Humanistic Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was a savant and philosopher of the highest order. The Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda is a gospel of humanism, for man is the central pillar of his life and teachings. Man, manliness, man-making these were the constant mantra on his lips. It sprang forth authentically from his own realization of the Divine that existed in himself and all. He therefore raised the dignity, and worth of man to the pinnacle of divine excellence. He exemplified man in his universal dimension which expressed itself in a concern for him everywhere and in every field of his life. It made him the exponent of humanism as much deep as significant in illuminating the whole of mankind from time to eternity. Swami Ranganthananda opines about Swami Vivekananda as: â€Å"What was unique about him as a spiritual teacher of mankind, however, was his deep interest in man and his untiring work for total human development and fulfillment everywhere. And this interest and work, we should not fail to note, was not just religious in the narrow sense of that word – just helping men and women to secure the salvation of their souls, as all other spiritual teachers have done – but covered all aspects of human life, as much economic and social as moral and religious. In fact, this all-round human interest formed the central theme of Swami Vivekananda’s life and work. † Romain Rolland speaks about Swami Vivekananda’s humanistic philosophy of man, as he exemplified man in his universal aspect, and not in the narrow racial, national, or sectarian aspects. That universal dimension expressed itself in a deep concern for man everywhere and in every field of his life; it made them the exponents and exemplars of humanism, as much deep as wide, as much intellectually stimulating as spiritually inspiring. What is humanism? The term ‘humanism’ is derived from the Latin word ‘humanitas’ implying ontological individualism and the quest for the perfection of the human spirit through the consummation of man’s inherent potentialities is subjectivist and optimistic in its orientation. Humanism is thus an approach n study, or the practice that focuses on human values and concerns, attaching prime importance to human efforts. Humanism is not a creed or code but the fullness of a qualitative development of the emotional and cogitative potencies of the empirical human, Jiva that is the object of quest of the humanist. In the words of the Buddhist Tripitakas it can be said that ‘liberality, courtesy, benevolence, u nselfishness under all circumstances’ and ‘concord of fraternity’ mark the life of the humanist. Swami Vivekananda’s Humanistic Philosophy Swami Vivekananda assimilated and modified the philosophical ideas of the Vedanta, adapting them to the conditions of the new life. In contrast to the materialistic view of man, Vivekananda's humanistic philosophy possesses many features of active humanism and in his fervent desire to elevate man he put forward the idea that the highest divine substance Brahman is personified in millions. â€Å"†¦ the ideal of Vedanta is to know man as he really is, and this is its message, that if you cannot worship your brother man, the manifested God, how can you worship a God who is unmanifested? The uniqueness of Vivekananda was to reinterpret this philosophy of man that is at once creative and synthetic and uses it for achieving highest human excellence. Swami Vivekananda viewed man as a multi-leveled being, a composite of physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual faculties. Swami Vivekananda clearly showed in his exposition of four yogas that the various faculties of man ha ve to be harnessed for one’s spiritual growth. Swami Vivekananda is of the opinion that when man is able to integrate all of the faculties, he attains the manhood in entirety. He advises the youth to have a strong body. â€Å"You will understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little of strong blood in you. You will understand the Upanishads better and the glory of the Atman when your body stands firm upon your feet, and you feel yourselves as men. Thus we have to apply these to our needs. † â€Å"Makes your nerves strong, what we want is the muscles of iron and nerves of steel. †¦ Stand on your own feet and be men. The faculty of reason should be cultivated to harness the full potential of being human. Swami Vivekananda says: â€Å"Why was reason given us if we have to believe? Is it not tremendously blasphemous to believe against reason? What right have we not to use the greatest gift that God has given to us? I am sure God will pardon a man who will use his reason and cannot believe, rather than a man who believes blind ly instead of using the faculties He has given him. † Swami Vivekananda feels that, religion is not a separate pursuit divorced from the humdrum of life. On the other hand, it envelops the whole life. The way man looks at himself, his conception of his own nature, governs all his other concepts. The value of the reorientation of man's view of himself extends from value to the individual in the development of his character to the humanity as a whole. This reorientation of man's view of himself results in a new kind of holistic awareness where the so-called distinction between the religious and secular vanishes. Referring to this approach Sister Nivedita in her Introduction to the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda says: â€Å"†¦.. No distinction henceforth between sacred and secular. To labour is to pray. To conquer is to renounce. Life is itself religion. To have and to hold is as stern a trust as to quit and to avoid. This is the realisation which makes Vivekananda the great preacher of Karma, not as divorced from, but as expressing Jnana and Bhakti. To him, the workshop, the study, the farmyard and the field are as true and fit scenes for the meeting of God with man as the cell of the monk or the door of the temple. † She continues, â€Å"All his (Swami Vivekananda) words, from one point of view, read as a commentary upon this central conviction. Art, science, and religion†, he said once, â€Å"are but three different ways of expressing a single truth. But in order to understand this we must have the theory of Advaita. † There is a faith in the greatness of man as expressed through his different socio-cultural activities in this material world. He strongly feels that, it is a greatest sin to call the human being is a sinner. He is potential ly divine. But there are unlimited creative possibilities in man, beyond this limited humanistic analysis. For this Vivekananda explains this creativity as the potential infiniteness or divinity in man as spiritual man. This idea of man does not merely explain the material or individual existence of man with the material development of life. On the other hand, it synthesizes the material and the spiritual dimension of man and thus evaluates the material or individual, collective or social and spiritual or transcendental values of life with their expressions in harmonious forms and manners. In order to explain the infinite potency of man, Vivekananda points out: â€Å"Do you know how much energy, how many powers, how many forces, are still lurking behind that frame of yours? What scientist has known all that is in man? Millions of years have passed since man first came here, and yet but one infinitesimal part of his powers has been manifested. Therefore you must not say that you are weak. How do you know that possibilities lie behind that degradation on the surface? You know but little of that which is within you. For behind you is the ocean of infinite power and blessedness. † In this way Vivekananda pleads for the spiritual Man, expressing the creative multi-natured divinity as the ‘ocean of infinite power and blessedness. Man, in the observation of Vivekananda, has an unlimited fund of energy which is not fully exhausted in fulfilling his limited material or biological demands. The unlimited energy in man, expressed through different creative states of existence, develop his infinite personality as the manifestation of his potential perfection as the sense of unity. Thus in the background of the evaluation of the ideas of man and humanism in the form of spiritual humanism advanced by Swami Vivekananda, we get a synthetic view of ‘multidimensional man' in the spiritual process of developing individuality and universality. Such a synthetic view will facilitate an advancement of Unity in different states of existence in different degrees. His profound spirituality, the scintillating brilliance of his intellect and the presence of his personality invested in him with a magic fascination which none could ignore our resist. Here was a man who spoke inspiring words to the masses like Messiah who has come to save their lives from darkness and misery. Here was one who spoke for ancient learning in highest praise, but at the same time urged that we throw off the shackles of convention. He was of the traditional and revolutionary, whose mission was not only reawakening the people to a consciousness of their great heritage but also to make them know man who could make a new India. â€Å"I consider that the great national sin is the neglect of the masses, and that is one of the causes of our downfall. No amount of politics would be of any avail until the masses in India are once more well educated, well fed, and well cared for. They pay for our education, they build our temples, but in return they get kicks. They are practically our slaves. Through his doctrine of the potential divinity of all beings, Swami Vivekananda sought to bring about a radical transformation in the society. To quote Nivedita again, ‘His prime concern was vindication of Humanity, never abandoned, never weakened, always rising to new heights of defence of the undefended, of the chivalry of the weak'. Swami Vivekananda advises that let the people be your God. Think of them, work for them, p ray for their well being. His definition about great soul is â€Å"Him I call a mahatman whose heart bleeds for the poor, otherwise he is duratman. Swami Vivekananda gave a new responsibility to the institution of monasticism by exhorting sannyasins to come out from the caves and work for betterment of the humanity. ‘Shivajnane Jivaseva’ – based on this aphorism he asked monks to work for the welfare of others. The present open education system was dreamt by Swami Vivekananda a century ago. He advised the sannyasins to go to every village to impart education for every individual irrespective of their castes, creed, sex with the help of cameras, maps, globes and such other accessories. He asked to give education, and instill faith in individual by that masses can gain their lost individuality and dignity of human labour. Once a young disciple asked Swami Vivekananda, how can we raise India again? He answers emphatically that, â€Å"Your duty at present is to go from one part of the country to another, from village to village, and make the people understand that mere sitting idly won't do any more. Make them understand their real condition and say, â€Å"O ye brothers, arise! Awake! How much longer would you remain asleep! Go and advise them how to improve their own condition, and make them comprehend the sublime truths of the Shastras (scriptures), by presenting them in a lucid and popular way. †¦ Also instruct them, in simple words, about the necessities of life, and in trade, commerce, agriculture, etc. If you cannot do this, then fie upon your education and culture, and fie upon your studying the Vedas and Vedanta! † Swami Vivekanand’s heart bled for the poor masses. â€Å"For centuries people have been taught theories of degradation. They have been told that they are nothing. The masses have been told all over the world that they are not human beings. They have been so frightened for centuries, till they have nearly become animals. Never were they allowed to hear of the Atman. Let them hear of the Atman–that even the lowest of the low have the Atman within, which never dies and never is born–of Him whom the sword cannot pierce, nor the fire burn, nor the air dry–immortal, without beginning or end, the all-pure, omnipotent, and omnipresent Atman! † In his lion-like roar he enthused men to follow the practical humanism and not to be satisfied with a weak sentimental approach to it. His fiery words to feel for the suffering masses are as forceful even now as when they come out of his mouth. â€Å"Do you feel? Do you feel that millions and millions of the descendants of gods and of sages have become next-door neighbors to brutes? Do you feel that millions are starving today, and millions have been starving for ages? Do you feel that ignorance has come over the land as a dark cloud? Does it make you restless? Does it make you sleepless? Has it gone into your blood, coursing through your veins, becoming consonant with your heartbeats? Has it made you almost mad? Are you seized with that one idea of the misery of ruin, and have you forgotten all about your name, your fame, your wives, your children, your property, even your own bodies? Have you done that? That is the first step to become a patriot, the very first step. † Swami Vivekananda’s concern about the Indian mass is phenomenal. The poor and illiterate form the bulk of Indian population. But they are being treated worse than animals for the last thousand years or so. According to Swamiji, the cause of degradation of India lies in depriving Indian masses of their basic rights of livelihood and education. He says, â€Å"Remember that our nation lives in the cottage. But alas! Nobody ever did anything to them†¦ The fate of nation†¦ depends upon the condition of the masses. Can you raise them? Can you give back to them their lost individuality? †¦ This is to be done and we will do it. † As such, his approach to social and political problems of India was facing at that time is totally humanistic in nature. He says that awakening of the masses by giving them proper education is the only panacea for all the ills India is facing now. In this regard he says, â€Å"All the wealth of the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves. Our work should be mainly educational, both moral and intellectual†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Conclusion Swami Vivekananda says, â€Å"†¦ I may be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls-and above all, my God the wicked, my guard the miserable, my guard the pool of all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship. Sister Nivedita testifies to Swami Vivekananda's love for man: â€Å"No institution, no environment, stood between him and any human heart. His confidence in that Divine-within-Man of which he talked, was as Perfect, and his appeal as direct, when he talked with the imperialist aristocrat or the American millionaire, as with the exploited and oppressed. But the outflow of his love and courtesy were always fo r the simple. Swami Vivekananda’s humanism is based on spiritual illumination, which he got through Vedantic means. As Vedanta stands for truth and eternity, with its focus on concept of divinity of man, the humanistic philosophy envisioned by Swami Vivekananda is centred on eternal principles of life. Here we find no conflict but perfect harmony between the religious and the secular, between the mundane and the transcendent and also between the individual and the collective. What the world wants now is not friction and fight but accommodation and acceptance. This should be the goal of any kind of humanism. Vedantic humanism lived and taught by Swami Vivekananda is a perfect archetype of this.

