Physiological Aids in sport Essay

Physiological aids are banned substances and methods that athletes use within competition and training to improve their performance. Physiological aids are used in sport as they help an athlete’s performance. Some aids help to increase heart rate, adrenaline rate and stimulate the body but other aids lower the heart rate and change the growth of muscles and bones. Sport is suppose to help us learn from defeat and victory, encourage us to participate in team sports, encourage a spirit of co-operation, and interdependence, and mainly encouraging moral and social values. It also means that an individual person can lead a healthy lifestyle while performing and also helping the individual to bring about a healthy, integrated society. There are many influences on drug use, the media, the money their performance can bring in, the sponsorship and many other critical factors in an athlete’s career. There can be no justification for athletes to cheat in order to win or that the pressures and temptations are all the same for the athletes. Most athletes turn to drugs because of pressure, it all comes down to pressure really but some feel greed and wealth. The main reasons are usually:  ·Winning can bring millions of dollars in sponsorship and endorsement;  ·Society places great emphasis on success in sport, which puts more pressure on an athlete to win;  ·Some banned drugs can speed recovery from injury, which means athletes can be back training, competing and winning more quickly;  ·Some athletes believe their competitors are using drugs and that to be competitive, they need to take drugs as well;  ·Some athletes’ desire to win is so great that they are willing to use any means, including cheating to gain success;  ·Some coaches may push drug use to enhance their athlete’s chances of winning, which boosts their profile as a successful coach. Prohibited physiological aids Anabolic agents- there are two types of these agents- there is anabolic androgenic steroids and beta -2 agonists. Anabolic androgenic steroids are substances that contain anabolic and androgenic properties. The anabolic properties help to increase the growth of the muscles and bones. The androgenic properties help the male’s reproductive system, helping to release more testosterone. Anabolic steroids are used to increase the strength of an athlete and also their muscle size, they also help to decrease the time the body takes to recover after exercise. So because of this the athletes train harder and for longer the extra training gives them an advantage over other athletes. This drug can cause many physical problems like heart problems, liver damage, jaundice, euphoria and there are also mental effects like mood swings, improved self esteem, depression and aggression. Male athletes can suffer from effects like baldness, the development of breast tissue and even infertility. Female athletes can suffer from effects like menstrual problems, foetal damage, clitoral enlargement, increased facial and body hair and also a permanent deepening off the voice. They can be detected by using gas chromatography in an athlete’s urine. Beta -2 agonists are normally used medically to treat asthma, therefore when they are taken they can increase lean muscle mass and also help to reduce body fat. The side effects of beta -2 agonists are dizziness, muscle cramps, headaches, palpitations and some nausea. Beta -2 can also be detected through the urine. This drug is one of many that are banned but in some forms this drug can be taken but only for medical reasons and that will not give unfair advantages to the performer. Diuretics This type of drug helps an athlete with a certain weight category in sport, it helps the body to produce more urine so the body weight can drop significantly so they fall into a certain category. Such sports like judo, horse racing, and weightlifting, when these drugs are taken give the athlete an unfair chance of beating their competitor(s). These also help an athlete to reduce the chances of detection of other drugs by diluting their urine. The main side effect of diuretics is dehydration but they can also cause headaches and dizziness and a loss in coordination or balance. This drug is also detected within the urine. Before, during and after exercise, it is essential that sportsmen and women take in a considerable amount of fluid, this is because dehydration can occur resulting in other side effects and also excessive loss of water effects the heart and kidneys, they could fail which mean this could be fatal to the athlete. Narcotics Narcotics help an athlete to push himself harder and further because his pain threshold is bigger, it helps him to continue exercising/ competing even when injury has occurred. Narcotics have similar effects to heroin or morphine. Narcotics are strong painkillers and they are usually competitors are tested for them when they compete. Many narcotics are illegal substances and not just in sport, these drugs are potentially addictive. Side effects from these drugs can seriously put an athletes performance in jeopardy because if the athlete continues to exercise, whilst injured it can cause further injury, even though narcotics stop the pain once they wear off the pain will be worse, like all other drugs they also cause loss of balance, lack of concentration, nausea and even vomiting, constipation and breathing/ respiratory problems. These drugs can become addictive. Detection of these drugs is also through the urine by gas chromatography. Peptide hormones There are many different substances within this class of drugs: Chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) Pituitary and synthetic gonadotrophin (LH) Corticotrophins (ACTH, tetracosactide) Growth Hormone (hGH) Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) Erythropoietin (EPO) Insulin Chorionic gonadotrophin Chorionic gonadotrophin is a drug that when in a males body can help produce testosterone at a much faster rate, it is mainly used to overcome effects of testicular damage and sometimes it is also used as a masking agent. This drug is normally produced during a pregnancy and increases natural male and female steroids. This drug can cause many side effects just like the effects of most other anabolic steroids but this can also cause gynaecomastia. Immunoessay is the only way to detect this drug and this drug is only prohibited in men. Pituitary and synthetic gonadotrophin The pituitary gland produces pituitary hormones, and the hormones released consist of many different types, including the leutinising hormone. Hormones act as messages from one organ to another, these hormones stimulate growth, a person’s sex drive, pain threshold and a person’s behaviour. The leutinising hormone stimulates the male’s testis or the female’s ovaries. If used in a male this drug (also like hCG) helps to stimulate the production  of testosterone, if used in a female this drug stimulates the ovaries. The synthetic gonadotrophin helps the body to regulate gonadotrophin production or use. This drug has no real side effect it depends on the drug used. An immunoessay test is the only way of detecting this drug as well, this is done through the urine. Both of these drugs are only prohibited in males. Corticotrophin Corticotrophin is a drug that helps to increase the levels of endogenous corticosteroids (cortisone) in the blood. This drug is normally used as an anti-inflammatory drug. This drug has many side effects both long and short term ones. The short-term side effects are ulcers of the stomach or stomach irritation and even psychological effects like irritability. The long-term effects of this drug are weakening of muscles and connective tissues of area of injured muscle, tendon or n ligament and even osteoporosis or cataracts. Corticosteroids, are drugs that are used for therapy or treatment of injuries, there usage is legal but only for these purposes. Blood doping Blood doping is a way an athlete removes blood from their bodies. An athlete will do this about a week or two prior to competition, and then they will replace it just before the competition. After the blood is taken the body has to replace the missing blood, the athlete will then replace the blood they have taken from their own body resulting in the body having additional blood. The additional blood results in additional haemoglobin and therefore a greater ability for oxygen uptake. Many things can go wrong with this method, un-sterile needles can be used, the blood is not stored correctly or another person’s blood can be accidentally used. Athletes can receive AIDS/HIV hepatitis and many other diseases. If their blood is not stored right then that can have major effects on the body and if the blood used is different to their blood group the body will reject this blood causing more problems in the body. Growth Hormone (hGH) The growth hormone is a hormone that is also released from the pituitary gland and is necessary for the growth of bones and muscles and also for the growth of children. The growth hormone is used by athletes to increase their muscle mass size and also their strength. This drug can cause the overgrowth of body parts such as hands, feet, the face and it can also cause soft tissue swelling and increased sweating. The most fatal effect of this drug is it causes heart disease. Insulin- like Growth Factor (IGF-1) This type of drug is often used to increase protein synthesis and reduce muscle cell breakdown in the body. When the muscle cell breakdown occurs it leads to an increase in muscle bulk and helps to reduce body fat. This drug also occurs naturally from a mother’s milk. The side effects of IGF-1 are headaches, joint pains, and enlargement of internal organs, changes in musculoskeletal shape and size e.g. enlargement of the jaw, hypoglycaemia (which is low sugar in the body) and also acromegaly (which is the overgrowth of certain organs like the feet, face and hands). Muscles also become stronger from this drug but taking this drug also results in the muscles getting weaker because of degenerative changes in the joints. Erythropoietin (rhEPO) Erythropoietin is a drug that helps to increase the production of red blood cells in the body. When the red blood cell amount increases the amount of oxygen able to be carried around the body increases meaning the muscles gain more oxygen, this helps the athlete’s performance. When the drug increases the production of red blood cells it also increases the risk of the blood clotting because it is thicker. This is very dangerous for athlete’s that perform endurance events because their blood is much thicker due to dehydration. Insulin This drug is normally used to treat diabetes; it increases the amount of  sugar in the body and also increases the metabolism of foods. If this drug is used alongside other drugs like anabolic steroids and clenbuterol it can increase muscle growth and increase muscle definition. But these drugs used together can cause severe side effects and even death. Insulin can also cause hypoglycaemia, this causes shaking of the body, drowsiness, increases in respiratory rate, weakness, it can also cause the body to be comatose, it can cause brain damage and can also cause death. Stimulants Stimulants are usually only tested for in competition circumstances, but in some causes the drug can be tested for in other sports. Stimulants consist of substances such as amphetamines, caffeine (prohibited in large concentrations) and a number of the active ingredients in cold and flu preparations (i.e. pseudoephedrine). The side effects of stimulants include an increased heartbeat and can have an impact on the body’s natural ability to regulate its temperature. Stimulants are used to reduce tiredness, increase their alertness and arousal levels and also to boost their confidence. Sports such as endurance, fast moving sports and contact sports are the main events in which this type of drug is used. Stimulants can cause many risks to the body, it can cause possible collapse and even death, it increases the blood pressure, and makes the athlete dehydrated and can cause hypothermia. The athlete can also become dependant on this drug, appetite can be lost and the person can also become very anxious and aggressive.

