Reflection of Cannibalistic Societies through Diary of a Madman And the

The meager image depicted by Lu Xun's 'Diary of a Madman' projects an illustration of society that stresses submission to authority, and the ultimate compliance to tradition. Lu Xun battles the idea that society is constantly being manipulated and controlled by the masses of people who know no better than to follow tradition. His story 'Diary of a Madman' gives the representation of a culture that has not only failed, but failed by the cannibalistic nature of humans corrupting them-selves over and over again therefore feeding upon themselves. The analysis of 'Diary of a Madman' gives way to a new interpretation of societies of the past, present, and future. Following the idea that history tends to repeat itself, I have paralleled the idea that society as a whole can be seen as cannibalistic not only in the reference by Lu Xun, but also in the current society we live in today. Only through willingness to change can societies transform their behaviors and actions giving way to i mprovement. To gain insight into the cannibalistic representation of society, the writing style of Lu Xun must first be addressed. The preface of ?Diary of a Madman? is written in classical Chinese language, where Lu Xun uses an ironic technique to suggest a false, polite world made exclusively by social appearance. This traditional approach to literature shows the conventional method that is followed by those who act upon the ways of the past and the culturally accepted methods of the masses. As the story unfolds the story leaves the classical Chinese language and moves to the informal language that is known by the common societies. Lu Xun also incorporates the diarist and main character of the story, and uses him as a reflection of the curre... ...s,? we can still do our best to improve. And we can start today!? (p. 1927). The story ?Diary of a Madman? produces hope of a future existing that rejects oppressive traditionalism, and the liberation of the individual and asks society to recognize the problem and help save society by, ?saving the children? (p. 1929). ?Diary of a Madman? is a depiction of society that stresses observance to a powerful authority, and the ultimate compliance to tradition. Lu Xun explains the idea that society is constantly being controlled and devoured by the masses of people who know no better than to follow tradition. His story gives the representation of a culture that has conformed to the cannibalistic nature of humans that feed upon themselves. Only through willingness to change and evolution can societies transform their behaviors and actions giving way to improvement.

