The Things They Carried Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Things They Carried - Research Paper Example Certain techniques are used by those at war in order to ensure their survival and victory. Such techniques are known as warfare. Warfare can be categorized into; warfare by objective, doctrine and terrain. War was initially one of the biggest problems facing mankind long ago, and still is. War is an act of resolving conflict by forcing the enemy to do according to the victors’ will (Simons, 23). Different forms of war require different methods of warfare. Types of warfare include; conventional warfare, which is attempting to limit an enemy’s military capability while in battle. Such is used when war is declared between states, and the use of nuclear, biological or chemical weaponry is not allowed. Unconventional warfare is whereby an opponent attempts to acquire triumph through admission of defeat or consent hold up for a side of the conflict. Nuclear warfare is the utilization of nuclear weapons in order to force the other opponents to surrender. Asymmetric warfare is whereby guerrilla tactics are used in order to defeat the enemy. These are mostly used in case where an opponent has an advantage with advanced technology in terms of weapons. Chemical warfare is whereby chemicals are used to coerce the opposition to surrender. Chemical warfare was used during WW1 (The First World War), in which there were so many casualties and numerous injured. Before soldiers go to war, they train in order to be fit and so that they can have an added advantage when in the battlefield. Certain items should be carried that should be used in the war. Items carried are influenced by the time, geographic location, climate and terrain of where the war is to take place. â€Å"The things they carried† which was written by a former soldier, Tim O’Brien, whose personal experiences in war led him to write a book about it. The soldiers in his book participated in the Vietnam War. The war lasted a time period from September 26th 1959 to April 30, 1975. Numerous things were carried by the soldiers, and many of them show the burdens that each soldier was carrying. First ‘Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ takes letters to Martha, from Mount Sebastian College and reads them daily. Even though he is in love with her, the feeling is not mutual with her. Most individuals carry photographs, and Jimmy Cross takes two of Martha, and in one, she's playing volleyball (O'Brien, 8). What the men carry are things that they require and in this case make sense which include mosquito repellents and marijuana, certificates, pocket knives, candy, the occasional chewing gum openers, heat tabs, watches, dog tags, cigarettes, sewing kits, tablets of salt, lighter, matches, Kool-Aid and water. Things they carry depend on several factors, which included their own beliefs, traditions and priorities. Taking a look at the Henry Dobbins, the machine gunner, who is considerably large, carries extra rations considering his body size. His superstitious nature causes h im to put his mutual friend’s pantyhose around his neck. Ted Lavender, a nervous individual carries marijuana and tranquilizers which he uses to calm himself down, and then there is Kiowa, who is religious and carries an illustrated book of the New Testament that his father gave him (O'Brien, 12). Other things the men carry can be termed as universal for any form of war, which include a medical supply of compressed cotton and other medical supplies that could have given the function of a tent, groundsheet or a raincoat. They carry weapons which include the M-60, the standard

Descriptive Essays vs. Narrative Essays Essay Example for Free

Descriptive Essays vs. Narrative Essays Essay Many people have different preferences on what type of writing style they think is more superior to another, I believe descriptive writing to be more excellent writing style then narrative. I can tell you that there are a few similarities and a few differences between the two. I prefer Descriptive essays, rather than narrative essays. In my belief, its that the descriptive essays are more effective when an author is trying to convey a story or get a message across than narratives. Descriptive essays keep the reader engaged throughout the story. It provides the reader with more in depth details, and it allows the reader to better envision the picture that the author is trying to paint. Descriptive and narrative essays have a few traits in common. Typically both almost make you feel as if you are present with the author. They both usually tell you of an event that the author went thru or a message the author wants you to receive. Whether you are reading the Personal Narrative or Descriptive Essay both are very creative form of writing. The difference between a narrative essay and descriptive essay is that the narrative essay is more catered to someone’s point of view in