What Is The Definition Of Marriage Essays - Marriage,

What Is The Definition Of Marriage? What is the definition of marriage? What is marriage? In Webster's Dictionary marriage is defined as the institution whereby men and women are joined in special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family. The definition states ?a man and a woman not a man and a man?. Some people believe same gender marriages should be allowed. But right now the law doesn't allow same gender marriages. I guess only time will tell if that law will ever change. Marriage has always been an evolving institution, bent and shaped by the historical moment and the needs and demands of its participants (Johnson 266). The Romans recognized the phenomenon we call ?falling in love,? but they considered it a hindrance to the establishment of stable households (266). Marriages certified by the state had their foundations not in religion or romance but in pragmatics-e.g., the joining of socially prominent households (266). At the beginning of the thirteenth century, facing schisms and heresies, and seeking to consolidate its power, the Catholic Church institutionalized marriage, confirming it as a sacrament and requring that a priest officiate-a crucial step in the intrusion of organized religion into what had previously been a private transaction (266). So instead of just having any person marry a couple you now have to have a priests officiate the couple. This is another issue that makes a marriage more difficult besides the gender issue. To be an official marriage a couple must have a license and the right person to perform the wedding, like a justice of the peace or a priests. Throughout the U.S. same-gender marriages are illegal. The state of Hawaii tried recently to allow these marriages. However, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Defense of Marriage Act. This act undercut Hawaii's effort and made it practically useless. The Defense of Marriage Act permitted states not to recognize same-gender marriages performed in other states. There is a separation between church and state in this country (Sullivan 260). Andrew Sullivan states ?we are asking only that when the government gives out civil marriage licenses, those of us who are gay should be treated like anybody else? (260). Many people just don't believe marriage should be between two people of the same sex. Throughout history marriage has always been between a man and a woman and that's the way many want to keep it. Many people believe that gay marriage would cause the American family to break down. Others say they are citizens just like you and me and deserve equal rights. Lisa Bennett poses the issue like this: What the people who have the power to rule on same-sex marriage know of a relationship like mine, I cannot say. I know they claim that our marriage would make a mockery of theirs; they warn that our families would cause the decline of the American family; and they label our love immoral, disgusting, even dangerous. The shocking thing is that before I knew what it meant to fall in love with a person of the same sex, I might have agreed with them. But now, having been on both sides of the fence. I know that to understand a life that is different from the life lived by most people takes time-and an open mind.Like everybody else I know I want to get married because I was raised to believe that marriage is how we best honor a lifelong relationship. I want to feel the support from the family and society that marriage brings. And I want people tp know they can not interfere: Love is love, In whatever shape it comes, it deserves respect. Throughout history marriage is believed to be a union between two people. These two people have always been a man and a woman. Not a man and another man, or a woman and another woman. This belief has been challenged in recent years because many people believe it's time for a change. They feel that if you are in love the same gender issue should not matter. It's going to take many more years I believe for the laws to change. People in this day and age just are not ready for same

Hobbes vs Plato on Justice essays

Hobbes vs Plato on Justice essays Plato on Hobbes view of justice According to Hobbes, justice must be defined as nothing more than abiding by the law. However, from Platos point of view, this notion of justice is not adequate. Regards to human nature, Hobbes is very pessimistic, while Plato is less so. Based on different views on how the society should be formed, Plato gives different accounts of Justice than Hobbes. This difference will become clear once we learn Hobbes reasoning on his definition of Justice as well as Platos opinions on the issues related to that reasoning. To define justice, Hobbes traces down to the nature of human being. In Hobbes view, the nature of human being is selfish and vain. This nature makes people compete with each other, distrust each other and moreover lust for fame. Therefore, in the state of nature, a war of all against all is unavoidable and the life of man is nothing but tragic. To achieve peace, people make a contract all together to lay down their rights over others. This contract could last only when all members of the contract abide by it. It requires a commonwealth to enforce the performance of the covenant. Justice from a functional point of view then comes into being: it is just abiding by the law. If someone breaks the contract, he will be accused as injustice. First, Hobbes asserts that man is just matter in motion. This material man has no interest other than the preservation and promotion of his own existence. The good is what is in his private interest. Typically, Hobbes verifies three principle desires and passions of man: to gain properties, to secure himself and to glean reputation. It is interesting that Hobbes proposes equality of man as regard to the body and mind. His argument for this equality as regard to the body lies in the fact that the weakest has enough power to kill the strongest. As for mind, it is only because of the distance of other mens wits that makes p...

The Occupation of France through the eyes of Irne Nmirovsky in Suite Dissertation

