Deep Zone Book Report

Kyle Duncan 12-7-11 Book Report (Deep Zone) 3rd Block Plot Summary The characters are Thane, Ty, Troy, Tate, and Agent Sutherland. Ty is this story’s main character. Thane is his older brother and an NFL star. Ty meets Troy and Tate in Miami at the football tournament. Agent Sutherland is an FBI agent protecting Ty from the mob while Thane is away. The setting is in Miami and in the swamp. At the beginning of the story, they are at a football game, when Thane is going up for a touchdown pass to win the game. He gets taken down by three people and tears his ACL. They are taken to the hospital and Ty is sad. They let Ty stay the night, but he has to go to school the next morning. He leaves the hospital and gets in his limo driver’s car. (Considering his brother is a professional football player). When he gets in, he notices a big man in a dark suit. He automatically thinks it is someone from the mob trying to hurt him to get to his uncle. He tries to jump out of the car fast but the man grabs him by the collar and yanked him back in cutting Ty’s hand open. The man then explains that he is Agent Sutherland and apologizes for scaring him and cutting his hand. Agent Sutherland says that he’ll be watching Ty while his brother is in the hospital. In a few weeks Thane got out. Ty had 7-on-7 tryouts and he made the team. If the team won all of their playoff games they would get to play in Miami on Super Bowl Sunday. They won most of their games and got to go to Miami to play their playoff games. While down there, he met a girl that he liked named Tate. Unfortunately, Troy, her best friend, didn’t like Ty. Troy was on a team that Ty would have to play if his team made it to the championship. One night, Tate and Troy were going to a party, so Ty begged Thane to let him go. Thane let him. They got dressed up and left. While there, Troy thought he saw his dad, who left him at a young age, and ran after him. Being curios, Ty ran after them. He ran until he saw them standing near the coast. Ty recognized one of the men with Troy and his dad as one of the mob members that he was being protected from. He started running back to the party, but someone grabbed him. They threw him and Troy in to the boat and took them out into the swamp. While there, Tate tried to rescue them by bringing a boat that the two of them would drop down out of the window to. It was only a little canoe though. The two got into the canoe and started paddling back. They got halfway back and they heard a motor. It was the people from the mob, and they brought the three of them back to the swamp house. They sat there for a long time, and Ty knew he was going to die. Then, the door squeaked open, and a man with a knife entered. Ty started freaking out, and when the blade touched his skin he started twitching uncontrollably. Then he heard Troy’s dad say, â€Å"Shh. I’m getting you out of here. † The four of them got in the boat while the two mobsters were asleep and went back to the beach. The next day Ty’s team played Troy’s team in the championship. Ty’s team won, but Troy was not upset. The two were good friends now and talked a lot now. Troy talks about his uncle, who would have been a great NFL player if he hadn’t died his junior year of college in a car crash. Ty tells how his mother had a brother that fits that description. Troy told him his name and they figured out they were cousins. At the end of the story, everyone says their goodbyes and they all go home. Character Analysis I am comparing Ty and Troy. Both of them play football, and both played on Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, both boys have some connection with the mob. In football, Ty plays wide receiver, and Troy plays quarter back and safety. Ty is faster and has better hands, but Troy is still fast and he has football smarts. He can read what you’re going to do before you know what you’re going to do. Both boys are from African descent. They both care greatly for Tate. Theme Analysis I think one theme of this story could be: do not judge a book by its cover. Troy didn’t like Ty when they first met, and it was for no reason. Once they went through the swamp experience, they grew closer and became good friends. Another example is Troy’s dad. Ty looked at him with those mobsters and thought he was going to kill him. But, after Troy’s dad saved them from the mobsters, he realized that he was a good guy in a bad position.

Different Approaches to the Meaning of Life Essay

The question â€Å"what is the meaning of life? † is often treated as a paradigmatic â€Å"head in the clouds† sort of philosophical question that more practical people shouldn’t have the time for, but its actually a question of tremendous practical importance. Further, it is a question to which most people, even those who claim to have no interest in such questions, answer implicitly with the lives they chose to lead. So if you don’t want to bother with such questions, and just want to enjoy yourself, you are effectively saying that enjoyment is the ultimate point of human life. If you spend your life pursuing one of, say, money, power, pleasure, or religious understanding, then you implicitly commit yourself to such organizing principles representing what is really important in life. The choices we make in our lives are often governed by such implicit conceptions of what is most important to us, and while it may be that, say, being happy is the most important thing, it may take a certain amount of reflection on these larger questions to become clear about this. Some might think that thinking about questions like the meaning of life is itself the most important thing for us to do, but even if we don’t, we can still see that it is very important to spend at least some time doing, since such organizing principles are too important for us to accept without reflecting on them at all. Further, if there really is a point or meaning to our lives, and we live our lives according to a different principle (say if we live for enjoyment when serving God is the real purpose of life, or (conversely) if we spend our lives in prayer when enjoying life is its real purpose) then we may have literally wasted our lives. Since that is something we shouldn’t want to do, it seems that, if life does have a purpose, we would do well to know what it is. On the other hand, if life doesn’t have a purpose, it might be good to know that rather than spending it serving some illusory ideal, though this latter point is more controversial. If life did have no meaning, and there was no point to anything we did, then it might seem better not to investigate this topic at all, since looking in to it would only cause us distress. (Though if life really were meaningless, the fact that we were so distressed would not really matter. ) 2. Four Approaches to the question of life’s meaning. While the authors covered in the class give many varied answers to the question of what the meaning of life is, and some don’t give a clear answer to it at all, they all fall into one of four groups when it comes to thinking about that kind of answer the questions should have. That is to say, there are four different approaches to the question: What is it that determines the meaning of our lives? 1 I. Radical Objectivists. This first group (which includes Plato, Epictetus, Schopenhauer, as well as James and Tolstoy in their ‘post-crisis’ periods) take what really matters to be determined by factors that are completely independent of us (be it God, Reason, Nature, the ‘Form of the Good’ or just ‘the way things are’). It’s our responsibility to live up to these standards, but there is no sense in which these standards come from us. (Schopenhauer, while he denies that God exists, has a touch of this when he insists that a life of intellect just is objectively better (and not just ‘happier’) than a life of passion and willing). This might, of course, seem to make life’s purpose too remote from our actual lives, which might lead one to become one of the †¦ II. Theorists of Human Nature In this second group we can include Aristotle, Marx and Epicurus. Like the radical objectivists they take the purpose of life to be something ‘given’, that is, its an objective fact that we aren’t at liberty to change, but unlike the radical objectivists, they think that this fact is grounded in objective facts about our own natures. Our shared human nature is what determines what is the best life for all of us. Still, it may be hard to defend this sort of view unless one were already a radical objectivist, since without such an overarching framework, it’s much harder to think of humans as having a such a fixed essence or nature, which might lead one to become one of the†¦ III. ‘Constructivists’ This third group (which includes Nietzsche, Sartre, Hare, and Nagel (from his more ‘subjective’ perspective)) ground the purpose of our lives in our own drives, desires and wants. However, unlike the theorists of human nature, they don’t take such drives to be objective in the sense of being independent of our attitudes towards them. For these philosophers, the drives etc. that ground the purpose of our lives can change, and are (to a certain extent) under our (not always conscious) control. Because of this, the meanings of our lives, such as they are, are things that we make. Unfortunately, one might doubt that transient creatures like ourselves are up to the task of making such meanings, in which case one might become one of the †¦ IV. ‘Nihilists’ This last group (which includes Camus, Nagel (from his more ‘objective’ perspective) and James & Tolstoy (when they were in ‘crisis’ mode)) agree with the constructivists that there are no ‘objective’ facts which could determine a purpose to our lives, but also believe that something as ephemeral as our passing desires and drives is not enough to make a life really meaningful. Consequently, in the absence of any objective meaning, life must ultimately have no meaning at all, and there is, ultimately, no ‘point’ in doing anything. This final spot is not a happy one to be in, and its perhaps not surprising that James and Tolstoy both bounce from #4 back to #1 when the prospect of living with #4 becomes too bleak. Still, while it can seem natural to slip from 1 to 2, from 2 to 3 and from 3 to 4, and 4 to despair, lots of people have argued that the slide can be stopped at various points along the way. 1 As a result, every point on the spectrum has it supporters, though no position on it seems completely stable, which is why the question will probably always continue to be debated. 1 H a r e , f o r in s ta n c e , c a n b e u n d e r s to o d a s a r g u in g th a t th e th r o u g h th a t 3 le a d s to 4 c o m e s f r o m a c o n f u s io n a b o u t w h a t it is to † m a tte r † .

