Saturday, August 31, 2019

The weak are forced to create alternative realities Essay

The brain is a crucible: a melting pot of intersecting ingredients that forges a reality that is deceptively the same, but often vastly different for each individual. That reality is a construct is a fashionable term these days; it means that we tend to see reality from a particular frame of reference. There is always a context, whether it be political, social or cultural. For those who are unable to construct a satisfactory reality, it is then that they are forced to create an alternative reality, perhaps that fulfils their dreams and meets their views and values. In the words of cognitive neuropsychologist Kaspar Meyer, â€Å"what is now clear is that the brain is not a stimulus-driven robot that directly translates the outer world into a conscious experience. What we’re conscious of is what the brain makes us be conscious of, and in the absence of incoming signals, bits of memories tucked away can be enough for a brain to get started with†. Reality for each individual differs according to their past experiences and memories, as well as what they choose to perceive to be true. Those with weaker frames of minds – such as individuals suffering from mental disorders, or solely living under delusion – tend to create alternative realities in order to escape the harsh truth. Consider the materialism of the post-war United States. Motivated by prosperity and wealth, all Americans were expected to achieve the profound ‘American Dream’, of which Arthur Miller critiques throughout his play ‘Death of a Salesman’. The play’s lead character Willy Loman struggles to face the true reality, but instead, chooses to believe he is leading the life he had always dreamt of. Willy believes himself to be the best salesman of his company, claiming he is â€Å"well liked† by all, and â€Å"vital in New England†, when in fact, his true reality proves to be quite the opposite. Willy struggles to pay his mortgage, as well as fails to support and provide for his family. Despite his favourite son Biff finding the words to call him out to be what he truly is – â€Å"(a) fake†¦ (a) big phoney fake† and â€Å"a dime a dozen†, Willy remains ignorant towards the truth. Willy’s alternative reality provides him with the motivation to continue his life, despite the loss of his job and loss of  respect from Biff. Alternative realities provide temporary relief from the harsh truth of reality, which is sometimes necessary for those who are considered mentally weak. It is often easier to support the alternative realities created by the mentally weak. Due to their mental state, disregarding what they believe to be true can carry several consequences. In ‘Death of a Salesman’, Willy’s wife Linda remains supportive throughout her husband’s delusion. He claims she is his â€Å"foundation (and) support†, which is simply conforming to the expected role of a 1950’s housewife. Another example includes the 2010 movie directed by Martin Scrosese titled ‘Shutter Island’, which clearly highlights the importance of accepting the alternative realities created by the mentally weak. The film’s protagonist Teddy Daniels believes himself to be a U.S marshal assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island mental institution. However, in true fact, Teddy is actually Andrew Laeddis, one of the institution’s most dangerous patients they have because of his delusions and his violence towards the staff and the other patients. Andrew (or Teddy’s) delusion created an alternative reality in which he was able to escape the truth about his murderous past. In order to support his alternative reality, the staff at the institution developed a scenario in which Andrew was able to live out his delusion, therefore preventing the otherwise dangerous psychological effects of his true nature. If Andrew was in fact exposed to his true reality rather than living as his alter ego, he may have not been able to survive, hence proving the importance of supporting a mentally weak individual’s alternative reality. Alternative realities may not always be negative. In these cases, the alternative reality protects the individual from harm or negative attention due exposing their true self. Consider the death of Whitney Houston, or the even more recent Robin Williams. Despite their true reality consisting of depression and substance abuse, these two renowned celebrities developed and maintained an alternative reality to allow others to portray them as role models and successful artists. In the case of Robin Williams, his severe  depression led to his suicide. As a comedian and successful actor, Williams was perceived by the majority to be a motivated happy man. In true fact, despite working to ensure other people were laughing, he was diagnosed with severe depression, to the point where he eventually took his own life. Robin William’s alternative reality forced others to see him as he was not, but without the negative attention of showing who he really was. In Whitney Houston’s case, despite her perception as an iconic successful singer, her alternative reality consisted of a cocaine addiction to the point where she drowned in a hotel bathtub. Following their deaths, the public was finally made aware of who they truly were, regardless of what we had previously perceived them to be. Alternative realities such as these can be crucial to ensure happiness and satisfaction for the individual, without highlighting their true selves to the world. Those who are mentally weak tend to create alternative realities in order to avoid their true selves. Whether they are living within a delusion – such as Willy Loman – or suffering from a mental condition – such as Andrew Laeddis, (otherwise known as Teddy), alternative realities may be beneficial for the individual, however difficult for others to accept. Due to individual differences in realities due to social, emotional, cultural and political factors, each person must construct a reality that is most suitable for their views and values, even if that results in alternative realities being created. In the words of author Mignon McLaughlin, â€Å"a critic can only review the book he has read, not the one in which the author wrote†, and therefore we cannot judge an individual’s choice of reality or alternative realities without experiencing it ourselves first hand.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Marketing and Its Components Essay

