Mobile Phones Have Improved Our Lives in Every Way

MOBILE PHONES HAVE IMPROVED OUR LIVES IN EVERY WAY We live in the era of smart phones and not that smart people. Are mobile phones really necessary or are they just toys that think instead of us and help us escape from our boring lives? On one hand mobile phones are very beneficial. Thanks to all intelligent technological tools, you can call or text anyone you want, even if they are not close. You can call the emergency if you are stuck in an accident.In addition, one of the perks is definitely the internet access which you can reach wherever you are. Whether you are waiting for someone to come and are bored, you can listen to music. Nowadays you do not have to carry and agenda with you, because this sophisticated apparatuses remember all the appointments and reminders you might forget. On the other hand, you can easily get distracted by mobile phones, what sometimes can lead to obsessions. Not to mention the radiation and its consequences which cause infertility and many other healt h risks.Is it not sad when you meet and old friends of yours for a coffee and you both end up hanging on the mobile phones and become extremely anti-social? All in all, technological phenomenon of modern time are one of the greatest discoveries so far and our lives would never be the same if they did not exist, because they have made our lives easier in every single way. I believe that the benefits of using mobile phones outweigh the disadvantages, but only if the usage is under control. Therefore, we must not let them use us, we must use them!

Relating Thoughts to Language Essay

Language is defined to be words that are used in a structured way so that it could be used as a way of communication between people. It can be spoken, written or even understood through body gestures. Thoughts on the other hand, are the things that runs in a person’s mind. Our thoughts and ideas are shared with other people through language. People often use language to express what they are thinking of. Thoughts are not necessarily need to be spoken, they can also be written down or analyzed. This quote â€Å"Thoughts is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them† by Vygotsky basically means that thoughts do not exist until they are spoken or used by people in any form of language. For example, if a person has a new idea related to a specific subject, this idea doesn’t come into existence unless the person uses language to express it. People need to communicate with each other using language to express their thoughts. Thus, thoughts and language are strongly related to each other. In some cases, a barrier might be found in expressing thoughts through language. That might be due to lack of words or finding the exact word that expresses what a person is thinking. Also, the different spoken languages might cause a barrier or a misunderstanding between two people. For example, a Western man and an Arab man might face difficulties with using language because both of them use language differently. That might stop them from expressing their thoughts to each other. Teachers in school explain their thoughts to the students through language. The IB math teacher for example, always gives the students an example that she thought of to explain her lesson. Apart from the book, she also shares her own thoughts and ideas to give us a better understanding of the lesson. In IB math, thoughts are not expressed through spoken or written words. They are usually expressed through different symbols that makes sense only after using language. Discoveries by various scientists wouldn’t have been into existence if they hadn’t expressed their thoughts some way or the other. In IB business, thoughts are commonly expressed through written words and numbers. Language is very important in studying business because people usually speak and discuss different study cases using language. Also, people tend to share new ideas from their thoughts using business. The IB business teacher for instance, uses different gestures if the students don’t quite understand what she said. She uses more than one form of language to deliver her thoughts to her students. Cultural differences allow people to think in different ways. Even though two people from different cultures look at the same thing, their thoughts and interpretations might be different due to their cultural differences. People’s thoughts have no limitations bu t they could only make sense to other people if they were expressed through language. People could think of many things and could have many brilliant ideas inside their heads but that doesn’t mean anything if they were not expressed. Sometimes, what is appropriate in one culture, might be completely inappropriate in another. So people should be careful with the language they use when they are expressing their thoughts. When people share their thoughts and ideas, they learn new things from each other. For example, if two people from different cultures share their thoughts, they will both know more about other people’s cultures and will become more educated and open minded. That will also give them a bigger range of words to express their thoughts in. Some words that are available in one language might not be available in the other. Learning a new language will give people a chance to use the different words that were not available in their own language. Language help people to become successful because they are able to deliver their thoughts to the people surrounding them. Language also helped in improving the technology. Scientist worldwide think of new and creative ways to improve the world and their ways tend to work out because they know how to let their thoughts reach the people. In conclusion, the relationship between thoughts and language is very strong. The quote I chose to discuss shows that thoughts have no meaning unless there are expressed. People’s imaginations, ideas and thoughts could be expressed through language and could benefit the world. Different cultures tend to affect the thoughts of people both positively and negatively. They can act like a barrier that stops people from expressing their thoughts through language. At the same time, they make people expand their knowledge about different cultures. They also allow people to learn new words that were not available in their own language to express their thoughts. In school, different IB teachers use different ways to deliver their thoughts to the students. Some of them use spoken words and some use body gestures. Works Cited Kurz, Laura. Thought is not merely expressed in words; it comes into existence through them. 24 Oct. 2011 < http://toknow-11.wikispaces.com/message/view/Hand/44881868> â€Å"language.† Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 04 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"thoughts.† The American Heritage ® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 04 Nov. 2012. .

A Comparison and Contrast Essay about Psychosis vs Neurosis

Brain disorders are commonly misunderstood due to the actions of the person living with it. Knowledge about brain disorders or mental illness should lessen the misunderstanding of the disorder, and increase the support for the people suffering with the disorder. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a mental disorder is a mental or behavioural pattern or anomaly that causes distress or disability, and which is not developmentally or socially normative. Mental disorders are generally defined by how a person feel, acts, thinks or perceives. I will be discussing two mental disorders in which, they are often misunderstood as the same. This essay is about Psychosis vs. Neurosis. Both mental disorders cause the person suffering from it some distress and their behaviour is not socially acceptable. Both disorders are mostly diagnosed based on the harm they caused. When these disorders become severe, it is difficult for people with these mental disorders or illness to carry out daily activities and do some social interaction. Psychosis however is a mental condition which is referred to as â€Å"a loss of contact with reality. † People suffering from this type of mental illness are called Psychotic. The symptoms of people with psychosis are suffering from hallucinations, delusions, catatonia or thought disorder. The psychosis of a person is usually triggered by a history of a traumatic event, and stress. Stress triggers a short-lived psychosis called brief reactive psychosis and people suffering from this usually recovers to their normal state within two weeks. In some cases, a full-blown psychosis could last a long time, and maybe have attenuated psychotic symptom (such as low intensity hallucinations) present at most times. Brief hallucinations are triggered by falling asleep and then waking, bereavement (hallucinations of a dead loved one) severe sleep deprivation, caffeine intoxication, and an extremely stressful event. There are also subtypes of psychosis. These are menstrual psychosis (in rhythm with menstrual cycle), postpartum psychosis (which happens after childbirth), monothematic delusions, occupational psychosis, stimulant psychosis and shared psychosis. Neurosis, on the other hand, is a mental disorder involving distress, but people who are neurotic are not suffering from hallucinations or delusions. Signs of people suffering from neurosis have anxiety, sadness or depression, anger, irritability , mental confusion, and low sense of self-worth. There are also behavioural symptoms such as phobic avoidance, vigilance, impulsive and compulsive acts. There are cognitive problems such as obsession, disturbing thoughts, habitual fantasizing, negativity, cynicism, etc. There are many forms of neurosis. These are: obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety neurosis, personality disorders, hysteria, and an endless variety of phobias. Neurosis is simply defined as a â€Å"poor ability to adapt to one’s environment, an inability to change one’s life patterns, and the inability to develop a richer, more complex, more satisfying personality. † According to Carl Jung, â€Å"people became neurotic when they content themselves with inadequate or wrong answers to the questions of life. † He said that the unconscious finds expression primarily through an individual’s inferior psychological function, whether it is feeling, thinking, sensing, or intuition. For me, psychosis and neurosis are very different yet similar. The behaviour of psychotic and neurotic people are both not accepted or understood by the society. People with less knowledge about these illnesses often has a negative perception on people suffering with psychosis and neurosis.

Police Officers' Problems in the 21st Century Research Paper

Police Officers' Problems in the 21st Century - Research Paper Example Issues like international terrorism have become burning issues for the Police. The old model of policing has changed and the way the role of Police was perceived has changed too. Access to information, the changes in the way Police responded to the new situation, the pre-emptive strikes, immigration etc are some of the key issues which have created significant challenges for the police and other authorities. 9/11 was one of the events which changed many things and virtually shifted the existing paradigm for the security and policing methods. It not only exposed the vulnerabilities of the existing security and policing procedures but also provided an opportunity to look into the better ways to manage the risk and threat posed to the society by the negative elements. It is therefore critical to understand that the challenges and opportunities available to Police are unique in nature and need to be viewed from the perspective of the changes which have taken place since 9/11. The policing model and the resulting changes therefore need to be discussed in order to fully understand the practical origins of the challenges faced by the police during 21st century. This paper will therefore make an attempt to discuss the challenges faced by Police during 21st century while discussing the difference between the challenges faced by the Police in past.The original duty or the mission of Police, as outlined by Sir Robert Peel, is to prevent crime and disorder. however, the overall sensitivity and the responsibilities of Policies have radically changed in the wake of current situation. The founder of modern model for Policing, Sir Robert Peel outlined the basic duty of police to ensure the safety of the general public and the preservation of peace within an in creasingly pluralist society The police’s role is now not just limited to the prevention of crime at the community level however, it now also entails a broader scope for activities which are considered as essential for controlling and preventing terrorist activities. The traditional community policing model was based on gaining and developing the trust within the public to achieve the overall aim of public safety. This model therefore required a closer link with the community to continuously look for information and intelligence which cannot help to prevent the crime but also allow the police to track down those who committed the crimes. (Bayley and Shearing) The shift towards intelligence led policing from the traditional investigative and reactive policing approach and than to the more pro-active military like policing model has been due to the changing nature of crime. As mentioned above that with the war on terrorism and the change in the way society face internal and ext ernal threats, the role of policing and the approaches of policing have changed. The above changes in the way society now perceives the role of Police and other law enforcement agencies therefore suggest that Police may face significant challenges during 21st Century. Counter-terrorism One of the most important challenges to be faced by the Police during 21st century is the counter- terrorism and anti-terrorism. The events of 9/11 have changed the way security was generally perceived by the societies. The increasing threat to the life and property of innocent citizens and the State itself therefore necessitated that the traditional role of Police should change. Earlier the significant challenge faced by the Police was to keep the criminals in check while ensuring that the general environment of peace and harmony exists in society. However, the anti-terrorism has forced police to face the significant challenge of meeting the new requirements. (Cooley) Terrorism has emerged as a pheno menon

