Response 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response 1 - Assignment Example I would like to add that health informatics technology is specifically important in the present age when people are generally endorsing more carefree and riskier lifestyles with respect to their diet and life choices, and at the same time, are becoming increasingly forgetful of their medical conditions and history. Health informatics technology is a great addition to the ever-advancing medical technology in that the focus of nurses and clinicians will now be on the selection of the best method of treatment rather than on finding ways to retrieve accurate information from the patients. Your’s is an elaborative response to the discussion questions and the statements and assertions are supported by reliable and credible sources, which reflects depth of research and richness of intellectual response. Just a small suggestion; in my opinion, in the response to the first discussion question, the concluding sentence â€Å"a recent article†¦Ã¢â‚¬  can be relocated to the beginni ng section where other definitions of meaningful use have been discussed to give a better flow and structure to the

Legal Issues Essay Example for Free

Legal Issues Essay From both a spiritual and an ethical perspective Benji Watson should not sign the contract being offered at New Gen Health Sciences. Completely understanding that he is newly out of college, most likely with student loans and upcoming bills he is responsible for, an extremely decent salary of $80,000 looks very ideal for him. In this day and poor economy the average graduated student would jump at the opportunity to accept a high ranked position like this. It is not everyday one gets invited to attend a weekend long event with a company like New Gen. To be lavished by free merchandise for like an iPad and polo shirts. One of my favorites quotes is, â€Å"They best things in life are free.† For many that would have finalized the deal, but money is not everything. In the Holy Bible Jesus teaches us about money. â€Å"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.† (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV) Jesus makes it clear that having the wrong treasures leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. What we treasure the most ends up controlling us. Statistics show that young Americans who possess a college degree struggle at mediocre paying jobs all across the United States. I do not know Benji’s financial situation, whether or not he desperately needs this job in order to survive but should he compromise his spiritual and ethical beliefs for this job? I truly do not think it’s worth losing self-dignity. God said that he would provide all of our needs, so regardless I think Benji should rest on that promise. My spiritual mind is telling me that one should never exploit their beliefs for a company’s gain. Spiritually speaking I believe in the faith I have in Jesus Christ. I feel as though if Benji accepts this position he would be settling. If New Gen offered a nice salary plus bonuses, I am sure they are more ethical companies out there willing to hire a well-educated college graduate such as Benji. The fact this company willingly falsely advertised their company for consumers discredits it as a whole for me. Putting up a facade shows the lack of integrity New Gen shows. Business ethics is the study of what makes up good and bad conduct as related to business actions and values. (Kubasek, 2012) In the business world CEO’s and top leaders decide whether or not they’ll follow good ethics  for there company. Clearly Benji sees the dark route New Gen is taking. Not only are they dishonest with investors and distributors, who poured into the company leading to profits, but also consumers. What disturbed me most as a Christian was when the CEO placed himself on such a high pedestal addressing the large crowd at the pep rally. Disrespecting the Christian faith, using the word salvation in a negative way to hype the crowd bothered me. â€Å"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. â€Å" (Galatians 6:7-8 NIV) As a believer I would not be comfortable working for a man who disrespected and took my faith so lightly and used it for personal gain. Furthermore the company showed mixed messages in regard to the possible hiring of Benji. New Gen Health Services made it seem like they didn’t interview him based on his Master’s degree, but because they assumed he was a Christian who could â€Å"talk the talk† to hoard new distributors in. Why would anyone want to work for a company who just wants to exploit you in order to increase the company’s profits and to potentially negatively hurt these lured distributors in the long run? God calls us to do good and live like Jesus. â€Å"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.