Consumer credit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Consumer credit - Assignment Example en busy at work, he has not had time to carefully review his monthly statements, but is spending the weekend catching up on paying bills and organizing his desk. He is particularly interested in how much he still owes the credit card company. He reviews the statement and discovers there is a page missing – the one with the unpaid balance. He can see that his beginning balance for March (March 1 through March 31) was $800 and that he paid $280 on March 12, charged purchases of $150 on March 5, $100 on March 20, and $50 on March 30. Ling remembers that the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on the credit card is 16% of the unpaid balance and interest is charged using the average daily balance method, including current purchases. d. Answer: Average daily balance is calculated by including the outstanding balance, new purchases and deducting payments and credits on each day in the billing cycle, we need to divide by number of days in the billing cycle. From the author’s point of view, the five factors are named as â€Å"Satisfying needs in case of insufficient income†, â€Å"Convenience in case of cashless case†, â€Å"Socialization and modernization†, â€Å"Easiness and safety in comparison with carrying cash† and â€Å"Shopping via telephone and inter-net†. (Okan Veli à ¹afakli, 2007). Credit cards can be a convenient means of payment, a useful tool for learning financial responsibility, a resource in case of emergencies, a means to establishing a good credit history and a way to gain greater access to credit in the future. If credit cards are mismanaged or misused, however, the disadvantages can result in severe financial consequences. (Louisiana State University, 2003). Ling has used the credit card wisely. He made the payment on time and as it is a revolving credit, it is good to charge the card and simultaneously make payments. This can have good impact on the credit history. It is a good practice to keep the balance less than the credit limit and this can

Wonders of Nature and the Operations of Creatures Essay Example for Free

Wonders of Nature and the Operations of Creatures Essay This essay will attempt to differentiate natural wonders that occur in the world, from what is described as miracles. It will also explore events classified as miracles, and examine whether miracles must have an immediate benefit, or if natural disasters can in some way, be defined as miracles as their consequences can fulfill the criteria for the purposes of miracles. This essay will not be questioning the existence of miracles as, for the purpose of this essay, they do. First one must seek to define what the different terms in the title are, by looking at how different philosophers and theologians have described them. David Hume, on miracles, seems to argue that there are indeed extraordinary events that occur, but they cannot justifiably be called miracles. The next term needing examination is â€Å"wonders of nature†. Science has shown us that nature is not a series of random events, and that it is governed by laws which make it in some way predictable; the law of gravity for example, which keeps the world revolving around the sun. The last term to be defined is, â€Å"operations of creatures†. This is not just the operation of living things. It can be applied to beings as small as atoms, or intangible concepts such as time. It is the operations of creatures that are often confused with miracles when they are coincidence. After clarifying what the question is looking for, this essay will look at examples of miraculous events and analyse them with focus on God’s being, particularly their role in revealing God’s being to creatures. Mary Hesse’ article, Miracles and the Laws of Nature, begins with a discussion of how the term miracle is applied in today’s society; â€Å"Someone may say ‘his recovery was a miracle’, or, ‘It was a miracle that a serious accident was avoided’†.[1] Whilst Hesse disregards this as likely not to be a divinely inspired, she goes onto talk about how, the conventional definition of a miracle, something that is a violation or turn against the natural order, is not so surprising, as we live in such a complicated world. Miracles are seen to be violations of the natural order, and examples can be found all over the world, in ancient and modern history. The most common examples in the Western world can be found in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, which reveal God’s being, whether it is God’s direct action or God working through another being to create a miraculous event. This is what natural theology argues is the miracle’s being: to in some way reveal God, or to impart knowledge of some kind to someone. This can be seen in examples found in the Bible; the story of the burning bush, found in Exodus, where God imparted knowledge if himself to Moses, with both the great â€Å"I Am†, and in his plans to free the Israelites from Egypt. However, it is here that Hume draws his first criticism, questioning the validity of those that witness or experience the miracle: â€Å"We cannot trust that those who testify to miraculous events occurring are not being deceived, deluded or even lying. Also Humans are naturally drawn towards the miraculous, and love being dazzled by the mysterious, and they can often form unreasonable beliefs on the basis of these experiences, which should not trusted.†[2] Hume was traditionally an empiricist, and believed that for the claims of a miracle to be true it must reflect the experiences we already have learnt from. Because of this Hume would doubt the miraculous event of Jesus Christ, when he rose from the dead, as there is no experience on earth, other than this, that one can look to for a confirmation that such a thing is possible. Hume then assumes that such events are born from either delusion, or from people lying, for whatever motive. However scholars are often split in their opinion of Hume’s position on miracles, as it is possible to take his work as an argument against the possibility of miracles. Yet it is also possible to argue that Hume did believe that miraculous events could occur, however, as the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy writes: â€Å"only that justified belief in a miracle on the basis of testimony (may be) impossible.†[3] Hume was not alone in writing against the testimonies of people through history, as Wittgenstein writes: â€Å" A miracle is, as it were, a gesture which God makes. As a man sits quietly then makes an impressive gesture, God lets the world run on smoothly then accompanies the words of a saint by a symbolic occurrence, a gesture of nature, it would be an instance if, when a saint has spoken, the trees around him bowed, as if in reverence. – Now do I believe this happens? I don’t.