Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse has gained major public attention in the past few decades. Various factors in the recent years have generated a public reaction regarding child sexual abuse, which has become one of the most high-profile crimes. â€Å"At Sifers' jury trial, 14-year-old S. T. testified about Sifers having raped her five years earlier. S. T. described Sifers' disposition the night of the alleged rape as â€Å"upset . . . like he'd been drinking. † RP Vol. I at 24. She recalled Sifers following her into her bedroom, closing the door, and pushing her down on the bed. Sifers then pulled down her pajamas and pushed his penis inside her vagina. Afterwards, he said if she told anybody, he would hurt her, her younger siblings, and her mother. † (State of Washington v. Charles Wayne Sifers) Child sexual abuse — an unwanted, yet common, catch-22 issue that is worldwide and has been for centuries. Each year, well over 300,000 children become victims of this heinous crime against humanity. Child sexual abuse is described as any sexual activity between an adult, adolescent or older child, with a child including such things as fondling of genitals, masturbation, and oral, vaginal, or anal intercourse. It is not solely restricted to physical contact though; such abuse could include non-contact abuse, such as exposure, voyeurism, obscene phone calls, prostitution, and child pornography. The offender can range from a parent, stepparent, sibling, other relative, friend, neighbor, childcare person, teacher, to a stranger. This form of exploitation occurs with children of all ages, in rural, urban and suburban areas and among all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups. Since the 1970s, the sexual abuse of children and child molestation has increasingly been recognized as deeply damaging to children and thus unacceptable for society as a whole. While sexual interaction between children and adults has been present throughout history, it has only become the object of significant public attention in recent times. Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened, and the legal procedure for validating an episode is difficult. The long-term emotional and psychological damage of sexual abuse can be devastating to the child. The problem should be identified, and the abuse stopped. That is where child sexual abuse prevention programs come into play. Most child sexual abuse prevention programs focus on teaching children how to lower their risk for becoming a victim of sexual abuse, and increasing their knowledge of potential sexual abuse approaches and encounters. These prevention programs also encourage efficient skills, which can be used in any uncomfortable situation that could lead to sexual abuse. Although child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention programs promote and teach effective skills to use when confronted by an abuser, they do not successfully reduce sexual violence because of the inconsistencies among programs, the lack of knowledge about abusers, and the vulnerability of the victims. CSA prevention programs do not effectively reduce the prevalence of child sexual abuse because there is not a stable foundation of knowledge about the paths that lead to abuse and the abusers themselves. According to Jeffrey J. Haugaard, Ph. D. , Department of Human Development New York State College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, â€Å"Federal and state agencies, and private foundations, have funded little basic research in this area – and thus we have no foundation of knowledge on which to support effective sexual abuse prevention,† (Haugaard). In order to design effective prevention efforts for any problem, an understanding of the development of that problem is crucial. We are better at preventing physical abuse of children rather than the sexual abuse of children, because we have a clearer understanding of how physical abuse develops; this is because of the mass research efforts taken to grasp the subject. If state governments expend more money to fund research regarding abusers and their developmental pathways, then there would be a greater chance of gaining the knowledge necessary to make the programs attest their purpose. Haugaard also stated â€Å"We tend to know more about what does not work in the area of preventing child sexual abuse than we know about what does work† (Haugaard). This ties in with the factor of not having a legitimate amount of research to base prevention programs off from, and, therefore, the programs not achieving deterrence and lessening sexual violence. Our current awareness and perception of the problems involving sexual violence is not enough to effectively interfere and bring it to a stop, or at least attempt to. Moreover, â€Å"Although sexual abuse prevention training programs are well-intentioned efforts to protect children against a loathsome crime, there is no evidence that they work, or even on the margin that these efforts produce more good than harm,† (Neil Gilbert, Chernin Professor of Social Welfare and co-chairman of the Berkeley Child Welfare Research Center). This meaning that without at secure basis of the basic knowledge of abusers, there is no way of telling if these prevention programs are even working. Our present incompetent education will lead us to false accusations and assumptions until we are able to further investigate and study the mind-set of abusers. Some may argue that child sexual abuse prevention programs are effective in preventing child sexual abuse. One of the more positive characteristics and purposes of CSA prevention programs is that they achieve the idea of educating and publicizing effective skills for children to use when dealing with the confrontation of a possible sexual abuser. These components include abuse-specific information, skill-practice activities, parent involvement, and multiple sessions in which children learn skills and have concepts reinforced. The most important skill learned is knowing how to say â€Å"NO! † David Finkelhor, a renowned Professor of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, organized and performed many studies in relation to child sexual abuse. As stated by Joseph Dake, James Price, and Judy Murnan, in their evaluation of a child abuse prevention curriculum â€Å"Finkelhor conducted a national survey of 2,000 youth aged 10 to 16. They found that children receiving more extensive school-based prevention programs were more knowledgeable about abuse, more likely to report self-protective strategies when threatened, more likely to tell someone after an attempted victimization, and less likely to blame themselves for the abuse. † This means that the prevention programs that children partake in allow them to gain more confidence and feel more conversant when faced with sexual abuse. There is enough data to support the idea that these programs do provide many students with a more confidence and skills to use in a dangerous situation. However, abusers are still out in society, and while education is worthwhile and important, we need to make it physically safer for everyone by providing longer prison terms and more austere consequences for offenders. We want our children safe and hoping they will learn the skills to deal with dangerous criminals is not enough, we need to make it safer for them. An unfortunate example of this can be made with Larry Don McQuay, a habitual and lifelong sexual predator from Texas. In 1995, he confessed to getting away with molesting over 240 children before he was caught for molesting just one boy. The case of Larry Don McQuay seems to epitomize society's continuing inability to deal with those who have incorrigible and unspeakable appetites for children. One obvious permanent solution–capital punishment–is strictly reserved for murder and is likely to remain so. The public remains divided over the merits of the death penalty, child sexual abuse cases are difficult to prove beyond all question of doubt, and most sex offenders are members of or known to the victim's family, making the latter unlikely to call for a death sentence. As a result, there is a push to sentence child molesters to life in prison without parole or place them in secure mental institutions until they are judged not to be a danger to society. In the meantime, however, many offenders receive probation or short prison sentences, and thousands are released from jail and back into society each year. â€Å"(Wetzstein) Releasing predators back into society can increase a child's susceptibility of being abused and scarred for the rest of their life. If the penalties for child sexual violence become more severe, many offenders will be kept away from society for a longer period of time, or even eternity. This is important, because it would create a safer environment for the children and the general public to live in as a whole. Sexual violence encounters and happenings would reduce in number with fewer perpetrators out to cause harm. Education programs, however, are incapable of keeping predators out of society and children out of harms way. With the many forms of unwanted lascivious gestures and exploitation, and the unremitting chance of a child being assaulted, prevention programs are incapable of thwarting, or even minimizing the amount of sexual violence that is imposed on kids. Without a steady understanding of the offenders and their acts of maltreatment, we will not be able to help rid the world of these psychopaths and make the world more protected and secure for our children. â€Å"The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most vicious crimes conceivable, a violation of mankind's most basic duty to protect the innocent† (James T. Walsh). Society, therefore, must put forth an effort to delve into studying all aspects of the subject, and help protect children from the perpetrators of these vile crimes by strengthening notification requirements for sex offenders and increasing criminal penalties.

