Art History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Art History - Assignment Example There are 5 characteristics of modern. First is capitalism, which created the modern through creating a new economic system of labor and fixed wages, wherein these wages are used to buy more and cheaper consumer items. The second is urban culture, wherein agriculture was replaced by industrialization. The third is technological advances, which created dramatic changes in the lifestyles of people. The fourth is secularism, wherein the traditional religious authority is not as strong as before. The fifth is the optimism of the people, wherein all changes are deemed positive. These changes definitely affected the art audience, therefore affecting the artists themselves. The artists, having a change in their audience, embraced the innovations of the era, and tried to participate in the changing times by merging the new ideas in their art works. The modern artists thus began to acquire new audience from among the modern people who made their money out of these modern changes such as indus trialization, etc. Slowly, modern art is in, and the traditional art is obsolete. It is possible that artists, more and more, began embracing the modern ideas because it is through that that they will have audience for their art pieces. The connection between the avant-garde and the modern is actually quite interesting. Firstly, during the first half of the modern era, there were still some artists who cannot be considered truly modern because their styles still resemble the traditional and conservative ones. Still, modern artists are called â€Å"avant-garde,† which is a term originally used in the military to describe the front liners or point men, similar to any individual who takes the most risk. A Burial at Ornans Gustave Courbet's â€Å"A Burial at Ornans† is a realist art, and it is antithetical to romantic art. First, the painting shows the realistic life, painted with no sugar-coating --- life as it is. Second, it does not aim to evoke ideal feelings or emotio ns, rather, it just shows things from an objective point of view. Third, it can be seen that the full disclosure of even the smallest details are depicted in the painting, and there is no information denied to or hidden from the audience. Fourth, there is the depiction of the everyday, regular individuals that one encounters on a daily basis. Fifth, the setting of the scene is

Stanley Miller Paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stanley Miller Paper - Coursework Example This is because a concentrated solution would respond better than a dilute solution with diffuse molecules. IX. Paper chromatography is a method of separation and identification of compounds. It utilizes the principle of capillarity and also solubility (to facilitate separation). Colour is often used to allow the identification of compounds. The properties include; molecular weight, structure, shape of the molecule, and the polarity of the molecule. XII. He was able to tell the presence of the amino acids by the ninhydrin indicator. For their individual discrimination, he used comparison of spot size and colour to known templates of characterized amino acids. XIII. Miller knew the total yield was in the milligram range by informed inference. Knowing that the system was closed, the total mass of reagents remained the same (gases included). By weighing the remaining fractions in the flask, and subtracting impurities by silica, he may have obtained a rough idea of the amount. That is; total mass of reagents (minus apparatus) = Amino acids mass + remaining reagents(minus impurities). It though may not be entirely accurate, as the amino acids existed in aqueous state, thus requiring the factoring in of water of dissolution. XV. His experiments did test his hypothesis. Though not accurate in the reproduction of the original setting of primitive earth, they showed that indeed it was possible that the primitive atmosphere contained the right inorganic molecules, the right conditions and the right amount of energy to produce organic molecules. XVI. A good experiment to do next would be one on synthesis of nucleotides. If amino acids could be produced, then similarly, nucleotides might also have been produced, sparking the beginning of biological

Integrative Network Design Project Essay Example for Free

Integrative Network Design Project Essay The redesign for Kudler Fine Foods has covered the topology and standards and has defined the architecture, protocols, and strategies it will employ. Now security is the issue that needs to be reviewed. The most important aspect of any communications platform is that it is secure. This paper will discuss the security of the network and the details of the hardware choices that will be used in it. Security Hardware and Software Between every network and the outside host of threats there is a first line of defense. For almost every network this will be a firewall. A firewall can be both hardware and software and is usually a combination of the two. A firewall creates a barrier between networks. Any outside computer or client must pass through the firewall to access the network or its resources. Only a computer or system that has proper access can easily access a network protected by a properly configured firewall. Though it is not infallible, a firewall is the first and perhaps best means of security available to a network. The Kudler Fine Foods network will have firewalls installed and configured at each location. These firewalls will be designed to allow access from authenticated users inside the network. Communication outside of the network should be minimal and not available from unauthenticated sources. Customers do have the ability to access certain account information from the Kudler Fine Foods website. These accounts allow them an authenticated login to the webserver which can access the firewall and the specific account information behind it. Customers themselves do not have access to the network or its files. A truly secure network does not rely on a firewall alone. Individual devices still require their own security measures installed on them. The method of having each end user device be responsible for its own security is called Endpoint Security and many current forms of security systems use this ideology. Third party software can be installed that handles the actual endpoint security of the device. The important point