Archplot in the film Die Hard Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Archplot in the film Die Hard - Movie Review Example These struggles must represent the protagonist's particular desire to achieve his objectives against the antagonistic force. There is a linear time frame which characterises the temporal features of the story. This linear time frame is produced as a result of discrete and causally related events. The final feature of the Archplot is the nature of the story's ending. The ending leaves no room for doubt as to the fate of the characters. The ending, in short, is characterised by a finality which cannot be altered. This essay will argue that, in nearly all respects, the Die Hard screenplay conforms closely to the main features of the Archplot. This screenplay pursues the fundamental features noted by McKee, and a textual analysis of the screenplay will be employed to analyse each of these features of the Archplot, respectively. There is a preliminary question as to whether the main protagonist is active or passive. The protagonist in Die Hard is John McClane, a New York City police officer. The script introduces him as "mid-thirties, good-looking, athletic and tired from his trip" (Die Hard: 3). He has a Beretta pistol visible through his open jacket and, in an early attempt to establish the protagonist as an active character, the script contrasts him with a fellow airline passenger when "McClane turns, looks at the Babbit clone next to him. Caught, he tenses, holds his armrests in exaggerated fear" (Die Hard: 3). The Babbit reference is to a famous American literary work which bemoans the passivity and the helplessness of the working man. The physical description of the protagonist, the gun, and the explicit literary reference seek to immediately establish McClane as the anti-Babbit, or the opposite of passive and helpless. McKee establishes various guidelines, or commandments if you will, for creating an active protagonist within the Archplot framework. First, the action must always be within the control of the protagonist. This does not require that the protagonist drive the action forward, indeed the protagonist may be placed in a reactionary role, but that the protagonist is always connected in some way to the plot as it unfolds. Second, the plot must pose challenges and obstacles for the protagonist; in this way, an active protagonist is one whom is presented with barriers to the achievement of certain goals and objectives. Finally, the active protagonist is characterised by an event or a situation which throws his life out of balance or in some other way renders him vulnerable to an antagonistic force. The John McClane character conforms extraordinarily close to McKee's notion of an active protagonist. Die Hard begins and ends with the protagonist. John McClane comes to Los Angeles, becomes embroiled in an adversarial conflict, reigns supreme in the conflict, disposes of the adversary, and then continues to enjoy the original purpose of his visit. As an initial matter, McClane is perfectly tailored for the conflict which he encounters, describing himself as "a New York cop who used to be a New York kid, and I got six months backlog of New York scumbags I'm still trying to put behind bars. I don't just get up

Business and Industry involved in the development of Community College Essay

Business and Industry involved in the development of Community College programs - Essay Example In order to cater for the diverse needs of the businesses and industries, diverse programs have been developed by the community colleges as a direct influence of the former. People have also come to change their perspectives on community colleges, which consequently has resulted in the introduction of adult classes, part-time graduates enrollment programs to sharpen their skills. Businesses and industries have sponsored community colleges in different ways, provided internship opportunities for their students and influenced their curriculum, just to mention a few. Initially, community colleges were believed to be set up for the handicapped and underprivileged to provide them with general education and tradition liberal arts. However, with time, people began appreciating them. This was as a result of the rise of new businesses and industries which were in demand of labor. The short courses offered in community colleges as compared to other educational instructions provided the urgent workforce needed. The different industries and businesses establishments needed different and diverse skills. As a result, diverse courses came into being and students were taught programs like home economics, business studies teaching, secretarial studies, general courses and music. These trainings acted as links between semi-skilled laborers and professionals. All this made it possible for the students to get jobs after immediate completion of their courses. Gradually, people changed their perspective on community colleges, adult classes were introduced, part-time classes came into being and even graduates enrolled to sharpen their skills. This resulted in the enrollment of a huge number of students leading to the growth of community colleges. Business and industries play a major role in the development of Community College Programs. This state of affairs started back in the 1990s when there was immense business potential in America as new businesses and industries were

Strategic HRM Planning Process Essay Example for Free

Strategic HRM Planning Process Essay I have gathered information over the last five weeks about department policies and best practices pertaining to ethical and diversity considerations. Based on these findings, the following proposal is presented to improve the strategic planning process. Diversity and ethics are buzzwords and are used frequently around the workplace. There are areas within both where making small changes could result in large benefits for the company’s HR strategic planning process. These considerations are important for the strategic plan because they encourage a positive company culture and decrease legal risks that could otherwise result in the demise of the company. Diversity As a restaurant and bar located in the middle of a military-base town, our personnel records indicate management has been hiring primarily a specific demographic type (women ages 18-30). Management has hired this demographic type over other demographic types more qualified. Even in an effort to appeal to specific customers, this bias can come off as discriminative and reflect negatively on the company. Two areas in need of consideration are appearance-based discrimination and age-based discrimination. ABC Restaurant Pub, unlike Hooters or certain other establishments, is not protected with a bona-fide occupational qualification defense (BFOQ). Even though our company has not been presented with a legal issue in this regard it does not mean we are not vulnerable. It is in the best interest