Environmental analysis of UK: In order to achieve success in implementing some marketing plan, PEST analysis plays a major role because it allows the organizations to do a complete analysis of political, economic, social and technological aspects of the organization and the evidence can be taken from the example of Tesco UK. The success factor of Tesco can be analyzed from the marketing strategy it has assumed in order to deal with the potential customers of United Kingdoms. However, this company has taken all the basic concepts of marketing under consideration while making its strategic plan. Here is the PEST analysis of Tesco UK. Political: The organizations which have political backup and keeps the political aspects under consideration while marketing its service get promulgation within no time. For instance, Tesco is an international supermarket; its policies are always compatible to the regions in which it provides its services. In UK, it has also kept this thing under consideration and that’s why, got exceptional response from the customers. In this regard, following steps have been taken: †¢It has fulfilled legislative requirements of United Kingdoms †¢There is no violation of Labor law, environmental law, trade law, health and tariff restrictions †¢Policies have been developed keeping the political scenarios under consideration †¢Tesco has also developed its own ethical and sustainability policy keeping the national ethical policy of UK in view Economic: Since UK market is one of the most sensitive markets of the world, economic sustainability is another factor that needs thorough analysis in order to deal with any marketing situation. Most of the consumer within UK requires a product that suits not only their lifestyle but also their budget. Though brand loyalty and trust is also a positive factor that can be regarded as a strong reason for the success of this organization, still some consumers find it difficult to buy costly products. Tesco UK has also kept this thing in view and provided different solutions in the form of competitive prices and sales. However, the economic analysis of Tesco indicates †¢Potential investment of company authorities within UK †¢Payment of taxes on each product †¢Adoption of sensitive price strategy †¢Paying interest rate †¢Extensive participation in regional economic growth Social: The analysis of social factors of Tesco UK is as followed: †¢Targeting young people for product marketing †¢Increasing demand of the international products due to increasing migrants †¢Multi-cultural customers †¢Bargaining power of customers †¢Safety issues like inability of customers to understand product precautions Technological: As far as technological factors are concerned, Tesco has also kept this aspect under consideration while marketing its services in United Kingdoms. †¢Automatic payment system †¢Auto-checking while entering and exiting from supermarket †¢Use of electronic system for cash and balance †¢Implementation of safety cameras in supermarkets †¢Wireless devices †¢RFID Control of Tesco over environmental factors: As far as the environmental factors that are beyond the control of Tesco UK are concerned, it is the competitive forces, suppliers, customers, inflation ratio and technological advancement which have affected sustainability of Tesco in one way or other. Competitors: Potential competitors of Tesco UK are as followed: †¢Wal-Mart †¢Costcutter †¢Carrefour As far as online competitors are concerned, they involve †¢Ebay UK †¢Amazon UK Customer: Another aspect that is beyond the control of Tesco UK is bargaining power of customers. The demands of customers vary with the passage of time and Tesco UK has to assume change management strategy keeping the changing demands of the customers. In this regard, the factors that can affect Tesco directly involve †¢Bargaining power of customers †¢Recession †¢Limited budget of customers †¢Changing requirements according to the trend Inflation ratio: Inflation ratio is another aspect which is beyond the control of Tesco UK since there are several factors which contribute in such cases and if this supermarket gives potential discounts on each product that threats the sustainability of their relation with suppliers. However, this thing is controlled to a small extent through providing different packages and sales in low seasons, Technological advancement: Since with the advancement in technology, consumers are also attracting towards online shopping, online platforms have taken the position of strong competitors. A consumer seeks ease through purchasing products from online portal that can deliver the objects at home. Though Tesco also has its own web portal yet the technological advancement makes it complex for this organization to adopt appropriate strategy in each country. However, through adopting timely change management strategy, this organization can deal with such situation. Section 2: Creating and sustaining competitive advantages: Tesco is the third largest grocery store of the worlds and there are ample potential competitors which can be regarded as the core competent of this organization. However, still this organization has been gaining competitive advantages through sustaining and assuming competitive advantage strategy. As far as the core competitors of Tesco in this industry are concerned, Wal-Mart and Carrefour are two leading organizations that compete with Tesco on global level. The reason why it had remained on third position is that it had initiated its service after a long time. However, it is the competitive advantages which it has sustained in regional as well as global competitive market that it has been positioned on third rank among all supermarkets of the world. As far as the strategies in order to gain competitive advantage are concerned, there are several creative and sustainable competitive strategies which can be developed in order to gain competitive advantage in this industry. In this regard, Porter’s generic strategies can be utilized because all the successful organizations like Wal-Mart and Carrefour have gained such position only through assuming exceptional competitive strategy. The first strategy that can be promulgated in this regard is cost leadership strategy which would enable Tesco to offer its services and products to not only national but international consumers and markets in lowest cost. For this purpose, they would also have to control the overall cost of the operations so that they can easily maintain investment and this price control strategy never affects this organization in one way or other. Through assuming this strategy, Tesco would be able to generate not only potential profit but also competitive advantage as well. If Tesco would use differentiation strategy as indicated by Porter, it would enable this organization to offer its products and services to its customers promulgating unique features and value added services that would attract potential customers a lot. This would also give competitive advantage in the form of brand loyalty of customers and double profit. Differentiation can be generated through assuming novel technological feature, providing value added service, exceptional customer service etc. Another option to create and sustain competitive advantage in local as well as international markets is market penetration. For instance, for Tesco, it might be difficult to assume differentiation or cost leadership strategy since it requires price maintenance. It can also make its marketing sources exceptional. For this purpose, as indicated in Ansoff Matrix, market penetration strategy would prove ample lucrative. It means this organization can gain competitive advantages through penetrating in existing market, find potential sources for promulgating its products and services and then focusing on internal efficiencies in order to come up with the requirements of the consumers. Nevertheless, Tesco can gain competitive advantage through assuming cost leadership and differentiation strategy in global market since it would enable this organization to compete with global giants. However, market penetrations strategy would work if this organization wants to create and sustain exceptional position in local markets like that of United Kingdoms and China. However, it cannot be stated that Tesco used to utilize such strategies without doing market analysis. In this regard, Tesco does market analysis through assessing its market position and contemporary ratio of market growth which enables it to analyze which strategy would enable it to compete on global as well as local level and in this regard, the significance of BCG matrix cannot be neglected. Some organizations used to employ all these strategies collaboratively and consider that there will be competitive advantage that is a wrong notion. That’s why most of them stuck in the middle and ultimately find it difficult to sort out the best option. This is not the case with Tesco since it’s a global organization and its management has exceptional expertise in dealing with such kind of situation assuming the best strategy that can generate passive competitive advantages. Hence, these are some of the potential options which an organization can utilize for competing with the strongest competitor in its relevant industry but before assuming any particular strategy, the organization needs to have its portfolio analysis as well. the examples of Tesco, Wal-Mart and Carrefour can be taken as evidence in this regard since Tesco has assumed strategic option through analyzing its contemporary position in global market and hence, gained successful position as well, Section 3: Product life cycle: A product life cycle possesses different stages like introduction, growth, maturity and decline. However, the marketing strategies vary according to the changing stage of product life cycle and the organizations that use appropriate strategic options according to the requirements of the contemporary scenario, get success in product marketing. On first stage, organizations used to apply marketing Mix elements in which, it suggests specifications of products, appropriate price, promotion strategies and place where it can gain successful position. Different examples can be seen in the form of Toyota motors, McDonald fast food industry and Tesco service providers in this regard. For example, Toyota wants to launch one of its product, the initial strategy that it would adopt will be determining price specifying promotion strategy and place, promulgating product specifications. Product: design, specification, how it works, extra benefits of using it etc Price: initially the cost would be low since this new product would take time to make its position in the markets. Promotion: this section would indicate promotional strategies like launching product providing value added services Place: this section indicates the best market for promulgating new vehicle like United Kingdoms, Canada etc. The second stage is referred to as Growth stage. At this point, the strategic plan differentiated through assuming growth strategy like market development etc. For instance, when Tesco opened new store in China, it achieved growth status through developing market and for that purpose, it affiliated itself with one of the regional supermarkets that enabled this supermarket to have potential growth in new market. The third stage is referred to maturity stage. On this stage, the product or service got its mature status and for its sustainability, different strategies are adopted in order to maintain its position through assuming change management strategy if required. Market penetration strategy is considered the best option in such cases since through constant penetration in market, the contemporary position of the product and service is analyzed. For instance, in UK markets, environment changes are uncertain and this thing affects the requirements of consumers. So, Tesco UK constantly do market penetration in order to sustain its position and cope with competitors. Last stage is referred to the decline stage and it is considered the death of the product. However, some companies assume differentiation and diffusion of innovation strategy in order to sustain its product and regain its mature stage. The example can be taken from McDonalds India. Its product for non-vegetarian though gained ample success in the beginning but soon, customers fed up with it. McDonalds India assumed differentiation strategy and attracted customers through introducing vegetarian burgers and deals. Diffusion of innovation strategy: Diffusion of innovation is one of the effective strategies that can regenerate lost position of a product. Through promulgating product marketing its innovative features, organization can easily cope with decline stage of PLC. There are several examples which can be quoted for proving the authenticity of this strategy With the propagation of KFC and PizzaHut, customers transformed their concentration from McDonalds and this thing affected its profitability ratio badly. The management of McDonalds contemplated to regain its position and ultimately found diffusion of innovation as the best source to deal with this issue. Finally, they introduced McFlurry which attracted most of their customers back. Hence, this thing not only made it possible for the organization to get its customers back but the profitability ratio also increased simultaneously. Hence, marketing strategy plays a major role in developing and sustaining products or services in local as well as global markets but along with using innovative strategy, the organization should also have potential to assume change management strategy according to the contemporary requirements.

Comparison Between Two Poems By Two Different Poets About London †Wordsworth and Blake Essay

William Blake and William Wordsworth’s poems have influenced people from all over the world by the feelings that each of their poems have expressed, the ability which the poems have of captivating the reader’s attention and the variety of differences each of the poets have with each other as well as the different perspectives each poet sees the world. William Blake as well as being an English poet, was renowned for his artwork and for his engraving. With these fairly random abilities and talents, Blake cold creates a unique from of illustrated verse. Born on the 28th November 1757, as the son of a hosier, Blake grew up as a Londoner and lived in London for the majority of his life where most of his inspiration as an artist in both poetry and painting originated. Beginning his life as a poet at an early age of twelve it is seen that Blake was able to give and show his views of London and its population as both a child and as an adult. Much of his work symbolises religion as many forms of animals and other forms of species. His contradictory view on life with poems like; ‘the Lamb,’ and its other half ‘the Tyger,’ show life and feelings from different perspectives. William Wordsworth was also an English poet who was the most significant of English romantic poets. Born later than Blake on 7th April 1770, he lived in a family of high status unlike Blake. He went to school at Saint John’s College where he was inspired by its places of scenic beauty in his poems. His love for his family also provoked him to write poems also, for example the poem ‘To My Sister.’ Wordsworth never deepened his meanings of his poems as much as Blake but nevertheless did they show lack of depth. The first poem ‘London’ by William Blake tells us only that the poem is about London. It is obviously difficult to make any predictions regarding what the components of the poem are, but it enables the reader to assume that it is a topic Blake considers very seriously. The first line: ‘I wander thro’ each charter’d street†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ more or less points out that the poem is in fact one of Blake’s experiences, as if he himself is telling a story in a lyrical sense. The words: ‘I wander†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ stand out very much compared to the remaining part of the line. It gives the impression that the poem is a personal feeling of maybe angst or depression of the poet about living in a city such as London consisting of a fairly large population that at times it becomes overcrowded and people are unable to withstand themselves from feeling the same depression as their neighbours would feel. Or perhaps, because of living in the city for so long Blake had witnessed the sadness of his fellow Londoners as the words: ‘And mark in every face I see Marks of weakness, marks of woe†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ indicate. The technique of which is considerable effective and a tactful approach used by Blake so the reader does not suffer from boredom by usage of the invariable words. The pun of the repetitive word ‘mark’ or ‘marks’, means in the first line it is used, that Blake had noticed the emotions revealed by the Londoners’ faces and taken into account from indication in the second line the signs of weakness and woe that seemed to burden ‘every face’ he saw. His creativity of maybe exaggerating what he truthfully had seen also ‘marks’ the reader with the same weaknesses and woes that can felt by the people being described in the poem. The next two verses become even more depressing and unfold into a deepening pessimistic view of London and its inhabitants. Blake still exaggerates his views on London, for example: ‘every Man†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘every Infant’s†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘every voice†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This overemphasis of these nouns also brings out the imagery of the scene about every person feeling what is said in the poem. However the most emphasis is on the line: ‘The mind forg’d manacles I hear.’ This is a good technique used by Blake as the word ‘manacles’ means a device for shackling the hands or something that confines or restrains. In this part of the poem however, Blake indicates that he hears ‘mind forg’d manacles’ which in this poem signifies that he was probably being pinned down or handcuffed in his mind symbolising in a way a form of depression because of the unhappiness which he saw and he himself felt from the cries of men, and the cry of fear of infants and the voices of bans. The third verse continues the form of dramatic melancholy with the words: ‘How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry Every black’ning Church appals;’ Refers to only one chimney sweep and not ‘every’ chimney sweep, as was the case at the beginning of the poem. Religion is brought into the poem here by references to the Church. However, these churches are portrayed as quite the opposite to what we would probably expect in the twenty-first century. In this poem, Blake conveys them to appal the cry of the Chimney sweep rather than show concern for the boy. Where it says ‘black’ning Church’, Blake could be trying to show that the churches were turning a blind eye to the suffering population of London as the colour black is usually associated with and symbolises death and hard-heartedness in our society. The remaining lines of the third verse which draws attention to soldiers could imply that Blake was trying to link together the suffering of people to the ‘Seven Year War’ which had affected Great Britain greatly during Blake’s period. In this particular part of the verse, Blake indicates that maybe the number of people suffering extends to the outskirts and beyond London. The last lines of the verse: ‘And in hapless Soldier’s sight Runs in blood down Palace walls.’ is a good use of imagery used by Blake. It is obvious that the blood, which runs down the Palace walls, is the blood of the dying or dead soldiers. The reason for this particular image is that Blake is trying to suggest that the blood being on the walls of the Palace is another way of conveying that the soldiers of the war had been the Palace’s responsibility and them dying had caused them to be guilty of their deaths and the blood horrifyingly reveals this. The last verse of the poem seems to portray a very enigmatic view to the reader. It brings the poem to a tense end. Words of destruction are used in this verse, for example: ‘Blasts’ and ‘blights’. This verse tells more of a story than the other verses. It seems to depict the story of a young prostitute ‘a youthful Harlot’ who owns a child of whom she causes to cry and for this reason, as well as her ‘plagues’, which could indicate a sexually transmitted disease, she cannot marry and so Blake uses the last words: ‘Marriage hearse’ showing that she has no chance in marriage because of her problems. The poem written by William Wordsworth portrays a completely different view to that of William Blake. The poem is considerably optimistic and, unlike the disturbing story Blake was articulating, Wordsworth was giving a description or his account of London and the view with which he could write a poem with. As Wordsworth was a poet who was inspired to write poetry from his love of nature it seemed only a natural thing to do to write an account on what he saw of London while on a coach to France. The main difference to Blake’s poem on London was Wordsworth’s opening line: ‘EARTH has not anything to show more fair:’ in which he seems also to exaggerate what he sees as Blake had but in a sanguine manner. as Blake also had done, Wordsworth had used imagery about what he saw of London. He uses rich words to portray a more regal city than that of what Blake saw, for example: ‘majesty,’ ‘glittering,’ ‘bright,’ ‘smokeless,’ ‘beautifully,’ and ‘mighty heart.’ The imagery that he used was: ‘This City now doth, like a garment†¦.’ which indicates that like a dress on a woman fits well, the beauty of the City of London also fits the scenery which Wordsworth saw. He had probable seen the City in the morning when everything had been quiet as the words: ‘Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!’ Many people across the world even in the time of Wordsworth would hardly ever refer to London as being calm. The description of nouns and some by adjectives such as: ‘Ships,’ ‘towers,’ ‘domes,’ ‘theatres,’ ‘temples,’ ‘smokeless air,’ and ‘river glideth,’ create a clam and sweet mood. The poem is not so much created by the people who live in the City but only of what Wordsworth had seen which then makes the poem unreliable if the reader wants to find out about what the people who live in his poems are like. He talks also to God about the splendours that he sees and how calm he seems to think London is. ‘Dear God! The very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still!’ This indicates that Wordsworth may believe that London is a place where there is opportunity. In some cases this can be agreed but in others it just shows how much a look can deceive. The poem which affected me most was the poem by Blake. The interesting parts of the difference of these poems were that they were written at different times, Blake’s before Wordsworth’s, and that they both emphasised on different things. Wordsworth’s poem even though very descriptive and managing to capture the reader’s imagination was not as effective as Blake’s because Blake showed more of an insight to London which many of us in our society would and will never see. The way in which he was able to tell the story of only a few people’s lives yet it seemed it was happening to everybody was equally effective. Hi use of imagery and puns made the reader think more about what he was feeling and how he was seeing London more than Wordsworth’s poem. Another interesting perspective of these two poems was the fact that how much the view of a person living in London could differ so much from an outsider looking into the city.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Islamic Accounting & Financial Reporting Assignment