Green Mountain Coffee Essay

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) started as a small cafà © in Waitsfield, Vermont in the year of 1981. It was in 1993 that the company went public and acquired the early phase of Keurig Incorporated Inc, and then completed the acquisition in 2006. (Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) Once these two companies combined it made the way we drink beverages different than ever before in both the home and office. According to GMCR’s website â€Å"Today, GMCR is recognized as a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, and acknowledged for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and environmentally and socially responsible business practices.† ((Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) GMCR has three business units that they operate with today. The first being specialty coffee which includes Green Mountain Coffee, Tully’s Coffee, Diedrich Coffee, and Coffee People. The 2nd unit is the Keurig business unit, which created the signal cup brewing system. The 3rd and final is the GMCR Canada. The GMCR Canada is owns all sales for the company and includes the Van Houtte business as well as Timothy’s World Coffee brand. ((Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) The current CEO is Brian Kelley who joined GMCR in 2012. Before GMCR Brian Kelley was Coca-Cola’s Chief Product Supply Officer , and president and CEO of SIRVA, Inc. ((Unknown.( 2004). Gmcr.Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html) as well as other companies such as Ford Motor Company, GE, and Proctor and Gamble. In 2011 net sales were 2,650.9 million which was up 95% over fiscal 2010. (http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448) The acquisition of Van Houtte which took place in December, 2010 in addition to the partnership with Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts with the K-cups option of their coffee has helped add over 321.4 million to the net sales in 2011. (http://investor.gmce.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448) GMCR has seen accelerated growth over the last couple of years due to its Keurig single cup brewing system and the K-cups that go along with it. Below is the breakout for the 2011 Fiscal Financial Review provided by (http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448). 2011 2010 $ Increase SWOT ANALYSIS StrengthsWeakness S1-Strong reputation with it’s customersW1- Keurig single-cup brewers all made by one manufacture S2-AcquisitionsW2-Large % sales from one area of the business (K-cups & brewers) S3-Marketing W3-Forecasting due to such overnight success OpportunitiesThreats O1- Increase marketing to the age group of 40 and older T1- Risk of patents expiring allowing other competitors into the market O2-Increase marketing in the Supermarket locationsT2- Keurig single-cup brewers all made by one manufacture O3- Introduce other manufacturesT3-Product recalls & product liability T4- Coffee availability ANALYSIS VIA PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL The threat of new entrantsThe bargaining power of buyersThe bargaining power of suppliers The competition of this type of product & service because of cost overhead would need to come from an already known company or a company that becomes successful after the patients expire that GMCR hold. Strong threatOver time as patients expire buyers will have bargaining power. ThreatGMCR has one manufacuting for the K-cups and brewing systems which resides in China. Weakness The threat of substitute product and servicesThe intensity of rivalry among competitors in an industry The threat of substitution is high. ThreatAlthough there are other companies that try to offer the same service, GMCR is at the top of the coffee industry for this type of service. Strength STRATEGY USED GMCR is using a differentiation strategy by offering a different way for the consumer to enjoy specialized coffees, teas, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages in their own homes, workplaces, and hotels at an overall lower cost than coffee houses. They are able to do this by taking the lead in the market due to their strengths in product development, licensing agreements with partners, and on-going successful acquisitions. GMCR growth through their acquisition strategy and their licensing agreements have been the biggest contributors to their growth. In 1998 when Keurig launched its first single- cup brewer for the office environment GMCR was there to partner with. (Dess,G, Lumpkin, G. & Eisner, A.(2012). Strategic Management (6e). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.) From that point on it just continued whether it be the agreement with Starbucks in 2011 or the agreement with Dunkin Donuts in that same year to sell K-cup’s with both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee they continue to thrive in the market. If we look at Porter’s generic strategies that our text talks of we can identify the following. †¢Differentiation – The product and service that GMCR brings to the market is the best value for price and quality. †¢Focus strategy – The acquisitions and licensing agreements that GMCR has been able to focus on continues to allow success to the buyer markets and geographic markets. †¢Overall cost leadership – GMCR is able to keep cost low because of the amount of product they supply to the customer without much competition. THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THIS COMPANY I think for now GMCR will continue to have competitive advantage. GMCR should be able to accomplish this by continuing to offer their K-cups and brewing systems at the same competitive price to the same type of customer. Although patents are ready to expire and more of the product and service will be able to join the market, I feel that GMCR with their past record of new product innovation will continue to strive in the coffee market and lead the way for competitors to follow. COURSE OF ACTION RECOMMENDED It seems to be that because of the success of Keurig & K-cups that GMCR has put all their eggs in one basket without much focus on the rest of their products. We can see this in both the 2010 and 2011 earnings (http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448). With patents becoming expired in the near future by recommendation would be that GMCR starts to focus on the other products that they sell or that they start to work on the next great product for the coffee industry. My fear is once patents expire that you may see some of the larger distributers try to come into the Market and possible succeed if there able to produce the same product at a lower cost. OPINION My opinion of the case study is first I had no idea that GMCR was such a large company. I don’t drink coffee but am a tea drinker and I guess I just didn’t pay much attention to the marketing and advertising . I’m sure they would like to hear this feedback, it may give them a clue as to where the marketing needs to go during the next phase. With that being said this company to me shows the true meaning of great business leadership and a successful supply chain and focus strategy. During the research I even found a joint venture with 3M the company I work with. It seems that 3M helped GMCR develop a coffee filter. This was a very enjoyable case study and it showed a great example of how to be successful in my opinion. References Dess, G., Lumpkin, G. & Eisner, A. (2012). Strategic Management (6e). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Green mountain coffee roasters, inc.. (09/1). Retrieved from http://investor.gmcr.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=622448 Unknown. (2004). Gmcr. Retrieved from http://www.gmcr.com/about-GMCR.html

Business in europe Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business in europe - Case Study Example It is home to some of the world known scholars who have made great contribution to the modern world of education. Greek is a member of the European Unions after joining in 1981. It also a member of the Economic and monitory union of the Europe union which it joined in 200. It is also a member for NATO which it joined in 1952 and OECD since 1961. Greek is credited to be the home of civilization in Europe. This happened in the Aegean Sea which has been shown as the home to the first civilization in Europe. The Minoa civilization in the Crete and Mycenae civilization happened later in the mainland of Greece which emerges with Greek cities of Peninsula and spread to other parts of Europe. At the same time Greece has been able to develop a world class economy. Ti has one of the growing economies in Europe which it has been able to sustain since 1950s. There has been a major shift in the economic constant of Greek for all that time. It has shifted from agrarian economy to a technology driven economy recently. The country has developed a capitalist economy with a GDP of more the $305.595 billion as per the 2006 data. The country has diversified economic activities including tourism, shipping industry, banking, manufacturing and construction, and telecommunications. The country has also been resettled as regional hub for many developing multination companies as they try to venture in the three continents where Greek sits at a juncture. The country has been able to develop a standard economy and there has been an emerging middle class in the country. It has been raked 24th in the 2006 HDI on the quality of life index. According to the IMF, the country has a per capital income of $35,166 which has been places at the same level with other European countries like Germany, France, Italy and others.A historical review of Greece economy Since 1950, Greece stared economic reforms which were aimed at ensuring that the country developed a sustainable economic development plan. From 1950, the country began transforming its economy from an agrarian economy to service and manufacturing industry. Even if there was a slow progress in the economic performance at that time, the government was able to sustain a standard 7% economic growth rate from 1950 to 1970 which has been described as a the economic miracle of the time. At the same time, the government came up with economic policies which were aimed at attracting foreign investors in the country in order stir that economy. Government economic policy there was at the time targeting foreign investors, state intervened in the economic planning and the growth too of tourism. The tourism sector became a major player in the economic growth of the nation. After three decades of economic miracle the economy again stagnated in 1979 and since then it has been struggling to resume it earlier growth without necessarily causing increased inflation rate. (CIA World Fact book, 2006) Until the mid 1970s, the govern policies in Greece had been aimed at ensuring that there was principle look at the growing agriculture and industry sectors, controlling the prices of goods an services and the rate of inflation, improving the financial status of the operating firms, development of natural resources and the creation

Using formative assessments as an educational leader Assignment

Using formative assessments as an educational leader - Assignment Example For success, students need to understand the goal of learning and the criteria for arriving at this goal. To ensure students understand who they are, the teacher could choose to use student work or classroom tests (Tuttle 2009). Observations test a students’ ability to learn and understand. It involves more than just a stroll in the classroom when students are undertaking a problem. It comes in hand in assisting teachers gather and record evidence to be used as evidence of student learning which is used as a tool for instructional planning. Questioning strategies when embedded in a lesson planning provides the teacher with significant insight into the degree of understanding of a student. Such questions are useful ion engaging students in classroom dialogue that expand their learning. According to Tuttle (2009), self and peer assessment creates a learning community in class. Student keep track of important information to help them in understanding important concepts learned in class. This does not only engage students but helps them know where they started gauge their progress in the learning process. Formative assessment thus provides information needed teaching and learning while it is actually in

Narrative Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Narrative Speech - Essay Example Indeed, I was happy and executed at the opportunity of exploring new cultures and the education system making it difficult to focus on the tasks at home. However, my parents were not excited since they indicated that I would lose my traditional values and struggle for resources. Apparently, these are effects of immigration based on their research. As my family said goodbye during departure, I acknowledged that it would be difficult for them to visit due to the stringent immigration laws. Indeed, foreigners in the US are often mistaken as persons in search of opportunities to further their dreams; however, this is rarely the case. Indeed, I felt horrible that I was leaving my family behind. Nevertheless, I marveled at the chance of meeting new people. As I landed and exited from JFK, I noticed that the US was significantly developed as compared to my home country. The buzzing cars and skyscrapers were breathtaking; however, I began missing home since everything seemed different. Indeed, I was experiencing culture shock. I immediately bought a hot dog since I was hungry. Alas! I was already abandoning my culture since I devalue fast food. As I settled down, I found a job and attended school; however, I miss big family. I realized that immigration distorts one’s culture since I am accustomed to fast foods; furthermore, I intend to look for additional jobs to keep up indicating that immigrants struggle for resources. In conclusion, it is clear that immigration is a social problem because it leads to loss of values and struggle for resources (Spijkerboer & Walsum

Marco Trend Analysis of Smartphones in the Telecommunication Industry Research Paper

