Gastronomy †Pasta as a Favourite Food Essay

Trying to narrow down my favourite food wasn’t very easy, but if I had to choose one, it would have to be pasta. The reason being is that pasta can be dressed up in so many different types of sauces and there are many different types of noodles. I also like the fact that pasta is such an old type of food but is still loved by everyone. There are stories that say that Marco Polo brought pasta back when returning from one of his journeys to China, but in fact that is not the case. Pasta was already around during the years of Polo. The Arab invasion, during the eighth century was shown to be the biggest influence for pasta, and it wasn’t until 1839 when pasta and tomatoes (the recipe that most people use now) was first heard of. Pasta for me is my everything food. It’s something that I can make quickly when I am in a rush if I simply buy noodles and sauce at the store, it’s something that you can take hours to make, it’s something that you can make when having people over, because you know that everyone will like it and it is also something that you can have while out on a date. What’s great about pasta is that you can make it really quickly with an Aglio E Olio sauce (which is a butter and garlic sauce) and store bought pasta or you can take your time and make your own noodles from scratch as well as make you sauce. Also when making the basic tomato sauce you can choose whether or not you want to make it completely from scratch by cutting and roasting the tomatoes or if you want to use canned tomatoes. When I was little, my older sister and brothers Nona would make pasta noodles from scratch. My sister would always take some home and sometimes bring some over to our house. It was always a treat to be able to have fresh made pasta, especially when you knew that recipe had been pasted down from generation to generation originating in Italy. These are some of the reasons why I love pasta, and while I’m here at school I hope to learn how to make fresh pasta like the way my sister and brothers Nona did.

Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting Experience Essay

I decided to attend a meeting based first (and almost solely) on convenience of the location. So I decided to attend a meeting right here in Batavia. The â€Å"Batavia 12 & 12† at the Holy Trinity Church down on 6th & Wood St. They hold meeting on Mondays around 11:00am. The main focus is to follow the 12 steps in order and work on them in a more traditional fashion. They do have the big book, but follow it more in a step by step focus. However karma decided to rear its head and make it a Closed Meeting, meaning that it is not as open to the public to sit on and they only allow members who are coming with a problem related to alcohol. So at first I was turned away but, I was lucky enough to know a person (local firefighter) who attends the church, and talked the host into letting me sit in on a meeting. So with the awkwardness of getting into the door out of the way, it was time for the meeting. Obviously due to the location itself, it came as no surprise that the meeting cons isted of roughly around 15-20 people, including the person in charge of the meeting and myself. All the chairs were set up like a classroom. I will be honest; the atmosphere of the meeting was actually much more mono-tone than I was lead to believe. Not that an A.A. meeting is always upbeat or depressing but, it seems like this was a mix between. Some were drinking their coffee, others just sitting and fiddling with their hands. One man however, seemed to be uncomfortable with me. I guessed it was because I was the newcomer to the meeting, and the youngest looking guy in the room. He kept staring at me and glancing at me from his chair at the front. Then the meeting got underway. Everyone started with a sort of, hello and how are you, type of thing. Everyone went around saying their name, how long they have been attending the meetings and, something interesting related to how they have been working on staying sober. One man briefly talked about how he almost broke his sober strike at a local party, another was a bit worried that with Halloween coming up, how he would be able to stay away from temptation. Most everyone see med to have a similar type of intro, which in retrospect would explain for the less than stellar atmosphere. Then the gentlemen who had been staring at me spoke up as they were beginning to discuss the step they were currently working on with their group, Step 6 if I recall. He wished to draw attention as to why I was not called on to speak up, and introduce myself like the rest. Although the host attempted to specify, I decided to take the opportunity to just speak up myself. I explained that I was not here as an alcoholic seeking to get help, but that I was a student at the University up the hill. Immediately he asked what business I had attending this closed meeting and I explained why I was here and my Major of study and the details of the assignment. Everyone else seemed to find the assignment interesting and was ok with my presence; one gentleman welcomed me to this â€Å"enriching† experience. However the aforementioned man obviously did not wish to be, as he put it, â€Å"spied on† by a student. (I say ‘student’ but his wording was a bit ruder) At this point I did not say much more, as everyone else started to try and calm the gentleman down and another pulled him aside, talked to him for a minute, then everyone sat back down and basically continued the meeting at normal. One thing of note, as they began discussing Step 6, o ne thing that was thrown in by some of the attendees, was the concept that God, should be able to help remove not just the defects of character towards oneself, but towards others. To me this meant that one should be able to act nice towards others despite any preconceived notions of flaws. At the end of the meeting, as I was walking out, the same gentleman who seemed to have issues with my presence stopped me as I was out the door and pulled me aside. At first I was prepping myself for some sort of tongue lashing but, instead was greeted with an apology, and he explained that he was having some â€Å"issues with his own sobriety†, that the â€Å"week was just off† for him. I told him I understand, wished him luck with his program and went on my merry way. Overall the meeting was what I expected, on the part of how they discussed God and his involvement of the Steps, and the general behavior of most of the group, as I have come to understand it at least. However, I think from this experience I have gained a crucial piece of information that, although I was aware of it, had no real first hand understanding of it; People fear judgment from those who are designed to judge them. A simple statement, and in many respects obvious but, what I mean is that people tend to fear judgment from those who should not judge them, and expect criticism and judgment rom those who are meant to. Anyone who has succumbed to alcoholism or drug use, knows what to expect from their immediate peers, but I was not expecting how much they would, or in the case of the gentleman I encountered, fear someone who is making a career of judging them. This  experience has helped me better understand why some many in recovery wish for anonymity, or try to get help from people they know, or are quick to stop recovery if they are feeling looked down upon. I can see more clearly now why we as helping professionals must do everything in our power to not put judgment or criticism on those who are in need of help.​

Descartes Myth-Gilbert Ryle

Descartes Myth Gilbert Ryle Gilbert Ryle is a professor who challenged the beliefs of Descartes and his theory on mind-body-separation, he organized them into four doctrines, and they are as follows: The Official Doctrine: This part deals with the human body and mind, how they are interconnected but still different at the same time. He displays the physical human body to be a public affair and something that all in this world can visually see; the mind however, is a much more private and personal affair. With this belief, humans can have two parts: mind (private) and body (public), these parts play different roles as one can affect the other or completely disguise the other. Ryle states that Descartes may have uncertainties about episodes in the physical world, but does not have any uncertainties when analyzing the state of his mind. For example, say Bob’s mind is expressed, no one but Bob will be able to respond to these expressions (feelings). Changes in both of the worlds can affect one another through the physical and intellectual (mind) aspects and challenges that one may face in their lifetime. The Absurdity of the Official Doctrine: The idea of mind-body separation seems absurd to Ryle which is why he refers to it as â€Å"The Dogma of the Ghost in the Machine†. He believes that this idea contains categorical mistakes (when one recognizes the parts and not the entity). For example, say Bob is showing his friend around the mall, he shows him the stores, the food court and the lounge, but his friend still questions Bob into asking him what the mall is? He sees all the different components to it, but he did not connect the different parts of the mall to collectively create the mall. Theoretical Categorical mistakes can be understood by Ryle’s reference to ‘John Dowe’ , even though John Dowe really doesn’t exist and is just a normal human being, people assimilate it to a certain human who attains these characteristics. Origin of Category Mistake: In relation to the above belief, he believes that the mind and body arise during the maturity of science. Science helped for society to evolve and understand certain things about life without a religious motive. (1) The mind is not matter, in space or under public observation (2) Physical world is determined (3) ————————————————- There is no moral values applicable (4) How can one be morally responsible if they are simply mechanical beings Ryle believes that Descartes made the assumption that mind and body are separate too quick, as they seem to be more correlated. Before a category is assumed, one must tackle and try to solve it first. Ryle gives the example from a person buying a pair of gloves, and says it would be an error to say that the person bought a right handed glove or a left handed glove, but not both. Historical Note: The implications of ‘myths’ are explained to show that they do in fact portray theoretical good. Science and moral also deal with Descartes beliefs and teachings. WC:509

