Reflection Of Reflection On Reflection - 1492 Words

Four preliminary questions are useful to frame philosophical analysis of introspection. First, in what does introspection consist? In general terms, introspection is a way to recognize, to learn or to be aware of our own current and recently past mental states and processes, and to self-attribute those states and processes. As opposed to retrospection—the reflection of strictly past events and experiences—introspection focuses on concurrent states and processes as they happen in our mind or occur in the stream of consciousness, and enables us to describe and report our thoughts and experiences—it does not imply that some dose of short-term memory is not necessary for introspecting though. However, introspection does not necessarily result in verbally reporting our mental states or processes aloud; we may generate judgments about them and these can be reported or remain in inner speech. Henceforth, introspective judgments and reports are also called upshots or deliverances of introspection. The distinction among introspective judgments, introspective reports, and the introspective process itself is relevant. Judgments and/or reports may count as steps or parts of the introspective process, but are not reducible to it. Now, we might say that the sense of awareness at stake alludes to a faculty of self-probing our mental states and processes together with our abilities to form judgments of our states and processes, and to report them accordingly, e.g. whether a specificShow MoreRelatedReflection On Personal Reflection1307 Words   |  6 PagesPERSONAL REFLECTION 2 PERSONAL NARRATIVE This assignment seems to be the most difficult to write because it will encompass a wealth of information. The most important part of this assignment is the opportunity to reflect on the course assignments and the impact this foundational base will have for future classes. 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International Environmental Action Australia And Guinea

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON- ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION AUSTRALIA AND GUINEA FOOD SCARCITY IN GUINEA: Guinea is regarded as one of the poorest countries when compared to other countries. The main reason of the food scarcity in Guinea is the lack of agricultural productivity. The reason for low agricultural productivity in Guinea is the farmers in Guinea have a very limited access to the information, development in the technological aspects, infrastructures and lack of awareness about the financial and rural services provided by the government. The literacy in Guinea is very low, that is only 15% of adult women are literate, hence the lack of education among the women in rural areas reduces the ability to access agricultural extension services, and†¦show more content†¦Natural disasters such as floods, tropical storms and long periods of drought also cause food scarcity in Guinea. FOOD SCARCITY IN AUSTRALIA: The 2011-2012 ABS suggests that around 2.5 million that is around 12% of the Australians live under the poverty line. One fourth of the above mentioned 2.5 million are children, that is around 620,000 are children less than 25 years, and around 495,500 are children less than 15 years. The poverty rate of poverty in Australia has increased from 10.9% to 11.4 % since the year 2001. Over the last decade the rate of poverty has increased significantly in Australia owing to the single parent families. The rate of poverty of single parent families in Australia is around 19%. The primary reasons contributing to the scarcity of food in Australia are the beaming growth in the population of Australia, the drastic climatic changes, the sudden hike in the prices of oil and natural resources, and the shortage of land and finally the loss of the bio diversity. The other reasons that supplement the food scarcity in Australia are increase in soil degradation and decline in the fertility of the soil, rapid spreading of contaminated food due to the concepts of junk food. GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS FOR FOOD SCARCITY IN GUINEA AND AUSTRALIA: †¢ The government of Guinea has introduced several reforms to create an

Beauty in a Potbelly free essay sample

I sat in a worn wooden chair in front of the mahogany easel. My legs, not yet long enough to reach the floor, swung back and forth with impatience. I gripped the pencil in my hand. I could not wait to become an artist. What would I draw? Beautiful landscapes of the setting sun? Portraits of mysterious women? A whole table full of fresh fruit and golden goblets? I heard the slow boom-cha, boom-cha of my art teacher walking slowly into the room, wearing slippers and carrying a cup of tea in one hand. In his other hand, he held a rusty pot. He placed it on the table in front of me. â€Å"Draw this,† he said as he sipped the tea. â€Å"What?† I was dumbfounded. There was nothing special about this pot, no magic. It was just an old piece of junk, blackened and sooty from the burner with a handle slightly bent out of shape. We will write a custom essay sample on Beauty in a Potbelly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"I want to draw something pretty!† I whined. â€Å"You don’t think that this pot is pretty?† my art teacher replied, his face serious. I didn’t know whether or not to laugh; I just shook my head, no. He did not reply. Instead, he turned around and pulled a book from the top of his shelf. It was a catalogue of paintings that he opened and handed to me. â€Å"Look at this.† I looked where he pointed with curiosity. It was an old, realistic oil painting with a dark background. The painting portrayed overturned goblets of wine, some rotting fruit, and a piece of stale bread. It was sublime. â€Å"Do you see how the artist painted the crust of the bread? You can almost touch it. And look here, at the color of the rust on the pot.† I scrutinized the details of the painting, even running my fingers along the two-dimensional objects. I nodded. â€Å"Do you think this painting is ugly?† he asked. â€Å"No,† I leaned back in my seat, embarrassed. I looked at the saucepan I was to draw, but as if by magic, it had changed. I now noticed the way the metal body of the pot bunched up where the handle was bent in shapely ridges, how the blackness from the bottom crept up the burnished sides like wisps of smoke. I noticed the pale orange mixed with the light brown of rust. At last I glimpsed its hidden charm. It was as if I had discovered access to a new world, and the only way I could share it was to render it on the blank page before me. Over the years, I have sketched and painted countless old pots and common vegetables, as well as a fair share of embellished china and autumn foliage. I found that one subject is not superior to another, but rather, that I was misguided in presuming that only clean, delicate objects could make beautiful art. In fact, some of my favorite pieces of my own work are renderings of unconventional objects. When I finally saw beyond my preconceptions of beauty, the real soul of my subject was revealed to me. I realized that just as the shabbiest objects can become the subject of the most exquisite paintings, and the most run-down pizzerias can serve the best calzones, true insight can come from the most unexpected of places.

Windows 2000 Essay Example For Students

Windows 2000 Essay Windows 2000Windows NT Workstation 5.0 is now called Windows 2000 ProfessionalWindows NT Server 5.0 is now Windows 2000 ServerWindows NT Server Enterprise Edition becomes Windows 2000 Advanced ServerPlus there is a new offering: Windows 2000 Datacenter ServerWindows 2000 Professional will be limited to support only two processors. Windows 2000 Server will be able to support up to four processors. Windows 2000 Advanced Server will support up to eight processors. And Windows 2000 Datacenter Server will support up to 32 processors and additional clustering functionsIt is recommended to have at least 64 MB RAM and 700- 900MB of disc space for Professional and even more for the other packages. For multi-processor configurations, 128MB of memory should be considered minimum. We will write a custom essay on Windows 2000 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Adobe had helped develop a new font called OpenType. That font builds Type 1 and TrueType capabilities into the OS. The new â€Å"Find† command will allow the user to search for available printers on the network. You can specify search criteria to locate all the color printers on the network and then narrow the search by say, the tabloid-size color printer nearest you. Then, with a right click, the systen installs the printer driver, downloads a color management device profile automatically and you’re ready to print. It also has been revamped to now display graphical previews of found graphic images. It also offers a number of Internet-savvy features, uncluding live web links and Net searching. It has a new color management system developed by Linotype-Hell to produce system wide color management that will also extend to Internet Explorer, so that on-line purchases will result in the color the customer expects. Quark a former Mac-only product is now being ported for Windows. The most obvious new feature of Windows 2000 is it’s so-called â€Å"intelligent menus†, which remember a user’s most-used selections. Thus, Windows 2000 learns to hide commands you don’t use often, although these hidden items can be seen by simply pausing at the Start Menu destination for a few seconds. There is a brand new Device Manager that, combined with its plug and play hardware detection and large list of supported hardware, makes it a huge improvement over NT in overall hardware compatibility. New hardware supported it Windows 2000: Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), DVD, FireWire (IEEE 1394), USB Devices, Advanced Configurable Power Interface (ACPI), Multiple monitors, etc. â€Å"IntelliMirror† feature: the ability to automatically restore uninstalled drivers, deleted DLL’s, and other user settings, even if the user’s machine is replaced with a different one. Dial-up Networking is very similar to the DUN in Win 98. Fax services are also provided, including fax logging, a fax queue and print to fax capabilities. The phone dialer has been enhanced with Video Phone and conferencing capabilities. Win 2000 supports FAT32 or NTFS, however you must use FAT16 if you want to share local drives between Win9x, NT4 and Win2000. Fortunately, it is possible to set FAT32 on some drives and leave others as FAT16 or compressed FAT16. This information is based on the features of the â€Å"Release Candidate 1† version of Windows 2000. Computers and Internet

Competency Differences between Baccalaureate nurses and Associate degree nurses Essays