Client conceptualization

Session Number: 3 Setting: Office Client's Age: 8 Estimated # of Sessions Required: 15 Case Conceptualization Client History: Client is an eight year old, Caucasian female. The client's mother, age 31 , works out of the home. She in not married or in a relationship at this time. Client's mother is the sole provider for client and her bother, age 10. Client's mother stated that, â€Å"their dad left when she was Just a baby and they have had no contact with him since†. Linnet's mother stated that client's dad would drink beer on a regular basis during he time in which they were married. Client's mother voiced that she and client's father would argue in front of the children before he left, but they were never violent. Client's mother voiced that she does not drink alcohol or take drugs and never has. Client's mother stated that she has never been In Jail or In trouble with the law. The current legal status of client's father is unknown at this time, as he now lives â€Å"out o f state†. Client's mother has never remarried and has not brought any boyfriends around the children.Client's mother stated that client interacts well with her brother, UT â€Å"they start out playing nice then they get rough and someone starts to cry'. Client is going to be in the second grade at a local public school next year. Her grades in school are not consistent, varying from As to As. Client is indifferent about going to school and stated that she â€Å"doesn't care if I have to go or not†. Client goes to a separate class to help her with her math and reading. Client began this last year, and mother states that there has been some improvement. Client does not have many friends at school.She has been suspended for hitting and kicking other dents. When asked why she was aggressive with the other students, client responded, â€Å"they were being mean to me and talking about my kitty. When asked about her pregnancy with the client, her mother responded, â€Å"l h ad a normal pregnancy and was not sick much. I took my vitamins everyday and tried to take care of my self. I had her at 39 weeks and 4 days†. When discussing client's development as a toddler, her mother stated â€Å"she was always a happy toddler, she would get upset when she didn't get her way or her brother took something from her. Present Concerns:The client was brought in to the agency by her mother. Client's mother stated, â€Å"l am worried about her because she plays very rough with her animals and her brother†. Mother stated that client has a difficult time following directions and is aggressive with her words as well. Mother stated that client is â€Å"very aggressive when I OFF up† for no reason at all; it does not take much to anger her. Mother reports that client fights with her brother while at home and does not get along with the neighbors. Actual Core Issues: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CB) seems to be the most appropriate approach to apply to this case.The CB model has great appeal because it focuses on human thought. Human cognitive abilities have been responsible for our many accomplishments so may also be responsible for our problems. By exploring patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, this client can modify her patterns of thinking to improve coping. CB is a type of psychotherapy that is different from traditional psychodrama psychotherapy in that the therapist and the client will actively work together to help the client recover from their mental illness.People who seek CB can expect their therapist to be problem-focused, and goal-directed in addressing the challenging symptoms of mental illnesses. Because CB is an active intervention, one can also expect to do homework or practice outside of sessions. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is usually more focused on the present, more time-limited, and more problem-solving oriented. In addition, patients learn spe cific skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. These skills involve identifying distorted thinking, modifying beliefs, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviorsThe client's mother brought her in for services because of her â€Å"rough† behaviors and aggression. With CB, the therapist will focus on the thoughts that are causing the feelings, which are then causing the behaviors. When others tell the client something that she does not agree with or like, the client has an anger outburst and sometimes uses physical harm on the other person. The aggressive behavior could be triggered by the thought that no one else cares about what she thinks. With the CB model, we can help the client take responsibility for her own actions. When the linen plays rough with her brother, she gets angry and hits him.That behavior is triggered by the thought that client's brother is playing too rough with her and trying to hurt her. Through redirection, the therapist c an work with the client to understand how positive and negative thoughts lead to a specific thought, which then lead to a behavior. When the client is able to understand how her thoughts lead to a specific behavior, and the counselor has helped the client change the direction of her thoughts, the client will be better. When she is able to identify that a thought does to have to a negative reaction, the client will be able to discharge from treatment.Treatment Intervention: The treatment intervention here, should involve the active participation of the client in exploring her thoughts and behaviors. The expectation is that the client can realize how many distorted beliefs she has and help redirect her to healthy thoughts. The client's treatment will focus on thought patterns that cause distress and also on developing more realistic interpretations of events. Delusions are treated by their beliefs and encouraging them to recognize evidence that may have been overlooked, evidence that does not support the belief.The benefit of using CB with this client is that by changing the way she thinks about a situation, the client will be able to control her behavior. The goal of treatment is aimed to help the client become aware of when she makes negative interpretations, and of behavioral patterns, which reinforce her negative thinking. CB will help her develop alternative ways of thinking and behaving to reduce the psychological distress. It will be the counselor's Job to teach the client how to identify distorted cognitions through a process of evaluation. The linen will learn to discriminate between her own thoughts and reality.The end goal is for the client to be able to identify her own unhelpful benefits and prove them wrong resulting in her beliefs changing. The role of the counselor is to help the client solve problems that are of greatest distress. This can be done through a structure that seeks to maximize efficiency, learning, and therapeutic change. Important parts of each session include a mood check, a bridge between sessions, proportioning an agenda, discussing specific problems and teaching skills in the context of solving these problems, setting of self- alp assignments, summary, and feedback.

Creature of culture Essay

â€Å"If man created culture then how can man be a creature of culture?† There are millions of people on this planet, and part of anthropology is to categorize these millions into smaller, well-defined groups. These groups are divided based on language, country of residence, race and other characteristics, which differentiate one group of people from another. They are labeled as cultures, and characterized by many anthropologists as having a set of learned behaviors, morals, customs and ideas that they share as members of a particular society (Grolier’s Encyclopedia, 1998). The problem is that cultures are diverse, population move in and out of countries bringing the influences of other cultures. A single country may vary from border to border due to the influences of its neighbors. There are also variations in culture, which depend on class or caste. In the movie Caste at Birth it is established that an individual cannot change their caste, and although status is socially defined, the relative importance of that status is a matter of opinion. Factors such as environment or an individual event can change aspects of culture. Furthermore, there is no definition that would successfully demonstrate that man is a creature of culture. Language and communication are critical elements in a culture. Through the use of language, we express our beliefs, expectations and standards. A person cannot fully understand a culture without fully understanding the language of that culture. Essentially, without fully understanding a language, or by speaking variations of the same language, one will experience the culture differently and may create a sub-culture of beliefs. These beliefs may be close, but not identical to those of the greater population. Since social identity is learned through language, individuals who speak Gaelic regularly are going to establish a social identity that varies with those who speak English. In the aforementioned definition of culture, emphasis has been placed on the word â€Å"shared†, but clearly not all individuals share the same learned behaviors and ideas. Education and communication are often interrelated with many other factors, such as class. In every culture, education is directly related to class. Simply put, the higher classes have better education. Evidently, communication is key to understanding and interpreting the norms  and concepts of any given culture. Since there are so many different levels on which individuals can communicate, it is not feasible that everyone is learning the same behaviors and ideas, even when they are immersed in the same culture. Individuals in a culture share many similar behaviors beyond those, which are innate, however, there are always exceptions. Such instances are the behaviors of an individual who is mentally challenged or those of a criminal. The behaviors of a criminal break social rules, and as a result, they are punished. Some of these behaviors are psychological, but others are learned. Not everyone in a culture is treated identically by peers and caregivers. It was previously mentioned that education differs from one class to the next. It is not only institutionalized education that differs, but also the learning that goes on through the performance of daily tasks. Human beings are social creatures and individual’s behaviors and ideas develop through socializing with a variety of sources on a daily basis. Humans are not born knowing who they are, they have the ability to change and interact with their environment to become all different kinds of people depending on their culture.

