Everything Bad Is Good for You

In Everything Bad Is Good For You, Steven Johnson uses many scientific methods and presents point of view stating that popular culture does not only have negative impacts on us. In the introduction of the television section, he briefly tells us the truth that the complexity of modern TV shows is rising and it also makes people more intelligent. To support his ideas, Johnson divides the content into three parts: Multiple threading, Flashing Arrows, and Social Networks. Multiple threading is very common in modern television shows but not in past shows.Johnson uses four graphs which clearly show the amount of plot content in relation to the running time of four episodes from different shows, to depict changes of complexity in TV dramas. In one drama, Dragnet, the narrative only focuses on one plotline; a few years later, the numbers of plotline have been increased in another drama called The Sopranos. The evidence strongly supports Johnson’s statement: Multiple threading becomes more complex and abundant in modern television dramas. However, it is not the only reason that makes TV shows more complicated.Flashing Arrows, which had allowed viewers to follow the plot more easily television shows of the past, disappeared and were transformed in modern soap dramas and sitcoms. TV shows stopped using flashing arrows because audiences have been learned to find the hidden answers in the shows for many years. In soap operas, flashing arrows have been transformed to â€Å"texture† and â€Å"substance† (p. 78), which are used for building up a realistic dramatic situation in the drama. In sitcoms, flashing arrows become a reward of knowing the â€Å"in-joke† by attaining extra information outside the shows.Although sitcoms become more complex, they are not the only shows that have changed. Social networks are mainly used in reality programming and political debates. When audiences watch The Apprentice or Survivor, a reality show, they will use â⠂¬Å"social intelligence† (p. 96) to judge participants’ personalities. Each facial expression and action from the participants provides clues to audiences for the judgment. In political debates, audiences will judge the politicians’ appearances, speech, skin color or actions to decide the votes. Social intelligence† is a brain activity that people will do it automatically when they try to make decisions. Johnson’s evidence has shown â€Å"social intelligence† has been improved by reality shows. However, social networks do not only represent the network among participants and audiences, but also the social relationships of characters in the TV dramas. The social mapping of 24 clearly shows the complex relationships among all the characters. There are four families being involved in the show, but the relationships are not obvious to the audience.Audiences need to build up the social connections by watching the show. The process is difficult and challenging, but the audience has already gotten used to it by training from the past thirty years. Social networks are also a part of making audiences become smarter. Basically, Johnson thinks television has become more complex because of multithreading, flashing arrows and social network. These three elements are also important to people’s brain activity which has made them smarter.

How Life Will Be in 50 Years

In general life will be a lot better in 50 years. Some people can say that it's true,however some may not agree with this opinion. World and life are changing on our eyes with the killing speed. There are changes in our life which are good for us,for all mankind,but also there are a lot of changes that are bad for people or for health. In my opinion life wouldn't be much better than it is today and it's possibile that it would be even worse. New technologies are considered as good by the most of the society and there is a tought that life will be easier and better thanks to them.But is this a wholly true? Surely not. Computer is one of the greatest inventions of the 21th century. If we use it in the right way it won't be dangerous for us. But even know we can see problems according to internet and computers so what would be in 50 years? Scientists certified that time we are spending in virtual world will be notoriously increasing. So†¦ will we spend something about 12 hours a da y in front of a computer? I don't think it would be healthy for anyone.Part of the society will be just unable to handle that and something that was invited to serve us and make life easier can lead people right into madness. However,new technologies have a good side too. In present there ale ilnesses and diseases which we are unable to cure. Cancer kills a million of people around the world everyday. Thousands of people get HIV everyday. Medicine made a hughe step in 21th century but not as big as to cure every ilness. I think in 50 years from now scientists will invite medicine to many different kinds of ilnesses.

Masculinity Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Masculinity Studies - Essay Example factors that Kimmel’s studies are based on, influential feminists, contributions that he has made to the society and the practical applications of his subject. Kimmel, like most other activists, has a story behind his indulgence in the subject, which explains why he decided to become an activist. When Kimmel was in graduate school, his partner was working at a shelter. He used to frequently drop her at the shelter as she dint know to drive. Since Kimmel got used to this routine, he used to occasionally drop women at the shelter or drive them to the hospital with their kids. It was in this routine that he encountered certain events that affected him greatly, which encouraged him to become the renowned activist he is now. While he helped out these women from time to time, he realized that women being beaten up and treated badly were issues so common. There were points of time when he felt that this had to stop and did not seem to know that to do about it. When asked about what touched Kimmel the most, he talks about when there was one woman with broken limbs and a fractured jaw, who, through her fractured jaw said, "Sometimes I deserve it, b ut this time I didnt." When he said to the woman that she needs to make him stop, she said that he was a man too and that Kimmel should probably talk to them. At that instance Kimmel decided upon the fact that he definitely wants to change the way things are and began to work for it. He committed himself to working with men who used to beat up their wives or abuse them. Slowly he got drawn into various groups of non violence against torture, rape and ill treatment. This incident played a major role in shaping Kimmel into feminist that he is today. Kimmel’s participation in the Santa Cruz Men Against Rape organization was his first indulgence in a political engagement. He soon found himself as part of the National Organization Of Men Against Sexism. Since then, Kimmel was an academic researcher, was writing books on

WK 4 PERCEPTION KEY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WK 4 PERCEPTION KEY - Assignment Example Towards the end, the composition returns to F note, building a feeling of completeness in listeners-releases tension. There are no areas in the composition where F is expected to be the next not and it is not. It has been supplied well when expected signifying a sense of stability or temporary stability, indicating that, the supply of F appropriately helps release tension in listeners. The difference in the temporary finality created in the middle section and the finality expressed at the end is effective in the sense that, it shows as the effects of temporary stability, the limits of our movement from that stability and the associated security and pleasures of total stability experienced at the end. This composition evokes a feeling of insecurity and tensions associated with being away from home. Just as this composition, swing low sweet chariot, any piece that produces what is expected of it, is not only interesting but also satisfying. Rock dance is a dance technique that is highly demanding because of its acrobatics, high speeds, and is also a straining dance performance considered to be a preserve of young dancers. Rock dancing demands loud music because it is argued that, loud music is in sync with intense energy. In order to achieve the requirements of rock dancing techniques, loud music is essential, because, it is an obvious synchronization of body and mind. Performing of powerful and spontaneous muscular motions explains the popularity of rock dance, especially in the sixties and the seventies. This is attributed to the fact that it is very competitive, athletic and is a dance that, although demanding, can be performed by both groups and couples. Older generations dislike both rock dance and rock music because of their acrobatic, high-energy, speeds and loud music respectively. For this reason, rock dancing is a mode that can be both danced and watched. Rock

Social Media Network Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Social Media Network Technology - Essay Example As the paper discusses  the positive impacts of social media network technology in education are intense. Use of the technology as the teaching technique enables teachers to increase students’ participation in their education. Advancement in technological proficiency enhances collaboration among students in the classroom. Additionally, network technology enhances the development of students’ communication skills. Use of social media program also enables students to complete extra assignments, and as a result, improve their performance significantly. Use of social media in classrooms increases student collaboration.This study highlights that use of social networking also improves communication among teachers, administrators, and students. â€Å"As an educational tool, social media enriches the learning experience by allowing students and teachers to connect and interact in new, exciting ways†. In support of this, it is evident that students who rarely participat e physically in class feel comfortable airing their views on social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. In other words, the platforms enable teachers to develop â€Å"back channels† that raise discussion as well as ideas that shy students find difficult to voice out. Use of social media can be distractive in the classroom. Tools such as Facebook and Twitter can divert students’ attention from classwork and the learning process. Thus, incorporation of social media into classroom will make students go off.

Help in a Dangerous or Troublesome Circumstances Essay

Helping in a Dangerous or Troublesome Circumstances - Essay Example   The author of the paper states that Jenifer was driving on a high way and suddenly noted a little girl, maybe four years old, running across the road, right in front of her. Each way of the road had four lines and she was driving on the second line from the side of the road from which the child emerged. The child seemed to be alone because no one was even following her or was along the road at the point at which she attempted to cross. Maybe she had lost her guardian somewhere in the streets and was trying to trace the guardian. The first lane, where the little girl was at the time, appeared safe, from Jenifer’s side mirror. A vehicle was behind her and though it was at a distant, it would take its driver extreme level of caution to avoid a collision had Rachel made an emergency brake.  Three options existed with decisions to be made within a second a second or two. Jenifer could slow down and move to the first lane to avoid hitting the child and any associated legal and moral liability and this would be a safe option for her. She would have also tried to stop before reaching the child and shout at her to stop running and even though this had minimal chances of saving the child, it also risked her car to being hit from behind. Jenifer, however, implemented a third option, one that was even more risky for her and the driver behind her but offered higher chances of saving the child. She decided to accelerate the car, to reach the child before she crosses into the second lane, and stop the car right in front of her. She explains that even though she did not think of the car behind her then, the driver would have a reasonable time to stop the car or to move to the first lane at a lower speed that could avoid running over the little girl. This succeeded and even though there was an impact between her car and the child, this occurred when the car had already stopped and the child was safe.

HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HR - Essay Example However, this change in organizations has been met with resistance from the employees within the organization. This resistance in organizations takes place when the employees realize that they do not want a change and protest. Sometimes, this resistance may be unknowingly, where the employees express their resistance though their actions, words they use to delineate the change, and the tales they tell at the working stations (Holland 62). As organizations change in order to be competitive in the contemporary business environment, resistance has been attributed to poor communication, a feeling of exclusion, self-interest, lack of the necessary skills and lack of trust. Transitions in most organizations have been resisted by employees since they require learning of new skills, for instance, adoption of new technology. On the other hand, trust plays an imperative role in adoption of transitions and the success of organizations ( Holland 65). It is challenging for human resource personne l to institute any changes in the organizations if the workers do not trust each other or if they do not trust the primary decision makers. In some instances, employees have attributed the transitions to numerous negative reasons or may presume that they will ultimately lose their jobs. Resistance to change by employees can have numerous adverse effects on an organization. These effects are far reaching and affect the progress of the company and motivation of the workers. Resistance to change can impede the accomplishment of human resources managers and the success of the organization as a whole. Needless to say, protest among the employees can influence the pace at which innovation is espoused ( Holland 71). It affects the sentiments, feelings and attitudes of the workers at all phases of the espousal process. When employees protest a change in their work stations, they may experience a decrease in their optimism and hopefulness on their professional prospect within the organizatio n. This may take place particularly if there is little or no communication about the transition (Holland 73). This can, therefore, result to widespread decrease in employee motivation, which can sequentially raise issues in the retention of employees. Resistance to change also affects the productivity of the personnel and their associations. Low and reduced productivity results when employees spend more time protesting change within their workplaces and less time on the operations of the organization. This results to deceased efficiency and productivity among the workers, which impacts the organization’s bottom line. In reality, decreased levels of productivity will jump unswervingly to the surface of the basis for the transitions, as transitions are always aimed at increasing productivity and effectiveness of the organization (Holland 73-5). Resistance to change may trigger or cause a disorderly work setting. The staff members protesting against transition may cause upheaval s with flare-ups concerning the transitions or develop a confrontational attitude towards the company management. This may be spread to the other workers within the organization, inspiring them to embrace similar acts and deeds, which can subsequently cause immense agitation among the workers. It is, therefore, imperative for the human resource professionals to spot resistance to change among the employe

Marine Finance and Insurance - Coursework 2 Essay

Marine Finance and Insurance - Coursework 2 - Essay Example Similarly, they also have come to cater to companies from other countries in the course of their business. Through it all, marine industry players have become subject to foreign exchange risks. They have engaged in deals that would involve gains or losses resulting from the fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies used. Thus, foreign exchange risk should be acknowledged in the marine industry as a reality that all companies should be prepared for. If managed well, foreign exchange fluctuations can even present opportunities for companies to earn more. Huge capital investments for boats or similar fixed assets purchased from a foreign supplier can turn out to be big mistakes for marine companies that transacted them in a currency whose equivalent conversion to the native currency takes a nosedive right the next day or even weeks after the purchase date. The same is true with having collected revenues in currencies whose values abruptly plummets. Indeed, such cases are not to be underestimated or overlooked. They can lead to material, negative impact on the profitability and financial soundness of any marine company. As a matter of fact, the dread of ending up as casualties of abrupt foreign exchange fluctuation has led businessmen and investors across all industries to adopt different mechanisms to mitigate such risk. Fear and risk-aversion naturally come with things that are unpredictable, uncontrollable or unfamiliar. Risk, then, is a subject that ought to be explored and studied. If risks will be capably viewed in the right perspective by decision-makers, then strategic opportunities for growth and development will not go wasted or deliberately missed out due to attempts to avoid them. Winning companies do not avoid having to face risks; they embrace risk-taking and then learn from it. It is important to create in the company a culture that welcomes risk-taking as part and parcel of excelling in the

Week three questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week three questions - Assignment Example They advertise their products to gain attention of the people. They display pictures of the individuals, where individuals were fat in one picture and say after two weeks they lost 10- 15 kilograms and became very lean, in the next picture. However, all these claims are unrealistic and do not have any biological significance. 2. Short term results- Fad diets are designed with food items possessing very low carbohydrate content and also have low calories, whereby body loses water and one develops the concept that loss of weight is due to fad diet. Later, as soon as water is consumed, the body gets rehydrated and one is back to the previous stage. In certain cases, eating insufficient or poor carbohydrates generates hypoglycemia (a state or a condition of the body where the blood glucose level falls down) and one feels weak and lethargic. In order to revive or do any work one needs to consume good amount of sugar or sugar products. Here, the diet fails. According to the research study carried out by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2007), 8% of the individuals who adopt such measures of consuming fad diet for weight loss persist to lose 5% of their body weight in one year, while 59% are able to maintain body weight within 5%, on the other hand more than 33% of the individuals regain more than 5% of their initial body weight, especially individuals with sedentary life style. 3. Lack of Behavioral Modification Program- In order to lose weight in a sustainable manner it is essential that discipline in life be maintained. Alteration in eating habit may be of help. The diet program of fad diet does not incorporate any lifestyle modification measures, which is the most imperative step in controlling weight. A research study carried out by the scientists at the Pennington biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University (2010) states that gradual weight loss

The Environmental Impact Assessment Process Essay

The Environmental Impact Assessment Process - Essay Example EIA has the potential of cutting down on costs involved in an unanticipated environmental impact (PADC, 2007, pg.7). The costs involved in facilitating the changes that have to be made upon completion of the project, due to environmental effects, will be more than the costs involved in trying to avoid the harmful ramifications (EIA, 2015). The processes involved in coming up with an EIA report may not necessarily translate to a delay in the planning of the project. However, experience has shown that delays experienced in the planning of projects can be significantly reduced with an effective EIA that will lead to saving time and costs. The exact period of coming up with an EIA may range from anywhere between three months to two years. The time depends on factors such as the nature of the project, its location and availability of research data. It is highly recommended that the process of EIA be integrated with other project planning activities so that it can be carried out at the same time with the rest of the project. The integration will enable saving of time, thus avoiding delays as a result of the EIA planning. The EIA process raises environmental issues that have to be put into consideration when carrying out the planning of any project. The EIA has the potential of necessitating the redesigning or delaying of a project. It can also offer suggestions that can be made on the project once it has been found out that the project can cause significant impacts on the environment. An effective EIA will have the effect of cutting down on costs and delays that otherwise would have affected the planning of the project. Therefore, EIA makes a significant difference to projects and decision-making once it has been approved. 2. Critically review the role of consultation and public participation (CPP) in the EIA process. Indicate the benefits and difficulties associated with undertaking CPP at various stages and in involving various types of stakeholders, and discuss the main methods of achieving effective CPP. Use examples as appropriate in your answer.

Journal on Chapter One of Al Gore’s “The Assault on Reason” Essay Example for Free

Journal on Chapter One of Al Gore’s â€Å"The Assault on Reason† Essay In the first chapter titled Politics of Fear of Al Gore’s Book, â€Å"The Assault on Reason,† the author basically dealt with one of the most prominent human emotions— fear. According to Gore, fear is the prime enemy of reason. When a person experiences fear of something or someone, his or her reasoning ability is shut down. In addition, Gore claims that fear also clouds a person’s judgment as it drives him or her to act recklessly or irrationally without considering all options available. Furthermore, Gore also pointed out in his book that fear does not only affect a single individual, but an entire nation as well. According to him, a nation crippled by fear is unable to act towards development and progress because it does not do anything to overcome that fear. On the other hand, based on Gore’s book, when a person views fear as a form of motivation for him or her, he or she would eventually act to overcome that fear and accomplish his or her goal. Generally, I agree with most of the arguments that Gore pointed out in the first chapter of his book, particularly on the areas where he related fear to politics. I believe that Gore was right in saying that there are times when people fail to distinguish between the illusionary fears and the legitimate or real ones. When this happens, people may find it extremely difficult to think rationally and plan their next move because their judgment is clouded and they are unable to listen to reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, I also believe that Gore was correct when he claimed that the present administration in the United States as used the people’s fear, which spawned after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, to manipulate various political processes and made people believe that   all Iraqi’s were the one’s responsible for the attacks. For me, I believe that it is wrong to think all Iraqis or Muslims are terrorists simply because their fellowmen may have committed heinous crimes. I believe this is the best example of the fear that has been plaguing US citizens since the 9/11 attacks. I also believe that the nation should first identify which fear is legitimate and which is not before exercising judgment.