Radiation Experiments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Radiation Experiments - Essay Example UV rays are also beneficial to humans; these include the UV watermark that helps in authentication of credit cards. Forensic investigation when a crime occurs, in fluorescent lamps where it ionizes the phosphorescent coating inside the tubes which gives off white light. In astronomy where it is used to make observation from space. UV rays are also used to follow a blood trail for a wounded animal. Other uses include sanitary compliance, spectrophotometer, purification of the air, photochemotherapy, chemical markers, phototherapy, photolithography, sterilization among other uses. (NASA) Investigation of the amount of UV rays that human being are exposed to is important. This information can help in quantifying the effects caused by these rays. UV also affects materials and paint. These Experiments helps determine the effects of these rays on materials with the objective of reducing them or shielding materials and human beings from them (Callister, 757). From the graphical representation above, the incandescent lamp produces both the UVA and UVB rays. The incandescent lamp produces more of the UVA rays than UVB rays. It is also evident that after switching ON the lamp, the production of UVA is high and slowly fades with time. For the UVB rays, the intensity is relatively constant for the 2 minute period. From the scientific knowledge about the UVA and UVB, UVA is stronger and has a

Analysis of Greek Mythology Annotated Bibliography

Analysis of Greek Mythology - Annotated Bibliography Example The article exposes the falsities that surround the historical and ritual sense if the Greek cultures, which were hidden under a smoke-screen. The author is critical in giving a graphic exposition about the childishness that he discovered in these myths by using a classification that led to the discovery point. The precedent example that the author uses is about the stories of Hyacinthus and Narcissus. He uses these stories to depict the falsity that embedded some of the historical Greek myths, which did not depict the real happenings of the historic period or stories. In this work, the author analyzes different articles about Greek mythology. The author is insightful and incisive in bringing out the facts and falsities that are explained by the articles. The critique provided in the article is informative and educative on many aspects of the Greek mythology. In this work, Bremmer Jan provides a great collection of studies that reveal new interpretations of the best themes and protagonists in Greek mythology. It reflects the fascination and complexity that encapsulates the Greek imagination. The successive chapters of this work follow various analyses about the myths conceptualizations and the immense influence of â€Å"the Orient† on the vast Greek mythology scope. The chapters also reveal the threatening appearance of werewolf and wolf as well as familiar figures in Greek mythology such as Orpheus, Narcissus, and Oedipus. The obscure relationship between ritual and myth is also elucidated on by an in-depth discussion of the ambiguities that characterize the Kronos’ traditions. The article analyzes the numerous conventions, aspects, and transitions of the Greek mythology in the novel â€Å"Les Caves du Vatican† by Gide. The author describes the allusions found in Greek mythology that the book used. The importance of Greek mythology in the book cannot be dismissed since the novel used largess of Greek mythology information to complete the novel.   

Air Solutions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Air Solutions - Case Study Example We offer specialist capabilities and product ranges to meet the specification of complete air systems installation and pipeworking as well as for hydraulic systems, vacuum pumps and ancillary equipment.2 Keeping in sync with technology is of utmost importance to any industry, especially in the consumer industry. Air Solutions made major improvements in industrial air compressors within four years of its launch by the company in 1994.Similarly, in the case of HACU (Heavy duty air conditioning unit), the product was updated in 1996, eight years after its launch in 1996.This was accompanied by a massive advertising campaign. There were minor design changes in 1999, to improve the product. Thus, Air Solutions has been keen to match up to consumer preferences and update its products even before the standard ten-year operating life for which the product has been designed. The company believes in catering to well-informed consumers and spends on advertising campaigns about new product launches. A constant sales figures of 12000 units of IAC and HACU per annum prove the constant demand for these products. Providing timely and necessary service support also form a key deciding factor while a consumer researches and zeros in on the company to buy the product from. Consumer service, not only before or during the sale of the product, but also after sales service play a vital role in determining the reputation and sales volumes of the company's products. While supply of spares and post sales support can provide an additional business opportunity, it might be a drain on the reserves and logistics of the company. Typically, engineering, especially air conditioning companies introduce a product with an anticipated operating life of ten years. However, due to various market factors, these might sometimes be used for more than thirty years. Now, if the product is more than ten years old and has been replaced by a newer version, then there is little that a spares and support system can do to help the customer. Oftentimes, the cost of replacing the spares is a massive proportion of the cost of the product itself. In such a scenario, the customer might be advised to go in for a new product itself, instead of trying to repair the existing product. According to the leading website on air-conditioning, heaters and refrigerators, "Variable Frequency Drives Running on Bypass Can Waste 56 Percent or More Energy for Your Air Handling System. Despite the economic advantages and significant energy savings available by using AC variable frequency drives (VFDs) in HVAC applications, many building operators do not repair or replace drives when they fail since the motors can easily continue to run through a bypass contactor. While this is a great solution for short-term outages, continued operation in this mode quickly becomes a very expensive way to operate a fan."1 Strategy The strategy to make the most of the spares and sales support department would be to: (i) Strategically locate these warehouses Proposed Locations: Manchester, Birmingham, London, Singapore, Europe, U.S, Africa 1) at the site of production of IAC and HACU ie. one at Manchester and another at

How does violent game effect to children Research Paper

How does violent game effect to children - Research Paper Example different positions and confusion over the effect of video games on children, it is lucid that results incline more on the negative than on the positive. This paper seeks to address this concern and bring out the actual issues clouding video games on the limelight. Video games have been in existence now for over fifty years. In 1952, Tic-Tac-Toe was developed by A.C. Douglas as part of a science project for his thesis, becoming the first video game to be created. Douglas used Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Computer, and emulator to construct his software, which contained 17 bits and 512 words. Still in the 1950s, William Higinbotham, a Brookhaven employee, developed an elementary game of tennis with an oscilloscope serving as its interface. At times, people refer to his game as the original version of â€Å"pong,† although it is not. Later, in the 1960s, Steve Russel, in 1962, developed Spacewar during his graduate studies. He involved several other students in his work, which later went through modifications and enhancements. His work impacted innumerous students including Nolan Bushnell. In 2010, Kirsch records a video game named Spacewar, developed in 1962, in which spaceship engaged in a fierce battle to death. Although the vide o game design was poor compared to contemporary games, the battling theme of the game has endured through several decades (Herman, Horwitz, Kent, & Miller, 2002). The development of the computer and television also impacted the development of video games greatly. In 1966, Ralph Baer assessed several methods he could use the television to act as a display mechanism for computer games he developed. He later developed and patented the first video game ever to use the television set as its display. Baer entered into a deal with Magnavox in1970 to create a video gaming console. At the same time, Nolan was also busy developing the first game ever to demand pay from gamers. He became successful with his Spacewar game project marking the

Effective culture of the new employees Term Paper

Effective culture of the new employees - Term Paper Example The world of work has rapidly been changing; changes appear to be happening more drastically. As part of an industrial organization, the human resource management (HRM) has to deal with a numerous effects in the changing world of work. This means that an organization does suffer implications like globalization, work force diversity, technological changes, changing skills requirement, employment involvement, continuous improvement initiatives and labour shortages (Bradley, 1998). New employee orientation covers the activities involved in introducing a new employee to the organizations up to one’s work unit. It expands on the information received during the recruitment and selection stages and helps to reduce the initial anxiety one feels when beginning a new job. The orientation program should familiarize the new member with the organizations objectives, history, philosophy, procedures and rules. It should communicate relevant policies such as work hours, pay procedures, overtime requirements and company benefits. Functions of a culture includes: Creating distinction between one organization and others, conveying a sense of identity for organizations members and facilitating the generation of commitment to something longer than other individual’s interest. It also enhances the stability of social system. More so employees do look up to the top management’s behaviour as a bench mark for defining appropriate behaviour. As such, culture communicates ethical expectations in an organization. The code of ethics are effectively designed and disseminated to avoid ambiguities in an organization. The code of ethics therefore, should state the organization’s primary values and ethical rules that employees are expected to follow. Dissemination is through; providing ethical training, setting up seminars, workshops and ethical training programs