is that each device has current software that protects against intrusion, viruses, and malware. Devices on the Kudler Fine Foods network will be installed with an application suite that will suit all of these needs. In addition to antivirus and antimalware software every device should have appropriate encryption. LAN vs WAN A local area network (LAN) is the most basic form of network; however the word local can be subjective. A local network can mean a small network in a home, or a business network covering several buildings on a city block. LANs are relatively fast, compact, and when configured correctly, have few errors or problems. The hardware needed to build an LAN is set up on OSI levels 1 and 2 and include devices like switches, bridges, hubs, and repeaters. Wide area networks (WAN) are complex networks that span large geographical areas. The most commonly known WAN is the Internet. WANs tend to be slower in speed, highly complex, and intolerant of system problems. Because of the multitude of connections on a WAN, even a simple down can create problems across the network. Fundamental Network Hardware All networks, whether local or larger, are built on the same types of hardware. Most of these systems are using Ethernet technology to connect them. Ethernet cabling uses twisted pair cabling to transmit data and connect devices with a universal technology. Networks use a system of routers, hubs, and switches connected by Ethernet cable. Routers are gateways between networks; these are frequently combined with other devices like a modem. Hubs create a connection point between sections of a network.  Hubs function by relaying frames received to all clients. Hubs are â€Å"dummy† technology in that they do not analyze the frames coming to them and do not relay them specifically to the intended recipient. Instead they transmit any received frame to all clients connected to them. This is a quick, cheap way of ensuring data is transmitted, but it does create large amounts of extra network traffic. A smarter and more expensive piece of equipment contemporary to the hub is the switch. A switch does the same function as the hub but is smarter than a hub. While hubs simply repeat their information to all clients, switches scan the frames that come to them and determine the recipient address. This way the switch can forward the frame to the proper client without tying up more network resources than necessary. Conclusion The Kudler Fine Foods network upgrade will be constructed on Ethernet technology, just as it is now. The fundamental construct will involve use of these hardware technologies and will include switches and routers. The three buildings are in different cities, so they will each have their own local networks. Each network has a connection to the other networks so they are connected by a wide area network at the same time. The devices at each location will be responsible for their own endpoint protection while each local network will be protected by a firewall.

Non Cooperative Target Recognition Information Technology Essay

Non Cooperative Target Recognition Information Technology Essay One of the most important aspects of any combat situation is target identification or recognition. In aerial combat, the problem is compounded because of large ranges and similar looking fighter aircraft. Unless a threat is ascertained, counter offensive action cannot be initiated. The problem of target identification in the present air combat scenario has been further complicated due to the large range of the new generation Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles  [1]  . While in the yesteryears, procedural control and systems like Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) were in place, they did not guarantee positive identification, since they were not stand alone in nature  [2]  . Therefore there was need to develop a stand alone system capable of identifying airborne threats. 2. Thereafter Non Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) techniques were developed, which did not depend on any direct participation from the target for identification purposes. With the emergence of this technology, a big hope was created that this technique would be resolve all the identification issues. The NCTR technology started gaining momentum in the mid eighties and is yet to prove its capability, almost 25 years on  [3]  . Despite technological advances in computers, NCTR is yet to see the light of the day. Though many modern day Airborne Interception (AI) radars feature NCTR, it is still not being used as the primary means of target identification. NCTR at present is being used in conjunction with IFF and other procedural methods primarily due to its reduced reliability. 3. Incorporation of NCTR technology in the older AI radars may involve change of the radar itself. Considering this and the fact that NCTR technology has not fully matured, is NCTR really the most economically viable solution for airborne target identification at present? Or is there a better system available for this purpose? Methodology 4. Statement of Problem. Modern day air combat environment is dense with both friendly as well as hostile aircraft. Identification is a serious problem and this has been further compounded by significantly large ranges of new generation air to air missiles. Erstwhile methods of target identification like IFF have failed in many situations, leading to fratricides. Would employment Non Cooperative Target Recognition techniques alone resolve this issue? 5. Hypothesis. NCTR as a technology is very demanding on the computer hardware as well as software. So at present NCTR may not be the best solution for problems related to aircraft identification in a dense air combat environment. It is possible to get inputs from all available sensors like AI radars, AWACS, aerostats etc and integrate them to form an intelligent composite picture and identify friends from foes. However NCTR as a concept is still very lucrative. 6. Justification of Study. The requirement and importance of target identification is fairly obvious and history will bear testimony to the fact that most of the fratricides have been due to incorrect identification. Earlier systems have failed primarily because the onus of identification was with the target. Inability to prove himself for whatever reason, resulted in a friendly target being declared hostile. While NCTR as a concept seemed to be a good solution, the technological implementation of the concept has still not emerged fail proof. Also, integration of various other existing sensors in a networked environment to form an intelligent composite picture seems to be a more viable solution. 