Competency Differences between Baccalaureate nurses and Associate degree nurses Essays Competency Differences between Baccalaureate nurses and Associate degree nurses Essay Competency Differences between Baccalaureate nurses and Associate degree nurses Essay The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP), policy advisors to Congress and the Secretary for Health and Human Services on nursing issues, has urged that at least two-thirds of the nurse workforce hold baccalaureate or higher degrees in nursing by 2010. Baccalaureate Nursing ProgramBaccalaureate nursing programs encompass all of the course work taught in associate degree and diploma programs plus a more in-depth treatment of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities. The additional course work enhances the student’s professional development, prepares the new nurse for a broader scope of practice, and provides the nurse with a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues that affect patients and influence health care delivery.There are distinct differences between the 72 ADN credits and 125 BSN credits required in each of the nursing programs curriculum. The baccalaureate curriculum has a different focus, emphasizing evidenced-based clinical practice and leadership. Additional courses are offered in the baccalaureate curriculum, such as research, statistics, critical thinking, and public health/community health. In addition, the additional units prepare the baccalaureate nurse to pursue graduate study, leading to an advanced degree in nursing.Baccalaureate nursing programs encompass all of the course work taught in associate degree and diploma programs plus a more in-depth treatment of the physical and social sciences, nursing research, public and community health, nursing management, and the humanities. The additional course work enhances the student’s professional development, prepares the new nurse for a broader scope of practice, and provides the nurse with a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues that affect patients and influence health care delivery. Associate Nursing ProgramOn the other hand, students entering associate degree nursing programs are focused on learning the technical aspects of nursing appropriate to providing direct care to patients and families, mostly in acute care settings. The associate degree nursing students learn the knowledge and skills required to care for individuals and families during illness and restoration after medical treatment, and usually practice a more restricted level of nursing care. The knowledge and nursing competencies are limited to direct hands-on patient care in the hospitals and community he alth facilities.The associate degree nursing programs have fewer units and teach only the basics of leadership needed for RN supervision of other health providers. The associate degree nursing programs do not prepare the nurses for graduate study. One might think, Well I want to be a bedside nurse and not a manager. The BSN nurse can and does provide excellent direct patient care. In fact research shows they use evidenced-based practice for better patient outcome, another difference in the ADN vs.BSN level of education. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that the ADN and BSN nurses are not different in skill competency when they graduate, but within a year, the BSN nurses show greater critical thinking skills, better problem solving, and the development of clinical judgment; three skills of increasing importance for the increase in acuity of patients in hospitals and other health care settings. Today, many hospitals are applying for the ANA Magnet status and prefer to empl oy BSN graduates.They encourage their own staff to go back to school for their BSN degree or they give preference in hiring to new BSN graduates. Many hospitals will pay the BSN graduate more, either to start, or through more frequent increases in his/her salary. In conclusion, the answer to the question, What is the difference between an ADN and BSN nurse? is to first answer the question, What do you want to do as a nurse, not just upon graduation or in two years but five and ten years from now? Think of a long term goal, your age, your interests and other personal facts.NACNEP found that nursing’s role calls for RNs to manage care along a continuum, to work as peers in interdisciplinary teams, and to integrate clinical expertise with knowledge of community resources. The increased complexity of the scope of practice for RNs requires a workforce that has the capacity to adapt to change. It requires critical thinking and problem solving skills; a sound foundation in a broad range of basic sciences; knowledge of behavioral, social and management sciences; and the ability to analyze and communicate data.Among the three types of entry-level nursing education programs, NACNEP found that baccalaureate education with its broader and stronger scientific curriculum best fulfills these requirements and provides a sound foundation for addressing the complex health care needs of today in a variety of nursing positions. Baccalaureate education provides a base from which nurses move into graduate education and advanced nursing roles.

The Many Faces of La Llorona Essays

The Many Faces of La Llorona Essays The Many Faces of La Llorona Paper The Many Faces of La Llorona Paper La Llorona, the Crying Woman, is a tale of endless versions told over the centuries by an endless array of anonymous storytellers to scare curious children into doing as they are told. The literary form of orality, though fluid and dynamic, is in this case the force behind the cohesion of the contents of the various versions of this Chicano legend. I shall show that the different contents found in the multiple versions of La Llorona are of the same form, and further, that the variations depend on the locale of settled Chicano populations. In truth, the farther away a distinct Chicano population is from its cultural heritage, the more opaque and sinister the mystic tale of La Llorona is told within that local population. Let us look back to the beginning, the time of Hernando Cortes during Spains conquest over the Aztec tribes of Mexico. This is where the tale of the Crying Woman was said to have begun (La Llorona 79). In this ancient history, La Llorona is part of a holy trinity, mirroring the Christian faith. According to Gloria Anzaldua, All three are mediators: Guadalupe, the virgin mother who has not abandoned us, la Chingada (Malinche), the raped mother whom we have abandoned [Malinche is the basis for many of the La Llorona versions], and la Llorona, the mother who seeks her lost children and is a combination of the other two (3047). We see at the time of the tales birth that the Crying Woman is seen as a mother to the Aztec people and she is crying for her children being lost to the Spaniards and their religion. Here at the origin, amid the still pure Aztec culture, La Llorona is a figure of compassion and respect: not a story to scare children. Though the shortest of the versions, La Llorona in Mexico still has some of the compassion and culture of the long ago displaced Aztec civilization. It reads simply, At night, in the wind, a womans voice was heard. Oh my children, we are now lost! Sometimes she said, Oh my children, where shall I take you? (La Llorona 79). The oral form between this version and the original Aztec version has changed little in content. Both still speak of a sad mother crying for her lost children. However, the meaning between the two has changed. Where the ancient version sees a mother goddess crying for a lost culture, the Mexico version tells of a family in dire straits, lost within the howling winds of the cold night. Time has carried the Mexico version away from its Aztec culture. As a result, the meaning of La Llorona has changed for this group of the Chicano population. In La Llorona in Texas, the contents of the tale have changed drastically from the previous two accounts. In this version, a vaquero [cowboy] sees a haunting vision of the wailing woman near a river. He is terrified of the apparition, and in his terrified state yells at the ghost as he draws his pistol, Now Im going to kill you (La Llorona 80). There is no longer any mention of the children she is known to be crying for in the other versions. Instead, we have a man afraid of a woman, which is a stark contrast to the macho culture of Chicano men. As the Chicano culture moves farther away from its roots, both in distance and time, the more poisoned the tale becomes to its listeners. Even farther away from their ancestral lands than the Chicano populations of Texas are those of California. Within this version, La Llorona in California, the tale has taken on a dark and horrible tone. No longer is the Crying Woman a holy mother, no longer is she a mother with lost children in the ebony night, nor is she just a wandering ghost along a lonely river. Now she has become the stuff of childrens nightmares. One part of the tale goes, She told Him [God] that†¦she had thrown one [her child] down the toilet†¦another had been thrown into the sea†¦and that she had thrown the other one into†¦a river (La Llorona 79). We now are told to see her as a murderous beast that has drowned her own children: a far cry from the noble goddess of the Aztecs known for her compassion. Even more, we are told that she does this deed so to continue her wild life of sin, not wanting to be tied down by children (La Llorona 79). In interviews with two different people of Chicano culture, I found yet two more variations of the tale. In the first interview, with Ofelia Chavez, I was told that the tale of La Llorona was revealed to her by her mother as the story of a weeping mother whose children had died when rossing the Rio Grande River. It is a parable teaching of the dangers of crossing the border. In the second interview conducted with Sallie Babb, La Llorona was the story of a ghostly woman wandering the night in search of children. Babb related to me that as a little girl, her mother would tell her and her siblings not to go out after dark or La Llorona would snatch them away forever. Chavez is from West Texas an d Babb is from the border area of the Rio Grande River. Even with that slight distance between them, the tales that each heard vary in their contents in extreme ways. When asked, neither of them knew of La Llorona as a tale of a compassionate mother-goddess crying for her lost people from the days of the mighty Aztec Empire. As the Chicano culture is separated from its past, it loses respect for itself. Walter Ong has said, †¦oral societies live very much in a present which keeps itself in equilibrium or homeostasis by sloughing off memories which no longer have present relevance (Orality and Literacy 46). So it may be that although the oral literatures may change, it may not necessarily be a detrimental act. Like La Llorona in the view of Chavez, it is a story told to teach of the hazards of the borderlands. Ong also points out, When generations pass and the object or institution referred to by the archaic word is no longer part of present, lived experience, though the word has been retained, its meaning is commonly altered or simply vanishes (Orality and Literacy 47). In other words, when a people forget their roots, they change, or even lose, the oral interpretations handed down from storyteller to storyteller. The result is a loss of self for that people. They have no history that can be recalled to remind them of what they were and how great they were, and more importantly, what they are capable of becoming now. If you cut off the roots of any plant, then it will die. It is the same way with cultures. It is fact that the various versions of La Llorona arise from the distances in both time and miles. But why do these changes occur? It may be that as population groups from one culture amalgamate into the culture of another (i. e. Mexican into American), the smaller population tends to be suppressed by the larger dominant culture. As a result, the smaller population group is either forced unwillingly into blending their oral literature with the opinions of the dominant culture in order to survive in a foreign land, giving up their tales to the past to be lost forever, or adapting the stories to better teach the next generation lessons of life in a changing world. This is why the form of oral literature is so important to who we are as a people and as individuals. How can we know who we are and where we are going if we dont know where we come from? Personally, I cherish the stories my grandfathers would tell of my ancestors and how I came to be a cornucopia of Cherokee, French, German and English heritages that today define who I am in this world. Without orality in literature, I could not possibly with any truth say I know who I am and where Im going. It is a lesson for all of us. Word Count: 1480 Anzaldua, Gloria. from Borderlands/La Frontera. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd ed. Gen. Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 3042-3065. Babb, Sallie. Personal interview. Testerment, Charles A. 23 September 1998. Chavez, Ofelia. Personal interview. Testerment, Charles A. 16 September 1998. La Llorona. Hispanic American Literature: An Anthology. Ed. Rodolfo Cortina. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group, 1998. 79-80. Ong, Walter. Some Psychodynamics of Orality. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. New Y ork: Methven, 1982. 30-77.

