The Old Man And The Sea Essays (898 words) - Ichthyology, Fisheries

The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man and the Sea The Nobelprize winning book: The old man and the sea, has been written by Ernest Hemingway and was published in 1982, though the original American print had been published in 1952. The title is exactly what the book is about. It is a short story. The story is written in one continuous whole and is written from the view of the writer, it is very realistic. The description of the setting are the dominating factor in this book. The author spends a lot of time, for describing the sea, and what takes place. There are a lot of dialogues in the book. Example: "Who gave this to you" "Martin. The owner" "I must thank him" "I thanked him already," the boy said. "You don't need to thank him." "I'll give him the belly meat of a big fish," the old man said. "Has he done this for us more than once?" "I think so" "I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us." The next fragment I find really representative for the whole book, because it is a fragment in which the old man is talking to himself, like he does all the time, and he is saying how great the fish is, which he does quite a few times too. "He is a great fish and I must convince him, he thought. I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run. If I were him I would put in everything now and go until something broke. But, thank God, they are not as intelligent as who kill them; although they are more noble and more able." The book is about an old man, who goes out fishing (his profession, not as a sport) one day. He decides to go really far out, before the sun comes up. Then one of his lines goes under, and he hooks the fish. But the fish is so strong, that he can't pull him up. The old man thinks that if he lets the fish pull his boat, a sailing-boat the size of a rowing-boat, the fish will go out of strength and die soon. But it's a very very strong fish and he keeps pulling for a day and a half. Then the fish gets out of strength and starts circling around the boat, a sign of tiredness. But when the fish is close to the boat the old man sees how big he really is, he thinks he is about 1500 pounds. But the old man stays cool and kills the fish with his harpoon. He ties the fish to his boat and puts out his sail, for his journey back home. As he travells back, many sharks eat from the dead fish, but the old man kills them as soon as possible. The old man kills the first sharks with his harpoon, but after he killed three sharks, the fourth shark takes his harpoon. Then he attaches his knife to an oar. He kills a couple of sharks with that construction, but after that, it doesn't last. The knife disappears in the sea. Then he only has one single oar to defend the big dead fish against the sharks. He managed to scare a few off by hitting them with the oar. But then it is too much for the old man. The sharks eat the whole fish, and when the old man came back in the harbor after two days at sea, he only has a carcas at his side. Almost the whole story takes place at the sea near Cuba. Just the beginning and the end the story takes place in a small poor fishermentown at the cost of Cuba. The people are very simple, there is a small caf near the harbor, but that's about it. The main character in the book is the old man. His name is really Santiago, but he is called "The old man". He spends his days with fishing and daydreaming about what he did in his life. He fished for all his life, and has seen many things. When he dreams, he always dreams about the lions he has seen on the African beaches. He is still strong for his age, and is very resistend. He has respect for the sea and the fish which live in it. Though he is simple, he is a wise man. He is a nice man, and I like him, because he respects the sea and the

How to Unblock Your Tear Ducts

How to Unblock Your Tear Ducts If you are suffering from eye strain, dry eyes, or allergies, knowing how to unblock a tear duct at home may offer relief. Even if your tear ducts are not blocked, keeping your eyes properly lubricated helps stave off many minor eye ailments.   Nasolacrimal ducts, the medical term for tear ducts, are part of the bodys system for draining tears from the eyes. When tear ducts become blocked, it causes a backup of fluid in the lacrimal sac, which is highly prone to infection.   Symptoms   There are a few indications that you may be suffering from a blocked tear duct. If you have excessive tearing or there is a mucus or pus discharge from the eye, if the white part of your eye is red and swollen, or if your vision is blurred, a blocked tear duct may be the culprit. Recurring infections such as conjunctivitis  are also signs of tear duct problems.   While most blocked tear ducts do not require much more than the following simple home treatment, if you have these symptoms for a week or longer or if they continue to occur, consult your  medical professional. In some cases, a blocked tear duct is a symptom of a larger, more serious problem.   Who Is at Risk? Certain factors increase your risk of developing a blocked tear duct.  If you have chronic eye inflammation, especially from conjunctivitis or other infections, it is likely to affect your tear ducts. Older women tend to be at greater risk, as are those who have had eye or sinus surgeries. Some glaucoma medications can lead to blocked tear ducts as well.   How They Get Blocked Blocked tear ducts can result from a number of conditions. Some babies are born with tear duct abnormalities, most of which resolve themselves as they get older.   An injury to the eye or nose can disrupt the tear ducts function, and even something as small as dust stuck in the tear duct can cause problems. In rare cases, blocked tear ducts are caused by a tumor. Tear duct blockage also can be a side effect of chemotherapy treatments for cancer.   Unblocking Tear Ducts   To unblock your tear ducts at home, youll need some warm water and a clean washcloth or tea towel.   Pinch and rub your nose underneath the bridge.Place a warm, wet cloth over your eyes for 10 minutes.Repeat every 4 to 6 hours, if needed. If this treatment does not work and you are still having problems, it is a good idea to consult a medical professional. There are other ways to treat more serious cases of blocked tear ducts. Sometimes antibiotic drops or ointment may be sufficient, but if the problem persists, it may be necessary to irrigate the lacrimal sac, which can be done as an outpatient procedure in a doctors office. In cases where the blockage is severe and does not respond to other treatments, a surgery called dacryocystorhinostomy may be required to create a new tear drain between your nose and your eyes.

