Saturday, August 31, 2019

A Haunted House

â€Å"Here we left it,† she said. And he added, â€Å"Oh, but here tool† â€Å"It's upstairs,† she murmured. â€Å"And in the garden,† he whispered. â€Å"Quietly,† they said, â€Å"or we shall wake them.† But it wasn't that you woke us. Oh, no. â€Å"They're looking for it; they're drawing the curtain,† one might say, and so read on a page or two. â€Å"Now they've found it,' one would be certain, stopping the pencil on the margin. And then, tired of reading, one might rise and see for oneself, the house all empty, the doors standing open, only the wood pigeons bubbling with content and the hum of the threshing machine sounding from the farm. â€Å"What did I come in here for? What did I want to find?† My hands were empty. â€Å"Perhaps its upstairs then?† The apples were in the loft. And so down again, the garden still as ever, only the book had slipped into the grass. But they had found it in the drawing room. Not that one could ever see them. The windowpanes reflected apples, reflected roses; all the leaves were green in the glass. If they moved in the drawing room, the apple only turned its yellow side. Yet, the moment after, if the door was opened, spread about the floor, hung upon the walls, pendant from the ceiling–what? My hands were empty. The shadow of a thrush crossed the carpet; from the deepest wells of silence the wood pigeon drew its bubble of sound. â€Å"Safe, safe, safe† the pulse of the house beat softly. â€Å"The treasure buried; the room . . .† the pulse stopped short. Oh, was that the buried treasure? A moment later the light had faded. Out in the garden then? But the trees spun darkness for a wandering beam of sun. So fine, so rare, coolly sunk beneath the surface the beam I sought always burned behind the glass. Death was the glass; death was between us, coming to the woman first, hundreds of years ago, leaving the house, sealing all the windows; the rooms were darkened. He left it, left her, went North, went East, saw the stars turned in the Southern sky; sought the house, found it dropped beneath the Downs. â€Å"Safe, safe, safe,† the pulse of the house beat gladly. ‘The Treasure yours.† The wind roars up the avenue. Trees stoop and bend this way and that. Moonbeams splash and spill wildly in the rain. But the beam of the lamp falls straight from the window. The candle burns stiff and still. Wandering through the house, opening the windows, whispering not to wake us, the ghostly couple seek their joy. â€Å"Here we slept,† she says. And he adds, â€Å"Kisses without number.† â€Å"Waking in the morning–† â€Å"Silver between the trees–† â€Å"Upstairs–† ‘In the garden–† â€Å"When summer came–† ‘In winter snowtime–† â€Å"The doors go shutting far in the distance, gently knocking like the pulse of a heart. Nearer they come, cease at the doorway. The wind falls, the rain slides silver down the glass. Our eyes darken, we hear no steps beside us; we see no lady spread her ghostly cloak. His hands shield the lantern. â€Å"Look,† he breathes. â€Å"Sound asleep. Love upon their lips.† Stooping, holding their silver lamp above us, long they look and deeply. Long they pause. The wind drives straightly; the flame stoops slightly. Wild beams of moonlight cross both floor and wall, and, meeting, stain the faces bent; the faces pondering; the faces that search the sleepers and seek their hidden joy. â€Å"Safe, safe, safe,† the heart of the house beats proudly. â€Å"Long years–† he sighs. â€Å"Again you found me.† â€Å"Here,† she murmurs, â€Å"sleeping; in the garden reading; laughing, rolling apples in the loft. Here we left our treasure–† Stooping, their light lifts the lids upon my eyes. â€Å"Safe! safe! safe!† the pulse of the house beats wildly. Waking, I cry â€Å"Oh, is this your buried treasure? The light in the heart.†

Friday, August 30, 2019

The height of the power of Roman Empire

The height of the power of Roman Empire was at vast. Over one quarter of the world’s population lived and died the rule of the Caesars. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was in twelve-years of campaign against the Barbarian Tribe in Germania that was drawing to an end. His final wish before he dies is that to have a stronghold stands in the way of Roman Victory and the promise of peace throughout the empire. The film begins at the Roman battle for Germania, then a backwards land of barbarians. General Maximus Decimus Meridus leads the Roman Army to a decisive victory against the Germanic Tribes at Vindobona. The long war got ended on the Roman frontier and he earned the esteem of the elderly Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He has a male heir named Commodus. The dying emperor wished to grant temporary leadership to Maximus hoping to return the power to the Roman Senate. He saw Maximus’ abilities to lead and serve as an Emperor in Rome because Maximus is a principled man and he can command the loyalty of the army. Marcus wants him to end the corruption and to save Rome from partition. Marcus wants Rome to be a Republic again. Analyzing the Roman Society can undergo into these different kinds of perspectives, namely, Functionalist, Conflict, and Symbolic Interaction Perspective. First up is the Functionalist Theory. A Functionalist Theory explains phenomena through functions. It has two elements which are the view from the society as a system of interrelated parts that are interdependent and the general values among society members. So how can we relate Functionalist Theory to the Society? There is only one word for that – Change. Change plays a big role to Functionalist Theory. Society is seen as integrated whole. A change in one part of a society leads to change in other parts as well. Society may change over time, but functionalist believe that it will return to stable state. In the movie Gladiator, the people there are asked to become gladiators. They fight for their lives inside the arena. Many gladiators get wounded or die. That serves as an entertainment to the higher class. The gladiators are there for the glory of the Empire. The manifestation of this is that they don’t have rights. They can’t help it but to follow the rules of their ruler. It all comes to one label which is – slavery. The latent is that they are powerless. They have to follow the rules of their emperor because he is in the top. He is the highest among them. Which means that the gladiators and the other slaves are the peasants who they need to work for their emperor and to earn a living. And lastly, the dysfunction to this is that they are being abused. They are being asked to fight inside the arena. It’s a matter of life and death situation. The Conflict Perspective here is that the society is composed of distinct groups with opposing interests. The power and inequality are found systematically in the society. In the movie, there is an inequality between the slaves and the higher class. The slaves are forced to work for them and to become gladiators and fight their lives in the arena. The power is that the Emperor can dictate. They give command to the military, the government, and the people simultaneously. There should be a social balance to the Roman Empire. And last perspective is the Symbolic-Interactionism Perspective. This uses symbols to analyze the society well. An interaction between individuals is negotiated through shared symbols, gestures, and nonverbal communications. The symbolic-interactionism in the movie is that through clothing. The higher class can wear beautiful clothing while the slaves cannot. In all, there is still a question between the powers of the Emperor to the Senate. There is a large scale of happenings to the Roman Empire. The function of the gladiators within that society is to put forth a microcosm of the struggle. There is dictatorship and criticism among them. A Republic is a form of government in which the country is considered as a â€Å"public mater†, not the private concern or property of rulers, and where offices and states are subsequently directed or indirectly elected or appointed rather than inherited. The proposed solution to this class disparity is to give the power of government to the senate, which is elected by the working class, not to the Emperor.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

100 Years

100 years from now, many dimensions of human life will change dramatically. Science, medicine, and government will certainly change, and confidently for the better. The Homo sapiens species will advance and how things are now will be ancient history only to be taught through text in school, with many details of previous life long forgotten. The United Nations will develop a way to eradicate war and dispute through a full proof â€Å"Universal Problem Resolution Plan†. Therefore the world will finally be at peace, work as one, and the once poverty-stricken will flourish and starvation will lie in the individuals will to eat, not the â€Å"cards they’re dealt†. With war and fighting in the past the world will place all the dollars once used in military and armed forces into healthcare research and education. Doctors will have fashioned and perfected organ growth and the diseases we now fear such as A. I. D. S and Cancer will be thought of as a common cold due to easily accessible vaccines and remedies. Life will be different, but my outlook and attitude towards life will remain the same. I would wake up every morning happy that God gave me another day with my family and friends. I would wake up ready to make a difference and play my part in this world. I would not be raised from sleep by an alarm clock, but rather a microchip implanted behind my ear that told my brains receptors it was time to get up. The chip would also have my itinerary for the day and any important events I had planned. Prior to going to bed I would fill out what I wanted the chip to remind me on my phone and simply hold the phone beside my head so the chip could scan the information, store it, and later activate at the given time. Phones would still be referred to as phones but the technology that followed them would be phenomenal. To answer a call, you simply say â€Å"answer† or whatever you have programmed as your command to connect. The phone would then bring up a holographic display of the caller so interaction as well as speaking would take place. By the time I was awake and teeth had been cleaned to spec, I would go to my virtual wardrobe selector (VWS) and decide what to wear. The touch screen display allows me to choose what I would like to wear and delivers it to me with a solar powered track system. At this point 95% of the worlds power supply is solar and wind derived. Upon leaving the house, I would scan my thumb and the house would be locked and secure until I returned with virtually no way for trespassing or criminal mischief. Once I got in my car and turned on the ignition, powered by voice activation, along with everything else, I could drive to work myself (manually) or have the car drive itself there. The vehicle would be able to do this using satellite navigation, traffic and pedestrian observation sensors, and lightweight magnets in the body and the road. Traffic accidents and deaths would reduce by 200% after this technology was perfected. Although everyday life would be much easier, work would be intense as ever and the demand for good jobs would be outrageous. As a well renowned and highly sought after attorney I would have no problem with work, but still worked hard to keep my clients and those within my firm satisfied and content. Life would definitely be different, but still crazy. To keep from losing my sanity in the â€Å"once crazy, and still crazy† world I would surround myself with the ones who love me and love them just as much. I would continue to have faith in the Lord throughout my life and place nothing above him and his word. Technology would be great and the safety that came with it would allow most humans to live past 100 years old. In fact, I am 118.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