The Occupation of France through the eyes of Irne Nmirovsky in Suite Franaise - Dissertation Example Irene Nemirovsky’s book, Suite francaise, written in two sections, ‘Storm in June’ and ‘Dolce,’ starts with an air raid siren going off in the early morning hours before sunrise, yet people are still not so anxious as of yet that they feel they must run away (Nemirovsky 3). (Indeed, many went back to sleep for just a bit longer once the sirens stopped.) Yet, in the distance, there was the sound of heavy guns firing, some of it coming closer and closer. Finally, the sun comes up and the shelling stops. There is a peaceful, yet uncertain pause in the craziness. Something is just waiting around the corner, yet to be seen (Nemirovsky 4). In this glimpse of the novel, we are made aware of the fact that people just barely understand what is happening to them and really cannot believe any rumours and reports they have been getting about the German forces moving their way or that things could be that bad (Nemirovsky 5). As is so often seen, when changes are m ade within a society coming from the outside, people do not want to believe that they are in danger. It is a case of pulling the night mask over one’s eyes so as to wake up and find that everything is alright again and back to normal. In fact, in the novel, this is the beginning of the end of whatever normal they had in their lives. It is a down-hill spiral from that point onwards. Suite francaise presents a number of people in all their diverse personalities, set in a time that will turn to a future of unimaginable horror. At the period of time that Irene writes this book, many of the horrors committed by the Nazis are still unknown definitively to most outside of the European theatre of war, but there had been rumours. Indeed, Irene may have suspected or heard through the rumour mill about what was truly happening to the Jews, of which she was one. Most, however, did not want to believe that such things were happening and it would not be until the end of WWII that the truth of the genocide of the Jewish people and other ‘undesirables’ would be fully revealed and even then, some would not believe it did take place. The background in the novel therefore provides a scenario which is perceived by the characters as they would have known their own world for that time when people did not know that much about what was happening, only that there was a war going on. In our current age of the Internet and social media of modern times, information and news travel around the world in a flash, within seconds or even milliseconds. At the beginning of WWII, however, information would have taken far more time to be dispersed to the general population in varying levels of electronic access by radio. Under the German occupation, much of that news would have been restricted and also turned to propaganda before being released to the general public. Therefore, her characters also react accordingly to what they know at that point in time of occurring history, n ot what we know in our perspective of that history many decades later. Regarding these two points of view, we see what is coming for these people but we can only shout silently to deaf ears of the characters in this story because they are not there yet in that level of knowledge. The time we know of through historical documentation, has not yet occurred for them or if it is occurring, they do not know of it yet, while we, who are in the future, already know where the story is headed, at least

Negotiation skills - QUESTIONS 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Negotiation skills - QUESTIONS 2 - Essay Example Avoiding in a conflict situation generally means postponing, showing lack of assertiveness or withdrawing from issues (at present time) in order to deal with them later or in other words showing reluctant behavior in terms of solving problem. However this avoidance may be deliberate in order to come up with the better solution later or for so many reasons (Trainer, 2012, p. 3). Moreover using this technique too much can result in creating a communication gap which further leads towards unhealthy co ordination as both parties are unable to know the stance of each other. Similarly if avoiding is overused it may affect the nature of the decision or stance of the other party. Likewise if avoiding is underused it may result in creating a situation which might hurt individuals feeling as usually discretion is not very much opt by individuals. Furthermore if individual is less likely to follow avoiding policy he is likely to be threatened by various issues and conflicts. Accommodating generally means sacrificing ones interest, goals or motives in order to give preference to others for satisfying their concerns. It can be use for number of reasons for instance if an individual is wrong and feels like correcting himself, or if a boss in a company accommodates employees in order to give them chance so they can learn from their previous mistakes (Trainer, 2012, p. 3). Accommodating if overused can lead towards losing of respect as employees are likely to make mistakes and take employer for granted. Moreover employer may lose his overall control over his employees because of overuse of accommodating factor. However if this factor is underused it may result in creating trouble in so many dimensions, for instance in creating goodwill, realizing, and accepting one’s own mistakes. Compromising is a phase in which both parties understand each other’s point of view and are willing to give up

The Main Advantages of Sales Force Automation Essay

The Main Advantages of Sales Force Automation - Essay Example Salesforce automation is a component of CRM that is implemented to execute, drive, and track sales initiatives. SFA systems organize sales teams by providing the tools to properly manage leads, accounts, opportunities, and marketing campaigns. (Sales Team Automation) Â  The contemporary age is the era of industrialization and technological advancement. The quick and accurate flow of information regulates the corporate companies within the business environment. All the great organizations are applying latest methods of communication and marketing while making and developing their strategies. Bill Gates, the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation, declares fast flow of information and application of technology to be in leading position. The most meaningful way to differentiate your company from your competitor, the best way to put distance between you and the crowd, is to do an outstanding job with information. How you gather, manage, and use information will determine whether you win or lose. (Gates: 1999 p 1). The managers of sales force apply sales marketing systems, i.e. the information management systems highly supportive in the mechanization of sales force administration; sales force automation is a part of it. Simply put the term refers to the s ystem that could maintain and keep the record of the complete sales process automatically. SFA includes a contact management system which tracks all contact that has been made with a given customer, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required.

