Are we too dependent on technology? Essay

Our ever-advancing technological world is subjected to both amazement and criticism. Technology has manifested itself into a form like a virus imprinted into us. As a result of which a question is posed to all of society, or those mainly in use of technology, are we too dependent on technology? There are those who believe that technology has taken over our daily lives, those who think that it only stands to benefit us and some who don’t think or care about its effects. The consensus that we are becoming too dependent on technology is one not so unbelievable. We all know for the most part that technology has integrated itself to just about everything that we do. For example, how many times do you check your phone, or go online to check your email or even play a video game. These are common examples of things we do daily without even realizing that these technologies have taken over our lives. Read more: People Have Become Overly Dependent on Technology Technology can be viewed as a beneficiary to our lives rather than monster waiting to bear its fangs. It goes without saying that technology has both greatly improved our lives by making it simpler. Yes, technology has deprived us of some skills such as doing simple chore but the benefits outweigh its cost. For instance, the invention of the phone has revolutionized the way we communicate with others worldwide. Technology is only meant to make our lives easier. Being on the fence is a simple concept to understand, simply just can’t pick a side or don’t. Simply there are those who enjoy the use of technology, those who find it deprives us of mental growth and those who don’t care what happens when it’s used. Though technology can have a strong grip on our lives we aren’t stupefied without it. The matters of whether technology controls us or benefits us shouldn’t make a difference on how we live. We choose to live life like this and may or may not have known what might have happened, but once chosen there is no turning back. Overall, society today has accepted all technologies in one form or another.

Wear and Appearance of the Army Uniform

In the army there are many uniforms a soldier has to wear. This is for the different activities a soldier does. For everything from their daily Physical Training (PT), their regular working uniform Army Combat Uniform (ACU), or their dress uniform either the Army Service Uniform (ASU), or the Army Green Service Uniform (Class A). Each uniform is design to fit a specific task and to be worn a in certain way. A great resource for either the ASU or the Class A is the â€Å"U. S. ARMY UNIFORM GUIDE. I found this little book a great resource because it shows every form of the ASU for both males and females soldiers, for officers and enlisted. I found this to be great because it shows where everything goes, and how to measure everything, and for a new soldier like me it is important to have the little things right. Over time the uniform of a soldier has change. Since the days of the Revolutionary War to today modern wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the uniform has change but the guide lines h as not. As the uniform evolved, so has the regulation that covers it has also.The regulation that covers this is Army Regulation 670-1, the covers everything from how to cut and maintain your hair to how to wear jewelry, eyeglasses and sunglasses. This regulation is something every soldier should read, even the ones who have been in for over ten years. Because from what I have learned is that this regulation is constantly changing. How to wear the army uniform is important because when we put on the uniform we don’t just represent ourselves but the army as a whole as well. One thing I have learned in my short 20 years of life is how important the clothes you wear impact you as person.Because they can be tell tell sings of what type of person you are. As in the book â€Å"APPERANCES† witch talks about how the clothes you wear can say a lot of what type of person you are, or how do you live your lifestyle. When I was a little boy I would always watch how a few of my neig hbors, which were in the National Guard, would be dress and how I notice that each of their uniforms would be. All of them looking good, with their boots clean and polish, uniforms clean, looking how a soldier should be.When I was is the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) I learned how to wear the uniform, even more when I came into the army. In basic training I learned how correct looks like. My drill sergeants would always be looking professional at all times and I would always say this to myself (there nothing ever wrong with any of their uniform). But they would always say â€Å"if you see something wrong with any of our uniforms tell us, and the same goes for your battle buddy. † That’s when I really learned to start to look for the little things most people would not notice.That when I started to pay more attention to my own uniform. I would always taking one last quick peck before formation, always trying to look for the things that other peopl e would not see but would notice. As a military police soldier I think we should be held to a higher standard. In everything from the physical training we do, to how our uniform should be. All of our pockets should be lie down flat. All of our buttons and zippers should be button and zipped. Our boots should always be clean, rid of any and all dirt and mud. The uniform as a whole should be cleaned at all times.Because we are the first ones who people see on the gates. Because first impressions are everything, I would never see my dad going to work looking like garbage, he would always look professional. This applies to us even more because when we are patrolling we are the ones who people see giving tickets. We are the ones who respond to when people have any type of an emergency, we are the ones who will show up at the scene of an accident. The general population expect more of us because we are not only police officers we are military polices soldiers.Which many people would assum e since we are in the military we should have more discipline. When you see that soldier who uniform is all messed up, you would assume either him or one of his leaders don't have the discipline to maintain the uniform. That’s something we as military police soldiers can't be. Whenever you pull over that first sergeant, or that captain that are not only going to look at your rank but your uniform as well, because they are most likely going to think â€Å"his uniform look like shit, how do I know if he is doing his job correctly when he can't even maintain his uniform looking as it should. That where I believe our leaders come into play, they are not only there to help us, but also to fix us when we are wrong. So when I keep blowing off the fact my uniform did look like shit, I should have gone to one of them to see if they could help me fix the mistake. It’s important to wear to army uniform correctly because the habits you do while you are home in a safe environment will continue when you deploy. Whenever you go on a mission you should always double and triple check yourself to make sure you have the right equipment.To make sure you are not missing the little things like you camel bag, or even the big things like you weapon. That’s why it’s important to always check yourself in the mirror before you leave. Not only to check you have the right things but also to make sure everything is in the right place, looking how it should. The same goes for whenever you go out, you always want to be looking good at all times, where ever you go. That’s the same type of thinking you need to have every time you put on the army uniform.Because for me every time I put that uniform on I fell a since of pride, knowing I am a soldier, knowing I am one of the few people of this nation that is willing to and able to. As soldiers we are required to do certain things, some of these include doing physical training daily, keeping our leaders notified , keeping our uniforms squared away at all times. Because you will never know when your first sergeant or sergeant major decides to do a surprise inspection on you, we have to be ready at all time.One bad soldier can have a huge negative impact on the rest of the team, because that one bad soldier can influence the good soldiers around him, to make him do the bad and wrong things. Every time when we wear the uniform we are not only representing ourselves but the army, our country, and the ideas of a free country. Therefore the uniform should always be neat; there should never be any excess for why our uniforms are ever out of order. The army is a team, on that team ever one wears the same uniform. If you teammate on basketball, football, soccer, or volleyball you would go over a correct them.The same has to apply to the army. When we are in that uniform people are going to be looking at us not just because we are in the military but sometimes because the people who are looking at us are old retires who want to see the next generation of soldiers keeping the same traditions alive. Or they could be a person in a different branch of the military looking to see how the other branches wear their uniforms. When we wear the army uniform in public we should not bring bad attention to ourselves. One the type of attention that would make that little boy says â€Å"I want to be like them some day. That how first got interested in military. The proper wear of the army uniform is important for many reasons. One of these reasons is to have a strong discipline soldier at all times. Because when you wear the army uniform correctly it does show you have discipline. But it also reflects how your leaders are, either the ones who really don’t care about their soldiers or the type of leader who takes the time to get to know his soldiers. Another reason why it’s important to wear the army uniform correctly is because it instill a since of pride that only those who ha ve earned the right to called themselves United States Soldiers.

