Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Various shootings in America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1738 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/03/19 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Gun Control Essay Did you like this example? The discussion on weapon control and the importance and ramifications of the second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is questionable and inciting. Ik-Whan G. Kwon expressed in their examination that there are at present 20,000 laws and directions in the U.S. that endeavor to contain the utilization of guns however sadly this has not meant a decrease in firearm viciousness. In 1992, passings from weapon brutality nearly contacted 40,000 individuals. Singh expressed in his investigation that open weight for weapon control has been produced by expansive increments in the dimensions of vicious wrongdoing. Various shootings in America because of these dangerous guns: Vizzard qualitative study uses mass shootings as its framework to discuss the future of gun control policies in the U.S. He starts his article by asserting that,â€Å"Despite the mass shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado; Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia; a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado; Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut; and the attempted assassination of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and accompanying mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, no gun control legislation has passed either house of Congress since the sunsetting of the assault weapons ban†. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Various shootings in America" essay for you Create order This is a powerful indictment to state in the beginning of his study. As mentioned earlier in this literature review, Vizzard does not believe gun control legislation will pass at the federal level until the next time reapportionment occurs but notes that a few state legislatures have been far more active. He asserted that given the limited options for gun control in the U.S., advocates must focus on limited, pragmatic goals that include reducing gun possession and carrying by high-risk individuals, restricting access to firearms by prohibited persons, and utilizing firearms laws to incapacitate violent, career offenders. Vizzard discussed the narrative that scholars such as Lott and Kleck have created in the discussion of gun control, the crime narrative. They have argued that firearms are used as many as 2.5 million times per year to defend against crime. They based their conclusions on random telephone surveys that asked about the defensive use of guns. Vizzard pointed out that the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victims Survey (NCVS) produced an estimate closer to 70,000. As much as Lott’s and Kleck’s work stand out from the rest of the scholarship on gun control, Lott’s work has been widely read and his thesis is regularly appraised, even by legislators. Right to bear arms Are Firearms a benefit, or a right? With the rising firearm wrongdoings, the discussion of gun control laws faces contentions on the two sides that question whether weapon control laws benefit ruin the United States. The warring sides contend over the perils required with guns along with the advantages of weapons and how firearm control laws just exacerbate the situation. Despite any counter-contentions, more reasons recommend that the United States government should not organize stricter weapon control laws in America. Most significantly, firearm control laws imperil the lives of blameless American citizens. The establishment of weapon laws may diminish the number of weapons conveyed in America, yet only serves to remove the firearms from the hands of honest individuals. As much as the government does not have any desire to trust it, an illicit weapon advertises will in every case counter their endeavors to eradicate firearms. With enough money related motivating force, any unregulated market will discover a way to obtain unlawful things, for example, weapons. So if the hoodlums can, in any case, discover methods for getting guns, these laws just demonstrate to limit legit firearm authorities.whats more, make them targets for gun-toting culprits. Fanning out from that subject, the end of firearms does not lead to the end of savagery related with weapons. A man does not choose to murder someone on the grounds that they happen to have a weapon lying around. The criminal purpose drives people to murder, and they will discover any way to accomplish them, regardless of whether it includes weapons or not. Since a great many peoples worry with weapons roots from the savagery related mind h them, many regularly contrast America with Australia and the United Kingdom since these two countries have initiated against weapon estimates which have apparently affirmed effective in minimizing crime rates. The blemish in their thinking, in any case, lies in the way that both of draconian enemy of- weapon measures (Aborn). On an alternate note, Switzerland requires every adult male to keep a military issued rifle in his home. Strangely enough, Switzerland has one of the worlds most reduced wrongdoing rates. Many say that the Swiss can pull this off since theyre Swiss, implying that their resilience and low wrongdoing rates originate from their national character as a nation, not as a result of some firearm restriction. Therefore, the issue does not lie with the presence of weapons, yet rather the vicious intent of America as a country. This point just affirms that the violence related to weapons is a reflection of our Americas culture, not firearms (singh). Additionally, Guns give a self-preservation to the nationals of America. Mass weapon shootings happen for the most part at schools or malls because the shooter realizes that no doubt nobody in those spots will have a firearm to retaliate and shoot them. Studies demonstrate that if a criminal realizes that any given individual might hold a disguised firearm, the wrongdoing and murder rates will exponentially diminish. Guns, at last, really help protect residents as opposed to prevalent thinking, and unnecessary confinements on them will just place the blameless in the line of danger. Furthermore, Gun control prompts an increasingly communist or revolutionary society. These laws permit the administration much more control over the subjects and at last lead the nation to transform into the kind of government in which numerous individuals endure in more routes than one. Many events in history with respect to the confinement or restriction of guns have driven many governmental bodies to get ugly. Russia, Germany, and China model prime instances of these events. China had a gun prohibition for quite a while when executive Mao Tse-tung came into power. Trusting that power originated from the barrels of weapons, he gathered the firearms so that the government possessed the capability instead of the subjects . This sounds like the circumstance happening here in America presently. The preclusion of weapons in China, however, led to a great many helpless individuals passing on unnecessarily from expanded wrongdoing. The significance of these models comes from the way that these legislatures had socialist ideas that at last prompted the setback of their kin. It appears to be truly plausible that America could tumble to this example of oppression and spread sentiments of despise towards the government. Branching off from that subject, the limitation of weapon laws likewise abuses and strays away from what the country established its standards upon. Numerous contentions concentrating on the Constitution and the privilege to carry weapons state that the Second Amendment was passed to secure sports shooting or hunting. Since the First Amendment does not just exist to protect Shakespeare or the Beatles (borne), then this contention about the Second Amendment invalidates itself. The organizers of America made this country from the craving to escape the oppression that these weapon control laws bring. In the event that the country pivots and walks right back into that mistreatment, the endeavors to frame this country have gone to squander. Firearms unite people together and Guns possessing the general population is the image of vote based system, or one of the images, in any event, that incorporates America with the incredible nation people know today. Finally, weapon control laws add to a coming up short economy. Everybody knows that economic circumstance in America cant wait for any longer on the off chance that it props up downhill. Though it may not appear it, firearms really encourage the economy. Nobody understands the impact that weapons have on the economy. Hidden weapons add to a decrease in vicious wrongdoing which considers a financial gain of 6.6 billion, contrasted with a financial loss of 417 million because of increment in property wrongdoings. The determined net increase still sums to 6.2 billion dollars, which nobody can truly gripe about. The reserve funds here will disappear if the stricter weapon control laws get affirmed by the legislature. Also, over the recent years, because of expanding neurosis and a potentially unnecessary worry for safety, many natives have purchased a weapon. The lions share of individuals expects that when somebody buys a weapon, they plan to utilize it to go out and shooting somebody when truly, the vast majority purchase firearms as a technique for self-preservation and mental security. Various women have really purchased a firearm in opposition to the conviction that ladies typically dont convey a gun. In the event that the stricter laws make it harder for ladies and all like to acquire a firearm, at that point the undeniable impact of dropping weapon deals will result. Since gun sales have as of late gone up, the sputter in the stream of offers will put a major imprint in the market and clearly cause the market to drop to an extraordinary failure. The administration benefits from the many taxes that they put on the offer of firearms, the grants for weapons, and the permit for weapons. The profit from these various sources will drop or even vanish if the administration institute these new weapon laws. Thus, the legislature will have no real option except to charge other items that dont require burdening. With all the fussing about duties these days, nobody needs any more needless charges to fix up government money related issues and slip-ups. This occurrence will just lead to a feeling of disdain in the administration disbanding the solidarity of America. This country does not require progressively sparing tears and government slip-ups to tear it apart. These reasons bolster that the United States government ought not to institute stricter firearm control laws in America. Subjects should wake up from their obliviousness and spread the word to enable America to understand the damage these firearm control laws bring. Not just do these weapon control laws remove firearms from the hands of good individuals, however, they likewise put them into the hands of the general population with sick aims. Any individual who understands this should rally and make their voice heard to keep such obliteration from occurring.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Violence Is A Serious Problem Worldwide - 2003 Words

