Thursday, October 31, 2019

Is Libertarian Paternalism a good idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Libertarian Paternalism a good idea - Essay Example Nudge is the method of influencing behavior by ways of choice architecting. The feedback system in a school and incentive programs in organizations are all different example of this Nudge. Being a parent in this age is not an easy task. Over the decades the position of teenagers has changed considerably. There was once a time when all the focus was on the elder generations. The television programs, products etc everything targeted the elders. However this generation has seen a totally different side of affairs. If we look around we can see how much importance the younger generations are given. There are special products, television shows, movies and many other aspects of life which are entirely focused and dedicated to them. This treatment of teenagers has changed the ‘obedient child’ into an independent person. This person knows his rights and importance and therefore is not willing to give up any part of his independence. This phenomenon makes the life of parents even tougher. They have to control a generation of independent teenagers who are inexperienced about life no matter how much they brag about being all grownup. There are many different forms of knowledge. The internet has an adequate quantity of literature about everything and anything. There are some aspects of knowledge however which cannot be learned overnight. This branch of knowledge is usually referred to as experience. There are many decisions in life which require us to make choices that could not only affect us but also have considerable affects on others around us. We are forced to make those choices despite the fact that we sometimes are not ready to make them. This is the problem many parents face. They cannot interfere directly with decisions of their children but cannot also watch them ruin their own life. The parents are usually more experienced in making choices because they have seen

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Organisational dialouge Essay Example for Free

Organisational dialouge Essay Question 2: A range of authors (e.g. Gerard and Ellinor 2001; Isaacs 1993, 1999; Schein 1993; Senge 1995) suggest that dialogue can positively transform organizational cultures. Do you agree with this assessment? Why? Why not? Engage with relevant academic literature in developing your argument. Student Name: Nguyen Vu Hoang Dung Student Number: 11477445 In organization people spend 80 percent of their time to communicate (The British Psychological Society 2012). Communication is a key tool to share information, foster different opinions and build alignment and trust. According to Gerard Teurfs (1995), the process of dialogue is an invitation to create organization cultures through conversations. It acts as a learning environment that shifting individuals to â€Å"a deeper understanding of collaboration in groups, and a new way of sensing their connections to others throughout the organization† (Querubin 2011, p.19). It brings all the ideas together and suspends judgment so people will have a greater chance to understand each other (Brayman, Grey Stearns 2010). This essay will analyze the role of dialogue in transforming organizational cultures positively and all the benefits it brings. However, it will also examine the challenges of implementing dialogue. Organizational culture includes shared values and beliefs that guide behaviors of all members and determine the way things should be done in the organization (Sergiovanni 1984). Company has its own culture usually indicates higher performance. The role of dialogue is not only to spread the common values and meanings that company wants its employees to follow but also allow everyone to express their own interest. According to Gerard and  Ellinor (2001), the main purpose of dialogue is to produce collective understanding. Firstly, they compared the differences between dialogue and discussion. In discussion, people tend to protect their own thoughts and do not truly concern about other’s opinions and needs. They play as a speaker’s role rather than as a listener. It might leave the remainder out of discussion with frustration, isolation and disrespect. Decisions could be made by the person who has the most power and influence in the group (Gerard and Ellinor 2001). Hence it weakens the aim of enhancing organizational cultures. In contrast, when employees participate in a dialogue, their role as a listener is more important than as a speaker. They desire to hear what others want to say. They try to fit all different perspectives into a common value. Therefore, if issues occur, they listen to deeply understand other’s thoughts and opinions (Gerard and Ellinor 2001). By doing that, employees are getting closer to each other and conflicts are minimized. They help their team or their department to build shared culture. Secondly, Gerard and Ellinor (2001) stated five skills of dialogue including suspension of judgment, listening, reflection, assumption identification and inquiry. They defined the meaning of suspension in dialogue is not to stop one’s judgment about a problem. Instead, they have to aware what their judgments are and â€Å"then holding them lightly so they can still hear what others are saying† (Gerard and Ellinor 2001, p. 7). After listening carefully to other’s ideas, they need to reflect their own assumptions. Therefore, to revising whether those assumptions are linked to the organization or not. If they cannot understand the differences, they must inquire for more information. Hence, this process of dialogue enables each employee to foster different views and converge them together to become one unique aim. Organizational culture is enhanced. In agreement with Gerard and Ellinor, Isaacs (1999) analyzed four principles of dialogue based on Bohm’s research in 1996. They are listening, respecting, suspending and voicing. Firstly, Isaacs had compared listening skill in dialogue to listening to music. He stated a single note of music could not deliver the meaning of the whole song. It is similar to one’s role in a conversation. A single idea is not sufficient to set purposes and  cultures for the whole organization. Hence, dialogue is an excellent practice to give people a chance to listen deeply and get into the nature of the conversation. Secondly, he defined respecting as getting to know more about one person and figure out what sources or circumstances has created their particular thinking. Based on this understanding, people in an organization will pay more respect to each other. The main goal of respecting in dialogue is not to seek decision but to tolerate difference, gap and conflict (Isaacs 1999). The third principle of dialogue, suspending, is determined similar to Gerard and Ellinor (2001). And the last principle Isaacs mentioned is voicing. He suggested people should listen internally so as to select what should say and what should not say in a circumstance. Sometimes keeping silence and listen can achieve the best result. Therefore, the purpose of voicing means people contribute their speech, not only for themselves, but to the whole idea. Overall, these principles are considered having positive effects on organizational learning. They emphasize group and organization achievements rather than an individual accomplishment. In Schein’s study (1993), he described dialogue as â€Å"talking around the campfire† (p. 391). He used â€Å"campfire† as a metaphor to explain how decision is made through dialogue. In the past, people sat around campfire during meeting and shared their own opinions. Arguments would never come up as people just simply expressed their thoughts without any discussion or debate. Through that, they were aware themselves which idea was acceptable and were unacceptable (Schein 1993). This process allowed enough time for each person to listen to a deeper layer of other’s opinions then reflect on their own assumptions. Moreover, Schein introduced the check-in concept. At the beginning of the meeting, each person will respectively contribute his or her ideas, views and feelings to the group as a whole, and therefore, â€Å"has helped to create the group† (Schein 1993, p. 392). Lastly, Schein stressed the limitation of eye contact. This makes people feel ea sier to suspend disagreements and concentrate on listening. Senge (1995) determined dialogue as a facilitator for team learning. Based on his research, team is the key unit to build culture in an organization. By applying dialogue into team learning process, it develops shared vision and  brings result every member truly desires. It also creates teamwork and shares equal leadership to each member in the group. Through sharing a common pool of meaning, culture is positively transforming from individual to group values and beliefs. Although dialogue is proved to have a great effect on organizational culture, there are challenges in implementing it into organization learning system. The first challenge is due to hierarchy level in an organization (Raelin 2012). Dialogue requires equal say and sharing from each member of the organization. However, employees tend to afraid of expressing their true views in front of their managers. They leave decision making to people at higher position. In top-down companies, upper levels of management have full knowledge of desired targets, goals and norms. They have the right and ability to create and change organizational culture. They enforce rules and duties on their employee. They usually do not spend time to listen to individual’s opinion and feeling. Hence, it is very challenging to apply dialogue into this type of business. Furthermore, if the organization involves a cross-culture, that employee come from different culture backgrounds, there is a need for a more lengthy and complicated process of dialogue (Schein 1993). In this type of organization, people use different languages and operate from different mental models. Organization needs to design a dialogue that enables all these people to communicate effectively. Thornhill, Lewis Saunders (2000) also emphasized there is may be a need to â€Å"re-designing of performance appraisal systems and reward systems† and â€Å"the re-definition of job roles to induce employees into accept the new behavior expected from them† (p. 27). Hence it is costly and time consuming. Finally, dialogue may not be suitable to apply to all organizations cultures in the world. For example, Western culture is different from Eastern culture. As dialogue encourage the limitation of eye contact (Schein 1993), people from the West will consider this as impolite or even disrespectful (Spindler 1990). In addition, in Western countries people prefer confrontation whereas Eastern people prefer to say what they feel most  appropriate in this circumstance or least hurtful to the others (Schein 1993). Therefore, dialogue must be selective so it is suitable for each particular organization. In conclusion, dialogue has played a key role in positively transforming organizational culture. It acts as a learning environment that shifts individual to group thinking. It leads each employee to recognize the essential of collaborating in a group. Querubin (2011) demonstrated that dialogue enables members to â€Å"become open to diversity and lose an â€Å"us vs. them† paradigm so prevalent in task-oriented cultures† (p. 19). Hence, group achievement is more important than individual accomplishment. Moreover, dialogue includes suspending of judgment, listening, respect, reflection, assumption and voicing. Through all these principles, dialogue creates collective understanding and leads all members of the organization to higher commitment. However, the implementation of dialogue still faces several challenges, including hierarchy levels, time consuming and different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, selective approach of dialogue must be considered to apply to specifi c organization. REFERENCES Bohm, D. 1996, On Dialogue. Ed. Lee Nichol, Routledge, London New York. Brayman, J., Grey, M. Stearns, M. 2010, Taking Flight to Literacy and Leadership, Rowman Littlefield, viewed 16 December 2010, Ellinor, L. Gerard, G. 2001, Dialogue at Work: Skills at Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Ellinor, L. Gerard, G. 2001, Dialogue at Work: Skills at Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA, pp. 7. Gerard, G. Teurfs, L. 1995, Dialogue and Organizational Transformation, 1st edn, Sterling Stone, Inc., San Francisco. Isaacs, W. 1999, Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together: A Pioneering Approach to Communicating in Business and in Live, Currency, New York. Querubin, C. 2011, ‘The effect on the organization’, Dialogue: Creating Shared Meaning and Other Benefits for Business, pp. 19, Raelin, J. 2012, ‘Dialogue and deliberation as expressions of democratic leadership in participatory organizational change’, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 25. Schein , E. H. 1993, On dialogue, culture, and organizational learning . Organizational Dynamics, pp 391-392. Senge, P. M. 1995, The spirit of personal mastery, MN: Charthouse International Learning Corporation, Burnsville. Sergiovanni, T. 1984, ‘Leadership and excellence in schooling’, Educational Leadership Journal, vol. 4. Spindler, G. 1993, The American Cultural Dialogue and Its Transmission, Psychology Press, The British Psychological Society 2012, Dialogue: How to create change in organizations through conversation, viewed 14 May 2012, http://www.bps.org.uk/events/dialogue-how-create-change-organisations-through-conversation-1 Thornhill, A., Lewis, M. Saunders, M. 2000, Managing Change: A Human Resource Strategy Approach, Prentice Hall, London.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Effects of Language on a Specific Region