† (Matthew 7:12 NIV) I feel another big reason why Benji shouldn’t sign the contract is because the true motivation for New Gen is corrupt. It is the motivation for the action that determines whether the act is fundamentally ethical or economic. (Dobson, 2012) There is a clear distinction of what form of ethic New Gen chose to do. They went the strategic-ethic path, aiming for the best monetary results for them. The economic benefits to be derived from superficially ethical behavior can be significant. (Dobson, 2012) If Benji did consider signing the contract with New Gen he may have felt that this is how all businesses are run in the real world. The scheme â€Å"Get rich quick!† is popular among many. It is common to familiarize such with corporate culture which is defines as a set of characteristics that define a business. It involves employee attitudes, standards (policy and procedures),  and rites and rituals. Though I believe that this is true and common, I know that they are plenty of businesses choose to do differently. Lastly Benji should avoid signing that contract because he’ll have to deal with his conscience. Would God be pleased with his decision to join such a corrupt company? Would Benji himself be content and comfortable waking up everyday to work for people who truly don’t care about anyone but themselves? I believe the answer to those questions are â€Å"no†. They are so many opportunities for Benji, he just needs to grasp them! In conclusion I am certain Benji is better off working for a company who truly acknowledges good business and spiritual ethics. References (1997) Life Application Study Bible. New International Version. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc (2013) What is Corporate Culture? Retrieved on November 19, 2013 from http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-corporate-culture.htm Kubasek, N. K., Brennan, B. A. Browne, M. N. (2012). The legal environment of business: A critical thinking approach (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

The Social Class Structures Sociology Essay

The Social Class Structures Sociology Essay The Sumerian civilization was one of the earliest in Mesopotamia. The Sumerians existed around 3500-1750 B.C. The Sumerian civilization was not discovered until the 19th century. The following manuscript will cover three key topics the Sumerian Creation Story, the compared social class system to the contemporary United States, and how the hierarchical structure set forth by the Sumerian Empire compares with our current criminal justice system. Lastly, the educational material will show the similarities and differences between the ancient Sumerian Empire and todays contemporary United States. This research will help individuals understand early civilizations and how they compare to todays society. The information discovered will also show how early civilizations built their societies. The Social Class Structures and Criminal Justice Systems of Sumerian and the United States Sumer was a collection of city states around the Lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now southern Iraq. It was a collection of farming villages. Each of these cities had individual rulers; although the leader of the dominant city could have been considered the king of the region. The Sumerians formed the earliest written language. Their religious beliefs also are found to have some similarities with the Bible, especially the book of Genesis. This essay will compare and contrast the Sumerian Empire and the United States. To compare and contrast the two the Sumerian Creation, social classes, and criminal justice system will be assessed. First, I will evaluate the story of the Sumerian Creation. Next, I will compare the different social classes between the Sumerian civilization and the United States. Lastly, I will discuss the hierarchical structure set forth by the Sumerian Empire compared to our current criminal justice system. Literature Review This literature review focuses on literature regarding Sumer and the Sumerian Creation Story, particularly focusing on the Sumerian social class hierarchy. Additionally, this literature review examines the contemporary social structure in the United States and the current criminal justice system. Discussion Sumerian Creation Story The Sumerians Creation Story begins with the earth and the heavens being created in the sea. The Sumerian myths have been pieced together due to the age of the remains found. After the earth and the heavens were created the gods created cities and each city had its own god. The male god, An, and the female god, Ki, gave birth to Enlil, the chief god of the pantheon. Enlil impregnated Ninlil, the goddess of wind, which created the moon. When the moon was created then it was time to create humans. The Sumerian gods created some humans out of silt or clay. From the evaluation of the Sumerians Creation Story similarities to the Bible can be found. As in Genesis, the Sumerians world is formed the heavens and earth are separated from one another by a solid dome. The second chapter of Genesis introduces the paradise Eden, a place which is similar to