Implementation of the Basic Human Right - the Right for Freedom due to Term Paper

Implementation of the Basic Human Right - the Right for Freedom due to the European Convention of Human Rights - Term Paper Example The sublimeness of the idea of human rights is enough to capture the imagination and fancy of someone reflecting on the idea. But if one is pulled back into reality, with the grimness of the world that human beings have created for themselves, one then is thrust to the question of justice, of equality, of liberty, of rights, and of freedom.  Ã‚   And for this very reason, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom and its Eight Protocol came into inception.Europe ravaged by the atrocities of the Second World War had become the living witness of the extent of the possibility of the madness that could be inflicted by man to other men.   Thus, the man-made catastrophe – genocide - had spurred various leaders of Europe to come together and create a treaty.   A convention that will have for its undertakings â€Å"the promotion or encouragement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction, and to take joint and separate action in co-operation with the Organization for the achievement of these objectives.† Together with this sad and horrifying experience of Europe is the fact that during the creation of the convention, Europe is â€Å"ideologically broken,† because during that time the â€Å"ideological conflict between Eastern Europe and Western Europe† was as real and as palpable as any concrete human experience.   With these two reasons acting as the primary motivators and ethos, Europe had created the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its eight Protocols. This convention was â€Å"signed on November 4, 1950† and â€Å"entered into force on September 3,1953†.It is in this light that this paper is being pursued - to be able to shed light into the question of liberty as it is elucidated and clarified in the â€Å"European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms a nd Its Eight Protocols.†Ã‚  

Communication Challenges to Modern Day Business Essay Example for Free

Communication Challenges to Modern Day Business Essay Communication is defined as the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual or electronic channels. Simply put, communication is the exchange of information between people. It is important to get feedback from your audience and vice versa for the process of communication to take place effectively. The feedback can be either positive or negative. It is any communication used in an organization with an intention to promote a product, improve service or with the intention to make a sale. This type of communication also occurs within the organization between the management and employees. It has purpose and a lot of attention is given to the details. Business communication has undergone a lot of transformation as a result of the growth of information technology that has changed the whole concept of communication. In the past, businesses had a model of communication that left very little room for interaction and conversation with the receiver of the message. Currently the model that works and is now used by most organisations is one that gives room to both conversation and interaction with the receivers. Communication is very vital in any organization. Like blood in our bodies, it is the channel that gives life to the organisation and without it, organisations would not be functional. Effective communication plays a significant role in the success of the business, as communication works to send information, control behavior and motivate workers. Today there are many more ways to communicate than there were just a few years ago and access to communication devices is almost universal in most businesses. Good communication means the intended message that is send is received by a group of audience without any distortions in meaning. This definition applies to not only personal communication among friends or relatives, but to business situations where you may be communicating with a co-worker one-on-one or in a meeting with several or more people. The key here is clarity Communication is also almost instantaneous. Good business communication is simple and easily understood, a rule often overlooked by managers and team members. This is especially important when preparing a document, speech or presentation that is a game-changer for the company. Simple and concise language wins over language that is obtuse and hard to understand. Business communication defines most organizations, resulting in effective marketing campaigns, productive interpersonal relationships among co-workers and successful customer service resolutions. Since audiences demand different kinds of communications in different situations and settings, effective business communication professionals understand how to tailor messages for maximum results. Several communication challenges exist within day-to-day business operations, especially with technology. Technology benefits organizational communication by lifting communication restrictions caused by time and distance. At the same time, the removal of time and distance as communication factors has led to the challenges of information overload and constant accessibility. The issue of constant accessibility has led to blurring of the lines between personal and professional lives. There are several barriers: Emotion serves as an obstacle to effective communication, as emotion can interfere with making rational decisions. Differences in culture can be a communication challenge for international businesses. Not understanding the language and customs of other cultures can lead to poor sales and public relation disasters. There are a number of recognised barriers in the modern day communication, many of which go unnoticed, that can and do effect the standards of communication a person feels comfortable with. Physical barriers are often down to the nature of the environment in which communication may take place but are not always interpreted by the recipient in the correct manor. For example an office door being closed could signify to a co-worker that someone does not want to be bothered, or is possibly in a bad mood, whereas the occupant of the office could have possibly closed the door due to a breeze or didnt close the door them self at all. This is an example of misinterpretation of actions brought about by the physical barrier of the door. Barriers like this can often present the risk of a ripple effect; in that the barrier in this situation could damage the recipients’ perception of the source by making the recipient feel outcast or shut out by the inhabitant of the office, which would set up the standings of a bad communicative relationship. Issues in communication can be disturbed when the basic mechanics of the communication method are damaged directly.

An Introduction To Intrusion Detection Systems :: Computer Network Security

I decided to write my paper on Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) because professor mentioned these devices several times in class and I am interested in network security therefore it was a good opportunity for me to learn more about these security systems. An intrusion detection system (IDS) generally detects unwanted manipulations to computer systems, mainly through the Internet. The manipulations may take the form of attacks by crackers. An intrusion detection system is used to detect many types of malicious network traffic and computer usage that can't be detected by a conventional firewall. This includes network attacks against vulnerable services, data driver attacks on applications, host based attacks such as privilege escalation, unwanted logins and access to sensitive files, and malware (viruses, Trojan horses, and worms). Intrusion detection is the process of monitoring the events occurring in a computer system or network and analyzing them for signs of possible incidents, which are violations or imminent threats of violation of computer security policies, acceptable use policies, or standard security practices. Intrusion prevention is the process of performing intrusion detection and attempting to stop detected possible incidents. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are primarily focused on identifying possible incidents, logging information about them, attempting to stop them, and reporting them to security administrators. In addition, organizations use IDPSs for other purposes, such as identifying problems with security policies, documenting existing threats, and deterring individuals from violating security policies. IDPSs have become a necessary addition to the security infrastructure of nearly every organization. An IDS is composed of several components: Sensors which generat e security events, a Console to monitor events and alerts and control the sensors, and a central Engine that records events logged by the sensors in a database and uses a system of rules to generate alerts from security events received. There are several ways to categorize an IDS depending on the type and location of the sensors and the methodology used by the engine to generate alerts. In many simple IDS implementations all three components are combined in a single device or appliance. In a network-based intrusion-detection system (NIDS), the sensors are located at choke points in the network to be monitored, often in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) or at network borders. The sensor captures all network traffic and analyzes the content of individual packets for malicious traffic.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty

I ALMOST ASKED, â€Å"Are you serious?† But let's face it: that probably wasn't the kind of thing she would joke about, especially considering how grave her face looked. Other questions popped into my head, but I held back on those as well. They weren't that weird, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself by showing unusual interest in a grisly murder. Instead, I simply thanked Mrs. Dawson for her help with the letter and returned to East Campus. Mrs. Weathers was at her desk when I entered the dorm. I brought her the letter, which she read over twice before tucking it away in her filing cabinet. â€Å"All right,† she said. â€Å"Just make sure your sister signs in and out each time.† â€Å"I will, ma'am. Thank you.† I hesitated, torn over whether to go or ask the questions Mrs. Dawson's information had triggered. I decided to stay. â€Å"Mrs. Weathers†¦ ever since Jill disappeared, I just keep thinking about that girl you told me about. The one who died. I keep thinking that could've been Jill.† Mrs. Dawson's face softened. â€Å"Jill's fine. I shouldn't have told you that. I didn't mean to scare you.† â€Å"Is it true that girl's throat was slit?† â€Å"Yes.† She shook her head sadly. â€Å"Terrible. Simply terrible. I don't know who does that kind of thing.† â€Å"Did they ever find out why it happened? I mean, was there anything unusual about her?† â€Å"Unusual? No, not really. I mean, she was a lovely girl. Smart, pretty, popular. A good – no, great – athlete. Had friends, a boyfriend. But nothing that would especially make her stand out as a target. Of course, people who do awful things like that probably don't need a reason.† â€Å"True,† I murmured. I walked up to my room, wishing Mrs. Weathers had elaborated a little more on how pretty Kelly was. What I really wanted to know was if Kelly had been Moroi. If she had, I'd hoped Mrs. Weathers might comment on how tall or pale she was. By both Clarence's and the Alchemists' accounts, no Moroi on record had lived in the Palm Springs area. That didn't mean someone couldn't slip through the cracks, however. I'd have to find the answer myself. If Kelly had been Moroi, then we had three young Moroi women killed in the same way in southern California within a relatively short time span. Clarence might argue for his vampire hunter theory, but to me, this pattern screamed Strigoi. Jill was in our room, serving out her house arrest. The more time passed, the less angry I felt toward her. Having the feeding issue fixed helped. I would've been a lot more upset if we'd been unable to get her off campus. â€Å"What's wrong?† she asked me, looking up from her laptop. â€Å"Why do you think anything's wrong?† She smiled. â€Å"You've got that look. It's this tiny frown you get between your eyebrows when you're trying to figure something out.† I shook my head. â€Å"It's nothing.† â€Å"You know,† she said, â€Å"maybe all these responsibilities you have wouldn't be as bad if you talked them out and got help from other people.† â€Å"It's not quite like that. It's just something I'm trying to puzzle out.† â€Å"Tell me,† she entreated. â€Å"You can trust me.† It wasn't a matter of trust. It was a matter of unnecessarily worrying Jill. Mrs. Weathers had feared she would scare me, but if someone was killing Moroi girls, I wasn't in danger. Looking at Jill and her unwavering gaze, I decided if she could handle living with the knowledge that her own people were trying to kill her, she could handle this. I gave her a brief summary of what I knew. â€Å"You don't know if Kelly was Moroi, though,† she said, once I'd finished. â€Å"No. That's the crucial piece here.† I sat cross-legged on my bed with my own laptop. â€Å"I'm going to check our records and local newspapers to see if I can find a picture of her. All I learned from Mrs. Weathers is that Kelly was a star athlete.† â€Å"Which may mean she's not Moroi,† said Jill. â€Å"I mean, look at how terrible I perform in this sun. What happens if she's not? You've got a lot of theories hinging on her being Moroi. But what if she was human? What then? Can we ignore it? It could still be the same person†¦ but what would it mean if the murderer had killed two Moroi and one human?† Jill had a point. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. My search didn't take long. The Alchemists had no record of the murder, but then, they wouldn't if Kelly had been human. Lots of newspapers had stories about her, but I couldn't find any pictures. â€Å"What about a yearbook?† asked Jill. â€Å"Someone must keep them around.† â€Å"That's actually pretty brilliant,† I said. â€Å"See? I told you I'm useful.† I smiled at her and then remembered something. â€Å"Oh, I've got good news for you. Maybe.† I briefly recapped Kristin and Julia's â€Å"plan† about Jill joining the sewing club. Jill brightened but was still cautious. â€Å"You really think that would work?† â€Å"Only one way to find out.† â€Å"I've never touched a sewing machine in my life,† she said. â€Å"I guess this is your chance to learn,† I told her. â€Å"Or maybe the other girls will be happy to just keep you around as their in-class model.† Jill smirked. â€Å"How do you know only girls sign up for that?† â€Å"I don't,† I admitted. â€Å"Just playing off gender stereotypes, I guess.† My cell phone rang, and Ms. Terwilliger's number flashed on the display. I answered, bracing for a coffee run. â€Å"Miss Melbourne?† she said. â€Å"If you and your brother can be at Carlton within an hour, you can speak to someone in the registrar's office before they close. Can you manage that?† I looked at the time and took it on faith Adrian wasn't doing anything important. â€Å"Um, yes. Yes, of course, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you very much.† â€Å"The man you'll want to talk to is named Wes Regan.† She paused. â€Å"And could you bring me a cappuccino on your way back?† I assured her I could and then called Adrian with instructions to be ready for me. Quickly, I changed out of my uniform and into a blouse and twill skirt. Glancing at my reflection, I realized he was right. There really wasn't a lot of difference between Amberwood attire and my normal wardrobe. â€Å"I wish I could go,† said Jill wistfully. â€Å"I'd like to see Adrian again.† â€Å"Don't you kind of see him every day in a way?† â€Å"True,† she said. â€Å"Although I can't always get into his head when I want to yet. It just happens randomly. And anyway, it's not the same. He can't talk back to me through the bond.† I nearly replied that it sounded better than being around him in person but figured that wouldn't be helpful. Adrian was ready to go when I reached Clarence's, excited and eager for action. â€Å"You just missed your friend,† he said as he got into Latte. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Keith.† I made a face. â€Å"He's not really my friend.† â€Å"Oh, you think? Most of us figured that out on day one, Sage.† I felt a little bad about that. Some part of me knew that I shouldn't let my personal feelings for Keith mix with business. We were co-workers of sorts and should've been presenting a united, professional front. At the same time, I was kind of glad these people – even if they were vampires and dhampirs – didn't think I was friendly with Keith. I didn't want them thinking he and I had much in common. I certainly didn't want to have a lot in common with him. The full meaning of Adrian's words suddenly hit me. â€Å"Wait. He was just here?† â€Å"A half hour ago.† He must have come straight from the school. I was lucky to have missed him. Something told me he wouldn't approve of me furthering Adrian's education. â€Å"What was he here for?† â€Å"Dunno. I think he was checking on Clarence. The old guy hasn't been feeling well.† Adrian pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. â€Å"Do you mind?† â€Å"Yes,† I replied. â€Å"What's wrong with Clarence?† â€Å"I don't know, but he's been resting a lot, which makes things even more boring. I mean, he wasn't the greatest conversationalist, but some of his crazy stories were interesting.† Adrian turned wistful. â€Å"Especially with scotch.† â€Å"Keep me updated on how he's doing,† I murmured. I wondered if perhaps that was why Keith had been in such a hurry earlier. If Clarence was seriously ill, we were going to have to make arrangements with a Moroi doctor. That would complicate our setup here in Palm Springs because we'd either have to move Clarence or bring in someone. If Keith was working on it, then I shouldn't have concerned myself†¦ but I just didn't trust him to do a good job with anything. â€Å"I don't know how you put up with him,† said Adrian. â€Å"I used to think you were weak and just didn't fight back†¦ but now, honestly, I think you're actually pretty tough. It takes a hell of a lot of strength to not complain and lash out. I don't have that self-control.† â€Å"You've got more than you think,† I said, a little flustered by the compliment. I was down on myself so much for what I saw as not pushing back sometimes that it had never occurred to me that took its own strength. I was even more surprised that it would take Adrian to point this out to me. â€Å"I'm always walking a line. My dad – and the Alchemists – are really big on obedience and following the directions of your superiors. I'm kind of in a double bind because I'm on shaky ground with them, so it's extra important for me to not make a fuss.† â€Å"Because of Rose?† His tone was carefully controlled. I nodded. â€Å"Yup. What I did was tantamount to treason in their eyes.† â€Å"I don't know what ‘tantamount' means, but it sounds pretty serious.† I could see him studying me out of the corner of his eye. â€Å"Was it worth it?† â€Å"So far.† It was easy to say that since Zoe had no tattoo yet and I hadn't seen a re-education center. If those things changed, so might my answers. â€Å"It was the right thing to do. I guess that justified dramatic action.† â€Å"I broke a lot of rules to help Rose too,† he said, a troubled tone in his voice. â€Å"I did it out of love. Misguided love, but love nonetheless. I don't know if that's as noble as your reasons, particularly since she was in love with someone else. Most of my ‘dramatic actions' haven't been for any cause. Most of them have been to annoy my parents.† I actually found myself a little jealous of that. I couldn't fathom purposely trying to get a reaction from my dad – though I'd certainly wanted to. â€Å"I think love's a noble reason,† I told him. I was speaking objectively, of course. I'd never been in love and had no point of reference to really judge. Based on what I'd observed in others, I assumed it was an amazing thing†¦ but for now, I was too busy with my job to notice its absence. I wondered if I should be disappointed by that. â€Å"And I think you have plenty of time to do other noble things.† He chuckled. â€Å"Never thought my biggest cheerleader would be someone who thought I was evil and unnatural.† That made two of us. Hesitantly, I managed to ask a question that had been burning inside me. â€Å"Do you still love her? Rose?† Along with not knowing what it felt like to be in love, I also didn't know how long it took to recover from love. Adrian's smile faded. His gaze turned inward. â€Å"Yes. No. It's hard to get over someone like that. She had a huge effect on me, both good and bad. That's hard to move past. I try not to think about her much in terms of love and hate. Mostly I'm trying to get on with my life. With mixed results, unfortunately.