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Stealing Is Bad free essay sample

As a significant issue being on the planet today with all the more propelling hardware coming in littler and littler shapes, taking is turni...

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Containing Acinetobacter Baumannii Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Containing Acinetobacter Baumannii - Case Study Example The pneumonia cases area further proof that indeed it was A.baumannii (Bruijn, 2011, p. 129). Among those most likely to get infected are those who recently had a surgical procedure, those with weak immune systems, those recently from an intensive care unit, and those with poor health. Someone who recently took antibiotics has a catheter or came into contact with another one harboring the bacteria also has a high chance of getting infected.   It is genetically transmitted from other organisms and found in pairs or in groups. It causes many life-threatening illnesses among them blood infection where it either enters through a catheter placed in one’s vein or when an infection spreads from another part of the body to the blood. It also causes meningitis especially after brain or spinal cord surgery; it could also occur if one has a drain or a shunt in their brain. Catheters used to drain urine put one at the risk of contracting A.baumannii and getting a urinary tract infection. Pneumonia is another disease caused by this particular bacteria strain (Bergogne-Bà ©rà ©zin and Fewson, 1991, p. 119).   Since A.baumannii is resistant to most first-line antibiotics among them Ciproflaxin, Gentamicin and Colistin and desiccation, containing an outbreak is usually a hard task for the health authorities. Besides requiring expensive drugs for its control, a lot of care needs to be taken to avoid further spread of the same (Schlossberg, 2008, p. 87). Research into its characteristics is also expensive, requiring a lot of equipment to isolate and test it. Since it also puts those inflicted by wounds at a higher level of infection, it is hard containing it in places with many injured people like wars. It also presents another hurdle in controlling it by causing diseases that have other causes (Bowden, Ljungman, and Snydman, 2010, p. 28).

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Definition Of A Product Life Cycle Marketing Essay

Definition Of A Product Life Cycle Marketing Essay A product is anything which is capable of satisfying customers needs. Product includes both physical or tangible products (mobile,car, type writer, computer, bike) and intangible products or services (health care, banking, insurance). Definition of a Product Life Cycle define what a product life cycle is: It is the period of time over which an item is developed, brought to market and eventually removed from the market. OR The stages through which a product develops over time is called Product Life Cycle (PLC). OR The product life cycle is MARKETING CONCEPT that describes the way the revenues from the sale of a product behave over time. Stages of a Product Life Cycle The product life cycle is broken down into four phases: Introduction Growth Maturity Decline The Product Life Cycle (PLC) Curve plc, product life cycle curve For all products, the life cycle is drawn is the form of a mount shaped curve. The starting of the curve marks the introduction stage; the slope indicates growth stage; top of the curve signifies maturity; and the graph ends in the decline stage. Theory of PLC: Biological Life Cycle Versus Product Life Cycle The concept of Product Life Cycle is based on biological life cycle. For instance, when a seed is planted (introduction); it begins to pullulate (growth); it shoot out flowers and leaves (maturity); and after a defined period of time, it starts to shrink and eventually die out (decline). Human beings also pass through the same phases of introduction, growth, maturity and decline in their lives. The same theory applies to a product. When a new product is launched in the market, it starts gaining customers; then it stabilizes and becomes mature; then after some time, it is taken over by the introduction of better and superior competitors therefore, it is withdrawn or harvested from the market. Benefits of Using a Product Life Cycle for Revenue MARKETING managers consider product life cycle as an important measure of sales revenues. As you can see it from the figure, the slope of the curve denotes the sales of a particular product. The more the slope then more the sales. When a product is introduced in the market, the sales are negligible. Due to marketing promotion efforts, the demand of product starts to rise and as a result some revenue is generated. When more and more customers begin to buy the product, the revenues of the product reaches to maximum; this stage is called maturity. A product can stay in maturity for several weeks, months or years depending on the external and internal market conditions and resources. Finally, when a product better in features and functions is launched by a competitor into the market, the sales starts to decline; in some cases, companies have to disengage their products or services. Product Life Cycle Management (Marketing)/ PLCM Product life cycle management (or PLCM) is the succession of strategies used by business management as a product goes through its developmental life cycle. The conditions involving the promotion and sales of a product, involving market saturation and advertising vary over time and must be managed as it moves through the different stages of succession. What is Marketing Mix? A marketing mix is a pre-planned assortment of all those controllable elements which are involved in the planning of a products marketing. they include the following 4Ps Product (often substituted by Presentation) Price Place Promotion These four elements are adjusted until the correct combination is reached befitting the requirements of a products customers, while generating optimum income. How to Create a Product Life Cycle First Stage Introducing the Product : Brand Building For the product life cycle to begin, the product must be launched in the market. This is done after target market is identified and ensured that the need for your product or service exists. At this stage, sales will be very low because customers are not really aware about the product and its benefits. Generating Demand: Promotion, Advertising, Marketing The cost of advertising and initial distribution is very high as companies intend to create awareness of the product and target early adopters. The goal is to build market and generate demand. Stage 1 Marketing Mix Implications You need to have a fair idea of marketing mix implications for each stage. Product Products are very less in number Price Some companies keep the price to high so as to cover their costs whereas others tend to keep it low so as to attract more and more early adopters. Distribution Initially, the distribution is done selectively Promotion Creation of awareness is the only goal of the promotion Growth Watch how the product is establishing market and making profit in comparison to the competitors. Maintain the focus on the promotion efforts. Notice how slowly or rapidly the product is gaining customers and generating profits. More and more retailers will be interested in carrying your product. Remember the goal of growth phase is to increase sales and gain customer preference. Second Stage Stage 2 Marketing Mix Implications Product Improvement of the product quality. Price If the demand of the product is high, price is maintained at high level whereas; if you want to target additional customer segments, reduce the price. Distribution To intensify distribution, discounts are offered to the retailers. Promotion Improved the promotional efforts. Maturity You will observe that your product has met market saturation. Eventually, there will be a marked increase in sales and it will become a challenge for the marketing and sales team to maintain the market share as new competitors would be penetrating into the market. Increase promotional efforts and offer more discount to the retailers in order that they give your more shelf space than competitors. The goal of maturity stage is to extend product life cycle while maintaining market share. Third Stage Stage 3 Marketing Mix Implications Product Product is differentiated from those of competitors Price Maximum possible reduction in prices to be made Distribution Retain existing distributors by offering discounts as well as searching for more channels of distribution Promotion Intensive promotion efforts in order to establish brand loyality Decline Carry out amarketing analysis or a survey to find out how customers perceive the product currently. If the interest and demand is low, think of ways to take the product back to profit making position. Possible ways could be the creation of new target segment and making modifications in the product. The goal of decline stage is either to maintain the product or discontinue it. Fourth Stage Stage 4 Marketing Mix Implications Product Fewer products left in the product line. Price If the product is to be maintained, the prices are retained. In case of termination, prices are reduced to liquidate inventory. Distribution Channels are phased out gradually. Promotion Advertising expenditure reaches a minimum level Examples of Product Life Cycle (PLC) Set out below are some suggested examples of products that are currently at different stages of the product life-cycle: INTRODUCTION GROWTH MATURITY DECLINE Third generation mobile phones Portable DVD Players Personal Computers Typewriters E-conferencing Email Faxes Handwritten letters All-in-one racing skin-suits Breathable synthetic fabrics Cotton t-shirts Shell Suits iris-based personal identity cards Smart cards Credit cards Cheque books Popular Cases of Product Life Cycles Pepsi Product Life Cycle Development Coca Cola Product Life Cycle Development Kellogs Product Life Cycle Development Apple Product Life Cycle Development Nokia Product Life Cycle Development

Friday, October 25, 2019

Government and Politics - The Original Constitution Did Not Have Many D

Government and Politics - The Original Constitution Did Not Have Many Democratic Traits In two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, Americans fought and died so that democracy would prevail around the world. In the minds of many Americans, America is the bastion of democracy. But how democratic is America? Today’s America was â€Å"born† with the signing of the constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, it was determined how democratic America would be. And every American should ask himself how democratic America was made at that constitutional convention in Philadelphia. Before pondering the extent of democracy one must determine what the term â€Å"democracy† means. Democracy is a â€Å"means of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy represents and responds to citizens’ preferences.†i[i] The traditional democratic theory further explains the ideas behind democracy. The five aspects of this theory are that one man equals one vote, there is good voter-turnout, citizens can obtain knowledge through free speech and press, the general public controls government agenda, and an extension of all rights to all citizens.ii[ii] From this, one could say a true democracy would submit every bill to the public for a popular vote, like the traditional town meetings of old New England where all eligible voters met to have their say in governmental agenda.iii[iii] One could also say that democracy implies protection of rights and equal rights for all. Or, as Abraham Lincoln said, a democracy is â€Å"gover nment of the people, by the people, and for the people.†iv[iv] The people make the government, they have a say in the agenda, and the government governs by the people’s consent. This ... ...rm Caucus in Action,† American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999), 18. xv[xv] Roche, John P., â€Å"The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action,† American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999), 10 & 12. xvi[xvi] Roche, John P., â€Å"The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action,† American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999), 14. xvii[xvii] â€Å"The Constitution of the United States of America† from American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999) pgs 566-572. Article I, Section 2, Clause 1. xviii[xviii] Rakove, Jack, â€Å"A Tradition Born of Strife,† American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999), 6.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Electronic Surveillance at the Workplace

