Every individual faces choices, both in their personal as well as professional life, virtually several times a day. Usually, decisions are made using past experience as well as new information. Yet, the fact remains that in each case, there is something that is lost in forgoing the available alternatives even if the choice made is believed to be in the larger interests of the individual. It is, therefore, not surprising that "economists define the opportunity cost' of any good or service as the value of all the other goods or service

A comparison between the secular" Letter to Pellegrino", from The Earthly Republic and the religious notions of Trappist life and beliefs

Sigmund Freud has held the distinction as the Founder of Psychoanalysis in contributing a revolutionary concept that emphasizes on the human unconscious (Boerre 1997). His theory on the energy sources he and his associate, Josef Breuer, called the id, ego and superego, make up the human psyche. They formulated that the id as the unconscious part that works on the eros or sexual life energy and the tanatos or anger/death energy. The ego energy source balances these energies, that is why people, in general, can function and coexist in society (Boeree). The ego is strong enough to control them. Freud and Breuer's theory, however, suggested that, sometimes, the id becomes more dominant and gets to control human behavior, such as during sleep when suppressed desires are revealed in dreams. The theory also holds that the superego is a person's mental image of his or her ideal self, which includes all the values and norms learned and internalized from the person's environme

The internet is a new territory, a vast and hardly-explored universal domain that has only begun to reveal its capabilities and resources for the transfer of information and communication. Its prospects are both awesome and awful, depending on the motives behind its use. As information technology develops, computer crimes increase. The government and the private sectors have enacted laws and devised corollary approaches in addressing this problem and there is need to compare how far their efforts measure up with cyber law breakers. Recent developments indicate that cyber space is not a fairy kingdom or a place where dreams come true. Quite the contrary and if figures must be believed, the virtual world is not exactly a safe venue for business or private affairs. In its sixth annual Computer Crime and Security Survey in 2001, the Computer Security Institute of San Francisco reported on mounting financial losses to computer crimes and other information security b

If figures must be believed, the virtual world is not exactly a safe venue for business or private affairs. In its sixth annual Computer Crime and Security Survey in 2001, the Computer Security Institute of San Francisco reported on mounting financial losses to computer crimes and other information security breaches, 85% of which were incurred primarily by respondent large corporations and government agencies (Business Journal 2001). A third of these respondents said that they lost almost $400 million to cyber criminals in 2001 alone, an increase from a yearly average of $120 million in the three years before 2000 and $265 in 2000, according to the Journal's surveys. The most common forms of losses have been theft of proprietary information at an aggregate of $151 million and financial fraud at $93 million. Almost all of these occurred through their internet connection in combination with their internal systems as points of attack (Business Journal

"â€To sleep! Perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come." These lines again mark a transition in thinking. Hamlet is thinking about questions of life and death. The lines quoted above is significant in that they remind the reader that nobody knows what happens after death. This should then be enough of a deterrent for suicide. To Be or Not to Be (option #5): The speech struck me personally in that it provides a consideration of the aspect of life and death from all perspectives. Hamlet as it were leaves not stone unturned in his investigation of the significance of life. Scene II (option #1): In this scene Hamlet, under the guise of his madness, goes further to determine the guilt of the Queen and her new husband. He devises a play dramatizing the events as his father's ghost made them clear to him. The reactions of the king and queen then reveal to Hamlet that they are indeed guilty of the cri

California's new law requires banks, government agencies, e-commerce firms and others to notify customers if thieves target their computer systems (Block, 2003). "The goal is to give consumers information they need to protect themselves," says Palo Alto Assembly Member Joe Simitian, co- sponsor of the bill. Many of California's identity theft laws benefit the customer, For instance, credit bureaus must enable consumer to establish a "freeze," prohibiting the credit bureau from giving report to anyone without the consumer's consent (Privacy Rights, 2003). An identity theft victim who provides the credit bureau with a copy of a police report is entitled to 12 free credit reports, one per month, in the 12 months from the date of the police report. Normally, customers would have to pay for this service. In addition, California law requires banks and other savings companies to cooperate with identity theft victims. These companies must provide on request of law enforcement o

