Science Fiction Fantasy for Book Reports

A lot of students dislike writing book reports and often this dislike for these reports stems from the fact that students either are forced to read books they have no interest in or they choose books that are outside their interest zones.  Similar to choosing a term paper topic the choice of a book for a report should be made (if possible) based on interest or likability. The more interested you are in a book the easier your book report will be to write. One of the ways that I choose a book is by trying to step outside traditional reading genres. For example, there is a wealth of literature in the areas of science fiction and fantasy.  

If you are allowed to read a book of choice for your report I would recommend a book from the Fantasy realm of fiction. A well-written and entertaining novel that makes for a great book report would be “The Black God's War” by Moses Siregar III. This book is a great book for anyone looking for change of pace with their reading and it is a great introduction to the fantasy genre.

“The Black God's War” is book filled with well-developed characters that contain positive and negative attributes. The depth of character development lends itself easily to a book report. The plot of the book is also well-developed with twists that engage the reader. This also makes for a really engaging book report.  There is action and there are spiritual overtones in the novel and the author has obviously taken some time to build the structure of the novel in a manner that connects these notions.

One of the reasons that I suggest reading the “The Black God's War” over more well-known fantasy novels such as Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” is due to the fact that some fantasy novels are much longer and will take longer to read. If you are new to the fantasy genre and you are trying to write a book report then I would recommend starting out with a shorter novel that will allow you more time to concentrate on the writing of your book report. While both books are great reading, “The Black God's War” can be read in less time.

Opening yourself to the fantasy literature genre is a very rewarding experience. If you are looking to expand your reading and your imagination, then fantasy writing can provide a great means for accomplishing this goal. The best prat of reading fantasy literature is that it may make your book reports easier and more interesting process.

Understanding the Time Value of Money- TVM

How is a car loan an example of Time Value of Money?  Under what circumstances should an individual take out a loan versus paying in cash?  How have recent zero money down and zero money interest for 12 months offers affected potential cash buyers?

Time value of money (TVM), generally speaking, can be seen in a car loan through the focus of interest accumulation over time. A car loan at 21% interest equals $446.38 per month over five years. This equals $10,282.83. By paying an extra $100 a month on this loan, the size of the loan can be cut in half over 5 years leading to a savings of more than $5000.

A consumer should only take a loan over paying cash, when they will save as a result of the loan. For instance, a car loan that is $200 a month is cheaper than having to consistently put repairs into an old car. Plus over the long-term a new car can save more money if it is taken care of, by allowing the consumer to not have a payment and not have repairs for longer amounts of time.    

Many auto dealers advertise the claim you can buy a new car with no money down or minimum and no payments for the first year. However these ads are usually used to attract interested car buyers to the dealerships. These deals are extremely hard to qualify for, most often requiring perfect credit. Most customers will not be able to receive these special car financing deals. Usually after you have picked a car you like, they will break the news and tell you that you are not eligible for cheap car loan rates with zero down payment. The reasons can range from your poor credit ratings, insufficient down payment and so on.  I think these deals have not helped car dealers simply because in a rough economy the person who was interested in this deal was looking at it as an option that was affordable, but once they realize they cannot get it the affordability of the car is gone.

A Possible Factor That Has Contributed to the Global Increase in Obesity

There has been plenty of research on obesity and mental functioning as it is unfortunately, an expanding problem that needs to be addressed. But what is the most recent news? Recent evidence suggests that obesity may be linked to brain changes that relate to memory, emotions and appetite. Of course, we all know that being unhealthy doesn’t feel good and can lead to lower self esteem and low energy levels what how exactly does that work?

In a study performed by SUNY Downstate, scientists found a molecule known as NAA that is associated with brain health to be associated with body weight. Scientists are still unsure what the implications of this might be because has yet to be determined if low NAA, which is associated with being overweight, is a consequence of being overweight or if it is causal to being overweight. What is very interesting about this data is that it reflects high stress from worrying also produced low levels of NAA in the hippocampus, but was not associated with a high body mass index (BMI).

