A Simple Definition of Art Essay -- Expository Definition Essays

A Simple Definition of Art Art can be defined in many ways by an individual. One can say that any creative output by a person is considered art. Others contend that art must conform to a societal standard and the basis of the creation should be understood by most intellectual people. For example, some contend that computer-generated images, such as fractals, are not art due to the large role played by a computer. E.O. Wilson states â€Å"the exclusive role of the arts is to intensify aesthetic and emotional response. Works of art communicate feeling directly from mind to mind, with no intent to explain why the impact occurs† (218). A simple definition may be that art is the physical expression of the ideals formed by the mind. The mind creates the emotions and ideals responsible for art. The brain is capable of imagining glorious things, and art is the physical manifestation of these ideals. These ideals are usually intense emotions with aesthetic power (Wilson, 220). Art organizes these emotions in a matter that can easily express the ideals to...

Android Technology Essay

Android technology is a type of OSS (open source software), which is a type of software readily available with a source code that isn’t held exclusive by copyright laws. Android is made specially for mobile devices and includes: software that provides common services for computer applications, middleware, which lets multiple applications run at the same time or connect, and many other key applications like social networking, games, and business modules. Android is modeled after Linux kernel, the first operating system of free and open-source software. However, Android is moving to increase the number of people with web access via mobile devices (cell phones). In August of 2005, Google purchased the original software developer of Android. Android technology includes the hardware devices, operating systems, and computer-programming languages used by the Android phone. Android developers write in java language, which is why the majority of the open-source software stack consists of Java applications on a Java-based framework that is object-oriented. Some of the most popular android products are HTC-EVO 4G and Droid X, 2, and Pro smart phones as well as one of it’s latest developments, the Motorola XOOM, an Android tablet. Android continues to progress in its production of newer software, smart phones, etc. To date, there are over two hundred thousand applications offered for Android. Lastly, Android technology has improved mobile technology by forming the Open Handset Alliance, a group of handset manufacturers, service providers, and chip producers whose goal is to form the ecosystem for Android operating systems. Android technology hosts a number of potential benefits to possible consumers. Android is powered by open-source software stack, which means it is free to obtain and can be accessed from the Internet. In fact, Google has out sourced codes of Android technology on the web to be trialed. It safe to say that Google sees an importance in the customers familiarizing themselves with the product before purchasing say a smart phone, tablet, etc. that comes equip with Android technology. In saying this, it would be incorrect to say that Android manufacturers don’t believe in customer service. Another, benefit of Android is its push to increase the number of people with mobile web access. A benefit of mobile access to the web relieves the hassle of trying to find a desktop or waiting until one gets home to check emails, Google groups, social networking sites that hold important information, etc. Android Technology is provided in a wide array of products, such as the Motorola Droid X. More specifically, benefits of Droid X are perks like: its 4. 3 inch vivid display allowing for pocket-sized home theater quality, the ability to control your home’s Frontpoint security system, an advanced 8 mega-pixel camera with dual flash that captures pictures and records HD videos, and an HDMI output that is capable of connecting to your home HD television to view your HD videos. Ultimately, each product carrying Android technology has it’s own little perks whether that’s software, elongated battery life, etc. The potential benefits of this kind of technology outweigh any potential pitfalls. According to Marguerite Reardon in her CNET news article Living with Technology: Google Android and the Wireless Future, â€Å"much of the software’s success will be determined by what others in the ecosystem choose to do with it† (Reardon 1). This means benefits can be endless, because with android technology you get what you put in, as cliche as that sounds, the more applications you add to your device the more sufficient you and your mobile device will be. Like all other advancements in technology, Android technology is a modification of what came before it (Linux kernel). Due to nature of it being a new and exciting type of technology, people have begun to voice perspective on legal, social, ethical, and security conditions of products including the software. First, to clear up any confusion Google only has rights to the software or operating system; it is not there job to supply the build or make devices. Rights to manufacture phones/smart phones and other devices using Android operating systems powered by Google are companies like LG, HTC, Samsung, and Motorola. Also, service providers like Verizon and T-Mobile only provide cell phone service; they don’t manufacture the phones or write the software that is put into them. This is something that catches people off guard when they see these devices being sold at local Verizon and T-Mobile stores. The main determinant of social perspectives is feedback whether that’s in the form of a review or letter. Mobile technology specialist Ian Fogg had this to say, â€Å"Android offers some key advantages. Handset manufacturers can get a leg up, a quicker start, because they’re using Android as a base, they can still differentiate with software, and they get the advantage of having compatibility with all the applications out in the Android marketplace. † The idea of taking something like a cellular phone and inserting Android technology exponential improves the user’s capability to interact with others based on a number of different applications and simply by mobilizing web access. Opinions of Ethical standards in terms of Android technology go hand in hand with opinions of its security policies. First, in order to activate the software you must purchase a data plan, which is billed monthly in addition to the total cost of the device itself. This rules out the obsoleteness of the software, because although it is freely obtainable it is not in free and workable condition without a data plan. This is a feature of Android technology that society rewards; being able to main exclusivity underlines the importance, safety, and integrity of the company. Also, in terms of perspectives on ethics and security, phones have in put GPS devices that signal where the phone is, if it is ever to lost or stolen. Lastly, ethics are built on societal needs and coming through with them. One of the many pre-installed application that comes with an Android device is an application called â€Å"places†. This application allows people to locate necessary â€Å"places†: gas stations, ATM’s, and dining facilities in their vicinity with just the touch of a button. One of the biggest obstacles that caused a minor setback for Google’s Android during the beginning of its expansion was its absence of Bluetooth API (application programming interface). Ken Dulaney, a Gartner analyst, pointed out that although there was no Bluetooth API, â€Å"Android’s partial support for headsets would alleviate some concernsâ€Å" (Ruffolo 1). However, it didn’t take away all potential problems. Dulaney continued by saying, â€Å"one of the major side effects of the missing Bluetooth API – and of the open source platform in general – is that the Android-based handhelds will suffer from serious fragmentation across the various vendors using the platform, [ultimately] complicat[ing] the development process† (Ruffolo 1). Yet, these weren’t obstacles that couldn’t have been overcome. The author talks about how even Apple had problems with the iPhone in its manufacturing stages; all that was needed was time for developers to grow and their product to further mature. Android technology is a open-source software that has created numerous possibilities with its many potential benefits such as: applications, mobile web access, and growing popularity/dependability. It has received positive feedback from the public in terms of applications and software that apply to legal, social, ethical, and security perspectives. Lastly, although it is apparent that minor set backs have occurred in the developing of products with Android technology, time will allow them to grow and improve from stages of experimentation.

