Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Assessment of National Express Group Operations, Macroeconomic Essay

Assessment of National Express Group Operations, Macroeconomic Environment and Challenges - Essay Example This essay presents an informative analysis of the National Express Group company economic position. The company was founded in 1972 by the state owned National Bus Company. The company has grown tremendously since its privatization in 1988 from a small transport service provider to a multinational firm. It currently has its operations in UK, Canada, Morocco, Spain, US and Portugal. The company has recently expanded its business in other parts of Europe also. The company currently runs more than 1600 busses across UK and is a leader in urban bus service provider. It also provides bus service in North America in which daily 1 million students go to school. National Express Group is focused in achieving excellence in their existing markets and to explore new market opportunities to drive their company to the utmost peak. Its main objective is the growth of its business through customer satisfaction Macroeconomic environment consists of those variables upon which the company has no control. Companies cannot control the macroeconomic factors but can minimize its impact by taking strategic decisions accordingly. These factors exist outside a company and usually have a great affect on the functioning of the company. In UK, the market conditions were challenging but still due to strong market hold and flexible coach supply model, the company delivered high profit for the business. As of National Express bus service in UK, there was a rise in cost for the company during the year 2009 due to the increase in the cost of fuel.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Kolb Learning Styles Essay Example for Free

Kolb Learning Styles Essay David Kolb’s theory of learning styles is one of the best known and widely applied and it suggest that learning is a cyclic process which involves an individual proceeding through each of the following four stages and will eventually prefer and rely upon one style more than the others. The four styles are: Divergers, Convergers, Accommodators and Assimilators. Research has shown that these four styles have different names along with the ones mentioned above, they are: Divergers is also called Reflective observation Convergers is also called Active experimentation Accommodators is also called Concrete experience Assimilators is also called Abstract conceptualization   Let us take a look and see how the knowledge of each one can be applied to the role of being students working individually and as a group. Divergers/Reflective observation Divergers like to think before they talk and they research and analyze a situation before giving their own personal opinion. They like to investigate and are able to view situations from many angles which allows them to recognize problems. A lot of times a Diverger would rather sit back, listen and watch, be imaginative and open to xperience, being very thoughtful of everyones ideas. Convergers/Active experimentation Convergers think about things, use theories to solve problems and then try out their ideas to see if they work in practice. They like to ask how about a situation, understanding how things work in practice. They like facts and will seek to make things efficient by making small and careful changes and look at alternative ways of doing something. They prefer to work by themselves, thinking carefully and acting independently. They learn through interaction and computer-based learning is more effective with them than other methods. Accommodators/Concrete experience Accommodators prefer to be involved in new experiences, have a hands-on approach and learn through trial and error. They like a practical experimental approach, are able to adapt to circumstances and like to set objectives and schedules. Assimilators/Abstract conceptualization Assimilators want to be more logical, they really see no need to give their own personal views, they would rather think it through and do research. They will also learn through conversation that takes a logical and thoughtful approach. They prefer lectures for learning, with demonstrations where possible, will respect the knowledge of experts. In addition they often have a strong control need and prefer the clean and simple predictability of internal models to external messiness. This style is used in schools most of the time along with corporations. After researching these four different styles I was able to compare them to four different individual experiences. One of my friends likes the assimilator approach for her school work, she likes to know the facts before she does anything. She is also going to share the knowledge she has gained from this assignment with her cousin who falls into the category of a Converger and tends to fail with her experiments. Another one of my friends believes that she is a Diverger, she would rather listen, gather data and analyze a situation and give feedback. She is very thoughtful of everyones ideas and puts their feelings and thoughts into consideration. I also onsider myself a combination of the Accommodator and Converger, I learn best by the hands-on experience and looking at different ways of doing things. In conclusion, I feel that it is very beneficial for a person to know their style of learning for the following reasons: if you know this about yourself you are able to pinpoint your weaknesses so that you may work on them to help better your studying habits, you can apply your specific style to the task at hand whether it would be finding a book or article to read, a video to watch, a tape to listen to or solve it by trial and error. You may also notice how others work differently and understand that individual more so that it will be a better work and study environment. Not only does this help when studying individually, it is a great benefit when participating in a group or team because when working in a group or team you have a combination of styles so the participants will have a different opinion of the topic depending on how they view the topic. Along with different views of a topic, if you know your learning style you could share that with them and they may be able to make adjustments to accomodate you style of learning, especially if you are having problems grasping the topic, idea or concept. The importance of learning style stems from the notion that teaching, if it is to be effective, should be tailored to the preferred learning style of the learner(s). If teaching is not aligned to the learning preferences of learners, it is unlikely that the teaching will be effective, or at least not as effective as it could be.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Calories :: essays research papers

People are, by nature, very gullible, nieve and border on ignorance. There are very few that strive for understanding. Most accept what is told them by friends, the media and the government without question. Take for, instance, the calorie. Millions of Americans read the labels of food containers and worry endlessly about the number of calories that a food contains. This is a classic example of human ignorance. How can one worry about something and not know what it is, where it comes from, and what it does?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A French scientist, Antoine Lavoisier coined the term calorie, actually caloric, in the eighteenth century. Mr. Lavoiser observed that chemical reactions gave off heat. He believed that this heat was some form of fluid, much like water, that carried the heat away from the reaction. (Rothman, 69) Antoine was on the right track; he merely got on the wrong train.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benjamin Thompson, also an eighteenth century scientist, observed that while drilling through brass with a dull bit he could produce enormous amounts of heat yet not get very deeply into the brass. This led Mr. Thompson to the conclusion that heat was the product of work, not the invisible fluid caloric.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph Black, yet another scientist of the seventeen hundreds, discovered that it took different substances varying amounts of heat to raise one gram of a substance one degree Celsius. He called this specific heat. Mr. Black also noticed that when mercury at fifty degrees is mixed with equal amounts of water at zero degrees the resulting mixture would be only one degree. From this, he concluded that heat and temperature were not the same. In order to give the scientific world a standard of measure Mr. Black termed the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius a calorie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem encountered here is that the calorie on food containers is not quite the same as Mr. Blacks. The calories referred to by the food and Drug Administration are actually kilocalories. That is one thousand times greater than those Mr. Black discovered. When Americans sit down to breakfast and eat a serving of Frosted Flakes, they are not ingesting one hundred sixty calories but one hundred sixty THOUSAND calories.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Why I Want a Wife – Introduction

Why I Want a Wife – Introduction 2/This article was written in 1972. Does it still describe the role of most ‘wives' today? If so, why has nothing changed? If not, how have things changed? In 1972, it was believed that a ‘good’ wife was a married woman who completed and satisfied all needs involving her housework, children and most importantly, her husband. A good wife was normally a house wife.Now, fast forward to 2012 forty years to the present – the general customs and expectations still stand, but many wives nowadays have lives, essentially. Back in the 70’s, most married women were housewives. Many wives stayed home to care for their housework, children, and husband. Their duties revolved around those three ideas. But as time passed, traditions have changed. Most women have jobs and hardly considered housewives. Sure, they will tend to their kids and spouse but many of them now have lives.Instead of being of the housework being a priority, the real work replaces it. Another weighing factor would be women’s rights. Instead of the husband viewed as the main bread maker, some wives have stepped up to plate with a higher salary. Back then, the male worked and the wife stayed home, therefore the male would earn the income. The last contributing factor to the change in modern day wife roles is the later marriage. People are marrying later leading to having children at an older age.By this point, the females would have had time to peak at their jobs and remain a steady pace when the child is brought into the world. Not as many sacrifices has to be made for the child oppose to giving birth at a younger age. Even though the role of wives has come a long way since the early 70’s, the general outline still remains: care for the husband and kids and to maintain the house. And though many adjustments have been made the credentials in order to become a good wife is still near, impossible to reach. Related article: â€Å"My Ideal Wife†

