The Practice of Clinical Psychology

University of Phoenix Material The Practice of Clinical Psychology Worksheet Answer the following questions. Your response to each question must be at least 150 words in length. 1. What are at least two legal issues associated with clinical psychology? Provide an example of a situation that could be legal but unethical. Explain your response. Confidentiality is one issue associated with clinical psychology. It intersects the legal and ethical jurisdictions in the realm of psychotherapy. These issues are in conflict when legal requirements contradict the APA’s Ethics Code (Plante, 2011).Confidentiality agreement exceptions between patient and therapist include danger that is immediate (suicide, homicide, or any type of abuse). When the Code of Ethics and the law cross the Code of Ethics should always be followed and any discrepancies should be explained to a court of law (Plante, 2011). There are, however, exceptions to the confidentiality rule: in specific situations, a patien t may opt out of confidentiality. This may be when a patient wants to involve their spouse, child, or even a friend in their therapy (Plante, 2011).Clinical psychologists must be careful by documenting exceptions in writing, to maintain integrity because of concerns with confidentiality. Forensic activities are another area where legal issues may affect a psychologist. It is important when psychologists are giving expert testimony that they make sure the assessment tools they choose to use were developed specifically for the purpose the psychologist is using it (Plante, 2011). This is an ethical issue with legal implications rather than a legal issue. 2. What are at least two ethical issues associated with clinical psychology?Provide an example of a situation that could be ethical but illegal. Explain your response. A major point of concern in any ethical discussion in psychology is competence. Appropriate training and instruction that concerns changes in a psychologist’s spe cialized field must be kept up to date (Plante, 2011). According to Plante (2011) 50% of the material learned during a psychologists graduate work becomes obsolete 10 to 12 years after they graduate. This means that clinical psychologists have to relearn half of their specialized field every ten years or so.Psychologists must practice in the field in which they have been trained. It is important that clinical psychologists are not being misleading or deceptive in advertising or public statements (Plante, 2011). A psychologist must never overstate their points of views or their qualifications. Psychologists must correct any misleading statements that have been made by another person on the psychologists behalf. This causes the psychologists to be very clear about their points of view and not overstate their credentials (Plante, 2011). 3. Define professional boundaries, boundary crossings, and boundary violations.What effects do boundaries have on the therapeutic relationship? Dual re lationships are at the heart of most professional boundary violations in the U. S. (Plante, 2011). A dual relationship is when the patient and psychologist develop a relationship outside the professional one. This could be as simple as the psychologist and patient going out for coffee or as extreme as the psychologist and patient engaging in a sexual relationship. Of course psychologists are disciplined when the violations happen, but are encouraged to avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships with patients (Plante, 2011).Boundary crossings and violations happen when the psychologist engages in an extra psychotherapeutic relationship with the patient. There is a counter argument in this area and that is the psychotherapy must sometimes occur in the patients natural environment. This happens if the patient is severely disabled. To maintain a relationship that is professional and boundaries that are professional the relationship must be kept in a setting that is professional and in situations that is professional.There are some situations though that are unavoidable such as a psychologist who has a small town practice and knows everyone in town (Plante, 2011). 4. What are at least two cultural limitations associated with assessment and treatment? In your response, discuss the use or misuse of assessment instruments, therapy techniques, research results, or any other facet of clinical practice that could have potentially harmful, culture-specific implications. There are some behavioral problems that are culturally specific and require treatment approaches that are culturally specific (Plante, 2011).For example during the Victorian Era, conversion disorders were popular but are not today. I t is telling hta most psychological studies that have been conducted in the last 50 years have been on the Caucasian race from the upper and middle classes (Plante, 2011). This would mean that the results of these tests to minorities is questionable. Culturally specifi c treatment options are being looked at by psychologists, as legitimate alternatives to traditional individual 50 minute insight oriented psychotherapy.

Billy Baines Middle School Essay

Billy Baines Middle School (BMS) is located in Fort Bend ISD, in Missouri City, TX. Its school teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. BMS opened in August 2006 and was named after Mr. Billy Baines. Mr. Baines was hired in 1959 as the first African American principal and he served Fort Bend ISD for thirty years. BMS has approximately 1,400 students with an average 18:1 student-to-teacher ratio. BMS is a diverse school with equal distribution by gender and ethnicity. African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics are predominating ethnic groups at BMS. Special Education at BMS consists of two classrooms. I had the pleasure of observing Ms. Wheeler’s class. Her class has four male students: Deonte, Samuel, Jonathan, and Cody. Deonte is an African American boy who appears to be about 16 years old, about 6’4†. Deonte shows characteristics comparable to Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Samuel is an African American boy who is about 5’2† and roughly 13 years old. He shows characteristics comparable to Mental Retardation, and Language Impairment. Jonathan is a Hispanic boy about 15 years old, 5’ 6†, and shows characteristics comparable to Mental Retardation and Speech Impairment. Cody is a 5’1† Asian American boy who is left handed and very active in the classroom. Cody shows characteristics comparable to severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and a delay in learning. Teachers spend an average of four years being taught to teach, however each student learns differently and there are about a dozen ways to impart knowledge. Students use an array of techniques to learn information, some use music, others learn by doing, or by using a visual aid to assist in learning. Teaching has truly become an art because there are many ways that students learn and process information. Teachers spend hours planning lessons that use each of our multiple intelligences. Howard Gardner introduced the multiple intelligence theory in 1983, and leads educators to think that humans have a wide range of cognitive abilities. By using many methods of instruction teachers can keep students engaged in the learning process. Ms. Wheeler’s class although engaged, was not fully attentive at all times. Her students had a difficult time staying on task. Ms. Wheeler was able to redirect students and keep them motivated. Ms. Wheeler motivated student with rewards for good behavior, correct answers, and following instructions. She also keeps a high level of enthusiasm, by using statements like â€Å"this is neat† or â€Å"this is an exciting thing†. Ms. Wheeler spends time planning assignments that will accommodate each student and their learning style. She uses different instructional methods to keep her students engaged in learning, such as group activities and centers. She does not use a great deal of lecture because students easily get distracted. Ms. Wheeler also uses the many tools in her classroom to accommodate the class. For example, many students are only able to read at a kindergarten reading level, so when the class read about the Ryder Cup Golf she used the SMART Boardâ„ ¢. The students who could read took turns reading while others followed along, some words would have small pictures above them that represented the word. After the class had finished reading she played an audio clip of the reading to review. Ms. Wheeler also used the multiple intelligence theory in her teaching, she taught students to brush their teeth and wash their hands after eating lunch, and this uses logical-mathematics intelligence. She also taught students by using the musical intelligence she had a music therapist come by to teach students how to use music to remember things they are learning in class. Ms. Wheeler’s class is located in room 1105, the front door reads â€Å"Welcome to Ms. Wheeler’s class†. Ms. Wheeler’s class has a welcoming and safe feeling even before you walk into the classroom. Walking into her classroom the first thing you see is the centers arranged around the room. Her classroom is connected to the other special education classroom by the bathroom and kitchen area. Ms. Wheeler’s class is bare with little on the walls. She believes that posters and art causes distractions to her students. Although, it is hard to teach students who are easily distracted, Ms. Wheeler accepts the distractions in a positive manner. She can get task with her students for a moment and find ways to easily transition back to the task at hand. For example, Ms. Wheeler was teaching about the life cycle of a butterfly and Deonte asked her whom she spent her weekend with. Ms. Wheeler replied that she spent it with her cat. In order to get back to the task at hand she told a story about her cat playing in the garden, and they saw a caterpillar. Her transitions between topics work well for her students. Ms. Wheeler’s students also show her a lot of affection; she kindly and professionally returns the affection. Samuel loves high-fives and hugs, while Cody likes fist pumps. Much of the affection shown in the class is done after a task or during transition periods. Ms. Wheeler quizzes her students after each completed task. She typically puts a worksheet up on the SMART Boardâ„ ¢ and calls on students to come to the board and answer one of the questions on the board. Also during centers the teacher or teacher’s aide will ask many questions to make sure the student understands the assignment. When students succeed Ms. Wheeler always praises them with kind remarks. Ms. Wheeler’s class was at most times chaotic. Her class follows little rules and behavior varies between students. Ms. Wheeler does remind students often to use inside voices and to pay attention. However, because the students are all special needs students you cannot punish them for behavior that is relative of their mental or physical disability. The instructor utilizes individualized learning objectives; she uses centers as a way to have one on one instructional time with her students. Each of her students are on different academic levels, so one on one time with her students is vital to the education progression of her students. Based on the progression of her students it is sometimes necessary to make adjustments to their individualized education program (IEP) and individualized schedules. In conclusion, observing Ms. Wheeler’s class has taught me about how to teach students who have any disability and how to individualize education even within the general education. My time in Ms. Wheeler’s class was spent only observing. Fort Bend ISD does not allow much interaction with their special needs students, because they want to keep their students on their adapted schedules. The theory behind this is the children are able to transition between school and home easier. My experience in Ms. Wheeler’s class has taught me the importance of patience when working with young students. It also taught me how important it is to have a student teacher meeting with each of my students and address their weaknesses and strengths. This will help me in making sure each student is succeeding to the best of their ability. I also have decided that when I begin teaching, I will use a large array of teaching strategies to accommodate the different learning style of all students. My desired degree is Education, Math fourth to eighth grade and in my classroom I can use an overhead or SMART Boardâ„ ¢ to allow students a chance to â€Å"student teach†. I can also use personal white boards for rapid math games. Observing middle school special education has confirmed to me that I could not teach special education. Those who can teach these exceptional children in my opinion must have a special quality to handle the demand of their jobs. It takes an exceptional teacher to teach these amazing children. However, I have decided teaching middle school is where I will be most effective. For a long time I believed that teaching elementary was always the way to go, but allowing students to take action in their own education is a future goal of mine. The only way I can see this vision come to pass is by teaching students old enough to take charge of their actions yet young enough to mold. Nelson Mandela once said, â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. † I want to teach the new generation that taking charge of their education will change the world around them.