Management and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Management and Society - Assignment Example Undoubtedly, yes. As Croston states, â€Å"The green business revolution is changing how we live and work to strike a balance between living well today and allowing for future generations to live well tomorrow† (2). The essence of this statement is not a mere promise or a false hope, as the technologies, resources and expertise that we command today have progressed beyond traditional and often ill-informed perceptions to live up to the pledge of safeguarding the planet. Expanding on the critical role that technological advancements and ‘green’ innovations can play in transforming plastic bag usage, I am pleased to put forth the contemporary perspectives in plastic biodegradation. These advancements are not only revolutionizing and modernizing our operations at Big Bags but are also transforming the way the plastics industry can address environmental concerns posed by the factors associated with the degradability of plastic products. Research shows that while the most commonly used plastics such as polyethylene are highly durable, biodegradation of plastic waste by means of specific microbial strains has come into view as a practical and feasible solution (Sivan 422). When discussing the adverse impact of plastic bag usage on the environment and the ecosystems, the foremost stance that has emerged is that of either banning or levying taxes on plastic bags. Furthermore, these proposals are attached with recommendations of replacing plastic bags with paper bags, the latter of which are advertised on the basis of their reusability which acts as a unique selling point to attract customers. Unfortunately, paper bags do not provide a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags, Marc Gunther at GreenBiz.com notes that the findings of several recent researches and studies have uncovered that plastic bags are more environmentally preferable than paper bags. This view stems from the fact

Is the world inside Video game should running some law and limitation Essay

Is the world inside Video game should running some law and limitation as the real world - Essay Example In the video games virtual societies, the players must comply with specific rules and laws that seek to make the games more engaging. Failure to comply with some of such rules earns the players various punishments that range from point deductions and eventual ejection from the completion. The fact that the video games are increasingly becoming common among the modern societies and the fact that they seek to portray the nature of the contemporary society makes the design and the application of the laws and regulations a contentious issue. The developers of the games employ regulations that make the games more engaging without considering the implications of such rules and laws in the real society. In most games such as need for speed, the player drives a racing car capable of withstanding some of the worst car crushes. Additionally, in the game traffic rules are relative with the infractions such as ramming onto a police car and resisting arrest earning one more points that are compli mentary. Addiction to such games has effects on the peace and stability in the real world since some of such laws apply in the real world. Furthermore, in real world a car crush may turn fatal depending on the intensity of the crash. Moralists will continue to advocate for the harmonization of the video game rules to the laws in the real society while capitalists and entrepreneurs who develop the games continue to oppose such moves. Developers of the games rely on the large market turnout to sell their products thus make more profits. Abiding by such laws in the real world such as speed limits, the official driving age and drunk driving are some of the laws that should they incorporate in their games may affect their profitability. Developers of the games seek to make their products as interesting and as engaging as possible. â€Å"They heighten the conflict between the players and the authorities in order to make police evasion an interesting and intriguing experience to their cus tomers† (Jeff 257). In fact, breaking the laws in the virtual society becomes the game. Harmonizing the rules of the games to those in the real society would make the games boring thus affect their profitability objective (John 41). Among the most controversial issues in video games have been the heightened crime and violence in the product especially given the fact that most of the consumers of such games are children. Moralists have therefore often propagated for the minimization of violence in the games since they influenced the actions of the young members of the society. Propagators of such reasoning even called for the placement of age restrictions in the games in order to regulate the level of violence of the games accessed by younger members of the society. The liberal portrayal of guns in the games is contrary to the social structure in the real world. The games thus motivate younger members of the society to live an illusionary lifestyle in which they appreciate viol ence and shun peaceful ways of solving conflicts. Such are valid arguments that should influence the formulation and development of video games. Producers of the video game products are business people just as any other. They therefore carry out extensive market researches in order to determine the prevailing favorable trends in the market. Through such market researches, the producers have determined that

The concerns will be with regard to population in the Research Paper

The concerns will be with regard to population in the - Research Paper Example According to the pilot issue of Horizon: Future Issues for Development, in an article entitled â€Å"Population Growth, Environment and Food Security: What Does the Future Hold?,† human population growth is â€Å"the most significant cause† of many of the problems that the world faces like climate change, poverty and scarcity of food resources. By around 2050, the growth of the world’s population will be by 2.7 billion thus resulting in an estimated total of 9 billion people by that time (Collodi & McCormack, 2009). This significant increase in the human population will definitely outrun the supply of natural resources and will definitely force man to exploit the natural environment for the sake of survival. In the table below from the United Nations Population Fund, one can see that the projected population of the world by 2050 is either 7 billion still, or 10.5 billion as the upper limit, or ideally at 9 billion. One of the problems caused by overpopulation that will most likely affect the world on a global scale is environmental degradation. The overwhelming growth in population is expected to lead to unsustainable demands on the environment as well as natural resources. There is also a consequent production of hazardous waste and an intensified level of urbanization, both of which are expected to contribute to the degradation of the environment. There is also climate change due to the increase in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by around 52% by 2050. Aside from this, water is expected to be scarce, and that 90% of freshwater supply will be gone even by 2030. Moreover, there is also an expected doubling of the demands for energy all over the world even 20 years from now. There is also a considerable loss of biodiversity, destruction of many ecosystems, and renewable environmental resources because of excessive draining of wetlands, clearing of forests and expansion of infrastructure (Collodi & McCormack, 2009). Another global problem

Open Source Software Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Open Source Software - Research Paper Example Moreover, one more example includes Amazon .com minimizing information technology expenditures from $71 million to $54 million by replacing their business automation software with open source applications (NAGY, YASSIN and BHATTACHERJEE 148-151). Similarly, sabre holdings were able to save more than $10 billion dollars by deploying MySQL that is an open source database (NAGY, YASSIN and BHATTACHERJEE 148-151). As these open source software are free of cost, organizations started replacing legacy systems with open source products. This trend has forced hardware and software vendors along with proprietary technology vendors to offer value added services associated with open source products. After discussing all these advantages associated with open source software, one question comes in mind i.e. what is the purpose of spending money on proprietary software, and why do some companies do this? The answer is probably because they do not know that an open source meeting all their needs ex ists. For example, an open source enterprise resource planning application for Small medium business can be a cost saving alternative for expensive ERP systems such as SAP and Oracle. Moreover, open source business intelligence and analysis software such as Jasper reports and Pehanto are available today (NAGY, YASSIN and BHATTACHERJEE 148-151). However, the existence of these open source applications does not ensure proficient after sales or maintenance support and their functionality that can be catered by a consultant or advisory service. Likewise, these open source software are volunteered without proper marketing strategies possibly because of their low budget. A comparison between an open source application and MS office is demonstrated in Table 1.1 below: Table 1.1 Source: ("Jet-Computing.com  » Linux Mint "), (Crammond) After discussing benefits for open source software, we will now discuss the barriers for organizations adopting open source software. The first factor is th e knowledge barrier, as discussed before, lack of available support, consultants, customization and lack of business knowledge for aligning the application with business objectives. The second barrier is a lack of integration with the legacy software and hardware. Likewise, Forking is another barrier because open source software is coded by different groups of people and may not integrate with other open source software. Moreover, the technology associated with open source software is immature i.e. not tested nor does it have a successful history. However, in order to overcome these challenges, organizations must train their staff and hire third party support and maintenance services. Moreover, for eliminating integration issues with legacy systems, middleware can be used for supporting integration functions. Furthermore, for addressing forking, self-resolving capabilities with the aid of self-managed standards is required. In addition, to address software immaturity, organizations must follow open source software maturity models and white papers for proper evaluation. Works Cited Crammond, Tony. "Head to Head: Office 2010 vs. Open Office 3.1 | IT PRO Reviews " 13/3/2010 2010. Web. 3/12/2012 . "Jet-Computing.com  » Linux Mint "Web. 3/12/2012

Polyurethane heart valves - current development and technical Essay

Polyurethane heart valves - current development and technical challenges - Essay Example Recently, a polyurethane tri-leaflet valve has been developed. This valve has three, thin polyurethane leaflets of approximately 100 µm thickness, which are suspended from the inside of a flexible polyurethane frame. In the closed position, the valve is elliptical in the radial direction and hyperbolic in the circumferential direction. Hydrodynamic tests have shown that the polyurethane valve exhibits pressure gradients similar to those for a bioprosthetic valve, and lesser regurgitation and leakage than a bileaflet mechanical valve or the bioprosthetic valve. Accelerated fatigue tests have shown six consecutively manufactured polyurethane valves to have exceeded the equivalent of 10 years function without failure, and three valves have reached 527 million cycles (approximately 13 years equivalent). The only failure occurred after the equivalent of approximately 12 years cycling (Gonzà ¡lez, et al., 2003). A new family of polymers, called the segmented polyurethane elastomers display high flexure endurance, strength, and inherent non-thrombogenic characteristics (Gonzà ¡lez, et al., 2003). polyurethanes, EV3.34 and EV3.35, to manufacture a flexible trileaflet heart valve. This valve was implanted in 12 young adult (18 month) sheep in the mitral position. At 6 months, six valves were electively explanted while the remaining six valves were explanted at 9 months follow-up. Surface Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR/FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the leaflet material. The leaflet was also put through cyclic mechanical testing and was compared with non-implanted control material, to see if there was any change in mechanical properties during implantation. There was no degradation of functional groups. The study also observed that EV3.35 might have superior long-term fatigue properties. It has a two-phase microstructure of hard