Dowry Problem in India Essay

Gandhi ji said:- ‘Any young man who takes dowry fo getting married , disrespects his education, country and womanhood.’ Our society is full of evil systems. One of those evil systems is dowry. Dowry is defined as the ‘price paid by parents to get their daughters married as well for getting them the place in the family which they deserve.’ Over the years cases of dowry harassment and cases of dowry deaths have multiplied. In Hindu marriage system, a system termed as ‘kanyaddan’ is performed in which the bride is given to the husband and in-laws along with huge sums of money, furniture, house, car, etc. or more precisely bride along with dowry. The dowry system has converted something as pure as marriage into a business transaction and the bride into a saleable commodity or a key to more money. Debts are taken so that the groom’s family can be provided with a large dowry. This creates a burden on the bride’s family. Girls begin to think of themselves as a burden on their families and accept spinsterhood as their fate or commit suicide. Dowry has also led to an increase in female feticide and female infanticide which has greatly affected the male-female ratio in the country. Heavy dowry is demanded for educated boys. This has ruined the lives of many brilliant girls. Brilliant, educated and economically independent girls cannot get married to so-called educated boys because their parents cannot provide their in-laws with a huge dowry demanded by them. Even after marriage such girls are tortured to bring in more money, and ultimately, they either commit suicide or lose their mental balance. People who believe in taking dowry say that dowry acts as a financial help to the newlyweds. They say that while marriage acts as a life insurance for girls, marriage acts as its premium. They also say that a girl who carries a respectable amount of dowry to her husband and in-laws feels confident while a girl who carries a less amount of dowry feels uncomfortable and apprehensive. In 1961, the government passed the Dowry Prohibition Act to abolish the dowry system. However, this act, instead of subsiding dowry, took its roots to a deeper level in the society. It is said that on an average one woman is being killed in every four hours n the issue of dowry in India. However, strong public rejection is being noticed on the issue of dowry among the youth. They are not ready to give or take dowry for getting married. They are really coming forward to abolish the evil. Our society  needs such responsible youth to abolish the evil system of dowry in India. There is finally a positive beam of light shown in utmost darkness, but to convert this positive beam of light into utmost lightness, we, the common people of India have to take effective remedial steps: – We should start a strong propaganda to abolish the evil. People should make demonstrations against those who take dowry. Strict laws should be passed to prohibit taking and giving dowry. Young girls should take serious action when their family is demanded with dowry. Proper education should be imparted to girls as well as they should be made economically independent to accelerate the process. Love marriages, inter-caste marriages as well as inter-provisional marriages may also help. Cases of â€Å"dowry free† marriages should be the news item on the bulletin. This will encourage the youth. Right now, in our society, a man who does not marry for love, learns to marry for possessions. We have to change the picture. â€Å"SAY NO TO DOWRY†

Madonna Case Analysis

The following case study covers the foundation of Madonna’s business success and her continued global popularity over the past 20 years. Madonna has influenced people all over the world. Her quest for Superstardom is evident in her wide range of endeavors such as her records, concerts, movies, books, and charity events. She has the skill to market herself as a product while maintaining an edge, yet it is her experiences and sense of the world, art, fashion, drama and most importantly her intellect that make Madonna a global superstar. In examining Madonna’s career from a strategic analysis it is important to recognize her global and industrial impact as well as look into her brand name from a business perspective. Regarding her brand name there is competition, strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Analysis Environmental Analysis Madonna has had a great impact on the global environment through her countless charity efforts. Specifically, in 2006 she started an organization called Raising Malawi, a non-profit organization supporting community based organizations that provide vulnerable children and caregivers with nutritious food, proper clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care, emotional care and psychosocial support. In addition, Raising Malawi supports non-government organizations that offer impoverished families with innovative opportunities for sustainability such as Millennium Promise and International Medical Corps. Millennium Promise is a non-profit organization which works towards the halving extreme poverty in Africa by 2015, working with impoverished communities, national and local governments, and partner organizations to implement high-impact programs aimed at transforming lives on the continent and engaging donor nations, corporations, and the general public in the effort. Also, on corporate, community, and academic levels, Madonna matches every dollar donated to Raising Malawi. In addition to her own organization she still donates to several other causes, many relating to children, and is a patron of Children of Peace, a foundation that is dedicated to supporting programs that serve traumatized children regardless of race, religion or cultural background. Industry Analysis The music industry can be a difficult place to achieve long-term success. This is has been proved hundreds of times in cases of the infamous â€Å"one hit wonders†. It is an industry where an entertainer can literally go from being star to being a has-been overnight. Music fans like to hear something new and fresh, which can be difficult for many musicians accomplish. Madonna has kept reinventing herself and her music, and thus has had a tremendous impact on the music industry. Her kind of talent comes along very rarely. In terms of industry success, she is the female Elvis Presley. Firm Analysis Madonna is the clear leader of her corporation and is the ultimate businesswoman. From her legendary work ethic to her moves as a businesswoman, Madonna is a resounding corporate success. Her career was further enhanced by film appearances despite mixed reviews. She won critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her role in Evita (1996), but has received harsh criticism for other film roles. Madonna's other business ventures include being a fashion designer, children's book author, film director and producer. In 2007, she signed an unprecedented $120 million contract with Live Nation. Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the world's top-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female artist in the United States, behind Barbra Streisand, with 64 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Madonna at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the Billboard chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. Current Problems As with most things in life, tastes change. Madonna will have to continue producing music to meet the changing tastes of her fan base. She has been successful at this in the past, but distractions exist now that didn’t exist before, and this may cause her to lose focus on the music. An ongoing problem that hurts Madonna directly in the purse is the ease in which music can be downloaded for free from the internet. Most consumers want music at the best possible price, and don’t really consider how this hurts the artist who produced it. SWOT Analysis Strengths: The Madonna name, all by itself, makes people stand up and take notice. Madonna’s work ethic and drive to succeed are major strengths as well. The constant reinvention of herself and her music make Madonna a force to be reckoned with. Her involvement with charitable causes adds to the overall strength of the Madonna brand name. Her live shows are perennial sell-outs because her music appeals to a worldwide audience. Weaknesses: Madonna’s charitable work can also be a weakness because time spent with charitable causes takes time away from writing and performing her music. Madonna is getting older, and aging does take its toll on a person’s energy level. Getting actively involved with music, movies, charitable causes, and family might create a situation where Madonna is spread too thin. One or more areas of her career might suffer as a consequence. Opportunities: The music-loving world seems to get bored with â€Å"old† and craves â€Å"new†. With her endless talent, Madonna can provide the â€Å"new† that the public wants. In fact in January 2008 she was named the world's wealthiest female musician by Forbes magazine, with estimated earnings of more than $72 million in the last year alone. Madonna has had a unique way of reinventing herself and evolving as a person and musician. Her constant evolvement has kept her highly respected and sought after. Her name by itself creates opportunity. Anywhere she wants to put her name it will generate profit. Her opportunities are endless. This is evident in her endeavors such as her records, concerts, movies, books, and charity events. Threats: Fans of motion pictures love young, new talent. The same is true for the music industry. Up and coming musicians are a direct threat to Madonna’s reign at the top of the charts. Also, throughout Madonna’s career she has been a lightning rod for religious and sexual controversy. Discussion Critical Issues If the past repeats itself, Madonna will be a success in any venture she undertakes. If she decides to be more involved in her charitable causes, Madonna’s focus must be on these charities and not on starring in a movie. As Madonna gets older, the ability to perform live night after night will diminish. This issue might have a solution if venues with a large seating capacity are used, and some smaller cities are left off the tour schedule. Recommendations and Rationale I think it is safe to say that Madonna can accomplish anything she wants. She will be mentioned historically in the same context as Elvis Presley and Paul McCartney. Her concerts consistently sell out globally. Wherever her name brand is it is generating revenue. At this point in her life she has assumed iconic status and her opportunities are endless. At this point it’s up to her to indicate what she wants to do next. Conclusion Considered to be one of the â€Å"25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century† by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, Madonna is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a fresh and hip standard within the recording industry. She is recognized as an inspiration among numerous music artists and her humanitarian work touches thousands, if not millions of lives. References http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/201-madonna#ixzz1BDKYjr52 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_(entertainer)

High performance work systems are effective for the performance of Essay - 1

High performance work systems are effective for the performance of organizations but are not very good for employees Critically discuss - Essay Example entally distinct approach for managing the human resource groups as compared to the traditional hierarchical approach of human resource and performance management which are commonly used in mass production and scientific management (Forth and Millward 2004). The core concept of the high performance work system is based on the development of an employer and employee relationship which is radically different from the Tailorysm management techniques of human resource and performance management in which a controlling and dictating approach is taken up (Armstrong 2006). This work system aims at developing high involvement through the development of an adequate degree of commitment among all levels of human resources working in the organization (Forth and Millward, 2004). The notion of the high performance work system are supported by claims that this system of work practices lead to the creation of superior performance at the individual as well as organizational levels (Wright et. al, 2005). However, it can be argued that the system of high performance work systems often makes an organization shift from the conventional and eclectic selection of the best practices employed in human resource management which ensures the creation of higher organizational performance outcomes but does not necessarily add to the performance outcomes of individual employees in an organization (Armstrong 2006). Developing the work on these lines of analysis, this essay is prepared with the objective of critically discussing the role of high performance work systems in organizational and individual performances (Godard 2004). Various researchers across diverse fields of study like industrial relations labor economics, organizational behavior, and strategic human resource management and operations management who have presented varied views regarding the effectiveness of the high performance work systems in the contemporary business organizations (Evans and Davis 2005). As per the views of

