Affirmative Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Affirmative Action - Essay Example This multipurpose term is used for the set of programs developed by government in order to eliminate the discrimination based on race and gender. The affirmative action programs provide opportunities in education and employment. This facilitates the opportunities that can help beneficiary group to improve its skill, opportunities and uplift the social status. There are various studies that have covered the controversies around the affirmative action within the American society and politics. This has been viewed a politically motivated activity to increase or maintain the vote banks. The controversy is also linked with the tangibility factors of the affirmative action. This is termed as ‘reverse discrimination or preferential treatment’ by Mangum. Berry (2004) has studied the expansion of the affirmative action programs to the private sector by providing educational, training and employment opportunity to the protected groups with increase their recruitment in the organiz ation. There have been various studies and debates over the controversies around affirmative action.

Effects of missing an appointment Essay Example for Free

Effects of missing an appointment Essay There are a wide range of effects for a person missing an appointment. Missing an appointment effect the individual who missed the appointment, least of all. Regardless of reason, not showing up for a scheduled time is a great disrespect to all the people that might have benefited from the scheduled time. Missing an appointment punishes others that may have gained from that time slot. There are many solutions to not missing an appointment, and by following the steps to prevent from missing an appointment gives a common courtesy to others. People’s time is extremely valuable and by missing an appointment it shows an extreme amount of disrespect. The main people being affected by my inconsiderate decision were the physical therapists, the patients, and least of all I. The people who work for you are being thrown under the bus when an appointment is missed. In my case, the people at the physical therapy clinic who work tirelessly to provide care for others that are injured, to get them back in fighting shape. By missing the allotted time all of the preparation and care to make me better was essentially thrown down the drain. A substantial amount of time was wasted that could have been used to benefit me or another soldier. I cannot reiterate enough, the selfishness of missing an appointment. All that was needed was a simple call, a common courtesy, for the situation to be resolved. By missing my appointment I basically told the physical therapy clinic that my time is more valuable than yours, which is very disrespectful. The others that were affected by my decision to miss the appointment were all of the other patients seeking care. Being a soldier requires many physical demands which often incur injuries. It is extremely important for any soldier seeking care to be able to receive the proper treatment. By me missing my appointment it took time away from another soldier that could have received treatment. By calling ahead it could have potentially given someone else who needed that time with the physical therapy clinic, a chance to get seen and treated. I inadvertently placed myself before others by not calling ahead and cancelling, or rescheduling my allotted time with the physical therapy clinic. I briefly put aside some of my basic values of being a soldier when I missed the appointment. There are many solutions that could have been done to avoid the missed appointment, and will be done in the future. Something as easy as putting an alarm in my phone, could have helped me to not miss my appointment. I also could have been more proactive with my leadership and let my chain of command know when and what time my appointment was. Certain safeguards in the future will be put in place to prevent this lack of respect for others, to not happen again. The more people I let know of my appointments will prevent me from missing any future appointments. I feel I can improve as a soldier from this incident and by me missing this appointment it will make me become more considerate for others and give me a better awareness of when and where my appointments are. On Friday I missed my physical therapy appointment and while I feel this was an outlier of events, I cannot and will not let this happen again. The only reason I can provide as to why my appointment was missed is that I work sick call at the Aid Station, and it ran later than normal that morning. As a medic I know first-hand the importance of holding true to a scheduled appointment. I know what it feels like being on the other end of the spectrum. When I screen patients and a patient misses an appointment it feels like someone has wasted my time. In other words it feels like a slap in the face, which makes me missing my appointment that much more inexcusable. Others that feel the effects of missing an appointment are the direct chain of command. The lack of respect by one person can reflect negatively on a whole organization. By missing an appointment others wonder if the unit as a whole treats appointments and others with that same lack of respect. In my case I have great NCO’s and a great support system that has done nothing but help me in my career and teach me the in’s and out’s of how to be a good soldier and an even better person. However, with my lapse in judgment my decision reflected very poorly on my leadership. That in itself is enough for me to understand the negative outcomes by missing my appointment. Overall the effects of one individual’s mistake can be felt by a plethora of different individuals and groups. From the Physical therapy clinic whose time could have been better spent helping other patients to me as an individual. I think something good that has come out of my mistake is that I now have a much better perspective of all the different people that my decision affected. Appointments are very easy to cancel ahead of time to give another person a chance to seek treatment. For so many people and organizations effected a simple phone call or preventative measure would have resolved the situations.

