Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Reflection Paper - 1011 Words

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Ophelia says, â€Å"We know what we are, but know not what we may be.† This quote confused me for the longest time. At a young age, I was always immersed in reading throughout my life but I also limited myself to what I read. Books that I fancied to read were related to mythologies. It was not until high school that I decided to broaden my horizon when it came to reading books. During my junior year, at Bahrain High School, I was looking for a class to finish off my Fine Arts credits. I chose Beginning Drama, thinking that it was going to be an easy grade. It was not until that moment that I was introduced to a whole new world: The world of William Shakespeare. Once in the class, I received the task†¦show more content†¦I was Othello and she was Desdemona, Othello’s wife. We were doing the Act V Scene ii where Othello must kill his wife. We read the script together and we were utterly confused about what was going on because learning to read Shakespeare is a bit like learning a foreign language. While I was reading, I found it imperative that I had to articulate every word because if I did not do that, every word that I tried to say would sound garbled. After about two months, I understood the language of Shakespeare. I remember practicing in the mirror at home saying words like thee, thou, dos’t, maks’t, thy, wilt, hast, ta’en, and o’er. After reading the whole play from beginning to end twice, I fully enveloped myself as the character Othello. To become Othello, out of class I did a bit of method acting which is a technique of acting in which an actor aspires to complete emotional identification with a part, based on the system evolved by Konstantin Stanislavski. The method from Stanislavski is a set of techniques used by actors to portray emotions on stage by putting themselves in the place of the character. The reason I did this was because I wanted to stay true t o my character when performing rather than just reciting lines. Just like the movie Jumanji where the characters were thrusted into the world of the game, I too put myself in the play. When performance night came to show the school our literary piece, I was readyShow MoreRelatedReflection Paper1317 Words   |  6 Pagesused to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. I believe that all of this is has caused me to grow greatly as aRead MoreReflection Paper836 Words   |  4 Pagesand integrating quotes. Before my papers were full of â€Å"she said† and â€Å"she would say†; which was b oring and showed poor ability to lengthen my word choice. I also had a tendency to just throw quotes in and not integrate it into my writings. By the end of my English 101 class my papers began to present with words like â€Å"the author noted†, or â€Å"she stated† along with many other word choices and proper ways of using quotes. Here is an example from my final research paper: â€Å"Author Stephanie Jackson, a certifiedRead MoreNursing Reflection Paper858 Words   |  4 Pagesremainder of this reflection. I met Betty about eight years ago, as I was a close friend of her brother. Although her brother and I grew apart, I would still occasionally see Betty around. Never did I think that I would ever see her on the unit in which I was working, but a few weeks ago, this idea changed. When I arrived back to the nurse’s station after checking on each of my patients, I saw that my co-caring nurse was getting an admission. I looked down at the sheets of paper he had in front ofRead MoreReflection Paper On The Humanities Field1071 Words   |  5 Pages Over the course of this semester each paper that was written helped to introduce me and my fellow classmates to different formatting, and genres of writing. A lot of knowledge was gained from writing these papers and I was able to compare and contrast the disciplinary writings and notice what makes each of them stand out. Reflecting back on these individual papers helps to express what I have learned. The first paper that was written was the humanities essay. The humanities essay helped to provideRead MorePersonal Reflection Paper On English1015 Words   |  5 Pages Reflection Paper English has never been my strong suit. I always hated English simply, because I never concerned myself as a writer. 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Other designs included one of a boat from Isis Green’s favorite movie Pirates of the Caribbean, a design from a fantasy summer place imaginedRead MoreReflection Paper On Writing And Writing1085 Words   |  5 PagesThe content of my paper was typically not the issue, the organization of the ideas was. I always had good ideas to write about, but I never knew how to organize those thoughts into a well-organized paper. Although in Writing 101, I used the multiple steps of the writing process to insert my ideas into a well-written paper, I continued to struggle in areas such as grammar and mechanics. In Writ 102, I was able t o realize that the writing process develops over time, and the best papers result from revisionRead MoreReflection Paper : Barbie Q By Sandra Cisneros938 Words   |  4 Pagesexploration paper, the reading and writing paper, the annotated bibliography, and the academic research paper. The semester began with basic lessons on general writing rules during class and progressed into a much more complex course, including lessons on expansion and development of evidence and supporting details, as well as the argument of the paper as a whole. Although each assignment taught something new, each built onto the last and helped transition my progress through each