the Sumerian Dilmun. (Gen. 2:9-10) In the second version of the creation of man The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being. The Sumerian gods used a similar method in creating man (Kramer Maier p. 33). Sumerian and United States: Social Class The Sumerian social class is split into three social groups. These social groups consist of upper class, in-between class or middle class, and lowest class. At the top of the Sumerian upper class is the king and priests. The upper class also included landowners, government officials, and merchants. Something that stood out in the Sumerian social class was that women had more rights in early Sumer than in later Mesopotamia. Upper class women were priestesses. The Sumerian women were landowners, merchants, artisans, and most raised children. Slaves made up the lowest class along with prisoners, orphans, poor children, and debtors. The Sumerians used slaves as cheap labor. Sumerians allowed slaves the right to do business, borrow money, and buy freedom. In the United States the economists and sociologists have not devised exact guidelines for the social classes. Instead there are two set classes including the three-class model that consist of the rich, middle class, and the poor. In the three-class model the rich of course have the wealth, middle class consist of those who work white collar jobs, and the poor are the blue collar workers or those who are unemployed. The other model that is most commonly used is the five-class model including upper class, upper-middle, middle-middle, lower-middle, and lower class. In the five-class model it is broke down a little more. The upper class term is applied to the blue bloods who are the families who are multi-generational wealth. These families also have leadership in high society. The rest of the upper class is followed by those who have made significant investment off of capital and stock options as well as the corporate elite who have high salary jobs such as being a Chief Executive Offi cers (CEO). The upper middle class consists of highly-educated salaried professional: physicians, lawyers, scientists, and professors. The upper middle class tends to have a great influence over society. The middle class and the lower middle class seem to overlap. The middle class consists of semi-professionals, craftsmen, office staff, and sales employees. These people often have college degrees. The lower middle class often includes the same professions except for those in the lower middle class do not have a college degree. Those without the college degree are often on the entry level in those careers. The low class is the blue collar workers. These blue collar workers are considered the working poor. Most of the population in the United States is considered the working class or the working poor. Sumerian and United States: Criminal Justice System The Sumerian legal system, one of the earliest known criminal justice systems, focused on a citizens compliance with the social norms and religious beliefs of the day. Regardless of social class, strict compliance with orders and instructions was rewarded, while failure to comply was punished (Sterba, 1976, p. 25). Such punishment was commensurate with the injury (Sterba, 1976). The Sumerians established a system of laws to deal with personal injuries, slave issues, sexual offenses, marital problems, and agricultural disputes ´ (Milosavljevic, 2007, p. 7). Regulating the behavior of its citizens helped keep the social order. From its earliest days, the criminal justice system in America has served to protect the interests of the rich, property-owning classes. Crime is often associated with the working poor and the underclass (Jargowsky Park, 2009). Because of this, crime is often a problem in urban areas with low income levels. Elevated crime levels have been attributed to neighborhood social disorganization stemming from urban structural changes, residential instability, and racial/ethnic transitions (Jargowsky Park, 2009, p.30). The contemporary criminal justice system has been viewed as a means of regulating class interests by insuring that enforcement efforts are directed toward the regulation of the poor. (Weiner, 1975, p. 436). Conclusion There are several differences between Sumer and contemporary American society. For instance, the position of women is markedly different in the two social structures. Additionally, slavery no longer exists in the United States, eliminating this lowest of social classes. The communal lifestyle of Sumer stands in sharp contrast to the capitalist society of the United States. Finally, the criminal justice systems of these two societies have different goals and objectives. Among the differences between Sumer and the United States is the position of women in society. In Sumer, it was the male citizens who comprised the assembly of elders and who controlled the power and wealth of the community. Unlike in Sumer, the United States is no longer controlled exclusively by men. In