order to tell a story, whereas the descriptive essay describes a person or the place or an event by using vivid images. The writer describes a behavior or personality or uses our sense of smell, touch, sound, taste. Descriptive essays show a reader and do not tell them. Descriptive essays give a lot of details for instance, would you prefer to read an essay with a sentence like, â€Å"the girl ran down the street† or â€Å"the young girl ran down the street wearing light blue shorts and a white top, as her blonde hair blew in the wind†. The second sentence would catch a reader’s attention more than the first. This is a example as to why I believe descriptive essays are better than narrative essay, because they paint a better picture. â€Å"On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges.  A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings, so they resembled bicycle tires.† Tan, A. (2013). This is an excerpt from the descriptive essay Fish Cheeks. When we as a writer provide our readers with such descriptive details you can almost picture yourself in that kitchen, and I became engaged from this point on. It is easy for the reader to get wrapped up in the story when the author is using descriptive language to paint a vivid picture. The audience can visualize the food, and the way it looks. Narratives are more direct and straight to the point, and that can cause a lot of readers to get lost or disengaged. A descriptive essay takes the dialogue to a different height by the details given by the author allowing us as a reader the ability to share the authors experiences by explaining and to show us rather than just telling us. When giving more details, the reader obtains more of the story. When reading the article I Want a Wife (Brady, 1971), the author gives a brief description of their friend who had recently become divorced and was now looking for a new wife. The author goes into explain how she also, would like a new wife. She then explains the â€Å"duties† her new wife would complete for her. The new wife would be preparing meals and keeping a clean home. Here comes my issue with this narrative, I am left wondering about this womans story. I want to know who she is. Is this description of her own marriage? What is her husband like? Is she not happy? Does she like being a wife? Narrative essay focus more on the information, and again telling the reader the story from the point to point they may use different forms of dialogue to convey this message to the audience. The author may use intriguing humor or tell the story first hand in first person to try to make the reader interested. The benefit of writing a story that contains many details is that it also allows the reader to visualize and feel the emotions that the author is trying to convey. The descriptive language presented in Fish Cheeks; the reader is able to visualize them as a fourteen year old who describes a Christmas Eve dinner when she as fourteen, how she felt when the boy she had a crush on, who, was also a minister’s son and his family had been invited to have a traditional Chinese dinner with her family. Her being afraid of what he would think of her and her culture, and of how she just wanted to fit in: When she finds out he is invited to dinner, she cries because she fears what he might think of her and her families Chinese  Christmas celebrations. Her fears came to life just as her mother brought out the steamed fish, with its eyeballs still on. Also, her father added to her worries by poking the fish’s cheeks and announcing that it was her favorite. When everyone left Amy’s mother handed her a gift a mini skirt, and told Amy that she could look like an American girl on the outside, but she would remain a Chinese girl on the inside , saying to Amy â€Å"Your only shame is to have shame.† It was a lesson that she would understand many years later. When Amy describes, this all I can visualize every piece of her story. In conclusion, by the author providing descriptive language and more in depth details to captivate and engage their audience, and by also allowing the reader to become wrapped up in the moments and emotions being depicted and painted throughout the story and providing a more engaging experience for the reader, this means to me that a descriptive essay is more beneficial than a narrative essay. A descriptive essay has a larger and long lasting impression and impact on the reader, and the audience walks away as if they just lived the story or event described themselves. It not only has that but, also the message that the author was trying to convey been instilled into the reader to remember forever. References Tan, A. (2013). Fish cheeks. Retrieved from http://redroom.com/member/amy-tan/writing/fish-cheeks Brady, J. (1971). I want a wife. Retrieved from http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everythingsanargument4e/content/cat_020/Brady_I_Want_a_Wife.pdf

Gender differences in intelligence?

