Social Norms in Texas vs. Those in New York essays

Social Norms in Texas vs. Those in New York essays For most of my life I grew up in a small private Lutheran school in the conservative suburbs of Houston, Texas. This is a place full of one dimensional thinking, the acceptance of only heterosexual relationships, and of course a belief that beyond Jesus the only person worth worshiping is George W. Bush. When I made my decision to attend a liberal arts school here in New York, almost every person I knew thought I had gone crazy. They were disgusted to find out that their student council president and homecoming queen, both titles of high stature, was going to open herself up to the liberalistic points of views of the north. In the book This Book is Not Required, by Inge Bell and Bernard McGrane, the authors address the idea that society teaches us about societal norms and codes (Bell we tend to act normatively, following rules of behavior that operate under the surface of society (Adler One of the first differences I noticed while driving around New York was the lack of Bush and Cheney bumper stickers on the rears of the cars. In Texas, at least every other car driving down the highway is adorned with a little red, white, and blue sticker supporting the republican party. People are conditioned by society to support the republican party. One of the biggest reasons for this is because of the strong religious influence in the south. I remember, while in my senior year of high school, every teacher at my religious private school stressing how important it was to vote. Not because it was a right given to us which allowed us a little freedom of speech, or because it w...

5 things to consider before becoming a freelancer

5 things to consider before becoming a freelancer No set hours, no dress code and no boss. The life of a freelancer sounds like the dream situation for many average workers, especially those who have skills in writing, design or coding. With these skills, the reality of becoming a remote worker is not a far off dream as it is for others. But, it is important to take a step back and consider what it actually means to be a freelancer before taking the leap. Quitting your job and realising it’s not actually for you can be a stark reality to face.1) It’s a Solo Career PathThere’s no office water cooler in your home office, nor is there an opportunity to turn to your co-worker and have a chat about the weather. For some, this can be a very lonely path. It is good for those who have an erratic schedule, kids who need varying amounts of attention or someone who thrives on work hours that are outside of the 9 to 5.However, for some people, the isolation that comes with freelancing can cause anxiety or even depression. F reelancers who begin to feel this way should get out of the house as often as possible – even if it’s simply scheduling coffee with a friend or taking part in a sports activity twice a week. A break from the norm and social interaction is needed to keep the average freelancer sane.Networking can also be a great way to ensure that you get socialisation as a freelancer. Whether online or off, not only can you meet new people but you could also get more work from the endeavour!2) Money TalksFreelancing does not come with a set salary. One month you may be swimming in work and watching your bank account grow healthily, whereas the next you may be struggling to remember the meaning of the word client. It’s an insecure way to make a living – any prospective freelancer needs to be aware and prepared for this.Also, leaving the world of full-time work can remove important factors such as health insurance, retirement funds and other company benefits. Paying out for this alongside rent, savings, bills and the simple cost of living can see your freelancing money not stretch as far as you would have hoped.If you generally struggle to save money or keep track of your finances – even with a regular income – then freelancing may not be for you. Doing your own finances, taxes and sorting out the right freelancers insurance can be next to impossible if you don’t have a firm grasp on your budget.3) Legal FactorsAs a freelancer, you are considered a sole trader. But, this can open you up to a world of legal problems that are typically covered by an employer in the permanent career path. Setting yourself up as a limited company can be one way in which you mitigate this legal risk to yourself.Creating your own limited company can help to separate you and your work. Protecting your personal funds in the case of your company financially struggling or folding, or in the case that a client sues. Having a company in place helps to prevent the client from going after you or your personal money.Having legal contracts in place is also integral to protecting yourself from any repercussions. A written agreement can help protect your income also, as having written proof of your agreement with a client can help you to claim back money owed in the case of no payment. Terms and conditions alongside a privacy policy are also important to have on your website if you are selling a product, as it protects both you and any visitor to your site.4) Firm Handed ApproachSometimes clients don’t want to pay you. Sometimes clients want things on an impossible time scale. Sometimes it can feel like you’re just being set up to fail. For these situations, having a firm hand is vital to help keep your head above water. Learning to say ‘no’ is almost as important as the skill that allows you to freelance in the first place.If you find that you’re more of a ‘yes person’ then freelancing may not b e a career path that you can thrive in.5) Organisation is KingDeadlines. Client logins. Invoices. Taxes. Emails. Lots and lots of emails.Keeping on top of everything can feel like a monumental task at the best of times, but even more so when you are a freelancer responsible for the running of a small business. Ultimately, that’s what you are. A small business with all of the paperwork and administration that comes with it – all of which you have to do by yourself.If keeping things in order is a struggle of yours, then keeping track of your freelancing career may be a struggle in the beginning. However, learning to become organised is not impossible!Purchase a file for your tax returns and insurance documents. Invest in an accounting software that works for you and can help you to invoice your clients with ease. Create folders in your email account that will help you deal with issues in order of priority. Use a calendar that can help you keep on top of all your deadline s, those are important after all!There a lot of things that need to be organised as a freelancer, if it seems like too much now then imagine what it will be like during the everyday struggle of freelancing. Set firm organisation in place from day one to enjoy true success as a freelancer.So there you have it, the top considerations that you need to make before you take the leap into freelance writing for good. Ensure that you consider everything carefully before you leave the city centre office in exchange for your home office.About the authorZack Halliwell is a lover of long walks with his dog during the day and a freelance writer by night. Kind of like Batman (coincidentally the name of his dog). Find him @ZackHalliwell on  Twitter.