Literature review Essay

Youthfulness has always been an attraction, a perception of vibrancy and dynamism in every stage of a man’s life. This so-called â€Å"Fountain of Youth† in each individual is reflected in his or her lifestyle; their disposition towards other people in the society; their interaction in their working environment, most especially the quality of the output of their work; and their perception of life – that age does not hamper one to continue being young. Dossey (2002:12-16) For this group of youthful old individuals, what is vital is the quality of life and not the quantity of life. It is not whether they have lived long enough, but it is whether they have lived in attainment of their goals and aspirations, with contentment and happiness. This is what really matters at the end of the day. Dossey (2002:12-16) With all these debate over the significance of â€Å"extending† this particular stage in life, science and technology played a crucial role in addressing these matters. Experiments have been conducted on the possibility of extending the life span of people with the intake of certain medicines or even through surgery. In this attempt to reach immortality, biological breakthrough in cell division and regeneration are being processed in order to ascertain the supply for this demand. Science and technology have paved way to the people’s mindset that indeed, the possibility of a longer and more youthful life can be available. Dossey (2002:12-16) From this vantage point, the emergence of biomedicine has blossomed and has demonstrated the various ways in which it can influence the social aspect of an individual, aside from the physical well-being of the person. Bios have always been regarded as the most effective and at the same time, the most cost-efficient amongst all types of remedy or medication. Before we proceed with the technical aspects of Bios in medicine or in cosmetics, it is important that the definition of Biologicals are also given proper attention in this paper. What is Biologicals? Biologicals or what we call the Biotechnology-derived products that require tedious work in preparation and simplification of the raw materials in order to ensure the quality-control is above or within the approved standards as legislated. Tsang (2003:367-370) As per attached herein, you can see the various product types of biologicals: Source: Tsang (2003:367-370) Given the sensitivity of the issue, it is necessary that Biotechnology-derived products are governed by a strong legislative body to maintain the standards that will enable the products to remain safe to the end-users, to us, humans. It was then defined that these products are products which contain a biological substance, the substance possessing the following: that it is extracted from or sourced from a biological substance, and that there is a need for that substance to undergo several tests to ascertain the measures of safety and reliability of the product; that it is not hazardous to health. Requirements have been set by the authorities-in-charge so that liabilities against the general public are minimized. At the same time, these regulatory compliances will also serve as educating tools for the end-users that they are aware of the products they purchase. This is most especially true when the health, such is the appearance, is at risk. An example of biologicals that are prevalent in this day and age is the use of Bio-cosmetics. Bio-cosmetics In order to meet the objective of the paper which is to give enlightenment on the status of the bio-cosmetic industry, it is necessary that we are all in equal footing in the definitions of the terms being used in this paper. Bio-cosmetics is primarily made of two different components incorporated to produce another element or component. In this case, we have â€Å"bio† and, we also have â€Å"cosmetics†. Bio, from the Greek combining form: bios, which means â€Å"life†. Meanwhile, cosmetics pertain to the use for beautifying, cleansing or protecting, especially of the skin, nails, hair, or other parts of the human body, or of other species required for exhibition. Webster (2006:450) Furthermore, â€Å"bio† is a composition of natural elements – raw materials that are unadulterated and constitutes the purest ingredients of Mother Nature. It is in these virgin materials that the most complicated and highly-processed and most sought-after medicines are derived from. One need not go far, as these are simply in our lush environment that we can acquire these Biologicals. Such form is the Bio-Cosmetics. From the word itself, these are cosmetics that utilize the most biologicals. Cosmetics have come a long way from its origins in the early ancient period. Grolier (2005: 188). Cosmetics, mainly used for changing and enhancing the appearance of the face, skin and/or hair of the human being, is also being used as an adjunct to religious rituals, wherein men and women in the ancient days adorn themselves with accessories and cosmetics. From the many archaeological studies of the early days, it was found that men and women knew of how to prepare pigments and blend them with greasy substances, which are then considered as cosmetics. Analysis of these prehistoric pigments has revealed that as many as 17 colors have been used for these purposes. The most commonly used were a white made from white lead, chalk or gypsum; a black from charcoal or manganese ores; and red, orange and yellow. During the ancient world, the Sumerians, Babylonians, Hebrews and Egyptians employed similar preparations of cosmetics for similar purposes as follows: ceremonial, medicinal and ornamental. The Ancient Middle Eastern civilizations lavished mostly on the eyes, in part as a form of protection. Grolier (2005: 188). Henna was used to dye the hair and the fingernails, the palms of the hand and the soles of the feet. Scents and unguents are restricted at first in the rituals of mummification. In Egypt, rouges, whitening powders, abrasives for cleaning the teeth, bath oils and lipsticks were used daily by both sexes from the upper classes. Almond, olive, sesame oils, thyme and oregano, frankincense and myrrh, saffron, rosewater, and chypre formed the foundation of basic concoctions that we re eventually used throughout the world. A few more examples of how cosmetics sprung in various countries are discussed herein: In India, cosmetics were significant in Indian women in fulfilling their duty to always appear alluring to their lover or mate, such as is specified under the Kama Sutra. Women then were advised to learn the arts of tattooing. Cosmetics also served as an emblem in determining the caste or class rank in the society. Up till now, many Indian women still use cosmetics in the ancient way: eyelids are tinted with an antimony-based dye, the faces and arms are stained yellow with saffron powder, and the soles of the feet are reddened with henna. Grolier (2005: 188). In Greece and Rome, the classical Greek only permitted the use of few cosmetics, although they made use of imported raw materials. Greek women however, dye their hair regularly during times of mourning, and they sometimes lightened it with pomade or colored powders. Meanwhile, the Romans scorned cosmetics as effete. However, during the time of the empire, cosmetics began to be desirable in defining symbols of status and wealth. It should be noted however, that most of these popular cosmetics were, in fact, poisonous, especially the white lead commonly used as face powder. Grolier (2005: 188). In Medieval Europe, cosmetics were for a time restricted to the males of certain courts and to high-born ladies and courtesans. The contemporary criteria for facial makeup in the Western world is perhaps a continuation of medieval beauty, which is required that a woman’s skin be as white as the lily, and that her cheeks as red as the rose. Preparations for achieving this ideal were available to the rich; commoners had to make do with the wheat-flour powder and beet-juice rouge. To cap this history notes of the birth of cosmetics, France emerged as the leader in developing the art of makeup, and both men and women of rank used face powder, hair powder of saffron or flower pollen, and skin lotions. On the other hand, the Italians, particularly the Venetians, had become the major producers and purveyors of cosmetic preparations. Venetian ceruse, a skin whitener, was considered superior to all others and was in great demand, despite the knowledge that the white lead it contained could ruin the complexion and cause baldness, and if used in the long run, even death. Grolier (2005: 188-191). The peak of cosmetic use was reached in 18th century Europe, especially in England and France, where both sexes attempted to reach an almost totally artificial appearance. In England, this was the age of macaroni, the young fop whose clothing, powdered wig, rouge, and red lips, were supposedly inspired by Italian fashion. By the 1880’s, advances in technology – especially in printing – and the advent of advertising opened way for a new era in cosmetic history: the age of testimonial advertisements. Respectable and beautiful women began to appear in print ads enabling and encouraging more women to use cosmetics. Grolier (2005: 188-191).

