Altruism among humans Essay Example for Free

Altruism among humans Essay This paper presents an examination of the phenomenon of altruism among humans. Altruism is defined as a behaviour that may be to ones advantage but is also to the advantage of others. The questions of why we behave this way or what motivates us to behave in this manner and the relevance to society today are the focus of this paper. Various research and theories has explained why altruistic behaviour is undertaken intentionally in the human world. Introduction We often read or hear about acts of generosity and courage, such as, fund raisers or concerts to  help homeless people, the fostering of a child and sponsoring his or her education, or of volunteers risking their lives to help victims in incidents like September 11 terrorist attack in the United States. We could have donated some money to orphanages or cared for a wounded dog. Such humane acts are defined by Psychologists as altruism (Moghaddam, 1998). Altruistic acts could be unselfish or done for personal gain or egoistic reasons. Indeed in a psychological paradigm, psychologists believe that true altruistic behaviour does not exist (Moghaddam, 1998). But how do we account for the behaviour of Mother Theresa or Mahatma Gandhi and many other unselfish acts of human endeavours? In order to explore this we have to understand the person variable and situational variable motivating the altruistic act (Simons, Kalichman Santrock, 1994). As we are aware behaviour is determined by personal and situational variables. A persons ability to empathise with the needy or to feel responsible for anothers welfare has great impact on altruistic behaviour. Situations influence the strength of the altruistic motivation. Reciprocity and exchange are important aspects of altruism (Simons, Kalichman Santrock, 1994). Humans give and receive from others everywhere. Reciprocity is the basic principle of every religion in the world for example, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam (Brosnahan, 2003). To act altruistically, requires consciousness and caring, and similarly, pet owners can often cite altruistic behaviour or at least conscious acts of kindness on the part of cats and dogs (Simons, Kalichman Santrock, 1994). Another good example would be the nursing,  profession founded on the notion of helping people, sometimes even at a cost to nurses themselves. There are many ways people show altruism. To explain why we do altruistic acts like volunteering, donating or raising funds, we need to distinguish between four different forms of altruism which are observed in humans that shown towards kin, a partner, a friend, and individual who does not fit into these categories (http://www. theunityofknowledge. org/the_evolution_of_altruism/introduction. htm, 2003) Of the several types of altruism a main focus has been on heroic altruism (Moghaddam, 1998). It is a short term intervention requiring physical action and tends to fit more the masculine gender. On the other hand Nurturant altruism requires more patience, listening and a caring attitude with long term involvement. This more closely fits the image of the traditional feminine gender (Moghaddam, 1998). The Bystander effect greatly influences helping behaviour, because of common ignorance of bystanders and assumptions about other bystanders actions. Each persons scope of responsibilities can decrease in the presence of others ( Moghaddam, 1998). In  order for Bystander to help he or she has to posses social skills to interpret the situation and take appropriate actions (Moghaddam, 1998). Initially from a theoretical perspective if a person knows how to overcome obstacles to he or she giving help, subsequently other people start questioning whether the helping behaviour was true altruism (Moghaddam, 1998). A later there was a theory of Daniel Batson empathy-altruism, believes that people help out of a genuine desire(Moghaddam, 1998). Other theories propose that altruistic behaviour is egoistic and put the hypothesis that helping behaviour is a way to  repair a helpers image (Moghaddam, 1998). Methodology An interview was conducted with a woman who volunteers her services with meals on wheels and has done nearly sixteen years. She is a retired school teacher living alone. I assumed that her altruistic behaviour had a self fulfilling motive. Therefore I chose her and I wanted to clarify or confirm my assumption. In order to facilitate my focus interviewee was given ten questions asking about her volunteering profile, and her motivating factors. This interview created awareness of other influencing factors motivating her altruistic behaviour.