†[4] Here Wittgenstein, whilst he says that he does not believe that miracles, as he believes they are defined, actually occur, he adds to the definition of what a miraculous event is with natural theology. Wittgenstein does not deny the possibility for them to be real, only that he is yet to be â€Å"impressed† by an event, as he does not find reports of such events enough to believe in them. The operations of creatures are often called miraculous, particularly when the scale of the event is massive, for example, the smallest of atoms have been seen to produce the hugest explosions. However, whether these are miracles or not is something to be debated. Certainly, when such events occur that goes against what is considered the normal flow of life, it is curious enough for one to refer to it as a miraculous event. However, this alone does not make such an event a miracle within natural theology. This is something that theologians, when writing about miracles, often draw their attention to first. Hesse writes that such events, which violate the laws of the natural order, but do not contain the same meaningfulness as what theists might define as miracles, are â€Å"the pointless demonstrations of a wonder-worker or magician†[5]. However, Hesse does not go any further with this classification, stating that such miracles contain qualities which also put them in the category of coincidence, or of divine purpose. The role of a miracle is to draw people to God, or to reveal his being in one form or another to mankind, and if that is so then something seemingly miraculous may be just coincidence. C.S. Lewis describes miracles as â€Å"an interference with nature by supernatural power†[6]. By this Lewis means that it could be nature itself performing these events, or it could be a divine being, â€Å"interfering† with the natural order. When Lewis talks about nature being the interfering party, he does not mean nature as an intelligent being, but he means from the naturalist’s belief, there is nothing else but nature. From this one could then argue that miracles are just coincidence. Miracles have been used by Jesus and by his apostles after his ascension to spread Christ’s message, an example of this is the miraculous event at Pentecost: â€Å"On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind. It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.†[7] This event can be called a miracle because it a purposeful act by The Holy Spirit, which enabled the apostles to talk in the different languages that they required to go out and spread their beliefs, something that is a demonstration of God’s being, as it is a revelation of his will. This event is also a demonstration of knowledge. In the event of Pentecost, we see the knowledge of language to the apostles, and as said above, an imparting of God’s intention. Michal Goodich supports this belief of the role of miracles in his book, Miracles and Wonders, in which he says: â€Å"The ultimate aim is to console and bring the faithful closer to God or to confound the nonbeliever or heretic.†[8] Goodich talks about one of the purposes of miracles here is to â€Å"bring the faithful closer to God†, which is very much a role that miracles fulfill, and this can be seen in examples from biblical passages such as the conversion of Saul, who became Paul, when God appeared to him, and he temporarily lost his sight. Paul, who was famous for his persecution of the early Christians went on to become one of the founding members of the church, and the New Testament contains some of his letters and his book â€Å"Acts of the Apostles†. This is an example of a miraculous event bringing people closer to God. It is clear that in the world, events occur that seem to be violations of the natural order. For many of these events, science has been able to explain why they happened, and for the majority of the oddities in the world they do not appear to serve any real purpose. However, there are examples in both ancient and modern times of events that, whilst they are violations of the nature order of the world, it is clear that they are not just random events, and that they were caused by a supernatural being, and they are for a purpose. The miracles worked by our Lord Jesus Christ, St. Augustine writes, are divine works which raise the human mind above visible things to understand what is divine[9]. This writing by Augustine also highlights another unique property that miracles possess, which can be difficult to find in other events, that is that miracles have a tendency to inspire change, and a renewed sense of God, even centuries after the actual event, as examples from the very earliest writing of the Bible still have said effects today. However, in today’s society with such a vast mix of belief systems and scientific explanations, it is incredibly difficult to distinguish between the wonders of nature and supernaturally inspired events. Even a brief study of any natural disaster in recent history will reveal mixes of opinions by both those directly affected by it and those who saw it through the media. For example, the recent earthquake in Haiti, where an already poverty stricken county is further devastated. Interviews shown on the media of those who suffered directly show that they believe this to be an act of God, and that it has only increased their faith and brought their families closer together. Yet there are opinions of those who have not suffered because of the event and yet question where is God in such a time, finding it hard to believe such an event of massive devastation can have positive outcomes. The grandfather of a 15 day old baby surviving 7 days buried in the rubble of her house was quoted by The Times saying, This wasnt the way Jesus wanted the baby to die. Everybody knew the baby was dead, except the Lord.[10] Overall, distinctions can be drawn between wonders of nature and operations of creatures, and miraculous events. It is said that miracles, in the traditional sense are literally violations of the laws of nature. That is, they defy what science believes is our understanding of the world. This is an a posteriori argument; our experience reveals what miracles are, as they are not something that can happen according to our knowledge of the mechanisms of the world. Richard Swinburne, in his article Violation of a Law of Nature, questions if such a term is applicable to events that seem less than ordinary: â€Å"I think that those who, like Hume, have used this or a similar expression have intended to mean by it an occurrence of a non-repeatable counter-instance to a law of nature†¦ But if we have good reason to believe that they have occurred and good reason to believe similar events would occur in similar circumstances, then undoubtedly we have good reason to believe that the formulae which we previously believed to be the laws of nature were not in fact such laws.†[11] Swinburne argues that events that are sometimes, possibly because of their outcomes or because of the number of those affected, deemed miraculous by people who have reason to believe it has religious significance, so therefore he concludes â€Å"miracles are events with a point in the overall scheme of things, and in a sense are very much regular† as Swinburne comments.[12] This points to the original issue that miracles, in comparison to the wonders of nature, depend upon personal opinions. It is clear if one believes a miracle to be a seemingly impossible event based on our experience of the laws of nature, then yes they can be distinguished from the wonders of nature, however, if one believes it to be any event, which holds religious significance, then it would be nigh impossible to distinguish miracles.

