Saturday, August 31, 2019

Heart of Darkness Inner Evil

Final Paper Realization of the inner evil in the Heart of Darkness. Evil is an inherent part of all humans. This is clearly illustrated in the novella Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad. As Marlow takes on the journey to find Kurtz, he really is taking a journey to find himself. Much to his dismay he realizes that the same evil Kurtz possesses, he possesses as well. Conrad uses this realization to show the reader that under the right circumstances, evil can overtake anyone’s mind and actions. When Marlow was sent on the mission to find Kurtz, his true self came out.Kurtz was like Marlow when he first entered the Congo; he had good intentions. Marlow’s trip down the Congo represents a journey into his inner self. As he traveled further down the Congo he began to learn more about himself and became more savage. He started to realize he had more in common with the native savages than his own people. Kurtz was known as a smart and honorable man. He had been in the Congo fo r a very long time before Marlow was sent to look for him. Kurtz had been secluded from society for quite some time and had become a powerful, godlike presence over the inhabitants of the Congo.He was originally sent to find ivory but found power. The power he possessed was the power to be evil. â€Å"Kurtz became ‘savage’†¦ disconnected as it is from the restraining impulses of civilization, untrammeled, without sidewalks, or police men,† ( At the Heart of Darkness: Crimes Against Humanity and the Banality of Evil, Brigit and Daniel Maier-Katkin). The fact that Kurtz had no one to answer to, and, no one to judge him, gave him the opportunity to be evil. In the Congo, the only punishment is death, and Kurtz made sure that he wasn’t the one who’d be killed.With good knowledge of Kurtz, Marlow was still eager to meet him. When Marlow finally met Kurtz he found evil. He realized the evil within all humans. Conrad shows the reader what man is witho ut society, rules, and regulations. The reader learns how man can become a vicious animal in the wild and how it can exist in all people. When Marlow found Kurtz, he was very weak and was close to death. â€Å"As Kurtz emerges from his blankets †¦ his moribund condition is also personally retributive, and oblique revenge on himself. (Lying as Dying in Heart of Darkness by Garret Stewart. ) Conrad shows us the peril and consequence of evil with the condition that Kurtz is in. He reminds the reader that being evil is not the right way to live and will eventually take its toll on a person’s mind, body, and soul. Kurtz dies on the way back home in the boat and his last words were â€Å"The horror, the horror. † â€Å"His was an impenetrable darkness. I looked at him as you peer down at a man who is lying at the bottom of a precipice where the sun never shines,† Marlow said about Kurtz.This shows how empty and cold Kurtz looked as he was dying. When Marlow retu rned home he comes across Kurtz’s fiance. She was upset and asked Marlow about Kurtz’ last words. He lies to her and tells her his last words were her name. He lied because he didn’t have the heart to tell her that Kurtz went insane and became evil, he kept it to himself and made her last thought of Kurtz a good one: â€Å"I could not tell her. It would have been too dark-too dark altogether†¦. † Marlow's journey into the heart of darkness, into his inner self, was a positive life lesson.Kurtz, who represented evil, went down with the evil. When Marlow came out of the Congo he survived evil, he did not give in to the evil that was present throughout his journey. Marlow did not succumb to the temptations that Kurtz did. Even though he lies to Kurtz’ fiance he has still become a good person. He will forever remember the memory of Kurtz and the inner evil that he came across in the heart of darkness. Conrad shows that in the end evil will fail an d good will prevail.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Benefits of Not Home Schooling Essay

Parents may have various options for choosing what kind of education that’s best for their children. The know what good be an advantage and disadvantage of sending their children to school or opted to have a home education, whatever their decision is, it would be both beneficial to parents and to their children as well. There are lots of factors that parents would choose not to send their children to school, rather to enroll them in home schooling. Some parents feel that because of the rising tuition fees and the status of public schools made parents to be alarmed and have doubts about formal schooling. Let’s take a look what are the advantages of home schooling. First, parents feel that they have the control of the kind of education their children will get. They will be able to guide their children on the activities and lessons, because they have the ability to look after their children. They also feel that it’s less stressful for children if they are not enrolled in school. Because of financial needs, parents opted to home schooling because it is less expensive, compared to private schools that continues to increase each year. Emotionally wise, People who are involved in home schooling believe that children who get their education at home enable them to develop a stronger bond between parents and children. The very fact that children will be spending more time with their parents because of being schooled in the home enriches the relationship between the generations. This is beneficial to both parents and children. Where in formal schooling, children spend more time in school and when he gets home he is pre occupied with a lot of school works that tends children to become stressed out. There are also tendencies coming from parents to pressure their children to do well in school. But let’s take a different perspective; I believe that children who are into home schooling are deprived of social interaction, especially interaction with their peers. Those who are into home schooling are confined within their houses, children needed to take some time off and interaction is very essential to the development of children in terms of social and emotional aspect. A child will develop her communication skills, social skills, and even cognitive skills because interaction leads to experience, and experience leads to knowledge. School is not solely based books but rather a learning experience. There are lot of things we can learn outside from our home, from our teachers, classmates and friends. We need to socialize and experience certain things within the context of the book in order for us to understand and learn better, theories are not there for us to just memorize rather apply it into our daily lives. Books could not be merely understood just by reading them we have to apply it even on simple things, and experience such events will enable us to learn something valuable. I truly believe that practical experience of learning will help me understand and gain knowledge better compared into being confined within our home. We can balance school and its pressure and our relationship with our parents. Yes, there may have a big gap in financial aspect but we just can’t sacrifice the kind of education we need, for education is beyond learning, it is our future.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

You select the topic of your work. It must have a direct connection Essay

You select the topic of your work. It must have a direct connection - Essay Example The current governors can be competent leaders in the nation and their state. The challenge to incumbent is to mobilize the many resources that are available to them properly to pursue the responsibility entailed by their office today. Since the year 1985, the America state has made statutory and constitutional changes to grant governors more powers. Governors have more formal powers in the American government. To fulfill the roles given to them, governors must have a variety of resources, tools and powers at their disposal (Kousser & Justine 43). Some of these powers come from the office of the governor itself and are referred to us institutional or formal powers. In case the gubernatorial office provides limited formal powers, the governors turn to other available resources to succeed in his or her endeavors (Kousser & Justine 105). There are four aspects of formal powers that governors are provided for. First, there is the budget power which is the degree of state control in preparing the budget for the state. Second is the tenure potential which determines the length of the terms that the governors is eligible to be in office. Next is the power of appointment that provides him or her the gubernatorial control of appointing essential state administrators and finally they have the veto powers, which is the power to oppose any legislation that they don’t agree with. The branch of the executive is in charge of administering state laws whereby the governor is responsible for overseeing this process. For the governor to effectively carry out these responsibilities, he or she has to have a bigger say in the appointment of officers who are in charge of administering these laws. This power of appointment is an important asset for the governors. Recent research has shown that a state administrator who are directly appointed by the governor will more like respond to his or her political and administrative preference (Margaret 200)..

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Risk Management and the Supply Chain Research Paper - 1

Risk Management and the Supply Chain - Research Paper Example This paper will focus discussing the way unknown-unknown risk has a negative impact to supply chain. Moreover, it will also explain the way investing in redundancy, increasing velocity in sensing and responding, and creating adaptive supply chain community can assist in mitigation of this form of risk. A significant aspect of unknown risk is consequences that cannot be predetermined; through they have adverse effects on supply chain of an organization. For example, earthquake is a type of unknown risk, which occurred in Japan on March 11 2010 leading to the devastation of infrastructures that supported supply chain in the country. In this case, this unknown risk interrupted the power systems, and destroyed infrastructures by dumping debris on roads, which interfered with the transport system (The Economist, 2009). Seemingly, this earthquake led to significant interruption of supply chain, which is associated by numerous Japanese companies. Evidently, there were interruptions caused by this disaster such as halting production in companies operating from the north and east of Japan; in fact, they were forced to evacuate. Therefore, these firms were subjected to this unknown risk since consequences such as closing the plant due to shock caused by the earthquake were not anticipated. On the companies affected by this disaster was Renesas, which is a manufacturer of microcontrollers, whereby they were subjected to this unknown risk that led to closure of six facilities. Damages resulting from this disaster have a negative impact on other components that support supply chain such as ports, railway lines, and roads. Therefore, goods are neither transported to local nor international markets. For instance, occurrence of the earth in Japan led to interference of operations in various organizations that are market based such as Sony, whose supply chain was significant affected. Apparently, the impact of this earthquake was also transmitted to

