An Intellectual Battle free essay sample

Click! The red side smoothly clicked itself into place. The sound of the red side aligning against its opposite orange counterpart was the first step towards the zenith of my masterpiece. The clock was ticking; it had already been four minutes since I started and yet my eyes were still adjusting themselves to the various hues of color. White, red, blue, orange, green, yellow–the colors seemed to mix together into a hodgepodge of confusion in my eyes’ perception. It was impossible. It was unthinkable. No one could accomplish such a feat within such a time limit. Trial and error, algorithms, and matrices–nothing seemed to work; all that had worked was the red against the orange. That’s it! Red against orange meant yellow against white and blue against green. The once devious colors seemed to fall smoothly into place as my hands twisted and turned, keeping in conjunction with the rhythm of the timer. We will write a custom essay sample on An Intellectual Battle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Tick-tock, tick-tock–the ominous device played its devious tune like an approaching storm, forcing me to consider its inevitability. As I continued operating my hands as nimbly as a brain surgeon, deciphering the inner-workings of the malevolent object, my eyes caught an appalling mistake. I left out an entire side! Knowing that this meant I would have to possibly start over from square one, I refused to allow myself to be bested by such an enigma. Repeating my steps, now considering the neglected side, I soon found myself closer than ever before to completing my objective. I clicked the final red side into place, contrasting suitably with the orange while the final seconds of the timer were approaching its celebratory end. I did one last check as the timer rang its most anticipated sounds. I solved my first Rubik’s Cube.

Beware of Buzzword Bingo

Beware of Buzzword Bingo Beware of Buzzword Bingo Beware of Buzzword Bingo By Mark Nichol Far back in the mists of Internet time (that would be the 1990s), a couple of wags at a computer company called Silicon Graphics created a subversive game that filled a need. You’ve been there, perhaps: a company meeting at which executives or tech geeks unironically launch volleys of absurd marketing catchphrases or tech jargon. Well, these two fellows brainstormed some of the most egregious examples, created bingo-type cards with each box in the grid containing a term, and passed them around to select colleagues. The idea was that whenever you heard a buzzword, you’d mark the pertinent box (surreptitiously, of course). As in bingo, you strove to be the first person to mark five boxes in a row. In this version, however, it was not advisable to leap to your feet and shout â€Å"Bingo!† Instead, you would, without interfering with the official proceedings, either silently and stealthily notify your fellow participants or, if you were bold enough, ask a question of the presenter that somehow, in the context of the discussion, employed the use of the word bingo and hope that neither you nor your competitors would lose it and bust a gut. So, what does this have to do with DailyWritingTips.com? Don’t be that person who inspires a rousing game of buzzword bingo, or perpetuates the need for the game. If your employer or client requires you to use more than a couple of selections from the following word list in writing or speech, you have my permission to cry. (No honest person will deny having used at least one.) You also have permission to delete the term from your word-hoard and employ a handy little language called English. Here are 24 terms enough for one card (with a Free spot in the middle of a 5 x 5 grid): 2.0 (n.): the next generation action item (n.): high-priority issue bandwidth (n.): attention span, or ability to devote resources (such as brainpower) benchmark (n.): standard best practice (n.): a standard, proven strategy bleeding edge (n.): an intensifier of bleeding edge; denotes innovation circle (v.): check back with deep dive (n.): an intensive exploration of detail dialogue (n., v.): talk going forward (v. and adv.): from now on (but with the implication that the period before going forward was marked by going backward ass-backward, that is) granularity (n.): fine detail helicopter view (n.): overview incentivize (or incent) (v.): to motivate leverage (n., v.): power (n.), enhance or exploit (v.) metrics (n.): measurements mindshare (n.): expression of a thought paradigm (n.): model low-hanging fruit (n.): the simplest option push(ing) the envelope (verb phrase): exert(ing) maximum effort synergy (n.): compatibility take (blank) offline (verb phrase): discuss something later team player (n.): someone who is collegial and cooperative think(ing) outside the box (verb phrase): to produce, or producing, unorthodox ideas touch base (verb phrase): to meet for a status report value-added (adj.): accompanied by an additional benefit (also used in noun form: value add) For an inspired, brilliant skewering of the buzzword mentality, go to this column from the San Francisco Chronicle’s SFGate.com (scroll down past the usually droll columnist’s uncharacteristic rant to â€Å"In other news†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SList of Greek Words in the English Language35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow

Reading reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading reflection - Coursework Example to be intellectually creative by having their ideas accepted as well as being offered matters to be concerned about intellectually, it gives them an opportunity to learn about the world with their general intellectual ability being stimulated as a happy side effect. In her article, she discusses issues such as learning environment, the role of a mentor or teacher as well as emotional and mental knowledge of the learner which are all significant in mentorship. Malcolm Gradwell’s book, tipping point entails application of epidemic phenomena in solving various social phenomena. The author illustrates that such a move is significant in restoring complexities and mysteries of the human behavior (Schmidt & Olson, 2008). He states that having knowledge of social phenomena as a wave helps in mystifying them other than considering them transparent. The knowledge achieved through reading the book helps mentors to understand that human behavior can be manipulated for the best. Knowledge of social phenomena is significant in understanding the behavior of the mentee and thereby manipulating it for the best. Colby and Damon’s article, â€Å"How moral commitment develops through life† explains the implication associated with the guidance of an adult which often occur mechanically. The authors argue that social influence is a more organic and an irregular process that remains closely in tune with the agenda of child development as w ell as taking place on numerous psychological processes (Damon & Colby, 1996). A mentor can offer simple encouragement or direct the attention of the child, friend or family friend. The authors offer the best approach in understanding the significant of mentorship to a friend or

Scientific literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scientific literacy - Essay Example 81). This paper explores some of the reasons why scientific literacy is not important in all subjects. My personal experience demonstrates that scientific literacy should not be incorporated in every subject of study, instead students should be allowed to study their areas of interest scientific or otherwise. For instance, I was hardly interested in the study of organic foods until I came across a recent feature on the news. The feature was scientific in nature and caught my attention owing to the fact that I found it interesting and educative. The feature focused on a Chinese based company known as "Bai Wei Yua" and specialized in agricultural trade. The company is involved in the sale of organic products and vegetables. However, recent reports have revealed that the company the company buys regular fruits and vegetables and packages them as organic products and sells them at inflated prices. This is ethically wrong as the company dupes the customers into thinking that they are buying organic products. "Bai Wei Yua" uses the appropriate procedures to produce and trade the organic products that is highly impressive. However, they are wrong in labeling regular foods as organic foods. I was stunned to realize that a legitimate company was packaging regular fruits and vegetables, packaging them as organic products, and selling them to the market at high prices. This issue aroused my curiosity in the topic of organic foods. I was more interested in government regulations and policies with regards to organic foods. This case study shows that individuals should be allowed to pursue the kind of scientific knowledge they are interested in pursuing. Mara, a thirty one year old woman who works as a technical worker holds a different view with regards problems of immunity. She has had a personal experience as she was a caregiver to a sick friend and all her college roommates died of AIDS. She was

Organization of relationships Essay Example for Free

Organization of relationships Essay Functionalism Functionalism is perhaps the oldest, and still dominant theoretical perspective in sociology. This paradigm is based upon two related emphases: application of the scientific method to the objective social world, and use of analogy between the individual organism and society. The perspective was developed by Emile Durkheim, and expanded by Talcott Parsons in the 1950s. The perspective assumes: 1) that the application of the scientific method extends to the social world, 2) values provide general guidelines for behavior in terms of roles and norms, 3) institutions are generally composed of interrelated roles and norms, and 4) the society is a functioning organism composed of functioning institutions. Functionalists perceive the social world as objectively real – observable with methods such as surveys and interviews. Rules and regulations assist in the organization of relationships between members of the social body. These institutions of society such as the family, religion, the political system, even the economy are interwoven. They function congruent to social needs and aspirations. They are directed to the attainment of social objectives. Functionalism has the following assumptions: 1) the interrelatedness of institutions, roles, and norms is congruent with social needs; 2) social need is not necessarily physiological in orientation (it can be in the form of status acquisition); 3) gradual change is the main motor of social change (abrupt change is seen as something unnecessary and leading to social dislocation of actors); 4) objectivity is the primary qualification of social research (functionalism, later structural functionalism is highly correlated with the empiricist approach to social research); 5) the social world is generally governed by social actors. Functionalism addresses the following issues: 1) the evolution of roles and norms in a particular social setting, 2) the development of interrelated institutions, 3) the efficacy of long-term change, 4) the cohesive functioning entity, and 5) the importance of role-making and empiricist research. From the five sociological paradigms discussed, conflict theory seemed to be the least useful because: 1) It fails to answer the evolution of roles and norms in the society (it views morality as something created by power politics); 2) While it explains the efficacy of short term (abrupt) change, it fails to fully substantiate the saliency of long-term (gradual) social change; 3) It saw conflict as the only effective means of altering social arrangements, roles, and norms of the society here, conflict is seen as a positive force of social change (the word ‘positive’ here is morally neutral).