† We soon reached the college. Wes Regan was a big man with a salt-and-pepper beard who worked in Carlton's registration office. Ms. Terwilliger had tutored Wes's niece for free one summer, and Wes felt he owed her a favor. â€Å"Here's the deal,† he said once we were seated across from him. Adrian was wearing khaki pants and a sage-colored button-down shirt that would've been great for job interviews. A little too late. â€Å"I can't just enroll you. College applications are long and require transcripts, and there's no way you can swing one in two days. What I can do is get you in as an auditor.† â€Å"Like with the IRS?† asked Adrian. â€Å"No. Auditing means you're attending the class and doing the work but not getting a grade for it.† Adrian opened his mouth to speak, and I could only imagine what comment he had about doing work for no credit. I quickly interrupted him. â€Å"And then what?† â€Å"Then, if you can throw together an application in, oh, a week or two – and are accepted – I can retroactively change you to student status.† â€Å"What about financial aid?† asked Adrian, leaning forward. â€Å"Can I get some money for this?† â€Å"If you qualify,† said Wes. â€Å"But you can't really file for it until you've been accepted.† Adrian slumped back, and I was able to guess his thoughts. If getting enrolled would take a couple of weeks, there'd undoubtedly be a delay with the financial aid filing too. Adrian was looking at a month or more of living with Clarence, and that was probably optimistic. I half-expected Adrian to get up and nix everything. Instead, a resolute expression crossed his face. He nodded. â€Å"Okay. Let's get started with this auditing thing.† I was impressed. I was also jealous when Wes brought out the course catalog. I'd been able to lull myself into contentment with Amberwood's classes, but looking at real college offerings showed me the two schools were worlds away. The history classes were more focused and in depth than anything I could have imagined. Adrian had no interest in those, however. He immediately honed in on the art department. He ended up signing up for two introductory courses in oil painting and in watercolors. They met three times a week and were conveniently back-toback. â€Å"That'll make it easier if I'm busing in,† he explained as we were leaving. I gave him a startled look. â€Å"You're taking the bus?† He seemed amused by my astonishment. â€Å"What else? Classes are in the daytime. You can't take me.† I thought about Clarence's remote house. â€Å"Where on earth would you catch the bus?† â€Å"There's a stop about a half mile away. It transfers to another bus that goes to Carlton. The whole trip takes about an hour.† I confess, it left me speechless. I was amazed that Adrian had researched that much, let alone was willing to go to all that trouble. Yet on the ride back, he never uttered one word of complaint about how inconvenient it would be or how long he'd have to wait to move out of Clarence's. When I arrived back at Amberwood, I was excited to tell Jill the news about Adrian's collegiate success – not that she needed me to tell her. With the bond, she would probably know more than I did. Still, she always worried about him and would undoubtedly be pleased to see something go well for him. Jill wasn't in our room when I returned, but a note informed me she was studying elsewhere in the dorm. The only bright part of her punishment was that it limited where she could be at any time. I decided to use this opportunity to go make Ms. Terwilliger's crazy amulet. I'd accrued most of the necessary ingredients, and along with compliance from the biology teacher, Ms. Terwilliger had secured me access to one of the chemistry labs. No one was there this time of night, and it gave me plenty of space and quiet to mix up the concoction. As we'd noted, the instructions were extremely detailed and – in my opinion – superfluous. It wasn't enough to just measure out the nettle leaves. The instructions called for them â€Å"to rest for an hour,† during which time I was supposed to say to them, â€Å"into thee, flame I imbue† every ten minutes. I also had to boil the agate stone â€Å"to infuse it with heat.† The rest of the instructions were similar, and I knew there was no way Ms. Terwilliger would actually know if I followed everything to the letter – particularly the chants. Still, the whole purpose of this stunt was to report on what it was like to be an ancient practitioner. So, I followed everything dutifully and concentrated so hard on performing every step perfectly that I soon fell into a lull where nothing existed except the spell. I finished over two hours later and was surprised at how exhausted I felt. The final result certainly didn't seem to justify all the energy I'd expended. I was left with a leather cord from which hung a silk pouch filled with leaves and rocks. I carted it and my notes back to my dorm room, intending to write up my report for Ms. Terwilliger so that I could put this assignment behind me. When I reached my room, I gasped when I saw the door. Someone had taken red paint and drawn bats and fanged faces all over it. Scrawled across the front, in big blocky letters, were the words VAMP GIRL Full of panic, I burst into the room. Jill was there – along with Mrs. Weathers and another teacher I didn't know. They were going through all of our things. I stared in disbelief. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. Jill shook her head, face mortified, and couldn't answer. I'd apparently arrived at the end of the search because Mrs. Weathers and her associate soon finished up and walked to the door. I was glad I'd taken my Alchemist supplies with me to the lab tonight. The kit contained a few measuring tools I had thought I might need. I certainly didn't want to explain why I owned a collection of chemicals to dorm authorities. â€Å"Well,† said Mrs. Weathers sternly. â€Å"There doesn't appear to be anything here, but I may do another spot check later – so don't get any ideas. You're already in enough trouble without adding yet another charge to it.† She sighed and shook her head at Jill. â€Å"I'm very disappointed in you, Miss Melrose.† Jill blanched. â€Å"I'm telling you, it's all a mistake!† â€Å"Let's hope so,† said Mrs. Weathers ominously. â€Å"Let's hope so. I've half a mind to make you clean up that vandalism outside, but in light of no hard proof†¦ well, we'll have the janitors take care of it tomorrow.† Once our visitors were gone, I immediately demanded, â€Å"What happened?† Jill collapsed backward onto her bed and groaned. â€Å"Laurel happened.† I sat down. â€Å"Explain.† â€Å"Well, I called the library to see if they had those yearbooks in – the ones about Kelly Hayes? Turns out they do normally have them, but they've all been checked out by the newspaper staff for some Amberwood anniversary edition. And you'll never believe who's heading that project: Laurel.† â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I never would have guessed that. Isn't she in Freshman English?† Laurel was a senior. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"I guess everyone needs an activity,† I muttered. Jill nodded. â€Å"Anyway, Miss Yamani was in the building, so I went to ask her about joining the sewing club and working for Lia. She was really excited and said she'd make it happen.† â€Å"Well, that's something,† I said cautiously, still unsure how this was leading up to vandalism and a search of our room. â€Å"As I was coming back, I passed Laurel in the hall. I decided to take a chance†¦ I approached her and said look, I know we've had our differences but I could really use some help. Then I explained that I needed the yearbooks and asked if I could borrow them just for the night and that I'd get them back to her right away.† To this, I said nothing. It was certainly a noble and brave thing for Jill to do, particularly after I'd encouraged her to be better than Laurel. Unfortunately, I didn't think Laurel would reciprocate the adult behavior. I was right. â€Å"She told me in†¦ well, very explicit terms that I'd never get those yearbooks.† Jill scowled. â€Å"She told me a few other things too. Then I, um, called her a raving bitch. I probably shouldn't have, but, well, she deserved it! Anyway, she went to Mrs. Weathers with a bottle of†¦ I don't know. I think it was raspberry schnapps. She claimed I sold it to her and had more in my room. Mrs. Weathers couldn't punish me without harder evidence, but after Ms. Chang's hangover accusation on the first day, Mrs. Weathers decided that was enough for a room search.† I shook my head in disbelief, anger growing within my chest. â€Å"For such an elite, prestigious place, this school sure is quick to jump on any accusations that come up! I mean, they believe anything anyone says about you. And where did the paint outside come from?† Tears of frustration glinted in her eyes. â€Å"Oh, Laurel, of course. Or, well, one of her friends. It happened while Laurel was talking to Mrs. Weathers, so of course she's got an alibi. You don't think†¦ you don't think anyone's on to anything, do you? You said before it's just a mean joke†¦ and humans don't even believe in us†¦ right?† â€Å"Right,† I said automatically. But I was beginning to wonder. Ever since that phone call with my father, when he'd mentioned that there were humans who suspected and wouldn't be silenced, I'd wondered if I'd been too quick to dismiss Laurel's teasing. Had she simply found a cruel joke to run with? Or was she one of those humans who suspected about the vampire world and might make a lot of noise about it? I doubted anyone would believe her, but we couldn't risk attracting attention from someone who would. Is it possible she really thinks Jill is a vampire? Jill's forlorn expression turned angry. â€Å"Maybe I should do something about Laurel. There are other ways to get back at her besides freezing water.† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"Don't lower yourself to that. Revenge is petty, and you're better than that.† Plus, I thought, any more supernatural activity, and Laurel might realize her taunts have more backing than she originally thought. Jill gave me a sad smile. â€Å"You keep saying that. But don't you think something needs to be done about Laurel?† Oh yes. I definitely did. This had gone too far, and I'd been wrong to let it slide. Jill was right that there were other ways to get back at someone. And I was right that revenge was petty and nothing that Jill should sully herself with. That was why I was going to do it. â€Å"I'll take care of it,† I told her. â€Å"I – I'll have the Alchemists issue a complaint from our parents.† She looked dubious. â€Å"You think that'll fix things?† â€Å"Positive,† I said. Because that complaint was going to pack an extra punch. A glance at the time told me it was too late to go back to the lab. No problem. I simply set my alarm extra early, with the intent to get up and head back there before classes started. I had one more experiment in my future, and Laurel was going to be my guinea pig.

