Social scientists are only beginning to question the idea of culture and the way it comes to be part of who we are as a people. While most would suggest that culture emanates from our values and traditions, this book wonders if it is given to us by corporations, media, and political institutions as a way to keep us docile and compliant. So much of what we do, how we dress, and what we value is actually a manifestation of government propaganda and advertising. And so, we embrace sentimental notions about our founding fathers, about marriage, our political system, and time honored rituals. While we think of ourselves as free, we are deluged with messages from powerful conglomerates who want us to dress and act a certain way and who have clear agendas for what they want us to believe about our nation and way of life. This book explores culture and questions the way it is created. Is culture a reflection of our values and traditions or is it dictated to us by powerful entities and political institutions?
Americans have long believed that they live in a democratic nation--where government is responsive to the people and where wealth and happiness are available to all. In fact, as this work explores, the American government has never sought equality and is often more loyal to business and affluence than to the aspirations of the average citizen. This book delves into the violations of democracy, uncovering the pandering to corporations, the cultural manipulations of people, the violations of fundamental rights.
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, Ubicomp 2001, held in Atlanta, GA, USA in September/October 2001. The 14 revised full papers and 15 revised technical notes were carefully selected during a highly competitive reviewing process from a total of 160 submissions (90 paper submissions and 70 technical notes submissions). All current aspects of research and development in the booming area of ubiquitous computing are addressed. The book offers topical sections on location awareness, tools and infrastructure, applications for groups, applications and design spaces, research challenges and novel input, and output.
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, Ubicomp 2001, held in Atlanta, GA, USA in September/October 2001. The 14 revised full papers and 15 revised technical notes were carefully selected during a highly competitive reviewing process from a total of 160 submissions (90 paper submissions and 70 technical notes submissions). All current aspects of research and development in the booming area of ubiquitous computing are addressed. The book offers topical sections on location awareness, tools and infrastructure, applications for groups, applications and design spaces, research challenges and novel input, and output.
A popular model of human action treats it as universally explicable by appeal to what we want. A related view evaluates our actions as rational or otherwise by appeal to what we want. However, these dominant views sit in tension with two other common sense ideas. First, that our normative beliefs — such as our beliefs about what we ought to do — sometimes explain our actions. Second, that those beliefs are crucial for determining whether our actions are rational. To try and resolve these tensions, this book defends 'desire-as-belief', the view that desires are just a special subset of our normative beliefs. This view entitles us to accept orthodox models of human motivation and rationality that explain those things with reference to desire, while also making room for our normative beliefs to play a role in those domains. This view also tells us to diverge from the orthodox view on which desires themselves can never be right or wrong. Rather, according to desire-as-belief, our desires can themselves be assessed for their accuracy, and they are wrong when they misrepresent normative features of the world. Hume says that it is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of your finger, but he is wrong: it is foolish to have this preference, and this is so because this preference misrepresents the relative worth of these things. This book mounts an engaging and comprehensive defence of these ideas.
In a work that is as much about the present as the past, Brad Gregory identifies the unintended consequences of the Protestant Reformation and traces the way it shaped the modern condition over the course of the following five centuries. A hyperpluralism of religious and secular beliefs, an absence of any substantive common good, the triumph of capitalism and its driver, consumerism—all these, Gregory argues, were long-term effects of a movement that marked the end of more than a millennium during which Christianity provided a framework for shared intellectual, social, and moral life in the West. Before the Protestant Reformation, Western Christianity was an institutionalized worldview laden with expectations of security for earthly societies and hopes of eternal salvation for individuals. The Reformation’s protagonists sought to advance the realization of this vision, not disrupt it. But a complex web of rejections, retentions, and transformations of medieval Christianity gradually replaced the religious fabric that bound societies together in the West. Today, what we are left with are fragments: intellectual disagreements that splinter into ever finer fractals of specialized discourse; a notion that modern science—as the source of all truth—necessarily undermines religious belief; a pervasive resort to a therapeutic vision of religion; a set of smuggled moral values with which we try to fertilize a sterile liberalism; and the institutionalized assumption that only secular universities can pursue knowledge. The Unintended Reformation asks what propelled the West into this trajectory of pluralism and polarization, and finds answers deep in our medieval Christian past.
