Language and Cognitive Psychology Essay - 1136 Words

Language is a cognitive function that most of us take for granted. It starts from early on, some say at conception, and it develops in complexity as we get older. It is an essential part of communication and without it its development would be greatly hindered. This natural process requires complex structures and reasoning, the bringing together of sounds and words to develop concrete ideas and thoughts. In this paper we will discuss the components of language and how it relates to cognitive processes. Language and Lexicon Our basic mean of communication among species and interspecies is thru language. Language enables us to communicate with each other, our thoughts and feelings, ideas and concepts, likes, and dislikes, fears, dreams†¦show more content†¦Each culture has its own distinct way of rendering the spoken language. The aspects that make words and their meaning distinct are as unique as the properties of language that make them arbitrary. Words are nothing more than sounds. It is up to us to connect them to their actual meaning. This system follows no specific reason for words and their relation to objects, it is the culture that appoints meaning - this is why it is arbitrary. However, even though we can say that word meanings are arbitrary; language is not. Key features of language include its words and their sub structures such as morphemes, graphemes and syllables at the writing level as well as reading or speaking, words, their meanings and contexts in which the words get spoken or read. Language has to be interpreted as a whole, and not just as the specific word. There must be an explicit pattern or structure. In order for language to be understood correctly, the meaning of words must be arranged in a given context. This is what constructs language; even though words are arbitrary themselves, in order to integrate as a language, they must be used in the appropriate context. This pre-established cultural context is what will enable effective communication. (Daniel Willingham, 2007, p. 1). Four Levels of Language Structure and Processing According to Daniel Willingham Language Processing (2007) language is structured into fourShow MoreRelatedLanguage and Cognitive Psychology929 Words   |  4 Pageshand signs have been replaced by more complicated language structures as a basis of communication. Today, it is not only words and their assigned meanings that make the bulk of communication among people. There are also subtle nuances of meaning and implied meaning that are often misunderstood or misconstrued. Furthermore, elements such as lying and misunderstanding also influence how language is used and perceived among individuals. Because language forms the majority of communication among humanRead MoreEssay about The Development of Cognitive Psychology747 Words   |  3 Pagesartificial intelligence have contributed to the development of cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology is the segment of psychology that explores internal mental processes such as visual processing, memory, problem solving, and language. Cognitive psychology also focuses on information processing and the method of how people store, manipulate and use information (Barsalou, 2005). With an emphasis on thought processes, cognitive psychology also explores and discusses thinking and knowledge acquisitionRead MoreEvolution of Cognitive Psychology1054 Words   |  5 PagesEvolution of Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology is defined as â€Å"the scientific study of mental processes† (Riegler Riegler 2008, p. 1). During the 1960s, cognitive psychology became an emerging presence in the field of psychology. During this time period, attention to the study of â€Å"how internal states, such as thoughts, feelings, and moods influence behavior† (Cherry 2010, p. 12). Cognitive psychology studies how individuals think, comprehend language, and form beliefs. Human developmentRead MoreEvolution of Cognitive Psychology1105 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: EVOLUTION OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY PAPER Evolution of Cognitive Psychology PSYCH 560 Latrice T. Colbert Julie Bruno, Psy.D September 6, 2010 Cognition is a term referring to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, including thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem-solving. Not only is cognitive psychology central to everything a person does in his or her everyday life, it is also central to psychology’s quest to understand how peopleRead MoreHistory of Cognitive Psychology1666 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract An analysis of the history of cognitive psychology. Including key ideas, contributors, trends, etc. History of Cognitive Psychology According to G. Miller of Princeton University, cognitive psychology  is an approach to psychology that emphasizes internal mental processes. So, â€Å"since the beginning of experimental psychology in the nineteenth century, there had been interest in the study of higher mental processes. But something discontinuous happened in the late 1950s, something soRead MoreCognitive Affective1347 Words   |  6 PagesThe Study of Cognitive   amp; Affective Bases of Psychology Cognitive and affective psychology is the empirical branch of psychology, which aims to answer all questions regarding human activities, related to knowledge and emotions, such as, how we think, learn, and remember. It is grounded on the theory that thoughts and emotions affect our behavior; furthermore, behavior can be changed through a modification of our thoughts or emotions. Cognitive psychologists examine how our minds obtainRead MoreChild Abuse and Cognitive Psychology1478 Words   |  6 PagesChild Abuse and Cognitive Psychology Language is an important component in discussing cognitive psychology. There are many different aspects to language that can be broken down to better understand its functions. Language can be defined as â€Å"An organized way to combine words to communicate† (O’Brien, lecture notes 2014). In addition language is a communication system that is unique to humans. It is also something that is learned as opposed to being biologically inherited (O’Brien, lecture notes,Read MoreDiscuss Reasons for the Increased Interest in Cognitive Psychology and the Decline in Behavioristt Approach, in Addition Describe the Field of Cognitive Science Noting the Discipline That Are Included in This Field.1302 Words   |  6 PagesORDER COGNITION DATE SUBMITTED: 29th SEPTEMBER, 2011 DISCUSS REASONS FOR THE INCREASED INTEREST IN COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND THE DECLINE OF BEHAVIORIST APPROACH ,IN ADDITION DESCRIBE THE FIELD OF COGNITIVE SCIENCE NOTING THE DISCIPLINE THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE THIS FIELD. Behaviorism also called learning perspective is defined by Wikipedia ‘ as a philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do-including acting , thinking, and feelingRead MoreThe Broad Field Of Psychology1199 Words   |  5 PagesThe broad field of psychology encompasses several different subsets in order to touch upon every aspect of the practice. A particularly interesting one would be cognitive psychology. This area of study focuses on several mental processes; mostly memory, perception and learning. Through the adaption of science and technology, cognitive psychology continues to grow as an important field in psychology. History of Cognitive Psychology Cognitive Psychology originally did not begin as that title. In theRead Morepsy 3601407 Words   |  6 Pages Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Introduction Cognitive Psychology/PSY360 Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes surrounding learning, memory, perception, and thought. Though it is still a relatively new formal branch of psychology, its roots extend back to Descartes who sought a way to explain how the mind worked, proposing the analogy of a â€Å"hydraulic system of nerve function† (Willingham, 2007, p. 26) after he observed animated statues

My Life After High School - 917 Words

It was my junior year in high school, when my life began to change. While I sat in my English class, with my head laid on top of the hard wooden cold desk, I thought to myself, what am I going to do. How was I supposed to provide for this child, but my mind kept think back to how was I going to let my mother know, that her youngest high school daughter was about to become a teen parent. I was scared. I was scared for my future. As the days became months, my belly continued to grow more and more. Rumors began to start escalate, is she really pregnant, wow I did not even know she had a boyfriend. I was the unpopular girl who no one knew. The girl who would sit in the back of the class all alone. I was the girl who wanted to be popular, or even the girl who everyone wanted to be friends with, but I was not. I was the knocked up high school student as people would say. I had many people reject me and few accept me for who I was. Due to me becoming a teen parent I received various levels of support from my family, teachers, and the little friends I did have. I was so frighten to tell my family, especially my mother who was all the way in Florida. I grew up with a strict mother, who wanted me to go nowhere and to stay home at all times. I started to panic, walking back and forth across my room, then all of a sudden my sister barges in my room. Screaming on the top of her tongue asking me why haven’t I told my mother. She then calls my mother on the phone, getting straight to theShow MoreRelatedMy Life After High School974 Words   |  4 Pagesduring the finales months of my senior year in high school, I began to start thinking about my life after high school. I had no idea of what I wanted to be in life. I knew I had liked arguing with people and standing up for what I believe. Then one day, I was watching one of my favorite movies â€Å"Legally Blonde†. A brief summary of the movie is that it is about a â€Å"dumb blonde’ girl who gets the opportunity of a lifetime to become a lawyer by attending Harvard Law School . In the beginning, she was lostRead MoreMy Life After High School981 Words   |  4 Pages After high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a career. After years of wandering I decided to join the military. I completed basic training and technical school in Texas. I was miles away from the comfort of family and friend back home in Maryland. This was the first time that I was truly on my own. After training was complete I was moved to Spokane, Washington. where I completed my term in Spokane and it was time to reenlist or get out the military. I was ready to have my life back soRead MoreMy Life After High School1896 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"What do you want to do with your life after high school† is a frequent question that I am asked from family, faculty, and friends. Deciding what I want to do after high school was surprisingly quite easy for me, considering the fact that I have known what I wanted to do since freshman year. To find out more information about becoming an anesthesiologist, I conducted a research project on everything I will need to complete to get on the right track to seizing a job in this exciting medical fieldRead MoreMy Life After High School1138 Words   |  5 Pageswith my life is build and create. As a kid I was obsessed with building Legos but not with directions. Figuring out how to put it together without directions was a challenge but all that more satisfying. I also enjoyed tinkering with anything I could get my hands on, from toys to mechanisms. Throughout my life I have experienced many different events that have altered my thinking and aspirations for the future. Teaching myself and learning from others was the only way to get here today. My interestRead MoreMy Life After High School921 Words   |  4 Pagesin every adolescent s life in which reality begins to strike them. From an adults perspective this early stage is viewed simply as immaturity. Starting high school was a big change in my life and was a step in the direction of young adulthood.As individuals around me attempted to navigate down that similar path I gained a crisp taste of my identity. All of a sudden what was once a long distance future evolved into the near future as high school years passed and a test of my character was close atRead MoreGraduation Speech : My Life After High School907 Words   |  4 PagesWhen my high school graduation came around in the year of 2013 I was not sure what would be the next step in life after high school. I was undecided whether I would go to college. I didn t feel I was college material since I honestly did not do that well my last couple years of high school. I figured I would just learn to paint cars like my da d. I was working for my dad during that same summer after I graduated and I completely changed my mind on college. Going home in dust and grime everydayRead MoreMy Life After My Grade High School Year Essay2082 Words   |  9 PagesWhen helping others you always believe that you are doing the right thing. In this case, the right thing ended up with my parents’ jewelry gone and loss of what I thought was a friend. The start of my eleventh grade high school year in Seattle was not only the worst year of my life, but the most eye opening experiences of my life. How could someone play the role so well, and smile with a big, innocent grin to your family, but be so evil and empty inside? How could someone betray your trust when youRead MoreThe Low Income Schools Where The Kids Don t Get The Attention1626 Words   |  7 PagesWithin my community there are many low income schools where the kids don’t get the attention they need. My mom works at Laurel Elementary School whe re many kids have bad home situations or can barely speak English. Many of them are struggling in school because they have so many other things going on in their life. My mom has spent time one on one with some of her students tutoring them after school or over the summer and it really helps them. By spending more time with the students one on one outsideRead MoreMy Experience At High School848 Words   |  4 Pages High school is one of those times in life where most people have the best times of their lives, but for me I just wanted to get through it. Coming in freshman year I was done with the cattiness of the girls, the social pressures, and the monotony of school. Then I discovered the joy of ceramics! Ceramics was unlike any class I had taken in my entire life and had far reaching effects on my life. Ceramics kept me in high school by sparking my creativity and all of life’s possibilities. In high schoolRead MoreGrowing Up Is A Hard Thing For Me1554 Words   |  7 Pagesgrow up mentally. When I was in high school an event happen to me that completely changed my life from being a typical average high school kid who didn’t care about school, to a hard working dedicated student. Life can change in an instant, and change everything in an instant too. it happened to me once, and I am truly happy that it did because now I now that everything I have is a blessing, and I don’ t take anything for granted anymore. It all happened in high school. I remember graduating from Southern

