Man of La Mancha :: essays research papers

"Facts are the enemy of truth!" cries Don Quixote de la Mancha. And I wonder, is this the madness of Quixote or Cervantes's inspiration? Can facts really be truth's enemy? Facts aren't adequate to explain how irrational perfection lies at the root of imperfect Aldonza. Facts have always misled us. For history and science, facts are used at all times. Yet in both areas, unprocessed facts are truth's enemy. Facts taken at face value deceive us every time. In the end, Quixote's family hauls him in and subjects him to the cure. When they force him to accept the obvious facts, it kills him. Aldonza approaches his deathbed. In his defeat, Quixote calls her Aldonza. "No," she says, "my name is Dulcinea!" She has, at last, found the truth -- the perfection -- that contradicts the facts. If Quixote's madness didn't redeem him, it did, at least, redeem her. Throughout the O.J. Simpson Case of 1991, his lawyers were attempting to convince people, most importantly the jury, that by conjuring facts which created doubts in the minds of the people, and hence concealed the truth about what happened. Fahrenheit 9/11 or Iraq War. Facts are part of the truth, but not its whole. Fact is always limited; it’s a piece of information about something. Fact is a small division of truth as interpreted by an individual. The truth emerges when there is the clear vision to see facts with their proper weight and place. It can take much research and fact-checking to determine what the facts are. It's not easy to sort out what is real and what is not. Being fully informed on every important issue is impossible; all one can do is their best with the time, resources, and inclinations they have. However, even if one has time to read extensively, it's not always possible to conclusively know the facts in the middle of the "he said, she said" of politics. In the face of contradictory versions of events, for example, whose version do we trust? We weren't there, after all. We often end up just believing what we want to believe, what fits with our views and is palatable to us. It's important to keep an open mind and recognize when we don't have enough information to be certain of the facts. Pg. 11. Taken out of context, almost anything a person does or says can be made to look bad or good.

Erikson’s Theory Essay

When discussing the development theory, Erikson had been the frontier with many major contributions. Unlike Freud and Piaget, Erikson’s theory of development focused much more on social interactions. While most of us agreed that children do become toilet-trained between ages one and three, Erikson’s theory also went further to acknowledge that children also learn to talk, walk, feed themselves, etc. In order to understand Erikson’s theory of development, we need to focus on three main principles: dynamic balance of opposites, vital involvement and life in time. Dynamic balance of opposites: There are two opposing tendencies in dynamic balance of opposites: dystonic (negative) and syntonic (positive). Erikson believed there were eight stages, and at each one, the individual resolved a crisis between the positive (syntonic) and negative (dystonic) tendencies (Erikson & Kivnick 1986). A resolution of crisis does not mean that a person rejects either syntonic or dystonic completely, but rather that a person should find a balance between two of those tendencies. For instance, our American culture has frequently taught parents to never say â€Å"no† to their children because that could potentially damage a child’s self-esteem. However, Erikson would disagree and say that children do need to hear â€Å"no† sometimes to understand that the whole world does not revolve around them. Erikson would also say that telling the child â€Å"no† all of the time is bad as well. Vital involvement depends on the balance of syntonic and dystonic tendencies. Vital Involvement: Erikson developed eight stages of development. First, the trust versus mistrust stage, where infants start to learn that either the world is good and can be trusted, or is bad and can’t be trusted (Erikson et.al 1986). For instance, Erikson would state that babies learn to trust their caregivers for not letting them go hungry, but babies also learn to mistrust their caregivers for yelling at them and not feeding them consistently. Second, the autonomy versus shame and doubt stage where children learn about their own â€Å"selves† which is separate from their caregivers (Erikson et.al 1986). In this stage, children usually develop their own will and desires and apply  them well by saying â€Å"no†. When children start to feel comfortable using â€Å"no† as a way to reach their desires, they have reached the initiative versus guilt stage. In this stage, children learn to internalize values from the elder and also acquire the sense of guilt for wrongdoing. The next stage is industry versus inferiority where children explore the greater world in elementary school and their surroundings. Erikson did pay a lot of attention in the identity versus confusion stage because it focuses on adolescents and their identity crisis. Fidelity is the heart of identity because adolescents share some of their parent’s values, as well as develop their own. The last three stages include intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and integrity versus despair. Each of these stages focuses greatly on the continuity of human development until death. Erikson recognized that there are certain time periods when it might be easier for some to develop and harder for others to develop, depending on the environment that influence them. For instance, some children who faced hardships (family separation, family violence, etc.) might have trouble in certain stages or even all of the stages, depending on where the factors start. Life in time: Erikson referred to his theory of development as epigenesis. Epigenesis is relevant to evolution (the past and the future) and genetics. Erikson explained, â€Å"†¦epi can mean ‘above’ in space as well as ‘before’ in time, and connected with genesis can well represent the space-time nature of all development† (Erikson et.al 1986). Erikson did not refer epigenetic to individual genetic make-up and how it influences individual development. Rather, Erikson was concerned with how personality and behavior is influenced after birth and so on. For instance, my mother has had a hard time adjusting with American culture when we first migrated here from Vietnam. My sister and I started to adapt to the new culture right away—from clothing style, hairstyle, hobbies, etc. in which my mother had a very difficult time to accept. She wanted us to keep our traditional customs at home, as well as outside our home. At first, we felt reluctant because we felt she did not understand the importance of â€Å"fitting-in† at school. However, as we started college, my sister and I started to realize that our culture and traditions are unique and understand where my mother was coming from (Identity/ confusion stage). Conclusion: Erikson had dedicated his life by contributing to developmental psychology in major ways. Erikson’s theory of development is still widely used and studied by many scholars.