Fundamental Causation addresses issues in the metaphysics of deterministic singular causation, the metaphysics of events, property instances, facts, preventions, and omissions, as well as the debate between causal reductionists and causal anti-reductionists. The book also pays special attention to causation and causal structure in physics. Weaver argues that causation is a multigrade obtaining relation that is transitive, irreflexive, and asymmetric. When causation is singular, deterministic and such that it relates purely contingent events, the relation is also universal, intrinsic, and well-founded. He shows that proper causal relata are events understood as states of substances at ontological indices. He then proves that causation cannot be reduced to some non-causal base, and that the best account of that relation should be unashamedly primitivist about the dependence relation that underwrites its very nature. The book demonstrates a distinctive realist and anti-reductionist account of causation by detailing precisely how the account outperforms reductionist and competing anti-reductionist accounts in that it handles all of the difficult cases while overcoming all of the general objections to anti-reductionism upon which other anti-reductionist accounts falter. This book offers an original and interesting view of causation and will appeal to scholars and advanced students in the areas of metaphysics, philosophy of science, and philosophy of physics.
The author lives in a 140 square foot home that doesn't have many of the appliances usually taken for granted as necessary. For most of his commuting, he walks or uses a bicycle; his home is off the electrical and water grids. Most people would say this is an impossible way to live but he considers his transition to a simpler life has made him happier and healthier than he has ever been. After living in his compact home for several years, he has learned that, with the smaller living space, his freedom has expanded both in terms of finances and free time; bills and maintenance are so much lower than the financial and time costs of the average home. Living in a smaller space also limits purchases of 'things', thus saving money. He still uses around two thousand square feet of living space as before - the difference is that the other space is shared with others - his office, the gym, the laundromat, the restaurant, and other spaces - and that space is no longer his responsibility to maintain. So not only is he contributing to his community but his overheads and and responsibilities are significantly reduced--Cataloguer's note.
AS I RECALL… Growing Up in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s in Kenmore, NY and Beyond Antics, Escapades, & Adventures of Gregory Granger Laker: My Auto-biography, Volume One 1951-1977 By: Gregory Granger Laker Take a walk down memory lane with Gregory Granger Laker, a regular guy who reminisces on life growing up in suburban Buffalo, NY in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Laker retells his life experiences growing up in Kenmore – from his close relationships with classmates, family, and friends to his lifelong love and participation in sports to everyday mischief and more. “I expect all baby boomers to be able to relate and reminisce about the content in this book,” Laker says. As I Recall: Growing up in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s; in Kenmore, NY has something that anyone who grew up in the same time period can connect with!