Corruption in Judicial Systems Essay

Corruption in judicial systems is threatening the protection of human rights, a United Nations independent expert said, urging governments to implement policies to strengthen the rule of law to combat this practice. â€Å"The pervasiveness of corruption in the judiciary and the legal profession, whether one off or endemic, is very worrying because it directly undermines the rule of law and the ability of the judiciary to guarantee the protection of human rights,† the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, told the General Assembly while presenting it with her latest annual report. â€Å"A judiciary that is not independent can easily be corrupted or co-opted by interests other than those of applying the law in a fair and impartial manner,† she said. â€Å"Strengthening the judiciary from within, as well as providing all the safeguards for its independence vis-à  -vis other public officials and private actors, is essential in combating and preventing instances of judicial corruption.† Ms. Knaul noted that corruption in the judiciary has the potential to victimize those that do not have the means to play by the informal rules set by a corrupt system. â€Å"Corruption in the judiciary discourages people from resorting to the formal justice system, thereby diverting dispute settlements towards informal systems that more than often do not abide by the basic principles of impartiality, fairness, non-discrimination and due process,† she said. Mechanisms of accountability, the Special Rapporteur underlined, should be put in place to investigate acts of corruption and they should be developed with the full participation of the actors concerned. â€Å"I strongly believe that the existing international principles and standards on human rights and corruption provide adequate guidance on how to tackle judicial corruption while respecting the independence of the justice system and human rights,† she said. Ms. Knaul also emphasized that judges, prosecutors and lawyers are in a unique position to tackle the wider phenomenon of corruption in other instances of the public and private sectors, and that â€Å"anti-corruption bodies should be established or developed to effectively assist judicial actors to combat corruption and to implement and strengthen transparency within the public sector.† Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights themes.

Heres how to get that job, even if youre underqualified.

Heres how to get that job, even if youre underqualified. Typical job search wisdom says you shouldn’t send off resumes to jobs you know you just don’t have the qualifications to land. But there are some circumstances, especially in tech, where a job might be just beyond your reach, but still attainable if you know how to work what you have to its full potential. Here are a few strategies to help you craft a job-seeking persona that will help you shoot beyond your experience level. After all, if you’re trying to break into a new field, how is it possible for you to have 3-5 years experience anyway? Try these tips instead of writing off your ideal job as a lost cause.Showcase the skills you do have.You might not tick every box they seek, but it’s possible that you tick some boxes with more gusto than anybody else applying. Play up what you do have, and then take the focus away from their list and make your own list- you might have skills they didn’t realize they needed for their open position. Make a case t hat your unique combination of skills is actually even better suited for the job, and then go on to explain how and why.Focus on your potential.Even if you don’t have a specific knowledge base or set of skills, show you have the desire and potential to learn whatever you’ll need to know. Play up your motivation and drive. Emphasize the speed of your learning curve, and explain how quickly you acquired expertise in something previously. Don’t just tell them you’ll hit the ground running and pick up what you don’t have on the fly. Show them how you’ve done this throughout your career.Fill in your gaps.Use your cover letter to provide context for whatever skills and experience you lack, and as a way of smoothing over the holes they might see in your resume. Make an upbeat, short-but-sweet case for why they ought to give your resume, despite its holes, a second look. Be honest. You’re not a perfect candidate, but you might just be the per fect person for the job.Hold the recruiter’s hand.Don’t just slap down the bare facts of your skills and experience and hope whoever reads your resume is trained to read between the lines and construct your ideal candidacy for you. Connect the dots for them. Synthesize everything into one big picture for them. Make it clear- in your cover letter, on your resume, and in the interview.Stay positive.In your honesty, stay away from negative language like â€Å"I don’t know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I’m not qualified to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I’ve never done†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Frame things with a bit more optimism, like: â€Å"I’m eager to explore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I’d love to work on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  etc. Be aware of what you don’t know and don’t have going for you right now, but also make it clear that you are conscious of what you lack and are eager to do what needs to be done to get up to speed.When in doubt, ask.If you’r e on the fence and not sure whether to throw your application into the pile, send a quick email off to the recruiter asking them to clarify what they mean by â€Å"proficiency in _____.† It will save both parties time and energy in the end.Give them what they don’t even realize they want.If you want it badly enough and have the drive and guts to go for it, you’re halfway there. Concentrate on showing your passion and tenacity. The rest, unless you’re way off the requirements mark, can usually be learned on the job with enough work behind the scenes. Show the proper level of excitement, demonstrate how close you are to being their ideal, and let them see just how hard you’ll work to get up to speed.