Question Answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Question Answer - Essay Example They target both genders. Super bowl product category is beer, drinks, and snacks. Beer because its goes well with football. They can be able to get the latest brand and try it while watching the event. Snack is also a useful product for the case since they can take them while watching the game. Financial industry is not an adequate product category since people will be having fun, and they will not be having time for financial issues. Hence, they will not take it that serious. Autos too are not effect product since it runs all together in peoples mind (Hartmann and Klapper). Communications use some of the same purchase comparison metrics copy pretesting firms use, but gauges the ads effect on consumers who have seen them in the real world rather than forced viewing. The objective of the super bowl is to create product awareness to millions of people watching the event. There ads aims at reaching millions of people who are watching the game and make them join the new brand in the market by telling them about the positives of the product and the reason why they should not be left out. Direct sale cannot be the primary objective since it is not necessarily that the product will be brought at that particular time; it might take time before people can accept a new product. Active awareness means that the product has been on the market and as not been doing well hence trying to convince people that it is a real product. It will not be the place to convince them since you cannot convince them in a single day (Hartmann and Klapper). I do not think super bowl adverts are very efficient since it is one-day event, it will not capture people that much unlike TVs ads. In TV ads, people are repeated for sometimes making people know it better, hence want to try it. It is not effective too since its product category is limited to a particular product that go in line with the event hence it becomes bias. Creating brand awareness being primary

Trying To Do The Impossible At GM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trying To Do The Impossible At GM - Essay Example The World War II played a vital role in moving the GM's ratings to the top as GM got the chance to serve the U.S. Army in terms of transportation. The company was always paying attention to the management side, where as others were busy in creating luxury without realizing the needs of the people. GM paid special attention to what most of the people in U.S. were ought to prefer, the company brought models catering the needs and wants of the people as well as the other sectors of the economy, but that was wy back in 50s. GM not only ruled the automotive sector of the world but also the entire industrial sector of the world. Being the first company to cross the profit margin of $1 Billion, GM griped the market very well until the 1980s when its share started decreasing steadily. The simple reasons for that were the increased production costs and decreased product quality, it was that time when many new entrants competing GM got some hold on the market. It was that time when the exact organizational culture came in view, the company had got so many prevailing issues within it, much of that were related to the labor suggesting that they were facing a strict duty schedule and were pressurized, GM expected them to perform exceptionally well on the outdated plants, this brings in the increased pressure on the human resources which forces them to make many wrong judgments, also there was no proper training available for the employees including the engineers who had to deal with the processing and line manu facturing. Surprisingly, the organization never gave much importance to its employees in terms of their knowledge and experience as most of the times in the past they hired fresh graduates, it sounds normal for a newly established organization but for a company having an exceptional profit statements, it is really unacceptable. The employees are the ones who represent the organization's culture and in case of GM, they were just new to understand and form a culture that could have been positively self changing and lucrative for the organization in the long run. One of the poor things about GM was that the executives believed that they reached the pinnacle and hence there is no room for further improvement in any of the GM's operations, sooner this proved to be very costly when the GM's cars got improvements but the competition increased even faster to crumble GM. However there are yet many reasons for the decline of GM such as improper selection and utilization of human resources, the general populations had got lesser education which made it hard for the companies to initially hire people who were really competitive, but at the same time the company never looked for betterment in the executives and kept the same people along, it was strange to hear a top class productive executive working in GM. Initially, the company was forced do hire such people but they should have changed this policy the moment the market got

Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Strategy - Essay Example Marina Bay Sands targeted the ‘Meetings, incentives, conventions and events’ and business travellers as their major markets but the hotel is now aiming at the family and leisure markets as well. The hotel appears to be entirely matching with regard to their products, experience offered and their facilities. For this reason, they appear to be attracting and containing quite distinguishable market segments. Therefore, for future markets, the economic growth and population growth in China implies that China is no longer a huge and poor market. Marina Bay Sands like many other companies should now try to locate and target the most outstanding market for them (Jauhari and Rishi, 2012). This is because previous studies of China economy have not entirely acknowledged the remarkable growth of the middle class. Research done using data from Asia Pacific and MasterCard Worldwide showed that middle class reached 87 million by 2005 from just about zero ten years ago, and is expected to rise to 340 million by 2016. This means that the middle class will occupy the 60 percent of China’s urban households by 2016 which already clocked 39% by 2006. The other markets that constitute notable target include Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam (Cui and Song, 2009:38-41). Over the years brand positioning has also been an essential part of marketing strategy and thus, the hotel industry has accepted and embraced its value in marketing and in particular when there is extensive brand segmentation. Just like several others Marina Bay Sands has developed multiple brands in order to serve multiple market segments (Burkard, 2011). This strategy of segmentation involves the idea that the brand name is a component of the process of illustrating tangibility to what basically appears intangible. This provides a shorthand way of setting up a particular property’s value when a customer is given significant information about the service or product. With resp ect to this, the brand’s quality is based on the awareness of the potential quests, their perception of the quality and the overall satisfaction of the customers. This concept that brand positioning provides added value to both the hotel and quests, is what a reasonable growth of brand positioning relies on. When hotel brand is managed well, the hotel tends to get a rising market share from a corporate strategy point of view. Cai and Hobson (2004) say that a brand can create a distinguishable identity by establishing a given set of promises to its customers where functional features of the products are not considerably differentiated. A personality that a brand creates may be relevant reason for a consumer to select one brand over the other. A brilliant brand personality is likely to make the brand more tangible thus reducing the intangibility associated with the hotel industry. Since there is the idea that brand positioning creates a personality for an intangible unit it is, therefore, related to the consumer emotions. Burkard (2011) explains that these emotional connections to a brand come about in part from the promises mentioned above. This means that the customers rely on brand names so that they can minimise the risk that is associated with unknown brands. Therefore, the hotel’

Concept Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Concept Paper - Essay Example licies helped to increase economic growth and development in the United Kingdom after the financial crisis of 2009?† The paper identifies the government and the Bank of England as the main actors who create and implement austerity policies. The research identifies three case studies that will help the research in focusing on the unit of analysis and drawing relevant answers to the research questions. Units of analyses are critical factors that help researchers in making accurate and reliable conclusions. This means that units of analysis are the main drivers of research without which it is impossible to undertake a study successfully. The units may be human beings, companies, laws, or geographical regions. Human beings act as units of analyses when they are being studied individually or in groups. These elements are studied when researchers are interested in drawing conclusions about social factors such as behavior, attitudes, and performance in school. Organizations are similar to individuals when studied as units of analyses because they may be studied individually or in groups. Companies are used as units of analyses when studies aim at identifying their performances and behavior (Malici, & Smith, 2013). In this study, human beings and organizations are not critical units of analyses; because the research may not be able to study each one of them in seclusion. This is because the research may not be able to identify specific individuals and organizations in the UK. Geographical regions may also be used as units of analyses in research. These may be individual countries or groups of countries that have similar characteristics. Geographical region is an essential unit of analysis in this research because it aims at focusing only on the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is a geographical area that consists of three countries. The countries in the region include England, Scotland, and Wales (CLES, 2014)s. The research will focus on the three countries in

Renewable EnergyExplore the United States history of renewable energy, Essay

Renewable EnergyExplore the United States history of renewable energy, where the country stands currently and its future outlook. Examine the problems with re - Essay Example Though there is no shortage of any non-renewable fuel, critics of their use point out that it is logically possible to use up nonrenewable fuels" (Pimental, et.al, 1994, pg. 1). If something does not change, the United States has the potential to encounter serious energy shortages before too long. The purpose of this paper is to explore the United States' history of renewable energy, where the country stands currently, its future outlook, implement current government issues and social issues on the topic, and to examine the problems with renewable energy (National Center for Policy Analysis Idea House, 2008). Water-powered systems have been used for centuries. Today, water power is used mainly to generate electricity. "For many centuries, wind power like water power has provided energy to pump water and run mills and other machines. In rural America windmills have been used to generate electricity since the early 1900s" (Pimental, et.al, 1994, pg. 1). Harvested from forests, biomass energy currently provides the United States with 4.2% of its energy supply. It is used even more prominently in other countries, especially developing countries. The sun's energy is converted into heat through solar thermal energy systems and then is used in houses, in different industrial settings, and to generate electricity. ... current usage of renewable resources is passive heating and cooling of buildings although it is not being used to its full extent as of yet (Pimental, et.al, 1994). Its Future Outlook "The use of solar energy is, however, expected to grow. Renewable energy technologies that have the potential to provide future energy supplies include: biomass systems, hydroelectric systems, hydrogen fuel, wind power, photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, and passive and active heating and cooling systems" (Pimental, et.al, 1994, pg. 1). The use of alternative liquid fuels such as ethanol, methanol, and hydrogen are also likely to pick up in the future (Bruce and Pickering, 2008). The Problems with Renewable Energy Just like non-renewable resources, renewable energy sources have their own conflicts and these are likely to increase along with the increased usage of renewable resources in the future. Some problems that are likely to occur are limited availability of land, limited abilities to harvest forest resources within the United States forcing these resources to be imported, and a growing population (Pimental, et.al, 1994). Social and Political Concerns "The first priority of a sustainable US energy program should be for individuals, communities, and industries to conserve fossil energy resources. Other developed countries have proven that high productivity and a high standard of living can be achieved with considerably less energy expenditure compared to that of the United States. Improved energy efficiency in the United States, other developed nations, and even in developing nations would help both extend the world's fossil energy resources and improve the environment" (Pimentel et al. 1994). Conclusion The purpose of this paper has been to explore the United States'