Effects of Language on a Specific Region Crystal Mullen ASSIGNMENT: Select a specific region that interests you, such as South America, Central America, Asia, etc., and research, as well as evaluate, the power of language in creating the idea of a region. Is language a self-sufficient and complete geographical model? Write a 1-2 page paper explaining your findings. Please be sure to substantiate your opinions with examples, as well as cite your resources using APA format. in length. Professor Sandve’s Explanation: 1) Define a region. What is a region? 2) Evaluate the power of language. Can you define a regions society, traditions, norms, climate, topography, etc. by evaluating the language? 3) Is language a self-sufficient and complete geographical model? What is a geographical model? If language is the only characteristic youre evaluating, can you fully define the region? I believe a region means something different to different people or industries. Before taking this class, I thought a region was that part of the basement or that portion of an attic that scary movies warned us to avoid. The Merriam-Webster dictionary had a different view: â€Å"Region: a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way (Merriam-Webster.com, 2014)† This definition appears to speak more to the topic of geography because we are now discussing spatial locations that offer distinct characteristics that are found in that found in that location. However, I need to know what a region is from a geographer’s point of view. â€Å"Region: in geography, an area of the earth that displays distinctive grouping of physical or cultural phenomena or is functionally united as a single organizational unit (Getis, Bjelland, Getis, 2014).† This definition best describes geography in the for this assignment because it encourages me to pick an area of the world that I find interesting because of how various physical or cultural features are joined into one spatial location. One region that I that does interest me is Africa. Africa is the second largest continent in the world; as well as the world’s second most-populous continent. Within its borders one will find 54 countries that are share the home for the continent’s many mountains, rivers, valleys and deserts. First of all, the Atlas Mountains run from the southwestern portion of Morocco along the coastline of the Mediterranean, all the way to Tunisia’s eastern edge. Also, the Great Rift Valley is the continent’s ground form of depression. Here is found a series of geological faults at are approximately 4,000 miles in length. The extent of the Great Rift Valley extends from the Red Sea region near Jordan, to the country of Mozambique. Furthermore, Africa is home to the Congo River Basin which dominates the landscape of central Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo. Finally though certainly not I would be remiss to speak of Africa without speaking of the Sahara Desert. The Sahara Desert cover close those a third o f Africa’s surface. It is the world’s largest desert in the world at approximately 3,500,000 square miles in total size (World Atlas, 2014). Based on this the geographical information, I would be surprised to learn if there is a cohesion of language within the continent to unify the continent of Africa. The range of traditions and customs in Africa are as diverse as Africa’s geography. For example, when it comes to meal time, the men eat before the women. Children remain silent while adult meal conversation is in progress. Also, hospitality is very important to the country of Africa. When they welcome their guests, they wash their hands, clap, and offer their best meats as a symbol of graciousness. Furthermore, when it comes to courtship, it appears that it is the girl who initiates the process. She will send a multi-colored beaded bracelet to the boy of her choice. Each bead represents a secret meaning and once the courtship process is over the secret behind the beads are revealed. Finally, though certainly exhaustively, it is customary during an African wedding that the bride wears a wedding dress that reflects her culture’s traditions and heritage. Also, the bride and groom are often tied at the wrists with either cloth or braided grass as a symbol of their newly cr eated union (Drake, 2014). When I read these customs, I feel as if it is possible for language to be a complete self-sufficient model of its people because their customs appear to transcend their multi-faceted geography, The aspect about Africa is their massive diversity of languages and dialects. While no one appears to know for absolute certainty, the best estimate of the number of languages and dialects spoken in Africa are around 2,000. One group of African languages are known as the Afro-Asiatic language group of languages. The 400 languages under this umbrella is generally heard spoken in North, East, and Southwest Africa. Some examples of these languages include Aramaic, Amharic, Arabic, Hausa, Hebrew, and Tigrinya. Another family of languages heard spoken in Africa is the Khoisan, or language. This happens a language that may be dying out, it is currently spoken in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia. This is the family of fifty different languages that use mainly clicking or tonal sounds to communicate. Finally though certainly not exhaustively the language family that holds the greatest number of languages is the Niger-Congo language family. Under this umbrella of languages one will find almost 4 00 languages that are spoken by over 500 million people. Common languages that fall within this family include Igbo, Swahili, Yoruba, and Zulu (wiseGEEK, 2014). I find it fascinating that there are countless languages for a person in Africa to express the frustration of the desert sand, being insulted by a dinner guest or vowing his or her life to a new spouse. I find myself conflicted when I consider if language is a complete, self-sufficient geographical model of the region of Africa. On the one hand, because there are over 2,000 languages, spoken in Africa, I would say that each language and dialect is a perfect representation of the country, or portion of that country within Africa. If language were my only representation I was evaluating, I could easily define that particular region. On the other hand, because there are over 2,000 languages, spoken in Africa, I would say that each language and dialect creates the perfect storm for confusion for Africa as a whole. I don’t see how I could identify Africa as a continent because the continent cannot unite behind one or two languages. In this scenario, if language were my only representation I was evaluating, I would greatly struggle to define the continent because millions of African citizens would not be representing in my definition. Therefore, I find that the African languages bo th reflect and confuses the geographic model found in the continent of Africa. References Drake, F. (2014). African Customs. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from eHow.com: http://www.ehow.com/info_8582146_african-customs.html Getis, A., Bjelland, M., Getis, V. (2014, January 7). Glossary. In A. Getis, M. Bjelland, V. Getis, Introduction to Geography (pp. G-9). New York: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from Balanced Politics: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/affirmative_action.htm Merriam-Webster.com. (2014). Definiton of Region. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from Merriam-Webster.com: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/region wiseGEEK. (2014). How Many Languages are Spoken in Africa? Retrieved January 26, 2014, from wiseGEEK: http://www.wisegeek.org/how-many-languages-are-spoken-in-africa.htm World Atlas. (2014). Africa Map. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from World Atlas: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/af.htm World Atlas. (2014). Geography Africa. Retrieved January 26, 2014, from World Atlas: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/afland.htm

Friday, October 25, 2019

My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay -- Education Teachers Reflec

My Personal Philosophy of Education Education is the key to a successful and fulfilling life. The purpose is to give each child an equal opportunity to achieve his or her goals. I believe that the overall purpose of education is to prepare for the future. Education is so important to one’s life that educators cannot merely teach in one manner. To truly teach someone you must dig until you find a way for him or her to completely understand. That’s why I think that teaching is going to be a great challenge everyday. As a teacher I will have a whole classroom full of individuals with different learning styles, different strengths and weaknesses, different attitudes, different lifestyles, and different motivations. Because of this, I will have to use an eclectic mix of approaches and teaching styles. As a teacher I feel it is my responsibility to prepare my students for the inevitable changes that will occur in their lives by instilling confidence and knowledge while presenting myself as a good role model. Teachers play such an important role in a child’s life, sometimes being their only source of encouragement and support. As a teacher, I want to know my students; their personality, learning style, and academic level, so I can meet their needs and create the best learning environment possible. I will bring into the classroom my open-mindedness, my respect for others, my willingness to listen before making decisions, and my love for knowledge. I hope that by ...