paper. The firstRead MoreReflection Paper On Reflection1076 Words   |  5 Pagesknew how to write short story analysis papers, or your run-of-the-mill story reflection. After hearing I would have wrote a total of 5000 words minimum, I was left flabbergasted. Nevertheless, the challenges faced when writing these papers gave me an abundant amount of knowledge in transitional word use, and finally becoming comfortable with the drafting process. When writing my papers, however, I still would like to increase my ability to structure my papers with more confidence. Before this periodRead MoreReflections Paper1552 Words   |  7 PagesComfort and Gods Glory Ray Kirby Liberty University In the decision to discuss two topics included within this reflection paper I have been led to discuss two doctrines that are close to all Christians. The comfort of God and the glory of God are the two doctrines that I have focused on over the last several weeks. The comfort of God has touched me at times over the course of my life however, never as much as it has over the last year. I wish to praise the glory of God as directed within

Monday, December 23, 2019

Internet Addiction ( Pathological Internet Use ) Essay

Internet Addiction ( Pathological Internet Use ) The Internet has become one of the most universal methods for communication with over 100 million users worldwide. From e-mail to the possibly billions of web pages, there is an infinite amount of information flowing. And another enticing aspect of the Internet, is the opportunity to interact with other people. Chat Rooms and MUD (Multi-User Dimensional) games offer the person the ability to talk and mingle with others online. But with this newfound freedom, also comes the possibility of abuse and addiction. Internet addiction, also known as Pathological Internet use, has emerged as a very destructive force in today’s society. David Greenfield believes â€Å"an estimated 6†¦show more content†¦Young of AddictionSolutions.com. â€Å"Neglecting family activities, social events, work, school in order to spend more time on the Internet is probably the biggest sign of Internet addiction.† (Young) But also suffering withdrawal symptoms, not being able to limit time online, constantly thinking about the next online session, and preferring to talk to cyber-friends rather than face-to-face conversations are also signs. There are about 3 distinct situations in which internet addiction can take form although they all are based on the need of personal contact, and ability to change personal status to gain peer recognition Online games, chat rooms, and cyber-sexual addiction. Greenfield tries to identify these separate cases. â€Å"One way a person becomes addicted to the net is through online games. It is a fantasy world where the player takes on the name of a character and they battle other on-line players accumulating â€Å"points† and status from other players. While online, the player feels in control of their destiny, yet off-line they feel less competent and maybe awkward when not playing.† (Greenfield) I have been part of this MUD gaming system, and I must say that it was exciting. Although I wasn’t that really interested in it after a few times of play, because the others were a lot better than I was, and I would lose almost every match almost indefinitely. I didn ’t feel a real need to return to the site to continue the game mostly due to the fact that I wasn’tShow MoreRelatedThe Article Examines The Growing Trend Of Excessive Internet1262 Words   |  6 Pagesarticle examines the growing trend of excessive internet use among college students. The study was completed to help psychologists understand the specific causes for excessive internet use. The study also examined the correlation between excessive internet use, low self-esteem and psychological disorders. The study is important because it helps psychologists, health professionals, and readers understand who is vulnerable to excessive internet use and whether perilous disorders such as depressionRead MoreReview of Related Literature1643 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Philippines and in abroad. It is acquired from the internet and unpublished theses. It is nearly related on the relationship of computer game addiction to interpersonal relationship to adolescents especially, K-1 2 students. To enrich the background on the subject of the researcher, the literatures that were found are here in presented. A. Foreign Studies Based from the study of Mark Griffiths (2007),â€Å"Does Internet and Computer Addiction Exist? It has been alleged that social pathologies areRead MoreInternet Addiction And Its Treatment1163 Words   |  5 Pagesra lians%20digital%20livesFinal%20pdf.pdf ACMA,. (2016). Excessive internet use | ACMA. Acma.gov.au. Retrieved 12 October 2016, from http://www.acma.gov.au/Citizen/Internet/esecurity/Staying-safe- online/excessive-internet-use Amichai-Hamburger, Y. Ben-Artzi, E. (2003). Loneliness and Internet use. Computers In Human Behavior, 19(1), 71-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0747-5632(02)00014-6 ArÄ ±soy, Ãâ€". (2009). Internet addiction and its treatment. Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar- Current ApproachesRead MoreThe Effects Of Gaming On The Lives Of Young People Essay861 Words   |  4 PagesThe next time you see a child, teen, or young adult pick up a controller to play a video game or sit down at a computer to access the internet, should you be alarmed? These activities have quickly become a staple in the lives of many children, as well as adults, across the world, but some people do not share the same enthusiasm for the adaptation of these technologies. Though reasons for concern have only recently, since the advent of these media industries, begun to be noted and discussed, parentsRead MoreIs Internet Addiction Disorder? Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pages Internet addiction disorder, more commonly called problematic Internet use, refers to excessive computer use which interferes with daily life. Internet overuse, problematic computer use, or pathological computer use , problematic Internet use, or Internet addiction disorder. In the most recent version of the DSM-5, Internet Gaming Disorder is the latest term to describe this problem. History IAD was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan Goldberg, M.D., in 1995, althoughRead MoreThe Effects Of Internet On The Society And School Settings Essay2200 Words   |  9 PagesInternet use in the society and school settings has dramatically increased over the past decade, and this is attributable to the huge reduction in Internet charges. Most tutors use the Internet as a teaching tool, but students often use it even outside the school as a recreational tool – surfing and reading interesting articles and video streaming. Today, people repeatedly chat online, and it is not surprising that one can find a group of individuals reticent in a room – not talking to each otherRead MoreInternet Addiction : The World Of Education, Communication, And Business1703 Words   |  7 PagesInternet Addiction Addiction, defined by Webster dictionary as â€Å"a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)†. Everyone has one, we’re all guilty of being addicted. Certainly, as this world changes and evolves, we as people change and evolve with it. We invent, create, and mold materials to change this world for the better. Though sometimes, we can often become dependent on our own inventions to a point that it becomes unhealthy, afflictingRead MorePossible Causes and Effects of Internet Addiction1189 Words   |  5 PagesS Young says that prior research links internet addiction with existing mental health issues such as social anxiety, depression, and antisocial personality disorder and if not treated properly can have a significant effect on the patient socially, psychologically and occupationally. It will be argued that the psychodynamic approach to find an underlying disorder will be a more effective approach to an inte rvention for an individual addicted to the internet. I will be discussing the possible interventionRead MoreInternet Addiction And Social Media Depression1651 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr makes the argument that the internet is changing our brains, impairing our ability to think deeply, to form memories and maintain our attention for long periods of time. The internet may also be changing our mood and encouraging depression through these very same processes as witnessed by internet addiction and social media depression. In the Shallows, Carr is making the argument that intenrt is affecting our cognition, usingRead MoreEssay on Internet Addiction636 Words   |  3 PagesInternet Addiction Since its initial arrival in the average household, the Internet has become a very widely exercised source of communication. At any given moment, there is an endless amount of information streaming through Internet accessible computers. The chance to interact with other people is another tempting feature of the Internet. Unfortunately, with this new commodity, also comes the possibility of abuse and addiction. Internet addiction has become

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Technology and Ethics Free Essays

While there is a robust debate in American society over the relation between technology and such ethical issues as democracy, localism and the environment, the introduction of technologies admits of no debate. Jerry Mander writes, â€Å"It is a melancholy fact that in our society the first waves of descriptions about new technologies invariably come from the corporations and scientists who invent and market these technologies and who have much to gain by our accepting a positive view† (Mander, 1996, 345). This is a central point: the basic issue is that the introduction of new technologies is far removed from any real democratic discussion. We will write a custom essay sample on Technology and Ethics or any similar topic only for you Order Now Such discussion always occurs in a sterile environment, always after the fact. For example, the development and mass production of the automobile was hailed almost universally as a revolutionary development. It was supposed to provide freedom of movement and make our world smaller. Such slogans also met the development of air travel, television and the internet. Such things were accepted in society almost without discussion, save for a few marginalized traditionalists and agrarians who were speaking into the wind. Nevertheless, the automobile has recreated the American landscape, demanded thousands of miles of paved roads, brought civilization to small towns whether they wanted it or not, killed many millions in traffic accidents worldwide, massively increased the dependence on oil and created a massive oligarchy of corporate capital who benefits from all this. It [industrialism] also led, and leads. . . to social and political consequences: the squeezing of farm populations and the uncontrollable growth of cities, the evisceration of self-reliant communities, the enlargement of central governments, the enthronement of science as ruling ideology, a wide and increasing gap between rich and poor, and ruling values of profit, growth, property, and consumption. (Sale, 1996)Now, the general point is had all of this been known (or theorized) in 1920, and a national discussion had taken place, would we have the mass production of automobiles? Has it, ultimately, been a good thing? Often, the common response is that â€Å"you can’t stop progress.