Challenges Facing Facilities Management Departments Construction Essay

Challenges Facing Facilities Management Departments Construction Essay Within the coming years Facilities Management Departments (FMD) are going to be faced with a number of challenges and they will be expected to do a lot more with so much less. These challenges are mainly due, to the ever expanding business sector; this expansion has seen the emergence of new buildings taking place at much faster rate, than the refurbishment or demolition of other predated structures. But this is just the tip of the ice burger, as there are other pertinent issues facing the FMD such as: The rapid pace of change, changing technology, building automation, security issues, sustainability, aging buildings, geographic barriers, cultural differences and Environmental factors such as changing regulatory environments, rapid population growth and continued limitation of energy resources (IMFA 2007). So the need for the FMD to incorporate new technology, that utilizes Renewable Energy Sources to produce energy, and reduce the impact that aged buildings in particular are having on the environment is a high priority. The majority of these issues currently facing the FMD are not new, in fact they have been around for a long time, but have escalated over time, due to increased human activities. This is an exciting time to be a facility management professional. Although facility management professionals will face more challenges than ever before, they have greater opportunity to add value for their customers through efficient management and improved technology.'(IFMA 2007) INTRODUCTION Time present and time past are both perhaps contained in time future and time future contained in time past (T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton, The Four Quartets) The aim of our FMD is to continue to provide a safe, comfortable and a well maintained working environment, for both staff and clients. By providing a full range of services which incorporates all of the latest technology currently available, these services are then executed by a an experience and well trained group of people who, are both loyal and committed to achieving all the goals set out by the financial institution. The practice of co-ordinating the physical workplace with people and work of the organization, integrating the principles of business administration, architecture and the behavioural and engineering science (Becker 1990) There are a number of new legislations and technological advancements that have emerged over the last decade, which has caused the role of the FMD to constantly evolve, thus requiring the development of both tactical and strategic methods, so that our goals can be achieved, so that we can have continued success in this technological developing world. The FMD is presently performing a number of services throughout this multi-national financial institution, such as but not limited to, maintenance, energy conservation, repairs, maintenance, security, information technology (IT), renovations, capital renewal, training, cleaning, customer services, workplace comfort, occupancy planning, business continuity planning (BCP) etc. So to properly prepare this years budget the FMD is suggesting that careful consideration be given to the following critical service areas: New legislations Energy conservation Capital renewal Workplace comfort Training Energy Conservation Climate change legislations There is a growing concern about global warming and the lasting impact its having on humanity and the environment. Due to this crisis the Global community has implemented a number of legislations geared towards the reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, two (2) of which are the Kyoto Protocol See Appendix 1 and Copenhagen Accord See Appendix 2. Older building especially consumes a lot more energy than those that were recently built; due to this they are having a significant impact on the environment. So the need to reduce our CO2 emissions by reducing our dependency on Fossil Fuels by using technology that uses Renewable Energy Sources to produce clean energy. Add a little more Buildings have a significant impact on energy use and the environment. Commercial and residential buildings use almost 40% of the primary energy and approximately 70% of the electricity in the United States (EIA 2005) Capital Renewal Replacement of outdated equipment, buildings etc. This is an important process which the FMD have already begun to implement, mainly because the buildings that we presently occupy are in excess of ten (10) years old, making both the HVAC and lighting systems inefficient and obsolete. Because of this they are the two (2) of the largest consumers of energy, simply because they are both required building components and are essential mechanisms for occupants comfort. These technological upgrades off all outdated equipment, coupled with the installation of Energy Management Control Systems (EMCS) and electrical meters, throughout our institutions, are all geared towards reducing our energy demands. This will enable us to reduce our CO2 emissions and conform to all Climate Change Legislations, with the eventual aim of reducing our overall electrical bills. Workplace Comfort Customer Services No employers would like to be on the wrong side of the law, and because of this they are obligated to ensure that the health, safety and welfare of their all employees are adhered to under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW which states that employers should: Providing safe equipment and working practices Ensuring safe handling, storage and transportation of goods and substances Providing information, training and supervision Providing a safe place of work with safe access and egress Providing a safe working environment and facilities So ensuring that all our staffs needs are met and taken care in a timely manner is of utmost importance. Due to the fact that our staff can be considered like a persons heart in that, they are a vital part of the institution and without them we will cease to exist. Add a little more Training This is an integral part of any institution given that technology changes on a daily basis, so every effort should be to insure that each member of staff is kept update with all of the latest technology. As is customary with all recessionary periods it does not last forever, so by keeping abreast of all advance technology, we will not only be gaining an advantage over all of our competitors, but also the advance knowledge needed for our continued sustenance when this period of economic down turn comes to an end. Add a little more Future Challenges So what does the future hold for us as a FMD will apart from being constantly referred to as the Jack of All Trades? what and where we are most liking heading in the future is best summed up by in the following: The future workplace will bring with it a number of distinct priorities. More attempts to make flexible working a reality are likely, requiring improved IT and communications infrastructures. The expansion of a 24/7 work culture will necessitate non-stop support facilities, with consequent outsourcing, contract and health and safety considerations needing to be taken into account. Public Private Partnership (PPP) and private Finance Initiative (PFI) deals and economic pressures will push facilities professionals towards more benchmarking, more cost-benefit analysis and more performance measurement. The tightening of building regulations and particularly the introduction of Part L [the manifestation of the European Unions Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)] is having enormous ramifications for energy efficiency and the built environment. Buildings account for an estimated 40 per cent of all world resource consumption and over 40 per cent of all waste, including greenhouse gas emissions. EPBD is designed to increase the energy efficiency of all buildings by more than 20 per cent. A key point is whether anyone will want to rent or own an F-rated building instead of an A or B one. All these developments should give facilities managers a fresh impetus to making their voices heard by senior management in the times ahead. Facilities for businesses in the future will have to be more flexible and more streamlined than ever before. Managers will need to exploit growing communication opportunities and facilitate an ever-widening range of support services. Facilities managers need to become more professional and business oriented. They must develop a performance profile that is committed to the needs of their organization. Facilities managers need a variety of skills, as all organizations are different, but all should aim to gain the attention of the board and not just be visible when something goes wrong. It is one of the most challenging professions to conquer. The key point to be made, touching on an earlier comment, is that facilities managers are indeed the stewards of the built environment. (Frank Booty) Recommendations The present economic climate dictates that once this recession period is over, the FMD would more than likely take a lot longer to recover, already having to survive throughout this time by implementing both tactical and strategic methods and now having to deal with budget cuts all in the same time is quite a lot for any FMD. So before any FMD budget reductions should take place, there are a number of options open for us to consider before any final decision is made on the budget, some of which are: Why dont we look at saving instead of cutting, for instance upon completion of all the capital renewal projects which are presently on stream, a major reduction would be seen throughout all off the institutions electrical bills, but for this to happen all ongoing projects needs to be completed in as timely a manner a feasible possible. Given that most of our noncore service labour is outsourced, we should consider coming up with some sort of partnership agreement, with if not all most of our service provides so as to generate new and innovative ways of reducing our over head expenditure. So taking into consideration all of the pertinent point discussed trimming of the FMD at this time would be unwise, given that heavy fines would be imposed upon any organization / institution not conforming to the new legislations for CO2 emission reduction. Given the current economic climate we are presently facing, and having to deal with all the challenges that comes accompany an economic slowdown, and at the same time, maintaining our vision as being the premier financial choice to both our employees and prospected clients should be of concern. For this reason the following should be noted: Addressing the trends presented here-through consideration, education and preparation-will arm facility management professionals with the necessary tools required to face the challenges ahead. In stable conditions managers can plan with greater certainty and are able to identify significant and longer term issues for which they can easily prepare. However, in a prevailing climate of uncertainty and change, and with the need to respond quickly to unforeseen circumstances, managers need to develop approaches that enable them to foresee future challenges, envisage the impact on the organisations and communities in which they work and develop the strategies and competencies needed to retain an advantage. This is an opportunity for the FMD to utilize whatever little resources they currently have at their disposal, to provide their staff and customers with as wide a service range as possible so as to fulfill all their present needs.