Marco Trend Analysis of Smartphones in the Telecommunication Industry - Research Paper Example A competitive environment therefore is affected by the following six macro trends: Demographic, sociocultural, economic, technological, regulatory and natural environment (Mullins & Walker, 2010). This paper will analyze the macro trends that affect the smartphones in the telecommunication industry and how the trends might impact the successful marketing of the smartphones by different telecommunication companies. The first macro trend is technological trend such that the telecommunication industry has to keep up with latest technology in the market. Many customers in the western world do not only buy smartphones but buy them keeping in mind the latest operating systems and other features that are make the devices perform better and faster. Statistics showed that demand for smartphones in Europe and the U.S stalled in 2011 because many customers waited for the flagship of devices that featured the latest versions of key operating systems. Slowdowns are also seen in Asian and Latin Am erica of about 23.9% compared to last year 28.2%. This figure show the leading provider of smartphones, Nokia, as other companies trailed behind (Wall St. Cheat Sheet, 2011). This trend is seen to go on for the coming decade and this is because of the new technologies that emerge every year such as Symbian systems, android systems, windows systems and increased processing capabilities and power. The second trend is the sociocultural trend such that we have witnessed the growth of the mobile phones from the texting and calling only device to a device that has helped us connect with friends and family all over the world. Social networking, gaming and shopping are part and parcel of our daily lives. The smartphones have changed how people engage in these activities. At the moment many smartphones allow for instant communication both through text and video. In five years’ time, with the development of the 3G and 4G lite technologies, will see the smartphones take advantage of thi s and bring video conferencing to the phone. Many companies will need to adapt to the change in the industry and focus on how to best meet the social needs of the people. The third trend is the economic trend where a look at the previous three two years show a decline in the sale of smartphones because of the economic recession. Many people opted to buy budget phones because of increased prices that they could not manage. People’s spending reduced as the impact of the recession took toll on them. The market of smartphones declined. In the coming years the economy in many parts of the world is picking up and more people are bound to buy smartphones. This is because companies have realized the need for the people in the lower end of the market to own such products in order to build the economy. Many have come up with smartphones that are cheap and affordable. A good example is the Nokia C3 smartphone and the ZTE Blade. These phones have the latest technology at reduced prices ( Mohapi, 2011). The trend is seen to continue with many of these companies wanting to penetrate other untapped markets such as Africa. Increased sales will be seen in these areas if the smartphones will be cheaper as is the trend now. The above identified trends will affect the marketing of smartphones in one way or another. Marketers need to come up strategies

Franchising--Just Dogs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Franchising--Just Dogs - Research Paper Example In the following report I have analysed the feasibility of marketing operations of opening a franchise of â€Å"Just Dogs† Gourmets Company in Washington, USA. I have analysed that the strategy of franchising will work if only the company works affectively on its promotion schemes and position strategies. The franchise will have to carry the same value proposition as laid down by the parent company and streamline its operations with it. In this way, the franchise will be able to gain innumerable benefits of the franchising strategy. SITUATION ANALYSIS Just Dogs! Gourmet is a dog food manufacturing company that specializes in all natural Dog treats and sells them through Bakeries throughout the United States. Handmade Dog delights and gourmet treats are the specialities of Just Dogs! Gourmet Company. As far as the franchising strategy and success of the company is concerned, it is counted among the Companies with the fastest growing franchises throughout the world. The company focus on providing the best Dog treats to the customers to ensure that every Dog in the target market is satisfied. Dog accessories are also some counted as the major products of the company. The company provides a lot of incentive for the franchisees in order to extend its business on the geographical landscape (Help, 2012). IT is also worth considering that the US pet food industry is growing at a very fast pace and only in 2009; the US people spent 12.6 billion dollars on the pets industry. This means that from an investors point of view, investing in a Dog food company for franchising is a very feasible job. Hence we have chosen the â€Å"Just Dogs!† Gourmet Company to analyse the prospects of franchising (Barnes, 2005). REASONS FOR CHOOSING JUST DOGS FRANCHISE OFFER: There are, in all 100000 dog food manufacturers in the United States and out of these only few offer appropriate franchising opportunities for business initiatives. Of these few people, we have chosen Just D ogs! Gourmet Company, because of the following reasons: The total investment that would be needed in establishing franchises $750000 to $150000. This counts a lot if the long term investment is considered. The franchising fee is only $25000 and the ongoing Royalty fee is 4%. The terms of Franchise agreement is 10 years which is enough to show the feasibility of a long term business solution considering the reputation of the company in the market (United States, 2011). Other than that, the company provides regular training facilities to the franchisee staff at its head quarters as well at the franchise vicinity. The company also offers a range of services to the employees at the franchise through toll free phones, Newsletters, meetings, guiding missions. The company also offers a strong marketing support to the franchises to ensure sales to full potential. Considering all these facts in mind we can easily conclude that the franchising offer of the company is a great business initiati ve opportunity. MARKET ANALYSIS We have chosen to open a franchise of Just Dogs! Gourmet in Washington, primarily because Washington seems to be a promising market for the business. According to reports, the total population of Washington is 6830038 while the number of housing units in the city is 2882677. According to reports, 65% of the households own dogs. This shows that the 1873740 houses can be the complete target market in the city. This figure is obviously optimistic and shows great prospects to the business. The

ADA and OSHA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ADA and OSHA - Essay Example Employers should review all existent policies on disabled employees and amend them to align with the ADAAA. This may require the employer to identify circumstances where the company denied a request for accommodation, or asserted that the worker is not disabled as per ADA. Supervisors and the HRM should be adequately trained in order to engage effectively with the detail-oriented interactive accommodation process mandated by ADAAA (Goren, 2010). Employers should be more flexible in implementing policies that pursue ADAAA broader coverage, and more relaxed standards for availing reasonable accommodations and reporting mechanisms. The aim of ergonomics is to minimize stress and eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles and repeated tasks. OSHA should develop an ergonomic standard that responds effectively to occupational safety and health, and ensure that all business owners have implemented an ergonomics program to prevent or control injuries and illnesses through the elimination of, or reduction of worker’s exposure to musculoskeletal disorder risk factors (Twomey, 2010). The General Clause imposes an obligation to employers to provide workplaces free of recognized hazards by furnishing their employees with employment conditions that are free from probable hazards that might yield death or severe physical harm, whether or not there is an OSHA standard. According to the General Clause, employers must take all available abatement actions that are feasible to eliminate these hazards (Twomey, 2010). In instances where an employer fails to adhere to do this, OSHA can inspect and issue a citation as stipulated by the General Duty

Chemistry of Hazardous Materials Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chemistry of Hazardous Materials - Case Study Example The characteristics of the hazardous substance in the four containers are determined through NFPA system. The system gives the procedure of identifying the relative levels of the three hazards; chemical reactivity, health, and flammability (Meyer, 2010). The HazMat team experiences several hazardous situations. The puncture tank may contain flammable fumes or chemicals thus it is hazardous because it may result in combustion. The corrosive materials can also negatively affect members of the HazMat team the fumes can cause skin irritation, and respiratory tract infection and inflammation. Strong oxidizing substances have the ability to corrode and thus if not handled properly can burn the skin tissues. Strong acids and bases also show corrosive characteristics and may burn the skin. All the three substances engage in chemical reactions that can produce dangerous substances, like hazardous fumes that cause respiratory tract irritation (Meyer, 2010). A lot of restraint should be exercis ed at the accident scene. Only members of the HazMat team should be allowed to access the site with the punctured tank and the three other tanks containing hazardous materials (Meyer, 2010). The members of the team must wear full protective gear. The gas masks are aimed are preventing the inhalation of dangerous fumes or hazardous chemicals. The reflectors jackets prevent skin contact with the hazardous materials. The other individuals who wish or want to access the accident scene must be told to wear adequate personal protective types of equipment. The protective types of equipment include; eyeglasses, gas masks, reflector or dust coats, gloves, and safety boots. The eyeglass minimizes eye irritation, through minimizing the contact between the eye and hazardous fumes. The reflector clothing reduces corrosion by hindering contact between the skin and the hazardous substances.

The Role of the Financial Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of the Financial Manager - Essay Example Therefore it is imperative that the CEO knows how to manage investment and protect the interest of shareholders. He must be able to strategically plan ahead and decide on policies and activities that would increase operating income and stockholder’s equity. Evidently, the best candidate to the CEO post should be the CFO. Maximizing wealth is not something that is new to a CEO who has been managing the finances of the organization. The primary role of the CFO in the firm is to plan strategies and pursue activities that will improve the total value of the firm. In most successful organization, CFOs basically work side by side with the CEO in strategic planning and decision making. He has developed excellent communication skills as he present the current financial condition of the firm to different stakeholders, has been closely oriented with the company’s product and operations, has been consistently working in line with the company’s vision, and has been able to d evelop managerial skills. However this does not absolutely imply that all CFO’s make successful CEO’s. The total personality of the CFO, his business acumen, the quantity and quality of his past experiences, and his continuing passion for the organization combined, make for a better CEO. D.