Examining The Booking System Of Web Appointments Information Technology Essay

Examining The Booking System Of Web Appointments Information Technology Essay Every person has to book appointment in GP or hospital before their visit to organization (unless in emergency). The web based appointment booking system simplifies the date, time, and choice of doctor, changing or modifying patient details. Since the internet has become an important part of our lives, organizations either small businesses or big establishments make it part of their business functionalities. The technology is expanding day by day and online sources are also increasing too. According to Hacker, Ease of access, increased availability of information, and the prosperity of web services have universally increased productivity and operational efficiencies (Hacker, 2008). The online system has transformed complete background of information exchange. This research is also related to develop of web based appointment booking system where user only has to type URL provided and they can access it from anywhere in the world and any time. The system will allow patient to log in, r egister, and booking appointment where they will be able to choose time, date and choose of their doctor. The development of web based system can be very demanding if the system was planned well before design. The system will reduce burden of work load of their staff and staff will be more efficient. The research will carry before start developing a system it will help to choose right tools, technologies. The system will reduce queues in GP. The use of web based appointment booking system will allow customer to book appointment anytime for example if they want to book appointment at midnight so they will be able to make it without waiting for GP to open in morning and than call to GP because telephone booking appointment system will work only when GP is open but web based appointment booking system will work all the time 365 days in a year. Background It is important to know how appointment is done currently in organisation. The currently appointment done manually or through phone in which the patient are given choice of dates when they visit their GP or hospital and it should be approved by the member of staff . And if patient book their appointment through phone than they have to wait for automated machine to answer and than choose available date and book appointment. If patient need confirmation then they have to visit GP personally or choose option to send letter by post. This type of situations lead to waste of time, money and it may put load of time and pressure on the administrative staffs as well. As there are human beings involved in the whole process there are high possibilities of human errors. The booking appointment through phone or personally going there the staff can access wrong details and also when staff booked the appointment for person then there may be some mistake. So by considering all these points the devel opment of web based system will help GPs or any organisation to overcome all of these problems by providing an online service to do their booking and to choose their desire date and select them online. Rationale / Significance The online booking system will not work in case of emergency. In emergency there are always places available to go straight there, this system will work for normal booking to visit and see doctor for regular check-up. The rational of this research is to develop a web based appointment booking system and implementation of system for GPs and other organisation. The development of web based appointment system is to overcome the problems faced by the users and staffs while booking their appointment for regular check up. The appointment booking is important for any organisation to deal their user more efficiently. As we discussed in the background of the research there may be some human error. That is why the development of this system is selected which will help organisation to give quality service by providing their users web based online appointment booking system. The main purpose of developing this project is to identify the user needs, to satisfy those needs by selecting the best approach to achieve the objectives of the project. The implementation of this project will help the organisation to reduce the time for user to book appointment. It may also reduce paper work, queuing at the GPs reception, because the major services will be provided online. The implementation of this system will also help organisation financially as well as for their users and it will saves lots of time. The implementations of web based appointment booking system also support multiple users at a time so the system will efficient. Aim and Objectives Aim: To design and implement the Web based online appointment booking system within time. Research Objectives: The research will conduct to collect necessary information for designing a system for GP or hospital. To develop the system, some interviews need to be conducted among people to understand problems with system. The Feasibility study for implementing the system will conduct and the main focus will be on scalability issues. As the GP is growing rapidly the system should support any future expansions such as increasing number of users. The technologies that required to develop the system Client/server architecture (Web based client server applications), Requirement gathering and analysing techniques (the interviews will be conduct and also questionnaires), HTML,XHTML,client side, server technologies (PHP,ASP.NET) Relation database (Oracle, My SQL), System testing tools Practical Objectives: Analysis. The analysis will be done to understand the scope of project. The interview and questionnaires will be conducted to collect user requirements and analyse them to develop a system. System modelling and prototyping The programme language which going to use should be suitable. The testing condition will identify. Testing and implementation The system has to test before deliver to user to check that developed system is working properly and it fulfils requirements. The system will check verification and validation. Maintenance The helpdesk will be provided for user if user face any problem of developed system. Hypothesis / Research questions The current system allows user to book appointment throw phone or user has to go to GP to book appointment. This will result such as long queue at the GP, hospitals. Only few GPs using online booking system. There are some possibilities of problems such as users do not know about the online booking of their appointment. In case if user need to book appointment for repeat visit than they have to go every time to book appointment and problem is that users can miss their repeat visit because they did not have time to go or phone line was busy. The queue at GPs will put pressure on the staff and may take more time. It is important that complete project should fulfil all the requirements of system and also how system will work, features of system and functionality. The system will work on the basis of authentications and authorizations which will be achieved by providing the unique ID which is username and password to each user. The patient will be able to select of their desired date and time and also able to change if they want to. The online booking system will not work in case of emergency. In emergency there are always places available to go straight there, this system will work for normal booking to visit and see doctor for regular check-up. 1.5 Expected outcomes: This is a real time project, so the purpose of this project is to develop a web based appointment booking system for GP and Hospitals where users will able to book appoint from anywhere in world. This will be a client and server application where client will be used for just entering the data and submitting it. The server side will be capable of processing. This is academic level project, therefore the structure of this project will be little bit different than the usual professional project. Professional people mostly have the relevant knowledge about how to make the project but in academic level student first learn then make it into practice than they provide the application. Theory Practice Application (Dawson, 2005) 1.6 Risk in this Project and way of minimization: The identification of