Social networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social networking - Essay Example This article starts with the definition of social networking and discusses impact of social networking sites on the personality of individuals. This article discusses that; Some people have ineffective social skills in person and grow dependence on social networking sites to compensate for loneliness ; Conflict at home can result in an addiction to more impersonal interactions on a social network ;Addiction to social networking may be caused by an individual's lack of self esteem ;Because social networking is so common, young people may simply copy their peers' behavior. Discussion is concluded with findings about the issues. Social networking is defined as follows ; ( Web -What Is Social Networking?  ) â€Å"Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will. Although social networking is possible in person, especially in the workplace, universities, and high schools, it is most popular on line. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the internet is filled with millions of individuals who are  looking to meet other people, to gather and share first-hand information  and experiences about cooking, golfing,  gardening,  Ã‚  developing friendships  or  professional alliances, finding employment, business-to-business  marketing and even groups sharing information about the end of the Mayan calendar and the Great Shift to arrive December 21-2012. The topics and interests are as varied and rich as the story of our world. When it comes to online social networking, websites are commonly used. These websites are known as social sites. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users. Depending on the website in question, many of these online community members share common interests in hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking website you can begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profile pages of other members and possibly even contacting them.† Some people have ineffective social skills in person and grow dependent on social networking sites to compensate for loneliness. It has been generally observed that in effective social skills may persist in off line and online communication. (Web-Newsweek ) â€Å"There are more than 300 million people in the United States, and sometimes it seems like all are friends on Facebook. However, the sad truth is that Americans are lonelier than ever. Social isolation in all adults has been linked to a raft of physical and mental ailments, including sleep disorders, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of depression and suicide Studies have shown that loneliness can cause stress levels to rise and can weaken the immune system. Lonely people also tend to have less healthy lifestyles, drinking more alcohol, eating more fattening food, and exercising less than those who are not lonely. Some of the most profound loneliness can happen when other people are present. People tend to measure themselves against others, feeling particularly alone in communities where social connection is the norm. That is why collectivist cultures, like those in Southern Europe, have higher levels of loneliness than individualist cultures. For the same reason, isolated individuals feel most acutely alone on holidays like Christmas Eve or

George and Lennie Essay Example for Free

George and Lennie Essay The title of the book comes from a poem by the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns. Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck. It is set in California in 1930s during the time of the depression. During this time of depression, people lived in poverty, finding it difficult to gain employment and often had to search ranch to ranch for employment. At this time people were inspired and motivated by the American dream a dream of a land in which life should be better and richer. This, however was nothing but a lost dream. They went on to search for a job, which would fullfill, their dreams. In Of Mice and Men we know that there are characters that have a dream. A dream that they are really working hard for and there are characters whose dreams are already taken away from them. I think John Steinbeck wrote this so he can provide the reader with a historical and social viewpoint and background of life in the 1930s. An outsider is someone who does not fit in to the mainstream of Society. In this essay I will write about Candy, the oldest person on the farm. Crooks, the crippled Negro and Cuerlys wife, the only women in the book, who did not even get a name. I have chosen them because they dont fit in with the other characters. In the 1930s Curleys Wife represents people who were ignored and suffered from loneliness. First of all John Steinbeck does not reveal the name of Curleys Wife as he thinks she is not important which makes me think that she has no other part to play other than being Curleys Wife. Curlys Wife is stuck on a farm when she thinks she should be in Hollywood.

To Dam, or Not To Dam Essay -- Marc Reisner Ecology Environmental Essa

To Dam, or Not To Dam â€Å"The River, slightly milky from glacial sediment, tumbles down rocky chutes, boils through tight canyons, and glides across beds of agatelike stones. In the distance, poking through storm clouds, are plunging slopes dense with virgin hemlock and fir†¦Intruding into this primeval scene are two decrepit dams† (Reisner, 382). In this essay by Marc Reisner, his standpoint on the issue of dams is very well seen. Reisner talks of the ecological damages that dams create. The debate over dams has been heated in recent years, their harmful effects and overall abundance is the topic for such debates. But are dams as bad as everyone says they are, do dams do more harm than good, or more good than harm? Emphasis should be placed on comparing the ecological effects verses the economical benefits. There are many pros and cons for the ecological side of this debate. One pro is that dams help areas that would otherwise be waterless and barren support life. Taken from a pamphlet prepared by the Committee on Public Awareness and Education, â€Å"Water is the vital resource to support all forms of life on earth. Unfortunately, it is not evenly distributed over the world by season or location. Some parts of the world are prone to drought making water a scarce and precious commodity, while in other parts of the world it appears in raging torrents causing floods and loss of life and property. Throughout the history of the world, dams and reservoirs have been successfully in collecting, storing and managing water needed to sustain civilization† (CPAE, 1). This is a major benefit to the ecology of the world, as the quote stated water is the basis of life, the human body depends on water for survival. Although ther... ...to benefit the United States. Even those who oppose dams benefit from them in one way or another, destroying them would give our nation’s economic system a detrimental blow. Finally for the solution for this dilemma, I don’t believe there is an general solution. Each dam should be looked at individually, if the costs outweigh the benefits, then it should be destroyed, and vice versa. The issue of dams will not be easily solved. Ever since the first dam was built there has been controversy, and as long as one stands so will the debate. References McKibben, Bill. Daybreak. In A Forest of Voices: Conversations in Ecology – 2nd Edition (pp. 156-169). Mayfield Publishing Company. Committee on Public Awareness and Education. (1997, May). Benefits and Concerns About Dams – an Argumentaire. Retrieved March 3, 2003, from http://www.icold-cigb.org/BandC.PDF