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Computer Forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Computer Forensics - Essay Example We live in borderless world. Although people our bounded by geographic terrain, the World Wide Web has made it possible for people to connect with each other with a click of the mouse. Truly, this is a wonderful world to live. With this added convenience, old problems have begun to take on new forms. Before, crimes involving money usually involved the use of physical harassment and coercion. Banks get robbed, and even some personnel were killed. Some rich or well-to-do people found themselves abducted for ransom. But today, theft is more insidious and even subtle. One may not realize that he or she has been a victim already. When the Internet got into the hands of many people and that life has become intertwined with it, more and more people have become susceptible to crimes committed via the Internet, usually termed as cybercrime. This paper shall survey the emerging technologies that are being used against cybercrime. In particular, we shall take a look at the developments happening in the field of computer forensics and how law-enforcement agencies are capitalizing on these. But for a start, let us examine what cybercrimes are. Etymologically speaking, cybercrimes are crimes committed via the world-wide web. Although no rigorous definition of it has been formulated, we can accept the common sense definition as useful. Examples of cybercrimes are "gaining unauthorized access to computer files, disrupting the operation of remote computers with viruses, worms, logic bombs, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks; distributing and creating child pornography, stealing another's identity; selling contraband, and stalking victims." (Nesson, 2001) Almost everyone knows about the damages inflicted by Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses. Once in a while, a news report features the arrest of a hacker or a perpetrator of identity theft. These are not just petty crimes; they struck damages to our economy. As a matter of fact, the FBI reports an annual loss of about $ 67 Billion due to such acts. (Cybercrime, 2007). Computer Forensics With these in mind, there must be found a way to prevent these crimes. If not, perhaps prosecution of the criminal will suffice. We should look to our law-enforcing agencies with their use of Computer Forensics. Computer Forensics is similar to the regular forensics procedures done by law enforcers, such as those seen in CSI. Computer forensics is "a detailed and scientific study, research and implementation of computer science subjects for the purpose of gathering digital evidence in cases of cyber crimes or for other scientific research purposes." In computer networks, experts use packet sniffing, IP address tracing and email address tracing. (Vyavhare, 2007) Packet sniffing is the retrieval of crucial data packets from networks. These may contain usernames or passwords used by cybercriminals. IP addresses are unique, but sometimes criminals use proxy. The goal of IP address tracing is to trace the real IP address of the culprit. Email tracing is used when it is possible that the cybercriminal is still in the location where a questionable email has been sent. If not, by tracing the email, this may provide valuable clues. In computer systems, the computer forensics expert, analyzes the file structure, checks the storage media, uses steganography (the art of concealing information in images, sounds, or any unconventional file format), and

Monday, August 26, 2019

Why I deserve an A Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why I deserve an A - Assignment Example I am also allowed to borrow some materials for further reading at home, which I do without fail. Moreover, I am well motivated with my studies and I take them seriously. I am a firm believer that only hard work leads to success and I never let any chance to widen my knowledge capacity pass without utilizing it. I am always attentive in class and pay attention to the lectures so that I can grasp every detail mentioned. I have never been too shy or afraid to consult my classmates incase am facing difficulties with certain topics. I partnered with some friends to form a study group that is very helpful. During some weekends and holidays, we meet as a group and crack all hard topics. This is useful because the team effort helps to reduce the burden of an individual mind. The brainstorming helps us to come up with great ideas which are applicable to our classwork. I deserve an A because of the effort and time I have put on my studies. I am a hardworking student who gives his classwork priority over other stuffs. I have dedicated much of my time to my studies and I constantly consult both my lecturer and books when an issue is not that clear. Moreover, I am always careful with my work and take extra steps to ensure it is of high quality. That is why I deserve to get an

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Full Quantitative Critique (Sucrose Decreases Infant Biohavioral Pain Essay

Full Quantitative Critique (Sucrose Decreases Infant Biohavioral Pain Response to Immunizations) - Essay Example Some of the research studies used in the literature review is not current; some are over 5 years old. They are appropriate researches which are very much related to the effect of sucrose on pain responses of infants. They are logically organized from studies on pain response in infants, immunizations, sucrose and then other relevant researches vital to the topic. They are also primary sources. The research design is randomized, prospective, and is a clinical trial. This method studied the research subjects in a much more specific and controlled set-up, and helped answer the research question accurately. Threats to validity are addressed through the randomized process of choosing subjects for the paper. There is enough data given in order to replicate this research. The gate-control theory of pain was used for this research. It fits this research because it helps explain the perception of pain in infants, the pain response, and the body’s reaction to pain. The subject selection for this research is random sampling, which is appropriate because it gives every member of the population a chance to be part of the research. The study also explains how subjects and the sample population were chosen for this research. The data gathering methods were well-explained in the research. The author described how each sample would be chosen. The process of data collection from each research subject was also described specifically in the research. Pain scales were used to measure the results. Measures of variance were repeated in order to verify results. The methods used are very much appropriate for this research because they produced measurable results. This research made use of the Statistical Analysis Systems in order to analyze behavioral response to pain. Descriptive analysis through measures of variance was used in order to compare the control and treatment groups. The methods chosen were able to answer the research question in

Leadership - Mahathir Mohamad - Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Essay

Leadership - Mahathir Mohamad - Former Prime Minister of Malaysia - Essay Example areas where the leader needs to rightly improve to help in the generation of effective leadership skills in the fulfillment of visionary objectives of the leader taken related to a business organization or the national region as a whole. The paper would first generate an effective background of the national leader and thereby reflect on the leadership potentials of the leader in the context of the organization or the region as a whole. Further, it would tend to highlight on key leadership theories and thereby aim to analyze and critically evaluate the leadership style of the person based on a specific leadership theory. Effective recommendations and conclusions would be generated thereof relating to the analysis conducted. Mahathir Mohamad served as the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia during the period ranging from 1981 to 2003. Mahathir Mohamad is observed as the true beckoner for generating improvement in the economic situation of the Malaysian region. The model of economic development generated and used by Mahathir Mohamad is observed to guide the development of a number of developing countries. Born in 1925 in the Alor Setar region of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad during his early life started his career as a doctor. Later he was observed to join the UMNO (United Malays National Organization) Party and earned a seat in the parliament. He quickly spearheaded to the post of Prime Minister from a general Member of Parliament (Plate, 2011). The 22 year tenure of Mahathir Mohamad as the Prime Minister of the region reflected mixed contributions. On one hand, where as a Prime Minster he was found responsible for generating a model of economic betterment and welfare for the developing nations; on the othe r hand he was also found responsible for imposition of rigid limitations in the aspect of civil liberties. As a long term Prime Minister of Malaysia, the actions of Mahathir Mohamad is observed to generate considerable influence on the cultural patterns and also on

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Benefits of e-communications in integrated marketing communications Essay

Benefits of e-communications in integrated marketing communications - Essay Example as been integrated into today’s systems especially with the acceptance and rapid use of the internet which has simply brought a revolution on how things are done. (Pratten 2007) The marketing field has not been left behind in the use of e-communication. Integrated marketing on the other hand is a general term which seeks to describe an entire spectrum of marketing communication. It helps ensure that the messages communicated are both consistent and complementary. Integrated marketing utilizes both online marketing which is basically e-communication and offline methods in its roles. To shape this discussion coherently, it is important to first have the e communications methods discussed and in addition, the basic marketing milestones they help achieve. The final part will draw the benefits in each of the marketing communication fields. (Tony 1999). To start with, it is almost impossible to form a paper on marketing without looking at the basic foundations of marketing which are the four P’s. Every marketer aims at achieving these as far as strategic positioning of goods is concerned. This is known as the marketing mix in a marketing field. Marketing mix is defined as a set of controllable marketing tools harnessed together to help achieve the laid down objectives of the selling company. This is the exchange value of the product or the amount paid by a customer in the exchange of a good. A price in most cases is subject to many factors either present in the company or externally determined. Factors determining the price of a good are mainly the market share of the particular company, competition levels, the total cost of producing these goods and finally the perceived value of the goods by the customers. This refers to the sum total of all the communications a marketer undertakes for the purpose of ensuring that the word about availability of a product goes out to the potential buyers/customers. This last P is the subject of this study as we look at how it

Friday, August 23, 2019

Rape cases in higher learning institutions Research Paper

Rape cases in higher learning institutions - Research Paper Example The argument about false rape claims discusses various condition categories of false rape perpetrators which include attention seeking persons, vengeance people, psychological distressed people as well as those driven by greed for power and or money (Charen, 2014). Some faulty victims may attempt to report a false rape out of curiosity. They may be interested in knowing what will happen to people around them. Distraction is another cause for one to present a false rape allegation. They may want to distract the police, family, or even friend from a particular occurrence (Charen, 2014). False rape cases in colleges and universities are mainly affiliated with attention seeking. A victim may falsely claim rape in order to seek attention from the individuals he or she is interested in. For instance, a woman may falsely accuse her boyfriend of rape in order to get his attention. For example, it is noticeable that women do lie about rape. â€Å"Jackie's story has 'discrepancies' does not necessarily mean she was maliciously lying; and it certainly does not mean that other women who report sexual assault were probably lying† (Jaschik, 2014, p. 3).Students also may report the false rape to seek their parent’s attention. Parents may neglect their children while in colleges and universities. This may affect the child psychologically leading him or her to report false rape. Jaschik says, â€Å"It’s very common for victims of trauma not to know every single detail.†Revenge is also another cause that leads victims to report false rape.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Symbolism in Hardys Essay Example for Free

