Dancing essays

Dancing essays When I look back through my old family photo albums, I find it difficult to recall much more than what is pictured in their pages. The dated clothing, the people, the locations... all of these are quite visible, and therefore appear memorable, but the fact is, without the visual prompt, I probably wouldn't recollect many of the pictured events at all. Things that made no major impact on my life remain simple illustrations in the back of my mind or images in the album tucked away in the back of an unused closet. Looking at a picture of my fifth birthday party, I can see who was there, what the cake looked like, the gifts I received, but I can't remember much else. Other times in my childhood I remember rather vividly, however. It's funny how memory is selective like that, how certain things can be completely retold down to every last detail. Often, however, a simple prompt can trigger an outpouring of memories that may have otherwise remained hidden deep in the mind. A sight, a sound, perhaps a smell...all of these things can trigger a deluge of retrospection. We have a home movie of this party...it is grainy and of short duration, but it's a great visual aid to my memory of life at that time. And it is in color - the only complete scene in color I can recall from those years. -Judith Ortiz Cofer, "Silent Dancing" In her book "Silent Dancing," Cofer recounts the memories of her childhood induced while watching this short piece of film. Each scene brought about more memories, as colors and scents of the past were relived through it. Because the film was silent, however, those parts of the past had to be made up...explored by her. When I think of the things that remind me of my childhood and development, one scene in particular stands out. I experienced more learning and exploration on the playground at age eight than any other time I can recall in my life. The many things I learned st...

How to Write IEP (Individualized Education Plan) Goals

How to Write IEP (Individualized Education Plan) Goals An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written plan developed for special education students. The IEP is generally updated annually by a team that often includes the special education teacher, special education administrator, general education teacher, specialists such as speech, occupational, and physical therapists, as well as a school nurse. Writing IEP goals correctly is vital to a special education students success because, unlike in general or regular education, students in special education are legally entitled to an education plan specifically tailored to their cognitive and physical ability and needs. The IEP goals lay out the roadmap for providing such an education. Key Takeaways: SMART IEP Goals IEP goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound.SMART IEP goals are realistic for the student to achieve and explain how the student will accomplish them.Smart IEP goals always consider the students present levels of performance and include a brief description of how progress will be measured as well as what constitutes successful completion of each goal. SMART IEP Goals All IEP goals should be SMART goals, an acronym that refers to goals as specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and time-bound. A SMART IEP goal will be realistic for the student to achieve and lay out how the student will accomplish it. Breaking down the components of SMART goals into their specific elements can make them easier to write. Specific: The goal should be specific in naming the skill or subject area and the targeted result. For example, a goal that is not specific might read, Adam will be a better reader. Such a goal fails to provide any details. Measurable: You should be able to measure the goal using standardized tests,  curriculum-based measurements  or screening, work samples, or even teacher-charted data. A goal that is not measurable might read, Joe will get better at solving math problems. Attainable: A lofty goal that is not attainable can discourage both teacher and student. A goal that is not attainable might read, Frank will ride public transportation all over town without any mistakes any time he wants. If Frank has never ridden public transportation, this goal is likely out of reach. Results-oriented: The goal should clearly spell out the expected result. A poorly worded goal might read, Margie will increase her eye contact with others. Theres no way to measure that and no indication of what the result might be. Time-bound: The goal should state specifically by what date the student is expected to accomplish it. A goal lacking a time expectation might read, Joe will explore career opportunities. Consider Present Level of Performance To write SMART goals, the IEP team needs to know the present levels at which the student is functioning. For example, you wouldnt expect a student to learn algebra by the next IEP if she is currently struggling to add two-digit numbers. Its important that the current levels of performance accurately and honestly reflect the students abilities and deficiencies. A report on the present levels of performance often begins with a statement of the students strengths, preferences, and interests. They would then cover: Academic skills: This lists the students ability in math, reading, and writing, and spells out deficiencies in these areas compared to grade-level peers. Communication development: This describes the level of communication at which the student is functioning as well as any deficits compared to same-age peers. If the student has speech deficits or is using vocabulary and sentence structure that are below grade-level peers, that would be noted here. Emotional/social skills: This describes the students social and emotional abilities, such as getting along with others, initiating and taking part in conversations with friends and classmates, and responding appropriately to stress. An issue in this area could interfere with a students ability to learn and interact with teachers and peers. Monitor Progress Once the IEP team has agreed on a set of goals for the year, its important to monitor the students progress toward meeting those goals. The process for monitoring the students progress is often included in the IEP goals themselves. For example, a SMART goal listed previously reads as follows: Penelope will be able to solve two-digit addition problems with 75 percent accuracy as measured by work samples, teacher-charted data, and standardized tests. For this goal, the teacher would collect work samples over a period of time, such as a week or month, to indicate Penelopes progress. Data collection  refers to regularly assessing a student’s success on individual items in her goals, usually at least once a week. For example, the teacher and paraprofessionals might maintain a daily or weekly log that shows how accurately Penelope is solving two-digit multiplication problems on a daily or weekly basis. Review and Update Benchmarks as Needed Since goals are written to cover an entire year, they are generally broken into benchmarks. These might be quarterly periods where the teacher and staff can monitor how well the student is progressing toward the specific goal. For example, the first benchmark might require Penelope to solve two-digit problems with 40 percent accuracy by the end of the first quarter; the second benchmark, three months later, might require her to solve problems at 50 percent accuracy, while a third might call for a 60 percent accuracy rate. If the student is not close to achieving these benchmarks, the team can include an addendum adjusting the final goal to a more reasonable level, such as 50 percent accuracy. Doing so provides the student with a more realistic chance of achieving the goal in the long run. IEP Goal Examples IEP goals should, as noted, follow the SMART acronym, ensuring that they are specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and time-bound. Following are some examples: Adam will be  able to read a passage orally in a grade-level book at 110 to 130 words per minute with no more than 10 errors. This goal is specific because it specifies exactly how many words Adam will be able to read in a minute as well as the acceptable error rate. As another example, a SMART goal that is measurable might read: Penelope will be able to solve two-digit addition problems with 75 percent accuracy as measured by work samples, teacher-charted data, and standardized tests. This goal is measurable because it specifies the desired accuracy percentage on all work samples. A goal that is attainable goal might read: By the next meeting, Joe will travel from school to home safely on a public transportation bus once a week with 100 percent accuracy as measured by teacher-charted data. Put another way, this is a goal that Joe might well be able to reach; hence, it is attainable. A results-oriented goal could state: Margie will look the person speaking to her in the eye 90 percent of the time in four out of five daily opportunities, as measured by teacher-charted data. This goal focuses on results: It specifies what, exactly, the outcome will be if Margie reaches the goal. (Shell be able to look a person in the eye 90 percent of the time.) A time-bound goal, by contrast, might read: By the next meeting, Joe will explore career opportunities through a variety of media (such as books, library, internet, newspaper, or tours of job sites) with 100 percent accuracy in four out of five weekly trials, as measured by teacher-charted observation/data. Importantly, this goal specifies when Joe should reach the goal (by the next meeting, likely a year from the date the goal was initially accepted by the IEP team). With this goal, everyone on the IEP team is aware that Joe is expected to have explored the specified career opportunities by the next meeting.

