Saturday, November 30, 2019

s Life

Looking deeper into the story This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff, we can see the impact of growing up with one parent and the effects of not having a father. Growing up without a father can cause several behavioral problems and have a long-term impact on a child’s life. In my essay I will look into the life of Tobias Wolff and point out numerous behavioral problems that may have arouse from his lack of a father. At age ten, Tobias moved with his mother Rosemary to escape her boyfriend and attempt to get rich on uranium, from that age Tobias was left without a father. Tobias was to enter into puberty, the physical maturity of a boy to a man, without a father to talk to. This led him to an understanding of women that came from his friends and had no true basis or regard for the way a man should treat a woman. This point is relevant on page 44, where Tobias sends letters of his love to Annette with content of â€Å"Inappropriate settlements and declarations.† I believe that Tobias lack of a father figure also resulted in him having a lack of discipline. This lack of discipline is extremely evident when we look at his performances during and after school. I think that had Tobias had a father figure he would not have partook in many of the delinquencies he performed in with his friends. Not to be overlooked is his constant want to â€Å"reinvent† himself. Without a father figure to mold his son and teach him as a man, we can see that Tobias was in constant thought about who he really was, and most of the time who he wanted to be. Finally I would like to talk about the role of Dwight in his life. Although Dwight, in my opinion, meant well in disciplining Tobias I feel that Dwight had a contrary effect on Tobias’ life. As Dwight attempted to be a father figure for Tobias, and instill discipline in him, Dwight seemed to be pushing him away more and more, instead of embracing him. This tended to drive Tobias toward acts of delin... 's Life Free Essays on This Boy\'s Life Looking deeper into the story This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff, we can see the impact of growing up with one parent and the effects of not having a father. Growing up without a father can cause several behavioral problems and have a long-term impact on a child’s life. In my essay I will look into the life of Tobias Wolff and point out numerous behavioral problems that may have arouse from his lack of a father. At age ten, Tobias moved with his mother Rosemary to escape her boyfriend and attempt to get rich on uranium, from that age Tobias was left without a father. Tobias was to enter into puberty, the physical maturity of a boy to a man, without a father to talk to. This led him to an understanding of women that came from his friends and had no true basis or regard for the way a man should treat a woman. This point is relevant on page 44, where Tobias sends letters of his love to Annette with content of â€Å"Inappropriate settlements and declarations.† I believe that Tobias lack of a father figure also resulted in him having a lack of discipline. This lack of discipline is extremely evident when we look at his performances during and after school. I think that had Tobias had a father figure he would not have partook in many of the delinquencies he performed in with his friends. Not to be overlooked is his constant want to â€Å"reinvent† himself. Without a father figure to mold his son and teach him as a man, we can see that Tobias was in constant thought about who he really was, and most of the time who he wanted to be. Finally I would like to talk about the role of Dwight in his life. Although Dwight, in my opinion, meant well in disciplining Tobias I feel that Dwight had a contrary effect on Tobias’ life. As Dwight attempted to be a father figure for Tobias, and instill discipline in him, Dwight seemed to be pushing him away more and more, instead of embracing him. This tended to drive Tobias toward acts of delin...

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Tangled Essays - Tangled Characters, Rapunzel, Mother Gothel

Tangled Essays - Tangled Characters, Rapunzel, Mother Gothel Tangled English 011 29 March 2013 Tangled Have you ever wondered what Disney films are really showing to children? In the article Someday My Prince Will Come, Marcia Lieberman explains the negative impact on children from classic Disney films. The negative messages Lieberman talks about are the girl always depends on the hero, the willingness to change themselves, and the idea that if you are beautiful you get through life easy. However, the Disney film Tangled defies this article. Tangled starts off the same as any other Disney film; a nice, strong, brave man saves the damsel in distress, but then it changes by not following the clich, negative messages and sends out a positive message. Although Tangled and Cinderella have a similar plot, Tangled portrays a better gender message for young children because of the untraditional role reversal and the inspirational message. The plot of Tangled is just like any other plot that Disney comes up with. Girl gets into some kind of trouble; handsome male comes to save her, and they live happily ever after. But, the difference with Tangled is that it starts off as a clich, but drives away from the fairytale norm. In the movie, theres a magical flower that everyone desires to have. The queen of the kingdom had a special baby girl named Rapunzel. She has had magical powers since birth. Her long blonde hair glows when she sings and has the ability to heal all wounds. However, things take a turn when Mother Gothel kidnaps Rapunzel just to stay young. Rapunzel was locked in the tower and could never leave. Until one day Flynn Rider steals a crown from his partners and is forced to run towards the tower. Not knowing if anyone was there, he climbs up into the tower and meets Rapunzel for the first time. The two go out on a wild adventure that would make them closer than ever. During their journey they both learn to gr ow more into each other. Throughout the movie Tangled shows a reversal of roles that strays away from the traditional story of damsel in distress. Classic Disney movies have a big part of gender roles, which are a set of behaviors that indicate, specifically the image projected by a person that identifies his or her femaleness or maleness. Stereotypical gender roles in Disney movies teach individuals behavioral and associational patterns that illustrate appropriate behavior for each sex and provides a way to predict the outcome or fate according to sex. Rapunzel is a princess, who was kidnapped by Mother Gothel. She lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but she is no damsel in distress. She is a girl with very long golden hair. She is a girl who fills her days with art, books, and imagination. Rapunzels true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower. She always obeyed Mother Gothel by keeping her magical hair hidden. Flynn Rider is a thief, who discovers Rapunzel in the tower. He is a tall and well-built with short, dark hair. He is an experienced thief; he skilled in escaping the authorities, hiding out, and steal ing right from peoples noses. He later becomes the husband of Rapunzel. Tangled is a much different movie compared to Cinderella even though they were made by the same company. Cinderella has a message of that a woman should be abused from most of her life until she is saved. The woman should be dependent on someone else instead of herself. In Cinderella she depends on her fairy godmother to save her at first, and then she depends on the prince to save her instead of working on her own to save herself. In Tangled Rapunzel is very independent and even is able to leave her tower. She rescues Flynn multiple times throughout the movie. She shows that women can easily be independent and even be the rescuer. Additionally, the focus on beauty sends another negative message to young girls. Beauty is associated with goodness, and ugliness is associated with evil. Rapunzel is beautiful and sweet. For example, she was able to help the men at the bar and think back and show emotion by asking them if they ever had a dream. She was not