Negative side of Iraq War

There has been great controversy involved with the Iraq war. This article shall analyze the negative sides of the Iraq war and its detrimental consequences to US, its allies, people of Iraq and the rest of the world.  The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that destroyed Twin Towers, part of the Pentagon and caused death of over 3000 people was the principal initiating cause of the Iraq war.The attack was seen as attack of a medieval and sectarian ideology of terror on the principles of democracy, justice, liberty, freedom humanity and equality that the Twin Towers and ultimately USA represent. Faced with the challenge of safeguarding these ideals as well as necessity of safeguarding its own national security concerns, USA started waged a war to destroy the axis of terrorism and hatred. In this effort Iraq became the second frontier after liberation of Afghanistan in the campaign to root out axis of terror and evil, restore humanitarian values and justice world over (Teson, 2005) .The course of war over last four yearsUnited States formally declared war on Saddam Hussein’s regime on 20th March, 2003 and within three weeks, on 9th April 2003, the unprecedented strength and force of coalition armies was successful in ending a tyrannical rule that was holding soul and spirit of Iraq in capture over several decades (Aday, Cluverius, Livingston, 2005). However, the end of Saddam Hussein’s regime did not bring end of the war, or the continued presence of allied forces in Iraq. This in itself was the strongest proof that US’s concern in the war ran much beyond merely overthrowing the incumbent tyrannical rule, and that it was fully committed to democracy and peace in Iraq.This commitment to democratic ideals has cost US much more than its first objective of ending former Iraqi government. While it lost only 139 soldiers before the President of United States declared an official end of combat in may 2003, the number of casualties since then has crossed over 3000, and going up even today (Aday, Cluverius, Livingston, 2005, Iraq Coalition Casualties, 2007). Most of these deaths have been due to suicide attacks and rebel attacks by loyalists of the former dictators. Many other have been engineered by al-Queda terror cells in Iraq, that have claimed military along with high number of civilian lives on almost routine basis, creating difficulties in Iraq’s transition to democracy.Consequences of Iraq warWhether seen from economic, ethical, and political point of view or from perspective of human sufferings and causality, Iraq war has spawned a web of troubles and problems that have continued to take their toll on every one involved with the campaign.  The economic costs of Iraq war are huge and involve not just the direct expenditure on US military campaign, but also the cost of war on Iraqi economy, cost of rebuilding Iraqi infrastructure and impact on oil market (Nordhaus, 2002, 55).The initial estimates of cost of Ir aq war were projected anywhere from US $ 100 million to US $ 100 billion, although even that was considered an overestimation (Bilmes and Stiglitz, 2006). Very soon the initial estimates were proved wrong and plans for budgetary allocations showed that even congress was estimating the cost of war to be in excess of $ 500 billion. But even this cost was an under projection of the final cost which, in the final analysis of events, shoots upward a staggering $1.3 trillion (Yglesias, 2006).This includes the cost of insurance, medical help, and disability payment made out to soldiers injured or killed in the Iraq campaign. With government’s valuation of a male in prime age at $ 6 million, as determined by environmental and safety regulations, the total cost from casualties alone goes to $ 12 billion (Bilmes and Stiglitz, 2006).Another critical economic cost suffered emanates from diminished American reputation and prestige in Middle Eastern countries and countries hostile to the c oncept of Iraq war. In these countries American products have lost favor, and American companies no more the first choice to do business with (ibid). As the war has resulted in increase in oil prices, it also threatens to result in increasing prices of various commodities and severely affecting transportation sector, especially the aviation sector where many companies are facing bankruptcy prospects (Bilmes and Stiglitz, 2006).Many analysts have also stated that the money spent in Iraq war might had been better used in strengthening the education and health care system of USA and thus the country has been robbed of benefits worth billion of dollars due to diverted and improvident expenditure on Iraq war (Wilson, 2006)  Another negative consequence of Iraq war is the number of casualties and lives lost during the course of the war. Since the beginning of war US military has suffered 3190 deaths whereas 23758 soldiers