The Lost Puppy

The Great Impact of War Modern warfare has changed a great deal since we fought for our freedom from Great Britain in the late 18th century, and has possibly even changed more since World War 1. Countless Battles have been fought throughout our gracious history here in American, and many stories have been told from older to younger generations. This is where â€Å"Ogichidag†, meaning warrior, tells its story. Soldiers from notable wars throughout history have vivid and very detailed accounts of what they saw while they were at war.Many of these decorated warriors tell of their stories to younger generations, and in this case it is a family tradition for many of the men to join the armed forces. As they go off to war they must deal with the aftermath of all they accumulated while there, and find a way to deal with this bitterness. For many people listening to their elder’s stories, and hearing the many accolades they’ve accumulated is a great privilege. In â€Å" Ogichidag† this person hears stories all the way back to World War 1.He vividly listens as, â€Å" the old men told stories of getting gassed in the trenches, WW one† (Lines 2-3). As he listens to these stories of great harm he feels more intrigued with every word. He indulges in the thought of one day having the same stories to tell his son or daughter. He knows to well that going and serving his country is more than putting on a vest and running around in the desert. He thinks of it as an honorable accomplishment within himself.As it later goes on to describe his cousins as he, â€Å"felt the fear in their voices† (9) he knows his time to serve his beloved country is right around the corner. Entering most arguable the hardest branch in the military, the marines, is also another feat that will show just how mentally and physically ready he is. Joining the marines right before the Cuban Missile Crisis, he was at the most intense part of the Cold War. At the blink of an eye, America could be engaged in nuclear warfare.For those thirteen days soldiers were ready for anything, and while no shots were fired it helped him prepare for the only war American has ever lost. 58,148 people died in the war we know as Vietnam. Watching comrades die in front of one’s eyes played a major influence on how these veterans lived out the rest of their lives. As what seems to be a family tradition for this family to serve in the military, he knew from all the stories he had heard over the years that war was no easy task. For the lives he saw lost at war, telling these stories would be rather problematical.As â€Å"Ogichidag† describes each war since the early 1900’s, each warrior it portrays the hardships that come with war. Though speaking of such excruciating memories, they find it important to pass down stories so their family legacy never dies. With the ears of the prospering young ogichidag’s are filled, they have a sense of exc itement going to war. While their eager to serve this great nation they know in the back of their heads the aftermath of war is very powerful, and they must deal with this wretchedness.

Starbucks - Organizational behaviour Case Study

Starbucks - Organizational behaviour - Case Study Example Orgniztinl bhvir dls with th t mn t th bttm mn, vryn nds t b invlvd nd knw th right ctins nd ttituds fr n rgniztin t sky rckt nd xcl in th futur Strbucks Crrtin is th wrld's numbr n scilty cff rtilr. It rts mr thn 8,700 cff shs in mr thn 30 cuntris. Th cmny is cmmittd t ffring th highst qulity cff nd "Th Strbucks Exrinc" whil cnducting its businss in wys tht rduc scil, nvirnmntl nd cnmic bnfits fr cmmunitis in which it ds businss. (Chris, 2006, 84) "Strbucks urchss nd rsts high-qulity whl bn cffs nd slls thm lng with frsh, rich-brwd, Itlin styl srss bvrgs, vrity f stris nd cnfctins, nd cff-rltd ccssris nd quimnt -- rimrily thrugh its cmny-rtd rtil strs." (Hmbrick, 2007, 20) Strbucks Crrtin urchss nd rsts whl bn cffs nd slls thm lng with brwd cffs, Itlin-styl srss bvrgs, cld-blndd bvrgs, vrity f fd itms, slctin f ts nd vn lin f cmct discs. "Th riginl Strbucks, fundd in 1971, ws cmny ssintly cmmittd t wrld-clss cff nd ddictd t ducting its custmrs, n n n, but wht grt cff cn b." (Hmbrick, 2007, 20) "Yu gt mr thn th finst cff whn yu visit Strbucks. Yu gt grt l, first-rt music, cmfrtbl nd ubt mting lc, (Adlr, 2001, 44) nd sund dvic n brwing xcllnt cff t hm. At hm yu r rt f fmily. At wrk, yu r rt f cmny. And smwhr in btwn thr is lc whr yu cn sit bck nd b yurslf. Tht is wht Strbucks str is t mny f its custmrs - kind f "third lc" whr thy cn sc, rflct, rd, cht r listn." (Adlr, 2001, 44) Th Strbucks Crrtin blivs thir mlys r n f thir mst imrtnt ssts in tht thir nly tru dvntg is th qulity f thir wrkfrc. By crting ridful wrkfrc, by ffring

Global issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Global issues - Essay Example The disclosure should also be backed by the independent monitoring of pay and working conditions. Violators of the laws when found should be corrected in ways that protect the workers and their jobs. There are moral and economic implications that come with the decision of not being concerned about sweatshops operating in developing countries because they provide quality clothes. The moral implication is that human dignity is not upheld. It provides the basis for the obligation of the employer to the employee. Respecting the dignity of workers requires the adherence to the laws of labor, meeting the safety standards and provision of a wage. Many aspects of the American lifestyle are attributed to the trade with Asia. Commerce with developing countries like China is crucial to its economic prosperity. Their manufacturing investment in developing countries is in the tens of billions of dollars and they also have plants that they operate on a contract basis. Hence the developing countries help in building up their economy. There are three major types of economic systems-traditional, command and market. Most of the countries in the world can be identified with one of them. In the traditional economy, the allocation of resources is based on rituals, habit or custom. The main advantage is that everyone knows which role to play. There is little uncertainty over what to produce, how to produce or for whom to produce since one follows their customs. The main disadvantage is that it discourages new ideas and new ways of carrying out things. The command economy is whereby a central authority is responsible for what, how and for whom they should produce products. The main advantage is that the system can drastically change direction in a short period of time. The main disadvantage is that it is not designed in a way that will meet the wants of the consumers even though

Leadership Concepts Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leadership Concepts - Term Paper Example Leadership is a concept that receives much talk globally, and has generated a sequence of literature particularly in the field of management (Bass and Stogdill, 1990). There is no uniformity or rather a common definition of leadership. The paper concludes with a list of several recommendations aimed at improving the current leadership skills. Leadership Concepts Excellent leaders have always been associated with a continuous process of learning and not as a result of birth. If one has the desire and the will to become a leader, then an effective leader can come out of the person in question. According to Kidder (1995), it takes not only training to become a good team leader, but it also takes education, experience and a long period of self-dedicated time to study leadership as a skill. For the workforce or juniors to be inspired, an effective leadership has to be, has to know, and has to do a number of things. These things are not achieved while resting on a laurel, instead, they are achieved via continued learning and dedicated study so as to improve the current and already acquired skills as well as learn new skills. This paper aims at looking at the key concepts of leadership; the influence of power on the followers, and evaluate the effectiveness of both transformational and transactional leadership in an organization. Many have defined leadership in various ways. According to Goleman (2000), leadership is a process where a person influences an assembly of other persons with the aim of achieving a common goal. Another definition, put forward by Dwight Eisenhower, â€Å"Leadership is the ability to decide what is to be done, and then getting others to do it† (Larson, 1968). Another definition of leadership comes from Cleeton and Mason (1934), that â€Å"Leadership indicates the ability to influence men and secure results through emotional appeals rather than through the exercise of authority.† The key concept as of these definitions is the abil ity of the person to organize their followers and point them towards achieving a common goal. The difference depends on a number of aspects and the nature of the subjects. For instance, a corporative executive may seek opinion democratically from the subordinates and develop a stratagem to arrive at a common goal. Key Concepts of Leadership In many organizations, numerous personnel are promoted to higher ranks as a result of their hard work. According to Goleman (2000), this is the first mistake companies make. As this paper reports, leadership is a quality that is associated with a number of key concepts. i. Humbleness – arrogance always come to practice during insecure moments, acting as a cover-up. There is no employee who will ever want to see a leader who is remote and haranguing. Instead, they would enjoy working with a leader who is humble and treats them with respect. ii. A good leader will always recognize and appreciate their juniors in the wake of a good performanc e. This has a huge impact on the motivation of the employees, which later yields productive results. iii. One should be a servant. Direct all the efforts towards work and ensure that the juniors have no obstacles that hinder their performance and that they are in possession of all the required tools to accomplish their tasks. iv. A good leader should be visionary in that they can help the juniors to see a better future and excite them on how to get to it. v. Confronting – many classify the word confrontation as a dirty word, but still, one can be confronted positively so as to get others on the right track in a rather gentle way. Confrontation can also be useful in identifying and eliminating from the team ineffective members and those with

Sex trafficking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sex trafficking - Research Paper Example It involves traffickers detaining or transporting victims for commercial sexual exploitation as defined by Moser (222). To bring into perspective the prevalence and trends of this social vice in the 19th Century, this paper borrows from the novel Thousand Pieces of Gold by Ruthanne Lum McCunn who narrates the struggles of women to earn their dignity and respect in early America through the life story of a Chinese girl, Lalu Nathoy whose father referred to her as Thousand Pieces of Gold, just as the title of the novel. With the famine of 1871 in northern China, he sells off Lalu to a brothel and later to a slave merchant travelling to America. This was the turning point in the life of the young girl. This paper guides on this discussion on sex trafficking, giving leads on how victims get lured and evaluating possible solutions in the light of the findings. Socio-economic misgivings, particularly poverty and wrong perception of better lives in other countries propagate sex trafficking. In this early society, sex trafficking was widely spread across the board. Not even were children spared as Li, the sex trafficker in the novel, traffics children together with her other victims. This comes to light when she quarrels Lalu for not getting the fraudulent customs clearing procedures right, claiming that â€Å"Even children: some of them are only ten, eleven years old. Children† were much better than she was (Gold 95). The cultural beliefs treated women as objects meant for the pleasure of men, while men were exalted as the only gender that had the right to work for a living. This therefore meant that women could be used in whichever way men would find pleasurable to them. Comparably, Moser (226) cites the US Department of Health and Human Services documenting sex trafficking as the second largest and fastest criminal industry worldwide. Women and children still comprise the majority of victims at about 80%, with two million children estimated to be in the comme rcial sex trade. Borrowing statistics from the United Nations, the researcher further estimates the market value for this crime at over $32 billion. Before the year 2000, sex trafficking was not prosecuted as a crime in itself but under other crimes such as promotion of prostitution. This exhibits the society’s clinging onto ancient belief of men as the superior gender. Just as Gold observed that a woman was not to â€Å"work like a man† so as to look appealing for marriage in the early days, the society still does not appreciate a woman as a laborer (356). Having pointed out that sex trafficking still remains rampant in the modern society as was in the 19th Century, it would be critical to understand how the vulnerable groups find themselves as victims of this crime. Deception, as put by Walters and Davis (1) stands out as a leading approach in luring victims of sex trafficking. The novel tells of Li, the trafficker, who took advantage of the naive American dream that Lalu had to lure her into her trap. Using America as a destination for her victims

