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Zeitgeist -Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Zeitgeist - Federal Reserve - Essay Example Another law was passed in 1913, which was the government annual duty, where 35% of your pay i...

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Quotes Examples In Beowulf - 769 Words

Burton Raffel wrote a heroic poem called ‘Beowulf’. Beowulf is a heroic poem about Good versus Evil and Beowulf is the hero. In the heroic poem, Beowulf’s wyrd (fate) is to defeat monsters and save lives and with that brings lof (fame), sometimes to believe in yourself you got to have others to believe in you too, Beowulf and Wiglaf have a comitatus thats hard to break. In fact lof is important to Beowulf’s culture because, it shows strength, bravery and success. One of the any quotes to show how lof is important to Beowulf is â€Å" Then old and young rejoiced, turn back from that happy pilgrimage, mounted their hard-hooved horses, high- stallions, and rode them slowly toward Herot again, retailing Beowulfs bravery as they jogged†¦show more content†¦But within one heart sorrow welled up: and a man of worth the claims of kinship cannot be denied. His name was wiglaf, a son of weohstan’s, a well-regarded Shylfing warrior related to Aelfhere .(744-754).† This quote shows that Beowulfs strength and loyalty to himself, the Geats, and the Danes brings companionship and loyalty from others to himself, and because of that he has one person that is willing to help out of a whole army. This proves that a little loyalty can go a long way especially when others or yourself need it. Another thing that is important to Beowulfs culture is wyrd which means fate, fate is important and Beowulfs culture because according to Beowulfs beliefs fate controls the events in the world. A quote supporting this is, â€Å" I wont shift a foot when I meet the cave-guard: what occurs on the wall between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides. (674-677).† This shows that no matter what Beowulf is about to go through he believes in his fate and whatever happens will happen because its supposed to. Another quote to show how word has an importance to Beowulfs culture is, â€Å" Unyielding, the Lord of his people lo omed by his tall shield, sure of his ground, while the serpent looped and unleashed itself. Swaddled in flames, it came gliding and flexing and racing towards its fate. (716-720).† This quote shows that everyone has a fate no matter their role in the life, noShow MoreRelatedBeowulf the Hero1005 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf The Hero â€Å"†¦ A fiend out of hell†(Heaney 100). These words describe the monster Grendel, who is truly an evil entity. Only an epic hero with strength, courage and confidence is able to defeat this mighty foe. This hero’s name is Beowulf. He displays all of these throughout the epic. Beowulf’s first epic hero trait is confidence. Beowulf displays confidence when he talked to Unferth in the great hall Heorot. Beowulf said, â€Å"†¦but he will find me different. I will show him how Geats shapeRead MoreBeowulf : The Epic Of Beowulf1027 Words   |  5 Pages To begin, Beowulf the poem has a unknown author, Beowulf is an epic poem. In Beowulf he is challenged by the murderous monster Grendel, Grendel is eating and slaughtering Hrothgar the King of the Danes men and people, the king needs Beowulf s help in defeating Grendel, Beowulf ends up killing the monster and is now tormented by the monster s mother that is much larger, she is no match for Beowulf and he kills her as well, lastly it is Beowulf’s last battle after he has been king of Geatland forRead MoreIs Beowulf A Hero, Brave, Or Selfless?721 Words   |  3 Pageswould dare to face. Because of this, Beowulf is recognized as a boasting person, brave, and selfless; and rightfully so. With every hero comes accomplishments that they want others to know about. In other words, Beowulf blurts out his personal resume to show others that he is the bravest man alive. Beowulf has done many things throughout his life; things that no other soul could successfully challenge or defeat. An example of his boasting tendencies is the quote, All of that race from the earth. IRead MoreTheme Of Violence In Beowulf844 Words   |  4 Pageshave used violence as a way to resolve issues since ancient times. The poem â€Å"Beowulf† was written between the eighth and eleventh century by an anonymous author. The poem recounts the story of a brave warrior, named Beowulf, who battles three great monsters. Two of the monsters, Grendel and Grendel’s Mother, terrorize the people of Daneland and the third monster, the Dragon, lives in Beowulfs homeland. The epic poem â€Å"Beowulf† illustrates and normalizes the idea of violence within the Pagan WarriorRead MoreBeowulf, An Anglo Saxon Epic Poem1316 Words   |  6 PagesBeowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, contains several rhetorical strategies. The poem follows the life of a noble warrior named Beowulf while he quests to live up to his father’s name. In the poem, Beowulf overcame many obstacles primarily those of which involved battling supernatural creatures. Epic poems were generally written during the Anglo-Saxon era. They are commonly written in an elevated style in order to glorify the deeds of a legendary hero or god. Literary works during the Anglo-Saxon eraRead MoreImportant Values In Beowulf772 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem of Beowulf is an epic poem written by an unknown author. Beowulf is about a strong, mighty man who fought monstrous monsters to protect the people of Geats and later he succeed the throne. The three things that are important to Beowulf’s culture are Lof, Comitatus, and Wyrd, these three important value show Beowulf’s appearance as a great warrior. First, Log is an important value of Beowulf’s culture, because his father Edgetho carried Lof when he was a great warrior before he died, theRead MoreHeroes In The Story Of Beowulf And Grendel1252 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.†-Maya Angelou. This quote is very relevant throughout the stories of Beowulf and Grendel. What does it take to be a hero? What type of people are usually heroes? What qualifies anyone to be a hero? These are just a few of the many questions that need to be kept in mind when trying to determine what makes a person a hero. Usually, when people think of the word â€Å"hero† it has a positive connotation, and is oftenRead MoreDefinition Of A Modern Hero In Beowulf744 Words   |  3 Pagesgood example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf, he travelled to Denmark with a group of warriors to fight a monster named Grendel that was terrorizing a city, he also killed Grendel’s mother and a dragon to save the people in the city. He may seem like a modern hero, he’s saving the people in danger, he shows leadership, and has the bravery to do so, but there are distinct differences between the Anglo-Saxon hero and a modern hero and those differences also show up in Beowulf. In short, Beowulf doesRead MoreEssay about Comparing Beowulf and Froto Baggins979 Words   |  4 Pagesmany concepts found in the poem, Beowulf. Beowulf is an ancient English story of the king of the Geats, Beowulf. Beowulf is a superhuman King that’s fights magical creatures in hope of being remembered. In â€Å"Lord of the Rings†, A young hobbit, Frodo, is given the great responsibility of protecting an evil ring until it can be destroyed. Because Tolkein was a Beowulf scholar, elements of Beowulf are depicted in â€Å"Lord of the Rings†. Both protagonists, Frodo and Beowulf, are similar by how they receiveRead MoreBeowulf : An Epic Hero978 W ords   |  4 Pages Beowulf is a character that exudes the qualities of an epic hero. Throughout this epic, Beowulf is seen as a hero to many and a major threat to the evils he encounters. The values of the Anglo-Saxons, who would have read and admired this poem, included loyalty, bravery, and honor. Beowulf’s character exemplifies all of these qualities to the highest degree. The values and traditions of the original composers of this story cause Beowulf’s character to be the perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Security Roles - 1588 Words