have been wounded so far (Griffs, 2007).It is important to see th at these deaths and casualties are not merely figures and statistics. They represent bright, ambitious and young sons, capable to achieve much in their life, and contribute to the US future in a much better way than to be killed or maimed permanently by a roadside bomb, or an ambush (Grigg, 2006). There are thousands of soldiers who, despite escaping death, have been crippled and suffered permanent loss of their limbs, vision, and disfiguration. These losses to life and health cannot be measured in terms of economic costs and they amount to a life time of agony and pain to survivors and their relatives.The war has also resulted in death of around 60,000 civilian deaths in Iraq (Casualties in Iraq war, 2007). Thousands of   Men, women, and children have been killed by suicide attacks, burnt to death in their own home, entire families have been wiped away and thousands of families in Iraq have lost their sole bread earner (Savoy, 2004). Today they are faced with a grim prospect of u ncertain and hard life staring at them.Iraq war has also a deep moral underside. US initiated the war with claims that Iraq possessed large consignments of weapons of mass destruction and with allegations that Iraq had links with al Queda as well was somewhere responsible in September   11. 2001 events (Pfiffner, 2004). However, as it turned out, these reports were completely fictitious and created just in order to give credence to the US case against Iraq (Enemark and Michalesen, 2005).No amount of manipulation of facts and findings could produce any substance to the allegations against Iraq. As a matter of fact, on September 18th, 2003 President Bush surprised many when he admitted that there was no evidence of Iraq’s connection with World Trade Center attacks (Pfiffner, 2004). Even the war in Iraq was no more projected as a war against terror network, but as a war to liberate Iraqi people from tyranny of Saddam Hussein- a claim that was hitherto absent in pre war argumen ts and preparations. These switching of statements greatly damaged US credibility and soured its relations with many important countries such as Germany and France.The road aheadAlthough the USA and coalition countries’ military objective of Iraq war were completed with dethroning, capture and finally execution of Saddam Hussein, their continued presence have not served either the interests of Iraqi population or the interests of coalition military personnel. As the most satisfying argument, it can be stated that Iraq has successfully removed its former tyrannical ruler, and with elections it has achieved at least semblance of a democratic order, its complete transition to democracy is yet incomplete due to intense internal conflicts and complexities. However, the US has suffered a great and completely unnecessary ordeal through this entire episode that may potentially affect its strategic and economic leverage and its worldwide reputation.ReferencesSean A, Cluverius J, and L ivingston S. 2005.   As Goes the Statue, So Goes the War: The Emergence of the Victory Frame in Television Coverage of the Iraq War. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. Volume: 49. Issue: 3. Page Number: 314+Kaufman, Whitley. What's Wrong with Preventive War? the Moral and Legal Basis for the Preventive Use of Force. Ethics ; International Affairs. Volume: 19. Issue: 3.: 2005. Page Number: 23+.Teson, Fernando R ‘Ending Tyranny in Iraq’. ‘Ethics ; International Affairs’ Volume: 19. Issue: 2:Nordhaus, W.D. 2002. War with Iraq-Cost, Consequence and Alternatives. American Academy of Arts and Science.Yglesias, M. 2006.   $1.27 Trillion: The American Prospect. Volume: 17. Issue: 7. Publication Date: July-August 2006. Page Number: 28+.Bilmes, L and Stiglitz, J.E. 2006. The Economic Costs of Iraq War; An appraisal three years after the beginning of the conflict. Accessed on net, 11.03.2007. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11495.htmWilson , J. Jan 7, 2006. Iraq war could cost US over $ 2 billion. The Guardian. Accessed on net 11.03.2007 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/07/usa.iraqGriffs, M. 2007. Casualties in Iraq-The Human Cost of Occupation. AntiWar.com Accessed on web 11.03.2007. http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/Grigg, W.N. January 9, 2006.Bring ‘Em Home! The New American. Volume: 22. Issue:. Page Number: 12+Savoy, P. 2004. The Moral Case against the Iraq War The Nation. Volume: 278. Issue: 21.Page Number: 16:Enemark, C and Michalesen, C. 2005. Just War Doctrine and the Invasion of Iraq.The Australian Journal of Politics and History. Volume: 51. Issue: 4Pfiffner, J.P. 2004. Did President Bush Mislead the Country in His Arguments for War with Iraq? Presidential Studies Quarterly. Volume: 34. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 2004. Page Number: 25+

