A Summary of Radical Evolution by Joel Garreau Essay

Radical Evolution by Joel Garreau has chapters on two scenarios of the future of humans. Both Heaven and Hell Scenarios have â€Å"The Curve† involved, but the dangers of the GRIN technologies make the Hell Scenario more likely. Rise of technology will lead to the downfall of humanity due to Bioengineered Disease Agents/Weapons. Supporting ideas for this topic are: threat of humans creating dangerous weapons such as pox with cobra venom, biotechnology such as the Australian mouse pox incident being dangerous, and the rise of technology may enhance a plague and kill more people than a natural plague. Garreau is worried about humans being changed so much we won’t be able to tell who is who. Also, we might end up missing â€Å"typical human characteristics.† To Garreau, human nature is â€Å"the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors (Garreau, 159).† A couple early warning signs we’re entering The Hell Scenario are: â€Å"Almost unimaginably bad things are happening, destroying large chunks of the human race or the biosphere, at an accelerating pace, and technologies continue to accelerate as individual nations, continents, tribes or movements jockey for position in a hostile world (Garreau, 184).† Chapter four mentions the GRIN technologies. Gregory Stock is the G, nanotechnology is the N, and computer intelligence is the I. Gregory Stock is the director of the Program on Medicine, Technology, and Society at the School of Medicine of the University of California at Los Angeles. According to Garreau, Stock thinks humans will transcend because of genetic engineering and not because of computers which is what Kurzweil thinks. There are two kinds of nanotechnology. The first â€Å"reduces big things to sizes so astonishingly little that their behavior changes dramatically (Garreau, 118).† â€Å"Promising godlike powers, immortality and unimaginable wealth (Garreau, 118)† is the second kind. One example of the first kind of nanotechnology is the â€Å"buckyball† which is nicknamed in Buckminster Fuller’s honor. Its properties are: â€Å"60 times the strength of steel, the weight of plastic, the electrical conductivity of silicon, the heat conductivity o f diamond and the size and perfection of DNA (Garreau, 119).† The second kind of nanotechnology starts with Eric Dexler. With his book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology, he discusses his ideas. Growing objects such as a car, or a TV will be possible with nanotechnology. Computer intelligence has two meanings: weak and strong. There’s a man name Ray Kurzweil, also known as â€Å"the restless genius,† in the movie Transcendent Man. He said, â€Å"technology feeds on itself and gets faster and faster. It’s gonna continue and in about forty years the basic changes are going to be so astonishingly quick that you won’t be able to follow it unless you enhance your own intelligence with the technology we’ve created.† According to Garreau, Kurzweil’s thinking of the weakness of humans was affected by his and his wife’s family being destroyed by the Holocaust and his dad suffering from a heart attack and dying at age 58. Kurzweil’s view of human nature is humans, unlike reptiles, are capable of higher functions such as love, art, culture and technology. He â€Å"can see† the hell and prevail scenarios and mentions avoiding dangerous technologies such as nanotechnology is unrealistic. He said, â€Å"Most technology will be nanotechnology in the 2 020s. You would have to relinquish all of technology.† Kurzweil calls â€Å"The Curve of exponentially increasing technology (Garreau)† â€Å"The Law of Accelerating Returns.† He thinks humans don’t have control of the force (the Curve) and it’s a â€Å"pattern of life (Garreau).† Surviving Progress mentioned a term called â€Å"Progress trap.† According to the video a progress trap was created â€Å"to define human behavior that seem to provide benefits in the short term, but ultimately leads to disaster because they’re unsustainable.† An example that was provided was our ancestors hunting mammoths. Hunters who discovered how to kill two mammoths made progress. Driving a herd over a cliff was discovered which led to making too much progress. Also, this progress trap could be related to the Curve. The movie stated, â€Å"†We think progress is more of the same†¦ Like we should make our machines better and make more machines.† Technology is rising due to humans trying to make progress which ended up being too much. According to the movie, we are essentially the same people as those stone age people, culture has become completely detached from natural evolution, and our knowledge and technology (ability to do good or harm) has grown out of proportion. After, he went to the topic â€Å"the mortal threat from the development of self-replicating man-made anything (Garreau, 145),† but he found information which lead him to believe biotech is a greater threat. Francis Fukuyama is â€Å"one of America’s most thoughtful and challenging public intellectuals (Garreau, 155).† â€Å"He defines human nature as â€Å"the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors (Garreau, 159).† Also, Fukuyama said, â€Å"The thing I’m worried the most about is the attempt to modify on a large scale some basic characteristics of human behavior in ways that will make us scarcely recognizable (Garreau, 159).† Different versions of hell are mentioned in Radical Evolution. â€Å"For Francis Fukuyama the lowest ring of hell will be reserved for those who, through biotechnology, dream of leaving behind human nature (Garreau, 155).† Garreau’s conclusion from his studies is there will be three different types of humans: The Enhanced, The Naturals, and The Rest. The Enhanced are people who use GRIN technologies, The Naturals are humans that have an opportunity to become Enhanced but choose not to, and The Rest are people who don’t have a choice of becoming Enhanced. Questions are asked which are: â€Å"If a person has a test-tube baby, is she an Enhanced?† and â€Å"If a person has a Viagra prescription, is he an Enhanced?† Garreau wants to use The Shakespeare Test to answer the question: â€Å"How will you someday tell, looking at an Enhanced, if she genuinely represents a transformation of the species-comparable to the difference between Neanderthals and tod ay’s humans?† Bill Joy is â€Å"the Edison of the Internet.† Joy stated, â€Å"Ethical humans, not robots, dominated this future, and I took Roddenberry’s dream as part of my own (Garreau, 141).† After Joy hearing a debate between Kurzweil and John Searle on the Heaven Scenario, Joy thought of a hell scenario. Both scenarios have The Curve. Although Joy thought of the idea he doesn’t have a book of The Hell Scenario. At first Joy focused on the topic of â€Å"overcoming people’s denial (Garreau, 145),† but to him it seems it’s already a topic that had a lot of discussion. After, he went to the topic â€Å"the mortal threat from the development of self-replicating man-made anything (Garreau, 145),† but he found information which lead him to believe biotech is a greater threat. When Saddam Hussein was in power Iraq was working to mix pox and cobra venom with the knowledge of fowlpox with venom extract kills more chickens. Another piece of information is the incident with Australian mouse pox. This virus can kill every mouse it infects. Since smallpox is a close relative, it could be genetically modified to be as fatal. In a description by Roman poet and Epicurean philosopher Lucretius a quote says, â€Å"A flame, like flame in furnaces, would blaze/Within the stomach (Garreau, 148).† These make up The Hell Scenario. First, Pox with cobra venom was almost made after the second Gulf War, but in the process of it’s making, the invention was ruined due to bombings. When Saddam Hussein was in power Iraq was working to mix pox and cobra venom with the knowledge of fowlpox with venom extract kills more chickens. After hearing this, â€Å"Joy’s alarm is underlined by the fact that such a weapon in the hands of someone like Saddam Hussein was a serious worry (Garreau, 146).† Second, is the incident with Australian mouse pox. This virus can kill every mouse it infects. Since smallpox is a close relative, it could be genetically modified to be as fatal. In Australia, mice were everywhere and scientists tried to find a way to control them. According to Garreau, â€Å"Toward this end, two Canberra researchers, Ron Jackson and Ian Ramshwo, in late 2000 were trying to create a new mouse contraceptive. Instead, they created a monster. They added one gene to a mouse pox virus, and this new virus turned out to be 100 percent fatal.† Next, A modern plague will be more dangerous than a plague in the past. In a description by Roman poet and Epicurean philosopher Lucretius a quote says, â€Å"Recurrent spasms of vomiting would rack alway their thews and members, breaking down with sheer exhaustion men already spent†¦ the inward parts of men, in truth, would blaze unto the very bones; A flame, like flame in furnaces, would blaze within the stomach (Garreau, 148).† This shows the symptoms of the plague of Athens. With that in mind, imagine what a plague enhanced by today’s/future generation’s technology can do. How many people would die? The Inauguration Poem â€Å"One Today† says, â€Å"†¦ digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands as worn as my father’s cutting sugarcane so my brother and I could have books and shoes.† Will we need to work once we reach a point where technology is so advance machines can do the work for us? If that happens humans won’t need to work hard or even work at all because machines will be the product of human’s past work. In conclusion, possibilities of dangerous weapons, fear from the Australian mouse pox incident, and the high level of threat of a modern plague all make up The Hell Scenario. With these imperfections of humanity it’s unlikely man kind will follow the Heaven Scenario. Instead man kind will dive into the Hell Scenario because that’s a closer match to how things will go with imperfect humans. Works Cited Garreau, Joel. Radical Evolution: The Promise and Peril of Enhancing Our Minds, Our Bodies– and What It Means to Be Human. New York: Doubleday, 2005. Print. Ggrefeder. â€Å"Hd Movie Transcendent Man Part 1/7.† YouTube. YouTube, 02 Oct. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Joy, Bill. â€Å"Bill Joy: What I’m Worried About, What I’m Excited about.† TED: Ideas worth Spreading. TED, 2008. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. â€Å"KurzweilAI | Accelerating Intelligence.† KurzweilAI Ray Kurzweil Bio Comments. N.p., 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Surviving Progress. Dir. Mathieu Roy. Perf. Stephen Hawking, David Suzuki, Jane Goodall. 2011. Netflix. Wade, Nicholas. â€Å"From ‘End of History’ Author, a Look at the Beginning and Middle.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