of our strategic HRM planning process to implement a Diversity Awareness Training Program and redesign the hiring process to minimize this bias from occurring during hiring. Proposed Action The first step is to design a Diversity Awareness Training Program for managers that promotes a positive work environment. The training program explains the current equal employment laws and regulations and the benefits of a diverse workforce. Importantly, the training program helps reteach the managers how to recruit, hire, train, and promote based on qualifications and not strictly appearance or age. Each manager will receive the initial two-hour training and then attend an annual diversity-training refresher, thereafter. The second step is to redesign the hiring processes. Currently, the restaurant accepts both electronic and paper applications. However, I propose we only accept electronic applications. Paper applications allow the manager to place a face with a name, before the manager is able to read his or her qualifications. Whereas electronic applications allow the manager to read the facts (qualifications and experience) first. In addition to switching to electronic only applications, I recommend candidates to be interviewed by a three-person panel. Because the restaurant is limited in management, the panel interview should consist of at least one manager, and supervisors or head servers and ideally contain both men and women. Panel interviews minimize discrimination and favoritism. Benefits Legal Benefits: Compliance with EEO and Affirmative Action legislative and minimizes lawsuits allowing the company to evolve and reach its long-term goals. Diverse Customer Base: A diverse workforce appeals to a diverse customer base. Broadening customer base often brings more revenue. Variety of Viewpoints: A more diverse workforce brings more diverse ideas and experiences to the table. Diverse ideas can lead to an increase in creativity, innovation, and productivity. Ethical Consideration Currently, we are a company with a high-turnover rate, in an industry with a high-turnover rate. Over time application of our promotion policies have slowly diminished. Employee reviews are not conducted within a specified timeframe, if at all. Qualifications for promotions are not specific. Employees have different perspectives on performance expectations. It is critical for the promotion process to be fair, transparent, and systematic (Buzz, 2012). Not only is this illegal and can lead to discrimination claims but it is unfair and not motivating for the employees. I believe it is important for the strategic management planning process to implement fair and concise promotion processes because it is the key to advancing and retaining good employees. Retaining good employees leads to an increase in motivation and productivity. Proposed Action The first step is to publicize promotional openings so every employee is aware of advancement opportunities. Making this information available to everyone limits discrimination claims. The second step is to implement a strict employee review program. It is recommended to have a midyear meeting as well as an end of year review. The midyear meeting can address any issues or opportunities. Issues should be addressed regularly through the second half of the year. This is a time to be honest and ask the employee how they think they are doing, and any goals they may have for the next year. The end of the year review is to discuss compensation, bonuses, and promotion. There should be no surprises for the employee. The third step is to decide a specific salary increases guidelines for employees. Salary decisions must be based on performance and documented. Benefits Improve Employee Motivation- Motivation increases when opportunities are fairly distributed. Increase Productivity- Employees are more productive when challenged and financially rewarded. Lower Turnover- Employees tend to stay longer with a company they feel their efforts are recognized and advancement is available. Minimize Discrimination Suits – Closing It is my belief that making the aforementioned improvements are important to ABC Restaurant Pubs human resource management strategic planning process. Together the improvements will minimize legal issues, increase productivity, improve employee motivation, and diversify the customer base, all of which are important to develop a competitive advantage in the industry.

Comparing Chinese Herbal Medicine And Modern Medicine Sociology Essay

Comparing Chinese Herbal Medicine And Modern Medicine Sociology Essay This project is to compare Chinese herbal medicine with modern (Western) medicine in terms of culture, sociological and human well-being effects. An online system has been created to showcase a number of popular Chinese herbals in order to gain better understanding on the way that these herbs keep body balance and harmony. The system also help people to check the translation of Chinese herbs Also the users can comment on the web site,and exchange their ideas with others. Also, some sociological and philosophical reasons that can affect peoples opinions are discussed in the research section of this report. 1. Introduction 1.1 Project background The background of this project can be thought asthe points shown below. At any time, healthy is an important element for a human well being. Especially at present, everyone is thinking more about their health while working and living under the pressure of economic recession. Research has shown that most people choose modern medicine, i.e., western medicine to cure diseases. But not only modern medicine costs too much but also it has side defects. In 2009, after the American singer Michael Jackson died, many people have realized that taking more medicines can get sometimes unpleasant side effect, and sometimes, fatal. Furthermore, because of the pandemic of Swine Flu, people have started to think more about disease prevention than just curing them. To this end, Chinese herbal medicine can help and has since become more popular than before, which is a very natural choice. So, more and more people are interest in Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM). According to World Hearth Organization (WHO) webpage, the following description has been given: During its 3000-yea r history, traditional Chinese medicine pioneered interventions such as diet, exercise, awareness of environmental influences on health, and the use of herbal remedies as part of a holistic approach to health.