Bacterial Reproduction and Binary Fission

Bacterial Reproduction and Binary Fission Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms that reproduce asexually. Bacterial reproduction most commonly occurs by a kind of cell division called binary fission. Binary fission involves the division of a single cell, which results in the formation of two cells that are genetically identical. In order to grasp the process of binary fission, it is helpful to understand bacterial cell structure. Bacterial Cell Structure Bacteria have varying cell shapes. The most common bacteria cell shapes are spherical, rod-shaped, and spiral. Bacterial cells typically contain the following structures: a cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, plasmids, flagella, and a nucleoid region. Cell Wall: An outer covering of the cell that protects the bacterial cell and gives it shape.Cytoplasm: A gel-like substance composed mainly of water that also contains enzymes, salts, cell components, and various organic molecules.Cell Membrane or Plasma Membrane: Surrounds the cells cytoplasm and regulates the flow of substances in and out of the cell.Flagella: Long, whip-like protrusion that aids in cellular locomotion.Ribosomes: Cell structures responsible for protein production.Plasmids: Gene carrying, circular DNA structures that are not involved in reproduction.Nucleoid Region: Area of the cytoplasm that contains the single bacterial DNA molecule. Binary Fission Most bacteria, including Salmonella and E.coli, reproduce by binary fission. During this type of asexual reproduction, the single DNA molecule replicates and both copies attach, at different points,  to the cell membrane.  As the cell begins to grow and elongate, the distance between the two DNA molecules increases. Once the bacterium just about doubles its original size, the cell membrane begins to pinch inward at  the center. Finally, a  cell wall  forms  which separates the two  DNA molecules and divides the original cell into two identical daughter cells. There are a number of benefits associated with reproduction  through binary fission. A single bacterium is able to reproduce in high numbers at a rapid rate. Under optimum conditions, some bacteria can double their population numbers in a matter of minutes or hours. Another benefit is that no time is wasted searching for a mate since reproduction is asexual. In addition, the daughter cells resulting from binary fission are identical to the original cell. This means that they are well suited for life in their environment. Bacterial Recombination Binary fission is an effective way for bacteria to reproduce, however, it is not without problems. Since the cells produced through this type of reproduction are identical, they are all susceptible to the same types of  threats, such as environmental changes and  antibiotics. These hazards could destroy  an entire colony. In order to avoid such perils, bacteria can become more genetically  varied  through recombination. Recombination involves the transfer of genes between cells.  Bacterial recombination is accomplished through conjugation, transformation, or transduction. Conjugation Some bacteria are capable of transferring pieces of their genes to other bacteria that they contact. During conjugation, one bacterium connects itself to another through a protein tube structure called a pilus. Genes are transferred from one bacterium to the other through this tube. Transformation Some bacteria are capable of taking up DNA from their environment. These DNA remnants most commonly come from dead bacterial cells. During transformation, the bacterium binds the DNA and transports it across the bacterial cell membrane. The new DNA is then incorporated into the bacterial cells DNA. Transduction Transduction is a type of recombination that involves the exchange  of bacterial DNA through bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. There are two types of transduction: generalized and specialized transduction. Once a bacteriophage attaches to a bacterium, it inserts its genome into the bacterium. The viral genome, enzymes, and viral components are then replicated and assembled within the host bacterium. Once formed, the new bacteriophages lyse or split open the bacterium, releasing the replicated viruses.  During the assembling process, however, some of the hosts bacterial DNA may become encased in the viral capsid instead of the viral genome. When this bacteriophage infects another bacterium, it injects the DNA fragment from the previously infected bacterium. This DNA fragment then becomes inserted into the DNA of the new bacterium. This type of transduction is called generalized transduction. In specialized transduction, fragments of the host bacteriums DNA become incorporated into the viral genomes of the new bacteriophages. The DNA fragments can then be transferred to any new bacteria that these bacteriophages infect.

Major General John Newton in the Civil War

Major General John Newton in the Civil War Early Life Career Born at Norfolk, VA on August 25, 1822, John Newton was the son of Congressman Thomas Newton, Jr., who represented the city for thirty-one years, and his second wife Margaret Jordan Pool Newton.   After attending schools in Norfolk and receiving additional instruction in mathematics from a tutor, Newton elected to pursue a military career and obtained an appointment to West Point in 1838. Arriving at the academy, his classmates included William Rosecrans, James Longstreet, John Pope, Abner Doubleday, and D.H. Hill.   Graduating second in the Class of 1842, Newton accepted a commission in the US Army Corps of Engineers. Remaining at West Point, he taught engineering for three years with a focus on military architecture and fortification design. In 1846, Newton was assigned to construct fortifications along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes. This saw him make various stops in Boston (Fort Warren), New London (Fort Trumbull), Michigan (Fort Wayne), as well as several locations in western New York (Forts Porter, Niagara, and Ontario).  Newton remained in this role despite the start of the Mexican-American War that year.   Antebellum Years Continuing to oversee these types of projects, Newton married Anna Morgan Starr of New London on October 24, 1848. The coupled would ultimately have 11 children. Four years later, he received a promotion to first lieutenant. Named to a board tasked with assessing the defenses on the Gulf Coast in 1856, he was promoted to captain on July 1 of that year. Heading south, Newton conducted surveys for harbor improvements in Florida and made recommendations for improving the lighthouses near Pensacola. He also served as superintending engineer for Forts Pulaski (GA) and Jackson (LA).    In 1858, Newton was made the chief engineer of the Utah Expedition. This saw him travel west with Colonel Albert S. Johnstons command as it sought to deal with rebellious Mormon settlers. Returning east, Newton received orders to serve as superintending engineer at Forts Delaware and Mifflin on the Delaware River. He also was tasked with improving the fortifications at Sandy Hook, NJ. As sectional tensions rose following the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, he, like fellow Virginians George H. Thomas and  Philip St. George Cooke, decided to remain loyal to the Union.    The Civil War Begins Made Chief Engineer of the Department of Pennsylvania, Newton first saw combat during the Union victory at Hokes Run (VA) on July 2, 1861. After briefly serving as  Chief Engineer of the Department of the Shenandoah, he arrived in Washington, DC in August and aided in constructing defenses around the city and across the Potomac in Alexandria. Promoted to brigadier general on September 23, Newton moved to the infantry and assumed command of a brigade in the growing Army of the Potomac.   The following spring, after service in Major General Irvin McDowells I Corps, his men were ordered to join the newly-formed VI Corps in May. Moving south, Newton took part in Major General George B. McClellans ongoing Peninsula Campaign. Serving in Brigadier General Henry Slocums division, the brigade saw increased action in late June as General Robert E. Lee opened the Seven Days Battles. During the course of the fighting, Newton performed well at the Battles of Gaines Mill and Glendale.   With the failure of Union efforts on the Peninsula, VI Corps returned north to Washington before taking part in the Maryland Campaign that September. Going into action on September 14 at the Battle of South Mountain, Newton distinguished himself by personally leading a bayonet attack against a Confederate position at Cramptons Gap. Three days later, he returned to combat at the Battle of Antietam. For his performance in the fighting, he received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel in the regular army. Later that fall, Newton was elevated to lead VI Corps Third Division.   Courting Controversy Newton was in this role when the army, with Major General Ambrose Burnside at the head, opened the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13.   Positioned towards the southern end of the Union line, VI Corps was largely idle during the fighting. One of several generals who was unhappy with Burnsides leadership, Newton traveled to Washington with one of his brigade commanders, Brigadier General John Cochrane, to voice his concerns to Lincoln. While not calling for his commanders removal, Newton commented that there was a want of confidence in General Burnsides military capacity and that the troops of my division and of the whole army had become entirely dispirited. His actions helped lead to Burnsides dismissal in January 1863 and Major General Joseph Hookers installation as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Promoted to major general on March 30, Newton led his division during the Chancellorsville Campaign that May.         Remaining at Fredericksburg while Hooker and the rest of the army moved west, Major General John Sedgwicks VI Corps attacked on May 3 with Newtons men seeing extensive action. Wounded in the fighting near Salem Church, he quickly recovered and remained with his division as the Gettysburg Campaign commenced that June. Reaching the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, Newton was ordered to assume command of I Corps whose commander, Major General John F. Reynolds, had been killed the previous day. Relieving Major General Abner Doubleday, Newton directed I Corps during the Union defense of Picketts Charge on July 3.   Retaining command of I Corps through the fall, he led it during the Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns.  The spring of 1864 proved difficult for Newton as a reorganization of the Army of the Potomac led to I Corps being dissolved. Additionally, due to his role in Burnsides removal, Congress refused to confirm his promotion to major general. As a result, Newton reverted to brigadier general on April 18.         Ã‚  Ã‚   Ordered West Sent west, Newton assumed command of a division in IV Corps.   Serving in Thomas Army of the Cumberland, he took part in Major General William T. Shermans advance on Atlanta. Seeing combat throughout the campaign at places such as Resaca and Kennesaw Mountain, Newtons division distinguished itself at Peachtree Creek on July 20 when it blocked multiple Confederate assaults.   Recognized for his role in the fighting, Newton continued to perform well through the fall of Atlanta in early September. With the end of the campaign, Newton received command of the District of Key  West and Tortugas.   Establishing himself in this post, he was checked by Confederate forces at Natural Bridge in March 1865. Remaining in command for the rest of the war, Newton then held a series of administrative posts in Florida into 1866. Leaving the volunteer service in January 1866, he accepted a commission as a lieutenant colonel in the Corps of Engineers. Later Life Coming north in the spring of 1866, Newton spent the better part of the next two decades engaged in a variety of engineering and fortification projects in New York. On March 6, 1884, he was promoted to brigadier general and made Chief of Engineers, succeeding Brigadier General Horatio Wright.   In this post two years, he retired from the US Army on August 27, 1886. Remaining in New York, he served as Commissioner of Public Works of New  York City until 1888 before becoming President of the Panama Railroad Company.   Newton died in New York City on May 1, 1895 and was buried at West Point National Cemetery.