Security Roles Name: Institution: The role security plays in protecting Papa John’s International assets The security personnel ought to be able to handle many responsibilities and fill various roles as required. Frequently this may occur while protecting the assets of an organization, in addition to the welfare and health of the employees of the organization. These responsibilities and roles vary, according to the kind of facility or the circumstances that the security officers may find themselves in. This paper will discuss the role security plays in protecting an organization s assets in reference to Papa John’s, International, based on David Rydeen’s interview; the national director of safety and security at Papa John’s,†¦show more content†¦Rydeen noted that people also try to steal more than money, customers’ credit card information, and steal store products and other valuable assets. Some people have been caught and prosecuted including employees; however, the fact remains that some security protocol may often be overridden, even by the employees of the company. Papa John’s control procedures According to Businessdictionary.com, control procedures are policies established to offer reasonable assurance (Businessdictionary.com). Papa John’s may be indomitable and predominatly, the greatest pizza company in the U.S.; hence, they have to make sure that their management control assurance is the best in reference to security. As a public company, an obligation during their fiscal year was to assess their security control system; for instance, what to be improved to avoid losing money, through the acquisition of new assets. The main roles of security personnel in Papa John’s involve the securing and protection of institutions, businesses, and their assets. This may include patrolling the property, accessing control to the facility, and ensuring the enforcement of general safety codes. Security personnel in Papa John’s also work strongly with urgent situation response teams, for instance, police officers, medical personnel and firefighters during emergencies. Whereas security personnel may not be law enforcement, most work inShow MoreRelatedRole of Security Department in an Organisation2071 Words   |  9 Pages1, INTRODUCTION Security plays a major role in business. The value security Department brings to organizations is enormous as the department works hard to avert losses, shield property and human assets. As organisations are hiring new employees, most are now conducting background investigations, so they can make a more sound judgment on each employee that is hired. Employers must keep in mind that they may be sued for defamation of character if they provide other employers negative or falsifiedRead MoreSec 310 Security Manager Role1168 Words   |  5 PagesSecurity Manger’s Role 2/8/14 SEC 310 Just as any other role in an organization, you need to set yourself goals and standards for yourself and your company. Without any of these, nothing can get accomplished. If you do not give yourself a bar to reach for, you are basically sitting in a stagnant place. A security manager, just like any other management position has objectives they must complete. Just as the title says, their main goal is to identify what the assets of the organizationRead MoreRole Of The Chief Security Officer Essay906 Words   |  4 PagesMy proposal is based on the physical security of a general hospital set in a mid-size metropolitan city. The role of the chief security officer (CSO) would be based on the business strategy set by the chief executive officer (CEO) who is hired by a board. The hospital would provide emergency room care, intensive care, inpatient, outpatient, psychiatric care and children’s ward services. The overall organizational business strategy would be a long term plan to provide health care services andRead MoreThe Role of Information Security Policy1107 Words   |  5 PagesThe Role of Information Security Policy The Role of Information Security Policy The failure of organizations to implement a comprehensive and robust information security program can mean the untimely demise for some and costly setbacks for others. At the heart of information security is security policy. Without security policy there can be no security program. Without people, security policies would not exist. They would not be written, implemented, and enforced. Security policies and theRead MoreCyber Security Role For Homeland Security Intelligence1153 Words   |  5 Pagesshown major flaws within the intelligence community. Those events led the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and with it pooled federal agencies into in umbrella for it to be centralized in order to be effective. There are three categories in which the Homeland Security Intelligence face in the 21st century. Those categories are technological, political, and cyber security. In this day in age everything from critical infrastructure, government information to money is being digitalizedRead MoreRole of Intelligence in India’s Security5420 Words   |  22 PagesRN KAO MEMORIAL LECTURE BY SHRI NARESH CHANDRA India’s Security Challenges in the next decade – Role of Intelligence I feel greatly honoured and privileged to have been asked to deliver the R. N. Kao Memorial Lecture this year. I believe, it is the sixth in the series started in 2007 by Shri Tharakan, the then Secretary, Ramp;AW . It feels good to be following the five distinguished speakers who have delivered the lecture in previous years. Before this distinguished gathering, it is hardlyRead MoreRole Of The Natural World Security1863 Words   |  8 PagesWithin the natural world security is fundamental to the survival of living things and so basic needs such as air, food, water, disease avoidance and shelter from the elements are vital. Within the social world like the natural security forms the basis to which people and society can function well, and explains why security is of primary concern through all spheres of said society. This assignment seeks to look at the role matter plays in making social worlds secure or insecure. This will be doneRead MoreSecurity Manager Role Essay examples1768 Words   |  8 PagesSecurity Manager Role To understand the role(s) of a Security Manager, a person must know what security is and what it means to an organization. According to Ortmeier, â€Å"security may be defined as a public or private service-related activity that provides personnel, equipment, and creates policies and procedures designed to prevent or reduce losses. These losses, caused by criminal action as well as by noncriminal events resulting from human error, emergencies, man-made and natural disasters, andRead MoreThe Role of Information Security Policy Essay894 Words   |  4 Pagesmaintain information systems security. Employees within an organization play a huge role in the effort to create, execute, and enforce a security policy. Every business requires a different strategy and approach to its security policy, depending on their size and nature of business. Security Policies An organizations security policy describes the companys management intent to control the behavior of their employees in relation to information security. A security policy is necessary to protectRead MoreRole Of Information Security Education And Training2298 Words   |  10 PagesPart I Role of Information Security Education and Training in Enterprises Introduction Cybercrimes have been on the rise and so have frequent events like virus and worm attacks demonstrating the limitations and vulnerability of information technology systems today and the need for heightened security in IT (Johnson and Goetz, 2007). Small and Medium Enterprises as compared with larger organizations are especially disadvantaged because the understanding of information security, technologies and risk

Monday, December 9, 2019

Business Statistics Contemporary Decision Making

Question: Discuss about the Business Statistics for Contemporary Decision Making. Answer: Introduction: Normal distribution is a distribution of random variables, which represents the outcomes of the random variables like a symmetrical bell-shaped graph. The normal distribution depicts the graph of any random variable in a way most of the life events normally take shape. Philosophically, every person struggles in the beginning, then reaches a peak and then fall out in the later years. This phenomenon is so common that it now has been termed as normal by Gauss and any data values depicting similar distributions are coined as normal distributions. Normal distribution is continuous distribution with two parameters, Mean and variance. The mean, median and mode of the normal distribution are same. Normal distribution, in its simplest form, with 0 mean and 1 standard deviation, is called standard normal distribution. IfXis a general normal deviate, then will have a standard normal distribution (Anderson et al. 2015). Sampling distribution is the distribution of the statistic from a wide range of values of the population. For example, the sampling distribution of mean is Normal. This is because of central limit theorem, which states, Given a population with a finitemean and a finite non-zero variance 2, thesampling distributionof themeanapproaches a normaldistributionwith ameanof and a variance of as N, thesamplesize, increases. The question is what is the large sample size? Some consider it anything above 30 or some around 100. For a non-normal parent population, the sampling distribution of mean for large sample sizes, depict a bell shaped curve from the simulation, with little skewness. Since the curve can be approximated by normal distribution, with some error, normal distributions are best suited as sampling distributions (Lomax and Hahs-Vaughn 2013). Inferential statistics helps in making assumptions about the distribution of the parent population using the sample data. Most of the assumptions in the inferential statistics branch, as based on the Central limit theorem, which states that, for large sample size, the sampling distribution of mean, follow normal distribution with sample mean as the population mean and sample variance by sample size as the population variance. Its on this basis, the confidence intervals are constructed, stating with alpha percent confidence, the confidence limits would include the population parameter. Larger the sample size , the closer would be the sample estimates of the population (Black 2013). References Anderson, D., Sweeney, D., Williams, T. and Anderson, D. (2015). Essentials of modern business statistics with Microsoft Excel. 6th ed. Cengage Learning. Black, K. (2013). Business Statistics: For Contemporary Decision Making. 8th ed. Wiley Global Education. Lomax, R. and Hahs-Vaughn, D. (2013). An introduction to statistical concepts. 3rd ed. Routledge.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Reflective Thinking †Globalization

Introduction Hospitality industry is considered as one of the fastest expanding sectors globally. This is largely due to globalization. Most companies were traditionally fixed to national boundaries until recently when advancement in among others, infrastructure and technology enabled further expansion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Thinking – Globalization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has brought about several changes in organizational structure of the industry. Moreover, the industry has had to adjust to changes in management and strategies. Most companies have resorted to joint ventures, franchising, (FDI) Foreign Direct investment and strategic alliances, among others, to achieve competitiveness. People of diverse cultures can now interact and work together for a common purpose, irrespective of their social, political or geographical background. Globalization has created a new edg e in hospitality industry by opening up opportunities for investment. In addition, it has created a platform for technological exchange in various areas, including hotel industry. This paper will provide a reflective assessment of globalization in hospitality industry (Smith Doyle, 2002, p. 1). Globalization in Hospitality Industry Hospitality industry is regarded as one of the fastest expanding sectors in the world. Moreover, it is also regarded as the center of globalization. This is mainly because it is directly linked to tourism and development. Multinational businesses conduct research across the world to find regions with great prospects in their area of dealing. This is usually accelerated by hospitality industry. Hospitality therefore, plays an integral role in globalization. This has brought about countless benefits to global economy. However, several considerations have to be made before venturing in foreign countries. For instance, fiscal factors come into play when a bu siness plans to expand beyond its borders. Moreover, various strategies have to be put in place in order to ensure success (Go Pine, 1995, p. 25). Another issue of great concern is the mode of training and employment. This has to conform to standards outlined by the host country and/or international body that regulate hospitality industry. The complexities involved have resulted in varying strategies and ownership methods.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, some hotels have resorted to franchising, joint ventures and strategic alliances, among others to minimize costs and comply with the regulations. In essence, globalization has brought more complexities into management of hotels and tourism industry at large (Milliot Tournois, 2010, p. 11). Effects of Globalization in Hospitality Industry Globalization has had various effects on hospitality industry. These inc lude exposure to cross-cultural influence, increased market area, complexity in management, advancement in technology, global economy, creation of jobs and creativity. Hospitality industry employs various skills, which range from accountants to engineers, among others. This exposes it to variety of cultures on an international stage. These people need to work together for a common goal. It therefore puts pressure on management to ensure adequate training is provided for better service delivery (International Monetary Fund, 2011, p. 1). It is also important to note that hospitality industry opens opportunities for creativity and art. In this regard, various cultural artifacts get to be viewed. Globalization in hospitality industry has provided me with opportunity to learn new languages, skills and ideas in hospitality and management. Moreover, cultural interaction has improved my interpersonal skills and experience. It is also important to note that the industry employs people in var ious disciplines; this opens opportunities for me as a manager (Awuah Amal, 2009, p. 1). Conclusion Hospitality industry is regarded as one of the fastest expanding sectors worldwide. This has opened more opportunities for employment as well as enhanced organizational culture. It has also improved global economy and increased provision of international services. However, these benefits, among others have come at a price. For instance, managing expanded business at international levels has come with greater responsibilities and fiscal issues. This has forced industries to consider new ownership and management strategies. In essence, globalization has improved cross-cultural interaction, economy and employment opportunities, among others (Scribd Inc., 2011, p. 1). Reference List Awuah, GB Amal, M 2009, ‘Impact of Globalization’, European Business Review, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 120-32.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Thinking – Globa lization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Go, F Pine, R 1995, Globalization strategy in the hotel industry, Routledge, London. International Monetary Fund 2011, Globalization: IMF key Issues. Web. Milliot, E Tournois, N 2010, The Paradoxes of Globalization, Palgrave Macmillan, UK. Scribd Inc. 2011, Discuss the impact of Globalization on the Hospitality Industry, Scribd. Web. Smith, MK Doyle, EM 2002, Globalization, infed. Web. This essay on Reflective Thinking – Globalization was written and submitted by user Liberty Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Definitive Guide to the Xiggi Method for SAT Prep