PPACA and its Impact on Medical Surgical Nursing Assignment

PPACA and its Impact on Medical Surgical Nursing - Assignment Example It has empowered the average US citizen, annulled some longstanding lawsuits, socialized medicine and changed the way that health insurance companies operate, preventing the USA from being dragged into further debt. It also has a number of repercussions for the medical and surgical profession in the USA. Key Elements of the Article The article specifically comments on five aspects that affect the medical and surgical area of the nursing profession: 1. Reauthorization of Title VIII Workforce Development Programs: The funding will be reduced for grants that were previously available for racial and ethnic minorities in the workforce, as part of workforce diversity for those having associate diplomas or degrees to enter bridge or degree completion programs. It will also reduce provision for grants to train nurses in primary care in nurse managed health clinics, federally qualified health centers and grants for State partnerships to reduce healthcare workforce issues. These have been redu ced to the levels available in 2004 or 2008. 2. Increased Funding for Nurse Managed Clinics: A significant part of the Law concerns itself with community care. This is usually administered in an acute setting. The new emphasis is on prevention and management of chronic disease. Funding is being debated. In this case, there will be a higher demand for advance practice nurses and many even induce some nurses to enter private practice, contingent on the AMA enhancing NP privileges. The AMA presently feels that extending NP privileges to staff will invade physician turf and 28 State legislatures are contemplating extending this role. It will give the Registered Nurse an excellent opportunity to get the additional education and licensing needed to become an NP. 3. Demonstration Provision for Graduate Nursing Education: This reform also helps graduate nursing students by increasing funding for clinical education. This is in line with the advice of the Institute of Medicine Report 2010 tha t the education, training, roles and responsibilities of nurses should meet the present requirements of increased health care in the USA and the current improvements in the system. Nurses should be engaged with senior professionals to increase their responsibility and role in redesigning healthcare in the USA. In fact it is recommended that nurses undertake a residency program that increases the value of transition from education to practice. Opportunities for additional learning should be sought out by attending annual conferences and participation in free continuing nursing education options such as some programs offered by the American Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) as a benefit of membership with them (Hertel, 2011). 4. Creation of the National Healthcare Workforce Commission: Under the envisaged changes as a result of this legislation, the expansion of healthcare available to individuals will likely result in an expansion of the nursing workforce. Acute inpatient and outpatient care, home care, palliative care, preventive care, transitional and chronic care among other facets will require more nurses giving more nursing care. The National Healthcare Workforce Commission has been created to monitor the need as well as the growth of the base of nursing professionals and to make recommendations on funding. Hopefully the Commission itself will not be made a victim of budget cuts

Michael Phelps Bong Incident Personal Statement

Michael Phelps Bong Incident - Personal Statement Example This is what I enjoyed the most about David Harsanyi's article - that it offers a broad view on both the Michael Phelps scandal and the contemporary repression of Cannabis. In my reply to the article, I aimed to express my opinion concerning the real issues that oftentimes get concealed behind the shiny, hyped up issues the mass media seem to consistently adopt. I very much agree with the author's overall opinion on the subject matter, so essentially this letter was written as an elaboration of the theme of stupidity: that expressed by Phelps himself, and that which sometimes looks inextricable in our modern society. After reading on "Michael Phelps' public stoning", I was compelled to express how I wholeheartedly agree with your central point: Phelps is an idiot; but then again, so is the war on cannabis. It's discomforting to realize how in full on XXI century, our society is still so easily deceived into supporting the enforcement of such blatant and outrageous witch hunts. In this day and age we're living, one might have supposed that the news a 14-times gold medalist is also a pot smoker could help people realize how the rumors concerning the dangers of marijuana might have been grossly exaggerated; but no, as it turns out all that conservative people focused on was how Michael Phelps no longer had a place among the pantheon of positive role models their children should strive towards. Just goes to show how our opinions are so heavily influenced, and our perspectives so easily shifted. I think you said it best when you stated how "In reality, the most startling aspect of the Michael Phelps incident is that we produced an Olympic superstar dumb enough to place his gargantuan paws around a bong in full view of dozens of partygoers equipped with cell phone cameras." Granted, most pot smokers understand the aggressive prejudice they're still subject to in our society, and some of them choose to keep their smoking habits in private. But not many of them have such high stakes as Phelps, and still he went ahead and exposed himself like that. He should have known better, and he should have thought before grabbing a bong in a college party (where someone was bound to snap a picture), but then - well, then he got high... and the rest is history. In my opinion, Phelps committed two coarse errors: the first one was getting caught in public with a bong, and the second (possibly worse) was making a public statement telling how much he was sorry for his reckless, juvenile behavior. As you've written in the final portion of your article, most Americans who have smoked marijuana are unlikely to feel regrets about doing so - and Phelps himself, there's a good chance he's actually sorry only of getting caught. His judgment failed, all right: not necessarily by smoking pot, but absolutely by doing so in a scenario that would be likely to bring about repercussions that might compromise his career. All in all, it goes without saying: Michael Phelps is an idiot. But all the while, he's also a prodigious swimmer who has consistently displayed off-the-charts skill and capacity. So what if he smokes pot If nothing else, that just goes to show that pot smokers can become something other than slackers and parasites, as maintained by our dearly uptight cultural stereotypes. Regardless (and as far as I'm aware)- marijuana isn't

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 64

Art - Essay Example Believers held that faith alone enable them to become accepted by God. They also taught scriptures (Kleiner 145). They refused to socialize with others at public events, did not eat sacrificial meals, and also refused to worship in roman temples. Jews and Judaism got tolerated in Rome pre-Constantine through a diplomatic treaty. The Jews shared various common beliefs and practices as those of pre-Constantine Rome. They were exempted from official roman sacrifices under different periods of roman rule under various conditions. Early Christians in Rome worshipped in private homes as congregational families in dwellings called ‘Tituli’ or Christian community house. In these dwellings the Christians would share dinner and remember the life of Jesus Christ. They would partake in the Eucharist, a Sermon given, and readings from the Old Testament would be shared. Jews also conducted their worship in similar fashion to Christians within private dwellings known as Jewish community houses. A further place of worship for early Christians was the ‘catacombs’, which were deep underground tunnels that served as burial places too (Kleiner 198). They offered a destination for intense pilgrimage for early Christians as well. Catacombs also served as meeting houses for persecuted Christian during the time. These dwellings in modern times can be viewed as the church for Christians and synagogues or temples for Jews. The Romanesque period of art and architecture was characterized by sacred rulers. The sacred nature of the rulers saw the art and architecture of the time become influenced by religion. The structure of Christian worship at the time was the church, which became viewed as a sacred building by the rulers (Kleiner 212). The Romanesque period saw an increase in the height and overall size of the church building. The roofs became vaulted and got supported by massive pillars, thick stone walls, and rounded arches. The creation of large

Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Statistics - Essay Example 2. You wish to estimate the weight of the students at EKU. Using the question 2 data, calculate your sample mean to the nearest tenth of a pound. Use that estimate to construct 95% confidence interval for the true average if you know that the standard deviation of the population is 2.3 pounds. Construct 95% confidence interval if you do not know the true standard deviation. Comment on why those confidence intervals are different. Both confidence intervals are slightly different because one is computed based on known population standard deviation, ÏÆ' and z distribution and other is calculated based on sample standard deviation, s and t distribution. The t distribution has slightly broader tails then z distribution, therefore, the confidence interval is also slightly wider as compared to z distribution. 3. The average height in the United States for men is 69.3 inches. The standard deviation for the population of the men in the US is 3.4 inches. You measure a sample of people from Richmond and find that the average of these 16 men is 71.4 inches with a sample standard deviation of 4.8 inches. Assume all testing is for 95% confidence. 4. We wish to compare the weights of the people of Richmond, Kentucky with those of Lexington, Kentucky. We do not know the standard deviation for the population as a whole and we cannot assume that the unknown sigma is the same for each city. We take a sample from each city and the results are as follows All the three models are statistically significant and also, In model 3, individually, Parent’s income and Years of education significantly predicts person’s annual income . However, the adjusted R2 value for the model 3 is highest of all the regression models. Therefore, the best model is given by Adjusted R2 is a measure of Goodness-of-fit and penalizes the R2 for adding additional explanatory variables. The higher the value of adjusted R2,

The Great depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Great depression - Essay Example People were still withdrawing money from banks which compelled other banks to close. This resulted in closing industry because capital was either with stock exchange or banks. Closure of business and industry left many people jobless. These homes were made of newspaper and cardboards (Watkins 46). Dust storm was named dust bawl that affected farmers and they were unable to feed themselves. Drought eliminated grass from the planes. Depression affected millions of people in America and they could not find jobs. Shantytown was housing made for people who could not afford house. It was free so many people moved to shantytown (McElvaine 34). Depression occurred during rule of president Hoover and he was made responsible by people for great depression in America. Roosevelt won the presidential elections of 1932 and became president of America. He brought major shift in policies to get the country out of immense crisis (Watkins 69). People had many expectations from Roosevelt and he introduced certain reforms to overcome depression. Banks were asked to reopen once they overcome the financial crisis. The policies and programs introduced by Roosevelt were known as the â€Å"New Deal†. These programs helped farmers including other programs like Agricultural Adjustment Administration and Works Progress Administration. People were hired for different projects for reducing unemployment (Watkins 73). After success of these programs, Roosevelt became hero and got fame in the masses. Roosevelt considered his efforts very important for ending great depression. However, it is still not clear that how much New Deal contributed towards ending great depression in America. Some ease was brought by the â€Å"New Deal† but economy was still struggling for revival by end of 1930s. Second World War was a turning point for American economy (McElvaine 51). Especially, the attack on Pearl Harbor and entering of country in World

