A Whole New Mind

Pink has presented sharp scientific evidence in his book A Whole New Mind that comes as common knowledge to the majority of us in our society. He also stressed the several capabilities of right-brain thinking such as creativity, artistry, empathy, inventiveness, and overall big picture viewpoints. I noticed that Pink failed to mention any historical aspects before the 1900’s. For example; during the European Renaissance numerous right-brain thinking characters sprouted with many ideas for the world. These characters include painters, sculptors, inventors, musicians, and writers all across Europe. We all know, however, that the European Renaissance came and went. What will this new Conceptual Age produce differently than the faded right-dominance of the European Renaissance years? Looking back in time between the years of 1400-1550 the geniuses of this world contributed to the life we live in now. I only say this because if they weren’t important to our society today than we wouldn’t have had to learn about them during our high school years or even our college years. A brilliant inventor, painter, musician, and mathemation Leonardo da Vinci is one man who seems to have a great grasp of life in all his talents. He along with many other philosophers of that era seemed to fit the description of what I feel Pink suggests we should obtain throughout our lives to be successful and to lead our life in a way to help not only our generation but for the generations after ours as well. As we have studied in countless texts in high school about the several factors for the downfall of the European Renaissance and the complications after that time we should feel troubled to once again attempt to shift our minds. Right-brain thinking is an aged solution. Pink’s proposal is one we have already gone through but is introduced in a business-like manner unlike the European Renaissance. How are we supposed to know that the Conceptual Age will not increase the desire to create machines that will replace the art industry, so that beauty can be drawn in an instant? I think that Pink’s transition solution from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age should be revised to explain more of what he has missed in his book that had me puzzled.

Somehow, changes took place

For quite some time the effects of drugs and alcohol to the individual and the society were clandestine. They were enjoyed and well-loved. They were a part of life to many people not so long ago.Somehow, changes took place and the humble and interesting results of these substances have gradually become unpopular. Experiences as shared by many families with members who have succumbed themselves to drug addiction and alcoholism were quite destructive and harsh.In fact, when the harmful effects could no longer be hidden, a huge number has already been destroyed. Those who were saved are lucky but still its rampant attractiveness to emotionally-weak persons leads them to greater danger.To begin with, there are accounts as to the constructive beginnings of alcohol around the world. In the 17th and 18th century, alcohol was a common part of life, involved in almost all aspects of life from everyday activities to special occasions (Levine, 2007).First, alcohol during this period, even today , brings life to social gatherings like parties. Alcohol was at the center of every celebration or any social gathering big or small (Heron, 2003).When it fact it has some truth, if not true at all, alcohol is a relaxing and pleasurable drink which makes a drunk person really â€Å"feel good.† In addition, occasions were said to be more â€Å"alive† when there’s alcohol around. Moreover, it is also used in religion and worship across time aside from its nutritional value and therapeutic purposes.The people during the colonial era though of drunkenness as â€Å"normal,† not really something to worry about, however, it was not appreciated as well. Different societies have their own culture of alcohol and drinking.Come 19th century, diversity in the image of drinking and alcoholism shed light. It was during this period that â€Å"drinking† was seen as an addiction and a disease. People who craved for alcohol were acts not seen for pastimes or for amus ements anymore but as a compulsion wherein the alcoholic drinkers were said to be â€Å"trapped† in a â€Å"hole† which they cannot escape from.In other words, the existence of â€Å"alcohol addiction† came into being. At this time, many anti-alcohol movements were created denouncing alcohol intake and since then alcohol and other fermented drinks have lesser popularity.The advent of the 20th century gave more prohibitions as to the use of alcohol. Restrictions to alcohol as codified in laws and regulations are prominent anywhere in the world today because of the numerous alcohol-related mishaps which have taken place.Accidents are proven to be of increasing possibility if they involve liquor consumption. In the United States for example, American minors or those below 18 years old are not allowed to drink and buy alcohol from business establishments.During the present times, alcoholism is considered a deviant behavior, often discouraged and tabooed by majority of society. To the more lenient ones, alcoholism is allowed but to a minimal and controlled extent provided that it does not harm oneself and others.This is common among Asian countries which are quite loose in their alcohol mandates. Habitual drinkers who are determined to reform are placed in rehabilitation programs and organizations like the Alcoholics Anonymous.If alcoholics are almost criticized by the civil society, drug addicts are instantaneously condemned by the general public. But despite our knowledge of the destructive effects of prohibited drugs, it is still a wonder why more and more people are locked in this vice.Many lives have failed because of too much drug intake. Some common addictive drugs include major stimulants as cocaine and amphetamines, opium, heroin and morphine.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Analyses how the writer created a subliminal message in the written or visual text In the play and film Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, a subliminal message was Macbeth questioning his sexuality. Techniques that helped me to understand this were 21 SST century song lyrics, film techniques, and Wisped. The audience first question Machete's sexuality in the beginning of the play, when Lady Macbeth convinces him to kill Duncan because she thinks Macbeth has a secret crush on the King.Lady Macbeth Is Jealous because King Duncan has more followers on Instating, which Is why she forces Macbeth Into stabbing Duncan In his sleep. A technique that helped me to understand why Macbeth would never love Lady Macbeth Is when she says that â€Å"thy haters guan hate, hate, hate† so she will just â€Å"shake it off, shake it off'. This showed the audience what a bad choice Macbeth made when he married her, and this is obviously why he turned gay. We then see the subliminal message o f Macbeth questioning his sexuality when he kills Banana.Macbeth does this because Banana rejected him, and Macbeth is embarrassed so he sides to kill Banana for turning him down. A technique that helped me to understand why Banana rejected Macbeth is when we see Machete's Shiite haircut, which he probably only paid $2 for. This helped the audience to realize why Banana didn't want to â€Å"swing from thy chandelier† with Macbeth, and this showed me how important a good haircut is if you want someone to love you. We finally accept the subliminal message of Machete's sexuality when Lady Macbeth kills herself because she realizes Macbeth is gay.After walking around without any clothes on to try and win Macbeth back, Lady Macbeth can tell that he â€Å"don't want none unless you got buns hunt†, which she obviously doesn't have. This leads to her Jumping Off building and splattering onto the floor. Macbeth doesn't seem to grieve when he hears that she is dead, and a techni que that helped me to understand this is when we see a close up of his face. You can tell by looking at his eyebrows that he is actually overjoyed that Lady Macbeth is dead, because now he can run away with Macadam.Through the use of 21 SST century song lyrics, film techniques, and Wisped, Shakespeare wanted us to understand how Macbeth was actually homosexual. This helped the audience to realize that Shakespeare was probably gay too, and this was his way of come out without being accused of doing It for rewets. Macbeth by William Shakespeare: Macbeth Questioning His Sexuality By Laboriousness's this were 21st century song lyrics, film techniques, and Wisped. The audience first King.Lady Macbeth is Jealous because King Duncan has more followers on Instating, which is why she forces Macbeth into stabbing Duncan in his sleep. A Macbeth is when she says that â€Å"thy haters guan hate, hate, hate† so she will Just didn't want to â€Å"swing from thy chandelier† with Macbe th, and this showed me how buns hunt†, which she obviously doesn't have. This leads to her Jumping off a building Through the use of 21st century song lyrics, film techniques, and Wisped, his way of come out without being accused of doing it for rewets.

Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intellectual Property - Essay Example A creative piece of work (i.e. music, art, writing, film, or computer software) always belongs to its creator. Additionally, these creative works, ideas, expressions and inventions are very precious for their inventors and must be protected however these ideas or thoughts are not known as intellectual property. In addition, everything in computer is a collection of bits (the binary code), which are used by the computers to perform different operations. Thus, in scenario of computer everything in digital format such as music, images, video and text can be duplicated not immediately once however an infinite number of times. In addition, there is no limit to boundary the value of duplicate copies. Moreover, in scenario of computer, a duplicate is also considered original. In this way, the binary realism of digital media pretenses challenging issues intended for how works are utilized (and reused), as well as the rights and jobs of producers and consumers under existing rules and regulations. Additionally, the one of the most influential qualities of the internet is its reach (to reach without any boundary). Since internet has the capability to extensively dispense digital works quicker as well as less expensively as compared to old traditional methods. In addition, internet has offered the power to communicate with millions of people throughout world. On the other hand, with the internet, information owners have small control over the distribution and utilization of their works. Moreover, lot of customers ignorant or confused by expansive license contracts or prepared to release them as excessively restraining or inequitable, move toward the internet with the extensive trust that each item they come across is in the public domain (Rappa, 2009) and (Reynolds, 2003). U.S. Chamber Strategy The U.S. Chamber of Commerce encourages the implementation of market based as well as technological systems and ways for digital intellectual property defense. However, these systems, laws and solutions should be kept away from expensive government policies and should allow the citizens to access these contents. Seeing that, the innovation and investment depend on the powerful intellectual property safety for businesses. Therefore, the United States Chamber counters the capability of state entities, like that universities, in order to utilize their legitimate protection from lawsuits to break unreservedly upon the intellectual pr operty of others. Thus, by making effective use of supreme resistance, states jointly deject the research as well as development of modern internet supported systems, applications, products and services. In this scenario, the United States Chamber offers a wide-ranging federal policy that defends intellectual property from all kinds of breaches. This strategy includes following points (U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 2011) Support vigorous implementation of intellectual property laws, locally as well as internationally. Encourage the solutions and suggestions offered by business sector in response to new copyright protection challenges. Offers funds for the United States Trademark and Patent Office. Inform the congress for legislation in order to defend content owners from misappropriations by state entities From the above discussion it is clear that the intellectual property outlines workings of the mind, for instance, films, art, inventions, books, formulas and music. A number of key in tellectual property and information technology issues are discussed below: (Reynolds, 2003) and (WIX, 2011) Plagiarism is the way of acknowledging others’