Bias in Abstinence-Only Education

In addition to being an ineffective deterrent to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, abstinence only education prevents young women from making well informed decisions about their sexuality. Cases of teen pregnancy and STD/HIV infections is on the rise despite the government allocating funds for abstinence only programs. This paper seeks to look at the government policies with regard to abstinence-only education programs and its relationship with unwanted pregnancies.It is a known fact that sexual abstinence is being practiced in all countries in the world as a sure way of preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Men and women of all ages who are not ready to accept the risks that accompany sexual activity embrace abstinence which is a normal and acceptable practice. As a way of expressing love, affection and tenderness, majority resort to intercourse and sexual activity. Sex is also being used by couples to strengthen their relationships.However, it has often been argued that using sex to cement relationships can distort one’s judgment. Among women, having sex may strengthen the feeling of love but do not actually cement or deepen the relationship. Exploring sexual behavior within an environment of deep commitment where having children is considered as a possibility is always rewarding. Majority of people are however not prepared for commitment hence opt for abstinence until they develop a stable relationship. Abstinence is 100% effective in protecting an individual from sexually transmitted.However, if the majority of the population could realize its effectiveness, then we would not be having such headlines like the ones we have seen in the past of teen births being on the rise. However, abstinence is not an easy practice considering how strong sexual drives are among humans. The rate of teen births steadily declined since 1991 and this could have been because of the intensive educational campaigns that were initiated d uring that period. These campaigns included encouraging people to use contraceptives and condoms and enlightening people on the risks of Aids and sexually transmitted diseases.However, today statistics now show an increase by 3% in teen births the first time ever in 14 years. (Wilson, Kelly, Patricia,2005) Is it that the sex education programs that the government adopted are no longer working? The government has tried to show some effort in curbing STDs and unwanted pregnancies. The first federal abstinence-only program was enacted in 1981 and this was designed primarily to support pregnant and parenting teenagers. This came through the adolescent Family Life Act which was also passed the same year.AFLA also funded â€Å"abstinence-only† programs meant to encourage responsibility and self discipline among teenagers (Abstinence Only Programs 2008, p. 2). Abstinence-only program’s purpose was to teach the general population and especially the teenagers how they stand to gain from abstinence. It also sought to teach abstinence from pre-marital to all schooling children. The abstinence-only program was supposed to teach the values of abstinence with regard to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.According to this program, the expected standard of human sexual activity revolved around a mutually faithful monogamous relationship. However, with all these well clarified goals, current scientific research shows that this program is ineffective. A study of ‘abstinence-only-until marriages’ program inferred that the classes fail to serve its goal of delaying the onset of sexual activity the young people. An evaluation of 11 of these programs showed that they do not have a lasting positive effect on the asexual behavior of young people (Ibid 4).Instead of a positive effect on the young people they showed a negative willingness to use contraceptive because the program emphasized on contraceptive failure. It has often been reiter ated that abstinence-only programs endanger the youths because adolescents are denied complete information. These programs fail to provide contraception information and in some cases, they have been accused of providing wrong information which may lead to youths forgoing contraceptive use. Teens are exposed to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases because of lack of responsible sex education.Only safer sex intervention can reduce unprotected sexual intercourse as compared to abstinence only programs. The Federal Fund for abstinence -only programs have negatively influenced schools. Avery good example involves the Gloucester High school in Massachusetts with the summer vacations beginning 17 girls at the school are expecting babies (Kathleen Kingsbury, Wednesday June 18, 2008). This proves further the failure of the program to curb pre-marital pregnancies. In order to reduce the prevalence of this at the school a local pediatrician advocated for the prescription of contraceptiv es.However, this has been met with hostility. Amazingly it is the desire of these teens to get pregnant and this only proves how distorted their perception towards life is. An effective sex education program should include teaching teenagers about abstinence even though it is not sufficient in itself. A complete and accurate information about reproductive health should be the core of teenage education. This should include abstinence prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and above all prevention of pregnancy.Teenagers can only make informed and appropriate decisions if they have access to reliable information about their productive health. Cases like the one at Gloucester High School can only be prevented through enlightening the students on the dangers involved in early pregnancy. Schools should be at the forefront in teaching the science behind sex and factually based reproductive health education. However, much of the sex education should be done at home and young gi rls should be at the core of advice into the dangers of playing with boys.They should be taught the virtues of responsibility and accountability so they may grow up with the full knowledge of the science of reproduction and its purpose. Work Cited Abstinence Only Programs, Center for Gender Studies. 2005 Kingsbury, Kathleen. Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High. â€Å"Time†. Wednesday June 18, 2008 Wilson, Kelly L. Goodson, Patricia Pruit. â€Å"A review of 21 curricula for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. â€Å", Journal of School Health, March 2005 Issue

Music 100 Essay

1. Form in music is different from the form in visual arts because in music it contains a beginning, ending, and the musical events that occur in between. 2. You can describe a composition form on many levels. 3. Binary form have repeated A and B sections usually of the same length. AABB form. Classical music and nursery rhymes are examples of music in binary form. 4. Some of the contexts that call and response is used are socialized interaction, stylized conversation, and imitation. 5. Sonata form is one of the most important forms of the Classical and Romantic periods and remains in use today. It has 3 sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. There is a progression of events that happen and each section plays a different function in developing the piece. (Hast, pg. 302-303, 2010) 6. The basic blues structure is a twelve bar strophic and made up of stanzas (or verses). The bar is a steady grouping of beats; each of this form is a group of four beats. These bars are further grouped into 3 phrases of 4 bars each. (Hast, pg. 304, 2010) 7. The typical sections of a contemporary North Indian classical instrumental performance are: 1) a three part alap (improvisation), 2) a two-part slow or medium tempo gat (composition), 3) improvisations based on the gat, 4) a fast gat, and 5) improvisations based on the fast gat. (Hast, pg. 312, 2010) 8. The performance or free jazz is different than playing the blues because they do not use the same form.

Perfume by Patrick S

Perfume by Patrick S A Story of a Murderer - a Story of FranceIn this very essay I am going to reflect on the vivid description of historical and cutlural contents in the novel "Perfume" - the recognised masterpiece of the modern literature written by Patrick SÂÆ'Â ¼skind in 1984.Before focusing on the novel itself, let us look back into France, the place of the novel's events, into the XVIII century, and outline its atmosphere. At that time this country, together with the most of Europe, was coming through the Age of Enlightenment - a period of intellectual movement that proclaimed rationality and reason as a new means of thinking and building social life. A big step forward was done by science, which got rid of the mystical element and let medicine, chemistry, physics, economics and other branches of knowledge develop.Significant changes in economics were taking place as well. The form of production was turning from shops into capitalistic industrial enterprises; overseas trade arose.The picture show s a gathering of distinguished gue...The leading role in economics started to belong to merchant manufacturers who posessed raw materials. There were also national enterprises - royal manufactures.In cultural respect, the synonym of the French Enlightenment is stronly associated with the name of Voltaire - dramatist, publicist, historian and philosopher. Such vivid personalities of that time like philosopher and writer D. Didreau, thinkers J.J. Rousseau and Montesquieu, satirist BomarchÂÆ'Â ©, D'Alembert, Robespierre and others should also be menioned.Owing in many respects to all them, the power of mind embraces the society and criticism of church obscurantism arouses. It becomes important to exchange philosophical, scientific and aesthetic ideas between countries. The French language turns into international language of educated people. Together with this, the social class of intelligence is being formed.And now let us get familiar with the details of this...

Healthy Eating Essays

Healthy Eating Essays Healthy Eating Paper Healthy Eating Paper Eating is one of the most important activities that people do everyday. â€Å"All humans eat to survive. They also eat to express appreciation, for a sense of belonging, as part of family customs, and for self-realization† (Rodriguez, n.d.). People eat to satisfy their hunger. The nutrients that food can provide also help people become stronger and healthier both physically and mentally. Eating habits differ from one culture to another. Food types and cuisines also vary across countries. However, no matter how different people are when it comes to their eating habits and to the food they eat, it is essential to remember that eating will not be beneficial if this does not include healthy food products. It will also not be beneficial if people do not observe healthy eating habits. Many people question why they need to eat healthy when they have lived their life without doing so but still remain disease-free. What these people do not realize, however, is that some diseases take time to manifest themselves and can only be seen or detected when it is too late. There are numerous benefits of eating healthy, which include preventing the development of â€Å"heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, some forms of blindness, and birth defects† (Gilbert, Junge Allison, 2003, p.19). Eating healthy also improves ones mood and outlook in life, which can in turn improve his or her relationships with the people around him or her. It can reduce ones stress levels and can provide the energy to be able to do more things in life (Bruton, 2007). Eating healthier would also decreases the chances of becoming overweight and battling obesity, which is one of the most serious problems that the United States is facing at this time. The number one reason as to why people prefer to practice unhealthy eating is because the food products that are healthy are not as tasty and delicious compared to the food that they normally eat. Further, Weinstein (2004, p.98) indicates that there are three reasons why people choose to eat unhealthy foods: â€Å"(1) they are conditioned to have an emotional attachment to certain foods; (2) they are bombarded by the relentless advertising and marketing campaigns of the manufacturers of these food products; and (3) they have hormonal imbalances.† These things make it difficult for people to change their eating habits and become healthier. Aside from the numerous diseases and illnesses that people may develop from unhealthy eating, they may also develop eating disorders that can affect their growth, development, and mental status. Anorexia is an eating disorder that the person becomes too thin but he or she still does not eat because of fear of getting fat (Medline Plus, 2009). This is a serious eating disorder because anorexia can lead to death. Numerous fashion models have been reported to have died due to anorexia mainly because of the demands of the industry but also because they do not know how to eat properly and healthily. Many teenagers are conscious about their bodies and how they look. They choose not to eat at all to become thinner and lose weight. What they do not know is that this will only make their health much worse. These young people need to be educated that to be able to achieve and maintain the body that they want, they would have to practice healthy eating habits and a positive lifestyle. Another eating disorder is bulimia, which is the act of overeating and then feeling guilty about it afterwards and purging the contents of one s stomach by vomiting or the use of laxatives (Medline Plus, 2009). People who suffer from this type of eating disorder believe that purging themselves will not make them gain weight, which makes overeating acceptable. Overeating allows them to lose self-control and the act of purging is a way for them to compensate for their actions. Like anorexia, bulimia can also lead to death and serious physical and mental problems. Binge-eating is eating in such a way that the person loses self-control and overeats. This leads to obesity. People who are unable to practice good eating habits and eat healthy food products become overweight and obese, which can lead to heart problems and diabetes. Overeating along with an unhealthy lifestyle can make a person overweight and obese. This will make life difficult for the individual because he or she will not be able to do all the things that he or she needs to do and has greater chances of having low self-esteem and confidence because they do not feel good about themselves and how they look.