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Essay

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis - Essay Example The article makes use of concepts derived socio-technical theory as well as the role theory in an attempt to show the relationship between technostress and productivity. In the article, CFA and EFA approaches are applied in investigating the theoretical constructs and the factors represented in the study about the relationship between technostress and human productivity (Chilton, Hardgrave, & and Armstrong, 2005). The two approaches enhance the hypothesis that the factors used are correlated. Three hypotheses are thus developed. In hypothesis 1, stress comes out as people try to respond to various factors. Hypothesis 2 depicts stress as correlated to the roles of individuals within organizations. Hypothesis 3 also shows a correlation between technology and organization roles (Tarafdar, Nathan, & Ragu-Nathan, 2007). The two approaches are used in accessing the quality of every item used in the study. Both the CFA and the EFA are applied for both confirmatory and exploratory purposes. This aspect is seen in the three hypotheses, which address the three variables differently. While EFA and CFA are seen to have several similarities in their statistical applications, they greatly contrast in certain ways as well. The use of EFA required that a decision is made on the number of factors applied through an examination of the output from an analysis of principal component (Nygaard & Dahlstrom, 2002). For the article, a five-factor structure is first established to analyze the items. Conversely, the use of CFA requires a specification of the number of factors before the analysis. (Tarafdar, Nathan, & Ragu-Nathan, 2007) Again, the CFA involve the specification of a particular factor structure with an indication of the factor on which each item would load while in the case of EFA, all items load all the factors. In estimating factor loading, maximum likelihood is used, but

Advising the UK government what key actions need to be taken to adapt Essay

Advising the UK government what key actions need to be taken to adapt to and mitigate environmental change during the next 50 years - Essay Example The governing bodies all over the world are in need of having a new perspective on this depleting ecosystem, to preserve it, to provide long term good health for all the people, all over the world. The continued stability of the life supporting systems of the biosphere weighs heavily on the actions taken by the government. With temperatures rising everyday and with pollution going overboard, it is time for the UK government to start taking steps to minimize the rate of depletion, the environment is going through. Thereby, a better future can be ensured in the coming years. Environmental changes refer to the drastic change taking place in air, water, climate and other natural activities, globally. Though climate change has been widely acknowledged, there is still an uncertainty on how large and how fast the predicted effects will be on the environment. Several events in the recent past such as the hurricane Katrina in South Atlantic and the heat waves which took hundreds of lives in Europe, certainly raised questions over stability of climate. All of these cannot be attributed only to climate change. But certainly, it becomes the frontrunner when these events are predicted to occur more in future. Global warming is the main cause for the climate change happening all over the world. Upon closely scrutinizing the available data on climate, it clearly indicates that there is a rapid increase in temperature over the past decade. From the beginning of twentieth century, earth’s surface temperature has increased to 1.4oF (0.7oC) and in this, about 0.9oF (0.5oC) has occurred since 1978. This striking increase in temperature is definitely due to global warming which is further pronounced with the emission of green house gases and air pollution. Global warming is further pronounced with the depletion of ozone layer. It has resulted in the penetration of UV rays into earth and thereby

Minicase Raines and Warren Finance Essay Example for Free

Minicase Raines and Warren Finance Essay The disadvantage of using company collateral to back the bonds is, the asset used as collateral cannot be sold during the term of the bond and must maintain its value. 2. Seniority of the bond. The seniority of the bond is the order in which bonds will be paid in the event of bankruptcy. The more senior the bond, the higher priority of being paid if there is a bankruptcy, and the lower the coupon rate because the risk to the bond owner is lower. 3. The presence of a sinking fund. A sinking fund is an account set up by the trustee of the bonds. The trustee saves and pools money to purchase, pay off, or call bonds early. Setting up a sinking fund will lower the risk, thus lowering the coupon rate. The risk to the company is not having available funds to feed the trust. 4. A call provision with specified call dates and call prices. A call provision could be included to call the bonds if interest rates drop substantially. The call provision will raises the coupon rate but protect you from paying a high rate for a long period in the event rates drop. 5. A deferred call accompanying the call provision. A deferred call accompanying the call provision would give the bond purchaser a protection period where the bond could not be called. Adding this provision will prohibit you from calling the bond for a set time (call period), and puts you at risk of paying a high interest rate for the deferred period. Therefore, you have a lower coupon rate than a call provision with no deferral period but still higher than a bond with no call provision at all. 6. A make-whole call provision. A make-whole call provision is the safest call for the investor and a lower coupon rate for you. The discount rate is based on the current Treasury rate plus a small-specified percentage. The investor is protected by being made whole if there is a call. 7. Any positive covenants for purchaser and some SS might consider. Positive covenants on bonds are proactive and reduce the coupon rate. Applying positive covenants to the bond makes it more attractive and secure to the investor by applying conditions that protect the investor’s interest. You may wish to consider a covenant to furnish your audited financial statements to the investors. This is something you already do and it would decrease the coupon rate. If you choose to secure with assets (see number 1), including a covenant to assure that the asset is in good working condition would lower the coupon rate. 8. Any negative covenants for purchaser and some SS might consider. Negative covenants on bonds are restrictive and reduce the coupon rate. Applying negative covenants to the bond makes it more attractive to the investor but may hinder the operation by putting limitations on your business actions. You may want to consider a clause that you will not merge with another firm and that you will not issue any additional long-term debt. 9. A conversion feature. A conversion feature allows a bond to convert to stock and unless your company is planning to go public, this would not apply to you. If SS has any plans to go public, you should consider a conversion feature. This feature would benefit the bondholders if the company did go public and if included could lower the coupon rate. 10. A floating-rate coupon. A floating-rate coupon is much like an adjustable rate loan. The coupon rate, tied to a published rate such as the Treasury bill interest rate over a set period, is adjusted per a set schedule such as every six months. There is a disadvantage of doing this when rates are low but will be more attractive to the investor, thus a lower margin. A cap on how much the rate can be increased or decreased would be a good addition if you choose this option. This would be a consideration if you choose not to have a call provision.

Better Than Essay Essay Example for Free

Better Than Essay Essay Education is one of the most important factors that determine where we go and succeed in life. While private schools have a limited acceptance rate, public schools by law are to accept all children. Public schools have a larger variety of subjects available than most private schools. There are many reasons why public schools are better than private schools. Even though attending a private school may seem luxurious and prestigious, the reasons why most people choose public schools over private schools is because it saves money, education is guaranteed, offers a variety of programs, teaches students responsibility and independence, and prepares individuals to be critical thinkers. A reason why most people believe that public schools are better than private schools is because there is no cost for school tuition. Public schools allow free education, which enables everyone to have the equal opportunity to be educated. Instead of paying thousands of dollars on education in a private school, most parents choose to save that money to pay for their child’s college tuition. Attending a private school can be very costly, for example Oaks Christian’s school tuition is approximately $30,000 a year. The cost of attending that school is just about the same price as attending a college or a university. There are families who struggle with the economy and are put under difficult financial situations. This makes it difficult for the parents to pay for their child’s high school and college. This is one of the greatest advantages about public schools. The main purpose of public schools is to educate everyone. In 2001, the United States Congress reauthorized the No Child Left Behind Act. This act included Title 1, which is the government’s aid program for the disadvantaged students. This act makes sure that no child is left behind from education. The act also requires the state to develop assessments in basics skill that is given to each child in different grade levels. There are multiple families who come from different countries that place t heir child into a public school. The child cannot be denied the right of education due to law and obtains the equal rights of education just like  everyone else. While most private schools have certain requirements for a child to be accepted into the school, public schools ensure that every student is given education. There are multiple programs for all different types of students who attend a public school. There are programs for children with specials needs and disabilities, which allows them to have opportunities like others. Sparkles, which is a national special needs cheerleading program offered at most public schools, allows those who are disabled to feel like they belong and are a part of the student body. However, at private schools they offer a limited number of classes available that one can take, while public schools have a wide range of classes that one can choose from. A great thing about public schools is that they offer different level courses, which allows students to challenge themselves and discover what they are capable of doing by going the extra mile. While in school, kids with special needs and disabilities have the opportunity to have teachers who can work with them individually and help them grow as a student as well as an individual. There are a number of programs such as Data, Honors, IB and AP classes that are available to students who are interested in challenging themselves academically. Public schools deliver real world surroundings with an environment that is much more diverse. Students are more prepared and have a sense of adult life in a public school setting. Most private school classes are small, which gives each child the individual attention they need. From prior experience, a teacher at a private school gives much more attention to students than needed. The guidance that they give towards the students are not particularly helping, but preventing one from taking responsibility and retaining independence. Teachers at a private school have a closer watch on their students’ day to day actions and are concerned with how students should act in a certain way. In public schools, kids are left to distinguish on what is right and wrong. This helps students become more mature young adults and requires students to take responsibility for their own actions. In public schools, students are exposed to greater ideas that allow them to be more creative. Public schools help students figure out who they are as a person individually. While attending a private school, there are certain requirements and standards on how a student should be. There are more strict rules and regulations, which keeps students away from obtaining  outside knowledge. There is not a great amount of creativity and everyone is expected to act and behave a certain way in a private school. Religion is one of the huge aspects that shape the school’s view. Everyone is expected to follow and obtain the same beliefs, whereas a public school, it is based on your point of view. While parents are paying for their child to obtain a greater education with much needed help and care, it is also hurting the child academically from gaining their own knowledge and independence. Due to a public school class size compared to a private school, students have teachers who are constantly available to help and assist each individual. Compared to a public school class, students in a private school class are being spoon-fed by teachers, who attempt to help students succeed but are actually not enabling students to think on their own. Even though public schools have a substantial amount of students compared to private schools, this allows students to be more exposed to the school environment and to be more critical thinkers. Later in your adult life, it is up to you to make wise decisions. No one is going to tell you what is wrong and right. Public and private schools are very discrete from each other. In life, everyone is faced with various obstacles that require making right decisions with a great sense of responsibility. With the exposure to a diverse community and place of creativity, it will help prepare you towards your road to success and to become a critical thinker in the future. These are reasons to consider why attending a public school is so much better than a private school. It teaches you to have self-determination and to become a successful individual.