The Ethics of Distribution, How to distribute health care fairly Essay

The Ethics of Distribution, How to distribute health care fairly - Essay Example Even after increased spending on the United States health care, the country could not manage to improve health status significantly. Currently, access to health care in the United States is far from equitable; this has raised the legitimate question of justice. Health care insurance has managed to obtain access for most Americans, but 15 percent of individuals remain without coverage. A lot of people are still not able to access modern medicine, and this raises an important topic in medical ethics (Trotochaud, 2006). In the conceptual bioethics framework, access to health care is under the principle of justice, for example; entitlement to resources, equitable distribution, and fairness. The issues of justice in the health care system are divided into two related but different dimensions; access and allocation. Allocation is the process that is used to determine the health care resources for distribution to individuals and populations. The allocation issue has three levels; social level, this is the amount of resources spent by the government on health care compared with other budgetary needs. Second tier is allocation at the point of healthcare service; this is the decisions of health care portions of the federal budget and to whom, where and how the funds will be spent. The final level concerns the individual patient; access to health care in the United States is determined by the ability to have health insurance coverage. Access relates to whether individuals who should be or who are entitled to access health care services can receive them. Even with all the government spending on health care, a majority of people in the United States go without health insurance coverage (Trotochaud, 2006). For example, in the year 2009, 50.7 million individuals lacked healthcare cover. For the many individuals covered by insurance, they can access high-quality care with ease but at high costs. Those without coverage, or without adequate cover forgo much-needed care,

Holism as a nurse educator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Holism as a nurse educator - Essay Example As a nurse educator, it is essential that students are given greater access to ideas mostly taught in the class, such as the process of caring, communicating, having professionalism, and other traits since these would be considered as the main core values when dealing with actual patients in various medical settings. Thus, if a nurse education is not able to give a kind of multi-perspective or holistic kind of teaching to students, they may not be able to learn the core values they will need in order to become successful and effective in their profession (Utley, 2011). In giving students a chance to learn the fundamentals of nursing through multiple perspectives, it is essential that the instructors themselves are able to handle this need by having the traits effective and holistic nurse educators have. For this purpose, the National League for Nursing (NLN) released a guide which lists the eight core competencies that are needed from nurse educators in assuring that they will have students which embody the traits of holism in their careers. These eight competencies are the following: 1. Facilitates learning (e.g. uses learning styles and strategies appropriate for students’ skills and abilities); 2. Facilitates learner development and socialization (e.g. encourages students to learn more and to be updated in new technologies and information); 3. Use assessment and evaluation strategies (e.g. guides students in making their goals, and provides them with prompt feedback on their progress); 4. Participate in curriculum design and evaluation o f project outcomes (e.g. uses assessment outcomes to check whether the curriculum can still be improved); 5. Function as change agent and leader (e.g. encourages students to become innovative); 6. Pursue continuous quality improvement in the nurse educator role (e.g. teacher shows a commitment for continuous learning); 7. Engage in scholarship (e.g. uses up-to-date methods to improve teaching

CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

CA - Essay Example Mr. Wilkins annoyance is innocent based on the interpretation that made most sense to him even when he did not inquire the usage of the automatic system, the agent is amused and laughs through the conversation. She is so amused she promises to record the speech and fails to understand how the man came up with his interpretation of night mode, day mode and race mode on a single key gearbox as he refers to it. Even though the agent cannot help but laugh herself with her partner off, she remains polite and attends to the customer effectively. We have utilized explanations for the behavior portrayed by Wilkin in his conversation along with that of the agent. The difference in these two people in their manner of understanding matters creates the content of the analysis. The responses given by the customer, Wilkin make it clear that the conversation was a natural one and random. My partner and I have also described the content of conversation

Writing a Management Report for the Case Company Zenith PM Essay

Writing a Management Report for the Case Company Zenith PM - Essay Example It also discusses the potential impact that Zenith PM would have to face as a result of the change in the method of construction. Additionally, the paper also confers how the company can carry out the implementation of offsite manufacturing in addition to the issue it would have to emphasis on for a smooth transition. Conclusively, the paper also presents all the risk management issues that Zenith PM needs to consider while exercising the approach offsite manufacturing. 1. Introduction The declining level of housing supply in the UK together with a huge increase in the number of households (Barker, 2003; DETR, 2000; ODPM, 2005), has led to an heightened requirement for new housing across the nation. This lead to widespread concerns, as to whether the traditional construction processes would be able to fulfil the mounting housing demand in addition to meeting the elevated quality standards (Barker, 2003; Housing Forum, 2002; ODPM, 2003). Consequently there have been extensive calls for the implementation of offsite manufacturing. Various reviews have recommended that the offsite manufacturing approach could both develop the quality of construction and counterbalance the effect of skills deficiencies in the construction industry. The UK Government had coined the term Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to depict a number of modernizations and improvements in house building. A vast majority of these innovations are offsite manufacturing approaches, moving work from t he production location to the factory (Gibb, 1999). Many researchers have widely considered the advantages from the exercise of such technologies (Gibb, 1999; Housing Forum, 2002; Parry et al., 2003; Sparksman et al., 1999; Venables et al., 2004) and they principally take account of reductions in expenditure, time, faults, health as well as safety risks and ecological impact in addition to a resulting amplification in predictability, performance and earnings. Offsite manufacturing system is highly recognized in the United Kingdom. As a result, actions to support the implementation and acceptance of offsite construction techniques in the UK construction industry are substantial, consisting of a number of research initiatives, groups of practice and government endorsed forums. During the period 1997 to 2001, the UK government had been put in around ?5 million in research projects that were related to offsite construction and manufacturing. The industry funding into the modern methods of construction, during the same period of time was also approximately around ?5 million, making the cumulative funding in this field equivalent to ?10 million (Gibb, 2001). 2. Offsite Manufacturing Offsite manufacturing is a significant category of modern methods of construction. It can be referred to the segment of production procedure that is completed away from the location of the building in industrial units. Some of the examples of off-site manufacturing are panel building systems, modular construction, hybrid and sub-assemblies & components (Building Research Establishment, 2009). The panel building systems consist of walls, roofs and floors in the structure of flat pre-engineered panels. These panels are manufactured on site to build up the box like essentials of the construction, after

Persian Gulf Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persian Gulf Today - Essay Example The city fostered education and culture among the Muslim people. The period was refereed to s the golden age of the civilization in the entire Muslim world. During, this time, the Muslim world made great strides in the field of science and art. In fact, the city was made the center for museums and mosques. The British made an agreement concerning the battle with the Hashemite dynasty. The Arabian countries were at risk of losing their sovereignty to the Hashemite dynasty, which was led by the Ottoman army. The British contributed in the battle between the Ottoman army and the Arab military. The British’s influence in the war made the Arab military to win the battle. Consequently, many Arabian territories were protected. In this regard, the Faisal al-Hussein was crowned as the first King of Iraq. The British later agreed to help the Arabic countries achieve their independent status. The initiative was aimed at breaking the countries from the control of the