Gender differences in intelligence? Sex differences in intelligence have been a popular argument for generations. Francis Galton had little doubt that men were more intelligent than women (Mackintosh, 2000, p. 182), whereas Cyril Burt and Louis Terman agree that this should be as straightforward as any concept, and can be answered through empirical evidence. In general intelligence, the findings of various studies have arrived at similar conclusions of either no difference, or men having a slightly higher IQ than women. In specific intelligence, men excel at spatial ability whereas women perform better at verbal tasks. (Lynn, 2005) The major inconsistencies of findings throughout studies have led to the critical analysis of intelligence tests. Implications of these findings will centre on employment and education opportunities, as well as criticisms of methods used leading to suggestions of how intelligence should be measured in the future. According to Maltby, Day and Macaskill (2007, p. 258), Sir Francis Galton is the forefather of intelligence tests. He made the first attempt to study sex differences in intelligence directly. He hypothesised that sex differences do exist between males and females. Alfred Binet created the first intelligence test for children called the Binet-Simon scale, which could determine the childs mental age. Charles Spearman aimed to test an individuals general intelligence. He was interested in relationships between subtests and found that if an individual scored highly in one subtest, they were likely to score highly in others. He found that these subtests correlated positively with each other. Through these findings Spearman developed his two factor theory. Specific intelligence refers to each type of intelligence that is used for a specific kind of task, such as verbal or spatial intelligence. General intelligence refers to the intelligence that is required to perform on all types of intelligence tests. In 1938, John Carlyle Raven published his Ravens Progressive Matrices, which were free from cultural influences and did not depend of language capabilities In 1939, David Weschler developed the first intelligence test based on Spearmans two factor theory called the Wechsler-Bellevue test. This test concentrated on specific abilities and how they correlated with each other to form an overall measure of general intelligence. In 1955 Weschler introduced the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). These scales included a set of subtests to analyse specific intelligence. Lewis Terman (1916) studied almost 100 school children between the ages of four and sixteen using the Stanford-Binet test and found that the girls had slightly higher IQs. Charles Spearman (1927) found no sex difference in intelligence, as did Raymond Cattell. Raymond Cattell theorised the differences between fluid and crystallised intelligence, finding no difference on the two dimensions. Fluid intelligence is free of culture and is innate whereas crystallised intelligence is based on cultural experiences and acquired through learning. J.H Court (1983) conducted a meta-analysis of 120 studies on information provided on the Raven Progressive Matrices. He found mixed results with half of the studies finding no difference and the other half finding a slightly higher IQ in males. However, Court concluded that there were no differences. Jensen (1998) and Mackintosh (1998) found similar results with the only differences being very small with males having a slight advantage of one to two IQ points. Anderson (2004) reviewed literature on the Ravens Progressive Matrices and the Weschler intelligence test and concluded that they show no difference. Richard Lynn and Paul Irwing (2005) did a meta-analysis of 57 studies from 30 countries, covering 80,000 people who gave information on the Ravens Progressive Matrices. They found no sex differences among children up to the age of fifteen, which does not parallel with Termans findings. After the age of fifteen, males gradually scored higher IQ points than women, totalling up to five points when they reached adulthood. However, when looking at the effect sizes of Lynn and Irwings findings, the difference in IQ scores are not very significant. The effect size allow[s] us to determine the importance of the findings. (Maltby, 2007, p. 352) An effect size of .2 or below is considered as insignificant whereas an effect size of .8 represents a larger difference. Lynn and Irwings finding of males having a slightly higher IQ than females in between the ages of fifteen to nineteen had an effect size of .16, whereas males scoring five IQ points higher than women had an effect size of .2-.3, the refore this finding is not significant. Lynn and Irwings meta-analysis also showed that males scores had a larger variance than women. Irwing and Lynn report that there are twice as many men with IQ scores of 125 and 155, there were 5.5 men for every woman. (Maltby, 2007, p. 353) However, Terman (1916) and Herrnstein and Murray (1994) both disagree with these findings. They claimed that they found no difference in the variations of IQ scores. Although other studies that used the Weschler test agreed with Lynn and Irwing, showing that men had a variance of five percent larger than females. Even though it has been concluded that there is no significant difference between men and women in general intelligence, specific intelligence is another matter. The agreed hypothesis is that men and women differ on specific aspects of intelligence. Eleanor Maccoby and Carol Nagy Jacklin (1974) concluded that men perform better on tests of spatial ability and women, tests on verbal ability. M. C. Linn and A. C. Petersen (1985) found an effect size of .44 of males performing better on spatial perception. J. S. Hyde and M. C. Linn (1988) also found an effect size for -.33 of women performing better on speech production, which supports Maccoby and Jacklins conclusion. However, due to the small effect size of verbal abilities, Hyde and Linn believe that this is not significant enough to claim that the difference exists. When considering the validity and reliability of types of measurements, intelligence tests have been criticised. Maltby et al. (2007, p. 298) claims that intelligence is probably much more than what can be measured by intelligence tests; rather, [it is] the result of the individual engaging in a variety of skills and information within their cultural context. It would be a challenge to measure a concept such as this which is so dependent upon if the individual is truly willing to take part. Another difficulty is the dilemma of knowing the most reliable measurements. Measures of intelligence produce inconsistencies. Nybourg (2005) states that in half of various studies, there have been no difference found, whereas in the other half, males have a slightly higher IQ, averaging at 3.8. Jensen (1998) found that when certain subtests were eliminated from a study that favoured either sexes, the findings were very different, therefore the findings depend very much on which subtests are used. In conclusion to knowing the extent of sex differences in intelligence, due to Lynn and Irwings meta analysis; there is an insignificant amount of difference in general intelligence between males and females. However, when considering specific intelligence, many studies have shown that men clearly have a better spatial ability, whereas women perform better on verbal tasks. When including each of the specific abilities, they cancel each other out to reach a sum of no difference. Another fact to acknowledge is that male IQ has a much wider spread than females. Females have more of an average grouping of IQs whereas males reach wider ends of the spectrum, either reaching a score of 120 and being labelled as a genius, or scoring lower than 50 and being labelled as mentally challenged. The fact that males have such a large variance in their IQ scores has implications on how IQ should be measured. In the future, IQ should be measured by specific intelligence rather than general due to this large variance belonging to males. When looking at the implications for males and females in everyday life, these findings will have a big impact on education and employment opportunities. Leatta Hough (1992) found that intelligence effects various aspects in the work place such as competence and creativity. These aspects will affect future employment for the individual because of how their previous employers will reference them for their prospective employers. The implication of the previous findings regarding males have a slightly higher IQ score than women will directly influence the employers decision about who to hire. Employers are more likely to hire men because of their higher intelligence scores. These findings may also have an impact on what type of job males and females can work in. Due to the findings of specific intelligence, males are more likely to work in jobs that require spatial performance such as construction work, whereas females are more likely to work as a presenter or interviewer which requires high-quality verbal performance. However, this finding would not have an impact on school children due to Lynn and Irwings findings of there being no difference between children up to the age of fifteen. This finding does not however generalise to further education such as applying for universities. Educators and professors of a specific university will want the most intelligent students to study at their university; therefore they are more likely to choose males over females after considering their A Level grades as well as taking into consideration the above findings. However, certain universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, who interview every candidate maybe more in favour of females due to them being statistically better at verbal tasks. The interviewers knowing this statistic maybe biased before the candidate enters the room which could affect their chances of entry. In general, the above findings will have an impact on general stereotypes in society. Women are commonly seen as below men in many areas of life, such as the work place. The findings of men having slightly higher IQs than women will add to this typecast of women being secondary. Although Lynn and Irwing claim that these findings are insignificant, in todays society, the fact that men do have, on average a higher IQ score in general intelligence will outweigh the psychologists findings. The inconsistency of the above findings shows that researching specific intelligence is more accurate than studying general intelligence. General intelligence is a very wide and open research topic, and the precision of studying this form of intelligence is not as clear cut as studying specific aspects of intelligence. Institutions should therefore use specific IQ scores to make decisions, because the specific scores would show the employer or educator where lies the individuals strengths and weaknesses, rather than ordering them in order of intelligence. In conclusion, when considering general intelligence, males have a slightly higher IQ score than females. However, the effect size for this finding is .2 meaning that the difference in too small to be significant. Specific intelligence tests show that males perform better at spatial tasks whereas women perform better at verbal tasks, therefore cancelling each other out. Due to males and females performing better at different things, their scores average out to be very similar for general intelligence. This difference does not occur until the individual reaches