A Little Labor Knowledge Could Go a Long Way for HR as Unions Push Essay

A Little Labor Knowledge Could Go a Long Way for HR as Unions Push Into Private Sector - Essay Example 5. Secondary issue(s): The need for organizations to apprise themselves on current labor laws stemmed from the thrust of the National Labor Relations Board to familiarize themselves on the National Labor Relations Act which incorporates rights of the employees both in union and nonunion places. Further, current issues that emerged focusing on social media and â€Å"whether employer crackdowns on its use by employees venting about their job violates the National Labor Relations Act† (Pyrillis, 2011, par. 5). 6. Relationship of primary article discussion to this course (Strategic Planning & Implementation): The article discussed issues pertinent to the need for contemporary organizations to revert to giving significance in the role of industrial relations and labor laws. Upon closer evaluation, the article’s discussion is related in scope to the Strategic Planning and Implementation course in terms of anticipating changes in the external environment and assuming a more pr oactive than a reactive stance. As learned from the module, â€Å"strategic planning is a step by step process with definite objectives and end products that can be implemented and evaluated. Very simply, it is a process by which we look into the future, paint a picture of that future based on current trends, and influence the forces that will affect us† (Ahoy, 1998). 7. ... d to incorporate knowledge of current labor laws and industrial relations in anticipation of future trends that see the increasing importance of these functions in human relations management. In the article written by Lieberman (2010), she stressed that through effective application of strategic planning process, organizational success can be ensured. She enumerated six steps in the strategic planning process, to wit: â€Å"1. Identify the problem; 2. Outlining the process for developing appropriate strategies; 3. Establishing success criteria; 4. Brainstorm, prioritize, and select viable strategies; 5. Articulate clear, measurable action plans; and 6. Define ways to measure progress and success† (Lieberman, 2010, p. 1). As these appears to be a standard planning process, the differentiating factors emerge as the organizations’ ability to design appropriate strategies given the identified problems and in line with their mission and goals. Linking this discourse to the p rimary article, it can be deduced that lessons from stategic planning courses emphasize the need to look into the future so that the design of strategies would incorporate future trends and therefore the proactive stance is effectively implemented. The article written by Powell (1992) aimed to establish the link between strategic planning and financial performance. As averred, various studies have already published findings that enumerate the benefits of strategic planning in terms of directly improving economic value through generation of information; â€Å"it ensures a through consideration of all feasible options, it forces the firm to evaluate its environment, it stimulates new ideas, it increases motivation and commitment, it enhances internal communication and interaction, and it has symbolic value

MHE510, Occupational Health and Safety, Mod 2 Case Assignment Essay

MHE510, Occupational Health and Safety, Mod 2 Case Assignment - Essay Example Twisting and turning or chronically lifting heavy materials can cause chronic pain. People who normally have a sedentary lifestyle also have a tendency to have low back pain, especially when there is a sudden injury or when there is periodic heavy work between (Hills, 2010). The CDC lists 5 physical workforce factors that affect eventual back pain issues. These include heavy physical work, lifting and forceful movements, bending and twisting in awkward positions, whole body vibration, and static work postures. During studies each of these proved to be a problem that created back pain (CDC, 1997), of 18 studies done, 13 showed strong evidence for this. Our worker lifts heavy boxes regularly, he also works in the warehouse and performs other types of heavy labor. We know little about what he is like at home and there is a belief that he may have fallen at home. He is now complaining of chronic low back pain. Do we know what has caused this musculoskeletal disorder? This is a man who is at great risk for MSD due to the type of work that he does. He does heavy labor and he lifts on a regular basis. It must be considered that certainly whatever has caused his back pain, this is a contributing factor. One of the questions that has to be ask here is whether or not precautions have been taken in helping to protect this employee. Is he wearing back support? Has there been instruction for the employee in proper lifting techniques? Are regular breaks being taken? Is the company doing pre-employment physicals and if so, has this been a prior problem for this employee? It is not always clear what actually has caused the pain. There are some distinctions that need to be made and those include the presence of the symptoms and when they started, when it was reported, whether the employee attributes the symptoms or the original injury to work or "the fall", what the

Online Privacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Online Privacy - Research Paper Example Most U.S citizens dont want to be watched while surfing on the Internet or sending text messages to their friends. This essay will argue that the Constitution should protect the privacy of all online users. People, especially the ones who work for the government prefer that privacy continue to be monitored than staying private. It is right that having access to Internet research is strongly useful for police because of criminals that are online users. However, Government should recognize that watching Internet research of US citizens affects their privacy. Firstly because staying anonymous is impossible today, people who want to stay anonymous can’t live in the society. Everything in everyday life requires our personal information. Secondly because some sources of information picked up by the government could be wrong and these mistakes have important impacts on innocent people. And thirdly because online misuse is a breach of the constitution, knowing everything on people thanks to these new technologies is unconstitutional. A lot of technology is being invented and reinvented every day. This is makes technology dynamic which is the major reason as to why the government should prevent invasion on any individual’s privacy (Colbridge, 2012; Price 2012). Individuals have the right to privacy, Kyllo v. United States: technology v. Individual’s privacy, Colbridge, poses the question â€Å"do individuals have an actual expectation that their activities will remain private?† (337). It is from this statement that Calbridge backs it by saying that the fourth amendment expresses that the government should have a search warrant when it does an invasion. When one is online it can be said that he is on a private situation and trying to grasp what he is doing can qualify to be a form of intrusion to privacy. As much as the privacy of online users is permitted the

A Message to Garcia Essay Example for Free

A Message to Garcia Essay Written by, Elbert Hubbard, is a story written about trying to find the ideal messenger, or employee. And in many cases is hard to find even when it comes to a simple task, in this case, delivering a message. Hubbard goes on to explain that some individuals, when tasked with such a job will make it rather difficult. They will either ask questions, â€Å"who is Garcia? Where is he? Why can’t you do it? Have someone else do it.† Hubbard points out the most common flaws or unwanted qualities of employers when all he, or any employer are looking for is someone who is hard working and can be trusted with an important task regardless of what it is. And that is the type of worker that no employer can afford to lose. No matter when you are, regardless or your occupation, type of company or size, there will always be the workers that are replaceable, irreplaceable, or those who no one will hire. Hubbard explains the vast majority or employees that are in the work force. Lazy, irresponsible, untrustworthy, or are just plain worthless. However, the search for that one who will work hard even when no one is looking is rare to find, and that when he is found, he cannot be let go. After reading this book, it makes one realize, and actually look at whom they work with now, or in the past and see whom or how many actually fall into the category or workers Hubbard described. I for one was able to actually put faces with some of the examples given. More important than that, was looking at where I fit in, or which one describes me the best. Hardworking and the one that is rare and every employer is looking for, sure we would all like to think that but the reality of it, may not be as close as we would like to think. When tasked with delivering a message to Garcia, I would think it be natural for one to ask, â€Å"where is he†, such information is key. Rather than blindly searching for a man named Garcia with out so much of a direction. Does a question make one any less of their overall work ethic? I would think not, but when it comes to questioning the motives and  what is in the letter is completely different. Irreverent questions to the task at hand are unnecessary and would be seen as lazy or nosy. Overall it was an interesting book that makes you think other wise of not only yourself, but also those you work with all well. I would recommend any employer to have their employees read this book for they start working. That way it gives them something to think about, think about themselves and which type of employee they truly want to be. Also gives them an idea of what that employer is looking for in their workers, that way there is no question about what is expected. â€Å"He is wanted in every city, town and village- in every office, shop and factory. The world cries out for such: he is needed, needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia.†

