Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Cold War Essay - 1029 Words

When one hears the common phrase, â€Å"The only good commie is a dead one,† the Cold War comes to mind. This war, cold because of no direct violence towards each country, was a major contribution to future wartime diplomacy. The clever Americans used many tactics to create a â€Å"cold† war that would benefit them in every aspect. The fear of communism consuming smaller countries exaggerated the possibility that America’s economy could be jeopardized. Politicians also helped guarantee anti-communist principles in the United States. Imitating the government, the media and other political figures helped create a frenzy of fear. The United States was more to blame for the Cold War than the Soviet Union. After World War II, the French, the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"According to the domino theory, if the United States declined to fight †¦ , other countries would lose their faith in America’s will (or their fear of American power) and wo uld tumble one after the other like ‘dominoes’ into the Soviet camp† (The American Pageant, 881). This illustrates how the United States wanted to fight to protect their economy, and to globalize it. Communism, an disease in the Soviet Camp, posed an economic threat to the United States because it would take away the globalization of trade. The United States established themselves as the anticommunist patrol through the Truman Doctrine, who combated the spread of communism by influencing and improving the economy of countries who were swaying towards communism. This economic aid was a disguise for America imposing capitalistic values. The United States chose to fight what they saw as a harmful threat, provoking the start of the Cold War. Politicians had an important role in creating half-truths that painted the communists a deeper, and darker red color. This ideology was greatly influenced by the principles outlined by George F. Kennan, a diplomat and Soviet specialist. After much research, Kennan showed that the Soviet Union was prone to expansion. Kennan believed that the United States could prevent the Soviet Union from expanding if they â€Å"contained† them and used force as a last resort (The American Pageant, 869). â€Å"The American overreaction to itsShow MoreRelatedThe War Of The Cold War1644 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cold War was a state of political and military tension stemming from World War II fought primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union. Although the start and end dates of the Cold War are frequently disputed over, it is generally accepted that the conflict started at the conclusion of the Second World War and stemmed from the social climate and lingering tensions in Euro pe and the increasing power struggles between the Soviet Union and the United States. Along with economic separationRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesOne major war ended and another to begin. The Cold war lasted about 45 years. There were no direct military campaigns between the United States and Soviet Union. However, billions of dollars and millions of lives were lost. The United States emerged as the greatest power from World War 2. (Give Me Liberty 896) The country boasted about having the most powerful navy and air force. The United states accounted for about half of the world’s manufacturing capacity, which it alone created the atomic bombRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War757 Words   |  4 PagesAs tensions continued to augment profoundly throughout the latter half of the Cold War period, they brought forth a movement from a previous bipolar conflicting course, to one of a more multipolar nature. These tensions were now not only restricted to the Soviet Union and United states, but amongst multiple other nations of the globe. It became a general consensus that a notion of ‘peace’ was sought globally, hence, the emergence of dà ©tente. The nature of this idea in the short term conveyed itselfRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War961 Words   |  4 Pages1945, beginning year of the Cold War. The development of cold war just started after the end of world War ||. The cold war was the result of conflict between two powerful country Soviet Union and United State. The war was regarding to the lead the world after the World War ||. The Soviet Union wanted to emerge its power to the world and so do the United States too. The research paper mainly focused on various reasons of opposition of two great power of the world Soviets and United States of AmericaRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe U.S. learned greatly after having been declared the victor of the Cold War. Retired four-star U.S. Ar my general Colin Powell said, â€Å"The long bitter years of the Cold War are over. America and her allies have won; totally, decisively, and overwhelmingly† (Reed 343). The Cold War started after World War II in 1947 and ended in 1991. The U.S. underwent a political war with the Soviet Union in hopes of advancing more rapidly in certain fields, such as nuclear weapons and space crafts. Avoiding nuclearRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War886 Words   |  4 Pagesin an infamous battle against ideologies: The Cold War. Even though war took place during this time, both powers were not involved in battle directly, hence the name cold war. The war mainly consisted of assumed and implied threats of nuclear attacks and political control over states in Europe. Even before 1945, the beginning of the Cold War, tension brewed between the U.S and the U.S.S.R. Both sides had differing views on Europe s state after the war. For instance, programs like the Marshall PlanRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War Essay1075 Words   |  5 PagesDuring World War II, the United States, Britain, and Russia all worked together to take down Hitler. Although after the war, the coordination between the U.S. and Russia became extremely tense which inevitably lead to the Cold War. The U.S. was worried that Russia would spread communism after World War II. Russia was concerned with the U.S. arms increase and intervention in international affairs. The distrust between the two nations resulted in the Cold war which lasted until 1991. In 1946, WinstonRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War was a result of what happened at the end of World War 2. At the end of World War 2, the Soviets held a grudge against the U.S for their delayed entrance in the World War resulting in deaths of thousands of Russians resulting in the appearance of the Cold War .The Cuban Missile Crisis was a significant flashpoint in the Cold War because it was the moment two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict. This crisis, while posing the very real threat of global annihilation, also led toRead MoreThe War Of The Cold War942 Words   |  4 PagesFeelings Do Matter At the close of World War Two in 1945, the United States entered another kind of war, the Cold War, which did not involve two adversaries in open battle fields using bullets against the Soviet Union. Throughout the Cold War, incidents fueled feelings of anxiety, mistrust and pride. Often pride is defined as â€Å"a feeling that you are more important or better than other people† (Pride). Mistrust on the other hand is the â€Å"feeling that someone is not honest and cannot be trusted†,Read MoreThe War Of The Cold War1737 Words   |  7 Pages Cold War The Cold War, which is often dated from 1945 to 1989, was a constant state of political and military tension between powers in the West, dominated by the United States with NATO among its allies, and powers in the East, dominated by the Soviet Union along with the Warsaw Pact. The development of Nuclear Weapons and long range shooting missiles by the United States gave a lot of fear and caused mass destruction. The Cold War came about after World War II when America used their atomic bombs

Monday, December 16, 2019

Social Disorganization Free Essays

Social disorganization is a breakdown of the structure of the relationship between peoples their environment due to the loss of the process that regulates a community or society’s behavior. Social disorganization can be directly linked with the rates of crime in an area. Social disorganization destroys the social institutions already in place. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Disorganization or any similar topic only for you Order Now This attributes to the disorganization by social isolation, job loss, social change, poverty, alienation, and conflict through intimidation or influence of a particular group. Social disorganization contributes to organized crime through corruption and influence. An organized crime group uses tactics to persuade the thoughts and idea of legitimate businesses or people in a community. Organized crime groups target those that are poverty stricken, hopeless, in need of certain services, thrive off of greed, have other influences in a community, and are easily persuaded to obtain social control with the ultimate goal of social destruction which assures these groups will continue to profit and thrive.Historically social disorder is more prevalent then in years past. Society had stronger moral standards then people today. If the environmental structure is broken then crime has the opportunity to evolve which gives organized crime social control. If society is unorganized and we have no order, this provides the perfect opportunity for organized crime to intrude. As we discussed in past posts, people tend to cling to the things that make them most comfortable. Financial security makes most of us feel at easy. This is how organized crime cuts into that unsure feeling we sometimes exhibit.Organized crime groups use finance and power as a bargaining chip in these areas. The organized crime group can step into a community and provide product as well as the ability for those in poverty to find some type of success unreachable through conventional means. Social disorganization 3 An area where there is a lack of production but a great need for the product, individuals will be more inclined to get involved in production of an illegal item to make a profit. As the demand for a service or production grows the criminal organization will evolve. Organized crime groups have no regard for community safety or those affected by their actions unless it involves people in their inner circle. Therefore, when there is moral breakdown crime increases and organized crime activity flourish. Without stable organization or control Organized crime groups will continue to use the people in communities to carry out their various activates. Social disorganization leading to organized crime can come from familial deterioration where individuals willing to join an organized group or gangs as a replacement family to belong to.Once there is a connection with this new â€Å"family† the criminal acts begin. If the lack of family or community support is prevalent, this makes it easier for organized crime groups to gain the control they need to keep the community in their grip. Political machines and social disorganization assist the development of organized crime through control. The object here is to gain community support by dominating a voting process. Often politicians attempting to be elected will provide favors to businesses within the community in exchange for votes.Leaders of such machines have great influence over those that control the communities. Those influenced can be union leaders, judges, mayors, prosecutors, police officers, commissioners, and other city leaders. The goal has the long standing thinking of â€Å"I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine†. If a person or group votes the way suggested by such groups they are allotted preferential treatment. Social disorganization 4 For example, groups that contributed to the machine might receive government contracts, favorable tax treatment, and prompt municipal services. Those that refused would often be harassed with the hope they too will vote as expected. Another example could be contract bidding; the goal is to get a committee to vote to give a certain group a large paying contract. The particular group may help a person or business with financial support with the assurance that when the contract comes into vote they will have that person or business support to gain that contract. Mirroring the barter system this country has used for many years is the same with the development of organized crime groups; the only difference is there are illegal means used to obtain service. How to cite Social Disorganization, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Proper Management of the Business Organizations