The use of technology in healthcare is often difficult. The information systems deployed by any organization must meet the health needs of the patients or consumers, the business needs of the organization in the financial terms of the industry, as well as be effective in a purely technological fashion. At the critical care center of the New York-Weill Cornell Campus, there is currently an attempt to implement a entirely paperless system within the hospital environment. This means that all patient information, lab results and medical texts would be accessible only on computers. Also, physicians would record and order medications via computer and write computer-based progress notes. This is designed to minimize errors regarding incomplete and faulty information, and would allow systems to notify medical personnel electronically in the case of contraindicated medications, for example. Additionally, a fully featured sign-out program would allow the House Staff to print sign-out

While many people view a computer only as a way to increase their efficiency, I have gone one step further and have decided to become an IT professional that creates the applications that foster productivity. However, in this endeavor, I am intrigued and, at the same time, troubled by the advancements in grid computing and outsourcing and their impact on the demand for my services in the United States. Yet, as I will reveal, I am optimistic that even with the best applied SDLC techniques, project realities will make on-site IT staff a reality. In fact, I predict a decline in the current outsourcing fervor over time and will continue my pursuit of an IT career. During the class we discussed much of the efficiency gains of multiple processing. But, I feel that we just touched the surface of its potential. Computer clustering invo

Homer and Aeschylus depict the potential of mankind through their female characters in "The Odyssey" and "Agamemnon." While Penelope represents the good and faithful wife, Clytaemnestra represents the heartless, unfaithful wife. Both epics illustrate women as complex and thinking individuals. Female power is nothing simple, nor is it something to be taken lightly. In other words, these authors are demonstrating through their female characters, that women can be just as loving and hateful as their male counter parts. In Homer's "The Odyssey," Penelope is a complex woman. On one hand, she is a faithful wife and on the other, she is quite aware of her sexuality. Instead of marrying someone that could easily make ruling Ithaka easier, Penelope chooses to remain single. In addition, she uses her charm with her suitors while remaining very loyal to her husband. In many ways,

In his essay, "Politics and the English Language," Orwell demonstrates how the English language has declined as a result of economic and political reasons. By examining the nature of language, especially in the political arena, Orwell successfully proves how the English language has been used as a manipulative tool rather than a creative one. He explains how effect can become a cause, "reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form and so on indefinitely" (1). The bad habits that are seen in the English can be changed if we are willing to change them. This is important for several reasons. According to Orwell, if we rid ourselves of these bad habits, we will think more clearly and, as a result, move toward "political regeneration so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers" (1). Therefore, if we can correct the problem that exists because of the misuse of lan

The current trend in outsourcing is likely to continue, potentially leading to long-term damage to American-held jobs and the American economy. While standard economic theory holds that outsourcing is good for the U.S. economy, there are several important and negative implications, of the current outsourcing trend. The outsourcing trend is thought to contribute to the jobless recovery, resulting in a relative reduction in jobs, even as owners of capital benefit from outsourcing. A decrease in consumer confidence and increased unemployment and retraining costs are also part of the costs of outsourcing. While the creation of new higher-skilled jobs in a dynamic economy is often touted as a solution to the woes of outsourcing, there is a problem inherent in expecting Americans to develop skills needed for these higher-end jobs in a market where entry- and mid-level jobs have been outsourced. Nonetheless, the best-case scenario to resolve the problems of outsourcing

China's population is about 20% of the world population while it possesses just 7% of the world's arable land. Feeding its people has, therefore, been the country's major concern through much of its history. When the Communist party of China (CPP) came to power in 1949 as a result of the Communist Revolution, the country had been devastated due to years of civil war, foreign interference, social unrest and fragmentation. Its economy was in ruins and the communist party set out to revolutionize all aspects of the Chinese society including the economy. Since Mao-Zedong's brand of Communism was peasant-based rather than urban-based, the Communist Party of China was particularly focused on agricultural reforms and took several measures to improve the agricultural production and the living standards of the peasants. Although these policies have produced mixed results, China is now by and large self-sufficient in food production. In this paper I shall discuss the various policies implemented