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A Piece of Peace Essay

The terrorist attacks on September 11th affected more than just the lives of those in people who were the direct victims of the attacks. An entire nation was victimized and the whole nation grieved for those who suffered in New York City. As the attacks occurred I sat in my high school English class and while the teacher taught I day dreamed. It was a typical Tuesday morning and to be truthful I did not ever hear her the first time she explained the tragic events that had taken place just moments ago. I heard the word â€Å"terrorists† and the fragments of statements like â€Å"hundreds died this morning when†. Then, I could only hear my heart beat in my ears. I watched my teacher turn on the TV. She flipped through several stations. I don’t remember what I saw but I can remember what I heard. It was the sound of people crying. Over the next few months, as a nation, we followed the story as did the world. I can remember President Bush attempting to comfort the United States and telling us America would be going to war for reasons that weren’t clear to me then and certainly aren’t clear to me now. Somewhere between the night of September 10th, when I was plotting how I was going to avoid school the next morning and the night of September 11th, I grew up. When I look back on that time in my life I am left with a single haunting thought – It is the pursuit of peace which leads to destruction. Even today, years after the terrorist attacks, people still talk about how that day changed everything. I agree, in some ways. It changed me and I became something new. It changed my family. It changed how American view other Americans and how we view the rest of the world. Americans have since the birth of the nation believed that their way was the best way. Americans were shocked to find out that people hated them enough to want to kill them. September 11th forced America’s to reflect on the military, social, and political actions of America and how they effected people of other countries. Perhaps American’s are not always in the right. For example, President Bush I gave weapons to the Afghan people to win a war against Russia. When the Afghan people defeated the Russian, Afghanistan was completely destroy. American promised them they will help rebuild but they did not. That is why the terrorist were able to come into the country and making a terrorist breeding ground. I don’t think that September 11th effects the way Americans conduct their lives daily. People who say it does are feeling the pressure of guilt. Society says we must not forget, and as Americans say we won’t. As a nation the citizens learned that there is a fine line between terrorist and freedom fighter- we are just afraid to admit it and seem unamerican. Those men who ran planes into building, killed Americans and killed themselves wanted only one thing – peace. They wanted freedom from the western world and choose to die. Just as we wanted independence from England centuries ago. In looking for peace they destroyed lives, families, and shook the protected ground the United States sat on. It made the country stronger but not smarter. I am anxious over the global discord and the cultural ignorance that seems to grow between the United States and the rest of the world. The problems in Iraq foretell and may spark future clashes with a number of civilizations in the future. Just recently I drove home from work and I flipped through different radio stations. I caught the end of Bob Dylan’s â€Å"The Times They Are A-Changing†. It’s funny because that is my mom’s favorite song and I had forgotten it existed. I still can hear her sing, â€Å"Come gather ’round people Wherever you roam / And admit that the waters Around you have grown /For the times they are a-changin’†, while she tinkered around in the kitchen way before anyone else got up. I don’t know that I ever really listened to the words before. Dylan knew and my mom knew things I was just beginning to. Dylan and my mom knew â€Å"there’s a battle outside And it is ragin’† and September 11th did shake our â€Å"windows† and rattled our â€Å"walls†. As a nation it’s citizens have no right to â€Å"criticize What we [you] can’t understand† and our â€Å" sons and [y]our daughters Are beyond our [your] command† (Dylan). Our soldiers fight a war for reasons no one really knows for America that would rather criticize them then help in country that does not seem to want peace. Dylan sings about the injustice in war and that we should not be afraid to speak our minds: Come writers and critics Who prophesize with your pen And keep your eyes wide The chance won’t come again And don’t speak too soon For the wheel’s still in spin And there’s no tellin’ who That it’s namin’. For the loser now Will be later to win For the times they are a-changin’. (Dylan) Bush wants peace but for his own reasons and through those reasons American soldiers are dying, and so are the Iraqi people. It is ironic that while those terrorists die nobly but ur soldiers die in such a cruel way. McKay writes in his poem, â€Å"If We Must Die,† that people should not die for nothing or by doing nothing. That death is inevitable, especially in war, but all people must fight for the things we want in this world and hold on to life and liberty as long as we can: O kinsmen we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! (Claude McKay) In the summer of 2001 I was lying in my hammock and I could see a butterfly in my backyard. I remember as a child learning that caterpillars itch and go into cocoons to find peace from that. Change in a way is a form of destruction. To be able to be someone new people have to give up their old selves and move past who they used to bee. When a child develops into an adult, he must give up his toys, his childhood beliefs like believing in Santa Claus. His childhood fantasies must be destroyed if he is to move on. In the years that followed September 11th I could feel myself â€Å"adapt to my new surroundings† (White Line 2). White, through the use of nature explores the scary nature of change: I have to shed my skin again Adapt to my new surroundings become another version of myself. The change within me does not happen overnight but through the evolution of my life (White) I was filled with American’s sense of patriotism and unity. The new American was like â€Å"the first fish that grew tiny legs† (White Line 8). Christine White’s poem, â€Å"Molting† reminded me that it was not just me that grew up, the United States did too. White’s point of view is that change is not a bad thing and is inevitable. Nearly every person around the country joined together as one united entity to pay tribute and homage to all the fallen heroes. There was a sense of harmony and peace. In way I think America, even those the terrorist attacks were tragic, knew that such an event was needed if we were going to â€Å"shed our [my] skin† (White Line 1) and become a stronger nation. As time goes by and my bad memories fade I remember America in it’s full glory. Watching the cumulative effect of humanity shining through the fire and smoke. I remember how many people spoke about the importance of peace and understanding. I wonder if there can be peace if Americans are divide both support and protest our soldiers in Iraq. The war over there caused a war here between Americans. It is the protesters protest protesters on both sides of the issues – each wanting peace in their own way. People who do not want our soldiers fighting in Iraq believe that they would be peace if America stopped butting into everyone’s business. People who are for the war in Iraq believe peace will only come after the destruction of all terrorists. In the end these protesters (on both sides) are destroying the morale and lives of people fighting in the Iraq war and are disgracing the memories of those that died. The price of peace is extremely high especially because Americans do not know if we can ever have it. I do know that â€Å"The line it is drawn The curse it is cast / The slow one now Will later be fast / As the present now Will later be past† (Dylan). I do know that America must hold her ground against the terrorists. Americans will not be tyrannized and forced to live like cowards. Even when we face â€Å"the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! † (McKay Line 14). The American fight for freedom and peace has also managed to destroy our economy. Oil prices increased, the value of the American dollar decreased, and the stock market bottomed out. When Clinton was President the stock market was well over 10,000 after 9/11 it drop well under 8000. President Bush spent the Clinton Surplus on military, and it is just now in 2006 that the stock has become stabilized. I think that our economy will emerge from this disaster and become strong once again like it was before the attacks. In the pursuit of peace and destruction, people in Americans have finally understood their place in society and were back â€Å"in the sun† (White Line 10). Not as a not as a bystanders but an active and willing participants. Americans realize that there needs to be a great deal of change and those changes have started. American citizens encourage our â€Å"senators, congressmen Please heed the call / Don’t stand in the doorway Don’t block up the hall† (Dylan). And governmental officials are making changes. I think our nation needs to help a new generation of people realize that aftermath of that day when humans lives were lost and America’s unique humanity and independence was demonstrated. This generation’s hearts were opened and turned around in the wake of airplane crashes. On September 11, 2001 many people lost their lives because men were seeking their own personal peace. Daily our soldiers are destroyed one by one for the goal of peace. The American economy struggles because of the war for peace against terrorism. Americans fight Americans over whether we should be in Iraq or not which tears apart soldiers’ pride. Before that Tuesday in September, I never thought about life and death. I never considered the consequences of war and the denial of freedoms. Now that I am older, I realize that September 11, 2001 was not just pivotal point for me but America itself. Not since Pearl Harbor had the United States been unexpectedly attacked on it’s own land. Just as families pulled together so did the United States as a whole. As a nation we cried together and we healed together. To actually witness the attacks was life changing but to be part of the healing process was life affirming.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Definition and Examples of Conciseness in Writing

