5 Other Online Dictionaries

5 Other Online Dictionaries 5 Other Online Dictionaries 5 Other Online Dictionaries By Mark Nichol Regular Daily Writing Tips readers know that I often extol Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the dictionary of record for the American publishing industry. Despite its apparent casual acceptance of nonstandard spellings, it’s an authoritative resource as is its Internet version, Merriam-Webster Online. But plenty of alternatives exist; here are five interesting and helpful variations on the lexicographical theme. 1. The Alpha Dictionary This portal features links to hundreds of foreign-language dictionaries and glossaries, as well as numerous specialty dictionaries and glossaries covering specific subjects like chocolate, jewelry, and weather, and more resources like thesauruses and collections of quotations. 2. The Free Dictionary Enter a word at The Free Dictionary, and you’ll get not only definitions from various dictionaries but also citations of the word in quotations, a translation tool to find the word’s foreign-language equivalents, and lists of related terms. The site also has starts-with and ends-with search functions and an option to call up a list of terms in which a particular word appears in the definition. In addition, you can look up acronyms and idioms and search encyclopedias, foreign-language dictionaries, and specialized dictionaries. 3. OneLook.com This dictionary offers more than just definitions of words you type in; it also enables a variety of tip-of-the-tongue searches: To return words and phrases beginning or ending in a certain word, type in that word followed by or preceding an asterisk, or type the first couple of letters of a word followed by a colon and any complete word to produce a list of words and phrases starting with those letters that pertain to that word. (For example, at:air brings up not only atmosphere but also â€Å"attic fan† and atomization.) Or, precede an acronym or initialism with expand: to find phrases these abbreviations stand for, and more. 4. Wordnik Wordnik collects definitions from numerous other dictionary websites, as well as displaying online citations of the word to provide context. 5. YourDictionary This plain-English resource provides easy-to-understand definitions. For example, the meaning of atmosphere, rendered at Merriam-Webster Online as â€Å"the gaseous envelope of a celestial body (as a planet), the whole mass of air surrounding the earth, the air of a locality, a surrounding influence or environment, the overall aesthetic effect of a work of art, an intriguing or singular tone, effect, or appeal† here is explained as follows: â€Å"the area of air and gas enveloping objects in space, like stars and planets, or the air around any location,† or â€Å"an overall feeling and/or effect of a place, specially if it is an environment of pleasure or interest.† This site also provides links to other dictionaries as well as other resources. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Book Reviews category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your Story50 Latin Phrases You Should KnowHow Do You Pronounce "Often"?

Essay Sample on the Apostles Creed

Essay Sample on the Apostles Creed The Apostles Creed is an affirmation of things which are mainly held among Christians, and which are undoubtedly founded upon the contents of the Holy Scripture. I have rehearsed, cited, and prayed this creed from my childhood and whenever I repeat the creed I assert that I accept and approve of all the statements that it covers. I do not merely give a mental consent to the facts articulated in the creed because the scripture makes it clear that Faith without works is dead. (John H. 60). My belief depends on the facts found in the scripture, and also on my personal experience of salvation. I know I have been born again spiritually; my faith rests on the spiritual encounter with God as interpreted by scripture, not merely on an intellectual assent to the scriptures and doctrines expressed by the Apostles Creed. The creed starts with the greatest and universally accepted Christian statement I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. (William Barclay 11) The statement that God is Almighty implies that all beings are governed and controlled by Him and therefore this makes me wake up every morning with a prayer of thanksgiving for the day that God has given me and His mighty presence during my daily activities. Whenever I repeat the words of the creed I personally affirm that I have an almighty God and Father who is in charge of all things on earth and heaven above. I also agree that even those things that seem to oppose and resist His authority are still under His government. Rebellion serves but to make His omnipotence more apparent, for He causeth the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath He restraineth. (John H. Leith.74).Therefore by my belief in God, and the belief that He is the creator of heaven and the earth; I am charged daily with being, thinkin g and acting only as He has taught me through the years as one of His precious and great creations. To know my creator in this way is very simple to me but difficulties arise when I try to conceal the sins that I commit with excuses to the only God who knows everything about my life. I believe that is the greatest message for me as a Christian that is placed before me daily: to let Him guide me with His love and compassion for He has mighty plans for me. And in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. The expected Messiah come to the world bearing with Him from heaven a message of salvation for all mankind and the creed shows me that because of my sinful nature God send His only begotten son to suffer the wrath on my behalf so that I could finally live in perfection with Him. I personally believe that Jesus Christ became incarnate through the conception of the Holy Spirit and birth by the Virgin Mary. I believe that Jesus died as a substitutionary atonement for the sins of the world; and that, after Christs resurrection and ascension into heaven, on Pentecost, God came to the Church in the form of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter promised by Christ. Because of these acts by an Almighty God, I am humbled that He chooses to relate to me as Father as well as King of my life. This is the greatest love from God who made me and who knows my daily failures, but gives me grace only through Christ. Although this world is full of misery and anguish, I am fully assured that He who suffered on my behalf will understand and sympathize with me and that He provides me with boldness and confidence as I daily draw nigh to the throne of grace. He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he will come to judge the quick and the dead. This is part of the Creed gives me great hope, security and constant, abiding love in God! When I go to sleep every single night, I know that I have not lived up to each challenge but God has blessed me by sending Christ who is my intercessor. I take great comfort in knowing that for me, and everyone else of His creation who has gone before me and for everyone who comes after me, Christ himself sits at my God’s right hand and tenderly says Father, please remember to see her and her sins through me and my death on the cross. I marched the same path and did not commit any sin but I suffered and died for her sins, not mine, according to your great plan. (John H. Leith.64) For me, His intersession gives me the hope and strength to treasure each new day I am given and to strive to be a better person today than I was yesterday or even just a minute ago. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, Amen. I believe that the born-again believers from every denomination and creed of the Catholic Church consist of the supernatural Body of Christ on earth, forming a spiritual unity that disproves our obvious disunity. I for sure know that Christ will return from His position at the right hand of the Father to judge the living and the dead. I believe that God the Holy Ghost lives within the saints; my spiritual birth, along with that of many others of the communion of saints stands as the most profound fact of my life. His presence in believers testifies to the fact of His forgiveness. His grace came to me and the rest of those who believe in Him by faith in what we accept as facts: our sinfulness, His sacrifice, and His forgiveness. I believe the ending of the Creed is where God calls me to live out His words rather than to just recite them or find personal comfort in them. If I want God’s grace and His love, then I am called on to declare His gifts and to then state publicly His assurances. To proclaim that I believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body is my another feature of God calling to me as a person of faith every day. The Father and His only son my Lord Jesus have given me the same task as was put on the original apostles, to go throughout the whole world and proclaim the good news of salvation to all creatures. Forgiveness of Sins is the gift and guarantee of God that Jesus Christ, the Saviour, has broken the separation between God and me that was brought about by sin and I am filled with joy for Jesus has brought me to God through His sinless life, His suffering and death, and His bodily resurrection from the dead. I am thus consoled in knowing of this gift of forgiveness that guarantees me of eternal life in heaven and deliverance from eternal condemnation in hell. (George 54). To sum up I believe that the God Who led the Church to accept the Apostles Creed lives and works whether human beings believe or not. Those who believe in God will believe by faith what cannot be proved literally. Those who refuse to believe would continue in unbelief regardless of awesome proof to the presence and working of God in the Church. Jesus clearly said that those who believe without seeing are blessed and therefore if anyone asks my opinion of the Apostles Creed, I can honestly say I believe in it. If you need custom essay, term paper, research paper or thesis on Religion or Theology feel free to contact our professional custom writing service.