Analysis of Twycross Zoo organisation

Analysis of Twycross Zoo organisation Twycross Zoo is located in the village of Twycross in Leicestershire. Most of the population are within an hour of Twycross Zoo, approx 9 million. History of the zoo: The Zoo was founded in 1962 by Molly Badham and Nathalie Evans. Molly Badham, who kept animals from a young age, owned a pet shop in her home town, along with Nathalie Evans who also had a pet shop in the same time. The two women went on to share a flat along with two chimpanzees. Their collections of animals grew, and they went on to buy a large plot of land with stables, farm buildings etc. Molly Badham then went on to become an expert in the care of primates in captivity, and now the zoo has grown to have one of the largest numbers of primates. Molly and Nathalie set up a charity called the East midlands zoological society and the animal collection and zoo premises were donated to them in 1962. Size of organisation: The zoo attracts around 500,000 visitors a year. The zoo employs around 120 full time staff, and also employee seasonal staff for more help around the seasonal times. Nature of the work done: The zoos main aim is a sanctuary for the animals that they keep there. Also, conservation, education and research that is done within the zoo. The zoo does a lot of things for the animals. They do captive breeding. The captive breeding programme At Twycross zoo there are many animals that are threatened with extinction. The main reason for extinction is usually because of the human population, and zoos and organisations who try to help these animals have been working together for years to try prevent animals from going extinct and making organisations, helping zoos and captive breeding centres etc to make sure that these animals dont go extinct by doing things such as the captive breeding programme, they also need to keep the zoo population. There are many species of land vertebrates that will soon need to be cared for by humans if they are not able to breed well in the wild. By working with other organisations and captive breeding centres etc they can help to breed animals quicker than if they were in the wild or troubled areas etc. An example of this is the Amur Leopard that they have bought to Twycross zoo to breed the animal and make sure that it doesnt go extinct. The zoo also does research at the zoo for animals. The zoo has a strong research department and support many projects every year. The zoo promotes research, especially if it benefits animal welfare and the conservation at the zoo. Most of the researchers that Twycross zoo recruit are studying the animals that the zoo have because they have the largest collection of primate species of any zoo in the world, apart from countries like Japan. The zoo research behaviour, nutrition etc to help and look after the animals at the zoo to the best that they can, finding new ways to give the animals the nutrition that they need and new ways to make sure that the behaviour of the animals is good, and if it isnt finding new ways to make sure the animals are happy and well looked after. Also, the methods of feeding the animals and the food that they feed them are very closely researched as every animal has a carefully regulated diet and this needs to be obtained. The zoo also contributes to campaigns; this is a good thing to do for them because it shows that the zoo is interested in things that are happening and things that are related to the zoo. They also maintain animal welfare and this is very important for the animals because the research done for animal welfare is focusing on the body, the heart rate etc to examine how the animal is coping with its environment and food etc. The zoo focuses on enrichment for the animals also. The reason the zoo do enrichment is to make sure that the animals are happy and occupied with the things that the zoo provide for them to play with and do etc. They do this for many reasons, such as to make sure animals perform natural behaviours, animals are more active, animals have more control over their lives, and environment is more interesting to animals and public and to avoid development of stereotypical behaviour. They keep there eye on the animals daily and write down the notes on the animals for each day. Twycross zoo has a professional education department. They teach the public that visit the zoo all of the things that they would like to know about the zoo. They also teach schools and universities. They do this by giving group talks and answering individual questions asked by the public that visit the zoo. When a school or university visits the zoo, they can arrange a talk with a member of staff at the zoo and they tell you everything about the zoo that you need to know. The areas of science used in the organisation (biology, chemistry, physics) At Twycross zoo, there are different sections; the zoo is split up into different areas. This means that in all of the different sections, there are different parts of science that is used. Biology is used in the zoo because part of biology is the study of plants. There are plants and trees everywhere around the zoo. They need to understand the plants they put into enclosures incase it is harmful to any of the animals. Also, plants that the animals can eat need to be researched incase they harm the animal in any way. The zoo keepers would use this to make the enclosures and around the zoo look a bit better, also Zoology is one of the branches of biology that looks into the structure, function, behaviour, and evolution of animals. To learn about animal behaviour and how the animals behave and show if the animals are happy with their environment and are eating the correct food with the specific minerals, vitamins in etc. The animal keepers, vets, researchers and zoo owners are most likely to use this part of science. The zoo could also use biochemistry, for example the vet; if they have a sample to send to a laboratory this could be used. The zoo would also use building biology, as this is the study of indoor living environment they would need to use this bit of science to make sure that the building requirements for the enclosures are up to standard and suitable for each and every animal. The estates part of the employees would use this part of science. The zoo would use conservation biology a lot around the zoo because it is the study of restoration of the natural environment, wildlife, vegetation, preservation and protection. These are some of the main aims of the zoo, making sure that they are being environmentally friendly and finding new ways to restore the natural environment. Conservationist at the zoo would defiantly use this part of science, so would the zoo keepers and the maintenance employees too. Ethology is the study of animal behavior; this is used a lot in zoos because they study the animals behavior to make sure that they are happy with the environment and their enclosure etc. They also study the animals behavior to make sure that they are healthy and being looked after well. The zoo also use chemistry, this is another use of science used in the zoo. They use chemistry to understand what medicines to give to the animals. Also, the use of cleaning fluids needs to be researched and studied to make sure that it wont affect the animals at all and can clean it properly also. Also, cooking in the cafes and restaurants need to use chemistry