Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq

Abstract The essay covers the role of prejudice in wars in Iraq. It defines prejudice and explains its role and effects. Other forms or factors of prejudice such as racism and discrimination are explained. The main causes of prejudice are explained and how they can be used to resolve and be used for the benefit of fighting discrimination and stereotyping. Ways in which citizens can assist to promote peace and helping the eradication of prejudice are suggested.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq Prejudice is negative attitude and feelings towards a certain group, which include discrimination of people due to their race, actions, beliefs and/or feelings. Prejudice is commonly used with discrimination and stereotyping since they have the same meaning, and go hand in hand. Prejudice in psychology is the science that affects the social mind. They are used to disintegrate people instead of bringing them together as one. It breaks relationships which may exists between individuals or groups even if the relationship is negative like in the cases of military patriotism (Plous, 2003). War has been commonly used to dehumanize groups of people with the intention of killing or casualties. The Iraq war is the most popular in describing prejudice. The U.S invaded Iraq because it is claimed that Muslims from Iraq, who are popularly known to carry out terrorism (jihad) bombed the Twin Towers on the 911 incident. The terrorists retaliated by bombing U.S, thus the cycle of war continues. This creates a gap between the two as the Muslims see themselves different from us and we also see ourselves different from them, thus creating a gap between the humans. Prejudice has played many roles, the main one being loss of human life, which is generated via war. Those participating in these wars are encouraged by bei ng honored and valued, this being the reason as to why war and prejudice never end. Many lie about what war is and its’ consequences by sugar coating it and in some instances, lie of their involvement. Those responsible end up being awarded medals or excuses are given, which leave them free without trial or punishment. It clearly portrays racism, sexism, heterosexism and exploitation of indigenous people, animals and the environment at large as some of the major effects that bring about human conflict and enmity. Racism has led to increased prejudice, which is the main cause of ethnic conflicts and wars in the Middle East and Africa whereas in other states, it has led to debates and controversies on race, racism, nationalism and multiculturalism. Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A good example is the genocides which took place in the 1990’s with Rwanda (Africa) b eing the worst affected leaving millions wounded, homeless and many dead. Other genocides have occurred in Bosnia and Kosovo. These events have led to researches on the issues of prejudice and racism. Theories have emerged especially on psychological theories which adversely contribute to our knowledge on this disturbing social issue, and offer assistance on how the acquired knowledge maybe put into practice in understanding and resolving intergroup oppression and conflicts. Social researches have been brought forward arguing that prejudice and racism manifest themselves at different levels which include institutional, individual’s, intergroup or even interpersonal (Plous, 2003). To understand prejudice in relation to psychology, it may be related to discrimination or one having negative attitudes towards someone else basically because he or she belongs to a certain group. With Iraq, U.S discriminated it since it belonged to the Al Qaeda group, which was a terrorist group an d was attacking it and killing many innocent Americans. In the U.S – Iraq war, American soldiers were seen on the media and internet laughing and torturing Iraqi prisoners, while another terrorist group, still in Iraq, showed the video of an Iraqi slaughtering an American civilian. Others had photos showing an Iraq mob killing four American military then hanging them on March 31st. These murders and tortures clearly show a sign of hatred, enmity and inhumanity among the humans. If mobs and groups of terrorists can carry out the same, one is left to wonder what effect or impact trained military personnel could have like that of the U.S especially on their mortal enemy. This becomes really hard for the human activists such as the Red Cross, United Nations and Africa Union to promote peace and eliminate prejudice. Reason for this is that many leaders such as the religious, military and political leaders tolerate this kind of behaviors without bring the culprits into justice. The U.S being the leading in music and film making exercise prejudice by discriminating the Muslim race, in that, they feed civilians with discrimination information in form of movies and music. We expect the military to behave in an extra ordinary manner forgetting that they are also humans who are subject to hatred and discrimination waves against the Iraqis and the Muslim in general as the public is. Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some military leaders have made anti- Muslim speeches to the public and on live broadcasts while in uniform and no form of confrontation or warning was done. He went ahead and authorized for both sexual and physical abuse of the Iraqi prisoners. Prejudice is mainly promoted by hate speeches from popular leaders, government actions and the media (Clow and Esses, 2007). The three lead to the widespread of preju dice across the world which results into wars and conflicts between countries, groups or even individuals. Government actions such as interrogations, police detention without trials, profiling at subways and airports, police raids among others are some of the effects causing mainly the Muslims and black\brown colored people feeling insecure and discriminated as they are the main suspects in crimes and terrorist actions. The media behaves irresponsible through talks, shows as well as news as the government can control any information that would expose it to the public but any other act related to a black colored or Muslim related story is very quick to publish and expose it. In the previous years Fight against prejudice took another turn when groups and factions forbid any public expression that would lead or encourage prejudice and discrimination of whatsoever manner. For example, some editorialists accompanied by protestors confronted the president of Rutgers University asking h im to step down for discriminating the blacks and calling them â€Å"the disadvantaged and without genetic, hereditary background†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Others like Ralph Reed called for a press conference to urge people to denounce the habit of name calling especially with regards to race and color. Citizens can assist in promoting peace and fight against prejudice in many ways, although eliminating prejudice totally will not be possible since everyone has their own motives and as long as freedom for expression remains, hate speeches and other kinds of prejudice will prevail. Advertising Looking for term paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, some people believe and will express it out publicly that homosexuality is a disease and disgrace to the society, which is a form of discrimination. This is a form of promoting peace and fighting prejudice as the school policies do not tolerate such speeches (Brochu, and Esses, 2009). An effective way of promoting peace is via the media. Using the internet, radio, television, computers and printing can be very effective to make humans understand the need and importance of peace. Media if not controlled and well monitored may lead to war as was the case with the Iraq war in 1993. This is due to the civilians being misinformed due to the unverified information and misrepresentation of statements. Some withhold or release de-sensationalizing information which does not promote peace especially in times of war or near war, thus, steering up war and conflicts. Education in schools mainly junior, high school and colleges should be used to teach students about peace since they interact mostly with others from different backgrounds and of different races. Dialogue should be used and allowed as everyone has a right to express themselves as long as it does not promote prejudice in any way. The government and leaders should strictly forbid and contain prejudice by laying out strict and just policies, rules and repercussions and making them known to all (Esses., et al, 2008). Symposiums and conferences should be encouraged and all races should be encouraged and everyone’s view should be addressed equally without favoring anyone and discriminating the others. Respect for others’ religion should be addressed and adhered to promptly. Another thing to note is that revenge always accelerates war rather than peace. Dr King advocated for peace and called it â€Å"not the absence of violence, but the presence of justice,† (Zucchino, 2004). On elections day, we should strive to elect leaders who know the meaning of peace and are willing to go a n extra mile to achieve it and ensure that justice is served to those who seek it. Others may perceive peace inform of justice as those who do wrong by encouraging war or murder to be taken for trial and prosecuted. Also to understand the roots of evil like war, terrorism, murder and any other form of inhuman act (Berreby, 2005). The law should be closely followed as it calls on us to follow the procedures laid in order to protect innocent lives, apprehend calmly rather than to use force and destroy property and lives. Citizens can decide to reject the U.S strategies used by the government and advocate for those that respond to terrorism in a positive and polite way by using the necessary resources to prosecute international criminals. During debates the root causes of prejudice and any other source of conflicts that is likely to stir up war or hatred should be addressed and not only the symptoms and effects. Together as one, we should recognize and appreciate the other parties ar e taking. This way United States is able to respond effectively and receive assistance from the international body if we are able to identify our role in promoting peace and fighting terrorism. Challenge the elected leaders to dialogue with Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders in order to formulate solutions and work together to encourage peace and spread it globally. Ask leaders to change from engaging in wars through bombing Iraq to aiding the starving Muslims who majority are homeless and dying. Increasing the amount of multilateral organizations which are not based on the fact that one is with us or against us, but those that serve all equally without discrimination. Finally, activists and unions can foster the understanding of various cultures and advocate for reconciliation and peace among the inter cultural community (Reynolds, 2005). In conclusion, prejudice and discrimination cannot be completely eradicated but can be controlled or used to the advantage of promoting peace and rec onciliation among the human race. The main perpetrators of prejudice are the government actions which can decide whether or not the war will stop or will continue. Media which has the most effect as can be manipulated to steer up war by the government or other popular individuals and hate speeches on live broadcast by prominent leaders such as the military, religious and political leaders. Peace is inevitable since if war erupts only innocent lives are sacrificed and many become displaced but by promoting peace, love and unity irrespective of color or background, a lot can be achieved with the use of those resources being diverted elsewhere like in invention or assisting catastrophic hit areas or even venturing to the out a space. These actions will not be effective in a year or two or even five years time but will be a gradual process which the following generations will benefit from and the world will be a conducive environment to live in without fear. References Berreby, D. (2 005). Us and Them: Understanding your Tribal Mind. New York: Little Brown and Company Brochu, P. Esses, V. (2009). Weight prejudice and medical policy: Support for an ambiguously discriminatory policy is influenced by prejudice-coloured glasses. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 9, 117-133. Clow, K. Esses, V. (2007). Expectancy effects in social stereotyping: Automatic and controlled processing in the Neely paradigm. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 39, 161-173. Esses, V. Veenvliet, S., Hodson, G., Mihic, L. (2008). Justice, morality, and the dehumanization of refugees. Social Justice Research, 21, 4-25. Plous, S. (2003). Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination. New York: McGraw-Hill. Reynolds, N. (2005). Basrah, Baghdad, and Beyond: U.S. Marine Corps in the Second Iraq War. Naval Institute Press, Maryland. Zucchino, D. (2004). Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. This term paper on Role of prejudice in wars in Iraq was written and submitted by user Jonathan Johnson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Indus Jute Mills Ltd Essays

