Free Essays on Rene Descartes Meditations

After Descartes’ first meditation his problem becomes this; how can he be sure that any of his beliefs hold any truth? How can he be sure that everything isn’t just an illusion that is deceiving him such as a dream or that there isn’t a deceiver intentionally deceiving him? He finds that in order to move forward in his quest for true existence of god or the material world he must find a starting place of truth or as he puts it like Archimedes moving the earth, some fixed point of certainty. He finds this fixed point with his Cogito, the discovery that he himself must exist. Having already convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world, Descartes is left to ponder if he himself does not exist as well. He finds this thought to be false because if he can convince himself of something then he must certainly exist. Further questioning this theory he finds that even if some deceiver of supreme power that is deliberately and constantly deceiving him that he must also undoubtedly exist because he is still thinks that he is something even if false, thus still existing. This now brings in the phrase â€Å"I am, I exist† or the more popular interpretation â€Å"I think therefore I am† Furthering that Descartes is essentially asking himself would it be possible for himself to believe that he existed, and this be false? He finds that even if he believes this false logic that he must still exist, because anything that believes or doubts something must exist. So if he does believe that he exists, then his belief must hold truth, because it would be impossible for him to hold that belief falsely do to his logic of existence. So he ascertains that if he can both persuade himself of something, and likewise be deceived of something, then surely he must exist. He essentially claims that every time he thinks something in his mind, he has proof that he exists. It is not possible to think without also existing. With this ... Free Essays on Rene Descartes Meditations Free Essays on Rene Descartes Meditations After Descartes’ first meditation his problem becomes this; how can he be sure that any of his beliefs hold any truth? How can he be sure that everything isn’t just an illusion that is deceiving him such as a dream or that there isn’t a deceiver intentionally deceiving him? He finds that in order to move forward in his quest for true existence of god or the material world he must find a starting place of truth or as he puts it like Archimedes moving the earth, some fixed point of certainty. He finds this fixed point with his Cogito, the discovery that he himself must exist. Having already convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world, Descartes is left to ponder if he himself does not exist as well. He finds this thought to be false because if he can convince himself of something then he must certainly exist. Further questioning this theory he finds that even if some deceiver of supreme power that is deliberately and constantly deceiving him that he must also undoubtedly exist because he is still thinks that he is something even if false, thus still existing. This now brings in the phrase â€Å"I am, I exist† or the more popular interpretation â€Å"I think therefore I am† Furthering that Descartes is essentially asking himself would it be possible for himself to believe that he existed, and this be false? He finds that even if he believes this false logic that he must still exist, because anything that believes or doubts something must exist. So if he does believe that he exists, then his belief must hold truth, because it would be impossible for him to hold that belief falsely do to his logic of existence. So he ascertains that if he can both persuade himself of something, and likewise be deceived of something, then surely he must exist. He essentially claims that every time he thinks something in his mind, he has proof that he exists. It is not possible to think without also existing. With this ...

Measuring Things In Various Sports - ESL Quiz

Measuring Things In Various Sports - ESL Quiz This is a series of two quizzes focusing on sports vocabulary. The first quiz deals with measuring sports, and the second quiz on sporting venues. Time, the score and distance are measured in various ways depending on which type of sport you are speaking about. Decide which time, score and/or distance measurement is used in each of the sports below. Some of the words are used more than once: game, point, set, mile, inning, strokes, yard, round, move, match, meter, round, quarter, out, half, lap, down, length American Football: _____European Football: _____Tennis: _____Chess: _____Swimming: _____Ping Pong: _____Horse Racing: _____Ice Hockey: _____Boxing: _____Volleyball: _____Athletics: _____Motor Racing: _____Baseball: _____Racketball: _____Squash: _____Golf: _____    Here are the answers to the previous quiz: American Football: point, down, quarter, half, yardEuropean Football: point, meter, halfTennis: point, game, set, matchChess: move, gameSwimming: length, meterPing Pong: point, gameHorse Racing: lap, lengthIce Hockey: point, quarter, half, gameBoxing: roundVolleyball: point, gameAthletics: meter, yardMotor Racing: lap, miles, metersBaseball: point, inning, outRacketball: point, gameSquash: point, gameGolf: stroke    The question above could be answered with pitch or field depending on whether you are talking about European football or American football. Sports take place on/in all sorts of different areas. Decide whether the sport is played on/in the following areas. Some of the words are used more than once: court, rink, table, course, field, ring, pitch, board, track, ring, field, pool American Football: _____European Football: _____Tennis: _____Chess: _____Swimming: _____Ping Pong: _____Horse Racing: _____Ice Hockey: _____Boxing: _____Volleyball: _____Athletics: _____Motor Racing: _____Cricket: _____Baseball: _____Racketball: _____Squash: _____Ice Skating: _____Golf: _____    Here are the answers to the previous quiz: American Football: Field European Football: Pitch Tennis: Court Chess: Board Swimming: Pool Ping Pong: Table Horse Racing: Track Ice Hockey: Rink Boxing: Ring Volleyball: Court Athletics: Track Motor Racing: Track Cricket: Pitch Baseball: Field Racketball: Court Squash: Court Ice Skating: Rink Golf: Course Two More Sporting Vocabulary Quizzes Continue improving your sports vocabulary by taking these two quizzes on proper verb use and sporting equipment.