Possible application of the transferable development right mechanism

Possible application of the movable development right mechanism: The construct of movable development rights had originated in the USA, where it has been used for private land acquisition by the State for assorted non-commercial intents such as protecting environmentally sensitive countries. In its present signifier in India, movable development rights have been used as a tool for private land acquisition to build societal comfortss. During the last 10 old ages, the Indian Government had applied this policy to get land for public usage for non-commercial purposes28. The Government of India had had a policy to O.K. development programs for all large metropoliss, while land countries for building of public comfortss such as roads, schools, infirmaries, unfastened infinites, etc. have in private ownership. The pecuniary compensation has excessively expensive and impractical. This state of affairs in India has similar to drawn-out urban route undertakings in Vietnam where the compensation cost has reached 80 % of the entire cost of the undertaking. Apart from the fiscal facets, these undertakings ever have faced resistance from the population. In some large metropoliss of India, another mechanism for compensation, the Transferable Development Right had granted on lands have reserved for unfastened infinite, roads, comfortss and public Peoples with movable development rights have had the right to build houses on their remaining land after a portion had been acquired by the city’s authorization, or in other land which has had higher value, or to reassign the movable development rights to other people. In the Mumbai in India, people whose lands have been converted to public usage could take to have pecuniary compensation or movable development rights. The movable development rights had been granted in the signifier of the Development Rights Certificates. The Transferable development rights have a monetary value, depending on the â€Å"supply-demand† in the building market. It may be transferred to people, but it may non be mortgaged at the Bankss. The issue of Development Rights Certificates has to make a movable development rights market, which has had certain impacts on existent estate market, the land market, urban development market and the procedure of land transition for urban development. Puting up the movable development rights market has a appropriate manner to assist implement the planned aims of development with low compensation costs. It has besides created an easy manner to develop public substructure and has helped people capable to lands reserve for public usage to do perchance more money from the movable development rights market. In Vietnam, a mechanism to publish movable development rights’s demands to be carefully studied before a possible pilot strategy has been implemented in a selected metropolis. Application of the theoretical account could be decided after successful pilot surveies. In Vietnam, the construction of the value of land has different from that in other states. In some states, there has no difference between planned and unplanned land, but at that place has a difference between land with development rights and land without them. For illustration, the value of a movable development rights in India has the difference in the value of land between agricultural land and non-agricultural land in Vietnam. This has showed the practical troubles in application of the movable development rights in Vietnam. However, an in deepness survey of movable development rights should to be undertaken together with a survey of why agricultural land monetary values have increased aggressively after an administrative determination has been made to change over the land to non-agricultural land. movable development rights can hold another signifier of application in Vietnam. The Chinese theoretical account of land transition has similar to the execution of industrial zone building in Vietnam. In the first phase, land for non-agricultural development has been designated on the footing of sanctioned land usage programs prepared for land recovery from current land-users and for allotment to investors. In the 2nd phase, requisition of the land from agricultural collectives has been undertaken through administrative powers with payment of compensation in hard currency or sort. In the 3rd phase, substructure investors have received the land and have prepared substructure such as roads, grading, power, sewag e, H2O, environmental and webs, treating systems. The sites have so leased or transferred to industrial or service investors via direct dialogue, a command procedure, or land auctions. The difference between the theoretical accounts of the two states has in the 2nd phase. The land in China has been recovered from agricultural collectives and in Vietnam the land has been recovered from families or persons. In Vietnam, the State allocates or rentals land non merely for large undertakings utilizing common substructure, but besides straight for undertakings of service nature or an industrial after direct choice of the investors or by land auction or undertaking command together with land usage. The lessons have learned from the Chinese experiences have to happen a suited bound for application of mandatory land acquisition. This system may be applied to large undertakings which require a primary investor for readying of the common substructure have been followed by the primary investor leasing or reassigning the sites to industrial or service investors via direct dialogue, offering procedure or land auctions. The Korean theoretical account of land transition has had some points that can be considered for application in Vietnam. In Korea, the Government has established land districting programs for industrial and residential countries which have been so developed through land readjustment strategies. The undertaking costs and net incomes have been shared among some secret plans and the landholders have been given