Indus Jute Mills Ltd Essays Indus Jute Mills Ltd Essay Indus Jute Mills Ltd Essay Indus Jute Mills Ltd. (IJM) was established in 1968. It is a jute goods manufacturing company, and imports raw jute from Bangladesh and converts it into Jute bags, Hessian cloth, Twine and Yarn for packing and storing wheat, rice, cotton and other agricultural products. IJMs factory is located in the province of Sindh, 40 kms northeast from the city of Karachi, where its head office is located. Pakistans Jute Industry comprises of 11 Mills, of which only 5 have started exporting jute goods directly to Iran in 1999. IJM as been exporting indirectly (grain sacks) to Iran, and has now decided to export Hessian cloth directly. Iran uses this to waterproof the roofs of houses and buildings during construction, as Iran has ample rainfall and snow. IJM has decided to export for a number of reasons. It will be able to operate at full capacity is it does so, and increased sales will help balance out its high raw material and inventory costs. Exporting to Iran is a good decision as not only is Iran next-door to Pakistan geographically, but is also is a huge market for Hessian cloth, importing about 57,000 tonnes a year from Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani Mills. Its climate ensures that Iran will always demand material for waterproofing. Iran prefers Hessian to synthetic cloth, as it is environmental friendly. Iran also has a young population, and one that grows at an extremely high rate. It also has a high GDP growth rate, depicting an expanding economy. All this means that Iranians will be demanding housing on a large-scale, thus leading to the indirect demand for Hessian cloth. IJM will have a competitive edge over both Bangladeshi and Indian jute exporters, as well as other Pakistani mills. It plans to enter the market offering superior quality Hessian at a price that is slightly lower than the international market price. It is also located very near Karachi Port (only 40 kms), which means goods can be delivered to Iran faster and cheaper. It also can use land routes to deliver its goods, providing it with a further advantage. IJM plans to begin exporting to Iran by March 2004, and gain a significant share of the market within the next two years. It also plans to begin exporting Hessian to other countries in Asia and the Middle East within the next five years. It plans to achieve a growth in sales of 10% per annum. To achieve the above objectives, IJM is planning to promote its Hessian by taking part in the International Trade Fair in Tehran, Iran in January 2004. A sales executive will be hired especially to oversee exports, and make appropriate contact with a local Agent in Iran. Advertisements will also be placed in the Iranian Weekly and Yearly Industry Bulletins. Indus Jute Mills Limited (IJM) is a public limited company incorporated under the Companies Act in 1968, and is also listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange. It is a jute goods manufacturing company, and imports raw jute from Bangladesh and converts it into Jute bags, Hessian cloth, Twine and Yarn for packing and storing wheat, rice, cotton and other agricultural products. Jute goods are not only environment friendly, but also non-toxic, reusable and a 100% biodegradable. Jute packaging ensures safety in handling, transportation, and long-term storage of grain. IJMs factory is located in the province of Sindh in the Dhabeji District of Thatta, 40 kms northeast from the city of Karachi, where its head office is located. It presently employees 1800 people, including both the factory workers and the management staff. At present, Pakistans jute industry consists of 11 mills that supply jute bags and Hessian cloth to the Pakistani government and also cater to the private sector. These are Crescent Jute Products Ltd., Thal Jute Mills Ltd., Indus Jute Mills Ltd., Sargodha Jute Mills Ltd., Sohail Jute Mills Ltd., Habib Jute Mills Ltd., United Jute Mills Ltd., Pioneer Jute Mills Ltd., Madina Jute Mills Ltd., Amin Fabrics Ltd. and White Pearl Jute Mills Ltd. Of these, Crescent, Thal, Sargodha, Habib and Amin Jute Mills Ltd. started exporting Jute products directly to Iran in 1999, and are currently doing so. IJM has now decided to enter the international market due to a number of reasons. Firstly, it is not currently operating at full capacity, and if it enters the international market, it will be able to do so. An increase in sales will provide the company with increased finances for operational purposes. IJM requires a great deal of liquid finance as it imports raw jute from Bangladesh and needs to import and store four months stock in advance, as ships take a considerable amount of time to reach Karachi Port from Bangladesh. Thus, both the cost of raw material and raw material inventory costs need to be met. Also, IJM produces 70% of Pakistans sacking bags for packing wheat. Wheat is harvested in March and is packed until the end of June every year. In order to cater for this large demand, IJM produces a certain amount of jute sacks every month all year round and stores them until they are needed in March. Thus, the inventory costs for finished goods are also high. At present, IJMs Hessian cloth accounts for 20% of its total product mix. IJM feels that increasing the production of Hessian cloth to 40% can reduce the high inventory cost for sacking. Of this, 20% could be used to meet local demand, and the remaining 20% could be exported. This will generate greater sales revenue as Hessian cloth is priced at Rs. 40,000 per tonne as compared to sacking, which yields only Rs. 28,000 Rs 30,000 per tonne. IJM was also previously producing Hessian sacks and supplying them to local rice producers for packing rice for export. This means for indirect export was reduced when rice producers began to switch to the cheaper polypropylene. IJM thus has surplus Hessian cloth, and the most logical step would be to export this to Iran, as it is a huge market for Hessian cloth, importing about 57,000 tonnes a year (2001) altogether from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Hessian cloth is coated with tar on both sides and then spread on the roofs of houses and buildings during construction. This ensures that the construction sites stay waterproof, as Iran is a county with ample rainfall, snowfall and hail. In addition, Iran is in close proximity to Pakistan and shares a common border with it. Thus, it is possible to easily transport goods by both land and sea routes. As a result, distribution costs will be lower and delivery time will be shorter, giving IJM a competitive edge over Bangladesh and India. The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI or Jomhuriy-e Islamiy-e Iran) is a vast country, comprising a total land area of more than 1.6 million square kilometres. It is bordered by the following: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan from the North, Afghanistan and Pakistan from the East, Turkey and Iraq from the West, and the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea from the South. The climatic variation is great. The maximum temperature is more than 53 C in the Golf region and down to 40 C in the Northwest. Annual precipitation varies from 2400 mm per annum in the Caspian Region to no rain for successive years in central sand dune areas. This climate with ample snow and rainfall ensures that there will be a constant demand for material needed to waterproof buildings during construction. The public census is conducted in Iran every five to ten years and the latest one was carried out in 1996. The Central Bank of Iran predicted Irans population to be 64.9 million by March 21, 2002 of which 41.9 million reside in cities and 29 million in villages. Thus, since most of the population resides in cities, the construction industry is large and will continue to grow. The following diagram shows the rapid growth rate of Irans population. In a span of 6 years, from 1996-2002, Irans population experienced a 7.5% growth rate. This makes Iran an ideal place for IJM to export Hessian to, as a growing population means a greater need for housing, which means an increase in local construction, and an increased demand for Hessian cloth. This pyramid shows the division of the Iranian population by both age and gender. It is interesting to note that the majority of Irans population is young, and lies within the 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19 age brackets. This means that there will be a great demand for housing within the next few years, and indirectly, a need for Hessian Cloth. Iranians enjoy a decent standard of living as compared with Pakistanis. The per capita income is about 8,953,000 Rials / US$ 1119 (March 2002-March 2003), whereas Pakistans is about US$ 450. The average GDP growth rate is 6.5 percent (Mar. 2002-Mar. 2003), depicting an expanding economy. Gross National Savings / GNP is 22.1 percent (1998), showing that savings that can be diverted towards construction. According to the existing statistics, while the countrys population has increased by about 70% from 1979 to present day, the number of university students has risen by more than 1000% over this period! An educated population will lead to a larger and more skilled workforce with higher income levels in the future. This would have a favorable impact on the demand for housing, and indirectly for Hessian. Iran has been plagued by an extremely high inflation rate over the last decade (15.7% in Mar. 2002 Mar. 2003). However, this is gradually decreasing, allowing Iranians to increase their levels of savings and standard of living.