Invention and Discovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Invention and Discovery - Essay Example Invention is of our making while discovery is what we can learn of God's making. How can we tell I suggest there is this first and most simple difference. A discovery is something someone else can test for himself and find out if it is true or not. An invention is something that is true only because of the inventor. (...) Science is therefore a discipline of discovery while engineering is a discipline of invention. And if we compare the findings of science and what we can learn from engineering, we discover that science is always surprising while engineering is always explicable." (Brownpanda, 2006). Even though there is a thin line between discoveries and inventions, the factors stated by Brownpanda are very convincing since discoveries can be associated to science and inventions to engineering. In this case, the difference is quite clear. Brownpanda makes the following assertions in order to find the difference between discoveries and inventions: "I want to suggest something further. Discovery, if we touch upon truth, will always reveal the divine intelligence. And this divine intelligence has certain characteristics: its laws are always simple, its consequences are always amazing, its forms are always beautiful, and while it can be appreciated by all, it is always beyond our understanding. Invention, however wonderful, can always be picked apart and understood. It is often complicated. Take for example a car, it is essentially an internal combustion engine. But there are so many other bits to it and each of the bits is there to solve a specific and particular problem. Take an animal, in contrast. On the surface, it appears simple. You can easily draw anaologies between the animal or human body and the car. But what makes an animal or a human being is not the body but the fact that they are alive. And the reason why they are alive is because they came from another living thing." (Brownpanda, 2006). On the other hand, Fll explains the difference between inventions and discoveries as follows: "Discovery means that the laws of nature exist in a defined form, totally independent of humans or anybody else below the level of an almighty being, and that there is a possibility to discover them in total (if there is a finite number of natural laws) or at least in parts and to describe them in some language (including the language of mathematics). Maybe we find only parts, or we see the laws coarse-grained (i.e. in some approximations), but it is out there to be discovered." (Fll, n. d.) So there is a point of connection between Brownpanda and Fll when they associate discoveries to the divine intelligence or God's making. Klint finds that discoveries and inventions are differentiated through another point of view as stated below: "In the natural sciences there is a conceptual tool to make a distinction between discovery and invention: discoveries are embodied in nature while inventions are embodied in artefacts. Notions such as reality'' and observation'' are used to explain that the instruments--being artefacts--used during experiments lead to valid conclusions that are independent from the actual instruments being used." (Flint, 2006). Regarding the different ways of knowing, there are 4 distinct ways of getting knowledge: sense perception, language,

Liberalism (liberties, human rights, and free trade) Research Paper

Liberalism (liberties, human rights, and free trade) - Research Paper Example Liberty of conscience and freedom of worship. Freedom of speech. Freedom to collaborate or not to collaborate. Individual freedom, guaranteed by the justice, law and administrative body. No gender discrimination. The opportunity to have the varied and full education irrespective of birth. Security from the unfavorable issues such as unemployment, old age, disability and sickness. Free choice of the consumers and to rap the opportunity of productivity of industry and soil. Civil and political rights can only be realized where the right of security and subsistence are recognized. Reorganizations The need to promote and protect the rights of religious, national and ethnic and linguistic minorities. Need to establish and practice a culture that overcomes the issue of discrimination among the people of several groups. Need to abolish the regulations and laws regarding the discrimination. Support and defend the activities of the individuals who have fought with the society in order to get personal freedom and fight for civil liberties and human rights. Free Trade The potential of the free trade is to bring strength and empower in the human being to increase the standard of live in the globe (Huntington, 1993). Free trade in the modern age generally entails the following. Free flow of staffs and employees. Deregulation and liberalization of the economy. End to private and state monopolies. Rule of law and property rights. Human creativity and private initiative of environment conducive. Currency wars and trade disputes. Inter communal violence, political instability, war and dictatorship. Corruption and weakness of government. The modern liberalism has highlighted that; the free trade must be controlled and guided by certain regulations and rules that are... Liberalism is a dominant political ideology. Liberalism is known as the response to the urbanization and industrial revolution in the 19th century. Liberalism was occurred in America and Europe. Classical liberalism was constructed on the basis of the ideas in the 18th century. Liberties, human rights and free trade are the three major aspects of liberalism. In order to discuss every single aspect of the modern liberalism, it is necessary to highlight theme resolution of free trade and human rights. Human rights and Free trade theme was constructed in the year 2011 by the manila Congress that discusses the integrity of the system of free trade and human rights. Human rights are the fundamental and universal rights that determine the virtue of humanity of the human beings. This right has not constructed on the basis of nationality, religion, culture, race, citizenship, social class, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Human rights and the policies related to the welfare of human being and society need to be exist in every community. This process will help the globe to bring the equality among the several groups of individuals in this modern civilization era. The fundamental conditions and rights are mentioned in the document of international founding. The modern liberalism has highlighted that; the free trade must be controlled and guided by certain regulations and rules that are enforced by the accountability foundations at the national, regional and international levels. It recognizes and understands the effectively and the importance of the free trade recall with several effective public policies in order to sustain the development and overcome the reasons and issues related poverty in the society.