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based Essay

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based on your values and morals, what is the proper role for YOU in your own work as a technolog - Essay Example Considering all these fact a question arises for each and every individual sooner or later, whichs what is the proper role for the citizen in the society. What should we do for to keep the environment we live in balanced, and pleasant to dwell in? Are we obliged to contribute to the society we live in? Every individual has to find his own answer, or answers for these questions. Those answers come after years of life; they are dictated by the kinds of experience the person has. Thus, in my opinion, every viewpoint, considering this question is valuable and true in some way, and we have no right to throw stones at people whose opinion is somehow different from ours. As each and every individual who dwells on our planet I have my own answer on this question. I dont consider it to be the only true, nor do I reckon it to be suitable for the majority of people in my country. My judgment on the role of the individual in the society is dictated by my social, and, what is even of greater importance, religious background. The specific of my work requires me to be aware of the reasons and principles which guide me in my decision-making process. The thing is that I am a Technology Manager responsible for the technology to support training and content management to our external and internal customers. I am one of the decision makers and I am in direct contact with senior level executives providing input and opinions on decision making. My staff consists of 8 people in which I must manage and provide strong leadership. Thus I feel I have to possess deep understanding of the principles which guide me in my work, in my decision making process, and in my relationships with the colleagues and senior executives. I feel this project can help me to have an insight into my values and beliefs; it is able to assist me in improving my decision-making and leadership skills. The thing is that the values and morals that guide me in my existence are

Madatory labeling In Resturants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Madatory labeling In Resturants - Essay Example This could be in terms of ingredients that are not fit for their consumption and processes used for production that are not of expected standards. (Elise Golan) The reasons for supporting mandatory labeling of foods have to do with the effects of genetically modified food on the health of individuals. The second reason has to do with the ingredients used in the production of the foods. (IFPRI) Some people may be on certain diets that do not allow them to consume the products. The third reason is basically for the benefit of the manufacturing company such that consumers prefer foods from certain companies because of their reputation, labeling makes them easily identifiable to the consumer. Lastly labeling is important for a country as it helps it in identifying products that come from countries that are known to violate manufacturing standards and therefore they do not allow them in the market to protect its citizens. It also enhances fair competition and market efficiency in a given country. (Elise Golan) Consumer choices may change due to mandatory labeling because they are able to identify products that have been certified as fit for use and those that have not. If for example the product is certified by an international accredited body, chances are consumers will buy it more as compared to another labeled by a local body. Consumer preferences in terms of quality will also make certain products to lose market as a result of these as they will be able to differentiate easily and make choices whether to buy or not. (Elise Golan) Elise Golan, Fred Kuchler, Barry Krissoff. Do Food Labels Make a Difference? . . . Sometimes. Novemeber 2007. 18 Septemeber 2011

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Research proposal - Essay Example The study will therefore focus on establishing various formal verification and security methods. The methods are expected to play a crucial role in the minimization of computer crimes and information wars. Formal verification and security are of great importance in the growth of hard ware and software systems. In the past years, there has been a tremendous progress in both the speed and capacity of constraint technology. In the 19th century the percentage of computer crimes and information war were very low. This was greatly attributed to lack of industrialization hence low technology advancement. However, in the 21st century, technology has drastically emerged amongst many societies in the world. Brake and Johnson (2001), states that technology has greatly advanced leading to computerization of various homestead and commercial based systems such as mobile phones, washing machine, automated teller machines among others. The increase in technology has led to emergence of various computer crimes and information wars hence the need for formal verification and security methods. Original methods and approaches are now being developed in order to protect the systems involved against attackers, to identify the attackers and to collect sensitive information so as to eliminate the threats. In the past, security protocols were designed and verified through informal techniques. The absence of formal verification led to security errors remaining undetected. Recently, emergence and presence of formal verification techniques have led to provision of a systematic way of discovering protocol flaws. Due to the increase in computer crimes, information wars and computer intrusions, the study purports to establish effective formal verification and security methods. The methods are expected to reduce computer crime rates in the world. The study also focuses on exploring possible applications of

Marketing - past, present and future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketing - past, present and future - Essay Example The objectives, goals and targets of marketing have to be monitored and met. The competitor strategies must be evaluated, estimated and exceeded. It is only through the effective use of market and its research that an organization can identify its customer’s needs and wants and try to deliver the value its customer wants .It is very important for the organization to ensure that its customers are satisfied. Marketing uses the process of exchange to give the customers the value they desire on their products and services. Exchange transaction requires the customer to exchange value (money) for the product or services that completely satisfy their needs. Clearly, the greater the benefit provided the higher transactional value an organization can charge. It is thus the process by which companies create customer interest in their goods or services. As an activity marketing can only take place where there is a market. It refers to the activity through which exchanges are undertaken. Marketing can be perceived as a social and managerial process through which the customers get what they want. They do it through the process of creating, offering and exchanging products of value for money. Marketing can be considered as a function; It is a philosophy that has an impact on the over-all dealings of an organization with the marketplace. (David M. Reid. (1980). 19-23.) (Rick Wise, Niren Sirohi. (2005).8-13.) The need for marketing rose as a result of the increasing needs, wants and demands of the customers. Needs are a basic requirement for human survival, while wants are the specific means by which individuals’ satisfy their needs. The term, value is one of the most important notions in marketing. It is the difference between the total costs of making a purchase and the total benefits received. In short, it accounts for both, the benefits that a customer gets by making a purchase and also the costs it incurs in the process ( both the money cost and

Conflict analysis of Israel Palestine Research Paper

Conflict analysis of Israel Palestine - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the Hebrews referred to Palestinian territory as the land of Israel. Thus, it made the decision of the Zionist be problematic in nature. In late 1930, the UN Partition plan and Peel Partition Plan redefined the territorial location of the Jews and proposed the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. The Zionist took over the best Coastal and Valley areas alienating the indigenous Arab people. In this case, Jesrusalem, Judea and Samaria were bound together to become the West Bank. The Arab people rejected the UN Partition plan in 1947 and considered Zionist as a threat to their people. This is because the plan gave authority to Palestine to take over 75 percent of the Arab state making the Arabs to become refugees in the neighboring state Israel. This created a refugee problem in Israel over three decades, but a new political equation was formed in the 1967 and the late 1980’s war (Hunnicutt 2011). Palestinians had refused to respond to any official or diplomatic relation with Israel. This led to more Jewish settlements in Israel leading to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelites. This paper analyzes the main conflict between the two nations; Palestine and Israel. During late 1940’s and 1960’s, conflicts made Palestinians to run away voluntarily while others were forced to evacuate. They were moved to bordering countries and thus turned out to be refugees. An estimated 4 million Palestinians are refugees, and most of these refuges live in camps in the Gaza Strip, Syria, West Bank and Lebanon. The refugees get assistance from the United Nations and other bodies and individual willing for help (Faruqi 2011). Even though the Palestinians did not have an army in Palestine at this time, rockets were fired on a frequently from Gaza heading to Israel. In return, the Israelis who lived in the

Personal goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal goals - Essay Example By profession I am into Nursing. Nursing literally means the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm. This in my opinion is a noble profession of fulfilling the medical needs of a patient and providing the best care to him to make him forget his pain and agony. Being a head Nurse, I know that I have to live by example, in order to motivate all my team members to make their best contribution towards patient care. Professional Short term goal: One professional short term goal for me would be to prepare my team of committed nurses in such a manner that we could get the 'best team of nurse's award' for the year 2008. I understand this would entail a determination on our part, mutual understanding and lot of hard work. A chain is said to be as strong as the weakest link in it. A team is also composed of a number of people with differing abilities, and motivation levels. We do realize that a cohesive team of highly motivated Nurses can therefore do wonders for the profession, people's care and growth of the organization. Fu-Jin Shih et al (2006) stated that 'humanity as demonstrated by empathic and respectful attitudes' is one of the core values of Nursing. In order that all fellow Nurses in my team inculcate this very idea, I'll be working hard with the team. One long term Professional Goal: I understand long term success means living up-to th... Nonetheless, the recognition as a worthy servant of humanity makes the efforts worth enjoyable. Once, as a team leader, I am able to establish my credentials, I'd like to be part the core managing team, so that I can take some bold initiatives towards the welfare of patients as well as the Nurses at my workplace. Though it might appear too ambitious to become true soon enough, but I know it is very important for a team leader that she is able to take all possible welfare measures for her team members. This would ultimately benefit the organization. Training and development of Nurses is one of my target areas where I'd like to focus on once I am on the management board. A number of studies have come out in support of the notion that training had a positive impact, particularly in the extent to which the work practice of employees such as nursing assistants can affect the well being of users (Burgio & Burgio, 1990). Personal Short term goal: It is very important that the personal life remains an encouraging force in the pursuit of professional goals. If once can leave for days' works with a happy smile from family members and children, it is bound to translate into better customer care at the work place. Therefore, for the sake of happiness of my family I intend to take a week to fifteen days leave from my office so that I could have an enjoyable Europe tour with my family. This would surely bring smiles on the faces of kids, which in turn will help me to forget all worries and refresh me for a fresh innings of professional service. I am in the process of arranging enough money for the tours and within next one two months I'll be talking to travel agencies to finalize the itinerary. Personal Long Term goal: Being into the hospital services,

