To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 663 Words

One of the most interesting characters in To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus Finch. He is a good representation of someone that is strong while keeping in mind other’s feelings. Throughout the book Atticus is show as a kind man who really cares for the people of Maycomb County. However, he still demands justice when someone is treated unfairly, even for the likes of a black man. Atticus Finch is very influential and yet still listens to what needs to be heard. In â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird,† Harper Lee portrays Atticus as a man who values justice, wiseness and fair-mindedness. Atticus is a man with morals. When he sees a person, white or black in need of justice he is always there to help, no matter the cost. In Maycomb County when a black man is on trial he is automatically seen as guilty. When Atticus was chosen to defend Tom Robinson many of the people in the community took it upon themselves to pay him a visit. It was understood by everyone that Tom had no chance and some of the men in the county went to Atticus to see if he would drop the case. Atticus knows though that Tom is innocent and deserves to have a fair trial. â€Å"Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going until the truth’s told† (Lee 146) . Atticus demands justice no matter who it is or what they’ve been accused of. He understands what needs to be done to give those who have been wrongly accused an honest hearing. Aside from believing in justice Atticus is also very wise. He understandsShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mother. With that being said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the differ ence between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee873 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that â€Å"it’s a sin to kill a mockingbi rd† throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil. Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the bird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the story in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was poverty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to children or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreHarper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird931 Words   |  4 PagesHarper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngestRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, herRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,

The Difference Between Langston Hughes And I Hear America...

In this essay I will be talking about the differences between Walt Whitmans poem â€Å" I Hear America Singing† and Langston Hughes poem â€Å" I, Too, Sing America†. I will also be giving my opinion on whether or not Langston Hughes is responding to Walt Whitmans poem. Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and a columnist from Joplin, Missouri. Walt Whitman was an American poet, essayist, and a journalist from West Hills, New York. This is all just background information about the two poets jobs and of where they came from. In the poem â€Å" I Hear America Singing† Walt Whitman talks about lots of different types of jobs and of their distinctive carols. He talks of mechanics and how their singing is blithe and†¦show more content†¦In I, Too, Sing America when Langston Hughes writes of a darker brother who is told to eat in the kitchen you know that he is talking about African Americans. In this poem Langston Hughe s writes a stanza that changes your idea of what the poem is about. He says â€Å" Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table when company comes. Nobody’ll dare say to me, â€Å"Eat in the Kitchen,† then†. This line is is clearly stating the main idea of the poem right there. It’s telling us of how now there is segregation, but one day in the future all men will be equal. In Walt Whitmans poem he talks about the American jobs and all the difference tunes they play while in Langston Hughes poem he talks about African Americans and how the future will be different. One may not be able to notice at first but these two poems share a lot of similarities. Both these poems state phrases such as â€Å" I, Too am America†, or â€Å" I hear America† in which both poets answer the question to who or what they think is America. Both poets reach different answers to this question as they explore this topic in their writing. Walt Whitmans poem shows a unified America all working together as one from the mechanic whose singing is blithe and strong to the delicious singing of the mother. In Langston Hughes poem it shows the injustice in not letting African Americans be part of this unified America, so it’s essentially an argument between the two poets as they argue back andShow MoreRelatedI Hear America Singing By Langston Hughes991 Words   |  4 Pages Langston Hughes spoke and captivated the general struggles of an African American’s life during the 1900s through his poem, â€Å"I, Too.† Hughes’ points out the injustice of bigotry or one’s beliefs in America, and his overall message is saying that an African American’s hard work is just as noteworthy as any other American. In contrast, Walt Whitman, author of â€Å"I Hear America Singing,† speaks about the employed citizens of America. He gives honor to those who are living their lives and working to makeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem I Hear America Singing 994 Words   |  4 Pages Hughes versus Whitman Langston Hughes spoke and captivated the general struggles of an African American’s life during the 1900s through his poem, â€Å"I, Too.† Hughes’ points out the injustice of bigotry or one’s beliefs in America, and his overall message is saying that an African American’s hard work is just as noteworthy as any other American. In contrast, Walt Whitman, author of â€Å"I Hear America Singing,† speaks about the employed citizens of America. He gives honor to those who are living theirRead MoreEssay on Langston Hughes a Harlem Renaissance Man1463 Words   |  6 Pagesartists such as Langston Hughes. James Mercer Langston Hughes was an African American poet, journalist, playwright, and novelist whose works were incredibly well known. It was during the peak of the Harlem Renaissance in which Langston Hughes produced poetry which was not just musically and artistically sound, but also captured the essence of the blues. Thus giving life to a new ve rsion of poetry that illustrated the African American struggle between society and oneself. Langston Hughes was one of theRead MoreI Hear America Singing By Walt Whitman2049 Words   |  9 Pagespoem â€Å"I Hear America Singing†, one is exposed to an America seen by the eyes of a poet, essayist and journalist during the years of one of the most important times in American history, the Civil War. From 1819 to 1892, Whitman lived through many experiences, including the atrocities and successions of the Civil War, which not only lead to the establishment of his multiple accredited works, but also, the creation of the prideful, positive, jubilant image of America and its citizens in the poem â€Å"I HearRead MoreAnalysis and Interpretation of I, Too Sing America by Langston Hughes1148 Words   |  5 PagesPoem I, Too Sing America is considered to be very characteristic for radical poetry of Langston Hughes. The majority of literary critiques and historians refer to Hughes a s one of the first American poets, who set the standards and examples how to challenge the post-World War I ethnic nationalism. His poetry contributed and shaped to some extent the politics of the Harlem Renaissance. In analysis of Black poetry Charles S. Johnson wrote that the new racial poetry of the Negro is the expressionRead MoreAnalysis Of I Hear America Sing By Walt Whitman Essay2058 Words   |  9 PagesBlack Poetry and cultural politics, Identity and resistance with reference to slam poetry culture America has been home to two major races being whites from Europe and the Black from Africa after the European conquest of America. The American society has been also divided into the racial lines of Blacks and Whites. As the blacks were only the slaves brought to America by Europeans from their African colonies in order to meet the labour needs. The blacks were deprived of any human right andRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 PagesIn 1919, when Langston Hughes was seventeen years old, he spent the summer with his father, Jim Hughes, in Toluca, Mexico. Langston had not seen his father since he was a small child, and he was excited about making the trip. However, during this visit, no affectionate bond would develop between Langston and Jim. Jim Hughes was a cold, difficult man, who was driven by ambition to make money and achieve respect. He had moved to Mexico to avoid segregation and racial injustice in the United StatesRead More Visions of The Primitive in Langston Hughes’s The Big Sea Essay examples6201 Words   |  25 PagesVisions of â€Å"The Primitive† in Langston Hughes’s The Big Sea Recounting his experiences as a member of a skeleton crew in â€Å"The Haunted Ship† section of his autobiography The Big Sea (1940), Langston Hughes writes This rusty tub was towed up the Hudson to Jonas Point a few days after I boarded her and put at anchor with eighty or more other dead ships of a similar nature, and there we stayed all winter. ...[T]here were no visitors and I almost never went ashore. Those long winter nightsRead MoreTheme For History B 12 Years A Slave2487 Words   |  10 Pagescruel it was, but I would not know unless I actually had to experience it myself. I’m not a voyeur of slavery, but I am a spectator through reading and watching. I do not enjoy reading a novel or observing a film that involves anything with black suffering, but in contrast I believe that by engaging in this type of theatre you can become a witness. I use this source of entertainment to gain knowledge and learn a sense of entitlement to my own history. I am a black man in America with no known ancestralRead MoreEssay about A Raisin in the Sun1559 Words   |  7 Pageshousing segregation, but also foreshadowed the impending civil and women’s rights movements. Indeed, more than four years prior to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech in Washington, D.C., Hansberry asked her audience to consider â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (Hansberry 3). A rhetorical question, borrowed from the Langston Hughes poem that serves as an epitaph to her play and an inspiration for her title, Hansberry suggests that while delayed dreams may â€Å"dry up / Like a raisin in the

Introduction to Green Computing free essay sample

This definition means preventing computers to damage environment or use computing to improve the situation of nature for any organisms, especially humans. San Meringues defined green computing field in the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices as this: the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystems-?such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems -? efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment.This goal can affect different aspects of computing and IT. These aspects can be involved of making hardware which use less electricity or new software that control the amount of light which are turned on in a big office. One of the important issues in green computing is recycling any devices or equipment which using in IT or computing. E. G. Parts which used in computers or laptops or recycling used papers and use recycled papers. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to Green Computing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Alongside of many different ways for reducing the usage of electricity by computers, there are many efficient ways for reducing the human usage of electricity in daily life.As Patrick Kurd said in his article, In recent years, Microsoft and other companies have built data centers in central Washington to take advantage of the hydroelectric power produced by two dams in the region. The Microsoft facility, which consumes up to 27 megawatts of energy at any given time, is powered by hydroelectricity. There are many companies which ask their employees to work in their house rather than going to the office and burn fuels. These activities keep our environment alive and help us to protect it from changing to a non-life place.