Consumer behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Consumer behaviour - Essay Example Government and leaders of the company have become increasingly aware of the people’s needs and understand that at times people would break the rules in place to satisfy them. With the help of Maslow theory marketer’s can judge consumer’s motivations they can identify the generic level of need the consumer product is capable of fulfilling. This would help the marketers better form any of the marketing strategy. Products such as foods and clothes are purchased as they fulfill safety needs; personal care products such as shaving cream, perfume, soap, toothpaste, are bought mainly as they serve social needs. While luxurious products such as expensive clothing, fancy house, jewelry, and cares are bought mainly to serve self-actualizations and ego needs. Though, Maslow's hierarchy does consider relevant from an intuitive standpoint, however, there is little evidence to proof its hierarchical aspect. Today there are evidences to contradict such aspects as explained by t his motivation theory. For example, today we find some of the cultures placing social needs ahead of any others. Maslow's hierarchy further has difficulty explaining incidents such as the "starving artist" where a person ignores lower needs to pursuit higher ones. Finally, it cannot be prove that people g up t motivated just to satisfy a single need at a time, except in situations where one finds conflict between needs. Therefore, it fails to predict and shape market well. 2. How influential is gender stereotyping in the popular magazine or the drinks markets in differentiating and expanding the total market? Gender stereotyping makes use of magazines and other advertising mediums to govern and shape people’s perception. How influential they might would depend on the assumptions made about men and women which may or may not be true. It could have been said to predict fairly for a fewer numbers however, it might not be true for the larger part. In short that everyone could con fide to the description of gender descriptions as mentioned neatly in various advertising mediums such as magazines and drinks market. Today readers are found to be much sophisticated and are aware that much of the advertising stuff does not portray their sets of beliefs, perceptions, attitudes and likings. Post modern reader would take out several magazines to form a mix up suiting their sets of thinking patterns. For instance, one of the women might select the top and sandals off a photo shoot posted in a magazine but paired it with his favorite pants. So today, readers are conforming to some parts of gender stereotypes exposed to them but have willpower to surpass them if they feel like. So, in this case it would be relevant to conclude that magazines target audience in manner that they could influence majority and hence raise the sales of their products. However, there would be many readers who would know when to absorb and what to buy. 3. Give an example of ‘cultural jamm ing’ that to your mind works really well in causing consumers to think twice about their attitudes towards a brand or a product. What techniques does this example of ‘cultural jamming’ utilize to make it so effective? Culture jamming is arousing attention in consumers of particular brand to react in an emotional manner. It can be commercial, social or political. If done properly it raises awareness among the people and is effective adding legal way to mend the consumer’s perception. One of the best examples of culture jamming that

Discuss the health problems and health service issues associated with Essay

Discuss the health problems and health service issues associated with homelessness - Essay Example As a means of understanding homelessness to a more full and complete extent, the analyst invariably comes to the realization that this social reality has a direct impact upon the level of health and overall longevity of the individuals that are forced to integrate with it. In such a way, homelessness has a profound impact upon society and health systems of the society due to the fact that the homeless individuals are oftentimes prone to a great number of both physical and emotional hardships that the general population is not. In such a way, this brief analysis will seek to discuss the spectrum of housing need, the reality of the fact that homeless groups are necessarily hard-to-reach and underrepresented within healthcare research and availability, the fact that the homeless cannot and should not be understood as a homogenous group, the impact and reality of the public health issues that homelessness necessarily portends, a discussion of some of the most common health problems that are associated with this group, the nonlinear determination that health has upon the homeless, the lack of understanding and appreciation for homelessness within the medical community (and the research community that is a part of it), the means by which homelessness necessarily reorients the individuals priorities to place a low emphasis upon health and well-being, and the painful and ultimately harmful level that social stigmas attached homelessness necessarily denote. One of the key compliments of homelessness within the current dynamic is necessarily with regards to the ever-increasing population and reduced levels of housing that are available around the globe. Due to the economic downturn, developers and governmental housing projects have necessarily all but ground to a standstill (Seiler & Moss, 2012). What this has created is a situation in which an ever-increasing demand for housing is not being met due to the fact that individuals within the current economy neither have the means more the wherewithal to seek out and purchase, or indeed continue to pay mortgages, on homes and properties that they would otherwise use for themselves and for their families. Although homelessness has traditionally been understood as a problem affecting only the very lowest class within a society, the events of the past several years have highlighted and underscored the fact that homelessness can affect each and every individual within the system to a profound degree. From a societal interpretation of this particular drawback, it is the onus of governmental and state entities to ensure that the supply and demand for housing are being met in an equitable manner (Hwang et al, 2010). Though increased levels of government control with regards to the real estate industry is not something that many individuals within society would necessarily want to take place, the reality of the fact is that the current dynamic of economics take nation necessarily demands action on the part of these local, state and federal entities to ensure that the hemorrhaging problems associated with homelessness are ameliorated in the best means possible. Taking the issue closer to the topic of health and the means by which society integrates with an understanding of homelessness, the reader/analyst should understand that