Do yo consider the concept of Partriarchy to be useful in the analysis Essay

Do yo consider the concept of Partriarchy to be useful in the analysis of gender relations - Essay Example This ‘battle of the sexes’ is not yet over despite the fact women have already made great strides in almost all areas of endeavour i.e. politics, sports, economy. In fact, women have permeated into areas once the exclusive domain of males. But still, they’re shrugged off as but a small minority. Thus, in so many societies the stereotype ‘woman in the home’ or the ‘childbearing female’ still persist. To many men, it’s still a man’s world. And rightly so, most tycoons are men; majority of presidents and prime ministers and mayors are men; priests, rabbis and imams are all men; most managers and heads of universities and colleges are men and practically most societies are headed by men. And this is so because patriarchy had been institutionalised and usage and accession to it by all parties since time immemorial had made it a social construct. Woman’s lot as the inferior sex and men’s dominance over women can be traced to the moment of creation. In Genesis 1:27, God â€Å"created Adam in His image† (and not her image), thus assigning God the male gender. The creation of Eve was a mere afterthought when God realized that â€Å"it is not good for man to be alone and I will make a helper suitable for him† (Genesis 1:23). Then she was fashioned from one of Adam’s ribs, which made him exclaim â€Å"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man† (Genesis 1:23). Thus, woman’s bondage to man and the assignation of the natural role of childbearer, homemaker and attendant to man’s every whim and caprice had started. These roles were acutely delineated during the days of the Patriarchs i.e. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David. Patriarchy, in this context, is defined as â€Å"a hierarchical social system and way of thinking where fathers or

Development or environmental injustice Essay Example for Free

Development or environmental injustice Essay What does it really take to experience development? What are the defining criteria for development? Is development quantitatively measured or qualitatively evaluated? What are the key indicators of a developing or developed country? The answers depend on the person’s priority and preference. The expansion of metropolitan areas has been referred to as urban development by those who are after the material indicators of development- high rise buildings, wider highways, more cars and more parks. For those who are concerned with the long-term environmental and health effects of urbanization, they call it urban sprawl. For the purpose of having a common point of reference, let me use 1Dr. Howard Frumkin’s definition of urban sprawl: â€Å"the complex pattern of land use, transportation and social and economic development. † This complex pattern requires the extension of urban areas to rural areas, and thus converting the latter to urbanized locality. Urbanization implies vast forest and agricultural lands to be converted to different land uses. Sad to say, the list includes recreational facilities and parks which, for investment and environmental considerations are to be of least priority. Extensive roads construction which provides spaces for suburban dwellers to drive a car just to buy a pack of cigarette in the next block, is not suppose to be of immediate consideration. Besides this qualitative indicators of poor urban sprawl considerations, there are environmental threats of urban sprawl that are needed to be evaluated and be given high priority by the development advocates, as it concerns life of the present and future generations. 2â€Å"Automobile has been a prerequisite to urban sprawl. † (J. E. Anderson) The most adverse effect of heavy reliance to automobiles is obviously air pollution. In the United States, 3about 25% of all trips are shorter than one mile of these, 75% are by car. Another related 4study revealed that only 1% of trips in the US are on bicycle and 9% by foot. Do these figures present impressive urban development rates for the US? I am afraid not because the Netherlands has 30% accounting for transportation on bicycle. These facts rather provide proofs that vehicles are the leading source of air pollution. Despite modern environmental standards, urban air quality remains to be greatly affected by the emission of air pollutants from transport. In the 5US alone, 30% of nitrogen oxide and 30% of hydrocarbon emissions are brought about by mobile sources. In addition, 5carbon dioxide emission, which is the end product of burning fuel such as gas, accounts for 80% emissions. Carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas, with global warming potential. Needless to explain, development should no be measured quantitatively, that is by the number of cars that are going to and fro the streets of the cities. Rather, development should be measured qualitatively, that how much does it contribute to the quality of life the residents are to experience when programs relative to urban sprawl are push through. Housing development is a part of urban sprawl, which requires forest fragmentation. 6Chet Arnold of the Center for Land-use and Research at the University of Connecticut said forest fragmentation occurs when â€Å"large, continuous forests are divided into smaller blocks, either by roads, clearing for agriculture, urbanization, or other human development. † This means that housing development requires animal populations in the cleared forests to be thrown out of their natural habitats. Destruction of natural habitats accounts for great loss of biodiversity, which results to ecological imbalance. I agree that man deserve to have decent life and part of it is having a more comfortable living. But humans are not the only residents of the earth. We also have to take into consideration the floras and faunas as part of biodiversity. Let us remember that earth creatures are dependent on each other. Humans, being given the capacity to think and understand over the lower forms of life should see things beyond material and short-term comforts that development brings. Urban sprawl in this context alone is clearly an environmental injustice. Water resources are not exempted from the list of natural resources that are directly affected by urban sprawl. As requisite of urban sprawl deforestation brings forth water pollution. This is besides the effects of pollutants that directly come from factories, sewage treatment plants and local wastes, which are typical to urbanized cities. Rainwater that runs through the deforested lands are not effectively absorbed and thus flows downstream. This process results to lesser groundwater recharge, then water supply shortage follows. Added to the list of negative effects of urban sprawl to natural resources are noise pollution, the heat island effect, soil erosion and the declining fertility rates of soils. The main point of all these is that urban sprawl is the root of many environmental injustices. Air pollution, deforestation, water pollution, soil degradation and the destruction of biodiversity are results of a chain reaction from a single step to what others refer to as urban development. What humans failed to do and still refuse to consider is the future. Development projects, of which urban sprawl is a major player, are focused on comforts and pleasures of today and shortly after tomorrow. The next generation should be taken into serious consideration. There are things that still can be undone, but there are things that cannot. Natural resources that were destroyed can still be replaced, but it takes a century to bring them back to where they used to be. By itself, there’s nothing wrong with development. What makes it undesirable is its planner to consider the future. REFERENCES 1. Frumkin, Howard. Urban Sprawl and Public Health. Public Health Reports. May-June 2002 issue. Volume 117. page 201 2. Anderson, J. Edward. Personal Rapid Transit and Urban Development. Retrieved from http://faculty. washington. edu/jbs/itrans/sprawl. htm on December 19, 2006 3. Koplan, JP, Dietz. Caloric Imbalance and Public Health Policy. JAMA 1999. 282. pages 1579-81 4. Pucher, J. Bicycling Boom in Germany: A Revival Engineered by Public Policy. Transportation Q 1997:51. pages 31-46 5. US Environmental Agency. National Emission Inventory. Air Pollutant Emission Trends. Current Emission Trend Summaries. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/ttn/chief/trends/index. html on December 19, 2006 6. NASA. Urban Sprawl: The Big Picture. Retrieved from http://science. nasa. gov/headlines/y2002/11oct_sprawl. htm on December 19, 2006

