Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Reflection Paper - 1450 Words
Julia L. Garcia 1-19 THEOLOGY REFLECTION PAPER 1. What is the personal message/meaning of the creation stories from you? Since I was a little girl, I was fascinated with the story of creation in Genesis. I must have been six or seven years old when I read it for the first time from the old Bible of my uncle. I remember being absolutely awestruck by the great power of God who ordered and things came to be. At that time, I imagined the author of the Biblical text as being an eyewitness to the creation and faithfully reporting of what he had seen. The first chapters of the Book of Genesis reflect on the mystery of God, the creator of everything that exists, the creator of heaven and earth. Everything that is, exists because God hadâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦More often the action is much more common, though no less challenging: forgive an offense, repair a broken relationship, and resist temptation. These are works of faith and we are called to the serious business of faithful living every day. Our faith may not be perfect, but we have one who perfectly embraced the goodness and faithfulness of God. Je sus did that for us, and sends us the Holy Spirit so that we may embrace his forgiveness when we fail and live in his grace and power through obedient faithfulness each day. 3. What can you learn from the example of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph? What I learned from them is the value of obedience. We must always obey what God wants us to do because He knows what is best for us. I also learned that God will always find a way for us to be happy; He doesnââ¬â¢t want to see us suffer. One proof of this is when he liberated the Israelites from the Egyptians. God used an instrument to free them and he asked in return for their faith in him. So from that, I can say that God never lets us face our problem alone, he uses instrument in other forms to help us deal with our problem and in return, he just wants our endless faith in Him. And he also wants us to love Him unconditionally. 4. What are the different slaveries you are in right now, and how do you intend to liberate yourself from this? I am a slave of procrastination; I always like to do things on the last minute. Sometimes I feel like doing what isShow MoreRelatedReflection Paper1317 Words à |à 6 Pagesused to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. I believe that all of this is has caused me to grow greatly as aRead MoreReflection Paper836 Words à |à 4 Pagesand integrating quotes. Before my papers were full of ââ¬Å"she saidâ⬠and ââ¬Å"she would sayâ⬠; which was boring and showed poor ability to len gthen my word choice. I also had a tendency to just throw quotes in and not integrate it into my writings. By the end of my English 101 class my papers began to present with words like ââ¬Å"the author notedâ⬠, or ââ¬Å"she statedâ⬠along with many other word choices and proper ways of using quotes. Here is an example from my final research paper: ââ¬Å"Author Stephanie Jackson, a certifiedRead MoreNursing Reflection Paper858 Words à |à 4 Pagesremainder of this reflection. I met Betty about eight years ago, as I was a close friend of her brother. Although her brother and I grew apart, I would still occasionally see Betty around. Never did I think that I would ever see her on the unit in which I was working, but a few weeks ago, this idea changed. When I arrived back to the nurseââ¬â¢s station after checking on each of my patients, I saw that my co-caring nurse was getting an admission. I looked down at the sheets of paper he had in front ofRead MoreReflection Paper On The Humanities Field1071 Words à |à 5 Pages Over the course of this semester each paper that was written helped to introduce me and my fellow classmates to different formatting, and genres of writing. A lot of knowledge was gained from writing these papers and I was able to compare and contrast the disciplinary writings and notice what makes each of them stand out. Reflecting back on these individual papers helps to express what I have learned. The first paper that was written was the humanities essay. The humanities essay helped to provideRead MorePersonal Reflection Paper On English1015 Words à |à 5 Pages Reflection Paper English has never been my strong suit. I always hated English simply, because I never concerned myself as a writer. I always stuck to the bare minimum and was pleased to know that I passed. I honestly never tried hard in English because I never felt good enough. I did not see myself as a confident writer and I am not sure I ever will. Since, being enrolled in English 201, it supplied some challenges that I was not ready for and felt unsuited for. Along the way, I learnRead MoreReflection Paper On Writing And Writing1085 Words à |à 5 PagesThe content of my paper was typically not the issue, the organization of the ideas was. I always had good ideas to write about, but I never knew how to organize those thoughts into a well-organized paper. Although in Writing 101, I used the multiple steps of the writing process to insert my ideas into a well-written paper, I continued to struggle in areas such as grammar and mechanics. In Writ 102, I was able to realize that the writing process develops over time, and the best papers result from revisionRead MoreReflection Paper : Barbie Q By Sandra Cisneros938 Words à |à 4 Pagesexploration paper, the reading and writing paper, the annotated bibliography, and the academic