(1). Chinese Herbal Medicine can be used as in evidence.However,, similar to any other medicine, CHM is complicated, even to Chinese people. To understand Chinese Herbal Medicine is not easy. So, a system thatcan provide the information of Chinese herbal medicine can help people who are not used to CHM in many ways. 1.2 Problem definition From the questionnaire conducted in this project and shown in Appnediex, more than 80% non-Chinese people heard about Chinese Herbal Medicine,.Whereas , more than a half of them prefer modern medicine. So, why donot they like Chinese medicine is the first question to ask. Secondly, According to the questionnaire, more than 60% people use Internet everyday, which means, with the development of e-commerce, Internet can be a tool that provides people with different views on Chinese herbal medicine. But, during the research, until now, just a few web site can support this, which are A) http://www.herbalmedicineuk.com/ B) http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/ C) http://www.holisticchineseherbs.com/ On the other hand, there are some problems in these three web sites. Figure1: the first web site at http://www.herbalmedicineuk.com/ . The web page A can be used to purchase some herbs on line,i.e., it is a on-line shopping web site. There is not any information regarding the background of these herbs. From this web site, users only can buy the herbs, but can not learn the knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine. Figure 2: the second web site. Similarly, web site B can only provide general information on CM, but not information regarding each individual herb and its functions. Figure3: the third web site On the other hand, webpage C provides amount of useful information on CHM. However, again when it comes to each herb, the knowledge is not there with a number of translation errors. In summary, although there are a few web sites that provide information on Chinese herbal medicine, for people with little knowledge of CHM, a new web sited is needed to work as an educational tool as well as an online shopping site, which is what this project does. 1.3 Aims The aim of this project is to design and build a web site system that allows users with little knowledge of CHM to learn and understand Chinese herbal medicine. Another aim is to start an online discussion forum to find the reasons behind that why so many people dont know or dislike CHM. 1.4 Objectives Gather information on the knowledge of CHM based on questionnaires. Interview with doctors who practice CHM.Carry out research on these topics Design and build an online system. Evaluate the online website. Write final report on project. 2 Literature review This chapter will review three books on Chinese medicine, which include Chinese herbal medicine -A practical guide to the healing power of herbs by Guang Xu (Give reference in the end), Medicine East And West: Two Ways of seeing, two ways of thinking by Ted J.kaptchuk (reference), Chinese herbal medicine Formulas and Strategies by Dan Bensky and Randall Barolet (reference) and Chinese Herbal Legends by Zhu Zhongbao (reference). 2.1 The healing power of herbs In the book written by Guang Xu, the author tries to give a general overview about Chinese herbal medicine. The related chapters can be divided into two parts, one is Chinese herbal medicine history, another one is the elements of Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of more than 5000 years. The history can go back to the time of Sheng Nong, when Chinese people used plants to treat the illness further than a few thousand years. As explained by the author, Chinese herbal medicine is rooted in the culture of centuries, it cannot be easily explained or measured by modern scientific language and methods. Without a total understanding of its background and its history, it is very difficult to understand. [reference] . According to Chinese Culture, basically, there are two different elements that can affect Chinese Herbal Medicine. One is Yin (darkness) Yang (brightness), another one is Five-Element Theory. By understanding these two elements, it is easier for people who dont know CHM to comprehend Chinese Herbal Medicine. 2.1.1 Yin and Yang (darkness and brightness) Yin Yang, which is from traditional Chinese philosophy, is the name of two related things that are opposite in the natural world, i.e., everything in the universe can have two opposite, such as sunshine, fire, light, which are Yang. On the other hand, grey, dark, cold, belong to the element of Yin. In Chinese Medicine, Yin-Yang theory is an important element through the whole medicine system and can be employed to explain the body system and guide the treatment. For example: Yin-Yang implies that everything in the world has an opposite, such as sky and land, sun and moon. Although they are opposite, they also can be an unity. Through this unity, the natural world can keep the balance well. Yin-Yang depends on with each other, meaning if there is no Yang, there is no Yin. When the balance of the relationship of the substance of Yin-Yang are destroyed, the life might reach its end. On the other hand, Yin-Yang has a special relationship. If one wanes the other will wax. For example, just as the four seasons, if winter changes to spring, the weather should be warm. It is the process of Yin waxes and Yang wanes. Five-Element Theory The Five-element theory includes fire, metal, water, wood and earth, as well as their motions. The ancient Chinese people found these five elements are the basic substances in universe. These five kinds of elements have relationship of generation and restriction, as found in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese doctors use them to describe the problems of disease as explained in the following: Reinforcing the spleen (earth) to strengthen the lung (metal) ; Failure of water (kidney) to nourish wood (or failure of the kidney to nourish the liver) ; Five movements and six climates; Wood tending to spread out freely; Depression of the liver (wood) generating fire; Fire of the liver (wood) impairing the lung (metal); Fire tending to flare/flame upward ; Excessive fire impairing the lung (metal) ; Failure of fire to generate earth ; Coordination between water (kidney) and fire (heart); In coordination between the kidney (water) and the heart (fire) ; Being restricted and restricting ; Philosophical concept Traditional Chinese herbal medicine, however, can be based on two treatments which are on philosophical concept. 2.1.3.1 The Holistic Concept By this concept, there is a general meaning, i.e., the human body is a unity and a universe is within a body. On the other hand, it has a close interaction with the world. Traditional Chinese Medicine maintains that a human body is composed of different organs with each organ having its own distinct function, as a part of the whole body. Also, Chinese medicine regards the whole body as an organic body. Its constituent parts are inseparable in structure, interrelated and interdependent in physiology. Man has a nature life, and nature provides an environment for mans survival. So, human can be affected by nature. Traditions Chinese Medicine states Physicians have to know the law of nature and geographical conditions when diagnosing and treating diseases . That is the reason of Tradition Chinese Medicine not only stresses the human body is a unity but also regards the interrelationship between the body and nature environment. 