back to landholders. The Korea Land Cooperation has been allowed to implement urban development plans ; this organisation has similar to the Land development organisation in Vietnam. This mechanism has allowed people to recapture most of the undertaking benefits and to supply inexpensive service sites to building companies. Under the Urban Development Law ( 1999 ) , private developers have been permitted to suggest urban development undertakings every bit long as they have obtained blessing from two tierces of the landholders. In Vietnam, betterment of the Land development organisations could be considered to reform the compulsory land transition system. Some facets of the land monetary value assessment process piloted in Ho Chi Minh City The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City have decided to use the process of land monetary value appraisal to specify the market-based monetary value of land to find land value and compensation. The land monetary value appraisal service has been supplied largely by the Southern Centre for Consulting and Price Assessment Services ( Ministry of Finance ) and the Centre for Price Assessment of the Ho Chi Minh City ( Department of Finance, Ho Chi Minh City ) . In an interview with the first Centre, the manager noted: †¢ The land monetary value rating procedure has an nonsubjective agencies to help in making consensus between State organic structures and has affected people. †¢ The legal method for agricultural land rating has based on income from agricultural production has non been aligned with the market monetary value of agricultural land. †¢ Application of the legal method for non-agriculture land rating for undertaking investing have based on the comparing of the land with other similar land brushs troubles in happening similar land with a similar investing potency. †¢ There have no market based land monetary value databases for application of the comparing method to non-agriculture land monetary value appraisal. †¢ Affected people are utilizing the public services of land rating but there have no ordinances on the declaration of land monetary value differences. The land monetary value appraisal process for land compensation and relocation should be developed for application in all states. To explicate a suited legal model, several surveies and pilot activities have been needed. Apart from the legal facets, the building of a land monetary value database should be undertaken as shortly as possible. The Land Law 1987, the 2nd session of National Assembly VII has adopted this Law on December 29, 1987 and it came into consequence on January 1st, 1988. This jurisprudence has consisted of 6 chapters and 57 articles have constructed on the footing of the State-subsidized theoretical account on land. The chief contents item land allotment by the State for the usage of organisations, families and persons ; the land direction system ; the system of land usage for wood land, agricultural production land, land for particular utilizations and fresh land, residential land ; the rights and duties of the land-users ; and the system of land usage for foreign organisations and persons. This jurisprudence had had merely three articles modulating the land transition system with the undermentioned content: ( I ) The State recovers land when the land would be used for the intent of the State or public involvement ; ( two ) Those who has used agricultural and forestry land have been allocated by the State who has wished to change over this land to industrial and service intents may pay land compensation to the State and so this compensation would be used to develop the resources of the land ; ( three ) If the current land user has non continued to necessitate usage of the land, the State woull recover the land to apportion to others and the current the land user would be compensated for belongings on the land ; ( four ) If the land in current usage has been recovered by the State to utilize for the intents of the State or public involvement, the current land-user will be compensated for losingss and allocated with other land. Harmonizing to these ordinances, the land users have received land allocated by the State to utilize, but had no had belongings rights on that land every bit good as no land dealing rights. The land-user merely has had ownership of the belongings on the land in which they has already invested. Land transition has been carried out under the compulsory mechanisms decided by the State. The Government’s Decreessteering execution of the Land Law 1993, the Law of 1998 on amendment and supplementation of the Land Law, the 2001 Law on amendment and supplementation of the Land Law and the two regulations on rights and duties of organisations utilizing land. During the cogency of the Land Law 1993 ( 15th October, 1993 – 1st July, 2004 ) , the Vietnam Government had issued 30 edicts including 3 edicts on general land direction ; on revenue enhancement on land usage are 4 and transferred of land usage rights ; on land enrollment are 3 ; on land monetary values are 7, land usage fees, land rental and cadastral charges ; on land compensation on land recovery by the State are 2 ; and on land rental and system of land usage for all land classs and land allotment by the State and, rights and duties of land-users are 13 edicts. Among the edicts steering execution of the Land Law, there have 3 groups of edicts that dealt with land transition mechanisms. These have the group of edicts on compensation on the State’s recovery of land ( associating to mandatory land transition ) . The group of edicts on the land leased and allocated by the State, government of land usage for all land classs, rights and duties of land-users ( associating to voluntary land transition ) ; and the group of edicts on land monetary values, land usage fees, land lease ( associating to both land transition systems ) . These edicts specifically include: †¢ Decree No. 90-CPof 17th August, 1994 stipulates compensation for losingss caused by the State’s recovery of land