Re-reading of ‘A Birthday Present’

Re-read ‘A Birthday Present'. By means of close analysis of the language of this poem, demonstrate how Plath achieves her effects in this poem, and by means of BRIEF reference to one or two other poems, say how typical of her writing you find it. Plath's poem ‘A Birthday Present' creates binary oppositions of images by using antithesis. An example of antithesis in this poem is when the narrator asks, â€Å"is it ugly, is it beautiful?† The adjectives ‘ugly' and ‘beautiful' are opposing images. The structure of this phrase is mirrored in the line below when the narrator asks, â€Å"has it breasts, has it edges?† These two images are opposite as when we imagine ‘breasts' they are round and smooth and not sharp like an ‘edge'. By using this linguistic device Plath creates a ‘seesaw' effect between positive (‘beautiful') and negative (‘ugly') lexis. Plath uses this device of conflicting lexis throughout the poem creating a tension. Furthermore, it can also be said that Plath uses these binary oppositions on a more subtle level to create the theme of good vs. evil. This theme can be seen in some of Plath's other poems. Take ‘Face Lift' or ‘Morning Song' for example, the theme of good and evil is represented by the images of babies she juxtaposes with those of death. The same binary opposition of images is used in ‘A Birthday Present' when the narrator says, â€Å"White as babies' bedding and glittering with dead breath.† Again the two juxtaposed images are of death and babies. It can therefore be said that this theme is typical of Plath's writing and is probably influenced by the miscarriage she suffered prior to writing these poems. Another device that Plath employs for a specific effect in this poem is her use of the personal pronoun ‘you'. The narrator questions, â€Å"Is it impossible for you to let something go and have it go whole?† and, â€Å"Must you kill what you can?† Many other writers use this device to achieve the desired effect of involving the audience as it addresses them directly. However Plath also has another motive. On first glance one may assume that the narrator is questioning the present as it is the apparent focus of the narrator throughout the poem. However, considering the number of references to God throughout the poem, (â€Å"My God what a laugh!†, But my god, the clouds are like cotton.†) one could assess that the question is actually aimed at God. Moreover, the theme in ‘A Birthday Present' of questioning God can be linked to some of Plaths other poetry. Plath's father died when she was a young child. From studying her life I found out that she loved and idolised her father. In her poems ‘Daddy' and ‘Full Fathom Five' Plath makes subtle suggests that she now sees her father as a God-like figure. In ‘Full Fathom Five' she writes, â€Å"You defy other Godhood. I walk dry on your kingdom's border†, when talking to her father. This could therefore be evidence that although she may seem to be addressing the birthday present with questions in this poem she is really questioning to her Dad. The theme of Dad arises in many of Plath's poems and so this poem is typical of her writing. Like many of Plath's other poems she uses personification in ‘A Birthday Present' to make an inert object appear to have a life of its own. The narrator is describing the present when she says, â€Å"I feel it looking. I feel it thinking†. The two verbs are actions that only a living person could do. Plath, however uses them to make the present in the poem come alive. The literary device of personification is typical to some of Plath's other poems. One example is in her poem ‘Cut' where she personifies her thumb by referring to it as ‘Little pilgrim', ‘Saboteur' and ‘Kamikaze man', before reminding us at the end of the poem that it is just a ‘Thumb stump'. This is therefore a device that Plath uses typically in her writing. In conclusion, many of the themes and ideas found in ‘A Birthday Poem' can also be found and mirrored in Plath's other poetry. She also uses a range of literary and linguistic devices in this poem that is typical of her writing.

Long Report Essay

INTRODUCTION Background This report was created to present the findings of a study aimed to curve the impact of the large number of workers we employ on local traffic. Many city and county transportation officials are interested in exploring ways to solve the traffic issues. The research in this report analyzes the commuting patterns of our 43,500 employees. Traffic is a daily battle for many commuters and has become a problem in our area. Problem For many people, the commute to work is disastrous. It is not uncommon to hear of people leaving hours early for work simply because of traffic. Although traffic can be found mostly everywhere, the area surrounding our company is unbearable. We are known as the largest private employer in this area, employing over 43,000 people. This fact, combined with normal traffic patterns, creates much more traffic in other areas and problems with commuting. Purpose The purpose of this report is to alleviate the problems with traffic due to the high number of people we employ. The first step in this process is analyzing the workforce’s transportation habits and attitudes. Scope This report will focus mainly on the transportation habits of the workforce, as well as their opinion on possible changes. DISCUSSION Employee Carpool Habits One simple way to help reduce traffic problems is the use of carpooling. The idea of employee carpooling is simple-employees who live in close relation to each other commute to work together, using only one car. Four people carpooling together takes three cars off the road that would have been there had they not carpooled. Carpooling is also mutually beneficial to the employees. Many save a large sum of money and they are  no longer required to physically drive to and from work every day. An added benefit is the 85 million gallons of gas saved every year by carpoolers. The results of the research are displayed in Figure 1. Based on the research done at our company, 23% of employee’s carpool to work every day and 10% report that they are carpooling on certain days of the week. A small percentage (2%) showed that these workers randomly carpool. The majority of the employees reported that they never carpool. Currently, 64% of our employees are not carpooling at all. Increasing the amount of carpooling being done from just one-third of the employee population to half or more will result in great change. As stated before, carpooling is a very easy and convenient way to get many cars off the roads with little change and has much benefit for both the individuals’ carpooling and the function of these populated areas. Employee Use of Public Transportation Public transportation provides a convenient and inexpensive alternative to regular commuting. There are many types of public transportation including buses, trains, subways and ferries. These provide commuters with a range of options to decide what one works best for their commute. Results for a survey on the frequency of public  transportation used by the employees at this company are displayed in figure 2. Currently just over half (54%) of the workforce uses public transportation every day of the week and just 28% of employees never use it. This shows that public transportation is possible for the workers. Because of the high number of employees that use public transportation, it can be concluded that the increase in use of public transportation is a possible solution. To generate ideas on how to increase the use of public transportation, a survey was completed that asked the employees to select as many of the seven ways provided to increase frequency that they saw relevant. The results are depicted in a column graph in figure 3. The graph shows that the results of the study found that the majority of people selected that nothing could encourage them to take public transportation. Although lower fares and improved safety were selected as the most desired option, over 8,000 employees would not use public transportation no matter  the change. It appears that people’s use and opinions of public transportation are difficult to change and there is no one solution that would increase the amount of people using it significantly enough for it to be worthy of doing. Transportation Distance Traveled to/from Work A potential solution to the issue of traffic patterns is the increase in employees walking or riding their bikes, scooters etc. This is a low-cost solution that like carpooling, has mutual benefits for the employee. Because we can not ask people to move closer to work so they can walk or bike, there are no ways to change the option to make it more appealing as done with public transportation. To determine if this is a possible solution to the problem a survey was completed that asked the participant to report the distance traveled one way to work. If the majority of the employees live in close proximity to the company, using other modes of transportation could be viable. The results of this study are shown in figure 4. The majority (53%) of the workforce lives within 4-10 miles and the second largest percentage chosen was 11-20 miles. Unfortunately, that is too far of a distance and it would be difficult to get employees to do. If the majority had fallen in the 1-3 mile  range, thi s solution could have been a potential solution but only 16% of the employees chose this option. Therefore, the idea of commuting on foot or bike as a solution to this problem would not be effective. Telecommuting An option that could impact the traffic patterns of this area is an increase in telecommuting. Telecommuting is when you are able to conduct your business from your home, thus cancelling out the issue of a commute altogether. A survey was done to inquire about the amount of workers whose jobs allow them to work from home. With this information, we can better predict if telecommuting is a realistic option. The results are displayed in figure 5. Based on these results, only 28% of employee’s jobs would allow them to work from home and the majority (43%) of the workers reported that their jobs do not allow them to work from home. Telecommuting is an intriguing option because it is the only one that removes the commute entirely. The problem with telecommuting is that many jobs are not suited  for a home office, and require many other things besides a computer. The way that the company is established now, telecommuting does not seem like a viable option. However, if the company w ere willing to change  some things and make the company more flexible, telecommuting could be a great way to solve this issue. CONCLUSION Through the use of surveying and analysis, it is apparent that changing the commuting patterns and improving traffic around the company will be difficult. There are a large number of employees and with a large group, comes wide variety. The ideas to increase carpooling and telecommuting appear to be the most realistic options and the ones that would produce the most results. Public Transportation appears to not work for many, no matter  the circumstance changes making this not an option. Lastly, the potential to increase the frequency of employees walking and biking to class is not a solution because the majority of employees live outside walking distance. RECCOMENDATION Based on the results found in the surveys, I am recommending that the best option for changing traffic patterns is an increase in carpooling. An incentive for employees to carpool would be a good start to moving towards this. By running an incentive type  program for employees who have never carpooled before would allow those employees to see the benefits of carpooling. Ideally, the employees would see that carpooling is a great solution to this problem.