The Loss of a Life Partner Essay -- Relationships Grief Death Love Ess

The Loss of a Life Partner Introduction Feelings of loss are very personal because only the person involved in the loss knows what is significant to them. People commonly associate certain losses with strong feelings of grief. The solitude is always agonizing, especially for someone who has never lived alone. Many people lose their spouses each year. Because the modern society has few mourning rituals other than the memorial service, they may find themselves alone and disconsolate just when they are most in need of comfort. Different Kinds of Loss Loss of one’s partner can be due to various reasons including:  · Death of a partner/Bereavement  · Serious or dilapidating illness of a loved one If you—or your loved one—has become sick or injured, expect a number of physical, emotional and financial changes in your life. Coping with these changes can be very difficbrt, even overwhelming at times, but the following strategies may help:  · Relationship breakup/Separation Relationship breakup. This involves losing a partner from a problematic relationship. Although it might seem easier to lose a partner when the relationship has been difficult or unsatisfying, the feelings of dissatisfaction can make the survivor vulnerable to guilt and second thoughts. When he/she remembers the best times of the relationship, self-blame can convince the individual that if he/she had done things differently, they could have had good times. The grief then can be colored easily by regret and guilt. If the survivor's friends and family are aware of the difficulties in the relationship, they may expect the person to quickly move on and they may not support her process of grieving. We have a cultural prohibition about speaking ill of the dead. Because of this prohibition, the survivor may find no opportunity to talk about the different aspects of her experience because only the positive aspects are acceptable. Also, if she wants to begin a new relationship, she may have difficulty cultivating a positive identity as a partner because of the negative experiences with her lost partner. Bereavement Bereavement triggers a normal, natural, healthy process that often leaves the victim/bereaved partner feeling far from normal, natural and healthy. Indeed it can leave you feeling quite mad, suicidal, or even like harming others. Feeling like it for a period of time is one... ...u can. Something as simple as a home-cooked casserole or cookies is not only helpful, but it also lets people know that you care about them.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Help a bereaved person to make plans for getting through special occasions such as the first Christmas without his or her spouse. The anniversary of a loss, either a death or divorce, is an especially sad time.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do not try to minimize grief  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Talk about your own losses There's no question about it that loss is a necessary and painful part of life. But perhaps what matters most is that there are ways in which those who love you can help you say good-bye, and deal with loss. It is very difficult to think about what do when you are experiencing a loss, or want to help someone else who is. Often, even trying to make sense of loss is a daunting task for a person to do alone. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fisher, Bruce. Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends. Impact Publishers, 1990. Kilne, S. Nathan, MD. From Sad to Glad. G. P Putnam’s Sons. Toronto. 1994 Shaw, Eva. What to do when a Love One Dies: A Practical and Compassionate Guide to Dealing with Death on Life’s Terms. Dickens Press, California. 1994