Nature and culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nature and culture - Essay Example Considering the various sociological perspectives that can be taken with regard to nature and culture, two stand out from amongst the others. These are the structural functionalist perspective and the conflict perspective both of which consider nature and culture in very different lights. To better understand how they differ and the distinctions made by them with regard to nature and culture it would be useful to examine them individually. First, structural functionalism is founded on the idea that society is composed of structures that are supposed to perform a certain function. In essence, both nature and culture are social structures but culture is more of a social construct than nature (McClelland, 2000). For instance, if a culture is connected deeply to the principles of monogamy it is entirely possible that the cultural elements of the society would lead to the government outlawing polygamy. On the other hand, some cultures may permit polygamy or even polyandry and thus the socially constructed laws in that country may give individuals the permission to create families in that manner. However, the functionalist perspective would suggest that the role of the family unit in both cultures could be more or less the same and the role is not solely dependent on the way in which the family is formed. Therefore, the role of culture in the functionalist perspective would be understood by examining the function performed by culture for a given society. The role of nature becomes something which deals with the individual and the skin bound individual may not be included in the debate on the functions of culture for society. However, the nature of the individual may function quite importantly for a person who interacts with society and thus his/her own nature may cause her to seek out groups which form a sub-culture in the larger culture. On the other hand, the conflict

Japanese festivals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Japanese festivals - Essay Example Japanese Matsuri (festivals) are habitual festive events. There are in addition a variety of local festivals that are mainly unidentified external to a specified region. It is normally thought that one will for all time discover a festival everywhere in Japan. In Japan, festivals are typically supported by a confined temple or holy place, although they can be worldly. However, festivals are mostly originated just about one or two major occasions, with foodstuff stands, amusement and celebration playoffs to keep individuals occupied with entertainment. There is no particular matsuri time for every one in Japan, therefore dates differ from region to region and even inside an exact district, except festival days to be inclined to the group around the usual vacations for instance Setsubun or Obon. Approximately every surroundings has as a minimum of single matsuri in late summer or in the early days of autumn, generally linked to the rice yield. Noteworthy matsuri frequently characterist ic demonstrations which might absorb complicated drifts. Preparation for these demonstrations is generally prearranged at the stage of areas or in other words "machi."Previous to these, the neighbouring kami might be ritually mounted in mikoshi and procession all the way through the lanes. An individual can at all times discover in the surrounding area of a matsuri stalls selling mementos and foodstuff for example takoyaki and playoffs for example Goldfish scooping. Karaoke competitions, sumo games and other types of activity are repeatedly prearranged in concurrence with matsuri. Preferred essentials of the generally popular matsuri, for instance the Nada Kenka Matsuri of Himeji or the Neputa Matsuri of Hirosaki, are habitually televised on TV for the whole country to have the benefit of it. A number of festivals are mentioned below. Seijin Shiki (Coming of Age Day) Seijin Shiki is held on the 2nd Monday in January. Celebrations contain rituals held at neighbouring and territory workplaces and social gatherings among relatives and associates to rejoice course into middle age. Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival) The Japanese Doll Festival, or in other words Girl's Day, is supposed on 3rd March, the 3rd day of the 3rd month. Display places with a red hi-mosen are worn to present a position of decorative dolls, demonstrating the sovereign, empress, followers and performers in customary court clothes of the Heian era. Introduction to Japanese Culture 3 Hanami (Flower Viewing) Hanami is the Japanese conventional tradition of taking pleasure in the exquisiteness of flowers, "flower" in this situation is nearly at all times means cherry blossoms or Ume flowers. From late March to the untimely May, sakura flourish every where in Japan. The flower conjecture is proclaimed every year by the weather organizations and is observed cautiously by those who are doing the preparation of hanami as the flowers. In contemporary Japan, hanami mainly consists of containing an open-air party underneath the sakura through day

My experience as a mechanical engineer and my thoughts and how to Assignment

My experience as a mechanical engineer and my thoughts and how to handle the career - Assignment Example But that happens to be just the first step. The field of Mechanical Engineering is so diverse and dynamic with the rapid advancement of technology that one constantly needs to upgrade one’s skills as a Mechanical Engineer. Strengths As a Mechanical Engineer, one gets to work in a variety of settings. This not only builds knowledge but also expands one’s social network with other professionals from his/her field. As a licensed professional Mechanical Engineer, one can review the design drawings and has the authority to sign them off. One gets the opportunity to supervise and manage a diverse team. With experience, a Mechanical Engineer gets more and more skilled and independent. Becoming a Professional Engineer enables one to establish one’s own design and consultancy firm. Weaknesses Mechanical Engineering is a very vast field comprising numerous subjects. Although the knowledge is infinite, yet one’s ability to learn and really master an area of Mechanica l Engineering is limited by a number of constraints including time, type and nature of job, and responsibilities outside the work. Once I entered my professional career as a Mechanical Engineer after getting my degree, my skills developed in a specific field of Mechanical Engineering. ... One can have ten years of experience as a Mechanical Engineer and yet be no different than a fresh university graduate if one switches to an area of Mechanical Engineering that one has not had a prior experience in. Opportunities One thing that I love about Mechanical Engineering is that the scope of this field of engineering is very large. Mechanical Engineers have opportunities waiting for them in every part of the world in general and in the advanced countries in particular. The technological advancement is an opportunity to enhance one’s engineering skills. The contemporary organizations encourage innovation as a means to find the solutions of problems. The changes that have taken place in the curriculum of Mechanical Engineering are another opportunity. Computerized training is an essential part of the latest curriculum of Mechanical Engineering in a vast majority of the engineering colleges around the world. Competence in the use of softwares and their knowledge is what provides the Mechanical Engineers with an edge in the market in the present age. Challenges The field of Mechanical Engineering is quite dynamic. The pace of technological advancement has increased over the past few decades. Many industries are employing latest technology using complex systems. A major threat in the field of Mechanical Engineering is collapse of the motor vehicle industries that has created a void in the employment opportunities for the Mechanical Engineers. In addition to that, the global financial crisis that started in 2008 has posed numerous challenges to the engineering fraternity. Many Mechanical Engineers have lost their jobs as a result of downsizing attempts made by their companies which has lowered the morale of the engineers. The

Portrayed in film Essay Example for Free

Portrayed in film Essay The sociological issue, to be researched is, the representation of the physically challenged in the mass media, concentrating on popular films. Ive decided to use four main stereotypes, which are most common in the media. After reading into Media and Mental illness by The Glasgow Media Group, I became intrigued and started to reflect on the images portrayed. As I have a physical disability, I thought that I would have a better understanding of my research, and a good empathy for people who are being portrayed badly. After researching on the Internet, based on the research I developed my hypothesis: There will be no physically challenged people portrayed in normal roles, instead they will fit into one of the four stereotypes. Contexts and concepts The Broadcasting complaints Commission study showed that in television programmes 7% of persons were disabled. They showed that disabled people were mostly in broadcast films, drama and soap operas. Langmore (1987) Studied on the different forms of representations of disabled persons, and how the audience reacts to seeing a disabled person on the television as a pose to an able bodied person. The results show that people generally feel a lot more sympathetic, pitiful and patronizing towards disabled people. Sheridan in A physical challenge for the media: The effects of portrayals of wheel chair users. He says that whilst there are many images of wheelchair users, they are not always accurate or helpful to the disabled community. To portray a wheel chair user in a film is so that they can be used as a dramatic and provocative tool. He states that it is possible to categorise portrayals into four main stereotypes, the pitiful handicapped, the bitter cripple, the inspirational hero and the set dresser. These are the four stereotypes that I have decided look into. This introduces the concept of stereotypes. A stereotype is a one sided, exaggerated and usually prejudicial view of a group. One myth about physically challenged people is that people with disabilities have a poor standard of life, this is not the case. The stereotypes may have some factual basis, but in most cases are incongruent with reality. Sheridan raises the question that because these portrayals are prevalent, are they an accurate account of what goes on in real life situations. He answered, as there is much diversity as there is commonality in the wheelchair community. There is no consensus as to what is accurate. He offers no solution but says that there are advances in advertising, as people in wheelchairs are not seen as disabled but as consumers. He thinks advertisers will continue to add positively to the way society perceives wheelchair users, and that maybe one day we will change our perception from archaic stereotypes to more realistic portrayals. This brings me onto the concept of identity. To acquire a sense of self identity and an image of your self is through socialization. If some body is labelled a specific type of person, it can be said that a social identity has been added to your self. Your social identity will then be seen as a label to show what kind of person you are. Resulting from the label you have now been given, you might start to think you are that type of person.