Holly Bobo

It is not completely known that an actual crime has occurred, there hasn’t been enough evidence to prove that there has been a crime. I would want to interview her 25 years old brother, Clint. He reported seeing her being taken into the woods by a white male with all camouflage clothing. He said he only saw the back of this male and thought it was her boyfriend until he walked outside and saw some blood in front of their house. I would interview Clint because he was the last person that saw Holly and he also saw the man that kidnapped her. I would ask questions about the man who he saw take her. Also, about the path that this man took her. Finally, if he has noticed any weirdness from his sister the past couple of days or weeks. Then, I would want to interview Heather Sullivan, which is a woman in her town, she was approached by a man a couple of months before Holly’s disappearance, but she was so startled that she dropped the glass lamp that she was holding. When she dropped it got her boyfriends attention and he scared the man off. I would like to get from her details about the man that tried to kidnap her and see if Clint and her details maybe match up. Finally I would like to interview Whitney Duncan, which is her cousin. I would want to find out how close they were and if they talked on a regular basis and if she noticed anything not normal with her. I would obtain criminal records from each of these people and see if they’ve had any criminal history in the past that might pertain to this case. Also, I would want to obtain phone and text message records from each person. I would want to identify if there were any subspecies phone calls or text messages. I would want to collect the hair that was stuck to the piece of duck tape. This evidence could tell investigators who the hair belongs to and what part of the body it has came from. Also, I would want to collect her cell phone, this can prove to investigators who she made calls to and if there were any strange or threatening text messages. Also, it could have finger prints other than Holly’s. I would investigate the blood that was found at her home to find out if it belonged to Holly. Finally, I would want to obtain the lunch box that was found in the woods. It could provide investigators with finger prints if their were any other than hers. All the evidence would be carefully placed in the right kind of container or bag. Once it is placed in the right container, it would need to be tagged with the time, location, name of the person that collected it; then it is sent off to the lab to be investigated. Once they are done it is sent off for more investigation and it should be labeled with the names of the person sending it off, the time, and location. The primary scene is Holly’s home from where she was abducted from. This is the primary because it is the main place as to where the abduction occurred. The secondary scene is the woods. This is because this was the place where she was taken to after being abducted from her home. Then, there is another scene that the public or investigators don’t know about yet because there hasn’t been any other evidence leading to another scene. As for the other persons that would be investigated and records obtained from I would also obtain the phone and text messages records from Holly as well. These records would be important because it would tell investigators if there were any unusual phone calls or text messages sent or received from Holly. Also, I would investigate her Facebook and Myspace to find out if there were any unusual things going on through her social network sites. The locard exchange principle can apply to this case if her body has been found mostly. It is possible that other fibers can be found on the duck tape that the hair is stuck to. Also, some could be on the cell phone near the ear piece if the perpetrator used her cell phone. His DNA can possibly be on the ear piece of the phone. If people that Holly knew were ruled out I would suspect that maybe a neighbor that has been stocking her could be a potential perpetrator. It could be anyone that knew her schedule and her parents schedule. Whoever abducted her had to have known that her parents were gone and that she left for school at a certain time. I would document where all the evidence was found, the times it was found, and who found the evidence. I would document all the details that witnesses know about the perpetrator that abducted her. I would find out if anyone in the neighborhood saw a complete stranger just hanging around. If someone saw that then it could be a potential stalker of Holly. I would have of course TBI because it did happen in Tennessee so they would have to be involved in this case. I would also have FBI involved in this case because it is possible that they have traveled out of the Tennessee area. Of course volunteers they can be a big help in trying to find clues that lead to the end of a crime. I would also keep posting it on TV because some things can jog someone’s memory and that could lead you to your suspect. One possible motive could be that it was someone that wanted to date her and she didn’t want to date them so they wanted to get at her and her boyfriend and cause harm to her. Another could be that it was an ex-boyfriend and she didn’t want to have any contact with him or they ended on bad terms, which could have set him off and caused him to do this to her. Finally, another motive could have been just some random stranger that had been stalking her and knew that she left at a certain time in the morning for school and knew that her parents were gone and didn’t know her brother was still in the house and he could have just wanted to cause harm to her. I think these are viable motives because really it is only possible that someone that knew her schedule could commit this. A theory could be that her ex-boyfriend wanted to still be with her and he knew that she was with someone else and he didn’t like that she was. So he wanted to get back at her. He knew that she was on her way to school so he parked his car on a road behind the woods and when he saw her at her car went and grabbed her and made her come with him. He could have put the duck tape over her mouth and she ripped it off and that’s when he made her walk to his car. She had the lunch box still in her hand when they went in the woods and he could have made her drop it and then they drove off and went to another location. Another theory could be that a stalker could have just been planning to kidnap and harm this young lady. So he would watch her a lot and see the times her parents and her left and then the morning of April 13th he walked through the woods and went and grabbed her and made her walk through the woods to a car and he took her to another destination. It is possible that maybe her parents owed someone money for something that they were doing on the side and since they weren’t home and they saw that Holly as leaving the house they decided to abduct her and harm her as well. Finally, it is possible that a coworker could have had some kind of beef with her about something and they wanted to come abduct her and take her away from her family. So they watched her throughout a couple of days and figured out the times nobody was home and when she was on her way to school. And when she went out to her car someone jumped out of the woods and grabbed her and took her with them and they are at another location that investigators haven’t discovered yet.

Liberation theology is decidedly Christian however, Buddhism, Islam, Essay

Liberation theology is decidedly Christian however, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism each have traditions of protecting the poor as - Essay Example It is established that practicing religious beliefs plays a big role in defending the underprivileged in society (Jones, 5002-6184). The religious groups believe that it is important to offer assistance to the poor; the difference is the methods of assisting them. The liberation theology is entirely believed by Christians, however, religious groups such as Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have their own believe and traditions of assisting the poor as part of their religious practices. The teachings in these world religions about protecting the underprivileged individuals in the society have been researched aptly. Buddhism Buddhism is a religion that has cosmic and rich coherent traditions that protect and defend the poor. It has various set of teachings that guide believers on how to conduct themselves. The main teachings of religion is that people on earth should purify their minds and show love, empathy to others, especially the underprivileged. A Buddhist is an individual who is spiri tually driven to become a servant to others irrespective of the social class he/she is in, and ought to act for the benefit of other individuals in society. This is one the religion that upholds ethical values and emphasizes on implementing them when relating with other individuals in society. Compassion and loving-kindness are the core values that Buddhist should have; hence, promotes the practice of defending and protecting the poor. Life is important is an important and is highly valued, thus, believers of religion should ensure that they protect the lives of others. No person should be left die because of hunger and poverty or suffer because he/she cannot feed himself and family (Jones, 5002-6184). Being discipline is also significant, and humbleness is highly ranked, and for this reason the rich and wealthy in the society ought to degrade themselves and socialize with poor. Many opportunities will come up when individuals practice good morals and have a heart for the poor. Budd hism also teaches about love, which is a significant value a person can have. Love will make a person to protect and defend the poor in the community by providing basics needs and offering free services to them. Buddhism teachings comprises of 4 noble truths, the eightfold path and the precepts that teaches the society to defend and protect the poor. Christianity Christianity teachings on the subject require their believers to show love to the underprivileged neighbors by performing action of faith. For a Christian to have faith, it should be accompanied by actions (Jones, 5002-6184). Therefore, a person has cannot say that he/she has faith in God without assisting the poor. For instance, the religion requires their followers to provide food, clothing, and shelter to their poor neighbors. They should preach the word of God to them and lift their spirits that God loves them and wants them to be happy. Many Christian’s organizations have come up variety of projects that create employment to the people in the society. The projects employ such individuals, hence making them responsible and independent. According to the biblical prophet, a nation should consider as righteous or integrity, for it be judged by how it treats the poorest and most vulnerable. Christianity believes that the way in which we respond to the poor in society is how Christians respond Jesus; hence, the believers are encouraged to treat the poor for them to be recognized by Jesus (Jones, 5002-6184

Cuts the Word Peace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cuts the Word Peace - Essay Example This essay gives various definitions about terrorism and traces back its origin. Further, it seeks to explain different types and forms of terrorism and its effects to the society, environment, and government. Terrorism bears itself the words destruction and violence. To some, it means death and hell. Probably, all over the world, this word has gone every corner of the society. Indeed, terrorism can be found anywhere, as long as there is life. Different walks of life especially the children, probably if asked, as to what they understand about it would answer, â€Å"terrorism is what the ‘Justice League’ (super hero characters) combating against.† Or, other school children might say, â€Å"Oh! It’s something I play with in the computer; don’t you play counter strike and plants versus zombies?† The dangerous influence brought about by terrorism has entered even into the young little hearts. It seems like everyone knows it, even a five year old c hild. Since the beginning of the recorded history, terrorism has been evolving with its meaning and image. As technology grows, there are many kinds of terrorism emerging in like a root of plant that enormously increases in length. Perhaps, it would continue to grow more until it reaches the depth of limits. The term terrorism comes from the root word ‘terror,’ which means overmastering fear (â€Å"Terror†). But if somebody would ask who created fear? ... Thus, terrorism was used to resist occupation. All countries upon the face of the earth have witnessed and even some had participated in the act of terrorism like invasion and war. The September 11, 2001 attack in the US World Trade Center is one work of terrorism. The terrorists behind this terrible thing intimidated the government and the society. Political leaders, analysts, and even the students of Political Science discipline know that this is a game played by a single or group of persons aiming to overturn the government and destroy its very foundation--the common people. Hence, here terrorism is defined as â€Å"the destroyer.† A boy playing counter-strike enjoys the thrill that the game creates. He might say, â€Å"This is good, I like the feeling of becoming a terrorist.† In addition, terrorism brings ‘horror’ in the minds of the ones who are fond of playing unusual games. It is like â€Å"putting the horror in the minds of the audience, and not n ecessarily on the screen† (Garrison 12). In addition, fear, horror, and terror are somewhat synonymous to the term terrorism. In an author’s point of view, where they usually define terrorism with concise examples, illustrations and provide the reader’s with a scene ‘like horror’. They used to claim that this term is a political act. Some described this word â€Å"as both tactic and strategy, a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination† (â€Å"What Is Terrorism†). In addition, the FBI used to view the term as the unlawful use of force to further political or social objectives through violence. However, nowadays, terrorism has been into many forms--either small or great. In fact, it has reached the surface of cyberspace. The

