Skinners Operant Behaviour Essays - Behaviorism, B. F. Skinner

Skinner's Operant Behaviour B.F. Skinner's OPERANT BEHAVIOURISM and SELECTION BY CONSEQUENCES ~ a critical assessment ~ Reproduction was itself a first consequence, and it led, through natural selection, to the evolution of cells, organs, and organisms which reproduced themselves under increasingly diverse conditions. What we call behavior evolved as a set of functions furthering the interchange between organism and environment. -B.F. Skinner, Selection by Consequences- PHIL 225/02-1 First paper - 00/10/19 Known to some as the most influential American psychologist, B.F. Skinner was born in 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Attempting to further psychology's quest for an accurate and comprehensive science of the mind, he produced some very rational and innovative writings; tackling problems that have stumped mankind since the beginning. We will examine his philosophies on the evolution of behaviour through selection by consequences. Around 1920, behaviourists seemed to have established what they thought made sense of human behaviour by composing them into two laws. The first explains the unconditioned reflexes that produce involuntary reactions by our bodies. Direct actions that bypass consideration, also known as biological wiring. The second law explained the phenomena of conditioned reflexes that, although aren't part of our original reflexes, can be learned and stored into memory. Similar to the first law but it included new reflexes such as Pavlov's dog salivating when the associated bell was rung. Although these laws made perfect sense, they were found to be lacking. They didn't, and couldn't, explain manifestations of new responses to old stimuli. How did they plan on explaining new inspiration or goal-oriented action of any kind if all we do is react in the same way to stimuli every time? How did a soccer player first conceive of trying to put a corner kick directly into the net if it had never been done before? How did Beethoven write music if he had no stimuli to respond to? Why did Ghandi go on a hunger strike if his natural response was to eat when he was hungry? Skinner thought that by examining these phenomena from an evolutionary standpoint we could better make sense of the psychology of behaviourism. The law of survival of the fittest best conveys this relation of evolution to behaviour. All humans born with an evolutionary advantage over others would lead easier and more successful lives, would therefore die at a slower rate than the rest, and eventually become the majority and replace the old. They would pass on their genes, which were better suited to survival under those circumstances. Through this process of selection, all species evolve, allowing only the strongest to survive. In the same way that nature evolves, Skinner postulated that our behaviour evolves, both directly and indirectly. First, by natural selection people who are born with a behaviour more suited to surviving, with characteristics such as foresight, skepticism, diplomacy and persistence, will most likely survive better than people born with characteristics like close-mindedness, weak impulse control and laziness for example. Second, by recognizing the effects of our responses to stimuli as desirable or undesirable, and therefore reinforcing our responses, those positive consequential responses would become more frequent and likely in the future, and those negative consequential responses would become less popular. Imagine that a small child throws his dish on the floor and his mother proceeds to scold him with harsh words in a strong and unpleasant tone of voice. The child will then associate throwing the dish on the floor with his mother's reaction. His association will strengthen every time he throws his dish on the floor until the day he remembers her reaction before throwing his dish and stops himself to avoid her response. (Being somewhat of a stingy idealist, Skinner was against negative reinforcement and would not have used this example) With this in mind Skinner added a new variable to the two original laws of behaviour: the consequential response. He used the term operant to define the response to stimuli in terms of past memory of consequences to similar responses to similar stimulus. He therefore tried to explain (and succeeded in my opinion) that response to stimuli could be an involuntary reflex or a learned reaction based on memory. This result goes to justifying reaction to a new stimulus as well. If the subject does not

