Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The drinking age Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The drinking age - Research Paper Example In refute, if they have to illegally get alcohol, they aren’t mature enough to be drinking anyway; Not lowering the age goes against the Constitution that states that people are officially adults at the age of eighteen. In refute, the age limit exists to protect young, undeveloped people from accessing a harmful substance Conclusion: Proposals have been brought up that would educate and license young drinkers, though this would still go against keeping youngsters away from a substance they cannot handle; The drinking age should remain the same as it has already proven to be more effective at keeping people safe Argumentative Essay In 2010 in the United States, one person died approximately every hour as the result of an alcohol-impaired driver; of these drivers, nearly fifteen percent were under the legal drinking age of twenty-one (Bell). It has been in the works for many years to lower the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen, but many have fought against it.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Dreams Do Come True :: Personal Narrative Writing

Dreams Do Come True Dreams do come true. Everyone in their life has a dream or two or three. Finding the way to achieve your dreams, goals, and aspirations is an epic journey on its own. It takes discipline, determination, and self -exploration. This is the tale of the journey I am still currently on. As a child I always wanted to be in the spotlight. I was always the ham in family pictures, the one who had to excel past my brother, and be in the know of everything. When I was about twelve years old, I realized that entertaining people was what I was all about. Since I wasn’t any good at telling the jokes around the campfire or singing acappella, I thought about trying my dance skills. I liked dancing and I have always enjoyed music videos like Janet Jackson’s â€Å"Miss you much†, so I thought why not? What did I have to lose? With the support of my parents, particularly my mom, I went for the gusto. Like any first experience we remember all the details of the event. I remember my first dance class at J in Jazz Dance Studio. I was under the instruction of Julie Pederson who was one of the young faces in my little town of Sierra Vista. I was thirteen and thought that the class was awesome. Now if you are under the impression that I was great the first time around you are wrong. I was the one goofy awkward kid who was there having fun. Julie thought that I would be gone by the end of three months because I couldn’t hack it. She was just glad that I was there having fun and being a good student. According to some experts, since I started after the age of ten I was not supposed to be any good. Just six months after starting, something somewhere happened to both me and my dance ability. I was put on the competition/performance team, and then I just kept excelling from there. Every year or two, I was put on a higher more difficult team. Dreams Do Come True :: Personal Narrative Writing Dreams Do Come True Dreams do come true. Everyone in their life has a dream or two or three. Finding the way to achieve your dreams, goals, and aspirations is an epic journey on its own. It takes discipline, determination, and self -exploration. This is the tale of the journey I am still currently on. As a child I always wanted to be in the spotlight. I was always the ham in family pictures, the one who had to excel past my brother, and be in the know of everything. When I was about twelve years old, I realized that entertaining people was what I was all about. Since I wasn’t any good at telling the jokes around the campfire or singing acappella, I thought about trying my dance skills. I liked dancing and I have always enjoyed music videos like Janet Jackson’s â€Å"Miss you much†, so I thought why not? What did I have to lose? With the support of my parents, particularly my mom, I went for the gusto. Like any first experience we remember all the details of the event. I remember my first dance class at J in Jazz Dance Studio. I was under the instruction of Julie Pederson who was one of the young faces in my little town of Sierra Vista. I was thirteen and thought that the class was awesome. Now if you are under the impression that I was great the first time around you are wrong. I was the one goofy awkward kid who was there having fun. Julie thought that I would be gone by the end of three months because I couldn’t hack it. She was just glad that I was there having fun and being a good student. According to some experts, since I started after the age of ten I was not supposed to be any good. Just six months after starting, something somewhere happened to both me and my dance ability. I was put on the competition/performance team, and then I just kept excelling from there. Every year or two, I was put on a higher more difficult team.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

St. Johns Wort As A Treatment For Depression: Herbal Healer or Ineffec

St. John's Wort As A Treatment For Depression: Herbal Healer or Ineffective Alternative? This country has its share of major health issues, and Depression has remained a prominent one. With a prevalence rate of one in twenty suffering from this psychological disease in the US, (1) it is no wonder that many varying treatment options now exist for sufferers. The most common approach to treating Depression is with some form of psychotherapy coupled with prescription drugs. However, this traditional course of treatment now has the so called 'alternative' approaches to contend with. One such alternative therapy is Hypericum, an herb that is more commonly known as St. John's Wort. There is a bubbling debate between believers in the herbal treatment and non-believers (comprised mostly of doctors and researchers) who think St. John's Wort does nothing for Depression. From both sides of the debate, however, there have been some interesting findings. There is a common understanding that St. John's Wort was named after John the Baptist. Hypericum perforatum is its Latin name. St. John's Wort is a naturally occurring plant characterized by its black-spotted yellow flowers. Historically it has been hailed as an effective treatment for an array of ailments, including digestive disorders, lung ailments, skin abrasions, and as a general inducer of state of 'well being'. From its supporting side, the argument is that St. John's Wort should be treated as comparable to prescription antidepressants and as just another available option for the millions who are depressed in this country. Supporters often site the fact that German doctors endorse millions of doses of the herb daily, and elsewhere in Europe, the medical community readily ack... ...cription", mixing herbs with prescription drugs For More Information: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/13/1668_50209 7) Newsweek article "A Natural Mood Booster", treating Depression with St. John's Wort http://www.iherb.com/iherb/newmay519nat.html 8) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), "Information About St. John's Wort" page http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/stjohnswort.cfm 9) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine , St. John's Wort Fact Sheet http://nccam.nih.gov/nccam/fcp/factsheets/stjohnswort/stjohnswort.htm 10) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine , St. John's Wort Q & A http://nccam.nih.gov/ne/press-releases/stjohnswort/q-and-a.htm 11) Health World Online , index of articles on Depression and herbal remedies http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/condition.asp?ConditionId=90

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Humanae Vitae Reflection Essay

Humanae Vitae – Encyclical Letter on the regulation of birth As a Roman Catholic, I have been raised to believe what the Church has taught for centuries. As we are living in Humanae Vitae, surely challenges will arise for some people in today’s society when they read this text. Although I had difficulty seeing one statement noted in the text the way in which the Church had, I found myself agreeing with the Pope in the problems presented in terms of today’s society. Beginning with the â€Å"problem and competency of the magisterium,† Pope Paul writes at the start of the document, â€Å"†But the most remarkable development of all is to be seen in man’s stupendous progress in the domination and rational organization of the forces of nature to the point that he is endeavoring to extend this control over every aspect of his own life — over his body, over his mind and emotions, over his social life, and even over the laws that regulate the transmission of life† (n. 2). Although Human life did come from God, belongs to God, and goes back to God, I believe that we are our â€Å"own† spirits, and that we were created with choices, including the fact that we in a sense control our realities that make up the way we live our lives and the things we do on a daily basis. I do not believe it is an illusion as Pope is suggesting and further more do not believe we are bought at a price from God – although in a sense, the choices in which God gives us are the prices â€Å"we pay† to live the life in which we were granted, it is up to us as individuals. Forward looking, as the new question of â€Å"principle of totality† comes into play, I believe that the problem of sex in society today, or perhaps the way in which the younger generations view sex, is flawed. I agree that sexual activity in which Pope Paul was writing that it is wrong to diminish its message and that it does belong to the context of committed love, sealed by marriage and openness to life because it is the greatest reflection and reasoning to which the gift of sexuality was given to us. Furthermore, I wholeheartedly believe in the doctrinal principles in section II that present â€Å"a wholistic vision of man† (n. 7). The underlying joints to a faithful life are chastity and marriage, demanding â€Å"conjugal love, responsible parenthood, and conformity to the creative intention and design of God† are clear. In the section of Consequences of Artificial Methods, I gree that in limens terms, how easily using birth control and other artificial methods could open the door to marital infidelity and a lowering of moral standards, especially our generation. Today, sex has become a part of the American society that has led the young to be easily swayed in believing and succumbing to various forms of temptations, including pre-marital sex. I think a large part in this is the way in which you are raised, the kids in which you surrounded yourself with, and how much influence parental figures had in their children’s sex lives. It is consistent in the opinion of the encyclical letter that not much experience is needed to be aware of and understanding human beings and that the young need to be taught early on to not sway from the â€Å"moral law. † Instead, they need â€Å"incentives† to keep the moral law because temptation is everywhere, and without supervision and someone to be there as a guardian, I believe the child is more apt to fall victim to such evils, which could potentially have dire consequences as they move into their adult life. Another powerful statement in which I fully agree with has to do with a man who gets accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget â€Å"the reverence due to a woman† and disregard her physical and emotional equilibrium, reducing her to an instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection. In my opinion, these are very warranted and strong, loaded statements. My reasoning is that, again, I feel like younger generations of men were not raised with the same level of respect for the way in which to treat their female peers. This I contribute to a number of factors, including the media of today’s society and the parenting of the child’s adolescence. However, I believe simply because a woman uses contraceptives does not entitle the man to view the woman any differently. Rather, I believe that the man is aware of the way in which he treats women, or in other words, that he either respect women physically and emotionally entirely, or he does not. And from that point, if he does not, that man could then use contraceptives as a â€Å"tool† in a sense to further his selfishness. I think a good reasoning behind this may come also from the way in which the boy was raised and the way in which he was brought up to view women. For example, if a young boy was raised with a father who abused his mother, he may take either extremes depending on the way it effected him: A, the boy could despise his father for what he did to his mother and swear that he will always respect women and never be like his father, or B, he could revert to his father’s ways and treat future women with the disrespect that was taught by his dad. Either way, I believe it is not where you come from, it is what you do with your situation and I believe faith can have a lot of encouragement in that. In summary, a good concluding statement found in the Encylical Letter about the authority and responsibility of the Church to always declare the truth is powerfully presented in n. 18: She does not, because of this, evade the duty imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly the entire moral law, both natural and evangelical. Since the Church did not make either of these laws, she cannot be their arbiter—only their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right for her to declare lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its very nature, is always opposed to the true good of man. With that said, I believe having faith in today’s society can yield a better life for everyone who opens their mind to a new way of thinking. Yet, although with today’s influences and high paced life, living a faithful life may not be easy, it is rewarding and purifying. The views of the Church keep you grounded as it reminds you to fulfill your blessings given to you by God.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Factors and Hazards of Infant Development Essay Example