The Morgan Report 1991: Crime prevention strategies

The Morgan Report 1991: Crime prevention strategies The Morgan report of 1991 identified the local authority as being central to the delivery of crime prevention strategy. How successful have local authorities in fact proved to be in implementing this strategy? There can be little doubt that crime and crime prevention strategies are two of the most socio-political important issues facing Britain in the contemporary era. The crime prevention strategies that were in place for the vast majority of the twentieth century were established to deal with nineteenth century social and political problems pertaining to urban expansion – itself a direct cause of industrialisation and the expansion of technology in the Victorian era (Elmsley, 2003:66-84). Yet the social and political problems facing late twentieth century and early twenty first century pose new logistical problems that old and outmoded crime prevention strategies have proved unable to solve. Globalisation, migration and the triumph of liberal political ideology have all conspired to radically alter the concept not only of policing but also of human rights. This, in turn, has had a major effect upon the implementation of crime prevention strategies – most notably with regard s to the de-centralisation of policing. It is the aim of the following essay to analyse the consequences of this shift from central to local control with regards to the delivery of crime prevention strategies in modern Britain. Before we can commence our analysis, though, we need to look at the specific policy context in order to establish a conceptual framework for the remainder of the discussion. Although the de-centralisation of policing was officially enshrined in the Crime and Disorder Act of 1998, the impetus behind this reform was located in the Morgan Report of 1991, which was set up by the Home Office to look at the delivery of local crime prevention strategies. The subsequent report made two recommendations that have since formed the backbone of the central government’s anti-crime and disorder approach. Firstly, the report recommended the implementation of â€Å"the two concepts of community safety and (increasingly) crime and disorder reduction to signify a comprehensive and targeted local approach to crime control† (Hughes and Edwards, 2005:19). Secondly, the report recommended that the state establish a clear statutory responsibility for local authorities – constituting the genesis of the multi-agency, ‘partnership’ approach to crime prevention. This, then, is the birth of the de-centralisation of policing and crime prevention with local authorities being charged with taking a more ‘hands-on’ role with regards to policing in the context of less high-risk crime such as youth crime and social disorder with the state remaining responsible for the policing of more high-risk crimes such as the contemporary ‘war’ against terrorism. As Anthony Giddens (the chief social policy advisor to the Blair government after New Labour first came to power in 1997) duly notes, â€Å"professional policing involves mainly concentrating on serious issues† (Giddens, 1998:88). Thus, although the kind of policing envisaged for local authorities remained very professional in focus after 1998, we should also be aware that the local authority was expected to deal with the less serious issues facing contemporary crime. As such while we should interpret local authorities as indeed being central to crime prevention we shoul d take care to understand the nature of the crimes that these authorities were expected to assist preventing. It should also be noted that this development did not constitute a United States style federal or quasi-federal approach to crime prevention in modern day Britain. Rather, the Home Office and the Home Secretary remain the key centres of arbitrary legal and political power with regards to the implementation of crime prevention strategies in the UK and decisions taken by these centralised bodies remain the definitive ruling in all criminal proceedings. This is an important point to remember when attempting to deduce the ultimate success or failure of local authorities in reducing crime and social disorder. As is the case with education and health care, the New Labour government can be seen to have presided over a situation best characterised as ‘policy overkill’ – creating conflicting spheres of interest and influence with regards to social policy without necessarily offering anything substantial or ‘new’ (Fulbrook, 2001:243-259). It is essential, therefore, to understand that the increased relevance that has been attached to statutory local authorities is part of the government’s broader strategy of initiating multi-agency partnerships between public sector services (such as local authorities), private enterprises and public initiatives (such as community watch or neighbourhood management). In theory, these multi-agency partnerships should involve a free exchange of ideas between each of the public, private and voluntary sectors, mirroring the democratic environment in which they have all been conceived. In this way, it is hoped crime can be tackled by utilising the logistical resources of the state, the financial resources of business and the knowledge-based resources of local communities. However, as Gordon Hughes (1998:76) observes, the reality has tended to be less a reflection of democratic ideals and more a manifestation of corporate ethos with the concept of both ‘multi-agency’ and the ‘community’ lost within the broader parameters of the de-centralisation of policing and anti-crime powers. â€Å"This slippage between the terms ‘multi-agency’ and ‘community’ is somewhat problematic. It glosses over the key feature of multi-agency crime prevention which is that it is chiefly a ‘top-down’, neo-corporatist strategy from both central and local state regimes. In this strategy situational crime prevention techniques predominate and there is minimal ‘bottom-up’ communal participation and minimal popular democratic ownership.† This is an important point to remember and one that has a direct impact upon the limitations of local authorities with regards to effectively delivering crime prevention measures. Because of the two-tier structure of the multi-agency partnerships – whereby the capital of private enterprise and the political capital of the public sector are elevated over and above the ‘grass roots’ advice of community leaders and neighbourhood managers – local authorities are frequently unable to formulate local policies that are devised to combat crime within any one specific local authority. Dialogue between the agencies is in many cases limited. This clearly impacts upon the ability of local authorities with regards to fighting crime as the impetus behind crime prevention strategies remains rooted in the top tier of decision and policy making, located at central government and think-tank level. Moreover, where there is dialogue between the often competing agencies involve d within the multi-agency framework, the language is shrouded in protocol characterised by excessive paperwork, red tape and bureaucracy. The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) initiative, for instance, dedicates little attention to implementing crime prevention strategies, preferring to donate more time to analysing and developing ‘strategic assessments’ to use as theoretical ‘toolkits’ in the fight against crime and social disorder (Home Office, 2007). We should consequently note the way in which the existence of the partnership strategies themselves, coupled with the policy overkill of the New Labour government, has directly contributed to excessive red tape and bureaucracy at the exact moment when greater initiative needs to be taken at a grass roots level. Until this underlying chasm between theory and practice has been bridged, we ought to expect local authorities to continue to deliver crime prevention strategies that are wholly out of synch with the social realities of policing everyday life in a diverse, multicultural society (Clements, 2008). None of this, we should note, is to conclusively state that the decentralisation of crime prevention strategies has been a failure throughout Britain. Rather, the point being highlighted above has been that the partnership scheme comes with inherent structural weaknesses that cannot help but hinder the broader initiative of tackling crime. However, measuring in real terms the ultimate success or failure of local authorities’ drives to reduce crime is also an inherently difficult task. Not only are facts and figures manipulated by both the local authorities themselves, the mass media’s intense interest in crime and social disorder as a mainstream journalistic story means that facts and figures are similarly manipulated by the media in order to sensationalise a story (Jewkes, 2004). The mass media’s over-riding commercial desire to ‘sell’ a story completely negates any sense of unbiased, impartial journalistic integrity. Thus, much in the same way as t he neo-corporatist undercurrent pervades through the two-tier structure of multi-agency partnerships in the community so the same corporatist, capitalist dimension affects the measurement of success or failure with regards to crime prevention strategies. We must also take note of the way in which statistics can trick the spectator outside of the ideological parameters of political engineering and outside of the sphere of influence of the global mass media. For instance, the statistics for ‘all crime’ committed in England and Wales appears to show a clear reduction in the number of crimes being committed per one thousand persons with the figure falling from 26.4 per one thousand people between April and June 2005 to 24.9 per one thousand people between January and March 2006 (Home Office Website; first accessed 10.06.08). These crimes, though, cover the entire spectrum of criminality with many of these crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Home Office and the Home Secretary. Specific target groups such as young offenders, on the other hand, have witnessed vast increases in the numbers of crimes being committed since the Morgan Report and the implementation of the Crime and Disorder Act. The UK charity TheSite.org (first accessed 11.06.08) notes how the number of fifteen to seventeen year olds currently being held in custody has doubled in the last ten years. All of these figures are easy to manipulate and rather than offering conclusive evidence as to the success or failure of the multi-agency initiative, these figures only serve to further cloud the reality of devolution of crime prevention strategies in contemporary Britain. Conclusion The recommendations contained with the Morgan Report, in addition to the Crime and Disorder Act in which these recommendations were encapsulated, were correct in citing the need to expand the concept of crime prevention to incorporate local authorities. Furthermore, because of the nature of power in a social democracy in the contemporary era, this shift from voluntary to statutory status, incorporating a multi-agency approach, was also a necessary move (Phillips, 2001:163-181). However, as we have seen, this multi-agency approach has predominantly conspired to further cloud what were already murky issues with regards to responsibility, accountability and the implementation of the broader anti-crime strategy. Not only has bureaucratic procedure hampered the process of cooperation and conciliation between the private, pubic and voluntary sectors that make up these multi-agencies, there has also been a lack of foresight with regards to the arbitration of political and judicial power. For instance, where the local authorities are expected to initiate measures to tackle such measures as anti-social behaviour, it is the centralised state that continues to set the quotas with regards to immigration figures, housing as well as setting the budget which decides the amount of policemen that are able to patrol the streets. The recent strike over police pay highlights the extent to which local authorities’ hands are tied when it comes to tackling crime at a regio nal level. Furthermore, the lack of communication recently exposed with regards to the police and hospitals over the release of the number of victims being admitted with stab wounds further underscores the ground that needs to be made up before we can say that the local authorities are truly in charge of tackling crime in contemporary, decentralised Britain. Consequently, we need to acknowledge first and foremost the structural weaknesses inherent in the multi-agency approach to crime prevention. Furthermore, we need to acknowledge the rapidly changing nature not only of crime but also of society in the twenty first century and the impact that this is bound to continue to have upon contemporary policing methods. It is, in the final analysis, much too soon to attempt proclaim the ultimate success or failure of a project that should still be understood as being in its embryonic stage. References All Crime Statistics for England and Wales, April 2005 to March 2006, in, Home Office Website; http://www.crimestatistics.org.uk/tool/ Clements, P. (2008) Policing a Diverse Society: Second Edition Oxford: Oxford University Press Developing a Strategic Assessment: An Effective Practice Toolkit for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships (2007) London: The Home Office Elmsley, C. (2003) The Birth and Development of the Police, in, Newburn, T. (Ed.) A Handbook of Policing Uffculme: Willan Publishing Fulbrook, J. (2001) New Labour’s Welfare Reforms: Anything New? , in, The Modern Law Review, Volume 64, Number 2, 243-259 Giddens, A. (1998) The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy Cambridge: Polity Press Hughes, G. (1998) Understanding Crime Prevention: Social Control, Risk and Late Modernity Maidenhead: The Open University Press Hughes, G. and Edwards, A. (2005) Crime Prevention in Context, in, Tilly, N. (Ed.) A Handbook of Crime Prevention and Community Safety Uffculme: Willan Publishing Jewkes, Y. (2004) Media and Crime: A Critical Introduction London and New York: Sage Phillips, C. (2001) From Voluntary to Statutory Status: Reflecting on the Experience of Three Partnerships Established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, in, Hughes, G., McLaughlin, E. and Muncie, J. (Eds.) Crime Prevention and Community Safety: New Directions London and New York: Sage Young Offenders, in, The Site.Org Website; http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/law/introuble/youngoffenders