Public Displays of Affection Essay

Have you ever walked down the hallways of our school and seen so momentous that all public displays of affection should be banned? As a student I walk through these halls every day and the gravest thing I have seen is a kiss that lasted a bit too long. That doesn’t seem enough to grant banning all forms of public displays of affection (PDA). I believe that it should not be banned. Hugging is not just a way to show affection, high school is supposed to get us ready for our life beyond BHHS, and finally PDA keeps people in line, no fights etc., and banning it would lead to student’s unhappiness and therefore our enthusiasm to work would diminish. First, hugging is not just a way to show affection but also a form of greeting. Hugging is a way of greeting much like how the French kiss your cheek when meeting you. In America we often shake hands to greet someone but in France they kiss you on your cheek. This is not a way of showing how you love that person but more like saying hello. Just the other day a friend and I were at the mall and I happened upon an old friend that I hadn’t seen a long time. When we recognized each other we said hello and also gave each other a hug. It was a short hug and just served the purpose of a greeting between to friends. I have no feeling of love toward her so although it was public it was not an affectionate hug. Not all hugs are used to show affection toward a loved one. Second, high school is supposed to get us ready for our life beyond BHHS; in that life I hope to have a girlfriend but how am I supposed learn to keep that girl if I cannot show affection toward her? For starters I would like to learn how to hold a girls hand. By holding her hand I am telling her that I don’t want to be away from her. Unfortunately holding hands is a form of PDA and so I could not do that. Also it is said that a first kiss is very important. By kissing her it shows that I have feeling for her. I do not want to get out of high school and, because I had never done it before, mess up the first kiss with someone I liked and lose her. Learning these things in high school is central to you living a good and happy life outside of BHHS. PDA keeps people in line, no fights etc., and banning it would lead to student’s unhappiness and therefore our enthusiasm  to work would diminish. If you want to kiss your girlfriend during lunch then you must be at lunch. Getting detention would keep you from being there. If PDA was allowed kids would not do anything that might lead to detention. Furthermore, PDA ties almost directly into having a girlfriend. Everyone wants to have the one they like think that they are worthy to go out with, put simply they want to impress them. Getting good grades is a way to impress and show that you are smart. By banning PDA grades would be expected to drop and such things as fights may occur. In conclusion, Hugging is not just a way to show affection, high school is supposed to get us ready for our life beyond BHHS, and finally PDA keeps people in line, no fights etc., and banning it would lead to student’s unhappiness and therefore our enthusiasm to work would diminish. This is why I say that public displays of affection should not be banned. It would do more harm than good and not all of it is even relevant to showing that you love someone.

Strategic Review of Associated Business Consultants and their use of IT The WritePass Journal

