Leiningen Essy Essay

Throughout the ages, man has constantly been forced to battle with nature. â€Å"Leiningen versus the Ants† by Carl Stephenson is about a landowner, Leiningen, in Brazil who is warned by a Brazilian official that an army, ten miles long and two miles wide, of ants is headed straight for his plantation and are expected to reach his plantation in two days at the latest. But Leiningen believes that the Brazilian official is â€Å"pulling his leg† when he advises him to evacuate the plantation because of ants. Against all odds, Leiningen is able to defeat a twenty square mile army of ants by ossessing leadership, confidence, and intelligence. One of the key reasons that Leiningen is able to defeat the army of ants is his great leadership skill because with a great leader who everyone trusts in, the group or army will be united as one and work as one. After Leiningen has been informed of the ants that are approaching his plantation, Leiningen prepares for the battle by moving the women and children and cattle to safety. The women and children, then the herds of cattle, were escorted by peons on rafts over the river, to remain on the other side in absolute safety†¦ (2). Leiningen is keeping the people and animals that cannot fght safe, which demonstrates his leadership and control over the plantation and everything living there while also illustrating his care for the women, children, and cattle. After the battle has begun, Leiningen is forced to make quick decisions, including the deci sion to drop a match into the petrol-filled ditch. â€Å"Everyone back from the ditch! ‘ roared Leiningen. The men rushed away, without the slightest idea of his plan†(9). Leiningen’s men show great obedience to Leiningen when they rush way from the ditch without details of his plan demonstrating that Leiningen is a reliable leader who they can trust. Finally, Leiningen displays that he is a respected leader who will put his own life at risk to save those of his men. â€Å"Listen, lads! ‘ he shouted. ‘†¦ There’s still a chance to save our lives†by flooding the plantation from the river†¦. Well, I’m not going to let you try it; if I did I’d be worse than one of those ants. No, I called the tune, and now I’m going to pay the piper†(11). There are few leaders in todays society, or even in history, that would put their own life at risk nstead of the life of one of their men. Leiningen shows absolutely incredible leadership in this instance where he is basically willing to give his life for the lives of his men. Leadership played a key role in Leiningen’s success because Leiningen was able to lead his men and bring them together as one unit as oppose to individuals working by themselves. In addition to leadership, Leiningen possesses a vital element of success, confidence. Leiningen believed that he could defeat the ants, which gave Leiningen and his men confidence in every precaution, and action they were taking in he steps towards defeating the ants. Leiningen had made every precaution his mind could think of, â€Å"And now he was sure he would prove more than a match for the ‘irresistible’ ants†(2). Leiningen believes that he will defeat the ants due to the great precaution that he has taken to stop them. By believing that his precautions would be successful, Leiningen illustrates confidence not only in him, but also in his actions. Speaking to the Brazilian officer about the claim he had made about the ants being an â€Å"act of God,† Leiningen replies, â€Å"Act of God, my eye! Anyway, I’m not an old woman; only needs confidence in what he has done, but also in what he is capable of doing. Leiningen demonstrates that he has confidence in his capability to hold off the ants and defeat them. In the same reply to the Brazilian officer who described to Leiningen the vastness and power of the ant army, Leiningen states, â€Å"l use my intelligence, old man. With me, the brain isn’t a second blindgut; I know what it’s there for†(l). Again Leiningen illustrates confidence that he will have no problem holding off the ants simply with his intelligence. Leiningen’s success can be greatly attributed to his characteristic of confidence because believing that he was able to defeat the ants caused him to strive towards that goal and become successful. Intelligence is more than Just having smarts; it is knowing how to apply those smarts to real-life situations. Leiningen is a man with great intelligence who is able to use his intelligence, along with leadership and confidence, to aid in his defeat of the vast army of ants.