risk in projection development is important because risk can put project on halt or destroy complete project. The project risks are those which will affect the quality and performance of project (Summerville I 2001).Some of the risks are highlighted are below. Hardware problem: The occurrence of hardware problem can happen while a lot of software is being used to develop a system. So laptop can crash. The virus can also be responsible for laptop crash. To conquer this problem the code always saved on another device like (flash drive or friend computer).So if the computer crashed than the old code can be taken without losing anything. This is one project risk. Software complexity and connection: The software installation and making connection between them is could be a problem. The installation of Mysql software, apache server and make connection between apache, PHP and Mysql. For this problem first all software will be use but if there is problem then Xampp where the old code can be generate. This is a project risk. Tools and software problem: The Tools and software is always important for development any kind of project. If some software is giving error while development a system then there is always new software is available to use. Time: The Time limit into any project is a high risk. If time is not enough then it will lead to affect the performance of system and also quality. For example if any hardware problem or software problem occur in development of project where all the time is spent then at the end is not enough time to finish project. In his case the development of project will carry on and delivered as much done on 19h of November. Illness: The involvement of human into anything can delay. If human is handling a project there is chances that person get sick which will delay the project. If this happens then try to finish project on time but if could not then delivered on 19th Novemberas much as possible. Plan risk management approach Risk management plan Project objective achieved Risk Register Risk identification Analyze the project to identify the sources of risk Risk Assessment Assess the risk in terms of: Severity of impact Likelihood of occurrence Controllability New Risks Risk Response Aim to reduce possible damage Create contingency plans New risks Risk Reduction Implement risk strategy Monitor and adjust plan for possible new risk Change Management, if possible New risks Figure Risk Management Process Technology to be used The technology which will be use to develop a system are followed. The system will develop using back-end and front-end technology. XHTML, CSS, MySQL, JavaScript, PHP and Apache Web Server. XHTML: The XHTML will be used for web interface. CSS: The CSS will use to enhance web site for better view. MySQL: The MYSQL is a database language, it will be used to store database. JavaScript: The use of this is to validate data. PHP: The server side programming will be done with PHP. Apache Web Server: This will use to test the system before implement system. Chapter 2 Literature Review According to Burke Project management, Control and Management Techniques. This book will give idea about what should be Aims and Objective of project. This book described that how to find a good AIMS and Objective of project. By using this book it help me to give idea about my project Aims and objective. The Aims and objective is most important part of project which will lead my project throughout the end. So this book helps me a lot to achieve perfect Aims and object for my project. According to Stein in How to setup and maintain the web site is described about how to construct a web site and also how to maintain about development. This helps me throughout project to construct web pages. The technology HTML, PHP and JAVA are described with examples. Stein has described everything in details about technology and this will help full for beginner and also for professionals. The appointment booking system is very important to run organisation successfully. The GPs appointment booking system is important because every person who wants to be seen by doctor should make appointment. The GPs (NHS) appointment system is always in news for delays, patient were not able to see doctor when they want. The government always introduce new system to tackle the problem, the government introduced SMS system as well as online booking for some GPs.The two national survey were published in 1998 and 2000 highlighted the difficulty in accessing GPs.The government was promised that by 2004,patient will be able to see primary care within 24 hours and GP with in 48 hours. The request for appointment into GP has become very important. The new GP contract in United Kingdom. The National Primary Care Development Team(NPCDT) was set up to deliver the governments modernisation agenda in primary care by using the national primary care collaborative to implement change. The solution is based on five principles, namely: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ understand the access demand on the practice à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ clear the backlog of appointments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ review the appointment system à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ develop contingency plans à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ widen the mode of patient consultation. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/6/39 The web based appointment booking system will help customer sociologically because some people does not like to hear machine voices for example phone appointment booking system customer will call and automated machine will answer and that will put customer away because they do not like and web based appointment booking system will attract more customer. The other problem is that if disable person want to book appointment with GP or hospital by phone than person has to wait until carer will come and phone for appointment because mostly GP phone appointment booking system runs in morning most GP want their patient to call for appointment in morning. The NHS introduces new Plan for primary care in England promises access to healthcare professional within 24 hours and General practitioner (GP) within 48 hours. The new plan is given financial helps to achieve targets. The new plan will allow patient to see GP of their choice, the main focus on achieving targets could lead to reduced choice of doctor. The National Primary Care Development Team (NPDT) has find out that some general practioner (GP) have adopted a restricted booking. They have limited the option for pre booking appointments or completely stoped.The NPDT did not allow that because it will frustration among those people who want to book appointment in advance (British Journal of General Practice, 2004). The NPDT analysis was based on interviews conducted in the East Midlands, study centre. The focus was on patients and carers. The approval has been taken from Leicester Research Ethics Committee, 41 interviewees were recruited through 14 GP and more 15 were recruited from other organization, such as community centres, a charity. At least one has used their GP practice once in last 12 months. The participants were interviewed in 2002 and 2003 and interviews were recorded (British Journal of General Practice, 2004). The another problem is GP telephone appointment booking system will only work until GP is open and telephone is attend by member of staff after closing time phone appointment booking system will not work. Project Development Approach: The project development approach is all about that what type of software project going to do and how much information about system already gathered. According to this project we have idea about problem which company is facing and what can do to new system to attract the attention of users towards the company. So it is confirmed that we need to build a web site where customer and company can attract each other. For this we need to visit company and try to find out what exactly they are expecting and will help them to increase their business. The information which is already collected will be very helpful to build a project. The project development approach which is considered in development is Incremental Development approach. This approach starts from the initial planning and it will end when development of