Monday, September 30, 2019

Understanding the US Homeland Security

On June 2002, President George Bush proposed to create the Department of Homeland Security – a move considered to be the most significant transformation of the US government whereby a single department has been tasked to protect America’s homeland from terrorist attacks. As noted in the Department’s website, the vision of the organization is to preserve the freedom of the United States and its homeland. Its mission is to lead the unified national effort to secure America. It has aimed to prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the US. Furthermore, the organization has vowed, as part of its mission, to safe and secure borders, welcome lawful immigrants and visitors, and to promote the free flow of commerce. (US Department of Homeland Security website, 2002) The organizational structure of the Department of Homeland Security has several components which involve resources within Federal, state and local governments. The following are the directorates and their components: Directorate for Preparedness, Directorate for Science and Technology, Directorate for Management, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Office of Operations Coordination, Directorate for Policy, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The Directorate for Preparedness works with state, local, and private sector partners to identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and target resources where risk is greatest, thereby safeguarding our borders, seaports, bridges and highways, and critical information systems. The Office of the Directorate for Science and Technology is the primary research and development arm of the Department. Â  It provides Federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland. The Directorate for Management is responsible for Department budgets and appropriations, expenditure of funds, accounting and finance, procurement; human resources, information technology systems, facilities and equipment, and the identification and tracking of performance measurements. Finally, the Directorate for Policy works to enhance the nuclear detection efforts of Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments, and the private sector and to ensure a coordinated response to such threats. (US Department of Homeland Security website, 2002) Aside from the Offices of the Directorates, the US Homeland Department also has independent organizations including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Borders Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Citizenship and Immigration Services, the US Coast Guard, and the US Secret Service. The functions and main responsibilities of these agencies are as follows: FEMA prepares the nation for hazards, manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program. TSA protects the nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. Customs and Borders Protection is responsible for protecting America’s borders in order to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. ICE is responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center provides career-long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently. Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities. The US Coast Guard protects the public, the environment, and U.S. economic interests—in the nation’s ports and waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region as required to support national security. (US Department of Homeland Security website, 2002) Conclusion and analysis The aftermath of 9/11 has made America more conscious of its homeland security. And rightfully, it is so. The loss of innocent lives and the repercussions it made to the economy of the United States will serve as a reminder that we have to be on vigilant on the evil motives of some countries. The current structure of the US Department of Homeland Security has so far proven itself effective in carrying out its primary task of protecting America and its citizens against any threat to the nation’s freedom and independence. After carefully identifying and studying the organization chart of the Department of Homeland Security, I am of the opinion that everything has been placed exactly where they should be. Obviously, the move to cluster all agencies related to security and the protection of America’s homeland was carefully thought out. So far, the issue on security and preparedness in terms of calamities, whether natural or otherwise, has been properly addressed by this Department. Since America has not yet experienced another 9/11, it would seem to me that the Department of Homeland Security has been doing its job perfectly. References: The US Department of Homeland Security [online] Available at: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ Cited on: April 30, 2006 The White House [online] Available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/homeland/index.html Cited on: April 30, 2006 ;

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Abortion: Two Sides of the Argument

In today's society every time a person turns on the television, goes on a computer, turns on a radio, passes a billboard, or picks up a newspaper that person is bombarded with debates. There are many different debates and each debate with two parties both of which have two very different and sometimes conversational opinions. Everywhere a person looks they are faced with arguments such as president Obama's affordable healthcare act, gay rights, the matters of the death penalty being legalized or illegalized in all states, and many more. In this paper I will not talk about any of the previously stated arguments.I will however talk about one of the most heated and controversial arguments of today. Before I continue with the debate I have chosen I am stating that I will not be sharing any of my personal opinions or views on the matter. I have chosen to discuss the debate regarding abortion and the two sides of the argument. I will explain both Pro Life and Pro choice and the fallacy bot h sides use when trying to gain followers. Just about every person has an opinion or a side when it comes to the topic of abortion. I have researched percentages based on people who are Pro Life vs. Pro Choice and if abortion is ever Justified.A poll done by Gallup in May of 2013 helps to show some percentages on what side or sides the American people are taking. Based on a one hundred percent model forty five percent of people are Pro Choice, forty eight percent are Pro Life, three percent were mixed, 2 three percent did not understand the meaning of the terms provided, and two percent had no opinion. In the poll a majority of the people who participated had chosen which side of the argument they had agreed with. In another recent model done in May 2013 by Gallup shows the percentages of people's views on if abortion hould ever be legal and Justifiable.Legal under any circumstances has a vote of twenty six percent, legal under certain circumstances fifty two percent, illegal in all circumstances twenty percent, and no opinion had two percent. Pro Life is a Christian based non- profit anti- abortion organization that was founded in the year 1980 by Joseph Scheidler with the organizations head quarters in Chicago Illinois. The goal of the organization is to protect and save unborn children and their mothers with non violent protests. The organization believes that women are being exploited by the abortion industry.Also that the abortion industry is the main cause of what the organization believes is the murder of an human being. The members of Pro Life have many different tactics implemented to publically protest abortion. The Pro Life organization does not condone any violence in the protesting of abortion, but the organization does use graphic material in the â€Å"Face the Truth: Public Education Initiative†. This educational initiative uses graphic pictures of real aborted fetuses to show the aftermath of the procedure. This protest is described as à ¢â‚¬Å"to show our fellow Americans the ugly truth about abortion†.The Pro Life members line the major road ways and intersection while showcasing the graphic images. Pro Life organization also uses less graphic forms of protesting such as sidewalk counseling, youth outreach projects, public, protest, 3 presence at abortion clinics, and confronting abortionists. The majority of protesting takes place at the abortion clinics. Pro Life members will stand outside of the clinics to perform prayer vigils, last minute consulting to women and couples with abortion alternatives, pregnancy resources, as well as confidential counseling. Pro Choice I organized by the National Abortion Federation.It is the national association for professional abortion providers. The N. A. F provides training and services to qualified abortion providers in North America. The goal of the N. A. F is to ensure women's safety when to comes to abortion whether it is elective or medically necessary. Pro Choice i s centered around that women should be able to make private medical decisions with their healthcare providers and to have the right to chose what happens to their bodies. The N. A. F also supports the education for women and youth n different contraceptive methods to help prevent unplanned pregnancies.Also the organization provides resources for women to make inform decisions when it comes to their choices. The organization helps to provide women with the education about abortion, adoption, and parenthood. The organization sets quality standards for abortion care and to make sure the medical providers such as Nurses, Physician Assists, Doctors, and Mid wives are qualified to provide high quality care. N. A. F also helps with legal legislations to keep abortion legal. The organization fears what ould happen to women if abortion was to made illegal.Pro choice does protest to keep abortion legal in the United States. The Pro Choice advertisements are not as graphic as Pro Life's. Thoug h Pro Choice does have advertisements of what environments women may find themselves in if abortion were to be made illegal. Pro Life also uses education to teach women about what had happened in the 1950's to the 1960's before 4 abortion was legal in America. This is used to create awareness so that history will not repeat itself. According to Our Bodies Ourselves a Pro Choice website uses statics o show mortality rate in women to either tried to perform a self initiated abortion.Between 1950 and 1960 before women were legal able to get an abortion 1. 2 million of those women did self performed abortions. In countries where abortion is still illegal unsafe abortion is the leading cause of maternal deaths. This accounts to 219 women dying daily worldwide. Both organizations use medical facts and statics for a large part of their demonstrations, however they both employ of use of a logical fallacy to make their cases. The logical fallacy that Pro Life and Pro Choice both use is appea l to emotion. Appeal to emotion is a fallacy to manipulate the recipients' views by using an emotional trigger.This means that the parties involved may not be using actual valid intormation to persuade a person. It is very clear botn ot the organizations are against the other. The names are the first thing I had noticed. The names are completely opposite from one another. For example is a person is Pro choice then they are against life or that person is for death or murder. Also if a person is Pro Life then that implies that person is anti-choice. For another example Pro Life members eb advertisement and That I have personally seen driving on 95 is a image of a baby with the saying â€Å"Endangered species. Obviously children are not a endangered species because human beings are not endangered. This is used to evoke a strong emotional response to gain Pro Life members and not using actual facts to prove a point. Pro Choice also use the appeal to emotion to gain members as well. In a advertisement for the Pro Choice Public Education Project it contains a picture of a dirty bathroom that's covered in filth. Above what is the bathtub is a plaque that says † Operating room†. A bathroom is not an operating room this once again used to invoke emotion. The 5 emotions of despair and fear.This is used in the campaign for keeping abortion legal. Also someone the slogans each side uses appeal to emotions a well. For example Pro Life slogan â€Å"You might forgive yourself, but a dead baby sure can't†. Whether the baby to speak of is dead or alive the said baby does not have the capability to comprehend forgiveness. Both side also use TV adds to discount the other side and to persuade the viewers. The internet video 180 shows how to change a person's mind about abortion within seconds. The method that was used involved Hitler and his influence on the German people.Ray Comfort is the interviewer in the movie. Comfort asks a few young people about their feeling regarding the killing of the Jewish people. All the participants agreed that what had happened was wrong and that killing a person was wrong. Comfort then moved into abortion after using emotional response to what happened in the holocaust and comparing that to abortion. Comfort put that abortion is America's holocaust. In conclusion though both Pro Life and Pro Choice have valid points and information both of the rganizations use appeal to emotion to persuade potential followers.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Sample Letter Business Communication