Abuse is a serious problem worldwide and happens countless times on a daily basis. Information regarding how to deal with violence and aggression is vital to our personal well-being. Abuse comes in numerous styles and does not discriminate against anybody; violence can and often does happen to people in every type of lifestyle, culture, occupation, social-class, religion and age group. Abuse, or violence, is considered to be any intentional and unwanted contact. Violence is a major public health problem in the United States, from infants to the elderly, it affects people in all stages of life. Violence is portrayed in the media, movies, and shows on television today. For instance, television presents so much violence that it has become so well adapted and practiced in our society that it is no longer viewed as completely repulsive and appalling to the human mind. Violence throughout various television programing continues to become more accepted. We, as a society, have graduall y become numb to the consequences caused by brutality. As a result, it gives an indeterminate percentage of society the notion that violence is totally normal and socially acceptable. Hostile creatures going out causing harm to individuals with poor reasoning or without any particular explanation at all is justifiable in the eyes of immoral culprits. Observing violence primes individuals for aggressive behavior by triggering violence-related thoughts. The information provided up to thisShow MoreRelatedDomestic violence1229 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ 3/1/13 Domestic Violence Persuasive Essay Final Draft â€Å"Every year, in the United States there are over 3 million incidents of reported domestic violence. Every year, 4,000 victims of domestic violence are killed.† (Domestic Violence: Disturbing Facts about Domestic Violence). Domestic violence is a crime that is not just committed in the United States, but worldwide. This crime is committed every day, every hour, every minute, and every second. Anybody can be a victim or the abuser. ThisRead MoreDomestic Violence Is A Serious Social Issue1546 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence is a serious social issue, yet often overlooked by society due to insufficient knowledge and misconceptions. It has prevailed for years, and current interventions have not succeeded in eliminating it. One of the biggest myths is that: â€Å"Domestic violence is not common,† while in reality, the number of domestic violence incidents annually ranges from 960,000 to 3 million (Collins et al 169.) According to Maryland Network Against Domest ic Violence, it is believed to be the most commonRead MoreEssay about The Harmful Effects of Pornography 1626 Words   |  7 Pages Whether pornography is an excuse to make acts of violence public? A big number of famous scholars, no matter men or women, have given their opinions. Each of them has their own view, but we can sort them into two groups, which are against to serious censorship and willing to convict and uproot pornography. Because of pornography, women’s status can never be equal to men’s. Recently, a revolution about the perception of moral values comes out in the world, which refers to how deep the changes ofRead MoreViolence: Leading Cause of Death Essay example601 Words   |  3 PagesViolence is the expression of physical or verbal force against self or other, compelling action against one’s will on pain of being hurt. Violence is every where around the world. Each year 1.6 million people world wide lose their lives to violence. Violence is among the leading causes of death for people aged 15-44 years worldwide; 14% of deaths among males and 7% among females. Neurobiol ogist Jan Volavka says â€Å"violent behavior is defined as overt and intentional physically aggressive behaviorRead MoreInfertility: A Growing Public Health Issue1029 Words   |  4 Pagesunable to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term (1) Infertility affects between 60 million and 168 million people worldwide; generally one in ten couples experience primary or secondary infertility (2).The majority of those who suffer live in the developing world. (3) Universally, the prevalence rises significantly (among women with no children) with a womans age. (1) Worldwide rates of infertility vary dramatically corresponding to the incidence of preventable conditions leading to infertility--fromRead MoreVideo games and juvenile delinquency700 Words   |  3 Pagessetting, juvenile delinquency is at a rising trend. This is the most lightly penalized crime committed by minors worldwide. A delinquent is an underage person who indulges in criminal doings; these crimes are more often than not based on their behavior. Their behaviors are mostly characterized by carelessness, unnecessary roughness and wild nature. Delinquents are in every state worldwide. Juvenile delinquency has been attributed to lack of parental control, poverty and mostly video games. ViolentRead MoreThe United States Department Of Justice Defines Domestic1466 Words   |  6 Pagesdomestic violence as â€Å"a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another in timate partner.†(President’s Proclamation 2016). Domestic violence includes verbal, physical, sexual, or psychological attacks, even economic coercion. Bancroft et al. (2002 p.1)have claimed that 7 million or more children being exposed by acting of domestic violence each year in United States. Many of this cases are caused by witnessing violence betweenRead MoreThe Effects of Violence on Women Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effects of Violence on Women Violence affects the lives of millions of women worldwide, in developing, as well as in developed countries. It cuts across cultural and religious barriers, restricting women from fully participating in society. Violence against women has many forms in which it comes in, from domestic abuse and rape to child marriages and female circumcision. All are violations of the most fundamentalRead MoreSocial Media Contributions Against Gender Based Violence1400 Words   |  6 PagesWeb: Social Media Contributions Against Gender-Based Violence in Turkey Ozgecan Aslan lost her life while taking the bus home when the bus driver â€Å"allegedly bludgeoned her with a crowbar, stabbed her to death, and cut off her hands to hide the evidence† (Khazan 2015, 1) because she resisted rape. According to a UNICEF report, â€Å"globally, women aged between fifteen and forty-four are more likely to be injured or die as a result of male violence than through cancer, traffic accidents, malaria and warRead MoreYouth Violence And Its Effect On Children1637 Words   |  7 PagesSince the year 2000, youth violence has been one of the biggest concerns in almost every community. In my research I decided to evaluate the study of youth violence. Youth violence is said to start since the early days of childhood and lead onto the teenage years of a child. When talking about youth violence, the child may not only be an offender but they can be a victim of violence as well. Bullying, punching, slapping, kicking, teasing, and verbal abuse are all beha viors and forms of mistreatment

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Brand Management Article Review Free Essays

Introduction: Review: Teresa da Silva Lopes Mark Casson (Winter, 2007). Entrepreneurship and the Development of Global Brands: Business History Review 81 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College (Extract from page 651-680) World’s economy in early 1980s leaded to the merger wave in business industries. Only few independent brands have survived during that period. We will write a custom essay sample on Brand Management Article Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the article, the authors addressed the question of why so few independent brands survived and they also aim to address about the contribution of entrepreneurs to the successful and growth of the companies. The authors also of demonstrated some well-known brands and their related case of how did the change in ownership affect the brand name. Summary: Entrepreneurship and innovation is a competitive asset for each organization. In the past time, entrepreneur refers to the founder of the business, but the definition was expanded overtime. In the article, authors define entrepreneur as â€Å"someone who specializes in taking judgmental decisions about the coordination of scarce resources with an economic aim and under conditions of uncertainty. This means that the entrepreneur is not necessarily a capitalist or the founder of a business, but is someone who is not afraid of risk and who â€Å"gets things done† and has an economic aim. Because of the changing in business environment, today entrepreneur has more skills, business related knowledge and capabilities in expanding their brand into different geography or internationally or rejuvenate it in order to keep the popularity and s till make a profit. Brand is a powerful strategic tool to distinguish company from its competitors, communicate to customer and attract customer loyalty. A brand can have a rise, and then fall out of favor, to be out of date by the arrival of new brand. Trajectory of brands or the life of each brand is surely depends on the company’s performance and strategies they decide to take in action so as to create brand personalities for their products or services. Without careful management, brands can follow the general pattern of a product lifecycle: moving through introduction, growth, maturity, and decline stages in a relatively rapid fashion. Authors indicate that the change in brand ownership or management team may take into account when discussing about trajectory of brands. Thus to keep the brand forever young is necessary mission that each company need to achieve. Some brands become successful immediately after introduced into the market and it remains successful until now under the single ownership and management team but some become successful after their previous ownership or management team was changed. Various strategies are suggested by the author as they are implemented by several successful brands such as the extension of an existing brand (Asahi Super Dry), or by the creation of a new brand, or by forging a compromise between the two (Nescafe). The firm may also hire new managers and consultants in order to boost temporarily the creative resources at the firm’s disposal (as happened in the case of KitKat). Another strategy suggested is to change the firm’s recruitment policies and hiring new managers with stronger entrepreneurial capabilities to obtain a permanent solution. Furthermore, using merger and acquisition strategy to change the brand ownership enable some multi-firm brands especially the companies in food, drink, and cosmetics industries become successful and stay young. Brand rejuvenation in the article refers to â€Å"tweaking the brand image to appeal to a new generation of consumers†. Rejuvenation of the brand should be take into action when customer in the market lose their concentration on the existing one or the traditional market for a brand may stagnate, unacceptable to an emerging market for the brand or there is an increase in demand for products or services, because in order to be well suited to the culture, demand, preference of different group of customer and to create availability of the products they want wherever they are. Based on the study, the authors conclude that successful global brand usually originate in developed countries. It takes very long time to build their brand personalities and recognition. Strategies of brand extensions that we often see are merger and acquisition, franchising, licensing and some brands are trades as pieces of intellectual property. Critic Negative: Brand rejuvenation is a strategic tool for the company to recapture market share and to keep the brands up to date for consumers, but not all brand should be rejuvenated since due to two main reasons. Firstly, some brand is very harmful to people health and society. For example, tobacco and alcohol products have many harmful effects are not limited to only health-related issues but as well as a whole society will suffer from its effects. Smoking cigarettes opens the possibility to the people that are around you to breathe second-hand smoke. This increases the risk of cancer in others around you. Also, smoke is bad for the environment and the ozone layer whereby people who drink and drive may cause many road accident and they tend to commit violence in the family more that people who do not. Secondly, the negative point of brand rejuvenation is the decrease in physical communication due to the growth in technology related branding. In the past, people spend more time to talk to their friends, colleges and family but presently, digital form of communication decrease social interaction. Because the development of technology, many company try to rejuvenate their brand by introducing high- tech product to the market. Most people believe that technology such as cell phones and e-mail has made their lives easier. From e-mails, to Facebook, to television, people are becoming dependent on technology; we cannot live without our iPhones. As a real example that happen to myself, sometimes I spend a whole day in bedroom just to tweet, facebook and surfing internet; I do not interact with people around at all within whole day. People are distancing themselves from life off- line. This create distant of people interaction from day to day. Positive: We totally agree with the authors who state that entrepreneurs contribute to the growth of a firm and brand succeeds and innovation, intelligence and skills are the required factors to build a successful brand. Brand building is an important issue in strategic marketing and driving force for shareholder’s value. Good brand image and brand recognition in the market is what all entrepreneurs and managements intend to get. The growth and development of a firm mostly depends on the motivation and ambition of the owner itself. Among the important features of an entrepreneur that effects the firm growth involves general background of the owner involving age and education of the owner along with his growth motivation and management know how organizational practices on the behalf of entrepreneurs. Innovative idea and technological capabilities of entrepreneur also the contribution factors that each entrepreneur should care about. We also agree with the authors that brand rejuvenation is a great tool to make more money. Brand rejuvenation is the effort to bring a brand which could not make money into the one that can generate money for company by using new positioning or communication strategy. Normally, companies decide to rejuvenate their brand in order to respond to internal and external changes. For example when new competitors come into the market, they may have taken over the category and the company is struggling to generate revenues from the current product, thus company need to rejuvenate their brand or new option has to be launched. Another reason is when the existing product or service is in declining stage of product life cycle, it is an appropriate time to rejuvenate the brand in order to recapture the market share. Some other reason why company should rejuvenate their brand is to shed the negative image of the existing brand, to incorporate in new mission or develop a new brand when repositioning. Moreover, the target market for the brand has aged so the brand has to renew its positioning in the minds of the next generation of consumers. Because brand may no longer meet the consumers’ needs or desires, where in the consumer has shifted to a different platform. Conclusion After reading and reviewing this article, we got more ideas on how branding is very important for each company in generate the profit in long term, how entrepreneur contribute to the firm growth and success. The authors provide enough reasons to support their article by indicated real example of some major brand how they are developed to become the global one. The authors indicate two main strategies for brand development which are entrepreneurship and brand rejuvenation. Brand rejuvenation can lead the company to capture market share as well as to compete in the market effectively in the long run. How to cite Brand Management Article Review, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Death lies upon her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field Essay Example For Students

