Week #8 Learning Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week #8 Learning Activity - Essay Example Small businesses can use innovation to develop competitive advantages by being open to changes in HR practices and policies and by developing new ways of customer engagement. Whether there is a recession or not, small businesses grapple with the usual problems of limited capital and high demand for dedicated and talented employees. In order to attract or maintain talent, small businesses can offer alternative work arrangements, such as reduced work hours or flexible work schedules (Woods). Such arrangements are appealing to employees with children or who simply want more work-life balance. These are considered innovations when compared to traditional companies’ fixed office hours and 5-day work schedules. Apart from these HRM changes, small businesses can also use innovations in customer engagement for purposes of attaining social responsibility and brand promotion. Participating in social events, including contests, are good ways of improving brand awareness (Branson; Saylor Foundations 29). Moreover, promoting social awareness through discussing the social benefits of the product in community events is also an innovation that is less expensive than TV and print advertisements (Branson). These are innovations because they are not limited to traditional marketing promotions and communications. Small businesses have the advantage of introducing simple, but equally effective and efficient, innovations because they directly communicate with consumers more frequently than the decision-making executives of multinational corporations. As a result, small business owners can easily determine what customers want and develop what they can start (or stop doing, if applicable) to satisfy changing consumer needs. Woods, David. â€Å"Small Businesses Introduce Innovative HR Practices in Response to the Recession.† HR Magazine, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 2 July 2014.

Sociology of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Sociology of Education - Essay Example The paper tells that functionalism theory is structuralist in nature and though its influence has waned over the past decades, it still makes important contributions in education system and society. Functionalism holds that the main objective of education is maintenance of â€Å"social order in society†. To ensure maintenance of social order in the society, the theory emphasizes on indoctrinating new generations with norms and values contained in education curriculum. In United Kingdom, the sociological importance of functionalism has declined, but in education institutions, the theory continues playing a significant role in defining and shaping the guiding policies. According to Chris and Tony, the underlying ideologies of functionalism, which include competition, consensus and achievement through merit, define education in addition to politics in the United Kingdom. According to Hill and Cole, broad groups of people and their behaviour is the major focus of functionalism. In respect to the role of education in society, the theory focuses on several major aspects, namely institutional relationships and functional linkage with society and merit based systems. In relation to institutional relationships, functional theory emphasises on the role of education in linking other social institutions such as family with occupational engagements. In contemporary society, Cole argues education plays an important role in linking the basic unit of society with the workplaces through various mechanisms. For instance, education institutions develop the capacities of human resources through training. By setting various criteria for training of these professionals, education institutions ensure that the society has a balanced pool of human resources to meet its needs (David and Barry 1985). At personal or individual levels, functionalism theory holds that education acts as an agent of secondary socialisation (Gillborn, and Mirza, 2000). By expanding or broadening individ ual experience through education, a child is prepared to take over the role of an adult in workplaces and society (Arum, and Beattie, 2000, p72). Meritocracy, in functionalist perspective plays a major role in ensuring that education performs its role in socialisation and promoting institutional linkage. According to, David and Barry (1985, p53), meritocracy refers to a system that â€Å"offers rewards to an individual based on ability and effort†. Examples of rewards in the current society include job opportunities, high remuneration and elevated social status. Therefore, functionalists hold that rewards in society should be awarded to individuals who demonstrate high ability or effort rather than on grounds of nepotism, status of an individual or family background. In education, meritocracy has created competition in different levels of education because of various rewards offered on attaining a particular level. In United Kingdom, education qualifications at various levels such as GCSE and A levels determine the career that an individual can pursue or qualification for admission in available institutions of higher learning (Cole, 2009, p269). In