American Southern Airline 1804 Freeland Street East Warf, WA 97458 November 20, 2012 Mrs. Leticia Tomlinson 1952 Kanako Lane Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Dear Mrs. Tomlinson: At American Southern Airline, we take pride in exceptional customer services. Not only is our staff regularly trained but also highly motivated to ensure comfort and convenience for our customers. Giving such importance to our customers is what differentiates us from other airlines operating in the country.Over the years, your feedback and our experience has indicated the need for a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for our flight teams. This allows our employees and customers to be well aware of our procedures and helps us consistently deliver the promise of superior service to you. At the heart of our SOP is proactive communication, which reflects through guiding our customers step-by-step from ticketing to safe landing at their destination.Most of customers travelling between Atlanta and Seattle take connecting fl ights to other destinations, Chicago O’Hare being the most suited switch stop for them. It also gives us an opportunity to clean up the cabins so that that the incoming passengers feel at home. For this reason, we always make an announcement advising the passengers to carry all their belongings with them while departing the aero plane. Despite all the measures to ensure your convenience, it is unfortunate for us for not being able to recover the loss of your prescription glasses.We assure you that we will continue searching and if we find it, we will have one of our team members deliver it at your doorstep. Taking this opportunity, we would like to tell you how much we value your choice to travel with us. As a token of gratitude, we would like to extend a special travel voucher valid for any destination up to 4,000 miles. We hope that you will continue to enjoy the same luxury we guarantee you every time. If I can be of any help, you may contact me directly at +91-566-8663456 . Sincerely, Usama Rafi Manager, Customer Services

Friday, September 27, 2019

Role of Professional Nursing Organizations in Maintaining a Healthy Essay

Role of Professional Nursing Organizations in Maintaining a Healthy Workplace - Essay Example The professional organizations, with the help of their licensed nurses, contribute largely to the improved conditions of workplace and employees, their sustainable developments, and increasing sustainability through addressing all those factors which are related to the well-being and health of the population. They do this by decreasing the ill-health trends and reducing the healthcare costs. There are many roles, which the nurses play in order to maintain the health management of the workplace. These roles include the nurses in the form of advisors, managers, researchers, clinicians, coordinators and managers. There are licensed as well as the occupational health nurses, who possess an independent role and through this, they take an advantage of listening to patients and employees, gathering the relevant information and data, and discussing matters regarding the health and well-being of the employees from the management and staff of organization. The unique characteristic of the prof essional nursing organizations include the readily availability of nurses and their capability to tackle all the healthcare issues. The various services through which the professional nursing organizations play their role in maintaining a healthy workplace include: Primary prevention The professional nursing organization facilitates its employees with the knowledge regarding the primary prevention of disease or injury. Through this methods, the professional nurses perform the identification, assessment and planning for the interventions for the purpose of modifying and improving the methods or processes of working, the work environment or the practice in order to reduce the chances of risks and hazards. They even take into account the elements of human behavior, choice of equipments,... This paper approves that the nurses at the professional and proficient level aim to maintain the health issues at the workplace. They provide a wide range of advices, alternatives, preventions and precautions to the employees working at organizations, irrespective of their risk approach. The nurses in a professional nursing organization generally act on the level of an organization, nation or community. They facilitate the patients with the suitable informed consents and establish an entire liaison network with them in order to ensure that a properly designed and comprehensive health strategy and approach has been designed to meet their health objectives. One of the major contributions that the professional and occupational nurses provide to the workers include health assessment for the employees to stay fit at work, and this is done through conducting their periodic health examinations, and individual health assessments. In order to maintain the transparency, fairness and reliabilit y of the treatments, the collaboration with the physicians is done and this also relies heavily upon the accepted practices, law and legislations of the nursing. This essay makes a conclusion that the essay deals with the subject of the analysis of the role of professional nursing organizations in maintaining the healthcare at the workplaces. In this context, the professional, licensed nurses play a major role in making the workplace effective and its employees efficient. The strategies such as health surveillance, periodic medical checkups, counseling, healthy assessments and screenings, and many other individual and group plans are implemented in order to contribute towards the organization’s effectiveness.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Freedom based of the book the white tiger Essay

Freedom based of the book the white tiger - Essay Example Let the people of the country not allow any organization to which they belong, to become loose and inefficient and let them remain loyally disposed to the cause of ideal of work. But the rich class will not allow this to happen and they wish to keep the poor section of the society to remain poor for their vested interests. The rich and the powerful want the average citizen to remain docile and enmeshed in poverty and subjugation, and keep busy to solve domestic and economic problems. The poor work hard; the rich work intelligently and know the art of switching over every situation to their advantage and deny the opportunity to the oppressed to free themselves from the shackles. Reverting to the issue Balaram Halwai, who styles himself as an entrepreneur, declares, â€Å"Please understand, Your Excellency, that India is two countries in one: an India of Light, and an India of Darkness.† (12)He is pleading for the poor of India, as compared to the super rich to whom aggrandizement of wealth is the way of life. Balaram has serious complaints against the working of democracy in India. Majority of the Indians are not free in the real sense. Constitutional provisions and passing legislations in the name of the poor will not bring freedom and economic prosperity. The author cites the representative example of his village and argues, â€Å"These people were building homes for the rich, but they lived in tents covered with blue tarpaulin sheets, and partitioned into lanes by lines of sewage. It was even worse than Laxmangarh.†(222) Elections, the very process of democracy, are rigged. Balram asserts, â€Å"I am India’s most faithful voter, and I have still not seen the inside of a voting booth.†(86) He compares the process of election with darkness because, the process is not fair and many malpractices happen during the election, often with the connivance of those who are in charge of conducting the

Business research methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business research methods - Essay Example In order to study this topic, the researcher would make use of primary as well as secondary data and analyse them using quantitative approach as well as qualitative approach. Statistical analysis of the data would help in understanding the relationship in a robust way and also allow illustrating the results in a visually comprehensive manner. Qualitative analysis of the data would help in gaining deep insights regarding employee behaviour that leads to the concerned level of organizational effectiveness. Aim of the Research The research work would be done with the aim of analyzing the impact of innovation on the level of organizational effectiveness in terms of organizational performance and efficiency of business strategies. Introduction Innovation has become the key to success and survival in the modern business world. During the late 1970s organizations faced a spacious business field with much lesser competition than the current business scenario. In the present business scenario , companies are operating in an intricate and complex external environment and a highly volatile market place (Vuuren, 2013). This paper aims at studying the level of organizational innovation and assessing the impact it casts on organizational effectiveness. To serve this purpose a global business firm has been chosen. The chosen company is Dell Computers. This company has a strong history of innovation and it is one of the leading companies in the field of technology. Research objectives In the current business platform, companies are required to make efforts to move beyond simple modification of their operating processes and take real innovative actions in terms of product features and service quality. Dell has a proven track record of making huge investment in its research and development department that enables the company to come up with ground breaking innovations. The company competes with the global leaders in the industry and ranks third after Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) and Lenovo. Dell makes constant innovations and utilizes modern technological knowhow in order to throw steep competition for its rivals. The company also updates itself with the changing preferences of its customer base. This fine tunes the new innovations of the company with demands of the market, which in turn increases organizational effectiveness. There are three research objectives of this study. The primary research objective is mentioned below, followed by the secondary and tertiary research objectives. To critically evaluate the theories of organizational innovation and study the manner in which organizational innovation might influence organizational effectiveness To investigate the company’s decision making in the context of their plans to expand their product range, other than computers, in the field of Information Technology To identify the strategies that might help Dell to beat the position of Hewlett Packard and become the leading supplier of personal computer s in the world market Research questions The central topic that is being explored in this paper is the relationship between organizational innovation and organizational effectiveness. To study this topic the researcher has framed three research questions. These have been mentioned below: What are the implications of current business strategies on Dell’s current level of research and deve

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Art - Essay Example The painting, hauntingly striking was initially christened Der Schrei der Natur in Norwegian, or the Scream of Nature. The current Skrik, when loosely translated bestows upon it the title it is known by. Munch in a journal entry recorded sensing â€Å"an infinite scream passing through nature†, while out walking one day accompanied by friends. There are various theories about the inspiration behind the creation. Munch painted what he felt, as described in the journal entry mentioned. Another theory places the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 behind the visual inspiration for the blood-red background, disputed by scholars who claim him to be expressive rather than descriptive in his style. Others attribute the figure’s cadaverous appearance to be caused by Munch’s probable visits to the Museum of Natural History in Florence or during the Exposition Universale in Paris where such mummified exhibits were on display. Then again, there are many who compare the environment of The Scream to that experienced by sufferers of depersonalization disorder, arguing that Munch probably suffered from the ailment. It is quite a famous painting in my opinion, instantly recognizable like the Mona Lisa. It has featured in many movies, being the inspiration behind the mask in the Scream series of films; programs as well as in the print media. Caricaturized, humored or revered, The Scream is pretty much a public figure.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