Indigenous Health Essay Example for Free

Indigenous Health Essay The poor health position of Indigenous Australians is a contemporary reflection of their historical treatment as Australia’s traditional owners. This treatment has led to Indigenous Australians experiencing social disadvantages, significantly low socio-economic status, dispossession, poverty and powerlessness as a direct result of the institutionalised racism inherent in contemporary Australian society. Indigenous populations have been the carers and custodians of Australia and the Torres Strait for a period in excess of 60,000 years before being invaded/colonialised by the British on January 26, 1788 (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Before this time, it is suggested that Indigenous Australians lived relatively affluent lives and enjoyed generally better health than most people living in Europe (Hampton Toombs, Indigenous Australian concepts of health and well-being, 2013). The arrival of introduced diseases, especially smallpox, caused considerable loss of life among Indigenous Australians. The impact of this is loss extended far beyond the immediate victims of disease, affecting the very fabric of Indigenous societies through depopulation and social disruption (MacRae, et al. , 2012). Whilst introduced diseases were the most substantial part of the Indigenous Australians mortality, death caused by direct conflict also contributed significantly (Elder, 2003). Traditionally, Indigenous Australians had complete autonomy over all parts of their lives such as, ceremonies, spiritual practices, medicine, social relationships, management of land and law and economic undertakings (Saggers Gray, 1991). In addition to the impacts of introduced diseases and conflict, Indigenous Australians also experienced ill effects related to disconnection from Country due to the spread of colonists and their subsequent political policies. For an Indigenous Australian, Country is not just physical territory but the central aspect of their identity (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Occupation and colonialism impacted far beyond the physical, as Indigenous Australians had their culture devalued, traditional food sources destroyed, and were separated from their families and in some cases entire communities were dispossessed. This led to disruption or loss of languages, beliefs and social structures which form the underlying basis of Indigenous cultures. These impacts, prompted British colonists to develop several different political policies of institutionalised racism to address the real and perceived issues regarding Indigenous Australians. The first of these policies was Protectionism (1788 – 1890’s). Prior to Protectionism British colonies practiced exclusion as they assumed ‘Terra Nullius’ and seized control of the land, evicting Indigenous Australians from their traditional Country. The negative impacts this had on Indigenous Australians eventually forced colonial authorities to establish â€Å"Aboriginal protection boards† (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). The first was established in Victoria by the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869, with the other colonies following with similar legislation, to protect Indigenous populations within their boundaries (Parliament of Victoria, 1869). The protection provided under the various Acts imposed enormous restrictions on the lives of many Indigenous Australians. These restrictions included dictating where Indigenous Australians could live and not live, and set out limitations on movement, marriage, employment, earnings and ownership of property. The child welfare provisions of the Acts underpinned the removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities by compulsion, duress or undue influence (State Library of Victoria, 2014). The National Inquiry into the separation of the children concluded that between one-in-three and one-in-ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities in the period from approximately 1910 until 1970 (Wilkie, 1997). It was the 1960s, at the earliest, when the various protection Acts were either abolished or discontinued. In the early 1890’s, protectionism gave way to state and commonwealth government regimes of segregation. In the development of the constitution, politicians included sections specifically excluding Indigenous Australians, such as the white Australia policy, ensuring that racism became entrenched in the new nation’s future. Reserves and missions were set up far from white settlements, to exclude and control Indigenous Australians, especially those of mixed descent (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). By the 1950’s all state governments invoked a new policy called assimilation (1950’s – 1960’s), which aimed to eliminate Indigenous cultures, religion and languages. Assimilation was based on the belief that if living conditions were improved, Indigenous Australians were to be absorbed into White Australian society (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). After the failure of the assimilation policy, governments aimed their sights towards Integration (1960’s 1980’s). Integration was a step towards multiculturalism by allowing Indigenous Australians and non-Anglo European immigrants to keep certain aspects of their culture whilst conforming to mainstream white Australian society. During 1970’s Indigenous Australians were beginning to become acknowledged as Australian citizens, this led to the development of the self-determination and self-management (1970’s-1990’s) programs (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). These policies were based on the slow acceptance of multiculturalism and the beginnings of Indigenous Australians involvement in Australian politics, although the actual amount of self-determination available to them was limited. When these polices were found to be ineffective the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) was established in 1992 to overcome differences and inequities between Indigenous Australians and the wider Australian community (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). The Reconciliation movement (1990’s-present) seeks to advocate for Indigenous Australians rights, their place in our shared history and to establish economic independence among Indigenous Australians in order to promote equality for all Australians (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Whilst government policy appears to be moving in the right direction, we are still a long way away from Indigenous autonomy and self-determination. All of these policies had a very detrimental effect on the health of Indigenous Australians both in terms of physical and mental health issues, many of which have continued through to contemporary times. Perhaps the most poignant of these impacts are those that have resulted from the Stolen Generations. There is much dispute surrounding when colonial authorities began removing Indigenous children from their families and communities, although many experts believe that it was very soon after the establishment of the British colony in Australia (Duffy, 2000). Children with Indigenous mothers were seen to be legally ‘neglected’ at birth, and removed from their families, communities and in most cases their culture, to be ‘raised right’ up until the latter part of the 20th Century (Hampton Toombs, Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on indigenous people, 2013). Because of these practises, many Indigenous Australians have deep psychological and mental health issues that continue to plague them today. Modern literature tells of many instances of suicide and ongoing identity issues, emerging from the torment of being disconnected from family, culture and country. The status of Indigenous Health has been impacted severely by the Stolen Generations and other past Government practises. For many Indigenous Australians, the ongoing effects of protection and the forced separation of children from their families compound other social, emotional and physical disadvantages (Wilkinson Marmot, 2003). These disadvantages are embodied by the Social determinants of health, including; economic opportunity, physical infrastructure, and social conditions that influence the health of individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. Inequalities in these are especially evident in education, employment, income, housing, access to services, social networks, connection with land, racism, and incarceration rates (McDonald, 2010). In all of these factors, Indigenous Australians experience substantially lower rates than non-Indigenous Australians, with the most worrying being that Indigenous Australians have a significantly lower life expectancy rate and overall health status, than their non-Indigenous counter-parts. These inequalities, combined with the social attitudes towards Indigenous Australians and their health in contemporary Australian society, contribute to the difficulties Indigenous Australians have accessing adequate healthcare. It is also difficult to provide adequate healthcare for Indigenous Australians as many service providers do not understand how Indigenous Australians conceptualise health. Until recently, there was no separate term in Indigenous languages for health as it is understood in western society (Eckermann, 2010). The traditional Indigenous perspective of health is holistic. It encompasses everything important in a persons life, including land, environment, physical body, community, relationships, and law. Health is the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the concept is therefore linked to the sense of being an Indigenous Australian. This conceptualisation of health has much in common with the social determinants model and has crucial implications for the simple application of a medical model as a means of improving Indigenous health. Whilst the purely medical approach is undoubtedly useful in identifying and reducing disease in individuals, but its limitations in addressing population-wide health disadvantages, such as those experienced by Indigenous people, must be recognised. It is important to remember that policies and practises of the past have had major adverse impacts on the health of contemporary Indigenous Australians, and these impacts have contributed significantly to the inequalities present in Indigenous and non-Indigenous health status. However, whilst health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians are considered to be historical in origin, the perpetuation of the disadvantages relies heavily on contemporary structural and social factors.

