Letter to the Little League Commision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Letter to the Little League Commision - Essay Example It was then discovered that people could actually compete for competence where sports were concerned and this gave rise to scoring policies in many sporting groups. Individuals have since then made efforts of becoming better than their peers where games such as football, swimming, poker and so forth are concerned. Awards are also given to those observed to be better performers. Scoring policies for majority if not all games are usually based on the quality of the game as well as the manner in which the review feels it fits into the other games around it (Wrisberg 2007). Most descriptions in accordance to scoring policies are numbered from 1 to 10 where 1 is considered to be an awful game while 10 is considered to be a perfect game despite the fact that no game is ever truly perfect (Wrisberg 2007). The main purpose of sports or rather games in this particular case is to achieve the highest scores and be declared winners in the end. I disagree with the fact that scoring policies for a ll games be eliminated. Considering the fact that your League consist of little boys who are still developing and growing up, it is important for the scoring policies to still be in effect as this will encourage them to perform better in the course of their games. Young children need a lot of encouragement and positive motivation in their course of growing up and games are such motivators (Wrisberg 2007). By eliminating scores all together, these children would see no point of taking part in games and will be less motivated. They will not have anything to look forward to by the end of the day or rather anything to boast about to their parents and friends who may have not been there to observe their performance. The commission also argues that elimination of scores in all games will not leave majority of the players feeling left out or angry as a result of being defeated by their peers (Wrisberg 2007). Keeping scores and tallying in games not only builds character but also produces e xcellence especially in young children (Wrisberg 2007). It is the belief of modern day society that there is need to be Number One and this tends to push these little young ones to work harder and ensure that they become winners where academics and sports are concerned. Competition is not only fun but healthy if kept in perspective and therefore elimination of scores in all games would hinder healthy development of these children resulting to some health issues such as obesity. Tallying and scoring policies help children develop their intelligence and activates their thinking as games such as jig-saw puzzles, simple crosswords, cards and even football requires their intellectual capabilities for them to beat their opponents (Wrisberg 2007). The commission suggests elimination of scores in all games because noncompetitive games tend to establish a sense of unity, support and cooperation. I would like to remind the commission that tallying as well as general scoring policies in all ga mes enable children as well as adults to build teamwork thus enabling such individuals to learn to work together. Games, competitive or noncompetitive all tend to enhance teamwork which is another advantage especially where scoring policies are implemented. When I was about 10 years of age, I enrolled in a soccer team which was noncompetitive. Teachers suggested that it would be beneficial if we participated in the noncompetitive, non-scoring game as

Guide to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) Written PowerPoint Presentation

Guide to Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) Written Report - PowerPoint Presentation Example This has consequently resulted into most network security stakeholders doing all their best to ascertain that there is maximal security against any unauthorized acts of intrusion. On this regard, this paper aims at delivering a high quality analytical report on the different types of intrusion detection, prevention systems via an account of the article, Guide to intrusion detection and Prevention Systems (Scarfone & Mell, 2007). In simple terms, an intrusion detection and prevention system entails a well-designed and configured set of tools used to monitor all the inbound and outbound network activity. This is to facilitate identification and prevention of any suspicious patterns of unauthorized access to an organization’s computer network. That is, the IDPS performs monitoring of the organization network traffic, identifies the potential network threats and responds to them in a manner that maintains a highly secure network environment in an organization. In essence, IDPSs focus on ensuring that, only the authorized users and devices have access to the computer network resources (Scarfone & Mell, 2007). It is important to clarify that there are several types of intrusion detection and prevention systems currently in use in most organizations. The target of these products is to protect organization from the ever-advancing hacking techniques that create immense threats to the integrity and safety of most organization data and trade secrets. Upon a thorough analysis of each of the sections in the article, the following different types of IDPS data was gathered (Rash & Henmi, 2005). The need to protect computer network resources is always very important in promoting successful protection of organization data from unauthorized access. To be specific, the intrusion detection system on its own is of great importance particularly in monitoring the events that take place in a certain

