Applied Macroeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Applied Macroeconomics - Essay Example iii. The decline in the personal savings rate of Americans will result in the shift of the IS Curve to the right. iv. A drop in business confidence following the collapse of the stock market will shift the IS Curve to the left. 4. A change in which of the following would cause the LM curve to shift To rotate, To both shift and rotate Which of these do not affect the slope or position of the LM curve i. nominal money supply (Ms) affects the position of the LM curve. The increase in the nominal money supply would cause the LM curve to move to the right. ii. the responsiveness of the demand for money to the interest rate influences the slope of the LM curve. The more responsive the demand fore money with regard to the interest rates level is, the less steep the slope of the LM curve will be. iii. the responsiveness of the demand for money to income also influences the slope of the curve. The more responsive the demand fore money to the income level is, the steeper the LM curve will be. iv. business and consumer confidence level changes have influence on the slope of the LM curve and, therefore, would cause the LM curve to rotate. v. interest rate (r) does not affect the position or slope of the LM curve. The change in interest results in change in quantity of real balances demanded and results in movement along the LM curve. vi. price level (P) influences real money demand and, as a result shift the LM curve. If the price level increases, the real demand for money decreases and the LM curve shifts to the left. 5. Explain the concept of "crowding-out". Under what circumstances could government spending be "crowded-out" Do you think this is likely to be the case "Crowding-out" takes place when expansionary fiscal policy leads to the...Increase in government spending, income tax cut or an investment subsidy will raise the interest rate if the quantity of money is unchanged. The IS Curve has negative slope because a higher level of the interest rate (vertical axis) reduces investment spending, thereby reducing aggregate demand and thus the equilibrium level of income (horizontal axis). The steepness of the curve's negative slope depends on how sensitive investment spending is to changes in the interest rate and also on the multiplier. The movement along the IS Curve occurs with the changes in the level of the interest rate and corresponding change in the level of income. If interest rate increases, the equilibrium level of income decreases, and vice versa. ii. the responsiveness of the demand for money to the interest rate influences the slope of the LM curve. The more responsive the demand fore money with regard to the interest rates level is, the less steep the slope of the LM curve will be. "Crowding-out" takes place when expansionary fiscal policy leads to the increase in the interest rates level and, thus, reduces private spending, in particular investment. This way increase in government spending "crowds-out" investment spending. Full "crowding-out" can occur under the condition of a vertical LM schedule when the fisc

Christianity vs. Mythology Essay Example for Free

Christianity vs. Mythology Essay For many centuries, ancient Greek mythology has played an instrumental role in the development and foundation of all societies. The ancient myths formed through Greek Mythology has given meaning to the world people saw around them and helped answer perplexing questions such as, Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death?. In fact, Greek mythology has provided meaning to people and the world around them in the same way Christianity and Judaism does. Greek mythology can relate to Christianity and Judaism such that they all were based off oral tradition, they have helped mankind develop a community that shares a common world view through moral way of life, and they all respond to our quest for wonder, the mystical and the unknown. Nonetheless, it is necessary to try and understand that both Ancient Greeks and Ancient Christians may have held similar beliefs about the world they were living in. In ancient Mythology, although there were no written texts that presented the several myths and stories such as the Christian Bible or the Hebrew Torah, the earliest Greek myths were part of an oral tradition. Ancient Greek myths, in their unknown beginnings, are believed to have been formed and passed on by oral tradition, meaning the myths originated from story-telling. The spread of Greek myths can relate to the early spread of Christianity and Judaism in the respect that the stories in the Bible and the Torah were stories about the sayings and acts of Jesus as told by story tellers long before they were ever recorded into a written text. Greek mythology, Christianity and Judaism are also similar such that they all teach a moral way of life and help mankind share a common world view. Almost all ancient Greek myths were constructed to teach some sort of lesson or moral, for example, in the story of Arachne. In the story, Arachne expressed extreme pride in her weaving skills; in Ancient Greece, having too much pride was considered a very unfavorable quality to acquire. Arachne believed her weaving abilities were far more superior than that of Athenas, the goddess of weaving, so she challenged her to a weaving contest. In the end, Arachnes skills did not even compare to Athenas and Athena turned her into a spider. The story teaches that excessive pride and having a big ego is not considered acceptable if one wants to like a purely moral life. Like Greek mythology, Judaism and Christianity also strive to teach mankind how to live a fulfilling, moral life through the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments in Judaism and Christianity are a set of laws that God gave to the people of Israel that represent the main moral code of behavior every person should try to follow in order to live a spiritually pure and moral life. Finally, Greek mythology, Christianity and Judaism are similar because they all attempt to answer our perplexing questions and wonders about the world we live in. For instance, one similarity lies with the stories of creation; The story of Pandoras Box in Greek mythology and the Book of Genesis in Judaism and Christianity. In the story of Pandoras Box, Pandora was the first woman created and she was given a box by the Gods that she was told to never open. In the end, her curiosity overcame her, she opened the box and out came all the evils of the world. The story in the Book of Genesis is very similar- God created Adam and Eve and commanded them not to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Eventually, a serpent appeared to Eve and convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit. She persuaded her partner, Adam, to eat the fruit also and as a result, sin engulfed the world. The ancient Greeks and early Christians tried to find an explanation for the evil in the world, and both blame a woman for mankind’s downfall.

Illusion Verses Reality in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Essay

Illusion Verses Reality in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Death of A Salesman," by Arthur Miller, is a play that tells the story of a traveling salesman, Willy Loman, who encounters frustration and failure as he reflects on and experiences his own life. Willy's quest for the American Dream leads to his failure because throughout his life, he pursues the illusion of the American Dream and not the reality of it. His mindset on perfection, his obsession with success, and his constant reminiscence of the past and foretelling of the future, all contribute to his defeat in the end. The reality of the American Dream is that people are capable of succeeding. Success, though, requires one to work hard and be dedicated to both his/her professional life and family life. Yet, the illusion of the Dream is that attaining material prosperity defines success. Failing to acknowledge the importance of hard work in achieving the American Dream is another aspect of the illusion. By ignoring the present, Willy fails to deal with reality. He has a tendency of living in the past and thinking of the future. He always thinks that if he had done something differently then this could have happened, or things will get better as time passes. His habit of distorting the past, never allows Willy to realize what is going on right then and there in the present. At one time, when Willy goes off down memory lane, he "says" to Biff and Happy, "America is full of beautiful towns and fine, upstanding people. And they know me, boys?the finest people?there?ll be open sesame for all of us, ?cause one thing boys: I have friends. I can park my car in any street?and the cops protect it like their own" (31). Willy makes this distortion of the pa... ...ind. Willy Loman portrays a "common man", who lives a life that is purely an illusion. Although Willy has good intentions, his tragic flaw is that he focuses only on the appearance of the American Dream and never on the reality, the work ethic, or how to achieve it. Willy brings about his own downfall, his defeat, because he tries to pursue this "superficial" idea. Miller includes this theme of the American Dream in his social criticism in an attempt to portray the deviation in the values of society. For instance, materialism and technological advances, causes the American Dream to change as times changes. The salesman is a position that has declining importance at the time. He shows that an individual?s values are based on what society has established. Yet, as society changes, the values one has may not, causing conflict between the society and the individual.

Uses and abuse of drugs

â€Å"Last year alone, 37,000 people died from drug related overdoses.† Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. Substance abuse is a growing problem that not only affects the person who is abusing alcohol or drugs but also affects the lives of those who are close to the abuser. Substance abuse is the abuse of any substance.A drug is a substance that modifies one or more of the body’s functions when it is consumed. It is often mistakenly assumed that drug abusers lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a disease and quitting takes a lot more than just changing your behavior. Drug Abuse is generally defined as the use of a drug with such frequency that the user has a physical or mental harm or it impairs social abilities. The substances that are discussed in this report are called psychoactive drugs; those drugs that influence or alter the workings of the mind, affect moods, emotions, feelings, and thinking processes.Substances drugs affect the brain, heart, liver, lungs and also the people around you. When drugs get into the bloodstream they are carried to all parts of the body and some reach the brain. In fact, drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is more difficult than it appears. The quicker the drug reaches the brain, the more intense the effects. The quickest way to get a drug into the brain, and also the most dangerous way of using any drug is to injecting into the vein. Injecting into the vein is almost as quick as smoking a drug, followed by sniffing or snorting and then by mouth. Eating or drinking a drug is the slowest route, because the drug has to pass through the stomach first.Drugs are generally categorized into two groups, stimulants and depressants. Stimulants are drugs that speed up signals through the nervous system. They produce alertness, arousal and excitability. They also inhibit fatigue and sleep. Everything from over-the-counter pain medication, prescriptions drugs such as, Oxycontin, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and even coffee can abused in one way or another. The two main substances being abused in our nation are nicotine and alcohol.How does nicotine addiction work? Basically, when you smoke your first cigarettes, when you aren’t addicted yet, you get a head-rush which is caused by the nicotine. In your brain there are nicotine receptors which aren’t used to the nicotine in a cigarette. Over time, the nicotine  receptors get used to the amount of nicotine so they can cope with the nicotine. So when this nicotine stops being given to the receptors (when you give up smoking) they panic and cause you to feel unhappy and angry. When you smoke, the nicotine receptors send out messages to other parts of the brain which release a drug called dopamine which makes you feel happy, satisfied, relaxed.When you try t o quit, or when you ‘fancy a cigarette’ your dopamine levels are going down and you start to feel unhappy, aggressive, unsatisfied. Most smokers don’t know that they are addicted to nicotine until they try to stop smoking completely they just think that they like smoking. The answer to your question is that you will have a moderate nicotine addiction, and quitting won’t be that hard. The signs of a severe nicotine addiction are needing to smoke a cigarette every 2 hours, having one as soon as you wake in the morning (or in even more extreme cases, waking up to smoke in the middle of the night).Nicotine increases the levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, activating the pleasure pathways in the same way other addictive drugs do. After the effects (calmness, sense of well-being) disappear, the smoker craves more. Why is alcohol addictive? Basically because alcohol, like nicotine and heroin and other substances stimulates the reward response in your brain. You have a drink, the brain rewards itself with a surge of chemicals and hormones that it really likes, and therefore the more you stimulate it, the more it wants.Some people are more susceptible than others in that their reward responses are stronger which is why some people will get addicted to things more easily than other people will. If you add to that a troubled background of some sort, then when the brain offers its reward response though making that person feels calmer and happier or more in control, they are more likely than someone who is pretty happy.Alcohol is made of ethanol, it is a depressant, your body becomes addictive to the depressant effects and you eventually need it to stop the shakes (delirium tremors) and the withdrawals of the depressant effects on the brain and body. For example, caffeine is a stimulant, and people become addicted to that and when having caffeine withdrawals one has headaches and other neurological effects. However, alcohol is a lot more dangerous because if you are a hardcore not only can you die from drinking, if you stop cold turkey you can have convulsions and die from withdrawals. The â€Å"addictive substance† is  ethanol.When you are pregnant, it is important that you watch what you put into your body. Consumption of illegal drugs is not safe for the unborn baby or for the mother. Studies have shown that consumption of illegal drugs during pregnancy can result in miscarriage, low birth weight, premature labor, placental abruption, fetal death, and even maternal death. If its suspected that woman whose pregnant is using drugs they will test the baby to see if its born addicted, yes it is possible to see if the baby is addicted even before he/she is born.