The Definitive Guide to the Xiggi Method for SAT Prep SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Xiggi Method was written by a popular member of the forum CollegeConfidential. After scoring well on the SAT, he wrote 10 pages of his top tips for SAT prep. The value in the Xiggi Method, however, is not just in reading the guide, but in understanding how to put it into action in your own study plan. As he notes himself, "there are no earth-shattering secrets...it's mostly based on common sense." Therefore, to get the most out of the Xiggi Method, you need to understand critical ways that it may not apply to you and know how to move forward to guide your own SAT prep. Read on for our detailed guide to the Xiggi Method and how to use it. If you don't already have the Xiggi Method document, click here to download it. Note that all these points work equally well for the ACT. Instead of the Official SAT Study Guide mentioned below, you'll need to buy The Real ACT. The 7 Major Points of the Xiggi Method Let's start with the key points from this SAT study guide: Why prep for the SAT? Because the SAT is unlike anything you've ever taken in school. The questions are different, and the skills tested are different from what you've learned. Brilliant students can do poorly on the SAT, and weak students can do extremely well on the SAT. Therefore, familiarizing yourself with the test will dramatically raise your score - if you study the right way. When taking full-length practice tests, use only official tests published by the College Board. No other company publishes tests as realistic as the College Board. Take your first practice tests without a time limit. Spend 30 minutes taking a section, then spend 30 minutes reviewing your answers. Review both correct and incorrect answers - try hard to understand every question in detail! Most other books not published by the College Board aren't very good. They give "strategies" that seem like they'll help on the test, but actually aren't very effective. They're mostly helpful for people scoring in the lower ranges who don't have a good grasp of the underlying content. Vocab studying isn't as important as it used to be. Don't memorize giant lists of thousands of words - your time is better spent elsewhere, like in getting better at passage questions. If you want to study vocab, study it over a long period of time so that the words stick in your memory. Most nationwide test prep chains like Princeton Review and Kaplan are way more expensive than they're worth. At $800-1600, you'll sit in a class with an inexperienced instructor who's just rehashing the $30 book you can buy on Amazon. When you've learned more of the underlying content and understand the SAT in more detail, then you can schedule timed,full-length exams to get familiar with the endurance and energy needed for the 4-hour test. You'll need to face timing pressureto know how the real test will feel. In his SAT guide, Xiggi goes into more detail in each of these points. His main points are sound advice, and we agree with them on a high level. However, there are a few critical ways that the Xiggi Method may not work well for you... 5 Warnings about the Xiggi Method and You (Important) If You're Not Motivated The Xiggi Method is most applicable for highly motivated students driving for a top score. If you find it hard to motivate yourself to study, you will benefit from having more structure in your prep. You may need someone else to remind you to study and to hold you accountable, or a study program that gives you clear step by step instructions on what to do. If You Find it Hard to Learn From Your Mistakes If you find it hard to learn from your mistakes, you'll need someone who can teach you. The most important part of SAT prep is understanding where you're going wrong and how to avoid those mistakes in the future. If an answer explanation on a page often doesn't help you understand your mistakes, you need to find a person who can guide you. Do NOT "Buy As Many Books As You Can" Even though Xiggi suggests it, you should NOT buy 'as many books as you can.' In fact, this will waste a lot of time and money as you spread yourself too thin. Focus on the Official SAT Study Guide published by the College Board, and one or two supplemental books that teach you underlying content and strategies. When I was studying for the SAT, I used three main books: The Official SAT Study Guide, Barron's SAT, and another book of practice questions. I went through all of them and scored a 2400. It was my quality of studying, not the number of books, that earned my full score. Look out soon for our comprehensive guide to the best SAT/ACT books. You Need to Schedule Enough Time to Study You need to schedule time to study. There's no way around it. The SAT is so expansive and covers so many types of questions that to get familiar with all of them, you need to encounter them over and over again. We recommend that you study at least 40 hours to have the best chance of raising your score. If You're on a Tight Budget The method relies on buying books, which can amount to $100 or more. If this is out of your budget, here are two methods to find those books so you can study. 1) Visit your local library or school library and see if they have the books. Check them out and work on paper so you can return the books. 2) Visit your local bookstore, which is very likely to have the books mentioned in this article. You can sit in the bookstore and work from the books without buying it (just don't spill coffee or make marks in the book!) What To Do Next: Following the main points of the Xiggi Method is a great way to get your feet wet in SAT prep. Here's a step by step guide on what to do: Buy the Official SAT Study Guide by the College Board, if you haven't already. Take Test 1, section by section, without a timer. After each section, review all your answers, even the questions you got right. Aim for equal times taking the test and reviewing: about 30 minutes for each section, and 30 minutes reviewing. Reflect on your progress. Were you able to finish Step 2 within one or two weeks? If not, you likely need more motivation to put in enough study time. Were you able to understand every single answer choice, correct and incorrect? If not, you'll need clear answer explanations, or a tutor who can guide you through your mistakes. Adapt your study plan according to your reflection. Keep reading to learn even more SAT prep strategies. Read More: Month-by-Month; A one-year study schedule for serious extended SAT study. What is a good score on the SAT? Start Improving Your SAT Score Today:

Friday, November 22, 2019

Definition of Relief in Geography

Definition of Relief in Geography In geography, a locations relief is the difference between its highest and lowest elevations. For example,  with both mountains and valleys in the area, the local relief of Yosemite National Park is impressive. A two-dimensional relief map displays the topography of a given area. Physical relief maps actually have raised areas that represent different elevations. (You may have seen them in school.) However, if youre going for a hike, theyre not very practical to carry in your pocket. Flat Maps Flat maps represent relief in a variety of ways.  On older flat maps, you may see areas with lines of various thickness to represent variations in the steepness of locations. With this technique, known as  hachuring, the thicker the lines, the steeper the area. As mapmaking evolved, hachuring was replaced by shaded areas that represented variations in the steepness of the land. These types of maps may also show altitude notations at various locations on the map to give viewers some context. Differences in elevation on flat maps can also also be represented using different colors- usually lighter to darker for ascending elevations, with the darkest areas being the farthest above sea level. The drawback with this method is that contours in the land dont show up. Reading Topographic Maps Topographic maps, which also are types of flat maps, use contour lines to represent elevation. These lines connect points that are at the same level, so you know that when you travel from one line to another, you are either going up or down in elevation. The lines also have numbers on them, specifying which elevation is represented by the points connected by that line. The lines maintain a consistent interval between them- such as 100 feet or 50 meters- which will be noted in the maps legend. As the lines get closer together, the land becomes steeper. If the numbers become lower as you move toward the center of an area, they represent the site of a depression and have hash marks on them to distinguish them from hills. Common Uses for Topographic Maps Youll find topographic maps in sporting goods stores or online sites that cater to outdoor enthusiasts. Since topographic maps also display water depths, locations of rapids, waterfalls, dams, boat ramp access points, intermittent streams, wooded marshes and swamps, sand vs. gravel beaches, sandbars, seawalls, breakwaters, dangerous rocks, levees, and mangroves, they are extremely useful to campers, hikers, hunters, and anyone going fishing, rafting, or boating. Topographic maps also show aboveground and buried pipelines, as well as utility and telephone poles, caves, covered reservoirs, cemeteries, mine shafts, open-pit mines, campgrounds, ranger stations, winter recreation areas, and dirt roads that likely wont appear on your basic roadmap. While topography refers to land, a chart that shows the varying depths of water is called  a bathymetric  chart  or  map. In addition to showing depths with lines as on a topographic map, these types of charts may also show differences in depths via color-coding.  Surfers might review bathymetric charts of beaches in order to locate places where waves are likely to break bigger than in other areas (a steep ascent in proximity to a beach means larger waves).