7. Scope. The scope of this paper is to examine as to whether NCTR is really the path ahead, as far as target identification goes. The paper will look into the complexities associated with database required for airborne target identification (3 dimensional space, multiple aircraft configurations etc.) and also the technical limitations associated with implementation of NCTR. The paper would also examine the feasibility of implementing other techniques of identification. The scope would be limited to logical analysis based on available information on the subject and would not involve any scientific experiment or mathematical computations. 8. Methods of data collection. NCTR as a subject has gained momentum only in the past few years and hence has very few publications giving basic insight. Most of the data has been collected on the internet including soft copies of the books and validated thesis by others. The sources are mentioned in the bibliography at the end of the paper. 9. Organisation of the Dissertation. It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner:- (a) Chapter I Introduction and Methodology. In this chapter the subject is introduced. This chapter also defines the statement of problem, the justification for the research and the methodology involved. (b) Chapter II Need for Airborne Target Identification systems. This chapter brings out the requirement and complexities involved in airborne target identification. (c) Chapter III History of NCTR. This chapter gives a brief insight into the history of NCTR (d) Chapter IV How exactly NCTR Works. To appreciate the complexity involved in the airborne identification process, it is important to understand how exactly NCTR functions. This chapter brings out the complexities involved in the working of NCTR. (e) Chapter V Various Types of NCTR Techniques. This chapter brings out the types of NCTR techniques available for use. Though the chapter is technical in nature, it is important to assimilate the various techniques in order to understand the complexity and short comings of the system. (f) Chapter VI Database Generation. The efficiency of entire process involved in NCTR depends on an accurate and exhaustive database. This chapter brings out the methods available and the limitations in generating adequate database. Again this chapter like the previous chapter is slightly technical in nature despite best efforts of keeping it as simple as possible. (g) Chapter VII Technical Limitations of the System. While so far the paper dealt with the software aspects, this chapter would bring out the technical limitations of the hardware required by the radar for functioning of NCTR. (h) Chapter VIII Alternatives to NCTR. This chapter looks at the alternatives to NCTR for target identification. (j) Chapter IX Conclusion. This chapter concludes the topic. CHAPTER II NEED FOR AIRBORNE TARGET IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. SUN TZU Introduction 1. In any hostile situation it is important to identify the adversary. Without knowing who the enemy is, how can one fight? Same is true for aerial combat, only with added degree of difficulty. While in the earlier years, aircraft identification was mostly restricted to visual identification, with improvement in technology this was no longer possible. The increasing weapon ranges post World War II made it difficult to visually identify aircraft in air during combat. 2. And also, any given airspace may contain friendly, neutral as well as hostile aircraft. How can one fire at an aircraft without ascertaining its nature / intent. Therefore aircraft identification forms a vital part prior to weapon launch. Tragic Incidents. 3. History is full of tragic incident of misidentification in air. There are numerous examples of neutrals having been shot from the sky. There also many cases of fratricides even in the recent conflicts. Some of them have been enumerated below  [4]  :- (a) On 5 October 2001, a Russian Sibir Tu-154 Airliner flying from Israel to Russia was thought to have been shot down by a missile fired by Ukrainian troops in a military exercise. (b) In April 1994, 02 USAF F-15 aircraft under positive control, accidently shot down their own Army Black Hawk Helicopters in Northern Iraq  [5]  . Visual Identification of Aircraft 4. World War Era. In both the first and second world war, aircraft recognition did not pose any major problem. In this era, the kill solution was attained by use of guns and hence the weapon ranges were much closer as compared to the distances at which the targets were discernable. The aircraft were slow moving and it was possible to spot and identify the type of aircraft before commencing offensive action. The combat was largely within the so called Visual Bubble of the pilot/s. As can be seen from Fig 2.1, the aircraft can be visually recognized by identifying the distinct shape, colour and characteristic visual features of the aircraft. Due training was imparted for this. In fact, in United Kingdom, The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was formed, which had civilian personnel specially trained for identifying aircraft  [6]  . Fig 2.1 : Aircraft of World War Ihttp://www.military-aircraft.org.uk/ww1-fighter-planes/nieuport-17.jpgRoyal Aircraft Factory SE5A World War One Aircraft 5. Post World War II. However post World War II, there was a rapid improvement in the fighters and weapon technology. With the advent of close combat air to air missiles and increase in weapon ranges, the hostile aircraft had to be identified by at least 2-3 km to initiate evasive action. Also the newer jets were similar looking in terms of shape and size. In the Fig 2.2, photos of F-15 and MiG-29 aircraft are placed side by side for comparison. While F-15 is an American fighter, MiG-29 is from erstwhile Russia. One can easily appreciate the similarity of features which may result in one being mistaken for the other. If this is the case at close ranges (20 30m), it would be reasonable to assume that visual identification would be almost impossible at ranges of 2 km and beyond. Fig 2.2 : Visual Comparison of F-15 and MiG-29 Fightershttp://www.atfx.org/photos/f15a.jpghttp://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/mig29/mig29_12.jpg 6. Post World War II, there also has been a significant increase in the speed of fighters engaged in aerial combat. This fact together with earlier mentioned aspects makes visual identification a passà ©. The use of radars did give some respite to the aerial fighters. However the weapon solution was still based on visual identification. With the advent of BVRs, the need for alternate means of identification gained importance. Without this, the full capability of BVR cannot be exploited  [7]  . 