Reviewing The Siemens Information And Communications Network Information Technology Essay

Reviewing The Siemens Information And Communications Network Information Technology Essay Siemens Information and Communications Network are composed of several regional development centers around the world. One of those, located in Bangalore, India, was given the tasks of developing two large scale Softwares during the 1990s. The first of those, called ADMOSS (Advanced Multifunctional Operator Service System) was designed to facilitate modern call centers with some 500 features. The second one which followed after five years was called NetManager, it had a user-friendly, and graphics based user interface and some 6,000 features regarding administration and maintenance of EWSD network-nodes and networks. Both of these projects suffered huge deadlines-slippages, faulty design (at least initially), undetected-till-last-stage errors, embarrassment with customers and miscommunications between ICNs Munich headquarter and its Bangalores development center1. The following is an attempt to analyze the issues, their causes and possible avoidances for any similar projects. By the late 1980s Munich has recognized the talented human resource available in India. It was huge, both in terms of head-counts and knowledge. It was cheap, initially available at just 20% cost of a similar German software developer, which later in decade increased to 25%. It also had unmatched performance, in personal computers programming, in which ICN has deficiency in available human resource. Most ICN developers had worked on large systems and had little to no experience of personal computers programming. In contrast, Indian programmers have grown up experimenting with earlier version of desktops and laptops and by 1990s have reached level of expertise in some areas. Capitalizing on this resource, ICN decided to have the two projects done in India, in spite of huge cultural incompatibilities, language problems, physical distance and visa issues. The first project given to Bangalore was in no way any minor thing. It was made for existing and large customers of Siemens that heavily depend on it. It might be a non-optimal decision made by Munich but being risky it also promises huge benefits at end. ADMOSS had to facilitate telemarketing interface with non-Siemens equipment and handle large conference calls for example, among its other tasks. No surprise that at peak, 150 software developers were working on ADMOSS in Bangalore alone, in addition of local and German managers, testers and other supporting staff. The project was managed centrally by Munich, sending specifications for each of the subsystem to a high managerial level in Bangalore. This decision of central management was made perhaps due to initial distrust by Germans on Indians as it was their first encounter with them. In India, each subsystem was managed by a German or Indian manager who works with little co-ordination with each other. Once a subsystem is developed and tested locally is sent to Munich where it is integrated with the rest of the system. This method, though gave high power to Munich and enforced strict quality control has a design flaw, a programmer might be expert and identify flaw in the subsystem he has worked on, but cannot easily identify any integration errors. This method would have worked if Munich had a good size of its own programmers who tackle all the integration errors. The matters became more complicated due to the fact that the requirements of the software were not totally finalized at the start. While programmers are accustomed to run-time wishes made by clients given after the development has started and try their best to accommodate that, in large systems such as ADMOSS which also requires very large scale of precision (99.999% or five nines) its very hard to accommodate that once a system is already in development. While the project was being developed, a ray of emails and faxes kept coming with change requests resulting in inevitable design flaws and test failures. Later on, the developers had to work long hours to wrinkle out those design flaws to ultimately produce highly reliable software. If we try to find who is responsible for that, the blame comes on the marketing team in Munich that may have over-promised and was definitely not documenting and discussing every requirement with client. Some blame also goes to the client, who being a la rge corporation itself and had used software since a long time should know that run-time modifications often corrupt the project and requires heroic efforts by programmers to save the day. On one occasion, work on a billing application was stopped midstream after half a years work because of customers changing needs. Although this type of work interruption involved only 15-20 personnel at Bangalore each year, a programmer admitted to feeling de-motivated wondering about the intensity of miscommunication between Bangalore and Munich. This sometimes leads to the problem discussed later, high employee turnover, where programmers attempt to shift to those jobs where requirements are perceived as stable. Finally, there was problem of lack of sufficient attention given by high managers in Munich. In the words of a senior project manager, not all specifications were finished by our Munich office since we ourselves were not given enough time! Finally, when all two million lines of ADMOSS code was compiled together to create an integrated system, many problems surfaced. Major of them are: subsystems were found to be more interdependent on each other than desired, and, test criteria and tools were different in Bangalore and Munich. The first of these appears to be a shortcoming on part of developers in Munich who were responsible for integration of the subsystems and in a significantly smaller way on the subsystems developers in India. The second one, is definitely a management lapse made by Munich headquarter, the same test beds as used in Munich must be provided to Bangalore at the initial stage to ensure local error-testing and removal. That would have saved a lots of monetarily and temporal costs that the company had to finally bare. ADMOSS was finally released to the German customer at the end of 1996. As Hans Hauer, VP of Software RD put it, This was with some embarrassment because as Germans we expect delivery on time and with quality. The system turned out not to be fully stabilized and kept crashing. There were some minor problems too, like the user-interface being unprofessional, as the client commented, flashy and distracting, resembling video game interfaces, too technical style of documentation etc. When we analyze the causes of these problems a few things come up: first, the part of embarrassment due to delay is a fault of Indians but not much because at least six months efforts were lost not by any mistake of programmers but by a huge blunder made by client and sales team (discussed above). Second, the part of embarrassment due to delivery of a low quality product is fault of Munich who delivered a product not fully tested. Third, the inappropriate design of user interface is perhaps due to non-suffici ent communication about its requirements made by managers to the programmers. In absence of any stated and restricted user interface requirements, the programmers made the user interface as they liked it which of course not satisfied the customer. Fourth, Indians attempt to make documentation too technical for customer is perhaps due to language problem and cultural mismatches, which cant be blamed to any party. In spite of all of these issues, with time, the Indo-German team corrected the system faults and delivered a stable, working system to Munich. ADMOSS ended up highly popular with customers. The Bangalore site remained active with after-sales service, eventually correcting over 90% of ongoing faults. The second project given to Bangalore was called NetManager. It would be a user-friendly and graphics-based software product that would offer telecom customers a complete range of facilities for performing all operating, administration and maintenance functions on EWSD nodes and networks (e.g. integration of new telephone subscribers, billing, enable traffic studies to understand customer needs, and provide system surveillance etc among its 6,000 functions). Work at Bangalore commenced in early 1996 with an initial force of 30 programmers. The june 1998 pilot release involved some 300,000 lines of code and proved a hit at the customer test sites. Munich learned from the past project and gave Bangalore the same test-bed it was using so that developer can test the system as they develop it. By November 1999, Bangalore sent its complete NetManager Version 2 to Munich for testing. Typically Munich tested stability (or reliability) of new software installed by launching it on Friday afternoon and hoping to find no errors in the test log on Monday. NetManager Version 2, however, ran only one hour before crashing to a halt. A check of the test logs ultimately revealed a staggering 700 faults hidden at various points along some 600,000 lines of computer programming code, with 100 categorized as serious Level 1 faults. Initial trouble-shooting indicated that each fault could not simply be corrected individually, since each correction could create ripple effects across the entire system. A late November 1999 workshop in Bangalore involving managers from Munich and India tracked down the root cause of quality problems. As it turned out, the Indian group assumed, as in the case of most desktop computing applications, that the system would be shut off at night, and that it was acceptable for a desktop-based computer system to crash once a week. This assumption was further reinforced by an understanding that operation of the EWSD switch itself would not depend on NetManager. Furthermore, the Indian team underestimated system usage by an entire order of magnitude. We were ignorant! admitted an Indian programmer, we didnt think of asking what loads to test with, but Munich were also at fault for not telling us! Some of these erroneous assumptions could ultimately be traced to different work schedules. In the crucial summer months, many Germans went ahead with their several weeks-long pre-booked family vacations, often without leaving contact information, stranding the Indians. During crisis periods, Indian programmers, in contrast, typically took only personal leaves of two or three days, and worked 70-80 hours per week or even more. Balanced against this, however the ongoing high attrition rate was in Bangalore. As we analyze the issues and their causes, it is found that although the requirements were stable this time, which was a huge accomplishment on part of marketing team and upper management, it was not fully communicated to developers. This can be traced to faults of middle and lower management. As was in the user interface design of ADMOSS, since requirements were not explicitly stated the programmers made their own assumptions which (like in previous project) didnt match the requirements of the company or the customer. Another cause was often unavailability of appropriate personnel at Munich for communication because at the most crucial summer season of development they are out on long vacations. They do so often without any means of communication left. In that case, a developer would either have to wait for the person to return (which was of course unacceptable) or make his or her own assumptions to continue with the development. The solution is either to reschedule the vacations time period to some less crucial months (lets say spring) or the person keep in contact with ICN through a phone. In case of a vacation trip to very remote location where telephone is unavailable, the person should call to company as soon as he reaches a near city or village with a telephone line. This lack of professionalism on part of Germans resulted in Indians taking no annual vacations, working double hours a week than they are paid for and taking the pain of late modifications in design and code. On part of Indians, the high turnover was a very big issue. Once a developer hop to a better paying job, almost entire computer code written by him or her immediately becomes useless for sometime until some other programmer decrypt it and in some cases even rewrite it. This may have resulted in delays and design flaws when somebody try to modify an already made design in his or her own way not thought by the original designer no longer in company. In January 2000, the NetManager was finally demonstrated to the client. Lots of errors came up. They were traced down to two root causes. First, the German testers presenting the software to the client were not well-prepared. Second, the test-bed provided to Bangalore by Munich in 1996 had gone outdated by now and was not the same test-bed Munich now uses or was used in the demonstration to client. Both of these causes can be easily traced to the faults on part of Germans. The testers had no acceptable reason for unpreparedness. The high management responsible for updating Bangalore with test-bed was ignorant towards this duty. We can conclude that, having worked together for well over half a decade the cultural differences between the two countries were handled well. With time Indians understood what is expected from them and Germans spent substantial time and money training its people to decode Indian communications. A German spent 3 years in Bangalore becoming expert in South Indian English accent and understanding of local culture and hidden meanings of phrases etc. But there is a limit to what humans can accomplish, the physical distance between Munich and Bangalore remained a reality, advent of faxes, telephone calls, emails and even video calls can never substitute face-to-face communication. Two developers working together on the same computer (as in Extreme Programming2) cannot be substituted with two developers chatting on an Instant Messenger (such as hotmail or yahoo) even if through Remote Desktop Sharing they can actually view each others computer screen and run actions on it. It is also learn ed that human conflicts in most cases can only be solved with real, face-to-face communication. In absence of hyper-fast physical transportation (such as one that reduce travel time between the two cities to less than one hour) and no visa restrictions the problems faced by ICN in development of ADMOSS and NetManager are very likely to raise its ugly head time and again.