The Mumbo -Jumbo of Anticipatory Defense essays

The Mumbo -Jumbo of Anticipatory Defense essays Anticipatory defense is what the United States Government is now calling its precautions on terrorism. They plan to eradicate any persons of suspicion before they have the chance to infiltrate us. Isnt that an act of terror within its self. Coercing attacks on people they anticipate will show aggression or in future will have the capacity to, is their justification, but an attack is only justified if it is done in retribution. Whatever the case may be, Does two wrongs make a right? Does almost count? How many people have been convicted on anticipatory defense? Self-preservation is the first law of nature. The United States government with its hypercritical statues creates an illusion that this law is omitted its system. Striking first against an enemy was acceptable only when the necessity of that self -defense is instant, overwhelming and leaving no choice of means, and no movement for deliberation (New York Times). So in other words you want to leave them lying flat on their backs with no way up except by your goodwill. Isn't that the way the United States has always operated? They create a united front of compassion for foreign nations with an ulterior motive. They smile in your face all the time the want to take your place; back stabbers (The OJays). We live in Satans Garden of Eden, paradise for the depraved. Anticipatory defense is a word used to neutralize the governments approach in the effort to maintain its face of morality. Such mumbo-jumbo is deceptive in the since that it has a veiled intent. It beats around the bush to tell you what it plans to do. Beating them to the Pre war, (headline of the New York Times). What exactly is a pre-war? Could it be the instigation of war? Peacemakers turned instigators, shouldve been the headline. Why is it that the government seeks to disguise its intentions? If its plan...

Rococo, French Baroque and Classicism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rococo, French Baroque and Classicism - Essay Example Rococo art is characterized by elegance compared to the classical approach which emphasized grandeur and symmetry making it a prerogative and preference of the aristocracy. It is more ornate whose approach complements the overall architecture and paintings of a home or structure and is praised for its aesthetic qualities. It objective is to appeal to the senses of its audience rather than evoke or stimulate the intellect. It strives for no deeper meaning other than to be beautiful and ornamental. Thus, it serves the elegant taste and ornamental use of the aristocrats making it their prerogative. For example, the murals that adorn the buildings and the homes of the aristocrats in the eighteenth century were Rococo in approach attesting their preference and for the art movement. The Rococo as an art movement was not received well from its inception and had been criticized as superficial owing to its ornamental and aesthetic approach. This criticism came from the perspective of the prev ailing art genre during that time which was French Baroque and Classicism. As an art movement, it even took a while for Rococo art to be formally recognized by art historians that only in the mid nineteenth century was it formally recognized. Having said this, philosophers became critical of the Rococo movement because it emphasizes elegance and aesthetics which run in contrast to philosophy which emphasizes depth and search for meaning. Philosophy is also particular about rules, symmetry and harmony which Rococo.

Nervous system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nervous system - Research Paper Example Each is charged with a specific cognitive function and even though they are separate, they still communicate and work together with each other in order to process, integrate, and store information. Sometimes in cases of head trauma and other incidents, parts of the brain become damaged to the point where behavior and some cognitive functions become impaired (Squire, 2003). The primary function of the temporal lobe is the processing of auditory stimuli as well as processing some memory functions. It is also where the hippocampus is housed, which is responsible for long-term memory formation. Because this area plays a key role in memory integration, any damage to this area would affect the way in which memories are formed, leading to different types of amnesia. In addition, the ways in which hearing and visual stimuli are processed would also be affected. The parietal lobe is a part of the brain, which is responsible for integrating all of the senses from the different sensory systems together, and processing them. It is also important due to the fact that it coordinates the understanding of things such as mathematical relationships as well as visuospatial processing. As a result, if damage was to occur in this area, a person might loose their ability to perform math tasks, as well as loose the ability to visualize conceptually and literally.

How has the treatment of cancer evolved over the past 10 years Research Paper - 1