7. To tackle this problem of target identification, some techniques like the IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) have been developed so far. IFF systems are based on challenge response system. The system consists of a transponder fitted on the aircraft which replies in the form of suitable codes to any other IFF system. If the codes match, the aircraft is declared friendly. However should the code be incorrect or in case of no response, the aircraft is declared hostile. It should be kept in mind that response would not be possible in case of battle damage, loss of encryption keys, wrong encryption keys, or equipment failure. Therefore the major drawback of this system was that it was imperative on the part of the friendly aircraft to prove that he is friendly. In the event of faulty transponder, there are chances of fratricide. 8. Therefore there is a need to have a stand alone system capable of identifying and recognizing aircraft to take timely responsive action and also to prevent fratricide / shooting down of neutrals. CHAPTER III HISTORY OF NCTR Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories. SUN TZU 1. Need for a Stand Alone System. As can be seen from the last chapter, the IFF systems had a major drawback, that of requiring participation from the other aircraft. Inability to participate in the challenge response loop by other aircraft due to whatever reason was construed as Hostile by the system. This has resulted in many fratricides in the past. A number of such fratricides due to faulty IFF resulted in the need for a stand alone system. Some more cases of disasters due to faulty IFF are enumerated below:- (a) 1980. An Italian DC-9 passenger plane was shot down with a missile near Sicily. The missile was aimed by mistake because of incorrect IFF and discrimination of the type of plane. 81 passengers died.  [8]   (b) 1988. In the Persian Gulf, an Iranian Airbus was shot down by an SM-2 standard missile. The aircraft was erroneously recognized as an F-14 fighter aircraft. 298 people died.  [9]   (c) 2003. A glaring example of fratricide due to faulty IFF is that of two Royal Air Force Tornados returning after a mission in Iraq , which were shot down by US Patriot missiles on 22 Mar 03, in which both the crew were killed instantly. The investigating board attributed one of the causes as faulty IFF probably broken down due to power failure  [10]  . 2. These kind of mishaps led to the requirement of having a system which could identify aircraft without the active involvement of the unidentified aircraft. The concept of NCTR dates back from the mid seventies. A program started by the USAF code named Musketeer, introduced the idea of NCTR for the first time. In this program, the aircraft radar was used to count the fan blades in the engine  [11]  . This technology was later named as Jet Engine Modulation which would explained in detail in the subsequent chapter. The radar signature was unique to each engine. Since most aircraft had different engines, this technique was exploited for identifying the type of aircraft. 3. Though the concept was introduced in the mid seventies, the computational technology then was not adequate. The radar per se only gathers data and the extraction of useful information has to be done by the radar computers. Hence NCTR technology had to wait till mid eighties for the computer technology to catch up.  [12]  Thereafter the USAF had incorporated NCTR modes in the An/APG 63 radar of F-15 C aircraft. During the Gulf war in 1990- 91, use of this technique was made in conjunction with Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) for identifying hostile aircraft  [13]  . 4. Post Gulf war some progress was made in Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) systems. These systems did not restrict themselves to aircraft radars and were mostly ground based systems using millimetric wave radars  [14]  . The ranges of these radars were significantly lesser than airborne interception radars. While these radars were completely different in terms of technology and operating ranges, the basic concepts were similar. However the computations involved in aerial target recognition was much higher than ground targets. Though many experiments were conducted on ATR systems, the progress in NCTR was not at the same pace. 5. Post 1985, NCTR was tried and fitted on the USAF F-14, F-16 and F-18 aircraft. In addition, NCTR was also fitted on selected foreign F-15s (Israeli), British Tornados and French Mirage 2000-5s  [15]  . Today, in 2010, the technology has still not fully matured and still cannot be used in isolation for aerial target identification. CHAPTER IV PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION AND COMPONENTS OF NCTR Principle of Operation 1. Now before proceeding further, it would be prudent to understand how NCTR principles work. NCTR fundamentally relies on the returns from the target aircraft. Hence no active participation (as in IFF) is required from the target aircraft. Non Cooperative Target Recognition like any other identification process would in simple terms consist of first sensing the target. Then the relevant features of the target are extricated and compared with a database. Thus any NCTR system should essentially contain a Sensor, a Feature Extractor and a Classifier. 