Giant Foods Case Analysis

This case involves convergent technologies, a blending of traditional and cutting-edge business models and an alliance between an established pharmaceutical provider and a fledgling, Information Technology based, Drug marketing firm. Together, these two companies endeavored to create a patient education and prescription drug compliance program by deploying the deep well of customer data acquired by Giant Foods and the proprietary software of Elensys Care services, Inc. Elensys uses information from Giants pharmacy to send personalized letters, written on pharmacy letterhead but often paid for by pharmaceutical companies, that remind customers to refill prescriptions and pitch new products to customers with particular ailments. Giant first tested the feasibility of running a drug compliance program in-house but quickly determined that its’ Information System requirements were too overwhelming and decided to outsource the program to Elensys. However, the backlash to this new initiative was negative and strong as dozens of angry customers called officials at Giant to complain. Privacy specialists said the practice raised new questions about patient confidentiality and also blurs the line between medicine and marketing. â€Å"People assume that their medical information, including prescription information, is held in the strictest confidence,† said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer group in San Diego. â€Å"When that information is shared with a third party, they're surprised and outraged. This case exemplifies the privacy issues surrounding Giant Food's decision to outsource a prescription drug compliance program to Elensys. Ignoring for a moment the underlying profit motive of this program, approximately half of all patients stop taking their medication within the first six months of being prescribed, compliance programs remind patients to refill their prescriptions and help address a major public health issue. However, these programs also raise privacy issues because they involve the use of sensitive personal information. This case provides business and law students, firms and legislators with an opportunity to assess the privacy issues raised by this situation. The case also provides an opportunity for firms to deal with the challenges of developing a privacy sensitive implementation strategy and CRM programs in general. Background: Giant Foods, Inc. Beginning in February of 1936, Giant Foods was brought to life by N. M. Cohen and Samuel Lehrman. Using the business model of offering a large, self-service grocery store with revenue based on high volume and low prices, the store was an instant success. An innovator from the very start, Giant Foods was the first to install front-end scanners in all its stores, market a private label house brand and the first to hire a consumer advocate to promote its products. Much of the success that Giant has earned is due to technology, innovation and well planned vertical integration. Giant presently operates its own bakery, dairy and soft drink firm. Giant also builds its own stores, produces its commercials and advertising in-house and even makes its own signs. This vertical integration strategy has been highly successful in the food-pharmacy combination with which Giant helped to pioneer. The fact that each Giant pharmacy fills over 1,000 prescriptions per week suggests that this is a profitable tactic and highly regarded by its customers. Elensys: Elensys began its business life in 1993, in Burlington Massachusetts. Its business model was one of an IT enabled information system built as a â€Å"prescription compliance† program between consumers and Pharmacists. Elensys, whose name comes from an ancient Greek city known for medicine and health, was a â€Å"first mover† in this area and, due to strong network effects, was able to reach a critical mass within three years. Initially, Elensys started with four employees and served two local pharmacies. Presently, Elensys receives prescription information from 15,000 pharmacies about millions of people every week, and it uses proprietary, cutting-edge computer equipment to keep track of these records, according to Elensys founder Dan Rubin. In an Internet post, Elensys describes itself as â€Å"the leader in patient behavior modification programs. † Interest in the company has soared, in part because so many people fail to take medicine properly and most chains don't have the technical wherewithal to track customers as precisely as Elensys, Rubin said. Up to half of all patients who should routinely take medicine for such ailments as hypertension or high cholesterol quit