Speaking Chapter Study Notes free essay sample

Differences Speaking to groups Is very highly structured Strict time restrictions Most dont allow for question interruptions (must plan for and anticipate questions that might arise in listeners mind) Public Speaking requires more formal language No slang Jargon bad grammar or curse words Highly structured Public Speaking requires a different method of delivery Proper posture, no vocalizes fillers for times ( uh, rum, eh) and avoid distracting mannerisms (hand talking) and verbal habits Developing confidence: In your speech class 40 % of people said public speaking was worst fearEveryone gets nervous at speaking, great speakers use this to help their speech Focus on transforming nervousness to one of positive nervousness ( controlled nervousness that helps energize a speaker for their presentation) Tricks to turn nervousness from negative to positive Get experience in speaking- the more you do it the less scary it will be because its not new and threatening Be prepared- 1- hours for every minute spoken Pick topics that are close to you Think Positively: 5 positive thoughts for every negative one Visualize you speaking well You dont look as nervous as you think Public Speaking and Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking- focused organized thinking about such things as the logical relationships among ideas, the soundness of evidence and the difference between fact and opinion The Speech Communication Process Speaker Message Have and intended message that will be actually be communicated Keep a narrowed topic Be aware of the message you are sending with your voice, appearance, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. Dont let your non verbal cues distract from your intended message Channel- the means by which a message is communicated by Listener-person receiving spoken messagesFrame of reference- the total of the listeners knowledge, experience, goals, values, and attitudes Because the speaker and listener will never have the same meaning of a speech ITIL carry a different meaning for each of them Feedback- messages sent for listener to speaker Interference- anything impeding the communication of the message External- outside distracting noises or situations Internal- distractions coming from the inside of a listener Situation-time and place communication is going down Tailoring a speech to the context of the event (graduation, funeral, church) PublicSpeaking in a Multicultural World Language is the biggest barrier between difference in cultures Anthropocentric- belief that ones own culture is superior Chapter 2: Ethics and Public Speaking The Importance of ethics Guidelines for ethical speakin g Make sure goals are ethically sound Just because your ethical background makes you for an issue someone who makes a decision against you based on their ethics doesnt make them wrong Be fully prepared for a speech Be prepared because you not only was your time if you speak badly but you waste the individuals in the audiences times as well.Be Honest Hiding the truth to protect the vast community isnt unethical but lying to protect yourself is Dont Juggle statistics, quote auto context, misrepresenting sources, painting tentative findings as finite, citing unique situations as normal representation or substitute innuendo and half-truths for proof Avoid Name calling and abusive language Name calling- the use of stereotypical labels meant to degrade and euthanize and silence opposing sides.Using such language is a destructive social force and will also make your audience doubt you entire speech and message Plagiarism- passing off money elses work as your own without credit Global Plagi arism- copying an entire document or speech verbatim Patchwork Plagiarism- piecing together more than one document and passing of as your own.Can have some transitions but a vast majority is completely copied Incremental Plagiarism- failing to give credit to an author of a quotation or paraphrase of ideas Ways to stop accidental plagiarism Take note of title of document Group/person responsible for the document Date site was accessed Guidelines for ethical listening Be courteous and attentive Avoid prejudging the speakerMaintain free and open expression of ideas Chapter 3: Listening Listening is Important Listening- pay close attention to and making sense of what we hear Good listening improves efficient, sales, customer satisfaction and employee morale Effective listening correlates to higher grades Listening and Critical Thinking Types of listeners Appreciative listening- listening for pleasure or enjoyment Music movies comedy Empathic listening- listening to provide emotional sup port for a speaker Friends, family, psychiatrist Comprehensive listening- listening to understand the message of a speaker Class mom lecture, listening to directions Critical listening- listening to evaluate a message for purposes of accepting or rejoicing it Sales pitch, campaign speeches, sermons Four Causes of Poor Listening Not Concentrating Letting your mind wander and not focus on what is being said Listening too hard Trying to remember insignificant amounts of information verses the speakers main points Jumping to conclusions Instead of waiting for answers Just assuming the worst and going with it Marking a speakers message as unimportant before even giving them a chance Focusing on delivery and personal appearanceHow to become a better Listener Take Listening Seriously Be an Active Listener Give your undivided attention to the speaker to genuinely try and understand their point of view Resist distractions Try anticipate what the speaker might say Review what the speaker has already said Dont be Diverted by Appearance or Delivery Suspend Judgment Until you hear the entire speech Set aside your own prejudices, frames of reference and desires to fully appreciate what the speaker is trying to get across A closed mind is an empty mind Focus your Listening Listen for Main Points Listen for evidence Matched up with the main points to support them Is it accurate? Is it taken from objective sources? Is it relevant to the speakers claims? Is it sufficient to support the speakers point? Listen for technique Take note of any speakers techniques of delivering the speech to better your own speech techniques Developing good note taking skills Focus on important main points The key word outline- outline that briefly notes a speakers main points and supporting evidence in rough outline form Chapter 4: Giving Your First Speech Preparing Your Speech Developing your Speech Focusing Your Topic

Why do people watch reality TV

Table of Contents Advantages of reality TV programs What is so appealing about reality TV programs? Conclusion Reference Are people dangerously disillusioned with their livelihoods such that they have to keep watching others on TV? This is a question that many scientific papers try to unravel as these programs continue to undo our civilized society. The shows are continuously attracting a large audience every new day. There are mixed reactions that explain such a rise. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why do people watch reality TV? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The great quantity of the programs looks like they are as reliable as the seasons, with shows like the â€Å"American Idol† and some Soap Operas being more popular than any other time ever. Their imitations are proliferating the cable channels at an alarming rate. In the entire world, people are fascinated by the rising popularity of reality TV programs. This paper explores the reasons behind the popularity of reality TV programs. Advantages of reality TV programs To understand the reason why many people watch reality TV, it is imperative to analyze the advantages of these programs. Firstly, these programs can be informative and thought provoking (Hill, 2005). For instance, programs that deal with crime can educate people on the dangers that policemen deal with on a daily basis. Other programs that deal with health issues can help people, especially pregnant women, depict early signs of complications. It is possible for viewers to learn of the disease symptoms through the information gotten from some of the reality programs like Dr. OZ, for example. In these programs, viewers also identify themselves with the celebrities in the view that they will one day become ones. These programs provide people with an opportunity to showcase their natural gifts and make people aware of social causes. What is so appealing about real ity TV programs? The greatest appeal that makes these programs so popular is that viewers feel as though they are real participants. Secondly, the suspense created by these programs makes viewers anticipate the next episodes. Especially the Soap Operas create a high level of suspense that makes viewers remain glued to their TV sets wishing to see the next move. Other programs, such as the American Idol, give their viewers toll-free numbers to participate by making their remarks. This has a great appeal to the viewers who would always want to make recommendations. Thirdly, most of these programs deal with the real life situations that people are facing. Thus, other individuals watch them as a way of trying to find means to come out of their flabbergasting circumstances in life (Hill, 2005). For instance, married men may watch reality programs that deal with cheating to find out tactics to deal with their cheating wives. Another appeal is that viewers are given a chance to compare th eir lives with those of the shows’ protagonists (they are able to blend fantasy with reality).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, some reality shows promote poor behavior such as emphasizing just sexual aspects of dating as opposed to developing mature and loving relationships. This is a detrimental effect of the programs. At times such detrimental aspects can contribute to some social problems in the society. Conclusion Different people watch reality programs for various reasons, but the greatest of all seems to be the fact that these programs make the viewers feel as if they are part of the action. The above article explores the people’s behavior and the manner in which the programs affect their livelihoods, either positively or negatively. Reference Hill, A. (2005). Reality TV: Factual Entertainment and Television Audiences. London: Tailor Francis group. This essay on Why do people watch reality TV? was written and submitted by user Trystan Bright 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.

