Computer laws in US. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Research Paper

Computer laws in US. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act - Research Paper Example Just like any other invention, computers have two sides; the positive and the negative side. The positive side is where business flourish, scientists do more invention and government offer better services while on the other hand, it gives criminals an extra tool to commit more crimes and get away with it. Computer crimes have been on rapid increase since the advent of intern. Internet has facilitated the criminal activities as a means of access other people’s computers regardless of geographical location. Crimes such as cyber-stalking, child pornography, fraud and scams, hacking copyright violations, malicious code are some of the computer crimes that are now easily committed because of the internet. Compute crimes are unavoidable to organizations that use IT in delivering their services and products. Computer professional therefore should ensure that there are frameworks put in place to protect and face these challenges through laws. This paper will identify and detail some o f the computer laws put in place by US federal legislation. Computer laws face greater challenge because of the dynamic nature of computer crimes because of the new and evolving technologies. The wire fraud statute was the first law in the US used to prosecute computer criminals. This law prohibited the use of communication wires that are used in the international commerce with an attempt to commit a fraud. This law is still in place and is used to date to prosecute computer criminals.... The challenges with the initial structure of CFAAA was that to successfully prosecute fraud charges, one must provide evidence that the suspect gained unauthorized access into the computer system (CFAA, 1986). Have a clause that touched on the method of entry into the computer system rather than focusing on the computer usage was a loophole for crimes committed by insiders. An employee within the company who has legal access to the computer can also commit a crime using the computer. Since it will not be proved that he/she had illegal access, then such person will not be prosecuted. CFAA was modified for the second time in 1994 so as to deal with the act of malicious code such as viruses, worms and other programs designed with an aim of changing or damaging data on the computer (Title 18 U.S.C section 1030). This amendments enhanced the law because initially it focused on the access to the computer system without looking at how the computer system was used. The law was now able to pr osecute those who executed illegal or malicious programs on computers with indention of causing damage to data or the computer. There are several acts that have been passed to add strength or deal with loopholes in CFAA. The National Information Act (NIIA) was enacted in 1996 to protect computer systems against those who access them using other people’s authorization. Penalties under CFAA Offense Minimum sentence Maximum sentence Getting national security information 10 year 20 years Unauthorized access in government computer 1 year 10 years Knowing access and damage 1 year 10 years Knowing access and reckless damage 5 years 20 years Trafficking in passwords 1 year 10 years Extortion involving threats of damage computer 5 years 10 years Theofel v. Farey-Jones in 2003 is a

Human Karyotyping (Biology) Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Karyotyping (Biology) - Lab Report Example Any deviation in the normal pattern could be ruled out as a change that affects health and development of the individual. It is evident that human cells normally contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. Hypothesis: If there is an increase or decrease in the number of chromosomes, the process is called aneuploidy; it directly affects the development of the organism. These changes occur as a result of non disjunction of chromosomes during the process of meiosis. As a result one of the daughter cells receives either extra or insufficient chromosomes. Variables: The common form of aneuploidy is trisomy, which implies the presence of three copies of the chromosome in cells in place of normal two copies. In Klinefelter’s Syndrome where the sex chromosome is present in extra copy resulting in XXY, where as if the trisomy occurs in autosome like in the case of Down Syndrome trisomy of 21st chromosome occur and if this trisomy occur in 13th chromosome then it results in Trisomy 13 Syndrome resulting in cell with 47 chromosomes instead of usual 46. Methods: Cut the homologous chromosomes. Arrange then on construction paper in descending order of their size. Glue them when arranged as in the figure A. any additional chromosome is found match with its homologue to find out which chromosome is having additional copy. Arrange all the pairs of chromosomes with shorter end towards top and longer one towards the bottom. Mark them with the marker pen; rule out the genetic condition of the Karyotype. Raw data: chromosomes condense during the process of cell division and are therefore visible under light microscope. In Karyotype cells are stained with Giemsa dye. Dark and light band pattern is observed. Metacentric chromosomes have centromere in the center or near the central part of the chromosome. Acrocentric: the centromere is near the end of the chromosome. Telocentric: centromere is terminally located. Chromosomes