Friday, November 22, 2019

American Torture Techniques Against Detainees

American Torture Techniques Against Detainees The U.S. government has been accused of using torture-lite or moderate physical pressure against detainees, persons held in custody for political reasons, typically because they pose a distinct threat to the U.S. or possess information crucial to American security. In practical terms, what does this mean? Palestinian Hanging This form of torture is sometimes  referred to as Palestinian hanging due to its use by the Israeli government against Palestinians. It involves binding the prisoners hands behind his back. After fatigue sets in, the prisoner will inevitably fall forward, putting full body weight on his shoulders and impairing breathing. If the prisoner is not released,  death by crucifixion  may eventually result. Such was the fate of U.S. prisoner  Manadel al-Jamadi  in 2003. Psychological Torture The number one criterion for torture-lite is that it must leave no physical marks. Whether U.S. officials are threatening to execute a prisoners family or falsely claiming that the leader of his terror cell is dead, a steady diet of misinformation and threats can be effective.   Sensory Deprivation Its remarkably easy for prisoners to lose track of time when theyre locked up in cells. Sensory deprivation involves removing all noise and light sources as well. Guantanamo prisoners  were additionally bound, blindfolded and wore earmuffs. Whether prisoners subjected to long-term sensory deprivation can still tell fiction from reality is a matter of some debate.   Starvation and Thirst Maslows hierarchy of needs identifies basic physical needs as the most fundamental, more so than religion, political ideology or community. A prisoner may be given just enough food and water to survive. It may take as long as a week before he appears physically thinner, but his life will come to revolve around a quest for food and he may be more inclined to divulge information in exchange for food and water.   Sleep Deprivation Studies have shown that missing a nights sleep temporarily drains 10 points from a persons IQ. Consistent sleep deprivation  through harassment, exposure to bright lights and exposure to loud, jarring music and recordings can drastically impair judgment and wear down resolve.   Waterboarding Water torture is one of the oldest and most common forms of torture. It arrived in the U.S. with the first colonists and has cropped up many times since then. Waterboarding  is its latest incarnation. It  involves  a prisoner being strapped down to a board then dunked in water. Hes brought back to the surface and the process is then repeated until his interrogator secures the information being sought.   Forced Standing Most common in the 1920s, forced standing involves prisoners standing in place, often overnight. In some cases, the prisoner may face a wall, standing with his arms extended and his  fingertips touching it.   Sweatboxes Sometimes referred to as a hot box or simply as the box, the prisoner is locked up in a small, hot room which, due to lack of ventilation, essentially functions as an oven. The prisoner is released when he cooperates. Long used as a form of torture in the U.S., it is particularly effective in the arid Middle East. Sexual Assault  and Humiliation Various forms of sexual assault and humiliation documented in U.S. prison camps  as forms of torture include forced nudity, forcible smearing of menstrual blood on prisoners faces, forced lap dances, forced transvestitism and forced homosexual acts on other prisoners.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Hexagon of Excellence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Hexagon of Excellence - Assignment Example When there is effective communication, teamwork and trust, the organization is headed for excellence. With increased trust, project funding can be brought down from the executive level to intermediate management (Schein, 2010). This characteristic reduces the cost and time of methodology execution. Training and education is a significant aspect that has both quantitative and qualitative results. Quantitatively, the product development time is shortened while higher quality decisions are made faster. The cost of project is lowered through a reduction in paperwork and the number of people involved while higher profit margins are realized. Qualitatively, there is improved visibility and emphasis on results with enhanced coordination. The morale of workers increases resulting in improved customer relations (Kerzner, 2005). Training and education are necessary to maintain a competitive workforce. The strategy helped the previous employer to maintain innovativeness in project implementation, which continuously made work easier, less expensive and also boosted the morale of employees. There was a project management curriculum that was reviewed annually to incorporate new areas of competence. It contained a core competency prototype for the elementary and advanced abilities that a project manager was required to possess. All the training programs were focused on supporting the core competency skills. Moreover, trainings were conducted regarding ethical behaviour within the company as well as when interacting with customers. Project managers were also taught on decent business practices. Project management executives were also involved in senior managers’ workshops and trainings designed to enhance maturity of project management (Rothaermel, 2012). Organizations lose huge sums of money through wasted project spending leading to low shareholder value. A major factor contributing to such losses is failure to align projects with corporate