Auto Cad And STAAD Pro

Auto Cad And STAAD Pro This chapter gives an insight into the topics involved in this dissertation, it starts with a review of the key items involved to complete this project such as the programs used to design and analyze the structure as in Auto cad, and STAAD pro. The chapter further develops in reviewing the euro codes in which the building will be designed to. Auto Cad This is a design and documentation software program that was founded in 1982, 28years ago. It is the most commonly used piece of software of its kind and it is constantly being enhanced and improving its software to meet the current needs of its users. It is used for drawing objects to a very high degree of precision in either 2D or 3D format using polar coordinates. Almost any object conceivable like the 3D model shown in figure 2.7 can be produced on todays Auto cad thanks to its extensive array of tools and when trained, easy to use interface. Its tool base may be used in both the 2D and 3D formats, some of the basic tools include, line, circle, arc, break, extend, mirror and copy. These are only a small fraction of the features of Auto cad, which make it possible to create and change or redesign models of any shape and complexity, in a relatively short period of time as compared to drawing by hand or using other software programs such as STAAD pro. This is the reason why auto cad was used to detail the design rather than STAAD pro because of its ease of use and the complexity of the design and then inputted into the STAAD pro software for the analysis. STAAD Pro This is a finite element analysis and design software program run on windows operating systems, which is used to analyse the structural stability of structures, under a variety of conditions. It allows the users to effectively analyse structures built from a number of different materials such as, timber, concrete, aluminium and steel, under different forces caused by, earthquake, soil interaction, and various dead loads and live loads, which are specified by the local design codes being used in whatever location the structure is being design, in this case Eurocodes. It is a very versatile piece of software that has being perfected over the past 25 years, it reduces the amount of man hours required to correctly analyse how a structure will behave when loaded using either 2D/3D model generation. The general steps involved in producing a successful model are as follows: Model generation: creating the structure model in either 2D or 3D which could involve importing an Auto Cad files and then choosing the material type and size for the members, applying a foundation types to correct locations and specifying loads and forces on the model. Calculations:-to obtain the analytical results. Code check:- creating parameters for design specification Running analysis:-to perform analysis and design. Verification of results:-displayed through graphs, diagrams and tables. Reporting and printing. Eurocodes: This chapter is intended to provide a brief introduction into the eurocodes. It will list the benefits, the problems, associated with the codes. It describes the general layout of the codes and discusses the difficulties with the drafting of the codes and how the difficulties were resolved, the national annex and their roles will also be discussed. It will advance to describe in detail to list the difference between the previous BS 8110 and the contents of Part 1.1 of Eurocode 2, which has superseded the above British standard. And will be the main eurocode used to design this concrete structure. The eurocodes are set of ten codes of practice for the design of building and civil engineering structures in concrete, steel, timber, masonry other building materials Table 2.1 lists these eurocode there titles and reference numbers. Similar to the previous codes of practice the British standards these codes come in a number of different parts, each containing different rules to the design of the different structures included in the codes. Table 2.1 EN1991 provides the characteristic values of the loads or actions as termed in the code, needed for the design. It is the head code of the world fist material independent design code providing guidance on determining the design value of actions and combination of actions, including partial safety factors for the actions. EN 1997 covers the foundation design with respect to the geotechnical side. EN1998 is devoted to the seismic design and provides guidance on achieving earthquake resistance in buildings and structures. These Eurocodes will have the same legal standing as the previous British standards and other approved documents. These codes were published first as preliminary standards; know as ENV (Norme Vornorme Europeenne), in the beginning of 1992. Now after being revised reissued as European standards, known as EN (Norme Europeenne), along with national annex which contains supplementary information, are coinciding with British standards but will eventually become mandatory and all conflicting standards will be withdrawn as in the British standards. Benefits of Eurocodes. There are many advantages of having design standards which are accepted by all member states how ever this is not a new initiative as the first draft Eurocode 2 for concrete structures was based on the CEB (Comite Europeen du Beton) Model Code of 1978 produced by a number of experts from various European countries, similarly Eurocode 3 was based on the 1977 Recommendations for design of steel structures published by ECCS (European Conventional for Constructional Steelwork). The original reason for this work was to improve the science of structural design. Recently though the drive is for political and economic unification of countries and these Eurocodes will help to lower the trade restrictions and barriers which exist between member states and allow for contractors and consultants to compete freely and fairly for work within Europe. Also the unification will enable products, materials, components, design programs to be marketed throughout member states. It will also improve interna tional standing of European engineers which should help in increasing their chances of wining work abroad. Prooduction of Eurocodes: Each Eurocode has been drafted by a team of experts from different member states. These groups are under contract to the CEN (Comite Europeen de Normalisation), the European standards organisation, whose members are the national standards bodies as in the British Standards Institute in the UK. During the ENV stage of production a liaision engineer from each member state was involved in evaluating the final document and discussing with the drafting team the acceptability of the eurocode in relation to the previous national code. Format of Codes: Problems associated with drafting the Eurocodes. There were many problems faced when the Eurocodes were being drafted mainly being the terminology that was to be used, different climate conditions, materials and different work practices from the different member states. The following details outline ways in which these problems were overcome. Terminology From the beginning it was inevitable that the terminology would have to be standardised in general the agreed terminology was found to be similar to that used in the UK national standards. The few minor differences include loads are now called actions while dead loads live loads are now referred to as permanent and variable actions respectively. Similarly bending moments axial loads are now called internal moments and internal forces respectively. Principles Application Rules This was the method used to divide the documents into sections ensuring documents were concise, described the overall aims of the design provided specific guidance as to how these aims can be achieved in practice. Principles comprise of general statements, definitions, requirements and models for which no alteration is allowed. Application Rules are generally recognised rules which follow the statements satisfy the requirements given in the principles. When the letter P is missing from the clause number it indicates an application rule. The use of alternate rules other than that in the eurocodes is permitted as long as hey do not effect the design requirements and are at least equivalent to those suggested. National Annexes Differences in work practices, climate conditions etc required the allowance for different parameters to be determined and specified at a national level such as safety factors, cover particular methods of construction etc. where these deviations are allowed a note in the code is provided in the accompanying annex, these parameters are know as NDPs (Nationally Determined Parameters). Eurocodes 2: Design of concrete structures. This will be the main Eurocode used to design this structure as the build will be mainly concrete this code is to replace the previous code of practice BS8110 and it is the European standard for the design of buildings in concrete, although the ultimate aim of Eurocode 2 and BS 8110 is largely the same to provide guidance on the design of buildings and civil engineering works in concrete, there are many new design procedures and differences, it is based on a limit state principles and comes in four parts as shown below in table 2.3 Liquid retaining containment structures Part 1.1 of Eurocode 2gives a general basis for design of structures and some detailing rules very similar to the previous BS8110, the design cannot not be completed without using reference to other documents such as EN 1990 (Eurocode 0) and Eurocode 1 to determine design values of actions (loads), Part 1.2 of Eurocode 2 for fire design, EN 206 for durability design Eurocode 7 for foundation design. The reason for this difference in structure and layout is to make the eurocodes more concise than BS 8110 and avoid repetition. Proposed Design: In the design process a number of different designs were considered and working with the requirements of the structure the most suitable one was chosen these requirements were as follows: Design a suitable multi-storey building containing retail units and accommodation units. The structure should be designed and built to modern codes of practice and standards. The building must be of modern aesthetics and be unique to surrounding buildings. Also the structure should fit the following criteria: Retail Floor Space ; between 1500 4000m2 Accommodation Space ; between 10000 30000m2 Maximum Footprint ; between 1500 3500m2 Maximum Height of Building; 40m. The following designs were considered and compared when choosing the final design. Proposal One; Retail space = 3161m2 Accommodation space = 11718m2 Footprint = 3161m2 Provision for lateral stability and vertically stability is provided by concrete columns and shear walls/shear cores within the structure. Proposal Two; Retail space = 2001m2 Accommodation space = 11674m2 Footprint = 2001m2 Provision for lateral stability and vertically stability is provided by concrete columns and shear walls/shear cores within the structure. Proposal Three; Retail space = 1558m2 Accommodation space = 28451m2 Footprint = 1558m2 Provision for lateral stability and vertically stability is provided by concrete columns and shear walls/shear cores within the structure. Chosen design: The design in proposal two was chosen finally because when it was compared with the other designs it was decided that it was more astethic than proposal three because of its falling design, it was then compared with design one and it was not considered to be more asthetic but it did accomodate the footprint requirments and space requirments better than proposal one did. Materials Methods: Elevator Elevator Shaft; The elevator shaft will provide latheral stability for the building and will direct forces into the ground, it will span from the base to the roof in each of the four shafts. There will be four elevator shafts positioned in the centre of each external face of the building, providing ease of acess to each floor. Each one will be of dimensions 3 x 2m and will utilise a electric cable borne method for lifting and will travel at a max speed of 2.5m/s. Each elevator will be able to accomondate a max of 10 peolple at a time. Latheral Stability: The elevator shafts incorporadted in this design provide for latheral stability caused by wind loads, these loads are created by the wind force on acting on the external face of the building transmiting the loads to the floor, these floors form horizontal diaghragms transfering the latheral load to the vertical rigid elevator shaft which acts as a vertical cantillever and subsequently transfers the loads to the foundations. The advantage of using the elevator shaft to provide lateral stability is that concrete walls tend to be thiner than other bracing systems used in medium sized multistorey construction and so save space in congested areas also they are very rigid and may be used as fire compartment walls, the disadvantge of using the elevator shaft for latheral stability is that construction is slower and less accurate and when constructed they are not easily modified, also it is difficult to provide connection between steel and concrete. Procedure STAAD Pro 1.1 Importing drawing Now that both the model had being created and the loads calculated, it was now time for the analysis of the model. To achieve this, first the model had to be imported into STAAD pro, this was done by saving the model in Auto cad as a R12/LT2 DXF file, which is compatible with STAAD pro, and then opening a new structure sheet in STAAD pro and using the import function located in the file drop down menu. When importing the file the following two pop up windows will appear shown in figure1.1 and figure 1.2, these let you define the orientation and units you want to analyse your model in. For the structure model meters and kilo Newton were chosen with a standard orientation of the Y axis pointing upward. After that the model will appear on the main STAAD Pro interface as shown in figure 1.3. As can be seen from figure 1.3, STAAD Pro has a vast array of tools and functions that make it possible not only to, analyse almost any structure in almost any situation, but also to draw structures. For simple structures it would be worth while using STAAD Pro, however for more complicated structures it is better to use Auto cad, because it is specifically tailored for drawing almost any structure or object with ease, for the trained user. Now that the model was now in STAAD pro, it was now time to proceed with further developing the model for analysis. On the left hand side of the main window containing the model, there is a tool bar called modelling, this toolbar contains functions for modifying the model, like design, support, general, load, material etc. 1.2 Adding supports For the model, supports were required at every base node position. To achieve this, the support window was selected from the general toolbar, figure 7.5 shows the window that pops up for adding support to your structure. For this model fiixed support was required so the create button was selected, and fixed support in the sub menu was chosen as shown in figure 1.4. Now that the option for fixed support was now in our main support window, it was now time to apply the support. STAAD pro gives you a number of different options of assigning the support, like, assign to view, use cursor to assign and assign to edit list, and assign to select nodes. First the node function was selected from the cursor toolbar as shown in figure 1.6, this option allows you only to selected nodes and not beams. When this was done, the bottom layer of nodes on the model, were select and the assign to selected nodes function was used. Now fixed support were applied to the model in the correct position as shown in figure 1.7, and it was time to proceed with the next step. 7.3 Member selection From the general toolbar, the properties window was selected. From here you can assign any style of member in accordance with many different regions building codes using the section database function, and apply any number of different sections to different members in the same model. You may also design the dimensions as in this case a 300mm by 280mm rectangular concrete section was chosen for the beam and a 300mm by 300mm concrete section for the column was detailed. Once selected, the section chosen appears in the properties window, and from here you are given the same option as applying support i.e. (assign to view, use cursor to assign and assign to edit list, and assign to select beams). First the beam function from the cursor toolbar was chosen, this allows you to only select beams and not nodes. Then the columns were assigned using the same process with the different section assigned, figure 1.9 shows the model with the beams and columns applied. Now that this was completed it was now time to move on to applying the various loads to the model. 7.4 Applying loads Loads are used to estimate how a structure will behave if constructed. Since the loads had being previous calculated with the aid of eourcodes, it was now possible to apply them to the structure. In the general toolbar, the load window was selected, from here all types of load may be applied to the structure, for the dome the loads calculated were, dead load, live load, and wind load. From the load window, the load cases icon was selected, a pop up window as shown in figure 1.10 was activated. From here all the three types of loads were identified and added to the main load window. Each load name was then picked individually by used of a pop up window known as load items which is shown in figure 1.11 and the specific load applied. Now that the loads had being picked and values assigned to them in the appropriate direction, it was now time to apply the loads to the model. In the load window the same options exist as for the support and properties window for applying items to the model, for the dead and imposed load, the assign to view function was used. For the wind load only the side facing the wind is loaded, so the node cursor was selected from the cursor toolbar and all the nodes on wind facing side of the structure was selected as shown in figure 1.12. 7.5 Running analyse First the analysis/print toolbar was selected from the modelling menu, which resulted in two windows being activated, the print analysis commands window and analysis whole structure window, which are shown in figure 1.13. In the analysis commands window the no print option was selected and added to the analysis whole structure window, which shows the processes involved in the analysis. After this was completed the analyse toolbar located at the top of the user face was selected, and the run analyse option selected as shown circled in red in figure 1.14. After the analysis in completed a window the STAAD analysis and design window shows the processes carried out and whether there are any errors or warnings related to the model. Any problems relating to the model may be checked by selecting the errors or warning in the window, and the exact problems with the members they are related to, will be displayed. Figure 7.15, shows the final analysis of the dome model which took 16 seconds with no errors or warnings, after all the errors and warnings were corrected. 7.6 Post processing On the bottom left of the STAAD analysis and design window, there is a set of options on where to go after the analysis, the go to Post Processing Mode option was selected and done button pressed. Form here, the post processing window as shown in figure 7.16 the results of the analysis may be viewed for both the beams and the nodes. Graphs and reaction tables along with visual representation can be viewed for the nodes, showing things like the max displacement of a node. Stresses, graphs and forces can be viewed for beams showing such things as max axial forces, max bending, max shear and max stresses. 7.7 Producing reports The number of results including structure type, No. of nodes, No of members etc can be put into a report format. This is a useful tool for an engineer to document any findings to produce to clients or planners, an example of a node report for the dome is shown in figure 1.17.