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Mind and Matrix Essay

Epistemology is the nature of knowledge. Knowledge is important when considering what is reality and what is deception. The movie â€Å"The Matrix† displays a social deception in which Neo, the main character, is caught between what he thought was once reality and a whole new world that controls everything he thought was real. If I were Neo, I would not truly be able to know that I was in the matrix. However, it is rational to believe that I am in the matrix and will eventually enter back into my reality later. The proof that that I can know that I am in the matrix and that I will return to reality comes from the responses of foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism. To begin, foundationalism is the essence of what we are certain of. Many philosophers argue on the basis of foundationalism to find out where knowledge begins. This will help determine if Neo would be able to know or not know if he is dreaming up the matrix or in fact that it is reality. The popularity of foundationalism starts with Descartes. He challenged the previously popular skepticism. In Descartes Meditations he discusses many issues relating to the question of â€Å"where does knowledge come from? † His main arguments appear in his dreaming argument. He first begins by stating 1. I often have perceptions very much like the ones I usually have in sensation while I am dreaming. Then he goes on to say 2. There are no definite signs to distinguish dream experience from waking experience. These two premises lead to the conclusion that 3. It is possible that I am dreaming right now and that all my perceptions are false. This shows that there is no real way to know to know anything. Descartes add to his argument using foundationalism. â€Å"‘Throughout my writings I have made it clear that my method imitates that of the architect. When an architect wants to build a house which is stable on ground where there is a sandy topsoil over underlying rock, or clay, or some other firm base, he begins by digging out a set of trenches from which he removes the sand, and anything resting on or mixed in with the sand, so that he can lay his foundations on firm soil. In the same way, I began by taking everything that was doubtful and throwing it out, like sand †¦ (Replies 7, AT 7:537)’ (Lex, Newman)†. This explains how foundationalism works; you must remove all of your doubt to advance to the foundationtion of which you are sure of. This is called the method of doubt. Once you know what you are sure of, you can build up knowledge from there. Many wonder how we can wonder we are not dreaming. Some agree that you cannot feel pain in a dream, but others say they have. The argument that dreams are not related to memory is strong because most people do not remember their dreams. Descartes explains that in a dream you can feel as if you are using all of your senses, but they seem to be more vague than when awake. Descartes struggles with the dream issue until he comes upon his conclusion. â€Å"‘I now notice that there is a vast difference between [being asleep and being awake], in that dreams are never linked by memory with all the other actions of life as waking experiences are. †¦ But when I distinctly see where things come from and where and when they come to me, and when I can connect my perceptions of them with the whole of the rest of my life without a break, then I am quite certain that when I encounter these things I am not asleep but awake. (Med.6, AT 7:89-90)’ (Lex, Newman)†. This dream argument attributes to how we can know anything. For Neo’s sake it helps him decide weather he is really in the matrix or not. In addition to foundationalism proving that knowledge is built up from what we are certain of, idealism plays an important role of arguing that all reality is in the mind. Descartes’ argument for idealism explains how knowledge of reality is possible. He goes through the process of using an example like a pen and justifying its existence. There are 3 steps to this process: 1. I know I perceive the pen. 2. To exist is to be perceived (Berkeley). 3. I know the pen exists. Another philosopher, Berkeley, argues esse est percipi, which translates to â€Å"to be is to be perceived†. This means that if you are perceived you exist and the same thing goes for reality. There are issues that argue against idealism; one of these arguments is that we have no conception of unperceived matter. As soon as you perceive it you can conceive it. The only problems with this argument are the fact that many people perceive the distant path. An example of this is the â€Å"Big Bang† theory. Also the perception of the atom and distant galaxies furthermore cause a problem. So idealism still stands strong. Neo’s perception of the matrix exists so therefor Neo believes that the matrix is real. Yet there remains one more response to furthermore prove that Neo is rational to believe he is in the matrix. This is the response to Pallibalism, the theory that knowledge does not require certainty. This response goes about saying that we are certain of our minds and our own existence. Neo has knowledge of the matrix, but there is no certainty with his knowledge. Noe is able to perceive the surroundings around him in the matrix and he can be sure he is not dreaming, but he can not know for sure if the matrix is truly real. The case for this is that he could be just a brain in a Vat in a giant virtual reality. Another example similar to â€Å"The Matrix† is â€Å"The Trueman Show†. In this case it is a local deception rather than a social deception. Pallibalism agrees with foundationalism and idealism in the fact that knowledge is an abstract notion and the only thing that one can be certain of is them selves. Clearly then, foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism all fit together to prove that Neo can not be certain of the matrix, but only himself. Also it further explains how it is rational for him to believe that the matrix exists through his perception of the matrix and the knowledge he obtains when he is there. The growth of knowledge in Neo’s mind is possible what is his deception. The more he perceives could possible be more he is deceived. What we know about reality is all in our minds and if we can only be certain of ourselves and our own existence then the reality that we perceive and conceive does exist. So the answer is yes, Neo can know that he is in the matrix, but this does not necessarily mean the matrix exists. As far as Neo knows the matrix does exist and that he will return to what he thought was his reality later, knowing that there is more than just his world. Works Cited Newman, Lex, â€Å"Descartes’ Epistemology†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 1999 Edition), Edward N, Zalta (ed. ), URL= http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/spring1999/entries/Descartes.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

4 Ways That Business Writing Courses Can Improve Your Grammar

4 Ways That Business Writing Courses Can Improve Your Grammar Even the best writers the ones who make six figures writing for the most prestigious magazines and websites slip up with their grammar; though, fortunately for them, they have full-time editors who catch those rare mistakes. But for the hard-working business employee who is juggling six different projects at once, sitting down for long hours of proofreading the kind of intense refining process that a professional writer undergoes is simply not practical. But the hard truth is that in the business world impeccable writing skills is a must, whether you're writing marketing pitches, internal reports, or a proposal. That's where business writing courses come in. Writing courses can improve your awareness of grammar, for example, to such a degree that your work does not require much proofreading. Before you know it, you become a grammar master who instantly knows the answers to common grammar conundrums like these four: 1. Affect vs. Effect Possibly one of the most common errors in business writing (or any writing, for that matter) is the confusion over using "affect" or "effect." Fortunately, the usage follows a simple rule. If you memorize it, this grammar pitfall will never trouble you again. "Affect" is a verb. "Effect" is a noun. Example: The presentation affected my understanding of sales. However, if you try to phrase the sentence this way, "The presentation had an effect on my sales," you are no longer using the verb "affect." You've switched to the verb "had." The word "effect" is a noun because it is the thing that the presentation "had." 2. Sink, Sank, and Then I Sunk - Help! This is another example of confusing verb tenses. In an email your colleague writes, "Our profits sunk last quarter, but that company's earnings also sunk." With the verb "to sink," the present tense is "sink." The past tense is "sank," and the past participle is "sunk," which is always paired with the auxiliary verb "had." Your colleague is using the past participle instead of using the past tense. The correct version: "Our profits sank last quarter, but that company's earnings also sank." 3. Should I Use "Shall" or "Will?" This is a situational problem. If you are using "shall" in the third person i.e. he shall complete that report then it obliges the subject of the sentence to perform the verb. In other words, it is a command. It's like when your mother says, "You shall clean your room," in a very authoritative tone. However, if you're using "shall" in the first person, there is no sense of obligation. It means simply that you intend to do that action sometime in the future: "I shall go to the cafeteria today." When you use the word "will" in the first person I will complete this spreadsheet it expresses a sense of determination. It is meant to convey your strong desire to do whatever is necessary to complete the task. But when you use "will" in the third person i.e. he will leave work early today it simply indicates that the person will do something in the future. 4. I "Sit," But She "Set" An easy way to remember when to use "sit" or "set" is to ask this question, "Is someone placing an object somewhere?" If the answer is yes, you use "set." For example, someone wants to bring some indoor plants into the office. They ask you where to put them. You would use the transitive verb "set" which always requires a direct object: "Set them on the window sill." If there is no direct object involved if no one is placing anything anywhere and you're just talking about people being in a location you would use "sit": "He sits at the conference table." This also applies to nouns that are not being moved by anyone i.e. The computer sits on the table. But if Bob comes over and moves the computer to the table, you would say, "Bob set the computer on the table." All of our business writing courses include instructor review of your individual grammar issues, resources, and correction strategies. Improve your grammar so that you spend less time proofreading and more time working. Not sure which course is right for you?

Monday, October 21, 2019

Pulp Fiction - Film Review essays

Pulp Fiction - Film Review essays Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is one of the most daring, puzzling, and ultimately exciting pieces of cinema to hit the screen in years. As wholly original as it is a copy of hundreds of films before it about tales of hitmen and criminals, it dares you to step out of the dull and enter a colorful, exhilarating world that could only be Los Angeles. The intensity level of the movie is off the scale. People are laughing like crazy in the theater to the intelligent dialog and other scenes that have the audience gasping for air in shock over what just happened. Although one might say that Pulp Fiction is overly violent and disturbing, it is in fact, one of the greatest movies due to Quentin Tarantino's incredible screenplay, the intensity of the actors, and music to set the mood. Pulp Fiction is rebellious in the way that it manipulates all usual plots structures by twisting time to satisfy its system. The film tells a series of interlocking stories involving two hitmen, a boxer and his French girlfriend, a crime boss, and his mischievous wife, a small time drug dealer, two lovebird robbers, two hillbilly rapists, and a leather freak. However, all these stories revolve around three main plots; Vincent (John Travolta) taking the crime boss's wife out (Umma Thurman), the crime boss asks the boxer (Bruce Willis) to throw out the boxing match, and the two lovebirds decision and outcome about robbing a restaurant. Also to add to the mixture, comical violence, and the fascinatingly vulgar dialogue are all the elements in place for the most shamelessly entertaining film of the year. Part of the genius of this film is the way Tarantino manipulates the conventional plot structure to make the impossible possible. It is an odd phenomenon how he could alter time so intentionally, yet finish with a product that is not only easily understood, but flows more smoothly than it would have it he had told it linearly. ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Reading Comprehension and Making Predictions