Management accounting and healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management accounting and healthcare - Essay Example This paper talks about the interaction of research in management accounting and the healthcare sector. With the availability of a rich body of literature from various journal articles the paper focuses on a number of complex and important aspects of the topic in terms of accounting management risks, costs, regulations as well as existing opportunities in the dynamic environment of the healthcare sector. Furthermore the potential the health sector holds as far as management accounting research hold is discussed and facilitated with the description of the current developments in healthcare.Research in the management accounting of the health care sector primarily comprises of investigating the accounting and the control systems that are used by decision makers within the organization. A key component of the research in the accounting and healthcare sector is that which revolves around the cost associated with the everyday operations that are undertaken by these organizations. The rich b ody of literature available in this area has focused on a number of complex and important problems that arise in budgeting, contracting, cost accounting, management and reporting (Luft and Shields, 2003). Extant literature in the field of accounting published primarily approach the issue using an economics based theoretical framework, and focus on the study for-profit organizations. This paper discusses the distinct advantages and research opportunities offered by the healthcare industry that can be used by management accounting researchers. We look at the scope as well as the role played by the accounting practices mainly centered on cost management and risks in the healthcare sectors. Then we look at the implications of cost shifting and revenue constraints by hospitals operating in a changing regulatory environment and the impact that competition has on the need for accounting information. Next we view the advantages of using healthcare data for management accounting research. In the last section we look at the current development in the health care industry. Opportunities for Managerial Accounting Research in Health Care A setting that comprises of organizations with a large number of attributes as well as diversity provides researchers with considerable potential to study complex issues. The health care sector which consists of a multitude of hospitals in every country in the world has prevalent attributes such as multi dimensional objective functions, complex production functions and a huge number of diverse stakeholders. Furthermore major shifts in the regulation of this sector can be observed in the way it has moved from cost plus to fixed price reimbursement in many countries namely UK, Germany and Taiwan. Most notable is the move of the focus of competition from non price factors like quality to price-and-cost based competition, showing a major alteration to not only the revenue functions but also financial risk. Due to these changes the various aspe cts of hospital accounting, reporting and control systems are all impacted. This can simply be seen when you view the dilemma that surrounds health care contributing to both regulatory and normative pressures. It is required that hospitals provide patients with the best quality care regardless of their ability to pay while on the other hand it is imperative that they remain financially viable. This dilemma adds complexity to other aspects such as motivation, compensation, and evaluation of performance by hospital managers. If we view the aspect of compensation in isolation we will notice another critical element contributing to its complexity. This being ownership types such as non profit, for profit or public providing the same service and competing for the same customer base (Dranove, 1988; Hoerger, 1991; Pauly and Redisch, 1973). There are three distinct aspects of the healthcare sector which have a great influence on behavior as well as outcomes. These are regulation and competi tion, contracting and

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Essay Example Some scholars have argued that this legislative framework is too intrusive, that corporate fraud ought to be managed through market mechanisms rather than intrusive governmental agencies, and that the Act is more political than helpful (Ribstein, 2005). Other scholars concede the intrusive effects of the Act, but argue instead that the main policy objectives, such as curtailing corporate fraud and improving transparency, are enhanced by the Act (Cunningham, 2003). This essay will argue that, given the nature and the scale of the scandals that have occurred in the absence of such legislation, corporations ought to be compelled to comply with the Act; in order to more fully develop this thesis, this essay will present the type of abuse which led to the legislation, an overview of the main provisions of the Act, and an analysis of the conflicting opinions regarding the efficacy of the Act. In the Enron case, a major employer that was deemed financially stable and a model of sound business practices collapsed suddenly and dramatically. This was a company with billions in annual revenues, well-respected by a broad spectrum of the public, and politically well-connected. Its collapse was subsequently described as the result of deliberate and conscious decisions, by both Enron's management and by its outside accounting firm, to engage in accounting fraud (Fox, 2003). In short, corporate liabilities were understated or hidden and corporate assets were inflated or misrepresented. The public had been lied to, the investors had been lied to, and a great many people were injured when the company was finally forced into bankruptcy. A similar case involved WorldCom, at one time the second most significant long-distance telephone service provider in the United States, which engaged in fraudulent accounting practices in order to misrepresent its true financial condition to banks, c reditors, and other investors (Jeter, 2003). This didn't merely involve creative accounting; quite the contrary, WorldCom entered fictional transactions into its accounting records. When the weakened financial structure could no longer be hidden, the company filed for one of the largest bankruptcy cases in America history. In the final analysis, both of these cases illustrate the types of problems that the Act was designed to minimize. 1.2 An Overview of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 As a preliminary matter, the most significant feature of the Act was its creation of a governmental agency to oversee corporate accounting and financial practices. This agency is now known as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The focus is on publicly traded companies, rather than privately held forms of business organization, and the scope of the agency's power is broad. It is vested with rulemaking authority, with disciplinary powers, and with enforcement authority. In short, this agency is possessed of the same powers as the United States government-legislative, judicial, and executive-with respect to the accounting practices of public companies. Thus, it can be argued that the legislation has created a private government for public companies. An examination of the particular provisions of the Act further demonstrates the

Technological issue in homeland security Case Study

Technological issue in homeland security - Case Study Example According to Vacca (2007), the internet has led to vast transformations in the Homeland Security. For many years, the internet has been utilized to enhance communication between terrorists. The terrorists are also utilizing the internet as a recruiting tool, and support of terrorist organizations; it is through the internet that various terrorist organizations communicate and advise each other on the tactics to use in attacking their enemies. The internet has also enabled Homeland Security to get information in a cheap and easy manner; obtaining of information through the internet is easy since, at a single click, Homeland Security can have a lot of information. This has helped the Homeland Security to detect any threats to security and act promptly, thus eliminating issues of terrorism. Sharing of information from one individual to another over the globe has been necessitated through the use of the internet. Hence, the Homeland Security can access terrorism information over the globe through the use of the internet. This terrorist information is usually crucial in eliminating terrorist activities and improving security. On the side of Homeland security, the internet has been an excellent tool since it has assisted the department in identifying individuals who may be terrorists through the use of biometric technology (Alperen, 2011). According to biometric technology, every person possesses certain traits; behavioral and physical, which identify people in a unique manner. The internet has made the revelation of operations done by the Homeland Security officials feasible. Through internet hacking or cyber crimes, the terrorists can access crucial information from the Homeland security website. Because of this problem, the Homeland Security has increased cyber intelligence through seeking Information Technology professionals to assist in tracking of the terrorist activities on the

What accounted for Japan's rapid economic growth in the post-war era Essay

What accounted for Japan's rapid economic growth in the post-war era - Essay Example policies towards the country, effect of the international market, pre-war industrial capacities, social mobilization and favorable government policies. After the end of WWII, the urge to catch up and level with the western nations coupled with nationalism persisted in japan. Unlike during the war period where the efforts and Japanese energies were focused on military development, post WWII efforts focused on economic development. For instance, the Japanese factories tasked with the production of machine guns were turned into producing sewing machines whereas those tasked with production of optical weapons reverted to the production of binoculars and cameras for the local and international market. This easy conversion of military industries into profitable industries boosted the rapid economic growth of japan (Allen 67). The United States allowed japan to export its products to the USA while simultaneously allowing it to protect its domestic market during the raging on of the cold war. This led to a beneficial trade relationship between japan and the United States of America. Additionally, japan greatly benefited from joining the international markets which offered it low tariffs, the needed raw materials and cheap or lowered prices of oil. Moreover, Japan enacted article 9 of its constitution that forbade it from re arming itself, hence it is protected by the United States. As a consequence, it spends less than one percent of its GDP on its military (Allinson 94). The huge savings propelled the nation to develop rapidly after WWII. Rather than the Japanese possessing a welfare state, a welfare society exists which is defined by the creation of total employment. Small to medium sized cartels of Japanese companies were present to prevent Japanese companies from becoming bankrupt hence maintaining total employment. As a result, the Japanese nation re directed the resources and funds it would have used on welfare to the development of it industries. This led to