B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II

B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II B-17G Flying Fortress Specifications General Length: 74 ft. 4 in.Wingspan: 103 ft. 9 in.Height: 19 ft. 1 in.Wing Area: 1,420 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 36,135 lbs.Loaded Weight: 54,000 lbs.Crew: 10 Performance Power Plant: 4 Ãâ€" Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone turbo-supercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp eachRange: 2,000 milesMax Speed: 287 mphCeiling: 35,600 ft. Armament Guns: 13 Ãâ€" .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsBombs: 4,500-8,000 lbs. depending on range B-17 Flying Fortress- Design Development: Seeking an effective heavy bomber to replace the Martin B-10, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) issued a call for proposals on August 8, 1934. Requirements for the new aircraft included the ability to cruise at 200 mph at 10,000 ft. for ten hours with a useful bomb load. While the USAAC desired a range of 2,000 miles and top speed of 250 mph, these were not required. Eager to enter the competition, Boeing assembled a team of engineers to develop a prototype. Led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward Curtis Wells, the team began drawing inspiration from other company designs such as the Boeing 247 transport and XB-15 bomber. Constructed at the companys expense, the team developed the Model 299, which was powered by four Pratt Whitney R-1690 engines and was capable of lifting a 4,800 lb. bomb load. For defense, the aircraft had five mounted machine guns. This imposing look led Seattle Times reporter Richard Williams to dub the aircraft the Flying Fortress. Seeing the advantage to the name, Boeing quickly trademarked it and applied to the new bomber. On July 28, 1935, the prototype first flew with Boeing test pilot Leslie Tower at the controls. With the initial flight a success, the Model 299 was flown to Wright Field, Ohio for trials. At Wright Field, the Boeing Model 299 competed against the twin-engined Douglas DB-1 and Martin Model 146 for the USAAC contract. Competing in the fly-off, the Boeing entry displayed superior performance to the competition and impressed Major General Frank M. Andrews with the range that a four-engine aircraft offered. This opinion was shared by the procurement officers and Boeing was awarded a contract for 65 aircraft. With this in hand, development of the aircraft continued through the fall until an accident on October 30 destroyed the prototype and halted the program. B-17 Flying Fortress- Rebirth As a result of the crash, Chief of Staff General Malin Craig cancelled the contract and purchased aircraft from Douglas instead. Still interested in the Model 299, now dubbed YB-17, the USAAC utilized a loophole to purchase 13 aircraft from Boeing in January 1936. While 12 were assigned to the 2nd Bombardment Group for developing bombing tactics, the last aircraft was given to the Material Division at Wright Field for flight testing. A fourteenth aircraft was also built and upgraded with turbochargers that increased speed and ceiling. Delivered in January 1939, it was dubbed B-17A and became the first operational type. B-17 Flying Fortress- An Evolving Aircraft Only one B-17A was built as Boeing engineers worked tirelessly to improve the aircraft as it moved into production. Including a larger rudder and flaps, 39 B-17Bs were built before switching to the B-17C, which possessed an altered gun arrangement. The first model to see large-scale production, the B-17E (512 aircraft) had the fuselage extended by ten feet as well as the addition of more powerful engines, a larger rudder, a tail gunner position, and an improved nose. This was further refined to the B-17F (3,405) which appeared in 1942. The definitive variant, the B-17G (8,680) featured 13 guns and a crew of ten. B-17 Flying Fortress- Operational History The first combat use of the B-17 came not with the USAAC (U.S. Army Air Forces after 1941), but with the Royal Air Force. Lacking a true heavy bomber at the start of World War II, the RAF purchased 20 B-17Cs. Designating the aircraft Fortress Mk I, the aircraft performed poorly during high-altitude raids in the summer of 1941. After eight aircraft were lost, the RAF transferred the remaining aircraft to Coastal Command for long-range maritime patrols. Later in the war, additional B-17s were purchased for use with Coastal Command and the aircraft was credited with sinking 11 u-boats. B-17 Flying Fortress- Backbone of the USAAF With the United States entrance into the conflict