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Communication and Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communication and Conflict - Essay Example It is hot and pounding and threatens to deform our lives. Conflict is a blacksmith’s forge. It is the process of going through searing fire and being hammered and pummelled and twisted into shape. It is struggling at the hand of the blacksmith but being helpless to defend oneself. It is undergoing tribulation to the point where one feels he could go no further, and then getting his second wind and finding he could go a bit further. But there is something good about going through the forge and suffering the blacksmith’s blows. The searing heat burns away the impurities to expose the glowing metal beneath. The blows shape and the grind sharpens until a metallic masterpiece materializes from the shapeless clump of matter. The challenge is to be brave enough to go through the forge. In this sense, conflict is good because it brings out the best in us. It makes us aware that we can go as far as we can, and then a bit further. It tells us that to be shaped into a work of art or a samurai sword, we have to first be malleable and compliant, and allow change to happen. Finally, conflict is beneficial, because it means we trust the Blacksmith to create a thing of beauty out of us that initially only He can see, and trust that He shall not pass us through the forge more than is necessary to bring out the remarkable strength hidden within us.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Nation-building Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Nation-building - Research Paper Example he Republic of Philippines (13 00 N, 122 00 E) is located in South Eastern Asia between the South China Sea and the Philippines Sea, in the east of Vietnam. The country has tropical marine climate with mostly mountainous terrain and coastal lowlands. The country is an agglomeration of more than 7100 islands. However, only 11 of them are populated. The capital is Manila. History The Republic of Philippines was a Spanish colony during the 16th Century and was conquered by US in the 20th century. In 1935, following the Spanish-American war, Philippines became a self governed commonwealth. During World War 2, the islands fell under the Japanese. From 1944-45 US and Filipinos joint forces fought collectively; and in 1946 as the Republic of Philippines. The Republic of Philippines (locally known as Pilipinas) is made up of 80 provinces and 120 chartered cities. Since the month of June 2010, Benigno Aquino is the president. Economy The Republic of Philippines was once one of the best econom ies in the Asia Pacific region. However, currently the country’s economy is suffering from high poverty rate which is a result of lack of population control and family planning measures. The republic of Philippines has a total population of 93.6 million as per UN data in the year 2010. The official language is called Filipino and English. Majority of the population are Christians. In Asia, The Republic of Philippines has the highest birth rate leading to a high population growth rate. At this rate, the forecast is that the population will be doubled within just three decades. The economy is also crumbling under government deficits and is heavily dependent on the remittances sent by the Filipinos working abroad. The country’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP grew by 7.3 percent in the year... The researcher states the Republic of Philippines has immense potential in terms of being a tourism giant internationally. Island tourism is increasing at a fast rate and the position of the Philippines islands is also strategically advantageous. Topping it is the language advantage- English being one of the official languages. Besides the unique treasures of the Filipino culture as well as the natural assets of both mountain and sea beach is a key strategic point for marketing the country as an attractive tourist destination. However, for successfully marketing The Republic of Philippines, the advertising agency and the Department of Tourism needs to capture the vibes of tourism marketing. It should concentrate at the fact that only natural resources or geographic diversity is not enough for the country to be positioned as a tourism giant. The essential part is forming an emotional relationship with the target audience, so that they keep coming back. Asia has seen a number of succes sful tourism campaigns like Malaysia- Truly Asia, Seoul- Infinitely Yours and The Incredible India campaign. The department of tourism should take cues from such marketing campaigns and try to create an original brand that is strengthened with its unique brand salience and sense of association. Also in the wake of the global financial crisis, the leading tourism industries have suffered. This global slowdown is also a challenge that the Department of Tourism will encounter. Also the outbreak of influenza virus and H1N1 flu led to further negative trends.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Genetically Foods Essay Example for Free

