Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Fahrenheit 451 Technology And Happiness - 1177 Words

There is no question that science and technology is as essential to functioning in an advanced society as soil is essential for a flower. In numerous communities, technology is so often an asset to be yearned for. We want to have the best smartphone, the best internet, the smartest home possible. Every piece of mainstream technology strives to make life easier, and yet it appears to be quite the contrary. Since the 1900s, we have gained dishwashers and automatic floor sweepers. Yet a question remains: have we truly become happier? As the prevalence of technology is on the rise in our own time, survey after survey, research after research shows that we are actually more unhappy with our lives. Suicide rates have skyrocketed ( Tavernise)†¦show more content†¦Political correctness is a concept encouraged in the simplicity of technology. And perhaps, it is political correctness which tears apart and inhibits the expression of the self, leading to suppression and depression. Tech nology is the vector by which expression can be allowed or burned into ashes. Like a mosquito, technology carries a fever-causing virus: the virus of idealism. â€Å"As the use of social media continues to evolve; the concept of presenting our ideal selves versus our real selves has become more and more prevalent on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and even LinkedIn† (Green). Somewhere social media, people have lost the ability to truly take time and understand the people around them. t is not upon an individual’s lack of thought that is to blame but the warped sense of reality expressed through these social media sources. For most people, a look at their friend’s posts will bring upon comparison. Why does she have a life? How come she gets to go on vacation? Why does he seem so happy with his significant other? Idealism, and an environment of solely perfection and happiness is perpetuated. There is a sense of loneliness and guilt which comes with this seemingly perfect image of life. It is h uman nature to wish to be understood, but yet, idealism teaches people to retreat into themselves, to show only perfections and never let people know of unhappiness. As a result,Show MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 By F. Bradbury1131 Words   |  5 Pages Fahrenheit 451 is a very interesting book that shows its many themes in different ways. Through a compare and contrast between the our world now and the world presented in Fahrenheit 451 we will be able to see the different themes and the factors that influence them. The four main factors that influence the story are the controlling government, terrible social conditions, advances technology and censorship. Although, some a play a bigger part than others, without all the them the book s finalRead MoreTechnology Vs Humanity : A Discussion Of Fahrenheit 4511538 Words   |  7 PagesTechnology Vs Humanity: A Discussion of Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel about a society that orchestrates its citizens’ actions through mass media propaganda and censorship. The government controls its citizens’ freedom of thought and individualism through various manipulations, most importantly television and the banning of books. The government in the novel furtively influences the population by allowing no insightful television broadcasts that could lead to dissention orRead MoreThe Frightening Future: Farenheit 451 Essay856 Words   |  4 Pages Have you ever read such a great book that you became completely infatuated with it? You feel the pain, happiness, sadness that the characters feel; you feel as if you personally know the characters. You begin to forget that what you are reading is just a creative piece of writing because you are so infatuated with it. Reading for pleasure is a way to escape reality, a way to be inspired, a way to become more knowledgeable, and even a way to gain a new identity (Storm). In this day and age howeverRead MoreFahrenheit 451771 Words   |  4 Pagesworld with no free thought and where reading books is viewed as a threat to society and the happiness of its citizens. Ray Bradbury did just this in his novel Fahrenheit 451. Concerned by the rise of technology and the relationship between burning books and burning people, Bradbury sought to highlight the dangerous path that society is on, one that could lead to mindlessness and thoughtlessness. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury challenges thoughtle ssness and promotes freethinking through the constructionRead MoreComparison Of Technology In Fahrenheit 4511151 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology is on the rise which has changed people’s lives. Today’s technology a positive improvement which has grown over the past years. Today everyone uses technology, from old to new. Both Ernest Cline and Ray Bradbury present worlds that are run by technology.The technology in ready player one and Fahrenheit 451 is both bad and good. Fahrenheit 451 is all about a fireman called Guy Montag who does the opposite of what fireman do, starting fires instead of putting them out. The society in FahrenheitRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Comparison Essay1185 Words   |  5 PagesFahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury’s