European History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European History - Essay Example In the making of the Treaty of Versailles that effectively ended World War I, France chaired the peace conference and saw fit to have Germany, the one who started the war be properly punished and the lands it confiscated returned. Germany signed the treaty but proposed some amendments. Still, the treaty was to the consciousness of Germans a reason to have a score settled and that came in World War II. In the opinions of many, the treaty was too harsh on Germany and France is now being seen in bad light World War II. In 1939, World War II came, and this lasted until 1945.1 The war spread out to Europe, Asia, Mediterranean and Middle East, Africa resulting in Allied victory where casualties were 62 million, and 37 million of these were civilians and 25 million were military. The two groups that were fighting were the Allies composed of Soviet Union, UK and Commonwealth, USA, France/Free France, China, Poland, and Australia; and the Axis composed of Germany, Japan, Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Vichy France. 2 World War II was a truly global conflict with untold human misery that began on September 1, 1939 when German invaded Poland. Countries that participated in World War I were the same countries involved in World War II. On September 3, 1939 Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany and Canada followed a week later. Meanwhile, the United States joined the conflict in December 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour.3 Treaties. After World War II, delegates from 21 member countries of the United Nations met in Paris on July 29, 1946, to draft treaties with Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Finland.4 Representatives of the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and France signed the treaties in Paris on Feb. 10, 1947. Border fortifications as provided in the treaties were to be limited only to keeping internal security. Also, guarantees against racial discrimination and the rebirth of fascist governments were provided for.5 Because of the devastating experiences of war that the nations went through especially in World War II, these two guarantees are understandable. Also, the Balkan treaties provided for free navigation of the Danube. Demands. At the end of the war, millions were rendered homeless, the European economy had collapsed, and 70% of the European industrial infrastructure was destroyed.6 The Eastern victors exacted payment of war reparations from the defeated nations, and in the Paris Peace Treaty, the enemies of Soviet Union which were Hungary, Finland and Romania, were required to pay $300,000,000 each to the Soviet Union. Italy was required to pay $360,000,000, shared chiefly between Greece, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union.7 Meanwhile, the Western victors in World War II did not demand compensation from the defeated nations. Instead, a plan established by U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, the "European Recovery Program", better known as the Marshall Plan, called for the U.S. Congress to allocate billions of dollars for the reconstruction of Europe.8 As reflected in Table 1, the breakdown was as follows - compensation to the wWII victors at 1938 prices (Tabled by writer

Monday, September 23, 2019

Marketing Orientation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Orientation - Essay Example Both the methods are commonly employed. In this paper, we will employ the Narver and Slater methods to establish the scale for market orientation. Though both the said scales have their own advantages and disadvantages, the Narver and Slater scale has specific specialties to match the needs of a large organization. In the course of the study, the method will be employed for studying the McDonald's Restaurant chain which is very common and the questionnaire suggested by Narver and Slater was used to check the market orientation of this company. Market orientation of a firm has been found to have a strong and positive link with the performance of the company by a number of researchers (Matsuno, Mentzer and Ozsomer, 2002). There are also other research outcomes which are not in favor of such positive link (Han, Kim and Srivastava, 1998). A similar study of the same nature on small sized companies and retailers indicate that the retailers are more customer oriented compared to the small companies. Overall, though there are disputable claims on the market orientation on the performance of the company and the extent to which they are related, the counter claims do no augur well with the results that have been obtained in the field over a period of time. With a large economic growth and integration over the last decade, the effectiveness of the market orientation has been more pronounced on the performance of the company. Therefore, a number of methods have been evolved in order to measure the market orientation and to correlate performance vis--vis market orientation. Measuring Market Orientation Market orientation is measured using a number of methods. The works of Deshpande (1993) and that of Wrenn (1997) have helped in evolving a framework for the purpose. Market orientation, according to Narver and Slater (1990), comprises of three dimensions, viz., customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional coordination. While the suggestion of Kohli and Jarowski on Market orientation looked at a complete process of the company and the impact of market orientation on the entire process. If the impact on every one of the processes is gauged then the same can be the metric for market orientation. The method suggested by Narver and Slater has been adopted in this paper. This divides the entire framework of measurement into three dimensions. A questionnaire has been suggested by the researchers that comprises of fourteen different questions primarily grouped under the three heads already cited. The method employs a seven factor scale that will help in judging the size of the orientation by summing the response for every one of the identified factors. This works as a perception of the person on the specific factor and the company's orientation as viewed by the customer or the employ or the vendor. This provides for a 360 degree rating of the company in the prescribed matter. Sample Organization and its market orientation The organization taken into consideration is the McDonalds, the restaurant chain in the US and the World. McDonalds has changed its approach to the market and its market orientation is pretty high; particularly, because of its service oriented nature. This has made the company respond to the needs of the clients much more swiftly than some of the other companies that are not

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Providing Safety Measures within Schools Essay Example for Free

Providing Safety Measures within Schools Essay School violence is not just a recent tragedy. In fact, the earliest known United States (U. S. ) school shooting called â€Å"Pontiac’s Rebellion School Massacre† took place on July 26, 1764 in Pennsylvania (Wikipedia). These ill-fated events are products of many different factors such as bullying, revenge, and even mental issues. Unfortunately, school violence has become a more prevalent occurrence in society today. However, because of the unknown and rather unexpected motives of the perpetrators, an end to school violence cannot, in all actuality, happen. Certainly, there are procedures available to prevent occurring violence. Through the use of increased screening and safety measures, school violence can be greatly diminished, improve the quality of the nation’s education, and restore faith in administrators. School violence has plagued many areas of not only the U. S. , but also other parts of the world. However, a number of the worst attacks have occurred right here in the U. S. , Columbine High School, for example. April 20, 1999 marked the date of fifteen deaths at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Two teenage shooters took the lives of fourteen students and one teacher (Listverse). This school tragedy led to an increased emphasis on security at schools across the U. S. (SFGate). The April 16, 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech claimed the lives of thirty-three victims and was named the deadliest shooting by a single gunman in U. S. history. Bath School in Michigan fell victim to forty-five deaths and was given the title of the deadliest mass school murder in U. S. history (Listverse). In recent history, Connecticut unfortunately experienced a shooting of its own at Sandy Hook Elementary where twenty-eight young children and adults were victim to a deranged gunman on December 14, 2012 (The Inquisitr). But certainly, we cannot forget the February 27, 2012 shooting at Chardon High School that rocked Ohio (SFGate). More and more schools around the nation are stepping up school safety measures to ensure the security of students. Undoubtedly, the most commonly selected safety measure is limited or controlled access to the school in such ways as to lock and monitor school doors. Metal detectors, security cameras, and limited social networking access are more commonly being used to monitor and restrict student and visitor behaviors (U. S. Department of Education). Monitoring and supervising common areas such as the cafeteria, gym, hallways, and parking lot is a significant safety measure usually practiced by schools (NASPonline). School resource officers, guards, and unarmed law enforcement officers may not always need to be present, but should always be available. Staff members should monitor all guests by greeting each and every person who comes to the door. Counselors and psychologists should always be available to students so that they know they have someone to trust and be able to anonymously report suspicious activity (Gumbrecht; NASPonline). Crisis plans and preparedness training should be accessible for all staff members along with threat assessment procedures. The promotion of obedience of school rules and a safe school environment should be present at all times for the safety of the students (NASPonline). Schools should conduct regular drills such as intruder, weather, and fire for student awareness (Gumbrecht). A responsible and safe school always includes school-community partnerships and school safety incident data to keep the public informed about new procedures (NASPonline). There are a number of structural prevention suggestions available. The most frequently used structural methods are locked doors and security systems. However, more advanced structural preventions exist: single, prominent entryways for guests and students to enter; reduced landscaping to eliminate hiding spots; shifted restrooms away from entryways; moved major mechanical and electrical systems; keyless entry systems for staff and faculty; and elaborate announcement systems for drills and instructions (Gumbrecht). Panic buttons are available for $5,000 and operate on single police dispatch lines that send all available units to the school in case of an emergency. The buttons can be located in each individual classroom or in different regions of the schools. These structural suggestions come at a price but are well worth the investments (Scott). Because of the seemingly reoccurring school violence trend, many school districts have contemplated active shooter training and arming teachers. Even though this might seem like a good idea, there may very well be negative consequences. Instead, most school administrators opt for the more common school entry policies and emergency manuals for all staff. Newer safety ideas are being introduced into school districts such as Mohawk, Ellwood, and Shenango in Pennsylvania. These districts installed computerized systems that scan the driver’s licenses of all visitors to identify anyone convicted of crimes against children (New Castle News). Administrators have many accessible guidelines for communicating with students, their parents, and the public. Conversations with students should be developmentally appropriate and include guidelines for violence. Administrators should keep in mind the cultures, traditions, religion, and family values of students and keep the focus on normal routines and activities. Parents should be made aware of all violence conversations with students. The children must know that schools are safe places and there is a difference between reporting and tattling, they must be observant and report what they see. Students must also realize that every so often, people commit wrong acts, but violence is never a solution. Open communication between parents and their children is key; the students should know to stay away from weapons. Also, the school staff must stress the understanding of possibility versus probability; students should always know that they are safe in school. These guidelines are important for administrators to convey to their student body and public (NASPonline). Without a doubt, school violence has made national headlines. In December, the NRA announced the National School Shield Program. They have issued â€Å"a report on how they believe schools can prevent further gun violence† (Gumbrecht). The NRA will present policy proposals and resources to law enforcement, lawmakers, school officials, and the public. Because there is declining support for strict gun regulations, law enforcement officials will prepare armed guards that state and local officials will alter (Sperry and Wallace). A higher percent of high schools and middle schools require drug testing for athletes and extracurricular activities; badges and picture identifications for students and teachers; random dog sniffs and contraband sweeps; and security cameras for monitoring the school building and surrounding premises. 84 percent of high schools, 73 percent of middle schools, and 51 percent of elementary schools use security cameras for surveillance. A higher percent of high schools and middle schools have electronic emergency notification systems and structured, anonymous threat reporting systems. A lower percent of high schools control access to buildings during school hours, prohibit cell phone usage and text messaging, and require uniforms (U. S. Department of Education). Unfortunately, school violence is on the rise. Children should not have to be afraid to go to school in fear of experiencing a fateful attack. By no means can there ever be assumptions made that attacks cannot happen just anywhere; no area is completely immune to violence. The public cannot be naive. As much as the thought of an attack is hard to comprehend, the possibility must always be in the back of the mind. There are countless ways to be prepared; school administrators just need to take action. Through the use of increased screening and safety measures, school violence can be greatly diminished, improve the quality of the nation’s education, and restore faith in administrators