Development of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI

Development of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Ioannis Tolios â€Å"Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI† Introduction One of the most significant non-invasive imaging modalities applied both in research and clinical diagnostics cis Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Its widespread use is partially based on its characteristic to visualize tissues with high resolutions in 3D and its ability to provide anatomical, functional and metabolic tissue information in vivo (Strijkers, Mulder, van Tilborg, Nicolay, 2007). In an MR image, the basic contrast mostly derives from regional differences in the intrinsic T1, T2 relaxation times, except for local water content differences. T1 and T2 relaxation times can be selected independently to have a commanding influence on image contrast. Nevertheless, a sensitive and accurate diagnosis cannot always be feasible, due to the fact that the intrinsic water, T1 and T2 contrast values are modified and become very often limited by tissue pathology. Consequently, the need for enhanced image contrast led to the growing use of intravenously injected MRI contrast agents, wh ose use although violates partially the non-invasive character of MRI brought about significant benefits. Combining MRI and contrast agents (CA) increases the possibilities to image inflamed tissues in pathologies, such as arthritis, atherosclerotic plaques, and tumor angiogenesis (Strijkers, Mulder, van Tilborg, Nicolay, 2007). Definition of DCE-MRI A technique which combines MRI and contrast agents is Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). According to Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014), â€Å"DCE-MRI analyzes the temporal enhancement pattern of a tissue following the introduction of a paramagnetic contrast agent into the vascular system. This is accomplished by the acquisition of baseline images without contrast enhancement, succeeded by a set of images acquired over time (usually over a few minutes) during and after the arrival of the contrast agent in the tissue of interest†. A time intensity curve (TIC) for the tissue is generated by the acquired signal, as it can be seen in Figure 1. In a TIC, the response of the tissue is represented in enhancement values to the arrival of the contrast agent. Specific physiological properties that are in association with the microvascular blood flow, including tissue volume fractions, vessel permeability, and vessel surface area product, can be extracted by analyzing a TIC (Gordon, et al., 2014). Figure 1: An example of a time intensity curve obtained from a tumor metastasis (Bonekamp Macura, 2008). All variations of DCE-MRI studies are relied on a rather plain fundamental principle: the MR signal intensity of a tissue is modified, when a paramagnetic particle (contrast agent) penetrates and spreads over through the tissue, based on its local concentration (Gordon, et al., 2014). MR images of a chosen region of interest (ROI) are obtained in time intervals of few seconds before, during, and after the intravenous injection of a contrast agent. Each obtained image represents one time point, and each and every pixel in a set of images produces its own intensity curve. After the injection of the CA, the signal intensity varies at every time point (is related to the concentration of the CA in the tissue) based on tissue parameters, including vascularization, vessels’ permeability and surface area product, and in this way parametric maps of particular microvascular biomarkers can be extracted. Furthermore, by using suitable mathematical models absolute values of the aforementioned parameters can be estimated. These parameters usually reflect a compartmental pharmacokinetics model demonstrated by CAs, which are allocated between the intravascular and extravascular spaces as it can be seen in Figure 2 (Gordon, et al., 2014). Figure 2: Toft’s compartmental model for calculating DCE-MRI quantitative pharmakokinetic parameters (Verma, et al., 2012). DCE-MRI techniques Currently, two DCE-MRI techniques are defined based on its registration and the origin of the extracted signal. As MRI is highly sensitive to small concentrations of paramagnetic materials passing through a tissue, there are two different physical-chemical properties (Gordon, et al., 2014). Relaxation effect T1, T2 tissue relaxation times are reduced when a diffusible contrast agent is used. Positively enhanced T1-weighted images are generated, when this effect is used and the studies evaluating this effect are characterized asDynamic Contrast Enhanced(DCE)-MRI,T1-W DCE. Susceptibility effect When a paramagnetic contrast agent is located in the intravascular space of a tissue and its magnetic susceptibility is much higher than that of the surrounding tissue water, local magnetic inhomogeneities between the intra and extravascular space emerge, which generate negative enhanced T2 or T2* weighted images during the passage of the CA through the capillaries. Studies depending on this phenomenon are characterized asDynamic Susceptibility Contrast(DSC)-MRI or T2*-W DCE. Image Acquisition Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014) state that the method of quantification to be applied depends on the number of the measurements, which are required in order to obtain the data; thus, the measurements include: I. Creating a map of pre-contrast native T1 values, which is necessary in order to calculate the CA concentrations. II. Acquiring heavily T1-weighted images, prior and following the Contrast Agent introduction. In this case, high temporal resolution is needed in order to have the ability to further characterize the kinetics of the contrast agent’s entry and exit of the tissue. Typically, 3D image sets are acquired sequentially for 5–10 minutes every few seconds. The ideal for the acquisitions would be to be obtained approximately every 5 seconds, in order to allow the detection of early enhancement. With longer acquisitions (for instance, > 15 seconds), it becomes harder to detect early enhancement. III. Acquisition of the arterial input function (AIF), in order to estimate the CA concentration in the blood plasma of a feeding artery as a function of time. Acquiring the AIF is necessary for almost all quantitative analysis methods and is up to now technically the most difficult part in the data acquisition process. Contrast agents The most regularly used group of contrast agents in DCE-MRI is the low molecular paramagnetic gadolinium (Gd) chelates (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). Principally, in Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI, any low molecular weight CAs can be used. (Tofts). The use of contrast agents with high molecular weights leads to lower permeability and lower Ktrans values, since these agents remain in the intravascular space. Using macromolecular CAs the measurement of regional blood volume acquiring scans of low temporal resolution is feasible (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). Molecular agent with high molecular weight might be more appropriate for tumor angiogenesis and thus offer better response evaluation to therapy (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010). Analysis Methods Gordon et al. (Gordon, et al., 2014) state that â€Å"the arrival of CA and thus the enhancement pattern of the tissue depend on a wide variety of factors including vascularity, capillary permeability, perfused capillary surface area, volume and composition of extracellular fluid, renal clearance and perfusion. The analysis of DCE data can provide valuable information concerning the vascular status and perfusion†. Data analysis can be performed using either: qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative approach (Verma, et al., 2012). Qualitative This kind of analysis can range from visual inspection of the images for fast and extreme enhancement of lesions, to the plotting of kinetic curves of signal intensity against time (Gupta, Kauffman, Polascik, Taneja, Rosenkrantz, 2013). The qualitative analysis of DCE-MRI depends on the assumption of rapid and intense enhancement and wash-out as indicator of the existence of a tumor. The tumor vessels are generally leakier and more readily enhanced after the injection of the CA than the ordinary vessels. An early rapid high enhancement after injection is expected followed by a relatively rapid decline