the age of fifteen. In early adolescents Lynn and Irwing discovered there are no sex differences at all. Although males score higher on IQ tests, they have a much larger variance in their scores. When looking along the spectrum of intelligence, males tend to score on either end of the scale, whereas females score closer to the average IQ of 100. The implications of these findings will have a great impact on further education for students, depending on how the university or college base their decisions on. For adults, the findings will impact on what type of job they are more likely to work in. Due to criticisms of past studies, implications for further studies are that more tests should be conducted for researching specific intelligence rather than general, due to the wide scope of what general intelligence tests can include. Education: The Backbone of a Nation | Essay Education: The Backbone of a Nation | Essay Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. The wealth of knowledge acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matters or experiencing life lessons that provide an understanding of something. Education requires instruction of some sort from an individual or composed literature. The most common forms of education result from years of schooling that incorporates studies of a variety of subjects. The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character that is the goal of true education. The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things. It is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world. Education is good but can be really bad and unproductive when it becomes indoctrination. When one talks about education and being educated in this part of the world, people are quick to think about going to the university. They see those that have access to the university education who are regarded as being educated and those without the privilege as illiterate. Having seen and experienced this, I realize that when schooling becomes indoctrination, only the truly educated ones become successful. Now, what does it mean to be truly educated? What does it mean to be indoctrinated? What connection do these two have with schooling? To answer these three significant questions, we will need to define the nouns or verbs from which each of them is derived and analyze them. Longman Dictionary defines education, a noun from which educated is derived from: the process by which your mind develops at school, college or university. Indoctrinate, a verb from which indoctrination is derived, according to Longman dictionary means: to train someone to accept a particular set of political or religious beliefs and not consider any others. The English dictionary defines indoctrinate as to teach with a biased, one-sided or uncritical ideology. School, a noun from which schooling is derived, is defined in the English dictionary as: (U.S.) an institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution. (British) an educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university). It must be noted that school is not limited to a certain institution, it is simply any institution for learning and education can be derived from any of these institutions. It is only indoctrination that makes people glorify one ahead of the other. Almost all of us belong to the school of thought that without university education a person is not educated. A polytechnic graduate is always rated lower than a university graduate regardless of intelligence of the former; thus certification has taken the place of real intellectualism and technicality. This indoctrination is a great tragedy to youth development. We have been made to believe that without a university education, we are no better than illiterates are. When we talk about intelligence, people are fast to measure it by the good grades acquired through formal education. We also have not been studious enough to see the difference: being a university graduate does not guarantee a successful life. The pieces of evidence are here but we couldnt see. Thats indoctrination. It is a gross waste of time to sit down and wait for admission when what we want to study in school is unrelated to what we really want to become, perhaps in what we are skilled. It is a lack of vision to accept a change of course just to be a university student, but our society has provided us with no other choice than to join them if we cant beat them. Everyone just wants to answer the name university graduate just for the sake of it. Therefore, we forgo our visions, dump our dreams for the title that comes with certificates which we might dump in our wardrobes and not make use of for the rest of our lives. It is true no knowledge is lost but such indoctrination comes with lesser or no profit. For the records, not being a university student does not make a person less or an illiterate. Let us overcome this wrong mentality in which we have been so much enslaved. University education with a good certificate is an achievement on its own, but it is not the most accurate determinant of efficiency nor does it necessarily enhance productivity or efficiency in the labor market. Year in year out, young boys and girls register for universities entrance exams and when they fail to make the required grades, they are considered failures. The ones that are tired of trying settle for colleges of educations, technical schools or polytechnics while the so-called determined ones, most of whom have no idea what they want to do with their lives, continue in the struggle of rewriting university entrance examinations. They keep making money for the universities when it is certainly most of them have no business being university students. Now, what does it mean to be truly educated? Going by the definition of education in Longman dictionary, it