Tension and Conflict in Mending Wall :: Mending Wall Essays

Tension and Conflict in Mending Wall    The conflict in "Mending Wall" develops as the speaker reveals more and more of himself while portraying a native Yankee and responding to the regional spirit he embodies. The opposition between observer and observed--and the tension produced by the observer's awareness of the difference--is crucial to the poem. Ultimately, the very knowledge of this opposition becomes itself a kind of barrier behind which the persona, for all his dislike of walls, finds himself confined. But at the beginning, the Yankee farmer is not present, and the persona introduces himself in a reflective, offhanded way, musing about walls: Something there is that doesn't love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it And spills the upper boulders in the sun, And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. Clearly, he is a casual sort. He broaches no difficult subjects, nor does he insist on talking about himself; yet Frost is at his best in a sentence like this. Through the language and rhythm of the lines we gain a faint but unmistakable sense of the poem's conflict. Like the "frozen-ground-swell," it gathers strength while lying buried beneath the denotative surface of the poem. From the start, we suspect that the speaker has more sympathy than he admits for whatever it is "that doesn't love a wall." Frost establishes at the outset his speaker's discursive indirection. He combines the indefinite pronoun "something" with the loose expletive construction "there is" to evoke a ruminative vagueness even before raising the central subject of walls. A more straightforward character (like the Yankee farmer) might condense this opening line to three direct words: "Something dislikes walls." But Frost employs informal, indulgently convoluted language to provide a linguistic texture for the dramatic conflict that develops later in the poem. By using syntactical inversion ("something there is . . .") to introduce a rambling, undisciplined series of relative clauses and compound verb phrases ("that doesn't love . . . that sends . . . and spills . . . and makes . . ."), he evinces his persona's unorthodox, unrestrained imagination. Not only does this speaker believe in a strange force, a seemingly intelligent, natural or supernatural "something" that "sends the frozen-ground-swell" to ravage the wall, but his speech is also charged with a deep sensitivity to it. The three active verbs ("sends," "spills," "makes") that impel the second, third, and fourth lines forward are completed by direct objects that suggest his close observation of the destructive process.

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Essay

The beginning of the book starts off with Alex Rogo's plant having major problems and his boss gets on his case about it. His boss, Peach, tells him he has three months to fix these problems or they would be shut down. Rogo has to find a way to improve efficiency in his plant and he is at a loss of how to do that. He thinks that because the plant has new robots that this automatically improves efficiency, right? Peach calls a special meeting at the headquarters for all the plant managers. Rogo does not know what the meeting is about ahead of time, but assumes it will be bad news about how the division's performance is horrible this first quarter. Rogo see Nathan Selwin in the parking garage; he informs Rogo that if performance isn't improved by the end of the year, then the whole division goes up for sale. Rogo ends up leaving the meeting early because he realizes that this meeting is pointless and not helping his plant be more productive. A couple weeks before this meeting, Alex had run into an old friend, Jonah, in an airport lounge. He begins telling Jonah about his plant and the new robots, etc. Jonah does not seem impressed, but asks Alex some important questions such as: „h Have they really increased productivity at your plant? „h Was your plant able to ship even one more product per day as a result of what happened in the department where you installed the robots? „h Did you fire anyone? „h Did your inventories go down? Jonah's point was that if inventories have not gone down, employee expense was mot reduce, the plant is not selling more products, etc. then the robots have not increased the plant's productivity. Jonah tells him that there is only one goal, no matter what the company. Jonah asks Alex what the goal is and Alex does not know. After Alex leaves the meeting, he remembers this conversation with Jonah and it makes him think a lot more about the situation his plant is in. The following enable a company to make money: „h cost-effective purchasing „h employing good people „h high technology „h producing products „h producing quality goods „h selling quality products „h capturing market share Alex finally figures out what The Goal is (I don't know how it took him so long!!) to make money (which is caused by being productive). To accomplish the goal of making money, there are three things that need to be increased simultaneou... ...nning while people are on break; the employees should go on break when it is running. „h The union is causing problems (the reason why it is not possible at the time). „h The machine is available for 585 hours a month, but the demand is greater than that - it will not be resourceful if you loose any of those hours. „h Throughput for entire plant is lower if that time is lost. „h Bottleneck #2 is the heat-treat „h The engineering department is unwilling to change; currently, the plant does not outsource to other vendors „h The plant thinks that it would increase the cost-per-part. For example: Each product shipped is about $1,000. 1,000 units * $1,000 = $1 million if parts get shipped as finished products. They need to use external heat-treat (outsource). Also, quality inspection is currently done prior to final assembly. Defective items are lost time on bottleneck because it went through the machine and now is worthless. They need to do QC before bottleneck - that way, they will not loose time on bottlenecks on any defective parts - won't loose throughput. Also, they need to make sure the process controls on bottleneck parts are very good. The Goal By Eliyahu M. Goldratt

California Gold Rush Essay -- American History

There have been many discoveries that have shaped our nation as a whole. Discoveries have allowed our country to thrive and become one of the most powerful nations in the world. When we look back at our nation's rich history, it is clear to see that there was one discovery in particular that had a vast impact on the United States; the discovery was gold in California. It was in this vastly unoccupied territory that the American dream was forever changed and California emerged as a powerful state busting at the seams. The California Gold Rush shaped California into the state that it is today. California is defined by its promise of entrepreneurial success and its acceptance and encouragement of obtaining the American Dream. During the late 1840's California did not show much promise or security. It had an insecure political future, its economic capabilities were severely limited and it had a population, other than Indians, of less than three thousand people. People at this time had no idea of what was to come of the sleepy state in the coming years. California would help boost the nation's economy and entice immigrants to journey to this mystical and promising land in hopes of striking it rich. In 1839 a man by the name of John Sutter arrived in California. Sutter appeared to be somewhat of a drifter, and had failed to establish himself before arriving in California. However, in the land of great promise, he planned to establish an empire for himself. Sutter was granted eleven square leagues, or 50, 000 acres, in the lower Sacramento area. This was a common land grant for the times. Sutter got to work and began to improve his land. He went on to build a fort, accumulated over 12,000 cattle and hired hundreds of workers to hel... ... of official or meaningful government was established. The gold was easily accessible and there were no restrictions on the methods or terms of its use. This created economical problems within the state. While the gold was plentiful, there was a lack of other supplies and necessities. "Food was hard to come by in anything but hard tack -- and stuff like jerky and dried beef. Fresh vegetables were very rare." California was becoming known for its entrepreneurial opportunities; soon many were coming to California, not to work in the mining filed, rather to set up business and cater to the mining communities. Soon there were saloons, hotels, and red light districts spread throughout San Francisco and outer mining communities. Women who were forced to rely on men to support them back home, came to California and were able to work and support themselves in these towns.