The Indispensable Interjection Oh

The Indispensable Interjection Oh The Indispensable Interjection â€Å"Oh† The Indispensable Interjection â€Å"Oh† By Mark Nichol An interjection is one or more words uttered or written as an exclamation or an expression of emotion. I already provided a lifetime supply of them in a previous post, but here are some additional notes about one of the most ubiquitous of them all: oh. Whether this all-purpose exclamation is followed by a comma or not depends on its purpose. â€Å"Oh, my† and the like are expressions of any one of a variety of emotions or comprehensions, including pain or repulsion, or surprise or wonder. Oh is also a placeholder that signals dismissiveness (â€Å"Oh, don’t mind me†) or indicates an approximation (â€Å"He was, oh, about this tall†). Say is employed in a similar usage (â€Å"What if I were to offer you, say, twice as much?†). Its poetic equivalent, known as the vocative O a stylized form of direct address meant to evoke a classical lyricism, is rarely followed by a comma: â€Å"O Lord!† is the utterance of someone asking for attention from a deity; â€Å"Oh, Lord† might be a more mundane request for consideration from a nobleman, though it often serves simply as an oath or a variant of â€Å"Oh, my.† Some usage guides omit the comma when oh is used for the latter constructions, but the punctuation is a pertinent marker for a slight pause in this case and for similar utterances like â€Å"Oh, right† or â€Å"Oh, crap.† Likewise, a comma separates oh from a lengthier phrase: â€Å"Oh, where did I put it?† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsHang, Hung, Hanged30 Words Invented by Shakespeare

Minimum Wage in WA Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minimum Wage in WA - Coursework Example The Supreme Court in the U.S. ruled out various attempts brought forth by labor unions in the view of establishing a minimum wage that would be mandatory for all employers. The court insisted that such a move would restrict the right of the worker to create a price value for his or her own labor. As a result, the workers continued to face exploitation from their employees throughout the 1930s when the Great Depression was at its peak. The employee wages dropped lower during the same period in response to the increased demand for jobs (Rayback, 2008). Due to the increase in national poverty, President Roosevelt vowed to offer protection to the workers through the constitution during his 1936 campaigns (Rayback, 2008). The president kept his promise when he went into office by assenting to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and signing it into law in 1938. The minimum wage had been instituted by the congress in 1938 as a component of the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA) with the minimum wage set at 25 cents for every hour. The last change in the national minimum wage occurred in 2007, where it was increased in steps by the congress from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour in 2009. However, different states, including Washington, have established their own local systems of minimum wage, which is higher than the rate established by the federal government. Case in point, Washington offers the highest rate of the minimum wage at $9.47 per hour. The table below shows the changes in the Washington State minimum wage since 1961 (Washington Sate Dep artment of Labor and Industries, 2015). In terms of inflation based buying power, there have been considerable variations in the minimum wage for the last over sixty years. In 2013, it averaged at $6.60 per hour in terms of purchasing power in dollars (Sherk, 2013). Nevertheless, it had ranged between $3.09 per hour as exhibited in

Effectiveness of Counterinsurgency Efforts Employed Against FARC, ELN, Research Paper

Effectiveness of Counterinsurgency Efforts Employed Against FARC, ELN, and AUC. Colombian and Peruvian Guerilla Groups - Research Paper Example For the purpose of this analysis, the research has been conducted from a range of qualitative secondary sources which have helped to shed light on the extent to which the governments of Peru and Colombia have successfully prosecuted their respective counterinsurgency wars. Secondly, the research question centers on the overall effectiveness of how these counterinsurgency struggles have been organized, implemented, and the end result of the aforementioned practices. Success is therefore easily determined based upon answering the question regarding whether the counterinsurgency efforts have been effective in either A) encouraging the insurgents to lay down their weapons and join the political process B) have resulted in a complete and total defeat of the insurgency or C) have had little effect and the insurgency is ongoing unabated. As such the research question can be answered by examining the current tactical and/or political situation posed by each of the insurgent groups that will be discussed in this paper.The case of ELN is unique for a number of reasons. First, the ELN is one of the few guerilla movements that was fought and defeated during the tumultuous battles that were ongoing within the continent between supporters of left and right at the time. Second, the ELN was unique in that it chose to work outside the framework of politics; choosing instead to espouse the Cuban revolutionaries beliefs that â€Å"first comes action – then the party†. ... Secondly, the research question centers on the overall effectiveness of how these counterinsurgency struggles have been organized, implemented, and the end result of the aforementioned practices. Success is therefore easily determined based upon answering the question regarding whether the counterinsurgency efforts have been effective in either A) encouraging the insurgents to lay down their weapons and join the political process B) have resulted in a complete and total defeat of the insurgency or C) have had little effect and the insurgency is ongoing unabated. As such the research question can be answered by examining the current tactical and/or political situation posed by each of the insurgent groups that will be discussed in this paper. ELN - Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional The case of ELN is unique for a number of reasons. First, the ELN is one of the few guerilla movements that was fought and defeated during the tumultuous battles that were ongoing within the continent between supporters of left and right at the time. Second, the ELN was unique in that it chose to work outside the framework of politics; choosing instead to espouse the Cuban revolutionaries beliefs that â€Å"first comes action – then the party†. In this way, ELN relinquished any and all claims to legitimacy it might have claimed with respect to the political process. Further, by distancing themselves from politics in such a manner, they effectively cut themselves off from all support and aid they might have received within their own country; instead, they were forced to rely on resupply and technical/tactical support from fellow communist sympathizers (usually from nations such as