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Developing a Performance Measurement System for a Firm That Purchased Coursework

Developing a Performance Measurement System for a Firm That Purchased a Supplier of Its Intermediate Goods - Coursework Example The basis for transfer prices is that the subunit managers make decisions; they are required to focus on how their decision will influence the performance of the subunit without assessing their effect on the overall company performance. Thus, transfer prices make it easy for the subunit manager to process information and make decisions. In a transfer system that is well designed, the manager puts more focus on optimizing the performance of the subunit, and in so doing, the performance of the company is optimized (Datar, Horngren & Rajan, 2012). Usually, there are three forms of transfer prices; market-based transfer prices, cost-based transfer, and negotiated transfer prices. Each form complies with organization and performance assessment in a different level. The transfer prices to be used rely on the environmental conditions and specific objectives of the company. In this case, the form of transfer to be used is the market-based transfer prices. In order to develop a performance measurement system for the firm, the following conditions must be met. First, a market or its substitute must exist for the intermediate product. However, this condition is generally not fully met. In most cases, there are a number of comparable products with different prices present. Second, the transaction of the firm’s divisions may not have a significant effect on the market price.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The method that supermarkets can employ Essay Example for Free

The method that supermarkets can employ Essay One method that supermarkets can employ to keep a competitive edge in the market share while competing with the larger supercenters is to appeal to the information-savvy customer by installing new technologically-advanced equipment. Examples of these include electronic shelving labels that are linked to backroom computers and automatically update price changes. Changes in pricing are updated automatically, thus delivering ethical information to the consumer in a timely fashion. Another way of keeping customers happy, and thus repeat customers, is updating customers’ hand-held devices or mobile phones upon entering the store with updated information about current specials, providing the consumer with relevant and valuable information. Another strategy is to employ customer relationship management solutions and loyalty programs. Research has shown that for most supermarkets, the top 30 percent of supermarket’s customer base accounts for 75 percent of their sales. Effective customer relationship programs will find ways to best appeal to the top 30 percent of their customers, and brainstorm ways to nourish and strengthen consumer relationships. As technology advances, many supermarket chains are discovering that their current Point-Of-Service (POS) technology is antiquated. The older technology will cripple supermarkets from gaining a competitive edge on the market share. Therefore, successful supermarket chains must maintain newer operating systems, with â€Å"plug and play† capability, that offer flexibility, self-management, self-diagnosis, and self-correction. The newer technology will offer a better shopping experience for the customer, and a competitive advantage for the retailer. Staying above the technology curve keeps consumers ethically informed of price changes and current inventory, and keeps a culturally diverse population happy with up-to-date information delivered in a relevant and sophisticated fashion. In 2002, the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council commissioned a study of emerging trends in the supermarket industry. One finding indicates that supermarkets are increasingly tapping into the growing potential of America’s ethnic grocery shoppers. Supermarkets are implementing marketing and merchandising strategy to appeal to targeted groups of African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans, which comprise 1/3 of the total American population. This report, titled, â€Å"Grow with America: Best Practices in Ethnic Merchandising,† is filled with over 120 interviews with business owners and managers of chain supermarkets, independent grocery stores, food distributors, and food manufacturers. The study revealed that part of capturing the market share of grocery consumers is targeting and appealing to ethnic customers. Capturing the demographics of consumers can be successfully integrated into the customer relationship management policy of the supermarket chain or independent retailer. A few successful programs that supermarkets are currently using to appeal to the ethnic shopper are customized product assortment, strategies in merchandising, creating a store culture through signage, community outreach, language, community relations strategies, maintaining diverse staffing, and cultivating a diversity philosophy. This study was produced by a leading ethnic marketing research company and a marketing consulting firm specializing in ethnic markets. Together, these two companies conducted extensive research over the course of one year to compile existing research and interview leading executives and merchandisers in the supermarket industry.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Capital Punishment Essay - We Should Not Exclude Juveniles