Nuclear Power Advantages and Disadvantages

Nuclear Power Advantages and Disadvantages The title question of my case study is: Should Nuclear Power be Banned. I have chosen this question as I believe it is a key topic at this present moment in life, with a lot of information about it in the media, such as on the news and in the papers each day. Also it is something that will affect the life in which we live in the future. So because of these reasons it is something that people need to be aware of and need to actually understand what nuclear power is and how it is affecting us or is going to affect us in the years to come. Evidence for: One major problem that could occur with nuclear power is that there is always the risk that there could be a leakage of radioactive fluids, which will have a massive impact on the environment and its surroundings. These radioactive fluids that may leak from the power stations can cause cancers and very harmful illnesses in humans. So for this reason people will believe that yes, nuclear power should be banned, especially those people living around or near a nuclear power station, or those that have close relatives that may be affected if something like this were to happen. -I think that this is a reliable piece of information as it is a very valid reason, and can be found elsewhere on the internet, on various other sites which proves to us that other people are also using this information as evidence for their arguments, so we should as well. Evidence against A reason against banning Nuclear power is that it provides a lot of our energy sources, and can be used to generate electricity and to power ships, so therefore we need nuclear power to continue doing these things, and if we were to get rid of it then we would only have to resort to finding another way of providing this energy, which is only going to cost even more money, on top of what wed already be paying to get rid of the nuclear power plants that exist at this moment in time.. Without the use of the ships that are powered by the nuclear power, we would have a lot of difficulty in transporting goods such as food and material from one place to another. (http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090121112744AAxRJTv) 25th September 2010, 10:30. I think that this is a genuinely reliable source of information in the respect that it is a reasonable argument for why we shouldnt ban nuclear power. Although this may also be seen as not so reliable as it is written by a member of the public, someone that may not have a lot of knowledge on the topic, but has heard bits about it. Besides that fact, I agree with this argument against banning nuclear power so therefore am going to use it as evidence in my case study. SCIENCE BEHIND NUCLEAR POWER Nuclear power is made and generated by using Uranium. Uranium is a metal that is mined in various different parts of the world. Most on worlds Uranium is mined from Australia, Canada and Kazakhstan. The first ever large-scale nuclear power station was opened in 1956, in England in the city of Cumbria at a place called Calder Hall. There are a number of military ships and submarines that contain nuclear power plants as their engines in order for them to keep up and running. Nuclear power produces approximately 11% of the worlds energy source and can produce very large amounts of energy from only a small amount of fuel. As well as this there isnt all the pollution along with it like there is when you burn fossil fuels. (This can therefore be seen as an argument against banning nuclear power plants as there is the burning of fossil fuels that is taking place which are producing greater amounts of pollution than what nuclear power stations are giving off.) The equation above shows us what happens in a nuclear power plant and the stages in which it goes through before it reaches our homes and provides us with the energy sources that we use in everyday life. It is in the Nuclear fission where the Uranium is used, this starts off the process for nuclear power to be generated. Nuclear fission is the process of atoms splitting, so when a heavy nucleus such as Uranium splits into two smaller, lighter nuclei. In this reaction, the strong nuclear force which is the attractive force, is acting on the electrostatic force which is the repulsive force, these can be knocked out of balance on each other when they gain the energy from either a photon or a neutron. The two forces are affected by the gain of this other element and will try to act on each other to regain the state in which they were in, but in nuclear fission the electrostatic force will gain more power than the nuclear force, therefore causing it to repel and for the nucleus to split apart, also releasing energy as it does so. To make this slightly easier to understand, imagine a load of marbles in a rough circle shape on a flat tabletop (this is going to be representing the original atoms nucleus, where all the forcing are acting the same on one another and are equal, so all the marbles/atoms are stable). What if I were to then throw or roll another marble into this group of stable marbles? All the marbles would spread apart and move out into the space around them, this marble that is being rolled into them is acting as the photon or neutron that is being gained in the nucleus. This is unbalancing the forces and causing the atoms to all move around as they react to the change that is taking place, but seeing as all the marbles move out, and away from each other shows to us that the repelling force has gained more control, as the attractive force wasnt able to keep them all together, and this is exactly what happens in nuclear fission. (http://library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/fission/fission.html) (http://physics.about.com/od/glossary/g/nuclearfission.htm) Both of the sites above were visited on the 30th January 2011, 15:15. -I think that both of these sites are reliable sites to use as evidence in my case study, and one of them is a site specifically focusing on physics topics and gives very scientific definitions to certain topics involved in physics. Also the other site is made by university students, that did a study on nuclear fission and how it takes place, they then put all their information together on this site for other students to look at and use if they need the information required. I have combined the information from both websites to give an overall example of how nuclear fission takes place and what it involves. Nuclear power that is made by Uranium is not renewable, this means that once we have dug up the Earths supply of Uranium there will be no other way of getting any more, so once its gone its gone. There are several advantages and disadvantages to nuclear power these include: Nuclear power costs roughly the same amount as coal, so in that respect its not too expensive, so this is an advantage. Although, millions of pound has to be spent each year to supply the safety that is required in a power plant, this is because if they were to take the chance and something went wrong like a nuclear accident, then this would result in a major disaster. The making of nuclear power does not give off a smoke or carbon dioxide, so therefore we can be sure that this is not contributing to the greenhouse effect that is causing global warming, unlike the burning of fossil fuels which do contribute to this, so this then puts nuclear power at an advantage. Also, as mentioned previously, huge amounts of energy can be made by just a small amount of fuel. With only small amounts of waste being produced, once again putting nuclear power at an advantage. Saying that, although there isnt much waste being produced, that that is produced is extremely dangerous and would have to be stored, sealed up and buried for thousands of years to allow the radioactivity to die away. During this time it has to be kept far away from any potential natural disasters such as Earthquakes, Volcanic eruptions, flooding and terrorist attacks. This can be very difficult at times. Another disadvantage is that in the 1990s was the fastest growing source of power in most of the world. However, in 2005 this then deteriorated to being the second slowest growing source of power throughout the world. (http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/nuclear.htm) 30thJanuary 2011, 17:00. -This is a website purely based of evidence for and against nuclear power, and its advantages and disadvantages, it has lots of information solely on nuclear power, which makes it a reliable source of evidence to be used. There are many different reasons and opinions to why people think nuclear power should be banned, some of which are due to things that have happened previously, and if were to happen again could cause a massive uproar throughout the world. Others are what people are scared could happen, and because of this they believe that nuclear power should be banned. Here are some examples of previous accidents that have happened involving nuclear power, which could be a reason influencing peoples decisions on whether or not this should be banned: March 28, 1979 Near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Americas worst nuclear accident occurred. A partial meltdown of one of the reactors forced the evacuation of the residents after radioactive gas escaped into the atmosphere. The radioactive gas that got released into the atmosphere is a cause to cancer in the human body, and as we all know, cancer kills very easily! It may take 20 years or so, for the residents to even realise that they have cancer, as it takes time to affect and the gas in the atmosphere lingers for years. April 26, 1986 The worlds worst nuclear accident occurred after an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It released radiation over much of Europe. Thirty-one people died in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Hundreds of thousands of residents were moved from the area and a similar number are believed to have suffered from the effects of radiation exposure. As you can see already from this 31 innocent people died from a nuclear power accident, thats hundreds of people left without a family member, and what if this was to happen again, but this time it could be even worse, and possibly even more people killed. Also from this event, thousands and thousands of people were once again exposed to the radiation which can cause cancerous cells in our bodies, which could lead to a number of deaths years down the line, all from this one accident that happened because of nuclear power. (http://www.atomicarchive.com/Reports/Japan/Accidents.shtml) 25th September 2010, 19:30. -This website is a university website, which is very factual and all its points appear to be logical and true, also the fact that its scientists writing the points and information only gives us more reason to believe its true and reliable. Many risks are taken when using nuclear power, there is always the risk of a meltdown occurring, or even a leakage of radioactive waste. There is also a risk to the workers safety and well-being as storing waste from nuclear reactors can be a problem in some cases. A nuclear meltdown is when the cooling systems fail, and the nuclear reactors reach such a temperature that they melt straight through the reactor or damage the reactor wall. With this melting, then allows the spread of radioactivity, which as before can cause great damage in the human body. There is also the chance of contamination within the environment if there was to be a leakage of radioactive waste in that area. Radioactive waste, if gotten into the workers at a nuclear power plant, can also poison them, which furthermore, would take their life. On the other hand, there are also many reasons as to why people believe that nuclear power shouldnt be banned, some of which are listed below; Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little. This technology is readily available; it does not have to be developed first. It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. (http://timeforchange.org/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-power-and-sustainability) 28th October 2010, 17:35. -I think that this is a reliable website to get information from as it is based on the pros and cons of nuclear power, and what needs to be done to make a change, and what needs to stay the same. It cannot be edited or changed by anyone other than the creators, and the creators are have done a lot of research to make the website to the high standard of what it is now. In 2005, approximately 6.3% of the earths energy supply relied on nuclear power, and gradually over the years, this has increased slightly to 14% in 2009. It also provided 15% of the worlds electricity in 2005 and again in 2009. If we were to ban nuclear power then there would have to be other ways in which this supply of electricity was formed, and therefore more money is going to have to be spent out in order for this supply of electricity. As you can see from the statements above, it clearly states that nuclear power can generate a lot of electrical energy in just one single plant, and with there being 440 plants across the world; this would cost an awful lot of money to get rid of and then replace the energy and electricity in which it supplies us with. Nuclear power also provides for ships and submarines, which we need to transport food and goods from country to country, without these ships we would have to find another way of transporting the items, say if we were to use a plane for example, then this would only be adding to global warming which is another issue known world-wide. (http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf01.html) 27th September 2010, 18:35. -I believe this graph to be a reliable source of evidence as it is from a website specifically focused on the use of nuclear power all over the world, in various different countries. Also it is not biased in any way, and it completely based on facts and figures rather than opinions, so therefore this is a reliable piece of information to be used in this case study. As you can see from the graph above, most of the large MEDC (More Economically Developed) countries reply on nuclear power as a source of energy and electricity. Although there are other ways of them getting their energy supply, with the loss of nuclear power, they would only have to increase one or more of their other supplies in order to make up for what they have lost from the lack of nuclear power. SHOULD NUCLEAR POWER BE BANNED? Taking into account both sides of the argument, we can see that there are many reasons for nuclear power being banned, just as well as reasons for nuclear power to not be banned. The main reason that people believe nuclear power should be banned is that there is always the risk of a spillage of nuclear gases, or a leak in the power stations, which would have a great impact on humans health. The main reason as too why nuclear power shouldnt be banned is that it provides a huge amount of the worlds energy and electricity source. As you can see from the for and against arguments on the previous pages, I think that overall the benefit of nuclear power outweighs the risk so therefore nuclear power SHOULDNT be banned, and I think this becauseto get rid of all the nuclear power stations over the world would cost an awful lot of money for the governments and thats money that could be put to a better use elsewhere. Also after paying out to get rid of the nuclear power plants throughout the earth, we would then also have to pay for other methods of providing the electricity and energy resources that these plants provided, it would be easier and more efficient to just spend the money into finding more ways in which we can prevent a leakage at a power plant and how we would handle such a situation, if another one were to occur. Nuclear power plays too big a role in everyday life, we just take it for granted and dont actually realise how much we do rely on it. Furthermore, as for the number of deaths that have occurred from nuclear power accidents; there are so many things nowadays that could kill people, we just try not to look at them in that way, for instance there could be a massive pile-up on a motorway and kill a numerous amount of drivers, passengers and general citizens, but that doesnt mean that people are going to stop driving does it? So why should nuclear power be banned because of the risk of there being a fault that could cause deaths among humans? The workers in nuclear power plants, are fully aware of the risks they take every day and the risks of the radiation, but safety measures are in place to protect these workers from getting harmed, and they are trained of what to do in the case of emergency, so therefore its entirely down to them to do the job or not, at no point are they being forced to work under such conditions that are putting themselves at risk.