Features and Benefits of Skype

Features and Benefits of Skype Introduction of Skype (voice unified communication) Skype is the most popular communication tool service in the world. The skype service comes with application software and softphone which suit the application so normally many people think that skype just only provide software which outcome the well service which they provide. The service also provide free or paid service with different kinds of program which can be use in skype as paid service include more features. The free service only provide connect with other skype users while other premium plans include the ability to call from skype to landlines across the worlds as well as own a skype dial-in number so that landline callers can reach us on your computer. Skype has cutout quite a numbers of barriers to the communication system which it is due to poor connection user for the network traffic, while in the early stage we needed to take particular care of the minutes and seconds we spend speaking on international calls which end up is overprice spending, but now we no longer need to worry about it. If you are using pc to pc chatting, you will not paying a single cent in the skype free account more than just your monthly internet service billing. Skype is using the integration of voice and instant messaging service to talk to each other which delivering clear and high quality calls over the internet. Requirement tools for using skype is simple few things, a computer with decent processing speed and memory which must have keyboard and mouse in your system, a high-end speed internet connection like boardband, sound card that speaker or earpieces is in working condition and last thing skype software which is freely downloadable in the main website. People use skype mainly for the high quality of voice it provide and also because it provide free service for pc to pc talk. We around the world use skype for several things such as long-distance communicate with family,friends and loved ones,for business calls or long-distance conferences and also cheaper calls durin g our traveling and ETC The features and strength/weaknesses of skype Skype has a lot of interesting features which can be use like video call or conferencing, SMS, voicemail, instant messaging, call forwarding, skype to skype interface, business control panel, contacts and many others. For free plan skype only include most feature using like instant messaging and skype to skype calls through skype account but for paid plan it cover most features in free plan and plus include call phone and mobile, sending sms to other phone which can be done using either pc or softphone which usable with skype Strength weakness: Nowadays, skype work in the rightness of networks and recent technology which overcome it strength and weakness. For its good point because it let us manage to have a lot more flexibility and more better voices which overcome the problems cause by poor call quality and other interrupting issue which cause by â€Å"noise† in the telephone line and what the weakness about skype because it stops most accounts in skype users from being able to communicate with other open source networks that dealing with communication software And another main reason is that when you are using low-connection internet or keep receiving poor signal while in the skype conference, the application in the skype has some clever programming managing tool to analysis the problem try to prefix it and get your call smoothly through the calls. The program tool has the most important ability to dynamically change and fix in the codec in use to the call to suit the network conditions strength. Sometime we will also encounter packet loss during the sending of information which cause alot of times waiting for the busy line to be stable to send out the data to one and other using skype The problems skype trying to address They need to improving its identity authentication process. This is one of the part skype trying to further expansion into the business market to enhance username authentication for business customers. Skype also encounter security bug that could expose value and useful data to hacker. Most users could let an hacker making a Skype hyperlink which the users clicked on it, it will sends a file from the victims computer to another Skype user. One of the most problem they address is that hackers tend to control a users pc without the admin promission which cause alots of value data being known. An hacker could exploit the user pc by programming or uploading a special link and AD-popup a user to click on it. The hacker can also be exploited when sending some annoying information from a malformed electronic business card or Vcard. Critically evaluate Skype and future trends Scalable Skype PBX/PABX Gateways FEATURES BENEFITS: Company now can talk or chat over on skype for free and Skype-Out for low-cost call without PC cause they provide Skype-In static numbers for local calls to users and Skype-Web calls for user with free plan service . Using Companys phones to make a simple calls by prefix-handle service and smart PhoneBook . . Directly connect to PBX/PABX program using Plug Play format which only took 10 minute, also by using the program Sky-Grid System to upgrade the total capacity storage can save more money and with the better administration Control to make MIS/Call-Management job more easier They also provide Solving the issues of Bandwidth Information Security by independent xDSL and monitor the status by VNC Web-Administration or Telnet Control. Reference from : http://eshop.spin3d.com.tw/images/Scalable%20Skype%20PBX%20Gateway.pdf Open source freeswitch added into skype: This is the new release device which called â€Å"freeswitch†, is the first open source freeswitch will enable user or orgamnisation to intregrate skype into their Voip and platform services. For the first time, developers will have a free usage which include high-performance voice switching platform that can tie Skype clients into nearly every other major VoIP platform on the market today. Aside which we extending high definition voice across the networks, freeswitch will enable developers to build Skype integration into telephone applications, such as VoIP-enabled IVRs. Skype upgrade not only change the platform to freeswitch but also added in support for one of the most popular telephone engines (open phone layer) which gives freeswitch support for 323 clients and devices which also brings another venue for SIP support. Skype also working towards tighter integration with the platforms, the skype for asterisk is a prototype to allows interoperability between skype and asteri sk. Which offer better voice quality, allow users to place and receive calls without any cumbersome workaround, provide caller ID and retrieving skype credit balance information control panel that user can access Reference from : http://blogs.zdnet.com/Greenfield/?p=353

Wake Island :: essays research papers fc

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was at last forced to officially enter World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially declared war on the Japanese and in his famous radio address to the American people, he professed that December 7 was a day that would live in infamy. Americans and Japanese alike, still remember Pearl Harbor Day, but how many remember the gallant, fighting Marines who served on a tiny atoll in the Pacific by the name of Wake Island?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prior to the war, Wake Island, located 2300 miles west of Honolulu, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, which was placed under the jurisdiction of the Navy in 1934. It was also a Clipper stop on Pan American Airlines’ famed Trans-Pacific run, and in 1939, the U.S. Navy began construction of an air and submarine base, which was half completed at the time of the attack. Because of the construction of the base, approximately 1200 civilians were on the island, working for the American construction firm, Morrison-Knudsen, in addition to the Navy personnel and Marines who had been sent to defend the island.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first attack came at noon on December 7, 1941, when 36 Japanese bombers initiated the first bombing of the island. The bombings by the Japanese continued until December 23, when under continuous shelling, the Americans, under U.S. Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham, were finally forced to surrender. Although the Japanese finally took the island, they incurred heavy losses. Three cruisers and one transport sustained heavy damage, two destroyers and one patrol boat were sunk, while 820 Japanese soldiers were killed, with another 333 wounded. In contrast, American military casualties included 120 killed, 49 wounded, with two missing in action. Initially, Japanese strategists assumed that the tiny island would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours. However, they underestimated the fighting spirit of the military personnel and civilians stationed on the island. For sixteen days these brave men fought against overwhelming odds, but demonstrated both to the Japanese and to their fellow Americans back at home that the Americans could and would put up a courageous fight. During the first air raid, Pan American’s facilities were destroyed, and ten civilian employees of the airline were killed. When the assault on the island was first launched, the Americans had twelve aircraft. By December 21, they were down to two planes and by the 22nd of December, none was left in the fleet.

