Slow Drivers Essay Example

Slow Drivers Essay Example Slow Drivers Essay Slow Drivers Essay Have you ever been trapped behind a slow driver when you’re already late for something really important? Nine times out of ten the driver was an elderly person, who has no business being on the road. How many times have you asked yourself, â€Å"What is this person doing? † And how many times have you passed this person, and come to find out it’s a grandma or grandpa? If there is a person who can barely see over the steering wheel, has 3-inch thick glasses, and has poor motor skills, they should not be operating a vehicle. These are the older generation, so to speak, of people that should not be driving. I’m not sure when a human being should have their driving privileges suspended, but I’m guessing around age 75 to 90 years old, depending on the case. Not all elderly drivers are a danger to our community, but there are more so than not. There are these aged drivers who are driving so slow and erratic, it’s causing frequent car accidents, not to mention impatient attitudes. It’s one thing to be driving 45 miles an hour on the freeway, but another to drive in two lanes at the same time. Pick a lane and stay there! It is a known fact that mature adults start to lose their motor skills and have slower reaction times than younger drivers. These fogeys are not all to blame. It’s the people who are testing them in their driver’s license exams. The driving instructors probably feel sorry for them and are perhaps maybe â€Å"respecting their elders†. Doesn’t anybody tell these old folks that they are driving like molasses and irritating people? I’m sure their children do, and others drivers do, using the one finger salute, but I’m sure they pay no attention to those â€Å"darn kids! †

Content Marketing Tips Should Never Be Trusted

Content Marketing Tips Should Never Be Trusted You shouldnt trust everything that you read on this blog. In fact, you probably shouldnt trust anything you read on any blog.  Doing so may actually be bad for your marketing. Why? Most Content Marketing Tips Are 100% Totally Made Up Content marketing tips are usually made up, and why wouldnt they be? Everything is made up these days – even scientific research. In a recent study, economists found that nearly all studies published in economics journals are likely to be wrong. After studying  49 papers in leading journals that had been cited by more than 1,000 other scientists, researcher  John Ioannidis found that  within only a few years, almost a third of the papers had been refuted by other studies. Yikes! Things arent much better in the medical field. Author  David Freedman published in his book Wrong  that about two-thirds of the findings published in the top medical journals are refuted within a few years. Even worse, as much as 90% of physicians medical knowledge has been found to be substantially or completely wrong according to  Time Magazines  article on the books findings. As much as 90% of physicians medical knowledge has been found to be substantially or completelyAre you finding this a bit creepy? You should be, and it should give you all the less reason to trust your friendly neighborhood content marketing professional  carte blanche. Most of what they say is full of crap someone has to say it. All Content Marketers Are Liars Heres the thing – too much marketing these days is based on what some other guy told me to do, and not enough on what our data told us to do, and thats a real problem. This post is about putting the other guys ideas on trial, and making sure that their tips actually work – for you. It may sound obvious, but it begs a reminder – never trust marketing advice that you havent tested.

Cubism and 3D Sculptures Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cubism and 3D Sculptures - Personal Statement Example The beginning is 20th century saw the emergence of cubism, a painting style that balances the geometry and reality of objects as seen in various dimensions. Cubism led to the abandonment of single viewpoint of objects for a more geometric and realistic 3D view of objects drawn on a 2D plane, where artists pursued beauty and attraction. Artists like Frank Lloyd, Giger, Robin, and Boccioni among many other creative brains curved sculptures to pass a statement of the value of cubism on the world of arts (Jaskiewicz, pars. 2-3). Drawing from the influences of these artists’ works on the modern day 3D environment, I have to admit that their sculptures have played critical roles in the production of 3D objects in videos and computer graphics. Its common knowledge that, in the present day, there are machines and computer programs that can create various 3D videos, largely by replicating actual physical objects carved out of wood, soapstones, clay, metal, and plastics. In my attempt to understand the link between cubism and 3D, I inverted pyramid of several boxes laid above each other. However, I realized that there was no balance in the dynamism of the boxes. Hence, I turned them over and drew the box down into two 4-point stars, each on top of the other. From this, I could visualize a wrought iron glass structure erected on a tall platform. From this dimension, cubism-inspired my imagination of a 3D sculpture.