School shootings and active shooter and the media Research Paper

School shootings and active shooter and the media - Research Paper Example This act has obtained wide media attention and are frequent in the United State of America. They have resulted in countrywide change of schools’ rules concerning discipline and security. Among the reasons for this shooting are school bullying and psychiatric drugs. (Schechter DS February 16, 2011) Schools bullying public seems to play a big part in the lives of many of the school shooters. It consists of the criminal, casualty and one or more witness. This create public disgrace for the victim. The victim being disheartened develop depression, poor social skills and do worse in school performance. Psychiatric drugs has caused hostility, ferocity murderous ideation, and zone of high profile of school shootings. At least 41 school shootings are committed by those taking these drugs. (Schechter DS February 16, 2011). Apart from school shootings, there is also a rise in active shooters. The active shooters specifically engage in killings or try to kill people in a limited population area. They also use rifles. This act has raised up and results to pressure of insecurity to the student in the education institution and the country at large. (http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness) Media as the source of data has worked hard to eradicate the crime. The media have developed some refrains that inspires public perception of school violence. They include: social problematic frames (Evans, 2011) This common form incites fear by characteristic performances of school as wide spread wonders. It has taken information which suggests that school violence incidents are out of regulations and offer evidently support in the form of recent statistic to support the argument. (http://moralpanic.wikispaces.com/1.09.+Media+Portrayal+of+School+Shootings) Good news- Bad news frame. Although certain parts of an article may deliver the data that rates of school hostility have dropped, the frame

Occupational health nursing Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Occupational health nursing - Personal Statement Example This exposure renewed my interest in this field and since then I have never looked back. In the realm of nursing, I have contributed significantly to the development of health in acute settings. I am patriotic, and I have been in the forefront to help the government realise equitable health for all. I have a whopping seven years of experience in this field. My director is very pleased with my work and wants me to further my education in the same field so that by the time he will be leaving I will be fully equipped to take over. Putting this challenge aside, nursing is something that I loved and had plans to study this same course to the end. Due to this desire, I have chosen to go for my masters in the University of Pennsylvania. Owing to its good reputation and best world rankings in health nursing, I want to get the best quality of education for a career that is so dear to me. In addition to the mentioned reasons, here is why the University of Pennsylvania looked attractive to me. It has the best lecturers in the world with world-renowned health specialists and facilities, has the best library with thousands and thousands of updated learning materials for my utilisation, Lastly the university has the best laboratories in the world with all kinds of recent technology you can imagine in the medical field. The university has also contributed much in research and development in nursing and the medical field, in general, such as the Smell Identification Test (Doty et al., 1984). I chose to study a master in nursing because being a field that I love and with the relevant experience along these lines; I felt it was more relevant. In addition to this, I have loved to be a nurse since high school, and nothing will ever change this. I intend to graduate in two years and later do my Ph.D. in the same field. After graduation, I believe that this master will help me be promoted at work as well as update me as far as my profession is concerned.

