Monday, September 30, 2019

Privacy Is Lost Essay

Do we have privacy anymore? Some people say we have no privacy and to simply get over it. Others believe that we have really became comfortable sharing our private information with others. After considering both sides of the issue, I strongly believe that privacy is lost. For instance, a web-savvy programmer can easily infiltrate your email account, replicate the coding, and pretend to be you. In the article, â€Å"Take My Privacy, Please!† Ted Koppel widely discusses privacy with many examples of companies and systems designed to secure the confidential rights and private information. He presents the negative effects people who give all of their personal information to companies that may lose all of it. I really liked how the author started off his article by grabbing your attention right away. For Example, in the article it was interesting that he talked about the Onstar commercial. He reveals in a conversation between the Onstar assistant system, driver, and emergency services on how peculiar it is that they always know all of your information and exactly where you are. The reasoning for this position argument is for the general public to understand that some of their information isn’t so confidential. In the last part of his article he describes how many different companies lose customers valuable information. I agree with that because it’s odd to think that people put trust into companies with such private information. It should be mandatory that if a company loses a customers data they tell the customer right away. He knows that technology is useful, but the language he uses suggests he believes it takes advantage of the customer. Ted Koppel does a great job of structuring sentences with his tone in the article. He also does an exceptional job of highlighting how people’s privacy is invaded in everyday life. Ted Koppel has a very sarcastic tone which throws you off as you read this story. There are both aspects that I liked and didn’t like from the article, but it was really cool how he started off his article by grabbing your attention right away. â€Å"The patriotic act- brilliant!† With this, you know what he will be talking about and its good that he relates his topic to something that happened earlier in history. After you read the introduction, the structure of the rest of the essay starts to weaken. Koppel adds in a commercial that is typed up on the page. Others may agree that they really don’t like how he did that. He could have just described the commercial, but he instead took the time to waste space on the page. The segment of the commercial was not necessary to add. Overall, this essay did have both strong and weak points. Another thing that Koppel does well is the sentence structures that he uses in his essay that help with his tone. Every now and then he uses short abrupt transitions in the beginning of paragraphs to emphasize his thoughts that give a moment for the reader to think. Koppel uses dialogue in his article also. The dialogue that was added in the middle was very distracting and caused unnecessary line usage, but it gives people something to think about and they can relate to the commercial if they’ve seen it. People will believe what he has to say and take him more seriously, even though he used sarcastic and informal tone. The tone may have cost him some of his readers, but it was a convincing argument. In my opinion Ted Koppel shows great examples to back up his thoughts. When the title, â€Å"Take My Privacy, Please!† is read you know right away the tone of the essay, sarcastic. This is a good title and it makes the reader more interested in reading the article. Ted Koppel has a sarcastic tone in his writing. I think that it helps make his point because it makes people think about how ridiculous technology has become. â€Å"There is no end to what we will endure, support, pay for and promote if only it makes our lives easier†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This just states how we would go to such extremes and go through such struggles just as long as we benefit from it in the end. The title alone is sarcastic, â€Å"Take my Privacy, Please!† He sets the tone of being ironic and it lets the reader know that he’s not being harsh or bitter, but he’s trying to put an important point across.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Kingshaw’s Misery in I’m the King of the Castle Essay

Throughout the novel I’m the King of the Castle by Susan Hill, we are constantly aware of the misery felt by twelve-year-old Charles Kingshaw. This, and the way it is shown, is very important in really understanding his character, and what eventually leads him to his own death. Charles Kingshaw has a series of irrational fears. Although this is normal for most children, his fears are so crippling that they go far beyond the typical childish nightmare. An example of one of these fears is swimming pools. Early on in the book, Kingshaw recalls being taken to an open-air swimming pool by his father as a much younger child. He remembers how he had feared the water, not only because he couldn’t swim, but also because of its â€Å"glassy, artificial blueness† and how â€Å"people’s limbs looked huge and pale and swollen underneath.† He also fears the â€Å"terrible† moths in the Red Room at Warings, and is afraid of touching their â€Å"furry bodies†. Another fear he has is of crows. Even before he is attacked by the crow in the cornfield outside Warings, Kingshaw notes that it has â€Å"ragged black wings† and â€Å"small, glinting eyes†. He has to tell himself that it is â€Å"stupid to be scared of a rotten bird†. Later on, when Hooper puts the stuffed crow on his bed, he is â€Å"faint with fear† and wishes for his own death – even though he knows immediately that it is not real. This is just one example of the way Hooper exploits Kingshaw’s fears during the novel. When he brings Kingshaw to the Red Room to show him the moths, it seems he just wants to show off. But he immediately recognises that Kingshaw is afraid when, upon seeing the moths, when he â€Å"sharply† draws his breath. Hooper mocks him and orders him to touch one, and Kingshaw’s instinct is to fight as hard as he can – anything to avoid having to feel them. Hooper watches him and sees this, and runs out of the room, locking the door behind him. Later on, Hooper locks Kingshaw in the dark shed, leaving him to fantasize about murderers lurking in the shadows. Kingshaw thinks of Hooper as â€Å"clever† and â€Å"cunning† and thinks he will never be able to escape his endless persecution. He is â€Å"unbalanced† by the open hostility Hooper treats him with, and doesn’t know how to beat him. However, it would be possible for Kingshaw to beat Hooper. Physically, he is taller and is strong enough to give Hooper a bruise when they have their only fistfight, on their very first meeting, and bites him hard enough to make him withdraw when Hooper tries to intimidate Kingshaw on the stairs. Kingshaw would also have the capacity to beat Hooper in his mind games, if he only knew it; Hooper finds Kingshaw â€Å"frustrating†, and is â€Å"at a loss† to get past his â€Å"dull, steady stare†. His insults are very childish (â€Å"stupid head†; â€Å"scaredy-baby†), and Kingshaw even recognises that Hooper is â€Å"not very used to being a bully†. Yet Kingshaw is too and fatalistic, to see his own potential. Kingshaw’s fatalism is important in understanding his misery. His description of himself is very telling of his outlook on life: â€Å"He had no good opinion of his own chances, against Hooper. Or against anyone. He was not cowardly. Just realistic, hopeless. He did not give into people, just went, from the beginning, with the assurance that he would be beaten. It meant that there was no surprise, and no disappointment, about anything†. At many points in the novel, Kingshaw has moments of genuine happiness, in which he feels untouchable and in control. This is reflected in the title of the book itself, and in a later chapter in the book in which he actually climbs to the top of an ancient ruin of a castle. However, this euphoria never lasts, and he falls from his â€Å"castle† every time- all because of his own refusal to fight against what he feels is inevitability; Hooper will always beat him, he will never win. We see these moments of happiness and his sudden snap back to reality multiple times: when he discovers his secret room in Warings and Hooper finds it, so he decided to just let him in; when he ventures on his own into the woods and Hooper follows him; when he climbs up onto the tractor in the cornfield, feeling on top of the world, and gets stuck when dismounting it so he fears it will roll back an crush him. In the chapter in which he fearlessly climbs the castle whilst Hooper begs for help on a wall below him, Kingshaw feels that surge of power again: â€Å"I am the King†¦I could kill him.† But Kingshaw knows that he will not, knowing that â€Å"any power he acquired would only be temporary†. So he tries to help Hooper, and we, as readers, feel frustrated with his helplessness. Kingshaw’s mother does nothing to save her son from Hooper, or from his own fear. In fact, she contributes to his misery by determinedly trying to satisfy her own needs for money and companionship, and ignoring Kingshaw’s declarations of his hate for Hooper along the way. She asks him to â€Å"tell Mummy† if he is upset about anything, but when he tells her how much he dislikes Hooper she tells him it is â€Å"wicked† to say such things. Kingshaw is deeply ashamed of his mother, of her airs and pretences and the fact that she behaves â€Å"altogether without pride†. He knows he â€Å"ought to care about†¦his mother† but doesn’t. This is quite disturbing for a child to say, but it is understandable, as â€Å"she had never known anything about him†. This is proved by her remark to Mr Hooper about how â€Å"Charles is settling down so happily† at Warings. Charles is disgusted but is in no way surprised at her complete l ack of understanding. Susan Hill is very particular in the way she uses language to show Charles Kingshaw’s misery. The book is in third person narrative, mostly told from Kingshaw’s point of view, and often uses slightly naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, childish language: â€Å"He felt absolutely alone, there might be no other person in the whole world.† There is also some informal language which pulls the reader into this child’s world, and endears us to him. An example of this is his thought that, â€Å"It always took longer than you expected, walking.† This makes us feel Kingshaw’s misery more during his moments of extreme terror. During these times the sentences get longer, punctuated by a series of commas, indicating a panicked, frantic train of thought: â€Å"He sweated a little, twisting this way and that, and reaching his left arm round behind him, to try and unhitch the string.† This clearly shows us his raw, desperate fear. Rather than using lots of emotive, descriptive narration, which could detract focus from Kingshaw’s character, the writer has us experience I’m the King of the Castle through Charles Kingshaw’s feelings, experiences and memories. This is very effective as it lets us become more and more involved in Kingshaw’s character; our attachment to him builds up into a climax throughout the novel until he ultimately commits suicide. When this happens our hopes fall as Kingshaw did so many times before and does now, one final time.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Nazi Control Over Germany

Identify Nazi opposition: 1.) Communists 2.)Social Democrats 3.)Anti Nazi teachers and University Professors 4.)Roman Catholic Church 5.)Protestant Churches 6.)Jews and other persecuted minorities (once purges started). 7.)Lander (State parliaments) 8.) trade unions How Nazis dealt with opponents? To ensure political dominance, Nazis wanted to make Germany into a one-party state. To wipe out communists, Hitler used Reichstag fire as an excuse of a â€Å"communist uprising† to disable much of the communist activities. It is to be noted that anti-communism was a major part of Hitler's ideals. Social democrats were disabled as well. Lander were allowed to exist but lost all power. Anti Nazi teachers and university professors posed the threat of spreading an anti-Nazi message. The Nazis even wanted subjects to be taught according to their principles. These people were kept in check by fear of Gestapo. Roman Catholic church was a political threat and the church also had influence over people. In 1933, Hitler signed a concordat with Pope and said Nazis will not interfere with church affairs if church stayed out of politics. However Nazis broke concordat when it dissolved catholic youth league as it was a rival to Hitler youth. Catholic schools closed down after protestations. By 1937, church conflicting with Nazis and pope Pius XI issued Encyclical saying that Nazis were â€Å"hostile to Christ and his church†. Hitler angered and 1000's of priests +nuns sent to conc. camps. Protestant churches were attempted to merge into Reich church. Failed and after protests, people sent to conc. Camps. Jews sent to conc. Camps and murdered. Trade unions banned and replaced with German labour front which reduced pay and took away right to strike How did Nazis use culture and mass media to control people? After Nazis gained power, all forms of media were controlled by Joseph Goebbels. This made sure that no anti-Nazi ideas were publicized. Jewish works were banned as part of the anti-Semitism policies. By these methods, the way the German people thought could be adjusted to the Nazis' will. Culture was used in the way of making Aryan people feel that they were a superior race. Cultural Activities of racial minorities were mostly banned so that they would have no effect on Aryan ideals. Why Nazis persecuted many groups? The Nazis had an ideology of â€Å"racial purification†, whereby only the Aryans were to be in Germany. Therefore Jews and other small races were sent to conc. Camps. Jews were also persecuted because they owned many shops and businesses (once they were removed, these jobs given to Aryans). Mentally and physically disabled people were also persecuted because the Aryan race was supposed to be â€Å"perfect†. Homosexuals were persecuted as well. Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state? A totalitarian state is a system of govt. where there can be only one party and the people are totally devoted to the state. Nazi Germany was definitely one of these because: 1. One party state: only the national socialists allowed existing. Power taken away from Lander. 2. Civil service purged of â€Å"enemies of the state† until it was fully reliable. 3. Trade unions banned 4. Education system controlled and Nazi ideals fed into children by Hitler youth. 5. Communication and media controlled. 6. Economic control by which unemployment was reduced and Germany brought close to self sufficiency. 7. Religious control 8. People monitored by Gestapo so that if a person was anti-Nazi, he would be taken away. 9. Anti Semitism and other forms of unjustified racial discrimination.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Statistics Project, Political Science Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