Question: Explain the proper management of the business organizations. Answer: Proper management of the business organizations with the help of attaining the commitment of the employees is one of the most important aspects required for the growth of the organizations. In case of the Calgary Oil shale Technologies, (COST), the company employed many highly skilled professionals. The company excelled in providing intense assistance to the energy companies in order to gain higher productivity from the oil shale formations. Highly skilled engineers, geophysicists, geologists and the usage of the sophisticated technology have made the company achieve its growth (Afzal 2012). However, amid such strong factors of production that were harnessed by the company, disputes persisted among the workforce. Disturbances with respect to the maintenance of morality and certain aspects of productivity constituted the major problems of the COST. The employment of the skilled and semi- skilled employees in the company and their combined operations often gave rise to frequent clashes between these two groups in the company. This occurred due to the lack of integrated management and absence of the supervisors to develop and maintain the specific roles and responsibilities of the employees (Aziri et al 2014). Thus, in order to resolve such problems, the company undertook certain measures and decidedly appointed Algoma Howard who had experienced success at various points of time in coordinating people at working at various organizations. She had proven her skills in supervising and forming teams who would work together towards a common goal (Al et al. 2014). Algoma Howard also found it very pleasing and easy to coordinate the workforce at COST. The company, thus, relied upon her ability to bring the workers together, so that they can understand the importance of the team spirit and increase their efficiency as well as the commitment towards the organization (Christiansen and Sezerel 2013). Howard felt quite lucky in after joining the Alberta office or the field operations site of COST under the governance of Martin Bouchard, the president and CEO of COST. At COST, he came into contact with another very well experienced person Debrito, who did serve the company for a very long period. Debrito who possessed much knowledge regarding almost all the departments proved to be a great help to Howard (Danesh et al. 2012). Howard along with Debrito and his 26 years of experience at COST made had commenced making plans for undertaking the pilot project at Alberta location of the company. Debrito after serving the company for so many long years had a good understanding and experience about the issues that afflicted the employees engaged both in the technical and field or non-technical sides of the business (Harper 2015). Therefore, this made it very much possible for Howard to proceed in his plans and activities with much confidence. Howard and Debrito together investigated the si tuation and decided to bring the three kinds of functional groups that operated at the Alberta operations site of the company. These three functional groups worked at various sectors of the company. One of them worked at the operations unit, the other formed the below ground group and the group of equipment maintenance (Griffin 2013). The operations group consisted of the employees who were engaged with the logging of the equipments. The below ground group consisted of the workers, mainly the engineers, geophysicists and the geologists who directed the workers involved at digging or drilling. The third group consisted of the employees those who were engaged on call; they were the equipment maintenance people (Holsapple 2013). The first step implemented by Howard and Debrito was the fireside chats that attempted to bring the employees close together. These fireside chats were organized by these two supervisors on monthly basis during the late afternoons, so that the employees from different units can come together and have a discussion over the matters of concern. These fireside chats were held in the cafeteria, so that the employees could gather together and have tea and some snacks along with the conversation. These sessions in the very beginning were assumed to be much of the casual sessions , and only a few engineers wandered about in the cafeteria and enjoyed the snacks. By seeing this condition, Debrito who was much known about the condition of the company and the workforce took the first stance (Giacalone et al.2013). On noticing those engineers hovering around, he started the meeting by arranging four chairs around a fireplace created by him. Thus, in this way the entire aspect regarding the firesi de chats were being carried out by Carlos and Howard and were taken a bit seriously by the workforce. However, such sessions did give rise to disputes among the workers who focused more on the personal issues rather on the business related matters (Pullen and Rhodes 2013). Both Carlos and Debrito , after noticing such issues, introduced rules of engagement, by which they notified that only the business or job related matters should be brought to notice, rather than the personal. Those who would priority to the personal rather than the business related issues would himself take the responsibility of solving it (Bellamy 2015). Gradually, by the virtue of excessive efforts and contributions made both by Carlos and Howard, the fireside chats that were optional and attracted very less people started gaining importance (Rahn 2014). The employees had begun taking those sessions as much valuable for them and for solving their problem. Most of the problems got resolved through these sessions. The workers placed their problems during those sessions and steps were taken Debrito and Carlos, the two supervisors assisted them in solving their problems. These changes were noticeable within about six months. As for instance, one of the employees reported and put forth the complain regarding a specific piece of equipment that could not be operated properly during the cold weather and contamination caused by sand (Menzel 2012). At this, Debrito took immediate step and asked a maintenance engineer to resolve the issue. The engineer proposed new configuration for the machine that would suit the changes in the weather conditions, and thus the problem was resolved. Carlos and Debrito with the success of the fireside chats proceeded to introduce their new venture, that was the official problem busting teams. These problem busting teams were the temporary teams that were formed by involving the individual employees from the three functional areas, namely, the operational, below ground and the equipment maintenance team. Theses temporary teams were led by their team leaders or supervisors, who were typically the first-line supervisors (Lyneis 2012). These team leaders who were appointed for presiding over the temporary teams of the problem busting teams shared various leadership techniques with the team members that helped in solving the problems and through their prudent decision making capabilities brought solutions to the issues that cropped up among the workers. Mr. Martin Bouchard had at this point of time ordered the teams that were formed for a temporary time limit, to solve their problems within certain cost limits so that the cost of prod uction can be maintained along with solving the problems of the employees. Thus, in such a case, Debrito and Howard had to supervise these teams and the team members as the management approval was not available in a proper manner. Besides, this management related problem, there arose the quandary regarding the matters related to the positions at the company (Yasir et al. 2014). Although a team spirit had been built by the efforts of the two supervisors, complete accomplishment of the aim in its true sense was still remaining at this time. Some of the engineers resented and denied working together with the personnel and on the other hand, those who were in the managerial positions felt it against their dignity to discuss and take assistance in the decision making procedures from the workers who were at the lower positions. All such problems were not easy to tackle and the aim was to manage and bring all these into an integrated state. At this point of time, Howard who had prior exper ience in terms of building the cooperation among the teams and managing them wisely, suggested Carlos that they must apply the method of connect ion ladder that he had once seen to be used in hospital nursing. This connection ladder served as the medium for them to detect the areas where the individual team members had been connected or disconnected with the entire process c carried out by the team. This would in turn help them to take certain steps in order to enhance the commitment of the workers towards the company by encouraging their individual aims and deciding solutions for the matters that created the discomfort. All such efforts and dedication of the Howard and Carlos did wonders and the problem busting teams started working well and produced good results. The problems or the issues that arose among the employees during the fireside chats, were taken up evaluated by the team leaders of the problem busting team s and solutions were formed. Therefore, in this way the two initiators of the teams succeeded in the enrichment of the companys employee and management relationship. The continuation of this process gave rise to several the permanent cross-functional teams. The professional and the hourly workers together discussed the issues among themselves and the fireside chats continued. Hockey sessions were organized during this time, and were served and organized by Howard and Carlos. Such sessions made it possible for both of them to bring the entire organization of the Albert in an integrated position. Thus, it becomes evident that Debrito and Howard together proved to be the efficient supervisors who by trusting upon the capabilities of the employees and their efforts strived to strengthen the team work at the Alberta location. As and when Howard and her team members or the entire leadership who were upholding this responsibility were sent to the Colorado office to implement these plans and strategies that were incorporated successfully at the Alberta location, Howard found it quite difficult to manage the workforce at Colorado. Thus, the entire team, especially Howard felt alone without the company and assistance of Carlos Debrito. Debrito played a very important role at Alberta in providing aid to Howard and the other members of the entire process. Debrito having the experience of about 26 years in the company and being aware of the employees and their concerns was much more able to extend leadership and taking certain initiatives to bring the team members close together and work cooperatively. The problems faced by the employees were much more known to Debrito that made him much confident to form decisions about forming the teams. The company or the branch that was present at Colorado was also facing the problems that the operations site at the Alberta location was facing before the appropriate strategies were implemented at the Alberta site. However, when Howard and his team members or the leadership had been sent to the Colorado branch to accomplish the same, Howard to her surprise found that it was not so easy to tackle the employees in the company of Colorado. Howard and his team trained the personnel at Colorado to develop the team spirit, but in vain. The fireside chats and the problem busting teams were also formed in Colorado by the efforts of Howard, but the employees of this location hardly showed any kind of interest in such sessions that could have provided better results as it did in the Alberta location. Softball games sessions were also introduced by Howard and his supportive team members, employees were bribed by them by providing different delicacies or the food items, nevertheless all the pains taken by them did not produce satisfactory results in the Colorado fac ility (Storey 2014). At this point of time, when the lessons learned at Alberta, the ground rules and the freewheeling sessions that were implemented effectively at the Colorado branch proved unsuccessful and Howards team was facing immense pressure from the top executives and management, Howard felt the intense need of Carlos Debrito. Yes, it is really a fact that if Carlos and Howard would have worked together at the Colorado facility, they together could have studied the entire process and issues of the Colorado branch and after evaluation devised new methodologies of managing the working staff at the Colorado facility of the COST (Rahn 2014). Carlos Debrito , being an experienced worker employee who worked in the company( COST) for more than 26 years of age, could have understood the employees and their movements in a better way than Howard who was almost new to the company. The manner in which Alberta served and almost followed the strategies of the Human Resources Management in solving the fisticuffs and trifles between the employees , the assistance of Debrito could have given confidence to Howard and her leadership team in generating morale in the Colorado facility and determining the production related issues. The Leadership approach of organizing communications between the workforce and the authorities of the company that had been followed by Debrito via the fireside chats and Problem busting teams ware of immense importance in any company for the sake of employee retention. In order to develop employee friendly environment that would be cost beneficial and also would serve to provide the best results in the industry, Howard who had prior experiences in this specific field must try to implement those strategies that he had experienced earlier. Furthermore, Howard and her team can effectively apply the concept of McKinseys 7s model. The 7s model of McKinseys states seven steps, namely the strategy, structure, systems( hard elements) and the shared values, skills, styles and staffs (Lyneis 2012) . Strategies : Howard need to make research upon the specific strategies and find out the better plans that can be incorporated to deal with the workforce of the Colorado facility, the plans other than those that were implemented in the Alberta location as they did not work at the Colorado location. Structure: In association with the top executives and the management, Howard should try to find out a redefinition of the entire structure of the Colorado branch of COST, so that they do not lag behind in terms of team integration. Systems: The management of COST should understand the problems that Howard and her team were facing at the Colorado branch. Howard should approach the management and discuss with them the issues related to the Shared Values: A one day session has to be introduced for a longer period at the Colorado facility in association with the top executives of the company. This should aim at making the employees understand the important matters that can help in assuring the employees that the company would take care of their individual aims, by providing for training and career development schemes along with the concessions if they would like to proceed with their education (Dent and Whitehead 2013). Skills: The entire team that is presided by Algoma Howard and should try to understand the specific skills of the employees working in the Colorado facility. This will help them in identifying the individual employees with particular skills and abilities, and thus, Howard and her entire team members can bring together the employees with similar skills and aims in one group or team thereby enhancing the levels of production and the interests of the employees towards the aims of the company. Styles: Howard must once again make a study on the usage of various skills based on the organization and team building aspects of the that can be applied Staff: The staff is the main asset of any company and similar is the case with that of the COST. Thus, Howard and the entire leadership should take into consideration the aspects that are related to the welfare of the employees. When the employees would find that their well-being is one of the major concerns of the company, then it would subsequently increase their organizational commitment. References: Afzal, W., 2012. Management of information organizations. Elsevier. Al Ariss, A., Cascio, W.F. and Paauwe, J., 2014. Talent management: Current theories and future research directions. Journal of World Business, 49(2), pp.173-179. Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Aziri, B., Zeqiri, I. and Ibraimi, S., 2014. Human Resource Management In Contemporary Business Organizations: A Literature Review. Publications in International Scientific Publications: Economy Business journal, 8(1), pp.815-821. Bellamy, C.D., 2015. Leadership and Crisis Management in Modern Organizations. Christiansen, B. and Sezerel, H., 2013. Diversity management in transcultural organizations. Global Business Perspectives, 1(2), pp.132-143. Danesh, M.H., Raahemi, B., Kamali, S.A. and Richards, G., 2012, April. A distributed service oriented infrastructure for business process management in Virtual Organizations. In Electrical Computer Engineering (CCECE), 2012 25th IEEE Canadian Conference on (pp. 1-6). IEEE. Dent, M. and Whitehead, S. eds., 2013. Managing professional identities: Knowledge, performativities and the'new'professional (Vol. 19). Routledge. Giacalone, R.A. and Rosenfeld, P., 2013. Impression management in the organization. Psychology Press. Griffin, R., 2013. Fundamentals of management. Cengage Learning. Harper, C., 2015. Organizations: Structures, processes and outcomes. Routledge. Holsapple, C. ed., 2013. Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters (Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Jos Tar, J., Heras-Saizarbitoria, I. and Pereira, J., 2013. Internalization of quality management in service organizations. Managing Service Quality, 23(6), pp.456-473. Kossek, E.E. and Lautsch, B.A., 2012. Workfamily boundary management styles in organizations A cross-level model. Organizational Psychology Review, 2(2), pp.152-171. Kuipers, B.S., Higgs, M., Kickert, W., Tummers, L., Grandia, J. and Van der Voet, J., 2014. The management of change in public organizations: A literature review. Public Administration, 92(1), pp.1-20. Lyneis, J.L., 2012. Resistance from top to bottom: the dynamics of risk management in complex organizations (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Menzel, D.C., 2012. Ethics management for public administrators: Leading and building organizations of integrity. ME Sharpe. Pullen, A. and Rhodes, C., 2013. Corporeal ethics and the politics of resistance in organizations. Organization, p.1350508413484819. Rahn, P.K., 2014. Performance Management for Transportation Organizations: Developing and Applying Metrics that Drive Performance. TR News, (291). Shih, M., Young, M.J. and Bucher, A., 2013. Working to reduce the effects of discrimination: Identity management strategies in organizations. American Psychologist, 68(3), p.145. Storey, J., 2014. New Perspectives on Human Resource Management (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Yasir, M., Majid, A. and Tabassum, N., 2014. Strategic Significance of Talent Management for Virtual Organizations. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, 7(9), pp.1878-1882.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