Amazon.Com - Project Paper Essay Example for Free

Amazon.Com Project Paper Essay Amazon.com is obsessed with fervour to serve consumer and shareholder alike. Since its inception over fifteen years ago, Amazon.com has steadily grown from a burgeoning â€Å"dot-com† corporation into a multinational monster, a king in the domain of internet retail. It targets two goals: the satisfaction of a customer and efficient corporate growth. Its marketing strategies are near-legendary, and budding business should take a page – or several chapters – from Amazon.com’s proven marketing manual. Amazon.com History Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO, dreamed about books. In 1994, he created Amazon.com, Inc., which he labelled as â€Å"Earth’s Biggest Bookstore.† The ecommerce company went online in 1995 and soon expanded into other media, including DVDs, VHS, CDs, MP3s, and eventually a wide range of other products, including toys, electronics, furniture and apparel. As such, the tagline soon changed to â€Å"Earth’s Largest Selection.† But books were only the beginning of Bezo’s up-and-coming enterprise. Amazon.com went public in 1997. In the first shareholder letter, Bezos penned the fundamental foundation for Amazon.com’s success: â€Å"Start with customers and work backwards †¦ Listen to customers, but don’t just listen to customers – also invent on their behalf †¦ Obsess over customers.† This policy was backed by a startling business philosophy – Bezos planned on operating at a loss for 4-5 years. It was not until 2001 that Amazon.com posted a net profit at a minuscule one-cent per share. Yet, despite its bizarre business strategy, Amazon.com claimed over 1.4 million customers after only two years of being online. Now, 45 million satisfied customers shop at Amazon.com for everything from books (most popular) to fashion apparel to fine jewellery to Christmas toys. It has one of the most recognized brand names in the world and garners an estimated 50% of its sales from overseas consumers. Surviving the dot-com bust of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Amazon weathered the e-storms and now thrives in the retail marketplace, challenging vending giants like Wal-Mart and Target. Focused on technological innovation and entered on customer fulfilment, Amazon.com proceeds into the next decade with a profit firmly in one hand, and the capacity to blow it out of the water in the other hand. Amazon.com’s Business Philosophy Despite its massive growth, Amazon.com remains unremittingly focused on the consumer. Out of 452 company goals in 2009, 360 directly affected customer experience. Amazon.com’s self-proclaimed mission statement is: â€Å"We seek to be Earth’s most customer-centric company for three primary customer sets: consumer customers, seller customers and developer customers.† Vision Amazon’s vision is to be Earth’s most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. Mission The company’s six core values: customer obsession, ownership, bias for action, frugality, high hiring bar, and innovation. Motto The company motto: ‘Work Hard, Have Fun, and Make History’. Question 1 Amazon currently operates in two markets: the business-to-business (offering Internet retailing services) and consumer markets (retailing consumer goods). Identify the characteristics of the two types of buyers and markets. Amazon is an online bookstore that trades books from numerous originators including Wrox, O’Reilly, Premier Press, and so on. In this case, the publishers have the option of either developing their own site or exhibiting their books on the Amazon site (www.amazon.com), or both. The publishers usually prefer to display their books on www.amazon.com at it gives them a larger audience. Currently, to do this, the publishers want to deal with Amazon, involving seller and buyer, is the B2B model. Amazon derives about 40% of its sales from affiliate marketing called Amazon Associates and third-party sellers who sell products on Amazon. Associates receive a commission for referring customers to Amazon by placing links on their websites to Amazon, if the referral results in a sale. Worldwide, Amazon has over 900,000 members in its affiliate programs. Amazon reported over 1.3 million sellers sold products through Amazons World Wide Web sites in 2007. Amazon sellers do not have to maintain separate payment accounts; all payments are handled by Amazon. Associates can access the Amazon catalogue directly on their websites by using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) XML service. A new affiliate product, aStore, allows Associates to embed a subset of Amazon products within another website, or linked to another website. In June 2010, Amazon Seller Product Suggestions was launched (rumoured to be internally called Project Genesis) to provide more transparency to sellers by recommending specific products to third-party sellers to sell on Amazon. Products recommended are based on customers browsing history. Characteristic of B2B Amazon uses B2B by providing the opportunity to purchase and sell all types of products via the internet. It allows for relationships to be established in order to complete sales and business transactions. Additionally, providing email address and having personalized memberships are methods for dispensing sale ads and providing discount coupons is a use of the internet by Amazon. Rather than producing