The Crusades and it's effect on Medieval Art Research Paper

The Crusades and it's effect on Medieval Art - Research Paper Example Historically, seven main Crusades have been recorded with the earliest being in 1095 and the last in 1291 marked by the fall of Acre. These seven Crusades have more recently been referred to as â€Å"The Great Crusades†. The Crusades comprised of a volunteer army ranging from peasant to laborers where women were encouraged to participate only by giving money; Moreover, a number of the crusades were named; for example the Albigensian Crusade, Northern or Baltic Crusades and Children’s Crusade (â€Å"Crusade Basics†). Impact on Medieval Art The Crusades were unsuccessful considering their initial aim as no lasting conquests over the Holy Land were made. The mutual respect between Muslims and Christians was instead destroyed and replaced by a harsh intolerance (â€Å"The Christian Crusades†). Nevertheless, not all was bad; the Crusades played an enormous role in boosting the economy of Europe as trade interactions expanded. The Medieval period was between 300 AD, end of the Roman era, and 1400AD, beginning of the Renaissance era (â€Å"Introduction to the History of Medieval Art†). ... However, at the start of 1150, the styles changed, and this gave birth to the period termed by historians as the Gothic period. This change was attributed to a combination of aspects of art, religion and philosophy (â€Å"Introduction to the History of Medieval Art†). The major difference between churches built at this time and those built using the Romanesque style is that they featured narrow-pointed arches coming from high pillars. Hence, this architecture gave rise to cathedrals as the structures became bigger in size than they were. This together with the unique design of stained glass was meant to relay an image of Heavenly Jerusalem, a place where human matters were to be forgotten (â€Å"Introduction to the History of Medieval Art†). Effect on gathering of new relics and uprising of pilgrimages For assisting and protecting pilgrims to the Holy Land, military orders were established: the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. They were monastic orders where the members had to take vows of poverty and chastity and in addition, undergo military training (Snell). The Crusade era was characterized by production of sacred relics that included rings, crosses, holy water flasks and terracotta souvenir pilgrim flasks. Some of the artifacts had images that symbolized religious actions such as receiving of blessings. These artifacts were possessed by both the crusaders and the knights that accompanied them, and they went on to improve trade relations across Europe. The relics gathered during this era consisted of not only holy items, but also the remains of holy people and sites (â€Å"Art of the Crusades Era†) Through the Crusades period, the expedition from various destinations within Europe

British legal system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

British legal system - Essay Example The situation in question states that Mike was travelling on the road perpendicular to Betty and continues to go through the red light as Betty starts to go and the resulting consequence. It needs to be considered whether a duty of care is owed or whether there is a breach of duty on Mike's part. Assuming that the injuries to Anne and Betty bare caused by Mike's negligence and that harm is not too remote, Mike will be liable in damages to both Anne & Betty and if Betty can give evidence then Betty being able to recover damages under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 and Fatal Accidents Act 1976, respectively. Whether Betty has any contributory negligence or not needs to be ascertained. To impose liability upon Mike there is a need to justify his negligence. It is established that all road users owe a duty of care to other road users (Nettleship v Weston2). It follows that Mike and Sue have a potential duty to Betty and Anne in respect of the harm both suffer. That harm, respectively personal injury and property damage suffered by Betty and personal injury suffered by Anne, both of which appear to be foreseeable consequences of a road traffic accident. Whether Mike and Sue are in breach of the duty of care owed to Betty & Anne requires consideration of the magnitude of risk, the seriousness of the harm suffered, the utility of the defendant's conduct and any precautions, which might have been taken guard against the risk. Betty does not take legal action against Mike trusting on Julian's advice. Julian is a corporate solicitor who solely deals with mergers and acquisitions. Betty asked him for legal advice in relation to her accident when Julian had came around to visit her. However Betty mentions her situation to another solicitor who tells her she could have received a sizeable amount in damages if she had gone ahead with a claim against Mike timeously. In such condition Betty need to consider Julian's liability and Anne may sue against Mike for damages personal injury claims, medical and other expenses, lose of expectation or and lose of earning. To impose liability or take reasonable steps against Julian cases need to be examined which indicated whether Julian owes any duty towards Betty. In Murphy v Brentwood District Council3, the House of Lords held that the council was not liable on the basis that the council could not owe a greater duty of care to the claimant than the builder. In doing so the court also overruled Anns v Mertonlondon Borough Council4 and the two-part test, preferring instead a new three-part test suggested by Lords Keith, Oliver and Bridge in Caparo v Dickman5]. In order to impose liability on the employers, Betty has to established foresight, proximity and fairness and it is the current test. In Caparo industries v Dickman [1990], the shareholders in a company bought more shares and then made a successful takeover bid for the company after studying the audited accounts prepared by the defendants. They later regretted the move and sued the auditors claiming that they had relied on accounts,