INTRODUCTION Essays (1243 words) - Digital Audio, Audio Codecs, MP3

INTRODUCTION Two years ago, MP3 was just another audio compression format. Today, it's a Net phenomenon that's at the center of an enormous controversy. That's because MP3 makes it possible for people with an Internet connection to bypass record stores (and cashiers) and download CD-quality music by their favorite artists--for free. MP3 is great for music lovers and cheapskates, who can download funky tunes to their hearts' content without spending a dime; however, it's a nightmare for musicians and record companies, who can only watch helplessly as their profits drop into a digital black hole. DEFINITION MP3 is short for MPEG-1 Layer 3 (Moving Pictures Expert Group), a format for storing digital audio. It uses an advanced type of audio compression which reduces the filesize with little reduction in quality. MP3 is used particularly for music distribution over the Internet, but is also use for other purposes such as real-time digital audio transmissions over ISDN (used by reporters). MPEG-1 has been around since 1992, but during he last few years (1998/99) it has started to get widespread attention from regular media and ordinary users. An MP3 file (or simply an MP3) is a file that contains MP3-compressed sound data. It is played using an MP3 player. You can recognize MP3 files by their file-extension (the end of the filename), which is .mp3. AUTHORS MP3 was invented by Fraunhofer IIS ? leading organization of applied research in Germany In a joint cooperation with the University of Erlangen (Prof. Dieter Seitzer) under the sponsorship of the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and formalized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). SOUND QUALITY The original 50 MB wave file (about 5 minutes of CD quality audio) MP3-compressed will end up as an MP3 file using only about 5 megabytes of space with little or no audible loss in quality. The size depends on the length of the song and the bitrate (quality). The data is automatically decompressed while the MP3 is being played. How is it possible to do this you ask? Well, I won't get into the technical details, but basically the MP3 encoder removes the parts of the sound not audible to the human ear. This means that MP3 is a 'lossy' type of compression (comparable to JPEG in the graphics area). This means that what comes out from your CD or Wave file is NOT the same thing that comes out of the MP3 that has been created from the CD/Wav. The sound data that has been lost will not be returned if the MP3 is decoded back to WAV. REQUIREMENTS You will first of all need a MP3 player, players are available for all computer platforms. If you are using Windows 95/98/NT we can warmly recommend Winamp, the most common MP3 player. It also supports a lot of other audio formats,like WAV, MID, MOD and CD audio. Another well-known player is Sonique. Winamp has a very simple interface that can be used by anybody who has operated a CD player. To load an MP3 in Winamp, use the button (in Winamp) that looks like it would open a CD tray, or just double-click the MP3 file you want to play. The reason why it has been so successful is undoubtedly due to its simple, attractive look, its numerous options and the fact that it is a shareware program with no limits on the number of functions To play the MP3s will need a soundcard (preferably16-bit), speakers or headphones (preferrably good ones) and at least a 486 processor. MP3 ON THE WEB Three major MP3 sites are Lycos MP3 Search Engine, MP3.com, and RioPort.com. MP3 HARDWARE MP3 Portables Realizing the success of MP3, thanks to the rapid growth of the Internet and the increasing numbers of users interested in this digital-audio format, a number of manufacturers have recently started marketing portable players (similar to the Walkman): they generally have a memory of between 40 and 80 MB where you can store your favourite MP3 files. Portable MP3 players are like Walkmen for MP3. You just need to upload your MP3 tracks onto the player (about the size of a pack of cigarettes) and you get CD-quality sound with the advantage that there are no moving parts so it's unaffected by jolts. MP3 SOFTWARE There are various types of software for MP3: player, decoder,

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Useful Phrases to Learn for French Class