Islamic Accounting & Financial Reporting - Assignment Example The risks towards one’s life, wealth and health are growing as numbers of incidents and thefts are growing in all parts of the world but these threats are more severe in the case of Islamic countries where terrorism and unlawfulness is rising all the time (Lapidus, 1996). The whole idea behind Islamic Takaful insurance is to legalize and Islamize the notion of insurance (Maysami & Williams, 2006). The conceptual framework of Takaful insurance is not a new one because Prophet Mohammad had implemented it fourteen centuries ago. However, the featured concept is based on mutual cooperation of all the policyholders (Wahab, Lewis, & Hassan, 2007). The funds are gathered and then deserving policyholder is paid by all others so that he or she can get through a rough time. The responsibility of each policyholder to pay the suffering partner is found to be stemming from ethics and humanity. No legal measures are taken in order to bind policyholders to help each other. The Islamic teachi ngs promote charity and genuine concern for others and the emphasis on the need to assist those Muslims who are going through rough times increase manifold in Islamic teachings and Quran. The policyholders usually do not help those partners who did not help them in the difficult period of life and it is also considered totally acceptable by Muslim Scholars as human relations are based on rule of reciprocity. The Takaful insurance challenges the presence of interest which according to teachings of Islam promotes exploitation and social inequality in the society. Moreover, it is imperative to note that Takaful insurance is not a very powerful tool of moneymaking right now and therefore, the companies engaged in this business have to get themselves ensured with other conventional service providers in order to remain afloat in the industry. Additionally, most of the Muslim capitalists do not consider the notion of Takaful insurance viable in nature because according to them, it ignores

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Consultant report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consultant report - Assignment Example ive management of time, all necessary activities are most likely to finally come to a halt and thus, result in increasing work stress (Hosseini, Nourbakhsh & Sepasi, 2013). Specifically, in cases of present world business scenarios, time is given a premium priority. In this context, the ‘Pareto Principle’ comes into the picture. This principle was mainly implemented with the intention of improvising the studies related to management principles and techniques (Backhaus, 1980). Multiple managers of big business organizations find this principle very effective in terms of problem identification and controlling the functional factors, which directly or indirectly contribute towards the effective utilization of resources. As per this particular principle, effective allocation of input resources significantly helps in bringing about improvements in the quality of output (Huffstutter & Smith, 1989). There are various other models and theories that have been developed gradually and even chronically in pursuit to manage time more efficiently and minimize the level of stress amid the workforce to the desirable extent (Bickford, 2005). Few of the most prominent theories and models will be assessed in the discussion henceforth, providing effective consulting to the organization involved in offering financial services and functionalities in to a substantial volume of customers. As the organization has been witnessing rising demand from its customers’ end, greater work pressure is burdened over the employees, which in turn increases their stress making it more challenging for them to manage their time efficiently. Hence, this consultation paper will aim at assisting the organization with certain remedial strategies to manage the stress level amid the existing workforce. Time management can be described as a process of effectively managing and scheduling time for successful completion of projects or activities. Depending on the functional complexity of this financial

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

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

Interpersonal Communication Skills - Essay Example With the innovation in the era of technology, it is exigent to grasp, memorize, espouse rapidly and the usage of effective communication. One is required to furnish leadership in its growth, for the interest of time, cultivation, evolution and accountability. It is also significant to fathom that communication through various mechanisms, contraption and modes gives different defiance and ruminations. It is through conversation that individual's memorizing principles and policies and the growth of shared meaning associated within the citizenry of rules and observance. Dialogue empowered communicants to reconnoiter their identity within the community, employed in conventions, make drift of their experiences, and cultivate a feeling of intimacy. Conversation helps the participants to enhance the chronicle of the locale and each individual appendage of that locale, which furnished a varied magnitude to their own growth. Finally, this authorized the participants to scrutinize the connotation they deduce of their surveillance and co-operations vis--vis the individual, the community, and the profession.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Collaboration in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Collaboration in Business - Essay Example Effective leadership steers the community towards achieving the set objectives of which can be customer satisfaction, profit maximization, market dominance among other business objectives. The goals and objectives of the business community will provide a frame work for laying out the policies and guidelines that will be used for running the community. Collaborative business communities employ collaborative problem-solving techniques to enhance their performance. The individual business goals and objectives of each member have to be put into consideration when formulating the overall goals of the business community (Welborn & Kasten, 2003). In order for a business to successfully collaborate with external partners it should have the ability to successfully collaborate internally. A business firm should develop strategies and practices that enable the culture of collaboration internally (Welborn & Kasten, 2003).This may be done in various ways such as inter departmental collaboration w here each department has mechanisms for dealing with their other counterpart departments effectively. Collaborations can also be exercised within the firm’s management structure whereby at each level of management there are effective methods of collaboration that ensure the smooth running of activities within the business. Barriers that may be encountered in collaborations such institutional, legal and psychological barriers should be anticipated and preventive measures taken in advance. Institutional barriers involve the internal activities of the individual potential member. These barriers may arise due to the internal policies of the potential member of the community such as their policies on expansion whereby they might not be interested in expanding to the level that will result from the collaboration. When it comes to legal barriers, these are barriers that may arise due to the legal framework of the country that the company is. For instance in for the multi – na tional firms, the firms intending to form the collaboration might be located in different countries with different set of laws regarding the activities they intend to engage in as a collaboration. The psychological barriers are related to the mindsets of the potential customers of the collaboration, the present customers of the individual members, their employees and other stakeholders. Some might have a negative attitude towards the company that is being brought into the collaboration and these might have an impact on issues to do with sales, worker motivation incase of the employees. The legal framework of the countries intending to form the collaboration should be studied especially concerning the practice of business collaborations and measures should be put in place to ensure that the potential collaborators do not contravene the law. For institutional barriers between the members intending to form the collaboration, they should be both prepared to cede some ground regarding th eir internal policies so as to successfully build the collaboration. Finally, the potential collaborators can carry out consumer and employee education in order to inform them of the potential impact that the collaboration will have (either directly or indirectly) on their lives in order for them to make informed decisions (Welborn & Kasten, 2003). The collaborative communities should deliver tangible value to each member, to ensure engagement and commitment to the common goals, and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Managing Human Resources-Phase 2 DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Human Resources-Phase 2 DB - Essay Example For the individual, we should not make the assumption that everyone’s motivation is the same. While someone just starting out in his/her career may have long-term goals, a professional with 20 years under his/her belt will bring a different set of needs and desires to the position. It is helpful to understand each team member’s background when determining what motivates them. For the team, we should consider what kind of a sales and support structure we would like to create. At NL&S, we already have an exciting message of growth. We can supplement that message with customer service and follow-through. We have had some issues at NL&S related to customer service. It may make sense to tie the customer service people to our sales team—there will be more on this in the recommendations (Levine, 2004). Finally, we need to motivate not just the top performers, but the mid-level performers as well. It’s easy to give the top sellers great bonuses, but they were motivated to sell (or talented enough) anyway. By reaching to the middle level of our organization, we can pull them up with the proper motivation to exceed our expectations (Clive, 2007). The first thing we should do is interview the salespeople one-on-one. I would suggest that I sit in on each interview, in order to provide additional input and to listen from a different perspective. The primary reasons for this interview will be To determine what motivates the individual sales reps: talk about their top three items. I would expect, from a survey of literature, that they want to belong to a winning team, look good to their friends, family and fellow workers, and be well-compensated for good performance. To determine if there are any barriers to their better performance. We will concentrate on product and sales knowledge, problems that they may be encountering with our organization, our products, or our customer service. Since sales reps are