compared with a slower and continuously increasing signal for normal tissues during the first few minutes after contrast injection. However, the possibility for an overlap between the natural and the malignant tissues, limit the capabilities of this DCE-MRI approach. Finally, the qualitative approach is regarded as a subjective approach and therefore difficult to standardi ze among institutions, constituting multicenter trials less reliable (Verma, et al., 2012). Semi-quantitative – The semi-quantitative approach also depends on the same assumption as the qualitative approach. On the other hand, in the semi-quantitative analysis various curve parameters are integrated (Verma, et al., 2012). It must be mentioned that depending on the application area, different perfusion parameters are relevant. Nevertheless, some parameters are of general interest for almost all applications. These parameters are acquired to characterize the shape of the TIC, including the time of first arrival of the CA, peak enhancement ( PE the maximum value normalized if the baseline is subtracted), time to peak (TTP the timepoint where peak enhancement takes place), integral (the area between the baseline and the curve, indicating with PE if blood supply is reduced in a ROI), mean transit time (MTT – the timepoint where the integral is bisected), slope (the curve’s steepness during wash-in phase, downslope (the descending curve’s steepness i n wash-out phase ) and wash-in and wash-out curve shapes (Figure 1, Figure 3A). (Preim et al., 2009). Three common dynamic curve types exist in the literature after the initial CA uptake: type 1, persistent increase; type 2, plateau; and type 3, wash-out after initial slope, as it can be seen in Figure 3B and Figure 1. Even though the semi-quantitative approach is used widely in the evaluation of DCE-MRI, significant restrictions arise dealing with the factors contributing to the MR signal intensity (e.g. generalization across acquisition protocols, sequences), which have an effect on the curve metrics (Verma, et al., 2012). Figure 3: A) A typical TIC curve (Preim et al., 2009). B) Differentiation of three patterns of washout phase: type 1 (blue), progressive; type 2 (green), plateau ; type 3 (red), wash-out (Verma, et al., 2012). Factors like the injection rate and the temporal resolution can easily alter the shape of a wash-in/washout curve, creating difficulties in comparison and quantitation. High inter-patient variability is also a factor that can make the definition of threshold values more complex for every parameter that could standardize semi-quantitative approach. However, this approach is relatively simple which makes it even more appealing (Verma, et al., 2012). Quantitative The quantitative approach depends on modeling the concentration change of the CA by integrating pharmacokinetic modeling techniques (Gordon, et al., 2014). Several pharmacokinetic models were proposed, such as by Tofts (Tofts), Brix et al. (Brix et al., 1991). Most of them depend on estimating the exchange rate between extracellular space and blood plasma using some transfer rate constants, like Ktrans(forward volume transfer constant) andkep(reverse reflux rate constant between extracellular space and plasma). â€Å"The transfer constant,Ktrans, is equal to the permeability surface area product per unit volume of tissue.Moreover, Ktransdetermines the flux from the intravascular space to the extracellular space; it may principally represent the vascular permeability in a permeability-limited situation (high flow in relation to permeability), or it may represent the blood flow into the tissue in a flow-limited situation (high permeability in relation to flow). Theveis t he extracellular extravascular volume fraction, andkep=Ktrans/ veexpresses the rate constant, describing the efflux of contrast media from the extracellular space back to plasma. Thevpis the fraction of plasma per unit volume of tissue†, according to Verma et al. (Verma, et al., 2012). In quantitative DCE-MRI analysis, a four compartment model is used for â€Å"tissue†: plasma, extracellular space, intracellular space, and renal excretory pathway (Figure 2). This pharmacokinetic model is applied to the CA concentration changes in the artery (AIF) supplying the tissue of interest, and the CA concentration of the tissue. It must also be noted that due to the fact that pharmacokinetic models require concentration values, signal intensity must be converted to T1 values, because MRI signal intensity is not linear with the CA concentration (Verma, et al., 2012). Clinical Applications of DCE-MRI DCE-MRI has been used for the detection and characterization of tumors in the clinical setting. It also makes the monitoring of tumor treatment and the response to conventional chemotherapy and angiogenic therapies feasible by acting as biomarker (Figure 4). Early tumor detection and treatment affects significantly the survival of patients. DCE-MRI is applied increasingly in a wider range of patients with different kind of cancer, including breast, head and prostate cancer. The method’s quantification ability of characteristics of the lesion microvasculature has stimulated the scientists to use the technique for â€Å"in-vivo staging† of tumors. According to early studies in the field, an evident relationship was demonstrated between large and rapid increases in malignant behavior and signal enhancement in tumors located in prostate, breast, and head. Additionally, important overlapping of contrast enhancement patterns has been noticed between malignant and benign tumor s. Growing accuracy and specificity in the recognition of microvascular characterization parameters is expected to further ameliorate lesion characterization (Gribbestad, Gjesdal, Nilsen, Lundgren, Hjelstuen, Jackson, 2005). More specifically regarding prostate cancer detection and localization, DCE-MRI contributes to prostate MRI, succeeding higher specificity and sensitivity than T2-weighted MR imaging, and sextant u ltrasound guided biopsy, methods being used widely for the pre-treatment work up and screening of prostate cancer respectively (Choi, Kim, Kim, 2007; Bonekamp Macura, 2008). It has been proven that the multi-parametric approach has improved significantly the accuracy of prostate MRI and has a great future. In a cancerous tissue, the number of vessels and their permeability are increased in comparison with normal tissues. Moreover, the interstitial space is greater. These factors cause significant increase of contrast enhancement parameters, such as MTT, blood flow, interstitial volume. The aforementioned observations are applicable in prostate cancer, too. As it can be seen in Figure 3B, the red curve could represent a prostate cancer with faster and steeper enhancement and faster wash-out than in normal tissues. Figure 4 a-c (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010): a) A patient with prostate cancer. The arrow indicates a low signal intensity focus on axial T2W MR image B) Increased enhancement shown by the lesion on axial T1W DCE-MR image C) fusion of color-coded Ktrans Conclusion The determination of functional microvascular parameters by using DCE-MRI might be instrumental in evaluating many vascular diseases. The potential of the technique to assess the severity of illnesses, to non-invasively and in parallel measure multiple relevant parameters, to study the pathophysiology of diseases, seems to be extremely promising. Even though, the method is known for over 20 years it is still considered immature. This has mainly to do with the significant variations in data analysis and acquisition protocols from study to study. Furthermore, the analysis of the pharmacokinetic parameters is a complex task and computationally expensive, due to the existence of plethora of analysis algorithms (Gordon, et al., 2014). DCE-MRI is restricted in organs with physiologic motion, including lungs and liver, and may not be applicable in some specific group of patients, especially those with renal failure and claustrophobia (Turkbey, Thomasson, Pang, Bernardo, Choyke, 2010). However, although the extraction of quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters is more difficult, compartmental model based methods are more robust than the semi-quantitative approaches, and offer deeper understanding of physiology. Finally, they are not potentially based on the scanning technique, the type of scanner, and individual patient variations ( Gordon, et al., 2014).