Learning curve Essay Example for Free

Learning curve Essay The term the learning curve has a popular, well-known meaning in American culture. In consideration of how and when you start to examine the way that term is used, most people discover that the primary and perceived meaning of the term really doesnt make any sense. If the curve is drawn on a chart which tracks resulting knowledge against time spent learning, it might look like the Tetris © (a popular logic game) graph here to the right. By visual consideration, the chart is steepest at the beginning, when a person first starts learning how to play Tetris. The beginner usually gains knowledge quickly, learning the game in just a few minutes. Though there is much to learn, the player will never learn as quickly as he or she did at the beginning learning how to play the game. | Here is another example: I believe that most people would consider the process of blowing leafs out of their yards with a leaf blower is very simple, but is that the instance? For many, regardless of education and or experience, it only takes about two minutes to get up and running blowing leaves. Additional knowledge milestones await most people after they have invested more time, such as flushing corners, minimizing blowback, and blinding the cyclists. | On the charts shown in this article, the knowledge milestones are made up and arbitrary, however labeling the vertical axis can be challenging. For most people, learning can be a series of successes, but it can also be a slow refinement of technique. It isnt really accurate for a person to say they are still learning to dribble a basketball when many NBA professionals with years of experience are still refining the process. | Shown to the right is an expanded timeline on the basketball learning curve. Many of the knowledge milestones on this chart cant really be learned in an hour. Most people can and do learn that they exist, but are not able to actually perform them for another year. | This quest for adequate understanding was spurned by my desire to identify activities which have a shallow learning curve. If steep learning curves are grueling, then shallow ones must be enjoyable, right? Shown here on the right is a graph for the learning curve of World of Warcraft. It is definitely enjoyable. Maybe the vast number of things to learn makes it so compelling, or the timed-release of new experiences. Speed of learning is probably not the best way to determine whether or not something is fun. | Another example. Learning to drive a manual transmission. Learning to drive a manual transmission is difficult because it requires a certain level of knowledge and skill before it can be done at all. The payoff, and true measure of success, is learning it well enough to dare to venture out into real traffic on a person’s own. In consideration of the aforementioned graph, it is cognitive to most people that in many examples of learning, there is only one real milestone to be reached. | This final graph compares the learning of two different students, and it is the only chart where the idea of a steep learning curve actually makes sense. The lower (green) section of the graph represents the state of being unable to perform a certain task. The upper section represents the state of being able to perform it. The orange line student can be said to have a steep learning curve. The sample student crossed the threshold into able after one day of learning. The red line sample student had a shallow learning curve. Said student needed four days to become able to adequately learn and or retain the learned knowledge. Posters note: I found the foregoing article one day while doing research on different learning styles. The original post on Cockeyed. com I believe was meant to be satirical, however in my opinion the information is highly beneficial in understanding the original author’s perspective on how many people learn. In considering the authors said perspective, I truly believe he or she has captured what many people today consider the â€Å"learning curve† process. Please write me with any comments, questions and or concerns. William Lucas ([emailprotected] net)| |

The Identified Strategic Challenges Facing The Lego Company Marketing Essay

The Identified Strategic Challenges Facing The Lego Company Marketing Essay The identified strategic challenges facing the Lego Company is the pursuit to creating innovative product lines that instills interests of the companys brand. With more visual graphics toys that perform technology advanced entertainment, the Lego Group must reinvent original concept that is current to interests of the targeted demographic. In addition, the other challenge is balancing act managing pricing matrix due to the economy woes that occurs at leave every 4-5 years that impact purchases. Therefore, the Lego Company strategic planning is critical to apply appropriate applications that will sustain the status quo of sales but with a determinate 20%-45% of increase sales. The brand identity is critical to this assessment to reaching the targeted measure for a successful return in investment. The stated opportunities are the beneficial aspects to building the dedicated customers to a new revamping of the product line specifically geared towards each age group. The Lego Company was founded tradition and that is why in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, in which, the company has passed from father to son and is now owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder. In the past almost 80 years from a small carpenters workshop to a modern, global enterprise that the company is now, the Lego Company is the worlds 50th largest manufacturer of toys. Key recommendations The recommended strategic approaches to take advantage of the opportunities for further increasing the brand identity and brand equity is in the creation of the value for customers. In doing so, the customer will demonstrate loyalty and producing sales channels. The refocusing of the value that the Lego Company implements provides for a set target to identifying creative aspects of the current and new product line. Benefits and advantages of the recommendations The Lego Company benefits and advantages of the recommendations of implementing value by imposing advanced safety, creativity, and innovation as well as customer services to the product line produces brand equity. The Lego Company strategy for the period to 2010 is its core focuses on creating value that promotes the brand identity that produces quality products. In each new product design and concept the mission to infuse value systematic concerns supports the recommendations. The increasingly refine and improve product range strategically enable its new products to compete, for example, with the many electronic products on the target market. Aims to convince MD to read main report. The targeted aims to influential the demographic market is in the strategy that underlines the continued importance of focusing on profitability within the organization. Conversely, the situation facing all toy manufacturers at present is that they are tailored to focus from many quarters, such as, by consumers, customers and competitors. The Lego Company aim is to meet this challenge with a determination to unite and bind consumers, fans and retailers for an increasing the interests to the organization. The current challenges of todays toy products to attract and sustain customers with technology advanced precut, the Lego Company product line is the key attribute to present innovation. With over 79 years of toy business experience, the organization has the means to innovate the Lego bricks, PC Games, and Lego Land to heighten the demographic interest. Introduction The founding of the company since 1932, the strategic opportunities are the building of the LEGO brand that is more than simply our familiar logo brand but a new concept to transform technology product line. The targeted demographic needs for new interesting and innovate products that has a learning angle within its concept provides an exceptional opportunity. Therefore, the new branding of the companys products can provide a more strategic operational excellence for a dominate presences within the targeted market demographic. The refocus on the value will offer consumers a new vision for identifying Lego as the company to trust to demonstrate a safe purchase price and durability in the product line. The increase operational excellence is another strategic benefit and advantage for a profound measure to showcasing the Lego Company with the customer base. The products and services, and the accountability that is the LEGO Company brand identity is portrayed around the world that produces higher brand equity. In doing so, the benefits and advantages are more positive the brand will acts as a guarantee of quality and originality that shall achieve the mission by constantly focusing on a consistent strong brand. Main Body The Lego Companys strategy shared vision with the mission of the organizations presents the tangible strategy that is creating the required value for our customers to increasing the sales channels. In doing so, the pursuit for the building the brand identity leading to increasing brand equity is met to sustaining the manufacture known for producing the Toy of the Century. The marketing angle is the aim to making the foundation for a traditional interlocking principle for offering unlimited brand identity possibilities to emerge as the leader in manufacturing toys (Legos.com, 2009). The LEGO Company goal is to provide an improvement of issues that concern the product to create value for the child, parents, the retail shops, vendors, and society in general. The Environment SWOT/TOWS The strength identified is in the established brand identity with LEGO entails longetivity to foster a sense of trust of the product. The strength aspects present a vast measure of imprinting the feature of durability along with longevity with the product line. The Lego Company objectives feature a concept that reaches a wider demographic from age 1-6 and determines to expand this range (Ingram, Laforge, 2006, pp. 22). Therefore, the weaknesses identified are the needed ability to create innovated products such as the PC Games and Lego Land as well as reinventing the legendary Lego bricks to a new height. The lack there of will create a lesser share of the targeted audience compared to competitors. Respectively, the opportunity presents a means for creative toy manufactures to bring in key concepts to from remember able products that are long lasting for improving the brand equity standing. The threat is in the competitors; Coko, Tyco, and Mega Blocks, that are more apt towards pricing and innovated accountability that masters in the area of visual conceptual presentations. The competitors objective is to foster a new way of toy manufacturing that prides itself on a technical visual environment. In doing so, the Lego bricks are the foundation to counteract the threat of not creating innovated product lines, at least every other year. The opportunity is then presented to revolutionary the means for marketing the product that is the leading toy of choice. The weakness is then moved to a lesser degree because of the strategic marketing means for a desired results leading to strength for the Lego Company. The strength is presented for advancing the vision of the company to present value with innovation that is imperative. Strategic Capability The capacity to applying the strategic applications is to reaching the companys goals for leading sales 2-to-1 compared to competitors. The implementation of the company is through the means that perform its best to make a positive impact on areas such as working environment, environment that encourages innovation in the Research Development departments. In doing so, the marketing concept is reached with a directive to illustrate a primary aim to supply good, and healthy play product aspects (Savory, Butterfiled, 1998, pp.88). The strategic context to presenting the companys brand for having fun is the central concept within the marketing initiatives for reaching the desired results to the targeted demographic. The marketing initiatives are targeting the age groups of 1-6 as well as to 7-9 years old present an interesting concept to increasing the brand equity over the next 5 years. Business Idea The profound business idea is reinventing the original Lego bricks to an improved product line that advances the learning and playing experience that is remember for target group of age 7-9 demographics. The concept presents the business idea that builds on the foundation to foster a technology concept to drawing in the preference for Lego products rather than the competitors. The strategic move is a cost-effective approach that limits most marketing markets to a television and print ads combination. In doing so, the business idea is mastered perfectly to demonstrate a wiliness to compete with Nintendo and WII products more proactively. The concept is to reinvent the product line more geared to highlighting known entertainment in the demographic. Recommendations The recommendation is the investment of resources into the product line of Lego bricks, PC Games, and Lego Land that transform into a technology advanced ability and associated with current child entertainment venues. The similarities to Monopoly Games associating with Barbie, Sports, and now Disney version so Lego Company must consider branching out into similar avenues. The focused effort on the development to not only continues influencing kindergarten toddlers and schoolchildren but is to sincerely tap into the young teenagers to young-at-heart adults demographic. In doing so, the fascination of sports and cars are imperative to delivering the designed models for a creative Lego bricks that be performed on your computer by visiting the LEGO Factory website. In this retrospect, the recommendation is honing onto the strength identified for the Lego Company can build on the brand identity and brand equity. Conclusions In the pursuit for establishing a target market increase by 20% with the targeted age demographic of 7-9 as well as 10-14 for sales to improving an overall measure of global performance. The leading of plastic parts to create a new dimension of reality provides the opportunity to recreating a fascinating concept that improves the brand identity. The measure provides the brand equity to increase matching the sales projections for the next 5years due to manufacturing quality products. In doing so, the value target matrix is met accordingly to fulfill the strategic management planning goals with innovated products. The focus on mirroring the same concept as Monopoly Games strategy of paring up with popular entertainment venues and activities provides the Lego Company the same opportunity. Therefore, the targeted demographics are more likely to reinforce the primary vision of the organization as being the The Toy Manufactory in the current and next century by adapting to the times. Appendices Lego Company Weight Rating Weighted Score Products Weighted Comments Strengths Color 0.15 5 0.75 Bricks The variety of fresh ideas concept Shape 0.05 4 0.2 Land Always distinguish style Features 0.1 4 0.4 Theme Variety of features in the market Sizes 0.05 4 0.15 Bricks Measure component Diversity 0.15 3 0.45 Accessory Long lasting on adapting Weaknesses Acceleration Performance 0.05 2 0.1 Production Need to improve Limited in flexibility 0.05 2 0.1 Adaptability Not clear on concept in some markets Interior Design 0.2 2 0.4 Design No variety in standard 0.80 2.55 Table A. Table B. The reflection of the organization presents how the usage of invested resources to provide the innovated product line is critical to the success of Lego Company. The competitors strategy identifies to the mission for effective pricing to counteract the powerhouse of Lego Company. Therefore, the analysis presents the opportunity for the Lego Company to demonstrate a more diversified pricing matrix with the incorporation of value and quality. In doing so, the fundamentals of the recommendation to reinvent the product line of the Lego bricks, PC Games, and Lego land can be achieve successfully. The core vision of Lego Company is to provide an exceptional product in the international market place by proceeding to the next phase of developing an effective business initiatives outlining innovation. The recent analysis of the strengths and weakness of Lego Company focusing on the global market provided insight into the overall benefit for moving forward to rebranding the product line. The marketing strategy for a global integration is to accomplishing corporate initiative that outlines the profitability margin in effectiveness of the product brand (Armstrong Kotler, 2007, pp.11). The analysis on the weakness of Lego Company presented a concern with a proposed consensus on the needed invested resources capital to meet phases of implementation for a planned strategy, in order, to enter new technology products in the market. Therefore, the counteract impact of the Lego Company provides a vitality of the product that has been proven years pages record sales with PC Games. The entry proved from 1990s to current year a strong brand name in the current market for further research and development. Therefore, the need to receive approval from strategic for developing a business initiatives present the effectiveness of the product will remove concerns on initial estimation of capital required. The implementation of formulating the business plan will provide the usual focuses of the mission, purpose, management staff but as well as details on the three core strategic approaches. The three strategic areas are positioning, segmentation, and branding to infuse Lego Company in its initial launching efforts to secure a prestigious footing in the global market place. The positioning will provide the previous research on where the best location for the entry into the international market that will target the core children, school-aged, and teens consumer audience. The marketing positioning will play in sync with the segmentation marketing strategy, in order, to solidify the core vision of the parent company. In doing so, the focus is set to be of offering and providing an exceptional product that can be adapted to any specific international culture environment (Wild, Wild, and Han, 2006, pp. 45). Furthermore, the Lego Companys branding strategy will be highlighted in the business plan to outline the psychological theory that would be in play to capture the awareness of the product and brand identity. Moreover, the focused attention will be on the apathy theory as well as a child, the parent, and the vendors psychological theory concept to deliver the impact of a new awareness to the product and its profound capabilities (Best, 2006, pp. 28). The entrance into the international market must have the means to effectively construct the vision of Lego Company for the short-to-long term goal; hence, a concise effort to instill a communication model has already been established. The marketing strategy for Lego Company already established communication model outlines the short-term goal to the global market with the implementation of strategies within twelve months. The long-term goal measuring will take place in the ninth to twelfth month to secure a footing for long-term efforts that synergize the companys marketability. The long-term goal is to roll-out 3 upgraded version of the product line associated with Disney, Sports, and Learning Visuals within the next 1 to 4 years. The additional long-term goal is to recoup the initial capital investment required at the start of launching globally and to start marking a profit by year 2. The time for Lego Corporation to enter the global market is right now with any delay due to the ramifications can result in losing a hefty share in the consumer market. The outcome can presents a more dramatic entry into the market due to the brand identity established. The research study presents the investigation of the correlation between various marketing strategies on successfully popular products that are online gaming features for the worldwide web (George, Jones, pp. 18). The identification of the product marketing strategy bringing traffic to the brand identity for equity advancement creates an effective measure to tapping in to the targeted demographic. The built by a website designer to increase the popularity in the search engine, hence a review of the three main search engines specifications to avoid rejection in the ranking level. The marketing methodology approach seems to display how the creative features of original product can improve by strategies focusing on current trends (Gobe, 2001, pp. 12). The mission of the organization to focus on a refine associated with the products as well as the PC gaming web technology aspect accomplishes in the desired outcome marketing strategy. The popularity of the Lego Company creativity and durability proves to being the established foundation to meeting the targeted demographic needs for innovation and interest. Respectively, the mission for a value concept incorporated into the strategy provides for a strong effort to compete with manufactory to increase the share in the market.