Prediction of the Future TREVOR YOUNG Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel written by Ray Bradbury that depicts a futuristic American society where books are banned and independent thought is persecuted. Bradbury uses his imagination to take a hard look at a world consumed by technology, and he presents predictions about pleasure, violence and anti-intellectualism that are alarmingly similar to the modern American society. Notably, in both societies people findRead MoreDystopian Society In Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1243 Words   |  5 PagesFahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury takes the reader to a dystopian society where firemen do more harm than good. The setting takes place in a large United States city in the year 2053. The story has a futuristic and dark tone which makes the reader wonder what the future holds. Has the government become so corrupt that it has the power to control everything? Ray Bradbury tells a story of what happens to society when the government controls people and replaces happiness with dist ractions. The charactersRead MoreThe Dystopic Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1002 Words   |  5 PagesIn Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury tells the story of a dystopic world where books are burned by firemen because they are prohibited. By presenting this, he makes a point on how books are essential and at the same time warning readers. He was trying to say,† If this happens, then this will happen.† He visualized this society in this book, based on his society, which is parallel to our society now. In the dystopic Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury examines his society at the time, and he admonishes readers aboutRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury944 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury is a piece of literature that reveals some strange things. The author creates a proposal of how society would be if it can reach the limits, not only technological but also social and ideological. Throughout the novel, society is subject to a regime that helps to create a strang e culture to have happiness. The ideologies of communism and capitalism were in a battle to enforce their ways of thinking. This is wrong because the happiness of each personRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Fahrenheit 451 1413 Words   |  6 PagesAnimal Farm and Fahrenheit 451 Book-burning is the first thing that is explained about this future based society of Fahrenheit 451. Burning books is the obliteration of the single thought on paper or in one word- censorship. Books are considered evil because they make people question and think. All intellectual curiosity and thirst for knowledge must be quelled for the good of the state — for the good of conformity. Without ideas, everyone conforms, and as a result, everyone should be happy. When

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Nommo and the Bible Essay - 740 Words

Nommo and the Bible A Comparison and Contrast of the Character Names in The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingslover writes a book entitled, The Poisonwood Bible that explore the effects one culture has on another. The four daughters; Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, at birth are given names suitable and fitting to their personalities, as well as new Kikongo names which describe the girls’ attitudes towards the people in the Congo. A principal of the Congolese belief system, suggests that the girls have grown into their names, causing their specific type of people interaction. The eldest daughter of the four is Rachel Price. In the Bible, the person named Rachel is described as more beautiful than her sister Leah (Genesis Ch. 29-35). In†¦show more content†¦In the Bible, Adah is a minor character that could be the wife of two men (Genesis 4:19). In the book, Adah goes back in forth between her two â€Å"men† or beliefs; she either believes in science, or God. Adah is also overlooked when the fire ants attacked their village; her own mother felt her behind (306). Orleanna did not favor Adah, causing her to be a â€Å"minor† member in the family. The youngest and most innocent of the Price children is Ruth May. She is given the name of Bandu in the kikongo language, meaning â€Å"the reason for everything† and â€Å"the littlest one on the bottom.† Orleanna (the mother) values Ruth May the most of her four children. All of Orleanna’s narratives are meant for Ruth May. In the Bible, Ruth is a character who helped soldiers when they needed it, she was a friend. The translation of the word Ruth in Hebrew means â€Å"companion† (â€Å"Origin and Meaning of Baby Names). The word ruth in English, mean grief; for Orleanna, she felt much grief when Ruth May died. An entire book of the Bible describes Ruth, and an entire character dedicates what she says to Ruth May. The Kikongo word nommo is the force that makes things live as what they are (209); it is a song, a poem, a scream, a prayer, a name(210). It refers to the belief that naming something gives it its nature - a man is a man because that is what he is named, whereas a rabbit is not a man because that is not what he is named. Nommo says you do not have a life until youShow MoreRelatedSummary Of The Poisonwood Bible 1318 Words   |  6 PagesAP Literature and Composition Summer Reading Assignment The Poisonwood Bible Analyzed by: Shraddha Patel contents: 6 essays â€Å" Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened First, picture the forest. I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees.† The effect of the above directive on the reader is that it takes us into the world that is so disparate from anything that we, the reader, could have ever imagined. It propels the reader to continue reading and disclose the mysteryRead MoreSummary Of The Poisonwood Bible 2533 Words   |  11 PagesAnupa Joseph Period 07/24/15 Fernstrom The Poisonwood Bible Reader Response #1: Pages 1-186 Whose Revelation? What is the Revelation? What do the girls learn? Book two is entitled â€Å"The Revelation† and the girls’ sections is entitled â€Å"The Things We Learned.† The Revelation was intended to mainly the Price family, excluding the father. The theme revelation has another definition: apocalypse. In the bible, the apocalypse leads to destruction and demise right before when God makes it a better place

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Challenges Facing the Implementation of Local Content Policy Framework in Ghana free essay sample

This article looks at the problems being faced by Ghana in implementing local content and local participation as a developing country with limited capacities and also dealing with IOCs and sub-contractors which are well established and are well connected globally. As a developing country with very little experience in the oil and gas industry, one of the main obstacles faced by the implementation of the local content policy in Ghana is the lack of local capacity and capabilities in virtually all sectors of the oil and gas industry. These short comings would obviously affect Ghana’s hopes of taking advantage of the numerous employment opportunities in the industry and also make it difficult for local businesses to be able to provide goods and services which are competitive in terms of â€Å"price, quality and timely availability† as stipulated in the policy framework. One of these challenges is the fact that local businesses servicing the oil and gas industry require a sound capital base because of the capital intensive nature of the industry. However, many Ghanaian companies may not be in the position to afford this and the only way out is to source funding from banks which could affect the quality and efficiency of goods and services provided. Another option is to partner foreign companies to boost their financial capabilities but this will in a way defeat the purpose of the policy itself which seeks to encourage indigenous businesses to take up the challenge of providing goods and services for the oil and gas industry. Another major obstacle in the realization of the local content policy in Ghana and many other countries is the fact that these IOCs have well established supply chain networks. They therefore prefer to deal with global suppliers or award major service contracts to specialist firms such as Worley Parsons, KBR Aker Solution, Amec and Schlumberger whose financial strength, reputation and technical capabilities can be guaranteed (Olsen[1], 2011). Also, most IOCs are reluctant to abandon these already established ties and deal with local companies for cost saving reasons. This makes it difficult for local companies to compete with such reputable names (Olsen, 2011) In some cases, some oil companies and sub-contractors operating in Ghana’s Jubilee oil field, have acted in contravention of their contractual and legal obligations to adhere to the local content and local participation policy as highlighted by some recent incidents. In October 2010, oil riggers and offshore workers petitioned the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) against what it termed discrimination in the award of contracts for oil rig operations on the Jubilee oil field. According to the riggers, agencies like Menergy Oil, O L Trinity and Sea World which had been registered by the GNPC to employ artisans such as motormen, floor men, caterers, crane drivers and badge masters for oil rigs operating in the oilfields were rather employing foreign nationals instead of local artisans who were equally qualified (General News Agency, 2011). This worrying development contravenes Section 5. of the local content and local participation policy which states that operators in the petroleum  sub-sector  should as much as possible avail opportunities for Ghanaians with requisite qualifications and expertise to be employed in various levels of operations. Another issue has to do with the servicing offshore installations which require the acquisition and operation of vessels such as supply boats, tug boats, anchor handling vessels and  air-crafts  by Ghanaian owned companies, failure to do this will result in IOCs contracting foreign companies to take up this responsibility. This lack of capacity to provide services for offshore installations has impacted negatively on some Ghanaian companies. In Feb 2010 for instance, Tullow Oil, one of the operators of the jubilee oil field in Ghana abrogated its contract for the transportation of personnel and cargo of the oil company to the offshore jubilee platform with Ghanaian-owned Citylink Airline Company in favour of Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV), a Belgian company (Ghana business news, 2010). According to Tullow oil, despite its obligation to the implementation of the local content policy, its decision was based on its commitment to meet offshore oil and gas standards. Also, the growing intensity of work on the Jubilee field necessitated the company to contract a world class standard Fixed Wing and Helicopter transport service. It therefore appears that City Link Airlines was edged out of this contract because of its inability to rise to the challenges posed by the oil and gas industry. These challenges mean that a lot still needs to be done if Ghana is to achieve its set target of 90 per cent by the year 2020. Therefore, there is the need for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to address these challenges in order to see to the successful implementation of Ghana’s local content and local participation policy. Recommendations Based on what has been gathered so far, this study would like to make the following recommendations;  ·Ã‚        First and foremost, all stakeholders must identify gaps in the industry with regards to human resources, infrastructure materials and institutions and identify ways of closing these gaps; this can be done by setting realistic targets that can be achieved.      Ã‚  In order to deal with issues of capacity building, there is the need to expedite action on the proposed Ghana Content Development Act Oil and Gas Business Development and Local Content Fund which when established will support the development of local capacity and will be able to address some of these issues to some extent.  ·Ã‚        With regards to the servicing of offsh ore installations by local companies, Ghana could take a cue from Nigeria which instituted the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act in 2003. Section 2 of this act among other things, seeks to impose levies on vessels involved in Cabotage or Coastal trade if not wholly manned by Nigerians, not built in Nigeria or if majority of the shares of the shipping company are not owned by citizens of Nigeria. If Ghana is able to adopt this type of legislation, it will to some extent put some barriers to entry by foreign shipping companies and enable local companies to flourish. Conclusion This study has shown how the issue of local content and local participation in the oil and gas industry has become a very crucial issue especially for many middle income and developing countries as they seek to gain maximization of national value creation through the oil and gas value chain by way of employment, value-addition, technology transfer and the acquisition and transfer of knowledge. Ghana has since the discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities also put in place, legal and policy frameworks to facilitate the development of Ghanaian capacity to manage its oil and gas resources and also make maximum use of this new found wealth to the benefit of its nationals and its developing economy as a whole. Despite these legislative and policy frameworks that have been put in place and the efforts by the Ghana government, the IOCs, small and medium scale enterprises as well as other stakeholders to see to the successful implementation of this policy, there appear to be a number of encumbrances to the achievements of targets set by the government. Some of these obstacles include the lack of capacity, in terms of human resource and infrastructure, to meet the challenges in the oil and gas industry which is capital intensive, requires a great deal of infrastructure and a highly skilled labour force. This therefore requires some extra effort by the government of Ghana especially, to expedite action in bringing into force the legislation on local content and local participation which is still going through parliamentary scrutiny and also support local businesses through various policies and financial schemes to bring them up to the standard required by the industry in order to ward off foreign competition. Furthermore, efforts must be made in conjunction with other stakeholders to train more Ghanaians in various aspects of the supply chain to enable them gain employment in the industry. Finally, Ghana must also learn from countries such as Brazil, Norway, Malaysia, and Trinidad and Tobago. These are countries that have successfully used local-content laws to create jobs and fuel domestic economic growth. Ghana could also adopt some of these laws to enable it accelerate the development of its local content and local participation policy. Nutshell Still on the important issue of local content in the oil industry, Gilbert Azaah, in this article, captures the problems which have so far hindered the mplementation of the local content policy in the Ghana oil and gas industry. This is the final installment of this article.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Standards of Engineering Ethics and Professionalism in the World