Capital Punishment Should Not Exclude Juveniles In August of 2000, three year old Damion was suffocated after several attempts by his five-year-old sister and her six-year-old friend to kill him. When the police talked to the two girls, they concluded that it was an intentional murder, but under California state law, "children under the age of 14 can be charged only if there is 'clear proof that at the time of committing the act... they [knew] its wrongfulness." With no witness to the crime, the police only had the girls' word and consequently, there wasn't enough evidence to charge the two girls with murder (Murr 32). By law a juvenile is anyone under the age of eighteen. Juvenile justice is the part of the criminal law that deals with juveniles, because they are not old enough to be held accountable for their own actions. This normally means that their parents would be charged with the crime (Schonwald). But in case of Damions' murder, California also decided that the girls were just too young, and since the parents weren't there to witness the homicide, they too were not punished (Murr 32). This made it seem like the murder of a three-year-old never really happened at all. Every state has different laws for trying young criminals as adults. The states of Vermont and Kansas provide statutory provisions for trying children as young as ten years old in an adult criminal court. In Oklahoma the age is set at seven; Nevada, eight and in Colorado, twelve (Frontline). In 1972 the United State Supreme Court struck down on every state death penalty, saying that it was "cruel and unusual punishment" and it violated the 5th Amendment. In 1976 the Supreme Court revised its decision saying that it was acceptable as long as the Co... ... News and World Report 17 Jan. 2000: 26-27 "Juvenile Justice" Frontline 2001 17 Dec. 2001 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/stats/states.html Murr, Andrew and Springen, Karen. "Death at a very Early Age: Is it a crime when a 5-and 6-year old suffocate a 3-year old?" Newsweek 28 Aug. 2000: 32 Redding, Richard. "Juvenile Forensic Evaluation Resource Center" State Transfer Laws 2000 17 Dec. 2001 www.ilppp.virginia.edu/Juvenile_Forensic_Fact_Sheets/Fact_Sheets/StateTrans.html Schonwald, Josh. "Juvenile deliquents respond to punishment just as adults criminals do, University of Chicago study shows." The University of Chicago News Office 21 Dec. 1998 5 Dec. 2001 http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/98/981221leavitt.shtml Wilson, Anamaria. "Lock "Em Up!: Minority youth are more likely to face trial as adults." Time 14 Feb. 2001: 68.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Repression in Russia in the period 1900-1929 Essay