Personal Experience: A Caring Occurrence

Personal Experience: A Caring Occurrence The purpose of this reflective paper is to reflect on a personal experience in which you cared for someone. Using Johns model (Johns 2006), the reflection will explore how the personal experience reflected a caring occurrence. Reflection is the appearance of experiential knowledge and as nursing students; we should begin to use reflection as our experience in the nursing field accumulates. It is both justified and recommended that Carpers work be incorporated into reflective practice since it was a key figure in widening knowledge in nursing (Heath, 1998). Reflective practice incorporates Carpers (1978) ways of knowing personal, ethical, aesthetical and empirical knowing into an individuals reflection. Reflection is a personal understanding of self and in the development of self, reflecting on relationships and interactions between two or more people. As a nurse, the relationship is between the nurse and the client, and sometimes involves the clients family as well. The experience in which I cared for someone occurred in the fall of 2009. As part of my Gr. 12 Ethics and Morals Religion Class, it was required that for an eight week period, we spent a period of our time, once a week at a retirement home with our assigned adoptive grandparent. The purpose of this assignment was to spend time with an older adult, engage in communication, participation, and enjoy the time spent with the older generation and learn from them. So once a week, I made my way to the retirement home and spent an hour and a half with my adoptive grandparent Blanche. I planned ahead of time activities that she might like to take part in such as a puzzle, a walk, a craft, or baking. Once I got there, I would ask her what she would like to do and we would go from there. Each time I went there, she had a different story to tell me; her life as a young farm girl, her teenage years, and the love of her life, her career as a teacher, her family and journeys she had been on. Each st ory had its own personal meaning to her and I sat there attentively and listened, asked probing questions and comments. As her adopted grandchild, it was my duty to entertain her, keep her spirits up and encourage her. The one week when I went there, she had physiotherapy so I could not spend much time with her on a personal level, but more of a team of caring individuals to support her, and encourage her through her therapy. Although this situation does not exactly relate to a medical need for caring for someone, I still managed to care for an individual on a personal, face-to-face encounter. This experience also helped me to learn how important the elderly patients are. When I experienced this caring situation, I was feeling worried and nervous at first. I was unsure what to expect prior to meeting my adoptive grandparent. I was worried about the fact that my grandparent might not have liked me, or would be extremely quiet and held back. Since this was one of the first times I would be put in an experience like this, I just did not know what to expect. After the first two weeks, I became more comfortable in my surroundings and each week I would then look forward to my visits with Blanche. After I became comfortable, I was happy and opened up more towards Blanche. The purpose of this experience achieved a new found friendship with a member of the older generation. It gave me the opportunity to care for an individual at the retirement home who did not have many visitors, so I became her weekly visitor and spent quality time with her and card for her in a special way. This experience helped me achieve a better respect for the elderly and enhanced my ab ility to relate to them on a personal level. Knowledge that may have informed me would be the calling for a special person who cares for the spirituality of others. Nursing is a caring profession that is honoured as the spiritual, spirit-filled practice (Vance, 2003). A caring occasion becomes transpersonal when nurse and client together with their unique life histories and perception become a focal point, in which the moment is greater than the occasion itself (Watson, 2008). The experience shared between the two becomes a deeper pattern in life. The caring moment is being in the moment. Fully present, open to other people, compassion and connection. Reflection of practice allows the nurse to observe decisions made and bring to the open the knowledge that has formed from practicing skills. Nursing students can enhance multiple ways of knowing and their understanding of caring through the process of reflecting on caring encounters (Schaefer, 2002). The foundation of nurse care is the wisdom in knowing and understanding that les sons are learned by one another to become more human in learning the identity of ourselves with others. When I cared for Blanche on a weekly basis, I acted for the best with the values that I had at the time. Although I had not dealt with many elderly patients prior to this experience, I still knew the values I had and gave Blanche my utmost respect. I treated her with the same respect that I would have liked to be treated if the positions were opposite. Caring as a nurse means the innermost of nursing, without prejudice and aims at prioritizing the patients suffering and needs (Gustafsson et al., 2007). Nursing care is the process aimed at responding to patients needs without reasoning. Quality care is the element to caring. When a nurse is caring for someone, it is best that they are not bias towards the patient, nurses should treat all patients equally, meaning not giving certain patients more attention, unless their critical situation demands it of them. This situation connects with a previous experience in which I worked at a retirement home for a few weeks in the summer. This position mainly had me as house cleaning but in the evening when everything was done, it allowed me to interact with the residents. I talked to them, played games and took them for a stroll outside. The experience in which I cared for Blanche was more connected and personal in terms of the one-on-one time I was able to spend with her. The idea of reflection is caring science learning, learning and developing a personal knowledge of caring as an art (Gustafsson et al., 2007). This helps to establish the substance and quality of caring in regards to the patient. Factors that constrain my responding in new ways is my personal confidence level, with a variation of the knowledge of my experience, which I will hope to gain from working side-by-side with experience nurse practitioners. This also relates to my level of involvement, if I increase the questions I ask if I am in doubt, I will gain more knowledge of the situation. This will also offer clarification and a deeper level of thought in regards to the situation. When I was caring for Blanche, at first I was not very confident and a little hesitant to introducing myself to a complete stranger and spending time with her once a week. After participating in this learning of a life lesson, I gained so much from it. I have more confidence in my ability to communicate with strangers; I have stepped outside the box I built up around myself and have become a more confident, strong, communicative leader. Although I may still be a little hesitant about situations, that is normal. A fear of the unknown or hesitation is another constraint to responding in new ways. This unknowing is an awareness that as a nurse does not and cannot know or understand the client when they first meet (Heath, 1998). Knowing the clients information or background prior to meeting with the patient will help make the situation a little more comfortable. Mixed groups may possibly enhance the development of skills of reflection (Heath, 1998). Working together as a team will help form and ensure actions are for the best. As a team, all sides are valued and reflection is more in-depth and has different vantage points. As a student nurse, insights that I have gained from this reflection is that my experience will grow and I can begin to understand the details of what experienced nurses know. It may only be a small portion, but I can build an understanding for the knowledge expert nurses have and benefit from it. A powerful insight is recognizing the unknown, and as a nurse, I can learn to remain alert to the clients individual viewpoint of the situation. This can best be done by listening to the client and establishing a truthful, open, working relationship, without the state of unknowing. Nurses need to be aware of the lack of empirical knowledge (Heath, 1998). This will promote an awareness to learn, research and increase practical skills. Guided reflection is a journey of self-inquiry and transformation (Johns, 2006). Reflection helps one realize their ability to care, learn and gain experience on past situations, learn from mistakes so they do not happen again. Reflection is awakening of the se lf (Johns, 2006). Did I act or be the best I could be with Blanche? I personally feel that I did the best job I could with the knowledge I had at the time. After learning about nurse- client therapeutic communication, I feel that maybe now, if I were to go back and relive the experience, I would be have a better relationship with her and gain more knowledge and become an even better adopted grandchild. I would ensure that the relationship would be more purposeful and contain a position of trust and a unique responsibility to maintain a therapeutic relationship. What would I have done differently if I was able to relive this experience to improve and make the most of this experience for both myself and Blanche? If I were to relive this experience, I would change the direction of advancing the best outcome and interest for Blanche. I would give her more attention, make more time in my schedule to spend time with her and take pleasure in the time spent together. Just because I may understand something, d oes not mean that I could change the outcome, it just means I am on my way to changing and becoming a more determined nurse. Understanding something is the first step towards changing. As John (2006) states, usually negative feelings such as anger, guilt, frustration and sadness draw our attention to the experience. These negative feelings draw specific attention because they seem disturbed and usual taken-for-granted awareness for feelings. In my situation while I was caring for my adopted grandparent, this was not the case. If anything, it was the opposite. The feelings that drew my attention to this caring situation were happiness, thoughtfulness, joy, and understanding. The smile I saw every time I walked into Blanches room and glow in her eyes every time she saw us. Our weekly visits to her brightened her days and made her feel young again. I appreciated being with her, giving her my time, my attention and my skill as a person of todays generation. It takes practice first and then reflection (Johns, 2006). It is best to practice the skills needed first, make sure they are understood and demonstrated them properly and then reflect on the occasion and what went right and what went wrong and improve the situation for the next time.