† Such a slogan is saturated with cynicism and amorality, as if technologies were some seismic phenomenon as natural as photosynthesis. Progress is something that is, as Mander says, dictated by a handful of major corporate and government agencies who decide what shape progress will take. In addition, Mander also holds that technologies, such as nuclear power and air travel, are inherently biased politically. He writes, â€Å"To build and operate nuclear power plants requires a large, highly technical and very well-financed infrastructure. . . It can only be done by huge, centralized institutions. Without such institutions, nuclear power could not exist† (Mander, 2006, 347). Mander sees the same problems in the development of the internet. Such speed in communications and access to information does little but assist the continued centralization of political and economic power. â€Å"In fact, it is my opinion that computer technology may be the single most important instrument ever invented for the acceleration of centralized power. While we sit at our PCs. . . .transnational corporations are using their global networks, fed by far greater resources. . . .they operate on a scale and at a speed that makes our own level of cyber-empowerment seem pathetic by comparison† (Mander, 2006, 355). Even more, such global interconnectedness, long lauded as a path to freedom and unity, brings instead, cultural leveling and a destruction of diversity. The computer revolution is a revolution that permits a handful of major cultural centers such as Hollywood to impose their view of the world into every corner of the world, and the results of this are just beginning to be seen. The issue of Hollywood and New York imposing its view of the world to the plant is a given: the facts speak for themselves. But one then must grapple with the issue of whether or not this is a good thing? What gives Hollywood the right? The general point is that the mega-technologies have brought the world closer together and sped up the speed at which we receive information. But what are the concrete results? Could any of these results have been foreseen in the late 1970s when this technology was being developed? And if not, what does this say about democratic governance? After all, computers and automobiles have revolutionized our society with far more direct results than who gets elected president. But again, there is no democratic control over these intimate invasions of our lives and the technologies themselves not only assume centralized control, but provide the agencies of centralization with greater and greater resources. Mander’s thesis is that technology is already biased in terms of centralization and statism. In other words, the technological revolution, which clothed itself in the mantle of freedom and progress, in fact needs a huge centralized apparatus of physical, technical, educational, political and economic forms. The technologies that have revolutionized our society have both created and in fact, assumed the existence of a radically altered landscape that touches every element of human life. The technical apparatus that must be in place to electrify an entire continent must be huge, not to mention the standing armies that must be in place to defend the corridors of energy transmission such as oil pipelines. Technology is political, and most certainly, is not isolated from the remainder of life. Technology has, in the20th century â€Å"second industrial revolution,† touched every aspect of human life without a vote taken. All technologies have consequences, inevitable and built in, and imperatives, just as inevitable, essentially separate from human dictates and desires. Norbert Wiener, the mathematician who was the founder of modern cybernetics, has written about â€Å"technical determinants† dictated by â€Å"the very nature† of machines, and of the steam engine he noted that it automatically leads to large and ever larger scales because it can power so many separate machines at once, to ever increasing production because it must pay back its high investment and operating costs, and to centralization and specialization because factors of efficiency and economy supersede those of, say, craftsmanship or esthetic expression. (Sale, 1996). Nevertheless, there can be no discussion of these topics without that of ideology. Technology does have its own ideology, and it needs to be â€Å"unpacked.† One might summarize this point of view this way: First, that technology has its own trajectory that is independent of the will of mankind. This can be challenged by the simple fact that all technological innovations of recent memory have been developed in a corporate setting under corporate rules for profit. Men have financed and created these things. But they have not financed or created these things blindly, as part of some â€Å"natural and inevitable process.