Hypothesis and Research Design Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hypothesis and Design - Research Paper Example According to findings, it is found that, ethical and moral decisions reached upon by software developers during software development, has an influence on how things and businesses in particular, are done and how people`s lifestyles adapt to this technological development (Salehnia, 2006). Studies concerning the ethical standards in view of the use of computers and its software, centers on critical issues such as; hacking, privacy, copyright protection, and piracy among other issues related to compute use and software. However, studies indicate that, there is little that research indicating if software developers experience ethical and moral decisions opportunities. Because of this, researchers have developed theories that may help in predicting and explaining ethical and moral behaviors. The theories put forward by researchers, as virtue ethics help social scientist and researchers in categorizing the human behavior basing on ethical and moral judgments. In some instances, an ethical theory like, ethics position theory, is used to categorize human behavior in a number of groups, which includes exceptionism, situationism, subjectivism and absolutism. Through this examination of software developers by applying the ethical position theory, was facilitated. This related to the decisions that software developers make during the process of software development, and a few hypothesis relating to it emerged, which guided further research in the area to unveil various issues. Concerning the above introductory discussion it essential to understand issues about ethics and morality in software development, with a user’s perspective. To tackle the issues well, it is critical to understand some factors involved, which is ethics, morality and software development, so that a good basis is formed to unveil the discussion critically. To begin with, software development is the process through which, individuals, a team or accompany invents and then implements the grant plan that helps to create a new software program (Quigley, 2008). The same process is applied in creating a new variety software. In the software development, many steps get involved to achieve the target plan. First, an understanding has to be made about what is needed, in terms of the purpose for developing the software. Secondly, the plan is then developed to create the software required to meet the purpose perceived, this done by writing the code and the bug test prior launching. The process of software development may involve one or many programmers, depending on the complexity of the software require achieving perceived results. At the initial stages, a research is mandatory to gain an understanding of the type of software that the market requires. The research is used to establish the real purpose of the software in meeting the market needs, in line with the overall goals set. On the other hand, ethics is perceived as the study of concept value in terms of right, good, wrong, or bad, as applied to actions concerning a group’s norms and regulations or rules. Basing on ethics and computer systems it is found that, computer software systems lie squarely in the heart of decision-making. This includes issues like data storage and manipulation, and data availability. Concerning the ubiquity of software systems in every area of private

Physical Impacts of Alcohol Abuse

Physical Impacts of Alcohol Abuse Alcohol use and abuse can affect the liver, central nervous system and the kidneys. The result of the constant use of alcohol can be noted and examined in patients using numerous methods. These methods utilize the body’s reaction towards alcohol using biochemical markers like ÃŽ ³-glutamyl tranferase (GGT), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Although biochemical markers can easily tell the clinician about the use and abuse of alcohol, genetic markers may also contribute to the dependence of alcohol. Alcohol use and abuse is associated with multiple illnesses such as cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. Alcohol consumption has many negative effects that increase with age, ranging from short term reactions like dehydration and ethanol poisoning to chronic reactions like liver failure and alcoholic fatty liver disease. The result of alcohol consumption is reactive changes in the body such as an increase of enzymatic activity and concentration as well as the decrease of enzymatic activity and concentration due to tissue destruction. The enzyme ÃŽ ³-glutamyl tranferase (GGT) activity is one of the most sensitive tests for alcohol use. The enzymes activity rises when there is acute hepatocellular damage present commonly is patients with alcoholic liver disease (G. Bbosa, D. Kyegombe, W. Anokbonggo, A. Lubega, A. Mugisha and J. Ogwal-Okeng, 2014). GGT is such a sensitive marker that the levels will also be increased even if no hepatic or biliary damage is present in the patient suffering from alcoholism. GGT levels increase drastically in the serum of patients abusing alcohol chronically, an increase of 2-3 times the normal value is most commonly present (S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash, 2013). GGT serum levels can also be raised in patients with digestive disorders and mostly only indicates alcoholism in patients who abuse the substance excessively. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are more commonly decreased in older patients suffering from alcoholism than in younger patients and are used rather as a confirmation marker than an initial indicator. The HDL-C levels in the serum will be decreased in the patients presenting with alcohol abuse (S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash, 2013). The enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) can be used to indicate alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis, but proves difficult to provide accurate results in the absence of liver damage. The enzyme is also found in multiple other organs like the brain and the kidneys and is more likely to be used as a confirmation of liver disease than a definitive diagnosis (D. Adler, 2013). The levels of AST in the patients’ serum will be increased up to 4 times the normal ranges in cases of liver damage. The increased AST levels, when indicating alcoholic liver disease, is most likely due to cellular necrosis due to excessive alcohol consumption. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is overly produced in patients with hepatic injury and in alcoholic patients (M. Hyder, M. Hasan and A. Mohieldein, 2013). The disadvantage of this test in that the levels only significantly increases if severe hepatic damage is already present, but the major advantage is that ALT is only present in the liver (R. Van Dyke, 2012). ALT will be increased 4-6X in cases of alcoholic cirrhosis and 7-10X in cases of alcoholism with alcoholic liver disease. The ratio of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) can also indicate alcoholic liver disease with a ratio greater than 2:1 with respect to AST:ALT. This result is mostly due to low ALT levels in the serum because of hepatic necrosis, pyridoxal-5’-phosphate deficiency or mitochondrial AST leakage (M. Adak, A. Thakur and K. Adhikari, 2012). The ratio is mostly used as an affirmative test as the ratio only rises above 2 in severe cases of alcoholic liver disease. Sialic acid Genetic predispositions to alcoholism have not been completely identified, but studies have indicated genes that may be responsible. These genes are known as the Mpdz, the Kcnj9 and the GABRA2 genes. Although these genes are used theoretical markers rather than actual indicator to alcohol dependence there is a correlation between the severity of the withdrawal symptoms and the risk of alcohol dependence (K. Buck, L. Milner, D. Denmark, S. Grant and L. Kozell, 2012). The GABRA2 gene is located on chromosome 4p12 and regulates the production of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) which acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014). Alcohol can affect the signalling pathway of the GABA system if a variation is present in the GABRA2 gene increasing the pleasure derived from the consumption of alcohol above normal levels which can greatly increase the risk of alcoholism in the persons who have this variation (D. Dick and A. Agrawal, 2008). Alcoholism poses a serious health threat to the medical community causing many serious complications in a healthy lifestyle. Testing for GGT is seen as the most sensitive test, but has the one drawback of having quite a bit of interferences, which can be cancelled out if brought into the equation. ALT and AST tests the livers general homeostasis and should rather be handled as a complimentary test along with a test such as GGT in order to confirm a diagnosis. Genetic markers for alcohol abuse have not been fully discovered as of yet, although a variation in GABRA2 is known to increase the risk of alcohol dependence due to its effects on the GABA pathway when alcohol is consumed. References: G. Bbosa, D. Kyegombe, W. Anokbonggo, A. Lubega, A. Mugisha and J. Ogwal-Okeng. (2014). Chronic Alcohol Consumption Affects Serum Enzymes Levels in the HIV-Infected Patients on Stavudine (d4T)/Lamivudine (3TC)/Nevirapine (NVP) Treatment Regimen. Pharmacology Pharmacy. 1 (5), 181-194. M. Adak, A. Thakur and K. Adhikari. (2012). Study of Biochemical Markers in Alcoholic Liver Disease: Hospital-Based Case Control Study. Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences. 3 (3), 987-995. S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash. (2013). Biochemical Markers and Age Onset Involved In Heavy Alcoholism.  Asian Journal of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Research. 4 (1), 80-87. D. Adler. (2013). The Difficulty of using a Biological Marker for Alcohol Use: A Recent Historical Overview.  Sound Neuroscience: An Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal. 1 (1), 1-8. K. Buck, L. Milner, D. Denmark, S. Grant and L. Kozell. (2012). Discovering genes Involved in Alcohol Dependence and other Alcohol responses Role of Animal Models.  Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 367-374. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014).  GABRA2.  Available: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/GABRA2. Last accessed 02 September 2014. D. Dick and A. Agrawal. (2008). The Genetics of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence.  Alcohol Research Health. 31 (2), 111-118. R. Van Dyke. (2012). Liver Tests: Use and Interpretation.  Open Michigan. 1 (1), 1-60. M. Hyder, M. Hasan and A. Mohieldein. (2013). Comparative Levels of ALT, AST, ALP and GGT in Liver associated Diseases.  European Journal of Experimental Biology. 3 (2), 280-284.