Symbolism in Hardys Essay Symbolism in Hardys Far from the madding crowd Hardy uses striking symbolism in the novel Far from the madding crowd to serve his purposes and attain the desired effects on the reader. The memorable descriptions of the great barn, the sword play and the storm-are all enriched with eloquent symbolism. It makes the events vivid before us and broadens the scope of the novel. In the opening chapters, Gabriel spies on Bathsheba ridiculously from behind a hedge, commenting on her vanity. He beholds Bathsheba though a hole, tending her aunts cows, in a birds eye view. From the loopholes of his hut, he watches her engaging in tomboyish antics on her horse. All these symbolize Gabriels limited view point and his candid nature. In chapter 2 ,, Hardy presents a magnificent description of Norcombe hill. The stately progress of the earth is contrasted to oaks special power of quiet energy. The innocent and helpless stirrings of the new-born lamb and the movements of the stars and the earth are contrasted to symbolize the frailty of human existence. In chapter 5, The landscape of Norcombe Hill seems symbolize Gabriels utter despair. The moon takes the form of an attenuated skeleton and the pool shimmers like ahead mans eye-nature seems to intertwine with Gabriels despair. Against the colorless background of the river and the wall. Fanny is contrasted as a mere shade upon the earth. This symbolizes her nullity and despair. Hardy also uses the framing device to symbolize Fannys weakness. She gazes up to converse with Troy framed in a window of his barracks . The white color of the snow mixing with the sky symbolizes the obsession of Boldwoods passion . The queer preternatural inversion of light and shade reflects the absurdity of his intense emotional state. The sheep-shearing scene at the barn abounds in rich symbolism. The shearing operations that have not been mutilated for long years are contrasted to the adapted to changes coming to the lives of the main characters of the novel. The detailed descriptions of the activities done in the great barn for each sheep symbolizes the declining prospects of Oak, the rising hopes of Boldwoods mind and the comments made by the rustics -all basing on the same lady. There is also sexual symbolism in this same chapter. The appalled ewe is subdued by Oak and Bathsheba regards the ewes sheared pink skin resembles a lady who blushes at the insult . the ewe emerging from the its fleece is compared to the Goddess of love which symbolizes the sexual intensity of Oaks violent passion. Gabriel, piqued by Bathshebas growing intimacy with Boldwood, injures a sheep in the groin-the entire scene symbolizes Oaks harmful sexual impulses toward Bathsheba. Troys spur entangles with Bathshebas dress-it symbolizes the trap of flattery which would be prepared by Troy for her. The spur is the symbol of sex and the dress of Bathsheba is a symbol of femininity -the male aggressive masculinity has trapped femininity. However, the scene of the sword play contains the greatest symbolism in the novel. The hollow in which the sword play is performed evokes the sexual potential of the relationship between Troy and Bathsheba. The setting is described with rich feminine imagery that sets up the erotic tone of the entire tone of the entire scene while Bathsheba herself is passionately excited . Time and place are made clear at once and so is Bathshebas desire for male domination . The sword is used here as a symbol of male virility . At different points ,Hardy uses striking imagery to link man and sword -Troy raises the sword amid the fading sunlight , which gleamed a sort of greeting, like a living thing Troy is methodical and controlled ,the whole atmosphere is turned meteoric and charged . Troy demonstrates the murderous and blood-thirsty cuts of which the sword is capable . Then he splits a caterpillar upon her bosom which glisten towards her bosom and ,seemingly entered it . Troy wins and Bathsheba is quite overcome having her passions spent . Troy takes off her lock of hair as a trophy. Troy departs in a flash , like a brand . The simile symbolizes the harmful nature of the passion he has aroused. The storm scene in chapter 36-38 contain rich symbolism. The flashes symbolize the blinding truth of Bathshebas predicament and her womanish folly. But the relation between her and Oak strengthens as the thatch begins to conceals the Ricks. And when the storm comes, it is described with extended imagery ,the mailed army of lightning springs like a serpent , with the shout of a fiend . Hardy uses such imagery to convey the forces of nature hostile to human beings . The scene of chapter 44 is significant as it indicates Bathshebas return to the same hollow where sword-play was performed by Troy. The aforesaid hollow is now turned into a malignant swamp. The swamp is the symbol of utter despair into which Bathsheba has fallen . The symbolism goes far deeper as Bathsheba had seen the place before when she was captivated by Troy at the sword play. At that time , the ferns were soft , feathery arms caressing her feet but now they are withering fast and the hollow is a nursery of pestilences . The two different states of the hollow reflects the two opposing states of mind and suggests the outcome of marriage with Troy . Now she has understood the implications of her marriage and she herself and Nature are fused as the leaves rush away in the breeze. This symbolizes Nature as a stark force and implies that the parallel between Nature and human mood should not be pursued by man.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Infallibility of the Bible: Astronomical Errors