research paper. The semester began with basic lessons on general writing rules during class and progressed into a much more complex course, including lessons on expansion and development of evidence and supporting details, as well as the argument of the paper as a whole. Although each assignment taught something new, each built onto the last and helped transition my progress through each paper. The firstRead MoreReflection Paper On Reflection1076 Words à |à 5 Pagesknew how to write short story analysis papers, or your run-of-the-mill story reflection. After hearing I would have wrote a total of 5000 words minimum, I was left flabbergasted. Nevertheless, the challenges faced when writing these papers gave me an abundant amount of knowledge in transitional word use, and finally becoming comfortable with the drafting process. When writing my papers, however, I still would like to increase my ability to structure my papers with more confidence. Before this periodRead MoreReflections Paper1552 Words à |à 7 PagesComfort and Gods Glory Ray Kirby Liberty University In the decision to discuss two topics included within this reflection paper I have been led to discuss two doctrines that are close to all Christians. The comfort of God and the glory of God are the two doctrines that I have focused on over the last several weeks. The comfort of God has touched me at times over the course of my life however, never as much as it has over the last year. I wish to praise the glory of God as directed withinRead MoreReflection Paper1562 Words à |à 7 PagesReflection Paper #1 Rhonda Carter Theology 104-D11 LOU April 15, 2013 I. Introduction This paper will be written to discuss the two topics I have chosen to write about for my first reflection paper. The topics I chose are spiritual gifts and love. When you start to think about it, these two things go together. If a person uses their spiritual gifts for the right reasons they will be doing it out of love for God. A lot of people these days do not use their
Monday, December 16, 2019
Representative Democracy Free Essays
A Representative democracy is define as The form of government that rests on the principle of the people being represented by individuals they elect;it is government that holds the belief that elected officials represent the people. Countries that have representative democracies include the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. A Representative Democracy is the only type of governance that provides the order of having a hierarchy with the satisfaction of the people having control. We will write a custom essay sample on Representative Democracy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Representative democracy is the most successful form of government because the people have the power, The human rights are highly respected and protected, and The welfare of the society would not be put aside for the needs of the individual. Giving people the power to vote for their leaders in government is a way to have the majority of the peoples ideas be brought up. Having specifically designated elected officials in government can help simplify the needs and problems of societies with everyone agreeing on the decisions made. Governments that represent the views of the people tend to have higher success rates and less rebellion. In a representative democracy form of government the human rights are held to the highest standards. The right to life and liberty acknowledges that all human beings should be free. Freedom of speech also primarily guarantees that the government itself would not prohibit the people from voicing their opinions. Equality and fair treatment for everyone is also giving to the people by the government to show that everyone has the same opportunities. The welfare of the society would not be sidelined for the needs of the individual. Decisions would be made based on the common good of the people. Everyone is also encouraged to go voice their opinions and vote for what the believe is right. and everyone is entitled to free and public education and giving the ability to seek knowledge to better themselves and there society and take part in government decisions if the choose to. These are some of the many reasons why a representative democracy is the most successful form of government. Direct democracy may work very well among a small group of people, but the larger the group the more difficult it is to run effectively. Representative democracy eliminates this difficulty by operating on a much smaller scale the majority of the time Most people do not really want to vote all the time on political issues. Voting for a representative who agrees with you takes less effort, doesnââ¬â¢t require you to do anything about issues that donââ¬â¢t concern you and does not require you to learn about complex issues. Sources: (William P. Meyers (2002)The Original America: Republic or Democracy? ] [Held, D. (1996) Models of democracy] [Ankersmit, Frank R. (1996). Aesthetic Politics: Political Philosophy Beyond Fact and Value. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ] [Nadia Urbinati (2006) Representative Democracy: Principles and Genealogy. ) How to cite Representative Democracy, Essay examples
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Word It Activity free essay sample