Insomnia Essay Example For Students

Insomnia Essay Insomnia How many times during the night do we toss and turn, check the clock, and find it ticking away and tell ourselves, If I could fall asleep right now I would get at least five hours of sleep? But, sleep doesnt come so we continue to toss and turn. This happens to many people and may suffer from a disorder known as insomnia. People who suffer from this disorder have many complaints, and many have similar symptoms. Symptoms can vary from stress to pain to always feeling tired. Insomnia is a very difficult disease to have to live with. It is hard for both those that suffer from it and their family members. According to Linde and Savaleys, The Sleep Book, (1974), the person who has trouble sleeping is not alone (p. 9). They also claim, An estimated thirty million people suffer from chronic insomnia (p.9). Many non-insomniacs have occasional periods when they wonder if theyd make it through a sleepless night. Many insomniacs cant fall asleep because of pain and discomfort. Those that can fall asleep but cant stay asleep might be caused from depression, or too many things to worry about. In Ernest Hartmanns The Sleeping Pill (1978) some causes of insomnia (p. 113). He states that pain and discomfort do indeed play an important part in the difficulty remaining asleep. For those having difficulty remaining asleep might be because of depression or having too much to worry about. In Linde and Savarys, The Sleep Book (1974), Dr. Dale C. Friend claims, insomnia can be classified by four causes: tension, fatigue, discomfort, and in and out insomnia (p. 100). Tension insomnia occurs mostly in executives or people who worry about their businesses. Tension builds up inside during the day and is still inside at bedtime, it wont come out, so they tend to worry and are not able to go tot sleep. Fatigue insomnia happens when people who get tired during the day and then they take a nap in the early afternoon and as a result they cannot go to sleep at bedtime. People suffering from discomfort insomnia often complain of stomach upsets, such as ulcers, toothaches, or arthritis. This causes them to wake up during the night, which gives them discomfort. In and out insomnia occurs when patients feel that they didnt sleep at all during the night when they really did, but only stayed in the first stages of light sleep and woke up frequently throughout the night. Dr. Allan Rec htschaffen states in Linde and Savarys The Sleep Book, (1974) Insomniacs spend less time in REM sleep than normal sleepers (p. 110). REM sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep is the final stage of sleep reached in a normal sleep cycle. To better understand this cycle of sleep scientists have used an electroencephalogram to measure brain waves during sleep. A normal sleep cycle consists of five distinct stages with paradoxical, or REM stage being the final stage. REM sleep is what is commonly known as deep sleep. There are many other causes of Insomnia such as the many environmental causes said by Ernest Hartmanns The Sleeping Pill (1978). Hartmann states, any loud noise or sounds that can irritate or aggravate can disrupt a persons sleep (p. 116). When trying to sleep, the littlest things can bother someones sleep whether hearing the bathroom water faucet dripping or even the heater coming on during the night. All these things can keep a person up all night when they are suffering fro m insomnia. He also claims, there is a condition sometimes called habit insomnia' (p. 116). Habit insomnia is when something caused the insomnia in the past so when the sufferer associates it into habit. For example, when the see the bed that they have difficulty sleeping on, they condition themselves to think that they cant sleep because of the bed, therefore they dont sleep. In Mendelsons Human Sleep and Its Disorders, (1977) Incidence of insomnia was found by doing a sampling of 1,645 persons and it was found that 14% of those tested had trouble getting to sleep, (Karacan, et. al., 1973). The results tended to be higher for women than men and as age increased. Tiller,

Kerrice Lawrence Essays - Literature, Film, Fugitive Pieces, Culture

Kerrice Lawrence Dr. Gayle Thrift IDST 400-1 The Role of Language and Poetic Devices in Fugitive Pieces by Ann Michaels Fugitive Pieces from the onset is undoubtedly a thrilling fiction novel. The author Anne Michaels has successfully employed first person narration and use of metaphor to illustrate events that would not be achieved by any other style. Clearly, this is a nov el that tries, through literary devices to reconstruct the experiences that survivors of the holocaust underwent. It defies earlier propositions put forth by Adorno in the Prisms , that no one should write poetry on the Auschwitz accounts as it would result in barbarism (Almon, 47) . B y virtue of this, it is clear that Fugitive Pieces is intended to portray a picture that it is possible for survivors to live with their traumatizing memories of their past, with their memories of having escaped death narrowly and still continue to live normal lives (Skog, 201). Through constant memory of the narrator, Jakob, about his family and especially his sister Bella, the author successfully delivers her messa ge that there is hope for humanity to l ive by faith and po rtray the effects that the H olocaust had on the populations that were affected. Every narrative can be thought of as a mysterious na rra tive because as Ann Michae ls has said through her character, Athos in Fugitive Pieces , "There's nothing that a man will not do to another , nothing tha t a man will not do for another " (114). The motives and intentions of a human being are complex and difficult to sort out. Their behavior could be motivated by a spontaneous feeling or by years of mulling over an injustice they feel they have to readdress. Perhaps something as simple as a rain storm can motivate an act of kindness or an act of violence. The environmental atmo sphere of a behavior may be as important as the inner workings of the human brain. For example if the environment is a concentration camp or a Nazi SS unit who can say what moves a person t o act for the good or the bad; at least there is no way to be sure with one hundred p ercent certainty. Even the person who is doing the behavior cannot necessarily be su re of why they behaved in this or that way at exactly noon on Friday in the year of 1943. Fugitive Piece s is a mostly beautifully written examination of the human condition with the traumatic events of World War II in Europe and the H olocaust in Germany acting, I would say , as main ch aracters in the book along with the human characters. Athos , a Greek archaeologist , encounters a "bog boy" when closing down a German archaeology site before return ing to Greece (Michaels, 5). The "bog boy " had become a boy of the bog because his parents and beloved sister had been s tolen from him by Nazi soldiers (Michaels, 5). The boy had hidden in a secret place in the house to avoid interaction with the Nazis. Then he became an organic part of the forest in order to survive while hiding from the Nazis outside of his r uined home. This paper argues t hat Athos, the savior of the seven year old forest boy named Jakob , is the conscience of the world. In other words Athos embodies the shock, the shame, the fear, the failures and the successes the world experienced while tryi ng to understand the horrifying legacy of WWII. Jacob's experience as a survivor mirrors the experiences and feelings of other survivors of s uch traumatic events using the H olocaust as the example. The hypothesis is that Jakob follows a path to sanity although the odds were certainly stacked against him. Michaels is expressing a way to retain o ptimism in the face of despair by describing the reaction to trauma as a universal behavior (Caruth as cited by Aloui, 10) . This paper follows the jo urney that Jakob travels with Athos in the first part of the book. The most meaningful and moving part of Fugitive Pieces

Budget-Friendly Beauty Tips For College Students

Budget-Friendly Beauty Tips For College Students Budget-Friendly Beauty Tips For College Students Who says beauty needs to be costly? With a little ingenuity, you can improve your skin tone and add life and shine to your hair without breaking the bank. You just need to have the right materials on hand and use the right techniques. Here are our top tips for staying beautiful that are easy on the budget: DIY face or body scrub with sugar There are many DIY body scrub options. A nice, low-cost one for the face is as follows†¦ stir a tablespoon or two of brown sugar into your everyday facial cleanser; and for the body, make a mixture of 1 part sugar to two parts oil. Wash with soap and water afterwards, and be especially careful after using this on the body as your bathroom floor might become slick from the oil. DIY body scrub with Epsom salt Another great way to remove dead skin cells and smoothen your skin is by using Epsom salt. Combine a cup or two of salt with your usual moisturizer and spread this all over the body. Caring for your feet To make the discoloration fade from your nails, use some lemon juice. Just immerse your feet in a solution of water and lemon juice for several minutes. For dry and rough heels and soles, rub some olive oil on your feet and leave it overnight covered with a pair of socks. Banish foot odor Lightly dust the inside of your shoes with baking soda instead of your usual foot powder to prevent odor. You can also try soaking your feet for several minutes in a solution of water and Epsom salt. Combat pimples Citrus foods like strawberries are good for your body inside and out. Problem skin can be controlled by blending equal parts strawberries and yogurt and rubbing this all over the face. Leave it on for at least 15 minutes then wash your face with soap and water. Remove makeup You don’t need expensive makeup remover to cleanse your skin. Just pour olive oil or even baby oil on a cotton ball and use this to wipe your face clean. Make your hair shiny and soft Get naturally beautiful hair with baking soda and honey. Make a paste with baking soda and water and rub this onto your hair instead of shampoo to rid your hair of dirt and impurities. After washing your hair, use some honey in lieu of conditioner and then rinse well. Moisturize skin Honey contains powerful antioxidants that can restore dry skin. Smear some honey all over your face, leave it for several minutes and then wash it off with soap and water. Alternatively, you can use the pulp of an avocado and ripe banana and use the mixture as a facial mask. Buy quality One of the worst mistakes you can make is buying low-priced, low-quality products. What ends up happening is that they break or become unusable in a short period of time and you end up having to buy a replacement in no time. Take airbrush makeup kits for example. You can get cheap kits for around $98, but paying just $100 extra gets you a kit far more likely to last longer so you end up saving in the medium term. So, by all means watch the budget, but that’s doesn’t mean you need to buy cheap. Whiten teeth The many uses of baking soda are truly astounding, whitening teeth being one of them. You can replace your regular toothbrush with baking soda for cleaner, whiter teeth. If you don’t have baking soda, lemon juice also does a good job of reducing discolorations and there are many other options also. Why pay for expensive teeth whitening when you can do it cheaply from home?! Energize your eyes Potato slices over your eyes can minimize swelling and improve dark under eyes. At a pinch, you can also press the area under your eyes with the back of a cold spoon.