Electronic Surveillance has been part of Americans framework since the invention of the telephone. Employers utilize a variety of electronic surveillance devices and other means of obtaining information. These devices are computer monitoring, video surveillance, investigators, spying, and eavesdropping/wiretapping as well as other means. Most employers have a valid reason for using one or more surveillance devices to either monitor their employees for business purposes such as for training, quality assurance and customer service and others use it monitor customers and employee integrity from theft and fraud.Early on in the electronic age legislation was created to protect our civil liberties from being violated and pried upon by the federal government, police, employers and the general public this legislation was known as the Omnibus Crime Control and safe Streets Act and later amended to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of (ECPA) 1986 which governs third-party interceptions of electronic communications.The questions that employees have in today’s work place is if they have any expectation of privacy, when and where my conversations can be deemed private, do employers have the right to eavesdrop on conversations while I am in the workplace and to what extent can they go. Today information about hundreds of thousands of things surround us, it hits us from every direction, the television in morning broadcast the daily news, radio personalities during your commute to work was well as conversations from people passing you by on the street or in the supermarket.While in the workplace were can an employee expect to have privacy within that environment? Employees should expect a limited amount of privacy based on their surroundings. The Supreme Court of California recently held that: â€Å"In an office or other workplace to which the general public does not have unfettered access, employees may enjoy a limited, but legitimate, xpectation that their co nversations and other interactions will not be secretly videotaped by undercover television reporters, even though those conversations may not have been completely private from the participants' coworkers†. 1 Therefore an employees should expect a degree of privacy while in the workplace, conversations held outside of the ear-shot of others boundaries have been set for a private conversation.Altman 1975; Derlega and Chaikin 1977, suggest that two interacting parties will attempt to set boundaries that meet their individual goals as well as their collective interest. 2 In an office setting there are typically two types of workspaces, and open area, in which there are several desks and conversations can be overheard or there are enclosed offices, in which—when the door is closed conversations cannot be heard. State and Federal laws have granted employers a wide latitude of control over the workplace environment as it pertains privacy. Tile 18 of the U. S. Code which encom passes the Electronic Communication Privacy Act (ECPA) states that â€Å"it shall not be unlawful under this chapter for a person not acting under color of law to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication where such person is a party to the communication or where one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception unless such communication is intercepted for the purpose of committing any criminal or tortuous act in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or of any State†.In short, conversations in the workplace place must be of a business nature and one of the parties to the conversation must give consent to have that conversation recorded or monitored. Mark Renfro a Insurance Counselor at GEICO stated â€Å"That conversations held in an open area at work would have little to no privacy rights because anyone can hear your conversation, but on the other hand if the situation were to be that the conversations were t o be held out of ear-shot of others in a remote location where it is him and someone else or behind closed doors that conversations would be viewed as private†. In the video clip, did the sales manager Herman have sufficient grounds for utilizing electronic surveillance in order to determine if his sales people are honest? As the manager Herman is ultimately responsible for the daily operation of the business and needs to know if his sales team operates with integrity when presenting information to the company’s patrons. Salespeople that state miss information about products could potentially cause businesses money in current or future sale, lawsuits and future customer business.Thus, he does have sufficient grounds to use electronic surveillance to monitor his sales team’s conversations with customers because they occur during the normal course of business. So now to what extent can employers engage in monitoring its employees? Under Tile 18 of the U. S. Code, g uidelines have been established as to what, when, and where electronic surveillance can be conducted. First and foremost it must be a legitimate business purpose. There are typically 4 types of monitoring employers use: telephone; computer; e-mail/voice mail and video monitoring.All forms of monitoring have stringent requirements employers need to follow: Telephone monitoring is used to monitor business on business phones with clients or customers for quality control reasons and in most states is required to inform that the conversation is recorded or monitored. An import note to this would be that calls that are deemed to be of a personal nature are not allowed to be monitored from any phone not specified as business phones. Computer monitoring is used mostly to monitor employee sites visited on the World Wide Web to ensure unprofessional or unethical site are being viewed within the workplace.In addition employers want to ensure the safety of its network from viruses and Trojan ho rses that could infect its system and bring business to a halt. Electronic mail falls under the same guidelines as computer monitoring. E-mail systems uses company computers and have the restrictions. Lastly, video monitoring is used a deterrent to theft and security of the business and its employees. Currently, federal law does not require disclosure to employees. Video monitoring is unlawful to be used in bathrooms, lock rooms and dressing rooms or any public rooms were a reasonable person would consider a private.Determining whether the inclusion of innocence of unaware third parties has when being monitored and any legal grounds. Unfortunately, Title 18 only requires the consent from one party to be lawful and therefore an unaware third party could not be innocent. Although Cathy Goodwin states â€Å" consumer privacy is violated when information is gathered or used without consumer consent or when a consumer’s private space is violated by unwanted consumer communication s†

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Are Technology Advances Bad for Society?

Steven Thai Ms. Katie English 110 Feb 28th, 2013 Are Technology Advances Bad For Society? Over the past 30 years, humans always tried to create something that helps us reduce the amount of work we have to do. Games were created to help human release our stress while mobile phones help us to call and access the internet anywhere we want. Technologies really help us in every task of our life. However, technological advances are bad for our society because of addiction, censorship, and they may lead us into another technological weapons war between countries around the world.First consider how addictive technology has become. According to Sherry Turkle from TED Talk, her daughter spent time with her friends together looking at their mobile phones devices (Ted. com). These kids had so much fun on their mobile phones that they didn’t even look at their friends. On the other hand, technology became an essential part of our lives right now. Most of us spend time with our electronic d evices that we forget where we were standing, what we were doing, or what is the purpose and objective of our life. What makes us addicted to mobile phones?Nowadays, we can do almost everything with our cellphones, such as playing videos games, accessing social networks, and watching videos online. These things have become too addictive to us, and we have spent so much time on such devices. Look back to 20 years ago, back when the time technologies were not very common compared to today. Eventually, we spent more time with each other; we hung out with friends. Technologies are advancing so rapidly that we have become addicted and have forgotten what surrounds us. Some people might argue that there is also a good side of technology advances.According to Dr. Rick Nauert, a Senior Editor of Psych Central, there was an unexpected discovery that playing video games helped human-beings reduce the production of the stress-related hormone cortisol (Psychcentral. com). In order to prove this , Dr. Nauert recorded a group of 23 newly recruited employees of a Montreal-based call center to play games. Later on, he found an amazing result that the games showed an average 17 percent reduction in cortisol production compared to the group who did not play games (Psychcentral. com). This showed that echnology advances can be applied for good purposes to our life. Although technologies help us to reduce the stress related hormone, it brings to us many health problems. Dr. Ripudaman, a master in science and a frequent computer user, claimed that there are heaths concerned when you sit and work in front of the computer for a long time, such as eyes problems from bright screen, and wrist ache after working at the computer all day (Ripudaman). In addition, if we keep using the computer for a long time, these problems grow bigger.We might have joint problems, and our eyes have to work a lot so they get worse, in which case it costs us a lot of money for eyes and back surgery (Ripudam an). Another thing to be concerned about when we use technology is government censorship. You would feel bad if you lost your own privacy when the government tracked down your phone record, and eavesdropped on your phone call. This is the world when you need your own privacy, but most of our technological devices such as cellphones and laptops are tracked down by our own government every minute.According to Jennifer Valentino, the FBI was concerned by the citizens when they had the rights to access people’s phone record after the attack of September 11th, 2001 (Devries). Additionally, Professor Stephen Vladeck from American University Washington College of Law had put a good question to all of us; â€Å"How can you protect the First Amendment rights at the same time as you protect the government’s interest in secrecy? † (Vladeck). More importantly, no one among us would have see that our record had been tracked down, which should be a concern for an individualâ €™s freedom.Others might claim that the government is doing the right thing in order to protect national security. By tracking down citizens’ record the government can easily find terrorists, who are trying to attack their country. After the incident on September 11th, the concerns over the government keeping track of people’s technological devices who they suspected as terrorists and a threat to the country (Vladeck). To answer for that, we should take China as an example; where the presses have been ranked as â€Å"not free† by Freedom House (Wikipedia. rg). In China, everything is monitored by the government mostly technological devices. We feel bad when our privacy are managed by the government. Therefore, these technology advances are not helping our life get better. Furthermore, technological advances help the government to access our privacy easily compared to our past 50 years. It leads us to a question, should we continue to use devices like cellpho nes, laptops or smartphone when the government is monitoring our activities through those devices?Lastly, technological advances can lead us to a world war. Countries with strong economies like the United States, China, and Russia always compete to have the strongest technologies for weapons in their hands. The rapid changes in technology help many countries in the world to create their own weapons, tanks, aircrafts, and nuclear bombs. Why are these countries are competing for war technology advances? Take a look at it this way, when a weapon or a bomb is created, it will be tested in Iraq or Afghanistan.There will be more deaths and bigger destruction as the technology of those weapons further advanced. The founder and leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement, Altaf Hussain, has brought us great attention to a possibility of a third world war, where these imperial powers continued to act in a presumptuous manner in world affairs (mqm. org). In fact, world powers countries should stop competing for war technologies advances with each other in the present world to make a better world, to bring peace to those countries whose need it.However, there are others who oppose that the United States and Russia are creating nuclear bombs and missiles defenses to protect their own national security. In reality, they are creating these defense systems to make other countries to be afraid of them. The more weapons and bombs created, the more deaths and destruction the world has to suffer. Instead of using billions and billions of dollars to make technological advances that kill people, we should use that huge amount of money to improve education, health care, and reduce the amount of starvation.There will be more people will feel happy as the government will use money to solve social and political problems. In general, by not using money to develop war technological advances, we can save a lot of lives, rather than killing them by weapons, bombs, and missiles and so on. In co nclusion, technological advancement has seen many negative impacts on our society; it causes unhealthy addiction, encourages government censorship, and might lead to another destructive world war. We must stop using technology devices, we should stand together to stop these bad problems from our life.For the great future of our young generation, for the better living of our life, we must stop the bad effect of technologies on our life. Work Cited â€Å"A Third World War May Start If Countries Continued to Compete with Each Other for Superiority: Altaf Hussain. † A Third World War May Start If Countries Continued to Compete with Each Other for Superiority: Altaf Hussain. Mutahida Quami Movement, 7 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. . â€Å"Censorship in China. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2013 . Devries, Jennifer V. â€Å"Covert FBI Power to Obtain Phone Data Faces Rare Test. † Online. wsj. com. The Wall Street Journal, n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013 . . Hall, Canseco. â€Å"Texas A&M International University – Laredo, Texas. † Violent Video Games Help Relieve Stress, Depression, Says TAMIU Professor. N. p. , 17 June 2010.Web. 21 Feb. 2013. . Nauert, Rick. â€Å"Video Game Lowers Stress Hormone | Psych Central News. † Psych Central. com. N. p. , 24 Oct. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. . Singh, Ripudaman. â€Å"Health Problems Caused by Computer. † Articlesbase. com. Articlesbase, 21 Mar. 2009. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. .