Book Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Report - Essay Example Of course, all history books such as Bickerstaff’s Lines in the Sand are subjective, one way or the other. Even Bickerstaff openly admits that his book is not objective. He notes that by way of selecting which stories are to be included or excluded in his narrative substantially implies that his book is â€Å"to some extent subjective† (Bickerstaff ix). The inclusion and exclusion or the presence and absence of certain storyline make the storytelling quite personal; personal in the sense that it leads the writer to choose among the many scenes or events that appear connected or relevant to his objective or main outline. Despite the subjectivity of his book, Bickerstaff argues that he writes it, to some degree, in an â€Å"accurate and dispassionate† manner. Moreover, Bickerstaff states that he has attempted to write the book without taking a partisan side to the two contending parties, saying that he has no intention to â€Å"demonize or lionize anyone† (i x). Congressman Tom DeLay is the central character of Bickerstaff’s book. In Bickerstaff’s narration, it appears that Mr. DeLay has played an important role in the realization of Texas redistricting. The organization called Texans for a Republican Majority or TRMPAC was organized mainly by Mr. DeLay; and TRMPAC has become a major force in financially supporting would-be Republican representatives in the Texas House. Mr. DeLay’s TRMPAC primarily aims to achieve a political majority in the legislative body of the State of Texas. In Mr. DeLay’s mind-set, TRMPAC will be successful in its objective if it also supports and pursues a plan in redistricting Texas. In doing so, the political majority by the Republican Party will not be far from possible in attaining such ambition or vision. Back in 2001, however, Mr. DeLay favored a kind of redistricting that is drawn on the â€Å"basis of neutral factors, consisted of compact districts, and preserved communities of interest† (Bickerstaff 287, emphasis mine). Such kind of redistricting is far from partisan in character; the neutrality of this redistricting design makes it possible for the American people, especially the voters, to choose whomever they like. In general, the outcome of the election depends largely on the voting public rather than the political party itself. Bickerstaff argues that Cong. DeLay chose for this redistricting project because of the situation that was more favorable to the Democrats: the Democratic Party was the political majority while the Republican Party was the political minority. There are three fundamental reasons for pursuing redistricting in the Texas House, at least in the eyes of Cong. DeLay. First, since Mr. George W. Bush, who belonged to the Republican Party, overwhelmingly won in the Presidential race in the State of Texas, it is rational that its representatives in Congress â€Å"should do the same† (qtd. in Bickerstaff 85). However, the representatives from the Democratic Party, who dominated the congressional delegation at that time, failed to buy that fallacious argument. Second, redistricting in the State of Texas is an act of â€Å"political fairness† (qtd. in Bickerstaff 85). Mr. DeLay argues that the reason why Republican representatives garnered only a smaller number of seats in the Texas House, despite its greater percentage of vote from Texans, is because of the â€Å"way the lines are drawn† (Bickerstaff 86). What Mr. DeLay refers to â€Å"lines [that] are drawn† is the1991 district lines prominent in Texas. And third, the