Nathaniel Hawthorne Symbolism

Nathaniel Hawthorne Symbolism The Mastery of Symbolism in the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most influential American Romantic authors of the nineteenth century, was born Nathaniel Hathorne on July 4th, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Nathaniel found interest in reading and writing as a young child and continued his interest well into his late teenage years when he began attending Bowdoin College. While in college, Hawthorne befriended Henry Wadworth Longfellow, a fellow Romantic author of the nineteenth century. Nathaniel Hawthorne changed his surname shortly after graduating from college from Hathorne to Hawthorne. The change is speculated to have been due to Hawthorne tracing his familys lineage back to John Hathorne, a great-grandfather of Hawthorne who was one of the judges involved in the sentencing of many women during the Salem Witch Trials. Out of embarrassment and superstitious of a curse upon the Hathorne family name, Hawthorne added the w to his surname. During Hawthornes mid-twenties and early thirties, he wrote in silence in the family room of his home. It was during this time Hawthorne practiced his craft for writing and spent a great amount of time perfecting his writing. Furthermore, for a short time in Hawthornes life, he joined a transcendentalist utopian society called Brook Farm, but he soon became dissatisfied with its lifestyle and left. The Brook Farm experience, along with his time spent tracing his lineage and time spent alone in contemplative writing, influenced Nathaniel Hawthornes philosophy and writing style, and lead Hawthorne to become one of the most well known authors of the American Romanticism literary movement. Nathaniel Hawthornes philosophy and writing style is a part of the literature style of American Romanticism. Considered the first illustration of American literary genius by Jennifer Hurley, book editor of American Romanticism, the literature of American Romanticism was written between the late 1830s and 1861, right before the rise of the Civil War. American Romantics, like Hawthorne, were unified by a concern with the internal world, the world of the psyche, as explained by Hurley on page twelve. Hawthornes aspect of American Romanticism exemplified the desire to explicate the qualities of human nature, such as its individuality, imagination, and intuition. Hawthorne, like other Romantics, explored the individuals isolation from society by providing complex psychological portraits of his protagonists (Hurley 12). While the United States of America was unstable, transforming from agrarianism to industrialism and political turmoil being at its peak during the nineteenth century, Roman tics, such as Hawthorne, found stability in seeking out the peace, beauty, and simplicity of nature and its relation to humankind. Hawthornes aspect of Romanticism was concerned with the psychological and symbolical analysis of certain types of human character and moral situations. Hawthorne extensively uses the literary technique of symbolism to convey an idea to his audience. Symbolism was a popular literary device of Romantics, where an object represented an idea. Symbols could have been a word, place, character, or any other object in which a meaning extended beyond the items literal context. Symbolism is a technique of the Romantics that has continued to be a popular literary device, and is a broad category in which allegory, a specialty of Hawthornes writing technique, is under its hierarchy. Hawthorne drew upon his personal and cultural history to create his intensely symbolic works that investigated the depths of the national American character. The symbolism of his works focused on isolation and guilt of the individual, the uncertainties of good and evil, and the continual hold of the past on the present. Hawthorne focused on his Calvinist lineage and Americas Calvinist ideological past, as well, in hopes of coming to terms and making sense of it. Hawt horne was deeply fascinated by the shifting and treacherous nature of the Puritan lifestyle, as explained by David Morse, author of American Romanticism: From Cooper to Hawthorne. The Puritans were endlessly attentive for symbolism in their daily lives. The Puritans clothing, gesture, behavior, languageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all had their meaning which must be deciphered (Morse 182). Hawthornes writing is full of symbolic characters, settings, and objects. Hawthornes characters and settings are not always actually important for what they are, but for what they exemplify. Hawthornes audience finds the meanings of his symbols as they grow among his characters efforts to tell the audience what the symbols represent. Hawthorne uses the development of events in different settings to convey the meanings of his symbols as well. Hawthornes genius was in his technique of developing the symbolism of the story via the characters and events because Hawthorne, by intention, makes the characters and their actions the direct allegorists instead of the narrator of the narrative himself. Hawthornes genius is also in his efficiency to make his symbols so commonly placed and natural that they go overlooked. The meanings conveyed by these symbols become more effective when placed so naturally, they conceal themselves because it requires deeper intellectual and intrinsic thought on t he behalf of the reader. One of Hawthornes least recognized works came from his publication of his short story collection Twice-Told Tales, published in 1837. The short story The Hollow of the Three Hills is one unfamiliar to most. Summarized by Gary L. Pullman, author of The Hollow of the Three Hills: Hell on Earth, as: A young woman who suffers from an untimely blight rendezvous at an appointed hour and place with a withered, old hag (a witch) in the circular hollow situated in the center of three hills, having come to the crone to learn what has become of the husband and daughter whom the young woman abandoned years before. Their fate was intimately bound at one time, she concedes, although they are cut off forever from one another now. The witch, reminding the young woman that their time together is short (there is but a short hour that we may tarry here) and directing her to kneel and lay her head upon her knees, pulls her cloak over the young womans head, thus blinding her to the exterior world. The witch utters a profane prayer, by which she works a spell that enables the young woman to hear the voices of her parents and those of her family, whom she abandoned. Her parents, now old, lament the shame and affliction her desertion of her family has brought them. The witch tells the young woman th at her parents are weary and lonesome. Next, her husband speaks from within the confines of a mental institution, complaining of his wifes perfidy and of a wife who had broken her holiest vows, of a home and heart made desolate. Apparently, his wifes desertion of him and their daughter has caused him to lose his mind. The young woman lifts her head, replying to the witchs question as to whether it seems likely that there could be such merry times in a madhouse by saying there is mirth within its walls, but misery, misery without. The young woman longs to hear one more voice (presumably her daughters), and the witch obliges her, telling her to lay her head again upon her knees. The old woman begins to wave her spell again, but, as dusk deepens toward night, a funeral bell tolls, and a funeral procession approaches, several of the members of which revile the dead, pronouncing anathemas upon the deceased for her having abandoned her husband and daughter. When the witch shakes the motio nless young woman whose head rests upon her knees, to rouse her, she discovers that the young woman has died, and the witch says, Here has been a sweet hours sport! The young woman is portrayed as having left her loved ones because of an unforgivable dishonor or deceit she has committed, therefore, fled into nature, to loneliness and isolation. There she seeks comfort in the lap of the old witch. It is in this moment in the story the question of this allegorical story begins. Is the comfort the young woman seeks from the witch her damnation or salvation? Hawthorne explores an issue of critical summation, the greatest allegory of the story, of whether or not the witch is the womans salvation or damnation in the narrative. Hawthorne demonstrates, though, that the sole way for the reader, through the development of events and the characters courses of actions, to know is through his identification of the context that defines whether the witchs nature is of damnation or salvation for the young woman. To discover Hawthornes brilliance of symbolism in The Hollow of the Three Hills, the audience must only open its mind to understand how Hawthorne may be expressing a metaphor. For example, In those strange old times, when fantastic dreams and madmens reveries were realized among the actual circumstances of life, (The Hollow of the Three Hills 5), hints to the reader that the story is between the border of subjectivity, the inner world of the psyche, and objectivity, the outer world of nature. In another instance, when the witch says to the young lady, Here is our pleasant meeting come to pass according as thou hast desired. Say quickly what thou wouldst have of me, for here there is but a short hour that we may tarry here, the womans death is being foreshadowed. It is also suggested that the two meet because of a greater power which intertwines the fates of the young woman and the witch. Continuing symbolism in the story is found in the third paragraph of the narrative in the word sepulchre of the phrase, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦like a lamplight on the wall of a sepulchre, (The Hollow of the Hills 5) and again when the young womans head is rested on the knees of the witch and covered by the cloak, as described on page six of The Hollow of the Hills. Sepulchre indicates the young lady is near death in the presence of the witch. The darkness of the covering cloak symbolizes and foreshadows what the young ladys afterlife will be like without repentance of her sins. The darkness represents that she will not be reborn into life, but into death, physically and spiritually, and therefore both lives, her mortal and spiritual, will be claimed by damnation of sin. Toward the end of the narrative, Hawthornes symbolism is yet to cease. The golden skirts of day were yet lingering upon the hills, but deep shades obscured the hollow and the pool, as if sombre night were rising thence to overspread the world, (The Hollow of the Three Hills 8), is a representation of the life of the young woman as her life and what little happiness she attempted to retrieve from listening to the voices of her loved ones slips away and is overcome by death and misery. In the last moments of her life, the young woman, troubled with the guilt of abandoning her family, wonders the fate of her family. She seems to want to know their fate more to satisfy her curiosity than because she has come to a position of repentance. After all, the young lady accepts the services of a witch instead of seeking a reverend. By visiting the witch, she is dying on her knees in the spell of a witch rather than in prayer, and as a result, she dies in sin. Both of the womans lives, the physic al and spiritual, are in transgression. Furthermore, in death the young lady is not released of her sins, but is given an eternity of suffering and torment of what the witch pleases. The young woman is not only the servant of the witch, but ultimately the servant of the Power of Evil, the symbolical description of Satan. The bells at the end of the story make the reader aware, as if the bells were an alarm, that the story is a warning that the fate of the woman could happen to anyone. Hawthornes own religious beliefs come through in the story through expressing the need of repentance. The Hollow of the Three Hills examines human nature and its inevitability to fall short of perfection. According to Hawthorne, it is why man sins and must, therefore, repent of his imperfections. The symbolism of this tale related to the moral issues of his time period because while society was evolving into a modern industrial community, Hawthorne used his symbolism to express his opinion that society will unavoidably change, but for its cultural survival, the need for individual intuition and moral s must stay intact, or otherwise face great downfall, like the womans fate in the narrative, because societal perfection nor individual perfection is attainable. The symbolism within the story and allegorical message of the story is timeless because the symbols within the story and allegorical message of the story are still relevant today. American society will never outgrow the need for individuals to express intrinsic thought and need to stay in touch with ones morals and intuition because it is part of Americas philosophical and literary ancestry and one will always draw inspiration from Hawthornes symbolism. The timeless effects of Hawthornes symbols and allegories, along with his brilliance in his technique of developing the symbolism of the story via the characters and events and in his efficiency to make his symbols so commonly placed and natural that they go overlooked, are what make him the master of symbolism.

The Role of the Watch in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay

The Role of the Watch in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily Even the casual reader of William Faulkner will recognize the element of time as a crucial one in much of the writer's work, and the critical attention given to the subject of time in Faulkner most certainly fills many pages of criticism. A goodly number of those pages of criticism deal with the well-known short story, "A Rose for Emily." Several scholars, most notably Paul McGlynn, have worked to untangle the confusing chronology of this work (461-62). Others have given a variety of symbolic and psychological reasons for Emily Grierson's inability (or refusal) to acknowledge the passage of time. Yet in all of this careful literary analysis, no one has discussed one troubling and therefore highly significant detail. When we first meet Miss Emily, she carries in a pocket somewhere within her clothing an "invisible watch ticking at the end of [a] gold chain" (Faulkner 121). What would a woman like Emily Grierson, who seems to us fixed in the past and oblivious to any passing of time, n eed with a watch? An awareness of the significance of this watch, however, is crucial for a clear understanding of Miss Emily herself. The watch's placement in her pocket, its unusually loud ticking, and the chain to which it is attached illustrate both her attempts to control the passage of the years and the consequences of such an ultimately futile effort. The idiom of having something or someone "in one's pocket," that is, under one's personal control, is important here, for by wearing the watch in her pocket rather than, say, pinned to her bodice, Emily demonstrates her effort to subjugat e the clock to her own will. In staring down the aldermen who have come about the taxes, ... ...for what is new to us, we soon learn, is not new to Miss Emily. Repeatedly, she has attempted to control time, to fix people and events in the past, and the stru cture of the story mirrors this. Also, since the story begins and ends, more or less, with Emily's funeral (the events of her life being presented to us in a series of flashbacks), very little actual time passes in the course of the narrativ e. By telling her story after her death, Faulkner shows that, in the only way possible, time now stands still for her. Thus this one small detail, the hidden yet constantly ticking watch, becomes a symbol for the horror and futility that are Emily Grierson. WORKS CITED Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." Collected Stories. New York: Vintage, 1977. 119-30. McGlynn, Paul. "The Chronology of `A Rose for Emily.'" Studies in Short Fiction, 6 (1969): 461-62.