time-intensive and costly physical copies for each consumer, a central server or email list can serve as an efficient method for distributing necessary information to the general public The characteristic of B2B is a long-term: Usually involves negotiations and contractual commitments between long-term trading partners (E.g. Suppliers, manufacturers). Thus, also generates high sales revenue and volume. Significant characteristic is relationship driven not product driven. The BCB model enhances maximization of the value of the relationship and bonding. Buyers and sellers work more closely together and build long-term relationships. Thus rational buying decision is based on business value. The sales cycle in the B2B world is often much longer and more complex. It mainly maximizes on the value of relationships. Amazon focuses on maintaining communication and building relationships. Marketing activities involving lead generation that can be nurtured during the sales cycle can be used to attain this goal. B2B features a multi-step buying process that needs more than one person to decide on the purchase thus B2B companies employ marketing to educate its target audience. Take for example in an email campaign, objective of Amazon is to drive prospects to the site to learn about their products and services. High expectations for service: Customised services and goods delivery and managing inventory for business partners that extend the supply chain so companies can respond on minute-by-minute basis. Knowledgeable buyers: Suppliers (Amazon associates) and buyers who understand and well-versed in trading in their industry. Involving more buyers, with extensive decision process, the process is more tedious and complex. The buying becoming is more formalised professional purchasing effort. Nevertheless, B2B models always emphasis in educational and awareness building activities to grasp repeat business. Characteristic of B2C The above B2C model reflects an individual consumer transact with business organisation, consumer searches for a book on Amazon site and places an order, if required. The B2C category has expanded greatly in the late 1990s with the growth of public access to the Internet. It largely equates to electronic retailing and its main objective is to aggressively convince prospective buyers to shop. B2C companies, including Amazon employ different marketing campaigns for publicizing their goods and services. This would include coupons, vouchers, email blasts, banner ads, limited edition offers and the likes to entice their target market to buy. These campaigns are much shorter in duration thus the urgent need to secure the customer’s interest very quickly. The B2C model of e-commerce is more prone to security threats because individual consumers provide their credit card and personal information in the site of a business organization. In addition, the consumers might doubt that his/he r information is secured and used effectively by the business organization. This is the main reason why the B2C model is not very widely accepted. Therefore, it becomes very essential for the business organization to provide robust security mechanisms that can be guarantee a consumer for securing his information. Consumer markets are the markets for products and services bought by individuals for their own or family use. B2C sales are more engrossed on a very large market segment; market is the total sales market of consumers. There is very little discrimination or qualification of potential customers. If the product appeals to them, then they are a customer to which Amazon may sell their product. And B2C or businesses that sell consumers more focussed on transactional relationship. However, the traffic volume is very critical due to high volume, low unit value. This characteristic explains that number of customers is many or large target market but limited purchase unit or value. Similar to FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) are products that are sold quickly and at relatively low cost. Nevertheless there is fast repurchase derived or in another words frequent purchases. B2C sales are driven by highlighting the advantages of the product and its usefulness. Depending on how the product is presented to the end user, it may appeal to them based on novelty, ease of use, appearance or price. Usually the aspects of status, desire and price can lead to emotional buying decision. Besides that in B2C, since it is product driven, the product and its features also able to influence customer during the point of sale. B2C characteristic is inclusive a single step buying process, shorter sales cycle. The path to purchase must be short and simple – just a few clicks from email receipt to order confirmation. Any more than a couple of clicks and the customer are likely to abandon the shopping cart. The call to action must be obvious and the offer enticing. Besides that email campaigns often highlight special deals and discount that can be used both online and in store. They can also be informative especially if the aim is to build the brand and enhance customer loyalty. Loyalty is an important aspect in B2C marketing. This proved very true for company like Amazon. They combine good customer service and education on their product and services thus their customers keep coming back. Amazon’s brand identity created through repetition and imagery.

