Thursday, December 26, 2019

Legalization of Marijuana - 1528 Words

Legalization of Marijuana Jimmy Martin, II Saint Leo University Author Note This paper was prepared for Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior CRM 328, taught by Dr. Pappas. Abstract With exception to the debate surrounding the Affordable Health Care Act and the attacks on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, public policy regarding legalization of recreational and medical marijuana has reached a boiling point in most state legislatures. However, possession and use of marijuana is still viewed by many as comparable to consuming an alcoholic beverage. Regardless, it (marijuana) is still classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Introduction After†¦show more content†¦The poll provides an additional break-down by age, gross income, political party affiliation, and educational level. Outside of the preconceived notion that minorities are the only ethnic group that uses marijuana, percentages show that whites use it as equally. However, black people have the probability of being arrested 3.73 percent more times than whites (www.aclu). Under Maryland criminal statues, the punishment for possession of marijuana in the amount of 10g or less is 90 days incarceration and a maximum fine of five-hundred dollars, 10g to 50lbs is 12 months of incarceration with a maximum fine of one-thousand dollars (http://mgaleg.maryland.gov). Like any other drug, marijuana provides the human body with a brief sense of euphoria and some hallucination if mixed or â€Å"laced† with other drugs. Additionally, marijuana use can increase blood pressure, irritate lungs, and promote short term brain memory. From a medical perspe ctive, proponents believe that marijuana could be used to treat patients suffering from diseases such as: AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, and epilepsy (http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org). There is also the financial aspect of legalizing â€Å"recreational† marijuana. At the end of the first day of business, Colorado marijuana businesses netted 1 million dollars in sales (Barasch, 2014). It is the opinion of manyShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization1061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Legalization of Cannabis in Ohio Marijuana is a controversial topic all across the United States. Recently marijuana has been voted on, legalized, and denied legalization in multiple states. There are still more states trying to fight the green fight for marijuana. The fight for legalization hasn’t been an easy one for cannabis supporters; they have been fighting tooth and nail to make it happen. One of the main concerns in the marijuana debates are whether or not marijuana is a gateway drugRead MoreLegalization Of Marijuana And Marijuana1633 Words   |  7 PagesBalyuk March 8, 2016 Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana has a few different names that are commonly used in today’s society including weed and cannabis. Weed is smoked with joints, bongs, or pipes. Marijuana can also be mixed with foods usually brownies, cookies, and candy which are called edibles. The main chemical responsible for the high feeling is called THC but marijuana also contains over 500 chemicals. The chemical is found in resin produced by the leaves and buds. â€Å"Marijuana is the most commonlyRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization Essay2566 Words   |  11 Pagescurrent prohibition on marijuana reforms has put the United States in a similar situation. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, â€Å"95 million Americans age 12 and older have tried pot at least once, and three out of every four illicit-drug users reported using marijuana within the previous 30 days† (ONDCP). The decriminalization and eve ntually legalization for the recreational use of marijuana will bring forth benefitsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization1282 Words   |  6 Pages On November 8th, 2016, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative may be included on the ballot. The people of California will vote on whether to legalize the recreational use of cannabis for adults. The move targets at regulating the consumption of the drug and taxing it like other legalized drugs. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 (National Institute of Drug Abuse). The state prohibited any legal actions from being taken on patients and recognized caregiversRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization1660 Words   |  7 PagesKyler Smith 9/15 â€Å"Marijuana Legalization† The legality of cannabis varies from country to country. Possession of cannabis is illegal in most countries and has been since the beginning of widespread cannabis prohibition in the late 1930s. However, possession of the drug in small quantities had been decriminalized in many countries and sub-national entities in several parts of the world. Furthermore, possession is legal or effectively legal in the Netherlands, Uruguay, and in the US states of ColoradoRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana And Marijuana Essay1314 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana or Cannabis is one of the bused drugs in America and the rest of the world. Interesting accumulating evidence show that the significant negative impact of this drug outweighs the positive effects. However, the medical benefits of the drug seem on the process of chemical compounds as compared to the drug itself. Medical debates show that chemical compound in marijuana are the problem as compared to the plant. The said chemical compound af fects the mental and physical health of the personsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization996 Words   |  4 Pages the monetary gain of its legalization for most has been productive to say the least. For example, Denver Colorado is on track to more than triple the marijuana tax revenue this year alone. $44 million was collected in 2014. In July 2015, 73.5 million was collected, while 19.6 million went to schools. A place such as Chicago could really use the legalization to help with the school system infrastructure issues they have. With a deficit of over 1.1 billion marijuana sales could alleviate bothRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana1550 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization of Marijuana: Benefits and Statistics The topic of legalizing marijuana has been a topic of controversy for quite some time now not only throughout our local streets, but throughout the local and into the state government. The legalization of marijuana is such a controversial topic because some are for it and some are against it. People are for the legalization because of the great uses it has towards medicine, the money that could come from the taxation of legalized marijuana, andRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana972 Words   |  4 PagesOn January 1st the states of Colorado and Washington officially began the regulation of legal marijuana sales. Thousands of people from all over the country including tourists from Wisconsin, Ohio, Chicago, and even Georgia lined up out front of dispensaries to make a purchase. Recreational marijuana is being regulated and monitored like alcohol; you must be at least 21 years old to make a purchase. The drug, which is controversial in many states’ legislations, is currently l egal for medical useRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana628 Words   |  2 PagesThe Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana, the plant of the cannabis, has been around since the early 1900’s. Throughout history, marijuana has been used illegally, for both recreational and medical uses. Recently, marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes, like aiding HIV/AIDs patients, healing migraines and controlling nausea caused by chemotherapy. Today, there are currently 21 American states that have legalized medicinal marijuana including two states that have legalized recreational marijuana

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Managing Organizational Change For Organizational Design...

MANAGE ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE Implementation Strategies: Planned change that took place Action Plan: Change in organisational design by reporting systems, operational processes and size of teams, while roles were redefined by definition, job title and remuneration. Tasks – Most jobs were redesigned including more responsibility for staff in management roles and multi-functional tasks for other staff. One of these job designs is called job enrichment, which is the increase and deepening of motivating factors built into a job (Wood et al, 2010). Some of these enrichments used by new management were increased responsibility and accountability, less control and more freedom in the job and more recognition. Training Plan: Improvement of†¦show more content†¦Recognition was given in addition at meetings and performance appraisals. This is the observable culture, however as Wood et al (2010)explain, shared meanings and stories are other powerful aspects of culture and this can be observed at True local by the high turnover of staff by both stories and norms that communicate the need to work hard to perform in the job or leave. Cultural symbols include trophies for ‘employee of the month ‘awarded to the highest performer. These symbols serve to transmit cultural meaning (Wood et al, 2010). In the sales department a large subculture can be observed. Wood et al (2010) explain strong subcultures are often found in high performance task forces where people share similar values and backgrounds. This subculture included men between the ages of 22-30 yrsthat have no formal education, drink alcohol excessively, are passionate about technology, highly materialistic and view wo men as sex objects, which can often be observed by their language and behaviour. Moreover this culture is likely to be influenced by the national culture of which the organisation is embedded (Wood et al, 2010). In fact this subculture existed in the old culture before the restructure of which the company held ‘diversity training’ focused on discrimination and fairness within the workplace resulting in terminations. According to The Economist (2008), in the economicdownturn companies need ‘Generation Y’ as hungry 25-35 year olds