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons Government healthcare refers to government funding of healthcare services via direct payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers. In U.S. government healthcare, doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals are not employed by the government. Instead, they provide medical and health services, as normal, and are reimbursed by the government, just as insurance companies reimburse them for services. An example of a successful U.S. government healthcare program is Medicare, established in 1965 to provide health insurance for people aged 65 and over, or who meet other criteria such as disability. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world, democratic or non-democratic, without universal healthcare for all citizens provided by government-funded coverage. 50 Million Uninsured Americans in 2009 In mid-2009, Congress is working to reform U.S. healthcare insurance coverage which presently leaves more than 50 million men, women and children uninsured and without access to adequate medical and health services. All healthcare coverage, except for some low-income children and those covered by Medicare, is now provided only by insurance companies and other private-sector corporations. Private company insurers, though, have proven quite ineffective at controlling costs, and actively work to exclude healthcare coverage whenever feasible. Explains Ezra Klein at the Washington Post: The private insurance market is a mess. Its supposed to cover the sick and instead competes to insure the well. It employs platoons of adjusters whose sole job is to get out of paying for needed health care services that members thought were covered. In fact, multi-million bonuses are awarded annually to top healthcare executives as incentive to deny coverage to policy holders. As a result, in the United States today: Over a third of families living below the poverty line are uninsured. Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely to be uninsured as white Americans while 21% of black Americans have no health insurance.More than 9 million children lack health insurance in America.Eighteen thousand people die each year because they are uninsured. Slate.com reported in 2007: The current system is increasingly inaccessible to many poor and lower-middle-class people... those lucky enough to have coverage are paying steadily more and/or receiving steadily fewer benefits. Latest Developments In mid-2009, several coalitions of Congressional Democrats are heatedly crafting competing healthcare insurance reform legislation. Republicans have generally not offered substantive healthcare reform legislation in 2009. President Obama has voiced support for universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which would be provided by selecting among various coverage options, including an option for government-funded healthcare (aka a public plan option or public option). However, the President has stayed safely on the political sidelines, thus far, forcing Congressional clashes, confusion, and setbacks in delivering on his campaign promise to make available a new national health plan to all Americans. Healthcare Packages Under Consideration Most Democrats in Congress support universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which offers various options for insurance providers, and includes a low-cost, government-funded healthcare option. Under the multi-option scenario, Americans satisfied with their present insurance can opt to keep their coverage. Americans dissatisfied, or without coverage, can opt for government-funded coverage. Republicans complain that the free-market competition offered by a lower-cost public-sector plan would cause private-sector insurance companies to cut their services, lose customers, would inhibit profitability, or go entirely out of business. Many progressive liberals and other Democrats believe strongly that the only fair, just U.S. healthcare delivery system would be a single payer system, such as Medicare, in which only low-cost government-funded healthcare coverage is provided to all Americans on an equal basis. Americans Favor Public Plan Option Per the Huffington Post about a June 2009 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll: ... 76 percent of respondents said it was either extremely or quite important to give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance. Likewise, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan - something like Medicare for those under 65 - that would compete for customers with private insurers. Twenty percent said they were opposed. Background Democrat Harry Truman was the first U.S. President to urge Congress to legislate government healthcare coverage for all Americans. Per Healthcare Reform in America by Michael Kronenfield, President Franklin Roosevelt intended for Social Security to also incorporate healthcare coverage for seniors, but shied away for fear of alienating the American Medical Association. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Medicare program, which is a single payer, government healthcare plan. After signing the bill, President Johnson issued the first Medicare card to former President Harry Truman. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed his wife, well-versed attorney, Hillary Clinton, to head a commission charged with forging a massive reform of U.S. healthcare. After major political missteps by the Clintons and an effective, fear-mongering campaign by Republicans, the Clinton healthcare reform package was dead by Fall 1994. The Clinton administration never tried again to overhaul healthcare, and Republican President George Bush was ideologically opposed to all forms of government-funded social services. Healthcare reform was a top campaign issue among 2008 Democratic presidential candidates. Presidential candidate Barack Obama promised that he will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. See the entirety at Obama Campaign Promises: Health Care.    Pros of Government Healthcare Iconic American consumer advocate  Ralph Nader sums up the positives of government-funded healthcare  from the patients perspective: Free choice of doctor and hospital;No bills, no co-pays, no deductibles;No exclusions for  pre-existing conditions; you are insured from the day you are born;No bankruptcies due to  medical bills;No deaths due to lack of health insurance;Cheaper. Simpler. More affordable;Everybody in. Nobody out;Save taxpayers billions a year in bloated corporate administrative and executive compensation costs. Other important positives of government-funded healthcare include: 47 millions Americans lacked  healthcare insurance  coverage as of the 2008 presidential campaign season. Soaring unemployment since then have caused the the ranks of the uninsured to swell past 50 million in mid-2009.Mercifully, government-funded healthcare would provide access to  medical services  for all uninsured. And lower costs of government healthcare will cause insurance coverage to be significantly more accessible to millions of individuals and businesses.Doctors and other medical professionals can focus  on patient care, and no longer need to spend hundreds of wasted hours annually dealing with insurance companies.Patients, too, under government healthcare would never need to fritter inordinate amounts of frustrating time haggling with insurance companies. Cons of Government Healthcare Conservatives and libertarians oppose U.S. government healthcare mainly because they dont believe that its a proper role of government to provide social services to private citizens. Instead, conservatives believe that  healthcare coverage  should continue to be provided solely by private-sector for-profit insurance corporations or possibly by non-profit entities. In 2009, a handful of Congressional Republicans have suggested that perhaps the uninsured could obtain limited medical services via a  voucher system and tax credits for low-income families. Conservatives also contend that lower-cost government healthcare would impose too great of a  competitive advantage  against for-profit insurers. The  Wall Street Journal argues: In reality, equal competition between a public plan and private plans would be impossible. The public plan would inexorably crowd out private plans, leading to a single-payer system. From the patients perspective, negatives of government-funded healthcare could include: A decrease in flexibility for patients to freely choose from among the vast cornucopia of drugs,  treatment options, and surgical procedures offered today by higher-priced doctors and hospitals.Existing patient confidentiality standards, which would likely be diluted by centralized government info that would necessarily be maintained.Less potential doctors may opt to enter the medical profession due to decreased opportunities for highly compensated positions. Less doctors coupled with skyrocketing demand for doctors could lead to a shortage of medical professionals, and to longer waiting periods for appointments. Where It Stands As of late June 2009, the struggle to shape healthcare reform has only begun. The final form of successful healthcare reform legislation is anyones guess. The American Medical Association, which represents 29% of U.S. doctors, opposes any government insurance plan mainly because doctors  reimbursement rates  will be less than those from most private sector plans. Not all doctors oppose government-funded healthcare, though. Political Leaders on  Healthcare Reform On June 18, 2009, Speaker of the House  Nancy Pelosi told the press I have every confidence that we will have a public option coming out of the  House of Representatives  - that will be one that is actuarially sound, administratively self-sufficient, one that contributes as to competition, does not eliminate competition. Senate Finance Committee Chair  Max Baucus, a centrist Democrat, admitted to the press: I think a bill that passes the Senate will have some version of a public option. Moderate Blue Dog Democrats of the House say the public plan should occur only as a fallback, triggered if private insurers arent doing a good enough job on access and costs, per  Rob Kall at OpEd News. In contrast, Republican strategist and Bush advisor  Karl Rove recently penned a harshly dire  Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he warned that ... the public option is just phony. Its a bait-and-switch tactic... Defeating the public option should be a top priority for the GOP this year. Otherwise, our nation will be changed in damaging ways almost impossible to reverse. The  New York Times wisely summed up the debate  in a June 21, 2009 editorial: The debate is really over whether to open the door a crack for a new public plan to compete with the private plans. Most Democrats see this as an important element in any  health care reform, and so do we.