Romeo and Juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Romeo and Juliet - Essay Example The first time it is presented by Othello to Desdemona as he impresses on her the magic of the talisman that was given to his mother by an Egyptian woman. The second time it is mentioned is as Othello attempts to justify his murder of Desdemona, saying Cassius had the talisman his father gave his mother. His review of the available literature on the subject reveals that most critics tend to assume Othello is lying in the first story that he tells to Desdemona as a means of romanticizing his past while few attempt to approach the question from the opposite point of view – that Othello was telling Desdemona what he really believed. Andrews also concludes that the critics have, by and large, managed to trivialize the role that his race has played in the development of Othello’s character. Those that have concentrated on race have frequently taken the idea too far, indicating that Othello is somehow less of a man because of his ‘inferior’ race. â€Å"Iago†™s temptation of Othello depends upon the kind of naivetà © Robeson has in mind; but his impassioned behavior when Iago’s ‘medicine’ works †¦ reflects Shakespeare’s acceptance of the popular notion that blacks are more passionately emotional than whites† (Andrews, 1973: 279). Where this differs from prejudice is in the fact that Shakespeare does not make this a central element of Othello’s character, but only allows it to manifest itself occasionally, such as in the case of the handkerchief. Despite what Andrews may have to say about the absence of a critical analysis regarding the role of Othello’s race and its impact on his character development prior to the opening of the play, this is exactly the subject of Edward Berry’s article â€Å"Othello’s Alienation† (1990). Within his article, Berry, too, reviews the available literature regarding Othello’s race, claiming the majority of critics choose to relegate

Global & International Business Contexts (Chilean wine industry) Essay

Global & International Business Contexts (Chilean wine industry) - Essay Example The highly competitive environment in the telecommunication sector has led to low pricing of the communication services that has reduce the cost of the business infrastructure for companies in Chilean markets (William,  Beaujanot  and  Zuniga, 2010). The administrative infrastructure has also been favourable for quick registrations reduced the time of obtaining licences for the new companies entering the wine industry (Rugman and Collison, 2012). The physical infrastructure in Chile supports the growth of wine industry as the country has high efficient air port and sea port facilities to support the distribution of wine. The government has always encouraged development of skills of the available manpower. This has been advantageous for the Chilean wine industry as the efficiency of the workforce is closely linked to the business output (Wines of Chile, 2013). The weakness of the Chilean conditions lay in the lack of good quality of education at various levels in the education s ystem. The government has been coordinating for laying the infrastructure of proper training and development, specialized training for certain industries like the wine industry to provide favourable business environment for the investors. The wine industry of Chile, however, faces the risk of natural disaster like earthquake, volcanoes, etc. Due to these disasters, the wine industry has faced million dollar losses as a result of the damages on the physical infrastructure like the airports, transport facilities, etc. However, the overall industry environment supports adequate level of production to meet the export requirements of the wine industry. The foreign currency regulation is weak in Chile due to which the wine... The strategies and the rivalry prevailing among the wine producers in the Chilean wine markets are also important for analysing the Chilean wine industry. The level of competition in the Chilean wine industry in quite healthy in nature that has the objective of producing quality wine products for supplying to the customers in domestic and foreign markets (Jenster, Hayes and Smith, 2005). The Chilean wine industry has witnessed strong regional competition among the wine producers. Due to the high prospects and the lucrative business opportunities in the wine industry of Chile, there have been foreign direct investments in this sector. The foreign investors have increased their presence in the Chilean wine industry thereby increasing the competition for the production of good quality of wine at competitive prices. The instances of joint ventures have also been noticed in the wine industry. The joint venture between Err azuriz and Mondavi is an example. Thus the competitive rivalry in t he wine industry has been quite intense which led to the increase in performance of wine production and supply over the years. The areas of weakness of the wine industry are also important to analyse the investment proposal of the new business. The wine industry of Chile lacks in the area of governance among the wine producers and suppliers operating in the market (Visser and Langen, 2006). The wine producers and the suppliers lack mutual trust among each other. The practise of copying the marketing and distribution styles of other players has been observed. The Chilean wine industry has shown signs of regional differentiation.

Bioterrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bioterrorism - Essay Example Not only were soda bottle with fruit juices, carbonated drinks or colas attacked, but also bottled mineral water, beer bottles and even cans. The terrorist had a few units where the botulism toxin was manufactured on a large scale and just a few milliliters of the toxin had to be introduced into each bottle of soda. Even milk was supposed to be attacked and milk bottles were found to be infected (Wein 2005). People across the US feel sick on consuming the contaminated food product. Some of the common symptoms that were noted included double vision, slurring of the speech, drooping of the eyelids, difficulty in swallowing, muscle weakness, berating difficulties, dry mouth, general body weakness, etc (CDC 2012). Young children and adolescents who especially consume high amounts of these drinks were the targets and required immediate hospitalization. Many of the patients with serious respiratory problems need admission to the ICU and ventilator support. The mortality rates were also hig h. In total, there were about 3200 cases of botulism reported throughout the US within the first 5 days, about 2300 people required admission to the hospital, 450 were critically ill and required ventilator support and 400 had mortalities. ... It may strongly be suspected that the people involved in these attacks may have introduced certain toxic substances into dairy animals across the US in order to demonstrate that the contamination of food and other products were linked to the animal deaths due to infections. However, the biggest evidence to demonstrate that the outbreak of botulism was a suspected terrorist attacks was the contamination of soda drinks and sodas. The water being used for manufacture and drinking water was also suspected. However, a majority of the US cities and soft drink manufacturers used chlorinated water and there are no chances that botulism contaminates naturally. 2. Describe how the outbreak characteristics would have been different in the above scenario, if the outbreak had been natural, rather than intentional. A natural outbreak of botulism already has mechanisms by which ultimately the people who consume the products are not infected. For example, water that may be contaminated would be trea ted with chlorine. Soft drinks are prepared using chlorinated water and milk is pasteurized before being packaged. Even some of the foods are disinfected before reaching the ultimate consumer (Medinet 2012). The second most startling fact that the outbreak was intentional was that it occurred through various cities in the US simultaneously. More than 10 major cities in the US were attacked and most of these cities were high consumers of soft drinks and dairy products. The last fact that suggested that this was an intentional outbreak was through various molecular laboratory tests conducted on the contaminated food product, the microorganism isolated was one particular strain, and this strain was one of the most virulent strains that produced large quantities of the

Essay on Mental Health Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

On Mental Health - Essay Example Mental counselors consider the background of the client while advising him on a treatment package so that the treatment becomes affordable. Inclusion of the bartering system involving gifts in treatment packages are generally avoided by the consumer (Code of Ethics, 2000). Current treatment packages have been tailored according to the client’s needs. Treatment packages are directed towards early prevention as well as after care. But criticisms have come up against these treatment packages due to their adherence of strict duration irrespective of the patients needs. Some packages based on group treatments have been neglected individual care (Prinz, n.d). Payments under mental health services are also a complex issue as it is treated more categorically different than other health diseases under Medicare. Related medicines have also become more expensive (A Guide to Mental Wellness in Older Age: Recognizing and Overcoming Depression, n.d). Hence recent treatment packages have ben efitted the patients to some extents but also have proved to be costly. The current essay tends to address this issue through various cases and findings. Behavioral factors have always influenced health treatments and it is relatively more important for patients suffering from mental disorders. This factor is also clinically influential on the health conditions of the mental patients (American Psychiatry Association, 2000, p.732). Hence a proper behavior is essential while dealing with the mental patients. This falls under the ethical considerations of psychological treatment. Ethical Considerations The mental doctors or counselors should never hurt the patients by their behavior. No physical or mental torture will be tolerated by the client. Maintenance of trust during the treatment also falls under ethics. The client also needs to be fully aware of the nature of the treatment and its underlying expenses. Any kind of discriminations, be it gender or racial needs to be kept outside the purview of treatment. Engagement in close personal relationships during the course of treatment is considered to be harmful for the patients. Financial or business relationships should not be developed. It is important that mental patients continue with their treatments else it would prove detrimental. It is the doctor’s responsibility that mental patients come for their treatments regularly and consume the prescribed medicines (Code of Ethics, 2000). Treatment packages offered for mental patients Before suggesting any treatment for mental illness the doctors need to diagnose correctly the kind of mental disorder the patient is suffering from. This will certainly help the suggested treatment package to cater to the needs of the patients. The cause for such disorder is also equally important. Medical advance in the area of psychiatric treatment do help to serve these purposes. Mental illness treatment is considered to be either somatic or psychotherapeutic. Somatic disorde rs are to some extent curable with drugs. So psychiatrists often suggest drug therapy. These drugs consist of newly invented anti depressants. Medical prescriptions are prepared in accordance with the type of disorder. Electroconvulsive therapy is a part of psychotherapeutic method of treatment. Under such therapy electric shocks are given to the patients by attaching the electrodes to the patient’s head. Undoubtedly the treatment is a painful one but proved to be very effective for severe depressions that are less responsive to drugs (Doebbeling,