Cell Phone Technology Essay

Technology had become engrained in our society. Everywhere people are using cell phones, including children and teenagers. Cell phone technology and technology in general have change the way we do everything in our society. Technology has dramatically altered our world. They have become a necessary part of everyday life so much so that it is leaking into the education world as a new tool despite the concern of the negative effects of cell phone technology. There is a new wave in some schools around the United States. There are some districts that are embracing the use of cell phones in the classroom. Some administers have come around to the thinking that the use of this technology in the classroom can be of benefit in the learning setting. There are also concerns that the same technology can be too distracting for students. However, the use of cell phones in the educational world is worth looking at despite some of the concerns that many adults share. Texting has become the preferred method of basic communication between teenagers and their friends. Seventy-five percent of 12-17 year olds own cell phones, which is up from forty-five percent in 2004 (Lenhart, 2010). Phones have no doubt become an indispensable tool in communication for teens. Eighty-eight percent of teen cell phone users are text messengers (Lenhart, 2010). More than half (fifty-four percent) are daily texters. Among all teens, the use of texting has overtaken the frequency of every other form of communication. The concern about the overuse of cell phones is that it may have negative consequences in teenager’s education.  ¼ of text messages that teens send are sent during class. A survey conducted by Beneson’s online poll, polled 1,013 teens- eighty-four percent that have cell phones-show that a significant number of stud ents have information stored on their phones or has texted answers to their friends. The same poll also found teens send 440 text messages a week on average, 110 of them sent during class (Toppo, 2009). For this reason cell phone use is prohibited for use during the school say within most public schools in the United States. Most administrations and teachers feel that cell phone usage is a negative distraction and deterrent to learning. Administrators are often concerned about the inappropriate use of cell phones, which is the reason that there are restrictions of cell phone (according to Obringer & Coffey, 2007, St. Gerard, 2006). Cell phones ringing can present unwanted distraction and for some students, sending and receiving text messages that can lead to cheating (according to Gilroy, 2003). There is also the real possibility of students posting improper pictures is a concern (according to Obringer & Coffey, 2007). However, many are choosing to look at cell phones as a new learning tool in the classroom setting. Over the years we have seen on the news about students posting improper photos and language on social networking sites, which causes administrators and teachers to have a real concern. These concerns that many have are valid, and should be addressed. There have been many cases in which the abuse of cell phones has been a huge problem, but administrators want to take a chance on using cell phones in this setting. The important thing to keep in mind that there is down side, yes, but there is a way to monitor the use of this technology too. PPCD teacher Debra Vela, who has 17 years of teaching experience says, â€Å"Sexting, posting of improper photos and cheating may be a legitimate worry, but the benefits outweigh these negative points.† Students today are referred to as â€Å"Digital Natives† (according to Prensky, 2001). They have grown up with technology and multitasking, and in the habit of quickly processing information (Humble-Thaden, 2011). However, as cell phone technology expands with the possibilities of texting, web browsing and gaming have increased over the recent years and administrators are still worried about the distractions of electronic devices. A survey of students and parents by the group Common Sense Media found that almost seventy percent of schools around the country ban cell phone use during the school day (Schachter, 2009). There are some districts and administrators, though that are beginning to realize the potential of cell phones. It is a part an â€Å"anytime, anywhere† learning movement (Schachter, 2009). This leaves laptops and even smaller netbooks behind, in favor for more mobile, affordable and reliable handheld devices like â€Å"smartphones† that can run such programs as Windows Mobile. â€Å"Technology has finally progressed to where mobile devices are cheap and powerful enough to use,† observes Elliot Soloway, a professor at the University of Michigan (Schachter, 2009). A study of twenty-five mobile learning initiatives worldwide by the Joan Ganz Cooney Foundation Center at Sesame Workshop anointed them the wave of the future. â€Å"Just as Sesame Street