R.K Narayan Biography Essay

R. K. Narayan (born 1906) is one of the best-known of the Indo-English writers. He created the imaginary town of Malgudi, where realistic characters in a typically Indian setting lived amid unpredictable events. Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanswami, who preferred the shortened name R.K. Narayan, was born in Madras, India, on Oct. 10, 1906. His father, an educator, travelled frequently, and his mother was frail, so Narayan was raised in Madras by his grandmother and an uncle. His grandmother inspired in young Narayan a passion for language and for people. He attended the Christian Mission School, where, he said, he learned to love the Hindu gods simply because the Christian chaplain ridiculed them. Narayan graduated from Maharaja’s College in Mysore in 1930. In 1934 he was married, but his wife, Rajam, died of typhoid in 1939. He had one daughter, Hema. He never remarried. Narayan wrote his first novel, Swami and Friends, in 1935, after short, uninspiring stints as a teacher, an editorial assistant, and a newspaperman. In it, he invented the small south Indian city of Malgudi, a literary microcosm that critics later compared to William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County. More than a dozen novels and many short stories that followed were set in Malgudi. Narayan’s second novel, Bachelor of Arts (1939), marked the beginning of his reputation in England, where the novelist Graham Greene was largely responsible for getting it published. Greene has called Narayan â€Å"the novelist I most admire in the English language.† His fourth novel, The English Teacher, published in 1945, was partly autobiographical, concerning a teacher’s struggle to cope with the death of his wife. In 1953, Michigan State University published it under the title Grateful to Life and Death, along with his novel The Financial Expert; they were Narayan’s first books published in the United States. Subsequent publications of his novels, especially Mr. Sampath, Waiting for the Mahatma, The Guide, The Man-eater of Malgudi, and The Vendor of Sweets, established Narayan’s reputation in the West. Many critics consider The Guide (1958) to be Narayan’s masterpiece. Told in a complex series of flashbacks, it concerns a tourist guide who seduces the wife of a client, prospers, and ends up in jail. The novel won India’s highest literary honor, and it was adapted for the off-Broadway stage in 1968. At least two of Narayan’s novels, Mr. Sampath (1949) and The Guide (1958), were adapted for the  movies. Narayan usually wrote for an hour or two a day, composing fast, often writing as many as 2,000 words and seldom correcting or rewriting. Narayan’s stories begin with realistic settings and everyday happenings in the lives of a cross-section of Indian society, with characters of all classes. Reviewing Narayan’s 1976 novel The Painter of Signs, Anthony Thwaite of the New York Times said Narayan created â€Å"a world as richly human and volatile as that of Dickens.† His next novel, A Tiger for Malgudi (1983), is narrated by a tiger whose holy master is trying to lead him to enlightenment. It and his fourteenth novelTalkative Man (1987) received mixed reviews. In his 80s, Narayan continued to have books published. He returned to his original inspiration, his grandmother, with the 1994 book Grandmother’s Tale and Other Stories, which Publishers Weekly called â€Å"an exemplary collection from one of India’s most distinguished men of letters.† Donna Seaman of Booklist hailed the collection of short stories that spanned over 50 years of Narayan’s writing as â€Å"an excellent sampling of his short fiction, generally considered his best work† from â€Å"one of the world’s finest storytellers.† Narayan once noted: â€Å"Novels may bore me, but never people.† R.K. Narayan was born in Madras, South India, in 1906, and educated there and at Maharaja’s College in Mysore. His first novel, Swami and Friends and its successor, The Bachelor of Arts, are both set in the enchanting fictional territory of Malgudi and are only two out of the twelve novels he based there. In 1958 Narayan’s work The Guide won him the National Prize of the Indian Literary Academy, his country’s highest literary honor. In addition to his novels, Narayan has authored five collections of short stories, including A Horse and Two Goats, Malguidi Days, and Under the Banyan Tree, two travel books, two volumes of essays, a volume of memoirs, and the re-told legends Gods, Demons and Others, The Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. In 1980 he was awarded the A.C. Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature and in 1982 he was made an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Narayan died in 2001. Works of R.K.Narayan (a) Novels: 1.Swami and Friends (1935) 2. Bachelor of Art (1973) 3. The Dark Room (1938) 4. The English Teacher (1945) 5. The Guide (1958) 6. The Painter of Signs (1976) (b) Story Collections : 1. Malgudi Days 2. Dodu and Other Stories 3. Cyclone and Other Stories 4. Gods, Demons and Others (1964) (c) Autobiography : 1. My Days (1974) 2. My Dateless Diary (1960) (d) Other Works : 1. Ramayana. It is an English version of the Tamil epic by Kamban

Antibiotics essays

Antibiotics essays The last time you took your five-year-old to the family physician with a serious case of strep throat were they hesitant to prescribe him an antibiotic? Its scary to think that as more and more bacteria develop immunity antibiotics are losing their potency. Bacterial resistance is a real problem in human health, but the question is, how much impact does animal drug use have on the problem? You may think this is only an issue for humans, but this immunity to antibiotics is also causing a serious situation in the livestock industry, and their issues could quite possibly affect you too. Its scary to think that doctors are facing problems like hospital pneumonia that will not respond to any of their antibiotics, or resistant strains of sexually transmitted diseases. For cattle producers its as equally frightening to be facing strains of food-borne pathogens that resist treatment. How does bacteria become immune to antibiotics? The reality is that this is not just some theory doctors are testing. Its the same syndrome that is affecting pesticides. When a farmer has his crops sprayed the treatment might kill a billion bugs, but the one or two it misses will flourish. If thats because of genetic resistance to the treatment youve got a problem you can no longer treat with that compound. You now have to change compounds. It works the same way with the antibiotic scare; only you are now dealing with bacteria that might infect both livestock and humans. Last spring the General Accounting Office (GAO) produced a study on the question. It talked about some theoretical problems and in the end recommended more study. It also noted that several other countries were imposing more strict regulations on antibiotic use in food animals, and warned that the U.S. could face trade restrictions in the future. The Animal Health Institute (AHI) is the trade group representing the animal healt...

Index of Qualitative Variation (IQV)

Index of Qualitative Variation (IQV) The index of qualitative variation (IQV) is a measure of variability for nominal variables, such as race, ethnicity, or gender. These kinds of variables divide people by categories that cannot be ranked, unlike a variable measure of income or education, which can be measured from high to low. The IQV is based on the ratio of the total number of differences in the distribution to the maximum number of possible differences in the same distribution. Overview Let’s say, for instance, that we are interested in looking at the racial diversity of a city over time in order to see if its population has gotten more or less racially diverse, or if it has stayed the same. The index of qualitative variation is a good tool for measuring this. The index of qualitative variation can vary from 0.00 to 1.00. When all of the cases of the distribution are in one category, there is no diversity or variation, and the IQV is 0.00. For instance, if we have a distribution that consists entirely of Hispanic people, there is no diversity among the variable of race, and our IQV would be 0.00. In contrast, when the cases in a distribution are distributed evenly across the categories, there is maximum variation or diversity, and the IQV is 1.00. For example, if we have a distribution of 100 people and 25 are Hispanic, 25 are white, 25 are Black, and 25 are Asian, our distribution is perfectly diverse and our IQV is 1.00. So, if we are looking at the changing racial diversity of a city over time, we can examine the IQV year-over-year to see how diversity has evolved. Doing this will allow us to see when diversity was at its highest and at its lowest. The IQV can also be expressed as a percentage rather than a proportion. To find the percentage, simply multiply the IQV by 100. If the IQV is expressed as a percentage, it would reflect the percentage of differences relative to the maximum possible differences in each distribution. For example, if we were looking at the racial/ethnic distribution in Arizona and had an IQV of 0.85, we would multiply it by 100 to get 85 percent. This means that the number of racial/ethnic differences is 85 percent of the maximum possible differences. How To Calculate The IQV The formula for the index of qualitative variation is: IQV K(1002 – ÃŽ £Pct2) / 1002(K – 1) Where K  is the number of categories in the distribution and ÃŽ £Pct2 is the sum of all squared percentages in the distribution. There are four steps, then, to calculating the IQV: Construct a percentage distribution.Square the percentages for each category.Sum the squared percentages.Calculate the IQV using the formula above. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Comparing and Contrasting in English