Death lies upon her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field Essay In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare one of the main theme is Time versus Love. Time is such a strong presence in the play it is an almost unnamed character; the whole play is conducted in less than a week creating urgency and a rush of time. Fate is also their enemy and is expressed by a series of impossible coincidences that end up Romeo and Juliet both dead. Shakespeare also portrays many different types of love expressed by multiple characters but none survives the destructive forces of time. The play begins on a Sunday morning where Sampson is introduced. Sampson; a strong man who loves fighting and is good with woman that is Sampsons self image. Sampson thinks of love as a kind of war or battle using words such as; weapon, cut, push, thrust. Also he says tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh suggesting that he only cares about the physical sensation not love itself. It is a selfish kind of love as he brutalizes woman out of existence; I will cut off their heads the head of the maids or their maidenheads. Mercutio carries a similar idea of love. If love be rough with you, be rough with love: prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. He only thinks of the literal physical love. He is only able to think that Romeo is feeling lust and portrays this in often humorous sexual innuendoes. However Mercutio dies from Tybalts sword through his best friends arms; That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds, Which too untimely here did scorn the earth. Tybalt the King of c ats is, against all odds, killed by Romeo who isnt even involved in his family brawls. We will write a custom essay on Death lies upon her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower of all the field specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now While Sampson and Mercutios idea of love involves the physical side of love Romeos is the exact opposite. His love is in his mind as he hopelessly dreams of Rosaline. Romeo loves but his love is never returned but Romeo just enjoys dramatising himself in his own mind. He explains that his love hurts; Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boistrous, and it pricks like thorn. Romeo actually enjoys the pain he receives from being in love. But all so soon as the all-cheering sun should in the farthest east begin to draw shuts up his windows, lock fair daylight out, and makes himself and artificial night. Romeo fearing the sun will cheer him up locks it out . But since Romeo is only attracted to Rosaline because she is pure, virginal and chased it put him in a paradoxical situation; if Rosaline does what he wants her to he would no longer love her. But with Juliet there is passion; passion lends them power, time means, to meet. But it was too rash too like lightning and ill-timed to get married the next day. Mercutio accuses Romeos love for Rosaline to be only a dream; through lovers brains, and then they dream of love. Romeo admits this love feel I, that feel no love in this. And just as in a dream he forgets Rosaline when he meets Juliet; I have forgotten that name, and that names woe. Juliets true mother is the Nurse; her mother Lady Capulet did not nurse her because she had been trying to escape from the ravages of time; her figure was more important to her than her daughter. Also Juliets father does not see Juliet as a daughter but a sort of property that he can use to expand his business; Juliet and County Paris marrying would give him more wealth and power. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris Capulet commands her to go with Paris to Saint Peters Church, or drag on a hurdle thither. He also changes his opinion of her. From blessd that God had lent us but this only child he says This one is one too much. When Juliet, afraid of her father leans on her mother she coldly replies; talk not to me, for I will not speak a word. Do as they wilt, for I have done with thee. It is similar with Romeos parents; there is not a scene in the play where Romeo talks to his parents and instead they send Benvolio to do the talking. The friar is Romeos real father but he betrays Ro meo by offering nothing but the nunnery to Juliet and running away without Juliet, leaving her alone and ready to suicide. Come, go, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay Also the nurse betrays Juliet by not supporting her when Capulet is angered; Romeo is a dishclout to him, but actually agrees with her parents even though she knew that they are married and have consummated their love. .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e , .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .postImageUrl , .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e , .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:hover , .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:visited , .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:active { border:0!important; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:active , .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9a678b5ef9a037adaf3f2812f428170e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: What is Priestley's message in An Inspector CallsOther than physical, mental and parental love there is true love. Love both of the body and mind. After their death Montague raises Juliets and Capulet, Romeos, statue in pure gold; the symbol of their love will last forever because gold can resist the force of time. Their love is everlasting and endless; boundless as the sea, my love as deep. Romeo also says that nothing can hold their love out; For stony limits cannot love out and not even the threat of death will stop it: There lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords! Look thou but sweet and I am proof against their enmity. In Act 3 Scene 1 Romeo even tri es to love Tybalt since now he is a relative by marriage; I have to love thee for Juliet but this leads to Mercutios death. Juliet confesses that she would do anything to be with Romeo all my fortunes at thy foot Ill lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world. Throughout these events Time and fortune has always been their enemy and is expressed a series of impossible coincidences. The first coincidence is when the Capulet servant comes to Romeo to ask him to read the guest list leading to the fatal meeting of Romeo and Juliet. Ironically when the servant asks I pray, good sir, can you read Romeo replies Ay, my own fortune in my misery perhaps implying that his death will be caused by his misery. After this day Romeo and Juliet get married and next day Romeo kills Tybalt leading to his banishment. When Romeo leaves for Mantua Juliet says; O fortune, fortune! I hope, thou wont keep him long, but send him back. Time was the only separating the two lover; I must hear from thee every day in the hour, for in a minute there are many days. However when Romeo comes back, he dies. Juliet is forced to take the potion because of the lack of time; Time is very short and most unfortunately her faked death reaches Romeos ear before the true story. Romeo travels to her deathbed in moments to see her for the last time and hastily takes the poison and Juliet wakes up and stabs herself to be with Romeo forever. At his banishment Romeo says O, I am Fortunes fool fool meaning plaything. Also when Juliet has a row with Capulet desperate not to marry Paris Capulet calls her an A whining mammet, in her fortunes tender. He complains that she is crying when good luck has been offered to her but of course this is the opposite. This is all orchestrated by fortune and there was nothing to do to stop it. This days black fate on mo days doth depend; This but begins the woe others must end. In conclusion the theme is love versus time. The two lovers timing was never right which led to ultimately their death. But the question remains; Can love really withstand time? Although Romeo and Juliet dies, Tybalt and Mercutio is slain, Rosaline is forgotten entirely, the Capulets betray their daughter for wealth and power the meaning of love that feared not even death still goes on. Their sacrifice causes peace among the two families when they see the true meaning of love.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Risk Management Consultant Presentation and Proposal an Example of the Topic Business Essays by