Shadows In Architecture

Shadows In Architecture As we all know that light is essential for various activities and shadows are intrinsically connected with light. Light is inseparable from the notion of form and space and so is shadow from light. Throughout the world architects have strived to marvel the use of natural light, but seldom do they consider the shadowed areas caused due to that light. The ambience of a space is affected by the quality of light and shadows. Treatment of light and shadows has been a typical feature of traditional Japanese architecture which understands and lays importance to the design of areas in shade from a source of light. Ar Juhani Pallasmaa on shadows: The imagination and daydreaming are stimulated by dim light and shadow. In order to think clearly, the sharpness of vision has to be suppressed, for thoughts travel with an absent-minded and unfocussed gaze. Homogeneous bright light paralyses the imagination in the same way that homogenisation of space weakens the experience of being, and wipes away the sense of place. (Pallasmaa, 2005). Architect Peter Zumthor listed the following as one his favourite ideas: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to plan the building as a pure mass of shadow then, afterwards, to put in light as if you were hollowing out the darkness, as if the light were a new mass seeping in. (Zumthor, 2006). The area of study of this dissertation will be based on the idea that if the lighted parts of an object are too light, the form of it is difficult to perceive, and if the parts in shadow are too dark no form will be seen. When light falls on a relief perpendicular to its surface, there will be a minimum of shadows. The intricacies will hardly be visible. Similarly perception of texture also depends on minute differences in relief. The dynamic nature of the shadows cast by sunlight gives an immense potential to effectively design and create shades and shadows. Ordinary day-to-day phenomenon like openings along a long corridor create patches of light and shadow and breaks the monotony of the long walk. Elements of buildings such as sunshades, jaalis, screens, louvres, etc cast shadows which have shapes. The phenomenology of shadows is an important aspect of spaces. Hence, it is more than evident that light and shadows are an essential part of a space.If the architect has an understanding of the relationship of the object with its shadow, he will be better able to control it to compose the shadows and hence the feel of the space. Research Question: How do shadows affect spatial design? Need Identification Every experience of architecture is multi-sensory; qualities of space are measured by the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue simultaneously. A development towards the dominance of the sense of vision has been observed and analyzed by a number of philosophers in recent years. Vision, as we all know, is a consequence of light. Hence, in a very direct way, light is essential for perception of architecture. This study will focus on a rather unspoken, yet ever-present, product of light, i.e. shadows. Elements of architecture undergo innumerable transformations during the course of the day and from season to season. In 1849 John Rushkin stated that among the first habits that a young architect should learn, is that of thinking in shadowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Rushkin, 1880). The shadow gives shape and life to the object in light. Casting of shadow reveals the relationships between objects. Just as Chiaroscuro in paintings and sculptures creates vitality, the play of light and shadow brings life to buildings. (Sullivan, 1947). Objectives To study, in brief, the role of shadows in spatial design throughout the history of architecture in a chronological way. To study the role of shadows in the design of contemporary spaces, taking up examples and case-studies To study how people react to the above mentioned cases. (designers intent vs. achieved). Lastly, attempt to formulate/arrive at generalities to assist the incorporation of shadow-design in the basic design of spaces and buildings Scope The study will analyze the role of self-shadows and cast-shadows (formed under natural light) in spatial design. Understand and analyze the effects of the two different types of shadows (with a visual boundary and without a visual boundary) Study changes in the use of light and shadow throughout the history of architecture. The study will include: Visual perception of the spaces Basic understanding of tones, intensity etc The study will NOT include: Climato-logical impact of the natural light Technical aspects of light, including definitions and quantifiable items like Lux, Lumens, Illuminance, etc. Limitations Shade/shadow is seen as absence or relative deficiency of light. Hence, a direct quantification is not possible. The study has been limited to use of natural light in buildings to streamline the topic of study due to time and text limitations. Secondary case-studies will rely on the imagery and data available in the media and/or books. Direct interview of people using the mentioned spaces (outstation or otherwise) is not possible hence the study will rely on the literature available. Methodology Literature Survey Case-study Primary Prominent examples of such spaces in or around Delhi which have successfully incorporated shadow as an element in the design Secondary Prominent examples of such spaces which have successfully incorporated shadow as an element in the design, with sufficient data available for analysis. Analysis Analysis of the data collected after the Literature Survey and Case-studies. Formulation of ideas Arrive at generalities after a detailed analysis of the collected data to assist the designing of shadows for spaces and buildings. This will help in sensitizing the reader to consider shadows as an important element in spatial design, and hence a whole new approach to designing. The formulations will tentatively be with respect to: scale; forms blocks and massing; geometry; material colour and texture; pertaining to particular elements of buildings (like sunshades, louvers, screens etc) Definitions: (http://oxforddictionaries.com/) shadow: (noun) a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface. shade: (noun) comparative darkness caused by shelter from direct sunlight. darkness: (noun) the partial or total absence of light. chiaroscuro: ( http://www.britannica.com) the interplay of light and shadow on or as if on a surface ( from Italian: chiaro, light; scuro, dark) technique employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional objects. phenomenology: It is a philosophical design current in contemporary architecture and a specific field of academic research, based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties. Works Cited Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The eyes of the skin : architecture and the senses. Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Plummer, H. (2009). The Architecture of Natural Light. London: Thames Hudson Ltd. Rasmussen, S. E. (1962). Experiencing Architecture. Cambridge: The MIT Press. Rushkin, J. (1880). The Seven Lamps of Architecture. New York: Drover Publications, Inc. Sullivan, L. (1947). Ornament in Architecture, Kindergarten Chats and Other Writings. New York: Witten Art Books. Tanizaki, J. (1977). In praise of shadows. New Haven, Conn.: Leetes Island Books. Zumthor, P. (2006). Atmospheres : architectural environments, surrounding objects. Basel, Boston: Birkhà ¤user. Bibliography Murray, D. (1990). Architecture and shadow. New York: Rizzoli. Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The eyes of the skin : architecture and the senses. Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. Plummer, H. (2009). The Architecture of Natural Light. London: Thames Hudson Ltd. Rasmussen, S. E. (1962). Experiencing Architecture. Cambridge: The MIT Press. Rushkin, J. (1880). The Seven Lamps of Architecture. New York: Drover Publications, Inc. Sullivan, L. (1947). Ornament in Architecture, Kindergarten Chats and Other Writings. New York: Witten Art Books. Tanizaki, J. (1977). In praise of shadows. New Haven, Conn.: Leetes Island Books. Zumthor, P. (2006). Atmospheres : architectural environments, surrounding objects. Basel, Boston: Birkhà ¤user. Chapter Outline: Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction Light and Shadow: The inseparable Shadows and spatial design Research Question Need Identification Scope Limitations Methodology References Chapter 2: Architecture Precedents Shadows in Architecture through time Works of contemporary architects Chapter 3: Understanding shadows 3.1 Shadows Self-shadows and cast-shadows Shadows having a visual boundary versus without a visual boundary (shades); obscuring etc Dominance of shadow versus dominance of light Effect of shadows in spatial design Form Elements: Jaalis, relief, pergola etc Materials and texture Dynamism through light and shadow Chapter 4: Case-studies Primary: Spiritual/meditation center India Habitat Center Secondary: Church of Light by Tadao Ando The Pantheon, Rome Chapter 5: Conclusion Analysis and conclusion List of Plates