The American Sign Language

The American Sign Language or ASL is a formal and structured means by which people are able to communicate. Like all other languages, the ASL also follows specific structures or guidelines that set how this particular system is used to communicate. Over the years, there had been various definitions presented framing what the ASL is all about, as mentioned by Harry Markowicz in his transcript. However, Markowicz strongly discloses how established and generalized definitions of the ASL are, in actuality, myths that should be debunked in order to give way to the formation of a clear and factual connotation of the ASL.In Markowicz’ transcript, he revealed six myths about the ASL, thoroughly discussing justifications as to why widely held beliefs and ideas about ASL or simply sign language are, most of the time, inaccurate and false. According to Markowicz, sign language is not a universal language which is utilized and understood by the deaf populations all over the world. Like al l other languages, ASL differs from other systems of sign languages in other countries, just as the English language differs from the German, French, Spanish, etc. languages in form and in structure.Another myth is the widely held belief that since language is based on the meaning of words or sentences expressed, the sign language is also based on the conveyance of words or sentences through gestures. Some other beliefs relate to the idea that the ASL is a translation or a transposition of the English language. However, the sign language does not work that way. Communication through sign language, or the ASL for that matter, is based on concepts or impressions that may be expressed singularly through gestures. (Markowicz, 1980)The third myth has something do with how people often undervalue the sign language as merely a system of language through arbitrary gestures diminishing its formal and systematic structure. Markowicz revealed how the sign language follows various rules that co nstitute a succession of concurrent body movements, facial expressions, gestures, etc. Another myth is how the sign language is regarded as simply iconic or graphic. However, Markowicz argued how considering the sign language as simply a visual means of communication does not justify the system’s purpose of facilitating communication for the deaf.He rationalized that if the sign language is truly and simply iconic or visual, then people without hearing problems would be able to understand the language. This means that the sign language is not merely a visual stimulus, but a succession of meaningful concepts that are conveyed through the process of communication. (Markowicz, 1980) The fifth myth limits the communicative process facilitated by the sign language. Many people believe that the sign language is only capably of transmitting concrete and discrete ideas, leaving out the abstract and conceptual ideas that are easily expressed through words.Markowicz discounts this view by proving how the ASL has formal signs or gestures for abstract ideas such as love, faith, and such. The last myth discussed by Markowicz again touches on the issue of the form and structure of the sign language. People overlook the structural aspect of the sign language by disregarding how it is formed under grammatical rules and expressions. Markowicz justified his position by stating examples on how a particular thought differentiated by various patterns of inflections may be expressed through sign language according to their correct word arrangements. (Markowicz, 1980)The aforementioned arguments and justifications of Markowicz may be further proven by looking into other research studies, discussions, or transcripts concerning the sign language. For instance, the research study conducted by Padden and Ramsey (2000) regarding the ability of deaf children to read textual data as it is related to methods and strategies of instruction, has revealed how the sign language is not uni versal and word-based. The results and conclusions obtained from the research study have revealed how the competencies of deaf students differ according to their culture, family, and school environment.This means that based on discrepancies or gaps concerning sign language competencies among deaf students, they may not be able to communicate effectively even through shared sign language. Moreover, this particular research study proves that the sign language is not word-based since deaf students who read texts do not express the ideas from the book through the exact words or sentences in the text, but through various concepts or whole ideas gained from reading them.(Padden & Ramsey, 2000) Moreover, this also means that if deaf children are able to translate written texts to concepts in sign languages, this means that sign language is not simply a representation of concrete ideas, but also complex abstract thoughts and ideas that originated from the thinking process involved in unders tanding, analyzing, and judging written texts. The discussion relayed by Bellugi and Klima (1975) also supports Markowicz’ arguments by revealing how the sign language is formed or structured, debunking myths of it being merely glorified gestures and ungrammatical.According to Bellugi and Klima, the signs or gestures are translated into notational representations that form a complete thought or idea which is distinguishable in the English language. In addition, for each word or though represented through signs or gestures, there are proper and exact portrayal of simultaneous movements as observed in the figures included in Beluggi and Klima’s discussions. (Bellugi & Klima, 1975) Liddell (1980) explored the grammatical structure of the sign language comprehensively by analyzing the syntactic components of the ASL alongside the English language.On the other hand, the research study of Pettito (2000) discredits the myth about the sign language as iconic, which means that communication through the sign language is simply visual in nature, eliminating the form, structure, the grammar, and the formal learning process behind it. According to Pettito, babies will not be able to exhibit the formal and structural nature of either signed or spoken language, unless they are exposed to sign language or spoken language within their immediate environment.(Pettito, 2000) This rationalization supports Markowicz assumptions that a child will not be able to fully understand the concept of milk, unless he is exposed to the nature or processes behind the word. (Markowicz, 1980) References Bellugi, U. & Klima, E. S. (1975). â€Å"Aspects of Sign Language and its Structure† In: Kavanagh, James F. ; Cutting, James E. (eds. ). The Role of Speech in Language. Cambridge: MIT Press [335 pp. ], pp. 171-203. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from http://old. lib. ucdavis. edu/access/reserv/courses/90334. pdf Liddell, S. K. (1980) American Sign Language Syntax.The Hague: Mou ton, [194 pp. ], pp. 10-23, 68-80. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from http://old. lib. ucdavis. edu/access/reserv/courses/90335. pdf Markowicz, H. (1980) â€Å"Myths about American Sign Language† In: Lane, Harlan; Grosjean, Francois (eds. ). Recent Perspectives on American Sign Language. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, [170 pp. ], pp. 1-6. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from http://old. lib. ucdavis. edu/access/reserv/courses/90333. pdf Padden C. & Ramsey, C. (2000) â€Å"American Sign Language and Reading Ability in Deaf Children† In: Chamberlain, Charlene; Morford, Jill P. ; Mayberry, Rachel I.(eds. ). Language Acquisition by Eye. Mahwah, N. J. : Lawrence Erlbaum [276 p. ], pp. 165- 168, 177-189. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from http://old. lib. ucdavis. edu/access/reserv/courses/90337. pdf Petitto, L. A. (2000) â€Å"The Acquisition of Natural Signed Languages: Lessons in the Nature of Human Language and its Biological Foundations† In: Chamberlain, Charlene; Morford, J ill P. ; Mayberry, Rachel I. (eds. ). Language Acquisition by Eye. Mahwah, N. J. : Lawrence Erlbaum [276 p. ], pp. 41-50. Retrieved February 20, 2009, from http://old. lib. ucdavis. edu/access/reserv/courses/90336. pdf