IT leader ananlysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT leader ananlysis - Research Paper Example t constitute the organization have a number of members handling different responsibilities in achieving certain goals and according to the chosen structure entail a participative theory in leadership. The style of leadership considers input from members of any team when coming to a decision. The style is based on encouraging fellow members of the team in brainstorming and problem solving, although there is a defined leader. The team leader has the responsibility of encouraging the members into participating in decision-making, problem solving and any other responsibilities that the group might be assigned. The team theory ensures that every member of the team feels relevant to any business that is conducted by the team and organization. The other theory that is evident in this organization is situation theory. The situation theory is a concept by which the right course of action is arrived at by considering various inputs associated with different parameters. The inputs that may affect the course of action may include time, budget, human resource, location, natural occurrences and man related interference. This theory of leadership allows the management the option of altering the style of leadership when the parameters and variables associated with arriving at the best choice of management in striving to meet the project goals and objectives. The team may choose a strategy based on the provisions provided to them in an effort to ensure that all the necessary team goals and objectives are met. There is evidence that supports the existence of this type of leadership in the InfoInfinity organization. In this case, a communication network model would be suitable in handling the interactivity of the members within teams and the leaders of the teams involved in the production process (Jablokow, Jablokow & Seasock, 2010). Management theories in leadership style are another probability associated with the IT organization. The management theories, also referred to as

Changes in US for the Past 27 Years Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Changes in US for the Past 27 Years - Essay Example U.S is one amongst the country’s that have undergone change with time. This paper compares intelligibly how life used to be for an American citizen 27 years ago and how life is today for an American citizen. It also depicts the writer’s own perspective on the changes that have occurred with time. After interviewing Steve Lance, an American citizen now 50 years, he explained how life was 29 years ago when he was still 21 years old. He told me of the difficult situations he had to undergo during his twenties. Life was not a bed of roses and one had to struggle to make ends meet. From his perspective, life used to be hard and required perseverance. Although he experienced hardship, there was nothing to do about it. He often thought of a world without hardships and physiological torture. In comparison to today’s life, it is far much better, with no stress and everything made easier. Due to rapid change in technology, life for a 21-year-old American citizen can be vie wed meaningful. It is in rare cases to find a 21-year-old individual drowned in physiological stress since he/she has positive plans and informed of the daily happening. This is guaranteed by the advancement in technology and the prevailing political stability. According to Steve, he always had an optimistic approach of life. Despite the limitation in accessing education, he did not at any point of his life loose hope for the future. He always had mighty dreams, which he ever looked forward in achieving them. His own perspective was that he was to become a triumphant businessperson after all the perseverance in life. However, how he was to achieve his dream was the greatest fear he had in life. Each passing day, he was worried of how to establish him financially stable since he lived a life of hand to mouth. In relation to today’s life, people also base their hopes in future. They believe in the future due to the diverse changes in technology. Presently, individuals always dr eam of new inventions in technology. They always foresee great things ahead of life. However, it becomes a problem in relation to the skills and knowledge required to accomplish such a task. Steve further explained of the poor technology and infrastructure they experienced during his twenties and the drawbacks in comparison to today’s life. He is astonished by change in internet facilities and communication devices. He goes ahead and views cars and bridges because of revolution since he did not own a car and saw no importance of having one. 29 years ago, everything seemed slow, laborious, and labor intensive. Several people owned bicycles that aided in their transport. Leisure time was emphasized and people spent their time singing and dancing. This used to be a very important period appreciated by every person. Today, cars of different versions have found their way in the country and owning one is not a big issue. Moreover, people have invented better ways of having fun and relaxing which include watching television, browsing the internet, and playing various games like golf. Steve explained to me in depth of difficulties he had to face in his life in order to make ends meet for his family. He was by then married and had two children. Life tor him seemed hard and unfair since he was unemployed. He had a family to feed, which put its entire hopes in him. He viewed the president as someone capable of leading the country to both political and economical success but

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Summary of NY Times article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of NY Times article - Essay Example This includes the local immigrant community and government officials Mexican families are exceptionally closely associated with each other according to the article. It is a cultural reality which is well demonstrated by this network of people and agencies that ensure the bodies of immigrants are buried in their Mexican homeland. It seems that any family in any country would want the remains of a family member to be returned home from a foreign country, that this is not unique to Mexican families. The government of Mexico, through agencies located in the U.S., assists with paperwork and some or all expenses in the transport of the deceased but most countries do the same. In addition, it seems that the Mexican community, family and friends in the U.S. help out less because of the traditionally strong family bonds present in Mexican society but more so as a result of the new bonds that were generated as a result of being part of a small group of immigrants. They speak the same language thus are drawn tightly together in the unfamiliar new culture. The article suggests that most Mexican immigrants to not intend to stay in the U.S. permanently which is evidenced by the fact that they are sent home to be buried after they die. This may be true but the reasoning given lacks credibility. The tradition of being sent home when one dies does in no way indicate that this was their intention when alive. Many would argue that most immigrants have no intention of crossing back over the border as evidenced by the 12 to 20 million people who are living in the U.S. illegally at present. Measuring intent is difficult at best but the latter argument is more substantive. The ‘industry rising’ Porter refers to in the headline of the article suggests that a new economic opportunity has arisen from transporting the bodies of deceased immigrants back to Mexico yet no where in the article is this inference substantiated. The Mexican

Monday, August 26, 2019

How do Power and Policitcs in an Organization as well as Communication Essay

How do Power and Policitcs in an Organization as well as Communication involve Leadership and Organizational Processes - Essay Example Therefore, in the context of an organization, power and politics are very closely linked. Power is a leaders' ability to influence other people' activities and behavior whereas politics lies in exercising power and influence in the organization towards the fulfillment of a person's individual goals rather than organizational. The "power influence approach" by Yukl (1989) states that the efficiency of the leadership process in an organization depends on the extent and level of power that is occupied by the leader. It lies in the person's ability to gain, maintain and enhance the extent and level of power they possess. Therefore, both the factors; power and politics determine the efficiency of leadership process in the accomplishment of goals and objectives in an organization. The power and political factors are involved in the leadership and organizational process in the manner that the goals and objectives of an organization are achieved by the collaboration of leaders and group members where leaders play the role of controllers and directors whereas the group members act as followers and participants towards the accomplishment of these goals.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Understanding Public Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Public Policy - Research Paper Example Policy analysis process is essential in the development phase of public policy. Based on the outcome certain measures may be recommended in order to develop a process that accounts for all needs. The policy will be adjusted based on the goals set by the public institution. Policy analysis refers to the nature in which the current measures are compared to alternative policies in an effort to ensure quality with policy implementation. Anderson (1988) indicates the need to analyze each policy at the development stage. In this case, policy implementers would be able to identify the loopholes within the proposals and work on modalities to ensure the revised policies are successfully implemented. Public policy is all about decision-making in that; different channels may be used to ascertain the viability of the policy. The final product should reflect on the recommendations made after policy analysis. The stage may compare the public demands and the proposed policy and hence make early adj ustments to meet the demands of the market. The effectiveness of any policy will be determined by the intermediate procedures put across to censor the developmental stage. Policy analysis procedures are also essential in the implementation stage. This would mean that a proper plan is executed and is in line with set goals. The procedure is essential at it works as a toll of identifying the loopholes within the plans and act as means of restructuring policies to ensure a proper execution plan is put across (Dye, 2010). The policy analysis process will compare the current public policy with existing policies. The aim would be to ascertain whether the policies are in line with the goals and objectives of a given institution.  Ã‚  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Ethics of Means and Ends Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics of Means and Ends - Assignment Example I will not allow my personal life get into the way of my duties as I am needed to stay focused on resolving all problems by ensuring the means to an end is based entirely on the truth, honesty and moral values. I will enforce the law cautiously without fear or favor and never use unnecessary force or violence. Moreover, I will not accept gratitude and or gifts as these are not ethically just. Lastly, I would be a leader, stay focused, conduct myself soberly, honorable and obey superior officials within the departments. Ethical issues involved with balancing means and ends in the criminal justice field include eradicating such incidences like police brutality, corruption, abuse of power, changing testimonies, planting evidence just to mention but a few. As a criminal justice profession, I aim to look into these issues and scrap them off the force. This I intend to do by installing and or revising the code of ethics. It is imperative to know that an understanding of ethics is of the essence to competent decision-making by leaders in criminal justice system. EI am convicted that leadership in the criminal justice system is founded on pure ethical dynamics. As a leader in this system, I aim to be an excellent example to my subordinates, as well as preach on the just ethical