for usage in intents of national defence, security and national and public involvements. The compensation rule is that compensation for losingss in land would be made through the allotment of new land in the same class as the land had been recovered. If the State could non happen other land for allotment or the individual whose land has been recovered does non bespeak compensation in land, a payment would be made with the value calculated on the footing of the land monetary value has announced by the provincial people’s commission in conformity with the model of land monetary values have stipulated by the Government in Decree No. 87-CP dated 17th August, 1994. All belongings have associated with the land would be compensated for by a sum equivalent to the bing value of the belongings at the standard monetary value has set by the State. This edict has non stipulated support for residential remotion, work break and new occupation preparation, etc ; neither does it qualify the relocation mechanism, but chiefly compensation in hard currency to help with the building of a new abode. †¢ Decree No. 22/1998/ND-CPof 24th April, 1998 on compensation for losingss when the State recovers land to utilize for the intents of national defence, security and national and public involvement. This Decree replaced Decree No. 90-CP of 17th August, 1994. The land monetary value has used to cipher compensation in this Decree has been decided by the metropolis people’s commission multiplied by a coefficient in order to guarantee compatibility with the monetary value of land usage rights on the market. The individual capable to recovery of residential land had been compensated for the land country at the degree determined by the provincial people’s commission. Properties associated with the cured land had been compensated by a sum equivalent to the bing value of these belongingss plus a amount stand foring a per centum of the bing value of the belongingss. However, the sum of the belongings compensation may non be higher than 100 % and non lower than 60 % of the original value of the belongings. This Decree have besides stipulated the support for people whose land has been recovered, such as support for disrupted productiveness and stableness, remotion and new occupation preparation. The edict particularly has stipulated the building of relocation locations and delegating residential land to families in the relocation location. †¢ Decree No. 11-CPof 24th January, 1995 on have detailed commissariats for execution of the regulation on duties of foreign organisations, the rights and persons utilizing land had leased by the State. This edict have stipulated the elaborate commissariats for the ways in which the State may rent land to foreign organisations and persons and the rights of foreign land-users as in the Regulation on the rights and duties of foreign organisations and persons utilizing land leased by the State in Vietnam. †¢ Decree No. 18-CPof 13th February, 1995 on has detailed commissariats for execution of the Regulation on the rights and duties of domestic organisations utilizing land leased and allocated by the State. This Decree has stipulated the elaborate commissariats for the State’s allotment of land without a land usage fee and the State’s leasing of land and rights applicable to domestic land-users as mentioned in the Ordinance on rights and duties of domestic organisations utilizing land leased and allocated by the State. The Decree particularly focuses on the right to mortgage land usage rights and land usage rights as a part as capital. †¢ Decree No. 85-CPof 17th December, 1996 on commissariats for execution of the Regulation on the rights and duties of domestic organisations utilizing land leased and allocated by the State. This Decree is rather similar to Decree No. 18-CP of 13th February, 1995. It has stipulated the elaborate commissariats for the State’s allotment of land with a land usage fee as mentioned in the Regulation on amendment and supplementation of on rights and duties of domestic organisations utilizing land have been leased and the Ordinance on rights and have been allocated by the State. †¢ Decree No. 04/2000/ND-CPof 11th February, 2000 on implementing the Law on amendment and supplementation of the Land Law in 1998. This Decree has guided the execution of the Law which clarifies the State’s allotment of land with and without a land usage fee, the State’s leasing of land with a individual payment or one-year payment and land usage right transportation, rental and part as capital between domestic economic organisations, families, persons. The Decree has besides stipulated elaborate ordinances on the rights of land dealing made by land users. †¢ Decree No. 87-CPof 17th August, 1994 on the model of land monetary values for all classs of land. This Decree has stipulated the model of land monetary values ( lowest to highest monetary values ) for all classs of land. On this footing the provincial people’s commission has issued a land monetary value tabular array for every land location. The model of land monetary values in this Decree has much lower than the monetary value of land usage rights transportation on the market ( 10 % to 30 % ) . The Decree has besides allowed the usage of a coefficient runing from 0.8 to 1.2, by which the land monetary value would be multiplied to guarantee compatibility with the specific substructure conditions of urban land. After lupus erythematosus than a twelvemonth of execution, the Prime Minister had issued Decision No. 302 – TTg of 13th May, 1996 to set the coefficient from 0.5 to 1.8. †¢ Decree No. 17/1998/ND-CPof 21st March, 1998 on amendment and supplementation of Item 2 Article 4 of Decree No. 87-CP of 17th August, 1994 on the model of land monetary values for all classs of land. After 3 old ages of implementing Decree No. 87-CP of 17th of August, 1994, the Government had adjusted the model of land monetary values so that the lowest monetary value may be reduced by 50 % and the highest monetary value may be increased by 50 % .