The Exploitation Of Children In Television Advertising Essay -- TV Med

The Exploitation Of Children In Television Advertisements Across America in homes, schools, and businesses, sits advertisers' mass marketing tool, the television, usurping freedoms from children and their parents and changing American culture. Virtually an entire nation has surrendered itself wholesale to a medium for selling. Advertisers, within the constraints of the law, use their thirty-second commercials to target America's youth to be the decision-makers, convincing their parents to buy the advertised toys, foods, drinks, clothes, and other products. Inherent in this targeting, especially of the very young, are the advertisers; fostering the youth's loyalty to brands, creating among the children a loss of individuality and self-sufficiency, denying them the ability to explore and create but instead often encouraging poor health habits. The children demanding advertiser's products are influencing economic hardships in many families today. These children, targeted by advertisers, are so vulnerable to trickery, are so mentally and emotio nally unable to understand reality because they lack the cognitive reasoning skills needed to be skeptical of advertisements. Children spend thousands of hours captivated by various advertising tactics and do not understand their subtleties. Though advertisers in America's free enterprise system are regulated because of societal pressures, they also are protected in their rights under freedom of expression to unfairly target America's youth in order to sell to their parents, regardless of the very young's inability to recognize the art of persuasion. In the free enterprise system, the advertiser's role is to persuade consumers to buy their products/services. They are given a product/service and are required to use their best creative effort to make this product desirable to the intended audience (Krugman 37). Because of this calculated and what many deem as manipulative way of enticing the target audience, the advertising industry is charged with several ethical breeches, which focus on a lack of societal responsibility (Treise 59). Child Advocacy groups and concerned parents, among others, question the ethicality of advertising claims and appeals that are directed towards vulnerable groups in particular, children (Bush 31). The fundamental criticism is that children are an unfair market. The Federal ... ...ng? 80% answered Yes 10% answered No 10% had no opinion Works Cited Brady, Diane. "The Power of Cowabunga." Maclean's Dec. 199250. Bush, Alan J., and Victoria Davis Bush. "The Narrative Paradigm as a Perspective For Improving Ethical Evaluations of Advertisements." Journal of Advertising 23.3 (1994)31-41. Carlson-Paige, Nancy and Diane E. Lerin. "Saturday Morning Pushers." Utne Reader Jan. 199268-70. Collins, Claire. "Fighting the Holiday Ad Blitz." The New York Times Nov. 19943-4. Guber, Selina S. and Jon Berry. Marketing to and through kids New York Mcgraw-Hill, 1993. Hernandez, Debra Gersh. "Unfair advertising defined for FTC." Editor and Publishing Oct. 199434. Kotz, Krista. "Food Advertisements during Children's Saturday Morning Television Programming: Are they consistent with dietary recommendations?" Journal of the American Dietetic Association 94.11 (1994)1296-1300. Krugman, and others. Advertising: It's Role in Modern Marketing. Fort WorthThe Dryden Press, 1994. Kunkel, Dale and Donald Roberts. "Young Minds and Marketplace Values: Issues in Children's Television Advertising." Journal of Social Issues 47.1(199

Darkness Illuminated

Since the conception of humanity, man has been fascinated with that presence which illuminates, yet cannot be touched. Mankind has brought it into his religions, giving it a great deal of importance in his creed. Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses light as a tool of God that illuminates the darkness of human iniquity and exposes its permanence. He studies the psychological theme of the impossibility of eradicating sin from the human heart in his novel The Scarlet Letter. The use of light in order to fortify this psychological theme confirms its significance in the novel. As though he were weaving an elaborate tapestry, Hawthorne meshes lights intense symbolism into his characters natures until a chef d’oeuvre manifests itself upon the loom of the readers intellect. This tapestry serves as a subtle background upon which the characters sinful hearts are bared. As Hawthorne navigates the reader through the passages of his dark tale, one follows Hester as she goes to Governor Bellinghams mansion. Light is reflected by almost every aspect of the extravagant dwelling. Through the narrators words, we see the Governors house as Hester sees it: â€Å"†¦though partly muffled by a curtain, it [the hallway] was more powerfully illuminated by one of those embowed hall windows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne 101). One can envision the brilliant sunlight streaming though the immense window, slicing through the facade of the Governors feigned sanctity. Is not simplicity one of the fundamental tenets of the Puritan faith Yet Bellingham, the very person that passed judgment on Hester and her sin is laid bare to the readers opened eye. Here, light shows Governor Bellingham to be corrupt due to his improvident lifestyle. In his genius, Hawthorne defines light not only as a presence, but as an animate consciousness. Still acting as a tool of God, light seems to run away from Hester when she tries to touch it. Pearl, in her inexplicable intuitiveness, says to Hester, â€Å"†¦the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom† (Hawthorne 180). Although Pearl makes this comment concerning the scarlet â€Å"A†, one may argue that the sunlight is actually afraid of Hesters sin, and not the scarlet â€Å"A†. In this case, light is used to remind Hester of her sin and to bring it to the front of her mind as punishment for her adultery. Not only does light show Hesters sin to herself, it shows her sin to others as well. Near the end of the story, Mistress Hibbins speaks with Hester, â€Å"I know thee, Hester; for I behold the token. We may all see it in the sunshine; and it glows like a red flame in the dark† (Hawthorne 237). By shining on the palpable reminder of Hesters sin, the sunlight screams to others of the scarlet letters noncorporeal counterpart: her immorality. Though the scarlet â€Å"A† is intrinsically only a superficial indication of Hesters sin, Mistress Hibbins goes beyond this surface detail when she says, â€Å"I know thee†, implying that she perceives the immutable nature of Hesters sin. Light can expose not only exterior indications of human sin, but can also make known the sin itself. Hawthorne leaves the reader with a crystal clear picture of how light is a brutal reminder of mans permanent sin. It cuts, pierces, even shatters the masks which man tries to place over his sin. Man no longer falls on his knees in awe of the dazzling lightning bolt or the godlike rays of sunlight through misty clouds. He no longer regards light as a magical deity to be worshipped. Despite this, Hawthorne again bestows upon light its original glory as a thing of God. Its role remains constant as an exhibitor of iniquity, a spotlight lancing into the sordid darkness of mankinds damned souls.