Future studies are intended to focus on finding out if weight loss has an effect on NAA levels. This could help determine how NAA levels affect weight gain and the hippocampus’ role in appetite control. With new information being discovered about weight gain on a molecular level, hopefully new approaches will be implemented that will help reverse the obesity epidemic in our society.

Public Administration

To some, the field of public administration may seem daunting and unapproachable. Public administrators are often intimidating and powerful but without citizen participation in public administration and affairs; it is less likely that the people will find results that reflect what they truly want as a community. As well, as a public administrator, it is important to take the public’s view into consideration when making decisions and creating new bills.

Even before the Revolutionary War, an emphasis was placed on a government that was run by the people. Participation was certainly more limited than it is now but this is the ideal that our country has been founded upon. Without participation many laws would have never been introduced and passed and vice versa. With passionate administrators and passionate community members putting pressure on bills and legislation it is possible to raise awareness and create real change.

One moment of impressive note is  recently when Texan senator Wendy Davis spoke for 11 hours on the topic of abortion in a filibuster that prevented a bill being passed that would have shut down nearly all abortion clinics in Texas. She had many supporters that cheered for her once the day was over and she claimed that was the reason that she wanted to prevent the bill from being passed.  Davis wanted to represent the people who supported her and so she listened to what they wanted and responded. Whether you believe in Davis’ ideas or not, it was a passionate act of a public administrator that was effective in creating change. Everyone needs to be involved in making real change for the people and that includes even the ones who aren’t on the floor making the decisions. 

How the Global Environment Affects Organizational Change

There are a variety of courses that this post can assist with including: MGT 380, MGT 449, MGT 498, MGT 300 and many others. If you need help with any of these courses don't Struggle on the Homework Mountain!

With businesses today becoming more global, their organization’s infrastructure must make radical changes to become more competitive in today’s market.  Globalization has changed how businesses must function and conduct their operations. Competition has forced firms to adapt more flexible structures, to reorganize their workforce, and to utilize their workforce diversity to an advantage in an effort to stay globally competitive. Flexible structures promote efficiency and communication thus replacing traditional hierarchies. When leaders communicate with the employees they can then understand why the changes are taking place and become more acceptable to the implementation of the changes.  By allowing the employee to give feedback, they are more agreeable to the changes which will allow the changes to take place in a successful and productive manner.  By managing organizational changes effectively, workers will see the benefits of the proposed changes and accept them. Ways a worker can benefit from these changes are by learning new skills and increasing job satisfaction through a reduced work load.  Leaders will also need to respect and understand the diversity of their workforce. By understanding that many employees will have cultural and economic differences, business leaders must find ways to bridge those gaps to ensure effective communication between employees to ensure a productive work environment. Awareness of a culture’s religious practices and values play a major role in managing, negotiating or working with others from a different culture.  For instance if an employee is unable to work on certain days due to religious beliefs then by allowing a flexible schedule will met that employees need thus making them a more productive worker.  As the world becomes a smaller entity the need for a productive global business remains at the forefront. 

Metaphor

Understanding Metaphor 

Metaphor is an analogy between to objects or ideas. Within this analogy a comparison is made that invokes imagery in the reader or listener. For instance, the metaphor Ann is a pig makes the comparison of Ann being a pig. In the mind of the audience this comparison creates the image of a pig, which is often considered a filthy creature. This graphic imagery is than applied to Ann and the negative connotations associated with the pig are now transferred to Ann.

Metaphor can be used not only to conjure negative emotions but also positive feelings. The metaphor Bob is a lion conjures feelings of strength along with the imagery of the lion. This imagery is applied to Bob the same way the imagery of the Pig was applied to Ann.

Metaphor affects emotion not just through imagery but also through the use of language.  By virtue of word choice metaphors can have different affects via interpretation. There are several different forms of metaphor that show these different affects.