Reading Comprehension and Making Predictions One of the signs a child is having problems with reading comprehension is trouble making predictions. This, according to Dr. Sally Shaywitz in her book, Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Overcoming Reading Problems at Any Level. When a student makes a prediction he or she is making a guess about what is going to happen next in a story or what a character is going to do or think, An effective reader will base their prediction on clues from the story and his or her own experiences. Most typical students naturally make predictions as they read. Students with dyslexia may have trouble with this important skill. Why Students with Dyslexia Have Difficulty Making Predictions We make predictions every day. We watch our family members and based on their actions we can often guess what they are going to do or say next. Even young children make predictions about the world around them. Imagine a young child walking up to a toy store. She sees the sign and even though she cant yet read it, because she has been there before she knows it is a toy store. Immediately, she begins anticipating what is going to happen in the store. She is going to see and touch her favorite toys. She might even get to take one home. Based on her previous knowledge and clues (the sign on the front of the store) she has made predictions about what will happen next. Students with dyslexia may be able to make predictions based on real-life situations but may have problems doing so when reading a story. Because they often struggle with sounding out each word, it is hard to follow the story and therefore cant guess what is going to happen next. They may also have a hard time with sequencing. Predictions are based on what happens next which requires a student to follow a logical sequence of events. If a student with dyslexia has problems sequencing, guessing the next action will be difficult. The Importance of Making Predictions Making predictions is more than just guessing what is going to happen next. Predicting helps students become actively involved in reading and helps to keep their interest level high. Some of the other benefits of teaching students to make predictions are: Helps students to ask questions while they are readingEncourages students to skim or re-read portions of the story to better understand it or to recall facts about the characters or eventsProvides a way for students to monitor their understanding of the material As students learn predictions skills, they will more fully comprehend what they have read and will retain the information for longer periods of time. Strategies for Teaching Making Predictions For younger children, look at the pictures before reading the book, including the front and back covers of the book. Have students make predictions on what they think the book is about. For older students, have them read the chapter titles or the first paragraph of a chapter and then guess what will happen in the chapter. Once students have made predictions, read the story or the chapter and after finishing, review the predictions to see if they were correct. Create a prediction diagram. A prediction diagram has blank spaces to write down the clues or evidence used to make a prediction and a space to write their prediction. Clues can be found in pictures, chapter titles or in the text itself. A prediction diagram helps students organize the information they read in order to make a prediction. Prediction diagrams can be creative, such as a diagram of a rocky path leading to a castle (each rock has a place for a clue) and the prediction is written in the castle or they can be simple, with clues written on one side of a paper and the prediction written on the other. Use magazine ads or pictures in a book and make predictions about people. Students write down what they think the person is going to do, what the person is feeling or what the person is like. They can use clues such as facial expression, clothes, body language, and surroundings. This exercise helps students understand how much information you can obtain from being observant and looking at everything in the picture. Watch a film and stop it part way through. Ask students to make predictions on what will happen next. Students should be able to explain why they made the prediction. For example, I think John is going to fall off his bike because he is carrying a box while he is riding and his bike is wobbling. This exercise helps students to follow the logic of the story to make their predictions rather than just make guesses. Use What would I do? techniques. After reading a portion of a story, stop and ask the students to make predictions not about the character but about themselves. What would they do in this situation? How would they react? This exercise helps students to use previous knowledge to make predictions. References Robb, Laura, Reading Clinic: Use Predictions to Help Kids Think Deeply About Books, Scholastic.com, Date UnknownShaywitz, Sally. Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Overcoming Reading Problems at Any Level. 1st. Vintage, 2005. 246. Print.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Genetically Modified Organisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetically Modified Organisms - Essay Example An organism that has been subjected to such genetic manipulation is referred to as a genetically modified organism. Genetic modification involves the altering of the DNA code in a cell that is artificially grown in a laboratory before being reinserted into the same organism or an unrelated organism. The totality of genetic information that is present within the DNA of an organism is called genome, and this information is coded in such a way that it can be understood by all other living species. According to this coding system, four nucleotides are required to provide instructions to a cell on how it is to make any protein. (Steinbrecher, 1998). Nucleotides are DNA units whose names are listed as letters – A, C, G and T. The arrangement of these in three letter words is equivalent to the code for specific amino acids. Within each gene, there are also regulatory elements which function as flags to control gene activity. Each gene also has an information block, which prevents gene activity from moving in an unusual direction. As a result, gene regulation is specific to the context of its environment.(Steinbrecher, 1998). The process of genetically modifying an organism, which transports a gene from one organism into another, must also provide a means to circumvent the information block with cells of each organism, in order to provide recognizable flags or control sequences, which the other organism will recognize and accept. This is accomplished through the use of viruses, which are able to integrate their own DNA information into a host cell and cause it to multiply. This occurs due to the presence of powerful promoters in the viral cells that force the host cell to read viral genes and produce viral proteins, thereby producing construct or combined genes that can be used to produce desired changes in an organism (Steinbrecher, 1998). One of the most common examples of genetically modified organisms are crops such as pest resistant

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Philosophy - Essay Example Donald starts his argument by stating that the human race cannot only have one form of a conceptual scheme and that there are many people involved and different themes for the understanding of the notion. Donald states that religion still exists even in the monotheist people and thus showing an extended description of the conceptual scheme. He goes ahead to state that one idea can be very important in that it can assist in the development of greater ideas that would eventually lead to the rise of new concepts in the field of philosophy (Ludwig 18). David goes ahead to offer the example of the relativity theory as a product of this. In describing the theory, there is the explanation that the theory is an improved version of two different theories made by an early philosopher. The theory is a product of the theory of general relativity and special relativity. This brings about the contemporary version of the theory and thus diversifying the philosophical field of view. Further explanat ion of the concept of conceptual relativity leads to David explaining that there is always an underlying notion of confusion. This from the fact that a theme or a philosophical subject to receive acclamation as a part of a conceptual scheme, from conjoined ideas, there must exist some sort of connection prior to the combination that would show a later source of fusion in explanation. This factor has led to many rules being shunned with the statement that they do not bear the required factors for them to be schemes. David offers an analysis and example in explaining this. This is where he states that the schemes may have diverging viewpoints and thus leading to a difference in language. However, when people with different languages share similar sentiments among other factors that may show their link, they are then termed as having a conceptual scheme. However, he argues that language diversity may offer some sort of misunderstanding in terms of the fact it can bring about vague real ity. Vague reality is the form of illusion that makes the brain misunderstand or incorporate ideas in a manner that it should not. This is due to increased views from a particular language specifically brought about by different backgrounds. This in its sole entity hinders the concept of reality (Davidson 8). The ability to translate a particular language is one major factor that comes into focus when identifying whether conceptual schemes can gain diversity or it is a monotonous concept. The questioning of whether a person with completely different languages that cannot be translated between them lying in a similar manner or to a common language is a major one. The explanation offered for this is diverse among different philosophers but the conclusion made by David that it all falls down to two major notions. The first notion in relation to this theme and problem is understanding whether the lack of translation is complete. In terms of an incomplete translation, the understanding i s that only a few words in a given sentence cannot be understood while the rest of them are clearly grasped by a member of a different language group. This, David states, gains recognition as a diversified factor in terms of conceptual schemes. However, the second notion implies that if a certain language is completely misunderstood and that the member of the

Friday, October 18, 2019

Human Trafficking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example In addition to that, the paper will focus on two police reports which describe a range of human trafficking incidents, particularly child sexual exploitation. By examining these cases, the dissertation intends to clarify what exactly is driving the demand for trafficked individuals, influencing perceptions of the crisis, and what exactly is constraining legal initiatives to end the exploitation. Sources that will be included: (1) studies on target groups for trafficking, (2) United State human trafficking laws, (3) cities where trafficking is highest, (4) factors influencing the demand for trafficking, and (5) people’s perception influencing human trafficking. Furthermore, the research hopes to show that although some view the inadequacy of federal agencies, courts, or political parties as the central reason for the limited success in preventing human trafficking, it is societies’ ‘idea’ of human trade that is the root cause of both inaction and the discrim inatory nature of responses to the abusive practice. These misperceptions operate across multiple dimensions, including race, gender, ethnicity, class, caste, culture, and geography. Such misconceptions can hinder the proper health care services provided for trafficked victims. By assuming that all victims are of the same background or subpopulation may result in practitioners maintaining false assumptions and/or obtaining incomplete and inaccurate histories; resulting in unanticipated and potentially hazardous treatment strategies and outcomes. The research paper will then take a quick look at the effects of public misconceptions on the health care sector and at how further understanding of these misconceptions may help improve health care services provided to trafficked victims. The paper will specifically explain the importance of training physical and mental health professionals at identifying certain victims and their needs, as well as the importance of educating the public. In addition, the paper will analyze the effect misconceptions have on a full range of trafficked victims including sexually exploited children and immigrant women. Such an analysis will provide the basis for further research and hopefully initiate further interest on how societal misconceptions shape the dynamics and trends of human trafficking and the laws surrounding it. PLAN Human trafficking Human Trafficking is a considered to be a modern name for slavery. It is basically immoral crime against humanity. It encompasses recruitment, transportation, harboring or receipt of person by coercion, fraud, misrepresentation for exploitation purpose (Hart, 2009). Moreover, exploitation can have different shapes like sexual exploitation, forced labor or slavery. Furthermore, human trafficking is practiced more or less in every country around the globe. Every year, several children, men and women are trafficked either in their own country or to other countries. Reasons for growth of trafficki ng Today, the world we are living in is changing, because of continuous new innovation in technology. Globalization has resulted in increased growth of tourism sector worldwide, which has reduced the national barriers between