Dick Spencer Case Essay Example for Free

Dick Spencer Case Essay Spencer was a plant manager of Modrow Company, a Canadian Branch of the Tri-American Corporation. Tri-American was a major producer of primary aluminum with integrated operations ranging from mining of bauxite through the processing to fabrication of aluminum into variety of products. The company had also made and sold refractories and industrial chemicals. The parent company had wholly owned subsidiaries in five separate United States locations and had foreign affiliates in fifteen different countries. Tri-American employed approximately 22,000 employees in the total organization. The company was governed by a board of directors. The board set general policy, which was then interpreted and applied by the various plant managers. This decentralization in organizational structure increased the freedom and authority of the plant managers, but increase the pressure for profitability. Spencer started his career in Tri-American Corporation as salesman and he succeeded. After two years of successful work as salesman, he became the symbol of what salesman have to be. In his career in Tri-American, he had worked as salesman, troubleshooter, assistant plant manager in English branch in London UK, plant manager in Birmingham in UK and his last position was plant manager of Modrow company in Canada. It was another challenging position in his career and he had faced few problems regarding to management, organization culture, organization conflict and organization innovation. †¢ Spencer was a plant manager of Modrow Company, a Canadian Branch of the Tri-American Corporation. †¢ Tri-American was a major producer of primary aluminum with integrated operations ranging from the mining of bauxite through the processing to fabrication of aluminum into a variety of products. The company had also made and sold refractories and industrial chemicals. The parent company had wholly owned subsidiaries in five separated US locations and had foreign affiliates in 15 different countries. Tri-American employed approximately 22,000 employees in the total organization. The company was governed by a board of directors, which included chairman, vice chairman, president and 12 vice presidents. Subsidiaries and branches are organized as independent companies and decisions are decentralized. †¢ The Modrow Branch was located in a border town in Canada. The total work force in Modrow was 1,000. This Canadian subsidiary was primarily a fabricating unit. Its main products were foil and building products such as roofing and siding. Problem: 1. Resistance to change by employees, this problem shows when Dick as the plant manager asked the worker why he was using the saw when the material could easily be bent fifted into the barrels, resulting in saving time and equipment. And then the worker said â€Å"We’ve never done it that way, sir. We’ve always cut it†. After all the power saw are removed from the scalp area in order to adjust new method of bending rather than cutting. A few day later Dick find out that workmen using hand shears to cut each strip to cut. 2. Process of Production Problems. In his new position as Plant Manager at Modrow, he found that construction was slower in completion than originally planned; equipment arrived before the building was finished, employees were upset about the extent of change expected in their work routines with the installation of additional machinery, and in general morale was at low ebb. 3. Culture Change Problem; there is the difference between American and British philosophy and performance within the plant. Here, he also found that his power and authority were less than those of his superiors, so he constantly found himself in the position of having to soft pedal or withhold suggestions that he would have liked to make, or innovations that he would have liked to introduce. After a frustrating year and a half, Dick was suddenly made plant manager of an old British company which had just been purchased by Tri-American. He left his first English assignments with mixed and moved from London to Birmingham. In Birmingham, he become a plant manager and operated much as he had in his troubleshooting job for the first couple of years of his change from sales to administration. He did some changes in Birmingham. Training and reduction programs were instituted for all supervisors and managers who survive the initial purge. He tried to focus/ control on relationship between production and the needs from sales by simplifying and redesign in order to increase profit. Later the company showed a small profit for the first time in many years. For this successfulness, then he requested transferred back to United States. 4. Cost Reduction Problem, by the end of his first year at Modrow, the building program had been completed, although behind schedule, the new equipment had been installed, and some revamping of cost procedures had been incorporated. But, the financial picture at this time showed as a loss. Later, all managers of the various divisions had worked closely with their supervisors and accountants in planning the budget for the following year. 5. Human Relations/ Interaction Problems When he worked through his first year as plant manager, Dick developed the habit of strolling around the organization. He was apt to leave his office and appear anywhere on the plant floor, in the design office and at the plant cafeteria rather than in the executive dining room, or wherever there was activity concerned with Modrow. At first his presence disturbed those who noted him coming and going, but later, the workers came to accept his presence and continue their usual activities. Supervisors, managers, and foreman, however, did not feel as comfortable when they saw him in the area. 6. Different corporate culture in Canada, even though Canada is located in same geopolitical areas, geographically and nationally Canada is different country and corporate culture is bit different from USA. And Dick Spencer is American manager who started his career in USA. As we can see from the case, Dick Spencer is basically very stunning to adapt different corporate culture in different countries such as UK and Canada plant career. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ In recalling his first year at Modrow, Dick had felt constantly pressured and badgered. He always sensed that the Canadians he worked with resented his presence since he has brought in over the heads of the operating staff’. At the same time he felt this subtle resistance from his Canadian work force†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. 7. Organization conflict in Modrow plant, there was an obvious conflict between workers and Dick Spencer. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ In recalling his first year at Modrow, Dick had felt constantly pressured and badgered. He always sensed that the Canadians he worked with resented his presence since he has brought in over the heads of the operating staff †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. In the other words, other workers couldn’t live up with Dick’s arrival in the company. 8. Corporate innovation management, at the time of Dick Spencer’s arrival in the Modrow Branch, there was a lack of good corporate innovation management. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ Prior to Dick’s appointment as plant manager at Modrow, extensive plans for plant expansion and improvement had been approved and started. Altough he had not been in on the original discussions and plans, he inherited all the problems that accompany large-scale changes in any organization. Construction was slower in completion than originally planned, equipment arrived before the building was finished, employees were upset about the extent of change expected in their work routines with installation of additional machinery, and, in general, morale was a low ebb†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 9. Decentralization, basically this is American organization type and American one is more formalistic than European. Decentralization is basically increase the pressure from parent company management. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ This decentralization in organizational structure increased the freedom and authority of the plant managers, but increased the pressure for profitability†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 10. Lack of leadership for Dick Spencer, in terms of organization leader Dick Spencer shouldn’t include the all the works in the organization. He tried to do it by himself every single things and he aimed to attend every action. In terms of HRM, this is not good character for the good Leader. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦ As he worked through his first year as plant manager, Dick developed the habit of strolling around the organization†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. This created the conflict between him and workers. Also this creates dis-approvement from workers. We can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦Supervisors, managers and foreman, however didn’t feel as comfortable when they saw him in the area†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 11. Lack of knowledge in Human resource and accounting knowledge, these two courses were disadvantage for Dick Spencer in this study in MBA and these two are very important for any organization. In the other way, he can find and hire someone who can do his unknowledgeable fields such as accounting and HR. 12. Too high expectation from management made pressure, we can see it from this sentence: ‘†¦he believed that the president and his friends in the home office were constantly on the alert, waiting for Dick to prove himself or fail flat on his face†¦

