Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Jazz Concert at Easter Washington University Essay

Jazz Concert at Easter Washington University - Essay Example This list ensured hthe rhythmical sound of jazz and classical music alternatively. Therefore, the group created an environment that entertained the attendants making some of them stand and dance to the low tone music. On the saxophones or woodwinds were Nick Rice, Max Thew, Jared McFalin, Koelynn Jones and Jacob Lorber. The trumpet part was played by Adam Gaulke, Jbackson Wesley, Tristan Dodson, and Connor Splichal. The trombones were played by Joe Boucher, Luke Brakhman, Luke Manasco, and Nathan Westlund. The band size was medium. One of the singers bared a heavy resemblance to some of the popular ancient jazz legends. He typically resembled Duke Ellington in the way he sang the song. He did the song in a manner that is exactly similar to the way Duke did most of his performances during his days. The dressing attire of the performers was long and white robe like clothes with bright linens at the neck of each performer (Plamondon). The attendance at the concert was beyond what I had imagined or seen in earlier concerts I attended. A large portion of the attendants were young people contrary to my expectation. I have .known young people in my country to be fanatics of popular romantic RnB and Rock music. There were also elderly people in the concert theatre. The singer who displayed a lot of emotion in the song attracted a lot attention of the attendants making them become more attentive to the words rather than the rhythm as they had been in the past hours. Analytically, the melody of the music played during the performance revealed a strange feature. At the beginning it looks more boring than the attendants expected. In fact, most of the attendants could not even shake their heads. Some said that they had wasted their money and will never attend such a concert. However, as the band played, there was a lot of improvements in melody. This attracted attention of the attendants who had earlier underrated the band making the rise to their feet. Harmony in the song involved simultaneous use of different pitches and chords making the song look non-rhythmical, in the making. The main chord used by the band was the 7th chord but it was alternated with the 9th producing irregular rhythmical pattern of the song. The tunes mainly appeared like those of blues music on hearing. This produced the syncopation of the song (Plamondon). The interference of the rhythmical patterns made the attendants get confused and watched as the performers enjoyed every bit of the song. Most of them danced as they played their instruments. This implies that they were aware of the rhythmical patterns of the song therefore were not affected by constant and songs abrupt change of rhythms as they performed. They swung their slim bodies responding to the songs while playing their instruments with passion. Some of them, especially the saxophonists bent as they played their instruments. The instrument produced a rhythm that exactly and beautifully rhymed with the tempo of the s ong. This made everybody in the hall applaud as they joined the singer. Those who knew the song enjoyed more than those who didn’t. Those who didn’t, including me, learnt from the crowd. It was like a surprise to me that I managed to cram and understand the song lyrics after the concert. The overall outlook

Monday, October 28, 2019

Contemporary Use of Rhetoric Essay Example for Free

Contemporary Use of Rhetoric Essay Aristotle believed that rhetoric is an art that could, and should, be studied and that good rhetoric is not only persuasive but also ethical. I agree with Aristotle’s claim that good rhetoric is not only persuasive but it is ethical. Rhetoric is value neutral in that the principles of rhetoric are not necessarily moral or immoral; it is dependent on how they are utilized. I believe it is unethical when good rhetorical principles are used to persuade the ignorant or the unwary of things which are against their best interest and is used to force the beliefs of the hegemonic group of our society upon other less powerful cultural groups. While many believe public engagement in rhetoric has been geared towards establishing absolute truth applicable to the universal appeals of human nature, I believe the principles of rhetoric are used in this modern era unethically to perpetuate certain dominant ideologies in order to maintain social hierarchies. By analyzing modern media and applying the theories and discoveries of the scholars we have discussed throughout the quarter such as, Nietzsche, Habermas, and Fraser it is apparent how language is currently used unethically in attempt to rhetorically persuade the public. As we learned in class, â€Å"rhetoric is one of the oldest and most studied human arts in Western civilization. † The rhetorical tradition can be traced back to the Sophists who first taught rhetoric in the ancient Mediterranean world and were viewed as controversial figures because of it. The Sophists, and specifically Aristotle, laid the groundwork for modern public communication. The Sophists were the first to systematize rhetoric into a true art or discipline and believed that anyone could become a skilled rhetorician with proper teaching and practice. Aristotle was essentially the ‘father’ of rhetorical study and was the first person to systematize the study of rhetoric into a rational system of argument and presentation. He was the scholar that created the three genres (deliberative, epideictic, forensic) and appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) of rhetoric and many of his ideas still remain extremely relevant today, nearly 2,500 years since his lifetime. Aristotle’s ideas are still considered and applied to many forms of contemporary rhetoric. However, although the Greek rhetorical tradition and Aristotle’s beliefs helped shape and define rhetoric and are grounded in its foundations, it has evolved greatly over the centuries and is now used in unethical manners. As we learned in class, although rhetorical tradition viewed rhetoric as an instrument, persuasion, rational, and public art that was a tool of cultural heroes, the contemporary era of rhetoric started focusing less on how to persuade and more on how public audiences are produced by rhetoric and language. Although I believe that the classical rhetoric as defined by the Greeks was accurate, informative, and ethical, I find that the contemporary beliefs of rhetoric are much more fitting in describing the current relation of rhetoric, public, and ethics. I agree that rhetoric is in fact constitutive rather than instrumental in that it constitutes our social world and creates identities within it. In the contemporary era rhetorical theory became less about how to produce good rhetoric and how to use rhetoric as an effective instrument as the Greeks were concerned with, and instead focuses more on how we are affected by rhetoric and how it constructs and reiterates certain cultural ideologies. This is extremely important to consider when examining how rhetoric is used currently in the media to produce persuasive messages to the public. A major theme of rhetoric in the 20th and 21st centuries is that â€Å"language doesn’t just describe reality. It helps create it and the way we talk about things has real material effects. † This is clear through rhetorical devices such as using language to describe â€Å"communism as cancer. † Not everyone defines communism as a negative concept- yet in our society we use language to compare it to cancer. By doing this our culture learns to associate communism with a terrible and tragic disease that there is no cure for. The rhetorical language used gives the term power and teaches the audience to associate the concept with illness and death- giving communism negative connotations. However, those in other countries that utilize communism are probably exposed by their media and government to language that teaches the audience to associate communism as a constructive and positive concept that is beneficial. This demonstrates the concept that Nietzsche introduced that language is power. As discussed in class Nietzschean influence introduced he theme that language cannot be separated from its poetic or metaphorical function and that rhetoric is inextricably linked to power. I agree with this concept and think it is important to analyze rhetoric in such a way when considering how rhetorical devices are employed currently in attempts to persuade the public and normalize certain ideologies through our media and pop culture. I believe it is imperative we consider the first persona or who the rhetors are, the historical context that shape rhetorical texts, and the messages they attempt to produce. Who has the authority to speak is extremely important to consider as one is exposed to messages of pop culture. In our society the dominant group is white, heterosexual men. When considering the statistics of who controls our media and pop culture it is overwhelmingly controlled by men included in this hegemonic group. By critically considering the messages constantly reinforced and presented by the media we can see how history has shaped the way media is written and the rhetoric that enables the perpetuation of binaries that divide our society in everyday life. Pop culture and media is driven, run and written by men, for men, and it is in their best interest to promote messages that maintain their place at the top of the hegemonic social hierarchy- demonstrating how the language they choose to use is power for them. The means of promoting messages through rhetorical devices that keep the dominant groups in power are what I consider to be unethical. The public sphere in theory is a positive concept that promotes democracy and equality by providing everyone with the opportunity to be heard and express their opinion. However, one major threat to the public sphere is the commercialization of the media. Media in our culture has become overwhelmingly commercialized which is a major reason I find current rhetorical practices unethical. Media is owned by different corporations that are overwhelmingly controlled by men so they can use their power to influence the messages presented in reporting’s and edge out alternative views and voices. The hegemonic group that controls the media can promote the messages they want to see that are in their best interest. This is apparent when we watch stations such as NBC that are ran by General Electrics. While watching, you can see the constant promotion of GE products everywhere in their broadcasting. Commercialization allows an unethical bias in rhetorical practices and does not allow for equal expressions of opinion or promotion. Instead it is the companies that have power that can promote their products and stay in power, which is an unethical use of rhetoric in that it is not equally accessible by everyone as it should be. The same bias that is apparent in rhetorical product promotion due to commercialization is also used to promote the values of the dominant group in control of the media. In accordance with Fraser’s critique of the public sphere, the public sphere excludes many groups because democracy is more complicated than Habermas accounted for. Access is essential and not everyone has equal access to the public sphere, which is overwhelmingly apparent when considering how minority groups are overtly portrayed in the media . The hegemonic group in control of media messages uses rhetorical devices to present persuasive messages about the other less dominant groups. For example through rhetoric, election coverage tends to portray political issues in a manner that reinforces sexuality, gender, and racial hierarchies in order to protect the privileged positions of those on the dominant side of our culture’s binaries. For example, specifically media rhetorically portrays women as emotional, uninformed, and thoroughly objectifies them. Media focuses on the way a female politician looks and acts rather than her merits or political stances and there is little to no similar coverage of men (the dominant group that has control over the public sphere) in this same way. Rhetorical tactics used to effectively do this include saying a woman â€Å"complained† while saying a man â€Å"stated. † This effectively makes women seem emotional, while men seem stronger. Another common tactic is labeling a female politician â€Å"Mrs. † instead of addressing her by her title such as â€Å"senator. By refusing to label a woman by her position the newspapers are unethically and effectively diminishing her importance and are presenting a rhetorical message about females in our culture. By focusing on a woman’s appearance, media unethically uses rhetoric to put the emphasis on female’s looks rather than policies which make them seem less powerful than men and this is reflected in our daily lives- demo nstrating how rhetoric can be used to create identities and normalizes beliefs while making them appear to be common sense. This concept is also apparent in the unethical representation of racial minorities in our media through rhetoric. For instance, when quoting a person of color the media will sometimes use tactics such as writing with poor grammar. To better explain, they may use the spelling â€Å"cuz† instead of correcting the spelling to â€Å"‘cause† or â€Å"because† to paint a picture that the minority group is ineloquent and uneducated in order to promote unethical messages that reconfirm the power of the dominant group that currently controls our media. Often this unethical use of rhetorical normalization is overlooked and goes unnoticed. This ostracizes anyone who does not fit clearly into the accepted categories by delegitimizing values and beliefs that are not in accordance with our cultures hegemonic ideologies. These concepts relate to Nietzsche’s concept that by abstracting, language tends to do away with differences and abolishes specificity by assuming sameness where there is none. Our society is composed of many unique individuals but the rhetorical language that is constantly presented to us does not account for differences and is responsible for creating binaries in our culture. Not everything is as simple as black and white and there are many shades of grey that need to be considered and accounted for, yet we assume these black and white binaries are common sense and that individuals can easily be grouped into common categories. This is why society views controversial issues such as racism and sexism the way it does- because those stereotypes or ideological norms have been so frequently mentioned throughout history and our culture that we accept them as common sense and feel no need for action to challenge and change these beliefs. As Nietzsche described there is no truth, truth is only to lie with the herd. To me, this theory can be applied to hegemonic ideologies. Our media promotes sameness in our culture where there is none making it seem like â€Å"common sense† and not accounting for the fact that our society is comprised of unique individuals. Social ideologies are constructed by society and are in no way innate. We are constantly exposed to these constructions from the moment we are born without even being aware. For instance, simple acts such as dressing girls in pink and boys in blue assume sameness about gender preferences where there is none. There is nothing predetermined that says boys cannot like pink yet our culture creates this assumption. Our pop culture, such as Disney reiterates these messages of â€Å"sameness† and â€Å"norms† as well by rhetorically promoting patriarchal ideologies that teach girls their goal in life should be to get married and depend on a man, since that is what the heroin characters of their stories all ultimately do. We are so often constantly exposed to these messages overtly that we start to view them as common sense and normalize them but the majority’s way is not the ONLY way there is to view the important issues of our society; we just tend to see things in accordance with the norms of the â€Å"herd† that are constantly reinforced. That is why I comply with postmodernist views that there is no truth- because everyone has a different idea of â€Å"truth† and we should not accept the version that is unethically reiterated in society and normalized through the media. In conclusion, it is extremely difficult to define rhetoric. Having been in existence for over three thousand years, one cannot hold rhetoric in the same light, as it is constantly shifting and evolving over time. We use rhetoric to help us explain things and mobilize action. Recognizing that rhetoric is a necessarily public deployment of discourse shows the crucial distinction between rhetoric and all other forms of language, which is the fact that rhetoric is utilized specifically to motivate action on the part of an audience. Rhetoric is a very useful and powerful tool that artfully can be used to persuade audiences. However, in my opinion it is currently used unethically in our society to push the beliefs of the hegemonic group in order to keep social hierarchies in place and make them appear as a normal â€Å"truth. † There are many opinions that are often not represented in our society through the language portrayed in our media. Rhetorical devices are used unethically to push what is presented to us as â€Å"common sense† or â€Å"truth† but true equality and equal representation can only exist when it’s reflected in the language of our media. This is why invitational rhetoric is an important concept to consider rather than rhetoric as merely a form of persuasion. In order to act as ethical rhetors in a world without universal truths we must acknowledge all cultural groups and beliefs in our use of rhetoric presented to the public and not just the dominant values of society. Rhetoric should be a tool used to promote democracy and equal representation of opinions instead of used unethically to hinder such attempts by reiterating and normalizing the hegemonic values of our culture.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Change vs. Development Essay -- essays research papers

