Essay --

(1.) Verification and observation is not the same thing. When you verify a theory, you have at least partially found support for its truth through observation. When you falsify a theory, you have definitely found support for its un-truth, through observation. Verifiability and falsifiability are contrasting methodologies in the sense that they each emphasize different values of truth: verifiability on â€Å"truth† (at least partial) and falsifiability on â€Å"false.† Consider the classic example of the white swan. Swans in Europe were white so each separate observation of a swan came back as white. Therefore, the induction produces the conclusion that all swans are white. Seemingly giving confirmation, each separate observation verified the conclusion â€Å"all swans are white.† The evidence of course was overpowering, that is until they learned that Australia had black swans. With this singular observation, all the thousands of verifications of white swans were unconcluded. That is the strength of falsification. A singular observation or experiment can toss everything away. Both verifiability and falsifiability share the shortcoming that it can’t reach absolute truth. Verifiability can’t reach absolute truth because of the complications with induction. Falsifiability can’t reach absolute truth for a couple reasons. First, proving that a theory is false only verifies that the negation is true. That’s not much concerning scientific advancement. Second is because of falsifiability identification, with the demarcation criterion between science and pseudo-science, a (supposed) true theory can’t be scientific, because it can’t be falsified. The plausibility of scientific theory in verificationism is â€Å"strong† supporting evidence. ... ...ur deficient human understanding that inhibits us from perceiving it so. The methods of holism don’t seem to be wholly at odds with the traditional scientific method. That being said, holism doesn’t strictly adhere to the scientific method notwithstanding the usage of a scientific-sounding language and can produce neither specific predictions about the natural world nor consequential insights. This reductionism seems to assume that by examining the mechanisms of nature we can predict and consequently control it. Holism does not solve the demarcation problem. A pseudo-science has the solution to everything and can never â€Å"not be true,† whereas a science doesn’t have the solution to everything and can â€Å"always be false.† Religion is only a pseudo-science when it takes itself to be resolving scientific questions; otherwise it is perfectly consequential for Popper. Essay -- (1.) Verification and observation is not the same thing. When you verify a theory, you have at least partially found support for its truth through observation. When you falsify a theory, you have definitely found support for its un-truth, through observation. Verifiability and falsifiability are contrasting methodologies in the sense that they each emphasize different values of truth: verifiability on â€Å"truth† (at least partial) and falsifiability on â€Å"false.† Consider the classic example of the white swan. Swans in Europe were white so each separate observation of a swan came back as white. Therefore, the induction produces the conclusion that all swans are white. Seemingly giving confirmation, each separate observation verified the conclusion â€Å"all swans are white.† The evidence of course was overpowering, that is until they learned that Australia had black swans. With this singular observation, all the thousands of verifications of white swans were unconcluded. That is the strength of falsification. A singular observation or experiment can toss everything away. Both verifiability and falsifiability share the shortcoming that it can’t reach absolute truth. Verifiability can’t reach absolute truth because of the complications with induction. Falsifiability can’t reach absolute truth for a couple reasons. First, proving that a theory is false only verifies that the negation is true. That’s not much concerning scientific advancement. Second is because of falsifiability identification, with the demarcation criterion between science and pseudo-science, a (supposed) true theory can’t be scientific, because it can’t be falsified. The plausibility of scientific theory in verificationism is â€Å"strong† supporting evidence. ... ...ur deficient human understanding that inhibits us from perceiving it so. The methods of holism don’t seem to be wholly at odds with the traditional scientific method. That being said, holism doesn’t strictly adhere to the scientific method notwithstanding the usage of a scientific-sounding language and can produce neither specific predictions about the natural world nor consequential insights. This reductionism seems to assume that by examining the mechanisms of nature we can predict and consequently control it. Holism does not solve the demarcation problem. A pseudo-science has the solution to everything and can never â€Å"not be true,† whereas a science doesn’t have the solution to everything and can â€Å"always be false.† Religion is only a pseudo-science when it takes itself to be resolving scientific questions; otherwise it is perfectly consequential for Popper.

