Family History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family History - Essay Example I contacted our local church first to look for my Baptism details. There it was. The church had records of my Baptism before 18 years along with my parents name and grandparent’s name. Digging deeper, I found out my parents got married in the same Church where I was baptised, five years before my birth. Their marriage registration details gave me the name and address of my grandparents Jacob Schoff and Linda Schoff. My mother was the daughter of Claude Bourgeois and Michele Bourgeois. With the address I collected from the church I visited Pennsylvania where my father’s grand parents lived long ago. Getting in touch with the area Church, I was able to get the records of my grandfathers Baptism as a child, way back in 1922. I could also get details about their marriage and my great grandfather’s family. My father John Schoff was a business consultant who married my mother Ebenezer Bourgeois. My grandfather Jacob Schoff was a lawyer in New York. His father John Scho ff born in 1880 migrated from Pennsylvania to New York as he was a physician. Jacob Schoff, his father had eight children including 5 sons and 3 daughters. He was born and bought up in the Pennsylvanian plantations and lived as a farmer most part of his life. He took part in the American Civil War too. Two of his descendants still live in the plantation. They have a full record of family history starting from the very first ancestor who came to America from Germany way back in 1702. Jacob Schoff’s father Andreas Schoff who lived during the Californian Gold rush is said to be a writer and adventurer. It is said he stuck luck in the gold rush and bought the plantation in Pennsylvania with that money. The family lived in the plantations for three generations until my great grandfather John Schoff moved to New York. Andreas Schoff’s great grandfather migrated from Germany to England in search of a better future in the 17th century. He came to America in 1709 (Schoff Coat o f Arms and Name History, 2000). He moved to various places and finally settled in Virginia. His grand children fought for the Independence of America during the 1776 war. His descendants are called under various names like Schoff, Schaeffer and Schafer. I was quite proud to know that my family has such a long history and had contributed its share in every major event of this nation from the Independence struggle to the Civil war. Early day journals maintained by our great ancestor Andreas Schoff written in German, states how a handful of German’s were treated indifferently by the dominant French and British colonists. I have heard stories from my grandfather on how he was scrutinized for being a German descendant during the Second World War. My grandfather was not able to go higher in profession because of this discrimination. However, we live in better times now. Thanks to the endless efforts of generations of our family members who strived hard to give us an economically sa fe future in this century. My Mother’s History Exploring my mother’s side of family history, I found she is a mixture of Irish and French nationals who settled in the United States centuries back. Peter Bourgeois my mother’s great ancestor settled in Nova Scotia in 1761. Bourgeois were a class held in high esteem next to the Nobles in France (Bourgeois Family Crest and Name History, 2000). They came here to serve in the French army and settled in the US soil. His family slowly

The Problem of the New Century Essay Example for Free

The Problem of the New Century Essay This essay will analyze the impact that social media has on teenagers all around the world. More specifically, this essay will guide the reader through three of the most striking repercussions that result when teenagers abuse these types of media: cyber-stalking, poor interpersonal relationships, and bullying. From Facebook to MySpace to Twitter to Tumblr, these sites undoubtedly provide both positive and negative consequences to our world’s youth†¦ The question is: Do the negative outweigh the positive? â€Å"Home alone! I love this! And the ‘rents won’t be back ‘till 6!!!† You may think that a post like this on a social networking site should not be harmful at all. After all, you’re just letting your friends know what you’re up to! However, online stalkers and pedophiles may use this seemingly benign piece of information for more malicious ends. According to a 2007 Pew Internet Research Report, over half (55 percent) of teens now use online social networking sites. (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith Zickuhr)[1] The latter have diminished one-on-one interactions and have simultaneously provided an easy, impersonal way to harass people without any apparent immediate consequences. It is true that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter enable friends to keep in touch and can be used to â€Å"document school research, promote artistic talents and experiment with other forms of content creation.