Patricia Hill Collins Views On Feminism

Patricia Hill Collins Views On Feminism As a standpoint feminist, Patricia Hill Collins continuously argues that feminist studies should be practiced from the standpoint of women or particular groups of women who are not as egocentric to think they understand certain aspects of the world. Because of the differences that women have, many standpoint feminist now recognize this division of women and how it is impossible to claim one universal experience for women. Sexism occurs so miraculously that it is important to view it in relation to other systems of domination and analyze how it interacts with other classes in Collins matrix of domination. Collins does this through the thought of black feminist point of view. Collins is embedded in this idea that despite long standing claims by aristocrats; women, African Americans, Latinos, and other downgraded groups in America remain incapable of producing the type of analytical thought that is labeled as a feminist theory. People with powerful knowledge of resistance trampled former social structures of social and cultural inequality abandon this view. Members of these downgraded groups do in fact theorize and our critical social theory has been central to political empowerment and the search for justice. This led to Collins publishing Black Feminist Thought. Collins is above all concerned with the relationship among empowerment, knowledge, and self-definition with a primary focus on black women. It is the oppression with which she is most personally familiar. But Collins is also one of the few Standpoint and Social thinkers who are able to rise above their own experience. She challenges us with a significant view of oppression and other views that no t only has the possibility of changing the world but also of opening up the likelihood of continuous change. To her, for change to be continuous, it cant be exclusively focused on one social group. In other words, to be continuous, a social movement that is only concerned with racial inequality will end its influence once equality for that group is achieved. Collins gives us a way of transcending specific politics that is based upon Black Feminist Epistemology. Her intent is to place black womens experiences in the center of analysis without privileging those experiences. Basically we can learn from black womens knowledge. There are so many major trends that influence her to do so much of her work. She has sociological significance in a few different areas of which the content of her ideas has been influenced by on-going dialogue in many sociological societies. This has showed that in some way women are gaining more of a voice. For instance in her popular book From Black Power to Hip-Hop: Racism, Nationalism, and Feminism, this examines the debated spaces of racism, feminism, nationalism, and popular culture in an attempt to expand the struggle for a truly democratic society for the whole universe. She highlights specific themes to truly hint the struggle of place in society. The book is divided into 3 parts: Race, Family, and the US; Ethnicity, Culture, and Black Nationalist politics; and Feminism, Nationalism, and African American women. She is careful with words, she reclaims the term Black women for its globalizing potential to include more than America women of African descent. She redefines the g roup, she states, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a unifying language that women of African descent and women who are rendered socially Black [in and outside the US] can use to describe their needs as racial and ethnic women (Collins 23). With this said early on in the book, one anticipates a broader view to reframe black feminist thought in the global eye. Not necessarily to analyze everything but to at least rethink the effects of transnational migration on urban environments in America. Collins highlights these shifts in black identity, in ways of how we discuss black experience, race relations, and how contemporary feminist redefine themselves as women of color. In spite of that, Collins sticks closely to the familiar ground of African American urban communities and their related feminist theories and practices. She is concerned with the development of contemporary black feminist thought into social movement and its expansion into multiracial collective identity politics. Hip Hop is the dominant cultural expression in many black womens lives, but it is just one part in the complex of her matrix of domination. Because of our influence of Hip-Hop and other trends of society she tries to influence us to put into practice the collective identity of politics. She tries to influence into creating a group base identity while avoiding group based essentialism. She wants us to detach ourselves from this intricate and worldwide place of domination without falling into more temptation. It doesnt seem like she has many forerunners that truly influence her to do all of what she has done. She is more influenced by herself. She gives her opinion of what she thinks females (mostly black females) need to achieve and prove, and how others should understand and learn. As mention before she operates on the Matrix of Domination. This is a sociological theory that explains issues of oppression that deal with race, gender, and class. Even though these issues are classified differently they all are connected in a way. Other forms such as age, sex, gender, and religion apply to this too. Collins introduces this in her book Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and Politics of Empowerment. Many feminist have contributed a great deal of research to help her in an advantage. Although, it seems Collins has had a little bit of help from Alice Walker and her view of black women and feminism, in which she changes to Womanism. Walkers construction of Womanism was an attempt to establish the true black woman in history and culture and to change the negative and inaccurate stereotypes that are given to black women. Walker lists the black woman as a thinking subject who is always seeking knowledge. She interrogates the epistemological exclusions she endures in intellectual life and general and feminist intelligence. Walker also highlights the black womans strength, capability, and independence. Opposed to feminism, Womanism presents an alternative for black women by framing their survival through men and women. In Black Feminist Thought, Collins states, Many black women view feminism as a movement that at best is exclusively for women, and, at worst, dedicated to attacking or eliminating menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Womanism seemingly supplies a way for black women to address gender-oppression without attacking black men (Collins 11). Collins seems agreeable in this case of Womanism and seems to be that Alice Walker is a versatile influence upon her. Collins goes into a lot of depth about Womanism in her book, a great impact on the Matrix of Domination. Patricia Hill Collins outlined America Black Feminism through the expression in music, fiction, poetry, and oral history. She continuously saw and pointed out three themes. The oppressions are interconnected greatly through the different points. Black women create alternative world views for self-definition and self determination. Black women also have often incorporated imposed and restraining definitions of who they are. They especially do this by revitalizing concepts of beauty, skin color, and physical body notions. Collins also points to areas that have been overlooked many times. Gender roles within family and work, politics, violence, and homophobia all need to be revitalized also. Collins draws on black womens experiences and voices to explain concepts that have been obscured institutionally and ideologically. Her interdisciplinary methodology engages an analytical approach to domination and subordination. She rejects defensive thought because either/or thinking categorizes people, things, and ideas in terms of their differences from each other. She stresses the both/and analysis because it could transform the way in which we think about the claims in knowledge. Her work has made Afro-centric and feminist thought more liable, broader in view, and more essential. She forces her readers to think differently and to reexamine the way in which truth and knowledge are thought to be, produced, and approved. This helps us to realize the importance of our gender society. This is some knowledge of why she seems to be an important figure in the evolution of gender studies. She gives her opinion with valuable information to back it up. Collins largely devotes a significant amount of work to present intellectual ideas mixed with everyday life ideas in an accessible way. This gives more of an encouragement for black females and other races to say what they feel, to give their opinion straightforward as can be. Her book Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment seems to be one of the most contributing books that she has published for the general public, but with a focus for black women. She reanalyzes race, gender, and class as an interlocking system of oppression. She talks about the lack of womens experiences as blood-mothers and other-mothers. The community reveals that there is a norm of a heterosexual, married couple, with a husband earning the money. This is far from being natural, universal, and preferred but instead is deeply embedded in specific race and class formations. Placing African American women in the center of analysis not only reveals much needed information ab out black womens experiences but also questions what perspective we give them. Black womens actions in group survival suggest a vision of community that stands in opposition to that extent in the dominant culture. This community is seen as arbitrary and fragile, structured accordingly by competition and domination. Afro-centric models of community stress connections, caring, and personal accountability. As cultural workers African American women have rejected the generalized ideology of domination in order to safeguard the conceptualizations of the community. According to Collins, black women have been unable to spend time theorizing about alternative conceptualizations of community. Instead, through daily actions black women have strongly created alternative communities that truly empower themselves. Experiences as mothers, other-mothers, educators, labor women, and community leaders seem to suggest that power as energy can be encouraged by resistance. In Fighting Words: Black Wome n and the Search for Justice, Collins states, The spheres of influence created and sustained by African American women are not mean to solely to provide a respite from oppressive situations or a retreat from their effects. Rather, these black female spheres of influence constitute potential sanctuaries where individual black women and men are nurtured in order to confront oppressive social institutions (Collins 56). Collins explores an astonishing range of ideas and images through history, sociology, and popular culture. Rather than debate the dominance of race versus sex in the history of social injustice to black women and other races; Collins offers a theory of Intersectionality, viewing race, gender, and sexuality together. She explores the social and personal implications of historical images and more current concerns about the influence of urban culture and how its glorified. Demonstrating how the politics of race has traditionally neglected concerns about gender and sexual orientation, Collins explores a range of issues, advocating certain aspects of cultural situations.

John Steinbecks East of Eden - Biblical Symbols and Symbolism Essay e

Biblical Symbolism in East of Eden    Throughout the novel East of Eden, Steinbeck uses many biblical references to illustrate clearly the conflict between the opposing forces of good and evil. Much of the plot of East of Eden is centered upon the two sets of brothers representing Cain and Abel.   Both pairs are similar to Cain and Abel in the way they go about winning their fathers’ favors.   All four give gifts to their fathers, and the fathers dismiss the gifts of Charles and Caleb, the Cain representations (Marks, Jay Lester. p.121).   Caleb and Charles Trask are obviously the more malignant brothers.   They are also the more loving towards their father.   Steinbeck’s purpose in this is to illustrate the need of the Cain character in the story.   Abel, Adam and Aron, is the opposite of his brother and naturally good and pure.   The purpose of Adam and Aron in East of Eden is to clarify the belief that purity must know wickedness (Marks, Jay Lester. p.122).   Steinbeck illustrates the nee d for both good and bad with the actions and beliefs of these supposed â€Å"good† characters.   The representations of Abel, Adam and Aron are both described as unloving.   Adam has not treated his children fairly and his treatment is caused by his innate goodness.   Aron grows as an ignorant selfish person because he is naturally good (Fonterose, Joseph.   p. 3382).  Ã‚   Steinbeck uses Cain to illustrate the choice man has.   In the case of Charles, Cain dies an unhappy man who did not live a worthwhile life, Caleb on the other hand, chose to realize his dark past, but chose to continue living his life with hope (Marks, Jay Lester.   p. 122-123).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Steinbeck’s East of Eden he is constantly using single characters to illustrate many differen... ....   Because of man’s evil heritage, being descendent of Cain, he is naturally forgiven for any breach in purity (Levant, Howard. p. 244).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck’s references and allusions to the bible are very obvious.   Although they are most apparent when taking the story of Genesis: 4 into consideration, the more subtle devices are equally as useful to Steinbeck to prove his point.   His beliefs of the relationship between good and evil are easily understood with the allusions that are exercised.   Works Cited Fontenrose, Joseph. John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1963. Levant, Howard. The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Study. Columbia: U of Missouri P, 1974. Marks, Lester Jay. Thematic Design in the Novels of John Steinbeck. The Hague: Mouton, 1969. Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. New York: Viking, 1952.

Social Psychology and the Stanford Prison Experiment by Philip Zimbardo

Social psychology is an empirical science that studies how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. This field focuses on how individuals view and affect one another. Social psychology also produces the idea of construals which represent how a person perceives, comprehends or interprets the environment. Construals introduce the idea that people want to make themselves look good to others and they want to be seen as right. It is also said that the social setting in which people interact impacts behavior, which brings up the idea of behaviorism. Behaviorism is the idea that behavior is a function of the person and the environment. The ideas of social psychology mentioned above can be applied to the Stanford Prison Experiment; in which the environment, the participants, and construals brought about behaviors that may not have been how the participants actually would behave in real life. The Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted in 1971 by Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University. The purpose of the experiment was a landmark study of the human response to captivity, in particular, to the real world circumstances of prison life. In social psychology, this idea is known as â€Å"mundane realism†. Mundane realism refers to the ability to mirror the real world as much as possible, which is just what this study did. Twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned to play the role of "prisoner" or "guard" and they were made to conform to these roles. Subjects became so entranced in these roles that the guards started to behave as if they really were the guards of a true prison. Zimbardo had told them to think of themselves in this way and it led to the guards mentally abusing the prisoners with their cruel and degrading ro... ...ion people based on the orders of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. In reference to the two situations, one participant of the study said that â€Å"anybody can be a guard, but not every one becomes sadistic.† This saying can be applied to real life situations, especially that of the New Jersey incident. These occurrences can be analyzed using social psychology because the environment, the situation, and those holding the authority influenced the behavior of others. Due to these influences, prisoners and guards acted on the roles they were given, in the way that society sees them. The description, in itself, is the definition of social psychology. Works Cited Ratnesar, Romesh. July/August 2011. The Menace Within. Stanford Magazine, pp. 1-9. Smothers, Ronald. (1998, February 6). Asylum Seekers Testify on Abuse by Jail Guards. The New York Times, pp. 1A, 9A.