The nature of the Kingdom which described in the Gospel of Thomas Term Paper

The nature of the Kingdom which described in the Gospel of Thomas - Term Paper Example The quotations on the Kingdom of Heaven, in particular, have been a focal point of discussion and argument as to what exactly the author of the text intended, especially in reference to its nature and how exactly one attains it. This paper analyses this Gospel’s allusions to the Kingdom of Heaven and what it entails with regard to the historical, cultural, social and political atmosphere of the time in which the Gospel was written. Discussion The strongest approach for interpretation of the Gospel of Thomas seems to be the Gnostic approach, with several factors lending credence to this theory. The scriptures seem to indicate that the main characteristic of the Kingdom of Heaven is that it is within us, and all that is required of us is inward reflection and self-knowledge. The emphasis on knowledge is a major selling point for this argument, with the word Gnosis itself being Greek for knowledge. Gnostics held the belief that the realization of knowledge was the path to salvati on and deliverance. In what can be viewed as Gnostic tradition, the scriptures are viewed as holding a secret meaning, and only those who attain a deeper understanding have the truth revealed to them and are finally worthy of entering the kingdom (Valantasis, p 79). This attitude of secrecy and mystery is visible from the very first line in which the author states; â€Å"These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded†. Gnosticism encouraged mysticism and regarded deep thinking and meditation on texts as important to the path of eventual revelation, a sign that one was worthy of the rewards from the higher powers (Wylen, p 239). One interpretation of these texts could argue strongly for the case that the reigning Gnostic attitude at the time influenced the writer to use the veiled references, parables and allegories so as to motivate the reader into attempting to perceive more than just the written text. Examples of this approach can be seen in the verses quoted below: â€Å"Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is within you and it is outside you.†(v.3). This verse encourages reflection and introspection, a look at what is inside us and directly outside us so as to discover the kingdom. It discourages the reader from taking others’ opinions, especially leaders, as to what to do to enter the kingdom. This opinion could derive from the fact that there were many preachers at the time who all claimed to hold the one true key to salvation, each suggesting different paths to attain said salvation. It could also appeal to the rational, philosophizing movement at the time that argued for reason and rationale to prevail over emotions and blind following. â€Å"Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don' t deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven." (v.114). This verse is especially enlightening as to the times in which the Gospel was authored and the socio-cultural context thereof. The commonly held view then was

The Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Economic - Essay Example Aside from the education sector, the construction segment also suffered from a major cut due to the slowdown in public construction projects. Irwin also mentions Obama’s response to America’s unemployment problem, which is the $447 billion American Jobs Act. The Act aims to channel money to the state governments to avoid more job cuts (Irwin 2). This Act however is facing a lot of resistance from Congress who deem it unacceptable for the federal government to rescue the state and local governments. This article by Irwin presents a bird’s eye view of the current unemployment situation of the US. It is very informative, citing valuable data on the labor front. One thinks that even if the public sector does not create new jobs or cuts on its employment, the unemployment figure could still improve provided that the private sector is able to take in those who lost their jobs from the state and local governments. The question though that persists in one’s mind is whether the private sector is ready to hire more with the current state of the