“12 Years a Slave” and “Django Unchained” Essay

For my essay I will compare and contrast the themes between 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained, two movies that differ immensely when it comes to the direction and delivery of their respective plots; while still holding some key similarities such as their motifs and themes throughout both films. It’s those similarities however is also where we can dissect the corresponding differences such as how â€Å"heroes† and â€Å"villains† are portrayed entirely different from one another. And by using key examples I also aim to show how 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained are prime examples of how one movie can break the usual feel-good clichà © plot that all American cinema seems to portray; while the other follows a more traditional route that we are all more use too. Throughout the entirety of both films we see multiple signature motifs and themes that we all can associate with when it comes to colonial America during that time period. Most notably should perhaps be the distinct lack of â€Å"personal morality†; or the implication that people of non-European decent are a form of lesser human. Especially within modern day cinema we seem to exploit these themes and the characters themselves in way that allow most directors creative leeway; however numerous people such as Quentin Tarantino will take those liberties into creating visuals on slavery that were overtly fictional, and only play a role in immediate plot development. Throughout the entirety of Django Unchained we see a constant struggle for Django to regain his honor through the classic American medium of revenge. Because without the constant thought of vengeance, Django would be nothing more than a common villain; someone who uses force to gain what he desires. However even if he weren’t to use force, in Quentins Tarantino’s vision even those who don’t fight are considered cowards. And it is with that character development and overtly fictional plot that makes Django Unchained the American clichà © that it is. While these films take different approaches in storytelling, any critic must start with acknowledgment for the creators taking the period and creating interpretations that provoke thought. Particularity when it came to the  movie 12 Years a Slave, a movie that broke any prenotion of how a truly exceptional American film is made. In it Steve McQueen, the director masterfully creates a tragic story of one mans’ journey through his own personal Hell and how we would later seek deliverance; but that is where 12 Years a Slave truly breaks off from any resemblance to Django Unchained. For when Solomon, the main character seeks his own form of redeeming himself; the usual route of Hollywood is to create a response/event so that the audience entertained rather than the character developing further. Such is the case with Django Unchained, a story where Django is constantly called to respond and act in a masculine way. Whereas in 12 Years a Slave, the only way Solomon could ever come to move forward was not through his own actions, but rather after his lack of action and through the broken form of his body and spirit. Overall, both movies were an acclaimed success at the box offices and each earned multiple awards. However the clear distinction between the two should be obvious; especially when taking into consideration the amount of fictional leeway certain directors and genre’s are allowed. And although the contrasts’ stand out more than the comparatives; I still find them to be a true testament of how quality American cinema is made. Either that be in the way Django Unchained masterfully fell into the true American genre; or how 12 Years a Slave beautifully brought forth a story told before, but in a new and abrupt way. Works Cited Livingston, Jay. â€Å"The Revenge Fantasy: Django Unchained vs 12 Years a Slave.† The Society Pages. Society Pages, 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2014. . Moore, Antonio. â€Å"Slavery Displayed on Screen: A Discussion with the Creators of Roots about 12 Years a Slave & Django Unchained.† Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. . – – -. â€Å"Slavery on Screen: Creators of Roots Discuss 12 Years & Django.† Atlanta Blackstar. Atlanta Blackstar, 27 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.

Global Access Control Case Study Essay

With business always changing and data always needing to be protected, it has become an issue to determine the level of security for confidentiality and integrity purposes while allowing it all to be properly available for use. To put Global in front of the competition with its customers it implements its Global Connect-Link for collaboration. Through the use of its security division, CIS, Global prioritizes its data according to the risk of activity of usage against the potential business reward. It conducts constant supervision and monitoring to maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability. Global also has its own Continuity Manager software to manage large amounts of external users while maintaining the necessary centralized security from unauthorized access. Another level of security Global offers is its DLP or data loss prevention product. This keeps all data whether structured or unstructured when in motion or at rest from being compromised and deleted. Lastly in regards to Global’s controls and the documentation of the effectiveness of these controls, CompScan, an audit program is in place to collect and analyze all the data. The overall analysis of Global is that they seem to have a good grasp on keeping all data protected for confidentiality purposes, allows for the transferring of the data to be done securely for integrity purposes and gives it customers, partners, employees and suppliers proper access to all data based on privileges for availability purposes. The only weakness that may exist is the proper training for its employees on all that Global offers. With such incredible software support and ability to provide security without worry it will have to maintain constant training to make sure that simple human error doesn’t become an issue but if something were to happen then the proper steps are taken and followed to avoid corruption from taking place. When it comes to the reporting of is financial data certai n policies and procedures must be followed accurately. With an insecure system the opportunity of having inaccurate financial data reported is a good likelihood. Federal laws require that financial data of any sort be kept private and secure at all times whether at rest on the network or in transit when being viewed or sent to a fellow business entity. The use of the security division’s IRM or information risk management has had a great influence on its ability to  maintain business and get the edge on its competitors. The use of its Connect-Link, its prioritizing of security on investments, its Continuity Manager, its data loss prevention product and its CompScan it’s easy to see why peace of mind is something that is Global can offer at a 95% success rate. To solve the internal problems like employee training, Global can hire a outside company to come in on a basis determined by the security division and conduct classes to make sure all employees are up to date on proper procedures and understanding of keeping security at the top of their own priority list. Maintaining good training programs minimizes the risk of user errors but doesn’t completely eliminate them. Adding other security like anti-virus software to the workstations and closing off ports that are not in use on a regular basis will also help ensure a higher percentage of user compliance to following the rules and policies in place.

Audiovisual critical theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Audiovisual critical theory - Essay Example He has developed the modern society and in it he has replaced the authentic social life with his interpretation of representation. He has thus, written about the traced of this modern society. He also argued through his book that the social life history should be understood by the â€Å"decline of being into having, and having into appearing†. This is the history where the commodity is finally recognized as colonization of the modern social life. This is the overall idea of the degrading of the human life. Debord has used the term spectacle in his title which is also closely related to the confluence in the society of advance capitalism. The word has been specifically used in the sense to describe the mass media and the kinds of governments who have favored the phenomenon. In his book that followed Comments on the Society of the Spectacle, Debord mentioned the spectacle as the period coming to the existence in the 1920s. He introduced this period as the coming to the existence in which the modern techniques of advertising were introduced, more innovative techniques and ideas were initiated to being used in which the campaign of Edward Bernays for the industry of tobacco was keenly highlighted (Debord,  1998, p. 87). The spectacle is thus described as the image of the modern society where the relations between the commodities have taken place by the relations of the people amongst themselves. This society is the one in which the genuine activity is seen and identified with the spectacles. But the spectacle is not merely taken to be the collection of images; it is rather the relation of the people amongst each other which is reflected by the images. Throughout his analysis of the spectacle society, the writer has regarded that the quality of life is getting poorer. He highlights some of the major points that can be influenced in these aspects such as the lacking in authenticity, the effects on the human perceptions,

Explain the relationship between discipline and obedience from a Essay

Explain the relationship between discipline and obedience from a Montessori perspective and discuss how discipline and obedience are linked to the development of the will - Essay Example The Montessori Method is one that is not only able to provide a fostering and development of children that are moving through different stages of cognitive development. More importantly, there is an understanding of new and revolutionary approaches to teaching. These are providing new concepts that can be applied to teaching, development and the overall exploration of learning that is needed in schools at this time frame. The educational basis that is a part of the Montessori perspective is based on creating a different environment and context for learning with children. The Montessori perspective began to develop after World War II, with the developing belief that each child is able to learn in different ways and has a natural tendency toward exploration and creativity. The main concept and approach was to use integrated methods toward learning and to have a specific approach that was holistic and exploratory for students. The initial programs that were developed moved into an institute created by Dr. Montessori, all which were based on developing a liberal program that was able to enhance learning. Dr. Montessori used some of the methods from older ways of teaching, all which were adapted to this specific classroom. This was combined with the liberal ideas of education, which was based on interactive development, exploration and the ability to learn through different levels of cognitive experiences (George, Montessori, 1992). The development of this method has not only leads to exploration for students, but also has assisted in the discipline and obedience perspectives that are required for the method. Since the program is based on exploration and the formation of discovery through individual experiences in the classroom, many have had to develop alternative understandings of what is included in the discipline of the children.

Lion Gate and Mask of Agamemnon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Lion Gate and Mask of Agamemnon - Research Paper Example Art of the Cyclades, on the other hand, prided itself on simplicity it consisted of craving of figurines in white marbles. Mask of Agamemnon and Lion Gate are two distinct examples of Aegean art. The two arts have various similarities and a number differences arising from their structural differences as the discussion below portrays. Discovered in1876 by Heinrich Schliemann, Mask of Agamemnon is a funeral mask. As explained earlier, Mask of Agamemnon was a type of Mycenaean art. Crafted from pure gold, the mask was a royal mask used to cover the face of a royalty possibly Agamemnon, a legendary Greek leader. The mask has adequate artistic details and shows all the facial features including eyebrows and wrinkles on the cheeks. Lion Gate is yet another iconic Mycenaean art. The artists employed a number of artistic and architectural design in creating a unique masterpiece of the time. The gate served both as a gate and as a sculpture. The artists portrayed their skills in the layering of the boulders and the subsequent ornamentation of the gate through sculptures and engravings of other features. Such additional features as confronting lionesses do not only beautify the gate but also enhance the stability and security of the gates. Key among the similarities between the two ancient Aegean Arts is the preciousness of the materials sued in their constructions. Mask of Agamemnon, for example, is made of pure gold.