Factors and Hazards of Infant Development Essay Example Factors and Hazards of Infant Development Essay Factors and Hazards of Infant Development Essay Factors and Hazards of Infant Development There are many factors and hazards in the world that can influence an infants development even before birth. Because there are so many of them it is hard to choose which ones are the most important to remember or understand. I believe that drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and or doing drugs during pregnancy can be hazardous to the infant’s development. Alcohol during pregnancy I believe is one of the biggest hazards to a fetus. Drinking can put the mother and fetus at risk for several things. For example: miscarriages, stillbirths, premature infants, and low-birth-weight infants (Marotz Allen 2013). When a woman is drinking on a regular basis it limits her dietary intake that both she and the fetus need to grow. Drinking during pregnancy can also have an effect on fetal development. Alcohol stays in the circulatory twice as long in a fetus than it does in the mother. This can cause the most damage to the fetus during the first trimester when body structures and organs are forming, such as the brain, heart, and nervous system. Another hazard during pregnancy I believe that has an effect on the fetus is smoking. Smoking along with alcohol crosses the placental barrier and interferes with fetal development. While smoking the oxygen available to the fetus is decreased by the carbon monoxide. Also with smoking a women can experience miscarriages, stillbirths, premature infants, and low-birth-weight infants (Marotz Allen 2013). Women who smoke during pregnancy, â€Å"their babies are also at higher risk for developing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and a range of acute and chronic respiratory problems (Marotz Allen, 2013, p. 59). † The last hazard that I believe should be talked more to women who are pregnant or wish to become pregnant are chemicals and drugs. This ranges from prescription and nonprescription, to pesticides, fertilizer and street drugs. Here is a list of just some of the chemicals or drugs: Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methadone Nicotine Diet pills Thyroid and antithyroid drugs Hormones and many more (Marotz Allen, 2013, p. 60). Some can cause severe malformation while others can lead to fetal death, premature birth, or lifelong behavior and learning disabilities. I choose these three hazards to inform more people about because I know the personal the effects it has on an unborn infant. When my mother was pregnant with me she did not choose to take care of herself like she shou ld. She drank, smoked and did nonprescription drugs and street drugs. I formed correctly structurally wise but my brain did not. I have Dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disability that causes the brain to interpret information differently. I hope woman that are pregnant or want to become pregnant choose not to drink, smoke, or do drugs so they can have the best possible fetal development they can have. References Marotz, L R. Allen, K. (2013). Developmental Profiles Pre-Birth through Adolescence. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Presidential Candidates on Education essays

Presidential Candidates on Education essays Education is the backbone of human growth in all fields of lives, by that economy, society, morality or personal development. It is the answer or solution to all the problems encountered by an individual, society or a nation. Through the direct use of knowledge, an educated person can help himself and others around him to overcome obstacles, develop himself and reach his highest potential. Therefore, education has been among the highest priorities of nations all over the world. Education has been among primary goals of all governments that ever ruled America and it is reason of American's success and hegemony in the world. Thus, the candidates of American Presidential elections have come up with scrupulously detailed plans on improving the quality of education for John Kerry is the candidate of the Democratic Party. He plans to increase job opportunities, increase the access and improve the quality of health care facilities and education, strengthening economy, military and relationships with other nations. He has proven himself as of possessing leadership qualities and humanitarian feelings during and after Vietnam War Kerry believes that every school should aim for and have resources to reach high standards of education. He plans to establish a National Education Trust Fund to ensure that schools always have the resources to provide quality education. Rewards would be granted to schools that reach the As teachers are the factor that determine the quality of education that each child receives, a plan to ensure that only competent persons teach and This program would be called ""New Bargain for America's Children and Teachers" under which 500,00 capable teachers will be hired. Teachers will be rewarded with high pays while at same time will be demanded to carry out rigorous testing that train and develop students for future careers. Majority of parents work in America till late in t...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

What to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed in College

What to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed in College Not everyone graduates from college; doing so is a huge deal because its an incredibly difficult journey. Its expensive. It takes a long time, it requires a heck of a lot of dedication, and there often never seems to be any rest from what other people expect of you. In fact, its sometimes easier to feel smothered by your responsibilities than it is to feel in control. So just what can you do when you feel overwhelmed in college? Fortunately, being in college means that you have both the desire and ability to figure out how to make things work even if you arent feeling like you can. Take a deep breath, start simply, and then show em what youre made of. What to Do When You Feel Overwhelmed in College First, be bold and block off 30 minutes from your schedule. It can be right now; it can be in a few hours. The longer you wait, of course, the longer youll feel stressed out and overwhelmed. The sooner you can make a 30-minute appointment with yourself, the better. Once youve reserved yourself for 30 minutes, set a timer (try using the alarm on your phone) and use your time as follows: 5 Minutes: Grab a pen or use your computer, tablet, or smartphone and make lists of what you have to do. And while this may sound easy, theres one catch: instead of making a long, running list, divide it up by sections. What do you need to do for your Chem 420 class? What do you need to do as a club vice chair? What do you need to do for your financial paperwork? Create, in essence, a bunch of mini-lists and organize them by topic.5 Minutes: Mentally walk through your schedule for the rest of the week (or, at the very least, the next 5 days). Where do you absolutely have to be (like class) and where do you want to be (like a club meeting)? Use whatever time management system you have to mark down what you have to do and what you want to do.10 Minutes: Break down your calendar using your micro lists. What must be done today? What must be done tomorrow? What can wait until tomorrow? What can wait until next week? Be brutal with yourself, too; there are only so many hours in a day and o nly so much you can reasonably expect yourself to do. What can wait? What cannot? Assign to-do items from your lists to various days in a way that sets reasonable expectations about how much you can get done in a certain amount of time. 5 Minutes: Spend a few minutes to specifically break down how you are going to spend the rest of your day (or night) today. Allocate as much time as possible in your schedule, making sure to account for things like breaks and meals. In essence: How will you spend the next 5-10 hours?5 Minutes: Spend your final 5 minutes getting yourself and your space ready to work. Do you need to go for a brisk walk? Clean up a workspace in your room? Head to the library? Get some water and coffee? In essence: get yourself moving and prepare your environment so that you can hit the ground running. Once your 30 minutes are up, youll have made to-do lists, organized your schedule, planned out the rest of your day (or night), and prepared yourself to start. This, ideally, will allow you to focus on the tasks at hand over the next few days; instead of always worrying about studying for an upcoming exam, you can tell yourself, Im studying for my exam on Thursday night. Right now I must finish this paper by midnight. Consequently, instead of feeling overwhelmed, you can feel in charge and know that your plan of attack will allow you to finally get things done. You got this!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Organizational behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Organizational behaviour - Essay Example an and Kentridge (2000) define behavioral psychology as a â€Å"subset of psychology that focuses on studying and modifying observable behavior by means of systematic manipulation of environmental factors†. Behaviorists or behavior psychologists affirm that a behavior is to be studied and evaluated without giving any consideration to the inner mental condition of the individual. Classical conditioning. This theory, put forth by Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson, suggests that a behavior can be assessed by watching how an animal or an individual shoes an unconditioned response by associating a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring (unconditioned) stimulus. Pavlov experimented with dogs and conditioned them so that they salivated on the sound of bell ringing by associating the sound with their food. Operant conditioning is of four types. Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement tend to support the behavior as under these two conditions, the individual experiences a good ending and thus repeats his experience in future. On the other hand, Punishment and Extinction tend to weaken the chances of future occurrences of a behavior as under these two circumstances, the individual has had a bad or neutral ending. Learning based on behavioral psychology. Behavioral psychologists carry on the process of learning by assuming that a person can be completely understood by observing his behavior. And how a behavior is to be learnt? It is done by learning an individual’s responses to environmental stimuli. This is basically a stimulus-response theory. The boss orders the employee to leave (stimulus) and the employee leaves (response). This means that â€Å"learning in humans and animals can take place through the association of a response with particular stimuli† (Psychologist World, 2009). Strengths. Behaviorism approaches are well designed and focused because of well organized ways of measuring behavioral responses. Classical behaviorism has a great advantage in

Friday, October 18, 2019

Critical analysis(mini essay) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical analysis(mini ) - Essay Example t of harmful patterns in settings such as vulnerable families, schools, and communities, and universal strategies to reduce attractiveness of substance use. Regulatory interventions aim to increase perceived costs and reduce availability and accessibility of substances. Increasing price, restricting settings of use, and raising legal purchase age are effective in reducing use of alcohol and tobacco and related harms. Screening and brief intervention are efficacious, but efficacy of a range of treatment approaches has not been reliably established. Harm-reduction interventions are effective in young people involved in risky and injecting substance use. One of America’s leading health and social problems is the abuse of addictive substances, specifically drugs and alcohol. In the late 1800s, during the industrial revolution, the medical profession began to recognize the effects of alcohol abuse on factory workers and on pregnant women and their unborn children. Malnutrition, brain damage, liver disease, fetal alcohol syndrome and child abuse were linked to the habitual use of alcohol. The effects of substance abuse are widespread. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol is involved in more than half of all child abuse cases, rapes, traffic deaths, felonies, fire fatalities and homicides and a third of all suicides. Conservative estimates indicate that the problem of alcoholism and drug addiction exists in four to thirteen percent of the population, with those affected coming from every economic, educational, and age level and from every race and gender. Furthermore, each substance abuser directly affects at least four to six other individuals, whether a spouse, children, or innocent victim of an accident or crime. Substance abuse plays a major role in accidents resulting in head, hand, and spinal cord injury, and in other impairments typically requiring rehabilitation services. All too often, the substance abuse is left