Lord of the flies by William Golding Themes Essay

Ralph says, â€Å"Why do things break up as they do?†. Explain why things went wrong on the island, and say what this tells us about human nature in general. Aspects of media throughout the world contain true meanings, in some cases general but in others unambiguous and very strong. These meanings are often shown clearly through books, sculpture, music and other consumable media. It is important for these meanings in connection with human nature to be shown through these means to represent the ‘real’ and ‘true’ things that relate to us as humans, also these meanings offer strong links between things showing that happenings in a microcosm relate to humans and show some similarities. The artists who create the media are often well known and respected for there clever but unadorned creations the public domain look for these links and usually publicise successful ones. The question posed gives students an opportunity to reflect there opinions and thoughts regarding the novel Lord of the flies. The question is open and allows for a range of answers, there is no specific model answer, however the response to the question should be focused directly on why things break up, showing links from the island to the rest of the happenings in the world, the response to the question needs time, as the answer could become too long and most importantly missing the point of the essay, there is a need for a balanced view and this should reflect in several points being raised within the answer. Golding is renowned for his imaginative and meaningful novels, all created to show strong links with Human nature in a specific scenario in comparison to Human nature in general, from this there is usually a message which is true and probably undertakes in an every day situation. From the beginning of Lord of the Flies there are signs of misjudgement and disrespect, as the novel continues these implications become much stronger consequently leading to an up rise in rivalry and jealousy, the first meaningful misjudgement in my opinion begins with the fact of the beast, jack says, â€Å"A snake-thing. Ever so big. He saw it.†, this shows exaggeration and misjudgement, in comparison to Ralph who says, â€Å"There isn’t a beast†, showing consideration for the little uns’ and offering reassurance. From the early encounters and ideas of the beast up to the very latter stages of life on the Island fear and horror loomed with uncertainty being the main feeling, this feeling of fear is one of the first signs of a break up, the little uns separate and change into scared and unsettled beings, the respect from the big uns was required and from the outset simply wasn’t. Ralph however along with a minority offered reassurance, this shows respect throughout the novel and this reflects his personality and character, this difference also adds to the reasons for the break up of Ralph’s society. The fire appears the next apparent reason, Ralph as chief says, â€Å"A fire, make a fire!†, from the outset this appears a good idea with the main purpose of signal being for rescue, a clever but original method of attraction used first by the Indians, this shows that Ralph can produce ideas which could have excellent purposeful results, however the fire is also a signal of misjudgement, with no true thought and planning going into the idea leaving devastating outcomes, the alleged opposition saw this as a weakness although they weren’t respectful themselves offering comments in the nature of, â€Å"he was only a little un anyway†, this whole compilation of disrespect and misjudgement all cluster together and yet again provide a reason for break up. Things could of been different if more rules and regulations were introduced from Ralph’s hierarchy, if rules and punishments were enforced more order probably would have been present within life in general, the behaviour represented from the big uns isn’t uncommon, there is a certain expectancy for some controversy and child play, in relation to the whole world boys on a daily basis will issue a sense of stubbornness. The absence of adults has led to a break up in communications and rather than everybody pulling together trying to formulate an escape plan a majority instead enjoy the whole experience and use the time to absorb freedom, this has been a disadvantage of the island scenario and again builds up to create another reason for the break up, piggy says, â€Å"no adults†, this shows that there is a realisation of absence, however in comparison to the current happenings in the world (within book) the adults suppress themselves just as bad, rather than been guiders they are destroyers after all they are fighting a war wiping out generations of people, so as the ‘war’ unfolds within the island environment as a mini scenario the adults who were respected as supreme change into beings ten times as worse fighting a large scale war, in context the adults or just as worse as the island inhabitants if not worse. Golding has created a perfect world within the island scenario, almost in comparison to Eden, with perfect tranquil surroundings and from the outset a smooth collection of objects to make life on the island so perfect, with provisions for eating and accommodation, consisting of different panoramic areas to suit the needs of different characters. Although life on the island was set up to be perfect, the attitudes exposed from the humans were in absolute differential comparison to the island, with obscene behaviour changing the surrounding area worsening as life carried by. The thought that the island inhabitants could have such an impact; showing total disrespect and selfishness for human nature, just as Golding had planned when he wrote the novel. When the humans arrived they participated in an act which is specific to human nature in general, at first things were fine just as in Eden, however as time advanced the destruction and disrespect followed, with an up rise in jealousy and rivalry, this being the result of freedom and sense of boredom. From this there is a strong link to the real world which proves against the actions from humans. As with the other strong meanings throughout the novel this joins to form a worrying concept, it shows that humans have no respect for nature and the surrounding environment, taking actions irrespective of the long term effects, the main theme therefore relates to selfishness and disregard. The three deaths on the island were drastic and devastating, with outcomes which were preventable. They were the result of rivalry jealousy and domination, all sharing the causes. The most significant death was that of Simon, his death was the result of carelessness and the obsession to kill. Ralph says, â€Å"that was murder†, piggy replies â€Å"what good are you doing talking like that?†, there is a mixture of emotions within the characters, some showing anger and retaliation with the others showing remorse and giving forgiveness for the opposition, from this a link between a happening and human nature can be established, showing that no matter how bad an action there will always be a sense of exoneration and mercy. The death of Simon was the most significant because of his characteristics, different, sensitive, wise and also introverted, this reflected through his personality consequently making him an outcast and excluding him from the others. His death was preventable, although blame cannot solely be burdened to jack as this shows selfishness and a sense of an easy route out of the scenario. The death of piggy was again preventable with the happenings being extreme and malicious. There was an urgency for jack to withhold power and authority, to the extent where protection and barricades had to be enforced. If power is so valuable and meaningful, why are outcomes of its effects so devastating? The death of piggy was the result of two people, jack and Roger, with jack indirectly offering his alternative to Ralph’s society, and roger directly carrying out the death, this shows in comparison to human nature that an event is not just the sole responsibility of a single human, instead there are indirect effects which link the action with other people. Power and authority made up to be a significant part of the break up, from the beginning of the novel there were early signs of conflict and rivalry, showing also jealousy and an urgency to withhold it. Ralph says, I’m chief!†, in comparison to jack who says, â€Å"Follow me, not him!†, this shows that there are leadership issues with jealousy being the main feeling from the oppositions point of view. Authority and power means respect and influence, allowing for somebody to rise above the rest and be noticed, in comparison to human nature some beings live from power and would be out of control without its presence. There are certain turning points within the novel and the necessity for power became much clearer, showing through characters actions and emotions. There were a number of beings throughout the novel who showed emotive actions seeking power, these included Jack, roger and piggy, all from the outset different in character although in some instances harsh and exploiting. From this there led to be a clear split between the group leaving the democratically elected chief with just a handful and the opposition with the majority. Power and authority can have devastating outcomes and results when used within the wrong context, consequently within the novel ending the life of an innocent opposition member, there are certain limits and extremes in which power should be used, this shows in comparison to human nature that power and authority should be respected and not misused as in some scenarios. The main and most revealing cause appeared to be that of the long and uprising rivalry between the two main characters Jack and Ralph, from the early encounters of island life an apparent clash of personalities was shown between the two members, starting from the initial meeting of the characters, up to the very latter stages of island life. There was a range of activities which uprooted a long and uprising feud, which was consequently going to lead to an all over split of the whole group. Ralph says, â€Å"I’ve been thinking†, in comparison to jack who says, â€Å"three blind mice†, this from the outset shows that Ralph from the beginning shows thought and respect for his fellow inhabitants, in contrast to jack who is more interested in criticising and himself, the two characters are of very different natures and consist of different mannerisms, in comparison to human nature this shows that every one is different and should be respected for their individually an d also for their own characteristics. Also in context the rivalry between two humans in a small scenario relates to rivalry within a big scale scenario for example jack Vs Ralph in comparison to contention between world leaders. Leadership was an important aspect of life for Jack and Ralph, this became clear when things started to go wrong and eventually leading to Jack taking over as the chief, the rivalry could be classed as a cause for the deaths with indirect effects. Golding used this idea of indirect killing and outcomes to create a suppressed atmosphere and to give the reader a much more enjoyable read. The differences between the wide range of characters personalities proved to be another cause, each individual offers different opinions and participates in different activities to each other, however there are some similarities amongst humans and this was shown through a simple means of mutual bonding, some characters naturally bond forming a strong relationship on the other hand some people do not bond and instead hold grudges and other similar feelings against each other. Jack says, â€Å"piggy!†, in context the comment seems harmless, just a remark expressing his surprise at the unusual name, however from between the lines there is more depth to the comment showing that he is horrified at his outset appearance, attitude and emotions, this simple comment led to hatred been displayed from a stronger character towards a much weaker one. A clash of personalities can consequently erupt to a much bigger scale, with more harmful and demoralizing effects. This shows that in relation to human nature, everybody is an individual with their own personal morals and emotions. In comparison to the world it shows that there will always be a group of people who’s personalities clash consequently leading to a much bigger dispute. The simple fact of boredom and isolation from the real world led to an up rise in misjudgement and unforeseen consequences which arose from actions which were that of an unformed decision. Within the island scenario there were a collection of beings that were under the influence of boredom and isolation, piggy says, â€Å"when are we going home?†, this question shows clear thought making it a valuable contribution, however there is another meaning to the statement, it shows boredom and also reflects that he and other island inhabitants are worrying about the return to normal civilisation, the separation from the real world allowed for signs of misjudgement and actions were taken from outside the beings conscious, this meant that emotions took control of their actions allowing for unusual activity, the worst outset scenario was the killing of Simon, in relation to human nature this shows that humans cannot always control their actions and instead undergo actions which are that of an unusual outcome. The title ‘lord of the flies’ suggests a leader of a small group, this shows that the title is meaningful and contains a link to the bigger world. Golding in comparison to other superior writers made his novel title significant, with a true meaning, Golding constantly throughout the novel tried to offer this image of a happening within a small environment links in context to a large scale meaning. The idea of a fly leader appears preposterous, but in relation to the real world the idea appears more explanatory, with clear motives and reasons, Golding was trying to portray an idea of a microcosm within the title also stating that all things must have a leader. The novel in general consists of many true and meaningful links between happenings within a small scale happening, in comparison to happenings within a large scale. Golding successfully transferred a wide range of human nature into a novel. The links within the island represent a small earth, technically called a microcosm, generally this shows that small things relate to big. The main reasons for the break up fall into certain themed categories; good Vs evil, authority Vs weakness, law Vs order and mentality Vs immaturity. Golding’s main strength shown in the novel is the use of irony showing how seemingly good events often lead to bad. There were a variety of reasons for the break up of Ralph’s society and they all have some meaning, Golding was a successful writer and his writing displays true significance with all of his wishes displayed clearly and thoughtfully.

Measuring academic proficiency under the NCLB.