Public vs private management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public vs private management - Research Paper Example The first difference is on the ownership of the organization where the public sectors are run and financed by the government, and the private sector is operated and owned by the corporation or the private owners. In the public sector, all employees including the managers work for the governments while the employees in the private sector work for the organization (Dresang, 2009). The other difference between the two sectors is that public sectors are established by law. This fact discourages managers from changing the laws depending on the changing conditions. On the other hand, directors in a private sector can change the objective when necessary. The output of a private sector can be valued by the paying customers. This is easily captured on the organization’s objectives, missions and decision criteria. However, it may not be easy for the market forces to dictate the gains of a public sector entity (Mgbeke, 2009). Therefore, private sectors have the responsibility to generate satisfactory returns on their investment and private investors get more motivation to put more investments. Contrary to this, public sectors still have the assumption that their capital is free, and the need to gain massive profits are ignored (Dresang, 2009). Skills One skill a public manager should develop is the ability to communicate with the public. The communication with the pubic and other outsiders is a paramount and effective skill for the public manager.

Fostering Maximum Employment and Price Stability Assignment

Fostering Maximum Employment and Price Stability - Assignment Example To foster maximum employment and price stability, the committee reassured that its target of 0% to 0.25 % rate remains appropriate. In establishing long-term goals, the committee has established measures that shall be used for monitoring and evaluation techniques which will take into account a wide range of information regarding the current market structure. Nevertheless, if updates indicate faster progress toward the committee’s employment and inflation objectives than the committee is currently expecting, then increases in the target range for the federal funds rate are likely to happen sooner than expected. On the other hand, in cases, progress appears to be slower than anticipated, and then increase in the target range are certain to occur later than is currently anticipated. According to last two statements, the committee’s stance has not changed on maintaining its current policies regarding reinvesting principal payments from its major holdings of agency debt as well as agency mortgage-backed securities and of rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auctions. It is currently anticipated that even after employment and inflation are close to mandate-consistent levels, economic situation may for a while, warrant keeping the target federal funds rate below levels the committee views as normal in the longer run. The council decided to keep the key ECB rates unchanged, as regards nonstandard monetary policy measures, the aim is now in implementation. Following the council’s prior meeting, the council shall start purchasing euro-subjugated public sector securities in the secondary market. Additionally, the council shall continue purchasing asset-backed securities as well as covered bonds which had begun the previous year. The joint monthly purchase s of private and public sector securities will total to  £60 billion of which are intended to be carried out until the end of September 2016 and will always be adjusted until there is proper adjustment in inflation path which is consistent with the council’s aim of achieving inflation rates below, but close to 2% over the medium term.  Ã‚  

Current Trends in the War on Terror Essay Example for Free

Current Trends in the War on Terror Essay As the world is cowering in terror from the 9/11 attacks and the bombing incidents in Indonesia and other parts of the world, the world’s attention is shifted now to where the attacks may occur next and what can be done to address the situation. Some suggest that the answer lies in being able to suppress and perhaps eliminate all of the terrorist cells all over the world. The problem there, however, is that any attack that is targeted at eliminating terrorist cells would necessarily involve any host country where they may be located and in any Middle Eastern country, such an attack could prove disastrous (Campbell Flourney 372). The more practical and ideal solution to this problem therefore lies at a more fundamental level; a more basic level wherein the country has more controls and no international liability (Kochler 37). The solution to this problem is by improving border security in order to prevent the occurrence of these terrorist attacks while the international community seeks for answers to address this problem at a global scale. At this point in time, domestic policies would be the best option in fighting the war against terror. This short discourse will therefore seek to shed light on the issue of terrorism and the crucial role that the border security plays in such. To gain a better understanding of the problem, it is important to first analyze the current trends that have been taken relative to border security to ensure the safety of the public from terrorist attacks. This will then be supplemented by an explanation on how border security can take an even larger role. The most crucial aspect in relation to border security and its role in the war against terror concerns the aviation industry. Since the 9/11 attacks, the public confidence with regard to air travel has greatly been shaken (Taylor 2). The attacks had the effect of sending a message that now, even airplanes could be used as missiles to target buildings regardless of whether there were people on board the aircraft of not. Every plane crash that is reported on the news is suspected to have been caused by a terrorist attack rather than just an equipment malfunction or a pilot error. In response to these attacks, security has been considerably increased in airports all over the world. Every passenger is now subject to a full body search and every hand carried and checked in item is thoroughly inspected for any suspicious objects that can either cause an explosion or aid a hijacker in gaining control over the aircraft (Campbell Flourney 52). The impact has not been limited to airport security as even airplane manufacturers and airlines have resorted to installing devices and taking precautions with regard to what to do in case an airplane is hijacked. One of the safety measures that have been suggested and is highly debated is the issuing of arms for the pilots so that they may be able to defend themselves against any terrorist hijackers that are able to force themselves into the cockpits (Lott 1). The current controversy with regard to airline security concerns the proposal to equip the pilots of airplanes with weapons in order to protect themselves from any hijackers that manage to enter the cockpit (Taylor 2). This proposal is of course faced with a lot of opposition because of the implications of allowing pilots to be armed in aircrafts. There is a lot of concern with regard to the security of the other passengers on board just in case the armed pilots do decide to turn on the other co-pilots and hijack the aircraft themselves or hold passengers as hostages for whatever purpose. The proponents for arming the pilots argue that it is the best option because the pilots need to defend themselves against the terrorist hijackers (Keeler 151). The problem with this is that it negates the training of the pilots which is that in times such as hijackings they are not supposed to deal with the terrorists but instead secure the cockpit and land the plane as soon as possible (Will 1). The concern here is that the plane should be landed right away in order to protect not only the passengers but also the people on the ground who may become targets or victims as the 9/11 experience has shown. The duty of the pilot is not concern himself with whatever goes on in the cabin but instead make sure that the plane is safely on the ground where there are more units who can deal with the situation properly. Pilots are not adequately trained to deal with hijacking situations in terms of dealing directly with the terrorist hijackers (Will 1). Another argument for the arming of the pilots is that such a measure is only designed to protect the pilots from terrorist hijackers who succeed in gaining entry into the cockpit (3). While there as some merit to this precautionary measure, there is no guarantee that the armed pilots will do just that. There are instances when certain people, pilots included, enter a â€Å"cowboys or renegade† mode (Will 1). Most of the pilots have received a degree of military training as fighter pilots and there is some truth to the profiling of fighter pilots â€Å"live wires and risk-takers† (Will 1). The end result in these situations could be that instead of protecting the cockpit and landing the plane like they are supposed to, a number of these former fighter pilots could engage the terrorist hijackers.