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Racism in the White Dog Film Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Racism in the White Dog Film - Assignment Example As demonstrated in the movie, â€Å"White Dog,† racism is seen to be a deep-seated issue in the society in which every race harbors some resentment against other races. The film was highly criticized across the United States for its racist views. The White Dog is a movie that demonstrates racial conflicts and disparities. At the beginning of the movie, actress Julie Sawyer finds a stray white dog that she takes gives treatment and goes looking for the owner. She is unsuccessful in tracing the owner hence she ends up having the dog with her. A rapist attacks Julie one night but the dog protected her. This makes Julie decide to adopt the dog despite the fact that her boyfriend was opposed to it. In advancing the racial theme, the dog happens to have been trained against the black people. In the process, it ends up killing a black truck driver as well as Julie’s colleague (Pearl 11). This demonstrates racial discrimination; the reasons for targeting only the blacks in a negative way reveal the black race in a bad light. Apparently, the dog was trained in order to attack black people that it came across. However, despite the dog being seen to be a racist or having been trained to be a racist, it goes further to save Julie from the hands of a rapist irrespective of their tribal affiliation. There is a variation in the perception of characters towards racial prejudice. Julie was one of the characters that outstood in developing an intervention towards the situation of the white dog. She realized that the dog had some training that did not go well with her expectations. This made her embark on looking for a dog trainer. The first one she meets is called Carruthers, who also harbors anti-racism thoughts hence he recommends that the dog should be killed.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Local population rights to boost economy through tourism in government Essay

Local population rights to boost economy through tourism in government restricted areas - Essay Example A country's prime area that consists of natural and cultural interest gets assigned the status of a protected area at a national level and also international level. Therefore, much tourism takes place in these areas as the tourists are curious on why the area needs to remain protected. Countries that have protected areas usually do it to preserve their natural and cultural heritage. For instance, countries in the UAE restrict most of their sites to people who are not dressed according to their culture. The women are particularly affected by this as they are required to be in covered clothing and hijab as a sign of respect for the culture. The local population in these places has been having endless debates with the government concerning the restrictions of uncovered women in the areas. The women do not have to cover themselves as it is not part of their culture or tradition. The restrictions have led to these areas not receiving as many tourists as they would be receiving if not for the limitation.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Raising children can be stresful Research Proposal

Raising children can be stresful - Research Proposal Example Is parenting stressful or rewarding? Do you have the joy of parenthood? Or does parenthood leaves you with shattered dreams? Parenting is a heroic act and can be very stressful. You may be a stay at home or a working parent, single or married parent, mother or father, with one or several children, if you remain to stay cool, calm, and with full of vigor, you will be able get through the day (Child Development Institute, 2007). Children can be stubborn, grumpy, sensitive, angry, manipulative, wild or simply plain difficult. They always thought no other but themselves and they have an unpredictable temperament that oftentimes leaves you at a loss (Perry, 2008). The attitudes of your children leave you stressed and desolated. However, most of the time, it is on how we label our children makes parenting stressful. When a situation a parent should have with the child cannot be controlled, it is necessary that an appropriate approach on how to cope with the stress you have with your child should be embraced (Perry, 2008). These are: (1) Teaching your children limits and healthy self - expression; (2) model problem - solving strategies; (3) empathize with your children; (4) breakdown challenges into smaller steps; (5) project confidence in your child; (6) shape good, mature behavior, and (7) seek professional help. To avoid having violent and stressful environment with your child, it is important that the following must be observed: (1) offer your children the love and attention that he needs consistently; (2) make sure that your children are properly supervised; (3) show appropriate behavior to your children by the way you act; (4) do not apply physical punishments; (5) stick to your rules and disciplines; (6) teach your children about the dangers of firearms; (7) keep them away from violence (APA Online, 2008). Like adults, children also need to have love, care, attention, and

Five Things Your Fingers Tell About You Essay Example for Free

Five Things Your Fingers Tell About You Essay Purpose: To inform the audience about what their finger length tells about them. Theme: How to know more about yourself using your ring and index finger. Thesis Statement: Finger length cannot be an indicator of what or who you really are because it just informs us more about ourselves through our fingers length. Introduction: Hello there! Guys, did you know that your index finger is the best one to lose? Although it seems you need this finger more than any other, hand surgeons say that this is the best one to lose if you had a choice given by terrorists. But wait! Don’t lose it yet! Listen to me first and look at your fingers. Did you know that the length of your fingers can indicate how healthy you are, your sporting ability and even your sexuality? Body: It is thought that prenatal androgens affect the genes responsible for the development of fingers, toes and the reproductive system. High levels of androgens, such as testosterone increase the length of the fourth finger in comparison to the second finger. It is also important in the development of masculine characteristics such as aggression and strength. Evidence is growing that the length of your fingers can tell you a lot about yourself. So here are the five things your fingers say about you. Your sexuality. The most obvious thing the length of your finger tells you is your sexuality. Scientist from the University of California taught that higher levels of androgen in the womb influence both finger length and sexual orientation. According to the study, mens ring fingers are normally longer than their index fingers, while in women, ring fingers are normally shorter or tend to be the same length as their index fingers. A study also showed that lesbian women also tended to have more â€Å"masculine arrangement†-that is, they had shorter index fingers. Comparison between all men showed no differences. Only gay men with several older brothers had an unusually â€Å"masculine† finger ratio-in other words, they had significantly shorter index fingers. Homosexual men without older brothers had finger length ratios indistinguishable from heterosexual men, indicating that factors other than hormones-such as genetic influences-also contribute to sexual orientation. That you make a lot of money, or not. Researchers in Cambridge discovered that stock traders with long ring fingers made more up to 11 times their earnings than colleagues with shorter ring fingers. Again, this can be chalked up to higher testosterone, which can make men more assertive and likely to take risks. According to a new study, having a relatively long ring finger, augurs well for success in those high-stress financial arenas where fast thinking, good reflexes and good-old fashioned guts matter most. A long ring finger indicate greater exposure to testosterone in the womb which in turn gives â€Å"high-frequency† traders a biological leg up by encouraging the development of the right mix of mental attitude and physical skills for making money in a cutthroat business. How good you are at sports. Men and women whose ring fingers are longer that their index fingers are more likely to have an aptitude for sports. The correlation is particularly strong says finger expert Dr. John Manning, in middle and long distance runners. Those who have short index fingers may also do better in playing tennis and soccer and they are also more likely to be left-handed. That you are good at math. It has long been known that boys tend to do better on math tests while girls do better at writing, reading and verbal tests. Scientist behind this study suggests that measurement of finger length could help predict how well children will do in math and literacy. Scientist at the University of Bath found that children with masculine ring fingers- that is, long ring finger than their index fingers, do better in math tests than in literacy tests. Alternately, children whose second and fourth fingers are the same length perform better in literacy tests. Again, this is because of hormones called testosterone and estrogen. Testosterone lengthens ring fingers and is associated with greater math and spatial functions, while estrogen lengthens index fingers and is associated with greater verbal skills. If you are prone to arthritis. Researchers at the University of Nottingham have now discovered that arthritis could be connected to the hands. Having a ring finger longer than an index finger nearly doubles the chance of developing osteoarthritis in the knees and hips. And according to the study, the risk was grater in women than in men. Conclusion: Fingers are really significant to all of us and it is impossible for us to live without them. These things are facts gathered from the studies that can help us to know and inform ourselves better. But still, you yourself can define what or who you really are even without knowing these facts. These ideas that I have brought onto you are just guidelines. Your finger length differences won’t exactly define who you really are. Our health always depends on our lifestyle. Our future is the reward or the consequences of what we are doing in our present, it is in our hands not on our fingers. Let me end this speech with a quote by Fred Dehner, â€Å"The best helping hand that you would ever receive is the one at the end of your own arm.†

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Impact of Culture on Identity