, Political Science - Statistics Project Example The essay analyzes international politics comprehends state sovereignty, globalisation and international security, nuclear proliferation, ecological sustainability and nationalism, global finance and economic development, organised crime and terrorism, human security, human rights and foreign interventionism. The discussion highlights that the independent variable that was prevalent in these data sets was distribution of power in the global system. The dependent variable that stood out was foreign policy decision. The data sets could be found online by simply typing the name of the database and specify your topic later inside the site. The hypotheses developed include that states, all the times, act in line with their national interest/concern, or the interests/concerns of that state; the world is a dangerous place; a state’s main interest is self-protection; there is no overarching power, which can impose international rules and/or punish unlawfulness; ethical behaviour is extremely risky since it can affect a state’s capacity to safeguard itself; the global system itself influences states to apply military force; global institution and law have no force or power; they exist only provided that states acknowledge them, and; the wide ties among countries have both made it har d to describe national interest and diminished the worth of military power.This paper finds that distribution of power is negatively affected by international politics. This is because some nations seek to be above others.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Innovative Policies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Innovative Policies - Case Study Example Samsung considers creativity as the germ of innovation and in the process invests in a broad range of programs and initiatives that boost creative spirit as well as the autonomy of their employees across the corporation (Mahlich & Pascha, 2012). Samsung Electronics is subdivided into 10 business divisions that comprise of 3 major subdivisions; Consumer Electronics (CE), IT and Mobile Communications (IM) and Device Solutions (DS).The Consumer Electronics (CE) business comprise of Visual Display Business made up of TVs, Home Theater, Monitor, Sound bar and Set-top box. Secondly, the Digital Appliance Business made up of Washing machine, Refrigerator, Air conditioner, Smart Oven and Air Purifier .Thirdly is the Printing Solution Business made up of Malfunction Printer (MFP) and Printer. The last segment of this business is the Health and Medical Equipment Business that comprise of Digital X-ray as well as in-Vitro diagnostics (Robbins, et al, 2014). The second business segment consists of IT and Mobile Communication (IM) made up of the Mobile Communications Business and include Mobile Communications Business that comprise of Smartphone, Tablet PC ,Wearable devices and Notebook PC. The second subdivision is that of Network Business which consists of WiMAX, W/CDMA solution and LTE solution. The last segment in this subdivision is Media Solution Center comprising of Samsung Apps, Group Play, ChatON and WatchOn. The final business subdivision is Device Solutions which comprises firstly of Memory Business made up of DRAM, SSD, eMCP and NAND Flash. Secondly is the System LSI Business comprising of Mobile Ap, CMOS image sensor and Foundry. The last segment in this subdivision is LED business which consists of LED packages for TV and IT products, LED lighting packages and LED packages for automotive lighting. The consumer electronics segment of Samsung has

Construction and Maintenance of Building Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Construction and Maintenance of Building - Essay Example In addition, the primary source of energy for the building will be generated from a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit. Combined power and heat integrates the production of usable heat and power (electricity), in one single, cost effective and highly efficient process. The CHP system is sustainable, clean and renewable. CHP generates electricity while also capturing usable heat that is produced in this process its efficiency is greatly increased. This is unusual contrasts with conventional ways of generating electricity where heat is simply wasted and in the process impacting negatively on efficiency. In today’s coal and gas-fired power stations, up to two-thirds of the entire energy consumed get lost in such a way, frequently witnessed as a cloud of smoke rising from the cooling turrets, the process is very environmentally unfriendly. This will be a very eco-friendly aspect of construction as it is very efficient in its purpose and design. Sub-structure or Foundation- is the lower section of the building, located below the ground level and the damp proof course. A foundation is part of the structure that is in direct contact with the ground to which the loads are equally transmitted to the supporting surrounding soil. Shrinkable soils are those types whose contents are made up of more than 35% have a modified plasticity index greater or equal to 10% and of fine particles. The fine soil particles are having nominal diameters of 60 Â µm. Plastic index of a given soil is its measure of the change in volume potential that is determined by Atterberg Limits test. Soil particles whose nominal diameters after the test are greater than 425 Â µm are eliminated through sieving in advance. Particles with diameters smaller than 425 Â µm are promptly reported for Atterberg Limits test. The Plasticity index of the soil multiplied by the real percentage of particles with contents less than 425

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business plan - Assignment Example Our company therefore aims to target this area by producing electrical power that will also fulfill the demands of future consumers. Production cost of solar energy is minimal once our project is operational. Our company will aim to benefit from the shortfall that exists in the area by producing clean electrical energy by the use of solar power. The rising prices of electricity are an additional benefit in terms of earnings for the company that is likely to make the project a huge success in a very short period of time. Reduced cost of production of electricity will also provide us a competitive advantage over the traditional producers of power, thereby making it possible to offer electricity at lowered prices than the current market rates. The society is well aware of the fact that solar energy is the safest form of energy since there is almost no pollution associated with the use of this form of energy. Due to this reason a high degree of acceptability is likely to result for our proposed project. This will reduce our cost for promotional activities (e.g advertising) that are otherwise required to grab the attention of users. Elevated acceptance of our project will definitely provide us an edge over our traditional competitors which we will use to establish our customer base. The previously used solar panels for energy production were efficient in the range of less than 25%. However, with the passage of time, the technology has advanced and now it has become possible to attain an efficiency of close to 50%. Our plan is to use the latest technology for our project which will increase productivity and will continue to serve the purpose for an extended period of time. Moreover, extra production means the ability to expand our market further. Keeping in view the fact that solar energy is green (clean), there is general consensus that the promotion of

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Giant Snakes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Giant Snakes - Essay Example Boa belongs to Squamata order and Boidae family. Boa is found in Madagascar, Papua and the Pacific islands. The remarkable feature of this giant snake is its color. "Boa constrictors are pinkish or tan in color, with dark crossbands. They range in length is from 20 inches (50 cm) as neonates to 13 feet (3.9 m) as adults" (Boa 2007). The most colorful snakes are found in Amazon basin. The female are larger than male species. Pythons belong to Pythoninae subfamily, Boidae family. Pythons can be found in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Similar to boas their females are larger than males (Mattison 87). The movement of both giant snakes looks magical. Though they have no legs, snakes can move fast and quite efficiently in all sorts of situations. Their long backbones comprise of between 100 and 400 vertebrae and, with a very special arrangement of muscles, they can adopt several efficient modes of locomotion and, furthermore, can switch virtually instantaneously from one to another. During this elegant side-to-side undulation, each part of the body passes across the same spot on the surface. There is also the concertina-type movement consisting of anchoring one part of the body on the substratum while the rest of it is either pulled or pushed along, clearly an efficient strategy when moving through narrow tunnels. Boas and pythons use the side-winding motion on moderately rugged surfaces, including unstable sand dunes. Pythons "coil themselves around their prey and with each breathe the creature takes the snake will squeeze a little tighter until they stop breathing completely" (Py thons 2007). Diet and Reproducing Pythons and boas can survive without food during a year. "Boa feeds on large lizards, small or moderate-sized birds, opossums, bats, mongooses, rats, and squirrels. It is a nocturnal hunter and uses its heat-sensitive scales to locate its prey" (Boa 2007). The main difference between boa and python is that pythons lay eggs while boas produce living boas. The female Python protects her eggs by coiling round them, and at this time her temperature rises several degrees, probably to promote hatching. Body Temperature and Vision Their body temperature depends on the environment, so they are said to be ectothermic. They regulate their body temperature by exploiting various behavioral attitudes such as warming themselves in the sun. Boas and pythons even seek warmth at night and, in tropical regions, they often rest on tracks which have accumulated heat during the day. In excessive heat, as in some deserts, they cool themselves by burrowing into the sand, leaving their eyes just above the ground (Mattison 2007). They are also able to adjust their body temperature by living nocturnally or diurnally or, in cold conditions, by hibernating in deep holes. Boas and pythons have classical senses: sight, smell, touch, probably taste (as suggested by the presence of taste buds in some snakes but not demonstrated in all) and hearing. With no movable eyelids, protection for their eyes is provided by a fixed transparent shield which is shed together with the whole skin during sloughing. Though vision in

Monday, September 23, 2019

Sport Policy, Politics and Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sport Policy, Politics and Ethics - Assignment Example 44). Due to the importance of sport and benefits accruing from it, there are policies that have been developed at country, regional, and international level to provide framework in which sporting activities can take place. Policies are aimed at enhancing physical activity and participation in sport. However, it should be noted that policies of sport are highly influenced by sporting dynamics and shifting instruments and priorities of respective governments. Policy for sport is also aimed at promoting the interests of sport at local, sub-regional, regional, and international levels. Besides, development of sport policy has been informed by the realization that sport can be used as a means of delivering a wide range of policy aspirations such as local economic viability and health improvement among others (Bloyce and Smith, 2009, p. 101). Implementation of policy by for sport by governments is faced with various challenges and barriers. Implementation of sport policy is often faced with barriers and challenges just like are the case with implementation of policy in other respects. One of the main challenges is declining participation among the population in sport. Studies show that participation in sport has been declining significantly in most countries despite its importance (Bodin and SempeÃŒ , 2011, p. 60). Particularly, it has been noted that the participation of those aged over 15 years has dropped dramatically in recent years. Experts argue that this challenge in implementation of sport policy can be attributed to the fact that physical activities in the population has been declining especially after children have attained 12 years of age. The increased number of population suffering from obesity and overweight is a proof that physical activity has been declining. In addition, implementation of policy for spo rt has been faced with various barriers to access; that is, there are barriers