Elementary, Middle and Highschool Boy-Girl Relationship Essay

Is it too soon to talk about boy/girl relationships in elementary school? Of course it is, you say! Well, you may not want to hear about it, or you may choose denial over reality, but the fact remains that children are playing out the cultural role that they are being taught as early as 2nd grade. Therefore, the relationship between boys and girls at every school (Christian and non- Christian) is a topic that needs to be discussed from a Biblical standpoint. Recently I have observed an increase in the level of interaction between some of the boys and girls at the elementary school level with the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship in mind. There have been some phone calls made and notes passed, and yet nothing really serious has happened. Even so, the fallout from this kind of interest and behavior has been clearly seen, as some of the kids are rejecting others, breaking off friendships, and making â€Å"who likes whom† a focus of attention. The pattern becomes more sophisticated as it continues in the middle school years and is in full bloom by the time the children hit high school. I would like to attempt to persuade you that the elementary level of â€Å"who likes whom,† and the middle school level of â€Å"who is going out with whom,† are not simply innocent and cute stages of life through which everyone must go. As informed Christians professing to glorify the Lord in all things, we need to see if any of this behavior brings glory to God and evaluate the effects of it on our kids. A brief look at the teen dating model and its consequences will show that it is the world’s model, not Christ’s, that we are so accustomed to. Dating is more for a boy and a girl than just spending time together. It’s a lifestyle that involves attitudes and values. It’s a heart thing! Matthew 22:37 says, â€Å"And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and wit h all your soul, and with all your mind.’† The first love for our kids is to be Jesus. Our Creator’s plan for our lives is really what we should be directing our kids to focus on; the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever! Romantic male-female relationships are designed by God to be special and singular. The world’s model of dating is one in which you try out many opportunities until you find the one that makes you happy. This type of dating results in a pattern of many broken hearts and bad memories – some of which are detrimental to the intimacy intended for marriage later in life. Interestingly, even the non Christian world is beginning to realize that frequent dating is not healthy. The following are excerpts from an article in the September 8, 2005 Wall Street Journal1 that cites two studies not written from a Christian worldview but nonetheless conclude: * Teens who date a lot don’t have a higher likelihood of developing healthy adult relationships. Instead, their romances in their 20s are likely to be more troubled. * Teens who dated only one or a few people, and formed relationships of more than a few weeks, emerged in their 20s with closer and more-trusting romantic ties than those who had more numerous and fleeting dates. * Unmarried teen girls who settled down with just one partner at 16 or 17- and were still unmarried at 21- are more likely to be eventually married by ages 22-25. Many, including Christians and non Christians, think that dating is just part of the teenage experience. However, putting adolescent boys and girls together leads not only to the emotional experiences that often tear at our children’s hearts but also to sexual experimentation. Think back to your teen years: were you told by a boyfriend or girlfriend in your teen years that he/she loved you? Did he/she eventually marry you? Where did that relationship lead? God wants us to act and think differently. These are matters of the heart. Philippians 1:9-10 says, â€Å"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.† The goal for most kids in boy/girl relationships is that they are primarily interested in what they are going to get out of the relationship. Sometimes popularity, comfort or pleasure is what a teen gains emotionally or physically. That’s not the kind of love that God would have us live out. That’s choosing what feels good for self rather than what is good for others and pleases God. Parents must be honest and Biblically discerning about the real motivation that lies behind the thoughts and actions of our children. Do love and sincerity motivate the boys in these relationships? Matthew 22:39 says, â€Å"And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.† There is a great book on the subject entitled I Kissed Dating Goodbye, written by Joshua Harris. I have little space here, so I will make a few points and urge you to buy the book. The book is about waiting and preparation, and it debunks and rejects the typical idea of dating and applies a Biblical grid to it. You don’t have to agree with all of his points, but it would behoove you to take a good look at them. Josh Harris says, â€Å"Let’s not do what feels good, but instead do what is good.