Sports Influence On Psychology Of People Media Essay

Sports Influence On Psychology Of People Media Essay For many years, sports have been valued by many societies in the world. Many people continue to indulge in various sports today either singularly or as a part of a team. Sports have always influenced the history of a nation as well as the psychology of the people in that nation, playing both constructive roles as well as damaging roles. Many people may think that sports are all about winning or losing, however sports is deeply engraved in people psyches and to some it dates back to when they were young and hence it is bound up in many people geographic and social identities. It is through sports that some people have been able to indulge themselves in vicarious achievements and euphoric collective experiences. Many studies have shown that there is a lot of emotion when people try to win for their team or for themselves which in return affect their psychology as well as that of their fans. This paper therefore, analyzes the psychological influence of sports to citizens of United Kingd om. The formation of a nations identity is dependent on the various social activities of its citizens including the social practice of sports. This is because many people like discussing about sports events as they go along with their daily activities both at the workplace and at their home. Studies have shown that there is so much influence on the workers performance based on the performance of their favorite team. It has been found out that there is a lot of impact of sporting failure and success on the UK workplace. Many people get psychologically affected when their team win or loses. It has also been found out that the conversation regarding sports that people have in their workplaces can have a positive impact in boosting their morale as well as improving their productivity and motivation. This means that sports in general shapes the lives of many citizens in UK. Also, people usually construct various perspectives and meaning while watching sports event which greatly influence thei r social belief, self concept and most certainly their nations identity. That is, key social practices including sports and the related events will be discussed and recounted in compelling ways by a large group of people through various mediums from media forms to everyday conversations, leading to the formation of certain ideas in their minds, which in turn leads to the formation of social beliefs and thereby nations identity (Encyclopaedia Britannica). Studies have found that a nations identity is governed by the memories and stories that people hold in common and certainly sports is one of them. This can also be proved by the fact that sports impact goes beyond the day to day social environment. For example Englands win in the 1996 World Cup affected both the economy and the politics of the region. It is during this time that Harold Wilson claimed his victory which was largely attributed to the teams performance and the wave of euphoria and goodwill that the citizens had due to t he team victory. Equating sports or sports teams to a nation as well as its identity, thereby peoples psychology as well as social practices began in 1908, with the launch of the Olympics as a pan-national event, with the entry of many countries and their official patronage. The twelve-year old Olympic Games had informally taken on the role of a multinational sporting event at which nations represented themselves with their best athletes (Smith and Porter 2004). With many countries participating in that Olympics, media coverage and importantly political patronage certainly built the discourse, that nations will normally represent themselves through their sportspeople in various events such as the Olympics. When nations are represented by sportspersons, the activities of the sportspersons on and off the field will in turn form or change or reinforce or even challenge the psychology of those nations, and ultimately their social practices and nations identity since many people like to be associated with a particular team or a sports person. In the society today many young people like identifying themselves with some sports people which greatly influence their personality which is very vital in determining a nations identity. This trend has sometimes led to violence in sports especially when people (fans) identifying themselves with a particular sport lose a match. In many sports fans are full of emotions as they try to win for their team. These high emotions are catalyst to sports violence. More often than not you will find angry fans screaming and yelling to the coaches when they fill that he is letting down their team. Many riots have also been experienced when a team loses an important match. These riots are characterized by fighting among players, dumpsters, mobs overturning cars and many other bad behaviors. The reason for this is due to the psychological attachments that exist between people of a nation and sports. Through identifying with a certain group individuals are abl e to improve and maintain their self esteem (Balisunset, 2009). As a result, sports acts as a powerful source of identification through which people identify themselves with a team or an individual in a team and hence become heavily invested in the results of a given competition. This means that people are affected psychologically when their team loses leading to frustrations. These frustrations lead to anger and the only outlet to his anger is through violence (Murphy, 2005). Many people may think that sports violence is just a simple matter but in some cases it reflects the violence that happens in the society and that is why violence mainly occurs when a crowd is made of a heterogeneous mix. This means that the fans may be using spot violence as a scapegoat to their society dissatisfaction. This means that many occurrence of sports violence may be signifying that something is wrong and immediate actions need to be taken. Contrary to sports violence, sports sometimes have very good impacts to citizens of a nation especially when national team wins an important match. Many people are very happy after a national team wins and this is known to have a positive impact in boosting the morale of citizen. Consequently, this has an impact on peoples approach to work and lifts up their mood hence making them productive in their work. This just shows how sports psychologically influence people lives (International Society of Sports Psychology, 2006). Research has a lso found that talking sport acts as one of the ways of breaking down barriers existing between employees and their customers. The influence of sports is so big to an extent that it can break or make a relationship between a manager and his team. A study conducted in 2006 in UK revealed that 71% of men and 68% of women said that both the employers and employees learn valuable lessons from sports. People get to learn the importance of working as a team, importance of being dedicated to ones team, importance of collective responsibility, what makes a good team player and how to develop ones talents and maximize performance. As a result, we can say that sports success or failure in a nation has influences both social and economic factors of that nation. This is because sport is woven into people day to day life and hence plays a very crucial role in creating bonds between people and ultimately impact productivity of a nation (Social Issue Research Centre, 2006). The influence of sports on psychology of people can also be seen by the way people bask in reflected glory. This is rooted to one element of social identity theory which is psychological distinctiveness. According to this theory, individuals desire their identity to be both distinct from and positively compared with people of other groups. This theory is concerned with identifying when and why an individual identify with a particular group and behave as a part of that group. According to this theory an individual social behavior can exist on a spectrum from purely intergroup to purely interpersonal. By identifying oneself with successful people a person self esteem get boosted. This is the reason why people like identifying themselves with successful teams and sports personality. It is for this reason that you will find people pulling out their old tee shirts and old sweatshirts after a big win, and proudly display their team logos. Also after a team wins a championship the sale of t heir products also goes up until another team wins the following year. This is what is called basking in reflected glory which is labeled by social psychologists as BIRGing. A study conducted I 1976 by supported this phenomena by showing how university students wear their university affiliated clothing the Monday morning after winning a football match during weekend. In doing so the student sought to have success of their team linked to them by wearing school identifying attire. The students are also like using the pronoun we after a victorious athletic weekend than when their team lost. By basking in reflected glory an individual self esteem gets enhanced by identifying with another persons success. They try to receive this glory by doing nothing tangible to help a person or a team get this success. Individuals are more likely to bask in reflected glory when their public image is threatened so as to counter any threats to their self esteem. Also the extent to which a person is comm itted to a team dictates the degree in which he can distance himself from the team lose. According to social identity theory those individuals who are strongly allied to a team are not likely to distance themselves, and to ensure that their self esteem is not threatened they will try to attribute the failure to other things and not the team itself. For those who are not closely allied to the team, the loss makes them to engage in phenomena known as CORFing. This refers to cutting off reflected glory which is characterized by distancing oneself from a losing team as much as possible. This can be done by either using different language to describe the game after defeat. For example the fans begin using the words they lost instead of we lost. Fans can also CORF by blasting, which is a form of indirect self enhancement used when one feels that his or her self esteem is threatened. This clearly shows how sports influence an individual psychology. Many of the international sports, which are being played all over the world, originated or were first played in their modern form in Britain. Team games such as soccer, rugby, and cricket, and sports such as rowing, athletics and boxing, were formalized, codified and modernized in the elite schooling institutions of Britain (its public schools) and the ancient universities. (Tomlinson). These sports diffused into the social gamut of UK as well as the minds of the British people both in the urban as well as rural communities, with the factor of Britishness exhibited by these sports. In those times, sports played in Britain influenced the British socio- psychological ideologies like fair play, an ideal of British manhood. Likewise, sports for women were developed to fit with the ideals of Victorian femininity. Different sports have different combination of representation which influences the social psychological beliefs of single British identity or separate national identities. In football (American soccer), the four nations of the UK are separately represented. In cricket, England and Wales play as one team. In rugby union, the countries are split into England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, with Northern Ireland and Eire providing a joint team (Polley 1998). This being the case, the social psychological beliefs of British identity gets changed or modified according to the occasions and circumstances. This means that an individual will identify with a particular team based on the situation at hand i.e. people from one nation will support the group identity of being British in some occasions, but their cognitive dissonance reverts back to them, and thus alleviating their dissonance by changing their stance to support their own national identity. For example, English sports followers could s upport a Scottish athlete who represent Great Britain in the Olympics, but could revert to their anti-Scottish stance, when the national football teams of England and Scotland meet in a friendly or in a World Cup. The reason for this is that individuals have a tendency to identify to the team the truly belong to when faced with a situation like that one. This is because one will have grown up being attached to a particular team and thus there is no way he/she will support another team when the national team is playing. Another perspective about changing their support or their affiliations in sport can be witnessed when one British team fails at a major event, while another British team succeeds, providing the people someone to back. The London-based media is also experienced in this kind of support. When an England team fails to qualify for a major tournament, the media quickly appropriates other British or Irish teams as ours' (Smith and Porter 2004). Cognitive dissonance is displa yed at times when there are differences between an individuals actions and his or her beliefs. This contradictory display occurs often among sports fans in England, as they may believe to have a British national identity, yet their actions prove otherwise. These actions, which oppose their beliefs, are a form of relieving the cognitive dissonance that they have. Football as a sport has been known to unite people across UK rather than divide. Most of the football fans have a strong commonality. The role played by football either socially or culturally is dependent on historical factors. These historical factors include whether the national team or a major side has won an important tournament at a particular time in the past or whether the sport was played traditionally by lower or upper class. The rivalry between teams also plays a major role in defining the sports characteristics. This influences how individuals at different with each other and how they relate a sport in their country and the support they give to teams at the international, national, regional and local level. This means that people in a given country with strong regional and local identities relate differently with those people in countries where regional identity is not important. A good example of this is demonstrated in countries like Sweden where allegiance to local team s is stronger than that associated with the national side. As in any society, British women, till the late 20th , were prevented from actively participating in many societal activities, thereby psychologically subdued.This social belief was further reinforced through sports with early womens traditions, as they were effectively suppressed by male establishments, such as football and both rugby codes. (Smith and Porter 2004). Although, women tried to have pre-eminent positions in society and even fulfill roles of leadership, with Britain being ruled by numerous successful Queens, it was not the case in all spheres of the society. Women were suppressed and deprived of the process of leadership in many facets of social life, sports being one of those facets. Likewise, the social psychological aspect of class factor was also influenced by sports with certain team games, particularly Rugby and cricket which were viewed as games of the upper class.This meant that one grew up believing that certain types of sports belonged to a certain group of peo ple. With this belief people of certain region did not psychologically give attention to some sports that they did to those sports where they felt to be part of the team like in football. With the initiation of the Industrial Revolution, many people started getting employment and became part of the revenue earning group. Even then, their incomes were not optimal and thus there lopsided class factor. This class factor was further imbued in the peoples mind as well as part of their social setup through sports. With certain sports played only by a certain class of people, sports indirectly promoted class differences. England rugby team remains remarkably homogenous: white, educated, middle-class, while Cricket has a rather upper class flavor as in the habits of male upper class Englishness, cricket embodies gentlemanly qualities (Malcolm, 2001). This shows how sports can be effectively be used to divide citizens of a nation by promoting class difference and notion that some types of sp orts are suited to a given group of people. Fortunately this notion is slowly fading away with and people are beginning to accept sports like rugby which initially belonged to a chosen few. Beliefs about having distinct and separate national symbols or identities particularly separate National Anthems have been in existent for some time among the countries of the United Kingdom. For example there have been many debates of whether English should have their own national anthem for many years. English have retained British national anthem for sporting events while Scots and Welsh have claimed their own national anthem. Problems however arise when England plays against either Scotland or Wales, during this time the opponents national anthem has to be played twice. Unfortunately, those debating about this issue in the past only considered the political ramifications of England having their own national anthem thereby neglecting the psychological implication of playing God Save the Queen. Researchers have found out that there are a number of factors that affects the psychology of those involved in sports during any competition. Some of the psychological factors include confid ence, belief, being prepared, sense of identity and ability to perform under pressure. One of the major factors that affect the performance of an individual in sports is a sense of identity. This is because its through having a sense of identity that our values are impacted on us, consequently affecting the individual motivational levels. In addition to that it also impact on an individual sense of purpose and a will to go an extra mile for ones nation. Singing national anthems by the respective teams at sporting events are always viewed as a psychological strategy by the coaches and other people to promote a sense of identity within the team, and also to motivate and fire up them. It also falls under the psychological process of self-esteem in that an individuals self esteem is raised when he or she knows that he/ she belongs somewhere. With self-esteem being a key process that works as a catalyst for many human actions, the national anthems can also work on the self-esteem of any countrys citizens (Kimiecik Harris, 2005). Behavioral psychologists believe that self e steem acts as a positive reinforcement to an individual thereby motivating a person to perform well in his or her actions. The national anthems are known to psychologically fire up sports teams and this will psychologically impact the people who are watching the event in the stadium as well as in their Televisions. This psychological association to their national anthems in turn defines their social beliefs and will lead to various impacts. For that to happen, the view among the English people is that they should have an appropriate national anthem, different from God Save the Queen. The Scots and the Welsh dont get fired up by God Save the Queen so why should the English? With this social belief, sections of the population are even coming up with options for a separate and distinct National Anthem for the English. This reason for all this fuss about national anthem is that both players and fans want to have a sense of belonging before any match which greatly influences their mind i nto having a conviction that the victory is theirs. Studies have found out that the perception of ones mind regarding something influences greatly the outcomes of an event. For example there is no way a team will win a match if they do not have a conviction that the victory is theirs. This conviction is achieved by raising the self esteem of the players and their supporters which in turn motivate them in claiming the victory. To do this coaches have had to apply some psychological techniques like anxiety management in sporting activities so as to improve the performance of the players (Pozzi, 2004). Influx of Asian migrants and people from other regions of the world led to the ethnic diversification of the UKs population. However this diversification has also resulted in the development of a variety of national identities, with different social psychological beliefs. Even after living in Britain for many years and interacting with the British society, British people of Asian origin still exhibit psychological allegiance and support to their parent country. This is clearly demonstrated during sports events when teams from their parent countries are involved. This means that there is an element of conformity, but point is that when Asians first came to the U.K they had they had two options: one being they could integrate themselves into society which may have proven to be difficult or they could stay segregate themselves and chose not to identify with the Britain. Although, it is not illegal or criminal to do so and it is their personal choices, the social beliefs of the British p eople is that it is morally wrong and unpatriotic to ignore and avoid the British identity. For example, when Indian or Pakistani or even Bangladeshi cricket team tours England and plays the English cricket team, the people belonging to those countries are seen psychologically associating with those countries and maximally supporting them, ignoring England.In 1990, the Conservative politician Norman Tebbit famously posited the test match test. Which side do the Asians cheer for? Its an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are? (Korinman and Laughland 2007). This rather harsh remark clearly brought out the focus on how sports reinforce the social psychological belief that British people of Asian origin are still attached to their homeland and thus avoid British identity. This was further reinforced by the comments of the former England cricket captain, Nasser Hussain. He said: It was disappointing to see a sea of green shirts with the names of Pakistani players instead of ours. It reminded me of when we played India at Edgbaston [in Birmingham] in the World Cup in 1999. It was like an away game because so many people supported their side. (qtd. in Majumdar and Mangan 2004). However, these beliefs can also be challenged when one looks from another perspective. That is, the above comment was actually made by a British man of Indian origin, which clearly shows that some British Asians have indeed integrated into the British society, even rising to the status of national captain. Thus, the social psychological belief that Asians have not psychologically integrated into the British society could be challenged, as many British of Asian origins have taken the British identity and support their home team. Sports have also been found to have a lot of influence in the well being of citizens. Current research suggests that sports enhance emotional or psychological well being of an individual and thus it is being used as an additional therapy in treating citizens with psychological disorders in UK. It has been found out that there is a positive relationship between sports and emotional well being of an individual. Sports participation in general alleviates some of the psychological problems people are facing in the modern world. In adults sports have been found to improve their moods hence alleviating many types of depression they have. This has also been found to be the case in children and adolescents who participate in sports because they tend to have reduced behavioral and emotional problems (Martin, 2007). The reason for this is that sports provide an environment where individuals can socialize freely thereby forgetting some of the problems they face in their day to day activities. S tudies also suggest that organized sports influence development of crucial behaviors like stress management, cooperation, positive attitude towards achievement, unselfishness, appropriate risk taking, and the ability to tolerate life frustrations and delayed gratification. It is through playing with others that children get to learn how to build cooperative relationships and the ability to meet their needs in order to belong. In addition to that they are able to learn important cooperation skills as they perform specific team role and work together when playing (NASPSPA, 2007). It has also been found out that youths who participate in sports have less behavioral problems and this has been supported by empirical studies. An example of this study is the one conducted in 1994 in UK and it found out that many youths who participated in sports behaved well in classrooms, earned better graded, dropped out of school less frequently, had fewer behavior problems at home and attended school on regular basis. On the contrary those youths who did not participate in sports were likely to engage in violent behaviors like fights in schools, drug abuse, they were also more likely to become teen parents and consequently the school dropout rates for nonparticipants was high. This shows sports have a very big influence in molding a bright future for citizens in a particular nation since it trains them to be responsible, creative and cooperative. In conclusion we have been able to learn how sports influence the psychology of people in a given nation. We have seen how sports help in improving and individual self esteem through identifying oneself with a successful team. Through this individuals are able to live vicariously through someone else, making them to bask in glory when that person or a team wins. This effect is also transferred in work places where good performance of a team influences the performance of the workers which means that sporting success and failure has a lot of impact on the UK workplace. We have also seen that sports play a very important role in developing a nation identity as well as helping children to grow up to be responsible citizens in future.