Euthyphro & Classics of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Euthyphro Classics of Philosophy Essay In its simplest term, the divine command theory holds that given that god exists; an act is good only because God commands it. In other words, anything that is not approved of by God cannot be considered to be good. A major problem associated with this view is raised in Euthyphro. The Euthyphro argues that the gods command things because they are good rather than that they are good because they command it. Seen from another angle, the goodness of things precedes Gods command. However, considering the polytheistic nature of the society that Socrates and Euthyphro lived in, the conception that what is good is only good because gods command it may be challenged by holing that the gods may have differences in opinion especially with regard to issues of morality. As such, what may be dear to one god may not necessarily be dear to another. As such, one action may be both pious and impious. The divine command theorists hold that the source of all moral value is the will of God (Hall et al). Whatever is willed by God is morally good or obligatory and whatever he forbids is morally evil. With this regard, murder, theft and adultery are morally wrong because, and only because they are forbidden by God. On the other hand, justice and mercy are morally good only because they are approved by God. The majority of divine command theorists hold that there is no intrinsic Good. Whatever is done and willed by God is good and whatever opposes the will of God is bad. As such, the good has its foundation and existence solely in Gods will. Indeed, it can be conceived that God can alter his mind and command murder. This is especially seen in the scriptures when he commanded Abraham to kill his son. He can also forbid acts of clemency. Simply by an act of will, God can change virtue into vice and vice into virtue. The divine command theory is first broached as a philosophical theory in Euthyphro. Euthyphro and Socrates are attempting to define holiness with Euthyphro proposing a definition that holiness is whatever is loved by the gods. According to Socrates, this definition is ambiguous in the sense that it does not offer any clear comprehension of whether something is holy simply because it is loved by the gods or whether its loved by the gods because it is already holy. By making a generalization from the case of holiness, it can be said that either something is morally good or right because God commands it to be so or that God commands it because it is morally good or right to begin with (Pojman, 2002). In other words, either moral value depends on the will of god or the will of god depends on moral value. In Euthyphro, the two options are dramatically presented. That is, either the source of value depends on the divine will or elsewhere. Both Socrates and Euthyphro agree that it lies elsewhere and therefore reject the divine command theory. They however do not explain where it rests. Platos view is right considering his god-independent Form of the Good. However, the argument in Euthyphro can be hardly applied to the Christian God. Platos argument, as taken by Leibniz and other philosophers may be seen in the following context; that â€Å"honoring ones parents is good because God has commanded it† implies the counterfactual that if God commanded other things, those other things would be good. God, by the theory, could have commanded those other things considering how powerful He is. According to the divine command theory, therefore, if God had commanded that one should dishonor his parents, then dishonoring parents would be obligatory instead of forbidden (Wilkens, 1995). This is however absurd. The divine command theory is thus committed to counterfactuals about what would have been good that are patently false. The implication is that, even though God commanded the good, this is only so because it is good and not that it is good because He commanded it. The dilemma in the question of whether what is holy is holy because the gods approve of it, or approve of it because it is holy can only be clearer if the polytheistic assumptions are eliminated and the term â€Å"holy† is replaced with â€Å"right†. If the question is restructured, it will appear as follows: does God command us to do what is right because it is right or something is right because God commands it? The question presents two possibilities. First, God’s commands can be conceived of to be right-indicating or pointing towards rightness. Second, it can be conceived of to be right-making or creating rightness. This question is whether God is viewed as a Supreme Court justice or a legislator. The justice comprehends the statutes and can therefore suggest what should be done for one to stay within the boundaries of the law. However, the law itself is independent of the justice. The legislator on the other hand does not just interpret but also creates law. Until the lawmaker legislates, the law is not in existence. The question thus is; which gives a better conception of God? Voluntarists see God as a legislator since they emphasize on His freedom, will and sovereignty. As such, God is not bounded to the dictates of some standard that He did not create. Instead, right is right because God legislates it. The declaration of God that particular actions are good is right making. This view of God as a legislator evades restricting His freedom and power. However, this may create another problem. If God is so radically free and powerful, could he create a world in which torture is good? If His saying so makes it right and there are no limitations on God, could he decide that rape is virtuous? Affirming this option is frightening since there is a natural inclination to believe that a command that we ought to rape would be morally repugnant, even if it emanated from God (Ross Stratton-Lake 2002). However, there is need to notice its implication. It assumes a standard of goodness that is independent of God. Otherwise we would not have at our disposal anything by which to measure the commands of God. With this regard, a conclusion can be derived that the gods approve of holy (right or goodness) because it is holy (right or good). Holiness is an objective feature of the world and as such, the moral order is just as a fundamental nature of the universe as the spatial or numeric structure of the universe. Our moral attitudes do not make actions good or right. Rather, they are responses to rightness or goodness. What makes our belief that something is good is the property or objective characteristic of being good that it possess. If one defines holiness as meaning what is approved by the gods, one is putting forward a naturalistic definition. If one however defines it as such that it ought to be desired, one is putting forward a non-naturalistic definition. However, both the definitions show that what is good is intrinsic as opposed to what the divine command theorists attempt to postulate. Holiness, goodness or rightness refer to a property or a quality of something and thus, this quality or property cannot be decided by the goods but rather exist independently of the will of the gods. However, there comes a challenge when they refer to a relational property rather than the intrinsic property of the things of which it is predicated. This is the major challenge not only to the divine command theorists but also to Euthyphro. References Plato, Euthyphro Pojman, L. (2002). Classics of Philosophy. Oxford University Press Ross, W. Stratton-Lake, P. (2002). The Right and the Good. Oxford University Press Wilkens, S. (1995). Beyond bumper sticker ethics: an introduction to theories of right wrong. InterVarsity Press