Genetically Foods Essay Genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months, and recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically-modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars1, 2 have brought the issue of genetic engineering to the forefront of the public consciousness in the U. S. In response to the upswelling of public concern, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held three open meetings in Chicago, Washington, D. C., and Oakland, California to solicit public opinions and begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods3. I attended the FDA meeting held in November 1999 in Washington, D. C. , and here I will attempt to summarize the issues involved and explain the U. S. governments present role in regulating GM food. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B. t. genes in corn and other crops. B. t. , or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B. t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer. For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www. biotechknowledge. monsanto. com/biotech/bbasics. nsf/index or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www. ncbe. reading. ac. uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques. What are some of the advantages of GM foods? The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest resistance Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t.corn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5. Herbicide tolerance For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesnt harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup  ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9. Cold tolerance Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal articles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented.) Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12. Nutrition Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13. Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15. Pharmaceuticals Medicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. Phytoremediation Not all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18. How prevalent are GM crops? What plants are involved? According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization (http://vm. cfsan. fda. gov/%7Elrd/biocon). Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantalopes that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugarbeets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests. Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of GM foods in U. S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, highly processed foods, such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals, most likely contain some tiny percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources. Also, the ubiquity of soybean derivatives as food additives in the modern American diet virtually ensures that all U. S. consumers have been exposed to GM food products. The U. S. statistics that follow are derived from data presented on the USDA web site at http://www. ers. usda. gov/briefing/biotechnology/. The global statistics are derived from a brief published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) at http://www. isaaa. org/publications/briefs/Brief_21. htm and from the Biotechnology Industry Organization at http://www. bio.org/foodag/1999Acreage. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U. S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U. S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown crops (82% of all GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 74% of these GM crops were modified for herbicide tolerance, 19% were modified for insect pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Globally, acreage of GM crops has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4. 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the area of the United Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U. S. and Argentina alone. In the U. S. , approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experienced a similar but less dramatic increase. Corn production increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1. 5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide use on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication at http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aer786/). What are some of the criticisms against GM foods? Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about GM foods. Even the Vatican19 and the Prince of Wales20 have expressed their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazards Unintended harm to other organisms Last year a laboratory study was published in Nature21 showing that pollen from B. t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B. t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B. t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B. t. toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups, and preliminary data from new studies suggests that the original study may have been flawed22, 23. This topic is the subject of acrimonious debate, and both sides of the argument are defending their data vigorously. Currently, there is no agreement about the results of these studies, and the potential risk of harm to non-target organisms will need to be evaluated further. Reduced effectiveness of pesticides Just as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B. t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Gene transfer to non-target species Another concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These superweeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well. Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone elses GM crops planted a field or two away. More investigation is needed to resolve this issue. There are several possible solutions to the three problems mentioned above. Genes are exchanged between plants via pollen. Two ways to ensure that non-target species will not receive introduced genes from GM plants are to create GM plants that are male sterile (do not produce pollen) or to modify the GM plant so that the pollen does not contain the introduced gene24, 25, 26. Cross-pollination would not occur, and if harmless insects such as monarch caterpillars were to eat pollen from GM plants, the caterpillars would survive. Another possible solution is to create buffer zones around fields of GM crops27, 28, 29. For example, non-GM corn would be planted to surround a field of B. t. GM corn, and the non-GM corn would not be harvested. Beneficial or harmless insects would have a refuge in the non-GM corn, and insect pests could be allowed to destroy the non-GM corn and would not develop resistance to B. t. pesticides. Gene transfer to weeds and other crops would not occur because the wind-blown pollen would not travel beyond the buffer zone. Estimates of the necessary width of buffer zones range from 6 meters to 30 meters or more30. This planting method may not be feasible if too much acreage is required for the buffer zones. Human health risks Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions31. Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance, which I shall discuss later. Unknown effects on human health There is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats32, 33. This study claimed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes. Yet critics say that this paper, like the monarch butterfly data, is flawed and does not hold up to scientific scrutiny34. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this variety of potato chose to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption. On the whole, with the exception of possible allergenicity, scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health. Economic concerns Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor. It is hoped that in a humanitarian gesture, more companies and non-profits will follow the lead of the Rockefeller Foundation and offer their products at reduced cost to impoverished nations. Patent enforcement may also be difficult, as the contention of the farmers that they involuntarily grew Monsanto-engineered strains when their crops were cross-pollinated shows. One way to combat possible patent infringement is to introduce a suicide gene into GM plants. These plants would be viable for only one growing season and would produce sterile seeds that do not germinate. Farmers would need to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year. However, this would be financially disastrous for farmers in third world countries who cannot afford to buy seed each year and traditionally set aside a portion of their harvest to plant in the next growing season. In an open letter to the public, Monsanto has pledged to abandon all research using this suicide gene technology35. How are GM foods regulated and what is the governments role in this process? Governments around the world are hard at work to establish a regulatory process to monitor the effects of and approve new varieties of GM plants. Yet depending on the political, social and economic climate within a region or country, different governments are responding in different ways. In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that health testing of GM foods will be mandatory as of April 200136, 37. Currently, testing of GM foods is voluntary. Japanese supermarkets are offering both GM foods and unmodified foods, and customers are beginning to show a strong preference for unmodified fruits and vegetables. Indias government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods because no GM crops are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet38. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the countrys endemic poverty and feed its exploding population. Some states in Brazil have banned GM crops entirely, and the Brazilian Institute for the Defense of Consumers, in collaboration with Greenpeace, has filed suit to prevent the importation of GM crops39,. Brazilian farmers, however, have resorted to smuggling GM soybean seeds into the country because they fear economic harm if they are unable to compete in the global marketplace with other grain-exporting countries. In Europe, anti-GM food protestors have been especially active. In the last few years Europe has experienced two major foods scares: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in Great Britain and dioxin-tainted foods originating from Belgium. These food scares have undermined consumer confidence about the European food supply, and citizens are disinclined to trust government information about GM foods. In response to the public outcry, Europe now requires mandatory food labeling of GM foods in stores, and the European Commission (EC) has established a 1% threshold for contamination of unmodified foods with GM food products40. In the United States, the regulatory process is confused because there are three different government agencies that have jurisdiction over GM foods. To put it very simply, the EPA evaluates GM plants for environmental safety, the USDA evaluates whether the plant is safe to grow, and the FDA evaluates whether the plant is safe to eat. The EPA is responsible for regulating substances such as pesticides or toxins that may cause harm to the environment. GM crops such as B. t. pesticide-laced corn or herbicide-tolerant crops but not foods modified for their nutritional value fall under the purview of the EPA. The USDA is responsible for GM crops that do not fall under the umbrella of the EPA such as drought-tolerant or disease-tolerant crops, crops grown for animal feeds, or whole fruits, vegetables and grains for human consumption. The FDA historically has been concerned with pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food products and additives, not whole foods. Under current guidelines, a genetically-modified ear of corn sold at a produce stand is not regulated by the FDA because it is a whole food, but a box of cornflakes is regulated because it is a food product. The FDAs stance is that GM foods are substantially equivalent to unmodified, natural foods, and therefore not subject to FDA regulation. The EPA conducts risk assessment studies on pesticides that could potentially cause harm to human health and the environment, and establishes tolerance and residue levels for pesticides. There are strict limits on the amount of pesticides that may be applied to crops during growth and production, as well as the amount that remains in the food after processing. Growers using pesticides must have a license for each pesticide and must follow the directions on the label to accord with the EPAs safety standards. Government inspectors may periodically visit farms and conduct investigations to ensure compliance. Violation of government regulations may result in steep fines, loss of license and even jail sentences. As an example the EPA regulatory approach, consider B.t. corn. The EPA has not established limits on residue levels in B. t corn because the B. t. in the corn is not sprayed as a chemical pesticide but is a gene that is integrated into the genetic material of the corn itself. Growers must have a license from the EPA for B. t corn, and the EPA has issued a letter for the 2000 growing season requiring farmers to plant 20% unmodified corn, and up to 50% unmodified corn in regions where cotton is also cultivated41. This planting strategy may help prevent insects from developing resistance to the B.t. pesticides as well as provide a refuge for non-target insects such as Monarch butterflies. The USDA has many internal divisions that share responsibility for assessing GM foods. Among these divisions are APHIS, the Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service, which conducts field tests and issues permits to grow GM crops, the Agricultural Research Service which performs in-house GM food research, and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service which oversees the USDA risk assessment program. The USDA is concerned with potential hazards of the plant itself. Does it harbor insect pests? Is it a noxious weed? Will it cause harm to indigenous species if it escapes from farmers fields? The USDA has the power to impose quarantines on problem regions to prevent movement of suspected plants, restrict import or export of suspected plants, and can even destroy plants cultivated in violation of USDA regulations. Many GM plants do not require USDA permits from APHIS. A GM plant does not require a permit if it meets these 6 criteria: 1) the plant is not a noxious weed; 2) the genetic material introduced into the GM plant is stably integrated into the plants own genome; 3) the function of the introduced gene is known and does not cause plant disease; 4) the GM plant is not toxic to non-target organisms; 5) the introduced gene will not cause the creation of new plant viruses; and 6) the GM plant cannot contain genetic material from animal or human pathogens (see http://www. aphis. usda.gov:80/bbep/bp/7cfr340 ). The current FDA policy was developed in 1992 (Federal Register Docket No. 92N-0139) and states that agri-biotech companies may voluntarily ask the FDA for a consultation. Companies working to create new GM foods are not required to consult the FDA, nor are they required to follow the FDAs recommendations after the consultation. Consumer interest groups wish this process to be mandatory, so that all GM food products, whole foods or otherwise, must be approved by the FDA before being released for commercialization. The FDA counters that the agency currently does not have the time, money, or resources to carry out exhaustive health and safety studies of every proposed GM food product. Moreover, the FDA policy as it exists today does not allow for this type of intervention. How are GM foods labeled? Labeling of GM foods and food products is also a contentious issue. On the whole, agribusiness industries believe that labeling should be voluntary and influenced by the demands of the free market. If consumers show preference for labeled foods over non-labeled foods, then industry will have the incentive to regulate itself or risk alienating the customer. Consumer interest groups, on the other hand, are demanding mandatory labeling. People have the right to know what they are eating, argue the interest groups, and historically industry has proven itself to be unreliable at self-compliance with existing safety regulations. The FDAs current position on food labeling is governed by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act which is only concerned with food additives, not whole foods or food products that are considered GRAS generally recognized as safe. The FDA contends that GM foods are substantially equivalent to non-GM foods, and therefore not subject to more stringent labeling. If all GM foods and food products are to be labeled, Congress must enact sweeping changes in the existing food labeling policy. There are many questions that must be answered if labeling of GM foods becomes mandatory. First, are consumers willing to absorb the cost of such an initiative? If the food production industry is required to label GM foods, factories will need to construct two separate processing streams and monitor the production lines accordingly. Farmers must be able to keep GM crops and non-GM crops from mixing during planting, harvesting and shipping. It is almost assured that industry will pass along these additional costs to consumers in the form of higher prices. Secondly, what are the acceptable limits of GM contamination in non-GM products? The EC has determined that 1% is an acceptable limit of cross-contamination, yet many consumer interest groups argue that only 0% is acceptable. Some companies such as Gerber baby foods42 and Frito-Lay43 have pledged to avoid use of GM foods in any of their products. But who is going to monitor these companies for compliance and what is the penalty if they fail? Once again, the FDA does not have the resources to carry out testing to ensure compliance. What is the level of detectability of GM food cross-contamination? Scientists agree that current technology is unable to detect minute quantities of contamination, so ensuring 0% contamination using existing methodologies is not guaranteed. Yet researchers disagree on what level of contamination really is detectable, especially in highly processed food products such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals where the vegetables used to make these products have been pooled from many different sources. A 1% threshold may already be below current levels of detectability. Finally, who is to be responsible for educating the public about GM food labels and how costly will that education be? Food labels must be designed to clearly convey accurate information about the product in simple language that everyone can understand. This may be the greatest challenge faced be a new food labeling policy: how to educate and inform the public without damaging the public trust and causing alarm or fear of GM food products. In January 2000, an international trade agreement for labeling GM foods was established44, 45. More than 130 countries, including the US, the worlds largest producer of GM foods, signed the agreement. The policy states that exporters must be required to label all GM foods and that importing countries have the right to judge for themselves the potential risks and reject GM foods, if they so choose. This new agreement may spur the U. S. government to resolve the domestic food labeling dilemma more rapidly. Conclusion Genetically-modified foods have the potential to solve many of the worlds hunger and malnutrition problems, and to help protect and preserve the environment by increasing yield and reducing reliance upon chemical pesticides and herbicides. Yet there are many challenges ahead for governments, especially in the areas of safety testing, regulation, international policy and food labeling. Many people feel that genetic engineering is the inevitable wave of the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous potential benefits. However, we must proceed with caution to avoid causing unintended harm to human health and the environment as a result of our enthusiasm for this powerful technology.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

An American Dream; The inspirer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Great Gatsby, but F. Scott Fitzgerald, a great man is reduced to a corpse because of a jealous lover. In the novel, the American dream is referred to time and time again. The fact that if one works hard, he or she will become rich and achieve their dreams is the notion that the American dream is based upon. In some cases this is true, but for every case where this has happened, there is a case for which it has not. For Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby, the American dream has become a way of life; spending recklessly and living an envious life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For Gatsby, the spending on himself is not so much as great as the spending on others, in the hope to find his lost love, Daisy. By no means to Gatsby live a frugal life, but the possessions he has within his house are not as elaborate as one might think them to be. Gatsby started out as a nobody, and that was when he met Daisy. After he came out of the military, he went on a series of endeavors to become rich in a hope to win back Daisy, who had left him essentially because he could not provide what she desired. Most of the dealings that Gatsby had seemed questionable, and these suspicions were enforced by the amount of wealth he appeared to have acquired over such a short amount of time. â€Å"I was in the drug business, then I was in the oil business. But I’m not in either one now.†(Ch5, pg 95) This quotation from a conversation between Nick and Gatsby about Gatsby’s enterprises reaffirms the doubtful legality of his accomplishments. The fi rst impression of Gatsby is given by the larger-than-life house he possessed opposite that of Nick. However, the greed of Gatsby was much more selfless then that of either Daisy or Tom, because the majority of Gatsby’s spending was on elaborate parties in order to one day catch a glimpse of Daisy there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American dream of Daisy was no better or worse then the next person. The only difference was how she went about getting it. Owing to her immense beauty, Daisy would not have to work to achieve her American dream; she could simply attract a mate who already posses the wealth she would most readily spend. Throughout the novel, the reader is given the impression that Daisy and Tom share a happy relationship, but not more then a few times is talk of a child concerned, so it is a huge shock in the scene that Daisy beckons her child to come toward her.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Margaret Atwood’s poem “The Interior Decorator” Essay