A History Of American Animated Cartoons Animation Essay

A History Of American Animated Cartoons Animation Essay Rotoscoping was invented by Max Fleischer in the year 1915 with the help of his brother Dave Fleischer. The first character created using the rotoscoping technique was KOKO the clown in 1917, with live reference being taken from his brother who dressed in clown suit. After his success in rotoscoping they started a company called Fleischer Studios. Fleischer Studios Initially, Fleischer started by producing his films for The Bray Studios and later in 1921, Max and his brother Dave established Fleischer Studios to produce animated cartoons and short films; Max was the producer in the beginning. Koko and Fitz are their outcome series from Fleischer Studios. Later it was Fleischer studios who invented even the bouncing ball technique. They used this technique for their animated series KoKo Song Car-Tune, in which a ball bounces from word to word to sing along the series. Fleisher made a 40-minute educational feature film for explaining Charles Darwins Theory of Evolution and Albert Einsteins Theory of Relativity in the year 1923 using live action animation and special effects. Fleischer Film Studioslocated at 1600 Broadway overlooking Times Square in New York City. In his several cartoons, he had soundtracks featuring live or rotoscoped image of the leading jazz performers of the time, most notably Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Don Redman. After that, they used rotoscope in many of their later cartoons like Betty Boop in 1930 they did Cab Calloway dance using this technique. In Gulliver travel, 1939, they did Gullivers character using rotoscope technique, and in Superman cartoon, they animated Superman and the other characters in realistic movement. Betty boops Betty Boop made her first appearance on August 9, 1930 in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes, the sixth episode of Fleischers Talkartoon series. The character was modelled after a combination of the famous singer, Helen Kane and popular actress, Clara Bow of 1920. Clara became trademark of Betty because of her strong Brooklyn accent. Betty Boop became the star of the Talkartoon by 1932, and was given her own series in that same year beginning with Stopping the Show. Betty appeared in the first colour classic cartoon in Poor Cinderella Betty only theatrical colour appearance in 1934. Betty Boops was created by Fleischer studios and distributed by paramount star. Betty Boop as sex symbol Betty Boop is the first and most famous sex symbol on the animated screen. Bettys popularity was largely from adult audiences. It contains many sexual elements in the series like Talkartoon, Minnie and Moocher, Cab Calloway and his orchestra. The Talkartoon was replaced by the Betty boop series, which continued for 7 years. Betty Boop is the one of the important characters in the history of animation for being the first cartoon character to represent fully as sexualized woman. Betty boop wore short dresses showing cleavage, high heels and greater belt, with a certain girlish quality. In Betty Boops Bamboo Isle, she dressed hula topless, wearing only a lei and a grass skirt, which she repeated in her cameo appearance in the first Popeye cartoon, Popeye the Sailor (1933). Her Bamboo Isle performance was also included in the short Betty Boops Rise to Fame, featuring a staged interview with Max Fleischer. Walt Disney used the rotoscoping technique for their movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarf in 1937. After success of Snow White, the Disney used rotoscoping technique in many of their movies like Cinderella in 1950, in which they used the human character to animate Cinderella. Later on, they used this technique mainly to study human motion, animal motion, etc. Digital Rotoscoping The digital rotoscoping technique was invented by smoking car productions in the year 1994 for the creation of The last express adventures video game. The interpolated rotoscoping was invented by Bob Sabiston in the mid 1990s. He was an animator and a computer scientist at MIT media lab. Later director Richard Linklater used that technique to produce his feature film, Walking Life in 2001 and a scanner Darkley in 2006. He is the first director to use digital rotoscoping to create an entire feature film. When they first introduce the rotoscoping technique, a lot of animators opposed because they believed that the process stiffened the animation. A few believed that it could change the proportion of the animation, by giving a live action for the actors in it, to make the characters realistic and exaggerated. Reference Fleischer, Richard (2005): Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution, University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 0-8131-2355-0 Maltin, Leonard (1987): Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. Penguin Books. http://bettyboopspenthouse.com/home.html Image reference In 1914,Max Fleischerinvented therotoscope http://www.animationarchive.org/labels/upa.html Popeye and Max Fleischer, animation genius. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WriF8m2mVt0/R2tkqfSdVCI/AAAAAAAAA3A/K-wR_IFvF-U/s1600-h/popeye.jpg Fleischer Film Studios located at 1600 Broadway overlooking Times Square in New York City. http://bettyboopspenthouse.com/images/bettys_studio.jpg http://www.toondoctor.com/rotoscope01.htm

Symbolism in Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway Essay -- Ernest Hemin

Symbolism in Cat in the Rain by Ernest Hemingway In his short story Cat in the Rain, Ernest Hemingway uses imagery and subtlety to convey to the reader that the relationship between the American couple is in crisis and is quite clearly dysfunctional. In other words, the reader has to have a symbolic reading of the images. In fact, what seems to be a simple tale of an American couple spending a rainy afternoon inside their hotel room serves as a great metaphor for their relationship. This symbolic imagery, hided behind common objects, gives the story all its significance. This short story contains a great number of striking and literary symbols. In a symbolic reading, the opening paragraph describes the crisis that exists in the marriage of the couple. In other words, the description of the bad weather, of the "empty square"[1](l.10) and of their isolation, reflects this conflict and also sets the negative mood. In fact, since the beginning, Ernest Hemingway insists on the isolation of the couple that "does not know any of the people they passed" (ll.1-2) and are "only two Americans"(l.1). Here it is interesting to notice that they are isolated from the outside world but also from each other. There is no communication and they have no contact, they are distant from each other. Then this isolation is accentuated because of the weather, it is raining. The rain is part responsible for the fact that they have to stay in their room. Nevertheless, the rain has a symbolic meaning together with the description of the public garden. It represents as suggests the critic John V. Hagopian the "lack of fertility"[2] (p.230) . This lack is a... ...t the cat, the story would lose much of both their colour and clarity. Moreover, Ernest Hemingway has succeeded very well in this story in showing that individualism of the people living with their own problem is in many case the cause of split and despair. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1]All further references are to this edition : Ernest Hemingway, "Cat in the Rain" . The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, ed. Jackson J. Berson (Dwham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1975). [2] John V. Hagopian, "Symmetry in 'Cat in the Rain'", College English, XXIV (December 1962). [3] John V. Hagopian, "Symmetry in 'Cat in the Rain'", College English, XXIV (December 1962). [4] John V. Hagopian, "Symmetry in 'Cat in the Rain'", College English, XXIV (December 1962).

Racial Discrimination and Disparity in the United States Justice System

Introduction The issue of racial disparity in the criminal justice system has been a longstanding debate in this county. According to Tonry (as cited in Cole & Gertz, 2013) African Americans make up to 50% of the prison population but are only 12 % of the total United States population. Bobo and Thompson (2006) stated that Hispanics make up to 18 % of the prison population but are only 14 % of the total United States Population, while Caucasians make up to 75 % of the total population and are only 35 % of the prison population in American. (Coker,2003) supports Cole and Gertz and states that African Americans make up to half of the prison population while only accounting for 12 % of the population in the United States. According to NACP statistics (http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet) African American and Hispanics make up 58% of all prisoners even though African Americans and Hispanics make up 25 % of the United States population. According to Hurwitz and Peffley (2010) Cauca sian men older than 18 have a 1 in 106 chance of being imprisoned, while in comparison to a 1 in 16 chance of being imprisoned for African American men in the same age range. According to (Coker,2003) estimated that 28 % of African Americans will be incarcerated at one point in their lifetimes. Small (2001) stated that one out of three African Americans in their twenties are either in jail, prison, on probation, or parole. Small (2001) stated that although African Americans make up 13 % of all drug users in America, they are 35 % of the people arrested for drug possession and 55 % of the people convicted for drug possession. According to Small (2001) African American men are sent to prison for drug offenses at rate 20%-57% times great... ... Criminal Justice: How Much Is Too Much? Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 100(3), 903-932. Engel, R.S., & Calnon, J. M. (2004). Examining The Influence Of Drivers' Characteristics During Traffic Stops With Police: Results From A National Survey. Justice Quarterly: JQ, 21(1), 49-90. Hurwitz, J., & Peffley, M. (2010). And justice for some: Race, crime, and punishment in the US criminal justice system. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 43(2), 457-479. Nation Association for The Advancement of Color People. Criminal Justice fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.naacp.org/pages/criminal-justice-fact-sheet Small, D.( 2001) The war on drugs is a war on racial justice. Social research, 68(3) 896-902. The Bureau of Justice Statistics. Thomsen, F. (2011). The Art of the Unseen: Three challenges for Racial Profiling. Journal Of Ethics, 15(1/2), 89-117.