Malnutrition of African Students :: Poverty Starvation Africa Essays

Malnutrition of African Students In this paper, I shall discuss the effects of malnutrition of children in Africa and the effect it has on their school performance. I will also examine what has been done to improve the problem of starvation and the long road ahead to solve this issue. I believe this problem is very serious and should not be over looked by other countries. So many children wake up hungry and go to bed famished in Africa. Their days are hard to get through and the idea of going to school and having to concentrate is almost an impossible task. Many children have no energy and lose the ambition to get an education. An example I found while researching was of a young girl named Kede Fatuma, who is a starving child living in Ethiopia who once took pride in her education and her great ability as a runner. â€Å"These days, however, food is scarce in Dere Kiltu. Kede, 10, has neither the time nor the strength to keep up with her running. In fact, she no longer goes to school at all. Instead, she uses her limited energy to help her family collect water, an effort that involves a two-hour walk to the nearest stream (www.washingtonpost.com).† This is an example that is sadly true of many children living in Africa. In recent studies, they have shown that those children who eat a healthy breakfast to start off their day are proven to have higher test scores, stay alert through out the school day, are able to concentrate, and are more likely to attend school. So as a result of having a balanced diet, children are able to retain more information and learn more in the end. In the subjects of math and science which involve a lot of concentration, Africa was shown to have very low scores as compared to other countries that are not stricken by hunger and poverty. In a study done on one school in Zimbabwe, they found that many of the students in the class were continuously falling asleep. The reason they found for this was exhaustion caused by lack of food. The majority of the children only receive one meal a day. Other poorer children beg their neighbors for food and often receive only a small portion of cornmeal. Hunger affects many parts of Africa and it is a growing problem that is the cause of many deaths each year. Malnutrition of African Students :: Poverty Starvation Africa Essays Malnutrition of African Students In this paper, I shall discuss the effects of malnutrition of children in Africa and the effect it has on their school performance. I will also examine what has been done to improve the problem of starvation and the long road ahead to solve this issue. I believe this problem is very serious and should not be over looked by other countries. So many children wake up hungry and go to bed famished in Africa. Their days are hard to get through and the idea of going to school and having to concentrate is almost an impossible task. Many children have no energy and lose the ambition to get an education. An example I found while researching was of a young girl named Kede Fatuma, who is a starving child living in Ethiopia who once took pride in her education and her great ability as a runner. â€Å"These days, however, food is scarce in Dere Kiltu. Kede, 10, has neither the time nor the strength to keep up with her running. In fact, she no longer goes to school at all. Instead, she uses her limited energy to help her family collect water, an effort that involves a two-hour walk to the nearest stream (www.washingtonpost.com).† This is an example that is sadly true of many children living in Africa. In recent studies, they have shown that those children who eat a healthy breakfast to start off their day are proven to have higher test scores, stay alert through out the school day, are able to concentrate, and are more likely to attend school. So as a result of having a balanced diet, children are able to retain more information and learn more in the end. In the subjects of math and science which involve a lot of concentration, Africa was shown to have very low scores as compared to other countries that are not stricken by hunger and poverty. In a study done on one school in Zimbabwe, they found that many of the students in the class were continuously falling asleep. The reason they found for this was exhaustion caused by lack of food. The majority of the children only receive one meal a day. Other poorer children beg their neighbors for food and often receive only a small portion of cornmeal. Hunger affects many parts of Africa and it is a growing problem that is the cause of many deaths each year.

Native Son character Essay

The protagonist and main character of Native Son is Bigger Thomas. He is the focus of the novel and the embodiment of its main idea–the effect of racism on the mental state of its black victims. Richard Wright’s exploration of Bigger’s psychological corruption gives us a perspective on the effect that racism had on the black population in 1930s America. Some critics of Native Son have questioned the effectiveness of Bigger as a character. For instance, the famous black writer James Baldwin has considered Bigger as too narrow to represent the full scope of black experience in America, but I believe he is a powerful and disturbing symbol of black rage. As a 20-year-old black man cramped in a Chicago South Side apartment with his family, Bigger has lived a life defined by the fear and anger he feels toward whites. Bigger is limited by the eighth-grade departure from school, and by the racist real estate practices that forced him to live in poverty. Furthermore, he is subjected to messages from a popular culture that portrays whites as civilized and sophisticated and blacks as barbaric and subservient. Racism has severely reduced Bigger’s opportunities in life and even his conception of himself. He is ashamed of his family’s poverty and afraid of the whites who control his life–feelings he works hard to keep hidden, even from himself. When these feelings overwhelm him, he reacts with violence. â€Å"These were the rhythms of his life: indifference and violence; periods of abstract brooding and periods of intense desire; moments of silence and moments of anger–like water ebbing and flowing from the tug of some far-away, invisible force.† (31) Bigger robs people with his friends–though only other blacks, as the gang is too frightened to rob a white man–but his own violence is often directed at these friends as well. Bigger sees white people as an overpowering and hostile force that is set against him in life. Just as whites fail to conceive of Bigger as an individual, he does not really distinguish between individual whites–to him, they are all the same, frightening and untrustworthy. Bigger feels little guilt after he accidentally kills Mary, the daughter of his white employers. In fact, he feels for the first time as though his life actually has purpose and meaning. Mary’s murder makes him believe that he has the power to assert himself against whites. Wright goes out of his way to show  that Bigger is not a conventional protagonist, as his brutality and capacity for violence are extreme, especially in graphic scenes such as the one in which he decapitates Mary’s corpse in order to stuff it into the furnace. Wright does not present Bigger as a hero to admire, but as a frightening and disturbing character created by racism. Wright’s point is that Bigger becomes a brutal killer because the dominant white culture fears that he will become a brutal killer. Wright emphasizes this vicious cycle of racism: though Bigger’s violence stems from racial hatred, it only increases the racism in American society, as it confirms racist whites’ basic fears about blacks. In Wright’s depiction, whites effectively transform blacks into their own negative stereotypes. Only when Bigger meets Max, his white, communist lawyer, does Wright offer any hope of breaking this cycle of racism. Through interaction with Max, Bigger begins to perceive whites as individuals. Only when sympathetic understanding exists between blacks and whites will they be able to see each other as individuals, not merely as members of a stereotyped group. After he meets Max and learns to talk through his problems Bigger begins to redeem himself, recognizing white people as individuals for the first time and realizing the extent to which he has been affected by racism. Early on in Native Son, Wright describes how Bigger retreats behind a â€Å"wall† to keep the reality of his situation from overwhelming him. This passage from Book Two shows the destructive effects of Bigger’s retreat. â€Å"There was something he knew and something he felt; something the world gave him and something he himself had†¦Never in all his life, with this black skin of his, had the two worlds, thought and feeling, will and mind, aspiration and satisfaction, been together; never had he felt a sense of wholeness.† (225) He is isolated not only from his friends and family, but from himself as well. It seems that the black psyche is always divided. Bigger’s mind is split in two, leaving him unable to interact with others and unable to understand himself. It is this quest for wholeness that dominates Bigger’s  life. Tragically, it is not until he has murdered two women and is soon to be executed that he is able to understand and grasp this wholeness. He is thrilled by his new realization, yet tormented by the fact that it comes too late, when he has only precious little time left to live.