Germany and the germans class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Germany and the germans class - Essay Example Prussia came out of the war stronger than it was before because of his military skills. He gave the press the freedom to express themselves and he also established common religious toleration. He managed to protect the people from the law by having a quick judicial process, torture was abolished and the capital sentence was made at his discretion. He developed infrastructure and agriculture. That is how he built his legacy in his time (Woloch, 54). Joseph II lived between 1741 and 1790. He was the Roman emperor and ruler and during his tenure he managed to finish what his mother had started. His reforms were political, economic, judicial and social oriented. He changed the education system by separating it from the monarch and finding the best scholars. The executive and judiciary were separated at the strategic level and he did this to the lower levels of this arms. He managed to make the General hospital a top hospital in Europe. He gave the press their freedom and established an equality of religion. He also transferred ownership of the theaters to the actors to enhance their performance. He also managed to emancipate the Jews which gave the culture a boost. His war tactics also gave his kingdom a competitive edge and position (Woloch, 67). His reforms were well rounded as he touched each and every aspect of the

Systems Analysis Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Systems Analysis Portfolio - Assignment Example The essence of this system analysis will be to identify the gap that exists between OCI’s current achievement and its industry benchmark. This will be done by the use of a system diagram, which will indicate a hypothetical industry position as against the perceived position that the company wants to reach. After this, the existing gap will be clearly identified from the diagram just as it has been indicated below. From the work of the turnaround team, the current weaknesses of the OCI system are clearly exposed. The first of this is the slow nature of the system currently being operated at the workplace. Meanwhile, where there is a slow system, the entire organizational process tends to be affected negatively. This is because of the relationship between speed and continuous process improvement (CPI). Where there is a system that can be run on a proactively fast pace, efficiency can be sure to be guaranteed (Shook, 2009). The system has also been described as being in a state of subtle cycle of decay. This means that the system has virtually lost its relevance for the current market competition. In such a situation, the resulting consequence is the ineffectiveness of the system, as the system fails to serve the purpose for which it has been implemented. The analysis diagram above gives four major areas of requirement for development. The first of this is client acquisition and project selection. Over here, the issue of proper advertisement for vacancies ought to be emphasized. There is also the requirement for member recruitment, which is currently in a huge gap from industry benchmark. It is important to standardize the recruitment process to always get the best and right materials for the company. This is because the recruitment process is required to be the first step in getting the right client base for the organization. Team dynamics is another requirement for development. Dynamism refers to a situation where

African American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

African American History - Essay Example Due to industrialization, the north comprised of educated people both blacks and whites (Morgan, 68). As a result of the differences in northern and southern economies, perceptions about slavery also differed between the two economies. According to Morgan (68), the northern whites worked alongside the blacks in the industries and the blacks were not subjected to degradation. Some whites owned slaves who worked in farms and houses and one could buy his/her freedom. On contrary, the southern slaves did not mix with whites; they were slave societies. The African-American slaves were considered inferior to the whites hence subjected to hard work under poor working conditions. The northern was religious and believed in the unalienable rights of all human beings. Slavery was thus abolished in the north and all slaves freed. However, even after the emancipation proclamation by Lincoln, the south used Ku Klux Klan to maintain white supremacy; the blacks were denied the right to vote as they were inferior race. However, both the south and the north agreed that they were more superior since t hey were more educated and due to their color (Duiker & Spielvogel, 497-498). Frederick Douglass is considered the father of integration. He advocated for the abolition of slavery in America and believed in the virtues entailed in the declaration of independence; right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (Myers, 2011). He also believed that the blacks could enjoy the rights, privileges and immunities that were enjoyed by the whites. He advocated for self-elevation or self-sufficiency to be able to acquire the same status as the whites. For him, dependency on the whites was out of question. The blacks needed education in order to be at the same level as the whites hence he advocated for removal of segregation in schools. All human beings are equal, hence the whites and the blacks could perform same tasks, have same rights of voting

How did Fashion contribute to making 1920s America the Roaring Essay

How did Fashion contribute to making 1920s America the Roaring Twenties - Essay Example The paper "How did Fashion contribute to making 1920s America the Roaring Twenties" talks about the fashion and how it made America the Roaring Twenties. Women of the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† defied social customs and announced their rights loud and clear. They began smoking and drinking alcohol in public, and that was a social taboo prior to that time. Refusing from bustles and corsets clothing designers gained the freedom and greater variety of creative expression. Outfits became daring and, even, provocative. Women of the twenties preferred short dresses and rolled the stockings beneath their knees, as well as wore bright-colored lipstick. Bare knee and short hair were socially acceptable for the first time in western history of fashion. Flappers, the brightest representatives of that fashion epoch, did not actually emerge until 1926. A true flapper had short, smooth hair and a flat chest; they wore a short shapeless shift dress and make-up in public. Flappers exposed their legs and arms as well as smoked with a long fashionable cigarette holder; they spent all nights long by dancing to emphasize the rebel spirit. Beyond such transformation in style, the twenties were marked by female rebellion against gender-based standards. Finally, the 19th Amendment of Constitution granted the woman with voting right. As an indicator of surrendering to the inevitable, the American men became more and more accustomed to the women's new social and political position. High fashion was for the wealthy women.

White lies and integrity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

White lies and integrity - Essay Example In the political arena, it is particularly unacceptable for elected officials to hide facts from the people as they would prevent them from making informed decisions on public affairs and policy. In the personal sphere, some people may find white lies more justifiable. A common example is a loving family member who attempts to hide the negative prognosis of her dying relatives, fearing that the bad news will further aggravate the relative’s health. Although such a lie may sound more like an act of love, it remains a violation to another person’s autonomy as it takes away her chance to evaluate the decision and make the best decision for herself. Every person has the natural right to freedom and each rational human being should be the most capable person to determine what his/her best interest is. Thus, not only are white lies dishonest and lack integrity, they may be self-defeating in the sense that they may at the end harm instead of protect the person. Returning to the example of the dying relative: if the relative has known that she is dying soon, she would have ended the hospital treatment and spend the remaining of her life relaxing at home; however, since she does not know the true prognosis, she continues the hassle of going to the hospital every day. In this case, her health may be harmed by the white lie. She would be better off if her relative tells her the truth and allow her to decide for herself. Projecting this line of argument to the bigger picture, we as Americans may be hurt by the so-called white lies government officials present to us. This issue is especially controversial as the concern towards national security and international terrorism is severely heightened. After the 911 attack, it appears that the Bush Administration was allowed to conduct every operation in the â€Å"war of terrorism† under the name of homeland