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How To Schedule Tweets And Organize Your Social Media Plan

How To Schedule Tweets And Organize Your Social Media Plan Studies suggest its perfectly  acceptable to  tweet up to 15 times a day. Thats 105 tweets  a week! Whether you  plan to send that number of tweets or not, one thing is certain: Twitter is a high-sharing volume network. Your followers expect you to tweet a lot of helpful  content consistently every day. That means scheduling tweets is more important than ever to help you: Queue tweets to automatically post well  into the future. Send tweets at the absolute best times  to reach your followers when theyre most active on Twitter- even when youre busy with other projects and life in general. See every scheduled tweet for all of your Twitter handles  in one place to discover gaps in your posting plan. Thats exactly what youll get when you schedule tweets with , your all-in-one social media editorial calendar. Lets explore. How To Schedule Tweets And Organize Your Social Media Plan Studies suggest its perfectly  acceptable to  tweet up to 15 times a day. Thats 105 tweets  a week! Whether you  plan to send that number of tweets or not, one thing is certain: Twitter is a high-sharing volume network. Your followers expect you to tweet a lot of helpful  content consistently every day. That means scheduling tweets is more important than ever to help you: Queue tweets to automatically post well  into the future. Send tweets at the absolute best times  to reach your followers when theyre most active on Twitter- even when youre busy with other projects and life in general. See every scheduled tweet for all of your Twitter handles  in one place to discover gaps in your posting plan. Thats exactly what youll get when you schedule tweets with , your all-in-one social media editorial calendar. Lets explore.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The Guest

The Road To Existentialism Isolation is a state of separation: a physical or emotional separation from one’s surroundings. In Albert Camus’, â€Å"The Guest† the main character is isolated in his environment as well as his relations with others that come into his life. The imagery and descriptive style of the story demonstrate the underlying theme of isolation, as well as the main character, Daru’s existential traits. The vastness and simplicity of the setting creates a perfect environment for an Existentialist: one who stresses the need for complete freedom and isolation from all that surrounds him. When the story begins, the readers are pulled into the â€Å"vast expanse of the high, deserted plateau† (1246). The region is described as â€Å"cruel to live in, even without men† (1298). The landscape consists of snow covered rocks and a dark, dull sky. Although Daru is a teacher, he is alone in his schoolhouse due to heavy snow. He takes comfort in his â€Å"white washed walls, his narrow couch, his unpainted shelves† (1248) which showcase the blandness, the coldness of his nature. Daru’s solitude is interrupted by a prisoner whom he must deliver to jail the following day. He does not seem threatened by having a murderer sleep near him, but more so by the fact that there is another being in Daru’s presence. He is hospitable and kind, yet keeps his distance from the prisoner and barely communicates with him. At night, Daru lies awake, in the silence that â€Å"seemed painful to him† (1252). On the day of their departure, Daru decides to let the prisoner take his trip alone. Although it appears that Daru has the prisoner in mind, he just yearns to go back to his solitude and not be forced with a moral decision and have the responsibility of delivering the prisoner. As Daru heads back to his solemn schoolhouse he â€Å"fe... Free Essays on The Guest Free Essays on The Guest The Road To Existentialism Isolation is a state of separation: a physical or emotional separation from one’s surroundings. In Albert Camus’, â€Å"The Guest† the main character is isolated in his environment as well as his relations with others that come into his life. The imagery and descriptive style of the story demonstrate the underlying theme of isolation, as well as the main character, Daru’s existential traits. The vastness and simplicity of the setting creates a perfect environment for an Existentialist: one who stresses the need for complete freedom and isolation from all that surrounds him. When the story begins, the readers are pulled into the â€Å"vast expanse of the high, deserted plateau† (1246). The region is described as â€Å"cruel to live in, even without men† (1298). The landscape consists of snow covered rocks and a dark, dull sky. Although Daru is a teacher, he is alone in his schoolhouse due to heavy snow. He takes comfort in his â€Å"white washed walls, his narrow couch, his unpainted shelves† (1248) which showcase the blandness, the coldness of his nature. Daru’s solitude is interrupted by a prisoner whom he must deliver to jail the following day. He does not seem threatened by having a murderer sleep near him, but more so by the fact that there is another being in Daru’s presence. He is hospitable and kind, yet keeps his distance from the prisoner and barely communicates with him. At night, Daru lies awake, in the silence that â€Å"seemed painful to him† (1252). On the day of their departure, Daru decides to let the prisoner take his trip alone. Although it appears that Daru has the prisoner in mind, he just yearns to go back to his solitude and not be forced with a moral decision and have the responsibility of delivering the prisoner. As Daru heads back to his solemn schoolhouse he â€Å"fe...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Greek Mythology - Bible vs Biblos

Greek Mythology - Bible vs Biblos The Bible is sometimes called the Good Book, which is fitting since the word Bible comes from the Greek word for book, biblos. For the Greeks, the bible was Homer, particularly, The Iliad, and Hesiod. The Father of History, the Greek Classical period traveler Herodotus (c. 484-425 B.C.) writes: Whence the gods severally sprang, whether or no they had all existed from eternity, what forms they bore - these are questions of which the Greeks knew nothing until the other day, so to speak. For Homer and Hesiod were the first to compose Theogonies, and give the gods their epithets, to allot them their several offices and occupations, and describe their forms; and they lived but four hundred years before my time, as I believe.~ Herodotus Book IIYou can find a religious world view, morals, customs, genealogy, and more in Homer and Hesiod. However, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and Theogony were not sacred texts. (Depending on your definition, the Greeks had other sacred texts, like hymns and responses of the oracles.)The Opening of The IliadThe Iliad begins, not with the creation of the world in 6 days, but with an invocation of the goddess or muse:Sing, O goddess,followed by the story of the wrath of the great Greek hero of the Trojan War, Achilles:the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, t hat brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another....and his anger at the expeditions leader, Agamemnon, who has strained relations with his best man by stealing his beloved concubine and committed sacrilege:And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was the son of Jove and Leto [Apollo]; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest.(Samuel Butler translation)The Place of Gods in Mans LifeGods in Homers ancient heroic age walked among men, but they were much more powerful than humans and could be prevailed upon by prayer and sacrifice to help human beings. We see this in the opening of The Iliad where the rhap sode (the composer/singer of the story) Homer seeks divine inspiration to create a great epic, and where an old man seeks the return of his abducted daughter.There is nothing in this Greek great book (The Iliad) about taking clay and forming it in a certain likeness or taking a rib from said animated clay, although the latter, the story of the creation of woman (Pandora) by a craftsman, does appear differently elsewhere in the canon of Greek mythology.Next Page: Creation Stories Introduction to Greek Mythology Myth in Daily Life What Is Myth? Myths vs. Legends Creation Stories Titanomachy Olympian Gods and Goddesses Five Ages of Man Philemon and Baucis Prometheus Trojan War Bulfinch Mythology Myths and Legends Kingsley Tales from Mythology | Golden Fleece and the Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne Confusing Creation Stories Creation StoriesUranos Revenge Titanomachy Philemon and Baucis Prometheus Version 1: Genesis 1.27 King James27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Version 2: Genesis 2.21-2321: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23: And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.... the story of the 5 Ages Also see Jewish Legends - Creation Genealogy Shows Mans Relationship to God(s) The stories one polis told about its divine connection might or might not contradict the stories of another polis about its connection with the same god. Sometimes what looks like an effort to smooth out one set of inconsistencies seems to have created others. It might serve those of us coming to the Greek stories from a Judaeo-Christian tradition to remember that there are plenty of apparent inconsistencies in the Bible, too. Reference: [url formerly www.rpgclassics.com/quotes/iliad.shtml] Interesting Quotations from the Iliad Introduction to Greek Mythology Myth in Daily Life What Is Myth? Myths vs. Legends Gods in the Heroic Age - Bible vs. Biblos Trojan War Bulfinch Mythology Myths and LegendsGolden Fleece and the Tanglewood Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 36