She starred with Meds, and has made guest appearances In numerous television series, Including L. A. Law, Judging Amy, The West Wing, 7th Heaven, Friends, Felicity, Arrested Development, the cult hit Lovelorn International, Two and a Half Men, Weeds, Boston Legal, The L Word, Help Me Help You, Gilmore Girls, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Psych, Monk and party Down, among others. She also appeared In the crime drama criminal Minds as Spencer Reeds schizophrenic mother. As of 2009, Ms. Lynch currently appears on the Fox series Glee. GLEE is a musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox. It focuses on a high school show choir (a modern GLEE club) called New Directions, at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Ms. Lynch has won glowing reviews for her role as the aggressive cheerleaders coach Sue Sylvester. Sue is part of the William McKinley High School staff and is the coach of the cheerleaders squad, the Cheerios. We will write a custom essay sample on Word It Activity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She detests the Glee Club and their teacher, and attempts to bring them down at any cost.She is Jealous of the GLEE clubs talent and also holds grudges to unhealthy, almost super-villain levels, particularly her desire to destroy the Glee Club for getting money that had once been promised to her Cheerios. However, Sue is not completely without re soft-side. She is very loving towards her sister Jean, who suffers from Down Syndrome and who Sue visits as often as she can. This love for her sister caused Sue to donate money to the school to help disabled kids, and to allow a student with Down Syndrome to Join the Cheerios. Mary Mascara of the LA Times wrote, Ms.Lynch alone makes GLEE worth watching. On August 29, 2010, Ms. Lynch won the Primetimes Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress Comedy Series. Ms. Lynch recently helped unveil a wax figure of her famous character Sue Sylvester from the Fox hit series at Madame Attitudes In Hollywood. While Ms. Lynch commented that It was an amazing honor, she also compared the experience to seeing herself In a coffin. GLEE can be seen on Fox on Tuesday nights at 8 p. M. , and the shows public relations department has recently launched a faceable page at www. Casebook. Com/ Glee. Word It Activity 7 Be By Assistant Jane Ms. Lynch was born and raised in Dalton, Illinois, the daughter of a housewife Triggering High School. She received her bachelors degree in theatre from Illinois State University and her MFC from Cornell University, also in theatre. She lived in Chelsea for a year and a half. Ms. Lynch began her career in the theatre but quickly moved on to TV. She starred with Meds, and has made guest appearances in numerous television series, including L. A.Law, Judging Amy, The West Wing, 7th Heaven, Friends, Felicity, Arrested Development, the cult hit Levering International, Girls, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Psych, Monk and Party Down, among others. She also appeared in the crime drama Criminal Minds as Spencer Reeds wax figure of her famous character Sue Sylvester from the Fox hit series at Madame Attitudes in Hollywood. While Ms. Lynch commented that it was an amazing honor, she also compared the experience to seeing herself in a coffin.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Sound effects in A Streetcar Named Desire Essay Example
Sound effects in A Streetcar Named Desire Paper Tennessee Williams uses many types of music and sound as a way to communicate emotions of characters that canââ¬â¢t be expressed in words. A few examples of these are the blue piano, the Varsouviana polka, Its Only A Paper Moon and the other sound effects that magnify the dramatic situations in the play. In the very beginning of scene one, Williams tells us that the blue piano expresses the spirit of the life that goes on in Elysian Fields. It is noticed when Stanley tells Blanche that Stella is pregnant towards the end of scene two. When he tells her, the blue piano becomes louder. When Stanley is shouting Stellaââ¬â¢s name after the poker night disaster, the blue piano is played again, showing Stanleyââ¬â¢s raw emotion as he called for her. The blue piano is mostly played during moments of loneliness, hope and passion. Some of these emotions are shown when Blanche talks about the loss of Belle Reve and her family. The hope is expressed candidly when she gets the idea of contacting Shep Huntleigh who she thinks can help her and Stella escape the ââ¬Ëdesperate situationââ¬â¢ they are in. Desire and passion is conveyed when Stanley and Stella come back to each other in scene three and when Stanley sexually abuses Blanche. The Varsouviana was the song that Blanche and her young husband, Allan Grey, were dancing to when she told him that he ââ¬Ëdisgustedââ¬â¢ her after seeing him cheat on her with a man. He then ran outside and shot himself. This polka song plays only in her head when the subject of Allanââ¬â¢s death is brought up or if she has a feeling of regret. For instance in scene one when Stanley asks about her being married once, the polka music rises up. We will write a custom essay sample on Sound effects in A Streetcar Named Desire specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sound effects in A Streetcar Named Desire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sound effects in A Streetcar Named Desire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is also played when she has a hard time differentiating whatââ¬â¢s real and what isnââ¬â¢t. Every time Blanche hears the polka music, she remembers that night and the guilt she feels for his suicide. The polka is played more often as we move forward with the play as if indicating