Definition and Examples of Conciseness in Writing The term conciseness refers to speech or writing that is brief and to the point. In a concise composition, a great deal is conveyed in just a few words. Its not about just writing short sentences, though, but getting across the most important information economically, without  repetition, unnecessary jargon, needless details, and tangents. Concise writing keeps the reader engaged and doesnt waste his time with  circumlocution, padding, and verbosity. Without unnecessary clutter, the reader is more likely to understand the message, remember it, and even act on it, if thats the point of the piece. First Steps: Before the Draft The first steps in writing concisely overall begin as soon as the project starts, when you narrow down your topic to the thesis statement, story you want to ​tell, or message you need to convey. Before you even start drafting, you may sketch out ideas, necessary avenues of research, or plot points. Organize the best ideas in your outline, cutting some of the unnecessary before you even write a word. This enables you to target your writing and not waste time developing sections that arent necessary to the goal of the article, essay, report, or story.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Drafting On your first draft, the main task is getting through it from start to finish. During the research phase, you may have discarded or added some points to your outline, making your thesis stronger. The cutting can continue throughout composing the first draft (and beyond). Get through that first draft, composing your main points. You dont have to write it from beginning to end; sometimes its easier to start in the middle and come back to the introduction and conclusion, sprinkling in the perfect cited quotes or the tense scene of dialogue in just the right spot. The perfect quotes from sources in articles, essays, and reports can actually save a lot of words spent narrating. Watch the ratio of quoted material and paraphrased sources to your own writing, though. Use only the best material as direct quotes for maximum impact. Summarize and paraphrase your research (cite paraphrases) in your own words. The piece needs to be your work in the end.   When youre satisfied with the draft, take a break. Youve accomplished something significant. And yes, the break is necessary, because you need to come back to the piece with fresh eyes to see what can be cut next. Author Elie Wiesel describes the process this way: Writing is not like painting where you add. It is not what you put on the canvas that the reader sees. Writing is more like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate in order to make the work visible. Even those pages you remove somehow remain. There is a difference between a book of two hundred pages from the very beginning, and a book of two hundred pages, which is the result of an original eight hundred pages. The six hundred pages are there. Only you don’t see them. (Elie Wiesel: Conversations, edited by Robert Franciosi. University Press of Mississippi, 2002) Big-Picture Revision Depending on your works length, your revision step may first be large-scale trimming of sections or chapters, or you may start at the paragraph or sentence level. With a longer work, its useful to take a step back and compare the thesis statement and outline to the draft. Do you have sections, points, examples, or paragraphs that stray from your topic? Do they move the information or story forward? Will the reader still understand your point without them? We often meet large-scale cutting with reluctance, so it softens the blow to have a cuttings document. You move it rather than delete it. The work is still there if you feel later you need some bits of it, but its not slowing down or cluttering up the paper youre refining. It could even be the start of another piece later. This is where eliminating some tangents before drafting really pays dividends. Roy Peter Clark,  author of Writing Tools has this advice: [B]egin by pruning the big limbs. You can shake out the dead leaves later. Cut any passage that does not support your focus. Cut the weakest  quotations,  anecdotes, and scenes to give greater power to the strongest. Cut any passage you have written to satisfy a tough teacher or editor rather than the common reader. Dont invite others to cut. You know the work better. Mark optional trims. Then decide whether they should become actual cuts. Sentence-Level: Redundancy and Repetition After youve honed your message, the sentence level is where the scissors and scalpel come in, and the hatchet goes back in the closet. First look at the remaining paragraphs for spots where youve said the same thing in multiple ways. The area is likely something difficult to explain or complex. Solutions: Take these sentences and combine the best parts of them or start over explaining that particular point.   Example: The ability of the different bird species to eat seeds depends on beak style and shape. Its form dictates function. The beak needs to be powerful enough to break seeds, and those that eat mainly fruit or leaves may not be able to eat seeds due to their types and shapes of beak. Reworded fix: Whether different bird species can eat seeds depends on their beak style. For example, seed eaters beaks are shaped differently and stronger than those species that eat mainly fruit or leaves because seed eaters need to break hulls. The moral of the story: Dont be afraid to recast sentences to condense ideas. The beak shape and style was referenced explicitly more than needed. Your reader will be able to follow along if youre clear. And concise sentences are often more clear than wordy  ones. Sentence-Level: Wordiness Next, look for sentences that are really long. Read them out loud. Do you have to take a breath? Does the meaning get lost? Do they sound awkward to the ear? Solutions: Take out explanations put in parentheses or dashes, which send a reader on a winding path. These can be their own sentences. Break one into two to three or two long sentences (more than 25–30 words each) up into three or four. Itll help you to be clear and the reader to grasp whats going on. Recast passive voice.  Example:  Following the author’s study of The Naval Chronicle, which goes into detail on the wars with Napoleon, a trip aboard a freighter from California to Central America, and his trip back home to Britain, the first book in the series was plotted.Fix: The author studied The Naval Chronicle, which details the Napoleonic wars, and took a freighter from California to Central America. By the time he returned to Britain, hed plotted the series first book.The moral of the story: The extra-long sentence has a long parenthetical in the middle of a series of items, passive voice, consecutive prepositional phrases, and wordiness. The information flows more smoothly when made into two sentences following a more chronological path than starting with a dependent clause. Rephrase passive there is/are constructions. Example: There is a rule on the books that covers fencing styles for the homeowners association.Fixes: The homeowners association has a rule on the books that covers fencing style. OR The homeowners association rulebook covers fencing style.The moral of the story: Eliminating to be verbs automatically makes your sentences better. Getting rid of there is often also gets rid of that. Cut excess adjectives and adverbs: Will your sentence be understood without the adjectives or adverbs? Cut them, if so.   Example: She walked very slowly.Fix: She plodded along.The moral of the story:  Changing the verb makes for a stronger image. Qualifiers and intensifiers are often just filler. Other fixes: ​ Cut jargon.  Your work will be more accessible if you dont make your prose too flowery. Keep it simple.Use shorter words instead of long ones.  Cut  empty phrases  and  common redundancies.   Author Annie Dillard sums it up like this in Notes for Young Writers: Dont use any extra words. A sentence is like a machine; it has a job to do. An extra word in a sentence is like a sock in a machine.

Monday, October 21, 2019

To what extent do market failures result in a similar optimal allocation of resources to the innovation process Essays

To what extent do market failures result in a similar optimal allocation of resources to the innovation process Essays To what extent do market failures result in a similar optimal allocation of resources to the innovation process Essay To what extent do market failures result in a similar optimal allocation of resources to the innovation process Essay Innovation has a crucial impact on the standards of living in particular economy. It is generally agreed that research and innovation are the main sources of growth and job creation in market economies. i. e. output is increased through greater acquisition of knowledge. Subsequently, 2 things matter for economic growth: savings and the state of the productive knowledge (i. e. shows how productivity the extra capital will be used). The production function diagram below can illustrate this Where labour productivity per worker experiences diminishing marginal returns This diagram shows how economic growth can be realised by accumulation of capital and/or higher levels of knowledge. It should be noted that productivity growth is the difference between the growth of inputs and the growth of outputs and that technological progress is measured as residual-so that any problems with measuring inputs or outputs, will be transferred onto measuring technological progress. There are 2 movements on the diagram: a to b due to the accumulation of capital and b to c due to the growth of productivity or technical progress. The difficulty with this is that if knowledge had not changed, the movement from a to b will not have been experienced. The only reason capital has been accumulated is due to the increase in technical progress. Generally speaking technological progress generates new wealth in two ways: either through innovative process which help to increase the productivity of labour and capital and thus enable production levels to increase and/or to save available resources, or through innovative products which lead to the creation of new markets and industries and give a boost to investment and create jobs, Hence the principal source of growth is innovation. A general consensus states a positive incidence of technological progress on growth, competitiveness and employment. Enormous amounts of money are spent on innovation and studies reveal that the economic return on innovation is very high in relative terms. Reviewing the diagram on returns to innovation below can see this. Graph2 The demand curve indicates the marginal valuations of this particular product and it is assumed that a single monopoly supplier produces the goods with constant marginal costs c and sets prices above marginal costs at P. The private rate of return is B as the firm exploits its product and receives a private rate of return extended over time against the cost of innovation. The social rate of return is larger as it is the sum of the private return and consumer surplus i. e. (A+D). Better measures can be seen empirically as Nadiri (1993) concluded that the private return on innovation was usually around 20 to 30% and the average social return close to 50%. This begs the question, why are such less resources devoted to innovation even though the rate of returns to society is so high? There are many reasons to this, which I shall discuss later, but crucially it depends on the view of markets and competition. There are 3 types of views: classical (emphasis on the rate of return equalises at the competition level), the dominant view of neoclassical state of equilibrium underpinning welfare economics and economic allocation) and the dynamic view of Austrians (looks at markets as creative and focuses on innovation as an economic process and entrepreneurs as key agents). In the early 1960s various specialist agreed perfect competition was incompatible with innovation as it required huge resources and exploitation of innovation suspected increasing returns. It was typically found that industries that regarded innovation as important were concentrated industries not perfectly competitive which were consistent with Pareto optimality, Hence the reason why neoclassical firms did not optimally allocate resources to organise and fund innovation. Numerous authors like Arrow (1960), Mansfield (1968) and Nordhaus (1969) pointed to market failure- that prevent the attainment of pareto equilibria by violating one or other of the conditions for perfect competition and explained that absence of the government in the free operation of the market would lead companies to under invest in basic innovation. Market failure may be explained in terms of four aspects: uncertainties (missing markets), appropriability, indivisibility and public goods. The innovation process both generates and is influenced by uncertainty and this aspect of market failure is particularly damaging to the possibility of a Pareto-efficient allocation of resources to invention and innovation. It is the inherent level of uncertainty, which most distinguishes an R+D project from a traditional industrial investment project. Innovation entails numerous scientific, technological and commercial uncertainties, which make it difficult for financial bankers to forecast results and monitor their investment project. Put briefly, missing or future markets for contingent claims in an uncertain world do not exist in any sense sufficiently for individuals to take risks in an optimal fashion. In addition to the uncertainties, providers of capital face another major difficulty: this derives from the intangible nature of innovation and the fact that investment cost is not recoverable. Consequently, the percentage of innovation projects, which are successful and generate a return on a large investment, is usually low. Thus financial backers insist on real guarantees to cover themselves if the investment fails. It is difficult to ascertain optimal levels of innovation in an uncertain world due to the existence of information asymmetries; Stiglitz (1991) makes it clear, that the resulting unequal distribution of knowledge creates problems of adverse selection and moral hazard, which deny the possibility of Pareto-optimality. Fundamentally, innovation and information asymmetries can be regarded as one, stating not only a trade-off between static and dynamic efficiency but also that innovation and pareto-optimality are incompatible. Another market failure is appropriation externalities. They have always been recognised as a major constraint on the incentives to innovate, as investors cannot appropriate to themselves the full amount of profits, which result from their funding of research and innovative activity. Furthermore, applied and/or industrial R+D is not altogether free of this imperfect appropriablilty of profits, which investors have. Despite advances in intellectual property rights in recent years, innovative processes and products developed by companies can easily be imitated by others and in some cases with relatively little effort and capital cost. For instance, studies in Europe put the total losses as a result of imitations alone of EU companies at nearly 50billion ECU in 1994. This led to lost earnings and huge numbers of job losses. However efficient the level of protection afforded by international law, there is no question of investors being able to appropriate the entire profits from their investment in innovation; not only for the reasons stated already but also because of the powerful external factors affecting innovation activities and the indirect spin-offs from them. As, had been stated earlier, the social rate of return may exceed private rates of return, private investors only receive a small return on their investment, and therefore it is necessary for governments to act to close the gap between private and social yields on technology investment. Next, the indivisible nature of the innovation process constitutes another major obstacle to optimum allocation of private capital. If R+D activity were perfectly divisible and it were possible to predict the social and private impact of each project, it would no doubt have been easier to separate funds required between public and private capital. However, phases of the innovation process are independent and the results are often unpredictable. Also indivisibilities inherent to the innovation process imply that there are increasing returns to the exploitation of technology and that it will be necessary for firms to retain some market power if they are to recover the costs to innovation. At best, an innovating industry can be monopolistically competitive, and from this different angle, Pareto efficiency and innovation are seen to be incompatible. The, last case regards science and technology as public goods i. e. non-rival, in the sense that the marginal cost of reproducing these is negligible and their owners exercise little control over the way in which they are used. In the free market economy it makes sense for the government to find the production and/ or dissemination of scientific knowledge. But this justification of the government role in funding basic research has been challenged by recent innovative approaches because the public good attributes of scientific and technological knowledge implies that market solution to the allocation of resources to innovation will not be efficient. Economists have identified other sources of market failure such as transaction costs, the national features of some corporate governance models, the reluctance of monopolies to fund innovative work, etc. The EU introduced a science and technology policy as to corrective for pervasive market failures and also due to the emergence of the single European market. The policy emphasised obvious areas of collaboration for R+D and innovation in order to be more competitive with USA and Japan and to compete with the low wages in South America. Currently, member states are spending 1. 9% of their resources on innovation compared with 2. 5% in Japan and 2. 7% in USA. Recently, the EU set the target at an overenthusiastic 3% The policy corrects market failures in uncertainties by appropriating price structures in the missing markets and thereby reducing distortions. Moreover, missing markets imply the need for agents to form expectations on the likely private values of their questions, expectations which policy can certainly influence. Given all these difficulties, which arise from the innovation process, it would seem to be wishful thinking to imagine that scientific and technological progress could be adequately funded in all the market economies without some form of government assistance. However one needs to recognise that government intervention can fail as well. Such examples are, imperfect information, the benefit between those who pay and those who benefit, bureaucratic capture and pressure group activity. It does not automatically follow that government policy will be welfare-improving. This is particularly so with respect to innovative activates, the formulation of which entails access to detailed microeconomic and social information