Erosive Potential of Fruit Juices on Primary Teeth

Erosive Potential of Fruit Juices on Primary Teeth In Vitro evaluation of erosive potential of frozen and unfrozen fruit juices on primary teeth ABSTRACT: Dental erosion has gained importance now as a steadily growing public health problem world wide. Fruit juices are an important etiological factor, especially consumption in frozen forms, like fruit lollies and stick. Since this dietary habit is more prevalent among children, primary teeth were selected for this study. AIMS: To evaluate pH and titratable acidity of four fruit juices in frozen and unfrozen forms. Calcium dissolution and pattern of etching of enamel by these juices in frozen and unfrozen forms were also determined. DESIGN: pH of four different juices apple, orange, musumbi and grapes were determined using a digital pH meter. The titratable acidity of these in frozen and unfrozen forms were determined by adding 0.5 ml of 1N NaOH to these, till a pH=five and pH = seven were reached. Forty eight caries free deciduous anterior teeth specimens were prepared to study the etching pattern by scanning electron microscope [SEM] and calcium dissolution by atomic absorption spectrophotometer.STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA and pair wise multiple comparison with Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Increase in titratable acidity, irregular pattern of etching and calcium dissolution were found to be significantly more in the initial thawed frozen fruit juices. Grape juice recorded the lowest pH and more titratable acidity when compared to other juices. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the detrimental effect on teeth by the frequent consumption of fruit juices and their frozen products. Th e study concluded that sucking on the frozen fruit juice products were more harmful than consuming in unfrozen state because more of erosion occurs in frozen state. Key words: Frozen fruit juices, pH, titratable acidity, erosion, etching, SEM. Introduction: â€Å"HEALTHY LIVING â€Å"the key to survival has been emphasized by health professionals upon the old and young alike. The â€Å"DIETARY FACTOR† is gaining much accolade and health drinks in the form of fruit juices have gained tremendous popularity in this category. Parents regard these as being healthy and nutritious and a good source of Vitamin C.[1]. Experiments conducted on the animals to evaluate the erosive potential of fruit juices showed that these juices were ten times more destructive to the teeth than the whole fruit.[2] Most fruit juices have a low pH and acids which can decalcify the teeth.[3] Hence, the frequent consumption of these fruit drinks is directly related to dental morbidity, especially erosio n.[4]Dental erosion has been defined as superficial loss of dental hard tissue by a chemical process not involving bacteria.[5] The aetiopathogenesis can be varied (intrinsic and extrinsic factors),most important are dietary acids.[6] A modern habit among consumers is to freeze and suck out fruit lolly and candies.Sucking on frozen fruit juices has a greater risk for erosion due to slow consumption and longer time required to neutralize it[7].Sucking of the melting juices from the frozen product is a pleasurable experience along with increase in the initial acidity and buffering capacity.[8]Hence the frequent use of these could produce damaging effects on the teeth. Primary teeth were included in this study,because children are frequently involved in the consumption of frozen fruit juices and deciduous teeth are more susceptible to erosion than permanent teeth due to less mineralisation and immature enamel surface[9] The study was performed to evaluate the pH of four fruit juices in a frozen and unfrozen form. The titratable acidity of these fruit juices to be checked. The total amount of calcium dissolved in fruit juices from the teeth and to study the pattern of etched enamel on teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preparation of juices: Two and half litres of four different fresh fruit juices namely apple, orange, grape and musumbi each were prepared with no added sugars or preservatives. These were allowed to equilibrate to room temperature. Specimen preparation: Fourty eight freshly extracted caries free deciduous anterior teeth were collected and were used in the study. Extracted teeth were completely coated with nail polish with the exception of a window on the enamel of the labial surface of approximately 2mm X 2mm in diameter. Method: Two and half litres of apple juice were shaken for 15sec and this was divided into four samples of 600ml each. First sample (600ml) of this was taken and calcium concentration was assessed. From this, 100 ml was separated, pH and titratable acidity were determined.Then another 100 ml was taken and a prepared tooth specimen was dipped in it for two hrs.(For assessment of calcium etching pattern at room temp). Remaining 400ml was taken in a bottle, sealed and placed in a recorded (-200c) deep freezer for 24 hrs. The bottle was taken and allowed to defrost. From this, initial 100ml was taken, pH and titratable acidity were determined. Then another 100 ml was taken and a prepared tooth was dipped in it for two hrs( For assessment of calcium etching pattern immediately after defrosting). Remaining 200 ml was defrosted for two hours. Then 100 ml of this was taken and pH and titratable acidity were determined. Another 100 ml was taken and a prepared tooth was dipped in it for two hrs (For assessment of calcium etching pattern two hrs after defrosting). This was repeated for remaining three samples (600ml each) of apple juice. The same procedure was done for the other three juices musumbi, orange and grape juice and the values recorded [Table1,2,3] Determination of pH and titratable acidity: pH was determined by using a pH meter (digital pH meter model –EQ-612). After determining the pH, the juice was titrated against 1N( Na OH )Sodium hydroxide by adding 0.5ml of the same to the juice, mixed well and this were repeated until pH=five and pH=seven were reached to determine their titratable acidity. Assessment of calcium content: The teeth were carefully lifted out of the juices and the juices were centrifuged at 3500 rpm for five min. With the help of micropipette [superfit] 200ÃŽ ¼l of each of these samples of fruit juices were pipetted into the polypropylene tubes. Then 40ÃŽ ¼l distilled water were rinsed into the polypropylene tubes with the fruit juices. Then concentrated nitric acid (120ÃŽ ¼l) were added, the lid of the polypropylene tube sealed and the contents of the tube were wet washed, by leaving it at 600c for 12hrs. After cooling, 50ÃŽ ¼l of one mol/L KCl solution (an ionization suppressant) and 680ÃŽ ¼l of distilled water were added. Then samples were shaken and the calcium concentrations were determined by the use of a flame (nitrous oxide/acetylene) atomic absorption spectrophotometer. To obtain calcium content of the fruit juices (without teeth), 200 ÃŽ ¼l of the fruit juices were wet ashed and atomized exactly as mentioned above. Determination of etching pattern: The teeth specimens were prepared for SEM observation by dehydration followed by sputter coating of 20 nm of gold (JEOL,JFC 1100 E-JAPAN) and examined under a scanning electron microscope (JEOL,JSM-840A-JAPAN).Instant photomicrographs were made at X850,X1000 magnifications. Subsequently the X1000 magnification pictures were selected to compare the pattern of etched enamel surfaces. Statistical analysis: The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis by using One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA and Pair wise multiple comparison with Bonferroni correction RESULTS: RECORDED pH VALUES OF FOUR FRUIT JUICES (Table 1) Based on the results obtained in Table 1, the pH values of all the juices were less than 5.5, which is the critical pH, below which enamel dissolves. Grape juice recorded the lowest pH of 2.2 among the juices. TITRATABLE ACIDITY VALUES OF FOUR FRUIT JUICES (Table 2) For all the four fruit juices tested, the volume of 0.5 ml 1N NaOH needed to reach pH=five and pH= seven were more for immediate defrosted( initial thawed )juices than the juices at room temperature and that defrosted for two hrs. Hence, the immediate defrosted juices had more titratable acidity compared to the juices tested at other temperatures. Among the juices, grape juice had more titratable acidity. CALCIUM CONCENTRATION IN FOUR SAMPLES OF FRUIT JUICES MEASURED BY ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROPHOTOMETER ( Table 3) The amount of calcium dissolution in the juices from the teeth were found to be significantly more in the immediate defrosted juices than the room temperature juices and that defrosted for two hours. Evaluation of SEM Images : Representative SEM photomicrographs at magnification X1000. For teeth immersed in juices at room temperature, relatively smooth and slightly etched enamel surfaces were seen.[Figures 1- 4] Teeth dipped in juices immediately after defrosting, showed maximal erosion. Among these, apple showed eroded surface with enhanced porosity[figure5],a honeycomb enamel prism pattern noted in musumbi similar to that seen in acid etched enamel[figure 6].Teeth in orange and grapes showed more erosion resembling type II acid etching pattern [figures 7,8]. In case of teeth kept in juices two hrs after defrosting, the changes were similar to those seen at room temperature [figures 9-12]. DISCUSSION: The awareness of the population about health has lead to an increased consumption of natural food products, especially fruits and fruit juices. But fruit juices contain substantial acids(eg: citric acid in citrus fruits, malic acid in apples, tartaric acid in grapes)[10]which have the potential to cause loss of tooth tissue.[11][12] Various extrinsic and intrinsic factors contribute to dental erosion like diet, medicaments, occupation, sports, GERD, peptic ulcer, uremia etc.[13][14]But most significant among these are dietary acids .[3][4][15] Dental erosion due to dietary acids are influenced by a variety of factors like pH, titratable acidity, temperature, concentration, frequency, and exposure time[16].Many host factors also modify erosion, most important is saliva[17].Reduced salivary flow rate leads to inadequate oral clearance of dietary acids. Consumption of juices at night increases the erosive potential as salivary flow rate is diminished during this period. [18].Also different studies on salivary flow rate indicated that young children have lower flow rate, resulting in defective oral clearance. [19]. Intake of dietary acids decreases pH of the oral environment. Gregory-Head B et al[20] suggested that the pH of the oral cavity affected the solubility of the dental tissues. The critical pH at which the chemical dissolution of enamel occurs is accepted to be 5.5 ±0.3.[4][21]In this study, all the four fruit juices namely in the order of grape, orange, musumbi and apple showed a pH below five, thus enhancing the enamel dissolution capacity.[22] Titratable acidity which denotes the hydrogen ion availability has been acknowledged as a true indicator of erosive potential rather than pH value alone[23].Studies conducted by Touyz etal[8] have shown that fruit juices have a high intrinsic buffering capacity.Modifying the form in which the fruit drinks are taken (sweets or frozen lollies) is expected to increase erosion[24][25]. Sucking frozen fruit juices could be more erosive than unfrozen fruit juices because of increase in buffering capacity of initial thawed juice[8][26].. The acidity increases on freezing, as the physical state of the residual juice changes. When juice is frozen, water alone is solidified to ice without the solute. The solutes accumulates undiluted (concentrated). When juice is defrosted, the initial(concentrated) melt is more acidic with increased buffering capacity Thus sucking on these could cause a greater fall in oral pH and requires more buffering action to normalize the oral environment pH .As the remaining ice melts and dilutes the solution back to pre-freezed state, the buffering capacity diminishes.[8] The calcium dissolution potential of these fruit juices was analyzed. It was found to be more in the initial thawed fruit juices than juices tested at other temperatures. This is in accordance with the findings of M.Silove [8][26] who suggested that sucking frozen fruit juices can lead to more calcium dissolution than unfrozen juices. Also in our study, lowest calcium concentration was found in grape juice which is in accordance with studies stating that the erosive potential of drinks are associated with low calcium concentration[27] SEM was done to qualitatively estimate enamel surface alterations. Irregular and pitted enamel surface were observed in teeth exposed to frozen juices than at room temperature and after two hours of defrosting. Different etching patterns as described earlier were observed. [28-30] Similar studies were done on commercially available fruit juices and they are found to be 6-8 times more erosive than homemade juices. [31-33]The significance of this study was that, it was done in pure fruit juices, in frozen and unfrozen forms and multiple parameters were analyzed. The results showed that even pure fruit juices had erosive potential, especially in frozen forms. This study was done in vitro conditions, the results cannot be completely extrapolated to in vivo process, as interplay of various oral factors like salivary buffering capacity and flow rate to counteract erosion were not included in the study. [17] Recommendations: Although fruit juices are good for health, the frequency, method of drinking and the form in which they are consumed are important factors in dental erosion. Since children are frequently involved in the sucking of frozen fruit juice products, pediatric dentists should strongly discourage them from practicing this form of habit. Advise them to avoid fruit juices at bedtime and always rinse mouth with water after consumption of juices. Another point to consider is the use of additives which alter the pH and titratable acidity, thereby reducing the erosive potential of fruit juices. This requires further study. References: 1. Touyz L.Z.G . The Vitamin C contents of foods. J DASA 1982;37:444-48 2. Miller C.D.Enamel erosive properties of fruits and fruit juices.J Nutr 1950;41:63-67. 3. Touyz L.Z.G,Glassman R.M. Citrus acids and teeth. J DASA 1981;36:195-201 4. Eccles J.D,Jenkins W.G. Dental erosion and diet. J Dent 1974;2:153-159 5. R.Rajendran, author. Shafer’s textbook of Oral Pathology,5th Edition. Elsevier India 6. Lussi A,Jaeggi T,Zero D.The role of diet in the etiology of dental erosion.Caries Res 2004;38 suppl 1;34-44. 7. Kevin H-K Yip,Roger J Smales,John A Kaidonis.The diagnosis and control of extrinsic acid erosion of tooth substance.General dentistry 2003;350-353. 8. Touyz L.Z, Silove M. Increased acidity in frozen fruit juices and dental implications.ASDC J Dent child 1993;60:223-225. 9. Johansson AK,Sorvari R,Birkhed D,Meurman JH.Dental erosion in deciduous teeth-an in vivo and in vitro study.J Dent 2001;29:333-40. 10. Eccles J.D. Erosion affecting the palatal surfaces of upper anterior teeth in young people.Br Dent J.1982;152:375-378 11. Touyz L.Z.G. Apples, acids and teeth. S.A.J Sci 1980;76:200-201. 12. Grobler S.R,Aalbers J and Vander Horst G. The pH, calcium, potassium and phosphorus content in South African fruit juices. J. Dieteics Home Econ 1983;11:95-98 13.Jarvinen VK,Rytomaa II,Heinonen OP.Risk factors in dental erosion.J Dent Res 1991;70:942-947 14.Zero DT.Etiology of dental erosion-Extrinsic factors.Eur J Oral Sc 1996;104:162-177 15. Asher C,Read MJF. Early enamel erosion in children associated with the excessive consumption of citric acid. Br Dent J 1987;162:384-387 16. WestNX, Hughes JA, Addy M.Erosion of dentine and enamel in vitro by dietary acids:the effect of temperature,acid character,concentration and exposure time.J Oral Rehabil 2000;27:875-880. 17. Piangprach T,Hengtrakool C,Kukiattrakoon B,Kedjarune-Leggat U.The effect of salivary factors on dental erosion in various age groups and tooth surfaces.J Am Dent Assoc 2009 Sept;140(9):1137-43. 18.Millward A,Shaw L,Smith AJ,Rippin JW,Harrington E.The distribution and severity of tooth wear and relationship between erosion and dietary constituents in a group of children.Int J Pediatr Dent 1994;4:152-157 19.Crossner CG.Salivary flow rate in children and adolescents.Swed Dent J 1984;8:271-6 20. Gregory Head B, Curtis D. Erosion caused by gastro esophageal reflux :diagnostic considerations. J Prosthodont 1997;6:278-285 21.Jenkins,G.N.The physiology and biochemistry of the mouth.4th edition.Oxford, Blackwell,1978, pp 360-413. 22. Jenkins G.N. The influence of environmental fluids on enamel solubility.J Dent Res 1966;45:662-669. 23. Owens BM.The potential effects of pH and buffering capacity on dental erosion.Gen Dent 2007 Nov-Dec; 55(6):527-31. 24. M.J Larsen B.Nyvad. Enamel erosion by some soft drinks and orange juices relative to their pH buffering effect and contents of calcium phosphate. Caries Res 1999;33(Supplement 1):81-87 25. Holloway P.J , Mellanby M. and Stewart R.J.Fruit drinks and tooth erosion.Br Dent.J 1958;104:305-9 26. Louis LZ,G Touyz.The acidity and buffering capacity of Canadian fruit juices and dental implications. Scientific Journal 1994;60:454-48 27. West NX,Hughes JA, ParkerDM, Newcombe RG,Addy M.Development and evaluation of a low erosive black currant juice drink.2.Comparison with a conventional black currant juice drink and orange juice.J Dent1999 ;27:341-344 28. Imfeld T:Dental erosion.Definition,Classification and links.Eur J Oral Sci 1996;104: 151-155 29.Mannerberg F.Changes in the enamel surface in case of erosion.A replica study.Arch Oral Biol 1961;4:59-62 30.Silverstone,Saxton,Dogon. Variations in the pattern of acid etching of human enamel examined by SEM. Caries Res 1975;9:373. 31. Albert Schuurs.Pathology of the hard dental tissues.Ist edition.Wiley-Blackwell;2013. pp158-159 32. Shaw L,Smith A.Erosion in children:An increasing clinical problem?Dent Update 1994;21:103-106. 33. Tahmassebi JF, Duggal MS, Malik-Kotru G,Curzon MEJ.Soft drinks and dental health:a review of the current literature.J Dent 2006;34:2-11