with cooking also, to make sure that it is cooked properly and the correct temperatures and ingredients. Physics is used a lot around the zoo because there are a lot of buildings and enclosures, so the physics has to be good and up to standards to make sure that it is suitable and safe for the animals, visitors and employees to work, live and look in. Skills used by employees which are science related: At Twycross zoo there is a lot of science used in the organisation. In Administration science is used in: Personal decisions Business decisions Finance ICT Animal databases Records The skills and qualifications for these are: GCSEs Business administration Computer Science The director of administration is a vet. The animal team are very important in the zoo, they care for the animals. The science used is listed: Keeping animal records Feeding and cleaning Caring for animals (medication etc) Designing enclosures and enrichment The qualifications used are: Related degrees Animal management NVQ, GNVO Diploma, HND Veterinary health studies Experience Estates also use science in the zoo. They help to maintain that the zoo is up to standards and build new things to make the zoo a better place for the animals, workers and visitors. The jobs that done are: Gardening Building enclosures Maintenance Electrical The qualifications needed for this are: Trades Horticulture Education is a big part of the zoo, and the zoo do there best to make sure that visitors and workers etc are educated properly and understand the history, reason etc of the zoo. The jobs to do with education are: Teaching Campaigns Signage and Interpretation Outreach Research The qualifications needed for this are: GCSEs A Levels Relevant degrees Teaching Experience There are also other staffs that work at the zoo. These arent as important as the animal keepers etc. These include: Food and Beverage Gift shop workers Visitor services The qualifications are: GCSEs A Levels Experience Examples of a range of jobs used in the organisation and the roles and responsibilities of those employees, you should also identify any scientific qualifications required for the jobs / how science is used Job Role Responsibilities Qualifications needed How science is used Education Officer An education officer supports the education department, provides high standard services for groups of students and children visiting the zoo. Preparation of talks for groups of students. Delivering talks Keeping education buildings tidy Marketing the zoos education services Graduate in a zoo related subject Preferably PGCE qualified Experience in teaching Excellent presentation skills Science is used in this because you have to know all about the animals so you can teach people about them. Catering manager To ensure that the catering department delivers a cost effective service to the zoo. Motivate and manage staff Recruitment, training, development Maintain health, safety, hygiene Experience in budget setting and management Experienced in managing IT Literate Biology is used for cooking. Ranger Being a key member of the team offering each member of the public their first impression of the zoo. Communicating with the public and welcoming them. Working on a few areas of visitor services. Help with car parking, gift aid, pay booth, information centre. -Litter picking, cleaning etc. Good customer care skills, polite, friendly, helpful. Punctual Qualifications arent essential. Science isnt really that important in this job, but you will need to know about the animals if the visitors ask anything. Animal keeper (Grade 1) To assist with the animal keeping on their section, so that it is carried out to the standards on a day-to-day basis. Animals: -Prepare and distribute food and water correctly. -Know the animals, check, observe them. Enclosures: -Keep to standards of hygiene, cleanness. -Maintain security Staff: Assist with training Know the animals dietary requirements Follows the zoos health and safety instructions Had training and experience Science is used because you need to know everything about the animals, what they eat and understand and identify their behaviour etc. Gardener Maintenance operative To assist in the upkeep and planting of the zoos grounds and displays. Also, assist with the general maintenance. -Mowing lawns -Digging ground -Planting -General maintenance of grounds display Driving transport -Physically fit, active Work experience as a labourer or gardener Science isnt really used with this job. Vet To help the zoo with the everyday care of animals. Be on hand to assist anything that they are needed for. Treat the animals when needed. Always on hand to help when there is a problem Care and look after the animals to make sure they are healthy. If they need treating to treat them in the correct way. Vaccinations etc. -Biology A Level, as well as one or two from Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Grades at A Level, two As and a B, or, in some cases, three As Alternatively, a distinction in BTEC Diploma in Animal Science. -Biology Example of how changing scientific ideas affect the processes used within the company. When scientific things are changed that are to do with the zoo, the zoo have to adapt to the changes and make sure that they are up to date with all of the latest ideas and changes within science, like better equipment and materials etc. Things have to change in the zoo when scientific ideas change. The ethics of the zoo has changed along the years as there are more scientific ideas being founded, from exhibition to now it is education and conservation. The enclosure designs also change with scientific ideas also. Before new materials were developed, the zoo enclosures were wired fences with not much to play with and not that great security, also it wasnt very nice for the animals as they felt like they were trapped in cages and visitors werent happy to see the animals in cages, so they had to change how they were designed with scientific ideas. Now there are thick glass walls around the animals enclosure, this is better for the animal because they dont feel as caged in and it is easier for visitors to view the animals and it is a more natural and earthly place for the animals to live in. They also have changed the materials in the zoos so that the animals are a lot safer with what they are living in and playing with etc. For example, the playground equipment that the gorillas have used to be unsafe and unsteady with the materials that were used before, and they may not even have had anything to play on because it was unsafe and the y didnt have the correct materials. Now, they have strong wood play equipment that is safe for the animal to sit and play on. There are a lot of changes of how the staffs work with day to day work due to the research that is done. They do different things to what they did before new research and scientific research was done. Also, the zoo is a lot more environmentally friendly than it used to be because of the world changing because of scientific things that are happening in the world, they join up with everyone else with recycling and re-using things. How ICT is used in the company: ICT is used in the zoo because they have to do some work with ICT and computers to understand their animals and keep records on them etc. The zoo has to keep records on every single animal to make sure that nothing goes wrong and they are not fed or