Change Vs. Development The concepts of change and development come up frequently in the fields of business, technology, education, sociology, psychology, and many other fields. These concepts may appear to be the same, or similar, but they are very different concepts. According to Webster’s Universal College Dictionary, the definition of change is as follows: â€Å"To make different in form; to transform; to exchange for another or others; to give and take reciprocally; to transfer from one to another; to give or get smaller money; to give or get foreign money in exchange for; to remove and replace the coverings or garments of; to become different; to become altered or modified; to become transformed; to transfer between conveyances; to make an exchange; to pass from one phase to another; a replacement or substitution; a transformation or modification; variety or novelty.† The synonyms for the word change, as listed in Roget’s Desk Thesaurus, are: â€Å"alter, modify, make different, adjust, shift, vary, recast, restyle, remodel, reorganize, reform, revolutionize, transfer, transmute, mutate, transform, turn, convert, metamorphose; exchange, replace, substitute, swap, trade, switch, shift, interchange, shuffle, remove and rep lace; difference, modification, switch, shift, variation, deviation, variety, fluctuation, veering, alteration, conversion, substitution, swapping, reform, reformation, revolution, reorganization, and remodeling.† Roget’s Desk thesaurus even gives a good d...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Two Fridas

Below is a free essay on â€Å"Frida Kahlo's The Two Fridas† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. Frida Kahlo was one of the most influential and well-known Mexican artists during her time. Her popularity was probably so large due to her ability to instill intense and bold emotions into her paintings. People responded to her style very well, and her work spread throughout Mexico, America, and the world. Kahlo’s bold style came from her strong personality and her interactions in the world.She often included her own life struggles or emotions in her artwork. The Two Fridas, or Las Dos Fridas, shows Frida Kahlo’s bold style and her use of it to communicate intense personal emotions. The first step in any art criticism is to observe and analyze the visual facts. The visual facts, in this particular case, are in the actual painting The Two Fridas. The painting is a self-portrait containing two women that are symbolic of Frida Kahlo. The women have completely different appearances, but are linked in this picture.The women are sitting side-by-side in identical sitting formation. The two are also physically connected through the connected vein. The surroundings and accessories of the women look to be that of separation and each respective woman’s (or physiological side’s) style. The sky behind the women displays a dark and eerie sky. The woman on the left is wearing a formal white European-style dress. The dress is very proper and has the characteristics of sophisticated attire. The dress is very frilly and has an eloquent pattern on the upper portion of the dress.The dress covers the majority of her body and the woman’s skin is paler than that of the second woman. Both attributes listed above point in the direction of a high-class individual. Another high-class and proper property shown by the woman on the left is her hair and make-up. She has very neat and tied down hair. He r make-up is very accurately and crisply put on. Overall, the woman on the left is very presentable in high-class society. The woman on the right has a very different appearance. This woman†¦