Ethical Theories Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Theories Paper - Essay Example determined solely by its resulting consequent, though there is still a debate over the extent of consideration that should be offered to intended consequences, foreseen consequences and actual consequences. Utilitarianism can be said to be a reductionist and a quantitative approach to ethics, as well as a form of naturalism (Zilioli, 2007). It is the opposite of deontological ethics, virtue ethics, ethical egoism, and pragmatic ethics. This is an absolutist and deontological approach. It is based on the fact that individuals should believe in doing things because it is the right thing to do meaning and the duty of an individual to perform a certain act, which can be regarded as right. It does not believe that each act should be done because it results in happiness but should be done because it is the appropriate thing to do. Kant’s ethics are based on A Priori reasoning while Mill’s and Bentham’s are based on A Posteriori logic (Zilioli, 2007). This is a theory which was developed in anthropological research as axiomatic in the few initial decades of 20th century by Franz Boas and popularized later by his students (Peoples & Bailey, 2012). Boas did not coin the term. Cultural relativism involves certain methodological and epistemological claims. It is still debated whether these claims necessitate a particular ethical stance or not. This principle should be carefully distinguished from moral relativism. This is a principle of truth based on the statement "if one believes something it is true." The outcome of individual relativism results in two obvious absurdities, and consequently one nail-in-the-coffin objection. To begin with, the most obvious absurdity that is a consequent of individual relativism is if everybodys beliefs are true, then there would not be any false belief. This means everybody is always right, and their beliefs are true and cannot be false. The second relatively obvious absurdity is if there are no false beliefs, then no one will ever

Response to Client Request Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response to Client Request - Essay Example Since, in this case the client holds the position of the lessor and the customer that has reached the client would fill the place of the lessee in this agreement. Therefore, from the client’s perspective, the leases from the standpoint for lessor hold significant value. Sales-type leases are the leases that give rise to a profit or loss to the lessor with the lease agreement as it would have done had the leased property been sold. This is because the leased property is given to the lessee at the fair value of the property which may be higher or less than the actual cost of the property. Direct financing leases are a very important type of leases as they are widely used in the lease agreements. There are certain criteria that must be met in order for a lease agreement to quality for direct financing lease. ... following criteria; the lease agreement includes three parties that are lessor, a long term creditor and a lessee, the financing provided by the long term creditor is nonrecourse as to the general credit of the lessor, the lessor’s net investment in the lease declines during the early years and rises in the later years. Any other types of leases, other than those described above, are classified as operating leases. In case of this client, the following points should also be taken into consideration. In case of direct financing lease or sales-type lease, it is also important for the lessor to ensure that the collectability of the minimum lease payments is reasonably predictable. A lessor shall not classify a lease as a direct financing lease or a sales-type lease merely on the basis of an estimate regarding the collectability of the minimum lease payments based on the prior experience with the lessee or prior experience with similar groups of receivables. The lessor should also make sure that no important uncertainties surround the amount of reimbursements to be made by the lessor to the lessee in relation to the performance of the leased property. The uncertainties might arise due to extensive guarantee provided by the lessor regarding the performance of the leased property. In this case, lessee might retrieve the amount of loss, if any, incurred by the lessee due to the lack of performance of the leased property as opposed to what was promised by the lessor. These factors shall apply in the case of the client as the client must ensure that the customer that has reached the client would be able to pay the minimum lease payments without any default in the payments. This can be ensured by conducting a market survey regarding the integrity of the customer. If the

Thresher Sinking Atlantic Ocean (1963) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Thresher Sinking Atlantic Ocean (1963) - Essay Example The disaster is also blamed on an electrical fault that saw vital pumps stop working. Known to be the worst submarine accident in U.S. history, engineers have learnt a lot from the event. Engineers have learnt the importance of upholding standards and procedures, testing procured materials, and prioritizing safety over other factors when it comes to designing and building products. Sinking of the Thresher in the Atlantic Ocean in 1963 Introduction Engineers are credited for designing different machines, equipment and structures that serve to overcome certain specific problems. As they undertake their works, engineers go to great depths to ensure that whatever they design work as efficiently as possible. Understanding the risks that their designs may pose to the public and infrastructure, they often do a lot of calculations and incorporate safety measures wherever they can in their designs. Furthermore, they are tasked with choosing materials that have properties that match the functi ons for which they are to be used. In as much as engineers do their best to ensure that what they design and make work without failing, this is not always the case. Sometimes, engineering systems fail leading to massive losses. One case of failure that resulted from an engineering error is the sinking of Thresher submarine in the Atlantic Ocean. ... Navy at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Bentley, 1975). The submarine, which was at its time, the most advanced, was engaged in several sea trials in the Caribbean sea and the Atlantic Ocean between 1961 and 1962 only to prove its prowess as a war machine. The machine was so technologically advanced that it was rated the fastest and quietest submarine ever to be built in the world then, specifically dedicated to searching and destroying Soviet submarines (Bentley, 1975). Its sonar system had the capacity to detect ships and other submarines as far away as other submarines could not detect. Furthermore, it was installed with a highly technical weapons system which included the newest anti-submarine missile that the U.S. Navy had – the SUBROC. Apart from these amazing characteristics, the Thresher could dive far below any other machine of its ilk. Having been hit by a tug that damaged its ballast tanks while moored at Port Canaveral, Florida, it was necessary for the Thresher to undergo repairs, have its systems examined and before it could be fully certified for use during operations. After the submarine was finally certified to be operational, it was set to undergo routine tests on April, 9, 1963 (Bentley, 1975). Under the command of Lieutenant Commander John Wesley Harvey, the ship left the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine in the company of a rescue ship, Skylark, at 8 am. The rescue vessel accompanied the Thresher so that it could provide rescue services to those onboard the submarine in case of any problem. The Skylark had the capacity to provide rescue services to the submarine up to a maximum depth of about 850 feet (Bentley, 1975). The submarine