Monday, December 9, 2019

Managing Human Resources in Health Care

Question: Discuss about the Managing Human Resources in Health Care. Answer: Introduction A hospital, which is operating in a geographically dispersed location in Australia, is working with approximately 400 employees. The hospital has a payroll department but lacks a dedicated human resource department or a senior human resource manager. The management of the human resource is being done by the CEO with the help of the financial manager and both of them have been designing and implementing all the important human resource functions. In addition to this, a human resource specialist visits the hospital every week, which makes the CEO believe that the human resource management of the hospital is in good hands. The result of this model has been high staff grievances, absenteeism, turnover, staff shortage and a reduced quality of patient care. On the other hand, a similar hospital is having exceptional human resource results as the CEO of the second hospital is passionate about the management if human resources and has a dedicated human resource team. As a result, the second hospital is experiencing low absenteeism, turnover, staff grievances, staff shortage and an increase in the quality of health care given to the patients. Recommendations To the Ceo For Improving The Management Of Human Resource Human resource management is not an easy task even for the human resource management professionals because of the multiple functions involved in it and also due to the human factor involved the management (Mondy, Noe and Premeaux, 2002). It involves understanding the psychology and thought process of the entire workforce and designing policies and systems that would help in optimising the performance and effectiveness of the employees, which is the sole objective of a human resource management department (Deadrick and Stone, 2014). As a result, the management of human resources should be done carefully because improper management of the workforce can have severe impacts on organisational performance and effectiveness. Some important steps that can help the CEO of the first hospital in improving the management of human resources are discussed below: First of all, the CEO of the first hospital should set up a dedicated human resource department or a team and should merge the payroll department in it. A payroll department is a department in an organisation that manages the financial aspect of the employees salary, allowances, deductions, net pay, etc. and the generation of pay slips. Most of the functions in the payroll management, such as salaries, compensation, benefits, allowances, etc. are also some important functions that are performed by the human resource management departments. Thus, the CEO should abolish the payroll department and should introduce a human resource management department or a human resource team that would carry out all the human resource management functions in the organisation, including the functions of the payroll department. The newly set up department would be dedicated towards managing the human resources of the hospital and would continuously work to improve the work conditions and employee employ er relations to optimise the performance and effectiveness of the employees. Further, the CEO should also put an end to the weekly visits of a human resource specialist as a dedicated human resource team will make him redundant (Hrdept.co.uk, n.d.). Secondly, the CEO of the first hospital and the newly set up human resource management team should start to analyse the workplace situation and identify the problems that exist within the workplace. The CEO and the human resource department should hold regular meetings where they can discuss the employee grievances and complaints registered by the patients to find out the problems that are having an impact on the performance of the workplace. The CEO and the human resource team should also develop separate surveys and questionnaires for the employees as well as for the patients. The questionnaires will be helpful in gathering their feedback and gaining knowledge about the factors that are bringing about a decline in the quality of health care in the hospital. Thirdly, the CEO and the human resource team should completely redesign the human resource functions that had earlier been designed by the CEO along with the finance manager of the hospital. An increase in the absenteeism, turnover rates, employee grievances, etc. indicated that there is definitely an issue with the human resource policies and functions that have been planned by the seniors. Thus, by analysing the surveys and questionnaires filled up by the employees and the patients, the CEO and the human resource team should redesign those human resource functions and policies that have been having an effect on the performance of the employees. Fourthly, the human resource team should start designing training and development programs for the employees as quickly as possible. The present state of the human resource of the first hospital indicated lack of enthusiasm and job engagement in the employees. Most of the middle level managers hardly have an idea about what exactly is the management of human resources and do not even consider it to be their jobs. The training and development programs would be designed in order to improve the level of employee engagement in the organisation and would also aim at increasing the knowledge of the middle level managers about the management of human resources. The human resource team of the hospital can also organise some seminars for the mid-level managers where they can be taught about the basics of human resource management and how they can make a difference by managing the employees working under them (Connelly, 2014). Lastly, the CEO of the hospital should undertake certain steps that would improve the work environment for the employees. The CEO of the hospital, along with the human resource team, should design and implement a performance management system so that the performance levels of the employees can be optimised and the workplace could become more performance oriented (Morebusiness.com, 2007). The human resource team should also design certain key performance indicators that would help in analysing the performance demonstrated by various departments in a certain week or a month. Further, the senior management and the human resource team should hold regular meetings where they can have a discussion regarding the employee grievances, the changes being implemented, the progress that has been made since the past meetings and to share the results of the performance management system and the hey performance indicators (Hassan, 2015). Building A Sustainable Human Resource Capability In the present times of global business competition, only the fittest can survive the market competition in the longer run. In such tough times, companies have started to realise the value of their human resources and the role that they play in the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. As a result, business organisations are setting up dedicated human resource departments in the workplaces so that they can help companies in building a sustainable human resource capability. Building a sustainable human resource capability is not an easy task. It required a complete professional approach and can even take several years to achieve the desired results. Some key factors that can help business organisations in building a sustainable human resource capability are discussed below: Recruitment and selection if an organisation has to build up a sustainable human resource capability, it should start right from the place from where the human resources are brought into an organisation i.e. recruitment and selection. For the human resources to be more effective and efficient, it is important that the right people are placed at the right job at the right time. To hire the right people for the right job, organisations should design appropriate recruitment and selection procedures and should include various personality and psychological tests that are able to test the required traits and qualities of the candidates (Msu.edu, 2015). If the recruitment and selection procedures are right, business organisations can ensure higher efficiency, lower turnover rates, higher retention and a sustainable human resource capability (Do Better Hiring - The RecruitLoop Blog, 2016). Suitable work environment a number of behavioural science experts, such as Herzberg, have identified the importance of workplace environment in the behaviour that the employees demonstrate. The type of workplace environment that the employers are able to provide the employees can have a direct impact on the job characteristics of the employees. For example, a hygienic workplace can ensure higher level of job satisfaction in employees as compared to a workplace that lacks hygiene. Similarly, human resource managers should try to make the workplace more competitive so that the employees become more engaged in the work that they do. The managers or the leaders of business organisations should also ensure that they demonstrate an ethical behaviour towards their juniors and their own work so that they can lead their juniors by setting examples and their juniors can follow them (Peters, 2013). Training and development programs to build a sustainable human resource capability, it is very important for business organisations to design and implement regular training and development programs for the employees. The business world is changing at a very fast pace which leads to introduction of new market trends on a daily basis. To remain competitive and to cope up with the market trends, it is imperative that business organisations identify these changes and make their human resources undergo training and development programs that can help them in coping up with the market trends and learning new skills and technicalities. On the other hand, if the human resources are not developed timely, they would lose their market edge and would not be able to sustain in the longer run. Thus, to build a sustainable human resource capability, it is important that their skills are regularly updated using training and development programs (Sparkman, 2015). Retaining and attracting today, business organisations are spending billions of dollars every year into the development of their human resources and in order to make them more competitive so that they can in turn help the companies in outperforming their competitors. Companies have to invest a lot of resources and money in developing their human resources and whenever an employee quits an organisation, all the invested resources go in vain. Further, high turnover rates can have a negative impact on the morale of the employees along with a fall in the overall efficiency and productivity. As a result, to ensure a sustainable human resource capability, it is important that the companies are able to retain their pool of talent (Msu.edu, 2015). Further, when business organisations work, they experience a constant demand of human resources, which they fill in by recruitment and selection programs. To achieve better results in the future, it is important that the companies are able to attract a talented pool of employees who can join the company and contribute the best of their efforts towards the achievement of organisational goals and objectives. Thus, retaining and attracting talented pool of employees can also play a crucial role in developing a sustainable human resource capability. Conlcusion The difference in the performance results between the two hospitals clearly indicates the importance of effective human resource management. As a result, the CEO of the first hospital should look into the above given recommendations to improve the human resource management in his health care institute and should try his best to build a sustainable human resource capability in the workplace. References 5 Reasons You Need A Recruitment And Selection Policy. (2016). Do Better Hiring - The RecruitLoop Blog. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://recruitloop.com/blog/5-reasons-you-need-a-recruitment-and-selection-policy/ Connelly, N. (2014). The evolution of HRM-Growing pains lead to positive outcomes. Journal Of Healthcare Risk Management, 33(4), 3-3. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jhrm.21136 Deadrick, D. Stone, D. (2014). Human resource management: Past, present, and future. Human Resource Management Review, 24(3), 193-195. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2014.03.002 Hassan, H. (2015). What is the importance of KPIs to organizations employees. linkedin. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-importance-kpis-organizations-employees-heba-hassan Hodgkinson, R. (1987). IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. Property Management, 5(4), 328-335. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb006669 HR and Payroll Services from the HR Dept. Hrdept.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://www.hrdept.co.uk/hr-services/payroll HR Attraction Retention. (2015). Msu.edu. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://msu.edu/course/prr/473/oldstuff/HRAttractRetention.htm Mondy, R., Noe, R., Premeaux, S. (2002). Human resource management (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. McBride, A. Mustchin, S. (2013). Crowded out? The capacity of HR to change healthcare work practices. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 24(16), 3131-3145. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.775031 McConnell, C. (2011). Addressing Employee Turnover and Retention. The Health Care Manager, 30(3), 271-283. https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/hcm.0b013e318225e3bf Peters, J. (2013). The Importance of a Positive Working Environment. Businessreviewaustralia.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/leadership/143/The-Importance-of-a-Positive-Working-Environment Siddiqui, J. Kleiner, B. (1998). Human resource management in the health care industry. Health Manpower Management, 24(4), 143-147. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09552069810215746 Sparkman, E. (2015). The Importance of Training and Development in Healthcare. prezi.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://prezi.com/rncbg4k7cjyu/the-importance-of-training-and-development-in-healthcare/ The Importance of Performance Management in Business | MoreBusiness.com. (2007). Morebusiness.com. Retrieved 21 December 2016, from https://www.morebusiness.com/running_your_business/management/Performance-Management.brc