The Drovers Wife: Hardship of Life in the Outback :: Drovers Wife Essays

The Drover's Wife: Hardship of Life in the Outback The short-story "The Drover's Wife" is written by Henry Lawson, Australia's most famous short-story writer and poet. "The Drover's Wife" is probably Lawson's best-known work, and was first published in the collection entitled "While the Billy Boils" in 1892. Lawson was deeply interested in the effects of the harsh Australian outback on people's lives, having himself spent 18 months in the bush. This was expressed in a number of so-called "bush ballads" and stories, "The Drover's Wife" being one of them. This short-story has the Australian bush or outback as its setting. This is revealed in the two first paragraphs, where the author makes a short and precise description of the little house and the surrounding landscape. To tell the time of the story is, however, more difficult. The text gives us only a few clues to when it might have happened. The most obvious one is, "The drought of 18 - ruined him". First I thought that 18 meant 1918, but considering that the short-story was written in 1892, this must be wrong. The year referred to is most probably 1818. The main conflict in "The Drover's Wife" is perhaps not so evident as we may think. At first it is quite easy to imagine that there is a conflict between the bush woman and the snake. The reason for that is that the snake is a threat to the woman. If she does not kill it, the snake can bite one of the children, which will be a disaster since it is nineteen miles to the nearest neighbor. The child would be dead before they could get help. However, this conflict is only a consequence of the main conflict, which is mentioned in a sentence early in the text, "The drover, an ex-squatter, is away with sheep. His wife and children are left here alone." The main problem is that the wife is left alone to deal with the hardships of life in the Australian bush. In my opinion Lawson uses the incident with the snake to uncover the bush woman's struggles against the outback. The point of view used in "The Drover's Wife" is the Third person Limited voice. Lawson has told the story form the bush woman's perspective. That allows us to see into her thoughts and feelings.

Animal Farm/V for Vendetta Essay

In many great texts concerning the politics, it can be observed that the context in which the piece was created greatly influences the ways in which values and themes are presented and the form in which it is produced. Major ground shaking events have the power to transform paradigms of individuals and whole societies, and in turn morph and influence the themes a text created in the same time period implores. Warner Brother’s 2005 film â€Å"V for Vendetta† and George Orwell’s 1945 novelette â€Å"Animal Farm† both deal with concepts present in the political climates of their times and the problems associated with them; the cost of apathy towards injustice, propaganda and its influence, and the crippling aspect of fear. The representation of the themes present in the two texts contrast and compare in many ways due to the diversity in the contexts under which each was created and the universal continuity of the themes present. Read more: Us constitution tyranny essay Orwell’s 1945 text was created at the end of the Russian social revolution that left the once optimistic Russian people in tatters and under the boot of a brutal fascist regime, while the Hollywood movie was created post 9/11 in a time where people turned to their government for protection from unknown threats, willing to sacrifice their liberty for safety. It was situated in a future dystopia as opposed to Animal Farm’s historical setting and warned of what could be the outcome of choosing to blindly follow the neo-conservative politics of film’s time such as Bush’s and Thatcher’s parties. Both texts make political statements that are influenced by the historical and personal context of their creation and contrast and compare greatly in form and values. Primarily, the theme of apathy, and the cost of silence is explored similarly in the two cross-generational texts. Written after the solemn failure of socialism when applied to a practical setting, Orwell pessimistically recounts the outcome of the apathy that Russian citizens expressed in the face of blatant corruption in his fable, â€Å"Animal Farm†. Orwell’s novel is written in the form of an allegory, which recounts the events of the Russian revolution as though it took place on a British farm, and uses various types  of animals to symbolize the different classes of the soviet union (Molly the horse represents the bourgeoisie, Boxer, the proletariats). Animal farm sets out to become a utopia where â€Å"all animals are equal†; working together under the inspiration of a Marxist boar named major (who represents the revolutionary leader Lenin), the animals drive out their human oppressors in a violent rebellion. The pigs take power on the farm due to their à ¢â‚¬Å"superior knowledge† and leadership qualities. Though as the pigs become corrupted by their power, it soon becomes clear to the animals smart enough to comprehend the concept of corruption, that things aren’t as they should be. They become aware of the pig’s greed; they hoard food that should be shared evenly amongst all animals, they twist the truth to better suit their political motives, and they change the constitution of animal farm without public consent. Few animals possess the ability to comprehend that the pigs do not wish to help the public, and Benjamin the donkey comes to be the most prominent advocate for apathy in the novelette. He is one of the smartest animals on the farm and is not fooled for a second by any of the pig’s ruses that work so effectively on the others. He remains neutral to any conflict seen in animal farm; when the hens stage a coup to stand up against their oppression and are subsequently executed, not a word of protest is spoken, and when asked for his opinion on any debate only replies â€Å"donkeys live a long time† to cryptically cynical way of saying â€Å"it all ends up the same†. Benjamin is passive to any change whether it is good or bad; in the honeymoon phase of the revolution in which the pigs express plans for equality and freedom for all, he remains sceptical. He is cynical to any positive outcome as he has believes only that the cycle of power and corruption will repeat its elf, as it has in the past. His silence in the face of the pig’s corruption is broken only at the novel’s climax as his friend Boxer is driven off to the â€Å"knackers† in a truck the other animals believe to be transporting him to the vet. â€Å"Fools! Fools!† he shouts furiously, â€Å"Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van?† The animals can’t read the writing of course, but Benjamin could all along, as he could read Animal Farm’s constitution being changed overnight. Benjamin saw the dark path that the revolution was taking and in its early phases had the ability to turn it around. But the apathy he showed landed all of animal farm manipulated and trapped in a position where resistance  was futile and the pigs could rule with an iron fist. Benjamin was cynical with his belief that â€Å"Life would go on as it had always gone on – that is, badly† but in the same way he was a realist, as in the end of animal farm things di d continue as they always had – badly. It is questionable whether Animal Farm’s revolution, and the revolution of its allegory counterpart would have reached a different outcome in Benjamin, and those smart enough to sense the corruption had discarded their apathy and made their awareness known. V for Vendetta similarly deals with the concept of public apathy in the face of social injustice. Set in a future dystopian England, where a totalitarian government has come to power and dominates all aspects of their citizen’s lives, the film’s protagonist â€Å"V† addresses the masses to stir guilt and inspiration in the hearts of the masses in a public service announcement. On a velvet backdrop to the sound of a nationalistic anthem, he speaks powerfully in a direct mid shot behind a podium to enforce the power of his speech. He outlines the myriad of problems plaguing England in an uncensored speech the likes of which many people in London hadn’t heard since the rise of the Norsefire party, and after asking the rhetorical question of â€Å"How did this happen?† answers â€Å"truth be told†¦if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror†. V blames the oppressed for letting themselves reach their situation with hopes for gaining order in a world of instability. V for Vendetta’s dystopian London fell to the control of the â€Å"Norsefire† dictatorship by letting itself sacrifice liberty in hopes of safety from unknown threats. The context in which V for Vendetta was created is reflected in the film; a wave of neo-conservative politics had embraced the U.S and Britain under the Bush and Thatcher governments, and it could be seen that post 9/11, xenophobia and prejudice had started to consume and fear monger in society. The film warns of the dark outcome that could eventuate if the populous chose to give in to their fear of the unknown and sacrifice free will for a stable yet domineering establishment. Although diverse in contexts, Animal Farm and V for Vendetta approach the issue of apathy and silence similarly. They both criticise the concept by the portrayal of extremely negative outcomes that lead to create oppressive  dystopias, devoid of free will and justice. Furthermore, Animal Farm and V for Vendetta both deal with the political concepts of propaganda and exploitation in similar ways although hailing from diverse time periods. Animal Farm sees the corruption of an idyllic utopia into and oppressive dictatorship, in which the animals are exploited by their pig oppressors, and influenced strongly by their convincing propaganda. The novel once again aligns itself with factual events that occurred in the midst of the Russian revolution and symbolises them respectively. In the novel, Squealer is â€Å"a brilliant talker† with â€Å"the ability to turn black into white†. The pigs utilize squealer’s persuasive talents to convince the rest of the animals of Napoleons benevolence, justify their monopolization of the farm, and turn Snowball into a public enemy that could be pinned with all of the farm’s failures. Squealer uses the memory and intelligence of the animals against them to exploit them by reinforcing a series of convincing lies, and instilling a powerful maxim; â€Å"four legs good, two legs bad†, in the minds of the less intelligent animals, that could be used as a chant to drown out any logical argument. Squealer’s character corresponds with the Russian newspaper, â€Å"Pravda† which at the time held the power to turn black into white the same way as the pig. George Orwell is making a statement on the power of language to exploit and manipulate the masses in the form of propaganda, and warns us to be critical of political media in light of the events from his life. Similarly, V for Vendetta comments on the media’s power to sway the opinions of the public, and the ways in which governments use it to influence citizens. V for Vendetta is based in a society where free speech is non-existent and censorship washes over all aspects of the media. The single minded force of the media, represented by the bold and domineering â€Å"Voice of London†, allows the government to impose only one â€Å"truth† on the public; only one perspective to any event so that it is the only one to believe. After V’s first November 5th bombing and hijacking of the television station in order to instil hope for a revolution in the populous, Sutler’s government begins to twist and re-fabricate the entire event to make it appear as though V were a terrorist meaning to harm the public. Using  emotive and connotative language; â€Å"A psychotic terrorist†, â€Å"Attacked unarmed civilians†, â€Å"to spread a message of hate†, to attach fear and stigma to the vigilante, whilst glorifying the police force; â€Å"during this heroic raid the terrorist was shot and killed† to inspire loyalty and pride in citizens. The propaganda aims to turn public the public opinion from anarchy to fear and in turn compliance. V for Vendetta was composed at a time in which xenophobia allowed politicians to blame many faults on â€Å"Terrorists† typically associated with people of Muslim belief. The labelling of someone that the government believes to be a social deviant as a â€Å"terrorist† was a solution to political issues, and this can be seen reflectively in V for Vendetta. Both texts, written in entirely different contexts, deal with the issue of propaganda and manipulation, and have been strongly influenced by historical examples of gov ernment use of these political tools. Both texts in their respective contexts suggest that fear incapacitates the masses from revolting against oppression. They suggest that fear cripples the hearts and wills of those it dominates, and convinces it’s victims that nothing is worth fighting for. Animal farm reflects the tyrannical reign of Joseph Stalin, Russia’s communist dictator that controlled his people through a network of fear tactics that among many things entailed the murder of millions of civilians he believed to be â€Å"enemies of the state†. In the Russian revolution, the oppressed became the oppressors; Stalin’s government rose to power on a just and fair cause, but sullied it by becoming an oppressive dictatorship, hardly different to the one that the people primarily fought to escape from. In Animal Farm, violence and the fear of violence bends the animals of the farm into submission; Napoleon orders the mass execution of those conspiring against him, and by its end â€Å"the ai r was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones†. It is ironic that things seem to be just as bad on animal farm as they were in the days of jones, yet Squealer’s propaganda still continues to loom the omnipresent fear of the farmer’s return over their heads as if to say; â€Å"No matter how bad things get, they could never be as bad as they were,† and continually states the rhetorical question â€Å"surely you wouldn’t want jones to come back?†. The Fear of Jones’s return keeps the animals of the farm in submission, and once discarded the animals become  capable of great deeds. Major’s speech inspires and motivates the animals to stand up to their oppressor, by morphing their fear into fury. He does this by declaring that once Benjamin becomes too old he will be sent to the â€Å"knackers†. Orwell criticises fear’s power to cripple and paralyse and suggests that once discarded, people become capable of great feats of justice. Animal Farm expresses the representation o f fear and its ability to cripple by aligning it with the contextual events of the Russian revolution. V for Vendetta addresses the concept of fear and violence in a very similar way in its representation of the totalitarian state of England under the â€Å"Norsefire† party. In light of recent events such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the film details an alternate timeline in which the western world has let governments turn their fear of the unknown against them, and let them unwittingly sacrifice their liberty for promises of stability and freedom. The â€Å"Norsefire† government uses threats of terrorism and disease to reduce the populace into a state of fear, and convince them that they â€Å"need† the government in order to protect them from the outside world, when in fact all they want is absolute power. An example of the Norsefire government’s use of fear to manipulate the public is when they feel their power slipping away in favour of the masked revolutionary â€Å"V† High Chancellor Sutler says â€Å"what we need right now is a clear messag e to the people of this country this message must be read in every newpaper heard on every radio and seen on every television, I want everyone to realize how close we stand to the edge of oblivion. I want every man woman and child to know how close we are to chaos. I want everyone to remember why the need us!† The message resounds with a series of dreamatic television reports showing the chaos of the outside world, water shortage, civil war, disease. The reports however fail to influence public opinion, as they have already been convinced by V that the government will lie excessively to prove their points. V for Vendetta’s representation of the governments use of fear tactics to attempt to persuade public opinions and elude from real issues resonates with political ploys used to convince the public of the threat of terrorism in the early 2000’s by the Bush and Thatcher governments. When support from the public was needed to justify the invasion of Iraq, they used the media to fear monger and persuade the masses. The contexts of animal farm and V for Vendetta deal  similarly with the issue of fear and it’s use by governments to coerce the public.