Preparatory Project Essay Example for Free

Preparatory Project Essay Traffic congestion in cities is a problem throughout the world. Evaluate the effectiveness of one official initiative undertaken to tackle this issue Traffic congestion is a condition on the road when traffic jams are bad and no movement is possible. The main causes of the traffic congestion are: traffic incidents, road works, weather events and constant traffic flow. It negatively impacts on the environment by causing a growth in the level of air pollution. Time wasted in traffic is the reason for delays which negatively affect stability and discipline in education, work and economy. For example, late delivers of goods to market consequently affects sales and produces losses in revenues. Eventually, because of the budget deficit business goes bankrupt. According to Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report only in the USA daily travelers lose 1 day plus 10 hours per year as a result of congestion on roads and in 2 decades average amount of congestion has increased by 380 %( Forbes 2011). Although this problem is worsening every year there are some examples when official policies struggled against this dilemma. Different municipal governments use various methods to deal with traffic congestion. For example, in the Netherlands and Mexico City local authorities applied cycling promotion. Another method to reduce congestion is road charging in special restricted areas which was implemented in Singapore, Stockholm and London. The London Congestion Charge (LCC) is one of the well-known models of road pricing, so further content of this essay will focus on it. This essay will evaluate effectiveness of the LCC program which was undertaken by municipal government of London to tackle traffic congestion using identified criteria: the improvement of public transport services, results in reducing traffic level, gained revenues and the way they were used. Firstly I will describe working principles of the LCC. Following paragraph discusses predicted and actual results of drop in traffic congestion. Then I will show how the LCC affected public transportation system. Finally, the use of gained revenues to improve public transport will be evaluated. The LCC was officially introduced on 17th February 2003 by Transport for London (TfL) under direction of Mayor Ken Livingstone (Li et al. 2012, 366). Before the official launch of this scheme studies like Road Charging Options for London in 2000 (ROCOL) were provided to get an important information on traffic levels, and it said that by implementing 5  £ charge zone and using revenues to improve transport system congestion could be reduced.(Livingstone 2004, 491-93). These are general concepts of the scheme: pay fee is 10  £; it operates from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm in working days and mostly covers area known as â€Å"Central London†. Buses, motorcycles, licensed taxis, alternative fuel, invalid-designed and emergency vehicles are not oblig ated to pay charge (Litman 2011). The zone is monitored with cameras, and symbols with signs are displayed on it to notify commuters. There are miscellaneous methods to pay it such as: internet, telephone, text messaging and through TfL. Overall, mainly due to technologies system worked properly and almost no complaints were made by commuters. However, it has drawbacks because the fee doesn’t depend on travelled distance and during congested periods the amount of fee remains same. First of all, the main priority of the congestion charge was to reduce traffic level. ROCOL predicted that after implementation there will be average decrease by 10-15 % in travelled miles. Reduction in miles thought to raise average speed from 9.9 to 11.2 mph, and drop in private car trips expected to be by 20 %.(ROCOL 2000 quoted in Leape 2006, 164 ). Overall, results were positive and met expectations. The decline of travelled distance in charged zone was about 15 % (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 1). There was a growth by 37% in average traffic speed (Litman 2011). The reduction of potentially chargeable vehicles in charged area was 27% (Leape 2006, 165). From the information below it is clear that there is a significant drop in traffic level. On the other hand, mostly all information on traffic levels comes from TFL reports, but it is the governmental organization so we cannot consider TFL as absolutely neutral institution. In addition the LCC affected congestion just inside the charged zone but not in whole London. Secondly, the priority of the congestion charge was â€Å"to make radical improvements in bus services† (Livingstone 2004, 495) and increase the number of bus users. The raise in the number of bus passengers was 18% in 2003 and 12% in 2004 and it remained same next years (Santos 2008, 192). The TFL affiliate excess waiting time with weakness of service, and it fell by 30% and 18% in first 2 years (Santos 2008, 192). The LCC caused a growth by 7% in bus speed (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 6). Moreover, extension of bus lane system and new purchased buses from revenues also improved service. It can be concluded that the development of service and reallocation of road space to busses effectively switched people to use public transport more. Thirdly, municipal government of London planned to use gained revenues to improve public transport system. The TFL predicted to gain revenues between 130-150 million  £ (Leape 2006, 169).In fact, results showed that expectations were too exaggerated: net revenues brought less than 50% of predicted sum. The key factor for failure to get more profit was that congestion charge provoked unexpected reduction in number of potentially charged vehicles. However, as it was planned, maintained money from the charge was spent on enhancement of bus networks within road safety, and to popularize walking and cycling (Leape 2006, 170). Furthermore, revenues were invested to buy new 250 busses to develop bus network system (Prudhomme Bocarejo 2005, 7). It is obvious that incomes were used to develop transport system as it was projected. Additionally it was politically important to use money in that way to maintain support for the LCC from citizens. To sum up, in spite of political debates on implementation of the LCC, the action taken by local authorities of London generally accepted as a political and technical success. There is a significant reduction of traffic congestion in charged zone. On the other side, a decrease of traffic in this area couldn’t impact completely on congestion in all London. Revenues gained from charge were spent on enhancement of public transport which caused a popularization of the scheme. The idea of road pricing in London was politically implemented and positively accepted by public, even it is not a popular method to tackle congestion. However, there is a still big question in its efficiency to dramatically change situation on all city roads, so policymakers must think how to enhance system to reduce congestion drastically in the city. Reference list: Forbes.2011. â€Å"Escape the Cost and Lost Time of Traffic Congestion†. Accessed October 30, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tombarlow/2011/10/22/escape-the-cost-and-lost-time-of-traffic-congestion/ Leape, Jonathan. 2006. â€Å"The London Congestion Charge†. Journal of Economic Perspectives 20 (4):157-76. Litman, Todd. 2011. â€Å"London Congestion Charging†. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. http://www.vtpi.org/london.pdf Li, Haojie, Daniel J. Graham, and Arnab Majumdar. 2012. The effects of congestion charging on road traffic casualties: A causal analysis using difference-in-difference estimation. Accident Analysis Prevention 49: 366-377. Livingstone, Ken.2004. â€Å"The Challenge of Driving Through Change: Introducing Congestion Charging in Central London.† Planning Theory Practice 5(4):490-98. Accessed October 25, 2012. doi: 10.1080/1464935042000293224 Prud’homme, Rà ©my, and Juan Pablo Bocarejo. 2004. The London Congestion Charge: A Te ntative Economic Appraisal. Transport Policy 20:1-9. Santos, Georgina. 2008. â€Å" London Congestion Charging†. Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs (9):177-207.