Monday, December 2, 2019

Manager Roles and Skills Essay Example

Manager Roles and Skills Essay Describe three different roles of a manager; what skills are essential to perform these roles? Ans: Many people say, that â€Å"management is what managers do† While that’s true, it doesn’t tell us much unfortunately. So in order to understand the concept of management, you have to understand what managers do. There are three specific categorization schemes to explain what managers do, result of many years of research and study: †¢ Roles (Henry Mintzberg) †¢ Skills (Robert L. Katz) There are three different management roles, which can be subdivided in ten more categories, which I am going to discuss here. Management Roles: Henry Mintzberg is a well know researcher, and the results of his studies about the work of managers were published in The Nature of Managerial Work (New York: Harper Row, 1973). The term management roles refers to specific categories of managerial behavior, and Mintzberg concluded that what managers do, can be described by studying ten different and interrelated roles, grouped around interpersonal relationships, transfer of information, and last, but not least, decision making. Interpersonal Roles The ones that, like the name suggests, involve people and other ceremonial duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leader – Responsible for staffing, training, and associated duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figurehead – The symbolic head of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Liaison – Maintains the communication between all contacts and informers that compose the organizational network. Informational Roles Related to collecting, receiving, and disseminating information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Monitor – Personally seek and receive information, to be able to understand the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disseminator – Transmits all import information received from outsiders to the members of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spokesperson – On the contrary to the above role, here the manager transmits the organization’s plans, policies and actions to outsiders. Decisiona l Roles Roles that revolve around making choices.   Ã‚           Entrepreneur – Seeks opportunities. Basically they search for change, respond to it, and exploit it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Negotiator – Represents the organization at major negotiations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Resource Allocator – Makes or approves all significant decisions related to the allocation of resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disturbance Handler – Responsible for corrective action when the organization faces disturbances. It’s worth to mention that Mintzberg also considered that as managers perform the roles described above, their activities include reflection and action. Reflection (also called thoughtful thinking) because managers think, ponders and contemplates about their decisions. Action (or practical doing) because every time they act, they are doing something, they are applying their decisions. We will write a custom essay sample on Manager Roles and Skills specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Manager Roles and Skills specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Manager Roles and Skills specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mintzberg’s approach is debatable, but several studies that tested the Management Roles categories in different types of organizations support the idea that managers do perform similar roles. What does change is the emphasis given to each role that may vary depending on the organizational level. Management Skills: A managers job is varied and complex. Managers need certain skills to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager. What type of skills does a manager need? Research by Robert L. Katz found that managers needed three essential skills. These are technical skills, human skills and conceptual skills. Technical skills include knowledge of and proficiency in a certain specialized field, such as engineering, computers, financial and managerial accounting, or manufacturing. These skills are more important at lower levels of management since these managers are dealing directly with employees doing the organizations work. Human skills involve the ability to work well with other people both individually and in a group. Because managers deal directly with people, this skill is crucial! Managers with good human skills are able to get the best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. These skills are equally important at all levels of management. Finally conceptual skills are the skills managers must have to think and conceptualize about abstract and complex situations. Using these skills managers must be able to see the organization as a whole, understand the relationship among various subunits, and visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment. These skills are most important at top level anagement. A professional association of practicing managers, the American Management Association, has identified important skills for managers that encompass conceptual, communication, effectiveness, and interpersonal aspects. These are briefly described below: Conceptual Skills: Ability to use information to solve business problems, identification of opportunities for innovation, recognizing problem a reas and implementing solutions, selecting critical information from masses of data, understanding the business uses of technology, understanding the organizations business model. Communication Skills: Ability to transform ideas into words and actions, credibility among colleagues, peers, and subordinates, listening and asking questions, presentation skills and spoken format, presentation skills; written and graphic formats Effectiveness Skills: Contributing to corporate mission/departmental objectives, customer focus, multitasking; working at multiple tasks at parallel, negotiating skills, project management, reviewing operations and implementing improvements, setting and maintaining performance standards internally and externally, setting priorities for attention and activity, time management. Interpersonal Skills: Coaching and mentoring skills, diversity skills; working with diverse people and culture, networking within the organization, networking outside the organization, working in teams; cooperation and commitment. Conclusion: In todays demanding and dynamic workplace, employees who are invaluable to an organization must be willing to constantly upgrade their skills and take on extra work outside their own specific job areas. There is no doubt that skills will continue to be an important way of describing what a manager does. Q # 2: Contrast between Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning theories of learning. Give suitable example for each. Ans: 1. Classical Conditioning: If a stimulus that results in an emotional response is repeated alongside another stimulus which does not cause an emotional response, eventually the second stimulus will result in the same emotional response. Classical Conditioning is thus ‘learning by association’. In more detail, we are pre-conditioned to unconditionally respond in certain ways to stimuli. For example a sudden noise (an unconditional stimulus, US) makes us flinch (the unconditional response, UR). If a movement is made at the same time as, or just before the noise, such as moving hands to clap loudly (conditional stimulus, CS), then the person will learn to flinch when the movement is made without the noise necessarily being there (the conditional response, CR). Thus the association is made between the US and CS, with either stimulating the same response. Classical Conditioning  does not work in all circumstances. In particular it is more effective where the conditioning may be of evolutionary benefit. Experiment: Pavlov did famous experiments with dogs, ringing a bell and then feeding them. After a while, he could ring the bell and their mouths would salivate. Garcia and Koelling (1966) showed that rats soon learned to avoid a sweet-tasting liquid when it was followed by an injection that made them ill, but they did not learn to avoid the liquid when they received electric shocks afterwards. Presumably this is connected with learning what foods they could safely eat. The rats did, however, learn to avoid the electric shock when it was paired with light and noise (but injection light/noise failed). Maybe this is related to learning about natural hazards like lightning or falling objects. Example: I liked my aunt, she always made me feel warm and wanted. She always wore a particular perfume. When I smell the perfume now, I immediately feel warm and wanted. So what? Using it If you want to persuade someone to do something, get them to do it at the same time as doing something they like doing. Do something specific every time they do something you want (like touching them somewhere or making a specific sound). Then do that specific thing and theyll think of doing the desired behavior. Defending Watch out for people repeatedly touching you or having strange behaviors. Check that theyre not trying to program you. 2. Operant Conditioning: A behavior will increase if it is followed by positive reinforcement. It will decrease if it is followed by punishment. Operant Conditioning is thus ‘learning by consequences’. Whereas Classical Conditioning involves automatic, pre-programmed responses, Operant Conditioning involves learned behaviors. Also, whilst Classical Conditioning associates two stimuli, Operant Conditioning associates a stimulus and a response. Favorable circumstances are generally known as reinforcing stimuli or reinforces, whilst unfavorable circumstances are known as punishing stimuli or punishers. Operant Conditioning is also known as Instrumental Conditioning. Experiment: Skinner put rats and pigeons in a box where pressing a lever resulted in food being dispensed. From accidental knocking of the lever, they quickly learned to deliberately press it to get food. Example: Parents often try to balance praise and punishment. To be effective, they should punish only behaviors they wish to extinguishthey should not punish for not doing what should be done. So what? Using it: If you want someone to work harder, do not punish them when they do not work—reward them when they do. If you want them to stop smoking, make it unpleasant when they do rather than pleasant when they refrain. men Manager Roles and Skills Essay Example Manager Roles and Skills Essay Describe three different roles of a manager; what skills are essential to perform these roles? Ans: Many people say, that â€Å"management is what managers do† While that’s true, it doesn’t tell us much unfortunately. So in order to understand the concept of management, you have to understand what managers do. There are three specific categorization schemes to explain what managers do, result of many years of research and study: †¢ Roles (Henry Mintzberg) †¢ Skills (Robert L. Katz) There are three different management roles, which can be subdivided in ten more categories, which I am going to discuss here. Management Roles: Henry Mintzberg is a well know researcher, and the results of his studies about the work of managers were published in The Nature of Managerial Work (New York: Harper Row, 1973). The term management roles refers to specific categories of managerial behavior, and Mintzberg concluded that what managers do, can be described by studying ten different and interrelated roles, grouped around interpersonal relationships, transfer of information, and last, but not least, decision making. Interpersonal Roles The ones that, like the name suggests, involve people and other ceremonial duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leader – Responsible for staffing, training, and associated duties.