The development of engineering ethics can be traced to the turn of the 20th century when the mother engineering associations formulated ethical codes. The engineering ethics refer to the guidelines and principles applied by engineers in their professional practice. Adoption of the first code of ethics was by The Institute of Civil Engineers of England in 1910.From then on it has been established and practiced in most states.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Standards of Engineering Ethics and Professionalism in the World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The engineers are required by the law to join professional organizations and obtain professional licenses before they can practice in line with the requirements of other professions such as law, medicine, and accounting. This paper will compare the difference that exists in several codes of ethics around the world as well as how they can be professionally applied f rom different perspectives. In addition to this the paper will seek to determine how the impact of religion of some of the engineering codes. Ever since the professionalization of engineering, there have been conflicts between professional engineers and technical engineers with each group fighting for recognition of supremacy. Professional organizations have strived to incorporate codes of ethics in their rules while technical societies of engineers do not adopt uniform codes of ethics. They prefer to educate their members on the importance of ethics. Engineering ethics often emerge from major disasters and catastrophes in landmark structures. The collapse of the Quebec Bridge in 1907 saw the emergence of the Order of the engineer in America and the iron ring in Canada. Members take an oath to observe the code of ethics and put on a ring to remind them constantly of the commitment to upholding ethics. In the recent past, review of the code of ethics and introduction of engineering e thics as a course in engineering classrooms has been precipitated by misfortunes such as the collapse of The Hyatt Hotel in Kansa and The Challenger disaster. Most professors are not comfortable teaching the course, which involves literature because they are more familiar with teaching quantative and qualitative concepts. Engineering organizations and professional bodies in most countries of the world share similar principles regarding ethics, with the core principles being that public interest should always be put before individual interest. The major issues facing the enforcement of engineering ethics are corruption and high rates of bribery. New issues such as environmental conservation are also emerging. Whistle-blowing (reporting your employer or client in case of activities that may risk public welfare) has remained a gray area in engineering ethics. Engineers are usually in a dilemma whether to uphold the code of ethics and report or to remain loyal to their companies and kee p their jobs.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In America for instance, the code of the Civil Engineers’ society places emphasis on the wellbeing of the public in terms of safety and health. It also requires proficiency and competence in the fieldwork, truth, and faithfulness in dealing with clients, fair competition, upholding the name of the profession, anti-corruption attitude, continuous career development, and provision of opportunities to apprentices or those under their tutelage. Stringent enforcement of professional ethics takes place in The United States of America. This is largely due to the fact that it suits and actions in court by way of public interest litigation. In 1969, the government launched an inquiry into the activities of B.F Goodrich Engineering Company following reports by an employee that it had falsified a brake report after conducting flight tests. Three engineers were indicted in 1989 for storing, handling, and disposing hazardous wastes. They were involved in development of chemical weapons for the army. Until recently, France did not have a code of ethics for engineers or an engineering ethics course for students. This is mainly due to failure of organization due to divisions within the profession and failure of programs to conduct academic research into the discipline. The first code of engineering ethics was adopted by The National Council of Engineers and Scientists of France(CNISF) in 1997.Like other engineers, when it comes to whistleblowing they are torn between public responsibility and fidelity to their employers. The fact that the word engineer has two different meanings (a distinguished professional and a graduate engineer) has made development of engineering ethics problematic. The adopted code proved to be weak because it lacked enforcement procedures and engineers can only join CNISF institutionally through professio nal associations. Most engineers have chosen not to adopt the code and have chosen other ways to observe engineering ethics. On the other hand, in Germany, the engineers association, VDI sought recognition of the profession by demanding to have the title Doktor bestowed upon them. This boosted their prestige and led to respect within the society and faster entrenchment of engineering ethics to uphold the reputation of the profession. In Australia professionalism in engineering is highly regarded and ethics are strictly observed, The institution of engineers views the code as a contract between the engineer and the public that the engineer will prioritize public interest and welfare in exchange for which the public is not to interfere with the regulation of the engineering profession. Development of professionalism has occurred through instituting proceedings against engineers in their individual capacity. This process is similar to the one in Canada.