Note to Readers: Publisher does not guarantee quality or access to any included digital components if book is purchased through a third-party seller. Helps nurses to provide the best and safest care for patients suffering from chronic pain This is the first book to discuss the use of medical cannabis in helping combat the opioid crisis, relieving pain, and reversing opioid addiction rates. With information presented in short chapters with bulleted content, this concise resource delivers all the information healthcare professionals need to know about non–cancer-related chronic pain, the opioid crisis, and medical cannabis. Using the most up-to-date evidence available, it examines the varied causes of chronic pain and provides a succinct overview of how cannabis can be integrated into treatment plans. Fast Facts About Medical Cannabis and Opioids delves into the epidemiology behind chronic pain, what the endocannabinoid system is, and how it works. It examines the complex interactions of opiates, cannabinoids, and the central nervous system, and answers key questions about different types of medical cannabis to promote open, honest conversations. Above all, this handbook provides the tools for obtaining unbiased, accurate information to share with patients. Key Features: Delivers a comprehensive overview of the opioid crisis in the United States and the benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis as an alternative or supplement to opioids Discusses dos and don’ts of recommending medical cannabis to patients Provides the most up-to-date information on cannabis legislation Covers the endocannabinoid system and its biology Compares the use of opioids and medical cannabis for managing chronic pain Presents key information in short chapters, bulleted content, and figures, plus Fast Facts boxes that highlight key information
The current volume, Advances in Latent Variable Mixture Models, contains chapters by all of the speakers who participated in the 2006 CILVR conference, providing not just a snapshot of the event, but more importantly chronicling the state of the art in latent variable mixture model research. The volume starts with an overview chapter by the CILVR conference keynote speaker, Bengt Muthén, offering a “lay of the land” for latent variable mixture models before the volume moves to more specific constellations of topics. Part I, Multilevel and Longitudinal Systems, deals with mixtures for data that are hierarchical in nature either due to the data’s sampling structure or to the repetition of measures (of varied types) over time. Part II, Models for Assessment and Diagnosis, addresses scenarios for making judgments about individuals’ state of knowledge or development, and about the instruments used for making such judgments. Finally, Part III, Challenges in Model Evaluation, focuses on some of the methodological issues associated with the selection of models most accurately representing the processes and populations under investigation. It should be stated that this volume is not intended to be a first exposure to latent variable methods. Readers lacking such foundational knowledge are encouraged to consult primary and/or secondary didactic resources in order to get the most from the chapters in this volume. Once armed with the basic understanding of latent variable methods, we believe readers will find this volume incredibly exciting.
While probabilistic logics in principle might be applied to solve a range of problems, in practice they are rarely applied - perhaps because they seem disparate, complicated, and computationally intractable. This programmatic book argues that several approaches to probabilistic logic fit into a simple unifying framework in which logically complex evidence is used to associate probability intervals or probabilities with sentences. Specifically, Part I shows that there is a natural way to present a question posed in probabilistic logic, and that various inferential procedures provide semantics for that question, while Part II shows that there is the potential to develop computationally feasible methods to mesh with this framework. The book is intended for researchers in philosophy, logic, computer science and statistics. A familiarity with mathematical concepts and notation is presumed, but no advanced knowledge of logic or probability theory is required.
A general review of literature published from 1990 to 2000 and unpublished (gray) literature on odors associated with municipal wastewater collection systems and treatment facilities, including biosolids handling. The literature review focused on several areas including odor characterization technology, odor sampling, analysis, measurement technology, and odor mitigation (control) technology.
Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of General Hospital Psychiatry, by Theodore A. Stern, Gregory L. Fricchione, Ned H. Cassem, Michael Jellinek, and Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, is your ideal source of guidance on consultation-liaison psychiatry! Experts from the Massachusetts General Hospital—widely respected as one of the world's premier psychiatric institutions—provide practical advice on the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric issues experienced by in-hospital, medically ill adults and children. This compact resource reads like a handbook, but delivers all the details you’d expect from a textbook. Understand and manage the psychological impact of chronic medical problems, life-threatening diseases, disfigurement, and more. Effectively manage difficult patients, including those with hypochondriacal and conversion disorders. Find information quickly thanks to an improved chapter organization, and get just the answers you need with concise yet complete coverage appropriate for psychiatrists and generalists alike. Implement the most current, effective pharmaceutical therapies as well as cognitive-behavioral approaches.
Hope and Fear in Margaret Chase Smith's America: A Continuous Tangle provides a fresh interpretation of the life, career, and legacy of former United States Senator Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman elected to both houses of the U.S. Congress. The book examines the critical connections made by Smith to key policymakers, links that allowed her to overcome opposition and prejudice to gain access, influence, and power in Washington, D.C. Highlighting the tangle of personalities and events in America from 1940 to 1972, the book focuses on Smith’s courageous and often solitary efforts on behalf of women during the 1940s, and her stand during the McCarthy era which earned her a national reputation for civility in public discourse. It also examines her key interactions with the group of U.S. Senators who were elected with her in 1948 and their work to forge public policy in the aftermath of McCarthyism, including domestic and international policy following Sputnik, the creation of the Space Program, civil rights, Vietnam, and Medicare. Against these events and activities, the book demonstrates the impact of the nation’s commitment to anticommunism and nuclear weapons which allowed politicians like Margaret Chase Smith to embrace contradictory stances on political dissent, military policy, and the role of government in American society.