Personal emergency and disaster plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal emergency and disaster plan - Essay Example Thunderstorms are also not rare here (about 40-50 days annually) with March and April being the periods of most severe storms. Not being part of Tornado Alley, Indiana is vulnerable to tornadoes. Three most severe tornadoes in the history of the United States – the 1925 Tri-State Tornado, the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak and the 1974 Super Outbreak – affected Indiana. The 2005 Evansville Tornado took away the lives of 25 people (Indiana State Climate Office 2008). The accidental disasters include technological disasters such as hazardous material incidents, household chemical emergencies, nuclear power plants, fires. For instance, chemicals are used in all the industries providing everyday life of modern people. The sources of hazardous materials include chemical manufacturing, hospitals, service stations, waste sites. All of them are hazardous for people and it is impossible to guarantee safety from mistakes. Humans are inclined to make mistakes sometimes. No one can guarantee entire safety from fires. Finally, one is to be aware of the possibility of intentional disasters, that is, those related to terrorism and wars. Acts of terrorism may include: the usage of chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological weapons, assassinations, bombing. Universities and colleges are considered the secondary, â€Å"soft† targets (FEMA 2006; IUK 2006, SUU 200, Northwestern University 2005). We are not safeguarded from disasters. However, one can get prepared to them and know what to do if any of the disasters occurs. Tornadoes are the nature’s most violent storms, causing devastates and fatalities. Appearing as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud extending from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds, tornadoes reach 300 miles per hour, their damage paths being more than one mile wide and 50 miles long. Some of them are not visible at the beginning, a cloud of debris marking the location of a tornado. They

Competition Mergers of Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Competition Mergers of Companies - Essay Example It provides communication and entertainment answers to the majority of countries in the European Union. CaixaBank is a financial enterprise that is controlled entirely by the La Caixa Group of companies. It is the parent company of La Caixa Companies that deal with banking and other related activities. It mainly operates in Spain and other European countries and the international presence are felt through strategic alliances with key financial institutions. Banco Santander is the main company of the Banco Group of companies that deals major in international banking. It is active in retail banking, asset management, insurance and investment banking in most of the European Countries. Telefonica, CaixaBank and Banco Santander merge to form a new company. The companies are the notifying parties in the creation of Newco. The notifying companies provide the relevant documents that are used in the merger control of the joint venture. Newco will be active in Spain and it will develop an ecosystem that will be able to offer its members with numerous services. The services will be available online and will be accessible by many individuals online. Each of the Notifying parties will hold equal shareholding in Newco. They will have equal chances to exercise control over the company. It means that they will have a joint control over the Newco. Newco is expected to perform the functions of an economic enterprise in Spain. There will be a management team that will be run the day to day activities of the company. The management team will have access to the resources of the company that include finance and the assets of the company. The company will provide online services to numerous individuals in Spain. The services will include digital advertising services that will provide a chance to individuals in the digital world to advertise their products. The virtual community will be able to able to interact online and provide mobile-based couponing and loyalty services.     

Nursing Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Ethics - Essay Example Initially, I felt my skills of dealing with all levels of people, right attitude, patience, showing empathy, being a good listener directed me to help others, which further strengthened me mentally. Every new case I dealt with, I observed that the patient had to recover from a serious injury, illness or a surgery that had moved the client emotionally. So, I had to create an emotional or a psychological environment to facilitate the adjustment for the client to cope with the changes. It is a real challenge to get the customer cope with, adapt and adjust to the new environment. Also, I had to establish trusted and supportive relations with the customers and his/her family to enable them to deal with the situation. My moving to the nursing profession was neither a consequence of this previous experience nor a chance, but only triggered by my utmost urge to serve others and give them the care they deserved. Post my high school, I pursued Bachelor’s degree in nursing and acquired j ob as a nurse in the hospital associated with the college from where I graduated. When I started working as a nurse, I never realized that I had entered a new profession or doing something new, may be, because of my previous experience as human service worker. I did not feel there is much difference between a human service worker and a nurse from a psychological/mental perspective. However, nursing profession requires advanced education and knowledge; most importantly, governed by strong ethical principles. In my earlier days of working with social service organization, I always believed that human beings have to care for fellow human beings who are underprivileged in some way or the other. Although I knew that not all people believe in this, I still expected that people should consciously follow this as a principle of life. However, today I have a better concept of caring for people which makes me

U.S. Employment Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

U.S. Employment Regulations - Essay Example The primary goal of the company is to comply with existing American laws regarding employment, as well as to deter and to respond to all kinds of harassment in the workplace. The white paper explains related U.S. employment regulations and discusses implications for the company’s global workplace. Employment Laws This section discusses all critical employment laws. Most of them are obtained from the Employment Law Guide: Laws, Regulations, and Technical Assistance Services of the DOL. Wages and Hours Worked: Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) implements the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Act provides policies for minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor. It gives exemptions for minimum wage and overtime pay (See Appendix A). The Act obliges employers of covered employees to pay them a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour (DOL, 2004). Youth employees, who are below 20 years of age, may receive a minimum wage of not lo wer than $4.25 an hour, during the first 90 successive calendar days of employment (DOL, 2004). Employers are not allowed to terminate existing employees to hire youth or people whom they can pay the youth minimum wage (DOL, 2004). Furthermore, employers can adopt a piece-rate basis in paying employees, as long as the latter get at least the required minimum hourly wage rate and overtime for hours worked that are more than 40 hours in a workweek (DOL, 2004). In addition, the Act allows the employment of particular individuals at wage rates below the statutory minimum wage, as long as they get certificates from the Department of Labor.

Crime and Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime and Poverty - Essay Example Money is often reinvested from the open market to the black one to bring about high yet risky return in urban areas. This kinds od risks are even higher when this activity is controlled by mobs and gangs who make money on the account of others. The children who live in these areas do not have realistic role models, which results in them looking up to those people who get rich through those experiencing poverty. There are some theories that suggest that people are to blame for ending up in poverty themselves. It is true that today’s neighborhoods infested with gangs often invest in their own downfall by earning money through crime. However, the misfortune of America has much to do with the actions in the Civil War. There are speculations among some communities that suggest that slaves were turned loose after the Civil War not having proper education, nor a fair chance to provide for themselves or their families in a legal way. Along with the already lowered perception of these slaves, this caused a long term severance in social and economic standards of equality and education, as well as of opportunities. Many politicians through history tried to solve the problems of poverty, but nothing this serious and of this magnitude can be solved overnight. It may take a long time to improve means of wealth distribution and a society-wide commitment to solving this problem of poverty as well as the crime, but it is worth every minute spent. â€Å"It has been said that a civilized society is best measured by how it treats the poor. If such is the case, we Americans are abject failures. Nationwide over 20% of our children live in poverty. In Los Angeles 30% of all children are poor.†(Carl C. Holmes) These impoverished children are 2.7 times more likely to suffer stunted growth, and twice as likely is the chance for them to suffer serious physical or mental disabilities. Poor children score much lower on achievement tests and the level of illiteracy among the p oor is too large and disgraceful. If we could call poverty a disease, we could say that it is a most devastating disease that people can suffer. The poor do not suffer just economically, but also suffer lack of opportunity, education, health care, as well as much more violence, disease rates and imprisonment at much higher rates than those who are in better conditions in the community. They are often executed for capital crimes for which regular people wouldn’t be executed. It was thought of poverty to be the most noticeable cause of crime. However, this had an influence on many people to decide to form voluntary associations to help the poor and prevent them from committing a crime and ending up in prison. The way they saw it was that the poor need what others have and to get those things they turn to crime. This connection seems solid on the surface, but more closely, it is not the best perspective for viewing this situation. Certain voluntary organizations have the effect on a large portion of the battle between crime and poverty. These organizations had a goal to see that the criminals were treated fairly and to prevent crime by cutting it in the bud. They also try to help reform free convicts and by doing that also to improve the society. One of these associations was the Prison Discipline Society whose goal it was to ensure that the prisoners were treated fairly and kept in livable conditions. The theory which suggests that crime