Mcsa Networking Basics Essay Example for Free

Mcsa Networking Basics Essay Introduction What is a network? A network can be defined as two or more computers which are linked together to share resources. These resources can include internet access, printers, software and files. The ‘heart’ of a network is called the server, and its function is to contain all the software and services which the network and its users depend on. Figure 1: Example of a basic network The server is operated by personnel called Network or System Administrators, and it’s their responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the network so it is working as efficiently as possible. This is achieved through the use of a dedicated operating system called Windows Server 2003 – this gives the network administrator complete control over the network functions. Advantages for a network Cost Because networked computers can share the same resources, costs can be dramatically reduced. For example, if there are ten computers in a room each needing access to a printer – it is far cheaper to route all ten computers to a single, shared printer than it is to purchase ten printers; one for each computer. In this example, the saving would also include the cost of ink cartridges (you would only need to purchase one set of cartridges instead of ten). Software can be purchased and installed in a similar cost effective way. Most popular software is able to be bought and installed on a server, and anyone who requires to use it will only need to purchase a license (the legal rights to use it, usually in the form of a certificate). These licenses are far cheaper than buying the software for each user. This method also means that it isn’t necessary for an I.T Technician to install the software on every computer; only one install on the server is needed. Another benefit to this approach is when the software requires an update. If it is server based, only the software on the server would need to be updated. All the users would benefit from the update as soon as it has been installed. If each user had a copy on their computer, I.T Technicians would need to update each one. This could become time consuming, expensive and complicated. The software that this could apply to, includes most Microsoft software and Anti-virus software. Security Security is a vital element in any business. In a network, security is enhanced both internally (security within the network) and externally. Users are given a username and password to access their files and all the programs, hardware etc that they have been given access to. When a user saves a file, it is saved to the server and not the computer that he/she is working on. If that user wants to retrieve that file, it can be done on any computer on the network, and not just on the computer that was originally used. This data can be accessed, monitored and backed up by the Network Administrator at any time. Each department can have their own ‘identity’ on the server, which allows them to have access to files, applications and resources which would be relevant to their requirements. For example, the Accounts department may need to have access to invoicing software (e.g. Sage and Excel), whereas Sales may only require software to monitor and forecast sales over a period of time (e.g. Excel). Accounts may not want other departments accessing their software due to security or confidentiality reasons. Internet security is tighter for both users accessing the internet, and external threats when a network is set up. All the computers can share a single access point to the internet, which makes it easier to monitor internet usage, help reduce hacking and other external threats trying to access data on the network. Another feature which can be applied by the system administrator is Encryption. Data within a folder/subfolder can be encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to data if other security measures have been breached. Typically, only system administrators will be given the ‘recovery key’ to be able to decrypt data incase of system failure or other unforeseen situations. Disadvantages for a network Expensive to install The initial cost of setting up a network can be expensive, with hardware like the server, router, cabling, backup equipment, network printers and server software. Also, dedicated personnel must be hired to keep the server running efficiently and to resolve any server/network issues. Centralised Data Having all of the data in one place means that data could be lost in the event of a system failure. Regular backups of the server are highly recommended (daily, weekly and monthly) to help to keep data safe. But if the server goes down in between backups then all the recent data will be lost. Reduced Performance The server’s performance can become reduced as the network expands or as its workload increases through the working day. A server must have as much memory and processing power as possible to help minimise the reduction in performance. Task 2a Network Topology is the description of how a network is laid out, the devices (server, routers, printers etc) attached to it and the direction which data flows. A network can be described as either Logical Topology (the way data flows in a network) or as a Physical Topology (how a network is physically laid out) There are six main topologies, Bus, Ring, Star, Extended Star, Hierarchical, and Mesh. Bus Topology This can be both a Physical and Logical, in a local area network (LAN), each device is connected by a single cable. This single cable is also referred to as the ‘backbone’ of the network. A terminator must be on either side of the cable to prevent the data signal from bouncing back down it. The Bus Topology was widely used in early networks using standard Co-ax cables. It was an economical solution for networking as only one main cable was needed. The disadvantage to this was if this cable failed, the whole network would go down. Ring Topology In a Ring Topology (also known as IBM Ring Token), each computer (node) is connected to each other in a closed loop. Each computer has its own unique identity on the network. When data is transmitted from one node to the other, the data will include the destination’s identity and will pass through each node until it reaches the destination. This type of topology has two main disadvantages; only one computer can transmit data on the network at a time and if a computer fails the whole network will go down. There is a slight variation to this; the Duel Ring Topology The second ring within the network provides a backup connection, so if there is a failure within the network, the secondary connection will keep the network connected. This is expensive as more cabling is required. Star Topology The most common type is called a Star Topology. Each device is connected to a dedicated central hub. All the data on the network flows through the network via the central hub. These types of networks tend to be small, as data could be degraded or lost on a large network. The main advantages to this is that it is easy to setup and easy to add new devices to the network. But if the central hub fails, the whole network goes down. Extended Star Similar to the Star Topology, but instead computers are grouped together and connected to a local hub, which in turn is connected to a central hub. This is widely used in large networks where the network may be in a large building, and each group of computers may represent each department. There are more points of failure on this network, but if a local hub fails, then the rest of the network will not be affected. Hierarchical or Tree Topology This is very similar to a Ring Topology, but computers are attached to the central hub in layers. While the structure looks different, this still has the main disadvantage of network failure if the top device goes down. Mesh Topology All the above topologies suffer from the same problem. If one device fails on the network, the whole network goes down. The only solution is to connect each device with each other and remove the need for a server. This is the Mesh Topology and has two main advantages; If a device fails, the network will still work and the network doesn’t need to rely on the processing power, bandwidth etc from a server as it is supplied from each computer. The disadvantage to this is the high cost of connecting each device to each other, so this would not be suitable on a large network. This type of topology is also referred to as Peer-to-Peer whereas the other topologies are considered to be Client/Server based. A comprise between cost and connectivity would be the Partial Connected Topology. Devices are connected to more than one node on the network, so if one fails the network can still work. This is more cost effective than Mesh Topology as less cabling is required. Task 2b Recommendations