Effective is Priestly in conveying them Essay

Priestly chose to write this play when he did, in 1945 because he had seen both world wars. He set it in 1912 because he knew what was to come, this way he had an insight to what was going to happen, so he could show the ignorance of the upper sector. Mr. Birling should understand the common people better than he does, especially as he came from a working class background. It would seem that he does not appreciate the working class anymore, as he would not even increase the wages of his workers. â€Å"They were averaging about twenty-two and six which was neither more nor less then is paid generally in our industry. They wanted the rates raised so that they could average about twenty-five shillings a week. † It is also evident that he runs his life by looking after himself first, as he tells Gerald and Eric at the beginning of the play â€Å"And as you were saying, dad, a man has to look after himself. † Mrs. Birling should have some understanding of Eva Smith because she is a governor of a charitable organisation to help women in desperate situations. But her ignorance gets in the way of her work, she doesn’t even think there is a possibility of there being more than one Birling family, so she dismisses Eva Smith straight away. â€Å"Yes I think it was simply a piece of gross impertenance – quite deliberate – and natrally that was one of the things that pedjudiced me against her. † Mrs. Birling’s ignorance is also apparent when she is saying what should happen to the young man who impregnated Eva Smith. Sheila had to learn, not to use status as an extended tool for jealousy. After Sheila has been told about her involvement in Eva Smith’s death she seems genuinly sorry for what she has done â€Å"And I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry† As well as what Sheila says, the stage directions like â€Å"distressed† are used to show how she is feeling. Her youth also opens her to the exposure of Inspector Goole â€Å"We are most impressionable on the young† this also makes us realise how Inspector Goole â€Å"breaks down the barriers†. When you are â€Å"far gone†, or as you would more commonly say it now, drunk, you are quite likely to get yourself into some sort of trouble as Eric learns. Unlike his parents and Sheila, Eric realises that what he did was wrong at the time and tried to make amends for it by giving Eva Smith money. â€Å"I insisted on giving her enough money to keep her going† At first when Eva Smith left him he didn’t change his ways, you can see this when he â€Å"helps himself to the decanter†. After the Inspector has gone through the events it looks like Eric has finally come to grips with what he has done and will make some sort of effort to change now, because of the imppression left on him by the Inspector. The message Inspector Goole is trying to present is that, whatever you do, you will eventually be judged for it. â€Å"We are members of one body. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire, blood and anguish. † Inspector Goole also delivers the message that everyone must look after everyone else, and almost exactly contradicts Mr. Birling’s teaching of â€Å"every man has to look out for himself† or else the world will turn into a cold, miserable place, full of hatred and selfishness.

buy custom Personal Identity in Cyberculture essay

buy custom Personal Identity in Cyberculture essay The term cyberculture emerged in popular usage during the last decade of the last century to refer to an emergent usage and dependence of computer networks by a global population to meet business, communication and entertainment needs (Abbate, 1999). The term had however been mentioned a few times previously such as in 1963 by A. M. Hilton. The internet has created a vast usage and application in human life today, and only works on the principle of linking individuals through computer networks without geographical or personal limitations (Levy, 2001). This trend has evolved into a study of the assorted social phenomena that is today associated with internet usage, be it in shopping, computer gaming, e-mailing, virtue relationships, internet lobbying and similar endeavors (Levy, 2001). In cyberculture studies, the emphasis is on the available technologies that impact on the social dynamics of people especially through the interactions created by cyberspace interconnections (Abbate, 1999). Oxford English Dictionary has defined cyberculture as the social set of conditions that accrue from computerization and automation (Levy, 2001). The American Heritage Dictionary on the other hand broadens the definition to include the social elements played out in cyberculture in their definition of cyberculture as, a culture resultig from use of computer networks, as platforms of communication, work, entertainment and business (Levy, 2001). The culture referred to here is not that of computer networks by of the users of these computer networks while on the networks (Howard Jones, 2003). Cyberculture creates another world of existence, the online world, which has a distinct culture with repercussions not just on the virtual world but also the physical world (Howard Jones, 2003). Cyberculture is thus endemic to online socialization of individuals as mediated by computers (Howard Jones, 2003). An important point to note here is that in cyberspace interactions or on the internet as it will be regarded hence, people (users) are identified on basis of their protocols, usernames, codes and domains (Abbate, 1999). As Dertouzos (1997) postulates, the personality of an individual, his or her identity, is left in front of the computer screen as some internet profile travels the cyberspace in his or her place. While using the internet, people lose their identity and acquire the ability to be anybody, from anywhere, with any age, etc (Howard Jones, 2003). A person can acquire any identity he or she wishes to, while using the internet. In fact, many a times, individuals use multiple identities none of which is truly the identity of the individual (Bell Barbara, 2000). >That lack of identity becomes an important factor when characterizing cyber culture (Levy, 2001). Unlike any other aspect of culture, cyberculture is not constrained in boundaries and its participants are a representation of the true diversity in the world as regards age, sex, race, religion, political affiliations and inclinations, origin etc. Virtue communities depict a diversity that no other cultural aspect known to man has ever done. Yet in this diversity, the personal identity of its participants is lost into a vague concept that does not define the individual perse (Bell Barbara, 2000). In this research essay, literature review helps analyze how realizationof cyberculture in practical scenarios today and how personal identity is expressed. Document analysis helps the essay establish the various ways in which individuals can still build on and explicitly establish their personal identity in cyberculture. To do this, the essay looks at some key characteristics of cyberculture and how individuals relate with various component, technologies of cyberculture. At present, cyberculture can be characterized by many things one of them being lack of personal identity of users, an omission that if not remedied soon threatens to limit the potential social good of modern communication technology since its only personal identity that can keep users socially accountable even when on cyberspace. Buy custom Personal Identity in Cyberculture essay