How did Fashion contribute to making 1920s America the Roaring Essay

How did Fashion contribute to making 1920s America the Roaring Twenties - Essay Example The paper "How did Fashion contribute to making 1920s America the Roaring Twenties" talks about the fashion and how it made America the Roaring Twenties. Women of the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† defied social customs and announced their rights loud and clear. They began smoking and drinking alcohol in public, and that was a social taboo prior to that time. Refusing from bustles and corsets clothing designers gained the freedom and greater variety of creative expression. Outfits became daring and, even, provocative. Women of the twenties preferred short dresses and rolled the stockings beneath their knees, as well as wore bright-colored lipstick. Bare knee and short hair were socially acceptable for the first time in western history of fashion. Flappers, the brightest representatives of that fashion epoch, did not actually emerge until 1926. A true flapper had short, smooth hair and a flat chest; they wore a short shapeless shift dress and make-up in public. Flappers exposed their legs and arms as well as smoked with a long fashionable cigarette holder; they spent all nights long by dancing to emphasize the rebel spirit. Beyond such transformation in style, the twenties were marked by female rebellion against gender-based standards. Finally, the 19th Amendment of Constitution granted the woman with voting right. As an indicator of surrendering to the inevitable, the American men became more and more accustomed to the women's new social and political position. High fashion was for the wealthy women.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 16

Globalization - Essay Example It is all about the monumental structural alteration occurring in the procedures of production and distribution in the global economy. This requires the existence and development of an information and communications infrastructure that is advanced and based on a proper communication system as well as better methods of dissemination of information. Globalization has brought about a shift in the traditional balance of power between nations in the global arena in that it has broken many barriers that restricted the movement and reach of people through networking and has given more power to distinct entities to influence both markets and the nation-states thus producing a super-empowered individual (Gilbert 173). Beyond all numbers, globalization has at least three impacts to all countries that embrace it in that it leads to fast economic growth, reduction in poverty and increasing more job opportunities. It pulls the countries out from their detachment into the competitive world that leads towards new collaborations and unity thus greatly reducing the distance and isolation that exists in the world into a global village making life extremely easier and comfortable. One of the most crucial advantages of globalization is that it has led to the generation of very many employment opportunities to the unemployed as well as income generation to the people in the host country as the migration of people has become easier thus leading to even better jobs opportunities. Similarly, globalization has expanded the capabilities of people to increase their ability to lead long and healthy lives, that has enabled them to cultivate and make good use of their talents thus affording them lives of dignity and self-actualization. This is done by increasing the stock physical capital, new technologies, changing institutions, altering incentives among others (Marmolejo 103). The formation of employment and opportunities to acquire

Women and Marriage Essay Example for Free

Women and Marriage Essay Women are confusing, complicated, and they can stress you out sometimes. On the other hand, they can make your entire day better whether it is a smile, hug, or just to give you extra support in life. That brings up the topic of marriage and for what reasons women ever think of getting married. The word marriage can be misinterpreted, and thought about very differently depending on your culture. Marriage in the eyes of most Americans is to represent a legal way of which to express how much you love and care for your partner. Most Americans never realize that marriage in other cultures can be put in to play for much different reasons. One other form of marriage is called marriage of convenience which is a marriage or joint undertaking arranged for political, economic, or social benefit in which rather than to love each other you get married to gain more power. All things a side marriage in general takes much time, effort, and most importantly understanding. Marriage, if looked at without bias, most people conclude that women are the main targets in society for the fact that they lose much freedom, rights, and not to mention their dignity. Men, on the other hand, gain things from the experience and do not have to worry about losing anything. I know that seems like a very unfair statement for all the men out there, but not only have I done surveys to prove it but all men know the facts. In the past, women would hand over everything to their husbands once they got married in which they didn’t have much of a choice. If the women would not have gotten married they would have had to live with their parents until they did get married, rarely did women live on their own and if they did they had little to no rights. The husband would work in the fields and bring home the money; while the women (wife) with no say in the matter, would have to stay home watching the children, cooking, and cleaning. Women not only were mentally treated like slaves, but were physically enslaved; if the husband got angry and hit his wife, she would have no choice but to just take the beating. Also, in that matter if the husband wanted sex he could force his wife to have sex with no consequences for his inhumane actions. For this matter, in the past the men had full control and power over his wife in ways that if those actions were performed in the present times the husband would not only be ridiculed but punished several times for his ridiculous mindset. Women in time became more powerful and started to declare their independence from the current mindset of American men that tried to degrade women. Men always thought they were superior to women, but they never could have imagined that women would stand up demanding the same fairness as men throughout the entire United States. Women were not even able to vote or even make any decisions in life in the recent past. Men had all the power to make not only his own decisions but also make his wife’s’ decisions. During World War 1 when the men were fighting over seas the women took it upon themselves to go work in the factories to prove how much independence they really had. At that time women started to realize how great life could be making decisions and having dignity. After that period of time women started forcing America to change for the better and women started gaining extensive amounts of respect. Over time women started wanting equal rights throughout the United States so in time women started gaining rights including voting, working, and even having the right to live on their own. Many men thought that women were not capable of fulfilling the same duties as men but are slowly finding out that there philosophy is completely wrong. Over time men have been working in the same careers as women and even to this day gender problems still occur on a daily basis. In fact a huge change in gender stereotypes came when fathers would become a stay at home father as the women would work to support the household. The women of America have created a total revolution in the framework of our society. When women get married in present times they still lose some freedom, but much dignity is kept for the sake of womens’ fight in society through the years.