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figurehead – The symbolic head of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Liaison – Maintains the communication between all contacts and informers that compose the organizational network. Informational Roles Related to collecting, receiving, and disseminating information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Monitor – Personally seek and receive information, to be able to understand the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disseminator – Transmits all import information received from outsiders to the members of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spokesperson – On the contrary to the above role, here the manager transmits the organization’s plans, policies and actions to outsiders. Decisiona l Roles Roles that revolve around making choices.   Ã‚           Entrepreneur – Seeks opportunities. Basically they search for change, respond to it, and exploit it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Negotiator – Represents the organization at major negotiations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Resource Allocator – Makes or approves all significant decisions related to the allocation of resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disturbance Handler – Responsible for corrective action when the organization faces disturbances. It’s worth to mention that Mintzberg also considered that as managers perform the roles described above, their activities include reflection and action. Reflection (also called thoughtful thinking) because managers think, ponders and contemplates about their decisions. Action (or practical doing) because every time they act, they are doing something, they are applying their decisions. We will write a custom essay sample on Manager Roles and Skills specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Manager Roles and Skills specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Manager Roles and Skills specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mintzberg’s approach is debatable, but several studies that tested the Management Roles categories in different types of organizations support the idea that managers do perform similar roles. What does change is the emphasis given to each role that may vary depending on the organizational level. Management Skills: A managers job is varied and complex. Managers need certain skills to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager. What type of skills does a manager need? Research by Robert L. Katz found that managers needed three essential skills. These are technical skills, human skills and conceptual skills. Technical skills include knowledge of and proficiency in a certain specialized field, such as engineering, computers, financial and managerial accounting, or manufacturing. These skills are more important at lower levels of management since these managers are dealing directly with employees doing the organizations work. Human skills involve the ability to work well with other people both individually and in a group. Because managers deal directly with people, this skill is crucial! Managers with good human skills are able to get the best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. These skills are equally important at all levels of management. Finally conceptual skills are the skills managers must have to think and conceptualize about abstract and complex situations. Using these skills managers must be able to see the organization as a whole, understand the relationship among various subunits, and visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment. These skills are most important at top level anagement. A professional association of practicing managers, the American Management Association, has identified important skills for managers that encompass conceptual, communication, effectiveness, and interpersonal aspects. These are briefly described below: Conceptual Skills: Ability to use information to solve business problems, identification of opportunities for innovation, recognizing problem a reas and implementing solutions, selecting critical information from masses of data, understanding the business uses of technology, understanding the organizations business model. Communication Skills: Ability to transform ideas into words and actions, credibility among colleagues, peers, and subordinates, listening and asking questions, presentation skills and spoken format, presentation skills; written and graphic formats Effectiveness Skills: Contributing to corporate mission/departmental objectives, customer focus, multitasking; working at multiple tasks at parallel, negotiating skills, project management, reviewing operations and implementing improvements, setting and maintaining performance standards internally and externally, setting priorities for attention and activity, time management. Interpersonal Skills: Coaching and mentoring skills, diversity skills; working with diverse people and culture, networking within the organization, networking outside the organization, working in teams; cooperation and commitment. Conclusion: In todays demanding and dynamic workplace, employees who are invaluable to an organization must be willing to constantly upgrade their skills and take on extra work outside their own specific job areas. There is no doubt that skills will continue to be an important way of describing what a manager does. Q # 2: Contrast between Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning theories of learning. Give suitable example for each. Ans: 1. Classical Conditioning: If a stimulus that results in an emotional response is repeated alongside another stimulus which does not cause an emotional response, eventually the second stimulus will result in the same emotional response. Classical Conditioning is thus ‘learning by association’. In more detail, we are pre-conditioned to unconditionally respond in certain ways to stimuli. For example a sudden noise (an unconditional stimulus, US) makes us flinch (the unconditional response, UR). If a movement is made at the same time as, or just before the noise, such as moving hands to clap loudly (conditional stimulus, CS), then the person will learn to flinch when the movement is made without the noise necessarily being there (the conditional response, CR). Thus the association is made between the US and CS, with either stimulating the same response. Classical Conditioning  does not work in all circumstances. In particular it is more effective where the conditioning may be of evolutionary benefit. Experiment: Pavlov did famous experiments with dogs, ringing a bell and then feeding them. After a while, he could ring the bell and their mouths would salivate. Garcia and Koelling (1966) showed that rats soon learned to avoid a sweet-tasting liquid when it was followed by an injection that made them ill, but they did not learn to avoid the liquid when they received electric shocks afterwards. Presumably this is connected with learning what foods they could safely eat. The rats did, however, learn to avoid the electric shock when it was paired with light and noise (but injection light/noise failed). Maybe this is related to learning about natural hazards like lightning or falling objects. Example: I liked my aunt, she always made me feel warm and wanted. She always wore a particular perfume. When I smell the perfume now, I immediately feel warm and wanted. So what? Using it If you want to persuade someone to do something, get them to do it at the same time as doing something they like doing. Do something specific every time they do something you want (like touching them somewhere or making a specific sound). Then do that specific thing and theyll think of doing the desired behavior. Defending Watch out for people repeatedly touching you or having strange behaviors. Check that theyre not trying to program you. 2. Operant Conditioning: A behavior will increase if it is followed by positive reinforcement. It will decrease if it is followed by punishment. Operant Conditioning is thus ‘learning by consequences’. Whereas Classical Conditioning involves automatic, pre-programmed responses, Operant Conditioning involves learned behaviors. Also, whilst Classical Conditioning associates two stimuli, Operant Conditioning associates a stimulus and a response. Favorable circumstances are generally known as reinforcing stimuli or reinforces, whilst unfavorable circumstances are known as punishing stimuli or punishers. Operant Conditioning is also known as Instrumental Conditioning. Experiment: Skinner put rats and pigeons in a box where pressing a lever resulted in food being dispensed. From accidental knocking of the lever, they quickly learned to deliberately press it to get food. Example: Parents often try to balance praise and punishment. To be effective, they should punish only behaviors they wish to extinguishthey should not punish for not doing what should be done. So what? Using it: If you want someone to work harder, do not punish them when they do not work—reward them when they do. If you want them to stop smoking, make it unpleasant when they do rather than pleasant when they refrain. men