Ambient Music And The Impulse Towards Deconstruction :: essays research papers

Out of Light – cometh Darkness, dark ambient music and the impulse towards deconstruction  © 2000 Daniel du Prie 1. â€Å"These recordings may be seen as a notation of our deadminded society, but not as a reaction against it, we will all become ambient dead heads, if not...† (Archon Satani, In Shelter, liner note, 1994) If not, then ellipsis. The conditional clause of fact, followed by an open-ended ellipsis, where not only the conjunction between a conditional present and an effected future (then...), but the whole of future time itself is omitted – is a good way to immerse oneself in a description towards a functional definition of a difficult form of a â€Å"popular† underground music (I write popular because it is, in critical terms, usually excluded from the domain of â€Å"high† culture, or â€Å"serious† music, being more aligned with other popular underground genres, eg, industrial, death metal), that would seem to defy the very notion of popularity a priori: I write of so-called ‘dark ambient’ music. 2. Your attention is drawn to a notation of the future as ellipsis, as a potent form of signifying a coming-into-being that is never-yet, and may well never be, as a danger: The future can only be anticipated in the form of an absolute danger. It is that which breaks absolutely with the constituted normality and only be proclaimed, presented, as a sort of monstrosity (Derrida, 1974: 3). This ellipsis of the future, signifying danger (becoming, in Archon Satani’s space, dead headed), also dislodges the comfort of the present, and of presence; of the representing object, and its relation to the object represented, of the sign versus its referent. Hence the need for a notation, obtuse of signifying directives, not yet as a denotation and decoding, full of revealed meaning, of a certain type of society; but only of the function of recording qua art in reality, over and against symbolised reality, and even without any metaphysical reality. Archon Satani refuse permission for their recordings (not yet historicised as music, nor art) to be seen and hence, to be read as a reaction qua art against society: â€Å"we will all become ambient dead heads...†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3. In refusing music, and art, and reaction as historically revealed, politics are also seen to be refused. The future is one where the listener-subject will become as dead as the given inanimacy of the environment that surrounds her. Fundamentally psychoanalytic desires – those hinged upon death and sex may be in nuance in such a statement.

How effective are backbench MPs? Essay

‘How effective are backbench MPs?’ 40 marks Backbench MPs are critical for UK democracy. They allow for high standard scrutiny of the government which holds them accountable for their actions to the people. They help in representing the electorate. However there are some circumstances in which backbench MPs have little control, for example an elective dictatorship or because of the UK party system which is enforced by party whips. Firstly back bench MPs are a good way of promoting presentation in terms of their constituency boundary as they have been voted in by their electorate and so therefore should have a sound understanding of what the people need and want. However the majority of MPs are white males between their 40s and 50s. Out of 650 House of Common MPs, only 147 of them are female, which is disproportionate to the number of females in the UK. Also less than 25% of MPs are from a multicultural background so it cannot be 100% representative. Secondly backbench MP s allow the current government to be made accountable to the electorate. Backbenchers can take part in scrutinising opposition, or even their own parties, during events such as the Prime Minister’s Question Time, where, for an allocated time, the PM is asked questions concerning anything. Select committees can also be used to scrutinise. For example the head of the Public Bills committee is always headed by a member of the opposition, currently Margaret Hodge. This is to ensure that they are effective and non-corrupted. Although MPs have the power to dissolve the current government, through a vote of no confidence (last one in 1979), MPs that standalone against their party by having controversial or independent thoughts on an issue, then they are brought into line by party whips which could result in having an MP who does not represent you adequately. It shows that MPs achieve more together. Due to first past the post leading to majority governments, except for 2010 general election, it is very difficult to oppose bills, this led to something Lord Hailsham coined as ‘elective dictatorship’ meaning that when a government has a majority in the House of Commons, it can pass bills with minimal opposition for its entire term in office. This was the case for Labour in 1997 when they won a landslide majority of 418 seats in the House of Commons. Another reason why backbenchers are effective is through their use of debates, as it allows them to express their opinion and show their constituency, as well as their party where they stand on certain issues,  like the EU, for example. However there are limits to their effectiveness. Debates have to be requested, and the chances are that the current government will only pick topics that they feel comfortable discussing or ones that won’t embarrass them too much. This means that controversial issues everyone would want to know about may not be discussed, for example the Iraq war. Backbench MPs also have a lot less media coverage than high profile, frontbenchers. This allows the frontbenchers to make their views more known and make them a more of a familiar face during current issues. An example of this would be having frontbenchers on the BBC question time every Thursday. However backbenchers are still members of parliament, and because parliament is sovereign and the supreme law making authority, they are less pressured to ‘tow the party line’ and therefore can stand more for their constituencies than the party they represent. To conclude, although MPs have a lot of constraints on their power and what they can do, through scrutiny and select committees, there are still opportunities in which backbenchers can become a lot more effective. Whether this is through fully representing their electorate, to embracing new technologies an d using social media to communicate with their public.

Google, Inc. and China Essay

A big part of the â€Å"big if† is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its one-party rule over that country. Nevertheless, the CCP intends to incorporate the Internet and digital networks into its strategic economic development plans and help it to become a significant element in the network society. Then-president Jiang Zemin is quoted in Foster and Goodman (2000: xii; cited in Hassan, 2004 p. 60) as saying that ‘Internet technology is going to change the international situation, military combat, production, culture and economic aspects of our daily lives significantly. He omitted to mention ‘politics’ in his list, of course, and the CCP struggles, vainly, to control what growing numbers of Mainland Chinese read, see and hear on the Internet. In China, the popular search engine Google is classified as a media company and access is restricted. Until recently, Web- pages served by Google to users in China had to pass through filters set up by the Chinese government that eliminate information the State does not want people to see. In 2006, Google announced that it would set up a local site in China, to better serve the China market. The site would feature only â€Å"sanitized† search results that met the approval of the Chinese government. So next time you are in Beijing, try searching for Falun Gong, the social group that so upsets the ruling party, and see what, if anything you get (Meza, 2007 p. 116). Good has significantly yet unknowingly reached the borders of Chinese efforts to maintain the presence of communism and the innate government rule; however, the unbiased and direct information imposed in the search engines of Google threatens all these political efforts (Hassan, 2004 p. 61). Background Chinese users love the Google Internet search engine because it reads Chinese characters. In mid-2002 the Chinese government blocked access to Google and tried to limit access to the CNN and BIIC web site’s (Sloan 2002; cited in Hassan, 2004 p. 60). However, for Chinese users with a minimum of Internet knowledge and a willingness to defy their government, it was simply a matter of a few mouse-clicks to detour around those sites blocked and limited by the authorities and search or browse through a Google, CNN and 61 mirror-site instead. Censoring the Internet’s content, especially its political content, seems set to he a constant (and ultimately unsuccessful) rearguard action for the CCP (Hassan, 2004 p. 60-61). Google technologies could result in states being able to exert much greater influence through the Internet. Technology will advance to make censorship easier, even automated. Google has long promoted the ideal of access to information. Its mission, according to a Goggle attorney, is â€Å"to organize the world’s information and make it universally useful and accessible. † Google concluded that the company could not provide a high level of service in China without a local presence. The Chinese government may well have found a way to control this vast amount of information using a variety of filtering software. One method uses filtering technology that in effect disables features of the search engine Google by tapping into snapshots of web pages stored on Google servers—which are based outside China’ that formerly provided a common way for Chinese to view sites that were otherwise blocked (Landow, 2006 p. 324).

How Does Peer Pressure Affect Decision Making Essay

Axel Blaze (ShÃ… «ya GÃ… enji) is the ace striker and voice of reason of the team. His sister, Yuka is in a coma because of Kageyama’s interference to stop him from play against Teikoku Academy. He keeps an amulet made by his sister, and makes a promise with her to stop playing soccer, but when he sees that his passion for the game is strong, he changes that promise to become the champion of the Soccer Frontier. Later, Yuka wakes up from a coma, and he began to play soccer more freely with his teammates. Goenji joins up with the others to play against teams around the world. He becomes close friends with Endou, Fubuki, and Kido as the story progresses. Killer Shots * Fire Tornado Spins in mid-air, showing fire coming from his feet, then kicks the ball in mid-air. * Dragon Tornado: the combination of Axel’s Fire Tornado and Kevin’s Dragon Crash. * Inazuma Drop: Jump high then use the other player as a stepping stone to jump once more then kick the ball in high mid-air. This move was used to give Raimon a 1-0 win against Wild Junior High * Inazuma No.1:Both Mark and Axel kick the ball towards the goal. Was first used in the match against Brainwash Middle High. * Fire Rooster: Kicks the ball up high with Nathan then kicks the ball with Nathan in mid-air releasing six fire wings. * Inazuma No.1 Drop: The Inazuma Drop adding Mark as one of the kickers. * Final Tornado: Combination of Tri-Phoenix and Fire Tornado.This was only used against Zeus Eleven. This move is also called Tri-Phoenix X. * Bakunetsu Storm:The technique that Axel develop when Aliea Academy arc and this technique debut when Inazuma caravan vs Epsilon Remastered * Twin Boost: A move first used by Jude and Eric. Jude kicks the ball to Eric then Eric kick the ball back to Jude for the final kick. A more powerful version of the Twin Boost was used by Jude and Axel. Jude kicks the ball upward then Axel uses Fire Tornado to pass the ball to Jude for the final kick. This is sometimes called Double Boost. * Bakunetsu Screw:The technique that Axel develop during the fight with Australia’s Big Wave team. It is the evolution of the Bakunetsu Storm with a added spin to the ball. * Tiger Storm: The technique Gouenji and Toramaru created by using Tiger Drive followed up by Bakunetsu Storm. * Grandfire: This technique is used by Gouenji, Toramaru and Kiyama. This was used to topple Argentia’s The Empire impenetrable defense. * Grand Fire Ignition: The ball is kicked by Gouenji, Toramaru and Kiyama. This technique is the evolution of Grand Fire with a more intense flame on the ball.