90s vs. 2000s

1990’s versus 2000’s In the U. S. The 1990’s was an era when people actually communicated, gas was cheap, and people didn’t have to worry as much about terrorism and could find things to keep them entertained. The 2000’s is now an era where everything costs a lot of money, people have out of control kids, technology is very advanced and people rely on it to get them through the day. Both decades have their own positives and negatives, but they are different in a lot of ways; like technology, social, music, and their economy differences.Both decades are different in that the 1990’s had less technology, kids were well behaved and it was a more peaceful time; the 2000’s now have all kinds of technology, everyone has to have the newest phone or computer, a lot of kids are brats who want the newest video games and there’s a lot of security at places like airports because of so many terrorist attacks. The technology difference from bo th decades is huge, because all there was back then was vhs, cassette, and standard cable with 50 channels or so, a couple different types of cellular phones, dial up computers and so on.With technology today, everyone has a cell phone, most people have some type of computer or lap top, there are blu ray and DVD players, either cable or satellite television with high definition, smart phones with touch screens, high speed broadband, and cars that can tell someone when there veering onto a side lane. Next is a big difference which is how different children act whether it is to adults, each other, or in public.In the 1990’s most kids had parents who were physically able to play with them; kids were creative and found so many different games or activities to do’ they were respectful to whomever they came into contact with because they were raised well. Now when looking at most children they either are crying in public with their parents screaming at them, playing on their parents’ phone or tablet, prefer to stay in the house to play video games online, and most parents don’t play with their kids anymore because they are either too hung up on their laptop or too tired from being fat.Finally going back to the 90’s everyone felt safer or not worried about some kind of terrorist attack like people do now. Back then airports didn’t need so much security; people didn’t have to worry about a crazy person shoot up a movie theatre or mall. Now on weekends certain malls require teens under age 18 to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21 because of gang violence over the years. These decades differences are very different, but are only a few contrasts between the two decades. The music and social era between these two decades is another difference.In the 90’s was an era that was mainly dominated by rock and booming hip hop music industry. This music was brought on to people with baggy or tight fitted clothing. People would walk around with their cassette players jamming out to their new favorite artist. Now in the 2000’s people mainly listen to their iPods or phones because it’s easiest to acquire music that way via wireless connection from the Internet. They also listen to rap or pop because everyone is about what’s mainstream and popular. People like to wear tighter and shorter fitting clothing now because that’s also what the popular fashion is.People in the 90’s communicated through telephone or just drove or walked to each other’s house to talk or do something. Now people rely on texting each other to find out where they are located and what they want to do rather than going to each other’s house, or calling because it’s not the same type of communication; a lot has changed. Technology and music has definitely made a huge impact on how people socialize and act. Overall I think the 90’s was a great era filled with a lot of memories and seeing a lot of changes happens.It was great being able to also grow up into the 2000’s because that was when technology really started to grow and so much was happening with the world. The advantages and disadvantages of growing up in each era are very different mainly because of all the changes, but a lot of them were good and some were bad. References The 1990’s. (2013). History of the 90’s. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/1990s The 2000’s. (2012). Americas best history – U. S. Timeline 2000’s. Retrieved from http://americasbesthistory. com/abhtimeline2000. html

Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted

Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted Shone vs. Shined, Lit vs. Lighted By Maeve Maddox A Canadian reader asks, Has it become okay to change irregular past verbs like lit and shone to lighted and shined? The answer to the first part of the question is that irregular verbs have been in a state of flux for centuries, so I suppose that it’s always â€Å"okay† to change them. The dominant tendency in English has been for irregular past tense forms to be replaced by the â€Å"regular† -ed past tense ending. For example, the past participle of help used to be holpen: Now, when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help KJV, Daniel 11:34 As only about 300 strong verbs (what we call â€Å"irregular† verbs) existed in the Old English spoken and written a thousand years ago, I think it’s amazing that any of them have survived into modern English. The reader who posed the question implied that writing lighted and shined for lit and shone must have something to do with American spelling habits: I’m from Canada and we often struggle between American and British rules. A persistent misconception is that when American usage differs from British usage, the American version must be a corruption. I’ve received many a comment comparing American English to â€Å"real English,† as if Standard American English (SAE) were a usurper of the â€Å"real thing.† The fact is, King Alfred would have as much difficulty in understanding Queen Elizabeth II as he would President Obama. Both SAE and BrE flow from the same source, but both have traveled a long way from it. Generally speaking, shone and lit are preferred in British English and shined and lighted in American English. Both the OED and Merriam-Webster show the inflected forms lighted/lit and alighted/alit. In both dictionaries, the -ed form is listed first. Generalities aside, both weak (regular) and strong (irregular) past tense forms are in use on both sides of the Atlantic. I grew up in the American South and was quite comfortable saying â€Å"Mother lit the birthday candles,† and â€Å"The sun shone all day long.† The verb shine is used with two meanings: shine: of a heavenly body or an object that is alight; to shed beams of bright light shine: to cause to shine, put a polish on According to some authorities, context determines whether an American speaker will use shone or shined when speaking of the sun or some other object that emits light: The transitive form of the verb â€Å"shine† is †shined.† If the context describes something shining on something else, use â€Å"shined†: â€Å"He shined his flashlight on the skunk eating from the dog dish.† You can remember this because another sense of the word meaning â€Å"polished† obviously requires â€Å"shined†: â€Å"I shined your shoes for you.† –Paul Brians, professor emeritus, Washington State University. As for shine in the sense of â€Å"to polish,† British speakers would say neither â€Å"I shined your shoes for you,† nor â€Å"I shone your shoes for you.† For a statement in the past, they would probably use the verb polish: â€Å"I polished your shoes for you.† Now for the really interesting bit: The OED tells us that irregular shone is unrecorded in Old English and appears only once in Middle English. The form shined was in common use from 1300-1800. The form shone first appeared as a past participle in the second half of the 16th century. As for the forms lighted and alighted (to descend from a horse or conveyance), these -ed forms were in use before the 16th century. Shakespeare uses lighted in the â€Å"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow† soliloquy in Macbeth: And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. My conclusion is that shined and lighted are no less â€Å"okay† than shone or lit. But then, my dialect is American English. Note: British speakers pronounce shone to rhyme with gone; for Americans, shone rhymes with bone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Preposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Free Essays on Gender Issue in Music

Issue of November 12, 1997 Rock & Roll: Does it influence teens’ behavior? (Continuation of article) Male- vs. female-appeal music From conversations with their friends and acquaintances, Roberts and Christenson have concluded that most adults generally think of adolescent music as all the same. Most don't seem aware of the astonishing increase in music genres and subgenres since they were young. Billboard now reports on more than 20 music charts, and the annual Grammy awards recognize 80 music categories. Yet even the industry does not recognize as much fragmentation as youthful consumers when they are asked about their music preferences. This diversity and selectivity are important, the authors say, because the "symbolic environment" of genres varies and adolescent preferences are linked to both individual and group identity. "A kid whose tastes run to rap artists such as Coolio or NWA probably thinks of himself in different terms and associates with a different peer group than one who prefers the pop sound of Mariah Carey or Janet Jackson." American adolescents perceive a cluster of music grounded in the racial origin of performers, they say, and also combine into one group various music types of British origin, such as punk, new wave and reggae. They also recognize "classic" rock of the '60s and '70s as a category, heavy metal, American hard rock, Christian music (inc... Free Essays on Gender Issue in Music Free Essays on Gender Issue in Music Issue of November 12, 1997 Rock & Roll: Does it influence teens’ behavior? (Continuation of article) Male- vs. female-appeal music From conversations with their friends and acquaintances, Roberts and Christenson have concluded that most adults generally think of adolescent music as all the same. Most don't seem aware of the astonishing increase in music genres and subgenres since they were young. Billboard now reports on more than 20 music charts, and the annual Grammy awards recognize 80 music categories. Yet even the industry does not recognize as much fragmentation as youthful consumers when they are asked about their music preferences. This diversity and selectivity are important, the authors say, because the "symbolic environment" of genres varies and adolescent preferences are linked to both individual and group identity. "A kid whose tastes run to rap artists such as Coolio or NWA probably thinks of himself in different terms and associates with a different peer group than one who prefers the pop sound of Mariah Carey or Janet Jackson." American adolescents perceive a cluster of music grounded in the racial origin of performers, they say, and also combine into one group various music types of British origin, such as punk, new wave and reggae. They also recognize "classic" rock of the '60s and '70s as a category, heavy metal, American hard rock, Christian music (inc...