Comparing and Contrasting in English Imagine you are participating in a discussion about ideas. Its not small talk. Its a discussion about how you feel about something important, like your beliefs, politics, who you feel is better for a job, and so on. Using the right phrases and grammar structures can help you express your ideas well. Knowing how to compare and contrast is a particularly useful tool to get your point across in an interesting way. Words and Short Phrases Used to Compare The following words or short phrases compare two items or ideas: likelikewisesame asas well asalso, toolikewise Here is a short paragraph using some of these expressions: Time, like money, is a limited resource. You cant buy everything you want, likewise, you dont have enough time to do everything you want to do. Our time is the same as our money: its limited. Also, time is a resource when work needs to be done. Words and Short Phrases Used to Contrast The following words or short phrases contrast two items or ideas: unlikein contrast toas opposed todifferent fromwhereas Here is a short paragraph using some of these expressions to contrast: Unlike time or money, desire is an unlimited resource. Think about it: In contrast to money which can run out, your desire for new experiences and ideas will never end. Whereas there is never enough time to do everything you want, your desire will always come up with something new and exciting. Forms Used When Comparing Ideas The most important form to use when comparing two ideas is the comparative form. For three or more ideas, use the superlative form. Comparative Form These sentences use the comparative form to discuss ideas concerning the difficult economy: Employment issues are more important than political problems at this point in time.Job training is more critical to a sustained well being than food stamps and other welfare programs. Politicians are more worried about reelection than truly improving the economy. As ... as A related form to the comparative is the use of as ... as. The positive form shows something is equal. However, when using as ... as, do not modify the adjective as in the comparative form. The loss of manufacturing jobs is as unfortunate as the drop in pay.Spending on education in my state is as high as in some foreign countries like Korea. The negative form shows that something is not equal. It isnt as easy as you think. The loss in production isnt as great as in the past. Superlative Form These sentences use the superlative form to state what someone feels are the most important aspect of success at university: Dedication is the most important factor in success at University. Opening my mind to new perspectives was the most rewarding part of my time at university. Conjunctions and Connectors Use these  subordinating conjunctions, connecting words, and prepositions to contrast positive and negative aspects. Though, Although, Even Though​ Although the initial cost will be high, we will eventually profit from the time spent. Its important to remember that time is money even though many believe that money is more important. However, Nonetheless We need to improve the local infrastructure. However, we must also respect nature. The government should invest in job training programs. Nonetheless, that would be expensive. Despite, In Spite Of Despite the difficulty, students will soon see the benefit of this topic of study. The situation will improve in spite of the economy. Practice Situations Find a partner and use these suggestions to practice comparing and contrasting ideas, events, and people. Make sure to vary the language you use when practicing rather than using the same phrase over and over again. For practice, you could try the following topics: Discuss the economic situation in your countrySpeak about the positive and negative aspects of a politician or political partyCompare and contrast two different courses at schoolConsider both sides of an important decision such as an investment, a career change, etc.

Project Management- Group Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

Project Management- Group Report - Essay Example This is the reason behind our project. As project management students, we came up with an idea that would make it much easier for us to raise funds to disburse to the Syrian humanitarian kitty. According to our plan, these moneys would be used for helping the refugees to acquire the humanitarian support-healthcare, food, shelter, education and hygiene that they are in a dire need of. To effectively do this, we organized our team in such a way that everyone would have an important contribution to make. Meaning, each of us was given a role to play as we were working on the project. A part from assigning individual roles, we ensured that we put in place a team of leaders who would be coordinating the activities of the project. As creative minds, we engaged one another and came up with an idea of using a canvas in which people would be signing as they give us their donations. By giving them a chance to sign our canvas, we managed to appeal to everyone. They would be attracted to make their donations which they believed would be appropriately used for the right purpose. With our budget of 45 Euros, we managed to conduct all our activities without any constraint. In fact, we only used 22 Euros. In order o achieve this; we opted to make a good use of Lean Project Management, Traditional Approach and CCPM strategies of project management. We had to apply the principles of project management because they would be of much help to us. A part from providing us with the theoretical framework, they would enable us to carry out all the activities in the best and most suitable way so far. These made it much easier for us to identify our resources and effectively utilize them for the benefit of accomplishing our common goal. It is for this reason that we managed to effectively carry out our activities and raised funds for the project. In fact, we managed to do everything within the budgeted

Steroids and Masculinity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Steroids and Masculinity - Research Paper Example Steroids are chemical substances which induce changes in hormonal secretions. They are naturally occurring or synthetic fat-soluble organic compounds which are in diverse range including bile acids, vitamin D, cholesterol etc (Steroids). They encourage masculinity and add strength to one’s body. Physical fitness reflects mental upliftment. This steroid consumption slowly becomes an addiction. Following essay addresses the issue of steroid intake in men, its impacts- positive and negative and substitute measures to steroid intake. There are many reasons prevailing in the society for the widespread use of steroids. The media holds a strong influence on the minds of people. They publicize and advocate weight loss, leaner body structures and attractive figures while promoting celebrity endorsed products. This provokes men to be like those celebrities whom they admire. The use of steroids is related with the degree of satisfaction that men have about their own body structure. Some people are believed to have a behavioural syndrome: ‘muscle dysmorphia’; in this condition although men have strong and large muscular built, they still think they are weak (Why Do People Abuse Anabolic Steroids). This mental dilemma forces them to take external help in the form of steroids to build their body according to their hypothetical body image. Men are lured into taking steroids because of its benefits which are- muscle and strength gain, increased agility, increased stamina and increased endurance in any of the physical activities (The Benefits of Using Steroids). Some other benefits include enhanced functioning of sexual organs, treatment of various disorders such as asthma, kidney problems, facial paralysis attacks, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, etc (The Advantages and Benefits of Steroids). As every coin has two sides, so does the consumption of steroids. Some health hazards due to its consumption are- hair loss, fertility problems, insomnia, headache,

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Midterm - Essay Example Although it is clear that Abraham moved from Canaan, there is no historical evidence that he ended up in Egypt. Consequently, there is no archaeological evidence of Abraham’s exodus from Egypt. Efron, Weitzman, & Lehmann (58) report archaeological evidence to support that indeed David killed Goliath. A piece of pottery was discovered in early 2008 at a site where one of the cities of Israel was located south-west of Jerusalem and evidence from the writings found on the pottery indicates that David killed Goliath. The Assyrian conquest of Israel and Judah can equally be termed as a real historical event according to evidence from a clay prism that is currently displayed at Oriental Institute Museum of Chicago. The prism gives an account of Sennacerib’s invasion of Judah and confirms a similar account given in second Kings 18:13-15. On the prism, King Sennacerib accounts how King Hezekiah, fearing his greatness, sent him gold, silver, precious stones, ivory and even women from his palace. This archaeological evidence is proof that indeed the Assyrians attacked Israel and Judah. The main reason why scholars question the divine origins of the bible is the fact that its content does not reflect the events and attitudes of the periods they purport to describe (Efron, Weitzman, & Lehmann 61). Scholars point to the various events described in the bible which do not go in hand with the archaeological evidence been discovered. Scholars stress on the need to support the biblical text with an independent source. The text in Genesis, for instance, has not been supported by archaeological discoveries that indicate that the events in the book could have happened later. Archaeological evidence has further indicated that David and Solomon could have been minor rulers who ruled around Jerusalem rather than the whole of Israel as it is described in the bible. The early Israel was an oral society. Religious leaders taught through word of mouth.

Integration and Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integration and Reflection - Essay Example At the other end of the processing in ECKART, are the thinnest pigments with an OD of 0.6 which is dark metallic in physical appearance (Dopke, 2007). These metals and chemicals are harmful to human health. Employees who work in ECKART department may be exposed to these potential harmful metals, pigment and chemicals. The main threat to employees in ECKART division of Altana Company is association with exposure to cadmium. This metal has been extensively studied, and its effects on human healthy have been reviewed for several times by international bodies such as WHO. Cadmium appears naturally in ore together with copper, zinc and lead. Cadmium compounds function as stabilizers in several alloys, PVC products, color pigment and presently commonly, in re-chargeable nickel-cadmium batteries (Dopke, 2007). Inhalations of cadmium particles are life threatening, and even though deaths and acute pulmonary effects are rare, sporadic scenarios still happen. As a result of high cadmium exposure, employees in ECKART may experience kidney damage or kidney failure. The first sign of the renal lesion is a tubular malfunction, evidenced by an up surged excretion of low enzymes or proteins. From research carried out this disorder is reversible; however, there are overwhelming confirmations that cadmium prompted tubular is indeed irreversible. In other words working in ECKART depart of Altana Company is extremely dangerous to its employees. Working under such condition can be dangerous; however the employees of Altana are adequately informed of the risks. Altana management body through environment, health and safety organizations (EHS), not only does it teach employees the role of chemicals production method, but also encourage them to attend Company-mandated education events (Dopke, 2007). These events are held every three months. In these meetings the management body addresses topics such as dangerous substances, and hazardous waste, and occupational

Business and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business and Management - Essay Example is reveals that instead of having loads of weaknesses, the organization gained higher profits in comparison to the previous year and industry average. Increment in the sales volume and sales amount had the highest contribution to make this possible. Effective cost management can also be considered as the contributing factor. Lower Gearing Ratio: Basically gearing ratio indicates the relationship between the equity capital and debt. The reason behind calculating this ratio is to determine the long term financial position of the firm and risk factor associated with the organization. Gearing ratio reveals the sustainability of capitalization of the organization. In that case, it can be concluded that being comparatively low geared in comparison to the industry, the company has a scope of taking more debt. Lower Acid Test Ratio: Acid test ratio is more important than the current ratio as CR does not consider value of inventory. Therefore, it can be assumed that acid test ratio indicates more accurate financial position of the organization than the current ratio. Basically according to the rule of thumb, the standard ratio is perceived to be 1 for this particular ratio but it is quite lower in this case. Even the acid test ratio of the company of 2009 is not only lower than 2008 but also from the industry average. Therefore it can be considered as the weakness for the company. Here it is important to mention that there is huge difference in the result of the two years. There is a 57.59% fall in acid test ratio in the year of 2009 when compared with 2008. Zero bank balance can be blamed for this significant change. Again in 2008, there was no bank overdraft, which again had the contribution to enhance the acid test ratio. A lower liquidity ratio refers that the financial position of the company is not sound enough to meet the current obligation immediately. Lower Current Ratio: The current ratio of the organization in the year 2009 is 1.15 and it refers that current

Argumentative Synthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentative Synthesis - Essay Example This is because, the unemployment of women does not only affect the individual women who are unemployed, but the future generations, since women bear the big burden in the upbringing of children and when they cannot be able to bring them up well due to poverty and other social constraints, there is no doubt that such children will turn out to be a disaster for the society in the future. Nevertheless, the unemployment for women has continued to be a major impediment to the advancement of equality in the society. The income inequality between the rich and the poor continues to increase, despite the measures that have been put in place to address poverty and unemployment in the society (Krugman, n.p.). Despite the seemingly advancement in narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor in the 1920s in America, the situation has now changed, and the gap between the rich and the poor is now wider than ever. However, at the center of the social inequality, is the concept of women unemploym ent, which leaves women to take care of domestic chores, a scenario faced by a high population of women, summarized well by Diaz in the statement â€Å"She didn’t have a regular job outside of caring for us five kids† (Diaz, n.p.). In this respect, it is conclusive to argue that women unemployment is in the core of social inequality in the society. Gender discrimination is a social evil that has seen all manner of legislations, campaigns and advocacy targeting to empower women so they can be in the same position as men, when it comes to issues of accessing education, employment, political positions and any other social roles that were traditionally the preserve of men. However, all these attempts have not made the situation any better, since even though women can now access education and employment like men do; there is one major issue that acts as an impediment to the total liberation of women; family responsibilities (Woolf, n.p). Additionally, even