The rainbow with the pot of gold :: essays research papers

We live in a world where ‘education’ and the accumulation of skills have assumed fanatical proportions. We tch tch at heavy school bags, but continue putting noses to the grindstone. Always in the hope of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Except, that in the first decade of the 2000’s the way to that pot is no luminescent rainbow. And the sad part is, it needn’t be so. The proof of the pudding -- the training experience of companies including U.S.A.-based AT & T’s National Product Training Centre and Audi, IBM and Seimens in Germany; Pentagon’s Institute of Defense Analysis; and teacher Charles Gritton’s efforts in a Des Moines ghetto school that became a case study of success. Putting the ‘no pain, no gain’ credo of learning to shame is the concept of accelerated learning, perhaps more famous as ‘superlearning’ following breakthroughs made by Sheila Ostrander, Lynn Schroeder and Nancy Ostrander since the 1970’s. However, the ball was actually set rolling about a decade before they started. It was behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960’s that Dr. Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian psychiatrist, first applied suggestion and relaxation techniques to classroom learning and termed these methods ‘Suggestopedia’. These pioneering techniques engendered and gave impetus to what we now know as Suggestive – Accelerative Approaches to Learning. Accelerated learning believes that the human brain can work at least two to five times faster (‘superlearning’) and retain more and for longer periods (‘supermemory’ or ‘hypermnesia’) if it is put into the ‘right state’ of â€Å"relaxed alertness† (therefore non-stress, therefore pleasure) for learning. In a nutshell, it works by addressing our unconscious as well as our conscious mind, exploiting the power of our own imagination since it has been found that a trained imagination helps learn better – thereby aiding in accessing what are termed as the â€Å"success patterns† in our bodies, minds and emotions. Significantly, ‘superlearning’ shows us how to relax our body and calm our mind at will. It is sometimes described as â€Å"global learning† since it involves our entire inner world, including parts repressed in older styles of education, and goes to the extent of our most ancient memory of life, exactly according to nature’s blueprint for us. Moreover, it is global in the sense that the techniques can be adapted and used in virtually any culture to learn virtually anything, age and background no bar. It