Music Business Journal Analysis :: essays research papers fc

Music Business Journal Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Music Business Journal is an online journal based in the United Kingdom. The two editors, JoJo Gould and Jonathan Little, are both lecturers, researchers, and writers in the music industry. When they saw that the music industry was underdeveloped in academic terms, the two founded the Music Business Journal to â€Å"facilitate the sharing of information and knowledge across a range of music industry activities.† Consultants for the journal come from a wide array of expertise and from all over the world. Countries represented are the U.K., Australia, U.S.A., and Turkey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The members of the Music Business Journal never have formal meetings as it is specifically an online journal. Members from around the world, however, can submit articles, interviews, reviews of products, etc. to get posted on the website for their peers to view. In fact, each year one member earns an award for writing the best article published on the journal’s site. It is important to note that many of the members of the MBJ are also members of music business associations such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and/or the National Association of Recording Industry Professionals (NARIP), both of which hold annual meetings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The specific audience for this publication are music industry professionals; including recording label’s staff, studio engineers, and producers; however the journal can also be useful for educators, journalists, and the general public. The information provided in the journal could serve a variety of purposes but it is mostly an analytical source of news. The articles within the journal analyze the latest trends in the music industry and layout possibilities for the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The articles in this journal are not topic specific. There are a wide variety of articles found in the journal with topics ranging from record labels to sampling to copyright infringement to safety regulations and even historical information. By taking this wide angled approach, the MBJ makes sure to include information for anyone’s personal interest in the music industry, without being too specialized. A reader would probably never use this journal as their primary source of news/education in their particular focus within the field; however, they could use this journal as a way of learning about other facets in the music industry they are not already familiar with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As mentioned earlier, the writers for the Music Business Journal come from all over the globe, with the editors and staff mostly working as professors and lecturers at universities.

Toulmin Analysis of Attraction Essay -- essays research papers

Toulmin Analysis of â€Å"Attraction†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Mystery of Attraction,† Harville Hendrix claims that attraction between human beings is based on a number of factors that ultimately leave human beings baffled on exactly how humans experience such intense emotions as seen in romantic love and why so many couples tend to have complementary characteristics. He supports this claim by explaining several theories of attraction. His biological theory of courtship states that â€Å"we instinctively select mates who will enhance the survival of the species† (483). This theory suggests instinctive evolutionary attraction such as a female’s rosy cheeks on a slender frame and a male’s muscular physique are the features which take paramount importance in mate selection. Another theory, which he calls the exchange theory, emphasizes that â€Å"we select mates who are more or less our equals† (483). This theory proposes the act of mate selection as being a game of weighing the po sitive and negative characteristics in hopes of attaining equality in all aspects of both mates. His final idea, which is called the persona theory, â€Å"maintains that an important factor in mate selection is the way a potential suitor enhances our self esteem† (483-484). Attraction as it pertains to this theory places emphasis on what others think and the image of how others perceive someone with a certain mate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hendrix’s argument has one warra... Toulmin Analysis of Attraction Essay -- essays research papers Toulmin Analysis of â€Å"Attraction†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Mystery of Attraction,† Harville Hendrix claims that attraction between human beings is based on a number of factors that ultimately leave human beings baffled on exactly how humans experience such intense emotions as seen in romantic love and why so many couples tend to have complementary characteristics. He supports this claim by explaining several theories of attraction. His biological theory of courtship states that â€Å"we instinctively select mates who will enhance the survival of the species† (483). This theory suggests instinctive evolutionary attraction such as a female’s rosy cheeks on a slender frame and a male’s muscular physique are the features which take paramount importance in mate selection. Another theory, which he calls the exchange theory, emphasizes that â€Å"we select mates who are more or less our equals† (483). This theory proposes the act of mate selection as being a game of weighing the po sitive and negative characteristics in hopes of attaining equality in all aspects of both mates. His final idea, which is called the persona theory, â€Å"maintains that an important factor in mate selection is the way a potential suitor enhances our self esteem† (483-484). Attraction as it pertains to this theory places emphasis on what others think and the image of how others perceive someone with a certain mate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hendrix’s argument has one warra...