Harmful Aspects of The Automobile Essay -- Essays Papers

Harmful Aspects of The Automobile Air pollution refers to the presence of foreign substances in the atmosphere. Air pollution is a problem in countries where urban and population growth have been accompanied by the use of the automobile. Smog, carbon monoxide, and acid rain, are only a few of these foreign substances in the atmosphere. The negative effects these poisons have upon the environment and the human body are astronomical. Respiratory inflammation, impaired vision, learning disabilities, and death are all results that smog, carbon monoxide, and acid rain have on the human body. The deterioration of the ozone, and precious trees, as well as the destruction of many necessary rain forests are examples of pollution’s negative effects on the environment. Smog, carbon monoxide, and acid rain are all main roots to the deterioration of humans, as well as the planet. For additional information, see http://cses.scbe.on.ca/air4.htm. The first poisonous gas to be discussed would be smog. Smog builds when sunlight cooks everyday emissions from automobiles. Automobiles body paint, as well as gasoline fumes, all play a deadly role in the destructive path of smog. When these pollutants cook in the sunlight, they form ground-level ozone, which is the main component in smog. Pollutants are generated by traffic in urban areas. To view an example of a polluted see http://www-wilson.uesd.edu/education/airpollution (76k). The pollution is then blown from city to city in wind flows carrying toxins into the rural areas. â€Å"Motor vehicles are the main source of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. The emission from motor vehicles combined with sunlight create a brown haze, which we have come to recognize as smog†(Deg... ...erioration of humans, as well as the planet. Works Cited - Degobert, Paul. Automobiles and Pollution. Warrendale PA: Society of Automotive Engineers, 1995. - Grad, P. Frank. The Automobile and The Regulation of it’s Impact on The Environment. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1975. - Haslam, Sylvia. River Pollution: An Ecological Perspective. London: New York: Belhaven Press, 1990. - Meisel, S. William. Monitoring Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in Urban Areas. Washington: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 1979. - Schwieger, Robert G. and Elliott, Thomas C. Acid Rain: Engineering solutions, regulatory Aspects. New York: Hemisphere Pub. Corp. Magraw Hill, 1985. - Southwestern: The Student Handbook. 4 vols. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc, 1997. 4 vols.