Friday, August 23, 2019

Summarize the article, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summarize the article, - Essay Example The time for the study was four weeks, which was the estimated duration for each treatment application to the sample population. The research on phase III trial of patients contributed in gaining additional evidence that patients with bone metastases and breast cancer would be treated effectively with denosumab than with zoledronic acid. Such aids in maintaining quality of life, preventing hypercalcemia of malignancy and delaying bone radiation, as well as SREs (Martin, Bell and Bourgeois et al., 2012). Denosumab treatment also aids in minimizing renal toxicity risks, all forms of acute-phase reactions and establishing a convenience of the subcutaneous administration. These outcomes of denosumab are also evidenced in preventing skeletal based complications among patients that have bone metastases and breast cancer. As such, the study was able to identify the effective treatment, which breast cancer patients should be given for better

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Organizational Psychology Essay Example for Free

Organizational Psychology Essay An employee of a certain company responsible for fueling company vehicles was given a credit card for the purpose of paying bills after fueling the vehicles. One night after all the companys vehicles were all packed, the employee decided to fuel his friends cars and pay using the companys credit card. The employer had asked him why he acted unprofessionally but the employee found nothing wrong with using the credit card to pay bills that did not belong to the company. When the employer consulted other professionals about his employees case, he was advised to do a psychology test on his employee. In Kenote town, a policeman was reported to have shot and killed seven people in a restaurant after he was insulted by a group of people in the restaurant, among them his friends. When the employer was questioned about his mental status and whether he had undergone any psychological testing, the employer said that the policeman looked intelligent and had other required qualifications, so there was no need for a psychological test. Organizations undergo various problems due to lack of psychological testing as well as practicing it. In some cases, workers feel it is infringing their privacy. The management of an organization should be very kin on the type of people they employ. Determining the peoples ability, intelligence or attainment requires a standard procedure which is the tests procedures. Different organizations perform different duties or have different objectives therefore will have some different specific areas of assessment. Psychological Tests  These are tests obtained from a prepared standardized procedure used to assess the mental status of a person as compared to the normal mental status in order to determine a persons intelligence and ability. This is mostly done through asking questions then assessing the responses. The importance of psychological tests is that they provide a means of measuring the abilities and characteristics of an individual (Armstrong, 2006). These tests are used by managers to determine the employee competence and morale and for reliable management training. Some professional ethics do not accept these kind of tests and view them as invasive to human rights while some of them go against the labor laws that protect employees from being used for experiments. When conducting some of these tests, the employee acts as a laboratory animal since the tests are done on him (ODonohue and Ferguson 2003). There are five types of psychological tests. Intelligence psychological tests, personality psychological tests, aptitude psychological tests, ability psychological tests, and attainment psychological tests (Armstrong, 2006). Intelligence tests are use to determine the general thinking and reasoning of an individual and personality tests are used to predict the behavior of a person in the role that he/she will be given or is given at the time. The use of psychological tests A good psychological test is one with sensitivity, reliability, standardization and validity characteristics. When selecting a test to use, these characteristics should be considered, for the outcome of the assessment to be of quality (Armstrong, 2006). There are basic standards for psychological tests use which are based on a formal psychometric assessment. This formal psychometric assessment should have an administrative and scoring manual with the scoring characteristics and points, it should show evidence of being reliable, should be valid for the purpose to which it is being conducted and to the people it is being conducted on, and should have a reference group data (Toplis et al. , 2004). The use of psychological tests requires that the test protocols be used by only professionals, the psychologists or if one would like to use them, then he/she must be certified to have the capability of using the tests and then authorized to do so (Toplis et al. 2004). This is based on the acquisition of the psychological tests. The tests are acquired on permission from the authors, copy right holders and distributors. It is therefore unethical to copy write or photocopy the psychological tests standards be it the psychometric assessments or the psychometric questionnaires. On the psychological tests security, the storage should be done according to the administrative, scoring and interpretation requirements. Assessment too should be done according to the same procedure as storage. There are access and storage policies that protect the tests such as not interfering with the ethical purpose of testing, and policies on what range of errors are accepted in the scoring and interpretation of the tests, in order to maintain the validity (Toplis et al. , 2004). The period to which a record should be kept is decided by a psychologist based on certain factors. The factors are such as the clients requests, acting professionally to abide by professional accountability and legislative factors. Psychological Tests Confidentiality and tests Results  Professional ethics indicate that it is the responsibility of a psychologist to inform the people being tested or the people to undergo a certain psychological test, of the terms and conditions regarding confidentiality of the testing situation. It is also their responsibility to control the access to the psychological test protocols. It is always the psychologist contracted by a manager in most cases to conduct a test on an employee. The psychologist has all the responsibility to keep the results or release them based on the terms and conditions agreed upon by the employer (Toplis et al. 2004). In case of a government facility, the release of reports are according to legislative acts on information. Governments have different systems in different facilities so the information release will also depend on the type of facility and the system while considering the legislation on the freedom of information. The systems have different application procedures for release of information. Psychological testing and Labor law. Labor law requires employers to adhere to good labor market practice rule. In psychological testing, there are no legislations that apply to the personality tests, though there are areas that the test can be considered invalid. An example of a case where a psychological test can be considered invalid is when it has exclusionary effects on women. This can be treated a sex discrimination case. Psychological testing is considered as a matter of employee privacy and there are rules to be followed before an employer or a manager decides on psychological testing on an employee (International Labor, 1993). According to the International Labor Office report (1993) the initial step is for an employer to negotiate with a local trade union on the psychological test the employer intends to conduct on his/her employees. The trade union and the employer must come to an agreement, failure to which the trade union must give the reasons for refusal in writing and submit proposals of terminating negotiations within ten days. Fresh negotiations can only be done on the trade unions proposal and if no agreement is made then the employer cannot impose the psychological test until review by the national trade union (International Labor, 1993). Conclusion Employers/managers need psychological testing to determine the ability and the competency of those that they want to employ or those that they have employed. Some of the psychological tests are not accepted by the trade unions and are considered as infringing the privacy of the employee. The employers have to abide by the labor law requirements and trade union rules to make sure they are not in problems. The managers themselves cannot conduct the tests, they have to look for professionals in that field as that is what is ethically considered right. All these are discussed in this paper.