Transformational Change Essay Example for Free

Transformational Change Essay The Transformational learning process conceived by Jack Merzirow has four stages. Transformational learning is a process to help people solve their problems and help them to make life changes. The four stages are; recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely , finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective as well as a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. Recognizing a significant problem is the first step in being able to figure out what the problem or issue is in your past or current life. Once you are able to recognize the problem you will be able to talk out the situation or problem with someone. Confronting a problem intensely is difficult. Especially once you have to be honest with yourself. If you are having a difficult time in your life it makes it difficult to remain calm and level headed. Most people have a hard time looking at themselves and realizing they need help. If you remain calm and level headed you will be able to see the problem and figure out a solution. Finding a solution to the problem or situation can be a process. Once you are able to look at the problem calmly and rationally a decision or solution will come easier. You will be able to start to see light at the end of the tunnel. The steps to the solution will become more clear. Integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life you must be able to understand new ideas, thoughts, and points of views differently. Realizing this will help guide all of your expectations to the right direction and way of thinking. You will realize that being open to new ideas and thoughts will help you to make the right decision and feel good about it. When you face a significant issue in your life, such as considering a totally new career or adopting a value system required by a new relationship, you are entering a learning cycle with complex challenges. Although the learning resulting from a significant experience of this kind may be renewing, its outcome is likely to be more far-reaching than that. Because of the depth of its outcomes, this type of learning experience is called transformational. It produces a new level of meaning in your life. Inevitably, the transformational learning cycle moves through the stages of recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely, finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. This process requires a great deal of reflection and is often painful and stressful. Transformation, though desirable, rarely comes easily. It separates life into distinct â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† realities. ) Source taken from Ashford Textbook Chapter 5. 2. When I was 22 I found out I was pregnant. This was a terrible time in my life. I was working three jobs just to make ends meet for myself. I had been dating my now husband Jeremy,but at that time boyfriend of only six months. We were friends for a year before we started dating. At the time I was on two different types of birth control for medical reasons and was told I would not be able to get pregnant. Being young and stupid I never questioned my Doctor any more about it. I was in disbelief. In my mind there was just no way. I was also still menstruating. Anxiety, questions and depression were all I could think about when I found out. I had to confront this issue but how? First my biggest concern how far along was I? Second should I have the baby, have an abortion or give it up for adoption? Last how did this happen? Once I confronted the issue with Jeremy we were both scared and angry at each other we ended up breaking up. I was emotional and scared. He was young and immature. I found out I was four months along, this limited my options. I decided to keep the baby. Now she is 15 beautiful and smart. I explained to Jeremy I would be keeping her. We did not talk till I was a little over seven months. I reached my seventh month before we decided together to come up with a solution. We both knew we wanted to be together. Neither of us wanted to be without the other but we were so scared and young we didnt know what to expect. I decided to quit one job and only work two. I had my own apartment so he moved in with me. It was really difficult for us the first couple of years, mostly trust was the issue. Trust is something we both value. Now that we have been married and together for a total of 18 years we look at things differently. We have to keep an open mind and listen to each other. We don’t always get along but we do have respect for each other. Together we have a friendship and a bond that will last us for the rest of our lives. Ideas, thoughts and emotions are always changing just like points of views and expectations. I know now my expectations of Jeremy are completely different for when we first got together. Mezirow identified seven phases occurring in the challenging learning process: experiencing a disorienting dilemma, self-examination, critical assessment of assumptions, recognizing that others have gone through a similar process, exploring a process, formulating a plan of action and reintegration. Mezirows self-examination was the biggest and hardest for me in the beginning of our relationship. I felt like we had rushed into having a baby and moving in together. I was questioning myself as well as Jeremy. I felt like I didnt know him well enough but then on the other hand we had created life. I knew I loved Jeremy and there was not anyone else I wanted to be with. I just knew he was not ready to be a father or a husband at that time. I would look at myself and wonder for the first 3 years we were together and wonder if I made the right choice for me. I had so many plans and Jeremy and my daughter were not in them. Now I look back and I am happy with the choices I made. I just wish I had went to college instead of just working to pay the bills. The transformational learning process created by Mezirow has helped people to identify their problems and life choices. Once you use they processes to figure out the problem you will be able to find the correct solution.

Technique Of Video Streaming Using Opnet Tools Computer Science Essay

Technique Of Video Streaming Using Opnet Tools Computer Science Essay With the popularization of mobile technique, many users obtain various multimedia services through heterogeneous internet. Among these services, video streaming application is most challenging. Because of time constraint and VARIABLE BITRATE (VBR) property of a video, the problem of streaming high quality video in insufficient external WAN bandwidth. To solve this problems we are reviewing different technique like OPTIMAL CACHE ALGORITHM, MOSES (mobile streaming for video surveillances) etc. To make the good quality video streaming, we have to work on some different parameters like latency, image quality, video fluidity and frame losses. The mobile technique is most popularized and brought a great revolution in this 21stcentury.There are some terms like mobile video surveillance,video streaming which helps to do the mobile technology more and more advanced. This paper is basically focus on how the video streaming done using OPNET tools. For this we refer to the broad class of emerging real-time video surveillance. In mobile video streaming all the issues related with video garbing, processing, interpretation and dispatching of multimedia data becomes more challenging due to the presence of mobile platforms either in the transmitting or receiving side, wirelessly interconnected. For video streaming Givaldi and Prati proposed a streaming system called MOSES (mobile streaming for video surveillance), that effectively implements the described general purpose architecture for mobile video surveillance. MOSES supports video streaming in different condition, aiming at low-latency transmission over limited bandwidth network. The video stream is provided with a sufficient quality to be correctly analyzed by both human-based and computer-based video surveillance layers. To this aim we propose a optimization of the streaming process with an adaptive control of the streaming parameters. In this paper we also discussed how OPNET can be applied in modern video streaming technique. Network simulation is a major part of this OPNET modeler. It is useful to create the network and for the video streaming process. Basic steps which are used for video streaming technique are following:- Video Compression Principles and practice of video coding Basics behind MPEG compression algorithms Current image video compression standards Video Communication Video Streaming I Video application contexts examples: DVD and Digital TV Challenges in video streaming over the Internet Techniques for overcoming these challenges Video Communication Video Streaming II Video over loss packet network and wireless links à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Error-resilient video communications Today There are lots of streamed video techniques are available till now. JPEG :- It is a joint photographic experts group, which is basically a single frame image compression. It mainly consists of minimum implementation, which are required to support some specific applications. MPEG:-It is a moving picture experts group. This process will work under the direction of ISO (International Standard Organization). In this basically, the ISO do coding of moving pictures. H.261:-This is one of the best processes found in the field of video compression. This process was completed with the help of algorithm known as motion compression algorithm. The H.261 video technique is use for the communication channel. RELATED WORKS:- In this paper we are reviewing different algorithms which are proposed by some reacher fellows on video streaming technique. They proposed different algorithms to resolve the problems of video streaming. In this paper, we are reviewing the following algorithms which are already proposed in the video streaming field. Cut-off Cache (CC) Algorithm :- This algorithm was proposed by Zhang et al. This algorithm use to handle the video staging process. In cut-off cache algorithm, the frames which are available inside the given video are sequentially compare with given cut-off rate. Cut After Smoothing Algorithm:- This is the next version of CC algorithm which was also proposed by Zhang et al. In this he had given the information about the utilization of WIDE AREA NETWORK bandwidth. This is also used to handle the video staging in more effective way. Optimal Cache (OC) algorithm:- The Optimal cache (OC) algorithm, is basically proposed to compute the video caching with linear complexity (O(n) , where n is the number of frames). The concept behind the OC algorithm is same as the CC algorithm but the main advantage is we can also use the concept of WAN bandwidth. Cache Selected After Smoothing Algorithm (CSAS). In this algorithm the researcher integrates two video processors and then combine it with cache selected process. After some years Chang,Ho and Oyang gave some other contribution on this field.They just tried to propose some other algorithms which is helpful for video streaming of high bandwidth. Priority Selected Cache(PSC) algorithm:- PSC algorithm is the modified version of the optimal cache algorithm. In this we have to select the frame data which are having maximum number of high priority. In this we have to replace the low priority frame with the high priority frames. Review Analysis:- In this paper we are basically dealing with the OPNET modeler. The original OPNET simulation model for MPEG-2 streaming was developed in the year 2000 by Srinivas Kandala and Sachin Despande. Theoretical Concepts:- Any video if we will take for an experiment it basically contain certain frames and that frames are having particular size. The following three variables which helps us for video streaming. Scene Length Distribution :-A particular movie or video which we have to compress is having certain scene in it. We have to divide those scenes with particular length. That process is called scene length distribution. Frame Size Distribution :- We know that one particular scene will contain certain frames . Now the frame type or size is essential aspect of model. Each and every frame has certain size. Stream Structure:- When we divide the particular video in certain scene and frame length than we can see that each scene containing certain pictures thats called GOP( group of pictures).This is called the stream structure. Node Model Design:- Now in this paper we are theoretically defining how we can create a node model using OPNET which helpful for us in video streaming technique. There are certain processes in OPNET by the help of that we can create a video streamed model. In OPNET we have to use constant bitrates stream (CBR). When we use CBR, the process model in OPNET is very simple, just use the standard. Simple source module and set the frame size and frame interarrival time to the desired value. When a stream is used scenes with high entropy get more bandwidth resulting in a higher visual quality. Because different streams tend to have high entropy. A scene at different moments in time, a bitrates is divided very efficiently, when several streams are transmitted over a packet switched network. Hence, by the help of this process we can easily make an OPNET model which helps in video streaming. CONCLUSION:- The theoretical concepts of video streaming using OPNET modeler are explained in this paper. An OPNET model was used to program low level process modules. The packet segmentation support allows the model to be used over several underlying protocols. The simulation results shows that it is based on the high level characterized in the time domain, the behavior of streamed video using OPNET models and streamed video using different algorithm is similar. For video streaming we basically have to follow some steps like video compression, video streaming 1, video streaming 2 etc. Current image and video compression standards:- STANDARD APPLICATION BITRATE JPEG Continuous-tone still-image compression Variable H-261 Video telephony and teleconferencing over ISDN P * 64 kb/s MPEG-1 Video on digital storage media (CD-ROM) 1.5 Mb/s MPEG-2 Digital Television 2-20 Mb/s H.263 Video telephony over PSTN 33.6-? Mb/s MPEG-4 Object-based coding, synthetic content, interactivity Variable JPEG-2000 Improved still image compression Variable H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Improved video compression 10s 100s Kb/s After reviewing all the above algorithm which are proposed till today we can conclude that , all the algorithm are used for different purpose in video streaming technique. Like some algorithms are used only for normal streaming but Cache Selected After Smoothing Algorithm (CSAS) and Priority Selected Cache (PSC) algorithm are basically used for the video streaming which are having very good quality with less bandwidth and low latency. The upcoming techniques for video streaming process are peer-to-peer, internet technique, wireless video streaming technique.