Cinemas Impact On Society

Cinemas Impact On Society In the subcontinent there are numerous traditions and practices that are based on ignorance and which have captivated the progress of the societies. Of such negative influenced ignorance, unsociability, dowry systems, rigidity of caste system and purdah system have done remarkable harm to the society. These influences are present in our society and are practiced without the repercussion of the aftermath that they bring with them, the society keeps following them like nobility preached through ancestral traditions. Cinema films have, had and will continue to torch light to eradicate the stubborn stains in the sub continental society. Cinema has been used to promote eradication of trafficking, illiteracy, slavery, promote national integration, family planning, and inter caste/religion marriages. Cinema can be used as a tool to contribute to guide the society to proceed along the righteous path. It has been and will be used as a mean to remove ignorance from the sub continental society. http://essaysandarticles.com/science/the-cinema%E2%80%94-its-impact-on-society There are dynamic views and realization of cinema to different people associated to this form of media, for instance for the Producers it is a mean of a lucrative business, for directors and backroom staff, it is a form of canvas for them there they can perform their art work to the masses for personal desire and satisfaction, for on screen performers, such as actors and actresses, its is a mean of earning money and face value, while for the masses it is a mean of cheap and interesting form of entertainment and pastime for their viewing and listening pleasure. This is one of the key reasons why cinema has been a flourishing industry for ages and hold of a major market share of the entertainment industry. http://www.preservearticles.com/201106127879/essay-on-the-effect-of-cinema-on-our-society.html Indian Cinema: Since its beginning with the film Raja Harish Chandra (1913), the cinema has remained the most powerful media for mass communication in India. Cinema has the ability to combine entertainment with communication of ideas. It has the potential appeal for its audience. It certainly leaves other media far behind in making such an appeal. As in literature, cinema has produced much which touches the innermost layers of the man. It mirrors the episodes in such a manner that leaves an impact on the coming generations. Cinema presents an image of the society in which it is born and the hopes, aspirations, frustration and contradictions present in any given social order. In the present era, cinema is getting replaced by small screen productions. Televised serials and programmes are replacing craze. They advertise and earn revenue for industry. Thus films telecast has become a source of further income for the industry and trade. Man has instincts, different thoughts flow which leave an effect on the minds. The person laughs with the films and tears with them. Scenes of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, a film by Raj Kumar Santoshi and Manoj Goswami makes people national-minded and sentimentally involved in the film show. The fim dialogues are occupying places in our real life. Dialogues of Mugle Azam found place in the normal interaction of people for a long time. People talked and walked like Prithvi Raj, the great king Akbar. In the same way, plays by Agha Hashat and Devdas by Sharat Chandra left a deep impact on the masses. In the same way, film Sholey created an imending effect on so many. http://www.preservearticles.com/201106127879/essay-on-the-effect-of-cinema-on-our-society.html Example of Bengali Cinema and how it portrays: Bengali cinema is closely linked to Modernity and Realism. The most renowned and famous film makers of the Bengali cinema along with the modernist thoughts chose the genre of realism to reach to a new height. Ritwik Ghatak and Satyajit Ray are some of the greatest examples, who have played with the theme of realism and modernity in their films. Modernity is a vast topic and can be defined into many ways. But we will mainly focus on the artistic, social and political modernization. Satyajit Rays film Pather Pancheli is one of the ultimate examples of films portraying realism along with several elements of modernity. It was an inspiration to Vittorio De Siccas Bicycle Thief, 1948 which was based on Italian neo-realism. Rays work was a stroke of genius. It reflected the social progress and change in Bengal and also had modernized ideas and concepts. In his film Pather Panchali, Ray has focused on leaving the old ideas behind, moving on and working on new concepts. He put emphasis on the fact that, with the passage of time the conventional ways of living, family ideas and traditional lifestyle have become outdated and needs to be altered accordingly. During the climax, Apu and his family, leaves their home and later departs from the village. Their ancestors home was the sole reason why they were not leaving that village. They shifted to another place for a better living and life style. By relocating, they were able to sell off the old house which was of no use to them, instead was the reason for their daughters life. This film is an evolution from traditional times to modern way of living. Ray used many metaphors throughout his film which were related to a need for change and modernity. I think old aunt was a perfect example of metaphorical usage. She was exhausted, old woman who had nothing to do than just wandering around the house. She is frequently told by everyone to leave which indicates that she is unwanted and worthless in the house. The family feared famine, survival and poverty. They were unhappy about the traditional way of living and traditions. The same way, they were annoyed by the presence of old aunt. Later, we founds out that the old aunt rambles, after several unsuccessful attempts of searching for a shelter place, she dies. Death of old ideas is the metaphorical meaning of old aunts death. Ray wishes for a change, something which is never ending. Through his illustrations, he focused on a need for change so that we can break away from the traditions which are holding us back an d is a form of barrier to our progress. By means of aunt death, he is able to show how traditions have become out-of-date. Rays another great work Charulata (1964), also focuses on bringing a change. The story sets in an upper middle class Bengali society. In this context, a lonesome housewife falls in love with her brother-in-law while they both were boosting each other to write. He applied two different thoughts of traditionalism and modernity, home and desire and literature and politics together. Rays films have a humanistic approach. The depth of his works is far reaching. It has captured the human heart and extracted the emotions from it. Apu throwing the necklace stolen by Durga, Amal leaving home for the fear of being unfaithful, Durga stealing food from her aunt are examples of Rays humanistic work. Ray is also inspired by Neo-realism. From my point of view, it is because his stories are largely concentrating on the society. He cannot make them fictional because then it would irrelevant to the society. His stories are not meant to be films, in fact a reality which was an image of the society in which he has lived in. It was a complete imitation of Bengali society. The characters were portrayal of real personalities. For example, Durga is Hindu mythological character. When you look at her, you will not judge her as a good or evil character but will think of her as a woman who had existed in the past and had different attributes which mirrored her personality. She wasnt a fictional character. Correspondingly, Ritwik Ghataks films introduced the modernistic themes of isolation, alienation and need for home that evolves around the Bengali society. In his socially applicable film Ajantrik, Ghatak brought together the concept of isolation and alienation to the society. He demonstrates a mans love for his car; car is a lifeless object. That man had a disturbed social life where he was not able to bond tighter with people around him. There are scenes like when Bimal is having a conversation with his car. He takes care of his car like he is a living companion. At the same time, didnt give importance to what the society says. This shows the importance of the car, Jagaddal. Ghatak treat the car as a living character and not as a prop. He also showed the cars point of view. He wants to prove his point that with the introduction of modernization; nowadays people are more materialistic orientated. They value property more than relations. Likewise in Subarnarekha (1965), Ghatak has focused more on the theme of home (alongside the sub-themes such as relations and happiness.His work is also about modernity, change and its effects and how partition affected Ghatak and the society. Subarnarekha is a after partition story of a family relocating to the bank of Subarnarekha River. Throughout the story, Sita search for happiness. He talks about the new home feeling and that she confesses her secrets, happiness and woes to a river. What I learned from Ghataks films is he considers that society has transformed from being a community to a combined living of different characters. Individualism is present all over his work. People have how people have gone from being lovers of nature and man-made beauty (like lakes and montains) to cars and property. One may say that in the films of both, Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, you can find many modernist essentials. Their work ranges from content to themes like anthropomorphism, home and modernity; also their craft which is the use of POV shots, Brechtian elements, different style of cinematography and manipulating space. Conclusion It is always good and well groomed to see good subjects on cinema. They have a very positive and long-lasting effect on the minds whereas cheap and shabby movies affect the tender minds of audience very badly. There is general feeling that present day crimes are all due to effects of cinema. Besides open and demonstrative subjects throw tarnished messages. They spoil our culture, and society. Cinema and TV badly affect the health of the youngsters. They neglect studies and physical games to spend more time on this entertainment. School-going children and society children fail to make use of good impacts and are influenced by the bad part of the programmes on the air. The motive is not to discard cinema or TV telecast so easily. The desirable act will be to selective and choosy for programmes. Good movies should be seen by the students. The movies of TV shows should be very much restricted and for a fix time. The cinema exercises a great influence on the mind of the people. It has a great educative value. It can achieve splendid results in the field of expansion of education. There are certain subjects, such as science and geography, which can be more effec ­tively taught with the help of talkies. Lessons on road sense, rules of hygiene and civic sense can be taught to the students and the public as well in a very effective manner with the help of cinema pictures. Many successful experiments have been made in various countries on the utility of films as a means of education. Feature films have been produced for school and college students and students are being benefitted by them. Cinema films have the power to influence the thinking of the people. They have changed the society and social trends. They have introduced new fashions in society. They may be described as pace-setters. They can create a direct impact on our social life. Films can go a long way towards arousing national consciousness and also in utilising the energies of the youth in social reconstruc ­tion and nation-building by a skilful adaption of good moral, social and educative themes, and by introduction of popular sentiments, films can, to a great extent, formulate and guide public opinion