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Racism and Kathryn Hess English Essay Example for Free

Racism and Kathryn Hess English Essay In the beginning of the movie Freedom Writers, the students initially only trust their peers from their racial groups. This is because they only trust the people in their gangs. Almost all the kids were in racially segregated gangs. At first, Ms. Gruwell has difficulty getting anything accomplished. Many of these students have never been shown any respect in the past. Eva and some of the other students tell Ms. Gruwell that they will not just hand her their respect, she must earn it. Ms. Gruwell begins to earn the respect of her students when she moves the students around, out of their racial divisions. She attempts to show the students that they are united by playing the â€Å"Line Game† with them. She puts a line of thick red tape across the classroom and tells the students to move forward when a statement she makes applies to them. Her most effective form of reaching out, however, comes in the form of a composition notebook. Trust is an important component of a teacher-student relationship because if a student doesnt trust the teacher, nothing the teachers teaches is affective. Ms. Gruwell eventually managed to get her students to show tolerance for one another. She teaches them about the Holocaust and that despite the students’ ethnic backgrounds, they aren’t all that different from each other. For example, she takes them to the Museum of Tolerance. This shows that the students aren’t realistically the different despite the color of their skin or their ethnic background. This is important because Ms. Gruwell could not effectively teach the class until they could get along. As a result, the students begin to build up a tolerance for one another. Part of Ms. Gruwell’s outlook on racism was affected by her father. For example, growing up, her father was a civil rights worker. This shows that his work most likely influenced her views on racism as she grew up. This is important because it taught her not to discriminate against others. As a result, she is able to change the views of her students for the better. At one point, Ms. Gruwell confiscates a racial caricature that was circulating the class. For example, the drawing was of a black student drawn with thick, exaggerated lips. Ms. Gruwell then compared the sketch of the caricatures that the Nazis used to draw of the Jews during the Holocaust. This showed that none of the students even knew what the Holocaust was. This is important because it allowed Ms. Gruwell to teach her students how serious racism really was. As a result, the students became more tolerant. Ms. Gruwell knew that all the students were suffering from physical violence, emotional abuse, substance abuse, poverty, homelessness, gang violence, and deaths of family and friends. She felt sorry about them and wanted to help them sincerely. She did it, and as a result, the class was getting better and better, and the classes grades turned up quickly. Others teacher didn’t believe Ms. Gruwell despite she did a great job. They thought she was a new teacher and had no idea about teaching. But the main point was, they had serious racial prejudice in their minds, they disliked the students in Room 203. For example, one of the teachers refused to lend books to Ms. Gruwell. This shows the racial discrimination was really serious. Hence, Ms. Gruwell had to do everything by herself. Even when Ms. Gruwells husband left her, the students made her life better. Problems still came up, she was denied to teach Room 203 in junior and senior year. But after the tough fight with other teachers, she was allowed to stay with them till the end of high school time.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Gout and Lupus

Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Gout and Lupus Introduction Gout is an acute inflammatory arthritis with the potency to fully destroy the integrity of the joint leading to severe disability. It is termed as a true crystal deposition disease caused by formation of monosodium urate crystals in joints and other tissues. It is the common cause of inflammatory arthritis that has increased in prevalence in recent decades (Roddy and Doherty 2010). Gout normally results from the interaction of genetic, constitutional and environmental risk factors. It is more common in men and strongly age related. Both acute arthritis and chronic arthropathy (tophaceous gout) are considered under the rubric of gout (Mikuls and Saag 2006; Roddy et al. 2007). In a broader term, it can be defined as combination of events involving an increase in the serum urate concentration, acute arthritic attacks with monosodium urate monohydrate crystals demonstrable in synovial fluid leukocytes, and tophi which usually occurs in and around joints of the extremities. These physio-c hemical changes either occur separately or in combination (Terkeltaub 2003; Shai et al. 2010). Gouty arthritis accounts for millions of outpatient visits annually and the prevalence is rising. It affects 1-2% of adults in developed countries, where it is the most common inflammatory arthritis in men. Epidemiological data are consistent with a rise in prevalence of gout. Rates of gout have approximately doubled between 1990 and 2010. A number of factors have been found to influence rates of gout, including age, race, and the season of the year. In men over the age of 30 and women over the age of 50, prevalence is 2% (Eggebeen 2007). Anatomy and Pathophysiology Gouty arthritis is one of the most painful rheumatic diseases and its incidence increases promptly with advancing age. In 75% of the patients, gouty arthritis initially strikes a single joint which is most commonly the big toe. In women gout develop in increasing numbers after menopause eventually at an incidence rate equal to that of men (Hootman and Helmick 2006). In elderly patients, an occurrence of gout is usually less spectacular than in middle age and often implies an upper extremity poly or mono articular presentation rather than the classic mono articular lower extremity picture commonly displayed by middle-aged men. In older patients, gout can be more likely the clinical picture of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis (Cassetta and Gorevic 2004). Gouty arthritis can be classified into four stages depending upon level of severity namely; (i) Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia: In this stage, a person has elevated blood uric acid levels but no other symptoms and therefore requires no treatment. (ii) Acute Gouty Arthritis: In this stage, hyperuricemia leads to deposition of uric acid crystals in joint spaces, leading to gouty attacks (iii) Interval / Intercritical: This is the stage between acute gouty attacks with no symptoms and (iv) Chronic Tophaceous Gout: where the disease leads to permanent damage (Bhansing et al. 2010). Pathogenesis of gouty arthritis is critically influenced by sodium urate crystals and inflammatory processes they induce (Wise and Agudelo 1996). An inefficient renal urate excretion which leads to the elevated levels of uric acid above the saturation point for urate crystal formation is a major determinant of the disease. Purine catabolism leads to the formation of metabolic by-product, uric acid. In most mammals like higher primates, many birds and some reptiles, the urate oxidase (uricase) enzyme converts uric acid (relatively insoluble) to allantoin (highly soluble), leading to very low serum uric acid levels. A series of parallel mutations in the genes of uricase in the Miocene period results in the production of the dysfunctional form of uricase that leads to accumulation of relatively higher level of insoluble uric acid and subsequently the development of gouty arthritis (Liote and Ea 2006; Eggebeen 2007). Degradation of purines results in the endogenous production of uric aci d that usually contributes about two-thirds of the body urate pool, the remainder being originated by dietry intake. Of the uric acid formed daily, about 70% is excreted through the kidney while the rest is eliminated into the biliary tract and then converted to allantoin by colonic bacterial uricase. Therefore, in the vast majority gouty patients, hyperuricaemia occurs from reduced efficiency of renal urate clearance (Laubscher et al. 2009; Terkeltaub 2010). Development of the acute and chronic inflammatory gout is facilitated with the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in joints. while MSU crystals were first identified as the aetiological agent of gout in the eighteenth century and more recently as a danger signal released from dying cells, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying MSU-induced inflammation (Martinon et al. 2006). For crystal formation n occurrence of gout, the ionic product of sodium and uric acid must be at or above the saturation level at which MSU crystals can form. Uric acid is a weak acid of pKa 5.75 and, it exists mainly in the ionized form as urate at physiological pH of 7.40. MSU has limited solubility under physiological conditions and the saturation level in plasma at a pH of 7.40 is 6.8 mg/dl (408 ÂÂ µmol/l) and when the plasma concentration exceeds this level, crystals may form in the joints and tissues (Terkeltaub 2010). MSU crystals preferentially form within cartilage and fibrous tissues, where they are relatively safer from contact with inflammatory mediators and may dwell for years without causing any defects. However, if shed from these sites of origin into the joint space or bursa, they are highly phlogistic particles that are immediately phagocytosed by monocytes and macrophages, stimulating the NALP3 inflammasome, triggering the release of IL-1 and other cytokines and a subsequent infiltration of neutrophils. Here the white cells release a package of inflammatory mediator substances which, in addition to destroying the crystals, also damage the surrounding tissues (Martinon et al. 2006). This acute inflammation defines the symptoms of an acute flare such as pain, swelling and redness and is typically self-limiting. Continual deposition of large numbers of MSU crystals may also heading out the joint damage through mechanical effects on cartilage and bone (pressure erosion), and probably low-gr ade inflammation. However, these more chronic crystal-tissue interactions still remain elusive and in need of further investigations (VanItallie 2010). Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Introduction Lupus is an autoimmune disease which leads to both acute and chronic inflammation of various tissues of the human body. Lupus can be classified into different form depending upon the target tissues and organ system. Defined as Type III hypersensitivity reaction, people with lupus produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues within their own body rather than foreign infectious agents. Because the antibodies and accompanying cells of inflammation can affect tissues anywhere in the body, lupus has the potential to affect a variety of areas such as heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. When internal organs are involved, the condition is referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The disease may be mild or severe and life-threatening (Wallace 2010). The prevalence of lupus ranges from approximately 40 cases per 100,000 persons among Northern Europeans to more than 200 per 100,000 persons among blacks (Johnson et al. 1995). In the United States, the number of patients with lupus exceeds 250,000. The life expectancy of such patients has improved from an approximate 4-year survival rate of 50% in the 1950s to a 15-year survival rate of 80% today (Merrell and Shulman 1955; Abu-Shakra et al. 1995). Even so, a patient in whom lupus is diagnosed at 20 years of age still has a 1 in 6 chance of dying by 35 years of age, most often from lupus or infection. Later, myocardial infarction and stroke become important causes of death (Cervera et al. 2003). Anatomy and Pathophysiology SLE is an inflammatory and multi-systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by an uncontrolled auto-reactivity of B and T lymphocytes. This results in the production of auto antibodies (auto-Abs) against self-directed antigens and causes tissue destruction (Cuchacovich and Gedalia 2009). Pathogenesis of SLE is a multi-factorial event and the exact mechanism of disease development and progression is still unclear. Multiple factors are known to be associated with the development of the disease such as genetic, racial, hormonal, and environmental factors. Defects in apoptosis are one of the proposed mechanisms involved in patho-physiological events of SLE. Imbalance in apoptotic machinery leads to the production of auto-antibodies. These antibodies lack the ability to differentiate between pathogenic and normal host cells and cause increase cell death and abnormalities in immune tolerance (Andrade et al. 2000; Rahman and Isenberg 2008). It is believed that all the major components of immune system are involved in SLE progression at various levels. Mostly proteins present in cell nucleus are targeted by the immune system. The likely environmental triggers for SLE include ultraviolet light, drugs, and viruses. These stimuli cause the destruction of cells and expose their DNA, histones, and other proteins, particularly parts of the cell nucleus. It is observed that in patients suffering from SLE, there is increased cell death in monocytes and keratinocytes and hyper expression of Fas protein by B and T cells of the immune system. Tingibl e body macrophages (TBMs) are large phagocytic cells present in the germinal centers of secondary lymph nodes. They express CD68 protein. These cells normally engulf B cells which have undergone apoptosis after somatic hypermutation. In some patients with SLE, significantly fewer TBMs can be found, and these cells rarely contain material from apoptotic B cells. Also, uningested apoptotic nuclei can be found outside of TBMs. This material may present a threat to the tolerization of B cells and T cells (Gaipl et al. 2006). Monocytes isolated from whole blood of SLE sufferers show reduced expression of CD44 surface molecules involved in the uptake of apoptotic cells. Most of the monocytes and tingible body macrophages (TBM), which are found in the germinal centres of lymph nodes, even show a definitely different morphology; they are smaller or scarce and die earlier. Serum components like complement factors, CRP, and some glycoproteins are, furthermore, decisively important for an efficiently operating phagocytosis. With SLE, these components are often missing, diminished, or inefficient. References Abu-Shakra M, Urowitz MB, Gladman DD, Gough J (1995) Mortality studies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Results from a single center. II. Predictor variables for mortality. J Rheumatol 22:1265-1270 Andrade F, Casciola-Rosen L, Rosen A (2000) Apoptosis in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinical implications. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 26:215-227, v Bhansing KJ, van Bon L, Janssen M, Radstake TR (2010) Gout: a clinical syndrome illustrated and discussed. Neth J Med 68:352-359 Cassetta M, Gorevic PD (2004) Crystal arthritis. Gout and pseudogout in the geriatric patient. Geriatrics 59:25-30; quiz 31 Cervera R et al. (2003) Morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus during a 10-year period: a comparison of early and late manifestations in a cohort of 1,000 patients. Medicine (Baltimore) 82:299-308 doi: 10.1097/01.md.0000091181.93122.55 Cuchacovich R, Gedalia A (2009) Pathophysiology and clinical spectrum of infections in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 35:75-93 doi: S0889-857X(09)00004-0 [pii] 10.1016/j.rdc.2009.03.003 Eggebeen AT (2007) Gout: an update. Am Fam Physician 76:801-808 Gaipl US et al. (2006) Clearance of apoptotic cells in human SLE. Curr Dir Autoimmun 9:173-187 doi: 10.1159/000090781 [pii]Â   10.1159/000090781 Hootman JM, Helmick CG (2006) Projections of US prevalence of arthritis and associated activity limitations. Arthritis Rheum 54:226-229 doi: 10.1002/art.21562 Johnson AE, Gordon C, Palmer RG, Bacon PA (1995) The prevalence and incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Birmingham, England. Relationship to ethnicity and country of birth. Arthritis Rheum 38:551-558 Laubscher T, Dumont Z, Regier L, Jensen B (2009) Taking the stress out of managing gout. Can Fam Physician 55:1209-1212 doi: 55/12/1209 [pii] Liote F, Ea HK (2006) Gout: update on some pathogenic and clinical aspects. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 32:295-311, vi doi: S0889-857X(06)00024-X [pii] 10.1016/j.rdc.2006.03.001 Martinon F, Petrilli V, Mayor A, Tardivel A, Tschopp J (2006) Gout-associated uric acid crystals activate the NALP3 inflammasome. Nature 440:237-241 doi: nature04516 [pii] 10.1038/nature04516 Merrell M, Shulman LE (1955) Determination of prognosis in chronic disease, illustrated by systemic lupus erythematosus. J Chronic Dis 1:12-32 Mikuls TR, Saag KG (2006) New insights into gout epidemiology. Curr Opin Rheumatol 18:199-203 doi: 10.1097/01.bor.0000209435.89720.7c 00002281-200603000-00014 [pii] Rahman A, Isenberg DA (2008) Systemic lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med 358:929-939 doi: 358/9/929 [pii] 10.1056/NEJMra071297 Roddy E, Doherty M (2010) Gout. Epidemiology of gout. Arthritis Res Ther 12:223 doi: ar3199 [pii] 10.1186/ar3199 Roddy E, Zhang W, Doherty M (2007) The changing epidemiology of gout. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol 3:443-449 doi: ncprheum0556 [pii] 10.1038/ncprheum0556 Shai A, Rimar D, Rozenbaum M, Wolfovitz E, Rosner I (2010) Gout in young migrant Filipino women in Israel: a changing epidemiology. Case reports and review of the literature. Rheumatol Int 30:1685-1687 doi: 10.1007/s00296-009-1198-7 Terkeltaub R (2010) Update on gout: new therapeutic strategies and options. Nat Rev Rheumatol 6:30-38 doi: nrrheum.2009.236 [pii] 10.1038/nrrheum.2009.236 Terkeltaub RA (2003) Gout. New England Journal of Medicine 349:1647-1655 doi: doi:10.1056/NEJMcp030733 VanItallie TB (2010) Gout: epitome of painful arthritis. Metabolism 59 Suppl 1:S32-36 doi: S0026-0495(10)00229-5 [pii] 10.1016/j.metabol.2010.07.009 Wallace DJ (2010) Advances in drug therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus. BMC Med 8:77 doi: 1741-7015-8-77 [pii] 10.1186/1741-7015-8-77 Wise CM, Agudelo CA (1996) Gouty arthritis and uric acid metabolism. Curr Opin Rheumatol 8:248-254