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 19

Essay Example Scuba diving often assists in enabling shallow investigations. Earlier people used to restrain their breath while diving. In this way they used to hunt underwater creatures like fish. This was called free diving. Many competitions were also held around this theme. Accompanied with the technique of scuba diving the use of eco sounds helped in exploring the seabed. (Reed, 2009) Though men have interacted with the ocean since time immemorial, visual exploration of the seas were possible with the advent of scuba diving which made use of breathing apparatus to be carried for diving underwater. Helmet diving and diving bells in addition helped a diver to stay below the waters for long and explore the depths. These helped the scuba divers to adapt to the changes in the pressure and the physiology in order to hold back death. Thus scuba diving has a profound application in the world of marine science. The main idea is to carry self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) instead of depending upon air pumped from the water surface (Bhootra, n.d., p.96). Using breath-holding processes these divers manage to remain underwater for a long time. Thus apart from recreation, scuba diving’s application in different fields of science related to the marine world makes it an indispensable part of science and technology in the topical time with an ever-expanding knowledge base. Studying this area would be interesting especially with the aim of understanding its application in the world of science and discoveries. Dr. Lamberstein who was the pioneer of scuba diving apparatus initially built the LARU (Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit) and undertook the first close circuit scuba dive in New York. 12 dives were undertaken and Dr. Lamberstein during one of the dives underwent an attack of oxygen toxicity. The instruments

Data Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Data Analysis - Essay Example ysing the factors which influenced mind during voting, particularly how their educational qualifications, religious leanings, gender income, etc., influenced their voting behaviour. Various political and social developments impacted the voting behaviour of the people in the British elections. As stated by Alvarez and Nagler (1997), in the United Kingdom, â€Å"the sustained revival of the Liberal Party since 1970, the rise of nationalist parties in Wales and Scotland, and the new Social Democratic Party, poised significant challenges to the established two-party system.† Apart from these aspects, studies were conducted to find out certain personal and social factors also impacted the voting behaviour. One of the key aspects which is thought to influence the voting pattern of the voters is their education and thereby intelligence levels. Deary, Batty and Gale (2008) in the 1970 British Cohort Study, examined the relation between childhood intelligence and how those people voted at the ages of 30 and above during the 2001 UK general election. The studies found that, â€Å"People with higher childhood intelligence were more likely to vote in the 2001 election (38% increased prevalence per SD increase in intelligence), People with higher childhood intelligence were more likely to take part in rallies and demonstrations, and to sign petitions, and expressed a greater interest in politics (40%, 65%, 33%, and 58% increased prevalence per SD increase in intelligence, respectively).† (Deary, Batty and Gale 2008). The other aspect, which could also inf luence the voters during the voting process, is their religious leanings. Kotler-Berkowitz (2001) points out how data from the 1991 and 1992 waves of the British Household Panel Study, when statistically analyzed (using multinomial logistic regression analysis) state that religions influence the voting decisions of sizable number of British citizens. â€Å"Religious belonging, behaviour and belief, as well as the religious context