Why did the rulers of Russia so often resort to repression in the period 1900-1929? Repression was used under both Nicholas 2 and the Bolsheviks to control the Russian population. The liberal methods employed preceding both governments (Alexander 2 and the Provisional Government respectively) failed completely and discouraged any other form of liberal or democratic controls. The strict extremist ideologies of both the Tsarist and Bolshevik regimes also necessitated violent repression to ensure total compliance. This was needed due to the major political upheavals taking place – the decline of Tsarism despite Nicholas’ determination to continue his autocratic rule and the rise of Bolshevism to replace it meant that both parties needed to take a very harsh line. This was exacerbated by the fact that neither party came to power with the ‘legitimate vote’ of the public and so faced strong opposition that they wished to eliminate. Conflict, in the form of Civil War and the Great War, was an apparent complication in both regimes. This caused additional economic disarray and social disruption, hindering the plans of the 2 major governments of this era. Consequently this encouraged the use of repression in an attempt to resurrect the country and increase their power. Further difficulties during this period were caused by Russia’s long term long problems, particularly the vast land area and a high percentage of distinct ethnic minorities causing a lack of cohesion and sense of national identity. Bad communications and retardation of industrialisation meant poor social conditions which led to vocal rebellious groups requiring violent put downs i.e. repression. Russia, at this time, appeared ungovernable without resorting to repression and dictation. Repression was seeded by the lack of an alternative available to Russian rulers at this time. The Bolsheviks were further discouraged from democracy by the failure of the Provincial Government after just 6 months in 1917. The refusal of this government to use repression was highlighted by some of the reforms they undertook – abolition of capital punishment and closure of the Okhrana (secret police) and the Cossacks. Lack of army support due to the Petrograd Soviet agreement made control harder as the problems left by the Tsar (economic collapse and rebellious minorities) could not be dealt with. The public began to realise that authority could be easily flouted without the threat of punishment. Consequently, Lenin realised that coercion was required to rule Russia and that repression through the Army could be achieved when his slogan ‘All power to the Soviet’ was realised. Alexander 2, grandfather to Nicholas 2, was seen as the ‘reforming Tsar’- mainly due to his emancipation of the serfs in 1861. He was assassinated by a party representing these very people at the 7th such attempt. Nicholas 2 realised (as the failure of the Provincial Government was to do for the Bolsheviks) that power was questioned when repression was not implemented. Although Lenin also used repression, the similarity in personalities between Nicholas 2 and Stalin meant that both used similar methods. Both were intensely paranoid about the public’s perception that they were weak. To disprove this, both resorted to violent repressive tactics. Repression under Lenin was more calculated – he talked of the ‘coercion’ needed for the ‘transition from capitalism to communism’. Both governments were autocratic and wished to impose extreme ideologies and therefore required total support which they believed was only achievable by quashing any opposition. Total control was to be achieved by the Tsar’s ‘divine right’ to have this and by the Bolshevik’s through their classless, one party state. This was shown when Lenin forcibly disbanded the constitution in 1918, because the Bolsheviks would not have had the majority vote they needed for the total control they sought. As a result Lenin became the leader of the only powerful party- the Communists. Later, Stalin increased his control through purges within his own government – ensuring his role as the absolute leader – reflecting the Tsar’s goal of omnipotence following the Fundamental Laws. The Tsar required repression of the peasantry (80% of the population) whereas the Bolshevik’s faced opposition from the middle and upper classes. Tsarism relied heavily on religion (the Russian Orthodox Church/ROC) to control the people whereas the Bolsheviks saw this as a threat. The ROC taught that the Tsar was ‘God on earth’ in an attempt to indoctrinate the peasantry to such an extent that they would do as he commanded. Important ministers were often associated with the Church e.g. Pobiedonotstev. After the downfall of Tsarism, Lenin proclaimed the Marxist theory that religion was ‘the opium of the people’ and proceeded to turn repression onto the church to rid Russia of this perceived powerful opponent to the communist system. Stalin continued the destruction of religion in Russia through the assassination of any cleric he felt had too much influence. The Tsar and the Bolsheviks both faced threatening opposition. The Tsar’s opponents ranged from the peasant-based Social Revolutionaries (who would later become the Bolsheviks opponents) to the Bolsheviks themselves – supported by the working class. The failure of the 1905 revolution after the intervention of the Okhrana and army showed that the Tsar could not have retained power without repression. The Okhrana were also used to rid Russia of revolutionaries – such as Lenin himself. The Bolsheviks shared the problems caused by the ethnic minorities and their wish for independence. However, The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk weakened this opposition for the Bolsheviks after it removed 25% of Russian land – mainly that housing the minorities. Both regimes faced a wide range of opposition, prompting repression to remove the greatest threats – such as the dissolution of the SR-dominated constitution in 1918. Lenin reduced the power of the elite by taking their property and institutions from them. Stalin continued and extended the use of repression – eliminating any minor threat, including members of the Communist Party in his ‘Great Purges’ Conflict encouraged the rulers during this period to resort to repression. The Tsar faced the Russo-Japanese war and the Great War during his reign. The Bolsheviks had to contend with a Civil War. In both cases, repression was used to evoke loyalty and force unification. The Cossacks and Ohkrana were fundamental to the suppression of objectors to the Tsar, as were the Bolshevik equivalents, the Cheka. The Cheka aided Bolshevik victory in the Civil War and were then used by Lenin to forcibly take grain for the soldiers under the Grain Requisition Act despite the distress caused to the peasants. The Tsar also used repression to keep Russia fighting in the Great War – including the silencing of anti-war parties and also opposition to the mandatory food rationing by a hungry people. Despite these efforts, war finally brought the downfall of Tsarism after mass desertion from the army effectively took away the last prop of the old regime. The Bolsheviks however, emerged successfully from the Civil War allowing them to consolidate their new-found power with the use of additional repression. Retarded Industrialisation was a long-term problem that is still felt by Russia today. The Tsar attempted to improve Russia’s industrial affluence whilst maintaining control by repressing the working classes to prevent them revolting. To do this, he banned trade unions and imprisoned the leaders. The Communists also attempted to improve Russia’s industrial situation- through the conversion from capitalism to communism. The Tsar sought support from other European countries whereas the Communists violently rejected this policy. This meant that the Communists required a greater level of forced labour (i.e. repression) in order to cope without this aid. Stalin hoped to develop Russia into a ‘superpower’ in his 5-year plans. This involved the use of the forced free labour of non-conformists who were imprisoned in labour camps. The Kulaks (wealthy peasants) were among those sent to such a camp. ‘Collectivisation’ was a re-introduction of the Grain Requisition and an attempt to revolutionise agriculture along Communist lines and resulted in starvation of the rural population. This repression of the peasantry was also evident in the Tsarist regime to prevent unrest. The long-term problems experienced by Russia at this time encouraged the use of repression as a means of control. The huge population spread over a vast land area meant that in addition to the communication problems caused by sheer size and the abundance of minority groups, it was impossible for any government to meet the demands made by all of the people. The Tsar attempted to deal with this through the enforcement of Russfication and sending the army to eliminate any protesters e.g. in Uzbekistan. The Bolsheviks also faced the minority opposition with violent repression – millions of Ukrainians were sent to forced labour camps by Stalin. Prejudice against ethnic groups was rife; anti-Semitism caused repression of Jews under both Tsarist and Bolshevic regimes. Although it can be said that the governments of Nicholas 2, Stalin and to a lesser extent Lenin were repressive by nature, the need for control via repression was inherent within the set up of Russia. Until the fall of communism in Russia in the late 20th century, it was clearly evident that the more lenient governments, such as that of Alexander 2 and Provisional Government were less successful than the more repressive ones although they were hardly given chance to do well, so quick were some to take their place at the first sign of weakness. This acted as an encouragement for the major governments between 1900-1929 to use the secret police, army and threat of imprisonment to deter opposition, repress the peasantry and enforce the ideologies of the government. Repression was imperative for both governments; the Tsarist to cling to power and the Communists to snatch it from them. Both had many unpopular economic, political and social reforms to pass. War highlighted the problems of the country and the presence of strong opposition against both governments. In the view of both it increased the need for repression to realign the economic and social structure. Under both regimes the cause and the effect of repression was the same; it resulted in the death or displacement of many. Unfortunately, it was just a prelude to the terror that was to be experienced during the ‘High-Stalinism’ of the 1930’s. During this decade, 7 million died, mostly after being sent to a labour camp for failing to conform to the Communist ideal of ‘collectivisation’.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Global Warming: Causes, Consequences, Solutions Essay