2. The principle of operation of NCTR is very similar to Optical Character Recognition (OCR) as in computers. The data from the target is collected by a suitable sensor and relevant data extracted. This is compared to the data existing in the library and then classified based on the results of the comparison. And for the success of this technique, a huge library of various aircraft profiles is required as database for comparison. The steps involved in identifying the target aircraft has been depicted in Fig 4.1. The flow chart of target recognition shows that the Recognition Algorithm takes two inputs namely measured target signature and signatures stored in the library and gives target identity as the output. Recognition Algorithms have been briefly explained subsequently. Fig 4.1 : Flowchart of Target Recognition SENSOR 3. Choice of Sensor. Choice of sensor is a very important part of this identification process. Without proper or adequate returns from the target, it would be nearly impossible to accurately classify the aircraft. For NCTR per se, a number of sensors are available Optical, Infra red, laser, acoustic and radar. However the optical, IR and laser sensors are prone to adverse weather conditions like moisture, dust etc. Also the detection ranges of these sensors are significantly lesser as compared to air to air weapon ranges especially in a BVR environment. Radar as a sensor has significant advantages as compared to the other sensors for the following reasons  [16]  :- (a) Aircraft are generally constructed by radar reflective material (even those with carbon composite have metal parts that reflect radar). (b) Radar can be used by day or night and is not affected by haze, fog, snow and rain. (c) Radar ranges are much higher than other sensors due to reduced atmospheric propagation attenuation.. (d) Radar has been one of the most extensively used sensors for aerial surveillance and the technology to generate, receive and process radar signals has been continuously refined for nearly 100 years. Hence radar is the optimum choice of sensor for NCTR on fighter aircraft. Moreover radars are already in place in all the modern generation fighters. Hence there would be no requirement to add a separate sub system on the aircraft. 4. Sensor Requirements. The radar capability required for the NCTR is specific. It is misnomer that any radar can be made NCTR capable. Suitable radar software is not the only thing that required for NCTR process. It is important that the radar design is appropriate to the type of measurement that has to be performed and to provide the type of target signature required. In order to obtain signatures of high integrity, the waveform must be carefully designed and the radar must support the transmission and reception of the signal without distortion  [17]  . The radar must be designed to minimize the effects of multiple reflections and clutter. The radar must also possess sufficient energy so that the returns from the target contain adequate data, required for the recognition process. Therefore it may not be possible to upgrade the existing radars with NCTR capability. Should it be possible, it may entail change of major components, which may not be the most economical solution for preventing fratricides. FEATURE EXTRACTOR 5. Function. The returns from the radar are simply electromagnetic pulses. It is of no use unless, relevant data is extracted from them. This is done by the Feature Extractor. Feature extraction is a process which happens inside the radar computer by means of suitable algorithms. These algorithms look for a specific attribute and isolate them for comparison. The algorithm for feature extraction would depend on the type of NCTR technique being employed for target recognition. Types of NCTR techniques are explained in detail in the next chapter. 6. Constraints. Feature extraction is a highly complex problem due to highly dynamic nature of fighter aircraft  [18]  . The radar returns from the aircraft are highly aspect dependent. More the aspect, more and stronger the radar returns, hence better feature extraction Aspect angle in simple terms is a measure of how much of the target aircraft is visible. When viewed from front / rear minimum area is visible and this is Zero aspect. When viewed from broad side, maximum area of the aircraft is visible. Now the aspect angles in 3D space are both in terms of elevation as well as azimuth. Due to highly aspect dependent nature of the scattered signature, the process of feature extraction becomes even more difficult. Also due to movement of the target, the radar signatures get distorted and this poses problems not only in feature extraction but also classification. These aspects are discussed in detail in Chapter 5. 7. After the radar has transmitted the pulses, detected and processed the return from the target of interest, the target signature is now ready for the recognition process. In order to perform correct target recognition, a lot of information needs to be known about the target. These information are contained in the form of a library in the radar computer. The details of database and database generation are discussed in detail in Chapter 6. CLASSIFIER 8. Classifier. The classifier in an NCTR system compares the extracted features of the target signature with the already existing library of aircraft signatures. The comparison is made with the help of recognition algorithms  [19]  . Recognition algorithms are mathematical techniques or formulae that compare the signatures which have been measured with the mathematical models of aircraft existing in the radar library. The algorithms are designed to analyse and assess how close a match a particular signature is to reference signature contained in the library. With the help of these algorithms, the classifier now assigns the most appropriate and closest identity to the target. Shown in the fig 4.2 is a target signature being compared with the three reference signatures. On close analysis though the target signature does not perfectly match any of the reference signatures, it is closest to Target C. Therefore the classifier would it assign the measured signature as Target C. Fig 4.2 : Target Signature Comparison with Reference Signatures 9. Target signatures have to be measured, modelled and analysed, to enable the attributes used for recognition to be identified. The techniques for reliably extracting these attributes from the target have to be determined. Libraries of target data have to be assembled, ordered, managed and updated as new targets emerge and more target signature data becomes available. The development of reliable recognition algorithms is clearly critical for developing a high-performance target recognition capability. 10. While a computer can easily identify various objects based on the size, shape, colour etcetera, it would still lack the ability to identify objects logically as the human brain does. Till the neural and genetic algorithms are not fully developed, it would be difficult to optimize NCTR for aerial identification.