gave medication twice for example. They have to keep animal records on everything about the animal and what they eat, how they need to be given it. Also, with the active breeding programme they have to make sure that they put into records about the animals breeding. The zoo do this because if anything went wrong with the zoo or there are new staff being employed, and if the zoo goes under new management etc they have under records everything about the animals and what is going on with them, this is to make sure that they have proof of what they are doing and have done. They also have staff records at the zoo to see the record on staff, so that other staff and managers etc can see what is going on and the comments or qualifications etc are up to standards and that they are doing their job properly and they dont have any records on the CRB. The zoo also does the pay roll using ICT. This is easier so they have all of the pay rolls and records on the computer and dont get confused with them. Also, it is easier to print off and get all of the pay rolls right for every staff worker. The zoo also uses ICT for pay rolls are that it is easy to update and change. The zoo has partnership with many other zoos in the world, so they used ICT to communicate with other zoos for research, help or to do with the animals. This is easier, and much cheaper to keep in contact with them over the internet, emails etc than phone calling abroad into other countries which will cost a lot more. Also, the zoo has a website so they need to keep that up to date and running. Rules and regulations that the company has to adhere to: Twycross zoo has several rules and regulations that they have to stick to and go along with. Every company has rules and regulations that they must stick to and keep in line with the law, if they dont they are breaking the law and could in fact have their company shut down. There is a lot of rules and regulations for Twycross zoo as they have to stick to them strictly to make sure that the animals are as safe as they can be in their home, and also that the visitors and staff are safe. The zoo has to stick to the rules and regulations of the The Provision of Services Regulations. There are lots of different parts to this that the zoo has to stick to, the part of the provision they have to stick to is called the Secretary of states standards of modern zoo practice. The provision of food and water regulation states that the food must be presented in an appropriate manner, it must be of nutritive value, good quantity and quality. That the animals must have fresh, clean drinking water and it must be available to them at all times. It also states that supplies of food and drink should be kept and prepared under hygienic conditions. The provision of a suitable environment states that the temperature, ventilation, lighting and noise levels in the enclosures must be suitable for an animal. That the animals in outdoor enclosures must be provided with shelter. Also, that the enclosures and barriers must be in good condition and not be any harm to animals, for example they must not have barriers where the animal could get out, or get hurt or stuck in it. Provision of animal health care states that the zoo has to do routine observation, which means that the animals should be checked at least twice a day by the person that is in charge of that section on that day, and that if they are any cause for concerned they need to be checked by a proper professional immediately. They also have to keep a daily record on that animal. It also states that they have to check the enclosures closely also. They must be a size and design and suitable for the animal to live in. Also, they must not put animals that dont get on or are not the same species into the same enclosure. Keepers must also check the plants and trees in the enclosures to make sure they cannot injure the animal in any way at all. Also, there must be a distance between the barriers and enclosures, and also a distance between the visitors in case of the spread of disease. The provision of opportunity to express most normal behaviour states that the animals should always be allowed the opportunity to express the behaviour that they would like to do and in any way that they would like to, which is suitable. The provision of protection from fear and distress states that animals must be handled and looked after by qualified and experienced staff, it must be done with care to make sure that the animals are protected. It also states that animals must under any circumstances be provoked for the benefit of the public. If the animal was to interact in a stressful way, they must not be approached or looked at closely. If the animal is pregnant with young children, they should be put in a quiet area to minimise stress. The secretary of states standards of modern zoo practice also covers a lot more things that are to do with the zoo. It covers transportation, so that the zoo has to ensure that when the animals are being transported they are always safe and looked after properly and not getting aggravated. It also ensures that the zoo has a lot of public safety and that they make sure they stick to the rules to keep everybody safe. Also, they have to ensure that staff has training and are fully qualified and experienced with doing what they are doing and ready for things that could happen. What are risk assessments? Who creates them and how are they used: A risk assessment is a careful examination of what in your company could cause harm to people or animals. They are used in all businesses and organisations and are there to predict and limit the hazards that could happen in your workplace or in Twycross zoos place the home of animals. With risk assessments you can see whether you have taken enough precautions and predictions to make sure that the company is trying its hardest to make sure staff, visitors and animals are protected the best that they can. All zoos and wildlife parks legally have to perform risk assessments. They are made by the selected persons that have been asked to make a risk assessment. For example, they could ask the zoo keeper to make one as they know the things that could go wrong and work with the animals, public, and other staff and also in the enclosures so they can predict what could happen. A higher member of staff could also make the risk assessments to what they think could go wrong, or the more predicta ble risk assessments that they know. 1011 Lost them, need doing again.  