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Active Chemical Ingredients in Topical First Aid Treatments

Active Chemical Ingredients in Topical First Aid Treatments AN INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ACTIVE CHEMICAL INGREDIENTS IN TOPICAL FIRST AID TREATMENTS AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS. Aim The aim of this investigation is to experimentally determine which first aid product and its active ingredients are most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, and to establish how and why the chemical compounds of the active ingredients in each product affected the results. Introduction The idea for this exploration was developed as a result of an experiment and study that were conducted and taught in my medical microbiology class. The specific lesson that caught my interest was focused on the skin flora as well as infection causing bacteria. This, combined with the lab about the effects of specific antibiotics on bacteria as well as my considerable experience with first aid and disaster response skills led me to think about the importance of antibiotics for medication and treatments. I decided that my investigation would concentrate on topical first aid products against the occasionally pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, a member of the skin flora. My choice to pick a ubiquitous bacterium was because I wanted to focus on the more practical implementations of the investigation and could evaluate for myself which first aid product would be most useful in real world applications. Background    This investigation requires background information about the biochemistry or mechanisms of action in specific compounds and the Kirby-Bauer test. These are described below. Kirby-Bauer Test The Kirby-Bauer test or disk diffusion tests allows for scientists to test the antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria. A disk is impregnated with a substance and placed on a petri dish and a zone of inhibition or inhibition zone appears after days or hours after incubation. The inhibition zone represents the area in which the bacteria has stopped growing or has been killed by the antibiotic. The size of the inhibition zone indicates the effectiveness of the antibiotic (the larger the diameter of the zone of inhibition the more effective the substance is). Mechanism of Action in Compounds This investigation focuses on five specific compounds which are active first aid antiseptic or antibiotic ingredients in the products that will be tested. These compounds are: benzalkonium chloride, triclosan, bacitracin zinc, polymyxin B sulfate, and neomycin sulfate. This information will be sectioned into Part A, B, C, D, and E. Part A: Benzalkonium Chloride Benzalkonium chloride is a member of the quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) which are also known as cationic agents/surfactants. Furthermore, quaternary ammonium compounds have positively charged structures. Thus, the cationic zone of benzalkonium chloride disrupts the intermolecular attractions/electrostatic interactions of the negatively charged cell components, destroys the outer membrane, and ultimately kills the pathogen. Part B: Triclosan Triclosan works to inhibit bacterial growth through its mechanomolecular energy. This mechanomolecular energy is as a result of the ether single-bond rotations on the central oxygen atom. Subsequently, the rapid and fluctuating vibratory movements of the bonds in the molecule disrupt bacterial membranes which easily allow the chemical compound to enter the cells membrane. Once triclosan enters the cell membrane, it binds and blocks the active sites of the enoyl-acyl carrier-protein reductase enzyme (ENR) thus preventing the process of fatty acid synthesis. This fatty acid process is critical for building the pathogens cell membrane and its other vital functions necessary for processes like reproduction. Furthermore, at extremely low concentrations, triclosan can develop into a crystalline form by ring stacking, thus interfering with essential enzymes including the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) coenzyme of bacteria. Figure 1: Figure 1 visualizes the two benzene rings and the central oxygen atom in the Triclosan compound. Part C: Bacitracin Zinc Bacitracin has antimicrobial activity primarily because of its ability to bind to divalent metal ions, in this case the Zn ²Ã‚ Ã‚ º cation, resulting in bacitracin zinc. The Zn ²Ã‚ Ã‚ º ion forms a ternary 1:1:1 antibiotic-metal-lipid complex. This means that the divalent metal ion complex can tightly bind to the lipid C‚†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¦-isoprenyl pyrophosphate molecules of the cell, acting like a bridge between the pyrophosphate and bacitracin zinc. Once the C‚†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬ ¦-isoprenyl pyrophosphate has been compromised due to its inability to dephosphorylate or remove its phosphate (PO43ˆ’) through the pyrophosphatase enzyme and hydrolysis process, the pyrophosphate can no longer transport lipids into the cell-wall. Subsequently, this inhibits the process of cell-wall synthesis and results in the weakening of the cell wall and ultimately leads to bacterial death. Part D: Polymyxin B Sulfate The mechanism of action of polymyxin B sulfate is similar to that of benzalkonium chloride, in that it is also classified as a cationic surfactant. Therefore, like benzalkonium chloride, polymyxin B sulfate alters the external membrane of bacterial cells. Additionally, because of its positively charged amino group in the cyclic peptide region in the compound, it has an electrostatic attraction for the negatively charged lipopolysaccharide layer of bacterial cells and binds to these specific sites. Once these sites have been compromised, the outer membrane of the bacterial cell becomes destabilized and weakened. Figure 2: Figure 2 visualizes the amino group and cyclic peptide region of polymyxin B sulfate which is the primary mechanism of antimicrobial action within the compound. Part E: Neomycin Sulfate Neomycin sulfate is classified as an aminoglycoside antibiotic which means it has an amino group (-NH‚‚) attached to derivatives of sugar called glycosides. Aminoglycosides are highly positive in charge due to the presence of amino groups and have a high electrostatic attraction for the negatively charged outer surface of bacteria. This electrostatic interaction disrupts the membrane of the bacteria due to the displacement of Mg ²Ã‚ Ã‚ º and Ca ²Ã‚ Ã‚ º bridges and creates temporary openings in the bacterial cell membrane. Subsequently, this process causes intracellular content leakage and further increases the antibiotic intake in the bacteria. Additionally, rRNA molecules of bacteria are highly negative in charge because of the presence of phosphate groups. This negative charge has an electrostatic attraction with the positively charged antibiotic and allows the aminoglycoside to easily bind to the rRNA of the bacteria and thereafter inhibits the process of protei n synthesis leading to bacterial cell death. Prediction The initial prediction is that NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment will be the most effective compared to Bactine Spray and CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray because it is a triple antibiotic and has a greater variety of active ingredients that can kill bacteria. Experimental Procedure and Methodology Variables The independent variables for this experiment are the different first aid products because each product should influence the dependent variable (diameter of inhibition zone). The dependent variable is the size of the inhibition zones because the length depends on what first aid product is used. The controls of the investigation are the incubation time, petri dish, Staphylococcus aureus, method of inoculation, the incubator, and the amount of each drug because they are variables that are kept constant throughout each trial and for each product tested. It is important to maintain the controls throughout all trials so that measurements can be as consistent as possible. Safety and Environmental Ethics It is important to keep in mind the risks and safety precautions before attempting this experiment. These risks include residual bacterial contamination on the skin and burning. It is highly advised to wear gloves or rubber insulator gloves when needed and to wash hands frequently throughout the experiment. Additionally, an environmental ethical consideration must be taken in account because experimenting with antibacterial products can contribute to antibacterial resistance. However, the effects would be negligible due to the small scale size of the experiment. Materials 125 ml of Agar Absorbent bibulous paper Hole puncher Sharpie Ruler (with millimeters) Gloves 12 Petri dishes Incubator @34  °C; set at 4.5 12 strips of Parafilm Forceps Tweezers Large beaker Hot plate Rubber insulator gloves Bunsen burner Strikers Inoculating loop Staphylococcus aureus NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment Bactine Spray CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray Procedure Heat up 125 ml of agar in a beaker filled with water on a hotplate and wait until the agar is clear all the way through. Use forceps and rubber insulator gloves to remove the agar out of the beaker. Pour about the same amount of agar in each petri dish and wait until the agar sets (5-10 minutes). Use isolated Staphylococcus aureus and a heated and then cooled inoculating loop to carefully swab the culture into the 12 petri dishes. Make sure to go in a zigzag motion and cover all areas. Label each petri dish #1-#3: NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment #4-#6: Bactine Spray #7-#9: CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray #10-#12: Control Punch at least 12 holes into absorbent bibulous paper. Soak the disks with each of the drug solutions. Use tweezers that have been heated up and cooled down with water to minimize bacterial contamination. Additionally, each time a different product is being impregnated into the disks, reheat and cool the tweezers to minimize cross-product contamination. Place three disks containing NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment in petri dishes #1, #2, and #3. Place three disks containing Bactine Spray in petri dishes #4, #5, #6. Place three disks containing CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray in petri dishes #7, #8, #9. Leave the remaining three petri dishes with no disks in order to show that the petri dishes have pure cultures of Staphylococcus aureus. Use parafilm to seal all the petri dishes. Flip over all petri dishes and place in incubator at 34  °C on the 4.5 setting (the optimal temperature and conditions for bacterial growth) Measure the diameter of the inhibition zones (including the disk) 48 hours post inoculation with a ruler (in mm) and record data. Repeat all steps for Trial 2 and Trial 3 making sure all conditions are maintained. Results Product Name Table 1: Recorded Length of Inhibition Zones on Staphylococcus aureusà ¡Ã‚ µÃ†â€™ Trial 1  ± 0.5 mm Trial 2  ± 0.5 mm Trial 3  ± 0.5 mm Mean  ± 0.5 mmà ¡Ã‚ µÃ¢â‚¬ ¡ NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment 14.0 17.0 16.0 15.4 14.0 16.0 18.0 12.0 16.0 16.0 Bactine Spray 12.0 16.0 18.0 16.3 16.0 17.0 18.0 16.0 14.0 20.0 CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray 7.0 0.0 8.0 5.2 0.0 8.0 8.0 0.0 7.0 9.0 a- Diameter of zone of inhibition (mm) including disk diameter of 6mm b- Average diameter of inhibition zone after 3 trials for each product *The values that were found to have 0.0mm were petri dishes that had no zone of inhibition *Controls were not included as they only served to show that the petri dishes had pure samples of Staphylococcus aureus and are irrelevant to be included in the processed data Conclusion and Evaluation The objective of the experiment was to investigate the effectiveness of the active chemical ingredients in topical first aid treatments against Staphylococcus aureus. The initial aims of the investigation have been reached. The results of the experiment have suggested that Bactine Spray is the most effective against Staphylococcus aureus followed by NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment then CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray. Thus, the initial prediction was incorrect. Bactine Spray contained 0.13% of benzalkonium chloride and in this investigation had an average length of 16.3 mm for its zone of inhibition (Table 1). According to a study done by Ali Fazlara (a member of the Department of Food Hygiene at Shahid Chamran University) and Maryam Ekhtelat (a researcher at Shahid Chamran University in the Department of Microbiology) found that because Staphylococcus aureus has a highly negative charge on its cell wall due to its slight anionic teichoic acids and peptidoglycan molecules, it allows for the cationic benzalkonium chloride to bind easily to specficically Staphylococcus aureus cell wall and thus block the active sites for essential enzymes to undergo their normal biochemical reactions for the bacterial cell. Therefore, benzalkonium chloride should theoretically be highly effective against Staphylococcus aureus. The data collected seems to support this and underpins the known fact that benzalkonium chloride is bacteriostatic (a chemical agent t hat stops bacteria from reproducing) at low concentrations. The investigation also suggests that NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment was the second most effective against Staphylococcus aureus compared with the Bactine Spray and CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray. The active ingredients within this first aid product are bacitracin zinc (400 units), neomycin sulfate (3.5mg), and polymyxin B sulfate (5,000 units). NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment resulted in an average zone of inhibition diameter of 15.4 mm, as shown in Table 1. The possible reason for why NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment was not as effective against Staphylococcus aureus in this investigation is because of antibacterial resistance to some or all of the active ingredients by the bacteria. Studies have proposed that the isolate primarily found in the United States called USA300 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has been increasingly discovered to have been resistant to neomycin sulfate, bacitracin zinc, and polymyxin B sulfate. In this investigation, it can be suggested that CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray, with a concentration of 0.13% of triclosan was the least effective against Staphylococcus aureus. It resulted in an average zone of inhibition diameter of 5.2 mm according to Table 1. A possible conclusion that can be reached based on the results is the increasingly proven theory that Staphylococcus aureus has a progressively high antimicrobial resistance to triclosan. This is due in part because triclosan was the most common active ingredient in over the counter (OTC) products, which contributed greatly to Staphylococcus aureus antimicrobial resistance. As a matter of fact, the FDA banned triclosan on consumer antibacterial wash products because of the health related risks from bacterial resistance. However, some products still use triclosan because it banned to be used in soaps. These conclusions are incomplete and require improvements in order to thoroughly and further confirm the results and achieve consistent values. The addition of more trials would further eliminate any systematic errors that may have occurred such as error when impregnating disks with the products or cross-product contamination. Any instances of random error can be best alleviated by the use of a Vernier calliper (a measuring instrument that is used for measuring diameters) instead of a ruler. The use of a calliper to measure would contribute to higher precision and less measurement uncertainty. Extending the investigation to other normal bacterial skin flora would be interesting to see the extent of the effectiveness of Bactine Spray, NEOSPORIN ® Original Ointment, and CVS Health Instant First Aid Spray on different bacteria. Works Cited   Ã‚   Chittapragada, Maruthi, and Sarah Roberts. Aminoglycosides: Molecular Insights on the Recognition of RNA and Aminoglycoside Mimics. Perspectives in Medicinal Chemistry, 2009. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2754922/. Accessed 15 Feb. 2017. Economou, Nicoleta J., et al. High-resolution crystal structure reveals molecular details of target recognition by bacitracin. 2013. www.pnas.org/content/110/35/14207.full.pdf. Accessed 13 Feb. 2017. Fazlara, Ali, and Maryam Ekhtelat. The Disinfectant Effects of Benzalkonium Chloride on Some Important Foodborne Pathogens. IDOSI, 2012. www.idosi.org/aejaes/jaes12(1)12/4.pdf. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017. Federal Drug Administration. FDA Issues Final Rule on Safety and Effectiveness of Antibacterial Soaps. U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page, 2 Sept. 2016, www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm517478.htm. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017. Kaya, Deniz. Quarternary Ammonium Compounds. 21 Jan. 2010, Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Kling, Jim. Antibiotic Ointments May Fuel Resistance and Spread of MRSA. Medscape, 14 Sept. 2011, www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749666. Accessed 16 Feb. 2017. Maxka, Jim. Organic Chemistry Interactive Notes. Organic Chemistry, North Arizona University. Arizona. Reading. McDonnell, Gerald, and A. D. Russell. Antiseptics and Disinfectants: Activity, Action, and Resistance. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 1999. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88911/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017. Petersen, Richard C. Triclosan Antimicrobial Polymers. HHS Public Access, 2016. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4893770/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. . Triclosan Computational Conformational Chemistry Analysis ForAntimicrobial Properties in Polymers. HHS Public Access, 2015. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394635/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. Polymxyin B Sulfate. Digital Photograph. Accessed 13 Feb. 2017. Pub Chem. Aerosporin | C56H100N16O17S PubChem. The PubChem Project, pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Polymyxin_B_sulfate#section=Related-Compounds. Accessed 13 Feb. 2017. Ramin Khajavi, Morteza Sattari and Ali Ashjaran, 2007. The Antimicrobial Effect of Benzalkonium Chloride on Some Pathogenic Microbes Observed on Fibers of Acrylic Carpet. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 10: 598-601. Stone, K. J., and Jack L. Strominger. Mechanism of Action of Bacitracin: Complexation with Metal Ion and C55-Isoprenyl Pyrophosphate. 1971. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC389626/pdf/pnas00087-0326.pdf. Accessed 12 Feb. 2017. Tay, William M., et al. 1H NMR, Mechanism, and Mononuclear Oxidative Activity ofthe Antibiotic Metallopeptide Bacitracin: The Role of D-Glu-4,Interaction with Pyrophosphate Moiety, DNA Binding andCleavage, and Bioactivity. JACS Articles, 2010. Accessed 13 Feb. 2017. Unblok Bio Solutions. Ammonium. Unblok Bio-Fix, unblok.co/ammonium/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Crime and Punishment, Fathers and Sons, We Essay -- essays research pa