Free College Admissions Essays: The Outreach Program :: College Admissions Essays

College Admissions: The Outreach Program The Panuluyan was a real eye-opener for me. It made me become aware of the things, which I have normally taken for granted. It was so surprising to see how much little they have, yet at the same time they cherish each little blessing they receive and they never cease to be grateful for what is given to them. It made me see that it was easier to please those who have less, because they expect less. The trip to Camarin also made me realize how much different we are, yet very much the same. We have different concerns, different views, and different standard of happiness. But at the same time all of us have the same basic needs, has his own dreams, needs to be loved, longs to be free from struggle and pain, and desires to be happy. We are two planes on the same ground. One thing that struck me was the warmth and hospitality they have shown and given us. They welcome us to their home ad treat us like guests. They serve us food and drinks alongside with their profuse apology "pasensya na ho kayo, ito lang ang kaya namin", although they might not have enough for themselves. They are very thankful for the help our school has given to their children, which might be one reason why they wanted us to be as comfortable as possible. On the house our group was assigned to, we noticed that sandals and slippers were removed before entering the house. We asked the owner if it was necessary for us to remove our shoes since the path leading to their house was muddy, but she hastily replied "ay wag na po! 'wag na!" So we just wiped our shoes and entered the house with it. It was only when we entered the house, not more than the size of my room, did we realize that the same place we stood was also where they slept! And we trampled it with our muddy shoes. Despite their situation, I noticed that the people in Camarin are generally happy. Everyone in the barangay knows everyone, the neighbors help each other out; families back each other up and are always there for each other. Even their goals are selfless. The woman we talked to only wishes for her children to finish school and hopefully have a 'better' life in the near future. Free College Admissions Essays: The Outreach Program :: College Admissions Essays College Admissions: The Outreach Program The Panuluyan was a real eye-opener for me. It made me become aware of the things, which I have normally taken for granted. It was so surprising to see how much little they have, yet at the same time they cherish each little blessing they receive and they never cease to be grateful for what is given to them. It made me see that it was easier to please those who have less, because they expect less. The trip to Camarin also made me realize how much different we are, yet very much the same. We have different concerns, different views, and different standard of happiness. But at the same time all of us have the same basic needs, has his own dreams, needs to be loved, longs to be free from struggle and pain, and desires to be happy. We are two planes on the same ground. One thing that struck me was the warmth and hospitality they have shown and given us. They welcome us to their home ad treat us like guests. They serve us food and drinks alongside with their profuse apology "pasensya na ho kayo, ito lang ang kaya namin", although they might not have enough for themselves. They are very thankful for the help our school has given to their children, which might be one reason why they wanted us to be as comfortable as possible. On the house our group was assigned to, we noticed that sandals and slippers were removed before entering the house. We asked the owner if it was necessary for us to remove our shoes since the path leading to their house was muddy, but she hastily replied "ay wag na po! 'wag na!" So we just wiped our shoes and entered the house with it. It was only when we entered the house, not more than the size of my room, did we realize that the same place we stood was also where they slept! And we trampled it with our muddy shoes. Despite their situation, I noticed that the people in Camarin are generally happy. Everyone in the barangay knows everyone, the neighbors help each other out; families back each other up and are always there for each other. Even their goals are selfless. The woman we talked to only wishes for her children to finish school and hopefully have a 'better' life in the near future.