help transformed television into a revolutionary tool for learning among young children four decades ago, advances in mobile technologies are showing untapped educational potential for today’s generation,† the report author’s wrote (Schachter, 2009). In 1969, the way children learned changed when Sesame Street aired on PBS. The loved Muppets of the educational show captured the hearts and attention of toddlers. The show taught them the basics of 123’s and ABC’s to the importance of friendships. Before the age of four, children had already learned the basics for their future education by watching this television show. The same is happening today with the use of cell phones. It is drastically changing the face of the way children learn and take information in. Fifth graders at Trinity Meadows (Keller, TX) spent most of their days on their HTC 6800 smartphones, using the GoKnow’s platform. Fifty-five students led the way in a pilot program using the new generation of cell phones and their advanced technology for educational ends. For example, students can draw the solar system on their devices and animate them to show them in real obit. Students can also upload assignments the teacher sends to the server and then the teacher can grade them and submit them back to the student electronically (Schachter, 200). At an early age, children are learning the advantages of technolog y, and will carry it into the future. They are learning to use cell phones as a learning tool, and making the best of what this technology has to offer. Children today have a chance to express themselves creatively and learn in a way that they are familiar with. They are at an advantage since they are already so use to using the technology the world has to offer. â€Å"Allowing children to use cell phone technology in the classroom will provide them with the tools for more creativity to create wonderful projects,† Vela says. This pilot program has shown that the use of cell phone technology in the classroom can be of benefit to the students. Not only that the teachers have a new method of reaching students that they otherwise would not have. With the use of cell phone teachers have new ways of teaching lessons, and the interactivity of these lessons are more likely to reach the minds of students. With the use of cell phone technology in the classroom the children that need a more creative outlet this provides them with platform to do so. Children that need this outlet can create and not be tied down to pencil, paper, marker, c rayons and glue. This allows them to be able to express themselves using the medium that they know best. Using cell phones in the classroom settings as a tool enables them to stay focused and interested in the things that they are learning. Technology is such an important part of everyday life, especially in cell phone technologies. And because of the increasing improvement of cell phone technology has allowed the next generation to use them in a whole new way to learn. Although, there is concern about the overuse of cell phones, the benefits may outweigh the negatives. â€Å"I still think students need to learn the ‘old fashion’ way because what happens if technology becomes unavailable to them? Also students need to be able to use their brains for higher learning,† says Vela. Technology is a wonderful tool to use in the classroom for all age groups. They can benefit from the interactivity of the Internet and all the information that the World Wide Web has to offer students as well as teachers. Children in today’s classrooms have an opportunity that past generations did not have. They have the chance to make a big impression on their lives by allowing themselves to use cell phones to their advantage not their disadvantage. The technology of cell phones has taken over almost every aspect of human activity. Adults as well as children have been consumed by the use of them, and now it has leaked over into the world of education. There are many concerns about the overuse of this technology, but many districts are taking the chance to embrace it and try it out in the classrooms. It has been shown that there are benefits for school children. Although, there is some debate about this issue it is important to remember that there is a need for balance. Reference Lenhart, Amanda. (2010). Teens, cell phone and texting. Pew Research Center Publications. Retrieved 3 June 2012 from http://pewresearch.org. Humble-Thaden, Beth. (2011). Student Reflective Perception of High School Educational Cell Phone Technology Usage. Journal of Technology Studies. Retrieved 3 June 2010 from http://web.ebscohost.com. Toppo, Greg. (2009). Survey: Many teens use phones in class to text or cheat. USA Today. Retrieved 3 June 2012 from http://www.usatoday.com. Schachter, Ron. (2009). Mobile Devices in the classroom. District Administration Magazine. Retrieved 4 June 2012 from http://ww.eric.com. Interview: Debra Vela, PPCD Teacher, 17+ years teaching.