† They have been created according to a scheme of thought. Second, this scheme of thought is that happiness is a matter of technological progress and the accumulation of capital. In other words, the person that has the better car, high tech stereos and I-Pods, must, in general, be happier than one that does not, or has older, outdated equipment. Yet, there is no evidence for this, one would have a tough time pointing to research that says people are happier or less stressed now than they were 1,000 years ago. Third,   the â€Å"market† is in control over whether or not technology is accepted and hence, democratically justifiable is often heard. In other words, the â€Å"democracy† problem is solved by the market itself. If new technologies are invented and marketed, people can choose to buy or not to buy. But is it that simple? One who buys the latest inventions is progressive, while the other is regressive. To have an 8-track player in one’s car is an occasion for mockery, regardless of the satisfaction one gets from having such â€Å"vintage† equipment. Advertising and marketing campaigns are not projected to one’s reason, but to one’s base passions, to be considered acceptable, lovable and intelligent, rather than boorish and ignorant. The acceptance or rejection of technology also partakes of these components as well. I think that in general, these arguments are universally seen as undergirding and justifying the immense power of technology in modern societies, and in fact, even defining what â€Å"modern† actually is. While technology is taken for granted, the beginnings of a serious discussion can only begin when the basic assumptions of a technological life are unpacked. What are the assumptions and promises, and to what extent has the high-tech society succeeded in meeting these expectations? It might be unreflectively held that people who lived 1,000 years ago were uniformly miserable and ignorant, yet serious research into that field has succeeded in smashing that silly myth, but it still remains the domain of eccentric specialists. Yet such a view undergirds much discussion on the question of technology and its role in society. Technology and its thought-apparatus have succeeded even in rewriting history to suit itself: people were miserable and ignorant up until the 19th century. It is difficult to see how the high-tech society can justify itself in any other way. But the nature of any â€Å"discussion† must have teeth. In other words, it must be attached to the ability of communities and families to break away from the grid and being living different, wholesome lives. Sterile academic â€Å"discussions† do nothing but justify faculty salaries. Such talk must have a revolutionary purpose, to shift the movement of progress as Bookchin sees it: from technological gigantism to miniaturism, starting with the means by which the machines are powered. Given the above arguments, Kirkpatrick Sale has written substantially on the rebellion, both historical and modern, of the land versus the machine, the ultimate bi-modality in this discussion. His argument nicely dovetails with Mander in many respects. The first question is the difference between technology and a system of production. Mander holds that there is no difference, that machinery depends on a huge, centralized system of life and thought, the â€Å"bureaucratic man.† On the other hand, Sale holds that the real revolution was in the development of the steam engine. For him, this was the first time that an invention came into existence completely independent of nature, rather than actually using it. Just as importantly, this invention also made the quantum jump from the world of local machines to an entire system of production and life. Steam created the modern factory and its discipline that derive from it (Sale, 1996). In other words, the development of steam took the organic community and plugged it into a world of production dominated by a handful of elites. But this should be noted: that it has been the issue of how machines are powered that led to the creation of the first â€Å"grid.† Again, the issue comes back to that of energy. With this, the more optimistic view of Bookchin makes more sense, since it is really not machinery per se, but the means by which they are powered that is non-liberatory in its tendency. Bookchin seems to say that the reduction of power to solar and wind sources (among other natural sources) is both inevitable (as oil runs out and coal is too dirty) and morally demanded if decentralization and true local democracy are to become a reality. In his â€Å"Five Facets of a Myth† Sale asks the simple question: has the 400 years since the Industrial revolution produces more or less happiness for humanity (as a whole)? Has it produced more equality, more justice, less work, less stress, more mental stability, for humanity as a whole? What were the promises of the technological revolution? These arguments, from Bacon to Compte have been nothing less than plenty, peace, less work and stress, a veritable utopia of production where drudgery would disappear. Diseases would be cured, wars ended and mental illness a thing of the past. But has industrialism and technology carried through on these promises? And what has been the cost of the convenience that industry has created? It seems that Mander, Bookchin and Sale would all agree that the promises of industrialism and the technological revolution have not been fulfilled. As one sort of knowledge is brought forward, some others are left behind. All that does not conform to the English model of industrialization (or industrialization in general), is dismissively called â€Å"backward† and â€Å"primitive,† as terms of abuse. II. Society, Churches and the Technological Revolution As a matter of course, society seems to be a passive victim of the propaganda of the industrialists. Technology has invaded every corner of human life, altering landscapes of entire continents. All of this has been done long before any kind of debate has been engaged. This is the central problem. On the whole, churches have accepted the technological revolution with little protest. There are small exceptions: the Russian Old Believers, the Amish, some traditional Roman Catholic and Orthodox writers have detailed the problems, both moral and social, of technology and its dominance over life. One promising area of research has been developed by the green anarchists, who have taken at least some of their material from the erstwhile Murray Bookchin, who advocated a humanized technology detached from centralized structures. Solar power is the perennial example, since it is relatively easy to install and is off a grid, in other words, it need not be connected into any larger structures of power. Bookchin, in his 1970 Post Scarcity Anarchism, contains a powerful essay called â€Å"Toward a Liberatory Technology.