Wilderness Empire :: essays research papers

In Wilderness Empire, Allen W. Eckert has given a sweeping and thorough look into the lives of key decision makers and the pivotal events leading up to and including the French and Indian War. Through Eckert’s educated insight, the reader is able to enjoy a look into a distant way of life made edifying through his portrayal of historical figures. Following the lives of William Johnson and his friend Tiyanoga, a powerful leader of The Six Nations, the reader is able to better understand a way of life that has long since been eradicated. Eckert provides portraits of the Ottawa warrior Pontiac and various French and English political leaders of this period. The reader recognizes and enjoys the appearance of a young George Washington and Ben Franklin. Eckert records the early life of the characters William Johnson and Pontiac. Through this glimpse of such different and simple beginnings, the reader has a better understanding of the scale of change that took place during this time in history. Johnson, born a poor Irish Catholic, is given the opportunity to come to the colonies where he became a wealthy land owner and a successful businessman. Johnson, who was known among the Indian tribes as a man of clear sight and honesty, developed a deep relationship with Tiyanoga, a principal chief among the Mohawks. Through this bond with Tiyanoga, Johnson gained knowledge of native culture that gave him strong political influence with the Indian League of Nations, also called the Iroquois League or The Six Nations. As Pontiac grew to manhood in a culture that is foreign to most modern readers, he became a formidable leader among his people as the Ottawa war chief. Wilderness Empire chronicles the relationship of the Iroquois League with the French and the English. As the tensions between the European powers grew, the Indians were courted by emissaries from both countries. The reader is provided with an astute portrayal of the corrupt political systems that were used to both influence and prejudice the Native Americans, even to the extent of conversion of the Indian tribes by the French to a bastardized version of the Catholic faith. With this perspective, readers are offered an understanding of the strength of the Native American people as a warring force in this conflict. The English and the French both knew that they would be defeated if their political opponents could win the support of the tribes. Wilderness Empire :: essays research papers In Wilderness Empire, Allen W. Eckert has given a sweeping and thorough look into the lives of key decision makers and the pivotal events leading up to and including the French and Indian War. Through Eckert’s educated insight, the reader is able to enjoy a look into a distant way of life made edifying through his portrayal of historical figures. Following the lives of William Johnson and his friend Tiyanoga, a powerful leader of The Six Nations, the reader is able to better understand a way of life that has long since been eradicated. Eckert provides portraits of the Ottawa warrior Pontiac and various French and English political leaders of this period. The reader recognizes and enjoys the appearance of a young George Washington and Ben Franklin. Eckert records the early life of the characters William Johnson and Pontiac. Through this glimpse of such different and simple beginnings, the reader has a better understanding of the scale of change that took place during this time in history. Johnson, born a poor Irish Catholic, is given the opportunity to come to the colonies where he became a wealthy land owner and a successful businessman. Johnson, who was known among the Indian tribes as a man of clear sight and honesty, developed a deep relationship with Tiyanoga, a principal chief among the Mohawks. Through this bond with Tiyanoga, Johnson gained knowledge of native culture that gave him strong political influence with the Indian League of Nations, also called the Iroquois League or The Six Nations. As Pontiac grew to manhood in a culture that is foreign to most modern readers, he became a formidable leader among his people as the Ottawa war chief. Wilderness Empire chronicles the relationship of the Iroquois League with the French and the English. As the tensions between the European powers grew, the Indians were courted by emissaries from both countries. The reader is provided with an astute portrayal of the corrupt political systems that were used to both influence and prejudice the Native Americans, even to the extent of conversion of the Indian tribes by the French to a bastardized version of the Catholic faith. With this perspective, readers are offered an understanding of the strength of the Native American people as a warring force in this conflict. The English and the French both knew that they would be defeated if their political opponents could win the support of the tribes.

June Yip proposes post colonialism to evaluate Taiwanese films Essay

June Yip analyzes Taiwan in the book Envisioning Taiwan as a new breed of country in the postcolonial era which has least interest in the idea of nation-state, maintaining it’s very local faces as well as open to international influences with much surprise. Yip takes a look at Taiwan’s post-national territory status through its fiction and cinema movement concentrating her attention to filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien. (Winterton) Taiwan has a long history of colonialism and suppression, but the multinational capitalism, mass migration, the arrival of new electronic media; all these encouraged a postmodern culture and have questioned the traditional limit as well as made the notion of nation irrelevant. June Yip emphasizes the hybrid nature of identity as fallout of postmodernism, is vastly reflected in the present form of Taiwanese films. The earlier versions were more conventional and guarded the theme of nationhood. She points in her book Hou’s films present a picture â€Å"the island as an increasingly complex and hybrid social space, an ever-changing formation†. (Yip, 230) Yip focuses that Taiwanese New Cinema, emerged in the 1980’s and its patrons are fascinated with displaying the socio-historical qualities of modern Taiwan’s experience and also to form a sense of Taiwanese cultural identity with centralizing on the search for nationhood in their works. They represent the tough transition period of Taiwan’s history through which the island came to the global order and try to depict the same in their films with â€Å"a quest for an understanding of a modern Taiwanese experience† and rising questions from present and future. (Yip, 10) Yip also presents the grim picture of Taiwan’s history where under various regimes; either Japanese or Chinese, the linguistic medium of films was strictly regulated by the ruling authorities. Most of these languages were foreign to the locals while the local medium was eclipsed. So, in modern Taiwanese cinema, a global touch could be felt where characters easily switch from Taiwanese to Mandarin to Japanese to English, showcasing a multicultural effect. (Yip, 6) Yip clarifies that Taiwan’s cultural awareness took time to surface itself on cinema due to its colonial Hanover. As there is a strong link between cinema and the idea of nationhood but in the later half of the 20th century the cinema carried a huge responsibility of nation building as being a visual medium. Government was always involved in making of Taiwanese films but in 1990’s it felt the need to loose the belts as to get back commercial as well as critical acclaim. Most of the film personalities have grown the age of rigidity, so when they started working they tries their best to free themselves from the knuckles and criticized the government under its banner itself as well as displayed the new experiences with global changes. The films Three Times and Puppetmaster have shown the changes of post colonialism. Three Times is a film consisting of three episodes based in three periods of Taiwanese history showcasing the problems of the turbulent times in the history, urge for freedom and also the confusion prevailing in a contemporary city. The Puppet master recollects the life of a puppeteer spanning during the period of Japanese occupation of the island and portraying the sorry state of the Taiwanese people and their hardships and also depicts the loss of tradition under suppression and western influence. Both the films in their respective themes lament sufferings of the history and urge to come out of the rigid circumstances supporting Yip’s thesis. (Schumann) While The Wedding Banquet is a drama with humorous touch where personal relationships, based on generation and cultural conflicts within individuals of slender theme rather matching the concept of analysis of Yip of Taiwanese cinema.