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Benefits of Video Games Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Video Games Essay In todays frantic and stressful society, a desire to escape sometimes is imminent. There are piles of work to do, constant headaches, and relationship tensions are rising. In this current condition one may be aware that it will be impossible to get anything accomplished. What one really needs is a chance to get away from it all, to replenish the mind and release all of their apprehension. A relaxing vacation to a secluded private island would do the trick, but of course this is impractical. Instead, at no cost one can fully immerse into a lush, stunning virtual paradise oozing with beauty and serenity. This is the magnificence of the modern video game world; it lets a person be somebody they could only dream of, construct amazing structures and inventions, or can even provide relief and fulfillment. However, stress relief and personal enjoyment are not the sole advantages. Video games should be more widely accepted and integrated into the daily and professional lives of individuals because of the many positive effects they create, which include: self satisfaction, educational and economic opportunities, advances in technology and science, and the spawning of creativity and ingenuity. One of the age old attacks against video games is the statement that they contain an addictive allure that grabs hold of students and chokes the academic life out of them; well, according to recent studies, quite the opposite may be observed. In a study of young children age four and five, conducted by the Ready to Learn Initiative, it was found that through the addition of digital devices and video games into a school curriculum, it was possible to greatly increase letter recognition and early literacy skills. A further study by the Education Department Center found that kindergarteners with poor home conditions, who had experienced a video game based curriculum in preschool, were more adapted and successful (The Benefits). This prevents students from falling behind and creates interest in school. Although it is true that a handful of games possess no real advantages and are a distraction from work, the sheer number of games designed as educational tools or as brain-teasers clearly outweigh that fraction. In fact, nearly sixty percent of all video games are categorized as E for veryone, which primarily consists of healthy brain-growing challenges and activities. Large video game companies such as Big Fish, Broderbund, and Educational Insights are devoted to developing products that will wrack a players brain. Collectively, they provide exciting puzzles, history and science education in an interesting way, and dynamic math-oriented games (Gibson). The majority of players are hard at work improving their skills and cognitive abilities, while a few negative cases of video game players get all of the publicity. The benefits of games do not end there, however. (The Benefits) Many online video games provide valuable economic lessons and other important skills required in jobs and professional life. For instance, Second Life, a colossal in the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) industry, contains thousands of college students working for credit in their classes and career-related experience. Business students can take advantage of the game currency called Linden dollars, which can be exchanged for real money; they do this by selling in-game real estate and running retail businesses while learning about marketing, budgeting, and management. Fashion design and 3D-modeling students can collaborate to create articles of clothing and wardrobes. Even architectural students are taking advantage of the opportunities that Second Life provides by designing virtual buildings and structures (Driscoll). This video game opens up a world for these students to directly apply the information they are learning in class in a hands-on and logistically sound way. It also provides them with a source of income that supports and encourages their efforts. Other games and simulations are even used to ethically train medical students and to ready military recruits for the harsh reality of war. As a result of sophisticated games such as these, the pupils make less mistakes and are more prepared when they begin their high-risk careers. Aside from these rigid settings, other casual games are developing the skills of teenagers and adults in a more subtle way. Cooperative games such as World of Warcraft require teams of players to work together to reach a common goal. Each individual is given responsibilities and specific roles, and a few people are even selected to lead the group and provide direction and structure. Hundreds of similar games also teach the same teamwork, leadership, and responsibility to their players, which are all vital qualities to have in order to be successful in society. Not only can video games polish an individuals abilities, but they have the potential to facilitate advancements in the fields of technology and science as well. For example, the highly commended game, Foldit, requires the players to fold real proteins in the most efficient way as possible while competing against others online. Computer software alone is not very successful at predicting the future shapes of irregular objects, and so with the presence of the human minds puzzle-solving skills scientists have been able to create breakthroughs through utilizing this game (Toppo). For example, a sample of a monkey HIV protein which had mystified scientists for over fifteen years was recently introduced to the players for analyzing, who were then able to solve it in a mere ten days. The most proliferate solutions may even help scientists develop cures for many medical conditions such as AIDs, cancer, and Alzheimers disease (Toppo). However, playing video games such as these isnt the only way advancements have been produced. According to Rick Nauert, PhD, the hardware used in gaming consoles, particularly the graphics cards, have been implemented into medical and research equipment in order to enhance the quality of MRI images and the maps produced by seismic waves. These improvements allow scientists to diagnose medical issues more readily, and helps geologists find new clues to the Earths history. In addition, as a result of the competition between elite video game companies such as Microsoft and its adversary Sony, this hardware is advancing so quickly that improvements are constantly available and becoming much more affordable. Smaller laboratories are now able to get their hands on this technology rather than being limited by their budgets. Video game antagonists will argue that gaming chains individuals to their televisions and leads to unhealthy and sedentary activity. Although this can be true in some cases, it is at least a lot more beneficial than passively watching a television program, which would most likely be the obvious second choice for activity. While immersing oneself into a video game, it is required to use critical thinking, imagination, and creativity. If one is about to tackle a ferocious monster, it is imperative that all available information is processed quickly and logically so as to avoid death. The same thing is true if one is navigating through a dangerous obstacle course, or solving a difficult puzzle. Games such as The Sims series allow players to harness their inner creativity to design their own houses, develop their families, and to interact in a simulation of real life. The Tycoon series includes several games such as Rollercoaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, and Hospital Tycoon. In these games individuals act as the boss and coordinator of everything. One is required to build structures and fences, determine admission and event prices, and manage policies as well as staff. As long as one can think of an idea, it can be built and they can watch their ideas come to life. Another fascinating and interactive game is titled Spore. The goal of this game is to guide a group of organisms in the players control through the evolutionary stages of life. The individual starts in the cell level and directs their units to find food and reproduce. After undergoing several mitoses, they proceed to the creature stage where it is possible to design the organisms physical characteristics and mechanical features. How well the creature is created determines how adept its survivability and competitiveness is in the upcoming tribal, civilization, and space stages (Spore). Games such as these require a high level of entrepreneurship and originality in order to succeed and crowd out all of the competition. They develop the imagination and promote higher order thinking skills which are invaluable in our demanding society. Finally, the reason that hits home for the majority of video game users is its effectiveness as a stress reliever and object of entertainment. It can be safely assumed that on several occasions individuals have been locked up in their house on a rainy day with nothing to do. In this situation, it is too sloppy outside to do anything and everyone may be plagued with a sedentary attitude. This is a perfect time for them to pick up a controller to keep their brains functioning and themselves amused. Working towards a goal, trying to solve a challenging puzzle, or even just letting loose and dancing to music is a great way to keep oneself stimulated and content. Games allow players to work at their own pace and to make their own choices. This provides them with a healthy outlet to rid the mind of stress. The core of every game is its goal and reward system. There almost always is a goal, and there are always rewards for doing objectives correctly and improving upon past trials. These rewards supply individuals with gratification and a sense of accomplishment. Also, since there is such a wide variety in the genre of video games, everyone can find something that interests them. In short, games are fun; there are games designed to cater to everyones interests which can provide a few moments of carefree enjoyment. This reason alone is a good enough rationale to participate in the exciting world of video games. In conclusion, video games are the source of many positive effects. They have been proven to aid struggling students in their academic life, to increase cognitive abilities, and advance the fields of technology and science. They even spark the imagination of individuals and sharpen their ability to be creative. Many professions have already started to utilize the amazing potential that games hold, and the focus of video game companies has started to shift towards education and helpful mediums rather than pure entertainment and mindless violence. Although some may contain addictive qualities and promote physical inactiveness, they are a lot healthier choice than most forms of media and entertainment available today. Video games could very well be the future of education and productivity; outdated curriculum and textbooks could be replaced by them, and they should therefore be embraced and celebrated rather than shunned and ignored by some adults and children alike.