Critical Elements of User Experience Design

Critical Elements of User Experience Design Prof. Michael Weyrich, Tobias Jung, Zeller Christian Zange Hossain Mohammad Faysal Ebna Hossain Critical Elements of User Experience Design as a Success Factor for Virtual Working Spaces in the Digital Enterprise Basis    Thesis No: Type: Class of Process Model: Student: Supervisor: Begin: End: 2843 MT Model for Conceptional Projects Hossain Jg/Ze 20.09.2016 20.03.2017 Document: Version: Author: Date: Status: Basis 1.0 Hossain 16.03.17 submitted File Name: Pages: Print Date: Template: co-basis-v10 31 co-basis.dotm (Program of study: INFOTECH) Document Version Management Version Author QA Date Status Changes 0.1 Hossain Jg 11.11.2016 in progress Creation 1.0 Hossain Jg 22.02.2017 submitted Initial Submission 1.1 Introduction An Enterprise Network is the backbone of communications within an enterprise or organization that that enables the employees and stakeholders communicate with each other in an efficient and effective manner. A digital enterprise workplace is where technology, processes, people, and the Enterprise organization converge to enhance agility, engagement, and productivity. It is a virtual platform where employees and stakeholders can get the technology tools they require to do their tasks effortlessly. [UBMC15] .Here we are talking about the underlying professional and personal network. It enhances internal and external enterprise communication superintendence. The interactive characteristics on the Internet, Wiki and blogosphere have become essential nowadays. With two-thirds of the worlds Internet population are visiting a social networking or blogging site, and the amount of time spent on these platforms are increasing at more than three times the rate of overall Internet growth [UNiel09]. The Enterprise network has also been changing over past years. Social technologies have been added to the Enterprise network to increase productivity to and communication. Social technologies have apprehended the thought of consumers, business leaders, and political leaders. Millions of people have adopted new practices: conveying social interactions online, developing connections, and building and sharing content. Social technologies can be described as digital technologies utilized by people to communicate socially and collectively to build, improve, and exchange contents. Social technologies possess three major characteristics: Figure 1: Characteristics of Social Technologies [McK12] People can communicate socially (e.g., chat, share personal news, send greetings), social technologies enable anybody inside a community or organization to create, add, or modify content and communications. This involves combining or deleting content such as a document or a link, contributing to content supplemented by others, endorsing (e.g., liking a piece of content), or executing an action that an individual knows will be shared. The way of knowledge sharing and communication has been dramatically changed or improved as a side effect of using social technologies. Social technologies can perform a central role in how information is gathered, sourced, analyzed, and disseminated among interested person. 1.2 Applications incorporating Social Technologies and digital workplace    Social technologies incorporate a wide range of applications for both Customers and Enterprises. The figure below has been taken from the report published by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) that includes applications used for social technologies: Figure 2: Wide range of applications for social technologies [McK12] Social network: A Social structure comprised of a collection of social actors (for example organizations or individuals), a collection of dyadic ties, and other social interactions among social actors are known as the Social Network. This perspective provides an assemblage of methods for analyzing the structure of all social entities. [Was94] Blogs/Microblogs: A blog is a conversation or informational web platform published on the World Wide Web comprising of discrete and usually informal diary-style text entries (called posts). Posts are usually arranged in reverse sequential order, so that the very recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. [UBlog17]. Microblogging is a service that facilitates its users to send and announce small notes, normally just text and typically react to queries. The blog is generally a personal reflection. Rating and reviews: Rating and review provide a way that enables users or readers to rank the content socially. It also allows users to reveal their feelings about the content (usually through emoticons). Social commerce: Social commerce is basically a subset of electronic commerce. It involves online social   media that promotes social interaction, and user participation to support online purchasing and selling of goods and services.[USoCo13] Wiki: A wiki is a web-based platform that implements collaborative modification of its content and composition right away from the web browser. In a conventional wiki, the words are written using a simplified markup language (known as wiki markup) and usually edited with the aid of a rich-text editor. [EnBr08]. The wiki the jointly edited content where approved users can jointly edit and publish the content. Discussion Forum: An Internet forum is an online discussion platform where users can hold discussions in the form of posted messages. The posted messages are usually longer than one line of text and are often archived. Additionally, the forum set-up in such a way that a posted message may need to be validated by a moderator before it becomes published. [UWiFo08]. The core idea of the Forum is the exchange of ideas or topics. Shared workspaces: The shared workspace is an interrelated ecosystem in which all users in separated areas can reach and interact with each other. The ecosystem maintained by electronic communications which facilitate users to overcome location and time differentials. The environment is facilitated by a shared rational paradigm, general information, and a common perception by all of the members despite physical position. Crowdsourcing: Crowdsourcing is a specific sourcing model in which individuals or organizations use contributions from Internet users to obtain needed services or ideas. Crowdsourcing was coined in 2005 as a portmanteau of crowd and outsourcing. [Mat11] Social gaming: A social network game is a type of online game that is played through social networks.[Jarv09] They typically feature multiplayer and asynchronous gameplay mechanics. Social network games are most often implemented as browser games, but can also be implemented on other platforms such as mobile devices.[Kim11] Media and file sharing: Media and files sharing among the members have a significant impact on knowledge and information sharing. It provides flexibility and alternative means to work collaboratively with the members. 2.1 Introduction User experience design is the method of improving user satisfaction with a product by enhancing the usability, accessibility, and pleasure rendered in the interaction with the product. This section begins with regular usability evaluation and why it has become progressively critical to focus on the user experience (UX). 2.2 What is Usability Usability is a quality attribute that determines how usable is a system or product by its user. The term Usability also points to methods for enhancing ease-of-use throughout the design or development process. Nielsen Norman group mentioned five quality components that defines the term Usability: [UNiel12] Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design? Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks? Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they reestablish proficiency? Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors? Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design? In brief, Usability determines how easy pleasant a product/system to use. 2.3 Importance of Usability It is very much crucial to make a system where users should not have to think too hard while they are using the system. The user should not have to refer to help sections, and they should not be constrained to feel stupid. By observing the user, finding the usability issues and resolving them in an appropriate manner these situations can be avoided. System developers usually forget that they are not typical users. There may be aspects of the system that seem apparent to the developer that might, in fact, be entirely confusing to the users. It is therefore essential to take a step back once in a while and make sure that the users are not left behind. Usability Testing is an indispensable aspect of the User-Centred method that establishes the user, at the heart of the development process rather than the system. Embracing such an approach pushes that the user should be foremost in the design determinations. According to the International Standards Organization (ISO 9241-11: Guidance on Usability) Usability is the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. These three factors are very much important to attain business goals. An effective website An efficient website A satisfied user allows customers (users) to achieve their goals provides answers quickly achieves their goal has a high conversion rate follows a logical sequence enjoys their experience meets business objectives doesnt waste resources tells others delivers a positive brand image requires less content management time comes back again Table 1: Why Usability parameters are important [URed11] Usability testing lets the design and development teams recognize problems before roll out of the system. The earlier flows are identified and fixed; the less costly the fixes will be concerning both resource time and possible influence to the schedule.   During a usability test: Investigate the activities of the participants to see whether it meets usability objectives Identify how satisfied users are with the system or product Discover if users can accomplish specified tasks as intended Experience how long it takes to accomplish specified tasks Determine adjustments needed to enhance user performance and satisfaction 2.4 Usability Evaluation Conventionally evaluating the usability of a product does not come into play until the system development is completed or nearly completed. Once completed, users would be requested to accomplish certain tasks on the system. Their performance would then be measured, often using the five usability attributes of Nielsen: Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Errors and Satisfaction.[UNiel12] This way of usability testing does not include users until very late in the project and concentrates on the system rather than how the user experiences the System. Racing toward launch without looking back might have seemed like a good idea back when the launch date was set, but the result is likely to be a product that meets all the technical requirements for the project but does not work for your users. Even worse, by tackling user experience evaluation on at the end, you might end up launching a product that you know is broken but have no opportunity (or money left) to fix. [Garret10] This means of usability evaluation is often named user acceptance testing. The term accepting is important here, symbolizing that the focus lies on whether the user accepts the system, rather than whether he/she can use the system as intended 2.5 User Experience Focus Technological improvements in ubiquitous computing have created an opportunity for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to be a massive part of our day-to-day life. This has effected a shift from traditional usability engineering to so-called User Experience, where the emotions and motivations of the end-user are provided a principal role than traditional usability metrics such as efficiency and effectiveness. There have been studies about defining User Experience amongst UX professionals that have demonstrated inconclusive [Law09] and these are within the field of Human-Computer Interaction. One could dispute that the principles following UX could be applied to any production process. The nearest we can get to a definition is addressed in the ISO 9241-210 standard on the Ergonomics of Human System Interaction Part 210: Human-Centred Design for interactive systems (ISO, 2008): A persons perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service Above statement highlights the experience the user has while using or anticipates using a particular product. The notion of anticipated use grants the idea that UX can play a crucial role in the early development stages of system development mentioning that thinking UX before an actual working system is ready can produce invaluable input. User experience specialists strive to make the system User-Centered. It indicates that while the development of the system the user is constantly the principal focus point and drives the evolution process. According to the ISO standard, six postulates assure the product is User-Centered:[UUCD17] 1. The design is based upon an explicit understanding of users, tasks and environments. 2. Users are involved throughout design and development. 3. The design is driven and refined by user-centered evaluation. 4. The process is iterative. 5. The design addresses the whole user experience. 6. The design team includes multidisciplinary skills and perspectives. Second Principle (Users are involved throughout design and development) entails that UX teams should include users in all design stages: not just by operating a focus group at the beginning of design or by administering a survey at the end of the project. 3.1 Introduction Usability testing involves watching representative users working with the system so that development team can make improvements based on what participants do with the system. Usability testing provides invaluable feedback about how the users behave with the system. Knowing how users behave helps to create a much more suitable Platform or application. Rather than just guessing about what people might like on these, it is possible to see their reactions first hand, and then make sure that the system contains just the right features. Learning about issues early in the process saves development time and money. Rather than spending time developing the wrong thing, a quick usability test will tell the developer whether they are on the right track or not. Getting the data directly from the users is a much better way of doing design work than arguing about features among the team. In fact, usability testing is a great way of stopping arguments. Rather than spending time on fighting over whose idea is best, put the concepts in front of real users to see how well they can work with them. There is nothing quite like real user feedback that helps to determine the best way forward. The thing that separates usability testing from many other methods is that with usability testing, it is possible to see real behaviors, what people do rather than just asking what people think. Often watching people do something is the only way to really understand where the issues lie and how to fix the problems you see. Ease of use doesnt originate from wishful thinking. It comes from conveying methodical usability engineering activities throughout the project lifecycle. This is a real effort and sacrifices real money, though not as much as some people worry. It is possible to conduct simple forms of user testing in a few days and obtain vast insights into both user behavior and recommended design enhancements. 3.2 Usability Costs To estimate the total cost of usability (as opposed to the price of a single test), Nielsen Norman Group collected data from 863 design projects that incorporated Usability Testing. Depending on how they have calculated it, usability costs were within 8% and 13% of the projects budget. Based on these findings from other surveys, they have concluded that current best practices call for dedicating about 10% of a projects budget to usability. [UNiel03] In reality, the cost of usability doesnt extend linearly with project size, since many usability testing cost about the same, notwithstanding of how big the project is. A project thats ten times larger, for example, usually requires only four times more usability spending. 3.3 Reduce Development Cost Accurate planning at the start of a Systems design process will save time, money and effort in the long run. A study by Smith Reinersten found that the critical system-design decisions made during the first 10% of a products design process can determine 90% of the products cost and performance. This is an outstanding illustration of how a little investment at an initial stage can have a tremendous positive impact on the final product. [UWilson14] The more money will organization invest in usability at an initial design stage the greater will have the end product. A tiny amount of cash spent on usability design and testing will save the organization from costly design fixes or redesigns later in the cycle. 3.4 Reduced Support Costs An enormous gain of financing in usability is diminished support costs. Just put, a System with better usability will reduce potential customer support concerns and eventually reduce customer support costs. An excellent way to enhance the websites usability, while decreasing support costs is by giving online guidance to the users. Another illustration of how financing in usability at the early stage of the design process will save the money at a later stage. A study by Pressman found that 80% of costs during a softwares lifecycle come from the maintenance phase. The study also found that greatest part of these costs rises out of unmet or unforeseen user requirements. [UWilson14] Figure 3: Reduced call and support costs minimizes maintenance cost Spending in usability helps to resolve these issues during the design stage, where they can be dispensed with at a much lower price. All redundant second that the support staff uses responding to a customer support issue (time when paying for their wages) is the cost of poor usability investment. 3.5 Increased Sales Its not a big leap in logic to claim that improved usability for customers will make them more likely to execute a purchase or to extend their purchase volume. A study by Creative Good discovered that giving a better experience for the customers will prolong the quantity of purchasers by 40%. [UWilson14] Another study by UI Engineering observed that by giving sufficient product information to your customers at the right time you can increase sales on your site by up to 225%. [UWilson14] Improved usability makes for satisfied clients who are more likely to purchase, eventually expanding the businesss profits. 3.6 Usability Benefits The Nielsen Norman Group have analyzed data from 42 cases where usability metrics were available for website redesigns. Averaged across the 42 pairs of measures they had found, usability increased by 135% when they omitted five outliers with especially significant usability improvements. (If they include these outliers, the average improvement jumps to 202%.) [UNiel03] The improvement in usability metrics differed depending on the metric, as the following table shows: Table 2: The improvement in usability metrics differed depending on the metric [UNiel03] The current study of Nielsen Norman Group does not incorporate intranet redesign projects. However, based on their studies of intranet design potential, Jakob Nielsen consider that the average improvement in intranet usability metrics is a bit below 100%. [UNiel03] 3.6.1 Co-Creation Certainly, the very common metric of ROI is financial, and a tested-to-breaking-point product, including a user-centric UI, will assure the user experience is a pleasurable one, promoting more exchanges, and, in turn, increased revenue. 3.6.2 Trust If the organization is providing the users a great user experience, the organization will also be strengthening trust in the brand. A user is more reasonably to retain with a website or platform that theyve earlier had a trouble-free experience of, than one thats showed something of a usability nightmare. How many customers are using the system, and how many are yielding to use again, can be tracked via analytics software. 3.6.3 Productivity Profits can also be gained through an increase in productivity of any employee. Systems need rigorous testing to assure the design and UI are helpful to an experience that cuts the time it needs to accomplish a task, enabling the employee to gain more. 4.1 Introduction The scope of this user experience and usability testing of the platform is for the pilot of GIZs enterprise portal which is focused on GIZs communities of practice. For this instance, it is very much important to understand the community business processes and the specific use cases for GIZs communities of practice (CoP). A community is a group of experts / development practitioners that share knowledge on common development topics and challenges as well as work collaboratively on effective, efficient, innovative, sustainable solutions based on their own experiences and expertise. A community is a collection of people with shared values, behaviors and artifacts. 4.2 Communities of practice Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. [UWen15] Shared domain: It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Website à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   community. Sense of community: In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. Shared practice: Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems-in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction. Communities of practice have a great impact on organizational value chain and knowledge management including knowledge sharing. The infusing factors based on the effectiveness of the communities on practice has been explained by W.M.H. Oosting in 2009 which has shown below: Figure 4: Influencing elements of the effectiveness of a CoP [Oosting09] The core is the proper connection between purpose, content, content, conversations and connections where the purpose is at the center and everything is linked bi-directionally with it. From the figure we can express wrathfully that setting up the purpose has a great impact on the success of CoP. 4.3 Community Management Framework For the business case of GIZ, we have clustered questions which lead to the Community Management Framework. These clusters lead to the business needs of GIZs Communities. Factor Questions Purpose and incentives What is in for me? What benefits do we hope to get? Strategic relevance of the common topic? Outcomes What useful (preliminary) outcomes do we want to achieve? Stakeholders /actors Who should be a member? What is their social glue/shared practice? Have key roles been defined? Negotiations What ground rules and milestones do we need for internal cooperation and management? Orientation What common vision have we agreed upon? Resources Budget for the community? Are members given enough resources by their business units/organizations? Strategy Strategy for planning and implementation by the community? Growth Plan/concept for increasing the number of members? How to turn new members into returning members? Content and moderation Who is/are the community manager/s? Do they have enough resources (time, opportunities and ability to build bridges) and the necessary status? What content is to be created and edited? What content can members be asked to input?