Skinny women in the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Skinny women in the Media - Essay Example Skinny women in the Media It is therefore important to investigate the moral consequences of blind pursuit of dreams based on media images. The images that are actually altered on the media have led to the high rise in mental health problems and physical health deterioration. The reason why these images have gone deep into our minds is the increasing media coverage and forms. Statistical findings like with the bureau of Labor Statistics reports that a significant number of American populations spend more than half their time watching television. This is where the several body and beauty products are features as advertisement with celebrity models. Few people take their time recognize the manipulation of the media in respect of the images displayed on television or on magazine cover pages. Women are the greatest target of media as they seek to be beautiful so that they may identify with members of the society. The media has learnt this social behavior among women and has taken the opportunity to reap in profit s through posting photos of skinny women as the measure of beauty. Although this is a mere Photoshop work, the ordinary womenfolk believe in its existence and go to greater lengths seeking similar appearance. This is not naturally manageable and it is common to find variety of cosmetics and other beauty related diet requirements which the women have to buy in an attempt to achieve their objective. This works to the advantage of the misleading business community while they connive with media.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Roman Fever Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Roman Fever - Essay Example Background Essentially, the story was about the friendship of two women, Grace Ansley and Alida Slade. They were vacationing in Rome with their daughters, Barbara Ansley and Jenny Slade. This was the second time that the two elderly women had been to the city. They had previously visited Rome and the present travel provided a conducive for the two protagonists to reflect on their lives. A good part of it came as offshoot of what transpired in Rome many years ago. As they looked back on the past, a secret was revealed by Mrs. Slade amidst the long rivalry that hounded their friendship through the years. There was some sort of love triangle between Grace, Alida and her husband Delphin Slade in the past. It turned out that Mrs. Slade wrote a fake letter to Mrs. Ansley that supposedly came from Delphin Slade. The letter invited Grace to a tryst in the Coliseum in an effort to break her heart and cease getting in the way between Alida and Delphin as a consequence. It turned out that the t ryst actually transpired with Grace and Delphin meeting each other after the former revealed that she answered the letter and Delphin actually came. Strong Competing Women The story was a convoluted affair, but typical of the experience of the women of the American upper class during the 1930s. What makes this theme remarkable is that the story was controlled throughout by female protagonists, which depicted strong female roles. Certainly, the story was dominated by the two women and, then, there were their daughters, playing minor parts. The only physically present male in the narrative was the Italian waiter and some unseen Italian suitors who, from the statements of the protagonists, can be considered as objects of the predatory desires of their children. When the husbands were finally mentioned, they were referred to in passive roles or as tools in making a make a point, introducing an argument, and issue or a narration of experience. Mr. Horace Ansley was brought up by the two women only to be referred to as dull, spineless, boring and insufferably passive character – â€Å"just a duplicate of his wife† (12). It was obvious that his wife dominated him throughout their married life. Meanwhile, Delphin Slade was only introduced when the letter was brought up. Here, he was a facilitator or a device, if you may, in order for the desired reaction in the case of the letter to be effective. They are not unlike the Italian lovers previously mentioned. They were objects of the female rivalry and female negotiations as they navigated their relationships and pursued their objectives. They were there for a reason and such reason was determined by the women who need their respective resources and ammunition to outdo each other. There are some subtle hints provided by Wharton to support the above point of view. Delphin closely resembles the word "delphic" which is synonymous to ambiguousness and obscurity. The name Delphin may also be related to the Roman Apollo, who was the god of light and represents manly beauty. So Delphin was like the trophy - the object - by which Grace and Alida and their mothers, before them, worked hard to achieve. From the very first words of the story, this tone was already established: â€Å"the women, ladies of ripe but well-cared for middle age moved across the lofty terrace of the Roman restaurant... looked first at each other, and then down on the outspread glories of the Palatine... with the same expression of vague but

Managing Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Project - Assignment Example EFT = EST + Duration Time duration in the project has been calculated in a in a forward pass model and backward pass movement cannot be used in this because there is no deadline mentioned in the project. In a forward pass model, the project manager has calculated earliest time at which each work node could be reached. Burke (2003) defined Float time quantitative measure of work activity‘s flexibility or the measure of the slack period at which a particular work activity can be delayed without extending the completion date of the project. The project manager has used the following formulae to calculate the float time; Float Time= LFT  Ã¢â‚¬â€œEST - Duration........Equation-1 (Field and Keller, 2007) Equation-1 has been used to calculate the float time. Total float time has been calculated as 29 days and due to sufficient amount of float time, the completion date of the project will not be delayed if any particular activity gets delayed. Calculation of the float time has been s hown in the appendix 1. 3. Critical Path Field and Keller (2007) defined critical path as being the longest route joining the earliest activity in the project and last activity. Critical path of the project has been calculated assuming zero float time in order to measure minimum possible time required to complete the project. Critical path for the project= A, B, C, F, G, K, L, M, N, O, Q and R and the path has been showed through bold line in the network diagram. Activities in the critical path cannot delayed due to presence of zero float time hence delaying of any of the above mentioned activity will delay the overall completion time of the project. Project duration can be calculated by summing up the time duration of all the critical activities. Therefore, minimum possible time for completing the project would be 50 days. 4. Earliest Days for Project Completion The project starts on the Monday 15th July 2013 and the project team will work for 5days a week and there will not be any other holidays. From the result above, the minimum time to complete this project is 50 days. We can apply project management software to calculate completing day. If the project starts on the Calculation of the project completion time can be done in the following manner; Month Date Day Project Status Duration July 15/7/2013 Monday Start 1days July 31/7/2013 Wednesday Task A and Task B completed 13days August 1/8/2013 Thursday Task A, Task B and Task C completed 14 days August 15/8/2013 Thursday Task A, Task B, Task C and Task F completed 24 days August 31/8/2013 Saturday Task A, Task B, Task C, Task F, Task G, Task K and Task L completed 35 days September 1/9/2013 Sunday Same N/A September 15/9/2013 Sunday Task A, Task B, Task C, Task F, Task G, Task K, Task L, Task M, Task N and Task O completed 45 days September 20/9/2013 Wednesday Completion of the project 50 days The project will be completed on 20/9/2013 (Friday) and the project will take exactly 50 days to complete. The time duration for the project has been calculated by following the calendar of 2013 (appendix 3). 5. A- Activity E is delayed 1 day Total float time for activity E is 2 days and activity E doesn’t lie in the critical path hence delaying activity E will not affect the completion time of the project (check appendix 1). However, due to delay in activity E, the company has to bear more cost (fixed cost + variable cost) to complete the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Roman Fever Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Roman Fever - Essay Example Background Essentially, the story was about the friendship of two women, Grace Ansley and Alida Slade. They were vacationing in Rome with their daughters, Barbara Ansley and Jenny Slade. This was the second time that the two elderly women had been to the city. They had previously visited Rome and the present travel provided a conducive for the two protagonists to reflect on their lives. A good part of it came as offshoot of what transpired in Rome many years ago. As they looked back on the past, a secret was revealed by Mrs. Slade amidst the long rivalry that hounded their friendship through the years. There was some sort of love triangle between Grace, Alida and her husband Delphin Slade in the past. It turned out that Mrs. Slade wrote a fake letter to Mrs. Ansley that supposedly came from Delphin Slade. The letter invited Grace to a tryst in the Coliseum in an effort to break her heart and cease getting in the way between Alida and Delphin as a consequence. It turned out that the t ryst actually transpired with Grace and Delphin meeting each other after the former revealed that she answered the letter and Delphin actually came. Strong Competing Women The story was a convoluted affair, but typical of the experience of the women of the American upper class during the 1930s. What makes this theme remarkable is that the story was controlled throughout by female protagonists, which depicted strong female roles. Certainly, the story was dominated by the two women and, then, there were their daughters, playing minor parts. The only physically present male in the narrative was the Italian waiter and some unseen Italian suitors who, from the statements of the protagonists, can be considered as objects of the predatory desires of their children. When the husbands were finally mentioned, they were referred to in passive roles or as tools in making a make a point, introducing an argument, and issue or a narration of experience. Mr. Horace Ansley was brought up by the two women only to be referred to as dull, spineless, boring and insufferably passive character – â€Å"just a duplicate of his wife† (12). It was obvious that his wife dominated him throughout their married life. Meanwhile, Delphin Slade was only introduced when the letter was brought up. Here, he was a facilitator or a device, if you may, in order for the desired reaction in the case of the letter to be effective. They are not unlike the Italian lovers previously mentioned. They were objects of the female rivalry and female negotiations as they navigated their relationships and pursued their objectives. They were there for a reason and such reason was determined by the women who need their respective resources and ammunition to outdo each other. There are some subtle hints provided by Wharton to support the above point of view. Delphin closely resembles the word "delphic" which is synonymous to ambiguousness and obscurity. The name Delphin may also be related to the Roman Apollo, who was the god of light and represents manly beauty. So Delphin was like the trophy - the object - by which Grace and Alida and their mothers, before them, worked hard to achieve. From the very first words of the story, this tone was already established: â€Å"the women, ladies of ripe but well-cared for middle age moved across the lofty terrace of the Roman restaurant... looked first at each other, and then down on the outspread glories of the Palatine... with the same expression of vague but