Insane Macbeth :: essays research papers

An insane person is one that demonstrates foolish acts because of their poor mental state. In the beginning of Macbeth, Macbeth is characterized as a brave soldier. His bravery on the battlefield earned him the titles of Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. The play leads the reader to believe that Macbeth is sane, but when he receives prophesy from the witches that he will be king, an insane character emerges from within. Macbeth demonstrates these characteristics when he claims to see a floating dagger and an illusionary ghost and also becomes obsessed with the idea of killing others, and not being completely human. Macbeth displays the characteristics of an insane character because of his foolish acts and poor mental state when he visualizes the floating dagger, speaks to a ghost, becomes obsessed with killing others and with the idea of being invincible. When Macbeth begins talking to a ghost, his insanity becomes very apparent to the reader. From another one of the witches prophesies, Macbeth is threatened by Banquo because his sons are to be king one day as well. Macbeth begins to see Banquo’s and makes foolish comments. He says, â€Å"[Macbeth] The table’s full†¦ [Lennox] Here is a place reserved sir. [Macbeth] Where? [Ross] Gentlemen, rise, his Highness is not well.† (3:4:47-49,53) In this quote Macbeth demonstrates his insanity because he thinks that the table is full and does not realize that the ghost he sees is invisible to the other sane people in the room. The others notice that Macbeth is insane as well because Ross even suggests that he is not well. Macbeth also appears to be insane when he tries to talk to the ghost. Macbeth says â€Å"[To the ghost] Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!† (3:4:93-94) Here, Macbeth is talking to the ghost and

The Impact of the Civil War on Womens Rights Essay -- Womens Rights

â€Å"I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.† ― Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman After four years of seemingly endless battle between a divided nation, more than 600,000 people were killed. These lives, however, were not given in vain. Had it not been for the American Civil War, abolition may not have been carried out. The nation might have remained divided. Women might have remained confined to their roles as the "homemakers." Although the Civil War was fought in hopes of preserving the nation and ridding it of slavery, another war raged on within the depths of this war--the women's war. Serving as nurses both in the hospital and on the battlefields, women came to know a whole different world; a world outside of the home. When the last gun shot was fired, women were expected to return to their roles as the housewives. Some, however, had tasted the sweetness of being able to hold positions equal to that of their male counterparts and had become addicted. In this way, the American Civil War served as a significant turning point for the transformation of societal v iews concerning working women-particularly those in the field of nursing. Prior to the Civil War, it was believed that a woman's place was in the home. Societal views held that women were to be the homemakers, while the occupations in the outside world were to be left to the men. "It was an age when women were preferred as angels rather than amazons, homemakers rather than careerists" (Donald & Randall 19). A woman's legal status was dependent on that of her father or husband, depending on whether she was married or not. As a result, a woman could not make any legal appearances in court or sign any legal papers... ...ar and Reconstruction. D.C. Health and Company: Boston,1965. McPherson, James M. Ordeal By Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction, Second Edition. Princeton University: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992. Moore, Frank. Women of the War: Their Heroism and Self-Sacrifice. Hartford, Connecticut: S.S. Scranton & Co., 1866. "Negro Emancipation," Harper's Weekly: Journal of Civilization, January 10, 1863, p. 18. "The Bombardment of Fort Sumter," Harper's Weekly: Journal of Civilization, April 27, 1861, p. 1. Thompson, William F. Image of War: The Pictorial Reporting of the American Civil War. Louisiana State University Press: Baton Rouge and London, 1960. Volo, Dorothy Denneen and Volo, James M. Daily Life in Civil War America. Greenwood Press: Westport, Connecticut and London,1998. Wright, Mike. What They Didn't Teach You About the Civil War. Presido Press, 1996.

One Year in a Life of Crime Essay

There are many contributing factors that can lead to living a life of crime, totally unaware of how self-satisfying actions can negatively affect the people around you. The show HBO’s America Undercover â€Å"One Year in a Life of Crime†, is a perfect example of how there can be many factors that will lead you down a path of self destruction. But in the end it is the relationships we have with our parents, family and friends that ultimately shape the type of person we are and affect the decisions that we make. A contributing factor is something that is partly responsible for a development or something that lead to the cause of something else. If we can identify the contributing factors to an undesirable situation that we may be in, then we can learn to avoid them in the future. Or we can even learn from other people’s mistakes. The show â€Å"One Year in a Life of Crime† could be very beneficial for a younger audience to identify contributing factors that lead you down the wrong path in life. Maybe if the thieves’ in the show could have viewed something like this at an earlier time in their life, things might have turned out different for them. Rationalizing and wishful thinking is a contributing factor that prevents the thieves’ from thinking realistically about their future. Rationalization, also known as making excuses, is a way to devise self-satisfying but incorrect reasons for one’s behavior. To not see reality for what is it. We all do this from time to time but the individuals in the show seem to rationalizing everything as a way to justify the bad choices they have made. Rob rationalizes his stealing in the scene where we meet his father for the first time. Rob’s father Ed works all week long and only brings home $80, which Rob describes as peanuts. To survive, you have to make extra money, is one way Rob justifies his stealing. In his mind, if he didn’t steal, his family couldn’t survive. In many scenes we hear Rob wishing for this and wishing for that. I wish for a big business so I can make a million dollars and if only I could get some money together to buy hot dog truck. Rob is unwilling to work hard to achieve any of his goals. Fred, who is Rob’s mentor in regards to shoplifting, is even worse when it comes to rationalizing he’s behavior. He can’t believe his old lady left with their little girl after he promised to stop getting high but then couldn’t follow through with his promise. He tells an old friend he wants to stop doing drugs and stealing but it’s just too much for him to handle now that his old lady has left him. Rationalizing helps them justify their own lazy attitude towards hard work and making an honest living. The prevailing attitude towards stealing instead of working is another contributing factor that keeps the thieves’ from getting ahead in life. Easy money for little effort, such as shop-lifting, can be very attractive to some people and they will choose this life style. But the way life works is the more you put into something the more you will get out. If you’re willing to work hard and not give up, there is a good chance you will be successful in whatever you choose to do. When we look at Rob we can see he is always looking for easy money. Rob can’t believe his father works for such little money when there are other ways to make a living. He thinks his father is foolish. When Rob was working for a neighborhood mechanic he had saved over a thousand dollars but thought the job wasn’t paying enough. In his mind, the amount of time and work he needed to put-in, didn’t equal the pay he was receiving. Stealing is easier and doesn’t require a full day’s work. It’s hard to say no to easy money when there is only a small chance of getting caught and if you do get caught, then the punishment is light or non-existent. When a city does not have the resources to deal with a large volume of crime, the justice system can seem like a revolving door for the criminals. If the smaller criminals have to be overlooked because the system is swamped with major crimes, then the threat of jail time for shoplifting looses its power. Time after time we see both Fred do little jail time for his crimes. The first time me meet Fred, he’s accidentally been released from jail after only doing 60 days of a one year sentence. He’s been out of jail for one day and he’s already back to shoplifting. Four months later Fred is arrested for Grand Larceny and Vehicular Homicide. He uses an alias along with a phony I.D. to hide his extensive criminal record and ends up out of jail in just three weeks after plea-bargaining down to minor charges as a â€Å"first offender†. Fred was responsible for the death of someone and because of an overwhelmed justice system he is set free. After you get away with something like this how much of a deterrent is the law when it comes to shoplifting? Not much to Fred because just three months later he’s arrested for stealing silverware and end up in jail for six months. Of course each time we see the thieves’ stealing they are always with a friend, an accomplice, someone who thinks and acts the same way they do. Enabling is a larger contributing factor as to why our thieves live the life that they do. An enabler is a person who, through their actions, allows someone else to behave in a destructive way. Enabling/reinforcing negative behavior by lying, ignoring or covering up for someone not only allows negative behavior to continue but also slows down the process of learning to be responsible for the consequences of their actions. The most common example in the show is the relationship the thieves have with each other. Rob is mentored by Fred in the ways of shoplifting and along with their friend Mike, reinforces their life style as being just and the only way they can survive in the world. Rob’s wife Angela is the perfect example of an â€Å"enabler†. Throughout the year that the show takes place we see Angela enabling Rob to continuing stealing. All she wants is for Rob to marry her and if stealing is the only way for Rob to make money, then she will support whatever decisions he makes. At the end of the show we see Rob has become a drug addict and Angela is still with him even though she hates what Rob is doing to himself. She would rather say nothing then confront him. It’s a lot less work being an enabler then it is confronting Rob and trying to help him. Mike’s mother is another example of how enabling has a negative impact on learning to be responsible for one’s own actions. She bails Mike out of jail and losses the bail money because her son takes off. I’m guess here, but I would bet she knows where he is hiding out and her only reaction is to be indifferent to Mike decision which just cost her $750. The relationships we have with our friends and family play a strong role on how we think and the decision we make. The most important contributing factor as to why the thieves are in their situation has to do with how they were raised. The values they were taught and relationship they have with their parents. We can see Rob is in a pattern of self-destructive behavior and one of the biggest influences is his father. From the show we find out that Rob’s father is an alcoholic, would hit him and also throw out Rob’s toys. Rob even describes a scene where his father rips apart one of his favorite toys, a stuffed bunny rabbit. Here we can see why Rob might think it is ok steal. He learned from his father that if you are strong or smart enough to impose your will on someone then it is ok to take what you want. In Rob’s eyes this is how the world works. This is what his father did to him so he is repeating the same behavior when he shop-lifts. We can only guess at the relationship Fred has with his parents but we know that one of his uncles was a drug addict and Fred witness his un cle taking drugs. It’s a good possibility Fred’s family didn’t discourage drug use or educate him in regards to the negative impact drugs will have on your life. From the time we are born we start to soak in our environment. We start to learn from everything around us. How we act socially mainly comes from the observations and interactions we have with our parents. We learn how to speak, how to ask for things and how to interact with others. When we are children the most important relationship we will have is with our parents and this can greatly affect our adolescences and adulthood. Our role models in life can help shape who we will become. If we see from our parents that hard work and following the rules doesn’t get you very far then we might have an attitude that working hard isn’t the way to go. Without good role models the odd are stacked against us and some individuals will take the easy road of a thieves’ life style. We can change our behavior later in life but it can be a difficult process and most people are not even aware that a change is needed.

Principle of Marketing

Principles of Marketing Promotion: Overview and Personal Selling Promotion Mix Personal Selling Advertising Publicity Sales Promotion Elements in the Communication Process (Fig. 14. 2) Promotion Strategy Strategic Objectives Appropriate Tasks Budget Implementation Evaluation and Control Strategic Issues Integration Relationships Goals: Information, Persuasion, Reminder Consumer Considerations: AIETA Model Target Integrated Marketing Communications (Fig. 14. 1) Advertising Personal selling Sales promotion Public relations Direct marketing A View of the Communications Process Marketers View Communications as the Management of the Customer Relationship Over Time Through the Following Stages: Preselling Preselling Selling Selling PostPostConsumption Consumption Consuming Consuming AIETA The Adoption Process Product Life Cycle AIETA and the Promotion Mix: The right tool for the job. Awareness Advertising -teaser campaigns -pioneering ads -jingles/slogans -outdoor -internet banners Publicity -newsworthy â€Å"stunts† -news announcements -trade announcements Interest Advertising -information ads -image ads Evaluation Advertising -persuasion ads -image ads -testimonials -comparative ads Trial Advertising -retailer co-op ads -POP materials -sales promotion ads Adoption Advertising -reminder ads Publicity -news coverage -human interest stories Publicity -consumer welfare reports Personal Selling -mentions -samples -brochures, etc. Personal Selling -benefits (prepared or formula approaches) Personal Selling -consultative selling Personal Selling -closed deal Personal Selling -consultative selling Sales Promotion -demonstrations -displays -tie-ins Sales Promotion -trade discounts -trade allowances Sales Promotion -samples -coupons -rebates -price packs -premiums Sales Promotion -patronage rewards -contests Promotion Targets—Push/Pull Promotion Mix Strategies Strategy that Calls for Spending A Lot on Advertising and Consumer Promotion to Build Up (Pull) Consumer Demand. Strategy Selected Depends on: Type of ProductMarket & Product Life-Cycle Stage Strategy that Calls for Using the Salesforce and Trade Promotion to Push the Product Through the Channels. Setting the Total Promotion Budget One of the Hardest Marketing Decisions Facing a Company is How Much to Spend on Promotion. Affordable Percentage of Sales Percentage of Sales Based on What the Company Can Afford Based on a Certain Percentage Based on a Certain Percentage of Current or Forecasted Sales of Current or Forecasted Sales Based on the Competitor’s Based on the Competitor’s Promotion Budget Promotion Budget Objective-and-Task Objective-and-Task Based on Determining Based on Determining Objectives & Tasks, Then Objectives & Tasks, Then Estimating Costs Estimating Costs Competitive-Parity Competitive-Parity Objective and Task Method Example of Objective and Task Budgeting Sales Management and Personal Selling Strategic objectives: Awareness—mentions, samples, etc. Interest—benefit information, missionary Evaluation—consultative selling Trial—consultative selling (closing) Adoption—consultative selling The Role of the Sales Force Personal selling is effective because salespeople can: probe adjust negotiate build Major Steps in Sales Force Management (Fig. 16. 1) Designing Salesforce Strategy and Structure Designing Salesforce Strategy and Structure Recruiting and Selecting Salespeople Recruiting and Selecting Salespeople Training Salespeople Training Salespeople Compensating Salespeople Compensating Salespeople Supervising Salespeople Supervising Salespeople Evaluating Salespeople Evaluating Salespeople Some Traits of Good Salespeople Selecting Salespeople Sales Aptitude Sales Aptitude Other Characteristics Other Characteristics Selection Process Usually Evaluates a Person’s Personality Traits Personality Traits Analytical and Analytical and Organizational Skills Organizational Skills Sales Force Organization In-house Flexible Directed Low variable costs Resource drain High fixed costs Agents (â€Å"Mfr. Reps†) Simple Low fixed costs Less control High variable costs Designing Sales Force Strategy and Structure Sales Force Size productive and expensive assets shrinking in size workload approach Sales force size Increases with Decreases with Training Salespeople The Average Sales Training Program lasts for Four Months and Has the Following Goals: Help Salespeople Know & Identify With the Company Learn About the Products Learn About Competitors’ and Customers’ Characteristics Learn How to Make Effective Presentations Understand Field Procedures and Responsibilities Compensating Salespeople To Attract Salespeople, a Company Must Have an To Attract Salespeople, a Company Must Have an Attractive Plan Made Up of Several Elements Attractive Plan Made Up of Several Elements Fixed Fixed Amount Amount Usually a Usually a Salary Salary Variable Variable Amount Amount Usually Usually Commissions Commissions Or Bonuses Or Bonuses Expense Expense Allowance Allowance For Job For Job Related Related Expenses Expenses Supervising Salespeople Directing Salespeople Directing Salespeople †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Identify Customer Targets & Identify Customer Targets & Call Norms Call Norms †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Develop Prospect Target Develop Prospect Target †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Use Sales Time Efficiently Use Sales Time Efficiently Annual Call Plan Annual Call Plan Time-and-Duty Analysis Time-and-Duty Analysis Sales Force Automation Sales Force Automation Motivating Salespeople Motivating Salespeople Organizational Climate †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Organizational Climate Sales Quotas †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Sales Quotas Positive Incentives †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Positive Incentives Sales Meetings Sales Meetings Sales Contests Sales Contests Honors and Trips Honors and Trips Merchandise/ Cash Merchandise/ Cash How Salespeople Spend Their Time (Fig. 16. 2) Service Calls 12. 7% Administrative Tasks 16% Telephone Selling 25. 1% Face-to-Face Selling 28. 8% Waiting/ Traveling 17. 4% Companies Look For Ways to Increase the Amount of Time Salespeople Spend Selling. Evaluation Match the measures with the objectives Profit Sales Satisfaction New products New accounts Costs Steps in the Selling Process Prospecting Prospecting Qualifying Qualifying Preapproach Preapproach Approach Approach Salesperson Identifies Qualified Potential Salesperson Identifies Qualified Potential Customers. Customers. Process of Identifying Good Prospects Process of Identifying Good Prospects and Screening Out Poor Ones. and Screening Out Poor Ones. Salesperson Learns as Much as Possible Salesperson Learns as Much as Possible About a Prospective Customer Before About a Prospective Customer Before Making a Sales Call. Making a Sales Call. Salesperson Meets the Buyer and Gets Salesperson Meets the Buyer and Gets the Relationship Off to a Good Start. the Relationship Off to a Good Start. Steps in the Selling Process Presentation Presentation Handling Handling Objections Objections Closing Closing Follow-Up Follow-Up Salesperson Tells the Product â€Å"Story† to Salesperson Tells the Product â€Å"Story† to the Buyer Using the Need-Satisfaction the Buyer Using the Need-Satisfaction Approach. Approach. Salesperson Seeks Out, Clarifies, and Salesperson Seeks Out, Clarifies, and Overcomes Customer Objections to Overcomes Customer Objections to Buying. Buying. Salesperson Asks the Customer for an Salesperson Asks the Customer for an Order. Order. Occurs After the Sale and Ensures Occurs After the Sale and Ensures Customer Satisfaction and Repeat Customer Satisfaction and Repeat Business. Business. SPIN Selling â€Å"Professional selling† Preliminaries are not important Questions/Answers SPIN Situation Problems Implications Needs-Payoffs SPIN selling â€Å"Easiflo† S: B: S: B: S: Do you use Contortomat machines? Yes, three of them. And, are they difficult for your operators to use? Yes, rather hard, but they eventually learn. We could solve that operating difficulty with our new Easiflo system. B: What does your system cost? S: The basic system is about $120,000, and†¦ B: $120,000!!! Just to make a machine easier to use? You must be kidding! Example: Selling â€Å"Easiflo† S: Do you use Contortomat machines? (Situation) B: Yes, three of them. S: And, are they difficult for your operators to use? (Problem) B: Yes, rather hard, but they eventually learn. (Implied need) S: We could solve that operating difficulty with our new Easiflo system. (Solution) B: What does your system cost? S: The basic system is about $120,000, and†¦ B: $120,000!!! Just to make a machine easier to use? You must be kidding! SPIN selling â€Å"Easiflo† S: And, are they difficult for your operators to use? B: Yes, rather hard, but they eventually learn. S: You say they’re hard to use. What effect does this have on your output? (Implication) B: Not much. We’ve specially trained three people. S: If you’ve only got three people who can use the Contortomats, doesn’t that create bottlenecks? (Implication) B: No, really, it’s only when an operator leaves that we have trouble. While we’re waiting for a replacement to be trained. S: It sounds like the difficulty of using the Contortomat machines may be causing a turnover problem with operators. Is that right? (Implication) B: Yes, people don’t like using them, so operators usually don’t stay with us long. S: What does this turnover mean in terms of training costs? (Implication) Well, it takes a couple months to get proficient— that’s maybe $4000 in wages. Plus we pay Contortomat $500 for training. And, $1000 for travel, since that training is off-site. Hey, that’s about $5000 per—and we’ve trained at least five this year. S: So, that’s $25,000 in training costs in less than 6 months. If you’ve trained that many people in so little time, the turnover must result in production losses, doesn’t it? (Implication) B: Not really. As I said, we avoid bottlenecks by getting the other operators to work overtime. Or, we send the work out. S: Doesn’t the overtime add even more to your costs? (Implication) B: Yes, that’s true. And, even at double pay, the operators don’t like working it. That probably contributes to the turnover. S: I can see how sending the work outside must increase your costs, but are there other implications? Does the quality stay the same? (Implication) B: That’s actually the biggest problem. I can control the quality in house, but not the contract stuff. S: I suppose that sending work out puts you at the mercy of the contractor’s schedule? (Implication) B: You don’t want to know! I just got off the phone— three hours, chasing down a late delivery. S: So, from what you’ve said, because the Contortomats are difficult to use, you’ve spent $25,000 in training costs this year and you’re getting expensive operator turnover. You’ve got bottlenecks in production, and they result in expensive overtime and force you to send jobs outside. But sending jobs outside reduces quality and creates scheduling problems. B: When you look at it that way, those Contoromat machines are creating a very serious problem indeed. Wrong approach Contortomats are hard to use. $120,000 is far too much money to solve that problem SPIN approach Contortomats cause: Difficulty in use $25,000 training Turnover Overtime costs Cost of outside work Loss of quality Scheduling problems $120,000 may be a bargain Build implications. â€Å"Let† the customer discover value.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay

The novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Kesey, 1962) is narrated from the point of view of a character called â€Å"The Chief† who is an inmate of the mental asylum in which the story takes place. The book opens with a scene where the Chief is sweeping the floor and ends with the Chief escaping from the asylum, and so the changing perceptions of the Chief are a key to the main messages of the book. The character who occupies most of the action in the book is a rebellious newcomer called McMurphy. It is McMurphy who is the catalyst for the change in the Chief, showing him a both a different way to see the asylum and a number of strategies of resistance which ultimately allow the Chief to break free. This paper will analyse how the Chief perceives the asylum in the early stages of the book, focusing especially on the concept of â€Å"the Combine†. After that Murphy’s view of the world will be presented, along with his various resistance strategies. In conclusion the Chief’s revised view of â€Å"the Combine† will be analysed, showing what has changed in his understanding of the world of the asylum, and of the world in general. At the start of the book it is not immediately evident that the Chief is mentally ill. He explains that he is half Indian and chooses to be deaf and dumb: â€Å"I’m cagey enough to fool them that much† (Kesey, p. 9) His separation from the world of sound is presented as a deliberate defence against oppression, but the reader may suspect that it is a symptom of a mental illness like paranoia or schizophrenia. It is a feature of the book that medical descriptions are avoided, and the reader is left to figure out for him or herself whether or not, or to what extent the characters are ill or mad. The Chief imagines the Big Nurse having powers that extend via wires which only he can see: â€Å"I see her sit in the centre of this web of wires like a watchful robot, tend her network with mechanical insect skill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kesey, p. 27). He imagines that she is working to control the world outside the institution also, suggesting that there is a huge conspiracy against him and the other inmates called â€Å"the Combine† which he defines as â€Å"a huge organization that aims to adjust the Outside as well as the Inside† (Kesey, p. 27). This analogy works both as a description of a delusion, with no basis in reality, and as an artistic representation of an institution (the asylum) and a wider authoritarian society (conservative American society in the early 1960s) which operates on a rigid and inhuman basis. At the start of the book the Chief, and through him the reader, feel this cold, hard, oppressive force and see the inmates as victims of its power. One way of making this chilling force constantly present in the narrative is the Chief’s use of vocabulary relating to machinery to describe all of the asylum personnel. The three â€Å"black boys† who are orderlies working for the Big Nurse speak with the â€Å"hum of black machinery† (Kesey, p. 9) and the most frightening of all is Nurse Ratched herself: â€Å"She works the hinges of her elbows and fingers †¦ She starts moving,†¦when she rumbles past she’s already as big as a truck, trailing that wicker bag behind her in her exhaust like a semi behind a Jimmy Diesel†¦ and her smile’s going out before her like a radiator grill. † (Kesey, p 79). These are inhuman images used to describe the leaders of an inhuman regime. The arrival of McMurphy into the story makes a huge impression on the Chief who, despite his huge size, is cowering and fearful of the cold and all-controlling power of the Combine. The first impression is of McMurphy’s â€Å"loud brassy voice† (Kesey, p. 14) Chief significantly makes a connection between this voice and the voice of his Indian father: â€Å"He talks a little the way Papa used to, voice loud and full of hell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shortly after this the ward is stunned by the sound of McMurphy’s laughter, which is strange to them because no one ever laughs in this oppressive place. So much of McMurphy’s verbal behaviour is a surprise to the ward: his laughing, singing and ironic banter are all examples of a language the inmates have forgotten the meaning of. This is one of the most important aspects of McMurphy’s influence. He reminds the inmates of a different kind of communication with authority and with each other that is free and spontaneous, unconcerned about the hierarchies of the asylum context, and taking everything less seriously than the authorities intend things to be taken. McMurphy mocks people, including his friends, in order to show that there is more than just one way of seeing things, and that the asylum’s regime is ridiculous when viewed from outside perspectives. He argues with the Big Nurse, and he laughs at her rants and rages. This is a subversive attitude, and it sparks new thoughts in all the inmates, setting off a chain reaction of awareness that cannot be stopped. The first meeting of McMurphy and the Chief is also an important moment in the book, and this time the Chief is struck by the touch of McMurphy’s hand: â€Å"It rang with blood and power† (Kesey, p. 25). Later, when sweeping out the sleeping area, the Chief notices a smell that he has never encountered before in all this time on the ward; â€Å"the man smell of dust and dirt from the open fields, and sweat, and work. † (Kesey, p. 83). It is as if the Chief is rediscovering through the presence of McMurphy, all the natural human senses which had been dulled or switched out of commission by the Combine. Just by being himself McMurphy reawakens the warm, human qualities of the inmates and shows them how to use these qualities against the hard, cold machinery of power. The world that McMurphy represents is offered as a contrast to the regimented, controlled environment of the ward. There is nothing particularly radical about what he represents, for example setting up a voting process to determine the television viewing schedule for the inmates, but in the upside-down regime of the Combine this appears to be a shocking suggestion. Drinking, smoking marijuana and sex with prostitutes are, in the world outside the asylum, quite ordinary and natural expressions of normal masculine behaviour in large sections of the community. It is the abuse of power by the Big Nurse in talking to Billy Bibbit’s mother that turns the antics of the inmates from a prank into a tragedy. In every society it is common for young males to push boundaries and experiment with things that are forbidden by teachers, parents and authority figures. It is part of normal growing up. The irony of the asylum is, that it takes an oppressed youngster like Billy and then just when he catches a glimpse of sexual and other kinds of freedom via McMurphy, crushes his spirit so completely that he takes his own life. The book depicts a struggle for power over the inmates: â€Å"As the many symbols and images indicate, the central theme of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the restoration of the inmates’ individual and collective potency. (Lupack, 1995, p. 94). Whether as group, or as separate individuals, McMurphy encourages the inmates to take back the power that has been unjustly stolen from them by the institution. Some critics have seen McMurphy in religious terms, as a character who sacrifices himself in order to save his brothers: â€Å"The fishing scene is an extended figure of Christ and his disciples, and instance of McMurphy as fisher of men. † (Hicks, 1981, p. 174). Hicks points out that there are images of the cross and the crown of thorns in descriptions of the electric shock table, and that McMurphy’s men are â€Å"physically cannibalizing him† (1981, p. 5) by wearing him out more and more as he transfers his power and energy over to them. It is true that as McMurphy’s influence grows, more and more of the inmates rebel or discharge themselves, or in the case of the Chief, make a spectacular escape but this is a book that does not come with a happy ending and salvation in a heavenly future. McMurph y is turned into a lobotomized shell of his old self which the Chief kills out of mercy, as an Indian would kill an injured animal. The future of the other characters is not known. The freedom that the Chief gains is a freedom from the real and imagined â€Å"wires and connections† (Kesey, p. 254) that he rips up when he throws the control box out of the window. In conclusion, then, it appears that the Chief has changed his view of the Combine. He leaves the delusions and the asylum behind but he still must navigate his way in the outside world. It remains to be seen how he will tackle the Combine-like injustices and oppressive forces in the wider world. He does not have his mentor McMurphy with him, and must only go back to where he started and try to reintegrate into a community that has been oppressed and exploited by the building of a great dam. The great difference at the end of the book is that that he wants to go back to his old haunts â€Å"just to bring some of it clear in my mind again† (Kesey, p. 254) and thanks to the example shown by McMurphy, he can now do this with courage and clarity, seeing possibilities of collective resistance rather than just being isolated and crushed by overwhelming institutional power.

Bone dissection Essay

The skeletal system is made up of cartilage and bone. Both bone and cartilage are connective tissues, that is, they are composed of cells in a matrix with intracellular fibers. Just imagine connective tissue as a gelatin salad with grapes and coconut. The grapes would represent cells, the gelatin the support material for matrix, and the pieces of coconut the intracellular fibers. By changing the amounts of each ingredient and adding extra substances, we can produce a material that is very hard like bone and can withstand weight or softer like cartilage which can be used as a cushioning material. In this exercise, we will examine a fresh raw chicken bone to study bone structure. Materials Note: To complete both experiments, you will need two raw chicken bones. Each experiment requires a separate bone. Fresh chicken leg bone Knife Procedure 1. Carefully remove the skin and muscles from the bone as you do this, note the way that muscles are attached.. 2. Split the bone lengthwise. 3. Examine the bone and locate the following structures: a. Tendon – Examine the attachment of the muscles to bone. In most cases, the long ropelike attachment is a tendon and is composed of dense regular connective tissue. b. Periosteum This thin membrane covers the outside of the bone. c. Articular cartilage Note this thin layer of cartilage covering the epiphysis. d. Marrow cavity This hollow cavity in the diaphysis of the bone is lines with a thin membrane called the endosteum. e. Spongy bone This type of bone is located in the ends or epiphyses of the bone and appears to be open with small spicules or bars. f. Compact bone Makes up the shaft or diaphysis of the bone. Questions 1. How does spongy bone differ from compact bone? What differences did you see in the appearance of the spongy bone and compact bone? What color was the spongy bone? 2. How does cartilage differ from bone? How did each one feel when pierced with the knife? 3. How did the periosteum and endosteum differ in thickness? 4. Was the bone marrow yellow, red, green or blue? 5. What type of cartilage makes up the articular cartilage? 6. How did the articular cartilage differ in appearance from the spongy bone? 7. What color was the tendon? What substance gives it strength? 8. How did the raw bone differ in appearance from the baked bone in the other experiment? Note: Chicken may be contaminated with Salmonella. Wear gloves when possible during handling and wash hands thoroughly at the conclusion of your work!! Note: There are questions that will tell me if you did the dissection as I asked. If you miss these questions, you will receive no credit for the dissection.