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was designed to close the achievement gap between high and low performing children, especially the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students and between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers (NCLB, 2001). The key components of the act are the adequate yearly programs (AYP), and the annual measurable objectives (AMO). The AYP is the working principle of the act and it is seen as the mechanism for which all schools and all students meet the same academic standards in reading and mathematics by school year 2013-2014. The AMO indicates the performance of the school in terms of proficiency in reading and mathematics tests. Moreover, the law identifies student subgroups like economically disadvantaged students, students form major racial and ethnic groups, students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency. The law also specifically requires that 95% of the total number of students in a school and 95% of each subgroup to take the reading and math standardized tests, while the state is tasked to determine its own AMO targets and the minimum number of students in each subgroup who are required to meet or surpass the AMO targets (NCLB, 2001). The AYP requirements apply to Title 1 and non-title 1 school that receive federal funding. Schools that do not reach AYP for two or more years will be labeled as in need of improvement and are sanctioned. The NCLB employs a conjunctive accountability system wherein each subgroup of students are required to reach the minimum levels of proficiency in math and reading regardless of their previous proficiency levels, thus within 12 years, all students should reach 100% proficiency. NCLB is based on the idea that high expectations for achievement would result to higher actual achievement levels. By requiring each school to reach a uniform level of proficiency  would mean that in a given period, all schools and all students would have mastered the same skills and learned the same knowledge in reading and mathematics. The NCLB measures progress through a single mean proficiency score across levels and subgroup.   However, this frame of mind does not consider the diversity of American students and their backgrounds. For example, requiring each subgroup to meet the minimum mean proficiency score would ensure that the school would not reach the AYP. Using a single mean proficiency score to measure performance is not a true measure of school improvement nor student performance. Although, NCLB have positive visions, its method of attaining its objectives undermines what it is supposed to do. The law treats each school and each student as a single and uniform entity when our society is composed of different races and backgrounds, not even taking into account the difference between the rich and the poor. Even if the law identified the subgroup of students, it still however assess each group in terms of the single mean proficiency score which is the same as implementing a one size fits all policy. The problem with NCLB is that it asks schools to be assessed against a single mean proficiency score, wherein if a school fails to reach this score, would indicate that the school is not performing as it should be in accordance with federal and state rules. The use of a single mean proficiency score says that each school is treated as equals, however the reality is differences in each school is present. For example, different districts cater to different students and since education have been the purview of the state; they have also different standards on accountability and accreditation. The schools seek to attain the level of performance required by the state and in cases where measures of school performance differ from the NCLB would say that schools are making progress in the state level but is not up to standard in the national level. Students also would be burdened by being pitted against a single score that may or may not be realistically attainable, and if they fail to reach the mark they would have caused the failure of the entire school. Another problem with the NCLB is that by identifying subgroup of students and requiring them to achieve the mean proficiency score puts them in a bind. The subgroups identified by the law in some cases could be an unnecessary repetition of the groups, for example most Blacks and Latinos are economically disadvantaged, and that most of these groups also have lower mean proficiency scores. Thus if a school is composed of many poor students, of different racial groups, of students with limited English proficiency, then this school will surely not reach that mean proficiency score. The NCLB is not friendly to racial groups, economically disadvantaged children, children with disabilities and children with limited English proficiency. It is common knowledge and even supported by statistics that those who are identified as economically disadvantaged are those who belong to a minority racial group. In which case they will be asked to reach the same proficiency score twice, then they will be labeled as under performing and the school as needing improvement. It will compromise what the students have accomplished in a school year, because failing to reach the mark is not equal to no improvement or no learning. As for the parents, they would probably think that NCLB is good for their children as it ensures equality between groups in terms of academic achievement. However, if their state certifies that their children are performing to expectations like in Virginia and California, but the federal government says otherwise would saw confusion and distraught among parents. Schools and districts complain that using a single mean proficiency score to measure performance is not realistic and appropriate. It does not take into consideration that high-poverty schools have students with less academic preparation than those with low-poverty schools. Moreover, by using a system of conjunctive accountability dooms schools from reaching AYP. The short term effects of NCLB on low-income students and of color is that thy will b subjected to more requirements in school or additional interventions that would enable them to reach the desired improvement of scores as well as being pressured to make that mark. The long-term effect is that when they fail to reach AYP and cause the school to lose out on the AYP race, then they will be blamed for it and probably will be faced with angry members of the community. When schools still fail to make the mark and is identified as needs improvement and probably would be given less funding the more the low-income and racial groups become more disadvantaged, instead of closing the academic achievement gap, the NCLB does not even consider what academic achievement is. I think that NCLB was born out of the sincere desire to make sure that our students have the same level of academic proficiency even for math and English only. Whoever drafted the bill however did not have a clear understanding of achievement, intelligence and environmental factors that are part and parcel of learning and education. It is also funny to think that as diverse a population as we have we want to be pitted against a single score when what is more important than the grade or score is actual learning and the evidence of improvement across the years. Thus, as a law that seeks to close the achievement gap between groups of students, the NCLB divides and places the minority groups in a more difficult situation and at a more disadvantaged position.   

Communication Leads to Successful Nursing Practice Essay

In this assignment, I will reflect an incident happened during my clinical placement to develop my communication skills not just theoretically but in practical facing real life environment. There is a lot of factors that may influence nursing practice. In this essay, I will discuss the importance of communication in developing nurse-patient relationship. Communication in nursing as stated by Sheldon (2004) was, â€Å"Many definitions describe [communication] as a transfer of information between a source and a receiver. In nursing, communication is a sharing of health-related information between a patient and a nurse, with both participants as sources and receivers. The information may be verbal or nonverbal, written or spoken, personal or impersonal, issue-specific, or even relationship-oriented, to name a few possibilities. â€Å". The aim of this essay is to reflect what had happen during my placement and this gives me opportunity to improve my nursing care plan, which is based on the patient’s initial valuation. David Kolb,1984 said in his book called † Experiental Learning: Experience as a Source Of Learning and Development,(Kolb, 1984)† that reflection is a way in which we examine our experiences and draw lessons from them. QIA Key Skills Support Programme(2007) added that reflection can help to bridge the gap between theory and practice and enable us to look critically at our own behaviour, the behaviour of other people and at the organizational and social context within which we operate. In my context with my event, it is important for me to improve my nurse-patient relationship in terms of communication. In this reflection essay, I am going to use Gibbs (1988) model of reflection. This model is a recognized framework that will help me to reflect what was going on during my 16 days of clinical placement in one of major government hospital. Gibbs model of reflection consist of six stages where the stages link with each other making a continuous cycle to facilitate critical thought, relating theory to practice where this model allow me to see my weaknesses and improvements during my clinical placement. Gibbs’ model of reflection encourages you to think systematically about the phases of an experience or activity, and you should use all the headings to structure your reflection (Oxford Brooks University, 2011). This model of reflection also a good brainstorming of experiences that will end up with solutions to be made and things to be fix and for us to be aware in the future. Jasper M(2003) explains in her book called † Beginning Reflective Practice – Foundations in Nursing and Health Care† that Gibbs model of reflection starts with description of the event which I will discuss in my reflection. The second stage is going to be the analysis of feelings, where I have to tell how I am feeling when that situation happened. Third stage of Gibbs is evaluation of the experience, then comes the fourth stage that is analysis. In this stage I will discuss about the event and from what sense that I can use out of that situation that I am facing in the event. Conclusion and action plan are the last two stages which later on will discuss what else could I have done and what action can I do if the situation arose again along my course in nursing and in future time. Description In this paragraph, I would like to describe what happen during my clinical placement. I was selected to be in the female surgical ward in one of the government major hospital for my first clinical placement. The ward dealing with pre-operative, post-operative patients and orthopedic patients. The ward is divided into four cubicles which each of the two controlled by different unit; operative care unit and orthopedic unit. So, came this morning when me and my colleagues join the qualified nurses do their passing patients report, a family member of a patient name Ms. A approached me and complains that her daughter felt pain at her abdominal area. Ms. A is a 22-year-old young lady who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, (colorectal cancer occurs when tumors formed in the lining of the large intestine, also called the large bowel – National Cancer Institute,2003) as a result, giving her cramp feeling in the abdominal area, vomiting and change in bowel movements. She is in a nursing special care called palliative care,(palliative care – an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual – WHO 2011) as her cancer was in incurable stage. I, as the student nurse immediately followed my mentor with few qualified nurses as they heard Ms.  A who was screaming continuously as she claims her pain was unbearable. It was my first time seeing or even hearing someone in that much pain, so I stood near her bedside and just look at the qualified nurses assess her after I introduced myself as student nurse. Effective communication is vital, as what have been stated in NursingTimes(2007) † Failure to communicate well with a patient right away will destroy the delicate n urse/patient relationship and mean the patient does not trust the nurse. † Feeling Here, I would discuss the feeling and thinking that I had when I was in the situation. First I introduced myself to Ms. A as I need to build a good rapport with Ms. A so she won’t feel awkward and panicked with my presence with other qualified nurses. Like Crellin. K (1998) said in her 11 Ways To Built Rapport article, â€Å"Taking time to establish a rapport with them can help them cope and improve their willingness in cooperate with the treatment†. I was shocked and stood near her as she can’t stand with her abdominal pain. There is limited skills that I can do to help Ms. A during that time as I am still new in the environment. I were taught to ask Ms. A condition and asisst her to calm down by communicating with her. Evaluation In my evaluation, I feel that I did the right thing to attend Mrs. A and help the qualified nurses dong their task by communicating and be an empathic listener (emphatic listener is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding and trust, Richard. S 2003) and active listener so that she feels safe and know that someone care about her other than her family. As said by Richard Salem(2003), Emphatic listening will build trust and respects and creates safe environment that is conducive to collaborative problem solving. So, these control her emotionally to make her to calm down and get back to her stable condition. The doctor who attend her indirectly taught me how to make Ms. A to calm down, by facing a challenging speaker who was in pain. The key to active listening is relaxed attention – to listen with my whole body by using verbal and non-verbal skill like facing the speaker(patient) and maintaining eye contact with them (University of Maine,1914). Analysis To analyse of what happened, the factors that affect my communication with Ms. A was her unbearable pain. Effective communication and act as a professional were quite difficult as I never had a long conversation with her except for asking permission for assessing her vital signs which were temperature, blood pressure and breathing rate. Active listening also needed in this context as it help the speaker clarify what they are saying and makes them feel heard and it reduces emotions that block clear thinking (University of Miane – 1914), hence it reduces her pain mentally. By listening to her, rephrasing what I heard the patient say as patient won’t be receptive to your response until her thought ,ideas and feeling are communicated and understood(U. M,1914). Conclusion To conclude this, I am sure that communication is the most important skill to have as this will lead me to a successful nursing practice in any situation. Without effective communication, I won’t be able to establish a good rapport with Ms. A and her family. As said by Sheldon, (2004) â€Å"The power of creative and effective nursing care is strengthened by good communication skills. Patients share their stories, symptoms, and concerns by talking with us. Both the spoken word and the body language convey information about the patient’s experience. Your words can do so much: put a patient at ease, set up a productive relationship, and carry out interventions. There is no other skill that is used more in nursing than communication. † and Kacperek (1997)suggested that effective communication is dependent on the nurse’s ability to listen and utilize non-verbal communication skills. Ms. A feels thankful for our presence helping her with er pain by giving painkiller right after her mother called us. Action plan If the same situation arose again, I would like to get myself prepared with any circumstances that might happen, in my case, to communicate with patients in professional way without waiting for emergency situations. Research, asking tips for good rapport and effective communication are ways to solve my communication weaknesses. Without proper communication, it is difficult to understand patient’s need. Therefore, I would like to remind myself that, effective communication is the bridge towards successful and efficient nursing practice. Therefore in nursing practice, it is essential to have the knowledge of interaction, not just practical skills like bed making, vital signs and bed bathing but well prepared with good communication skill to face any situation that we might experience anytime. Without good nurse-patient relationship being built, trust and cooperation between both parties won’t exist. As Lanette L. Anderson (n. d) â€Å"They may not remember our names, but they will remember how we treated them during a difficult time in their lives. â€Å"