Wedding Speech Written for Two Best Men -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speec

Wedding Speech Written for Two Best Men Brandon - Ladies and Gents before I continue I would like to point out to those of you who may be feeling the effects of the alcohol that there are actually 2 of us standing up here and no you are not seeing double. Firstly, I would like to say how pleasing it is to see so many of John and Rhonda’s close relatives and friends who have joined them on their wedding day. It never fails to amaze me the distance some people will travel for some free food. OK, Ladies and Gents it is an absolute privilege for Kain and me to be standing here as John’s best men. Since John asked us to perform this honor we have been seeking advice on the duties we have to perform. One of the main duties is obviously to ensure John arrives on time and looking as sharp as possible for his big day! So in order to fulfil this duty, and not that we don’t trust John, we felt it necessary to stay here last night and after a few drinks in the bar and sharing a room with John I can confirm to you all that he slept like a baby†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ he wet the bed twice†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..and woke up several times crying for his mother! Kain -Another duty of course is to thank John on behalf of the bridesmaids, for his kind words, and I have to say they look absolutely wonderful and have done an excellent job today. Wouldn’t you agree Brandon? Brandon - Absolutely, and it is no wonder as the girls have had their hair done by Ni... ...e Fantasy Channel Brandon – To John, Is marriage really for you. You made a big impression on us, we hope we didn’t leave any on you. From all the girls at Legs&Co. Real telegrams – Kain 1, Brandon 1 etc Kain - Ladies and gentleman, it gives me the great pleasure to invite you all to stand and raise your glasses in a toast to the 2 people who without them today would not have been so special†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦LADIES & GENTLEMEN†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..THE BAR STAFF Brandon – Seriously though, John and Rhonda we hope that your love for one another is modern enough to survive the times, yet old fashioned enough to last forever†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ You really are a perfect match. Ladies and Gentlemen we give you the Bride and Groom!

The movie Josie and the Pussycats

Attention Getter: Has anyone here seen the movie Josie and the Pussycats from 2001? It’s okay if you haven’t, I don’t blame you. Relate to Audience: Behind all the superb acting and catchy music, however, lies a highly controversial and interesting topic. That would be subliminal messaging, and that’s what I’ll be talking to you about today. Thesis: Subliminal messaging has been a controversial method of manipulation for years. Preview: I will talk about the different forms of subliminal messages, I’ll tell you about how influential they can be, and I will describe some of the most controversial examples throughout history. Transition: So let’s start by exploring the types of subliminal messages. Body I. MP1: Subliminal messages can be either audio or visual. According to Webster’s dictionary, the word â€Å"subliminal† is defined as â€Å"existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness†. Basically, this means that your body can sense a subliminal message but it won’t be transferred into consciousness; it’s sensation without perception. Audio subliminal messages can be achieved by hiding the message at a volume too low to pick up. Other sounds are played above these messages to mask their identity. Another more famous form of audio subliminal messaging is known as â€Å"backmasking†. It often involves music that, when played backward, sends a different message than when played forward. This form of subliminal message was responsible for a wave of hysteria beginning in the 1970s as the media claimed that numerous songs hid satanic messages behind their lyrics. On the other hand, there are visual subliminal messages. These can take a couple different forms as well. An image (generally a word) can be quickly flashed and taken away before the subject can consciously perceive what it says. The image is often flashed repeatedly at this rapid pace through something like a commercial. Subliminal images can also be present as a part of other images. An example of this would be a word clearly spelled out in the clouds on an advertisement or details of a picture that suggest something else. Transition: Now that you know the basics of subliminal messaging, let’s explore how they’re used. II. MP2: MISSING An April 2010 New York Times article provides an interesting example. â€Å"New York State's health commissioner†¦ Dr. Richard F. Daines, was recently driving down Interstate 15 in Utah, his home state, when he came across four billboards in a row that beamed a subliminal message at him, and not the one the advertisers intended. † The repetitive billboards contained phrases that subliminally suggested a healthier lifestyle rather than the consumption of the soda it advertised. As with any subliminal message, there is no telling how it will affect the subject. In the Handbook of Consumer Psychology from 2009, Haugtvedt et. al state, â€Å"Subliminal advertising is, at best, a very weak force. However, there is evidence that subliminally presented stimuli can influence behavior and cognition. † It just may not be the intended behavior. Transition: Now that we have seen how subliminal messages can be used, let’s examine a few famous cases. III. MP3: The most controversial cases of subliminal messaging surround the fields of politics and music. George Bush’s 2000 political campaign was under scrutiny for displaying the word â€Å"RATS† while talking about one of Al Gore’s plans. The ad said â€Å"bureaucrats†, but these four letters flashed on the screen independently, creating an uproar. It was written off as a mere coincidence by the creator of the ad, but was taken off of television nonetheless. Heavy metal music is often scrutinized as a source of violence in adolescents, but the 1990 case of young James Vance and Raymond Belknap suggested it influenced suicide as well. According to Philips and Cogan of the 2009 Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music, â€Å"subliminal messages in the song â€Å"Better by You, Better Than Me† [by Judas Priest] †¦ allegedly had influenced the victims' actions† to commit suicide. The case was eventually dropped, but its impact was great. Signal Conclusion: As you have seen, subliminal messaging has been a controversial method of manipulation for years. Summary: I talked about the different forms of subliminal messaging. I also discussed how influential they can be. I followed up with some examples that have created controversy in recent years. Lasting thought: I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about a topic that really interests me. You’re now free to go play all your music backwards and see what really happens†¦ Questions (15 POINTS) Does the preview adequately map out the main points covered in the speech and is it in the right format? 2 points) I think it does a decent job at mapping out the main points. The second point could use some work, she says it’s about how influential subliminal messages are, then in the paragraph quotes a psychology book that says they are â€Å"†¦ at best, a very weak force†¦ †, and in the transition she says it’s a bout how they are used. A little confusing. Also, for your class, it’s missing signposts. Does the summary adequately review the main points covered in the speech and is it in the right format? (2 points) Same as in the preview, not sure about point two. Other than that it looks good. Also, signposts again. Does the speaker include smooth transitions between all of the MPs? (2 points) Yes. Except point the transition into MP2, to me the paragraph is really about when subliminal messages gone wrong; to make that clear she could say, â€Å"Now that you know the basics of subliminal messaging, let’s explore how not to use them. † At least one MP is missing a clear MP sentence. Write a MP sentence for that section. (4 points) MP2: In advertising, subliminal messages are often a disaster. Overall, what is your assessment of the organization of this speech (be concrete in your answer). (5 points) Overall, the speech is well organized. Main point two is the only area of the speech that really needs work. Though the information in the paragraph is interesting, her point is unclear. I would switch sub-point one and two. Also, take out the second quote, as it can be easily paraphrased, and add in details of what the billboards actually say, that way it makes sense to the listener. Possibly something like this: II. MP2: In advertising, subliminal messages are often a disaster. In the Handbook of Consumer Psychology from 2009, Haugtvedt et. al stated, â€Å"Subliminal advertising is, at best, a very weak force. However, there is evidence that subliminally presented stimuli can influence behavior and cognition. † The problem with these messages is that it is difficult to tell how it will affect the subject. Sometimes subliminal messages effect the viewer in the opposite way that the advertiser intended it to. An April 2010 New York Times article describes an instance where several billboards for a soda company suggested that viewers should choose a healthier lifestyle, rather than consuming their soda. (fill in with actual content of the ad) (The advertiser intended the message to be†¦ however to some it was perceived as†¦ As shown in this example, subliminal messages are not the best choice when promoting a product. Transition: Now that we have seen how subliminal messages can be misused, let’s examine how they can be successfully used (at least to stir up controversy. ) III. MP3: The most famous cases of subliminal messaging surround the fields of politics and music. Extra Credit (3 POINTS) Explain the difference between a prelim outline, a full sentence outline, and a keyword outline. A prelim outline is the base of a full sentence outline, it has a thesis, transitions, main points, a few sub-points and a conclusion. Add more detail, more sub-points, an attention getter and a lasting thought and you have your full sentence outline. The full sentence outline should be written in complete sentences and include everything you plan to discuss in the speech. The keyword outline is what you take up with you when you give the speech. I should contain no full sentences, besides the thesis and quotes and statistics that need to be worded in a specific way. It should only include a few words per line that can help you stay on track if you get lost during your speech.