Free Essays on Free At Last

FREE AT LAST â€Å"Free at last† an extract from â€Å"incidents in the life of a slave girl (1861) written by Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) describe how Jacobs struggled all her life to become free. This narrative written during the civil war record’s a pattern of horror and abuse as to stun modern readers. This narrative reflects the state of slaves and their families at that time. Family is those who earn for each other and share both happiness and sorrow. Many features of an individual are characterized or influenced by his or her family. Thus a happy person is a person with a happy family. When we visualized a family we see a father, a mother and their children. If the father or mother is missing there is something wrong. It’s like drinking soup with no salt. Jacobs shows clearly that she is from a matriarchal family. Her father is not with her because he is not a slave of Dr. Flint but a slave of a different family. Mr. Sawyer the white father of Jacobs’ two children also could not be a significant part of their family. So, there isn’t any dominant male who is supporting the family. There is a strong emotional flow in the story, which presents the pain and grief of having a matriarchal family that was not common at that time. Jacobs’ grandmother Molly plays an important role in their matriarchal family. In the narrative there is no sign of molly’s husband, may be he is dead or has left her. She is old and alone but she is not a slave. Thus, she has greater liberty. Molly too has to suffer the consequences of being a part of a matriarchal family. She has been defrauded of the hard earnings she had loaned. May be this would not have happened if there was a male in the family. Molly can be considered as the head of the family. She takes the responsibility of raising Jacobs ‘children. Jacobs... Free Essays on Free At Last Free Essays on Free At Last FREE AT LAST â€Å"Free at last† an extract from â€Å"incidents in the life of a slave girl (1861) written by Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) describe how Jacobs struggled all her life to become free. This narrative written during the civil war record’s a pattern of horror and abuse as to stun modern readers. This narrative reflects the state of slaves and their families at that time. Family is those who earn for each other and share both happiness and sorrow. Many features of an individual are characterized or influenced by his or her family. Thus a happy person is a person with a happy family. When we visualized a family we see a father, a mother and their children. If the father or mother is missing there is something wrong. It’s like drinking soup with no salt. Jacobs shows clearly that she is from a matriarchal family. Her father is not with her because he is not a slave of Dr. Flint but a slave of a different family. Mr. Sawyer the white father of Jacobs’ two children also could not be a significant part of their family. So, there isn’t any dominant male who is supporting the family. There is a strong emotional flow in the story, which presents the pain and grief of having a matriarchal family that was not common at that time. Jacobs’ grandmother Molly plays an important role in their matriarchal family. In the narrative there is no sign of molly’s husband, may be he is dead or has left her. She is old and alone but she is not a slave. Thus, she has greater liberty. Molly too has to suffer the consequences of being a part of a matriarchal family. She has been defrauded of the hard earnings she had loaned. May be this would not have happened if there was a male in the family. Molly can be considered as the head of the family. She takes the responsibility of raising Jacobs ‘children. Jacobs...

Analysis Power of Computers Essay -- Computer Technology

Keywords- Family Similarity Recognition, Facial Feature Extraction, Face Detection, PCA, Image Database. I. INTRODUCTION Over the last thirty years or so, face recognition is an active research area in computer vision and one of the most successful applications of image analysis and understanding. Different algorithms have been proposed by researchers for solving this problem and many of them are considered as the state of the art. Nowadays, the face recognition problem is not only important in the research area, but it is vital in the commercial applications. A general statement of the face recognition problem can be formulated as follows: Given still or video images of a scene, identify or verify one or more persons in the scene using a stored database of faces. Due to this definition well-known algorithms such as PCA [24], ICA [1], LDA [28], EBGM [27], B... ... middle of paper ... ...e considered for it. For example, humans use terms such as "entire face of person A is similar to person B" or "eyes and eyebrows of person A are similar to person B" or "profile view of person A is similar to person B" to express the similarity criteria between people. With respect to these observations, three features are utilized in the proposed method include: "The Whole Face", "The Facial Features’ Perimeter" and "The Ratio between Facial Features". These features are selected from the frontal and side view images. The facial features’ perimeter includes forehead, eyebrows and eyes, nose, mouth, chin and cheek. The ratios between facial features’ point can be calculated from the distances that are evident in Figure 1. Utilizing ratio instead of distances between the facial features' point eliminates the dependency to the image scale. These ratios are as follow:

General computer knowledge Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

General computer knowledge - Coursework Example Dragging Dragging is an activity of moving icons or images across the display screen mostly by using a mouse button. In tablets, it can be done using touch. It can also be used for moving block of text across the display screen while keeping the mouse button pressed. Defragment Defragmentation is the process of minimizing fragmentation by organizing files into smallest contiguous regions. Defragmentation increases region of free space area by compaction. It tries to compact smaller files together that can be accessed sequentially. Defragmentation also improves accessing files in faster times as read/write operations is faster in defragmented files in comparison to system of fragmented files. Podcast Podcast refers to digital media that includes series of multimedia, PDF, ePub files that can be streamlined to mobile or electronic devices through subscription. Podcast’s etymology is rooted in the traditional word â€Å"broadcast† and â€Å"pod† of the apple product â€Å"iPod†. The process of Podcast applies the software â€Å"podcatcher† to web feed the series of multimedia, PDF, or ePub files from distributor’s servers for downloading any files. ... Digital entertainment industry applies Vodcast mostly for short video clips of 2-9 minutes. Vodcast is also used for marketing, blogs, and in combination with traditional medium. Scam (give examples) Scam in cyber world applies manipulation for gaining access of private information to stealthily deprive money of potential target. Phone scam is one of the recent tricks in which attackers represent themselves as technical support person of branded organization such as Microsoft or other large companies. They apply technical jargons to confuse the person and maliciously install a program bypassing Antivirus of computer to take advantage of personal information or forcing the client to purchase product of particular company. Phishing is another scam that sends mail from branded organization to target unsuspected victim. Phishing Phishing act tries to gain accounting or credit card information masquerading themselves as reliable representative of branded company. Social media, mail, or ot her websites tries to lure public into their trap and takes the person to website with malware. E-mail spoofing is also one of the ways to trap victim by deceiving them using similar looking logos or website of branded organization. Phishing applies social engineering methodologies to exploit technological naive. Urban legend (give examples) Urban legends refer to modern myth that has been created through repetition of false story mostly using the medium of Internet that provides the platform faster broadcast of the story. They increase the believability factor by personalizing the story that it has been happened to one of the friends. "The Infamous Modem Tax", "Craig

Administration and Management of U.S. Prsions Research Paper

Administration and Management of U.S. Prsions - Research Paper Example In our world today, there are several forms of punishment being implemented in countries all over the world, including America. According to Mary Bosworth: â€Å"At the end of 2008, the U.S. was incarcerating more than 2.4 million men, women, and children in 5,000 or so custodial institutions scattered around the country. Over one and a half million (1,595,034) of these people were held under the jurisdiction of state and federal authorities serving sentences of greater than 12 months, leaving around 800,000 individuals housed in local jails, either awaiting trial, pending sentencing, or serving short-term periods of confinement of less than 12 months. Still others were incarcerated by military services or under military supervision† (Bosworth, 2010, p. 2). It can be concluded that prisons and jails play a big role in punishment while confinement is the most serious sanction being used by the courts in the U.S. Imprisonment or prison system, as a form of punishment has evolved in the U.S. and has also been adopted by other countries throughout the world. It has been regarded as a deterrent and preventive measure to lessen the crime rate. The purpose of the penalty is for the reformation of the felon. Since the U.S. does not practice death penalty or capital punishment, it is believed that convicted felons need rehabilitation, as they are subdued by a strange phenomenon which compels them to do wrong to others. Overview â€Å"It is a fact that the United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population, but has amassed almost a quarter of the world's prisoners. The U.S. leads the world in producing prisoners, a reflection of a relatively recent and now entirely distinctive American approach to crime and punishment. The Americans are imprisoned for crimes which include writing bad checks to the use of prohibited drugs and would rarely produce prison sentences in other countries. These convicts are serving longer prison sentences compared to other prisoners from other countries around the world† (New York Times, 2008). â€Å"The United States, which has the most prisoners of any country in the world, last year recorded a largest increase in the number of people in prisons and jails since 2000, the Justice Department reported in June 2007† (Reuters 2007). Due to the fact that the number of prisoners has risen of the recent years, there has been an increase in the problems encountered by the federal government. The rise in numbers has become alarming and must be closely monitored as more criminals have emerged in the recent times. And the administration and management of the U.S. prisons have now been put into issue for criticisms on the effectiveness and financial drain it can bring to the taxpayers’ money. The result of the increase has caused economic meltdown as â€Å"Billions of public safety dollars are absorbed by prison expansion and limits the nation's ability to focus on more effective strategies to promote public safety† (Reuters). â€Å"In the current economic climate, the problem will only worsen as the federal system and many states struggle to deal with high levels of overcrowding. Even the most conscientious wardens must find it difficult to offer meaningful time out of cell, counseling, treatment, adequate care or job training† (Bosworth, 2007). According to Criminal justice experts, â€Å"the increase of the U.S. prison population is attributed the record to tough sentencing laws, record numbers of drug offenders and high crimes rates. State or federal prisons held two-thirds of the nation's incarcerated population while local jails held the rest,

Models of Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Models of Decision Making - Essay Example 2. My responses to the questions in the activities were primarily based on my knowledge of basic mathematical operations and principles. My judgment of each situation/activity is based on the assumption that the answer for each activity would require only a knowledge of math, specifically, statistics. However, from what the correct responses for each activity showed, it became evident that a deeper analysis is embedded in each response. Each response required a look into how, if an alternative, logical kind of reasoning is applied, a different answer emerges-an answer that is somewhat different from what was earlier generalized, based only on simple mathematical analyses. 3. From each activity arise different principles that demonstrated how, in decision- making, detailed and methodical reasoning is imperative. Take as an example the first activity shown, wherein at first analysis, most individuals would answer Option 1 rather than Option 2.