US Education Budget Cuts Analysis

US Education Budget Cuts Analysis Introduction/Background Every year in the United States, we have a budget that we must adhere by. This is called the United States Federal Budget, with this title it is the budget that is used to fund and oversee governmental operations in our country over a fiscal year. Another budget process that we must note come from the state and local budget process. Federal budgets and state budgets have similarities but they also have a major difference. The major idea that separates the two is a fiscal deficit, states budgets are required by law to make certain that their budgets are balanced, whereas the federal government is allowed to run a deficit and can also request to borrow money to meet the needs and efforts congress has put forth. No matter what level of government is being discussed, the budget is always an issue that never looses saliency because there is always an area that needs more money, whether it be healthcare, defense, public safety, or education. The federal budget has three areas that seem to aid the most when gaining revenue, these three include income tax, capital gains, and other taxes such as social security or excise taxes. The state and local budget seems to gain revenue in a wider variety of ways, some of these including but not limited to taxes such as sales, fuel, and property along with other fees such as licensing (drivers), and casino gambling. Citizens often question where the money the government is robbing them of is ending up when operations such as medicaid and public assistance seem to be lacking. Speaking in the area of state and local budgeting, an area that raises a large amount of speculation is our K-12 education system. Although we all seem to take primary and secondary education seriously, it often slides through the cracks. We as citizens and taxpayers know how important the education of the young people in our country is, however it is often the first institute to have budget cuts inflicted. It has been recorded that the nation and the state of Alabama specifically have been fighting the battle of saving the budget allocated for primary and secondary public education for years now. Some believe that schools have enough of the budget directed in areas of education while others feel as though the extreme cuts are only hurting our children and the education they are receiving. In Support of Educational Budget Cuts in the United States It is understood that there is a large quantity of money that goes toward education on all levels. Primary and secondary public education specifically are allocated millions of dollars to use to their disposal to better the learning and teaching environment at these schools. There are many factors that go into making the educational system successful. Bill Gates agrees that cutting the budget it does not have to have negative effects or be detrimental to education or students. He actually states that it could have positive outcomes for students and teachers to benefit from these cuts. In an article written by Kevin Freking titled, Bill Gates: Education Budget Cuts Don’t Have to Hurt Learning, Gates states â€Å"that schools can improve the performance of students if they put more emphasis on rewarding excellent teaching and less emphasis on paying teachers based on seniority and graduate degrees† (Freking 2011). Gates also feels that there are definite do’s and d on’t when it comes to attempting to close the $125 billion deficit that we face. On top of the do’s list, Gates feels as though if we were to â€Å"lift caps on class sizes and get more students in front of the very best teachers. Those teachers would get paid more with the savings generated from having fewer personnel overall (Freking 2011). Class size is a variable that always comes up in the discussion of quality K-12 education. This is often the only factor people discuss when in reality, it is also in big part to do with the quality of teachers that we have inside the classroom teaching our students. Another mistake that is often made is paying teachers based on advanced degrees they have achieved or the â€Å"veteran status† they have obtained (meaning years of experience). Instead we need to redirect our focus in the direction of under what teachers have students learned the most knowledge and how well they learned. Other statistics show that 38% of the state tax revenues fund education (25% K-12, 13% higher education). States are obviously one of the main funders of primary and secondary schools available. Inside of these schools, 50 million students are learning and gaining knowledge. Research conducted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities states that, â€Å"One-fourth of state spending on average, or about $280 billion, goes toward public education. The federal government provides only about 10 percent of public school revenues† (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 2015). Any citizen can read that number and think there must be a way to cut down on such intense government spending, the key is finding how do enhance the quality of teachers while also continuing to control the teacher to student ratio. Why Educational Budget Cuts Are a Bad Idea In Alabama alone, we have made a per-pupil cut of 17.8% since 2008. Madison Underwood writes in his article titled, Alabama’s cuts to K-12 education since 2008 are second highest in the nation, study finds Underwood claims, â€Å"When it comes to dollars spent per student, Alabama is spending $1,128 less per student in fiscal year 2015 than it was in 2008 thats the largest deficit in per-student spending in the nation, according to CBPP (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)† (Underwood 2014). There have been multiple nonprofit organizations set up to help with the budget cuts because it is becoming an ongoing problem. The Alabama-based Arise Citizens Policy Project, a nonprofit with the goal of helping low income Alabamians that are suffering from the poor decisions of our state policy makers. This group of individuals feels as though the cuts that have been applied to education are not only hurting the schools but also impacting the economy presently and also in th e future. Teach For America is another nonprofit that has the goal of bringing in qualified teachers to low income communities that are in need of assistance. Underwood was able to speak to ACPP executive director, Kimble Forrister to find out that she feels â€Å"underfunding education today will leave our state with fewer highly skilled workers tomorrow. We cant strengthen Alabamas economy by eroding our foundation for economic growth† (Underwood 2014). Most states are facing cuts that are far worse then they were experiencing during the 2008 recession. Since many states did not have time to recuperate from the backlash of the recession, it has only made things much worse. Gabriel Thompson writes a compelling article titles A Thousand Cuts. In this article Thompson explains the challenges that have been brought to Navy Airbase, outside Lemoore, California through the budget cuts that have recently taken place. After reading this article, it goes back to letting students just slip between the cracks. These students have parents that are being deployed to fight for the country they live in but these men and women can’t even be certain that their children will be getting an adequate education because of the cuts the government are initiating at these schools. Thompson met with principle Heiko Sweeney of one of the schools in the district. In their meeting, Thompson asked what he thought would happen if the cuts became even more permanent and his answer was, â€Å" I wouldn’t even want to think what could happen, it would bedevastating. Cutting the teachers at Akers woould also result in a reduction in the number of adults available to help students deal with nonacademic challenges, such as the deployment of their parents. Some of these kids go through a lot of stress. When a parent is deployed, its not uncommon for a student to try to take over to many responsibilities at home to fill in as a missing parent to a younger brother or sister, it can start to be a lot on these children† (Thompson 2013). Michael Leachman and Chris Mai are the authors of Most States Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession, put out by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In this article they go into great detail about educational budget cuts prior to the recession and post-recession. The decline in state investment in educational systems has reason to cause a significant concern. While we are a nation focused on producing workers that are applicable to new technologies and skills necessary to do jobs having to do with the global economy, these budget cuts are only going to make it harder for citizens and children to gain the education they need to reach these levels. Restoring the funding made available to these schools should be extremely high on government officials list of priorities. Evaluation of the two sides: These arguments both have valid points and reasoning when defending why we should or should not be in favor of educational budget cuts. Supporting the cuts could force districts to find high quality teachers that aren’t paid based on how much school they have attended or years they have taught but more on how well their students learn and preform under their guidance. Another tactic that teachers are experimenting with is called â€Å"flipping classrooms†. In this practice, teachers flip time spent in the classroom and time for homework. What this means is that students are sent home with lectures from their teachers to learn and grasp a concept at home. When they return to school, they use the time that would have been spent on the lecture doing the homework together. This tightens the gap on the disconnect between the teachers and students that go home and don’t understand their homework, and also makes it easier for teachers to see what students are truly stru ggling and what students understand the concepts being taught.078 However, I do believe that the argument of not supporting the continuous cuts to our education reigns superior. City Schools alone were forced to cut $1.2 million from their budget just last year. This will not allow City Schools to purchase new textbooks for new students, nor will it allow them to replace textbooks that are out of date. The district is growing rapidly with High School projected to be the largest high school in the state of Alabama within the next ten years. With public school districts exploding with new students all over the country it is necessary that they are continued to be allocated with sufficient budgets to cover the public education of these children. Conclusion Having a stance in favor of the K-12 educational budget cuts is only hurting the future of our country. Although there is a large sum of money allocated in the direction of education in our country, it is forgotten just how important it is for the younger generations that will eventually be the young leaders of the free world. Public administrators need to make it their top priority to get these funds back on track. When these cuts happen at the state level, it means that the school districts then have to begin to figure out how they are going to raise more local tax revenue so that they don’t have to back track on the high quality educational services they are providing. Levy’s should be prepared for citizens of cities and towns to vote on these issues in their local elections to ensure that everyone is having a fair say in what money is or is not going into their local education system. The primary and secondary education in this country and considerably important, an d I know that we can all agree on that. References Flipping Classrooms. Phi Delta Kappan 93.4 (2011): 6-7. Web. Freking, Kevin. Bill Gates: Education Budget Cuts Dont Have To Hurt Learning. Huffington Post [Washington] 28 Feb. 2011: n. pag. Print. Hubbell, Annie. Auburn City Schools Cut $1.2 Million in 2014 Budget. Toledo News Now 17 Feb. 2014: n. pag. Print. Leachman, Michael, and Chris Mai. Most States Funding Schools Less Than Before the Recession. Center on Budget and Policy Priority (2014): n. pag. Ebscohost. Web. 19 May 2015. Policy Basics: Where Do Our State Tax Dollars Go. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2015): n. pag. Ebscohost. Web. Thompson, Gabriel. A Thousand Cuts. The Nation 13 May 2013: 20-24. Print. Underwood, Madison. Alabamas Cuts to K-12 Education since 2008 Are Second Highest in the Nation, Study Finds. Al.com 16 Oct. 2014: n. pag. Print.

Cellular Phreaking :: essays research papers

Cellular Phreaking The cellular/mobile phone system is one that is perfectly set up to be exploited by phreaks with the proper knowledge and equipment. Thanks to deregulation, the regional BOC's (Bell Operating Companies) are scattered and do not communicate much with each other. Phreaks can take advantage of this by pretending to be mobile phone customers whose "home base" is a city served by a different BOC, known as a "roamer". Since it is impractical for each BOC to keep track of the customers of all the other BOC's, they will usually allow the customer to make the calls he wishes, often with a surcharge of some sort. The bill is then forwarded to the roamer's home BOC for collection. However, it is fairly simple (with the correct tools) to create a bogus ID number for your mobile phone, and pretend to be a roamer from some other city and state, that's "just visiting". When your BOC tries to collect for the calls from your alleged "home BOC", they will discover you are not a real customer; but by then, you can create an entirely new electronic identity, and use that instead. How does the cellular system know who is calling, and where they are? When a mobile phone enters a cell's area of transmission, it transmits its phone number and its 8 digit ID number to that cell, who will keep track of it until it gets far enough away that the sound quality is sufficiently diminished, and then the phone is "handed off" to the cell that the customer has walked or driven into. This process continues as long as the phone has power and is turned on. If the phone is turned off (or the car is), someone attempting to call the mobile phone will receive a recording along the lines of "The mobile phone customer you have dialed has left the vehicle or driven out of the service area." When a call is made to a mobile phone, the switching equipment will check to see if the mobile phone being called is "logged in", so to speak, or present in one of the cells. If it is, the call will then act (to the speaking parties) just like a normal call - the caller may hear a busy tone, the phone may just ring, or the call may be answered. How does the switching equipment know whether or not a particular phone is authorized to use the network? Many times, it doesn't. When a dealer installs a mobile phone, he gives the phone's ID number (an 8 digit hexadecimal number)