Foreign Exchange Currency Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Exchange Currency Markets - Essay Example rd was established with the aid and support of economic giants of the time such as America, Great Britain, France and other nations which supported the idea of stability through linking their currency with gold. The gold standard became firmly entrenched in the international economic environment after the Second World War when the Bretton Woods system was created. The Bretton Woods system gave rules and established regulations for the commercial and fiscal exchanges between the nations which had emerged victorious after the war. The purpose of establishing such a system was to strengthen and rebuilt those economic systems that had collapsed after the war. As discussed by Bird (1994), the system depended heavily on the regulations provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The basic feature of the Bretton Woods system was an agreement made by each nation that their monetary policies and fiscal agendas would maintain the currency value of the country near a preset value in terms of gold. The IMF had the authority to handle and settle payment imbalances between various nations and had the responsibility to monitor the fiscal activities various countries. Thus the term gold standard was used for the system which worked quite well for many years until it collapsed in 1971 when America pulled out of the gold standard (Bird, 1994). Even before the American pullout, the fundamentals of the gold standard had already weakened. The monetary interdependence of nations which came about after the second world war when international trade become very important allowed banks and even large companies to transfer huge amounts of capital from one location to the other (Cooper & Sneddon, 2001). Currency Speculators could convert large sums of money from a weak to a strong currency in the hope for the currency to gain value if it was so adjusted by the government. If the speculation was incorrect, the money could

Persian Gulf Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persian Gulf Today - Essay Example The city fostered education and culture among the Muslim people. The period was refereed to s the golden age of the civilization in the entire Muslim world. During, this time, the Muslim world made great strides in the field of science and art. In fact, the city was made the center for museums and mosques. The British made an agreement concerning the battle with the Hashemite dynasty. The Arabian countries were at risk of losing their sovereignty to the Hashemite dynasty, which was led by the Ottoman army. The British contributed in the battle between the Ottoman army and the Arab military. The British’s influence in the war made the Arab military to win the battle. Consequently, many Arabian territories were protected. In this regard, the Faisal al-Hussein was crowned as the first King of Iraq. The British later agreed to help the Arabic countries achieve their independent status. The initiative was aimed at breaking the countries from the control of the

Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Short Story - Essay Example Sarah ran ahead, and squeezed herself in because she wanted to sit by the window. Finally after much pushing and shoving everyone piled into the van and headed off for the beach. Without hesitation they all jumped into the warm, blue water and started splashing around. At first Sarah tried to see for how long she could hold her breath underwater, but soon gave up on that. She dug her toes deeper into the sand and just sat there watching her two younger brothers and cousins wrestling with each other. They repeatedly tried to dunk one another in, but quit when their mom scolded them. Soon, getting tired of the water, Sarah waded back to shore. The sand was extremely hot beneath her feet and she hurriedly skipped her way to her towel and plopped down. Her mom smiled at her warmly and gave her a piece of cucumber to chew on while lunch was getting ready. Sarah sprawled back on the ground, lazily munching away. Squinting against the sun, she peered up at the sky, trying to make shapes out of the few wisps of clouds that slowly made their way across. The call for lunch jogged Sarah out of her sky-gazing. The rest of the kids crowded around, dripping and laughing. Sarah spread out her pita bread and smeared loads of ketchup on it. After heaping little steak pieces on the bread, she rolled it up neatly. Now it was just the way she liked it. After everyone was well fed ( none of them could take in another bite, not even her brothers who were boasting about how much they could gobble down earlier on), they all made their way to the water again. It was much cooler now. The whole gang divided up into two groups and started playing volleyball. Sarah could hardly jump out of the water to reach for the ball, but it was fun nonetheless. No one bothered to keep score, they were all too busy laughing and pushing each other down. Sarah fell in so many times that her brain seemed to be swimming in salt water. Tired and all splashed out,

Provide support to maintain and develop skills for everyday life Essay Example for Free

Provide support to maintain and develop skills for everyday life Essay Skills for everyday life allow people to do the things that meet their daily needs. These are also known as activities of daily living that have a direct affect on any individual’s health and well-being. It is often thought that care workers look after people by doing things for them. Another approach is to do things with people. Today care workers should work in partnership with individuals and groups of individuals. Partnership is about working together as equals in order to : -Support the individual to make as many decisions about their care as possible -Support the individual to do as much for themselves as possible. Activities of daily living – skills that directly affect an individual’s everyday health and well- being Partnership – working together as equals. Working in partnership can maintain and develop individual skills . Care workers can still involve the individual even when doing things for them. They consider individual needs when maintaining skills for everyday life. Doing things for individuals: Providing too much care can make people’s problems worse: Individuals can lose skills they once used Individuals do not learn new skills -Individuals do not regain skills they have lost. Read more:  Outline Agreed Ways of Working That Relate to Managing Pain and Discomfort At different stages of life individuals might have different health problems that affect their skills for everyday life.Being aware of the activities of daily living helps care workers understand the problems that individuals might have. Problems with everyday living skills: -Physical health ( Feeling unwell such as with a fever leads to tiredness and inability to carry on with the usual activities of daily living. -Learning disabilities (An individual with learning disabilities might take longer to learn new everyday skills) -Mental health (An individual with mental health problems might neglect themselves so they do not eat and drink) People may not be strong enough to dress themselves or prepare their own meals. -Physical disability (Some physical disabilities prevent individuals  going shopping unsupported) -Social isolation (An individual who is lonely is less likely to communicate with others) Care workers can develop their understanding of an individual’s condition and how best to work in partnership to maintain, regain and develop their skills.If a condition prevents an individual from using skills of everyday life, the result can have a significant impact on the person’s quality of life. The effect of conditions on everyday skills: -Pain -Inconvenience -Isolation -Humiliation -Distress -Discomfort