The Nature of Scientific Progress essays

The Nature of Scientific Progress essays Physicist and Nobel laureate W.L. Bragg once compared science to a coral reef, pointing out how the living organisms at the surface produce the growth of the reef on top of tens of hundreds of feet of skeletons of organisms that have long since died. The life of the reef is only at its surface; the life of science is only at its frontier. The main idea of this analogy is that present science is not created out of thin air, but rather, was a product of many years of research and development. This idea in itself implies that there is progress in science. Scientific methodologies as well as science as an institution have been developed in such a way to allow for growth and improvement. Like the growth of the reef, is a process of building upon the foundation created by our ancestors. It is a common misconception that science progresses when a correct theory replaces a wrong one. The process is better described as the replacement of a wrong theory with a less wrong theory. However, before even beginning to understand how this can happen, one must examine the criterion that is used to judge a correct theory from an incorrect one. Determining whether a theory is true or false is a never-ending process; that is, a theory can never be conclusively falsified or proven to be the absolutely true. A theory is usually accepted as valid when it is proven by numerous experimental tests and there is no other theory that explains the phenomena better. The more tests that back up the theory the more confidence is placed in its truth. However, one can never be certain that there will not come a time in the future where a test will show that the theory does not apply in all cases. Newtons laws of motion, for example, were proved by every possible experiment for almost 250 yea rs. The confidence in the theory was so high that it was hard to imagine that it was not the absolute truth. In the late nineteenth century, ho...

The Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story which makes the reader feel fear, depression and guilt from the very first page and up to the final scene.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fall of the House of Usher specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Having read the story up to the end, it seems that Usher and his sister are the most depressive people in the house and a simple guest, Usher’s friend who arrived becomes deeply depressed too because of the general conditions and mood in the house. However, looking at the situation from another angle, it is possible to see that depressed and gloomy atmosphere in the house is much exaggerated because of the pessimistic vision of life by the narrator personally. Therefore, having read a story attentively, it is possible to doubt the events which took place there and try to consider the situation from another point of view. The Poe’s The Fall of t he House of Usher is a story about Usher and his family. The house is depicted as the symbol of the atmosphere and relations in the family. From the very beginning the house is shown as the place that gives â€Å"a sense of insufferable gloom† and â€Å"natural images of the desolate or terrible† (Poe, 2000, p. 1264). The narrator sees â€Å"the blank walls†¦ with an utter depression of soul†¦ after-dream of the reveler upon opium† (Poe, 2000, p. 1264). Describing the house, the protagonist sees â€Å"iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart†, and â€Å"barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn† (Poe, 2000, p. 1265).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All these descriptions c reate the gloomy mood before the reader gets acquainted with those who live in the house. Therefore, seeing the health problems the inhabitants of the house have, the reader takes it for granted that the atmosphere in the house is depressive. Reading of the books, listening to the music and even watching the paintings, in a word, everything the inhabitants of the house do puts the reader to consider the whole situation as depressive because of Usher and his sister. However, if one takes a closer reading and considers the first lines of the story, everything may be changed. â€Å"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on† (Poe, 2000, p. 1264) is the first part from the Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Have not seen the house, have not experienced the doom atmosphere there, the protagonist is already depressed. Therefore, this scene makes a reader doubt the events which took place in the story. Hinzpeter (2012) makes an offer that â€Å"the first-person-narrator may have suffered from depression or some other sort of causeless melancholy from the very beginning and was therefore easily influenced by the gothic setting† (p. 10). So, it may be concluded that the gothic setting makes the narrator discuss simple life of people who do not communicate with the outside world due to their diseases as a depressive and criminal. The events which happened in the story may be an imagination of the narrator.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fall of the House of Usher specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, one detail makes the reader doubt this statement, the â€Å"perceptible fissure† which is not too big at the beginning, and then the fissures are too big at the end and they cause the house fall. Reference List Hinzpeter, K. (2012). Unreliable Narration in Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher The Narrative Creation of Horror. New York: GRIN Verlag. Poe, E. (2000). The fall of the house of Usher. In R. Bausch R.V. Cassill (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction (pp. 1264-1277). New York: W. W. Norton.

Tiers of Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tiers of Rights - Essay Example The Supreme Court has over the years extended the fundamental rights to include right to marriage, right to contraception and also right to privacy (Smith 36). The Supreme Court uses a three-tier approach in determining the level of protection of each constitutional right. For instance, the strict scrutiny enables courts to reject any legislation that is not geared at fulfilling overriding government objective. The second tier is the intermediate scrutiny whereby the legislation must demonstrate a substantial societal interest such as extramarital affairs. The third scrutiny is a rational relationship test whereby the legislation must relate to legitimate government objective and must protect the specific constitutional rights. The upper tier constitutional rights include the fundamental rights safeguarded by constitution such as the right to freedom of association, freedom of worship, right to counsel and right against double jeopardy. Right to protection against unfair trial and cr uel punishments are also fundamental rights that form the first tier of constitutional rights (Fireside 34). ... In addition, the double jeopardy protection prohibits subsequent prosecution after the conviction, acquittal and multiple punishments for the same indictment. Accordingly, the constitutional right protects the accused from witnessing against himself since this may lead to self-incrimination (Smith 65). The right to protection against self-incrimination extends to custodial interrogation. The Fifth Amendment is clear that evidence obtained illegally cannot be admissible in prosecutions even when such evidence is obtained by torture of the accused. In the case of Miranda v, Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), Ernesto Miranda had been convicted for several charges including armed robbery, assault, attempted rape and burglary. In police custody, he had confessed to the crimes and the court found him guilty (Smith 50). However, after his appeal, the US Supreme Court ruled that his Fifth Amendment rights had been violated since the law enforcement authorities should have warned him of the right to remain silent or provide evidence in the presence of an attorney. In addition, the right to remain silent in criminal trials prohibits the government from punishing the defendant through allowing the prosecutor to assume the guilty of defendant. This was evidenced in the case of Griffin v. California, 380 U.S 609 (1965), when the Supreme Court held that it was unconstitutional for California state to grant such powers to the jury and prosecutors (Vile 20). Conclusion In conclusion, constitutional rights are classified in to three tiers depending on the level of protection by the constitution. The right to fair trials in criminal charges is an upper tier constitutional right that is safeguarded

Come up with topic and I will discuss it with the professor then u can Essay

Come up with topic and I will discuss it with the professor then u can start writing - Essay Example Corporate income tax depends on the net taxable income. Where taxable income surpasses $335,000, all taxable income is subject to tax at 34 percent or 35 percent. Tax rate enforced below the federal level fluctuate from 1 percent to over 16 percent. Regulated Investment Companies (RICs) are the domestic corporations which during the taxable year are listed under the Investment Companies Act of 1940, as amended as a unit investment trust or a management company or to be treated as a business development company under such Act. This paper will focus on tax treatment of regulated investment companies and the corporate income tax and how do they differ from one another. Historical Content During the past decade, the corporate income tax has been the centre of attention of much debate and criticism in the United States (U.S.). It may be due to the low level of business investment in US and it has been also condemned as a primarily illogical and unfair tax because corporations are taxed as independent entities, in spite of the tax brackets of individual shareholders. The recent tax acts have lessened the corporate tax burden by substituting the system of several asset depreciation classes with three capital recovery classes. Business structures can be written off over fifteen years, other equipment over five years and light equipment over three years (Auerbach, 451-458). The corporate tax is the 3rd major source of federal revenue after the payroll taxes and the individual income tax. Regulated Investment Companies are listed under the Investment Companies Act of 1940. RICs escape corporate taxes due to the reason that they make profit from investments through shareholders and they do not have any real operations. Thus, they pass profits to shareholders and circumvent double taxation. They meet definite standards and therefore do not have to pay federal income taxes on interest, distribution of dividends and realized capital gains. Economic Incidence of the Policy Sh areholders must be the citizens or residents of United States. The tax is imposed on the profits of the resident corporations of U.S. at graduated rates ranging from 15-35%. Corporate shareholders pay individual income tax on capital gains and on dividends from sale of their shares. The corporate tax rules which are faced by the U.S. based corporations on their profits from United States business activities, of which the foreign multinational companies are the owner, are same as that of U.S. owned companies. An increase in the corporate income tax increases the cost of capital in the corporate sectors due to the burden of tax-wedge. The return to corporate capital falls as capital flows from corporate sector to non corporate sector. For high capital intensive industries, corporate income tax increases the prices of goods and services and for low capital intensive industries, prices falls with the tax. U.S. capital bears the small incidence of the corporate income tax and labour bear s more or less 100% of the incidence of the corporate income tax. The domestic corporations who bear the economic incidence and therefore opt to be taxed as a RIC are as follows: RIC must be a corporation which should be registered under the Investment Companies Act as a unit investment trust or as a management company. It may also be a common trust. Each series fund which is ascertained by a RIC will be treated as a separate corporation and they should separately meet all the qualification