Business - Essay Example Such teams have members who are highly committed and work in a work environment that enhances collaboration and learning. Teams that lack these characteristics end up being ineffective for the organization. There are various behaviors that team members and leaders need to carry out in order to form an effective team. In an effective team leaders need have a future oriented approach and they need to have the ability to influence other team members towards the achievement of the team’s goals (Kuczma 11). Leaders need to promote anti-discriminatory behaviors and respect the importance of diversification within teams. The team members need to provide support to their leaders while accepting and respecting the differences between them and other team members. The members need to have a positive attitude towards work and develop strong bonds with other team members. According to TEAM model a new team is developed in a step by step model (Noyes 72). The model states that first a team meeting takes place and the members are informed about the purpose for which the team has been made. Next the team leader indulges in the work of identifying what roles are to be assigned and who will be responsible to carry out those roles. The team then starts performing and in its initial stages it may not perform effectively. Thus evaluation of the performance is carried out and issues are discussed and solutions are identified. This helps in developing the effectiveness of the team which ultimately results in attainment of organizational aims as well as objectives. Conflict is an issue that arises even between the most effective teams and it is the job of the members of the team and the leader to minimize those conflicts. In order to minimize conflicts the collaboration method should be used (Gido 380). While using this method, team members tend to identify a solution that benefits everyone within the team. The members need to face the conflict in

Friday, October 18, 2019

Architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Architecture - Research Paper Example 56). Michael Webb joined the project with the contribution of his unique ideas and designs. Other members who joined the Archigram include Warren Chalk, Dennis Crompton and Ron Heron. Together, they proposed new ways of living that sought to explore the possibilities of new technologies while overthrowing modernist dogma of form follows function (Rattenbury, Robert, and Kieran 1995) Michael Webbs Drive-in Housing in 1966 explores the car and popular lifestyles that point out the behavioral changes in the society and bring out the redundancy of normal fixed buildings. This project entails an insight into the possible utilization of cars as mobile and serviced constituent parts that make up adaptable dwelling systems that consist of cars, drive-in buildings and other necessary services. It is a preliminary study that shades light on the design of techniques such as automated construction, servicing and dismantling methods usually used on the development of large buildings. The building in the project has a design large enough to house component production units in its establishment. The production units manufacture plastic panels that are molded and reinforced, which arrive to their position in the structure when folded up, and then open out to provide utilizable floor space (Ethapane 3). In this project, Webb prefers to use plastic as a constructional material instead of steel mainly because of the fact that plastic has more advantages of on-site production of components that steel. The idea is to transport the raw materials to one of the ports and then pump them through pipelines that lead to the production unit on the site of construction. This is not possible in the case of steel because one has to develop complete units at the production factory usually located at great distances away from the construction site (Ethapane 3). After the construction, completed drive-in homes will have the fixed service units at variable distances with

Management Problem Solving - Facquier Gas Company Case Study

Management Problem Solving - Facquier Gas Company - Case Study Example After making inquiries from the design engineer, Pat Wilson, it became evident to Murphy that the new project would require pipes of different specifications from those used in previous projects. In his opinion, Murphy considered the time span from January to June sufficient in conformity to the mill’s lead-time. However, Murphy had not received such details in April, although the project was scheduled to commence in June, and due for the conclusion in September. The supply management, construction and design organizations were under the headship of the vice-president of operations. The design engineer, Pat Wilson and construction engineer Sam Law fail to approve the pipe specifications in good time, compelling Murphy to inquire from Wilson, only to realize that the pipes required were of different specifications. Time had lapsed until April 14, leaving Murphy worried about the limited time for the procurement process of the materials required in a bid to meet the June deadline, the scheduled time for the onset of the project. One of the possible solutions would involve Murphy consulting with Clive Byers, the project manager and highlighting that the specifications were yet to be communicated. This would compel Murphy to schedule a meeting with Byers as soon as possible. Byers would then inquire from Sam Law and Pat Wilson. After receiving information from them, he would strive to ensure that the specifications are communicated to Murphy. In this solution, Murphy would have acted wisely by not overreaching Byers, since he heard the initial information about the project from him. Byers has the capacity to inquire from the Wilson and Sam Law because he is the project manager, and has the mandate of ensuring that execution of projects occurs within the set timelines. Moreover, this would serve to solve the problem at the lower level without involving higher authority. Alternatively, Murphy would approach the Charlie Buck, the design superintend, and inquire from him.  

References Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

References - Essay Example A reference can be the difference between getting a job, and being passed over for someone more qualified. One individual that was a reference for a sales candidate I had told me that the candidate was very meticulous and showed strong abilities in the laboratory. While this was great information, the same reference could have connected the candidate’s leadership, communication and organizational skills to the position to show how strong of a candidate the individual truly was. This would have made a world of difference! If you have applied for a position and given the employer your references’ information, call them and tell them that the employer may be calling for a reference. Explain to them the type of job that you are pursuing and what skills the employer is looking for from the potential candidate. It is usually best to ask the reference to contact you once they have spoken with the reference checker so that you know where you stand in the process and gain knowledge on what type of information the reference shared about you. When you contact the reference to prepare them, make sure that you take the time to remind the reference of your skills, background and what tasks you performed for the reference while you were with them. This information is not always readily available as people tend to forget. Keep in touch with the reference. If you have not spoken with the individual for quite some time, you cannot expect to receive the excellent recommendation that you are hoping for. Continue to build upon your strong relationship with that individual by staying in touch with them regularly. Usually, it is best to call or email your references every four or five months to check in on them and keep in touch. When you do make contact, ask the reference if there is anything that you are able to do for them as well. If you can help them, it increases

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Case study on violence Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

On violence - Case Study Example Violence has many categories and has detrimental effects within society that continues to be the focal point of discussion. The use of pressure and abusing power itself is violence and is associated with psychology, retaliation, hatred and other human emotion. One cannot ignore the fact that violence is a decompression of an event that dynamically impacted an individual. This paper will discuss many aspects of violence with key insights and new details based on comprehensive research. In order to acknowledge and understand the true essence of violence, one must understand the root cause of violence. Violence is an issue that is directly associated with emotion and mental health of an individual. Behavioral violence is defined by a force of physical aggressive behavior against another person. In fact, scientist agrees that violence is embedded in humans. Since the dawn of mankind, humans engaged in acts of violence as they would hunt for food and seek shelter. Although some might thin k that in certain scenarios, violence is essential. For instance, primitive humans exerted violence to capture their prey for the needs of surviving. Violence according to many experts can be a critical component of adaptive nature and survival. However, it is clear that violence exerts beyond the traditional methods of survival. A prime example of this is retaliation from a particular incident that had a dramatic effect on psyche of a person. In a midst of a heated moment, violence can be exerted due to rage, anger and fury. Interestingly enough, most people at times acknowledge that they were at fault for conducting this type of behavior. Another key aspect of violence sometimes is used for confidence and pride. Many individuals exert violence sometimes to fulfill their ego and to keep an â€Å"alpha dog† reputation which enables them to achieve a superiority complex. In fact, the â€Å"alpha male personality† image is often brought up in discussions of the notion of human violence. Dale Peterson and Richard Wrangham in â€Å"Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence† conclude that violence in human is embedded. The evolutionary correlation is made from the ancestral ape violent behavior to modern humans. Undoubtedly, the factors characteristics with violence are broad and can be mixed of several other factors. Violence is also associated with propagating cause and is used for justification for a certain outcome. For instance, radical groups utilize violence in order to maintain the conservative norms of society and refute liberal change. Although this is not done out of pain or retaliation, it is used as a threat to implement a purpose that they seek. The Crusaders were the prime examples of aggressors that exerted violence to an extreme means. The environmental surrounding of children raised in a safe environment also plays a critical role. Clearly, the effects of a safe harboring environment in which children are nurtured yields a child less likely to conduct crime. A child that lacks the mutual connection with his parent is more likely to commit crimes. Many children who do not receive this attention often get involved in gangs to fulfill the need of belonging. The young generation in today’s society is the focal point of this conclusive study. Youth violence undoubtedly has sparked much attention as it has become an uncontrollable. Research indicates that around 34% of the offenders arrested for federal charges were under the age of 21 according