The Death Penalty: A Necessary Evil Essay -- essays research papers

The Death Penalty: a Necessary Evil Life is the most wonderful gift that God gives us. He also gives us the power to do what we wish with that life. We can keep it and guard it, or we can take it away. It follows that murder is the worst crime anyone could ever commit. It is a crime that no one can ever make right because once you take a life away you can never give it back. Penalties exacted from criminals are made to fit the crimes committed. The worst crime possible should therefore receive the worst penalty possible. That penalty is the death penalty. Take, for example, the case of a man who is caught shoplifting. He does not deserve the same punishment as someone who is convicted of assault and battery. Most people would have no problem agreeing with this. Yet many of these same people believe that a cold blooded killer deserves the same life sentence as a convicted kidnapper who did not kill his prisoner. Granted these are both serious offenses, but our system of law works be degrees of seriousness. The mental damage done to that prisoner can be turned around, but the life taken away by the murderer can never be given back. They should therefore be given a harsher punishment than life in prison. In terms of justice, we should all get what we deserve. One argument against the death penalty is that the bible tells us not to murder. If this includes all people it should include the government. However, the death penalty is not quite the same as murder. It is an exacting...

Review of Research Paper on the Interphase of Mitosis -- Biology Eukar

Introduction The eukaryotic cell cycle, mitosis, is a succession of events that occur for the reproduction and growth of these multi-cellular organisms. Characteristic events in mitosis can divide the cell cycle into different stages, or phases. This paper focuses on the interphase of cell cycle, which is when DNA replication occurs, and the cell is engaged in metabolic activities to prepare itself for cell division. The idea that these two processes are related arises much controversy in what their relation is exactly. A few theories propose that the cell cycle dictates DNA replication, whereas others support that DNA replication dictates the cell cycle. However, more research on yeast cells have determined that some unknown mechanisms link these two processes together. The experiment did not find conclusive evidence that either one of the processes controls the action of the other. Metabolism A major concept displayed throughout our scientific paper is the metabolic cycle, more specifically, how yeast goes through metabolism. To better understand the metabolic cycle of yeast, a general overview of metabolism is needed. Metabolism is a blanket term covering all of the chemical reactions that occur in living cells. These processes are the basis of life, allowing cells to grow, reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond outwardly towards their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories; catabolism and anabolism. Anabolism uses energy to build different components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids. Catabolism, on the other hand, is the process that yields energy, one example of that is the breakdown of food in cellular respiration. Catabolism is the process that is focused on in the pap... ...hesize DNA, as two peaks begin to appear as some cells enter G2 of the cell cycle after going through the S phase, which doubles their DNA. In the reductive charging phase, you see the number of cells in G2 decrease as they enter Mitosis and become part of the G1 population as they half their DNA. Cell Cycle Connection In this experiment they used nutrient-poor conditions, in which the yeast cells acted as one unit. This means that the cells underwent replication simultaneously. Normally under nutrient-rich conditions, the cell cycles are random. By taking away the nutrients, the cells had to organize to utilize the nutrients available to sustain life most efficiently. Technically the cells divide up into two groups, where one is replicating while the other is not. Sources View the Paper Online: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/316/5833/1916/