Business and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business and Management - Essay Example is reveals that instead of having loads of weaknesses, the organization gained higher profits in comparison to the previous year and industry average. Increment in the sales volume and sales amount had the highest contribution to make this possible. Effective cost management can also be considered as the contributing factor. Lower Gearing Ratio: Basically gearing ratio indicates the relationship between the equity capital and debt. The reason behind calculating this ratio is to determine the long term financial position of the firm and risk factor associated with the organization. Gearing ratio reveals the sustainability of capitalization of the organization. In that case, it can be concluded that being comparatively low geared in comparison to the industry, the company has a scope of taking more debt. Lower Acid Test Ratio: Acid test ratio is more important than the current ratio as CR does not consider value of inventory. Therefore, it can be assumed that acid test ratio indicates more accurate financial position of the organization than the current ratio. Basically according to the rule of thumb, the standard ratio is perceived to be 1 for this particular ratio but it is quite lower in this case. Even the acid test ratio of the company of 2009 is not only lower than 2008 but also from the industry average. Therefore it can be considered as the weakness for the company. Here it is important to mention that there is huge difference in the result of the two years. There is a 57.59% fall in acid test ratio in the year of 2009 when compared with 2008. Zero bank balance can be blamed for this significant change. Again in 2008, there was no bank overdraft, which again had the contribution to enhance the acid test ratio. A lower liquidity ratio refers that the financial position of the company is not sound enough to meet the current obligation immediately. Lower Current Ratio: The current ratio of the organization in the year 2009 is 1.15 and it refers that current

Consumer Personality Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Personality Theories - Essay Example Horney classified individuals, on the context of child-parent relationship, as either:- Compliant Personality - one who desires to be loved, wanted, and appreciated by others. Aggressive Personality - one who moves against or competes with others, desires to excel and win admiration. Detached Personality - one who seeks emotional & behavioural freedom from others, desires independence, self-sufficiency and freedom from obligations. Cohen's Extension Study - In further extending Horney's classification, Cohen posited the relationship between the 3 orientations and consumer behavior. In the study, Cohen implemented a CAD scale (a Likert-type instrument of thirty-five items) measuring 15 items based on product usage, brand usage, and media preferences (Berkman and Gilson). Cohen's Hypothesis - Cohen propounded that consumers can be classified into:- Compliant - likely inclined to respond favorably to products enhancing social relations Aggressive - inclined towards products associated with status and successful images Detached - inclined towards products appealing to their independent nature 2.C. Trait Theory Trait theory proposes the use of traits - Allport defines traits as the attributes that make a person functional and identify the given person (Berkman and Gilson) - as the factors that construct personality and by which behavior is influenced. Berkman and Gilson indicated that there is no consensus as to a set of traits applicable to all individuals. The three assumptions of this theory: a. Assumes that individuals possess relatively stable behavioral tendencies b. People differ in... Social-psychological theorists assert that social factors ought to be considered the key determinants of personality (Engel and Blackwell). Karen Horney, a proponent of the social-psychological theory, further developed the theory through her taxonomy of personality orientation. Horney classified individuals, on the context of child-parent relationship, as either:- Cohen's Extension Study - In further extending Horney's classification, Cohen posited the relationship between the 3 orientations and consumer behavior. In the study, Cohen implemented a CAD scale (a Likert-type instrument of thirty-five items) measuring 15 items based on product usage, brand usage, and media preferences (Berkman and Gilson). Trait theory proposes the use of traits - Allport defines traits as the attributes that make a person functional and identify the given person (Berkman and Gilson) - as the factors that construct personality and by which behavior is influenced. Berkman and Gilson indicated that there is no consensus as to a set of traits applicable to all individuals. The three assumptions of this theory: With the adoption of the Big Five factor model of personality in recent years, congruity in regards to a set of common t

Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

Statement of Purpose Essay â€Å"The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams. †I firmly believe in this quote made by Eleanor Roosevelt. I have always dreamed of making it to the top in the field of business in general and that of finance in particular. However, to realize my dream I need to understand and appreciate the fact that I must arm myself with a professional degree from a reputed business school. This would be an important and decisive step in my journey towards success. A full-fledged program in finance would enable me to form a vision of business and of finance in the twenty-first century and the way it is going. The only career option in today’s competitive environment which creates an opportunity for an aspirant to pursue a career in the field of his choice is to acquire a management degree. Management qualification is a tool to build skills, gain knowledge and insight into modern business techniques At the same time and with equal mind, I recognize clearly the fact that what I wish to do would not be really possible without a robust theoretical framework and base. I fully acknowledge and appreciate the fact that I need to build up intellectual ability in me and arm myself with techniques of analysis, case studies and proper critical examination as well as the ability to acquire information and to get to the bottom of a matter. All that can come only from being part of a complete academic program that would test and try me out and in which I would grow and broaden. That is what I expect to happen to me as and when I become part of a Masters program at an outstanding university where I shall encounter the best minds engaged in constant discussion and ever absorbed in understanding not just the theoretical foundations of finance but also its new and emerging trends. What do I have to offer? First is the fact that I have done my graduation in business along with specialization in finance, which puts me in a somewhat unique position. I already have a theoretical framework that encompasses a fairly advanced and analytical view of society, its institutions and the transition that is part of those institutions in the world of today which is moving from an earlier concept of laissez faire capitalism and is becoming a global village where economic interests predominate and function as primary determinants of political action. The qualities that I have inculcated as a result of the academic ndeavors I have gone through are perseverance, patience, good communication skills, and flexible working procedures and at the same time highly disciplined working capability, qualities which I believe are absolutely necessary not just for success but also for mere survival in today’s fast paced and dynamic socio-economic environment. Most importantly I have the basic quality of self discipline and target oriented approach in consequence whereupon success is automatic. â€Å"All work and no play make Jack a dull boy†. I wish to add that I love driving and I love playing tennis and traveling. I also spend time reading about Finance books, about Finance management and about general management. I do that when I’m not listening to music, which too I love. I like watching lawn-tennis matches. Yes, with all that, I am setting out to learn as well as I can and as fast as I can at a reputed institute and pick up the training and skills of assessment, of decision making, of leadership and of communication which would benefit me to enter the complex world of business and to make my endeavors in that world profitable and advantageous. I must add that I am particularly interested in finance and look very much forward to getting into the course specifically related to finance. I see as well something equally important, namely, the fact that a program, when entered into fully and with a complete mind, builds up into an experience one can’t ever forget. A good world-class university with its vast pool of resources in terms of faculty, its up to date curriculum and its wide student membership is an active and dynamic world that provides an exposure as nothing else can. It is this exposure that I seek, as I know that it would enable me to get closer to my dream of working in the area of finance in the way I want to My role models are Mahatma Gandhi, Dhirubhai Ambani and Swami Vivekananda. Though the three come from different walks of life, each has inspired me in some or other way. In particular, their sense of leadership, their impeccable oratory and their communication skills as well as their infinite vision and talent mean a great deal to me. Finally, I believe that I would be able to steer my career in the right direction if I am armed with a professional (Masters) degree from a world renowned institute. I understand that just a qualification won’t be helpful without sincere and intelligent efforts. However, it will definitely go a long way in helping me achieve my goals. I have always been very serious about achieving my goals and to conclude, in the words of Swami Vivekananda: â€Å"Awake! Arise! Stop not till the goal is reached!!

Depression: A Problem in an Aggregate of Atoms? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Depression: A Problem in an Aggregate of Atoms? â€Å"The man who sees his neighbor only as an aggregate of atoms cannot have the same conception of his real self. He thus arrives necessarily at a fundamental contradiction.† - F. Husemann (1) Throughout history, depression was thought of simply as a flawed character condition. Fifty years ago, pharmaceutical treatments for depression did not exist. A major breakthrough occurred in 1974, when a study by scientists at Eli Lilly and Company concluded that a cause of depression is a chemical imbalance manifested by a malfunctioning serotogenic system (2). Many researchers and doctors asserted that â€Å"depression is not a moral weakness, nor mental sloth, but a true brain disease that can be successfully treated† (3).The treatment took the form of a series of drugs which are collectively known as antidepressants. Most of the literature on these drugs takes a one sided approach on what causes depression and how a â€Å"single action† molecule can treat it. At the same time, often the same article, asserts that depression is a â€Å"whole body† illness that affects a person’s physical and mental health, taking hostage of his/her whole existence (4). One molecule must have the ability to treat this condition, successfully alleviating all bad thoughts, curing the physical troubles that go along with it, and in effect, correcting the state of depression. But like with everything in life, it is just not that simple. Any inquiry into the depth of the nervous system has to begin with the understanding of its complexity. Many accounts of depression and the working of antidepressants, view human beings as â€Å"aggregation of atoms† and often fail to recognize the â€Å"real self,† which must at least encompass the complex and often incomprehensible interactions of those atoms. Pablo Picasso, one of the most famous artists, asserted that â€Å"every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.† In the study of the nervous system, and how it is affected by various chemicals, the act of creation can be viewed as the uncovering of the truth. But this inquiry has to begin with the recognition of our lack of understanding, that is, we must destroy our prejudices of the certainty of our knowledge. In the following paper I will point out our current awareness of the state of depression and how and why antidepressants are thought to work. Also I will present some of the contradicting issues which arise from implications of what we know and what we do not know about the state of depression and the medium of its conduction - the nervous system.

Alexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers Essay -- Willa Cather O

Alexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers Works Cited Not Included Alexandra Bergman’s lack of self awareness allows others to forget that she is a woman and, at times, even human, which continuously builds the wall of isolation that surrounds her. As a result, when she reacts to situations as a woman would, rather than as â€Å"she† should, those around her don’t know what to make of it. Because she has been such a steady influence for so many years, those around her do not understand that perhaps she did have another dream besides working the land that she seems to care so deeply about. Her brothers in particular are unable to comprehend that Alexandra is a woman and was forced into the life she has lead by their father’s fantasy rather than by her own free will. Perhaps the only people who truly understand her dilemma are Ivar and Carl. Ivar is a â€Å"natural man† and a religious mystic and Carl a man who was unable to make a living from the land– neither is respected by their peers, and yet they have so me sort of insight to Alexandra’s heart that even she has failed to acknowledge. Alexandra’s walls are brought down only by love: love of her youngest brother, love of the land, and the return of the childhood love she thought was lost to her– as these loves begin to change her, her outlook on her entire life begins to change and meld into something that only those who actually know who and what she is recognize: a woman. Although Alexandra begins working the land to fulfill her father’s dying wish, no one in her early life ever realizes that perhaps she had other dreams and other wishes. â€Å"You feel that, properly, Alexandra’s house is the big out-of-doors, and that it is in the soil that she expresses herself best,† an... ...hemes fed their families, Alexandra’s hope was renewed continually by the promise of Emil’s future. When he dies, her dreams for his future are shattered, but her own are then able to be seen more clearly, without the filter of another person to care for. Ivar allows her to be herself to some extent, and more importantly can talk to her about things that only they can understand, about the land and the earth and the forces that move within it. Finally, Carl comes to his childhood friend’s rescue and reminds her that there is an entire world outside of Nebraska, and in that world she doesn’t always have to be the only one who truly cares. Through all of these men’s influences, Alexandra is in turn optimistic, hopeful, broken, and renewed. Without these changes within her self, she would never come to know exactly who and what she is– a farmer, a pioneer, and a woman.

Sample Project Portfolio Document

Major Projects of Tiger IT Major Projects of Tiger IT DOC ID: TGIBD-PREXP-100911-RFTSQB Abstract: Tiger IT is a world leader in biometrics and identity management solutions. It has more than 10 years of experience in developing turn-key solutions for different governments and industries. This document briefly outlines the different range of projects that Tiger IT has worked on. Keywords: About, Tiger, IT, TigerIT, Enrollment, Registration, AFIS, ID, Biometrics, Automated, Fingerprint, Matching, Identification, History, Background, Projects, Profile, ClientsTigerIT Bangladesh Limited House # 134, Road # 12, Block E, Banani, Dhaka-1213 Copyright  © 2011 This document contains information which is proprietary to Tiger IT Bangladesh Ltd. Use or disclosure of any material in this document without Tiger IT’s consent is prohibited. www. tigeritbd. com 1 Major Projects of Tiger IT Client: Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Project Name: Supply, Installation, and Commissioning of Hi gh Security Driving License Card, Enrolment System, Register System, Personalization System with Related Logistics, Services, and Training on Turn- ­? Key Basis Country: Bangladesh Date:April 2011 BRTA will use Tiger IT’s solution that records a driver’s photograph, fingerprints, signature, among other details and stores them in a highly secure and rugged smart card. The information will both be printed on the card and stored inside an encrypted chip that can be verified and updated by BRTA officials. The card itself will have multiple security printing techniques, some of which are visible to naked eye while others require specific instruments to check. BRTA estimates over 200,000 smart card based driving licenses will be issued using Tiger IT’s solution ever year. Tiger It is delivering he complete solution that includes biometric enrollment/registration, centralized database, application processing and issuance automation module, AFIS for de- ­? duplicati on, card printing and inventory management, and driver verification service. The scope of work includes the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Alpha- ­? numeric and Biometrics Enrollment in 64 locations (up to 20,000 registrations per month) Application processing and workflow automation for card issuance Relational Database Management System AFIS for 5 million records (4 fingers each) Card Printing, QC, and Inventory Management (over 200,000 card ssuance per year) Driver Verification from Smart Card (on PC and handheld devices) Various Web Service interfaces, including online pre- ­? enrollment in second phase Five years Maintenance with installation, operation and commissioning of the software www. tigeritbd. com 2 Major Projects of Tiger IT Client: Government of Cambodia Project Name: Cambodian National ID Project Country: Bangladesh Date: May 2011 Tiger IT is working in Cambodia for registration, database development, operation, and is suance of national ID cards for citizens of Cambodia. Tiger IT’s highly reputed biometrics capture and AFIS is in he heart of the project. The AFIS provided in the project is responsible for 2. 2 million records in first phase and additional 10 million records in second phase. The records will encompass 10 fingers each. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Total support for 150 mobile stations and 70 fixed stations for complete biometrics enrollment from all provinces Central database with full- ­? fledged reporting and administration support AFIS for 2. 2 million records for first phase and 10 million in next phase (10 fingers for each record) Smart Card Issuance (Personalization, Quality Control, and Inventory Management) Client: Bangladesh RapidAction Battalion (RAB) Project Name: Multimodal Biometric Project for Criminal Database Country: Bangladesh Date: June 2011 This solution uses both fingerprint and iris matching to perform de- ­? duplication. Biometrics enrollment an d fully functional Data Matching, Fingerprint Matching, and Iris Matching solution is major focus of the project. Apart from migration, Tiger IT is developing and incorporating multi- ­? biometric module to integrate with the existing RAB Criminal Database developed from www. tigeritbd. com 3 Major Projects of Tiger IT IBM Lotus Note Domino Server to Oracle 11g Enterprise Edition.Through this module new/old criminal information will be inserted, updated, deleted and identified along with the biometric features. Furthermore, the developed solution will also incorporated multi- ­? biometric module to capture information into the RAB Criminal database. 20 remote locations will be used and support for 200,00 criminal records will be provided. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Project has a high- ­? end biometrics enrollment solution to be used in 20 different locations Secure online and offline data transfer from enrollment site to datacenter Developm ent and Migration of Relational Database Management SystemThe AFIS system should support up to 200,000 citizen records for 1:N matching Customized Query, Work Flow Automation, Report Generation Training of RAB officials On- ­? site support for 36 months First biometric identity management solution in the history of Bangladesh to integrate fingerprint and iris matching in one project. Client: Bangladesh Election Commission Project Name: Supply, Installation, and Commissioning of Voters Registration System of Bangladesh Election Commission with Related Logistics, Services, Civil & Electrical Works and Training on Turnkey Basis Country: Bangladesh Date: October 2010The Voters Register System consists of a Data Center, a Disaster Recovery System and over 600 remote locations throughout Bangladesh. It comprises all the hardware, middleware, application software, infrastructure, interfaces and services to provide a turnkey solution. The www. tigeritbd. com 4 Major Projects of Tiger IT V oters Register will store 100 million voters with their bio data, photo, 4 fingerprints and signature. BEC wanted an integrated online solution connecting all remote locations to the central system. The BEC wanted to acquire hardware and solution that is fully compliant with the principles f service oriented architecture. The scope of work includes the following: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Central   Voters Register Software Relational Database Management System Disaster Recovery System Voter Register Client Software license Ident Station Software license Management Information Software Voters List Generator Software Database Servers for Data Center and Disaster Recovery System Data Storage for Data Center and Disaster Recovery System Printers to Print Voters Lists Management Information Stations Administration Stations †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Enroll Station Peripherals Identification Station peripheralsTr aining of all central staff Installation, commissioning and operation of the Voter Register System including all necessary works for infrastructural development/set up (electrical, civil etc works/services) Various Web Service interfaces Provide onsite maintenance for 1 year Five years Maintenance Installation, operation and commissioning of the software †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ www. tigeritbd. com 5 Major Projects of Tiger IT Client: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal Project Name: Security Printing, Supply and Delivery, Installation of Equipments and Preparation of Machine Readable Passports Country: NepalDate: 2010 Tiger IT is working in collaboration with Oberthur Technologies in the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) project for the Government of Nepal. Tiger IT is providing the software solution for capturing data into the system with ICR. Tiger IT provided a solution capable of printing issuing 4000 passports per day. The MRP personalization center has a num ber of transaction points. These are as follows: †¢ ICR form receiving point †¢ Data verification stations †¢ ICR form scanning stations †¢ Personalization stations †¢ Dual data entry/edit stations †¢ QA Stations †¢ Foreign missions stations †¢ MRP handover oint www. tigeritbd. com 6 Major Projects of Tiger IT The ICR forms are collected in a batch and scanned using the document scanners. During the scan the software will separate the text, signature and photo, maintaining good resolution of the photograph and the signature so that they can be used for personalization of the MRP. The form image will also be scanned for the data entry/edit station operators to use. Other features of the project are similar to the ones described previously. Client: Bangladesh Election Commission Project Name: Supply, Installation, and Commissioning of Automated FingerprintIdentification System (AFIS) with Datacenter Hardware and Related De- ­? Duplication Serv ice for the Current Database of Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) with Training on Turn- ­? Key Basis Country: Bangladesh Date: June 2010 A clean de- ­? duplicated database that eliminates fake voter registrations was the main purpose of the project. This tender was issued by PERP (Preparation of Electoral Roll with Photographs) project under the Election Commission Secretariat. PERP had hired international biometric experts as consultants for the preparation of the tender specifications and evaluation of the proposals.Stringent requirements were set to ensure that only the most qualified vendor wins the project. Prior to the award of the contract a validation test of the AFIS was also performed for the eligible vendors. After a competitive evaluation, Tiger IT Bangladesh Ltd. was awarded the contract on June 2010 as the most eligible vendor. Tiger IT has successfully delivered the AFIS capable of de- ­? duplicating 100 million records with all necessary datacenter hardware . The de- ­? duplication is now underway, working at present with 85 million records. (Each record in the project has 4 fingers. ) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 50 AFISMatching Cluster Servers 2 x Quad- ­? Core Intel Xeon Processor 24 GB DDR3, 1333MHz RAM 2 x 146 GB SAS, 15K hot- ­? plug hard drives, Min upgrade to 8 HDD Linux 64 bit OS, Java runtime 64 bit, Oracle 11g Delivery timeframe: 32 weeks www. tigeritbd. com 7 Major Projects of Tiger IT Client: UNDP, Bangladesh Project: Cleansing and Migration of Electoral Database of Bangladesh Election Commission Country: Bangladesh Date: May 2010 The United Nations Development Programme (â€Å"UNDP†) in Bangladesh engaged Tiger IT in order to perform services in respect of â€Å"Cleansing and Migration of Electoral Database of BangladeshElection Commission. † The scope of work included the following: Database migration to †¢ Installation of hardware/software/storage required for migration Oracle †¢ Back up of all migrated data on other backup devices †¢ Provide quality validation of migrated data †¢ Ensure data is not corrupted during migration †¢ Transfer of knowledge to BEC personnel, in terms of training, documentation, and any other preferred method by BEC Data cleansing †¢ Prepare a validated cleansing plan †¢ Identify data to be cleaned †¢ Transliterate Bengali data to English www. tigeritbd. com 8 Major Projects of Tiger IT †¢ †¢ †¢ Application evamp †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Extension of reporting features †¢ Secure API †¢ †¢ Design validation scripts to validate the clean data 99% of identifiable unclean data should be cleaned Ensure appropriate infrastructure and resources are used for this operation Porting existing application to new platform Change the application platform from PHP to Java to support new features Addition and change in business logic as per requirements of BEC Addit ion of new features Implement a general purpose reporting tool that will help the EC generate their own reports on demand New reports with extended summary features Secure API

