Comparing Barry Lopezs A Presentation of Whales and Scott Russell Sand

Comparing Barry Lopez's A Presentation of Whales and Scott Russell Sander's Buckeye Was it just a coincidence that I had my first—televised—encounter with sperm whales only a day after I read Barry Lopez’s essay, â€Å"A Presentation of Whales†? Was my strong spiritual response to Scott Russell Sander’s â€Å"Buckeye† a sign that I, too, will feel the ghostly presences of my beloved kindred when they leave this world? No way! I am not a mystic. I am not supernaturally connected to sperm whales or spirits, but I will admit that I entertained self-important thoughts while reading both essays. Not only did I stare at the professional headshots of the writers before I read their essays; I adored them and empathized with their visions. Perhaps nature writers are advantaged: they can be scientific and not be perceived as being such by non-scientific readers. After all, the word ‘nature’ generates images of the earth and all of its sensory treasures, whereas ‘science’ generates images of laboratory coats, long calculations, laborious extractions, and obscure words like genome, polypeptide and spermatozoa. Nature writers are free to incorporate various genres in their writing, which interests a broad population of readers. Readers are attracted to writing styles that reinforce their subjective perceptions of themselves and the world. A readers’ opinion does not necessarily indicate the success or failure of a writer, but rather the state of mind of the reader when she approaches the piece. This is also how we approach people and events in our lives. We are animals, and therefore we must engage with nature. While Barry Lopez and Scott Russell Sanders have a keen sense of t he innate connection between animals and landscapes, ... ...aren’t scientific or historical, they are still objects in his immediate landscape. Alone, they are solitary objects, but together they create a story of human life. Curiosity and neediness attract humans to philosophy, in a similar way that they attract humans to religious dogma, cults and magic. Fortunately, nature narratives draw on human interests in various disciplines without simultaneously wreaking havoc on society. Writing helps us create and understand ideas. Personal values and scientific information are often used interchangeably by Barry Lopez and Scott Russell Sanders. Unless the reader is indifferent, both writers prove they are capable of illustrating essential elements of the human experience in both public and private moments. As readers, we are bonded to Lopez and Sanders because of our role in the innate chaos of human interaction.

Employee Portfolio Summary Essay

In week two, I had my sister and a friend take the assessments that I completed on myself last week. I enjoyed comparing the results that we all came up with. Each one of us was strong in certain areas and weaker in others. This is why it is important at a job to perform such assessments to help a manager see which employees can work together to complement each other and therefore being more productive. As individuals, different employees will show different personalities and traits. For instance, when going through the assessments with Tammy, I found that she loses interest and becomes distracted easily. Then I found out that she actually has ADHD, an attention disorder. Working with her, one would want to give her simple tasks and small jobs that she can complete without becoming distracted. I also think if a manager is aware of this, he or she can be sure to redirect her as needed. This would increase her performance on the job. Going over the assessments with Brenda, I find that she is somewhat of an overachiever. She appears to be happy, but when she took the emotional assessment, she is unaware of many of her own emotions. I think that learning to understand her own emotions will help her at work as well. She works in retail sales and understanding emotions and others is important. I would suggest that Brenda also learn some stress relief tips as being she is an overachiever and this often leads to increased stress. For instance, at work she may take on too much and although she knows she may not be able to complete it all. The manager can offer to help out or give her less if they are aware of this issue. This would be more productive for the company. I think that learning about the personalities and traits of employees is important for managers. Learning the strengths and weaknesses will help a manager put employees together to work in teams to complement each other and make them more productive. I find it interesting to review and compare the different assessments from each of us. I was happy to learn that I am 85 percent satisfied with my current job!