A case study of Reorganisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

A case study of Reorganisation - Essay Example Since there are now a large number of companies with suitable capacity, or availability of funds due to investment interest from the general public, there is now a lot of competition and a continuous pressure to develop new drugs. As a result, some companies have come out on top with Glaxo Smith Kline, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Merial, Roche, Merck Sharp and Dohme and Novartis being the top companies. (Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, Health Committee, 215) Do the companies look that they are in trouble? At the same time, the government requires medicines for support of some activities that it has been doing for a long time and they are curtailed for some time since a decision has been taken that there should be no loss incurred by government help to the needy. Is it justified, or is it impossible for the government to force these companies to help the needy public with a supply of essential medicines? Whereas the motor vehicle sector of the i ndustry in the UK has fallen behind other countries in Europe as technological capabilities have dropped. The plants for the manufacture of motor vehicles in Britain have been joined to the existing chains in Europe for the different multinational companies and this has reduced the amount of research that is going on in the UK. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical sector has been chosen by the multinational enterprises for improvement of research facilities and thus it now occupies an important position on the continent.... es have come out on top with Glaxo Smith Kline, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Merial, Roche, Merck Sharp and Dohme and Novertis being the top companies. (Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, Health Committee, 215) Do the companies look that they are in trouble At the same time, the government requires medicines for support of some activities that it has been doing for a long time and they are curtailed for some time since a decision has been taken that there should be no loss incurred by government help to the needy. Is it justified, or is it impossible for the government to force these companies to help the needy public with supply of essential medicines Whereas the motor vehicle sector of the industry in UK has fallen behind other countries in Europe as technological capabilities have dropped. The plants for manufacture of motor vehicles in Britain have been joined to the existing chains in Europe for the different multinational companies and this has reduced the amount of research that is going on in UK. On the other hand, the pharmaceutical sector has been chosen by the multinational enterprises for improvement of research facilities and thus it now occupies and important position on the continent. The country is now the home to 4 of the 32 of the largest producers of medicines in the world. It is not that this arrangement is harmful for the companies which have set up facilities for research in Britain. They get the advantage of the training in science that the students here get. (Ross, 183) At the same time, it is also clear that the benefits that the companies get do not depend on the training or education that students get. (M ark, 88) Thus it is clear that industry is trying to get the full benefit that Britain has to offer

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Case study on violence Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

On violence - Case Study Example Violence has many categories and has detrimental effects within society that continues to be the focal point of discussion. The use of pressure and abusing power itself is violence and is associated with psychology, retaliation, hatred and other human emotion. One cannot ignore the fact that violence is a decompression of an event that dynamically impacted an individual. This paper will discuss many aspects of violence with key insights and new details based on comprehensive research. In order to acknowledge and understand the true essence of violence, one must understand the root cause of violence. Violence is an issue that is directly associated with emotion and mental health of an individual. Behavioral violence is defined by a force of physical aggressive behavior against another person. In fact, scientist agrees that violence is embedded in humans. Since the dawn of mankind, humans engaged in acts of violence as they would hunt for food and seek shelter. Although some might thin k that in certain scenarios, violence is essential. For instance, primitive humans exerted violence to capture their prey for the needs of surviving. Violence according to many experts can be a critical component of adaptive nature and survival. However, it is clear that violence exerts beyond the traditional methods of survival. A prime example of this is retaliation from a particular incident that had a dramatic effect on psyche of a person. In a midst of a heated moment, violence can be exerted due to rage, anger and fury. Interestingly enough, most people at times acknowledge that they were at fault for conducting this type of behavior. Another key aspect of violence sometimes is used for confidence and pride. Many individuals exert violence sometimes to fulfill their ego and to keep an â€Å"alpha dog† reputation which enables them to achieve a superiority complex. In fact, the â€Å"alpha male personality† image is often brought up in discussions of the notion of human violence. Dale Peterson and Richard Wrangham in â€Å"Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence† conclude that violence in human is embedded. The evolutionary correlation is made from the ancestral ape violent behavior to modern humans. Undoubtedly, the factors characteristics with violence are broad and can be mixed of several other factors. Violence is also associated with propagating cause and is used for justification for a certain outcome. For instance, radical groups utilize violence in order to maintain the conservative norms of society and refute liberal change. Although this is not done out of pain or retaliation, it is used as a threat to implement a purpose that they seek. The Crusaders were the prime examples of aggressors that exerted violence to an extreme means. The environmental surrounding of children raised in a safe environment also plays a critical role. Clearly, the effects of a safe harboring environment in which children are nurtured yields a child less likely to conduct crime. A child that lacks the mutual connection with his parent is more likely to commit crimes. Many children who do not receive this attention often get involved in gangs to fulfill the need of belonging. The young generation in today’s society is the focal point of this conclusive study. Youth violence undoubtedly has sparked much attention as it has become an uncontrollable. Research indicates that around 34% of the offenders arrested for federal charges were under the age of 21 according

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

PROBLEMS WITH THE PAROLE AND PROBATION SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES Research Paper

PROBLEMS WITH THE PAROLE AND PROBATION SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES - Research Paper Example This specific problem is one which can be attributed to the system with the probation programs because of the inability to meet the needs of those that are adjusting back into society. Problem within Probation Programs The criminal offender conduct is the main concept that is focused on with probation programs. Those who are working with criminals who have just been released from prison are focused on changing mannerisms and ensuring that the prisoner is able to work within society as a citizen. Getting steady employment, staying away from further crime and developing new habits within society are some of the associated concepts that are a part of probation programs. Supervising those individuals and working with counseling programs are also some of the attributes that are a part of probation programs. However, there is a noticeable re-entry crisis that occurs among criminals. The inability to change the focus out of the habits from past crimes and the inability to provide criminals with the ability to move into a completely correctional system are causing many criminals to go through probation periods then move back into the same crimes as in the past (Johnson et al, 2006). The problem with those who are in parole systems is one which is showing a high return rate that is not decreasing with the systems that are in place. In 2006, an average of 35% of all inmates returned to prison during or after the probation period. This was a result of parole violations, as opposed to new crimes that were committed. The state of California held the highest of parole violations, which was inclusive of two-thirds of inmates returning to prison because of the same violations. The problems with probation include the first problem of too many inmates being supervised with too little supervision. In 2006, 4 million offenders were placed into probation. The officers were primarily responsible for the movement back into society with other court orders that were associated with thi s. It was found that the restrictions with probation, such as not being able to find employment because of a criminal record, led to many being forced into breaking the probation rules to try to integrate into society (Lawrence, 2008). The parole systems, while known to assist with the integration back into society, are causing the reverse problem to occur. Those who are within the system and are going through parole are aware that there is difficulty in getting past probation systems and staying in society. There are many who have created the mentality that they will go back into prison during their probation period, adding in a psychological response to the known statistics and rates of those who are going in and out of the justice system. Those who are going back into prison work as an example of the difficulties within the probation and parole system, making the trend arise among those who are a part of the probation system and which are trying to work back into an integrated so ciety. The psychological responses, trends and the large amount of criminals that go back into prison add into the complexity of those who are going through the parole system (Johnson et al, 2006). Theories of Criminal Justice Practice There are several theories that apply to the criminal justice practice and the way in which individuals integrate into society. Historically, those who had committed a crime were only required to serve

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Use Of Skype Education Essay