Risk Management Consultant Presentation and Proposal Introduction Events of all types are produced every day for all manner of purposes, attracting all sorts of people. Creating and managing the environment, in which these people will gather carries with it awesome responsibilities, legal, ethical, and financial. To provide a safe and secure setting and to operate in a manner that ensures the hosting organizations or individuals achieve their objectives in a proper and profitable way, event risk management must be fully integrated into all event plans and throughout the event management process (Silvers, 2007). The 2012 Democratic National Convention is a good opportunity for the DLPSZ Security Firm to provide effective event risk management. Our firm engages in identifying, managing, and responding to risks. Our proposal will demonstrate the social responsibility that our firm will take in providing security to the public and candidates, an explanation of future trends in risk management and our plan to control them, and a scenario plan. Need essay sample on "Risk Management Consultant Presentation and Proposal" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Social Responsibility Social responsibility is a voluntary assumed obligation toward the good of a larger social unit as opposed to the self alone (Social Responsibility). The DLPSZ Security Firm recognizes this responsibility would request the council for the City of New York to allow our firm to provide the security for the Democratic National Convention, the DNC. Our security firm has been in business for several years. Our firm has dedicated 15 years of service to providing quality security for large corporations as well as multiple smaller organizations. Our firm is locally owned and operated, giving a portion of our services back to the community. Background checks and references are verified on all potential employees. All applicants must submit to a lie detector test and qualify to be firearms certified. A minimum of an associates degree with two years experience is required. A minimum of five years experience may be accepted with firearms certification. Our firm experiences have included large corporations such as the Microsoft Convention and smaller, less formal events. Our firm provides no prejudice on whom and what type of customer we serve. Our dedication and thorough knowledge of our business, enables us to provide the highest quality service at a reasonable cost. Our obligation and responsibility is the protection of the public. The success of our firm is dependent upon our methods in conducting business. Honesty, integrity and hard work are the heart and sole of our organization. Our security firm has a response time rated at one of the highest in overall speed and efficiency. Our emergency response time is rated one of the overall highest in our field. All of our work is 100% guaranteed. It would be an honor and our pleasure if the council would consider allowing our company to oversee the security for the Democratic National Convention. In consideration of social responsibility, our proposal would include but not limited to: (1)Our firm will provide continuous security for the entire function. (2) All security personnel will be casually dressed, blending in with the crowd. (3) Weapons will not be visible to the public. (4) Atmosphere will be family oriented. (5) The entrance and exits to the function would require participates to be scanned by metal detectors. This would eliminate the possibility of any weapons or contraband from entering the premises. (6)The entrance to the function would require participates to be scanned by metal detectors. This would eliminate the possibility of any weapons or contraband from entering the premises. (7)All exit and entrances will be clearly marked and appropriate security personnel will be monitoring all locations. (8) It will be our responsibility to keep all areas free of possible hazards and harm to the public. (9) Constant attention will be given to the safety of all participants from environmental and physical mishaps (Chavez, Tenon, & Knap, 2004). Future Trends in Risk Management As the firm chosen to provide security for the 2012 Democratic National Convention, members of the security staff are aware of the possible future trends that may affect risk management. Risk management refers to the attempt to solve or minimize a problem before it occurs (Tarlow, 2002). Although, it is impossible to predict the future, future trends are dependent upon past trends therefore, our company will view past security measures to modify them in order to bring them current. Trends in risk management inclusive of increased violence and crowd control are a couple of the firms main focuses. Increased Violence As the economy takes a turn for the worse, there is an expectation of violence to increase due to economic instability. There are many causes of economic instability, many of which concerned citizens feel presidential candidates are at liberty to control, such as oil prices and job availability. The frustrations of some members of the crowd may be taken out on the presidential candidates (Scalet, 2004). Economic instability may increase crime rates and crime may be drawn to the convention. Crowd Control Prior to September 11, 2001, many risk managers were not faced with the issue of terrorism. In the post World Trade Center, the threat of terrorism from bombs, nuclear attacks, and biochemical weapons, is a reality. Therefore, many risk managers are not only faces with standardized crowd control issues but they are also faced with individuals who believe that killing is for the purpose of making a political statement (Tarlow, 2002). At the Democratic National Convention, many individuals of different races, religious backgrounds, economic status and social backgrounds will be in attendance. The control of the crowd depends on the number of security members observing the crowd. Managing and Responding to Risks In identifying the future trends in risks, our firm has developed a plan to manage and respond to the risks that could potentially harm the candidates. Our firm has hired extra security that will be placed in the following areas parking lots and the crowd. Members of the security staff will be in the crowd and will be in charge of journalists, who are anxious to get photos of the candidates. Communication is also key within our firm. In having good communication, security members are assured that all members are in the designated places at the designated times. Our firm is fully aware of the severity involved if issues arise during the convention therefore; our firm is capable of teamwork and keeping constant communication if any changes occur. With the assistance of the New York Police Department, traffic will be directed by members of the police force. In consideration to September 11, the FBI will be contacted concerning the identification of any terrorist who may be a threat to the convention. Prior to the Convention and throughout the Convention, police officers and police dogs will consistently patrol the arena on the inside as well as outside, to assure the safety of the candidates. In addition, our firm will work closely with the Secret Service and the FBI to provide protection that our firm is unable to provide. Members of the FBI will also observe the crowd for any suspicious activity. Our firm understands the responsibility involved in securing the candidates and is certain that our firm is able to provide safety to the public and the candidates. Scenario-Based Thinking Our security firm incorporates state of the art risk mitigation techniques in conducting adaptive, threat analysis and mitigation planning and response. Part of this threat planning analysis involves scenario-based measures, allowing our security professionals to integrate intelligence collection and liaison efforts, enabling futures-based threat planning environment with predictive analysis. In conducting scenario thinking approaches to our security efforts, our firm seeks to identify both the uncertainties which exist in the multi-threat environment, allowing total available resources to communicate in threat response, and resource allocation and direction. Threat Environment Analysis According to commonly accepted doctrine on obtaining situational awareness of a potential threat environment and identifying knowledge threats, our firm applies the S.T.E.E.P. (Social, Technological, Economic, Ecological, Political) Analysis method to obtain baseline knowledge of the Democratic National Convention threat environment and identified information gaps (Van Der Heijden, Bradfield, Burt, Cairns, & Wright, 2002). In applying the S.T.E.E.P. Analysis to our DNC pre-security project bid analysis, our teams of security experts have identified obvious social factors of the increased violence and crown control challenges which accompany such an event. Additionally, our firm has created a series of security-based scenarios based on contemporary social factors which may encourage various groups of various political, social or demographic influences seeking the DNC for exposure or support. Additionally, the mainstream of micro-media capable devices presents a twofold threat to the crowd management of such an event. Not only are many weapons capable of being disguised as media recording devices, but, these media capture devices may also be used to conduct counter surveillance activity against law enforcement and security personnel, coordinate terrorist activities, or capture, exploit, and rapidly transmit media of a terrorist attack to be exploited for mass panic effect. In analyzing the myriad of potential threats which exist within the DNC environment, our security experts have determined that the best scenario-based planning approach is a multilayered security approach, maximizing liaison, as previously mentioned, under the direction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, and the New York Police Department. The three major threat areas our organization has analyzed, trained and prepared for are Preventive Screening, Passive Threat, and Active Threat. Preventive Screening Security personnel have liaison with federal, state and local law enforcement on deploying necessary resources for extensive physical and technological measures to be deployed outside of and within the structure of the convention center and the immediate city clock surrounding the convention center. Extensive role-play scenarios have been administered and collectively enhanced involving the deployment of plain clothes security personnel within a six-block soft perimeter to observe and report activity on suspicious personnel, facial image capture from strategically placed surveillance equipment along routes of an ingress to the convention location, and the implementation of facial recognition software to electronically transmit suspect information to law enforcement databases. Passive Threat In scenario training for the passive threat environment, our security personnel have engaged in scenario-based training involving the active containment of passively resistant personnel, involving the use of cover/contact crowd control measures to avoid deliberate attempts to distract or lure security personnel into situations designed to preoccupy security personnel and exploit openings in the security perimeter. Additionally, our personnel are highly trained in a variety of scenarios and in the arrest of demonstrators using non-lethal use of force tactics and equipment designed to isolate potential riot situations and restore order in coordination with designated law enforcement partners. Active Threat In the event of a violent demonstration, terrorist attack, or deliberate attempt against the security and well being of the convention and its attendees, our security personnel will by policy defer to the authority and direction of designated federal law enforcement officials, However, our security personnel have implemented scenario-based training, and is prepared to delivered services in areas of high risk personnel protection, protective convoy escort, property protection, crowd control, inner and outer perimeter containment, and technical measures designed to enhance surveillance containment capabilities and cellular signal-jamming capabilities to assist in gaining operational control of the crisis environment. Conclusion In conclusion, our security firm has been operating for years. Our employees are all degree holders and understand the need of safety in our clients and community. Our firm has also done other events with a high success rate. An extensive background search will be performed on all employees and all employees will go through extensive training. Every member of our security firm has signed confidentiality agreements to protect every candidate. If chosen, our firm has outlined in details what plans are proposed for coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Explained in our proposal, our firm has been able to make sure that all points of interest have been covered concerning the participants of the convention and the public. Our firm has also incorporated the use of the S.T.E.E.P. Analysis method in order to prepare for the risk that may take place during the event. Our firm has also mapped out a plan for the safety of law enforcement agents that will participate in helping provide security at the convention. Council members will notice that the proposal includes the use of local, state and federal police. Our firm understands this is a huge responsibility and knows that teamwork and consist communication with other law enforcement agencies is the key to the success of the event. In closing, our firm understands the responsibility involved with providing security for the convention and can ensure the safety of the publ ic and the candidates and ensure our firm can provide effective risk management. References Chavez, D., Tenon, J., & Knap, N. (2004). Social Responsibility. Journal of Parkland Recreation Administration, 22 (3), 22-38. Scalet, S. (2004) In Depth: Democratic Party Convention Security. Silvers, J. (2007). Risk Management for Meetings and Events. . Massachusetts. Elsevier Limited. p. 1-3. Tarlow, P. (2002). Event Risk Management and Safety. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. p. 85-89. Van Der, H., Bradfield, B., Cairns, & Wright (2002). The Sixth Sense, Ch. 7 Scenario Planning in the Organizational Context. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Wiktionary. Com. Social Responsibility.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Gandhi Syria and Modern Freedoms Essay