Business and market analysis of Costco

Business and market analysis of Costco Costco wholesale corporation, is carry a membership of warehouses and sell high quality and national brands to resale and individual who have a membership in low prices, their first operated was on 1983 in Seattle, Washington. Now they have more than 570 warehouse around the world and 22 in United Kingdom. Of course every supermarket has to face a competitive environment but each one have their own strategy to deal with it by looking to their SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis, also they should focus on their internal, micro macro environments. In this essay I will evaluate how Costco deal with these things. There is no companies can improve and get over if they do not focused on their internal strength and weakness and eternal opportunities and threats which is called SWOT analysis. Strength is looking to their internal capability of recourses and improves it to reach their objectives. According to Chatterjee Costco Annual revenue climbed 9.1 percent to $77.95 billion from $71.42 billion. In 2010 Costco were the 3th largest retailer in the USA and the 8th in the world. They offer a high quality of products with a big name, for example Sony, Microsoft, nestle and Kelloggs and numbers of co-brands such as Starbucks and Disney instead of their own brand which is called Kirkland in a low prices. They have over 60 million of cardholders also they are Goodwill with excellent employees. There were some advantages for Costco to their own brand; they can control their prices, packaging and the quality. Weakness is limitation that may prevent company to achieve their objectives, Costco weakness t hat you can find store in certain area and you cannot buy from the store if you are not a member in Costco club. Opportunity is an external positive factor that may bring advantages to the company, in UK Costco aims to open 40 warehouses around the country this will be good opportunity to them because they can reach large numbers of new loyal customers. Also they offer a Varity numbers of goods holding their own brand name, Costco noticed that most of their customer buys Toilet paper with annual sales of 375 millions. Every year to every two years, we try to upgrade the quality of this product, Rose explained. Make it softer, make it stronger, everything that we can do to just make it a better quality product and our members, you know, obviously the reward is with the sales on this item. (DONVAN and HERMAN, 2008). Threats is an external negative situation can face the company and break their performance and they should minimize it, when Costco decide to open their store in the UK an d get their approval to open their two stores and pay millions to develop their sits. The big three supermarkets Sainsbury, Tesco and Safeway tried to stop opening programs of Costco by going to the High Court and then to the Appeal Court to contest the councils decision. (KILBURN, 1992), they argued that Costco is retailers not wholesalers and the customer should pay fees to be members in Costco, so they should treat as retailers treated in UK. They were worried because Costco had succeeded in 17 years in USA and they sell everything from grocery to computers and pharmacy, also they sell up to 50% cheaper than other outlets in USA. Companies also will face an external environment that they cannot stop it or control it such as macroenvironment. There is also a microenvironment and both of them bring opportunities and threats to the company. Ecological/physical environmental forces is one of macroenvironment analysis is to protect the environment by producing products that not heart the natural. In Costco they produced their packaging from recycled polyester. The social forces give the company good image and predict the size and growth rates of marketing throughout charities and helping people go over in live by finding work and protect them from poverty. The plan of Costco to open 40 stores in UK which each store will employs 150 workers this will help to reduce unemployment also Costco and Highland Spring work together to support BBC children in need by selling a great pack for kid to keep them hydrated throughout the day, every 24 pack they sell 20p of it going to charity. Now technology become as lifeblood we cannot live without it, we can see the technology anywhere and everywhere, in the house, work, roadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. Costco start using internet shopping from few years ago operated and updated by Microsoft windows sever system, their revenue through website was under $100 million within three years and now their revenue through website is $640 million. The microenvironment consists of the actors in the firms immediate environment or business system that affect its capabilities to operate effectively in its chosen markets. (Jobber and Fahy, 2009) Its include four key actors are customer which company should satisfy their needs and wants by understanding their behavior, 90 percent of Costco customer are loyal and renew their membership year after year also the thing that keep the customer loyal that Costco offer them high quality products and low price with return policy with full refund if they are not happy with what they buy, looking to the important of customer satisfaction. Competition is study of customer behavior not enough to success, company should know their competitors because they affect the company plans, and for example if they offering a lower price or making promotion, this may lead your customers turn to their side. The company should study and know their competitors strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. Cos tco biggest competitors in UK Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, and Safeway. Costco deal with competitors by offering high quality products in bulk with a low price, good treat from customer service these lead to build their brand name in UK and get customer loyalty. Distributors are to offer the products in right price, place and time to meet customer needs and wants, distributor lead to reduce supplier profitability. Costco introduce 4000 unique products in each store from groceries to the televisions and computers. Costco buy direct from the manufactures that allows warehouses not delay in receiving the products and give the customers the opportunity to purchase as quickly as possible. Suppliers who provide supply and material to the company to produce goods and services, suppliers can bring problems to the companies if they have shortage or delay of producing on time because this will damage the customer satisfaction, usually companies treat their suppliers as a partner, if the supplies w ere powerful and increasing the cost of supply this will lead to push the price up. Companies should monitor supply availability, such as shortages due to labour strikes or political factors, as these can cause customer dissatisfaction and lost sales. (Jobber, 2010). Costco and their suppliers gain maximum administrative efficiency, reduce shared expenses and improve system accountability. (Peters, 2003). Companies should focused on all of the four actors of microenvironment analysis because this will help them to explode their opportunities and reduce threats. Internal environment is performance and activities of a business to be assessed in the light of environmental developments.(Jobber and Fahy, 2009). It based on finance and accounting which is depending on budget that helps the marketing to achieve its objectives. Costco financial records of the fourth quarters of 2010 was net Property and Equipment $11,314(MMs).Research and development (RD) looking for products that bring customers attention and develop safe design. Costco every one or two years developed their products specially products on demand. Purchasing, companies looking for suppliers and good materials. As we mention above that Costco offers 4000 high quality items in each stores with a low price, up to 50% lower than their competitors. Production is producing products with good quality and materials. In conclusion, Costco became a worldwide wholesales in few years. They were focusing on their performance to reach their objectives, by improving their internal environment and strength, explode their opportunities and minimize threats by focusing on the macroenvironment and microenvironment.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers

What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119 What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119

Monday, August 19, 2019

A Clean Well-Lighted Place Essay -- A Clean Well Lighted Place Ernest

A Clean Well-Lighted Place A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway looks at age from the viewpoint of an inexperienced and experienced individual, with the aid of an old man to emphasize the difference between the two. This story takes place late one night in a caf. The caf is clean, pleasant, and well lighted, which brings some kind of comfort to the atmosphere. Here in the caf sits a deaf, lonely, older man, who although is deaf can feel the difference that the night brings to the caf, a younger waiter, who believes people stay around the caf to make his life miserable, and a waiter who is a bit older and seems to understand that this place, the caf, is comforting. The older man spends his late nights in the caf, because at his home there is nobody, he is widowed. All he has is the comfort that the light inside the caf brings to him at night, and the appearance and thought of other human beings may bring him. The old man is under the care of his niece, who last week had to cut him down from his attem pting to commit suicide. Why did he attempt to kill himself? He was in despair. Stated one waiter, and I am assuming it is the younger waiter because he goes on to state that he was in despair over nothing because he has plenty money. Money would be the answer to any problem to an individual of youth because when one is younger he/she has not yet come to realize the importance of relationships. The older waiter shows us the importance of relationships by stating, Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the caf. This appearing to mean that he knows that there are many lonely people in the world without relationships and no one to turn to in time of need or having some one to just be ... ...per meanings. Looking at my critical approach New historicism and comparing it with my piece A Clean Well-Lighted Place, only from the point of view of a new historicist without doing any additional research into the ties or times of the author I believe I have a well understanding of what it means to be a new historicist and how it applies to my piece that I have chose. I tend to think that knowing more about Hemingway and the life he led might give me a better understanding of his reasons for writing A Clean Well-Lighted Place. The meaning of Hemingways piece also will differ greatly across cultures and how it is a particular society looks at the differences in age and communication factors. . Work Cited Hemingway, Ernest. A Clean Well-Lighted Place Literature Reading and Writing The human Experience. Donna Erickson. New York: St. Martins press, 1998. 115

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Sociology and Globalisation Essay -- Sociology Essays

Many historians and sociologists have identified a transformation in the economic processes of the world and society in recent times. There has been an extensive increase in developments in technology and the economy as a whole in the twentieth century. Globalization has been recognized as a new age in which the world has developed into what Giddens identifies to be a â€Å"single social system† (Anthony Giddens: 1993 ‘Sociology’ pg 528), due to the rise of interdependence of various countries on one another, therefore affecting practically everyone within society. In this essay I will give a detailed explanation of what sociologists mean by the term ‘globalisation’ and how they have tried to explain it. Globalisation can be construed in many ways. Many sociologists describe it as an era in which national sovereignty is disappearing as a result of a technological revolution, causing space and time to be virtually irrelevant. It is an economic revolution, which Roland Robertson refers to in his book ‘Globalisation’ 1992 pg 8, as â€Å"the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole†. It is argued that globalisation allows the world to become increasingly more united, with people more conscious of ethnic, societal, civilizational and individual aspects of their lives. When exploring the topic of globalisation, sociologists have categorised the term into three components, economic, political and cultural globalisation. They have done this in order explain what it means. I have aimed within this essay to explain all three types of globalisation in order to answer the essay question. I intend to concentrate mainly on the economic an... ...e† them (Marsh, ‘Making Sense of Society’, 2000 pg 487). What we can understand on the whole, is what sociologists mean by the term globalisation is that it is a profound, dynamic process which is affecting the world immensely. It seems from what I have examined so far about globalisation that there may come a time eventually, when a world government comes into existence, where international inequalities will always remain and where social conflict will always be active. This is because the policies that drive the globalisation process are largely focussed on the needs of business. Globalisation is a continuing process which needs to be managed wisely. It is a crucial development which has and always will cause significant social changes within society and the world as a whole.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Hemingway’s “The Short and Happy Life of Francis Macomber”