mathew shepard :: essays research papers

I think that Mathew Shepard was a good person. That stupid church guy that said gays are evil, Matt’s in hell, and stuff like that are the â€Å"evil people. It’s not evil to be gay. All that stuff religious people say about gays is nothing that really is true. The religious people take in everything that the bible says about everything so hard. The bible wasn’t even written by god. The people that beat Matthew up were just raised to hate gays. It’s not right to kill a gay person for hitting on you, and that’s not even what it sounded like. Sounds like there were just being stupid. They sounded like they were just doing it for fast cash or something. Knowing that someone would do such a thing isn’t that great. It feels like this world is full of hate. Bin Ladin, the Matthew Shepard thing, and the list goes on. The real reason I think stuff like this goes on is because people aren’t raised right and the parents expose the bad stuff, and that’s why a lot of people kill. That’s what I think caused Matthew Shepard’s death. The parents were not very good if the kids took drugs and killed and beat people up. The aids thing didn’t surprise me. All my life I’ve been told from various places that 1 in 5 gay men have aids. First I heard about it in school in sixth grad I think. Then I hear it on the radio. Then I hear it on the TV. Matthew Shepard seemed like a good person. Doesn’t have bad habits as far as I saw. The incident made me think of how people use the word gay or fag. I have used those words a lot. I used them in the sense of stupid and ahole. When I was mad that’s what I would say. You can’t help saying it. You hear it all the time. I never used it to offend a gay person. I heard at my old school millions of times. I don’t think I’ll use that word any more.

Mental Models About a Person’s World Essay

INTRODUCTION: Meeting a person for the first time, can either be a positive or negative experience and the way someone interacts with this person can also show both positive and negative behaviours. So the question is, how can mental models about a person’s world, both aid them and also limit their perceptions when meeting a person for the first time. Through exploring how and why these perceptions can be assisted and limited, we can start to question the reasoning behind our mental models. MENTAL MODELS Throughout the years, academic literature has defined a mental model in many ways, however the best way to understand what a mental model is, is the deeply imbedded ways of thinking or even certain images, that trigger assumptions and generalisations, ultimately affecting the way a person responds too or behaves in the world, be it towards a person or a life situation (Senge 2006). A good example of a mental model is, the generalization that only rich people live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This generalisation may be true in some cases, but in other cases, other people may live there because they have lived their all their lives, and so, we can see this particular generalisation or â€Å"mental model† has not be thought through. Not questioning mental models, can often lead to false generalisations, this situation can also arise when meeting a person for the first time. When meeting a person for the first time, our mental models can help us both understand and ultimately get along with the person or they can limit our perceptions, meaning we make assumptions or generalisations that eventually alter our perceptions about this person or how we act towards them. Very often, we see that we are not consciously aware of our mental models and the affects that they can have on our behaviour (Chermack 2003), this in turn, restricts our perceptions. Mental models are often vague, incomplete and imprecisely expressed (Karp 2005) however, once believed, mental models are extremely difficult to change (Chermack 2003). This is highly due to the  fact that people are unaware of their own mental models, and the only way for a person to change their mental model, is for them to acknowledge that they have one to start with. Mental models can be useful as they can help us to process information and make decisions quickly (Unknown 1997) and they can also be imperative foundations for building knowledge about the world we live in (Karp 2005). For instance, when an individual has a mental model that all take away food is bad for their health and wellbeing, when given the option of either having take away food or a healthy meal at home, the individuals mental model will therefore lead them to quickly decide to eat a healthy meal at home. However, very strong mental models can hinder active thinking and the acceptance of new ideas (Unknown 1997), and often arise problems when they are tacit, meaning that they are below the level of awareness (Senge 1992). Using the example of the Detroit auto maker, not recognising that they had the mental model that all that customers cared about was styling, believing that â€Å"all people care about is styling†, evidently shows us that their mental model had become tacit. This mental model continued to be unexamined, and because this mental model remained unexamined, the model remained unchanged, and thus as the world changed the gap grew between the mental model of this Detroit automaker and the world (Senge 1992). Clearly, mental models can perform as filters that screen incoming information that come to us, limiting our ways of thinking and also our perceptions (Unknown 1997). An individual’s mental model represents their view on the world, it also provides them with the context in which they view and interpret new material and also new people in which they meet for the first time (Kim 1993). It not only helps us to make sense of what is going on around us, but it can also restrict our understanding of a certain situation. For example, when someone has been labeled as not a nice person, with never questioning the validity of it, people create a mental model that, that person is not nice, and so when they do or say something nice it goes unnoticed, and therefore, the behaviour does not fit with the mental model people have towards this  certain individual. These untested assumptions or mental models can eventually cause conflict and misunderstandings between people. Developing skills in reflection and inquiry can aid us in realising our mental models and also with dealing with others. When we use skills of reflection we slow down our ways of thinking and acknowledge how our mental models