after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USAAF began deploying B-17s to England as part of the Eighth Air Force. On August 17, 1942, American B-17s flew their first raid over occupied Europe when they struck railroad yards at Rouen-Sotteville, France. As American strength grew, the USAAF took over daylight bombing from the British who had switched to night attacks due to heavy losses. In the wake of the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, American and British bombing efforts were directed into Operation Pointblank, which sought to establish air superiority over Europe. Key to the success of Pointblank were attacks against the German aircraft industry and Luftwaffe airfields. While some initially believed that the B-17s heavy defensive armament would protect it against enemy fighter attacks, missions over Germany quickly disproved this notion. As the Allies lacked a fighter with sufficient range to protect bomber formations to and from targets in Germany, B-17 losses quickly mounted during 1943. Bearing the brunt of the USAAFs strategic bombing workload along with the B-24 Liberator, B-17 formations took shocking casualties during missions such as the Schweinfurt-Regensburg raids. Following Black Thursday in October 1943, which resulted in the loss of 77 B-17s, daylight operations were suspended pending the arrival of a suitable escort fighter. These arrived in early 1944 in the form of the North American P-51 Mustang and drop tank-equipped Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Renewing the Combined Bomber Offensive, B-17s incurred much lighter losses as their little friends dealt with the German fighters. Though German fighter production was not damaged by Pointblank raids (production actually increased), B-17s aided in winning the war for air superiority in Europe by forcing the Luftwaffe into battles in which its operational forces were destroyed. In the months after D-Day, B-17 raids continued to strike German targets. Strongly escorted, losses were minimal and largely due to flak. The final large B-17 raid in Europe occurred on April 25, 1945. During the fighting in Europe, the B-17 developed a reputation as an extremely rugged aircraft capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining aloft. B-17 Flying Fortress- In the Pacific The first B-17s to see action in the Pacific was a flight of 12 aircraft that arrived during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their expected arrival contributed to the American confusion just prior to the attack. In December 1941, B-17s were also in service with the Far East Air Force in the Philippines. With the beginning of the conflict, they were quickly lost to enemy action as the Japanese overran the area. B-17s also took part in the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway in May and June 1942. Bombing from high altitude, they proved unable to hit targets at sea, but were also safe from Japanese A6M Zero fighters. B-17s had more success in March 1943 during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Bombing from medium altitude rather than high, they sank three Japanese ships. Despite this victory, the B-17 was not as effective in the Pacific and the USAAF transitioned aircrews to other types by mid-1943. During the course of World War II, the USAAF lost around 4,750 B-17s in combat, nearly a third of all built. USAAF B-17 inventory peaked in August 1944 at 4,574 aircraft. In the war over Europe, B-17s dropped 640,036 tons of bombs on enemy targets. B-17 Flying Fortress- Final Years: With the end of the war, the USAAF declared the B-17 obsolete and the majority of the surviving aircraft were returned to the United States and scrapped. Some aircraft were retained for search and rescue operations as well as photo reconnaissance platforms into the early 1950s. Other aircraft were transferred to the U.S. Navy and redesignated PB-1. Several PB-1s were fitted with the APS-20 search radar and used as antisubmarine warfare and early warning aircraft with designation PB-1W. These aircraft were phased out in 1955. The U.S. Coast Guard also utilized the B-17 after the war for iceberg patrols and search and rescue missions. Other retired B-17s saw later service in civilian uses such as aerial spraying and fire fighting. During its career, the B-17 saw active duty with numerous nations including the Soviet Union, Brazil, France, Israel, Portugal, and Colombia. Selected Sources Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.†Ã‚  National Museum of the USAF, 14 Apr. 2015The Life and Times of Antoine De Saint-Exupry, www.aviation-history.com/boeing/b17.html.