Gandhi Syria and Modern Freedoms Essay Gandhi: Syria and Modern Freedoms Essay Syria in the Midst of a Civil War The Middle East was at one point a rich, cultural hub, filled with many different people from the world trying to catch a glimpse of the wonder. It was similar to what New York city is today. Traders and merchants would roam marketplaces, trying to either sell, buy, or trade merchandise from all over the world. Today, it is much different. The whole entire region is plagued with war, brothers fighting brothers, trying to find their place in this world. Syria’s civil war has become one of the most intense conflicts in the Middle East due to sectarian dispute, government oppression, and a desire for modern freedoms. Syria is a Middle-Eastern country that has been ruled by an oppressive, authoritarian form of government (â€Å"Syria Profile†). The party that controls this government is called the Ba’ath party, and is controlled by the Alawites of the Shia sect of religion (â€Å"Syria Profile†). In order to gain more freedoms and have a voice in the government, the Syrian people are rebelling against this government in hopes of electing a president who is not from the Shia party (â€Å"Syria Profile†). The government does not like the West and is in isolation from them, not wanting any help and wishing that they would leave it alone to govern how it wishes (â€Å"Syria Profile†). However, the United Nations sees the Ba’ath party as non-representing of the Syrian population and recognize the rebellion as the true representation of Syria, encouraging the rebels to succeed in overthrowing their government (â€Å"Syria Profile†). The biggest problem has turned out to be sectarian disputes that keep the war going. One of the biggest factors of the war, the Syrian nation’s religious disputes which stemmed from the beginning of the Islamic religion, continue on today. Following the death of Muhammed, a power struggle between two beliefs caused the Shia and Sunni Sects to be f ormed fights have extended throughout the Middle East, and are especially prominent in Syria (Gelfand 50). Their actions have been destabilizing the whole entire country, as one of the greatest power struggles in the world continues on today. The Shia in Syria take the form of the Ba’ath party, the dominant ruling party of the Syrian government, and fight against the Sunni who take the form of the rebels and the rebellion (Gelfand 50). The rebels want a democratic rule where they are represented, while the regime wishes to keep on going with their authoritarian government (Gelfand 51). Violent protests and military actions support both sides of the war, with the Shia having a militaristic advantage. The Shia-controlled government has been presiding over Syria since 1956, contributing to the ongoing war through their different ideologies. The Alawite party, an elite party within the Shia, holds a base of operations in Damascus, the current capital of Syria (â€Å"Regime vs. R ebels†). The ideology from the conception of the Shia still holds true to the form of government today: the descendants of Ali, the Alawite party, control the government instead of a publicly appointed ruler (â€Å"Regime vs. Rebels†). The Sunni rebels fight against this with the thought that the ruler should be one picked by popular vote so that he can represent the population better. However, the Shia can maintain that control through a strong army and support from Russia and China who provide them with weapons and tanks, and use that to conquer the rebelling Sunni (â€Å"Regime vs. Rebels†). Their main concern is that they believe a country can â€Å"dissent and restore order in their territory† (Regime vs. Rebels†). This ideology has plummeted Syria into chaos, because many, like the rebels, feel that the government should be of the people, and fight for that belief. The Sunni rebels fight against the Sunni every day to start a representative gov ernment, keeping Syria from achieving a stable environment for humans to fully prosper. The Muslim Brotherhood, a section of the Sunnis, first

Friday, November 22, 2019

Why the drinking age should be lowered to 18 Research Proposal

Why the drinking age should be lowered to 18 - Research Proposal Example Based on this assumption we argue that the age for drinking should be lowered to 18 years old. We will begin with evidence that opposes the lowering of the drinking age and then argue the benefits of it. Gordie Bailey Jnr had been drinking in order to impress some frat house members at his college. The boy drank until her was unconscious and it was assumed that he had 'passed out'. However, Gordie Bailey did not wake up (Roan 2008). This is an example of what terrifies the public and parents in particular. While this may not be an isolated case, and may occur more frequently but to a lesser degree, there is little control even with legislations over such situations. The 2006 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine conducted research to determine the dangers of underage drinking. The results showed that drinking from the age of around 14 leads to a 47% chance of developing a life-time dependency as opposed to only 9% after the age of 21 (Roan 2008).There appears to be rather conclusive evidence damning the use of alcohol at a young age. However, the first set of information requires the age of 14 upwards to use alcohol in order to develop dependencies, which is a whole 4 years b elow the 18 year cut off for legal alcohol use. Even if the legislature legalized the use of alcohol at age 18, the 14 year age group would still drink illegally. The Juvenile Justice Center identifies 18 years old as a critical age for mental growth and change. This period is where the brain discards tissue it has accumulated during the teenage years that is no longer necessary. This is in order to regulate and balance brain functions (JJC 2004: 2). Drug and alcohol dependencies can be developed during this time and it is noted to be critical in brain development. Despite this, teenagers evidently still use dependence forming drugs such as alcohol and crystal methamphetamines (and other drugs) illicitly. Cracking down on the drinking age does not appear to be a suitable or practical solution to the problem in any event. Some psychoanalytical studies believe that alcoholism is predisposed in people. Theorists such as Sigmund Freud and Melanie Klein relate dependencies to the oral stage of development. This is the stage where the infant is supposed to derive feelings for orally manifest articles. If this stage is deprived or not completed fully, the child develops fixations that carry to adulthood. Other arguments based on psychiatric evidence realte depression and family genetics to alcoholism rather than purely having it available for use. The DSM-IV Sourcebook is the American Psychiatric Association reference sourcebook used for diagnosis of disorders states: "The morbid risk rates for alcoholism in antisocial personality were significantly higher for relatives of patients with nonendogenous/nonmelancholic depression" (DSM-IV 1996: 217). While this does evidently not rule out the effects of underage drinking, it does explain why some youth may become dependent faster than others, if at all. There is a co-dependency of a number of variables that have to be present before a person can formally be called 'alcoholic'. A study done by Marlatt, Demming and Reid also challenged the hypothesis that alcohol abuse was pathological. Their study showed that when

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Performance Analysis in Sport (Physiological profiling) Essay

Performance Analysis in Sport (Physiological profiling) - Essay Example This helps in creating training programs that are efficient and reliable in improving the performance of soccer players (Subic, Ujihashi and Fuss, 2008). The various tests done on soccer players must reflect the fitness requirements for these players, which includes speed, flexibility, aerobic endurance and speed endurance. This paper provides the physiological profile of a soccer player, and it focuses on the profile of a striker. A good body shape, weight, body composition and height is a physiological needs that professional football players usually need. Football players usually vary in height and weight, more so when ethnic backgrounds are considered. For example, research proves that Asian players are always small in size, when they are compared to European or African players. In soccer, mid-fielders are always smaller in size, while central defenders are always taller in size. In terms of weight, research denotes that professional football players normally have an average weight of 77.7kg, while their body shape is always muscular (Burke and Deakin, 2010). The body composition of these players is very important, because too much fat will affect their ability to move fast, and jump around. This is due to too much weight in their body. On this basis, footballers must always take care on what they eat, and the nutritional composition of their diets. Football players always need to have strong muscle strength (Gamble, 2012). Due to the muscular body shape of soccer players, they need to have strength on the upper parts of their bodies. In as much as this should be the case, research denotes that most of these players lack this type of strength. This is partly because most of their training programs do not have provisions on working on their upper parts of the body. Most of these programs concentrate on the lower parts of the footballers body (Madden, 2010). Need for an anaerobic power is an important need for