Evolution of Technology Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Technology Essay â€Å"Men are only so good as their technical developments allows them to be† (Orwell 56). When the technology boom occurred in the 1990s and beyond, a typical student’s backpack would consist of a boondoggle, leather-bound planner, pager, cassette player, 3. 5 inch floppy disk, and a hardcover textbook. Time advanced, and eventually made its way into the 2000s, when then a backpack would hold a keychain game, CD player, soft cover textbook with a CD-ROM, and a box-shaped cell phone. Technology continued to grow into the next decade with backpacks full of smart phones, laptops, graphic calculators, receipts for online textbook purchases, MP3 players, a backup charger, and a 4GB flash drive attached to the bag’s zipper. Evolution of technology has come into major play, and has begun to conquer today’s society with one discovery at a time. For example, as assembly lines become familiar to many, technology advancements closely follow. While hundreds of employees used to manually run a factory, the majority of the hard work is now done by machines, also known as artificial labor. This change has affected business owners positively, thus allowing for new positions to help run the technology and to ensure all is running well. After such advancements were formed in our society, hundreds to thousands of new companies and manufacturing plants have been built, resulting in a major increase of available jobs to the middle class, which currently, the majority of United States citizens currently occupy. Recently, IBM teamed up with Corporate Service Corps (CSC) in order to send 30 volunteers out into different countries to work on technology-related assistance, such as distance learning programs, and upgraded laser eye treatments. The fact that advanced technology can help to save millions of lives has been one of the biggest reasons for such a large demand. IBM plan to take on several projects in different countries such as India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ghana, and more. A total of 12 teams will go into each of those countries and successfully complete the projects for better technology-based education and eye treatments, which will cost approximately $250,000 each, all paid for by IBM. The overall project has not only opened up new opportunities for those willing to add this adventurous project to their resume, but it’s also reaching out to communities in dire need, something that the latest technology has allowed to be done. Furthermore, technology has been able to expedite the process of sending aid to places I need more quickly and efficiently with the release of new features to currently existing pieces of technology, as well as software applications. Renowned author Sarah Murray explains, â€Å"When a huge earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, the addition of Haitian Creole spoken by 8m people in that country to Microsofts online translation engine, which was achieved in just five days, helped humanitarian workers who needed to be able to translate quickly. Something as simple as an online translation system, a piece of virtual technology, was able to help save thousands to millions of lives in Haiti. One of the biggest issues in aid relief is the language and unfamiliar surrounding barrier, which Microsoft has been able to defeat with the use of several applications. The company has been closely working with skilled programmers to create certain software which allow for a variety of functions, such as Twisted Pair Wave software, which allows humanitarian professionals to keep in contact with one another from any device by keeping connected to one specific network. Relief workers can then locate others in the area by sending a ping signal to the network, which helps when in an entirely new environment and unsure of the native language. Technology continues to save the lives of many, by creating jobs that allow people to continue and support their family, as well as being able to provide support for those in a life-or-death situation when it comes down to the essentials such as food, water, and housing. Some fortunate people fail to realize how difficult it really is to obtain such aid. While technology has helped to eradicate useless jobs and help to decrease labor costs, it has resulted in the creation new useful jobs, such as manufacturing the actual technology to be used in a computer, and a computer specialist field that help to put the newly-made computers to use. Thus, if a job is able to be taken over by a machine that is incapable of independent thought, the job may be less suitable for a human being. While ATMs have replaced bank-tellers, we now have newly found jobs which focus on repairing, and manufacturing the ATM machines; it works like a two-edged sword.

Governmental Opposition of Cloning :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Governmental Opposition of Cloning Human cloning is a prospect no longer left to the fantastic realm of science fiction novels; rather it is a modern possibility. In 1997, embryologists in Scotland cloned the first mammal, a sheep named Dolly. Shortly thereafter, scientists in the United States cloned a set of monkeys. These scientific advancements and the ethical dilemmas they pose quickly grabbed the attention of the President, Congress and the American public. In its desire to allay anxieties raised by human cloning, Congress proposed the Human Cloning Prohibition Act ( S. 1601, or the â€Å" Bill † ) (Cannon and Haas 637 ). Unfortunately, in their haste to pass federal legislation, the Bill’s drafters ignored important procedural safeguards, employed vague statutory language, and created a bill with significantly diverse implications. After exploring the ethical dilemmas associated with human cloning, the Recent Development critiqued S. 1601 and concluded that congress should craft more suitable legislation. One of the ethical concerns prompting anti-cloning legislation is that human individuality may be undermined if parents can custom order the traits and other characteristics of their children. In the article, â€Å" The Human Cloning Prohibition Act: Did Congress Go Too Far ? †, the authors Cannon and Haas have cited the views of President Clinton on this issue. President Clinton fears that human cloning â€Å" could lead to misguided and malevolent attempts to select certain traits, even to create certain kinds of children ---- to make children objects instead of cherished individuals. † ( Cannon and Haas 638 ). In 1997, within days of the announcement of Dolly’s successful birth, President Clinton instituted a ban on federal funding of human cloning research. President Clinton further ordered the National Bioethics Advisory Commission to report on whether the United States should either regulate human cloning or completely ban it with laws similar to those passed in Belgium, Britain and many other countries. Soon thereafter congress attempted to pass federal legislation. The Bill, as proposed by Senators Christopher Bond, Bill Frist and Trent Lott, prohibits any person or entity from using human somatic cell transfer technology and from importing an embryo produced through such technology.