the United States, the proclamation that  ³all men are created equal ´ has been interpreted to include women as well as people from all social classes. The Fourteenth Amendments Equal Protection clause guarantees that no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (U.S. Const. Amend. XIV). Thus, people of all classes, as well as women, are protected equally by the laws of the United States. Another difference between Sumer and the United States is slavery. Until 1863, slavery was legal in the United States (Harr Hess, 2002).The Emancipation Proclamation officially freed the slaves and outlawed slavery (Harr Hess, 2002). Those in the slave states did not immediately comply with the Emancipation Proclamation (Harr Hess, 2002). The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery in America (U.S. Const. Amend. XIII). In contrast, slaves made up the lowest social class in Sumer. Unlike in the United States, the people of Sumer had a communal lifestyle. People did not work for money, nor did they compete to get rich at the expense of other individuals. The great majority safely depended on the head of their estate to fill their needs, and he, in turn, depended on them to increase and protect his wealth and position (Ellison, 1964, p. 22). Further, each city was conceived to be the special concern of one of the gods in Mesopotamia, and in a sense the equalitarianism of government placed each man in the position of being a guardian of that gods interests (Ellison, 1964, p. 24). In contrast, the United States has both urban and rural communities in which people work for money and attempt to better their social situation. Additionally, under capitalism people work for their own self-interests and have an opportunity to change their social class by getting an education and accumulating greater wealth. The objective of the criminal justice system in these two societies differed as well. In Sumer, punishment for crime attempted to make the victim whole again or was retribution commensurate with the type of harm inflicted. The Sumerian code of Ur-Nammu focused on restitution as the primary approach to criminal justice (Van Ness, 1991). In the United States, crime is defined as an offense against the State instead of against a specific individual (Van Ness, 1991). Because of this, the offender is not held personally responsible for restoring the victim. However, restitution is sometimes made part of sentencing and victims rights are becoming more important within the criminal justice system. The cultures, social class hierarchies, and legal systems of Sumer and the United States are significantly different; yet, the class structure and criminal justice system of Sumer offers unique insights into our own society. The similarities and differences highlight the importance of understanding where civilization began and where we intend to go from here. Because of the complexity of the relationship between social class and crime, it is vital to remain aware of the goals of the criminal justice system.

Crusades From the 11th to 13th Century

Crusades From the 11th to 13th Century Account for enthusiasm for crusading from the 11th to the 13th century. The following will discuss, evaluate, and account for the enthusiasm for crusading from the 11th through to the 13th century. Crusading was the name given to the attempts of Western European Christians to regain the lands and the territories in the Middle East lost due to the advance of Islamic forces. The lands, which the varying crusading forces, were primarily interested in regaining from Islamic control were those territories within the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem. All these territories had formally been under Christian control as part of the Byzantine Empire, which had once dominated the Middle East. At the start of the 11th century the Byzantine Empire still remained the dominant power in the Balkans and other parts of Eastern Europe. The Byzantine Empire had not been able to halt the advance of Islamic forces from the late 7th century and had not received any military or naval assistance that had halted the Islamic incursions from Western Europe. Although politically divid ed Western Europe was overwhelming Christian in religious terms with the papacy holding a great deal of influence over religious beliefs even if it could not exercise political power? As will be discussed below the original motivations for launching the crusades were primarily religious and those motivations continued from the 11th century through to the 13th century. The religious beliefs and views of the Western Europeans had a strong upon their enthusiasm for crusading and their subsequent behaviour towards both Muslims and the Orthodox Christians they came in to contact with. For the papacy and indeed for many of the Christians within Western Europe the occupation of the Holy Land by Muslims was an intolerable situation which needed to be reversed so that those territories would once