prematurely, he said. â€Å"It's the primary reason for our existence. † Much of the cost of the analysis and mailings is offset by payments from drug manufacturers, who contract with pharmacies for the right to mail information to individual customers. Among other things, Rubin said, that material could include suggestions that customers switch from one drug to another. In addition to the customer backlash from this program, many legal issues become prescient due to the ill-defined nature of privacy laws. In a marketing practice that some experts say raises new questions about medical privacy, several large drug store chains and â€Å"thousands† of independent pharmacies have been providing confidential patient information to a Massachusetts database company that profiles and targets patients who don't refill prescriptions. The Washington Post reports Elensys receives prescription information on millions of individuals from 15,000 pharmacies each week, using â€Å"some of the most sophisticated computer equipment available† to profile patients and send them â€Å"educational materials† about drugs available for their conditions. Dr.  George Lundberg, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, called the direct marketing tactics, known as â€Å"drug compliance programs,† a â€Å"breach of fundamental medical ethical issues. † He said, â€Å"Do you want †¦ the great computer in the sky to have a computer list of every drug you take, from which can be deduced your likely diseases — and all without your permission? † Elensys describes itself in an Internet posting as â€Å"the leader in patient behavior modification programs† The Boston Globe reported that â€Å"Giant Foods said yesterday it is considering suspending† the practice of sending confidential information to Elensys. Stung by disclosures in the Washington Post, Giant Foods held high-level meetings all day before issuing a statement defending the program and asserting extensive measures were taken to protect confidentiality. † The statement said, â€Å"Giant pharmacies engages in a limited number of programs designed to educate customers about prescription therapy and improve compliance with their drug regimen. These programs in no way compromise the confidentiality of patients. † Elensys backed Giant, defending itself in a statement that emphasized it â€Å"merely served as an agent of Giant, and the chain exerted sole control over the use of information. The Washington Post reported Sunday that officials at Giant defended the marketing program, â€Å"saying customers benefit from their reminders and from the information provided by drug manufacturers. Both companies said they value customer privacy and allow customers to remove themselves from participation by submitting an ‘opt-out' form. † A spokesperson for Giant â€Å"stressed that Elensys does not share its prescription database with third parties,† and Elensys President Daniel Rubin â€Å"said drug companies never get access to the pharmacy's files. Instead, pharmaceutical companies decide which patient groups they want to target and pay Elensys and the pharmacies to mail information to those patients. The Washington Post also reports that the direct marketing is â€Å"part of a far-reaching move by drug manufacturers and pharmacies across the country to make greater use of medical information, new technology and sophisticated marketing techniques to sell more drugs. Rather than promoting their products to doctors,† companies are targeting patients in hopes of influencing them to ask for specific prescriptions. The New York Times reports a parallel trend in which the â€Å"pharmaceutical industry is increasingly marketing mental health drugs directly to consumers. † Manufacturers claim the information is useful to patients, while some doctors and patient advocates contend that â€Å"people with certain mental illnesses are much more susceptible to being manipulated than those with other medical problems. † The Times reports that â€Å"in the most aggressive example of approaching patients directly, Eli Lilly & Company said recently that it would offer scholarships to some schizophrenic patients who took Zyprexa, its new antipsychotic drug. Future problems associated with this new marketing ploy include: The melding of the entrepreneurial ethic, where the goal is to sell a product and the more traditional medical ethic, where the goal is the well-being of the patient. The information could be sold to an insurance company that would then refuse to sell the person insurance or charge them a higher premium. This private information could make its way to head-hunting firms, employers and even divorce courts.