2.1.3.2 Treatment by Differentiation of Syndromes Chinese herbal medicine, on the other hand, is also understood as treatment by differentiation of syndromes. The meaning of differentiation is to analyze the diseases by comprehensive, implying that the patients symptoms and signs collected by the following four diagnostic methods are analyzed and summarized in order to identify the etiology, nature and location of a disease, and the relationship between vital qi (air) and pathogens, thereby to determine what syndrome a disease in concern belongs to. According to the relationship between disease and treatment, traditional Chinese medicine is based on two different ways. One is to treat the same disease with different therapies. Whilst another one is to treat different diseases with the same therapy, i.e., different disease can be manifested in the same situation may be treated in the same way. In summary, using different methods for the treatment of the disease is the core of Treatment by Differentiation of Syndromes. 2.2 Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine The book by Ted J.kaptchuk discusses the difference between East and West medicines, such as why some westerners dislike Chinese Medicine? There is a philosophic reason, which is that Chinese culture is hard to understand. But, another reason is sociological. That is the way of western people thinking about Chinese Medicine. In this book, author gives two different views on seeing and thinking via westerners view, If a non-Chinese person can found these two ways, he/she might become interested in Chinese Medicine. The first one is concerned with treatment result. Many non-chinese have strange notions about Chinese medicine, Some of them see it as hocus-pocus-the product of primitive or magical thinking. If a patient is cured by means of herbs or acupuncture, they see only two possible explanations: Either the cure is a placebo effect, or it is an accident. To many people, when they heard about CHM, the first feeling in their mind is that, Chinese medicine is magical, but not science. The reason can be understood that Western medicine is based on data. Western doctors prefer using data to treat disease, whereas Chinese doctors are in favor of their experience. Another way of thinking, as described in the book, is Other Westerners have a more favorable but equally erroneous view of Chinese medicine. Deeply and often justifiably disturbed by many of the products of Western science and culture, they assume that the Chinese system, because it is felt to be more ancient, more spiritual, or more holistic, is also more true than Western medicine. In this way, some Westerners like Chinese medicine, but, because of different background, different culture, different history, their translate Chinese medicine of their own way based on their own culture. Also, they learn Chinese medicine through TV, Internet and some other media. In their mind, that is what Chinese medicine should look like. By and large, there are two groups of people. One group use Chinese medicine, but, think that Chinese medicine is less logical and is not based on science. It depends on a patients fortune. Another group of people think Chinese medicine through their own culture. Their minds are often mixed by this culture and other media. So, in their head, they have a different image of Chinese herbal medicine. But, many times, this image is incomplete. In Summary, the sociological reason that why westerners dislike Chinese medicine is based on a whole system. The Chinese method is based on the idea that no single part can be understood except in its relation to the whole. Understanding this overall pattern, with the symptom as part of it, is the challenge of Chinese medicine. The Chinese system is not less logical, just less analytical. 2.3 Formulas and Strategies The book on Formulas and Strategies by Dan Bensky and Randall Barolet has divided Chinese herbal medicine as Chinese herbal and Chinese medicine. Whereas the book by Zhu Zhongbao on Chinese Herbal Legends focuses on the use of herbs. Recently, more and more Chinese doctors found it hard to translate Chinese herbal names. Because, the herbal name is based on Chinese culture and history, and there are so many acceptable solutions. Since these books work as a reference text, for our project, our information is to reflect as closely as possible the meaning and syntax of the original CHM. We use anglicized Latin names for medicinal substances. The right translations of herbal can be found from these two books. The following examples are given in the webpage designed in this project. 1) Cang zhu Name English name: Swordlike Atractylodes Rhizome Pharmaceutical name :Rhizoma Atractylodis Nature and flavor: Pungent, bitter and warm Actions Dries dampness and strengthens the spleen Dispels wind dampness Induces sweat, releases the exterior Indications Syndrome of dampness stagnation in Middle Burner Impediment syndrome due to wind damp Exterior syndrome of wind , cold and dampness Chickenpox, mumps and scarlet fever Infantile rickets Night blindness and dry eyes Diabetes 2) Jin Yin Hua Name English name: Honeysuckle Flower Pharmaceutical name: Flos Lonicerae Japonicae. Nature and flavor:Sweet and cold Actions Clears away heat and resolve toxin Disperses wind and heat Indications External contracted wind-heat, the onset of warm disease Carbuncle and clove sores Bleeding due to heat toxin More information about translation will be given by chapter 3result and disscuess. Methodology Based on the study of literature review, two methods have been applied in the development of this project. One is to conduct questionnaire to gather information from the point of view of Chinese doctors. The other is to design and develop an internet based information site providing educational tool on the explanation of what each herb does and a prototype of potential online shopping site to deliver the herbs that people require. 3.1 Interview with a Chinese doctor Location: Brent Cross Doctor Herb Student Name: Yuanlei Wang Following the recommendation by the supervisor, Dr. Amaldi, this interview took place at Brent Cross Doctor Herb in order to gain insight useful information from a professional CHM practitioner. The Chinese doctor of the clinic described the changing of Chinese herbal medicine during the last 10 years. After recording, translating, and analysis, the main points can be summarized as follows. As discussed in Section 2, there are two main reasons that Chinese herbal medicine is not as popular as Western medicine. They are sociological and culture. Sociological In the past, because Chinese government had closed door policy, Chinese were hardly known to the other world. Nor was Chinese Herbal Medicine, which has led less people being interest in China culture, history, and Chinese herbal medicine. On top of this, Chinese government imposed a culture revolution and ignored CHM, leading to less and less people know this medicine, even in China. Culture In Europe, every medical practice needs license to ensure patients safety, which can only obtained by field trial through gathering large amount of data. As discussed in Section 2, CHM is mainly based on experience. Therefore CHM cannot be used in many hospitals, but can be used as additional therapy, such as acupuncture. Because the differences in culture, it is hard for non-Chinese people to understand this invasive technique, On the other hand, the UK National Health Service (NHS) has only introduced limited CHM. Many GPs (general practitioner) think Chinese herbal medicine is an accident not a science. Because NHS is free to the UK people, whereas CHM cost a lot, people will think twice before go to a CHM shop. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in the UK Since China started an open policy three decades ago, more and more people have visited China and are becoming more and more interested in Chinese culture and therefore CHM. Now, in the UK, there are over 3000 Chinese medicine shops all over the country, an increase by over 30% in the least 30 years. More and more people have started to take Chinese herbal medicine. Furthermore, the UK government has a plan to legitimate Chinese herbal medicine as part of NHS. So, CHM is getting more and more recognized in improving peoples well being and healthy life. (More information will be given in result and discussion ) 3.1.4 Media Effect British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) has also made huge contribution to introduce CHM to the UK. For example, in January 2006, BBC Channel 2 did a programme on Acupuncture Deactivates Brain and again on Back-pain Acupuncture Effective in Septmeber. In these programmes, doctors try to use the acupuncture instead the general anaesthetic. During the first programme, it is said: The pain matrix is involved in the perception of pain it helps someone decide whether something is painful or not, so it could be that acupuncture in some ways changes a persons pain perception. But he added: The thing about acupuncture is that it does not work on everyone. It is more likely to be effective if you believe it.I think it is a psychological manipulation technique, a distraction. We are not going to get to the stage where this could be used instead of a general anaesthetic. In the second programme, the message is that acupuncture for low back pain is cost-effective and works, according to medical researchers. According to the interview during the questionnaire time, the doctor remembered that after this TV programme, many people found that Chinese herbal medicine are useful for their body. More and more people have visited Chinese medicine shop. This example has shown that media can provide a good way to spread a news. Other means of media should also be applied in this regard. Design and Build an internet based Herbal Shop Although TV is a extremely useful way to broadcast a news, it has the limitation of time. Like the two programmes discussed in Section 3.1.4, they were shown near mid-night when most people are gone to bed and missed many viewers. Internet, however, is 24-7 and can be viewed at anytime, any location by using any means (e.g, mobile phone, computer, TV, etc). Therefore in this project, an online system has been created to introduce Chinese herbs plus their relevant information. The web page is at http://image.mdx.ac.uk/leilei. Figure 1 display a use-case UML (Unified Modelling Language) diagram showing the design. Figure 1. A UML diagram showing the developed Chinese Herb webpage (http://image.mdx.ac.uk/leilei). The system interface is consisted of three main parts, including product viewing page, search engine, input page, and guest book to send users feedbacks, and has client-server structure. In the server, the database is built using MySQL language, a rational database language. While the web interface is constructed using PHP (Personal Home Page) language, a c-like language. When users use this product, the process can be described as follows. Figure 2. System structure. When users enter data through internet interfaces which are coded in PHP. Then the interface through PHP sends/retrieves data to/from MYSQL database that is resided at the web page server at http://image.mdx.ac.uk . 3.2.1 Functions of the system This system has three parts, including Guest book, information, and history, which are describe in review. Homepage About Chinese herbal medicine Chinese herbals Guest book The history of Chinese herbal medicine. The first function is the information of Chinese herbal medicine., in this web page, users can know the history of Chinese herbal medicine, and other information. Guest book The second function is Guest book, in this function, the users can write some words in the browser. This part just provides a environment for exchanging ideas. Chinese herbal The last function is Chinese herbal to introduce its function, flavor, condition, and many more. 4 Result and Discussion This Section will discuss the results obtained from the interviewing with a Chinese medicine doctor and the developed prototype online CHM shop and information system. 4.1 Results from the interviewing Through the questionnaire and the interview with the Chinese doctor at Brent Corss Clinic, it can be concluded that nearly half of the population dont like to dont know CHM, as illustrated at Figure 6. A considerable number of people have not heard of CHM. And a quarter of people do not know the places to purchase CHM. Many people do even like the taste of CHM, which is similar to many Chinese people who take herbs. Figure 3. Pie chart showing the group of people thinking of CHM. These differences again can be associated to the issues of 1) Culture 2) Translation.3) Media 4) Government 5) The tastes of Herbal. In these data, culture belongs to philosophic reason, whilst media, translation, government and the tastes of herbal relate to sociological reason. Culture Chinese Medicine has following characteristics. Preventing is more important than treatment According to Chinese medicine book Yellow Emperor, people should treat disease before they have it, i.e., people should take care of their body before they have illness. Another book Hua inan zi (Chinese medicine) also claims that a good doctor often treats non-diseases, hence there is no disease. I.e., if a doctor can find a persons disease before this person get it, he will never get this disease. This prevention-oriented medical thought that people should take care of their health from an early age, can transform as a measure of dialectical philosophy, which is the essence of Chinese culture. Nature and Man should be together The overall concept of Chinese philosophy focuses on that human and nature world should be together, like a body. That the world and the human are not isolated, and they are interdependent, interacting, and interrelated. When it comes to Chinese Herbal