Use of extended metaphors, and symbols to represent internal feelings and states of being are techniques Margaret Atwood utilizes in her poem â€Å"The Interior Decorator.† The poet attempts to describe an intrinsic struggle to hide and veil painful emotions through the art of interior decoration. It describes aspects of personality used to cover these feelings and the overall failure of it do so. When one examines the title â€Å"The Interior Decorator† one may think of a career which involves garnishing one’s home in style to make for a more pleasant atmosphere or an atmosphere that is conducive to the personality of the person living within that home. However, upon closer examination, one may realize another meaning. â€Å"Interior decorator† is a term which is more symbolic and describes an â€Å"art†of personality. The first stanza holds clues. â€Å"..but under/These ornate surfaces, the hard/Naked wood is still there.† Two symbols are introduced here. The ornate surfaces describe a pleasant and cheerful countenance while under this image a hardened spirit lies underneath. Stanza four reaffirms this position. Stanza two develops the poet’s ability to shelter her pain. â€Å"I am industrious and clever† Here she states plainly that she is gifted at hiding her true feelings. She paints â€Å"Landscapes on door panels and screens.† Here symbolism is developed further as door panels may represent doors to her heart or other aspects of her being. In parallel, the screens she paints provide illusion to the way she feels. By painting the â€Å"the doors and screens† she hopes others will follow the illusion instead of looking at what she really experiences. The introduction of the lemon tree in stanza three gives one clues about her pain. Here the symbol of pain is the bitter lemon rind. She states, â€Å"It is prudent to thus restrain one’s eden/Indoors.† Here she suggests that it is vital to sustain a sense of order within so that emotions don’t get the best of oneself. This is supported by the line, â€Å"And everything remains in it’s own spot.† â€Å"I never eat my bitter lemons† is her way of saying that she doesn’t process her emotions, therefore she successfully represses them and maintains a sense of control. But she is not successful. The devil introduced in stanza four represents the aspect of the poet that cannot avoid the pain-it sucks the unavoidable bitter lemon rinds. She states that she cannot make Him blend in with her flowery personality no matter what she displays (roses) to offset it. In other words, she states that she is unsuccessful in hiding her pain despite her charming personality and displays of laughter. Pain will exist until she goes through the process of grief and recognizes the â€Å"Devil† within. One may conclude that the interior decorator will have to step aside in order for a sense of peace to return. â€Å"The Interior Decorator† by Margaret Atwood is a powerful poem that uses distinct symbols to express her feelings and frustrations about life’s pain. It could be written about the loss of a loved one or friend, a disappointment with way life has turned out, or any tragic incident. She expresses her frustrations effectively about the pressure to cover one’s feelings and appear okay instead of processing them through grieving or a period of inner silence and honesty. The poet suggests that no matter how long one holds the emotions at bay they will prevail and one will have to address them. She is imparting a gift to the readership in a similar circumstance; set the interior decorator aside and be authentic, thereby allowing oneself to address the pain and move beyond it.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

English before final Essay

Poetry about love Love is the most powerful feeling of emotion in all kinds of relationships such as a father to his son or a lover to his mistress. The poem † My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke and â€Å"Sonnet 130† by William Shakespeare focus on a similar theme which is love. The speaker in â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz†, and the speaker in sonnet 130 describe loving someone more than yourself. In Roethke’s poem, the speaker is a young boy who remembers his childhood relationship with his father. In sonnet 130, a speaker is a man who loves his mistress by celebrating the love for her. Theodore Roethke and William Shakespeare demonstrate the theme of love through using simile, metaphor, and tone to show the importance of love in their poems. Both poets use the device of simile as to express their love. William Shakespeare uses simile as regarding the appearance of his mistress who he loves the most. He compares the look of his mistress to give an idea to his readers about the appearance of his mistress. Such as, it is written in the poem â€Å"My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun† (line 1). By this line, he means that his mistress’ eyes are not at all beautiful like a sun. On the other hand, Roethke uses simile as though the son got hurt by his father but the son still loves him. In his poem, â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz†, he writes, â€Å"hung on like death† (line 3). This line of simile means that the son is denying to leave his drunken father even if he is having trouble holding his drunk father. The reason is the son is so desperate for spending time with his father, which shows the son loves his father a lot. The two poets use metaphor to enhance the importance of their love. Roethke uses metaphor as describing that it’s not easy to dance between loving and being scared of his father. Such as, he writes in his poem â€Å"Such waltzing was not easy â€Å"(line 4). By using this metaphor, he means that it is not easy for a little boy to enjoy dancing and taking care of his drunk father at the same time. In other words, it means that the relationship between a little boy and his drunk father is not such as easy and simple it seems like since it is hard and difficult. On the other hand, Shakespeare uses metaphor as comparing wires and her hair. Such as, he writes â€Å"If hairs are wires, black wires grow on her head† (line 4). By this line, the speaker makes the comparison of his mistress’s hair with wires which means his mistress’s hair is not soft or smooth. In other words, it means the speaker describe the reality of his mistress’ hair by emphasizing t hat his mistress is imperfect. Both poets use the device tone of in their poems. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† has a tone of accepting and realistic by the fact that her mistress is not beautiful, but he still loves her.† You beat time on my head / Still clinging to your shirt† (last stanza). This metaphor sentence means even though his father is beating his son’s head, but the little boy does not let his father’s shirt since he loves his father unconditionally. In addition, it means the love of little boy does not change even though he got hurt by his drunk father. The †Sonnet 130 † has a tone of love and pain at the same time. † And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare /As any, she belied with false compare† (line 13, 14). By this line, the speaker means that the appearance of his mistress will not him stop loving his mistress less since he loves her no matter the appearance. In another word, it means that the speaker sti ll loves his mistress with all imperfection appearance that his mistress has it. The reason is that the speaker loves his mistress inner beauty than outer beauty. Ultimately, in the poem of Roethke and Willam Shakespeare, the main topic is loving someone else unconditionally. The poem † My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke talks about a childhood memory of a young boy with his father. The poem † Sonnet 130† by William Shakespeare talks about a man who loves his mistress with all her flaws. The two poets write about the topic of love with the help of simile, metaphor, and tone. These two poems teach us that a bad action or imperfection of our loved ones will not stop us loving them. Work Cited Roethke, Theodore. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz.† Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, edited by Robert DiYanni, (2nd edition) McGraw Hill, 2008, Page 505 Shakespeare, William. † Sonnet 130.† Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, edited by Stephen Orgel, with an introduction by John Hollander, 1609, page 134

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Computer Viruses

Computer Viruses A computer virus is an illegal and potentially damaging computer program designed to infect other software by attaching itself to any software it contacts. In many cases, virus programs are designed to damage computer systems maliciously by destroying or corrupting data. If the infected software is transferred to or accessed by another computer system, the virus spreads to the other system. Viruses have become a serious problem in recent years, and currently, thousands of known virus programs exist (Reed 85-102). Three types of viruses are boot sector virus, file virus, and Trojan horse virus. A boot sector virus infects the boot program used to start the system. When the infected boot program executes, the virus is loaded into the computers memory. Once a virus is in a memory, it can spread to any floppy disk inserted into the computer. A file virus inserts virus code into program files. The virus then spreads to any program that accesses the infected file. A Trojan horse virus (named after a Greek myth) hides within or is designed to look like a legitimate program. Some viruses interrupt processing by freezing a computer system temporarily and then displaying sounds or messages. Other viruses contain time bombs or logic bombs. A time bomb is a program that performs an activity on a particular date. A logic bomb is a program that performs an activity when a certain action occurs, such as an employee being terminated. A worm, which is similar to a virus, copies itself repeatedly until no memory or disc space remains. To detect computer viruses, antivirus programs have been developed. Besides detecting viruses, antivirus programs also have utilities to remove or repair infected programs and files. Some damaged files cannot be repaired and must be replaced with uninfected backup files. The table below outlines some techniques used to protect computer systems. Table Techniques for Virus Protection and System Back... Free Essays on Computer Viruses Free Essays on Computer Viruses Computer Viruses A computer virus is an illegal and potentially damaging computer program designed to infect other software by attaching itself to any software it contacts. In many cases, virus programs are designed to damage computer systems maliciously by destroying or corrupting data. If the infected software is transferred to or accessed by another computer system, the virus spreads to the other system. Viruses have become a serious problem in recent years, and currently, thousands of known virus programs exist (Reed 85-102). Three types of viruses are boot sector virus, file virus, and Trojan horse virus. A boot sector virus infects the boot program used to start the system. When the infected boot program executes, the virus is loaded into the computers memory. Once a virus is in a memory, it can spread to any floppy disk inserted into the computer. A file virus inserts virus code into program files. The virus then spreads to any program that accesses the infected file. A Trojan horse virus (named after a Greek myth) hides within or is designed to look like a legitimate program. Some viruses interrupt processing by freezing a computer system temporarily and then displaying sounds or messages. Other viruses contain time bombs or logic bombs. A time bomb is a program that performs an activity on a particular date. A logic bomb is a program that performs an activity when a certain action occurs, such as an employee being terminated. A worm, which is similar to a virus, copies itself repeatedly until no memory or disc space remains. To detect computer viruses, antivirus programs have been developed. Besides detecting viruses, antivirus programs also have utilities to remove or repair infected programs and files. Some damaged files cannot be repaired and must be replaced with uninfected backup files. The table below outlines some techniques used to protect computer systems. Table Techniques for Virus Protection and System Back... Free Essays on Computer Viruses In the past decade, computer and networking technology has seen enormous growth. This growth however, has not come without a price. With the advent of the "Information Highway", as it's coined, a new methodology in crime has been created. Electronic crime has been responsible for some of the most financially devastating victimizations in society. In the recent past, society has seen malicious editing of the Justice Department web page (1), unauthorized access into classified government computer files, phone card and credit card fraud, and electronic embezzlement. All these crimes are committed in the name of "free speech." These new breed of criminals claim that information should not be suppressed or protected and that the crimes they commit are really not crimes at all. What they choose to deny is that the nature of their actions are slowly consuming the fabric of our country's moral and ethical trust in the information age. Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as commercial computer companies, have been scrambling around in an attempt to "educate" the public on how to prevent computer crime from happening to them. They inform us whenever there is an attack, provide us with mostly ineffective anti-virus software, and we are left feeling isolated and vulnerable. I do not feel that this defensive posture is effective because it is not pro-active. Society is still being attacked by highly skilled computer criminals of which we know very little about them, their motives, and their tools of the trade. Therefore, to be effective in defense, we must understand how these attacks take place from a technical stand-point. To some degree, we must learn to become a computer criminal. Then we will be in a better position to defend against these victimizations that affect us on both the financial and emotional level. In this paper, we will explore these areas of which we know so little, and will also see that comp uters are really extensions ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Dinosaur Exhibits at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History