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4

The next day, I went to the address on Dante's business card. It was in Rainier Valley, which wasn't exactly rundown but wasn't upwardly mobile either. The directions led to a narrow shop jammed in between a barber and a shady-looking convenience store. PSYCHIC hung in red neon letters in the window. The â€Å"I† had burned out. Underneath it, a handwritten sign read: PALM READING & TAROT CARDS. I stepped through the door, making bells ring. The interior proved to be as barren as the exterior. A narrow counter flanked one wall. The rest of the small, stark space was empty, save for a round table covered in red velvet that had cigarette burns on it. A tacky crystal ball sat on top. This place was a wasteland compared to Erik's warm, inviting shop. â€Å"Just a minute,† a voice called from an open doorway in the back. â€Å"I've just got to – â€Å" A man entered the room and stopped when he saw me. He was about six-foot, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Two days worth of facial hair covered his face, and he wore jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Early forties, maybe, and pretty cute. He looked me over from head to toe and gave me a sly, knowing smile. â€Å"Well, hello. What do we have here?† He tilted his head, still studying me. â€Å"Not human, that's for sure. Demon? No, not strong enough. Vampire? No†¦not this time of day.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, surprised that he'd sensed something in me. He had no immortal signature; he was definitely human. He must be like Erik, I realized. A mortal who could sense the immortal world, though he didn't have enough skill to pinpoint what I was exactly. Deciding there was no point in subterfuge, I said, â€Å"I'm a succubus.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, you aren't.† â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"You aren't.† I was a bit surprised to be having this conversation. â€Å"I am too.† â€Å"No. Succubi are flame-eyed and bat-winged. Everyone knows that. They don't wear jeans and sweaters. At the very least, you should have a bigger chest. What are you, 34B or something?† â€Å"C,† I said indignantly. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"Look, I am a succubus. I can prove it.† I let my form change, shifting through several different female variations before returning to my usual one. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Well, I'll be damned.† I had a feeling he was playing with me. â€Å"Are you Dante?† â€Å"For now.† He approached and shook my hand, holding on to it. He flipped it over. â€Å"You here for a palm reading? I'll show you how to shape-shift your hand to get a good future.† I took my hand back. â€Å"No, thanks. I'm here because I have some questions†¦questions that Erik Lancaster thought you might be able to answer.† Dante's smile dropped. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter. â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? Erik's my friend.† Dante leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"Of course he's your friend. He's everyone's friend. Fucking boy scout. If he could have shaken his holier-than-thou attitude and worked with me, we could have made a fortune by now.† I remembered what Erik had said about Dante being a con artist and a Hell-bound person. I didn't pick up any evil vibes off him, but there was a definite abrasiveness to his attitude that made Erik's assessment more plausible. â€Å"Erik has standards,† I declared. Dante laughed. â€Å"Oh, great. A holier-than-thou succubus. This is going to be fun.† â€Å"Look, can you just answer my questions? It won't take long.† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"I've got time – at least until the next rush of customers.† The bitter tone in his voice as he gestured to the empty room indicated that there hadn't been a rush in a very long time. â€Å"I had a dream the other night,† I explained. â€Å"And when I woke up, all my energy was gone.† â€Å"You're a succubus. Supposedly. That kind of thing happens.† â€Å"I wish everyone would stop saying that! This wasn't normal. And I'd been with a man the night before. I was charged up, so to speak.† â€Å"You do anything afterward that would have depleted the energy?† Everyone kept asking that too. â€Å"No. I just went to bed. But the dream†¦it was really strange. I don't know how to explain it. Really, really vivid. I've never felt anything like it.† â€Å"What was it about?† â€Å"A, um, dishwasher.† Dante sighed. â€Å"Did someone pay you to come here and mess with me?† Through gritted teeth, I related the dream. â€Å"That's it?† he asked when I finished. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Lame dream.† â€Å"Do you know what it means?† â€Å"Probably that you need to fix your dishwasher.† â€Å"It isn't broken!† He straightened up. â€Å"Sorry. Can't help you then.† â€Å"Erik said this was your specialty.† â€Å"It is, I suppose. But, sometimes a dream is just a dream. You sure you don't want me to read your palm? It's all bullshit, but I can at least make something up so you feel like the trip wasn't wasted.† â€Å"No, I want to know about my fucking dream. How can it be just a dream if I woke up with no energy?† Dante walked back over to me and flicked a piece of escaped hair out of his face. â€Å"I don't know. You aren't giving me enough to go on. How many times has it happened?† â€Å"Just the one time.† â€Å"Then it may be just a fluke, kiddo.† I turned toward the door. â€Å"Well, thanks for the ‘help.'† Hurrying over to my side, Dante caught my arm. â€Å"Hey, wait. You want to go get a drink now?† â€Å"I – what?† â€Å"I'll risk upsetting the masses and close up shop for the day. There's a great bar around the corner. Draft Budweiser – only a dollar a glass during happy hour. My treat.† I scoffed. I didn't know what was more absurd. That Dante thought I'd go out with him or that he thought I'd drink Budweiser. His attractiveness wasn't enough to make up for his weird personality. â€Å"Sorry. I have a boyfriend.† â€Å"I'm not looking to be your boyfriend. Cheap sex is fine with me.† I met his eyes. They were gray, similar to Carter's but without the silvery hue. I expected a joke here, but despite the perpetual smirk, Dante appeared to be perfectly serious. â€Å"Why on earth do you think I'd have cheap sex with you? Do I look that easy?† â€Å"You say you're a succubus. You're easy by definition. And even without the bat-wings and flame-eyes, you're pretty cute.† â€Å"Aren't you worried about your soul?† Even if he was as corrupt as Erik had insinuated – and I still wasn't really seeing that – Dante would take some kind of hit from sleeping with me. All mortals did. Of course, I'd met plenty of men – good and evil alike – who'd been willing to risk their souls for sex. â€Å"Nope. My soul's pretty far gone. This would just be for fun. Look, if you want to skip the beer, we can just get right to it. I've always wanted to do it on the table over there.† â€Å"Un-fucking-believable.† I pushed open the door. â€Å"Oh, come on,† he pleaded. â€Å"I'm pretty good. And hey, maybe your boyfriend's poor sexual performance is what's stressing you out and taking away your energy.† â€Å"Not likely,† I told him. â€Å"We don't have sex.† There was a moment's silence, then Dante threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Did it occur to you that maybe that's stressing you out? Clearly the dishwasher is a metaphor for your broken sex life, which then forces you to wash dishes ‘by hand.'† I left, heading back to the bookstore where I could get a little respect. Some dream expert Dante had turned out to be. I could see now why Erik didn't really like him. I was also starting to wonder if maybe everyone was right. Maybe I had mentally burned myself out. Maybe the dream was really just a dream. I was almost at the bookstore when I got a phone call. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† asked a pleasant female voice. â€Å"This is Karen from the Seattle Children's Alliance, calling to confirm your participation in our auction this week.† â€Å"Your what?† There was a pause. â€Å"Our charity date auction, to raise money for the Alliance.† I was still baffled. â€Å"Um, sounds like a great cause, but I have no idea what you're talking about.† I heard papers being ruffled. â€Å"We have you listed as a volunteer.† â€Å"For what, to be auctioned off for a date?† â€Å"Yes. It looks like†¦here we are. Your name was submitted by Dr. Mitchell.† I sighed. â€Å"Let me call you back.† I hung up and dialed Hugh. â€Å"Hey, Dr. Mitchell. You volunteered me to be auctioned off?† â€Å"It's not that different from what you usually do,† he argued. â€Å"And it's for charity.† â€Å"I buy the peace-on-Earth-and-good-will-toward-men thing from Peter and Cody – but not from you. You don't care about those kids.† â€Å"I care about the group's director,† Hugh said. â€Å"She's a fucking fox. I get some high quality candidates to raise money, and I can probably get her in bed.† â€Å"You're using a children's charity to further your sex life. That's horrible. And why didn't you ask Tawny? If anyone needs a date, she does.† â€Å"Her? Jesus Christ. It'd be a disaster. We're trying to make money here. Do you hate kids or something?† â€Å"No, but I don't have time to do it. I'll write them a check.† I hung up on his protests, just as I turned onto Queen Anne Avenue. I was a little early for my shift and decided to stop home and grab an apple and a granola bar. Last time I'd worked, we'd been so busy that I'd skipped my lunch break. I figured that this time, I should come prepared. My immortality wouldn't let me starve to death, but I could still get lightheaded and weak. Halfway down the hall to my apartment, I felt a shock wave of crystalline goodness. Angelic auras. I opened my door and found the whole gang: Carter, Yasmine, Whitney, Joel, and Vincent. None of them spoke; they were all just watching me expectantly. The angels would have sensed me long before I sensed them. They all sat in my living room, casually occupying my sofa and chairs as though they weren't a host of heavenly warriors. Well, not all of them were casual. Joel sat as stiff and formal as he had the first time I met him. â€Å"Oh, man,† I said, shutting the door behind me. â€Å"It's just like that They Might Be Giants song.† Vincent grinned. â€Å"‘She's an Angel'?† I nodded. â€Å"Somewhere they're meeting on a pinhead – â€Å" † – calling you an angel, calling you the nicest things,† he finished. â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Joel, interrupting our jam session. â€Å"Or not so nice,† I muttered. I turned from Vincent and glared at Joel. â€Å"I live here, remember?† â€Å"We're having a meeting,† he said. â€Å"Hey, when you asked if Vince could stay here, you never said anything about making this your top secret tree house headquarters. I don't care if you guys hold your choir practice here or whatever, but don't try to throw me out while you do.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Yasmine. I did a double-take. Apologies from angels were about as rare as from demons. From the look on his face, Joel was about as surprised as me. â€Å"We probably should have asked first. We can go somewhere else.† She leaned over my coffee table and started gathering up newspapers. Interesting. Apparently Vincent's fixation with the news was more than just a personal hobby. I glanced back up at Yasmine and tried to act like I hadn't noticed anything. â€Å"No, it's fine. I'm actually heading right back out. I just came by for some food.† She pushed strands of long, black hair out of her face. They'd slipped out of her ponytail. â€Å"You want Vince to make you something?† He turned to her, startled, wearing an astonished, yet still-amused look. â€Å"What am I, your personal assistant?† â€Å"Not with the kind of respect you show us,† she grumbled. I hid a smile. â€Å"Thanks, but I'm fine. I don't have the time.† â€Å"Good,† said Joel. â€Å"Then hurry up.