Atmospheric Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Atmospheric Chemistry - Essay Example The bottom line of the mission is to study Arctic zone depletion aside from understanding atmospheric phenomena, the effects of biomass burning to the atmosphere, and measuring the size and density of aerosols and Polar stratospheric Clouds (PSC). The planet where we thrive in is unique among the planets in our solar system. We can say that its composition is fairly simple especially if we will just confine our sight on the blanket of gases enveloping our lithosphere. Yet, beyond this simplicity are the more complex and dynamic chemical processes which support the ultimate existence of life. However, as ages pass by, as man become more inclined to motivations and innovations, it is clear that this green planet is in grave danger. The effects of climate change and global warming is of great concern among countries nowadays. In an article by Naomi Oreskes entitled BEYOND THE IVORY TOWER: The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change, it is pointed out that climate change issues still baffle scientists and that continuous researches are needed for this to be well understood. However, the connection of climate change with human activities cannot be denied. And it is man's utmost responsibility to give back to the Earth that nurtures him. Thus, there are steps needed to be taken, missions to be launched, and the voyage goes on. August 12, 2003, on board the Canadian satellite SCISAT-1 is a satel... Indeed, this shows that issues concerning the Earth are of everyone's great concern and interest. The ACE was launched at an inclination of 74, 650 km from the Earth's surface. This position allows the satellite to gather data from the tropical, mid-latitude and Polar Regions. The ACE mission includes the exploration of the relationship between atmospheric chemistry and climate change, the understanding of stratospheric phenomena that affects the distribution and the decline of ozone, studying the effects of biomass burning, measuring the size and density of aerosols and polar stratospheric clouds (PSC). The bottom line of the mission, however, is focused on the atmospheric ozone problem which is being currently experienced not just in the Antarctic but also in the Arctic region of the globe. For these to be possible, the mission carried with it two sophisticated instruments that are capable of obtaining the needed measurements and data. ACE-FTS (Fourier Transform Spectrometer) is a kind of Fourier Transform instrument that measures the vertical distribution of trace gases and temperature. Skoog et al., describes that Fourier Transform instruments are characterized but their great speed, high resolution, high sensitivity, and excellent wavelength precision and accuracy. A Fourier Transform spectrometer is capable of detecting all the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation simultaneously and all the time. A device called a Michelson interferometer makes it possible for Fourier Transform instruments to precisely measure the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. On the other hand, another instrument called the MAESTRO (measurement of Aerosol Extinction in the

The inclusion of children with down syndrome in mainstream primary Essay

The inclusion of children with down syndrome in mainstream primary schools - Essay Example The educational system has been set up to provide special programs for these children, and these programs are usually not part of the mainstream primary educational system. Recent developments and studies however point out that including children with Down syndrome in mainstream primary schools may help these children learn faster and adjust better to normal and independent living. This paper will discuss the inclusion of children with Down syndrome in mainstream primary schools. It will first introduce the disease, highlighting developmental issues commonly manifesting. An overview of the current laws for SEN and disability will then be established. The main discussion on the inclusion of children with Down syndrome in mainstream schools shall follow the legislative discussion. This essay will also discuss the special school alternative for these children. A summary and conclusion will then end this discussion. This essay is being carried out in order to provide an academic understa nding of children with Down syndrome and their related needs. It will also provide educators with a guide on future considerations for the educational needs of children with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a disease which manifests with a variety of symptoms ranging from mild to severe. These children also have a widely recognized appearance with the head being smaller than normal, being round and flat at the back. The inner corner of the eyes also looks rounded (ADAM Encyclopedia, 2012). Physical symptoms manifesting include: decreased muscle tone, flattened nose, small ears, small mouth, upward slant of the eyes, wide and short hands with short fingers, and excess skin at the neck (ADAM Encyclopedia, 2012). Their physical development is also slow and they are not likely to ever reach average normal height. In terms of their mental and social development, they manifest with impulsivity, poor judgment, are