El Chapo Biography Essay

El Chapo was born in the small Sinaloa town of La Tuna and is the oldest of seven children. Guzmà ¡n grew up surrounded by marijuana and poppy crops — plants that were cultivated by his father, Emilio Guzmà ¡n Bustillo. The elder Guzmà ¡n was a violent man who beat his children. El Chapo likely earned the ire of his father by trying to stop him from hitting his siblings. Whereas his father was a source of punishment, his mother Consuelo Loera served as his fountain of emotional support. She still lives in La Tuna and is said to be the only person in the world who can change her son’s mind on anything. Guzmà ¡n entered the narcotics industry at the age of 15 when, along with his cousins, he planted his own marijuana. It was during his adolescence that he was given the nickname of â€Å"El Chapo,† a reference to his miniscule stature he was a farmer growing beans and corn  when he escaped prison in 2001 he is to said to walked out in a wig a skirt and high heels As a child, Guzmà ¡n sold oranges, and dropped out of school in six grade to work with his father early life Joaquà ­n Archivaldo Guzmà ¡n Loera was born into a poor family in the rural community of La Tuna, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico.[21][22]Sources disagree on the date of his birth, with some stating he was born on 25 December 1954,[23] while others report he was born on 4 April 1957.[24] His parents were Emilio Guzmà ¡n Bustillos and Marà ­a Consuelo Loera Pà ©rez.[25] His paternal grandparents were Juan Guzmà ¡n and Otilia Bustillos, and his maternal grandparents were Ovidio Loera Cobret and Pomposa Pà ©rez Uriarte. For many generations, his family lived and died at La Tuna.[26] His father was officially a cattle rancher, as were most in the area where Guzmà ¡n grew up; according to some sources, however, he may have possibly also been a gomero, a Sinaloan word for opium poppy farmer.[27] Guzmà ¡n has two younger sisters, Armida and Bernarda, and four younger brothers: Miguel à ngel, Aureliano, Arturo and Emilio. He had three unnamed older brothers who reportedly died of natural causes when he was very young.[26] Few details are known of Guzmà ¡n’s upbringing. As a child, Guzmà ¡n sold oranges, and dropped out of school in third grade to work with his father.[17] Guzmà ¡n was  regularly beaten and sometimes fled to his maternal grandmother’s house to escape such treatment. However, when he was home, Guzmà ¡n stood up to his father to protect his younger siblings from being beaten.[28][29] It is possible that Guzmà ¡n incurred his father’s wrath for trying to stop him from beating them. His mother, however, was the â€Å"foundation of [his] emotional support†.[30] As the nearest school to his home was about 60 mi (95.6 km) away, Guzmà ¡n was taught by traveling teachers during his early years, just like the rest of his brothers. The teachers stayed for a few months before moving to other areas.[29] With few opportunities for employment in his hometown, he tu rned to the cultivation of opium poppy, a common practice among local residents.[31] During harvest season, Guzmà ¡n and his brothers hiked the hills of Badiraguato to cut the bud of the poppy. Once the plant was stacked in kilos, his father sold the harvest to other suppliers in Culiacà ¡n and Guamà ºchil.[32] He sold marijuana at commercial centers near the area while accompanied by Guzmà ¡n. His father spent most of the profits on liquor and women and often returned home with no money. Tired of his mismanagement, Guzmà ¡n, at the age of 15, cultivated his own marijuana plantation with four distant cousins (Arturo, Alfredo, Carlos, and Hà ©ctor), who lived nearby. With his first marijuana productions, Guzmà ¡n supported his family financially.[28] When he was a teenager, however, his father kicked him out of his house, and he went to live with his grandfather.[33] It was during his adolescence that Guzmà ¡n earned the nickname El Chapo, Mexican slang for â€Å"Shorty†, for his 1.68 m (5 ft., 6 in.) stature and stocky physical appearance.[34][35] Though most people in Badiraguato worked in the poppy fields of the Sierra Madre Occidental throughout most of their lives, Guzmà ¡n left his hometown in search of greater opportunities; through his uncle Pedro Avilà ©s Pà ©rez, one of the pioneers of Mexican drug trafficking, he left Badiraguato in his 20s and joined organized crime Guzmà ¡n was captured in 1993 in Guatemala, extradited and sentenced to 20 years in prison in Mexico for murder and drug trafficking.[1][17] After bribing prison guards, he was able to escape from a federal maximum-security prison in 2001.[1] He was wanted by the governments of Mexico, the United States and by INTERPOL.[18] The U.S. offered a US$5 million reward for information leading to his capture, and the Mexican government offered a  reward of 30 million pesos (approximately US$2 million) for information on Guzmà ¡n.[1] Guzmà ¡n was arrested again by Mexican authorities in Mexico on February 22, 2014. He was found inside his 4th floor condo at 608 Av del Mar in the beachfront Miramar condominium in Mazatlà ¡n, Sinaloa,[19] and was captured without a gunshot being fired.

Analyze Hawthornes Rhetorical Strategies

The Scarlet Letter Essay In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts major themes of the book through usage of various symbols. By utilizing symbolism, Hawthorne portrays humanity’s disposition towards those rejected by society and the effects of being an outcast, along with other various meanings conveyed in Hawthorne’s novel. The most obvious symbol, and the most important, is the scarlet letter that Hester is burdened to wear due to her conviction of adultery. Such symbols convey an intriguing message of hypocrisy that lies beyond the naked eye. Through his use of symbolism, a hidden message portraying hypocrisy is revealed line after line. Early in the novel, as the crowd awaits Hester to emerge, Hawthorne vividly describes a prison in which the puritan disciplinary system is symbolized. Hawthorne writes that â€Å"†¦ whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness†(Hawthorne 45) the founders hoped to achieve, but â€Å"Hawthorne deflates the tradition of American dreams of Utopia and new social orders†(Pearl) by pointing out that both a cemetery and a prison were among the first structures to be built. However, Puritan society is based on religious enlightenment, yet despite their morals, the first structure to be built in Boston was a prison, a place of punishment, darkness, and sin. Puritan morals expect tranquility within the society and to surely repress sin, but by building a prison, they almost antagonize sin to be committed as the prison proves to be â€Å"†¦ borne the black flower of civilized society†¦ † (Hawthorne 46). The prison symbolizes corrupt society plagued by hypocrisy within the religious system as it defies puritan beliefs of a sin-free environment by bringing darkness upon social life in Boston. Hawthorne brings light upon the darkness by contrasting the prison with a rose bush that â€Å"†¦. had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally over-shadowed it ,- or whether, as there is fair authority for believing.. † (46). The rose bush signified â€Å"Sweet moral blossom† (46) that emerged from the hypocrisy of Puritan society. Hawthorne makes several reference to the rose bush throughout the novel as in chapter 8 when pearl claims she was â€Å"plucked by her mother off the bush of wild red roses that grew by the prison door†(102). Salvation for the prisoners is depicted by the rose bush, this symbolizes that Pearl is the key to salvation for both Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl was born through an act of sin, as she lives in a world of sin she must be sanctified along with serving as salvation to all the characters as she represents light among darkness. To truly understand the nature of Hawthorne’s symbolism used to depict hypocrisy, one must understand the meaning of the infamous Scarlet Letter â€Å"A†. Throughout the novel, the scarlet letter â€Å"takes on several different meanings† (Pearl) for each of the characters. For the public, the letter is â€Å"taking Hester out of the ordinary relations with humanity and inclosing her in a sphere by herself†(51). Due to Hawthorne’s unique usage of symbolism â€Å"†¦ we are invited to enter a separate sphere, where both imagination and moral growth can occur†(Pearl). As Hester becomes accustomed to wearing the lettter, the meaning of the â€Å"A† gradually transcends from meaning â€Å"adulterer† to symbolizing â€Å"able† or â€Å"angel†. Apart from symbolizing the obvious, the letter also depicts a major theme of the book, hypocrisy. Puritans believe that people should not be punished for sin, however the Puritan leaders made Hester face a lifetime of embarrassment by making her wear the letter. Keep in mind these leaders are also the leaders who preach the word of God while condemning Hester revealing their nature of hypocrisy. Hawthorne’s symbolism usage leads the reader to reflect on why followers of a religion that stood for forgiveness would merciless condemn its own for the most rational actions. Symbols portrayed in The Scarlet Letter range from representing the hypocrisy and corruptness of Puritan society, to showing how salvation can exist in a world full of sin.