is the process by which your mind develops at school, college or university. The dictionary only mentions school, college or university in order to foster understanding in a layman, but the true meaning of education is the process by which mind and the whole being is developed through learning. This learning can be acquired in any designated institution. However, there can be no true education where there is indoctrination. Education is all about learning how to achieve ones passion and goals while indoctrination, going by its definition, is believing what one is told or what seems agreeable, convenient and best in order to avoid the stress of learning and engaging in its practicality. If one who doesnt ever attend university is considered educated, then who is uneducated? An uneducated person is a person who doesnt know anything about his lifes visions and goals and how to pursue them; one who does not have what it takes to succeed in his chosen lifestyle. For instance, if we want to be in life is a footballer and we go to school to study mechanical engineering when we should register ourselves into a football academy and develop our skills, we are simply uneducated. It doesnt matter if we have a Ph.D. in it. Ph.D. in mechanical engineering will never make us a better footballer. Imagine if Messi and Ronaldo have left football academy to go to university, will they have become the famous and successful footballers that we know today? However, being an illiterate who is unable to read and write; having less than an expected standard of familiarity with language and literature, or having a little formal education; not conforming to prescribed standards of speech or writing, will always limit anyones level of education. Of course, there are natural talents that do not require being taught in order to have them. If one is unable to read and write, he or she will definitely have limited education. Education can be acquired via other sources but literacy or the ability to read and write is vital. However, being a university student is not the proof that one is educated. For one to be able to sit for university entrance examination he or she must be educated, that is, he or she must be a literate and have at least ordinary level of formal education. That means one can be educated even without a university education. Tertiary education is not for everybody and those who are there are not superior to those who are not. It is only a required type of education for those whose goals and dreams in life could be shaped thereby, but if not it is a gross waste of time and wrong indoctrination. We should understand and discover our dreams and passions and should give them the most priority. We should take our destinies into our own hands, follow our dreams and not unnecessarily crave for university education and become a nuisance after graduating even with good grades. When schooling becomes indoctrination, only the truly educated ones become successful. To be successful in life requires more than just university education and most significant success stories in life are not as a result of it. The truly educated people are those who are original, resourceful and creative, who dream dreams and think out of the box to attain their dreams and fulfill their passions. They are those that acquire the only type of education that liberate their passions and help them to reach their set goals, not university graduates. True education is concerned not only with practical goals but also with values. Our aims assure us of our material life, our values make possible our spiritual life. In true education, anything that comes to our hand is as good as a book: the prank of a page- boy, the blunder of a servant, a few table talks they are all part of the curriculum. True education flowers at the point when delight falls in love with responsibility. No group and no government can properly prescribe precisely what should constitute the body of knowledge with which true education is concerned. No one has yet realized the wealth of sympathy, the kindness, and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure.

Task One Automated Teller Machines :: Computer Science

Task One Automated Teller Machines 1. See diagram over page for Input and output devices This kind of interface is an interactive interface with buttons. I think this would be improved considerably and the ways that I think will be improved by more security on the machines. I think they will have devices like retina scans, voice activation and thumbprints. At the moment the only security is PINS and cards but they can be stolen and I think they will improve the security more. 2. The process for a customer obtaining cash is called transaction processing in real time. This kind of processing is called transaction processing. If the cash withdrawal is required, the customer enters the amount they want from the machine. This is then checked against the balance of the account and if funds are available of the account, the machine dispenses money. Also at the same the amount from the account is subtracted from the balance on the customer's record on the bank computer. When it's finished the card releases back the card to the customer. [IMAGE]Other services are available are withdrawal of cash, ordering of statements, requests for new chequebooks and obtaining the balance of the account. Advantages Disadvantages To the Bank Employs fewer people High level of security needed It is cheaper than paying staff Hackers could break into the machines Less need to build banks and money could be used elsewhere Employees loose their jobs. To the customer It is fast. Credit cards could be stolen It can be accessed anytime The magnetic strips can be damaged by the ATM They can get it anywhere The card has to be replaced from