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

At least one character in each of Ibsen's plays prefers an imaginary Essay

At least one character in each of Ibsen's plays prefers an imaginary view of life to a realistic viewpoint. With this in mind, discuss the life-view of Torvald - Essay Example It is an unrealistic method of controlling a wife. It might seem that Torvald is unrealistic since he is prejudiced against accepting help from his wife. Nora says that Torvald has ‘manly independence’, pride and humiliation. (Ibsen 12). His personal traits are unrealistic as Nora says that if he knew that she had borrowed money for their holiday in Italy; ‘It would upset our mutual relations altogether; our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now.’ (Ibsen 12). However, Torvald is a sharp man who is aware of the necessity of work for survival for when Nora introduces him to her friend Mrs. Linde, he immediately assumes that she is a widow and needs to work for her living. He is realistic enough to understand that Nora recommends her friend naturally above anyone else. He is quick enough to catch Nora at her lie that none were with her in the room prior to his entry. He understands that Krogstad asks Nora to plead his case with him. How can Torvald be so perceptive if he holds an unrealistic v iew of life? It seems he has some realistic insights although he holds his own views about the gender role stereotypes of a wife and mother. Torvald’s high moral principles may make him seem unrealistic. He discusses Krogstad’s case with Nora and reveals his arguments behind Krogstad’s moral shortcomings. Presently, Torvald is unaware that he describes an allegory to Nora since she is guilty of the same crimes that Torvald has accused Krogstad of; namely forging a signature. (Ibsen 27). Krogstad is a foil for comparison with Nora. Torvald does not like Krogstad speaking to him on familiar terms since they were friends in childhood. He thinks it is unfitting for his new position as the Bank Manager and desires Krogstad dismissed from his job. Torvald even faults Nora for speaking up for Krogstad. He says; ‘â€Å"My dear Nora, I can forgive the anxiety you are in, although really it is an insult

Ensuring quality websites Essay Example for Free

Ensuring quality websites Essay Internet is an ever expanding medium. The number of users of the World Wide Web colloquially called as the internet has grown to over 1. 02 billion and includes 15 percent population of the World. (World Internet Usage, 2006). This is slated to expand even more rapidly hereafter as it is proving to be an ideal medium for all types of social, business, government and informational transactions. Cyber Rater is a web site rating service which will assess web sites based on their quality, reliability and the timeliness with which they provide information to the user. The number of web sites is increasing exponentially. A survey by Netcraft for June 2006 reported an increase of 3. 96 million sites in one month between May to June. (Webserver Survey, 2006). However the plethora of sites on virtually all subjects has created a problem for the user, as he is unable to assess the efficacy and accuracy of the information provided on the site. Cyber rater will attempt to this void, by rating sites and providing these with a verification certificate based on authenticity, quality and speed in providing the information to the user. Cyber Rater will be a web based organization, thereby the initial infra structure cost will be restricted to computers and other information technology assets to facilitate speedy access of the net, register the sites, assess these and provide certification. The business is proposed to be started by December 2006 and a healthy return is expected with break even point reached by December 2007. Mission Statement Our Mission. To facilitate web users in instantly assessing the quality of a web site. Grading web sites on each subject based on quality will be a key facet of the mission. To create excellence on the web by generating a hierarchy of gradation for web sites will be inclusive in the overall mission. To improve the overall content on the web will be the underlying theme of the mission. Needs Proliferation of web sites as well as the large number of users of the web has created a new market for certification of the best sites based on quality and accuracy of content, timeliness in publication and credibility. This will provide a service to both the user as well as the web site provider. While the user will be able to gravitate to the best web site on a subject, the provider will attempt to improve his content based on authenticity of information, the assessed market needs of the users and the latest web and communication technologies available. This will greatly facilitate all users such as researchers and students who will get a certified source, the e purchaser, and an authenticated, best bargain without cheating and the business person timely information of opportunities available for commerce to beat the competition. A certified web site rating system will greatly improve the overall quality of the web as it will assist in establishing uniform standards, motivate investments in using state of the art technologies by web sites, adoption of best practices and sustained support will be available through government policies. Objectives The objectives of Cyber Rater will flow from its mission which is to facilitate web users in assessing the quality of a web site thereby enabling them to home on to the best in each category. The objectives will be broken down into three criteria as given below:- Objectives Related to Users Objective 1. To provide the user information of the quality of the web site he is accessing to do commerce, interact socially or merely to gain information on a subject. Objective 2. To provide knowledge workers assurance of the information that is being accessed by them on the web. This will overcome the present lack of credibility of most web sources for research. Objective 3. To provide the user with authentic and original information, free of copy right, trade mark or patent infringement. This will avoid the embarrassment as well possible legal action at a later stage. Objectives Related To Web Sites Objective 1. To provide a forum for quality web sites to propagate their value on the web. This will also enable them an opportunity to increase their popularity and revenues. Objective 2. To generate impetus for improving the overall quality of web sites and web content by creating a hierarchy of excellence. Objective 3. To disfranchise those web site providers who are not able to provide quality and authenticity to continue on the web. This will come about by their non certification, non access over a period by the user and thus a virtual demise due to infrequent access. Objectives Related to Business Objective 1. To follow the highest standards of ethics and values. This is essential to every rating agency and will enable maintenance of credibility and thus attract maximum business in the long term. Objective 2. To attract the best talent in the profession. This alone will ensure that the assessments made would maintain an even standard and are free from biases of lack of knowledge as well as judgment. Objective 3. To employ the best technologies available in the field and continue to constantly upgrade them. Objective 3. To ensure the financial viability of the business and break even within one year. References 1. Webserver Survey. 2006. June 2006 Webserver Survey. http://news. netcraft. com/archives/2006/06/04/june_2006_web_server_survey. html (24 June 2006). 2. World Internet Usage. 2006. Internet Usage Statistics: The Big Picture. http://www. internetworldstats. com/stats. htm. (24 June 2006).

Monday, October 14, 2019

Performance Objectives At The Dell Company

Performance Objectives At The Dell Company Dell is concerned about the satisfaction of the customers requirements. The company is also having an eye on the price factor. Furthermore Dell is helping its own suppliers to improve the services they are offering to the company. In regards to Dell, here are the basic five performance objectives of Dell. This includes Quality, Speed. Dependability, Flexibility, Cost (Slack, N. Et al, 2001) The performance objectives in accordance to the company Dell. Quality Doing the things in the right way by providing the error free goods and services, which will satisfy the needs of customers, is known as the quality. According to many case studies, IBM products are ranked as the top of the year in the third party customer surveys. Dell Assembling and manufacturing process covers assembly and software installation of the computer system, also it includes the functional testing and quality control. Most of the company operations are done in house to measure and keep the quality high. Speed The second performance objective is the speed, which means that by doing things fastly is the key feature of the best companies. It also covers to minimise the time between the order and the availability of the product or service that the customer a speed advantage. The techniques of Dell are focused to the operations that have reduced complexity by using simple and small process which have reduced complexity. By arranging layout and flow to enhance simplicity improves speed of production. As the era of machines have minimised the working of the human beings. So the company Dell is using the most advanced and simple means of building and assembling the computers. Dependability Dependability is another performance objective of operations. It means that doing things in time for customers to receive the goods or the services when their delivery is promised. The Dell process includes Just-in- time (JIT) production system. To get the good result Dell is holding the multi skilled workers to cope up with its daily business operations. At Dell improving quality and efficiency is a concern for the managers and the technical staff and all other concerned employees. By doing this, Dell is giving a dependability advantage to its customers. Flexibility Dell have the philosophy of responding to the dynamic environment is that organization change their products and services the way do the business. This performance objective is known as flexibility. A clear result of responding to a dynamic environment is that organisation change their products and services and changes the way they do business. This performance objective is known as flexibility. According to research that we must learn to love change and develop flexible and responsive organizations to cope with the dynamic business environments (Peters, T., 1998) In the company Dell, the manufacturing means the ability to adopt its efficient resources so that it can develop new products. On contrary IBM was able to achieve high level of flexibility, producing relatively small batches of different products with little or no loss of productivity and quality. During the past years Dell, has provided range of options that customers are able to choose the example is customised computer system, which user can modify the parts according to their own needs by going on the website of Dell. Cost One of the major Dell operations objectives is to remain the low cost producer. Particularly the companies are competing on the pries is the cost factor. As the low price is the universal attraction for the customers, which can be achieved at producing the low cost. In order to do things cheaply, Dell is looking to be the low cost provider of goods and services. So already the company have planned and on other hand got some operations majorly in china where the cheap labour is available and the factors of production like resources physically available to be remained the low cost producer. Also internally, cost performance is helped by good performance in the other performance objectives that Dell has managed to produce high quality computers at a reasonable price. By improving the quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost operations performance, Dell is a global growth and high percentage of customer satisfaction. Because of the success in the production by using the Just-in-time system of manufacturing and developments, Dell is world known brand. Dell is world leader in supply chain management and it keeps the production cost down with the high quality, maximum speed, on time delivery, flexibility. Dell has the supplies from those companies which are also the market leader in the computer industry. Dell has shifted its operations to different countries like china, Korea and Taiwan in search of the cheap input (raw material and labour). This makes easier for Dell to produce products at a lower cost. Operating continuously gives dependability advantage to its customers by making it easy to deliver its production in the market palace. Using these operations objectives Del has managed to keep its customers happy and compete successfully with other companies in global market. Analysing these characteristics we can say that Dell is a world class company Quality Management Tools at Dell The company Dell is following the Japanese philosophy of lean manufacturing and Just-in-time system which is enabling the company to be the fastest growing company in the Technology market. The basic concept of this system is to reduce the waste and increase the productivity, side by side this system have the efficiency that it reduce the labour cost by cutting the idle working hours for the production of a particular product. Dell computer is participating in both of the above activities and that is why they are the industry leaders. Dell Company has got a warehouse space at their manufacturing plant in which suppliers keep parts directly on site which is a quintessential JIT layout. Further to this the company is using the JIT for its inventories purpose where they are keeping all the inventories for only four days and this is how they are solving the supply chain problems. On the other hand Del is maintaining the Just In Time inventory level as it is a part of JIT scheduling. By introducing such systems Dell Company is working to reduce inventory to the lowest possible working levels. Secondly by introducing such systems Dell is adjusting its schedule of ordering and delivering the computer systems. This is also filling the gap of communication both up and down of supply chain management. The word partnership is the only key to success for making JIT truly working. A firm particularly cannot implement the JIT system by itself. It must be having a complete cooperation with its supply chain. The company have successfully implemented the concept of JIT. For that reasons Dell have particularly formed and nurtured a demanding relationship with its partners. That is why Dell and its suppliers are working a one company. Why Dell is the best example of JIT, because Dell has its suppliers store raw materials directly at the manufacturing plants. The whole scenario of lean manufacturing can be shown in the diagram below: (www.dynarax.es) The other concepts of Just In Time system also needed to be introduced if the company is going for the lean manufacturing systems. The first thing that Dell makes is the rule of continuous improvement in its processes and products by means of quality and for production efficiency is another tool for that. To achieve its best Dell is always looking for the innovative ways to solve problems and increase focus on the quality of its suppliers. Dell believes that all are the cornerstones of JIT system. On the other hand Dell is working its best to the workforce to get indulge them into the JIT system. The company have the philosophy that without the dedication of the workforce, any invention will fail. On contrary Dell is using the simple way to achieve workforce commitment. Dell is providing the facility of training its employees outside their work environments and business functions and also company is helping them to increase the problem solving ability. Dell also believes that by practicing the above exercise the firm is empowering and giving the employees an overall view of the entire Dell operations, not just their single job. By doing this dell is supporting from the management side also they are increasing the resources to solve problems and an increase in employee roles and responsibilities. The workforce automatically feels empowered and works to make Just In Time a success for the business of Dell. Benefits to Dell Following are benefits which Dell has achieved so far by implementing the JIT system in its operations. JIT enabled Dell to be cost effective, more efficient and customer responsive. It enabled the company to purchase and store the components just before they are needed in the assembly line. This is how Dell is cutting the cost of housing and managing the idle parts of computers. The company Dell enabled its suppliers to store their products in the Dell owned warehouses near to the assembling plants which is enabling Dell to produce double as compared to its production in past. Dells keep the inventory for only four days; this is enabling the firm in operating context the size and the production technology management. JIT enabling the company to remain dealing with its other operation and process of production rather to stuck with inventory that may become obsolete. Dell is also enabled with the waste management system by introducing the JIT system. JIT In Practice Dell is a well known brand which is operating in the business of Technology. This is a only company that is effectively utilising Just in time system. Dell has the revolution of selling the personal computer system using the direct business model. According to this model Dell is taking the orders directly from the customers. This is how they are reducing the inventory and managing the distribution of its products. According to this model Dell start assembling the product when they receive the customer order. For this particular purpose Dell have introduced the pull system within the supply chain. A pull system is a reactive system, it start responding when customers order something from the company. This unique system is making Dell to remain competitive with in the industry on computer systems. The company Dell use to keep their inventory for a week almost. This is providing Dell with a time to market its product as a market leader. Also it is enabling the customers to get the fresh, latest and greatest technology of processors and all associated operating system currently introduced in the market. The minimal inventory helps Dell with the economic advantage. Because according to a research the value of the computer components and manufacturing material declines about one percent per week. The one week inventory system also minimises a customers ability to change their desires before they receive their product. The company Dell is using the JIT system which is resulting in the cost saving, superior customers satisfaction, limited waste and the ability to provide their suppliers with more information. In the end it is making Dell an industry leader and the company which holds minimal inventory (www.academicmind.com) Conclusion While concluding the report for Dell, it is important to say that there are many factors which ar enabling the company to be an effective organization and the operations objectives and the JIT system of manufacturing is also allowing the company to remain as the market leader in the computer industry.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Eichmann, the Banality of Evil, and Thinking in Arendts Thought Essay