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Tularemia Essays

Tularemia Essays Tularemia Essay Tularemia Essay Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Tularemia Introduction Tularemia is a highly infectious disease, which affects humans and animals, caused by the bacterium francisella tularensis. The disease affects humans through various means such as skin contact with the infected animal, taking contaminated water, inhaling contaminated dust and aerosols, bites from ticks such as dog ticks, lone star ticks, and wood ticks, bites from deer flies, exposure in the laboratory, and as an act of bioterrorism (CDC). The bacterium is highly contagious, and a small number can cause the disease. terrorists can use it as a weapon, in form of inhalation, and this would increase the number of people susceptible to the disease. Pneumonic tularemia tends to be more severe. The disease causes severe pain and it could be fatal. Mosquitoes also carry the disease, and they can spread them to humans. The bacteria enter the human body through the skin, mouth, eyes, lungs, or throat. About one hundred animal species can carry the infection (Siderovski 12). This is in additi on to birds, arthropods, and fish, which can also carry the disease. Animals such as rabbits, hares, cats, muskrats, and rodents are more likely to get the infection. In cases of outbreak, the animals die in large numbers. There are no known cases of person-to-person infections. Farmers and hunters are at high risks of getting infections. Description and Classification Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative non-molatile bacterium with two biotypes, tularensis (biotype A) and palaearctica (biotype B). It is in capsule form with pleomorphic cells, which appear as short rods. It is an intracellular pathogen, able to live in ticks for a long time. the bacterium can survive in cool conditions for a long time but the cells are sensitive to heat. The bacterium can survive in water, as well as dry land. It also survives in soil, hay, decaying animal carcasses, and straw. Biotype A is limited to North America and it is highly virulent. Biotype B is found in North America, Europe, Asia and Americas, and it is less virulent. There are four known subspecies, and they include tularensis, holarctica, mediasiatica, and novicida. mediasiatica and novicida have low virulence subspecies tularensis is exclusive to north America, while subspecies holartica is present in Europe and north America (Suckow et al., 341). Signs and Symptoms The symptoms of the disease are varied, and they depend on the mode of infection, although all humans affected by the disease experience a high fever. A person infected with the disease normally experiences the symptoms after a period of 3-5 days, although the symptoms can range from 1-21 days. Other than fever, other symptoms include chills, headaches, muscle pain, eye irritation, sweating, diarrhea, dry coughs, weakness, and joint aches among others (CDC). A person with the infection develops a lesion at the site of entry of the bacteria. The sore is often red, with a ribbed rim and a punched-out center (Siderovski 36). The person develops inflammation of the lymph nodes in the affected area (Suckow et al 342). When the bacterium enters the bloodstream, it causes bacteremia, and this enables the infection to spread to other body organs such as kidneys, spleen, and liver (Siderovski 36). Animals infected with the disease often die, but they exhibit symptoms such as depression and an orexia (Suckow et al 342) Forms of Tularemia Some of the main forms of the disease include glandular, ocuglandular, oropharyngeal, ulceroglandular, and pneumonic. The bacteria in the ulceroglandular form of disease spreads to the lymph nodes at the point of entry. The ulceroglandular form of the disease is the most common. It occurs when the bacterium affects the person through the skin. A person with ulceroglandular develops a lesion, which develops into an ulcer. The ulcer heals after one week, and it is relatively painless (Oyston 921-930). The location of the ulcer in the body can help to determine the mode of transmission. Ulcers on the upper extremities on the body indicate that the person was in close contact with an infected animal. Ulcers on the lower extremities, abdomen or the back of the body indicate that the person got the infection from arthropods (Goddard 106). Glandular tularemia is similar to ulceroglandular, expect that the infected person does not develop an ulcer. The eye is a possible route of infection, and when this happens, the person develops ocuglandular tularemia. A person with this form of disease has swollen eyelids, and he or she develops conjunctivitis. Oropharyngeal tularemia develops when a person eats infected meat or drinks contaminated water (Oyston 921-930). It can also develop when a person puts infected fingers in the mouth (Siderovski 41). This form is also known as gastrointestinal tularemia. A person with this form of disease develops pharyngitis, swollen cervical lymph nodes, and ulcers. Diarrhea is a common symptom in this form of disease, and it ranges from mild and persistent diarrhea to acute diarrhea, which is often fatal. The infected person develops an ulceration of the bowel. He or she experiences nausea and vomiting. A person develops pneumonic or respiratory diarrhea through inhalation. A person with this form of the disease becomes delirious. He or she develops a non-productive cough, chest pain, and dyspenea. The bacteria replicates quickly once a person inhales it. The person might require assistance in breathing. Testing and Diagnosis Tularemia is a rare disease, and doctors find it hard to diagnose the disease. This is because the disease symptoms resemble symptoms of other diseases. Doctors look for symptoms such as swelling lymph nodes and ulcers on the skin to make their diagnosis (Siderovski 48). The patient can help the doctor, by pointing out any chance of exposure with an infected animal. Physicians can identify the disease by examining secretions and biopsy specimen using gram stain or direct fluorescent antibody. Examination using the fluorescent antibodies is quick, and the physician gets the report after a few hours but it is not always possible to guarantee the accuracy of the results (Dennis et al 2763-2773). When testing for the disease, it is important to alert those working in the laboratory, so that they can take the correct preventive measures. There have been several cases of people getting infections because of laboratory exposure. The most efficient way of confirming the disease is by growing it in culture, although it is often difficult to do so. One can grow culture using sputum or pharyngeal washing. For a person with inhalation tularemia, the physician grows the culture from fasting gastric aspirates. The culture has to contain cysteine, and the physician places it in an environment rich in carbon dioxide. It takes about four to six days for the culture to grow (Hepburn Simpson 231-240) Prevention and Treatment People can minimize their chances of infection by adopting several measures such as not handling carcasses since one does not know whether the animal had the diseases, and using gloves when handling infected animals and carcasses. People should not take water if they are not sure of its safety. Contaminated water is one of the easiest ways of acquiring the disease. People who take wild meat should ensure that they cook it thoroughly. Tularemia often affects wild animals, and people should be careful when consuming such meat. People in endemic areas should use repellants to get rid of arthropods, and reduce their chances of infection. They should treat their clothes with repellants, as this will help them to avoid insect bites. Worry about terrorists using the bacterium as a possible weapon has compelled researchers to develop a vaccine. There have been several attempts at this, and the live vaccine strain (LVS) seems to have been the most successful. The vaccine is successful in prov iding protection against small doses of a virulent strain. Governments have not licensed the vaccine because of its reversion to virulence, variable immunogenicity, and mixed colony morphology (Oyston 921-930). The disease can be fatal in humans, if not treated. The mortality rate for untreated tularemia is 30%. Treating the disease reduces this rate to 1% (Goddard 106). Doctors use antibiotics to treat the disease in human beings. Doctors use antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, and ciprofloxacin to treat the disease (CDC). These are the most common antibiotics, although other antibiotics such as tetracycline and chloramphenicol are in use (Goddard 106). Treatment depends on the type of medication used and stage of the disease, though it takes 10-21 days. The use of antibiotics has increased the chances of the patients’ recovery, and most patients treated usually recover from their illness. : CDC. Tularemia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011. Web. 12 July 2012 Dennis, T. David et al. â€Å"Tularemia as a Biological Weapon.† The Journal of American Medical Association 285.21 (2001): 2763-2773 Goddard, Jerome. Infectious Diseases and Arthropods. New York, NY: Springer, 2008. Print Hepburn, J. Matthew and JH Simpson. Tularemia: Current Diagnosis and Treatment Options. 2008. Web. 12 July 2012 Oyston, C. F. Petra. â€Å"Francisella Tularensis: Unravelling the Secrets of an Intracellular Pathogen.† Journal of Medical Microbiology 57.8 (2008): 921-930. Print Siderovski, H. Susan. Tularemia. Infobase Publishing, 2006. Print Suckow, A, Mark et al. The Laboratory Rabbit, Guinea Pig, Hamster, and Other Rodents. Waltham, MA: Academic Press, 2012. Print

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Second-Person Pronouns - Definition and Examples

Seconds Pronouns used when a speaker addresses one or more individuals. In contemporary standard English, these are the second-person pronouns: you (singular and plural personal pronoun)yours (singular and plural possessive pronoun)yourself and yourselves (singular and plural reflexive/intensive pronouns) In addition, your is the second-person possessive determiner. As discussed below, other second-person pronouns (such as thee, thou, and ye) have been used in the past, and some (such as yall and yous[e]) are still used today in certain dialects of English. Examples: You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.  (Christian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight, 2008)Do you know whats waiting beyond that beach? Immortality! Take it! Its yours! (Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy, 2004)The key to faking out the parents is the clammy hands. Its a good non-specific symptom... What you do is, you fake a stomach cramp, and when youre bent over, moaning and wailing, you lick your palms. Its a little childish and stupid, but then, so is high school.  (Matthew Broderick as Ferris in Ferris Buellers Day Off, 1986)Laila came over here to braid yalls hair, but left cause yall wasnt here.  (Jesmyn Ward, Where the Line Bleeds. Agate Bolden, 2008)I hope the good white people round here kill all yall off.  (Ernest J. Gaines, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, 1971)But I need to ask you guys a big favor.Ask and you shall receive, my son, said Tradd.  (Pat Conroy, The Lords of Discipline, 1980(Be off, Im tellin yous, your selves an your pound on demand! (Sean OCasey, Five Irish Plays, 1935) Drive thy business, or it will drive thee.  (Benjamin Franklin)Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit.  (John 15: 16, The King James Bible, 1611)Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit.  (Deuteronomy, 19:3, The King James Bible, 1611)O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!Thy mists, that roll and rise!Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sagAnd all but cry with colour! That gaunt cragTo crush!   To lift the lean of that black bluff!World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!(Edna St. Vincent Millay, Gods World. Renascence and Other Poems, 1917) Observations: [R]esearch has found that the inclusion of second-person pronouns in a message increases peoples motivation to attend to a message (Burnkrant Unnava, 1989).​(David R. Roskos-Ewoldsen, What Is the Role of Rhetorical Questions in Persuasion? Communication and Emotion: Essays in Honor of Dolf Zillmann, ed. by Jennings Bryant et al. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003) Thou and Ye Forms As early as the late thirteenth century, the second person plural forms (ye, you, your) began to be used with singular meaning in circumstances of politeness or formality, leaving the singular forms (thou, thee, thy/thine) for intimate, familiar use. In imitation of the French use of vous and tu, the English historically plural y-forms were used in addressing a superior, whether by virtue of social status or age and in upper-class circles among equals, though high-born lovers might slip into the th-forms in situations of intimacy. The th-forms were also used by older to younger and by socially superior to socially inferior.  (John Algeo and Thomas Payne, The Origin and Development of the English Language, 5th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2005) Ye and You In early Middle English, ye was used in subject position, and it marked plurality, whilst you was used in object position, also marking plurality... Singularity was marked by thee and thou. In the fourteenth century, this system began to change, and you began to be used in subject position, as today. As you usage increased over the fifteenth century, ye and you began to lose their function of marking plurality, and by the end of the period they were used for both singular and plural referents, in both subject and object position.  (Peter Brown, A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture C.1350 - C.1500. Blackwell, 2007)    Thou and You Thou ... had in Old English been used when addressing only one person, and you when addressing more. By the sixteenth century, this had changed; the difference was social, with thou expressing intimacy or possibly condescension, while you was chillier or more respectful. The distinction disappeared in the seventeenth century from written English, and from most spoken English also, though one may still hear it in Yorkshireit is memorably frequent in Barry Hiness novel A Kestrel for a Knave, set in 1960s Barnsley. By contrast, other languages in Western Europe continue to draw such a distinction: in some, notably French, it is important, while in others, such as Spanish and Swedish, the formal address is now not much used. Todays yous, widely heard in Ireland, and youse, heard on Merseyside and in Australia, revive and make explicit the difference between the plural you and the singular. So, too, does the American yall.  (Henry Hitchings, The Language Wars. John Murray, 2011) Plurals: Yall, Yalls, All yalls and You Guys Since you was now both singular and plural, how could you make clear that you were speaking to more than one?In the United States, the best the North can do is the casual you guys. But the South has found a comfortable solution: yall...Clear evidence that yall is one word instead of two is the possessive form yalls. For example, Mamos Garlic Sauce of Austin, Texas, posts on its website a collection of Yalls Recipes ...Some Southerners dont accept the explanation that yall is the plural of you. They insist that yall is just another way of saying you, with either singular or plural meaning. They contend that to make a plural, you must say all yall...But for now many Southerners still would reject the notion that yall can be properly applied to only one person.  (Allan A. Metcalf, How We Talk: American Regional English Today. Houghton Mifflin, 2000) A Users Guide to Yall Let me offer a quick user’s guide to y’all, because there’s a lot of bad information floating around on the internet. It’s a contraction of you all, obviously, a phrase with the same structure and purpose as the British you lot. The southern iteration is naturally disposed to being contracted, although people do use the expanded you all. In general, it seems you all is more likely to be the object, while y’all is the subject, although rhythm is probably the most important factor. Another iteration is all y’all, which is used to encompass an entire group in situations where, because the group has natural subsets, ambiguity might otherwise emerge.No matter what you might have heard, y’all should not be used as a singular. (E.G. Austin, Y’all Hear This. The Economist, Sep. 19, 2011)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Affliction in the Land East of the Atlantic Thesis Proposal