As it stands, the structure of the current network is a Hierarchical or Tree Topology. The network uses two different switches to connect the Domain Controller to the 24 computers. These are from two manufacturers; CISCO and 3Com and this offers 100Mb and 10Mb speeds respectively. This is a disadvantage because one ‘group’ of computers has a quicker data transfer rate than the other. The network does not have a disaster recovery plan should the Domain Controller fail. This has the potential for putting the whole network at risk from permanent data loss. The network also shares a single printer which is attached to the Domain Controller, 10 of the computers are connected to it through the slower 3Com 10Mb switch. This means all 24 computers print via the Domain Controller (which is currently overloaded) and 10 computers send data at a slower rate than the rest of the network. My first recommendation would be to replace both switches with a single CISCO 100Mb 48 port switch ( £631.99 from MISCO website). This would provide a standard, quicker data transfer speed throughout the network and allow for the network to expand. There are a total of 24 computers, and this switch would enable a further 24 devices to be added to the network e.g. additional computers, printers etc. This would allow the network to expand whilst maintaining a fast data transfer speed. With the new switch in place, my next recommendation would be to replace the HP Laserjet III (USB connection only) with a newer, network-ready printer like the HP Laserjet 2055DN or P2030 which costs  £319 and  £160 from HP website. By replacing it with a newer model, printing could be completed quicker, quieter and more cost effectively e.g. more reliable printing, more energy efficient, lower consumable costs etc. Also, sharing the workload throughout a faster network is more efficient than channelling all the printing requirements of the network to an older single printer on a slow 10Mb switch via the Domain Controller. This will also help reduce the workload to the Domain Controller. While the Domain Controller’s workload can be reduced by the addition of a network-ready printer, other options could be to increase the specifications (e.g greater hard drive space, more memory etc). Ensuring the controller has the latest software updates will ensure both the running efficiency and increase the network security. This will help prevent unauthorised access (hacking) to the network. My final recommendation is add disaster recovery and remote working within the network, By regularly backing up data on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, this will ensure the network can be restored in case of total data loss. To assist learning or to prevent students from accidentally causing errors/problems within the network, remote working should be enabled. User accounts can be easy created in Active Directory though the use of a standard template. Templates could be set up for both students and tutors, so all of the common properties of the accounts are already established. When a new user account is required, the administrator will only need to complete the fields that require unique values (eg, name, address, telephone number, course details etc). Once the users have been created within the Active Directory, they can be placed into Organisational Units (OU’s). This will group together users, so in this situation students could be placed in OU’s which represent their course. When the OU’s are established, the users’ configuration settings can be applied through the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). It holds hundreds of user configuration settings, security options and user event logs, all which can be applied as required by the college administrators. Figure 2: Example of the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) By using Group Policies effectively, the administrator can control and manage exactly what users can and cannot do whilst logged onto the domain. Administrators are able to control how the desktop appears, the icons that are available and the ability to configure the task bar etc by applying the Desktop setting found within the ‘User Configuration’ in the GPMC. This could be useful if the college policy states that all users must have the Llandrillo College logo as their wallpaper, and various required icons are in place and users to have access to various programs via the ‘start’ menu. To improve password security, administrators are able to increase the effectiveness of the passwords that users apply to protect their identity on the network. The password options can be found within the ‘Password Policy’ within the ‘Computer Configuration section of the GPMC. These options include the ability to reuse old passwords, to apply complexed passwords (eg. more than 6 characters, using upper, lower case letters and digits 0-9). In the example, a programmer has created a random word generator to create passwords. Group policy could be configured so when they log on for the first time, users input the randomly generated password and then they must input their own password using a complexed password. If the user ever forgets the password at any time, administrators are able to reset it through the ‘Active Directory Users Computers’ tool. Figure 3: Example of Password Policy within GPMC To prevent users from using too much disk space on the network, administrators are able to allocate limited disk space to users and by applying prompts when this space is nearly used up. By putting this in place, administrators can calculate how many users will be on the system multiplied by how much hard disk space each user will be allocated. This total will be the minimum amount of disk space required for all users in each new academic year. Administrators will be able to ensure the server can physically hold all the users data without completely running out or running low of disk space. To achieve this, administrators will need to locate the allocated hard drive and apply a quota, limiting users on how much space they can use. Individual users can have separate entries in the quota, allowing them to have a lesser or a greater share of disk space. This would be useful for tutors who may need greater disk space to store course material etc. When the network is running, administrators may be required to monitor the networks resources to ensure it exceeds the users demands. The tool required is called the ‘Performance Console’ which is found under Administrative Tools. This tool appears in the form of a graph although it has three counters as a default (Memory:Pages/Second, PhysicalDisk: Average Disk Queue Length and Processor: % Processor Time), additional counters can be easily added or removed accordingly. A college administrator may add counters to monitor network bandwidth, server utilisation (memory, cpu performance, disk performance etc). To help administrators monitor the server, counter logs and alerts can be applied. This can enable administrators to proactively identify when system resources run too low or to identify possible hardware failures/malfunctions. Any one of these problems could result in a degraded performance or total server failure. Figure 5: Example of the Performance Console The college network may be required to support remote users, allowing them to access the college network whilst being in a different location eg working from home, from another campus etc. This can be achieved through the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The user will be able to access the college’s network through the use of the internet whilst achieving the required security and data encryption. The network’s firewall must have exceptions to allow authenticated users to access the network whilst preventing unauthorised access. Once the network is running effectively, the next challenge administrators will face is maintaining the security and the efficiency of the network. This can be achieved by deploying server updates and hotfixes as provided by Microsoft. The server can be updated with the use of ‘Automatic Updates’, which can be found within the ‘All Programs’ menu under the start button. Updates can be downloaded either straight away or scheduled to download at a certain day/time. This could be configured to download when the network is at its quietest time (eg 10pm). This would ensure that the update would not effect the overall performance during busy periods. Also, updates for the users computers may be required. Instead of administrators physically installing them on every computer on the network, this could be downloaded on the server as an *msi file and automatically installed via a group policy. So the next time users within the network log onto the network, they will automatically be downloaded installing the updates from the server with no intervention required.

Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation :: Confederates Attic

Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation Long after the Civil War we are still fascinated by it. In some circles, the "War of Northern Agression" or the "Lost Cause" is thought of, discussed, brought to life daily. While every war has its fanbase, the Civil War has a special distinction for America. It was the war for the preservation of the Union in some classes, a violent and tyrranical putting-down of a justified rebellion in others. I have never been particularly interested in the war, or any war for that matter. I have also never been terribly entertained by professional sports or cowboy movies, either, so I blame my lack of enthusiasm for Civil War lore and history more on my general lack of manliness rather than any fault of the war’s. It was obviously a very moving conflict. When I moved from Illinois to Arkansas and entered the eighth grade, I discovered my new school was approximately a year behind my old school in most subjects. I spent an additional nine months firming up my knowledge of "Earth Science," and relearning American History. For the most part, the entire academic year was simply a refresher – we even used some of the same textbooks I had used in the seventh gade. It was the same, that is, until we got to the Civil War. In Illinois the war was portrayed in fairly objective terms, something like this: "In the Civil War the North and South fought against each other. The South wanted to secede from the union, and the North wanted to keep the US together, oh and free the slaves. Illinois was part of the North." The instruction wasn’t necessarily complete or elevated, but I never felt like I was personally involved in the war. However, in Arkansas, in the South, I received an education much more like this: "During the Civil War, w e fought against the North. They didn’t want to let us secede. We wanted to, and would have, but we lost. They freed the slaves." Even at 13 I understood there was something very different about the way that people in the North and in the South view the war. Many writers, poets, and critics have pronounced that part of what makes the South so southern is the fact that it builds itself on its past. It cannot let go of the past. Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation :: Confederates Attic Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, History, and Reconciliation Long after the Civil War we are still fascinated by it. In some circles, the "War of Northern Agression" or the "Lost Cause" is thought of, discussed, brought to life daily. While every war has its fanbase, the Civil War has a special distinction for America. It was the war for the preservation of the Union in some classes, a violent and tyrranical putting-down of a justified rebellion in others. I have never been particularly interested in the war, or any war for that matter. I have also never been terribly entertained by professional sports or cowboy movies, either, so I blame my lack of enthusiasm for Civil War lore and history more on my general lack of manliness rather than any fault of the war’s. It was obviously a very moving conflict. When I moved from Illinois to Arkansas and entered the eighth grade, I discovered my new school was approximately a year behind my old school in most subjects. I spent an additional nine months firming up my knowledge of "Earth Science," and relearning American History. For the most part, the entire academic year was simply a refresher – we even used some of the same textbooks I had used in the seventh gade. It was the same, that is, until we got to the Civil War. In Illinois the war was portrayed in fairly objective terms, something like this: "In the Civil War the North and South fought against each other. The South wanted to secede from the union, and the North wanted to keep the US together, oh and free the slaves. Illinois was part of the North." The instruction wasn’t necessarily complete or elevated, but I never felt like I was personally involved in the war. However, in Arkansas, in the South, I received an education much more like this: "During the Civil War, w e fought against the North. They didn’t want to let us secede. We wanted to, and would have, but we lost. They freed the slaves." Even at 13 I understood there was something very different about the way that people in the North and in the South view the war. Many writers, poets, and critics have pronounced that part of what makes the South so southern is the fact that it builds itself on its past. It cannot let go of the past.