Friday, September 20, 2019

Differences in Chinese and Japanese Art :: Essays Papers

Differences in Chinese and Japanese Art Architecture In China, very few pieces of architecture are still intact. Most of the influential architecture left is the Forbidden City. One main idea in Chinese architecture is walled cities, like Beijing and Chang’an. These cities are rectangular in shape and have streets that run north, south, east, and west like a grid pattern. The Chinese architecture concentrates on the balance and symmetries. The palace in the center of the city is based on the idea of the harmony of the universe and its cosmic order. In Japan, the architecture is based on grand palaces. Huge palaces were built and protected with many weapons and fortified for strength. Narrow passageways and mazes of stairs are common in the castles. The sense of power in the country is obvious in the location of the buildings. The buildings in Japan are always asymmetrical, opposite of China. Paintings and Art In China, most of the artists worked not for money but for themselves, so their paintings and art were forms of individual expression. They tried to express themselves with symbols and personal terms. The most common types of paintings were literati paintings which were characterized by unassuming brushwork, subtle colors, and the use of landscape as personal meaning. Literati painters painted for each other and used canvases like handscrolls, hanging scrolls and album leaves. Many of the paintings expressed the painters personality. One Chinese painter, Ni Zan, has a famous painting called The Rongxi Studio. It is done in ink and has mountains, rocks, trees and a building. The painting has little detail and is painted with the dry brush technique, like Zan’s personality, a noble spirit. In Japan, the paintings and art concentrated on a love of nature, a sense of humor and asymmetry. Ink painting was popular and used the canvas as part of the picture. One student in Japan, Bunsei, painted a picture called Landscape. It is on a hanging scroll.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Lesson Plan :: essays papers

Lesson Plan Student Arrangement- The class will be set up in centers for the duration of the lesson. Center one will be set up on the left side of the room. Center two will be set up on the right side of the room. Center three will be set up in the middle of the room so both teachers will be close to the center and able to see what is going on. I. OBJECTIVES Center One The students will be introduced to measuring cups by correctly stating the relationship between the different cup sizes when asked. The students will also learn how to follow recipe directions by correctly creating a ladybug cookie and copying the recipe. Center Two The students will be able to sing the ladybug song. The students will learn how the ladybug defends itself by singing the lyrics and creating a group poster. Center Three The students will create their own 3D ladybug with construction paper. II. MATERIALS Center One ï‚ · Measuring cups ï‚ · Water ï‚ · Empty Container ï‚ · Marker Board ï‚ · Vanilla Wafers ï‚ · Mini Chocolate Chips ï‚ · Red Frosting ï‚ · Thin Black Licorice ï‚ · Green/Red/White Construction Paper ï‚ · Black Marker ï‚ · Scissors ï‚ · Glue Center Two ï‚ · Copies of I’m a Little Ladybug Song ï‚ · Pencils ï‚ · The Ladybug and other Insects by Celia Godkin Center Three ï‚ · Instructions for Creating Ladybug ï‚ · Red/Black Construction Paper ï‚ · Scissors ï‚ · Glue III. PROCEDURES A. ANTICIPATORY SET I will tell the class as a whole that today we are going to be doing something different. We will be working in centers and in each center you will have the opportunity to be creative and artistic. I will then divide the class into three groups according to student’s behaviors and abilities. (Each center will also have an anticipatory set. It will be labeled number one in the teaching/learning set.) B. TEACHING/LEARNING SET *Tia and Fred will be in one group and Sam and Sue will be in another group to insure more teacher attention. *Harry will be wearing a FM monitor connected to the teacher who is instructing him. *Tia and Sue will be in close proximity to teacher to allow for assistance. Center One 1. I will start the center by asking the students if they have ever helped their mom make cookies at home. I will then tell the children that they will be making cookies but we first need to look at the math skills that go into making cookies.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Legal Education In The Us :: essays research papers

Legal Education In The US There is no undergraduate law degree in the United States; thus, students cannot expect to study law without first completing an undergraduate degree. Basic admissions requirements for American law schools are a Bachelor's degree in any field and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The American law degree is called the Juris Doctor (JD) and usually requires three years of study. The JD program involves courses in American common and statute law as well as international and business law. Overseas students who are considering an American JD should note that this program focuses on preparation for US legal practice. Undergraduate Preparation for Law School No particular subject or major field of study is required at the undergraduate level. Law schools are concerned that applicants have taken courses which develop communication and analytical skills, and that they have exposed themselves to a variety of disciplines. The Prelaw Handbook (Association of American Law Schools) suggests students study some or most of the following fields but stresses that "well-developed academic ability" is preferable to intense specialization in any one field: economics, social sciences (sociology, psychology, anthropology, political science), computers, accounting, and the sciences. Most pre-law students earn their undergraduate degrees in one of the social sciences, rounding out their general preparation with courses from other disciplines. All these subjects may be studied at virtually any university. Law schools in the US do not require that students complete their Bachelor's degree in America, but because of fierce competition for places in law schools, few students are accepted from overseas universities. At the beginning of the final year of undergraduate study, JD applicants should take the LSAT. No knowledge of law is needed to do well on this exam; it is a standardized test of academic aptitude in the areas of reading comprehension and analytical and logical reasoning. Legal Education Students thinking of law study soon discover that the programs of most law schools have a great deal in common. The choice of one school over another is not easily made on the basis of catalog descriptions of the teaching methods, course offerings, and formal requirements. The similarity is natural, since most American law schools share the aim of educating lawyers for careers that may take many paths and that will frequently not be limited to any particular state or region. Although many lawyers eventually find themselves practicing within some special branch of the law, American legal education is still fundamentally an education for generalists. It emphasizes the acquisition of broad and basic knowledge of law, understanding of the functioning of the legal system, and