Influence of Culture in Nursing Curriculum | Research

Influence of Culture in Nursing Curriculum | Research Amber Hussain Abstract: The aim of this study is to identify the influence of culture in nursing curriculum. 30 nursing instructors participated in the study. A questionnaire was distributed, which included five thematic categories. Findings revealed that teachers view definition of culture differently and they are aware of its importance in nursing in order to provide cultural sensitive patient care, but they view student diversity as challenging in classroom setting. Introduction: Development of curriculum plays a vital role in creating educational change. In order to improve classroom practices and students learning, large-scale curriculum reforms are instigated but these often fall short. There can be variety of reasons for these shortfalls, among which cultural influence is one. To develop and implement a high quality curriculum, a culture-sensitive approach to curriculum development is necessary (Nijhuis, Pieters Voogt, 2013). This approach have equal or even more importance in the field of nursing, as nurses are the one who are confronted with patients who belong to different cultural backgrounds. According to Spritzer et al. (1996), in order to improve nurse’s cross-cultural awareness, major efforts have been made to develop culturally sensitive theoretical knowledge. To develop this awareness, teacher has to play a major role as; teachers’ multicultural competency is becoming an increasingly vital element in educational curriculum (Malta, 2012). Therefore, a teacher’s role is to be aware of their own culture, student’s culture and make students sensitive to cultural diverse patient care, which can be implemented by using varied teaching strategies in classroom setting. According to Maltby (2008), there are a variety of teaching techniques that can be used to engage students in the process of becoming culturally competent such as role plays, using exemplars and web-based interactions. Methodology Using convenience sampling, 30 nursing instructors of more than 1 year experience, participated in study. The participants teach at different teaching institutions of nursing i.e. Ziauddin college of Nursing, Baqai College of Nursing and Aga Khan University School of Nursing. A survey questionnaire was given to rate responses according to five broad aspects: definition of culture, cultural content, students’ diversity, teachers own cultural values and classroom pedagogies on 3 point likert scale (refer Appendix A). Results The study found that the definition of culture is perceived differently by different teachers. 83% view it as lifestyle of people, 33% believe that it is transformed from one generation to another and 37% perceive it as identity of people. 77% teachers disagree that cultural diverse patient care is incorporated in nursing curriculum taught in Pakistan and almost the same percentile (80%) of teachers agreed with the consensus that the curriculum is adapting from west and it diverts students from own culture. 73% stated that diversity among students creates conflict and it arise difficulty in students learning.100% teachers perceive that they are aware of their own culture, 93% knew that it is their responsibility to know about student’s culture and therefore 83% believe that it is important to train teachers regarding cultural diversity. 80% believe that they also face challenge to teach multicultural class. Majority of teachers use different teaching pedagogies like ice breake r (90%), case studies (77%), internet/videos (70%), reflections (67%) and group work (86%), still there are few who are not using these pedagogies. Discussion To investigate what teachers think about the role of culture in teaching and learning in nursing curriculum, questions were asked from them. Results are presented in appendix B and C. The results suggest that teachers in nursing schools perceive the understanding of culture differently. Majority view it as life style of people and few perceive it as identity of people and few believe that it is transformed from one generation to another .There are various understandings regarding culture. According to Stephens (2007, as cited in Nijhuisetal., 2013), culture gives meaning to beliefs and actions of individual and societies. It is an ideational tool which can be used to describe and evaluate that action. Nijhuis, Pieters and Pieters (2013) view culture as static or fixed phenomena. For nursing content part, results show that 77% of the teachers disagree with the opinion that the curriculum present in local context provides enough cultural information. These finding indicated that the kind of information available on the textbooks is not sufficient to teach the culture, which indentifies a gap in the curriculum content that expose students to foreign culture. Maltby (2008) also questioned the depth of cultural content taught in nursing curriculum. Moreover 80% agree that, nursing curriculum is adapted from western culture and it diverts students from their local culture. The idea emphases that, as most of the textbooks of nursing are adapted from foreign culture, they may cause learners to lose their own cultural identity. According to Thomas (1997) Poor contextual curriculum leads to cultural mismatches on the level of local context. In relation to the cultural diversity in students, majority of instructors reported that their classroom students are culturally diverse, and they believe that this creates challenge for both students and teachers, for example for teachers it would be difficult to respect and inculcate each individual student’s cultural needs and use teaching strategies accordingly, whereas, for students, diversity creates difficulty in reaching to a consensus. According to Phuntsog (2001) diversity in student directs teachers to provide equal opportunities to all students irrespective of their culture, caste and learning style. On the other hand, according to Marshall (1995) many institutions value cultural diversity but find it as challenging in a group work because there is a probability of developing a false consensus, as one think differently than other. Moreover, Majority of teachers have reported that they are familiar with their own cultural values and responsible towards knowing student cultural values. This brings forward the idea of culturally responsive teachers who takes the cultural identities of the students in the classroom into account. This would help teachers to teach in a way that recognizes that each learner is an individual, with a particular cultural inheritance, who may rely on a different ways of knowing. According to Malta (2012) by recognizing student diversity it would be possible for teachers to become aware of cultural barriers and learn to teach from a culturally sensitive perspective. Apart from this, majority of teachers had consensus on importance of receiving cultural training, since course trainings would help them to handle cultural themes and topics in more ease due to gaining proficiency in the subject area. Lastly, the study shed light on what kind of activities teachers practice in their Classrooms. Majority of teachers agree that they use different teaching methodologies i.e. icebreakers, case studies, videos, internets, reflection writing and group work, in order make students understand their own culture, be socially comfortable and understand aspects of foreign culture. These findings are parallel to that of Gonen and Saglam (2012) whereby teachers use different channels of information which expose students to foreign culture. Therefore, teachers develop a critical view towards foreign culture and these various sources of information a use to foster understanding of diverse culture. Conclusion In conclusion, culture has an influence in nursing curriculum in the area of content, teaching and learning. In the field of nursing, there is a lack of in depth content regarding culturally diverse patient care and that limited knowledge is mainly adapted from foreign culture due to which we tend to neglect the aspect of native culture. Moreover, students and teachers’ diverse cultural background and values are also affecting the learning outcome in classroom setting. Therefore, it is important for teachers to incorporate those teaching pedagogies which foster the concept of cultural sensitive patient care and respect among each other. References Davidhizar, R., Giger, J.N. (2002). Teaching culture within nursing curriculum using the GigerDavidhizar model of transcultural nursing assessment. Journal of Nursing Education, 40 (6), 282-284. Flintoff, V.J., Rivers, S. (2012). A reshaping of counseling curriculum: responding to the changingcultural context. British Journal of Guidance and Counseling, 40 (3), 235-246. Malta, B.V. (2012). Am I culturally competent? A study on multicultural teaching competencies among school teachers in Malta. The Journal of Multiculturalism in Education, 8 (1), 1-43. Maltby, H.J. (2008). A reflection on culture over time by baccularte nursing students.Contemporary Nurse, 28 (1), 111-118. Marshall, S.P. (2006).Cultural competence in nursing curricula: How are we doing 20years later? Guest Editorial, 45(7), 243-244. Nijhuis, C.G., Pieters, J.M., Voogt, J.M. (2013). Influence of culture on curriculum development in Ghana: an undervalued factor? Curriculum Studies, 45(2), 225-250. Phuntsog, N. (2001). Culturally responsive teaching: what do selected United States elementary School teachers think? Intercultural Education, 12, 51-64. Ruth, L.A. (2003). A critical way of knowing in a multi cultural nursing curriculum. Intuition a Way of Knowing, 24 (3), 129-134. Sairanen, R., Richardson, E., Kelly, L., Bergknut, E., Koskinen, L., Lundberg, P., Muir, N., Olt, H., Vlieger, L. (2013). Putting culture in the curriculum: A European project. Nurse Education in Practice.13, 118-124. Simunovi, V.J., Hren, D., Ivanis, A., Dorup, J., Krivokuca, Z., Ristic, S., verhaaren, H., Sonntag, H., Ribaric, S., Tomic, S., Vojnikovic, B., Selescovic, H., Dahl, M., Marusic, A., Marisic, M. (2007). Survey of attitudes towards curriculum reforms among medical teachers in different socio-economic and cultural environments. Curriculum Reforms among Medical Teachers, 29, 833-835. Spitzer, A., Kesselring, A., Ravid, C., Tamir, B., Granot, M., Noam, R. (1996). Learning about another culture: project and curricular reflections. Journal of Nursing Education, 35 (7), 322-328. Thomas, E. (1997). Developing a culture-sensitive pedagogy: tackling a problem of melding ‘global culture’ within existing cultural contexts. International Journal of Educational Development, 17(1), 13–26. Vikers, D. (2010). Social justice: A concept for undergraduate nursing curricula. Southern Online Journalof Nursing Research, 8(1). Appendix A: Questionnaire used for data collection along with consent form: Purpose: The purpose of this project study is to identify the influence of culture on nursing curriculum. In this study, culture refers to values, beliefs, language and customs of a particular people that impact the area of nursing education and practice. The project basically analyze the presence of cultural content in nursing curriculum and its significance, effects of students diverse cultural characteristic in classroom learning and teachers competency in relation to culture. Consent: This is a project being conducted by Amber Hussain MSCN student in a course of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at IED (institute of Educational Development). You are invited to participate in this project because you are associated with teaching in nursing profession. Your participation in this study is voluntary. The procedure involves filling a questionnaire. Your responses will be kept confidential and the results of this study will be used for research purpose. Participant Signature: ______________________ Appendix B: Compilation of the responses received by respondents on a 3 point likert scale: Appendix C: Graphical representation of the responses based on 5 broad categories: Graph 1: The above graph depicts that 83% of the teacher’s view culture as a lifestyle of people and about one third of the respondents view it as people identity and a permanent phenomena which is transformed from one generation to another. Graph 2: The above graph shows that 77% of the teachers believe that nursing curriculum taught in Pakistan does not provide opportunities for culturally diverse patient care but 77% of the respondents agreed that the nursing curriculum reflect patient’s values and beliefs. Around 80% of the respondent’s view that nursing curriculum is adopted from western culture and it alienates students from native culture. Graph 3: The above graph depicts that more than 77% of the teacher’s agreed that the student body in classroom is culturally diverse. Around 70% of the respondents also agreed that the language barriers create difficulty in learning and diversity creates conflicts in classroom. Graph 3: Graph 5: The above graph depicts that more than 70% of the teacher’s use the above teaching methodologies frequently in order to achieve different learning objectives.