bias or not? :: essays research papers fc

Bias or Not? The most political news story that is being reported on these past few weeks has been the nomination and debate over President Bush’s nomination of John R. Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations. One of the most watched and influential news channels, CNN has been following this routine story closely. The President nominated Bolton in March of 2005 but the Senate has been delaying the vote of the nominee for several weeks. The story on CNN was headlined Vote to end debate on Bolton fails. Though the story did discuss that it was mostly the Democrats that were causing the delay in the vote the channel also stated that their were some republicans that did not agree with the nomination. The channel tried to stand by the facts but the story did seem to state that it was the Democrats that voted against closing the debate. The story did seem slanted when discussing the issue over the Democrats wanting to obtain access to information about Bolton and Syria. The channel st ated that the was good and bipartisanship until the Democrats resorted back to a partisan approach. This seemed slante because throughout the debate both the Republicans and Democrats have been resorting to a partisan approach. Despite the slight slant ness in some of the story the primary contents of the story did stick to the facts and remained bias. Democrats Mull Politicizing Iraq War Intelligence this article found on the Fox News Channel in November of 2003 is an insider story. The following story discusses a informal memo was found concerning the planning and timing of a possible investigation into pre- war Iraq Intelligence. The memo suggested that Democrats "prepare to launch an investigation when it becomes clear we have exhausted the opportunity to usefully collaborate with the [Senate] majority.† Then the story goes on further to discuss how upset the Senates Republicans were by the leak but especially by the memo itself. A republican Senator went as far as saying that the â€Å"Democrats intended to politicize what should have been bipartisan†. Such comments seemed to elude that the Democrats were at fault for thinking of conducting investigation but that was not the matter at hand. The matter was the leak of a memo was a draft that had not even been approved. Lawmaker Hopes to Open Churches to P olitical Speech this headline on Fox News refers to a bill that Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina has introduced the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act of 2005

Clothing in the Awakening

Clothes appear to have significant meaning in The Awakening, enough so that they are mentioned at almost every description of the characters. Edna Pontellier starts the novel fully dressed and appropriately dressed for a woman of her responsibilities, however, at her final moment, she is naked on the beach. Other women in the story also represent their ‘position’ and the way they feel in the way they dress. For example, Madmoiselle Reisz never changes her clothes.This could possibly symbolize her physical detachment from anything around her, including nature and any suppressed feelings. In contrast, Edna’s clothes represent her physical attachment to society. She sheds her clothes the way a snake sheds its skin when it is time for a new one and it does not fit into the old one any longer. Edna doesn’t feel like she can fit into society any longer. Madmoiselle Reisz, on the other hand, does not seem to have any desire to be more than what she has been given in the society in which she lives.Therefore, she does not change her clothes, because she does not feel the need for change in her life. Other characters, such as Madame Leburn always have new clothes to cover their bodies. This could, perhaps, represent the constant need to cover their sexuality as women in suppressed roles as wives and mothers. Ednas’ nakedness at the end of the novel symbolizes her freedom from any claims her children may have on her and shows how her lack of clothes is equal to her lack of ‘responsibility’, of her family and the 1890s’ society.Through the motif of clothes, Kate Chopin suggests that although society can be restricting, in order to have discipline, rules can be necessary. Can be destructive, lack of rules can lead to destruction of self. The symbol of clothing in the story shows the development of her freedom from the harsh rules of the Creole society. In the beginning of the novel, Edna is accustomed to wearing the same clothes as the Creoles. Throughout the story, she is found loosening her collar and trying to remove articles of clothing.After her awakening, Edna becomes restless and starts to neglect the rules placed upon her. As Edna progresses throughout the novel, she discards more and more layers of the confining clothing that surrounds her body and soul. By taking off her clothing, one piece at a time, she is disobeying the rules placed upon her, and in doing so, she exerts her independence. The clothing symbolizes the constraints on the social behavior of women in this era. It restricts Edna and doesn’t allow her body to move. At the beginning of the novel, Edna is fully dressed and in proper clothing.However, when Edna and Adele walk together on the beach, Edna wears less clothing In one example of rebellion, Edna begins to care less about her duties as a woman in a Victorian society and chooses to not wear what society expects of her. â€Å"Mrs. Ponteiller did not wear her usual Tuesday reception gown; she was in ordinary house gowns. † (59) The house gown are less elaborate and involve wearing less clothing than reception gowns, and to Edna, is more comfortable. Although those around her do not approve, she chooses to do what she feels and does this witho5ut hesitation or guilt.