Helping Children with Learning Disabilities Essay

Children with learning disabilities are smart or smarter than their peers, but may have difficulty with things like reading, writing, reasoning, and organizing information by themselves. A learning disability is a lifelong issue that cannot be cured or fixed with a snap of the fingers. Children who have the right support and intervention can succeed in school. Then later they will be able to go and be successful later in life. Children with learning disabilities need the support of parents, school and their community to be successful. Parents need to be able to encourage children with their strengths, know what their weaknesses are, and be able to understand the educational system to be able to work with professionals. Learning Disabilities cannot be categorized into one diagnosis. Learning disabilities are caused by biological factors that are caused by differences in the structure and functioning of the nervous system. Many people, both in the local and professional community, use the terms handicap and disability interchangeably, but they are not. A learning disability means that preschoolers are unable to complete tasks in a certain way. Children with learning disabilities have a hard time functioning in areas such as sensory, physical, cognitive, and other areas. Handicap means that preschoolers are unable to function and cope in their environment. These children have impairments such as cerebral palsy or down syndrome. In 1991, the federal government amended the disabilities label to â€Å"Individuals with Disabilities Act† (PL 102-119). This act allowed states to be able to not identify with one of the thirteen federal disability labels, but to classify preschoolers with special needs. (Kilgo, pg 27) With the new changes professionals were able to use new terms like developmentally delayed and at risk when identifying children. Developmentally delayed is determined on the basis of various developmental assessments and/or an informed clinical opinion. Children starting at the age of three years old can now be identified for services. Delays can be expressed in a difference between a child’s chronological age and his/her performance levels. Delays occur when a child does not reach his/her developmental milestones at the expected age level or time. If a child is slightly behind it is not considered a delay until he/she are lagging in two or more areas of motor, language, social or thinking skills. Developmental delays are usually diagnosed by a doctor or medical professional based on strict guidelines and take more than one visit to diagnose. Parents or childcare providers are usually the first to notice children not progressing at the same rate as other children. Testing will help to gauge a child’s developmental level. At risk describes children with exposure to certain adverse conditions and circumstances known to have a high probability of resulting in learning and development difficulties? (Kilgo, pg 28) These children have not been identified as having a disability, but as children who may be developing conditions that will limit their success in school or lead to disabilities. There are three factors that can result in a child’s environment. The first is established risk/genetic. This could be where a child is born with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, or spinal bifida. Biological risk means that a child has a history of pre- or post- natal conditions that heighten the chance of development. These could be conditions such as premature births, infants with low birth weights, maternal diabetes, and bacterial infections like meningitis or HIV. Environmental risks are considered biologically typical, meaning they are environmental conditions that are limiting or threating to the child’s development. All three at risk factors can result in cognitive, social, affective, and physical problems. (Kim, pg. 4) Some signs of learning disabilities in young children are: †¢ A toddler may reach developmental milestones quite slowly. †¢ The child may have trouble understanding the concept of time. Is the child confused by the use of words like â€Å"tomorrow†, â€Å"today†, and â€Å"yesterday†? †¢ Young children have a lot of energy, but some have an excessive amount of kinetic energy, known as hyperactivity. †¢ A child that has difficulty distinguishing right from left may have difficulty identifying words. †¢ A child with a learning disability often masters several areas, while failing in two or more areas. A child that is perceived as disobedient may actually have difficulty understanding and following instructions. Once a child has been identified as having a possible learning disability, assessments need to be completed. An assessment is the process of gathering information for the purpose of making a decision about children with known or suspected disabilities in the area of screening, diagnosis, eligibility, program planning, and/or process monitoring and evaluation. (Kilo, pg. 90) During the assessment, evaluations should be accomplished with the e goal of identifying developmentally ppropriate goals, identifying unique styles and strengths, looking at parent goals and outcomes for their children, reinforcing family’s competence and worth, and creating a sense of shared commitment between families, schools, and professionals. Families possess a wealth of information and should play a very active role in the decision making, planning, and evaluations of their children. Schools are required to foster a child’s education, offering and supporting the needs of each child through a series of individualized instructions and interventions. School districts must provide documentation stating that the student has received the required instruction by qualified personnel. These interventions help teachers and staff to educate and foster the needs of children with learning disabilities. Assessments are an ongoing process. The initial assessment should be used to screen, diagnose, and check for eligibility for services. Ongoing assessments are to focus on a child’s skill level, needs, background, experiences, and interests, as well as the family’s preferences and priorities. Over the years practice has shown that there is a link between assessments and curriculum to provide for the needs of the child. It is important to keep records of a child’s progress. A very useful way is through portfolio assessments. These portfolios can be considered a looking glass into a child’s growth. Portfolios also help teachers and team members to keep observations and comments about a child’s activities and behaviors. The information collected can help meet many of the required criteria for planning and monitoring. An important responsibility of an educator is to have an environment that will both nurture and foster learning. When designing an environment childcare providers should use best practice guidelines from places like National Association of Education of Young Child (NAEYC) and National Association of Family Childcare (NAFCC). Environments should look at available space, age of children, visual appeal, safety and health, and organization. (Perri Klass, pg. 46) Always remember that environments exert powerful influences on children and help to play a vital role in children’s lives. Activity areas should include gross- motor, quiet/calm, discover, dramatic, therapeutic, and arts and crafts areas. Rooms should not have furniture that is used to separate centers or activities but should use things like lower lightening, parachutes hanging from the ceiling and area rugs to help children understand the use of different centers. The main goal of childcare providers and educators is to provide the best possible services for children with learning disabilities by providing services â€Å"as early and comprehensively as possible in the least restrictive setting†. Services and interventions should be supported in the most natural environments that will include the child’s primary care giver. Individual Education Plans (IEP) plays a large role in the education process of children with learning disabilities. These IEP’s require professionals, parents, and caregivers to work together as a team. They hold teams to accountability standards for the care of children with disabilities. A child’s IEP helps to furnish an instructional direction, sort of like a blueprint of care, to measure the effectiveness and progress of children. If an IEP is carefully written and appropriate goals are set, it will provide special education services to a child that will be reflected throughout his/her life. In the field of early childhood education, the definition of special needs has drastically changed for children with learning disabilities over the years. We live in a very diverse society of languages, foods, music, values and religious beliefs that brings us the strengths of our nation. Every day the makeup of our society changes and so does the needs of our children, especially those of children with learning disabilities. Our community is seeing a growing need for services for children with learning disabilities. Young children with learning disabilities need to receive services at the earliest age possible. Parents need to remember that learning disabilities do not go away overnight and for some children it takes years of recognizing, expressing, thinking, and problem solving to succeed at being the young adult that they are meant to be.

The Forgotten Offenders

â€Å"The Forgotten Offenders† Until recently the female offender was generally overlooked by an overwhelmingly male-dominated criminal justice system. There are so few women in prison in then men. Approximately 5,600 out of 196,000 inmates in state and federal prisons are women. Because of the small proportion of female prisoners, female facilities are not as well-equipped as male prisons. Educational and vocational training programs are limited. Life requires a plan in all of at least five basic life areas. These include: †¢ Subsistence Residence †¢ Children and family †¢ Health, mental health and sobriety †¢ Criminal justice compliance The ability to function successfully in the community requires a plan in all of the areas and equipping woman in each of these areas is masked by prisons. The criminal justice system discourages women from coming together, trusting, speaking about personal issues, and forming relationships. Women engage more often in self- mutilating behaviors, such as cutting, as well as verbally abusive and disruptive behaviors.They are also more likely to have a coexisting psychiatric disorder, have lower self-esteem, and more likely to use prescribed medications. With the higher rate of mental illness among female offenders, high rates of medication are given to them. The chance that they will become addicted to the medication is extremely high. Based on the crimes woman commit, they inconvenience society less then the crimes men commit and are usually non-violent and do not present a risk to public safety.These reasons alone should sentence women to community corrections whenever possible. This is important for several reasons: †¢ To reduce the incidence and the costs of incarceration †¢ To improve outcomes for women and their children †¢ To demonstrate an approach that may also be more effective with men. However, due to lack of treatment programs provided, most women in the criminal justice syste m are poor, undereducated, and unskilled. They are likely to re-offend and end up incarcerated again

Accident Prevention Program Essay

The committee is made up of management-designated representatives and one employee-elected representative each from the office, factory and outside sales divisions of our company. Employees in each division will elect from among themselves a representative to be on the committee. If there is only one volunteer or nomination, the employees will approve the person by voice vote at a short meeting called for that purpose. If there is more than one volunteer or nomination, a secret paper ballot will be used to elect the representative. Elected representatives will serve for one year before being re-elected or replaced. If there is a vacancy then an election will be held before the next scheduled meeting to fill the balance of the term. In addition to the employee-elected representatives, management will designate no more than three representatives but a minimum of one who will serve until replaced by management. A chairperson will be selected by majority vote of the committee members each year. If there is a vacancy, the same method will be used to select a replacement. In addition to the committee responsibilities explained above, duties of safety committee members include: A monthly self-inspection of the area they represent Communicating with the employees they represent on safety issues and Encouraging safe work practices among co-workers. The regularly scheduled meeting time is 7:30 am for one hour on the first Thursday of each month, at the employee lunchroom. This may be changed by vote of the committee. A committee member will be designated each month to keep minutes on the attached minutes form. A copy will be posted on the employee bulletin board after each meeting. After being posted for one month, the minutes will be filed for one year. The minutes form contains the basic monthly meeting agenda. (Customize by adding any additional safety committee information that you may have and/or deleting any that do not apply to your company. ) Employee Safety Meetings (Optional for employers with 10 or fewer employees or employers with 11 employees or more who are segregated on different shifts or work in widely dispersed locations in crews of 10 or less) All employees are required to attend a monthly safety meeting held on the first Thursday of each month in the lunchroom. This meeting is to help identify safety problems, develop solutions, review incidents reports, provide training and evaluate the effectiveness of our safety program. Minutes will be kept on the attached minutes form. Meeting minutes will be kept on file for one year. (Customize by adding any additional Employee Safety Meeting information that you may have and/or deleting any that do not apply to your company. ) Hazard Recognition Record Keeping and Review Employees are required to report any injury or work related illness to their immediate supervisor regardless of how serious.