Medicine, it also has the same pinciple. Chinese herbal medicine advocates astronomy, geography, and persons should be a whole entity. A nature human cannot leave the social world to survive. The factors that influence health and disease, are concerned with not only biological factors, but also social and psychological factors, So, Chinese Herbal Medicine also advocates treatment that should focus on the change of nature world. To adjust the balance of Yin-Yang (YY) Chinese Medicine mentions that the Yin-Yang is two sided, which is relatively representative of the body. The formation and growth is inseparable from the development of YY. In the bodys normal physiological conditions, the relative balance of YY is maintained, which is important. If one is changed, the mis-balance will cause the change/disorder of bodys normal physiological function. All the actions that a human is doing in the nature world are inseparable from the balance of YY. Therefore, the purpose of the coordination shows that traditional Chinese culture focus on symmetry, the bedrock philosophy of the balance. Static and dynamic idea of the constant combining From the early age, Chinese Philosophy already found the relationship between static and dynamic understanding , as stated in the Book of Change (Zhou Yi). The static and dynamic things are happening constantly. The substance in the nature world should keep moving and changing. In the whole human life, everything in the body, should keep changing until the end. Motion is the rule of nature world. It is the basic element of human health. So, Chinese Medicine stresses dynamics that can treat disease. Just as the same way that people know that sporting is good for health. On the other hand, comparing with dynamic view, Chinese Herbal Medicine also found that silence can also be a healthy habit. Qi Gong (i.e., marshal art) is based on this opinion. So, Static and dynamic element should be completed. Translation A good translation can help people with different culture background understand Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) better. Because CHM has its own culture and history , sometimes, it is difficult to translate the words exactly, which can cause frustration and lead more people lose their interest in CHM, which is explained below. The philosophic meaning in the medicine name. Some CHM names are based on their own philosophic meaning, such as Yin Yang, Yuan Qi and so on. If people do not know Chinese philosophic culture, it would be hard to translate. For some CHM doctors, when they translate medicine names, they sometimes copy some western medicine names. Whereas actually those medicines are completely different. Because of the long history of China, Chinese Herbal Medicine is based on an old knowledge system. Through more than thousand years, some of them have already lost their meanings with only a few people understanding. So, even to some knowledgeable Chinese people, translating medicine names is a hard job. Other factors include Media. According to data analysis from the questionaire, media is a very important means in order to let more people know Chinese medicine. However media can be limited, such as the wrong time of a TV programme leading to many people missing the show. Another factor is Governmental: In the past, Chinese Government had a closed door policy, which has limited knowledge of CHM. The questionnaire has also concluded that bad taste of herbs may also have some effect to prevent people taking them. Online shopping system Figures 3-6 illustrate the snapshots of web interfaces of the developed prototype online information and shopping system. Figure 4. The interface showing the Herb information. Figure 5. Input interface. Figure 6. Search engine. Figure 7. Guest book for sending users feedbacks. The system now contains more than 20 herbs information. System Evaluation The evaluation of the developed web site is based on heuristic evaluation. That can give a general overview of the web site, also, through this way, it can give a good idea for developers to improve the system design. The purpose of this evaluation is that, users have a task to browse the complete web pages. This task should start on the home page and finish when users get the feedback. Through this way, users can have a general view of the system by following the rules shown below. User control and freedom Users control and freedom can be understood that system can support users undo or do. Through the task we choose, users can find that it is not easy for them to control the web sites. ie, in the comment page, when users submit the words, they will find that there is a button for them to resubmit. Fun and enjoyment According the purpose of this web site, the web site should give the information of the Chinese herbal medicine to users. That means that the web pages should be fun, but these web pages are very plain, i.e., 1) All the background colours are white. 2) The web site is too simply , There is no enjoyment for users. Feedback Feedback is important for users to understand the information of the web site. In this web site, users can comment and see the other feedbacks. Provide short cuts Short cuts are easily for users to find what they want. In general, the web site is useful. Users can find the information regarding Chinese herbal medicine that need from the home page. Aesthetics and minimalist design Normally, users can have a good feeling with a good minimalist design. But, this web site is boring at this point. Through all web pages, there is no colour, no pictures, all the buttons are closed with each other. That might be caused some mistakes of users. On the other hand, there are some positive feedbacks. The users can find buttons easily, especially on the last page, where there is a comment page, providing a good interaction between users and the web site. In summary, this web site is fine, users can get some general information about Chinese herbal medicine from this web site, also, this web site has a guest page. Users can have a good interaction with the system. According heuristic evaluation, there are some negative aspects. Such as, 1)This system is very simply . 2) The colours are not very good. 3) It is boring for users 4) Some steps are not useful. All in all, this web site can give users a general opinion of Chinese herbal medicine. Recommendations There are some aspects which need to recommend. It should change colours of the web pages. The system should not be simple. The web site should increase some enjoyment. It should provide the search function for users. The web pages should give more freedom to users. Conclusion This project aims at introducing people Chinese Herbal Medicine and has developed an online system providing information on Chinese herbs. The design of the system applies client-server structure and employ

Against Mandatory School Uniforms in Public School Essay -- Education