Relations between Venezuela and the United States Essay Example for Free

Relations between Venezuela and the United States Essay To create a speech/presentation about Venezuela-United States relations, with a focus on the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Topic: Relations between Venezuela and the United States, with a focus on the Chavez administration. Purpose: To be able to analyze the roots of the current state of Venezuela-United States relations as well as its future, given the existence of the Chavez government. To say that relations between Venezuela and the United States are very shaky is already an understatement. This is because the foreign policy of the US in Latin America is a â€Å"rhetorically concealed fusion between popular elections and imperial appointments† (Landau 29). The US has a long history of overthrowing Latin American governments that show even the slightest hint of favoring the poor. As soon as they get word about a pro-poor Latin American leader, the US government would flex its political, economic and military muscles in order to replace him or her with a pro-US head of state. The end of the Cold War did not change this scenario. Since 1999, seven Latin American leaders were overthrown due to their pro-US stance. Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned from the Bolivian presidency in 2005 due to massive popular revolts over his pro-US economic strategies. Paraguay’s Raul Cubas stepped down in 1999 due to charges of corruption and involvement in the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria Argana. Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad was toppled from power in 2000 because of his adherence to free trade (Landau 29). The regime of Peru’s Alberto Fujimori ended prematurely in 2000 mainly due to his bloody suppression of anti-US political dissent. The collapse of the Argentine economy in December 2001 because of neo-liberal policies resulted in popular revolts that forced President Fernando de la Rua to resign (Landau 29). But Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is a Latin American leader that can be hardly described as a Washington lapdog. His pro-poor policies earned him immense respect and support from the Venezuelan masses, three consecutive presidential terms and harassment from the White House. The relationship between the US and Latin America has traditionally been that of a master and a slave. Since its first arrival on Latin America in the 19th century, the US clearly wanted nothing more from the continent but unlimited access to its natural resources (O’Brien 180). But changing political realities in the 20th century prompted the US to attain this objective in a more subtle fashion. For most of the 20th century, therefore, the US projected itself to Latin America as the â€Å"good neighbor† (Gilderhus 71) – an indispensable ally in the continent’s struggle against the Great Depression, the Axis Powers and Communism. But it was not until the postwar era that this â€Å"good neighbor† facade of the US became even more pronounced. Intensifying Latin American nationalism in the 1950s threatened US political and economic interests in the continent. The US, needing all the resources and allies it could get in order to challenge the Soviet Union in the global contest known as the Cold War, looked for an excuse to intervene in Latin America. Thus, American policymakers associated nationalism and Communism (O’Brien 181). This association between nationalism and Communism on the part of American lawmakers is valid to a certain extent. Prevailing economic conditions during and immediately after World War II led to the emergence of leftist politics and labor militancy throughout Latin America. In Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, for instance, postwar economic recovery and programs promoting industrialization resulted in the growth of manufacturing workers from about 50 to 60 percent. Increasing urban workforces, in turn, translated to larger and more militant labor movements that called for better working conditions and greater economic benefits. Furthermore, Communist parties in Cuba, Chile and Brazil obtained considerable gains in terms of membership and voter support (O’Brien 182). The aforementioned developments did not sit well with Latin America’s elite, who were fearful that leftist politics and labor militancy would make them lose their firm hold over the continent’s politics and economy. They therefore took advantage of the reemerging anti-Communist militancy of the US, using it as an excuse to roll back political reforms, outlaw Communist parties and crack down on independent unions (O’Brien 182). The American government, meanwhile, rewarded them by bestowing on them the political and economic leadership of their respective countries. A bloody, CIA-engineered coup in 1973 toppled the socialist regime of Chile’s Salvador Allende and ushered into power the pro-US Augusto Pinochet (Menjivar and Rodriguez 35). The US-backed Somoza dynasty ruled Nicaragua from 1937 to 1979, robbing the country blind and brutally suppressing all forms of legitimate political opposition (Leonard 1134). Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier became the dictators of Haiti from 1957 to 1986, living off generous amounts of political and military aid from the US (Leonard 243). The dictatorship of the Dominican Republic’s Rafael Trujillo lasted from 1930 to 1961, primarily due to his exploitation of US fears of Nazism during the 1930s and Communism during the Cold War (Leonard 244). Although socialism in Latin America declined in the 1990s, certain economic developments in Venezuela led to its resurgence in the country. Venezuela had abundant oil resources, but its oil industry was developed at the expense of equally important non-oil industries. As a result, the value of the Bolivar fuerte was dependent on fluctuating oil prices. Dropping oil prices forced the Venezuelan government to take out foreign loans and to debauch the currency. Inflation ensued, plunging the Venezuelan economy into poverty (Reid 161). Since Chavez was first elected President in 1998, Venezuela’s oil policy had represented â€Å"a dramatic break from the past† (Ellner and Salas 54). This was mainly because he used the country’s oil profits to come up with numerous social programs that were intended to help the most marginalized sectors of Venezuelan society (Ellner and Salas 54). One of Chavez’s first programs was â€Å"Plan Bolivar 2000,† a civilian-military program that included road building, house construction, mass vaccinations, land reform, the lowering of infant mortality rates, the implementation of a free state-subsidized healthcare system and a system of free education up to the tertiary level (Peet and Hartwick 192). By the end of 2001, the aforementioned program led to an increase in primary school enrollment by 1 million students (Peet and Hartwick 193). Chavez preserved his administration by using oil as a means of forging alliances with like-minded leaders. In 1999, he announced that the Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company PDVSA and the Brazilian state-run oil and gas giant Petroleo Brasileiro were reviewing plans of forming a larger joint oil company. The result of these plans would be Petrosur, an enterprise that was situated on the southern cone of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Petrosur was intended to supply oil to countries under preferential financial terms, encourage large-scale infrastructure such as pipelines and refineries and coordinate oil distribution, exploration and processing. The profits of Petrosur would be used to subsidize social programs for education, healthcare and employment (Kozloff 105). Chavez’s populist reforms earned him a second term in 2000 and a third in 2006. But his manner of using Venezuela’s oil reserves did not sit well with Washington and the Venezuelan elite. Prior to Chavez’s regime, Venezuela was the second largest supplier of oil to the United States (Noreng 74). In addition, PDVSA was controlled by the Venezuelan elites (Ellner and Salas 122). Thus, it was no longer surprising if these two parties joined forces in order to expel Chavez from power. On April 9, 2002, the CTV (Venezuela’s largest trade union organization), Fedecamaras (Venezuela’s largest business federation) and board members of the PDVSA carried out a general strike against Chavez’s oil policies. Three days later, CIA-backed elements of the Venezuelan armed forces staged a coup against him. The coup succeeded in temporarily ousting Chavez and replacing him with Fedecamaras president Pedro Carmona Estanga. Widespread popular protests, however, forced Estanga to resign from the presidency to make way for Chavez (Trinkunas 206). But the CTV, Fedecamaras and the PDVSA would not allow themselves to be defeated. On December 2, 2002, they called for the resignation of Chavez by staging another general strike. The strike lasted for 63 days – the aforementioned parties were forced to finally call it off due to subsequent detrimental effects on the Venezuelan economy. The strike was said to have devastated the Venezuelan economy by costing the latter about 7. 6% of its GDP (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). Venezuelan politics remained turbulent until Chavez consolidated his power by winning a 2004 referendum. Having obtained tremendous political support and immense oil-generated wealth, he then proceeded to strengthen pan-American socialism. He openly established strong political and economic ties with other Leftist leaders in Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. Despite being ridiculed by Bush’s officials as â€Å"Castro’s little buddy† (Landau 30), Chavez won about 63% of the vote in Venezuela’s 2006 national elections (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). At present, it is very obvious that majority of the Venezuelan people continue to support Chavez. In February 2009, 54% of Venezuelans (O’Neill n. pag. ) supported an amendment that would scrap presidential term limits in their country (Llana n. pag. ). Simply put, he would finally be allowed to run for the presidency in 2012. This development is ironic, considering that they rejected in 2007 a constitutional referendum which included the said issue. Moreover, Chavez’s regime was recently criticized for its failure to address acute urban problems such as transport, crime and waste disposal (O’Neill n. pag. ). But the very existence of Chavez’s administration showed Latin Americans that it is possible for them to freely elect their own representatives, as well as choose the form of government which they deem appropriate (O’Neill n. pag. ). His open defiance of Washington’s dictates proved that a Third World nation, with sheer political will and unity of the part of its citizenry, can actually assert itself to the powerful nation on earth. Through Chavez, Venezuela showed that democracy is not measured in terms of how long a leader stays in power. Rather, it is whether or not this head was in fact chosen by the people and would truly serve their interests.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter, written in the 1800's by Anti-Transcendentalist Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells the story of Hester Prynne. Young Hester lived in New England, about the same time witch trials were still conducted, and she is found guilty of carrying a baby whose father she refuses to confess. The punishment for this crime is from then until the rest of her life, Hester had to bear a stitched 'A'; on her breast. This 'A'; carries the namesake of the book, The Scarlet Letter. Although thought to be an embarrassment and form of torture for Hester, this scarlet letter seems to become a sense of pride for Prynne. This scarlet letter grows to become a part of Hester an identification to her child Pearl. The scarlet letter is a constant recurring symbol in Hawthorne's novel, but it doesn't satisfy only one purpose. As many symbols tend to do, the scarlet letter serves numerous functions, which enhance the story. The first and most obvious symbol would be the actual 'A'; that was stitched on Hester's chest. In this example, the scarlet letter was a symbol for the entire world to see and ridicule Prynne for her 'wrong-doing'; This use of public humiliation for Hester was thought to be necessary to punish and teach Prynne a lesson. This puts much focus on the way people harass and torture others simply because they feel other people have done things morally wrong and deserve punishment. While the 'wrong-doers'; are being punished, the punishers in turn commit wrongs. Here many questions arise. Was it wrong for Hester to keep her child's father a secret from the public? Was is wrong for her to have to live her life as a walking, breathing example of what that Boston community thought was bad? Another usage of symbol in this book was what the scarlet letter becomes for Hester. This punishment which was branded into her soul for eternity starts to shift gears as the novel progresses. The sentence for her crime starts to become more a part of her than she would ever have imagined. Although the origin of the 'A'; to the public was, is, and always will be for her crime of adultery, which was at that time considered illegal and immoral, but it also gives her public recognition. The recognition was of course bad at first, but it was still a way that turned all heads, and eyes were on Hester.