Since the early days of the greenhouse debate, scientists have been interested in the impacts of global warming. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a comprehensive on the impacts of climate change for the country. The public’s increased attention to such problem is not anymore surprising as it threatens every creature with potentially devastating consequences, which has put global warming in the lime light (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5; Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). Nevertheless, attempts at a monetary quantification of these impacts – despite being classic application of environmental economics – have started to emerge just recently (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). Many scientists believe that our planet has been experiencing a warming trend over the last 200 years- and that our activities are responsible for this global warming. It started with the industrial revolution, around 1750 (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5; Kursunoglu et. al. , 2001 p. 151). People began to use machines in more and more areas of life and daily functioning, from heating, to building, and manufacturing, to transportation. The machines were powered by burning fuels, such as wood, coal, oil, and natural gas (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). If these fuels burn, they emit carbon dioxide and other waste products into the atmosphere, which is the layer of air that covers our planet (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). Fossil fuels provide about 85% of the world’s energy, sustaining the world’s standard-of-living and providing the power for transportation. These fuels are inexpensive, transportable, safe, and relatively abundant. At the same time, their use contributes to problems such as air quality and acid rain that are being addressed through various control efforts and to the problem of global warming, which is now being considered by governments of the world (Kursunoglu et. al. , 2001 p. 151). Scope and Limitation The study involves mainly the issues of global warming in terms of its cause, consequences and solutions implicated. The study shall incorporate various theoretical explanations in order to address the subject criteria of the problem imposed. The scope of the study shall coincide mainly on the environmental issue of global warming. Mainly, the study shall scrutinize the details of the review of related literature patterned to the primary components imposed in the latter of the studies. Analysis and interpretation of data present shall involve clear and accurate depiction of the study utilizing the present and gathered data of the review of literatures. The following shall be the objectives of the study in this research paper: a. To be able to critically analyze the primary components imposed in the study, particularly the presenting phenomenon and the cause-effect relationships of global warming b. To be able to provide necessary data analysis and implication utilizing mainly the references, data gathered in review of literature and the analysis of latter studies proposed in order to provide primary depiction of the actual status of the environment in terms of global warming. Review of Related Literature Global Warming: Overview The basic principle of global warming can be understood by considering the radiation energy from the Sun that warms the Earth’s surface and the thermal radiation from the Earth and the atmosphere that is radiated out to space. On average, these two radiation streams must be balance. If the balance is disturbed, it can be restored by an increase in the Earth’s surface temperature (Houghton, 2004 p. 14). The gases nitrogen and oxygen that make up0 the bulk of the atmosphere neither absorb nor emit thermal radiation. It is the water vapor, carbon dioxide, and some other minor gases present in the atmosphere in much smaller quantities that absorb some of the thermal radiation and causing the difference of 21 degrees Celsius or so between the actual average surface temperatures on the Earth of about 15 degrees Celsius. Such blanketing condition is known as the natural greenhouse effects and the gases are known as greenhouse gases (Houghton, 2004 p. 16). The greenhouse gases are those gases in the atmosphere which, by absorbing thermal radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, have blanketing effect upon it. The most important of the greenhouse gases is water vapor, but its amount in the atmosphere is not changing directly because of human activities. The important greenhouse gases that are directly influenced by human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone (Houghton, 2004 p. 28). Normally, carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere in small amounts-just enough to keep temperatures on Earth at a comfortable range for our planet’s living things. The burning fuels, however, has been increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Houghton, 2004 p. 28; Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). So far, global warming has not been substantial, increasing the average temperature of Earth by only about 0. 6 degrees Celsius in the last century. This change is so small that some scientists argue that it is just a natural fluctuation and not a trend. Other scientists state that there is a great deal of evidence to support global warming: Summers are getting hotter and winters are getting milder, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising, but these signs are only the initial phase of global warming phenomena. The warming trend is expected to speed up and produce even greater effects (Silverstein et. al. , 2003 p. 6). Warming did not occur evenly around the world, and some scientists wondered whether the changes in observed temperature might simply be a result of the growth of cities near weather stations. Urban areas form heat islands; pavement and rooftops absorb more heat than soils and plant leaves, so cities have warmer climates than rural areas. Climatologists admit they do not fully understand Earth’s climate system. For decades, however, they have agreed that signs of global warming would be most noticeable in cold regions (Pringle, 2001 p. 17; Silverstein et. al. , 2003 p. 6) – particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, because it holds less heat-absorbing ocean water than the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists have predicted that areas such as Alaska, Canada, and Northern Russia would harm more than Earth as a whole (Pringle, 2001 p. 17). Historical Overview: Development of Agencies and Organizations It has been known for about 175 years that the presence in the atmosphere of â€Å"greenhouse gases† such as carbon dioxide that absorb in the infrared part of the spectrum leads to a warming of the Earth’s surface through the greenhouse effects. The first quantitative calculations were made by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius in 1896. In the 1960s, Charles Keeling and his colleagues began a regular series of accurate observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. Such studies showed increasing values as a result of human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1; (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). By the 1980s, as the rate of increase of carbon dioxide concentration became larger, the possible impact on the global climate became a matter of concern to politicians as well as scientists. The report of a scientific meeting held at Villach, Austria in 1985 under the auspices