Ben Franklin and Thomas Paine Essay

From the end of the 1700s and through the early 1800s, America was beginning to see a change in civilization. People were moving from Puritan thoughts and ways towards a new way of a less superstitious, more scientific and intellectual interchange. This movement called the Age of Enlightenment influenced the styles and writings of those like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. The Age of Enlightenment was a period of questioning and appliance of reasoning to explore many subjects, such as civil rights, often left untouched. People were leaving behind their Puritan pasts and advocating the use of scientific method instead of superstitious beliefs of religion. The Enlightenment takes its name from those who wanted to contribute to a brighter future and society. According to Henry Clark, â€Å"Paine’s importance rests on the fact that he was an idealist, a man who envisaged a happier way of life for all men in the future, who thought in the light of first principles such as the equality and sacredness of all souls before God, and who, since he believed that in the past the life of the common people had been miserable, demanded a sharp break with the past, with tradition† (Clark). He wrote â€Å"Common Sense† even though he was acting in treason because he held firm to his beliefs that America should be independent.. He uses many techniques while writing, one being the overall patriotic and simple tone. Staying away from Latin phrases or philosophical arguments, Paine wrote â€Å"Common Sense† in simple terms, referring to the Bible and making the overall tone similar to that of a sermon. For example, he writes, â€Å"In the following pages I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments and common sense† (Paine 335). He wanted to make sure that all Americans could understand the idea of independence, and that independence from England could be achieved. Paine also uses a number of aphorisms to introduce his argument. By doing so in â€Å"The American Crisis†, he captures the readers, allowing them to understand these small, witty statements on a personal level. For example, Paine writes, â€Å"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph† (Paine 345). By using aphorisms, he was able to hint the audience of what is to come throughout his writings. In another example he writes, â€Å"These are the times that try men’s souls† (Paine 345). These aphorisms make the reader think and ask themselves questions that are later answered through the text. The Age of Enlightenment was also evident in Benjamin Franklin’s writings. The Autobiography† establishes in literary form the first example of the fulfillment of the American Dream. He writes of the possibilities of life in America through his own rise from the lower middle class as a youth to one of the most admired men in the world as an adult. Furthermore, he states that he achieved his success through a solid work ethic. For instance he writes, â€Å"It was about this time that I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection† (Franklin 307). He wants have that American dream, so he comes up with the thirteen virtues to help him. He proved that even undistinguished people can, through industry, become great figures of importance in America in his writings. His â€Å"The Autobiography† also reflects idealism. He somewhat writes of intellectual flourishment and political thought and during part two, he is trying to live them out. According to Betsy Erkkila, â€Å"while the Revolution is not present as part of the manifest content of Franklin’s narrative, it is present as the political or narrative unconscious of Franklin’s â€Å"Life†Ã¢â‚¬â€œas a scene of social crisis, bloody contest, and challenge to traditional structures of authority in family, society, church, and state† (Erkkila). This meaning that even though it wasn’t spoke of directly, the revolution was desired by Franklin so others could have the American dream and achieve as he did. In conclusion, the Age of Reason, or The Enlightenment was a good period for the New World. Through the literary works of those such as Paine and Franklin, they helped create and mold the definition of America and the American dream. Franklin and Paine used numerous styles of writing such as aphorisms, themes like the American dream to help America succeed.

A Research Paper on IFRS and Its Implications

A Research Paper on IFRS and Its Implications International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a comprehensive, globally accepted set of accounting standards utilizing a principles-based approach with a greater emphasis on interpretation and application of those principles, aiming at best reflecting the economic substance of transactions. It is a less extensive body of literature than U.S. GAAP with limited industry guidance and lesser detailed application guidance. IFRS requires a much greater exercise of judgement, supported by detailed analysis and documentation. In other words, U.S. GAAP gives us a detailed instruction to the location where we would like to go where us IFRS will just guide us to the destination by showing us the direction. Today, more than 40% of the Global Fortune 500 are using IFRS. Stock exchanges in the 85 countries that require IFRS comprise 35% of the global market capitalization, compared to 25% of the global market capitalization held by U.S. exchanges   [ 1 ]   . IFRS is most likely to bec ome mandatory by beginning of 2014. Why IFRS? The question facing companies is not â€Å"If to adopt IFRS†, it is of â€Å"when and how† to adopt IFRS. With so many companies focused on managing through the economic downturn, few leadership teams are eager for one more big thing to do. Especially when that thing involves something as pervasive as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). But IFRS continues to be adopted by jurisdictions around the world. Taking the organization to IFRS will require managing change in multiple areas: technical accounting and tax, internal controls and processes, management and statutory reporting, technology infrastructure, and organizational issues. They’re all interconnected, which makes things a bit more complicated than imagined. IFRS relies more on general principles than detailed rules and bright lines. This means that the finance people will end up working much more closely with others in the organization to make judgments about accounting based on the underlying economics of transactions. A flurry of operational changes could be triggered by IFRS as well. Companies may have to re-examine contracts and debt agreements, treasury policies, employee benefits, education and training, and communications. Opportunities to centralize statutory accounting functions into shared service centers might also have to be looked at. A revisit of the offshoring, outsourcing, and tax planning decisions might also be required. Principle or Rule Based? At a global symposium held in the month of January where the Peter Wyman, a partner of PwC noticed a sea change in the debate surrounding the adoption of a uniform international accounting standard. The feeling was that IFRS will be adopted across the globe, the issues which were present were only of how it was to be done. There have been primarily been two major approaches to accounting namely rule based and principal based. UK and Europe have a principal based accounting system which allows greater discretion and use of professional judgement. On the other hand, US has been following rule based accounting system which was further strengthened after seeing the light of scandals such as Enron, etc. The major challenge for International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is to adapt IFRS so that it is agreeable to all the parties involved.