Computer Control Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Computer Control Systems - Assignment Example The number of right-half plane roots of the characteristic equation (closed-loop poles) is given by the number of sign changes in the first column of the array. By inspection, there are no sign changes. There are no roots with positive real parts. Since the array was constructed without a 0 appearing anywhere in the first column, there are no roots on the jw axis. The second system is slightly more complex, but the Routh array is formed in the same manner. Note that the number of terms in each row decreases by 1 at each odd-powered row, and that the last element in each even-powered row is the constant coefficient from the characteristic equation. Since there are no sign changes, there are no roots in the right-half plane. There are no roots on the jw axis since there were no 0s in the first column. The third system is the same as the second system except that the gain has been increased by a factor of 10. Note that several of the coefficients in the characteristic equation have changed. Also note that there is a negative coefficient in the polynomial. That guarantees that there is at least one unstable root. Since the constant coefficient is positive, there is an even number of unstable roots. Examination of the first column of the array shows that there are 2 sign changes, from +761.7 to -355.5 and from -355.5 to +120. Therefore, there are 2 roots of the characteristic equation with positive real parts and 2 closed-loop poles in the right-half plane. The location of those roots is not available. ... The number of right-half plane roots of the characteristic equation (closed-loop poles) is given by the number of sign changes in the first column of the array. By inspection, there are no sign changes. Therefore, there are no roots with positive real parts. Since the array was constructed without a 0 appearing anywhere in the first column, there are no roots on the jw axis. The second system is slightly more complex, but the Routh array is formed in the same manner. Note that the number of terms in each row decreases by 1 at each odd-powered row, and that the last element in each even-powered row is the constant coefficient from the characteristic equation. Since there are no sign changes, there are no roots in the right-half plane. There are no roots on the jw axis since there were no 0s in the first column. The third system is the same as the second system except that the gain has been increased by a factor of 10. Note that several of the coefficients in the characteristic equation have changed. Also note that there is a negative coefficient in the polynomial. That guarantees that there is at least one unstable root. Since the constant coefficient is positive, there is an even number of unstable roots. Examination of the first column of the array shows that there are 2 sign changes, from +761.7 to -355.5 and from -355.5 to +120. Therefore, there are 2 roots of the characteristic equation with positive real parts and 2 closed-loop poles in the right-half plane. The location of those roots is not available from the Routh array. Since there were no 0s in the first column, there are no poles on the jw axis. The last system has its gain K left as a variable. We want to determine the upper and lower bounds on K

G-Biosports and its Product Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

G-Biosports and its Product - Assignment Example Even though the product had been contaminated by unknown factors and substances, the risk to the overall healthy adult consumer was very low. Though it was noted that risks to an immune-compromised adult would be slightly higher, the overall risk to the public was placed as ‘low’. The decision to inform the customer, rather than recall the product, was made on the basis of not only the threat to the consumer but a threat to the company and its business reputation. It was decided that, in informing the customer and allowing them to make their own choices through the information presented, the customer could choose for themselves whether to take the low risk of being exposed to the contaminants or cease using the product, rather than possibly panic and risk losing all faith of the customer through a blaring market recall. Though G-Biosports would undoubtedly lose some faith with the customer through the process, causing a market-wide panic would have a far greater impact a nd consequences in the long run than simply telling the consumers what had happened and leaving the choice up to them. However, in the area of the international market, which was the second part of the simulation, the decision was made to destroy all product rather than distributing it to the international market consumers for consumption. This decision was made on the basis of holding the company to the standards of safety mandated by the USA and choosing not to allow the product to be sold in a country where the safety standards would be less than, or different to, the USA. Though the cost to the company would be great, as the destroyed product would be taken from company costs, it was felt that it was better to deal with such costs than to risk a lawsuit in an area where a customer might have had adverse effects from consuming the contaminated product. It was also noted that while the company would lose money in destroying the product.

14 th amendment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

14 th amendment - Research Paper Example The 14th amendment to the American constitution is highly pertinent because it explicitly addresses immigration and nationality act to give equal protection to its citizens across race, color and culture. 14th amendment was also designed to strengthen the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This is one of most important amendments that helped to declare the Afro-Americans as rightful citizens of America and promoted equality across race, color and culture. When civil Rights had come into force, the color of the skin played a major role in the social status. The whites had maintained a racial divide within the society through deliberate use of powerful lobby of the whites and financial advantages that they enjoyed. The blacks were not allowed to become part of mainstream society so that they remained socially and economically unequal. The Amendment was a huge step towards bridging the socio-cultural and racial gaps in the American society. The equal protection is a critical part that gives legal rights of citizenship to the non white population of America. It clearly established that ‘all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States ... nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws’ (US constitution). It paved way for tranquil growth of new American society that valued democratic framework. It became a major propeller of social justice across the race and color and provided the former slaves with legal rights to fight against discriminatory social practices. Interestingly separate but equal was a highly controversial doctrine that the white population exploited to gain undue advantages. The words like privileges or immunities, due process of law etc. were misrepresented to favor white population against the non white individuals in the court

Topic is how did Steve Jobs has influenced people's, or my own ideas Essay

Topic is how did Steve Jobs has influenced people's, or my own ideas - Essay Example I am focused on doing the same because I have decided that I wont do anything I don’t want to as I want to focus my energy in doing what am best at in order to achieve my objectives in life. He always gave the best at what he was doing in order to perfect it with the objective of giving the customers the best there can ever be. One of the major lessons I got from him is that life is short hence I have to maximize the use of my time in order to achieve my goals. Furthermore, mistakes are there to make us better citizens and come back much stronger than before. I take my mistakes as life lessons and I do my best not to repeat them and do things differently so as to achieve my objectives in life. I also study the lives of my friends and other people and get the best out of them and avoid the mistakes that they made in life. This has made me who I am today and I still remain focused on achieving greater things in life. He used his personal life experiences during his speeches and this inspired me a lot as I always aspired to be like him. His insistence on not losing faith during hard times often guides me during difficult times. I now understand that there is no time for being hopeless as life is too short to even think of despairing. I am now focused in everything I do and I don’t despair at all regardless of the hardships I face in life. The various challenges and obstacles that tend to inhibit my success in life only make me stronger and wiser and give me confidence every time I manage to overcome them. My mistakes make me a better person because what is important is not to repeat them and stay focused on discovering new ways of doing things. Through his speeches, I managed to understand and appreciate the importance of utilizing the few resources I have at my disposal. Success is not based on doing big things because you may die struggling to achieve that and not do it at all. It is based on utilizing the available resources to get the best out of them. When he said that people don’t realize what they have until they lose them, I was moved because he was stressing on the importance of guarding what we have and using them wisely in order to get the best out of them. Things like time and natural resources are not renewable and should be well utilized for maximum output. We only live once and aging is not reversible so we should do all the things that we are capable of doing in good time so we don’t regret in the future when it’s a little too late. It is important to be yourself and do things in your own unique way. Being original and sticking to oneself helps in discovering and sticking to personal talents as opposed to imitating what the others are doing. This is very important because it ensures that one concentrates at what he is good at and likes doing as opposed to imitating something that is beyond your ability. Setting personal achievable goals is the basic thing here as it drives one to succeed in a given task within a given time frame. It also eliminates the possibility of trying to achieve impossible things because other people are doing them and succeeding with ease. This goes hand in hand with ignoring those who criticize what you are doing and think that you are either crazy or bound to fail. The society has these kinds of people that will either mock you or pull you down so you don’

Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

Marketing Management - Essay Example The use of English advertising in foreign countries is one that is well-studied. In Japan, for instance, the usage of English connotes sophistication and modernity, as it also does in South Asia countries like India. In India, the usage of English is used to convey sophistication and modernity, while the usage of Hindi, the lingua franca of India, is used to connote tradition and belonging. In the Hispanic population living in the United States, English advertisements is seen as not accommodating, yet is somewhat positive if the listener has linguistic insecurity. Spanish advertisements have the opposite effect they are accommodating, yet are somewhat negative for those with linguistic insecurity. Therefore, the researcher found that a mix of Spanish and English is most effective in these populations, as it mixes accommodation and respect (the Spanish part of the ad) with a positive feeling of linguistic security (the English part of the ad). The use of English in the country of Japan is becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon. The attribution of the high number of loan words in Japan dates back to the Meiji Restoration in 1868, in which Japan was transformed from feudal to a modern state by adopting Western civilization (Takashi, 1990, p. 327). There are a high number of English loan words in the Japanese language, much more so than loan words from European nations. English loan words represent 80.8% of Western loan words in Japan, with the other western loan words coming from France, Germany, Italian and Dutch (Takashi, 1990, p. 327). This is because the Japanese study English more than any other foreign language. There is some thought that the Japanese people regard English as representative of something cosmopolitan and international, and modern English words are seen as conveying sophistication and modernity, especially in they are used in advertising. (Takashi, 1990, p.