Eichmann, the Banality of Evil, and Thinking in Arendt's Thought* ABSTRACT: I analyze the ways in which the faculty of thinking can avoid evil action, taking into account Hannah Arendt's discussion regarding the banality of evil and thoughtlessness in connection with the Eichmann trial. I focus on the following question posed by Arendt: "Could the activity of thinking as such, the habit of examining and reflecting upon whatever happens to come to pass, regardless of specific content and quite independent of results, could this activity be of such a nature that it 'conditions' men against evildoing?" Examples of the connection between evildoing and thinking include the distinction between the commonplace and the banal, and the absence of the depth characteristic of banality and the necessity of thinking as the means for depth. I then focus upon Arendt's model thinker (Socrates) and argue that the faculty of thinking works to avoid evildoing by utilizing the Socratic principle of noncontradiction. "What is the subject of our thought? Experience! Nothing else!" (1) (Hannah Arendt) Eichmann in Jerusalem (2) was originated when Hannah Arendt went to Jerusalem in order to report, for The New Yorker, on the trial of Otto Adolf Eichmann, (3) who was acused of crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The trial began in April 15, 1961. The New York Times had announced Eichmann's capture by Israeli agents in Argentina, in May 24, 1960. Israel and Argentina had discussed Eichmann's extradition to Israel, and the United Nations finally decided the legality of Jerusalem Trial. After the confirmation that Eichamnn was to be judged in Israel, Arendt asked The New Yorker's director, William Shamn, to ... ... (29) Ibid. (30) 'Ibid. (31) See, in this regard, TMC, p. 425. (32) TMC, p. 423. (33) LM p. 168. (34) LM., p. 180. (35) (Protagoras, 339c.) LM p.186. (36) The first part of the Morality Lectures 1995, given by Arendt at New School, was published as "Some Questions of Moral Philosophy." In Social Research, Vol. 61, No. 4 (Winter 1994), pp. 739-64. The other three parts remain unpublished as "Some Questions of Moral Philosophy". Morality Lectures 1965, New School for Social Research, Hannah Arendt's Papers, The Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, container 45. We will take the following systematic: 'Some Questions of Moral Philosophy I' for the part published and 'Some Questions of Moral Philosophy II' for the unpublished one. This quotation is in 'Some Questions of Moral Philosophy II' 024633. (37) Ibid., 024636. (38) LM., p. 193.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Essays --

some lawsuits to go forward against the government is limited for policy reasons. This is because these suits may hold the government responsible for too many misfortunes, or prevent the government of agency from engaging in certain duties without the threat of exorbitant financial responsibility. The second prong of the Anns test thus prevents the government from becoming an insurer of all potential harm which the government is found to have a proximate relationship to. The test set forth in Anns is important to understand when discussing Cooper v. Hobart, which was adopted as the test for the duty of care for the government and its agencies after Kamloops v. Nielson. This is because Cooper v. Hobart is the case which is said to have redefined Anns into the current standard, the Cooper-Anns test. Facts of Cooper v. Hobart Cooper v. Hobart is a case involving the Registrar of Mortgage Brokers, a statutory regulator of mortgage licenses. In the case, Eron Mortgage Corporation was a mortgage broker as defined by the Mortgage Broker’s Act. â€Å"Eron acted as a mortgage broker for large syndicated loans. It arranged for numerous lenders (or investors) to pool their funds for the purpose of making a single loan to a borrower, which was typically a developer of commercial real estate. The syndicated loans were made in the name of Eron or one of its related companies, which held the security in a trust for the investors. Cooper, an investor, had advanced money to Eron. Hobart, in his official capacity as Mortgage Broker Registrar, suspended Eron’s mortgage broker’s license in October of 1997 because Eron was allegedly using the funds of their investors for unauthorized purposes. Shortly after the suspension of its license, Eron we... ...tending the current duty of care to a new duty of care, there were policy reason to find that there was not a proximate enough relationship between Cooper and the Registrar to establish a duty of care. The Registrar’s duties under the statute did not give rise to a duty of care to the plaintiff. However, as the new Cooper-Anns test includes the considerations of policy at both stages of the analysis, one can assume that if policy reasons are in favor of recognizing a new duty of care, the court will, in fact, recognize it. There is a question of whether the court should have recognized a new duty of care in Cooper v. Hobart. In the Hobart case, the statute did not establish a duty of care to the plaintiffs/investors. Furthermore, the Registrar owes a duty to act in the interest of the public at large which may at time have competing interests with investors.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Defining Experience

I have always considered myself an open and welcome person who treated everyone fairly. Other people that I knew would often express views that people, who lived in the United States, whether legally or not, should learn how to speak â€Å"our† language. While I tended to agree with them I never gave it much thought, until I found myself in a foreign country, and unable to speak the language. It was there that I learned, not only how it felt to not be able to communicate easily, but to be more tolerant of other people’s non-native speaking. I have always loved to travel with family and friends, and there was no better time than when I was living and working in Serbia. While I worked with people from many nationalities most, if not all, spoke the English language. I took this for granted, and while I made some attempts to learn new languages, I did not try too hard. After a particularly stressful month of work I felt the need to get away from it all, to rest and relax, and to broaden my perspective of the world. I made reservations for six solo days of scuba diving in Croatia. I was excited, nervous, even a little scared of traveling alone. I told myself that I’m 36 years old, have two kids, and lived in another country, so I held my head high, bid my friends farewell and took off. Upon arrival in Croatia I picked up my rental car at the airport in Zagreb. I got on the A1 motorway and pointed the Fiat Punta south towards the small fishing village of Rocogniza. I arrived there late in the afternoon and promptly found the dive shop that had arranged all my accommodations. I settled in and then set off into the village to explore and buy food to prepare for dinner. The sun was shining and felt warm as I parked my car started walking towards the village. I traveled past centuries old houses, a large stone Orthodox Christian church, and into the village. Once in the village I saw the bustle of people coming to and from the outdoor market and the fisher men peddling their catches along the dock. There were people of all ages in the town centre, young kids playing, and elderly people sitting at the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s talking. I walked through the market and saw a very old lady selling fresh fruits and vegetables. I stopped at her cart and she was very warm, with bright eyes, a big smile on her face, and arms opened as if she were going to hug those around her. I said hello to the old lady who only nodded and I realized that she did not speak English. Even though there was a language barrier I was able to purchase the fresh fruit and vegetables that I would need for the next few days. I then walked to the docks and again I was greeted with a warm welcome by the fishermen. I bought several mackerel, red mullet, and bukva, more that I needed, thanked the fishermen and bid them farewell. After making my purchases I stopped at a small cafà © to have a coffee. The waiter Mario, whose brother was always living and working in Kosovo, spoke almost perfect English. I sat at that cafà © for several hours talking with Mario. Mario told me about the people of his village, how they had survived through the war, and how the Croatian people generally loved having foreigners visit their great land. Although I hated for our talk to end, I had to bid Mario farewell, and head out before dark. As I left the village I turned back and looked towards the small fishing village that I had just visited. I thought about the warm and welcoming reception that I had received and that I would always remember the people that I had met. I also thought about those people who come to the United States to either visit or in search of a better life for the families. I vowed to myself that I would learn some of the local language while traveling in other countries. This experience also changed the way that I would interact with people who were in my own country and did not know how to speak what we consider â€Å"our† language.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Lysistrata