Discrimination Challenges Essay -- Racial Relations, Social Issues, Ha

Growing up in the early 1900’s was not easy especially if you were a women and/or black. Hansberry was both and with that, she faced discrimination challenges. As she grew as a women and writer, a person respected her more and saw her for more than her race and the fact she was a woman. Throughout her life, she fought for her rights and stood up for a cause, until her early tragic death from cancer. Lorraine Hansberry grew up during the American Civil Rights movement, managed to overcome the hard times of segregation, the lack of women’s rights, and the harsh criticism of the critics to become a strong writer, which she used to make a difference for African Americans through all her writings. #1 Hansberry grew up in trying times with her two parents, from the beginning she wanted to make a difference. â€Å"Lorrain Vivian Hansberry was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1930, to Carl A. Hansberry and Nanny Perry Hansberry and was the youngest of four children.†(#4) â€Å"Throughout her childhood, thanks to her family’s deep involvement in the black community, she was surrounded by black politics, culture, and economics. Her father, a relator, was very active in the NAACP and†¦her mother, a former schoolteacher, was a ward committeewoman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (#4) When she was eight her family moved into a white community but was later forced out. â€Å"Hansberry learned another lesson in pride in 1938 when her father, risking jail, challenged Chicago’s real estate convents, which legally upheld housing discrimination, by moving his own family into a white neighborhood.† (#4). â€Å"Hansberry herself believed religion was a crutch†¦ and this belie f is reflected in her near-dismissal of both Christianity and the native religion of Zatembe in Les Blancs.† (Paper #2). Facing many ... ... in the Sun; Canned Film Festavel special award and Screen Writers Guide nomination, both 1961, both for screenplay, A Raisin in the Sun.† (http://libproxy.wcjc.cc.tx.us:2368) (#9) â€Å"Hansberry was named the â€Å"most promising playwrite† of the season by Variety’s poll of New York drama critic’s.†(#9) â€Å"But most critics did not perceive Hansberry as a particulary political or â€Å"black† writer, but rather as one who dealt more with human universals.† (#9) With only a short amount of time spent in this world, Hansberry was able to make difference to many people inside and outside of the literature world. She stood up for her rights, which helped her find love and peace. Hansberry faced many tough challenges throughout her life from race discrimination to harsh critics on her books and plays but she believed in herself and took charge to try to make a difference.

Cool Quest Video and Reflection Essay

Psychology could influence consumer behavior in many ways. Based on the video, I learned that the brain responds accordingly to what one perceives as â€Å"cool†. With that being said, I’m pretty sure that there are studies that gear towards tis feature of the mind. And companies like Apple use these studies when inventing their newest products. For example, technology has evolved immensely in recent years. When Apple began inventing their latest IPhone, I’m pretty sure that they thought about what would appeal to their consumers. And I’m positive that psychology had a huge impact on their decisions. In my opinion, there a lot of other areas of society that could be impacted by psychology. Such areas influenced are career choices, fashion, and social habits like drinking and smoking to name a few. All of these societal aspects described can be influenced by different areas of the mind. And we all know that in general today’s societies seek to be accepted by all. I know for me the nature versus nurture theory is a huge influence on different aspects of my life. I was raised by a single parent in a poverty stricken neighborhood. My mother didn’t graduate high school. So education is big for me, which would lead to a better career choice. What is fashionably acceptable or not can be related to the video because everyone has a different perception of what is cool or not.

Juvenile Corrections Essay

Juvenile corrections encompasses the portions of the criminal justice system that deal with juvenile offenders. Many of these facilities and programs seem to mirror jails and prisons, but juvenile corrections are not meant for long term sentences. Sometimes sentences for juveniles are only several weeks long. Juvenile corrections also have a strong focus on rehabilitation because studies have shown that juvenile offenders are more prone to rehabilitation than adult offenders. These programs and services were aimed to help to teach these youthful offenders how to better deal with situations and how to avoid entering the into the criminal justice system again. (wisegeek) The judges who handle these juvenile cases specialize in working with juvenile offenders and their crimes. Others who specialize in juvenile crime are a part of the juvenile corrections system as well. This includes social workers, probation officers, as well as others. Their aim is usually not to punish the juveniles alone, but to use the punishment as a way to rehabilitate them as well. (USLegal) Historical Background of Juvenile Corrections The origins of juvenile corrections are not entirely clear. Juvenile and adult offenders have been treated differently for some time, but what ages are considered to be juvenile has changed over time. The United States’ perspective on juvenile ages and law was greatly influenced by English law. In the 1700s, William Blackstone, an English lawyer, published his Commentaries on the Laws of England, where he identified that young persons are incapable of committing crime. Generally, anyone under of the age of seven was incapable of committing crime. Any child over the age of 14 was able to be tried as an adult. Children between the ages of 7 and 14 are a gray area, but were generally not held accountable for their actions unless it could be shown that they knew what was right or wrong. Punishments for being found guilty of crime included the death penalty, even for juvenile offenders. (ABA, 2011) The juvenile corrections system began to change and be reformed in the nineteenth century. â€Å"Social reformers began to create special facilities to rehabilitate troubled juveniles, especially in large cities†, (ABA, 2011, p 5). These reformers stated that they wanted to protect these juvenile offenders by keeping them separate from the adult populations because they were better able to be rehabilitated. The first court system for juveniles in the United States started in 1899 in Illinois. These courts also aimed to rehabilitate the juvenile offenders. They had juvenile court systems in most states by 1824. The courts became the â€Å"guardians† of the juvenile offenders, or their â€Å"parens patriae†. These court proceedings were considered to be civil matters and not considered to be criminal matters. Their basic focus was on rehabilitating the juvenile offenders. (ABA, 2011) The juvenile courts changed again in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1967, the case of Gerald in In re Gault, the Supreme Court granted many juveniles some, but not all, due process rights in the course of their court proceedings. This included the right to be notified of their pending charges, the right to have an attorney, the right to protect themselves against self-incrimination, and the rights to confront and cross-examine their witnesses. Three years later, in In re Winship, the Court also established that the accused must be proven guilty â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt†. In 1971, in McKeiver v. Pennsylvania, the Courts ruled that juries are not required for juvenile proceedings. In most cases, the judge in charge of the juvenile corrections department will hear the case, judge the offender, and sentence the offender. (ABA, 2011) Recidivism Rates in Juvenile Corrections When it comes to measuring a correctional agency’s facilities and programs, recidivism rates are most frequently used. These rates guide spending and funding decisions aimed to effectively combat crime. While there is no standard rate that is aimed for, the idea is to try to reduce the recidivism rate or even keep it the same opposed to raising it. When the recidivism rates are not progressing in the manner expected, these agencies must try to find other avenues and strategies that will make a positive impact on the recidivism rates, and in the long run, these juvenile’s lives. (CJCA, 2011) â€Å"The Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC) defines recidivism as a return to incarceration within three years of the offender’s date of release from a state correctional institution.† (Schelle, 2012) The 2011 recidivism rate for all juvenile offenders was 36.7%. The recidivism rate for African American juvenile offenders was 43.8%. Eighty-two percent of the juveniles who recidivated did so with a new crime, and the other 18% returned because of technical violations. â€Å"Of all juveniles released in 2008, 40.9% of males returned to IDOC, while only 15.8% of females returned,† (Schelle, 2012). Surprisingly, juvenile sex offenders had the lowest recidivism rate at 13.6%. (Schelle, 2012) Risk-Focused Juvenile Crime Prevention Risk factors for juvenile delinquency have been identified from multiple studies. These risk factors are different for older and younger juveniles. When focusing on the individual juvenile between the ages of 6-11, delinquency risk factors include; being male, having a low IQ, having antisocial attitudes and beliefs, dishonesty, having medical and physical problems, hyperactivity, exposure to television violence, petty offenses, having poor attitude and performance at school, and substance use. In this same age group, the child’s family environment can also include risk factors as well. Some of these risk factors are; being in a low socioeconomic status or poverty, having antisocial parents, having poor relationships, receiving harsh or inconsistent discipline, having a broken home, being separated from their parents, and having abusive or neglectful parents. (Przybylski, 2008) For children between the ages of 12 and 14, the individual risk factors include; general offenses, having a low IQ, displaying antisocial behavior, committing crimes against others, using physical violence, being male, displaying risk taking behaviors, displaying aggression, having low concentration, restlessness, and general offenses. Other factors also include having a poor attitude in school, academic failure, having weak social ties, and gang membership. Living in a community with high neighborhood crime, drugs, and disorganization are also factors. In this same age group, the child’s family environment can also include risk factors as well. Some of these risk factors are; lax or harsh discipline by parents, lack of adult or parental supervision, lack of parental involvement, having antisocial parents, having poor relationships, coming from a broken home, living in poverty, being abused, and experiencing family conflict. With all of these risk factors being mentioned, â€Å"It is important to recognize that risk factors cannot be used to identify which particular children will grow up to be offenders,† (Przybylski, 2008, p 84). There are also protective factors that may help counter-act the risk factors mentioned above. These include the individual juvenile; having a strong attitude or being intolerant toward deviance, having a higher IQ, being female, having more positive social skills and orientation, and understanding the sanctions for any transgressions. Some familial protective factors include; having warm, strong, and supporting relationships with caregivers, good monitoring by parents, and the general support of the juvenile’s friends by the juvenile’s parents. Other protective factors include; the juvenile being committed to their education, gaining recognition for extracurricular activities, and having friends who are also against deviant behavior. (Przybylski, 2008) What Rehabilitation Efforts Work for Juveniles and Which Do Not There has been much research on what programs work to rehabilitate juvenile offenders. The general results have been that the majority of the programs have no real effect on the juvenile recidivism rate aside from a few exceptions. The reason why juveniles have lower recidivism rates is believed to be because juveniles are not completely aware of the ramifications of their actions and do not always understand the true damage they inflict on their victims. (Lieb, 1994) The results of multiple studies indicate several approaches to rehabilitation that do not work. Those include; visiting a probation officer one time per month, diagnostic assessments, behavior modification for any complex behaviors, broad discussion groups, attending school as a single approach, field trips, work programs, psychodynamic counseling, and therapeutic camping trips. The research used 50 different juvenile correctional programs and came to the conclusion that the results were, â€Å"far from encouraging,† and â€Å"correctional treatment has little effect on recidivism,† (Lieb, 1994, p 5). The results showed that some behavioral approaches received more positive results. An analysis used 90 residential and community programs for juvenile offenders. The analysis concluded that, â€Å"Behavior approaches had the most success in reducing recidivism although the effects were so small that â€Å"they could not reject the null hypothesis.† Group therapy and transactional analysis programs were more likely to produce negative effects,† (Lieb, 1994, p 5). What does seem to work is using correctional treatment and service utilizing three principles that include; getting service to the high-risk juveniles, paying attention to the risk factors mentioned above, and using different styles of treatment depending on the needs and learning styles of the individual juvenile offender. (Lieb, 1994) References ABA. (2011, June 29). The History of Juvenile Justice. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from American Bar Association: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/publiced/features/DYJpart1.authcheckdam.pdf CJCA. (2011). Recidivism Committee. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators: http://cjca.net/index.php/initiatives/recidivism-committee Lieb, R. (1994). Juvenile Offenders: What Works? ; A Summary of Research Findings. The Evergreen State College. Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy. Przybylski, R. (2008). What Works; Effective Recidivism Reduction and Risk-Focused Prevention Programs. Denver: RKC Group. Schelle, S. (2012). Juvenile Recidivism 2011. Indianapolis: Indiana Department of Correction. USLegal. (n.d.). Juvenile Corrections Law & Legal Definition. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from USLegal.com: http://definitions.uslegal.com/j/juvenile-corrections/ wisegeek. (n.d.). What is Juvenile Corrections? Retrieved November 22, 2012, from wisegeek.com: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-juvenile-corrections.htm