Discussion question-essay Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion question-essay - Coursework Example Outsourcing projects and hiring more laborers from India in telecommuting arrangements can help HP lower its cost structure. Another way to reduce costs is by sourcing materials from low cost nations such as China. One of the main reasons that people think that the acquisition of EDS by Hewlett Packard would not work is due to differences in organizational culture. Organizational culture can be defined as the system of shared actions, values, and beliefs that develops within an organization and guides the behavior of its members (Schermerhorn and Hunt and Osborn). The culture of HP is relaxed and casual style, while EDS has a military discipline and staid culture. Since the dominant culture, Hewlett Packard, is the easy going relaxed one it should not be difficult for EDS employees to buy in to such a culture. The use of change management will also be critical into shaping the new organization. â€Å"Change management entails thoughtful planning and sensitive implementation, and above all, consultation with, and involvement of, the people affected by the changes†

Heroic Criminals Essay Example for Free

Heroic Criminals Essay All throughout childhood we are taught that breaking the law is bad and the people who do are criminals and should be punished. Edward Abbey, author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, and Carl Hiaasen, author of Sick Puppy, alter these thoughts. Both novels focus on adventuresome environmentalists who stir up trouble in means of standing up for their beliefs. Both Abbey and Hiaasen construct higher and natural laws over the traditional justice system that gives characters justification for their actions. Ethically we as humans should not side with these rebellious characters, but the theme is so central in the books cover-to-cover that we, as readers, lose sight of morals as the authors manipulate us to become completely invested in these heroic criminals. With sharp uses of characterization and description, Edward Abbey glorifies the art of law breaking and leaves his readers cheering for the heroic criminals. Throughout The Monkey Wrench Gang, the group of four activists set out to destroy bridges, signs, bulldozers and anything else harming the American southwest. From the very beginning, Abbey illustrates a scene full of the workings of the justice system in his prologue. When describing the ceremony to open the bridge he states, â€Å"the bridge stands clear and empty except for†¦a symbolic barrier of red, white and blue ribbon stretched across the bridge from rail to rail† (3). If the sense of patriotism wasn’t evident enough through images of children eating ice cream cones and people drinking Coca-Cola before that, Abbey drapes the bridge in the colors of our nations flag. His portrayal of the project seems to be adored and almost sponsored by America. He uses the writing technique of verisimilitude throughout the prologue to captivate readers and make them anxious to see who disapproves the project. This is a true introduction and welcoming to rebellious characters. As the novel progresses, we become familiar with the gang: Hayduke, Bonnie, Seldom Seen and Doc, as they are driving through billboard signs. Some readers might lose respect for the characters because their actions seem hypocritical and pointless. Their actions are against the law. But then Abbey slowly develops the characters and gives them justification for these criminal actions. He does this with Hayduke criticizing the construction of bridges, â€Å"They can’t do that; it ain’t legal. There’s a law against it. A higher law† (27). The phrase â€Å"higher law† justifies the gang’s destruction because they are taking a stand to save the environment, the beautiful American southwest. As destruction projects get bigger, we find ourselves rooting for these criminals because they are heroes. And we find ourselves captivated in the novel with Abbey’s clever use of an episodic plot. He arranges plot elements into a story and although we aren’t deep into the character’s lives, the focus on episodes drives us forward. As Abbey slowly develops the protagonist characters, he introduces the character, Bishop Love, who we as readers coin as the antagonist. Once again Abbey manipulates our morals as we begin hating the character who could possibly bring down our rebels. Bishop Love exclaims, â€Å"We might get them on the Mann Act come to think of it-crossing the state line for immoral purposes† (296). The fact that the Mann Act was first established to regulate prostitution across state lines cleverly draws us against the bishop’s character and law in general. Abbey’s use of an actual law brings the entire chase back to reality as we still see ourselves siding with the heroic criminals. Abbey actually creates this chase into a war and the heroic criminals become heroic war veterans. As the chase continues, Hayduke once again defines this higher sense of law and justification for war, â€Å"I sat in that rotting jungle every night, playing with my chain, and all I could think about was home. And I don’t mean Tucson†¦I thought about the canyons† (359). This is a very lively twist on the patriotic term war because when we think of war we think of Americans going into another country. Here, Americans are in a war in America against other Americans. And because of this, someone is breaking the law or going against the law. As true as that statement is, we find ourselves naming the criminals as the war heroes through Abbey’s manipulation. Although in the end these heroes are captured and the project seems to be brought to an end, the denouement proves to serve poetic justice. The epilogue consists of Doc, Bonnie and Seldom being almost immediately bailed out of jail, Bishop Love in slow recovery, and the survival of the most prominent environmentalist, Hayduke. Such a fitting ending for our manipulated beliefs. Similarly to Edward Abbey’s manipulation of our morals through characterization and development, Carl Hiaasen uses the same techniques within the theme of criminal heroes. Right off the bat, we meet Twilly who is the definition of activist. We quickly learn that if he doesn’t like something, he takes immediate action. And it’s not with anger that he takes action, but disappointment, â€Å"†¦if I was really pissed, I would’ve done it on a Monday morning, and I would’ve made damn sure my uncle was inside at the time† (19). This is in response to his therapist asking if the reason he blew up a bank was due to the fact that he was angry his uncle made a loan to some â€Å"rotten people† (18). We aren’t really introduced to the proper sense of law as we were in The Monkey Wrench Gang, but such grotesque images of the characters in political positions make us see them as the bad guys and the person who blows up a bank as a hero. More grotesque images develop as we learn about Robert Clapley and his Barbie dolls and Palmer Stoat and his trophies. So even though we want to hate the main characters, we hate who Hiaasen wants us to hate more. With this manipulation technique and Hiaasen’s rapid tonal shifts between parallel characters, we find ourselves not being able to put the novel down. He creates a sense of higher law that gives us a place to go and pretend we’re there with Twilly being a heroic criminal and activist. Hiaasen also does not overstep his boundaries with this sense of higher law as characters are able to resist destruction. In the scene where Twilly and Desie are driving behind a lady in a Lexus who threw her cigarette butt out the window, Twilly wants to put her car up in flames, but he lets off (219). Although we are already on Twilly’s side, the fact that he can resist gives him more respect as a â€Å"criminal. † Once again, in the reader’s eyes, what makes him a hero is how Hiaasen develops the negative characterization of characters like Clapley, Gash and Stoat. In a very grotesque scene between Clapley and Stoat, Stoat explains, â€Å"The important thing is, that nutty kid is finally out of the picture. And, oh yeah, Desie and Boodle are OK, too. Not that I give a shit† (360). Immediately after this is said, â€Å"Clapley finds himself gazing past Stoat, at a dancer performing in a nearby booth†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢if only she was taller’† (360). As illustrated, Clapley and Stoat are both sick people and we want them to be punished and destroyed. We are pulling for Twilly to torture them and win. The novel takes shifts towards a focus on the greed of politics where nature is just a victim and Twilly is standing up for it. In another beautiful example of poetic justice, the epilogue is used as a framing device to bring the novel full circle. In one example, the novel begins with Stoat hunting a rhino and ends with him being impaled by one (429). The ending of our other hated character, Robert Clapley, comes full circle as his most prized possessions, Katya and Tish, become, â€Å"†¦a trademark symbol; this order to include but not expressly be limited to such oral and visual depictions as ‘Goth Barbies’, ‘Undead Barbies’, and ‘Double-Jointed Vampire Barbies’† (445). This is a direct occurrence of what Clapley didn’t want to happen and we find ourselves giggling about the fact. The sense of the novel as a political cartoon truly adds to our enjoyment as readers and superb justification of higher law and love for heroic criminals. In conclusion, both Abbey and Hiaasen create a new definition of criminal through manipulating our morals in their development of characters and justifying it with the sense of a higher law. Adventuresome environmentalists deface and destroy many things, yet we find ourselves as readers cheering for them to do so and get away with it. Ethically we should not side with these rebellious characters, but we truly are completely, 100% invested.