Constructing Feminine Form for Masculine Sake Essay

Fashion provides one of the most ready means through which individuals can make expressive visual statements about their identities. (Bennett, 2005) Constructing Feminine Form for Masculine Sake. Does it make sense to say that sex is at the heart of identity today? The answer is surely yes, and more so than ever before. (Gauntlett, 2008). Introduction. Consider the cover of the December 2011 edition of FHM (Fig. 1). It portrays a constructed ideal of female attractiveness. Aimed at the male market it conveys the attributes of female form deemed attractive to men. Has this identity been constructed by women or imposed upon by men? Butler (1999) suggests ‘the female body is marked within masculinist discourse’ , and women have not had the freedom to create their own identity, ‘women with the ostensibly sexualized features of their bodies and, hence, a refusal to grant freedom and autonomy to women as it is purportedly enjoyed by men’ (Butler, 1999). Macdonald (1995) notes that this enforced construction is neither a new concept nor just present in magazines aimed at a male audience: The body has historically been much more integral to the formation of identity for women than for men. If women had defined for themselves the ideals of their bodily shape or decoration, this would not be problematic. It is the denial of this right in the western cultural representation, in medical practice and in the multi-billion dollar pornography, fashion and cosmetic industries, that has granted women only squatter’s rights to their own bodies. However for the purpose of this essay we will concentrate on the feminine identity constructed in men’s lifestyle magazines and identify from where this was created. Why we enjoy beauty. ‘It is suggested that what makes one thing beautiful and another less so is our psychological attraction, probably unconscious, to some quality in the former that is absent from the latter, combined of course with equally-implicit cultural biases.’ (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) Considering this, it is hard to determine how a particular portrayal of the female form is universally attractive. However studying the following passage from Sigmund Freud’s study Civilization and its Discontents we can note the possibility that the images constructed of women in men’s magazines are not to portray beauty, but to invoke sexual feeling through lack of clothing and provocative poses: Psychoanalysis, unfortunately, has scarcely anything to say about beauty either. All that seems certain is its derivation from the field of sexual feeling. The love of beauty seems a perfect example of an impulse inhibited in its aim. ‘Beauty’ and ‘attraction’ are originally attributes of the sexual object. (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) Another psychotherapist Lacan puts forward the idea ‘women are objects for men: men are objects for women: men are objects for men, and women are objects for women. Each of us can only ever be objects for another subject, however much we try. (Hill, 1997) With this in mind it can be said that all identity is constructed to receive the admiration of others, regardless of gender. (Gauntlett, 2008) states ‘sex as being at the core of identity’ further suggesting that male identity is constructed with the same intentions the female. Although ‘it has been women in particular who have been defined primarily in terms of their physical appearance’ (Negrin, 2008). The emergence of new men’s lifestyle magazines. It is interesting to note that men’s lifestyle magazines are not a new concept, neither has their content changed over time. The earliest attempt to launch a men’s lifestyle magazine in the UK was in 1935, it consisted of ‘heroic masculinity with style features and pictures of female nudes’. (Gill, 2007). The 1950’s saw the launch of Playboy, a lifestyle magazine aimed at an emerging class of men who enjoyed consumption as much as their female counterparts. The magazine ‘became the ‘bible’ for the men who dominated this class fraction; its individualistic, hedonistic, consumption-orientated ethic of personal gratification represented a rebellion against the ‘old’ figure of male as breadwinner and family provider and opened up a space of libidinous fun and lascivious consumption, albeit premised on troublingly sexualized and objectified representations of women. (Gill, 2007). The content of such magazines was not necessarily in place to objectify women but to protect the ‘new man’s’ masculinity. ‘Consumption for men was promoted in an atmosphere not threatened by suspicions of homosexuality’ (Gill, 2007) and said of Playboy ‘the breasts and bottoms were necessary not just to sell the magazine, but also to protect it’ (Ehrenreich, 1983.). If we look forward to the 80’s and 90’s we see a new generation of men’s magazines emerging, ‘constructed around an assumed white, working class aesthetic and sensibility, centred on football, (beer) drinking, and heterosexual sex. (Gill, 2007) In circulation terms, figures from 2006 show that over 370,000 copies of FHM are sold per month and almost 300,000 copies of Nuts per week. (Gauntlett, 2008). From this we can see the popularity of such publications and the importance of the portrayal of a new type of masculinity. Considering the content of these magazines; ‘numerous photo-shoots of semi-clothed and topless women appear in the UK magazines’ (Gauntlett, 2008), and speaking of the launch of Loaded ‘the sexual politics of the magazine were in place from the first issue, which featured photographs of Liz Hurley, a homage to hotel sex, porn channels etc., a ‘travel feature’ recounting cheap cocaine and cheap women, and the Miss Guyama bikini contest. (Gill, 2007). The magazines depict the rise of a new type of masculinity or the ‘new lad’, the figure of which ‘became embedded in advertising and popular culture- his multiple articulations in different spaces generating a sense of his solidity and ‘realness’, making him instantly recognizable as an embodiment of a type of masculinity’ (Gill, 2007). This new generation of ‘Lads Mags’ has often been attributed to two factors; firstly the ‘feminine backlash’ occurring in the 80’s. These new publications ‘constructed around knowingly misogynist and predatory attitudes to women, represents a refusal to acknowledge the changes in gender relations produced by feminism, and an attack on it. (Gill, 2007) served to reaffirm male dominance in the gender war and a refusal to change. They are considered by Whelehan ‘a direct challenge to feminism’s call for social transformation, by reaffirming – albeit ironically – the unchanging nature of gender relations and sexual roles.’ (Gill, 2007) Studying the content of these magazines in more depth there is an underlying theme where ‘’feminist’ becomes a pejorative word to label, dismiss and silence any woman who object to the lad mags’ ideology’ (Gill, 2007). Two examples of such; ‘an article concerned with the question of ‘how to get your girlfriend to come in your face’ (FHM, April 2000) any possible feedback is forestalled with the comment ‘now before I get any angry letters from feminists†¦..I have asked women and they agree it can be an incredibly rewarding experience’. (Gill, 2007) and ‘a letter to FHM from a woman called Barbara who wished to object to the magazines portrayal of women as ‘weak, fr ail, obedient, submissive and sexually available’ is dismissed as a ‘blundering rant’ from ‘Butch Babs’ (FHM, May 2000)’ (Gill, 2007.) Two prime examples of where the subject of feminism is dismissed before it has even been raised, suggesting the magazines know their content is anti-feminist, but either dispel the argument before it is raised or ridicule and patronise anybody that dares challenge their viewpoint. The second factor is again a backlash, this time on a type of masculinity, himself more aligned with the ideals of feminism, referred to as ‘The New Man’. (Gill, 2007). Trying to dispense with this, the ‘masculinity they constructed was regarded as true to men’s real selves, in contrast to the contrived image of the new man.’ (Gill, 2007.) As with the issue of feminism this form of masculinity was ridiculed and dismissed, leading the way for ‘laddish’ behaviour to be accepted. ‘New man was derided for his ‘miserable liberal guilt’ about sexual affairs and presented as insipid and unappealing. By contrast, new lad was presented as refreshingly uncomplicated in his unreserved appreciation of women’s bodies and heterosexual sex.’ (Gill, 2007) Are these the views of the average man? So we can deduce how these magazines and images within them came to be but where does this leave the average male? Are these depictions of woman the ‘ideal’ for men? ‘By men’s own admission, the playboy ideology has created conflicts both in men’s view of themselves and in their attitude towards women.’ (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) Many men insist they do not subscribe to this scantily clad, temptress type identity as being their ideal. (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) suggest what most men fantasize about is a woman they can connect with and that personality is more important than looks; ‘Many men spoke of movement, gracefulness, a direct look in the eyes, an aura of mystery, attributes which cannot quite be captured by a camera, as what they felt constituted female beauty.’ Their ‘observations seem to contradict what the media not only tell us men want but also what they propose women should look like.’ This seeming indifference to contrived images of female form could be the over production and readily available means to consume them. ‘we are so bombarded with visual images that men are taking refuge and looking for the real thing’ (Lakoff and Scherr, 1984) Also another factor is that as we are increasingly aware of artifice in the production of images it can cause the consumer to be disillusioned with them; ‘And its disappointing to find that the women, when interviewed, don’t sound that interesting really. And it’s disappointing because you see these gorgeous women who wouldn’t look twice at you, but then you remember that they probably look like people you know, really, and it’s the careful styling and makeup and photography that makes them so irresistible’ (Gauntlett, 2008) Where do women fit in? What we have to remember is there always a willing subject to construct identity upon. In this case, a women to present as the ideal to men. Whilst feminists may view the women featured in the magazines as ‘submissive, obedient and sexually available’, do the subjects themselves feel this is the case? Pre-feminist women were programmed to be as attractive as possible to their male counterparts. Anne Fogarty an extremely successful American fashion designer highlights the importance of dressing for men ‘when your husband’s eyes light up as he comes in at night, you’re in sad shape if its only because he smells dinner cooking’ (Fogarty, 1959). It is possible that even now women are still programmed by society to want to appear as attractive as possible to men. With the post-feminist shift in gender relations it is argued that women are now objectifying men in the same way that they have traditionally been; ‘looking at scantily-clad women was clearly quite wrong for a right-thinking man, but have started to change their views as time has moved on and gender relations have changed again (including the development of the new language in popular culture where women can treat men as disposable eye-candy too).’ (Gauntlett, 2008). This seems to have caused a sense of double standards when talking of the objectification of women; â€Å"I used to agree, and I mean I really did agree, with women who said that naked women in magazines was a bad thing. But now-a-days I can hardly remember what the argument was. Women can look at handsome men in films and magazines, and men can look at attractive women†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦it seems fair.† (Gaunlett, 2008) Another reason argued why women cultivate this identity is it can provide means to increase their economic and social standing; ‘denied access to power and status by legitimate means, they had to resort to using their looks as a means of furthering their aims.’ (Negrin, 2008). This was very true of the playboy era where working class women did not have the same opportunities for advancement as their male counterparts. Conclusion. So who is determining this supposed ideal of the female form? Psychoanalysis tells us we all respond to natural sexual urges and have the need to objectify other beings. Yet today’s men’s magazines were not primarily constructed to satisfy their sexual urges. The content was also put into place long ago, not to objectify women, but to protect masculinity from any suggestion of homosexuality. What better way to diminish these threats than by filling the pages with naked women? The tone of the ‘new generation’ of men’s magazines was constructed around a backlash to feminist principles and the emergence of the ‘sensitive, understanding man’. Again what better way to protect these new threats by objectifying women and distancing themselves to ‘new man’s’ ideals? As gender roles have shifted and the issue of equality is facing us, men do not feel that looking at women is a guilty pleasure, as women do it themselves towards men and are compensated for it by the advancement of their social and economic standing. It can be said that this construction of female identity truly is for masculine’s sake, not necessarily for their consumption and enjoyment, but to protect and cultivate the meaning and existence of masculinity, reminiscing of a time where men were secure in their place in society. Fig. 1. Bibliography. Halberstam, J. (1998) Female masculinity. Durham, N.C. ; London : Duke University Press, 1998.:. Bennett, A. (2005) Culture and everyday life. London: Sage, p.95 – 116. Berger, J. (1972) Ways of seeing : based on the BBC television series with John Berger / a book made by John Berger †¦ [et al.].. London: Penguin. Butler, J. (1999) Gender Trouble; Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. London: Routledge. Forgarty, A. (2011) The Art of being a Well Dressed Wife. 2nd ed. London: V&A Publishing. Gauntlett, D. (2008) Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction.. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge. Gill, R. (2007) Gender and The Media. Cambridge: Polity Press. Happysocks.com (2011) Happy Socks / FHM UK  « Happy Socks in the Press. [online] Available at: http://www.happysocks.com/press/?p=2851 [Accessed: 2nd June 2012]. Hill, P. (1997) Lacan for beginners. London : Writers and Readers:. Lakoff, R. and Scherr, . (1984) Face value : the politics of beauty . Boston ; London : Routledge & Kegan Paul:. Macdonald, M. (1995) Representing Women:Myths of Femininity in the popular media. London: Edward Arnold, p.192 – 221. Meyers, D. (2002) Gender in the Mirror. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.. Negrin, L. (2008) Appearance and identity: Fashioning the body in Postmodernity. Cowden: Palgarve Macmillan, p.33 – 52. Sturken, M. and Cartwright, L. (2001) Practices of looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press., p.72 – 108.