Pentium 4 Essay -- Intel CPU Central Processing Units

Recently Intel introduced their newest line of the Pentium 4 processors with the new Prescott core. In this paper I will discuss how the Pentium 4 processor works and the changes that have been made since its release, but mainly on the modifications in the newest Pentium 4's with the Prescott core. I will also briefly compare the performance levels of some of the different types of Pentium 4's. The Pentium 4 line of processors encompasses a large range of clock speeds, from 1.7GHz up to 3.6GHz in the Prescott chip. Pentium 4's are all built with the same Netburst microarchitecture, but there are varieties of front side bus speeds, chip layout, and cores available. For example at 2.8GHz, one could choose from four different Pentium 4s: the 2.8GHz (a Northwood core with a 533MHz front-side bus), the 2.8C (Northwood again, but with an 800MHz bus), the 2.8A (Prescott with a 533MHz bus), or the 2.8E (Prescott with 800MHz bus). In all there are four types Pentium 4 versions that Intel has released each having slight improvements then the last. The first Pentium 4 (Willamette) was introduced in November 2000 to replace its predecessor the Pentium 3. The Pentium 4 was the first to have a totally new chip architecture since the 1995 Pentium Pro. The biggest difference being Intel's introduction of the Netburst microarchitecture, which involved structural changes that affected how processing takes place within the chip. Aspects of the changes include: a 20-stage pipeline, which boosts performance by increasing processor frequency; a rapid-execution engine, which doubles the core frequency and reduces latency by enabling each instruction to be executed in a half (rather than a whole) clock cycle; a 400 MHz system bus, which ena... ...helped immensely in offsetting Prescott's enlarged 31-stage pipeline, but did not entirely make up the gap. On balance, Prescotts are slightly slower than Northwoods. In time it is expected that the Prescott P4s will look relatively stronger as SSE3 instructions are adopted in more software application and, especially, as clock speeds rise. But it seems that the real strength of Prescott seems to lie in its Hyper-Threading performance. In the most of the multitasking tests, the Prescott performed better than the Northwood CPU. The Pentium 4 Extreme Edition was the best performer, but unfortunately it is also very expensive. The P4 Extreme Edition had the best results for content creation and video editing applications. Also as Intel suggested the P4 Extreme Edition performed very well for games, but I do not believe it is significant enough to warrant the extra cost.