Kmart SWOT Essay -- essays research papers

Kmart started off on the right foot back in 1899 and was a major player in supplying goods to the consumers from their small five and dime stores. From there they started to expand, they were a provider of low-cost merchandise but once the competition (Wal-Mart and Target) started opening they started loosing the fight. Since that time they have been through many changes and many hard times. By 1962 they started opening full line discount stores which continued to help the company succeed. From 1980 - 2002 five different CEOs ran the company. Some of their strategies were focused on the same track as the one before them while others had to change direction entirely in order to fight to turn the company around. Kmart has suppliers that they order their goods from so they can keep their shelves stocked. They do not make any of their own products however they do try to differentiate themselves by selling exclusive brands that include Thalia Sodi, Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Martha Stewart , and Sesame Street. Kmart ¡Ã‚ ¦s strategy has changed a few times since they started out and may continue to change in order to succeed. They have faced bankruptcy in the past and have fought to continue to compete against their competitors. Kmart has many competitive and environmental forces impacting the industry today. As all organizations do some or these forces are opportunities for them while others are threats to the organization. A few of the forces are their rivals or competitors, the substitutes that can be used, and the new entrants into the market. The main rivals among the merchandising companies are Wal-Mart, Kohls, Family Dollar and Target among many more. Wal-Mart and Target are their main rivals, this is because Wal-Mart is known for their niche as having the lowest prices and Target is known for their fashions and home furnishings both of these items Kmart tries to compete against. Also buyers see Kmart as a discount store which doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t stand when other competitors have lower prices. Kmart ¡Ã‚ ¦s customer service and available products are two other items that Kmart fails to be a strong competitor in against these rivals. Therefore, the rivalry among the merchandising stores is a strong competitive force in this market. Another external force that affects the market is substitutes. Substitutes are the items a customer can buy to replace the items they purch... ...o the picture. By getting rid of their food items they would also have more room on the shelves to stock the much more requested items that customers want. Since Kmart is up against a couple well known companies they are going to need to stand out. They have their exclusive brands which is great if that is what the customer wants. They need to really push these items by marketing (TV spots and newspapers) so the consumer feels they need to have these items. They also need to put standards in place so that anytime research is done there is a project team put together to implement what changes need to be completed. Their strategy to win back the customer is failing because they are not implementing the needed changes. Instead they are closing down stores and not remodeling the ones that are still in business. They are loosing the market share to both Target and Wal-Mart because they are so focused on how to make another buck that they are not focusing on what really matters, the cu stomers. Until the customers are satisfied with the stores product (being on shelves), the service they receive and the location and shape of the stores they will not return as loyal customers to Kmart.

Examine the importance of Act III, Scene V Essay

Examine the importance of Act III, Scene V. How would you direct the scene in order to emphasise your interpretation? Romeo and Juliet is a play of love and tragedy. It is a great play if directed properly and is easy for people to understand. This is why I am writing this essay on how I would direct one of the most important scenes, Act III, Scene V. I will explain the significance of this scene and how I would get across its meaning. To understand this scene you need to know a little about life of people in the 16th Century; for one thing the relationship between children and their parents was very different especially amongst the rich. The father of the family expected everyone to do what he said even if they disagreed. Also mothers didn’t usually know their children personally as they hired nurses to take care of them 24/7 and even with babies they hired a wet-nurse, which means the nurse had usually just had a child and would breast feed the family’s child. The mother and father had very little to do with their children. Even though they didn’t know their children they still arranged their marriages! The children had no say in the matter. A rich family would usually set up a marriage with another wealthy family. It was socially unacceptable for a rich person to marry a poor person. Once married the wife was expected to do whatever her husband said and never answer back. If she did the husband would usually get angry and sometimes physical. As well as thinking about the 16th Century behaviour I need to think about the relevance to a modern audience. I think a modern audience would relate to all the love and compassion in this scene. They would see the love Juliet has for Romeo and feel sorry for her because her father is forcing her to marry someone else. They will see the pain and suffering she is going through to get her father to cancel the wedding but he gets angry because they should do what he says and never answer back. The important thing when trying to direct the scene is to emphasise the part the modern audience would relate to. I would do this by making the scene very dramatic and make the actor playing Capulet push Juliet around as well as speaking very loudly, maybe even shouting. I would also have the actress playing Juliet cry and whimper, get down on her knees and make it look like she is begging. The other characters, Lady Capulet and the Nurse would be trying to hold back Capulet, but would cower away when he speaks to them. This should show the audience that Juliet is desperate and will demonstrate how aggressive Capulet can be. As well as thinking about the historical context and the contemporary relevance we need to consider the character development. In this scene we find things out about the Capulet family we never knew before. The characters seem to change, for example Juliet starts the scene very happy as she has just that night consummated her marriage to Romeo. This happiness is shown when she says, â€Å"Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree. Believe me love it was the nightingale. † This shows that she is happy and being romantic. As the scene continues she changes from being happy to suicidal because she is being forced to marry Parris. â€Å"If all else fail, myself have power to die. † This means if she cannot delay the marriage she will kill herself. Another character that changes is the Nurse, as in the beginning of the scene she helps Juliet hide Romeo when Lady Capulet walked in. She said, â€Å"Your lady mother is coming to your chamber. † This shows the nurse wants to help and gives Romeo time to escape through the window. The Nurse does try and stick up for Juliet against Capulet but backs down when he shouts at her. Right at the end of the scene the Nurse suddenly changes and says, â€Å"I think it best you married with the county. † The Nurse has now decided not to back Romeo and Juliet’s love and told Juliet to marry Parris and forget about Romeo. She does this because she realises that Juliet has no alternative. We also learn things about the characters. We learn that Capulet has a very short fuse and gets very angry as he expects his family to do whatever he says. He was outraged that Juliet answered back by saying she did not want to marry Parris. â€Å"Hang thee young baggage, disobedient wretch! † This proves how aggressive Capulet gets. Also, Capulet and Lady Capulet’s marriage is shown in a different light as we see that Lady Capulet doesn’t stand up against her husband and does what he says. â€Å"Here comes your father, tell him so yourself, and see how he will take it at your hands. † This illustrates that she will not speak against her husband and advises Juliet to tell him herself. All this is showing that Capulet runs the relationship. We also find out that Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is very immature as they keep changing their minds about important things, for example â€Å"Therefore stay get, thou need’st not to be gone. † This proves their immaturity and that they don’t understand the consequences of their actions. This scene is a turning point in the play as Juliet is distraught because she is being forced to marry Parris and feels everyone has abandoned her. She believes the only way out is to take her own life, so she turns to the Friar for help. This is significant because the Friar is the one who gives her the sleeping potion and tells her to take it the night before her marriage to Parris. Taking the sleeping potion eventually leads to the death of Romeo and Juliet. I think the end isn’t quite inevitable because you don’t know that Romeo wouldn’t get the message from Friar Lawrence and think that Juliet is dead, then take the poison when he sees her in the tomb. If everything went to plan, Romeo would have known she was just in a deep sleep and then live together outside the walls of Verona. However, the way this scene ends and some of the language in this scene makes a tragic end more likely. There is a lot said in this scene that would suggest the play would end in tragedy. As Juliet is told she will marry Parris, this complicates everything for Juliet as she already has a husband. It makes her feel suicidal because Romeo has been banished and now she has to marry Parris. On top of all that her mother and Nurse abandon her. â€Å"Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word. Do as though wilt, for I have done with thee. † This makes us believe something tragic will happen soon. We also believe that it will end in tragedy because of the way the play has been structured. The play starts with the prologue, which says, â€Å"The fearful passage of their death marked love†¦ † This states that it will end tragically. Juliet says, â€Å"Methinks I see thee now though art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb. † The two lovers separate after saying things like this, which suggests they will never see each other again. This all points to the same thing, a tragic end. This also changes the tone of the play because in the scene before, the mood was very loving and happy as Romeo and Juliet got married. This mood stayed at the beginning of this scene. â€Å"Look love, what envious streaks do lace the severing clouds I yonder east. † This shows Romeo being romantic to the women he loves. The romance is also shown in the structure of the sentences by iambic pentameter. It makes the sentences flow and sound poetic. All this shows love and happiness. Then when Juliet’s mother enters the mood changes from happy and loving to despair and sorrow. Juliet’s starts to plead with her mother but she will not listen. When her father enters the mood becomes very dramatic, as Capulet was being very aggressive. This is shown by harsh, brutal language, â€Å"Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither. Out you green – sickness carrion. † This shows his anger and aggression. The rhythm has also changed, it is now very sharp and snappy to show the anger he has towards her. We also see Juliet pleading to her father, â€Å"Good father, I beseech you on my knees, hear me with patience, but to speak a word. † She pleads and pleads. She is worried and full of despair. At the end she talks of killing herself, this is how much the mood has changed. Shakespeare has presented several forms of love in this scene and other themes, like fate. The forms of love presented in this scene are young love, which Romeo and Juliet have for each other. This kind of love has blinded them and all they think about is each other. They don’t think about their actions. Also we are shown the love between Juliet and the Nurse, which is like a mother and daughter love. The Nurse helps Juliet and tries to give the best advice she can. I think Shakespeare wants the audience to conclude that love is strong and that people should fight for love. He may also want them to realise how some families can disown their children just because they love, in their eyes, the wrong person. The other theme, fate is an important part, as if it was meant to be they would be fine and nothing would go wrong but things go terribly wrong for Romeo and Juliet. So it seems fate is against them or fate has already predetermined their deaths. If I was directing the production of Romeo and Juliet I would instruct the actors to play their parts dramatically and over state things of importance e. g. I would make the actors playing Romeo and Juliet be over affectionate to each other at the beginning of this scene. I would tell the audience about the 16th Century life and behaviour, so they would be able to understand the background better. I would explain that the father expected everyone to do what he said. Also I would explain about the wet-nurse and the bond between her and Juliet. I would do this by including it in the programme or through a narrator. In order to get a good response from the audience I would have to highlight the things they can relate to. I would ask the actress who played Juliet to emphasise her despair by getting on her knees to plead with her father. Also I would make Capulet shout and push Juliet around ensuring that the audience would feel sorry for her. This will demonstrate how angry Capulet gets and that Juliet is really upset because she doesn’t want to marry Parris. To make sure they know the mother won’t stick up for Juliet I would make the actress hide behind Capulet. For the Nurse, I would get her to stop Capulet from hitting Juliet, to show she tried to help, but he will push her away. I would also make them emphasise the parts, which indicate the play will end in tragedy by speaking louder. Act III, Scene V is a particularly important scene because the mood drastically changes from happiness to despair. This is because she is being forced to marry Parris and everyone abandons her. All this shows the audience that there is going to be a tragic end to the play.