Harley-Davidson’s Motivational Programs Essay

History of Harley-Davidson:Today it is hard to imagine Harley-Davidson (Harley) as a low-quality motorcycle manufacturer in severe financial trouble. But that’s exactly what Harley was in the beginning of the 1980’s. Harley motorcycles were of such poor quality that over half of all the cycles produced were effectively inoperable because of missing parts or poor assembly. When Japanese motorcycle manufacturers entered the US market th reliable and well-built bikes, past and potential Harley customers switched over to the foreign brand. The only customers that remained with Harley were its most loyal, technologically savvy ones who were committed to the Harley brand name. As a result, between 1973 and the early 1980’s, Harley’s market share dropped from over 75% to under 25%. By 1984, sales had dropped to $294 million and profit was merely $2.9 million. The future of Harley was nothing but bleak. In order to change the company’s performance and improve the quality of the bikes produced, Harley implemented a series of programs and reorganization efforts to motivate its employees to help Harley turn around. Since Harley was financially squeezed, the bulk of the incentive programs were based on intrinsic motivation, including employee empowerment and increased challenge and excitement in the job. Harley also began offering financial incentives that were tied to specific performance factors. Due to the extraordinarily positive results from these programs, they are still in effect today. Intrinsic Motivational StrategiesEmployee EmpowermentIn order to motivate its employees to improve the manufacturing process, Harley implemented a program that empowered its employees at all levels to take more control of the operations and decision-making in the company. In order to get the best that each employee has to offer, Harley encourages every employee to suggest ideas, involves all employees in major company decisions, and allows its hourly workers to make more decisions than most companies. This not only improves employee morale by instilling a sense of worth in each employee, it also creates a sense of attachment to the company. In turn, this empowerment results in increased dedication to the company, hard work and improved employee performance because each employee is given the power to initiate change and make decisions that affect the company. Furthermore, Harley’s culture supports its strategy of employee empowerment. Harley is a flat organization with only two layers of management that fosters a friendly and collaborative environment. The atmosphere is casual and all employees interact with each other-there are no rigid lines between the management and the hourly workers. This generates a sense of camaraderie and feelings of mutual respect, which in turn facilitates open lines of communication and comfort with speaking up to identify problem areas and possible solutions. In addition, the company does not punish failed ideas or criticize out-of-the-box suggestions. Instead, the company always evaluates the new ideas and rewards employees for creative solutions that work. In fact, in 2001, more than 20% of Harley’s IT staff was internally promoted for creative thinking that resulted in better or faster production. Finally, Harley doesn’t force the added responsibility and power onto the employees and leave them to fend for themselves, adopting a survival of the fittest attitude. Rather, it provides them the tools and skills necessary to succeed in the more challenging and complex environment. Believing that all employees that are expected to take on the responsibility of increased employee power should be equipped with certain necessary competencies, Harley provides training in communication, conflict resolution, team skills, planning, problem solving, decision making, and performance management. For example, Harley-Davidson University, a training program required for all employees, â€Å"teaches employees how to do business stimulation and how to plan for ownership succession since they deal with a lot of goods and services† (How Companies are Managed). Harley even provides hourly workers the skills necessary to be able to market their new ideas to management and their peers. It trains employees on computers and teaches them how to give presentations on PowerPoint and how to use spreadsheets to manage the implemented changes. This commitment to training and education demonstrates Harley’s loyalty to and confidence in its employees and gives them the skills and abilities necessary to make employee empowerment a success for the company and a non-threatening, welcomed aspect of the job to the employees. An example of how employee empowerment motivated an employee to generate change in the production process and therefore financially benefit Harley is when an hourly worker suggested putting two tanks in the pain chamber where he worked. The suggestion was quickly implemented and ended up doubling the productivity in the paint shop! If not for the combination of employee empowerment, the necessary training, and a supportive culture, it is unlikely that this hourly worker would have even discovered the potential improvement in the painting process. Yet, even if he did, he probably would not have cared enough to felt comfortable enough to suggest his idea to his manager. Consequently, Harley would have missed out on the full potential of its employee and would have been less productive in the manufacturing process. Challenging & Enjoyable WorkHarley also motivates its employees by matching its employees with projects that are personally interesting and challenging to each employee. First, management makes the projects more meaningful to the employees by explaining the overall business objectives of the projects and helping them understand the business value of successfully achieving those objectives. For example, Harley doesn’t just promote new technology for technology’s sake, but rather markets the technology’s tangible importance to the customer and the bottom line. This gets the employees interested in the project and excited about achieving the stated goals. Harley also tries to motivate employees by making their work sufficiently challenging. While giving the employees the ability to and pressuring them to step up and initiate positive change in the organization is one strategy to make the workplace more exciting, Harley doesn’t stop there. It also offers all of its employees the chance to work on new technologies, innovative processes and highly-visible projects. Employees are assigned to these activities by â€Å"showing initiative, keeping up with current technologies [or process improvements] and learning soft skills such as how to work effectively on a team and how to talk with business customers† (Hamblen). This not only keeps employees interested in their work, it motivates them to improve their portfolio of skills so that they can participate in these challenging and exciting projects. Finally, Harley makes a concerted effort to match employees with projects and jobs in which they have specific interest. Managers are urged to stay in tune with the interests of their workers in order to best match them with the available job opportunities. For example, managers have quarterly review meetings with their subordinates to discuss upcoming projects in the company and determine which projects are of interest to the employee. Harley’s commitment to maintaining the employee’s interest in their work is paying off. In 2001, the IT department, which has over 200 employees, had a turnover rate of less than 3%. Such a low rate clearly illustrates the employees’ satisfaction with their jobs and commitment to Harley. Intrinsic Motivation: An exampleA prime example of Harley’s use of intrinsic motivation programs is its use of councils. Councils are groups of employees, with ten approximately members, who work to address specific issues that affect their day-to-day work. Fellow workers choose the members, and it is considered an honor to be selected to serve. The work done on the council is typically exciting and challenging, and produces tangible and noticeable results throughout the organization. Due to the prestige associated with being on the council, along with the skills developed by serving on one, â€Å"participating in a council is widely recognized as a career growth opportunity† (Vitiello). While these councils do increase decision-making time, the benefits are worth the lost time. First, they motivate employees to perform well in order to get on one of the councils and to get recognized while serving on one. Second, they create wider acceptance of the decisions by the employees because they were partly responsible for and involved in making the decisions rather than them being mandated by management. Financial MotivationHarley understands that while intrinsic rewards are important, employees are also significantly motivated by financial incentives. Therefore, Harley implemented three kinds of variable financial incentives, all of which that are linked to valued behavior. First, at least a portion of every employee’s compensation package depends on the achievement of the company’s annual goals; when the company meets or exceeds  its objectives, the employees meet or exceed their target salary. Second, Harley utilizes a stock program whereby a portion of the employees’ compensation is in stock options. This motivates employees to continually improve the overall performance of Harley because the better the company does, the higher the stock price a nd potential financial benefit to the employees. Finally, employee performance bonuses are given to individuals that provide exemplary work or suggest improvements that result in increased productivity or lower costs. All three of these programs motivate the employees to improve the productivity, efficiency, and financial performance of Harley. Harley-Davidson Today: The Results of Harley’s Motivational ProgramsThe programs implemented by Harley back in the middle of the 1980’s are still being used today. And for good reason-Harley’s performance has done nothing short of skyrocket since their implementation. In the first quarter of 2003, Harley reported net sales of $1.1 billion and a net income of $186.2 million. This is over 3.7 times the sales generated throughout the entire 1984 fiscal year. The Vice-President of the Kansas City office believes these motivation programs are the reason why Harley has had such a complete and long-lasting turn around:†[W]e’ve created an environment where all employees are valued and expected to make good decisions to benefit the enterprise, and people who feel they are making a contribution to the business are happier people, and they are committed to helping the company succeed. With 8,000 people showing up each day, determined to find ways to improve our business, I’m confident we will be able to continue our successful growth† (How Companies are Managed). Web Sites Used: 1.Why you can still buy a Harley; by Derek Parker; week of January 15, 2001: http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2001/01/15/editorial1.html2.Harley profit roars past estimates on slower U.S. sales; week of April 14, 2003: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2003/04/14/daily26.html?jst=s_cn_hl3.How Companies are Managed; by Brandon McNeal: http://academic.emporia.edu/smithwil/001fmg444pa/eja/mcneal.html4.Harley-Davi

Internal Control and Risk Evaluation

A risk is the chance of a negative event occurring. Internal controls are policies and procedures set in place to reduce the occurrence of an associated risk. Risks are never entirely eliminated; however, internal controls help reduce the occurrence and balance the risk. This brief will discuss the risks of Kudler Fine Food’s current Accounting Information System (AIS). In addition, the internal controls designed to mitigate the risks. Furthermore, this brief evaluates the internal controls for the AIS. Last, this brief addresses other controls, outside of the AIS that Kudler’s may need. Identify Risks According to Hunton, Bryant, and Bagranoff (2004), â€Å"business enterprises face a variety of risks, including business, audit, security, and continuity risks. † Business risk means the company may not achieve its goals and objectives. A review of Kudler’s strategic plan will help determine the business risk. The adoption of the new Just-In-Time (JIT) inventory system would be an IT timing risk. An IT timing risk is an example of an internal business risk that Kudler would face. An audit risk is the likelihood that Kudler’s external auditor would make a mistake in his or her opinion of the financial statements. Audit risks are broken down further into inherent, control, and detection risks. Every business has inherent risk because doing business is risky in itself. Control risks are the likelihood the internal controls the company has in place would not prevent a material error. Detection risks are the likelihood the audit procedure would not detect material errors. Security risks involve data access and integrity. The AIS converts raw data into useful information. To ensure the data integrity, Kudler will need to control the risks associated with collecting and processing the data. By implementing the JIT inventory system and point of sale system, data is processed as soon as something purchased from the stores. This mitigates human error under the old system. Continuity risks are associated with the AIS’ availability, backup, and recovery. Kudler’s will need to implement stronger firewalls and larger servers. This will ensure when Kudler’s does business online, customers will be able to access the website at any given time. Any down time of the website would be potential loss of business. Internal Controls Management must design and implement the internal controls. However, this is just two steps of the control process. Management must evaluate the controls for effectiveness. Kudler’s size would not necessitate an internal auditor; however, an external auditor would be beneficial in testing the effectiveness of the controls. In addition, Kudler’s would need to document policies and procedures to establish an audit trail. According to Bagranoff, Simkin, and Strand, (2008, p. 50-251), these documents should include: 1. â€Å"A chart of accounts (with the purpose of each general ledger account)† 2. â€Å"A complete description of source documents individuals must use to record accounting transactions† 3. â€Å"A comprehensive description of the authority and responsibility assigned to each individual† Controls Outside the AIS Kudler faces other external threats as well. T hese threats can be reduced by securing the AIS with firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spam, and other anti-spyware software. This will deter any potential hacker from accessing confidential information. Whereas, the software will not completely eliminate the risks involved with doing business over the Internet or remotely from each store, the risks will be greatly reduced. Conclusion Risk assessment and internal controls are vital to Kudler’s continued success. Kudler will need to monitor the effectiveness of the internal controls once the new JIT inventory system is in place. In addition, management will need to assess the risks associated with expanding business. However, these risks are balanced out by the expected increase in business transactions to ensure Kudler’s lasting success.