Cicso Systems vs Huawei Technologies :: Lawsuit Law Intellectual Property Essays

Cicso Systems vs Huawei Technologies I. Cisco Systems files lawsuit against Huawei Technologies Cisco Systems filed a lawsuit against Huawei Technologies on January 23, 2003 claiming that Huawei had copied, misappropriated, and infringed on Cisco’s intellectual property in its rival line of low-cost networking routers.1 Cisco Systems is an industry leader in providing networking equipment for voice and data transfer. Huawei Technologies is China’s leading manufacturer of telecom and network equipment gear and is viewed by analysts as a formidable competitor to Cisco2. II. Details of the lawsuit Cisco’s allegations include the following:3 . Copying of IOS source code: IOS (Internetworking Operating System) is Cisco’s proprietary operating system. Cisco claims that Huawei’s operating system contains text strings, file names, and even bugs that are identical to those in Cisco’s IOS source code. . Copying of Cisco’s technical documentation: Cisco alleges that whole portions of text from Cisco’s copyrighted technical documentation are found in Huawei’s user manuals for their Quidway routers and switches. . Copying of Command Line Interface: A Command Line Interface (CLI) is the interface through which a user issues commands to a router. Cisco claims that extensive portions of its CLI and help screens appear verbatim in Huawei’s operating system for its Quidway routers and switches. . Patent infringement: Cisco alleges that Huawei is infringing at least five Cisco patents related to proprietary routing protocols. Cisco wants a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting the use, sales, marketing, and distribution of Huawei’s Quidway routers and switches. The suit includes an order to triple all damages, an amount to be determined by a jury during a trial.4 Cisco also took action against a Huawei distributor in the United Kingdom. Spot Distribution received a cease and desist letter for distributing Huawei products that allegedly infringe Cisco’s intellectual property.5 Cisco filed the case in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas,6 nearby Plano, Texas, where it has a subsidiary. The court is reputed to be knowledgeable about patent and intellectual property infringement cases, sympathetic to patent holders, and quick to issue injunctions. While patents granted in the United States are only enforceable in the United States, copyright laws are enforced worldwide.

105 Training

1. 05 – Training Principles You will perform the Sit and Reach exercise as described in the lesson and then answer the questions below based on your experiences. Important: Â ·Answer each question in the document by highlighting or bolding your answers. Â ·Save the file as 105training. rtf. Â ·Below the file name is the field for file type. Use the drop down menu to choose ‘Rich Text Format'. This will save it with the . rtf file structure required. Â ·Submit the completed assignment for Assessment 1. 05 Training Principles. Complete each exercise below: A. Reach to 0 cm mark and hold 10 secondsB. Reach to 8 cm mark and hold 15 seconds C. Reach to 15 cm mark and hold 10 seconds D. Reach to 22. 5 mark and hold 15 seconds 1. Of the four exercises attempted in the activity I was able to complete A. None of the exercises. B. Item A only C. Items A and B D. Items A, B, and C E. All of the exercises 2. Reaching to 0 cm mark and holding for 10 seconds was: A. Easily done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach 3. Reaching to 8 cm mark and holding 15 seconds was: A. Easily Done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach 4.Reaching to 15 cm mark and holding 10 seconds was: A. Easily Done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach 5. Reaching to 22. 5 mark and hold 15 seconds was: A. Easily Done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach Part II: Principle of Overload 1. How frequently would you need to stretch if the sit & reach was easily done? A. Very Often – several times a week B. Often – 3 times a week C. Rarely – once a week 2. Which of the above stretches made you work harder (had the greatest intensity)? A. 0 cm B. 8 cm C. 15 cm D. 22. 5 cm