again come under Christian control, as they had been part of the Byzantine Empire. Although the Muslims allowed Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy Land and permitted freedom of worship to the Christians and the Jews who still lived there, that did not lower Western European enthusiasm for taking the Holy Land out of Muslim hands. The way in which the crusades were conducted provided ample proof that the religious fervour of the Roman Catholic church which did the most to stimulate support for the crusades was highly intolerant of Islam and Eastern Orthodox Christianity alike. The actual fact Muslims had control of these lands was bitterly resented by the Christians of Western Europe in general, and the Papacy in particular. There was a prevailing sense that this situation w as unacceptable and only a temporary sign of weakness within Christianity was a continuous source of enthusiasm for crusading (Roberts, 1996, p. 158). Whilst the Muslims still controlled part or all of the Holy Land then enthusiasm for starting and then continuing the crusades was always likely to remain strong. The strong religious beliefs and dare it be said, prejudices were deeply held within Western Europe between the 11th and 13th centuries, with the result that the crusades remained popular as did the urge to carry on crusading. The first crusade would provide enough momentum to inspire a further three crusades in the period as well as the establishment of crusader kingdoms in the Holy Land. The crusades would heighten the conflict between Western Christianity; it also soured its relationship with the Byzantine Empire and the Eastern Orthodox churches, culminating in the disastrous fourth crusade and the sack of Constantinople (Angold, 1997, p.10). The Papacy started the enthusiasm for crusading experienced in Western Europe between the 11th and 13th centuries. The first crusade was directly inspired by Pope Urban II who asked for those Western Christians that were capable of going to the Middle East to assist the Byzantine Empire against the expansion of Islamic power in that region should do so (Norwich, 1997, p.256). Urban II’s appeal for people to join the first crusade gained recruits from right across Western Europe. The crusading urge meant that people from states that were rivals or even enemies joined together to fight the Muslims that controlled the Holy Land. The first crusade was truly a multinational fighting force, as were the next three crusades (Connell, 2001, p.8). Urban II’s message that all future crusaders were doing God’s bidding was an astute means of developing and maintaining an enthusiasm for crusading between the 11th and 13th centuries. It was a message that both the Papacy and se cular authorities were more than happy to convey throughout this period (Norwich, 1997 p. 256). The Papacy contended that the crusaders would not only be assured of heavenly treasures during their own after life, the crusaders would be rewarded with earthly treasures as well in their lives before death. For some of those individuals that took part in the crusades the opportunity to gain treasures and their own lands as a result of participation in the crusading campaigns was a greater cause for strong enthusiasm than any other form of motivation. Greed was therefore a strong and virtually continuous factor in the development and the continuing of enthusiasm for crusading between the 11th and 13th centuries. That greed made those that joined the crusades just as dangerous to the Eastern Orthodox Christians of the Middle East as they were to the Muslims who lived in the region (Norwich, 1997 p.257). Indeed, when the crusaders did manage to take land away from the Muslims within the Middle East, the victorious crusaders would set up their own separate kingdoms. The crusader kingdo ms were demonstrations of the greed and the pretensions of the crusaders themselves, the territories that they took control of should have been restored to the Byzantine Empire. If the crusaders had genuinely wished to contain Islamic power within the Middle East region, and aimed to keep the Holy Land under Christian control they would restored Byzantine power in these areas. Arguably a Byzantine Empire that had its Middle East territories restored as a result of the crusades would have been in a better position to keep the Holy Land in Christian hands. It is highly doubtful though if returning all regained territories to the control of the Byzantine Empire would have generated so much enthusiasm for crusading between the 11th and 13th centuries (Roberts, 1996 p. 158). The military and territorial successes of the first crusade was a strong factor in the development and the subsequent maintenance of widespread popular enthusiasm for crusading campaigns between the 11th century through to the 13th century. The forces of the first crusade were able to take possession of Jerusalem away from Muslim control, alongside the Lebanon, and much of Syria. The brutality of