Conflict in the Outsider essays

Conflict in the Outsider essays Conflict in the Outsider A Man in Revolt The major source of conflict in the text, The Outsider written by Albert Camus, is ultimately Meursaults rebellion against the expectations of society. This conflict, caused be rebellion, controls the plot line of the text from the time of Meursaults mothers death and eventually leads him to his own death. Like Camus himself, Meursault was in love with the sun and the sea. His life was devoted to appreciating physical sensations. He is devoid of any emotion, so much so as to appear traumatised or child-like. Meursault can be portrayed as Camus metaphysical rebel, a man who says by his actions, I will go this far, but no further. In order to understand Meursaults rebellion one must first understand the nature of his personality as portrayed by Camus. The novel begins with the laconic assertion Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I cant be sure. Meursaults lack of emotion of his mothers death eventually leads to his own. The conflict here is Meursaults refusal to fake sentimentality since he does not feel anything. His mothers death briefly interrupts the pleasant flow of Meursaults life; a life devoted to appreciating sensation. He loves the feel of a crisp towel in the washroom. He enjoys eating, drinking and smoking cigarettes. He loves to watch the sea and the sky. Swimming and making love to beautiful women like Marie are his favourite pastimes, so much so that an offer of a job promotion in Paris does not in the least appeal to him. He loves the feel of a crisp towel in the washroom. He enjoys eating, drinking, and smoking cigarettes. When something bores him or distresses him he simply goes to sl eep, as he does on the bus to his mother's funeral and even in jail. He is a detached observer of life. Symbolic of this quality is the Sunday he spends watching the ebb and flow of life in hi...

The Assassination of Leon Trotsky

The Assassination of Leon Trotsky Leon Trotsky, a leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution, had been one of the possible successors to V. I. Lenin. When Joseph Stalin won the power struggle for Soviet leadership, Trotsky was exiled from the Soviet Union. Exile wasnt enough for Stalin, however, and he sent assassins to kill Trotsky. Trotsky was attacked  on August 20, 1940, by an ice pick; he died a day later. The Assassination of Leon Trotsky Around 5:30 p.m. on August 20, 1940, Leon Trotsky was sitting at his desk in his study, helping Ramon Mercader (known to him as Frank Jackson) edit an article. Mercader waited until Trotsky started to read the article, then snuck up behind Trotsky and slammed a mountaineering ice pick into Trotskys skull. Trotsky fought back and even remained standing long enough to say his murderers name to those coming to his aid. When Trotskys bodyguards found Mercader, they began beating him and only stopped when Trotsky himself said, Dont kill him. He must talk! Trotsky was taken to a local hospital, where the doctors tried to save him by twice operating on his brain. Unfortunately, the damage was too severe. Trotsky died at the hospital on August 21, 1940, just over 25 hours after being attacked. Trotsky was 60 years old. The Assassin Mercader was handed over to the Mexican police and claimed his name was Jacques Mornard (his real identity wasnt discovered until 1953). Mercader was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 20 years in jail. He was released from jail in 1960.