Literature Justification for Blended/Reverse Instruction

The concept of a reversed classroom is a logical next step from discovering the benefits of more time on task, direct instruction, reduced lecture time, and modifying homework tasks. If teachers are to find time to increase time on task and direct instruction; and greater comprehension is shown from shorter lectures over longer ones; and if homework is more beneficial when it is reduced into manageable portions; then the best division of labor is to assign the short lecture as homework to give teachers that time in class actively engaged in the application of the lesson(s. Rigorous literature on the reversed classroom is still in its infancy, but literature on its various beneficial parts is offered here along with it. Key terms: Blended instruction – teaching pedagogy that uses both virtual and face-to- face instruction. Reverse instruction – a classroom method that appoints the time for lecture material to an at home assignment, while completing practice material duri ng classroom time. Time on task – the amount of time actively engaged in assigned learning. Homework – coursework that is assigned to be completed outside classroom attendance, usually at home. Direct instruction – a teacher centered model of instruction that includes high levels of teacher support/scaffolding, ongoing evaluative monitoring with feedback, and strong student-teacher engagement of the material. (Stein 1998) Podcast/vodcast – audio or video/audio files that can be downloaded from the internet for personal use. Literature Justification for Blended/Reverse Instruction Introduction Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams began a movement. They didn’t intend to; they simply responded to the needs of their own classrooms and collaborated on an idea that was initially intended for their absent students. Then it grew into a method that freed them up to be more actively involved with students during their class periods. It involved video recording their lectures for at home use, and practicing the material and assignments with direct instruction and guidance during class time, thus â€Å"flipping†, or reversing, their use of instruction time (Bergmann 2009. The results were so positive that many others are replicating the method across the nation and tech companies are filling the need with products, (see appendix), that go far beyond PowerPoint ® for formatting the lectures they deliver to their students. This concept has been called by a few names: reverse classroom, reverse instruction, flipped classroom, and/or blended instruction, however, the opportunity created by the â€Å"flip† to increase t eacher-student interaction during class time is what characterizes its success (Bergmann 2009). As the use of this concept increases parents, teachers, and administrators are asking for research testing its efficacy. Those who are trying flipped classrooms state that increased learning does not occur just by reversing homework and lecture time alone, but by seizing the opportunity to guide and interact with students more. The technology of vodcasting by itself is not a silver bullet for our educational woes; educators must teach with sound methodology and quality regardless of what medium, or time, they choose to lecture in (Roblyer 2009. ) With that in mind I propose the following research questions about a reverse classroom study: 1. Will more direct instruction increase measurable comprehension of subject matter as reflected in test scores? Studies so far have had promising results, (Stein, Carnine, & Dixon 1998), and include mastery of material through formative evaluation before moving on in coursework, (Overmyer 2010), extra use of worked examples, (Carroll 1992), and more use of discussion, (Matthews 2008. ) 2. Will students have greater compliance in homework because is consists of lectures instead of practice? Benefits from homework are directly proportional to how much compliance demonstrated in completing it, (Keith 1982. Homework compliance at Clintondale High in Macomb County, MI increased because a short lecture is easier; applied practice has been less frustrating with support later in class, (Buffenbarger 2011). This model of education changes the character of homework from usually studying alone trying to remember and apply lecture material, to doing the work alongside other students with guidance. At home the student can be prepared to learn through the lecture without the pressure of application until un derstanding of the material is confirmed and supported. This echoes Ecclesiastes 4:9 â€Å"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down his friend can pick him up. But pity the man who has no one to help him up! † (New International Version) 3. Will more time on task, due to less lecture time, reduce behavior management issues in reversed classrooms? Clintondale High, again, has shown dramatic reduction in referrals to the office for discipline, (Higgins 2011), in the first year of reversed classrooms and school-wide emphasis on this use of time; â€Å"Students are less frustrated and disruptive in class because there is someone on hand to help one-on-one. (Buffenbarger 2011) Discussion of key terms Blended instruction is really a broad category under which the focus of my proposed study falls. It is not just any use of technology by the school for record keeping or parent communication, although those things support education. This â€Å"blend† is referring to how content is be ing delivered to the student for instruction. When a teacher has students read and respond to material online, they have blended their face to face instruction with computer instruction. When they have delivered an asynchronous lecture or lesson outside of class time, or assigned pre-recorded information by someone else for them to find and view or listen to it is also blended instruction. In extensive meta-analysis it has been found that a combination of both virtual and face to face instruction is likely to be more effective than either one alone, (US Dept. 2008. ) Reverse instruction is a category of blended instruction named according to when virtual content delivery occurs as opposed to when application and practice of the material happens. Rather than using classroom time for content delivery, the instructor uses that time for guiding application and practice, while assigning the lecture/lesson as homework, (Bergmann, 2009). Time on task, not to be confused with mere seatwork, (Siefert 1984), is a term used in this study to refer to active engagement with the content. This can be during collaborative work with fellow students, involvement in discussion, (Matthews 2008), with the instructor as a class, or individually. It can include time used for assessment, lab work, practice, or use of interactive software or textbooks, (Higgins 1992); but it is always referring to the students’ efficacious work with the class content. Homework is any assigned coursework meant to be completed outside of the classroom, usually at home. It is often a topic of study in education because of its impact on grades and tests. (Keith 1982) In recognition of the value of family life, time for friends and the pursuit of personal interests, studies are often focused on how much is needful vs. reating a balance of these things. To keep it minimal and balanced with personal life, other studies attempt to measure which types of homework are the most effective for the amount of time invested in them. (Murphy 1989) Direct instruction is a teacher centered model of instruction â€Å"that integrates effective teaching practices with sophisticated curriculum design, classroom organization and management. † (Stein 1998 ) This includes high levels of teacher support/scaffolding, ongoing evaluative monitoring with feedback, and strong student-teacher engagement of the material. It is the intention of this study to increase this type of instruction as replacement of the reversed lecture time, and in support of more time on task, (above. ) Podcast and vodcast are audio, and video with audio, files that can be downloaded from the internet. They are the most common form of lesson, or lecture time, assigned as homework in the reverse classroom model. (Schaffhauser 2009) These are available in many subjects through YouTube ®, supportive websites like Khan Academy, (see appendix), or can be custom made by each instructor for his or her class. Overmyer 2010) They are made readily available for students via CD, DVD, flash drives, or internet. (Bergmann 2008) Other forms of reverse classroom homework are interactive sites or software made available through the students’ school. Reduced lecture time and increased time on task The educational standard of a lecture-based classroom has received much criticism as our use of technology increases. Prior to the late 1800’s the lecture consisted of reading verbatim text with students taking notes to reproduce the same. As it evolved into personal interpretation of text and uthorship of original ideas, student requirements of recitation in classical education shifted to explaining a synthesis of ideas presented in lectures and textbooks (Freisen 2011). Modern students now grapple with an explosion of sources of information, and so the lecture from their teacher fades into the perspective of one person when there are so many ways to gain the required information of each class. In the information age, lecturing has been proven more effective in brevity (McFeeley & Milner 2009) Matthews & Farmer 2008). So, what then should the lecture become? Norm Friesen described it eloquently as a much needed bridge to merge information and â€Å"oral communication with writing and newer media technologies. † (2011. ) McFeeley & Milner call for it to become kernels of information, â€Å"5 minutes or less,† with time in between to allow students to understand and apply the necessary tools of their subjects (2009. ) The times of understanding and application are what I have already described as time on task, which has been attributed with higher levels of learning and test scores, (Matthews & Farmer 2008) (Stein et. al. 1998. ) Homework studies. The short lecture is an ideal assignment for homework. Easily accessed and portable, its length makes it an attainable goal to accomplish as homework. Practice and written assignments, however, vary in time commitment according to each student’s understanding of the material and their ability to complete it. Short lectures are certainly able to increase learning while still respecting the personal time of students and their families, both stated goals in assigning homework. Whether it is given in class or at home, decreasing time for lecture frees up more time for direct instruction from the teacher. Blended learning and the reverse classroom Whether or not to use technology no is longer the question. Technology is such a pervasive part of modern life that it has integrated itself into education. So, in that sense, all classrooms are more or less utilizing blended learning; it is only named â€Å"blended† when it has become intentional as a method for delivering or manipulating the constructs of the lessons. For instructors to fail to include and capitalize on this vast store of information and resources could result in failure to reach this generation of learners. The purpose of the type of reverse classroom that I am proposing is to gain more time for teachers to assist and coordinate learning from a variety of sources; to be more actively involved in each student’s comprehension and feedback. Just replacing ourselves as lecturers by podcast(s) gravely misses the point. Conclusion/Summary The reversed classroom is already happening in schools at increasing rates in both K – 12 and higher education classes. It is proving itself as a viable option for increasing direct instruction time and learning. Only when the at home lectures are too long, or when they are an attempted replacement for teaching without the beneficial increased engagement during class, is student dissatisfaction expressed, or test scores and learning level off or drop. Research would be well invested if it began to decipher which technologies are the most effective for students, and user friendly for instructors in material delivery. While surveys show that many teachers hesitate to utilize technology in their classes, starting out with it outside the classroom is a gentle step towards its use without fearing fumbling around with it in front of a student audience. In fact, teachers of distance education classes have stated that tech-based teaching has improved their overall ability and methods as instructors: â€Å"Findings from a study of teacher perceptions indicate that three quarters of teachers who teach in both virtual and traditional environments felt that virtual experiences improved their practice in face-to-face classrooms. † (Roblyer, et. al. 2009) New studies could help refine which kinds of teacher training will be the most valuable, determine best infrastructure and IT support for schools, and improve parent-teacher communication about tech-based homework. Education has always grown and shifted as culture and technology change. While lectures used to be about preserving the knowledge gains of mankind as â€Å"the task of educational institutions to preserve this vulnerable heritage from one generation to the next,† (Friesen 2011), it grew into a synthesis of information and instruction, and in twenty first century learning it is changing towards teaching skills for students to navigate and utilize the enormous body of information available in our age. The effective use of a reverse classroom model is a natural fit.