Reaction Paper Title Page Essay

â€Å"The music is all around us, all you have to do is listen.† August Rush a 2007 drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Paul Castro, Nick Castle, and James V. Hart, and produced by Richard Barton Lewis. Music has been part of our lives since memorable times. Undoubtedly, it has touched us at least once. Most people would agree that music is what helps someone to feel better or just to change one’s mood. In fact, different researches have already found a variety of benefits that it can bring. Advantages in the sensory area as well as in the emotional and cognitive ones are the most interesting topics that this current paper will analyze. Thus, one could understand and give much importance to Music in daily life. The sensory area involves everything related to senses and touch is one of them. According to Forgeard, 2008; Hyde, 2009; Schlaug et al., 2005; â€Å"Music enhances fine motor skills. Motor function is the ability to use small, acute muscle movements to write, use a computer, and perform other physical activities essential for classroom learning. The parts of the brain associated with sensory and motor function are developed through music instruction†. This helps to understand how important is music in the motor skills developing especially in children. One might clearly notice how difficult playing an instrument is; however, with practice it becomes easier. Hence, motor skills are developed. Children would become better in small movements like writing if playing an instrument is in their lives. Let us tackle on another benefit, emotions are part of any body and music may help us to change them depending on the situation. For example, when people want to feel relaxed, one thing they do is just play some music. Some people consider music as a relaxing tool in any area like work, school, home, etc. For instance, Jolkoyski points out that â€Å"Music gives pleasure and expresses nuances of emotional life for which there are no words†. Doubtless; the beat, lyrics, voice, melody or only the sound of any piece of music makes a person feel in a different place where nothing else exists. Then, by listening to music one can enter to an own world. Provided that music moves emotions, it also influences mood. There should be always a song which can change one’s attitude. For this reason; when someone is not calm enough; a soft song like a classical one can move it into relaxation. However, it depends on people’s likes because others could feel calmed with different genre. According to Bridget O’Connell â€Å"The effect of different types of music on mood will largely depend on people’s individual preference and experience† all depends on what people are into or love. Then, music helps a lot when emotions are involved. To the same extend, music plays an important role in the cognitive area. Researches have established that many different processes in the brain can be developed through music. â€Å"There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain,† says Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University. As a matter of fact, one can easily become good at certain activities if music forms part of his life. Therefore, music should be included in all places so that cognition could wake up in a strong way. By the same token, Professor Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University points out â€Å"To learn to read, you need to have good working memory, the ability to disambiguate speech sounds, make sound-to-meaning connections, each one of these things really seems to be strengthened with active engagement in playing a musical instrument.† Then one can say that music helps our brain and the cognitive area in fact. Consequently, many different aspects in the cognitive development can be improved when music appears. To sum up, music will always form part of our lives. Good advantages could be taken if one notices how useful music is. Good sensory, emotions or cognitive would be the results of it. Thus, music should be in us since we are conscious of it and then anyone can be benefit of it. References http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/early-music-lessons-have-longtime-benefits/ http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/814331/10-reasons-why-your-child-should-play-a-musical-instrument-1 http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/health-benefits-of-music.htm http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-benefits-of-music-education/ http://www.aep-arts.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Music-Matters-Final.pdf

Why Are Young People Predisposed to Negative Influence

Why Are Young People Predisposed to Negative Influence Raising children is never easy. It takes a lot of time, patience, and understanding to make sure your children end up on the right path. Raising children is never easy. It takes a lot of time, patience, and understanding to make sure your children end up on the right path. While you might do everything you can to teach them the right way to behave and live life, that doesnt mean that there isnt a chance that something isnt going to cause them to stray. Many people feel that some children are more rebellious by nature. They think that it doesnt matter what the parents say or do because children are going to behave a certain way regardless of what you teach them. That isnt necessarily the case. Children End Up Being Rebellious for Many Reasons When children act up, many end up saying it is because they were born that way and it is just their nature. While this might be a simple way out, it isnt the case. No child is born rebellious or wants to act out of control. It is something that they pick up on over the years. Children tend to be rebellious for a number of other factors. SEXUAL CONTENT ON TV HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON TEENAGERS Something like having their parents divorce can cause a child to become rebellious. They act out because they want attention and dont feel like they are getting enough attention now that one parent is out of the home. It is a cry for help. They are letting you know that there is something going on emotionally and they need a little extra help to get through the ordeal. They arent acting up and going against you because they are hard-wired that way. By taking the time to learn whats really going on beneath the surface, you can begin the healing process and help turn things around for your child. It only takes your being willing to listen and work with them to get things going in the right direction once again. Rebellion Doesnt Equal Negative Influences While all children are going to push the boundaries at some point in time or another, that doesnt mean that they are always going to be that way. Many associate rebellious children as those who are always going to do the wrong thing and hang out with the wrong crowd. Sure, that might happen every now and again, but it isnt necessarily the norm. There are a number of rebellious children who have a lot of positive influences in their life on a regular basis. In fact, they were probably just like their peer group at one point. That is  until something happened that changed their life around and caused an upset in it. Negative Influences Are Everywhere As much as you might want your children only to hang with the right crowds and do the right things, you cannot control everything going on in their lives. There will always be negative influences out there for your children to deal with on a regular basis. The key is being able to teach them the differences between what is right and what is wrong and helping guide them on the right path. Even though you arent always going to be there to make the decisions for them, you can try to help in any way you can by preparing them for what they might face on a regular basis. SINGLE-PARENT CHILDREN BEHAVIOUR Negative influences will always be around. Whether it be in the form of peer pressure, a co-worker, friend, family member or something else, you cannot escape it. The only thing you can do is to take the time to make sure your children know what they should or shouldnt be doing and how to deal with any negative situations that might arise. Growing up is difficult enough already. By taking the time to try and prepare your children for everything the world holds in store for them as they grow older, you can make things a little easier and far less stressful. Remember, no child sets out to be rebellious. There is always something else going on beneath the surface that you need to address.

Get a job in sales with no experience

Get a job in sales with no experience Are you facing this classic career conundrum: You’re interested in getting a job in sales, which often requires sales experience, but you’re new to the field and don’t know how to break in. How do you get a job that often requires experience when you’re just starting out?Don’t let these questions derail you from pursuing a career in sales- there are pathways forward, even without a packed resume. Consider the following strategies if you’re interested in getting a job in sales but lack experience.Start at the bottom.This is a traditional way of starting out in a new industry or field- but it’s still relevant and effective today! Consider working under an experienced salesperson or sales team in an industry that interests you- perhaps as an assistant or intern if feasible- and make the most of that opportunity to learn the ropes and get your feet wet. Not only will you learn the ins and outs of sales, you’ll also have valuable exp erience that you can include on your resume.Highlight transferable skills.Revisit your resume in an effort to spin the work experience you do have to highlight your â€Å"sales potential.† Think about the qualities that good salespeople possess- are you talented at public speaking and delivering presentations? Do you have experience convincing colleagues of the value of your ideas on projects? Perhaps you’re a negotiating whiz with a track record of proven results? These are all transferable skills- they’ve served you well in your current or past positions and they’re potentially valuable skills in the world of sales. Make sure your resume’s bullet points and your cover letters make a convincing case for why this is true.Sell yourself in interviews.If you’ve followed the previous advice and made a great case in your resume and cover letter regarding your transferable skills and have landed an interview for a sales job, then congratulations- you’ve made a big first step forward. Your next step is to consider your interview as your first big sales challenge- you’re about to face a potentially tough â€Å"client† and your goal is to â€Å"sell† them on the idea that you’re worth taking a chance on!Before the day of the interview, make sure your persuasive skills are razor sharp, come equipped with real-world examples of how you’ve used your transferable, sales-related skills in previous positions effectively, and practice selling individuals- perhaps a friend, colleague, or family member- on the idea of hiring you for a sales job. Consider this time and effort an investment in your career goals.Do your homework.Another feather you can add to your job-hunting cap is a deep knowledge of each company you’re pursuing, along with some core industry knowledge. Invest some time in researching the field and how the company stacks up against the competition. Look for things that imp ress you about the company and be sure to include them in your cover letter as reasons why you’re eager to join the team. Also consider learning and dropping a few key sales industry terms in your cover letter- but don’t overdo it or it could come off as more pandering than knowledgeable.Face the challenge!When you’re going after a job in sales but have little or no experience, you’re facing an uphill challenge. You need to work extra hard in order to tip the odds in your favor, and the strategies listed here will help you do just that. The rest is up to you!

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Samsung Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Samsung - Essay Example Corporate social responsibility is a commitment by an organization to integrate responsible and ethical behaviour that contributes to both the economic development of the society and improves the quality of the life of the workforce, their families and the society by extension. It is a requirement today for firms to provide an annual report on the corporate responsibility status and how they intend to improve on such a situation (Yoo-Chul, 2010). Samsung is electronic manufacturing multinational that is based at the Samsung town in Seoul, South Korea and was founded by lee Byung-Chul in 1945; Samsung has grown to be one of the leading manufacturers of household electronics and other computer devices. It operates a number of conglomerates in different countries where most of its products are manufactured before distribution to the international markets. Samsung electronics, one of Samsung subsidiaries is the leading information technology companies according to a report released in 20 12 based on the revenues of the company. The company controls a sizeable influence of the economic and political policies that shape the development of the home country and is thus a powerful image in the country (Raymond, 2010). Samsung’s corporate social responsibilities Samsung has adopted a greater approach to corporate social responsibility that has contributed immensely to its development and growth and also to the positive image it has both in the home and international markets. This paper seeks to analyze the practices adopted by the company as part of their social corporate responsibility practices and how these practices has had an influence on the local and international markets (Lee, 2007). Samsung electronics believes that in their quest to realize sustainable growth and business performance that improves the value of the business, responsibility to the corporate citizens and the local communities must be improved. As a result, the company has developed a number of programs that aim at improving the lives of the people both within and without its ranks. The company, in line with this resolution established a social contribution program that seeks to help people with need within the local communities. In this program launched in 1995, all employees are enlightened on the need to contribute towards improving the life of the general population especially of those communities around the company’s establishments (Samsung Inc, 2011). A social contribution secretariat was developed by the company to coordinate the collection of the funds from the employees before developing framework on how it will be used. Experts in these secretariats develop policies that support employee’s volunteer programs that are part of the company’s corporate social responsibility program. The CSR motto of Samsung is ‘another family’ to illustrate the commitment of the company to the society as a whole just like any family within the soc iety would do. This program supports better future for the teenagers, assist children from low income families and the implementation of a family wellbeing program. In 2007, as part of the secretariats commitment to social responsibility, over 2500 company employees volunteered to contribute to in undertakings that were geared towards improving the lives of the surrounding communities (United Nations, 2009). Active involvements in societal activities improve an organizations image and