buy custom Preschool Quality and Child Development essay

buy custom Preschool Quality and Child Development essay Children have been proved to be the fastest learners, especially when at an impressionable age (between 2-6 years). This is the time when most of them attend pre-school. The quality of the pre-school and the experiences gained there are believed to affect the development of children. This development encompasses several areas such as social, literacy, cognitive, communicative development and many more such areas. The social and physical environments of schools are said to influence the positive (or negative) development of children. This is where the term Global Quality comes into play. Global Quality refers to quality that is most likely to support the positive development of children (Cunningham, 2009, p.501). Studies were conducted to investigate the extent to which the quality of pre-school classrooms (social and physical) affected academic, language and literacy skills; and also how they moderated associations between child risk and development. The articles Relating Preschool Q uality to Children's Literacy Development and Quality of Social and Physical Environments in Preschools and Children's Development of Academic, Language, and Literacy Skills have been instrumental in guiding the thought process that let to my individual study. From my observation of the classroom dynamics of about 30 children from two schools, it can be concluded that quality pre-education is important to the development of children and does leave an impact on the kind of behaviour they adopt in later years. Global Quality The study discussed in Relating Preschool Quality to Children's Literacy Development to explore the relationship between literacy environment quality and public preschool children literacy environment quality variability on the literacy development of preschool children was performed on 428 children belonging to 24 different classrooms in a large urban, Midwestern school district. The cultural and economical diversity of the districts student population was well represented by 74% of the sample being African-American children and 80% of the sample being eligible for free meals. (Cunningham, 2009) Measures of Quality The three sources used for data collection for this study were a student assessment referred to as the Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL) and two observation surveys; the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R) and the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO). The TROLL is used to assess important literacy skills like language, reading and writing. The ECERS-R is used to assess the global quality of classrooms with regard to Space and Furnishings, Personal Care Routine, Language/Reasoning, Activities, Interaction, Program Structure Parents and Staff. The ELLCO toolkit is used to assess the quality of the literacy environments with the help of three tools that help determine the extent to which literacy development is supported, they are a Literacy Environment Checklist, a Classroom Observation and a Literacy Activities Rating Scale. However, only the Classroom Observation has been used in the research study conducted.(Cunningh am,2009) Results The ECERS-R yielded a mean score of 212 which indicates mediocre global quality. The ELLCO yielded a mean score of 44.4 which indicates basic literacy environment quality. The TROLL test was conducted on two sets of students students who were eligible for free meals (students at risk) and students who paid in full for their meals (students not at risk). The students at risk had a mean TROLL score of 71.53 (below the 50th percentile) and the students not at risk had a mean TROLL score of 8.44. The t-tests revealed a significant difference between the scores of students with and without risk factors. It has been concluded that influences from a low income background have a negative impact on literacy development and vice versa. (Cunningham, 2009) Conclusion Overall, the global quality of preschools in the Midwestern school district is considered to be mediocre as they provide only basic support for literacy development. The author of the paper suggests that literacy development can be improved by improving the quality of classrooms and Based on all three results it has been found that the literacy development of children can be improved by improving the quality of the literacy environment, involving parents in the learning process, including indoor and outdoor activities and improving relationships between parents, teachers and students. A student at risk who reaps the benefits of the above mentioned suggestions can have successful high school years. Structural and Process Quality Just as the global quality of the preschools affects the literacy development in students, the quality of social and physical environments affects the academic, language and literacy skills of students. Studies show that students at risk may benefit more from a socially and physically strong preschool environment than their peers who are not at social/economic risk. Academic, language and literacy skills are measured along structural quality and process quality. Features that contribute to the structural quality of a preschool include teachers levels of education, type of training, class size, type of curriculum and program services. Process quality is more experience orientated and relates to the features of preschool programs that children experience directly. These include implementation of activities and lessons, nature of reactions between adults and children and children and peers, quality of space and furnishings, abundance of learning materials and many more similar factors. The paper Relating Preschool Quality to Children's Literacy Development discusses the methods used to evaluate the structural and process quality and the results of the study performed on a sample of students. According to Mashburn, the objectives of this study were to verify the relationship between quality of social and physical environments in preschools and corresponding academic, language and literacy skills in students. Mashburn also mentions the level to which these factors of quality limit the relationship between child risk and development. This study has a continuous variable called quality. Various studies of the relationship between quality and development have observed effects of quality on child characteristics such as sex, ethnicity, home and family risk factors. Sample The study was conducted on 126 preschool classes. These included 69 Georgia Pre-K classes, 27 Head Start Classes and 30 private pre-school classes. Five students from each of these classes were selected on a random basis based on the criteria established by the investigator. Data collection for the research was divided into three phases. The first phase lasted two months and involved raters assessing academic, language and literacy skills. The second phase which lasted a month involved raters making systematic observations of process quality. The third phase which also was of one month duration included language, literacy and academic assessments. (Mashburn, 2008, p.116) Measures of Quality Preschool quality was measured mainly using three observational methods the ECERS-R, the Assessment Profile and the Caregiver Interaction Scale. Direct Assessment was used as an additional instrument used to gather information about students academic, language and literacy skills. The test used for the Direct Assessment was the Woodcock Johnson-III test of achievement. It consisted of two subtests namely Letter Word Identification and Applied Problems. As the names suggest, Letter Word Identification refers to the identification of letters and words and Applied Problems refers to basic math skills such as counting numbers and problem solving. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test IIII and the Expressive Language sub-test of the oral and written language were used to measure language skills. A store and print concept instrument was used to measure literacy skills. (Mashburn, 2008) Results The variables measured in this research were gender, race, family income, process quality and corresponding children development. The results of the study showed that (1) Pre-school quality has a positive relationship with childrens development during the early years of schooling (2) High quality social environments and child development have a significant relationship (3) There is no association between higher quality physical resources and childrens competencies. (Mashburn, 2008) Conclusion It can be concluded from the two studies that global, structural and process qualities have a significant impact on the development of children. High quality preschool definitely lays the strong foundation for the later years of education. Students at risk who are put in such an environment benefit more from the nature of the program than students who are used to such high quality environments. Observation Evaluation To validate the points mentioned in the above papers and observe classes in a real life scenario I performed an ECERS-R observation evaluation. The evaluation was performed on 21 students of the Lincoln School and 10 students of the Early Learning Program and was focused on three scales, Language-Reasoning, Activities, and Interaction. Language Reasoning consists of four subscales: Books and pictures, Encouraging children to communicate, Using language to develop reasoning skills, and Informal Use of language. Lincoln School At the Lincoln School, all four subscales of Language Reasoning met the requirements. The classroom had a book corner and a story reading session; also the classes had pictures all over it at the right height for children to view effortlessly. The teacher(s) observed the communication levels of students in the class and encouraged shy, silent students to get over their shyness and start communicating. To facilitate the usage of language to develop reasoning the teacher(s) made use of games like Bingo that help reinforce their knowledge of numbers and vocabulary. The informal use of language was encouraged through casual conversations with the students. The school also conducted several interesting activities for the children such as dressing up as characters, playing with sand, creating 3D Art, familiarizing the students with numbers and weather, singing and dancing, playing with blocks, reading books or seeing pictures in books related to science and nature. These activities were al rated as per the ECERS-R. The only activities that did not seem structurally fulfilling were the Sand/Water and Nature/Science activities, because there was no outdoor area designated for water related activities and apart from books and pictures there were no Science/Nature related activities. The differences in the observations and rating could also be affected by the number of students in each sample and the corresponding number of teachers or assistants available to handle the classes. However both schools demonstrated good structural and process quality. The schools got off to a good start on providing global quality in their classes. However there is always scope for improvement. It was observed that the Early Learning Program provided a learning environment that was more active and involved more interaction. As a result the students demonstrated more creativity, willingness to try new things and an active picture overall. This supports our earlier conclusion of global, structural and process qualities laying a strong foundation for child development. Buy custom Preschool Quality and Child Development essay