How has the treatment of cancer evolved over the past 10 years - Research Paper Example cannot imagine the circulation of blood in the veins and arteries of the body, not only this, but if blood is not circulated then the liver may cease to perform its function and in turn, kidney shall stop filtering the waste out of the body. If waste is not excreted out of the body then it will obstruct the digestion procedure and hence the process of assimilation will be hindered and ultimately the body will lack the energy that it requires to perform various tasks and thus one can imagine how the machinery inside the body functions. The most significant components, however, in the body that lays the foundation of the entire human structure are cells. Cells in medical terms are known to be the building blocks of a human body. Every organ is composed of these cells. Blood circulation is the most important condition that is to be met for the continuation of life in a body cannot take place without the presence of cells. But the paradox is, if these cells start growing unnecessarily than they may prove to be as dangerous as being fatal. Cells in a human body are produced by the multiplication of existing cells and splitting of these cells provides the human body with its cell requirement from time to time. When the body does not require some cells, they die and are drained out of the body in various forms. However if the cells began to divide and give birth to more cells without the body needing them then this causes complexities in the body and leads to a disease known to us as cancer. Cancer is the abnormal growt h of body cells and it may take place at any portion of the body. Growth of the human body is a natural phenomenon and it takes place by virtue of the dispensable ability of the body cells. A cell divides into two, two divides into four and four into eight and so on and so forth, as per the body requirement. The DNA in the cells contains all the information regarding growth or demise of cells in the body if this information is corrupted, by reasons to be