time to time 3. Bank cards, credit and debit cards Diagram front and back PIN stands for Personal Identification Number, it acts like a password, and the user enters it to the ATM keypad to verify that they are the account holder. The PIN helps to reduce fraud. The information stored on the magnetic strip is account numbers, bank sort code, system number, cheque digit Task two - Cheque clearing There are three sets of numbers printed along the bottom of the cheque using magnetic ink and machines can automatically read these numbers. MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, it works by inputting special ink onto cheques and the ink then is magnetised. The limits are that very few characters could be recognised but it can be read quite fast. The special ink then is recognised by using a process called MICR. It's used on cheques because it has high security and if the special has been tampered on, the computer can still read the data on the special magnetised ink. The cheque clearing process is called Transaction Processing; it

Best Place To Live

Where is the best place to grow up and why? We can easily become biased and unwaveringly think the U. S. , but what do we really know about different countries and their cultures, or how they affect us developmentally? There are many factors to take into consideration such as life expectancy, standard of living, and education. That is why Sweden is ranked number one on the Children’s Index ranking, making the country the best place to grow up! Children in Sweden are among the few in the world who are safe from abuse as they are well protected by the law from slapping, smacking, pinching, hair-pulling, whipping, or any form of abuse.It is considered a criminal offense to beat a child. By comparison, in the United States alone, by the time a child is 2 years old, nine in ten parents have engaged in some sort of abuse and more than half of parents have slapped or spanked their children and one-third of parents have pushed, grabbed or shoved their children (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). These forms of abuse have a great impact on children as abused children show a high incidence of personal and social problems, low performance levels in school and low self-esteem.Typically, abused children are less attached to their parents, less intimate with friends, tend to withdraw and have the tendencies to become more aggressive and angry (Moylan et al. , 2010). Later on, they are at a greater risk for delinquency, risky sexual behavior and substance abuse (Sousa et al. , 2011). Swedish law ensures that children are protected and their rights are defended. These laws help to minimize and decrease the number of abused children, protecting them not only physically, but mentally and developmentally. Sweden uses some of its tax money to make sure children are looked after properly.As with most families, both parents work and children are in day care. In Sweden, day care is free and each set of parents receive 480 days of paid parental leave per child t o stay home with their children until the age of 8! This offers a two- fold advantage for both parents and children. Studies have reported several positive aspects of day care. Some studies show that children in day care are more social, tend to share their toys, display self-confidence and are more outgoing. Results also conclude that children in day care score higher in cognitive skills than those who are at home.(Belsky et al. ,2007).There are some limitations within these case studies but the fact remains that many families need to place their children in day care which can be very costly. Providing paid parental leave also gives parents the opportunity to stay home with their children to continue the emotional bond while establishing secure attachment. Most parental leave is taken by mothers, but fathers are spending an increasing amount of time at home with their children. The more sensitive the father is to the child, the stronger the attachment. (Lucassen et al. , 2011).From preschool onwards, children are encouraged to think independently and the Swedish tradition of preschool emphasizes the importance of play in a child’s development and learning. At preschool the emphasis is on play. In many countries, including the US and the UK, there is a drive towards setting goals and assessing the progress of preschoolers but the Swedish system focuses more on basic values such as playing together and consideration for others. Play helps children develop motor skills and coordination. It also contributes to social development as children learn to share, take turns, and begin to engage in creative play.Piaget identified different kinds of play, characterized by cognitive complexity to include functional play, symbolic play, constructive play, and formal games (Rathus, 162). The preschool in Sweden not only holds to play in education but also to fantasy and creativity. The quality of pretend play is connected with preschoolers’ academic performance later on, and their social skills (Russ, 2006 Stagnitti st al. , 2000). Exercise is vital to a child’s development and reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.Physically active children have a better self- esteem and coping mechanisms yet most children in the U. S. are not physically fit. Keeping fit and enjoying the great outdoors are very much part of Swedish culture and schools shut for a week’s â€Å"sports vacation† in February each year, when many families head north to ski as children play outside at every opportunity, even in the depths of winter. Children being protect, enjoying good health, free education, and an active social life contribute to Sweden finishing first in The Children’s’ Well- Being Index and convince me that Sweden is the best place to grow up.