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Breaking Norms

Breaking Norms Over the first few weeks of the semester we have gone over many topics such as mores, taboos, rules, regulations, and laws. But there is one topic that stood out the most and that was the idea of norms. Norms are much more different than that of mores, taboos, rules, regulations, and laws. Rules, regulations, and laws are clearly defined and outlined rules that the public must abide by. Mores are a set of norms that define fundameental ideas about what is considered right, wrong, or moral.Taboos are norms that society strongly holds so much that violating one would result in extreme disgust. But norms on the other hand are quiet different. Norms as defined by the text are the informal, unwritten rules that guide people's behavior. Last week we were given the assignment to pick a norm of our liking that didn't include breaking any laws, taboos, or mores. After taking time to truly think over which social norm I would break I chose one that particularly gets under my ski n and that was sitting next to someone in an open area.To break this norm I would go to an rea that was a sparsely populated with pretty open seating and instead of sitting far away from people as most people would, I would choose to sit right next or at least closer than most. I chose to conduct my experiment at Laurel Park Mall in Livonia near my mother's job. Like I stated before I hate when there is an abundance of seats to choose from and someone chooses to sit next to me especially if I that person I a complete stranger. Before I did the experiment I felt really weird because I knew that this was gonna be really awkward and I knew how people were gonna feel because Breaking norms The first norm that I broke was done at a busy street downtown. I was with my friend to help me evaluate the reaction of the people around me when I was doing the thing. I planned to execute the â€Å"breaking norm activity† during rush hour so that I would be able to get good reactions since many people are walking the busy street. As my friend and I arrived at the busy street, I lied down like a dead person at the middle of the street where hundreds of people are passing by. As soon as I lied down, a woman at my back was frightened that I just automatically feel down in front of her.However, she had soon recovered from her shocked reaction when I smiled at her and continued what I am doing. Many people had bumped each other so that they would not step on me. I was surprised that even though I laid there like a silly man, several people still considered me since they had been very careful not to step on me. The lying down like a silly man or even like a dead man continued for almost thirty minutes. For half an hour, I already created a secluded part in the middle of the busy street. I even extended for another thirty minutes of lying down at the busy street.It was then a woman together with a five-year old kid passed by. Maybe out of curiosity of the five-year-old boy, he came back to where I am lying. He was holding an ice cold coca-cola can. He tried to touch me and waited for my reaction. When I tried to ignore him and have not responded to his touch, he desperately touched my hand with the ice-cold cola he was holding. I was shocked that I shouted ouch! to the boy. He was frightened in just a couple of seconds but had recovered when her mother approached her already.I felt sorry for the kid but I pretended that I do not have any reaction to what happened. I even have heard the mother talking to her child. She said that next time, do not talk to strangers or do not ever approached anyone especially if the person feels like stupid or the person is lik e a mentally disturbed one. I chuckled to the thought that I looked like a mentally disabled person. For one hour of lying there in the middle of the street I have realized that some people are still (â€Å"Breaking Norms) (â€Å"Page # 2)considerate of the people around them whereas some people also are frightened of the consequences that stupid or mentally disabled people can do to their children. I have also realized that children are keen observer and they always do something to get attention from the people around them. The second activity I have done for breaking the norm was in the beach. Over the weekends, I went to a popular beach to execute my assignment. As I arrived to the beach, I surveyed the area and the first thing I secured is the presence of lifeguards.I saw three lifeguards visible at their posts securing that everything is fine in the water. Then I estimated that people in the beach doing their own activities are quite enough for me get attention. As I have sec ured everything that I need for the success of the activity, I ran to the water and went to the part where the water level is just below my shoulders. The tides were small and it is not dangerous for me to act as if I am drowning. I can swim well so that if my plan will not work I will be able to save my own self. I acted even more by raising my hands and really pretended that I am drowning.At the count of three, I heard someone near me shouting for help. Help! Help! Someone is drowning! Then immediately, a couple of the beach goers helped me to get near the shore. When my lifesavers and I were half way to the shore, the lifeguards arrived. It was then when I realized that lifeguards on that beach are not that fat to rescue if ever there are problems on the water. One of the lifeguards asked me if I am just fine or I need some medicine or first aid to keep me calm. I said that I am just fine and thanked them. I also thanked the couple who saved my life.I sat down at the shore and wa tched the people on the water. I have observed that for almost five to ten minutes, there is tension in the water. The children went on the shore to observe, the same thing as what I did. The parents or the adults have also observed somehow to make sure that the water is safe for them to enjoy swimming. The norm that I had just done is sociologically (â€Å"Breaking Norms) (â€Å"Page # 3) inappropriate since I have ruined the day of those swimmers. They somehow had a frightened reaction because of what happened.The incident also created a realization in my part that lifeguards were not the first to rescue in scenarios like that. I hope that I was only mistaken. Social norms when broken sometimes require some punishment from authorities. The punishment will depend upon how heavy was the action or mistake done (Asbourne). Reference: Ashbourne, Craig. â€Å"The Punishment for Breaking Norms or Trans-Phobia†Swimming Against the (Main)stream Current (2007). 11 June 2007 < http: //swimmingagainstthemainstream. blogspot. com/2007/02/punishment-for-breaking- norms-or-trans. html>

Monday, September 16, 2019

Comparing Miley and Taylor

Compare and contrast writing Topic: Compare two famous people: Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus Outline * Background: started to perform at young age * Success: Forbes’ list, teenager’s idol all over the world * Composing habit: write about their own relationship Each celebrity tends to create their own style in both life and music to become unique and then impress audience. On newspapers or magazines, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus are two obviously different images, the former is innocent and graceful, the latter seems to be stubborn and strong; however, in fact, they share some surprising similarities.One important similarity is their background. Both Taylor and Miley started their career at their young age. When Taylor was nine, she spent most of her weekends singing at local festivals, fairs, coffee houses, etc. After impressing music managers by her performing at Radio Corporation of America records showcase, she signed her first contrast with Big Machine Records at the age of fourteen and released her debut album three years later. Like Taylor, Miley was just eight years old when she has her first role in the film ‘Doc’.Nevertheless, her name has not been known by the world until she received the leading role for the film ‘Hannah Montana’, a Disney Channel’s musical children series. Another similarity between Taylor and Miley is their fame. It goes without saying that both of them have great impact on young people. In 2010, Taylor held the 16th position on the Forbes’s Celebrity 100. Beside many worldwide hits, she sold over 26 million albums and 75 million download digitals and became one of the most successful female singers in the history of the US music industry.Similarly, Miley ranked number thirteen on Forbes’ list in the same year. She also won a Guinness World Record for the song ‘Party in the USA’ and has million fans all over the world. Finally, two beautiful singers share one habit which is that compose and sing songs about their lovers. One of the most famous relationships of Taylor was with Joe Jonas who broke up with her by a 27-second phone call. After the separation, Taylor wrote a song about his faithless and put it in her best-selling album, Fearless.Following this song, Taylor tends to integrate her own experience with man in each song she composes, and they all achieve their popularity. Likewise, Miley wrote the lyrics for the song ‘7 things’ about her ex-boyfriend and 12 other songs which are inspired by her relationship with her finance in her latest album. Although Taylor and Miley are unique artists, there are remarkable similarities in their background, reputation and composing habit. In a way, those are reasons why they are close friend in real life.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Asean Solution for Rohingya Plight Essay

WHY is Asean silent on the issue of Rohingya Muslims, who have been suffering for centuries under the Myanmar army junta? Recently, they were told to leave the country to a third world nation willing to receive them. This is cruelty towards their own people and it seems that the world is just watching the injustice done to them, without any assistance, support or solution. In June 2012, over 2000 people were displaced in sectarian violence in Myanmar, in which most victims were Muslims. The government promised a full investigation. Representatives from different religions and minorities condemned the atrocities inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims which is a serious human rights violation that the United Nations should stop immediately. In June 2012, 11 innocent Muslims were killed by the Burmese Army and the Buddhist mobs after bringing them down from a bus. A vehement protest was carried out in the Muslim majority province of Arakan, but the protesters fell victims to the tyranny of the mob and the army. People were reported killed and millions of homes destroyed in fires as Rohingyas and Buddhist-ethnic Arakanese clashed in western Myanmar. Myanmar has a Buddhist majority. The Muslim minority in Myanmar are mostly the Rohingyas and the descendants of Muslim immigrants from India (including what is now Bangladesh) and China, as well as descendants of earlier Arab and Persian settlers. Indian Muslim were brought to Burma by the British to aid them in clerical work and business. After independence, many Muslims remained in the country. Over the years, thousands of Rohingyas have fled to Thailand. According to reports, there are roughly 111,000 refugees housed in 9 camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. In February 2009, there was evidence of refugees being towed to sea and abandoned and other reports of brutality by the Thai military in which Thailand’s then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that there were â€Å"some instances† in which Rohingyas were pushed out to sea. Will the present generation see the light of day? They are part of mankind, why then are we responding apathetically towards them? Asean must respond immediately to solve their issues. Please be sympathetic and empathetic towards the Rohingyas.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Genie †The Wild Child Essay

Genie was discovered at the age of thirteen living completely isolated in a room in her parent’s house, with nothing to look at, restrained to a potty chair for most of her life. At this time, Genie was still wearing a diaper, did not have the ability to communicate and could barely walk. Her father’s reason for keeping Genie isolated was that he believed that she was retarded from birth. Her mother takes no responsibility, claiming she too was abused by her controlling husband. Both of her parents were charged with child abuse; but her father killed himself shortly after and her mother was able to beat the charges. Genie was taken to The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles where she would meet several specialist assigned to her case. Shirley, an isolation specialist, stated that Genie was the most extreme case of isolation that he had encountered. Specialist started to run test to diagnose the extent of Genie’s deficiencies. Genie had a strange bunny walk, spat and clawed. It was believed that she was beat for making noise, so she remained silent. Was she born brain dead or did she become mentally challenged? First they conducted a test to monitor the electric activity in her brain. This four night study showed that Genie had a high number of sleep spindles, which shows abnormal brain wave patterns. By that spring, Genie had learned a hundred words and was beginning to speak verbally; which allowed her to express herself. Signs of her mental and physical growth were striving. She explored things using her lips and face. Doctors showed confidence in her success. Genie moved in with her Special Education teacher, Mrs. Butler. This was Genie’s first run in a foster home. Notes were taken on Genie’s obsession with hoarding objects, especially containers of liquid. This has also been recorded in other cases of isolated children. Mrs. Butler took it upon herself to cut off all contact with the other members of Genie’s case and filed a request to gain permanent custody, which was rejected by Social Services and Genie returned to Children’s Hospital for a short period of time. Genie was then placed with Mr. Riddler, who took on many of the roles in the case. Mrs. Riddler worked with Genie and taught her how to express her rage through fits, instead of physically hitting herself. She soon learned to verbally communicate her degree of unhappiness. Mrs. Riddle also helped Genie to verbalize memories from her past. Genie was able to use words and her vocabulary continued to grow. She started going to a nursery school and learned sign language. Case members still disagreed on Genie’s prognoses. Some believed that Genie was still brain dead from birth due to abnormal brain activity; while others believed that she had mental delays due to isolation, showing that her mental age was increasing. With all of Genie’s verbal achievements, she was not able to make grammatical sentences. In 1975 the research case on Genie ended and she returned to her mother’s care. Soon her mother realized that Genie was too much for her to handle and she was moved from foster family to foster family. Genie faced abuse and harassment during this time. In one situation, Genie was punished for vomiting, resulting in Genie refusing to open her mouth; ultimately, regressing Genie’s progress. Genie’s case strongly sides with the nurture debate. Emphasis is placed on Genie’s ability to overcome her early environment by allowing her to experience the world and to gain personal relationships. Genie’s ability to learn to verbalize after puberty shows that human development can occur and does not need to be learned during infancy. By Genie gaining personal relationships, she was able to learn how to express her emotions (happy, sad, angry). This proves that her environment is an important factor in her development. This study seems to be most consistent with Skinner’s Behavior Theory. Skinner believed that a person’s development was caused by the consequences of their behavior. An example would be when Genie was encouraged to speak and socialize, she did and enjoyed it. When Genie was punished for vomiting, she felt that opening her mouth was bad and stopped. Skinner also believed that the nurture side of the debate was important, development depends on experiences and people are shaped by their environment. All of which seem to be a theme in Genie’s case.