of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) began to alert governments and the public at large to the potential seriousness of the issue. Estimates were made that the carbon dioxide concentration could double before the end of the 21st century. In 1896, three multinational agencies, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ICSU, who had co-sponsored the Villach conference, formed the Advisory Group of Greenhouse Gases (AGGG), a small international committee with responsibility for asserting the available scientific information about the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the likely impact (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1). After the assembly of these well-known organizations, and formations of small groups, such as the AGGG, discoveries and widely assessments have been made regarding the issues of global warming. Private and public sectors in the United States and Europe have gathered (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 27), including those from other nations such as Japan, South Korea, etc. , in order assess possible etiologies, evaluate impending causes and provide critical support-based solutions (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1). Measurements of Global Warming Even a few years ago, the acceptance of global warming was not as widespread as it is today. Global warming is difficult to prove as temperature records do no go back very far. Furthermore, the old records are primarily land based, are not representative of large areas of the world, are mostly from urban areas, and are not always collected with precision. Existing records, however, were collated, processed and standardized by P. D Jones and T. M. L Wrigley (1990), and their formulation of standardized data indicates a slow warming trend since the last century with occasional periods of cooling (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1; Gupta, 1998 p. 86). The deviations from the general trend may occur due to three reasons: sunspot cycles; volcanic eruptions producing large quantities of fine ash in the air; the occurrence of El Nino Southern Oscillation. Correcting for all such factors, Jones and Wrigley estimated that the earth has become 0. 5 degrees Kelvin warmer since the 1880s (Gupta, 1998 p. 86). Evidence of global warming also come from other sources. In recent years, glaciers on mountains, particularly tropical mountains, have melted faster than before. The temperature of the top hundred metres of sea water off the coast of California shows an increase of 0. 8 degrees Kelvin over the last forty years. The data from the ice cores of Antarctica also indicate a warming trend (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Gupta, 1998 p. 86). These cores through the ice indicate snowfalls of number of years in sequence, which later has turned into ice. As this happens, tiny air bubbles trapped in the ice, and these bubbles can be investigated to determine the composition of the air at the time of the snowfall and also the temperature. The latter is determined by examining the ration of the two oxygen isotopes, 16O and 18O 9 (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Gupta, 1998 p. 86; Houghton, 2004 p. 28). The ratios reflect the ambient global temperature. A number of very hot years, in fact eight of the hottest on record, happened between 1980 and 1992. Apart from indicating the trend, this put global warming in public’s attention. Etiologies of Global Warming Currently, there are three theories about the cause of global warming; however, most of the scientists believe that the cause is an increase of greenhouse gases. Svante Arrhenius of Sweden in 1895 demonstrated the linkage between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and temperature (Gupta,1998 p. 86). Carbon dioxide is the prime etiology involved in global warming causation. In fact, without any carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the earth would be much colder place to live. The global mean temperature would be below 0 degrees Celsius instead of being close to a comfortable 14 degrees Celsius. Most carbon dioxide comes from the decomposition of dead plants and animals, and the respiration of living animals, including humans, and plants. For thousands of years, there has been no problem with this because the oceans absorbed much of this carbon dioxide; hence, taking it out of the atmosphere. In addition, plants carrying on photosynthesis also absorbed a great deal of the atmospheric carbon dioxide (Tomera, 2001 p. 113; Gupta,1998 p. 86). However, with the advent of modernization, auto engines, power plants, industrial mills, and home and business heating systems burn coal, oil, or natural gas (Gupta, 1998 p. 86; Houghton, 2004 p. 28; Tomera, 2001 p. 113). Such accounts for 98% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere, while the other 2% id due to the increased deforestation and mining (Tomera, 2001 p. 113). Another theoretical issue imposed is in the use of fossil fuels and burning materials that release CFCs. The first relatively successful calculation of how much the human use of fossil fuel could warm the planet published in a paper 1896 by Arrhenius. With the conceptual framework of carbon dioxide as the primary source of global warming, various theoretical concepts have formed. In the late 1930s, G. S. Callendar, an English chemist, argued that human activities were causing an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and that this might have already started global warming. Despite Callendar’s concern, and although the scientific community has known about the pot4ential of human-induced warming to raise the earth’s temperature since the early 19th century (Tomera, 2001 p. 113; Brown, 2002 p. 14), global warming received little attention from the scientific community during the first half of the twentieth century, which centered mainly on human causations of carbon dioxide increase (Brown, 2002 p. 14). In 1957, two scientists with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Roger Revelle and Hans Suess, found that much of the carbon dioxide emitted to the earth’s atmosphere is not absorbed by the oceans, as some had assumed, leaving significant amounts in the atmosphere that could eventually warm the earth (Brown, 2002 p. 14). With the current advent of environmental discovery and climatic technological advancements, there are now environmental impacts of the chemical substitutes that are now being developed by industry. These factors all into two main groups: hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which have limited ozone depleting potential, and HCFCs, which have no ozone depleting potential. Unfortunately, both groups of chemicals are greenhouse gases, both groups of chemicals are greenhouse gases, not as powerful as the fully halogenated CFCs but nonetheless significant (Marks and Plewig, p. 13). Such causation has been linked to the issue of ozone depletion wherein HCFCs are the prime depletors, and the end outcome contributes to the global warming. Since the stratospheric ozone or ozone layer is almost depleted by stratospheric chlorine, which depends on, for example, CFC emissions. CFCs are greenhouse gases, which account for approximately 25% of the global warming effect. Freon 11 is given a global warming potential of 1, which indicates the characteristics of a major contributor. Because of the dangers proposed by CFC use, there is great commercial interest in replacing such materials with substances, which have less ozone depletion potential (Whelan, 1994p. 73).