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brilliance surely comes with a price. Often a protagonist is, in his own right, an absolute genius, but for this gift of vision, he must remain isolated for eternity. Crime and Punishment (1886), by Fyodor Dostoevsky, depicts a poverty stricken young man who discovers a revolutionary theory of the mind of a criminal. Despite his psychological insight, Raskolnikov is alienated from society, and eventually forced to test his theory upon himself. Ivan Turgenev’s Bazarov, in Fathers and Sons (1862), pioneers the anarchistic philosophy of nihilism, depending entirely on science and reason, but ends up falling passionately in love and then cast out, through death, from the rigidity of thought he held so dear. D-503, the main character of Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We (1921), discovers an immense and rigid counterculture and drowns himself in it, only to surface without anyone with whom to relate. Each author suggests the irony of a prophetic mind being wasted and outcast among ordinary men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raskolnikov, a former student, forced to drop out of the university because he is unable to afford the tuition, is forced to work part-time with his friend Razumihin as a translator. Through this endeavor, Raskolnikov, or Rodya as his mother calls him, becomes well versed in the literature and existentialist philosophies of the time. Writing to a local newspaper, Rodya ventures to propose a superman theory similar to that of Nietzsche, made popular around the time Dostoevsky wrote the novel. â€Å"I only believe in my leading idea that men are in general divided by a law of nature into two categories, inferior (ordinary)†¦ and men who have the gift or the talent to utter a new word.† This principle, that man is simply either ordinary or extraordinary, limited by rules and boundaries or allowed to transgress these barriers en route to his planned greater goal for humanity, gains Raskolnikov little profit or renown. Though the extraordinary man theory co uld easily be applied to Napoleon, as is done in Rodya’s thesis, few of Dostoevsky’s characters accept its revolutionary psychological approach to criminal behavior. Only the lead detective, Porfiry Petrovich, comes to accept Raskolnikov’s approach. This parallel epiphany is ironic, indeed, because throughout the novel, Rodya and Porfiry are cast as foils. Even this revelation, though... ...ian author, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, and Zamyatin, alienates true visionaries from their natural place at the head of society and implies a theme of the perils of idealism. Raskolnikov discovers a rationale for committing crimes in the name of a greater good, only to also discover the theory’s incredibly difficult guidelines of extraordinary men through self-experimentation. Bazarov’s nihilism and rationality is entirely contradicted by his adoption of romanticism in some circumstances, and the impossibility of nihilism is shown through his ignorance of this contradiction. D-503 awakens within himself a long-absent human nature with unlimited creative potential, only to realize its dangerous, anarchistic possibilities. Each protagonist comes across a revolutionary idea, only to eventually be dismissed, and ultimately forgotten, by society. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1981) 243. Dostoevsky 63. Dostoevsky 387. Ivan Turgenev, Fathers and Sons (New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996) 18. Turgenev 138. Turgenev 148. Yevgeny Zamyatin, We (New York, NY: Avon Books, Inc., 1972) 56. Zamyatin 177. Zamyatin 231.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Few people know but, more than half of americans own an Apple product. The huge tech company was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The company was later incorporated on January 3, 1977. Apple is known as one of the most advanced technology companies in the United States. Apple is behind the largest technological revolution in history. Apple has set itself above all other technology companies. The company has a certain way of leaving customers on the edge of their seats waiting for the latest and greatest Apple product. Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak had been friends since high school, and they both were very interested in electronics. After they both dropped of school, both of them end up in a profession related to electronics. Jobs got a job at Atari, and Wozniak at HP. Wozniak had been the initial designer for the very first Apple computer. Jobs had an eye for the future and convinced Wozniak that they should sell the computer. Soon enough on April 1, 1976, Apple had begun. In the beginning people did not take Apple very seriously. In 1977 however Apple introduced the Apple II, that when the company took off. The introduction of the Apple II opened doors for the company. It was the first computer with a hard plastic outer shell, it also was the first computer that had color graphics. The Apple II was basically the start of the company. Another thing that boosted the company in 1978 was the Apple Disk II, which was just an easy, inexpensive floppy drive. With all the sales rising, the companies n umbers began to rise as well. In 1980 Apple had a few thousand employees. 1980 was also the year Apple released its latest computer the Apple III. It was in 1979 when Jobs and a few engineers began working on ... ...that received the licensing felt that Apple was too restrictive on their agreements. Through the years, Apples big problem was not just selling the computers, but building them. In June of 1995, Apple had over one billion dollars worth of backorders, and did not have the materials to build them. On top of the current problems Apple was facing, Windows had released its latest version of its software, Window ‘95, which was too similar to the Mac and yet more simplistic. Pretty soon Spindler was asked to resign due to major losses the company faced when Apple had posted a loss of sixty-eight million dollars due to a misjudge of the market. Spindler was replaced by Gil Amelio, who was previously the president of the National Semiconductor. Through 1996 and part of 1997 Ameilo did his best to help Apple bring back is profit, but in the end his efforts were unsuccessful.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