Friday, September 13, 2019

ISIS CAMPAIGN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ISIS CAMPAIGN - Essay Example is absolute and when such freedom is abused and already poses a threat to national security, such freedom should be regulated to the effect of asking these social media companies not to be used as a medium by ISIS to recruit fighters from the West. To the end of social media companies, following this mandate of the US government is consistent with CRM or Corporate Responsible Management where the company refuses to be used as a tool of evil. Most media outfit no longer air or cover the propaganda materials of ISIS. In fact, ISIS beheading of people and burning of a Jordanian pilot was not aired not only due to its gruesome image but also as a responsible practice of journalism not to be used by terrorist organizations to spread their propaganda messages. Companies must do the same and should contribute to defeating and ending of terrorist organizations that had killed so many people and destroyed so many infrastructures including those important ones such as heritage structures. They should therefore ban any propaganda messages from ISIS in their

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Environmental Analysis for a Daycare Facility Research Proposal

Environmental Analysis for a Daycare Facility - Research Proposal Example These too should be accurately defined in order to acknowledge the organization’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as potentials. In analyzing the external environmental analysis the PESTEL method will be applied. This means that political, economic, social, technological, and legal factors will be pointed out. The internal environmental factors will be studied through SWOTT, a method in which the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and trends are identified. External Environmental Analysis With all levels of government facing the need to introduce cuts in the budget, allocations for welfare and other services are in the process of being reduced. It must be noted though that this also happens to be shaped by contending perspectives on government spending from opposing political blocs. One of those that are badly affected by the political squabbles is the reduced budget meant for daycare facilities. The impending cost reduction measure is expected to result in the cl osure of several publicly run daycare facilities. If not, this would prompt stricter regulations for admittance. New York City provides one clear example of the said effect. According to a news report, â€Å"Mayor Bloomberg plans to eliminate 5,000 spots for after-schools programs and move an additional 10,500 similar slots for low-income children from local community programs to the Department of Youth and Community Development’s cheaper Out-of-School Time program† (Katz 2011). This is scenario that is basically taking place in many other cities in the country. Apparently, more children will be displaced, a situation that can be promptly addressed by the establishment of daycare facilities that are privately run and therefore, free from the current underlying politics of government fiscal policies. The current economic conditions have made it even more difficult even for middle-class families to allocate a particular amount of their monthly budget for child care. With incomes shrinking due to inflation, a growing number of parents have seen the need to both have a job. This naturally results in the necessity for child daycare facilities. However, the cost for sending a child to daycare has also increased significantly through the years, taking a big chunk of a family’s monthly budget. Five years ago, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies reported that the average annual fee for one infant ranges from $3,803 to $13,480 (Armour 2006). With recession occurring in 2008 and with the effects still felt even today, it is clear that the said range has increased several times. This only gives the idea that for a daycare facility business to work, it should present itself as a cheaper alternative to other similar private enterprise. As pointed out above, the weakened economy has prompted both parents to seek stable employment. As a consequence, children are left without parental care throughout the day while parents are out working. There is always the option of hiring babysitters but then, in most cases, the children are never given the necessary basic education by such individuals. Babysitter’s primary function is just watching over the children and preventing them from getting into accidents.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Sustainability Operations in Restaurant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainability Operations in Restaurant - Essay Example In addition, sustainability is quite important to make sure that there lays the presence of water, minerals, and efficient resources for the purpose of defending human health along with the environment (Blackburn, 2007). In this paper, the conception of sustainability and the introduction of various sustainability related policies have been discussed. Various aspects that include the overview of a definite sustainable policy, i.e. introduction of organic food along with its overall analysis and its implementation, will also be considered in the discussion. Business Operation: Lemongrass Restaurant Lemongrass Restaurant was founded in the year 1989 with a set of four chefs and was recognised to be the first organisation to serve a variety of Thai dishes to the customers in Melbourne, Australia. In terms of sustainability of business operations, the organisation does not entertain any sort of packaged or processed sauces or pastes to be used in its various dishes. Each of the dishes of Lemongrass along with its ingredients are cautiously selected, cooked, and prepared for the ultimate customers, preserving the organic values of those recipes. The organisation believes that every dish and its preparation should be made with hands and that no packaged products should be utilized. This particular feature ultimately reveals the mission and the promise of the organisation. With these virtues, the organisation has attained numerous awards and recognitions that include the â€Å"Best Thai Winner† of 2003 according to the â€Å"Age Good Food Guide† and also â€Å"2 Stars Winner† of 2002 according to â€Å"Mietta’s Best Australian Restaurants†. Along with the Thai dishes, Lemongrass also serves Malaysian and Indonesian items in its wide assortment of menu list (Lemongrass, 2009). In relation to sustainable business operations, the major principle of Lemongrass is to deliver fresh and pure dishes to its customers; it can be regarded as th e dynamic move of the organisation towards the aspect of sustainability. From the above discussion, it can be apparently identified that the organisation remained intensely concerned with the sustainability issue along with the impact upon the environment while performing its business operations. Lemongrass usually serves its Thai along with other continental dishes to the customers by making use of its fresh handmade pastes. In this context and as regards making fresh as well as handmade pastes, it costs twelve times more to the company to prepare the pastes rather than buying any sort of manufactured pastes. Thus it can be stated that the crucial sustainable facets of Lemongrass is to deliver fresh, pure, and hygienic dishes to its customers (Lemongrass, 2009). With this concern, the online official website of Lemongrass and various other policy reports have been used in order to gather information regarding the current performances of the organisati

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Production and Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Production and Operation Management - Essay Example Although the food you eat from Baja Fresh costs you double as you pay in McDonalds, but it is worth it. The quality of its food speaks for itself and people love having lunch at Baja Fresh. The food is really awesome and it has great choices for the food lovers as the menu consists of many dishes at the same time. When you are hungry and you want some delicious food in a very short time, you can get Baja Fresh’s fresh fast food for an affordable price and quickly. Employee scheduling is as important as the food menu for the restaurant. Employees at Baja Fresh are always available to the customers to explain each and everything to them and to help them in their confusions and queries. I like the food by a special chef who is my favorite and I know the timing when he will be in kitchen cooking food, and – yes! – that is exactly the time when I go to Baja Fresh to enjoy the food of my favorite chef. Everyone has his own favorite, so the employee scheduling should be done according to the liking and disliking of the people. Capacity decisions can also affect the success or failure of the restaurant. Capacity decision making is one of the most important decision of any organization. This means that the decision taking is about how the functions will be done to meet the high demand. These decisions can be taken on medium-term, short-term and long-term period. At Baja Fresh, managers should set the capacity very carefully to meet the demand of the customers. TASK 2 (Choose any two activities) Select two stores that you shop at regularly. What competitive advantages do those stores have over their competitors that cause you to shop there rather than at the competitors’? Develop your personal mission statement, with supporting goals. Interview a manager or the chief operating officer of a company about the company’s main strategy. Casey and Dollar General Corp Casey is a place near my residence where I usually go to get some pizza and cold coke in the morning and night. It is a part of my daily routine and I like its pizza. Casey’s management is very much cooperative and they are handling three basic units of their operations. In its stores, Casey sells pizza, sandwiches, fritters, chicken tenders, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast pizza, hash browns, burgers and potato cheese bites. Take your time to think about this. Casey is, in a sense, a restaurant disguised as a gas station.  Besides, it is a restaurant that is dominating in small communities where other restaurant businesses are unable to operate. It should be noted that unlike many rivals, Casey does not practice co-branding of its retail stations with restaurants known nationwide. The biggest risk to Casey’s investors is the lack of a margin of safety at current prices. On the other hand, Dollar General Corp. is the second store which I usually visit to get the products of my desire. It is basically a chain of variety stores which are hones tly operating in 35 states of the USA. Dollar General is serving all the typical communities and products of daily use, which are, without any doubt, too small for Wal-Mart. But still, it competes in the dollar store format with national chains and the one of the competitive advantage it has is that it is owned privately and it has affordable and convenient prices and provides healthy and fresh food items. Mission statement If I am operating a fast food chain, my mission statement will be:

Management and Leadership of Disney's Magic Kingdom PowerPoint Presentation

Management and Leadership of Disney's Magic Kingdom - PowerPoint Presentation Example oday, it consists of water parks, theme parks, championship golf courses, resort hotels, and Disney vacation club properties together with sports complex and Downtown Disney. Disney’s Magic Kingdom has not only become the world’s most popular vacation destinations but also a huge contributor to the economy. The Success of the company can be reflected to the time of Walt Disney. His main aim was to make the company successful by producing unique, creative, and quality entertainment experiences. This can be highlighted by the success of the Mickey Mouse, the first full-length animated movie ever to be produced (Stewart, 2006). The success of the Magic Kingdom has prevailed in spite of several unsuccessful CEOs at the company. Over the years, the company has expanded its theme parks and reached high profits. However, the company has faced a number of challenges under Michael Eisner. Eisner’s leadership position at the company raised questions regarding Disney’s corporate governance. This reflects to the hiring and firing of Ovitz just fourteen months after his hiring (Lisa, 2012). There was incomplete communication to the board about the situation of Ovitz. The information infrastructure faced the challenge of who received what type of communication, the form of communication and frequency of communication. Another challenge was Eisner’s hiring of close friends as directors to maintain his support within the board. This implied that the company lacked proper mechanisms in the hiring of executive members. Furthermore, the situation at the company was compromised by the shareholders revolt that was pushed by Roy E. Disney to remove Eisner from the company’s leadership (Stewart, 2006). With the support of the board, he removed Eisner from chairmanship. This was a critical point in the company’s corporate governance since in its last two decades; it was uncommon to vote against the re-election of any member in public companies (Lisa, 2012). Eisner’s