C/LT 320I: Notes on Greek Comedy and Lysistrata Waters/Fall 2011 this play acts as prophecy- war will destroy Pretext for Aristophanes’ Lysistrata (411 BCE)Homeric Epics- the bible for the greeks, the Iliad (more concerned with the war-translates as a catastrophe) and the odyssey, everybody looses type of thing, 1200bce, trojan war didn't happen, 1870 AD, Phallic Rituals- create something tall and worship it, masculine virility, ritual celebration, center of orgies and animal sacrifice, every woman has to get pregnant if they can, Dithyramb- chorus, both people and song, groups of farmers and shepards and practice and compete with song and dance, friendly competition, chorus never interacts with the main action- too busy bickering amongst their selves, Satyr Plays- satire- short comic skits done as popular entertainment, variations of themes, goatmen playing songs, structured like a bugs bunny cartoon, seduction songs ( forbidden fruit), satrys always get what they want, mood pieces ( gets people in the â€Å"mood†) Dionysus- story in spring, athens is greatest city at the time, god to celebrate, god of wine and feasting- the party god, is part human, the god most like us, he is constantly at war with himself, circular, father zeus + mother nymph, comic split- pulled between two worlds, always over does it Peloponnesian War (Athens v. Sparta) 15 years, spartans won, quagmire, end 6 years later with athens losing, alternative to self destruction, Characteristics of Greek Old ComedyAgon- means the problem, WAR, agonY, active and passive, explicit and inplicit, agon is active in lysistrata, comedy acts as a prophecy, Parabasis- seculusion of the dithyramb, â€Å"next to or simile† something like a doctor, basis foundation, parallel basis for pushing it forward, exaggeration variation of the agon of the play, is a point in the play when all of the actors leave the stage and thechorus is left to address the audience directly. The chorus partiall y or completely abandons its dramatic role to talk to the audience on a topic completely irrelevant to the subject of the play. Episodes- shorter punchier scenes at the end, pays off of initial investment, content gives way to pure form archetype: alazon is the baggard male, macho figure who needs to be brought down by clever servant miles gloriosus- † braggart solider† – boastful soldier, a posturing and self- deceiving boaster or bully igon- clever servant trong woman,Alazon- baggard male, macho figure who needs to be brought down by the clever servant Eiron-The modern term irony is derived from the eiron of the classical Greek theatre. Irony is the difference between the actual meaning of a something and the apparent meaning. [4] The eiron would frequently triumph over the alazon by making himself appear less than he actually is. ( the clever servant), Eiron usually succeeds in bringing his braggart opponenet ( alazon) down by making himself seem like less than he actually was Techne/Skene- stage, balconies, things high and above, tall massive backdrop, Orchestra- † pit† dancing place, social dance, costumes, megaphones, refer to paper Comic Effect in LysistrataScatology- humor based on bodily functions, gags that makes us go ew Reification- stereotyping, breaking down human beings into a cartoon, archetypes-caricatures, reification is always negatives, break down to appearance, attitude, things that make people vulnerable, think of lampido, the woman at the end as an object Anachronism- something that breaks us out of time, nobody is reading it in its time it is set, look for the ways translater takes the jokes that applies it to the current audience Anthropomorphism- attribution of human characteristics to non-human things, Early Comic Theory Aristotle, Poetics (ca. 350 BCE): Mimesis- name of the goddess of revenge, â€Å"to give what is due† Catharsis- purification or purgation of emotions that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tensionHubris- extreme pride or arrogance, indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence and abilities ( especially when the person is in power) ; arrogance before the gods, defiance of authority after pelponesian war, aristotle- important greek philosopher, poetics- how to tell a story, how to make the relate to life itself, dramatic narrative ( most important, most like us) not narrative or visual, mimesis- imitates life, how does the story imitate experience, we are attracted to the spectacular imitation of life, imitation of the spiritual, how does the play make us think about ourselves, aspiration validation, catharsis- emotional release, taking away the lesson, hubris- defiance of the gods, defying any type of authority, comedy gives us a false sense of liberty,

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

What was the impact of Soviets and American policies on the Middle Essay

What was the impact of Soviets and American policies on the Middle East - Essay Example The impact is usually characterised as the Israeli-Arab conflict which is not only attributed to super and world power intervention during the Second World War, but perpetuated and exacerbated by US and Soviet intervention during the Cold War Era (Azar, Jureidini & McLaurin, 1978). During the period from the Second World War to the end of the Cold War, the Middle East has been a cauldron of tensions and conflicts with major conflicts primarily concentrated around the Israeli-Arab conflict (Shlaim, 1996). Using the balance of power theory, this paper will analyse how and to what extent US and Soviet policies in the Middle East produced and/or contributed to these conflicts. These conflicts are arguably the main impact of US and Soviet policies in the Middle East. The classical balance of power theory argues that states align their allies and interests in the creation of an international system that ensures that no state is possessed of â€Å"overwhelming power† or dominancy over other states (Chatterjee, 1972, p. 51). The modified version of the balance of power theory is more appropriate to studies of Soviet and US relations and their policies in the Middle East. In this modified version of the balance of power theory, each of the super powers aligned their allies and interest in the Middle East as a means of preventing the spread and influence of the other super power in the region and globally (Walt, 1985). Under the modified version of the balance of power theory, competing states respond to one another in that when one state pursues hegemony aggressively through alignment with other states, the competing state will attempt to match that aggressive alignment (Walt, 1985). The US and the Soviet Union persistently attempted to â€Å"balance against aggregate power† (Walt, 1985, p. 35). As Walt (1985) explained, the US and the USSR saw each other as the â€Å"other’s greatest potential threat† and devoted their

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

The Christian Tradition Course Paper Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Christian Tradition Course Paper Two - Essay Example Christians believe in the existence responsibility as a service to Christ. Therefore, they need to identify religious beliefs of people around them, whether Christians or non-Christians as this will help in solving significant issues in life because people are able to understand their religious differences. This can be achieved through discussion of the spiritual lives of those people. He encourages Christians to participate actively in such discussions. In order to demonstrate the compassion as that of Christ, Christians ought to go down to the level of those people, rather than hope that they will grow to their (Christians) level (Millard 220). 2. The church is one aspect of what Christians understand to be the work of Jesus. Describe what Christians believe about the church and show in what way this belief leads to a view of how humans ought to live together in community. Christians believe that since Jesus founded the church, he came on earth as the son of God to save humanity from sins. In his quest to rescue human race, he was killed as a religious heretic but rose from the darkness of death and eventually ascended to heaven. Since Jesus came for everybody in the world, Christian’s belief people ought to live together in unity as described in the book of John 17: 21. The core aspect to people living in unity is the attachment to the Apostle creed or structures, which stipulate significant values and doctrine that Christians, need to follow. In addition, Christians understand and believe that the church is the body of believers called by God to live as his children under the power of Jesus Christ. The book Ephesians (1:22) asserts that all believers are bound and protected by the blood of Jesus (Millard 243). 3. Christians call the various ways they talk about who Jesus is â€Å"Christology.† Talk about at least three ways that

Monday, October 7, 2019

Business Analytics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Analytics - Coursework Example From SPSS’s output on table 1 under Appendix A, the number of respondents that took part in the survey are 332 using varying scales to code their responses. For the word of mouth (WOM), the minimum and maximum values for testing included 1 and 7 respectively while that of trust and attitude was 1 & 7 and 1 & 9 respectively. However, for the age and monthly income, it shows that the minimum age of the participants was 18 years and the maximum was 72 years while the minimum and maximum monthly income was 400 and 10000 respectively. The mean for word of mouth, trust, and attitude is 3.34, 3.35, and 5.12 respectively indicating that the responses were not skewed to the left or the right. This situation shows that respondents showed almost equal distribution around very high and very low account of WOM, trust, and attitudes. The mean age for the respondents was 35.10 year coupled with a standard deviation from the mean of  ±13.898 (14 years). Lastly, the mean and standard deviati on from the mean for monthly income for the respondents is $1893.07 and $1355.696 respectively. With relation to regression analysis, table 3 under Appendix B shows the r-squared value of 0.183 with an adjusted value of 0.170. This means that monthly income, trust, age, attitude, and word of mouth have a low correlation of 18.3% with an adjusted correlation of 17%. Under R-Squared, this values show that the benchmark expectation and the output do not correlate effectively and therefore, the tested variables do not move in the same direction do not respond to the benchmark values (see full SPSS output under Appendix B). The interpretation of the output considered the regressions predictor which shows the differences in response per unit. The total responses and the respondents are 332 which in relation to the output, the constant shows the valid number of responses. This, in addition,

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Advantage and Disadvantage of Electrical Pre-fabricated cable Dissertation