system is finished. In this approach the development is done in small portion and it will help to develop next stage. The advantage of this approach is that the system is divided into different stages once first stage is completed then the next stage will start. This approach consists of Initialization step at this step the basic idea of system is created and given to company with some functionality. If the organization is satisfy then the next stage which is redesign and implemented and also analyzing the current system. The development of project carries on step by step. The following steps which is important while developing a project. Designing of project Writing of coding Testing of the codes Final implementation The development of system and also functionality of each section will process step by step. The each step functionality will be processed and if it is successful then consider as a project part. The approach give clear idea that project, the project is completed at step by step as in this way it is easy to find error and fix them as compare to at the end when it is very tough to find and fix. 2.1 Problems with current system The problem using phone appointment booking system is always staff is not free to answer call and other is customer has to wait in a queue to be answered call and it could take up to minutes. The other problem is that sometime operator make a mistake and forget to book appointment and without booking appointment disconnect call and customer will think appointment has been booked whatever date they want but unfortunately when they go for check up there is no appointment for customer into system because staff did not put into dairy. Another problem is that the patient can book their appointment only that time when GP is open they would not be able to book appointment all the time. The current system only runs by a member of staff, it costs more than web based appointment system. The company has to hire more staff to run organisation. There are number of other system in place in different locations like in some GPs automated phone system is also in place which runs 365 days in year but problem with that some people does not like to wait long time for to get answered and also some people does not like to go with machine. This kind of system put people off to use that system. The current system which is phone booking system people may not use because it is costly to access for example if patient need to book appointment they have to call and they need credit in their phone to call GP.So in this case some people may not like to waste their money and do not use system but as compare to online system they just pay small money and get access to many things and happily use new system. The other problem is that the patient do not want to speak their personal details publically so they have to find private place to phone GP and book appointment. Integrating system with the tools to be used In these days the development of software can be develop using different technology which is available in market and it can also happen that all the tools which been used may not integrate with each other. So it is really important to choose right technology which can integrate with each other. The technologies which are chosen to develop the system are PHP, MySQL, XHTML, CSS and JavaScript to be used in the development. The main reason using PHP is a server-side scripting language that allows website to be truly dynamic (Naramore E. et al, 2005). The open source HTML-embedded scripting language. The reason for using MySQL is it is good integration with PHP as it is recommended by most developer and writers. The apache web server will facilitate to experiment the system so we can make sure how the system will work online and if there is some error. Programming Language PHP The PHP is a server-side scripting language that allows website to be truly dynamic (Naramore E. et al, 2005).The PHP is used widely for general purpose scripting language and it can be used with open source HTML.The PHP was originally developed to design a dynamic Web sites it is also HTML embedded. The PHP can also use as a graphical application. The PHP was created in 1995 by Rasmus Lerdorf and it has been in development continuously. The PHP runs on server so we used WAMP server to run PHP language on computer the PHP is very user friendly language. The PHP output is mostly in HTML.The PHP is having over 20 million internet domain (April 2007) .The PHP used to develop a web site it is easy to use and it can be downloaded free and it will give result quickly. The PHP used to access database because it also provide fast access to database. The use of PHP is for example if patient request a page, the server which is apache will execute PHP script and send output to show on page. The PHP is a only execute code which is written within its delimiters if anything written outside that then it will come as a output as you written. The PHP will be used to validation the pages and it is based on server side and validate requests of users. 2.4 Database Management System: The Database is place where all the data will stored about patient details their appointment. It is easy to find database on every type of computers i.e. personal computer, large computer. My SQL provide a facility to handle and manage a relational database in very efficient way. The Database Management system is used to allow database to create tables. It also let create relation, foreign key, and primary key and insert data into table in form of rows and columns. My SQL will be used as the database for our project. It is open source database and more than 10 million copies of My SQL are downloaded by the user / Developers. My SQL is owned by the Sun Microsystems. It was first developed by the Swedes and Fin in Sweden. (mysql.com) Advantages of using MYSQL are followed. Performance is very good. Easy to understand and use. Connectivity with pages is easy. Interface is simple. MySQL, pronounced as my sequel, stands for My Structured Query Language. MySQL is a relational database system and free software. MySQL is very fitting software to use while developing the proposed system because it is open source software and can function as either a database management system or a relational database system. Because of its open source feature, this means that anyone can download it for free, use the software and can modify it as they please without having to pay anything. MySQL will allow PHP and the Apache server to work together in order to have access to data and display them in a more readable format in a web browser. WAMP Server The WAMP is a server package which is independently created programme and installed on Microsoft window. The WAMP package components are Apache, MYSQL and PHP.The Apache is a server which uses to execute PHP code and MYSQL is a database which used to create database for patient and also their appointment booking details. The WAMP make the computer server and computer acts like a server to run web pages and helps user to use all services on same computer. In some package also include phpmyadmin which is used to provide a graphical interface of MYSQL database. The WAMP is easy to use and it is free to download. It is a mini server and runs on all servers. 