† Whitney sighed and looked a little embarrassed – but not enough to contradict him. Yasmine had no such qualms and elbowed him in the ribs. â€Å"What was that for?† he exclaimed. â€Å"You have no manners,† she scolded. Grinning broadly, I went to the kitchen and found an apple. When I opened the cupboard to look for my granola bars, I found the box empty. â€Å"Hey,† I said, carrying it out to the living room. â€Å"Did somebody eat these? I had two left this morning.† Carter spoke up for the first time. â€Å"I was hungry.† I stared at him, incredulous. â€Å"You ate both of them?† â€Å"I was hungry,† he repeated, not looking contrite in the least. â€Å"Does it ever stop with you?† I exclaimed. â€Å"First the Christmas tree, now this? You didn't even throw the box away!† â€Å"I was hoping you'd forgotten about the Christmas tree. That was an accident, and you know it.† I sighed loudly and put the apple in my purse. â€Å"I'm going to the grocery store later,† said Vincent helpfully. Aubrey jumped up and settled herself between him and Yasmine. Both their hands instantly moved to pet her. Aubrey gave me a smug cat look at the attention. â€Å"I'll pick you up some more if you want.† â€Å"Pick him up some more so that he doesn't go rob the food bank next. See you guys later. No wild parties while I'm gone.† Carter, Yasmine, and Vincent laughed; Whitney and Joel didn't. When I'd shut the door behind me, I paused in the hall, wishing there was some way to spy on angels. There wasn't, unfortunately. I couldn't even hide from them. They could mask their signatures from me, but not vice versa. In fact, they all knew I hadn't left yet. Annoyed, I headed downstairs, curiosity burning in me. Why were they all here? Why did they need a human? And what role did the newspapers play? Figuring out what angels did with their time was always difficult. With my side, it was pretty straightforward. We were always looking to commit souls to Hell and did so in a well-monitored, micro-managed manner. Heaven's forces moved in mysterious ways, though. Carter's purpose in Seattle was a continual puzzle for my friends and me since none of us ever saw any evidence of him doing anything particularly noble, aside from sharing his cigarettes. He did always show a lot of interest in my love life and was quick to dispense cryptic pieces of advice, but I suspected that was more curiosity than altruism. Work was only a few blocks away. Since it wasn't raining, I simply walked down there. As soon as I entered Emerald City, Maddie approached me, an uncomfortable expression on her face. â€Å"Hey,† she said uneasily. â€Å"I, um, need your advice. I'm going to a wedding tomorrow and don't know what to wear. This is so stupid†¦but could you take a look at my options?† Peering around, I decided the store could function without us for ten minutes, particularly since it had taken Maddie a fair amount of courage to broach this subject. I'd never actually seen her dress up before. â€Å"Okay. Let's see what you've got.† We went back to my office, and she tried on three different dresses. No doubt Seth would have been amused to know she was changing clothes while I was in there. When she'd finished, I gave my honest opinion. â€Å"They don't do you justice.† â€Å"Which is a nice way of saying they look awful on me.† Maddie balled one of the dresses up and tossed it to the floor. â€Å"I hate this sort of thing. How can I write about women's issues and not be any good at them?† â€Å"Well†¦you write about different kinds of issues. The problem here is that you're wearing clothes that are too big for you.† Her dark eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"I'm big. They're loose. They hide it.† Maddie wasn't big, not really. She was a size ten or twelve, if I had to guess, and her short height emphasized that a little. But her curves were all proportioned correctly, and she had a very pretty face. Of course, compared to the anorexic models so popular among humans today, I could understand her attitude. â€Å"You are not big. But those dresses make you look it. Something smaller's going to make you look better.† â€Å"I can't wear tight clothes.† â€Å"They don't have to be tight. They just have to fit.† Maddie sighed and ran her hands down the sides of her thighs. â€Å"You don't know what it's like,† she said, the slightest accusatory note in her voice. â€Å"You're beautiful and tiny. Not all of us have the luxury of looking perfect all the time.† â€Å"No one looks perfect all the time,† I argued. â€Å"I certainly don't.† Okay, I kind of did. â€Å"You've just got to find the right things. And really, half of beauty is attitude. You feel sexy, then you are sexy.† Maddie looked dubious. â€Å"I don't think it's that easy. Guys aren't exactly chomping at the bit to ask me out. You know how long it's been since I was on a date?† â€Å"That goes back to attitude,† I said. â€Å"Look, I don't mean to sound harsh, but you don't always give off friendly vibes. I mean, you do to me. And to Doug. Sort of. But really, that's it.† â€Å"I know I'm not the best with people,† she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. â€Å"But I just can't do meaningless small talk.† â€Å"Yeah, but you still have to do some talking. It's a fact of life.† â€Å"Well, if guys came and actually talked to me, maybe I could try. But they aren't really lining up.† She gestured at her body. â€Å"Because of this. And now we've come full circle.† â€Å"What if I could guarantee you a date?† I asked, suddenly inspired. Her lips quirked into a smile. It instantly transformed her face. â€Å"Are you asking me out?† â€Å"No, but someone else will, I'm certain of it. You just have to let me pick out your outfit.† â€Å"I'm not wearing anything slutty.† â€Å"It won't be,† I promised. I stood up from my chair. â€Å"Look, I've gotta run. Wear the yellow dress to the wedding. With a belt. I'll give you details later about the date plan.† She left, looking skeptical, and I threw myself into work. The rest of the day flew by. I never saw Seth in the caf? ¦ and presumed he was working at home today. We had a date later on, so I knew I'd see him then. Since becoming manager, I spent a lot of time holed up in my office, which was hard on the social part of me. But, every once in a while, I got to escape to cover someone's break or arrange a display. While near the self-help section, a guy carrying some books stumbled near me and dropped the stack. Hoping he hadn't tripped on a bump in the carpet and was planning a lawsuit, I hastily knelt down to help him. â€Å"No, no,† he said, cheeks burning. He was the age I looked, late twenties. Early thirties at most. â€Å"You don't have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was already stacking them, though, and quickly understood his discomfort. They were books on all sorts of fetishes – in particular, exhibitionism and voyeurism. â€Å"Oh God,† he said, as I handed him the books. â€Å"I'm so embarrassed. I feel like such a pervert.† â€Å"It's okay,† I told him. â€Å"It's your business, and we've all got our†¦ah, preferences.† He looked mildly reassured but still clearly wanted to bolt. There was a wedding ring on his hand, and I expected I was dealing with a fetish he probably didn't share with his wife. Honestly, I was surprised he'd resorted to actual books when he could find a hundred times more sources on the Internet. Most likely he and his wife shared a home computer, and he feared discovery. It was Georgina the succubus, not Georgina the bookstore manager, who asked the next question. Georgina the bookstore manager would have gotten fired for it if caught. â€Å"You like the watching or the doing?† I kept my voice low. He swallowed, studied me for mockery, and must have decided I was serious. â€Å"The, um, doing.† For half a breath, I considered going for it with him. I needed the energy, badly. He'd be an easy mark, consumed with a secret obsession he couldn't fulfill anywhere else. But, it'd mean doing it in this body, and I didn't like that. This was my preferred, everyday shape. I didn't want to sully it with business. So, I smiled and sent him on his way, silently wishing him well in fulfilling his sexual desires. I called Seth later while I was walking home from work to confirm our date. We were going to meet over at the Pacific Northwest Ballet to see The Nutcracker. While he appreciated the performing arts, getting him to go out while his book's ending loomed had been a Herculean task, and I still couldn't believe he'd agreed. He'd only conceded after I'd promised he could show up at the last possible minute. Only, we apparently had different definitions of â€Å"last possible minute† because when the lights went down, he still hadn't surfaced. The ballet started, and I craned my neck each time I heard one of the doors open. The chair beside me stayed empty, unfortunately. It was a sign of my agitation that I missed a lot of the performance and couldn't appreciate Clara's dream – a dream as vivid for her as mine had been for me. I loved the ballet. I'd danced in a few shows over my lifetime and never got tired of watching graceful muscles and elaborate costumes. At intermission, I turned on my cell phone and saw that Seth had tried to call. I dialed him back without even listening to the voice message. When he answered, I said, â€Å"Please tell me a crazy fan kidnapped you and broke your legs with a sledgehammer.† â€Å"Um, no. Didn't you get my message?† â€Å"Well, no, seeing as my phone said it came in a half-hour ago. I didn't have it on because I was busy watching this thing. You know, The Nutcracker?† He sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave. I was too wrapped up. I thought if I, uh, gave you enough notice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Notice? This was more like a belated birthday card. Six months after the fact.† Silence fell, and I felt some satisfaction in knowing he was quietly acknowledging his wrongdoing. â€Å"I'm sorry, Thetis. It was†¦I shouldn't have done it, busy or not. I'm really sorry. You know how I get.† Now I sighed. He was so damned sincere and adorable that I had a hard time holding a grudge. This wasn't, however, the first time he'd stood me up or otherwise neglected our social life. Sometimes I wondered if I allowed him too much indulgence. I spent so much time worrying about my transgressions taking advantage of him; maybe I was the one being walked over without even realizing it. â€Å"You want to meet up after the show?† I asked, trying not to sound mad. â€Å"Cody invited me out to the bar with them. We could hang out there for a while.† â€Å"Um†¦well, no.† â€Å"No?† The annoyance I'd tried to quell shot its head back up again. â€Å"I just forgave you for standing me up and wasting the money I paid on your ticket, and now you're turning down my conciliatory offer?† â€Å"Look†¦I really am sorry, but watching you and your friends get drunk isn't exactly appealing.† I sat for a moment, too stunned to respond. He'd spoken in his typically mild way, but I'd heard the slightest bit of derision underscoring his words. Seth didn't drink. He always tolerated my excesses good-naturedly, but I suddenly wondered if they irritated him after all. His meaning came through as haughtiness to me. â€Å"Sorry we're not up to your standards. God knows we can't expect you to do anything outside of your comfort zone.† â€Å"Please, stop. I don't want to fight with you,† he said with exasperation. â€Å"I'm really, really, really sorry about all this. I didn't mean to stand you up. You know that.† The lights flashed, signaling the end of intermission. â€Å"I've got to go.† â€Å"Will you†¦will you please come over tonight? Go out with your friends, let me finish, and then I'll make things up to you. I promise. I†¦I have an early Christmas present for you.† The hesitancy in his voice softened my heart. A little. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. It might be really late when I get there.† â€Å"I'll wait up.† We said our good-byes and disconnected. I watched the rest of the show in a grumpy mood and decided drinking and bitching with the gang couldn't come a moment too soon.