The sea of Galilee Essay Example for Free

The sea of Galilee Essay Louis Joseph Watteau’s â€Å"The Storm† is more of a romantic painting while Eugene Delacroix’s â€Å"The sea of Galilee† is more of a neo-classical painting. Let me begin with Watteau’s â€Å"The Storm. † This painting is a romantic work of art because of the general effect that its appearance brings to its onlookers. The storm is not yet present; it is only foreboding of its eventual coming. Half of the portions of the clouds are still filled with some sunny light but the other half was already covered with some dark clouds, signifying the threat of an upcoming storm. Below the clouds, we see some people working, doing some farm work while the weather is still quite good and the storm is not yet pouring. They are maximizing the time doing what needs to be done as perhaps they cannot afford to put off the peasant’s work. Looking more closely at the painting, we will see that what unassumingly takes the center of the canvas is a tree that is slightly tilted and is seemingly bald with the verdure of luscious leaves. The fading light of the sun reflects itself on the awkwardly standing tree, emphasizing its lanky stems and its listless stature. From what we can see on the surface, this painting by Watteau typifies the characteristics of a Romantic painting and the moods of the Romantic Movement in general. The Romantic Ideal frolics and jubilates on the meadows of individualism, emotions and nature. It also promotes the subjective moods of the individuals and the eschewal of reason in favor of intuition and imagination. The Romantic Movement, whether in literature or visual arts, is said to have three primary cults: the cult of the individual, the cult of emotion and the cult of nature. It is a reaction towards the rapid rise of Science which espoused rational and utilitarian thinking. Specifically, it stemmed from the abrupt social change which was trail blazed by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The movement called for a retreat towards nature to regain the loss substance of humanity which was caused by the arrival of machines and other technologies. The Romantic also looks into the human nature – the human tendencies and behaviors and his reactions towards his surroundings. While science tried hard to explain the origins of things and the rationale of their existence, the Romantics focused on man’s experience and his engagement with the world where he resides. The Romantic also probes the folk culture, the national and ethnic origins, the exotic, the occult and the diseased – the areas which Science and rational thinking consciously chose to avoid. In â€Å"The storm,† we can notice that the focus is not on the people but on the images of nature – the awkwardly standing tree and the clouds. There is an element of being diseased in the people, as they were toiling hard for their livelihood. However, this element was put into the background as we were more primarily led to notice the bleak image of nature. Despite the threats of an upcoming storm, as visualized in the appearance of the clouds, the people keep on working. The striving of the people only depicts the endless struggle between the intention to achieve perfection and the limitations of man. Even though the people know that a storm is forthcoming, they do not stop from working until it arrives. The cult of nature is likewise evident. In this insular setting, we can see nature stripped off extravagant portrayals. This is nature at its barest form. There were not so many colors; in fact the hues of brown and orange were the dominant hues in this picture. The painting limns nature as it is, without exaggerations and attempts to be swanky. Meanwhile, â€Å"Sea of Galilee† is a Neoclassical painting as looking at it will likely bring into mind the paintings of the Classical times. It is reminiscent of the visual arts existent during the times of Ancient Greeks and Romans. What we can see in this work of Delacroix is a dark background and a seemingly fragmented landscape. The group of people riding the ship was marked by a sense of defeat as the ship was faltering against the ravaging weather. The sails are beginning to get shattered as it travels below the dark clouds and above the dark grey ocean. The people in the ship are trying their best to save themselves and the ship they are riding. Obviously, they were facing a tough situation and in order to triumph, an earnest, concerted effort must be put. The neoclassical painting goes back to the lost luminescence of the Classical paintings during the Ancient civilization. It incorporates every element that can be possibly used to recast the Classical. They reused the Classical styles, recalled the Classical themes and reinterpreted the Classical subjects. By doing that, they lead in pushing forth the resurgence of the loss tradition and rendering them in slightly new, and better forms. With the advances in techniques and artistic devices, the Neoclassical extends the Classical by attempting to render their arts and make their interpretations of their subjects in a more accurate manner. Majority of these subjects have references to history and mythology. As we can see in this dominantly dark painting, there is much emphasis on the quality of lines that the elements of color and atmosphere were quite downplayed. It also has a tendency to appear as simplistic as possible. We can see the elements of the people, the straggling ship with its breaking sails and the dark sea. With just three elements incorporated in the painting, it was able to convey a strong idea – man’s being caught in the thick of a wide adventure that is life and encountering tough challenges where a mettlesome character is needed to attain victory. References Antal, Frederick. (1966). Classicism and romanticism: with other studies in art history. London : Routledge Irwin, David G. (1966). English neoclassical art: studies in inspiration and taste. London: Faber. Sypher, Wylie, ed. (1963). Art history: an anthology of modern criticism. New York: Vintage Books.

Principles of Infection Control in the Operating Department

Principles of Infection Control in the Operating Department Infection control is a vital part of everyday life in Operating theatre departments across the world. It is used to ensure patient and staff safety throughout surgical procedures and patients stay in a hospital. Key issues that effect many if not all trusts across the UK include Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) which is found mainly on the skin and in nasal areas of patients. This bacterium has become immune to antibiotics over the years and creates big problems in hospitals all over the world (NHS, 2009). Another infection, which has swept through our hospitals, is Clostridium Difficile (C-Diff). This is a naturally present bacteria which people hold in their gut but when a patient is given antibiotics for another symptom it can multiply the C-Diff bacteria and cause symptoms such as diarrhoea and fever (NHS, 2008). There are many more infection control issues surrounding hospitals and private healthcare trusts across the world. This essay aims to outline good prac tice in preventing some of these infection control issues. There is a set of standard precautions to adhere to when carrying out any surgical procedure. This was originally recommended when a patient was known or to be suspected of being infected with blood pathogens Deane (2000:39). In operating departments today every surgical procedure follows these protocols to ensure the safety of staff and others who maybe exposed during a patients stay in hospital. It is also the responsibility of the Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) to adopt any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplied by the trust to prevent contamination of any kind. Deane (2000:39) suggests regular handwashing is important to prevent spread of any resident germs and also to reduce the risk of transferring any germs to patients. Ventilation is also an important aspect of surgical procedures and how it effects infection control and the prevention of spreading airborne pathogens Gilmour (2005:87). In the majority of NHS trusts in the UK the operating department staff will commence an operating list with a cleaning procedure known as damp dusting before any patient enters the theatre. Damp dusting is the cleaning of flat surfaces (e.g. trolley tops, worksurfaces, anaesthetic machines, etc) to remove dust from the perioperative environment prior to the commencement of the operating list (Plumridge, 2008). This is to reduce the risk of infection whilst the patient is undergoing surgery. Standard precautions recommend the use of Personal Protective Equipment for all theatre staff including aprons, masks, gloves, gowns and eye protection (Gilmour, 2005:91). Each practitioner or healthcare worker will assess the risk of contamination and the appropriate PPE will be applied. This is to ensure safe practice for all theatre staff and to keep the team free from contamination. The control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) regulations came into force in 1989 and requires employers to assess the risk to staff and patients alike being exposed to and handling substances hazardous to health including blood and bodily fluids (Deane, 2000:41). COSHH is maintained by performing regular audits and staff completing risk assessments when potential risks are noted. I also personally believe that Heat Moisture Exchanging Filter (HMEFs) are invaluable to NHS trusts across the UK. These are little devices that attach to the end of the Anaesthetic machine circuits just before the facemask. It works with the heat and moisture from the patients own respiration by changing anaesthetic vaporises from a vapour to a gas. It also heats the gas up so it does not give the patient any trauma going into the lungs cold. They also have a filter inside, which will not allow any sort of passage for bacteria or virus to get into the anaesthetic machine circuit. A new filter will be used for each new patient again avoiding cross contamination (see Appendix 1). The ventilation system inside operating theatres offers a change of air at least fifteen times an hour (Mardell, 2009:272). This prevents microbial contamination infecting vulnerable patients and also diluting expired Anaesthetic gases. The ventilation system works by pushing clean air downwards, which in turn pushes contaminated air away from the surgical field towards the sides of the operating theatre and out of the exhaust panels. There are two main types of ventilation used in operating theatres the first one I discussed which is called Plenum and is the more financially suitable to NHS trusts. The second main ventilation system used is called Laminar flow this system is mainly used in Orthopaedic procedures. The reason for this is because it can offer in excess of 300 air changes per hour therefore drastically reducing any airborne organisms, which can cause postoperative infection for the patient (Technology assessment team, 2001). The ventilation system also provides the heat ing for the theatre. (Mardell 2009:272) claims that there is no ideal temperature that will be correct as it will depend on the type of surgery taking place. When operating on babies or children the temperature will need to be higher than if operating on adults, this is due to children and babies not being able to maintain their core temperature as well as adults. The use of patient warming devices such as Bair huggers and Blood/Fluid warmers should allow the air temperature to be less of a consideration for the patient and allow staff to set the temperature accordingly. Along with the temperature controls most operating theatres will also have a wall mounted control panel which also allows staff to set the atmospheric humidity. The humidity should be set at no more than 60% but no less than 30% as this minimises the potential for bacterial growth and static electricity (Mardell, 2009:273). The surgical field has to be set up sterile and maintain sterility throughout the procedure. This is usually an invisible box approximately 1 metre square surrounding the operating table which consists of the patient, surgeon and scrub practitioner, and must contain as little equipment as possible to avoid de-sterilising anything or anyone in that area. The surgical field is maintained by people only entering when necessary and to announce to the surgical team when doing so to avoid accidental contamination (Beck, 2009). The sterile field is designed to reduce any risk of infection to a patient or to any staff member involved with the procedure. It is achieved by performing a number of safe practices: staff dress and preparation, patient preparation, utilisation of sterile equipment and theatre etiquette during surgery (Parker, 2004:108). Aseptic Non Touch Technique (ANTT) is a form of rigorous handwashing that frees your hands and arms from living pathogenic micro-organisms (Hart, 2007:43). This is a vital part in preparing for a surgical procedure for the safety of your patient. If any member of the surgical team have a poor asepsis technique this could result in a Healthcare Acquired Infection (HCAI) for the patient. Unfortunately nosocomial infections are not a thing of the past and still effect nearly all of our NHS trusts across the UK. (Heritage, 2006) quotes Hospitals are places where sick people go with the expectation that they will get better. Unfortunately, however, there is a risk that hospital patients may become infected because of their stay in hospital. (Nazarko, 2008) quotes Every two minutes a patient acquires a Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI). Every two hours a patient dies because of a HCAI. These are very scary figures and should make healthcare workers more aware of regular handwashing be tween patients. You can achieve full asepsis by using sterile equipment and ensuring none of your sterile equipment or indeed yourself come into contact with anything non-sterile. Whilst it is impossible to sterilise your hands the surgical scrub serves to minimise the number of pathogens on your hands (Pirie, 2005). A normal hand wash is considered to be inadequate, as it does not remove enough micro-organisms from your skin. Scrubbing up on the other hand is considered to reduce the amount of micro-organisms on your skin dramatically. Scrubbing up is a longer process and is performed more intensively by going from the hands up to just below the elbow. The difference in the two procedures is simply that scrubbing up actively reduces more micro-organisms on your hands and arms than a normal hand washing procedure, which reduces the spread of infection to your patients (Collins Hampton, 2005). Other types of bacteria that are found in operating theatres are called Spores. These differ from normal forms of bacteria in a way that they are much harder to remove from surfaces as they have a hard shell protecting them. The original cell replicates its genetic material, and one copy of this becomes surrounded by a tough coating. The outer cell then disintegrates, releasing the spore which is now well protected against a variety of trauma, including extremes of heat and cold, radiation, and an absence of nutrients, water, or air (Darling, 2009). These can be an extreme problem in operating theatres as some types of spores are released into the air becoming airborne pathogens which can then travel and settle into surgical wounds causing infection in a patient (Wilson, 2006). Waste materials in operating departments are divided into two main categories. One is Domestic waste, which compromises of non-clinical waste, which has not been in direct contact with any blood or body fluids such as paper, equipment packaging and food remains. This waste is usually placed into a black bin liner and disposed of accordingly. The other is Clinical waste which covers all other waste products that has had direct patient contact such as drapes, surgical gowns, gloves and disposable equipment. Swabs should not go into a clinical waste bag until the end of the procedure when they have been checked and accounted for by the practitioner. This waste is usually placed into orange or yellow bin liners and disposed of by incineration. Sharps on the other hand go into there own special bin provided and must never be disposed of in a bin bag in case of an accidental sharps injury to anybody. Infection control is vital in maintaining patient and staff safety alike. It is the responsibility of healthcare professionals as individuals but also working together as a team to carry out the standard precautions set by their trust. Simple things like handwashing between patients and wiping down monitoring leads can hugely reduce the amount of hospital acquired infections for patients. Always check if the equipment you are using is disposable or reusable laryngoscope blades, laryngeal mask airways etc and after usage dispose of them accordingly. When commencing an operating list always carry out your standard precautions for every patient this will help protect you as a member of staff but more importantly it will keep a patient safe. When disposing of waste especially clinical waste ensure there are no tears in the bag and the bin liners have been zip tied at the top to avoid any spillages, which could result in somebody becoming contaminated with any blood or body fluids. Rememb er only to open the hatch at the end of the procedure avoiding any contaminated air being let into the theatre whilst the patient is still undergoing the procedure. This could result again in an infection to the surgical site and cause severe discomfort to the patient post operatively. So always remember the standard precautions are there to protect staff and patients alike. They should be abided by at all times and hopefully we can reduce the rate of infection control dramatically.