Monday, September 9, 2019

In the introduction of the The Fly in the Ointment, by Joe Schwarcz, Essay

In the introduction of the The Fly in the Ointment, by Joe Schwarcz, the author notes that real-world chemistry engages the n - Essay Example Many cough medicines use similar ingredients, so analyzing a single brand is sufficient to make assumptions about most of the medicines on the market. One such model medication is Triaminic Children's Cold and Cough. This medication contains 5 mg of dextromethorphan HCL as a cough suppressant, in addition to other active ingredients to act in helping with the pain and congestion symptoms of a cold (Triaminic-Novartis, 2011). It is reasonably effective at stopping a cough quickly, and so parents may use it for their younger child while ignorant of, or deliberately ignoring, the recommendations that it not be used in children under the age of four (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2000). What many parents may not realize when choosing to administer these medications to their pre-schooler is the mechanism of action of the dextromethorphan in Triaminic Cold and Cough. Dextromethorphan reduces coughing by actually decreasing electrical activity in the brain, specifically in the parts of the brain responsible for the cough reflex (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2000). This reflex is situated in the brain stem, a very basic portion of the brain involved in nearly all life-sustaining bodily functions (Shannon et al., 2004). This means that in addition to suppressing the cough, the medication can also cause disorientation and drowsiness even for those for whom dextromethorphan is FDA approved, and brain damage and death in young children (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2000). In addition to the possible detrimental effects of dextromethorphan, its effectiveness is actually also in question. Some studies have shown that giving a tablespoon of unprocessed honey to children above age two through age eighteen is more effective at stopping a nighttime cough than medications containing dextromethorphan. The parents of the children in one such study reported that not only did honey produce a similar level of cough suppression as th e medication, children had a better sleep quality after treatment with honey and in fact a better sleep quality with no treatment at all. Some side effects of the dextromethorphan, such as restlessness and anxiety, interfered more with a child's ability to fall asleep than did the comfort level of the child during an untreated cough (Paul et al., 2007). If all children's products containing dextromethorphan, such as Triaminic's Cold and Cough, were removed from the market, there would be a definite lack of available over-the-counter treatment for children's coughs (Maisch, 2007). However, given that there is an available alternate treatment, honey, and the risks of brain damage and even death, parents should be aware that simply because a product such as Cold and Cough is available on the market does not mean they should give it to their children. Even older children can be at risk for serious side effects, and parents should be very careful about making such they provide such medic ations in the correct dosage for their child's age and weight. There are situations where a cough is severe enough in a school-age child to warrant use of Triaminic's Cold and Cough, but in no case should a parent provide a pre-schooler with that or any other cough suppressant medication containing dextromethorphan (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2000). Any cough that is that serious requires the care of a

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Response to 4 students with 60 words each and 2 references for each Coursework

Response to 4 students with 60 words each and 2 references for each response - Coursework Example This was in the sense that the writer looked beyond just one area or aspect of resistance to identify three clear forms of resistance. These were the individual, group and larger system (quote). With this, it was possible to outline and equip global managers with some of the major areas of organizational change that they can give their focus to especially when they want to curtail the problem of resistance (quote). It was therefore of great importance that the writer systematically divided the forms of resistance. This particular writer paid much tribute to the fact that organizational changes are inevitable and reasons why resistance to organizational change may be resistance (quote). Much attention was however given to these that not much that not much in-depth analysis could be done on ways of addressing the resistance. Meanwhile, for the manager who uses the present study, the best way that he would benefit is for him to be made aware of some of the key problem solving solutions to resistance to organizational change (quote). The writer focused on causes of resistance to organizational change. As much as this is a useful step and way of informing managers of some practices that could lead to resistance to the changes they profess to undertake (quote), it would have been more useful if specific solutions to addressing the issues were outlined. Some of these solutions could be given in a real life case study of a known

Saturday, September 7, 2019

One of the themes of block 5 is the way in which characters may be Essay

One of the themes of block 5 is the way in which characters may be portrayed in prose fiction, and in drama. Select two characters from different works studied - Essay Example Euripides and Shaw bring out these traits by allowing the characters to express their feelings, giving them social status which goes a long way in defining them as individuals and exploring their sensitivity. In this regard both writers have used direct as well as indirect methods of characterization. Euripides uses the technique of exposition to give an insight into Medea’s character and to provide a history of her background thus far. The nurse delivers this introduction and at the very onset, we are able to divine her personality and a glimmer of the devastation she is capable of wreaking on those who unwisely cross her. According to the nurse, â€Å"Her mind thinks in extremes†¦ She’ll not put up with being treated badly†, she is a creature of violent passions and has committed horrifying acts in the name of love, but now her ardent love has soured and â€Å"She’s a dangerous woman† (Euripides, 2006)1. Thus his Medea creates a powerful impression even before she comes on stage. Euripides uses the essential tool of drama – dialogue, to allow Medea to express her feelings and plans for revenge. Thus the audience manages to get first-hand information about her inner-most thoughts and emotional state. Further he allows her actions to speak for themselves. It is Medea’s ability to act on schemes devised by a mind twisted by the suffering inflicted on her person that makes her particularly dangerous. Euripides makes her character convincing by revealing suitable provocation that goads her onto such dastardly excesses like murdering her own children. Euripides uses indirect characterization as well in his portrayal of Medea. The other characters react to her personality, thereby offering fresh insight into her character. For example there is a scene where Creon exiles her out of fear for the safety of his family. He tells her, â€Å"†¦ you’re a clever

Friday, September 6, 2019

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essay One basic notion in Aristotelian ethics that occupies a central significance is Aristotle’s belief in the role of man’s activities in order for one to acquire ethical knowledge. That is, for one to become virtuous or to obtain virtues one should not merely confine himself to mere studying of these virtues but rather one should, more importantly, actualize this knowledge of the virtues. Thus, for one to become good, one should do good. Aristotle further stretches his ideas by proposing the doctrine of the mean. The essence of this doctrine dwells on the basic precept that one ought to avoid the extremes and, instead, settle for the â€Å"mean†. The actions of men, more specifically, ought to be framed upon the â€Å"mean† which is the virtue. For example, the virtue of courage rests on the mean between two extremes: cowardice or the â€Å"lack† of courage, and rashness or the â€Å"excess† in courage. It can easily be observed that Aristotle suggests that one should live a life that does not border on the things that are on the â€Å"most† and the â€Å"least† levels. For example, if I were to follow Aristotle’s ethics I should always see to it that I should consistently draw myself towards the middle value and avoid slanting towards cowardice and excess. All this could have been very well except for one small thing that I cannot seem to fully comprehend. How is it possible for one to ascertain that one is actually taking the middle path? Or how is it possible for one to know that this or that is the middle value or is the virtuous action? Perhaps the key in having an understanding to the notion of the â€Å"mean† is that one should act. That is, as I continually have these ideas as to what I must do when faced with an ethical situation or, at the least, an ordinary situation, I should nonetheless take the course of action so that I will be able to obtain a qualitative understanding that what I am doing is the â€Å"excess†. On the other hand, I will be having quite a rough time in acquiring the understanding as to whether the action that I am doing is virtuous if all that I do is to theorize and never let my theory be put into practice. Aristotle’s virtue ethics reminds me of Plato’s conception of ethics. For the most part of the Republic, Plato attempts to arrive at a conception of a just life by centering on the notion that the just life or that which is good is better than living a life molded on an evil framework and one which prompts individuals to act in an evil manner. At the onset of the Republic’s Book II, a conception of the idea of â€Å"justice† is advanced as the working of an individual in accordance to the role in which one is best suited as well as the belief for non-interference in the activities of others. In essence, this principle is closely related to Plato’s perspective on acting in accordance to one’s nature or intrinsic being which results to the state or condition of being â€Å"just† or acting justly once the individual acts in line to his very nature. Otherwise, if one begins to act beyond what his nature prescribes, then the individual begins to act in an unjust manner thereby resulting to â€Å"evil† actions (Plato and Kamtekar). While Aristotle insists that one should put into action the thought that one may have so as to have an understanding of the middle value that should be taken, Plato, on the other hand, suggests that one should simply go by with one’s nature so as not to be â€Å"evil†. If I were to choose which ethical precept would be better or would fit me best, I would rather be inclined to adopt Aristotle’s virtue ethics over the other because it offers me a chance to actualize myself through my actions and be guided accordingly. Whereas for Plato, what I am seeing is that I should get to know my self first before I act so that I can be good. But this cannot be met easily essentially because I find it quite difficult to know myself if I would not act first. In the light, if all the students in a certain class would build up a virtue like that of Aristotle’s point of view, the achievement of an environment which is formidably that built on the concept of philosophical and tremendously beneficial notions in life, the attainment of the virtue of goodness is towering in the highest hopes—although it eventually does not also undermine the concept of realism. Apparently, many may not stick on this kind of perception and ought to think that it is certainly not possible to achieve a life which is way beyond the bounds of a â€Å"not-so-good† life for that instance, but with the maximum height of human rationality, such may be given enough credit for the philosophers who believed in a life where â€Å"goodness comes in deeds† (Lannstrom). Work Cited Lannstrom, Anna. Loving the Fine: Virtue and Happiness in Aristotles Ethics. Indiana USA: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006. Plato, and R. Kamtekar. The Conventional View of Justice Developed. Trans. D. Lee. The Republic. 2 ed: Penguin Classics, 2003. 8-14.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Child Adoption In England And Finland Social Policy Essay