The text â€Å"The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber† is a short story written in 1936 by an author called Ernest Hemingway. The story revolves around three people; a man called Francis Macomber, his wife Margot and another man called Robert Wilson. The story isn’t narrated from a fixed point of view, but changes multiple times throughout the story. The story isn’t chronological, as there is a long flashback in the middle of the story. Francis Macomber is a very wealthy American man. Although we aren’t told what his profession is, my guess would be that he is some sort of big-name businessman, as we are told that his wealth is only going to grow, and he is regularly featured in magazines together with his wife. Many people will probably describe Francis as a pushover, but I wouldn’t say so. He does strike me as being extremely passive, and never takes action when he feels that something isn’t going the way he wants it to. In spite of this Francis does have a very developed sense of pride, and when he is dishonored it hurts him a great deal. Margaret Macomber is a very handsome woman, who is married to Francis. She doesn’t seem to have a profession of her own, but we are told she does earn some money off of her beauty. Margaret is a extremely unlikeable character, she is completely stripped of empathy, and seems to care for nothing but her own needs. Robert Wilson is an English professional hunter, who is residing in Africa, earning his money by taking rich foreigners out to realize their dream of killing lions, buffalos, rhinos and other animals that doesn’t live in the western world. Robert seems to enjoy his job of guiding rich people through Africa, not just because of his love for hunting, but also because of the extra benefits that comes along with guiding around the young wives of older wealthy men â€Å"He had hunted for a certain clientele, the international, fast, sporting set, where the women did not feel they were getting their money’s worth unless they had shared that cot with the white hunter. † All in all Wilson seems as the ultimate free man, and therefore fits perfectly with the demands of a code hero. He follows rules when he has to, but doesn’t really respect them, and if he sees them to be unjust, he makes up his own, but only to the point where he isn’t discovered. Apart from this he isn’t bound by anything else, Wilson doesn’t seem to be religious, and he sleeps with a lot of women, but doesn’t feel the need to commit himself. When there is something he doesn’t want to do, he simply doesn’t do it. Francis and Margaret Macomber are on a safari in Africa, to hunt for wild animals. It isn’t long though before we find out that not everything is going exactly as they had planned. â€Å"He was dressed in the same sort of safari clothes that Wilson wore except that his were new, he was thirty-five years old, kept himself very fit, was good at court games, had a number of big-game fishing records, and had just shown himself, very publicly, to be a coward. †. The four people seem to try to ignore it, as they go on with their routines without showing indications of any major events having taken place. This facade isn’t kept for long, as Margaret storms of in tears. When she leaves the 2 men stay behind, and we get some more info on what has happened earlier on. We are told that Francis had run from something, but we aren’t told exactly why he did so, and from what he ran. As Margaret returns and the three of them eat there are dropped some more subtle hints on what had happened. Maragaret taunts Francis with his cowardice, and also drops some ironic remarks about the lion, which leads us to thinking that it was the lion that Francis ran away from. We are then told the story about the lion. Francis thinks back on the night before, where the lion’s roars had kept him awake, and they terrified him a great deal. The following morning Margaret can tell that he isn’t feeling well, but being a man, who values his pride he doesn’t want to tell her, although, he eventually does. But after breakfast they go out to hunt for the lion. They find it at the side of a river, and Francis has the lion set up for a pretty good shot, but his nervousness gets the better of him, and he doesn’t get the kill shot in. Because of this the lion is able to escape, and hide in the tall grass. Wilson tells Francis that the lion is even more dangerous now that it is wounded and desperate, and Francis becomes even more scared and tries to escape the dangerous situation, via some ludicrous suggestions. But there’s no way out of it. And of course the expected happens, once the lion starts moving around Francis gets scared out of his mind, and starts running around like a crazy person. Margaret sees all of this, and is obviously disappointed with her husband; so much even that she turns to Wilson. â€Å"While they sat there his wife had reached forward and put her band on Wilson’s shoulder. He turned and she had leaned forward over the low seat and kissed him on the mouth†. To once again highlight Francis’ passiveness he sits through this without even saying a word. As they return to the camp Francis realizes that his and Margaret’s marriage might as well be over, but he also realizes that it will never end, as Margaret is now too old to get a better man than him, and he isn’t very good with the ladies. â€Å"but she was not a great enough beauty any more at home to be able to leave him and better herself and she knew it and he knew it. She had missed the chance to leave him and he knew it. If he had been better with women she would probably have started to worry about him getting another new, beautiful wife but she knew too much about him to worry about him either†. This confirms, once and for all, that there is absolutely nothing passionate about their marriage. The very same night Francis wakes up in the middle of the night, and finds that Margaret isn’t laying by his side, and she doesn’t come back for another two hours. And as if that isn’t enough Margaret again shows her complete lack of empathy, as she doesn’t even apologize to her husband, but just goes to sleep, as if nothing has happened. The next morning at breakfast Francis develops a great deal of animosity towards Wilson, and he ultimately throws quite a fit. Even so, Francis goes on to hunt for buffalos, and this goes a lot better than expected. Something happens with Francis and he is set free from the prison that is his own restraints. However, this newfound freedom doesn’t last for long, as Margaret shoots because one of the buffalos were charging for him.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Holocaust Denial Essay

David Irving has claimed that the Holocaust was a â€Å"hoax† and that there were no gas chambers in Auschwitz; discuss the evidence for and against this claim. â€Å"One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.† -W.E.B Du Bois, Black Reconstruction, 1935. There could not be a more appropriate account to go with the debate between Holocaust deniers, and those who see it as a genuine event in history. From our mid teens we are taught about the events that occurred under Hitler’s reign, the most horrific of those being the mass genocide of an estimated eleven million people, many of which Jews, during the Holocaust. It is also taught that the most famous extermination camp existed at Auschwitz, where up to 10’000 people were exterminated per day. These are exactly the kind of facts that were presented to me during school, and to many others; some individuals, however, claim that this horrific event never took place. Those who claim the Holocaust did not appear as traditional history describes, believe that â€Å"the current mainstream understanding of the Holocaust is the result of a deliberate Jewish conspiracy created to advance the interest of Jews at the expense of other nations.† (1) A statement remarkably closely related to the anti-Semitic views of the Nazi’s. In the case of Holocaust deniers, it is more of a case of a lack of evidence which they use to promote their views; no conclusive evidence has been presented, with numerous Holocaust deniers admitting to have lied about so called facts. (2) The main claims which Holocaust deniers make are that the Nazis had no formal policy or plan of exterminating Jews. That Nazis did not use gas chambers to mass-murder Jews, and that the figure of between 5 and 6 million Jewish deaths is a significant exaggeration and the actual number is much lower, a few hundred thousand at most. Other claims include the notion that the documentary evidence in support of the Holocaust, photographs and the Diary of Anne Frank for example, is fabricated, that survivor testimonies are unreliable, and that the Nazi prisoners’ confessions were obtained through the use of torture – a process which can lead to inaccurate information. (3) One example of survivor testimonies being unpredictable is an excerpt of a conversation David Irving supposedly had with a survivor: â€Å"IRVING: You said you saw smoke coming from the crematoria? SURVIVOR: Absolutely IRVING: Is that correct? SURVIVOR: Correct IRVING: But crematoria do not smoke, Mrs Altman. Go and visit your local crematorium in Sydney† (Evans (2002) page 142) Irving took challenging the Holocaust to the extreme, and proclaimed himself as a Hitler supporter, which may have something to do with him living, working and studying in Germany for many years. In Irving’s book, Hitler’s War, he states â€Å"that Hitler did not order the extermination of Europe’s Jews: the mass killings must have been carried out by Himmler and his cohorts behind Hitler’s back† (4) The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) states that â€Å"The Institute does not ‘deny the Holocaust’.† And that â€Å"there is no dispute over the fact that large numbers of Jews were deported to concentration camps and ghettos, or that many Jews died or were killed during World War II.† But that the â€Å"Holocaust – the alleged extermination of some six million Jews (most of them by gassing) – is a hoax and should be recognized as such by Christians and all informed, honest and truthful men everywhere.† More than being just a pro-Nazi viewpoint, Holocaust deniers believe that the death-toll amount which is widely accepted is a falsehood in an attempt to get more compensation, and sympathy. It is believed that the interest of the Zionist movement is to augment the amount of Holocaust deaths so that their gains will be greater. (5) The Holocaust deniers maintain that the Holocaust is a myth in order to establish the possibilities which can occur when an individual or group of people try to play God. This claim may have resulted from various factors, and in many cases of a denial, a particular political agenda backs it up, along with their own personal beliefs colouring their view. To fully understand the claims of these people, both sides of the debate must be looked at. The case which acknowledges the Holocaust as it is presented has much more convincing evidence, the most notable of which being photographs, video footage and personal accounts. Where the Holocaust deniers get their supposed evidence from however, is the jigsaw in which the evidence which shows the Holocaust as the event we’re taught it to be is made up of. Those denying the event say that the pieces of primary sources which prove the existence of the Holocaust, are in fact fabricated in an attempt to make people think that certain events happened when thy in fact, did not. (1) There are many accounts from survivors of the Holocaust, a selection of which exists in Lyn Smiths â€Å"Forgotten Voices of the Holocaust†, within which mentions the implementation of the â€Å"final solution†. In the same note it is said that upon arrival, most were â€Å"sent immediately to the gas chamber and crematorium.† (6). For females in concentration camps it was an even more shocking ordeal – regularly being raped, and on giving birth having their babies taken from them to be murdered. Dennis Avey, a British prisoner of war at Auschwitz gives his account: â€Å"Now dreadful things were happening in Auschwitz-Birkenau during 1944. They were gassing and burning thousands of people who could not work any more because of their failing strength; I knew practically everything that was going on there†¦They just put them into the gas chambers using this Zyklon B gas and then they were burned. And this happened day in and day out.† (6) There are many other accounts which describe similar stories, such a vast amount of matching testimonies can not possibly be a fabrication, but that is not the only evidence which supports the events of the Holocaust and Auschwitz. There are many photographs of the gas chambers, and of mass graves. Not only is there masses of evidence recorded to verify the authenticity of the Holocaust; but it is backed up by sworn testimony from both victims and the culprits. In addition to this there is evidence which Allied soldiers discovered when they liberated the camps. There is also a host of documentary evidence; the Nazi’s were extremely particular about keeping records, some of which were presented as evidence to the Nuremberg Tribunal and a set of evidence from several post-war trials. As well as archaeological evidence as further proof, there are bookings by the SS for the ‘special trains’ to Auschwitz and other extermination camps. Of course, the issue which arises with both of these claims, and history as a whole, is that unless someone is actually present at an event and experiencing something, they have no way of knowing exactly what went on during a given time and date. It is for these reasons which we need to rely on sources other than ourselves to understand the past, and a primary source is the most reliable place to look first. Talking with a Holocaust survivor, reading the diaries like that of a certain Anne Frank hiding from the Gestapo, and looking at pictures and videos from Nazi Germany at that time allows for the closest link possible from today to the days gone by, and rejecting these ideas as a fabrication severs the best link to the truth. Holocaust deniers will be inclined to believe what they want to be true, even if it does not match up historically. The Holocaust was a dismal time not only for the Jewish race, but also a cataclysmic event in the history of mankind. The idea that not all people are equal and those of less value need to be exterminated is a notion that should never have occurred. The evidence that we have today appears to confirm that the Jewish Genocide by the Nazi people was a real event. In addition, it is extremely difficult to reasonably doubt this event and believe that people would lie about such an ordeal. References 1. Gizon, A. (2009). Holocaust. www.projectaladin.org. [Last accessed 23 June 2010] 2. Nikzor, P. (2008). David Irving. www.nizkor.org. [Last accessed 23 June 2010] 3. Lipstadt, D. (2009). Denying the Holocaust. www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars. [Last accessed 23 June 2010] 4. Irving, D. (1991). Hitler’s War. London: Focal Point Publications. 5. Austin, B. (2004). Holocaust Denial. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. [Last accessed 23 June 2010] 6. Smith, L. (2005). Forgotten Voices of the Holocaust. London: Ebury Press. P.156/210