Screen Memories Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Screen Memories - Term Paper Example Screen memories are behind some of the out of the world experiences that people, for instance who claim to have been abducted by aliens, seem to experience. These people tend to recall things such as clowns, circuses, images of cats dogs or other animals and other pleasant images and feelings. Screened memories are also interpreted as the manifestation of a fear or feeling of trepidation that a person might be feeling towards something or a particular circumstance or situation (Sigmund 2-100). These feelings or emotions might be brought together in the brain and projected as an image towards which a person has those feelings towards. For instance, a person who is very scared of cheetahs or eagles might have the feelings projected as the images of these particular animals. Screen memories have helped many psychoanalysts help their patients understand some of their behaviors, dreams, nightmares or other mental disorders and conditions. By talking to patients and sometimes putting them under hypnosis, psychoanalysts have helped to unravel many mysteries about people whose perception of who they are seem to be out of the norm from the rest of society. As discussed earlier, screen memories are used to project someone’s feelings but in a particular image depending on what the person feels towards the particular thing in the image. Screen memories have been useful in helping patients who were traumatized at early ages, but whose behaviors or state of minds are affected, though the cause has not always been clear. The human brain is so great that it tends to take measures to protect people who have been traumatized from deteriorating and useless lives. However, this usually occurs through blocking of the traumatic experiences and replacing them with more tolerant images. However, the truth always comes out if the screened images are psychoanalyzed further. This method has helped people with deviant behaviors or disorders such as memory

Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Population - Essay Example In spite of this transition the total population of the country in stage IV is found to be much higher. It will be interesting to understand each stages of growth i.e. stage I through stage IV for understanding how the population eventually stabilizes (World Population: Growth & Trends). This is the stage when birth rates and death rates are high and even then there is no population growth. High birth rate is due to high fertility rate or no use of contraceptives. Similarly, high death rate during the stage is attributable to the deaths occurring from the deadly diseases such as plague, cholera, typhoid as medical science was not developed enough to provide required protection. This is a preindustrial stage when living conditions are not favorable. Infant mortality goes down due to improved health conditions that in turn, bring down the death rate; however, the birth rates still remains high keeping the population growth rate at high levels. This is also known as the transitional stage and most of the developing world is found in this stage. The country develops economically and the people start using contraceptives that controls the birth rates significantly. Population growth rate in this stage falls down significantly. Most of the developed world and a few developing countries can be found here. From the equation above, it is amply clear that if the death rate equals birth rate, there will be no growth in population of the country. In other words, if the death rate declines, the birth rate must decline by the same rate for the population to achieve stabilization. With the advances in medical sciences; better nutrition, enhanced sanitation and clean water, the death rates have declined substantially in last several decades; however, the birth rates have not kept pace with the death rates resulting into positive population

Increased gas prices in the US compared to the Middle East Essay

Increased gas prices in the US compared to the Middle East - Essay Example The high prices are mainly caused by the supply and demand factor. The demand for crude oil has immensely increased which directly affects the gasoline prices at pumps of USA. The supply has not been increased in that proportion. The consumption of gasoline in developing countries like China and India has been significant as the automobile industry is skyrocketing in these countries. The gasoline consumption in USA is about one quarter of the world’s total production. However supply and demand is not only the factor but the additional cost which includes taxes, cost of refining crude oil, transportation cost, and the profit to the gasoline dealer is also the reason and contributes about increasing the cost less half then cost of gasoline in United States. Rising gas prices is a matter of concern for the USA car manufacturing companies. It is expected that the use of Subways will be increased in the future. This may result in weakening the USA economy as car manufacturers are one of major stakeholders. Last but the most important factor is recent unrest in the Arab World. Although the countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan are not the major crude oil producers but they play significant role in determining the world oil prices. President Obama has put aside the interest shown by some Companies willing to explore oil in Alaska and other areas. The aim of these people was only to increase the domestic exploration. This action of him has resulted in complete shutting down of the present oil drilling infrastructure in USA. It is reported that about 103 permits are in waiting list for review. But the Obama administration has not renewed any single exploratory drilling plan in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover Obama administration has also put â€Å"7 year ban† on the oil exploration in the coastal waters in Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. According to the experts