Strategic Review of Associated Business Consultants and their use of IT Introduction Strategic Review of Associated Business Consultants and their use of IT IntroductionGeneral BackgroundSWOT AnalysisCompetitive AdvantageLow-cost StrategyDifferentiation StrategyPEST AnalysisAdvantages of a New IT SystemDisadvantages of a New IT SystemRecommendationsConclusionShort Term GoalsLong Term GoalsBibliographyRelated Introduction Over the years businesses have become extra reliant on technology and moreover throughout the current economic climate as there is a huge importance for a business to keep up to date technology.   Competition is driving companies to become more efficient and effective through the purchases of IT developments.   Gaining competitive advantage over rivals can play a major part in the use of information technology. Based on the business structure, I have looked at the IT systems that are currently in place to see if there can be any alterations to help increase productivity and also business strategies.   The following report goes through this. General Background The firm is a large sized business based on the fact that there are over twenty offices throughout the UK with 50 partners and also 350 support and administration staff.   The firm provides business and financial information to clients, so it is vital to have a system that holds the relevant information and in one secure place.   The current system consists of standard office software which includes basic word processing, access to spreadsheets and also a range of specialist software.   Some IT provision has been inherited; therefore creating a wide range of systems between sites and has consequently meant communication has been limited to email. SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis of the competitive environment is used so that the business can identify its position in the market place and recognise potential future strategic options. Figure 1 SWOT Analysis The strengths of the business include factors such as the firm expanding quickly as per the success in various consultancy projects.   This has meant the need for work to be required overseas and is to become a huge benefit to the business.   Other strengths are that the business holds many offices across the UK, which will also provide future prospects. The main weakness are that the business is running on a wide range of IT software and systems, meaning that all data will be scattered around the various sites and almost everything will be in a different format.   These issues cause problems in terms of wanting or needing files that are saved on a different computer in another office.   This also interferes with the lack of communication between sites.   Communication can be shown in all different ways by means of voicemails, meetings, emails, and reports.   In terms of this business, the current system has only allowed communication between sites to be via email.   In a business of this size, poor communication can result in a lack of planning and also mistakes by employees that later cause complication to the business.   This is a major problem as the ability to communicate is one of the biggest factors in business success and an essential part of a smoothly running business, for example business partners need to discu ss future goals and tactics. Another concern is the lack of corporate IT policies and procedures throughout the business, therefore adding to the communication problem.   Policies procedures are required when there is a need for consistency in day-to-day working activities. These procedures allow employees to understand their roles and provide the ability to work to the same rules when dealing with activities that are of importance to the business, such as the acquisition of hardware and software.   There are different IT policies that are needed within the business environment and would include IT Administration, IT Asset Management, IT Training and Support, IT Security and Disaster Recovery and Software Development.   Despite the fact that these offer a firm background, they do not provide the employees with any formal training. While the strength of the business is growing, the opportunity for working overseas has become available, therefore creating many opportunities for future business and in turn more projects. Although the existing system has provided the ability to grow, it is hugely noticeable that due to the quick expansion, the IT system needs to be reliable and accessible in different offices, which the current system is not.   Therefore, the current system is not providing the best resource, so is not allowing the business to give the best possible service.   So the need for a decent system is an important part in the running of this business.   Even though a new system is needed as a matter of urgency, there can be several threats that come about due to the transition from the old system to the new system.   These problems can be anything from teething problems to the loss of important data, so planning is important.   Another possible threat is the competitors, as they can use their IT systems to gain advantage. Competitive Advantage A competitive advantage is an advantage over competitors gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and service that justifies higher prices. The most significant model for assessing the nature of competition in a business is Michael Porters Five Forces Model.   It shows how a firm can use these forces to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage.   According to Porter and the model below, there are five areas of the external environment that affect the profitability of the firm.   These include supplier power, buyer power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes and also Industry rivalry.   