13 Rules You Need to Know to Have a Successful Work-Life Balance

13 Rules You Need to Know to Have a Successful  Work-Life Balance A career is nothing if not a series of learning curves- as a student, as a new worker, as a new employee, as an employee with new responsibilities. No matter how many years you’ve been working, or how far you’ve gotten in your field, there’s always plenty to learn. (Don’t believe the hype about old dogs and new tricks.) But not all of those lessons need to be learned the hard way! Here are 12 lessons to keep in mind as you move through your career. 1. Happiness is as important as any other part of your career.Okay, maybe it’s slightly less important than having a paycheck- having a roof over one’s head and life’s basic necessities do outweigh most things. But otherwise, life is definitely too short to stay in a job that makes you totally miserable. If you feel uncomfortable with what you’re asked to do, or have a terrible boss, or can’t stand your work environment- those are all major red flags that you should be doing so mething else, or at least somewhere else.2. Mistakes are not fatal.If you’re a heart surgeon or an airline pilot, then yes, there are more important stakes here. But for most of us, mistakes happen, and then we move on. That’s not to say there are no consequences- there usually are. But sometimes things will just go wrong at work, and all you can do is work on overcoming them and move on.3. No job is worth your health.If you’re so stressed out that you’re not eating, or wake up every night at 4 a.m. after having the same stress nightmare about your inbox, then that’s not a sustainable career plan. If you’re sick and miserable, you’re not going to perform at your best. Then you’re even more sick and miserable†¦and on and on. That is not a cycle that will help you reach any of your career goals.4. Be open to new opportunities.Even if you’re relatively content in your job, or aren’t interested in a job hunt righ t now, don’t close yourself off to other opportunities. Keep your networking relationships current, and make sure your resume is updated periodically to reflect your current experience and skills, because you just never know when an opportunity might come along.5. Don’t sweat the everyday things.This is especially important if you’re still starting out in your career. Things like setting up meetings, making presentations, sending an email to a group of people- these can seem like daunting tasks, fraught with all kinds of room for public mistakes. But really, they’re just tasks. Do as good a job as you can, and move on. If you make a mistake, learn from it and make sure you apply that the next time.6. Don’t be a lone wolf.Ultimately, your career is about you. But without team members or colleagues helping you along the way (even if it’s just doing their own jobs so you can do theirs), you’re not going to make a ton of progress. Plus, y ou never know what you can learn from others. It’s important to make connections with the people you see and work with every day.7. You control your destiny.Business writer Francisco Marconi sees this as a variation on â€Å"you’re on your own,† but I prefer to think of it is each of us being our own best advocate. You set your goals, you decide what’s right for you, and you are the one who gets to make bottom-line decisions about your career. If you just drift along, letting everyone else define your career, you can end up in a spot where you’re unhappy about your job, or regretful of chances you didn’t take. So make sure that you’re setting goals that will make you feel fulfilled, and do everything you can to meet those milestones along the way.8. Failure is not the end.It certainly doesn’t feel great to fall short of expectations (yours or others’), but sometimes failure is what you need to either a) teach a valuable lesson about how you’re doing things; or b) helping you realize that you should be doing something else. Some of the most successful people have failed, and rather than let that define their careers, they took the painful lesson and moved forward. Even if you’re fired, it’s not necessarily the death of your career. There’s always something to be learned in failure, which you can then apply toward being more successful in your career.9. Cultivate outside interests.If you find yourself working long hours, sacrificing personal time to answer emails after hours, and basically living and breathing your job, that’s a shortcut to burnout. Outside of work, set aside time for hobbies and interests. Doing things that are creative, or give you an outlet, can actually make you a better worker. You could be building creative or problem solving skills that might very well come in handy at work at some point. Or it might just relax you, and give your brain some d own time so that you can come back to work happier and more refreshed, and ready to tackle the issues of the day.10. Find a de-stressing method that works for you.Whether it’s five minutes of desk yoga, or basic meditation exercises, you will need a way to calm workday stresses at some point. Even if you love your job with a passion, it’s important to have coping mechanisms in place for when things don’t go 100% well, or when days are extra busy.11. Move outside your zone sometimes.Doing things that are new, or which you’re not very good at (yet) can be scary. It’s much easier to keep doing what you know, and improving at things you’re already familiar with. But what happens if the job you’re really good at doing is eliminated, or you find out that you need new skills to move forward in your career? It’s important to branch out and be good at different things, even if you don’t plan to use them. For example, if youâ€⠄¢re great at writing emails or explaining things in writing, but lousy at presenting, sign up for a public speaking class. Target those weak areas so that you can convert them into a strength.12. Disconnect sometimes.Put the phone down. Shut off the iPad. Set up some screen-free time with your favorite people. Part of the reason people are more stressed than ever is that we’re attached (often quite literally) to our devices, letting work encroach on down time. Sometimes you need to take the active step of eliminating these distractions, and that requires saying no to technology every so often. It can also help at work as well, if you set an email-and-phone-free hour to work on a project that’s been lagging, or you have a meeting where no one’s multitasking on their phone or tablet while you talk.13. Never stop building your network.Meeting people in your field, or following influential people on social media, is one of the most important things you can do for l ong-term career health. You never know when opportunities might come through these folks, or when information you learned from them can come in handy. Plus, it’s nice to have a support network, whether it’s personal or professional. Think of it as professional gardening: sometimes it can be tedious to water and fertilize your plants (if you’re not green-thumb-inclined, like I’m not), but if you stick with it you have grown something that you can continue to appreciate and enjoy.If there are other lessons you’ve learned along the way, please share away! We’d love to hear what’s worked for you.

MUSIC in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MUSIC in Britain - Essay Example They have a fusion of different genres of music: sacred, secular, popular and new age music. Each of the Great Nations that originally made up the Great Britain-Ireland, Whales, England, and Scotland- maintained a unique instrumentation and music forms. British music was largely impacted by continental developments. British composers contributed a lot to significant music movements in the Great Britain. Such movements included the polyphony that later gave birth to national as well as international classical. Over the ages British musicians created distinctive musical forms such as carol, antiphons, the rota, and Countenance Angloise. Church music predominant in the 16th century was largely influenced by the Protestant Reformation. Thus, the songs and music at this time were themed around worship, national music and belief. Following the church music was the Baroque, largely viewed by critiques as a culmination of masques, lute ayres, and English magrigals during the Renaissance Period (Baggett et al. 1996, p24). The Baroque music was developed in the 17th century. By contrast, court music was more integrated into the larger Great Britain. It is important to mention that the Baroque music was largely associated by the British Isles. Baroque music was predominant between the medieval time and the Renaissance. It became more formalized and fully accepted orchestral classical music in the mid 18th century. The music was differentiated with intricate musical ornamentation, variation in musical notes, novel instrumentation; and new techniques of playing instruments as the ascent of musical forms such as opera. Although traditionally used in the dawn of the 17th century, the full impact of Baroque music was not felt until mid 17th century; the effects were delayed due to native reluctance in incorporating the music, wars between the Great Nations, as well as cultural and religious differences. With

To be labeled or not be labeled Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