Psychodynamic Theories

ANTHONY BILLSON 5. 2 PAGE 2 Psychodynamic Theory As a group over the last few weeks we have been dicussing has a group the 3 main theories of counselling and after careful deliberation ive chosen to do my presentation on the psychodynamic theory. Psychodynamics is the theory and systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behaviour. It is especially interested in the dynamic relations between conscious and unconscious motivation . Psychodynamic therapies depend upon a theory of inner conflict, wherein repressed behaviours and emotions surface into the patient’s consciousness; generally, one conflict is subconscious .Psychodynamics was initially developed by Sigmund Freud ,Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. By the mid 1940s and into the 1950s, the general application of the â€Å"psychodynamic theory† had been well established. When talking about Psychodynamic theory the first name that pops into most peoples heads is Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud was Born i n Austria on May 6, 1856, Sigmund Freud theorized and practiced neuropsychology, studying first hysteria and then sexuality. A highly controversial intellectual figure of the 20th century, he studied dreams, defined what he called the Oedipus complex and laid out three stages of infantile sexual development .He remains one of the most influential figures in today's world. His name alone symbolizes the importance of his theories, and the name that comes to most people's heads when saying the word psychology is Sigmund Freud. Freud was a psychodynamic psychologist and that came from Freud's view on the mind is in the shape of an iceberg. He believes that mankind's mind works in the unconscious. Every choice that mankind makes he is aware of, but maybe the consequences of our action might be unknown.The Structure of Personality which is another interesting part of Freud's theory basically states that we have an ID, a Superego and an Ego. The ID is a biological reservoir of urges and im pulses that need to be gratified. He says the ID does not have a conscious , it acts on instinct and it seeks out gratification and pleasure. It is the pleasure principle. The Superego is the Morality Principle, and the Superego knows the difference between right and wrong. The Superego is a bunch of learned internalized morals and values of society. This is asically the thing that keeps the ID in check. Freud said that Superego is our conscious, and that the Superego is the most powerful tool (guilt and pride). Last but not least is the Ego, which is the reality principle. The Ego finds socially acceptable ways to satisfy the ID. It finds the balance between the ID and reality. The functions of the Ego is to find a compromise between the ID and the Superego. The Ego must also learn to deal with anxiety, and it also helps to boost the self-esteem. Without the Ego there would be no mental health.After researching Freud's theory of the Structure of Personality I feel we have different parts of our behavior that we can control and that we are conscious about and there are other behaviors that come directly from our unconscious . Our ego lies to us, denies, falsifies, and distorts reality which in turn causes us to create what Freud likes to call the seven defense mechanisms. The first of the seven defense mechanisms is Repression. Repression pushes the problem to the subconscious. It is the exclusion of impulses and thoughts from the conscious mind.Next comes Denial, and denial is the cutting of the conscious mind from external threats. ANTHONY BILLSON 5. 2 PAGE 3 An example of this would be when you are walking in the mall with your girlfriend and a beautiful woman walks by and you look but when your girlfriend asks you say, â€Å"I wasn't looking at her. † Next there is a defense mechanism called Sublimation which is the changing of bad behavior and impulses into socially acceptable behavior and impulses. One example of this could be playing football for a scholarship in order to go to college.Another defense mechanism is Reaction Formation which is a development of behavior opposite of that which brings you anxiety . The next mechanism is called Projection whichis when the unconscious attribution of your thoughts and feelings is brought onto others. Finding flaws in others is a good example of Projection. Displacement is the next defense mechanism, and this is when an urge is placed onto another object. Taking out anger onto others when you really should be mad at yourself. Last but not least is the defense mechanism of Rationalization which is giving a good reason in place of the true reason.Another well known psychologist which is actually a student of Freuds' is Carl Jung who is also a psychodynamic psychologist, Carl Jung was born July 26, 1875 in Kesswil, Switzerland and he went a little deeper than Freud did in his theories and he challenges some of his ideas. One is that Jung's iceberg is right side up and at the top of the iceberg is the ego, and the level underneath that is the personal unconscious, and the final level of the iceberg is finally the collective unconscious which is almost the exact opposites of Freud's.What I mean by deeper is that he feels that man is not just sexual but spiritual as well. He says that the major difference in man is based on the Libido which is your sex drive. As you can see Jung has a much broader level of human interest. Jung theories are strongly based on Darwin's theory of Evolution. Jung thinks we evolved behaviorally which has allowed us to prosper and move forward in order to keep up with society. The next part of Carl Jung's theory is the Archetypal Complex, which are common ways of dealing with the world.In other words it's a genetically transmitted response strategy. It ensures survival. There are two examples of Archetypal Complexes and they are the enemy archetype and the social archetype. . There are examples in everyday life when a person does not know what something is they immediately show some sort of aggression or frustration which proves they are afraid of what is different or what they do not really know or understand. The social archetype basically means strength in numbers. Also the social archetype is what we look to for support and look to interact and socialize with.The response strategy is to develop a need to conform. With the whole idea of Archetypal Complexes different people use different ways to deal with the world's problems, and enemy archetype could not be more precise about mankind being threatened by something that is different. The next part of Jung's theory is the idea of Individuation which is the integration of our conscious perceptions of the outside world with our unconscious archetypal experiences. Polarities, which are opposite extremes, which ties in the Principle of entropy which, is a state of disorder and a randomness of energy.The last thing Jung states in his theory is the idea of wholeness whic h is having both polarities of our life met. Carl Jung's theory challenges much of Freud's, but in some ways is similar. Jung gets more into man being more spiritual than sexual which is almost the opposite of Freud. The next psychologist that I will mention will be a social psychodynamic psychologist by the name of Alfred Adler. Adler was born on February 7, 1870 and Adler’s theory states that all of us are born with a sense of inferiority as evidenced by how weak and helpless a newborn is.ANTHONY BILLSON 5. 2 PAGE 4 By this, Adler was able to explain that this inferiority is a crucial part of our personality, in the sense that it is the driving force that pushes us to strive in order to become superior. In addition to the Inferiority Theory of Personality, Adler also considers birth order as a major factor in the development of our personality. He believed that first born children may feel inferior and may even develop inferiority complex once their younger sibling arrives. The middle born children, on the other hand, are not as pampered as their older or younger sibling, but they have a sense of superiority to dethrone their older sibling in a healthy competition. Thus they have the greatest potential to be successful in life. The youngest children may feel like they have the least power to influence other members of the family. Because they are often the most pampered, they may develop personality problems of inferiority just like the first born. He was much less of a pessimist than Freud was; Almost a complete opposite from Freud.Adler believed that society impedes humans. His view of the mind is much like Carl Jung's, but instead of having the ego at the top he has the conscious at the top with the unconscious on the bottom. He felt that social interests drive motivation, which is an innate drive to be social and to belong. He also stated in his theory that mankind is dependent on others and their reactions and their acceptance which in turn leaves mankind very vulnerable. The main idea of this theory is that he feels that mankind is more social than biological.A great example ofthis would definitely be that in today's schools there are cliques and clans of different people that feel that they are cooler or better and than the people who are not as popular do whatever they can to fit in with a certain group. Teenagers nowadays are probably the best example there is of Adler's theory of social interest. Another part of Adler's theory that he brings up is the idea of the creative self which he says drives us toward human nature. There are two parts to this theory and they are the superiority complex and the inferiority complex.First of all the superiority complex states mankind tries to better itself in order to overcome our weaknesses. The second part of this theory is the inferiority complex which is when society measures us up to their standards. This is when we begin to avoid our weaknesses instead of trying to overcome the m. The next theorist is Erich Fromm who was born in Frankfurt on March 23, 1900 and he was a liberal social psychodynamic psychologist who was also a student of Freuds. He believes that man is innately good and society is the thing that corrupts him.He also feels that the conscious mind dominates over the unconscious. Fromm says man is a social creature and he believes that mankind has social needs. He says life is a struggle and society makes our lives difficult. Fromm feels that the four needs of mans' social life are relatedness, frame of reference , identity, and transcendence. Relatedness is a basic need and it states that man needs to feel connected to humanity whether it be friends, family, or activities. It also states that man has to beinteracted with other in order to belong.The problems start when a person feels that they are not a part of something. Relatedness is probably the most powerful need. Frame of Reference are common ideas and beliefs of looking at the world. Th is is when we seek out a belief system or a value system. We receive our frame of reference from where we find our relatedness. Without frame of reference there is no meaning to life. Identity is the next out of the four needs of mans social life which is when you know who you are and what you stand for.With identity you have to establish your own uniqueness or identity. Recognizing differences in others help you to find your own identity. ANTHONY BILLSON 5. 2 PAGE 5 Next comes transcendence which is rarely achieved and this means to rise above societies conformities in order to be an individual. With transcendence there is a risk of losing your relatedness, and for this not to happen relatedness must allow you rise above society. A conflict of freedom and loneliness means that the more that we become transcendent the more we lose the relatedness.My last theorist to talk about is Erik Erikson, he was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1902 . Erikson impacted psychological theories by exp anding upon Freud’s original five stages of development. He believed that each person progressed through eight, and ultimately nine (added by his widow), stages of development throughout their lives. Erikson’s theories were founded on the premise that environment played a major role in self-awareness, adjustment, human development, and identity . His belief in the Life Cycle later won him a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award.He was selected for the Jefferson Lecture and recognized for his achievement in the area of humanities. Erikson was best known for his impact on psychology through his theory on social development and his lengthy teaching career at prestigious institutions. Now after all my researching which has took me quite a while to get through cause there are so many sources to choose from ive realised that has psychodynamic theories have developed over the years our understanding of the human psyche has evolved and so as the effectiveness of the methods used by counsellors today.There is a negative side to this theory though cause some critics argue that psychodynamic theories are not falsifiable and therefore unscientific. In response to this criticism, proponents of psychodynamic theories point out that evidence does support some psychodynamic concepts. For example, research shows that there are unconscious mental processes, that people have mental representations of other people, and that people use unconscious defense mechanisms to protect themselves from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety.Other critics argue that psychodynamic theories are made by generalizing from a small number of patients to the whole human population. Relying only on case studies can lead to faulty conclusions. Still others argue that most psychodynamic theories are not based on studies that follow people from childhood to adulthood. Instead, psychodynamic theorists listen to descriptions of an adult patient’s past and draw conclusions about the r elevance of childhood experiences however memories are not always reliable.