Visit to Hill Station Essay Example for Free

Visit to Hill Station Essay Our school was closed for summer vacations on 18th May. It was very hot in Delhi. My parents decided to go to Niligiris. I too accompanied them. We packed our luggage and got ready for the journey. We went to Coimbatore by train. The railway journey was rather tiresome. From Coimbatore we went to Ooty by bus. We reached there in the afternoon and put up at a hotel. Ooty is one of the best hill-station of India. It may be called the queen of hill-station. It has many beauty spots. Next day, after breakfast, we were crowded with tourists form different parts of the country. People were making all sorts of purchases. After lunch we went to botanical gardens. We enjoyed the expense of horticultural beauty around our heart’s content. Niligiris has a healthy climate. It is a beautiful summer resort. The mountain slopes are covered with tall, green trees which present a caring sight at sunset and look very grand. The morning and evening hours are very pleasant. A cool breeze sets up and refreshes the mind. It makes one forget the oppressive heat of the plains. I felt happy in the company of nature. The bright hued flowers, the clouds sailing across the sky and the snow covered peaks of the high mountains in the distance filled my heart with joy. We stayed there for fortnight. I returned to Delhii reluctantly. The memory of my visit to Niligiris is still fresh in my mind.

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living Socrates Philosophy Essay

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living Socrates Philosophy Essay The unexamined life is not worth living. With these words, Socrates stated the creed of reflective men and women and set the task for ethics: to seek, with the help of reason, a consistent and defensible approach to life and its moral dilemmas (Walters 22). Ethical inquiry is important to us when we are unsure of the direction in which we are heading. New philosophy calls all in doubt, wrote John Donne in the wake of the Copernican Revolution and of Charles Is violent death, suggesting that new thoughts had challenged old practices (Donne). Today, new practices in the biomedical sciences are challenging old thoughts: New medicine calls all in doubt (Walters 22). Few moral convictions are more deeply ingrained than that of the sanctity of life. If plausible once, however, the view that life is a sacred process (initiated, sustained, and finally halted by God) is now more difficult to maintain (Baier 1-4). Recent advances in the biomedical sciences allow us to intervene in, and sometimes take control of, the processes of life and death. Not only can death, quite often, be kept waiting by the bed or machine, doctors and scientists can now also intervene in, indeed, initiate the process of life: cloning and recombination of DNA are two examples; in vitro fertilization (IVF) is another (Walters 23). It is not surprising, then, that in the wake of these revolutionary developments, bioethics is flourishing. Despite the obvious enthusiasm of philosophers to take a stand on many complex moral issues in the biomedical sciences, however, a curious skepticism pervades the enterprise (Walters 23). Take the comments by a dean of an Australian Medical School on the teaching of medical ethics: Like any other lifelong clinical teacher I have firm views about such topics as euthanasia, continuing severe pain, acceptable and unacceptable risks of various treatments, the appropriate use of life support systems and numerous other matters of this sort which I discuss with my colleagues, assistants, and students but would not wish to teach dogmatically since much depends on the religious and ethical views which they may have and which also must command my respect (Medical Ethics). The paragraph suggests that although ethics is not a matter of dogmatism, it is a matter of personal preference or choice, something one cannot-or should not-argue about. Then there is another attitude, implied in a newspaper article by B.A. Santamaria, that ethical inquiry is useless unless those investigating bioethical issues have been à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦endowed with authority by Almighty God [or] the Prime Ministerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Santamaria). Since the study of ethics is all about what is right and what is wrong, it is not possible to come to a correct conclusion unless one is directly appointed by God to make this conclusion. God is the only One who can correctly decree what is ethical and unethical; we as imperfect humans should not even attempt to do this job. IVF raises many of these difficult moral issues. If the above conceptions about the nature of ethics were correct, however, discussion of these issues would either be futile (because morality is a matter of personal choice or opinion) or superfluous (because morality is what a divine or secular authority says it is) (Walters 23). In this paper, I want to suggest that it is not only possible, but also necessary to inquire into the ethics of such practices as IVF because the fact that we can do something does not mean that we ought to do it. To begin with, I will provide the basic medical facts involving IVF to give a solid understanding of what goes into the whole process and what facts involving this process cause the questioning of the ethical and moral issues. Infertility affects about 4.9 million couples in the United