Child Development Punishment and Deterrence Essay

When discuss children and issues that we have with them we to be sensitive and have a sympathetic ear meaning we have to listen before we disciple them. We will discuss how to use techniques and solutions that can prevent our children from committing mistakes that can be fatal. With children now they have pretty much gotten away with disrespecting no just adults and the parent but themselves as well. So we find ways to discipline them by taking away video game and leisure time but that sometimes does work why, is because we have spent so much time buying things to occupy their time due to our absence and lack of discipline when the time is appropriate. Now the child has gotten away with so much while he or she is little they tend to be more bold with words and more disrespectful and then we have had it and want them out or we want help from others if you ask me it’s no one else’s business it should stay in the family. This is because if this gets out about your child misbehaving it can go both ways, it can help you ask far reaching out for help because others have the same problems and can’t find a solution so the group can work together and find ways to fix the problem. Or you can take your child to Dr. Phil which to me is embarrassing because you actually have to expose this problem to the world about a child! You can’t raise your or control your household where you pay bills, and provide a roof with food and water available at any time â€Å"DISRESPECTFUL†. We tend to use the old ways of punishment like belts and extension cords etc. But you can’t do that anymore we have counseling, psychiatrists, and the law! I say the law because now if you hit a child and he or she calls the police you’re going to jail and will be frowned upon and possibly humiliated. The belt method in my opinion should be used from ages 2-10 I know it sound harsh but I rather punish my child now than see them in a grave later because of lack of acknowledgement of what right and what’s wrong this could be a life and death situation. Here is an example remember the â€Å"Menendez Brothers† Lyle and Erik Menendez shoot their parents, Jose and Kitty, to death in the den of the family’s Beverly Hills, California, home. They then drove up to Mulholland Drive, where they dumped their shotguns before continuing to a local movie theater to buy tickets as an alibi. When the pair returned home, Lyle called 911 and cried, â€Å"Somebody killed my parents!† The Menendez murders became a national sensation when the new television network, Court TV, broadcast the trial in 1993. Although the Menendez brothers were not immediately suspected, Erik couldn’t take the guilt and confessed his involvement to his psychotherapist, Dr. L. Jerome Oziel. Ignoring his own ethical responsibilities, Dr. Oziel taped the sessions with his new patient in an apparent attempt to impress his mistress. But the woman ended up going to the police with her information and, in March 1990, Lyle, 22, and Erik, 19, were arrested. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-menendez-brothers-murder-their-parents Now we can debate why did these children do this? Is it because of lack of punishment maybe the kids were spoiled and had nothing to challenge them and decided to make names for them by creating a violent episode, or maybe they we sick psychologically what do you think? More than 20% of the inmates in the cook county jail range from ages 16-30. This is very true because crime for these individuals have risen due to the fact of single home parenting while results in most cases kids joining gangs and being embraced by the streets. I have a clue but I can’t really tell you why these crimes are so high it’s like they have little no regards for the law. But we have to teach them when they are young and encourage them to do better and live a long life and show them why crime doesn’t pay versus telling them. No as far as deterrence this is a problem and I’m going to tell you of my experience being a soldier put in that position. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana it was so tragic that for everyone to see around the world was involved in the recovery efforts. I volunteered to go down and do whatever so I served as a second hand but only in uniform. But when my unit got called up to go down there we had a mission to patrol the streets and put up road blocks and issue a curfew. This was not good we had stopped a few people and I could see the terror in their eyes because they had men in uniform that had US Army insignia with M-16’s like we were at war. We were supposed to be helping others not putting more resistance on them as far as taking away there last bit of freedom but we had no choice because the police were corrupt and had fled the state so we were now the lawmen as well as the rescuers. Here we are with these large vehicles rolling down the street 5-10 HUMVEE’s in a row with all this gear, this made people more afraid that safe they didn’t know what to do. But the point is that if we launch our on people against each other its’ like genocide what would happen if you had relative that were known for trouble in Kentucky and you are deployed down there and have to confront one of them in an effort to clean up and make peace this is difficult do you arrest them, talk to them, engage them your own blood? Military should be the last and final resort. I just believe the FBI and its task force should be deployed in a summer and take over the streets because they carry stiffer penalties when you commit crimes of violent nature such as murder and possession of firearms etc. References (http://www.nicic.gov/) http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-menendez-brothers-murder-their-parents

Marketing to the Bottom of the Pyramid

The concept of the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) market was originally developed by C.K. Prahalad in â€Å"The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid† to highlight a large potential market made up of a large segment of the world’s population that has, until recently, been an ignored market segment among multinational companies. In an age of increasing global competition and near-saturation for some products in more mature markets, this multi-cultural segment, made up of people from all parts of the world that earn less than two dollars a day, can generate significant revenues and be profitable for companies who have developed appropriate strategies for reaching this market segment. Among the issues related to BOPMs are establishing appropriate distribution channels, developing and pricing products that have value for those in these markets, and finding creative ways for financing. In terms of financing, this would include not only that related to the purchase of a product for those with relatively low incomes, but would also include strategies for financing business initiatives on the local level. Perspectives Stakeholder would include the local populations that make up the BOPMs. Cultural considerations must be a key component of product development and advertising. Care must be given that products will not harm those to whom they are marketed. Also, companies are stakeholders in that new strategies including BOPMs may be important ways for a company to grow organically. In extension, many large multinational firms are public-traded companies. As such, shareholders are the owners and increasing shareholder value is a goal. Discussion †¢ Ethics of marketing certain products to people in the BOPM. †¢ Issues related to distribution channels. It seems that companies marketing to BOPMs must think beyond the traditionally accepted distribution channels. Many people in BOPMs live in remote, harder to reach, areas. †¢ Issues related to advertising. Television and radio advertising are one approach, but may not be the best way to reach the target market. Action/Recommendation Distributions Channels A successful strategy for marketing to these segments would include more direct marketing, with people getting paid on commissions. For retailers, marketing efforts should be geared toward lower volume sales in smaller stores. In contrast to what we are accustomed to in our domestic market in which we shop in large retails stores where the prices per unit decreases as the product size increases, BOPMs would require a different approach. These markets would require smaller, possibly individual-size products that could be purchased for a relatively small amount of money for people that probably do not have credit and do not have a significant amount of money on any given day. Product Development In addition to the size of products offered, other important factors need to be considered. In terms of packaging, climate is important—products may be offered in small, more or less open-air stores in hot climates, for example. More important for products that have a technical component, consideration also needs to be given to the level of features available. Whereas some features ,such as battery capacity—important as noted in the case for those without reliable sources of electricity—may be critical for product success, others may not be useful and my unnecessarily increase the price or the complexity of the product.

Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz essays

Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz essays Sun Tzu and Carl von Clausewitz both theorized on the strategies, influences, and effects of war. Sun Tzu sees it with an idealistic outlook, believing that war has requirements and predictable outcomes. Clausewitz, on the other hand, thinks that war is more enigmatic and susceptible to chance and happenstance. Both realize that war is a political action of the state with a political purpose. Clausewitz states that war is an extension of politics by other means. As in politics, the outcome is not always certain; there is a sort of enshrouding fog that always conceals the exact characteristics of a situation. This element of uncertainty is key in Clausewitzs philosophy; he believes strongly that war is in large part determined by chance and possibility, that the individual nature of war makes it inherently unpredictable. Clausewitz feels that war is at its most basic level, an individual activity. The commander is obviously the lead individual in an army, and it is often a question of his moral, physical, and psychological capacities as to whether an army can be victorious. These qualities must also trickle down through the ranks to the corpsman, for they are the ones who fight. These military virtues of an army are all-important, whether a nation wins or loses if often determined by the spirit of the army. If morale is low, a force cannot win. A defeat causes a loss of self-confidence, and this in turn leads to fear, a horribly destructive element for an army to have. Thus it is the morale of the troops that greatly affects their performance. The commanders skill is also of paramount significance. A general cannot be weak, he must be strong for to lead the troops into battle; he must present an air of confidence that inspires the army. The general, as well as the troops, must be experienced. The commander must be intelligent and knowledgeable of the terrain, weathe...