† He encourages us to look at all of the damage caused by typical worldly dating in the lives of teens and to replace that energy and time with a time of focused preparation for all of life, including preparing for the special relationship of marriage. The book challenges our teens to realize they have no business taking another person’s heart if they are not ready to make a lifelong commitment to that person. He says that if you really love someone, you’ll be interested in that special person’s long-term needs rather than your short-term desires. He exhorts the teen to look at the big picture: serving others and glorifying God. That way, the person is positioned to receive God’s best for them. God has something better for a teen than futile worldly dating! I have two lists for you from the Josh Harris book that are without the further explanation that is needed, but due to lack of space, you’ll just have to get the book to learn more. The seven habits of highly defective dating are: 1. Dating leads to intimacy, but not necessarily commitment. 2. Dating tends to skip the â€Å"friendship stage† of the relationship. 3. Dating often mistakes a physical relationship for love. 4. Dating often isolates a couple from other vital relationships. 5. Dating, in many cases, distracts young adults from their primary responsibility of preparing for the future. 6. Dating can cause discontentment with God’s gift of singleness. 7. Dating creates an artificial environment for evaluating another person’s character. If you are like me, you read those and said amen, I’ve done that before and amen, I see that over and over again. Now here is the refreshing Christian view – five important new attitudes: 1. Every relationship is an opportunity to model Christ’s love. 2. My unmarried years are a gift from God. 3. Intimacy is the reward of commitment; I don’t need to pursue a romantic relationship before I am ready for marriage. 4. I cannot â€Å"own† someone outside of marriage. 5. I will avoid situations that could compromise the purity of my body or mind. Some of you won’t agree. Some of you agree but are saying, â€Å"My child would never go for this.† You are absolutely right. If they have been trained by the world to think like a worldling, they will not want to kiss dating goodbye. But, you are the parent, so†¦.. be the parent! I can’t tell you how often parents tell me what their child will or will not do, so that’s what they (the parents) do. We parents have to take a stand for the Lord and teach the tough things that need to be taught! God will honor that. Some of you are happy that you don’t have teens yet, so you think you don’t have to be concerned. Wrong!!!!!! The reason that we are struggling with our teens and worl dly dating and relationship views isbecause of what they have been taught since Kindergarten. How foolish is it of us parents to allow our child to be taught worldly thinking about male/female relationships and then go to God when our child is 16 years old to beg that He will help our child behave like a Christian when he/she is alone! God will not be mocked! Boys must be taught that they are not to get physical with the girls and that, instead, girls are to be honored and respected. Little things such as holding open a door or helping carry something for a girl are proper and good. The children need to be taught that having an opposite sex relationship is something that is for later in life as you get ready for marriage – something that is also extraordinarily special to people and to God. Boys and girls calling each other on the phone (especially in elementary school) is inappropriate in most cases. We need to teach that people are not possessions that you can trade. Instead, we need to teach them to show real love to one another by helping one another to succeed where they are in life (a student) and to honor God. What are our kids being taught through what they see and hear daily? What are they watching on TV? How about the movies? You and I both know that women are often portrayed as sex objects and trophies. What about at home? Dads, do you treat your wife as the queen of the household? Do your kids see you treating her with great care and affection? Do you realize that everything they see is teaching them how to treat their wives one day? Every year of our lives we are learning and recording permanent records in our minds. I played the worldly relationship and dating game when I was young and things may seem to have worked out OK. My wife and I have been married for 27 years and have a great marriage – but there is more to the story than what you see. Frankly, I am ashamed of many things that I have recorded in my memory regarding male/female relationships from many years ago before I was married. I have prayed that God would remove some of those memories, and He has been gracious, but some remain. In God’s purposes, He often allows us to experience and remember things so we can learn from them and pass the lessons on to others. If you went through the same pattern of worldly dating when you were young, you don’t have to pass it on. You can start afresh with your children. By God’s grace, you have the power to go against the tide of our culture and raise up children who are truly happy and bring glory to God. We have great promises from God that He will be faithful if we will trust and obey Him. I hope that this article has given you some food for thought. Better yet, I hope that you have been convinced that boy/girl relationships in the third, fourth, or fifth grade are yet another battleground for the spiritual struggle for our kids’ hearts. In life, the devil is not kept out of your child’s life by locking a door. We must get after him with all we’ve got and then root out the unbiblical thinking in our kids. 1Shellenbarger, Sue (2005) The Case for Going Steady: Studies Say Teen Dating Habits Affect Marriage Skills. Wall Street Journal, 9/8/2005.