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Cbta

Military profession can be considered as one of the oldest professions in the world. It had been a feature of societies throughout history where certain groups of people were entrusted with the responsibility of defending the state. The military profession today however, differs in many aspects from the military of the late eighteenth century in the sense that recruitment is based on education and skill rather than on the basis of social origins. Military men today work on a full-time basis instead of regarding military service as a part-time vocation or hobby.All professions are expected to maintain a certain level of competency and will be reprimanded or reject outright if they do not measure up to the required professional standards. The military profession must maintain high standards of performance in the eyes of the general public in order to hold its credibility and professional standing. Over the years, western writers like Huntington (1957), Janowitz (1971) and Sarkesian (19 75) had given their views on the subject of military profession and professionalism.They had identified the following general characteristics of military professionalism which are organizational structure, special knowledge, education and training, self-regulation and commitment. The Malaysian Army had rise up to the challenge in addressing the issues of military professionalism among its personnel. All the characteristics of military professionalism mentioned earlier are being addressed seriously by the Army.Thus, one of the measures taken by the Army that the best place to start inculcating professionalism among the soldiers should start at the training centers. The Army has 17 training institutions all over the country and in 2011 the budget allocated for the Markas Pemerintahan Latihan dan Doktrin Tentera Darat was $22. 7 million. With 250 courses and 441 series of courses in 2011, the number of soldiers trained in year 2011 was approximately 16,000. This is a significant figure that can be considered as products of the Malaysian Army.Therefore, the Army has taken an approach by introducing the Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) as a measure to increase the level of professionalism among its personnel. CBTA is not a new approach in training. It has been a nationwide move by the Ministry of Human Resources. Malaysia, along with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and Germany were the main players in implementing CBTA since year 2000. The introduction of the National Skills Certification System in 1993 by the Majlis LatihanVokasional Kebangsaan (MLVK) and the soon to be implemented National Skills Development Act by the Ministry of Human Resources as well as the Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) by the Ministry of Higher Education will serve to restructure and streamline the national vocational and skills training in the country towards meeting the demands of today’s job tasks more effectively. Its intro duction is indeed timely, given the high priority that it places on the area of human resource development.With the emphasis towards preparing trained and qualified skilled workforce to support the country’s economic development, therefore, the more flexible framework of national skills recognition and qualifications is necessary to promote a conducive training culture for the personal motivation of skilled workers, which would hence lead to the overall upgrading of competencies amongst the country’s skilled workforce. Competency based learning has been the basis of most training and has been practiced in most countries.The Roman Army for example, were masters of competency training as applied to large groups and their effectiveness in delivering such training was a major contributor to their military success. A perfect description of competency training is as follows: â€Å"Their drills are like bloodless battles, and their battles are like bloody drills. † Jos eph Ben-Matthias, aka Flavius Josephus The terms of CBTA have many variations. Some countries know it as Competency Based Learning (CBL) and some countries call it Competency Based Training (CBT). Nevertheless, competency is the main keyword.CBT was a critical factor in the US Army’s ability to train several million young men during World War II. With the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942, the US Military was faced with the requirement to train millions of young men for its rapidly expanding armed forces. This rapid expansion required a method for quickly providing people with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to do a particular job. Using variations of CBT, millions of young men were trained, shipped to Europe or the Pacific and due to their training played a major role in the defeat of Germany and Japan.The role of training in enabling the US Military to expand from a very small army to one of several millions in only a short period of time is mainly due to the effe ctiveness of CBT. The Vocational Education, Employment and Training Advisory Committee of Australia, sees CBTA as â€Å"training geared to the attainment and demonstration of skills to meet industry-specified standards rather than to an individual’s achievement relative to that of others in a group†. CBTA is basically a scientific approach to training that relies on identifying the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to do a particular job, for example for an infantry soldier.The approach taken was to break each job down into groups of competencies. Competencies related to any particular job could be identified through a careful process of training analysis in terms of performance, conditions and standards. For example an infantry soldier might be required to perform firing of a rifle. The conditions required to fire the rifle at various conditions and positions. Example of standards required are, during day on a range at one hundred meters score fifty hits on a t arget measuring three foot high two foot wide, while standing.There is considerable debate as to what actually makes a competency, but for general purposes it can be identified as a readily identified group of related knowledge, skills and attitudes, which taken together constitute a major part of a job which is subject to measurement and assessment. Generally if you cannot measure performance with a stop watch then it is probably not a competency. To give an example, firing a rifle in terms of infantry training can be regarded as a competency. It is a major part of an infantry man’s job. It can be measured in terms of performance, conditions and standards and you can put a stop watch to it.For example, ten shots in the target within one minute. The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) adopted CBTA based on the concept implemented by the Australian Defence Forces (ADF). The ADF practiced the CBTA concept since year 1996. The MAF, realizing the need to revamp the approach towards trai ning, started the initiative towards CBTA in 2002 and started implementing CBTA in year 2007. The introduction of CBTA in the Army training programs has lead to the establishment of the Malaysian Army Competency Standard (MACS). It is a document that underlines the necessities and requirements that must be obtained by a soldier in their field of expertise.MACS will be assessed based on job proficiency in order to make sure soldiers can accomplish tasks at a level that can be accepted. The Army has identified that there are 318 career and functional courses based on the Armed Forces Code No 2 (AF Code No 2) that need to meet the requirement of MACS. Since the introduction of CBTA until end of year 2011, the number of soldiers who have qualified for the Malaysian Skills Certification (MSC) or also known as Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) from Army training institutions is 42,408 students.MSC or SKM is a certification structure which comprises of five levels National Skills Qualificatio n Framework based on National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS). MACS development for the courses listed in the AF Code No 2 varies in terms of achieving SKM accreditation ranging from SKM Level 1 to 5. The strengths of implementing CBTA in the Army encompassed all the general characteristics of military professionalism mentioned earlier. In the area of education and training, once the competencies have been identified then it is relatively easy to structure a training course.You might break the competencies down into component tasks, for example before you can fire a rifle, you would have to learn how to strip and assemble that rifle. That particular task might be listed as a specific learning outcome which has to be performed before meeting the final competency of firing a rifle under specific conditions. It would then be relatively easy to structure a training course, which might involve initial training and then further ‘On-The-Job’ training (OJT), which would del iver to the Army, soldiers with the necessary competencies to do the job required.Implementation of CBTA also allows the Army training institution to produce a more comprehensive training package that take into account the core values of competency (knowledge, skill and attitude). Efficiency in managing training courses, effectiveness of course delivery and systematic evaluation or assessment, ensure the quality of training, hence ensuring the quality of soldiers. Evaluation of a soldier does not end only at a particular training institution, which is the main approach in conventional method of training. CBTA allows continuous evaluation in the form of competency log.This would ensure that a soldier does not only competent during training but also when performing task and duties at workplace. In addition, CBTA can also help the Army to develop a good organizational structure as part of achieving military professionalism. Job analysis and job specification which have been identified during CBTA process, allows the Army to have the right person for the right job. This would allow the Army to identify what sort of competency and soldiers it needs in its organizational hierarchy. Improvements have also been made on Army training centers organizational structure.Moreover, besides having at least an officer responsible on CBTA at each of the Army training institutions, the Army also has started grooming its staff and instructors on what CBTA is all about. In year 2011, there were 5 courses conducted in the Army which aimed to increase the knowledge of the staffs and instructors. The courses were, Pegawai Latihan Vokasional (3 series), Induksi Pentauliahan Persijilan Kemahiran (3 series), Course of Study (4 series), Basic Instructor Methodology (1 series) and Kursus Induksi Pegawai Pengesahan Luaran Vokasional (1 series).These courses would lead the Army to ensure that CBTA is well understood, taught and implemented. As a result, the objectives of CBTA implementation can be achieved. Military professionalism should not only be accepted among military personnel but it must be recognized by the general public. CBTA has allowed military professionalism to be accepted and recognized. The implementation of CBTA in the Army is consistent with the requirement of MLVK. Adoption of CBTA provides soldiers with another qualification path and career development opportunity that has been established in line with the academic qualification structure.In other words, this means that the double qualification structure is based on two types of qualifications, namely the academic qualification and the skills qualification that are available in this country today. The emergence of this new skills qualification structure has opened up a whole new set of opportunities for all soldiers after completing their service in the Army. In addition, it also caters to soldiers who have no qualifications to show despite having years of working experience.As an example, PULMAT has able to get SKM accreditation of SKM Level 4 for its Souse Chef course. It is the highest level of SKM accreditation achieved among all the 318 courses conducted by Army training institutions. Attaining SKM Level 4 accreditation is equivalent to a diploma based on NOSS. Therefore, it can be said that soldiers who have achieved competency in the course is at par with others in the business environment or the labour market. They would also have a better career path after completing military service if they decided to pursue any job with similar competency level.A lot of discussions have been made regarding to the advantages and strengths of CBTA in having the Army desired results. Nevertheless, CBTA also have some weaknesses in heading to higher level of professionalism in the Army. Looking at the milestone and achievement of CBTA in the Army until today, the figures and statistics can be said to the extent of they are alarming. Out of the 17 Army training institutions, only 9 tra ining centers or about 50% are considered accredited training centers. They are IKED, IKEM, IJED, PULMAT, PULNORD, PULAPOT, PULPAK, PULADA and IPDA.These training centers have in total of 42 courses out of 318 courses that have been accredited with SKM certification. This only made up to approximately 13% out courses listed in the AF Code No 2. Only one course managed to get SKM Level 4, 13 courses at SKM Level 3 and 28 courses with SKM Level 1 to Level 2. IJED has the most courses in terms that are accredited with the national level SKM. Based on the AF Code No 2, year 2011, out of the 21 courses were conducted by IJED, 12 courses are accredited with national SKM.In addition, IKEM and PULMAT have 7 courses each with national SKM accreditation. PULADA on the other hand, only have 1 course (Dog Unit Handler Course) which has achieved national SKM accreditation. This is very distressing figures for the Infantry Corps in terms of where is the future of Infantrymen during their service and once they leave the service. The competence level of Infantrymen should portray the professionalism of the Army since most Infantry officers would end up as top brass in the Army.As for the future of Infantrymen after their service, the Army must take a necessary action to in order to ensure that Infantry soldiers have a decent competency to compete in the labour market, especially for the other ranks where they would normally retire by the age of 45 and still need to work to support their family. With only 1 course accredited (SKM Level 2) out of 18 courses conducted by PULADA, CBTA can be said as failed to increase the level of professionalism for the Infantrymen. Only those who have the technical skills and knowledge while serving in Corps such as KJLJD and KPD would reap the benefits of CBTA.With majority of Army personnel were only trained at SKM Level 1 and 2, one lead to wonder how SKM Level 1 and Level 2, help the Army to increase professionalism among its personnel. The general guideline of SKM level is as the following diagram. SKM Level 1 and Level 2 are categorized as in the operation and production level in terms of category of personnel. These are the level where most of Army personnel managed to obtain SKM certification from attending courses in year 2011. In year 2011, 4,800 Army personnel obtained SKM certification.Only 11% (550 personnel) obtained SKM Level 3, 32% (1,516 personnel) obtained SKM Level 2 and 57% (2,734 personnel) obtained SKM Level 1. Thus, referring back to the general characteristics of military professionalism, if the Army considers having most of its personnel achieving SKM Level 1 and Level 2 as increment in professionalism, then CBTA would have met its objective. Nevertheless, military professionalism is more than just special skills as in SKM Level 1 and Level 2. The Army should be looking at aiming for at least SKM Level 3 in order to increase some level of professionalism.SKM Level 3 will allow soldiers to have the three categories of personnel as shown in the diagram. The categories are skills, related/management skills and supervisory skills. Mastering them would lead to achieving military professionalism. When the MAF adopted CBTA, the general guideline of SKM competency has been laid out based on rank structure. SKM Level 1 for the rank of Private and Lance Corporal, Level 2 for Corporal, Level 3 for Sergeant and Staff Sergeant, Level 4 for Warren Officers and Level 5 for Officers. It can be said that some courses in the Army failed to meet the guideline.As an example, the Section Commander course conducted at PULADA, is only developed to achieve SKM Level 2. Thus, for the Infantry Corps, most of its sergeants would have SKM Level 2 instead of SKM Level 3 as required by the MAF. This should be a major concern for the Infantry Corps because it has the most number of personnel in the Army. The number of personnel with the rank of sergeant in the Infantry Corps is approximately 1,500 personn el. In the Infantry Standard Battalion, personnel holding the rank of sergeant are 56% (57 personnel) out of the 102 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in the battalion.The Infantry Section Commander course at PULADA basically focus on field application and tactics and not so much focus on managerial and administrative duties at the battalion. The managerial and administrative duties are covered mostly during the Pegawai Tidak Tauliah Rendah (PTTR) course at IPDA. Nevertheless, an infantry soldier is qualified to be given the rank of sergeant once he completed the Infantry Section Commander course. In an Infantry battalion, he is responsible to manage 7 personnel in his section.In year 2011, PULADA conducted 3 series of the Infantry Section Commander course with total number of approximately 300 students. The 300 personnel would have little knowledge of managerial and administrative duties due to normal practice applied in an Infantry Battalion is that a soldier will go for PTTR cours e once he completed the Infantry Section Commander course and if the he is planned to be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Moreover, on average only 100 bits are given to Infantry Corps per year for the PTTR course.In comparison to the 300 personnel attended the Infantry Section Commander Course per year, less than 50% would have the chance to attend the PTTR course. Hence, approximately 200 personnel would not be competent enough to manage a section of soldiers in the Infantry Battalion. In the Sistem Saraan Malaysia (SSM), a Sergeant in the Infantry Battalion will have to complete the PTTR course if he wishes to have a better pay. He will be given the P2 salary for the rank of Sergeant. Therefore, it can be said that money could be the motivational level to attend the PTTR course.That motivation would force the learning of managerial and administrative knowledge during PTTR course where in return, it would make the Sergeant a better soldier, increasing his level of professio nalism. Thus, it leads to the question on the new SBPA salary structure system where salary of P2 no longer applies. There could be personnel by the rank of Sergeant no longer wish to attend the PTTR course if they feel that they would not be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Hence, it can be said to the extent that without the PTTR course they would be less professional.For an Infantry Battalion, the 57 Sergeant would not have the competency to manage approximately 500 soldiers in the battalion if no one attends the PTTR course. The chain reaction effect of this issue is that officers would have a larger responsibility in ensuring military professionalism is carried out in the Army. The responsibility supposedly to be shared among the NCOs and Officers in order to have a well structured organization as required in achieving military professionalism. Another area where CBTA is seen as does not promote the sense of professionalism is in terms of leadership training.CBTA is not effective when used as a basis for training in areas such as leadership, and management where it is almost impossible to measure competency in terms of clearly defined behaviors that contribute to effective management and leadership, hence affecting the characteristics of military professionalism. Such areas still rely on a subjective assessment made by experts in the field. For example many special forces training courses do use competencies as part of the training package where these competencies relate to measurable behaviors. Literally behaviors which can be measured with a stopwatch.However, the final assessment must be subjective. Such assessment could take the form of a group of experts examining each individual and asking a question that can only be answered subjectively such as ‘would you go to war with this man’. If the answer is no, then it doesn’t matter how many behavioral competencies the individual has passed, he is not suitable. Such subjective as sessment is probably still appropriate in assessing candidates for jobs where qualities are required that can only be defined subjectively by experts. For example priest, teacher, military officer or a flying instructor.All of these types of jobs require qualities that it is almost impossible to define in terms of behavior. It is hard to say what exactly a good leader is actually doing, but we know it when we see it. Attitude competencies generally fail because they can only be measured in the negative. For example, a competency might require the individual to demonstrate the right attitude to safety. Well you can easily measure the wrong attitude, if somebody lights a cigarette in a no smoking area, you have a behavior which clearly demonstrates a poor attitude to safety.But if the individual is not smoking, it doesn’t demonstrate a positive attitude, all it shows is that the person is not smoking. Officer training courses where students are aware that attitude is being asse ssed tend to lead to students falsifying their behaviors that they believe will be viewed in a positive light. For example demonstrating keenness by always smiling and being willing to do a task. Any assessment could only conclude that the person is competent at smiling and effective in using the language of volunteering, it says nothing about the individual’s attitude.The keen individual might well turn out to be displaying a competency in duplicitous behavior, which might well be useful but is hardly a trait likely to endear the individual to his or her subordinates. CBTA could also lead to soldiers feel complacent on their achievement. They only have to achieve competence level since the evaluation is either he is competent or not yet competent. In contrast, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) adopted the Competency Based Learning (CBL) and has a different competence level assessment.The differences between the Malaysian’s Army CBTA are that the SAF’s CBL evalua te performance based on five level of competency. The levels are, Novice/Advance Beginner, Competent, Proficient and Expert. The SAF feels that these are the necessary levels that should be assessed in CBL especially leadership training. Therefore, the Malaysian Army leadership training could be hampered in increasing level of professionalism due to soldiers feel that they only have to be assessed as competent. In order to excel, one should not feel complacent but try to bring the best out of him.In conclusion, the Malaysian Army should have a well defined terms and definition of military professionalism. From there, it would be able to understand how CBTA can improve the level of professionalism among its personnel. Based on the discussions, arguments and empirical evidence of CBTA achievements in the Army, it can be concluded that the level of professionalism could be increased solely by implementation of CBTA. Nevertheless, it does not mean that CBTA has failed in terms of its ob jectives, it merely need a minor overhaul in terms of the SKM level needed by Army personnel in achieving professionalism. 3894 words) REFERENCES 1. Janowitz, Morris, The Professional Soldier, The Free Press, New York, 1971. 2. Huntington, Samuel P. , The Soldier and the Slate, Belknap Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1957. 3. Sarkesian, Sam C. , The Professional Army officer in a Changing Society, Nelson-Hall Publishers, Chicago, 1975. 4. Ramatahan, K. , Leadership Development Through the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Competency Based Learning Project, SAFTI Military Institute, Singapore, 2000. 5.Annual Report, Laporan Perkembangan Latihan dan Penilaian Berasaskan Kompetensi (LPBK) Tahun 2011, MK LAT-BPL(MLVK)/G3/3001/5(71) dated Feb 2012. 6. MACS Report, Pembangunan Standard Kompetensi Tentera Darat (SKTD) Untuk Tugas Penolong Ketua Platun Infantri Dan Ketua Seksyen Infantri, MK-TD Jab Inf, Kuala Lumpur, Jul 2008. 7. Paper Work, Konsep Strategi dan Perlaksanaan LPBK Dalam Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, MATM/J1CTK/A/238/8 dated 12 Dis 2005. 8. AF Code No 2, Jadual Kursus Tempatan Tahun 2011, Markas Pemerintahan Latihan dan Doktrin Tentera Darat, Kuala Lumpur, 2011.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Biography of Hans Bethe