Affliction in the Land East of the Atlantic - Thesis Proposal Example This is supplemented by individuals such as the Tsamaev brothers who perpetrated the Boston Bombings in April 2013. The U.S Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have shown a tendency of paying more attention to the Asia Pacific and this increases security risks because of the decreased attention and resources from countering Al Qaida and other terrorist groups (Jones, 2014).   It has to be noted that terrorist groups are advancing in terms of developing very complex methods of smuggling explosives onto U.S-bound aircraft via advanced designs and concealment methods. Such innovations include attempts that various terrorist groups are making in terms of finding out ways in which they can conceal bombs inside electronic items such as cameras, laptop computers and tape recorders, as well as seeking to make explosives with components that may not be detected by airport screeners (Jones, 2014). Given that terrorist groups have become more decentralized, the United States’ securi ty groups are lagging behind in terms of understanding the threat that these heterogeneous and decentralized movements pose to the country’s security. In terms of resources, technology and manpower adaptation to curb the sprouting transportation security, homeland securities lack an authentic counterterrorism strategy (Jones, 2014). Most cargo that is transported on passenger flights is not scrutinized as adequately as the people and baggage that travel on the same airplane. It is imperative to note that as much as.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Deaf experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deaf experience - Essay Example 488). Further, I learned that this group of people was impulsive to the signs whose underlying meaning seemed abusive or complicated to them despite the use being a normal one. I was nervous while communicating to the deaf people because I was unable to inform them that I was capable of hearing and speaking contrary to their expectations since the majority members in the chatroom were deaf. The fact that I was inconsistent in signing to them with the same speed they took to communicate to me spurred anxiety and I could not contemplate the alternative measures to establish in solving the imminent misunderstandings that would emanate from the delays. Despite bearing knowledge on the signs used by the majority population of people in the deaf culture, I was incompetent in elevating the desired skills as there different types of misunderstandings would result from the different perceptions that different chat members bore towards the signings (Davidson 792). Despite the challenges experienced during the chatroom conversations, the deaf people cooperated and educated me in their experiences while living with the condition as they were growing up. The chatroom experience influenced the understanding that the people were aggressive towards the people who were capable of hearing and speaking holding the belief that such people were ignorant of their inability to hear; hence, the use of verbal communication was deliberate and abusive. Further, I learned that the deaf community perceived that they were normal; hence, they were against any practices expressed by different people whose meaning communicated their inability to participate in verbal communication. Other members with whom I communicated to in the chatroom expressed their dissatisfaction to the practices used by the society in providing special learning centers to the deaf (Hauser

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Teachers in Nathaniels Life Essay Example for Free

Teachers in Nathaniels Life Essay Long after we finish school we remember our school teachers and experiences. We gain experience as a consequence of the situation or the people, who surround us. Our school teachers often help us to decide on important life choice and inspire us in our further pursuits. Nathaniel, the main character of the book The Soloist, written by Steve Lopez had several excellent teachers, who helped him with his experience in music and also in life. These three teachers helped Nathaniel during his personal difficulties and in the achievements he had along the way. Nathaniel’s first teacher was William Moon. Moon appeared in a complex and transitional period of Nathaniel’s life, when Nathaniel’s personality and confidence started to fade. Before Nathaniel turned eleven he was the happiest child. He had a complete happy family, but soon after his life took an unexpected turn. Nathaniel’s parents divorced. Nathaniel wanted to see his father, to be with him, share his experiences, but the child felt that there’s no place in his father’s life or him. Nathaniel was shocked by these changes: he couldn’t understand why his father abandoned his family. Floria Ayers, his mother remarried and Nathaniel and his two sisters moved to their mother’ new husband’s house. Alexnader Mangrum, his new stepfather had four children. Nathaniel had very complicated relationships with his stepbrothers and stepsisters, who weren’t happy to see â€Å"strangers† in their house. Nathaniel considered to leave his mother’s home. He told his little sister: â€Å"Let’s run away†. But she answered him: â€Å"Where are we going to go? You don’t think they are going to call our mother in a minute we got there? † They spoke of running away to aunt and uncle’s home. Nathaniel’s confidence and outgoing personality slowly began to fade after a short stay at his father’s home, the young man returned to Cleveland more sullen, more broken and yet more grown-up, it seemed. And there, in Cleveland Nathaniel met him, his first teacher. William Moon inspired Nathaniel. He put into the student the love of music. Music became the escape from reality for the lonely teen. Mr. Moon’s daughter Marjorie was studying music at Ohio University and played a string bass. One day, when Nathaniel heard how Marjorie plays the string bass, he told Moon: â€Å"That’s what I want to do. I want to do what she does†. (p155) This decision has defined Nathaniel’s way forward. The aspiring musician did all his best. Soon Nathaniel became so good, that William Moon couldn’t help him any longer. Moon had become attached to Nathaniel so much, that he even considered Nathaniel to be his son. He referred his talented student to Cleveland Orchestra, where Nathaniel met the next very important person and mentor of his life. Harry Barnoff improved Nathaniel’s musical ability, but also the teacher helped Nathaniel to believe in himself. Barnoff grew up in conditions, similar to Nathaniel’s. Their parents weren’t musicians. Nathaniel found his own way himself like Barnoff many years before, thanks to fate and natural talent. Further Barnoff helped his student to believe in himself during the hard repressive time in American history and enroll in Julliard. Probably, Barnoff was the most beloved of all Nathaniel’s teachers. Even many years later, when Nathaniel was mentally ill and needed to hear a familiar voice, Nathaniel called Barnoff. Lopez mentioned: â€Å"For many years Harry Barnoff was the man Nathaniel tried so hard to impress. It was Barnoff he called when he was in trouble, and it was Barnoff, whose phone number he still had committed to memory more than twenty years after the last time he dialed it†. (p 175). These words show how much Nathaniel was attached to Barnoff. Barnoff wasn’t an ordinary character in Nathaniel’s life. Barnoff was Nathaniel’s teacher, spiritual relative guide and friend for many years. The two previous teachers have been a part of Nathaniel’s past. They have done a tremendous job in a building of Nathaniel’s character. But that’s not enough; Nathaniel needed the help and support for the present. As such, Pete Snyder came into Nathaniel’s life for that purpose. Snyder is a famous musician, who consented to give the lessons to Nathaniel. They met because of Steve Lopez. Snyder read the article and invited Lopez and Nathaniel to his concert. Snyder was going to help Nathaniel in finding his own way in his current situation. The teacher’s purpose was to rehabilitate Nathaniel through music. Snyder was someone like a doctor for Nathaniel. He was a doctor, who treated Nathaniel without medications. Snyder did it through Nathaniel’s enthusiasm for music and it paid off. Lopez states: â€Å"It was a promising break through. Nathaniel is confronting his fears and thinking more rationally† (p. 179) Also with Snyder’s help Lopez tried to persuade Nathaniel to move in to an apartment after thirty years living on the streets and he did just that. At first Nathaniel refused to be in an apartment. He said: â€Å"It’s not my room; I’m not going to be living in here†. (p. 167). However, a week after holding the lessons with Snyder, Nathaniel started to like his new place. One day Nathaniel went out his new apartment to the yard and he saw his neighbor James, who was smoking a cigarette there. When he finished, he threw a cigarette butt on the floor. Nathaniel hated to see garbage on the floor, especially cigarette butts. When Nathaniel saw it he came to James and said: â€Å"Excuse me, sir, you cannot smoke here† Nathaniel said it with such authority, as if he was a courtyard monitor. There stood in the yard and to James’s question: â€Å"Who are you? You don’t live there† Nathaniel pointed on the window of his room and said: â€Å"This is my place† (p. 186) I don’t think that Nathaniel would go so far without Peter Snyder. One day, when Nathaniel had a dialogue with Snyder about the reason of refusing the room. Nathaniel said that in the tunnel he hears the city and doesn’t feel cut off from it like he does inside these four walls. Snyder’s answer had to impress Nathaniel and gave him a different point of view:†Think of this as a clean quiet tunnel. Nathaniel got this point; he agreed that the room is a good decision for his passion, not a prison as he thought of before. Each of Nathaniel’s teachers made an important contribution in Nathaniel’s life. It changed it for the better I had similar experience. I was a very a stubborn child. I never listened to other people’s opinion and I didn’t listen to my school teachers. Probably the main reason for my attitude to teachers was that my teachers didn’t generally like their job and I sensed that. However, after I met my math teacher all that changed. She as very kind and very helpful. Professor Ahmatullaeva wasn’t an ordinary teacher, who taught basic math. She also showed us why math is interesting. She inspired us to learn math. Her attitude was completely different. When I saw her I remembered my mother. Her eyes beamed pure warmth. When she saw that we can’t do something she helped us, when she saw that we felt bad she took care about us. Farida Ahmatullaeva did her best for us. We were a big family for her. She always told us that we are her kids. Even after our graduation we came to school just to visit her. She was always touched that we loved and remembered her. Our teacher Farida remembered all of our names and everything we did in class. A couple days before leaving Tashkent I met her. She was also leaving my city to go to Russia. I remember this day as it was yesterday. I saw tears in her eyes. My teacher told me: â€Å"I know, you will do your best and achieve whatever you want. † She became very close for me because she wasn’t an ordinary teacher, she was also my friend and mentor. There’s no doubt that teachers are very important for the development of our personality. They take part in our educational and the moral foundations of our lives just as our parents do. Our first part of life is at home; as we grow up we continue our lives at school. Teachers become the next support and network by helping us to mature. That’s why becoming a teacher is a very responsible choice. Being a teacher goes beyond the delivery of the essential subject. It also means to be personally connected. Teacher is a bond between the person, who teaches knowledge to students and the person, who provide with a life experience. Also teacher tries to put themselves into the student’s shoes, share own point of view. Teacher helps a student make a decision and give new ways of looking at some experiences. If we are more aware, we have a wider disposal of choices.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Pierre Elliott Trudeau :: essays research papers

Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics. Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind. Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them. Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre- leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill. This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeau's first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this country's history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to him; ironically, in the process, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding him a homosexual too. P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat warrior "doing it my way" is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them; like the prophet he wanders either in dessert or lush green pastures and often, like the prophet, he watches his people march into the Promised Land without him. For Trudeau, being alone is to be free; victory is a consequence of solitude; Pierre Elliott Trudeau :: essays research papers Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics. Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind. Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them. Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre- leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill. This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeau's first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this country's history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to him; ironically, in the process, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding him a homosexual too. P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat warrior "doing it my way" is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them; like the prophet he wanders either in dessert or lush green pastures and often, like the prophet, he watches his people march into the Promised Land without him. For Trudeau, being alone is to be free; victory is a consequence of solitude;

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Aspects Of Contract Essay

Task: 1.1: Explain the importance of the essential elements required for the information of a valid contract? Offer A valid offer identifies the bargained-for exchange between the parties and creates a power of acceptance in the party to whom the offer is made. The communication by one party known as the offeror to the another party called the offeree b) Acceptance To constitute a contract, there must be an acceptance of the offer as noted above. Until the offer is accepted, both parties have not assented to the terms and, therefore, there is no mutual assent. Offeree in a manner invited or required by the offer. Whether an offer has been accepted is a question of fact. The effect of acceptance is to convert the offer into a binding contract. To form a contract it is necessary that there is a party capable of contracting and a party capable of being contracted with on the other side. In other words, to enter into a valid, legal agreement, the parties must have the capacity to do so. Consideration No contract will exist without sufficient consideration due to agreement with the other two party has agree with the term and condition as well. Mutual Assent There must be mutual assent or a meeting of the minds on all negotiated terms between the parties and on all the essential elements in terms of the contract to form a binding contract. Intention to create legal relation In some jurisdictions, the parties must also have a present intent to be bound by their agreements. It is not necessary that the assent of both parties be given at the same time. Also, it is not necessary that communication of the assent be simultaneous. Task 1.2: Discuss the impact of different types of contract? A bilateral contract is an agreement between at least two people or groups. A bilateral contract is enforceable from the get-go; both parties are bound the promise. For example, one person agrees to wash the other’s car in return for having his/her lawn mowed. Acceptance of the offer must be communicated for an agreement to be established. A unilateral contract is one where a party promises to perform some action in return for a specific act by another party, although that other party is not promising to take any action. Acceptance may take effect through conduct and need not be communicated Task 1.3: Analyse terms in contracts with reference to their meaning and effect? Terms of contract set out duties of each party under that agreement. Generally, the terms of a contract may be either: Wholly oral, wholly written and partly oral and partly written. Terms are to be distinguished from statements made prior to the contract being made. Express terms When a contract is put down in writing, any statement appearing in that written agreement will usually be regarded as a term, and any prior oral statement that is not repeated in the written agreement will usually be regarded as a representation, due to the assumption Implied term These are terms that courts assume both parties would have intended to include in the contract had they thought about the issue. They are implied on a â€Å"one-off† basis. Two overlapping tests have been trade used to ascertain parties’ intention. Business efficacy test: terms must be implied to make contract work. There are terms which the law will require to be present in certain types of contracts (i.e. not just on â€Å"one-off† basis and sometimes irrespective of the wishes of the parties). Task 2.1: Apply the elements of contract in given business scenarios? Offer can be seen from the case when Tam’s college offers admission to it student who under take s the vocational qualification. Acceptance can also be seen from the student when they agree to bound by the school regulations. Consideration is when the student promise to act in certain way. This is particularly important where the agreement involves a promise to act in a particular way in the future. Task 2.2: Apply the on terms in different contracts? Conditions These are the most important terms of contract. Serious consequences if breeched. Innocent party can treat contract as repudiated (and thus is freed from rendering further performance of contract) and can sue for damages. Description in contract of term as â€Å"condition† is not necessarily determinative of question whether term is condition. Courts tend to search for evidence that parties really intended term to be such. Task 2.3: Evaluate the effect of different terms in given contract? Conditions are so important that without them one or other of the parties would not enter into the contract. Consequently, to make a condition  falsely, or to breach a condition, is viewed so seriously that the wronged party will be entitled to treat the contract as void, voidable or at least rescinded. Where the term is a warranty, the wronged party will only be able to seek monetary damages for any loss suffered. Task 3.1: Contract liability in tort with contractual liability? The non-breaching party has a duty to mitigate damages. If it does not do so, its damages will be reduced by the amount that might have been avoided by mitigation. In employment contracts, the employee is under a duty to use reasonable diligence to find a like position. Liquidated Damages A liquidated damages provision will be valid if (i) damages (ii) the amount agreed upon was a reasonable forecast of compensatory damages. If these requirements are met, the plaintiff will receive the liquidated damages amount even though no actual money damages have been suffered. If the liquidated damages amount is unreasonable, the courts will construe this as a penalty and will not enforce the provision. Task 3.2: Explain the nature of liability in negligence? The primary function of the Law of Torts is to provide remedies to claimants who have suffered harm, loss, or an infringement of rights. The harm includes physical injury to persons or property, damage to persons’ reputations or financial interests, and interference with persons’ use and enjoyment of their land. However, just suffering such a loss does not necessarily mean the law will provide a remedy; a claimant must show that the person committing the tort owed them a duty of care and that the tort caused the loss. Task 3.3: Explain how a business can be vicariously liable? The company is liable when the manager is under the control of the employer that the employer tell the employee how to the work and when to the work. the work that the employee does forms part of the general business of the organisation. There is a contract of service between the organisation and the employee. Daniels v Whetstone Entertainments Ltd [1962] A nightclub bouncer forcibly ejected Mr Daniels from the premises following a disturbance. Once outside, the bouncer assaulted him. Task 4.1: Apply the element of the tort of negligence and defences in different business situations? Negligence is an important tort that covers a wide range of situations where persons negligently cause harm to others. In order to succeed in an action for negligence, it is necessary for a claimant to establish the following three elements: 1. The defendant owed the claimant a duty of care. 2. The defendant breached that duty of care. 3. Reasonably foreseeable damage was caused by the breach of duty. Task 4.2: Apply the elements of vicarious liability in given business situations? Employers are vicariously liable for Employee acts authorized by the employer Unauthorized acts so connected with authorized acts that they may be regarded as modes (albeit improper modes) of doing an authorized act. There is normally rarely an issue as to whether a given act falls within the first category The difficult cases involve assessing the connection between the act and the employee’s employment. Bazley established that the connection between the employment and the tort contemplated in the second branch of the Salmond test had itself to be addressed in two steps: The Court must first examine â€Å"whether there are precedents which unambiguously determine on which side of the line between vicarious liability and no liability the case falls.† If the prior case law does not clearly suggest a solution, then the Court is to resolve the question of vicarious liability based on a policy analysis directed at ascertaining whether the employer’s conduct created or enhanced the risk that the tort would occur. Task 4.3: Discuss three methods you can use to apply elements of tort properly in a work a place? CONTROL One of the traditional explanations of vicarious liability is that the employer should be vicariously liable since the employer controls the activities of her employees. The relationship between the parties As duties in tort are fixed by law, the parties may well have had no contact before the tort is committed. Unliquidated damages The aim of tort damages is to restore the claimant, in so far as money can do so, to his or her pre-incident position, and this purpose underlies the assessment of damages. Tort compensates both for tangible losses and for factors which are enormously difficult to quantify, such as loss of amenity and pain and suffering, nervous shock, and other intangible losses.. LIST REFERENCE Atiyah P S — Introduction to the Law of Contract (Clarendon Press, June 1995) ISBN: Beale/Bishop and Furmston — Contract — Cases and Materials (Butterworth, October 2001) Cheshire/Fifoot and Furmston — Law of Contract (Butterworth, October 2001) ISBN: Cooke J — Law of Tort (Prentice Hall, May 1997) ISBN: 0273627104