Leadership Skills Ingredient in Decision-Making Essay

In correlation to the given test as an ethical decision maker, my scores revealed that I am not a judgmental person. I do not usually give judgments neither decide which is wrong or right. Therefore, I cannot easily offend other’s personal beliefs and principles. I also believe that moral right must be respected often. It should be protected. I basically make decisions that conform to unified standards of the majority so that I cannot humiliate them. I also believe that the human spirit can only flower in an atmosphere of freedom. Where people can freely express and decide for their own. However, I have difficulties in handling justice. Sometimes I have inequalities in dealing with other people. I easily make good deals with people close to my heart. Thus, it reflects my biases. The Individual Ethics Profile (IEP) revealed specific traits about oneself. I was able to discover my positive attributes like giving importance with other people’s moral rights. That quality is very essential in making ethical decisions in the future. From that, I can base some of my decisions which conform to the principles of proper conduct as established by the society. Since every decision can affect our future, I can also rely from that result some of my weaknesses particularly in the concept of justice. I must be in balance and minimize unhealthy biases with the people surround me. I can also find ways to strengthen and enrich them. Learning more of ourselves can be every beneficial so we can choose good decisions and productively utilize the freedom to decide in the real world. It can also be a source of improvement by comparing my first result to the second one as I take the same questions again. It can also serve as a guide to me in becoming a better leader and decision maker.

Handphones should be banned from schools Essay

Based on my opinion, I strongly believe that hand phones should be banned from schools. This is because the detrimental effect of students’ usage of hand phones in school weighs heavier than its benefits. Firstly, hand phones should be banned in school because students’ easily loses focus in class. Acquiring knowledge, learn something new and to educate one-self are the reasons students go to school. If learning is the priority, then what role do hand phones play in classrooms? They serve as distracters, what else? Students who use hand phones in class get distracted and distract the learning of process of the other students in class as well. For instance, if a student’s hand phone rings, everyone’s attention is set on the student rather than on the teacher standing in the frontier of the class. Moreover, on many occasions students’ have been caught text-messaging each other in class or playing games on their phones. Other than that, hand phones should be banned from schools because students’ tend to surf the websites in the classroom. When the lesson is taking place in the class, students who chooses to rebel, shows complete attachment to the phone. Rather than, paying attention during the class, students surf the internet and actively interact in social medias such as Face book and Twitter. Worst still, students who use hand phones are prone to visit illegal and inappropriate websites for their age. For instance, there are chances for students to have access to pornography in hand phones. Many students have been known to download pornographic pictures from the Internet to their phones. Adding on, students tend share those videos with their peers through Bluetooth which opens gate for social problem. Moreover, hand phones should be banned from schools because it creates opportunity for thefts to occur. It is a norm for teenagers to display their belongings to their fellow peers. Additionally, if they own something new, latest, trendy and mostly what the others do not own. This allows the occurrence of petty thefts in school as hand phones, especially those that are expensive and have additional features that draws unnecessary attention, gets stolen. Here, the safety of students also comes into the picture. Especially students who hold their expensive gadgets are sometimes accosted and assaulted outside the school gate as they lure the attention of snatch thieves. Victims with hand phones and other valuable will most certainly have these items taken away by force when they are not aware. Who is to be blamed here? The student with the hand phone? Or the thief? In addition, hand phones should be banned from schools because it encourages dishonesty. Students who have access to hand phones in class, may cultivate the habit of cheating. For instance, students can text test answers to other people in the classroom or also the school. Students too may have internet access on their phone and look up answers for examinations that way. Even though cheating has always been an issue, using cell phones in school only makes the issue bigger. Stressing again; I strongly believe that hand phones should be banned from schools because students’ easily loses focus in class, students’ tend to surf the websites in the classroom, creates opportunity for thefts to occur and finally encourages dishonesty. Since, the usage of hand phones in school contributes to multiple problems, I assert that hand phones should be banned from schools.

International economics homework Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International economics homework - Coursework Example Countries may misallocate their resources in the form subsidies to the local firms. The allocations may lead to uneven distribution of resources that pose negative effects on a country’s economy. A depreciating currency reduces a country’s net foreign debt. For instance, a fall in the dollar positively influences American economy. Dollars largely dominate American foreign liabilities, but the assets valued in foreign currencies. The fall in dollar increases American external assets and largely does not influence the value of its foreign liabilities. Fall in a currency like dollar that manifests international marketing leads to lowering of prices of international commodities. The move leads to changes in the prices of imports, which pose a direct effect on consumer price index. Devaluation of the currency like the sterling-dollar makes exports cheaper. The imports from a different perspective become more expensive causing cost-push inflation within an economy, which negatively affect a country’s economy. Overvalued currency poses a downward pressure on a country’s rate of inflation. The imported goods will be cheaper leading to increased units of imports as a positive consequence. Overvalued currency forces a country’s local producers to improve their efficiency to make them more competitive in the international markets. However, overvalued currency poses a negative consequence by making the exports uncompetitive in the international markets. In addition, the associated lowered prices of imports will make imports a preferred choice for consumers damaging the local industries. From a different perspective, undervalued currency makes imports expensive for the consumers; this will make them opt for domestic goods increasing employment opportunities in the local firms. Undervalued currency also leads to cheaper costs of exports leading to growth and greater employment opportunities in the export industries as a

Facilities Management - Good Business Turns Risk into Opportunity Case Study

Facilities Management - Good Business Turns Risk into Opportunity - Case Study Example The competition in the market place is such that ill-conceived facilities can render any business a non-starter. In particular, waste management of Fitness First Gym Center, if not properly exercised, could spell trouble for the gym if not quickly set right. The waste management in Fitness First Gym Center includes internal and external factors. The internal factors have bearing on the management of space, exercise equipment, number of trainees and their instructors and the management of time that goes along with the utility of space and equipment. The external factors are those that influence the output of the gym without which it cannot provide integral services like the panel of consultant doctors and contract services for the maintenance of the equipment (Facilities Management Introduction).   Combining the internal and external sources, the gym must actualize its space usage with the strength of its members. Vigilant management will ensure that members using their premises and equipment do so regularly, keep tabs on non-regular members for follow up, and reduce the impact of non-regulars on their space and equipment. It is difficult to bring waste management to zero. It can tolerate waste management of say, five percent. Occasionally, it can even take waste management of ten percent. Anything more than ten percent must be swiftly dealt with a policy of encouragement for better attendance. Ultimately, the system must aim for zero waste management. Waste management for the gym is extremely precarious and must be framed with enough sensitivity to allow members to understand the gym’s stand.  Ã‚