† (Hall)[2] However, along with these benefits come some serious risks: especially since these sites are extremely addicting. The excessive use of social networks, especially by teens, has brought upon severe effects on society that should n ot be taken lightly: cyber-stalking, poor interpersonal relationships, and bullying. When analyzing this topic, one must point out that, as a consequence of their excessive use of social networks, teens have become the main victims cyber-stalking. First off, unsuspecting, naà ¯ve teens are less conscious about conveying personal information that most adults would never give away to strangers. An actual case of cyber-stalking against young adults occurred when, in accordance with the Justice Department of the United States, â€Å"an honors graduate from the University of San Diego terrorized five female university students over the Internet for more than a year. The victims received hundreds of violent and threatening e-mails, sometimes receiving four or five messages a day. The graduate student, who has entered a guilty plea and faces up to six years in prison, told police he committed the crimes because he thought the women were laughing at him.† (Easttom)[3] Furthermore, when teens give away information in social networking sites, they are not only putting themselves in great danger but also involving their families. Last but not least, teen bloggers are an extremely easy target for these online stalkers. A study of sixty-eight random web-blogs written by teens of ages 13-17 by the Northwestern University revealed that â€Å"teen bloggers often willingly give away all their personal information putting them in high risk and making them easy target for cyber stalkers.† (Leopold) It is evident that teens and young adults are more liable to disclose more personal information online, making them easy targets for stalkers. The fact that cyber-stalking doesn’t involve direct contact might create the erroneous illusion that it is milder than actual physical stalking. Nonetheless, this could not be more wrong. As the Internet (and social networks) becomes a more fundamental part of our daily lives, cyber-stalkers are using it to access our personal information. Without the excessive use of these sites, would cyber-stalking such an eminent issue? It is our unfortunate dependence on these sites that make us so vulnerable an d more prone to be victims of such a frightening issue that grows larger every single day. It is understandable that teens depend on social networks to keep in touch with friends who they do not see regularly. However, the fact that 91 percent of teens use social networks to maintain friendships with friends who they already see frequently causes some degree of concern. (Frazier)[4] This is concerning because the dependence in social networks is detrimental to society, seeing as it creates poor interpersonal communications. When people communicate through a computer or cellphone screen, they lose one-on-one social contact skills. Comments and opinions conveyed through the Internet tend to be less tactful, too. Badoo These disadvantages can lead to a degradation of conversations and to misunderstandings, which could easily be avoided by just taking the time to talk in person. Also,†¦ less friends.. Social Net. Moreover, when teenagers spend so much of their time online, they fall into a dysfunctional lifestyle were vital activities such as sleeping, exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, keeping up with school, and spending quality time with friends and family become subordinate to using their computers or cellphones. In 2003, researchers at the City University of New York conducted a study regarding the effects of at-home computer use on young children. They found that young children who excessively used the computer (for over 8 hours a week) spent significantly less time playing sports or taking part in beneficial outdoor activities. They were also found to have substantially heavier body mass index.