Autonomy and Responsibility of the United States During the Space Race :: Essays Papers

Autonomy and Responsibility of the United States During the Space Race At the end of World War Two there emerged two world superpowers. The United States and the U.S.S.R had entirely different ideologies. The Soviet Union attempted to expand their ideologies westward and southward. Only the United States had the power to put a stop to Soviet expansion. The American industries and armed forces were at their highest peak, but they made no attempt to block Soviet expansion. They were trying to install a sense of world peace by removing their troops from Europe and increase support for autonomy and democracy throughout the world. The Soviets saw their expansion as automatic compensation for their loses in the war. As communism grew into France and Italy, Americans saw the growth as a threat to undermine capitalism and democracy. It was not long before the hostility between the former allies was apparent. Soon the western democracies and the Soviet Union were verbalizing and acting upon their differences. These differences helped establish the "iron curtain" around the eastern block. Any plan the United States devised to offer compensation to the Soviet Union with conditions of letting the other eastern countries establish their own governments was rejected. Under the Marshall Plan Western Europe flourished, and the gap between west and east grew larger with the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union growing. Fear of the spread of communism was increasing. There was competition between the two superpowers to spread their ideologies. One favored autonomy and democracy while the other favored totalitarian rule. The competition between the two was so intense that they competed in many areas of domination.1 One area of extreme competition between the two powerful nations was the race to control outer space. The extreme concern and race to control the beyond was started in October 4, 1957 by the Soviets. The Soviet's Sputnik was the first successful man-made satellite. Not to be outdone the United States sent their first unmanned satellite into orbit on January 31, 1958 called Explorer I. Over the next few years the United States and the Soviet Union put many satellites into orbit, some even contained animal passengers. The race to control the skies in outer space grew once again. There was suddenly a large desire to beat the Russians in space. The Americans felt behind in their quest to win t he space race.2 Eisenhower immediately stepped up his space policy.

The Importance of Airline Safety Essay -- Airlines Airplanes Aviation

The Importance of Airline Safety Many people travel by airplane all around the world. For some people it is the only way they can get to where they are going. On a daily basis, averages of 28 to 30,000 seats are filled on airplanes (Bear, Stearns Co. URL www.hotelonline.com). At each airport, there are hundreds of arrivals and departures worldwide. Even though airline officials say flying is safe, accidents kill many people because airlines neglect to prevent human error or repair faulty equipment. Sometimes I think the only reason an airplane could crash is if something on the plane were to break. However, most of the time that is not the case. A survey conducted by Boeing found that flight crews were responsible for at least seventy-three percent of all fatal airplane accidents. (Gray 17). Forty-one percent of these accidents occurred during landing because of unstable approaches. Also an investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the causes of airline accidents revealed that more than eighty percent of all airline accidents involved some degree of human error (Helmreich 62). This is very alarming when people are putting their lives in the hands of flight crews. Forty-four passengers died aboard a new British Midland 737 after its crew shut down the wrong engine after the other one malfunctioned (Greenwald 40). Do you really think that flying on an airplane, over which you have absolutely no control is very safe? Reasons for flight crew error can be explained by the conditions under which they are flying. Flight crew fatigue is a largely increasing problem on many of the jumbo jet flights today. Although there are laws that prohibit cockpit crews from sleeping in flight, there have been many weary pilots that have been known to nod off on occasion during some of their seventeen hour, non-stop flights (Urquhart 15). Perhaps laws should regulate the number of hours a flight crew is in the air instead of prohibiting sleep in flight. Another condition, alcohol abuse, has been found to inhibit the abilities of some flight crews. A northwest crew flying from North Dakota to Minnesota was found to be intoxicated on the job ("Air Safety" 61). Some people refuse to drive at night because of the number of drunk drivers on the road. Would passengers want a drunken pilot to be responsible for their... ... since the 1960s (Shrontz 40). Getting to some places throughout the world depend solely on air travel; therefore, people must trust their lives to flight crews, safety inspectors, and maintenance crews and believe that all problems are being addressed and corrected. Bibliography 1. Bear, Stearns, Co. Internet Connection. URL www.hotelonline.com 2. "Air Safety". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Business Notes. 26 March 1990: 61. 3. Gray, Paul. "Our Regularly Scheduled Crash" Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Grapevine. 20 August 1990: 17. 4. Greenwald, John. "Tarnished Wings". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Business Notes. 13 March 1989: 40. 5. Helmreich, R.L. "Managing Human Error in Aviation". Scientific American. May 1997:62. 6. Nelan, Bruce W. "Are 747s Safe To Fly". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Europe. 19 October 1992: 52. 7. "New Qualms about the DC-10". Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Nation. 7 August 1989:20. 8. Urquhart, Sidney. "This is Your Captain Snoring" Time Magazine. Compact Publishing, Inc. Grapevine. 7 October 1991: 15.