Plasma: The Power of the Sun :: physics science plasma fusion energy

As we enter the 21st century the average human's life is dictated by the production and quantity of energy. This energy is produced in many different forms, from fossil fuel to hydro and solar power. Though this production of energy has sufficed up till now, a realization has occurred that the depletion of our current sources is imminent. As a result of this energy crisis, a race to find an alternative energy supply has been put forth. Through plasma fusion's nearly inexhaustible supply of fuel, its lack of greenhouse gases and the amazing spin-off technologies that have developed through plasma research, it is the answer to the current energy crises. Fusion To understand the technology behind plasma fusion, fusion itself must be understood. Fusion is the combining of two or more atoms of low mass, which are initially attracted to each other, to form one atom of greater mass. When two atoms combine to form a single atom, they have fused. This fusing releases a large amount of energy with respect to the amount of mass and energy that was initially put into the reaction. This combination releases energy in the form of light and heat. Energy is created in a fusion reaction through the loss of atomic mass from the beginning to the end of the reaction. The mass of the two atoms is significantly more than the mass of the new atom, which they fused together to form. This loss of mass is subsequently converted into pure energy in the form of light and heat. The reason for this amazing discovery is that mass is just a concentrated form of energy. This understanding between the relationship of mass and energy was discovered by Albert Einstein and illustrated in his famous equation E=mc^2, where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. Through this equation the amount of energy held within a mass can be determined. In a plasma fusion reaction between two hydrogen atoms the decrease in mass is about 4x10^-29 kg. This mass is then converted to energy, equaling 23.9 MeV. "To appreciate the magnitude of this result note that if 1g of [hydrogen] is converted to helium, the energy released†¦ would be worth abou t $70,000" (Physics for scientist and Engineers 1276). Fission In a fission event an example of a reaction at an atomic level is an (A)tomic-bomb. The A-bomb harnesses the power of an atom through an uncontrolled reaction.

Reward and Motivation Essay -- essays research papers

The purpose of this paper is to write about roles of reward systems in the 10th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) located at the United States Air Force Academy. I will discuss whether I believe in the current reward system and whether the reward system motivates employees to achieve the unit’s organization goals. Moreover, from my opinion, I will discus whether employees are satisfied with the current reward system and what I would do to improve the current system to make more effective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently, the 10th Security Forces Squadron has many reward systems in place. One of which is a 100 percent tuition assistance program (TA) for all active duty military members who attend college. Tuition assistance helps motivate all types of active duty military members to complete their college degree with hardly any out of pocket expenses to the military member. Even though the TA program is widely disseminated throughout the Air Force Academy, not many members in the 10 SFS take advantage of TA. Many of the members at the 10th SFS work 12 to 14 hour shifts and these shifts vary every week creating the issue of not having set days off, therefore, creating schedule conflicts. Moreover, when reading further into TA, what’s not widely disseminated is that there is a capitation for the cost of college that the government will pay. Beginning October 1, 2002, TA will be capitated at $3,400, meaning if an active duty military member uses the complete total of $3,400 in less than one year, that military member will have to find a way to pay for the rest of his or her college until the next fiscal year, which is from October to October. Many employees in the 10th SFS are young troops that live in the dorm. The question has been asked at dorm meeting why the troops do not take advantage of TA and the response that troops do not want to pay any out of pocket expense because they cannot afford books and tuition, has been overwhelming. The second reason for not going to college and using TA was shift work that most troops have to endure. Most of the troops flight chiefs will work with a school schedule; however, the flight chief cannot guarantee that the military member can be let off work to attend every class. Therefore, most troops feel that TA and college is too much trouble and do not want to bother with it. A second form of reward is fringe comp... ...A and complete a college program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fringe benefit of time could not be better. Making recommendations on improving the system would be difficult at this point and time. Since, the program is new and working very well, it is very hard to say what would make the system work better. As of now, the people in the 10th SFS are showing better customer service base wide, increased work production, decreased stress on day-to-day issues and increase quality of work. Currently, I could not make any recommendations to make the system better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout this paper we’ve discussed two different types of benefits that the 10th SFS offers to their employees, how these benefits work with the unit and how the reward affect the people in the unit. I have made recommendation on bettering one system but could not make any suggestions for the other. I hope this paper has been able to give the reader a clear understanding of the 10th SFS reward and motivation program that are offered. Reference   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martoccho, J. (2001). Employee Motivation and Compensation. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall.

Credentialing System Implementation Essay

The previous two parts of this three-part assignment, the systems analysis and application architecture and process design aspect of the credentialing software project at TPI Health Systems (TPI) was explored. This last paper will explore the implementation stage of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) as it related to the credentialing project at TPI. There are six major steps to the implementation phase of the SDLC: (1) coding, (2) testing, (3) installation, (4) documentation, (5) training and (6) support. The text actually details five steps and breaks-out the last step, support, into its own phase (Satzinger, Jackson, & Burd, 2004, p. 626). The first phase, coding, is done in any of three development styles: (1) input, process, output, (2) top-down, (3) bottom up. The input, process, output (IPO) method is defined by first doing the activities that require external input followed by elements that process the input and concluded by programs that produce output (Zachman, 1987, p. 279). The IPO is effective in developing user interface first and simplifies testing. It does have a disadvantage of late output modules (Satzinger et al. p. 629). The top-down and bottom up methods produce the needed top or bottom modules, respectively. Top-down coding has the advantage of having a working version of the program. Poor utilization of programming personnel in the beginning of the project is disadvantage of the top-down development method. The bottom-up method puts programming personnel to work immediate, utilizing resources effectively. Unfortunately, this method also requires additional programming to test the modules, as well as an overall delay of testing by waiting for the top modules to be developed. The credentialing project at TPI used a weak IPO method of coding. The major attention was placed on converting the data in the existing Visual Fox format to Microsoft SQL 2000 compatible data. The company, SyMed, made no provision for any user interface changes. The process of how a credentialing application flowed through the TPI credentialing process was observed in the analysis phase of the project and the project team had wanted some user interface changes to accommodate TPI processes. These changes did not fit into the SyMed project plan, so the TPI process was changed to accommodate the pre-written user interface of the SyMed system. Testing is the next phase of the implementation phase. A comprehensive testing program includes a stepwise process starting with unit testing, followed by testing of group components called integration testing and concluded with entire systems test (Satzinger et al. , 2004, p. 640). Individual units or modules are tested prior to integration with more advanced modules, using driver modules. Once a set of modules are put together, integration testing can take place. These test include checking for interface compatibility, run-time exceptions, parameter values and unexpected state interactions (Satzinger et al. , p. 644-645). Jeff Theobald suggests that an effort should be made to concentrate not on just errors in a single application or module, but also the system as a whole and between systems (Theobald, 2007). After these tests are completed, the project goes on to system testing. System testing often involves daily â€Å"build and smoke† tests, where the system is set to run and is observed for â€Å"smoke† or errors (McConnell, 1996). The TPI credentialing system was tested in this manner. The project made it through the first two testing phases (unit and integration), but never made it out of systems testing. It â€Å"smoked† and never stopped due to a basic inability of the data store to handle the TPI method of placing multiple doctors in multiple entities. The SyMed development team called in the architect of the system and a step back to the analysis phase was made. Their entire development team, along with the architect, made a trip from Nashville to Louisville to redo the initial analysis. The team went back to Nashville with the new data and called back to say they could not do the project. The end of the project consumed uncounted person-hours, 7 months on the calendar and about $25,000 dollars. The next part of the implementation phase is installation. This phase is accomplished by several methods. The first is direct installation. This is where the new system is installed and implemented and the old system is â€Å"turned off. † This is a simple but risky way for a new system to be deployed. The next possible method of installation is parallel. This method is demonstrated by keeping both systems going for an extended amount of time. This is a low risk but high cost implementation scenario. Phased installation is the last method and is characterized by multiple possible pathways to final installation. Phased installation is also low risk, but can become quite complex due to the multiple pathways (Satzinger et al. , 2004). The TPI credentialing system, had it made it to this phase, was to be a parallel installation. Documentation is the next phase of implementation and usually consists of user documentation and systems documentation. User documentation is descriptions to users on how to work together with the system. It is typically how to startup and shutdown the system, the keystrokes necessary to do specific tasks, functions necessary to perform a specific procedure and troubleshooting tips (Satzinger et al. , 2004). System documentation usually consists of information necessary to maintain and re-implement the system in the event of a disaster. System documentation includes maintenance and upgrade procedures, analysis methods and in some cases, the source code and testing data (Satzinger et al. ). The TPI credentialing program had available pre-printed manuals of SyMed’s existing user interface and command sequences. The SyMed systems documentation was never provided. The next phase of implementation is training. Training can consist of formalized classes or presentations; self paced learning or group training. This training should be hands-on and emphasize actual applications that the system was created to perform. Timing of training is important. Training can be performed too early in the implementation progress, leading to unnecessary training that may need to be un-learned. Training is often seen as a luxury by some companies and is sometime omitted. This can be a costly mistake (Satzinger et al. , 2004). The TPI credentialing system was scheduled to have two days of formalized onsite training. The final phase of the implementation phase is support. As mention earlier, this phase s sometimes broken-out as its own stage. It is also often rolled into the training phase. Support is usually considered some form of help desk for most software development, though some companies offer only online documentation and troubleshooting. For this premise to work, the documentation needs to be robust and thorough. The TPI credentialing system never got to this phases and was unable to utilize either system. The failure of the TPI credentialing system software project had many contributors. Poor analysis and implementation of the SDLC was paramount, as well as budgetary issues. To sum it up, the failure was mostly due to TPI not knowing exactly what they wanted and needing more abilities than they had resources for, coupled with SyMed’s inability to recognize their limitations. The failure outlined above could have been mitigated by the knowledge and utilization of the capability maturity module (CMM). The CMM is a matrix that defines an organizations maturity of software processes Anderson, 2001). CMM is a process identification whose goal is to use defined and repeatable processes in software development. TPI would have scored a one and SyMed may have scored a two. Figure 1 illustrates the five modules of the CMM. Figure 1. Capability maturity module. This tool can be utilized by both software clients and vendors to identify potential success in a given software project. Additionally, IBM has developed the Rational Unified Process (RUP) for the object-oriented approach of software development. RUP is designed to make designed and repeatable processes easier. There are individuals who disagree with contention of repeatability for both CMM and RUP, claiming that like movies, software development success is not always repeatable.