Ã…’ What kite marks are and what they represent: The Kitemark symbolises quality and safety to people and also businesses, it is a registered trademark of the British standards institution. It is a mark of excellent assurance and visible evidence that the product conforms to certain guidelines; also it shows that the product or business has gone through testing to make sure it is appropriate for the purpose. For the business or product in question to gain a kite mark they have to go through several stages of testing to make sure that the product or business is a 100% safe for the consumer or visitor to feel safe in using the product or attending the business. The Kitemark is trusted and recognised by more than 88% of the population and of those who recognised the Kitemark claimed that products with a Kitemark were 93% safer and 91% felt that it would be better quality and purpose. Around the zoo there are many products and places that will have the Kitemark symbol on it. For example, there should be a Kitemark on most of the glass windows you see around the zoo, or even on a fire extinguisher in the enclosures, or in the zoo shop it will have it on near enough ever souvenir that you can buy in there. Kitemarks are important to customers because they feel like they have trust in knowing that the product or place that they are buying or visiting has been tested and is of the highest safety and qualify that it can be. They have trust in the product or business because it is well known and they know that it takes work to have a Kitemark so the product or business must be safe enough. Impacts on the local community: The demands made on transport and communications systems: The zoo affects the local community, with people visiting the zoo daily the visitors and also the staff have to go through the local village to get to Twycross zoo. At peak season, there are many more visitors than other times of the year and this is going to cause more cars and coaches etc visiting the zoo. This could cause some hassle in the community as the roads arent big enough for big coaches and lots of traffic to go through and build up, so traffic problems on the way to the zoo can cause a major problem for the community. Also, with so much traffic going through the local village there is going to be a lot more pollution and noise than the community are used to. The zoo has made some changes so that they are putting less stress on the community. They have changed the entrance to get the traffic off the roads quicker and the majority queuing is on the campus of Twycross zoo. Waste management: Twycross zoo produce a lot of waste daily. They are trying their best to reduce their footprint as much as they can. They are reducing their contribution to waste landfill by recycling as much as they can, and also trying to reduce the waste that they produce with things that arent needed. For example, most of the paper that the zoo uses is shredded and used as animal bedding. This is a good idea because you are not wasting paper and re-using it with something that is essential to the animals. With the animal waste, the animals produce near enough 800 tonnes of poo a day! This means that they have a lot of poo to get rid of and they have to do it environmentally. They have invested in an in-vessel composting system. It works by putting the poo, shredded paper, straw, sawdust and garden waste into the machine, and it grinds the compost down and heats it up to 60 degrees. The reason for heating the compost is to get rid of all of the bacteria and germs. It generates sterilized compost in around 15 days. They are also doing their best to reduce the electricity that they need by using as many energy efficient products as they can. For example, using energy saving light bulbs. They are also reducing the effect they have on the water system by creating their own environmentally friendly water filtration system. Here is a flow chart that describes what the zoo does with their animal waste: Economy: Twycross zoo also helps the economy by providing jobs for people that need work and that is helping society by producing more jobs so that less people are unemployed. Also, that the shops around the zoo could benefit from Twycross zoo being in the village that is in because visitors could go into the local village and buy things from the shops which is more profit and customers for the shop. Community involvement: The zoo does a pretty good job of involving the community in what they do. They do this by holding events organised and held by the zoo itself to involve the community. Also, they do talks and educate the community in what they do at the zoo and everything that they would like to know to involve them a lot more. You can join the zoo as a member, this will give you certain advantages to the zoo for example you can get cheaper entry. Also, you can adopt an animal at the zoo. This can be a fun thing to do for children and involve the public in with the animals and the zoo. Energy consumption: The zoo tries their best to reduce the amount of energy that they consume. They do this by using energy efficient appliances such as energy efficient light bulbs and heating. They also have under floor heating and this saves energy because less heat is being wasted and also they are more efficient than radiators. Also, with the new buildings that are being built they make sure that they build them with more energy efficient things in their building. For example they put more insulation and under floor heating in the new buildings to try and save as much energy as they can. The zoo also now use glass in the enclosures instead of cages. This is a great way to keep heat and energy in as is keep more heat in than a cage.

Finding One’s Authentic Identity Essay -- Psychology

Deep inside all of us, we know there is someone who we were born as, grow up as, and will die as. We can feel when we are being true to ourselves, and conversely we can feel when we are pretending to be something other than our individual selves. However, many people spend a lifetime searching to find exactly who this person is, and how to be this person all the time. However, it is difficult to determine how much of our identity is a non-changeable permanent part of ourselves, and how much has been cast over us like a cloak via external influences including culture, religion, disabilities, family, friends, pop culture, and the media. These perceptions, assumptions, and roles inevitably affect how we develop as people, and often cloud our authentic identities. Unfortunately, many people look to others to define themselves. This often results in being placed in roles we cannot excel in (Kubler-Ross & Kessler). These days, when surgery can alter everything from gender and body shape to face image and height, we feel as if we can change our inner identity. Books and self-help workshops have become very popular as people embark on lifelong journeys of personal growth. People are no longer comfortable to stay within fixed roles as perhaps our parents and grandparents once did, suggesting that we now have a greater choice over our identities than before. In Philippine culture, the family is the basic unit of society. Personally, my culture has greatly shaped my personal identity because I am a small part of something much greater than myself. In a traditional Filipino family, the father is considered the head of the family and is â€Å"viewed as the provider of the family† (Enriquez). On the other hand, the mother is responsible for domes... ...Disabled People: Issues for Discussion." World Rehabilitation Fund. (1980): n. page. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. . 4. Funk, Robert. Disability rights: from caste to class in the context of civil rights. New York: Praeger, 1987. 7-30. Web. 5. Kitchen, Rob. 'Out of Place', 'Knowing One's Place': Space, power and the exclusion of disabled people. 3. 13. 1998. 343-356. Web. 6. Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth, and David Kessler. Life Lessons. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print. 7. Saroca, Cleonicki. "Filipino Women, Migration, and Violence in Australia: Lived Reality and Media Image." Kasarinlan: Philippine Journal of Third World Studies. 21.1 (2006): n. page. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. .