Useful Phrases to Learn for French Class If you are a student of French, you should learn typical classroom requests and statements expressed as French words and phrases. The more you use French in context and hear it spoken, the more you will internalize it. After a while, it becomes natural, as though youve always known it. The younger you are, the easier it is to learn another language; the older you get, the more you need to practice. Essential Phrases to Use in  French Class Pay close attention to how you say these words and phrases in French, particularly the vowels, which require you to open your mouth and elongate your lips  much more than in English. If you say a French  o,  for instance, form your lips in the shape of an o; youd be surprised how much this helps achieve a true French sound. Click on the links to hear how the words and phrases are pronounced. To make it easier to learn how to say the word or phrase in French, the meaning is given first in English, followed by the French translation: What?   Comment?I dont know.   Je ne sais pas.I dont understand.   Je ne comprends pas.I have a problem.   Jai un problà ¨me.I have a question.   Jai une question.What page?   Quelle page?I forgot my ___.   Jai oublià © mon/ma ___. May I borrow a ___?   Puis-je emprunter un/une ___ ?May I go to the bathroom?   Puis-je aller aux toilettes?I would like (to) ___.   Je voudrais ___.I need (to) ___.   Jai besoin de ___. Essential  Words to Use in  French  Class Sometimes you only need a single word to make your point clear in class. The examples show you how to say classroom words in French: Yes  Ã‚  ouiNo  Ã‚  non  OK  Ã‚  daccord  Who  Ã‚  quiWhat  Ã‚  quoi  When  Ã‚  quand  Where  Ã‚  oà ¹Why  Ã‚  pourquoiHow  Ã‚  comment Translating Asking how to say words in French class will be easier with the following translations: How do you say ___ in French?   Comment dit-on ___ en franà §ais?What is ___ in French?  Ã‚  ___, cest quoi en franà §ais?What does ___ mean?   Que veut dire ___ ?What is the English translation of this sentence?   Quelle est la traduction de cette phrase? Listening and Understanding Youll know how to ask for help in the classroom after you study the following questions and requests: Repeat,  please.   Rà ©pà ©tez, sil vous plaà ®t.One more time   Encore une foisSlower (Or: More slowly)   Plus lentementHow do you spell it?   Comment est-ce que cela sà ©crit?Can you write it?   Pouvez-vous là ©crire?Whats the difference between ___ and ___?   Quelle est la diffà ©rence entre ___ et ___ ?Is this sentence correct?   Cette phrase est correcte? Resources and Tips In addition to classroom words and phrases, take the time to review  essential French,  greetings, terms of politeness, and additional words for  school and supplies, as well as the most common  French phrases  and  words. If you need more practice to feel comfortable using these expressions, try enlisting a friend or family member to help you: For instance, one of you could say the expression in English, while the other gives the translation in French.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Boiling Point Elevation Definition - Chemistry Glossary

Boiling Point Elevation Definition - Chemistry Glossary Boiling point elevation, freezing point depression, vapor pressure lowering, and osmotic pressure are examples of colligative properties. These are properties of matter that are affected by the number of particles in a sample. Boiling Point Elevation Definition Boiling point elevation is the phenomenon that occurs when the boiling point of a liquid (a solvent) is increased when another compound is added, such that the solution has a higher boiling point than the pure solvent. Boiling point elevation occurs whenever a non-volatile solute is added to a pure solvent. While boiling point elevation depends on the number of dissolved particles in a solution, their identity is not a factor. Solvent-solute interactions also do not affect boiling point elevation. An instrument called an ebullioscope is used to accurately measure boiling point and thus detect whether boiling point elevation has occurred and how much the boiling point has changed. Boiling Point Elevation Examples The boiling point of salted water is higher than the boiling point of pure water. Salt is an electrolyte that dissociates into ions in solution, so it has a relatively large affect on boiling point. Note nonelectrolytes, such as sugar, also increase boiling point. However, because a nonelectrolyte does not dissociate to form multiple particles, it has less of an effect, per mass, than a soluble electrolyte. Boiling Point Elevation Equation The formula used to calculate boiling point elevation is a combination of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation and Raoults law. It is assumed the solute is non-volatile. ΔTb  Ã‚  Kb  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  bB where ΔTb  is the boiling point elevationKb  is the ebullioscopic constant, which depends on the solventbB  is the molality of the solution (typically found in a table) Thus, boiling point elevation is directly proportional to the molal concentration of a chemical solution.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

BUSINESS LAW High School Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BUSINESS LAW High School - Case Study Example 1550). Since this is an offer to sell, the sellers consent is clearly manifested by making the said offer. All that is left for a binding contract is the consent of buyer. A definite and seasonable expression of acceptance or a written confirmation which is sent within a reasonable time operates as an acceptance even though it states terms additional to or different from those offered or agreed upon, unless acceptance is expressly made conditional on assent to the additional or different terms (Alabama Civil Code, Sec.7-2-206). Since there is a valid offer to sell and a valid acceptance there arises a valid contract. This contract is enforceable against Glory Pieces as there is the written document attesting to its acceptance of the offer. Hence the Statute of Frauds requirement has been complied with. Therefore, my client hereby demands the specific performance of the obligation of the seller which is to deliver the goods of 500 handblown crystal goblets from Hungary at the cost of $50 per goblet. Here the offer to buy was clearly stated.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Film philosophy about the Butler Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film philosophy about the Butler - Assignment Example ttingly and subtly nudged the course of American history through the tumultuous years of reform, contributing an equal importance to the Black American cause. The main point of the film is the Black Africans’ struggle for equality in America. It is not unlike the classic story of the American Dream as told in countless materials such as Forrest Gump. This particular American Dream was told from the Black American’s perspective and the experiences in Civil Rights Movement. This inevitably included that tragedy and sorrow of being Black man in modern America particularly before the Civil Rights movement with the segregation of the colored and the whites and immediately after as America was confronted by racial and relevant issues both at home and abroad. This key point is palpable across the entire film. As Gaines’s life progressed, so did the lives of African American. These transpired in a succession of flashbacks in the protagonist’s mind as he was waiting to meet the newly elected Black President. For this reason, the film was heavily structured in order to seamlessly integrate the phases of the Gainesâ€℠¢ life with the chronology of the American Civil Rights movement and the American contemporary political developments. The challenge of achieving this feat without digressing from the protagonist’s narrative was achieved through stylistic interplay of shots. In some parts of the film, bracketing was also used to carry on the narrative of Cecil Gaines and his familys life as the director integrated civil rights stories such as boycotts. These shots made use of a play of lighting, close-ups (like they were actually before the audience), the use of elements such as mirror and the flicker of television display as reflected on the face of the actors, among others. This approach was important especially in narrating the chronology of the Civil Rights movement without veering away from the logical sequence of Cecil Gaines’ narrative. There was also the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Black American Music History Essay Example for Free

Black American Music History Essay First of all, there is many different types of African American music but im going to talk about three in particular which are slave spirituals, blues, and the more common rap/hip-hop. First slave spirituals is a type of religious song originating among black slaves in the American south. It was famous for the reason that the lyrics of negro spirituals were tightly linked with the lives of their authors. slaves! While work songs only dealt with their daily life, spirituals were inspired by the message of Jesus Christ and his Good News (Gospel) of the Bible, â€Å"You can be saved†! They are different from hymns and psalms, because they were a way of sharing the hard condition of being a slave. Another type of music there is are the blues. Blues is a type of folk song devised by Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century. Blues was so important to the African Slaves because it was a sort of code, how they told stories that had things to do with their owner and everyday life. Lastly is the most common now in time some people know it as rap others as hip hop but it is the style and fashion of African American music. Hip hop is important to African American culture because it originated from it all started when blues and jazz crossed over and musicians started making beats which were call bebop. (Well maybe not the kids but the adults call it that). All music we know today it was all based on African American music many people do not know the importance of music was to the slaves some say it was the only thing that gave them hope. Why is music important to our culture? There is no objective answer to this question. The importance of music is different in every individuals life. It inspires people and allows us to get in touch with our emotions in a way that is unique. For those amongst us who find it difficult to express ourselves, music can evoke reactions. Your mood can change from dark and depressed to elated and delirious happiness with just the selection of the right track and a hit of the play button. Music works wonders on creating a certain atmosphere. You can use music to liven up a boring party or to create a romantic ambiance. Music is important to all of us and some fail to realize the importance music is to the history of everybody not just one race but to everybody. Who knew music was so important from rock to classical music is all around us. In Conclusion, did Elvis Presley steal African American music and is Eminem doing the same? There has been people that believe that Elvis stole black music. But, there have been other people that say that he was inspired but black music but never stole it. There has also been rumors about Eminem is stealing black music. But he mentioned in interview that rapping isn’t meant just for one race is for everybody. Ha ha, and he’s basically right! Music it lives in all of us.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Telescope :: science