Research Proposal Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Proposal - Dissertation Example Solar energy, if harnessed to its fullest, can provide the whole world with more than enough energy for a year, in just a single day. Science and technology is still far from that point. Solar energy harnessing with today’s inventions is still expensive and inefficient, making this a very exploitable research field, with the promise of a better world. Solar energy will soon come out as a multibillion dollar industry, and only those nations will prosper through it, which spend time, efforts and money in this field today. Solar energy harnessing through photovoltaic cells is a very promising field. To enhance the efficiency, increasingly thin films are being prepared. PVs are made out of doped semiconducting materials, which have relatively high resistivity as compared to common good conductors. Thus, photovoltaic cells are coated with conducting materials on their surface. These are thin films themselves, whose sole purpose is to behave as a conducting medium. The coatings are done over the photovoltaic layers, such that they are present between the light source and the photovoltaic layer. This means that the coatings have to be highly transparent for light transmission as well. The materials employed for this purpose are termed as Transparent Conducting Oxides, which are nothing but doped oxides that have very high conductivity and transmission. TCOs may have a variety of functions, such as transparent electrical contacts, antireflection coatings and chemical barriers, in photovoltaic films (Perkins et. al. 20051). It is to be noted that the energy band gap theory suggests that transparency of a material is closely related to the electrical behavior of a material, more specifically its resistivity. Transparency of a material is higher if the band gap between the valence and conduction band is high. If the band gap is high, the resistivity is high too. Thus it is difficult to have both high transparency and low resistivity together. To achieve this, dopin g is done in selected semiconductors, which can modify their properties to give us transparent layers with high conduction (Nave, 20102). A lot of research has been done in this field for over 50 years now and every project has led to the opening of a new chapter rather than closing out different chapters in the research. This is suggestive of the prospects of research in this field. The most important property of TCOs is their conductivity, and a lot of research has been done on that (Minami, 20003; Lewis and Paine, 20004) on aluminum doped zinc oxide, tin doped indium oxide, lead oxides, cadmium oxides, and their combinational oxides. These researches have indicated that there exists potential for engineered transparent conducting oxides to be formed with tailored properties (Freeman et. al. 20015). Transparency and light trapping has also been studied in detail in these papers. The main emphasis of the researches is to study composition-property behaviors. Some endeavors have als o been made for synthesis and characterization of these thin films (Banarjee et. al. 20036; Coutts and Young, 20007; Gurumurugan et. al. 19948; Freeman et. al. 2001). Researchers have also used surface characterization techniques to study how electrical, chemical and transparency properties of TCOs depend on the surface layer. The electronic/defect structure of the surface layers has a huge impact on the electrical properties of the layer

Excessive lose weight Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Excessive lose weight - Research Paper Example However, the efforts to promote weight loss can have adverse results if not managed properly. The obsession to lose weight can lead to excessive weight loss, which predisposes individual to other health problems and eating disorders. Weight loss, also referred to as slimming in medical terms refers to the process of reducing one’s total body mass. Body mass can be lost through various ways mean loss of body fluids, body fats, muscles, mineral deposits or tendons and other connective tissues in the body. Weight loss can occur either voluntarily or unintentionally. Involuntary weight loss can occur as a result of underlying health problems. Unintentional weight loss may result from depression, chronic infections like HIV/AIDS, anxiety, stress, or diarrhea. Voluntary or intentional weight loss, on the other hand, is a conscious effort of an individual to reduce weight due to perceived or actual obese of overweight state. Excessive weight loss, on the other hand, refers to an extreme reduction in one’s body mass leading to development of other health complications. There are various reasons why individuals lose weight. Intentional weight loss has many social, psychological, and health advantages to people. Different people, however, approach the question of weight loss with varying needs and intentions. The most common reason, however, is for health purposes. Excess weight leads top various overweight and obesity conditions where one’s body mass is beyond generally accepted range for average people. Individuals who are overweight or obese are vulnerable many health complications like heart diseases, cancer, strokes, diabetes, emotional problems like depression, and reducing one’s lifespan (Lipowski 13). It is, therefore, advisable for individuals to avoid gaining extra pound in order live healthy lifestyles and avoid these diseases. Weight loss, if properly managed, is healthy processes that can

Issue in case transaction Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Issue in transaction - Case Study Example The business during the manufacture and sale of large quantities of soup are likely to experience gains or losses due to the difference in foreign exchange translations. Losses or gains will also be experienced because of misjudgment on what, where or when to invest. This is a case of capital financing decision. A. Specifications The Oriental Delight soup product should and has to be produced just as the formula that was formulated by Specialty Laboratory. Apart from the production, the product must also be canned and labeled according to the requirements of Hen Hao. The specifications are well laid down and no change shall be made to them unless through writing. Concerning the specifications there is a risk that Gumpbell may not produce the goods exactly as prescribed and when this takes place, the company will suffer the damages as the goods are rejected by Hen Hao. Such an impact can be avoided if Gumpbell is sure of its production capacity to be able to fulfill the contract to th e end. In addition, the labor employed by Gumpbell must posses the skills required by customers and when this is not available then Gumpbell has to recruit such a labor to avoid such risks. B. Quantities Quantities will depend on the demand requirements by the consumers as studied by the supplier (Hen Hao). Hen Hao’s annual demand is likely to be ranging between, 200,000 to 450,000 cases; this is within the term as prescribed in the supply agreement. Now Hen Hao is not capable of estimating that their current demand is and the time of the year they expect it to be shipped. Apart from the quantities depending solely on demand, the costs per unit would also influence the quantity that Hen Hao would demand. C. Purchase Order Procedure Hen Hao already has the specification of how they demand that the product be manufactured. The manufacturer already holds the specifications; what Hen Hao needs to do each time is to make purchase orders through order forms supplied by the producer s (Gumpbell). Such order will be submitted online using internet resources. The purchase orders must be submitted early enough (30 days prior to when they are required) when it is expected that they would be acted upon in time. The purchase order will give the manufacturer the quantity demanded and hence decide on the amount to produce; as well, the shipping instructions and the shipping date are also included. The manufacturer is given a period from which they relax, this is despite the fact that an acknowledgement of Purchase order receipt. D. Forecasts At the onset, Hen Hao could not predict its requirements of the soup within a given specific time. This scenario is likely to change over a given period, as Hen Hao will be in a position to now conduct such forecasts and submit the purchase order forecast to Gumpbell. Failure to submit the forecasts would cause a risk that the soup may not be prepared in advance and the consumers whose appetites are sharp enough would be disappoint ed. Forecasts are important since most of the time they act as a guide towards that which is required. PHASE II: Transportation, Delivery, Transfer of Title and Risk of Loss Once a sales agreement has been got into, the tendency that the goods would move from one party to the other is certain. The movement involves physical movement as well as contractual movements. Just as goods would move from the manufacturer to the producers is the same way such goods are likely to move from the distributor to

MSc International Development Studies Personal Statement

MSc International Development Studies - Personal Statement Example Earning a MS degree from one of the top ranked universities of the world would give me a competitive edge in my professional career. I have decided to apply in name of university because this educational institute has an experienced faculty not only in the department of International Development Studies department but also in all other fields of study. Studying under the guidance of such teachers will allow me to gain invaluable information about my intended major and grow intellectually in an appropriate manner. I want to become a successful economic development manager or a foreign correspondent, which would be possible if I get a higher degree in the field of International Development Studies. I want to be skilled in managing social organizations and people. I possess almost all qualities of a successful social organization’s manager, such as, openness, integrity, boldness, honesty, attentiveness, creativity, intelligence, care for others, visionary outlook, and effective leadership and communication skills. Some of my core strengths and abilities include: As far as my short-term and long-term goals are concerned, I have planned them according to my personal and professional interests. For example, my short-term goal is to earn a MS degree in International Development Studies from some reputable institute of the world to expand my knowledge and concepts. My long-term goal is to work for some high profile social or economic organization at an executive position. I have the experience of working as a project leader during my internships at a NGO in Mexico and at Center for Migration and Refugees Studies in Egypt. In addition, I have also participated in Erasmus Mundus Exchange Programme of the Lebanese American University and have done a Diploma in International Cooperation and Development from Italian

Holocaust in the Middle East, and Muslim-Jew Relations Essay

Holocaust in the Middle East, and Muslim-Jew Relations - Essay Example It might seem rather surprising but Jews and Muslims were not so hostile to each other in the earlier centuries, rather they lived peacefully and harmoniously with each other but something transpired in between that vitiated their mutual relations and ties to a point of no return. At a first glance it seems Jews and Muslims are poles apart and there is absolutely nothing in common between them, rather they are so disparate that possibly mutual hatred is the only shared thread that binds them. But, a deeper look at these two religions would, quite surprisingly, bring out certain common strains that indicate these two religions have much similarity with each other. Both these religions have a common origin in Abraham. While Jews consider Muslims as true followers of ‘Seven Laws of Noah’, it might be a revelation to many that Quran refers to the inhabitants of Israel at least forty three times with Exodus of Jews led by Moses being given special importance. Judaism and Islam also share several broad common perspectives about religious outlook and practice and this theological proximity has over the last 1400 years, notwithstanding last ninety or so years’ hostility, woven certain bridges that neither Muslims nor Jews can ignore. Thus it seems more perplexing that these two religious groups that share the same geographical origin have become bitter enemies of one another (Prager and Telushkin). The most common similarities in religious practices between these two religions are circumcision, prohibition of homosexuality and consumption of pork. While Islam prescribes five times a day prayer, Judaism also insists on five times a day prayer that might however be reduced to twice daily under certain specific circumstances. Any honest student of history must admit that while there have been aberrations in the course of centuries, Jews have by and large lived peacefully and prospered under

Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay There is no singular definition of knowledge, but for the purpose of this paper; knowledge will be defined as the familiarity with a situation or fact. Ethics, on the other hand, is a set of moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. Simplifying the knowledge issue would be to state that: The familiarity of something (whether a fact or situation) entails compliance with ethical or moral obligations. In disagreement with the previous claim, I believe that the possession of knowledge does carry an ethical responsibility. In a paper written by Steven Pinker, otherwise known as â€Å"The Moral Instinct†, he suggests that morality has a metaphorical switch. Stated as the â€Å"moralization switch†, Steven Pinker suggests, â€Å"Moralization is a psychological state that can be turned on and off like a switch, and when it is on, a distinctive mind-set commandeers our thinking. † Much like light switches, moralization switches may be turned on and off. When the moralization switch is turned off, the reasoning for doing something (moral or amoral) changes, rather than being a matter of virtue, it becomes a matter of practicality or personal reasons. Different people may have their moralization switches turned on or off in the same scenario. An example of this is â€Å"loving thy neighbor†. One may express his love for his neighbor because it is in accordance to the Ten Commandments, which he/she truly believes in; while another person may also express love toward his neighbor purely because there is something to gain from it. Steven Pinker, in his paper, states that morality is under assault. This could be in line with a conclusion formulated by David Couzens Hoy, a renowned professor of philosophy, based on the works of Emmanuel Levina (a French philosopher) who believed that â€Å"responsibility precedes any objective searching after the truth†. David Couzens Hoy concluded that there has been an ethical turn. He now defines ethics as â€Å"obligations that present themselves as necessarily to be fulfilled but are neither forced on one or are enforceable†. Despite the fact that ethical obligations are optional, the general population comes to a consensus about moral concepts such as the difference between right and wrong. It was theorized by, anthropologist, Donald E. Brown, in his work â€Å"Human Universals† that things such as the concept of distinction between right and wrong have no exceptions in normal human beings. This, along with the concept of fairness, accounts for the decision of most people to maintain a certain ethical standard and responsibility. The defiance of the ethical code of conduct that is universally accepted would either be recognized by the doer as wrong (and would most likely be punished), or would be a result of a mental disorder (such as psychopathy or moral blindness). This is why a person convicted of murder is given less harsh punishments if known to have a psychological disorder, otherwise known as being mentally unfit. The fact that they have mental disorders means that they are exceptions to this rule of thumb. The moral blindness does not allow for a coherent view with the universal morality that the rest of the world follows. The reason why the world is in chaos is because showing ethical responsibility is a choice. Harvard Psychologist, Marc Hauser, argues that millions of years of natural selection have molded a universal moral grammar within our brains that enables us to make rapid decisions about ethical dilemmas. There is a universal perception of the difference between right and wrong, but the choice to do either right or wrong is situational. It takes something as simple as personal advancement or an impulse to do something immoral. This is why the possession of knowledge carries an ethical responsibility. A cliche goes â€Å"with knowledge comes power†, which is why knowledge requires ethical responsibility. The same kind of knowledge may be used for great good or bad, and the choice of what to do with it lies in the hands of the one that possesses the information. This shows the possible threat that knowledge has. It could be used to harm humans. The moralization switch could spell the difference between life and death in the hands of the possessor. Jon Stuart Mill’s Principle of Utilitarianism states the ethical theory that one should maximize the over happiness and satisfaction, and aim for the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. Exemplifying ethical responsibility, according to this principle, would entail using the familiarity with facts or information for the betterment of the majority. It is possible, however, that personal advancement is genuine happiness, and this could instantaneously shroud one’s moral mentality. It is only the sense of morality that is universal, not being moral itself. Selfish acts, which are almost always immoral or amoral are means by which people could attain happiness for themselves. This could override the choices that one makes, despite the innate ability to tell between moral and immoral. An example of this is insider trading. In the world of finance, one can win big and lose big. Insider trading is a form of immoral acts that go against ethical responsibility by using knowledge for personal advancement, while simultaneously hurting others. The end, which is money, would justify the means (which is unfairly using information for the advancement of oneself and the decline of others). Knowledge on matters may have little effects, and global effects. They may severely affect others while greatly benefitting a select few, or cause the happiness of majority of society. The end, or effect, would be a result of one’s choice on what to do with the knowledge that he has. It is therefore crucial for people to be moral. The effect of the exploitation of knowledge is limitless and can work both ways, which is why one must be ethically responsible and just.