Monday, November 18, 2019

Mobile tecnology services Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Mobile tecnology services - Assignment Example Vodafone Business Email, Windows Mobile Email and Blackberry from Vodafone provide business customers, ranging from small start-up companies to multinational corporates, with wireless access to their enterprise and internet based email. Vodafone live- Vodafone live! is our on-handset communications and multimedia portal, which gives you access to services like games, ringtones, news, sports and information. We are always enhancing and improving Vodafone live! to provide better and richer content and make it easier for you to access it. Vodafone live! is available over our 3G network, enabling far higher quality content and communication services, like news broadcasts, sports highlights, music videos and movie trailers. Content partners include Time Warner, News Corp, NBC, Universal and Sony. The 3G service also supports full-track music downloads. You can use your phone to listen to music, choosing from more than 750,000 music tracks to download. Agreements with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI, Universal Music, Warner Music and independent music labels secure music from some of the world's greatest artists. Vodafone live! also includes useful information services for driving directions, train and flight times and much more. The full Vodafone live! service is included with the latest Vodafone live! mobile handsets. V Vodafone to Roll Out Advanced Customer Service Directly on the Handset- The SNAPin service enables customers to navigate an on-screen visual menu of options which customers can use to answer questions or solve their problems right on the handset. Customers also have the option to connect through to the call centre, bypassing traditional IVR menus, or to get an automatic response directly on their phone. The menu can be tailored according to the needs of different customers. Roper Mobile Technology Roper Mobile Technology is the leading provider of fully rugged, highly customizable computer solutions for challenging environments. Designed from the ground up, the Company's full line of rugged mobile computing solutions include lightweight handhelds, Tablets, Ultra Mobile PCs and fixed mount computers. Roper Mobile Technology provides Customer Services through contact of Technical Support inside the website as well as a form to be filled-up by customers known as Returend Materials Authorization (RMA) MYPORTAL EXCHANGE INC. Services Offered: MyGallery - Offers a unique service of creating your own online photo album so that you won't have to consume as much phone memory. If you're the type of person who loves taking picture of just about everything using (just about any form of device but specially) a mobile phone, then you have encountered problems with your phone memory not being enough. In that case, we have the perfect solution for you! MyGallery offers a unique service of creating our own online photo album so that you won't have to consume as much phone memory. With the lastess technology, it has become a lot easier to upload pictures and download them via the Internet or WAP-enabled phones. SchoolConnect- A product that make use of SMS messaging to utilize the network of parents and students and schools. It has a wide-range of service among which are message broadcasting for example sending out to registered parents that

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The context of Church-State Relations Essay Example for Free

The context of Church-State Relations Essay This section sets the context for testing the hypotheses. Historically, church-state relationships have been a recurring and significant source of political controversy in European states. The outcomes of these controversies may be viewed in terms of the following taxonomy: the Erastian model, in which the state has assumed responsibility for the direction of the church; the liberal model, in which the state is secular and neutral in its relationships with the church(es) found in its society; the theocratic model, in which the church has achieved supremacy in religious and secular affairs; the spheres model, in which the church prevails in some spheres and the state in other spheres of society; and the anti-church model, in which the state stands in opposition to the church and seeks to curtail or eliminate religion. The Erastian model. On this model, the state seeks to organize the church as a department of the state. This model is commonly associated with the Protestant German states of the Reformation. The Erastian model confronts the problem of internal religious change, perhaps expressed in controversies over liturgy or doctrinal controversies. From the regulatory perspective, two broad responses to internal change may be taken by the Erastian state. First, the state may simply tolerate a good deal of doctrinal variation within the church viewed as a common religious house. Second, the state may seek to play the role of arbiter or imprimatur in determining the correctness of certain positions in theological disputes. Both positions run the risk of reduced credibility for both the church and the state. The liberal model. The liberal model argues for neutrality of the state in the affairs of churches. It conceives the state as one in which there is no privileged relationship between the state and any particular church. Although the liberal model has its origins in European thought, it may be argued that it has rarely been found in European countries. Few European regimes have adopted neutrality as the basis for church-state regulation. The United States is often judged to be a better example than European nations of the application of the liberal tradition to church-state relations. [14] The United States also is a nation with one of the highest rates of church attendance on either side of the North Atlantic. Does the fact that the American state constructs church-state relations as a wall of separation contribute to the apparently greater American public willingness to attend church and to attach importance to religion? Roger Finke has argued that the deregulation of churches in the United States has promoted religious individualism; that is, for an American church to survive it must attract communicants in the open market by responding to the individuals understanding of religion as one of personal conversion. [15] The theocratic model. Here the church assumes or is given a sphere of influence that embraces both religious and secular spheres. As with the state in the Erastian model, the church is supreme and so the question of the states defining boundaries does not arise. The churchs autonomy in determining public policy is not confined to its membership but embraces the broader community in which the church is located. This model may exist in regions within a state but certainly is not characteristic of nations in Europe today. The best example of a European theocracy in the last century was the Papal states in what is now modern Italy. The spheres model. This model can best be described by saying what it is not. It is not the liberal tradition or the Erastian or the theocratic. Rather, it may be described as the situation in which the society is understood as made up of competing or perhaps complementary spheres. Conflicts between the Holy Roman Emperors and religious hierarchies often reflected this battle over spheres of autonomy. Variations of this model are found in a remarkably wide range of European nations today. These range from nations that profess to be of a certain church, to others that are critical of a specific church. Samuel Krislov argues that the determination of boundaries between church and state is enormously difficult in any system that seeks to recognize separate spheres of responsibility between a church and a state. [16] It is probably useful to conceptualize the spheres model as a continuum. At one end are the Roman Catholic Churches in Ireland and in todays Poland, where the sphere of church influence is quite large and embraces many areas of public policy making. At the other end of the continuum are Scandinavian churches which have narrowly-defined spheres of influence in public policy making. The anti-church model. This final model is one in which the state is deeply critical if not in outright opposition to the church. The former regimes of Eastern Europe reflected an oppositional tradition as historically did the nineteenth and early twentieth century regimes in Mexico and in France which often sought to disestablish or to curtail church life severely. Examples of opposition include expulsion of religious orders, seizure of church resources, and prohibition of many church-sponsored activities.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Acupressure and Shiatsu :: Health Therapy Asia Papers

Acupressure and Shiatsu Massage Therapy/ Oriental methods/ Acupressure and Shiatsu The Purpose of Acupressure/ How Acupressure Works/ Claims of Acupressure/ Support of Claims/ The Purpose of Shiatsu/ How Shiatsu Works/ Claims of Shiatsu/ Support of the Claims/ Conclusion/ Tests ans Studies Massage Therapy Massage therapy is a procedure that affects all systems of the body; digestive, respiratory, lymphatic, circulatory, endocrine and the nervous system. Massage can change the blood by increasing the oxygen capacity, affect the muscles, increase the body's secretions and excretions, affect the nervous system, enhance skin condition and it affects internal organs. Massages benefit you physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Examples of such benefits are stress relief, a relaxed state, quicker recovery time and a bigger sense of self awareness. Massage aids in the circulation of blood, the movement of the lymphatic fluid, the release of toxins, the release of tension, mind/body integration, reduction of stress, energy and enhancement of all bodily systems. It was found in a study of University of Miami students that " a month's worth of massages heightened brain wave activities, decreased anxiety and helped students complete math problems in half the time and with f ewer errors." ( http://www.latimes.com:80/CNS_DAYS/980831/t000079147.html) There are many different methods of massage therapy such as traditional European massages, Contemporary western massages, Structual/Movement/Functional/Integration massages, oriental methods and energetic methods. Oriental Methods " The goal of oriental medicine is to diagnose the nature of imbalance- to discern the 'pattern of disharmony', not to diagnose the name of the disease. There is a saying ' illness is goodness'. Health is balance- illness is a signal of imbalance, and of the body's action to regain that balance." (http://www.shiatsucanada.com/shiatsu/oriental.htm) Oriental methods are taken from the fundamentals of Chinese medicine which are based on flow of energy or chi through the meridians. The oriental way of thinking is the yin and yang. Therefore, the oriental view of good health is when there is a balance between the yin and the yang. The yin is cold, dark and interior while the yang is warm, light and exterior. Despite the fact that they are complete opposites, the Orientals view them as one. " They create each other, define each other, control each other and transform into each other." ( http://www.shiatsucanada.com/shiatsu/oriental.htm) Health includes one's physical, spiritual and emotional roles.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Human Resource Challenges and Practices in IT Industry