States, or one in every twelve. Approximately one-third of infertility cases can be traced to causes in the female (Encarta). However, a small proportion of infertile women can produce healthy eggs but, although they have a normal uterus, they have damaged or diseased fallopian tubes which prevent the egg from passing from the ovary to the uterus (Warnock 29). Aside from conventional methods of fertility treatment, there are also several newer techniques, collectively known as assisted reproductive technology (ART). The best known of these is in vitro fertilization (IVF) (Encarta). The concept of IVF is simple. A ripe human egg is extracted from the ovary, shortly before it would have been released naturally. The egg is then mixed with the semen of the husband or partner so that fertilization can occur. The fertilized egg, once it has started to divide, is then transferred back to the mothers uterus. It is common practice to transfer more than one embryo to a potential mother whenever possible because of the normal hazards that come along with pregnancy, such as the egg not attaching to the wall of the uterus (Warnock 29-30). As many ripe eggs as are accessible are harvested. Each egg is then mixed with semen to achieve fertilization. Assuming there is no abnormality in the semen, the success rate of fertilization is usually at least 75%. When the time comes to transfer the embryos to the woman, it may be that only one embryo is suitable for transfer, or there may be several. The reason for transferring more then one embryo is that this should give the woman a better chance of achieving a pregnancy (Warnock 30). Nearly 0.2% of American and 1% of British babies are being born after IVF. There are now more than 300,000 IVF babies worldwide. Patients stand in line for treatment, regardless of the stress, discomfort, and risks, and despite the fact that the success rate for the treatment is seldom better than 1 in 5 or 20% (Gosden 26-27). This surprisingly high number of IVF babies, and the many more IVF attempts that do not produce babies, which are currently being produced around the world present a need for the discussion of the ethical, or unethical-ness of in vitro fertilization. To call an infant born as the result of IVF a created individual is to imply that there is some difference between a child conceived and brought to term in this way and one conceived in the womb and carried through completely to term by the mother. To many religious people, the work of creation belongs, in the first place, to God, as it is outlined in the creation stories of the book of Genesis. God is the one who creates life and order out of chaos. Mankind is the highest product of creation, made from materials, which are part of creation. To man, who is made in the image of God, there is given dominion over the created world and the authority to exercise a stewardship which involves caring for what has been created. This has been developed within the Christian tradition so that man may be considered a partner with God in the continuing work of creation (Walters 88). In examining the question of IVF we are not looking at a question of creation out of nothing, but rather what may be seen, from the religious viewpoint, as an aspect of the trust given to mankind to care for creation. It may then be more appropriate to think of the facilitated rather then the created individual when we consider human intervention in the process of human fertilization (Walters 88). In considering this question and its ramification we will look at the viewpoints of some writers, both within and outside the Judeo-Christian ethical tradition, and try to determine whether or not basic notions of humanity are threatened by the artificiality which some have claimed is involved in the process. One argument against IVF is presented by the Roman Catholic Church using natural law as the basis for their argument. The theory of natural law is widely taken to mean that God has visibly set forth Gods laws in nature and humans should obey them (Dyson 52). The primary feature of IVF that comes under scrutiny from natural law is undoubtedly concerned with IVF as external fertilization. This is to say, the primary accusation coming from natural law focuses on the fact that in IVF, fertilization occurs in vitro in a glass dish, rather than in vivo, namely in the womans body. A second feature of IVF that is challenged by natural law is the use of masturbation by the husband or donor to provide the sperm without which the external fertilization cannot go ahead (Dyson 53). A rebuttal against this is presented by Fletcher, in which he has proposed a personal instead of a biological interpretation [of the natural law theory], so that the nature to be respected becomes not the reproductive process but what is worthy of a human being-freedom, planning, control of physical nature to serve human nature! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Mans vocation is actually to frustrate nature as do medicine and technology, if rational needs and purposes require it (Fletcher 323). Another argument that many use to defend IVF, and also abortion, is that the embryo is not actually a human being but instead just a mass of cells with the potential to become a child, therefore not worthy of respect or careful treatment as that which would be awarded to a baby. Walters, however, argues that the embryo is actually living: it metabolizes, respires, responds to changes in the environment, grows, and divides (Kass 32-60). It is actually human; it pertains to the species homo sapiens. It is inappropriate, therefore, to refer to it as potential human life. We could, however, say it is potentially a mature human being (Walters 51). Walters continues this argument using the reasoning of Paul Ramsey. The human individual comes into existence first as a minute informational speckà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (with the single exception of identical [multiple births]) no one else in the entire history of the human race has ever had or will ever have exactly the same genotype. Thus, it can be said that the individual is whoever he is going to become from the moment of impregnation. Thereafter, his subsequent development may be ascribed as a process of becoming the one he already is. However, some would counter-argue that, since twinning and recombination are possible in the early days after fertilization, irreversible individuality had not been achieved at this stage. These possibilities show the uncertainty of human individuation at conception. If the uncertainty remains as long as twinning is possible, it would seem that individuality could be certainly established only at blastocyst (an embryo four to six days after fertilization). Before this period, the embryo may be considered as only potentially a human being. This would imply that it is worthy of respect but not the same degree of respect as accorded to a mature human being (Walters 53). There are many more arguments concerning the ethicalness of in vitro fertilization, but the discussions stated above are the main points stated by the opposing sides. I do not believe one single conclusion can ever be drawn from these arguments. One can form him or her own personal opinion, but there will never be a single right or wrong answer. Based on the arguments I have read and learned about while writing this paper, I have drawn my own conclusions regarding the ethicalness of in vitro fertilization. I believe an embryo is a human being from the moment of conception and therefore its life should be treated with as much respect as a born baby should. I believe this life is precious and a creation of God. A baby is also, or should be, the representation of two people coming together in love to create a life. It should not be done outside of the body. An argument presented in Walters book that defends this position states: Those who reject human interference at the beginning of life would most certainly do so on the basis that what nature has decreed cannot take place ought not to take place. For an infertile couple, this implies that they must remain infertile: if they cannot produce a child by the normal means of conception then they must remain childlessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(89) This is not necessarily the case and is a very narrow-minded conclusion to draw, as I will explain in the next paragraph. I sympathize with the couples who wish to have a child that shares their genetics, but I believe God made the couple infertile for a specific reason. He made them infertile so they could have the opportunity to give an orphaned or abandoned child a home. There are thousands, maybe even millions, of children without families all over the world. These children deserve love and a home just as much as the couple deserves to have a child. As William Walters put it so clearly, instead of insisting on the right of a couple to have a child, as some have done, let us be mindful rather of the right of a child to have parents (Walters 78). Just because a couple cannot produce their own genetic child does not mean that they must remain childless. While many people may not agree with other conclusions I have drawn regarding the personhood of the embryo or the immorality of a couple having a child outside of intimacy, there is no disputing the fact that infertile couples have an alternative to having a child created through science. They could make something good out of a seemingly bad thing by giving a child without a family a home, love, and a life. There is an alternative to infertility without relying on scientists, test tubes, and small chances. They can create their own miracle by giving life to an already-born deserving child. Baier, K. The Sanctity of Life, Journal of Social Philosophy. Vol. 5. April 1974: 1-4. Donne, John. The First Anniversary. Dyson, Anthony O. The Ethics of IVF. Mowbrey: 1995. Fletcher, J. Anglican Theology and the Ethics of Natural Law, Christian Social Ethics in a Changing World: An Ecumenical Theological Inquiry. Association Press: New York, 1966. Flynn, Eileen P. Human Fertilization In Vitro: A Catholic Moral Perspective. University Press of America: 1984. Gosden, Roger. Designing Babies. W.H. Freeman and Co.: New York, 1999. Kass, L.R. Making Babies Revisited, The Public Interest. Vol. 54. 1979: 32-60. Infertility. Encarta 1998. CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1993-1997. Medical Ethics. Editorial. The Medical Journal of Australia 11 June 1977: p. 871. ODonovon, Oliver. Begotten or Made? Clarendon Press: 1984. Ramsey, Paul in Rachels, J. ed. Moral Problems. Harper Row: New York, 1975. Santamaria, B.A. Medics Play God With Babes on Ice. Perth Independent 26 May 1981. Walters, William and Peter Singer ed. Test-Tube Babies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982. Warnock, Mary. A Question of Life. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1984.