College Players Should Get Paid Essay

In the world, college athletics grows and continues to bring large financial benefits to colleges, universities and even sponsors. This leads to many debates concerning the payment of the athletes. Some people think that scholarship paid to colleges for these student athletes is enough while others claim that the payments might make them to leave the college early for participating in the athletics. Division 1 college athletes should be paid. College athletes put their bodies on the line just like the pros do. Wide receiver Martin Brown tears his ACL and his career in football is over. Defensive tackle Eric Legrand gets paralyzed from the neck down and his career in football is over. Wide receiver Dante Love gets a spinal injury and ends his career in football. Players do a lot for their communities. Like the Santa Ana college football team devoted a whole weekend volunteering in two charity events. Last year Ohio State did community service for a total of about 6,496 hours. Ole Miss has a program call The Ole Miss Rebel Reading Program where they read to local elementary schools. The college athletes bring in a lot of money to their institutions. The players should receive some of this money because without them the schools cannot be able to receive all the popularity and the money. College athletes make enough money for colleges that it would not hurt to give some back. They should take better care of their student-athletes by paying them for their services. Many College athletes live in poverty because the money they get is not sufficient enough to pay for all of the expenses and basic necessities. The athletes that graduate from colleges stay because their parents support them by giving or sending money to them. If college athletes are paid, there would be more athletes graduating from colleges. Paying athletes would be good for everyone and players would be forced to go for college education instead of only concentrating on the sports. The colleges athletes are not allowed to work hence do not get money to purchase the necessities. This leads to players accepting any illegal money, cars, clothes, etc. Most college athletes don’t turn professional, so the athletes won’t have any working experience when they get into the real world. This would give the non-athletes and advantage in the working world over the athletes. Most of the athletes that have the opportunity to leave school and turn professional do so, because college athletes live in near poverty. To avoid all the illegal gains, the athletes should be paid. Maryland’s Gary Williams says â€Å"†¦. some of these guys are pretty poor coming here, and a lot of college students have some money — you feel out of place, you don’t feel competitive academically sometimes, and I think it could do a lot of good† If colleges don’t pay the athletes the professional leagues should. Professional leagues such as the NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB use colleges as minor leagues. Most of the players in these leagues come from universities across the U.S.A. Since the leagues get the athletes from the universities, they should pay them the same way they league players. College athletes should receive money for all of their needs, or if they can’t do this the athletes should be given the opportunity to work, which will assist them, learn about working in real world.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Is Police Brutality a Serious Problem in the US? Essay

Introduction In the article, â€Å"Police Brutality is Over-Sensationalizedâ€Å", Auerback made plenty of logical arguments about the issue of police brutality. But, the statistics he showed was from the city of Chicago. For example the Rodney King case was the first major case tried in court. The Rodney King case was about an African American being pulled over for no apparent reason. Eventually the officer was acquitted of all charges. Why do police officers just feel that they are above the law? Are they above the law? Despite Auerback showing many valid points throughout the article, his argument was very one sided or biased. Summary The article ‘’the article police brutality is Over-Sensationalized’’, (Auerback, 2010) is about police brutality not being as big of a problem as the media makes it out to be. According to Auerback (2010) he claims’’ police brutality is not as commonplace as Americans claim’’. The author uses many statistics but they are only from the city of Chicago. But throughout the entire article he continuously was saying that police are put in challenging positions. 1st major point In the paragraph â€Å"The Thin Lineâ€Å", the author spoke about how excessive force by a police officer was a big problem. Auerback explained that police officers deal with dangerous situations through their regular day. Also, he described cases such as the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles being some of the reason police brutality was widespread. He said that the statistics he used couldn’t explicate a significant reason. In the paragraph â€Å"The Evidence Suggests Otherwiseâ€Å", Auerback clarified statistics showing that  police brutality was not as bad as the media makes it out to be. For example, there was a study done by the Urbana – Champaign independent Media Center on police brutality. The results showed that in Illinois 2854 police officers had complaints about police brutality, but surprisingly only 7 percent of the officers were regulated. Later on in the paragraph Auerback argued that police officers have the right to use excessive force to a certain extent. Basically in this paragraph the author is arguing that there isn’t enough evidence to prove police brutality isn’t a big deal. The paragraph â€Å"having the Opposite Effectâ€Å", Auerback explained how the media portrays the police sometimes makes the job harder, and hurts he communities. Throughout the paragraph he showed that police brutality was a very huge charge. Also the author showed that not all police officers are bad guys as the media portrays them. 2nd Major Point There were many logical arguments and valid questions to ask during the article â€Å"Police Brutality is Over Sensationalizedâ€Å". One logical argument about the article would be why were there only a few arguments? If the author would have made the article a two-way debate about police brutality. The article would be drastically changed. Auerback did explain police brutality could be a problem but, he explained police are always in the right basically. Another question I had that wasn’t answered was are all police officers bad? There are valid examples that some police officers take their authority too far. Such as the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles made police brutality come to the light. But, because of some police officers making bad decisions and using excessive force, they give police a bad name. Lastly, another argument would be that a police officers` is very dangerous, but are they above the law? Most police officers are some of the nicest people you will meet. They put their lives on the line to serve and protect us citizens. However when you look at the statistics shown in the article they show cops get away a lot of crimes. Such as in the article the statistics done in Chicago. Throughout five years Chicago saw 1774 complains per year with only 5% of the officer having the complaints. But, in the identical survey done only 1 percent had enough evidence to start a case. That is very disturbing to hear. Why do the police officers get away with  such crimes? The reason is there is just not much evidence to prove the point. The three logical points made by the article would be the police was above the law, and why do they have so much power. 3rd Major Point Auerbacks` angle of vision was very demanded by his background which gives him ethos or credibility but also shows he could be biased. His background gives him a lot of credibility. For example he had seventeen years of experience in public policy and political science. He graduated from Boston College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, also working as a federal contractor. With all being said his perspective is biased by him working with the government. The governments’ perspective is that the government is always right. Which Auerbacks’ angle of vision is basically police are always in the right no matter what. If the author would have shown both sides of the issue of police brutality the article would be more credible. Also, the statistics shown in the article was only from the city of Chicago. If Auerback showed statistics of the entire country instead of using just a metropolitan city then the article wouldn’t be so biased. Auerbacks` angle of vision discredited the article. The author made it seem like officers always has a reason to use excessive force. Conclusion In conclusion, the article â€Å"Police Brutality is Over Sensationalizedâ€Å", spoke about how police officers use excessive force and how it was a huge problem. The author tried to downplay the issue by using examples of cases where the police officers was in the right. But, in reality there are plenty of examples of police officers using excessive force for no reason at all. His argument throughout the article was that the media over-exposes the issue. Auerback used only a certain amount of logical arguments. Despite Auerback showing many valid points throughout the article, his argument was very one-sided or biased. Works Cited Auerback, Michael. â€Å"Police Brutality is Over Sensationalizedâ€Å". John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, June Johnson. â€Å"The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writingâ€Å" 7th Edition