Relation Between Psychological Well-being and Internet Usage

Relation Between Psychological Well-being and Internet Usage Two major paradigms have been utilized in attempt to describe interactions between psychological well-being and internet usage: a deficiency paradigm which points out that the use of media is the consequence and compensation for unsatisfactory face-to-face interactions, and a global use paradigm, where internet usage are considered to be universal in terms of behaviours in online and offline social interaction (Tsao, 1996). Studies into the usage of social networking sites, such as Facebook, delivers several distinctions for the contrast of the two paradigms. University students supported the global use paradigm, where the relationship of online and offline social interactions were compared, and students reporting larger number of close friends and more offline face-to-face interactions had larger pool of Facebook friends. Humans, as social animals, are bound and thrive with social interactions; which cultivates our psychological well-being. According to Diener (1997), psychological well-being denotes how individuals appraise their lives, and such evaluations may essentially be in forms of cognitions, where it is an evaluation of the lives of individuals based on their satisfaction of their life as a whole, or, in another way, in the form of affect, where it is an appraisal guided by emotions and feelings in which individuals experience positive or negative moods in reaction to their everyday lives, and as people invariably experience moods and emotions, which may have a positive effect or a negative effect, the postulation is that most individuals evaluate their life as either good or bad, so they are normally able to offer judgments. Thus, as individuals who are unable to experience satisfaction in one area of their life, they would look to another medium in attempt to search for a comfort zone, and especially in times where technology thrive, where individuals dwell in an increasingly networked world, they are relentlessly connected to each other through various methods, with social networking spaces providing one of the most popular methods that people employ to link each other together. Individuals who cope well in social interactions make use of media as a tool for advancement in their social standings, and those who are unable to cope, use media as compensation for their unsatisfactory face-to-face interactions. Tsao (1996) describes interactions between media use and psychological well-being as two separate major paradigms: a global use paradigm, as well as a deficiency paradigm. Tsao (1996) explains that the deficiency paradigm, which forecasts that individuals view media usage as a compensatory mean of their unsatisfactory social interactions. Ashe McCutcheon (2001) refer such phenomenon that an individual exhibit as parasocial interaction, where it is considered a one-sided interpersonal relationship in which one party holds a great amount of information about the other, but the other party does not. Such occurrences can usually be observed between celebrities and fans. While it may not necessarily be negative, the emergence of a new medium for social interactions to occur was considered to provide more negative effects than positive ones, as parasocial interaction are considered to be counterproductive in terms of social interactivity. It has been clarified by Stepanikova, Nie He (2010) that in the long run, deficits on offline face-to-face social interconnectivity can be observed as individuals are immersed in online interactions and have diminished in terest in actual real world interactions. Turkle (1995) argued that individuals who engage and immerse in online-role-playing games would have the tendency to neglect their real lives so as to be able to live in the virtual world. Kraut et.al (1998) provides the same point of view, and added on that after a period of time, the families of such parasocial interactions garnered higher rates of loneliness, as well as lower rates of social involvement in the real world, and as reported by Nie and Erbring (2002), there was a negative correlation with the amount of time spent on the internet and amount of time spent for social interactions. As such, online interactions were preferred to as compared to face-to-face communications, and were found to be lonelier as time spent online increases. The deficiency paradigm is strong in its concept to explain the relationship of how individuals deal with online and offline social interactions, with illustrations of the causal behaviour of parasocia l interaction. However, further analyses conducted by other researchers may overthrow the deficiency paradigm. Gross (2004) challenges the strength of the research of Tsao by proposing that the deficiency paradigm is limited as it may not apply to every situation or case, and findings suggested that there are no significant correlations between social involvement and total time spent online, and there would be a better explanation on the relationship of online and offline social interactivity which can be established. Tsao (1996) elicits that in the global use paradigm, individuals display similar behavioural patterns when they are online, as well as offline. This would mean that individuals make use of media not as a compensatory mean, but rather, as a tool for the enrichment of their social statuses, as well as being connected to others. Park, Kee Valenzuela (2009) illustrates such universal behavioural pattern, as explained by the global use paradigm, through their findings that university students were using online social media sites such as Facebook to satisfy their social and psychological needs. Their results revealed that students were participating in Facebook groups to be kept up to date with events occurring on and off campus, to socialise with friends and to gain self-status (Park et al. 2009). In a similar study, Freberg et. al (2010) conducted a survey which includes 124 undergraduate students, and questionnaires were administered to the students to evaluate the relationship between online and offline social interactions. Several factors that were part of the assessment criteria was how individuals spend their time offline, which includes face-to-face social interactions with friends and family, as well as assessing their online connectivity, which translates to how often they spend interacting with friends they consider to be close. Results revealed that the majority of the assessed students reported being active on social networking sites, and it is found that there was no significant negative relationship between online and offline social interactivity. However, the limitation in this particular study is such that distortion to the actual number of close friends an individual has online would contaminate the actual data set, and thus would affect the reliability of the survey. Student in the sample size may not answer truthfully, or may have errors in thinking that they may have more close friends than they actually would have. Another example that limits t he research is that the needs and gratifications of the students were not assessed beforehand, and as such it was not clear to ascertain that media usage of the participant was attributed to compensatory or non-compensatory means. All total, few studies regarding the effects of online usage on psychological well-being revealed adverse effects, as majority of studies displayed little to no impact on online and offline social interactions (Gross, 2004), and other studies suggested that the relationship of online and offline social interaction would be better improved by a certain amount of online usage (Shaw Gant, 2002). These findings are more consistent with the global use paradigm brought up by Tsao, which evidently advocates internet use has become a universal experience as opposed to being referred to as a strategy for compensating what is lacking in our actual lives. The studies have provided a direction in explaining that the global use paradigm is more appropriate in the explanation of the relationship of online and offline social interactions. In addition, studies suggests that the way we interact online is shifting in the direction of the way we interact in the real world, and that proposes that the amount of social media usage by students are seen as universal in terms of behaviour in social interaction, as opposed to the deficiency paradigm suggesting that users have dissonance in the relationship of online and offline social interactions, and as researches reveal, those who are lacking in terms of offline face-to-face social interaction do not appear to be finding for more social connections online as a means of compensating for the deficient real world social experience. Nonetheless, it is certain that as the amount of time spent on social networking sites increases to a level where it is considered deficit, it would cause our offline soc ial interactions to be damaged as the more time spent online, it would mean we would have lesser time for face-to-face social interactions (Stepanikova, Nie He, 2010).

Mercutio as Catalyst in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet Essay