Advantages and Disadvantages of Air Travelling

When we are on holiday or intend to travel abroad as a tourist, we should firstly choose the means of traveling. In my view, traveling by air is both advantages as well as disadvantages. Advantages of traveling by air plane. The biggest advantage of flying is that it is often the fastest way to get from one place to another, especially when long distances are involved. It helps us save a lot of time, so we can do more things. Secondly, I think the comfort of air traveling makes people satisfactory. When traveling by air, we can sit comfortably in an arm- chair, reading magazines or watching a free film on television. The process of making arrangements to fly can be quite convenient. A plane ticket can be purchased by telephone or on the Internet. We don’s have to cope with crowed at air port as other stations for buying tickets. Disadvantages of traveling by air plane. Apart from these advantages, however, traveling by air has its disadvantages, too. First of all, Flying is often the most expensive form of transportation, especially if reservations are not made well in advance. Some people might not be able to afford to fly on the budget airline. Then air travels have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travelers are intimidated by them. There are plane crashes in which the crew and passengers have died to a man. Finally, traveling by air, we can’t stop wherever we want to enjoy beautiful landscapes on our way as we do in a trip by car or boat. Sceneries seen from plane are merely vague sights. Topic 40: Forest preservation

Action Games Essay

Action Games Essay Action Games Essay Asad-ullah Khan AP English 11/23/14 This rather recent article posted by Science Daily attempts to expand upon previous studies attempting to draw correlations between playing action video games and enhanced learning capacities. Many previous studies were able to conclude a positive correlation between action gaming and faster learning, but did not attempt to answer the inherent question of how the brain appears to learn quicker post exposure to games. This article references a study done at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which attempts to draw this conclusion through a new discovery of the brain: templates. Templates are a way that brain ‘learns’ how to do new things. The brain identifies and archives different patterns it sees and then retrieves those archives when it sees familiar patterns.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­This is interesting concept in that it is not entirely passive; you can create templates on purpose. However, these studies show that action gamers were able to create better templates, faster. The way it came to this conclusion is by comparing a group of people given action games for a week and a group given non action games for a week. It then subjected a pattern matching test and a perceptual learning task, both of which in action games surpassed in. However, there seemed to be a lack of a control variable, making me suspect some of the variables in this experiment. However, the people tested in each group were adequately controlled, and those who received each treatment did seem to show significant difference

Salary Negotiation for Women Close the Pay Gap! Part 1

Salary Negotiation for Women Close the Pay Gap! Part 1 Salary Negotiation for Women: Close the Pay Gap! Part 1 The following story, one that a friend related to me just a couple of days ago, has become all-too-familiar: Judy (fictitious name), a part-time assistant in my friend’s office, was offered a full-time position at a salary lower than she deserved, and lower than she had made in previous positions. She felt underappreciated, but wanted the full-time position. So she went home to discuss it with her husband, and came back the next day with her decision. She would accept the job. She did not negotiate, but instead accepted the low-ball offer. What she didn’t know is that the hiring manager had been prepared to give her more- if she had chosen to ask for it. Now, not only is Judy’s salary below her worth, but all her raises in the future will be based on a low starting point. To me, this situation is very sad. You’re probably aware of the pay gap between men and women in the workplace. Perhaps you’ve heard the statistic that women earn 80 cents to every dollar that men earn. The gap persists after controlling for college major, occupation, employment sector, and even requests for time off. Strikingly, this number varies depending on ethnicity: Asian women earn 94 cents to the men’s dollar; white women 82 cents, African American women 68 cents, and Hispanic women 61 cents. So while it does seem that the gap is due to underlying sexism and racism, some of it could also be due to women’s failure to ask for what they deserve. I wonder, are Asian women just better negotiators than their white, African American, and Hispanic peers? While the answer to that question is still a mystery to me, I learned a ton about the topic of salary negotiation in a webinar presented by Professor Deborah Ellis for YaleWomen, Salary Negotiation. Professor Ellis addressed the pay gap for women and how women can start making inroads into that gap through salary negotiation. In salary negotiation, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Many women are scared that by negotiating they will lose the position completely- but that rarely happens. You might lose the negotiation, but you won’t get a worse package than what you were already offered. And more often, you’ll get what you want. One mid-level lawyer reported: â€Å"I negotiated, and there really wasn’t any back and forth. He just said yes to the request I made.† Hmmm†¦ Maybe men who are hiring are more scared of you than you are of them. They don’t want to lose you and they have already chosen you as the best person for the job. So you are in a position of power. Use it! Salary negotiation works for women! I wish more women understood their position of power and would reap the benefits of salary negotiation. But a study at Carnegie Mellon revealed that only 7% of women grad students negotiated vs. 57% of men. The average salary bump for negotiating was 7.4%, which translated to $500K over the course of a career! If you are a woman who doesn’t negotiate for your salary, I hope you’re getting that women DO succeed in salary negotiation. And you can too. There’s neuroscience at work here: If you think you will do well, you will do better than if you think you won’t do well. One way to convince yourself that you will do well is to know that others have succeeded before you. Women face unique challenges in salary negotiation. Many of the barriers to salary negotiation are internal. I’ve addressed some of those above. Also, women historically have a harder time advocating for themselves than they do for other people- but they are better than men at â€Å"representational negotiation†- fighting to get something for another person. Here’s a nifty trick offered by Professor Ellis: If you think you don’t deserve more for yourself, negotiate for someone else in your life, like your family, or even your dog. But ask! There are also external barriers faced by women. The reality is that women who make demands can be seen as adversarial or confrontational. So how you ask makes a difference. Here are some techniques to work against the negative perceptions that are out there: Don’t make demands in writing. Have a conversation, preferably in person or by Skype. Phone is okay too but it’s great to be able to see each other. Yep. Be friendly. Use â€Å"we† instead of â€Å"I†- make it about the team and working together toward a common cause. Express enthusiasm about the job from the get-go. Never say it’s non-negotiable. Ask questions vs. making demands. Examples: â€Å"Would you consider a salary of $xxx?† â€Å"What would you think of my working from home†¦?† Use humor. Use the power of silence. Let them fill the silence. Overall, keep in mind that the goal for both you and the employer is a continuing relationship. Both of you want to reach an amiable win-win solution. I hope you’re feeling more confident that you can go and negotiate for the compensation you want. Next week, I’ll share more about the nuts and bolts strategy of salary negotiation, which applies to men and women alike.