Proceedings of the 5th National Conference; INDIACom-2011 Computing For Nation Development, March 10 – 11, 2011 Bharati Vidyapeeth? s Institute of Computer Applications and Management, New Delhi Human Resource Challenges & Practices in IT Industry Rakesh S. Patil1, Varsha Patil2 and Pratibha Waje 3 1 Head and 3Lecturer 1,3 Sir Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Chincholi (Sinner) Nashik-422 101 (MS) 2 SNG Institute of Management & Technology, Rajgurunagar, Pune (MS) 1 [email  protected] com and [email  protected] om ABSTRACT The need of organizations for people and people for organizations will be more difficult to satisfy in the today’s competitive business environment. Organization’s competitive advantage could be generated from human resources (HR) and organization performance is influenced by a set of effective HRM practices. Software is a wealth and job creating industry, which has in just a few years, grown to US $ 1 trillion, employing millions of p rofessionals worldwide. The Indian software industry has burgeoned, showing a nearly 50% compounded annual growth rate over the recent years.Being a knowledge-based industry, a high intellectual capital lends competitive advantage to a firm. With a global explosion in market-opportunities in the IT sector, the shortage of manpower both in numbers and skills is a prime challenge for HR professionals. The related issues are varied indeed: recruitment of world-class workforce and their retention, compensation and career planning, technological obsolescence and employee turnover. This paper explains the HR challenges and practices in software Industries. KEYWORDS HRM, IT,HR Strategy, Services 1. INTRODUCTION The economy has transitioned to what some call „The Age of Information? an economy in which gross domestic product is increasingly dominated by services. Services permeate every aspect of our lives. We use transportation services; restaurant services; hotels; electricity and t elephones; postal, courier and maintenance services; services of hairdressers; services of public relations and advertising firms; lawyers; physicians; dentists; stockbrokers and insurance agents; movie theatres; and swimming pools . When we do buy goods, such as new car or a washing machine, we often still rely on services to keep them running and repair them when they break down.Services allow us to budget our time as well as our money. â€Å"The twentieth century was the age of machine; the twenty-first century will be the age of people† Buzzwords like globalization, empowerment, cross functional teams, downsizing, learning organizations and knowledge workers are changing the way of life of managers and the way they manage people. 2. STRATEGIES & POLICIES OF SOFTWARE INDUSTRIES: 1. Motivation & Retention of Employees Retention and motivation of personnel are major HR concerns today.People a Gartner group company specializing in management of human capital in IT organizatio ns has observed that the average tenure for an IT professional is less than three years. Further, the use of new technologies, the support of learning and training, and a challenging environment ranked higher than competitive pay structures as effective retention practices. Our own recent survey of 1028 software professionals from 14 Indian software companies, showed that while the professional gave importance to personal and cultural job-fit, HR managers believed that the key to retention was salary and career satisfaction.Money was a prime motivator for ‘starters', but for those into their third or fourth jobs, their value-addition to the organization was more important. Monetarily, offering ‘the best salaries in industry' is the minimum every company is doing, apart from performancebased bonuses, long-service awards, and stock options. Many organizations frequently conduct employee satisfaction and organization climate surveys, and are setting up Manpower Allocation C ells (MAC) to assign ‘the right project to the right person'.In fact, some are even helping employees with their personal and domestic responsibilities to satisfy & motivate their workforce! 2. Best Talent Attraction In a tight job market, many organizations often experience precipitous and simultaneous demands for the same kinds of professionals. In their quest for manpower, they are cajoling talent around the world. In such a seller's market, software companies are striving to understand which organizational, job, and reward factors contribute to attracting the best talent one having the right blend of technical and person-bound skills.This would mean a knowledge of ‘the tools of the trade' combined with conceptualization and communication skills, capacity for analytical and logical thinking, leadership and team building, creativity and innovation. The Indian software industry suffers from a shortage of experienced people such as systems analysts and project managers, and attracting them is a key HR challenge. 3. Compensation and Reward Increasing demands of technology coupled with a short supply of professionals (with the requisite expertise) has increased the costs of delivering the technology.This makes incentive compensation a significant feature, with the result that software Copy Right  © INDIACom-2011 ISSN 0973-7529 ISBN 978-93-80544-00-7 Proceedings of the 5th National Conference; INDIACom-2011 companies have moved from conventional pay-for-time methods to a combination of pay-for-knowledge and pay-forperformance plans. With the determinants of pay being profit, performance and value-addition, emphasis is now on profit sharing (employee stock option plans) or performance-based pay, keeping in view the long-term organizational objectives rather than short-term production-based bonuses.Skills, competencies, and commitment supercede loyalty, hard work and length of service. This pressurizes HR teams to devise optimized compensation package s, although compensation is not the motivator in this industry. 4. Increasing loyalty and commitment As with any other professional, what really matters to software professionals is selecting ‘the best place to work with', which is what every company is striving to be. The global nature of this industry, and the ‘project-environment' has added new cultural dimensions to these firms.In a value-driven culture, values are determined and shared throughout the organization. Typically, areas in which values are expressed are: performance, competence, competitiveness, innovation, teamwork, quality, customer service, and care and consideration for people. Flat structure, open and informal culture, authority based on expertise and ability rather than position, and flexi-timings are some of the norms software firms follow. The idea is to make the work place a ‘fun place' with the hope of increasing loyalty and commitment. 5.The Demand Supply Gap Shortage of IT professionals is global in nature and not peculiar to the Indian software industry alone. W. Strigel, founder of Software Productivity Centre Inc. (1999) has projected the shortage of software professionals to be one million by 2006. In fact, a survey reports that 75 per cent of US companies planned to reengineer their applications using newer technologies, but found that 72 per cent of their existing staff lacked the skills needed in these technologies, and 14 per cent were not even retrainable. Graph No. 1.Annual demand for IT Professionals For India, it is predicted that in the year 2004 itself, the IT sector will need 1,95,000 professionals. This trend will continue, and in the year 2010 almost 3,70,000 IT professionals will be required (Strategic Review Reports, NASSCOM 19962001). Consequently, recruitment managers are exploring new sources of IT manpower from non-IT professional sectors, as well fresh, trainable science graduates. 6. Integrating HR strategy with Business Strategy The strate gic HR role focuses on aligning HR practices with business strategy.The HR professional is expected to be a strategic partner contributing to the success of business plans, which to a great extent depend on HR policies pertaining to recruitment, retention, motivation, and reward. The other major areas of concern for HR personnel in this context are, management of change, matching resources to future business requirements, organizational effectiveness, and employee development. 7. Encouraging Quality and Customer focus Today? s corporate culture needs to actively support quality and customer orientation.With globalization and rapid technological change, quality is of utmost importance for the Indian companies, which earn most of their revenues through exports. Hence, the HR professional as a strategic partner needs to encourage a culture of superior quality to ensure customer satisfaction, the only real measure of quality of a product or service. To be competitive today, an organizat ion needs to be customer responsive. Responsiveness includes innovation, quick decision-making, leading an industry in price or value, and effectively linking with suppliers and vendors to build a value chain for customers.Employee attitudes correlate highly with customer attitude. The shift to a customer focus redirects attention from the firm to the value chain in which it is embedded. HR practices within a firm should consequently be extended to suppliers and customers outside the firm. 8. Value Addition training for up-gradation of Skills Rapid and unpredictable technological changes, and the increased emphasis on quality of services are compelling software businesses to recruit adaptable and competent employees.Software professionals themselves expect their employers provide them with all the training they may need in order to perform not only in their current projects, but also in related ones that they may subsequently hold within the organization. As observed by Watts Humphr ey, Fellow of the Carnegie Mellon University, â€Å"as software professionals gain competence, they do not necessarily gain motivation. This is because a creative engineer or scientist who has learned how to accomplish something has little interest in doing it again.Once they have satisfied their curiosity, they may abruptly lose interest and seek an immediate change†. And when the rate of technological change is high may be higher than the time required to acquire competence in one area professionals could undergo psychological turbulence owing to the need to work in a new technology throughout their career. They want to gain new knowledge, which will be utilized by their organization. On the basis of the new learning they want to work in higher segments of software value chain. Therefore, constant up-Copy Right  © INDIACom-2011 ISSN 0973-7529 ISBN 978-93-80544-00-7 Human Resource Challenges & Practices in IT Industry gradation of employee skills poses yet another challeng e for HR personnel. 3. CHALLENGES FOR IT INDUSTRY: The main challenges to the IT Industry are i. Recruitment planning ii. Performance management iii. Training and development iv. Compensation management v. HRM as whole 1. Recruitment Planning: Recruitment planning is most important component in new people management with special reference to IT industry.We have to deal with human assets so it becomes important and have good quality of people in the organization. We have to take the recruitment planning in very serious manner to ensure that we can get best talent in the organization. 2. Performance management: Now the challenges how to manage the performance of your employees. You have to get right person in a organization to manage your business. The challenge should be to create a performance culture where you can provide opportunities for enhance performance, where optimum performance becomes a way life. 3.Training and development: This is another challenging area in IT industry. We have to chalk out a suitable strategy for training & development so that employees are well equipped to handle the challenges in advance. 4. Compensation management: The IT industry is one of the high paying industries. This is very competitive industry, we have to attract best talent, offer best possible compensation package to the employees. Now IT companies are having ESOP with the compensation package. But the really challenge should be how we are able to incorporate all the subsystems in HR.Ultimately this would help the organization for achieving exceptional performance. People have to be groomed to get in with the performance culture. We have to create an environment that stimulates the creation of knowledge, its sustenance will be the challenge for IT companies in the future. HR department cannot function with traditional systems. Now the role will shift to HR facilitator, to facilitate change process. HR facilitator will have to involve the whole organization in this pro cess and act as a guide, coach, counselor and facilitator.Any organization in the IT industry will have to face these challenges like Infosys, Satyam, Pentafour, DSQ Software, Micro soft India, Intel India. These IT companies are leaders in their own stride. They have excellent recruitment policies, huge data bank, and placement agencies. They are also having rigorous tests to ensure that they can get high profile talent that will fit in their culture. They have best performance system that evaluates the organization as whole. They have been able to tackle the quantum of performance with fairly efficient manner.The prime tasks for these IT companies are to build corporate culture. They are diverting all the efforts to build performance driven culture. The major issue for these companies to get right man for right job. We have to find person with the required skills, experiences, mindsets, and also he must be suitable for these organizations. 5. Attrition and Retention: IT companies are having high degree of attrition. The challenges for these companies are to keep this attrition rate as low as possible. Various companies adopt different techniques to retain their employees like high pay packets, ESOP, other benefits.So we have to keep this attrition rate as low as possible to retain super achievers. CONCLUSION With the advent of a work situation where more and more companies are having to concede that their valued employees are leaving them, a new concept of career and human resource management is bound to emerge. The focus of this new paradigm should not only be to attract, motivate and retain key ‘knowledge workers', but also on how to reinvent careers when the loyalty of the employees is to their ‘brain ware' rather than to the organization.With lifetime employment in one company not on the agenda of most employees, jobs will become short term. Today's hightech employees desire a continuous up-gradation of skills, and want work to be exciting an d entertaining a trend that requires designing work systems that fulfill such expectations. As employees gain greater expertise and control over their careers, they would reinvest their gain back into their work. HR practitioners must also play a proactive role in software industry. As business partners, they need to be aware of business strategies, and the opportunities and threats facing the organization.As strategists, HR professionals require to achieve integration and fit to an organization's business strategy. As interventionists, they need to adopt an allembracing approach to understanding organizational issues, and their effect on people. Finally, as innovators, they should introduce new processes and procedures, which they believe will increase organizational effectiveness REFERENCES [1]. Noe, R. A. , Hollenbeck, J. R. , Gerhart, B. and Patrick, P. M. (2007) â€Å"Human Resource Management: Gaining aCompetitive Advantage†, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. 2]. Prasad, K. (2005) â€Å"Strategic Human Resource Management: Text and Cases†, Macmillan India Ltd. , New Delhi. [3]. Kandula,Srinivas R. (2003) â€Å"Human Resource Management in practice with 300 models : Techniques and Tools†, Sage, Delhi [4]. Rao T. V. , Rao Raju, and Yadav Tara. (2001). â€Å"A Study of HRD concepts, structure of HRD Copy Right  © INDIACom-2011 ISSN 0973-7529 ISBN 978-93-80544-00-7 Proceedings of the 5th National Conference; INDIACom-2011 [5]. [6]. [7]. [8]. [9]. [10]. [11]. [12]. [13]. [14]. [15]. epartments, and HRD practices in India†, Vikalpa, ol 261, No. 1, Jan. -Mar Page 49-62. Siekel Tom. (2002). â€Å"After CRM, it’s ERM: Employee Relationship Management Indian Management†, Vol. 41, Issue 9, July p. 38 Storey J. (ed. ) (1989). â€Å"New Perspectives in Human Resource Management†, Routledge, London, p. 114. Truss Catherine. (2001). â€Å"Shifting the paradigm in Human Resource Management: From the resource based view to c omplex adaptive system†. Published in a Research Paper on Human Resource Management by Kingston Business School, Kingston University Thite, M. 2004) â€Å"Managing People in the New Economy: Targeted HR Practices that Persuade People to Unlock their Knowledge Power†, Response Books, New Delhi. Truss, C. (2001) â€Å"Complexities and Controversies in Linking HRM with Organizational Outcomes† Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 38, No. 8. Walker, J. W. and Stopper, W. G. (2000) â€Å"Developing Human Resource Leaders† Human Resource Planning, Vol. 23, No. 1, p. 38-44. Webb, J. (2004) â€Å"Putting Management Back into Performance: A Handbook for Managers and Supervisors†, Allen & Unwin, Australia.Joynt, P. and Morton, B. (2005) â€Å"The Global HR Manager: Creating the Seamless Organization†, Jaico Publishing House, Mumbai. Jyothi, P. and Venkatesh, D. N. (2006) â€Å"Human Resource Management†, Oxford University Press, New Delhi. Kandol a, R. and Fullerton, J. (1994) â€Å"Managing the Mosaic: Diversity in Action†, IPD, London. Kandula, S. R. (2004), â€Å"Human Resource Management in Practice: With 300 Models, Techniques and Tools†, Prentice Hall of India Private Limited, New Delhi. Copy Right  © INDIACom-2011 ISSN 0973-7529 ISBN 978-93-80544-00-7