Comparing Bayard Sartoris of Faulkners The Unvanquished with the Cavem

Comparing Bayard Sartoris of Faulkner's The Unvanquished with the Caveman of Plato's Republic Bayard Sartoris in William Faulkner's The Unvanquished is enlightened from an ignorant boy unconcerned with the horrors of war to an intelligent young man who realizes murder is wrong no matter what the circumstances. His transformation is similar to the caveman's transformation in Plato's Republic. Bayard Sartoris journeys through Plato's cave and finds truth and goodness at the end of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Bayard was as ignorant as the caveman. Bayard heard only the stories of war, "the cannon and the flags and the anonymous yelling."1 He didn't consider the reality: death, bloodshed, and disease. His father's stories of war were just reflections of the reality, shadows on the wall. Bayard paid no attention to the reasons behind the war. Bayard just imagined what it would be like to be General Pemberton or General Grant. Faulkner's diction in the first chapter is full of descriptive references to shadows and darkness similar to the description of the wall in Plato's cave. Plato described the cave and its prisoners in the following way: Imagine human beings living in an underground, cavelike dwelling, with an entrance a long way up, which is both open to the light and as wide as the cave itself They've been there since childhood, fixed in the same place, with their necks and legs fettered, able to see only in front of them, because their bonds prevent them from taming their heads around. Light is provided by a fire burning far above and behind them. Also behind them, but on higher ground, there is a path stretching between them and the fire. Imagine that along this path a low wall has b... .... 5. Faulkner, 18. 6. Faulkner, 28. 7. Faulkner, 25. 8. Plato, 169. 9. Faulkner, 60-61. 10. Faulkner, 61. 11. Faulkner, 61. 12. Faulkner, 66. 13. Plato, 169. 14. Faulkner, 153. 15. Faulkner, 171. 16. James Hinkle and Robert McCoy, Reading Faulkner: The Unvanquished. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1995), 141. 17. Faulkner, 178. 18. Julia Annas, "Understanding and the Good: Sun, Line, and Cave," In Plato's Republic: Critical Essays, ed. Richard Kraut (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1997), 152-153. 19. Plato, 168. 20. Iris Murdoch, "The Sovereignty of Good," in Plato's Republic: Critical Essays, ed. Richard Kraut (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1997), 174.

Bank of America Essay

The apparent problem in the Bank of America case study is that Jen McDonald (head of the Bank of America digital marketing group), and Douglas Brown (senior vice president of mobile product development) received requests to create mobile apps more specific for individual businesses as a way to gain leverage (Supta & Herman, 2012). Brown, specifically, was hesitant to add additional mobile app features as he feared it would make the application far too complex. Not only would it prove to be difficult for some users to understand, more features often make applications run more slowly, which could complicate the idea of mobile banking. In addition this could possibly give the customer a more negative experience. To cite the problem specifically, Brown stated â€Å"App complexity has led to some high-profile failures in the market place. This carries a huge risk† (Supta & Herman, 2012). Furthermore, Bank of America was provided $20 billion in capital from the United States government during the financial crisis under leadership of CEO Kenneth Lewis (Supta & Herman, 2012). Lewis had concerns that certain investors and customers would start to correlate Bank of America with Citigroup, who had previously given up 36% of its ownership to the federal government (Supta & Herman, 2012). This resulted in Brian Moynihan (head of consumer and small business banking) taking over as CEO on January 1, 2010 (Supta & Herman, 2012). Constraints and available options One of Bank of America’s options was to create different apps to target different groups and market segments, which proved to be somewhat of a risk. Not only was the organization concerned for the customers reaction, Bank of America was also hesitant because mobile apps are costly and in doing so, technology resources would be taken from other essential areas of banking such as online banking and atm machines. At this time customers were not completely trusting in working with their banks, as financial struggles were becoming more and more apparent. In order to give theBank of America the trusted name and customer loyalty it had previously held for so long, executives decided Mobile banking was the right path to take in order to save the company. Analysis and Evaluation The bank of America officially launched their mobile banking application in May of 2007. This included the ability to bank on the customers phones either by application or by accessing the mobile web through their phones browser. Douglas Brown confirmed that the success of the mobile application was astounding as the company gained four million mobile banking customers over the time span of less than three years (Supta & Herman, 2012). Because of the high level of success, business managers were eager to update the applications, in an effort to raise the level of functionality even higher. This proved to be a decision that had to be carefully considered by the Bank of America corporate team. Strengths: The Bank of America already holds the title of being one of the most prestigious banks and a leading company in the U. S. Because of their household name, marketing new products prove to be fairly easy; however identifying a product that customers will adopt and figuring out the target market are essential to Bank of America’s success. An additional strength of the mobile banking application was the timing in correlation to the launch of the application and the launch of the iPhone, making Bank of America the first bank to be able to offer a banking application on the iPhone. The most used features of mobile banking came from viewing account balances and viewing transaction details, making debit card holders the most popular users. After the mobile banking launch more customers opened checking accounts in the months of the introduction of mobile banking and did in fact use the application during that time. Weaknesses:  A weakness shown by Bank of America proved to be within technology adoption and which smart phones the mobile applications could be used by. The Bank of America was slow to adopt SMS technology and access to mobile banking was limited. It was only available to those who used online banking with Bank of America, therefore leaving a huge portion of customers out and feeling negatively about the new product. Another weakness in the new mobile application was that it had to be created with more features than competing mobile applications, which added the risk of making the mobile app more complex. Complexity is a weakness when striving to offer a simple and functional upgraded product to customers. Furthermore, the bank was recovering from the financial crisis, which caused a great loss for a company as big as themselves, as customers had to put a curb to their spending. They also feared they damaged their name in asking for $20 billion in federal backing which proved to be a huge mistake. Bank of America did not want to be associated with other banks that had borrowed capital, but in turn were forced to give up a percentage of their company. Opportunities: In analyzing the Kotler & Keller text, marketing opportunity is described as a buyer taking interest in something that has the probability to make a profit (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The introduction of mobile banking was a huge opportunity that the Bank of America capitalized on. When mobile banking was introduced costs per transaction started at 10 cents and were expected to drop to 3 to 4 cents. ATM costs were already 1. 34 per transaction which provided an advantage to debit card holders with low account balances. They also benefited in that they could easily check their account balance through their phones before making a purchase. The Bank of America capitalized on the opportunity to offer this feature to customers for absolutely no cost. This was a huge plus in gaining additional customers and fans of mobile banking, as other banks had already begun to waive ATM fees during the times of the market dropping. Mobile banking was a way for Bank of America to bounce back after financial crisis and offer users an experience they had never before been exposed to. The novelty of the design and idea would bring trust and value back to the company. Threats: A potential threat of mobile banking was that expanding on apps and adding new features can turn potential customers off because it tends to make banking more complicated throughout the introduction process. Surveys and research also showed that 44% of customers did not see a need or any type of value within mobile banking. When introducing a new product, buyer behavior tends to be very guarded as customers are reluctant to trust a pone application to keep their banking statements and accounts secure at all times. Major competitors are also a threat that the Bank of America faced. Major Banks such as Wellsfargo, Citigroup and PNC, to name a few, also offer mobile banking with virtually the same functions and applications. Mobile banking was also seen as a threat because of the high initial costs, however, from a marketing perspective, if the Bank of America were to pay extra costs to set their mobile applications apart from competing banks, the additional features would be worth the price in customer popularity and satisfaction. Recommendations Because mobile banking has been introduced by so many other banks, the best recommendation would be to create a form of mobile banking that is more secure and user friendly than competing applications. These are the two issues that customers seemed to have the most doubts about, so putting extra emphasis on these areas will surely set the Bank of America apart from others. Another recommendation is to target one particular audience and market to them specifically, therefore making age and stage in the life cycle of great importance. It is likely that the younger generation will be much more open to yet another phone application, as it is the norm for them, and will provide huge ease to another aspect of their lives. This may result in the younger generation taking more initiative when it comes to banking and gaining more responsibility in this aspect of their lives. Phone applications makes it easy to transfer money and to check balances, providing an awareness of your funds 24/7, opposed to only during banking hours. Kotler & Keller advices marketers to take the following three steps when marketing a product: 1. Compare it with a product that consumers already know about, making it more comfortable for them to base the purchase off of a past decision (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 2. â€Å"†¦The lure of â€Å"free† is almost irresistible† (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 3. Consumers often experience the â€Å"optimism bias† or â€Å"positivity illusion. † They tend to overestimate their chances of experiencing a positive outcome and underestimate their chances of experiencing a negative outcome (Kotler & Keller, 2012). These steps are recommended to the Bank of America’s target audience in order to raise popularity and awareness of the mobile banking application. In other words, it is essential to understand the meaning of consumer behavior. Kotler & Keller define consumer behavior as how individuals come up with ideas and experiences that work to satisfy the customer’s wants and needs. The customer’s desires will be met in that the mobile banking app will be free to current customers, which will already account for a huge part of the appeal. Compared with online banking, which customers are likely to be more familiar with, the target audience will see the mobile app as an easier, faster version of a feature they already value. Furthermore, because of the optimism bias and positivity illusion, customers using this product are more likely to feel it will improve their financial security and well-being. Lessons Learned In the review of the entire Bank of America case study, it is apparent that control was an issue that was brought up as the main concern of the customer in accepting the new application. Customers were weary at first, as they had concerns for the security of their finances and feared they were giving up control of their bank accounts to a mobile application. In retrospect, the customer actually gained more control over their finances as they were able to access them from nearly anywhere in the world. This goes to show how identifying with the customers emotions and providing them with a product that gains their trust and eases their concerns, will make the innovation and the company that much more successful.