Aristotle and Aurelius Essay

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics goes to show that he believes that the end goal of all human actions is eudaimonia, or happiness through success and fulfillment. Following this concept Aristotle goes on to explain that through virtuosity a human being can lead a happy life. He defines virtue as a disposition to make the correct decisions that lead to the chief good of happiness. A perfect example is when he describes someone who does an action well as being good, but they are only considered good because of their distinctive activity. The distinctive activity for human beings can be considered our rationale. This is where virtue comes into play in the matter, but this translation could also be deciphered as excellence. Human beings do every single thing they do for a reason and that reason is to help towards an end goal. Although it may seem like the end goal might be something good like eating lunch, it is actually a chain to the ultimate good which is being happy. Happiness in Aristotle’s view is not second-by-second or even minute-by-minute but an entire lifetime. This is because we view happiness as and end goal which we hope to achieve by death and that way you can look back on a person’s life to see if they succeeded in their goal, through virtuous moral character and virtuous intellectual character and through the act of temperance. A life-time of that act can guarantee a happy, fulfilling, and successful life. Being virtuous come through two different ways in our actions as said by Aristotle, â€Å"Excellence being of two sorts, then, the one intellectual and the other of character, the intellectual sort mostly both comes into existence and increases as a result of teaching whereas excellence of character results from habituation†¦ † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1103a15). Intellectual virtue comes from teaching, experience, and time while character virtue is formed through the habit of repeated virtuous actions and constant practice. This allows for every human being to potentially have a virtuous moral character for the fact that it cannot be learned but only practiced, and not one person can be born already virtuous. The only problem with this concept is that there is no exact guideline in which to follow in order to become virtuous and, ultimately, happy. Basically Aristotle explains that you can find virtue in the middle ground of your actions, for xample, he says â€Å"For to arrive at one of the two extremes is more erroneous, to arrive at the other less; so, since it is hard to hit upon intermediate with extreme accuracy, one should take to the oars and sail that way, as they say, grasping what is least bad of what is available†¦ † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1109a35) There is no teaching as to why, for example, courage is preferred over cowardice or rashness but that you need to practice being courageous in order to understand the reasoning for being courageous. This is true for all virtuous traits and merits of the human character and by combining the moral and intellectual teachings and habits can you start on the path of a virtuous disposition. The key to virtue is keeping within a balance between the vices. For an excessive vice there is excessive pleasure but also excessive pain and for the opposite there is no pleasure and no pain. The key is in a state of temperance in order to feel the correct amount of pleasure for a healthy lifestyle and choices. Aristotle’s views show that someone with a virtuous disposition should automatically or naturally choose the best action or behavior in any circumstances without having to rely on reason because the virtuous habit has been already learned. In response to someone arguing against an accidental choice, these views only perceive the deliberate and voluntary choices made by the person of virtue. Also a virtuous moral character will always aim for the good while unjust character will try to aim for what is their perception or the â€Å"apparent† good as said in â€Å"That wish is for the end, we have already said; but to some it seems to be for the good, whereas to others it seems to be for the apparent good. The consequence, for those who say that the object of wish is the good, is that what the person making an incorrect choice wishes for is not wished for.. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1113a10). A virtuous person will always do the right thing and will never be surprised by their actions, nor will they do it the right thing with an ulterior motive. Though you cannot live a happy life just with a virtuous disposition because you still need to act within accordance to virtue, you absolutely cannot live a happy life without virtue. Having virtue in your actions will lead to the final goal of happiness because it far outweighs the happiness found in pleasure, awards or merits. II. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher-king and emperor of the Roman Empire and was considered of of the most influential Stoic philosophers of all time. His greatest work Meditations is an honest portrayal of Aurelius’ thoughts as they were found in journal form, never meant to be publicized. He wrote these books for himself as a sort of guideline and thought-provoking inner voice. In his works of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius doesn’t use arguments as a way to get his point across but rather states his words as truths and seems to be very confident in his uses. It seems he is prying at the meaning of life, the why’s and how’s of it all on the idea of living. He is very blunt in his use of understating the human existence in the world and compares them to specks in the grand scheme, but the point of this is to provide a sort of carpe diem lifestyle. By letting yourself let go of the things you cannot control, you begin to gain a better understanding of the things you can control and act accordingly. â€Å"We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions. † (Meditations, 17). This quote goes to show how you cannot allow yourself to get angry at another person for what they have done, but to continue your existence and recognize what you need to do. He advises in his writings â€Å"To shrug it all off and wipe it clean-every annoyance and distraction-and reach utter stillness. † (Meditations, 54) and once you can do that you can realize what is natural. Stoicism being a very popular philosophy in ancient Rome for it called for a â€Å"cosmic determinism† in relation to â€Å"human freedom† by a parallel will to that of Nature . Aurelius,himself, was a firm believer in the Logos, which can be identified as a principle a guiding force for the universe, human beings and all matter. In fact, it is one of the most important concepts in Stoicism for the ancient Romans of the time. The stark and â€Å"manly† belief that every single citizen had a duty, whether they were a king or a peasant, were expected to follow it to the best of their abilities. The term utter stillness is used to acknowledge the state of no distractions. By achieving this you can focus solely on appropriate actions and how to follow your own road by the way of Nature on an unconscious level. Not by thinking about it but by acting naturally should you continue to help others, work for yourself, never stopping but continuing to reply to Nature’s demands. To do this all under the Logos, in order to find our common sense and avoid the annoying distractions all the while by controlling these actions through your inner unconscious/conscious self. III. The Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Roman philosopher-king Marcus Aurelius can be compared and contrasted in their similar and different ways of thoughts. First you can compare Aristotle’s ideas on eudaimonia and Aurelius’ use of utter stillness to help follow the logos, also the final step of death as the end of one’s journey towards a life of fulfillment. Contrastingly, they have different outlooks on purpose of human life and how to lead to the fulfilling of that said life. Stoicism was developed within the framework of Greek theory and philosophies from Plato and Aristotle so obviously there are bound to be many similarities. Both of these men were truly brilliant and ground-breaking in their respective ways of thought and led centuries of intellectuals to search for more fulfillment and happiness’s in their lives. Some big differences between Aristotle and Aurelius were there views on mortality or death. While Aristotle concludes that our lives are given to us and as valuable as human beings want to make them, the Stoics view on life is that is shaped by death and that the thoughts, choices and actions are just based on the knowledge of death. Eudaimonia is a subject in which Aristotle and Aurelius were familiar with in their writings about philosophical life. Aristotle thought of eudaimonia as an activity done with virtue performed rationally and consciously. Aurelius and the other Stoics insist that the way for eudaimonia is to live a morally virtuous life, in regards to the fact that virtue is good, vices are bad and most everything else is neutral. A popular argument for this where a death in the family would be involved, according to Aristotle, that would rob the most virtuous person of their eudaimonia while the Stoics would consider that neutral. Another interesting fact about Aristotle is how he acknowledges how â€Å"dumb luck† can aid or block the journey for eudaimonia, for example being born beautiful or losing close friends and family. Basically, they agree that eudaimonia is self-sufficient; the chief goal in life and that eudaimonia is the most complete end result. Virtue is very important to both philosophers and their ways of thinking and considers it absolutely crucial for eudaimonia. Aristotle and Aurelius can agree that no one is born just virtuous as it must be an act learned. Virtue is believed to be how one can control their emotions for it helps them to stay stable and in moderation. Overall, living life virtuously is living a life full of dignity. Marcus Aurelius’s view is a much more justified view because it is more modern and more adaptable. As the stoicism wants people to better themselves within reasonable goals and change values into something that will bring upon an unconscious change so that they may make better decisions consciously. Aristotle instead relies too much on a proper upbringing and calls the loss of good and friends as a prevention of eudaimonia. Stoics learn to realize what is out of their control and move on to what they can control. Aristotelian views also say that if a person dies early that it is a tragedy and that they were taken away before they reached their prime which in the Stoics eyes, a virtuous person should never be afraid of death because their life is sufficient when living a virtuous life. The difference continues when viewing the topic of emotions for Aristotelian that emotions are not good nor bad, only bad when expressed inappropriately while the Stoics think the whole point of eudaimonia is to be free from emotion. Finally the stoics don’t see a difference between the rich, poor, slaves or free men, because in their views bodily and external things can no impact on their dignity, whereas Aristotle believes that a life based on virtues along with enough material and external goods like freedom, wellbeing, and close friends lead to a life of dignity. Overall, Aurelius and the Stoics have built upon and modified Aristotle’s view to be more realistic and to try and be more optimistic in leading the best possible life no matter the circumstances.