Mercutio as Catalyst in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, the quick-witted character Mercutio â€Å"is a notorious scene-stealer† (Utterback 105). Mercutio’s major function in the play is to be a catalyst for the plot. Mercutio’s purpose as a character is most significantly revealed in his relationship with Romeo, his baiting of Tybalt, and his death. More importantly, Mercutio functions as the catalyst for the pattern of disasters in the play that follows his own tragic death, making him, as described by critic Stephen Greenblatt â€Å"a spirit that seems to challenge the very possibility of romantic love or tragic destiny† (856). Mercutio’s role in the play is directly linked to his relationship with his â€Å"very friend,† Romeo (III.i.108). This bond and camaraderie of the men provides the basis for the revelation of Mercutio’s character as a foil to Romeo. â€Å"These basic roles for the two friends mean that, through the badinage, Mercutio is essentially active and Romeo reactive or passive† (Porter 103). For example, Mercutio tells Romeo â€Å"Nay, gentle Romeo, we must have you dance† (I.iv.13). He playfully pushes Romeo to â€Å"borrow cupid’s wings / And soar with them above a common bound† (I.iv.17-18) and advises his friend that â€Å"If love be rough with you, be rough with love. / Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down† (I.iv.27-28). These lines demonstrate Mercutio’s characteristic need for urgency and action. â€Å"Romeo by contrast characteristically replies that he is unable to comply with his friendâ₠¬â„¢s exhortations—he won’t dance, don’t ask him—and his most urgent words, ‘Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace’ (I.v.95), urge not action but its cessation† (Porter 103).... ... Pennsylvania State University Press, 1965. Phillips, Brian. â€Å"Character Analysis.† SparkNote on Romeo and Juliet. 24 April 2003. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/romeoandjuliet/canalysis.html. Porter, Joseph A. Shakespeare’s Mercutio: His History and Drama. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1988. Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Baz Luhrman. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, and John Leguizamo. 20th Century Fox, 1997. Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, and Milo O’Shea. Paramount, 1968. Shakespeare, William. The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: Norton, 1997. 865-939. Utterback, Raymond V. â€Å"The Death of Mercutio.† Shakespeare Quarterly. 24.2 (1973): 105-116.