Rethinking a no brainer

Rethinking a no brainer Introduction Lying about one’s credentials is indeed a violation of societal norms and contradicts principles of integrity. Therefore, such kind of conduct will not be justified. Instead, it is actually necessary to offer a valid explanation of why the phenomenon occurs. This issue is highly context specific and actually occurs as a result of certain hidden factors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rethinking a no brainer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As in the case of Richard Bromenthal, who claimed that he had served in the Vietnam war, it is always an issue of overcoming rigid obstacles that impede individuals from growing in the careers or even accessing job opportunities. Most employers require work experience and knowledge of academic background before they can even think about giving someone a job. This makes it impossible for those who are fresh from university or who may not have been given a chance by any other employer even if they are well skilled for the job. Therefore, by overemphasizing on experience, skills and personal qualities, society causes a huge number of individuals with the right qualities and personality to miss out on these critical opportunities. Also, certain rules exist even when they clearly lack a commercial value attached to them. It will be argued in this paper that given all these circumstances, then it is quite reasonable to witness falsification of one’s credentials. Why people cheat about the credentials The scientific community has not been immune to cases of falsification of credentials. Even Doctors and other professionals have engaged in some degree of falsification because of a number of reasons. Top on this list is the rigorous nature of research approval processes in the scientific community. Before a researcher can be given a grant, he or she may need to have very complex curriculum vitae that should include a series of academic acco mplishments and awards as well. Certain doctors may have worked so hard to acquire their academic credentials so most may feel as though it is quite unfair to them to ask for more. Having an additional award may not always be easy to achieve and may lead to minimization of opportunities within the scientific community because of this occurrence. Not every researcher will be in a position to get these kinds of support and may actually make grants inaccessible to a majority of them. Therefore, some scientists may opt to work around this problem by padding their CVs so as to meet those stringent conditions.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Eventually, this may lead to approval of individuals who may have falsified their information. Such was the case with a Duke University researcher whose area of interest was cancer research. He had been accused of this dishonesty by his peers who found out that he never really got an award as he had purported in his documents (Fustenberg, 2010). Sometimes parties may lie about their credentials simply because they feel that they possess all the requirements for carrying out a certain job except their credentials. Most have a lot of experience in the field and may actually feel entitled to doing a certain job because of this. They get around this problem by falsification. A case in point was that of two West Virginian miners who had been accessed of claiming that they were certified to carry out safety investigations as foremen. This information was obtained by a healthy and safety inspector in mining. The candidates both pleaded guilty to the charges after affirming that they were indeed guilty of falsification. It is likely that these individuals chose to do this simply because they could get away with it. The health inspectors were by and large very experienced people. They should have been in a position of ascertaini ng whether those two miners were competent or not. It is likely that the company realized that they were indeed capable of carrying out their duties well and without any challenges. In other words, falsification takes place because the concerned individuals already have the experience or the skills to show for it all they lacked was the formal approval process thus explaining why it is common to find a number of them engaging in these practices (Elikins, 2011). How societal mores contribute towards this kind of dishonesty It is quite common to hear people lying about serious matters in real life. This culture of dishonesty is so intense as to perpetuate into the legal system. Many individuals have taken the witness stand and lied about lots of things there. This goes on even after the said witnesses take an oath that they will tell the truth. Therefore, the occurrence has become so engrained in the minds of the population to a point of causing professionals to do the same. Some gove rnment representatives taking the stand as witnesses actually lie about their credentials even when they know that this could severely affect the credibility of their assertions and their judgment. The toxicologist James Ferguson affirmed that he had lied about his year of departure from college but quickly shrugged this off as unimportant. He claimed that it was not relevant and that he twenty years of experience actually illustrated this. In fact, it was soon uncovered that the toxicologist had been lying about his credentials plenty of times. To him, this was nothing new because he believed that witnesses always did this all the time (Hillar, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rethinking a no brainer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The world of technology has created fertile ground for the falsification processes. This is because there is an underworld of criminal organizations which are dedicated to creatio n of false academic credentials. Their work is to boost education CVs by making background checks on institutions and identifying loopholes that can assist individuals to get away with this kind of falsification. Because the American culture is such that only the best are allowed to progress, then those who fall outside this bracket are often left out. In order to boost their chances of getting somewhere, vast numbers of people will engage the services of criminal organizations. In other words, the whole country is obsessed with perfection or being best. Lying may be deemed as a necessary part of the corporate culture because everyone wants to be on top. The corporate culture is characterized by the all or nothing law. In other words, when one goes to university or college, it is only the best performers who have a chance at getting good jobs. Furthermore, those who keep rising up the ranks at the workplace are the ones who have demonstrated that they are the best. However, since th e bar has been set so high already, it becomes very difficult for the average worker to access these opportunities. This need for perfection drives many parties to falsify information about themselves just so that they can get ahead; it is a casualty of the culture in our society. The US along with many other western states is characterized by capitalist enterprises. In other words, individualism and the need to do well as a person outweigh communal concerns. To this end, money making or profit generation is the number one reason behind engagement in economic activities. Sometimes this obsession with increasing profits causes a wide number of people to fall into the trap of falsifying. If lying will increase the amount of profits, then businesses will willingly do it irrespective of the morality of their behavior. Such motives can be contrasted to the ones that are prevalent in community based societies. Those regions often pay more attention to the consequences of actions within on e’s community. If someone is aware that lying about his credentials may lead to unwarranted consequences in the community then that individual may be prompted to refrain from those actions. However, if someone is only concerned about his o her well being then chances are that no single piece of information will be carried forward to other generations.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unseen consequences of lying about credentials Sometimes, lying about one’s credentials may not just be limited to individuals or job seekers but may span across the board. In other words, even business entities sometimes engage in this kind of behavior so as to have many recruits. A case in point was Centura College which had falsified its credentials with the intention of getting more clients. This was a for profit learning institution that claimed that it was WVI approved. As a result of this claim, a certain client called Corey Lewis enrolled into this institution in order to take advantage of this very aspect which is WVI approval. Lewis was a retrenched worker who was eligible to WVI financial aid as explained in the Workforce Investment Act (Bennet, 2010). One month into his course, Lewis realized that the college had not been approved and he therefore had no way of paying his tuition fees. The client decided to sue the institution for falsification of their credential s and if he went through then the College would be obligated to pay a maximum of three hundred and fifty thousand US dollars in compensatory damages. The company had lied about those credentials in the hope that it would be in a position to attract more business into its premises; however, this had the unforeseen consequences of attracting legal action against it. In the end, the organization could lose much more than it would have gained if it had not engaged in this falsification. Furthermore, their reputation will be tarnished and this is always a bad thing in business, more so in the education sector. When asked whether this company was aware that it had lied about the approval, Centura College claimed that they had changed names and failed to update this information thus making them non eligible to WIA. Such false representations may have the immediate short term impact of attracting clients but they never really last for long because they