Critical Note: Ode to a Nightingale Essay

The speaker responds to the beauty of the nightingale’s song with a both â€Å"happiness† and â€Å"ache. † Though he seeks to fully identify with the bird — to â€Å"fade away into the forest dim† — he knows that his own human consciousness separates him from nature and precludes the kind of deathless happiness the nightingale enjoys. First the intoxication of wine and later the â€Å"viewless wings of Poesy† seem reliable ways of escaping the confines of the â€Å"dull brain,† but finally it is death itself that seems the only possible means of overcoming the fear of time. The nightingale is â€Å"immortal† because it â€Å"wast not born for death† and cannot conceive of its own passing. Yet without consciousness, humans cannot experience beauty, and the speaker knows that if he were dead his perception of the nightingale’s call would not exist at all. This paradox shatters his vision, the nightingale flies off, and the speaker is left to wonder whether his experience has been a truthful â€Å"vision† or a false â€Å"dream. † Referred to by critics of the time as â€Å"the longest and most personal of the odes,† the poem describes Keats’ journey into the state of Negative Capability. John Keats coined the phrase ‘Negative Capability’ in a letter to his brothers and defined his new concept of writing: â€Å"that is when man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason† Keats’ poems are full of contradictions in meaning (‘a drowsy numbness pains’) and emotion (‘both together, sane and mad’) and he accepts a double nature as a creative insight. In ‘Nightingale’ it is the apparent (or real) contradictions that allow Keats to create the sensual feeling of numbness that allows the reader to experience the half-swooning emotion Keats is trying to capture. Keats would have us experience the emotion of the language and pass over the half-truths in silence, to live a life ‘of sensations rather than of Thoughts! ‘. Thus, ‘Ode to the Nightingale’ is more feeling than a thinking poem. Keats often deals in the sensations created by words rather than meaning. Even if the precise definition of words causes contradiction they can still be used together to create the right ambience. Negative Capability asks us to allow the atmosphere of Keats’ poems to surround us without picking out individual meanings and inconsistencies. That I might drink, and leave the world unseen† Hearing the song of the nightingale, the speaker longs to flee the human world and join the bird. His first thought is to reach the bird’s state through alcohol–in the second stanza, he longs for a â€Å"draught of vintage† to transport him out of himself. But after his meditation in the third stanza on the transience of life, he rejects the idea of being â€Å"charioted by Bacchus and his pards† and chooses instead to embrace â€Å"the viewless wings of Poesy. The rapture of poetic inspiration matches the endless creative rapture of the nightingale’s music and lets the speaker, in stanzas five through seven, imagine himself with the bird in the darkened forest. The ecstatic music even encourages the speaker to embrace the idea of dying, of painlessly succumbing to death while enraptured by the nightingale’s music and never experiencing any further pain or disappointment. â€Å"Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known† The poet explores the themes of nature and mortality. Here, the transience of life and the tragedy of old age is set against the eternal renewal of the nightingale’s fluid music. Man has many sorrows to escape from in the world, and these Keats recounts feelingly in the third stanza of his poem, a number of the references apparently being drawn from firsthand experience. The mention of the youth who â€Å"grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies,† for example, might well be an allusion to Tom Keats, the younger brother whom the poet nursed through his long, last struggle with consumption. But the bitterest of all man’s sorrows, as it emerges from the catalogue of woes in the third stanza, is the terrible disease of time, the fact that ‘Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes’. It is the disease of time which the song of the nightingale particularly transcends, and the poet, yearning for the immortality of art, seeks another way to become one with the bird. Even death is terribly final; the artists die but what remains is the eternal music; the very song heard today was heard thousands of years ago. The poet exclaims: â€Å"Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! † The reverie into which the poet falls carries him deep into where the bird is singing. But the meditative trance cannot last. With the very first word of the eighth stanza, the reverie is broken. The word â€Å"forlorn† occurs to the poet as the adjective describing the remote and magical world suggested by the nightingale’s song. But the poet suddenly realises that this word applies with greater precision to himself. The effect is that of an abrupt stumbling. With the new and chilling meaning of â€Å"forlorn†, the song of the nightingale itself alters: it becomes a â€Å"plaintive anthem†. The song becomes fainter. What had before the power to make the sorrow in man fade away from a harsh and bitter world, now itself â€Å"fades† and the poet is left alone in the silence. As the nightingale flies away, the intensity of the speaker’s experience has left him shaken, unable to remember whether he is awake or asleep; thus â€Å"Adieu! he fancy cannot cheat so well†. The â€Å"art† of the nightingale is endlessly changeable and renewable; it is music without record, existing only in a perpetual present. As befits his celebration of music, the speaker’s language, sensually rich though it is, serves to suppress the sense of sight in favor of the other senses. In â€Å"Nightingale,† he has achieved creative expression and has placed his faith in it , but that expression–the nightingale’s song–is spontaneous and without physical manifestation. This is an odd poem because it both conforms to and contradicts some of the ideas he expresses elsewhere, notably the famous concept of â€Å"Negative Capability,†. This can be taken several ways, but is often linked with the statement he made: â€Å"If a sparrow come before my Window I take part in its existence and pick about the Gravel. † While Keats’s begins his poem with â€Å"a drowsy numbness pains† the poem that follows is anything but numb. But the opening ties in with the words that end the poem: â€Å"Fled is that music — Do I wake or sleep? Life is or may be a dream — a very Shakespearean image — but, dreaming or awake, perception and empathetic participation are rooted in Keats’s own consciousness. It is only in dreaming, Keats says, that we can become conscious of, and merged with, the life around us. Thus, Keats heads towards Negative Capability in the poem. Keats is not as great as Shakespeare but he has the sam e power of self-absorption, that wonderful sympathy and identification with all things, that â€Å"Negative Capability† which he saw as essential to the creation of great poetry and which Shakespeare possessed so abundantly.