An alloy is a partial or complete solid solution

An alloy is a partial or complete solid solution INTRODUCTION An alloy is a partial or complete solid solution of one or more elements in a metallic matrix. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may be homogeneous in distribution depending on thermal heat treatment. Alloys usually have different properties from those of the component elements. Alloying one metal with other metal(s) or non metal(s) often enhances its properties. For example, steel is stronger than iron, its primary element. It is sometimes due to the sizes of the atoms in the alloy, since larger atoms exert a compressive force on neighbouring atoms, and smaller atoms exert a tensile force on their neighbours, helping the alloy resist deformation. Sometimes alloys may exhibit marked differences in behaviour even when small amounts of one element occur. For example, impurities in semi-conducting ferromagnetic alloys lead to different properties, as first predicted by White, Hogan, Suhl, Tian Abrie and Nakamura. Some alloys are made by melting and mixing two or more metals. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, was the first alloy discovered, during the prehistoric period now known as the Bronze Age; it was harder than pure copper and originally used to make tools and weapons, but was later superseded by metals and alloys with better properties. In later times bronze has been used for ornaments, bells, statues, and bearings. Brass is an alloy made from copper and zinc. Unlike pure metals, most alloys do not have a single melting point, but a melting range in which the material is a mixture of solid and liquid phases. The temperature at which melting begins is called the solidus, and the temperature when melting is just complete is called the liquidus. However, for most alloys there is a particular proportion of constituents (in rare cases two)-the eutectic mixture-which gives the alloy a unique melting point. IMPORTANT OF ALLOYS Some alloys are used so predominantly with respect to their base metals that the name of the primary constituent is also used as the name of the alloy. For example, 14 karat gold is an alloy of gold with other elements. Similarly, the silver used in jewellery and the aluminium used as a structural building material are also alloys. The term alloy is sometimes used in everyday speech as a synonym for a particular alloy. For example, automobile wheels made of an aluminium alloy are commonly referred to as simply alloy wheels, although in point of fact steels and most other metals in practical use are also alloys. ALLOY OF IRON Iron Anthracite iron (carbon) Cast iron (carbon) Pig iron (carbon) Wrought iron (carbon) Fernico (nickel, cobalt) Elinvar (nickel, chromium) Invar (nickel) Kovar (cobalt) Spiegeleisen (manganese, carbon, silicon) Ferroalloys Ferroboron Ferrochrome Ferromagnesium Ferromanganese Ferromolybdenum Ferronickel Ferrophosphorus Ferrotitanium Ferrovanadium Ferrosilicon ANTHRACITE IRON Anthracite iron is the substance created by the smelting together of anthracite coal and iron ore. Research into the smelting of iron using anthracite coal began in the 1820s. Initial experiments, most notably by Gueymard and Robin at Vizille in 1827, attempted to gradually substitute anthracite for other fuels, such as coke or charcoal, but all failed due to the use of cold blast techniques, which generated insufficient heat to keep the anthracite in combustion. In the United States, where the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company (LCN) had begun shipping anthracite to Philadelphia in 1820, there was great interest in exploiting the great anthracite deposits of Schuylkill County for iron making. The Franklin Institute, in 1830, offered a gold medal to the manufacturer of the greatest quantity of anthracite iron, and Nicholas Biddle and his associates offered a prize of $5,000 to the first individual to smelt a certain quantity of iron ore within a given time, using anthracite. The Lehigh Coal and Navigation also offered free water power and discount rates on coal and shipping to encourage the development of the process. HISTORY OF ANTHRACITE IRON The key breakthrough occurred in 1829, when James Beaumont Neilson patented the hot blast, which he had conceived in an attempt to improve the efficiency of conventionally-fueled furnaces. The first person to employ the hot blast technique to anthracite smelting was Dr. Frederick W. Gesenhainer, who filed for a patent on the process in 1831 and received it in 1833. In 1836, he tried smelting anthracite iron on a practical scale at his property, Valley Furnace, near Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He produced a small quantity of iron, but due to mechanical breakdowns, could not keep the furnace in operation for more than two months. While distinguished visitors, including Governor Joseph Ritner, acknowledged his success, he sold out his share in Valley Furnace and went to New York City. Research was proceeding along parallel lines across the Atlantic. George Crane, owner, and David Thomas, supterintendent of the Yniscedwyn Iron Works, had themselves conceived of the idea of using hot blast to smelt anthracite. Thomas was sent to Scotland to examine Neilsons installation and reproduced it at Yniscedwyn. Crane filed for a British patent on smelting iron with anthracite and hot blast in 1836, and received it in 1837. By the time the patent was sealed, Yniscedwyn was producing about 35 tons of iron using anthracite only as a fuel. Inspired both by Geisenhainer and Crane (whose success was closely followed by the LCN), experiments in the US continued. Baughman, Guiteau and Company used an old furnace near Mauch Chunk to produce some anthracite iron during late 1837. They built another experimental furnace nearby, which was worked for about two months during fall and winter 1838 and for some time in 1839, but mechanical deficiencies led them to abandon the furnace at the end of 1839. In the meantime, Pioneer Furnace, in Pottsville, was blown in using anthracite fuel in 1839. It was built by William Lyman obtained the aid of a Welsh emigrant, Benjamin Perry, who was familiar with Neilsons process and the Yniscedwyn works, for the blowing-in. The furnace ran for three months on anthracite alone and fulfilled the conditions to win the $5,000 prize. In the design of Pioneer Furnace, Lyman had also been assisted by David Thomas, who had arrived in the United States in May 1839. Thomas was engaged by the LCN to set up the Lehigh Crane Iron Company and its first furnace at Catasauqua, which went into blast in 1840, along with five other anthracite furnaces. This marked the commercial establishment of anthracite iron production in the United States. CAST IRON Cast iron usually refers to grey iron, but also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys, which solidify with a eutectic. The colour of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due to its carbide impurities which allow cracks to pass straight through. Grey cast iron is named after its grey fractured surface, which occurs because the graphitic flakes deflect a passing crack and initiate countless new cracks as the material breaks. Iron (Fe) accounts for more than 95% by weight (wt%) of the alloy material, while the main alloying elements are carbon (C) and silicon (Si). The amount of carbon in cast irons is 2.1 to 4wt%. Cast irons contain appreciable amounts of silicon, normally 1 to 3wt%, and consequently these alloys should be considered ternary Fe-C-Si alloys. Despite this, the principles of cast iron solidification are understood from the binary iron-carbon phase diagram, where the eutectic point lies at 1,154Â °C (2,109Â °F) and 4.3wt% carbon. Since cast iron has nearly this composition, its melting temperature of 1,150 to 1,200Â °C (2,102to 2,192Â °F) is about 300Â °C (572Â °F) lower than the melting point of pure iron. Cast iron tends to be brittle, except for malleable cast irons. With its low melting point, good fluidity, castability, excellent machinability, resistance to deformation, and wear resistance, cast irons have become an engineering material with a wide range of applications, including pipes, machine and automotive industry parts, such as cylinder heads (declining usage), cylinder blocks, and gearbox cases (declining usage). It is resistant to destruction and weakening by oxidisation (rust). PIG IRON Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.5-4.5%, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications. The traditional shape of the molds used for these ingots was a branching structure formed in sand, with many individual ingots at right angles to a central channel or runner. Such a configuration is similar in appearance to a litter of piglets suckling on a sow. When the metal had cooled and hardened, the smaller ingots (the pigs) were simply broken from the much thinner runner (the sow), hence the name pig iron. As pig iron is intended for remelting, the uneven size of the ingots and inclusion of small amounts of sand was insignificant compared to the ease of casting and of handling. WROUGHT IRON Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content, in comparison to steel, and has fibrous inclusions, known as slag. This is what gives it a grain resembling wood, which is visible when it is etched or bent to the point of failure. Wrought iron is tough, malleable, ductile and easily welded. Historically, it was known as commercially pure iron however it no longer qualifies because current standards for commercially pure iron require a carbon content of less than 0.008 wt%. Before the development of effective methods of steelmaking and the availability of large quantities of steel, wrought iron was the most common form of malleable iron. A modest amount of wrought iron was used as a raw material for manufacturing of steel, which was mainly to produce swords, cutlery and other blades. Demand for wrought iron reached its peak in the 1860s with the adaptation of ironclad warships and railways, but then declined as mild steel became more available. Before they came to be made of mild steel, items produced from wrought iron included rivets, nails, chains, railway couplings, water and steam pipes, nuts, bolts, horseshoes, handrails, straps for timber roof trusses, and ornamental ironwork. Wrought iron is no longer produced on a commercial scale. Many products described as wrought iron, such as guard rails, garden furniture and gates, are made of mild steel. They retain that description because they were formerly made of wrought iron or have the appearance of wrought iron. True wrought iron is required for the authentic conservation of historic structures. FERROSILICON Ferrosilicon, or ferrosilicium, is a ferroalloy an alloy of iron and silicon with between 15% and 90% silicon. It contains a high proportion of iron silicides. Its melting point is about 1200 Â °C to 1250 Â °C with a boiling point of 2355 Â °C. It also contains about 1% to 2% of calcium and aluminium. Ferrosilicon is used as a source of silicon to deoxidize steel and other ferrous alloys. This prevents the loss of carbon from the molten steel (so called blocking the heat); ferromanganese, spiegeleisen, silicides of calcium, and many other materials are used for the same purpose. It can be used to make other ferroalloys. Ferrosilicon is also used for manufacture of silicon, corrosion-resistant and high-temperature resistant ferrous silicon alloys, and silicon steel for electromotors and transformer cores. In manufacture of cast iron, ferrosilicon is used for inoculation of the iron to accelerate graphitization. In arc welding, ferrosilicon can be found in some electrode coatings. Ferrosilicon is a basis for manufacture of prealloys like magnesium ferrosilicon (FeSiMg), used for modification of melted malleable iron. FeSiMg contains 3-42% magnesium and small amounts of rare earth metals. Ferrosilicon is also important as an additive to cast irons for controlling the initial content of silicon. Ferrosilicon is also used in the Pidgeon process to make magnesium from dolomite. In contact with water, ferrosilicon may slowly produce hydrogen. Ferrosilicon is produced by reduction of silica or sand with coke in presence of scrap iron, millscale, or other source of iron. Ferrosilicons with silicon content up to about 15% are made in blast furnaces lined with acid fire bricks. Ferrosilicons with higher silicon content are made in electric arc furnaces. An overabundance of silica is used to prevent formation of silicon carbide. Microsilica is a useful byproduct. The usual formulations on the market are ferrosilicons with 15%, 45%, 75%, and 90% silicon. The remainder is iron, with about 2% consisting of other elements like aluminium and calcium. FERROMOLYBDENUM Ferromolybdenum is an important iron molybdenum alloy, with a molybdenum content of 60-70% It is the main source for molybdenum alloying of HSLA steel. The molybdenum is mined and is subsequently transformed into the molybdenum(VI) oxide. FERROTITANIUM ? Ferrotitanium is a ferroalloy, an alloy of iron and titanium with between 10-20..45-75% titanium and sometimes a small amount of carbon. It is used in steelmaking as a cleansing agent for iron and steel; the titanium is highly reactive with sulfur, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, forming insoluble compounds and sequestering them in slag, and is therefore used for deoxidizing, and sometimes for desulfurization and denitrification. ? In steelmaking the addition of titanium yields metal with finer grain structure.ferrotitanium rowmaterial name is Ilmenitesant.making process of ferro titanium:- ilmenite-100%600kge MoO3. This oxide is mixed with iron oxide and aluminium and is reduced in the an aluminothermic reaction to molybdenum and iron. ? The ferromolybdenum can be purified by electron beam melting or used as it is. For alloying with steel the ferromolybdenum is added to molten steel before casting. Among the biggest suppliers of Ferromolybdenum in Europe is the German trading house Grondmet in DÃ ¼sseldorf, Germany. SPIEGELEISEN Spiegeleisen is a ferromanganese alloy containing approximately 15% manganese and small quantities of carbon and silicon. Historically, this was the standard form in which manganese was traded and used in steel making (see Bessemer process); today, manganese is usually traded and used in more concentrated form, 80% manganese content being typical. Spiegeleisen is sometimes also referred to as specular pig iron, Spiegel iron, just Spiegel, or Bisalloy. FERROCHROME Ferrochrome (FeCr) is an alloy of chromium and iron containing between 50% and 70% chromium. The ferrochrome is produced by electric arc melting of chromite, an iron magnesium chromium oxide and the most important chromium ore. Most of the worlds ferrochrome is produced in South Africa, Kazakhstan and India, which have large domestic chromite resources. Increasing amounts are coming from Russia and China. The production of steel is the largest consumer of ferrochrome, especially the production of stainless steel with chromium content of 10 to 20% is the main application of ferrochrome. REFERENCES http://www.omikk.bme.hu/archivum/angol/htm/ganz_a.htm http://www.glue-it.com/model-engineering/general-information/glossary/c/cast_iron.html http://www.freshney.org/ptonline/data/glossary/alloy.htm http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060917122846AAtf5DH http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/1146/alloy.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061010114339AAnfc2h http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Cast_iron