often lead to long term negative impac ts such as legal suits or even a tarnished company name. furthermore, if such cases become common place, then it is likely that American citizens will lose faith in their educational system or any other industry which lies about their respective credentials (Bennett, 2010). In the case of the miners discussed earlier, it is likely that the falsification may lead to eventual safety predicaments. Some of the issues that need to be checked by the Health inspectorate could actually be crucial to the well being of those concerned. Such miners who have not undergone these safety procedures may put themselves or their workmates in danger and may also cause substantial losses to business experts thus explaining why this may not always be the case (Elkins, 2011). In the scientific community, falsification of one’s credentials may lead to the most severe repercussions of all. In the case of the Duke researcher who had lied about his history and the fact that he had received an award, i t is likely that his career may have been tarnished. There were more than a dozen letters that were set to the scientific review board concerning this doctor’s conduct with a large number of them questioning this individual’s credibility. Some of them ascertained that because Dr. Potti’s credentials could be questioned then he should not continue researching. These allegations were so severe that they lead to the eventual suspension of the researcher. In this regard, his career was jeopardized. However, this was not the only casualty, perhaps another more serious issue was the effect that his work would have on real patients. Dr. Potti had been carrying out researches on breast and lung cancer. His intention was to come up with a prediction model that would assist him in determining the most suitable chemotherapy drugs for patients. However, after a thorough review of his work by his colleagues, most of them realized that his methodology was questionable and tha t his results were wrong as well. If his predictions were utilized in the real world, then could be quite hazardous to patients’ health. Doctors would predict and administer the wrong treatments thus causing fatal results. To this researcher, padding his CV was nothing more than an attempt to get past the rigorous approval process of the cancer granting bodies. However, he had not thought about the unforeseen consequences of his actions. This unethical behavior was not only detrimental to his career as a reputable Doctor and researcher but it was also dangerous to the subjects that he was studying. Instead of contributing towards better health treatments, this individual was actually impeding it by exposing patients to undue harm or undue risks (Fustenberg, 2010). Falsification can affect other people’s lives substantially even negatively for example, in the case of the toxicologist who gave false information about his experience, it is likely that the information he g ave about the witness was also wrong and that she may have imprisoned on the basis of an opinion that was not credible at all. In an attempt to appear experienced, this individual may have made himself paper more experienced and this may have given undue weight to his opinions. He was an officer of the court and a public servant so he was expected to behave ethically in the eyes of the law. In this regard, he suffered the consequences of getting caught by receiving a sentence of thirty years in jail or a fine of one thousand dollars (Hillar, 20100). Linda (2010) explains that falsified credentials are very risky to employers because they lead to situations in which people are awarded for things that they never carried out. the proliferation and development f ‘diploma mills’ or falsification businesses can have severe repercussions within the workplace because they may reward the wrong people or they may close the door for those who are actually entitled to those opportu nities. They harm businesses because some of the employees who are enrolled may have obtained their certificates from none existence colleges or institutions. Alternatively, some may choose a poorly known institution which rewards students with certification even when the kind of work that they put in was much less than what other approved institutions require from them. Furthermore, since employers may not have the time or the logistics to go through all applicants’ papers, it is likely that a high number of them may go undetected and this will affect such outcomes (Zharkov, 2010). It should be noted that all it takes is a background check by the concerned institution through university databases online. However, in certain circumstances, some names may be missing from the approved list so an employee could have genuinely obtained a degree from a university but may miss out on the opportunity because of the misgivings of technology. One way in which employers can overcome th is obstacle is by doing a background check on the concerned individuals so that they can prevent reoccurrence of these problems. A very serious consequence of falsifying credentials is getting caught and being imprisoned for those actions. People who have taken part in these kinds of arrangements will often find that they are putting themselves in very dangerous positions. Falsification of business records is an offense in law (parson, 2011). Also, grand larceny and false instruments are all possible charges that can be placed against the concerned individuals and they could make him a criminal in the eyes of the law. Because a person may be receiving pay checks on the basis of the falsified information then that individual will actually be contributing towards poor service provision. This person could also get charged for such an issue as was the case with a former psychologist of the court called Feldman. Feldman had purported that he had been a student of Hamilton University. How ever, it was soon discovered that he had obtained these papers from a diploma mil that exchanged certificates for cash. Additionally, the individual had been working for the department for a period of four years after it was discovered how dangerous this person could be to the entire department. He had been given the responsibility of evaluating defendants or those who were eligible for court petitioning yet he was not fully aware of what this entails and there is no doubt that certain individuals were released because of the toxicologist’s misdeeds (Annet, 2010). Sometimes falsification of documents may not always appear as it is. In this regard, an individual could be accused of the charge and fired from their positions even when this may not have a firm basis. A case in point was that of a noted whistle blower within the US Army. This individual was a scientist in the institution and had been responsible for bringing out a series of cases against many dishonest individuals in the army. He had been working for the Pentagon in particular and had been responsible for unraveling unethical behavior. It is likely that this may have ruffled the feathers of many influential persons in the Army. At the time of charging this individual, the Army had tried letting him off for unacceptable performance but because it was not possible to do so under US law, he still remained an employee of the US Army. However, as one looks through the facts of the case, one immediately realizes that there could be ill motives disguised under these intentions. Those concerned individual was exposed to a series of government documents which were classified. He was in a position to ascertain whether conduct within the department was ethical or not. In this regard, he threatened the job of very many individuals. Before this scenario, he had been a noted critic and whistle blower. Consequently, it may be that the accusations of false credentials may not be true. In other words, he may not have lied about his credentials as these may have been planned against him. Therefore, sometimes the charge of falsification may be used as a tool to help unethical employees get rid of whistle blowers in their presence. The lesser charges filed against this same individual testify to the fact that some parties may have had a vendetta (Lardner, 1992). Conclusion In essence, falsification of credentials has become more common place than ever people. This has been perpetuated by the proliferation of technology that allows for the growth of diploma mills. Also, some people do it in order to get around the complex or almost impossible criteria set by authorities. Alternatively, some may do so simply because they feel that they have the right skills or experience and that one tiny requirement does not undermine their capabilities. On the other hand, it can be argued that this goes on because of the individualistic and perfectionist attitude inherent in society. Generally, speaking, this falsification does lead to unintended consequences such as law breakage, legal suits, tarnished careers or businesses and possible harm to the public. Lardner, George. Army Accuses SDI critic of falsifying credentials. Washington post April, 14, 1992 Gurav, Peter. Saratoga Springs man indicted in false credentials case. Fake certification, 18 November, 2010. Online Bennet, William. Student Accuses Centura College of Lying About Credentials. RSS News, September 22, 2010. Print. Elkins, Wallace. Two WV Miners Make Plea Deals to Lying About Credentials Charges. California News, Feb 23, 2011. Online. Furstenberg, Joan. Duke researcher suspended accused of lying about credentials. New York Times, Jul 20, 2010. Print. Hillar, Bill. Man Charged With Lying About  Credentials. NYDaily News, January 25, 2011. Online. Linda, Johnson. Falsified Credentials a Risk to Employers, Business Fraud Focus, 11.3, 2007: 43-44. Online. Mary, Annette. Former Toxicologist Sentenced For Lying About C redentials. Daily News, May 13, 2010. Print. Parsons, Larry. FBI arrests MIIS lecturer accused of lying about credentials. Herald News, 01/26/2011. Print. Zharkov, Rajiv. Falsifying credentials. The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 11, 2008. Print.