2.6 JavaScript The JavaScript is also a scripting language and it is primarily used in client side. The JavaScript is used into web browser for client interface. The JavaScript was developed by Brendan Eich. The JavaScript is embedded into HTML code and as well Microsoft gadgets, Google desktop gadgets. The many scripting language is available to use like VBscript, etc. The use of JavaScript in this system chosen because it is spread widely and it is accessible easily. The most web browser use JavaScript in these days ((Firefox, Internet Explorer and others).The use of JavaScript is that to collect information from user and validate their request or action. For example while patient is booking appointment if they choose date which is already gone then JavaScript show a message and invalidate a data. 2.7 Architecture The appropriate architecture has to place in and examined that architecture. The multi-tier architecture is available (known as n-tier architecture) which is client and server architecture. The most communally used architecture is 3-tier architecture because it is much secure compare to other architecture (2-tier architecture).The benefit of using tier architecture is that the user only add a particular layer rather than writing a fully application again. The 3-tier architecture uses a middleware. The middleware is a layer which is between client and server which does not allow client to access database directly. The benefit of using 3-tier architecture is that there is no need of connection with database from every client only from server side. It make sure that only valid data is updated, So the client does not have direct access to database it makes business more secure because the database of customer is placed on server side. The project is also client server based so 3-tier architecture is used to make sure that the system is much secure and middleware is there to provide a security to database. The clients send a request to server then server process it and send back to client. The database need to update only on server side each time if some changes happen to database and it does not disturb all clients. The 3-tier application is much difficult to compare to 2-tier application to develop but it is provide much higher security to organisations and their consumer as well. The data or functions which are critical are not processed on client side all critical function or data are processed on server side. The 3-tier is associated with many databases but in this system the database used is MYSQL and it is associated with MYSQL as well. The information flow on both direction between client and server and one client can send one or more request to server and server process them (comer E, 2001).So the 3-tier application is used which is much secure and communally used architecture. Figure 1: 3-tier Architecture Model 2.7 Web Security The web security is a critical component for any web based business. The web security is very important when developing something which is web based, the developer should consider this. The user must be fully satisfied that all the data which is given is confidential. The web security will detect threats and it will take more time to recover threats. The client and also server both side have to be secured while they are working with web security. But there are the positive side which is providing two protocols to secure the accessibility on the web through Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Secure HTTP. SSL uses public key authentication and encryption technology and the SSL handshake protocol has to be completed before an application is transmitted or received. Secure HTTP is related to security over the general socket based communication and facilitates encryption methods at the application layer. Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Available Researches The research method is that how the data is going to collect for project. This part will show the method which has been used to carry out whole research. There are many research methodologies available such as quantitative research, qualitative research, exploratory research, primary data collection, secondary data collection and empirical research. 3.2 Primary Data The primary data collection is collect a data from real world which include focus group, taking an experimental approach, experience gained from past. It also include the formal and informal interviews and mixed this with the data which collected from secondary method ie, books, journals and internet etc.The data which is collected through observation is given less importance because observation is not perfect always Research Method Used The research method is important and research method which is used for project is Action Research Method. This methodology means simply learning by doing, identify the problem. The action of system will be considered and if outcome is fine that is good otherwise it will start process from same point again. The research method is secure and efficient in way of accuracy. This research method is mostly used. This research method will continues working until problem solved. This kind of research method is also called qualitative research method. In this method feasibility study will be carried to setting up interviews and discussions with organisation as they are users. Chapter 4 Design The design of project is important so design will be made before start developing a project i.e. the tools like use case and also use entity relational diagram to show relation. Use Case The use case is a interface between user and a system. The use case diagram use to display a relationship between actors and use cases. The main components of use case diagram are actor and use case, an actor in this system is the patient who uses this system to booking appointment. The user access a web page (home page) which uses to inform a user about effectiveness and efficiency of the system. The user then can click on health news, opening time and appointment booking to log in and choose date and time and also choose of doctor to book their appointment. Register Details Choose Date and Time Web Page Make appointment Log In Patient Details Database GP Or Hospital In this diagram shows that patient can Register their details with GP or Hospital, Log In, Visit web page and main thing is that they can make appointment where they can choose date and time which are available. 4.2 Entity Relation Diagram Booking PK Ref Name Email Doctor Date Time Account PK User name Username Password Email Address Primary and foreign keys are also established between the entities, in the account table primary key has been defined to username As a unique number is allotted to each and every Product in the database it is taken in to consideratio

Burroughs Not Marinettis Futurist Essay -- Literary Analysis

The potentials of the new technology created in the early twentieth century created a variety of reactions with in society. Some people embraced the changes, others resisted the developments, and still others fell somewhere in between. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s piece, â€Å"The Futurist Manifesto†, embraces the rapid transformation of society. His world is composed of fast, powerful machines and strong, young citizens. The Manifesto also depicts an aggressive, violent, and unjust world that is devoid of any morals. Edgar Rice Burroughs is another author whose work, A Princess of Mars, addresses the future and its possibilities. It is the story of John Carter, an American Civil War Veteran, who is mysteriously transported to Mars or Barsoom and goes through a series of trials and triumphs with the different Martian natives. It may initially appear to fit Marinetti’s vision of the future because it takes place on another planet, there is advanced technology, and the violence is prevalent on the planet. However, Burroughs is actually critiquing the very qualities that Marinetti praises. For instance, Burroughs discredits the use of violence for violence sake and the lack of a family unit. He also recognizes destructive potentials of technology, which is something that Marinetti does not take into consideration for the future. After careful analysis, it can be determined that Burroughs is not one of the Futurists that Marinetti describes. Upon first inspection, Burroughs’ mindset seems in accordance with Marinetti’s Futurist world. Burroughs’ protagonist, John Carter, appears to physically fit Marinetti’s ideal Futurist because he is large at six feet, two inches, he is strong, and he remains relatively young at thirty years old. Yout... ...†, Marinetti does not express uncertainty; rather he presents a future with limitless possibilities. In contrast, it was very unsettling for many people to not know what was going to happen in the future. In modern times we have experienced the advances of technology that Marinetti mentions, such as exploring space, but we have also seen its destructive capabilities in the atom bomb. Today, there isn’t as a great of a feeling of uncertainty because of inventions like the Internet. Alas, with the diminishing feeling of uncertainty also comes the waning experience of wonder and intrigue of what the future is going to hold for us. Works Cited Burroughs, Edgar Rice. A Princess of Mars. 1917. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso, â€Å"The Futurist Manifesto†. 1909. Italian Fascisms. ed. Adrian Lyttleton. London: Cape, 1973. pp. 209-215.

Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays research papers

Nathaniel Hawthorne The 19th century had many great achievements happen within its 100-year time period. From the building of the Erie Canal, to the steel plow being invented. From the invention of the telegraph, to Thomas Edison creating the first light bulb. While all of these inventions have stood the test of time, one has lasted just as long; the inspiring tales a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. His name by birth was Nathaniel Hawthorne. He added the w to his name when he began to sign his stories. ("Nathaniel Hawthorne" American Writers II) One of Hawthorne’s ancestors was actually a judge in the Salem witch trials. The guilt and shame Hawthorne felt of his ancestors were included in some of his stories. (McGraw Hill, pg.67) Hawthorne’s father was a sea captain. He died of fever when Hawthorne was only four. Shortly after his father’s death, his mother was forced to move her three children into her parent’s home and then into her brother’s home in Maine. Hawthorne’s childhood was not particularly abnormal, as many famous authors have claimed to have. Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College and graduated after four years. After graduation, he returned to Salem. Contrary to his family’s expectations, Hawthorne did not begin to read law or enter business, rather he moved into his mother’s house to turn himself into a writer. Hawthorne wrote his mother, "I do not want to be a doctor and live by men’s diseases, nor a minister to live by their sins, nor a lawyer and live by their quarrels. So, I don’t see that there is anything left for me but to be an author." (" American Writers II, pg. 227) For the next twelve years Hawthorne lived in his mother’s house. He Seldemly went out except late at night, or when going to another city. " I had read endlessly all sorts of good and good for nothing boo ks, and in dearth of other employment, had early begun to scribble sketches and stories, most of which I burned." Reflected Hawthorne. (McGraw Hill, pg.68) Hawthorne’s first novel, Fanshawe, was published anonymously in 1828 at his own expense. Because of a lack of sales, Hawthorne recalled every copy he could find of the book and destroyed them. When a local printer delayed publishing his Seven Tales of My Native Land, Hawthorne withdrew the manuscript and burned it " in a mood half-savage, half-despairing.

One Proposal for Peace Based on A Modest Proposal Essay -- English Lit

One Proposal for Peace Based on A Modest Proposal There is a grave national crisis occurring all across the nation. Children everywhere are committing acts of hostility in their schools. Schools are no longer a safe haven for children but are now considered war zones where victims are abundant and violence is the enemy. Fifty-seven percent of public elementary and secondary school principals reported that one or more incidents of crime or violence occurred in their schools and were reported to law enforcement officials. Ten percent of all public schools experienced one or more serious violent crimes. Some 6,093 students were expelled during the 1996-1997 academic school year for bringing firearms or explosives to school. Students ages twelve through eighteen were victims of more than 2.7 million total crimes at school as indicated in the School Crime and Safety 2000 Report by U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice, 2000. Factors contributing to school violence are numerous, complex, and include the following: poverty, dysfunctional families, lack of paternal involvement, unemployment, truancy, and inner-city environment. Adequate parental supervision and control of these students has weakened, and many students have diminished respect for all forms of authority. As a result, schools are confronted with problems of students possessing weapons, involved with gang recruitment and rivalry, and engaged in drug trafficking. Such problems lead to violent ac...

Should Doctors Be Tried in Consumer Courts

The Indian Supreme Court has ruled that doctors can be sued for medical negligence in consumer courts set up under India's consumer protection act of 1986. The landmark judgment, delivered last week, caps the nine year old controversy over whether doctors providing medical services to patients on payment of fees can be held liable under this act. Responding to appeals by doctors against earlier judgments by state high courts, the Supreme Court ruled that patients aggrieved by deficiencies in medical services rendered for payment can claim damages Should doctors be tried in consumer courts? This issue requires much debate, a lot of questioning, also a lot of introspection. But before we do that, let me ask, why do we limit ourselves to consumer courts Why are we afraid to move to criminal courts if the quantum of crime is culpable enough to be tried only in criminal courts When I say this, I wish to emphasize on the point that doctors are after all human beings. They are bound to get carried away by pleasure of life, greed for money and desire for a lavish lifestyle. This may encourage the devils inside them, they may switch over to illegal activities, may mint quick money and fulfill their hiddendesires. Somebody, at this instance, may like to raise a point that doctors are human beings also when they are performing complex surgeries. They are bound to make small mistakes, forget a glove back in the stomach of a patient, inadvertently give a wrong injection, prescribe unknowingly a useless drug. Agreed!!! I don’t suggest harsh punishment for such situations. But I wish that we do not neglect this issue in totality and that too for two reasons. One, because if we allow a doctor to got scott free after leaving a surgical instrument into a patient’s abdomen, we are encouraging his carelessness. There is one in every chance that this mistake may repeat itself and the doctor will never repent for it. Another reason I discourage this practice is- A black sheep in the herd of dedicated doctors, may, under the veil of â€Å"Non purposeful mistake†; Do illegal activities. He, for his unethical gains, perform acts as – prescribe a banned drug to his patient and when he get access to it, supply it potential buyers abroad. Not only this, on pretext of a small operation, he may remove vital organs from the body of a patient while the patient remains in dark. Unlawful activities, but with a lesser criminal intention, could be purposefully keeping a patient in ICU although there is no need of it!!! This point reminds me of a case, where in a patient’s family proved themselves smart enough for the doctors. Let me give a first hand description of this, although in brief. A patient on death bed, with serious kidney malfunction