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

St. John Bosco (1815-1888)

A man with a vision, with an awareness of the good that lives in people, with an ability of dreaming dreams of beauty for those he met along his way, this is John Bosco. St. John Bosco (1815-1888) was born to poor parents in Recchi, Italy, the Piedmont area of northern Italy. When John was two, his father died prematurely. As a boy, John lived on a farm with his family doing the only thing they knew how, farming. Poverty and a lack of formal education in the home did not stop the growth of John Bosco as a person. His mother was for real, realizing the importance of God in life. This friendship with God became powerful and slowly John prepared for the priesthood. In 1841 at the age of 26, John was ordained priest at Turin, and immediately gave himself to that work, finding shelter for neglected youth and instructing them in religion. He was now ready to make his contribution toward the poor and homeless. He rented an old barn in a field which he called â€Å"The Oratory.† This was the first of many oratories John Bosco founded for helping poor boys who needed a home. He believed that prayer and Holy Mass and Communion and confession are the best ways for children to attain a sense of personal responsibility. In a short time, other priests joined him in his work and by 1852 they were caring for over 600 boys. John dealt with them by using a minimum of restraint and discipline, lots of love, keeping careful watch over their development and encouraging them personally and through religion. John†s preaching and writing, as well as the charitable support of wealthy and powerful patrons allowed for expansion of his work. The need for dependable assistants led to the founding of the society of St. Francis de Sales in 1859, and it continues to work today. To provide similar care for the poor and neglected girls, John Bosco founded, in 1872, the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The life of St. John Bosco was full and his zeal contagious. He never got tired of talking and writing about his work for the young and their care. On this feast day the Church has chosen for the Office of Readings an excerpt from one of his letters. It expresses his concern and is applicable for our time when children suffer from neglect in broken homes and in less than ideal welfare situations. John wrote: â€Å"If we wish to appear concerned about the true happiness of our foster children and if we would move them to fulfill their duties, you must never forget that you are taking the place of the parents of these beloved young people. I have always labored lovingly for them, and carried out my priestly duties with zeal. And the whole Salesian Society has done this with me. Juggler, magician, acrobat, tailor, teacher and writer, John Bosco became all of these in his efforts to lead boys and girls to God. A prayer was the price of admission to his shows; a friendly contest to match skill or strength was his answer to the hoodlums who laughed at him. As a priest he was known as Don Bosco and built churches and schools. John Bosco would be pleased with the concern that the Church has today for education. This concern is expressed in the II Vatican Council†s Decree on Christian Education. John Bosco died on January 31, 1888 and was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI. His work was continued by a group of dedicated people called the Salesians. His feast day is celebrated on January 31. St. John Bosco is honored by us as an outstanding teacher and father to the young, and we ask that we be filled with love like his.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Police should be trained to properly respond to those individuals who Essay

Police should be trained to properly respond to those individuals who are considered mentally disturbed or mentally challenged - Essay Example A number of factors have led to the increasing interaction between police and persons with mental illness. One is that sufficient funding which is needed to grow proportionally to the increased need of these individuals is not being withheld by community support systems. Furthermore, existing crisis response services are limited in scope and are often not well-integrated. Reductions in hospital beds and services result in hospital admission only for those in acute situation, and even then, only for very short periods of time. Moreover in some situations, several police respond to a person in mental health crisis as they are trained to respond to a usual criminal emergency situation, and with a show of force and authority they may in fact escalate the trouble to a point of risking injury or death unfortunately, most often to a person having mental health problem. ("Study in Blue and Grey: Police Interventions with People with Mental Illness," 2003) Thus, this shift from institutionali zed care to community-based care and the general lack of understanding and awareness to these issues have resulted in more persons with mental dysfunction in the community to come in contact with the police. Due to the lack of comprehensive, ongoing training of police officers in the recognition of mental illness and in mental health crisis intervention as well as the absence of contact and aid from mental health and emergency services, this study is made. This essay will provide step by step solutions to make the police officers properly responsive when dealing with people with mental incapacity. New Models for Police Response Several communities have realized that the usual orders must change, and that new models should be developed that would go well with the identified needs and assets in a certain community. Some of these would be based in the mental health system, some in the police system, some are a true collaboration, and some are based in the community itself. Following are examples of models which have met success in specific communities: Police/Mental Health Team This model encompasses a specialized mental health crisis intervention team, in which plain-clothed police and mental health professionals take action in unmarked police cars. These men defuses the situation, and ensures that the person with mental illness is dealt with properly with either the provision of an appropriate medical/psychiatric care, civil certification and hospitalization or appropriate arrest and detention with psychiatric evaluation. The team is sustained by psychiatric nurses on a mental health crisis line. These nurses are called by vets when team response or on-call support to regular officers is in need. Assistance from psychiatrists are as well necessary when providing on-call advice and attending on-the-spot certifications when necessary. Example: Vancouver's Car 87.(Canadian Mental Health Association [CMHA], 2005) Reception Centre With this model, the person which is recognized to have signs of mental illness is transported to a reception centre where specially trained police or mental health professionals conduct a more thorough assessment of the patient. If necessary, they refer that person to mental health services. Examples: Knoxville, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California. ("Study in

Monday, August 12, 2019

How to prepare and recover from a Hurricane Research Paper

How to prepare and recover from a Hurricane - Research Paper Example Besides the flying debris and flood coming in the wake of hurricanes are also quiet destructive. Hence, in the areas that are prone to hurricanes, it is certainly a good idea to prepare in advance. Such timely and prompt preparation could save many human lives and property and could well protect the people living in hurricane prone areas from the disaster and destruction caused by hurricanes and facilitates a better recovery after a hurricane (Wagner 6). Preparing for a Hurricane While making preparations for a hurricane it is imperative to select and identify a safe area where the families could weather the strong storms, tornadoes and rainfall accompanying a hurricane (Mitchell 7). This place could be a location within the home like some room located at the bottom floor or any other room in the house that has no windows. In case a home does not have a safe area than it is important that the family members in such homes do have access to at least two hurricane shelters located close to the home. In case a family member is suffering from some medical condition and will not be in a situation to shift on one’s own, than it is important to seek the help of the concerned professionals in advance (Burnett, Dyer & Pickins 10). While preparing for a hurricane it is also important to stock up the requisite quantities of water and food (Dickson 9). The families lying in the route of an imminent hurricane should have sufficient supplies of processed food and water in the stock that should last for a number of weeks (Dickson 9). In case the stock of food and water accrued by a family has gone old, it is important to replace this stock with the fresh supplies, well in time. Besides the preparations for a hurricane require stocking varied other emergency supplies like flashlights and extra batteries, strong and sturdy shoes, battery operated radios with extra batteries for them, cash, credit cards, first aid kits and manuals, important medicines, and non-electrical c an openers (Ready 1). It is also important to make arrangements for pets. Pets may not be accommodated in a hurricane shelter for cleanliness and hygiene reasons (Bevan 54). Thereby it is necessary to contact the nearby humane societies to cull out information on local pet shelters (Bevan 54). It is useful to get one’s home ready in case of an imminent hurricane. In case a house is already provided with hurricane shutters, it helps to look to it that one has extra screws and washers in one’s possession. In case a home does not have access to precut plywood to bolster the windows, it helps to look into the storeroom to locate anything that could serve the purpose. It really helps to hurricane proof the home well in advance. In the case of an approaching hurricane, it happens to be quiet pragmatic for the families to prepare family communication plans (McGinnis 60). The family members may get separated after or before the storms start. In such a case the family members s hould recognize an out of state contact as a contact point for all the family members. It should be assured that all the family members know about this contact and have its phone number with them. It is helpful to keep the vehicles gassed up during the hurricane season. It is also pragmatic to check one’s insurance coverage in advance because insurance companies stop extending coverage in case of an approa