Australian National Fund Raising Organization Association Essay

Australian National Fund Raising Organization Association - Essay Example Our group will use many techniques to raise funds for our events and they will be discussed below. Our group is planning two separate events in order to raise funds. There are two broad segments of the society that can be used to raise funds. One segment consists of adults of over 35 years of age and the other is the younger segment which comprises of young people from ages 16 to 35. Our group is planning to make use of both these segments to raise money for our fundraiser. For adults, we are planning a dinner reception where they will get a chance to socialize. In the dinner, notable members will be given a chance to say something for the cause of poverty. The dinner reception will be formal as its target market is mature adult people who will be willing to spend their money on donations. Another, often neglected in terms of fundraising, the segment of the society that can contribute to charity is the younger generation. Young people can also play a big role in raising money given that fundraising is done keeping in mind their needs. Our group is planning to hold a party for the younger population in order to raise funds for the poor. We will be selling food, drinks, and other items in the party in order to raise funds. Different techniques will be used to raise funds for both the events. Older and younger people have different demands and perceptions, and it is vital to plan fundraisers accordingly in order to raise sufficient amounts of a fund. In the dinner reception funds will be raised by tickets and donations. People will be sold tickets and they will be communicated that the money we get from the tickets will go to the charity. In the dinner reception, we will also ask people to donate money towards the cause. Speeches will be made to motivate them to raise money. In the dinner reception, we will offer people drinks, appetizers, and dinner so that people have enough time to socialize, and we can raise more and more money. Donations will be our main target because most of the money from tickets will be used to cover expenses that will be incurred in arranging for the venue and dinner for guests.  Ã‚  

Gulf War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gulf War - Essay Example Today there are reports that US administration deceived the rest of the world, because the suppressed photographs of Russian network showed that there was absolutely no danger to oil supply by the Iraqi forces. The truth of this statement is yet to be established beyond doubt, although this war became the inception of the present Gulf War. Iraq had the world's 4th largest army with the elite 'Republican Guard'. It was widely assumed that Iraq used chemical weapons against Kurds and Iran. The contagious bacteria connected with the chemical weapons became a threat to the region. Even though now we are in the throws of another Gulf War, it should not be forgotten that the first Gulf War has left behind a trail in the form of Gulf War Syndrome. Most of the forces returned by the spring of 1991 to their home countries with apparent good health, other than the injuries of a few soldiers. Slowly self-reported, real or assumed health symptoms started emerging out. American, Canadian and British soldiers who served in the first Gulf War seemed to have developed certain common ailments after the war, which are generally termed as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). The symptoms are varied, but if looked into, there is a common thread running in all of them. "These veterans "These veterans have been exposed to a variety of damaging or potentially damaging risk factors including environmental adversities, pesticides such as organophosphate chemicals, skin insect repellents, medical agents such as pyridostigmine bromide (NAPS), possible low-levels of chemical warfare agents, and multiple vaccinations in combinations, depleted uranium, and other factors" says a University Neurology Department paper of NHS Glasgow," http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgicmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9638279&dopt=Citation Many researches were conducted, findings of the clinical epidemiological studies were codified and now we have a remarkable knowledge of this syndrome that has bothered soldiers, their families and their physicians for a long time. With every new patient, old records were reviewed diligently. There were many studies that have tried to link them together so that one clear picture could emerge out of the entire problem. Soldiers were exposed to toxins, drugs, environmental hazards and many more risk factors and physicians feel that they have left behind strong negative affects on genetic and biological factors. Many of the researches have tried to find out the far reaching implications, including psychological affects left behind by the war. Some of them have questioned the safety level of the drugs used on soldiers as pain killers, or while treating the wounded soldiers. Some of the reviews have highlighted the importance of a combined approach, psychological as well as clinical while treating the problem. Emerging picture still is confusing and of little cohesion. It is also referred as "Chronic Multisystem Illness" according to Keiji Fukuda, in JAMA, Vol. 280, No. 11, September 16, 1998 (981-988). He had conducted well designed cross sectional survey of characters and symptoms with clinical evaluations, and research and he has arrived at the following conclusions: "Among currently active members of 4 Air Force populations, a chronic multisymptom condition was significantly associated with deployment