Morality and Money Essay

No doubt, Money is an essential, almost indispensable article in the present day world. It is the’ money’ through which we can purchase all the necessary comforts and amenities of life. If you have money, you can obtain what seems impossible to others. It is the money which gives man, confidence, creditworthiness, credentials, capacity, capabilities and courage. In present day materialistic world, money has become very powerful. In the present day corruption, cut throat competition, callous degradation of moral and ethical values, are for the sake of grabbing and accumulating more and more money. The prestige, respect, social status, commanded by a person is calculated per his monetary status. Time has gone, when we valued a person in evaluated of his moral and ethical values. People were earlier known for keeping their words, for donating every thing to a donee. Now people are know in terms of their ranking in the list of rich of the world. Money has become the centre of all activities. Money and muscle power have become essential ingredients of a successful political leader. Money is regarded as omnipotent by a few people, particularly by the poor. As whatever one does not possess, one aspires it badly, and it becomes mono aim of achievement. For the rich, that owe lots of money, still craving to earn more and more, by hook or by crook, with fair or foul means, without caring even for their own health, own family. They are the servants of money, earning money not for the sake of themselves but for the sake of money and a time comes they find themselves unable to use the money for their happiness. They are unable to eat, unable to taste the most delicious dish, unable to move, walk or enjoy because they suffer from many diseases which are the result of their undue craving for wealth at the cost of health. Can one purchase anything with the power of money? No, one cannot. You cannot purchase inner satisfaction with money, you cannot purchase the lost youthfulness with money, you cannot purchase time from the death at any cost. Those who earn money simply to a have more money, more balance in their accounts are no better than the proverbial miser king ‘Midas’. Excessive love for money, make a man slave of money. Money is important for our life, but it is not the most important thing for a human being. Those who use money for fulfilling their necessities, acquiring reasonable comforts and for the welfare of a common good, are the masters of money. But those who earn money just for the sake of increasing its volume and number are slaves of the money. They are the most unfortunate creatures of God who know well that whatever money they are earning, can’t be taken an iota of that when they die even they are minting more and more money. What a paradox Money has become their master and they are just slaves, having no peace of mind, no moral and ethical values, no inner satisfaction. So it is rightly said that money is a good servant but a bad master. Let us use the money for our comfort, not for the sake of money, minting more and more money.

Automobile Essay

Experimental Question: What are the effects of different types of antifreeze on the physical appearance on pansy plants? Most people could not imagine there lives without some sort of motor vehicle transportation. Although motor vehicles are great for getting around and getting around quickly, they take a lot of maintenance and also have a permanent effect on the environment. Motor vehicles take a lot of different products to assure smooth travels. One of these products that help your motor vehicle run smoothly is antifreeze. Antifreeze is made of substance called ethylene glycol. Although antifreeze is a very helpful product for humans there is a lack of its overall effects upon the environment. This is defiantly a problem, due to its lack of research we decided to conduct an experiment; what are the effects of different types of antifreeze on the physical appearance on a pansy plant? Ethylene glycol is actually metabolized in plants and plants have a hormone inside of them called ethylene. Inside of plant cells this substance is turned into ethylene glycol and broken down again. Most people believe that this substance cannot harm plants since it is already present within plants, but this belief is false. In large substance this substance can become deadly. One of the reasons why we decided to conduct this experiment is to show people the immediate effects there motor vehicle products can have upon the environment. Our goal is to inform vehicle owners of the harmful effects there products can have on the environment and what you can do to help improve our environment.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Essay Example All the departments are dependent on each other and they should exhibit high level of trust on each other. Kathryn explained to the group that teamwork begins with building trust. She focused a lot on this issue as she knows this is the prime reason for the lack of communication between the team members. Kathryn explained to Jeff that from team point of view they are totally broken. Jeff assumed that Mickey has to do the entire thing with Marketing, Martins to develop products, and JR’s to make sales. No one ever shared much information with other. They use to work in isolation, every executive focused on its individual department success. Employees refer to themselves not as a team but as a staff. There was no team or team work, executives were working as individuals. There was no team effort, each individual was competent, one of the best from the industry but together they were a disaster. This created obstacles for the company in achieving its goals, even though it had best people in the organization but company failed to make them work as a team. Kathryn gave this speech multiple times that they had more experience and talented team than any of their competitors, more cash, better core technology, more powerful board of directors than any of other in the industry. But still they were far behind their two competitors. Each one of them works individually, but not as a team. Discussions were slow and boring, No one argued with another. Teammates at Decision Tech’s usually didn’t question another and there was no sense of healthy arguments during meeting. People were least interested and there was no culture of feedback among executives. They didn’t consider that their contribution can be fruitful for company. They were all busy in their own departments meeting their individual conflicting targets. There was no outcome of the time-bounded meetings. Meetings started and ended at a