Imagine that you pick your seven-year-old child up from school. He is crying and wearing a different outfit than the one he wore to school. This is naturally upsetting but not as upsetting as your next discovery. His shirt, one you have never seen before, has a large "L" written on the sleeve in permanent marker; his shorts, also not his, are too large, stained and faded. Upon questioning your child, you discover that, despite your best efforts at compliance, your child’s clothing has violated the school’s uniform policy. Neither you nor your husband was called to bring your child a "compliant" change of clothing; rather a loaner uniform was forced upon your child. He was made to change into these alien clothes (McBride "Student" 1-2). The debate over mandatory uniforms in the public school system is raging across the country and in our own backyards. Proponents claim uniforms improve many areas in the educational arena while opponents vigorously challenge these claims. Opponents also cite potential civil rights violations while uniform supporters counter that the potential benefits greatly outweigh any loss of freedoms. The issue of mandatory uniforms in the public schools gained the spotlight of national attention following President Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address. During that speech the President stated, "If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms" (Clinton 4). The President later visited Long Beach, California, where the first, district wide, mandatory school uniform policy in the country was enjoying seemingly remarkable success. He told those attending his speech that he had signed an order instructing the Secretary of Education to send to all school districts across the nation the newly generated Manual on School Uniforms ("Clinton" 1). The manual outlines specific steps for school districts wishing to implement uniform policies. It also gives examples of a few model policies from across the nation (United 1-7). The President went on to thank and praise Long Beach for their glowingly successful uniform policy ("Clinton" 3). Thus, the Long Beach Unified School District’s uniform policy became the national standard for school districts across the country. Despite the apparent success of some uniform policies, these ... ...il Liberties Union Freedom Network. 1 Mar. 1996. American Civil Liberties Union. 5 Apr. 2000 . "STAR 1998-1999 Score Level Comparisons of Total Scores for All Students: California Stanford Nine Scores." 30 Sept. 1999. California Dept. Of Edu. 15 Apr. 2000 . "STAR 1998-1999 Score Level Comparisons for All Students: Long Beach, California Stanford Nine Scores." 30 Sept. 1999. California Dept. Of Edu.Apr.2000 . "Student Prevails in North Carolina School Uniform Dispute." American Civil Liberties Union Freedom Network. 11 Jan. 2000. American Civil Liberties Union. 15 Apr. 2000 . Tillman, Tim. â€Å"Polk County School Uniform Compliance Data March 1999.† Polk County School Uniform Page. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, FL. 19 Apr. 2000 . "Uniform Incidents." Polk County School Uniform Page. Aug. 1999. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, Florida. 5 Apr. 2000 . United States. Department of Education. Manual on School Uniforms. 29 Feb. 1996. 6 Apr. 2000 . Van Der Laan, Dick. Telephone interview. Apr. 1996. Walters, Sabrina. "Dade Study: School Uniforms Haven’t Led to Better Conduct." Miami Herald 17 Sept. 1998: 1A. News Library. 8 Mar. 2000 . Against Mandatory School Uniforms in Public School Essay -- Education Imagine that you pick your seven-year-old child up from school. He is crying and wearing a different outfit than the one he wore to school. This is naturally upsetting but not as upsetting as your next discovery. His shirt, one you have never seen before, has a large "L" written on the sleeve in permanent marker; his shorts, also not his, are too large, stained and faded. Upon questioning your child, you discover that, despite your best efforts at compliance, your child’s clothing has violated the school’s uniform policy. Neither you nor your husband was called to bring your child a "compliant" change of clothing; rather a loaner uniform was forced upon your child. He was made to change into these alien clothes (McBride "Student" 1-2). The debate over mandatory uniforms in the public school system is raging across the country and in our own backyards. Proponents claim uniforms improve many areas in the educational arena while opponents vigorously challenge these claims. Opponents also cite potential civil rights violations while uniform supporters counter that the potential benefits greatly outweigh any loss of freedoms. The issue of mandatory uniforms in the public schools gained the spotlight of national attention following President Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address. During that speech the President stated, "If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms" (Clinton 4). The President later visited Long Beach, California, where the first, district wide, mandatory school uniform policy in the country was enjoying seemingly remarkable success. He told those attending his speech that he had signed an order instructing the Secretary of Education to send to all school districts across the nation the newly generated Manual on School Uniforms ("Clinton" 1). The manual outlines specific steps for school districts wishing to implement uniform policies. It also gives examples of a few model policies from across the nation (United 1-7). The President went on to thank and praise Long Beach for their glowingly successful uniform policy ("Clinton" 3). Thus, the Long Beach Unified School District’s uniform policy became the national standard for school districts across the country. Despite the apparent success of some uniform policies, these ... ...il Liberties Union Freedom Network. 1 Mar. 1996. American Civil Liberties Union. 5 Apr. 2000 . "STAR 1998-1999 Score Level Comparisons of Total Scores for All Students: California Stanford Nine Scores." 30 Sept. 1999. California Dept. Of Edu. 15 Apr. 2000 . "STAR 1998-1999 Score Level Comparisons for All Students: Long Beach, California Stanford Nine Scores." 30 Sept. 1999. California Dept. Of Edu.Apr.2000 . "Student Prevails in North Carolina School Uniform Dispute." American Civil Liberties Union Freedom Network. 11 Jan. 2000. American Civil Liberties Union. 15 Apr. 2000 . Tillman, Tim. â€Å"Polk County School Uniform Compliance Data March 1999.† Polk County School Uniform Page. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, FL. 19 Apr. 2000 . "Uniform Incidents." Polk County School Uniform Page. Aug. 1999. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, Florida. 5 Apr. 2000 . United States. Department of Education. Manual on School Uniforms. 29 Feb. 1996. 6 Apr. 2000 . Van Der Laan, Dick. Telephone interview. Apr. 1996. Walters, Sabrina. "Dade Study: School Uniforms Haven’t Led to Better Conduct." Miami Herald 17 Sept. 1998: 1A. News Library. 8 Mar. 2000 .