660 Assignment 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

660 5 - Assignment Example Situational leadership model has outlined three critical elements that come into play in the situational leadership theory. Among them is the leader, the followers and the circumstance/situation at hand that has to be handled. Applying this theory to Windber Medical centre and its administration by F. Nicholas Jacob, we get all the three factors of the theory coming into play. First we have Jacob has the leader, the followers being the workers and the situation being the poor state of performance of the hospital in terms of service delivery and its remuneration to its workers. Jacobs’ approach to the situation was one that depicted his task behavior and at the same time relationship behavior. He talked to the workers in a bid to know what they would want done about their workplace to improve the situation. More so he reached talks with the surrounding community in his efforts to establishing good relations with them. He got engaged in instructing the workers what to do, selling ;by extending his relations to the surrounding community, participating and delegating some duty to his juniors for instance putting somebody in charge of the food service. This refers to a follower’s ability and willingness to successfully accomplish a specific given task. This does not evaluate the individual/group’s innate values and qualities. In applying this to Jacobs’ case we find that 32 employees who were not willing and ready to cope up with the new working conditions were laid off as others joined the institution amidst impressive economic and developmental performance. A continuum ranging from R1(lowest readiness) to R4(highest readiness) has been crafted to show the extent of this ability and willingness by the followers to perform task. The task to be accomplished by Jacobs as the president of Windber was to raise the performance of the institution and make sure it’s not closed down. Jacobs had to ensure the old structures

BIM Implementation Strategy for FM Thesis Proposal

BIM Implementation Strategy for FM - Thesis Proposal Example Arayici and Aouad (2010) in Eadie et al. (2014) have shown that BIM goes further than managing essential building design and the building’s life-cycle to include facility management. In recent times, the construction industry has been undergoing a paradigm shift to serve various purposes. The changes are meant to increase infrastructure value, productivity, quality, efficiency and sustainability. These changes are also aimed at reducing lifestyle costs, lead time and duplications through effective communication and collaboration of stakeholders in projects (Arayici, et al., 2011). These processes should not only be incorporated in the construction stage but throughout the entire lifecycle, and this is the basis of facility management. Facility management ideally should not be left to start after the completion of a building. The appropriate time to start management of a facility is during its early stages of its construction. As Patrick MacLeamy, the developer of the â€Å"shifting the effort† concept, highlights, that the further you are through the design process, the higher the cost of design change (Light, 2011). Another advantage that facility management can gain from BIM implementation is the efficient use and reuse of data. The fluid flow of data use can help facility managers to keep track of the changes that a facility undergoes in the various stages of its lifecycle. When information is complete and is used efficiently, the quality of the facility is maintained at a peak and the clients enjoy a sustainable product. Facility management should start when the project is in its early stages to facilitate maximum data collection for future use (Arayici, 2013). As a result, the facility can benefit from ensured sustainability. Facility management requires intensive information sharing among the parties involved. The managers should, therefore, have a proper mechanism for ensuring that the stakeholders have access to

Models of Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Models of Decision Making - Essay Example 2. My responses to the questions in the activities were primarily based on my knowledge of basic mathematical operations and principles. My judgment of each situation/activity is based on the assumption that the answer for each activity would require only a knowledge of math, specifically, statistics. However, from what the correct responses for each activity showed, it became evident that a deeper analysis is embedded in each response. Each response required a look into how, if an alternative, logical kind of reasoning is applied, a different answer emerges-an answer that is somewhat different from what was earlier generalized, based only on simple mathematical analyses. 3. From each activity arise different principles that demonstrated how, in decision- making, detailed and methodical reasoning is imperative. Take as an example the first activity shown, wherein at first analysis, most individuals would answer Option 1 rather than Option 2.

BIM Implementation Strategy for FM Thesis Proposal

BIM Implementation Strategy for FM - Thesis Proposal Example Arayici and Aouad (2010) in Eadie et al. (2014) have shown that BIM goes further than managing essential building design and the building’s life-cycle to include facility management. In recent times, the construction industry has been undergoing a paradigm shift to serve various purposes. The changes are meant to increase infrastructure value, productivity, quality, efficiency and sustainability. These changes are also aimed at reducing lifestyle costs, lead time and duplications through effective communication and collaboration of stakeholders in projects (Arayici, et al., 2011). These processes should not only be incorporated in the construction stage but throughout the entire lifecycle, and this is the basis of facility management. Facility management ideally should not be left to start after the completion of a building. The appropriate time to start management of a facility is during its early stages of its construction. As Patrick MacLeamy, the developer of the â€Å"shifting the effort† concept, highlights, that the further you are through the design process, the higher the cost of design change (Light, 2011). Another advantage that facility management can gain from BIM implementation is the efficient use and reuse of data. The fluid flow of data use can help facility managers to keep track of the changes that a facility undergoes in the various stages of its lifecycle. When information is complete and is used efficiently, the quality of the facility is maintained at a peak and the clients enjoy a sustainable product. Facility management should start when the project is in its early stages to facilitate maximum data collection for future use (Arayici, 2013). As a result, the facility can benefit from ensured sustainability. Facility management requires intensive information sharing among the parties involved. The managers should, therefore, have a proper mechanism for ensuring that the stakeholders have access to

Failed Intelligence Adaptation Essay Example for Free

Failed Intelligence Adaptation Essay Intelligence analysts must seek to understand the adversary’s thought process, and should develop and continuously refine their ability to think like the adversary. Recent history like that what happened in the 9/11 attack in the United States soil proved that the analysts tasked to undertake the information analysis on Al-Qaeda had been surprised and committed intelligence failure.   Comparisons of the attack on the trade towers with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor have often suggested that the adversaries on these occasions might have been pushed to make desperate moves. But the signs leading up to 9/11 were ignored for at least three of the same reasons that the Japanese were able to catch the U.S. Pacific fleet at anchor on the morning of 7 December, 1941—good intelligence indicators lost in the noise of disinformation; a belief that the enemy lacked the technical capacity to undertake the action; finally, mirror imaging, the assumption on the part of the intelligence consumer that the action undertaken was unlikely because it was illogical. (Porch D. and Wirtz, J.J.) Noise becomes a problem especially when intelligence services have overlapping mandates, are competitive and therefore fail to cooperate to share and analyze information, or believe that the other service has a special responsibility for the collection of a particular type of intelligence. A second factor in intelligence surprise occurs when the technological capabilities of the enemy are underestimated. The final cause of intelligence surprise is mirror-imaging—the belief that the perpetrators will not carry out a particular act because the defender, in their place, would not do it. (Porch D. and Wirtz, J.J.) The above factors reflect that the Principle of Joint Intelligence stating that â€Å"Unity of intelligence effort must be ensured†, was not fully realized.  Ã‚   For a particular area of interest, there should be unity of intelligence effort to ensure complete, accurate, and current intelligence to develop the best possible understanding of the adversary and the situation, and to reduce unnecessary redundancy and duplication (fas.org). Reference Porch, D. and Wirtz J.J. â€Å"Strategic Insight: Surprise and Intelligence Failure†. Sept. 6, 2002. Retrieved June 30, 2009.http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/rsepResources/si/sept02/homeland.asp â€Å"Joint Intelligence Principles†. Retrieved June 30, 2009. http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/jp2-0/j2-0ch4.htm