Explanatory Synthesis Hydrogen Fuel May Be The Future Essay

Explanatory Synthesis Hydrogen Fuel May Be The Future - Essay Example Hydrogen power is also very friendly to the environment. Air pollution has been reduced tremendously with the use of the hydrogen energy. Vehicles are not machines that can be carried around like iPods. They use fuel that cost the owners so much to buy fuel. For this reason, the automakers worldwide not just in the USA but also in Germany and Russia have been rethinking the way in which they can do away with the internal combustion in the cars due to the threat to the environment. Replacing the internal combustion engines that are usually fueled by the petroleum products can be very expensive. Due to this reason, the car makers have come up with various ways of replacing the internal combustion with: hydrogen power, ethanol power and mostly the electric power. The advantages of the internal combustion engine are that it is cheap. It also has a high level of durability as compared to the other forms of energy. The disadvantage of the internal combustion engine is that the high oil pri ces in the world today make vehicle users shy away from using their cars on a daily basis. The major advantage of gasoline and diesel over hydrogen power is that they are usually very cheap to transport and can be stored with much ease. Another dominant factor is that the two give more power per gallon compared to the other kinds of fuels. To use the other forms of the fuel to drive the auto world, the cost might majorly be a problem. Advanced batteries are needed to power the vehicles that are needed for today’s use. The cars also have to be redesigned to be lighter and also be aerodynamic. It is very bad to think that the gasoline stations will be a rare thing. This is because the gasoline energy is what the people world over use. Hydrogen energy and power can be used, but it will need a lot of time for adjustment. The other thing is that the companies that make vehicles in the world today will need to be scrapped due to the need to produce the cars that use hydrogen power. This

HIV Screening for potential immigrants to Canada Essay

HIV Screening for potential immigrants to Canada - Essay Example forts in moving beyond the medical aspects of the disease trying to address the social and economic challenges and inequities that leave people vulnerable to HIV. Over the last few years, Canada has responded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic with strong strategic leadership, a generous financial commitment and, a coordinated approach to HIV programming, but are we statistically better off than previous years? And what measures did the government implement to cease its spread? After a brief discussion of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Canada over the years, the following article will study the input of the Canadian healthcare system with regards to testing and screenings procedures, while showing the burdens of the disease on the economy and society. The developed stage of the disease AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), will be used interchangeably with the word HIV. There has generally been a continuous increase in the patients of HIV/AIDS in Canada over the years. Since the year 1985 when the reporting commenced, the number of HIV positive test reports that have been notified to PHAC till 31 December 2010 were 72,226. â€Å"At the end of 2002, an estimated 56 000 people in Canada were living with HIV infection - 12 per cent more than at the end of 1999† (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2006). In the year 2005, there were nearly 57,000 patients of HIV/AIDS in Canada and just over a period of four years, a 14 per cent increase in the population of patients of HIV/AIDS was noticed in Canada with the total population in the year 2009 being 65,000. â€Å"Although estimates of the number of new HIV infections are quite uncertain, it appears that the number of new infections in 2009 (estimated range between 2,300 and 4,300) was about the same as or slightly greater than the estimated range in 2005 (2,200 to 4,200)† (actoronto.org, 2010) . In the year 2009, the number of cases of HIV positive reported were 2416 and with the total number of HIV positive cases being 2358 in