Impact of Culture on Identity How does the culture we are born into effect the kind of person we become? Culture plays an integral part in an individual’s life. Various aspects of life are governed and influenced by the culture including the social behavior, norms, and the influence over the judgment and decisions. I particularly believe that culture is a prominent aspect of life and subsequently has to do with the kind of person we become in our life. The testimonies to the influence of culture in one’s life is apparent by some aspects as follow, the culture to which a person belongs has a strong influence over his thoughts and ideologies, the culture manifests his ability and potential of the work he does, the culture reflects his social behavior and the way he responds to various predicaments. On the surface, it shapes our life and our vision for how we look at the world. Culture is dynamic it keeps changing, its surface appearance is deceptive, what you see on the surface isn’t necessarily what is under it. Therefore to determine the effect of culture on an indi vidual is often complicated and there are some implications which are to be accepted without questioning, that is to say the effect of culture on people vary and affects us vividly. However, I am going to fret that it affects us in a positive manner. The culture has a strong influence over our thinking, ideologies and understanding. As thinking is one of those aspects that keeps vacillating and growing with in us, shaping our life every time we learn something new. And the culture is one of those attribute which helps in augmentation of our cogitation. Some of the culture which observe open-mindedness are often more likely to grow and develop faster than the others who observe conservativeness. This model of thinking will ultimately affect the development of an individual, hence the one with open-mindedness will grow faster, and this is apparent by taking the example of USA’s and Vietnamese culture. The one who belongs to an open-minded culture will always be ready to take risks and accept the opportunities he is provided with, because such aspects are deeply etched in their culture and resultantly would be exhibited in the individual [1]. So by taking example of two contrasting nations like Vietnam and USA one can witness the force and potent of culture, that how it shapes the lives of the living entities residing within it. In the novel â€Å"Fallen Angels† the protagonist-Perry makes a statement that, â€Å"We were supposed to smile a lot and treat the people with dignity. They were supposed to think we were the good guys. That bothered me a little. I didn’t like having to convince anybody that I was the good guy. . . . We, the Americans, were the good guys.† (Page 112 Fallen angels, Walter Dean Myers)[2].This statement shows the thinking of Perry which has been influenced by his culture, making him think that they were the good guys, just because they were helping others for their own independence. But they failed to see the other side of it and the repercussions it would bring. That is to say â€Å"we only see and understand what our culture teaches us†. Educational phase is an important stage of life, and sometimes it can be linked with some aspects of culture. Some cultures are often considered to be more superlative when it comes to intelligence and understanding of its students. Some of which are indeed in reality, while some aren’t, but relying on such generalized and over-simplistic ideas is dangerous. But if viewed from my point of view, the effects are positive. That is to say, if a person represents a culture where intelligence and understanding are the aspects embedded in them, in a culture where education is considered to be an important aspect and is meant to be achieved, then the student would be of greater knowledge and understanding in the end, which would eventually help him in becoming a better person in life. This aspect of intelligence is either governed by the genetic inheritance or the surrounding environment prevailing the society, an alluding outcome of the culture. Furthermore, sometimes when others don’t meet the boundaries of expectations and anticipations set by us, developed through the thinking we gaine d by our cultural understanding, we often consider that as cue that either we are different or they. As we can see from the above mentioned examples how the thinking is influenced by the culture surrounding us and resultantly and ultimately affects the kind of person we become in future. Secondly, the cultural values manifests how we deal or respond to the conflict or harmony that is omnipresent around us and also how it shapes our understanding about them. In the novel â€Å"Fallen Angels† Perry had to go through many phases of exasperation and intimidation, but every time he seemed to be responding each situation differently. When he was in hamlet on pacification, he encountered a Vietcong who was trying to shoot him but he couldn’t because his rifle wasn’t working, Perry stood petrified wondering what to do, but finally it dawned upon him that in order to save himself he had to shoot him. At first he wasn’t ready to shoot the Vietcong because he viewed war as â€Å"immoral and senseless killing of people†. But he responded according to the requirement of the predicament that is he finally killed the Vietcong. I surmise that, indirectly his response towards Vietcong was influenced by his cultural values. Explicitly stating, the cu lture had taught him how to respond to each situation, that â€Å"it’s not always about responding in a perfect way, but rather responding in a manner the predicament requires and deserves†. In addition, after doing the research on culture of other country (Vietnam) and understanding them through a different perspective, I have also developed a sense of understanding and a respect for their cultural values and how it has transformed them in spite of their ignorance toward knowledge. Considering my response towards their culture as an example in itself, it can be made apparent that my response isn’t an instinctive one but rather an acquired one, because â€Å"that’s the way I was brought up, to see the goodness in others neglecting the indecency that occurs in it simultaneously†. The origin of the response can be deeply rooted in my culture itself as it has nothing to do regarding my knowledge itself. Furthermore, in â€Å"Hamlet† by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is confronted by the ghost of his father, asking him to avenge his death. The audience of that time had accepted the event unquestioningly, the question was not whether the ghost really existed or not, but perhaps was it actually the king or a wicked soul masqueraded. But if a similar scene were to be placed in front of the audience of present time they would be reluctant to accept the ideas regarding the ghost, on the contrary they would disregard the originality and seriousness of work. This won’t be considered as an outcome of evolution in the human minds, but perhaps a development in the cultural teachings and understandings, for how we have been brought up to respond to or view such events. So this were the some form of the illustrations, for how cultures trains our reaction to respond to a conflict, not necessarily conflict but rather our response towards the happenings in our surrounding . And lastly, culture is also an important body controlling the manifestation of our social behavior, etiquettes, attitude and the potential of an individual to strive or work for something. Learned behavior is the foundation of human cultures and the transmission of this behavior ultimately powers the wheel of development of human culture. Human behavior produces cumulative changes in the society, and the constantly changing society requires constant behavior adjustments. Simply stating our demeanor and attitude are neither static or nor deterministic, it chiefly depends on the changes in the culture. In an interview conducted in Canada, a Chinese elder man pointed out that he hasn’t experienced any conflict since the last 40 years of his life [*]. Among one of the possible reason for his denial, one would be seeing the cultural preferences and differences in society through lens of harmony and mutual respects for others, which is the result of his Confucian upbringing. This at titude and perception of the Chinese was eventually a result of his cultural values, which helped him in becoming a wise and knowledgeable person in his life. His culture had taught him about the attitude he should have towards his own culture as well as for the other cultures. Now to demonstrate the influence of surrounding culture on our disposition, let’s take an instance of culture of Vietnam and India, if a boy was born in a Vietnamese family but his upbringing allegedly happened to be in Indian family, than the boy rather than getting accustomed to social behavior and etiquettes of Vietnam would tend to get accustomed to that of Indians. And fundamentally would demonstrate the attitude and disposition of a typical Indian. So the point of my insistence is that our surrounding culture demonstrates the way we would behave and how our attitude would tend to be. Now rather than using chop-sticks while eating, he would insist upon using his hands to do the same activity. And while greeting people instead of bowing and handshaking he would do Namaste (a gesture formed by joining two hands and bringing them down to chest). Now, an illustration of influence over our potential or our ability to strive for something. In Indian culture, the â€Å"sants† [3] (a person who attains the highest state of enlightenment by meditation and worshipping god) are considered to be an exponent of the Indian cultural values. They only strive for achieving salvation in their life, regardless of how tempting objects you place in front of them, they don’t develop desire for them. Consequently if there is no desire in the mind, they won’t be worried about it and also if any desire arises they won’t feel ease without shunning it. My point of emphasizing the idea is that that their commitment towards their works is so determined that they would never deviate from their path. The aspects of their potential and that of their outstriven ability are an exa mple in itself, if viewed from my point of view. In no other culture in world, would you find such adamant people. Their deterministic demeanor is a result of the cultural values. Again taking the culture of Vietnam and USA as a point of justification, in Vietnam children are encouraged to solve math problems mentally rather than using the calculators, but they do not consider this as a sacrifice and also their education system emphasizes more on morality rather than independent thinking. On the contrary, the Americans try to make their life as easy as possible by using technology. Also their education system emphasizes more on independent thinking rather than morality. So the inference which could be drawn from this happening is that both the culture are approaching the same work, but they have two distinct ways to achieve and strive for it. In conclusion, it is obvious by now that the way of life a person would live in future is derived chiefly from the cultural values and aspects of the specific group he belongs to. The three specific reasons I used for justification of my thesis are as follow, firstly the culture has strong influence on our ideologies and thinking, in a broader sense we as a person are an outcome of our thinking and ideologies. Secondly, culture demonstrates our way of responding to various conflicts and harmony prevailing in the society, dealing with conflicts is an important dimension of life and eventually and indirectly our response generated towards it is determined by the culture we are influenced by or born into. And lastly culture is the primarily body, that demonstrates our disposition, attitude and the potential and ability to strive or work for something. Just like economy and country, culture is also one of the most important dimension of our life. Cultures are not just about traditions, f ood customs, languages, dress etc. but perhaps, it has a broader horizon than the literary context, which requires a great deal of understanding and contemplation as a whole. Cultures are like underground rivers flowing within our lives, which gives us messages and teachings, shaping our perception, judgments, attribution and ideas for self as well as others. â€Å"We as a whole are inseparable from culture†. Work cited: *Lebaron: Mediation and Multicultural Reality.Lebaron: Mediation and Multicultural Reality. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 201 LeBaron, Michelle. Culture and Conflict.Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Information Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: July 2003 . Cultural Influences and Education.Cultural Influences and Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. How Cultural Differences May Affect Student Performance.GreatSchools. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. Myers, Walter Dean.  Fallen Angels. New York: Scholastic, 1988. Print Shakespeare, William, and David M. Bevington.Hamlet. Toronto: Bantam, 1988. Print. From what I have experienced and understood in my life about different culture. The novel I had chosen for my culminating task. The ideas explained in the holy book of Indians â€Å"Vachanamrut† Note: while writing the essay I had to make certain implications, and also I used my experience as point of justification in certain matter.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Comparing the Stars of Bright Star and Choose Something Like a Star Ess