2.2. Review related to morphological variables Noutsos, K., Koskolou, M., Barzouka, K., Bergeles, N., & Bayios, I.36 (2008) In a study performed by the researchers with the adolescent team Board Jump and volleyball players, found that the team Board Jump players were basically shorter (166.9[+ or -]4.7 cm) than the regular volleyball players (175.2[+ or -]6.3 cm). However, in the adolescent team Board Jump and volleyball players which had similar body mass and FFM. as compared to the study by, Hoffman, J.37 (2006) reported that the average height for 17-year-old American females was 163-2 cm. Therefore, adolescent team Board Jump players were slightly taller than the average American female. Kmanthropometry profile (weight, stature, sum of six skin folds, muscularity and vertical jump) of Brazilian (BCN Osasco female) volleyball athletes (age : 13 to 22 years) in 3 age groups: A-(13 to 14 yrs old), B-(15 to 17 yrs old), C- (>17 yrs old) with different training experience Gr.l (0 to 2 yrs) Gr.2 (2 to 4 yrs) and Gr.3 (>5 yrs) were studies Silva, L.R.38 (2000) One-way the scholars added the ANOVA and post hoc (Turkey) test for the collection of the statistical analysis. The study showed a significant difference was observed for most of the variables studied among the age groups and between the shorter (Gr.l) and longer (Gr.3) trained groups. Can, F.39 (2004) in the study conducted by Can, he had a purpose to describe certain morphological characteristics of women soccer players and to examine aspects of training and performance. The researchers choose twenty-two anthropometric sites were used in measurements of somatotype 49 and body composition; flexibility, agility, anaerobic power, leg muscle power and dynamic pulmonary functio... ... female hockey players, from 4 universities of Punjab. The age of player's ranged between 18 to 24 years. The stepwise regression was applied to assess the importance of different variables in predicting hockey playing ability. The result of’t’ ratio suggested that endurance run test, standing broad jump, grip strength (LH), vertical jump, wrist flexion, age, height, and weight were significantly important in evaluating the hockey performance. Also, the results failed to find support for speed as an important predictor of hockey playing ability. The result of this analysis again stresses the positive role of physical fitness components in hockey playing ability, the investigator even suggested that if we conduct proper speed training with the athletes of any event it improves their jumping performance , so it is useful for the study of the board jumpers.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Majority rule, minority rights

Throughout history, there has been an understanding between the government of state and its constituents. From the times where such philosophers as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke put forth their respective theories of a state of nature and social contract, mankind has been enthralled with the separation of government and the population it controlled. John Locke proposed that there has always been a need for a â€Å"social contract†-that is an understanding between the government and the people for the sole reason of protection and organization. Even in the early days of the roughly adhesive Babylonian governments, the people strove for organization and protection of their property. Before that, according to Hobbies, the people of the world existed in what he called a â€Å"state of nature.† This state of nature existed before the population of an area realized the need for a structure and a steady way of life. They may have been fed up with the plundering of their land. Lock explains that the constituency gave up the rights to rape, murder, and steal in order for protection of property. With this action, the people put what they thought to be an equal balance of power into the government's hands. The government, acting as a whole body, has seemed to, throughout time, take advantage of the people that it represented. This paper will attempt to show how this feeling of superiority that governments have purveyed through the history of the United States. In 1894, there was a strike of Pullman Palace car factory workers outside of Chicago. These workers belonged to the American Railway Union. The union decided to refuse to move trains with the Pullman Cars thus shutting down virtually all railways in and out of Chicago. This caused much strife between the workers and the government. This was the first time that the government had to get a federal court injunction to make the workers go back to work. (Miller 1996) The reason that the government needed the injunction was because the Pullman workers were responsible for mail delivery. The workers ignored the injunction thus prompting President Cleveland to send US troops to quell the strike. This move worked and ended the strike. The government displayed its power against its people. It had to choose between the rights of the union to strike and the need of the population to get its mail. There were other incidents that have also displayed these tensions of government choosing between majority rule and minority rights. (Strom 1990) There was, for instance, the Red Scare of 1919. Before the Russian Revolution, the citizens of the United States were able to believe in any political system they wanted. They were not just held to taking capitalism as the â€Å"way to go.† One such group was a group that came to be known as the Wobbles. This group was a band of young, radical individuals who were basically fed up with American Federation of Labor. They felt that you were owned, so to speak, by your boss. Through the readings of Karl Marx, many were led to believe that Communism was the correct route for social and economic prosperity. When the Russian Revolution occurred in 1917, the United States passed a string of laws, both on the federal level and state level that prevented these Communist beliefs from seeping any further into the common American psyche. Many of the Wobblies were consequently arrested for nonsensical reasons. Many states opted to adopt laws that made the Wobblies illegal and forced it to go underground. Because of the national scare of the spread of any type of Communism, the government was forced to take extreme measures to stop any part of it from spreading. This is a clear example of how tensions grew out of the governments need to chose between majority rule, (in this case the common citizen), and minority rights, (in this case the Wobblies). There were other incidents that portrayed these tensions. One such incident being McCarthyism of the 1950's. In the mid 1940's, after the end of WWII, the United States and the other democracies of the world began moving apart from the new Russia. One reason for this was the Berlin Airlift where Russia sectioned off their part of the conquered Berlin, Germany and would not let any other allies in. This was the start of the cold war. The cold war was a fighting war. It was a war of the proverbial â€Å"cold shoulder.† In 1950, under growing public pressure, the United States passed the Internal Security Act over President Truman's veto. This law required Communists and Communist Organizations to register with the US government. (Miller 1980) It called for deportation of Communist immigrants and prohibited the immigration of anyone who had belonged to a Communist Party. Now persons who had once been a communist, had been associated with communists, or just were radical, were subjected to intense investigations both private and public. Many were fired from their jobs due to this. Senator Joseph McCarthy conducted what he dubbed the Red Hunt which ultimately failed due to his lack of evidence and his butchering of the truth. He had gone too far and was reprimanded by the Congress for actions that were not becoming of a senator. All of these actions taken by the government evoked not only its dislike for Communism but also how its ear was always open and adjusted for the majority. These poor people were not given a chance to live private lives and practice what they believed to be true. In conclusion, it has been shown, throughout the history of the United States, that the majority of many take precedence of the minority of the few. No matter whose views are correct and just, a person's views should not be suppressed and condemned by many. That person should also not have to go through the persecution and embarrassment of this shunning. Those who survived it are heroes. References Miller, N. 1980. â€Å"A New Solution Set for Tournaments and Majority Voting: Further Graph-Theoretical Approaches to the Theory of Voting.† American Journal of Political Science 24.1:68-96 Miller, N. 1996. â€Å"Majority Rule and Minority Interests.† In Shapiro, I. and Hardin, R. eds. PoliticalOrder: Nomos XXXVIII. New York: New York University Press Strom, K. 1990. Minority Government and Majority Rule. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Monday, September 16, 2019