Telescope Light and other kinds of electromagnetic radiation coming from the universe outside the Earth must travel enormous distances through space and time to reach observers. Only the brightest and nearest stars can be seen with the unaided eye. To see farther and to clarify and measure what is seen, a telescope is needed. The word telescope is derived from the Greek words tele, "from afar," and skopos, "viewer." Even a simple homemade telescope can clearly show Saturn's rings, Jupiter's bands and red spot, stars, nebulae, and nearby galaxies not visible to the unaided eye. The ability to study the distant planets and other structures in the universe with these powerful yet remarkably simple instruments has revolutionized mankind's understanding of the natural world. All telescopes gather radiation from distant objects over a large area and focus it, thereby increasing the intensity of the radiation and allowing the objects to be magnified. Sophisticated telescopes are used to view radiation in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wave radiation and radio waves to infrared radiation and light and much shorter wave radiation, including ultraviolet and X rays. This radiation travels through space at the speed of light in the form of waves of electric and magnetic fields. Because of its basic similarity, all such radiation can be focused by reflecting it off a curved surface or by refracting, or bending, it with glass lenses. The devices that are used to do this, however, vary, depending on the wavelength or type of radiation being studied. Optical Telescopes The first telescope developed, and the one most widely used, is the optical telescope, which gathers visible light radiation. There are three basic types of optical telescopes: refractors that use lenses, reflectors that use mirrors, and catadioptrics that use a combination of both lenses and mirrors. The refracting telescope has a closed tube. At one end of the tube is the object glass, usually made of two or more lenses, that admits light emanating from the object observed. The light rays are refracted by the lenses to a point of focus at the lower end of the tube where the eyepiece is located. The eyepiece acts as a magnifying glass and enlarges the bright image. An observer can view objects through the eyepiece or attach a camera to the telescope to record images. The reflecting telescope focuses light rays with a large curved concave mirror that is generally made of glass covered with a thin coating of aluminum.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Does Living in a Same Sex Home Effect How a Child Will Grow Up

Winters 1 Jynai Winters 16 November 2012 Psychology 100 Sabrina Does Same-Sex parenting affect a child? I choose this topic because I love children and I don't like to see children hurting. I also choose it because I always wondered if it made a difference if a child grows up in a heterosexual home or living in homosexual home.Another reason why I choose to do this topic is because a lot of people believe that homosexual parents are not fit to rise their children if they come from a heterosexual relationship however, they do not have any proof that they are unfit for parenting their children and people do not like the fact that a child is growing up around homosexual activity and they also believe that if they grow up with a homosexual parent that they will not have choice about their sexuality.The earliest known idea about developmental psychology was presented by Jean Jacques Rousseau around the late 18th century. Developmental psychology studies the human growth and development th at occurs throughout the entire life span. Most people that studies this field focuses on one stage of development. There are seven stages of life that they could choose from; they are Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, Early Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, Other Adults and Developmental Disabilities. To become a psychologist you must earn a Bachelors degree in psychology.However you must have a Master's or doctoral before you start working as a psychologist. Most psychologists often work in schools and learning centers. They could also work in hospitals, mental facilities and nursing homes. They are even a few psychologists that work at colleges and for the government as teachers or to do perform research. Winters 2 A developmental psychologist salary depends on their training, geographic location and the work setting. Usually psychologist make between $69,007 and $90,326 a year.There are also those few that make more than $101,088 per year. As a psychologist some of their task will inc luded evaluating children to determine if they have a developmental disability, investigating how language skills are acquired, studying how moral reasoning develops in children and finally exploring ways to help elderly individuals remain independent. Most developmentalists study and research contextual influences that impact change such as socioeconomic conditions, culture, and genetics.There are many other changes that developmentalists study which are family, parenting style, divorce, friends, religion physical and mental abuse and educational levels. My research will focus on the Boswell vs. Boswell case of 1998, the Bottoms vs. Bottoms case of 1995 and also the Huggins interview of 1989. I will also talk about the Wainright, Russell, and Patterson 2004 study, the King and Black study of 1994, the MacCallum & Golombok of 2004, Vanfraussen study of 2002, the Fulcher of 2008, and finally the Patterson study of 1992 and 2000.The first study I will talk about is Huggins's 1989 and O'Connell of 1993. The small body of research that has focused on adolescent offspring of families headed by same-sex couples includes Huggins's (1989) study of 36 adolescents (13–19 years old, 18 with divorced heterosexual mothers and 18 with divorced lesbian mothers), which reported no differences in adolescent self-esteem as a function of mothers' sexual orientation. In another early study, O'Connell (1993) studied 11 young men and women, 16–23 years old, were the offspring of divorced or separated lesbian mothers.Participants expressed strong love, loyalty, and protectiveness toward their mothers and a desire for others to understand the benefits of having a lesbian mother. Participants, however, also Winters 3 described concerns about losing friends, and some described attempts to control information about their mothers' sexual orientation. These two studies were about how the child felt after their parents divorced. The Huggins's study reported that the children that they had no difference in their self-esteem.While the O’Connell study reported that the children showed strong love, loyalty and protectiveness towards their mother's. However, both studies showed that the children lost friends and some children even tried to hide their mother's sexual orientation. Wainright, Russell, and Patterson (2004) reported a study of family and relationship variables on the one hand, and adolescent personal and social adjustment on the other. They studied adjustment in a sample of 44 teenagers (12–18 years old) with same-sex parents and a matched sample of 44 teenagers with opposite-sex parents.On a range of psychosocial outcomes including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and school adjustment, Wainright and her colleagues found no significant differences as a function of family type same-sex or opposite-sex parents. Among their findings they found that there were no significant effects for family type on adolescent reports of sexual behavior or romantic relationships. Wainright and her colleagues did, however, find significant associations between parental perception of parent–adolescent relationship quality and adolescent school adjustment.Similar findings were reported for delinquency, substance use, and victimization by Wainright and Patterson (2006). The Wainright, Russell, and Patterson study talks about family and relationship vs. adolescent personal and social adjustment. The results to the study was that there was no significant difference as a function as a family, there was also no significant effect for the family type with sexual behavior or romantic relationship. However, they did find that there was difference between parental perception and school adjustment. Winters 4The few negative findings for children with two mothers were equivocal. Teachers in a Belgian study (Vanfraussen et al. , 2002) reported more attention and behavior problems for such children (about a half standard deviation differen ce), but this did not match teachers' ratings of the children's adjustment, and neither the children nor their mothers concurred. A second more plausible finding was that such children reported being teased about their families more, but this speaks to social disapproval of their parents' sexual identity rather than their gender.Researchers consistently find that children with lesbian parents contend with homophobia among their peers, but disagree over whether these children suffer more teasing overall or if the teasing focuses on their parents' sexual identity (Bos et al. , 2008; Tasker ; Golombok, 1997; Wainright ; Patterson, 2008). The only clear negative finding appeared in the first wave of the UK study of fatherless families described above (Golombok et al. , 1997).Six-year-old children in mother-only families (whether lesbian or heterosexual) described themselves as less competent physically and cognitively than their peers (0. 75 SD averaging the two), but the difference dis appeared when the children were interviewed again 6 years later (MacCallum ; Golombok, 2004). Because this study did not control for the number of parents in mother-only families, it could not help us determine whether the absence of a male parent or just of a second parent contributed to the lower self-esteem the younger children expressed.The Vanfraussen study of 2002 was one of the two studies that show that the children will misbehave if they live with a homosexual parent. However, when asked by the teachers they said the child is a good child and does not misbehave, they asked their parent too and they give the same answer. So this study is not a really good study because their results did prove the opposite of what they stated. Should a parent’s sexual identity be considered relevant in deciding a child’s best Winters 5 interest, for purposes of child custody and visitation?Answers to this question have shown tremendous variability from one jurisdiction to anothe r. In some states, such as Massachusetts and California, parental sexual orientation is considered irrelevant to custody and visitation disputes. In these states, a connection, or nexus, must be demonstrated between a parent’s sexual orientation, on the one hand, and a negative outcome for the child, on the other. Because a connection of this type can be difficult to establish, nexus rules have often resulted in judgments favorable to lesbian and gay parents.For instance, in Boswell v. Boswell (1998), a Maryland visitation case, the court refused to limit children’s visitation with their gay father in the presence of his same-sex partner because there was no evidence of harm to the children from such visitation. The Boswell vs. Boswell case of 1998 a father was limited to see his children because of his sexuality, so he took his wife to court and the judge agreed with him because there was no evidence that the child would be harm because of their father's sexuality. In a custody case involving a lesbian mother ( Bottoms v.Bottoms, 1995), for example, the Virginia Supreme Court reiterated its earlier holding that a lesbian mother is not unfit as a matter of law but included the mother’s sexual orientation among factors considered to make her an undesirable parent. Thus, in some states, lesbian and gay parents must overcome formal or informal presumptions that their sexual identities make them less than ideal parents. With the case of Bottoms vs. Bottoms the judge agreed in the favor of the mother because her sexuality did not make her unfit parent, it just made her an undesirable parent.I know has nothing to do with a child but I just wanted to show how a parent is sometimes looked upon as an unfit parent just because of their sexuality. In connection with this bias, Patterson, who would later serve as sole author of the Winters 6 2005 APA Brief’s â€Å"Summary of Research Findings on Lesbian and Gay Families†, reported: Despi te the diversity of gay and lesbian communities, both in the United States and abroad, samples of children and parents have been relatively homogeneous†¦. Samples for which demographic information was reported have been described as predominantly Caucasian, well-educated, and middle to upper class.In spite of the privileged and homogeneous nature of the non-representative samples employed in the studies at that time, Patterson’s (1992) conclusion was as follows: Despite shortcomings in the studies, however, results of existing research comparing children of gay or lesbian parents with those of heterosexual parents are extraordinarily clear, and they merit attention†¦ There is no evidence to suggest that psychosocial development among children of gay men or lesbians is compromised in any respect relative to that among offspring of heterosexual parents.Patterson’s conclusion in a 2000 review was essentially the same: Central results of existing research on lesb ian and gay couples and families with children are exceptionally clear. The home environments provided by lesbian and gay parents are just as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to enable psychosocial growth among family members. The Patterson study was about showing if homosexual parents make a difference with how the child is raised or affected.There results showed that there was no evidence that showed that the development among children of gay or lesbian is compromised compared to the offspring of heterosexual parents. Then they looked back at the study in 2000 and found that home environment is just as likely to have the same problem no matter if the parents are lesbian, gay or heterosexual. Associative stigmatization of children with lesbian mothers might be expected, based on the degree of stigmatization directed toward the parents. Although there seems to be a growing willingness among Americans to extend basic civil liberties to gay Winters 7 en and lesbians (H erek, 1991), stigma is still associated with same-gender sexual orientations (Herek, Kimmel, Amaro, & Melton, 1991), and researchers agree that negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbians are widespread (Kite, 1994). This study talks about stigmatization against children whose parents are homosexual and also how Americans still have attitudes against homosexual. It was also saying that people attitudes towards to homosexual affects the child because the child is thinking that their parent is not liked be anyone because who they are.Other researchers have noted that children brought up in a two-adult home, regardless of the gender of the adults, are in better emotional health than those raised by single parents, and that lesbian mothers who live with a partner are at a psychological advantage over single lesbian mothers. In addition to these indications that custody contingent on the absence of a live-in partner for the mother is not in the child's best interests, there is no evid ence in the current study that potential stigmatization is increased by the presence of a female partner.Some researchers have shown that children that are brought up in two-adult homes are better in emotional health than those raised by single parents. It also showed that lesbian mothers that live with a partner are at a advantage over a single lesbian mother because there is no evidence that shows that the potential of stigmatization will increased by the presence of a female partner. Children may indeed be stigmatized or embarrassed at times because of characteristics of their parents — not just children of lesbians, but children of a variety of non-traditional parents.That a parent is of a racial, political, or religious minority, is poor, has a physical impairment, or is otherwise different is not usually considered sufficient reason for denying that parent custody of a child (Falk, 1989). The same stigmatization argument that was used by courts 20 years ago to deny cust ody to women who married interracially after a divorce is now being used to deny custody to lesbian mothers. Winters 8 However in this study did show that children will be stigmatized and embarrassed because of their parents characteristic, but not just children f lesbians any child can be embarrassed or stigmatized by someone. Another thing is that with the custody of a child a mother or father could not be denied custody just because of their sexuality. The Falk study founded that perceptual stigmatization of children of divorced lesbians does occur; it was not designed to address the magnitude of that stigmatization. In related work on relational stigmatization, Falk have found that a majority of college students are willing to interact in relationships with children of lesbians, although willingness decreases as intimacy of relationship increases.As Falk has pointed out, legal decision-makers may be overemphasizing the severity of stigmatization toward children in the custody of lesbian mothers. Two types of studies would be informative in addressing this concern. One would seek to identify the number of participants in any given sample who are likely to stigmatize children of lesbians and would explore characteristics of these individuals that may be correlated with a tendency to engage in stigmatization. Another would compare attitudes toward children of lesbian mothers with actual interaction with these children.Future research on this topic should also utilize samples that are more demographically diverse, particularly In terms of age and education. Community samples, for example, may differ from college samples in their likelihood to stigmatize lesbians and their children. Even though a few of the studies of stereotyping and attitudes toward homosexuals that used both college and community samples found little difference between groups, this finding may or may not extend to children of lesbians.Based on the published science, one could argue that two women parent better on average than a woman and a man, or at least than a woman and man with a traditional division of family labor. Lesbian co parents seem to outperform comparable married heterosexual, biological parents on several measures, even while being denied the substantial privileges of marriage. This seems to be attributable partly to selection effects and partly to women on average exceeding men in parenting investment and skills. Family structure modifies these differences in parenting.Married heterosexual fathers typically score lowest on parental involvement and skills, but as with Dustin Hoffman's character in the 1979 film Kramer v. Kramer, they improve notably when faced with single or primary parenthood. Winters 9 The science world has shown that two women can out parent a married heterosexual couples on several different measures, even though being denied the privilege of getting married. In a heterosexual relationship the father usually scores the lowest in pare ntal involvement and skills however, in a homosexual relationship both parents pass parental involvement and skill part.One thing they did notice was that the father usually increased his score when he is faced with single or primary parenthood. In conclusion, from my research it has shown that a child can live in a same sex home and not be affected by his or her parent’s sexuality. The only thing they will have to deal with is being teased however; ever child is teased at some point in their life. The only thing that is being learned is that you cannot judge a parent because of their sexuality. I would also say that you cannot judge a child because of their parent’s sexuality.A child really does not really understand what the difference is between homosexual and heterosexual relationship. The child only knows that they have two parents that love them, so why would you try to change their vision of their family, if the child is happy let them be because they are innoce nt. Finally future research should focus on how the parent is affected. They could also survey the children when they get older and see how they felt growing up in a same sex home. Another thing they could do is see how they raise their children and how they grow up helped them choose on how they raise them.These are just some things they could do in the future if they ever research this topic again. Winters 10 Works Cited Biblarz, Timothy J. â€Å"How Does Gender of Parents Matter. † ProQuest. Pro Quest, Feb. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"What Is a Developmental Psychologist. † Psychology. About. com, n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Developmental Psychology Careers. † CareersInPsychology. org. CareersInPsychology. org,64ed n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Developmental Psychology. † The Psychology Career Center. AllPsychologyCareers. com, n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. King, Beverly R. College Students's Perceptual Stigmatization of the Children of Lesbian Mothers. † ProQuest. Pro Quest, Apr. 1999. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Loren, Marks. â€Å"Same Sex Parenting and Children's Outcomes: A Closer Examination of the American Psychological Association's Brief on Lesbian and Gay Parenting. † ScienceDirect. com. ScienceDirect. com, July 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Patterson, Charlotte J. â€Å"Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents. † ProQuest. Pro Quest, Nov. 2009. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. Wainright, Jennifer L. â€Å"Peer Relations among Adolescents with Female Same-sex Parents. † ProQuest. ProQuest, Jan. 2008. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