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Criminal Justice Research Essays

Criminal Justice Research Essays Criminal Justice Research Essay Criminal Justice Research Essay The educational system in America is deteriorating, which has lead students to failure and unrealized potential. Conversely, in Mike Roses essay, I Just Wanna Be Average he describes not only the problems with Vocational Education, but the effects it has on kids who spend their entire educational career in Voc. Ed. In Michael Moores essay, Idiot Nation he argues that the failures of the educational system and the lack of financing has been caused by the politics and the people who vote for them. Moore’s essay is more persuasive because he adopts a tone dripping with sarcasm and true passion for his cause. Mike Rose, in his anecdotal essay on education, describes not only the problems with Vocational Education, but the effects it has on students who spend their entire educational careers in these types of classes, who like himself, as a result of a high standardized test score allowed to take higher-level classes with more competent teachers. He illustrates these points by describing coping mechanisms that students develop to make up for their lack of a (real education). He also states that those who are knowledgeable, that they are (in the bottom) of the class, will be for the rest of their lives. Instead of receiving a higher education than average to make up for their learning disabilities, they receive a less-than-average education from under-qualified teachers. Rose also points out that the impact a teacher has on his or her students is very powerful. He states students will float to the mark you set (164) students will work harder if their teachers set the standards high. Throughout his excerpt, Rose shows through numerous examples that teachers are a vital part to a student’s success in life. Seeing Rose’s credibility in his story this quote was mentioned â€Å"I see nothing (in proposed regulations) for people striving for higher standards† meaning that he doesn’t see any reasoning to put all these rules and situations on someone’s plate if they are trying to better themselves or pushing for higher standards. Rose also clearly believes that every single student have a right and can reach their maximum potential, and rise to heir own expectations Rose’s purpose, therefore, is to bring to light the problems with this program and others like it to try to catalyze some change. He appeals to his audience by using cutting expression usage and conveying through irony and emotional appeal. Moore brings to light his view on the failures of the educational system and the lack of financing that has been caused from Pol iticians as well as American corporations contribute to the decline in education. His first major line of attack is the failed United States education system. Taking educational institutions at the federal municipal to a private level. Lamenting libraries without adequate books and modernized computer devices. Naming some United States Presidents that lacked knowledge of world geography. Arguing that the most powerful leader in the free world (an American president) should be knowledgeable about all 200 non-aligned and United Nations confederation member states. Moore mesmerizes his audience by presenting horrifying facts about the â€Å"state of stupidity in this country† (156). The facts that Moore presents are very effective due to the shocking nature of them. Early in the text Moore illustrates his point presenting, â€Å"There are forty-four million Americans who cannot read and write above a fourth-grade level- in other words, who are functional illiterates† (154). This stuns the reader, who would have ever thought that in a country like this, that many Americans could be, well stupid. He goes on to give another statistic that Americans, on average, read only 99 hours a year and watch television 1,460 hours a year. By throwing these astonishing facts at the reader early on, Moore builds up the trust of his readers and also holds their attention. Teachers are evaluated yearly in most municipalities. Tenured teaching career are being phased out. Therefore, Moore combines logical and emotional appeals when speaking on the devastating nature of the condition of some of America’s schools. Throughout the text, Moore uses harsh diction to get his point across. To some readers this may be offensive but when combined with the facts that Moore presents it makes his argument more convincing and powerful. The techniques Moore uses to make his argument convincing are very effective. The logical and emotional appeals as well as his harsh diction persuade the reader to agree with Moore in his argument on the stupidity and ignorance of the nation.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Maximizing Revenues in Minor Leagues Case Study

Maximizing Revenues in Minor Leagues - Case Study Example He carried out a research to plan on how he would come up with a ticketing system that was convenient for sports fans in Springfield. The Customer Profiles The association found out that most of the people in Springfield were not fans of professional sporting events, despite the fact that the neighboring Boston city is home to some of the world’s best professional sport teams such as basketball’s Celtics and baseball’s Red Sox. Residents attended sporting events at local schools and college events. This is surprising considering the fact that Springfield is the worldwide basketball hall of fame and the birthplace of basketball. It has no professional basketball club and only one ice hockey team. Most of the diehard sports fans go to Boston to watch their favorite sport clubs playing. so for a fact Buckingham knew that there were sports fans in Springfield only that there were no enough sporting events for them to watch in Springfield so they opted for Boston. There were also the college students and little leaguers who were eager to experience professional sporting events in Springfield hence would attend matches to experience the thrill. Buckingham learnt from the general managers of sport teams in other small cities that the keys to selling the Nor’easters to Springfield residents were professionalism, fun, simplicity, and flexibility. One of the general managers called it a family fun business since it aims at both entertaining and generating enough income to maintain the teams and to pay the players. This is as opposed to how he had thought, that games won and lost would affect the attendance of the next matches, as was the case in Major League Baseball. He also knew that the reason why most of Springfield’s college populations do not attend professional sporting events is due to the pricing of the tickets, since large populations of Springfield’s residents live below the average standards of living. He then had to know the charges that would be affordable to the local baseball fans. Pricing In the survey, he realized most of the MDs in other cities prefer the pricing to be like that of other entertainment events like movies, bowling and other sporting events, it should not be so high because most of the residents mind about their usage of money and would rarely pay for expensive tickets. Buckingham also got the idea of season tickets, group sales, and individual tickets. He learnt that the three helped balance the ticket revenue. Group tickets made the most sales if they priced reasonably lower than individual tickets hence the need for prompting them with little promotions to attract local customers. The promotions would include summer camp programs and family days out. One way of keeping the ticket prices low was securing corporate sponsorship to sell stadium banner ads. Another way of increasing revenue and profits was by the use of concession sales, this include snack sales, souvenirs and arcade games, though he was not quite convinced with this offer so he decided to shed more light on it in his research. By the time, Buckingham was through with the questionnaire, there were two categories of information he decided to major on. These are price sensitivity, and sports attendance. These were the key factors that would determine the success of the ticketing process. The pricing that he would come up with would determine the attendance, which is a key issue in getting revenue. There should be keenness in setting the ticket prices to suit all the target audience. Single Tickets and Season Ticket Packages Single tickets are those which sell for every

Friday, October 18, 2019

Strategic Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 12

Strategic Management and Leadership - Essay Example To acquire more customers and retain them the company has broaden its marketing strategies. The company has put huge effort to enhance the value of the company. John Lewis partnership firm has also implemented many ways to measure the success of the company. There are many factors which help the company to achieve its goal and objectives. John Lewis did partnership with Waitrose which facilitated the company to generate more revenue. John Lewis Partnership has expanded its business to Philippines. This helped the company to acquire more international customers and make its strong position in international market. The organization maintains good relationship with its customers. By this process the company is able to enhance its customer base. The innovative culture of this firm helps it’s to motivate and satisfy its employees. Advanced technologies are used by this organization to perform its business functions. The leadership style of this company motivates the employees to de liver their work efficiently. John Lewis Partnership has developed many new strategies to improve and update their business process. The employee ownership is considered as the key to success of John Lewis partnership. John Lewis partnership have the ability to adapt according to the change in the technology and due to its fast adaptability it is being considered as the most renowned The concerned company uses various key performance indicator for monitoring and measuring the performance of the company . The sales growth is considered as the key factor for determining the performance of the market. The return on capital employed of the company has increased more than 8%. Gross sales of the company has enhanced in 2014 as compared to the previous year. Gross sales measure the density of sales of the company. It is considered as the key indicator for determining the profitability of the company. John Lewis partnership has experienced a growth in its operating margin in the