Blinds to Go Company Essay

Executive Summary: The case, based on the company Blinds to Go, emphasizes the importance of staffing in stores as they expand to meet their growth objectives. Being a manufacturer and retailer, with a unique sales model – 100% commission based and focus on customer service gave the company an advantage over its competitors. According to the senior management Quality of staff was paramount and hence their original compensation system motivated best performance and fostered a high energy, sales hungry culture at BTG. To attract more recruits for its expansion phase, the management changed the compensation system from full commission to salary on the recommendation of a newly hired vice president. Sales declined and the overall staff turnover increased. Seeing this the company brought back the old culture and experienced a sales turnaround. This shift also caused another huge turnover in stores. A large percentage of voluntary turnover occurred in the first four months. The higher turnover after eight months was partly due to termination because of sales performance. The biggest challenge the company now faced was understaffing. The need for additional staff was further aggravated due to its continued push for growth and the tight US and Canadian labour markets. Another concern to be addressed was that the company had planned for 80 per cent of its expansion in US where the employees preferred the fixed pay than the company’s commission based pay structure. During this period BTG had tried several recruiting methods with varying degrees of success. With an IPO in the pipeline and plans to add on average 50 stores per year for the next five years, it was critical for the company to come up with a staffing strategy with focus on Quality of the staff and low employee turnover. The Company: Blinds To Go (BTG) was a retail fabricator of window dressings. It was started by David Shiller in 1954 in the Cote-des-Neiges district in Montreal, Canada. From the mid 1970s, BTG focussed on the sale of blinds. It was able to create a production system that reduced the delivery time frame of custom blinds from six to eight weeks to 48 hours. The reduced delivery time led to overwhelming customer response and the business flourished. The firm, realising their unique advantage of being a manufacturer and retailer simultaneously, began expansion by opening stores throughout Canada and US. By June 2000, BTG operated 120 corporate owned stores in North America. BTG expected to add 50 stores per year for the next 5 years, 80 percent of which targeted to US expansion stores. BTG’s business philosophy was that quality of staff was cardinal than the store location, customer demographics or advertising. The firm established this by experimenting with a store that was locationally disadvantaged and had declining sales. BTG was able to triple the sales of the said store in one month by deploying their ‘A’ management team and trained staff there. The four staff roles in BTG stores were 1. Sales associate 2. Selling Supervisor 3. Assistant Store manager & 4. Store Manager. Sales associates were the junior most employees and their job was to follow a set plan to help walk in customers to make a purchase. Consistent sales performers among them were promoted to selling supervisors, who were assistant store managers in training, or assistant store managers. Assistant store Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion Case Analysis SECTION E: Group #5 managers were in charge of the stores in the absence of store managers. The store manager was responsible for overall store operations. The BTG selling process involved a high level of customer interaction, which set a very high level of service expectation. Their emphasis on customer satisfaction and sale closure led to higher volume of orders relative to their retail competition Original Compensation of Retail Staff: The compensation structure at Blinds To Go incentives performance based on number of sales deal closed. The commission based structure fosters the high energy, sales hungry culture at BTG. This structure was believed to be a motivating factor to boost performance. High performers at BTG actually made more money than comparable retail outlet salesman. For Sales Associate the salary structure was a mix of fixed pay and variable pay with $3 – $5 comprising of fixed and 3% of sales as variable component. For Managers/Assistants the salary structure was $10,000 – $15,000/yr as fixed pay with 1.5% to 3% of overall sales as variable pay. Changes in Compensation Structure – 1996: As per the recommendations from a newly hired Vice President of store operations the compensation structure for the store staff was changed from being fully commission based to salaried. Under the new structure, the sales associated were paid Cdn $8 per hour as a fixed component. For the store managers a higher base salary component as compared to the commissions was set. The main focus of the move was to make the compensation more attractive to the prospective hires. Another change being brought was to limit the involvement of store managers in the sale process. All these changes had an adverse effect on the sales figures which showed a decrease of 10 to 30% from 1996 to 1997. The staff turnover increased to 40% from the earlier 15%. Even thought the new pay structure helped in recruiting more hires, it led to the hiring of lower calibre people. The existing good performers did not appreciate the changes, thus affecting their morale and hence their commitment to sales. To counter this adverse effect, the management introduced a variation of the commission based compensation plan in May 1998. The effect of the change could be seen in the 10 to 30% increase in store sales from the previous year. Still the BTG stores experienced a high employee turnover that year. It was probably because of the employees accustomed to fixed pay were leaving the organisation, being dissatisfied from the commission based structure. Analysis of the employee turnover reflected that the highest no of employees left the firm in the first 4 months from their hiring. Most of the new expansion plans were in US. But the people of US were uncomfortable with the 100% commission based pay structure. Thus there was a requirement in the change to the structure to adapt to the US market. Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion Case Analysis SECTION E: Group #5 Channels of Recruitment To be able to attract and recruit people who had certain sales driven qualities, several channels of recruitment were harnessed to fill in the job positions. Since BTG was already understaffed and with massive growth plans (50 stores per year ) lined up, we need to analyse the various pros and cons of the channels of recruitment. Employee Referral: Current staffs refer friends and family to BTG which helped company attract candidates already briefed on the company’s ideology. This channel was very effective which is evident by its highest ratio of leads to hire. The success of the ER scheme was partially due to the fact that referrals generally continued employment excited by the opportunity that the friend or family member who is a BTG employee recounted. Though maximum hiring was effected through this channel yet this alone did not currently satisfy BTG’s hiring needs. Internet Sourcing: This is one of the non-store recruitment channels which BTG used in two ways. First, BTG solicited resumes at its blindstogo.com site. Second, DSM’s and recruiters actively searched online jobs sites like Monster.com to contact potential candidates. Currently 12 out of 143 recruits were through this channel. DSM Compensation Readjustment: DSM’s were mainly responsible for store source of recruitment mainly walk-ins and employee referrals. They had to hire 10 new sales associate every month. Their importance in recruitment process is highlighted by the fact that their salary was based on number of new staff selected rather than on sales targets. Currently 16 out of 143 sales associate were recruited through this channel in past two months. BTG Retail Recruiters: They were professional recruiters who were paid @20000/year with a bonus of $150 -$500 for each successful hire. They generate leads through cold calls, networking referrals, colleges, job fairs, Internet and employment centres. Though they had performed sub- optimally in terms of number of number of new recruits, their training had increased to enable to get in at least 4 new recruits per week. Newspaper Advertising: Newspaper channel generated the maximum number of leads but the senior management believed that this medium did not generate the quality of candidates that BTG needed. This channel attracted more of the people who did not meet the desired skills standard and core values expected by BTG in potential candidates. To be able to meet our desired staff requirements, we believe this channel needs to be harnessed to its full potential and complemented by necessary training to new recruits to enable them to meet company’s performance standards. Store Generated Leads: BTG believed in direct store walk-in mode of recruitment as well. It had put â€Å"help wanted† signs on its windows to attract potential candidates to meet its recruitment needs. But this policy was successful only in densely populated areas with high footfall. HR Strategy: Udofia, Vice Chairman BTG, is looking for a strategy that solves all the major issues currently faced by the company, which would include unstaffed stores, staffing for future expansion and high employee turnover. Following are the steps that could be taken by him to achieve its growth objectives: ï‚ · A Robust Training Module: As mentioned, the quality of staff is extremely important in the retailing business. The crunch in the labor market doesn’t give the company a flexibility to choose Blinds to Go: Staffing a Retail Expansion employees on a strict criterion. A training module would help BTG to relax the criterion and increase the number of selected employees by recruiting people who are trainable. In order to keep a check on the quality of the employees, the company can recruit the employees at a trainee level with a fixed pay. The training would be mostly on the Job led by experienced Store Managers. A review system would help these selected candidates to get promoted as Sales Associate. The initial pay as a trainee would be low. But the incentive to get promoted as Sales Associate would drive them to work and learn quickly. Currently we can see that there are large numbers of people who are attracted by the Newspaper Channel and Internet. But the problem is with this medium is that it didn’t generate quality employee. By a robust training module the company would be able to hire trainable people and give them opportunities on the basis of their performance. The Promotion Structure: A scheduled review and internal promotion structure could be followed which attracts the current employees and increases the retention rate. The review can be conducted on at 2 levels, Sales Performance and Soft skills. A feedback mechanism would help the employees to work on the areas they lag. The review can be scheduled every 8 months and every employee can be given an opportunity to get promoted. The internal promotion structure could be leveraged as a tool to advertise. This would attract people who currently don’t want to join at Sales Associate Level. The promotion structure would also help in filling up the vacancies of Supervisors and Managers. Pay Structure: The pay structure for Sales Associate could be revised in a manner as explained below: According to the current pay structure, a Sales Associate is paid $6-$8 per hour or 6% of sales, whichever higher. Clearly it can be seen that the Marginal and the Poor performers are the once who are enjoying the fixed compensation system. In order to motivate them, fixed + variable compensation could be followed for these below par performers. This structure would demotivate the top performers as there will be a reduction in their salaries. So it would not be the best idea to implement this structure for top performers. A benchmark of $10000/sale/week could be set. This would not only motivate them to perform but the company also would overcome the problem of social loafing. The structure is explained below: Marginal-Poor Performers ($10000-/sales/ week) $3 per hour + 3 % of sales Leadership Program: The highly experiences set of Store Managers could be given an option to join the leadership program. Under this program the Senior Employees would take up the responsibility of the training module and help the company attain the level of quality it requires in its workforce. Their compensation could be based on the rate of conversion of trainees to Sales Associate instead of Sales. Increased Stock Options to senior and experienced Store Managers would give them a feel of ownership in the firm which is what an employee needs after serving an organisation for years.

Thought Provoker

Assignment 1. 2 Dialogue 1 — Thought-Provokers Survey Derrick Crank Jones International University Leading from a Global Perspective BC607 Dr. Michael Jazzar February 09 2013 Thought-Provokers Survey Part 2 Thought-Provoker # _15_ Gist: Some Christian just hypo-critics and don’t really follow what they learn and teach at their church. Your reaction (from above): _ I agree Explanation of your response: I think when you gather several people in a small area: gossips tend to spread, people become jealous, and competition tends to develop.I have been in several churches around the country and all believe in the some beliefs. People tend to think with the God’s power they are right with their beliefs even though they go to church and pray for their sins. If we look at our history, most wars and deaths are due to the church and Christianity beliefs. They particularly destroyed the American Indian cultures and confine them to reservation and boarding schools in the late 1800s.Christianity burned witch at Salem, MA, because several people were thought to be witches. Christians don’t follow what they teach but use parts of what they learned to better themselves for their own needs. Thought-Provoker # __19___ Gist: That are some many religions and cultures around world and there is really no right answer. Your reaction (from above): Who really says that? Explanation of your response: I have been all over the world and I have come to the conclusion that there s no right religion. I believe all religions are equal. Each religion is set at its highest because people believe in their religion due to their demographics, family values, and how they were taught at a young age. Christianity belief is just one of the many religions around the world and continues to spread as the other religions have. Thought-Provoker # __21___ Gist: _Homeless have a reasons why they have chosen to be homeless. Your reaction (from above): What? Really? Explanation of yo ur response:I have worked from several homeless shelters and my conclusion is that they are not lazy. They are the hardest workers I know but they have a mental illness that clouds their judgments. Most of the homeless have mental illnesses due to post trauma stress, depression, bipolar, and schizophrenic tendencies. Some are veterans from past wars to child abused victims when they were growing up. Some homeless are unable to hold jobs because these mentally illnesses. They are not lazy but they are determined to survive on what they have.