A Summary of Four Articles on Finance from the Internet

This article furnishes its readers with relevant tips for parents who want to successfully send their children to school as they reach for some higher level of scholastic learning. It begins with the basic problematic most countries the world over is beset: government subsidies to defray the expensive cost of education for students (and parents at that) do not seem to cover that much.The case in point, at least specifically for this write-up, addresses how the government has stopped its subsidies for â€Å"student fees† which in turn makes it quite difficult for both parents and students to cope with.The article submits certain proposals to help both parents and students address the mounting task of university education.Among the choices include availing of loan packages such as: Student Loans (managed by Student Finance Direct), which allows a student to borrow money at a modest 9% interest, to be subsequently paid after graduation; Student Grants† – the more â⠂¬Å"generous† type of grant given to financially challenged families, or to single parent students, as even to those whose financial income is below 17,000 per annum.The article ends with alternative proposals that touch on some more means to get this whole university education going. Whichever the readers choose though, the bottom line remains: sending one’s children to school may appear to be an insurmountable task, but it is not impossible nevertheless.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Top tips for first time buyers[1]The central concern of this write-up is to guide first time homeowners on important issues, which can either make or break their whole experience of buying a house. True enough, the first premise of the article is telling enough to even dismiss or set aside – buying a house is a big commitment and entails having to shoulder a lot of responsibilities in the years to come.First up, it is by right of commonsense that buyers are given this Bible-piece of advice : do not buy what you cannot afford. The initial temptation to procure a property based on the impulse to acquire an ideal house can at times blur the fact that there are some financial considerations that cannot be left out – these include, among others, â€Å"duty, solicitor and/or estate agent fees, a valuation report†. To be sure, this does not even include transfer and renovation costs.The article also gives vital information on the remaining important things that should not be missed. Among others, buyers have to be fully aware of the stipulations of the contract, the mortgage deals that they are agreeing to put up with and payment methods. Still, some other concerns that include insurance policies, procurement of home appliances, the suitability of the house location vis-à  -vis one’s work or children’s school are to be considered.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Savings and investments for your children[2]â€Å"Children don’t come cheap† is t he statement that commences this short yet very insightful article which deals with an effective and forward-looking ways to invest for one’s children. In this times when managing one’s finances rightly becomes more and more difficult to do, it is certainly with a great sense of love and concern that one is called for to save for his/her children’s future and not compromise their wellbeing in the process.There are a few things that can be noted to help achieve this task. First up, the article proposes that parents should open a â€Å"bank account† for their children. It may seem like it is too early children to actually save. But the whole point of the exercise is to start saving regularly when one finds some time and resources to do it. As in a case of a habit, saving little pennies for one’s children can â€Å"accumulate quickly† without actually being noticed.Another proposal that the article gives is for parents to set aside some tax rel ief that the government provides for parents who raise children. But this can only happen if one is willing to actually avail of the tax allowance in the very first place.As it stands, tax reliefs for parents raising their children is one hefty source of cash, and it defrays the cost of the children’s living expenses in many ways. It may be wise to check on the availability of this type of resources, as the article would implicitly suggest.The article ends by elaborating how a parent can opt to open a trust fund for his/her children. This is a real investment for the children, yet it comes in a variety of choices. One may opt to simply save straightforwardly to a company for the children. Another option is to invest as though one does in stocks or shares. The third can be a combination of both. It really is up to the parents to choose the most viable alternatives to ensure that their children’s needs in the future will be secured and protected.[1] Top tips for first ti me buyers, retrieved 14 May 2008, http://www.financialarticles.info/article_50.html [2] Saving and investments for your children, retrieved 14 May 2008,   http://www.financialarticles.info/article_45.html

Karl Marx and the Idea of Communism Essay

Karl Marx’s claim that capitalism is important to human development but must be overcome and a system put into place that would eventually evolve into communism is unrealistic. Although the idea of communism, a social system designed to promote a classless society where everyone is truly equal and social problems such as racism, sexism and oppression do not exist, would be favourable to a capitalist society, it is unachievable as it doesn’t comprehend an individuals personal desire, the labour classes ability to lead or the growth and change that has occurred within capitalism since Marx. Capitalism is the social system currently within place in countries all over the world, where the means for producing and distributing goods are owned by a small collection of people, the capitalists, and the labour class, is made up of the majority of the population who sell their labour for a wage. Marx’s primary claim is that an individual’s moral, philosophical and religious ideas are reflections based on our material circumstance and that they are not autonomous driving forces in history as others have claimed. Marx concluded that ‘instead of shaping society, ideas were in fact shaped by society’ (Mann & Dann, 2005). By this he meant that the economic system of a society determines what values and principles are upheld. Therefore, an outdate society would value attributes such as honour and loyalty to keep people in line, whereas a capitalist society would value freedom and equality to keep the workforce as large and as mobile as possible to keep down wages. When a society’s economic conditions experience a fundamental change and a new class assumes supremacy after a political revolution has occurred and installed that leading class in power. Marx predicted that a communist revolution eliminating private property and the subjugation of one class by another would occur at the end of history society (Mann & Dann, 2005). Marx believed that through industrialisation, capitalism has increased the productive capability of the world’s economy but had also created two competing classes of people, the bourgeoisie, who controlled and owned the resources of production and employed wage labourers and the proletariat, who were everyday labour who didn’t own anything but their individual right to ell the labour. He felt that the nature of capitalism would guarantee that these two classes would eventually struggle against each other until the point where the working class would become sizeable and subjugated enough that it would takeover the bourgeoisie and its production resources and end the economic system known as capitalism. A socialist system would them be put into place and pure communism would progressively develop (Mann & Dann, 2005). In Marx’s theory communism is a period of historical progression that occurs from the expansion of productive forces leading to a surplus of material wealth, which allows for allocation based on freely related persons. The self-recovery of capitalism could not be predicted by Marx, as it was the introduction of a welfare state and trade unions that played their part in improving the conditions and wage of the workers of the labour class. Commons (2009) suggested that against Marx’s idea of the proletariat class becoming the ruling class of society, labour, as a class were inept in managing business and that the worker input and self-management weren’t feasible. Countries where workingmen have united for joint production of goods and rendering all services to become their own employees and have elected their own foremen, superintendents and directors have failed as labour as a class are inept to appoint their own boss because they base their election on compassion rather than the individuals competence and discipline. Individual labourers who rise out of there own class is capitalism and labourers that rise as a class to become their own boss as a class is socialism, which is unrealistic as the labour class is composed of conflicting races, sexes, religions, ages and there’s an inequality between peoples abilities and intelligence. These conflicting inequalities are brought to light in the competition for jobs and higher wages (Commons, J. R. , 2009). The great organisers of labour under a capitalist system are elected through natural selection within the industry, where the self-selection of leaders by the survival in the competitive struggle for profits mean that individuals are elected by their own success not by the votes of the individuals who work for them. These leaders are responsible to the capitalists and not to the wage earners they command as they are selected by those whose whole consideration s the profits which the can bring to the company or industry (Commons, J. R. , 2009). Marxists alleged that profit making is pure selfishness, with the implication that if the wage earners were in control, public service and not ambition would be the motivating power behind manufacture. The difference between wage earning and profit making, if there is one, is hard to see as both are the process endeavouring to get as much as possible for oneself with as little as possible (Commons, 2009). What Marx failed to see is the inherent selfishness of mankind, as each individual is self-serving to a degree, and how it would impact attempts to put into place a communist social system. In society labour, competition, capital and private property rights play an important role in creating an operational and successful economy. The division of labour allows for increases in the productive capabilities of labour and the specialisation of labour has moved society toward agriculture and manufacturing by encouraging the invention of greater technology. An individuals desire to live a comfortable life with their basic needs met creates and incentive for wage earning individuals to expend more effort within the industry to attain these wants and desires. Marx’s theory of communism can be centralized around the theory that with the abolition of private property, people would move into the final stage of social order, communism (Butgereit & Carden 2011). But with the abolition of private property and the private ownership of the means to production, the monetary prices generated by exchange that are used to appraise factors of production and determine the proportions in which those factors should be used to produce final product would not exist. When these monetary exchanges disappear so do the profits and losses the market produce to guide businesspersons on whether final product is needed within society or the resources used are being wasted (Butgereit & Carden 2011). One of the benefits Marx’s saw for communism was that the sovereignty of the proletariat would speed up the already vanishing national differences and antagonism between people due to the development of the bourgeoisies; the freedom of commerce, the world market, the uniformity in the mode of production and in the conditions of life consequent to those changes. Through this political supremacy, the proletariats would seize the capital from the bourgeoisie to concentrate all tools of production in the hands of the state and therefore increase the total productive forces as rapidly as possible. He believed that respectively that as the exploitation of on individual by another would end, so would the exploitation and hostility of one nation by another and the animosity between classes within the nation would disappear (Mann & Dann, 2005). Although capitalism has seen the expansion of the global market, introduced the concept of civilisation and given it a universal character to production and consumption in every country, Marx saw it as the Bourgeoisie exploiting this world market and creating a universal inter-dependence of nations as all nations are compelled to adopt the bourgeoisie style of production or risk extinction (Mann & Dann, 2005). Through globalisation capitalism grew in strength and the emergence of new compromising ideologies such as social democracy, which is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2005), are making it stronger still. While social democracy was established from Marxism, it has been effective in generating cooperation and agreement between labour and capital in developed countries, and has helped bring about the creation of new laws concerning to minimum wage, social security and the right to strike and demonstration, which reduced the level of inequalities on the working class. But in underdeveloped countries, where the free market system and democracy are not established enough, the working class face serious problems, where individuals are forced to work for below minimum wage and have no job security due the high level of unemployment. In these countries it can be seen that capitalism still causes alienation within the labour class and Marx’s idea where a communist society is designed to promote a classless society in which everyone is truly equal would be beneficial. Although this idea of a communist society is ideal, societies throughout history, such as the Soviet Union, which failed and collapsed on itself and the Chinese, which gradually eroded and had to abandon true communism for functional capitalism in order for the society to survive, have proven through experience and profound failure that communist beliefs do not describe a plausible reality (Post-Communist Economic Systems, 2005). Although a communist society would be ideal to create equality among society, it is unattainable as Marx didn’t comprehend an individual’s personal desire, the labour classes ability to lead or the growth and change that would occur within a capitalist society to decrease the size of the economical inequality between the two classes. Through the introduction of democracy and globalisation, the capitalist social system was able to recover without dissolving into socialism and allowed laws to be put into place on behalf of labour class better working conditions and higher wages. The individuals desire to earn a higher wage has allowed for globalisation to steadily increase the need for a larger quantity of products created by the worlds resources. The efficiency and productivity levels of modern society have been steadily increasing because of industrialisation and the progressive taxation techniques implemented after Marx have allowed for the reduction of inequalities between the working and capitalist classes. By taking into consideration the theories of Marx, the modern capitalist society is working to create a fairer working environment for the working class without turning to communism as history has shown, through failed experiences, that society needs some form of a capitalist social system to use resources in the most efficient and productive way.