the Western European crusader armies during the first crusade made a lasting impression upon the Islamic populations within the Middle East. The onset of the crusades only increased the desire of the Muslim powers within the Middle East region to regain and maintain control of the Holy Land as well as all the other territories lost to the crusaders (Lenman, 2004 p. 214). The crusader kingdoms that were established after the apparent success of the first crusade kept the concept of crusading to the fore front of Western European thought, mainly as a means of recruiting knights and soldiers th at were needed to defend the crusader kingdoms. Knights and soldiers were needed to garrison the forts and to resist the Muslim forces that were relentlessly advancing into the crusaders territory Norwich, 1997 p. 257). The crusader kingdoms did not have enough financial resources and, enough soldiers to maintain their resistance to increasingly powerful and well led Muslim forces for prolonged periods of time. The basic Muslim military strategy was to pick off the crusader kingdoms one by one. The crusader kingdoms were not as well supported from Western Europe as strongly as they would have liked. That lack of substantial levels of support from the crusaders Western European supporters made it easier for the Muslim forces within the Middle East to conquer the territories which they had lost as a result of the first crusade (Roberts, 1996 p. 158). Ironically enough, it was the failure of the crusader kingdoms to survive the successful counter attacks of the Muslim forces within the Middle East region that prompted renewed enthusiasm for crusading. That enthusiasm resulted in the second, third, and fourth crusades throughout the remainder of the period between the 11th and the 13th century. Over all the recruitment drives to persuade people to participate in the crusades were successful, whilst the crusades themselves were military failures as they ultimately failed to restore Christian control over the Holy Land. However the launch of these crusades was a success in terms of ensuring that those crusading remained able to be highly enthusiastic about playing a role in the subsequent conflicts between the crusaders and the Muslim forces. The majority of people in Western Europe had generally held a great deal of confidence in the second crusade being every bit as successful as the first crusade had been. The popular enthusiasm f or crusading during the 11th century and through to the 13th century was assisted by the high levels of confidence that people had in the ability of the crusaders to achieve their objectives (Angold, 1997 p.194). Potentially, at least the third crusade was a campaign that would finally end Muslim control of the Holy Land once and for all. The crusaders were certainly confident of success. The third crusade could also be used to argue that there were significant levels of enthusiasm for crusading as it offered prospects for crusaders to become famous as well as rich. Going on a crusade could allow the individual crusaders the opportunity to enhance their reputations for being brave, being a good military commander, or being a devout defender of the Christian faith. For these reasons, kings, prince’s, and knights were frequent participants in the crusades. In the case of the third crusade, the most notable individual taking part was the English king Richard I, who earned the ni ckname of Richard the Lion heart (Angold, 1997 p. 178). By the time of the fourth crusade in 1204, popular enthusiasm for the practice of crusading still seemed to be very strong. However, the fourth crusade also clearly demonstrated that crusading was more concerned with greed and an increasing dislike of the Eastern Orthodox churches as it was about gaining control of the Holy Land. Instead of improving the position of the Byzantine Empire, the fourth crusade actually reduced it as a consequence of the sacking of Constantinople. The sack of Constantinople was ample demonstration that greed and prejudice were factors that created, developed, and maintained enthusiasm for crusading, as much as religious beliefs and a unmistakable belief of superiority over other religious faiths. There would be further less sustained and much smaller crusades that proved just as incapable as the four main crusades of removing Muslim control of the Holy Land. Ironically enough Jerusalem was briefly regained for Christianity in 1229 by the forces of the Hol y Roman Emperor Frederick II. His personal crusade had been launched to persuade the Papacy to remove the excommunication order against him. The Christian control of Jerusalem was only a short-term success; it was lost to Muslim forces in 1244 (Roberts, 1996 p. 159). Therefore, to conclude there were various factors that explain how and why there was a great deal of enthusiasm for crusading from the 11th century, right through to the end of the 13th century in the countries of Western Europe. The primary inspiration for