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Critical thinking is the process of using the available facts and using them to infer what should be done in a certain situation. For example: relating to the IT field, I know that something is not working correctly but I don’t know why. First, I need to determine what the last repair was that was made to the machine in question. In order to properly repair the machine, I need to know: did another customer engineer add new drivers, did someone delete a file, has a driver become corrupt somehow; all of these questions need to be answered to obtain a proper view of what the problem is.

Decision making is the process where thoughts are turned into actions. Again, I use the IT field as my reference. In using the PC analogy, once you have thought through what the problem could be you must decide what must be done.

In order to be successful, decisions and critical thinking should be intertwined. When using critical thinking you must decide what the most relevant information is and what can be ignored. You must decide what the end result should be. The inherent marriage of decision making and critical thinking is almost impossible to divorce one from the other. This is not to say that it can’t be done, but the end result is usually one that ends in disaster rather than success. (more…)

Recently I realized I was home less and less and had begun to miss numerous phone calls. I had been debating for months as to whether or not I should get a cellular phone. With much consideration I figured it was high time I broadened my horizons in respect to contemporary technology. I caved and joined the twenty-first century by purchasing my first cellular phone. I found that cellular service offers more than just a phone service. It offers one viable option for busy people to simplify their lives. That’s worth just about any price these days.

When I am home I rarely like to answer the telephone. I often would find myself screening my calls through my answering machine. In doing so, I hoped to discourage those infamous telemarketers from calling back. Therefore, I really didn’t use my home phone that much anyway. When I did use my home phone, it was generally a long distance phone call that I had to make. As a result, my phone bills had a tendency to be rather expensive. (more…)

As the technical facilitator, one must help the group work together in an effort to reach a common goal. There are several theories that place emphasis on the ability to form cohesive teams. Though, the theory of reasoned action, which deals with attitudes that affect cohesive teamwork, is the most important. In it, Icek Ajzen and Martin Fishbein study whether attitudes predict behavior.

The theory assumes that people rationally calculate the benefits of engaging in a particular action and think carefully about how important others will view the behavior under consideration. In the case of class groups the theory would assume that each individual member of the group would calculate the benefits of creating the web page and also consider how everyone else in the group will react to the project. According to Perloff (1993) the hallmark of the theory model is its emphasis on conscious deliberation. (more…)

Patriotism is defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as the act of loving one’s country. There is no discrepancy with this definition; it is the interpretation of what loving one’s country means that causes most controversy. There are two conflicting concepts arising out of the application of this principle. Some feel that loving one’s country involves a citizen having a duty to make an independent, reasoned judgment of whether the actions of his own government are in the best interest of his country while others, including myself, believe that the act of loving one’s country entails standing behind the decisions of our elected officials especially during times of war.
Most everyone would agree that decisions are better made by those who are well informed. The “average” citizen does not and should not have access to the information and knowledge our nation’s leaders do giving them an ability to make sound, rational decisions that are truly in the best interest of the American people. (more…)

Autum break is coming soon and it is the perfect opportunity to do something cultural. And culture does not have to be boring. For instance in Amsterdam and Barcelona there are museums, historical buildings, a lot of sights and architecture, but they are also modern cities with many fascinating places to visit.

Barcelona is located on the east coast of Spain and has a very warm and pleasant climate. The city has a really friendly atmosphere, like the rest of Spain most citizens are very relaxed. Barcelona is really popular with tourists, so there will always be a large number of them. However, the city is quit big, so you do not always notice the many tourists. It is usually crowded around the most famous sights, but most of them are really worth waiting for. Afterwards you can find yourself a nice quiet spot where you can relax a little. (more…)

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of irony in his writing can be seen in much of his work. One specific use of this technique was in his most popular novel, The Great Gatsby. In this novel, Fitzgerald used the American dream as his target for irony and show of failure. He also employed his own personal life as a basis for his work. He mocked the American dream and what it stands for. Fitzgerald utilized the character of Jay Gatsby to achieve his effectiveness in the novel. I believe Fitzgerald’s use of irony in The Great Gatsby was very successful in getting the point across to the reader.