Psychoanalysis of Roald Dahl's Matilda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Psychoanalysis of Roald Dahl's Matilda - Essay Example The superego is the opposite extreme of the id and is the force used by the father and the social and cultural institutions he represents to check and drive the person's desires into the id. The superego includes tradition, inherited values, religion and its institutions, education and its peripheries and all forms of authority. The ego is the self that emerges after an on going and continual negotiation between the id and the superego. If the person's superego is weaker than his/her id the result will be a loose, permissive, carefree, easy going or even a mad person. If the person's superego is stronger than his/her id, then that person will become a conformist to the moral and social values of the person's medium. (Douglas, 2007) The process of pyschoanalyzing a text has several approaches. One can read a text and isolate the elements in the text that reveal the inner conflicts, desires and suppressions in the person of the artist. Another way is examining elements that define the psychology of the characters in the narrative. A third way is seeing if the text reveals the collective psychology of the people and the culture that produces the work of art. In any case, the analysis should consider one or both of the two basic assumptions of the theory. The first assumption is the tripartite nature of the manifest self, whether it is the self of the author, the fictitious character, or the collective consciousness behind the work while the second one is the work of art as a dream work that reflects the suppressed content of the id of either the author or his/her characters. (Pope, 2002) In this essay, I shall be concerned in the first assumption which is determining the tripartite nature that is present in the character of Matilda. I will be trying to learn the psyche of Matilda. I would begin by providing a summary of the story Matilda written by Roald Dahl in 1988. When conducting the research, I came to realize that there are elements of the story derived directly from the experiences of the author. While this may be a good topic for psychoanalysis, our focus would be on Matilda and her psyche. Plot Summary Matilda Wormwood has the potential to be a genius but her parents do not care about her as shown by the fact that she is discouraged from reading books and encouraged in watching TV. In spite of this, Matilda perseveres and became intellectually superior in her class. TO combat her parent's being so uncaring, she devises clever pranks such as "the hat and the super glue," "the parrot-in-the-chimney-affair," and "the great hair oil switch." Her great intellect catches her teacher's, Jennifer Honey's, attention and appeal for her to be accelerated. Agatha Trunchbull, the evil headmistress, refuses. Miss Honey learned of how Matilda's parents treat her when she consults them for Matilda being sent to the university. Throughout the story, Miss Trunchbull treats her students in abusive manners such as ploughing straight through children so that they "bounce off her feet like footballs", makes regular visits to classes to "show" the teachers a few tips on discipline, throws students out of windows and even locks them in a contraption known only as "the Chokey." Matilda becomes her primary target when she learned that it was her father that sold her a second car that barely

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Rationalism and Empiricism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rationalism and Empiricism - Essay Example It is about the psychological side that Pinker claims, "The past tense is the only case I know in which two great systems of Western thought (rationalism and empiricism) may be tested and compared on a single rich set of data, just like ordinary scientific hypotheses." But Searle argues among other things that the debate about the past tense is not a case in which "two great systems of Western thought (rationalism and empiricism) may be tested and compared on a single rich set of data." Searle argued that the features that make them "great systems of Western thought" are left unaffected by the discussion of the past tense. Their debate also included history, computation and information processing in relation to rationalism and empiricism where both thoughts oppose each other. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy which Searle (in Pinker & Searle, 2002) thinks is standard, defines rationalism as the position that reason presides over other ways of acquiring knowledge, or that it is the unique path to knowledge. It is most often encountered as a view in epistemology, where it is traditionally contrasted with empiricism, the view that the senses are primary with respect to knowledge (Audi, 1999). Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that asks the question "How do we know what we know" (Epistemology n.d.). This is a nature/nurture debate then, with Rationalists going for nature and Empiricists going for nurture. Some scientists think that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even "animal instincts." This is known as the "nature" theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the "nurture" theory of human behavior (Powell, 2006). Plato and Descartes were famous Rationalists, John Stuart Mill and David Hume were famous Empiricists. The following can be said to be the levels by which rationalism and empiricism may be differentiated. DIFFERENCES Etymology and emphasis. According to Carlo Sini (2004), the name Rationalism obviously derives from the word 'rational' which goes back to the Latin, 'ratio' meaning 'calculation'. This in turn goes back to another Latin word, 'ratus', which is the past participle of 'reor', meaning "think', 'deem', 'judge'. What runs through all of these is the emphasis on mind, an emphasis connected with the word 'rational' as well: rationalise, rationality, and similar terms. 'Empiricism' derives from another English word, 'empiric', meaning, 'derived from experience.' The term "empirical" was originally used to refer to certain ancient Greek practitioners of medicine who rejected adherence to the dogmatic doctrines of the day, preferring instead to rely on the observation of phenomena as perceived in experience (Sini, 2004). The doctrine of empiricism was first made by John Locke in the 17th century. Locke argued that the mind is a tabula rasa ("clean slate" or "blank tablet"or" white paper") on which experiences leave their marks. To Locke, the mind is like

Intellectual Property Law assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intellectual Property Law assignment - Essay Example A copyrights issue, with regards to ownership and authorship of a book and photographs arises. Who between Burchill, the book author and Justin Timbersnake, the subject of the book, owns the copyright to the book and the photographs? Does Burchill own the rights to the photos of Justin Timberlake she took in the pretence of her personal use and do such rights allow her to publicly distribute the photos in question? As noted, this is purely a question of copyright law; most importantly, The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003, No. 2498. In particular, this case is about copyright laws because it touches on moral rights and obligations. In this case, the right of privacy for Justin’s photographs Burchill had taken for her personal use, of which she has now agreed to give to the editor of The Sunday Topical. Secondly, there is the issue of copyright infringement and moral infringement; has the editor of The Sunday Topical infringed on Justin Timbersnake’s rights to the contents of Burchill’s book and photos? It is a fact that Burchill is the author of the book biography of Justin Timbersnake and the photographs she took of Justin while at his mansion. ... Justin Timbersnake should not sue The Sun Topical for serialising the book since they have not in any way infringed on his copyright since Burchill owns the authorship rights. However, Timbersnake can go ahead and sue Burchill for giving his private photos to The Sun Topical for public display. Likewise, as the facts of this case those outlined above are concerned; the relevant law to this case is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, specifically in relation to authorship, ownership, infringements, moral rights and privacy. Based on the facts of the case, it is imperative that the issue of ownership of the book and of the photography needs to be established. It is also beneficial to determine whether, by allowing Burchill access to his personal diary, Justin Timbersnake’s granted or transferred his copyrights of the diary to Burchill. If there was an assignment or transfer of copyright ownership, it will be important to find out whether there is a written documentatio n signed by or on behalf of the assignor. Another issue that needs determining is the nature of relationship between Burchill and Justine Timbersnake with regards to both the photography and the book; was Burchill employed by Justin when she took the photographs? Or did Justin ask or commission her to write the book on his life? These questions help in determining the first owner of the copyright with regards to both the photographs and the book. In addition to solving the issue of copyright ownership and authorship, it is important that the issue of infringement is looked at. Determining whether liability exists is also important as is the issues of remedies in terms of damages and or criminal

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Rationalism and Empiricism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rationalism and Empiricism - Essay Example It is about the psychological side that Pinker claims, "The past tense is the only case I know in which two great systems of Western thought (rationalism and empiricism) may be tested and compared on a single rich set of data, just like ordinary scientific hypotheses." But Searle argues among other things that the debate about the past tense is not a case in which "two great systems of Western thought (rationalism and empiricism) may be tested and compared on a single rich set of data." Searle argued that the features that make them "great systems of Western thought" are left unaffected by the discussion of the past tense. Their debate also included history, computation and information processing in relation to rationalism and empiricism where both thoughts oppose each other. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy which Searle (in Pinker & Searle, 2002) thinks is standard, defines rationalism as the position that reason presides over other ways of acquiring knowledge, or that it is the unique path to knowledge. It is most often encountered as a view in epistemology, where it is traditionally contrasted with empiricism, the view that the senses are primary with respect to knowledge (Audi, 1999). Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that asks the question "How do we know what we know" (Epistemology n.d.). This is a nature/nurture debate then, with Rationalists going for nature and Empiricists going for nurture. Some scientists think that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even "animal instincts." This is known as the "nature" theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the "nurture" theory of human behavior (Powell, 2006). Plato and Descartes were famous Rationalists, John Stuart Mill and David Hume were famous Empiricists. The following can be said to be the levels by which rationalism and empiricism may be differentiated. DIFFERENCES Etymology and emphasis. According to Carlo Sini (2004), the name Rationalism obviously derives from the word 'rational' which goes back to the Latin, 'ratio' meaning 'calculation'. This in turn goes back to another Latin word, 'ratus', which is the past participle of 'reor', meaning "think', 'deem', 'judge'. What runs through all of these is the emphasis on mind, an emphasis connected with the word 'rational' as well: rationalise, rationality, and similar terms. 'Empiricism' derives from another English word, 'empiric', meaning, 'derived from experience.' The term "empirical" was originally used to refer to certain ancient Greek practitioners of medicine who rejected adherence to the dogmatic doctrines of the day, preferring instead to rely on the observation of phenomena as perceived in experience (Sini, 2004). The doctrine of empiricism was first made by John Locke in the 17th century. Locke argued that the mind is a tabula rasa ("clean slate" or "blank tablet"or" white paper") on which experiences leave their marks. To Locke, the mind is like