Child Adoption In England And Finland Social Policy Essay This essay attempts to illuminate the differences and similarities in issues related to child adoption in England and Finland while offering an examination into the contexts in which social workers and associated professionals have to function. While both England and Finland are states within the European Union (EU), they demonstrate distinct and differing approaches to the adoption of children. In Finland along with other countries in Scandinavia, child adoption and the permanent transfer of parental rights is less of a central a concern, or worry than currently so in England where child adoption is featured prominently across a range of professional, political and popular discourses. In terms of social work practice the involvement of children and families, coupled with certain factors of the adoption process have been handled in a distinctly different way between the two countries. This can be seen where in Finland adult adoptees were allowed to gain access to records regarding th eir adoption or their birth parents far earlier than their English counterparts where this was not permissible until much later earlier through the Children Act 1975 (Triseliotis, 1973, p. 1). According to Lowe (2000) in the late-nineteenth century attempts were made to introduce adoption, but it was not until 1927, subsequent to the Adoption of Children Act 1926, that child adoption became legally recognised in England. Since then many factors including; reports, legislation and case law have all had an impact, this has resulted in refined policy and changes in social work practice. More recently media attention has illustrated social workers alleged shortcomings in relation to child adoption processes. In recent years, adoption policy has been influenced by a number of socio-cultural and political factors. During the Conservative government of the 1990s politicians and policy makers made attempts ineffectively to restructure what were viewed as unsatisfactory adoption procedures (see PIU, 2000, p. 31). These services were impaired because social workers were driven by political correctness (Hopton, 1997). The white paper Adoption: The Future was published In November 1993, representing a common sense approach to adoption (Department of Health, 1993). In 1996, the DoH published a Draft Bill with an emphasis placed on child adoption as an alternative to single parenthood during the consultation period. The Bill failed to progress any further due to the General Election in May 1997. With a change in government, the then Prime Ministers (Tony Blair) Review of Adoption was published in 2000 (PIU, 2000). Followed by a White Paper, Adoption: A New Approach (Department of Health, 2000), wh ich was followed by the publication of the Adoption and Children Bill in 2001. The Bill failed to materialise due to the General Election later in the same year. It was however re-introduced in October 2001 and the Adoption and Children Act received royal assent in November 2002. The first Adoption of Children Act in Finland was in 1925, a year earlier than the English equivalent. The present Finnish Adoption Act stems from 1985 followed by an additional Adoption ruling in 1997 which dealt specifically with adoption counselling and inter-country adoptions. Specific to Finnish adoption system is the role of Save the Children originally created in 1945 following the merging of two previous organisations (Homes for Homeless Children which were practicing adoption since 1922 and Save Finlands Children, which was set up after the Second World War in an attempt to help orphaned children). This organisation is now part of the International Save the Children. Save the Children has had an influential position as a provider of adoption services in Finland. In addition to civic welfare bodies, Save the Children is still the only private child welfare organisation in Finland licensed to provide adoption counselling (Pylkkanen 1995) In Finland, adoptions have dramatically changed during the last 30 years, in 1970, 243 Finnish children were adopted through Save the Children. Over the last few years this has decreased to less than fifty. Partly as abortion became more freely available following the Abortion Act of 1970; the number of unplanned children born to young single mothers fell. (Garrett, 2003 p.21). England too has seen a decrease in adoptions, (PIU, 2000, p.10) This may be attributed to the rise in use of the contraceptive pill and the acceptance of single mothers. According to Lowe (2000) The largest decline is in respect of babies (children under the age of 12 months) put up for adoption; in 1968, 12,641 babies were adopted (51% of all adoptions), but only 195 babies were adopted in 1998 (only 4% of all adoptions) According to Bennett (2009) Only 4,637 children were adopted in 2007, the lowest number since 1999. In both states, adoption is far more likely to involve children in public care-or looked after children (In England under the Children Act 1989) who are older, are child protection concerns, or have disabilities (DoH, 1998). This is in part due to the fact that there are very few healthy babies available for adoption. In England there are approximately 60,000 children looked after. (Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), 2007). 62% of these children were removed, on a compulsory basis, from their family. Approximately 1% of all children under 18 years live in foster care, with about 48% in family foster care, 40% are in childrens homes, and the remaining 12% in new formats of family professional care (Kalland Sinkkonen, 2001). In July of this year these statistics were even worse according to sources obtained by Bennett (2009) who claimed that this figure was now almost three quarters of all adoptions, she agrees with the reasoning behind the removal of children form their families stating The increase in alcohol and drug abuse among parents is also a growing factor in care proceedings, with parents often being given several chances to break their habit before children are removed. It may possibly be argued that many of those children in long-term placements should and probably could be adopted, but this is not the overriding view of Finnish society, indeed the dominant view is that of family preservation. Several contributors share the opinion that childrens best interests are met when every effort is made to keep the family together. If foster care is needed, it should always be of limited duration (Garrett, 2003). These views echo FOX HARDING CHECK WHICH PERSPECTIVE AND MENTION Many of these Finnish children in long-term foster care could have been adopted if they lived in England. Evidently, foster care makes it possible for children to keep some contact with their birth family. Unfortunately, this is not always advantageous for the child because of the severe difficulties including both psychological and behavioural of some parents (Quinton et al., 1997). The placement faces the risk of breakdown where the birth parents have sufficiently dealt or recovered from their difficulties, and desire to be a complete family with the return of their child. This may be successful, but may also be short-lived resulting in endless short-term placements. This will have an adverse effect destroying the childs ability to form any meaningful attachments in adulthood. Adoption would offer the child an opportunity to form a stable relationship but this would cut the connections with the birth family. In Finland adoption against the will of the natural parents is far from th e norm. As a result, there are very few contested adoptions. According to the Finnish Adoption Act, the consent of both biological parents is needed before the adoption can take place. It should be noted that there are two exceptions to this; firstly, adoption can be granted if it is believed that the adoption is definitely in the best interests of the child and the refusal of consent of the parents is not suitably justified, secondly, the parents cannot logically express their will due to illness or disability, or if their whereabouts are unknown. Additionally the mothers consent is only accepted after she has recovered from the birth (no earlier than eight weeks). In Finland the feelings and desires of the child are taken into account, this is according to the age and level of maturity. If the child is 12 or older, their opinions must be taken into account. In recent years England has evolved a degree of openness in the adoption process (DoH, 1999, Ch. 5). This is because traditionally in England, the adoption of children resulted in the cutting off of the relationship with the birth mother and birth family. The developments in this area have been provoked through professionals whose opinion that openness is important for the mental health and identity needs of adoptees (Kirton, 2000, p. 108). The ability for English adoptees and their family to gain access to records is relatively recent, in fact as recent as 1973 Scotland and Finland were the only countries in the Western world where an adopted person could obtain information from official records that could help them trace their original parents Triseliotis (1973, p. 1). The move away from high levels of secrecy can also be attributed to adoptees who wanted to find birth relatives (Campbell et al., 1991), birth mothers also campaigned for larger levels of openness in adoption in Engl and (Logan, 1996). These actions coupled with the Natural Parents Support Group, an organisation of birth mothers, who lobbied the UK parliament for a public inquiry into the injustices which occurred through the mass adoption in the 1950s and 1960s (Rickford, 2000, Fink, 2000). The Children Act 1975 gave adopted people over the age of 18 years the right to apply for access to their original birth certificates. The recent openness has enabled in some instances, contact arrangements between the child and birth family after the adoption has taken place (Lowe, 2000, p. 326-329). The Adoption Act 1976 amended by the Children Act 1989, made it compulsory for the Registrar General to set up an Adoption Contact Register in an attempt to make it possible for adopted people to contact their birth parents and other birth relatives. It the opinion of Hughes Logan (1995) that these measures are in part due to the increasing awareness of the importance of post-adoption services. The view in Fin land however has been far more open indeed; Save the Children has mediated between the adopted child and biological parents since the 1960s. It should be mentioned that large proportions of adopted people in Finland still do not wish to seek contact with their original families, usually those that felt disappointment about being adopted inn the first instance (Garrett 2003). This all means that while the recent drive toward adoption being more open is obviously important, it must be recognised that openness is not simple or straightforward. Kalland et al. (2001) shows that mortality rates in Finland for both sexes on the child welfare registry are in excess compared with the general population. Another Finnish study showed aggressive behaviour, delinquency and attention problems were associated with children and adolescents in childrens homes and that children may also be at risk of sexual abuse in these homes with the person responsible for the act often being an older adolescent (Hukkanen et al., 1999). What is important though is, none of these negative instances can be entirely attributed to poor quality or damaging care that children get whilst in public care. Numerous children arrive in these institutions already suffering from been highly traumatised in some cases due to parental addictions. In short, it is not simply the looked-after experience which leads to poor outcomes. Whereas in contrast concerns about the poor outcomes of children who are looked after (Parker et al., 1991) in England such as; ineffective health provision available for looked after children (Butler Payne, 1997), poor levels of educational achievement (Aldgate et al., 1993, Fletcher-Campbell, 1998), the bullying that takes place in care settings, the high pregnancy rates amongst teenagers in care in 2007 there were 360 mothers aged 12 and over who were looked after, an increase of 15 per cent from the previous year, (Corlyn McGuire, 1998, DCSF, 2007), the disappointingly high number of moves from care environment to care environment (Sone, 1997), and the lack of preparation for those leaving care, and poor after-care support (Biehal et al. , 1995) has led to the English adoption system making wholesale reform In July 2000 the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair published the governments Review of Adoption which contained over 80 recommendations. Four of these recommendations focused on plans to; develop and implement a National Adoption Register, drawing up of new National Standards for local authorities to follow, the setting up of an Adoption and Permanency Taskforce to promote best practice and challenge poor performance, and conducting a rapid scrutiny of the backlog of children that were waiting to be adopted (PIU, 2000, p.4).This was followed in December 2000, with the White Paper, Adoption-A New Approach. The aim of establishing a National Adoption Register and an Adoption and Permanency Taskforce were again set out. A national target was to be set with the aim of increasing the number of looked after children adopted. Other processes highlighted in the consultation paper integrated within the plan were to introduce new National Standards for councils and adoption agencies. To enforce these standards, powers were put in place emergency inspections and special measures to deal with problematic service providers. Other plans included, timescales for children enabling a sound plan for their permanent future, this would be made within six months of their starting to be continuously looked after. When the decision was made that adoption was to take place, a new family should be found within a further six months. In an attempt to aid adoptive parents new plans to support them were briefly set out. Other significant measures included: a new legislative option, called special guardianship, this would provide a sense of stability for the child, but fall short of legal separation from their birth parents. Unlike England there is no National Adoption Register and there are no plans to develop and implement one in Finland, a National Register however, could possibly help in advancing research and practice in a Finnish framework. Likewise an Adoption and Permanency Taskforce similar to that of England would be welcomed by many in Finland. Finlands parliament however, have this year voted to give people in same-sex couples who are registered in an official partnership the legal right to adopt the naturally-born child of their partner.(Finnsson, 2009) No further plans to speed up adoptions of looked after children are planned. This is, perhaps, because as suggested earlier of the dominant position Fox Harding again which places an emphasis on family preservation services. There are very few Finnish waiting to be adopted. There are however in contrast, hundreds of couples waiting to adopt a child. There has been some discussion in the media about the intense frustration of these couples. It may take four or five years to have a child adopted. This has raised the notion of an adoption industry which is fed by the child protection system, Regrettably, in many cases, the emphasis has changed from the desire to provide a needy child with a home to that of providing a needy parent with a child. As a result, a whole industry h as grown, generating millions of dollars of revenues each year, seeking babies for adoption and charging prospective parents enormous fees to process paperwork.(Pragnell, 2008) It is also his view that the interests of the child are now the cause of atrocities committed against children and parents by well-meaning and well-intentioned employees of state and related agencies but whose acts are leading to immense suffering for children.