Hotel Management System Essay

1.1 Introduction The aim of every business is to achieve operational excellence and efficiency. The effectiveness of business processes today has been influenced by technology. However, as computing technology becomes increasingly vital to conducting business and communicating with associates, new and more complex issues must be resolved. Among them is the need to ensure that the benefits derived from using computers are not reduced due to accompanying information management inefficiencies or to the creation of new business risks. A hotel is a building where travelers can pay for lodging, meals and other activities. Hotel Management involves combination of various skills like management, marketing, human resource development, and financial management, inter personal skills, dexterity, etc. Hotels are a major employment generator in tourism industry. Hotel management can be a very lucrative field, both in terms of annual revenues Furthermore, hotels are big attractions to businesses and associations l ooking to hold events. Booking an event means additional revenue for the use of a conference or banquet room, in addition to overnight guests who may use laundry and other concierge services. Work in the area of Hotel Management involves ensuring that all operations, including accommodation, food and drink and other hotel services run smoothly. Hotel management system goes a long way to assist hotels in achieving its aims. Hotel management system as an automated system will enable hotels provide all round services to their various customers or stakeholders through digital or electronic means. The system will assist management in its day-to-day business activities, make decisions. 1.2 Subject and Field of Study The field of study is computer studies and in relation to the subject area being Information Management system and Web Application Development with highlights on Database management, Web and Internet Technology. This project is a web application development project prior to my area of study, the project is designed specifically for hotel businesses that has seen the need of transforming business activities from the manual process to digital process and also businesses that needs safe and proper customer data management in electronic form using the internet. 1.3 Study Objectives The study objectives are categorized into two: 1.3.1 Global Objective: The Global objective of this project is to contribute to the general body of knowledge and research work in the area of developing a hotel management system that will automate the whole management processes of the organization (hotels). 1.3.2 Specific Objectives: The following are the targeted objectives to be accomplished in order to achieve the general objective above. To be able to create mutual communication between customer and business (hotel). To provide a platform for online booking and reservation by customer’s rooms. To provide easy access to customers in viewing and making selection of hotel rooms. To be able to manage fast access to guest(customers) information and easy update of records. To be able to provide security measures to access the hotels information lowering data security threats. To be able to provide better data management facilities To able to enable backups of respective users to be made and accessed when it is needed. 1.4 Problem Statement Intended to explore the impact of the design of Hotel Management System is expected to overcome the general problems in handling issues relating to hotel business activities, managerial activities, difficulties in providing stock control of equipment’s used in the hotel, difficulties on monitoring and tracking customers details and requirements on which the tasks are performed, the time consuming aspects of various customers moving all the way to the preferred hotel to make reservation and bookings as well as viewing at the hotel rooms available. However providing notifications to respective customers about their reservation status is also time wasting. Also management of these hotels finds it difficult manually keeping records of their various employees, clients and other vital hotel related information. Difficulties in making references to old business transactions, data’s and other negotiations and issues concerning security of data and  recovery manners is also considered. It is designed to replace old method of recording information by using pen and paper. 1.5 Research Methodology The proposed research methodology for this project is the â€Å"Waterfall Model†. The waterfall model takes fundamental process activities and it is a sequential design process, often used in software development processes, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of separate process phases such requirement specification, software design implementation, testing and maintenance. To ensure that our project is in par with our client needs, we used the waterfall model approach in developing the systems. The first process of the model is data gathering. Here we gather information about basic hotel management system functionalities. Joint Application Development (JAD) will be used as fact- findings techniques that will be used to gather the requirements analysis if the Hotel Management System should be implemented in any hotel. After the first phase of data gathering we proceeded in interviewing our clients. We asked about what their expectations were in a hotel management system. Some clients already had a hotel management system. In this case we asked them about what improvements they would have wanted to add in the system such as implementing an attribute for passport information. After gathering all of the information from our clients we proceeded with the next step which is analyzing of data and problem solving. In here we began conceptualizing the components our system needed such as inputting name and creating a log in log out system. We also thought about what elements from our initial concept did not require. After conceptualizing all of the elements we need in creating our system we proceed to the next step which is implementing requirements. In here we decide what applications we need in developing the system. Here we decided to use VB.Net and MySQL as our primary programming languages. Now that we have our tools we proceed to the next step which is system and software design. In here we take our concept design and upgrade that design by implementing our tools in the design. This means we have to understand the requirements of the end user and also have an idea of how the end product should look like. System design also helps us specify the hardware and  system requirements to create the overall system architecture. System design is the (stepping stone towards) our next task which is GUI design. GUI design is the process of designing user interface of the entire system. This means that we start creating actual look of the program for our system. After creating the design we proceed to next step which is system coding. This is where the command lines are assigned to a GUI so that they would have their proper functions. An example would be initiating the connection query in order to connect to the database. After adding all of the required components we proceed to the final step which is system testing and debugging. Here both individual components and the integrated whole are methodically verified to ensure that they are error-free and fully meet the requirements. 1.6 Background and Justification of the Study The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which a hotel management system will be used in the organization to manage hotel business processes. A background study shows that the hotel’s daily operation is managed by the Administrative Department. The process starts from customers coming to the hotel to make reservations and enquiries, through the hotel receptionist. The customer booking details will be recorded in a manual form and filed. After making enquiries and finally a reservation is made, the reservation form would be forwarded to the cashier for payment to be made, all involving paper work. Since it involves paper work lots of time is consumed and booking & reservation takes a lot of time. Furthermore, when a customer wants to check out, files will have to be searched and retrieved so that the final operations of checking out a customer will be performed. Some of the service personnel who have studied the issues concerning the manual business operation issued by customers, has contended that the manual operation reduces the operational productivity of the hotel. Because there have been cases records have been mishandled due to human error, some data’s cannot be found etc. HMS helps in managing reservations, bookings, guests and agents. The user can search for the vacant rooms in the hotel and book for it by not necessarily coming to the  physical location of the hotel. An administrator can view the booking details, transactions and coordinate the activity with the agents. He can track the entire site activity. Reservations can also be made through a phone call or an email. 1.7 Expected Outcome of the Project At the end of this project, the following becomes the outcome: There will be a created mutual communication between customer and management. Customers will be enabled make online booking and reservation by searching for rooms. There will be enabled effective storage of customers’ data Administrators will be able to manage fast access to guest files and updates of records will be done effectively and efficiently. Administrators will be provided with better data management facilities. There will be enabled security measures when trying to access the hotels information lowering data security threats. There will be enabled frequent backups of respective user details and access when needed. 1.8 Presentation of Thesis Chapter 1: General introduction is focused on the research which is the Project Proposal. Chapter 2: Literature Review which focuses on history and the outlook of the existing systems. Chapter 3: Methodology. In this chapter, the proposed system is analyzed into details and its importance discussed expansively where context level diagrams, dataflow diagrams, flowcharts will be used to explain the proposed system further. Chapter 4: System Analysis and Design; the study carries on with the design of the system. This chapter will encompass database modeling, class modeling, use case modeling and the relationship diagram of the proposed system. Chapter 5: Testing and Implementation; Implementation of the computer software goes on after the design. The system will be tested and reviewed to reveal errors. In this chapter also the documentation of the completed system. It also lays emphasis on both the users of the system and the system itself. Under the user documentation, the manual for both the user and the expert who will administer the system will be known. Finally conclusion and recommendation will be made as well as observations are identified and the necessary improvement which could be added to the system is made.