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

How meditation can help you become happier and healthier Annotated Bibliography

How meditation can help you become happier and healthier - Annotated Bibliography Example Most of the research done in the articles has strongly linked mindfulness meditation with neurology. In the article, meditation has been associated with various health benefits. It describes a situation where an individual has been able to overcome pain resulting from degenerative osteoarthritis. Moreover, the same practice has been shown to help in relieving symptoms of some diseases such as hypertension and chronic pain. In addition, it has been shown to accelerate the treatment of diseases such as anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure. The source is very useful in highlighting the health benefits that are linked to one engaging in meditation. The source is objective as it is based on various scientific researches. The source will be significant in my research as it will help in proving the health benefit of those that actively takes part in mediation. Freeman, David. â€Å"Try This Simple Meditation Method To Be Happier, Healthier & More Caring (PODCAST).† Huffingtonpost.com. Web. 01 May 2015. . The article begins with noting how powerful the brain is in terms of thinking and reasoning. The brain is also noted as giving human power to reflect on the past and also in controlling the emotions. In a research is done, mediation has been shown as a powerful way of stopping negative emotions and enhancing our resilience in the presence of various challenges that occur in life. It is seen as providing a chance for individual to interrogate their minds. As noted, it helps in increasing awareness of our minds and the mental processes. Hence, in participation in mediation even at a short duration enhances our mental focus as well as empathy and altruism. Consequently, it is described as an ingredient that can uplift one

Monday, October 14, 2019

Academic performance Essay Example for Free

Academic performance Essay Purpose of project Over the years at Queen’s Royal College I have seen teachers having stern conversations with students for reaching to school late habitually. These students are faced with consequences such as: â€Å"in-house suspension† or community service for regular late coming. I myself have been a victim of these punishments. It is believed that students who are frequently late are indiscipline, and this can spill over into their study habits, hence affecting their overall performance in their internal examinations. On the other hand, some share different views that punctuality has no effect on a student’s performance. Reason being, students do extra studies at home, hence making up for lost time at school. In that context I would like to determine through a statistical study whether or not there is a correlation between student’s punctuality and academic performance in Queen’s Royal College. I chose to study the present fifth form year group because this is the year they will be heading into the CXC CSEC examinations, assuming at this point, their attitude towards their school work will be serious. See more: Strategic Management Process Essay Variables: Let X be the total sum of form 5 students’ number of times late Let Y be the total sum of form 5 students’ average end of term examination scores Other information: seldom number of times late excessive number of times late 30% 49% bad average score 50% 69% good average score 70% 89% excellent average score n is the number of students in the sample size Let ∑x represent the sum of all the times late by the form 5 students Let ∑y represent the sum of all the form 5 students’ end of term exam average  scores Let ∑xy represent the sum of the multiples of form 5 number of times late and form 5 end of term exam average scores Let∑x2 represent the sum of the squares of the form 5 students’ number of times late Let ∑y2 represent the sum of the squares of the form 5 end of term exam average scores Let represent the sample mean of X Let represent the sample mean of Y Method of data collection 1. I collected a copy of the roll books for the various form 5 classes for term 1 (September to December) from the various form teachers. 2. The average score for each student was obtained from the dean of the form 5 year. 3. I counted the number of times late for each student and totaled it. 4. Then I sampled the data. To do this, I used systematic random sampling, I used the lottery method. I wrote each of the student numbers for a particular class (R first) on a separate little piece of paper and put them all into a hat. Then I picked out 10, one at a time without replacement, and for each one I chose, I wrote down the number of times late and the corresponding average score. 5. I repeated this for the classes O, Y and L. So in the end I had a sample size of 40, 10 from each class. 6. Afterwards I organized the data, making lists of the student number and their corresponding number of times late and average end of term exam scores for from 5 classes R, O, Y and L and put it into a table. Presentation of data Fig 1.1 Fig 1.1 is a table showing n of forty form 5 students chosen and their corresponding punctuality and average score obtained at the end of the term. Of the forty students chosen twenty-five were seldom late and fifteen students were excessively late. It also shows that, eight did bad in the end of term exam, twenty-one did good and eleven did excellent. Of the eight that did bad 2 were excessively late and 6 were seldom late. Of the twenty-one that did good 12 were excessively late and 9 were seldom late. Of the eleven that did excellent 1 was excessively late and 10 were seldom late. Fig 1.2 Fig 1.2 is a bar graph showing performance level attributed to students who were seldom late and excessively late. Of the eight that performed badly [see Table 1.1], 75% were seldom late and 25% excessively late. Of the twenty-one that performed good 43% were seldom late and 57% were excessively late. Of the eleven that did excellent 91% were seldom late and 9% were excessively late. Fig 1.3 Fig 1.3 is a scatter plot showing form 5 students’ average end of term score in relation to the number of times they were late. Analysis of data Chi-square test of independence A χ2-test of independence at the 5% level of significance will be used to determine whether the form 5 students number of times late and average end of term scores are independent of each other, or if there is a relationship between them. H0 represents the null hypothesis H1 represents the alternative hypothesis O represents observed frequencies E represents expected frequencies ÃŽ ± represents the level of significance v represents the number of degrees of freedom H0: A student’s form 5 end of term average score is independent of his number of times late. H1: A student’s form 5 end of term average score is dependent on his number of times late. In Fig 1.4, from the points a regression line was drawn which passes through the mean of both sets of data, . The line shows y tends to decrease extremely gentltly as x, increases. Also, the points are scattered about the regression line. This shows that there is a very weak negative correlation between X and Y. Discussion of findings My purpose was to investigate the relationship between student’s punctuality (X) and academic performance (Y) in a form 5 year group in Queen’s Royal College. After I collected my data and sampled it, I put it into a table (Fig 1.1), and then decided to put it in a scatter plot (Fig 1.3) and a bar graph (Fig 1.2). This made the relationship between X and Y easily identifiable. It was also now easier to compare them both. After appropriately representing my data, I chose to do a Chi-square test of independence. This was to determine whether X and Y are independent of each other or not. My decision, at the 5% significance level was to reject the alternative hypothesis, meaning that X and Y are not dependent of each other, and so a student’s form 5 end of term average exam score does not depend on his punctuality record. However, that was not the case and the Chi-square test proved that X and Y are dependent of each other. After determining that X and Y are dependent on each other in the Chi-square test another test was carried out. Details of the relationship were necessary, and so r, the linear product moment correlation coefficient, and the equation of the regression line were calculated. The linear product moment correlation coefficient goes from 1 to -1 and indicates the strength of the linear correlation between two variables. In this experiment, r was found to be -0.141. This value is negative and very low i.e. near to 0, indicating that there is a very weak negative linear correlation between X and Y. Therefore, from this test, it is safe to say that there is no relationship between X and Y. r also indicates the strength of the least squares regression line that was found. A least squares regression line of Y on X minimizes the sum of the square of the y differences, therefore it is the most accurate representation of the data in the scatter plot, and i.e. the best fit line. The equation of this line was found to be y = 62.12 + -0.2x, and the point ( lies on this line, this was demonstrated on the second scatter plot (Fig 1.4). Since r is very low, this regression line is very weak, and therefore the predictions made from it will be inaccurate. The value of b, -0.2 represents the amount by which y decreases for every unit increase in x, i.e. the number of additional marks in form 5 end of term exams that a student will lose for every additional number of times they were late. The value of a, 62.12, would represent the score a student would  get in form 5 end of term exams if he is late 0 times for the term. Limitations: This sample was only taken from one year group, and so it does not necessarily accurately represent future year groups. This test was done using only scores from one specific examination, there may be errors due to this because students may not have performed at their usual abilities for various reasons, such as an illness or a family problem and also students’ varying choice of subjects in that some may be doing relatively easier subjects than others and some may be doing less subjects than others. While collecting my data I observed that it had a lot of students who were absent. Therefore, besides punctuality, absenteeism could have affected their end of term average scores. Conclusion In this study, one test proved that X and Y were dependent of each other while the other test proved that there was no correlation between them. Therefore no clear cut conclusion can be made as to whether or not a student’s academic performance depends on their punctuality record in Queen’s Royal College. This study however, can be improved by collecting data from a larger sample to increase accuracy of data and carrying out the test for different year groups. References J. Crashaw J. Chambers, A Concise Course In Advanced Level Statistics, Nelson Thornes Ltd, 2002 H. Mulholland J.H.G. Phillips, Applied Mathematics for Advanced Level, Butterworths 1969 http://archive.bio.ed.ac.uk/jdeacon/statistics/tress9.html

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Strength of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Reading the Scarlet Letter reminds me of one of my own experience. When I was a fifth grade elementary student, two of my friends and I agreed to cheat on a geography test. On the day of the test, one of my friends was caught. The teacher found the cheat sheet where it showed the handwriting of the three of us. When he was asked who the other two is, he remained silent. The teacher said that he will be punished, standing in the corner of the classroom for one straight week, and it will be lighter if only he told our name. My friend still did not say a word, so he received the punishment. What he did was similar to what Hester Prynne does. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is portrayed as a woman with remarkable strength of character through direct and indirect characterization. As a punishment for her crime of adultery, Hester must wear scarlet letter ?A? for the rest of her life. We can see her strength when she bravely faces humiliation on the scaffold. When Reverend Dimmesdale asks her about the identity of the child?s father, she remains silent, although she was told that her punishment might be lighter if she confesses (Hawthorne 62). One can see that she loves the person so much that she sacrifices her own freedom in exchange of the his. After trying to persuade Hester to talk with no success, Reverend Dimmesdale says ?Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman?s heart! She will not speak!? (63). Hester does show a wondrous generosity in this chapter. Even though she realizes that her punishment will be lighter, and she will have someone to share the punishment with, she still remains silent. One of the townsmen also admired her strength, saying how ?she does not speak, that the magistrates have laid their head in vain? (57). Hester does not speak a t all cost. We can see the strength of Hester?s character through the thoughts, words, actions, and what the other?s impressions on her. We can also see her characterization through the author?s direct statement. When she shows her face to the public for the first time she since she was punished, the author commented that the people who expect to see her ?dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud?, find her more gorgeous, graceful and ladylike than she have ever been instead (49).