Juliet’s speech in Act 4, Scene 3 Essay

Juliet’s speech in Act 4, Scene 3, filled with much classic Shakesperean imagery, is a turning point in the play for Juliet in which she wrestles with the conflicts in her life and then ultimately comes to a decision. It encompasses all the major themes in the play and many ideas all come together for the first time in this passage. First of all, this soliloquy deals with fear, of what will happen if she takes the potion and of what will happen if she doesn’t. Secondly, it concerns time, specifically the recurring night and darkness motif. Thirdly, it discusses love and death, the two major contrasting themes. Lastly, it introduces or reintroduces other opposites, such as reality versus appearance, which was the major metaphor in Juliet’s earlier speech. If one had to summarize this speech in just a few words, one would say it was an inner monologue about fear, in which Juliet worries about all the possible problems that could befall her. When she says â€Å"I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins, that almost freezes up the heat of life†, she is saying that she has a bad feeling something unfortunate is going to happen that may result in death. She even says, â€Å"God knows when we shall meet again† which shows that she isn’t sure what terrible consequences there may be from drinking the potion. Initially she worries â€Å"What if it do not work at all?† and that she’ll have to â€Å"be married then to-morrow morning† with Paris. Then, she becomes afraid that it’s a poison, which the friar â€Å"subtly hath minister’d to have me dead† so that he should not be punished for marrying her to Romeo. Next, she fears that she should awaken before Romeo arrives. Here, she imagines herself â€Å"stifled in the vault†, in other words that she dies suffocated because there is no â€Å"healthsome air†, or scared to death because of â€Å"the terror of the place†, and being â€Å"packed† amidst â€Å"the bones of all my buried ancestors†, including Tybalt. After that, she envisions the spirits she has heard stories about coming out to haunt her at the graveyard. Lastly, she worries she’s going to go crazy and, in her madness, kill herself. This is obviously foreshadowing, particularly in the lines â€Å"if I wake, shall I not be distraught†, since when she does wake, she finds Romeo’s dead body, and in the lines â€Å"dash out my desperate brains†, which represents that she is going to commit suicide. Clearly, fear is present throughout the entire speech until she gets carried away enough  to dare to drink the potion. Another recurring theme in this speech, which comes up again and again in the play, is night. The line â€Å"the horrible conceit of death and night† is very important as it ties together for the first time the two principal antitheses in the play, life and death and day and night. Here she is saying that if it is completely dark, she will be scared to death and therefore to lie there in the darkness of the vault is to be as good as dead. Before, darkness meant Romeo could be hidden by the night so he could go see Juliet and was therefore ironically associated with good things while light and the day brought them separation and troubles and was therefore associated with bad things. However, now the night represents for Juliet what it usually does for us, which is darkness, misery and death. Later, Shakespeare returns to the ironic implications of night as brighter times as it is during the night that Juliet is safe and things go according to plan, whereas the minute dawn breaks, confusion reigns again and the lovers take their lives. The night-related imagery is used here to paint a dark and gloomy picture of the tomb to make Juliet seem even more courageous and thus for the audience to sympathize with her. Love and death are two of the major themes throughout the play, which in a way contrast one another and in a way are dependent on one another. The entire speech is about Juliet questioning her love for Romeo and whether she is willing to sacrifice her life to remain true to her love. She contrasts what will happen if she doesn’t drink the potion and has to marry Paris, with the prospect of death if she does drink it. After listing all the possible disasters that could befall her as a result of drinking the liquor, she ends with â€Å"Romeo, Romeo, Romeo, here’s drink! I drink to thee!†. This tells us that to Juliet, marrying Paris is a fate worse than death and that she is willing to risk her life for Romeo. So, her love toward him is both a savior as that is what motivated her to drink the potion and escape her doom but it is also her ruin as their adoration for each other is what kills them both in the end. Another way to say this is that risking death will bring her love but death itself will take him away. Throughout this entire passage, there is this ominous threat of death, foreshadowing the outcome of  the play. Specifically, the phrases â€Å"God knows when we shall meet again†, â€Å"freezes up the heat of life†, â€Å"if I wake, shall I not be distraught† and â€Å"dash out my desperate brains† all hint at what will happen and tell us that Juliet had made up her mind and is willing to die for Romeo. This speech incorporates many opposites or antitheses that Shakespeare employs constantly in this drama. Some of these are in the concrete language such as the contrast at the beginning of this speech between hot and cold. The simile â€Å"I have a faint cold fear†¦that almost freezes up the heat of life† is very poetic and clever because life represents the warmth and passion between the two lovers, their â€Å"heat† and her fear is of death, which turns a body cold. Another example of opposites is when Juliet questions whether the potion is a poison or an antidote to her troubles. There are also metaphorical opposites, below the surface of the text, such as reality versus appearance. The main subject of this extract is the false death, which makes her seem dead but she is really alive. Later, the word â€Å"act† on line 19 also ties in to this symbol as it relates to theatricality and pretending to be someone or something that you are not. Clearly, opposites are very important in this passage because during the entire speech, Juliet is weighing her possibilities and asking herself what will happen if she does drink it and what will happen if she doesn’t. Inside, she is comparing what her life will be like with Paris and what her life will be like with Romeo. This speech is, I believe, an extremely important one in the play. It is truly the moment where what has happened and what will happen come together in Juliet’s decision that she would sacrifice herself out of love for Romeo. Parallel to that coming together in the plot is an assemblage of many images that have been used previously. It is also important because it is in my opinion the moment that Juliet enters into adulthood. In the lines â€Å"I needs must act alone†, Juliet is finally ready to leave the comfort of being a child and make her own choices in life. Her fears are natural; everyone fears change, the unfamiliar, and so, part of Juliet’s worries in this speech are those of having to move on and make her own way for herself in a world full of hardships and obstacles. In the end, she takes comfort in  Romeo, whom she expects to be there when she awakens, and drinks to him. Throughout the speech, beautiful imagery is used and the five senses are incorpo rated to make the scene come to life in order for the audience to sympathize with the lovers before their tragic deaths.