Fitzgerald uses Gatsby’s character as a starting point to develop the irony readers can pick up about he and the American dream. Gatsby at the start is thought to be a wealthy and respected man. This is followed by the truth about him and the succeeding events that make the reader realize that Gatsby is wealthy but not actually happy. The foundation of the American dream is known to be wealth, happiness and freedom. By the American constitution every citizen is unrestricted to this. An irony of this is that Gatsby has always had two of these principles but never the third one to make him truly complete and happy. Gatsby believes Daisy is his third principle. Yet he has no idea how much trouble she brings him. (Freeman p. 200) (more…)

A colony of honey bees is like a small factory. These insects are at work everyday to produce a product that may be familiar to you. This sweet, thick product is called honey. What most people dont know is the story behind it all. There is more to the honey making process than what meets the tounge. There are three main steps to the process. The first is gathering the nectar, second is enzymes, and third is evaporation.

Honey bees use nectar to make honey. Nectar comes from many of the flowers you see outside. It is made up of eighty percent water with some complex sugars. Most flower nectars are similar to sugar water and made up of a mixture between sucrose and water. In North America honey bees will collect nectar from common flowers such as clovers, dandelions, berry bushes and fruit tree blossoms. In order to collect the nectar the bees will travel up to one and one half miles in all directions. When they get to the flowers they use their long, tubelike tounges like straws to suck the nectar out of flowers and they store it in their “honey stomachs”. Their honey stomachs will hold up to seventy miligrams of nectar. The bees will visit 100-1500 flowers to get this amount of nectar. Gathering the nectar is the first step in making honey. (more…)

The two theories that are constantly against each other are the theories of creation and evolution. The theory of creation is based on the Bible’s telling of our existence. The theory of evolution is based on the process of natural selection on how we became human. In the following I will give an outline for each theory, provide three pieces of evidence from each theory, and make a closing argument as to which theory I support.

The theory of creation is based on the events in the book of Genesis in the Bible. The theory surrounds the belief that God is the creator of everything in the world. There is also the belief that God created the world in six days. According to the book of Genesis man was created out of dust (Gen. 2:7) and woman was created from man by one of his ribs (Gen. 2:21-23). According to creationists, the Bible is an absolute truth and therefore they use that as a justification for what they believe in. (more…)

People all over the world have different opinions on whether animal lab testing is a sufficient way to test products. Well, the fact is animal lab testing does not harm animals nor does it humans. This happens because animals in laboratories are not in pain. The animals’ rights are not harmed during the testing. Lastly, the numbers are decreasing for animal research. All of these reasons are supporting why animal lab testing is a decent way to test products.

To begin with, animals in testing and research are strictly controlled to any pain the animal may have. According to fbresearch.com, the Public Heath Service Act, Federal laws, and Animal Welfare act controls the removal of pain.” Moreover, each institution must make an animal care and use committee that involves a veterinarian and an outside member of the public to make sure that the testing is moving smoothly. This committee inspects the every move of the scientists in the laboratories the help ensure the animals are in good care. (more…)

A poem which I have recently read is “Mid–term Break” by Seamus Heany. This poem told the story of someone’s death, which in turn made the poem very sad to read. The poet conveyed the sadness using various techniques.

The poem begins with the poet in the medical room of his boarding school, awaiting his neighbours to arrive to take him home. When he arrives home he sees his father is crying, this can only mean one thing, someone has died. There are also some friends and relatives in the house and he feels uncomfortable and a little embarrassed because grown men are shaking his hand. His mother has “cried all she can cry” and she takes his hand. The next day he looks at the body, near the end of the poem the poet reveals that he was killed by a car accident and right at the end we find the he was only four. (more…)