The Munda Verb is a unique book on the typology of the verb in the Munda language family, and the first of its kind on any language family of the Indian subcontinent. The author painstakingly works out nearly all the details of the morphology of the verb in each modern Munda language and offers a description of the typology of the Munda verbal systems both individually and collectively. The author uses a large amount of data from modern Munda languages, as well as an extensive cross-linguistic corpus offering comparisons from genetically unrelated languages such as Fox, Amele, Kinyarwanda, Luyia, Takelma, Tonkawa, Burushaski, or Tangut where relevant. Points of note include the unusual incorporation system of South Munda Sora and the elaborate and complex system of verb agreement attested in the Kherwarian Munda languages. Further, the author discusses models for a Proto-Munda verbal system and problems in its reconstruction at various points throughout. This book is of great interest to specialists working on the Munda languages, South Asian linguistics, language typology, historical linguistics and to scholars of both morphology as well as syntax.
Almost all pathologists face legal issues when dealing with the specimens they work with on a day-to-day basis, whether it involves quality control and assurance in handling the specimens, facing the possibility of malpractice suits, or serving as an expert witness in a trial. Written in an easy to read, conversational tone, with a dose of good humor, this book fills the need for a handbook that discusses the full spectrum of legal issues that many pathologists face, written from a pathologist's point of view. Organized in 12 user-friendly chapters, the book begins with a comparison of Law and Medicine and explains the basics of the American Legal System. It continues with discussions of the impact of law on the practice of pathology, including such topics as specimens with potential legal implications, the controversy of saving organs for teaching, procuring and saving specimens for toxicology testing and DNA confirmation in identity testing. A must-have section on malpractice suits covers reasons why patients sue, what to do if sued, and reducing the chance of being sued. The author addresses expert witness testimony, including how to be an expert witness, conflicts of interest, conduct in a courtroom, what to say and what not to say. Quality control and assurance as it applies to the pathologist is also discussed. Legal implications for the information age, including the use of internet and e-mail with regard to patient confidentiality is discussed in detail. Case samples are scattered throughout the text to illustrate the principles discussed. Every term is defined in the glossary.
Daniela Rus, a leading roboticist and computer scientist, explores how we can use a new generation of smart machines to help humankind. There is a robotics revolution underway. A record 3.1 million robots are working in factories right now, doing everything from assembling computers to packing goods and monitoring air quality and performance. A far greater number of smart machines impact our lives in countless other ways—improving the precision of surgeons, cleaning our homes, extending our reach to distant worlds—and we’re on the cusp of even more exciting opportunities. In The Heart and the Chip, roboticist Daniela Rus and science writer Gregory Mone provide an overview of the interconnected fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and reframe the way we think about intelligent machines while weighing the moral and ethical consequences of their role in society. Robots aren’t going to steal our jobs: they’re going to make us more capable, productive, and precise. At once optimistic and realistic, Rus and Mone envision a world in which these technologies augment and enhance our skills and talents, both as individuals and as a species—a world in which the proliferation of robots allows us all to be more human.
Tutankhamun Knew the Names of the Two Great Gods offers a new interpretation of the terms Dt and nHH as fundamental concepts of Pharaonic ideology, terms that, until now, have often been treated as synonyms reflecting notions related to the vastness of time.
Set against the backdrop of Cathedral City, which is about to be reconstructed by greedy developers, a powerful story details the intertwining lives of an extraordinary cast of characters.
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