was admitted in a government hospital. Observing the serious condition of the patient, he was instantaneously recommended to a better equipped private hospital. Unfortunately, he breathed his last on the way. Promptly the private hospital issued a death certificate. Unsatisfied with the callous attitude of doctors from government hospitals he was again admitted in the government hospital. The hospital declared him dead after two days, issued a huge bill along with a death certificate. Armed with two death certificates issued on two different dates, the family published the horror story in media channels. This story is another reason why I did not blame only private hospitals and private doctors of illegal bunglings, because that would have shielded all government employed doctors. I blame this situation on the society as a whole and government policies in particular. Society because every 1 in 5 families of a patient is willing enough to have an illegal organ transplant or blood transfusion from an illegal source; if it guarantees the welfare of the patient. This encourages doctors to switch to illegal means for any need, small or big. And the government policies are equally responsible because the scenario since independence, by and large remains the same. There has been no increase in the numbers of opportunities available to this class of people whom we call doctors. Instead we expect them to serve the masses, with minimal(or sometimes even nil) infrastructure, no incentives and when compared to their better offs in IT and MANAGEMENT sectors, only a handful are able to give competition. But before blaming anyone else, Is it not the moral and ethical responsibility of a doctor to serve selflessly his fellow beings? Is this not the first thing taught in medical colleges?!! May be I am keeping my foot on one more debatable topic.!!!! ? Now let me stir the pot a bit more. People die, as sure as they are born, they will die. Its a fact of life and one had better learn to accept it. People do not die ONLY because of doctors mistakes. If my memory does not fail me, the lady, whose death caused the JJ Hospital incident, was 75 years old. No details about what she was suffering from, on how long she was ailing, or the condition she was brought to the hospital in. Despite lacking these vital dfetails, you are ready to accept that the death was due to negligence. That is being unfair. Years ago, when I was still a houseman, we had a patient brought in with a myocardial infarction. The man had suffered a couple of infarctions over the years and his family was well aware that the next one could be fatal. Despite our best efforts he died. The family accepted this and were taking the body away, when the youngest son arrived. This guy had been out drinking, and made such a tamasha, threatening to kill the doctors, screaming abuse etc. Eventually the security had to physically throw him out of teh hospital. Often these dramatic and explosive incidents take place to â€Å"demonstrate† grief, however phony it may be. I have witnessed many such incidents, and feel that even if there was negligence, the Consumer Protection Courts are available to redress any complaint. Beating up pepole is not the solution to the problem. Hi rocrab – long time no see , no hear from you on forums†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ OK so you are a Doctor right So lets first establish the fact that you are biased- right or wrong Ok second point – the JJ hospital fiasco was uncalled for thats for sure. And it also highlighted the plight of 100's of overworked doctors and their meagre stipends. But the fact remains is that you do something wrong – you get punished. I do not think Consumer courts should try Doctors. As in lawyers – they should be debarred from practising medicine if found guilty. Anyways the point I want to bring out strongly is that :-1. People do not get in on merit – they pay huge donations – eg – Manipal college. – Totally shameless. 2. You pay to get in – you can also pay to pass. 3. If you do not know what you are doing – naturally you are literally ‘playing God'. So what are we left with – QUACKS by the dozen. That is why I think if some fear is instilled such foul play will lessen. Am starting another new topic on another issue that is close to my heart after the Jessica Lal forum. The recent strike by resident doctors in Mumbai's JJ Hospital because a relative of a victim who died – slapped a doctor caused headlines for several days. My take on this matter is that the Public slaps, verbal and physical abuse,vandalising of hospitals etc is due to the fact that there is no other way to bring negligent Doctors to book in this country. That is why there are more and more instances of public outrage. What is more dangerous is the fact that these doctors who have caused such deaths – CONTINUE to treat patients and put them at risk with their ‘little' knowledge. And last night NDTV debated about this because a one Dr Saha is suing 4 Kolkotta doctors for Rs 77. 7 crore for negligence for his wife's death. So my question is Should such Doctors be tried for negligence and be punished in a court of law or not? If so what sort of court should try them – like the military have a Martial law ! How long can we allow these so called ‘quacks' to get away with murder 18 Mar 2006 07:03 pm 14 Rumhona, Totally agree with what you have said about money taking precedence over merit. Medical colleges operating out of rented premises, lacking basic infrastructure. â€Å"Deemed† universities, sprouting like mushrooms after the rains, with no one to check or monitor the quality of teh education they provide or the â€Å"doctors† they produce. What is practiced by such â€Å"doctors† is criminal, no question of negligence. Unfortunately we have two sets of laws in India, one for the rich and one for the poor, this has been amply demonstrated in the recent past. Despite all this each case has to be judged on its merits. Negligence as defined by law, â€Å"is not doing that which a reasonable doctor would do†. Now what a reasonable doctor would do, is there in black and white, in teh text books. But no text book can describe ALL the medical conditions and the complicating factors. Medicine is also subjective, so things can get tricky. Every view put forward by an expert will be refuted by another equally qualified expert. (An expert being one who knows more and more about less and less, till eventually he knows every thing about nothing. )Finally, the quality of medicine practiced in India is pretty miserable. My wife who is diabetic and hypertensive, was nearly killed by a consultant, who could not see beyond the infection he was treating. Eventually, I had to bring her down to my hospital where she began recovering in 24 hours.