Comparing the Stars of Bright Star and Choose Something Like a Star Keats "Bright Star" and Frost's "Choose Something Like a Star" although similar in their address to a star differ in form, tone and theme. The latter contains an illusion to the former that brings Keats' themes into the poem. In order to compare these poems it is necessary to look carefully at their themes and constructions. "Bright Star" is a sonnet in traditional iambic pentameter. Its tone is elegiac as it celebrates the woman's beauty and his love for her in his plea for steadfastness. The poem opens with an apostrophe to the star which calls our attention to his plea. The verbs "would" and "were" indicate his wish to be like the star whom he addresses as "thou." The star is "hung" in the night, a pleasant image, and he uses a simile to compare it with Eremite, a hermit, who presumably sat apart from the world watching. The eyelids of this star (the star is given anthropomorphic qualities) are eternally apart -- always watching, "patiently" and "sleeplessly." Keats then enumerate s what this star watches. It watches water -- which is also steadfast as indicated by the comparison "priest-like." The waters that surround the land Keats says are performing ablutions or cleansings and blessings on the land. The star also gazes upon the snow. He uses the metaphor of snow as a "mask" (more personification) as it hides the mountains and moors. The "m" alliteration emphasizes the falling of the snow. The repetition of "of" underlines the parallel structure and idea of the two scenes the star regards. The rhythm of this 2nd quatrain is slow and peaceful like the scene. Then Keats puts a "No -- " w... ...t not only continues the "poetic tradition" but adds all the depth of meaning of Keats' poem to his own. The star doesn't want much of us -- only to stay above us. He says that "when the mob is swayed" or when social, political, or moral upheaval takes place and the norm is to be radical, the star likes being above it all, condescendingly regarding the earth. When this happens, we should "choose something like a star" and concentrate on it. In the final line the similarity between "stay" and "staid" emphasizes that we must emulate the star in being constant and moderate while society may revolve around us in social or political turmoil. This "staidness" is our key to survival like the stars'. Therefore, one can see that these poems although similar in their title and central image of the star differ in their themes, form and treatment of the author's ideas.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Life Behind Things :: Psychology Technology Personal Narrative Papers

The Life Behind Things Free: this is how human beings living in democratic societies describe themselves. The general idea, nowadays, is that as long as you are considered equal and are able to voice your opinion and defend your own beliefs, the power is in your hand. Gone are the chains of repression and tyranny that permeated ancient times and enslaved whole societies in the prisons of silence and immobility, forcing them to surrender all of their power to the ruler. All that is left now is one word, resounding gloriously in the back of our minds every time we compare our current situation with that of the past: freedom. I used to feel that liberation every day, especially when I learned about foreign societies that had "remained" imprisoned by unscrupulous leaders who refused to relinquish their power and wealth to the people, however needy the latter were. Political police, torture, propaganda: all these horrifying stories whirled in my head and inevitably brought me back to the same evident conclusion, the fact that I was lucky to inhabit a "modern," "Western" country, and that my freedom, both compared to these unfortunate people and in absolute terms, was unlimited. Indeed, I had never felt any pressure of any kind to act a certain way, or hold specific beliefs at the expense of my own ideas. The origins of such a view of the world were the innate thought that only another human being, especially a man-have we ever seen a female dictator?-could take away my personal power and control my actions. For what else could? Such had been my state of mind when I came to NYU-sixteen years spent holding the firm belief that I had control over my actions, probably silently injected in my mind by my proud parents, as well as by the French society in general and all that it entails: the media, school, politicians. It pervaded my mental life, and I whispered this doctrine to myself, as though humming a baby nursery rhyme, probably pacifying my unconscious claims the way the soft lullaby would console a newborn baby, making his tears subside and causing him to forget why he was weeping in the first place. I had never considered and thought about my life in other terms. Originally not wanting to question this whole system of ideas, which would unavoidably cause great chaos in my mind, I started thinking about the recent turn that my life had taken, a few weeks ago.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Iroquois Essay -- essays research papers

Nothing is so fundamental yet so important to the freedoms we enjoy as Americans as the United States Constitution, which guarantees our right to do and say as we please so long as it does no harm. The Iroquois Federation preamble describes the purpose of the government set up by the government in their statements the emphasis is placed on perfect peace for the welfare of the people. Their focus was fighting for, the liberty of the people. Among the Indian nations whose ancient seats were within the limits of our republic, the Iroquois have long continued to occupy the most conspicuous position. The Iroquois flourished in independence, and capable of self protection, long after the new England and Virginia races had surrendered their jurisdictions, and fallen into the condition of dependent. Nations they now stand forth upon the canvas of Indian history prominent alike for the wisdom of their civil institutions of the league. Only the Iroquois had a system that seemed to meet most of the demands espoused by the many parties to the debates the Iroquois certainly have a considered the influence on the drafty of our own constitution, and we present day Americans owe them a very large debt. At the time of the founding of Iroquois League of nation, we have only the early stories, which was passed down from generation until such time as a written language existed. We only have stories that were passed down form generation to generation until such time as there was a written language and interprets available to record that early history. Early explores and colonist found the Iroquois well establish as they had been for many generations with a democratic government, with a form at religion that acknowledged a creator in heaven; with a strong sense of family which was used on, and controlled by their women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1744 an Iroquois leader, Canassatege, had an idea. In presenting the idea to his assembly, he realized that no one was listening to what he had to say. He suggested that they should form an umbrella group that consisted of thirteen colonies. The thirteen colonies were derived from the thirteen cousins of the Iroquois people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He mentioned each colony could keep his authority and the thirteen colonies could speak to each with one voice. Many years later the United States family developed this idea... ...ded for quick land acquisitions on order to serve the interests of the restless white frontiersmen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Working the legal structures of the United States as well as through demonstrative activities, the Iroquois nations are trying to regain some of their land and protest their rights. They are people with tremendous sense of endurance and inner strength. Their persistence as a viable and cohesive culture is a monument to human values that have meaning in spite of persecution and defeat, by a military strong culture. The league of the Iroquois lives on a testimony to freedom, for all that care to examine it. Its spirit endures as a vision and a good for betterment of mankind. References  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lathom, Earl: The Declaration of Independence and the constitution. Revised Edition- Copyright 1956  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www.law.ou.edu/hist/iroquois.html  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guide Jr., Donald A: The Iroquois and the founding of the American Nation. Copyright 1977  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morgan, Henry Lewis: League of the Iroquois  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American Journey