Biography of Hans Bethe German-American physicist Hans Albrecht Bethe (pronounced BAY-tah) was born on July 2, 1906. He made key contributions to the field of nuclear physics and helped to develop the hydrogen bomb and the  atomic bomb used in World War II. He died on March 6, 2005. Early Years Hans Bethe was born on July 2, 1906 in Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine. He was the only child of Anna and Albrecht Bethe, the latter of whom worked as a physiologist at the University of Strasbourg. As a child, Hans Bethe showed an early aptitude for mathematics and often read his fathers calculus and trigonometry books. The family moved to Frankfurt when Albrecht Bethe took a new position at the Institute of Physiology at the  University of Frankfurt am Main. Hans Bethe attended secondary school at Goethe-Gymnasium  in  Frankfurt until he contracted tuberculosis in 1916. He took some time off school to recover before graduating in 1924. Bethe went on to study at the University of Frankfurt for two years before transferring to the University of Munich  so that he could study theoretical physics under German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld. Bethe earned his PhD in 1928. He worked as an assistant professor at the University of Tubingen and later worked as a lecturer at the University of Manchester after immigrating to England in 1933. Bethe moved to the United States in 1935 and took a job as a professor at Cornell University. Marriage and Family Hans Bethe married Rose Ewald, the daughter of German physicist Paul Ewald, in 1939. They had two children, Henry and Monica, and eventually, three grandchildren. Scientific Contributions From 1942 to 1945, Hans Bethe served as the director of the theoretical division at Los Alamos where he worked on the Manhattan Project, a team effort to assemble the worlds first atomic bomb. His work was instrumental in calculating the bombs explosive yield. In 1947 Bethe contributed to the development of quantum electrodynamics by being the first scientist to explain the Lamb-shift in the hydrogen spectrum.  At the beginning of the Korean War, Bethe worked on another war-related project and helped to develop a hydrogen bomb. In 1967, Bethe was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for his revolutionary work in stellar nucleosynthesis. This work offered insight into the ways in which stars produce energy. Bethe also developed a theory related to inelastic collisions, which helped nuclear physicists understand the stopping power of matter for fast charged particles. Some of his other contributions include work on solid-state theory and a theory of the order and disorder in alloys. Late in life, when Bethe was in his mid-90s, he continued to contribute to research in astrophysics by publishing papers on supernovae, neutron stars,  black holes. Death Hans Bethe retired in 1976 but studied astrophysics and served as the John Wendell Anderson Emeritus Professor of Physics Emeritus at  Cornell University  until his death. He died of congestive heart failure on March 6, 2005 at his home in Ithaca, New York. He was 98 years old. Impact and Legacy Hans Bethe was the  head theoretician on the Manhattan Project  and was a key contributor to the atomic bombs that killed more than 100,000 people and wounded even more when they were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during  World War II. Bethe also helped to develop the hydrogen bomb, despite the fact that he was opposed to the development of this type of weapon. For more than 50 years, Bethe strongly advised caution in using the power of the atom. He supported  nuclear nonproliferation treaties and frequently spoke out against missile defense systems. Bethe also advocated for the use of national laboratories to develop technologies that would lower the risk of nuclear war rather than weapons that could win a nuclear war. Hans Bethes legacy lives on today. Many of the discoveries that he made in nuclear physics and astrophysics during his 70 year career have stood the test of time, and scientists are still using and building upon his work to make progress in theoretical physics and  quantum mechanics. Famous Quotes Hans Bethe was a key contributor to the atomic bomb used in World War II as well as the hydrogen bomb. He also spent a significant portion of his life advocating for nuclear disarmament. So, it is really no surprise that he was often asked about his contributions and the potential for nuclear war in the future. Here are some of his most famous quotes on the topic: When I started participating in thermonuclear work in the summer of 1950, I was hoping to prove that thermonuclear weapons could not be made. If this could have been proved convincingly, this would of course have applied to both the Russians and ourselves and would have given greater security to both sides than we can now ever achieve. It was possible to entertain such a hope until the spring of 1951, when it suddenly became clear that it was no longer tenable.If we fight a war and win it with H-bombs, what history will remember is not the ideals we were fighting for but the methods we used to accomplish them. These methods will be compared to the warfare of Genghis Khan who ruthlessly killed every last inhabitant of Persia.Today the arms race is a long-range problem. The Second World War was a short-range problem, and in the short range I think it was essential to make the atomic bomb. However, not much thought was given to the time after the bomb. At first, the work was too absorbi ng, and we wanted to get the job done. But I think that once it was made it had its own impulse - its own motion that could not be stopped. Today we are rightly in an era of disarmament and dismantlement of nuclear weapons. But in some countries nuclear weapons development still continues. Whether and when the various Nations of the World can agree to stop this is uncertain. But individual scientists can still influence this process by withholding their skills.  Accordingly, I call on all scientists in all countries to cease and desist from work creating, developing, improving and manufacturing further nuclear weapons - and, for that matter, other weapons of potential mass destruction such as chemical and biological weapons.   Hans Bethe Fast Facts Full Name:  Hans Albrecht Bethe  Occupation: PhysicistBorn: July 2, 1906 in  Strasbourg, Germany (now Strasbourg, France)Died: March 6, 2005 in Ithaca, New York, USAEducation: Goethe University Frankfurt,  Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichKey Accomplishment: Received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967 for his work in  stellar nucleosynthesis. Served as head theoretician on the Manhattan Project.  Spouses Name: Rose EwaldChildrens Names: Henry Bethe,  Monica Bethe Bibliography Broad, William J. â€Å"HANS BETHE CONFRONTS THE LEGACY OF HIS BOMB.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 June 1984, www.nytimes.com/1984/06/12/science/hans-bethe-confronts-the-legacy-of-his-bomb.html?pagewantedall.Broad, William J. â€Å"Hans Bethe, Prober of Sunlight and Atomic Energy, Dies at 98.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2005, www.nytimes.com/2005/03/08/science/hans-bethe-prober-of-sunlight-and-atomic-energy-dies-at-98.html.Gibbs, W. Wayt. â€Å"Hans Albrecht Bethe, 1906-2005.†Ã‚  Scientific American, 1 May 2005, www.scientificamerican.com/article/hans-albrecht-bethe-1906-2005/.â€Å"Hans Bethe.†Ã‚  Atomic Heritage Foundation, 2 July 1906, www.atomicheritage.org/profile/hans-bethe.â€Å"Hans Bethe - Biographical.†Ã‚  Nobelprize.org, www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1967/bethe-bio.html.Irion, Robert. â€Å"A Towering Physicists Legacy Faces a Threatening Future.†Ã‚  Science, American Asso ciation for the Advancement of Science, 7 July 2006, science.sciencemag.org/content/313/5783/39.full?rss1.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Darknet