Tasks And Skills Of A Quantity Surveyor Construction Essay

Tasks And Skills Of A Quantity Surveyor Construction Essay The construction industry is global and extends across all real estate and infrastructure markets. As the construction projects grow in complexity and size, it is immediately clear that many quantity surveyors have diversified into providing project and building management services. Quantity surveyor (QS) is the recognized cost managers of construction as well as accountant of the building profession. The term Quantity Surveyor derives from the role taken in quantifying the various items of labour, material and plant that it takes to construct a given project. Quantity surveyor is the specialist in the financial and contractual aspects of construction projects. QS is involved at all stages of the project and is usually appointed by the architect or engineer who has designed the construction. The QSs traditional independent role on the team comprising client, architect, engineer, QS and contractor has given him a reputation and appreciation for fairness. This, combined with his expert ise in drafting and interpretation of contract documents, enables him to settle issues, avoid disputes and ensure the effective progress of a project. MAJOR TASKS OF A QUANTITY SURVEYOR Allocating work to subcontractors The QS has to interact with the site employees and employees from subcontracting organisations. The QS distribute the works to subcontractor firm. Valuing completed work and arranging payments is also one of the tasks of the QS. Once the works done, QS has to approve payments made to suppliers, employees and subcontractors. Managing costs on site and dealing with cost reconciliation A quantity surveyor is able to manage costs on a wide variety of new building projects and structures such as residential developments, sports stadiums, shopping complexes, roads and bridges, schools, hospitals, offices and factories. The QS controls cost before, during and after construction. Costs are managed from the feasibility stage of a project and continued to do so right through to tendering and construction. When a building project is complete, QS may be involved in preparing tax depreciation schedules, estimating replacement costs for insurance purposes and, if necessary, mediation and arbitration. analysing outcomes and writing detailed progress reports; Advising on the cost The QS provides cost advice for a project at inception, during construction and for any unplanned changes that occur. The QS also provides estimation during the initial stages of the process of construction procurement for the project initiators such as developers. The QS has to advise from time to time on cost management, or value management. The QS plays important role during the design phase. The QS throughout the design and construction process is required to advise the client on any cost implications that may arise. Such advice will be necessary irrespective of the procurement method used for contractor selection or tendering purposes. However, the advice will be especially crucial during the projectà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s inception. During this time major decisions are taken affecting the size of the project and the quality of the works, if only in outline form. The cost advice given must therefore be as reliable as possible, so that clients can proceed with the gre atest amount of confidence. In addition, the QS provides post-occupancy advice, facilities management services and life cycle costing advice. Preparing tender and contract documents A bill of quantities (BOQ) is a document detailing the materials, parts, and labour required to construct, maintain, or repair a structure or device. Preparation of bills of quantity for work in progress and the final accounts is also done by QS. The technique of measuring quantities from drawings, sketches and specifications prepared by architects and engineers, in order to prepare tender/contract documents, is known in the industry as taking off. The quantities of work taken off typically are used to prepare bills of quantities, which usually are prepared in accordance with a published standard method of measurement (SMM) as agreed to by the QS profession and representatives of the construction industry. Many larger QS firms have their own in-house methods of measurement and most bills of quantities prepared today are in an abbreviated format from the one required by the SMM. Emphasizing contracts management The QS also emphasizes contracts management. Trained to draft, interpret and administer complex contracts, QS who operates in the broader field of project management often adopt other titles such as Contracts manager or Construction surveyor. A number of QS work in procurement in the oil gas industry, process and power industries, and civil engineering. Their preferred title, in countries where the QS profession is less known, is Contracts engineer. The QS analyses tenders, prepare and analyze cost data and perform contract administration including evaluate interim payments to contractors, charge variations and claims and settle contract accounts. The role of a contractors QS will extend further than the day to day running of building projects and will cover such other areas as sub-contract formation, forecasting of costs and values of the project, cash flow forecasts and the collation of the operation and maintenance manuals of the project (OM manuals). The skills required by a Quantity Surveyor Being a good Quantity Surveyor, there are numerous skills required in preparing and ensuring good quality of documents for construction projects. As a professional Quantity Surveyor, knowledge in Mathematics, Information Technology(IT), Economic, Human Resource, Science, Business, Global Politics, Global General Knowledge, Geography and etc are crucial. Information technology continues to develop at an exponential rate. Virtually everyone involved in the construction industry now has extensive access to this technology. A qualified QS should be computer literate, that is, familiar with the common uses or applications of computers. Good IT and numeracy skills, together with the ability to analyse the content of complicated documents are important to be a Quantity Surveyor. The QS is able to learn sophisticated design and costing IT packages when the QS uses the computer effectively. In addition, the QS should be proficient in Mathematics. This is a bonus point when the QS is managing the cost of the construction. A well-trained QS understands both of construction techniques and technology. The QS also needs knowledge of construction law, health and safety issues, building methods and time scales, and the costs of materials. Detailed knowledge of past and current building and construction technology, business and legal matters is essential for the QS. Besides, a sound knowledge of building construction is also vital for the QS. These knowledges are required to ensure that the project is undergone smoothly. Moreover, good communications skill is necessary to express your opinions verbally as well as on paper. The ability to write clear and precise reports and to relate complex information simply to a diverse range of people are also done by the QS. Hence, the language skills are one of the skills required b a successful QS. The QS are advisable to master English. Majority of the contracts are written in English. The QS is unable to understand the contracts well due to poor language skills. Other languages such as local language in respective area are also advisable for a QS to smoothen QSà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s work during communicating with the clients. The QS is always involved in a construction team, which included architects, civil engineers, mechanical electrical engineers, quantity surveyor and etc. Good negotiating skills are important, as is initiative to make decisions. The QS has to negotiate with a wide variety of people, which means that the QS would have to listen to the opinions of others as well as giving your own point of view. Therefore, the QS must works well in a team which may require the QS to motivate and lead people on site. As a quantity surveyor, a logical and methodical person is needed in problem solving. With logical thinking, the QS uses reasoning consistently to come to a conclusion which is seem sensible. The attitude of the QS must be optimistic all the time once the project begins. The QS shows the willingness of doing jobs throughout the whole process. Passion and dedication should place in the heart of the QS in order to achieve high quality of works. Creative and innovative during solving the obstacles are crucial to the QS. Accuracy when preparing the bills of quantities is vital for the QS. A little difference in calculations will affect the whole presentation of works. Thus, the QS is always careful with the calculations to avoid any careless mistakes. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the existence of Quantity Surveyor is getting more important in the construction field. Quantity Surveyor is involved in a construction project from inception to completion and even demolition in some instances. Besides acts as the financial overseer of a particular project, QS translate the plans into detailed costs. Quantity Surveyor helps to minimize the time scales, the costs of a project and enhance value for money, while still achieving the required standards and quality. A professional Quantity Surveyor is equipped with the strong language, technical and communication skills. Strong base in Mathematics and English helps in speeding up the work as well as reducing the time scale. The QS must be flexible to any kind of work conditions such as site and office.

Jewish Christian Relations Essay -- essays research papers

While we speak about the tenuous relationship between Christians and Jews dating back to the time of Christ, the seeds for the schism within Judaism may have been planted more than 500 years prior. Jeremiah was one of a group of distinguished prophets whose works became part of the Old Testament canon. The Jewish "wisdom" prophets lectured, warned and blamed all who would listen about the sins of their own people, the resulting punishments that God had prescribed for them, and what they had to do to get back into God's good graces. Some prophets targeted Jewish monarchs as an idolatrous distraction which prevented the people from properly hearing the Word of God. Other prophets still maintained that Jews should continue to believe that God would not abandon his chosen people. Regardless of the specific message, it was clear that the overall prophetic approach to God’s covenant with the Jewish people was changing. "A good century after the return from Exile...the doctrine of retribution, of God's righteousness, which rewards and punishes...had been shattered," said Catholic theologian Hans Kung in his book Judaism: Between Yesterday and Tomorrow (Kung 113). In the passage quoted from Jeremiah above, the prophet is predicting that a new covenant would be formed between God and his people, an agreement that would supersede the pact made between Moses and God upon Sinai and at the Red Sea. The first covenant, Jeremiah indicated, would become null and void because of the sins of the Jewish people. The new covenant would absolve these sins and reaffirm God's fidelity to his people. "This famous prophecy provides the foundation and the core of the central theological teaching of the New Testament," said The Collegeville Bible Commentary on the Old Testament. "It underlies, but without explicit references, much of the 'new life' theology of St. John and is central to the teaching of Jesus in John's Last Supper discourse." (Collegeville 469). While Jeremiah is interpreted from many perspectives, some early Christian apologists proof-texted his words as an indication that the Jews had been cast aside by God because they had not remained faithful to Him and his Mosaic covenant. Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophesies, so some claimed, and the Jews would remain shunned and doom... ...0/18/97). In fairness, over the first 1900 years after the Jewish schism, not all of Catholic and Christian attitudes toward Jews were uniformly oppressive. For limited periods of time, there were tolerable conditions in some countries for people of the Jewish faith. There were also some Catholic leaders who found ways to show tolerance and understanding toward the Jews. It also must be noted that there was, conversely, contempt in word, writings, and deeds displayed by rabbinical Judaism toward Christians during these centuries as well. Recent efforts by Jewish historians such as David Biale of Berkeley emphasize the success, achievements, and power bases that Jews did have at various points during this time period (Kung page 159.) Although it predominates its history, the Jewish heritage is not simply one of continual suffering, persecution, and subservience. Nonetheless, the majority of available historical evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that theologically-fueled anti-Semitism prevailed during the nineteen centuries following Christ's death, and many of these attitudes and persecutions provided logical segues which led up to 20th century European anti-Semitic atrocities.