Midterm Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Midterm Exam - Assignment Example For instance, Companies that observe transparency and honesty have earned themselves a good reputation and gained a competitive well. Applying these guidelines ensure that no conflicts arise as a result of misinterpretations hence ensuring that conflicts will be avoided by all means (Julia, 26). Julia (31) outlines the guidelines for interpersonal communication is for one to develop a range of skills in communication so as to enhance their communication. One should also monitor their communication to ensure that they remain relevant, and the last guideline is the application of ethics in interpersonal communication. The physical needs, safety needs and need of belonging are the three needs that can be met through communication. This is because they involve interaction with other people and for these needs to be met communication must be enhanced. For instance, the need of self-belonging is the most important as everyone wants to feel wanted (Julia, 10). Accuracy of perceptions can be increased by avoiding to make assumptions and take the initiative to understand the other person. Avoiding to be bias and being open minded will also eliminate a lot of assumptions and provide information based on facts. Taking perceptions as being subjective rather than objective. One should also Distinguish facts from personal opinions will also lead to the accuracy of perceptions. For instance, an individual can be judged on the basis of their racial background with the assumption that people from a certain group have particular behavior. To ensure that accuracy is maintained, one should take one as an individual and understand them without making reference to their racial background (Julia, 31). One of the symbols of interpersonal communication is the society where ones social acts communicate a certain message. Self-image is also a symbol where people seek to improve their self- image and protect their reputation. Another symbol is the mind where people

See intructions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See intructions - Case Study Example More specifically, the United States ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) positively affected intermodal transportation. Enacted in 1991, the legislation supported intermodal carriers by noting high priority corridors across the country considered essential for improving the efficiency of transport (Konings, Priemus, and Nijkamp, 2008). Deregulation in the United States paved way for the movement of products as benchmarks for health and security. The United States and EU can only enact some regulation statues at various levels through courses of action that assist in securing the intermodal transportation sectors. This deregulation calls for modifications in logistics as seen with the 1980 Motor Carrier Act (Konings et al., 2008). Once approved, this regulation allowed new trucking carriers to spring up since the intermodal transpiration sector was secure for investment. This legislation was considered largely a deregulation of the trucking sector that saw a significant decline in the cost of stocking and sustaining inventories. Further research showed that this partial deregulation led to the expansion and continued growth of the United States’ trucking industry. Regulation also fosters current competition among transporters by removing price fixing. This implication is arguably positive since different carriers from the United States and EU would view it otherwise. Most EU carriers are obligatory supporters of the stronger position or new carrier of this effect of regulation (Woxenius and Barthel, 2008). On the other hand, United States carriers do not support stronger positions or new industry players incumbently. Approaches to safeguard the competitive setting of the intermodal industry are often part of this type of regulation and often only new market entrants find it advantageous. This advantage arises from the regulation’s decrease of potential obstacles to entering the intermodal

Thursday, October 17, 2019

History of the Brooklyn Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of the Brooklyn Bridge - Essay Example After 60 years of political, financial as well as technical negotiations, John Roeblings plan was accepted, the New York Bridge Company was formed and, in the year 1869, construction of the bridge at last began. In the year 1867, a group of well-known leaders formed the New York Bridge Company for the reason of constructing as well as maintaining a bridge across the East River. Via the enabling act, the Brooklyn city subscribed for three million dollars of the capital stock, while the New York City just subscribed for one and a half million dollar. The company was allowed to fix toll rates for pedestrians as well as all kinds of vehicles, getting a profit of no more than 15% per annum. The bridge was built over fourteen years in the face of huge complicatedness. Roebling died by an accident at the onset; a fire in the Brooklyn Caisson smoldered for a few weeks; Roeblings son, Washington, who occupied the post as chief engineer, endured a crippling attack of the bends during the build ing of the Manhattan Caisson, and sustained to direct operations, sending messages to the location by his wife, Emily. After the towers were constructed, a cable parted from its port killing two people; there was fraud committed by the cable contractor (Trachtenberg, 1990). Soon after ground was broken on January 3, 1870, work on the Manhattan and Brooklyn foundations. Life in the caissons was unhappy. Immigrant laborers worked in the profound foundations, paid $2.25 per day to work in perilous circumstances lacking electricity, telephones or other conveniences.

In your opinion, and according to your own personal definition of Essay

In your opinion, and according to your own personal definition of feminism, how has feminism helped or hurt our society over the past thirty years - Essay Example last thirty years it has helped society by creating greater equality for women in the workplace, normalized their position in politics, and shifted general stereotypes. One of the most impactful areas in which feminism has benefited society is in the workplace. While by 1980 women had greatly left behind the entirely male dominated culture of the 1950s, one recognizes that there was still great disparity between men and women; much of which still exists today in lesser forms. Today, however, individuals such as Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, have made staggering contributions to the employment world. Additionally, salaries for women have increased progressively. Ultimately these changes benefit society in that more of our best and brightest minds can find equal access to employment and thus make contributions to the greater good. Another prominent area where feminism has contributed to society is in the political arena. Since 1980 there has been also an increase in the amount of women running and holding political office. While a woman still hasn’t been elected President or become Vice President of the United States it seems that feminism has greatly paved the way for this in the near future. One considers that the last Presidential election featured Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate. Additionally, for a period during the primaries Hillary Clinton was a front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Although it’s clear the country still has a ways to go before females gain complete equality in this arena, it seems that feminism has made significant contributions over the last thirty years. In addition to employment and politics, feminism has also been successful in changing stereotypes surrounding women. Women have received a large amount of criticism for being overly emotional and not implementing logic or rationality to the same extent as men. Such stereotypes have been used to oppress them in the workplace and political

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

See intructions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See intructions - Case Study Example More specifically, the United States ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act) positively affected intermodal transportation. Enacted in 1991, the legislation supported intermodal carriers by noting high priority corridors across the country considered essential for improving the efficiency of transport (Konings, Priemus, and Nijkamp, 2008). Deregulation in the United States paved way for the movement of products as benchmarks for health and security. The United States and EU can only enact some regulation statues at various levels through courses of action that assist in securing the intermodal transportation sectors. This deregulation calls for modifications in logistics as seen with the 1980 Motor Carrier Act (Konings et al., 2008). Once approved, this regulation allowed new trucking carriers to spring up since the intermodal transpiration sector was secure for investment. This legislation was considered largely a deregulation of the trucking sector that saw a significant decline in the cost of stocking and sustaining inventories. Further research showed that this partial deregulation led to the expansion and continued growth of the United States’ trucking industry. Regulation also fosters current competition among transporters by removing price fixing. This implication is arguably positive since different carriers from the United States and EU would view it otherwise. Most EU carriers are obligatory supporters of the stronger position or new carrier of this effect of regulation (Woxenius and Barthel, 2008). On the other hand, United States carriers do not support stronger positions or new industry players incumbently. Approaches to safeguard the competitive setting of the intermodal industry are often part of this type of regulation and often only new market entrants find it advantageous. This advantage arises from the regulation’s decrease of potential obstacles to entering the intermodal

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

In your opinion, and according to your own personal definition of Essay

In your opinion, and according to your own personal definition of feminism, how has feminism helped or hurt our society over the past thirty years - Essay Example last thirty years it has helped society by creating greater equality for women in the workplace, normalized their position in politics, and shifted general stereotypes. One of the most impactful areas in which feminism has benefited society is in the workplace. While by 1980 women had greatly left behind the entirely male dominated culture of the 1950s, one recognizes that there was still great disparity between men and women; much of which still exists today in lesser forms. Today, however, individuals such as Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, have made staggering contributions to the employment world. Additionally, salaries for women have increased progressively. Ultimately these changes benefit society in that more of our best and brightest minds can find equal access to employment and thus make contributions to the greater good. Another prominent area where feminism has contributed to society is in the political arena. Since 1980 there has been also an increase in the amount of women running and holding political office. While a woman still hasn’t been elected President or become Vice President of the United States it seems that feminism has greatly paved the way for this in the near future. One considers that the last Presidential election featured Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate. Additionally, for a period during the primaries Hillary Clinton was a front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Although it’s clear the country still has a ways to go before females gain complete equality in this arena, it seems that feminism has made significant contributions over the last thirty years. In addition to employment and politics, feminism has also been successful in changing stereotypes surrounding women. Women have received a large amount of criticism for being overly emotional and not implementing logic or rationality to the same extent as men. Such stereotypes have been used to oppress them in the workplace and political