The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution Microsoft Corporation Abstract We investigate the darknet – a collection of networks and technologies used to share digital content. The darknet is not a separate physical network but an application and protocol layer riding on existing networks. Examples of darknets are peer-to-peer file sharing, CD and DVD copying, and key or password sharing on email and newsgroups. The last few years have seen vast increases in the darknet’s aggregate bandwidth, reliability, usability, size of shared library, and availability of search engines. In this paper we categorize and analyze existing and future darknets, from both the technical and legal perspectives. We speculate that there will be short-term impediments to the effectiveness of the darknet as a distribution mechanism, but ultimately the darknet-genie will not be put back into the bottle. In view of this hypothesis, we examine the relevance of content protection and content distribution architectures. 1 Introduction People have always copied things. In the past, most items of value were physical objects. Patent law and economies of scale meant that small scale copying of physical objects was usually uneconomic, and large-scale copying (if it infringed) was stoppable using policemen and courts. Today, things of value are increasingly less tangible: often they are just bits and bytes or can be accurately represented as bits and bytes. The widespread deployment of packet-switched networks and the huge advances in computers and codec-technologies has made it feasible (and indeed attractive) to deliver such digital works over the Internet. This presents great opportunities and great challenges. The opportunity is low-cost delivery of personalized, desirable high-quality content. The challenge is that such content can be distributed illegally. Copyright law governs the legality of copying and distribution of such v... Free Essays on Darknet Free Essays on Darknet The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution Microsoft Corporation Abstract We investigate the darknet – a collection of networks and technologies used to share digital content. The darknet is not a separate physical network but an application and protocol layer riding on existing networks. Examples of darknets are peer-to-peer file sharing, CD and DVD copying, and key or password sharing on email and newsgroups. The last few years have seen vast increases in the darknet’s aggregate bandwidth, reliability, usability, size of shared library, and availability of search engines. In this paper we categorize and analyze existing and future darknets, from both the technical and legal perspectives. We speculate that there will be short-term impediments to the effectiveness of the darknet as a distribution mechanism, but ultimately the darknet-genie will not be put back into the bottle. In view of this hypothesis, we examine the relevance of content protection and content distribution architectures. 1 Introduction People have always copied things. In the past, most items of value were physical objects. Patent law and economies of scale meant that small scale copying of physical objects was usually uneconomic, and large-scale copying (if it infringed) was stoppable using policemen and courts. Today, things of value are increasingly less tangible: often they are just bits and bytes or can be accurately represented as bits and bytes. The widespread deployment of packet-switched networks and the huge advances in computers and codec-technologies has made it feasible (and indeed attractive) to deliver such digital works over the Internet. This presents great opportunities and great challenges. The opportunity is low-cost delivery of personalized, desirable high-quality content. The challenge is that such content can be distributed illegally. Copyright law governs the legality of copying and distribution of such v...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How Much Do SAT Subject Tests Cost

How Much Do SAT Subject Tests Cost SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Manycompetitive college programsrequire high school students to submit SAT Subject Test scores to be eligible for admission.This usually means spending a little more money on test registration, but fee waivers are available if you're eligible. In this article, I’ll go through how much each SAT Subject Test costs and how fee waivers work for these tests. How Much Does an SAT Subject Test Cost? When you register for subject tests, there is a basic registration fee of $26.This is not associated with a specific test; it’s just a baseline fee that everyone has to pay.Since you'll pay a registration fee for each test date, it makes sense to take multiple tests on the same date.This saves money because you’ll only pay the $26 once rather than two or three times. It costs an additional $18 on top of the $26 registration fee for most subject tests, but the per-test fee goes up to $26 for the language tests with listening sections.These tests include French with Listening, German with Listening, Spanish with Listening, Chinese with Listening, Japanese with Listening, and Korean with Listening. So, if you took the Math 2 Subject Test and the Japanese with Listening Subject Test, you would be charged $26 (basic registration fee) plus $18 (fee for Math 2) plus $26 (fee for Japanese with Listening) for a total of $70. You can take anywhere from one to three regular subject tests on one test date, but you can only take one listening subject test per test date.This means you might be charged as little as $44 for one test day (registration fee plus one regular subject test) or as much as $88 (registration fee plus one listening subject test and two regular subject tests). In comparison, registration for the regular SAT with the essay costs $54.50. That price drops to $43 if you choose to take itwithout the essay. If you don’t make the regular registration deadline, you'll have to pay a late registration fee of $28.There’s also an extra $28 fee if you decide to change your test date, center, or type of test after registration.Waitlist status is available for SAT Subject Tests for an additional fee of $46.You can read more about the SAT waitlist here. This rabbit would ace the listening subject tests. Can You Get a Fee Waiver for SAT Subject Tests? Yes!If you’re eligible, you'll get two fee waivers for the regular SAT and two fee waivers for SAT Subject Tests.One fee waiver covers a whole day of testing for Subject Tests, so you can take three tests with just one fee waiver if you take them all on the same day!You can also use fee waivers for late registration at no extra cost if you miss the regular deadline. But how do you get a fee waiver?If you’re a student in the US, you can qualify for a waiver if one of the following applies to you: You are eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program Your family meets income eligibility guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service You are enrolled in a government program that helps students from low-income families You live in public housing, a foster home, or are homeless You are a ward of the state or an orphan If you think you may need a fee waiver to take SAT Subject Tests, speak to your guidance counselor.Even if you’re not sure you meet the eligibility requirements, it doesn’t hurt to ask in case you do!If you’re eligible for a fee waiver, you’ll also get four additional free score reports and up to four application fee waivers that are valid at most colleges. You'll get two free passes for SAT Subject Test registration if you're eligible for a fee waiver. Conclusion Individual SAT Subject Tests are less expensive than the regular SAT, but they can get a little pricey if you plan to take two or three of them.For standard registration, you have to pay a baseline fee of $26 plus $18 for each regular Subject Test and $26 for each Subject Test with a listening section.You’ll be charged an extra fee for late registration and for making changes to your registration after you've already signed up. Fee waivers are available for SAT Subject Tests if you’re eligible.You will get two SAT Subject Test waivers, and each waiver covers a full day of testing.Try to take all of your subject tests on the same date so that you only have to pay the registration fee once or, if you got the two fee waivers, can retake the test(s) for free. What's Next? Are you unsure of what your target score should be on SAT Subject Tests? Find outwhat a good score looks like for you. If you're still trying to pick your subject tests, read our guide to deciding which ones to take. If subject tests are stressing you out, take a look at this article detailing the easiest tests you can take to get this requirement out of the way. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Social Work with Children and Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Work with Children and Families - Essay Example Any arrangements contemplated in advance of the hearings will be guided by the welfare principle (Sendall, 238). The welfare principle is established by Section 1 of the Children Act 1989 and imposes a duty on local authorities and the courts to place the welfare of the child first and foremost in any proceedings involving a child’s â€Å"upbringing† or involving child maintenance of property matters (Children Act 1989, Section 1(1)). The pre-proceedings within the framework of the public law outline (PLO) was introduced by the Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 1. The Guidance establishes the steps to be taken when applying for either a care or supervision order. The pre-proceedings is essentially a â€Å"checklist† (Laming, 79). Thus, social workers must be able to provide the evidence upon which their decision for applying for a care or supervision order is based. The court will want to be informed of the work that has been conducted with the family. The evidence presented should also demonstrate that the parents have an understanding of the issues, the aims of intervention and the action taken and should also be informed of what the actions are up for review (Laming, 79). In other words, any arrangements made at this point must be clear and supported by logical evidence and must be demonstratively for the child’s welfare. In general, the PLO as described by the Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Vol. 1 is enabled by Section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970. By virtue of Section 7 of the 1970 Act, social workers and all local authorities are required to perform their social work duties with guidance from the Secretary of State for Education. Thus in issuing the Guidance, it is intended that case management is monitored so that each stage of the proceedings all issues are identified and progress made is officially recorded (Spray and Jowett, 167).   The pre-proceedings are aimed at the â€Å"earlier identification of the key issues through assessment† (Spray and Jowett, 167).  

Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainable Reporting Essay

Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainable Reporting - Essay Example The increase in regulatory scrutiny, the emergence of new standards and the heightened interest on the part of public and private policymakers are the reasons why sustainability reporting becomes imperative for organizations today. To demonstrate this, this paper will explore one of the most widely recognized sustainability standards, the Global Reporting Initiative. Reporting Standard The Global Reporting Initiative was established in the year 1997 and sponsored by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies; the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was formed for the purpose of outlining a set of guidelines that would deal with the economic, environmental and social consequences of organizational activity (Brown, 2005, p.90). Because of this objective, the initiative is often called as â€Å"sustainability reporting.† Its declared mission is â€Å"to create conditions for the transparent and reliable exchange of sustainability information through the development an d continuous improvement of its Sustainability Reporting Framework† (GRI 2007). ... ainability Reporting Guidelines mandates that â€Å"a sustainability report should provide a balanced and reasonable representation of the sustainability performance of a reporting organization† (SRG, p.3). The significance of this initiative for companies rests on the determination of the sustainability performance. By defining, outlining and documenting the economic, environmental, social and governance areas for specific economic activities, an organization through the report, could identify its achievements in the context of its sustainability objectives. It is able to better benefit from the impact of its sustainability performance because the report contains correct and legitimate feedback. The benefits of a transparent organization, which will be explored further later on, is particularly maximized. This is the reason why companies release sustainability reports. In the International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting in 2008, for instance, it was found that a lmost 80 percent of the companies in the Global 250 issued sustainability report (White, p.47). The same report cited numerous other reasons. They include ethics, economic considerations, brand reputation, innovation and learning (p.47). These variables reflect the changing dynamics of doing business today as stakeholder relationships changed. It appears that profit, which traditionally govern such relationship, is no longer the sole concern especially on the part of investors or that profit is no longer exclusively driven by purely economic activities. The case of AstraZeneca is an excellent example of how sustainability reporting could achieve a valid and acceptable sustainable reporting. The company has incorporated environmental and social aspects into its existing accounting and reporting

Friday, October 18, 2019

Federal Reserve and the Open Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Federal Reserve and the Open Market - Essay Example tions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates; (2) supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation’s banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers; (3) maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets; and (4) providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nation’s payments system (Federal Reserve, 2006). It is important to note that the Fed is not a commercial bank and, therefore, does not operate as such. However, similar to any other bank that has interest as their primary source of income, "the Federal Reserves income is derived primarily from the interest on U.S. government securities that it has acquired through open market operations" (Federal Reserve, 2006). Other sources of income, according to the Feds official website, are the following: interest on foreign currency investments held by the System; fees received for services provided to depository institutions, such as check clearing, funds transfers, and automated clearinghouse operations; and interest on loans to depository institutions. The Federal Reserve System is separated into four main divisions, each with their own set of responsibilities: the Board of Governors, the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve Banks, and the Board of Directors. The Board of Governors, which consists of seven members, is mostly responsible for "the formulation of monetary policy" (Federal Reserve, 2006). These seven are also part of the Federal Open Market Committee, which is responsible, on the other hand, for any decision-making regarding "the cost and availability of money and credit in the economy" (Federal Reserve, 2006). The Federal Open Market Committee "is the most important

Uniform Commercial Code, section 1-302 Research Paper

Uniform Commercial Code, section 1-302 - Research Paper Example This is because of the aspect that owing to the prevalence of stern laws and regulations, companies and individuals in the commercial business domain has not been able to work freely and ensure trade and business in the best possible manner. Furthermore, owing to the prevalence of diverse range of rules and regulations regarding business in various states of the US, there was an extreme lack of uniformity and balance in legal structure, which has one way or the other had hindered effective performance of the business units and traders (SBA, â€Å"Uniform Commercial Code†). In order to ensure efficacy and less complexity in the commercial business domain, the government of the nations has emerged with the proposal of formulating a common law and codes of regulations that can be used uniformly in every state of the US, especially in the domain of commercial business. The codes were first published in the year 1952 and where subject to severe criticism in the initial phases owing to some of its policies (Legal Information Institute, â€Å" § 3-312. Lost, Destroyed, Or Stolen Cashiers Check, Tellers Check, Or Certified Check.†). These set of codes were primarily developed with the intention to harmonize the legal structure of the US with regard to sales of goods and services in more than 50 states of the US. It helped in regulating and governing the commercial business sector of the country in the most efficient manner through developing flexible and simple policies that can be adopted commonly by all the states that are associated with commercia l business. The most vital objective of these set of codes is that it govern each and every transaction of the business units within the commercial trading, so that efficient results can be obtained in the eventual stages. With the presence of UCC in the scene, different states within the US have been able to work with utmost efficacy during intra-state business as that the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch - Case Study Example Born in 1822 in France, Pasteur’s work in the field of microbiology is immensely recognized and encountered in our daily lives. Among his popular works include the invention of Pasteurization process, the discovery of the germ-disease relationship, as well as the invention of the rabies vaccine. Contributions He discovered the role of pasteurization while at the university where he was a chemistry professor. He was approached to establish the course of souring in wine. In the process Pasteur established that the reason behind the souring of wine can be related to that of souring in milk, which is as a result of bacterium contamination. He established that the bacterium produced an acid that was responsible for the souring of the wine. He went further to establish that, heating the wine gently to temperatures around 60o C for at least 30 minutes led to the destruction of the bacterium, which subsequently prevented further souring of wine (Krasner, 1995). He described the proces s of souring as fermentation and the process of heating the wine to temperature levels enough to kill the bacterium as pasteurization. The process is nowadays widely applicable in the many food production industries and even locally in many households to kill disease causing bacteria as well as improve shelf life of various food products as well as in hospitals to prevent germ re-infection (Engelkirk & Engelkirk, 2010). He is also recognized for his role in the discovery of attenuation. He discovered that rabies future rabies infection could also be prevented through vaccine which entailed injecting cultured weakened rabies bacteria into a rabbit and realized that after injection of the rabbits with virulent inoculant, the rabbits did not show any sign of infection. This vaccine has been enhanced and widely used in the prevention of rabies in human and dogs. In the germ theory, he discovered that specific microbes cause specific infectious disease. Robert Koch Robert Koch, born in 1 843 in Germany, is yet another infamous personality worth to recognize in the field of microbiology and human health. He is purported to have made a tremendous contribution in these fields. In particular according to Krasner (1995), Koch further enhanced the previous job of Pasteur especially the germ theory. He provided prove that the specific microbes were the cause of certain disease, for instance he showed that anthrax bacillus was the main cause of anthrax. This was through the conduction of a series of steps that became popularly known as the Koch’s Postulates. The postulates provided a guideline that would allow for the isolation and subsequent analysis of the specific microbes that cause specific diseases. He also discovered that the Anthrax Bacillus just like many spore-producing microbes, were capable of resisting adverse conditions, which was fundamental in understanding the life cycles of the disease as well as the correct mechanism of prevention of the disease. F urthermore, Koch is also recognized for inventing fixation, staining techniques as well photographing of bacteria which paved way for further studies on disease causing bacteria. Engelkirk and Engelkirk (2010) further contends that Koch was also the key personnel behind the discovery of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, the M. tuberculosis, and Vibrio cholera that causes cholera which are some of the most common and dangerous disease. This enhanced