The Infallibility of the Bible: Astronomical Errors 03/12/2017 There is overwhelming support for inerrancy from history. The idea that the Bible can contain errors is a relatively new belief. Author and scholar Harold Lindsell stated, Apart from a few exceptions, the church through the ages has consistently believed that the entire Bible is the inerrant or infallible Word of God[1]. You need a transition here The presence of observable and falsifiable[J1] scientific evidence is perhaps the most compelling reason for the conclusion that the Bible is not free from error. Because this evidenc[J2]e clearly yields certain conclusions that are contradicted by direct statements from biblical authors, we can safely say that the Bible is an imperfect book containing flaws of [J3]human origins. Due to the overwhelming amount of scientific errors the book possesses, you [J4]should have great comfort in deciding that there was no divine inspiration or intervention in creation. Furthermore, the vast categories of errors contained in the Bible demonstrate that the mistakes are not confined to a single author or field of study, a realization that should question the foundation and intent of the book as a whole. This paper will focus considerably on the first chapter of Genesis, astronomy, and biology because each of these topics unmistakably contributes to the faux pas of apologetics. THE BEGINNING: Anyone with a decent background in natural science who undertakes an impartial but critical look at the first chapter of Genesis should have no trouble denouncing its claims as a complete lie. At best, the author has offered a poorly constructed allegory for the creation of the universe; at worst, and far more plausible, Genesis 1 is a total fabrication. This section will of course demonstrate why the creation account in the opening chapter fails miserably to be scientifically accurate.[2] Early in the creation, God allegedly separated the waters into two distinct bodies so that land could appear between them. He called the water below seas and the water above sky, which he presumably held aloft by the use of a firmament (Verses 6-10). While the NIV translated this verse using expansion, the Hebrew word utilized by the author is rakia, which the KJV more accurately translated as a solid body.3 Why is the KJV translation more in line with the authors intent? First, its the primary use of the word. Second, it reinforces the aforementioned idea of a sky ocean because a solid protective layer would be required to suspend the water if there truly were an ocean above us as the Bible suggests. Third, it complements the known widespread primitive beliefs. Take the mindset of an ancient Hebrew for a moment by ignoring any contemporary understanding you have of the world. You can glance at the sky above and observe that its the color of water, while, periodically, water falls from above. With no further evidence to consider and no further understanding of this phenomenon, the perfectly logical conclusion would be that theres a mass of water in the sky. If this is true, it certainly follows that a solid body, a firmament, would be necessary to contain this oceanic reservoir. Perhaps windows even open in the firmament to allow rainfall (Genesis 8:2). Although the pursuit of knowledge has proven these outdated beliefs untrue, we are far richer in scientific understanding than our Hebrew predecessors and should not scoff at the author for his proposal. We now know that the sky is blue due to the scattering of a particular wavelength of light passing through the atmosphere at a certain angle, not because theres an ocean in the sky. While we cannot fault the author for believing this ancient hypothesis, we can conclude that his guess on the properties of the sky was incorrect. Already, a critical analysis has demonstrated the Bible to be scientifically inaccurate and undeniably imperfect. God allegedly created the sun and moon on the fourth day of the creation (14-19), but this curious statement creates a plethora of troubles because God had already divided the day into lightness and darkness as his first creation (3-5). How can there be night and day without the sun, the only appreciable source of light for our planet? Again, we must take the probable mindset of the author to understand his position. Look into the sky away from the sun. Its unreasonable to conclude that the earth is bright at its distal boundaries just because the sun is shining, unless you have solid evidence to the contrary, because the light originating from this enormous ball of fire appears to stop very near its edges[3]. Besides, everyone knows that the horizon is luminous well before and well after the sun is in the visible regions of the sky. Thus, theres no solid reason to conclude that the sun has anything to do with creating the illumination, only that it accompanies the somewhat concurren t periods of lightness. In fact, the Bible explicitly states that the sun and moon are merely symbols to divide the day from the night (14). In the biblical world, however, God controlled morning and evening by this mysterious force called light (3-5), an entirely different entity created much earlier than the sun. We now know that the sun is the determining factor between morning and evening, yet the Bible clearly proclaims morning and evening existed prior to the suns creation. In addition to the sun gaffe, the scientifically ignorant author commits the mistake of listing the moon as a light (16). If we were to be rigidly technical about the Bibles claim, this verse is another scientifically erroneous notion because the moon merely reflects illumination from the sun. Isaiah and Ezekiel also make this mistake in their prophecy accounts (30:26 and 32:7, respectively). Again, we often take our modern knowledge about the universe for granted, yet such a gift was completely unforeseeable to the ancient Hebrew. Another problem arises from the sun not appearing until the fourth day when you consider that plants suddenly appeared on the third day (11-13). While its definitely possible, even very likely, for plants to survive without the sun for a single day, many apologists have attempted to rectify the obvious timeline problems in Genesis by altering the meaning of a day. Once they consummate this amendment, theyve created a timeline in which the plants exist without sunlight for however long these days are to them. In most cases, a biblical day must necessarily be no less than a period of millions of years in order to be congruent with scientific data. While the general Hebrew term for day, yom, doesnt necessarily mean a twenty-four hour day, we still understand it to be a short time period based on every contemporaneous instance of its use. Millennia simply do not qualify using this unbiased criterion. Furthermore, the author provides us with the precise definition of yom in every creation instance: morning and evening. Naturally, well revisit these creationary intervals in the upcoming Thousands Or Billions. For now, lets return to the problem of the plants thriving without the suns existence. Most vegetation requires sunlight to undergo photosynthesis, the process of using light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into nutrients. I wouldnt bet on plant survival much more than a month without the sun. While its true that the biblical creation has this mysterious light existing prior to the arrival of plants, the only thing we can conclude about its existence is the probable lack thereof. The sun, on the other hand, is fully compatible with plant life. Once again, this obtuse blunder can be justified by the limitations of the ancient Hebrews knowledge because he obviously wasnt aware that plants were feeding off sunlight for their survival. As one final minor point on plants for now, God says he has given us every plant for food (29). However, were now aware of plants with qualities poisonous enough that make us avoid physical contact with them. Such disturbingly reckless advice hardly seems to be the kind likely given out by an omniscient deity. God allegedly created the stars on the fourth day (16), but what were they, and what was their purpose? Biblical authors believed that stars were small sources of light contained within the imaginary firmament covering the earth. In other words, they exhibited no divine inspiration, whatsoever, telling them that stars were actually unfathomably enormous gaseous spheres seemingly countless miles away. In short, the authors celestial hypothesis was incorrect on location, number, and size.[4] Verification for the location part of this position is quite easy to demonstrate. After God made the sun, moon, and stars, he set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth 6(17). So along with the sun and moon, the stars are apparently housed in this imaginary physical boundary separating the sky ocean from the open air above earths inhabitants. The Bible also remarkably claims the outdated belief that stars were extremely small in size. After the disclosure of their location in the firmament, and after God tells Abraham several times that his people would be as numerous as the stars (which is also impossible, yet its claimed to have been fulfilled in Hebrews 11:12), the next clear reference to size and position of these celestial bodies is found in the book of Isaiah. Here, the prophet speaks of exalting a throne above the stars of God (14:13). Likewise, Job says, behold the height of the stars, how high they are (22:12). Stars are not high; they are distant. One would expect these two divinely inspired individuals to make this distinction in their records; instead, they boldly demonstrate that they shared the popular yet erroneous belief that God fixed the stars at the skys apex. The book of Psalms states that God tells the number of stars and calls them all by their names (147:4). Thats quite an impressive accomplishment considering scientists estimate that there could be as many as 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the known universe. If God truly told anyone how many stars surrounded our planet, the ridiculous firmament belief should have ceased without delay.[5] Daniel speaks of a vision that he had concerning a giant goats horn knocking the stars down to the ground where the goat stamped upon them (Daniel 8:8-9). Passing comment on the vision, we can also be decidedly certain that Daniel believed stars were tiny lights hanging above the earth. Otherwise, how could his monstrous goat stamp upon them? More importantly, how could someone divinely inspired write something so blatantly preposterous? In the New Testament, Matthew and Mark both record Jesus foretelling of an era when the stars shall fall from heaven (24:29 and 13:25, respectively). Jesus, a supposedly perfect human being who was supposedly the only son of a supposedly perfect god, wasnt immune to scientific ignorance either. Revelation was the grandiose vision of John, yet another man who God allegedly inspired, but John also thought that stars were bright objects of insignificant size directly above the earth. In this record of his dream-like hallucination, he claims to see Jesus holding seven stars in his right hand (1:16). While John may have seen what looked like seven stars in Jesus hand, this is not what the text clearly states. The passage unambiguously says Jesus was holding seven stars in his hand. Thus, Johns statement is certainly in error. In addition, John mentions a dream in which the stars of heaven fell unto the earth and compares this event to a fig tree shaking off its leaves (6:13). Furthermore, he describes a great star falling into the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters (8:10). If a star were to fall to our planet as John indicates, it would annihilate the earth upon impact because these bodies are generally hundreds of times larger than our world. Finally , John sees a dragon swing its tail around, consequently knocking a third of the stars in the sky down to the ground (12:4). Theres no need to discuss how enormous such a hypothetical tail would have to be in order to accomplish this impossibility. After all, Revelation was only a vision. On the other hand, we must expect Christians to accept that this man had a unique foreknowledge of humankinds imminent future. In other words, these ridiculously fantastical events must remain futuristic certainties to biblical apologists. At this point, we can safely say that anyone attempting to harmonize the scientifically determined position, size, and number of our celestial neighbors with a literal interpretation of the Bible is veraciously wasting his time. Another embarrassing tale of biblical nonsense is the construction of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. According to the bogus legend, everyone on earth spoke the same language when the erection of the tower began. Because the people of earth had a great desire to catch a glimpse of God, they built this supposed tower intending to breach the sky. As God didnt like the possibility of people spotting him, he confused their languages to prevent the architects from understanding one another. Unable to continue construction, everyone with different languages went separate ways. This story is unfeasible for many reasons.[6] The first problem with the incredulous account is the incongruency of the common language theme. We know that many different languages existed centuries before the storys setting around 2500-2000 BCE. Not only that, but another Pentateuch author had said Noahs sons separated according to their own tongues in the previous chapter (Genesis 10). At the very least, we have a major timeline discrepancy in need of an acceptable resolution. Furthermore, the notion that nineteenth century man had the architectural knowledge to build a tower even a mile high is ridiculous. To fathom that a group of ignorant ancient Hebrews could make an equivalent accomplishment is ludicrous. Interestingly, no divine inspiration is available as a possible excuse for the illogical story because God wasnt siding with his people on this occasion! If he didnt wish for the people to see him, he wouldnt have provided the means for them to do so. Of course, the most obvious blunder is Gods supposed fear of us actually reaching him in the sky. To suggest that an omniscient god would destroy a building because he felt he was in danger of humans catching a glimpse of him is an equally ludicrous proposal. The aspects of this story once again go back to the ancient Hebrew belief that God eternally resided on top of a dome covering the earth. Since an omniscient deity would know that the people could not possibly reach him, he would not have stopped the towers construction for the specific reason provided by the Bible. The story cries of a myth.[7] We also have fanciful tales about giants roaming the earth during the Pentateuch era. Theres a lot of room for interpretation here because the exact nature of these mysterious giants is unknown. However, we understand that the Bible has them living both before and after the flood (Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33). Some Christians have argued these giants are the dinosaurs, but this proposed explanation fails to be consistent with the flood caused the dinosaur extinction hypothesis offered by others in the same crowd. While the text is most likely referring to a race of people, archaeologists have found no reliable evidence that these creatures existed. Given the track record of the Bible thus far, its reasonable to conclude that the Genesis giants are, at best, an exaggeration of an otherwise normal species of life. Jesus also commits another scientific blunder when he declares the mustard seed to be the smallest seed of the earth (Mark 4:31). There are, in fact, many seeds smaller than the mustard, such as the South American orchid, but the Hebrews were obviously ignorant of most everything outside of their homeland. Had God presented this bit of information to the author of Mark, it seems unfeasible that the writer would portray Jesus as a man so careless with his diction. This example is clearly another biblical error on the growing accumulation that arises from the same limitation of divinely uninspired perspective. The suggestion that the Bible is lacking a scientific foundation is nothing less than a colossal understatement. The Bible has failed fair, impartial, and universally applicable tests in multiple fields of science. If God truly is the inspiration behind this purportedly divine declaration to the world, he shows absolutely no interest in its understandability or accuracy in astronomy, cosmology, zoology, botany, anthropology, geology, ecology, geography, physiology, and several other disciplines not covered in this chapter. In fact, the Bible handicaps those who use their God-given talents of reason and logic to settle blatant biblical problems. Nothing can be more detrimental to the authenticity of a statement than contradictory phenomena that we readily observe and experience. With no other evidence to consider, these natural manifestations should always override what we might hope and think to be correct explanations for unignorable discrepancies. Such is the power of science and r eason. They are the impartial pursuit of an answer to a question, not the search for supplements to a predetermined answer. These are just a few examples of how it is useless and counterproductive even for fundamentalists to try to extract concepts from the Bible that they do not have as well as try to argue that they possess any technical and scientific knowledge beyond their time. The Bible is a religious, spiritual, moral and mythological book, and as such is subordinate to the world view of its time and place. It is perfectly possible for Christians to be at peace with their religion and their holy book even though they are aware of their primitive conceptions of the Universe and the World, even as Frei Betto would say in his text The Bible in 12 Steps: Just as no one fails to take a remedy because there is an error of agreement in the bull, Jews and Christians do not care if they find a historical misconception in the biblical texts, and in their eyes they are, rather, religious texts. There are notions of science or history and they know that the biblical authors did not intend to reach methodological and scientific precision.We interweaved religious, historical and scientific references according to the knowledge of the time.While the quality of the wiring, the electronic conduits, the post or the lamp , For who seeks light to see better? FREI BETTO The Bible in 12 Steps That is, a fable does not have its essential content invalidated by the fact of describing fantastic things, like Talking Foxes. In the same way, a myth should not be devalued by its physically absurd elements. If I do not believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible, it is rather by many other factors, such as those quoted in Is the Divinely Inspired Bible ?, yet it does not invalidate its cultural value. The biblical apologists are even lucky that, thanks to the early Catholic Church, only the 3 synoptic gospels and the gospel of John were considered canonical. What in themselves already present myriads of errors conception about nature. Otherwise, it might be utterly impossible not to see Biblical Geocentrism, which although present is not so explicit. In Hebrews 11, the apostle Paul refers to the translation of Enoch, the father of Methuselah, which is not described in the Old Testament, only vaguely suggested in Genesis 5:22. Pauls knowledge certainly came also from other gospels, such as the apocryphon Enochs Book of Secrets, which tells the story mentioned by Paul, which makes this book a little more trustworthy than the other apocryphal even Because it is most probably from him that Paul also removed the mention of the angelic hierarchy of Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers, as quoted in Colossians [1:17], and in other excerpts from his New Testament epistles. Well, this book, written at the same time as the other Gospels by some scholar who knew Aristotelian Geocentrism, explicitly describes the mechanisms used by angels to move the Sun around the Earth, in addition to the other celestial spheres Of the trio Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler, were accepted by most scholars, and yet were far more advanced than the primitive idea of a Flat Earth lost in an Abyss. Probably the incompatibility of Hellenistic geocentrism, which already knew the sphericity of the Earth, with the much more primitive concepts of the Bible, was one of the factors for the disqualification of the apocryphal book of Enoch. It is certainly lucky. For fundamentalists already have a tremendous work to hide and omit blatant biblical naivety about the reality of nature, and to distort and decontextualize verses. Turning the affirmation of the apologists: Many errors were indeed stated, but conservative biblical scholars have always been able to find solutions to these problems. Perhaps they have forgotten to say that these solutions only satisfy even the counselors who have solved their rationality within Religious Fanaticism. [1] Zondervan, (The Battle for the Bible, 1978) [2] Long, Jason (Biblical Nonsense, 2015) 3 Ibid [3] William Henry Burr (Self-Contradictions of the Bible, 2016) [4] C. Dennis Mckinsey (The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy, 1995) 6 Ibid [5] Long, Jason (Biblical Nonsense, 2015) [6] Bart D. Ehrman (Gods Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important QuestionWhy We Suffer, 2009) [7] Bart D. Ehrman (Gods Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important QuestionWhy We Suffer, 2009) [J1]Word is not used in the right context. [J2]Which evidence? [J3]about [J4]one