Louis Xiv, the Sun King

Louis XIV, the Sun King Historians over three centuries have both defended and criticized Louis XIV’s controversial reign. Many people hailed him as a great king; supreme as the sun he deemed his emblem. A great king is an unselfish one who is able to consider the people’s interest before their own. This is a direct contrast to how Louis XIV ruled France, but he still accomplished a remarkable amount for France. Even with his selfish agenda and lavish spending, it is without question that Louis still remains the most excellent and most powerful absolute monarch in European history.He is the epitome of an absolute monarch. Having so much authority making a few mistakes was inevitable. But in his successes, France was altered for the better, permanently. Louis challenged the status quo by doing what had never been attempted. His bold choices changed the lifestyle and attitude of Europe, by creating one of the most dynamic monarchies in history. Although some may question his effectiveness, under Louis XIV’s reign France achieved political, militarily, and cultural dominance.In regards to politics, Louis’ attitude can be summarized in one infamous statement:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"L'Etat, c'est moi† (I am state). In other words, he possessed total control over his people, as an absolute monarch. He often referred to himself as the Sun King; strategically coming up with such a name because the world revolves around the sun, as he wanted the people to revolve around him. His egotistical thinking earned him a few harsh critics but his dominance remained unquestioned. When in rule, he made it clear that his word was law.This was an effective approach for him. Through his absolute monarchy he was able to accomplish much for France, specifically in the early years of his reign. The Sun King even managed to strip parliament of their traditional power to obstruct legislation. Implementing the idea; once more, that he was absolute ruler of all things. When Louis came to power, France was disheveled nobles were asking for extensions of power, in which they did not need. He put an end to this debacle; in a time of separation, he sought to unify his people and he was able to do so.After centralizing government and gaining total control of reign, his efforts were focused on cutting deficit and promoting industrial growth. With the help of his alter ego, Jean Baptiste Colbert, they brought order out of chaos associated with the royal fiscal administration. Colbert possessed the interest in the people’s ideals that the king lacked; this helped him better advice the king in his political reforms. By enforcing such reforms he pushed France towards a more stable government.Louis XIV made his most substantial impact in the realm of militarism. The foreign policy of prestige was mainly concerned with strengthening the military. The king made such astute claims that needed a strong military to defend his word. During his reign, he to ok the initiative to build a massive army, which grew to be more powerful than ever. Military reforms vastly increased France’s power. By the late 1660’s, France was the most powerful state in Europe. The army’s destructiveness assisted in reaching his main goal: to extend France to its natural borders.His adoration for power led to a series of wars that lasted many years- The four distinct conflicts that characterized his military excursions were: War with Spain, the Dutch war, the war of Palatinate, and the war of Spanish succession. Unfortunately, his desire for expansion gained him a few enemies. The enemies being the countries he was trying to conquer. Even some of his people were underwhelmed with his efforts, having to pay for such reforms in heavy taxes. Overall, his military reforms helped France sustain a stronger army than ever.With such an astute commander, the French military was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Just as Louis’ wars domi nated political history in the late1600’s, his palace at Versailles dominated European culture. The age of Louis saw a flourishing of culture throughout Europe. As an absolute monarch, he assumed total control over everything, and culture was no exception. The state was able to manipulate cultural developments and take them to unprecedented heights. His influence on culture contributed to the prestige of France (). The Sun King also aided in the blossoming of art and architecture.The great king created many programs and institutes to infuse more of the arts into French culture. Louis’ patronage for the arts was concentrated on Versailles, a palace that is an unforgettable symbol of his power and influence on Europe. Versailles was one of the most beautiful achievements of eighteenth-century French art (). There was a shift from articulate paintings to posters, but the idea remained the same, to commemorate his power. The motives in supporting art were simple: to pass t he glamour and glory of his century to the generations to come.Louis XIV served the longest reign in European history. His time in power saw achievements that seemed unattainable for France, in the time before him. The age of Louis XIV was essential to European history for a manifold of reasons. First, his reign saw the triumph of absolutism, not only in France, but also in continental Europe. His creation of Versailles was an extravagant denotation for other European leaders to follow. Second, Louis’ wars proved the system of Balance of power to be an effective method. French aggression was contained and it became the norm.Most importantly, Louis’ reign established France as the dominant power in Europe. However, his legacy was not all positive; his lavish spending habits left his successors a huge debt. While conditions in France were well during his rule, the problems caused by his decisions would help ignite the French Revolution in 1789. With that being said, Loui s’ achievements deemed him one of the greatest monarchs in history. It is unfortunate that so many historians focus only on debt and military failures, and not what he was able to do for France, when they desperately needed change.