Inflation within the Indian Economy

Inflation within the Indian Economy By inflation one generally means rise in prices. To be more correct inflation is persistent rise in the general price level rather than a once-for-all rise in it, while deflation is persistent falling price. A situation is described as inflationary when either the prices or the supply of money are rising, but in practice both will rise together. These days economies of all countries whether underdeveloped, developing as well developed suffers from inflation. Inflation or persistent rising prices are major problem today in world. Because of many reasons, first, the rate of inflation these years are much high than experienced earlier periods. Second, Inflation in these years coexists with high rate of unemployment, which is a new phenomenon and made it difficult to control inflation. An inflationary situation is where there is too much money chasing too few goods. As products/services are scarce in relation to the money available in the hands of buyers, prices of the products/services rise to adjust for the larger quantum of money chasing them. Inflation is no stranger to the Indian economy. The Indian economy has been registering stupendous growth after the liberalization of Indian economy. In fact, till the early nineties Indians were used to ignore inflation. But, since the mid-nineties controlling inflation has become a priority. The natural fallout of this has been that we, as a nation, have become virtually intolerant to inflation. The opening up of the Indian economy in the early 1990s had increased Indias industrial output and consequently has raised the India Inflation Rate. While inflation was primarily caused by domestic factors (supply usually was unable to meet demand, resulting in the classical definition of inflation of too much money chasing too few goods), today the situation has changed significantly. Inflation today is caused more by global rather than by domestic factors. Naturally, as the Indian economy undergoes structural changes, the causes of domestic inflation too have undergone tectonic changes. The main cause of rise in the rate of inflation rate in India is the pricing disparity of agricultural products between the producer and consumers in the Indian market. Moreover, the sky-rocketing of prices of food products, manufacturing products, and essential commodities have also catapulted the inflation rate in India. Furthermore, the unstable international crude oil prices have worsened the situation. CAUSES OF INFLATION The different causes of inflation which are experienced in Indian economy in a large proportion would be:- Demand-pull inflation: This is basically when the aggregate demand in an economy exceeds the aggregate supply. It is also defined as `too much money chasing too few goods. Bare-boned, it means that a country is capable of producing only 100 items but the demand is for 105 items. Its a very simple demand-supply issue. The more demand there is, the costlier it becomes. Much the same as the way real estate in the country is rising. Cost-push inflation: This is caused when there is a supply shock. This represents the condition where, even though there is no increase in Aggregate Demand, prices may still rise. I.e. non availability of a commodity would lead to increase in prices. This may happen if the costs of especially wage cost rise. Imported Inflation: This is inflation due to increases in the prices of imports. Increases in the prices of imported final products directly affect any expenditure-based measure of inflation. They play an important role in driving the rise in domestic prices. The rise in the global prices of crude oil and agricultural commodities, including food grains, and industrial products, and setbacks to global economy resulting from sub-prime mortgage disaster and US recession have contributed to Indias inflation. OTHER CAUSES: When the government of a country print money in excess, prices increase to keep up with the increase in currency, leading to inflation. Increase in production and labour costs, have a direct impact on the price of the final product, resulting in inflation. When countries borrow money, they have to cope with the interest burden. This interest burden results in inflation. High taxes on consumer products, can also lead to inflation. An increase in indirect taxes can also lead to increased production costs. Inflation can artificially be created through a circular increase in wage earners demands and then the subsequent increase in producer costs which will drive up the prices of their goods and services. This will then translate back into higher prices for the wage earners or consumers. As demands go higher from each side, inflation will continue to rise. MEASURING INFLATION Inflation in India is mainly estimated on the basis of fluctuations in the wholesale price index (WPI). The wholesale price index comprises of the following indices: Domestic Wholesale Price Index (DWPI) Export Price Index (EPI) Import Price Index (IPI) Overall Wholesale Price Index(OWPI) The new inflation index has already commenced. The index has changed the composition of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series. The new data series lowers weight age of the more volatile food items and correspondingly hikes that of core manufacture, products. The new series has incorporated consumer items such as ice cream, mineral water, refrigerator, computer, and TV. The price volatility in these items is relatively limited as compared to fuels or food products. The data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is the first that uses the new base year of 2004-05 and covers a wider basket of goods. The old series used 1993-94 as the base year. The release of the current series of WPI with 1993-94 as its base will be discontinued. The new basket of the WPI has a broader representation of commodities, change in base year and lower weights accorded to primary articles. Problems Due to INFLATION It has been reported that the manufacturing capacity in India is running around 95 per cent, which usually means it is running at full capacity. Therefore, when the price of manufactured products is increasing, it means that demand is usually higher than supply and that is a clear case of demand-pull inflation. On the primary goods front, which consists of fruits, vegetables, food-grains etc, it is not that straight-forward. It has certainly been all over the news that the prices of fruits and vegetables are increasing and a trip to the supermarket or local grocery shop will testify to that. Although it is a clear case of demand-pull inflation, on the other, it is also a bit of a supply shock when one considers the fact that there is an abnormally high percentage of fruits and vegetables that goes to waste because of the lack of cold-storage facilities. Some estimates say 50 per cent of produce goes to waste and that is a conservative number. The fuel price hike is a straight example of cost push inflation. When OPEC (The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) was formed, it squeezed the supply of oil and this caused oil prices to rise, contributing to higher inflation. Since oil is used in every industry, a sharp rise in the price of oil leads to an increase in the prices of all commodities. The in depth problems due to inflation would be: When the balance between supply and demand goes out of control, consumers could change their buying habits, forcing manufacturers to cut down production. Inflation can create major problems in the economy. Price increase can worsen the poverty affecting low income household. Inflation creates economic uncertainty and is a dampener to the investment climate slowing growth and finally it reduce savings and thereby consumption. The producers would not be able to control the cost of raw material and labour and hence the price of the final product. This could result in less profit or in some extreme case no profit, forcing them out of business. Manufacturers would not have an incentive to invest in new equipment and new technology. Uncertainty would force people to withdraw money from the bank and convert it into product with long lasting value like gold, artefacts. The imbalances inflation has created in the Indian economy:- It has created a new rich class in social and political lives who are corrupt themselves and also corrupt the overall society. The increased prices reduced the capacity to save and people preferred present consumption to future consumption. It has provided protection and subsides to industries which bred inefficiency. It has lead to misallocation of resources due to distortion of relative prices and finally a redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich. It disturbs balance of payments. Controlling method Firstly save!!! As much of our money as possible should be saved. This will reduce the demand on the economy and hopefully reduce inflation. Do not overuse daily essentials like cooking gas, electricity etc. Cut down on inessentials when buying groceries. Look for cheaper alternatives to products that we normally buy. Keep roads, highways, sidewalks, etc., beautified to help attract tourism and bring additional monetary into a growing economy. Stop illegal immigration. Illegal activities reap the benefits of the country but dont pay taxes. Government-backed investment schemes such as Post Office Savings Schemes, Public Provident Funds (PPF) and National Savings Certificates (NSC) are best to invest in when inflation is slowly inching up and we are only looking at safety, not returns. Invest in short term deposits and funds, commodities and property. This will help we to slowly reach our financial goals while safeguarding our hard-earned money Objectives To know the impact of inflation on the consumer. To know that consumer decision for purchasing at the time of inflation To know that how consumer manage the daily needs purchase at the time of inflation. To know that how inflation effect the economy To know that how consumers reduce their consumption at the time of inflation. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 1. MEASUREMENT OF CONSUMER GAINS FROM MARKET STABILIZATION. Wright D.Brain and Williams C. Jeffery(3 August 1988)in this article observed that partial equilibrium analysis is appropriate, there is little difference between exact measures of consumer gains from market stabilization and approximations such as expected change in marshallian or hicksian consumer surplus. Careful specification of the nature of stabilization is more crucial than the choice of welfare measure. It is important to represent correctly the demand curvature and supply response and to determine whether general equilibrium responses can be ignored. In any event, an improved analytical approximation and a simple numerical method for calculating the exact measures make it unnecessary to rely on suspect measures. 2. SEARCH, STICKLY PRICES AND INFLATION:- DImoand A.Peter(FEB.1992) in this article observed that equilibrium in a market with free entry where consumers search and firms set prices on individual units of the commodity. The prices attached to newly produced goods are continuously adjusted. Prices attached to previously produced goods can only be changed at a cost. Thus inflation reduces the real price of goods in inventory awaiting sale. The presence of previously priced goods lowers the reservation price of customers. Thus, inflation cuts into the market power created by the need to search for the good. Consumer welfare is inverse $u$-shaped in inflation with a strictly positive optimal inflation rate. 3. Inflation in India during the 80s: An Analytical Review:- Samanta GP (Feb. 19, 1994) in this article observed that Structural constraints play a major role in the movement of the general price level in developing countries like India. Thus the inflationary dynamics in these countries cannot be explained purely as a monetary phenomenon. Even aggregative analysis, taking demand and supply factors along with monetary variables, has been found to be empirically unsatisfactory as quantifying the impact of any one variable on sectoral prices is not easy. This study attempts a disaggregative analysis by considering the structural variables first and then analysing the influence of monetary aggregates on sectoral prices taking into account the time series properties of price indices and specifying the sectoral price equations. 4. How best to model inflation in India:- Balakrishnan pulapre (1 April 2002) in this article observed that Econometric specifications relating to two well-known explanations of inflation are generated and, using data from the Indian economy, the principle of encompassing is brought to bear upon the choice between these. The results are conclusive for two tests, which is itself of interest because we have non-nested models here and the tests could in principle have resulted in each model rejecting the other. It appears then from the past experience of the Indian economy that the policymaker is advised to consider sectoral price behaviour explicitly when attempting to model the inflationary process. 5. COMMODITY PRICES, MONEY AND INFLATION:- Browne Frank and Cronin David (11 April 2007) in this article observed that The influence of commodity prices on consumer prices is usually seen as originating in commodity markets. We argue, however, that long run and short run relationships should exist between commodity prices, consumer prices and money and that the influence of commodity prices on consumer prices occurs through a money-driven overshooting of commodity prices being corrected over time. Using a co integrating VAR framework and US data, our empirical findings are supportive of these relationships, with both commodity and consumer prices proportional to the money supply in the long run, commodity prices initially overshooting their new equilibrium values in response to a money supply shock, and the deviation of commodity prices from their equilibrium values having explanatory power for subsequent consumer price inflation. 6. COMPARING PARTIAL AND GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM ESTIMATES OF THE WELFARE COST OF INFLATION:- Gillman Max (2 July 2007) in this article observed that Reserve banks worldwide have been moving towards zero inflation policies. Confusion clouds the welfare cost of maintaining such inflation policies despite the best attempts at clarification. Monetary theory research has shifted from partial to general equilibrium economies. This shift has left the partial equilibrium estimates of the welfare cost of inflation below most of the general equilibrium estimates. Put on a comparable basis, partial equilibrium estimates compare more closely with the general equilibrium estimates. Furthermore, evidence suggests that integration under the money demand function appears applicable in general equilibrium economies. Finally, the estimates depend on the elasticities of money demand and the underlying structural parameters. 7. Inflation targeting in India: issues and prospects Jha Raghbendra (mar. 2008) in this article observed that evaluation the case for inflation targeting (IT) in India. It states the objectives of monetary policy in India and argues that, with widespread poverty still present, inflation control cannot be an exclusive concern of monetary policy. The rationale for IT is spelt out and found to be incomplete. The paper provides some evidence on the effects of IT in developed and transition economies and argues that although IT may have been responsible for maintaining a low inflation regime, it has not brought down the inflation rate itself substantially and or changed the volatility of the exchange rate. Output movements in transition countries adopting IT have been higher than in developed market economies. I discuss Indias experience with using nominal targets for monetary policy and why India is not ready for IT. Further, even if Indias central bank wanted to, it could not pursue IT because the short-term interest rate does not have a significant effect on inflation. The paper concludes by listing monetary policy options for India. 8. Competition and Price Variation When Consumers Are Loss Averse :- Heidhues, Paul, and Botond Koszegi. (Sept 2008) in this article observed that of price competition with differentiated products by assuming that consumers are loss averse relative to a reference point given by their recent expectations about the purchase. Consumers sensitivity to losses in money increases the price responsiveness of demand and hence the intensity of competition at higher relative to lower market prices, reducing or eliminating price variation both within and between products. When firms face common stochastic costs, in any symmetric equilibrium the mark-up is strictly decreasing in cost. Even when firms face different cost distributions, we identify conditions under which a focal-price equilibrium (where firms always charge the same focal price) exists, and conditions under which any equilibrium is focal. 9. The Misperception of Inflation by Irish Consumers:- David Duffy in this article The Misperception of Inflation by Irish Consumers observed that Perceptions and forecasts of inflation have the potential to impact on a range of economic outcomes. We reveal large, systematic overestimation of inflation by Irish consumers, which varies by social group. In contrast to previous work in this area, our models suggest the upward bias and the variation by social group should be considered substantially separate phenomena. We also offer evidence that inflation misperceptions are linked to attitudes and intentions with respect to consumption and saving and, hence, are likely to affect household decision-making. The findings therefore raise issues regarding the relationship between financial literacy and consumer behaviour. 10. Extracting information on inflation from consumer and wholesale prices and the NKE aggregate supply curve. Goyal Ashima and Tripathi Shruti in this article observed that Since consumer prices are a weighted average of the prices of domestic and of imported consumption goods, and producer prices feed into final consumer prices, wholesale price inflation should cause consumer price inflation. Moreover, there exist a long-term equilibrium relationship between consumer and wholesale price inflation and the exchange rate. But we derive a second relation between the price series from an Indian aggregate supply function, giving reverse causality. The CPI inflation should Granger cause WPI inflation, through the effect of food prices on wages and producer prices. These restrictions on causal relationships are tested using a battery of time series techniques on the indices and their components. We find evidence of reverse causality, when controls are used for other variables affecting the indices. Second, both the identity and the AS hold as long-run co integrating relationships. There is an impor tant role for supply shocks. Food price inflation is co integrated with manufacturing inflation. The exchange rate affects consumer prices. The insignificance of the demand variable in short-run adjustment indicates an elastic AS. There is no evidence of a structural break in the time series on inflation. Convergence is slow, and this together with differential shocks on the two series may explain their recent persistent divergence. ANALYSIS After study on this topic I can understand that the inflation effect the consumer decisions like their consumption decision, saving decision and it effects the future expectation of buying. Inflation always hurts our standard of living. Rising prices means we have to pay more for the same goods and services. If our income increases at a slower rate as inflation, our standard of living declines even if we are making more. Inflations main consequence is a subtle reduction in our standard of living. Inflation doesnt affect everything equally. Gas prices can double while our home loses value. This makes financial planning more difficult. Inflation is really bad for our retirement planning because our target has to keep getting higher and higher to pay for the same quality of life. In other words, our savings will buy less. As a result, we will need to save more today to pay for higher priced goods and services in the future. Since everything we buy today costs more, so we have less left-over income available to save. Inflation has another bad side-effectonce people start to expect inflation, they will spend now rather than later. Thats because they know things will only cost more later. This consumer spending heats up the economy even more, leading to further inflation. This situation is known as spiraling inflation because it spirals out of control. Inflation is important if we are holding bonds or Treasury notes. These fixed price assets only give a fixed return each year. As inflation spirals faster than the return on these assets, they become less valuable. As they become less valuable, people rush to sell them, further depreciating their value. As their value becomes lower, the U.S. government is forced to offer higher interest rates to sell them at all. This increases mortgage interest rates. We should be wary, in this post, about cost-push inflation. With wages increasing and input prices (thanks to oil/petrol/gasoline) increasing, prices consumers pay have to increase with the costs-of-production. In turn we demand higher wages, and with a squeezed supply of labour we can get them, sending prices higher still. In the graph nicked from the textbook use, example economy has expanded beyond potential real GDP (i.e. Full Employment). In the labour market this means more jobs than people (keeping it simple), driving up wages. In the consumer market it means more demand than supply, driving up prices, which drive up wages do you see the spiral? In fact our economy will not sustain unemployment below the Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment. Thus we end up back at Full Employment in the graph, inexorably, but along the way weve picked up positive inflation. METHODOLOGY The methodology used was secondary research. Data and findings from the research papers and articles of other people was selected and reviewed. Brief review of all the articles and papers studied has been given in the Review of Literature. These all articles were studied deeply to gather maximum knowledge of the Report on the topic Inflationary incidence on consumer equilibrium. Though no research has been done on the comparative Analysis of inflationary incidence on consumer equilibrium but this paper collected data from the news articles available from different sources. CONCLUSION After study this topic I found that Inflation directly affected to consumer equilibrium. At the time of inflation increases the prices of commodities increases which reduce the purchasing power of the consumers, and consumers have to reduce the consumption. Inflation has another bad side-effectonce people start to expect inflation, they will spend now rather than later. Thats because they know things will only cost more later. This consumer spending heats up the economy even more, leading to further inflation. This situation is known as spiraling inflation because it spirals out of control. After study this topic I found there are some advantage and disadvantage of inflation. Advantages People feel richer (money illusion). Unexpected inflation benefits borrowers Could be from extra growth in the economy or extra money which would lead to lower unemployment rates. If prices rise, then a currency devalues which would lead to growth in the export sector. Disadvantages Lower retain-able income due to higher expenditure. Expensive loans burdening those who have taken loans on floating rate and also shelving or postponing plans of many to most people. Increase in raw materials might further increase prices such that a lower inflation number overall does not really mean lower price of final goods. There is problem of complacency with increase of fuel price auto prices have gone up. Even if the prices come down later does anyone think that the prices will be revised downwards.