Thursday, November 7, 2019

CONCERTOS THROUGH THE AGES essays

CONCERTOS THROUGH THE AGES essays How did concerti change significantly through the ages? Why did they make such changes? Music has evolved over time, changing in timbre, dynamics as well as texture, and it is these changes that characterize the music to their own time. First of all, I would like to describe the changes in instrumentation. Concerti in the baroque period consist of small ensembles, usually only string quartets and a soloist. It continues to increase in size as it goes through the classical and romantic eras, with the addition of woodwind and percussive instruments. This is because in the baroque period, musicians entertain audiences in small rooms, or chambers, affordable only by the rich. (Hence the name chamber music.) Later, music is played in larger areas, such as stages or music halls. This allows an increasing amount of musicians, as well as a variety of instruments. Whats more, many of the woodwind and percussion instruments werent invented yet. This is proved by the absence of the clarinet, a romantic invention, in Mozarts pieces. Secondly, Dynamics also took an essential change. Dynamic range had been increasing from the baroque the romantic period. This change in range is caused by to major reasons. One of them is the increasing number of instruments and musicians in an orchestra. This not only allows for flexibility of volume, but enhances the soloist in cadenzas as well. Whats more, the concept of romantic music itself is based upon expression of raw emotions by use of powerful dynamics and key changes. In addition, we cannot forget the importance of melody and tonality. There is a general pattern of increasing complexity and intensity in melodic terms, evident by comparing Mozarts simple and lyrical piano concerto with Vines percussion concerto, which is absent of a clear melody. However, there are a few exceptions that we need to consider, for example, Rodrigres guitar concerto ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Case study hr after a disaster

In a large organization employing is highly educated professionals is to conduct a needs assessment of the professionals. Directing a needs assessment is important, so that the management looking at the rewards and challenges of being a manager that can motivate the professionals effectively. In addition, educated professionals need to fulfil their self-actualization needs, needs for achievement and needs for affiliation. Organic structure can be adopted in managing the professionals. Organic structure can be adopted in managing the professionals at the same time. In a large organization that employees highly educated professionals, is giving more important for the organization to fulfil the self-actualization needs of the professionals. According to Maslow Hierarchy, self-actualization need is a person’s needs for growth, achieving one’s potential and self-actualization. Moreover, it is also a person’s need to become what he or she is capable is becoming. However the manager can provide training to the professionals to fulfil their actualization need. For example, the manager can provide training in communicate skills, computer systems application and programming, customer service as well. Besides that, managers can apply theory Y to motivate the highly educated professionals. Theory Y is the assumption that employees are creative, enjoy work, seek responsibility, and can exercise self-direction. And yet there several ways for a manager to motivate employee based on Theory Y. For example, managers can adopt participative decision making. Furthermore, Organic structure is the suitable use for more flexible structures with less clearly-defined chains of command. Effective companies usually try to use the best structure for their specific situation. In addition, there are six characteristics of organic structure which is cross-functional team, cross-hierarchical teams, free flow of information, and wide spans of control, decentralization and low formalization. Then, decentralization is more independence, freedom, increase flexibility, speed up decision making, get closer to customers, empower employees and reduce costs. As conclusion, the manager can provide training to the professionals to fulfil their actualization needs. As a nutshell, Organic structure is more suitable for motivating the highly educated professionals and is a highly adaptive form that is as loose and flexible as well too.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Week 6 students discussions answers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 6 students discussions answers - Assignment Example However, administrators may allow wish to deny employs access to some sites, as such, they can add them to the restricted sites zone. At home, some websites can be added to restricted sites zone, to prevent kids from accessing them. Additionally, I concur with Joshua that often updating of IE is important wince it helps prevent security vulnerabilities. However, Joshua fails to explain what need to be considered before the decision to update is considered. Before deciding what needs to be updated that a CIO considers whether certain important add-ons, extensions, and plugins would be compatible with the new version. I agree with Catherine that the SmartScreen filter is an important component of the IE responsible of monitoring traffic for any evidence of phishing activity, and as such, should not be disabled, especially in a business setting. I tend to disagree with Catherine’s notion that as long as an older version of IE is working correctly, there is no need for updating to a newer one. Updating to a newer version prevents any sort of security vulnerabilities that might arise. I agree with Joshua that restricting the applications run on a workstation helps prevent security vulnerabilities; and it is the responsibility of the system and network administrators to test applications for vulnerabilities and ensure that vulnerable applications are not run on computers. I also agree with Joshua, that as an end user, I would be agitated with the policy of restricting application being run on a computer due to security reasons, since such restricted applications, may be important to me. I do not agree with Joshua that developer’s hard coding is responsible for the occurrence of application compatibility bugs. In my opinion, application compatibility bugs may occur as a result of updating to a newer operating system. I an organizational context, once the operating system has been updated, it is important that compatible applications