Fractal Geometry :: essays papers

Fractal Geometry The world of mathematics usually tends to be thought of as abstract. Complex and imaginary numbers, real numbers, logarithms, functions, some tangible and others imperceivable. But these abstract numbers, simply symbols that conjure an image, a quantity, in our mind, and complex equations, take on a new meaning with fractals - a concrete one. Fractals go from being very simple equations on a piece of paper to colorful, extraordinary images, and most of all, offer an explanation to things. The importance of fractal geometry is that it provides an answer, a comprehension, to nature, the world, and the universe. Fractals occur in swirls of scum on the surface of moving water, the jagged edges of mountains, ferns, tree trunks, and canyons. They can be used to model the growth of cities, detail medical procedures and parts of the human body, create amazing computer graphics, and compress digital images. Fractals are about us, and our existence, and they are present in every mathematical law that governs the universe. Thus, fractal geometry can be applied to a diverse palette of subjects in life, and science - the physical, the abstract, and the natural. We were all astounded by the sudden revelation that the output of a very simple, two-line generating formula does not have to be a dry and cold abstraction. When the output was what is now called a fractal, no one called it artificial... Fractals suddenly broadened the realm in which understanding can be based on a plain physical basis. (McGuire, Foreword by Benoit Mandelbrot) A fractal is a geometric shape that is complex and detailed at every level of magnification, as well as self-similar. Self-similarity is something looking the same over all ranges of scale, meaning a small portion of a fractal can be viewed as a microcosm of the larger fractal. One of the simplest examples of a fractal is the snowflake. It is constructed by taking an equilateral triangle, and after many iterations of adding smaller triangles to increasingly smaller sizes, resulting in a "snowflake" pattern, sometimes called the von Koch snowflake. The theoretical result of multiple iterations is the creation of a finite area with an infinite perimeter, meaning the dimension is incomprehensible. Fractals, before that word was coined, were simply considered above mathematical understanding, until experiments were done in the 1970's by Benoit Mandelbrot, the "father of fractal geometry". Mandelbrot developed a method that treated fractals as a part of standard Euclidean geometry, with the dimension of a fractal being an exponent. Fractals pack an infinity into "a grain of sand". This infinity appears when one tries to measure them.

Men are violent by nature Essay

In the essay â€Å"Men – It’s In Their Nature,† Hoff Sommers states that although the â€Å"radical masculinity† should be addressed and civilized, it should not be eliminated because it is something natural and without it men would not be able to protect women and society. She argues that trying to make boys behave like girls does a disservice to boys’ natural talent. As Hoff Sommers claims, it is more of †Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"men’s nature†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬  and what society has to do is to civilize and handle the natural masculinity in men. There are strong influences in society, including media, school, and culture that overwhelmingly define aggressive male behavior. While these are undeniable physical properties, even from birth, gender roles are defined for children. Men must abandon notion they are violent by nature I remember my dad telling me about a woman he met this past summer in a small farming community who told hi m her husband beat her every few weeks. We’re surrounded by violence. Kids will see hundreds of violent deaths on television. Children will see other kids get spanked by their parents and learn that violence and love go hand-to-hand. Children The behavior is influenced by the massagers about gender that kids get from their parents, friends, teachers, and the media. Many parents, teachers, and gender reform have not been successful in rooting out male behavior they regard as harmful. For example, an â€Å"equity facilitator† tried to persuade a group of nine-year-old boys in a Baltimore public school to accept the idea of playing with baby dolls. According to one observer, â€Å"Their reaction was so hostile; the teacher had trouble keeping order (Sommers 366).† Sommers’ present’ research that asserts that the nature of men is a matter of biology, not conditioning, and schools should stop attempting to change natural gender roles in society. Biology is a factor in some aspects of male and female behavior, but the education of gender roles is society is constantly broadcast from parents, television, and teachers. Behavior adapts to the prevailing culture, not necessarily to biological ho rmones. â€Å"A Scientific American reviewed the growing evidence that children’s play preferences are, in large part, hormonally determined (Sommers 367).† Scientific date is no longer relevant; it is the culture of a particular society that is the major influence. Because all individual must exist within different societies, much of the behavior is engineered from laws, religion, and culture. If there was a law the demanded that man stay home and women work, then the behavior would respond that law and not to the biological nature of an individual’s sex. â€Å"We have a set of proven social practices for raising young men. The traditional approach is through character education to develop a young man’s sense of honor and help him become a considerate, conscientious human being (Sommers 367).† Yes, there are social practices in society, home, school, that encourage men to be dominant. In Saudi Arabia, Men are entitled to divorce without explanation simply by registering a statement to the court and repeating it three times. By contrast, most women lack the right to divorce. Sommers also discusses, â€Å"the efforts to feminize them with dolls, quilts, non-competitive games, girl-centered books, and feelings exercises will fail; though they will succeed in making millions of boys quite unhappy(Sommers 368).† There is no original or primary gender a drag imitates, but gender is a kind of such as those that encourage men who rape women to marry their victims. I don’t feel we should be trying to redirect their interests or feminize them to accomplish this, instead teach them how to use what comes natural to them for the greater good. Men have helped to get us this far through their competitive drive, risk taking, and sometimes their aggression. Sommers present scientific data that support the hardwired characteristics of men and women. The scientific data is valid, but in everyday life men and women are expected by society, to conform to tradition roles for men and women. There are many instances where there is a behavior that is hardwired from biology, but behaviors are still learned. A man may open a door for a woman because he was told that’s how you treat a woman. Sommers may have valid points about natural gender role, but she forgot the fact that behavior can never be learned from just science.