INBM Essay

Catch of the day Kalastaa Inc. have been in the local Finnish aquaculture industry for nearly fourteen years. They raise salmon and trout for local markets, and have recently negotiated a deal with a small fish processing plant that distributes under a major product label in Finland. Although they run a rather small operation, employing 16 people year-round, Kalastaa believes they are in a position to export some surplus and perhaps broker further deals with fish processing plants around the European Union. They do want to maintain ties with the local fresh fish markets, but sales have been steadily decreasing since the sudden influx of cheaper Scottish salmon on the market. They know their stock is of higher quality and could be exported abroad quite profitably. Kalastaa has contacted the government and enrolled in small business export initiatives. This has enabled the company to attend aquaculture conferences abroad and offered them the opportunity to network and make contact with DanskFisk, a Dut ch importer. Plenty more fish in the sea? DanskFisk was eager to negotiate a contract for 2 tonnes of Finnish salmon to distribute to a number of clientele throughout the country. Payment of credit was arranged by a Dutch bank. The documents required were a commercial invoice, the insurance policy, a marine bill of lading, and a certificate of quality. Kalastaa has arranged to have their fish inspected by a nationally accredited standards organization. Both parties agree in their contract that Kalastaa will pay freight to Rotterdam and will also insure the shipment. Once the salmon has been delivered, DanskFisk will assume all responsibility. The Finish Food Inspection Agency reports to Kalastaa that the fish to be exported is of superior quality, with a fat content of 11 percent. The  certificate of quality includes a code for superior quality and also states a color code that is standard to the Salmofan scale. Colour coding is a common practice in the fish industry and provides a method of standardization for something as subjective as colour. Both in production and sales, colour is the most important quality parameter for salmon. Salmon buyers can request information on the colour of a delivered lot in the form of a number corresponding to a colour number on the Roche scale. Another salmon colour reference is the colour number on the Salmofan scale. Kalastaa’s bank, acting as their export advisor, contacts the  company to tell them that the letter of credit has fallen though because the certificate of quality is vague and it cannot be ascertained if the shipment has passed its quality certification. Somethin g is fishy†¦ The documents were delivered directly to the buyer for payment. DanskFisk insists on inspecting the shipment upon arrival. DanskFisk is not an experienced salmon importer, and usually deals with Spanish Blue Fish and Irish Char. They are not in disagreement that the salmon shipment has passed quality inspection. Upon DanskFisk’s inspection, they claim that the fat content of the stock is much higher than is claimed in the quality inspection. They reject the sale and will accept substitute goods, but are claiming damages for loss of profit. Kalastaa management wonder if they need to rethink their exporting strategy. Case Study Discussion Questions 1.  Which shipping vessels would be most appropriate for Kalastaa to ship their product to Rotterdam? 2.  Describe the purposes for each of the export documents that Kalastaa need to provide to secure documentary credit. 3.  Which Incoterm would best represent the terms of sale between Kalastaa and DanskFisk? 4.  Would Kalastaa have benefited from employing a freight forwarder? Explain.

“Habit is a great deadener”. In what ways does Waiting for Godot illustrate this idea? Essay

Habit and routine form an important part of the play Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett. The play, a famous product of the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’, is characterized by a circular structure which doesn’t lead anywhere, repetitive dialogue and a general absurdity. It witnesses two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who spend the entire two acts waiting for Godot. The routines they develop throughout the play are mainly a result of their attempts to pass the time. Habits such as fiddling with objects and telling stories become part of their routine and seem like a good way to get through the waiting. However, as Vladimir himself says, â€Å"habit is a great deadener† (Beckett 105) and eventually their habits deaden them. The term â€Å"deadener† implies that the habits make the characters even more bored and that instead of helping them, they lead to their downfall and make their lives even more meaningless. This essay will discuss the habits developed by the various characters and explore whether they indeed illustrate the idea of habits being a deadener. Through this, it will also discuss what Beckett is trying to prove about habit in human life in general. One habit that is developed in Waiting for Godot by both Estragon and Pozzo is fiddling with objects. This habit is portrayed mainly through the stage directions and is therefore visual action instead of words. Estragon uses objects such as his boot in order to pass time. â€Å"Silence. Estragon is fiddling with his boot again† (Beckett 37). In this stage direction, Beckett places Estragon’s fiddling within a silence which shows how he tries to fill the void by playing with his boot. This habit is formed out of boredom and therefore designed to relieve it. Through this, Beckett seems to be commenting on how human beings rely on habits in order to give their lives meaning and security. However, instead of making life more interesting, the repeated fiddling only reinforces the monotony in the play making the characters even more bored. Pozzo on the other hand fiddles mostly with his watch, â€Å"cuddling his watch to his ear [†¦] he puts his watch back in his pocket† (Beckett 37). He repeatedly takes his watch out, consults it, puts it away, and gets it out again in a very routinely manner. He does not only do this to pass the time; it is also a way for him to prove his superiority through the material objects he owns. It is important for him to continuously assert his power and position. However, instead of giving him power, this habit eventually contributes to his downfall. In the second act, Pozzo becomes blind and loses all his power. A second way for Pozzo to prove his power and seek attention is by performing which also becomes habitual. At several occasions, Pozzo takes on another role and starts performing in order to entertain the others and become the centre of attention. He usually performs dramatic monologues, â€Å"tirelessly torrents of red and white light it begins to lose its effulgence† (Beckett 38). This sentence clearly shows his eloquent diction chosen to impress his audience and again prove his superiority. The varied syntax of this particular speech, ranging from complicated poetic sentences to short crude phrases, makes it interesting to his audience and shows how he is indeed acting. Every time he takes on a role, he ensures that everyone is paying attention to him because that is his ultimate goal. Routines are a way for people to define themselves by what they habitually do. But again, this habit turns out to be a deadener which is illustrated by Pozzo’s sudden change of status in the second act. Suddenly he is blind and no one pays attention to him anymore. He repeatedly asks for help but no one responds and this proves how his habits deadened him. A similar habit to that of performing is telling stories. It is one of the first habits to be introduced in the play and is again a way for them to fill the time. In the beginning of the play, Vladimir attempts to tell his first story, but Estragon repeatedly interrupts him: â€Å"two thieves, crucified at the same time as Our Saviour. One – / our what?† (Beckett 6). This habit is almost an immediate deadener as it fails to achieve its goal of passing time and giving them something to do. Estragon’s interruptions undermine Vladimir’s capabilities as a story teller and turn the stories into meaningless, circular debates. Instead of storytelling becoming a routine to give their lives meaning, it becomes a reinforcement of the meaninglessness of their existence proving that they aren’t going anywhere. None of the routines or habits they develop is helping. They are in fact doing the opposite and making their situation worse. They are still stuck waitin g for Godot and always will be. Waiting in itself could be considered as a deadening habit. It is definitely the dominating habit in the play as they are continuously waiting. The phrase â€Å"we’re waiting for Godot† (Beckett 51), which also inspires the title, is the most repeated sentence in the entire play. The fact that it is repeated so many times shows how desperate and meaningless their situation has become. The repetition of the phrase emphasises its importance to the overall play because even though it is very simple, it sums up the entirety of the play. This habit is arguably the most deadening of all as it prevents them from leaving and going on with their lives. It forces them to stay put and thereby takes all the meaning out of their existence, diminishing them to mere spectators rather than participators in life. A final habit that Estragon and Vladimir develop is that of staying together. In staying together, they attempt to avoid the insecurity of being lonely and try to use each other to confirm that their lives do have meaning. â€Å"I felt lonely†, says Vladimir when Estragon falls asleep (Beckett 10). This simple sentence is the very essence of why they develop the habit of staying together. Even though Estragon is physically there, Vladimir has no one to talk to anymore and this agitates him. They need each other even if they don’t always get along in order to confirm each other’s existence. At the slightest threat of being left alone, they panic and therefore stay together as a matter of necessity. The above quotation invokes pathos in the audience as they realise how strong their reliance is upon one another and therefore how low they have sunk as individuals. They are trying to avoid insecurity through their habits, but Beckett is implying that this is impossible and that habits will lead to monotony and insignificance in your life. Instead of profiting from each other, staying together prevents them from moving forward and thereby deadens them. Habit is indeed a deadener and Waiting for Godot illustrates this in numerous ways. All four characters in the play have been deadened by their habits and instead of their routine saving them, they caused their downfall. It seems as if Beckett is trying to illustrate how habit affects people in reality. It is unavoidable as human beings to develop habits. It is almost like a natural mechanism in order for us to avoid absurdity in life. However, Beckett implies, one has to accept absurdity as it is part of life. Habits won’t give us the security we need, they will only bring monotony and eventual deadening to our lives as happened in Waiting for Godot. This play is obviously part of absurdist theatre and therefore an exaggeration, however Beckett seems to be relating it to real life to a certain extent. He seems to be advising to prevent from developing habits and instead accept the randomness that unavoidably accompanies life. Work cited: Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Grove Press: New York, 1982.