that Blancheââ¬â¢s mental state is declining and getting worse as we go along. For example, when Mitch confronts Blanche about her past in scene nine. She suddenly talks about the Varsouviana, ââ¬Å"The ââ¬Å"Varsouvianaâ⬠! The polka tune they were playing when when Allan- Wait! â⬠In scene seven, Blanche is singing ââ¬ËItââ¬â¢s Only A Paper Moonââ¬â¢ while taking one of her hot baths. The song is about lovers and their imaginary world and that if they both believe in it, itââ¬â¢s not so imaginary anymore. Williams contrasted Stanley telling Stella about Blancheââ¬â¢s affairs in Laurel while Blanche was singing, ââ¬Å"Say, itââ¬â¢s only a paper moon, Sailing over a cardboard sea ââ¬â But it wouldnââ¬â¢t be make-believe If you believed in me! â⬠Itââ¬â¢s like Stanley is trying to convince Stella of one truth while Blanche is implicitly implying that anything can be real if you want it to be. This is partly the reason she feels that entwining her lies with the truth is harmless, and that as long as it sounds better than the truth, it wouldnââ¬â¢t hurt anybody. The trumpet and drums are heard in situations that are slightly theatrical. For example when Stella says, ââ¬Å"It will happen! â⬠And impulsively kisses Blanche about her and Mitch getting together. Another important moment it comes up is in scene ten, when Stanley sexually abuses Blanche: ââ¬Å"The hot trumpet and drums from the Four Deuces sound loudly. â⬠Plastic theatre is when the playwright uses props, sound and stage directions to show the experiences that the characters have gone through. In Blancheââ¬â¢s case, Williams uses the Varsouviana polka as a way for Blanche to vividly remember the night of Allanââ¬â¢s suicide. The polka tune also brings up feelings of regret that Blanche has about her actions of the time she stayed at the Flamingo Hotel. This is shown when Stanley gives her the bus ticket for her to go back to Laurel. An additional sound as plastic theatre are the ââ¬Ëinhuman jungle voicesââ¬â¢ that Blanche hears in scene ten and eleven. The voices convey her feeling in the situations the voices are heard. One of them is when Stanley is advancing towards her and she feels like an animal trapped in a corner. She feels like she is the prey and Stanley or the matron is the predator trying to catch her. The locomotives represent Stanley and his desire to bring down Blanche. Every time there is a discovery of Blancheââ¬â¢s embarrassing and shameful past through Stanley, the sound of a locomotive is present. When he overhears what Blanche really thinks about him, a locomotive is also present. Locomotives give out strong, dominating sounds, which mirror Stanleyââ¬â¢s character. Therefore, without the blue piano, the Varsouviana or Williamsââ¬â¢ use of plastic theatre and juxtaposes, the play wouldnââ¬â¢t seem so dramatic. The polka exaggerates Blancheââ¬â¢s declining mental state and makes the audiences emotions for her change from disrespecting her for her promiscuous past to sympathy because its not entirely her fault. In my opinion, I find Stanleyââ¬â¢s dialogue juxtaposed with Blancheââ¬â¢s singing in scene seven the most intriguing use of music and dialogue compared to the others.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Essays
Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Essays Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Essay Symbolism in Lord of the Flies Essay Essay Topic: Lord Of the Flies Symbolism has always been the main theme authors portray in their novels and stories. In this dramatic novel, ââ¬Å"The Lord of the Flies, William Golding displays his controversial ideas of society using many literary devices that play important roles throughout the development of his novel. Above all this literary devices, the reader sees that symbolism is the most outstanding in the different chapters of Goldingââ¬â¢s melodramatic novel. The author brings out symbolism in chapter 10, ââ¬Å"The Shell and the Glasses,â⬠through three important things: the death of Simon, the shell and Piggyââ¬â¢s glasses. Death is a present reality in Goldingââ¬â¢s novel, ââ¬Å"The Lord of the Flies,â⬠starting when one of the littluns die, after the first attempt to make fire in order to be rescued. The relationship between this group of boys and death is well developed by the author, and it helps him express the mental, spiritual and social weaknesses of human nature showing the reader the results of evil in humanity. The death of the boy with the mulberry-colored birthmark, Simon and Piggyââ¬â¢s death and also the attempt to kill Ralph are the most important incidents that William Golding uses to portray the degradation of these boys living in an island without law and justice. In chapter 9, ââ¬Å"..,â⬠the author brings out a crucial incident, and is probably one of the most important events in Goldingââ¬â¢s novel. When it seems that Simon discover that the beast is not something to be afraid of, instead is a death pilot that is lying at top of the mountain. He decides to tel l the boys what he just discover to liberate them from the beast that is just part of their imagination. There is a religious symbolism that the reader can take from this situation. Simon represents Jesus Christ without sweat, when he comes to the boys bringing good news, like the son of God, who brings hope and freedom to a malicious and selfish world. But instead of receiving his offer,je Piggyââ¬â¢s glasses symbolize many things in this novel such as the boys firestarter as well as thoughtfulness. The glasses were used to start the signal fire which would hopefully catch the at