Thermoset plastic Essay Example for Free

Thermoset plastic Essay In this project I will design an apparatus which will hold a test-tube, basically as a showpiece. Even though test tubes are usually used to hold variables in science, I will be using it as a flower holder. My new boss at the company has asked me to make a flower vase, and has decided that the newest item in the store will be a test-tube flower vase. He has asked me that it has to be commercially viable, which will totally depend on my target audience. My main target audience in this project is the general female adult, because it would be the best area to sell a flower vase. This is because showpieces in stores are mostly bought by the female adult who wants to make a place look good by its presence. Im choosing this audience because they are the ones that most commonly use vases, and it is the place where I can make the most money. In order to do this, I will go through a whole process which is in this project. I will start of with researching existing examples, researching materials and I will go on to survey a group of people and I will go on to use the results in order to plan my design. I will go on to create my design and then I will evaluate my whole project. Overall, I will follow the design cycle in this project to create my flower vase. The tools and materials that I will use will all come from the DT lab. Materials Research In this project there are three main materials that we have the option to use, these being wood, metal and plastic. Below is some detailed information on all these types of materials: Wood: Wood is a main source of creativity, because it can be shaped and even manipulated in some cases. It is a primary way of creating apparatus/tools because it used to be abundant. Nowadays, there is a threat of it becoming rare, but because it is already such a used material it is not something that is hard to stop, especially because of the reason that the universal population will never decrease over a period of time. There are three main types of wood, namely hard wood, soft wood and man made wood. All types of wood must be seasoned before they are used, meaning that the moisture must be removed so that it is a solid. Soft Wood: Soft wood mainly comes from evergreen or conifer trees (right). They also come from trees like pine, cedar, fir, hemlock, spruce, yew and redwood. Softwoods are mainly softer than hardwoods; however there are some exceptions i. e. yews are much harder than hardwoods. Softwoods are categorized differently from hardwoods because of their different microscopic structures. There are two main elements that form the structure of softwood, namely tracheids and parenchyma. Uses: It is the main wood source used by man, because of the variety of uses it has. Softwood is the main material construction of buildings, in furniture, in windows, in mouldings, in doors and a lot of other millworks. Also, it is used for the production of paper and is turned into man-made wood i. e. MDF. Hard Wood: Hard wood trees on the other hand, mainly come from deciduous trees (right) . However, there is a group of hardwood trees that arent deciduous, known as angiosperm trees. Conducted experiments show that hardwoods are higher in density than soft woods but it has to be kept in mind that there are some examples of both groups that considerably overlap, i.  e. hardwood Balsa is softer than regular softwoods, and yew is in the opposite direction. Hardwoods can be differentiated from softwoods because of the following Characteristics. They have broader leaves   The contain enclosed nuts/seeds i. e. acorns Compared to softwood, hardwoods have a much more varied existence of species, almost a hundred times more. This also means that hardwood is used a lot more than softwood, especially in exterior work. It is also used to make day-to-day utensils, as flooring, for constructing buildings, for furniture and a variety of different things. Man-made wood: There are three main types of man-made wood, MDF, maisonette and plywood. MDF boards are known as Medium-density fibreboards. It is made by first breaking down softwood to wood fibres, and then two substances called wax and resin are combined with it. This is then used to form panels by applying on it pressure and high temperature. It is a material mainly made up of sawdust. Plywood, another example of man-made wood is created from thin sheets of wood veneers. Each of these sheets are then stacked together in a method called cross-banding. Again, they are bonded under heat and huge amounts of pressure. One of the reasons why plywood is favoured over plain wood is that it is resistant to warping, cracking, and shrinkage and is very firm. Maisonette wood is mostly used in the constructing of houses, which is why maisonette houses are existent today. Maisonette houses are basically houses connected to apartments (above right), which is where the maisonette wood is used. Metal: Metal is derived from the Greek word Metallon and is a readily formed element with positive ions which make up metallic bonds. On the periodic table, a diagonal line from polonium to boron divides up the metal elements (left). Elements below the line are metals and elements above the line are non-metals. However, elements along the line are known as metalloids or semi-metals. Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals: There are mainly two types of metal, known as ferrous metal and non-ferrous metal. The word ferrous is derived from the Latin word Ferrum which means containing iron. This shows that ferrous metals are the ones that contain iron whilst non-ferrous dont. This is a common way of dividing metal because it is the easiest way to decide which kind of metal you need, because the differences between these two groups are clear and obvious. Ferrous metals are the ones that usually rust, and they are the stronger and heavier. On the other hand, non-ferrous metals are the ones that dont rust because they dont contain iron, and are lighter and softer. Non-ferrous metals are those which are a mixture of metals (known as alloys) and do not have iron. Examples of them would be copper, aluminium and brass. Brass is an example of an alloy because it is a combination of copper and zinc. Examples of ferrous metals include: tin plate, cast iron and mild steel. Plastic: Plastics are a general group of apparatus that are created by the combination of oil, salt, air and water. Plastics are defined as a group of (natural) organic or synthesized materials that can be shaped when soft and later when they are hardened. The word plastic is derived from the word plasticity because of the fact that many of them malleable. In other words they are capable of being extended or shaped by the force of some kind of pressure. When applying plastic, there are two main types: thermo-set plastic and thermo plastic. Thermoplastic: Thermoplastics are characterized as being soft and pliable when heated. This means that it will melt when heated and it will turn into a glassy, brittle state (like that of ice) when cooled down sufficiently. Thermoplastic heat can easily be shaped by heat. This kind of plastic is usually used for packages, especially ones like PBS, polyethylene, polystyrene and acrylic (right). Thermoset plastics: Thermoset plastics on the other hand, are the complete opposite. They are stronger, much harder and heat resistant. They cannot be shaped with the use of heat, but at the same time they are very brittle pieces of apparatus. These kinds of plastics are usually in the form of a liquid or powder before being designed and moulded. Compared to thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics are harder and are best suited to higher temperatures. Like thermoplastics, thermoset plastics cannot be recycled by re-melting or remoulding the plastics. Examples of thermoset plastic include: polyester sine, poxy resin and melamine (right).

Monday, October 14, 2019

Treatment of Labourers of Banana Workers

Treatment of Labourers of Banana Workers Bananas are one of the most common food in our todays world, they have a lot of nutritional values like vitamin C and A, also calcium. Banana is one very essential food because of its nutritional value, that causes workers and organizations to put in a lot of work into harvesting and transporting it. Most of the time, we give little concerns to the farmers who are not given fair treatment for their services. The question is now, are we inconsiderate consumers for ignoring the fact that laborers are not paid accordingly or thats not our responsibility. We can be fair consumers by ensuring that something is done about the problem? In this essay, I would discuss more about the social and environmental issues regarding the geographic flows of bananas. Bananas are grown and harvested in tropical regions. According to community.plu.edu, Bananas were originally found in South East Asia, mainly in India(2007), they are also predominant in Latin American countries like Chile. Bananas moved from South East Asia to the West, aided by Arab rulers, found its way to Africa and the Caribbeans, its final-destination. In the Caribbeans, bananas are harvested for 9 months. According to banana link, Banana growing is, in general, labor intensive (BANANA LINK). It involves clearing cutting of jungle areas, they are then harvested by cutting the bananas in bunches, then they are packaged and exported to countries like Canada and the United States. As the bananas are transported to other countries, they are kept in refrigerating ships and factors like temperature and humidity are regulated to make sure the bananas are in perfect condition. During this transportation process, some issues surrounding the ONE Banana industry may arise. Some of the iss ues are due to unfavorable weather conditions, mismanagement or careless packaging. Some of these issues may lead to poverty, hunger for the laborers because they wont be paid in full or even deforestation. numerous issues combine, contributing to further deforestation, environmental degradation, poverty, hunger ( Anup Shah, 2001). The production of Bananas has a lot of economic benefits for the source countries because of its high demand in other parts of the world. Bananas are also number four on the list of staple crops in the world and one of the biggest profit makers in supermarkets, making them critical for economic and global food security (Shah, 2001). Bananas have become such a common, inexpensive grocery item that we often forget where they come from and how they got here (shah, 2001). Due to our ignorance and lack of concern the laborers of this crop, especially in third world nations continue to be treated as outcast/unfairly even though they are the ones who do most of the work needed to ensure the growth of bananas. Barely up to 30% consumers know of how the laborers responsible to produce bananas exposed to severe conditions such as violation of human rights and child labor. Banana workers in Ecuador are the victims of serious human rights abuses, Human Rights and child labor (Human Rights Watch 2016). Little growing children of about ages 5 to 9 are forced to work under dangerous and hazardous conditions and whenever their parents complain about it to their bosses, they would be shunned or their pay would be cut short. Some environmental issues relating to the production, import and export of bananas are: deforestation, soil erosion, destructing of habitat of wild animals and loss of soil nutrients. During harvesting periods, the soils are likely to get affected, depending on the method of banana harvesting used (cutting down of the whole tree). Also, the means of transportation used to transport the bananas contributes to pollution. The trucks and planes used to transport it from one place to another releases smog which contaminates the air. The production of mangoes has a similar process to that of banana. They are both grown and harvested in South East Asia and some countries in Africa like Nigeria. These two commodities are fruits with similar nutritional values, so they can be used for the same purposes, making of fruit juice. Another similarity they is that the farmers that plant these crops arent treated with consideration. They are exposed to a lot of unfavorable working conditions yet their pay doesnt match up to their services. Their human rights are violated because they have little or no say/liberty. Their growing children are also subjected to child labor, so they can get more money to take care of their family. The difference in the production of these two products is that in terms fair trade of bananas, the huge profit that is made from the banana proceeds are usually shared among the large farming organizations, while the smaller farmers get little to nothing from the proceeds. In the case of fair trade of mangoes, the profit made from the proceeds are shared equally amongst all the farmers involved. Based on my analyses, there is enough to evidence to show that most laborers are not treated fairly, especially those in third world nations. We as consumers should stand solely for free trade and fair treatment, we can do this researching more on the products we consume. If we do this the government would be left with no option but to ensure that there is no bias among laborers.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Effective Airline Security Measures Are Overdue Essays -- Essays Paper