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essay --

During the Vietnam war the press and the media had complete atonement. For the first time the media had no censorship. The historical films that were made to be based off the Vietnam war were not accurate and were very distorted for entertainment value. I also think that the press media was very distorted as well. Many movies like The Green Berets and Medium Cool substituted violence for historical content. But not only were they filled with pointless violence they also had a lot of racist clichà ©s in them. Although the films were not giving the war a good name, It is possible that it was the media press that started the non support of the war. At first the media was very supportive of the war, but when the news did coverage of the Tet offensive it also sparked the anti war movement. Many major groups felt that the war was foreclosing the hope of making America a decent and truly democratic society. Martin Lutther King was also opposed to the war. He did not like that America would put funds into a war that we should not be in, in the first place, and that was also on foreign soil ...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Money’s Affect on Self-Esteem

Let’s be realistic, money affects everyone. PROS: When it comes to making money depending on the amount, makes a person feel good. Who doesn’t feel those jittery moments whenever finding fifteen dollars in your just freshly washed jeans you pulled out from the dryer? I know I enjoy the feeling of having money, especially when I’ve needed it. Having money makes most human beings feel satisfied and calm. These are the advantages of always having money, all the time. It’s the power of feeling equal with the rest of the money hungry world. Security along with confidence is a pro when it comes to money’s effect on self-esteem.Too much confidence? Leads to.. CONS: Whenever the average person does not have any income entering their life, it could become such an emotional spiral. Have you ever noticed how majority of the world runs on money? It’s half true, even the people who are filty rich believe in such. The disadvantage of having too much money makes those people become ungrateful, snobby, and just plain miserable. They fail to realize that money is not all that a person should depend on in this world. Yet of course no one believes in that due to our new technology, generation, and society.People who don’t have money either feel hopeless in life or just happy. A percentage of those happy people are living their lives as a missing in action character. The others feeling hopeless have a low self-esteem. Low self-esteems damage a humans mind since we’re all adjusted to the feeling of needing this money that somehow gets us everywhere. My question is, how did the Native Americans along with the Pilgrims live life without money? Because our world now cannot live without such. The con to how money affects a person’s self-esteem is that money leads to being the root of all evil when you’re broke. All hell breaks loose in that life.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Impact of Nursing Unit Turnover on Patient Outcomes Essay

The problem addressed by the article is the impact of nursing turnover on patient care.   It has been assumed that patient care is affected by turnover but there has not been a good understanding of the relationship between turnover and quality of care. Most research has simply shown that there is a direct relationship between the two without exploring the underlying mechanisms. Study purpose The study aims at describing the underlying mechanisms in the relationship between nursing turnover and quality of care of patients. The objective of the study was to find out how turnover in nursing units affects processes among key work groups and how the impact of these processes affects outcomes of patients. Study variables The study variables are nursing unit turnover, workgroup processes, patient outcomes, control variables and education level.   The independent variables was nursing unit turnover while the dependent variable was patient outcomes which included patient satisfaction, average length of stay, medication errors and patient falls. Workgroup cohesion, relational coordination and workgroup learning were the process variables. Other variables included in the article were control variables which included work complexity, teaching status, technological sophistication, hospital size and unit size as well as nurse characteristics such as RN hours, unit tenure, education level and patient characteristics (health status, patient age and previous hospitalizations). Conceptual framework The conceptual framework applied was modeled around the IPO framework (input-process-outcome) which assesses workgroup behavior and performance effectiveness. It is incorporated in most models of workgroup effectiveness. Workgroup processes are those mechanisms which inhibit or encourage members of a team to combine their abilities and behavior (Kozlowski et al, 2003). These include workgroup cohesion, workgroup learning and relational coordination. The unit level patient outcomes include patient satisfaction, length of stay, patient falls and medication errors. In the conceptual framework, the hospital, nurse and patient characteristics as well as the nursing unit were identified as control variables. Literature Review The literature review supports a need for the study as it identifies the fact that there has been research that establishes that there truly is an effect of nursing turnover on patient outcomes. However there is very little information that describes the actual relationship between nursing turnover and patient outcomes. The literature review identifies some of the effects of turnover as detachment, a disruption in communication flow and a disruption of established relationships (Sung-Heui et al, 2010). A nursing unit with high turnover requires more time for new staff to adjust while the staff that remain have to be more careful when supervising the new staff. This has the overall effect of lowering relational coordination. The article also identifies that work learning is does not occur well when there is no stability as is the case in units with high turnover (Sung-Heui et al, 2010). Learning needs both change and stability thus units with very high or very low turnover may not hav e much cognitive growth. When there is greater cohesion among staff members there is also greater motivation for the employees to provide better service which leads to better patient satisfaction (Sung-Heui et al, 2010). Other patient outcomes addressed by the article include length of stay which measures how efficient the hospital is, which in turn is an indication of the efficiency in communication between healthcare providers. If a workgroup is well coordinated then there outcomes are of higher quality and they outcomes are achieved more efficiently. The article also focuses on patient falls and medication errors as an indicator that there is work group coordination and workgroup learning. When errors occur there is opportunity for learning however if there is too high turnover, then learning does not occur and there is likelihood for errors to be repeated. Study design The study design was a non-experimental longitudinal study causal modeling study. This design was appropriate for the study since it tries to establish a relationship between two variables that is whether one causes the other. Some of the threats to internal validity that the study may have include history which means that as more time elapses between measurements there is a likelihood that time may contribute to differences in results in the variables. Testing is also a possible threat to internal validity in a longitudinal study as it requires the participants to take certain tests on several occasions (Barry, 2005) Attrition is a threat to the longitudinal study design; when participants drop out of the study before all the data is collected is likely to distort the accuracy of results (Barry, 2005). Sample and setting The sample consisted of 268 nursing units from 141 hospitals. This sample size was adequate to ensure generalizability of the research findings. Additionally using nursing units from various hospitals served to increase the generalizability of the findings. The sample was derived from the medical-surgical units and nursing units of acute care facilities of various hospitals, settings that again provided a good representation of all the hospitals and helped to increase the external validity of the study. Identification and control of extraneous variables Some of the identified extraneous variables included environmental uncertainty such as volumes, types of patients which increased the complexity in work processes and group dynamics among nurses. Work complexity was measured using a 7-item scale developed to measure environmental uncertainty. The scale measured work complexity by identifying frequent interruptions or unanticipated events. Technological sophistication was also measured using the Saidin Index which provided a weighted sum of the number of technologies and services that were available in the hospital. Study instruments/tools Both primary and secondary data were collected in this study. Secondary data was obtained from secondary data collected from the Outcomes Research in Nursing Administration Project (II) (ORNA II). Nursing units provided turnover rates for six months and nurses also completed questionnaires which measured various workgroup processes. The patient data collected was also from the ORNA II project. The use of such data collection methods was appropriate as it provided a rich data source. Additionally, the use of data from the ORNA project provided a reliable source of good quality data. Data analysis procedures The unit of analysis in the study was the nursing unit. The variables relational coordination, work group learning, patient satisfaction, workgroup cohesion, patient satisfaction and work complexity were measured at the individual level and were then aggregated to the unit level. The study used linear and count models to determine the distribution of the outcome and process variables. The average LOS was estimated using a model of random effects while the medication errors and patient falls were analyzed using a Poisson regression model that was adjusted for dispersion. The Poisson regression is appropriate for rate data such as the one collected in this study. The use of the linear counts is also appropriate as it allows for a relation between the linear model and the response variable. Strengths/limitations The strength of the study lies in the use of the IPO framework. Using this framework allows for the underlying mechanisms such as workgroup processes to be evaluated and considered as variables. Thus the study looks at input variables, process variables and output variables providing adequate data with which to describe the underlying mechanisms and relationship between nursing turnover and patient outcomes. Some of the limitations of the study include the model which assumes that the turnover affects relational coordination a few months after it has occurred. The time period of two months may not have been sufficient to assess true variation of the turnover levels. Another limitation was the missing variables that have an effect on turnover, patient outcomes and workgroup processes. Some of these include the support of managers, supervision and organizational effectiveness which also have an impact on whether a nurse stays or not. Implications The results of the study make it necessary that there be further research on the effect of nursing turnover on patient outcomes and workgroup processes. The findings of the study support a need to increase work group coordination and cohesion so as to improve patient satisfaction. These findings are consistent with previous research findings. The research findings also show that the in nursing units where there was higher workgroup learning there were fewer errors in giving medications. This supports empirical evidence for the development and sustenance of processes where nurses are supported in discussing and learning from their errors.