Philosophy of Mind, Body and Soul

Philosophy of Mind, Body and Soul Soul, mind and body are three important and core subjects under study when discussing the philosophy of human beings. The understanding of the relationship between soul and body has always been a source of concern among philosophers. The existence of soul and justifying mind as a separate entity from brain is never completely understood. The relationship of mind with the body i.e. how the mind controls the body and how changes in the body affect the mind is always been a main issue in studying philosophy of mind. Mind philosophy is a complex subject. Some of the functions of the mind work independently from body. But others do work in collaboration with the body. Philosophers have accomplished variety of studies to understand the actual role and existence of mind that includes if mind is a physical or non-physical matter, if its the part of the body or the soul? And other issues like that. Dualism gives a good explanation of all these problems. Though there are objections to it. But it does address all issues of independent working of mind and body. Human nature is in turn a complex subject and it is difficult to grasp full knowledge of philosophical explanations of human beings Descartes used to believe that mind interacts with the brain. Though he used to consider mind as spiritual and immaterial and brain as spatial. This paper discusses why human nature and human being have problematic philosophical explanations and how mind-body relationship makes it complex and difficult to understand. The philosophy of mind gives a contemporary view of the entity mind or soul. The contemporary views do accept soul as an independent existent. The main concern of the contemporary approach is also to understand the relationship between the physical working of brain and states of mind. My theoretical outlook for the problem stated would be dualism. According to which mind is a non-physical entity and it can exist separately from the body. In this essay firstly I will explain the phenomenal features of human experience which differentiate them with other living things. The power of intelligence and consciousness produces such features. Then in the light of theories and philosophies presented by renowned philosophers such as Aristotle and Descartes, I will analyze these phenomenal features in the context of soul-body relationship. After this, a brief explanation of the concept of dualism will be presented which will serve as a theoretical outlook for this paper in discussion ahead. With the help of dualism I will explain these features. Then, there will be a brief explanation of a major objection to the concept of dualism and that is how mind and body communicate with each other? I will try to justify my response over this objection in the next part. Then I will conclude the paper having all important points. There are some features of human beings which differentiate them from other living things. With the thinking power, use of intelligence and intellect and consciousness has give human beings the power to rule the world. These phenomenal features are the most important characteristics of human mind. Its charismatic that how human mind is capable of producing all these emotions with exceptional brilliance. I will explain some of these phenomenal features. Reason is one of the phenomenal features of human being through which. With the help of this a person can draw results from the given data or observations and can make hypothesis and assumptions. Moreover, one can support its argument through reasoning. Reflection is a process depending upon thinking; augmenting and analyzing one own self. Its more of spiritual phenomena where one examines ones own conduct, feelings and actions. Emotion means the mood, feel, temperament, attitude, state of mind and heart over certain action or happening. It mostly is a part of ones personality. Motivation is a very important part of emotion. Abstraction (as discussed in the course) is a thought process which includes ideas on a general level. More general and common features or details are put together and specific details and features are left out. It involves a process of classification. Faith is one of the very strong phenomenal feature of human being. It requires a process of events and mental activity and thought process to finally able to develop faith over a certain phenomena or understanding. Socrates believed in transcendentalism and he believed that each human being is like a spark of the over soul. He also thinks that soul will be separated by the body just in case of death and it is kind of a form. Faith was the head start of the discussion of our course. Understanding and wondering which reasons and miracles had made us believe in God? The example of two places which had a bridge in between them is great in emphasizing faith. A person will cross even an unbalanced bridge if he has faith in his constructor, but he will never cross the bridge if its perfectly fine and has no belied a faith in its constructor. So we see that courage is the outcome of faith. And faith is achieved by different reasons. In fact every human being has his own reasons for faith. Th e idea of Skinner on PFHE is hopeless; it is not deliberately true that we do everything by aiming at some benefit. Its not verified in every case. We see that naturalism has been derived from metaphysical realism. Moral valuation is a study of approach, direction and way in which or through which human beings believe and develop some kind of values or beliefs. Human beings does compare things and make a choice, this behavior is valuation. The techniques to inquire investigate and acquire new aspects, information and knowledge by gathering observations, collecting evidences, making hypothesis and then proving certain hypothesis is called scientific inquiry. The emotion, urge of human being to explore, investigate, inquire and learn more about a certain thing is called curiosity. Its the driving force of advancement in science and technology. Many philosophers explained unique features of human beings through different concepts and tried to develop a connection between these features and working of the body. Aquinas used the natural theology; I still recall the long debate on natural and revealed theology. But I think Aquinas was true to some extent on proving the existence of God by the means of the natural processes and nature itself. The First Mover theory can be taken into account too. While if we see St. Thomas we will come to know that being a Christian he declined Aristotle points of views. He thought that God is actually a cause for all the natural things that had happened. Aristotle gave the philosophy of Hylomorphism, according to which soul is something which makes a body alive. Soul is a set of properties; a form.such as glass is the form of water in it. According to Aristotle soul is related to body as a form of matter. So whatever phenomenal features of human being are that are the characteristic of body because soul is the part of the body which is accomplishing all these phenomenal features. Aristotle explained the unity of soul and body, both needs each other to work. Descartes gave the philosophy of dualism, according to which mind is a separate existence from brain and is a non-physical entity. All these phenomenal features are part of mind. He was first to identify mind with consciousness, awareness and intelligence. According to him brain is a material substance which is a part of body but mind exists separately from the body. The mind according to Descartes was a non-material entity. And he considered body as an extended and non-thinking thing. He argued that mind can exist apart from its extended body. And therefore mind is not a part of the body, its a different substance. Because the essence of mind is in the power of thinking. the actual idea behind his philosophy is that mind and body can interact. He argued that only humans have minds. Animals do not have minds. They lack the feature of self-consciousness. Living things can have three grades of sensation: physical, conscious, self-conscious. According to Descartes animals and human have only first sensation in common and that is physical. For example if an animal has felt a sensation e.g., the only possible reactions would be physical like dancing, screaming etc. But they will not consciously feel anything because they lack understanding of mind. Jean- Paul Sartre presented the philosophy of Existentialism. According to this philosophy an individual is responsible for its existence and for the standard/quality of life he is living. Sartre did justice with his opinion about the individuality of human beings. Sartres example of animal and plant was the most amazing of all. He distinguishes animals and plants from human beings by saying them unconscious and more mechanically operated things. It supports the phenomena of Atheism. This philosophy justifies that human being is responsible for its own actions despite of the obstacles in life. Now, I will explain the phenomenal features of human beings in the light of dualism. Dualism is an approach which basic idea resides upon the fact that mind is a non-physical matter i.e. it is not a part of the brain. It is non-physical. Many philosophers worked on dualism but a more famous version of dualism was given by Rene Descartes who maintained that mind is a non-physical thing. According to this mind is not a part of brain. According to Descartes mind is a thinking thing. We can take the example of container to elaborate it. Consider human being as a container which has body and brain in it along with a SEPARATE non-physical mind. Mind thinks, hopes, believes and have the consciousness and intelligence to deal with situations. Moreover Descartes argued that mind is a separate non-physical entity which can exist without the body. Phenomenal features of human beings can be well explained through Dualism. All the phenomenal features explained above are states of mind which are attributes of a non-physical matter. A physical matter cannot think, reason, and argue. These feelings of curiosity, believes, enquiring, emotion and reflection are the products of mind. Mind is the force which pushes the body to work to learn more about a certain thing. For example a person read something, it always has some effects on his/her mind. Mind will ponder about that subject and ideas are built through it, which as a result produces curiosity to learn more. And scientific inquiry takes place to reach to a certain solution. And the mind develops values and believes on the basis of the observations and results around it. And all these features of human being which are related to awareness, consciousness and intelligence are the products of mind. Mind is the one producing and operating them. If dualism is not true then mind is only the physical brain. Then in this situation we cannot think of a material substance to possess the qualities of consciousness which is the central ingredient for possessing phenomenal features. We cannot then expect features like consciousness, emotions, curiosity, sensations, desires, beliefs etc. So there has to be something which is responsible for these behaviors, and that is mind which is not material and which is a non-physical substance. Interactionism is a view of dualists, which can explain well these phenomenal features which occur as an interaction of mind and body. Thomas is said to be the symbolic founder of interactionism. Thomas thought that people were not exclusively controlled by the socialism and social pressures. Mental states always have this link with physical states. When we see something, we use our eyes and eyes send message to mind which invokes some kind of emotion, action or feeling. If a person has got an injury, he will feel pain and he will cry for help. And if somebody hears him, he will experience an emotion to reach for help. So the process continues with the series of interactions. And we can see the example of a sailor and a ship. The sailor can feel the bruise he has on his hands but he cant actually feel the pain when the ship is damaged or broken. There is also some objection for this school of philosophy. One of the major objections is casual interaction. A major objection to this view is that how mind interacts with the body i.e. how physical states interact or send a message to mental states and vice versa. If mind is a non-physical matter then how it is interacting with a physical matter. There is no explanation to this. When a person is injured, how the message is transferred toward mind which as a results cause the state of pain. When mind is not a part of body then how this communication is working? Obviously, we assume there will be a series of events which will finally let this pain feeling happen. There will be nerves playing around sending the message finally to the brain. But then how brain (a physical matter) will send or transfer this message to mind (a non-physical matter). That is a very big question mark? Descartes himself did not have a proper answer to this problem. His meditations which we have elaborately studied in this course have revealed to us many of his point of views. He says that we can doubt all the things and he considers mind as indivisible and body as divisible. He was of the view that this interaction of soul and body or mind and body is through PINEAL GLAND, which is a gland in human brain. He says how the idea of a ruling absolute power exists in our minds? Thus he says that we distinctly perceive. All he was trying to do was to prove the immortality of the soul. He maintained that casual interaction is taking place through pineal gland. But this is not a very good explanation. Again the problem is same, how a non-material mind is interacting with pineal gland (which obviously is a physical matter). Some of Descartes students, ef Arnold Geulincx adopted a different frame of mind for this problem. And I find that solution very satisfactory. According to Arnold that a ll these mind-body interactions are a result of direct intervention of God. So, when God wants, these interactions happen otherwise not. These interactions are not because of a certain mechanism or through some medium; they happen and occur when there is Gods will. Only God knows how it works, he is responsible for this stimulation. Human body and human nature is a very complex subject. The human nature cannot be understood easily. There are phenomenal features of human beings which differs them from other living things and those phenomenal features have convinced us that there is something non-physical in human body which is responsible for these phenomenal features. Dualism answers some of such questions and consider mind a non-physical entity responsible for such features and it is a separate entity from brain. But a major objection to dualism is that how mind interacts with the body? What is the medium of communication between a physical and non-physical matter? And a satisfactory answer would be that God is above all. The interaction between mind and body is dependent on God. And may be only he knows and he is responsible for such bizarre communication.