The Use Of Skype Education Essay The rapid growth and interest of college students in Computer Mediated Communication and social media has impacted the second language learning and teaching process. This study is a reflection of a pedagogical experience that attempts to analyze the use of Skype as a Synchronous Communication tool in regards to the attitudes of students in learning a foreign language when interacting with native speakers and engage in conversation. The participants are Spanish foreign language students at Fordham University in New York City and English foreign language speakers at a Jesuit University in Bogotà ¡, Colombia. Students were paired up and were required to set up online conversation meetings. The results of this pilot project suggest that students felt more interested to engage in conversation with native speakers and exchange personal and academic information as wells as other aspects of their culture using the target language rather than completing language laboratory activities or writing compositions. Key words: Computer mediated communication, Skype, socio-cultural competence, synchronous communication El continuo interà ©s y la rà ¡pida evolucià ³n de la comunicacià ³n a travà ©s de la tecnologà ­a y las redes sociales en estudiantes universitarios han transformado el proceso de enseà ±anza y aprendizaje de los idiomas extranjeros. Este estudio es una reflexià ³n de una experiencia pedagà ³gica que busca analizar el uso de Skype como una herramienta de comunicacià ³n sincrà ³nica en cuanto a las actitudes de los estudiantes en el proceso de aprendizaje de un idioma extranjero con la interaccià ³n de estudiantes que son hablantes nativos para participar activamente en conversaciones. Los participantes de este proyecto son estudiantes de espaà ±ol como idioma extranjero en Fordham University en la Ciudad de Nueva York y estudiantes de inglà ©s como idioma extranjero en una universidad jesuita en la ciudad de Bogotà ¡, Colombia. Los estudiantes fueron emparejados con el propà ³sito de organizar sesiones en là ­nea y hablar usando el idioma que està ¡n aprendiendo. Los resultados de este proyecto piloto indican que los estudiantes se sintieron muchos mà ¡s interesados en conversar con hablantes nativos para intercambiar informacià ³n personal, acadà ©mica y cultural haciendo uso del idioma que està ¡n aprendiendo en lugar de hacer ejercicios y escribir composiciones en el laboratorio de idiomas. Palabras clave: comunicacià ³n a travà ©s de la tecnologà ­a, Comunicacià ³n Sincrà ³nica, Competencias Socio Culturales, Skype Introduction As a young college language instructor, I find myself always trying to provide my students with opportunities in which they can see a real purpose of using L2 (foreign language) outside the conventional classroom where interaction is often reduced to their peers and instructor. The idea of this project was to encourage my students to speak via Skype with other college Spanish native speakers with like-minded interests -lifestyle, culture, education, and food -through the use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). The idea of this project started in one of my graduate courses at Fordham University when I had to survey a sample of Jesuit undergraduate students and their likelihood to interact with their surrounding community. Fordham Universitys main campus is located in the Bronx. The New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo surround the campus. However, Fordhams main campus is located in a community where there is a large low income Hispanic and African American population wher eas the demographics at Fordham is mostly a white upper middle class student body. The survey aimed to understand how much interaction existed between these two communities Fordham students and the surrounding community. Based on the results of the survey, most of the students prefer to spend their free time either on campus or in Manhattan. I also realized that specifically my Spanish students would not take advantage of the Hispanic population to practice their Spanish skills as they felt English would be an easier way to communicate. Consequently, I thought that as a language instructor, I would need to provide my students with a setting in which they feel comfortable and make use of the target language specifically with native speakers who have similar interests or experience similar learning conditions. This article summarizes a pedagogical experience with the purpose of sharing with other language colleagues how I started and structured the project and it also reflects upon its outcomes. Literature Review Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) CMC is defined as the process of creating, exchanging, and perceiving information via networked telecommunications systems facilitating the encoding, transmitting, and decoding of messages (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). CMC was the result of linking different computers and having people interact by sharing messages and data. CMC spread rapidly and it allowed people from geographically dispersed locations to communicate replacing traveling and Face-to-Face (FtF) meetings with more efficient ways to instantly communicate. Different studies have shown that FtF gatherings give speakers with higher positions or power in any organization a larger portion of speech time while CMC meetings offer an equal share of the meeting participation (Walther, 1996.) Other studies, on the contrary, suggests that CMC does not contribute to active participation because it is assumed that in many CMC discussions a few members dominate the floor and the rest of the members become lurkers or passive recipient s. Both offline and online discussions have passive recipients; this implies that CMC does not discourage active participation and learning (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). Allowing students to interact with others considering their mutual interests and giving them the freedom to make their own choices when learning a foreign language is essential to motivate them. Bastidas (2002) proposes integrative and instrumental motivation affecting foreign language learners. On one hand, integrative motivation suggests the interest of learners in the community and culture that involves the second language. Instrumental motivation, on the other hand, refers to the specific goals of the students. Bastidas also shows the communicative need to use any foreign language as an aspect affecting learners motivation. He explains that many language students feel demotivated to learn a foreign language because they think the L2 is neither important nor useful for them. Additionally, more than a real life experience, I wanted this project to be an exposure to the target language with native speakers. Fordham University is located in a highly populated Hispanic community in th e Bronx. Unfortunately, many Fordham students do not take advantage of this opportunity to practice Spanish with native speakers. Noam Chomskys innatist theory (Lightbown Spada, 1993) suggests that after that critical period of humans to learn a second language, input exposure is essential to gain L2 proficiency. For this reason, a project including input exposure with native speakers would stimulate students interest in engaging in conversations using the target language. Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication The continuous growth of Internet-based communication and college students interest in social media and networking seems to have a greater impact in the way they interact with others nowadays. These types of communication can be Synchronous or Asynchronous. Synchronous Communication or real-time communication refers to face-to-face discussions among people, whereas Asynchronous Communication (delayed communication) suggests a significant time delay between receiving and sending messages (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). Hence, the inclusion of a computer-based activity and synchronous communication in my instruction was necessary in order to encourage and engage my students in the L2 learning process. I believe that real time communication would allow learners to provide instant feedback to each other, to emotionally bond, and to be spontaneous. According to Celce-Murcia (2001), the use of media in language classes only brings the outside world to the classroom and makes the learning proce ss more exciting and meaningful. Nevertheless, the only purpose of this project was not the improvement of L2 speaking proficiency but it also aimed to raise awareness in students about other cultures. In other words, I wanted to promote and instill values of inclusion, tolerance, and diversity as a principle of life in this globalized world. Teaching culture in a language class results in better communicators of L2. Culture is understood as body language, gestures, concepts of time, traditions, and expressions of friendliness. Consequently, linguistic proficiency is not enough for a second language learner social cultural competence is fundamental for a more proficient and effective L2 speaker. Hymes (1996)  [1]  also stresses the importance of socio cultural competence by saying that an individual who is not aware of the appropriateness norms accepted in a determined community is likely to be placed in a position of inequality. Similar Projects Other instructors and universities have implemented and explored a similar project, like the one I proposed at Fordham University, with positive results. Dickens (2009) shared an experience of two classes (one from the US and the other from Italy) in which students were initially paired up and required to interact with their partners discussing about different aspects of their life and classes topics using Twitter. After a couple of months the instructors decided that it would be appropriate to have them interact on video chat using Skype. Dickens report about the experience is positive. Students were able to communicate in the target language and to simultaneously multitask (surf on Facebook, share videos on YouTube, Google information, etc.) Alas, most of the session was held in the students native language. In a different experiment, Carney (2008) started a project in which an English class interacted with a Japanese class through the use of blogs, wikis, Skype text, voice, and vi deo chat and the exchange of homemade DVDs movies. Skype sessions in general were set up so that four English class students talk with one Japanese student. Each English class student had to prepare different questions to ask their Japanese partner. Some of the Japanese students were not able to speak due to the lack of web cams and computers. In general, this was a great experience for these students. The author recognizes the importance of CMC and its impact in foreign language classes. Project Objectives There were three major objectives identified at the beginning of this pilot project which will serve as an assessment of the achieved goals: Provide students with a space in which they can practice their listening and speaking skills in the L2 with native speakers by means of interactive and contextualized conversations online. Encourage students to learn from their partners culture, country, and traditions. Give the students the opportunity to interact in real life situations using the target language. Participating Institutions The two participating institutions are private higher education universities under the Cura Personalis (care of the other) philosophy and Jesuit Tradition. Fordham University is the Jesuit University in New York City. Fordhams Department of Languages and Literatures requires undergraduate students to take up to five levels of a foreign language aiming to develop the linguistic proficiency and cultural competence of Fordham students. The Colombian University in Bogota is a Jesuit University offering its community with quality Catholic education. The Department of Languages offers an undergraduate program qualifying its students to become language teachers. Participants A total of 50 students participated in this project. The participants are students from Fordham University (25 students) and from a Jesuit University in Bogota, Colombia (25 students.) Fordham University students are English native speakers learning Spanish in high beginner level courses. Students in Colombia are Spanish native speakers in intermediate English courses. It is important to clarify that Fordham students are studying Spanish (or any foreign language offered at the Department) as a mandatory language course during five (5) academic semesters. Some of them might want to minor in this language. The students at the Colombian university are future language teachers who are majoring in English. Fordham students age in average is 19 years old; whereas their online partners age in Colombia raged between 20 to 45 years old. The technological skills of the students were not considered when implementing this project. Pedagogical Proposal This pedagogical experience attempts to determine if there is any relationship between the implementation of Internet-based Synchronous Communication and the interest of foreign language students and native speakers to engage in conversation and learn about their culture. In order to start this project, a written proposal was submitted to the Chair of the Fordhams Department of Languages and Literatures and the Spanish Language Coordinator. In this document, objectives, description, proposed activities, projected timeline, proposed partners, and their responsibilities of the whole project were specified. The Chair at Fordham University had two important concerns about this initiative: 1. safety of students and 2. feasibility of the project. With the support of the Faculty Technology Center at Fordham University, I was able to persuade the Chair that there were no risks associated with the use of Skype for educational purposes and that its viability was directly related to the collaboration of the other university and the participation of the students. I should note that at Fordham University, foreign language students are required to attend the language laboratory two hours every week. For that reason, I decided to merge this project within the labora tory activities grade. As part of the curriculum at the Department of Modern Languages, language students are required to go to the language laboratory one hour a week. During this time (students are free to decide when to go to the laboratory from Monday to Saturday in a specific schedule) students listen to the audio section of their workbook as well as they complete different grammar exercises on line as part of their course evaluation. Roger Goodson (2005) states that some faculty members and administrators are normally resistant to include technology in their instruction because of time constraints, their demanding academic workload, lack of training, and insufficient research proving the effectiveness of E-learning. It is common to see some institutions still reluctant to explore technological changes in instruction, as it was the example of San Jose State University (SJSU.) The Associate Vice-President of San Jose State University proposed to ban Skype at the