Advantage and Disadvantage of Electrical Pre-fabricated cable - Dissertation Example Regardless of mixed reactions, it has been known for long periods of time that the preassembled electrical components have several benefits and problems. This research paper has, therefore, identified both the advantages and disadvantages of employing pre-fabricated electrical cables and other electrical components in electrical installation. The research paper has also explored the impacts of prefabrication technology on electrical installation and construction industry at large. In addition to identifying the advantages and disadvantages of employing pre-fabricated electrical cables, research paper has investigated the current trends in the use of prefabrication technology. The paper has also discussed how the prefabricated electrical cables are applied or used in the construction and electrical installation industry. In order to achieve its objectives, the research involved both secondary and primary data. With the regard to primary data, qualitative research was carried to gather the perceptions of public (particularly those who have some on knowledge on prefabricated and on-site fabricated electrical cables) and contractors regarding the advantages and disadvantages prefabricated electrical cables. In this case, a number of electricians and contractors were interviewed in the quantitative research part of the dissertation. In the case of the secondary data, qualitative research was carried out on the organizations that produce (manufacture) these prefabricated electrical cables. ... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I take this opportunity to acknowledge with great thanks the contributions that have been made towards the completion of this research by my Supervisor. I further take this precious time to acknowledge the contribution made by friends, classmates and family members towards the contribution made towards the completion of this project (dissertation). TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.INTRODUCTION 8 1.2 Research Aims and Objectives 9 1.3 Research problem statement 9 2.LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1 Description of Terms and Expressions 10 2.1.1 Prefabrication 11 2.1.2 Modularization 11 2.1.3 Preassembly 12 2.1.4 Industrialization 12 2.1.5 Prework methods of manufacturing 13 2.1.4 Advantages of prework methods of manufacturing 13 2.1.4 Disadvantages of pre-work methods of manufacturing 15 2.2 Trends and historical development of Prefabrication of electrical cables 16 2.2.1 Challenges that have faced prefabrication of electrical components 17 2.2.2 Trends and evolution of prefabrication 19 2. 3 Prefabricated Components in general 19 2.3.1 Advantages of Prefabricated components in general 20 2.3.2 Disadvantages of the prefabricated components in general 21 2.4 Prefabricated electrical cables. 22 2.4.1 Advantages and disadvantages of using prefabricated electrical cables and components 23 2.5 Application of Prefabricated electrical cables 26 2.5.1 Prefabricated electrical wiring systems 26 2.5.2 Merits of Prefabricated electrical wiring systems 27 2.5.3 Demerits of Prefabricated electrical wiring systems 30 2.5.4 The Basics of Prefabricated (Modular) electrical wiring systems 31 2.5.5 Perceptions associated with the adoption of Prefabricated wiring systems 33

Saturday, October 5, 2019

White Knight and Its Problems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 42

White Knight and Its Problems - Case Study Example As the paper highlights, most of the agents were employed on a temporary basis. This indicates that there were fewer agents compared to customers that needed to be served, hence the problem of delays at the company’s call Centre. Secondly, there is a possibility that the temporary staff did not get adequate mentorship as well as the standards required to attend to customers at the call Centre. This might be because of the company relying only on the permanent staff to mentor the temporary staff, rather than to use other external assistance. In addition, the company might be offering less salary making most people to seek employment from other similar jobs within the industry. Thirdly, there might have been a low employee’s morale at the call Centre since there was a flat rate salary for all employees. To add on, most employees at a call centre might not have qualified for the job since they lacked the required competencies, skills as well as personal characteristics tha t could suit them for the job. Finally, The Company might have been lacking proper coordination for the services at the call Centre; this is because they had inadequate leadership qualities. The company can use several approaches to improve the performance at the call Centre. First, the company ought to employ monitoring and evaluation approach, which enable keen follow up of employees attendance to customer related services at the call Centre. Subsequently, they will then evaluate these employees according to how they respond to customers. Secondly, the company should use the approach of focusing on the continuous improvement, for instance, the company should concentrate on methods of improving their services from time to time. Finally, the company should ensure that their activities are linked to their overall strategy.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Directions in Language Essay Example for Free

Directions in Language Essay On this essay we are going to expressly talk on promoting Academic Success for ESL Students and also understanding second language acquisition for school, I will take my time to explain Linguistic processes and discusses the linguistic processes of first and second language acquisition. First language acquisition is a complex, lifelong process. And I will also explain in detail the influential factors of social and cultural processes on all aspects of linguistic, cognitive, and academic development. Students that are in English speaking Countries, who English language is very new to need to acquire profiency in the language, and this same student need to learn some things in addition such as, to learn a range of academic content, some of which they are very new to. Now let us look through these major model factors. The model defines factors that enable predictions to be made regarding English learners’ degree of second language acquisition in an academic context. Taking a critical look from the authors angle describe in detail the dimensions and components of the model and gives more clearly several currently popular types of education programs for English language learners in the United States. Such as their degree of adherence to the model. Finally, we compare the predictions of the model, using predicted rankings of relative program success, to the actual measured effectiveness of each program in producing varying degrees of English learners’ achievement gap closure with mother tongue-English speakers. Promoting Academic Success for ESL Students We are going to look critically at, why is necessary to promote academic success for ESL students and Understanding second language acquisition for school. In the recent research by (Thomas Collier, 1995) shows that when examining interactions among student background you can deduce the difference in treatment and variables and their influence on student outcomes. The two-way bilingual education at the elementary school level which was found has giving a promising program model for the long-term academic success for language minority students. Language acquisition over the years has recently become a thing of necessity for every ESL students, acquiring language as a major tool for effective learning and successful years of study. In a scenario ESL student in country such as USA. It becomes a must for such a student to learn second language, if not it will be a little bit difficulty for such a student to learn fast and even relate with other friends around. ESL students must be encouraged to relate with English speakers and language minority students learning academically through each others languages. (Virginia, George Mason University, 1995). Perceptions among staff, students, and parents that it is a gifted and talented program, leading to high expectations for student performance with this kind of influence given to both languages a level of language stability would be achieved to a large extent creating self-confidence among language minority students. The duty of parents to promote both language minority and language majority for closer home-school cooperation can not be over emphasized to help in promoting the influence academic success for ESL Student, their must be cordial relationship between ESL students and Teachers/lectures or between ESL students and other colleagues and more so between wards/guardian and ESL students and the school authorities. We must watchfully guide against racism around us and protect the interest of ESL Students. The continuous support for staff development, emphasizing whole language approaches, natural language acquisition through all content areas, cooperative learning, interactive and discovery learning, and cognitive complexity of the curriculum for all proficiency levels. . (Virginia, George mason university, 1995). The linguistic processes of first and second language acquisition: The lifelong process: For us to really understand the progresses in language acquisition during the school years, it is expedient to recognize the complex, lifelong processes we actually go through to acquire our first language and second language acquisition in parallel processes. The complex oral language development system from birth to age five is universal, without any physical disabilities or isolation from humans. But the most talented five-year-old child entering pre-nursery is not yet half-way through the process of first language development. Research heard it that Children from ages 6 to 12 will continue to acquire steady or continuous distinctions, formal discourse patterns, vocabulary, syntax, semantics, and complex aspects of pragmatics in the oral system of their first language (Berko Gleason, 1993). More so, children that are properly brought up in this level adding reading and writing to the language of listening and speaking across the globe are usually very intelligent, skilled and increase in grades level and a clear increase in language academics subject. Adolescent that eventually gained admission into high school must have learned and acquired lots of vocabulary in every discipline of study and will continue to acquire more writing skills, this process continues like that till you get to adult age. Adult age is very sensitive age as language acquisition is concerned, as an adult you may not be able to learn too more language than your first language you had acquired. So first language acquisition is an unending process throughout our lifetime (Berko Gleason, 1993; Collier, 1992a). Let us take a look Second language acquisition is also a complex phenomenon. We use some of the same processes we have used to acquire our first language, going through progressive stages and relying on native speakers to provide modified speech that we can at least partially comprehend. The influential factors of social and cultural processes There are four major component of model namely, sociocultural, linguistic, academic, and cognitive processes. These four components are interrelated together and for you to really understand their importance in developing second language acquisition processes that occurs in the school context. There is a figure below to show the interrelationship between the four components. Figure 1 Language Acquisition for School (Virginia P. Collier, 1994. ) Sociocultural processes At the center of the figure above, you will notice that other components are surrounding social and cultural processes through the process of acquiring a second language in school. It is Central to that students acquisition of language are all of the surrounding social and cultural processes occurring through everyday life within the students past, present, and future, in all contexts-home, school, community, and the broader society. The work of Sociocultural may include individual student variables such as self-esteem or anxiety or other affective factors processes in promoting second language acquisition. These factors can strongly influence the students response to the new language, affecting the process positively only when the student is in a socioculturally supportive environment. Linguistic processes: A second component of the model, consist of the technical aspects of language development â€Å"(an innate ability all humans possess for acquisition of oral language)†, as well as the acquisition of the written system of language metalinguistic, conscious and formal teaching of language in school. First and second languages across globe include the acquisition of the oral and written systems of the students, such as phonology, vocabulary, morphology and syntax, semantics, Pragmatics, paralinguistic, and discourse. (Virginia 1994. ) Academic development. A third component of the model, academic development, includes all school work in language arts, mathematics, the sciences, and social studies for each grade level, Grades K-12 and beyond. It this succeeding grade, academic work dramatically expands the vocabulary, sociolinguistic, and discourse dimensions of language to higher cognitive levels. Academic knowledge and conceptual development transfer from the first language to the second language; thus it is most efficient to develop academic work through students first language, while teaching the second language during other periods of the school day through meaningful academic content. In earlier decades in the United States, we emphasized teaching the second language as the first step, and postponed the teaching of academics. Research has shown us that postponing or interrupting academic development is likely to promote academic failure. In information driven society that demands more knowledge processing with each succeeding year, students cannot afford the lost time. (Virginia 1994. ) Cognitive development: The fourth component of this model, the cognitive dimension, has been mostly neglected by second language educators in the U. S. until the past decade. In language teaching, we simplified, structured, and sequenced language curricula during the 1970s, and when we added academic content into our language lessons in the 1980s, we watered down academics into cognitively simple. (Virginia 1994. ) Tasks we also too often neglected the crucial role of cognitive development in the first language. Now we know from our growing research base that we must address all of these components equally if we are to succeed in developing deep academic proficiency in a second language. Interdependence of the four components All of these four components-sociocultural, academic, cognitive, and linguistic-are interdependent. If one is developed to the neglect of another, this may be detrimental to a students overall growth and future success. The academic, cognitive, and linguistic components must be viewed as developmental, and for the child, adolescent, and young adult still going through the process of formal schooling, development of any one of these three components depends critically on simultaneous development of the other two, through both first and second languages. Sociocultural processes strongly influence, in both positive and negative ways, students access to cognitive, academic, and language development. It is widely advice and crucial that educators provide a socioculturally supportive school environment that enable natural language, academic, and cognitive development to flourish. (Virginia 1994) Conclusion These few points raised above I belief has shown the importance of Language Acquisition for ESL students, crucially I have been able to raise some reasonable points concerning, understanding the relevance of Language Acquisition for ESL student. Promoting academic success for ESL students Understanding second language acquisition for school Then I have been able discuss the linguistic processes of first and second language acquisition which also link to First language acquisition is a complex, lifelong process. More so, I have been able to explain the very importantly the influential factors of social and cultural processes on all aspects of linguistic, cognitive, and academic development and interrelationship between these component and why they must be put in place, if we really want to promote Language Acquisition for ESL students. Without bordering our minds for ever am sure that these points contributed have immensely added to effect of promoting Language Acquisition for ESL students, understanding the importance of first language and second language acquisition and also the processes involved in learning these first and second language. The component involved in enhancing the Language Acquisition had been enumerated above. Reference Berko Gleason, (1993); Collier, (1992) Collier P Virginia, (1995). Directions in Language Education National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. George Mason University. Vol. 1, No. 4, Collier. P. Virginia, (1997). Promoting academic success for ESL students Understanding second language acquisition for school (3rd ed. ). Woodside, NY: Bastos. Thomas Collier, (1995).