The Illusion of Tradition in Jacksons The Lottery Essay -- Shirley Ja

The Illusion of Tradition There is a Lottery going on today and we all hold a ticket. In â€Å"The Lottery† Shirley Jackson is asking people to stop for a moment and take a look at the traditions around them. Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to show that traditions today are sometimes as misguided as the tradition of the lottery in that small town in Somewhere, USA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evil can be evoked in the most kind-hearted person if tradition deems it ok. Though the years there have been many wars in which many men have fought, and killed. If not put in a war torn environment the men in those wars would never have killed anyone. School children continually bully each other, sometimes to the point of serious injury. Otherwise kind, loving children, gain strength through numbers and, as a group encourage each other, making it ok to torment another. Usually a much weaker and shy child is on the receiving end of this torment. The children in â€Å"The Lottery† symbolize how humans have a duel nature that allows usually friendly people to become violent when put in the right situation with the right conditions. â€Å"On a beautiful day in June the young children choose there stones. Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones; Bobb y and Harry Jones and Dickie Delacroix-- the villagers pronounced this name "Dellacroy"--eventually made a great pile of stones in one corner of the square and guarded it against the raids of the other boys.†(255) People in this small town are the same as in any small town, but when empowered with numbers and a tradition that deem it ok, evil shows it’s ugly face.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today tradition is a strong part of out lives. We do not have any traditions that are as extreme as the lottery, however â€Å"The Lottery† symbolizes that relevance can be lost over time. Take the Bible for example, it has been written and rewritten several times over thousands of years, translated from one language to another and then to another. Even over the relatively short period of time in â€Å"The Lottery† many thing had been lost from there tradition. â€Å"At one time, some people remembered, there had been a recital of some sort, performed by the official of the lottery, a perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year; some people believed that the official of the ... ...obody work any more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about 'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.'† (258) â€Å"There's always been a lottery," he added petulantly.† (258) Tradition is so strongly rooted that it is tied to the fertility of the land and how well a year’s crop will be. Each and every day we face life with the chance that we may not make it through the day. The black box in â€Å"The Lottery† symbolizes the fact that we are mortal beings and just as easy as not we may die any given day. â€Å"Mr. Graves had selected the five slips and put them in the box, and he dropped all the papers but those onto the ground, where the breeze caught them and lifted them off.† (259) Automobile accidents, cancer, heart attacks, any number of things could happen to anyone any time as easy as the slips of paper fell into the box. The slips falling into the box and the wind blowing the others away symbolizes how random life really is with respect to death. Live your life full and pray the wind blows for you. Works Cited Jackson, Shirley. ?The Lottery.? Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Diana Gioia. 6thed. New York: HarperCollins, 1995.