â €  (Frazier)4 Kids are said to be the future, but if this is happening to our world’s kids, what does that say about the world we are aspiring to build? Amongst all effects of the use of social networks, bullying may be deemed as the most troubling one. Thanks to the impersonal manner of online interactions, people tend to say (or type) things they normally would not say in person. Considering this, one may say that teenagers online have the urge to feel â€Å"cool†, accepted, or even admired. Though they may not be as cruel in person as they are online, the pressure of having to stand out drives many of them to bully fellow teens that may have a less dominant personality. For instance, bullies may publicize private instant messages, text messages or e-mails, post threatening messages or photos that will cause embarrassment and, most commonly, spread rumors. Even though some victims may ignore this harassment, this is not the common case. Most of the kids who have b een bullied online take desperate measures to put an end to their humiliation. As a consequence, most of the targets, who are usually emotionally unstable, choose a permanent solution to this temporary problem: suicide. For example, there is the case of Megan Meier. She was a 13-year-old girl who had self-esteem issues but was, overall, content with her life. It all started when a cute boy by the name of Josh Evans befriended her on MySpace. They started messaging each other, but Evans’ compliments soon turned to insults. Then, suddenly, Megan got a message from Evans saying â€Å"I dont know if I want to be friends with you any longer because I hear youre not nice to your friends†. Then, the Evans started posting public comments calling her fat and a ‘slut’. â€Å"The stress and frustration was too much for Megan, who had a history of depression. Tina Meier, her mother, discovered her daughters body in a bedroom closet on Oct. 16, 2006. Megan had hanged herself and died a day later.† (Good Morning America)[5] Afterward, it was discovered that Josh Evans never existed. This was a fake account that Megan’s ex-best friend created with the help of her mother in order to â€Å"get back† at Megan for some rumor that she had allegedly spread. They claim that they did not mean for Megan to commit suicide. But this is not enough. Megan is gone now thanks to cyber-bullying, and nothing can replace her. All in all, the conclusion is evident: social networks, like everything in life, are only beneficial to certain extent. When these enable people t o track you down, one should surely realize that it has gone too far. When these start replacing inter-personal relationships, one should realize that it has gone too far. When these take over your life, driving you to the point of wanting to leave this world, one should realize that it has gone too far. Luckily, we are not too late. We still have time to turn off those computers and cell phones, go outside, and take a deep breath of fresh, real air. After all, what W. Clement Stone once wrote is very true: â€Å"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success- or are the holding you back?† Bibliography Lenhart, Amanda. Purcell, Kristen. Smith, Aaron. Zickuhr, Kathyrn. (2010, February 3). Social media and mobile Internet use among teens and young adults. Retrieved October 22nd, 2012 from http://web.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf Hall, Sharon Hurley. (2012). Life123.org. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 from http://www.life123.com/parenting/tweens-teens/social-networking/issues-with-teens-and-social-networking.shtml Easttom, William. (2012, February 1). Cyber stalking, fraud, and abuse. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 from http://www.pearsonitcertification.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1825167seqNum=4 Leopold, Wendy. (2006, February 19). Study finds teen bloggers at risk for cyberstalking. Retrieved October 22nd, 2012 from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/nu-sft021706.php Frazier, Karen. (2011). Are Social Networks Harmful to Society?. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 from http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/Are_Social_Networks_Harmful_to_Society Good Morning America (2007, November 19). Cyber bullying led to teen suicide. Retrieved October 23rd, 2012 from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3882520page=2 [1] Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social media and mobile Internet use among teens and young adults. Retrieved October 22nd, 2012 (See Bibliography) [2] Hall, S. (2012). Life123. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 (See Bibliography) [3] Easttom, W. (2012, February 1). Cyber stalking, fraud, and abuse. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 (See Bibliography) [4] Frazier, K. (2011). Are Social Networks Harmful to Society? Retrieved November 1st, 2012 (See Bibliography) [5] Good Morning America (2007, November 19). Cyber bullying led to teen suicide. Retrieved October 23rd, 2012 (See Bibliography)

Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica MCM-41