Freud and Jung: Early Psychoanalytic Theories Essay

Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were two influential theorists in psychology (Nystul, M. , 2005). Freud was considered the father of psychology and believed that human behavior was the result of unconscious conflict deep in the mind of individuals (Nystul, M. , 2005). Jung’s theory developed directly out of Freud’s psychoanalytic approach; however he refuted several of Freud’s key points and placed an even greater emphasis on the unconscious. Freud and Jung were the key figures of the psychoanalytic approach to psychology; however their theories differed on several key points (Nystul, M. , 2005). Freud’s psychoanalytic theory was the seed for many subsequent theorists’ work. His main assertion was that human behavior and personality derived from the unconscious conflict that arose in individuals’ unconscious (Fayek, 2005). He postulated that the unconscious was a combination of the id, which was the primal drive for all human needs (e. g. , sex, hunger), the superego, which could be likened to the internalization of societal values and standards (e. g. , the conscience), and the moderating ego that was the rational part of thought that controlled the impulses of the id and superego. Anxiety arose when individuals were confronted with fears of danger within reality (Shill, 2004). Neurotic anxiety occurred when individuals were confronted with dangers that arose in childhood, and can be connected to his five stages of psychosexual development, where personality developed. The five stages of psychosexual development were connected to erogenous zones that children were fixated on until their needs were met and were able to move on developmentally. The five stages include oral, anal, phallic, and genital stages of development. The id relied on the stimulation of these zones until the child would move into the next developmental stage. If an individual were unable to move into the next stage, then they would fixate into that particular stage, and this could mediate personality development (Garcia, 1995). For instance, adults that had not moved on through the anal stage of psychosexual development are representative of type-A personalities such that they are characterized as uptight, as children are as they are focused upon controlling potty training and bowel movements between ages one and three. Furthermore, Freud’s theory was focused on sexual issues and conflict. For instance, he developed the Electra complex and Oedipus complex such that girls became jealous of their mothers as they competed for their father’s sexual attention. Similarly, boys became jealous of their fathers through penis envy as they sought the sexual attention of their mothers and secretly wanted to kill their fathers (Garcia, 1995). Freud used assessment methods to probe the unconscious of his patients. He believed that the unconscious used several techniques to keep conflicts in the unconscious and used methods to tap into his patients’ unconscious through psychoanalytic therapy. For instance, he developed free association where patients said whatever came to their minds, similar to a verbal daydream (Macmillian, 2001). This helped patients to recall events that had been suppressed and so they could achieve catharsis in order to relieve their disturbing symptoms. Freud also used hypnosis in his early therapy sessions. Moreover, Freud conducted dream analysis where he would interpret dreams in order to tap into the unconscious on an individual dream by dream basis (Schept, 2007). The unconscious was also a main point of interest in Jung’s psychoanalytic approach to psychology. However, Jung disagreed with Freud on three main points (Bergmann, 2008). First, Jung refuted the main importance of sexual anxiety in his theory. Instead, Jung stressed that sexual stress was more of a generalized aspect that impacted a psychic energy of a person but included other aspects. Second, Jung believed that individuals were impacted by past and future events, while Freud postulated that individuals were impacted solely by events in an individual’s life. Finally, Jung placed a greater importance on the unconscious and developed the idea of the collective unconscious that was retrospective and prospective. Jung developed the idea of the collective unconscious and expanded the idea of the unconscious itself (Leader, 2009). He believed that there was an aspect of the unconscious that included all of the past experiences of humankind. He believed that this information was passed down generation by generation as an accumulation of human and prehuman experiences that helps the species to develop as a whole. He also believed that all individuals have a personal unconscious that contains information that was once known but has been suppressed because it was too painful to remember. Within the collective unconscious, there were a series of archetypes or sets of universal experiences within the collective unconscious. For example, there was the persona archetype that is a mask that an individual present to others during interactions in order to hide the true self from others. The darkest archetype was the shadow archetype that included the evils that human beings are responsible for. Other archetypes include the anima, animus, and self archetypes. Jung also believed that personality was the response of psychological types that were based on the attitudes and functions of individuals (Dolliver, 1994). These types included the extraverted (viz. , thinking, feeling, sensing, intuiting) and introverted (viz. , thinking, feeling, sensing, intuiting). Depending upon type, individuals behaved and interacted differently with others and the environment. These eight psychological types may be likened to an early version of trait theory and other later personality theories. Moreover, Jung believed that personality developed throughout the lifetime, and individuals’ personalities did not appear as a result from unresolved conflict in childhood as Freud believed. Instead, individuals were continuously moving toward self-realization and individuation, which makes Jung’s psychoanalytic approach more uplifting in comparison to Freud’s more pessimistic view of human development (Leader, 2009). Jung’s assessment practices were similar but differed from Freud’s methods. First, Jung used a word-association test such that patients would respond to a word that the therapist said with the first word that came to their mind (Jung, 1907). This helped to tap into complexes of his patients. He also used symptom analysis to interpret the free associations that patients made. Similar to Freud, Jung used a dream analysis technique but he worked with a series to dreams instead of singular dreams as Freud did to develop a thematic interpretation based upon free response (Schept, 2007). While both Freud and Jung’s theories led to the development of psychology as a scientific field, neither of these theories was based directly upon systematic experimentation. Instead, these psychoanalytic theories were based upon case studies of individual clients (Thompson, 2002). Patient interviews were not recorded verbatim, and were based upon a small number of patients. While the reliability of theory development was not optimal for generalization to society as a whole, these early ideas and theories helped modern scientists develop research questions that have been tested through empirical research methods, and have led to the development of more modern theories of behavior and personality. Without the early contributions of Freud and Jung, the face of psychology may look very different today. References Bergmann, M. S. (2008). Freud/Jung: Enlightenment, romanticism, and the irrational. Issues in pyhoanalytic Psychology, 30 (1), 43-58. Dolliver, R. H. (1994). Classifying the personality theories and personalities of Adler, Freud, and Jung with introversion/extraversion. Individual Psychology: Journal of Alderian Theory, Research & Practice, 50 (2), 192-202. Fayek, A. (2005). The centrality of the system Ucs in the theory of psychanalysis: the nonrepressed unconscious. Psychanalytic Psychology, 22 (4), 524-543. Garcia, J. L. (1995). Freud’s psychosexual stage conception: A developmental metaphor for counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73 (5), 498-502. Jung, C. (1907). On psychophysical relations of the associative experiment. The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1 (6), 247-255. Leader, C. (2009). The odyssey: A Jungian perspective: Individuation and meeting with aechetypes of the collective unconscious. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 25 (4), 506-519. Macmillian, M. (2001). The reliability and validity of Freud’s methods of free association and interpretation. Psychological Inquiry, 12 (3), 167-175. Nystul, M. S. (2005) Introduction to Counseling: an Art and Science Perspective (3rd edition) New York: Pearson Schept, S. (2007). Jacob’s dream of a ladder: Freudian and Jungian perspectives. Psychological Perspectives, 50 (1), 113-121. Shill, M. A. (2004). Signal anxiety, defense, and the pleasure porinciple. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 21 (1), 116-133. Thompson, P. (2002). The ecological imagination. European Journal of Psychotherapy, 5 (1), 71-85.

Dystopian Society’ Essay

There are many dystopic experiences in Incognito and the real world. Examples include Nazi Germany, North Korea, the Taliban and Joseph Stalin. One main example is the Communist China which involved a revolution, power in the government and no freedom of speech. The person mainly responsible for this is Mao Zedong who overthrew his enemies and millions of people were killed or persecuted. This is similar to Incognito as it involves data lords and the overpowering government. It also shows similarity in the lack of freedom because in both realities, if you do or say something which is not smiled upon in the society, you don’t exist anymore (obliteration and persecution). Another example is Nazi Germany which was ruled by Adolf Hitler who eradicated all Jews in Germany by sending them to concentration camps. This shows a lack of freedom similar to Communist China’s lack of freedom of speech. However, this simply involves who you are religiously instead of physically. For example, while you could hide your opinion in China, you could not hide that you were Jewish in Germany. Also, this, instead of simple execution could also take away a part of you as a person, due to the Nazis forcing you to convert to their ways. In Incognito, the data lords stripped people of their identities if they were not worthy of their identity. The Taliban is a fundamentalist Muslim movement whose militia took control of much of Afghanistan from early 1995. During the Taliban’s years of control over Afghanistan, most governments did not recognise it as a legitimate government, due to concerns about human rights violations. Their aim was to publicise, in an often exaggerated fashion. The group is also attempting to assure Afghans that it has a strategy for governing the country again, presenting a platform of stamping out corruption and even protecting women’s rights. This is similar to Incognito’s (the spy group) purpose towards the government and trying to reduce corruption of people with a higher status than most others, ie: the data lord.

Teen Mom Evaluation

Rachel Lee Prof. Goode English 190 October 24, 2012 Teen Mom: An Evaluation Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine. You’re just going to have to change the rest of your life. Many people think teen pregnancy is highly unlikely, until, well, your stomach starts to keep growing outward. The MTV show, Teen Mom, takes us into the lives of four pregnant teenage women who face the challenges and the struggles of having a child early in life.Many people might oppose my view and say that this show is completely worthless and just shows couples who have no idea what they’re doing, but for me, I believe that the show is an entertaining yet positive influence that brings out a visual reality of teenage pregnancy, a pregnancy that can change the rest of your life. One day back when I was around sixteen years old, I was flipping through the channels and stumbled upon MTV’s Teen Mom. The first thing that I realize about the show is that it is a reality t. v. show, which is the type of show I can usually get into.There may be some parts that are scripted, but honestly what reality t. v. show these days isn’t somewhat a little scripted? At first, the show had no effect on me. It was something I would only watch for around ten minutes then I would change to another channel, but before I knew it I had already watched all the seasons of it. Now Teen Mom is a guilty pleasure of mine. So what makes this show so easy for me to watch, and why do I like it so much now? First off, it’s not a show where you have to watch the very first episode and the next one picks off where the pervious one left off.You could watch any episode and understand what was going on. Another reason is that the show is so relatable since it is happening to girls who are around my age. I think back to my group of friends when watching the show and just think about what it would be like to have one of them on it. Also, the point of the show is very straight-forward . A girl gets pregnant while she a teen, she loses friendships, she loses her education, she loses money, and she gains disappointment from her family. Then you try to see how she copes with what happened, and how she continues to live her life, but this time with a child.Another thing that draws me to it is that I am a sucker for cute toddlers, and the show focuses not only on the lives of the couples but also on the child and how they develop through the parents’ struggles. I believe that the show scares teens with the reality of having a child. I think this show could be very practical for people who are in the same situation as the people on the show. I think this show was made to bring about peoples’ awareness of the issue on teenage pregnancy. To me, I think this was the purpose of the show, so the show has practicality.I think the show does a good job of being aesthetically pleasing. Instead of just focusing on one couple who undergoes the struggle of teen pregn ancy, they show the lives of four couples from around the world so you get a difference sense of how different people deal with this. The couples range from being well rounded and proper southern teenagers to teenagers who have no filter on their mouths and no discipline in their lives, which is a reason the show is entertaining for me. Each episode is never the same.There is always some new event going on in the lives of these teenagers, whether it’s a positive event or a negative event. The life of these teens seems to be an up and down rollercoaster that never stops. There is meaning to this show which is to inform people about teenage pregnancy so they will avoid it, and through the episodes you see that these teens learned that lesson, but learned it too late. Ethically, I believe that the show does bring about morally wrong decisions. One of the main women, Amber, is seen as an abusive wife to her husband, Gary.Throughout the season she is seen hitting, slapping, pushin g, and verbally abusing him. When things go downhill, she seems to take it out on him in front of their child, Leah. Also another woman, Farrah is seen in countless fights with her mother, some involving punches to the face resulting in black eyes, so domestic violence and abuse seem to be an issue with the show. Also, another woman on the show has a father who is seen in and out of rehab and prison due to drugs. The father has also been said to have abused his wife throughout the show.With this being said, there are some obscene events that do go on throughout the show that could offend some viewers. If you’re looking for a show that goes into the glamorous lifestyle of a famous family or couple, this probably would not be the show for you, but if you’re looking for a show that provides an entertaining look into the lives of your average teenage couple who deal with an everyday struggle, I would highly recommend this show. Some people may see the show as a comedy, but underneath it all it gives them the hard and scary truth about what it would be like to be a teen mom. Related post: Social Studies SBA on Teenage Pregnancy