Effective Airline Security Measures Are Overdue As far back as 1955, terrorist threats against the airline industry have jeopardized the safety and security of airline passengers. This paper chronologically describes some of the events that caused preventive measures to be proposed and in fewer cases implemented. The fact that there is a terrorist threat against our nation’s airline industry has not changed, but the methods that these radicals employ to bring harm to travelers has grown much more sophisticated. The techniques in use by the government and the airline industry to prevent a catastrophic event have not kept pace. As the events of September 11th unfolded, it became obvious that the havoc a well-planned terrorist attack could wreak on a nation, or even the world had been taken to a new level. Nothing these terrorists did was novel, yet the idea of a well-coordinated attack using commercial aircraft as weapons of destruction was completely new. Now, as the images of hijacked airplanes plowing into the World Trade Center are still fresh in our minds, we must take full advantage of the emotion and will of the people as well as technology to bring effective airline security measures in line with current and future threats. Effective Airline Security Measures Are Overdue. How long does it take the United States to counter a threat to commercial aviation? In the case of a bomb stowed in luggage in the belly of an airliner, the answer is nearly half a century†¦and counting. In 1955, a man placed a bomb in his mother's suitcase and blew up a United Airlines flight over Colorado (Rohrlich 2001). Although not recognized at the time, this was the beginning of a new form of terrorism, a new crisis for our nation to face. This crisis was crystallized on March 9, 1972, as a jetliner took off from JFK bound for Los Angeles. Moments into the flight, an anonymous caller stated that there was a bomb on board that flight. The plane immediately returned to JFK and passengers were evacuated. A bomb-sniffing dog detected an explosives device just 12 minutes before it was set to detonate (Federal Aviation Administration, 2001). Seven months later, the Department of Transportation created the K-9 Explosives Detection Team Program (Federal Aviation Administration, 2001). This was the first widespread measure taken to combat the threat of blowing up commercial a... ... opposed to making the humans look at all luggage and each passenger individually. References Cohen, L., Barens, M. (2001, September 13). Checkpoint screeners weak link in system. Retrieved December 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-01-09130336sep13.story Dunn, R. (2001, September 26). Reinforced cabins, armed guards: the El AL model. Retrieved December 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.smh.com.au/news/0109/26/world.html Federal Aviation Administration (November 24, 2001). External Security. Retrieved November 24, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://cas.faa.gov.edtp.html Hiltzik, M., Willman, D., (2001, September 23). How did U.S. Airport Security Break Down. Retrieved December 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-092301 airsec.story Murphy, D., & Brinkley J. (2001, September). Rethinking Airport Security. Retrieved December 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://.nytimes.com/2001/09/19/nyregion/19airp.html Rohrlich, T. (2001, November 5). A Gap in Aviation Security. Retrieved November 25, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://latimes.com/new/nationworld/nation.html

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Notes from Underground Essay -- Book Review, Dostoyevsky

One word that has come to represent the mid-18th century Enlightenment movement is â€Å"Reason†. The French philosophes believed that reason could provide critical, informed, scientific solutions to social issues and problems, and essentially improve the human condition. Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground is one of the most famous anti-Enlightenment novels for its rejection of these very notions. Through this novel he showed what he believed were gaps in the idea that the mind could be freed from ignorance through the application of reason, and the rejection of the idea that humankind could achieve a utopian existence as a result. The story revolves around the thoughts and rants of an unnamed character that we shall refer to as â€Å"The Underground Man.† In Dostoevsky’s time, the term "man" or "men" referred to all humankind, and the Underground Man seems symbolic of what could happen to mankind should the endless application of reason take over. Dostoevsky seems to be making the statement that rationality is indeed useful for analyzing situations but is ultimately damaging to the self if focused on constantly. Reason does not, as many Enlightenment thinkers believed, free man but instead takes something away from the essential human existence. It reduces us to something that can be scientifically explained, forcing us to lose a fundamental piece of what makes us human in the process: â€Å"All human actions will then, of course, be classified according to these laws – mathematically, like a logarithm table, up to 108,000 – and entered in a special almanac†¦with such precisi on that there will no longer be any actions or adventures in the world† (24). The Underground Man suggests that the one â€Å"most advantageous advant... .... This complexity causes him to doubt every single decision and make any type of action impossible, which is why he believes only narrow-minded people who are not able to question their actions are the only ones who can act with confidence. Taking all this into consideration, it seems impossible that excessive reason and consciousness will eventually lead to progress – it will do just the opposite, when using the Underground Man as an example. One can find much anecdotal support in Notes from Underground that this is an anti-Enlightenment novel – far too much to be included in this short book review. Even from the few examples listed here and through the Underground Man’s discourse throughout, it is easy to see the explicit rejection of the Enlightenment notion that reason would free man’s mind of ignorance and set humankind on a path to a utopian existence.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Analysis on my Favorite Poems Essay

Dorothy Parker’s poem entitled â€Å"One Perfect Rose† is a simple verse that talks about the joy of the narrator. Despite of all the odds and confusion, she remained happy with the rose that she received. The narrator is not actually contented with what she has because she wants more than what she already received despite of its â€Å"perfection,† but she tried to be satisfied with it. The main theme of the poem is joy or happiness. Like many other woman, the narrator was very happy after receiving a very special and perfect flower just for her from the one she loved. The phrase â€Å"One perfect rose† was scattered all over the poem to justify the happiness of the narrator that happens in reality because we used to express our happiness by saying a certain thing often that delighted us. The author used irony or comparing two things with different identity or individuality such as rose and limousine also leaves and heart. Based on my interpretations, I have seen that the author wanted to show the distinction of the two terms as well as its similarity. In realism, a woman wants to enjoy herself riding a limousine after receiving a flower. From this, she feels that she is the most beautiful woman ever. On the other hand, the existence of metaphorical heart of the narrator’s man as it refers to the leaves shows irony because a leaf drops once it began to pale, which is different from a loving heart that became stronger and dignified even if it is the only one who loves. Those literary terms in the poem made me think of its sense in a deeper manner. Even if the author already gave all the details without making her readers think or imagine the emotion of the narrator, she used literary terms to make each stanza complex by showing ironies, metaphors, simile, and images or symbolisms that hides the true meaning of the poem. From here, I can say that the poem is nice and understandable that made its readers capable of reading the poem without any boundaries of uncertainties. My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke Theodore Roethke’s poem, entitled â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† shows the life of a boy within the hands of his father. The author wanted to convey a deeper meaning in his poem. By way of reading it, I can see that it was not just a simple learning of dancing that made the narrator struggled into his father’s authority. From learning how to follow his father’s dance step signifies his pursuance of obeying his father as well as making his life the same his father’s life. The main theme of the poem is fear. The narrator was afraid to counter-attack his father from all its way of educating him but he could not do anything because even his mother could not talk or act against his father. Based on my interpretation, the author wrote this poem because he experienced the same pain and struggle of his narrator. Readers could feel each situation and waiting for the next occurrence that can happen. The poem has no resolution at all. This verse illustrates the entire situation without any act of resolving the conflict. The father is the only authority because both the child and the mother could not speak for their rights. From this, I can also say that the author justified a simple way of describing a woman and child abuse that happened within a family that many could not able to perceive. The author selected literary themes to show the emotion of the narrator as he described his experience while â€Å"dancing. † Within those literary themes is the resemblance of fear and unknown future that awaits the child. I have felt the senses and attempt of the narrator to escape but he could not because of his fear and inability to pursue his life alone. From this, I can say that I thoroughly understand each line and stanza that the author wanted to interpret that brought me a new light of this kind of situation that happened in the society that many of us could not understand. The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy The poem entitled â€Å"The Ruined Maid† by Thomas Hardy shows the struggle of a maid within her employers. The author showed and discussed the life of a maid without happiness but always failure. The author used two different characters in the story to show the emotions of a maid by using her friend. The author utilized jargons or terms that usually used in African-American community. Through this, even if the author did not state the physical characteristics of the maid, it shows that it refers to the Blacks by way f acknowledging the usage of words and terms in the whole poem. The author putted different literary terms or symbolisms to justify his claim about the ruined maid. Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks; / And now you’ve gay bracelets and bright feathers three! (Hardy 6-7). These lines showed that work of the maid was not just to clean a house or to take care of the children, but becoming like a farmer. The metaphorical symbolisms of potatoes and bracelets also docks and feather shows the evolution of the maid’s life and â€Å"prosperity. † By comparing the bracelets and potatoes, the bracelets are light, beautiful and clean while the potatoes are full of dirt, hard, and dark. It shows that the life of the maid progresses from being a potato to become a bracelet. The maid also becomes a feather that was led by the wind even if she was already ruined. Despite of the uncertainties, the maid leaves her painful and sorrowful life in the hands of his master to find her self and new beginning alone. These literary terms made the poem more fun and entertaining. As I have read the poem, it gives me the right kind of laughter that I can feel while imagining the characteristic and lifestyle of the ruined maid. Because of this, I enjoyed every line and stanza of the poem because of the symbols, images, ironies, similes, and metaphors that exist all throughout the verse. From this, I can say that the author’s intended audiences in his poem are the middle-class people especially the Blacks because despite of all the struggles and pains that they went through, they still have the capability to laugh and entertain their selves. Conclusion As a whole, these poems are not just simple verses. They are social constructs that we usually take for granted. They are also part of realism that we tend to ignore because these occurrences exist commonly. However, if we look at the content and its context in human society, we can perceive each scenario as a sensitive issue that we need to understand and tackle. Through this, we can demonstrate some solutions to these complex problems to avoid or at least lessen its existence within the society whether it came from the minority or majority communities that we lived in. The importance of these poems is not only to entertain us but to give as the right perspectives and justifications of the â€Å"simple† truth. References Hardy, T. (2005). The Ruined Maid. Retrieved 19 February 2008. http://rpo. library. utoronto. ca/poem/926. html Parker, D. (n. d. ). One Perfect Rose. Retrieved 19 February 2008. http://www. web-books. com/classics/Poetry/Anthology/Parker_D/One. htm Roethke, T. (n. d. ) My Papa’s Waltz. Retrieved 19 February 2008. http://gawow. com/roethke/poems/43. html