Cultural awareness and the careful use of language and rhetoric have enhanced the global war on terrorism. Language is a powerful tool that can either act to demonize the enemy or to increase the understanding of the enemy through cultural awareness. Cultural awareness itself is a powerful tool in the arsenal against terrorism, as it allows for the better understanding of the enemy, thus enhancing the effort on the global war on terrorism. Perhaps one of the most important and inherent dangers in the war on terror is the prospect of demonizing and oversimplifying the enemy. Dan Rather, famous anchor and managing editor of CBS News, illustrates the danger of such an approach. In answer to David Letterman's question, "Why do these people hate us'", Rather responded, "They're evil" (cited in Corliss, 2001). In Rather's defense, the interview took place shortly after the tragedy of September 11th, and he was likely overwhelmed with shock and grief. Nonethel

In Shirley Jackson's American Gothic tale "The Lottery," the most interesting and revealing of all the characters is Mr. Summers, the so- called "conductor" of a bizarre and disturbing practice that takes place yearly in an unidentified village somewhere in the Northeast. This Mr. Summers, a "round-faced, jovial man (who) ran the coal business" and garnered the sympathies of his fellow villagers ". . . because he had no children and his wife was a scold," has obviously been the leader of the "lottery" for quite some time, for he alone knows the history of this practice, due to his yearly insistence "about making a new box" to hold the slips of paper with the names of all the villagers. Exactly how many years this "lottery" has been practiced is unknown, yet the old box has apparently seen better times, for it is now shabby and is "no longer completely black but splintered badly along one side. . . . an in some places faded or stained." Thus, as the "conductor" of the "lottery", Mr. Summers could be viewed as "the master of the fates of his fellow villagers, due to being the one that cr

Dracula, a novel written by the British writer Bram Stoker in 1897, chronicles the life of Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray in Transylvania, where as engaged lovers, they encountered Count Dracula of Transylvania. Count Dracula's character provides the horror element to the novel because it was rumored (in the novel) that the Count is a vampire, who victimizes women in the town of Transylvania through impalement. The main conflict comes when the Count transferred from Transylvania to England, where there are more opportunities to victimize more people, putting Mina in danger. Prior to Mina's victimization, her best friend Lucy Westenra has already been afflicted with the Count's vampirism.' Chapters 7 through 16 chronicles, through journal entries and correspondences, the worsening condition of Lucy, starting from her sickness right after being impaled by Dracula, and eventual transformation, or "birth," as a vampire (Project Gutenberg, 2004). Lucy's victimi

The national curriculum has been criticized and continually revised since its inception in 1988. Brought about by the governmental pressures away from comprehensive and toward the marketplace, the national curriculum was met with immediate criticism. The national curriculum was extensively modified in the years after 1988, moving curriculum decisions away from teachers and toward the government, based on largely political, rather than educational motives. Overall, while a national curriculum can potentially provide a number of benefits, the national curriculum of 1988 was profoundly flawed. Before delving too deeply into the issue of the national curriculum, it is important to understand the purpose and content of the curriculum. Curriculum can be defined as: "A structured plan of intended learning outcomes, underpinning knowledge, skills, behavior and associated learning experiences. The learning plan is generally organized as a sequenced combination of modules so that a student c

"Are we there yet' My eldest, Ben asked for the fiftieth time since we piled into the car at 8 AM. It takes a good three hours to drive to the Trout Lake, where we own a small, simple vacation cabin. This time I could finally give him the answer he wanted to hear. "Here we are now!" Our car, a red minivan, pulled into the driveway and the four of us hurried to get up out of the seats we'd inhabited for the past few hours. My entire body ached and longed for a stretch. After the car doors slammed, the first thing that hit me, as it always did in the past when we came to Trout Lake, is the silence. Each bird call echoes through the air and the wind whistles audibly through the trees. Gone are the sounds of overhead planes, of humming highway traffic, and of the blare of televisions. Enveloped in the silence of the woods for the next several days, we would all encounter a profound respite from auditory assault. As we gathered our bags from the back of the van to take into the cabin, I noticed a hummingbird sucking at a fuchsia flower, at the same time as a blue jay swooshed down into the garden in front of our home. The sky glowed with the midday s