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Standards of Engineering Ethics and Professionalism in the World specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Russia, formally known as The USSR, the communist revolution stripped engineers off their professional autonomy stagnating development of engineering codes of ethics. The same case applies in China where due to a tyrannical political regime, technical organizations and professional societies do not have a uniform code of ethics. The Chinese Mechanical Engineers Society is guided by regulations that are akin to a professional code. The approach in Hong Kong is different from the rest of China since I was a former crown colony of The British and so the code is based on The U.K model. The Hong Kong Institute of Engineers achieved a milestone in 1980 by organizing a conference on ethics. The Hong Kong code is unique in that it makes an exception whereby an engineer is working outside Hongkong.It stipulates that such an engineer should abide by the engineering standards of that other country. In India, members of the professional body have to sign a statement declaring that they shall uphold the code of ethics, conduct honorable research, and promote preservation of human dignity. There is no formal written code of conduct sine the individual pledge is considered the ultimate symbol of commitment to ethics as it is stronger than any written code. In Japan, there is no distinct seperation between engineering and science. This is because they are considered a similar enterprise. Engineering ethics are considered to be of the same capacity with those of other scientists, and thus have not developed a lot. Taiwan is another distinct example. Its professional code of ethics departs from the Western outlook and merges social-cultural aspects of The Taiwan people it acknowledges the diverse roles of an engineer at a personal and professional level. Teamwork and collective responsibility is emphasized. Due to respect of hierarchy of age in their culture, younger engineers are to respect established engineers and request for their advice. The elderly engineers should couch and guide the younger engineers on the core values of ethics. Engineers should engage in community service and charity work for the public. In Africa, there are professional engineering bodies in countries such as South Africa and Kenya. For instance in Kenya, the formulation of a code of ethics is underway since a bill has been enacted to pave way for the code. The South African Society of civil engineers already has a code in place. Corruption remains the biggest problem in entrenching engineering ethics in Africa because even the bidding and tendering processes are tainted.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Religion controls various aspects of our lives including our choice of fashion.education and even profession. It affects engineers in different ways. It will affect the choice of projects he chooses to work on, the type of research he or she conducts, interaction with other engineers and his views on the effects of the project he chooses to work on. The other aspect involves the response of society towards the work of an engineer and the purpose for such work. Depending on the religious view of the society, a project maybe approved for sponsorship or rejected. For instance, Christians may be unwilling to support an engineer intending to develop an atomic bomb. Religion will therefor influence engineering ethics because if the society considers something unethical from a religious point of view, there is no way in which an engineer can go ahead to do as it will end up besmirching the name of the profession. In states, which have state religions, such religions end up controlling the professionalism of the engineering practice since the engineer must subscribe to the ethics established by such a religion. Whereas there is no state religion in Israel, the heavy Jewish presence means that a professional whether in law, medicine, or engineering cannot engage in any activities deemed unethical by that religion. In Saudi Arabia where Islam is a state religion, contravening principles of Muslim law would be unethical. Environmental issues and the concept of sustainable development are emerging areas in the field of engineering ethics. There is a drive to preserve and conserve the environment for both the present and future generations. Engineering ethics have to become stricter, perhaps the best way to do this would be by formulation of a uniform code of ethics for all engineers across the globe just as we have uniform technical codes. International engineering transactions are on the rise with contractors being hired to embark on various construction projects. An int ernational regulatory framework and common standard has to be established so that engineers are not confused on the ethical standards required of them when they embark on jobs abroad. This can be formulated with the help of international engineering organizations such as The World Federation of Engineering Organizations. This essay on Standards of Engineering Ethics and Professionalism in the World was written and submitted by user Sage to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.