Life as a Buddhist Essay

Many people all around this planet have knowingly or unknowingly met people of the Buddhist community or even seen a Buddhist Temple. In whatever circumstances, hearing of, meeting with the real Buddhists or visiting their temple is not an issue. The fundamental question is, ‘what is Buddhism? ’ An article, The Buddhist Way appearing in the Buddha Net (2008) defines Buddhism as, â€Å"†¦a religion, a series of practices and a way of life based on the teachings of Buddha who, after achieving enlightenment, taught that the nature of the world is constant change. † According to the teaching of Buddha, all things in this world are temporary and the inability to understand life’s nature is the source of people’s unhappiness, trouble and their suffering. Buddhism is therefore a means to correct people’s views, expectations along with their conduct and bring happiness, peace, wisdom, Nirvana and end suffering. Buddha’s teachings are a source of inspiration to people whose religion is Buddhism. Their lives have perhaps been influenced by these teachings (Buddha Net 2008). This essay seeks to explore through the day to day life of Buddhist men, women and children The males were the dominant figures in the Buddhist community. Their responsibility was to take care of the females in their community. They were the voice in their families and no woman could dare go against their wishes. The woman could only manage the affairs of the house in the way that the husband dictated. The males could marry as many wives as their strength allowed (Buddha Net 2008). They could become monks to serve in the Buddhism religion where they were supposed to live a celibate life (Andrew, nd). To understand the situation currently facing the Buddhist woman, it is important to look at the early life of the Buddhist woman. The Buddhist woman seems to have gone through so much than any other living creature. Her life was that of submissiveness and servitude; as a child and youth, a wife and an elderly woman, she had to obey and serve her parents, husband and grown children respectively. They had no right to chose whom to marry and would marry anyone chosen to them by parents. On very rare occasions, they were given an opportunity to choose from a few suitors. Some of the women therefore were forced to elope. Once they were in marriage they were to obey their husbands together with his parents without question. Like objects, they could seldom make decisions; they were ordered on what was to be done by men (Andrew, nd). Women’s role in the Buddhist society was to manage household affairs such as cooking, cleaning the house, bearing and looking after the children. They only ate leftovers after the men had had their fill. Women were treated more or less like objects. Their husbands could beat them up if they were displeased to, an extent of being thrown out from the family house. A woman could not file for a divorce but a man could (Andrew, nd). Their role as said earlier was to bring forth children for their dear husbands and if the woman was barren, another wife was the better option for the husband. As opposed to men, women who committed adultery were put to death. Men could also give away their wives to their men friends. The woman was the most degraded creature in the early Buddhist community whose activates and decisions were under the remote control of men. Many women served as slaves and had to follow whatever their masters said even if it meant the sexual act. They were also beaten up by their master and even murdered without anyone’s alarm. Due to these merciless and regular beatings they occasionally committed suicide. The life of a traditional Buddhist woman was made of a dark cloud of suffering. Andrews in her article Women in Theravada Buddhism joins Janice Willis in saying that women â€Å"†¦were helpmates at best and burdens at worst, but always they were viewed as being inferior, second class citizens† (Andrew, nd). The birth of Buddha also marked the birth of the women’s freedom. At one time Buddha was asked about women by one of his disciples, Ananda and he replied that just like men, they could also become enlightened. Buddha in an effort of lifting the woman figure founded orders for both Bhikkhus (monks) and Bhikkhunis (nuns). The practices and rules that governed the two orders were similar. Buddha also taught anyone; male and females alike (Andrew, nd). However it had not been easy for Buddha to establish the order of nuns. Had it not been for his disciple Ananda’s pleading, the women could not have been ordained. Despite their ordination, Buddha dictated eight rules that placed the nuns as monks’ subordinates. To Buddha still, a woman was a lesser being. It was because of nuns’ ordination that his teachings would last for only 500 years instead of the expected 1000 years. Ordination of women was like a crime that he had committed (Andrew, nd). After the death of Buddha, the one time patriarch society wore back its earlier face. They could not deal with women nuns who were their equal and rules to lower the standards of women in the society were made. No one was against Buddha’s teachings that women could in the same way as men attain enlightment but there were certain limitations made for Bhikkhunis to perhaps increase acceptance of monastic rules in the society. Despite these limitations, many women joined the Bhikkhunis as there was more freedom, no servitude; no doing of household chores and above all they had independence. Once liberated, they taught the same to other women. Bhikkhunism therefore was a way of escaping from the harsh realities of life. All women could not be Bhikkhunis; some established other movements such as the Lay Women (Andrew, nd). The life expectations of a Buddhist child can be drawn from the teaching of Buddha to his own son Rahula. Parents and teachers were supposed to pass these teachings on to their children. A Buddhist child is expected to be truthful. If the Buddhist child wanted to find truth the child must be truthful in the first place. Children are also supposed grow up with their actions as mirrors. They were advised not to perform any action that seemed harmful. Children were supposed to learn from their mistakes and be responsible for their actions. They were also supposed to be compassionate. Buddhist children are also trained to become monks from an early age (Talbot, 2010) Conclusion Just like in any other institution, the Buddhist community has had their own way of life. Each and every group had a place it held in the society. However, it had been a patriarch society that infringed on the rights of women. Men were superior figures but women were expected to be in total submission of their husbands. With the coming of Buddha the status of women was lifted but was not equal to that of men. Women are still below men in communities that practice Buddhism such as in India and Thailand. References Andrew, K. (nd). Women in Theravada Buddhism. Retrieved form http://www. enabling. org/ia/vipassana/Archive/A/Andrews/womenTheraBudAndrews. html Buddha Net. (2008). The Buddhist way. Retrieved from http://www. buddhanet. net/e-learning/buddhism/bs-s01. htm Talbot, M. (2010). Introduction: teaching your children Buddhist values. Retrieved from http://www. tricycle. com/special-section/introduction-teaching-your-children-buddhist-values

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

How Effective Is The New Human Rights Council Compared To The Old Essay

How Effective Is The New Human Rights Council Compared To The Old Commission - Essay Example First and foremost, the structure of the Human Rights Council and the Commission on Human Rights has basic differences. In 1946, the UNCHR was formed, as an adjunct of the Economic and Social Council, with the primary purpose of establishing the international legal institutions that secures fundamental rights and freedoms (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). It was made up of 53 member nations. The Commission eventually expanded to allow the organization to address the different human rights problems by setting minimum requirements which would govern the behaviour of member states (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). Its regular annual sessions were conducted in Geneva and it had about 3,000 delegates from member countries and from observing states. In these sessions, the organization was able to pass more than a hundred resolutions and regulations which covered important matters relevant to the proper functioning of the different regions in the world (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). The Commission worked in coordination with the sub-commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, with several working groups and other experts and representatives assigned to report on specific issues. In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly passed GA Resolution 60/251 and created the Human Rights Council (HRC). The HRC is still very much an intergovernmental agency operating; however it is now under the direct control of the General Assembly. It is composed of 47 member states and is primarily in charge of safeguarding and advancing the protection of human rights all around the world. The council has been created to take charge of situations involving the violation of human rights and thereinafter make recommendations on how these violations should be addressed by the United Nations (Office of the

Monday, October 7, 2019

Financial Data Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Data Analysis - Assignment Example Based on the theory, rend in demand or its indicators can be evaluated based on trends in such factors as wealth, utility of the subject asset, risks in substitutes, liquidity position. Demand defines desire and ability to purchase a commodity at a given price and bears a direct relationship with price. Consequently, general changes in commodity prices, as observed in variations in consumer price index, indicates changes in general demand. Similarly, personal consumption expenditure, as a factor of gross domestic product that is also directly proportional to value of GDP is an indicator of consumers’ level of wealth. The theory of Portfolio therefore offers a basis for understanding historical effects of personal consumer expenditure on consumer price index. The personal consumption expenditure is further an indicator of economic factors such as inflation and unemployment rates (Barro 17). This analysis considers corresponding data of consumer price index and personal consumpt ion expenditure for the period between January 2009 and September 2013. The following is the considered monthly data set. consumer price index personal consumption expenditure 211.952 9877.1 212.823 9838.9 212.523 9814.9 212.657 9798.7 212.998 9807.1 214.791 9798.8 214.72 9831.1 215.442 9930.7 215.88 9826.2 216.482 9847.9 217.165 9847 217.365 9896.8 217.478 9881.2 217.356 9908.4 217.38 9956.8 217.281 9970.1 217.23 9997.3 217.329 10018.5 217.69 10027.9 218.02 10075.7 218.319 10087.6 218.996 10139.7 219.471 10179.3 220.468 10188 221.067 10197.8 221.908 10215.1 223.106 10251 223.879 10255 224.747 10252.7 225.07 10269.1 225.594 10301.9 226.187 10302 226.753 10331.9 226.728 10372.1 227.049 10374.9 227.137 10372.1 227.605 10409.5 228.253 10466.6 228.95 10467.3 228.951 10499 228.648 10497.9 228.924 10493.6 228.836 10533.2 230.026 10523.2 231.227 10566.6 231.623 10558.6 231.071 10593.4 231.137 10602.4 231.198 10614.3 232.77 10643.5 232.34 10674.2 231.485 10678.7 231.831 10689.4 232.944 1070 7.7 233.318 10711.8 233.526 10735.7 233.947 10749.4 (Economic Research 1) The following graph shows the trend in consumer price index and the personal consumption expenditure. Graph 1: Consumer price index and personal consumption expenditure The graph suggest a slight correlation in the change in values of the consumer price index and personal consumtion expenditure. Changes in consumer price index is however minimal and less significant as compared to changes in personal consumption expenditure. The range between the two variables is a factors to trend visibility from the graph independent analysis of the two trends is necessary. The folowing graphs shows the independent trends for consumer price index and personal consumption expenditure. Graph 2: Consumer price index Graph 3: Personal consumption expenditure The two graphs shows a general increasing trend with shapes that are almost similar. This suggests that avalability of wealth into personal consumption expenditure is a fact or of the consumer price index in the considered period. The data can further be inferred to other periods and other economy to the conclusion that availability of wealth and gross domestic product are determinants of consumer price index in economies. Another alternative measure for the analysis of effects of personal consumption expenditure and consumer price index over th considered period is the corelation coefficient, a measure of the degree of association