To be labeled or not be labeled - Essay Example Disability, in itself reflects a social attitude of a child in terms of those ways in which he reacts towards his social circle. So, it is not just 'being labeled a child' as Anita Ho describes but it is all about 'labeling a child according to his attitude or mental capabilities and it is necessary so that a child bears no more trouble in getting up to the expectations of his family, friends and teachers, because it is also seen in umpteen cases that teachers unconsciously builds too much of expectations from a child, to which a child is also aware of and when he assumes that he fail to fulfill their expectations, he emotionally gets disturbed. So, it is better to label children than to outrage their personalities due to too many expectations. contact with them including family and friends. ... His family of course has built up many high hopes with his educational carrier. What if despite knowing his mental capability he fails to get up to his family and teacher's expectation Well, I think this would bring him feelings of guilt and embarrassment, which is too much of considering him as 'labeled'. Mother is the closest personality to a child, and as mentioned by Niedecken (2003) she is bound to fulfill the nameless anxieties. In the attempt to bind these anxieties, the mother develops some phantasies around her child, which later take the form of unintentional expectations. These expectations do not allow her to get her child exposed to the outer world of hate and sympathy. So, it is already difficult for mothers to find a way of giving expression to negative feelings towards their child, feelings that are generated by a situation that demands so many sacrifices from them for the child's sake. So it is especially difficult when the mother sees herself confronted with a situation in which she has to protect her child from the animosity of an environment, which is hostile towards people with learning disabilities. (Niedecken, 2003, p. 72) In these circumstances it is better to be labeled among other 'labeled' children than to be a victim of hate of the outer 'unlabeled' world. 3) Anita Ho is right about the perception usually adopted by the gatherings of a 'labeled' child as the label simply covers all his capabilities due to which he is not considered as a 'normal' or 'winning' personality. Niedecken (2003) while highlighting one of the main causes of learning disability suggests that it is in fact created in a child by adopting all those ways and measures due to which a child

Nursing Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nursing Research Paper - Essay Example According to Aust (2011, p264), about 34% of the people on wheelchairs suffer from sitting discomfort; while more than half of wheelchair users have sitting interface pressure. Collins (2004, p53) argues that, pressure ulcers impose high risks of death, loss of function and poor quality of patient’s life. Treatment of the ulcers increases the health care cost of the patient. Pressure ulcers mainly occur as a result of damaged soft tissues. Scientifically, the tissues are mainly damaged due to unrelieved pressure built over a long time. Pressure ulcers could also be caused by the localized disruption of the skin integrity which results due to piled pressure on the underlying tissues. According to Borbasi and Jackson (2008, p16) pressure ulcers are preventable. Based on studies conducted by Bours (2002, p16); use of support surfaces, maintaining nutritional status, moisturizing, and timely repositioning is extremely essential in the prevention of this killer disease. In a scenar io where one has the pressure ulcers, then the effective and efficient role of the nursing staff is of immense importance. This study paper seeks to determine the significance of the nursing staff knowledge and education in the preventing and taking care of the pressure ulcers among patients with impaired mobility. ... Objectives and hypothesis of the study It is clear that pressure ulcers are a serious problem among the immobile patients. In most of the patients, their impaired mobility is as a result of trauma, unconsciousness, spinal cord or brain injuries. Owing to the impaired mobility; the patients develop pressure ulcers since they have limited or almost no activity. Prevention of the disease is a key issue of concern. Therefore, there is the importance of educating the nursing staff on how to care for patients with impaired mobility as a way of preventing the disease. This would consequently, result to a low percentage of the occurrence and development of the pressure ulcers among the immobile patients in the health care facilities (Brienza et al, 2010, p26). Prevention is better than cure; therefore, the nursing staff ought to make prevention of the pressure ulcers their goal especially in the clinical setting where the patients are more prone to the disease. The objective of this research study is finding out the level of education and evidence based knowledge of the staff and how this determines the prevalence and occurrence of the pressure ulcers. The research also looks into possible ways of reducing the occurrence of the disease among patients with impaired mobility. The research study will be guided by the following research questions; 1) Is the nursing staff equipped with skills, knowledge and education to help curb pressure ulcers? 2) What is the probability of a patient with impaired mobility prone to the pressure ulcers? 3) What are some of the possible ways of preventing the pressure ulcers among the immobile patients? 4) How often are the patients repositioned in the health care centres? 5) What is the average

The Irony of Presence and Absence in a Tethered World Assignment

The Irony of Presence and Absence in a Tethered World - Assignment Example   People are cyborgs because they become their technology, where they expect enhancement of, not just their experiences and interconnections, but also their identities. Turkle argues that connectivity also allows people to experiment with their identity development through Erik Erikson’s notion of the moratorium (152). She describes it as having new free spaces, where people can easily explore the production of ever-changing identities. Moreover, Turkle underscores the irony of using technology for one’s diverse gains. The tool becomes the person, as the person becomes inextricably dependent on it. Turkle argues that the more people use tethered technologies, the more they nurture their dependence on it (154). Furthermore, Turkle explores her hesitancy in embracing a virtually connected self. She admits that she enjoys being connected because she can bring memories with her anywhere she goes, and she can remain connected to her loved ones. However, Turkle recognizes t he drawbacks of 24/7 connection: the inability to be disconnected when one should be so. In â€Å"Tethered and Marked Absent,† Turkle describes how technology connects and disconnects people from one another. On the one hand, communications technology connects people in real time. On the other hand, as they use these technologies, they become disconnected with whoever they are with physically. The disconnection includes having a sense of limitless privacy as if others around them no longer exist. In â€Å"From Life to the Life Mix,† Turkle emphasizes how technology provides new materials for reworking people’s identities. She uses the term â€Å"life mix† (160) to describe the shift from multi-tasking to living parallel lives. She gives examples on how Second Life and other social networking sites allow people to be their real selves, even when these identities live in a parallel dimension, and where every aspect of its looks and capabilities are contrive d. In â€Å"Multitasking and the Alchemy of Time,† Turkle discusses the illusion of multitasking benefits. First, multitasking does not make people more efficient because studies show the contrary. Second, multitasking becomes addictive, though it can be physically and emotionally stressful. She offers examples of parents not doing much parenting and students not doing much studying because of their mobile communications devices. Turkle is amazed that people think that they can be more by doing more when it is evident that they can hardly concentrate on their existing tasks because of constant interruptions.  

Case analysis Montego Bay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case analysis Montego Bay - Essay Example In order to protect her store and keep her employees motivated, she agrees with Theresa Daley, operations director for Montego Bay, to test a new computerized scheduling system, which is expected to reduce payroll costs and improve productivity. Mahoney learns that the new system has several benefits; however, she is also weary that this system will disrupt the collegial and productive work environment she had created in the store. A careful examination of the business’ status shows that Mahoney, as a manager, has failed to create and maintain a working environment that motivates her employees. Motivation amongst employees improves the quality and productivity of work, since employees are triggered to work towards achieving a common goal. This paper describes how Mahoney can create a working environment that will motivate her employees by examining some theoretical perspectives on motivating employees. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the theories that managers apply to create a working environment that motivates workers. This theory describes how people fulfill a range of personal needs in the context of their work. Maslow postulated that there is a common pattern of needs identification and satisfaction, which many people follow in the same sequence (Kaufman, 2004). According to this theory, a person has to satisfy the low-level needs (physiological and safety) before he or she pursues upper-level needs (social, esteem and self-actualization). Most employees usually have problems articulating what they want from a job. Mangers should, therefore, offer different incentives to workers so as to help them identify and satisfy each need in turn, and progress up the hierarchy. Mahoney, as the store manager, should recognize that her employees have different needs, and not all are motivated in the same way, and all do not move up the hierarchy at the same pace (Kaufman, 2004). Her duty is to adapt and change her style to fit the employees†™ needs, other than forcing them into something they are not. In addition, she has to test different techniques with every employee in order to determine which ones are considered effective, and which ones are not. The employees should be encouraged to follow their own self interests, which motivate them to pursue higher level needs and improve the quality of work. The workers should be motivated to higher levels of individual commitment and personal expectations. As an employee progresses though an organization, his employer should supply opportunities to satisfy high level needs on Maslow’s pyramid (Montana & Charnov, 2008). Another important theory of worker’s motivation is Herzberg’s motivator –Hygiene theory. Herzberg suggested hygiene factors, which do not create or motivate satisfaction and â€Å"motivators†. These include interpersonal relations, salary, supervision, working condition, and company policy (Montana & Charnov, 2008). Accordi ng to this theory, absence of dissatisfies can create job dissatisfaction, but their presence does not create or motivate satisfaction. Herzberg, therefore, established from a data that motivators are elements that enrich a person’s job. He came up with five motivators, which were strong determiners of job satisfaction: responsibility, achievement, advancement, recognition and the work itself. The hygiene factors constantly produce only short-term changes in job performance and attitude,

Strategic Organizational Culture Change Management Case Study

Strategic Organizational Culture Change Management - Case Study Example The final culture will be one in which everyone will focus on providing with error-free products and services according to the needs of the customer (Gregory H. Watson, 2007Page "Can it be said that Six Sigma is a culture" to which the obvious answer is "Yes." The reason is that Six Sigma is a concept-based metrics-driven, crisis-solving and project-tailored type of initiative. In addition Six Sigma connects performance to pay, has a proper vision, institutes a value, has distinct roles, is spread by way of knowledge transfer and calls for coaching by internal leaders. These are the reasons that make Six Sigma considerably control corporate culture (http://www. isixsigma.com/forum/ ask_dr_harry.aspToDo=view&questId=51&catId=9, retrieved 2nd October 2009). Gregory H. Watson, 2007, Strategic benchmarking reloaded with six sigma: improve your company's .., Jhon Wiley & sons Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. http://www.isixsigma.com/forum/ask dr_harry.asp ToDo= view&questId=51&catId =9, retrieved 2nd October 2009.