External Environment Analysis Slp Essay

In this part of the paper an external analysis regarding the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) will be conducted. The main objective of this external analysis is that to scan the external environment for factors which might open up new opportunities or present threats to survival for California Pizza Kitchen. To do that an external analysis based on Porter’s Five Forces Model and a PEST analysis will be carried out. Porter’s Five Forces Model Porter’s Model of Five Forces is one of the most versatile frameworks to analyze the industry external environment. With the application of this model California Pizza Kitchen will be able to understand and get a handle on the competitive and market characteristics of the food and beverage industry Bargaining Power of Suppliers The supplier power is based on the concentration of suppliers and the availability of suppliers within the region where California Pizza Kitchen operates like China, USA or Japan etc. It is important for CPK to pay a close attention to the needs and the wants of their suppliers. (Cravens, 2000) Bargaining Power of Customers Here California Pizza Kitchen has to be careful because the customer’s influence increases over a company. it is extremely important for California Pizza Kitchen to lookout for the tastes and preferences of the customers so that they are able to cater to all their needs. For example, Pizza Hut when it opens a new franchise in any company, does product adaptation so that it would suit the local tastes, therefore this needs to be done by CPK as well. (Cravens, 2000) Rivalry among Competitors There is a great deal of competition between 2 similar companies in the same industry. For example, the biggest rival among the competitors of California Pizza Kitchen is Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut is one of the oldest and the most famous pizza chains all over the globe, it has somewhere around 34,000 franchise outlets, delivery units and kiosks all in over 100 countries. Availability of Substitutes A substitute product for any California Pizza Kitchen product can cause the company to lose its business. Any product that is available in the market has a substitute available and the substitute for pizza is burgers and fried food. For example, California Pizza Kitchen is easily substituted for Burger King, McDonalds, Subway or KFC. (Hollensen, 2003) Threat of New Entrants This is another one of the competitive forces that affects the company in a big way. For example, the entrance of Dominos within the food and beverage industry can cause California Pizza Kitchen to lose some of its business. PEST Analysis The abbreviation for PEST analysis is Political, Environmental, Social, and Technological analysis. This analysis will help California Pizza Kitchen to know its environmental challenges and in how to operate the company in the present and by helping it to prep itself for the future. This analysis will help California Pizza Kitchen to match its resources with its activities and to help it move in the right direction. Political Analysis Here the political term refers to the global, national, regional and local trends, changes or events. Since CPK operates in somewhere around 10 countries around the globe, the company needs to adhere to the rules and regulations of that country in which it operates. California Pizza Kitchen needs to work with various special interest groups within the company and the market as well. (Kevin & Kotler, 2008) Environmental Analysis California Pizza Kitchen is extremely committed to the environmental responsibility. The outlets of company follow the environment regulations and promote cleanliness in their surroundings. California Pizza Kitchen has a very clean and tidy environment and has a very proper system to dispose of the garbage. The company supports charitable programs and takes the first steps for promoting, supporting and participating in the welfare of the community. California Pizza Kitchen has even sponsored educational programs in local community schools and the company also provides funds for different events like Fundraisers and the money collected at these fundraisers go to non-profit schools, which focus on children, youth sports and education. (Kevin & Kotler, 2008) Social Analysis The social term in the analysis refers to the developments within the society that is means culture, behavior, the expectations of the customer, the attitude of the company towards the society etc. California Pizza Kitchen has introduced   CPKids Programs under California Pizza Kitchen Foundation for children ranging 10 years and under in schools and a variety of organizations , for example,   Restaurant Tours and Incentive Awards for outstanding accomplishments to Fundraising Events and Sports Team Partnerships. California Pizza Kitchen also has a great deal of programs for the community as well. Technological Analysis The technological term over here refers to the development, such as, the processing of the products, how the machines are operated. With the use of technology in the operations, CPK has been able to reduce the cost of production, the performance of the organization has increased, has helped the company with its supply chain operations. CPK needs to introduce multinational development teams so that it ensures that the system design needs the need of the company. With the help of parallel development CPK will be able to assign different parts of the system to different subsidiaries of the business. The manager needs to listen to the ideas of the employees as well. Change the department’s structure so that it would be able to fit the communication needs. (Kevin & Kotler, 2008) Conclusion The end result after conducting the environmental analysis is that California Pizza Kitchen needs to keep a lookout for the taste and preferences of its customers and it needs to follow trends and information revolution by leveraging greater consumer insight to deliver superior value products to the customers which in turn creates sustainable, yet incredible business results for the benefit of their stakeholders. The company needs to improve its technological aspects and it needs to follow all the rules and regulations. If they are able to do so then they would have a competitive advantage over their competitors, where they would lock-in customers and lock-out competitors. References Cravens, D W. (2000), Strategic Marketing. New York: McGraw Hill Hollensen, S, (2003), Marketing Management: A Relationship Approach. Financial Times/Prentice Hall Kevin, K. & Kotler, P. (2008), Marketing Management. Prentice Hall

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Job Evaluation at Whole Foods Market Essay

Introduction The goal of any company is to attract and retain employees who share their core values. Whole Foods Core Values include selling the highest quality natural and organic products, satisfying and delighting customers, supporting their Team Members (Whole Food Employees) happiness and growth, creating wealth through profits and growth, caring about the communities and our environment, creating win-win partnerships with their suppliers and promoting the health of their stakeholders through healthy eating education. I will take these core values and apply them to the job analysis and prepared job descriptions when determining the job structure at Whole Foods. Evaluation of Jobs and Job Structure In looking at the job descriptions provided in the case study, I was able to assign job titles in the following manner: Job A- Prepared Foods Team Member Job B- Customer Service Team Member Job C- Prepared Foods Department Team Leader Job D- Prepared Foods Supervisor Job E- Dishwasher Job F-Customer Service Front End Supervisor Job G- Prepared Foods Associate Team Leader Job H- Associate Store Team Leader Job I-Grocery Retail Team Member The job structure that I came up with put the above jobs into two categories: Managerial and Store Support. In the Managerial structure I would place Job C, Job D, Job F, Job G and Job H. In the Store Support I would place Job A, Job B, Job E, and Job I. Process, Techniques and Factors The Job evaluation technique I used in my case study is the job ranking method. My reason for choosing this technique was simple. While looking at the Whole Foods website and their career paths page, the job opportunities  in each store appeared to be hierarchal in nature. While Whole Foods itself is quite a large corporation, per the information on the company website; there are less than thirty different job classifications. While this is the simplest method of job evaluation, Whole Foods themselves have placed the jobs in order, ranging from the highest, Store Team Leaders, Facility Team Leaders, Regional Presidents, and Presidents at the top and Team Members or Specialized Team Members at the lowest or entry level. The compensable factors that I used in determining these job rankings based on the job descriptions provided: job responsibility, skill, knowledge and ability. While Whole Foods does have various departments in their stores, with distinct job requirements, these types of jobs can be grouped into one classification and put into a predetermined grade. My meaning with this is that a Team Member in Bakery has the basic skills and knowledge as a Team Member in Meat. The respsonabilities may be different, bakery versus meat, but at Whole Foods the responsibilities and qualifications are the same. Excellent customer service and maintaining the departments that they are working are a few that come to mind. As Whole Foods is a team focused working environment, placing more value on one job versus another goes against their core values. Of course there will be different pay scales based on the person’s position in the hierarchy; it is not something that makes one person more important than another. Per their own company website, â€Å"Whole Foods seek individuals who believe in their mission of Whole Foods, Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet-people who are enthusiastic about food and our products, and who want to join a culture of shared fate† (Whole FoodsMarket.com). Therefore, individuals who work for Whole Food realize they are valued and with the training and development programs that are offered, a person can promote to a higher level with the experience, knowledge and skills they have obtained in their positions. Evaluation of Job Descriptions The job descriptions in this case study could use more structure. I found it very difficult to decipher some of the information within the job description. Even after going to the WholeFoodsMarket.com website to compare, I had difficulty giving a job title to some of the descriptions. While the job descriptions themselves did have most of the information  needed to help a person place a job title with the description, they could have been better written. These job descriptions did not give a very general position overview which would have been helpful. For example, for Job A, the position overview could have listed some of the tasks the job has. The following is taken from the Prepared Foods Team Member position description under the position overview: â€Å"Performs in the Prepared Food Department all of the following tasks: preparation, counter service, sanitation and stocking of products. Maintains a positive company image by providing courteous, friendly, and efficient Custome r Service. Supports team leader and regional coordinator in training and maintaining regional standards†. (WholeFoodsMarket.com) Instead of listing all of the job duties under â€Å"Kind of Work†, listing them out in a responsibilities section would have made it much easier for the reader. The requirements sections were sufficient. Listing out the reporting structure for each position also would have been helpful. All the information that was listed in the job descriptions I used to compare to the actual job descriptions on the Whole Foods Market website; it was just a difficult process without a better layout. The knowledge, skills and abilities needed for each job should have been listed in its own section for a proper job description. Having had these, it would have been a much smoother process in assigning job titles. Conclusion As this is my first attempt at assigning job titles and job structure, I found it to be a difficult process. When you do not have the best job descriptions available to you, or the opportunity to job shadow a person in the position, the realization that a lot of work needs to be done on the front end. It starts by collecting and summarizing all the job information for each position at a company. By having all the possible information needed to complete a proper job description, a compensation specialist can properly determine the value of the job, assess the relative value of the job and place it in a job structure that is clear and concise to all stakeholders. (Milovic, Newman and Gearhart) This case study showed me what happens when things are not done properly in the beginning. References http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/. Whole Foods Market http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values/corevalues.php. Whole Foods Market core values http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/index.php. Whole Foods Marker careers Milkovich, Newman and Gerhart. Compensation, 10th Edition