Introduction to Chinas May Fourth Movement

Introduction to China's May Fourth Movement The demonstrations of the May Fourth Movement (ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ© â€¹Ã¥â€¹â€¢, WÇ”sà ¬ Yà ¹ndà ²ng) marked a turning point in China’s intellectual development which can still be felt today. While the May Fourth Incident occurred on May 4, 1919, the May Fourth Movement began in 1917 when China declared war against Germany. During World War I, China supported the Allies on the condition that control over Shandong Province, the birthplace of Confucius, would be returned to China if the Allies triumphed. In 1914, Japan had seized control of Shandong from Germany and in 1915 Japan had issued 21 Demands (ä ºÅ'Ã¥  Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¥â‚¬â€¹Ã¦ ¢ Ã©  â€¦, Èr shà ­ yÄ «gà ¨ tio xing) to China, backed by the threat of war. The 21 Demands included recognition of Japan’s seizure of German spheres of influence in China and other economic and extraterritorial concessions. To appease Japan, the corrupt Anfu government in Beijing signed a humiliating treaty with Japan by which China acceded to Japan’s demands. Though China was on the winning side of World War I, China’s representatives were told to sign away rights to German-controlled Shandong Province to Japan at the Treaty of Versailles, an unprecedented and embarrassing diplomatic defeat. The dispute over Article 156 of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles became known as the Shandong Problem (Ã¥ ± ±Ã¦  ±Ã¥â€¢ Ã© ¡Å', ShÄ ndÃ… ng Wà ¨ntà ­). The event was embarrassing because it was revealed at Versailles that secret treaties had been previously signed by the great European powers and Japan to entice Japan to enter World War I. Moreover, it was brought to light that China had also agreed to this arrangement. Wellington Kuo (é ¡ §Ã§ ¶ ­Ã©Ë†Å¾), China’s ambassador to Paris, refused to sign the treaty. The transfer of German rights in Shandong to Japan at the Versailles Peace Conference created anger among the Chinese public. The Chinese viewed the transfer as a betrayal by the Western powers and also as a symbol of Japanese aggression and of the weakness of the corrupt warlord government of Yuan Shi-kai (è ¢ Ã¤ ¸â€"å‡ ±). Infuriated by China’s humiliation at Versailles, college students in Beijing held a demonstration on May 4, 1919. What was  the May Fourth Movement? At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, 1919, approximately 3,000 students from 13 Beijing universities assembled at the Gate of Heavenly Peace at Tiananmen Square to protest against the Versailles Peace Conference. The demonstrators distributed fliers declaring that the Chinese would not accept the concession of Chinese territory to Japan. The group marched to the legation quarter, the location of foreign embassies in Beijing, The student protestors presented letters to foreign ministers. In the afternoon, the group confronted three Chinese cabinet officials who had been responsible for the secret treaties that encouraged Japan to enter the war. The Chinese minister to Japan was beaten and a pro-Japanese cabinet minister’s house was set on fire. The police attacked the protestors and arrested 32 students. News of the students’ demonstration and arrest spread throughout China. The press demanded the students’ release and similar demonstrations sprung up in Fuzhou. Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Wuhan. Shop closings in June 1919 exacerbated the situation and led to a boycott of Japanese goods and clashes with Japanese residents. Recently-formed labor unions also staged strikes. The protests, shop closings, and strikes continued until the Chinese government agreed to release the students and fire the three cabinet officials. The demonstrations led to a full resignation by the cabinet and the Chinese delegation at Versailles refused to sign the peace treaty. The issue of who would control Shandong Province was settled at the Washington Conference in 1922 when Japan withdrew its claim to Shandong Province. The May Fourth Movement in Modern Chinese History While student protests are more common today, the May Fourth Movement was led by intellectuals who introduced new cultural ideas including science, democracy, patriotism, and anti-imperialism to the masses. In 1919, communication was not as advanced as today, so efforts to mobilize the masses focused on pamphlets, magazine articles, and literature written by intellectuals. Many of these intellectuals had studied in Japan and returned to China. The writings encouraged a social revolution and challenged traditional Confucian values of familial bonds and deference to authority. The writers also encouraged self-expression and sexual freedom. The period of 1917-1921 is also referred to as the New Culture Movement (æâ€" °Ã¦â€"‡åÅ'â€"é â€¹Ã¥â€¹â€¢, XÄ «n Wà ©nhu Yà ¹ndà ²ng). What started as a cultural movement after the failure of the Chinese Republic turned political after the Paris Peace Conference, which gave German rights over Shandong to Japan. The May Fourth Movement marked an intellectual turning point in China. Collectively, the goal of scholars and students was to rid the Chinese culture of those elements which they believed had led to China’s stagnation and weakness and to create new values for a new, modern China.