Free Essays on Female Circumcision

Female circumcision is just recently becoming an issue. This practice has been going on for centuries in the African and Arabic communities. This practice is done to keep women â€Å"pure† before they are married. In most cases it is done in unsanitary conditions using razor blades, scissors, kitchen knives, and pieces of glass. These instruments are some times not even sterilized properly and some times are used on others with out being cleaned. As a result women are infected with viruses like HIV and other infections. Anesthesia is also not used so these women are mostly wide-awake during this procedure. Many women die from hemorrhage or shock. There are three primary ways that the circumcision is done. The first is the removal of the tip of the clitoris. The second is when there is removal of the entire clitoris and adjacent labia. The last and most sever is when consists of the removal of the clitoris, the adjacent labia. The scraped sides of the vulva are then joined across the vagina. This is done with either thorns, or sewn together. A small opening is then left to let urine and menstrual blood flow through. This is un-done on the wedding night and then re-stitched after. The age of this procedure is sometimes done as young as three. There are long-term effect such as genital malformation, chronic pelvic complications, and urinary infections. When a woman is pregnant she has to have her stitching loosened because the child could crush its skull in the damage birth canal. The government has no way of monitoring this practice, even though it is outlawed in many places. Many women are unwilling to stop this custom because they feel it is tradition. Most of them are unaware of the danger that is involved. Countries like the USA have stepped in to try to put an end to this practice by making women and families aware of the dangers.... Free Essays on Female Circumcision Free Essays on Female Circumcision Female circumcision is just recently becoming an issue. This practice has been going on for centuries in the African and Arabic communities. This practice is done to keep women â€Å"pure† before they are married. In most cases it is done in unsanitary conditions using razor blades, scissors, kitchen knives, and pieces of glass. These instruments are some times not even sterilized properly and some times are used on others with out being cleaned. As a result women are infected with viruses like HIV and other infections. Anesthesia is also not used so these women are mostly wide-awake during this procedure. Many women die from hemorrhage or shock. There are three primary ways that the circumcision is done. The first is the removal of the tip of the clitoris. The second is when there is removal of the entire clitoris and adjacent labia. The last and most sever is when consists of the removal of the clitoris, the adjacent labia. The scraped sides of the vulva are then joined across the vagina. This is done with either thorns, or sewn together. A small opening is then left to let urine and menstrual blood flow through. This is un-done on the wedding night and then re-stitched after. The age of this procedure is sometimes done as young as three. There are long-term effect such as genital malformation, chronic pelvic complications, and urinary infections. When a woman is pregnant she has to have her stitching loosened because the child could crush its skull in the damage birth canal. The government has no way of monitoring this practice, even though it is outlawed in many places. Many women are unwilling to stop this custom because they feel it is tradition. Most of them are unaware of the danger that is involved. Countries like the USA have stepped in to try to put an end to this practice by making women and families aware of the dangers....

MENTAL HEALTH CHILDREN Professor Ramos Blog

MENTAL HEALTH CHILDREN You come home from a long day at work and the only thing that you look forward to  is seeing that big smile and little arms thrown around you. However when you get home they seem reserved as if something is on there mind that may be bothering them. Yet you brush it aside thinking that maybe its just a â€Å"Phase† or just a kid being a kid but thats where we go wrong we assume everything is ok and never take action. What you may be experiencing are the early signs of your child dealing with mental illness. In this we are going to explain what mental illness is in children , symptoms, treatment and what parents can do in the case of their child being diagnosed with it.   Now the talk of mental illnesses is very new in which some people still believe that it made up and all in there head . Therefore they yet to fully grasp the understanding of   mental health is not only in adults but in children as well. The full definition of mental health coming from Mental Health . gov says â€Å"Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. †(Mental Health.gov ).   Just as we take care of our bodies physically by going to the doctors, dentist and optometrist we often overlook the most important one and thats your mental health. As in adults they are able to communicate what they are feeling and have self realization that something may not be all right. Furthermore, thats not the case with children they dont fully understand what is going on and may have a difficult time trying to explain how they may feel. You cant blame the parents or the children because we simply dont have a better understanding of mental health, especi ally in our youth. So how do we go about figuring out how to better help our children and even ourselves in identifying common traits and symptoms that could lead to catching it early on? Well not all mental illnesses are the same and range in a variety of different forms from ADHD, depression, Bipolar disorder and so on. However detecting the common symptoms early we can help to raise any red flags in which can take your child to a specialist. Coming from Mayo clinic it states â€Å"Mood changes, intense feelings,behavior changes, difficulty concentrating and physical symptoms†(mayo clinic). These are the most common symptoms found and should be taken seriously rather than brush it away since most of these dont have any   physical symptoms. Besides pointing out what has been already stated another way to point out anyareas of concern is to talk to them although they may not be able to fully put together what they are feeling it helps to create an open environment in the case your child did come to you with any concerns they wont feel embarrassed to express what they feel. This is typically in boys since the big stigma is, is that they are not supposed to share their feelings and this could lead to them having repressing feelings and will be harder for them to open up or understand that this is a serious issue. Do not lose hope because now in modern medicine we are able to start to put together treatments in order to help treat those who are diagnosed with mental illnesses.   Depending on how severe the issue is different forms of treatment include prescription medication, therapy, and even support groups. One of the most common would be the medication the doctor gives once they have diagnosed your child with the specified conditions. Unfortunately there is no one pill that can help to fix all problems but the medication is broken into groups of stimulants and depressants. For example, in one article it says â€Å" Prozac and sertraline are classified as depressants and Ritalin,adderall are classified as stimulants†(mednet). The anti- depressants help children with depression and various forms of anxiety by helping to balance out there serotonin levels in the brain. As for the stimulants they typically help with children who have ADHD by treating it with ritalin you would assume that it would make it worse but it has the opposite effect on people with ADHD. Another form of treatment would be to take your child to therapy and also a psychologist to help them understand whats going on. A specialized personnel like this can offer different ways of going about having a condition and offers the child a confidential person to talk to. Although medication and therapy are great forms of treatment they are pretty pricey for those that are low on income. So an alternative form of therapy is the practice of meditation lindsay cates article getting kids help in time says â€Å"Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a proven way to curb sad thoughts. Apps like Headspace and Happify walk teens through relaxation exercises and breathing techniques, or can target specific things like reducing worry and building relationships.† (getting kids help in time). Not only will this cut costs on expensive treatments but as a parent you and your child can both benefit from it and also offers a great opportunity to bond. As a recurring statement that shows thought this is the involvement of the parents and what you could do to help at least improve the situation for your child and yourself. Your involvement in your childs life whether it is at school or in the household has a very important role in your childs mental state. An example of this comes from a study that was in rhode island and the result showed â€Å"Among Rhode Island children, nearly 1 (19.0%) in 5 had mental health problems, 1 (15.6%) in 6 lived with a highly stressed parent, and one third (32.7%) had parents with low involvement†.(Childrens Mental Health and Family Functioning in Rhode Island.) Just by implementing a more positive environment in the household paired along with the involvement in the childs life can truly impact them in a positive way. The second form of parental involvement would be to get involved in your childs schooling. They spend a majority of the time in school with their teacher and fellow peers that   can also affect their mental health as well. Neil humphery says in his article â€Å"School is a primary developmental context after the family (Bronfenbrenner, 2005), in which socialisation of emotions, behaviour and relationships occurs; thus, they are clearly more than, ‘merely convenient sites for prevention and intervention’ (O’Toole, 2017, p.455)†(Are the Kids Alright?). This is where your child will learn and a place to develop who they are simply by building relationships with their teachers can help give you an insight of how they are behaving at school. In conclusion we looked at the common red flags symptoms to look out for , treatment and the steps you can take as a parent to help aid in your childs mental health. Just because they may appear to be okay at face surface we all face internal struggles and the way we take action as parents can help in the process for your child.  Ã‚   Works cited   Cates, Lindsay. â€Å"Getting Kids Help in Time.† Ebscohost, 11 Sept. 2018. Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne. â€Å"Mental Illness in Children: Signs, Types, Causes.† MedicineNet, medicinenet.com/mental_illness_in_children/article.htm. Humphery, Neil. â€Å"Are the Kids Alright? Examining the Intersection between Education and Mental Health.† Vol. 42, no. 1, 2018, pp. 4–16. Ebscohost. Hyun, et al, â€Å"Childrens Mental Health and Family Functioning in Rhode Island.† Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Feb. 2007,   pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/Supplement_1/S22.abstract. â€Å"What Is Mental Health?† What Is Mental Health? | MentalHealth.gov, mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health. â€Å"Worried about Changes in Your Childs Mood or Behavior?† Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 1 Mar. 2018, mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/mental-illness-in-children/art-20046577.   

Housing in UK Master Essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Major Causes of Rising House Prices in the UK - Research Paper Example Over the last thirty years, the housing prices in the UK have increased in real terms by nearly three per cent a year. This is in contrast to other countries like France, Sweden and Germany where real estate prices have remained broadly constant or even declined. The determination of prices in local and regional housing markets is a classic example of microeconomics in action. Each housing transaction in the UK depends on the price the seller is willing to sell his property and on the price the buyer is able to pay for it. Buyers place offers for a property that the seller can either accept or reject. When the market demand for properties in a particular area is high and when there is a shortage of quality properties (i.e. supply is scarce) then the seller has the upper hand. This is because there is likely to be excess demand in the market for good properties. Sellers can wait for offers on their property to reach (or exceed) their minimum selling price. Often multiple offers fuel an increase over and above the asking price. When demand both for new and older housing is weak and when there is a glut of properties available on the market, then the power switches to potential buyers. They have a much wider choice of housing available and they should be able to negotiate a price that is lower than the asking price.  When the demand for houses in a particular area increases due to say, an increase in population into the area, or a rise in incomes due to job growth etc., there is upward pressure on market prices.  