The Plague in Athens - Thucydides Peloponnesian War

The Plague in Athens - Thucydides' Peloponnesian War During wartime, Plague was the worst enemy.... The Plague - Thucydides Peloponnesian War Book II Chapter VII Second Year of the War - The Plague of Athens - Position and Policy of Pericles - Fall of Potidaea From Internet Classics Archive Such was the funeral that took place during this winter, with which the first year of the war came to an end. In the first days of summer the Lacedaemonians and their allies, with two-thirds of their forces as before, invaded Attica, under the command of Archidamus, son of Zeuxidamus, King of Lacedaemon, and sat down and laid waste the country. Not many days after their arrival in Attica the plague first began to show itself among the Athenians. It was said that it had broken out in many places previously in the neighbourhood of Lemnos and elsewhere; but a pestilence of such extent and mortality was nowhere remembered. Neither were the physicians at first of any service, ignorant as they were of the proper way to treat it, but they died themselves the most thickly, as they visited the sick most often; nor did any human art succeed any better. Supplications in the temples, divinations, and so forth were found equally futile, till the overwhelming nature of the disaster at last put a s top to them altogether. It first began, it is said, in the parts of Ethiopia above Egypt, and thence descended into Egypt and Libya and into most of the Kings country. Suddenly falling upon Athens, it first attacked the population in Piraeus- which was the occasion of their saying that the Peloponnesians had poisoned the reservoirs, there being as yet no wells there- and afterwards appeared in the upper city, when the deaths became much more frequent. All speculation as to its origin and its causes, if causes can be found adequate to produce so great a disturbance, I leave to other writers, whether lay or professional; for myself, I shall simply set down its nature, and explain the symptoms by which perhaps it may be recognized by the student, if it should ever break out again. This I can the better do, as I had the disease myself, and watched its operation in the case of others. That year then is admitted to have been otherwise unprecedentedly free from sickness; and such few cases as occurred all determined in this. As a rule, however, there was no ostensible cause; but people in good health were all of a sudden attacked by violent heats in the head, and redness and inflammation in the eyes, the inward parts, such as the throat or tongue, becoming bloody and emitting an unnatural and fetid breath. These symptoms were followed by sneezing and hoarseness, after which the pain soon reached the chest, and produced a hard cough. When it fixed in the stomach, it upset it; and discharges of bile of every kind named by physicians ensued, accompanied by very great distress. In most cases also an ineffectual retching followed, producing violent spasms, which in some cases ceased soon after, in others much later. Externally the body was not very hot to the touch, nor pale in its appearance, but reddish, livid, and breaking out into small pustules and ulcers. But inter nally it burned so that the patient could not bear to have on him clothing or linen even of the very lightest description; or indeed to be otherwise than stark naked. What they would have liked best would have been to throw themselves into cold water; as indeed was done by some of the neglected sick, who plunged into the rain-tanks in their agonies of unquenchable thirst; though it made no difference whether they drank little or much. Besides this, the miserable feeling of not being able to rest or sleep never ceased to torment them. The body meanwhile did not waste away so long as the distemper was at its height, but held out to a marvel against its ravages; so that when they succumbed, as in most cases, on the seventh or eighth day to the internal inflammation, they had still some strength in them. But if they passed this stage, and the disease descended further into the bowels, inducing a violent ulceration there accompanied by severe diarrhoea, this brought on a weakness which was generally fatal. For the disorder first settled in the head, ran its course from thence through the whole of the body, and, even where it did not prove mortal, it s till left its mark on the extremities; for it settled in the privy parts, the fingers and the toes, and many escaped with the loss of these, some too with that of their eyes. Others again were seized with an entire loss of memory on their first recovery, and did not know either themselves or their friends. But while the nature of the distemper was such as to baffle all description, and its attacks almost too grievous for human nature to endure, it was still in the following circumstance that its difference from all ordinary disorders was most clearly shown. All the birds and beasts that prey upon human bodies, either abstained from touching them (though there were many lying unburied), or died after tasting them. In proof of this, it was noticed that birds of this kind actually disappeared; they were not about the bodies, or indeed to be seen at all. But of course the effects which I have mentioned could best be studied in a domestic animal like the dog. Such then, if we pass over the varieties of particular cases which were many and peculiar, were the general features of the distemper. Meanwhile the town enjoyed an immunity from all the ordinary disorders; or if any case occurred, it ended in this. Some died in neglect, others in the midst of every attention. No remedy was found that could be used as a specific; for what did good in one case, did harm in another. Strong and weak constitutions proved equally incapable of resistance, all alike being swept away, although dieted with the utmost precaution. By far the most terrible feature in the malady was the dejection which ensued when any one felt himself sickening, for the despair into which they instantly fell took away their power of resistance, and left them a much easier prey to the disorder; besides which, there was the awful spectacle of men dying like sheep, through having caught the infection in nursing each other. This caused the greatest mortality. On the one hand, if they were afraid to visit each other, they perished from neglect; indeed many houses were emptied of their inmates for want of a nurse: on the other, if they ventured to do so, death was the consequence. This was especially the case with such as made any pretensions to goodness: honour made them unsparing of themselves in their attendance in their friends houses, where even the members of the family were at last worn out by the moans of the dying, and succumbed to the force of the disaster. Yet it was with those who had recovered from the disease that the sick and the dying found most compassion. These knew what it was from experience, and had now no fear for themselves; for the same man was never attacked twice- never at least fatally. And such persons not only received the congratulations of others, but themselves also, in the elation of the moment, half entertained the vain hope that they were for the future safe from any disease whatsoever. An aggravation of the existing calamity was the influx from the country into the city, and this was especially felt by the new arrivals. As there were no houses to receive them, they had to be lodged at the hot season of the year in stifling cabins, where the mortality raged without restraint. The bodies of dying men lay one upon another, and half-dead creatures reeled about the streets and gathered round all the fountains in their longing for water. The sacred places also in which they had quartered themselves were full of corpses of persons that had died there, just as they were; for as the disaster passed all bounds, men, not knowing what was to become of them, became utterly careless of everything, whether sacred or profane. All the burial rites before in use were entirely upset, and they buried the bodies as best they could. Many from want of the proper appliances, through so many of their friends having died already, had recourse to the most shameless sepultures: sometimes gett ing the start of those who had raised a pile, they threw their own dead body upon the strangers pyre and ignited it; sometimes they tossed the corpse which they were carrying on the top of another that was burning, and so went off. Nor was this the only form of lawless extravagance which owed its origin to the plague. Men now coolly ventured on what they had formerly done in a corner, and not just as they pleased, seeing the rapid transitions produced by persons in prosperity suddenly dying and those who before had nothing succeeding to their property. So they resolved to spend quickly and enjoy themselves, regarding their lives and riches as alike things of a day. Perseverance in what men called honour was popular with none, it was so uncertain whether they would be spared to attain the object; but it was settled that present enjoyment, and all that contributed to it, was both honourable and useful. Fear of gods or law of man there was none to restrain them. As for the first, they judged it to be just the same whether they worshipped them or not, as they saw all alike perishing; and for the last, no one expected to live to be brought to trial for his offences, but each felt that a far severer sentence had been already passed upon them all and hung ever over their heads, and before this fell it was only reasonable to enjoy life a little. Such was the nature of the calamity, and heavily did it weigh on the Athenians; death raging within the city and devastation without. Among other things which they remembered in their distress was, very naturally, the following verse which the old men said had long ago been uttered: A Dorian war shall come and with it death. So a dispute arose as to whether dearth and not death had not been the word in the verse; but at the present juncture, it was of course decided in favour of the latter; for the people made their recollection fit in with their sufferings. I fancy, however, that if another Dorian war should ever afterwards come upon us, and a dearth should happen to accompany it, the verse will probably be read accordingly. The oracle also which had been given to the Lacedaemonians was now remembered by those who knew of it. When the god was asked whether they should go to war, he answered that if they put their might into it, victory would be theirs, and that he would himself be with them. With this oracle events were supposed to tally. For the plague broke out as soon as the Peloponnesians invaded Attica, and never entering Peloponnese (not at least to an extent worth noticing), committed its worst ravages at Athens, and next to Athens, at the most populous of the other towns. Such was the history of the plague. For more from Thucydides, see Pericles Funeral Oration. Also see resources on ancient medicine, including:Â   Types of Greek MedicineThe Four HumorsThe Hippocratic OathThe Hippocratic Writings