The Paths of Art and Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Paths of Art and Science - Essay Example Science needs art to illustrate the concepts and discoveries in a way that can be conceptualized by a viewer. Microbiology, deep space, sub atomic physics, and light beyond the visual spectrum all require an artist's rendition. As art strives to tell us more about who we are and describe the world around us, the artist relies on science to discover what that world is. Music and perspective require extensive math, while artists demand a better understanding of nature and the nature of life. Beauty in art is a perceived notion based in the observer's experience and comprehension of the art. The beauty in science is only evident to those who have a deep enough understanding of the subject to appreciate its truth. Yet, both are concerned with describing our universe in a way that is accurate, intuitive, and leaves us with a deeper understanding of who we are and what it means to be a part of the universe. Today's art depends on many scientific and technological advancements as new mediums and methods become available. The cinema, with special effects, is filled with technology. New methods of creation and the effects of widespread distribution impact music, sculpture, and literature. Science education benefits from the use of artistry in the classroom. Literature often relies on science to tell an accurate story, while science depends on the writer to craft the words to make the

Collective memory and Public Discourse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Collective memory and Public Discourse - Essay Example The foundation of Christian faith is based on the existence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was sent to save the world from sin by dying on the cross and rising from the dead after three days. Christ's resurrection gives assurance of a life after death and through faith with Jesus salvation is assured among his faithful followers. These concepts are supported by a known document called Scriptures, obtained from archeological explorations and other preserved documents, and other non-written accounts they refer to as traditions. Much of the information concerning Jesus, however, can be obtained from the New Testament, which is the second part of the Bible and covers the times after the death and believed resurrection of Jesus Christ. But varying interpretations of these writing and traditions led to new ideas and concepts as society evolved and created variations in the Christian faith the leads to creation of several branches. Today, the Christian faith has several subdivisions each one having created within an understanding and ideals based from Scriptures, from tradition, or both. In general the foundation of every group of Christians are based on strong faith which emanated from a concept or inspiration developed by a charismatic leadership and then later evolved into an organized society congregated by those who accepted the ideals presented. Christian organizations presently recorded include: The Amish, Baptist churches, Church of England, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church of Scotland, Eastern Orthodox Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Methodist Church, Pentecostalism, Roman Catholic Church, and Seventh-day Adventists among others. Within these major denominations are a lot of variations that existed and spread throughout the world. The Roman Catholics The largest among the subdivisions of Christianity is the Roman Catholicism (BBC) who claimed to be the first of the Christian religions and from which other groups sprung off. Its history can be traced back to as far as 2000 years back. The church was based in Rome headed by the Pope who was claimed to be the successor of Peter who in turn was the first head of the Christian Church instituted by Jesus Christ himself. The doctrines of the Catholics are unique in the sense that it considers both the scriptures and the church own traditions. Issues of Protestantism Belief in traditions, among others such as the control of the Pope over the church, the increased devotion to Mary, Christmas, Easter, the Rosary, the Idols, and others are common point of divergence of other Christian denominations that believed the "scriptures alone" as the source of inspirations, guidelines, and rules in following God. Among these groups who questioned traditions are the contemporary evangelical churches that emerged in the early 17th century and onwards. Today, a public discourse is raging over the use of corruptible collective memory-based traditions as against a written document alone as the basis of faith and social practices in Christian organizations. Critics to the Catholic practice argued that traditions are not reliable social guidelines to followers of Christ for they do not qualify to be divinely inspired. They pushed the idea of "Sola Scriptura" or the scripture alone as the source of divine revelation.

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Research Paper

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Research Paper Example Hiroshima underwent the massacre due to the weapon titled ‘Little Boy’ on the 6th of August whereas the ‘Fat Man’ was dropped on Nagasaki three days later. In order to let peace prevail after, Japan sent an instrument of surrender after almost a week of the bombings which marked the end of the Second World War. Prior to the surrender of the Nazi army in Germany, the Allies of World War II had already made plans to go ahead with Operation Downfall which was supposed to be the invasion of Japan. In 1945 when Germany was defeated, the Allies turned their attention towards Japan. Under the guidance of Major General Leslie Groves, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, the first atomic bombs were finally designed. Even though preparations were going on since 1939, fearing the Nazi army to build worse nuclear weapons kept the Allies in check and made them not reveal their weaponry. Both the Little Boy and the Fat Man were implosion weapons designed as gun type fission weapo ns; Little Boy was made of a rare isotope of uranium-235 and the Fat Man formed its base in plutonium-239. On receiving the Potsdam Declaration, the Japanese government decided to ignore it or kill it by silence and despite being given an ultimatum to surrender and told by the Allies that the consequences of non compliance with the same would result in the complete destruction of the Japanese Armed Forces as well as proper devastation of Japan on the whole, a clear rejection of the Declaration was provided by the then Prime Minister, Kantaro Suzuki. Hiroshima was of prime importance to the Japanese because its strategic location made the city a backbone for developing industry, trade and commerce. The city also had attached towards itself a great amount of military significance. The Allies had decided that in case the bombing of Hiroshima did not go as planned, they would target the cities of Kokura and Nagasaki alternately. The point which was aimed from the craft, Enola Gay, (whic h was the craft used to drop the bomb on Hiroshima), was the Aioi Bridge however, it missed and landed on the Shima Surgical Clinic, blasting at least 12km2 of the city and spreading fire everywhere. 30% of the population of the city at the time was killed immediately, with the effects ranging on another million or so that were riddled with the gases and fumes and burns due to the fire of the blast. Many people were affected by cancer and leukaemia due to the after effects of the blasts, which led to their death eventually as well. The Hiroshima Genbaku Dome is one of the few known surviving ruins post the attacks and in 1996; it was termed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO which followed repeal from countries like US and China. Nagasaki was one of the largest ports that Japan had and thus it was vital to the country’s growth and development because of its connection with overseas routes which were especially of use during the time of the war in order to import and export ma terials, keep an eye on invading foreigners, as well as produce and distribute military equipment

English Paper on Holes Essay Example for Free

English Paper on Holes Essay The film codes and conventions are greatly used in the movie Holes, directed by Andrew Davis, to construct characters and develop the atmosphere. The film is about a young boy, Stanley Yelnats, who is falsely accused of stealing a pair of shoes. As a punishment, he is sent to camp Greenlake, where he meats and discovers an ancient secret that leads him to great treasure. Throughout the movie technical, symbolic, audio and written codes are used to demonstrate the characters’ personalities as well as create a profound atmosphere in every scene. These filmic conventions help the audience to obtain a clearer understanding of the main characters and the movie itself. The innocent and friendly nature of Stanley is effectively demonstrated through the film codes and conventions. He is a protagonist in the movie and undergoes the most change to his personality and behavior throughout the film. In the very first scene, Stanley’s voice over is used saying â€Å"All my life, I seem to appear at the wrong time in the wrong place†. This audio code has a great effect on the viewer’s opinion of Stanley, indicating that he is clumsy or unlucky. A little further into the movie, techniques such as costume and setting are well used. Stanley’s over-sized old clothes and the messy, un-tidy house of the Yelnats’ family gives an impression of a less fortunate family. These filmic codes are vital in the construction of Stanley’s personality. The film codes and conventions successfully show Zero’s as a closed, shy and disrespected little boy. He too is one of the main characters in the movie and over time becomes great friends with Stanley. When Stanley is introduced to the other boys in camp, Mr. Fernandsci explains, â€Å"You know why everyone calls him Zero? Because he has nothing going on in his stupid, little head!†. The effect of this dialogue is immense. Zero is introduced as a dumb and helpless boy, yet we understand that he is plainly judged and bullied. When the councilor proclaims this, Zero turns his back on the boys and his facial expression shows anger and disappointment. These symbolic codes have a huge effect on the viewer’s opinion of zero, suggesting that he is an annoyed and perhaps unapproachable little boy. He just wants everyone to leave him alone. The audience understands zero’s calm yet unsociable personality through the excellent use of various film code techniques. The filmic conventions are used to create a dream-like atmosphere in the scene where kissing Kate Barlow commits suicide. After stealing and burying the treasure of Stanley’s great grandfather, she has been stranded in the desert for several days. When viewers first see her lying on the sand, the focus of the camera is blurred. This technical code has a great effect on the viewers understanding of the scene, showing that it is a flash back or memory. Further into the episode, a blurred image of Sam appears and Kate murmurs, â€Å"Its so hot Sam but I feel so cold†. These techniques give an impression that Kate’s vision is blurring and she is hallucinating because of exhaustion. This dialogue and several other shots work together to create the imaginary, almost unrealistic atmosphere. A happy and relieving atmosphere is created with the use of film codes in the scene where Stanley and Zero climb god’s thumb and reach water. After a close escape from Camp Greenlake, the two boys have been wondering along the desert for days. They have finally reached a rocky mountain in the shape of a thumb, onto which Stanley’s great grandfather had once climbed, and found water. Joyful and lively music plays when the boys finally come to the top of the mountain. The use of this technique demonstrates how Zero and Stanley have finally reached their goals and the atmosphere is clearly shown. Throughout this scene, cool colors such as blue, purple, grey and violet are used. This symbolizes the peacefulness of the situation and the viewer gives a sigh of relief, as the main characters are unharmed. These filmic codes are very important in the construction of a serene atmosphere in the particular scene. The atmosphere and the characters’ personalities in the movie are created by the excellent use of film codes and conventions. Voice overs, body language and costumes are used to construct the character of Stanley and Zero. Colors, music, different camera shots and dialogue are used during different scenes to portray the correct atmosphere. These various codes give us a better understanding of the film and the important messages.