An analysis of two women and their stories Essay

An analysis of two women and their stories - Essay Example The two women lived in a time when society was male-dominant. A woman's place was relegated to home and hearth and her entire existence revolved around the needs of her husband. Consequently Elisa Allen and the American wife are filled with a craving for some meaning in their lives and needs so powerful that it threatens to overwhelm them. They yearn for personal happiness that has been denied to them by marriage and society. Steinbeck's opening lines, "The high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley of a closed pot" capture Elisa's plight beautifully. She is shut off from the rest of the world and it seems to her like the fog will never lift. Elisa's husband means well but he is insensitive to her secret yearning and therefore he fails her. Her boundless energy is poured in concentrated amounts to numerous household chores and her beloved chrysanthemums but there is always a part of her which longs to rise above the low expectations society has for women. Thus she is a veritable cauldron, bubbling over with hope for something better than her life has to offer. Similarly Hemingway's protagonist is trapped in a loveless marriage with a controlling and negle

Research Paper for College Course -- Introduction to Microeconomics

For College Course -- Introduction to Microeconomics - Research Paper Example Smith is credited with being the first to examine the importance of the division of labor and worker productivity and for advancing the idea that free markets thrive on the basis of mutual self-interest. Although Smith warned against monopolies and mercantilism, his notion that markets are driven toward the public good by an "invisible hand" has made him a venerated figure among free market doctrinaires. (Answers.com). The purpose of this paper is to describe the pros and cons of free trade. Trade allowed nations to obtain the goods and services the population needed in order to survive. In the 20th century the ability to trade with other nations became a critical success factor for many nations including the United States of America. Today free trade is practiced by many nations in the world. More than ever before in history we see that free trade agreements are being sought by the world’s most powerful countries, as well as the developing nations. In short, free trade agreements are now high on the political agendas of many nations and the World Trade Organization. The globalization movement has been instrumental in forcing nations to enter into free trade agreement. In North America the free trade agreement that is enforceable is the NAFTA agreement. The NAFTA opened up free trade between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. â€Å"NAFTA was designed to promote economic growth by spurring competition in domestic markets and promoting investment from both domestic and foreign sources† (Teslik). The reason that NAFTA was initiated was because President Bill Clinton in 1994 saw the European Union as a threat to the Americas. A free trade agreement between the United States and its two neighbors was crafted to be a plausible solution that would offset the growing global economic trading power of the European Union. The implementation of free trade agreements eliminates the imposition of tariffs in the trade of goods. As a consequence of the

Donald Duk Essay Example for Free

Donald Duk Essay Donald Duk is the story of a young man coming to terms of his identity as an American with Chinese descent and heritage. Donald felt that most Americans are prejudiced against Chinese so if he were to become American, he should reject his Chinese identity. Yet, at home, his parents also detest American culture. He began to be interested of his Chinese heritage because of the Central Pacific Railroad, which is a part of the Transcontinental Road built mostly by the Chinese immigrants. Upon reading Donald Duk, the interesting points of research include the immigration of Chinese to the United States, the reaction of Americans to immigration as well as the existence of racism and the way in which new generations of Chinese-Americans deal with issues of culture and identity. Outline for the Paper I. Reactions and thoughts on â€Å"Donald Duk† A. Responses to â€Å"Donald Duk† B. Literary Value of â€Å"Donald Duk† II. Issues Dealt with by â€Å"Donald Duk† A. Identity Crisis B. Chinese Immigration C. Racism in the United States Conclusion: How young Chinese-Americans in the United States Deal with identity and cultural issues. Annotated Bibliography Chao, R. K. (2003). Extending Research on the Consequences of Parenting Style for Chinese Americans and European Americans. Child Development, 72 (6), 1832-1843. Chinese parents do not know how to deal with the pressures and identity problems that beset their children. This journal article explores the issue and provides helpful recommendation for Chinese-American families. Chin, K. (1999). Smuggled Chinese: Clandestine Immigration to the United States. New York: Temple University Press. This book chronicles the history of Chinese immigration to the United States. What the immigrants did in the US and how they were brought there. This book can help provide background information about Chinese immigration. Chinese American Citizens Alliance. (2008). 65th Anniversary of Repeal of Chinese Exclusion Act. Retrieved 9 February 2009 from http://www. cacanational. org/. The Chinese Americans Citizens Alliance is a good source of facts and data concerning the experiences of Chinese Americans in contemporary United States. In addition to this, they may also have historical background and further information, which may serve as primary data for research. Rothstein, E. (2008). Museum Review: Seattle Asian Museum Moves Around the Corner and Into Its Identity. The New York Times, May 31, 2008. Retrieved 8 Feb 2009 http://www. nytimes. com/2008/05/31/arts/design/31muse. html? scp=2sq=chinese%20american%20identityst=cse. This museum review presents some information about Chinese and their role in the development of Seattle. The museum and the article, too, helps one understand the accomplishments of Chinese and Asians in the United States.

Is Learning Invisible to the Learner? :: Education Teaching Learning Essays

Is Learning Invisible to the Learner? Think back to all the things that you learned during your childhood and see if you remember them? If you do remember them, think about how you learned them. Did you ever realize that the experiences that you encountered would still be with you today? Or did you even realize that you were learning from the company around you. Well, people who get a better understanding of how they learn and who they learn from can become better learners themselves. Maybe if you would have had a better understanding for how you learn and whom you learn from you would have been a better learner. Smith, Golub, and Gardner are three authors who address this issue. Smith is one author who says that we learn without realizing we’re learning. He believes that we learn by the company we keep. This kind of learning puts us in a category of belonging to a club. At the start of our childhood we start to develop an identity through the members of our club. How many times did you do something because of the actions of others? This is the type of thing that influences us in the way we learn. While growing up, I mainly stayed around one group of friends. I established an identity through these people and I felt comfortable around them. This group of friends was considered my club. This group of people influenced much of my action whether it was in a positive or negative way. But regardless of how I was being influenced, I was still learning something new. For example, there was once a cactus in my 5th grade classroom that I always wanted to touch. I wanted to touch it because I knew it was sharp and I wanted to see if it would prick me and make me bleed. Now I realize that would have been very dumb because of the action of one of my friends. Unfortunately he decided to touch the cactus for the same reason, only to find out that it had poisonous needles that caused his skin to break out in hives. Luckily I learned from his actions instead of making the same mistake. This person along with all the others around me taught me so many different things that I was never even aware of. Did I ever consider that I learned from them?