starting the crusading process had been religious, and religious fervour was a constant reason for maintaining enthusiasm for crusading campaigns throughout the period. The divisions within Christianity has previously allowed the Muslims to gain control not only of the Holy Land, but the bulk of the Middle East, with the Byzantine Empire showing increasing signs of weakness. It was the Papacy under the guidance of Urban II that developed the concept of the crusades as a means of regaining control of the Holy Land and slowing down the decline of the Byzantine Empire. Enthusiasm was bases on the combination of religious fervour, the search for personal fame and fortune, factors that easily maintained popular support for crusading th roughout this period. Greed and religious prejudices were also strong influences in the brutal behaviour of the crusaders who excused their actions by arguing that restoring the Holy Land to Christian control merited earthly as well as heavenly rewards. Bibliography Angold M, (1997) The Byzantine Empire, 1025 – 1204, Longman, London Connell E S, (2001) Deus Lo Volt, a chronicle of the crusades, Pimlico, London Lenman, (2004) Chamber’s Dictionary of World History, Chambers, Edinburgh Norwich J, (1997) A Short History of Byzantium, Viking, London Roberts J.M, (1996) A History of Europe, Penguin, London and New York

Krakauers Into Thin Air and Boukreevs The Climb Essay -- Mountain Cl

Krakauer's Into Thin Air and Boukreev's The Climb On the day of May 10, 1996, several climbers were attempting to descend the slopes of Mount Everest in blizzard conditions: a time at which every moment mattered. Emerging from the pack, two climbers reached the safety of the tents of Camp Four before the majority of their teammates. Anatoli Boukreev and Jon Krakauer recounted the situation of that day in very different ways, but Krakauer seemed to portray Boukreev as an antagonist in his book, Into Thin Air. Boukreev proved in his own book, The Climb, that multiple actions called into question by Krakauer were in fact valuable steps that an experienced climber used in order to rescue clients in need. Krakauer repeatedly scolded Boukreev for not using supplemental oxygen above Camp Four during the summit push on May 10. Krakauer claimed that the lack of oxygen "didn't seem to be in their clients' best interests" (ITA, 186). The journalist seemed to be concerned that Boukreev, as a guide, should use oxygen because it would allow him to function more normally in the case of catastrophe. In fact, Boukreev disputed this point in The Climb, mentioning that he believed given proper acclimatization, it was safer to climb without oxygen. Krakauer himself suffered when he ran out of oxygen just before the South Summit: "entire sectors of my cerebral cortex seemed to have shut down altogether. Dizzy, fearing that I would black out, I was frantic to reach the South Summit." (ITA, 195) Boukreev believed that a climber who suddenly ran out of oxygen after consuming a tank would be in a much worse situation than one who had become used to climbing without gas at all. His decision not to use gas was primarily based on his past experience. Expedition leader Scott Fischer had allowed Boukreev to summit without oxygen, knowing that he had already reached the top of the world twice without it (ITA, 186). Fischer had even considered reaching the summit without oxygen himself. The Russian climber used the philosophy that "every ounce counts" while ascending a mountain; even the slightest extra weight would have a profound effect on the climbing ability of an individual. Though he did not use oxygen above Camp Four, Boukreev carried a single canister of oxygen with him in case of emergency; he gave it to fellow guide Neal Beidleman when the need arose. Since each canist... ... only a couple members to even attempt a rescue. These efforts were, for the most part, shrugged off by Krakauer. The Climb offers great detail of Boukreev's forays into the blizzard, and the resulting rescue of a group of climbers huddling together in the frigid temperatures. Both Charlotte Fox and Sandy Hill Pittman, members of the group, were close to dying; Boukreev quoted Lene Gammelgaard as saying, "Sandy very close [to dying]. Maybe if you will find, you will find her dead. And you need hurry." (Climb, 184) Boukreev single-handedly saved all members of the group except climber Yasuko Namba despite the intolerable conditions, a true testament to Boukreev's considerable experience and heroism. Anatoli Boukreev, despite Jon Krakauer's criticisms, was the most valuable member of the expeditions caught near the summit of Everest on May 10, 1996. His heroism and courage were recognized throughout the climbing community, and these traits warranted a receipt of the American Alpine Club's prestigious David A. Sowles Memorial Award. If more climbers in 1996 were as strong as Boukreev, all of the climbers who ascended in 1996 may have been able to descend safely from Mount Everest.