Dinosaur Exhibits at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Name: Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Address: 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, OK Phone Number: 405-325-4712 Ticket Prices: $5 for adults, $3 for children age 6 to 17 Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Sunday Web Site: Oklahoma Museum of Natural History    About the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History: Two ancient battles punctuate the Hall of Ancient Life at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. The centerpiece of this exhibit is a fight to the death between Saurophaganax and Apatosaurus (both specimens of which were unearthed in the Oklahoma panhandle), while nearby, a pack of Deinonychus surround a much bigger Tenontosaurus. This hall also features numerous other fossils, including one of the most complete Pentaceratops skeletons in the world (the skull of which is verified as World’s Largest by the Guinness Book of World Records). The dinosaur and prehistoric life galleries at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History are arranged chronologically, leading visitors past specimens from the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras (this last part of the hall features a nine-foot-tall Woolly Mammoth, also dug up in Oklahoma, and a Smilodon, or Saber-Toothed Tiger). One innovative feature here is the Dinovator, an elevator you can take to look that Apatosaurus skull right in its bony eyes!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Nanjing Massacre Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nanjing Massacre - Term Paper Example This unprecedented catastrophe called Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, was a living hell for its victims and until present time it a symbol of Japanese militarism in World War II. Western nations for some time were not acknowledging Nanjing’s tragedy. There were several political factors that have contributed to it. The Japanese government downplayed the degree of its militaristic advances during World War II immediately after the war, while both Chinese govern-ments purposefully neglected the incident as they focused on establish ¬ing their political and economic strength, which required a sound relationship with Japan. The U.S. government valued Japan's position as a strategic ally during the Cold War more than the need for justice. Such political complications led each country to circumvent the issues of Nanking. (Li, Fei-Fei, xxiii) HISTORIC BACKGROUND After the incident on the railroad in the city of Mukden in September 1931, Japan, blaming Chinese nationalists for that explosion, began the invasion of Manchuria, China. Since that time several major battles between Japanese military forces Chinese army were raged, such as battle in Shanghai (1932), Great Wall (1933). To solve the situation, some agreements were settled between China and Japan which somewhat defused the situation near Manchuria. At that time China was engulfed into the Civil War and therefore was not able to considerably oppose Japanese invasion. An important incident happened in China in December of 1936, known as Xi'an Incident, when former warlord of Manchuria was suddenly arrested and kidnapped. This incident led the Nationalists and the Communists to form an united front against Japan in 1937. It is then that an all out defense against Japanese military started, at least formally. China had the largest army in the world at the time, but most of the Chinese arm y was not trained and poorly equipped, with some troops armed mainly with swords and hand grenades. Only few corps had anti-tank weaponry. 7 July 1937 a battle between Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army happened. This battle is often signify the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Shortly after that Japan extensively invaded mainland China and captured major Chinese cities. Some Chinese still remember Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Mukden as days of national humiliation. Japanese military forces had planned to conquer China in just three months, but in August of 1937 it faced strong resistance and had many casualties in the Battle of Shanghai, a very bloody hand-to-hand combat. Some historians believe that this situation contributed to the psychological conditions of the Japanese soldiers to later be so grueling cruel in Nanjing. The Japanese had captured Shanghai only by mid-November with the help of fleet and Air Force. The casual ties were so heavy that General Staff Headquarters in Tokyo decided not to expand the war. By that time the morale of the troops were very low. As the Japanese army grew closer to Nanjing, Chinese civilians fled the city. Chinese military themselves were destroying anything in the city that might be of value to the Japanese army – many buildings in the city, forest and entire villages around Nanjing were burnt to the ground. NANJING MASSACRE On December 7, the Japanese army came close to the city walls of Nanjing. They dropped leaflets into the city, requesting the surrender of Nanjing within 24 hours and promising mercy to innocent civilians.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Identify a particular issue or problem that occurs with HRD in a Essay

Identify a particular issue or problem that occurs with HRD in a country with which you are familiar - Essay Example The calculation is very simple.   The number of employees leaving in a year is calculated as a percentage of the total number of employees during the same period.   It is also known as separation rate. Employees in the beginning and closing of the year are averaged for this purpose.   However, if the monthly beginning or closing figures for the twelve months are averaged, it would be better. Some times the companies calculate a retention rate, and alternative method of calculation.   It is also called as Stability Index and worked out as below. The figures in the calculation will be unduly inflated if the replacements are frequent during the year.   For example 85% of the employees are retained.   If the vacancies caused during the year are replaced twice, the labor turnover ratio works out to 30%, if replaced only once, it works out to 15%.   Therefore retention ratio is preferred.  Ã‚   Another problem is in averaging.   If there is huge variation during the year from beginning to end or average, the ratio will be vitiated.   In a country like India, this may happen due to seasonal factors also.   For examples, if rain gods play a trick on farmers, production, consequently the employment is affected in sugar industry.  Ã‚   Michael Hanni and Mark Knold pointed out, ’construction, retail trade, administrative services, and accommodation and food services. Together, these four industries make up 35 percent of all employment, yet constitute 52.2 percent of all job separations (separations were the minimum variable of the numerator for 2006). In other words, these four industries account for a disproportionate amount of job churning.’  Labor Turnover in Utah, Source: U.S. Bureau of Census, LED data.http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/pubs/specialreports/laborturnover08.pdf We usually consider ‘Year’  as a basis for calculation.   However, year

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Lies my teacher told me- James Loewen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lies my teacher told me- James Loewen - Essay Example He says, â€Å"Some books go way beyond omitting the actor and leaving out the act itself† (Loewen 25). This paper shall seek to explain the key reasons as to why Loewen think that history textbooks used in the high school curriculum are giving students a raw deal. It will also examine the reasons as to why students seem to dislike history classes. Loewen asserts that much of American history isolates children of color in the manner they ignore that those who contributed greatly to the American history were not whites. He goes further to assert that the nature of history textbooks used in American high schools give insufficient information to students. This in turn affects the academic progress of students who join college to pursue History courses (J. W. Loewen). This is because most of the history classes in college are taken up fixing the information that the students acquired in the high school history lessons. He uses his book to analyze the textbook creation and adoption process, as well as explain causes that makes textbooks to turn out to be bad and of low quality. According to Loewen, history is a collection of stories and should not be boring. However, textbook companies have tendencies of leaving out information that reflect badly on the national character. He also connects the boring nature of history to the fact that â€Å"history textbooks do not use the present to illuminate the past† (Loewen). In this regard, students have difficulties comprehending the relevance and significance of history to their daily lives. Loewen also reveals that students dislike history since the subject is viewed as a morality play; thus, touchy areas in the society are not discussed or taught. He says, â€Å"There are three taboos in textbook publishing†¦social class, religion and sex†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Loewen 34). Loewen asserts that textbooks ignore several historical realities due to many reasons. The main

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Influence Of Media Violence On The Youth Media Essay