An Assignment on Web Design

I have been given the task to design a web based personal portfolio of myself aimed at potential employers. The website functions as an online resume for employers to view at their leisure. It will have number of pages containing data that would be sought after by employers. The weapon must be designed in a way that would appeal to employers in the field I wish to be hired in. I have chosen to advertise myself as a student studying to be a software engineer.Goals The planned website must be at least five pages in length, must be designed to accommodate my target audience being possible employers, must have a consistent and appropriate structure and should have an appropriate and pleasing visual design. Implementation is not necessary for this project. In order to best suit the planned website to the target audience I plan to make two persona of possible employers and from them four scenarios, the task only requires one persona and two scenarios but I believe that one is not enough to cover all potential employers.In order to make possible implementation successful the content of the website must be outlined, organized, categorizes and properly structured. Along with the organized content a series of wire frames will be made displaying the physical layout of the website as well as the location of the content within the pages. Accompanying the wire frames a series of screen mock ups will be supplied displaying a potential style to be used.These will come with a style guide detailing features in the mock ups. Audience: Analyzing my target audience is the most important element in creating a successful weapon. A proper analysis can result in features of the weapon that will successfully entice my target audience, being potential employers, to properly browse the weapon. A good way to analyses a target audience is through the creation of persona.A persona is the profile of an imaginary person that displays thee characteristics common to a target audience. Below are two persona with two scenarios each. Persona 1: Mark – Founder of a new software company â€Å"l am looking to build up my software company' Mark Hayward is a young entrepreneur looking to build his software company â€Å"Seasons†, a company started by Mark and a few of his friends from University. He is looking to hire some more people to expand his company.Name: Mark Hayward Type: Intelligent and Ambitious Role: Founder of his Software Company Male * Age 26 * Full Time * Upper – Middle class * Intelligent * Interested in software * Organized * Motivated * Ambitious * young Goals: * Expand his company * Create innovative products * Become a major player in IT Motivations: * A fierce interest in software * A need for accomplishment Scenario: 1 . Mark is looking for a few University students studying IT to hire as armature software engineers in order to expand his software company. Upon a quick web search he sees a link to my online portfolio.Upon browsing the w eapon he sends me an e-mail offering me an interview. 2. I hear Marks Software Company is hiring armature software engineers, I find his e-mail address and send him an e-mail with a link to my online portfolio. He sees my e-mail and follows the link. After browsing the weapon he sends me an email offering me an interview. Persona 2: Shame – Employment manager at Code Valley â€Å"l manage employment for the software company Code Valley' Shame Mason is the employment manager at Code Valley. He searches for potential employees for the company and puts them through the interview process.Name: Shame Mason Type: Office worker, middle aged Role: Employment manager Key Characteristics: * Age 45 * Upper-Middle class Steady life * Dedicated to his Job * Has a steady life * Work hard and climb the corporate ladder * Improve his standard of living * Do a good Job * Climbing the ladder * Making money * Doing a good Job 1 . Shame is looking for possible employees in the future by offerin g internships to university students. He searches for potential employees on the internet and finds a link to my personal portfolio. After browsing the weapon he sends me an e-mail offering me an interview 2.I meet Shame at a careers expo, I write down the URL of my online personal portfolio and give it to him. A few weeks later he visits my arsenal portfolio and after browsing it sends me an e-mail offering me an interview. Content Outline & Structure: Content outline: Home Page: The home page will be fairly basic containing a picture of myself and a few lines of text welcoming the potential employer to the site. It will be of the same design as all other pages with links along the top linking to the other pages. About page: The about page will be more complex than the home page.It will contain a picture of myself alongside three areas of text. The first area of text will be a quote relating to the profession I hope to enter, being software engineering. The two other areas of text will be of a smaller size and relate to my professional experiences and personal life. This page's purpose is to educate the potential employer on what kind of person I am as well as what work related experiences I have had that would make me a strong client for a position in their company. Contact page: The contact page's purpose is to give the potential employer an easy and quick way to send me messages or Job offers on the weapon.I believe it's very important to offer an almost effortless way of contacting me so as to remove the possibility of being removed as a potential employee due to being difficult to contact. The page itself is fairly bare, it consists of three text areas for user input and headings labeling them. The first text area is for the name of the person contacting me, the second is for their email so I can reply to their messages and the third is for the actual message. The button below the last text area when clicked will sent the inputted data to me as an email. Qualifications: The qualifications page is a purely informative page.It contains details of any certificates or other official credentials I possess in drop down menu's. When in compact form all that is displayed is the title of the certification, when expanded a worth description is supplied along with a PDF download link of the official document. References: The references page Contains a series of tiles containing details of references I have received. Each tile contains a title of where I gained the reference as well as a brief description of the reference and a PDF download of the letter of than my own. Site Map: Below is the site map for my planned website.It displays all the pages planned as well as what pages link to each other. Being such a small website all pages link to each other to allow potential employers to browse easily. Wire Frames: Wireless for every planned page are displayed below. All wireless are made using Adobe Fireworks CSS. Home Page: Below is the planned layout of the Home page. About Page: Below is the planned layout of the About page. Contact page: Below is the planned layout of the Contact page. Qualifications Page: Below is the planned layout of the Qualifications page. Employment Page: Below is the planned layout of the Employment page.Visual Design Style Guide: Below is the basic style guide of my planned website. Elements like font styles and sizes as well as some hexadecimal color codes for a few parts of the page. None of Hess designs are definite as the limitations of HTML and CSS have not been fully taken into account. Background: Image file repeated Background: Image file repeated Heading(h2o): size – opt, Font – Bauhaus 93 Heading (Hal): size – opt, Font – Bauhaus 93 Content background: #EDDIED repeated Borders: #OFF, solid Text(p): size – opt, Font – Bauhaus 93 Image Screen Mock-ups: Below are my screen mock ups for every page planned.They were all created using Adobe Firework s CSS. Home Page: Below is the screen mock-up of the Home page. Below is the screen mock-up of the About page. Contact Page: Below is the screen mock-up of the Contact page. Below is the screen mock-up of the Qualifications page. Below is the screen mock-up of the Employment page. Inspirational pages: Below are two pages I took inspiration from in creating my own page. Jason Julienne: http://Association. Com/about/ Jeff Finley: http://www. ]Finley. Rag/about/ Design Rationale The task I was given was to design a web based personal portfolio of myself aimed at potential employers, its purpose being to function as a resume. I believe that the weapon I have designed would fulfill the requirements of this assignment as well as the requirements of any potential employer that may view it if it is implemented. An important part in designing this weapon was to consider what kind of profession I would be interested in entering, this idea changed the entire way the website was arranged and wh at content was included .For example if I had chosen graphic design I would have had to include a number of works I had been involved in as well as samples of those works. The profession I chose to focus on was software engineering; this meant that previous works were not included as they were not as important as qualifications and previous Jobs to potential employers. This change can be seen in he layout of the website having a page for qualifications and a page for references instead of pushing qualifications and references into one page and including previous works.The layout of this weapon was made to be simple. I believe that in a weapon focusing on advertising only one person complexity is pretentious and unnecessary. This is why I have made every page accessible by any single page. The layout is made so that every page is split into two obvious areas, navigation and content. Throughout designed to be simple because a potential employer merely skims resume's, he or she never s pends hours getting in depth with Just one. Why would a potential employer treat an online resume any different?An element of this weapon that I didn't look into in depth was the visual design, the design used is made to be nothing but aesthetically pleasing. If the weapon was to be implemented I may revisit this element and choose a visual design more themed around technology. This may appeal to people hiring in IT professions more than the one that is currently displayed. The web page designed in the above pages is simple but I believe it achieves exactly what it was designed to do, function as an online resume aimed at potential employers.

Equipment & Accessories Basic location essays

Equipment & Accessories Basic location essays Equipment The range of equipment and accessories used for each photographic shoot will depend on various factors such as location, lighting, time limitations and quality of desired image. Also the type of shoots being undertaken. Such as Press, Wedding, Studio (Still life For example the 35mm SLR is a small camera, which has the bonus of being able to change both the lenses and film with ease and speed. It is easy to handle and has the option of additional features such as a motor winder and a camera flashgun. These might be used in press and sports photography when the action may happen quickly and only a small window may be available for images to be recorded and a larger medium format camera would not be suitable. (Zoom lenses would be used if action were at various distances). A range finder camera would be suitable if the shoot was one of reportage/ candid work. Or a standard 35mm camera with a wide-angle lens may do the job if action was shot indirectly. The 35mm negative would produce images of enough quality for newspaper print. When shooting in a press and sport style environment a fast film speed should be chosen. This is because a faster film works faster in poor light conditions where a slow film will need better light conditions to work at the same speed. The slower the film speed the finer the grain quality (this should be taken into consideration). Also instead of a tripod, a monopod might be used as floor space maybe in great demand. The Medium format camera offers a massive increase in quality of the image. When using this type of camera more time has to be allocated to each shot and should increase the photographers control. This increase in quality, and also its portable format, makes the camera ideal for weddings and portrait ...