The Top Degrees and Majors for High Lifetime Salaries

The Top Degrees and Majors for High Lifetime Salaries If you have the resources and opportunity, a degree can be a fantastic asset for your career. And for some fields, it’s a necessary first step. But not all degrees are created equal! In some fields, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree is all you need to get in the door. In others, you can expect to grab those degrees, then go on to get a master’s or even a PhD to advance in your career and earn top dollars in the field. Every industry has its own educational needs, but if you’re undecided about where you want to go- or you’re looking to change course and go back to school, PayScale has compiled some very useful data about different degrees, different majors, and earning potential. First, let’s look at the â€Å"best in show† majors.Top-Paying Majors for Each Degree TypeAssociate’s: Political ScienceApparently being a Washington â€Å"fat cat† is really a thing! Seriously, though, people who have this degree can wor k in government, public policy, or community administrative roles. The top-paying job for a person with an associate’s degree in Political Science is $86,100, based on PayScale data.Bachelor’s: Petroleum EngineeringEnergy development and engineering are very hot topics right now, so petroleum engineers are in high demand. These engineers develop methods for extracting oil and gas deposits from under the Earth’s surface. The top-paying petroleum engineer jobs can command up to $185,000, per PayScale data.Master’s: International BusinessWe live in a global marketplace, and MBAs who can make deals and work with colleagues in Hong Kong, Berlin, and Sydney are among the highest paid business people. Some of the top-paying jobs in international business for MBAs can fetch up to $158,000, per PayScale data.PhD: StatisticsIn addition to a global marketplace, we also live in a highly data-driven world. Statisticians with doctorate degrees collect and analyze data to help solve real world issues in every industry. The highest-paid statistician gigs for PhDs make $172,000, per PayScale data.If none of these careers sound right for you, you have plenty of options if you’re looking for well-paid options at different degree levels. Let’s look at some of the top-earning jobs in major fields like healthcare, education, public administration/social services, and transportation.Top Healthcare Careers for Different DegreesIf you’re interested in working in the booming healthcare industry, here are some of the jobs with the highest lifetime earnings (median salary for those with a degree and 20+ years of experience) by degree type.Associate’s: Diagnostic Medical SonographerDiagnostic medical sonographers use specialized equipment to create images from inside the body, to help doctors diagnose and treat medical issues. Sonographers typically have an associate’s degree and have completed a certification program as well. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $71,300, per PayScale.Bachelor’s: Physician AssistantPhysician assistants are the right-hand men and women in any medical practice or healthcare facility. They work with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare staff to examine, diagnose, and treat patients. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $157,000, per PayScale.Master’s: Healthcare AdministrationHealthcare administrators are the ones who keep things running behind the scenes, managing day-to-day office operations for medical practices and offices, as well as planning and coordinating health services for a hospital, facility, clinic, or department. These administrators are also responsible for ensuring that the facility is up to date with health laws, regulations, and technology. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $109,000, per PayScale.PhD: PharmacistPharmacists fill prescriptions, d ispense medication of all kinds, educate patients on the safe use of medications, and act as a medical reference for customers. They may also perform health screenings, educate customers on general wellness, and give immunizations. You can find them in retail pharmacies, but also in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities as well. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $172,000, per PayScale.Top Education Careers for Different DegreesThe old saying is that teachers are underpaid for what they do- and while that may very well be true, if teaching is your calling you can still strategize about how to maximize your salary. Here are some of the educators with the highest lifetime earnings (median salary for those with a degree and 20+ years of experience) by degree type.Associate’s: Preschool TeacherPreschool teachers are often the first teachers kids encounter in their lives- so those early days of pre-reading skills, writing, basic math, and science are essential. They work with young kids (usually age 4-5) to get them ready for kindergarten. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $44,200, per PayScale.Bachelor’s: Physical Education TeacherPhysEd teachers do the important work of keeping kids active during the school day, and teaching them good fitness and athletic fundamentals along the way. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $70,100, per PayScale.Master’s: Instructional Design and TechnologyWith curriculum changing all the time, and an emphasis on updating the way students use technology in their school lives, instructional designers are fast becoming a major player in the education world. These professionals oversee curriculum standards (and how they are implemented in school systems), develop educational materials, and assess the effectiveness of teaching methods. Instructional designers work in all levels of education, from elementary sch ool to college. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $83,900, per PayScale.PhD: SuperintendentSuperintendents are high-level educational professionals responsible for the operation of schools (or school systems). In many cases, superintendents have a master’s degree and years of education/administration experience, but many superintendents hold PhDs in education. The median salary for PhDs in this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $96,600, per PayScale.Top  Public Administration/Social Services Careers for Different DegreesWorking in the public sector can be a calling as well. If you’re interested in one of these community-, town/city-, or state-level jobs, here are the career paths you might want to consider for maximum earning potential.Associate’s: Fire ScienceWhen you think of â€Å"public† jobs, it’s likely that â€Å"firefighter† is one of the first that pops into your mind. As the first responders in many different kinds of emergencies, these essential professionals sacrifice their time (and often their well-being) to keep the community safe. An associate’s degree in fire science can prepare you for jobs as a firefighter, but also administrative jobs like fire inspector, fire chief, or fire marshal. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $59,100, per PayScale.Bachelor’s: Public AdministratorA bachelor’s degree in Public Administration prepares you for managing the day-to-day operations of local, state, or federal government agencies. This includes areas like strategic planning, public relations, and disaster planning, as well as general administration. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $76,100, per PayScale.Master’s: Public Policy AnalystPolicy analysts are problem solvers. They take data, history, and trends into account to help plan and shape government and political systems. This is a job heavy on research, analysis, and strategic planning. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $101,100, per PayScale.Top Transportation  Careers for Different DegreesYou may not think of transportation as a particularly glamorous or lucrative industry, but if you have a passion for logistics and tight schedules, then it can be a great option for you. In transportation, the emphasis is usually on on-the-job training rather than a specific degree, but a bachelor’s degree and administrative know-how can be one of the most well-paid paths into the industry.Bachelor’s: Aviation ManagerAviation managers are logistics professionals who coordinate airport operations, including compliance with a complex system of local, state, and federal rules and regulations. Moving people and cargo from one place to another via air travel is an intricate, delicate, and fast-moving process, and aviation managers are the ones responsible for making sure it happ ens safely, smoothly, and on time. The median salary for this field (with 20+ years of experience) is $97,200, per PayScale.Even though â€Å"20 years of experience† may seem like an unbearably far milestone (especially if you’re just starting out), it’s a really important factor to consider when you’re picking a major, or deciding how far you want to go with your degree. While you’re not locked in to any particular path, your decision should definitely be informed by what the long-term salary potential is in any given role, and how that lines up with your long-term goals. And if you know that sticking with your underpaid, less-than-glamorous job now can yield better benefits with the more time and experience you accumulate, that can make your work life easier in the meantime.

Financial Analysis of DBMS in Health and Social Care Organizations in Essay

Financial Analysis of DBMS in Health and Social Care Organizations in Hong Kong - Essay Example This research paper studies the options available for database management system for Health and Social Care Organizations. One improvement needed is the proper communication between the public and private health sectors of Hong Kong. There is an actual need to establish a computer system that has the ability to contain medical records and data about patients. This computer system must be able to deliver or send needed information from one health care facility to another in various locations where it is needed. This would reduce waiting time and expenses on the part of the patients, and would improve the efficiency of service provided by medical practitioners. In relation to the above-mentioned need, after Hong Kong’s transition over to the Chinese mainland, there have been some proposed reforms on its health care system. At present Hong Kong’s public healthcare sector is subsidized by the government. And since it is supported by one of the lowest tax regimes currently existing in the world, the Hong Kong government is giving good consideration on having revamps implemented on the overhaul of its entire health care system. Reforms are needed in order to continue the provision of an effective health care program (Taylor, n.d.) To be able to get ready for such a change, the clinic where I am currently employed needs to have an updated computer that is internet enabled, to facilitate effective communication and information exchange. Hong Kong’s current health care system is made up of two sectors, the public sector, and the private sector. The public healthcare sector is managed by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority. The Department of Health provides preventive and outpatient services.