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Primary school sex education in Malaysia

Primary school sex education in Malaysia 1.1 Introduction â€Å"Pedophiles’ blackmail victims into sex acts†, â€Å"Lustful minors†, these are the recent news titles published in newspapers in 2013 from New Straits Times. Sex education has always been a sensitive issue, in a particular in a country like Malaysia; and the issue has been brought into discussion since January 1991 until the latest on November 2008 (Sunday Times, 2010). There are rising of cases of unwanted pregnancies, baby dumping and minors raping minors where in most of situations involved consensual sex. In worst situation, some of the minors do not understand what they are doing. This proved the need of sex education in schools. Nevertheless, Malaysia still refused to implement a complete sex education in schools. While recent reported cases revealed that sexual misconduct among children not only occurred among teenagers or secondary school, but also at young age involving primary school children; thus painted a serious outlook for Malaysia. According to the Principal Assistant Director of the Sexual Crimes, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Investigations Division of Royal Malaysian Police, a number of 22 cases of sexual misconduct involving children were reported from 2011 until September 2013—this number involved children aged below 13 years old (source: Royal Malaysian Police 2013). Interestingly, there were no cases on sexual misconduct of minors against minors reported before 2011; this may not mean that there was no cases of sexual misconduct among children in the country, perhaps, it exist, but not reported to the authority or the children’s parents or guardian remain silent about the situation. Most of the serious reported cases were publicized in the local newspapers; however, there still a number of unreported cases remain unknown. The human rights commissioner, James Nayagam believes that the schools have failed teaching the students to respect the human right of girls. He also claims that schools need to start implementing two important topics, which are on human rights and preventive sex education (The Star, 2010). Curiosity among children regarding sex is rising; this is influenced by what they observed in the internet. In some situation, children are more expert than the adult in term of using advanced gadget to browse through the internet. These children are not always monitored by their parents or guardian. This is one of the negative consequences of internet to our young generation. Further, when the children don’t have their own gadget to browse the internet, they also can go to cyber cafe nearest their house. They are not only playing computer games, but they are also browsing the internet, especially the popular YouTube websites. Computers in the cyber cafà © are usually not safe for the children, because sometimes the computers at the cafe are not restricted from certain â€Å"bad websites†, where illicit pictures of half-naked men and women can suddenly pop up from the computer screen. According to an article from the Canadian Council on Learning (January, 2008), most young people stumble upon pornography while searching for something else. Recent study conducted among British children ages from 9 to 19 proved that most whom encountered online pornography did not give further attention, some get disgust by it and small number of them expressed an interest in it. However, the small amount of them is the one that need to be controlled as this may trigger the kids to click on the pop ups which, later brings them to the â€Å"bad websites†. While a few developed countries such as Australia, United Kingdom and others have implemented sex education; Malaysia still in the early stage of implementing sex education in secondary school, yet it is still not completely implemented. Young children need to be educated about this matter. Without education, they might not be able to decide and defend for themselves especially the girls. Children who are in the process of growing up usually do not receive adequate information, knowledge and preparation for safe sexual life. The community often avoid from having an open conversation about sexual matters. At that particular age, these kids are crucially in need of conversation about sexual matters with the reliable person. Unfortunately, most parents think that it is not necessary to have sexuality education at school. Based on a report written by Lee Choon Fai, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director, Ivy Josiah, stated that open discussion about sex is often seen as an inappropriate in Malaysia, especially in the conservative communities (Selangor Times, 2012). They tend to think that sexuality education is one of the way or factor that could lead to social problem. For them, the children wouldn’t know and won’t involve in sex problem if the syllabus is not being teach at school. A primary teacher from Johor claimed that parents think that sexuality education teaches students how to have sex and all (The Star Online, 2012). But what they do not know is that sexuality education actually helps provide their children with knowledge and information about the effect of the immoral act such as the diseases, unwanted pregnancies and other social problem. This shows the need to have sex education in Malaysian primary schools; however, how ready of Malaysian parents to accept sex education for their children? 1.2 Problem Statement The issue of having/implementing sex education in Malaysian schools is not new. It arises as one of the solutions to deal with the rising number of baby dumping in Malaysia. Baby dumping issue, which strongly related to other social problems in Malaysia such as illegal sex, teenage pregnancy, unwanted pregnancy, pregnant out of wedlock and others, pressure the government and relevant parties in Malaysia to propose for solutions. While a few solutions have been accepted, though with some challenges, such as the implementation of baby hatches (Gunaratnam and Agustin, 2010), school for pregnant teenagers (School of Hope in Malacca) (Ram and Elis, 2010), encourage young couples to get married; solution to have sex education among children is still partially implemented. Instead of agreeing to have a complete sex education in schools, Malaysian government argues that information about sex has been covered in several subjects in school such as in Biology and Social and Reproductive Health Studies. The reluctant to implement sex education among school children may come with the idea of not exposing and encouraging teenagers to sex; on the other hand, this may means that Malaysian society is still in denial in accepting sex is happening among our teenagers. Thus, sex education is important to teach our children about sex and its consequences. However, the issue of sexual misconduct is not only happened among teenagers, but also involving young children. While the implementation of sex education in Malaysian secondary schools are not well accepted by many parties; this study attempt to explore Malaysian parents’ readiness to accept sex education in primary schools due to the rising number of sexual misconduct among young children in the country. The introduction of sex education in primary school is not new. Developed countries such as Australia and United Kingdom have implemented sex education among primary school children and it’s proved to be effective in dealing with sexual misconduct among children in their countries. 1.3 Research Questions The questions that arise while the research is conducted are as follows: What is the level of readiness and acceptance of having sex education as part of primary school syllabus? What are the relationship between conservative thinking, taboo subject, lack of expertise in schools and parents’ role, and the implementation of sex education among primary school children? What are the main factor that hinder the implementation of sex education among primary school children? 1.4 Research Objectives The main objective of this study is to find out the readiness and acceptance of the parents on the issue of implementing sex education in schools, especially in primary schools. To achieve the objective, the process of planning and implementing the subject should be done thoroughly so that it can be fully accepted by the parents. The specific objectives of the study include: To study the parents’ level of readiness and acceptance of having sex education as part of primary school syllabus To explore the relationship between conservative thinking, taboo subject, lack of expertise in schools and parents’ role, and the implementation of sex education among primary school children. To examine the parents’ perception on main factors that hinders the implementation of sex education among the primary school children in Klang Valley 1.5 Scope of Study Level This research will focus on parents’ readiness and acceptance on sex education among school children. The scope of this study is narrowed to parents because they play important role in their children’s’ life. Furthermore, in school, there is also an association that require parents’ involvement. For example, there is Parents and Teacher Association (PTA) where both parents and teachers will sit together discussing about the development of children and all problems associated with the students. Thus, parents’ voice will be taken into account if they agree to have and feel the need of sex education to be taught in schools. 1.6 Significance of the Study The study is necessary to bring the awareness of the community towards the importance of having sex education as part of school syllabus and the benefits that it will bring to the country. The findings of this study are important to help the affected parties to realize what sex education is all about and related knowledge that comes with the implementation of the subject. The subject will mostly affect the teenagers which are the students of the secondary school and other involved parties include the parents, school counsellor, teachers, the community and the government. Sex education may help to overcome social problems among teenagers such as teenage pregnancy, pre-marital sex and under age sex. With the right module, sex education also provide the students the right information about sex and its related issues and at the same time, correct any inaccurate and insufficient information about sex that they learnt from the Internet or mass media. Apart from that, the introduction of the subject will help to educate teenagers about health issues related to sex namely ways to prevent pregnancies, unsafe abortions, abandoned babies, and sexually-transmitted diseases. 1.7 Definition of Terms, Terminology and Concepts Sex Education Science Daily described sex education as a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse and other aspects of human sexual behaviour. Children With reference to Child Act 2001, child is define as a person under the age of eighteen years. Primary School Macmillan Dictionary defines primary school as a school for children between the ages of four or five and eleven. In UK primary schools are sometimes divided into an infant school for the youngest children and a junior school. Same it goes to Malaysia, we have kindergarten for children age 5 and 6 and primary school with student age from 7 to 12. Social Problem We take definition on social problem from Maxwell School. It describes social problem as a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. Teenage Pregnancy According to UNICEF, teenage pregnancy is defined as teenage girl, usually within the ages of 13-19, becoming pregnant. The term that is being used in the everyday speech frequently refers to girls who have not yet reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, become pregnant.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Canal Building before 1840 Essay -- essays papers