Love can be expressed in a variety of ways. In "Sonnet 130," William Shakespeare describes his love through images that, at first, seem negative and unflattering. In contrast, Andrew Marvell, in his poem "To His Coy Mistress," uses flattery to get what he wants. While both poets describe their love as powerful and never-ending, the tone in each poem is quite different. Each poem succeeds in depicting men who are deeply devoted to their lover, but with different techniques. Shakespeare uses imagery in a very different way in "Sonnet 130." While most love sonnets are composed to compare a lover's eyes to the stars and a lover's touch to that of silk, Shakespeare places a different spin on the idea of beauty. For instance, the poet begins by telling us that his lover's eyes do not sparkle or shine "like the sun" (Shakespeare 1) and her lips are pale compared to coral. He also provides us with the image of his lover's skin being "dun" (3) rather than snow white and her hair being like "black wires" (4). These images are not exactly what any woma

In today's hectic, high-speed Internet, quickly changing world, it has become common for us to think about the here and now, and put off concerns about the future as vague possibilities that we will deal with once we come to them. This, sadly, has reflected on our health, and the nutritional choices we are making. What we need to realize is there are important benefits to eating healthy, benefits that may not garner immediate gratification, but benefits that are well worth the wait! Our frenzied lifestyle is compounded by our tendency to put our careers in front of our health. Grabbing a burger and super-sized fries, on the go at lunch, only to scarf it down and hurry back to the office is common. Breakfast for busy workers can consist of a doughnut or bagel with black coffee, or worse, nothing at all! Working late is typical, leaving no time or energy to stop at the gym after a long, hard day. Dinner too often consists of fast -food, take out, or pre-pac

Symbolism is an important component of August Strindberg's play, Miss Julie, and generally serve to reinforce the theme of social class that existed in the late 1800s in Europe. Social class is symbolized by both the clothing of the aristocrat, Miss Julie and the cook, Kristine. Kristine's ever-present apron symbolizes her inescapable status as a lower- class servant, while Miss Julie's white dresses act as a symbol of her seemingly untouchable aristocracy. As the play progresses, imagery of a dog becomes an important symbol for class dominance and submission. Miss Julie seeks to train her fiancé as a dog, thus dominating him, but he resists, and takes control of the relationship. Jean, the servant's lower class is also symbolized by references to him as a dog or beast. The aristocratic Miss Julie is seen as "running wild" when she acts below her station in life, again symbolizing the dominated or lower class as the animal. Miss Julie was first

In The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence, Ray Kurzweil foretells a future where intelligent machines outnumber carbon-based life forms by the year 2099. While some of his claims may seem fantastic, Kruzwiel's credentials are impeccable, and many of his predictions for the late 1990s and early 2000s have come true. Thus, a close understanding and inspection of his ideas is warranted both by his credentials and track record. Perhaps one of the most important of the implications of Kurzweil's theories is upon human aging. Today, work on slowing the biochemical aging process is proceeding at a profound rate, and Kurzweil predicts that by 2020 nanotechnology will enable researchers to replicate DNA and proteins artificially, thus leading to the elimination of disease and even reverse aging. Other theorists argue that this could lead to a golden age for humankind, bringing about profound abilities for spiritual, emotional, and intellec

The persistence of memory and the persistence of doubt the post-colonialist imagination

INTRODUCTION Media portrayal of men and woman can have a tremendous impact on cultural and gender ideals in society. Gender tensions are often created by exploitative media portrayals of men and/or women in stereotypical roles. Far more often than men, women are exploited by media moguls in order to promote the sale of goods and services, and to create desire and interest in objects completely unrelated to gender. The media has created and supported the idea that "sex sells." When it comes to provocative images of youth and beauty, women far surpass men in media portrayals. Research suggests that women are also portrayed more often than not in subservient or minor roles rather than important ones. Unbelievable even with reference to serious subject matters, women are often portrayed in skimpy outfits and in high gloss images in manners completely unrelated to the particular service or product being offered. The media has propagated and supported the exploitation of w

The case study of Solectron Corporation demonstrates how effective and efficient network (or virtual) organizations can be. Network (or virtual) organizations, in their most simplistic terms, are outsource vendors. These companies perform a bulk of a product's life cycle under contract for another corporation, which is named as its manufacturer. Companies like this allow the other organizations to focus on the parts of the product life cycle that they are best at. This is different from traditional organizations in that much, if not all, of the product development, production, distribution, marketing, and servicing are handled by a