Addressing International Legal and Ethical Issues Simulation Summary Essay

Conducting international business can be a profitable endeavor but requires a lot of tact and strategy. In international business legal issues may arise but must be resolved in order to retain the relationship. This problem includes but is not limited to changes in legislation, clashes of interest, ethical dilemmas, cultural and ethical differences. When entering into an agreement with another country legal agreements must be drafted to protect the company interest. Consideration must be made of the countries culture and ethical differences. The process of sublicensing can be positive for CadMex. However, the process consumes an incredible amount of time and money. Sublicensing could also violate the non-disclosure agreement. Local customs in laws can conflict with in organizations customs in laws when operating abroad. When this occurs the laws that were specified in the contract should prevail unless there is a CIGS (contracts for the international sale of goods) which is been used by default. See more: Experiment on polytropic process Essay When issues arise alternative dispute resolution (ADR) can be used it is a means for resolving disputes between parties outside of the judicial process using one of four techniques mediation, arbitration, negotiation, or collaborative law. Mediation is the use of a neutral party to resolve the dispute between two or more parties. Arbitration is the resolving of a dispute between parties through the use of an agreed upon party. Negotiation is when the parties have a mutual discussion and arrangement of terms of an agreement. Domestic issues are usually easier to resolve then international issues. Domestic issues do not require the same strategy or consideration does international issues. Domestically the laws are the same but international laws vary from country to country. Contract terms must be defined very explicitly. Sensitivity must be developed and exercised to accommodate local cultures and customs. Laws must also be clearly defined as you leaving as they are part of what can lead your business to success or failure. Addressing International Legal and Ethical Issues Simulation Summary Essay * What are the issues involved in resolving legal disputes in international transactions? All contracts that deal with outside countries must be able to have some type of legal implementation (Melvin, 2011). There has to be some type of enforcement on the contract or it may never be resolved. * What are some practical considerations of taking legal action against a foreign business partner based in another country? According to (Melvin 2011); a country can stop all transactions from that business if they file lawsuit on that country. The law of other countries must be taken into consideration when dealing in foreign business. The United States laws are only upheld within the United States borders and may not be respected in a foreign country. Contracts are only binding if they have the backing of the law in whatever county or countries they are made in. See more: Strategic Management Process Essay * What factors could work against CadMex’s decision to grant sublicensing agreements? Sublicensing agreements comes into play when the organization has too many of them and does not fully incorporate sub-paragraphs. This leaves the organization up for lawsuits if any of the contracted workers do something wrong and also makes the main organization fully liable for any damages. Even workers within the sublicensing can sue a business formed within the sublicensing agreement (Melvin, 2011). * When the local customs and laws conflict with the customs and laws of an organization operating abroad, which should prevail? Explain why. Situations should be handles on a one on one basis. Sometimes special considerations need to be taken to accommodate certain employees due to religious beliefs. In such cases the local laws should prevail in order to prevent a costly and drawn out lawsuit with employee unions. Negotiating and coming to an accord amongst the two would be the best option as well as revising company policy to cater to local customs and laws without losing essentials to company policy. * How would you compare the issues in this simulation to the domestic legal issues discussed in your Week One readings? How should companies resolve domestic and international issues differently? The issues in the simulation are faced in the United Stated everyday by many corporations. The Human resource department of each company is designed to handle such problems when and should they arise. Domestic issues are resolved easier than international issues because they are resolved according to the law of the United States. However when in international waters a corporation (even if it is American) must adhere to the laws of the country it is conducting business in. Litigation and alternative dispute resolution options will apply.

Grammar-Checking Software Is Soft on Grammar Errors

Grammar-Checking Software Is Soft on Grammar Errors Grammar-Checking Software Is Soft on Grammar Errors Grammar-Checking Software Is Soft on Grammar Errors By Mark Nichol You want to improve your grammar, but you’re disinclined to invest time and energy to laboriously study print or online resources about sentence construction. You’ve seen ads on the Internet about grammar checkers, and you decide to check them out. How useful is grammar-checking software? After visiting five grammar-checker websites and using (the free versions of) their products, my conclusion is that software is no substitute for wetware (otherwise known as your brain). Here are my brief reports about the software I sampled. Grammarbase.com Grammarbase.com fallaciously flagged â€Å"ought to be† and â€Å"may be† as examples of passive voice a common misunderstanding of the topic. (Passive voice is a backward-facing construction such as â€Å"This sentence was written by me†; â€Å"I wrote this sentence† is the active alternative. Verb form is not the primary issue.) Worse, there were several real grammatical and syntactical errors in the site’s introductory text (which I used as a test sample for this and the other sites); the grammar-checking tool found none of them. GrammarCheck.net When I copied and pasted the sample text into GrammarCheck.net’s tool, it showed the same poor results as Grammarbase.com’s. However, when I clicked on the site’s Advanced Report button, it took me to . . . Grammarly Grammarly found nearly fifty errors (or, more accurately, instances of concern), mostly involving what the site terms â€Å"writing style,† in the introductory text taken from Grammarbase.com. (The free version did not specifically identify the errors.) When I then plugged in the raw, error-laden version of a copyediting test, it found fewer mistakes than revealed in the Grammarbase.com text but gave the test text a lower score. PaperRater PaperRater found no errors in Grammarbase.com’s text and only two in the text for the copyediting test both concerning misuse of hyphens. Spellcheckplus.com Spellcheckplus.com was stymied by the phrase â€Å"not only should the structure of your writing be solid,† reminding me about noun-verb agreement (irrelevant in this case) and by the phrase â€Å"your basic default word processor grammar checker,† alerting me that if by using your I meant â€Å"you are,† it should read you’re (again, irrelevant). However, it advised changing you’ll to â€Å"you will† and noted that a letter space should both precede and follow an ellipsis and that the first two words in â€Å"run on sentences† should be hyphenated all valid but superficial corrections. My tests were not rigorous, and I did not purchase any of this software I merely took a test drive of each company’s freeware trial. However, the only difference I can see between the free and paid versions of these software products is that the paid versions not only flag your errors but also analyze them. The problem is that, whether in simple or advanced mode, these tools missed just about every error that matters in a grammatical review. These tests confirmed my suspicion that grammar-checking software can at best note only the most elementary errors (and sometimes marks valid constructions as mistakes). Grammar is much too complicated and nuanced to trust to technology. If you want to write well, learn to write well. If you want to have your writing reviewed and evaluated, access the brain of another human being. But don’t even think of relying on software. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating ConjunctionsFive Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"The Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

Schools of Thought Regarding the Future of America essays

Schools of Thought Regarding the Future of America essays Schools of Thought Regarding the Future of America Three schools of thought appear to dominate considerations regarding the possible future of the United States of America. These include declinism, American exceptionalism, and neoimperialism. Only time can tell which is the most likely outcome. Realistically, and if history is taken into account, it appears that declinism enjoys favor over the other two possibilities when applied to the American situation. According to declinism, all great nations enjoy a period of greatness, after which they decline. This decline can be blamed on many factors, and often the causes include more than one aspect of the political and social fabric of the once great nation. Declinists hold that the same is true of the United States. The terrorist attacks and subsequent international climate in relation to the United States appear to substantiate the declinist view. The United States have become very powerful and this may have led to a paradigm of unmerited confidence in security and other systems that in fact were not up to standard. The ease with which the September 11 attacks occurred seems to substantiate the lack of security systems. Historically also declinism seems to be the norm for once great nations such as Rome and England. American exceptionalism is the contrasting view to declinism. According to this belief, the United States is unique in its strengths, and shares none of the weaknesses of its once great European counterparts. Thus, the United States is not only great in itself, but also offers opportunities for humanity as a whole. According to this view then, the history of England and Rome is not applicable to the United States, because of the latter's unique qualities. One of these unique qualities setting the country apart from its historical counterparts is its religious ...

Discussion 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion 5 - Assignment Example He followed the Lebensraum policy, living room, in order to snatch lands outside Germany and let the German people expand their territory (Spielvogel,1988). In chapter seven the leaders of France and Britain met Hitler to discuss his demands of expanding Germany. They granted him control over a part of Czechoslovakia and in return Hitler pledged to leave the other parts of Czechoslovakia. Hitler broke his promise and took the rest of Czechoslovakia and invaded Poland. This caused the start of World War two. This occurred in September 1939 when German troops invaded Poland and Britain and France declared war. Adolf Hitler’s dream of building a German Empire across Central and Eastern Europe could not be established only through Lebensraum. Lebensraum could only be established by waging a war against the Soviet Union. Hitler’s racial ideology required it, hence the conclusion that World War two was Hitler’s war. Asia, Japan and China also were already at war. More than fifty million people lost their lives during the war, including Germans and also non-Germans In chapter eight Germanies continue with the war and Hitler brought Nazi to power. Hitler enforces his new rules with a secret police, the Gestapo. He formed camps which organized the murder of Gypsies, Jews and political opponents. There was also resistance in the war and the home front was preparing adequately for war (Spielvogel, 1988). In chapter nine the Holocaust took place. It refers to the extensive murders Hitler and his Nazis were accountable for. It involved the formation of squads that followed Hitler’s army to murder Jews and those who were not of German descent. Many camps were set up around Europe and several were determined to murder people. In the years 1939 and 1940, the Nazi army was responsible for the deaths of around fourteen million people which included six million European Jewish people. They

Consumer Coffee Consumption Preference in the Netherlands Research Proposal

Consumer Coffee Consumption Preference in the Netherlands - Research Proposal Example On average, the Dutch consume 3.2 cups of coffee per person everyday according to 2006 statistics making them the second largest coffee consumers after Scandinavians, and although the average is 13 percent lower compared to a decade earlier in 1996, the approximate coffee consumption is significantly high compared to other countries (de Bontridder). Coffee is substantially popular beverage in Netherlands, making a study into factors influencing the popularity, consumption, and preferences important especially for marketing groups wishing to segment the market. Compared to other countries, the Netherlands coffee consumption average is second to Scandinavian countries drinking approximately 4.3 cups of coffee per day between 2002 and 2006, with Finland topping the coffee consumption list at 5.4 cups a day (de Bontridder). In the same period, 2002-2006, eastern and southern Europe registered the least coffee consumption, with southern Europeans drinking approximately 1.9 cups per day a factor associated to higher tea consumption and preference. Various reasons exist, influencing people towards coffee consumption in the western countries, with the two primary factors according to Gelder, Buijsse, Tijhuis, et al being the psychoactive stimulation affect of caffeine content in the coffee and improvement of cognitive performance (Gelder et al 226). Most people in the western countries begin their day with a fresh cup of coffee, essentially to be fully awake for the rest of the day, and be able to maintain coherence in thought because coffee stimulates their brains. Notably, the association of coffee and better cognitive functioning is attributed to the caffeine factor, which enters the blood stream and acts as a stimulant causing alertness in body and mind. In a study conducted over a ten-year period assessing whether coffee consumption influences the cognitive decline in elderly men, the researchers identified variables that influence coffee consumption, which included education, height and weight, gender, physical activities, age, and lifestyle with participants from Finland, Italy, and the Netherlands. Considering age as the relevant variable in this discussion, the findings showed that age was inversely associated with the amount of coffee consumed (Gelder et al 228). The highest consumption was more than 4 cups per day, associated with people aged 74.8 years with a deviation of 0.4, which was the youngest group among the elderly participants, while the least consumers were aged 77 years (Gelder et al 230). In the same study, the Dutch came up as the highest consumers, whereby out of the 336 Dutch participants, 202 drank more than three cups per day compared to 77 of the Fin participants. Another study that shows agreement with the study by Gelder and colleagues is by Luciano, Kirk, and Heath et al, investigating the genetic and environmental influences on tea consumption and finding a common relation with those of coffee consumption. The study participants were 1796 Australian identical twins and 2013 non-identical twins aged 16 to 87 years. The study tested the number of cups of coffee and tea the participants took in a day, and the results showed a negative association of age with coffee preferences but a