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Psychology Adjustment

Thomas Wisnewski Psychology of Adjustment Jurgens 6 December 2012 In my class Psychology 2101 I was asked to write about three major events that occurred during my lifetime for class. I have thought about this almost all semester and it was a constant struggle just to think of even one event that I would have liked to share. This class has shown me that almost everybody has their problems, some that cope with them well, and others that still struggle to figure a path that will lead them to happiness. I myself have personal issues that I have learned from.This paper will describe the three events and how they have impacted my life. During the paper I will do my best to put these events in chronological order. I come from a military family. My dad was the military man and my mother was from Korea. They had married when my dad was stationed in South Korea between the late 80s and early 90s. Being in a military family had resulted us in moving a lot. I have moved between many states whil e my dad was in the military, but I had actually loved it. I loved traveling between place-to-place and seeing all kind of new things.Travelling was just really interesting to me because there was always a time where I could experience something new. One of the places that I moved to and stayed for quite a while was in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I had always thought this place was an amazing. Most military brats know that making friends is not the easiest thing to do. We understand by the constant moving that we have to make new friends and lose the ones we made from a place before. This was normal, but getting older I realized that I was getting a bit tired from the constant moving and wanted to stay in one place for a while.As far as I can remember I have learned a lot living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I learned to ride my first bike there and enjoyed the beautiful weather. In Colorado I had also met my best friend. My best friend’s name was Joshua Vialpando and we had almost done everything together. We would always have the same teachers in school and then of course we would hang outside of school constantly. The guy was always there for me when I ever had a problem and I would try my best to be there for him. Joshua had always struggled in school, but I would always catch on things a bit quicker and help him out when he needed it.This was my first real friend that I have made that I could actually see being there later in my life during adulthood. Of course as time went by it was time to pack my bags and move to a different state. For the first time in my life I realized that I did not want to move and that moving somewhere new had no appeal to me. I wanted to stay and just hang with my best friend and do whatever new activity would cross our minds. I felt like that moving somewhere new would change me somehow and that I would not be able to make a friend that was like him.I felt as if I was going to be lonely, or probably feel a bit different from everyone else. I was losing a friend and it felt like I was losing the world that I had gotten use to and I did not want to experience a new one. This first event gradually leads up to my second event when I moved to Augusta, Georgia. It took me a four-day trip by RV to make it to Augusta. I knew that by moving here I would have to start over again, new school and hopefully new friends as well. In school before I was never really made fun of or teased at all for being who I am.For the first time in my life I was being teased for being Asian American. Children would constantly come up to me and make â€Å"oriental† noises like â€Å"ching chong chong† and other terms like that. I feel as if in Colorado it was more racially diverse, while moving here to Georgia there was just simply mostly white and black. I remember my very first day of attending class in Augusta and I remember after school I had ended up crying. I did not understand why the other kids would make fun of me because I had never experience this issue before. Augusta, Georgia was the place that my dad decided to retire in.I knew from that point that this place would be my new permanent home and I would not be able to go anywhere else new again. I hated the new place I was living in and I hated going to school. This point on I had lost contact with my best friend in Colorado and I had felt lonely just as I had originally thought I would feel. I had felt this same way all the way to almost between the end of middle school and the start of high school. One day while riding the bus home from school. A guy that sat behind me I said â€Å"hey. † This is the point where I had met my friend Stephen Brinson.Stephen had become almost like a brother to me. He was like a part of my family and even my parents seen it that way as well. This is when things seemed to get better for me, slowly but gradually I would deal with my problems. I no longer felt as lonely as I did before because I had met someone that I could talk to and seemed to have the same interests as me. I have known Stephen for a while now and he is still my best friend today. He is the only person I honestly probably see and talk to most of the time. In my first two years of high school I was not popular at all. In fact, I was probably more of a geek than anything.It was the last two years of high school that I had finally felt a difference. I never realized how many people I knew. I had actually become pretty popular at the end of my high school career. I was known for my talents and nominated for everything. I feel that Stephen was a part of this change because we had made that change together. Stephen was also a pretty big geek in the beginning of high school as well, but we both decided to make this change together. I feel if I have never met him, then that change would have never occurred and I could probably be in a situation that I hate.I learned that it is not about where I go, but the peop le that I do things with. I still today tend to not make a lot of friends, but a few is all I need to be happy. I learned that being made fun of is nothing and it is something that I can overcome. In the end it has made me stronger as a person and I tend to think back at a hard time and laugh about it. I laugh at it because I realize where I am now and I am proud of that alone. My last event is about my sister and mostly my mother. My mother is pretty strict mom and she pushes us very hard especially when it comes to education.The way she pushes my sister and I does not seem very reasonable and at times very unfair. My sister and my mother would argue a lot, but one day it had got to the point where I had come home and my sister had about nine knives that she held up to her neck explaining that she just wanted to kill herself. I remember me sneaking up behind her and taking all of the knives out of her hand to make sure that she would not harm herself. From that point on I tend to k eep a barrier between my mother and I. This barrier is the only one that I can see fit for dealing with her because my mother knows exactly how to tick you off.I do believe that my mother’s ways did help me during school because I had focused and did well many times until the start of high school. In the beginning of high school I tended to rebel against her because I wanted to show her that I did not really care. It was about a year into high school that I realized it was not for my mother, but for myself and that I should actually be doing a whole lot better. My mom did not even attend my high school graduation because she believes I was not high enough ranked. I ranked in the top 10 percentile of my high school, which I thought was pretty good.I do not tell her absolutely anything unless it is completely needed. There is nothing about my personal life that she really knows because she will just argue about how everything I am doing is completely wrong. The barrier is the o nly way I believe that I can enjoy my life and not bother hers. The barrier is not just for myself, but a little part of it is for her as well. It keeps us both sane instead of in a state of constant rage. I believe that I will always have this barrier between her because she will never really sit down and understand why I do the things I do.She does not want to hear what I have to say and just believes that nothing is right compared to her. By creating this barrier between her and I. It has changed me as a person. I realize that I create barriers between other people because I tend to not trust others very quickly. Even when I get into a relationship with a significant other I create some type of barrier and the girl will never understand me completely. I always end up telling them that they just do not get it but I know that because of this barrier I put up. It makes it hard to understand me.I am trying to work on this because I have met someone that I would really love to fully u nderstand me and I fully understand her. It is a work in progress, but I believe in the end it will be worth it. Today, I no longer feel as lonely as I once did. I feel satisfied with how things are going in my life today. I think that I have it all. I might not have the perfect family, but I do love my family. I do not think that anyone has a fairytale. This class has shown me so much and has given me different perspectives on how I can deal with the everyday stress of life.Things just seem a lot better than they did before and I can really only thank myself for this. I feel if I never wanted things to change then they would not have, but I had accepted others with positive inputs in my life and let the ones with negative inputs go away. I thought that this class was an interesting course and that anybody regardless if they are psychology major or minor should take this class because they could also learn something from it as well. It is a different experience than the normal class room, but that is exactly what makes it so good.