Karl Marx Essays -- essays research papers

Karl Marx was the creator of Marxism and a new type of economy and government. His ideas were appealing to the working class people and emphasized the community rather than the individual. His theories spawned communism and his ideas still remain in effect in some modern day countries. Marx’s ideas originate from his experiences in Europe and his collaboration with Frederich Engels. In addition, Marx's work seems to be more of a criticism of Hegelian and other philosophy, than as a statement of his own philosophy. While Hegel felt that philosophy explained reality, Marx felt that philosophy should be made into reality, a hard thing to do. He thought that one must not just look at and inspect the world, but must try to transform the world, much like Jean Paul Sartre's view that "man must choose what is best for the world; and he will do so." Marx is unique from other philosophers in that he chooses to regard man as an individual, a human being. This is evident in his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. There, he declares that man is a "natural being" who is endowed with "natural [and] vital powers" that "exist in him as aptitudes [and] instincts." Humans simply struggle with nature for the satisfaction of man's needs. From this struggle comes man's awareness of himself as an individual and as something separate from nature. So, he seeks to oppose nature. He sees that...

Analysis of Act 5 in Othello :: Othello essays

Analysis of Act 5 in Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Iago's intelligence causes the self destruction of Othello.   He appears to be the most intelligent person in the play, Othello, by the way he acts and handles some situations.   Iago is set to plan revenge on Othello for not making him lieutenant.   He gains the trust of Othello by telling lies to him, and these lies cause the destruction of Othello.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Othello should have investigated on some of the outrageous things Iago has told him.   Iago is simply just trying to gain Othello's trust.   This is shown when Iago talks about killing Roderigo because he was saying bad things about Othello.   "Nine or ten times I had thought t' have yerked him here under the ribs." (1:2, 4-6).   The same thing happens again, this time about Cassio. "With her - on her - what you will."   (4:1, 42).   Iago tells Othello about Cassio sleeping with Desdemona.   This appears to be Iago's smartest move because this causes the death of Desdemona and Cassio.   This part also appears important to Iago because he is finally made lieutenant.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Othello changes dramatically when he hears all these lies from Iago. He is now less patient.   He hurries through many decisions to be made.   Such as the one to kill his wife.   He also jumps to conclusions too quickly.   This is shown when Iago and Bianca are talking about Cassio and Othello misinterprets them talking about Desdemona.   "Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live."   (4:1, 200-201.   Othello is planning Desdemona's death.   He appears to be very stressed out, by the way he acts and

Biblical Movie Versus Biblical Story

The process of translating a book story into film is known as Film or Movie Adaptation. Movie adaptation gives meaning and life to the stories that are confined in books. It is basically spoon-feeding a viewer of scenes and characters in contrast to the tedious imaging demanded of the reader in the written accounts. What is observable in Movie Adaptation is that there are an obvious similarities and differences with written accounts.Primarily, the reason is due to the fact that written accounts are too long to fit into the usual time runs or that although the topic was interesting, it lacked entertaining scenes that would draw a crowd of modern viewers or does not evoked the kind of emotion that is expected of such a situation or incident. That is why stories taken form books oftentimes were not literally translated into films. Story revision however must be done carefully and with a degree of discretion especially involving historical events.Fictional stories can be easily manipulat ed but true stories should stick to the truth (Dudley 95). The Biblical movie the Passion of the Christ based on the historical crucifixion of Christ, true to its nature as an adaptation, had similarities and differences from the written account. Similarities and differences can be observed on the personality and characters of the Biblical figures as well as portrayal or delivery of certain scenes. II. Discussion A. Similarities 1. Biblical CharactersThe most prominent Biblical characters portrayed in the film are Jesus, Mary and Mary Magdalene, Jewish religious leaders, Roman soldiers and Pilate. In the gospels, Jesus is presented as a humble, loving, compassionate and forgiving person whose origin is both divine and human. He was born for the sole purpose of dying on the cross for man’s redemption (Thompson 1085). In other words, the defining moment of his life is his death through the crucifixion. Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ strictly adheres to the Biblical personality and character of Christ.Christ’s is never seen as vindictive in spite of the abuses and insults heaped upon him by the persecuting Jews and Romans. His love and compassion goes forth freely as he asks God to forgive them for according to him they do not know what they were doing. He humbly accepted his cruel fate at the hands of his creation.. His love for Mary was extraordinarily communicated through his eyes. But what the movie had enforced in Jesus character was his unbelievable restraint in the midst of angry mobs.His refusal to speak, to call the angels of heaven to save him, or to his divine powers to smite his accusers was very admirable and worth emulating. Another prominent figure of the story is Mary, Jesus’ Mother. The Biblical movie coincided with the written presentation of Mary as a devoted, sacrificing and loving mother, pure and simple at heart. Her compassion and anguish at the plight of his Son and her willingness to surrender to the will of God can make a viewer appreciate Mary more in the movie. Alongside Mary was the devoted Mary Magdalene whose penitent heart showed forth in the movie.Another prominent character from which the popular â€Å"washing of hands† idiomatic expression is taken (signifying a person’s way of removing guilt or participation of an action or decision) is Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Like the Bible Pilate is portrayed as a cowardly, fearful man who cannot stand up to his convictions (Thompson 1019). The last groups to have made a deep impact in the movie are the persecuting Jewish religious leaders and the Roman guards. They can be described as the blatant antagonist of the story (Satan is the prime antagonist but his wicked ways were more subtle).The Jewish leaders and the Jews were portrayed as a group of men hungry to see Jesus crucified. These vengeful and hateful attitudes are faithful to the description of the Bible. The Bible clearly said that they even prefer to see Barabas free, the notoriously convicted thief, than to let Jesus escape the crucifixion. Portraying Jews in such a manner arose protest from the other races, especially the Jews, declaring that it has anti-Semitic undertones (Carroll 2004). The Roman soldiers on the other hand were also seen to as cruel.Although not directly involved with Jewish skirmishes on religious matters, they were also eager to take part in the vicious carnage. Some of them however showed signs of a tender side. 3. Dialogues and Setting The entire movie was devoted to the final hours of Jesus on earth. It began with his prayer in the garden at Gethsemane, his arrest at dawn upon the betrayal of Judas, to his being brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin, his appearance before Pilate, his agony on the way to cross and finally his crucifixion. Generally, these scenes are faithful to the Biblical account.Some dialogues spoken fits the biblical statements, such as Jesus words â€Å"Father forgive them for they do no know what they do† , as well as the dialogues of Jesus and his disciples during the last supper and many others. The whipping of Jesus on the way to the cross, his being nailed in it between the two convicted thieves , the casting of lots of the Roman soldiers are also found in the Bible. The way Jesus was being scourged and bloodied invoke man’s deepest sympathy or appreciation for his suffering and passion for humanity.The bible even said that due to flogging â€Å"he was so deformed that he does not resemble like a Man†(Thompson 714 ). B. Differences Although the Biblical movie has many similarities with the Biblical story, it also had many obvious differences. Many people may argue that the addition of such a scene may be excused as â€Å"Hollywood’s artistic liberties† for the purpose of expanding the Biblical text or widening the confines of the story in order to draw more appreciation and understanding of the topic on hand. 1. Portrayal of the crucifixion.The movie was focused on the final hours of Jesus, from dawn to three o’clock in the afternoon when Christ’s died. The agony and torture on the way to the cross and Christ’s eventual crucifixion was shown in a vivid, horrifying detail: flesh come off after whipping, Christ’s hand was stretch beyond limit when nailed on the cross, constant whipping from beginning to end of the journey, a bloodied Christ’s keep falling off, and a nailed Christ was turned flat on the ground with such forceful brutality sending a cloud of dust in the air.It was the first time that such a bloody and cruel portrayal of Christ’s crucifixion ever hit the big screen. Though the Bible did mention whipping and nailing, it did not evoke the same imagery of torture as seen on the movie. The movie seems to be too brutal and full of bloodshed( Carroll 2007). One reason perhaps is because the Bible did not exactly offer a detailed account of suc h event while the main focus of the movie was the crucifixion itself. The problem may be due to the fact that it was easier more to picture what really occurred on screen than on paper.In other words, the emotion of the moment is easily communicated and understood through the big screen. There is a possibility that such forms of cruelty are experienced by Jesus in the hands of the Roman soldiers for Roman soldiers are known to be cruel executioners (Perry 98). What the movie was trying to achieve though is that the viewer will appreciate what Jesus did for them, and not to treat Jesus crucifixion as just another historical event of his life. 2. Scenes not found in the Bible.There are countless scenes not found in the Bible. Some of the notable scenes are: Jesus crushing the serpent with his foot in the Garden of Gethsemane. This scene can never be found in the Bible (Thompson 1017). The significance of the serpent could be that since it is a popular symbol of Satan, it signifies tha t Satanic influences are near, ever ready to dissuade Jesus from fulfilling his supreme mission of dying in the cross . When Jesus crushed the serpent’s feet, it means that he was victorious over the devil.The scene may help the viewer to realize how hard it must have been for Christ to surrender to the will of the Father with regards to the way he was going to die. A sensitive reader may then appreciate how strong and noble Christ’s really was. Satan , in the form of a beautiful woman, did came to tempt Jesus to forego his mission in saving men for she argued that it was a burden too hard to bear for a single man. Both the conversation and satanic appearance in the Garden were not recorded in the Bible. What is disturbing in that scene (and in many scenes afterwards) however is that Satan was represented by a beautiful woman.Nowhere in the Bible is Satan portrayed as such though he may â€Å"appear as Angel of Light:† It would have been more realistic and relig iously fitting if Satan was portrayed as a male. The scenes on the way to the cross were full of incidents that can never be read in the Bible. For instance, Mary and the traditional Veronica wiping the face of Jesus with a fresh linen handed to them by the wife of Pilate. Although not found in the Bible, this is clearly an accepted tradition in the life of Christ by the Catholic Church.According to traditional Catholic stories the face of Jesus became imprinted in the linen and was then preserved( . The female Satan also kept appearing on the way to crucifixion, obviously taunting Mary. Another scene worth mentioning is that Jesus met Mary on the way to the cross. This is not mentioned in the Bible, nor was it implied that she was there at all. Biblical account tells of the appearance of Mary at a later time, when she stood at the foot of the cross of Jesus with the disciple John at her side.The arrest and trial of Jesus happened so fast so that probably Mary did not arrive until J esus reached Golgotha. In the light of this argument, the much earlier appearance of Mary is a clear deviation of the Biblical account and may not be considered as Hollywood artistic liberties. In the movie the nailing of Jesus on the cross was very brutal wherein the Roman soldiers stretched his hand beyond its limits to match the hole on the cross so that his arms was literally broken. Aside from that, Jesus and his cross was turned together in order to hammer the protruding nail at the back of the cross.It was a very pitiful and painful sight indeed. What was notable and sickening is that amidst that scene is a bird, probably a vulture that plucked the eye of the crucified men. III. Contribution of Movie Adaptation to Biblical Story In the movie the passion of the Christ, the reader was brought into a live and detailed enactment of the sufferings of Christ during crucifixion. Some scenes were added to draw a heightened emotional response which the director or the creator of the s tory believed was originally present in the situation( Dudley 95).But since the movie is based on the Bible which is believed to be the inerrant Word of God, certain scenes not mentioned in the Bible should not be included unless strongly implied, because they may bring confusion or disrespect to the faith from which it was based. Also, Jesus is indeed a historical figure whose events mentioned in the Bible truly occurred so that truth is essential to the movie. III. Conclusion The Biblical movie The Passion of the Christ revolves around the final hours of Christ based on the Biblical story.Naturally, since it was derived from the Bible, it depicts scene mentioned in the Biblical account. However, some scenes were added that can be classified as â€Å"Hollywood’s artistic liberties†. In some scenes, particularly the nailing of Christ where his hand was stretched beyond its limitation so that it crunched or when the cross from which he was nailed was turned upside down so that Jesus was beneath the cross, the reader cannot help but appreciate what Jesus did. In other words, that scene evokes the rightful emotion of gratitude for what Christ did for men.However, some scenes may not be rightfully expanded but actually deviates from truth like when Satan appeared as a beautiful temptress. Work Cited 1. Dudley Louise and Austin Faricy. The Humanities. New York: MacGraw-Hill, 1973. 2. Carroll, James l. An obscene portrayal of Christ's Passion. Globe Newspaper Company. February 2004. Retrieved November 9, 2007 from http://www. boston. com/ae/movies/articles/2004/02/24/an_obscene_portrayal_of_christs_passion/? page=2 3. Perry, Marvin. A History of the World. New York: Houghton-Mifflin Company, 1988. 4. Thompson, Frank Charles. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1983.