“Houzit” Marketing management plan Essay

Marketing objectives The market for home-wares in Brisbane is estimated last year at $175 million per annum with an anticipated growth rate of the percent in the coming year. Here I outline the following marketing objectives: 12% market share (up from 11%) Increase in sales by 8.5% over last year’s result No expansion stores are planned during this phase of consolidation and on average the stores achieved $24,680 per week for the year. Marketing activities Here we present the marketing activities that show potential for the organization’s growth in seasonal demand that occurs during this period. Increased marketing – focus on magazine advertising and PR In-store promotions– in-store displays will feature advertising visuals and ink the featured products with other areas in Houzit’s assortment. Web based promotions- the company’s web page will also carry the advertising visuals on the home page and will use the PR copy in article marketing on popular article content sites. The webpage will be targeted towards the key words found in the PR article and featured in the advertising of ‘stylish bathroom’ and ‘exotic mirrors’. These keywords will also be secured via pay-per-click traffic directing. Focus in bathroom fittings and mirror categories with linkages to the other two categories of bedroom fittings and decorative items. Key driver in achieving the marketing objectives is through the opportunity of having advertising space together with a PR write up in one of the leading home-ware magazines and their website. For the next six months the marketing plan calls for increased marketing to match the growth in seasonal demand that occurs during this period. Integration of organizational activities Advertising visuals and links will be displayed throughout at Houzit’s assortment and web homepage. Company Web address line of ‘Find us at http://www.houzit.com’ will be displayed on all materials. PR copy- used in article marketing on popular article content sites. The webpage will be targeted towards the Key word throughout. These keywords will also be secured via pay-per-click traffic directing. Distribution and pricing Online retailing a new distributional channel- Company have decided to update the webpage so that the customers can order and pay online. The Price of imports will be monitored against competitors and exchange rate on daily basis because imports were usually an area of high margins for the company and any loss there could be a serious issue. KPIs Market share = store sales/total estimated market sales Marketing cost of customers acquisition = cost of marketing / Total new business acquired Delegation of roles and responsibilities Marketing manager – enjoy taking responsibility for the in-store promotions because it keeps me connected with key personnel and trend in merchandise category sales. Tony – he is a specialist search engine optimizer and webpage designer Marie – advertising /PR Lamberts consulting – market research and marketing audits Communication Strategies Marketing communications is a rather generic term for a very important function of marketing. Communicating and disseminating information has become increasingly important. While public relations are a form of marketing communications, the role encompasses much more, including content development, product positioning and brand messaging. Thus we will use the below methods to communicate effectively:- 1. Shared emails 2. Formal meetings 3. Informal meetings 4. Team visits – stores 5. Progress chart Assessment Task 2 – Case study analysis Staffing support plan Strategies: 1. Setting goals Will organise weekly meeting by providing to employees where can achieve greatest return that to work toward and has the potential to increase productivity in the workplace. 2. Providing Feedback We believe that consistent feedback from mentors and coaches not only helps improve employee performance, but it ensures employees are not caught off guard when disciplined for poor performance. 3. Celebrations and Rewards Celebrations and rewards will build respect for the mentor or coach and help employees see that the individual is not only there to criticize but also to share in employee success. 4. Collaboration Managers will provide for new employees to collaborate with as they begin working with a Houzit. I believe that managers help employees learn to navigate an organization and how to complete tasks effectively. Resources Marketing outcome model: ROI – Return on investment Feedback Providing the feedback using the Star model: An easy way to remember the elements of effective feedback is to use the acronym STAR. ST – Situation or Task. What was the problem, opportunity, challenge or task? A – Action. What was said or done to handle the situation or task? Remember to provide developmental feedback and areas for improvement. R – Result. What was the impact of the employee’s efforts, and how did their actions influence the end result? Here’s an example of using the STAR model to provide positive feedback. ST – â€Å"Thanks for completing the spreadsheet on resource allocation I requested.† A – â€Å"You provided all of the data I asked for and got it to me on time.† R – â€Å"I was able to bring the data to a  planning meeting with our director, where we used it to create a strong resource plan for next term.† Scenario 1 One-on-one coaching will include Role-play activities Testing and reviewing answers Meetings to encourage the employee to perform and homework in which answers are reviewed The manager provides the individualized coaching to her employee. May set up a time line with preset intervals to review progress Scenario 2 Performance measurement and Corrective actions such as: Ask the employee to rate themselves Provide a written performance review to the employee Make sure that can back up any positives and negatives with specific examples Conduct a review meeting within 48 hours of the written performance review Note and file any employee comments and then ensure that the final version goes on file. Customise the one-on-one coaching template of Houzit company’s requirements and hand to employees to complete prior to a performance review. Identifying weaknesses: To evaluate our employees’ weaknesses we will consider factors such as: Tardiness Communication problems Lack of enthusiasm or drive Poor comprehension of materials or program Difficulty getting along with others. We will work with each employee to come up with measurable goals for improvement. For example: devise a system to track each employee’s progress and check in regularly. If an employee has a problem with attendance or tardiness, for instance, create an attendance chart and offer positive reinforcement, such as praise or recognition for good attendance each week. For employees with technical problems or a lack of understanding, offer training on computer programs or systems. Other ways to track employees’ progress may include having employees keep track of their daily or weekly  sales numbers. For more subjective areas, such as people skills, consider holding office seminars on topics such as diversity, compromise or communication or paying for employees to attend training. Offer incentives for the training — such as lunch for all participants or a certificate. Assessment Task 3 – Marketing performance report Marketing objectives The estimate for home-wares is currently $199 mln p.a up from $175 mln This year’s predicted growth 10% and expecting to continue for the next 5 years Average weekly sale has grown $28,200 although expectation was 8.5% growth on $24,680 Market share targeted 12% Last 6 months marketing expenditure: Advertising- $250,000 PR- $30,000 In store promotion- $60,000 Internet marketing-$100,000 The cause of the profit increase was we have successfully implemented the new strategies by actively engaging to achieve the marketing objectives. There was a seasonal demand that occurred during the last year by giving growth in share from10-12%. Increase in share will be remained in next force able 5 years, which is giving more opportunity to Houzit stay in the market specifically continue to focusing on magazine advertising and PR, together with in store promotions. Also, we should invest more on web based promotions in the next marketing period. With a growing market we should maintain the market share to bring to the Houzit solid and controllable growth. Targets We should maintain our high performance as much as we can. There will be a large growing increase in interstate migration consequently the home-wares and the building activity for at least next five years. REFERENCES 1. Joshi, Rakesh Mohan, (2005) International Marketing, Oxford University Press, New Delhi and New York 2. Philip Kotler, Philip.; Kevin Lane Keller (2006). Marketing Management, 12th ed.:).Pearson Prentice Hall 3. Clancy, Kevin J.; Peter C. Kriegafsd (2000). Counter intuitive Marketing. The Free Press 4. Porter, Michael (1998). Competitive Strategy (revised ed.). The Free Press. 5. Kotler, Philip.; Kevin Lane Keller (2006). Marketing Management, 12th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall 6. Ries, Al; Jack Trout (2000). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (20th anniversary ed.) 7. Porter, Michael (1998). Competitive Advantage (revised ed.). The Free Press