Drugs and Alcohol in American Popular Culture Essay

Drugs and Alcohol in American Popular Culture - Essay Example As for the authors’ credentials, Dr. Primack is a faculty of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania. He is also a faculty of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and therefore he has an authority regarding adolescent behavior in the context of medical science, for adolescent behavior is the main subject of this particular study. Moreover, he is also a recipient of the Physician Faculty Scholar Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The other author, Dr. Douglas is another faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Dr. Kraemer is a third faculty member of the same medical school. Dr. Douglas and Dr. Kraemer are affiliated with the Center for Research on Health Care of the same educational institution, and so it implies that they already have considerable background on how to conduct research on health care. The authors, being experts in their fields, with their medical degrees, with Primack’s expertise with adole scent medicine, and with Douglas’ and Kraemer’s experience with research on health care, make up a team of researchers that possess full credibility. The study is published by the National Institutes of Health, particularly PubMed Central and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This is a reputable institution when it comes to research on health. This source is barely 3 years old and is certainly not that old for it to be considered unreliable or obsolete. The thesis advanced by the authors based on the results of the study is that there is an â€Å"independent association between exposure to cannabis in popular music and early cannabis use among urban American adolescents†. ... authors based on the results of the study is that there is an â€Å"independent association between exposure to cannabis in popular music and early cannabis use among urban American adolescents† (Primack et al.). The objectivity of the presentation and analysis of data lies in three facts. First, the sample size of 1198 American and African-American students is large enough to become representative of the group of adolescents exposed to popular music with cannabis content. Secondly, the researchers used statistical analytical tools like multivariable regression, bivariate analysis, and additional analysis in the form of finding out whether there was a correlation between cannabis use and alcohol, but of which the researchers have not found any significant relationship. Thirdly, the study is objective and credible because the methods used in the study had been preapproved by the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Review Board prior to the execution of the study (Primack et al.). If the procedure had not been approved by the board, it would not have been published by the NIH and it would not have been considered credible and objective. On the support to its claims, On the subject of comprehensiveness, the study was actually able to find the differences when it comes to various variables vis-a-vis the degree of correlation between exposure to popular music and cannabis use among the respondents: â€Å"Current use of cannabis was associated with higher exposure to cannabis in music, having a favorite artist with a higher number of songs with cannabis references, older age, lower grades, less demanding parenting, less supportive parenting, higher sensation seeking, and higher rebelliousness [while] ever use of cannabis was associated with higher exposure to cannabis in

Outline a basic model of interpersonal communication Essay

Outline a basic model of interpersonal communication - Essay Example [4] First and foremost are the verbal communication skills. There are five communication skills in human beings that determine the ability (to communicate).Two for sending; writing and speaking and two receiving skills; reading and listening. The fifth skill namely reasoning, affects all the above mentioned skills and is important to both sending and receiving. [1] The second factor is that of Knowledge or more precisely the level of knowledge about the subject in focus during communication (of either the sender or receiver). Take for example an electrical engineer talking to a doctor on medical issues might be ill at ease and vice versa since the knowledge domains of the two are entirely different. AT the same time, however both might be quite comfortable in discussing the current political situation. [1] The position of the sender and the receiver in their respective social systems is also one factor that affects the nature of communication. The position can be looked at from different dimensions such as those of age, gender, religion or other demographic factors as well as social status, income level e.t.c. one can either be in a similar, higher, or lower position in their respective social systems.

PRODUCING SELF-COMPACTING USING WASTE MATERIALS Literature review

PRODUCING SELF-COMPACTING USING WASTE MATERIALS - Literature review Example Self-compacting concrete are considered as â€Å"the most revolutionary development in concrete construction for several decades† (EFNARC). The idea of SCC originated in Japan and has been adapted to other nations such as Europe. The development of SCC is an economic approach to offset the increasing lack of skill labour. It contributes to the economy such that it offers faster construction, easier placing, reduction of manpower on site, offers flexibility in design, improved durability, better surface finishes, thinner concrete sections and safer working environment. SCC is a practical application for the construction site work and the precast concrete works. The test for the self-compactability of the SCC measures its quality. The contributory factors include, the influence of coarse aggregate depending on spacing size, the role of mortar as the fluid in flowability of the fresh concrete, the role of mortar as the solid particles, and the influence of the coarse aggregate regarding the shape, grading and content. The employment of SCC is beneficial to construction because it eliminates the vibration noise as well it is cost-efficient for the cost of vibration compaction. The wide use of the SCC is an innovation in the concrete construction technology such that the SCC are reliable, durable concrete structures with minimum maintenance requirement (Okamura, and Ouchi, 2003). The development of SCC as a solution to the labour scarcity offered benefits to the structural concrete industry as it develops higher quality concrete with optimum workability and overcomes problems related to dust and noise. The workability property of the SCC is achieved primarily due to the high content of fine aggregates and the chemical mixtures. Various relevant studies are now introduced into the construction industry promoting the use of recycled materials for applications of SCC. This innovation is practically new, where standards of SCC with made up of recycled materials