Imformation based decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Imformation based decision making - Essay Example The importance of decision-making cannot be underestimated. Indeed, the success or failure of any business primarily depends on the quality of decisions made by the management. Most of the successful global cooperation’s are a reflection of good decision-making strategy. A lot of investment both in time and resources is directed towards the decision making process. However, it is important to note that making sound decisions primarily depends on the amount and quality of information at hand. This makes it important to consider information as one of the core requirements in sound decision making both at an individual and corporate level. This paper therefore discusses the different aspects of information-based decision-making. It seeks to discuss this topic within the realms of what has been covered in the course of management. However, extra knowledge on decision-making has also been mined from other sources. Information It is very futile to make any decision without profound background information regarding all the possible outcomes. This makes information the core requirement in making decision. There are different aspects of information that are worth discussing since they affect either directly or indirectly on the decision making process. There is a major difference between data and information. Data refers to facts or figures in their basic or raw form. For instance, 11, 32, 98, 58, 91, and 74 refers to data. Values such as ? 58.00, ?1200, ?223.50, and?558 refer to financial data. In both instances, the data does not make any meaning under any context (Black, 2009). However, the data can be processed to give it meaning. It is also important to note that processed data or information can fail to make meaning outside a given context. Information refers to data that has been organized such that it makes meaning within the context of consideration. Information can be either formal or informal. For information to be useful in decision-making, it has to be communicable to the relevant stakeholders, it must be presented in a language that users can understand without misinterpreting, it must be in a form that can be utilized, and finally it must be relevant to the subject of consideration. Information to be used in decision-making can be classified in two major categories. It can be either formal or informal. Formal information is usually presented in a familiar format, has a degree of relevance and accuracy, and uniquely structured. However, the information may be inflexible and may sometimes disregard sociological perspectives. On the other hand, informal information is quite flexible and more detailed though it may be inaccurate. Information and Law It is very imperative for any person using information-based decision making to understand that certain types of information have legal implications. This is more profound in business organizations. The law regulates many processes of handling information and as such, caution should b e exercised to ensure the entire legal infrastructure is respected. For instance, the Data Protection Act of 1998 was enacted to ensure that information is handled with caution to protect its integrity, privacy, and users. The data protection laws ensure that data handlers do not manipulate the data for personal or malicious reasons but instead use the data for the best interest of the subjects. While making business decisions, all legal parameters should be followed and information handled within the realms of the law. It is unethical to use data or information to make business decisions that are not permitted by the law. For example, a business may use information unlawfully to gain unfair advantage over other competitors. Although the decisions made from such information may seem exemplary, legal

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch - Case Study Example Born in 1822 in France, Pasteur’s work in the field of microbiology is immensely recognized and encountered in our daily lives. Among his popular works include the invention of Pasteurization process, the discovery of the germ-disease relationship, as well as the invention of the rabies vaccine. Contributions He discovered the role of pasteurization while at the university where he was a chemistry professor. He was approached to establish the course of souring in wine. In the process Pasteur established that the reason behind the souring of wine can be related to that of souring in milk, which is as a result of bacterium contamination. He established that the bacterium produced an acid that was responsible for the souring of the wine. He went further to establish that, heating the wine gently to temperatures around 60o C for at least 30 minutes led to the destruction of the bacterium, which subsequently prevented further souring of wine (Krasner, 1995). He described the proces s of souring as fermentation and the process of heating the wine to temperature levels enough to kill the bacterium as pasteurization. The process is nowadays widely applicable in the many food production industries and even locally in many households to kill disease causing bacteria as well as improve shelf life of various food products as well as in hospitals to prevent germ re-infection (Engelkirk & Engelkirk, 2010). He is also recognized for his role in the discovery of attenuation. He discovered that rabies future rabies infection could also be prevented through vaccine which entailed injecting cultured weakened rabies bacteria into a rabbit and realized that after injection of the rabbits with virulent inoculant, the rabbits did not show any sign of infection. This vaccine has been enhanced and widely used in the prevention of rabies in human and dogs. In the germ theory, he discovered that specific microbes cause specific infectious disease. Robert Koch Robert Koch, born in 1 843 in Germany, is yet another infamous personality worth to recognize in the field of microbiology and human health. He is purported to have made a tremendous contribution in these fields. In particular according to Krasner (1995), Koch further enhanced the previous job of Pasteur especially the germ theory. He provided prove that the specific microbes were the cause of certain disease, for instance he showed that anthrax bacillus was the main cause of anthrax. This was through the conduction of a series of steps that became popularly known as the Koch’s Postulates. The postulates provided a guideline that would allow for the isolation and subsequent analysis of the specific microbes that cause specific diseases. He also discovered that the Anthrax Bacillus just like many spore-producing microbes, were capable of resisting adverse conditions, which was fundamental in understanding the life cycles of the disease as well as the correct mechanism of prevention of the disease. F urthermore, Koch is also recognized for inventing fixation, staining techniques as well photographing of bacteria which paved way for further studies on disease causing bacteria. Engelkirk and Engelkirk (2010) further contends that Koch was also the key personnel behind the discovery of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, the M. tuberculosis, and Vibrio cholera that causes cholera which are some of the most common and dangerous disease. This enhanced

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Marketing and AMC Theatres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing and AMC Theatres - Essay Example That aside, one of the most reliable of all surveys for the country is conducted by Gallup and one of their latest surveys on the subject of going to movies have been conducted from December 5 to December 8, 2005. The number of movies now seen by an American has now come down to four movies during a period of twelve months. This does not mean that all Americans see the same number of movies since among the entire population there are 33 percent who claim that they have not seen any movie in a year, and 42 percent say that they have seen more than one but less than four movies in a year while 24 percent claim to have seen more than five movies in a year. (Americans Saw Average of Four Movies in Last Year) This can be seen pictorially in the appendix. The position had started quite early, and it was seen even from the beginning of summer. One of the largest chains of theatres in the country, Regal Entertainment Group, which is based in Colorado and registered on NYSE as RCG as well as Carmike cinemas, which is recorded as CKEC on NASDAQ had shown drops in attendance in the first quarter. The first is the largest chain in the country and the second is the fourth largest chain in the country. Compared to the previous year, 2004, the drop in net income of Carmike was by 76 percent. (Lights dimming on movie attendance) Part of the drop in attendance can be explained by the observation recorded above, but, in general, trends do not move so sharply and in the case of AMC theatres, for the change to have taken place would have a sharp change in habits of persons staying in a relatively restricted area. This is again unlikely to happen so one has to look at some other reasons. The position is clear in that younger Americans are more likely than older individuals to go to the movies and the study by Gallup has shown that Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 had

Monday, October 14, 2019

Three Kings (1999) Dir. by D.O. Russell Essay Example for Free

Three Kings (1999) Dir. by D.O. Russell Essay â€Å"Three Kings† is based on the events of the Gulf war and portrays Iraqi rebellions against Saddam Hussein. The movie describes adventures of fours soldiers who steal a gold bullion. This work belongs to war adventure movies and anti-war films. Disillusioned by war casualties and cruelty they saw during Desert Storm Operation, the soldiers kill one of Iraqis and find a document (a map). Cruz, a young journalist, tells her lover gates about recent rumors, and Gates convinces the men that this map will help them to find 23 million (a gold bullion) in Saddam’s bunkers. The journey begins. The main part of the movie vividly portrays hardship and grievances faced by native Iraqi population. The main characters rescue Iraqi prisoners, their leader and several Americas. Barlow is caught by Iraqi soldiers and taken to a bunker. Barlow calls him wife but one of the soldiers interrupts him and subjects to tortures. Together with deserters, the commands free Barlow. They find gold. In order to save their lives and reach Iranian border, Gates pays huge sums of money to drivers. When they reach the border, they are caught by American solder. In order to free the Shiites refugees, they give the rest of the gold to this American soldier. In several years, Barlow becomes a prosperous businessman and his friend Elgin an advisor to movies. The stolen gold was returned to Kuwait. This movie portrays great sufferings and pain faced by American soldiers during the Gulf War. The idea that all the suffering were for nothing was simply unbearable (Vernon 2001). The horrible reality of the war is therefore transformed into what one might call the Myth. The key members of this battlefield brotherhood are Elgin and Barlow, the contemporary warriors who because of their skills and indifference to their own survival perfectly fit definition of the ideal combat soldier. Their foil is Iraqi military, who with their background, conscience, and critical attitude toward peace and fellow-soldiers are outsiders from the circle. The choices of the characters are influenced by toughness and heroic actions of other soldiers and brutality of war. In this new environment, all men are natural leaders. These grunts also understand what is needed to survive in combat operations. Because of their poverty and lack of money, they are not part of the mainstream back in the World. But once reaching Iraq, they assume new identities, as signified by their nicknames, feel pride in their combat skills, and acquire a sense of belonging and meaning in their lives-even if that meaning is only helping themselves and their friends stay alive. What bonds them is their ultimate trust in each other, their combat skills, their love-hate relationship with the wars violence and absurdity, and their strong sense of being abandoned by the people at home. Overall, this movie praises the fighting spirit and self-sacrifice of this small unit of soldiers. Critics Berardinelli (1999) admit that â€Å"the action sequences are expertly directed, and Russell develops tension because were never sure whos going to survive or whats going to happen next†. The desire to save their friend Barlow vividly portrays that friendship and comradeship, honor, courage, pride, and loyalty are the main qualities which help soldiers to survive during the Gulf War (Arnold 1999). The strength of Three Kings lies in the descriptions of combat-language, events, emotions, conflicts, and tragedies inherent in the physical and psychological realities of war. D.O. Russell has a remarkable understanding of the combat soldiers psychological relationships to Iraq. He also has an ear for the grunts language and an eye for the precise details conveying the horrors and miseries of war. Taking into account historical context of the movie, â€Å"the four men are reluctantly pulled into a civil war between the Iraqi villagers and members of Saddam Husseins oppressive Republican Guard, which is torturing and killing anyone without a uniform† (Vice 1999). Most impressive is the authentic grunt dialogue pervading the speech patterns, vulgarities, jargon, fear, threats, hate, and black humor. We can guess the exact meaning and significance of actions taking into account real historical events and choices of the characters. In contrast to many other war movies, the aim of this work is to ‘force’ viewers to rethink meaning and significance of human relations during war and value the role and importance of friendship in human relations. The benefit of this movie is the brutal realism and exhaustive detail of the day-to-day life of a combat soldier. This movie portrays the evolution of a soldier and gives viewers a feel for war. Critics (Arnold 2000) admit that the irony of the movie is reasoned battlefield strategies which do not defeat enemies, but the blunderings of an incompetent major lead to victory. As a war movie, D.O. Russell unveils the horrors of the Gulf War and its political context. Thus, the graphic scenes are, at times, almost poetic in their litany of death, gruesome details, and horrific human destruction (Berardinelli 1999). In this movie, soldiers glorious moments on the battlefield are absent; the resulting oppressive spiritual darkness pervading the narrative is not so much a consequence of individuals actions but a product of the political, social, and military systems in which the soldiers have existed. Unlike many war stories, D.O. Russell introduces a strong political undertone and often, unsuccessfully, attempts to move away from the fictional memoir to a more developed dramatic plot. From this assignment I leant that actions and personal qualities of the characters provide reasons to believe that glorious moments of heroism, honor, and self-sacrifice regularly occur on the battlefield, and that a brotherhood of strong bonds of attachment and mutual concern, is widespread among combat soldiers. The knowledge of history and political situation can help viewers to understand war movies and their meaning. References Arnold, G. (1999, October 1) `Three Kings No Crowning Achievement. The Washington Times, p. 5 Berardinelli, J. Three Kings. Retrieved 24 April 2007, form http://www.reelviews.net/movies/t/3kings.html Three Kings. Dir. by D.O. Russell (2000) Warner Home Video. Vice, J. (1999). Desert News. Retrieved 24 April 2007, form http://deseretnews.com/movies/view/1,1257,70000069,00.html Vernon, A. (2001 Winter) The Gulf War and Postmodern Memory. The Wilson Quarterly, 25, p. 37.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Subcortex Diencephalon lesions from the view of the Neurologist and the Neurosurgeon :: Medical Medicine Essays