My Inspiration

All throughout life, we come across people who, in the course of our mingling with them, become an inspiration to us because of different reasons. He or she could be a parent, relative, a friend, a neighbor, teacher, or anybody who we deal with on a daily basis. In my case, the person who serves as my inspiration is my next door neighbor. My parents are both very busy working in order to provide our family's daily needs. So raising me was a bit of a predicament for them. As luck would have it, we have a next door neighbor who is a motherly soul. She came forward and volunteered to keep an eye on me while my parents were at work. She does not have any children of her own and as far back as I could remember, spends most of her time in her home tending to her garden. She is like a second mother to me.   My parents were so glad to leave me with her because she made sure to instill discipline and values in the child left in her care. She says that I am the child she never had. She is proud of me just like my parents are. I am so close to her that sometimes, my mom gets jealous because I ask our neighbor for her opinion on anything I want to do. What my parents do not know is that this neighbor of ours was there for me at a very trying time in my life. When I was being bullied and failing my subjects in school. She helped me realize my potential as a student and learn to respect myself as a human being. Since I would come over to her house directly after school, she spent her afternoons tutoring me and helping me with my other schoolwork. Even when I was at my dumbest and when my parents had given up on me learning the task at hand, she always supported me and told me that I could do it. I just needed to figure out how I could accomplish things in a way that made me comfortable. Each time, I would amaze my parents because of what I was able to accomplish. My life is going great right now. I like the person I have grown up to be and I know that I can accomplish more, as I grow older. All of this is because of the unconditional, inspirational support my next door neighbor gave and continues to give me.    My Inspiration All throughout life, we come across people who, in the course of our mingling with them, become an inspiration to us because of different reasons. He or she could be a parent, relative, a friend, a neighbor, teacher, or anybody who we deal with on a daily basis. In my case, the person who serves as my inspiration is my next door neighbor. My parents are both very busy working in order to provide our family's daily needs. So raising me was a bit of a predicament for them. As luck would have it, we have a next door neighbor who is a motherly soul. She came forward and volunteered to keep an eye on me while my parents were at work. She does not have any children of her own and as far back as I could remember, spends most of her time in her home tending to her garden. She is like a second mother to me.   My parents were so glad to leave me with her because she made sure to instill discipline and values in the child left in her care. She says that I am the child she never had. She is proud of me just like my parents are. I am so close to her that sometimes, my mom gets jealous because I ask our neighbor for her opinion on anything I want to do. What my parents do not know is that this neighbor of ours was there for me at a very trying time in my life. When I was being bullied and failing my subjects in school. She helped me realize my potential as a student and learn to respect myself as a human being. Since I would come over to her house directly after school, she spent her afternoons tutoring me and helping me with my other schoolwork. Even when I was at my dumbest and when my parents had given up on me learning the task at hand, she always supported me and told me that I could do it. I just needed to figure out how I could accomplish things in a way that made me comfortable. Each time, I would amaze my parents because of what I was able to accomplish. My life is going great right now. I like the person I have grown up to be and I know that I can accomplish more, as I grow older. All of this is because of the unconditional, inspirational support my next door neighbor gave and continues to give me.   

Political significance of the Second Amendment Term Paper

Political significance of the Second Amendment - Term Paper Example When the issues are conflicting with each other, the highest court remained silent. The Supreme Court keeps silent about the issues and interpretation of the Second Amendment. It diverts itself to other issues such as adjustments in constitutional rules of criminal procedure and doctrines affecting obscenity, libel and time, place, and manner restrictions on speech, the Second Amendment are simply ignored (Lund, 1987). This paper will review the true meaning of the Second Amendment and the cases of the Supreme Court which illustrate the controversy of the topic. The Real Meaning The Second Amendment states that â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.† The controversy arise from the phrase â€Å"a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State† where one group of commentators treats the phrase simply as statement of purpose and maintain s that the Second Amendment individual rights to keep and bear arms (Lund, 1987). ... ) stated that the right to bear arms is a political right.  The time the Bill of Rights was proposed, British tyranny was fresh in everyone’s mind; hence, it was to fight tyranny that the second amendment was adopted (Noga, 2011). The Second Amendment was all about protecting liberty and countering the threat from a standing army (Noga, 2011). But still, in the pre ratification debate, both Federalists and Anti-Federalists agreed the federal government should not have any authority at all to disarm the citizenry (Noga, 2011). There are conflicting understandings of the phrase stated above. The laypersons or ordinary prudent men favour or understand the â€Å"individual right† interpretation of the Second Amendment. On the other hand, those who belong in the academe and court, the â€Å"collective right† interpretation is more dominant. The reason why this â€Å"collective right† interpretation is more dominant than the â€Å"individual right† is b ecause the leaders or those in the legal profession believe and favour the restrictive regulations on the ownership and use of firearms as a matter of social policy (Lund, 1987). According to Lund (1987), the advocates of the â€Å"collective right† interpretation focus almost exclusively on the text â€Å"well regulated Militia† which they argue that it implies the right to keep and bear arms is strictly restricted to officially organized military units. However, the term Militia was used. This is why until now there is no clear meaning of the Second Amendment because there is no clear and agreed meaning of the term â€Å"Militia." But there were arguments on what the term â€Å"Militia† protects. Some argued that the Second Amendment did not mention the right of state to regulate the militia (Lund, 1987). It is argued if the state

Leadership and Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Leadership and Management - Assignment Example Management and leadership emphasizes on building efficient organizational activities which will maximize the productivity of the company. The complexity of the healthcare organization could be sensed with the help of the management theories, facilitating better control and coordination in the functioning. Management theories are proposed with a view to provide differing schools of thoughts to the organizational managers for managing their organizations. However, management is an art, not a science, so the managers could find different strategies for the different situations, issues, etc., that may arise in an organization as well as for the different employees working there. That is, instead of following a similar strategy for all the situations, issues, employees, etc., relevant strategies could be followed in line with the situational theory. In addition, other management school of thought such as Contingency theory, Classical theory, Behavioral theory, Systems theory and Chaos the ory also imply on adopting different strategies. It will help the managers to choose the right type of theory that would best meet the requirements of the issue in hand and employees who are involved in. Speaking of employees, successful management theory would provide the managers efficient ways to coordinate with the human resources department of the organization to bring out the best in their employees. Similarly, various leadership theories such as Mark Follett’s Situational Leadership Theory, or White & Lippitt’s Authoritarian, Democratic and Laissez-faire Theory, or Eric Berne’s Transactional Leadership theory provide similar perspectives of how leader should act according to the situations in hand. It is essential for the leaders to evaluate the inner traits and behaviors of the employees, and then exhibit appropriate leadership traits. â€Å"Setting a direction, motivating and inspiring people, being credible and visionary, and anticipating and coping w ith change are also characteristics associated with leadership.† (Clarkson 2009). Challenges in practice: While practicing management and leadership in a healthcare organization, both technical and adaptive challenges are bound to occur. It is essential to realize that an effective management is required to solve the technical challenges while the adaptive challenges need to be handled by leadership. It is essential for them to identify and allocate among themselves the challenging issues related to healthcare organization such as safety, quality of services, clinical knowledge and skills. Thus, they need to share and distribute the resources for achieving the objectives. Task II Motivational Theories: By providing optimum motivation, healthcare