The Influence Of Media Violence On The Youth Media Essay Aggression in the media has been under a lot of scrutiny in recent times. It has resurfaced as the pinnacle of countless debates among politicians, parents and educators despite the fact that it is a current trend. The youth are increasingly becoming more hostile. This is in directly mirrored to violence becoming further prominent amid adults. Parents and educators continue to stress that the damage violent media inflicts on children will carry on into adulthood. Various studies have confirmed that violent media moulds the youth into violent adults. The issue is not as simple as just putting a stop to violence. The media distributors should end mass producing and distributing violence to children in the name of entertainment. Unless executives at television, music, and video game companies discontinue this mass production of violence, this appalling tendency of violent children resolves to carry on. Research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unambiguous evidence that media violence elevates the possibility of aggressive and violent conduct in both immediate and long-term contexts. The sound effects emerge larger for milder than for more severe forms of aggression, but the effects on severe forms of violence are also imperative when compared other violence risk factors effects.Young people have a tendency to be without doubt influenced by media for a diversity of reasons. Children discover what is tolerable or intolerable through what the media portrays as opposed to what parents teach them.    Parents have seized to be the powerful prominent associate in a childs life. Children utilize the media personalities to model acceptable or rather offensive manners. Movies, music and video games display that it is acceptable to massacre or hurt others. Small children in fact, have difficulty differentiating between reality and fantasy. Putting that into consideration, we realise that the mass media fails to consider that a small child cannot figure out the ramifications of being wounded during a violent act; it actually hurts and one may not survive. Children brought into emergency amenities for treatment from these media propelled accidents are inclined to articulate with astonishment that their injuries truly hurt. Dramatic Television and Movies have exposure to violent behavior. On film or television tends to amplify aggressive behavior in the short term. Youths who look at violent scenes afterward demonstrate more aggressive conduct, mind-set, and emotions than those who do not. In the distinctive investigational model, researchers indiscriminately allocate youths to see either a short violent or a short nonviolent film, and then observe how they interact with other people after viewing the film. Both physical and verbal aggression toward others may be assessed. The time period for testing the effects is short-from a few minutes to a few days after seeing the film-and normally there is no effort to test for permanent effects of the single revelation. With older teenagers and university students, physical aggression has often been considered by the enthusiasm of participants to impose an electric shock or a loud aversive noise on a peer. The participants are usually given a frail justification for harming the other person. Studies have shown that the introduction of the television which happened at different times in all communities has taken advantage of this disparity in timing to study TVs effects on aggression within a society. Time-series analysis done using aggregated data on offense and media viewing to examine the effect of the introduction of TV on violence in the United States, Canada, and South Africa (where television came on the scene only recently), comparing crime rates prior to and subsequent to the introduction of television. He concluded that the introduction of television, joint with recurrent depiction of violent acts, increases interpersonal violence in a society. However, this study ought to be viewed with vigilance as there exists additional factors that may have influenced national crime rates simultaneously. Studies have confirmed that witnessing violence in news reporting promotes imitative, or impersonator, manners. There are countless sketchy reports of people imitating illusory violence. Regardless of the regularity of these alleged instances of a pollution of violence, however, there has been comparatively little research examining how news stories of aggressive events affect behavior. Studies prop up the perception of a corrupt effect, with some of the best evidence indicating that stories of a renowned persons suicide enhance the chances that other people will also take their own lives. Studies of music videos and music lyrics have shown that Music videos are also of concern because these videos are sometimes replete with violence. Those without open aggressive content often have rebellious overtones and music videos are extensively watched by adolescents. Violent video games have recently surpassed violent music videos and even violent TV as a matter of concern to parents and pol icymakers. There are several reasons for this. First, children are spending most of their time playing video games. Second, a greater part of these games hold violence. Third, children involved in these games are dynamic participants not observers; they are at better risk of becoming antagonistic themselves. The impact of publicity to violent video games has not been premeditated as expansively as the impact of exposure to TV or movie violence; nevertheless, generally speaking, the outcome reported for video games to date are related to those obtained in the investigations of TV and movie violence (Anderson Bushman, 2001). Studies of Internet participation assert that the fundamental hypothetical ideology pertaining to the effects of exposure to media violence should be relevant to Internet media. Up till now, there are no available studies that address how exposure to Web-based media violence affects aggressive and violent behavior, attitudes, values, and feelings. Nonetheless, because of the image and interactive nature of Web material, we anticipate the effects to be very parallel to those of other visual and interactive media. The Web materials with violence tend to be video games, film clips, and music videos, and there is no reason to believe that delivering these materials into the home via the Internet, rather than through other media, would reduce their effects. Neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists have discovered that the human mind often acts as an associative system in which ideas are to a degree activated (primed) by linked stimuli in the surroundings (Fiske Taylor, 1984). An encounter with some occurrence or stimulus can major, or trigger, correlated concepts and ideas in a persons memory even without the person being aware of this control. For example, exposure to violent scenes may activate a complex set of associations that are related to aggressive ideas or emotions, thereby momentarily escalating the convenience of aggressive opinions, approach, and scripts (including aggressive action tendencies). In other words, aggressive primes or cues make aggressive schemas more easily available for use in processing other incoming information, creating a temporary interpretational filter that biases subsequent perceptions. If these aggressive schemas are primed while certain events-such as ambiguous provocation-occur, the new events are more likely to be interpreted as involving aggression, thereby increasing the likelihood of an aggressive response. Priming effects related to aggression have been empirically established both for cues usually associated wi th violence, such as weapons (Anderson,Benjamin, Bartholow, 1998). For example, the  mere presence of a weapon within a persons visual field can increase aggressive thoughts and aggressive behavior. Priming effects are often seen as solely short-term influences. Except that research by cognitive and social-cognitive scientists has shown that recurring priming and use of a set of concepts or schemas in due course makes them persistently available. In essence, commonly primed aggression-related judgment, emotions, and behavioral scripts become routinely and continually accessible. That is, they become part of the ordinary interior state of the character, thereby escalating the possibility that any societal encounter will be interpreted in an aggression-biased technique, and hence increasing the likelihood of aggressive encounters all through the individuals life (e.g., Anderson Huesmann, 2003). In addition to that, media propagates arousal and excitement in youth. Media violence is exciting (arousing) for most youth. That is, it increases heart rate, the skins conductance of electricity, and other physiological indicators of arousal. There is verification that this arousal can inc rease aggression in two different ways. First, arousal, regardless of the reason for it, can rejuvenate or reinforce everything an individuals principal action propensity happens to be at the time. Thus, if a person is irritated or else instigated to aggress at the time increased arousal occurs, heightened aggression can result. For instance, if a person who is aroused misattributes his or her arousal to a provocation by someone else, the tendency to act uncompromisingly in reaction to that infuriation is amplified. This is because people tend to react more violently to provocations immediately after watching exciting movies than they do at other times. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine reported in 2006 reported that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal, and a consequent decline of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, reticence and concentration. To date, however, there have been no conclusive studies linking video-game violence to aggressive behaviour in youths. Emotional desensitization is another effect of media on the youth. Emotional desensitization refers to a drop in distress-related physiological reactivity to observations or thoughts of violence. When people who watch a lot of media violence no longer respond with as much offensive physiological arousal as they did primarily. Because the unpleasant physiological arousal (or negative emotional reactions) usually related with violence has an inhibitory influence on thinking about violence, condoning violence, or behaving violently, emotional desensitization (that is., the decrease of th e unpleasant arousal) can result in a heightened probability of violent thoughts and behaviors (Huesmann et al., 2003). However not all youth are affected adversely by media. As a matter of fact, media has minimum effects on some youth. It all depends on several factors such as age, gender, characteristics of the aggressive performer, portrayed justification and penalty of the aggression, social environment like influence of culture, childrens access to media in the home, influence of neighborhood, influence of parents, and the persons moral principles. Theories put forward have shown that the media-violence effect is largest in the youngest age group (less than 5 years old). Even concise exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior on TV and in film caused temporary aggressive behaviour in youths. It should be noted that the principal effect was certainly aggression, and not violence. Fascinatingly enough, a study on New York youths found that exposure to media violence commencing at age 8 had a direct correspondence to aggressive performance a decade later in boys, but not in girls. Early studies in the United States and some studies in other countries found stronger relations between media-violence viewing and aggression for boys than for girls. Assertiveness and intelligence of the viewer also affect the extend of media influence. An aggressive youth will turn out to be more aggressive after watching a violent movie; also children of lower intellectual aptitude watch more television and see more television violence. Children and youth spend more time consuming entertainment media than engaging in any other activity besides school and sleeping. There have been recent efforts to reduce the harmful effects of media violence on youth have taken various forms, including attempting to reduce the amount of media violence and its convenience to the youth and children. Encouraging and facilitating parental monitoring of childrens media access, educating parents and children about the potential dangers of media violence and changing youths mode of thinking to reduce the chance that they will impersonate the violence they see. However, it is not clear that reducing exposure to media violence will reduce aggression and violence, it is less clear what sorts of interventions will produce a reduction in exposure. Some suggestions that counter attitudinal and parental-mediation interventions are likely to yield beneficial effects, but media literacy interventions by themselves are fruitless. In that case, meeting the larger societal challenge of providing children and youth with a much healthier media diet may prove to be more complicated and expensive, especially if the scientific, news, public policy, and entertainment communities fail to educate the general public about the real risks of media-violence exposure to children and youth. It should be renowned that real-world influences might diminish or abolish the aggression noted under experimental conditions. It is possible and even likely that study participants might react differently in the laboratory when they realize their aggression will not have any ne gative consequences or retribution. This has been a controversial issue whereby people have presented different views on whether media affects ones level of aggression and violence. Some claim that exposure to media violence causes children and youth to behave more aggressively and affects them as adults years later, while others argue that the scientific evidence simply does not show that watching violence either produces violence in people, or desensitizes them to it. Although media violence is particularly tough to characterize and evaluate, family attitudes and social category are stronger determinants of attitudes toward aggression than is the amount of disclosure to TV, which is all the same a significant but weaker predictor.