Civil War Battles essays

Civil War Battles essays Civil War Battles- Bull Run, Shiloh and Vicksburg The American Civil War- 1861 to 1895. A terrible four years. Four years of victory, defeat and death. Though, without it where would the United States of America be? Pulled apart or reconstructed and as one? When asked what is the Civil War people are most likely to say a war fought between the north and the south. Then when asked why they say because the north and the south had opposite views on subjects. Their answers are right. However when asked what happened in Vicksburg or Shiloh or even Bull Run few know. First Manassas or Bull Run was and important battle for the Yanks. If they beat the confederates Lees defense strategy would be ruined. Each side had there own strategy. McDowell strategy was to overwhelm Beauregard (confederate leader) at Manassas and have Patterson pin Johnstons force. McDowell was happy because he had a 3to 2 lead. McDowell lead his troop to Centreville, where the army would think about their attack on Beauregards troop. where strong but the Confederates stronger. With 24,000 men, the Confederates had less than the Union with 35,000 men. However, only 18,572 of the Union where in battle and 18,053 of the Confederates. They used 49 cannons each and the rest fought with their rifles. Each of them lost many people during the fighting. In one day the Union army had 460 killed, 1,124 wounded and 1,312 captured or missing, thats a total of 2, 896. On the other hand the Confederate army had 387 killed, 1,582 wounded and 13 captured or missing, thats a total of 1,982. The battle was fought with great honor. However most of the honor went to the Confederates. They won the battle and it was just one of their many victories Shiloh Tennessee, April 6, 1962- a town becomes a battlefield where hundreds will be wounded or captured or even die. ...