Synthesis of Mesoporous Silica MCM-41 Results and Discussions The present study included the synthesis of mesoporous silica MCM-41 and its modification by impregnation of different metals on the mesoporous to enhance the photocatalytic activity of metals i.e Cu/MCM-41, Fe/MCM-41, CeO2/MCM-41. FTIR analysis of catalyst MCM-41 has the ability to impregnate numerous metals on its surface. MCM-41 was modified with metal salts in order to dope the metals on the surface of mesoporous material was characterized by FTIR analysis. The FT-IR spectra furnished the information about the incorporation of metals on the surface of MCM-41. The FT-IR spectra of synthesized material in the region of 4000 400 cm-1 in transmission mode using platinium ATR, a single reflection sampling module spectrophotometr, and shown in Fig. 5. The uncalcined MCM41 and calcined MCM41 spectra (Fig. 5A. a, b) show intense band at wavenumber 1100 and 802 cm-1 which accounts for the asymmetric and symmetric stretching of the Si-O-Si bonds, respectively.[i] The bands at 970 cm-1 and 460 cm-1 was assigned to the stretching and bending vibrations of surface Si-O- groups respectively.[ii] The sharp peaks at 2864.72cm-1 and 2922.14 cm-1 were due to the presence of surfactant before calcinations of MCM-41.[iii] For calcined MCM41, the bands at 2852 cm-1 and 2921 cm-1 corresponding to the long chain of alkyl group of the surfactant molecules were disappeared after calcination shows the completely removal of surfactants molecules. The differences of the intensities of the peaks in the FT-IR spectra of MCM-41 and MCM-41/ CeO2, are abserved which resulted from the doping of CeO2. A strong absorption peak at 1,632 cm−1 is observed in the spectra of MCM-41/CeO2, and it indicates the formation of Ce-O-Ce.[iv] About copper and iron also add TGA analysis of MCM-41: XRD analysis of MCM-41: Photocatalytic studies by using the metal dopped MCM-41: The metal dopped MCM-41 was studied for the photocatalytic degradation of commonly used pharmaceutics including salts of diclofenac (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NAID)) and atorvastatin (antihyper lipoproteinemic drug). For this purpose the solutions od these drugs were prepared and degradation potential of metal dopped mesoporous silicate was studied by optimizing various parameters i.e the amount of catalyst, the pH, the light, substrate concentration, metal loading on MCM-41. Effect of pH The interaction between the pharmaceutics and metal dopped mesoporous are dependent on the pH of the solution therefore the optimization of pH is important to achieve maximum degradation efficiency. During the present study, the degradation process was optimized by changing the pH from 3.5 to 10.5 over 10 wt% M/MCM-41(M= Cu, Fe, Ce) with 1 g l_1 of 0.114 mM drug solution. The pH of the pharmaceutic solution is adjusted with 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M NaOH. The results obtained are shown in Fig. 3d. At acidic pH, the rate of degradation is faster as compared to high and neutral pH. The results clearly show that acidic pH is ideal for the degradation of the pharmaceutics. Effect of light intensity on degradation of pharmaceutic: The photolysis of pharmaceutic was studied under UV irradiation and dark. The log natural decay curves (In Ct/Co) of pharmaceutic versus irradiation time were displayed in (Fig. 3-5). The data for dark control samples were also elaborated in Fig. 6. Photodegradation of diclofenac sodium and atorvastatin under UV light in distilled water and methanol respectively were determined during the summer season (March-september) as displayed in Fig.3. The determined half life of 50 ppm diclofenac sodium in distilled water under UV light was 2.5h and in dark it was observed as 3 h. The rate of reaction varied from 2.8Ãâ€"10-3 to 2.3Ãâ€"10-3 when pharmaceutic was shifted from UV light to dark. Effect of metal loading on MCM-41 The effect of metal loading over MCM-41 on the photocatalytic activity is investigated and the results are shown in Fig. 2a. The degradation studies are carried out with increase of metal (wt%)5, 10 and 15 using 1 g l_1 of catalyst amount in 50 ml pharmaceutics solution. It is observed that 5–10 wt% increase in metal loadings, the photocatalytic activity increases and there is not much degradation rate at higher loadings. Among all the catalysts, 10 wt% M/MCM- 41 (M= Cu, Fe and Ce) showed most efficient photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutics i.e., complete degradation within 90 min. The loss in the activity with increase in metal percent loading is due to the excess amount of metal oxide dispersed over MCM-41 that blocks the mesopores results a decrease in adsorption capacity. The turbidity of the solution also blocks penetration of light into the solution. Thus, the metal loading over the support clearly shows that one has to optimize the metal content, simultaneously re taining the active sites for adsorption in order to achieve the effective synergism. Effect of catalyst amount To optimize the amount of catalyst required for effective pharmaceutic photocatalytic degradation, different catalyst amounts (0.25–1.5 g l_1) are studied with 10 wt% M/MCM-41 and the results are shown in Fig. 3a. It is observed that 1.0 g l_1 is found to be the optimum. By increasing 0.25– 1.0 g l_1, the photocatalytic activity is increased and