University imply ing that Skype might infect the institutions computers with viruses and that Skype might distract students and professors in the classrooms. One faculty member expressed his concern and called the institution luddite about this issue and explained the reasons why Skype should not be banned: 1. Skype allows communicating at no cost with other colleagues around the world, 2. There are many international students who might use Skype to communicate with other students, and 3. Foreign Language instructors have started to use Skype to have their students communicate with other students who are native speakers of the language they are learning Shaw (2006.) When the Chair of the Department at Fordham approved this pilot project, I immediately contacted different universities in Colombia. However, I thought that it would be a good idea to work with another university under the same Jesuit philosophy. Fortunately, a Jesuit University in Bogota, Colombia responded with great interest and eagerness in starting the project as soon as possible. The Chair of the Department of Modern Languages in Colombia designated his English Speaking Advanced class to take part in this linguistic experiment. The groups were not chosen based on any specific criteria. My two Spanish courses would participate in this project. At the Jesuit University in Colombia, the Chair chose that specific class because he was the professor in charge and had asked his students about their interest in partaking in this initiative, which had a positive reaction by the students. I clarified that this was intended to be a pilot project, which if it were to result with positive outcomes could be institutionalized by Fordhams Department, or at least it would encourage other instructors interested in creating a similar online community with their students. Community Development in general refers to the notion of people living close by to each other, face-to-face interactions, companionship, and support at different levels (Wellman, 1999.) However, in online communities the lack of physical location, verbal, and nonverbal cues implies impersonal relationships not able to build a community. However, other studies suggest that online communities can be built if participants have similar interests regardless their physical location they might find as an obstacle to communicate Face-to-Face (Romiszowski Mason, n.d.). Once the project was presented and approved by the two universities, it was necessary to establish a clear set of stages and assigned responsibilities to each instructor in order to launch this initiative. Table 1 describes the different stages that were considered. Task Observations Person in charge Outlining responsibilities A list of responsibilities was outlined and shared to students, professors, and administrators. Instructor at Fordham University. Pairing up students It was easier for the instructor in Colombia to pair the students as he had more students in his class than I did in with my two classes. Instructor at the Colombian University. Choosing topics for each session Both instructors agreed that each session should focus on content, culture, and grammatical structures, which would reinforce the topics, learned in classroom. Both instructors. Setting up a chronogram Considering that the end of the semester was coming soon for both universities, it was important to use the time wisely. Both instructors. Table 1. Stages of the Project The first step was to inform all the participants (instructors, students, and administrators) about their responsibilities regarding this project as shown in Table 2. Instructors Pair up students based on their proficiency level Monitor that students are attending their Skype meeting Make sure that students are respectful with their peers time Remind students to be punctual Decide the topics the students will be discussing Communicate with the other instructors if there are doubts or suggestions Provide a space for the students with the necessary technology to access to Skype Students Be punctual Speak only the language they are required to speak during the session. Prepare enough questions to carry out the conversation. Submit a screen shot of their Skype conversation in order to confirm that they actually had a conversation with their assigned partner and the required time for each session Administrators Establish the partnership between the two universities Attend the on line meeting in December to analyze the effectiveness of the project Table 2. Participants Responsibilities Participants received an email with their respective responsibilities. Consequently, a list of Fordham students was sent to my colleague in Colombia. He was in charge of pairing up his students with mine. His class was considerably bigger (in terms of number of students) compared to my two classes together at Fordham. There were not any specific criteria when pairing up the students it was just a simple matching exercise from two rosters. Then, each student received an email with a list in which they would find their matches for the fours sessions. The list included names and emails. The final stage of the project required each instructor to choose the topics. It was the responsibility of each professor to decide the topics students would be discussing in every session. Each session was expected to last approximately 15 to 20 minutes and it was expected to be conducted by students as follows: use of the target language previously determined (English or Spanish), personal introductio ns (as every session they were paired up with different partners), discussion of a previously determined topic. The topics varying from academic structure, personal interests, gastronomy, etc. were carefully selected so that students have a wide exposure to new vocabulary, expressions, and especially culture. The sessions were organized as shown in Table 3. Session Language Topic In charge One Spanish Exchange personal information (names, hobbies, favorite food, sports they practice) Also get to know about each other. Understand how easy or difficult is to learn English or Spanish. Fordham Two English Compare academic structures from their schools and the differences of educational system. University in Colombia Three Spanish Compare lifestyle, culture, gastronomy, and currencies. Fordham Four English Understand how languages are taught in the US from elementary school through the university. University in Colombia Table 3. Organization of the Sessions Students were required to prepare questions and organize their ideas in order to have a meaningful conversation during the following week. Furthermore, each Fordham student was required to snap a screenshot of their Skype conversation records as a proof that they did Skype with their assigned partners. All the conversations were set up by each student at different times and days (within a week period) this with the purpose of giving students the opportunity to organize their busy time and also to give students a sense of belonging to the project. One important aspect to mention is that the administrators did not ever set up a meeting to discuss the outcomes or implications of the project due to the lack of time. When the project was over the university in Colombia was already in winter break. Findings In this section, the advantages and weaknesses during the completion of the project will be described. In addition, I will mention the opinions and thoughts of 18 participant students who were surveyed after the project was finished. Starting the project was somehow challenging due to the lack of time and the resistance of the administrators to approve the project. Additionally, the communication between the two universities was slow. As it was previously mentioned, each student was randomly paired up with another one from the other university. In order to set up their online meetings they emailed each other. Students reported that their partner did not respond their emails in a timely fashion or kept postponing the meeting, and some others never got an answer from their partner. One student said: I thought it was very interesting and cool to learn about the life of a complete stranger! Sometimes communication was difficult but it was a good experience. This frustrated a big part of the students because it did not allow them to ever experience a conversation My student never answered my emails so we were not able to talk via Skype. A student added. Sometimes there were problems related to technological issues an d Internet connection, which prevented students to have voice conversations. Nonetheless, students opted to chat instead. A great part of participants described their Skyping experienced as interesting and fun. In their own words they said: I found it extremely useful and fun. It was very interesting to speak with my partner and I believe that she and I will probably continue speaking even though the assignment has finished. I would definitely do it again and hope I have the chance to in the future. Another student added: I did enjoy interacting with a student from another country. I found it relatively easy to understand her but harder to express my own ideas. No matter the skill level or level of success, I think it is always helpful though to get practice speaking with someone who knows the language so well. Each session was supposed to last between 15 to 20 minutes. However, most of the sessions ended up exceeding this time limit because they truly enjoyed conversing with their peers. Other students thought it was rude to conclude a conversation in only 15 minutes and they allowed more time to this activity even if they were only text chatting. Only one student requested to be given a different Skype partner. One of them was more than 20 years older than the other participant creating an uncomfortable environment in the younger student. Based on the student at Fordham, her Skype partner made her feel uncomfortable as in their first email that they had exchanged, the student in Colombia had expressed that he had physical issues that prevented him of speaking. He was asking to have someone else participate in the sessions. The student at Fordham thought it was not a good idea and as a Fordham professor I am not allowed to ask her to do something when she has expressed that it makes her feel uncomfortable. Therefore a new Skype partner was assigned to her. Throughout the development of the project some students, who were able to set up their online meetings, expressed during class that they were bonding while many others felt discouraged because they never had the opportunity to speak. It is important to note that this pilot project has led to a possible partnership between Fordham University and AUSJAL (Asociacià ³n de Universidades Confiadas a la Compaà ±Ãƒ ­a de Jesà ºs en Amà ©rica Latina), which is an Association of Jesuit Universities in Latin America. A representative from AUSJAL has contacted me with the purpose to start a possible project in which these types of online environments would benefit students from various Jesuit universities in South America and the United States. Opinions of the Participants A number of 18 participants in this project completed an online survey on Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) about three different aspects regarding the development of the project as shown in Table 4 and Table 5. The third aspect was an open-ended question in order to understand the opinions of the students and their likelihood to participate again in a future similar project. Surveymonkey.com provides users with free web-based surveys. I chose this website because the website helps you to create any type of survey with predetermined formats. Additionally, Surveymonkey.com does not require a software installation, everything is self-explanatory and most importantly the basic features are free. Based on the answers from Table 4, it can be inferred that after different Skype sessions, students mostly learned about their partners culture regarding personal information, similar interests, and education. The results suggest that students in general were not able to exchange as much information as expected about their regions food, their schools academic structure, and quality of life in their countries. 1. Which of the following aspects do you think Skype sessions helped you learn about your partners culture? Completely disagree Somehow disagree Agree Somehow agree Completely agree Food 27,3% 27,3% 9,1% 27,3% 9,1% Education 0,0% 8,3% 33,3% 25,0% 33,3% Academic Structure 16,7% 8,3% 33,3% 33,3% 8,3% Personal Information 8,3% 0,0% 25,0% 8,3% 58,3% Similar Interests 0,0% 0,0% 41,7% 33,3% 25,0% Quality of Life 8,3% 25,0% 41,7% 16,7% 8,3% Table 4. Cultural Appreciation According to Table 5, students seemed to have a greater difficulty trying to set up a Skype session with their partners than expressing their ideas and carrying out spontaneous conversations. Additionally, participants also believed that understanding their partners ideas was challenging. 2. Considering that your Skype partners were college students with similar interests but they were people you did not know, to what degree was it easy or difficult to interact with them using the language you are learning? Very easy Easy Difficult Very Difficult Understand your partners ideas 25,0% 16,7% 50,0% 8,3% Set up a Skype session 16,7% 8,3% 33,3% 41,7% Carry out a spontaneous conversation 25,0% 25,0% 16,7% 33,3% Express your ideas 8,3% 33,3% 25,0% 33,3% Table 5. Degree of Difficulty in Communication Finally, based on the surveyed student responses, it can be inferred that most of the participants thought that the Skype Project with a foreign country did allow them to learn something new about another culture. Many students were surprised that, different from the US, the majority of Colombian college students live with their parents when they attend college. Also, students at Javeriana University do not use their institutional email account as frequently as many American college students do. In general, participants felt that the project was much more fun than going to the language laboratory and writing compositions. Although, they expressed that communication was somehow difficult due to technological inconveniences (e.g. Internet connection, time flexibility, lack of web cam), participants acknowledged the importance of getting to know people from other countries who are native speakers. Most of the participants agreed that setting up meetings was by far the most tedious part of the project because of their busy schedule, their lack of interest of some participants, and the fact that they were talking to, in literal words, a complete stranger. In addition, the idea to participate in a similar project seems to be a viable one for many of them because they think these types of experiences forced them out of their comfort zone. Unfortunately, some other students were not able to provide any feedback because they were never able to speak with their Skype partner because they never got a response to set up a meeting. Conclusions and Implications The idea of this pilot project between Fordham University and the Jesuit University in Colombia was to understand if Internet-based Synchronous Communication would motivate