Canal Building before 1840: Essay Throughout history, there has been a need for better mode of transportation in order to keep up with economical growth. Canals have been around since the Ancient Roman Civilizations and still exist today. Canals have been so important because they allow people to travel from one place to another and back by way of water. They require very little energy and maintenance but help trade flow more efficiently. This can be proved by observing the United States economy in the early 19th century. The canal Era was a major influence in American History. Canal building was spurred by the transportation revolution, which was from about 1815 to 1860. The transportation revolution greatly affected the economy. It enabled us to expand West since agriculture would become profitable, and it increased trade in the New England states too since shipping was faster and a lot cheaper. One of the most important canals of the time was Erie Canal. It was the first financially successful canal in America and set an example for the many more canals that would be built. The Erie Canal was supported by De Witt Clinton, who became the canal's commissioner due to his promotion. The canal was planned to connect Lake Erie with the Hudson River. The completion of this canal would be an engineering feat since it was 363 miles long and had to overcome almost 600 feet of change in elevation. After a bill was passed by the New York Congress in 1817, construction ha... Canal Building before 1840 Essay -- essays papers Canal Building before 1840: Essay Throughout history, there has been a need for better mode of transportation in order to keep up with economical growth. Canals have been around since the Ancient Roman Civilizations and still exist today. Canals have been so important because they allow people to travel from one place to another and back by way of water. They require very little energy and maintenance but help trade flow more efficiently. This can be proved by observing the United States economy in the early 19th century. The canal Era was a major influence in American History. Canal building was spurred by the transportation revolution, which was from about 1815 to 1860. The transportation revolution greatly affected the economy. It enabled us to expand West since agriculture would become profitable, and it increased trade in the New England states too since shipping was faster and a lot cheaper. One of the most important canals of the time was Erie Canal. It was the first financially successful canal in America and set an example for the many more canals that would be built. The Erie Canal was supported by De Witt Clinton, who became the canal's commissioner due to his promotion. The canal was planned to connect Lake Erie with the Hudson River. The completion of this canal would be an engineering feat since it was 363 miles long and had to overcome almost 600 feet of change in elevation. After a bill was passed by the New York Congress in 1817, construction ha...

Essay --

Lynn, Laurence E, Jr. 2013. â€Å"America’s ‘Broken Government’: What Would James Madison Say?† Administration and Society 45.5 (July): 610–624. In the article â€Å"America’s ‘Broken Government’: What Would James Madison Say?† the author Laurence E. Lynn Jr. provides the reader with important facts about the establishment of American government and what can be done to fix its brokenness. His viewpoint is that the government is not broken, but that the people who govern are broken by not maintaining a â€Å"perfect union† or â€Å"domestic tranquility.† (611) The author’s viewpoint is based on James Madison’s contribution to the Constitution. The foundation that the Constitution was created upon has not changed; however, the way it is utilized is affected our nation. James Madison envisioned that basic governing structures, virtues, and inherent fairness for everyone would ensure that liberty and justice were sustained; however, the author states that neither competence nor virtue is certain. (613, 623) In order to provide an insight to the mindset of James Madison’s vision for the Constitution’s use in American government, Lynn uses excerpts from the Federalist to show the reader how Madison incorporated an â€Å"institutional design† to structure and guide the separated powers of our government as well as the checks and balances used to maintain order. (614) This approach made sense because the included excerpts showed that the structure of government has remained true. The author states that issues with the government arise due to the rival interests of our elected officials. He describes this as being â€Å"grid-locked† and states that the parties involved within our governing body become divided by these â€Å"id eological and interest-based† conflicts. The... ...te. These methods help him to effectively compile pertinent information from leadership literature in order to provide the reader with an article that successfully brings the ideals of leadership together. Overall, the author does a great job of providing the reader with a better understanding of how each leadership could be implemented, the advantages of each style, and what concerns may arise from a particular leadership style. Van Wart’s article serves â€Å"to provide a frame for what is constant in leadership and what is new in leadership.† This article would be beneficial for those who are â€Å"aspiring to leadership† or someone who currently holds a leadership role. (553) Van Wart inclusion of a chart makes this information easy to share at a short leadership meeting and may enlighten someone in an administrative position on how to be a more effective leader.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Restorative Justice, Social Capital, and Authentic Leadership Essay

There is a prodigious need for leaders – authentic leaders to facilitate the process of building relationships and resolving conflicts in a more effective manner as affirmative models in the capacities served. Leadership of all kinds has been coming under unprecedented attack. The inability to effectively resolve conflict is an issue impacting the relationships of past and current leaders of all realms. Opposed to using conflicts and/or crises as an opportunity to rise above the issues – becoming solution-oriented beacons for others, leaders either inappropriately fight back; hope that time will heal all wounds (conflicts); ignore the issue(s) at hand; or make unnecessary changes that further damages relationships and credibility. In an ever changing global society, authentic leaders have a great influence to empower and provide individuals with the necessary tools to resolve conflict; building social capital. Social capital is defined by making connections with one another, and keeping them going over time, people are able to work together to achieve things that they either could not achieve by themselves, or could only achieve with great difficulty (Falk & Kilpatrick, 2000). The definition of social capital intertwines with the meaning of empowerment. The state of our society is an image of the quality of our leadership. To build social capital, meaningful relationships must be established that foster accountability, competencies (resources and skills), and safety. A paradigm shift occurs when community infringements are no longer viewed only as having a punitive outcome but rather a continual restorative relationship to repair the detriment. In taking a restorative approach, authentic leadership flourishes from the w... ...Bass. Falk, I. & Kilpatrick, S. (2000). What is social capital? A study of a rural community. Socialogia Ruralis, 1(40), pp. 87-110. Gardner, J. (1990). The Nature and Tasks of Leadership. In J. T. McMahon (Ed.), Leadership Classics (pp. 171-175). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. George, B. (2007). True North: Discover your Authentic Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. George, B. (2010). Authentic Leadership. In J.T. McMahon (Ed.), Leadership Classics (pp. 574-583). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Grootaert, C., Narayan, D., Jones, V. N., & Woolcock, M. (2004). Measuring Social Capital: An Integrated Questionnaire. Washington: The World Bank. Hutchinson, M. S. (2000). Restorative justice, voluntary action and social capital: a perspective from Northern Ireland. In the Fourth International Conference of The International Society for Third Sector Research.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Andre Trocme

â€Å"These people came here for help and for shelter. I am their shepherd. A shepherd does not forsake his flock†¦ I do not know what a Jew is. I know only human beings. † Andre Trocme was born in St. Quentin, 1901, in the north of France to Huguenot parents. After seminary in Paris and graduate work at Union Theological Seminary in New York, he was ordained into the French Reformed Church and served for eight years among the coal miners and steel workers of Maubeuge and Sin-le-Noble, two small towns in the north of France. He preached nonviolence at a time when such views were unpopular in France. In 1934 Andre Trocme accepted a call to be pastor in the remote Huguenot village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon on the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon in South Central France. These parishioners were more sympathetic to his views on nonviolence. Magda Trocme (1901-1996) was born in Italy to an Italian father and a Russian mother. She graduated from the University of Florence with a degree in literature and earned further degrees in French. She and Andre Trocme met in the United States while she was attending the New York School of Social Work, and they were married in 1926. Together they had four children, Nelly, Jean-Pierre, Jacques, and Daniel. Andre Trocme was the spiritual leader of the Protestant congregation in the village of Le Chambon sur Lignon in South Eastern France. He urged his congregation in 1942 to give shelter to any Jew who asked for it. Village was soon filled with hundreds of Jews, both permanent and temporary depending on whether they were able to cross the border or not. Approx 5,000 Jews passed through Le Chambon. Vichy authorities knew what was happening for it was hard to hide. They demanded Trocme to stop but he refused and said â€Å"These people came here for help and for shelter. I am their shepherd, a Shepherd does not forsake his flock†¦ I do not know what a Jew is. I know only Human beings. † and for that he was arrested but shortly released. Andre then had to flee and hide from the Germans but the village kept his legacy and continued to shelter for the Jews. Magda Trocme was his wife and was involved in creating and maintaining this sanctuary made for the persecuted Jews. Part of Magda’s role was locating families who were willing to lodge Jewish refugees and prepared the town’s many residential schools for increased enrollment, but she was not the only one helping in this work. Community activists reported to the railroad station to receive the arriving refugees so they could then be housed by the town or taken to safer places. All these undertakings frustrated the regime’s anti-Jewish policies. Several days after august 15th, 1942, gendarmes moved into Le Chambon to â€Å"eliminate† the town of its â€Å"illegal† aliens and two weeks after that on August 30, rumors were around about an arrest warrant. Trocme urged the congregants to â€Å"do the will of God, not of men† and stressed the importance of the commandment in Deuteronomy 19:2-10 concerning the rights of the victimized and their need for shelter. There were no arrests that day, and several days later the gendarmes left the town, their mission failed. Approx 5,000 Jews passed through Le Chambon. Vichy authorities knew what was happening for it was hard to hide. They demanded Trocme to stop but he refused and said â€Å"These people came here for help and for shelter. I am their shepherd, a Shepherd does not forsake his flock†¦ I do not know what a Jew is. I know only Human beings. † In 1943, Trocme and two colleagues were arrested where he was held at a camp for 5 weeks. Commanders were trying to get him to sign an agreement that would mean following government orders, but refused and was later released but had to then flee from the Germans. Although he was gone the town still carried on without him, saving and hiding Jews lives. In the late 1940’s Andre and Magda Trocme traveled as European Secretaries for the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. On the 5th of January in 1971, Trocme and his wife, Magda were recognized for the Righteous among the nations along with 32 others from Le Chambon and in 1998 the town was given a diploma of honour for their humane gestures in the war.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Dak Son Massacre Essay