Case analysis Montego Bay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case analysis Montego Bay - Essay Example In order to protect her store and keep her employees motivated, she agrees with Theresa Daley, operations director for Montego Bay, to test a new computerized scheduling system, which is expected to reduce payroll costs and improve productivity. Mahoney learns that the new system has several benefits; however, she is also weary that this system will disrupt the collegial and productive work environment she had created in the store. A careful examination of the business’ status shows that Mahoney, as a manager, has failed to create and maintain a working environment that motivates her employees. Motivation amongst employees improves the quality and productivity of work, since employees are triggered to work towards achieving a common goal. This paper describes how Mahoney can create a working environment that will motivate her employees by examining some theoretical perspectives on motivating employees. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the theories that managers apply to create a working environment that motivates workers. This theory describes how people fulfill a range of personal needs in the context of their work. Maslow postulated that there is a common pattern of needs identification and satisfaction, which many people follow in the same sequence (Kaufman, 2004). According to this theory, a person has to satisfy the low-level needs (physiological and safety) before he or she pursues upper-level needs (social, esteem and self-actualization). Most employees usually have problems articulating what they want from a job. Mangers should, therefore, offer different incentives to workers so as to help them identify and satisfy each need in turn, and progress up the hierarchy. Mahoney, as the store manager, should recognize that her employees have different needs, and not all are motivated in the same way, and all do not move up the hierarchy at the same pace (Kaufman, 2004). Her duty is to adapt and change her style to fit the employees†™ needs, other than forcing them into something they are not. In addition, she has to test different techniques with every employee in order to determine which ones are considered effective, and which ones are not. The employees should be encouraged to follow their own self interests, which motivate them to pursue higher level needs and improve the quality of work. The workers should be motivated to higher levels of individual commitment and personal expectations. As an employee progresses though an organization, his employer should supply opportunities to satisfy high level needs on Maslow’s pyramid (Montana & Charnov, 2008). Another important theory of worker’s motivation is Herzberg’s motivator –Hygiene theory. Herzberg suggested hygiene factors, which do not create or motivate satisfaction and â€Å"motivators†. These include interpersonal relations, salary, supervision, working condition, and company policy (Montana & Charnov, 2008). Accordi ng to this theory, absence of dissatisfies can create job dissatisfaction, but their presence does not create or motivate satisfaction. Herzberg, therefore, established from a data that motivators are elements that enrich a person’s job. He came up with five motivators, which were strong determiners of job satisfaction: responsibility, achievement, advancement, recognition and the work itself. The hygiene factors constantly produce only short-term changes in job performance and attitude,

Barilla’s manufacturing Essay Example for Free

Barilla’s manufacturing Essay Manufacturing: Barilla has 25 plants, including large flour mills, pasta plants, and fresh bread, as well as plants producing specialty products. Raw materials, in the manufacturing process, were transformed to packaged pasta on fully-automated 120 meter long production lines. The plants were specialized by the type of pasta they would produce, with the primary distinction based on the composition of the pasta, e.g. dry or fresh pasta, pasta with or without eggs and spinach. Also, even within the same family of pasta products, individual products were assigned to plants based on the size and shape of the pasta. The manufacturing process at Barilla was very precise, and required tight heat and humidity specifications in the pasta dry process, so as to keep the changeover cost low and quality high. Distribution: Barilla divided its products into â€Å"dry† and â€Å"fresh† product categories and maintained a different distribution system for the two categories. The dry products category includes dry pasta and longer shelf-life bakery products, whereas, the fresh products category includes fresh pasta products (with 21-day shelf life) and fresh bread (with one-day shelf life). Barilla had two central distribution centers (CDC) to which the products shipped from the plants. The fresh products were then purchased from these CDC’s by independent agents who then channeled the products through 70 regional warehouses located throughout Italy. From the CDC’s approximately 65% of the dry products went to the supermarkets, 70% of these (65% of dry products) went to super market chains, whereas, the remaining 30% went to independent super markets. The remaining 35% of dry products were distributed from the CDC’s to Barilla’s internally owned regional warehouses, which then distributed them to small  independent shops – Signora Maria Shops. Dry products destined for supermarket chains were distributed from the CDC to the chain’s own distribution organization, known as Grande Distribuzione (GD). While those destined for independent supermarkets were distributed from the CDC to a distributor known as Distribuzione Organizzata (DO), which acted as a centralized buying organization for a large number of independent supermarkets. The CDCs held a month’s inventory for dry products, and 3 days for fresh products. The GD, DO and the internally owned regional warehouses (for Signora Maria shops) held a two-week supply for Barilla’s dry products. The following figure (Figure 1) shows an illustration of Barilla’s distribution system for dry products: Figure 1: Barillas Distribution Network for Dry Products What is the problem faced by Barilla? What do you think are the factors causing this problem? Barilla’s pasta supply chain suffers from classic bullwhip-effect problem. It has been experiencing large amounts of variability in demand resulting in operational inefficiency and increased manufacturing, inventory, and distribution costs. The underlying factors of the fluctuating demand include Barilla’s sales strategy relying heavily on the use of promotions in the form of price, transportation and volume discounts; sales representatives being rewarded based on the amount of product sold to distributors, which led to sales representatives trying to push product to the distributors during promotions, decreasing the ability to accurately forecast sales; the distributors having full control over their orders leading to gaming behaviors; and the lack of a computer forecasting system at the distributor level. Describe the solution proposed by Brando Vitali. Why do you think this would help alleviate the problem? Brando Vitali suggested the implementation of a Just-In-Time Distribution  (JITD) strategy, which is essentially the Vendor Management Inventory (VMI) strategy. Barilla will be in charge of the channel between the CDCs and the distributor and decide on the timing and size of shipments to its distributors. Thus, unlike traditional supply chains in which distributors place orders and manufacturers try to satisfy these orders as much as possible, in JITD Barillas own logistics organization would specify the appropriate delivery quantities – those that will more effectively meet the end customer’s needs yet would also more evenly distribute the workload on Barilla’s manufacturing and logistics system. If implemented, Barilla can make better delivery decisions and improve its demand forecasts, be more effective in meeting end-customers needs, and more evenly distribute the workload on its manufacturing and logistics systems. Also, the inventory levels at CDCs will a lso be reduced. What conflicts or barriers internal to Barilla does the JITD program create? What causes these conflicts? How should Giorgio Maggiali deal with these internal conflicts? The main resistance internal to Barilla was from the sales and marketing functions, which Barilla, until now, has relied upon for its success. The sales representatives feared reduction in both their responsibilities and bonuses due to a flatted sales level. The marketing people also feared a reduction in responsibilities as trade promotions would be difficult to run with a JITD strategy. There were also concerns about inability to adjust shipments quickly to stock outs, lack of infrastructure to handle JITD, vague cost benefits, and increased competitor shelf space at distributors. I think Maggiali should demonstrate that JITD benefits not just Barilla, but also the distributors. He should run experiments at one or more distributor sites and prove his case. Also, Maggiali should encourage the marketing and sales people to look at the overall benefit to the supply chain. By getting the top management involved, by effectively advocating the benefits for the entire supply chain, and by removing the obstacles of sales incentives and reduced responsibility, Maggiali can effectively deal with this problem and get JITD implemented. How do you think a typical Barilla customer would respond to JITD? Why? How would you convince the customer that the JITD program was worth trying? If you are not able to sway the customer, what alternatives would you suggest to combat some of the difficulties that Barilla’s operating system faces? I think a typical Barilla customer, if explained to properly, should be able to comprehend the benefits associated with JITD for the entire supply chain. I would convince the customer by mentioning the benefits of the JITD in removing the bullwhip effect. I would point out the fact that they would actually be reducing their costs significantly because Barilla would be responsible for monitoring and replenishing their inventories when levels are low. Moreover, the reduced inventory levels would also save them the cost for both inventories and space. If however, I am not able to convince the customers, I will try other modes, in my capability, to effectively respond to the fluctuating demand. For this purposes, I would either reduce the varieties of products being offered which will reduce the need to have so many different inventories and SKU for both customers and Barilla. I could also try implementing the Just-In-Time (lean production) approach for Barillas manufacturing processes – processes which are internal and Barilla has full control over.