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Hidden Messages in Easy Rider :: Movies Film

What are the hidden messages in Easy Rider There are many symbols of freedom and individuality in Dennis Hoppers movie Easy Rider. The movie Easy Rider revolves around two bikers, Wyatt and Billy, making a trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans, to attend Mardi Gras. The first scene in the movie involves the two protagonists selling a large amount of cocaine to a gentleman in a Rolls Royce. After the drug deal two the bikers begin their journey to Mardi Gras, but not before Wyatt removes his watch and throws it on the ground. This action is shows Wyatt’s pursuit of freedom, because time serves only to constrain them. Once on the road you learn that their names are Wyatt and Billy, a reference to Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid who are considered American legends, as well as outlaws. Wyatt rides a chopper with the stars and stripes on the gas tank and on his helmet while sporting the now clichà © leather jacket. Billy is dressed up like a cowboy; he is wearing all tan leather with a wide brim hat. Also throughout the movie Billy refers to Wyatt as Captain America. All of these things serve to ingrain the belief that they embody the American dream which is to earn enough money to pursue your dream. It just so happens that their dream is freedom, the same belief that led to the creation of the United States. Billy and Wyatt of them go through a series of adventures, first stopping off at a motel where they're rejected, regardless of the glowing vacancy sign. This shows that their culture is not accepted in the rest of the world. They leave the motel and camp out in the wilderness. At a point, Wyatt's bike gets a flat, and they stop at a farm to fix it. It is at this point that the film makes a comparison of the bikers to cowboys. As Wyatt is fixing his tire a man in the background is shoeing his horse. This is making the point that Wyatt is the new version of the cowboy and his chopper is the new cowboy’s horse. During this scene there is an exchange between Wyatt and the farmer where Wyatt tells the farmer how much he admires his farm because he built it with his own hands. This is the first time that you get an idea of Wyatt’s values.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Red Badge of Courage :: essays research papers

The Red Badge of Courage   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character in The Red Badge Of Courage is a young boy named Henry Fleming who experiences war for the first time during the Civil War. He is a Union soldier in the 304th New York. Throughout the book, Henry goes through a complete change of character as the war goes on. The three main stages Fleming goes through are before he actually engages in combat, his second combat experience and the second day of battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The entire reason Henry Fleming joined the army was to become a hero. He was completely blind to the Union’s cause as a whole and was looking more for personal achievement and well-being. This is depicted in the quote â€Å"his province was to look out, as far as he could, for his personal comfort.† Henry’s plans of heroism and bravery are cut short when his regiment does not enter actual combat, but rather continues to hear news and rumors of upcoming battle. During this time, Henry has a lot of time on his hands and does some serious thinking. He begins to feel uncomfortable and wishes he were back home with his mother on their farm. Also, he starts to feel insecure about how he will react in battle. He fears that he will run away in terror when the fighting actually begins. â€Å"He recalled his visions of broken-bladed glory, but in the shadow of the impending tumult he suspected them to be impossible pictures† is a quote that shows Henry’s insecurity about battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although filled with doubt, Fleming actually fights well during his first combat experience. It is during his second battle that his fear overcomes him. When the two soldiers on either side of him run, he is fraught with fear. This causes the youth to throw down his gun and run away from the fighting. As he is running, he rationalizes his decision by telling himself that the regiment was about to wiped out, when in fact the line held and victory was achieved. It is now apparent that Henry is also extremely afraid of being teased by his fellow soldiers. During this period, Henry goes through a major change. The next day he is boastful about his acts of â€Å"bravery† and ignores his acts of cowardice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On this second day of battle, Henry also enters his third and final stage. When his regiment engages the enemy, Henry begins to act on instinct instead of rationalizing everything.

Friday, October 11, 2019

The first Olympic Games

The year is 776BC, and in Athens the first Olympic Games are about to start, the festivities have begun with a feast and sacrifices for the gods. The Olympic Spirit was a key part of their society. It was the one-time cultures from all of Greece could come together and celebrate, compete and enjoy. In the past few weeks we have been discussing the pros and cons of different issues and today it's the tur of Olympics. Approximately 2000 years later, what has changed, not much? But this Olympic spirit is ingrained within the Games, the international community spirit along with the best athletes coming together and competing in one of the most prestigious sporting competition in the world. I'd like to give you three reasons to explain why and Why the games will benefit Britain Firstly because of urban regeneration; this has been put at the heart of the London bid, and is a massive benefit to hosting the Olympic Games; there is the opportunity to redevelop areas that are dilapidated and have physical disorders. Although many locations in and around London will be used for Olympic Games the core location for most of the events will be the 500-acre Olympic Park in the Lower Lea Valley in East London, Which stretches over 5 boroughs: namely Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Camden, Greenwich and Stratford. 3 years ago Lower Lea Valley, was literally a dump site, with muggings at an all time high, knife crimes were going up and up. And you know why? Because no one cared about the place, it was considered to be a dirty, dangerous and dilapidated. And know gentlemen, due to the Olympic Committee's regeneration programme, the streets are clean, the alleys are well light The most important venue of the 2012 has been described as an architect's dream. Planned and already in building the 500 acre park promises an excellent site for sporting activities, with over 9 competition events, and is claimed to be the biggest sports site in Europe for nearly 150 years. Outside of the new Olympic Park, which will principally host indoor sports and track and athletic events, all of England will join in as hosts. However it is not just London that is going to benefit. Throughout the countries there will be facilities available. Already the Olympic Committee, has set up brilliant badminton centers in Birmingham, superb swimming pools in Swansea and even mountain biking in Manchester! However to gain the most from the Olympics we need to maximize the legacy effect. Currently the plan is to sell the Olympic stadium to West Ham Football Club, so that they can keep the sporting spirit alive. The legacy effect is in essence the only thing that will keep allow us to maintain the investment of hosting the Olympic Games. Britain, has the highest number of sports fans in the world, we have a pride in our sport, when we hear our national anthem at any event our hearts swell with pride. Recently in the last Commonwealth Games over a thousand British supporters flew out to India to support Team GB. We are proud to be British, Londoner, but the 2012 Olympics is not just about London. It's about team GB, it's about national pride, it's about an amazing, historical event taking place on our doorstep, it's about getting excited and involved, and it's about making sure that we maximise the legacy and the investment. As Lord Coe said â€Å"The Games will inspire the nation and give us the ability to showcase all that is great about Britain.†