What Is the PSAT Test Everything You Need to Know

What Is the PSAT Test Everything You Need to Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most students know what the SAT is,but what is the PSAT? Sure, it's got"SAT" in its name, but is the PSAT actually connected to the SAT? More importantly, how does the PSAT test work and what is its purpose? In this article,we’ll answer your most pressingquestion: what is thePSAT test?We'll start by explaining the meaning of PSAT and whystudents typically elect to take it. We'll then go over the logistics of the test and how PSAT scoring works. Finally, we'll finish with a brief discussion about how important PSAT scores actually are for students. What Is the PSAT? How Is It Connected to the SAT? To start, what is the PSAT test? Cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT)- often shortened to PSAT- is a standardized testtargeting 10th and 11th graders in the US. Every year, approximately3.5 million students take the PSAT test at various high schools. But why take it at all? As it stands, the PSAT is heavily connected to the SAT.One of the test's primary purposes is to act as a precursor to the SAT- as the name suggests, as an SAT practice test. Thus, thePSAT and SAT heavilymirror each other in regard tocontent, structure, and even scoring. But the two tests aren't identical. Here are some majordifferences between the PSAT and SAT: The SAT hasan optional Essay section, whereas the PSAT does not The PSAT is slightly easier than the SAT There are fewer questions on the PSAT than there are on the SAT Now, let's jump back to the"NMSQT" part of the full PSAT name. In addition to being a preparatory test for the SAT, the PSAT is a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. In other words, PSAT scores determine students' eligibility for National Merit scholarships.Each year the top 1% of 11th-grade PSAT takers becomeSemifinalists. Of these, about 7,500 go on to win scholarship money. Finally, what about the PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9? The main purpose of these two tests is to prepare students for the PSAT/NMSQT and eventually the SAT. Nearly identical to the PSAT/NMSQT, the PSAT 10 is only offered in the spring and is specifically geared toward 10th graders. As a result,the PSAT 10 is slightly easier than the PSAT/NMSQT. Additionally, because only 10th graders can take the PSAT 10, this test cannotqualify you for National Merit. The PSAT 8/9, on the other hand, targets even younger folks- you guessed it: 8th and 9th graders- and is administeredin the fall and spring. Unlike both the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT, the PSAT 8/9 uses a different scoring scale and is both shorter and easier than the PSAT 10. Why Do Students Take the PSAT? 10th and 11th graders take the PSAT primarily forthe following three reasons: To practice for the SAT:One of the most common reasons students, especially juniors, take the PSAT is to get familiar with the layout and content of the SAT, which is often required for college admission. The PSAT provides students with the opportunity to get a feel for the SAT, and helps them identify potential strengths and weaknesses. To secure a National Merit distinction or scholarship:The other major reason students take the PSAT is to try to win a National Merit scholarship. Each year about 1.6 million juniors enter the National Merit competition viathe PSAT. Of these test takers 16,000 will become Semifinalists, and of these Semifinalists 15,000 will become Finalists. In the end,7,500 entrants will each win a $2,500 scholarship along with the (extremely prestigious) distinction of National Merit Scholar. To prepare for a second attempt at the PSAT (if taking it as a sophomore): The final reason students take the PSAT is to practice for the PSAT as sophomores before taking it again as juniors. Although sophomores aren’t eligible for National Merit,taking the PSAT earlycanincrease your shot at getting a high PSAT score- and a coveted National Merit scholarship- later on. One thing should be noted, though: at some high schools, the PSAT is mandatory for certain grade levels or groups of students. This means that some studentswill take the PSAT simply because they have to. Even if the test is required by your school, your PSAT score will never affect your GPA or your chance of getting into college. Bonus: Aiming for a National Merit Scholarship? If you're not sure you can self-study your way to a qualifying PSAT score, you'll love our PSAT prep program, PrepScholar. We designed our program to learn your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics and customize your prep to be as effective as possible for you. When you start with PrepScholar, you’ll take a diagnostic that will determine your weaknesses in over forty PSAT skills. PrepScholar then creates a study program specifically customized for you. To improve each skill, you’ll take focused lessons dedicated to each skill, with over 20 practice questions per skill. This will train you for your specific area weaknesses, so your time is always spent most effectively to raise your score. We also force you to focus on understanding your mistakes and learning from them. If you make the same mistake over and over again, we'll call you out on it. There’s no other prep system out there that does it this way, which is why we get better score results than any other program on the market. Check it out today with a 5-day free trial: Where and When Is the PSAT? Unlike the SAT, you do notget to choose your test center; rather, you register for and take the PSAT test at your own high school (or a nearbyschool, should your school not offer it). If you’re uncertain whether your school will be administering the PSAT, or if you'd like to look for a list of schools in your area that will be administering it, use the College Board’s school search tool. Sowhen can you take the PSAT? The PSAT is administered every autumn, usually starting in early or mid-October, on three dates: A primary date A Saturday date An alternate date Again, you donot get to choose when you take the test. Instead, your school will decide on which date it will administer the PSAT. By far the vast majority of schools hold the PSATon the primary date. To confirmyour school's PSAT test date, consult your counselor. Here is the anticipated 2019 official PSAT testing schedule: Primary Date Saturday Date Alternate Date Wednesday, October 16, 2019 Saturday, October 19, 2019 Wednesday, October 30, 2019 Source: The College Board How Much Does the PSAT Cost? The PSAT costs $16, butthis price varies depending on the school. Some schools might cover all or part of this fee, making the test free for students, whereas others might require students to pay more so asto compensate for the hiring of test proctors. Your school (or the school at which you're taking the PSAT test) should give youinstructions on how to pay for the testand by when you'll need to submit your payment. Most schools request PSAT payments from students by around September. Note that you will neverneed to pay the College Board directly (that’s theschool’s job!). If you can’t afford the test fee, you might be eligible for a PSAT fee waiver. Feewaivers are typically available to low-income 11th graders only. To see whether you qualify for a waiver, consult your counselor. Only schools- not students- can request fee waivers from the College Board. What Does the PSAT Cover? The PSAT, which underwent a redesign in 2015 to accompany the 2016 SAT redesign, is extremely similar to the SAT in bothform and content. There are three sections on the PSAT: Reading, Writing and Language (hereafter "Writing"), and Math. (AsI mentioned, there's no optional Essay section on the PSAT.)Each section appears only once on the PSAT in a predetermined order: (1) Reading, (2) Writing, and (3) Math. Similar to theSAT, the PSAT Math section consists of two subsections: a No Calculator subsection on which you may not use a calculator, and a Calculator subsection on which you may use a (pre-approved) calculator. Most questions on the PSAT are multiple choice. The only exceptions are the Math section's grid-in questions. For these questions, you must come up with and write in your own answers. According to the College Board, 17% of PSAT Math, oreight questions, are grid-ins. Belowis the general breakdown of the PSAT. You can see when eachsection appears on the test, how much time you’ll havefor each section, and how many questions there are.Foran even better idea of what’ll be on the PSAT, I suggest looking atanofficial PSAT practice test. PSAT Section Order on Test Time Allotted # of Questions Reading 1 60 mins 47 Writing and Language 2 35 mins 44 Math No Calculator 3 25 mins 17 Math Calculator 4 45 mins 31 How Is the PSAT Scored? The total PSAT score range is 320-1520 in 10-point increments.This score consists of your Math score and your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score, both of which are scored on a scale of160-760.(EBRW is a combination of the Reading and Writing sections.) These two section scores are actually your scaled, or equated, scores.Buthow do you getthese scores? On the PSAT, you start off with three raw scores, one each for Reading, Writing, and Math.A raw score is equal tothe number of questions you answered correctly. You do not lose any points for incorrect answers! Your raw scores for each section are then converted into test scores on a scale of 8-38through a special equating process described in our guide to PSAT scoring. It should also be noted here that thesetest scores, when combined and multiplied by 2, give you yourSelection Index score, which the NMSC uses to determine eligibility for the National Merit competition. Your Math test score is multiplied by 20 to give you a scaled Math score out of 760. Similarly, your Reading and Writing scores are combined and multiplied by 10 to give you a single scaled EBRW score (also out of 760). In addition to section scores, you’ll be givensubscores and cross-test scores. These scores are the same as those on the SAT and indicate your mastery of specific skills. Subscores have a score range of1-15,whereas cross-test scores have a score range of8-38. Here is a list of the sevensubscores on the PSAT test: EBRW Command of Evidence Words in Context Expression of Ideas Standard English Conventions Math Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data Analysis Passport to Advanced Math And here are the twocross-test scores on the PSAT: Analysis in History/Social Studies Analysis in Science At present,the average PSAT score is 1014 for 11th graders and 934 for 10th graders. A good PSAT score for you, though, will depend on what your PSAT goals are. If youhope to qualify for National Merit, you’ll need a score thatplaces you in the top 1% of test takers foryour state. A good PSAT score could also be any score in the75th percentile or higher, or simply any score similartowhat you'll need on the SAT to get into the colleges you're planning on applying to. But in the end, does your PSAT score really mean anything? Does Your PSAT Score Actually Matter? The truth is that your PSAT score is far less important than your SAT (or ACT) score is. This is mainly because the PSAT isn't used for college admissions. Moreover, your PSAT score has no effect on your GPA, so if you really don’t want to take the test, you don't actually need to (unless it’s mandatory at your school). The only major function of PSAT scores is to win scholarship money and the honor of National Merit Scholar. But unless you’re actively aiming for National Merit status, your PSAT score isn't actually that important. Nevertheless, if you’re hoping to eventually secure a high SAT score, approaching the PSAT with diligence will be critical for your success. Why? You see, PSAT scores directly translate into SAT scores.So a 1400 on the PSAT equals a 1400 on the SAT, a 900 equals a 900, and so on. In short, your PSAT score acts as a predictor of your SAT score. Of course, your PSAT score doesn’t take into account any additional time you’ll spend studying for the SAT, so it's not likely going to be 100% accurate. But whatyour PSAT score does offer is a clear idea as towhere you’re currently scoring and how much of an improvement you’ll need to make in order to hityour SAT goal score. Simply put,you can use yourPSAT score as your baseline SAT score,making it a fairly useful (and thusimportant) score to know. Summary: What Is the PSAT? Is It Important? The PSAT/NMSQT, or PSAT, is a practice test for the SAT that's offered every fall for10th and 11th graders. Italso serves as a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which awards $2,500 scholarships annually to high-scoring 11th graders. You must register for thePSAT test at your own school (or a nearby school) and take it on the test date chosenby your school. The testfee is $16, but this cost varies depending on the school. Fee waivers are usuallyavailable to low-income juniors. The overall structure and content of the PSAT is similar to that of the SAT.There are three sections (Reading, Writing, and Math) that combine to give you a score between 320 and 1520. PSAT scores directly correspond toSAT scores,meaning a score on the PSAT will always equalthe same score on the SAT. Ultimately, how important your PSAT score is depends on what you planto do with it.If you want toqualify for National Meritor eventually get a high SAT score, it's critical that you get a good PSAT score. But if not, your PSAT score won't hold much significance for you or anyone else. In any case,your PSAT score will always be far less important than your SAT (or ACT) score will be! What’s Next? Want to learn more about thePSAT?Check out our expert guide to the PSATfor an extensive overview of everything you'll need to know about the test and what's on it. Confused about PSAT scores?Our in-depth analysis of the PSAT score rangetakes aclose look athow the PSAT is scored andexplains howyou can usethis knowledge to your advantage. Readyto register for the PSAT?Follow our step-by-step guide to learn how the PSAT registration process works as well as how it differs from theSAT registrationprocess. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Art - Essay Example This enables the viewer to take a closer look on the art. This piece of art has asymmetrical balance and the right side of the painting seem to indicate movement and fluidity hence making the painting to appear real (Arnheim, 45). 2. Identify and discuss 3 elements of art in the work by Paul Klee entitled Landscape with Yellow Birds and explain how compositional organization of those elements is achieved through at least 2 principles of design. The colors used (primary colors) set the mood of the painting making it bright and capturing to the audience eyes. The different shapes in the artwork represented by the birds and plants make up the form of the painting and also the combination of the lines and the different shading provides a texture that brings the art to life and appear real. When it comes to the balance, Paul ensured symmetry in the painting making it less overpowering and complicated. There is repetition of the elements in the painting which brings about the feeling of harmony and also stresses similarities within the painting making it even more interesting to look at (Preble, Preble and Frank,