Similarities in the General Human Resource Practices Article

Similarities in the General Human Resource Practices - Article Example The technique actually examines the relationship between a single dependent variable and more than one independent variable. It is the most common type of method used. It shows a linear relationship holding the lowest sum of the squared variances. The assumptions such as normality, equal variance and linearity and finely and clearly examined by the researcher. A coefficient knows as beta are taken which is the marginal impacts of each variable. This technique is usually used by the firm for its forecasting. This technique is actually the variation of multiple regressions and allows the firms to predict different events. The technique used non-metric dependent variables and the actual objective of the technique is to achieve a probabilistic assessment of binary choice. The independent variable used by the researchers is either continuous or discrete. Later, a contingency table is formed holding the classification of observations and the observations and predicted results are matched. Then the researcher sum the events that are predicted to occur and they actually occur and sum the events that the researcher predicted not to occur and they actually do not occur. These two sums are added and divided by the total number of events. This shows the effectiveness of the model and helps to predict the choices. Â  

Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Environment - Essay Example In terms of the environment, thorium is a better product in contrast to uranium. In the reaction process, most of the thorium is combusted in a way that most of the thorium is spent. This means that a lower amount of waste is produced. Eventually, there are less harmful wastes in the surroundings. This argument favors thorium reactors because its resistance to meltdowns is greater. This means that it is safer, although there is always the possibility of some poisonousness. It is poisonous in the short-term, but nearly harmless in the long-term in comparison to uranium. Although both of them are nuclear reactors, they use dissimilar fission reactions. In essence, this means that there are different products and properties that arise from the reactions. While uranium cannot be easily used with thorium, thorium can be mixed with other uranium extracts. This means that its use does not mean that uranium would be out-of-date. They can be used together to form bigger and more potent compounds. However, scientific research indicates that the assembly of thorium is not as stress-free as that of uranium. Scientifically, thorium is not fissile. While uranium can split to form a nuclear chain reaction, thorium cannot split. Even so, it can be made fissile through the bombardment of diverse chemical reactions. Apart from that, the damage caused in the Fukushima disaster evidences how volatile uranium can be. On the contrary, thorium does not exhibit such reactions, and it cannot be used in making weaponries. In case of a catastrophe, a thorium reaction can be stopped because it is not fissile. In terms of density, thorium is about 200 times heavier than uranium and other lead products. Thorium is perhaps better than uranium as a nuclear reactor. In the main, it is a better substitute when equated to uranium. However, there still exists some challenges in the use of thorium, mainly because of personal welfares. Over the years, the use of uranium has formed a

Animal Farm and Fascism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Animal Farm and Fascism - Essay Example During the times when the lower sector was going through wrong reasoning also the vanguard party suffered. (Ball pg 167) likewise in the novel, as the farms tracts down to a more totalitarian form of state, Napoleon becoming the leader kicks out Snowball by power and force becoming "our leader, Comrade Napoleon" (Orwell pg 93). This way the novel is showing Stalins way of communist governance, where power lies with the one in leadership. Also the way Napoleon rooted out Snowball is similar to Stalins behavior towards Trotsky and his other political rivals. Fascism also requires a very bold, strong and courageous leader. An example of such great fascist leader is Hitler and Mussolini. The way people in Italy had this firm faith that Mussolini was always correct. In the same way Boxer believed that Napoleon was always justified throughout the novel (Ball pg 201). In the course of the novel Napoleon is given a lot of importance. He is the leader, the head of the entire farm. He is always protected by furious dogs. Therefore it clearly shows that animals idolize him as noble and superior. This is also one of the similarities regarding the two ideologies in the book. Terror and propaganda are used in the novel to show Stalins communist and fascist ideologies together. Stalin tried to impose the era of terror in which purges were used. He also used arts to increase interstate propaganda (ball0 pg 166-167). This was also used by fascist states like Hitler made use of brown-shirts and defined characteristics of inferior races (Ball pg 204-205). Squealer used digits to manipulate the animals in order to convince them that they were in a better state by having pigs as their leaders. Also Napoleon kicks Snowball out before he executed in general masses other traitors (Orwell pg 53; 83). It is not easy to clearly differentiate between fascism or communism when it comes to

