoral head, we can observe a stronger fovea than it is on the femoral head of the modern human. In quadrupeds the tibial tuberosity is more rounded and less sharp. The sharpness of the tibial tuberosity is a more human (or bipedal) characteristic. This sharpness can be observed in Lucy, although her tibia looks more robust compared to the very tall juvenile, the Turkana boy (H. erectus). In proximal femur of the Australopithecines, there are about the same number of similarities to humans (the varied presence of the intertrochanteric line and the Obturator externus groove) than to chimpanzees (the small femoral head and the non-flaring greater trochanter) and the unique features (long femoral neck, compressed femoral neck-cross section), the more similarities to humans in the question of the distal femur (the high/very high bicondylar angle, the elliptical shaped lateral epicedial profile), and its own unique phenomena in the epiphysis shape and symmetry, but the femoral shafts more similarity to the chimpanzees gives us a very eclectic impression about the possible locomotion of the Australopithecines. As I wrote in the 1B question, the foot of the Australopithecines show very varied picture as well. It reveals both human and ape like features such as almost everything else in the Australopithecus skeleton. The more human like elements of the foot include the human-like ankle joint, the ability of a better dorsiflexion, the expanded base of the fifth metatarsal, the wide calcaneus and the presence of the longitudinal arch. On the other hand, there are several ape-like characteristics, like the shape of the phalanges, the tuberosity of the calcaneous has an oval orientation, also has a huge peroneal tubercle, the already mentioned ape-like shape of the hook of the lateral cuneiform bone, and the rounded head of the first metatarsal. Summarising, the mosaic morphology in the Australopithecines are very strongly present, they share similarities to the humans, as well as to the apes, but they also developed own features. It is very likely that they were adapted to the bipedal locomotion, but not in a modern human way. The essay has been written by using the following books as a guide-line: Aiello and Dean, 2006: An Introduction To Human Evolutionary Anatomy, reprinted in 2006, Elsevier Academic Press, London The materials during the Demo-sessions And JOHANSON-EDEY, 1990: Lucy The Beginnings of Humankind, Penguin Books, London, 1990.