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Laboratory Medecine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laboratory Medecine - Essay Example Further, they stain slides and perform routine tests on the blood's tissues, fluids, and other components. Also, the work involves keeping records, cleaning and sterilizing equipments as well as the use of microscopes, computers and other lab technologies to gather data. This data is used to determine the absence or presence and/or the cause of diseases. The duties also involve handling delicate substances and experiments with utmost care, having an open mind to cater to various perspectives before arriving at a conclusion and various such aspects that have to do with serving human kind. Coming to the decision of entering the field of laboratory medicine was not an easy or clear cut call for me. The preliminary reason why I chose this field of the many career options lurking before me, was the fact that I needed to learn while helping people around me. I would like to understand how the very basic elements of our bodies work and how we can make a difference through research. It is my natural instinct to make a difference towards human kind and this kind of a role helps me learn about varied related fields like molecular virology and immunology to name a few. I feel that these reasons in part also contribute to the fact that I am well suited for this line of work. I feel I will be ready to take on any challenge and come out a more enriched person. Also, my educational background and exposure as well as basic interests lie in this field which makes me a suitable candidate for such a career choice. 3. What are your career goals My career goals in life are very simple. I would like to begin by studying in order to enter the field of laboratory medicine as it is a life long learning process. To begin with I would like to enter the medical laboratory technology program through an associate degree. From here, I would like to proceed towards becoming a student in the clinical laboratory technology program. As a medical laboratory technician, I would like to most of all work in a team and build a niche filled with competent people. As a career, I plan on using my skills in laboratory medicine for the overall betterment of mankind and towards making far reaching contributions to the field of medicine and healing in general. My career will be nothing without these

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Formal Assignment #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Formal Assignment #4 - Essay Example These changes relate to US demographics, including age, gender and ethnic composition. The changes in the labor market can affect both the native and immigrant populations. This paper discusses changes in the US labor market over the past few decades. The paper assumes that the same changes were in New York since it is part of US. One of the most important changes in New York and U.S. labor market is the increased labor force participation of women (Ricardo, Kristie and Michael 50). The past several decades recorded a steady increase in the number of women participating in the labor market. Since 1999, the labor-force participation rate of these women remained steady. Another important demographic change that is affecting the labor force is the evolution of the population’s age distribution. Over the past several years, age is playing an important role in determining labor force participation in New York as well the U.S. most of the working population belongs to the baby-boom generation (Ricardo, Kristie and Michael 53). These are people born between 1946 and 1964. However, this may have negative effects on the overall labor force participation rate since most of these people are growing older. The effect of age on the national economy may result from a reduction in the labor-force participation rate c aused by aging of the baby-boom generation. Racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population is another important demographic change that affects labor force participation. Ethnic diversity may be because of social, economic, or political factors. However, it is clear that this diversity affects the labor market in one way or another. Over the past two decades, there is a significant difference in labor force participation among different races. Between 1980 and 1990, the number of immigrant populations in the US labor market increased. The number of immigrant population employed was also very high. The number grew by about 50 percent during that

Friday, October 4, 2019

Organic Livestock Marketing Cooperative Assignment

Organic Livestock Marketing Cooperative - Assignment Example OLYMCO is driven by the mission to become the largest marketer of organic beef and lamb in the UK. The key to achieving this mission lies in the desire to provide the customer with value in terms of the quality of the product coupled with highly competitive prices and to ensure complete transparency in their operations. "We exist to attract and retain customers". Statistics of the market and competition have been collected. A detailed survey of customer preferences and loyalty drivers was also carried out (Section 9.6). This information will help enhance growth and sustain profitability and growth. Red meat is a primary food market in which sales have recorded marginal growth (DEFRA, 2006); values have risen, as consumers have been willing to trade up to more convenient cuts (Cooper, 2006). "The Organic Market Report 2006 reveals the biggest increase in sales to be in organic meat and poultry. In 2005, the farm gate value of organic meat and poultry was an estimated 129m, a 59% increase on 2004" (Watts, 2006). The demand is projected to grow in the near future especially as healthier and more reasonably priced product becomes available, the fear of the 'mad-cow' disease abates and with threats of avian flu reducing sales of poultry (Poultry World, 2006).This is despite predictions to the contrary a couple of years earlier (see Buss, 2004). Although British retailers are under pressure to source more organic foods indigenously, it is found that imported organic meats comprise almost 20% of total sales volume (Research and Markets).The balance between supply and demand remains t ight (Davies, 2006). Apart from the retail trade, there is high demand for organic meats from food processors and the catering sector. There is also rising demand from restaurants, schools, hospitals and government organisations (Research and Markets). 4.1 Market Demographics The profile of OLYMCO's customer consists of the following geographic, demographic, and behaviour factors. Geographic: The immediate target is the populace residing within the UK - a population of nearly 61 million. Of this, roughly 25 percent are vegans and others who do not eat one or the other type of meat. The boundaries of the country define the geographical area to be covered. Demographic: All people over 20 years old, representing over 70 percent of the total population. Customers belonging to the A and AB categories, i.e. having an annual household income above 25,000. Behavioural Factors: From the results of the consumer survey conducted, the customers are: Willing to pay a premium for higher quality, tastier meats, Tend to patronize higher-quality restaurants, and are Cognizant about their health 4.2 Customer

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Dc V. Heller Essay Example for Free

Dc V. Heller Essay Winter Honors Civics amp; Economics B-1 Case name: DC V. Heller A controversial topic came about in the year of 2008. It was concerning whether or not DC’s gun law was following along the lines of the Second Amendment Rights. A man by the name of Dick Anthony Heller was a special police officer and had gone in to register for a handgun for his home. The true underlying issue was whether or not the rights were protected under the Second Amendments which states: The right to bear arms. The uprising stipulation in the District of Columbia is that they have a state law that concerns the registration of a handgun. When looking into further depth of the law the following things must be adhered to in the stipulations of having a hand gun. It states that in order to have a registered handgun it must be â€Å"†¦unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger unless they are being used for lawful recreational activities or located in a place of business. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA v. HELLER. n. pag. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 24 Jan 2013. ) When the case was first taken up before it came to the Supreme Court, in the lower court system the verdict was dismissed until it was later reversed. The two court systems that herd the case before the Supreme Court were the Courts of Appeals and the district court. The arraignments for the plaintiff were; Dick Anthony Heller was dismissed for another four years until it was taken up again. In the arraignments for the Defendants â€Å"†¦DC found that the challenge to the constitution and its validity was without merit †¦Ã¢â‚¬  It seems as if they were trying to throw salt on the technicality of what the Constitution says in Amendment two and the right to bear arms. In the end what the plaintiff really wanted were his rights to be acknowledged, being that it’s in the constitution and he was a police officer at the time. As well as he wants to be able to have a gun in his house for protection as most people would want. In the lower court systems had voted against what the plaintiff had brought forth as evidence. When it was finally hear in the Supreme Court the case was ruled in favor of the plaintiff. Justice Stevens wrote majority of the decision by stating that the Second Amendment is given to everyone that is a citizen of the United States and that right can’t be taken away to a certain extent. There were concurrent opinions that were made by Justice Stevens who said if things are within our rights then we should be able to obtain them and use them to the fullest extent of our abilities. District of Columbia v. Heller a? â€Å" Case Brief Summary. Lawnix Free Case Briefs RSS. N. p. , Fall 2008. Web. 28 Jan. 2013. ) The dissenting arguments of opinion came from Stephen Breyer, who stated that the second amendment is only for militia related ordeals and not a matter of being used as self defense. Heller at the time was a special police officer so therefore it was really questionable on w hy the lower court verdict had made such a big deal out of the entire situation. The majority opinion was in favor of the plaintiff who wanted to register for a hand gun in the first place for the protection of his home. The importance of the case was that a man was being withheld his legal rights that are stated under the second amendment. It showed as well that a state law can be overturned by a higher government system. This case specifically was a major part of the Constitution because it showed a prime example of states trying to withhold the rights that we have as citizens. It brings light to the different things that certain state governments try to bring down and cover up.