Acquiring Knowledge Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowledge means power; the whole world craves for knowledge, to know things, to understand, to make accurate calculations and to make wise decisions. But philosophers since ancient times struggle with the question regarding how knowledge is acquired. Is it through the physical senses – of touch, smell, hearing, seeing, and taste? Is it through reason alone? Three great philosophers tackled this question, they are Descartes, Locke, and Kant and all three of them presented three different methodologies when it comes to acquiring knowledge. The pursuit is serious and intense that a whole body of knowledge is dedicated to finding out the answers. It is called epistemology and these three philosophers will serve as guides in the quest to know the truth about knowledge. Descartes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rene Descartes is said to be the father of modern philosophy. He attempted to break with the philosophical traditions of his day by rejecting the Aristotelian philosophy of the schools which is the authority of tradition and the authority of the senses (Craig, 1998). He developed a methodology on how to investigate nature by reducing complex problems to simpler ones and then analyzed further using direct intuition (Craig, 1998). Therefore, his main argument is that by mere thinking one can discover solutions to problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interestingly Descartes had to die to his old beliefs and everything that he considered truth in order for him to determine once and for all that indeed there is a way to discover truth by mere use of intuition and not the reliance of the senses and traditions handed down from one generation to the next. His first guinea pig was himself, he had to doubt his existence to know the truth, and not simply believe that he exist because society tells him that he does exist. He had what inventors and scientists called a â€Å"eureka† moment or a moment of great insight, when he finally blurted out â€Å"Ego cogito, ergo sum† a statement in Latin famously translated as: I think, therefore I am (Broughton, 2008).   This was the breakthrough that he was looking for and he used it as a foundation from where he would build upon his theory of knowledge acquisition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Descartes’ idea is cutting edge at that time. He was one of the first to establish the principle of gaining knowledge and studying things that are beyond the capabilities of the five senses. There are many aspects of mathematics that can be ascertained not by using the five senses but by the mere act of intuition. Intuitively man has the ability to know the truth; this is the main argument of Descartes. This is strengthened by the concept of prior knowledge. A good example is the ability of a baby to suck from the mother’s breast the much needed nutrients for survival. A baby is almost blind from birth and yet able to perform such actions. Locke The capability to use the sense of sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste is one major path in gaining knowledge (Hartnack, 2001). It is in fact the ancient way of knowing the environment and the complexities of human interaction such as language and relationships. John Locke is one of the major proponents for this method of knowledge acquisition – that man has the capability of understanding the world around him by observing and utilizing the power of the five senses to harness information. Thus, it can be argued that man can only observe the world through his senses. In this model knowledge is true when it can be measured and observed through the senses. This is also known as empiricism. The significance of this method can be seen in scientific applications of the use of observation and careful measurements. Scientists, sociologists, and even philosophers from all over the world use this technique and it can even be argued that most people use empiricism without even thinking about it. It is just natural for man to use his senses to understand his environment and the stimulus that he receives every waking moment. Immanuel Kant   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kant is a central figure in modern philosophy because he was able to synthesize early modern rationalism and empiricism (Rholf, 2010). But this does not mean that Kant was completely successful in reconciling Descartes and Locke’s views concerning the acquisition of knowledge. Kant’s critics even asserted that he had made it more complicated and therefore making it harder to determine the perfect methodology that can help humans master the ability to acquire knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nevertheless, Kant’s major contribution can be summed up in two statements: 1) human beings experience only appearances, not things in themselves; and 2) space and time are noting other than the subjective forms of human sensible intuition (Rohlf, 2010). This is an important conclusion because there are things that empiricism and rationalism cannot cover but can only be ascertain if there is complete understanding of everything – this is knowledge gained after using other people’s insights and breakthroughs.   For example ancient people see the sun orbiting around the earth, rationalism and empiricism will not refute that claim until there is already a capability to improve on that knowledge and modify it because now people know more about the movement of heavenly objects. Comparison   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Descartes did not agree that there can only be one method when it comes to knowledge acquisition. The use of the five senses is not enough to know the truth. There are things in this world that can only be understood by accepting the existence of prior knowledge and the use of intuition. There are mathematical equations that proved useful in improving man’s existence but the steps in developing these mathematical equations was not derived by simply observing the world trough the fives senses. These came forth as a result of institution, simply because mathematical truths belong to an abstract world inaccessible by sense of smell, hearing, taste, touch, and sight. In the privacy of thought, a person can apply these mathematical equations and gain knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another weakness of using the five senses is that it is very subjective. Kant already pointed this out by stating that the five senses cannot be reliable all the time. For example the refraction of light creates optical illusions. The eye communicates to the self and says that the spoon appears to be bent. But the spoon was only perceived to be deformed because of the effect of the action of light when it passes through water. Another problematic aspect of relying on the five senses is its unreliability when human beings are subjected to harsh conditions. For example, a hiker lost in a desert will succumb to the effects of dehydration and begins to see mirage and other images that seem to be real but are not. Even with the obvious weaknesses of the empirical method of acquiring knowledge, it must also be pointed out that the five senses are indispensable tools when it comes to knowledge acquisition. No matter how subjective the five senses may seem to be it must be acknowledge that human beings can live within a community because people understand each other’s languages and respect the rules laid down by the leaders or the elders. This would have been impossible without the use of the five senses. Moreover, the aforementioned weakness of the empirical method can be easily corrected using a third-party that will help verify the information. For example a person hallucinating in the middle of a desert can be rescued by paramedics. And the perfectly healthy rescuers can help the disorientated person to gain his or her bearing. If two people disagree with regards to the exact height of the Statue of Liberty, they need not quarrel, they only need to ask an unbiased participant to measure the statue for them and settle their dispute. Thus, empiricism has only one valid weakness and it is the inability of man to know more than he should and therefore making conclusions without first knowing the big picture or having a complete understanding of the scientific law that governs a particular phenomenon. In this regard Kant’s ideas will be of great help. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Descartes’ view that there is indeed prior knowledge is an important first step in knowledge acquisition. The world is so complex and at the same time working like a well-oiled machine. However, it is not enough to simply say that knowledge can be gained by mere intuition. One has to agree with Locke that the five senses are indispensable tools when it comes to understanding the world. There is a need to observe and to measure in order to know the truth. But even so there are limitations so that it is important to take into consideration what Kant said regarding the inability of the mind to make sense of everything. For example the movement of the earth and sun could never be completely understood by mere intuition or observation alone. There is no perfect methodology in epistemology; there is a need to use each method to know the truth. References Broughton, J. (2008). â€Å"Self-Knowledge.† A Companion to Descartes. MA: Blackwell   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publishing. Craig, E. (1998). Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: Routledge. Cicovacki, P. (2002). Between Truth and Illusion: Kant at the Crossroads of Modernity. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Hartnack, J. (2001). Kant’s Theory of Knowledge: Introduction to Critique of Pure Reason. IN: Hacket Publishing, 2001. Rohlf, M. (2010). â€Å"Immanuel Kant.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Accesed 27 July 2010. Avaiable from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant/#TraIde   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