Be True to Yourself Essay

William Shakespeare, perhaps the most extraordinary writer who ever lived, includes some magnificent philosophical truths in his work. Brilliantly constructed, his world-renowned play, Hamlet, demonstrates his excellence. When reading it, I felt privileged to read such beautifully written language, and choosing my favorite quote was difficult. In the beginning of the play, Laertes prepares to go to France. Naturally, his father Polonius gives him some special words of advice before he leaves, â€Å"[t]his above all: to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as night the day/ Thou canst not then be false to any man† (I.ii.84-86). If Laertes is honest with himself his father believes he won’t misrepresent himself to others, and he will be a true gentleman. Not only is this quote pleasurable reading, it is entirely truthful. Lying and cheating are two violations of this truth that I’ve witnessed frequently. For example, English has always been one of my weaker subjects because I’m not a very efficient reader. Even so, I study hard for my tests and often get a decent result. However, several others, whose English skills are also relatively weak, choose to cheat, there by obtaining a grade equal to or higher than my own. I could easily do this as well—leaving more time to sleep and devote to soccer—but not while being true to myself. After studying intently for a test and getting the result I deserve, I’m completely satisfied, with the grade and myself. This is what’s important according to Shakespeare: to be able to look into the mirror and be proud of the face looking back.

Chaucer And The Canterbury Tales English Literature Essay

Chaucer And The Canterbury Tales English Literature Essay In reading Geoffrey Chaucer’s most dramatic gallery of portraits in The General Prologue of his most renowned work, The Canterbury Tales, one understands why he is deemed the Father of the English Literary Canon. Chaucer, unlike no one of his time, set out to tell fresh and amusing tales simply to entertain fourteenth century England. The Canterbury Tales tells the tale of twenty-nine pilgrims who meet by chance at the Tabard Inn in Southwark right outside of London. These diverse, yet colorful pilgrims are on their way to visit the shrine of the martyr St. Thomas Becket at the Canterbury cathedral. At the urging of the innkeeper, then turned host they each agree to tell two tales each, one going to Canterbury and one returning. The Canterbury Tales is arranged like a framework, and are meant to the reveal the life of fourteenth century England through the embellished, but classic characters as well as glimpse into Chaucer’s own personal history. Chaucer was born in 13 40 a son of a wealthy London merchant. Like most well to do young boys, he became a page in a noble household. In Chaucer’s case, he became page to the Countess of Ulster, daughter-in-law of King Edward III. This is where Chaucer would have been educated in the values of the aristocratic culture of the time, including its literary tastes which were probably based on French models. While participating in the king’s military expedition against the French, he was captured and ransomed by the king. He became a squire in the king’s household, which required him to take diplomatic voyages abroad. These journeys brought him to Italy. Italy would have a strong influence on his later literary work as he was strongly influenced by Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio. He became Controller of the Customs of Hides, Skins and Wools in the port of London, which meant that he was a government official who worked with cloth importers. Chaucer’s experience overseeing imported c loths might be why he could describe his characters so precisely and vividly. After his return to London, he held numerous positions in government, including being a member of Parliament. So, we can see through looking at Chaucer’s history that he gained inspiration for his characters in The Canterbury Tales through his life and work experiences. Chaucer’s intense realism of his characters was virtually unknown to readers in the fourteenth century. He was able to bring people from many walks of life together in the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales. The pilgrims represent a diverse cross section of fourteenth century English society, a portrait of the nation as a whole. Medieval social theory divided society into three broad classes, called â€Å"estates.† There was the military estate who ruled the clergy, who prayed, and the laity estate who worked. Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is an estate satire, which means that it was a critical commentary on the members of each estate. The Knight and Squire represent the military estate. The clergy estate is represented by the Prioress, her Secretary Nun, Priest, the Monk, the Friar, and the Parson. The other characters, such as the Merchant and Skipper are members of the laity. Chaucer’s descriptions of the various characters and their social roles reveal the influence of the medieval genre of estates satire.

International Business - Final Analysis and Conclusion Essay

International Business - Final Analysis and Conclusion - Essay Example Seeking international expansion by moving into global market as an exporter- importer offers various opportunity aplenty. Through entering the global scene, Six Flags Entertainment Corp learn how to compete better domestically through adoption of workable foreign strategies. Likewise, they might compete effectively against international companies-and easily take the battle to these foreign companies on their own arena. The domestic and foreign potential impact of Six Flags Entertainment Corp in Singapore puts into question the overriding question to go global and the need to improve their potential for growth and expansion. This is in light with the potential challenges such as personnel and conflicting cultural setup to the traditional domestic market. Potentially selection and evaluation methods of distributing might impact on product abroad. Thus Six Flags Entertainment Corp can choose from various means for distributing product that have succeed in traditional market, from creating foreign subsidiaries that are company-owned to working with both domestic and foreign agents, distributors and representatives. All these might assist the company to reduce the risks associated with foreign

Philosophy of teaching paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy of teaching paper - Assignment Example Thus, firstly I found necessary to provide students with the most basic knowledge, which later they may need to explore a professional field by themselves. I make students learn and understand a wide range of notions, theories and strategies which are commonly considered as classical and also are most commonly implied in professional practice. Despite that it’s a very traditional methodic of teaching, I’m not trying to impose a traditional way of thinking during my lectures. Oppositely, I constantly reveal the strong and the weak sides of every classical concept I’m talking about, and in this way with my own example, I impose the tradition of a critical thinking among student. I encourage questions during lectures and group discussions during seminars, appreciating a new development above a traditional point of view. What defines this new development is a unique impact each student can make on a professional field. Every human being has a unique circle of interests, unique experience and unique environment which make him/ her think the way he/ she thinks. Thus secondly, despite a common lecture material and group dissuasions I provide during my lessons, I encourage students on individual exploration of every topic. There is never a strict limitation on homework assignments and/ or topic limitations on individual projects, and I appreciate the most creative and unexpected cross-topics and/ or cross-field connections students are able to make within the assignment. The only criteria I expect is a practical involving, because â€Å"scientific breakthroughs also come from trying to solve a practical problem† (Shuell). Thus, I encourage students to make connections between a topic and their day-to-day life experiences and â€Å"take advantages of all resources available in the environmentâ₠¬  (Shuell). Yet the more individual and more surprising a point of view is,

Solar energy project at Philippines Research Paper

Solar energy project at Philippines - Research Paper Example Now I will discuss the Role of Stakeholders, project manager in relation to Project Governance in the project of BP solar energy. The project manager has the responsibility for the management of the project needs to have a well-defined process (Kenneth, 1998). In this project, the project manager has to streamline the main resources and financial aid to plan for the successful completion of this project. BP solar energy company has to make use of the local workforce and regional resources for this project to support them and this will also take less investment for the project. The government and Ministry of Finance of Philippines have to originate and establish such parameters to renovate this project development and also contact to international donors for their better support for the project. Local communities have to produce the innovation in the public and raise funds to support this project for its successful completion. The analysis I have conducted for this project has provided us a roadmap for the better project handling and management. I have identified two main stakeholders of this project, by this information we have to get the clear picture of people and instaurations those are attached, affected, influenced and take advantage for this project. This is basically a public welfare project to provide the electricity to people who do not have this facility in far from the area of Philippines. In this analysis, I have found that general public is the biggest beneficiary of this project.