Situation analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Situation analysis - Essay Example Direct competitors include Seattle’s Best, Figaro and others while other fast food chains also poses as indirect competitors such as Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and other fast food chains offering coffee as part of their menu. Competitors can either be direct or indirect competitors. Direct competitors are those companies who could offer the same product and services while indirect competitors are companies who could offer an alternative product or services (Mà ¶ller, 2006). Needless to say, Starbucks operate in a very highly competitive environment. Competition in the industry was aggravated by the recent financial crisis which changed the buying behaviour of Starbucks customers whose purchasing habits changed dramatically along with their choices of coffee products. Starbucks used to market its product as premium coffee commanding premium prices in the market. This strategy however changed with the changing behaviour of consumers in the aftermath of recent financial crisis. The â€Å"premium coffee† preference suddenly became less a priority and convenience and affordability moved to the forefront. The â€Å"prestige orientation† of Starbucks is no longer applicable in the changing behaviour of its customers. This trend continues and is now the reality of the market. Demand however is not seen to diminish. Customers however are now price sensitive to the coffees they purchase. Economic environment determines the financial capacity of its market and business has to adjust correspondingly for it to survive. In the case of Starbucks, economic environment made Starbucks reconsider its position in the market when the financial crisis hit in 2008-2010 that companies were compelled to adapt to the new market realities to stay afloat as a business (Miron, 2013). The main strength of Starbucks is its brand that commands confidence in

Management of Working Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management of Working Capital - Essay Example A discussion relating to working capital cycle, methods of managing working capital, working capital management in UK companies and suggestions for improvement has been presented below. The working capital of the business is defined as the net of current assets over current liabilities. It is an important liquidity measure of the firm. The current assets include not only cash, receivables but also inventories as it can be easily liquidated whereas the current liabilities include short term loans and creditors (University of California, n.d.). A business with scarce working capital faces difficulty in meeting its short term obligations from the available cash resources if there is a sudden or continuous fall in sales. Therefore, it is important to maintain an optimum amount of working capital in the business and it must be carefully monitored by the managers (Nix & McFetridge, n.d.). Working capital forms an important part of a firm’s operations. Maintaining an ideal level of inventory ensures that the firm does not have to face the problem of material deficit in meeting its production targets. Similarly the receivables figure in the balance sheet indicates the willingness of the firm to extend goods on credit. As credit sale is risky the management must be careful in the choice of debtors. Working capital consists of current assets like cash, inventory and current liability like creditors and short term loans. The pattern of all the above components of working capital varies with the business cycle. When there is a fall in the market demand there is a rise in the stock of finished goods. Later when this fall in demand takes the form of recession the firm lowers the stock of inventories, delays the payment of loans and accelerates the realization of receivables. This implies that with the worsening of the recession there is a decrease in the working capital. Therefore the efficient management of working