Subcortex Diencephalon lesions from the view of the Neurologist and the Neurosurgeon The diencephalon, which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and subthalamus of the brain will be discussed in this project paper however, the main focus will by on the hypothalamus of the diencephalon structure. To begin a brief review of the functions of the thalamus and hypothalamus, the thalamus is the input center for sensory information and the output center for motor information. The hypothalamus regulates hunger, thirst, and the body’s temperature. The hypothalamus also releases hormones and plays a role in sexual responses and behaviors, and our circadian rhythms (Campbell, 1999). The hypothalamus can be affected in many ways from genetics/hormones to injury from a lesion or accident. If a female fetus is exposed to too much testosterone during their critical period the hypothalamus can become masculinized which would lean create masculine behaviors in the female. Those fetuses that are male but are androgen insensitive have femininized hypothalamuses and portray feminine behaviors (Kalat, 2004). Damage such as a lesion to the lateral hypothalamus can cause an individual to refuse food and/or water depending on where the lesion is located. The opposite of true of damage occurs in the medial hypothalamus, the individual will over eat or drink (Kalat, 2004). The Neurologist The neurologist can perform many experiments on the hypothalamus by placing electrodes on the different parts, which simulates what could happen to the individual if this portion of the hypothalamus became injured. Studies have shown that the hypothalamus control functions such as mating, urination and defecation, eating and drinking, temperature regulation (through homeostasis), and circadian rhythms (Farr, 2002). The anterior portion of the hypothalamus is involved in copulation however; the septal region is also involved. When electrical stimulation is directed to this area the individual will experiences sexual emotions and thoughts. A study was done on cats where electrical stimulation on the anterior portion of the hypothalamus was done thus showing that the cat acted as though it was going to urinate or defecate along with the other processes such as hiding/covering the feces (Farr, 2002). One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is in the lateral and ventromedial regions, these areas in the hypothalamus control eating and drinking. If a lesion in the lateral region of the hypothalamus is created experimentally or damage is done to

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Flowering Tree Guide for Plants in the Los Angles Area Essay -- tree, f

Jacaranda In Los Angeles and throughout Southern California, blooming jacaranda trees announce the coming of spring. This visually stunning tree can grow up to 100 feet tall, but most top out between 25 and 50 feet. Early growth is fast, but mature trees grow more slowly. Although some jacarandas exhibit an upright pattern, usually the branches are long and spreading, creating a wide and open crown. The bark is silvery gray to almost black and the lacy, fern-like foliage is bright green and abundant, providing plenty of filtered shade. In the spring, the jacaranda produces masses of pale blue to lavender flowers that transform the crown into a pastel cloud of blossoms. Despite its delicate appearance, the jacaranda is a sturdy tree. Jacarandas grow quickly in almost any well-drained soil. They are drought resistant once established, and although they thrive in summer sun they also tolerate isolated periods of cold weather or an occasional frost. Young trees may need selective pruning to develop a strong central trunk. Jacarandas show better color when amended with organic mulch, but keep mulch away from the trunk to prevent rotting. Jacarandas are most often planted in rows as street trees, where the crowns grow together to create colorful canopies, or in parks or large open areas where they have plenty of room to spread. The fallen blossoms are slightly sticky and sometimes considered a nuisance, especially when they drop on parked cars below. To avoid this problem, plant the jacaranda as a shade tree in an open lawn. Magnolia On paper at least, magnolias look like the wrong tree for Los Angeles. A native of the Southeastern US, this woodland tree is fond of rich, organic soils and cool, shady glades. Yet,... ...ing is needed to create a strong central trunk and regularly thereafter to remove hanging branches that may interfere with pedestrian or street traffic. This tree prefers full sun but will grow in scattered shade. Somewhat tender to cold temperatures, the Hong Kong orchid does well in sheltered locations and will not thrive in mountain or high desert settings. Unlike other varieties of orchid tree, the Hong Kong doesn’t produce masses of huge seed pods, making litter less of a problem with this tree. Drought resistant once established, the Hong Kong orchid tree will also accept moderate levels of aerosol salt. An outstanding specimen tree, the Hong Kong orchid is approved for street use in many Southern California communities. Use it in among smaller tropicals or shrubs to create a focal point or lawn island, or as the flamboyant centerpiece in a tropical garden.

Friday, October 11, 2019

‘Deadly Unna?’ By Phillip Gwynne Essay

‘Deadly Unna?’ was the first novel of the famous Australian author, Phillip Gwynne, published in 1998. The fascinating drama novel expresses the inter-racial friendship between two teenage boys, Gary â€Å"Blacky† Black and â€Å"Dumby† Red. The book focuses on many complications the adolescence face, for example racism, favouritism, relationships, families, exclusion and more. ‘Deadly Unna?’ is set in the Port and Peninsula of South Australia, the ‘Goonyas’ (white Australians) are based in the Port and the ‘Nungas’ (the Aboriginals) are located on the Peninsula. The reason for this separation is to emphasise the racial tension between the white Australians and the Aboriginals that the author is trying to present. The story is told from the perspective of the main character, ‘Blacky’. As the story is being told by a white Australian you would be led to believe that it is going to be a very biased story but in this case it is quite the opposite situation. Gary Black is one of the few, if not the only, characters from the Port that truly understands the similarity that the two races acquire which enables the readr to see Aboriginals in a different light from the generalised/sterotypical image common in Australia. Gary â€Å"Blacky† Black is the major character in this novel, as the basis of the book revolves around him and his experiences and complications he faces in his youthful life. Blacky is more academic then he is sport orientated, though saying this he does play football. Blacky has a rather large family consisting of eight children, a stay-at-home mother and a hindering father. Blacky gets along with his siblings though they do have the occasional conflict, he is proud of his mother but unfortunately has a weak relationship with his father because of a previous controversy. Though Dumby Red did not physically appear very often throughout the book,  one particular incident involving Dumby Red arose great racial contention. Dumby Red was a very enthusiastic, optimistic and extremely self-assertive character. He was responsible for Blacky’s change of mind towards the Aboriginals, he was the one the made Blacky see the Aboriginals for who they really are, not who they are said to be. ‘Pickles’ is Blacky’s best friend, he in highly intolerable with his disgusting habits and his lack of general hygiene and know one will ever know why Blacky’s relationship with him is so strong. ‘Arks’ is Blacky’s over enthusiastic and encouraging football coach, he was a great influence on Blacky’s football performance in the grand final. Clarence is Dumby Red’s sister, at one point in the novel Blacky was rather fond of her though he was warned by Darcy that he must be careful who he associates himself with. Darcy is Blackys next door neighbour, the elderly man is very king to young Blacky and is always full of good advice, Blacky enjoys spending time with him and hearing about his fascinating life. The book is separated into two sections, winter and summer. Winter being the football season and summer the off season. The beginning of the novel focuses on football and Blacky’s attempt to be the hero of his team. It briefly touches on relationship and racial difficulties though the real complications reach their climax towards summer. Horrific crimes occur making the plot very interesting, people are being blamed, hearts are being broken and choices are having to be made. The Port’s football team make the grand final, disaster occurs on a boat, family relationships are tested, there is dispute at the football awards, the death of a well loved character provokes outrage throughout the community, true friendship is being questioned and Blacky follows his heart to do what is right. The purpose/aim of ‘Deadly Unna?’ is to highlight the seriousness of racism that takes place in the country we live in, as well as focusing on many concerns that adolescences face today. This is very effective as the book is intended for young adults meaning they are able to relate and compare their  lives to the ones created in the book. The use of Australian ‘slang’ (for example youse, ya and g’day) in the novel was also very powerful as it strengthened the realism of the characters. Many people nowadays do speak with ‘slang’ and it is the stereotypical way the true Australians communicate. A definite strength of the book is that it is written in first person, the use of Blacky’s thoughts and feelings throughout allows insight into the life he lives during the dramas that occur. The fact that Blacky was not bias in his feeling towards the Aborigines also assisted in allowing the reader to understand both sides of the racial conflict. The only minor weaknesses in the novel were the friendship between Blacky and Dumby Red. Though is does discus how good of ‘mates’ they were, it did not go into great detail of the complexities they face because of their inter-racial relationship. The other flaw in the novel was the misleading blurb, the blurb deceives the reader to think that the story line will be revolved around Blacky and Dumby Red facing the community whereas it focus on the much broader community facing the truth about the Aborigines. Overall the book was thoroughly enjoyable and should be recommended to other teenagers. The humour the novel possesses mixed in with the moving theme of racism made the book a worthwhile read. As James Bryce, a diplomat, historian and politician, said â€Å"The worth of the book is measured by what you can carry away from it†.