Friday, November 22, 2019
How to Trace Your Family Tree in Mexico
How to Trace Your Family Tree in Mexico Due to hundreds of years of meticulous record-keeping, Mexico offers a wealth of church and civil records for the genealogical and historical researcher. It is also the homeland of one in every 10 Americans. Learn more about your Mexican heritage, with these steps for tracing your family tree in Mexico. Mexico has a rich history stretching back to ancient times. Archaeology sites around the country speak of ancient civilizations flourishing in what is present-day Mexico thousands of years before the arrival of the first Europeans, such as the Olmec, thought by some to be the mother culture of Mesoamerican civilization, who lived around 1200 to 800 BC, and the Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula who flourished from about 250 BC to 900 AD. Spanish Rule During the early 15th century the fierce Aztecs rose to power, maintaining dominance over the region until they were defeated in 1519 by Hernan Cortes and his group of just over 900 Spanish explorers. Called New Spain, the territory then came under control of the Spanish Crown. Spanish kings encouraged the exploration of new lands by granting conquistadors the right to establish settlements in exchange for one-fifth (el quinto real, or the royal fifth) of any treasure discovered. The colony of New Spain rapidly outgrew the initial borders of the Aztec Empire, encompassing all of present-day Mexico, as well as Central America (as far south as Costa Rica), and much of the present-day southwest United States, including all or parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Spanish Society The Spanish continued to rule over most of Mexico until 1821 when Mexico achieved status as an independent country. During that time, the availability of inexpensive land attracted other Spanish immigrants who sought the social status afforded to land owners by Spanish society at that time. These permanent settlers gave rise to four distinct social classes: Peninsulars, or the ruling class, were people born in Spain or Portugal. To maintain the line, some men sent their wives back to Spain to give birth, to ensure that their children also achieved peninsular status.Criollos were people of pure Spanish descent who were born in New Spain. It was this group, with the support of mestizos and other lower classes, that initiated the 11 years of rebellion to claim independence for Mexico in 1821, in response to increasing taxes and regulations by the Crown.Mestizos were people of mixed blood (generally used to identify Spanish/Indian ancestry) who ranked lower than the criollos in New Spainââ¬â¢s social hierarchy. Most Mexicans today (more than 65%) are descended from this group.Indigenas are the native Indians of Mexico. Prior to Mexican independence, several classifications were commonly used by the Spanish to identify people with Indian ancestry, including: indio (Indian), mestizo (half Indian/half white), zambo (half-Indian/half African ) and lobo (three-quarters African/one-quarter Indian). While Mexico has welcomed many other immigrants to its shores, the majority of its population descends from the Spanish, the Indians, or are of mixed Spanish and Indian heritage (mestizos). Blacks and some Asians are also part of the Mexican population. Where Did They Live? To conduct a successful family history search in Mexico, youll first need to know the name of the town where your ancestors lived, and the name of the municipio in which the town was located. It is also helpful to be familiar with the names of nearby towns and villages, as your ancestors may have left records there as well. As with genealogy research in most countries, this step is essential. Your family members may be able to provide you with this information but, if not, there are steps to help you find the birthplace of the ancestor. The Federal Republic of Mexico is made up of 32 states and the Distrito Federal (federal district). Each state is then divided into municipios (equivalent to a U.S. county), which may include several cities, towns and villages. Civil records are kept by the municipio, which church records will generally be found in the town or village. Civil Records in Mexico (1859 - present) Civil registration records in Mexico are government-required records of births (nacimientos), deaths (defunciones) and marriages (matrimonios). Known as Registro Civil, these civil records are an excellent source of names, dates and vital events for a large percentage of the population living in Mexico since 1859. The records are not complete, however, as people did not always comply, and civil registration wasnt strictly enforced in Mexico until 1867. Civil registration records in Mexico, with the exception of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, are maintained at the municipio level. Many of these civil records have been microfilmed by the Family History Library, and can be researched through your local Family History Center. Digital images of these Mexico Civil Registration Records are starting to be made available online for free at FamilySearch Record Search. You can also obtain copies of civil registration records in Mexico by writing to the local civil registry for the municipio. Older civil records, however, may have been transferred to the municipio or the state archive. Ask that your request be forwarded, just in case! Church Records in Mexico (1530 - present) Records of