“My Left Foot” by Christy Brown Essay

â€Å"When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?'† -Sydney Harris One of the themes in My Left Foot is Christy Brown’s struggles with Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a disease that is caused from birth. Premature babies are most at risk for the disease, and most that are born with it do not cry in the first five minutes of birth unlike normal babies. The cause of the disease is still unknown like many â€Å"birth defects.† The mother and father of the baby often feel guilty for the baby’s condition, but the truth is that it still often occurs even when the mother has strictly followed her physician’s advice in caring for herself and the developing infant. The disease disrupts bodily functions and the symptoms may vary. Many subjects are unable to speak but their brains are fully functional and therefore are trapped in their own world, unable to express their feelings or thoughts. In the book the doctors told Christy’s mother that he would never be able to communicate and would be a â€Å"vegetable† the rest of his life. Unlike a lot of patients with the same illness Christy with a lot of determination turned his life around. He learned to express himself through writing and painting, doing this only with the use of his left foot. Christy’s story makes you look twice at your problems and reassess your life. Inspiration â€Å"A man should not strive to eliminate his complexes but to get into accord with them: they are legitimately what directs his conduct in the world.† -Sigmund Freud With the mass flow of books, movies, and media in the modern world it is hard to find a great book or movie. Every once and a while you come across a book that changes the way you look at the world. It changes you perspective and outlook on life. My left foot is that kind of book, and Christy Brown is that kind of person. Christy Brown was born into a poor Irish family of fifteen. In addition to those problems he was born with Cerebral Palsy. There was not much know about the disease at the time and doctors didn’t know what to do with Christy and thought he would never be able to communicate with the outside world. They told his mother: â€Å"For your own sake, don’t look at this boy as you would to the others.† But his mother thought otherwise. She, with out a shade of doubt knew that Christy could understand her and would be able to communicate somehow. She was right; against all odds he, with the help and determination of his mother, learned how to write. Even if the only way he could was with his left foot. He struggled everyday to learn and form new letters. He could have just curled up in his own world and not face the immense struggles of his everyday life, But he strived to be able to do the things every normal person could do. Because of his handicap he saw the world from a different perspective. He wrote this great book about his life and now he inspires with his motivational life story. We see his struggles and it lets us look at our problems in a whole different light, and it inspires us to try a little harder. Alone Many people approach severe disfigurement and disability with great fear, and are uneasy around an individual with anything too different than that of â€Å"normal† society. Christy Brown grew up not knowing why people would stare, snicker, or look away. He new there was something different but he didn’t know what it was. He was unacquainted with the strange disease that plagued him everyday of his life. Imagining the feeling one would have inside them  makes me shutter with dismay. When he was young he would be towed around by his brothers and friends in the old battered-up wagon that was know as â€Å"The Chariot†, and was included in their games and fun. But with so much use the old wagon broke and his connection with the world was unplugged. But as he always had done before he found his piece of normal life trough painting. As he grew older, out of childhood, he began to see himself in a different way. He began to see why he was the target of so many discomforting stares. He began to understand his disease and that no matter how hard he tried he would never be able to fit in like everyone else. He fell into dark depression for a period of time. It only grew worse as time went on. No matter how happy he was he always new he was strange to everyone else.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Outline and Critically Assess Rhodes Argument About Hollowing Out of the State Essays