These are used as an action plan to exploit the information system by investigating how IT might spawn new businesses. The business can use their IT systems to gain competitive advantage using Porter’s five forces to do this. Figure 2 Porter’s Five Forces To gain advantage through the threat of new entrants, the business must raise the level of competition by means of providing a unique service that no new entrant can compete against, thereby reducing its appeal. To gain advantage through the threat of substitutes To gain advantage through bargaining power of suppliers, To gain advantage through bargaining power of customers, To gain advantage through Intensity of Rivalry Porter suggests that any firm can be profitable in any industry, it all depends on the strategy that the firm adopts. There are two significant strategies that any firm can follow to improve their profitability. The firms that fail are those that do not follow any strategy, or try to follow both. These firms get stuck in the middle. Low-cost Strategy The firm adopts a position trying to minimise all its expenses. It should set prices below other firms in the market. Ordinarily this would seriously constrain profit margins, but the second aspect of this is that the costs of providing the product are pushed down even further so even though the firm sells at a lower price it still makes more profit than other firms in the industry. Differentiation Strategy If the firms competitors are trying to undercut the prices of its products, there are two choices. Fight them in a price war to keep matching or undercutting their prices, or make the products different so that it doesnt matter how low their prices go, there will still be some customers that prefer the goods that the firm produces. The price war has a tendency to reduce profits almost completely, so obviously a different product is the slightly more desirable method. This is why there are so many subtly different products on the supermarket shelves. PEST Analysis Also by using the PEST framework we can investigate many different factors in a firms macro environment that may be affected by a change in the way the business will be run following an upgrade in an Information System. Figure 3 – PEST Analysis Advantages of a New IT System As with any investment and also every business, many advantages and disadvantages need to be considered to establish the best way forward.   The intention of a new system is to provide a structured framework and a practical approach, providing major increases in processing speed, cheaper memory and improved storage capacity. Other advantages and benefits of updating a system include: Better safety Improved service Competitive advantages Less errors Greater accuracy Higher-quality products Improved communications Increased efficiency Increased productivity More efficient administration Further opportunities Reduced labour requirements Reduced costs Superior financial decision making Superior control over operations Superior managerial decision makingAdded value to products (goods and services) Disadvantages of a New IT System However, every business must consider start-up costs when implementing an IT system.   In addition to the cost of hardware and software, some technology dealers require businesses to purchase user licenses for each employee that will be operating the system.   There are also other costs that need to be anticipated when introducing new software into a business; these can include the cost of training employees and maintenance costs and could therefore get expensive.   Although the initial costs would be high, the possibility of greater competition is of a greater advantage. Other difficulties include business opportunities being missed, lack of integration of systems, and also priorities are not based on business needs.   Some or all of these can occur when the firm does not have the means to plan and manage information systems strategically. Whilst the business works with data, a key concern is the security of the data, as the input of a new information system would enable the business to process more and more personal data.   For instance, as more data is set up and the more information is exchanged, there becomes a greater risk that the information will be lost, corrupted or misused. Information technology systems are vulnerable to security breaches, mainly when they are accessible via the Internet. If the correct measures are not in place, this data could be lost or misused. The Data Protection Act says that: â€Å"Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.† Data Protection Act 1998 The statement above is taken from the Data Protection Act and is the seventh data protection principle.   It means that you must have appropriate security to prevent the personal data held being accidentally or deliberately compromised.   If data is not properly safeguarded, this can seriously damage a business’s reputation.   To protect the business, it must make sure it has the right security, backed up by policies and procedures and also the use of reliable staff. Recommendations There are 50 partners and 350 support staff that require office software and a range of specialist software that include customer and project management packages.   The business would help from a WAN (A wide area network), this is a computer network that covers a broad area and are all connected together.   Their software packages could be held in a centralised place and customers details held on the central server so each employee has access to them and be synchronised, which creates a more secure system and better data integrity.   A WAN could allow for an intranet for better communication purposes, overseas and internationally.   Another advantage of a WAN is the allowance of being able to have remote access from where ever in the world, and due to the firm now achieving business overseas, this is essential. In addition to the WAN, the business would also benefit from the investment of up to date software in both word processing and spreadsheets, as these would help both the employees and also at managerial level.   Offices these days try to keep up to date software as it helps the general running of day to day activities. Conclusion Short Term Goals In terms of short term goals, I recommend that all computers are updated immediately with the latest version of office software as this can be done easily with the right planning.   I also recommend that the IT policies and procedures are written and implemented to start bringing all the offices and staff together to create one whole business across the various sites. Long Term Goals It is imperative that the long term goal of the business is to look into updating and combining their systems.   In order to do this, a strategic plan must be put in place which looks into all aspects of combining systems throughout the business.   This may include the advantages and disadvantages, costs and also problems that may come about in the process.   Once an agreed time limit and plan has been agreed, work can be started to merge the office systems into one. Bibliography ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/principle_7.aspx bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593345