Express Luxury Lines

Empress Luxury Lines Angela D. Davis Strayer University Management 500 Dr. Prakash Menon April 29, 2012 Abstract This critical analysis case of Empress Luxury Lines is based on circumstances of ethical dilemmas and challenges of top level managers and their employees faced with decisions on what anyone person or persons would do against making ethical decisions. In this case study, we note that the employee has to make choices for doing what he believes is right for him even though it may cause possible termination.Despite of the needed computer upgrade for the Empress Luxury Liner for Empress, top management issues was to find other ways to limit cost. The luxury liner had fallen on hard times due to numerous factors some of which was not controllable by this business. In this case analysis we will explore how right or wrong decision making can create ethical dilemmas for a business. Faced with such dilemmas, we will try to understand how in decision making for the employees, manage rs, CFO’s affects the business entity.Empress Luxury Lines ANALAYZE ANTONIO’S ETHICAL DILEMMA Antonio Melendez, a two year employee of Empress Luxury Lines was starting to feel as stated by Daft, â€Å"finally found a way to fund the computer system upgrade he’d been requesting ever since he’d taken the job two years ago† ( 2010, p. 150). Antonio, being that he was only on the job two years, and Kevin Pfeiffer, the new hire, the ethical decision dilemma for them was in facing the truth about the power surge damaged that struck the ship to its onboard computer system.Antonio knew that the risk in defrauding the insurance company of the true nature of what happened to the computer system onboard the ship could have dire consequences for him and Kevin. Kevin told the truth to his supervisor Phil Bailey, of the $15,000 computer damaged and was told to report back only to his boss Phil Bailey. Kevin did exactly what he believed would be great news of th e minimum fixable damage, but Phil was not happy. Instead, Kevin was instructed to remove and destroy all the wires and the cables and haul them elsewhere so that the insurance adjuster upon arrival would not know the difference in the damage.Kevin refused choosing to make the intelligent ethical decision to not due as instructed and to not become part of a fraud scheme or the culture of top management habitually submitting fraudulent claims. Antonio appreciated Kevin’s integrity of making the best decision to not do as he was asked to do for Empress and his boss Phil Bailey. Antonio knew of years before he was hired, Empress Luxury Lines in the 1990’s, were a healthy business. The cruise liner had unprecedented demand by consumers to sail on its luxury liner. Unfortunately, with external threats of unforeseen causes, such as the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. , the Hurricanes of 2005, and the Norwalk Virus outbreak, Empress’s volume of tourist booking travel by ship fell off drastically. Empress had to refund monies to its clients for cruises they could not use due to these uncertainties. In essence, contingency planning was enacted to respond to the unexpected conditions of weather, terrorism, and medical emergencies. The current rising demand of fuel cost to sail the cruse liner, slashed into the luxury liner’s profits. This is why Antonio could not or did not see his fervent request to have monies to upgrade the ships computer system was not accepted.Until the damage of the computer system was verbally reported to Bailey, then the accepted practices of Empress by top management of fraud which was readily the condone nature, the assurance of Kevin, or Antonio being protected under the Whistle-blower act was essentially an ignored, systemic practice and rooted in the business climate culture from top to bottom. CREATE AND DESCRIBE TWO STRATEGIES In this case analysis the strategies to best describe how to address Antonio’s ethica l dilemma would be by using two approaches in ethical decision making.The approaches that can best address Antonio’s in this case study are the Utilitarian Approach and the Individualism Approach. These approaches best describe how Antonio should handle the situation at hand. The utilitarian approach by definition Daft , â€Å" the ethical concept that moral behaviors produce the greatest good for the greatest number† (2010, p. 132). This approach Antonio is ethical decision maker and he understands the consequences of actions and plans to benefit for the greater good for Empress.If Antonio chooses to use this approach he has the pulse of the organizations systemic practices but he has to figure out how to lead by example while limiting potential dire results for Empress by reporting what really happened to the insurance adjuster and authorities. If Antonio decides to stay quiet and do nothing he knows the risk and the ethical investigation that could ensue by law. The decision to do nothing hurts but if this is his decision, to help defraud the insurance company, the upside is that Empress will have a upgraded and repaired computer system.I would equate the 2008 fraud case involving the SBA Program of widespread fraud with the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program similar to how systemic practices of obvious fraud with rewarding contracts to business firms who were not eligible to receive such funding. Bruce Causseaux, a senior level specialist stated, â€Å"Three main factors worked to encourage the fraud, he says: the lure of several billion dollars of federal contracting, an SBA control process that largely relied on inadequately verified self-certified information and a clear message that, even if caught, the punishment would not match the crime† (Wilson, 2008 p. 0). This article exemplifies the seriousness that when it all goes wrong, in the utilitarian approach the benefit yielded still the lesser of a potentially disastrous resul t. The individualism approach’s by definition Daft, â€Å"the ethical concept that acts are moral when they promote the individual’s best long-term interest† (2010, p. 132). This approach helps Antonio because he believes in the fundamental rights of individuals in the ethical decision making process.If Antonio chooses to avoid the systemic behavior by Empress because it will impede on a persons right then he would be ethically deciding to go against the grain of behavior even though he knows he may lose his job by telling the truth. The issue with this approach who determines the legitimacy of what is ethical or not about the way the cruise liner decides to conduct its business. Antonio/s plan of action hangs on the real balancing act of being loyal only to himself, to the health of the company and or lastly, for the greatest good of Empress.Antonio has to really be comfortable in which ever decision ethically he will make. ASSESS THE PROS AND CONS The pros and cons of the utilitarian approach if Antonio so believes is the best approach he has the option to weigh the differences looking at how his decision will effect his fellow coworkers. For this case analysis, I believe the utilitarian is better suited for Antonio because this approach is not a selfish approach but more in line with having the thoughtfulness of care and concern for others and how his ethical decision could harm everyone.Antonio does not consider he is just a lone wolf in this decision process because he sees the dilemma as equal parts to be held by together by the belief of all. Antonio relies on the method of substance process quantitatively in his overall objective to be fair for the consideration of the whole in making a just, moral, and pro ethical decision. The utilitarian approach con is in understanding and recognizing the cost benefits of his decision. This approach does not allow for room to be appeasing to all of his coworkers and this approach can cause harm . The end does not always justify the means as this approach states.In the con of this approach, can Antonio assume the result of perhaps not being ethically honest could yield a positive result no matter of the facts presented to the insurance adjuster? This may happen and he is still left with the decision did he do his best in rising above the fray to do his ethical duty. The pros and con of the individualism approach on the pro side is Antonio will be respecting the rights of his coworkers and doing what is best for the common good of Empress. Antonio will also be protecting his rights as an individual which is a benefit for him.Antonio has to be careful in upholding for pro rights to not step over the rights of others. A con of the individual approach is could be the true meaning in defining a person’s fundamental rights. This is a con of this approach because in the U. S. we have included our U. S. Constitution the Bill of Rights. If Antonio thinks this is the best appr oach because the Empress sails in international waters Antonio has to have consideration for the international laws of other countries which the U. S. Constitution with the Bill of Rights won’t apply.Another con of this approach is that it is a selfish approach and can entice Antonio to consider only his needs and not the concerns of others. DECIDE ON WHICH STRATEGY TO TAKE Given the two approaches of utilitarian and individualism, I would choose the individualism approach for this case analysis if I was in Antonio’s position. I am not a selfish person by nature and in making business decisions I know that the ability to think in ethical decision making when a problem presents itself one has to be ready, willing and able to perform the task of airing on the side of fairness.I have had similar instances as Antonio in being the one who has to be concerned for his self but by being this way, you ultimately do decide for the good all in the process of ethically doing what is best for the future long term health of the company. Individualism by behavior alone can ensure fellow coworkers that action done ethically for the best business ethical decision outcome is in the best interest of the whole. This action inspires cohesiveness and conformity in our feelings of our behavior.In their book If Your Life were a Business, would you Invest in It? (2003), Eckblad and Kiel states, â€Å"When we acknowledge these feelings in ourselves and reflect on them, we often find their origin in one or more situations where we wish we had had the courage to have challenged someone or done something differently† and â€Å"businesslike thinking and planning are no guarantee that there will be â€Å"good† or courageous people in either jobs or our live† (Eckblad & Kiel, 2008, p. 37). The individualism approach has worked well for me in my business endeavors and personal life. My willingness to be fair, but yet knowing what ever decisions I make whethe r they are ethically based on a ethical dilemma or not, I firmly understand that not all decisions I chose to make was good for the whole and that you can not know the true value of the dilemma in your decision choice of how it will relate to other employees or coworkers. This is the dilemma for Antonio.I do think his best method of approach would be using the individualism approach for Empress Luxury Lines. He will not please all but he will be ethically making the best decision for the greater good of the company. References Daft, Richard L. (2010). Management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Eckblad, John, & Keil, David (2003). If your Life Were a Business, Would You invest in It?. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Wilson, Sarah (2008, November), Fraud Rattles SBA Program. Entrepreneur, 30.

Evaluation of Iraq war through group think Essay

The War on Iraq was decided by a small group of people that was headed by the President and comprised of the Vice-President, Defense Secretary, CIA Director and other senior administrative officials. The decision to go to war was a decision of a small think-tank rather than of an individual or a larger group of people. The decision of the think-tank pushing the case for the Iraq War seems to be an apt example of confirmation bias. This confirmation bias during the events leading to the Iraq War has led to a widening rift between policy makers and the intelligence community. It is widely believed that the war think-tank defied the pointers presented by the official intelligence. Instead, the intelligence available in a raw form was misused to publicly justify the war on Iraq and build a positive public perception that would endorse the war. As the Washington Post reports the discussion on the war; â€Å"The case was thin,† summarized the notes taken by a British national security aide at the meeting. â€Å"Saddam was not threatening his neighbours and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. However, the think-tank was convinced about going for a war with Iraq and it used the available intelligence to confirm its beliefs. Cognitive diversity was missing in the think-tank that drew up the plan for the Iraq War. All members involved in the decision process had same political leanings, were to a large extent a culturally homogenous group and formed a small team that worked closely with each other on various policy making issues. The team did not comprise of various political voices even though the decision to go to war impacted the entire country. It did also not take advice and heed to objections of World bodies like the United Nations when some of the member countries objected to the unilateral action of the United States and its ally Britain to go to war. The team did not invite any new members to its coterie of decision makers to infuse fresh or alternative thinking in its decision making process. As Senator Barbara Boxer said, â€Å"Iraq was a war of choice, not necessity†. The intelligence community was roped in only to substantiate claims made by the think-tank on the reason to go to war. The group behaved with a preset agenda ignoring the alternatives at hand and made biased decisions. The Iraq War is also an example of group comparison where the decisions of the individual members could have been different from the decisions of the group that they were part of. The study of group polarization began with an unpublished 1961 Master’s thesis by MIT student James Stoner, who observed the so-called â€Å"risky shift†, meaning that a group’s decisions are riskier than the average of the individual decisions of members before the group met. After the wide public criticism of the U. S. handling of the war, two prominent members of the Iraq think-tank put in their papers. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell resigned after almost 4 years of at the helm of affairs. He was seen as less supportive of the war even though he was the public face on international forums to drum up support amongst its traditional allies. Whereas Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld who took over the course of foreign policy after Powell’s exit was seen as a hardliner. It seems that the hardliners would have grown even more resolute in their decision to go to war after several rounds of deliberations that the think-tank might have had. They would have presented intelligence information and other reasons to hard sell their belief thereby subduing the reluctant supporters of the war.