A dead metaphor is a metaphor in which the sense of the transferred image is not present. An example of this form would be "to hold a virtue" or "to grasp an understanding". Dead metaphors use physical action as a metaphor for understanding, most do not visualize the action; dead metaphors are typically not noticeable. As a result of their lack of obviousness, dead metaphors do not conjure the same emotional response as normal metaphors (Stefano, 2007).

The extended metaphor is a form of metaphor that distinguishes a main subject for comparison. The extended metaphor also uses secondary subjects that continue the main comparison. For example, “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” This classic line from William Shakespeare's, “As You Like It” shows the use of secondary subjects men and women as players to carry and enhance the metaphor (Stefano, 2007).

A mixed metaphor is one that leaps from a primary classification to a second classification that is different from the first. An example of this odd form of metaphor can be seen in this manner: "If one can hit the bulls-eye, the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards...” This form of metaphor is often used in entertainment and is often used in colloquial language (Stefano, 2007).

Through these different forms of metaphor, meaning can be intensified or even downplayed with emotional intensity. The choice of language and its usage can create different forms of metaphor and can increase the persuasiveness and strength of a story or argument. This is perhaps the best use of the metaphor, in that it is a persuasive rhetorical device. The device can be used to bolster support or to create disagreement for an argument. The use of metaphor is widely used and is a very normal part of language. The use of metaphor, although sometimes confusing for those just learning a new language, is universally used throughout the world in every culture.


References
Stefano, A. (2007). Metaphors, roma, edizioni di storia e letteratura. Bari, Italy: University of Bari.

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Biology Lab Cell Structure and Function

Assignment Review

For the Biology Lab- Cell Structure and Function students will be required to answer many questions and match certain terms with pictures, determine the movement of water based upon predetermined factors and draw hypotheses about what may happen in certain situations.

For the the labeling portion of the assignment, students will complete the assignment by matching vocabulary terms with different pictures as follows:

·       Bacteria:  Nucleoid region, cell wall, plasma membrane, ribosomes, flagella

·       Protist:  Macronucleus, micronucleus, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, contractile vacuole

·       Plant Cell: Nucleus, cell wall, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, chloroplast, mitochondria, vacuoles

·       Animal Cell: Nucleus, nucleolus, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, mitochondria, golgi apparatus, rough ER, ribosome

Then, students will answer nine questions about basic cell function, including a description of the differences between plant and animal calls and a hypothesis about what would happen if a chosen structure of a eukaryotic cell did not function properly.

For the other experiment, students will be presented with four bags of water with added sucrose in varying percentages. The students will need to answer questions about what happened when the bags were placed in beakers of water and draw hypotheses about whether the water will move in or out.

Discussion

If you are looking for help with the labeling section of the Lab, the bad news is that there really isn’t any. The best thing you can do here is review labeled photos of the four sections: bacteria, protist, plant cell and animal cell and study, study, study. There are only a few things that you’ll need to pick out here, so make sure that you know where these are located above everything else. You might be surprised to learn that this will not take you much time. There are also plenty of resources available online where you can print blank pictures and take ‘practice tests’ on your own time. We have found that this is the absolute best way to prepare for this assignment.

Testing the concentrations of solutions can be a bit trickier. First and foremost, you’ll need to make sure that you understand that water always moves from an area of high solute (meaning less water) to an area of low solute (meaning low water). So, as an example, consider the following four bags:

·       Bag #1 (30%) in 30% sucrose

·       Bag #2 (15%) in 30% sucrose

·       Bag #3 (3%) in 30% sucrose

·       Bag #4 (3%) in 3% sucrose

When placed into their respective beakers, here is what you can expect:

·       The first bag will experience no change as the sucrose levels are the same.

·       The second bag would shrink since.

·       The third bag would shrink significantly.

·       Again, there would be no change since the concentrations here are equal.

It is also important to note that the concentrations you are given for your assignment may be different than these. You will also need to explain why a particular bag increased or decreased in volume the most and what would happen if a particular bag was placed into a beaker of pure distilled water.

Should you need further assistance with this lab please ask.