Australian Aboriginal Music and the Didjeridu Research Paper

Australian Aboriginal Music and the Didjeridu - Research Paper Example There is a diversity of culture among Aboriginal communities that is exhibited in the diversity of music, techniques, songs, and instruments. Ethnomusicology in Australian Aboriginal Culture Ethnomusicology is the art of using various approaches in defining music which is connected to a certain nation, group and ethnicity. This study helps in researches that are directly linked to a cultural group and the musical instruments that are used in their composition. It is openly expressed that ethnomusicology focuses on the cultural issue that connects the musical instruments to their culture (Atherton 48). The culture is steadfast and the musical instruments and musical composition will try to emphasize this fact. Similarly, the musical compositions state the need for the social setup during such cultural practices. In the ancient time, musical instruments and cultural music were savored as important activities that strengthened the culture of a community. As such, the generations that us ed this kind of social setting still use this as a social entertainment in their culture (Kaye 37). Similarly, the cultural instruments and music are used as a material to pass information to the community. This includes cognitive and biological dimensions which are expressed to the community. Since ethnomusicology is considered a Western culture, the cultural affiliations are rife in this part of the world. This explains why Australian Aboriginal music still thrives up to date. Though some of the western people are distanced from the cultural affiliations and music, they still have a soft spot for this kind of music and cultural practice (Atherton 48). It is known to instill the aspect of originality while serving the purpose of entertainment. Focusing on the... This "Australian Aboriginal Music and the Didjeridu" describes ethnomusicology in Australian aboriginal culture, types of traditional aboriginal music, instruments, and importance of the music. Ethnomusicology is the art of using various approaches in defining music which is connected to a certain nation, group and ethnicity. This study helps in researches that are directly linked to a cultural group and the musical instruments that are used in their composition. It is openly expressed that ethnomusicology focuses on the cultural issue that connects the musical instruments to their culture (Atherton 48). The culture is steadfast and the musical instruments and musical composition will try to emphasize this fact. Similarly, the musical compositions state the need for the social setup during such cultural practices. In the ancient time, musical instruments and cultural music were savored as important activities that strengthened the culture of a community. As such, the generations that used this kind of social setting still use this as a social entertainment in their culture (Kaye 37). Similarly, the cultural instruments and music are used as a material to pass information to the community. This includes cognitive and biological dimensions which are expressed to the community. Since ethnomusicology is considered a Western culture, the cultural affiliations are rife in this part of the world. This explains why Australian Aboriginal music still thrives up to date. Though some of the western people are distanced from the cultural affiliations and music, they still have a soft spot for this kind of music and cultural practice (Atherton 48). It is known to instill the aspect of originality while serving the purpose of entertainment. Focusing on the sociological perspective, it is seen that Australian music and musical instruments are displaying continuity in the Aboriginal culture. There has been an increase in the number of scholars that have directed their study towards Aboriginal music and culture. This is due to the strong aspect of originality in playing the instruments and the cultural music. In Australia, the didjeridu is an instrument that has managed to thrive through the years. Up to date, the instrument is savored as it exposes Australian cultural mu sic (Bos 21). In making a strong point out of this activity, the people studying Aboriginal Australian music have increased the theoretical framework of studying these particular cultural expressions in music.

Blogger (or the general idea of blogs).Learning with technology ( look Essay

Blogger (or the general idea of blogs).Learning with technology ( look at attachment) - Essay Example In schools and in the field of education, electronic and digital technologies have also become valuable companion tools for learning. The internet is filled with websites like Wikipedia, Google Scholar, Google Books, and Blogs which serve as compiled sources of information which students can easily access without having to comb through library books, journals, and encyclopaedias. Blogging and the general idea of blogs have become one of the more relevant eLearning tools. This paper shall evaluate blogging, its applications and uses. A critical analysis of this learning tool shall also be carried out. The first part of this paper shall provide an overview of blogging. The second part shall provide a critique of blogging. The third part shall discuss the learning theories which are applicable to blogging. The fourth part shall use a specific blogging application and discuss its links with learning theories. Finally, this paper shall end with summarizing and concluding remarks. Body Ove rview of blogging The second generation of internet and web use has brought on the Web 2.0 phenomenon, a progression from the initial Web 1.0 design. Where the Web 1.0 design only provided for a unilateral flow of information, the Web 2.0 design has presented with the distinct improvement of sharing information to the online community (Anderson, 2008). The convenient possibilities of the internet has allowed the process of sharing, uploading, and writing information; and editing wikis and blogs has presented educators with myriad tools for their trade. Blogs, shortened from web logs, was first suggested by Jorn Barger when he came up with a webpage which included information, personal musings, journal entries, as well as links, and posts which have been arranged by date (Anderson, 2008). Since then, blogs have largely evolved, taking in more elaborate designs, and topics; and it now even includes an area for readers to post their comments. In effect, the commenting and posting proce ss seems to have allowed blogging to take on a more interactive nature, allowing readers to offer their opinion on the blogs. Blogs also allow bloggers to consider reader’s opinions, to possibly respond to these if he so desires (Anderson, 2008). Blogging is also a media which feeds a writer’s immediacy, allowing him or her to post as often as he would like without having to wait for a date of publication as is so often seen in news or magazine articles. Blogs include words which are ‘tagged’ and in so doing the subject of the post is often categorized and archived into a standard theme where it can later be recalled. By clicking the tags or entering these words into search engines, other related links would appear, thereby allowing the reader to read other similar articles by the same or different authors (Anderson, 2008). Linking is an essential part of blogging because it increases the depth of the discussions, allowing readers to understand the blog be tter (Anderson, 2008). Linking has the same nature as referencing as it gives readers the opportunity to verify the contents of the blog and to compare it to outside sources. Through these links, the quality of each blog is often significantly improved. Blogs are a new means of interacting online as it is a forum by which internet users can pool their knowledge and opinions about a certain topic (Johnson and Kaye, 2005). They are also specific avenues for combined news and data, as