Man’s Best Friend

The dog, or man’s best friend as we call them, is an animal that turns out we can comprehend much better than we think. Their behavior actually isn’t too different from our own, since for both humans and dogs, emotion causes our certain behaviors. Although technically speaking, there is no exact way to tell if a dog tends to feel emotion or not, but with a bit of common sense and observation, the majority of people agree that animals do have feelings and scientists are even accepting the idea. Jennifer Arnold, a service dog trainer, has experienced watching a dog become depressed, angry, and even embarrassed.As she states, â€Å"time has taught me that dogs, like humans, are emotional creatures. Just watch a dog whose beloved owner returns home from a trip – the dog jumps for joy. † (Arnold, Jennifer. Through a Dog's Eyes. 2010. ) Any dog who loves their owner would do that, which is enough proof to show that the dog is feeling an emotion: happiness. Studi es even show that it seems to be that a dog will behave a certain way depending on their owner’s emotion, as if they can somehow sense or understand what we feel. Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, also agreed with those who believed animals have emotions.In his book, â€Å"The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals,† he records every expressive movement he observed in animals. For almost every observation, it included the entire appearance of the face and the appearance of the dog’s tail, which seemed to reflect what emotion the dog was feeling. For example, Darwin noticed that when dogs want attention they tend to rub against or lick their owners, they slightly wag their tail, and also lower their ears to exclude any noise and concentrate on only their owner’s affection.As I mentioned in the last paragraph, emotion was one thing that changed animal behavior. Not only does the aging process affect the physical appearances of an individual, but it also affects people and dogs mentally. Like humans, dogs age too and the older they become they begin acting and feeling like their age. As a child, everyone is always so full of energy and as we get older we seem to get lazier and loss interest in everything around us; well the same goes for dogs. Some of us become handicapped, lose hair, and our senses just become weaker.The aging process does not affect all dogs though, for there have been dogs at ten years of age who have not had any physical or mental incapacitation, while others suffer internal organ failure, failing senses, or orthopedic problems. It mainly depends on dog breeds, health, and simply just luck. It turns out that dogs are the most common victims of animal cruelty, with the percentage of 64. 5%. (â€Å"Animal Cruelty† Most Common Victims. 2. Humanesociety. org accessed October 15, 2012). Animal cruelty, both physical abuse and neglect, is a huge factor that changes dog’s behavior.It also reflect s back on the topic of emotion, since neglecting dogs can cause extreme sadness or depression (which affects their behavior). Three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized, or killed, every year and five to seven million are usually put in animal shelters. (Sutherlin, Emily. â€Å"Animal Cruelty: Facts, Prevention, Statistics, and Action. † 1. Nowpublic. com accessed October 15, 2012). These numbers are due to the overpopulation of pets in America. Only 10% of dogs in shelters are spayed/neutered, which causes female dogs to produce puppies and lead to more dogs in shelters.Most of these dogs in shelters aren’t adopted because caring for a dog is just too much responsibility. The average cost of basic necessities for dogs (food, medical supply, training, etc. ) is around six hundred to nine hundred dollars a year and because of these high prices, people are practically forced to return their dog to a shelter. (ASPCA, â€Å"Pet Statistics. † Last modified 20 10. Accessed October 29, 2012. aspca. org). Having those dogs in shelters is abuse, because they have them locked up in cages, and with so many dogs to watch not all of them get the amount of attention that is necessary.There are many other types of abuse that people might not even consider as neglect. Emaciation, obesity, dehydration, cuts, bruises, burns, lack of grooming, parasite infestations, abnormal urination, and defecation are all signs of neglect (Sutton, Emma Riley Sutton, eHow contributor, â€Å"Signs of Neglect in Dogs. † Accessed October 14, 2012. www. eHow. com). If you see dogs with these symptoms, they have most likely been abused by their owners. When dogs are abused it can affect them both physically and mentally.Those symptoms include: submissive urinating, hand-shyness, cowering, mistrust, social withdrawal, depression, aggression, and even separation anxiety with a new owner (Bettmann, Theresa Bettmann, eHow contributor, â€Å"Mental Effects of Abuse on a Dog. † Accessed October 14, 2012. www. eHow. com). Communication, another way of changing behavior, is the way people express each other’s thoughts, feelings, and information to one another and comprehending it easily. As Debra Horwitz say, â€Å"Communication is a behavior. † (Kesling, Joyce. CDBC, â€Å"Canine Communication. † Last modified 2005.Accessed October 29, 2012. Responsibledog. net). We humans all speak, although not all of us understand each other because different cultures speak different languages (Spanish, English, French, etc. ). Animals have their own system of communication, or it can be thought of as them having their own language. Communication allows us to understand what others are saying. Without knowing, there is a sense of panic and vulnerability because you have no idea what is going on around you and going back to the previous paragraphs, feeling a certain way causes a certain behavior.Through research I found that there are three components to communication: 1) the person sending the message, 2) the person receiving the message, and 3) the communication signal (Kesling, Joyce. CDBC, â€Å"Canine Communication. † Last modified 2005. Accessed October 29, 2012. Responsibledog. net). So, when an owner and dog cannot communicate it is difficult to know why your dog is acting a certain way. For example, if a dog starts whimpering or yelping, it could be trying to tell us it is in pain or distress.If a dog starts growling, it can be taken as threat, unless it is a playful growl. Dogs also use their body postures as a form of communication, also known as communicating visually. (Kesling, Joyce. CDBC, â€Å"Canine Communication. † Last modified 2005. Accessed October 29, 2012. Responsibledog. net). For example, when a dog has their ears flattened back and has their tail lowered in between their legs, that shows they are frightened. Along with humans, our body language is also a way that allows us to communicate with other people.If a student is sitting straight, has their eyes on the board, and is taking notes it sends a message to the teacher that the student is paying attention. There are also other types of communication between humans, which would be formal (where most people use a type of business or corporation speaking format) and informal (which is where people have more unrestrained conversations); and although it isn’t completely discovered yet, there might be the possibility of different types of communication between dogs, since there are several different barks, howls, and growls made among the conversation of a group of dogs.Although there are several differences between us and dogs, there also seems to be a great amount of similarities that can help us figure out more about domesticated animals. As you can see, emotions, aging, and communication are all prime examples. Scientists have a hard time telling why animals behave a certain way because we canno t just simply go up to a dog and ask them due to lack of communication.But, little by little we get closer to this information through assumption, common sense, and observation because even though we are not a hundred percent sure, the explanation is pretty clear. The dog is not as much of a complex animal as we thought. In fact, it seems to me that the dog is the one animal that we understand the most, but the one animal we have so much more to learn about. After all, a man’s best friend should be someone we truly know about.