Garmin

GARMIN – Follow the Leader Garmin Global Positioning System’s (GPS), began as a brainstorming session between a few engineers playing a game of cards and has grown into a global technological phenomenon since its inception in 1989. Starting with only a handful of employees, Garmin has expanded its work force consisting of more than 7000 employees by 2007, all dedicated to the same objective; To create navigation and communication devices that can enrich our customers’ lives. As a group, the decision to choose Garmin was rather easy. We wanted to select a company or product that is relatively new in the consumers’ eye that can provide a distinct need in a market that is not over saturated by competitors. Garmin is considered an innovator in the GPS market and doing a study based on a well known, high quality product, provided interest between our groups. Garmin focuses on embracing lifestyles of their consumers, whether it be Automotive; helping people reach their destination with ease, Marine; supplying essential charts and data, Aviation, Fitness, Outdoor Recreation, to the ever evolving Wireless Smart Phone Applications, first time users quickly realize the cache of having a compact and portable unit, making their journey, wherever it may be more enjoyable. Market Segmentation Garmin is making strong progress in gaining the opportunity to serve a wide range of people in many different situations, whether it be driving across country on vacation, going for hike in a remote Mountain Park, setting Sail on the Pacific Ocean, or even going for a nice bike ride through a park. The diversity of the GPS system has really taken off in the past few years with the advancement of technology, which has really benefited Garmin in targeting â€Å"Whom we serve† Looking at the Segmentation Basis we have reviewed (Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic, and Behavioral) we can determine how Garmin Markets their broad range of products in the open market. Demographic – As a company, Garmin has a fairly broad Demographic Segment because of their multiple products. Garmin would segment its buyers into a non gender bias, over the age of 16, with all family life cycles included, with an average income, focusing on the baby boomers and the Y Generation because of its Technological advancement. Geographic – Garmin markets itself in certain regions around the world. These regions are; North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Asia, and the Middle East. Garmin has a process which they call vertical integration, which allows Garmin to maintain a high level of quality and respond more quickly to the ever-changing marketplace. This is especially important in their Company Offices located in Kansas City, USA, Southampton, UK, and Sijhih, Taiwan. Psychographic – When trying to divide itself into different market groups, there are certain classes, lifestyles, and personalities Garmin would generally market. As a Social Class, Middle Class and up would be the main target, Lifestyles – Achievers would be the group that generally uses the Garmin product, due to their ambitious personalities. Behavioural – The behavioural segment basis is probably the most relevant when looking at whom to market their product to. Convenience is a tool that helps Garmin sell their product to provide them with accurate, thorough information, providing customer loyalty and regular use. A Garmin user would have a positive attitude toward the product as it is making there busy lives easier. â€Å"Garmin is a leading, worldwide provider of navigation, communications and information devices, most of which are enabled by Global Positioning System (â€Å"GPS†) technology. Garmin designs, develops, manufactures and markets a diverse family of hand-held, portable and fixed-mount GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communications and information products for the automotive/mobile, outdoor/fitness, marine, and general aviation markets. † – Garmin 2007 Annual Report to Shareholders. This statement proves that the R & D department for Garmin is on the right track, assuring the Shareholders they are targeting the correct markets in today’s world. Garmin has developed a unique style that takes a systematic approach to R&D. This helps them close the innovation gap with its competitors. They have been able to do this by partnering their manufacturing and engineering teams, and integrating their product development teams in a multidisciplinary fashion to work on newly approved designs. Garmin has achieved a market position and a history of consistent growth in revenues and profits by offering ergonomically designed, user friendly products with innovative features and designs covering a range of applications and price points.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 22

Balanced Very Carefully, As If the Whole Thing Might Topple When the Heater Vents Begin to Blow Later This Fall From the basement, I hear my dad say, â€Å"It goes right here, on this table.† Three sets of footsteps are moving across the family-room floor, and soon I hear something heavy being set down. After fifteen minutes or so, the sounds of college football explode through the floor above – big bands playing, drums galore, fight songs being sung – and I realize my father has replaced the family-room television. I hear the deliverymen's footsteps exit, and then Dad increases the volume so I can hear every play call the commentators make, even though I am in the basement and the basement door is shut. I don't follow college football, so I don't really know the players or the teams being discussed. I do some curls and simply listen, secretly hoping Dad will come down into the basement, tell me about the new television, and ask me to watch the game with him. But he doesn't. Suddenly, maybe a half hour after the deliverymen leave, the volume is turned down, and I hear Mom ask, â€Å"What the hell is this?† â€Å"It's a high-definition television with surround sound,† my father replies. â€Å"No, that is a movie screen, and – â€Å" â€Å"Jeanie – â€Å" â€Å"Don't you ‘Jeanie' me.† â€Å"I work hard for our money, and I won't have you telling me how to spend it!† â€Å"Patrick, it's ridiculous. It doesn't even fit on the end table. How much did you pay for that?† â€Å"Never mind.† â€Å"You smashed the old television just so you could buy a bigger one, didn't you?† â€Å"Jesus Christ, Jeanie. Will you please stop bitching at me for once?† â€Å"We're on a budget. We agreed – â€Å" â€Å"Oh. Okay. We're on a budget.† â€Å"We agreed that – â€Å" â€Å"We have money to feed Pat. We have money to buy Pat a new wardrobe. We have money to buy Pat a home gym. We have money for Pat's medications. Well then, the way I see it, we have money for a new fucking television set too.† I hear my mother's footsteps exit the family room. Just before my father turns up the game again, I hear her stomp up the steps to her bedroom, where I know she will cry because my father has cursed at her again. And it's my fault their money is stretched. I feel awful. I do sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000 until it is time to run with Tiffany. When I finally go upstairs, I see that Dad's television set is one of those new flat-screen models they advertised when we watched the Eagles play Houston, and it is literally almost the size of our dining-room table. It's huge; only the center third rests on the end table, making it look as if it is balanced very carefully, as if the whole thing might topple when the heater vents begin to blow later this fall. Even still, while I do feel bad about Mom, I have to admit that the picture quality is excellent and the speakers set up on stands behind the couch fill the house with sound, making it seem as though the college football game is being played in our family room – and I start to look forward to watching the Eagles on the new set, thinking the players will almost appear life-size. I stand behind the couch for a second, admiring my father's new television, hoping he will acknowledge my presence. I even say, â€Å"Dad, did you get a new television?† But he doesn't answer me. He is mad at my mom for questioning his purchase, so now he will sulk. He will not talk to anyone for the rest of the day, I know from experience, so I leave the house and find Tiffany jogging up and down the street. Tiffany and I run together, but we do not talk. When I return home, Tiffany keeps jogging without even saying goodbye, and as I jog up the driveway to the back door, Mother's car is gone.