Behavorial Traps

Behavioral Traps There are five behavioral traps. Those five behavioral traps are: time delay, investment, deterioration, ignorance and collective. We fall into some of these traps easily and on a daily bases, while some of us find that they are also easily avoided. The trap that you fall into really only depends on you. I would like to define and give an example of each of the behavioral traps, before I discuss which I think is the easiest to fall for and the easiest to avoid. Time delay is momentary gratification that clashes with long term consequences (short term vs. ong term). An example is finding it hard to diet or exercise regularly (Plous, 1993). The ignorance trap is the negative behavior which are not understood or seen at the outset. An example would be: People, who smoked in the 19th Century, they didn’t realize that smoking led to lung cancer and if the information would have been available, many would never have begun to smoke in the first place (Plous, 1993). T he collective trap involves more than one party. The example for this one is rush hour traffic. Here everyone prefers to drive at the same time, taking their own self interest into play and letting everyone suffer (Plous, 1993). The investment trap occurs when prior expenditures of time, money or other resources lead people to make choices they normally wouldn’t make. An example would be investing money on something to help out the community only to find out at 90% done that another company is doing the same thing but theirs is better, debating on whether to finish the other 10% or not (Plous, 1993). Deterioration trap is similar to the investment trap but the cost and affect occur over time. An example for this trap is a heroin addict. You do it to get that great feeling but then your body becomes tolerant to the drug and you then up the dose to get that same great feeling, and then you’d rather take the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms. So what started as a pleasurable feeling ends up in a nightmare of dependence (Plous, 1993). Those are the five behavioral traps, I studied and read because to a point they all are easy to fall into, but one that I know I have troubles with and that most people have fall easily to is the time delay trap. How many of us have tried diet after diet and exercise after exercise and end up not sticking to the plan. That’s what the time delay trap does to you. â€Å"Any situation in which short term consequences run counter to long term consequences can turn into a time delay trap† (Plous, 1993). Another example of the time delay trap could be the apples in the Garden of Eden, because the apple is regarded as bait and is the ultimate temptation with its entrapping consequences (Plous, 1993). As you look at the definitions in the earlier paragraph you might think that there really isn’t one that is easily avoided, but I believe that the deterioration is that one. I believe this because this trap takes time to occur/fall into, while with the other traps they seem more likely easier to fall for. The reason deterioration take more time than the others is because it produces behavior that may seem absurd or self-destructive to others whom haven’t seen the situation evolve. (Plous, 1993). Just like the heroin addiction, your body eventually gets use to all the things you are doing and you think you need more because you aren’t getting the same affect. So over time your body takes a beating and starts to be self destructive and so on. For the time delay trap the person wants to exercise and/or diet, but something keeps stopping you. The long term consequences for not exercising and/or dieting could result in health problems and obesity. I just happen to be one of those people. For months I have been planning to exercise more, but I always end up finding an excuse not to and then it only leads to me now being healthy or losing the weight that I have put on in the mean time. The thing that is striking about the time delay trap is that relative is that you end up with small pains and pleasures in the short run, will produce behavior that is devastating maybe even lethal in the long run. (Plous, 1993). Like for example smoking, it’s a short term pleasure but in the long run you can get cancer. We never really think that the things we do/ could be considered as a trap. We just go on day by day either eventually doing something about what we have been putting up with or just deal with the long term consequence. Which traps we find easy to fall for or to avoid really depend on you, we all have different weak points in our mind and bodies. We think about the things that we put into our bodies, but do we really think about the long term effects? References Plous, S. (1993). The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making. McGraw-Hill: New York, NY.

Medicine in Colonial America

Medicine in Colonial America was much different from today, but gave us a lot of insight in the human body’s needs. Due to lack of education, experience, proper tools, and hygiene, many patients died. However, there were also many people who were saved through the medical procedures and lived full and healthy lives. Few doctors in Colonial America actually received a formal education through a medical school, because there was really only one school: the Pennsylvania Hospital (Rorke, n. d. ). This program was far too expensive and for some located too far away, thus they could not attend.Furthermore, because of the lack of complete knowledge, these schools would not have provided any more information than one would obtain by learning from another doctor, which in most cases would be a much cheaper education, thus, most doctors learned through apprenticeships. They had to complete a 7 year apprenticeship before being considered a doctor. Of course there were Quacks, or citizens who pretended to have medical knowledge just to make a profit. Moreover, there were female medical practitioners, called midwives.They received no formal education and learned through apprenticeships as well. They birthed children and cared for the ill that could not afford a doctor’s care, or lived too far from a medical facility. When not even a midwife was available to treat a patient, the women of the households were responsible for the family health. Another group that provided medical care was Catholic monks who came over from Europe and brought along their wisdom of operating techniques, healing herbs and essential oils. These monks had a special way of numbing their patients with a plant called henbane.Their patients overcame the operations more quickly while less of them died in contrast to using barbaric operation and healing techniques that many colonial doctors were using. Today, we have many medical schools that are still very expensive and vigorous, but provide a more well-rounded education. Just like the doctors of Colonial America, doctors today undergo a sort of required apprenticeship after medical school, called a residency, which, for a surgeon ranges from five to eight years, depending on their specialty.Midwives are still available, but usually take care of pregnancies. Today, midwives must go through special training to become either a CNM- certified nurse midwife, or a CM- certified midwife. There have been great advances in medical procedures since the late 1700’s. For example, according to Rorke (n. d. ) to amputate a limb, doctors in colonial times would first numb the patients’ pain by intoxicating them with brandy or rum and have them bite on a wooden stick.Then, the medical team would hold them down on the table, while the doctor tied a leather tourniquet around the patients’ limb. The surgeon would start to cut through the flesh with his amputation knife and then saw through the bone itself using an a mputation saw. Subsequently, the bone shavings were removed by pouring whiskey or just plain water over the wound. Conversely, the remaining limb was burned with a hot iron to close the blood vessels and veins. They could then wrap the stump with pure cotton bandages and let it heal. Only approximately 35% of patients survived this procedure!The procedure itself sounds cruel, but the patients’ lives might have been at risk if it had not taken place, such as the rotting of the flesh, or blood poisoning, caused by an accident, or being shot with a bullet or poisoned arrow. Another example would be dentistry. Most colonists had awful teeth, because they did not have toothbrushes and toothpaste. Thus, teeth needed to be pulled. Because there are no anesthetics, having your teeth pulled was a very painful process. The dentist would hold the patient down on a chair and yank the tooth out using a pair of everyday pliers.Once again, there were many quacks in this field that would pul l good teeth from patients and sell them to people who wanted real-tooth dentures. Moreover, in 2009, archeological teams found human remains where someone, presumably a doctor, had drilled three holes into the skull. This may have been done to relieve the skull of pressure caused by a blow to the head. Archeologists believe that this could have been the first attempt at brain surgery and may have planted the seed for today’s brain surgery procedures (CBSnews. com, 11 Feb. 2009).Hermann Boerhaave’s theory of wellbeing was that a person has four humors: bile, phlegm, blood and urine. If these humors were imbalanced, a person would become ill. To make him or her feel better, you must balance the humors (Brinkley, 2004). According to Rorke, â€Å"one must sweeten acids, purify the stomach, and rid impurities by bleeding and purging† or by using leeches to increase blood production, to balance these again. Most doctors actually let patients bleed out, because their â€Å"humors† were not balanced, whereas midwives prescribed laxatives to remove bile.Furthermore, Boerhaave believed that a â€Å"fever was the body’s attempt to keep from dying,† even though we now know that it is actually the body’s response to killing whatever is making the body sick. Although this sounds absurd when considering our knowledge with today’s medicine, many doctors and midwives used this theory to aid the ill and actually succeeded in some cases. Hygiene was the one major contribution to nosocomial, or hospital obtained, infections. Because doctors in the colonial times did not know about bacteria, viruses, and contagious diseases, they did not clean the equipment or even their hands.Today, doctors and surgical staffs take extra care to clean everything. Surgeons take an average of five minutes to wash, scrub, and sanitize hands, whereas surgeons in colonial times took an average of zero seconds. Doctors would not even wash their h ands when rotating between patients. As discussed in class, doctors would go from a person with a severe flu to a woman giving birth without washing their hands. This could not only sicken the woman, but also make the child ill. The death rate of women suffering from Puerperal fever was extremely high.This fever is caused by a bacterial infection from unsterile equipment and conditions during childbirth, and the woman’s body not being able to rid the toxins from childbirth fast enough. This could ultimately lead to death. One cannot stress the importance of hand washing and personal hygiene enough! Obviously, or at least it is obvious today, one must clean any equipment that touched a person, even if it’s just a stethoscope. Disease could spread from such an object to another person causing them to become ill as well. Scalpels, saws, drills, anything that goes into a person, must be sanitized.Today, hospitals heat the instruments so that almost all of the bacteria die, and then they soak them in an antibacterial solution to ensure there are no harmful things on them. Furthermore, some hospitals send the tools to be sanitized to a company that sanitizes them for the hospital. This cuts back on hours cleaning and provides security that the equipment is safe and clean, resulting in happy patients and staff. I believe today’s health care is mostly based around customer service. You want to make sure the patient is happy, healthy, and satisfied with your performance.The patient even has a choice to live or die by signing a DNR- do not resuscitate- form. In colonial America, however, the doctor really did not care if you enjoyed their service or not, they were trying to help you in the long run. Doctors also had more freedom to refuse treatment than they do today. In some ways I would like our health care to be like that of colonial America in regards to customer service, because there are so many people going to the emergency room who have a mi ld cold and hold up the patients who are in critical condition and really need to be seen as soon as possible.I am indifferent to DNR’s. I believe a person must be in critical condition, such as terminal cancer, to be eligible to sign this form. As previously mentioned, medicine has evolved tremendously between colonial America and now. It is still ever-changing, because we find a cure to diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Doctors can achieve great things, but only with the help of education, experience, sterile tools, and personal hygiene.