Deception Point Page 62

Pickering seemed to consider this a long time, gently stroking his tie. â€Å"And yet taking into account the amount NASA has to gain from this discovery right now, the apparent signs of tampering with evidence, and your being attacked†¦ the first and only logical conclusion I can draw is that this meteorite is a well-executed fraud.† â€Å"Impossible!† Corky sounded angry now. â€Å"With all respect, sir, meteorites are not some Hollywood special effect that can be conjured up in a lab to fool a bunch of unsuspecting astrophysicists. They are chemically complex objects with unique crystalline structures and element ratios!† â€Å"I am not challenging you, Dr. Marlinson. I am simply following a logical chain of analysis. Considering someone wanted to kill you to keep you from revealing it was inserted under the ice, I'm inclined to entertain all kinds of wild scenarios here. What specifically makes you certain this rock is indeed a meteorite?† â€Å"Specifically?† Corky's voice cracked in the headphones. â€Å"A flawless fusion crust, the presence of chondrules, a nickel ratio unlike anything ever found on earth. If you're suggesting that someone tricked us by manufacturing this rock in a lab, then all I can say is that the lab was about 190 million years old.† Corky dug in his pocket and pulled out a stone shaped like a CD. He held it in front of the camera. â€Å"We chemically dated samples like this with numerous methods. Rubidium-strontium dating is not something you can fake!† Pickering looked surprised. â€Å"You have a sample?† Corky shrugged. â€Å"NASA had dozens of them floating around.† â€Å"You mean to tell me,† Pickering said, looking at Rachel now, â€Å"that NASA discovered a meteorite they think contains life, and they're letting people walk off with samples?† â€Å"The point,† Corky said, â€Å"is that the sample in my hands is genuine.† He held the rock close to the camera. â€Å"You could give this to any petrologist or geologist or astronomer on earth, they would run tests, and they would tell you two things: one, it is 190 million years old; and two, it is chemically dissimilar from the kind of rock we have here on earth.† Pickering leaned forward, studying the fossil embedded in the rock. He seemed momentarily transfixed. Finally, he sighed. â€Å"I am not a scientist. All I can say is that if that meteorite is genuine, which it appears it is, I would like to know why NASA didn't present it to the world at face value? Why has someone carefully placed it under the ice as if to persuade us of its authenticity?† At that moment, inside the White House, a security officer was dialing Marjorie Tench. The senior adviser answered on the first ring. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Ms. Tench,† the officer said, â€Å"I have the information you requested earlier. The radiophone call that Rachel Sexton placed to you earlier this evening. We have the trace.† â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"Secret Service ops says the signal originated aboard the naval submarine U.S.S. Charlotte.† â€Å"What!† â€Å"They don't have coordinates, ma'am, but they are certain of the vessel code.† â€Å"Oh, for Christ's sake!† Tench slammed down the receiver without another word. 72 The muted acoustics of the Charlotte's dead room were starting to make Rachel feel mildly nauseated. On-screen, William Pickering's troubled gaze moved now to Michael Tolland. â€Å"You're quiet, Mr. Tolland.† Tolland glanced up like a student who had been called on unexpectedly. â€Å"Sir?† â€Å"You just gave quite a convincing documentary on television,† Pickering said. â€Å"What's your take on the meteorite now?† â€Å"Well, sir,† Tolland said, his discomfort obvious, â€Å"I have to agree with Dr. Marlinson. I believe the fossils and meteorite are authentic. I'm fairly well versed in dating techniques, and the age of that stone was confirmed by multiple tests. The nickel content as well. These data cannot be forged. There exists no doubt the rock, formed 190 million years ago, exhibits nonterrestrial nickel ratios and contains dozens of confirmed fossils whose formation is also dated at 190 million years. I can think of no other possible explanation than that NASA has found an authentic meteorite.† Pickering fell silent now. His expression was one of quandary, a look Rachel had never before seen on William Pickering. â€Å"What should we do, sir?† Rachel asked. â€Å"Obviously we need to alert the President there are problems with the data.† Pickering frowned. â€Å"Let's hope the President doesn't already know.† Rachel felt a knot rise in her throat. Pickering's implication was clear. President Herney could be involved. Rachel strongly doubted it, and yet both the President and NASA had plenty to gain here. â€Å"Unfortunately,† Pickering said, â€Å"with the exception of this GPR printout revealing an insertion shaft, all of the scientific data points to a credible NASA discovery.† He paused, dire. â€Å"And this issue of your being attacked†¦ † He looked up at Rachel. â€Å"You mentioned special ops.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† She told him again about the Improvised Munitions and tactics. Pickering looked more and more unhappy by the moment. Rachel sensed her boss was contemplating the number of people who might have access to a small military kill force. Certainly the President had access. Probably Marjorie Tench too, as senior adviser. Quite possibly NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom with his ties to the Pentagon. Unfortunately, as Rachel considered the myriad of possibilities, she realized the controlling force behind the attack could have been almost anyone with high-level political clout and the right connections. â€Å"I could phone the President right now,† Pickering said, â€Å"but I don't think that's wise, at least until we know who's involved. My ability to protect you becomes limited once we involve the White House. In addition, I'm not sure what I would tell him. If the meteorite is real, which you all feel it is, then your allegation of an insertion shaft and attack doesn't make sense; the President would have every right to question the validity of my claim.† He paused as if calculating the options. â€Å"Regardless†¦ whatever the truth is or who the players are, some very powerful people will take hits if this information goes public. I suggest we get you to safety right away, before we start rocking any boats.† Get us to safety? The comment surprised Rachel. â€Å"I think we're fairly safe on a nuclear submarine, sir.† Pickering looked skeptical. â€Å"Your presence on that submarine won't stay secret long. I'm pulling you out immediately. Frankly, I'll feel better when the three of you are sitting in my office.† 73 Senator Sexton huddled alone on his couch feeling like a refugee. His Westbrooke Place apartment that had only an hour ago been filled with new friends and supporters now looked forsaken, scattered with the rubble of snifters and business cards, abandoned by men who had quite literally dashed out the door. Now Sexton crouched in solitude before his television, wanting more than anything to turn it off and yet being unable to pull himself from the endless media analyses. This was Washington, and it didn't take long for the analysts to rush through their pseudoscientific and philosophical hyperbole and lock in on the ugly stuff-the politics. Like torture masters rubbing acid in Sexton's wounds, the newscasters were stating and restating the obvious. â€Å"Hours ago, Sexton's campaign was soaring,† one analyst said. â€Å"Now, with NASA's discovery, the senator's campaign has crashed back to earth.† Sexton winced, reaching for the Courvoisier and taking a hit right out of the bottle. Tonight, he knew, would be the longest and loneliest night of his life. He despised Marjorie Tench for setting him up. He despised Gabrielle Ashe for ever mentioning NASA in the first place. He despised the President for being so goddamned lucky. And he despised the world for laughing at him.

Online Learning Essay essays

Online Learning Essay essays Current statistics in the education marketplace show that a number of shifts are occurring. The president's "No Child will be Left Behind" act has demanded that schools raise their academic success rates, and lower the measured illiteracy and drop out rates in schools by the year 2005. Concurrently the thrust in the classroom is to integrate technology, including networked computers, scanners, digital cameras in order to teach student additional skills, over and above the traditional three "R's." This is creating a demand on the educational system to recover from poor performance, and increase the subject matter which is being taught at the As a result, the teachers are being called upon to: Change their teaching style, to integrate technology Change their teaching materials, to include new subject matter Radically alter their perception of the educational culture from that of a dissemination of information to a learning community. Teachers are already under-paid for their efforts, and often spend personal evening time doing school related work. In order to facilitate these changes, the teachers are facing an additional demand on their time for Professional Teacher Development (PTD) which is typically held after school, in on off-site location. Many teachers do not desire to attend PTD sessions, because the needs of the seminar group are so varied. Some teachers need remediation on computer and digital technology. Some understand these subjects, and need help addressing the learning culture in their classroom, and school. Administrators, who have included new materials in the PTD sessions, have not changed their delivery methods and thus the sessions can often be dull, slow moving expenditures of the teachers' time for which they receive little positive take away value. ...