Volcanoes Risks and Benefits Essay Example for Free

Volcanoes Risks and Benefits Essay The term volcano can either mean the vent from which magma erupts to the surface, or it can refer to the landform created by the solidified lava and fragmental volcanic debris that accumulate near the vent. One could say, for example, that large lava flows are erupted from Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, the world volcano here signifies a vent. Volcanoes are not the realm of any single scientific discipline. Rather they require study from many scientists from several specialties: Geophysicist and Geochemist to probe the deep roots of volcano; Geologist to decipher prehistoric volcanic activity; Biologist to learn how life became established and evolve in barren volcanic islands; and meteorologist to determine the effects of volcanic dust and gases on the atmosphere, weather and climate. Volcanoes affect humankind in many ways. Their destructiveness is awesome, but risk involved can be reduced by assessing volcanic hazards and forecasting volcanic eruptions. Body Volcanoes Risks and benefits  Definition First of all, we should know what a volcano is. Volcano is an opening in the earth’s surface. Through this opening has come rock so hot that it is in a liquid or gaseous state. This melted rock deep in the earth is called magma. Philosophers once thought that volcanic eruptions came from the burning of natural fuels. Sir Charles Lyell and his associates later showed the volcanic mountains were piled up from the products of their own eruptions For hundreds of years, volcanoes have struck terror and wonder into the heart of man. In ancient time, they even moved man into worship. The word volcano comes from Volcanus, the name of the Roman god of fire. The name was first used for volcano, one of the Lipari Islands in the Mediterranean Sea where the god was thought to live. Kinds of Volcano Volcanoes are commonly classified as active, dormant and extinct. The distinction between the categories is not very clear and consequently any classification based on this criterion and is highly arbitrary. The separation of dormant and extinct volcanoes is particularly difficult. A volcano may lie quiet many hundreds of years and then awaken, often violently. Some volcanoes are constantly active . Izalco in El Salvador, and Stromboli in the Mediterranean Sea, erupt so regularly that they have been compared to light houses. Those that are quiet, but have not been dead for us to know when they will break out again are called dormant volcanoes. Volcanoes that have been remained quiet since the beginning of recorded history and probably will not erupt are called extinct volcanoes. Other volcanoes can be called intermittent because, they erupt fairly at regular periods. Many of these erupt in cycles, with the length of cycle being fixed by the amount of time needed to make enough heat to produce eruption. Types of eruption In classification schemes based on character of eruption, volcanic activity and volcanic areas are commonly divided into six major order of increasing degree of explosiveness: (1) Icelandic, (2) Hawaiian, (3) Strombolian, (4) Vucanian, (5) Pelean and (6) Plinian. The Icelandic type of eruption is characterized by effusion of basaltic lave that flow from long parallel fissures. Such outpouring build lave patterns. The least violent type of eruption is termed Hawaiian and is characterized by extensive lava flows from central vents or fissures and occasionally accompanied by lava ountains. Strombolian eruption is characterized by moderately fluid lava flows, usually accompanied by violent lava-fountaining that produces and abundance of volcanic bombs and cinders. Vulcanian eruptions are characterized by viscous lava that form short, thick lava flows around vents; very viscous or solid fragment of lava are violently ejected from these vents. Pelean eruptions are similar to vulcanian eruptions but have even more viscous lava; domes from over the vents, and ash flows commonly accompany the dome fountais. Plinian eruptions, also known as Vesuvian eruptions, are volcanic eruptions marked by their similarity to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 (as described in a letter written by Pliny the Younger, and which killed his uncle Pliny the Elder). Plinian eruptions are marked by columns of gas and volcanic ash extending high into the stratosphere, a high layer of the atmosphere. The key characteristics are ejection of large amount of pumice and very powerful continuous gas blast eruptions. Risks Volcanoes release volcanic hazards that may cause the life of human kind to be in danger. These volcanic hazards are Pyroclastic Density Currents (pyroclastic flows and surges), Lahars, Structural Collapse: Debris flow-Avalanches, Dome Collapse and the formation of pyroclastic flows and surges, Lava flows, Tephra fall and ballistic projectiles, volcanic gas, Tsunamis and Volcanic Lightning Pyroclastic density currents are are gravity-driven, rapidly moving, ground-hugging mixtures of rock fragments and hot gases. This mixture forms a dense fluid that moves along the ground with an upper part that is less dense as particles fall toward the ground. The behavior of the fluid depends upon the solids concentration relative to the amount of hot gases. High concentration density flows are called pyroclastic flows and are essentially nonturbulent and confined to valleys. Low concentration density flows are called pyroclastic surges which can expand over hill and valley like hurricanes. Temperatures may be as hot as 900 degrees Celsius, or as cold as steam. Pyroclastic flows and surges are potentially highly destructive owing to their mass, high temperature, high velocity and great mobility. Deadly effects include asphyxiation, burial, incineration and crushing from impacts. Many people and the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed in 79 AD from an erupion of Mount Vesuvius; 29,000 people were destroyed by pyroclastic surges at St. Pierre, Martinique in 1902; 2000 died at Chichonal Volcano in southern Mexico in 1982 from pyroclastic surges. The only effective method of risk mitigation is evacuation prior to such eruptions from areas likely to be affected by pyroclastic density currents. Lahars are part of the family of debris flows that are fluids composed of mixtures of water and particles of all sizes from clay-size to gigantic boulders. The abundance of solid matter carries the water, unlike watery floods where water carries the fragments. Debris flows have the viscous consistency of wet concrete, and there is a complete transition to watery floods. Lahars are composed of volcanic particles and originate directly or indirectly from volcanic action. Lahars can form by hot pyroclastic surges or flows entering watershed systems or flowing over snow and ice, by eruptions through crater lakes, by heavy rains on loose volcanic debris that is, any process by which volcanic particles can become saturated by water and move downs lopes. They can move with velocities as low as 1. m/s to as great as 40 m/s on steep slopes (1 m/s = 2. 55 miles per hour). They are known to have travelled as far as 300 km (1 km = 0. 63 miles). Lahars have destroyed many villages and lives living on Indonesian volcanoes because most people live in valleys where lahars flow. The 21,000 lives lost at Armero, Colombia, were from a lahar that formed during the eruption of Nevado Del Ruiz in 1985. It was generated by melt water from the interaction of pyroclastic surges with snow and ice, from a very small eruption. Lahars can transform into regular floods as they become increasingly diluted with water downstream. This phenomenon was first discovered at Mount St. Helens where hot pyroclastic surges transformed to lahars, which further transformed to hyper concentrated stream flow and then to normal stream-flow turbulence. The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 started with a relatively small volcanic earthquake that caused collapse of the north side of the volcano because it was over steepened and therefore unstable. When the landslide occurred, it decreased the pressure on the pressurized interior of the volcano which expanded explosively to form a lateral blast that devastated the countryside north of the volcano. Most of the debris flow avalanche was diverted down the North Fork Toutle River, but some moved directly northward over a 300 meter ridge and down into the next valley. Since the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, dozens of volcanoes that have given rise to avalanches have been discovered. For example, 40 avalanches exceeding 1 Km3 in volume, and 22 with a volume of less than 1 km3, are now known from the Quaternary alone, and 17 historic volcanic avalanches have been identified. The hilly topography north of Mount Shasta in northern California is now known to be the result of a have debris-flow avalanche. Some are known to extend up to 85 km from their sources and to cover tens to more than 1000 km2 in area. Lava flows rarely threaten human life because lava usually moves slowly a few centimeters per hour for silicic flows to several km/hour for basaltic flows. An exceptionally fast flow at Mt. Nyiragongo, Zaire (30-100 km/hour) overwhelmed about 300 people. Major hazards of lava flows burying, crushing, covering, burning everything in their path. Sometimes lava melts ice and snow to cause floods and lahars. Lava flows can dam rivers to form lakes that might overflow and break their dams causing floods. Methods for controlling paths of lava flows: (1) construct barriers and diversion channels, (2) cool advancing front with water, (3) disruption of source or advancing front of lava flow by explosives. Tephra consists of pyroclastic fragments of any size and origin. It is a synonym for pyroclastic material. Tephra ranges in size from ash (2 mm) to lapilli (2-64 mm) to blocks and bombs (64 mm). Densities vary greatly, from that of pumice (0. 5) to solid pieces of lava with density about 3. 0. Blocks from basement material may exceed 3. 0. Material may be juvenile (formed of magma involved in the eruption) or accidental (derived from pre-existing rock). Tephra fall and ballistic projectiles endanger life and property by (1) the force of impact of falling fragments, but this occurs only close to an eruption, (2) loss of agricultural lands if burial is greater than 10 cm depth, (3) producing suspensions of fine-grained particles in air and water which clogs filters and vents of motors, human lungs, industrial machines, and nuclear power plants, and (4) carrying of noxious gases, acids, salts, and, close to the vent, heat. Burial by tephra can collapse roofs of buildings, break power and communication lines and damage or kill vegetation. Even thin (2 cm) falls of ash can damage such critical facilities as hospitals, electric-generating plants, pumping stations, storm sewers and surface-drainage systems and sewage treatment plants, and short circuit electric-transmission facilities, telephone lines, radio and television transmitters. When dispersed widely over a drainage basin, tephra can change rainfall/runoff relationships. Low permeability of fine ash deposits leads to increased runoff, accelerated erosion, stream-channel changes and hazardous floods. In contrast, thick, coarse-grained deposits closed to the source can increase infiltration capacity and essentially eliminate surface runoff. Many of the hazards of tephra falls can be mitigated with proper planning and preparation. This includes clearing tephra from roofs as it accumulates, designing roofs with steep slopes, strengthening roofs and walls, designing filters for machinery, wearing respirators or wet clothes over the mouth and nose because tephra can contain harmful gases adsorbed on the particles as acid aerosols and salt particles. Magma is molten rock containing dissolved gases that are released to the atmosphere during an eruption and while the magma lies close to the surface from hydrothermal systems. The most abundant volcanic gas is water vapor; other important gases are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, and fluorine. The gases are transported away from vents as acid aerosols, as compounds adsorbed on tephra and as microscopic salt particles. Sulfur compounds, chlorine and fluorine react with water to form poisonous acids damaging to the eyes, skin and respiratory systems of animals even in very small concentrations. The acids can destroy vegetation, fabrics and metals. Atmospheric veils of dust or acid aerosols caused by large-volume explosive eruptions can affect regional or global climate. Most volcanic gases are noxious and smell bad, but they can cause mass fatalities. A rare case of mass deaths by volcanic gases in 1986 at Lake Nyos, in Cameroon, West Africa. Tons of carbon dioxide spilled out of Lake Nyos, and flowed silently down a canyon and through 3 villages occupied by 1700 people. They and 3000 cattle died instantly from lack of oxygen. Carbon dioxide emissions are now being monitored at Mammoth Mountain, California. A tsunami is a long-period sea wave or wave train generated by a sudden displacement of water. Tsunamis travel at very high speeds through deep water as low broad waves and build to great heights as they approach the shallow bottom of shores. Most are caused by fault displacements on the sea floor, but many have been caused by volcanic action. The eruption of Krakatau in 1883 produced tsunamis that killed 36,000 people. The pyroclastic flow generated by this eruption displaced the water that initiated the tsunamis.