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Paparazzi Policy Speech

Being a celebrity means putting up with people wanting to take pictures with you and signing your autograph all the time. Everyone understands its in the job description to be followed and stared at. But when does a person taking a harmless picture cross the line into harassment? Yes its sad to think that these people don't get any privacy anymore, but what most of us need to worry about is that it could affect us next. Paparazzi have gotten more wild and out of control over the years and if we don't do anything about it now, it will only get worse.SLIDESHOW First we will go over exactly what the problem with the paparazzi is; such as how they are hired for magazines and abuse their power as a means to stalk individuals, not only celebrities but also professional athletes. Then we will find out the causes of the problem, and what effects they have had on the public, such as the laws that are currently in use but not working, and the injuries that innocent bystanders are getting becau se of the crazy paparazzi.Lastly, we will discover a solution for this dangerous situation, in which we will advertise high restrictions and greater punishments to any paparazzo who doesn't obey these laws. Lets begin by discovering exactly why the paps are dangerous. By not making enough restrictions for the paparazzi, we are basically encouraging them to continue to put our safety at risk. Paparazzi are described as freelance photographers who aggressively pursue celebrities to take candid pictures, which they plan to sell to magazines and tabloids for profit.According to an article in Suite 101 on August 7, 2008 written by Rachel Oliva, the term paparazzi actually comes from â€Å"paparazzo† which is italian for buzzing mosquito. You can definitly see the similarities. Paparazzi are infamous for car chases, causing disruptions and many other tactics to try and get rises out of the celebrities they are stalking. They have no consideration or care for the people they put in danger in order for them to get the perfect picture. Sadly, magazines pay huge sums of money for these pictures.Another article from Suite 101 written by Tara Gilbert on October 18, 2007 speculated that a picture of a celeb with no make up on can go for more than $10,000. Therefore, a fine of a mere $500 for running a red light is well worth getting the picture. Not only is this happening in the US, but in every country that celebs visit, you can count on a swarm of paparazzi being there. Especially in India, which is notorious for its terrible drivers, paparazzi are only making the conditions worse. Athletes are also being victimized by the aggressive photographers.Imagine a professional football or baseball player with a huge game the next day, The last thing they need to worry about is being harassed and photographed, which only adds to the stress in their life. In relation to us, we also have to worry about the paparazzi here in Malibu. Since we live in a place where many celebr ities have chosen to live, we get to tell cool stories to our friends about seeing adam sandler in Malibu Yo. However we also have to worry about the photographers hiding behind bushes and jumping out into the street hoping to catch the stars in surprise.And driving down PCH we are very likely to get in an accident with a reckless paparazzo and a frantic celebrity. David Halbfinger from the New York Times described in his article on June 9 2005 Some tactics that Paparazzi use to get the perfect picture, including using several vehicles to â€Å"box in† a celebrity's car, run the stars off the road, or chase them at a high speed. They recklessly put pedestrians, other drivers and even themselves at risk. Celebrities themselves are speaking out about the paparazzi as well.According to the same New York Times article, Reese Witherspoon, Famous for her role on Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama, said a paparazzi actually tried to ram the back of her car, which they had never d one before. The most famous of paparazzi- caused deaths was Princess Diana of Wales, who was killed in a high speed car chase trying to lose several paprazzi. SLIDESHOW An investigation was completed on April 7 2008 and in the Huffington Post, author Robert Barr concluded the fault was given to Princess Di's driver and the pursuing paparazzi for reckless behavior equal to manslaughter.Robert Barr goes on to say that nine of the paparazzi involved were charged with manslaughter, but the charges were thrown out in 2002. Only three photographers were convicted of invasion of privacy and fined exactly one euro in 2006. One euro? Really? If paparazzi can get away with killing one of the most respected women in the world and only have to pay one Euro, then something needs to be changed in our system. Now that we have found out exactly why the paparazzi are dangerous, Lets continue on to the causes of this problem.This problem exists because we as a community have allowed the paparazzi to take advantage of our lax laws. In the same article that Tara Gilbert wrote in 2007, she wrote that the paparazzi justify their tactics by using the 1st amendment Free speech excuse as their failsafe way of saying they are just doing their jobs. The laws that are in place now include one from 1999 that protects celebrities privacy in a minimal way, saying that pictures taken illegally from when paparazzi have trespassed can not be sold for profit. Hollywood. om author Ken wok describes the law as needing to be updated. This law doesn't say anything about car chases, doesn't protect the bystanders who are getting involved when the paparazzi get too angsty and doesn't put a boundary on how aggressive they can be. Although there are those few celebrities who use the paparazzi as a way to get more publicity and continue to be relevant, there are far more who are fighting back against them. Literally. According to Darrell Hartman's June 7 2010 article in Vanity Fair, Sean Penn found a pa parazzi in his hotel room nd proceeded to dangle the guy out his hotel room window by his heels. Kanye West smashed a paparazzos camera after they harassed him in an airport. And hugh grant threw a tub of baked beans at the paparazzi after they had followed him in london. He also karate kicked another pap in New York. Now that have gone over the problems and the causes, we can try to find solutions. Luckily, Governor Schwarzenegger was already thinking about this problem a month ago.Patrick McGreevy wrote an article in the Los Angeles Times on October 1, 2010 saying that the governor signed a bill that cracks down on photographers who drive recklessly in pursuit of celebrities or block sidewalks. It Includes possible jail time of a year. The bill also has greater punishments of the photographers who break trespassing laws and those who recklessly flout traffic ordinances. It charges over $5000 to any photographer who interferes with anyones car, not just a celebrities. However any p hotographers means newspaper journalists or television cameras are included too.By increasing the fee, hopefully paparazzi will be less likely to be aggressive and endanger peoples safety. While this bill is great, I suggest taking it even farther. Forcing the magazines to lower their rates for pictures of celebrities will make paparazzi think twice about the repercussions of driving recklessly. Andrew Blankstein of Century City news wrote in an article on October 1 2010, that explained how the value of celebrity photos tends to increase the franticness of paparazzi behavior. By taking away the reward's value, gambling with reckless driving may seem like its not worth it.Combined with the new bill that increases their punishments, the paparazzi will be forced to the conclusion that the risk of getting caught isn't worth the money they would get from a magazine. And lastly the one thing that all of us can do easily, is if we ever see a celebrity being harassed by paparazzi, we can ca ll the authorities. Most paparazzi get charges against them dropped because no witnesses come forward. With the extra punishments involved, these paparazzi will have to risk jail, or simply abide by the law. In conclusion, paparazzi are dangerous to celebs and innocent bystanders alike.Dubner states in his 2009 article that â€Å"when you are famous, your every move is of interest to someone, and consequently of value to someone else. † The bill that the governor signed last month will raise the punishments for paparazzi who break the law, and by forcing the magazines to lower the price of celebrity pictures by more than 80%, the payoff wont be as great for the photographers, hopefully discouraging them from doing anything illegal to get the pictures. These things combined can help celebrities, athletes, and normal people alike stay safe when paparazzis are around. SLIDESHOW

Friday, August 16, 2019

A Glimpse Into the Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

A Glimpse into The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Marie Edmund ENG 125: Introduction to Literature Nathan Pritts February 11, 2013 A Glimpse into The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin Literature can be found at every turn and there are many different genres to choose from. Each brings with it a new world for the reader to immerse himself. Literature allows the reader to experience a new perspective. It allows the reader to feel and connect with the story and its characters. No matter the genre, the world created in a literary work provides enlightenment to the reader in spite of the varying emotions it conveys.One such literary work is Kate Chopin’s, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†. This short story captured my interest through its use of irony. In studying this specific work, I chose to use a reader-response approach to evaluate and analyze the text. Using a reader-response approach allows me to connect with the story and reflect on the wide array of emotions presented in t he story. In order to connect I had to read imaginatively and immerse myself in the story and put myself in the shoes of the main character, Mrs. Mallard.Once that was taken care of I had to consider or analyze what I had read, and then draw conclusions or interpret what I had read. In short, â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is about a woman who experiences a multitude of conflicting feelings at the news of her husband’s death due to a tragic train accident. Some of the feelings Mrs. Mallard experiences in this story are grief, exhaustion, fear, joy, and freedom. It is interesting to note that many of Chopin’s literary works represent women who are struggling to be free or to have independence of self.Also noteworthy is the fact that Chopin’s father died in a train accident and Chopin herself â€Å"†¦grew up surrounded by smart, independent, single women† (Wyatt, 1995, para. 2). It is no wonder that she portrays Mrs. Mallard as a strong, independen t woman, in spite of her heart trouble. At the onset of the story, one might have the opinion that Mrs. Mallard is weak because of her heart trouble and the â€Å"great care† that is taken in relaying the news of her husband’s death. However, it is quite the opposite. Initially she is distraught; stricken with grief and exhausted. But these feelings give way to something more.Using simile, the writer paints a clear picture of a new beginning†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air† (Clugston, 2010). These thoughts of a new beginning brought with it fear for Mrs. Mallard. She was fearful of what she was feeling which could be described as joy or anticipation. Not wanting to seem heartless, in my opinion, she â€Å"beat it back with her will†, to no avail. She was finally free. Free to â€Å"live for herself† and to only think of her needs.This desire for freedom and self seems to be a running theme in many of Chopin’s literary works and can be seen in the character, Edna Pontellier, when she stands naked on the beach at Grand Isle. In a review by Lewis P. Simpson (1971), he quotes Seyersted who says that Edna â€Å"symbolizes a victory of self-knowledge and authenticity as she becomes fully herself. † I believe that this depicts Mrs. Mallard as well. Mrs. Mallard knew that her husband loved her and because of that she would still feel sorrow and grief, but she would also feel relief. Relief because she knew she had the rest of her life ahead of her to live it as she pleased.Unfortunately for her, that relief was short-lived when in an ironic twist, her husband, Brently Mallard walked in the front door alive and well and Mrs. Mallard died. There are many different genres of literature but in particular I really enjoyed Chopin’s short story The Story of an Hour. The textbook tel ls us, â€Å"Literature restores the past, stimulates the imagination, glorifies the commonplace, evokes emotions and links feeling to thinking, upholds a vision of the ideal, and explores significant human questions and reveals human nature (Clugston, 2010).This rings true for this piece of literature. It brought together elements of imagination, symbolism, and metaphors that paint a vivid picture of a woman who feels repressed in her marriage and embraces the freedom she feels at the news of her husband’s death. This piece allowed me to experience a new perspective. It allowed me to feel and connect with the story and its characters. It created a world that I could immerse myself into. References Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUENG125. 10. 2/sections/sec2. 3 Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography by Per Seyersted; The Complete Works of Kate Chopin by Per Seyer sted; Kate Chopin Review by: Lewis P. Simpson Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association , Vol. 12, No. 1 (Winter, 1971), pp. 86-88 Published by: Louisiana Historical Association Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/4231171 Wyatt, N. (1995). Biography of Kate Chopin. Retrieved from http://www. vcu. edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/katebio. html