During the winter of 1967, the people of Dak Son village had no idea what was bound to transpire just mere weeks before Christmas. Unfortunately, when America said it would aid South Vietnam in their struggle to avoid and annihilate the opposing communist forces: North Vietnam and Viet Cong, they didn’t assume that such atrocities were even humanely possible during a war, which caught America more by surprise than they had expected, leaving them with no choice but to exhibit absolutely no mercy to their enemies. Thus, leaving the United States viewing the war as a way to prevent communist takeover and repeal the domino theory. So, we fast forward eight years into the war, long after both sides are seen to be nothing short of ruthless as well as practically nothing less than fearless. They seemed to be pretty evenly matched throughout quite possibly the longest, most grueling war Vietnam has ever gone through. Since the Viet Cong’s headquarters were based in the south, it gave them much more accuracy and success when planning any sort of attack because they see everything their opposition tries to hide. Eventually, the war ended up as a compilation of many, many massacres; Dak Son village being one of the of the few that had survivors give testimonies to the horrors they had to endure solely because they disagreed with communism and the possibility of this village helping some refugees of the Viet Cong escape leading them to reply with an outlandish act of complete and utter vengeance. This left the Viet Cong with no choice but to act upon the burning fiery fuchsia that is their anger. Two battalions of Viet Cong systematically killed 252 civilians with flame-throwers and grenades that week in December, a â€Å"vengeance† attack on a small hamlet less than a mile from the capital in Phuoc Long Province. Survivors of the December 6 attack said the VC (Viet Cong) shouted their intentions to â€Å"wipe out† the hamlet of Dak Son as they struck from the surrounding jungle. A local defense force of 54 men gave ground before the estimated 300 uniformed communists. The village wasn’t exactly prepared for this sort of uncalled for attack, leaving them in utter shambles upon the departure of the Viet Cong. According to the survivors, the VC (Viet Cong) ranged up and down the hamlet streets, systematically burning more than half the 150 thatched homes of the community. Two defenders were killed, four wounded and three are missing. Many of the victims were burned to death in their homes, others, who fled to underground shelters, died as flame-throwers with their napalm-based fuel, were directed into the small shelters. Other Viet Cong threw hand grenades into holes where families were covered. This was certainly a war where morals had no backup and the only thing that was relied upon was our selfish, animal instincts with how we deal the opposition who are our fellow human beings nonetheless.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Aba Putangina Nyo

BUSINESS CASE Presented to the Accountancy Department De La Salle University In partial fulfillment Of the course requirements In ACTPACO (K32) Duhaylungsod, Paul Angelo, P. March 5, 2013 DECISION MAKING ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION Richard Powers and Jane Keckley, two professionals in the finance area, have worked for Eberhart Leasing for a number of years. Eberhart Leasing is a company that leases high-tech medical equipment to hospitals. Richard and Jane have decided that, with their financial expertise, they might start their own company to provide consulting services to individuals interested in leasing equipment.One form of organization they are considering is a partnership. If they start a partnership, each individual plans to contribute P2 million in cash. In addition, Richard has a used IBM computer that originally cost P148,000, which he intends to invest in the partnership. The computer has a present market value of P60,000. Although both Richard and Jane are financial wizards, they do not know a great deal about how a partnership operates. As a result, they have come to you for advice. 1.What are the major disadvantages of starting a partnership? Partnership can easily dissolve automatically when one of its partners no longer wishes to participate in the business, or is unable to. This may happen in the event of death, bankruptcy, retirement or resignation. A divorce could also force a partner to attempt to cash out his interest, since decisions are shared, disagreements can occur. A partnership is for the long term, and expectations and situations can change, which can lead to dramatic and traumatic split ups.Business partners are jointly and individually liable for the actions of the other partners and you have to consult your partner and negotiate more as you cannot make decisions by yourself therefore need to be more flexible and a major disadvantage of a partnership is unlimited liability. General partners are liable without limit for all debts cont racted and errors made by the partnership. The accounts of partnership concerns are not published so public is unaware of the exact position of the business.There is a suspicion in public mind that these concerns earn huge profits at the cost of consumers. There is no legal binding for the publication of accounts. So partnership concerns lack public confidence. No partner can transfer his share to a third party without the consent of the other partners. If a partner wants his share back it will not be possible without the approval of other partners or without dissolution of the firm. In case of a company, any shareholder can transfer his shares without affecting the working of the business.In partnership, a partner is permanently wedded to it and lastly there is a limitation in raising additional resources for expansion purposes. The business resources are limited to the personal funds of the partners. Borrowing capacity of the partners is also limited. The number of partners to be added to a business is also limited. A banking company cannot have more than ten partners and in other businesses the number of partners cannot exceed twenty. So there is a limit beyond which partners cannot be added. 2. What type of document is needed for a partnership, and what should this document contain?Article of co partnership is a written agreement prior to the formation of a business, outlining the terms of the partnership and it must contain the firm’s name, how the firm will begin and end, nature of the business operations, monetary agreements like partners investments, determination of partner salaries and distribution of profits and losses. The document must also contain decision making guidelines and authority of partners and lastly expected time contribution of partners. 3. Both Richard and Jane plan to work full-time in the new partnership.They believe that net income or net loss should be shared equally. However, they are wondering how they can provide compen sation to Richard Powers for his additional investment of the computer. What would you tell them? They should change the profit and loss ratio in favor or Richard Powers in order for them to compensate his additional investment or they can also give him a bonus as well because if they distribute the net loss or net income equally it would be unfair for him because he invested more than the other partner.Another advice I would tell them is Richard can contribute less cash and compensate with the investment of his computer therefore, the basis of the distribution of income is their beginning capital or initial investment. 4. Richard is not sure how the computer equipment should be reported on his tax return. What would you tell him? The report on his tax return regarding the computer equipment will be based or I related on his income or you can say that depending on their net income or loss dividing by the partners’ profit 5.As indicated above, Richard and Jane have worked toge ther for a number of years. Richard’s skills complement Jane’s and vice versa. If one of them dies, it will be very difficult for the other to maintain the business, not to mention the difficulty of paying the deceased partner’s estate for his or her partnership interest. What would you advise them to do? They should know the risk of entering a partnership and all of its disadvantages stated earlier but because accidents cannot be prevented they should have alternatives or options unless one of them dies early during the partnership.One option is that they could assign their respective heirs to take over the business for them or if they don’t have a child they must assign their personal choice of who they want to replace them but of course the heirs or assignees must have knowledge about what they might acquire in their shoulders like the liabilities of the previous owner, the responsibilities on handling a business. In paying the deceased partner’ s estate they could build a trust fund through their partnership that would sustain the payables if ever one of them dies so that the remaining partner would not have a difficult time in paying those interest. Aba Putangina Nyo BUSINESS CASE Presented to the Accountancy Department De La Salle University In partial fulfillment Of the course requirements In ACTPACO (K32) Duhaylungsod, Paul Angelo, P. March 5, 2013 DECISION MAKING ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION Richard Powers and Jane Keckley, two professionals in the finance area, have worked for Eberhart Leasing for a number of years. Eberhart Leasing is a company that leases high-tech medical equipment to hospitals. Richard and Jane have decided that, with their financial expertise, they might start their own company to provide consulting services to individuals interested in leasing equipment.One form of organization they are considering is a partnership. If they start a partnership, each individual plans to contribute P2 million in cash. In addition, Richard has a used IBM computer that originally cost P148,000, which he intends to invest in the partnership. The computer has a present market value of P60,000. Although both Richard and Jane are financial wizards, they do not know a great deal about how a partnership operates. As a result, they have come to you for advice. 1.What are the major disadvantages of starting a partnership? Partnership can easily dissolve automatically when one of its partners no longer wishes to participate in the business, or is unable to. This may happen in the event of death, bankruptcy, retirement or resignation. A divorce could also force a partner to attempt to cash out his interest, since decisions are shared, disagreements can occur. A partnership is for the long term, and expectations and situations can change, which can lead to dramatic and traumatic split ups.Business partners are jointly and individually liable for the actions of the other partners and you have to consult your partner and negotiate more as you cannot make decisions by yourself therefore need to be more flexible and a major disadvantage of a partnership is unlimited liability. General partners are liable without limit for all debts cont racted and errors made by the partnership. The accounts of partnership concerns are not published so public is unaware of the exact position of the business.There is a suspicion in public mind that these concerns earn huge profits at the cost of consumers. There is no legal binding for the publication of accounts. So partnership concerns lack public confidence. No partner can transfer his share to a third party without the consent of the other partners. If a partner wants his share back it will not be possible without the approval of other partners or without dissolution of the firm. In case of a company, any shareholder can transfer his shares without affecting the working of the business.In partnership, a partner is permanently wedded to it and lastly there is a limitation in raising additional resources for expansion purposes. The business resources are limited to the personal funds of the partners. Borrowing capacity of the partners is also limited. The number of partners to be added to a business is also limited. A banking company cannot have more than ten partners and in other businesses the number of partners cannot exceed twenty. So there is a limit beyond which partners cannot be added. 2. What type of document is needed for a partnership, and what should this document contain?Article of co partnership is a written agreement prior to the formation of a business, outlining the terms of the partnership and it must contain the firm’s name, how the firm will begin and end, nature of the business operations, monetary agreements like partners investments, determination of partner salaries and distribution of profits and losses. The document must also contain decision making guidelines and authority of partners and lastly expected time contribution of partners. 3. Both Richard and Jane plan to work full-time in the new partnership.They believe that net income or net loss should be shared equally. However, they are wondering how they can provide compen sation to Richard Powers for his additional investment of the computer. What would you tell them? They should change the profit and loss ratio in favor or Richard Powers in order for them to compensate his additional investment or they can also give him a bonus as well because if they distribute the net loss or net income equally it would be unfair for him because he invested more than the other partner.Another advice I would tell them is Richard can contribute less cash and compensate with the investment of his computer therefore, the basis of the distribution of income is their beginning capital or initial investment. 4. Richard is not sure how the computer equipment should be reported on his tax return. What would you tell him? The report on his tax return regarding the computer equipment will be based or I related on his income or you can say that depending on their net income or loss dividing by the partners’ profit 5.As indicated above, Richard and Jane have worked toge ther for a number of years. Richard’s skills complement Jane’s and vice versa. If one of them dies, it will be very difficult for the other to maintain the business, not to mention the difficulty of paying the deceased partner’s estate for his or her partnership interest. What would you advise them to do? They should know the risk of entering a partnership and all of its disadvantages stated earlier but because accidents cannot be prevented they should have alternatives or options unless one of them dies early during the partnership.One option is that they could assign their respective heirs to take over the business for them or if they don’t have a child they must assign their personal choice of who they want to replace them but of course the heirs or assignees must have knowledge about what they might acquire in their shoulders like the liabilities of the previous owner, the responsibilities on handling a business. In paying the deceased partner’ s estate they could build a trust fund through their partnership that would sustain the payables if ever one of them dies so that the remaining partner would not have a difficult time in paying those interest.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