† The early date of this publication makes it of great interest in modern writings against the technological revolution. Bookchin is far more optimistic than Mander, and holds that the movement in this revolution is toward the small scale: computers and machinery in general are getting physically smaller and using less and less energy. This movement is a good thing and can assist in the building of a new, decentralized society (Bookchin, 1970, 59). A liberated society, I believe, will not want to negate technology precisely because it has liberated and can strike a balance. It may well want to assimilate the machine to artistic craftsmanship. By this I mean that the machine will remove the toil from the productive process, leaving its artistic completion to man. The machine, in effect, will participate in human creativity. . . In a liberated community the combination of industrial machines and craftsmans tools could reach a degree of sophistication and of creative interdependence unparalleled in any period of human history (Bookchin, 1970, 80). The distinction between Mander and Bookchin in clear: For the former, technology is inherently biased, at least in its present manifestation. Mander, like Bookchin, holds that solar and wind power is the wave of the future, and, in general, can mean that life â€Å"off the grid† is quite possible, enhancing independence and local control over events. The central issue here is democracy and local control: off-grid means local control, and cultural and economic lives are not necessarily dictated by distant banks, the Federal Reserve or the global economy, none of which the average community has any control over. But in Bookchin’s case, the industrial revolution already contains the seeds of its decentralization and hence, sees in the industrial revolution seeds of a new, liberated society. In general, by the term â€Å"liberated† Bookchin means independent of centralized sources of control. One interesting source of Christian radicalism has been the monastery. Here, especially in its Orthodox foundations, the technological revolution has been held at bay. For example, the Platina, California monastery of St. Herman is completely off grid. They have no running water or electricity, and grow most of their own food (Damascene, 2002). Their grounds are beautiful and spacious, and since they are vegetarians, hunting is prohibited (as is the case for all Orthodox monasteries). Their diet is very simple yet extremely healthy, and the community is growing. They run a major publishing house on generator power run by solar panels. The Platina experience has become central for giving an example of how to live a happy, healthy life without dependence on the system of interlocking systems of control which is meant by the term â€Å"grid.† Another example might be the St. Mary’s community in St. Mary’s Kansas. This is a Roman Catholic community that only partially controls the small town of St. Mary’s. They seek to live their lives simply and peacefully in prayer and honest labor. It is not a monastery and families thrive there, but they have already received several visits from the FBI, paranoid that a â€Å"cult† was at work there. If anything, such communities have an uphill climb from the state as well as the media, whose coverage of the community has been uniformly hostile and uncomprehending. (cf. http://www.smac.edu, St. Mary’s Academy page, with some information on the community as a whole). One can surmise with a great deal of justification that the average American family has embraced technology as â€Å"inevitable,† without fully understanding the complex consequences of such technologies. Slowly but surely however, the rather marginalized monastics, anarchists and greens have made somewhat of an impact. But if Bookchin is correct, the smaller scale of newer technologies will make a freer life possible with rather small changes in social consciousness. What seems to be at the center is the nature of power. If power can be locally created through bio-mass or solar energy, then technology can become liberatory. The grid seems to be based on power, i.e. energy, more than anything else though it cannot be limited to that. Every community would approximate local or regional autarky. It would seek to achieve wholeness, because wholeness produces complete, rounded men who live in a symbiotic relationship with their environment. Even if a substantial portion of the economy fell within the sphere of a national division of labor, the overall economic weight of a society would still rest with the community (Bookchin, 1970, 83). The central good here is independence. But it is difficult to square the American interest in â€Å"environmental politics† with anything other than a fashionable political cause. It is hard to see how such a superficial commitment can be brought to bear on the rather humane anarchism and communitarianism of Bookchin. It seems that for the moment, the experiments such as Platina will remain marginalized and unappealing to the masses. The debate might continue, but, for better or worse, that does not stop the â€Å"inevitable wheel