To Kill A Mockingbird - Scouts Maturity :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

As people grow in life, they mature and change. In the novel , To Kill a Mockingbird ,by Harper Lee, Scout, the main character, matures as the book continues. Slowly but surely, Scout learns to control her explosive temper, to refrain from fistfights, and to respect Calpurnia, their maid, and to really learn her value to the family. Scout simply changes because she matures, and she also changes because Atticus, her father, asks her to. In the early chapters of the book, Scout picks fights at the slightest provocation. One example of this is when Scout beats up Walter Cunningham, one of her classmates, for â€Å"not having his lunch†, which isn’t a very good reason at all. â€Å"Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt Jem came by and told me to stop. ‘You’re bigger’n he is,’ he said †¦ ‘He made me start off on the wrong foot.’ †¦ ‘Let him go Scout. Why?’ ‘He didn’t have any lunch,’ I said, and explained my involvement in Walter’s dietary affairs† (27). Scout is also very mischievous and has a devious mentality towards Calpurnia. She describes Calpurnia as a tyrannical presence, and she does everything she can to get her out of the house. One time Scout does this is when Walter comes over to her house to eat dinner. Scout criticizes Walt er for drowning his food in molasses, and Calpurnia scolds Scout. After Walter leaves, Scout asks Atticus to fire Calpurnia, which of course he doesn’t do. â€Å"Jem said suddenly grinned at him. ‘Come on home to dinner with us, Walter,’ he said. †¦ Walter stood where he was, biting his lip. Jem and I gave up, and we were nearly to the Radley Place when Walter called, ‘Hey, I’m comin’!’ While Walter piled food on his plate, he and Atticus talked together like to men, to the wonderment of Jem and me. Atticus was expounding on farm problems when Walter interrupted to ask if there was any molasses in the house†¦ Walter poured syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand. He would probably have poured it into his milk glass had I not asked what the sam hill he was doing†¦ It was then that Calpurnia quested my presence in the kitchen†¦ She was furious, and when she was furious Calpurnia’s grammar became erratic†¦ â€Å"There’s some folks who don’t eat like us,† she whispered fiercely†¦ Jem and Walter returned to school ahead of me: staying behind to advise Atticus of Calpurnia’s iniquities was worth a solitary sprint past the Radley Place.

Michael Jackson :: essays research papers

Praising the King of Pop Michael Jackson Introduction: Perhaps no one has received this title in history â€Å"the king of pop†, now a days many artist’s have arisen and have performed but not as the king of pop known worldwide and in history, has dominated the world of pop as Michael Jackson. Born on August 29, 1958 to a strict working class family in Gary, Indiana. Michael Jackson has gone through personal scandal, family squabbles and numerous career quakes but Michael Joseph Jackson remains one of the planet's best known figures. Jackson has spent almost his entire life as a public performer. He was the founder member of the Jackson Five at the age of four, soon becoming their lead vocalist and frontman. This implies Jackson has started his career at a very early age to gradually become one good public personality and famous. For this and for other reasons, he deserves praise and to be praised. Narrative: Michael Jackson was born and grew up in a strict working family in Gary, Indiana, USA on August 29, 1958. Jackson showed an early interest in music as did most of his family. His mother sang frequently, his father Joseph Jackson played guitar in a small-time R&B band, his older brothers often sang and played with their father’s guitar. Soon the family singing group started, with Michael as the main puppet and four of his older brothers. â€Å"After all it seemed to be the simplest way to earn money to feed so many kids said Joseph Jackson†. If you can't feed your kids teach them how to feed themselves. Anyway Michael soon outgrew his brothers with his unique talent not just for singing but for dancing as well. Jackson’s father, who is a controlling supposedly abusive father. "My father beat me. It was difficult to take being beaten and then going onstage. "He was strict; very hard and stern." Says Michael Jackson. He pushed his sons including Michael into forming a group called the Jackson five. Their group quickly arose from playing local talent shows to landing a contract with the renowned Motown label at the end of 1968. During the early '70s the group became well-known, with "baby", Michael as the lead singer of the group. This talent dragged on for decades and gradually getting better and better, Michael taking the lead and as the main source of income for the family for proving and presenting his talent to many music labels and organizations throughout the years.