Political Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Political Philosophy - Assignment Example The researcher states that Socrates and his pupil Plato are one of the first in history to delve into the aspect of political philosophy. Plato’s the Republic spoke of Plato’s vision for an ideal state understood that justice was essential to the unity of the population, the relevancy of the political process and his to the benefit of everyone in the state. He said that the divisions in the social structure of a city were more dangerous than any external force. And that gaining peace through the use of force is not preferable to a partnership created through the sharing of mutual interests and understanding. Aristotle, however, saw the functions of politics just as the functions of a body. He surmised that there were different parts of a city each of which served a common function. Their order of living is decided by the constitution which is analogous to the soul. And it can only possess a semblance of order if it has a ruler. Aristotle distinguished the various types of the government saying that each had a commonality which can help the individual attain a noble living. However, Aristotle’s writings did not speak about the emotional health of its citizens saying that the presence of morality and the ability to complete tasks given would lead them to a fulfilling life. He also saw that a constitution like its people does not remain constant over time and it should be the will of the lawmakers to change it for the betterment of the community. The development of rationalism occurred around the time of the Renaissance (Marxist Internet Archive). It was during this time among the merchants and craftsmen of Northern Italy that political philosophy began to flourish again. One such philosopher responsible was the founder of political science Niccolà ² Machiavelli. Machiavelli argued that the true prosperity of any state depended upon the qualities, strength or experience of an individual leader.

Why Women Should Not be Allowed in Active Combat Duty Essay

Why Women Should Not be Allowed in Active Combat Duty - Essay Example They are admirable in the way they acquit themselves in times of conflict and split second decision making and maybe, just maybe -- we might even have a female president some day. Women still have lofty ambitions when it comes to more things that they hope to do in terms of male equality and, along with the presidency, fighting alongside men in active combat is still one glass ceiling they cannot break. Although there already exists cracks in that particular ceiling, I do not believe that women should ever be allowed to see active combat for a number of valid reasons. There are two main reasons that women should not be allowed in combat according to Robert Bork (qtd. in Sowin). Those reasons are: 1. Putting women in combat is crucial to women’s self-esteem and to men’s respect for women. (That has never been true in the past and it is impossible to see why it should be true now.) 2. Combat roles are important to military advancement. The above arguments are all based up on the way that women are traditionally viewed in our society. Women's rights activists protest the idealization of the female role in society because it makes them seem like fragile, emotionally weak people who do not have any desire or capability to defend themselves or others. By joining the military and joining active combat, women feel that they are an equally strong sex and are capable of fighting the good fight also. This is one case wherein the intentions may be sound, but the execution will always be weak. The reality of women in the military is that they are given preference and leeway in most streneous and taxing activities because women do not have the same stamina as men. In fact, women who train in West Point and other military institutions are not made to compete against other men or by male standards, they are only measured in terms of capabilty against other women. This can prove to be detrimental on the battlefield where they fight alongside men who are faster and stronger but are then held back in order to allow the women to catch up. (Sowin Why Women Should Not Be Allowed in Combat). Gender norming and lowering the training standards in order to allow women to pass is a disservice to our world class soldiers who are expected to lead on the battlefield. Women are still thought of all over the world, most specially in the Muslim territories as being weak and dependent on the male species. Majority of the modern women have managed to change that idea by proving that they can be emotionally and physically strong in various ways. I take my hats off to those women. However, fighting in an active battlefront requires much more than just marathon training and endurance tests. There are those who take on the point of view that : Women are not suited by temperament or by physical characteristics for the highly aggressive, ultra-violent pursuit of victory in battle. Much of an army’s success depends upon intimidation of the enemy. A force compo sed of women is far less intimidating than one consisting of macho men. Intimidation of the enemy saves lives in wartime. (Women Should Not Be Allowed in Military Combat). Consider if you will, that the enemies of our nation field burly, scary, and brainwashed men into battle. They live to intimidate the weak. The simple glare of of their eyes, flare of the nostrils, or clearing of the throat is designed to instill fear into any enemy be he male or female. Fighting a war does not allow for segregation of the sexes in order to effectively fight the battle. It is man vs. woman in most cases and, no matter what Hollywood says about G.I. Jane, a woman can easily be taken down by a well trained and strength enhanced enemy. This will then pose a problem for the team who will