Outline and Critically Assess Rhodes Argument About Hollowing Out of the State Essays Outline and Critically Assess Rhodes Argument About Hollowing Out of the State Essay Outline and Critically Assess Rhodes Argument About Hollowing Out of the State Essay This paper will in the first instance define the term, Hollowing Out Of The State, as Rhodes presented it in 1994. The origins of the hollowing out process related to contemporary policy process in Britain will be outlined followed by a summary of the themes and consequences identified by the author. Alternative perspectives on the theme of hollowing out will be contrasted in an attempt to assess the validity of the claim that government in Britain is being hollowed out. In his essay concerning the hollowing out process, Rhodes is concerned with the erosion of British public sector provision within government and the fact that erosion has taken place from within government itself through a process of delegation, decentralisation and privitisation. In order to understand the main themes of hollowing out, it is important to understand the origins and impetus, which created the need for change. Although there is a long history of transition and alteration to the British system of political administration, the contemporary process of hollowing out can be reasonably traced to the election of the New Right government and Mrs. Thatcher in 1979. During this period, the institutions of social democracy were under severe pressure throughout the 1970s. Through growing power of pressure groups such as Trade Unions, Internal pressures within the Union from the troubles of Northern Ireland and the failed devolution bill in Scotland. On an international basis, the global economy made a contribution to Britains decline in the shape of soaring interest rates, high inflation and massive government expenditure. Spending by central government in the late 70s rose to approximately 43% of GDP. The country moved toward a position of ungovernability and near bankruptcy. As a consequence, government lost the confidence of the electorate and in these circumstances Mrs. Thatcher was elected in 1979. The Conservative government would embark upon a programme aiming to reduce the interfering role of the Nanny State, cut unnecessary waste, overspending and create the wealth needed to return the country to stability. On taking office, the Conservatives intended to reduce the number of unelected bodies but political circumstance did not permit such a response. Mrs. Thatcher was unable to delegate responsibilities from central to local government because of the latters domination by left wing opponents. One nation ideology prevented the use of devolution whilst the confrontational and disruptive melee of Westminster could also disrupt the progress needed to deliver reform. This meant that to some extent, Mrs. Thatcher was forced to look to quasi government and reform of the civil service in order to enact her programme. The difficulty facing the government during this period is highlighted by Gamble (1994). Success depended upon a party pledged to a New Right agenda first obtaining a mandate to reform in a political market corrupted by decades of state intervention, and then carrying it through with the assistance of agencies of the extended state p39 The mandate for the New Right was given in the general election victory in 1979, allowing Thatcher to initiate a programme to restore the authority of government and expand the agencies of the extended state. It is the consequences of this programme which create the main themes and features of hollowing out. Rhodes provides four trends which characterise the transition which took place; 1. Privitisation and limiting the scope and forms of public intervention. 2. The loss of functions by central and local government departments to alternative service delivery (such as agencys). 3. The loss of functions by British Governments to European Union institutions. 4. Limiting the discretion of public servants through the new public management, with its emphasis on managerial accountability, and sharper distinction between politics and administration. P139 Amongst the principle aims of the Conservative government was stopping the state from being involved in every aspect of peoples lives and to reduce the physical bulk of government. This was done in two ways: firstly, through a programme of privitisation, notable in the form of release from government of major utilities and industries such as Coal, Gas, Shipbuilding, Steel, Electricity and Telecommunications. Secondly, through rationalisation at administrative and operational level involving comprehensive review and the introduction of new management techniques. First of all by reviewing where efficiencies could be made and identifying the areas of government to be reduced or transferred to quasi government and privitisation. Harold Wilsons Labour governments of the 1960s began the process but the Thatcher government brought it into central government and greatly extended it. Areas of departmental responsibility first effected by changes included cleansing and catering. In addition to the effect on central departments, this also reduced the influence and responsibility of local authorities whilst validating cuts in their annual budgets. The role of local authorities were being transformed from that of major employer and service provider to one of overseer and enabler as Rhodes points out, The role of local government is to facilitate the delivery of services by others and oversee performance p241 Further reductions in local authority remit effected departments of Housing, Education, Parks Recreation and Direct Works to name a few, altering their position in the community. Much of the power and responsibility of all government departments was dissipated. Rhodes goes on to explain that, as the government sought to release responsibility internally, the relationship evolving with the European Community proved to be the opposite. It is generally recognised that Britain has been the reluctant member of the European Community over the duration of membership. However, in relation to hollowing out, Europe has the effect of eroding the sovereign powers of the British parliamentary system and contributing to fragmentation of the policy making process across the country. As the major agreements made within the European Union grow in significance towards full integration, the central position of authority of Westminster in continually undermined. In addition, the European Unions commitment to the principle of regional representation through subsiduarity also reduces Westminster as a centre of power. This is evident in the potential for access to new policy networks open to the assemblies of Wales and Scotland as they build recognition of Brussels as equal or superior to London. It could be argued that amongst the most significant changes in the reform process are those related to new managerialism in the civil service which will limit the discretion of public service. These developments were initiated with the appointment of Derek Raynor from industry in order to audit government departments and services. The aim was to reduce costs by pursuing the three Es of efficiency, economy and effectiveness. It would begin the process of moving civil servants from administration of policy to management of implementation. Each department would produce individual plans of action with specific objectives designed to meet targets set in advance. These changes would assist the Thatcher government to politically justify strategy but the failure of reforms to deliver successful results was revealed by the review process in 1988. This would lead to the implementation of the Next Steps Initiative designed to further clarify the separation of policy maker from policy implantation. Rhodes (1997) outlines the critical recommendation of the Efficiency Unit report, stating that The management revolution was only skin- deep and recommended introducing agencies to carry out the executive functions of government and bring about real financial and managerial change p95 This was a crucial point in the process of hollowing out as British governance moved from rationalisation of legitimate responsibility to extended delegation through non-elected and anonymous bodies. With this change in the nature of quasi government, Rhodes raises the question of accountability and control. The development of new agencies to cover an expanding list of government practice caused fragmentation throughout the policy network and difficulties in maintaining adequate channels of communication between relevant actors. Rhodes cites Hesse to illustrate the difficulties arising in this regard, Advocates of decentralised self guidance and control often fail to realise that highly differentiated and pluralistic fragmented institutional systems create a growing need for collective steering, planning and consensus building 146 The Next Steps initiative was taken in response to a lack of success of reform, an imbalance was perceived in the policy process, there was too much emphasis on political issues and not enough on policy implementation. The consequence was the creation of agencies with greater autonomy from government to implement policy outcomes. These agencies needed to be as diverse as the departments they served, covering such aspects as stationary, defense, health, fire safety, coastguard, social security, employment or child support for example. Rather than achieving previously unmet targets, Rhodes argues that the opposite was more likely. The National Health Service for example, has always been at the forefront of government reform. However in recent months the government has entered into agreements with private health care trusts to utilise spare capacity to compensate for continuing overload in the NHS. There are grounds to suggest that the difficulties incurred in 1979 are being incurred in 2000. These difficulties are potentially duplicated across the breadth of the policy network. The lack of adequate measures to ensure communication and co-operation increase innefiency and waste, in addition because the legislative process undertaken has been so complex, the drive for efficiency and cost cutting diminishes the room for maneuver within government departments or ministers. Rhodes highlights the problem as follows; Such networks restrict who contributes to policy making and policy implementation. They routinise the policy process. They are also a form of private government. P148 In the latter point, Rhodes highlights a crucial outcome from the proliferation of agencies, accountability. If responsibility for implementation of government policy is too diverse then accountability and control are confused and disparate. The most notable example of confusion was highlighted by BBC 2s Newsnight, when Jeremy Paxman attempted to clarify the role of Home Secretary Michael Howard in the sacking of Derek Lewis who was Chief Executive of the Prison Service when high profile prisoners escaped from prison. It could be argued that little has changed when observing the recent debacle in the Scottish Executive over the delivery of examination results by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Resignations have taken place from the agency whilst the minister responsible has moved to a new post. Accountability for politicians have shifted, they no longer resign, instead, they attend select committee hearings. The accountability and control of the policy process from parliament itself has been undermined. Rhodes uses the example of the dissolution of the Greater London Council to illustrate the point, Under the Greater London Council (GLC), rate payers paid their rates to four bodies. After abolition of the GLC, they paid taxes to 17 bodies, two thirds of which are unelected p148 Similar example exists in the case of Strathclyde Regional Council, which was dismantled on ideological grounds but in doing so further weakened democratic accountability. The concluding themes of the hollowing out are concerned with such consequences. The changes made in extending networks beyond the reach of their optimum productivity illustrates a transition from government problem solving, to government as the creator of political crisis. The process moved from necessary rationalisation of overloaded government to the creation of over extended and less controllable quasi government in the form of non-elected agencies. The original measures taken to cut costs and achieve greater efficiencies create the lack of experience and knowledge. Competition for contracts equates to the loss of quality and priorities based upon survival of the fittest. The problem set out in the beginning has not been diminished, as there is still evidence of overload. This is supported by Foster and Plowden (1996) when they state that, Activities have been transferred from local government to centrally appointed and directly appointed bodies, and the creation of arms-length agencies within central government has perversely, involved ministers more in their affairs. And ministers are more directly involved in policy formulation than before p219 Rhodes offers three main reasons behind the argument for a return to bureaucracy as a potential solution to the problems caused by hollowing out. Firstly return to balance rather than fragmentation, secondly, public sector record of delivery is as good as private sector and has better flexibility in meeting problems and challenges and thirdly in order to restore accountability and democracy to the policy process in government. Overall, hollowing out illustrates a process that has created less accountable and less effective, reduced government than previous systems. The difficulties of quasi government outweigh the benefits in terms of the problems which reforms set out to solve. In Rhodes view, the private sector is not the fix all that Mrs. Thatcher in particular said it would be. Beneath the veneer on of the British political landscape, the same issues apply in 2000, which existed in 1979. There are alternative views to the hollowing out process; the following section of this paper will attempt to highlight a selection of key points. Michael Seaward outlines an alternative view of what was arguably the most visable and significant programme undertaken by Mrs. Thatcher and highlighted in hollowing out: Privitisation, Decentralisation and Agencification. The achievements of the Conservative governments programme of privitisation were significant, creating major industries in global markets such as BT in telecommunications for example. However many of the privitised industries have led a much more troubled existence. The British coalfield is almost gone altogether, in recent weeks the lack of progress in the rail privitisation has come to the fore along with those of the water companies. The possibility should be considered that the motivations of the Thatcher privitisations were not only concerned with the difficulties of overload but also with the achievement of ideological change. Nationalisation was strongly associated with party allegiance in Britain; the move toward privitisation would create a fundamental change in the relationship between the electorate and the role of government. This is highlighted by Seaward (1997) when he states that, In majoritarian systems, privitisation may appear to be the hollowing out of the state but this trend can equally be interpreted in terms of core actors rationally reshaping the state to suit some of their primary ends (such as power, autonomy, protection from direct responsibility). P22 Privitisation serves two ends, firstly, to serve to lessen the overload on central government departments and ministers and secondly, to alter the perception of the electorate in relation to the role of government. Similarly, decentralisation as it is presented in the hollowing out does not appear to consider the consequences of an approach concerned with ideological change. The avoidance or negation of local authority responsibility was concerned with the confrontation of opposition as much as it was an attempt to reallocate resources and services. The transfer of responsibilities not only decreased the bulk of government but also dismantled a significant vehicle for the adversaries of the Thatcher project. This is also supported by Seaward (1997) when he cites King: The aim of these reforms is to marginalise local government as a political institution by creating local agencies to deliver policy and by denuding its representative function. P23 On the final theme of Agencification, Seaward focuss on the scope for interpretation of reform and the importance of the role of the minister in policy process rather than bureaucratic administration. When this separation was attempted, clear roles were identified for the politicians as representative, the civil servant or department as administrator and the arms length agency in the delivery mode of policy implementation In terms of Britains role within the European Community, the case for the loss of sovereignty is a strong one. There is general agreement concerning the potential for Westminster to become secondary to the dealings of Brussels and its policy networks, as Gray (2000) confirms, In the case of increasing European Union involvement in the internal affairs of the state imply not so much a hollowing out of the state as an effective by pass of it altogether in some areas of policy and administration. The extension of qualified majority voting in the council of ministers extends the possibility of being by passed. P228 Once again this view is correct from a particular perspective but does not take into account the interdependence of the European Union at its centre with the member organisations, which give it life. Britain enters into negotiation with all other partners and retains the power of veto in important areas. Once again a consideration of ideological preference is necessary. This is evident in the Labour governments moves toward partial incorporation in the social charter which was resisted throughout the life of the Conservative government. In terms of the administration of government, all issues in either Brussels or London do not effect each institution in equal measure. Rather than Europe swamping or negating British government, there is an argument for mutual accommodation, illustrated by Smith (1999), Departments have attempted to integrate the EU throughout the department rather than concentrate it within a European co-ordination body as used to be the case. P242 The description of the hollowing out of the state, might better read as the redistribution of parliament and within the policy network, the restructuring of design, administration, delivery, evaluation and financing of the policy process. The arguments for and against the hollowing out process are strongly influenced by the perspective of the observer, the interpretations of the state and its mechanisms. After all of the change which has been undertaken on an economic or strategic basis, an interventionist government still presides over all in Britain and the bulk of government has not decreased. This view is supported by Smith (1999) when he states that, The government has continued to regulate the privitised monopolies, there has been little reduction in the level of public expenditure, and it has intervened greatly in the reforms of health and education, (Richardson, 1993). In other words, the state has been reshaped rather than hollowed out. P205 Here is the crux of the issue; much of the bulk of government, which was, portrayed as such a danger by Mrs. Thatcher in 1979 remains largely intact. Privitisation and quangocracies have not lessened the extent of government; rather they have helped to dismantle it to be put back together in a different order. This is evident in the move to the centre, if not the right of the political spectrum by the Labour Party in order to regain power. It could be argued that Mrs. Thatcher failed in her political aims of reduced government and strong state but was highly successful in her attempt to alter the ideological perspective of the British political landscape. She has ensured that the devide between the pragmatic actions of the conservatives and the collective actions of the socialists has been drastically reduced. The determining factor in this change is leadership and this is supported by Smith (1999) when he states that, leaders often have legitimacy, and the electoral and parliamentary support, to take to take authoritative decisions and therefor to orient the policy directions of networks p243 The conclusion of this paper is that bearing in mind, the significance of an ideological origin to the process, there is strong evidence that the hollowing out of the state has and is continuing to take place. However it is doing so in conjunction with the restructuring of parliamentary structure and continuous adjustment of the actors and responses within the policy network. Only in this fuller sense can the hollowing out of the state be applied to the evolution of the policy process in Britain. What has remained constant or grown in strength throughout this process are the executors of power in the core of government. Although lines of accountability remain, the likelihood of recrimination for wrongdoing has become more unlikely and this is a cause for concern for the future. Both the hollowing out of the state and the strengthening of the core executive remain a matter of ongoing process.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Evolution of Hair Color