at higher contents the activity is not beneficial. This may be due to the fact that higher amount of the catalyst is obstructing the path of light penetration into the solution (i.e., scattering of light) thus reducing the OH radicals formation. Effect of substrate concentration The effect of 0.094, 0.1571 and 0.2829 mM pharmaceutics concentrations are performed over 10 wt% M/MCM-41 catalyst with 1 g l_1 amount for degradation. From Fig. 3b, it is observed that at lower concentrations, the adsorption is more compared to higher concentrations. There is a slight difference in degradation at 0.094, 0.1571 mM concentrations in comparison to 0.2829 mM. Also, it is acknowledged that the degradation is solely depends on the OH radical formation. The production of OH radicals is not sufficient in comparison to the amount of pharmaceutic adsorbed on the surface of the photocatalyst at higher concentrations. In view of this it suggests that, there should be equilibrium between adsorption of reactant molecules and OH radicals generated from the active sites. The 0.1571 mM concentration of pharmaceutic is found to be optimum for 10 wt% M/MCM-41 catalyst using 1 g l_1 amount. The experimental kinetic data are presented in Fig. 3c (inset) and in Table 1, along with time r equired for 50% degradation (t1/2) for each of the fitted lines. The degradation rate of pharmaceutic is decreased while increasing the concentration. The rate constant ‘k’ decreases with increase in initial concentration of drug. The effect of initial concentration of pharmaceutic on the photocatalytic degradation rate is described by pseudo-first order kinetics. The apparent rate constant for 0.114 mM IPU over 10 wt% TiO2/Al-MCM- 41 catalyst is 0.072 min_1 (R2 = 0.994). In the present investigation, 0.1571 mM concentration is found to be the optimum for degradation studies. [i] E.M. Flanigen, H. Khatami, H.A. Szymanski, (1971), Infrared structural studies of zeolite frameworks. In: E.M. Flanigen, L.B. Sand (Eds.). Molecular Sieve Zeolites. ACS Adv. Chem. Ser., 101: pp 201-227. [ii] E.M. Flanigen, H. Khatami, H.A. Szymanski, (1971), Infrared structural studies of zeolite frameworks. In: E.M. Flanigen, L.B. Sand (Eds.). Molecular Sieve Zeolites. ACS Adv. Chem. Ser., 101: pp 201-227. [iii] Taib, I.N., Endud, S., Katun, M.N Functionalization of mesoporous Si-MCM-41 by grafting with trimethylchlorosilane, International journal of chemistry, 3: 3(2011). [iv] Song, X, Qu, P, Jiang, N, Yang, H, Qiu, G: Synthesis and characterization of MCM-41 materials assembled with CeO2 nanoparticles. Coll. Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 313–314, 193–196 (2008)

Julius Caesar Essay: Decision Making in Julius Caesar -- Julius Caesar

Decision Making in Julius Caesar Making the right decisions is an ongoing struggle for man, because making decisions is never easy, and the wrong decision can lead to endless perils. Decisions must be made when dealing with power, loyalty, and trust. Yet, unlike other decisions, ones that are about these three fields are the most important, due to the risk involved, and because of the consequences that might follow. Power- power is the complete domination of others, and since all men want to dominate those around them, power is valued as one of the most important possessions. Power is highly sought after, thus the correct decisions must be made to obtain it, and this is clearly proven by Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". Power is obtained much easier than it is kept. "Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!" The conspirators celebrate the death of Caesar, because they believe that they make the right decision in killing him, and so far they have, but the decision to spare Mark Antony is one that will haunt them in the end. Power is not always beneficial, it can be a very dangerous possession. "You shall not stir out of your house today." Calphurnia makes the decision to persuade Caesar to stay home, and not go to the Senate meeting. When one has power, there are those who want it, like Brutus and the other conspirators. Calphurnia makes the right decision, yet Caesar makes the wrong one by deciding ... ...imminent. In the course of man's life he will have to make many decisions, and some will decide his future. Power, loyalty, and trust, are essential, yet obtaining them is only the beginning, managing them is a much harder task. For one to succeed he must realize how much power is beneficial and how much is dangerous. Loyalty helps one's cause immensely, yet one must not take the loyalty of his followers to the extreme. Trust is one of the most important assets a man can have, he must be careful, and not take it for granted. Man must always be prepared for these times when a decision must be made, because, as seen in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", one irrational decision can be man's last.