A Review On Psychology Theology And Spirituality Theology Religion Essay

A Review On Psychology Theology And Spirituality Theology Religion Essay Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling written by Mark R. McMinn teaches Christian counselors the importance of Spirituality in the counseling office. Throughout the book McMinn provides deep insight on the integration of the three concepts; the author provides concrete cases that allow the reader to grasp the information by applying the scenarios to the text. To better equip Christian Counselors he uses cognitive therapy from a Christian perspective as foundation for his work. He stresses the importance of building an effective therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the client in order for therapy to be successful. McMinn uses a variety of religious interventions to establish psychological and spiritual health. Throughout the chapters he elaborates on the use of prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption in the counseling practice. McMinn discusses the positive effects as well as negative side effects of the use of prayer. He states that the counselors level of spiritual maturity will provide an upper limit for the potential impact of prayer in counseling (McMinn, 1996, p.87). McMinn highlights the power of Scripture and outlines the specific effects it may have on the client. McMinn summarizes the chapter by noting Our knowledge of God, self and Scripture are all interrelated, but our capacity to understand any one of these elements will add to our ability to understand the others (McMinn, 1996, p.124). McMinns study of the nature of sin and its role in the counseling practice is also very thorough. As he notes, generally psychologists have been uninterested in sin, preferring to ignore it or to discuss the effects of the concept of sin (McMinn, 1996, p. 161). Such an attitude has negative consequences, as in most cases sin can be a reason of depression, feeling of guilt and other negative feelings. He proposes the Christian counselor to understand sin from a theological and spiritual perspective. As he states, such a change can add necessary depth to the work of a counselor and encourage his clients to grow spiritually. Describing the historical references of confession as a sacrament of penance, McMinn underlines the necessity to understand its role and importance in the work of a Christian Therapist. Confession requires humility, which requires us to look at ourselves honestly and recognize both our strengths and weaknesses. Confession closely deals with forgiveness, which is a very popular topic among counselors. The author attracts readers attention to the fact that Christian understanding of forgiveness may differ from the ways that non-Christian counselors understand forgiveness. Christian forgiveness is not a simple emotional relief; however, McMinn stated that our capacity to forgive one another depends on our capacity to understand both our need for forgiveness and Gods gracious gift of forgiveness (McMinn, 1996, p.235). McMinns final chapter on redemption sums up the pr evious topics prayer, scripture, sin, confession, and forgiveness. Redemption is a process of being freed from sin and being restored back unto God. As McMinn finalizes the book with this chapter he sums up redemption by saying the wonder of redemption is that we are brought back into a relationship with God (McMinn, 1996, p.265). Finally once we experience redemption, our old ways of thinking are brought as one with God. After reading this story I am reminded of a demonstration given by my former pastor. Leading up to this demonstration my uncle Jesse had been beaten unrecognizably by gang members in Charlotte, NC. My uncle, raised in the church, had a calling on his life from a very young age and refused to accept his calling. He had been running for years and through those years he was often referred to Jonah, but one night changed all of that for my uncle. I can still remember visiting him in the ICU at Carolina Hospital in Charlotte and afraid to look at the hideous swellings upon his face. His eyes were swollen to the size of golf balls and stitches had been applied to various parts of his face it was a horrible sight to see. After his release he was given shelter by my pastor and started attending the church. The demonstration given by my pastor showed the church what sin can do to a person. I remember hearing my pastor pray and my uncle confessing all his sins while standing at the altar. The pastor preached a heavy sermon that taught me how important the confessions of sins were in seeking forgiveness from God. I have learned that God is a God of second chances and he will grant us forgiveness if and when we are ready to confess with our mouths. The moral of the story my pastor pointed out was that God was a redeemer and therefore gave second chances to his sons and daughters. Reflection McMinn did an excellent job covering the aspects of integrating psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling. While the book offers insightful ways to look at different situations that may happen in the Christian counseling office there is one thing that bothered me most. If most types of prayer has not been researched how is the counselor supposed to define clear and ethical guidelines for the use of prayer in counseling? I believe that prayer forms an intimate relationship between God and the individual; therefore prayer should not be used in the therapy sessions especially if further research is needed. Prayer I do believe is an effective tool that can be used in therapy but should be used outside the counseling sessions gradually as the client feels comfort and the need for seeking Gods presence on his or her own. This is a good book and should be read by all Christian counselors. It is essential in helping to expand their knowledge on the basis of integrating p sychology, theology, and spirituality. The case studies are helpful in learning both positive and negative ways to approach similar situations met in the counseling sessions. McMinn did a great job elaborating on the different themes prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption. The uses of the themes were successful in teaching the confused counselor how to integrate their spirituality into the therapy session. Overall the book is a positive guide for new and old counselors to use as basis of understanding how each of the themes can have a powerful impact on a clients progress. Actions This was an outstanding book and it taught me valuable instructions on multitasking as a counselor. McMinn stated that the most effective Christian counselors are able to process several ideas simultaneously (McMinn, 1996, p. 269). It is important for a counselor to be able to successfully integrate psychology, theology and spirituality in the counseling sessions to effectively treat the problems of their clients. I personally will take what I learned and continue to read and enhance my understanding of the different concepts so that I may learn to use them wisely. Reading this book enlightened me with so much information that I can easily share with a friend to enhance their knowledge of Christian counselors. I would first make it known to them that as a Christian counselor we are set apart from other psychologists in that we put God at the forefront of our lives and therapy sessions. Being a Christian psychologist comes with many challenges and we have to constantly refine our rela tionship with God and acknowledge him as the All knowing God because thats who we ultimately seek direction from. Learning how to integrate the use of prayer and scripture with Christian clients we have to recognize the negative side effects that can come of prayer or scriptural interventions. I will continue to keep God first in my life allowing him to speak to me, lead me, and guide me as an instrument to help others. I can only better myself after reading this book and take what I learned to become the multitasking counselor.

The Physics of Basketball Essay examples -- Athletics Sports Essays

The Physics of Basketball The more and more I look around I begin to see how physics are integrated into practically everything that we do. These things would surely go unnoticed without making a conscious effort to notice them. For example simple things like riding a bike, or driving a car, or playing catch with a son or daughter. Just as these activities are loaded with elements of physics, sports are also, especially basketball. Physics play a part in every aspect of the game, from dribbling, passing, and shooting, to things as simple as setting a screen. First we should take a look at the elements of dribbling. Dribbling is all based on conservation of energy and the two different types of collisions, elastic and inelastic. The more air pressure a basketball has inside it, the less its surface will bend or deform during a bounce, and the more its original energy will be stored in the compressed air inside (Bill Willis, 2001). The reason for this is that the air inside of the ball can return the energy of the ball better than that of the material of the ball, which is usually leather. This is the basic concept of the conservation on energy. A reason to inflate the ball more is to produce a more elastic collision between the ball and the surface it is hitting. The more inflated the ball is the less energy is lost in the deformation of the ball, ensuring you that it will bounce back. The less energy that is lost in this process will make the collision more elastic, and produce a better bounce of the basketball. Another aspect of basketball that relates to collisions in the very basic, but useful technique of setting a â€Å"screen† or â€Å"pick.† This collision is more of an inelastic process that involves one player runn... ...I step foot on the floor. Sometimes I think we get lazy and don’t take the time to think about how physics affect our lives, because you don’t realize how integrated physics are in every thing we do until you have to look at things critically. With this newfound knowledge, hopefully I will be able to play basketball just a little bit better. Bibliography 1).Kirkpatrick, Larry D. and Wheeler, Gerald F. Physics a World View. 4th ed. Fort Worth, Philadelphia, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Austin, San Antonio, Toronto, Montreal, London, Sydney, Tokyo: Barrosse and Vondeling, 2001 2).Willis, Bill. The Physics of Basketball. 30 April 2003 http://www.geocities.com/thesciencefiles/physicsof/basketball.html 3).Unknown. The Physics of Basketball. 1 May 2003 http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physicspages/PhysicsOf/Basketball/Physics%20of%20 Basketball.html

Comparing Washington Irvings Sleepy Hollow the Movie to the Book Essay

Comparing Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow the Movie to the Book ?The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? is a short story by Washington Irving. Based on a well-known legend, this story tells the tale of the disappearance of the main character, Ichabod Crane. An effective ghost story, Irving leaves you guessing what the truth is behind the ending. The movie Sleepy Hollow is Hollywood?s portrayal of Irving?s original story. Although the movie is similar to the story in the beginning, the movie takes a twist that leads in another direction that strays far from the original plot. The original story by Washington Irving starts out in a small town of Sleepy Hollow. Irving paints an image of bountiful crops, beautiful scenery, and prosperous landowners. Ichabod Crane was a local pedagogue, who taught at the local schoolhouse. He was known for his strict ways and yet he was very popular amongst the families of his students- especially the ones who had ?pretty sisters.? Ichabod enjoyed spending fall evenings with the old widows as they sat by a fire and told stories of ghosts and demons and other supernatural beings. One story that was always told was one of the legendary Headless Horsemen. The tale tells of a soldier who had his head shot off with a cannon ball. His ghost now roamed Sleepy Hollow on his horse, looking for his lost head. In place of his head, sits a jack-o-lantern, which had a fiery glow. Intertwined with this short story is a love story, or rather a story of pure lust and greed. Ichabod Crane was in ?love? with a girl named Katrina Van Tassel. Katrina was the daughter of the wealthy and prosperous landowner, Heer Van Tassel. Ichabod?s pursuit of Katrina was for purely physical and lustful reasons. His... ... While the original story leaves you wondering what happens to Ichabod, the movie leaves you with the question on whether or not everything can be explained by science. Ichabod tries the entire movie to try and figure out who is the murderer by using all his scientific explanations, yet in the end, there truly was a ghost. Both stories leave you thinking about the possibility of ghosts and demons. When it comes to both stories, they both provide questions that leave us to ponder. While they have their similarities, the majority of ideas differ. The story lines differ in so many ways that they are two different stories with a few similarities that tie them together. Although I enjoyed watching the movie, I still find that I prefer the question that the original story left us wondering. What did happen to Ichabod Crane? Personally? I think he ran away.