Evolution of Hair Color Imagine a world with only brunettes in it. That was the world when the first human ancestors first started to appear as primates adapted and speciation created the lineage that would eventually lead to our modern-day humans. It is believed the very first hominids lived on the continent of Africa. Since Africa is directly on the equator, sunlight shines directly down throughout the entire year. This impacted evolution as it drove the natural selection of pigments in humans as dark as possible. Dark pigments, like melanin, help block harmful ultraviolet rays from penetrating into the body through the skin and hair. The darker the skin or hair, the more protected from the sunlight the individual is. Once these human ancestors started migrating to other places throughout the world, the pressure to select for skin and hair colors as dark as possible let up and lighter skin colors and hair colors became much more common. In fact, once the human ancestors reached latitudes as high north as what is known today as the Western European and Nordic countries, skin color had to be much lighter in order for the individuals living there to get enough Vitamin D from the sunlight. While darker pigmentation in skin and hair block unwanted and harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, it also blocks other components of sunlight that are necessary for survival. With as much direct sunlight as countries along the equator get on a daily basis, capturing Vitamin D is not an issue. However, as human ancestors migrated farther north (or south) of the equator, the amount of daylight varied throughout the year. In the winter, there were very few daylight hours in which the individuals could get out and ob tain the necessary nutrients. Not to mention it was also cold during these times which made it even more unappealing to get out during the daylight at all. As these populations of migrating human ancestors settled in these colder climates, pigments in the skin and hair started to fade and give way to new color combinations. Since hair color is polygenic, many genes control the actual phenotype of hair color in humans. That is why there are so many different shades of colors seen in different populations throughout the world. While it is possible that skin color and hair color are at least somewhat linked, they are not so closely linked that various combinations are not possible. Once these new shades and colors emerged in various areas around the world, it started to be less of a natural selection of traits than a sexual selection. Studies have been done to show that the less abundant any given hair color is in the gene pool, the more attractive they tend to be for suitors. This is thought to have led to the proliferation of blonde hair in Nordic areas, which favored as little pigment as possible for maximum absorption of Vitamin D. Once blonde hair began to be seen on individuals in the area, their mates found them more attractive than the others who had dark hair. Over several generations, blonde hair became much more prominent and proliferated over time. The blonde Nordics continued to migrate and found mates in other areas and hair colors blended. Red hair is most likely the result of a DNA mutation somewhere along the line. Neanderthals also most likely had lighter hair colors than those of their Homo sapien relatives. There was thought to be some gene flow and cross-breeding of the two different species in the European areas. This probably led to even more shades of the different hair colors.