What is supply Management?

Several authors have offered various definitions of supply management, whereas the definitions have seemed concomitant, the functions of supply management have at times appeared paradoxical. According to Gattorna et al (2003), supply management is defined as the methodical business progression that encompasses diversified functions such as synchronizing inbound and internal logistics and managing inventory than legendary buying, this is in agreement with Baily et al, (2005), who implies that supply management is the recognition, acquirement, entree, position and administration of resources and associated competence the business needs or prospectively needs to survive. However, Leenders et al, (2001), defines supply management as techniques and procedures of institutional or corporate buying, and argues that supply management is concerned with the oversight and administration of services and resource inputs, handling the suppliers of the inputs and sustaining input acquisition process. These definitions have however centered on explaining supply management as just the process buying and the management of the processes of buying and related procedures. Trent , (2007), offers a diversified definition of supply management and argues that supply management has matured from deliberate function of procurement and purchasing into a crucial strategic role influencing the survival of the organizations, he argues that supply management plays a primary role in the organization in that it influences the organization's image, social and corporate policy, progresses the competitive position and customer satisfaction and promotes effectiveness, productivity and efficiency of an organization. Supply management is therefore viewed as the main source of strategic competitive advantage of an organization. The research shall therefore evaluate the defined effectiveness of strategic management as a source of competitive advantage to organizations.

Global Warming and the Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Warming and the Climate Change - Essay Example Human activities have led to exacerbated changes in climate than natural forces. The contribution of natural forces to climate change remains insignificant in comparison to human activities. The cause and effect factor of global warming poses critical social, economic and environmental needs that have to be accounted for at all costs. The central point in this pursuit is industrialization process, which seems to take advanced and sophisticated positions every single day. Therefore, human activities have been and still are the driving force behind global warming (Maslin, 2007). Greenhouse effects are primarily held accountable for the persistent global warming. Greenhouse gases are said to play a major role in the ever-rising global atmospheric temperatures. The extent to which these gases cause global warming varies across global warming debates. For instance, the persistent rise in global temperatures is attributed to the depletion of the ozone layer. On the same note, there are arguments that what the globe is experiencing is a mere natural cycle of climate change (Handmer & Dovers, 2010). This means that the role played by greenhouse gases in the global context is limited, and thus climate change is a course of nature. Carbon dioxide has been named as the primary greenhouse gas that enormously contributed to the presently experienced persistent global warming. Scientists have differed in this debate, arguing for and against the link between carbon dioxide and global warming. Regions that have considerably low emission levels have been at least as worse off as the rest of the world, supporting the bid for debaters against linking carbon dioxide to global warming. This has further been advanced to the trade of emissions, although the world remains divided on the rationale behind the practice.

Coaching and Mentoring Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Coaching and Mentoring Skills - Assignment Example That is, instead of following the performance management process from the manager’s perspective alone, other employees and stakeholders within and outside the organization also get the opportunity to be part of the process (Schraeder & Jordan, 2011). This provision really fits my personality because I am a person who is open to ideas and a manager who prefers the democratic leadership style. In other to use the 360 degree appraisal effectively, there are a number of skills that are very important for achieving success. The first of these is mentorship and coaching. Mentorship and coaching are necessary for the 360 degree appraisal as it is the only way by which other stakeholders who make input to the system can make meaningful contributions (Grote, 2000). Secondly, the skill of evaluation is highly relevant in ensuring that while using this appraisal system, the most accurate evaluation outcomes can be rendered to employees. Last but not least, the skill of corrective training is very relevant if the outcome of the appraisal can be used as a basis for shaping employees to become useful contributors to the

Leadership and Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and Motivation - Essay Example There are many barriers that must be overcome in order to implement meaningful revolutionary cultural change and new ways of thinking and doing business. As managers most of the obstacles that must be dealt with a have to do with employees and the inherent fear and apprehension to change humans have in general. There are a lot of factors that affect how the employees will react to organizational change, as managers we must learn to positively help ease employee concerns, doubts, or questions. Many managers fail to communicate with their employees clearly and effectively. As a result, employee perception errors are quite common when dealing with organizational change. Since the employees are left to their own devices and their doubts, questions or concerns are not adequately addressed, employees will come up with their own conclusions. The perceptual process is complex and there are many cultural, personal, and physiological factors that affect how a person perceives, processes and in terpret any given information (Hodges). In order to manage organizational change successfully managers must learn to understand the perceptual process, the stages involved, and the impact of employee perceptions. By understanding the perception process managers are better able to implement the necessary operational and cultural changes while minimizing barriers to change. An important concept for management to understand is the concept of attribution theory and how it impacts employee’s perceptions.

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Marketing Plan - Essay Example This is its competitive strategy. This plan looks into details the company’s information including its market and competitive strategies. It also conducts a SWOT analysis on the company and gives adequate recommendations. This airline company is situated in Dallas –Texas. Founded in 1967, the airline company started its operations in 1971. It has approximated employees of 44831 employees. It operates a total of 3400 or more flights per day. It flights services 89 destinations in 42 states. It has over 550 Boeing 737 operating at a high rate of six flights each day. It acquired fellow Air Tran Airways in 2011 and expectations are high on integrating the carriers by end 2014. The company became one airline in 2012 after it was issued with an operating certificate (J. Leach, 34). The mission of this airline is the dedication to provision of high quality customer service delivered in a way of bringing out warmth to the customers, friendliness and the best company spirit. The CEO, Gary Kelly admits that the company’s employees are their competitive strategy. The company has a purpose of connecting all individuals to the most important aspects of their lives in a friendlier, more reliable and very pocket friendly travel. Thus, it aims at having a large clientele base. To ensure quality customer service, the company motivates its employees. It ensures that their pay is good thus the employees are ever smiling especially the ones in close contact with the clients. The company also enhances its vision and mission to its employees by the power of storytelling. This also strengthens the employees’ daily interactions with customers. Every month, the south west spirit magazine has a story of one of its employees who has succeeded in the field. This motivates other employees. The stories are also accompanied by videos to assist all employees in visualizing each and every step they make.

Ethan frome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethan frome - Essay Example This problem is evident in the character of Ethan in the movie. He is vocal about his feelings in the movie as compared to the book. He rarely interacts with Mattie in the novel, but in the movie, their style of conversation is active and noticeable. The kitchen scene is the key to understand this difference. In the movie, from the beginning Ethan is quite vocal and expressive about his feelings to Mattie but in the book there exists a studied silence between the two. The other incidental difference in the kitchen scene is, in the movie the cat breaks Zeena’s dish; in the book Mattie breaks it. In the movie the character of Ethan is not as pivotal as it is in the book. In the book, the beginning and end are constructed from the point of view of the narrator, and Ethan’s actions figure prominently and his view on life pervades through the story. In the first scene in the movie the narrator arrives at Starkfield as a Minister and sees Ethan in the train station; in the book the story begins in a post office and Ethan picks up a package; there is no Minister in the book. Ethan is an entirely different personality in the movie. His communication with Mattie is shown in a different wavelength as compared to the book. His disposition with the people of Starkfield is also different. About the interaction of the people with Ethan Edith Wharton writes, â€Å"Everyone in Starkfield knew him and gave him a greeting tempered to his own grave mien; but his taciturnity was respected and it was only on rare occasions that one of the older men of the place detained him for a word.†(5)He prefers silence with them as per the depiction of his personality in the book, and in the movie he is quite vocal expressing his opinions with the bystanders who look upon him with curiosity kindled. The support to Ethan comes from different point of views in the novel