The Power of the Unconscious Essay -- Term Papers Research Essays

The Power of the Unconscious Have you ever experienced a time when you were wracking your brain trying to come up with a thesis statement for a paper, an answer to a math problem, or the title of your new poem? You spend countless hours only to end up where you began – at ground zero. You find that your brain is starting to ache from the excessive thinking and you decide to get your mind off of the problem. You focus your attention on something else, perhaps on getting some R&R and all of a sudden...AHA! The solution to your problem just pops into your head out of nowhere, almost as if it sneaked its way into your thoughts! You then find yourself wondering how this happened and what was responsible for such a reaction. The culprit of such "sneaky" reactions is a force known as the "unconscious." Rollo May, author of Courage to Create, defines the unconscious as "the potentialities for awareness or action which the individual cannot or will not actualize." What role do you think the "unconscious" plays in your life or is it really a major contributor to the birth of creative thought? Thinkers in fields ranging from psychoanalysis to business management all seem to agree that the mystical force of the unconscious plays a central role in the creative process and the emergence of new ideas. WHAT IS UNCONSCIOUS THOUGHT? Saying thank you in response to a good deed, looking both ways before crossing the street, smiling back at someone when they smile at you--actions such as these are said to be done subconsciously, meaning that they are performed without the realization that they are being done. The same idea applies when referring to unconscious thought. Unconscious thought is that in which we are not aware of what we are thi... ...le of conscious factors in one's creative thought process. Everyone has experienced the evolution of unconscious thoughts into consciousness. I'm sure you can recall a time when "the light bulb flickered on in your mind," your ideas just seemed to "click," or you had an epiphany. Had it not been for the unconscious being hard at work, Sir Isaac Newton may have never formulated his laws of physics, there would be no such thing as Calculus, or even math for that matter. The Unconscious brings about the emergence of creative thought. It can not only be thought of as a major contributor to new ideas but also to a greater cause—mankind. The role of the "unconscious" is essential to our being as it allows us to expand upon things with which we are already familiar, leading to innovative ideas. The "unconscious" is one of the most significant aspects of our daily lives.

Technology and Power :: Essays Papers

Technology and Power Effective communication can both create empires and destroy them. For the former, communication is a necessity in connecting the parts of an empire, so to keep the whole sizable. An empire must keep in contact with its armies, outposts, and inner areas so to maintain order to be able to adjust its defenses in response to an enemy attack. It must also, when still growing, be able to conquer new lands and people. For the latter, unless its defenses are in communication with back up forces and resources, the only victorious defense is one that results from a battle of attrition. This essay will exam two forms of one communication technology: encoding. It will be remembered that one class or race is without representation, and has not the advantages of the press or the telegraph to bring it into communication with the intelligence of the world, and is seldom heard except in the cry of alarm and conflict along the Western frontier. --Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles, United States Army, March 1879* Though written specifically about the conflicts that the United States had with the Native Americans throughout the Nineteenth century, General Miles' statement is a fact applicable to every conquest ever made. The ability to communicate effectively with one's forces during a conquest is, except perhaps, in cases where the conquest consists mainly of battles of attrition, a key factor of victory. A commander must have accurate, updated intelligence reports informing him of his conquest's military abilities and locations, any skirmishes between forces, supply routes, etc. This communication ability, as well as every piece of weaponry or tool used by the conqueror, is a direct result of human ingenuity, specifically as it is applied to technological advancement. In the second half of the 19th century, as the Western world embraced the Industrial Revolution, our nation's political powers focused their eyes on the vast lands of the Western frontier. To better understand the needs for communication technology in this conquest, let's first get a little history lesson on what happened. During this conquest of the West, an Apache Chief known as Geronimo led the Chiricahua Apaches in a series of revolts against the American tyranny that had seized Apache lands, herded its people into a Reservation, then abolished the Reservation to reclaim the land for white Americans.