baptism, confirmation, marriage, death, and burial have been maintained by individual parishes in Mexico for almost 500 years. These records are especially useful for researching ancestors prior to 1859, when civil registration went into effect, although they may also provide information on events after that date that can not be found in the civil records. The Roman Catholic church, established in Mexico in 1527, is the predominant religion in Mexico. To research your ancestors in Mexican church records, youll first have to know the parish and city or town of residence. If your ancestor lived in a small town or village without an established parish, use a map to find nearby towns with a church that your ancestors may have attended. If your ancestor lived in a large city with several parishes, their records may be found in more than one parish. Begin your search with the parish where your ancestor lived, then expand the search to nearby parishes, if necessary. Parish church registers may record information on several generations of the family, making them an extremely valuable resource for researching a Mexican family tree. Many church records from Mexico are included in the Mexican Vital Records Index from FamilySearch.org. This free, online database indexes almost 1.9 million birth and christening and 300,000 marriage records from Mexico, a partial listing of vital records covering the years 1659 to 1905. Additional indexes of Mexican baptisms, marriages and burials from selected localities and time periods are available on FamilySearch Record Search, along with selected Catholic Church records. The Family History Library has most Mexican church records prior to 1930 available on microfilm. Search the Family History Library Catalog under the town in which your ancestors parish was located to learn what church records are available. These can then be borrowed from and viewed at your local Family History Center. If the church records you seek are not available through the Family History Library, youll need to write directly to the parish. Write your request in Spanish, if possible, including as many details as possible about the person and records you seek. Ask for a photocopy of the original record, and send a donation (around $10.00 usually works) to cover research time and copies. Most Mexican parishes accept U.S. currency in the form of cash or a cashiers check.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
An Overview of In-Car Information Systems Essay
An Overview of In-Car Information Systems - Essay Example However, these devices, which have little to do with the actual driving of the car, are becoming more and more advanced - presenting many problems for designers and users alike. The permanently increasing complexity of in-car electronics and the rapidly growing amount of sensors, actuators and electronic control units, make the data increasingly more difficult to keep secure, correct and failsafe. In a recent survey carried out by Goldman Sachs in America, there are approximately 200 million cars in the United States and an incredible 500 million passenger hours each week is spent inside them. In another survey, Delphi Automotive research found that more than a third of PDA owners use their PDA's whilst driving and that almost half of all US motorists would like the facility to access their e-mail whilst on the road.2 Car makers are, of course, nervous about motorists not paying attention to the road and having accidents, as well as the remote possibility of a glitch in the add-on electronics triggering a brake seizure or engine shutdown. The possibility of expensive lawsuits against them is a risk that they do not want to take. This threat has, until now, made most mainstream manufacturers shy away from providing too much computer control in their vehicles. In recent years this has led to a surge of activity in the development and sale of add-on products by third party manufacturers for vehicles to provide entertainment, navigation and comfort controls. Now the trend seems to be for car makers to provide much more complicated electronics as standard in even comparatively cheap models. All of this has predictably created a huge debate as to whether this type of electronic aid should be allowed to be used whilst driving the car or at least whether these aids are wanted or not. Studies into driving safety are, of course, not new. Driving whilst Drunk or under the influence of drugs has for many decades been seen as a serious problem on our roads and can result in a ban for the offender, if caught. More recently though with the widespread use of mobile phones, legislation has been put in place in order to make our roads safer. As of the first of December 2003, the use of mobile phones whilst driving in the UK has been made illegal due to an increasing number of mobile phone related incidents on the roads. Many now argue that tuning in a car radio or programming a GPS system whilst on the move is just as dangerous whilst driving, though no laws exist currently in the UK to restrict the use of these whilst driving. In America, many cities and states have similar laws regarding mobile handsets and many arguments on the safety of in-car electronics have been made. The New England Journal of Medicine, for example, published an article in 1997 claiming that cell phone users have the same chance of accidents as drunken drivers and also warned against concluding "that cellular telephones are harmful and that their use
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)