Deciding what is wrong and Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Deciding what is wrong and Right - Essay Example The moral sense pertains individual particular emotional act. An act is right if the agent during the moment of action feels emotional approval towards an action. In this sense, one tends to perform an act that he or she approves. One abstains from an action that the person disapproves. Some emotions are called approval and others disapproval. In most instances, there must be some level of truth in the choice one take. Another judgment of approval may or may not be right. Scholars like Aristotle, Plato, Kant, and Mill touches on the right or the wrong act as understood in ethics. Aristotle, Plato, Kant and Mill in their works talk at different levels of making the right decision. Aristotle represents virtue ethics. Kant talks about duty ethics. Mill discusses utilitarianism. The four writers dwell on morality in their search for the right actions or highest good. Aristotle’s view is in self-sufficiency in the fulfillment of the ultimate desire. He emphasizes the conformity with the personal virtues. He regards happiness as an activity of the soul in accord with the perfect virtue. To him, people have to behave right to achieve happiness. As Plato’s student, he loved to categorized things. Aristotle argues that for our actions to be moral or immoral, right or wrong, we must have a certain level of health and wealth. He adopted a scientific and empirical approach to the problems resulted from ethics. Happiness to Aristotle is achieved by acting moderately. What is good for one person may not be right for another person. The use of reason alone may not define what is best for him. Plato, Aristotle’s teacher, states that the good or right is of the knowledge, and the evil or wrong is from the lack of knowledge. Therefore, a question of a good act is purely intellectual. He argues that there is only one right course of action.

Employee Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation Thesis

Employee Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation - Thesis Example In 2006, the Conference Board published ‘Employee Engagement, A Review of Current Research and Its Implications’. Going by this report we see that twelve extensive studies have been published over the course of four years mainly by research firms such as Gallup, Towers Perrin, Blessing White, and the Corporate Leadership Council among others (Soldati, 2007). The Conference Board as a result took and combined all the results in order to come up with a blended definition that incorporated all the themes in it. They define employee engagement as â€Å"a heightened emotional connection that an employee feels for his or her organization, that influences him or her to exert greater discretionary effort to his or her work†. According to at least four of the studies agree upon eight of the key drivers: 1. Trust and integrity – how efficiently do managers commune and do what they preach? 2. Nature of the job –Is it psychologically inspiring every day? 3. The line between company performance and employee performance – Does the employer have an idea of how their performance will affect the company as a whole? 4. Opportunities for career growth – Will there be opportunities to grow in the future? 5. Pride about the company – Does the employee feel proud to be associated by the organization? 6. Coworkers/team members – Teamwork will greatly improve the employee motivation 7. Development of the employees – Does the organization make an effort to improve the employee’s skills and abilities? 8. Relationship with the manager – Does the employee treasure his or her relations with the boss? The other vital findings of the study included the fact that in comparison to the smaller companies, the larger companies tend to involve the workers more in the workplace. Employee age also creates a big difference in the vitality of the various drivers. As an example we can quote that employees who fall over t he age of 44 will place more importance on ‘recognition and reward for their contribution’, in comparison to their younger counterparts who place a higher value on ‘challenging environment/career growth opportunities’. However, one things that came across as the most important factor among all studies was the factor of one’s relationship with one’s manager. It was seen that it highly influenced the motivation levels of the employees in almost every case. Also according to the report, employee engagement is plays a very important part in the workplace. There is obvious and rising proof that high levels of employee engagement eagerly associates to individual, group as well as corporate performance in a number of crucial areas such as loyalty, retention, productivity, customer service and turnover. It is also seen that this difference is not just by small margins but big ones. Even though the results varied from study to study, the employees who were highly engaged usually outperformed their counterparts by a whopping 20-28%. This is a clear image of how employee engagement influences their workplace decisions as well as paves a way towards further organizational success by effectively instilling into the workers a desire to work efficiently. Finally, there is some verification that companies are reacting to this concept of employee engagement challenge mostly by creating flatter chains of command and also providing training for first-line managers to improve the communication at all levels (Flemund &