Choosing the right personal to work with the elderly and handicap in Essay

Choosing the right personal to work with the elderly and handicap in Assisted Living Facilities - Essay Example It is for this reason that the processes that go into the selection of people to take up the task of taking care of the elderly and handicap in our various care homes and institutions need to be done with a very high level of precision, effectiveness and mastery. The process must never be done with the aim of just filling up vacancies. If this happens, square pegs shall be used to fill round holes and this will cause a lot of inconvenience. Research has shown that the effect of wrong placement into vacancies for personal to work with the elderly and handicap results in a lot of repelling effect and creates a viscous cycle. For instance the personal become prone to high levels of employee turnover because they find themselves unfitting to the task. The elderly and handicap also become affected in the sense that they become deprived from the basic care and support that they need and this may affect their health and longevity. Administrators and managers of various home cares also suffe r the consequences of employee turnover. 1.1 Problem Statement There is the specific need for the selection of personal to the position of elderly and handicap care givers to be well scrutinized, structured and monitored. The problem at hand therefore has to do with effective recruitment and selection for care givers to take up the social responsibility of taking care of the elderly and handicap. In the opinion of the researcher, a well managed recruitment and selection exercise for personal as care givers would need to improved health and general longevity for the elderly and handicap in society and make such people more useful to society. It is for this need that the present problem is very important to be studied. 1.2 Rationale for the Research The present study will seek to eliminate all forms of incompetence and ineptitude in the social work department, especially those that has to do with the care of the elderly and handicap. The rationale that was used to determine the import ance of this study was inspired by recent reports on the impact that knowledge, skills and experience has on care giving for the elderly and handicap. In recent times, reports have been made of how the need to create employment has resulted in the recruitment of graduates into care homes when those graduates actually studied nothing about that field in school (Altman, 2001).). These researches have also outlined the dying consequences of such acts. It is with the need to eliminate all these inadequacies that the researcher finds the current research very useful and important to undertake. By every indication, such as research would not just benefit the inmates of care homes who will be assured of the best of care from competent professionals but the society in general shall benefit because these elderly and handicap shall become very useful integrated members of society. 1.3 Statement of the Research Objectives There is a general aim of improving recruitment and selection of persona l to work with the elderly and handicap. To achieve this general aim however, it is important that certain specific objectives be set. The achievement of these specific objectives would constitute the eventual achievement of the research aim. The objectives are: 1. To identify specific inappropriate practices that go on as far as the recruitment and

Trust & equity law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trust & equity law - Essay Example According to the court in this case â€Å"Charity in its legal sense comprises four principal divisions: trusts for the relief of poverty, trust for the advancement of education, trusts for the advancement of religion, and trusts for other purposes beneficial to the community, not falling under any of the preceding heads."4 Later on, these four principal divisions mentioned in the case together with some other provisions were incorporated in the Charities Act of 1992 and 1993. However, the definition given under the law was not clear enough so as to clearly elucidate on the issue of which organizations should be considered as charities. The case of McGovern v Attorney General (1982)5 illustrated the difficulties of obtaining charitable status. Note that in this case, the Amnesty International seek establish a charitable trust which is geared towards securing the release of prisoners, abolish the practices of torture and other dehumanizing acts as well as to do some research in the a reas of human rights protection and maintenance.6 Unfortunately, in this case, the charitable trust was not recognized by law as valid not because the goal was not a noble one but rather because the goals set by Amnesty International was not entirely charitable as it also includes some political motives such as the changing of policies in some countries which are in violation of human rights. On the other hand, in the earlier decision on the case of Re South Place Ethical Society (1980)7, the Court considered the charitable trust as valid not on the ground that the South Place Ethical Society â€Å"seeks the advancement of religion†8 but because it can be classified as an educational institution. This decision gives us an idea on how one could go around the provisions of the Charities Act 1993 and take advantage of the benefits accorded to charities. The enactment of the Charities Act 2006 heralded

The Gediminas Castle Essay Example for Free

The Gediminas Castle Essay The funicular is 71m long and will take you 40m high. The angle is said to be 36 degrees. Opening hours 10.00 19.00 all year round. Tickets: up and down adults 3Lt, pensioners and school children 2Lt up OR down adults 2 Lt, pensioners and school children 1Lt The so called Upper Castle, or Gediminas Castle, was built at the beginning of the 14th century on the site of an earlier wooden one. A century later it was rebuilt and strenghtened. Along with the Lower Castle (now gone) and the defensive wall it formed a powerful defensive system. But slowly itlost its importance and after the damage caused in the war with Russia in 1655, it was left unrebuilt. After the World War II the best surviving tower was restored. It now houses a museum and an observa- tion platform. The museum is open: May Sept 10.00 19.00 whole week Oct April Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 to 17.00. Entrance fee 5Ltl for adults, pensioners and school children 2Ltl. To the east of the tower are the ruins of the ducal palace. The Gediminas Tower is an important historic symbol of the city of Vilnius and of Lithuania. It is the only remaining part of the Upper Castle. The first wooden fortifications were built by Gediminas the Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There is historic evidence of a castle being located at the top of Gediminas Hill since the early 14th century. The original castle was made of wood and there is uncertaintainty around when exactly the stone castle was built. Originally the castle was built to protect the city of Vilnius from invaders and gave a great vantage point ove the city and surrounding countryside. Over the centuries the city of Vilnius was attacked five times but the castle was never successfully taken. It was only in the 17th century, during the war with Moscow, did the castle finally succumb to foreign invasion when  it was nearly completely destroyed. Recently, parts of the castle have been restored, but access to the interior of the castle is still not possible for visitors. Fairly easy walk (assuming youre wearing good walking shoes) up Gedeminas Hill allows for wonderful views of Vilnius. The orange-red roofs of old town spread out below, while taller modern buildings can be seen in the distance, a reminder that Vilnius is both a historical site and modern, living city. At the top of the hill stands the remains of the Upper Castle, built in the 15th century. Inside the tower is a museum detailing some of the citys history. Climb to the top of the tower for even better views of the city below. For a change of pace, take the funicular down to the bottom of the hill when youre ready to leave. Its a fun ride, and quick! The first timber castle was built on Castle Mount by Grand Duke Gediminas around 1320. It was replaced by a brick one in the second half of the 14th century, which had to be re-built by Grand Duke Vytautas after a fire in 1419. The castle served the Polish kings as a bell foundry and a jail and, later, as King Sigismund Augusts library. In 1655 it was conquered by the Muscovites, which was the start of its gradual decline. The only remaining part of it at present is just one tower which houses the Museum of the Castle. From its top you can admire the panorama of Vilnius. Unfortunately, we could only see the castle from below. There were no signposts to the funicular and it was getting too late for us to attempt a walk. The pictures of the panorama of the town were taken by my friend on her stay in Vilnius. All Lithuanians know a legend about establishment of Vilnius city. It was the beginning of 14th century when Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas stopped for an overnight near confluence of Neris and Vilnele rivers. That night he dreamt an iron wolf howling on a hill. In the morning his soothsayer Lizdeika explained his dream as a sign for him to build here a city as it will become a well known and widely resounded in all over the World. Gediminas ordered to pour a mound at the same place he slept. On the hill there a castle was built, the predecessor for the nowadays Gediminas castle. According to archeological researches, the hill where Gediminas castle stands nowadays was already inhabited in a Neolithic period. In 11-13th centuries a wooden castle here stood. The same as Vilnius city, it was mentioned in 1323 for the first time. For more than 250 years since 1315, when a dynasty of GediminaiÄ iai ruled the Grand Duke of Lithuania, the complex of Vilnius castles served as a solid defensive structure. The complex included the Bottom castle, the Upper castle and the Skew castle. The Bottom castle extended in a territory of a few hectares. It stood at the same place where now the Vilnius Cathedral stands. It looked as a separate city as it included a school, an arsenal, stables, living buildings, a cathedral. However, it finally vanished in 1800. The newly built Palace of Grand Dukes of Lithuania nowadays symbolizes the former Bottom Castle. The Skew castle stood on the Skew hill, the same one which nowadays is known as the Bleak hill where a monument called â€Å"Three Crosses† is erected. The Skew castle was burnt in 1390 by German Order. Remains of the Upper castle are still standing on Gediminas hill. This castle is also called Gediminas castle. There were times when it was one of the most important political centers in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There is also a tower of Gediminas castle located which can be seen well from any place in Vilnius Old Town. The tower nowadays serves as a museum, an observation square and a symbol of Vilnius and the whole Lithuania. The museum located in the tower of Gediminas castle is a part of National museum of Lithuania. There is an exposition called â€Å"Guns and an iconography of the castle† exposed. Visitors can get acquainted with models of the complex of Vilnius castles, historical weaponry and iconography of the old Vilnius. Tourists can climb up the Gediminas hill themselves in order to visit the castle and the tower or they can use an elevator working there daily. Marvelous views of Vilnius city open from the top of the Gediminas hill. Some people, especially youth, like settling on a spacious stone fence here and watch the city life from above. It is an impressive place where young fellows like to take their girlfriends, city guides always include this destination to tours around Vilnius, the hill is often visited by schoolchildren excursions and separate tourists. The only inconvenience about the place is that you must be on time to get down the hill in order  not to be locked in the hill territory. The hill is not available to climb up all day long.