Tale of Two Cities Analys :: essays papers

Tale of Two Cities Analys Government has been an essential part to any civilization for as long as human kind has existed. People who disagree with the government have also existed for just as long. Whether the the government was so simple that the leader was the strongest in the tribe, or whether the government was so complex that it involved thousands of people to make one decision, it always was challenged and eventually changed. The means of change are quite diverse. Assassination, protests, war, petitions, and more are amongst the large list of means for governmental reform. Revolution has also been a frequent method to try to achieve the desired change. Revolutions have made profound impacts in history, for both the better and for the worse. Charles Dickens is among those who believe revolution is not a efficient means for change of government, or social reform. His classic novel, A Tale Of Two Cities, clearly and profoundly shows the negative impacts of revolting against the government, to the ! reader. He also shows the reader that there is a better way to improve the government. That better way is illustrated through Sydney Carton. He not only becomes an unexpected hero in A Tale Of Two Cities, but he also symbolizes Charles Dickens solution to achieving social reform. Sydney Carton first entered the story as a lonely man. Appearing rather insecure and having low self esteem, his role in the story was unknown to the reader. He seemed to only be focused on helping others. One late night with his colleague, Mr. Stryver, Cartons basically pathetic demeanor was confronted, ^Carton, addressed his friend... ^your way is, and always was, a lame way. You summon no energy and purpose. (Dickens, A Tale Of Two Cities, 95). Then later that night , Climbing into a high chamber in a well of houses, he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected bed, and its pillow was wet with wasted tears (97). Both are examples of Cartons character. Most view him as a loser. Mr. Stryver, with the assistance of a little alcohol, clearly made that point, and sadly enough Carton realized it. At that moment he finally realized who he was becoming, and it depressed him beyond words. At that moment a new Carton emerged. This new Carton was someone who cared! for others. He wanted people to think that his actions were motivated by simply wanting to make a difference in the lives of those he cared for. One person he deeply cared for was Lucie Manette. She eventually became his motivation to change and renew his own life.

Poetry Styles of the Victorian Period Essay -- Realism, Naturalism

The Victorian Period (1833-1901) brought about the expansion of Britain’s booming economy. In Britain, around the beginning of the Victorian Period, the consequence of industrialism brought much unrest across the land. The factories were notorious for their horrible working conditions, and the common workers’ housing was atrocious. Victorians were struggling with religious, philosophical, and social ramifications (854-856). The complex background to what was happening in Britain at the time led to a new and interesting literature period. There happened to be three influential types of literature during the Victorian Period. The first of these types was Realism. â€Å"When Victorian writers confronted the rapid technological and social changes amidst which they lived . . .† (857) realism evolved. Realism centered on â€Å"ordinary people facing the day-to-day problems of life, and an emphasis that reflected the trend toward democracy and the growing middle-class audience for literature† (857). The second type of literature that began to show up in the Victorian Period was Naturalism. Naturalism â€Å"sought to put the spirit of scientific observation to literary use† (857) by including lots of details into literary works. This literature type appeared to contradict Romanticism and painted â€Å"nature as harsh and indifferent to the human suffering it caused† (857). Thirdly, the Victorian Period brought about the Pre-Raphaelites literature. Pre-Raphaelites didn’t accept â₠¬Å"real† life and instead found spiritual inspiration in â€Å"medieval Italian art, . . . before the time of the painter Raphael (1483-1520)† (858). The Victorian Period of literature brought about many poets and poems. The poetry of the Victorian Period mostly dealt with... ...assing on my daily trot. I am sorry, but I quite forgot It was your resting-place† (974). This poem dealt with the Realism of the Victorian Period because this was an ordinary person after death wondering what ordinary person was digging on her grave. There was nothing special about the people in this poem and this was sort of a figurative â€Å"day-to day† problem because people do wonder about who would think about them after they die. â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave† also had Naturalism aspects in it. Nature is portrayed as harsh and indifferent about human suffering in this poem because the dog gave no care about its owner and only cared about its bone. Overall the Victorian Period was an interesting literary portion of time. It brought about many works of poetry that deal with characteristics of Realism and Naturalism in the authors’ own respective ways. Poetry Styles of the Victorian Period Essay -- Realism, Naturalism The Victorian Period (1833-1901) brought about the expansion of Britain’s booming economy. In Britain, around the beginning of the Victorian Period, the consequence of industrialism brought much unrest across the land. The factories were notorious for their horrible working conditions, and the common workers’ housing was atrocious. Victorians were struggling with religious, philosophical, and social ramifications (854-856). The complex background to what was happening in Britain at the time led to a new and interesting literature period. There happened to be three influential types of literature during the Victorian Period. The first of these types was Realism. â€Å"When Victorian writers confronted the rapid technological and social changes amidst which they lived . . .† (857) realism evolved. Realism centered on â€Å"ordinary people facing the day-to-day problems of life, and an emphasis that reflected the trend toward democracy and the growing middle-class audience for literature† (857). The second type of literature that began to show up in the Victorian Period was Naturalism. Naturalism â€Å"sought to put the spirit of scientific observation to literary use† (857) by including lots of details into literary works. This literature type appeared to contradict Romanticism and painted â€Å"nature as harsh and indifferent to the human suffering it caused† (857). Thirdly, the Victorian Period brought about the Pre-Raphaelites literature. Pre-Raphaelites didn’t accept â₠¬Å"real† life and instead found spiritual inspiration in â€Å"medieval Italian art, . . . before the time of the painter Raphael (1483-1520)† (858). The Victorian Period of literature brought about many poets and poems. The poetry of the Victorian Period mostly dealt with... ...assing on my daily trot. I am sorry, but I quite forgot It was your resting-place† (974). This poem dealt with the Realism of the Victorian Period because this was an ordinary person after death wondering what ordinary person was digging on her grave. There was nothing special about the people in this poem and this was sort of a figurative â€Å"day-to day† problem because people do wonder about who would think about them after they die. â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave† also had Naturalism aspects in it. Nature is portrayed as harsh and indifferent about human suffering in this poem because the dog gave no care about its owner and only cared about its bone. Overall the Victorian Period was an interesting literary portion of time. It brought about many works of poetry that deal with characteristics of Realism and Naturalism in the authors’ own respective ways.