Warnie orr methodology and its disadvantages Essay Example for Free

Warnie orr methodology and its disadvantages Essay Is a bottom up methodology used to model data and procedures where you identify the output and the processes used to generate them and their inter-relations. Its emphasis is on the output. It is analyzed thoroughly. The logic of the program is built around the structure of its data. That structure is obtained by analysis the output and going backwards to find out what the input could have been. The analysis of the output includes: †¢ Output Oriented Comment The output is the core of this system development methodology. We spend all our energy to capture the true picture of the output requirement. This is done even before we think of the physical design. We use rigorous methods to define the data output through a well designed form known as LOS. We capture details of: †¢ Output definition forms †¢ Output frequencies †¢ Data Elements It is assumed the expert can define these requirements with the help of system users who help him fill the mandatory details of these forms. The system users know what they want, but they have little knowledge of computers and computer terms. The software expert knows little about the area to be computerized and can easily misunderstand some concepts. For example computational requirements, the frequency of data use, frequency of data change. Besides when we collect the data from an existing system which is inefficient, the data is inconsistent and unacceptable. The system owners are unhappy with the output generated and that is why they want to change it in the first place †¢ We must obtain the logical output structure first before we think of its physical outlook. The physical problems of the data remain the headache of and hidden by the implementer. Ours is to give the general guidelines on the data and process requirements. This is easy said than done. We cannot claim to be general when we spend all our time worried about our output and its properties. At that level it is difficult to talk about generalities as well. We have to generate dictionaries with specific data structures. Software compatibility with these structures is mandatory. †¢ The approach is data centered, that is the processes are looked at last Take a critical look at the output before any programming activities are undertaken. We break the program into three parts †¢ The middle mapping. also known as the logical output mapping. It deals with how we produce the output and give details of how calculations are done. It assumes the physical mapping will give it the perfect data and in the correct order it is wanted. †¢ Physical output mapping: Formats the data and sends it to the output device. It is the duty of the physical output to know the details of the data format and how to obtain it from the output device. These details should be hidden from the logical mapping. The physical aspect depends on the operating system platform being used. Which tasks are taken by the operating system and which ones are not and that must be a headache of the programmer †¢ Physical input mapping which knows where and how the data is actually stored. If the data gets reorganized or changed in any way the physical input mapping is updated. When changes occur to any part, it is independent of the other parts and carries no ripple effect. Reusable code modules and design elements can be employed. Generic code can be supported to be used by many programs. Having given a summary of the method let us analyze possible problems with this type of method: Obtaining a complete System design before the physical Design This has always remained elusive in most system development methodologies. System design process continues even after implementation because new facts are discovered during actual implementation. Even when prototypes are used, still more facts and faults come into surface. Separating the logical, physical input, physical output mapping Again we need to combine data and processes together, the reason we call them objects, in objects in object oriented systems. How do obtain inheritance, aggregation and software reuse if we separate them. References 1) Ian Sommerville, Software Engineering 2) Aron, J. D. The Program Development Process 3) Booch G. , Rumbaugh J. : The Unified Modeling

Enhancing Positive Thinking Essay -- Social Work

This research will include a pilot intervention program called Think Positive-Live Positive (TPLP), for young teens alongside with parental involvement, which will use cognitive behavioral techniques to teach children to identify the negative aspects of various situations and adjust successfully. The aim will be to help children modify their thoughts, focus on the positive perspectives of each event, and cope with negativity using positive and adaptable solutions. In addition, the intervention program will teach parents how to interact better with their children, and aims to make them good and understanding coaches. To measure children’s positivity, and negativity, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) will be used ahead of the intervention and at the end to compare results. The theoretical and CBT activities that this intervention program will use are from a research based self-help book â€Å"What to Do When You Grumble Too Much - A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Neg ativity† by Huebner (PhD). Additional CBT exercises will be used for more results input and for children to gain a better understanding of the learned skills. The purpose of this intervention is to investigate whether the children and parents participating will enjoy, meaningfully discuss amongst them, and understand how to use these skills to help them. In this pilot intervention, three children (11-13 year-old) and one or both parents of each child will voluntary participate in a 6 hourly TPLP intervention sessions, 2 times per week, over a period of 4 weeks. The sessions will include PowerPoint presentations with audio and vivid illustrations, interactive and guided exercises, discussions and practice using the learned skills. Considering today's fast moving li... ...nal of Excellence, 7, 54-66. Gillham, J.E, & Reivich, K.J. (2007). The Penn Resiliency Program Curriculum. University of Pennsylvania. Huebner, D. (2007). What to Do When You Grumble Too Much - A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Negativity. Washington, DC: Magnitation press. Orlick, T. (2001). Nurturing positive-living skills for children: Feeding the heart and soul of humanity. Journal of Excellence. Partridge & Orlick (2008). Positive Living Skills for Teenagers: A Youth Intervention. Journal of Performance Education. Steinberg, L. (2001). We know some things: Parent-adolescent relations in retrospect and prospect. Journal of Research in Adolescence, 11(1), 1-19. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988b). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1063–1070.