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Organized Crime Essay

Ever since the time that human beings began living in any form of community setting, it is likely that organized crime, albeit in a primitive form, was born. Today, organized crime is quite different than the stereotyped mobster of the days of Al Capone. With this evolution in mind, this essay will answer various questions about the modern face of organized crime. Why Does Organized Crime Still Exist? Organized crime still exists today for a variety of reasons, especially when the development of the modern world is taken into account. First, on the most basic level, the classic organized crime organizations still serve a vital function in every corner of the world as a means of managing drug trafficking, illegal gambling, prostitution and many more typical vices that represent profitable opportunities for the criminal enterprise. The complex nature of the political, technological, and economic world in the 21st century also lends itself very well to the proliferation of organized crime. For instance, the many global terrorist groups that are active at the present time are very well run organized crime groups (Washington Times, 2003). Technology, and its link to international commerce has also fostered present day organized crime; in a far cry from the days of â€Å"Murder Incorporated†, organized criminals today often use the Internet and related devices to commit what is called transactional crime, such as bank fraud, embezzlement, stock market swindles, and more (Punch, 2005). What are the Roles of Various Law Enforcement Agencies in Fighting Organized Crime? Traditionally, the various law enforcement agencies served the purpose of protecting the common good and to promote common decency by eradicating the vice and corruption that organized crime fueled. In most cases of localized organized crime, local or state police agencies were able to keep organized crime in check; in the extreme cases when organized crime was international in nature, world police organizations such as Interpol and the FBI got involved. Presently, however, due to the globally terroristic nature of organized crime, which represents as much of a threat to global security as it does to the quality of everyday life, organized crime has been challenged by the armed forces of the nations of the world (Olson, 1995). In these circumstances, world leaders have formed crime fighting alliances to act as a global police force to bring international organized criminals to justice (Fighting Organized Crime, 2000). What are the Challenges with Undercover Investigations in Organized Crime and the Use of Informants to Prosecute Organized Crime Figures? Undercover investigation, due to its very nature, poses its own unique challenges; the need for the undercover officer to maintain his or her assumed identity, effectively infiltrate criminal groups, and bring criminals to justice is perilous to say the least. When undercover investigation is employed in organized crime, a whole new realm of challenge and danger surfaces. To begin with, organized crime groups are typically tightly knit, making the introduction of a new person, especially one whose whole life was created as a work of fiction highly difficult. Once â€Å"inside†, the undercover officer must also maintain the identity at the peril of the investigation at least and their life at worst. Use of informants to prosecute organized crime figures is highly challenging as well; the reliability of the informant, who is of course a criminal, can make or break the investigation. Moreover, keeping that informant in place without being revealed as an informant is daunting and also risks the investigation and the life of the informant. Conclusion Organized crime is alive and well in many forms, given the complex nature of the modern world. As time goes by, fighting organized crime will become increasingly difficult, and the stakes will get higher and higher. World leaders and law enforcement must work together to make a difference.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Western v. Sooner Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western v. Sooner - Case Study Example Subcontract taking after which a manifestation of subcontract, unsigned by Western, was sent by Hastie to Sooner for execution and come back to Western for execution by Western at its home office in Iowa. On the hot blend surface this composed subcontract presented by Hastie held a cost of $7.82 for every ton subsequently however completed not accommodate installment by the tenth of the month. Rather, it accommodated halfway installments to Sooner, less a held rate of 10%, as Western was paid on appraisals by the manager and last installment to Sooner upon complete execution of the subcontract inside 45 days after last installment is accepted from the holder by Western (Gillies, 2000). Lemon denied that an oral subcontract was concurred upon on July 15, 1963, with Hastie and denied that any exchanges were even had whereby Sooner might consent to the $7.82 cost with the retainage procurement and last installment procurement as above set out rather than installment for the hot blend surface by the tenth of the month. Pybas, who affirmed that he was with Lemon at all times going to, at and from the Tinker meeting on July 15, 1963, likewise denied any oral assent to the subcontract or any talks about the reduced cost of $7.82 being pleasant without installment by the tenth of the month. Lemon affirmed that not long after getting the composed subcontract from Hastie he called Hastie on the telephone a few times and questioned the easier cost of $7.82 for every ton without installment being accommodated by the tenth of the month as per his cited terms. Hastie recognized a few phone discussions after July 15, 1963, with Lemon in regards to the retainage and that Hastie p roposed in one of these discussions a decrease of the retainage to just half of the work. Hastie further affirmed that Lemon never provided for him a response to this suggestion. Hastie and Lemon,

Thursday, September 12, 2019

The main ideas of Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The main ideas of Buddhism - Essay Example Buddhism is a dharma or non-theistic religion that promotes the norms of the people. It consists of a range of beliefs, traditions and practices. These components are rooted in the teachings accredited to Buddha which is also known as Siddhartha. The religion followers believe that Buddha means, â€Å"The awakened one† Statistically, the Religion is practised by over 300 million people around the world with most of the followers coming from India. Buddhism has two common branches, namely; Theravada and Mahayana. The former has extensive followers from Sri Lanka while the latter has followers from East Asia.Different religions emphasize on differing aspects, while others advocate for proclaiming faith on the religion, others stress the importance of putting into practice the norms of the religion. Resultantly, Cohen (182) supposes that Buddhists accept as true that practising is obtained through comprehension of the â€Å"Four Noble Truths†. Cohen (182) brought to light the exact and ultimate goal of the Buddhism Religion, the practice. The principal goal of Buddhism is the achievement of Nirvana state by practising the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ which is also known as middle way as per the submission of McDaniel, (250). In a nutshell, the eight factors include; having the right understanding, professing the right intention, practising the right speech and actions, righteous living, making correct efforts, at all times maintaining good mindfulness and right concentrations.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

International Relations Theory Book Review on The Bottom Billion by Essay

International Relations Theory Book Review on The Bottom Billion by paul collier and the united states of europe by T.R. Reid - Essay Example The goal is not to pay for our sins but to give confidence financial enlargement. As Collier notes, the word expansion is now regularly encumbered by means of other Western agendas, as in the environmental actions persistence on "sustainable enlargement." The phrase sustainable increase has for decades been endorsed by groups such as the World Council of Churches and lots of NGOs. Too frequently it has meant that the worlds really poor ought to be given partial access to the circle of efficiency and exchange lest they add to the ecological burden that humankind has placed on our delicate planet. Devoid of that, the "bottom billion" will carry on to sink. Collier writes: "The difficulty of the bottom billion has not been that they have had the wrong type of enlargement; it is that they have not had any increase. The suspicion of growth has unintentionally undermined authentically strategic thinking." (Richard John Neuhaus, 2007) This research asked the question addressed with cautious argument and massive supporting confirmation by Paul Collier in The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest nation Are Failing and What Can Be Done concerning It. Facing up to the realities of globe poverty as well as what can be done regarding it requires concern, cleverness, and long-term pledge. Just how long-term our thinking has to be is underscored by Michael Clemens, who appraisal The Bottom Billion in Foreign Affairs: Collier writes: "Change in the societies at the very bottom must come predominantly from within; we cannot impose it on them. In all these societies there do struggles between brave people want change and entrenched interests opposing it. To date, we have largely been bystanders in this struggle. We can do much more to strengthen the hand of reformers. But to do so we will need to draw upon tools--such as military interventions, international standard-setting, and trade policy--that to date have been used for other purposes. The agencies that control these instruments have neither knowledge of nor interest in the problems of the bottom billion. " The United States Of Europe By T.R. Reid It is simple to scoff at the accessories of the European Union. Its flag of 12 gold stars on blue is insipid. Its nationwide festival Europe Day, honor the Schuman assertion of May 9, 1950--is unobserved. Its nationwide anthem is astounded because Euro attach could never concur on a language in which to sing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." Its rapid-reaction force, ought to it ever form, will be no competition for the U.S. Army (Andrew Moravcsik, 2005). However, the EU is the nearly all ambitious and successful work out in international collaboration in globe history--and now even Americans are noticing. Over the past half-century it has emerged as the leading medium for monetary policy making in Europe. Tariffs, quotas, as well as mainly civilization barriers have been eradicated. The euro has relocated national currencies. Environmental,