Meaning of Life Essay

Here’s what a recent survey found: †¢ 25% of people say it is to seek truth and create meaning for yourself †¢ 22% think the meaning of life is to lovingly help others and make the world better †¢ 18% say there is no meaning †¢ 8% think it is to reproduce and continue your genes and the human race †¢ 8% say it is to find happiness †¢ 6% believe it is to learn how to serve and worship God, while †¢ 8% don’t know While it seems there are several purposes to life, science is beginning to reveal there is one fundamental purpose to all life. Every moment of your existence your body works to keep energy flowing. Every second you breathe air, you add food and water to replace the energy you use. Everything you sense or do is connected to the flow of energy in one form or another. You are so used to this energy flow that you hardly notice it. It is the ultimate process of your life. If your energy stops flowing you die: flowing energy differentiates living creatures from dead ones. While the purpose of all life might be to help energy flow, the same laws of energy indicate that a meaning of your own life is to find how your energy flows best. Is this science echoing those scriptures that suggest you have your own unique ‘gift’ that you should use? What does your energy enable you to do best? This can be as simple as determining what you are truly passionate about or what you do better than anyone else. Unfortunately, many of us are not aware of what this is. As such, the individual meaning of your life is for you to discover what makes your energy flow best and then how to do that. How you use energy best varies for everyone – therefore, everyone has a slightly different meaning to someone else. Ignoring this means your energy will be all mixed up and your life will be chaotic. This is what most scriptures and spiritual writings are trying to tell us, but just didn’t understand energy well enough. If you look at ancient scriptures and spiritual writings in terms of energy you start to realise that they, and modern science, are all saying something similar. In short, while the purpose of all life is about helping energy flow, spread and balance, your individual meaning is about determining how you do this best, what you do that helps your energies flow best.

Marriage †Cause and Effect Essay

Growing up children are surrounded with a fairy tale life, the ‘happily ever after. ’ As girls we are supposed to wait for our prince charming and he will love us forever; and for boys it is finding and rescuing a beautiful princess who can cook, clean, and is loved by all creatures. That is what marriage is based off of as a child, but that perspective changes once we get a small grasp of the concept of love and we really see what marriage is. Marriage is not something anyone goes into lightly and maybe our expectations of the fairy tale life are why divorce is so commonly sought. There are many reason whys people get married; for love, money, status or because it is the ‘right’ thing to do. For those who marry for love, it is because you share common ground with the other person. They will become your other half as they will have the same beliefs, passions and values as you. After dating and being together for a while we learn that marriage and children are next on the check list. So the marriage is set and a ceremony held and they live ‘happily ever after’, but what most couples do not grasp after they are married is that there is not a sense of pure individualism any more. When married what is mine is yours and yours is mine. There are no longer ‘his’ or ‘her’ problems; they evolve into ‘us’ problems. Hence these individual problems root into a bigger problem- communication. When couples are able to talk they are likely to solve their problems, but disagreements due to the lack of communication can often lead to arguments. Not being able to communicate can be simply caused by the differences of being a male and female, but if the couple wants to move forward in their lives together and be able to relate to each other, than learning how to converse is important. When we do not feel understood, we react, whether it is silently, verbally, or with action; but not once does it occur to us that the other person is also trying to be understood. Thus the relationship will continue in a cycle of poor communication leading in most likely a divorce. Communication is important in all relationships regardless if the relationship is intended for love or other personal gains. Some males and females try to cash in by being greedy and choosing to get married for money; when they choose a partner that they can depend on for life. Most of victims are singers, self-employed businessmen/women, actresses, or elder rich singles. Although they may not be forced into the marriage, these wealthy persons are unaware of the ulterior motives of their partner. The effect of marrying only for love is the eventual unfold of the lies and deceits of the particular partner. Another effect is if that rich person loses their wealth, the outcome is all the same. Depending if the person lost wealth or the ‘victim’ finds out the true motive of the relationship they will most likely divorce this person and continue on their search for true love or money. Another reason why a couple would get married is because it is ‘the right thing to do’, which usually means that there is a child out of wedlock. The purpose of getting married for a child is so that the child will get the right idea; fall in love, get married, have a child. Another objective is that the couple who is not necessarily in love is trying to build love from this child/union. The outcome of this method is that the child ends up driving the couple apart, because of the demand and needs. The primary care taker cannot be solely committed to their lover because the child needs attention and care for their own well-being. If one person feels there is not enough attention they might be unfaithful and/or just leave. Trying to build love in a relationship where time is precious and cannot be spent just between the two people is extremely hard and most of those relationships fall through because there will be a lack of commitment. There are many reasons why people choose to get married and the outcome of those reasons depends solely on the level of commitment and how well the couple interacts with each other. Growing up with the ideal that there is a Prince charming or a beautiful damsel in distress and living ‘happily ever after’ is not a realistic approach to a marriage, for marriages take more work than what appears. There is a level of trust, honesty, and most importantly communication that needs to be met in order for it to be successful, but unfortunately in these times where people have been accustomed to shotgun weddings, the divorce happens just as fast.