Impact of Market Revolution Essay

The end of the war of 1812 brought a large amount of pride to the Americans. From then on came about the transportation revolution which brought about many changes. The major shift from an agrarian to an industrial economy introduced various changes not just in politics but at the lives of many americans. The beginning of the market revolution marked the ending of the Federalist presence in the government while introducing a variety of modifications to the jeffersonian-republican party. These economical and political changes gave about notable chances in the status of labor, the class structure ultimately affecting the lives of american families. The market economy introduced many changes to the job industry by giving rise to the industrial worker most notably in new england. The many mills during the early 19th century were composed of women who seeked to better themselves, in part these women had to submit to their bose’s will when it came to their unstable wages. Even so the vast amounts of jobs that were left unfulfilled gave rise to immigration from Europe. The introduction to the Irish and German immigrants gave rise to wage jobs from skilled jobs which erupted many notable riots from the residents around New England. The waged workers were regarded as â€Å"wage slaves† by many riots due to them having a job that consumed most of their time as well as because of the unstable wages. These eventually led up to the creation of various workingmen parties. The most notable change that occurred during the 1820s was the rise of the new middle class which included doctors and teachers just to name a few. and the fall of the artisan class. This gave rise to the merchants in the class structure as they were the most benefited from the market revolution. The classes played a very important role during the market revolution. The difference of sexuality affecting wages still persisted. Even so, the rise of education during the second great awak ening allowed for better opportunities to become a â€Å"self made man† diminishing the dependence of workers on their bosses. The most affected thing during the market revolution was perhaps the life of american families. The role of the wife and the children changed to a certain point. The wife was expected to provide emotional and spiritual to the husband and her children and caring this being what the cult of  domesticity promoted. The increasing economic gap between the rich and the poor prevented excessive breeding this being due to the economic burden that children were viewed as. This led to the increase of child labor in industrial factories and mills. The market revolution brought many changes with it these heavily influencing the status of labor, the class structure ultimately impacting american families. The shift from an agrarian republic brought changes such as waged jobs while introducing a great influx of immigrants. The widening gap between the rich and the poor were in it’s part negative but in it’s part was positive when it came to education. The life of american families was perhaps the most affected with the introduction of the cult of domesticity and the ideals that reform movements engraved on married women Planning Status of Labor: People began to work on a timely schedule Received hourly wages Development of industries and factories Seed drill, reaper, cotton gin, steel plow increased production rates and made work easier Samuel Slater’s American Factory System Lowell textile Mills Workforce composed of women Young unmarried women hired Mostly from farms Under the promise of wages ; Unstable Wages Class structure: Artisans were going down the social class Women and children were inferior to men received lower wages than men Wealthy merchants were going up the social class ere heads of industries and factories

Choosing the Right Message Program essays

Choosing the Right Message Program essays Audience: People who use the Internet and who are looking for an instant message program. Chatting online can be very fun sometimes, but it can be annoying if you don't have the right Instant Messenger. Choosing an instant message program is hard, and some offer many different options. MSN Messenger, ICQ, and AOL Instant Messenger are just a few of the leading brands, but each program offers different features. MSN Messenger allows anyone with a Hotmail or MSN address to use this program. This program allows you to see when someone is online and permits you to send instant messages. A great feature I like is the typing bar. This bar displays a message when the other user is typing. This is great because you are not interrupting someone thoughts when they are typing. MSN also integrates file transfers into the program. These transfers are faster than any other program. MSN also has Video Conferencing in their program. MSN can also page someone from his or her program. This is also good if you don't want to give out your pager number. ICQ is a chat-based product, which offers features such as user details. User details tell you information about other users. This information includes time information, addresses, and phone numbers of the user. ICQ also allows you to talk to the person instead of just chatting. This feature is called voice chat. ICQ also allows you to leave a message for someone. When the user logs on, they receive any messages you left. ICQ has just about the best search engine feature. This is a great way to help you find people in your area and people with the same interest. Downloading mp3 files is just another feature that helps make this a good download. This is similar to Napster, and it is still illegal. AOL Instant Messenger is about the most popular program, but it does not offer the best features. This program includes the basic chat function. It doesn't include any of the special features mentioned abo...