are formed and how they affect our behaviour. Where as skills of inquiry, is concerned with how we operate in face-to-face situations with others, especially when we are dealing with complex and conflictual issues (Senge 2006). Together with the tools and methods used to develop these skills these constitute the core of the discipline of mental models, which consists of; the distinctions between espoused theories and theories-in-use, recognising â€Å"leaps of abstraction†, exposing the â€Å"left-hand column† and balancing inquiry and advocacy (Senge 2006). When an individual says that they value or desire something, that is known as espoused theory, however, what they actually say or do, is known as theories-in-use (Bocham 2010). Acknowledging the gaps between what we say and what we do, can be seen as an effective reflective skill in becoming more aware of our mental models. Someone may profess their view (espoused theory) that people generally are trustworthy, but their actions (theories-in-use) show differently, as they never lend out money and keep their possessions to themselves (Senge 2006). As evident in the example above, there is a gap between the individual’s espoused theory and their theory-in-use. By recognising the gap between espoused theory and the theory-in-use, learning can occur, as we as individuals question whether or not we really value our espoused theory (Senge 2006). When we meet a person for the first time, we can quickly jump into generalisations as we never think to question them. For example, when we meet a person and they say that they are a doctor, we automatically assume that they are smart, as it is a generalization that all doctors are smart we never seem to question this mental model. These are known as â€Å"leaps of abstraction†. â€Å"Leaps of abstraction† occur when we move from direct observations to generalisations without questioning them, this ultimately  impedes learning because it becomes axiomatic, as what was once an assumption is now treated as a fact (Senge 2006). Therefore, this becomes another limitation, in which mental models can have on our perceptions when we meet people for the first time. However, these â€Å"leaps of abstraction† can easily be identified when people ask what their generalisation is based-on and whether or not the generalisation is inaccurate or misleading (Senge 2006) Senge (2006) identifies the â€Å"left-hand column† as a powerful technique whereby individuals begin to see how their mental models operate in differing situations. This exercise can show individuals that they indeed have mental models and show them how those models play an active part in sometimes negative interactions with people, not only do these people become aware of their mental models, but they begin to acknowledge why dealing with these assumptions is imperative (Senge 2006). In order for good communication between individuals to arise, people need to recognise that in order for the communication process to be effective, mental models must be managed properly, this is done by balancing advocacy and inquiry (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Advocacy is the process of communicating an individual’s ways of thinking and reasoning in a manner that makes it clear for others (Peggy & Bronn 2003). When there is advocacy without inquiry, it only leads to more advocacy, and therefore leads to two individuals stating their ways of reasoning and thinking, they both are keen to here the others views, but do not inquire into what they are saying because they believe that what they are saying is ultimately the best way of thinking. A way to tackle this, is through the process of inquiry. Inquiry engages two individuals into the communication process in a joint learning process (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Here the objective is to understand the reasoning and thinking of the other individual, this can be done by asking them questions in order for them to determine the origin for their conclusions and statements (Peggy & Bronn 2003). Individuals can do this by asking questions such as; â€Å"What is it that leads you to that position?† and â€Å"can you illustrate your point for me?† (Senge 2006). Thus, it is evident  that grasping the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, is highly advantageous in interacting with other individuals, especially those you meet for the first time. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is imperative and highly advantageous for us to question our mental models in everyday situations, such as meeting people for the first time, as it will deter us from automatically making assumptions and making generalisations. Through acknowledging ‘leaps of abstraction†, using the â€Å"left-hand column† technique and also personally mastering the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, we can learn to question these mental models, and thus questioning whether or not they really do hold their value in our world. Thus, when we meet a person for the first time, before we make assumptions and generalisations, we may need to recognise our imbedded mental models and learn to question them, therefore aiding the process of communication to be a positive experience. REFERENCE LIST: Bochman, DJ & Kroth, M. 2010, â€Å"Immunity to transformational learning and change†, _The Learning Organization,_ vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 328-342. Chermack, TJ 2003, â€Å"Mental models in decision making and implications for human resource development†, _Advances in Developing Human Resources,_ vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 408-422. Karp, T 2005, â€Å"Unpacking the Mysteries of Change: Mental Modelling†, _Journal of Change Management,_ vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 87-96. Kim, DH 1993, â€Å"The Link Between Individual and Organizational Learning†, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 37-37. Peggy, SB & Bronn, C 2003, â€Å"A reflective stakeholder approach: Co-orientation as a basis for communication learning†, _Journal of Communication Management,_ vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 291-303. Senge, P 2006, â€Å"Mental Models†, _The fifth discipline: the art and practice of learning organizations,_ rev. edn, Doubleday, New York, pp. 163-190. Senge, PM 1992, â€Å"Mental Models†, _Planning Review,_ vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 4-4. Unknown 1997, â€Å"What are Mental Models?†, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 38, no. 3, p. 13.