The Forensic Consultation Corporation

The terrorism threat to the US and the US interest worldwide remains significant years after the 9/11 attacks. According to the counter terrorism center, terrorism incidences against the US homeland have reduced considerably in the last three years. (Court TV Crime Library) The primary threat has been and remains the Al Qaeda network, as well as other terrorism activities sanctioned by such countries as Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Iran. The government through intelligence agencies has doubled efforts to increase the information on terrorism and terrorists. Additionally, there have been reviews of the existing techniques of profiling terrorists. This follows the fact that some of these techniques have failed in providing effective models of profiling terrorists. Profiling models for terrorists consist of analyzing different persons and using the information gained to determine identities of potential terrorists or perpetrators of terrorism activities. Some of the technology used in the detection of terrorists is intrusive and violates the privacy issues (Turvey, Brent, 1998). Therefore, it has been difficult to distinguish between criminals and innocent people. Additionally, some state of the art technologies and profiling techniques are difficult to use by non-technical people. HOW PROFILING THECHNIQUES SHOULD CHANGE According to security experts the US as well as the world at large is at an increasing threat of terrorist attacks that are worse than the 9/11 attacks in terms of loss of life and property. There is increased innovation and sophistication in the operations in the modern terrorist. The destructive potential of the weapons used today, has also increased significantly (Turvey, Brent, 1998). It is therefore imperative that some changes be implemented to ensure that the techniques are able to meet the threat of terrorism not only in the US but also else where in the world where such a threat exists. Some of the recommended changes include:  ·   Professionals especially psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists have an ever increasing role in the practice of terrorists profiling.   Through behavioral analysis, documentation, and skilled interviewing; as well as proactive questioning techniques, it is possible to sift persons with criminal motives from innocent citizens so that security personnel can further scrutinize them. (Court TV Crime Library) The FBI academy, behavioral science unit, is a step in the right direction.  ·    Developing analysis support systems that can separate terrorist activities from innocent activities.  ·      Raising awareness among the general public, so they can be able to take note of innocuous activities, which could be indicative of terrorist activities.  · The importance of new technology in the fight against terrorism cannot be over emphasized, especially development of systems that allows surveillance without violating on people’s privacy.  ·   The progress that has been made to move beyond the guilty by association and model should be consolidated so as to eliminate or reduce errors associated with it.  ·   Due to the constant changes in terrorist behaviors and operations the profiling techniques need to be constantly changing, revised and research on different models should continue with greater tempo.  · Important security personnel such as airport, airline and sea port security managers, representatives from various embassies and consulates, security managers, police officers and finally the government personnel involved in critical infrastructure protection should be thoroughly trained so as to be attentive to strange behaviors that could be an indication of terrorism intents. ROLE OF FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGISTS Due to the increased threat of terrorism in recent years and events such as the anthrax scare that followed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC, the work of forensic psychologists became critical and more critical though is forensic techniques. This involves the application of both personality and criminal profiling theory towards the psycho-behavior profiling of terrorist and their leaders/commanders. Profiles of these types of figures would serve multiple purposes. They would suggest how an individual is most likely to proceed on their terrorism endeavor, how they would respond to a particular action by the profiler’s allies or how persistent the individual is at obtaining particular goals. For instance, saddam Hussein and Bin Laden could have two contrasting traits in that Saddam is tyrant in nature while laden is a highly rebellious character. These profiles help the forensic psychologists to identify and track the terrorists to identify and track the terrorists together with their associates hence greatly impacting on thE terrorism rate. PROFILE OF A TYPICAL TERRORIST Comparative and Theoretical Aspects.  ·      The typical terrorist is unmarried. Many terrorists are ready to die for the cause and they have no faith in the future. Many remain unmarried because they wish to avoid long-term commitments (Schneier, Bruce. 2004).  ·      Religious. Most terrorists are Muslims and although not all Muslims support terrorism, there is a strong historical link between Islamic and terrorism which cannot be overlooked.  ·    Considerably educated. The terrorist of today are most likely to be well educated, meticulous in their planning, and knowledgeable in the use of modern communication equipments and methods.  ·      Subscribes to radical and revolutionary ideologies. The man or woman who is ready to die for a cause is either a nationalist/patriot or a â€Å"psychopath† who more often than not has a poor family background and seeks recognition in a bad way. However the modern terrorist is really not mentally ill, but rather has been deeply brainwashed with very narrow â€Å"ideologies.†  ·    Could be male or female although there is a bias for male terrorists.  ·    The age of probable terrorist is twenties or early thirties.  ·    Family connections.   A likely candidate could have family relations with people who have been involved in terrorism or those who sympathize with terrorist activities. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS  ·    A modern day terrorist is ready to die and is not very interested in planning for an escape route.  ·    A terrorist is ready to forfeit concerns about personal security in order to break the barriers of defense that may exist.  ·    The goal of the terrorist is to make a statement that advances their cause and is mentally convinced they are doing not only the right thing but the â€Å"honorable† thing. CONCLUSION The threat of terrorism is very real today and governments all over the world should collaborate and work together to ensure they reduce their collective and individual vulnerability to terrorist activities. Measures should be put into place to protect the US homeland. However, it should be noted that all terrorist activities are difficult to eliminate; and profiling terrorist remains an uphill task for security experts and personnel. Research and regular review of and revisions of techniques should be made in the area of terrorist profiling, to ensure the techniques utilized are constantly up to date and able to keep up with the dynamics of modern terrorist operations. References Schneier, Bruce (2004). Behavioral Assessment Profiling. Retrieved on June 19, 2007 www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/11/profile_hinky.html Turvey, Brent, (1998). Deductive Criminal Profiling: Comparing Applied Methodologies   

Beginning the Audit Report

Senior Partner From: Kim Cummings Re: Apollo Shoes Audit Dear Senior Partner: As you know, our firm has been selected to perform the Apollo Shoes audit. The planning process has been the most delicate stage as we want to ensure we have a solid audit approach. The team I select will be dedicated in meeting the objectives and strategies for completing the audit. I will briefly explain to you how I plan to begin the audit process.Now that Apollo Shoes has selected our firm, the initial planning process has begun. Our team must make every effort to understand Apollo Shoes' business and industry. We will assess the client business risk before performing any preliminary analytical procedures. Our audit team will work hard to understand what type of documentation is required, collect documents from previous audits and gather all preliminary statements from all involved parties. Our team will start with a review of the company's policies and procedures to establish our objectives.Our audit t eam will set materiality and review acceptable audit risk and acquired risk. It is our responsibility to understand the internal control and assess the type of sis each control holds. By doing this, we must understand each and every process of Apollo Shoes. This may include reviewing any area workflow and identifying key controls in those area processes. Our audit team will sit down with department heads to gather a detailed understanding of each process so nothing is misinterpreted in our review.Once we have a clear understanding of the internal controls and have assessed their risk, we will begin to collect information to assess fraud risks. The last part of our plan and design phase of the audit process will be to develop an overall audit strategy and audit program. With this step, we will determine the guidelines of our audit review and the best technology to use for this client. The scope of our audit will be planned during this phase as well as setting our objectives. I have a ttached some key documents related to the Apollo Shoes audit.These documents cover how the audit objectives, responsibilities, and strategies for completing the audit will be accomplished. I have also included an explanation of how analytical procedures will be used to plan, conduct and complete the audit. An explanation of how our team will consider materiality and risk in designing the audit s also attached along with the technology we plan to use in the audit. I have attached an engagement checklist and a rough draft of the client engagement letter for your review. The outline of timeshares and milestones for the Apollo Shoes audit has also been included for your review.Should you have any questions regarding the beginning stages of our audit process or any changes or comments related to the engagement checklist, engagement letter and timeshares, please let me know so we can discuss further. Sincerely, Kim Cummings Audit Objectives, Responsibilities, and Strategies for Audit Comp letion The primary objective of an audit is to review a company's procedures, the original data to determine procedure compliance, and form an audit opinion on the data presented and level of compliance.The four main objectives are to outline and test controls; validate proper procedure was followed; establish the risk of audit error; and write an audit opinion. A control objective is established to ensure procedure is in place to prevent staff from not following policy. It is important to verify a procedure has been followed. To do this, an auditor will take a random collection of the documents from the data set. The auditor can use statistics to establish how many documents need to be tested and the risk of an error in the data set.A specialized computer program is used by the auditors to select a document and compare the document against company policy to ensure compliance. The level of compliance is assessed against the data size group and degree of compliance failure. The risk of audit error is the probability an auditor has reached an inaccurate conclusion, which is why the auditor must review all workflow, policies and procedures prior to drawing any conclusion from the samples they have pulled. A Ritter auditor's opinion is a report published by the auditor to ascertain company procedures used, the audit scope, and the results from testing.Many interested parties, such as business owners and investors, review this report. The auditors are responsible in finding errors, cut costs, and improve the overall general accounting used by a company. The auditor is to verify company records against the information the company has provided. It is important for auditors to plan and execute the audit to achieve reasonable assurance. The main strategy of completing the audit is to obtain an understanding of the linnet's financial statements, operating processes, and governance policies.The auditor must adopt a blueprint to determine the external factors that could a dversely affect the company's operations. The auditor needs to evaluate regulatory practice and ongoing litigation events. With these strategies in place, the audit should be easily streamlined to stay on track and completed in the designated timeshare. Analytical Procedures Used to Plan, Conduct and Complete the Audit Analytical procedures are used to identify items associated with uncommon transactions and events, amounts and developments that may point towards items hat have financial statement and audit planning complications. The analytical procedures used in planning the audit generally use data aggregated at a high level (www. Baobabs. Org). † Procedures may consist of reviewing changes in account balances from the prior year to the current year using an unadjusted working trial balance or general ledger balance. Procedures may involve an extensive analysis off company's quarterly financial statements. The analytical process used in the overall preview phase of the audi t â€Å"will assist the auditor in assessing conclusions reached and in the evaluation of the overall uncial statement presentation (www. Scabrous. Org). † A wide variety of analytical procedures may be used for this purpose. The procedures our team will use consist of reading financial statement and notes, consider adequacy of the evidence gathered, and consider unusual or unexpected balances. Materiality and Risk in Audit Design Materiality is essential when considering the appropriate type of report for a given set of circumstances. Audit risk is the risk the auditor may unintentionally â€Å"fail to appropriately modify his or her opinion on financial statements that are materially misstated (wry. WAC. Org). Materiality is considered by auditors when planning and evaluating the results of an audit. Audit risk and materiality affect the applications of generally accepted auditing standards, particularly the measures of field work and reporting. â€Å"Audit risk and mater iality need to be considered together in designing the nature, timing, and extent of audit procedures and in evaluating the results of those procedures (mm. ‘. PWS. Org). † Technology Incorporated Into Audit There are numerous data analysis tools to use for an audit such as Microsoft Excel, Audit Command Language (CAL), and Monarch.Microsoft Excel is an office application that is easy to use. It comes with a data-analysis toolkit and built-in functions with a capacity of 65,536 rows by 256 columns and 255 chars per field. CAL has an unlimited capacity. It requires basic training and is menu based. CAL has analytic capabilities and a complete set of preprogrammed analysis. Monarch is a 1,000,000 input page capacity. Training is required, and Monarch provides basic analytic capabilities. Data analysis software is useful in distinguishing fraud of assets and fraudulent reporting.It permits an infinite number of analytical interactions to e measured within sizeable databases . The use of data analysis software will test objectives, ascertain data, request test data, enhance the test data if results are poor and request full data if results are good. The use of filters, sorting statistics, gaps, classification, and samples are Just a few tools to be used in the audit process. The data analysis methodology we will use will be to define, validate, execute, and retain data.Engagement Checklist Learn about the Control Environment Operating Processes Corporate Procedures Regulatory Compliance Test Internal Controls Detailed Steps in Task Performance Sampling of Company Documents Rank Controls and Risk High and medium – may cost the business a substantial loss in operating activities Low – corrective measures provided by Department Heads and Managers Issue the Final Report Senior Auditor reviews solutions provided by senior leaders for high and medium risks. Note risk mitigation progress in the risk and control assessment reports prepared by depa rtment heads.Rough Draft of Audit Engagement Letter Anderson, Olds, and Watershed 1234 Audit Trail way panama City, FL 32405 January 18, 2015 Larry Lancaster President and CEO Apollo Shoes, Inc. Showdown, ME 12345 Re: Audit Engagement Dear Mr.. Lancaster, This letter confirms our prior discussion regarding the agreement for our firm to audit the financial statements of Apollo Shoes, Inc. Our firm will audit Apollo Shoes balance sheet as of 12/31/07, as well as related Statement of Income, Retained Earnings and Cash Flow Statements for all of 2007.We will provide our professional opinion based on this audit. The financial statements will be the responsibility of the Apollo Shoes management team. The opinion on the financial statements based on our audit is the responsibility of the audit team. Our team will conduct the audit process in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. These standards require our team to â€Å"conduct the audit in order to obtain reasonable assu rance if the financial statements are free of false and misleading statements (wry. NCSC. Deed). This type of audit will measure the accounting principles used by your company along with any assessments made by your management team. Our firm's audit will deliver the basis of our opinion. The practices we will use include tests of documented data provided to support all of your company transactions documented n your company accounts. We will also test documents related to your receivables and liabilities through randomly selected customer accounts and creditors. The audit we will perform cannot be relied upon to detect irregularities or all fraud.We will notify you of any material errors we find as well as any illegal acts that grab our attention throughout the audit process. If the financial statements are going to be published or reproduced with reference made to the audit our firm conducted, you must agree to give us the statement proofs for our approval prior to publication. As p art of the audit engagement for the year ending in 2007, a review of your company's state and federal tax returns will be conducted for Apollo Shoes.The fees our firm charges Apollo Shoes will be billed as the work is performed and based on the time it is needed to fulfill each deliverable plus any acquired out of pocket expenses. The invoices will be due upon receipt. After your review, please sign the enclosed copy and return it to our firm promptly. Our firm appreciates the opportunity to perform the Apollo Shoes' audit and looks forwarding to working with you. Sincerely, Timeshares and Milestones References Arena, Alvin; Elder, Randal; and Basely, Mark(2014).