of progress† from spinning. A recent study from Cornell University suggests that most of Americans are strongly beginning to question the issue of genetically engineered foods. This technology was gradually introduced into food production largely unbeknownst to the American public. Hence, since about two-thirds of American food is so processed, the â€Å"debate† is largely a moot one. Nevertheless, Cornell claims that there has been a â€Å"slight but significant shift over time towards a little less support [for genetically engineered foods] and more risk perception† (Bio-Medicine, 2005). What are the conclusions we can reach here? The first might be that the more practical questions of the ethic of technology must be brought under a more general heading: this heading has been dealt with above and is the relationship of technology to liberty and democracy. All other goods flow from this. If one can show that technology has led to a stressed, mentally unbalanced and mechanized society, then one must be able to reform the system and bring to bear new insights. If machinery is harmful to democracy and local control, then it needs to be eliminated, or at least, highly modified in the way that Bookchin proposes. Hiding behind arguments about the   â€Å"inevitable† nature of â€Å"technical progress† will not do, but these only beg the question. Second, the question of technology and ethics is central to modern societies, and needs to be taken out of the classroom and into the Congress and the public square. These issues are not about the â€Å"environment† per se, but the environment is just an appendage of the more important questions concerning the nature of centralized economic control (whether from the state or corporate America, or an alliance of both) and its intimate relation to the history of technological progress. This is the bedrock issue of technology and its relation to ethics, that is, to freedom and autonomy. Freedom and autonomy, therefore, must also be the bedrock of a democratic order. A Model Syllabus: A Brief Introduction This seminar is entitled Technology and Democracy, and will meet five times. It will incorporate film, written work and discussion. All points of view are welcome and encouraged. Nevertheless, it should be made clear that the basic issues are defined as the relationship of technology and the sources of its creation and marketing with democracy, equality and safety. The issues below are meant to illustrate these basic themes from varying fields of study. This syllabus is meant to take the basic insights above, that is, the relationship of democracy to technology (as the center of technological ethics) and bring it to bear on more practical pursuits such as medicine or computer science. Day I The question of technology and children Readings to have prepared beforehand: Parens, Eric (2006) Surgically Shaping Children: Technology, Ethics and the Pursuit of Noramality. Johns Hopkins University Press This work will be the main topic of the first meeting. Discussion and workshops will follow concerning the impact of technology on raising children. Topics will include, sex selection and abortion, genetic engineering and, importantly, the medicating of children, especially boys. Basic issues of sexism (especially anti-male bias) will be discussed Day II Ethics and Health Care Technology Readings to have prepared beforehand Anderson, James (2002) Ethics and Information Technology: A Care Based Approach to a Health Care System in Transition. Springer Books. The discussion will center upon the nature of genetic engineering in the realm of medicine and ethics. But what needs to be stressed is the connection between the corporate or state control of medicine and the nature of ethics and centralized power. A video will also be shown: Sulmasy, Daniel (2004) Dignity, Vulnerability and Care of the Patient. St. Vincent’s Medical Center. 55 min (available at http://www.providence.org/oregon/programs_and_services/ethics/e15clips.htm) Day III Readings to have prepared beforehand Ethics and Weapons Technology Brigetedy, Ruben (2007) Ethics, Technology and the American Way of War. Routledge. This component will concern technology and the development of weapons. There is no separate between the industrial revolution and the development of mass warfare and extremely high-casualty wars. Technology must face this element of itself, its promises to bring humanity peace and plenty are belied by the fact that technology has all of the most deadly weapons known to man. Science, in other words, is not intrinsically liberating, it can also enslave. Day IV Ethics and Information Technology Readings to have prepared beforehand Stamatellos, Giannis (2007) Computer Ethics: A Global Perspective. Jones and Bartlett This part of the seminar will deal with the issues involved in computer technology and privacy. This is a central issue in today’s economy and must be dealt with. Issues such as Pay-Pal and Ebay will be discussed, as well as the potential for fraud and abuse. Day V Ethics and mental Health Readings to have prepared beforehand Dyer, Allen (1988) Ethics and Psychiatry. American Psychiatric Association Publications Mental health and pharmaceuticals are important areas of ethics today. Tens of millions throughout the world are currently on legal, pharmaceuticals for mental illness. Hence, the issue goes right to the heart of this course: the intimacy of technology to the average person. In this case, the technology goes straight to the brain and manipulates the chemistry, altering the personality for better or worse. But at the same time, these medications are marketed for profit, hence creating a moral quandary: is the prescription of these medications medically necessary or even proper? Is the profit motive center stage here, or the science of medicine, and even more, to what extent has this science been controlled by the profit motive itself? Students will end the seminar with a brief presentation concerning one of the these five topics relative to the main topic: the relation of technology to democracy and liberty. Bibliography: â€Å"American Opinions are Split on Genetically Engineered Food.