Free Essays on Earthquake

I. Introduction Earthquakes in California are certainly not a surprise. What is a surprise is their unpredictability and randomness. Geologists say there is roughly a 50 percent chance that a magnitude 8 or more quake will hit the Los Angeles area sometime over the next 30 years. And, over the past twenty years, the Los Angeles area has witnessed several earthquakes, and in particular, two that were quite devastating; the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, and the January 17, 1994, Northridge Earthquake. Given the certainty that earthquakes will occur, they still seem to come as a surprise, and leave many communities unprepared to deal with their aftermath. For example, on October 1, 1987, at 7:42 a.m. the residents of the Los Angeles basin got a jolting reminder of the perils of "living on the fault line." This was due to the so-called Whittier Narrows earthquake. Hardest hit by the quake, was Whittier (pop. 72,000). Whittier is twelve miles from downtown Los Angeles and was the community closest to the epicenter. When the quake, registering 6.1 on the Richter scale, first struck, it was thought to be centered along the Old Whittier Fault. However, after extensive study, it was determined that it was actually the result of a "new" fault, or a fault that had not previously been discovered by scientists. II. Lessons Learned From The 1987 Whittier Narrows Earthquake What are the lessons learned from the Whittier quake? And, how does this quake compare to other more recent, higher magnitude quakes? Despite the fact that regular warnings are part of California living, repeated in schools, in earthquake exercises, by local and state governments, and even in the front of telephone books, many people were caught off-guard and panicked. Fortunately, Californians learned a lot from the Whittier quake. The Whittier earthquake was not the "big one" that Angelenos perpetually wait for. This may be hard to comprehend given the... Free Essays on Earthquake Free Essays on Earthquake I. Introduction Earthquakes in California are certainly not a surprise. What is a surprise is their unpredictability and randomness. Geologists say there is roughly a 50 percent chance that a magnitude 8 or more quake will hit the Los Angeles area sometime over the next 30 years. And, over the past twenty years, the Los Angeles area has witnessed several earthquakes, and in particular, two that were quite devastating; the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, and the January 17, 1994, Northridge Earthquake. Given the certainty that earthquakes will occur, they still seem to come as a surprise, and leave many communities unprepared to deal with their aftermath. For example, on October 1, 1987, at 7:42 a.m. the residents of the Los Angeles basin got a jolting reminder of the perils of "living on the fault line." This was due to the so-called Whittier Narrows earthquake. Hardest hit by the quake, was Whittier (pop. 72,000). Whittier is twelve miles from downtown Los Angeles and was the community closest to the epicenter. When the quake, registering 6.1 on the Richter scale, first struck, it was thought to be centered along the Old Whittier Fault. However, after extensive study, it was determined that it was actually the result of a "new" fault, or a fault that had not previously been discovered by scientists. II. Lessons Learned From The 1987 Whittier Narrows Earthquake What are the lessons learned from the Whittier quake? And, how does this quake compare to other more recent, higher magnitude quakes? Despite the fact that regular warnings are part of California living, repeated in schools, in earthquake exercises, by local and state governments, and even in the front of telephone books, many people were caught off-guard and panicked. Fortunately, Californians learned a lot from the Whittier quake. The Whittier earthquake was not the "big one" that Angelenos perpetually wait for. This may be hard to comprehend given the...

Debussy and Orientalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Debussy and Orientalism - Essay Example This essay "Debussy and Orientalism" outlines the life of the Debussy and his impact on the music of the 20th century. In the midpoint of his career was the last years of the 19th century were he released the three nocturnes, which was sharply contrasting with Wagnerian opera. After ten years of work, his Pelleas te Melisande proved to be his only complete opera which was based on a play by Maurice Maeterlinck, it was an instant hit and it influenced many young composers such as Maurice Ravel, his works brought to new rhythm and fluidity and color that had been retrospectively absent in western composition. In the La mer Essays, between 1903 to 1905, the music had a more philharmonic format with an ending whose subjects were borrowed from the initial thought to the intermediate period. According to his critics, this was seen as a less subtle step in his progress, to some it was even perceived as negative. True to his pupil perchance for trying new things and gravitating from the conv entional, he let himself be influenced by a new type of music in the west that most modern composers would rather have kept from their scores. This was Javanese gamelan; an oriental style that he found to be both appealing and intriguing. The orchestra, which composed bells gongs and percussions, mesmerized him so much that his style noticeably changed as he implemented parts of this composition in his later music. He did not refer to the gamelan scales or ensemble; however, his sensitive and refined melodies were overtly achieved with the application of oriental exotic scales.

Communcation ethics and society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communcation ethics and society - Assignment Example Despite being the newspaper’s employee, â€Å"her opinions are her own† (Sullivan, â€Å"About the Public Editor†). If the position serves its true purpose, the results and effects of having a public editor is toward ensuring journalistic credibility and integrity. It also gives the newspaper a more positive reputation in the eyes of the readers. A journalist’s ethics greatly affect the newspaper and its readers because the ethical standards are what guarantee accuracy, fairness, and clarity in journalism. Q1: In the diffusion of innovation theory, can it be assumed that information that the masses receive are already fated from the beginning (Fuchs 13), thus leaving the masses with no choice regarding what is presented to them? Q2: According to the media information utility theory, people in urban locations turn to various forms of media for information (Fuchs 16). With the influx of social networking sites providing vast amounts of information to people (Fuchs 18), how can newspapers guarantee that they are not swayed by the want and need to provide â€Å"breaking news† (that proliferate in such sites) in order to