Saturday, November 9, 2019

A Life In The Day Of (creative writing)

My mother knocks. The door opens. Bright light blasts into my consciousness; I cannot see. I leap out of bed to reduce the longing to return and the cold hits me like a slap. As you can probably tell, I am not a morning person – I never have been. I have learnt to hate them over the years. We have never had heating on until Mid-November because my parents insist that they can't afford to heat the whole house. This makes mornings a nightmare! Once I'm up, I can just about manage. I dress and eat breakfast to music. Music is a significant thing for me. My parents used to be in a band together and my mother is still trying to get a record-deal. She always likes to think of herself as a young and trendy mum. She is really into the house and garage music scene, but me†¦I'm a different story. Everyone in my family has opposite views on music. My mother and one of my little sisters, Heidi, like pop and garage music. My father, my youngest sister, and I like rock and Heavy Metal. This causes terrible arguments over what to listen to in the car or whilst eating dinner. However, the one band that we all agree on is Nirvana. I am a massive fan of Nirvana and have flags and posters of them all over my room. This is why I listen to Nirvana in the mornings – because nobody minds. By the time I get to school, I am (almost) fully awake. I have to walk to the station and get the train to school so I arrive at school feeling like I've been up for ages. Once I get my brain in gear it doesn't slow down. I constantly think – about everything! I occasionally come out with a random comment, completely off the subject because I've been thinking about it while everyone else is speaking. People have therefore got the impression that I'm slightly mindless because I never know what people are talking about. Although I don't like to admit it, I am fascinated by Philosophy. It takes up much of my precious thinking time. How can anyone not be fascinated by everything around them? Everyone takes so much for granted – like life. What is it? What is reality? Even simple things like how do I know that the table in front of me exists – how can I prove it? All this fascinates me. When I am an adult, I want to work with people's minds. I would like to be a phyciatrist or a therapist. I don't believe that anyone is born evil or with a mental disorder. If they are, I believe that their condition can be resolved. Everyone is capable of leading a perfectly normal life if they have a fully functional brain. Maybe I could help a lot of people solve their problems and make life more enjoyable for them. As I sit in my lessons, I try to comprehend everything I'm told. I think the best method of revision is not to have colourful post-its on every page. I refuse to use anything like that because no matter how exciting you try to make a boring subject – it will still be boring. Instead I go through the year trying to understand what I am taught as I am taught it. If you read through the textbook before the exam and try to understand everything it says, it is a lot better than frantically trying to memorise a list of words and numbers. Lunchtime approaches and I anticipate the bell. Lessons can be enjoyable but I'm starving. Lunchtime symbolises a period of time where I have no excuse but to socialise. That is one of the few things in life I find really hard because I lack self-confidence. People find it strange that I always have a tissue with me. My parents think it is like a comfort blanket for me. I think so too. My life at the moment is torn between work and play; it is really hard to juggle both. In order to keep your friends, (if friends they are) you have to seem as if you don't care about work – even if you do. In lessons when they try to disrupt you, you can't tell them to be quiet because that will show that you are really interested. Instead, you have to grit your teeth and pretend you are listening to both teacher and friend. I've found that if you nod occasionally to your friend, they will get bored after a while. Actually during the lunch break there is another crisis. How can you ever know what to talk about? I am fine when I'm in a one to one – but in a group, like at lunch, I panic! However, I can often be an extrovert. I survive in crowds by encouraging them to laugh at me. If I intend for them to laugh at me, it can't humiliate me but if I try to get people to laugh with me, I could be confronted with an uncomfortable silence. I enjoy making people laugh now and I have acquired an image with some people as being almost like a comedian or a clown. I enjoy this image and it boosts my self-confidence. I don't mind being laughed at if I am hoping that my thoughts will be funny to someone. Some people laugh at me because I feel so strongly about things that don't matter to many others. I find now, in secondary school, people don't often laugh cruelly and make fun of you. I don't have to worry as much about what people think of me. I like that. I am usually in a good mood when I start the afternoon of lessons. That is, if my confidence hasn't failed me during lunch and I ended up sitting alone. The afternoon lessons usually shoot by and it's three-thirty before I know it. I pack my bag to go home with eagerness and set off for the station. Usually, all the way home we get caught up in one debate or another. Once, we started discussing the theory of relativity and what it was. That debate didn't finish until nine o'clock that night because one of us had to look it up in Britannica. I am usually the loudest member of these debates because I have an opinion on almost everything. When I get home and I've finished my homework, I usually start reading. I have always enjoyed reading and have now become quite fast at it. This is not only a chance for me to relax, but also a chance for me to get lost in a different world where I shrink into insignificance. I love to read fantasy books where there are exciting adventures. ‘Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkein is probably my favourite. There are four adventures all rolled into one and a completely new world is created where even the people are different. Without reading and music, I could never switch off. They give me new things to think about. I am a very emotional person and I let myself become totally involved in any task at hand. When I read a book, I am really there. When I listen to music, I can do whatever I like. My life becomes unimportant and I can forget about my problems and concentrate on other things. I get ready to sleep, and wonder what my life will become. My one ambition is to go to Africa or Brazil, and help disadvantaged families there get themselves out of the well of poverty. Why does it really matter if a good friend of mine decides that she doesn't care about me any more? Who cares about my self-confidence levels? I just hope that I can make a positive difference in the world somewhere. I know I will someday, nothing else matters. I can't just sit and pray for people because I am an atheist. At last, I drift off into mindless slumber, in my safe and insulated world of duvet.