Chinese Face Reading Essay

Picking up personality can be a very fun and adventurous process. Many cultural societies have many ways to do it and so many people to test; you’re never going to get the same results. One very interesting way of determining someone’s personality is Face Reading. This is a type of physiognomy that can show you your hidden personality, history, current situation, your future, even how well your health is. Face reading was developed from Ancient China by a man known as Mr. Guiguzi (481-221 B. C. ). Although it is one of many ways of measuring personalities, face reading has twelve ways of being used. The first method is called Fortune House, or also known as â€Å"Fude Gong†. This method shows whether your life is going smoothly or not. When reading someone’s face with Fortune House, the face should be round and smooth with no markings or scars that are out of the ordinary. If there happens to be any marks or scars, they will show any issues you have, such as illness, bad relationships, financial troubles, etc. The second method of face reading is Parents House, or â€Å"Fumu Gong†. It tells you whether you had a good or not so good childhood with your parents. This procedure reads the face by its forehead. If it is big, round and/or shinning, means the individual had an excellent relationship with his parents and had an enjoyable life as a child. However, if the forehead was ugly and/or damaged, then the person had a painful and difficult life when he/she was young. The next way is called Career House, or also known as â€Å"Guanlu Gong†. This method is somewhat similar to the Fortune House because it is searching for round and smooth features on a face as well. If your cheek bones stick out and have eyebrows that project, you will most likely have a better chance of having a successful career. House of Travel, or â€Å"Qianyi Gong†, would be another style of face reading someone. It is designed to examine how your travels from one place to another would be positive or negative. When you have a feature of scars or lines on your face, means you shouldn’t go anywhere at all. So whenever you would like to go out to eat at a restaurant and need to drive or take a bus, it might be safer to have a pizza delivered to where ever you are staying. Another method is Assets House (Tianzai Gong), which emphasizes the eyes as an indicator of your intelligence, temperament, and financial assets. If your eyes are set deep into your head, or if you are constantly looking high, you are considered an idiot. Narrow eye lids would represent impatience in an individual. Large pupils, clean and clear whites, and large eyes are favorable characteristics of a person’s Assets House. Health House (Jie Going) governs whether your body has excellent health or is ill. Wrinkles, stains, or other marks anywhere that is found shows that you need to go to the clinic for a checkup. However, having none of the disliked features on the face means you have nothing to worry about when it comes to your health. Any characteristic from the eyebrows and above will symbolize House of Siblings (Xiongdi Gong). This particular type of face reading decides your friendship with other people in your life. It also shows how well your genetic make-up is when the person was conceived. Thick, dark, long, and smooth eyebrows that are high above eyes tell the face reader that the subject is a brave, affectionate, and relaxed person. However, if your face shows the opposite of these facial features including scars and lines, you basically have completely different qualities. Life House (Ming Gong) will tell the person how easy or challenging your life would be. The level of difficulty in your life is determined by how close the eyebrows are to each other, and any dimples and/or marks. If smooth and shinny like the other face reading styles, shows a comfortable an easy journey in his/her life. Like the other face reading methods, House of Children (Ernu Gong) looks for smooth and round features for positive outlook in the individual. If the face seems to be gentle and round, shows that you have a successful love and sex life. Although, if you show moles or other disfeatures, you may have issues when it comes to sex and you may have a difficult time parenting your children in regards to their development and well-being. House of Marriage (Qigie Gong) shows the reader whether or not the man/woman’s marriage is going well. So fundamentally, when somebody has a gentle, smooth, and clean face, it indicates a happy marriage. A receding and/or scarred face with moles means you have a wife that you might wish to divorce. Wealth house (Caibo Gong), is quite different from most of the other Houses. This style of face reading is determined by the nose. If a nose that is large and round with nostrils that does not show and a straight bridge, then the person has excellent health, a positive attitude, and has a sufficient and satisfying amount of wealth. When the nose has certain deficiencies, the person will meet these three possible situations. If the subject is to have a crooked nose with unhidden nostrils, shows that they have a problem with their money, career, and personality. If it shows any blood vassals, indicates that he/she is on the verge of becoming bankrupt. And if the nose turns into a bloody red, it signals that tragedy and an unpleasant life will be stepping up to his/her door soon. Finally, the Popularity House (Nupu Going) is the house that governs your relationship with your friends and acquaintances, and what will come to be when you grow much older. When the face is round and smooth, then the individual is graced with popularity, and when the old age comes, you will have much support from others. But, if it is not round or smooth, you need to prepare yourself for supporting yourself instead of others helping. An excellent example of some of these face reading methods is a well known person, Quasimodo, also named as â€Å"The Hunchback of Notre-Dame†. He is a man with a face that most people would not be attracted, and is definitely unable to straighten his back. His facial features show how much his life is painful. They also show how he has had a rough and emotional time growing up when he was an infant. A disfigured face brings you nothing but negativity and misery in that person’s life. But having attractive facial features will always give you the upper-hand when reading an individual’s face. All the styles of face reading are determined by how smooth the face is, the amount of scars, lines, moles, shape of the nose, and wrinkles the face has. Each feature of the face tells about your past, what is happening now, and what is yet to come.