† Bio Medicine News. 2005. (Bio-medicine.org) Bookchin, Murray (1970) Post Scarcity Anarchism. AK Press. Damascene, Fr. (2003). Fr. Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works. St. Herman’s Press (Fr. Seraphim founded the settlement at Platina, CA) Mander, Jerry (2006). â€Å"Technologies of Globalization.† in Mander, ed. The Case Against the Global Economy. Sierra Club Books. 344-359 Sale, Kirkpatrick (1996) Rebels Against the Future. Basic Books (nd) â€Å"Five Facets of a Myth.† Primitivism Online Journal. (Primitivism.org) How to cite Technology and Ethics, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

How to select good koi Essay Example For Students

How to select good koi Essay Have you ever wonder the differences between each koi, why are the colors of my koi fading away, and which koi should I purchase? All the koi are not the same and maintains different aspects. Start making the right decisions and use the money on the right koi. A good koi can be selected if it satisfies the conditions in the following passages about basic koi information, examining qualities of koi, and the final check. Acquiring the basic koi information and backgrounds are the key elements to select a good koi. A person should start by knowing some backgrounds of the dealer. Different dealers have different koi sources. For example, a dealer that buys koi from koi breeders in Japan most likely will have koi that are more expensive and higher quality than the a dealer that buys koi from a domestic breeder. One should first know what type of koi to buy, because different koi breeders have different specialty in breeding koi. Let’s use the name Hiroshima and Tokyo for now. Hiros hima breeds better quality showas(black, white, red koi), and Tokyo breeds better quality koi in kohaku(red, white). This is because different breeders uses different parent koi to breed, great quality parent koi will mostly likely to produce more great quality koi than those poorer quality parent koi. The skills and experiences of the breeders will breed different quality of koi also. Once the person has acquired the basic koi information, he must carefully examine the koi. Examining the koi is the most crucial and the hardest part, and it takes some experience and knowledge. To help examine the koi, one should apply the koi’s background information while examining. For example, if the koi’s parent are jumbos (more than 80cm), then the koi might have a chance to become a jumbo also. The age and sex of the koi are also important, male koi often cost less than the females because female koi can reproduce. The age of the koi helps determine the future of the koi. In most cases, if a young koi (1 yr) has its color fully developed already, then it is not going to be better and better and instead the color will probably start to fade away in the future. Most people would not buy an older koi (4yrs+), because the price is high and it is mostly develop already, unless the person is a breeder or a person that wants to enter a koi show. A good color quality koi should have the following (regardless of age): very thin layer of color, a high concentration of colors, and some kind of glossy like layer over the colors, these features shows that the koi has a strong color characteristic which means the color would not fade away. The pattern of the koi is the fun part, since all the koi have different patterns, one should choose the koi with the pattern he/she likes, but one should look for a more balanced color pattern. The quality of the koi, however, should not be considered first; a koi’s health condition should be the first priority when giving the koi a final check. For example, a person bought a very top quality koi, but two days later he/she found out that the koi were infected by parasites. There are ways to help to check the koi’s health condition. Ulcers and other unnatural scratches or spots should be obvious that the koi is in bad shape, but of course the dealer will not show the koi. So, if a koi is swimming downward, slowly, lonely (koi usually swim together), bulge eyes, and not moving much, then there is probably something wrong with the koi. At last, the person should give the koi a final judgment whether the koi is worth to buy at the right price and gain more experiences. .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc , .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .postImageUrl , .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc , .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:hover , .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:visited , .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:active { border:0!important; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:active , .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud8c08d7db8c0d009b0b37ff5fced9fdc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Beauty Standarts Essay Not all koi are good koi, but everyone can select a good koi. By having good patients and experiences is the key, and being ambivalent is actually a positive thing to select a koi. Follow the guide above, and with some money one could become a successful koi expert at selecting koi. Bibliography: