Philosophy of Science or Scientific Philosophy? :: Philosophical Essays

Philosophy of Science or Scientific Philosophy? ABSTRACT: Pursuit of Ultimate Reality forms the foundation of philosophical inquiry. The present paper represents a pursuit of this sort. Here I make a humble effort at making philosophy scientific— an effort which is based on the revival of Atomism initially formulated by some ancient philosophers of the East and West: Jainas, Vaisesikas, Democritus, Beucippus and others. Every material particle, however minute, is composite and divisible; naturally, the original 'stuff' of the Universe is required to be 'non-particular.' Modern physicists have reached the terminal point of the method of analysis and succeeded to transform a very little part of a nuclear mass into an enormous kinetic energy by way of fission and fusion. The 'energy' as such, being the 'power' of activity dormant in the nuclear mass of every atom, is obviously 'non-particular' and original. Thus 'mass' is continually being transformed into 'energy' and conversely, resulting in the evolution of everything that makes up the universe; so that the original power is amenable to transformation and alien to annihilation. The present paper is an attempt to explore a possible reply to the query inserted in the very title. Here I shall make a parochial use of the term "Science" to mean the physical or Natural Science, and present only the prà ©cis of the whole thing for the sake of brevity. I The world is a big zero. The Earth and all other planets move round the Sun, satellites move round the planets, the negativity charged * electrons move round the positively charged nucleus to constitute an atom ; even each of the elementary particles in the nucleus (nucleons) has a spin of its own, like the Earth; the orbits may however, be circular, elliptical, angular or the like. Whatever be the type or form of the orbit, the circumference described by any body moving round its centre (nucleus) can never come to an end. Man is therefore apt to consider the universe to be eternally present. II The living cell has a nucleus; two human beings of opposite sexes constitute a unit, i.e., a family in which any one of them normally acts as the nucleus; because the society may be Patriarchal or Matriarchal; each such family, again, serves as the nucleus of a larger family, the largest being the human society as a whole; and 'a society' in 'The Society' found in every habitable part of the globe is governed by a person or a group of persons that 'the society' centres round.

Tragic Differences :: essays research papers

Tragedy has always been a popular theme in stories and plays. For centuries, people have been captivated by morbidly emotional finales, rather than by happy endings. Stories with a sad outcome fascinate us much more than those, ending on a happy note. Many of the best works of literature are considered to be tragedies. Shakespeare would be a perfect example of a man who had written many delightful comedies; yet, he was more famous for his grave tragedies. People seem to be more attached to something that disturbs them and leaves them uneasy, rather than to something frivolous and amusing. Maybe, it is because tragedies can be very didactic. Maybe, by studying typical causes of tragedy, a person can prevent it from happening in his or her personal life. It is much easier to learn something from someone else's mistakes than from your own. So it is possible that people who really enjoy tragedy do not really enjoy it, but use it to prevent their future misfortunes, if there are any. Othe rwise, how can someone enjoy the pain and the suffering of others? But like everything else tragedy has laws. One of the laws is Hubris. A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner, can easily be classified as a tragedy. It is a repulsive story about a woman, who died just as she lived: lonely. Emily Grierson was a peculiar woman, who owned a large house, which was a mystery to many people. She never had any real friends and she never had a spouse. And when she started seeing a man, Homer Barron, everybody was assured that she would marry him. But Mr. Barron was as queer as Ms. Grierson was, so their melding was very unlikely. 'When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we had said, 'She will marry him.'; Then we said, 'She will persuaded him yet,'; because homer himself had remarked – he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elk's Club – that he was not a marrying man.'; (Faulkner 280) Poor woman probably never even had the chance. But shortly after the two had been acquainted, Homer disappeared, and the woman became even more alienated, until she stopped coming out o f her dusky house at all. At the end of the story, we are told that the disintegrating carcass of Mr. Barron was found in Emily's house in the room that had been locked for years. Tragic Differences :: essays research papers Tragedy has always been a popular theme in stories and plays. For centuries, people have been captivated by morbidly emotional finales, rather than by happy endings. Stories with a sad outcome fascinate us much more than those, ending on a happy note. Many of the best works of literature are considered to be tragedies. Shakespeare would be a perfect example of a man who had written many delightful comedies; yet, he was more famous for his grave tragedies. People seem to be more attached to something that disturbs them and leaves them uneasy, rather than to something frivolous and amusing. Maybe, it is because tragedies can be very didactic. Maybe, by studying typical causes of tragedy, a person can prevent it from happening in his or her personal life. It is much easier to learn something from someone else's mistakes than from your own. So it is possible that people who really enjoy tragedy do not really enjoy it, but use it to prevent their future misfortunes, if there are any. Othe rwise, how can someone enjoy the pain and the suffering of others? But like everything else tragedy has laws. One of the laws is Hubris. A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner, can easily be classified as a tragedy. It is a repulsive story about a woman, who died just as she lived: lonely. Emily Grierson was a peculiar woman, who owned a large house, which was a mystery to many people. She never had any real friends and she never had a spouse. And when she started seeing a man, Homer Barron, everybody was assured that she would marry him. But Mr. Barron was as queer as Ms. Grierson was, so their melding was very unlikely. 'When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we had said, 'She will marry him.'; Then we said, 'She will persuaded him yet,'; because homer himself had remarked – he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elk's Club – that he was not a marrying man.'; (Faulkner 280) Poor woman probably never even had the chance. But shortly after the two had been acquainted, Homer disappeared, and the woman became even more alienated, until she stopped coming out o f her dusky house at all. At the end of the story, we are told that the disintegrating carcass of Mr. Barron was found in Emily's house in the room that had been locked for years.

Nonviolent Offenders Essay -- essays research papers

Nonviolent Offenders – Is Incarceration the Answer?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"It’s really clear that the most effective way to turn a nonviolent person into a violent one is to send them to prison,† says Harvard University criminologist James Gilligan. The American prison system takes nonviolent offenders and makes them live side-by-side with hardened killers. The very nature of prison, no matter people view it, produces an environment that is inevitably harmful to its residents. America locks up five times more of its' population than any other nation in the world. Due to prison overcrowding, prisoners are currently sleeping on floors, in tents, in converted broom closets and gymnasiums, or even in double or triple bunks in cells, which were designed for one inmate. Why is this happening? The U.S. Judicial System has become so succumbed to the ideal that Imprisonment is the most visibly form of punishment. The current structure of this system is failing terribly. To take people, strip them of their possessions and privacy, expose them to violence on a daily basis, restrict their quality of life to a 5x7ft cell, and deprive them of any meaning to live. This scenario is a standard form of punishment for violent offenders, although not suitable for nonviolent offenders. Today, almost 70% of all prisoners are serving time for nonviolent offenses. U.S. States are spending an average of $100 million per year on new prisons and all U.S. taxpayers front the bill for a system that is not working (Carson). Why should we force taxpayers to pay to keep nonviolent criminals sitting in prison cells where they become bitter, aggressive, and more likely to repeat their offenses when released? The answer is we shouldn’t, there are more reliable forms of punishment available, and rehabilitation and restitution are two alternatives I firmly believe are most effective than incarceration. Nonviolent criminals should be punished differently. This is because nonviolent criminals do not learn from the misery of being in cells with violent inmates. Drug offenders for example are a public health problem, not public safety problem, and nonviolent offenders can be properly educated. We offer convicts no opportunities to learn compassion or take responsibility for what they have done, nor make restitution or offer atonement to their victims in any practical ways. ... ...he certainty of restitution, by requiring monetary payment, takes the profit out of crime (Carson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most people have the common view that the criminal justice system’s increasing arrests and imprisonment is an effective strategy for reducing crime. If the judicial system makes greater distinction among violent and nonviolent crimes, the prisons will have the vacancies to incarcerate the Jeffery Dahmers of the world in prison for life. By providing alternatives to imprisonment for nonviolent offenders will reduce the burden of taxpayer’s dollars for added funding for construction of new prisons. I know as a College Student I would like to see increased State funding for education system rather than the millions allocated to the prison system of Pennsylvania. Prisons are not places where nonviolent offenders can serve time and then be released a better person, more fit for society. The prison environment is wrong, and as a result a nonviolent offender will leave unimproved. It is my belief that the alternatives of community control programs, rehabilitation programs, and restitution programs are the answers to the sentencing of nonviolent offenders.

An Organizational Failure: Blockbuster Essay

1. Describe and discuss how the organization’s culture facilitated the failure. Philips (2011) believes that success or failure of any great company depends on â€Å"Events, internal and external† (p. 3). Blockbuster also appears to be a victim of certain events at internal as well as external level. Based in McKinney, Texas, Blockbuster and founded in 1985 (Blockbuster Corporate, 2012) and it ushered in a new era as far as video rental retail industry was concerned. The company gave birth to video rental places that had significant amount of movies under one roof (the first store had 8,000 movies) and were not associated with bad movies or bad neighborhoods (Greenberg, 2008). Initially, the company’s strategy was to expand aggressively and the leadership defined Blockbuster’s vision to become McDonald’s of the video rental business. Referring to the company leadership’s ambitious goals, Greenberg writes: The Blockbuster strategy was simple à ¢â‚¬â€œ pump as much money as possible into buying local and regional chains while keeping centralized control over the look and feel of the individual stores. By the VSDA convention the following year, Blockbuster had acquired two other chains and its more than 250 stores dotted the country. At the convention, Huizenga’s marketing executive Tom Gruber outlined vision for the future of the company, and it was expansive. Gruber had spent eighteen years working for McDonald’s before joining Blockbuster, and both he and Huizenga were explicit: Blockbuster wanted to be the McDonald’s of home video (the comparison was so deliberate that at one trade show presentation, huge photographs of Huizenga and McDonald’s leader Ray Kroc were projected side-by-side). (p. 128) So, Blockbuster came into being with a big bang and a unique presentation which was reflected in its slogan â€Å"Wow, What a difference† (Greenberg, 2008). In the beginning, the company even hired greeters who would welcome customers at each location’s entrance whereas the employees were provided with manuals about how to deal with customers. That was the beginning. The strategy and vision worked amazingly well. However, as the company travelled with fanfare down the road, it developed a culture that might have its roots in complacency. The obsession with expansion seemed to derail a process the leadership should have put in place. Rayburn (2009) recalls how Blockbuster’s culture became a liability for the company and ultimately led to its bankruptcy. In 1999, a company called Globix (Rayburn was representing it at that time) was trying to strike a deal with Blockbuster in order to deliver movies to customers online. However, Blockbuster decided to partner with Enron instead of Globix. Rayburn (2009) goes on to point out that though Blockbuster was discussing future developments in advance and contemplated â€Å"about a digital media strategy way before consumers wanted the service and the Internet was even able to support it, that foresight on their part never materialized into any real online video strategy over the next ten years† (para. 4). What surprises Rayburn (2009) is that there was no deal between Blockbuster and Enron as was announced in 2000. In his view, Blockbuster had a great chance to be in the driving seat and â€Å"should have been in the position Netflix is in today as they were the first movers in the market. Yet ten years later, the company still can’t seem to get their act together when it comes to digital media† (para. 5). Apparently, it took a bankruptcy to do the course correction as far as the company’s future direction is concerned. Blockbuster’s mission statement now takes into account today’s reality. It says (Retail Industry, 2012): Our corporate mission is to provide our customers with the most convenient access to media entertainment, including movie and game entertainment delivered through multiple distribution channels such as our stores, by-mail, vending and kiosks, online and at home. We believe Blockbuster offers customers a value-prices entertainment experience, combining the broad product depth of a specialty retailer with local neighborhood convenience. (Blockbuster’s Mission Statement) The timeline of the company’s existence shows the culture of inaction at the top level delayed changes for a very long time. The company introduced Blockbuster Total Access program aimed at online as well as in store renting as late as November 2006 (Blockbuster Corporate, 2012). On the other hand, Netflix started its journey in 1996 and introduced its subscription service in 1999 and by 2010 it had 20 million subscribers (Netflix, 2012). 2. Apply the appropriate learning disabilities and laws that describe this situation. Like other organizations that hit stumbling blocks, Blockbuster had its hurdles in the shape of certain learning disabilities. One such disability is what Professor Senge (2006) calls ‘the fixation on events’. He writes: Conversations in organizations are dominated by concern with events: last month’s sales, the new budget cuts, last quarter’s earnings, who just got promoted or fired, the new product our competitor just announced, the delay that just was announced in our new product, and so on. The media reinforces an emphasis on short-term events – after all, if it’s more than two days old it’s no longer â€Å"news.† (p. 21) Another learning disability Blockbuster may have fallen prey to is ‘the parable of the boiled frog’. Senge (2006) explains that â€Å"Maladaptation to gradually building threats to survival is so pervasive in systems studies of corporate failure that it has given rise to the parable† (p. 22). Blockbuster also seemed to pay attention to events and little focus on learning new things and look beyond the horizon. Plus, it remained complacent as the leader of video rental company until Netflix and RedBox surged ahead to the extent that Blockbuster had to file for bankruptcy. Levy (2010) also blames Blockbuster for not being proactive in learning and bringing the desired changes. He believes â€Å"Change management is not just a tool to deflect distracting maybe-we-should’s, but it’s also a way to handle legitimate we-need-to’s that were missed at the start or that are responses to a changing business environment† (para. 7). So, instead of take charge in a fast changing rental business, Blockbuster refused to budge from its brick-and-mortar edge. Gradually, that edge fell apart like house of cards because the leadership failed to set in motion certain processes that should have allowed Blockbuster to remain the leader of the video rental retail industry. Moreover, the company’s leadership had their eyes set on something else, too. Is there any reason to believe that Blockbuster once tried to purchase Circuit City in 2008? According to Farfan (2010) it did happen but Circuit City rejected the offer and later on Blockbuster withdrew its offer. â€Å"Just two years later, Circuit City is out of business, and Blockbuster is struggling to stay out of bankruptcy court itself. The combination of the two companies seems somewhat symbiotic today, in a sad like-attracts-like kind of way† (Farfan, 2010, para. 11). 3. Explain the elements of the organization’s culture that will lead to similar failures in the future. Lack of focus and clarity in the vision may bring problems for the company in the future as well. Similarly, overconfidence in having physical locations may overshadow the future planning once again. The leadership must look into the fact whether the video store locations in different parts of the country are a benefit or a disadvantage. It may be very difficult to let go those locations, but if it is the right thing to do keeping in view how consumers want movies and games then the company should get rid of those locations. Though the company has new management after it was taken over by Dish Network Corporation, the mission statement still attracts critics. Commenting on Blockbuster’s future, Levy (2010) argues that the company’s mission statement has competing priorities. He points out: This muddled vision (officially the corporate mission statement) provides no clear guidance against which various corporate managers can test their ideas and initiatives. Drop prices? It’s in there. Raise them to cover our depth? It’s in there. Compete with Netflix? It’s in there. Have brick-and-mortar high-monthly-nut locations? It’s in there. Make money? Oops, that’s not in there. (para. 6) The new leadership at the company seems to recognize the reality and wants to let investors and other stakeholders know that it is evolving as the media entertainment industry is transforming. â€Å"While transforming and diversifying its store-base continues as a company priority, BLOCKBUSTER now offers convenient access to media entertainment anywhere and any way consumers want it – whether in stores, by mail or digital download† (Blockbuster Corporate, 2012). 4. Recommend specific actions the organization can take to prevent future failures from occurring. First of all, it should keep an eye on technological advancements that are happening at a very fast speed. It will allow the company to feel the pulse of what is going on and what might occur down the lane. The company should hire a chief learning officer in order to make learning an integral part of the organizational culture. At the same time, by developing a culture of learning will help the company adjust to changes and challenges that may be thrown at it. As Philips (2011) mentioned in his book, Blockbuster has to make sure events taking place within the organization and outside the organization should not come as surprises. He advises that learning and changing at a required pace is necessary for organizations. Moreover, if the company believes physical locations still make the company a leader it should build a unique culture of customer service so that people crave for Blockbuster visits. Philip (2011) reminds policy makers that â€Å"Just as history is not made by great men alone, so companies and countries don’t go bust just because one or two people chase the dream too hard. They need a support staff† (p. 59). Since Dish Network has its own subscribers, it should attempt to attract additional customers through combinations of Blockbuster-Dish Network offerings. Similarly, the company should not underestimate other companies just because they are startups. Actually, there may be reasons to learn from new business models in the industry. Woloszynowicz (2010) informs his readers that Netflix was not a success in the beginning as its IPO dropped from $15 per share to $6 per share after it was launched. On the other hand Blockbuster leadership interpreted slide in Netflix’s share as a failure and thought the company is not going to make any difference in the industry. References Blockbuster Corporate. (2012). Company Overview. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://blockbuster.mwnewsroom.com/Company-Overview Greenberg, J. M. (2008). From BetaMax to Blockbuster: Video stores and the invention of movies on video. Boston, MA: MIT Press. Levy, S. B. (2010, September). Blockbuster Goes Bust – Outfoxed by Redbox, Licked by Netflix. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://lexician.com/lexblog/2010/09/blockbuster-goes-bust-outfoxed-by-redbox-licked-by-netflix/ Netflix. (2012). A brief history of the company that revolutionized watching of movies and TV shows. Retrieved January 17, 2012, from https://signup.netflix.com/MediaCenter/ Timeline Phillips, T. (2011). Fit to bust: How great companies fail. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page. Rayburn, D. (2009, July 16). Ten Years Later, Blockbuster Still Lacks A Digital Media Strategy (BBI). Retrieved January 17, 2012, from http://blog.streamingmedia.com/the_business_ of_online_vi/2009/07/tens-years-later-blockbuster-still-lacks-a-digital-media-strategy.html Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art and

Traffic Problem

Interstate 80, seen here in Berkeley, California, is a freeway with many lanes and heavy traffic. Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel. Traffic laws are the laws which govern traffic and regulate vehicles, while rules of the road are both the laws and the informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly and timely flow of traffic. Organized traffic generally has well-established priorities, lanes, right-of-way, and traffic control at intersections.Traffic is formally organized in many jurisdictions, with marked lanes, junctions, intersections, interchanges, traffic signals, or signs. Traffic is often classified by type: heavy motor vehicle (e.g., car, truck); other vehicle (e.g., moped, bicycle); and pedestrian. Different classes may share speed limits and easement, or may be segregated. Some jurisdictions may have very detailed and complex rules of the road while others rely more on drivers' common sense and willingness to cooperate. Organization typically produces a better combination of travel safety and efficiency.Events which disrupt the flow and may cause traffic to degenerate into a disorganized mess include: road construction, collisions and debris in the roadway. On particularly busy freeways, a minor disruption may persist in a phenomenon known as traffic waves. A complete breakdown of organization may result in traffic congestion andgridlock. Simulations of organized traffic frequently involve queuing theory, stochastic processes and equations of mathematical physics applied totraffic flow. Traffic in English is taken from the Arabic word taraffaqa, which means to walk along slowly together.Contents1 Rules of the road 1.1 Directionality 1.2 Traffic regulations 2 Organized traffic 2.1 Priority (right of way) 2.1.1 Uncontrolled traffic 2.2 Turning 2.2.1 Intersections 2.2.2 P edestrian crossings 2.3 Level crossings 2.4 Speed limits 2.5 Overtaking 2.5.1 Lanes 2.6 One-way roadways 2.6.1 High-speed roads 2.6.2 One-way streets 3 Congested traffic 3.1 Rush hour 4 Congestion mitigation 4.1 Rush hour policies 4.2 Pre-emption 4.3 Intelligent transportation systems 5 Future of congestion mitigation 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 9 Further reading Rules of the road[edit]Traffic controller in Chicago, Michigan AvenueTraffic control in Rome, Italy. This traffic control podium can retract back to road level when not in use. Rules of the road and driving etiquette are the general practices and procedures that road users are required to follow. These rules usually apply to all road users, though they are of special importance to motorists and cyclists. These rules govern interactions between vehicles and with pedestrians. The basic traffic rules are defined by aninternational treaty under the authority of the United Nations, the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.Not all countries are signatory to the convention and, even among signatories, local variations in practice may be found. There are also unwritten local rules of the road, which are generally understood by local drivers. As a general rule, drivers are  expected to avoid a collision with another vehicle and pedestrians, regardless of whether or not the applicable rules of the road allow them to be where they happen to be.In addition to the rules applicable by default, traffic signs and traffic lights must be obeyed, and instructions may be given by a police officer, either routinely (on a busy crossing instead of traffic lights) or as road traffic control around a construction zone, accident, or other road disruption. These rules should be distinguished from the mechanical procedures required to operate one's vehicle. Seedriving. DirectionalityMain articles: Bidirectional traffic and right- and left-hand traffic Traffic going in opposite directions should be separated in s uch a way that they do not block each other's way. The most basic rule is whether to use the left or right side of the road. Traffic regulationsSee also: Category:Rules of the roadIn many countries, the rules of the road are codified, setting out the legal requirements and punishments for breaking them. In the United Kingdom, the rules are set out in the Highway Code, which includes obligations but also advice on how to drive sensibly and safely. In the United States, traffic laws are regulated by the states and municipalities through their respective traffic codes. Most of these are based at least in part on the Uniform Vehicle Code, but there are variations from state to state. In states such as Florida, traffic law and criminal law are separate, therefore, unless someone flees a scene of an accident, commits vehicular homicide or manslaughter, they are only guilty of a minor traffic offense. However, states such as South Carolina have completely criminalized their traffic law, so , for example, you are guilty of a misdemeanor simply for travelling 5 miles over the speed limit.Organized trafficPriority (right of way)[edit] See also: Right-of-way (disambiguation) Vehicles often come into conflict with other vehicles and pedestrians because their intended courses of travel intersect, and thus interfere with each other's routes. The general principle that establishes who has the right to  go first is called â€Å"right of way†, or â€Å"priority†. It establishes who has the right to use the conflicting part of the road and who has to wait until the other does so. Signs, signals, markings and other features are often used to make priority explicit. Some signs, such as the stop sign, are nearly universal.When there are no signs or markings, different rules are observed depending on the location. These default priority rules differ between countries, and may even vary within countries. Trends toward uniformity are exemplified at an international lev el by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, which prescribes standardized traffic control devices (signs, signals, and markings) for establishing the right of way where necessary. Crosswalks (or pedestrian crossings) are common in populated areas, and may indicate that pedestrians have priority over vehicular traffic. In most modern cities, the traffic signal is used to establish the right of way on the busy roads.Its primary purpose is to give each road a duration of time in which its traffic may use the intersection in an organized way. The intervals of time assigned for each road may be adjusted to take into account factors such as difference in volume of traffic, the needs of pedestrians, or other traffic signals. Pedestrian crossings may be located near other traffic control devices; if they are not also regulated in some way, vehicles must give priority to them when in use. Traffic on a public road usually has priority over other traffic such as traffic emerging fro m private access; rail crossings and drawbridgesare typical exceptions.Uncontrolled trafficUncontrolled traffic comes in the absence of lane markings and traffic control signals. On roads without marked lanes, drivers tend to keep to the appropriate side if the road is wide enough. Drivers frequently overtake others. Obstructions are common. Intersections have no signals or signage, and a particular road at a busy intersection may be dominant – that is, its traffic flows – until a break in traffic, at which time the dominance shifts to the other road where vehicles are queued. At the intersection of two perpendicular roads, a traffic jam may result if four vehicles face each other side-on.Traffic ProblemsTraffic congestion in many cities around the world is severe. One possible solution to this problem is to impose heavy taxes on cardrivers and use this money to make public transport better. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of such a measure. One of t he first benefits of such a measure is that the heavy taxes would discourage car owners from using their cars because it would become very expensive to drive. This would mean that they would begin to make use of public transport instead, thus reducing traffic problems and pollution as well. Another benefit would be that much more use would be made of public transport if it was improved. It is often the case that public transport in cities is very poor.For example, we often see old buses and trains that people would rather not use. High taxes would generate enough money to make the necessary changes. Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to such a solution. First and foremost, this would be a heavy burden on the car drivers. At present, taxes are already high for a lot of people, and so further taxes would only mean less money at the end of the month for most people who may have no choice but to drive every day. In addition, this type of tax would likely be set at a fixed amount. This wo uld mean that it would hit those with less money harder, whilst the rich could likely afford it. It is therefore not a fair tax. To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improve the current situation, but there are advantages and disadvantages of introducing such a policy.Traffic managementCreating a travel planOne of the most effective ways to ease traffic congestion at schools is to reduce the number of cars coming and going from your school. Boards of trustees can encourage students and staff to walk, cycle, take public transport, ride the school bus, participate in a walking school bus or car pool to school. Another way to manage traffic is to prepare a travel plan for traffic movement in and around the school, parking and pedestrians. Developing a travel plan with your community will get people thinking about alternative options for getting to and from school.Complete the Traffic management checklist [Word; 92kb] before preparing the travel plan. Guidance on developin g a travel plan is available at: NZ Transport Agency – provides a guide for developing school travel plans and organising a walking school bus Safe Kids New Zealand – has resources for educators about keeping kids safe including child pedestrian safety NZPolice – has a School Road SafetyEducation programme which teaches young people road safety skills. Check with your local council as they often have information about safety on the road. For example, Auckland Transport has information about road safety, walking and cycling, and encouraging students to use alternative transportation; Christchurch City Council has a programme called Safe Routes to Schools which investigates road safety issues in school communities and develops strategies to encourage safe and active travel to school. Improving traffic movement through the schoolA good system for dropping off and picking up students will help manage traffic around and through the school. The system will depend upon the school, for example, if the school is located in an urban area with busy streets, coordinating traffic in and out of the school during peak times is critical, otherwise drivers are tempted to park illegally in the surrounding neighbourhood. Illegal practices include double parking and parking on yellow lines, across driveways, and near crossings. Many drivers justify this behaviour because they are only parked for a short time and they usually stay with the car. However, this practice is irritating for neighbours and unsafe for other road users. Traffic movement checklistA good traffic system through the school includes: car traffic flows in a clearly marked oneway direction pedestrian access points located separately from car access points the bus bay is separated from car and pedestrian access points an off-street drop-off/pick-up zone staff station at key points to manage traffic flow car access separate from the car park. If your school does not have land available to creat e an on-site drop-off/pick-up zone, you can contact the local council and ask for a dedicated kerbside access area on an adjacent street, if there are traffic issues. An example of an efficient traffic systemOther ideas for improving the flow of traffic include: staggering start and finish times for different year groups having staff to manage drop-offs and pick-ups at peak times will encourage  cars to move along and not park. Paying for work to improve traffic systemsBoards can use Five Year Agreement (5YA) funding for work to improve traffic systems on their school site. Work needs to be planned in the 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP), and budgeted within the available 5YA funding. Car parkingBoards of trustees should have a parking policy about who can use the car parks on the school site. The policy will usually provide for staff and some visitors' car parks. It is likely that there are not enough parks for students at a secondary school, which can create congestion in the neigh bourhood. Schools can to talk to their local council, including parking enforcement officers familiar with the area, for ideas about managing the school’s parking issues. New car parksThe need for new or upgraded car parks may be triggered by new teaching spaces for roll growth space. In the new teaching spaces budget, boards are given a site works allowance for each roll growth classroom to pay for new car parks. The Ministry does not have a policy on the number of car parks schools should have, but local councils may have requirements in their District Plans that kick in when the school applies for building consent for a roll growth room or other type of project.The council may require a traffic impact assessment. If the costs of new parks exceed the site works allowance, either because of the number required by the council or their cost, then additional funding will be considered. If the board wants car parks in excess of the council requirement, this must be funded throug h 5YA.Special events – parkingSpecial events can cause parking problems. Ideas to manage these problems include: encouraging people to walk, car pool or use public transport opening up some of the grounds, such as playing fields or tennis courts, to provide extra parking arranging the use of nearby parking facilities  arranging the use of remote parking facilities and provide shuttles to the event employing staff to direct traffic.Traffic impact assessments When a school applies for a building consent for a new building project the council may ask for a traffic impact assessment. The council will want to know if the proposed project will generate extra traffic and a need for additional parking, and how the school intends to manage the changes in traffic or parking. For larger projects, the council may require a professionally-prepared traffic impact assessment with an engineer’s report. Ask your council for names of companies who carry out these assessments or search the internet for traffic assessment consultants.Traffic requirements vary depending on what the council has in their district plan. Some councils may require more parking spaces to be provided and some may have traffic requirements depending on the educational use, breaking them down by primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Other councils may have more general requirements. Schools will have to convince the council they are managing parking and traffic flows – having a good travel plan and traffic system will help. Boards should ensure their school community are not causing traffic and parking problems for neighbours because those neighbours may object to a school’s building consent application. Traffic management checklistThe following checklist will be helpful: before starting the travel plan for use by the professional consultant hired to prepare a traffic impact assessment – the assessment should address these issues as a minimum and providing this information will reduce the time and therefore cost of a consultant.

Roman Fever

( , 445000) , , , (Alida? Sladea? Grice? Ansley)(  ·  · ) , , ; ; An Analysis of the Application of Cooperative Principle and Conversational Implicature in Roman Fever Li Yu’e (School of Foreign Languages, Hubei University for Nationalities, Enshi, 445000) ?Abstract? According to Grice's conversational implicature theory , conmunicators should conmunicate based on the cooperative principle which consists of four criteria,namely: quantity, quality, relation and manner. Betrayal of those four criteria means the arising of conversational implicature. This paper intends to apply the theory of conversational implicature into the conversations of Roman fever’s main characters(Alida? Sladea and Grice? Ansley)to give a pragmatic analysis , in order to help readers better understand the development of stoy and the main characters, and ultimately comprehend the work’s theme. Key words? Cooperative Principle;conversational implicature; criteria :  ·  · 19 20 , , 1905 ,1920 , , , , , ,  · , , :  ·  ·  · 25 , , , 25 , , , , 25 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , —— —— , , , , , 1967? , (Logic and Conversation) † Cooperative Principle)† ,â€Å" , , †? 1? â€Å" , , †? 2 , , , ,? â€Å" † â€Å" †, (Quantity), ; (Quality), , ; (Relation), ; (Manner), , â€Å" , , †? 3? , ,? â€Å" †(Conversational Implicature) (2003) , † , , :1 , 2 3 â€Å" †, , 4 4? , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1. , , , —— , , , 25 , , , (Id) (Ego)? , , , , (superego) , , , (1) Mrs. Slade :Well,I don’t see why we shouldn’t just stay here. After all,it’s still the most beautiful view in the world. Mrs. Ansley: It always will be,to me. Mrs. Slade : It ’s a view we’ve both been familiar with for a good many years. When we first me t here we were younger than our girls are now. You remember! Mrs. Ansley:Oh,yes,I remember. There’s that head-waiter wondering. ?5? , , , â€Å" † â€Å" † , 25 â€Å" † , , ,â€Å" † , â€Å" † , , , , , , , , :â€Å"When we first meet here we were younger than our girls are now. you remember? â€Å"Oh,yes,I remember. † , , ,â€Å"There’s that head-waiter wondering. † , , (2) Mrs. Slade: Well, why not! We might do worse. There’s no knowing, I suppose, when the girls will be back. Do you even know back from where? I don’t! Mrs. Ansley: I think those young. Italian aviators we met at the Embassy invited them to fly to Tarquinia for tea. I suppose they’ll want to wait and fly back by moonlight. Mrs. Slade: Moonlight-moonlight! What a part it still plays. Do you suppose they’re as sentimental as we were? , , , , , , , â€Å" †(moonlight) â€Å" † , , , , , , , , , , , , â€Å" † , â€Å"Museum specimens of old New York†(â€Å" †), , , , â€Å"‘vividness’†(â€Å"‘ ’†) , , , 2. (1) Mrs. Slade:Five o’clock already. Mrs. Ansley: There’s bridge at the Embassy at five. Mrs. Slade:Bridge, did you say! Not unless you want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ But I don’t think I will, you know. Mrs. Ansley: Oh, no. I don’t care to at all. It’s so lovely here; and so full of old memories, as you say. Mrs. Slade:I was just thinking, what different things Rome stands for to each generation of travelers. To our grandmothers, Roman fever; to our mothers, sentimental dangers-how we used to be guarded! to our daughters, no more dangers than ghe middle of Main Stree. They don’t know it-but how much they’re missing! I always used to think, that our mothers had a much more difficult job than our grandmothers. When Roman fever stalked the streets it must have been with such beauty calling us, and the spice of disobedience thrown in, and no worse risk than catching cols during the cool hour after sunset, the mothers used to be put to it to keep us in-didn’t they! Mrs. Ansley: One,two,three—slip two;yes,they must have been. â€Å"Five o’clock already. † , 25 , ,â€Å" There’s bridge at the Embassy at five. † , , , ; , 25 , , , , , , ,â€Å" , ‘ ’: ‘ ’? ‘ ’, ‘ ’? ‘ ’, ‘ ’? ‘ ’,‘ ’ †? 6 , , â€Å" † , , , , , â€Å"One,two,three—slip two. † , , , , (Id) (Ego), (2) Mrs. Slade:I-oh, nothing. I was only thinking how your Babs carries everything before her. That Campllieri boy is one of the best matches in Rome. Don’t look so innocent, my de ar-you know he is. And I was wondering, ever so respectfully, you understand†¦. Wondering how two such exemplary characters as you and Horace had managed to produce anything quite so dynamic. Mrs. Ansley:I think you overrate Babs, my dear. Mrs. Slade: No, I don’t. I appreciate her. And perhaps envy you. Oh, my girl’s perfect; if I were a chronic invalid I’d-well, I think I’d rather be in Jenny’s hands. There must be times†¦ but there! I always wanted a brilliant daughter†¦ and never quite understood why I got an angel instead. Mrs. Ansley:Babs is an angel too. , , , , â€Å"and never quite understood why I got an angel instead. † , , , â€Å"Babs is an angel too. , , , , , , , (3) Mrs. Slade:The sun’s set. You’re not afraid, my dear? Mrs. Ansley:Afraid- Mrs. Slade:Of Roman fever or pneumonia! I remember how ill you were that winter. As a girl you had a very delicate throat, hadn’t you? Mrs. Ansley:Oh, we’re all right up here. Down below, in the Forum, it does get deathly cold, all of a sudden†¦ but not here. Mrs. Slade:Ah, of course you know because you had to be so careful. Whenever I look at the Forum from up here, I remember that story about a great-aunt of yours, wasn’t she? A dreadfuily wicked great-aunt? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Mrs. Slade:Not often; but I was then. I was easily frightened because I was too happy. I wonder if you know what that means? Mrs. Ansley:I-yes†¦ Mrs. Slade:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ And the Colosseum’s even colder and damper. Mrs. Ansley: The Colosseum-? Mrs. Slade:Yes. It wasn’t easy to get in, after the gates were locked for the night. Far from easy. Still, in those days it could be managed; it was managed, often. Lovers met there who couldn’t meet eslewhere. You knew that? Mrs. Ansley: I-I daresay. I don’t remember.

Christians & Children Essay

Children today are a strong focal point of our society. Family upbringing can a be a big factor in to whether a child can act as a Christian or not. If a child is brought up with good values and are thought to think of others and that life is not just about ourselves then they will be able to act as good Christians. Children can often be selfish and only think of themselves if not taught better. Although if you observe children you can tell which ones have had a good upbringing and those that have not been taught right from wrong. Children are more likely to accept and not question at a young age whereas if older they may already be selfish and only think of themselves. Also in St. Marks gospel Jesus says; ‘I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (10:15)’ By this he means adults must learn from children who have an unquestioning, unconditional love and belief in what they are taught- an honest innocence. Most Christian children today are baptised as a baby, this is because their parents want them to be part of God’s family. When a child is baptised one of the things that they will be blessed with is that they will be able to resist temptation if you are baptised as a child you are more likely to be able to be a better Christian as you have the power to resist temptation. Some people may argue that being baptised as a baby is too young, as Jesus was baptised as an adult, but I think if a child decides they do not want to follow on in the Christian faith they can then not follow on to do their conformation class which then they will be able to make an informed decision about what they believe. Children may be seen as too self-interested to be a disciple and are more likely to fail but part of being a disciple is failure for example when Peter disowns, Jesus forgave him and he shows that he understands human failure. Peter went on to be the leader of the Church despite his failing. Although these are still children we have to think about the fact that Christianity equips you with the tools and guidance of the Holy Spirit to help and guide you away from wrongdoing. With all this support children should still be able to be just as much of a Christian as any adult. Children can do many things to act as disciples such as go to church, give money to charity, read/serve in mass and fundraise. I think a good example of how much children do really care is in Blue Peter, every year they organise the Blue Peter appeal, in which thousands of children organise bring and buy sales and other fundraising events for the issue they are raising for. ‘Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all (11:43-45)’ By this Jesus meant that we should serve others and help them as much as possible and I think all the children taking part in the Blue Peter appeal have done this. Another thing that we have to consider is when you say ‘child’ what this would mean. In the dictionary there are two definitions these are; * Any person between birth and puberty * An infant; a baby What would we see as the right definition it is hard to classify do we mean by their mental age or by their physical appearance or by their age. If we cannot identify what a child is then how can we decide that we cannot have them as Christians? I do not agree with this statement as I feel there are many worthy children that are Christians in the world today. Children today are tomorrow’s generation and we depend on them to carry on good will an d follow our faith. Christianity is a way of life not an age.