Swath vs. Swatch

Swath vs. Swatch Swath vs. Swatch Swath vs. Swatch By Maeve Maddox A reader sent me this extract, asking if it might provide material for a post topic: Charles Darwin did a fine job of showing why his theory of evolution explained the living world better than any creationist ideas could, and evidence has piled up ever since, but a swatch of the American public remain unconvinced. The reader was referring to the use of swatch where the context calls for swath. The example appeared in Forbes Magazine. The editors there have since corrected swatch to swath and even include the following addendum: â€Å"An earlier version of this story contained a typo in the word swath.† Unfortunately, about 172 other sites, which copied part or all of the original Forbes article, continue to display the error. I have found the same error- perhaps they are also typos- on news sites. Here are two: During the visit to the site where construction has started and a smoothened dirt road cuts through a wide swatch of the land where olive trees used to stand, border police arrived.- Catholic News. Stanley denounced the demand that American Jews â€Å"unequivocally support Israel against criticism† when â€Å"Israeli policies of the moment can and do betray values held by a large swatch of American Jewry.†- Progressive.

Global Trade Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Trade Operations - Essay Example International trade has also played a pivotal role in offering economic growth in the countries involved. International trade has also helped countries to reduce their manufacturing costs. For instance, a country can concentrate on what it produces efficiently and effectively. The countries specialize on the field where their absolute advantage lies. This case involves international trade between two countries that are located in different parts of the world. Both countries are different but they are linked together by trade. Background; Trade between CHINA and UK China and UK have enjoyed productive trade relations for a long time. Statistics reveal that trade between the two countries is increasing significantly. In 2009, UK – China bilateral trade in goods was more than $ 201.16 billion. The value is expected to increase significantly in the future. More than 56 Chinese companies have also been listed in the London Stock Exchange. In 2009, UK, imports from China was $ 15.97 billion. Desired Incoterms In 2000, International Chamber of Commercial Terms issued International Commercial Terms (Incoterms) that are now adopted in international trade throughout the world. The Incoterms that are basically used by these traders is the Free on Board (FOB). In this case, the seller is required to deliver the goods to a carrier identified by the buyer. For FOB, the seller delivers the goods after which they are cleared for export (Grath 2008). Importing from China While importing from China, an importer is supposed to create a relationship with the supplier. After establishing a relationship, an individual or organization is required to confirm the terms of trade between the two countries. After confirmation of the trade terms, the parties then agree on the terms of payments. This is followed by approval of samples. Finally, an order is placed in writing after which the freight forwarder is appointed (Grath 2008). In 2008, China exports to UK were $36.07 million. These statistics reveal that there is a strong trade relationship between China and United Kingdom. Exporting to China Exporting from China is almost similar to the importing process. The first step is for the exporter to develop a relationship with the buyer. Then, the two confirm the terms of trade which applies for the two countries. The two parties are then required to agree on the conditions of payment. This involves the deposit balances well as receipts of goods. It is also, important to have samples approved before receiving an order with the new buyer. This should be in writing. The order should indicate the exact order and the terms of trade. Regulations guiding trade in EU and non- EU countries Although the international trade has opened new markets for many companies, it has some complications. For example, trading between EU and non EU member is crucial bearing in mind that the two regions may have different regulations. In this case, the trading companies are required t o adhere to the jurisdiction within the region where the trade is taking place. Some restrictions are unhealthy since they undermine the ability of companies to export freely. The regulations within the EU regions favour the trade between the member states. It promotes free movement of goods and services between the members. The member states are required to withdraw all restrictions to the member states. Therefore, all businesses in the member states can easily

Serotonin Ecstasy Drug MDMA (3-4-methylenedioxymethampheta-mine), Research Paper

Serotonin Ecstasy Drug MDMA (3-4-methylenedioxymethampheta-mine), - Research Paper Example It was termed as a youth epidemic and many cases of MDMA drug abuse were reported among youngsters. Following media reports and fatal cases of MDMA drug overdose, the drug was banned in 1985 in the US. Ecstasy has both beneficial and harmful effects. The question as to whether its benefits outweigh its harmful effects is yet to be answered. Research on the therapeutic benefits of ecstasy in humans is still in progress. The use of ecstasy is illegal and those found with the drug are heavily penalized or even jailed. This paper attempts to understand whether the criminalization and banning of the drug is justified. It argues that the drug can be exploited for various therapeutic uses and that it will do more good if released for public use. The paper further goes on to assert that criminalization of the drug is doing more harm than good. MDMA or ecstasy was first synthesized by Anton Kà ¶llisch in a Merck laboratory in 1912 (Ebitler para. 2). It was an intermediate product used in the manufacture of hydrastinine. It was patented by Merck in 1913 as a slimming agent or appetite suppressor but was not marketed by the company (IDMU para. 1). It was later used by Max Oberlin to induce adrenaline-like effects in animals. By the 1960s, it became known as the love drug because it was effective in inducing a â€Å"sense of empathy† and â€Å"deep introspective thought†, apart from â€Å"heightening the senses† (Ebitler para. 3). The effects of the drug were recorded in a book called Pihkal by Alexander Shulgin, who experimented with the drug himself (Ebitler). He recommended the potential therapeutic uses of the drug to his friend Leo Zeff, who was a psychotherapist. Soon, the drug became popular among psychotherapists for being beneficial in psychedelic therapy and in facilitating better diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric patients,