Comparing and Contrasting Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were two of the great political theorists of their time. They both provided wonderful philosophical texts on how our government should govern us. This paper will show the largest differences and some of the similarities between Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and John Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government. Although they do have some similarities, Hobbes and Locke have different views on most of their political arguments, and I will expand on their differences on the state of nature, government, and social contract. Hobbes’ view of the state of nature and Locke’s view of the state of nature offer remarkable differences. Hobbes believed people act on their own self-interest, and they would go to any extreme to help themselves. He believed we are always in competition with each other for the best food, shelter, money, and so on. Hobbes believed the best way to protect citizens would be to have a sovereign that is intimidating and all-powerful. The view Locke had on the state of nature is conceptually different. Locke’s view of the state of nature says that humans have limits as to what we should or should not do, but he believed that humans are generally nice to one another, and we will not bother one another. Therefore, in Locke’s state of nature, humans are peaceful. Hobbes, however, believes that humans live in a state of war and fight with each other constantly. Hobbes and Locke did not have many of the same views on government. Though it is not directly stated in his text, most historians believe Hobbes was a supporter of absolute monarchy. He believed the government should have absolute authority over all the citizens. He believed if such a government did not exist, we would live in a world of turmoil. The sovereign (government) has the obligation of keeping the peace and, when need be, national defense. The sovereign establishes all the laws, and has complete legislative, judicial, and executive authority. Locke’s view of government is very different from Hobbes’. Locke believes  people should have a say in government, and Hobbes would disagree with this statement. Hobbes believes that the sovereign should own all the land, but Locke believes that property is private–God gave us this property, and we should use and enjoy it. Locke is also a supporter of the market economy. He believes that when one invests his own labor, whatever he makes should become his own private property. Government is very much linked with Hobbes’ and Locke’s views on social contract. Social contract binds the people and the government together. Hobbes thinks that citizens should relinquish all of their rights to the sovereign, because the sovereign knows what is best for them. Theoretically, in Hobbes’ view, there actually is no contract, because the citizens have no rights. His view of social contract is more like a covenant. The only time the citizens can say â€Å"no† to a sovereign is when the sovereign threatens self-preservation. For example, citizens may be interrogated for a crime, but they do not have to confess. Locke’s view of social contract is fundamentally different from that of Hobbes–his view is not as well defined. Locke believes a social contract is an agreement made between citizens who institute a government to prevent people from occasionally violating the natural laws. Locke believes the contract between the people and the government should be conditional. For the government to have the obedience and loyalty of the citizens, the government must perform certain functions and act appropriately. Although they have several differences, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke do share some of the same beliefs. Both Hobbes and Locke were passionate about politics, and they both wanted to promote the common good. Both theorists believed in the state and laws of nature; they just had different interpretations of it. Also, both Hobbes and Locke both believed that people are free and equal in the state of nature. Hobbes and Locke both believed that the primary purpose of the government is to protect people. However, if the government does not protect the citizens, the citizens can revolt and go against or above the sovereign. The most important similarity between Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, however, is that their works were influential in  shaping people and government in regards to how a society should operate. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were the two most influential political theorists of their time. However, they had opposing views on almost every political issue. Their theories stem from their dissenting opinions about who should be the center of government: Hobbes believed there should be a monarch, while Locke supported Parliament. Examples of both men’s thoughts and opinions can be found throughout history. France and some other European countries sided with Hobbes and had absolute monarchies, while England and later the American Revolution used Locke’s thoughts in developing their governments. Hobbes and Locke wrote about and educated the citizens about the two extremes of running governments, and their opinions were so valuable that we still study them today, hence this paper.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Make scientific value for the sociologists and students of subject who are studying restriction of industrial output

One of the aims of this article, Roy wanted to make scientific value for the sociologists and students of subject who are studying restriction of industrial output, and introduced human group behaviour on a production line as well as in an interracial discussion group. Another aim of article he attempted to estimate the blanket term' restriction' into several kinds and emphasized on evaluating quota restriction and goldbricking related with payment system depend on his experiences in a machine shop where he worked during last 10 months. (Roy, p427) In your own words, provide a 250-word summary of the key arguments in the paper In this article, Roy There are two major kinds of output limitations in production behaviour of the machine, which are ‘Quota Restriction' and ‘Goldbricking'. In Mayo's explanation for the quota restriction from his research in a bank-wiring group at Western Electric Ltd. He inferred output limitation due to lack of understanding of the economic logics of the management by worker, also he considered the economic man a fallacious conception. (p430) In ‘gravy' job, Roy found the workers only earn certain quota wages, then slow down or stop their work. Normally they don't make full effort on that. Because they knew, if they make maximum output, next the price of productions will go down, meanwhile they will get wages less than before they made numbers of productions less than that. Therefore, they limited amount of productions to protect their own economic interests, and wasted significant time and money for them and their company. In the Roy's proposal the worker should understand using economic logics of management. Machine operators alert to their economic interests. Because of ‘economic determinism' may account for quota restr iction. In contrast, ‘stinkers' is a very hard job. The worker resentful low pay that was considered too low for quota earnings and they thought it is not worth the effort to achieve quota or not satisfied on base wage rate without premium pay. Therefore they don not turn in equal to base wage rate or deliberately slowed down. What are the main theoretical and /or empirical findings of the article? One of the theoretical findings is from Mayo. According to Mayo (Pugh, 1971, p353)' he emphasized that workers must first be understood as people if they are to be understood as organization'. From this article we knew the workers who worked in that machine shop, knew quota of output in their shop and how to reduce earning from the same amount of effort expended or increase effort to maintain the take-home level. (p430) Another of theoretical findings is initiative and incentive system. Buchanan & Huczynski (1985) describes initiative and incentive system is ‘a form of job design practice in which worker are given a task to perform by management two also provide them with a financial incentive. Workers are then left to use their initive as to how to complete the task and which tool to use. One of empirical findings is wage condition can incent employee whether work hard/waste time during their working or not. According to online article (2004) ‘Monetary incentives can get workers to engage in ‘unnatural' behaviours'. As Roy's machine shop shows monetary incentives always drive behaviour to extreme. Another finding on empirical is Systematic Soldiering is group activity. According to Roy's article, he found this phenomenon which did not only single person do that, also it around the whole machine shop during his ten months working. In a brief conclusion, to what extent do you personally find the author's arguments convincing? Give reasons to justify your evaluation. From this article, I don not completely convince the author's argument, but part of the gap between the management and organization of human resources has not been keeping up with the technological advances to increase production output (p442), I think this argument could be accepted. First, the author was working and made a record in that machine shop just ten months. It is not able to cover all points and situations. According to his Roy's article, he said ‘a complete record might include management at higher levels, whose series of new rules, regulations, order, and pronuncamentos designed for purpose of expediting production processes actually operated to reduce the effectiveness of the work force' .(p442) In addition, author found some problems between management and organization of human resources are close to Frederick Taylor's principles of scientific management, and he suggested organizational management need to innovate. Those are arguments I convince.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Media Violence and Children Essay

Your children are surrounded by violence. From video games and television to the news itself, bloodshed is everywhere. Many parents and educators fear that violence seen on the media will at the very least desensitize children, and that it may even make children more likely to commit atrocities themselves. Other people claim the violence seen on the media is not real, and that children understand this. So who’s right? In order to better understand this crucial issue, we need to examine the history of violence in entertainment as well as revelations made possible by modern science. Violence in entertainment is not new. Even in ancient Rome, people gathered to watch gladiators. In gladiator combats, two trained men (usually criminals or slaves) would fight each other in front of a cheering crowd. Sometimes, men would also be forced to fight wild animals. These shows were incredibly popular; in order to accommodate the huge masses of people eager to watch the combat, Roman officials built the Colosseum, which could seat 50,000 spectators, in 80 CE. The opening of the Colosseum was celebrated with 100 days of games, during which thousands of men and animals were seriously injured or killed. Long before children watched violent cartoons, they listened to violent stories. Even our most cherished fairy tales often contain bloodshed. In fact, modern versions of fairy tales tend to be a lot less violent than the originals. For example, in Hans Christen Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, the little mermaid has her tongue cut out, almost stabs her prince, and dies; Disney’s famous version of this classic tale is significantly happier and less violent. But why is violence such a popular form of entertainment? There are several possible answers, and they are probably all true to some extent. People like watching violence because it is, at least to some degree, forbidden; all functioning societies need to have laws against murder. Seeing other people’s pain also makes your own problems seem insignificant. Finally, some violence in the media was meant to teach a practical lesson. Many gladiators were condemned criminals, so their violent and entertaining death served as a warning against would-be criminals. Public executions have served the same purpose throughout history. Fairy tales also warned children against the dangers of misbehaving. For example, the little mermaid disobeyed the rules of her father and her people, and she suffered as a result. Modern violence in the media is not that different from what occurred in the past. People enjoy watching violence because it is forbidden, distracting, and it can teach lessons about reality. At the same time, violence is becoming more and more prevalent. Additionally, much of the violence shown in video games, movies, and television is completely unrealistic; real consequences are very rarely shown, especially in cartoons. As a result, the violence may be too glamorized to teach real life lessons. Even if violence does teach a morality lesson, children may still be negatively affected. Vincent P. Mathews, a professor of radiology at Indiana University School of Medicine, discovered that watching violence on the media might actually alter brain function. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed that watching violent images decreased frontal lobe brain activity in children whether or not they had previous problems of aggression. Decreased frontal lobe activity is associated with attention and self control problems. Also using fMRI, Klaus Mathiak at the University of Aachen in Germany discovered that playing violent video games and thinking about actually participating in real violent activities stimulate the same part of the brain. In other words, an individual’s brain cannot distinguish between violent actions that are committed by the individual and violent activities that are purely make believe. Additionally, violent video games may be training the brain for real life violent behavior. So what does all of this mean for parents? Children, like adults, are naturally drawn to violent images, and it is possible for children to learn valuable lessons from violent stories. However, exposure to too much violence, especially glamorized violence, probably does have a negative impact of children. Although more scientific research needs to be conducted before conclusive answers can be given, children may have a hard time distinguishing between real violence and fake violence, and simply watching violence may lead to increased behavioral problems. If you are worried that your children are watching too much violence, you should monitor exactly what they are watching. Movies and video games both have rating systems, and all televisions 13 inches or larger that were manufactured in the United States since January 2000 contain V chips. V chips allow parents to control what programs are watched, even when the children are unsupervised. You could also limit the amount of time that your children are allowed to spend watching television or playing video games, regardless of whether or not the programs or games contain violent content. Finally, you can discuss the reality of violence with you children to make sure that they can differentiate between make believe and reality.