Anti-Anxiety Medication and the Brain

Anti-Anxiety Medication and the Brain When one is bed-ridden with the flu, it only makes sense for that person to see a doctor to seek treatment. Such treatment could be in the form of medications. Much like a physical illness, the anxiety-ridden may even seek medicinal therapy. However, the underlying difference among the medications is their function and how they function. While one may answer those problems for the wide class of antibiotics, may we say the same for treating the ailments of the mind? In order to understand the advancements in modern medicine and technology, we must first look back to the primitive practices of treating anxiety disorders. In order to treat, psychologists and psychiatrists must be able to diagnose and classify. Before they were recognized by the American Psychological Association in the 1980’s, anxiety disorders were seen as normal bouts of stress (Tracy). As a type of neurosis, psychologists and psychiatrists questioned to validity of treatment for the individual. However, e ven decades before its official classification, anxiety was treated in varied, primitive, and even absurd, ways, including the use of essential oils and salves, applying severely cold or hot temperatures to the inflicted, and draining blood with the use of blood-sucking animals (Tracy). In more negative connotations, medieval doctors placed the blame on mild demonic possession and witchcraft. Following these types of remedies were electric shock therapy and institutionalization, quickly replaced with the invention of lobotomies (piercing the brain with an icepick through the patient’s eye), developed by Dr. Moniz and Dr. Walker Freeman in the 1940s. The shocking, unethical practice is abandoned for anti-psychotic therapies and medicines. With advancements in technology came advancements toward modern medicines, giving psychiatrists the ability to alter the brain’s wiring with the use of pills. Anxiety, in textbook definition, is the feeling of intense fear in respons e toward an unreal threat (Rathus). To treat mental illness such as anxiety, psychiatrists must know the inner workings of how the nervous system delivers messages. A message is received by the dendrites of a nerve cell, which travels through the cell’s body (Rathus). It then moves along the axon, protected by the myelin sheath (Rathus). The message’s final destination is the axon terminals, where it passes along the synapse and onto the dendrites of the next nerve cell (Rathus). This message, whatever it entails, continues this repetitive journey in one direction until it reaches its destination (Rathus). The most important part when looking at anxiety disorders is the axon terminals and the synapse, where chemicals containing these messages, neurotransmitters, are released (Rathus). With anxiety disorders, one’s body may be low on those â€Å"feel-good† neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters include serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and gamma-ami nobutyric acid (GABA) (Staff). Psychiatrists have also concluded that one’s with an anxiety disorder may have an excessive amount of the neurotransmitter cortisol, which invokes stress (Staff). Another offender lies right within the brain, the amygdala (Simon). This pea-sized site of the brain responds to fear, and those with anxiety disorders are found with amygdala hyperactivity (Simon). With this pertinent information in mind, psychiatrists can alter the brain’s behavior with the presence of these neurotransmitters. Much like antibiotics alters how the body’s immune system behaves, anti-anxiety medication can alter how the nervous system behaves. Anti-anxiety medication depresses brain activity, lowers vitals such as blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, and decrease feelings of uneasiness and dread by modifying brain behavior (Association). While these medications cannot safely replenish levels of neurotransmitters, one method of controlling the bra in’s behavior is closing up the source of the neurotransmitter. This is the role of SSRIs, which stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (Staff). Serotonin is famously known as the â€Å"feel-good† neurotransmitter and the prime suspect of anxiety and depressive disorders. A problem with many anxiety sufferers is either the lack of serotonin or the quick reuptake of serotonin in their nervous systems (Staff). To remedy this obstacle, SSRIs block the reabsorption of serotonin, allowing the chemical to remain available (Staff). Some FDA approved SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), citalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), and sertraline (Zoloft) (Staff). Remedies may have its drawbacks, for side effects of these medications include fatigue, dependency, restlessness, muscle tension, blankness, irritability, sleep problems, insomnia, and even its adverse effect, suicidal thoughts among children and teenagers (Staff). Withdrawal from S SRIs, especially sudden, may invoke more intense feelings of dread or uneasiness, nausea, gastrointestinal issues, and strange sensations in vision and touch (Tartagovsky). While these problems may arise, these medicinal therapies work well with those who experience chronic anxiety. Another approach a psychiatrist turns to is to open receptors to neurotransmitters. This class of medicines are known as benzodiazepines (or Benzos, for short) (Anderson). These medications are known as â€Å"tranquilizers† due to their functions (Anderson). A natural tranquilizer itself, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter which depresses the brain’s activity; this neurotransmitter has also been scarce in those suffering from anxiety disorders (Anderson). Benzodiazepines remedy this by opening the frequency of the GABA-A receptor responsible for reacting with GABA (Anderson). This allows more availability of GABA in the nervous system, inevitably calming the brain and bo dy. Some FDA approved benzodiazepines include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and oxazepam (Serax) (Anderson). Some benzodiazepines are found to have faster onset action than others (Anderson). Onset action is how fast the medicine acts and how long the treatment lasts. Since these medications are only for short-term usage, the only known side effects of benzodiazepines include drowsiness, forgetfulness, and unusual sleep patterns (WebMD). However, long-term usage of benzodiazepines can lead to dependency and addiction to the medication (WebMD). Abusers of the medication may experience drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, impaired vision, speech, and coordination, respiration difficulties, and even coma-like states and death (WebMD). When used responsibly, benzodiazepines aid in sufferers of acute anxiety and panic attacks. Just as pharmacologists and medical doctors have found ways to modify a body’s functions, pharmacologists and psychiatrists h ave also worked to modify the brain’s functions. For those suffering from anxiety disorders, psychiatrists prescribe medications to open and close synapses and receptors in the nervous system of the body, making these â€Å"feel-good† neurotransmitters more available and inevitably remedy the bed-ridden mind. References Anderson, L. Drugs.com . 4 May 2014. Web. 2 December 2016. Association, American Psychiatric. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Vol. V . Arlington, 2013. Print. Rathus, Spencer A. Psychology; Principles in Practice . Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2003. Textbook. Simon, Harvey. New York Times . 11 March 2013. Web. 25 November 2016. Staff, MayoClinic. Mayoclinic . 24 June 2016. Web. 25 November 2016. Tartagovsky, Margarita. PsychCentral . n.d. Web. 25 November 2016. Tracy, Natasha. Healthy Place . 30 July 2016. Web. 2 December 2016. WebMD . n.d. Web. 2 December 2016.

Writing a research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Writing a research proposal - Essay Example In this regard, this proposal will dwell much on the effectiveness of using internet in fostering English learning and reading in high school in Sydney, Australia. This study is important as it will try to show whether the most used means of communication and information sharing can have a significant contribution towards better grades in high schools. Further, it will leave the option of using other means of learning to the schools incase it doesn’t have any impact. According to James, J. (2000), the Internet is a new and an expanding tool for learning which if well utilized according to the intended needs then it can transform the world to a global village in terms of knowledge and learning skills. To him, a study done on the effectiveness of the internet in learning had no significant reason as to why it should not be believed to be a tool which is effective. To Vargo, J (2007), internet technologies provide a sound foundation on which to build more effective and efficient educational programmes which can enhance students learning and understanding what they are learning. Internet in its capacity as a tool is like a ripple on the surface of education in that, it offers an intellectual challenge which can be said to be an educational history of the whole mankind (Arsham, H 2007). According to him, the importance of internet in education system and in particular the use of the Web is a well known fact. In the internet according to Arsham, H (2007), a wealth of resources as well as techniques do exist which act as sources of both new practices and easily accessible methods which can be adopted for the various formats learning and understanding. According to him further, the internet technology allows students keep up with their minds while letting them try their ideas once they come up with them. In general, students should appreciate