American Sniper Essay

Once the lights dim, the screen expands, and the audience becomes silent, the greatest true story to be told is about to begin.   Chris Kyle, â€Å"Legend,† grew up in a small town in Texas with an aspiration to be a cowboy. He then realized he needed something different, more rewarding, which is when he decided to utilize his special talent by becoming a sniper in the navy SEALs. While in Iraq, Chris ventures out to protect his country from a villainous Iraqi warrior, â€Å"the Butcher.† Extremely difficult obstacles came about while in combat, but this did not stop him from reaching a record-breaking160 snipes. Kyle possessed an incredible skill set that caused his fellow soldiers to have an extreme level of respect toward him, and the nickname â€Å"Legend† was created due to their admiration. He even found himself in situations that he had to choose between protecting his country and doing what is morally correct. Almost every decision made by Chris, was one that benefited America in the greatest way. But his closest friends, small children, and even his enemies dying right in front of his eyes caused his mental state to be extremely damaged. Kyle then had to live the rest of his post-military life trying to cope with his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Not only was this movie and story an inspiration to millions, but also very informative of the reality of war now. Clint Eastwood did a great job recreating and honoring the incredible life of Chris Kyle. Although this movie is based on a true story, all of the components in this film were put together extremely well. American Sniper is indeed a war movie, but many of the aspects in it cause it to be so much more than just action-packed battles and gory blood baths. This film is hands down one of the best creations Eastwood has ever put forth. He portrayed the story in such a way that the audience felt inspired and moved by it. Creative twists and artistic choices he decided to make for this movie truly paid off. Bradley Cooper, a well-renowned actor, plays the main role of Chris Kyle and does an astounding job. He excellently captures his true character, and allows the audience to connect on a very deep level. Cooper remains extremely suave and allows his confidence to shine through while portraying this American hero. This role entailed strenuous amounts of training, and pushing ones body to a limit it has never reached before. He was required to gain weight, become a true â€Å"Texan† with an accent, and ultimately become an inspirational hero by being extraordinarily determined and brave. Bradley did an exceptional job at taking it on. This movie was set in a sandy, run-down village in Iraq; the setting had a great impact on the story as a whole. The Iraqi village members, members of the Taliban, and the terrorists that lived in or in the surrounding area made the movie to be very suspenseful and action-packed. The sand storm that occurred at the end of the movie brought on a huge turn of events for the soldier, leading most viewers to believe he wouldn’t make it out alive. Constantly changing scenes from the peaceful home in Texas where Chris’ wife and kids lived, to the treacherous overseas battlefield, caused the movie to remain very spontaneous. The constant snipes, battles, and hardships occurring throughout the movie kept the audience very intrigued by the story. The director did an excellent job capturing the true essence of how one should feel if they were ever put in the same heart-wrenching situation. The final scenes, as well as the credits, were the most impactful. They intelligently put actual footage of events that happened after Chris’ death. This allowed the audience to truly capture the amount of respect this one man gained from thousands of people. Many people gathered in honor of this hero. After watching the movie and learning more in-depth about his story, caused others to know why. Complete silence surrounds the theater once the movie came to an end. Everyone couldn’t help but to have a moment of silence, commemorating this great hero. After a movie, at a public theater, one will never see a reaction, from almost everyone there, of this sort. The atmosphere in the theater was one of sorrow and admiration. Emotions stirred through each individual in the audience, and most had a hard time holding them in. This aspiring story  touched millions of people’s lives. The movies runtime is approximately 134 minutes, which is quite long for most people. The content of the movie was so well spread out, that the amount of the time the movie ran did not seem nearly as long as it actually is. Eastwood did such a good job entertaining his audience, that the length of the movie was not much of a factor when one watched the film. This movie received a rating of â€Å"R† due to war violence, and vulgar language. Although a large amount of people were unable to view this film because of it’s rating, it was definitely necessary for it to be included. The gory aspects and the tasteless choice of vocabulary only furthered the impact this film had on its audience. The soundtrack used in this movie was very well picked. â€Å"The Funeral†, which is the song used for the credits, is one that really impacted most people. The track is perfectly suitable for the slideshow that is shown at the credits of the film; it caused hundreds of thousands of people to shed a tear because of how emotionally impactful the song is. American Sniper received a well-deserved rating of four stars from the credible source IMDb. Another source, Roger Ebert, rated the film at four and a half stars. These well-known movie critics giving this movie such a good review, proves how successful Clint Eastwood was in the making of American Sniper. The well-done acting, special effects, script, scenery, and storyline all had a positive impact on the high rating this movie received. A lot of comparison of American Sniper and Lone Survivor has occurred. They are both about the incredible stories of an average man going on tour while apart of the military. Both men had to experience events a typical person would never want to experience. Debatably, American Sniper is a better version of Lone Survivor. Although, both brilliant, insightful stories, American Sniper was more impressive according to several audiences. American Sniper is definitely a movie to be remembered and recommended for generations on end. It is one of the greatest stories of all time, and the movie does an incredible job at portraying it. This film does Chris and his  story much justice; the theme and overall point of the film came across almost perfectly. Not one person should go without seeing this film, and miss out on the amazing story it withholds.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Cognitive Development and Limitations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cognitive Development and Limitations - Essay Example He developed a cognition theory that has four stages of development that a person progresses through as they learn and grow. These four stages are sensory motor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Through research and testing, Piaget placed an age group on each of the stages. Three to five year olds fall within the preoperational stage of development. Placing emphasis on academic work rather than social skill and self-esteem will help children progress through each stage of cognitive development. There are a few aspects of the preoperational period conducive to academic work. These aspects are symbolic function, deferred imitation, and qualitative identity. "Symbolic function is the ability to use one thing as a symbol to represent something else." (Vasta et al 268). For example, a child uses an empty box to represent car that the child is driving. They can also use words to represent that they are a cat by meowing or saying they are a cat. This developed skill can be used in the learning process for academic work. It can help lay the basic foundation for reading if the teacher cuts the letters of the alphabet out of Styrofoam and teaches that each piece represents a particular letter. The child will be able to feel and manipulate the shape and develop a representation of the shape with the letter.