Comparison between the retail revolutions in the UK and US Essay

Comparison between the retail revolutions in the UK and US - Essay Example Lao (2008) pointed that the transformation of economic sphere thru retail system generated both social acceptance and disdain because the development of chain stores have also marginalized the small retailers that lacked the capacity to offer first class convenience, a feature preferred by most consumers for comfort while shopping. Its adverse impact leads to the closure of small bookstores, eyewear, footwear and the like as branded goods enter the chain stores (Lao, 2008). This reality is true for United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK). In the last four decades, the countries’ retail revolution boom with the influx of chain â€Å"stores, supermarkets and self-service stores† (Lao, 2008). The UK and the Retail Industry It’s just lately when UK retail trade is dominated by small shops run by the whole family which offers services to the market for long hours and sometimes round the clock. This system also engenders personal relations with customers as owners sometimes allow credit. Others employ salesmen for home delivery services or for mobile selling. Lao (2008) however pointed that retailer and consumer relations in the UK was affected when large chains like Fine Fare, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and other food stores started to operate with express leverage in bargaining power and in offering cheaper prices of pre-packed fresh goods in the markets compared to that of â€Å"old small proprietary stores.† As a consequence, old corner shop closed in favor of thriving convenient well-stocked stores.; employment shifted from proprietary to supermarket chains; and relationships were formalized by using checkout counter and digitized sales and accounting. Stores restructured and employed educated salespersons and managers. And as competition heightened, proprietary retailers and wholesalers organized themselves into association to devise their own promotions, pricing of products, and mechanism to retain customers. With these turn of events, it is likely that dominant chain will rise and proprietary stores die in the absence clear state policies that protect small retailers. This affirmed fears that with retail owners allying themselves to protect their corporate interests, the retail grocery will maintain its oligopolistic character (Burt &

How does Technology Affect the Law, How does the Law Affect Technology Research Paper

How does Technology Affect the Law, How does the Law Affect Technology - Research Paper Example They have become a staple need in our daily lives and even provide entertainment for a boring day at work. Cell phones, as handy as they may be, can cause distractions which provide the opportunity to end the carrier’s life and even those around them. On July 1st, 2008, California State passed a law banning the use of wireless phones while operating a motorized vehicle. In the United States, cell phones cause about 2,600 deaths and 330,000 mobile phone related injuries per year ( livescience.com. 2005). With the new law in effect, it will help prevent the use of mobile phones while driving and hopefully cause less deaths and injuries. On the conservationist front, the Californian government is proposing to ban the usage and sales of large screen television sets. In a report by wired.com, by January 1, 2011, California’s television size limit will reduce to 0.156* Screen Area (sq. in.) + 80 and 0.12* Screen Area (sq. in.) + 25 in 2013. This stand is to help reduce energy consumption and promote energy conservation in California and will reduce energy costs by 49%. Other electrical appliances to have been regulated by the government include air conditioners, and even refrigerators. Facebook, a popular website used by millions world-wide, has caused even the Canadian government to change its plans. On December 7th, 2007, an internet law professor, Micheal Geist created a group in Facebook informing Canadians of their government’s plans of a copy write reformation. BBC news ( 2007) reported that in just two weeks over 30,000 members had joined the group. In fact, many members contacted the Canadian government on the issue. The Canadian Industry Minister, Jim Prentice, decided to delay the reformation. This was proof to many organizations that technological mediums cannot be ignored. With ever-changing technologies, the law may be too slow to keep it in check. Although decades of law enforcement for technology