Innocence and Hostility in Romeo and Juliet and Of Mice and Men Essay

One dictionary defines Innocence as ‘Freedom from sin, moral wrong, or guilt through lack of knowledge of evil. ’ Thus innocence is the state wherein one is, in a sense, pure; free from doubt and dread and woe, unmarred by sorrow or the countless ills running rampant in the world. Innocence is associated with children and animals and nature. But for growth to occur, Innocence must be slain in order for Experience to flourish. This bittersweet transition from child to adult is the natural course of life: one cannot stay innocent forever. Oftentimes, this transition from innocent child to experienced adult occurs in the face of hostility, as in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where the young lovers, to combat the hatred their families have for one another, sacrifice their love, their innocence, and their lives. This theme exists as well in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, where George kills Lennie to save him from suffering, and in the doing so, also slays their shared dream of owning land and being free men. In Romeo and Juliet, the hostility between the Capulets and the Montagues creates the conflict that drives the play. This generation-spanning hatred consumes everything it touches: it causes the deaths of Mercutio at the hands of Tybalt, and drives Romeo to avenge his friend’s death by slaying Tybalt in turn. The hostility borne of this act forces Romeo to flee and Juliet to feign death; Romeo, consumed by grief, kills himself, and Juliet upon waking to find her husband dead, does the same. We see that the hostility permeates every aspect of the play. Innocence, symbolized by the young lovers, is ultimately slain by the hostility shared between the two families. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, two farm hands, share a dream to own a piece of land, and in doing so, become free men. George appoints himself caretaker of Lennie, a large, abnormally strong man with the mind of a young child. The hostility that proves the downfall of these two men stems from Curley, the son of the ranch owner. A man possessed of a short temper and a violent streak, his cruelty forces his wife to seek the company of other men. She spends time with Lennie. Warned that her presence causes trouble, he attempts to silence her when she creates a scene, and inadvertently kills her, his actions driven by fear concerning the hostility of Curley. Alarmed by his actions, he flees. The slaying of Innocence occurs when George kills Lennie in order to save him from cruel treatment and death at the hands of Curley and the other men. But in slaying Lennie, George also kills their dream of owning land, and being free men, and his own innocence as well. In both these stories hostility drives the conflict, propelling actions onward to the end, where innocence is slain and experience gleaned. In Romeo and Juliet the death of the two lovers causes the families to ‘grow up,’ and abolish the hatred and hostility between the two houses. In killing themselves the title characters also kill the hostility that led them to their deaths, and though innocence dies, peace is achieved. In Of Mice and Men, the hostility of Curley does not die; what dies is the innocence of a dream and the the innocence of childhood, symbolized by Lennie. George gains experience, he ‘grows up,’ and in doing so realizes the futility of the dream of being free in the face of the hostility of the landowners, as represented by Curley. And so Innocence is slain, and gives way to experience. Hostility remains in the world to aid in that transition. One cannot be Innocent always, and death and tragedy produce lessons one must learn in order to live in the world. Lovers die, as do hopes and dreams, but no matter how tragic or heartbreaking the events may be, one always gains lessons, often severe, from these losses. Such is life, as reflected in these works. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Washington DC: Washington Square Press, 2004 Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin, 1978

My School Essay

School is a temple of learning and a training ground for future citizens. The name of my school is Penang Chinese Girls High School. It was set up in 19-an by a land-lord in our area. He donated land and money for the school. The atmosphere in which our school is situated is very pleasant. It is surrounded by a big field on one side and a small garden with flowers on the other. The school has three rows of big buildings. The name of the school is written on the front building. There are many classrooms in the front building. Other rooms in the back building are used for different purposes such as the Head Master’s Office, Library, the Clerk’s Office, the Science Laboratory, the Teachers’ Common-room, the N. C. C. and etc. There are 80 teacher, a specific teacher for librarians, a clerk and several peons in our school. All the teachers are qualified and experienced. The Head Master is a learned woman,she solved problems of the pupils efficiently. The total number of students of our school is about 20thousand hundred. We go to school in uniform,our school consisits of girls only,therefore girls wear blue skirt and white blouse. The school functions from for 2 sessions. During the recess hour we go to the canteen to relax and savour some mouth-watering food. Some students also go to library and read newspaper there. In games period we play badminton, volley ball, etc. Girl students play ring ball too. The library of our school is a medium one. There are about two thousand books on different subjects; we did not have a library period in our weekly routine,so we borrow books from our library and refund them after a week in our free time. We observe the Republic Day, the Independence Day, the Teacher’s Day in our school. We also hold debate competitions and games and sports every year. The school magazine is published every year. In annual examinations the students from our school show brilliant performance. Many students from this school have occupied glorious position in our state. Our school always holds book fair for students to have a chance to explore the advantages of reading. This year a classical teacher from our school retired formally. The discipline, the study atmosphere and the brilliant academic result of our school attract many meritorious students from distant parts of our state. It is an ideal school in all respects.

Norm Violation Essay

After doing the three norm violations for my midterm project in Social Psychology, I was really relieved. The entire nervous breaking act as whatever that will draw people’s attention to me made me partly pity myself. I pity myself for making me look like a fool, but nevertheless, it gave me a sense of joy thinking that I really did it not just for the sake of completion and to get good grades, but I did it because of curiosity and for the satisfaction of my inner craving for new adventure. And by doing the three norm violations, I came to conclude that we are all unconsciously controlled by the norms our society sets and that sank into the very depths of our minds making us live like robots. People nowadays are like robots, doing their day-to-day activities in a pattern that conforms to the usual norm in their society. No more thrills and excitement, no more craving for adventure, no more childish acts, and that’s all because we all wanted to fit in and do things aligned to what is tagged as â€Å"normal.† So this project is really a breath of fresh air to me. This has been an eye opener, a bell that wakes every vein in my body, like electricity that flows to my brain that shocks every synaptic activity. Now I’m conscious, conscious enough to make my life more worth living by not conforming to the pattern of norms embroided to every corner of humanity. I apologize for my exaggeration, but I am just inspired. And I like to exaggerate when I’m inspired. Anyways, the bottom line here is that I’m glad I made this project for it made me realize what’s keeping people in coming out of their shell, and that is the idea that if they do something that is not normal even if that’s what they’ve always wanted to do, they’ll be labelled as â€Å"weird.† Based on experience, it’s really self degrading when people look at you with such scornful eyes because of projecting something that does not fit their tastes. So I can’t blame those whose faces are as thick as my psychology book because they have become numb of all the critics and judgments that pass through their tympanic membrane like a steel being dragged out of force in a glass road. I don’t know which part of my four lobed brain all these words are coming from, but I guess I have made my point and I hope it’s clear.