Marketing Plan 750 1000 words Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Plan 750 1000 words - Essay Example The business, therefore, takes the advantage of the opportunities in the online business environment to create a product that will meet demands and expectations of the customers. By definition, a digital wallet is an application or software where users can store their crucial information thus it serves as the electronic version of the traditional physical wallet (Sneider, 2014). The product has the potential of storing up to fine details of the users, and they come available for use upon signing up to the website. In this case, developing the product will involve creating a website where users can login and secure their wallets identifiably through their usernames. The product will depend on internet connectivity and offers the users more chance to store more information than the physical wallets. The target market are the learners whose studying mode have changed to e-learning where managing their portfolio is also crucial for their success. Therefore, the product primary aims at providing students with a quick method of keeping their learning documents while at the same time maintaining privacy and security of the stored information. The product is on the introduction phase of the product cycle because digital wallet is a new business model yet to be fully accepted by users worldwide. The stage of the product implies there will be more intensive advertisement as well as promotional activities to create more awareness. Therefore, prices will be initially a bit high to cater for the expenditure on promotional activities but later reduced to make it affordable to the customers. There are myriad of opportunities for developing new products. For instance, the business can refocus on offering financial digital wallets to help people manage their finances. On the other hand, there is the opportunity to venture into a more affordable e-banking services as it has been success with pioneers in the industry like PayPal, Skrill, and Payoneer though the

Strategic Management Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management Language - Essay Example Under the influence of this principle, individuals in the business community increasingly decided to use some of their corporate power and wealth for the social good. These voluntary community obligations to improve, beautify, and uplift were quite evident by many business leaders. One early example was the cooperative effort between the railroads and the YMCA immediately after the Civil War to provide community services in areas served by the railroads. Although these services economically benefited the railroads, they were at the same time philanthropic (Shalhoud, 1999). In another example, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie put much of his great wealth to work for education. Henry Ford adopted a paternalistic style of management and made recreational and health programs available to Ford employees. The company town was one of the most visible examples of paternalism. Although business's motives for creating company towns (for example, the Pullman/Illinois experiment) were mixed, busine ss had to do a considerable amount of work in governing them (Shalhoud, 1999). Thus, the company accepted a form of paternalistic social responsibility. ... Because corporations control vast resources, because they are powerful, and because this power and wealth come from their operations within society, they have an obligation to serve society's needs. In this way, corporations and their leaders and managers become stewards, or trustees for society which forms an image of trust about the organisation among the society member. Under the influence of this principle, Congress, the popular press, and other factions started to attack many large and powerful organisations whose attitudes they perceived to be both anticompetitive and antisocial. Antitrust laws and other legislation began to place constraints on the actions of organisations. In general, there was a shift in the public perception of a corporation's place within and obligation to society. CSR & Strategic thinking To understand better why some organisations fall ethically, we can explore organisational attitudes toward stakeholders in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the relationship between the CSR and a firm's strategic management can be found from various definitions of CSR. For many organisations, commitment to CSR is shown in references to stakeholders and "triple bottom line" thinking (i.e., financial, environmental, and social responsibility bottom lines). One useful definition of CSR is that it requires "the continuing commitment by business to behaving ethically and contributing to economic development while improving the quality of life of the work force and their families as well as of the community and society at large" (Anderson, 1989). The economy could only be improved in the long run and so strategic thinking is critical. Criticism of business

Nullity of a Company in English Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nullity of a Company in English Law - Case Study Example The essay will then discuss whether such concept is used in English Law as illustrated through cases. Lastly, the essay will then assess, based on the use or lack of usage of the concept of nullity on English Law whether there is a need for such concept. Nullity is a concept that renders an entity, in this case a company, insignificant and non-existent, such that any act made by or in behalf of that company will be rendered invalid as well. This declaration, as recognised by the First Council Directive 68/151/EEC ('First Directive'), is imperative to protect the company in question and their shareholders, as well as third parties that transact with them because of the possible retroactive effect it will have on these parties' actions. Hence, as called for by the First Directive, countries must limit the cases of nullity to decisions by a court of law, and on the grounds that (a) that no instrument of constitution was executed or that the rules of preventive control or the requisite legal formalities were not complied with; (b) that the objects of the company are unlawful or contrary to public policy; (c) that the instrument of constitution or the statutes do not state the name of the... al to be paid up; (e) the incapacity of all the founder members; (f) that, contrary to the national law governing the company, the number of founder members is less than two.1 In this sense, the concept of nullity of a company, as proposed by the First Directive, has a two-fold objective: it is meant to protect companies from trivial and unlawful declarations of nullity, which can be to the detriment of its operations by limiting the grounds for declaring it; and it is meant to protect a company's creditors, as well as the public, by preventing transactions for unlawful and fraudulent acts of unregistered or unlawfully registered companies. Thus, the effect of such declaration is a crucial aspect of company law because companies, as an artificial legal entity, have legal rights and obligations, which will be rendered null and void upon declaration of nullity. The status of companies as a legal entity is embodied in the company's corporate personality, which as stated in Salomon v. Salomon & Co (1897), a company in compliance with regulations of the Companies Acts are distinct legal entities, capable of incurring debts, limiting the liability of its members to the amount invested as prescribed by the companies Act.2 Thus, by virtue of its corporate personality, a company's shareholders and members, as a consequence, have limited liabilities. In addition, a company's corporate personality also accords to it the capacity to enter into legal contractual relations with other persons.3 However, while companies have limited liabilities to its shareholders, its shareholders are also limited in their ownership, such that they do not have ownership of the company's assets, as well.4 In this regard, it is important to note that not all companies have limited liability. As

Current Perceptions of the Role of the Dental Hygienist Within the Essay

Current Perceptions of the Role of the Dental Hygienist Within the Medical Team - Essay Example Barriers encountered by dental hygienists often involve the failure of coordination and cooperation. It involves failure of communication. Skills which help resolve these communication barriers need to be applied and improved by the dental hygienist in order to ensure that these problems do not worsen and the gaps in medical care would be filled. These skills include: speaking, listening, persuading, and leadership. With these skills, the role of the dental hygienist can be secured in the medical team. Table of Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................... 4 Methods........................................................................................................................... 4 Results.............................................................................................................................. 5 Role of the dental hygienist.......................................... ........................................ 5 Barriers to effective communication..................................................................... 11 Skills to improve communication......................................................................... 13 Discussion......................................................................................................................... ... They all perform important functions in the care of the patient and in the delivery of medical services. The dental hygienist is not strictly a part of the conventional medical team, however, in the current settings, their functions have been increasing. Other members of the medical team view the roles of dental hygienists within the team as essential in the recovery and delivery of medical services. The purpose of this study is to determine how members of the medical health team view the role of the dental hygienist within their professional setting. It will focus on diabetes, stroke and heart specialists and their perception and utilisation of the hygienist during patient care. It will investigate what barriers dental hygienists face in becoming active participants within this broader health team; and the skills needed that could further improve communication between the dental hygienist and the health team. Method This paper will gather materials from various literatures on the cu rrent topic. Initial data gathering shall involve a library search of materials in relation to dental hygienists and the health care team. This library search shall involve the manual search of books, journal, magazines, and news articles. Relevant materials shall be set aside for further evaluation. An internet search shall also be conducted using the search terms: dental hygienists/medical team; dental hygienists/diabetes; dental hygienists/stroke; and similar combinations. Relevant articles and journals found through this search shall also be set aside for further evaluation. Materials which are found through these library and internet searches shall be evaluated based on their relevance and current contributions to the subject matter. The

Economics P3 Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics P3 Assignment - Essay Example Short-Term Interest Rates In most cases, the Federal Reserve use either contractionary or expansionary money policy to influence the short-term interest rates of fund. In a contractionary period, there is a higher level of short-term interest rate as shown in the figure below this means that the banks will avoid borrowing money from the Federal Reserve banks as they keep their reserves at the authorized level. As a result, the banking institutions will change a higher rate as it lends less money out, because they are borrowing money at a higher rate thus, loans become expensive, and the economy slows down. In addition, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) issue trading on the open market operations as it promises higher returns on interest rates reduces the quantity of money supply (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2012). When the Fed uses the expansionary monetary policy, the interest rates fall leading to cheaper interests rates and banks consequently borrow mo re funds from the Federal Reserve banks to maintain their reserve requirement rate. At this point, the open market operations that were bought earlier from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are sold at a higher interest rate leading to increase in money supply in the economy. (Mankiw, 2012) Foreign Exchange Rates Just like, local exchange rates that are affected by the monetary policy tools, the foreign exchange rates are also affected. As a result, conventional monetary policy that are implemented by the Federal reserve has a greater influence on the exchange rate as foreign exchange interventions take place to control the economy's demand and supply of money (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2012). As a result, contractionary monetary policy implementation by the Federal Reserve creates shocks in the economy, as it allows the foreign exchange rate to appreciate for a shorter period and thereafter, the exchange rate depreciates with time to its original leve l. Long-Term Interest Rates More than often, the Federal Reserve decision to use the tools of monetary policy affects long-term interest rates in the economy. Depending on Fed uses, contractionary and expansionary monetary policies the effects will be realized in the long-term interest rate (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2012). With an increase in the discount rate, reserve requirement and open market operations, the long-term interest rates will increase over time. This is because, banking institutions will have less funds as compared their reserve requirement to lend out to its customers with the ever-increasing long-term interest rate. However, expansionary monetary rate increases the money supply as the interest rate reduces and increased credit is widely available leading to lower long-term interest rate. As a result, the demand for money increases leading to more investments. The Amount of Money and Credit in the System In most instances, the Federal Reserv e uses the tools of monetary policy to influence the availability and cost of money and credit in its economy. As a way of tightening money supply and credit availability, the Federal Open Market Committee FOMC directs the New York stock exchange to sell government securities (Mankiw, 2012). As a result, it collects funds from the public and collect payments through the banks by reducing their reserve account in the main Federal Reserve Bank. In the end, banks have less money to lend to its customer

Media Violence and Children Essay Example for Free

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