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Defining The Winners And Losers English Literature Essay

Defining The Winners And Losers English Literature Essay Winning isnt everything, its the only thing (Lattterell 210). Spoken by one of the most well-known football coaches ever, Vince Lombardi sums up the value America places on competition in this quote. America is dominated by the cultural assumption that the role competition plays in the United States is to define winners and losers. While the assumption does value hard work, perseverance, and giving all ones got as a pathway to become a winner as well as whoever or whatever one dreams of being in life, the assumption fails to recognize Americans obsessions with the infinite new ways they concoct just to prove themselves as winners. In addition, the assumption does not take into account the way competition can turn into an out-of-control complete loss of civility (Latterell 211-213). Even more so, defining winners and losers causes Americans to value the extrinsic rewards for competing instead of looking at the value of intrinsic motivation and cooperation (Latterell 213-214). Joshua D avis and Alfie Kohn each question the assumption that constitutes almost every aspect of Americans lives and reflects Americas obsession with defining winners and losers. To begin with, Joshua Davis looks at the American cultural assumption on competition in his essay Team USA by looking at how it played a role in his own life. From early childhood, Davis had been influenced by his mother to become the champion she had never become. Ever since his mother place fifth in the 1962 Miss USA contest, she looked to her son to become the champion she had never been. Even after all of her accomplishments, she still saw herself as a loser or just average, and therefore, she wanted her son to become the winner she could no longer become (263-264). As humorous as it sounds, the five-foot-nine-inch, 129-pound data entry clerk looked to fulfill his goal to become a winner in his own right by becoming a professional arm wrestler (262). In the end, Davis made it all the way to the World Arm Wrestling Championships and ended up getting seventeenth in a field of eighteen. Humorously, Davis is now ranked seventeenth in the world for the 132-pound arm wrestling division without even winning one single match (275). Overall, the essay pokes fun at the American ideal that any individual can become a champion and winner if he/she really puts his/her mind to it and give it everything he/she has got. American society is so concerned with being winners that Davis wonders where an average citizen like himself stands out in society (275). The fact that this average citizen, who has been labeled a loser his entire life, becomes an internationally ranked arm wrestler without winning one match reflects Americans absurd desire to prove themselves as winners in any way imaginable. Daviss story is a direct criticism of Americas assumption on the value of competition. It is even essential to take notice of the way Davis criticizes Americas cultural assumption that hard work and extreme effort will get anyone to the top. His essay criticizes the assumption because he became internationally ranked with not one win and not nearly the amount of time and hard work that is needed to reach such a high status. By wri ting about his experience of becoming an internationally ranked arm wrestler through zero wins and no experiences or matches in arm-wrestling in his life prior to the U.S. National Arm Wrestling Championships, the essay further points out the silly, ridiculous, bizarre, and yet comical ways Americans try to prove themselves as winners (265). His mothers disappointment that came from competing in beauty pageants followed by her strong desire to push her own son to the status of champion is a sad representative example of Americas cultural desire to win-at-all-costs for trophies and other extrinsic rewards. The fact that some arm wrestlers had their legs amputated in order to cut off unnecessary weight so that they could have a better advantage at winning the gold is yet another ridiculous extreme people resort to in order to get themselves to the admirable, distinguished status of being a winner (275). Essentially, the essay is a criticism of the value Americans place on being a winn er and the measures people go to in order to become a winner. In No Contest: Play, Fun, and Competition, Alfie Kohn argues against the cultural assumption that competition and defining winners and losers is more enjoyable than play (277). To begin with, Kohn defines play and competition as two separate entities. He sees play as a voluntary and pleasing source of freedom free from being serious and free from the recordings of results and scores because they do not matter in play. Whereas play represents a process orientation (278) that is intrinsically gratifying, competition represents a product orientation (278) that is extrinsically gratifying. Furthermore, competition is strongly regulated with many rules. Motivating Americans for acceptance outside of oneself, competition is very goal-oriented with strong incentives to obtain power, trophies, and/or money (278-280). In competition, someone must end up a loser (286). Kohn makes a very important point in noticing that it is very hard for Americans to enjoy their leisure time when it is filled with competitions that directly resemble corporate America and Americas hierarchical social status system (280). In essence, Kohn is saying that competition especially sports resemble work more than it resembles pleasure and leisure (279). Competitions and sports are mainly getting people ready for a life that is filled with work, competition, and winners and losers (280). One of Kohns most important points is when he states that We have been raised to associate recreation with the win/lose model of our society, to assume that having fun means someone has to end up a loser (286). More importantly is the fact that when a victor is named and receives an external reward for their accomplishment over another person/team, any other gratification that could come from a game is lost. Thus the goal and the focus are only on winning in order to receive societys favor, adoration, and respect (282). In order to give a better expression of what play looks like, it is necessary to at least identify one of the many noncompetitive games cited in his essay. One such example is the cooperative rather than noncompetitive game called Cooperative Bowling. In this example of play, participants try to take down all ten pins in as many rounds as there are players. It is also significant to note that in play others are partners rather than opponents as in competition (288). Overall, Kohns main point he tries to get across is his belief that play not only can be much more enjoyable than the win/lose structure of competition, but that play can also make people an overall better human being than competition can (277). Furthermore, his entire essay helps assert that play has many more benefits compared to the benefits of competition. Kohn uses the unique advantages people think competition offers and shows how they can be just as advantageous if not more when one is involved in play of all kinds. When looking at the unique quality of teamwork, play is more beneficial and enjoyable because teamwork is, simply stated, a cooperative activity aimed at working together towards a common goal. Therefore, since play forces everyone to cooperate together while competition involves one group working against another enemy, play is twice as gratifying as competition is (283). In addition, play can be just as challenging as competition as evidenced by Cooperative Bowlin g (287-288). Play can also involve a determination to beat ones own previous record such as in running to beat ones previous time(s). It is important to note that this example of play does not involve competition because there are no winners or losers; there is only a push to challenge and better oneself rather than compare oneself to others as competition does (284). Every attempt whether failed or succeeded is nonetheless beneficial when a person challenges himself/herself. One key feature of competition is the destruction and disadvantages, that competition, and not play, creates. Competition and play are both similar in that they are supposed to provide large scale participation and enjoyment. However, looking at the rates of participation in North America makes one conclude that competition is not very popular or very much enjoyed. In North America it is not uncommon to lose from 80 to 90 percent of our registered organized sports participants by 15 years of age (285). That statistic alone should stand out as a major drawback of competition since competition is meant to yield vast participation and enjoyment. Even more so, the pervasive competitiveness in childrens athletic programs such as Little League baseball helps one to see the damage competition causes. Angry parents who yell at their children, humiliating them in the process, are such sad sights to see because they only to want to see their children win (286). As a certified soccer referee wh o has refereed for over four years now, I can strongly agree with this statement. Competition and sports are valued and accepted for their hostility, aggression, and violence as well (281). It is hard to correlate competition with fun, enjoyment, and unique advantages with this kind of evidence (286). Findings show that once children are exposed to noncompetitive games they generally prefer these games compared to competitive ones. However, society is socialized and brainwashed into thinking that competition is more enjoyable. When individuals are judged on their own efforts as in play or noncompetitive games and not compared or measured to any other individuals, greater benefits and enjoyment can be obtained (287). Cooperative games offer a satisfaction not only for the success of oneself but also for the success of all involved; sadly, this gratifying advantage is absent from competition (289). In conclusion, America is encompassed with the assumption that the only way to enjoy and benefit from leisure time is to engage in the win/lose model of competition. While competition is unlikely to fade from its high ranks in capitalistic America, it is essential for Americans to look more at play and noncompetitive games as opportunities for fostering social harmony and enjoyment and success for all.