Censorship of the Internet and Mass Media

Censorship of the Internet and Mass Media The conversation regarding censorship amongst states, meaning nations or countries in this context, has been a highly contested and conflicted debate for over a century.   According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, â€Å"censorship is suppression of speech, public communication, or other information, on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive,  politically incorrect  or inconvenient as determined by government authorities or by community consensus† (Merriam-Webster). Nearly all states, even those that are considered to be extremely free states, practice numerous forms of both direct and indirect censorship. Censorship is usually rationalized to protect from dangerous, obscene, and/or negative information from being released and exposed to certain audiences or the general public. It is important to be noted that self-censorship, where one or more individuals censor their own personal discourses and environments, is not the type of ce nsorship that pertains to this essay as it will focus on official acts of censorship. In her book, Censorship In America, historian Mary E. Hull defines official acts of censorship as official actions by a government or governing body that restrict access to certain information to their audience (Hull, 1).   For the purposes of this essay, the United States of America will be the main focus when discussing censorship and its effects and implications. If given the absolute power and ability, the censorship of the internet and mass media in America could produce detrimental effects amongst nearly all aspects of society. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that free, open, public, and uncensored access to the internet and medias across the United States of America must remain and be protected. Technology and increased globalization have interconnected states and their citizens more than ever which has led to the creation of the â€Å"global citizen†. Because of this, some governments have highly censored media within their states as freedom of speech and access to different thoughts and ideologies poses high risks. Across the globe, numerous non-governmental organizations research and work to determine the amount and ways-in-which information is censored in different states. Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a United Nations consultant, studies the freedom of expression and information in states and publishes their findings in the annual World Press Freedom Index. The World Press Freedom Index consults and surveys expert lawyers, sociologists, media professionals, and journalists on pluralism, media independence, environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, infrastructure, and abuses within their country. The 2018 report that surveyed one hundred and eighty states concluded that Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands are the most free and/or least censored states while Syria, Eritrea, and North Korea are currently the most censored and least free states (RWB, 2018). For reference, Canada is the eighteenth most free state, the United Kingdom is the fortieth most free, and the United States falls as the forty-fifth most free state. The United States fell two places from 2017 to 2018 which can be attributed to the actions of President Donald J. Trump and his administration. Trump notoriously declared the press an â€Å"enemy of the American people†, which has triggered attacks against journalists and their credibility using the fallacious and often erroneous term â€Å"fake news† (RWB, 2018). Reports and research like this help truthfully determine the freedom of speech, press, and information across the globe from a nonbiased perspective.  ­ Censorship in The United States of America Censorship in the United State of America is a highly controversial topic given how prominent and institutional the liberty of freedom of speech and the press is engrained into legislature and society. The First Amendment to The Constitution states, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† (U.S. Const. amend. I). The freedom of speech in America is not absolute as it does not protect hate speech or obscenity, meaning that strongly offensive speech or speech that promotes hateful acts based on bias can legally be censored as they are not protected forms of speech (Hull, 3). The First Amendment can be attributed as the foundation for the popular American motto and saying, â€Å"land of the free†. This nationalistic saying has permeated American society as many Americans pride themselves on the thought of America being thee land of freedom and justice despite numerous ranking and studies pointing otherwise (RWB, 2018). Since the creation and implementation of the First Amendment, numerous laws and rulings have been instituted and repealed in order to restrict the freedom of speech and press. Notably, the Sedition and Espionage Acts, imposed under President Wilson in 1917, declared it illegal and treasonous for citizens to speak against the United States government, military, and flag. This act attempted to bend the First Amendment, however, it was repealed in 1919 as it clearly violated the freedom of speech and press clause. In 1971, The Pentagon Papers, officially titled  Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force, were classified United States of America military and government documents that were leaked. The Pentagon Papers detailed the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War from 1945-1967 (Hull, 27). These documents revealed that the United States had gone against legislation and made official decisions without the aid or input from Congress, which is legally required. They were leaked, according to Hull, because â€Å"critics charged that the government resorted to excessive classification of documents in order to conceal activity from the public, whereas the government maintained that it was acting in the interests of national security† (Hull, 29). This leak was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States and was ruled legal as the Supreme Court determined that the general public has the right to these documents despite the government’s attempt to censor the press. Although the First Amendment has been tested numerous times, it stands generally true that individuals in the United States of America are entitled to freedom of speech and press so long as it does not fuel the occurrence of legitimate crimes. Internet Censorship in the United States Within the past few decades, the rules and guidelines set by the First Amendment have made the waters murkier than ever when discussing censorship and the media.   The internet has made news and media more accessible than ever which enhances the effects, debatably both positive and negative, censorship can have. Given the capitalistic nature of the internet, major new sources occupy a massive section of the internet and tend to circulate only chosen specific media and news stories that fit their agenda, this is known as corporate censorship.  ­Project Censored, a news source that publishes important news and media that was not reported by the mainstream mass media, works to eliminate corporate censorship as they see it as a blockade towards democracy and free press. (Jensen, 2018). Although corporate censorship is highly problematic, it is protected by the First Amendment as companies and individuals have the right to broadcast what they see as fit. The Internet Must Remain Free from Censorship Internet Censors and Blockers In the United States, the First Amendment protects against and prohibits majority of internet censorship involvement from the federal, state, and local governments. However, private companies have more leeway in their actions to censor content, particularly in regards to public spaces. There tends to be a steep crossover between these private companies and the state as the government or government officials often support and fund companies whose interest align with theirs. This is a classic incident of corruption with the government finding a loophole to overstep their rightful bounds. Internet censorship is typically performed by content blockers and removers that are created, installed, and programmed to block all content deemed obscene or unfitting. The major problem of these programs is determining what content is and is not okay†¦a process that can be easily corrupted. In the words of Mary E. Hull, â€Å"What is indecent in one persons mind may be decent in anothers; thus, regardless of the censors motive, the result of censoring is the denial of anothers freedom to choose.† (Hull, 2). This exact problem was exacerbated in 1997 in a Virginia library that had installed a blocking program on its public computers. The intention of the program was to block and censor sexually explicit content from minors, which is perfectly legal and the decision was supported by the National Law Center for Children and Families (Hull, 35). However, this program, advertently or not, also blocked the American Association of University Women website and an AIDS website which is extremely problematic because this blocker is now restricting access and information from the public. The center of this controversy is not the use of a blocker, as individuals should have the right to knowingly censor content in private, but the fact that a publically funded device was censoring appropriate content. Given this incident occurred in 1997, it is unlikely that the censoring of those two specific websites was directly intentional, however, it remains unclear as numerous biases could lead a company to explicitly censor more than originally intended.   This incident, albeit small, shows how detrimental censorship of the internet can be and why the internet needs to remain publically uncensored.  Ã‚   It is extremely important that the First Amendment be rigorously upheld in the United States of America as it is the major piece of legislation that prohibits extreme censorship. For this reason, totalitarian control of the internet has not been observed in the United States but other countries can be used as examples of this. The People’s Republic of China is notorious for their strict censorship of the internet, especially social media, and suppression of news and information. According to the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, China is the one hundred and seventy-sixth (fourth worst) least free states as President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party implement extreme censorship and surveillance on the citizens (RWB, 2018). China has been very innovative to censor the internet by creating different apps and networking sites that resemble sites like Facebook and Twitter (Walker & Orttung, 77). China’s censored version of Twitter, called Sina Weibo, has a massive member base with over six hundred million users.   Key to their censorship is strict criminal punishments for publicizing thoughts, ideologies, and ideas that go against China and the Communist Party (Walker & Orttung, 78). China also restricts nearly all forms of media by requiring newspapers to register with the government and all television is broadcasted by government-run China Central Television. The extreme censorship in China has taken the voices away from the people and subjected them to only the thoughts and rhetoric provided by the government. This is extremely dangerous as nearly all forms of dissidence, personal expression, thought exploration, education, and legitimate news are deprived from the people so that they unintentionally surrender themselves to the country. In order for democracy and freedom to remain in the United States, it is absolutely essential that the internet and social media remain free from government interaction. The Importance of Social Media The growing accessibility and prevalence of the internet in daily lives has allowed for social medias to play pivotal roles in individuals’ personal lives, politics, and society as a whole. Both Facebook and Twitter have become major sources of news, information, and misinformation in America. Both of these sites have become hubs for people to share their personal opinions in reaction to the news, especially politics. Politics in America has become more polarized than ever which has increased greatly increased tensions and amplified party affiliations from the election of Barack H. Obama in 2008 to the election of Donald J. Trump in 2016. Misinformation, especially political misinformation, has become increasingly more prevalent and believed through platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Misinformation can be partially attributed to motivated reasoning, the illusion of objectivity, and partisan-driven motivated reasoning as they explain why voters cling to certain ideologies, misperceptions, and corrections (Thorson, 463; Berinsky, 7; Nyhan & Reifler). In short, motivated reasoning is a phenomenon where one will support a desired conclusion if they can rationalize it (Kunda, 482-483). A study researching the presence and diffusions on Twitter during the 2012 election showed that rumors were shared by polarized accounts that created â€Å"‘echo chambers’ defined by political homophily that were based on ideological attitudes not truth and merit† (Shin, Jian, Driscoll, & Bar, 1227). Social media sites harbor misinformation because they are highly polarized, therefore misinformation is more likely to become believed via motivated reasoning if it aligns with one’s belief system or party alliance. An extremely detrimental piece of misinformation began in 1988 when Andrew Wakefield published a report that incorrectly liked the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine to autism. This link has been extensively discredited yet still persists and has caused numerous recent outbreaks of measles. In a study conducted by Mark R. Joslyn and Steven M. Sylvester, they found the individuals’ belief in this myth became politicized and lead to faulty governance and policies that allowed outbreaks to occur (Joslyn & Sylvester, 17). Although this report was false, it is important for it to be noted that social media has enough power to influence politics and government. Social media also becomes an accessible intermediate that exposes its users to current news, political beliefs, and ideologies. Numerous studies show that social media becomes an environment where individuals can find like-minded individuals and share their thoughts, however, those same factors also nourish misinformation.   As previously mentioned, Donald J. Trump coined the term â€Å"fake news† when referring to news that is not favorable toward him or his administration, regardless if the news is actually true or false. This term is extremely problematic because it discounts journalists providing truthful information while diminishing that problem that legitimately false news poses. False news tends to spread faster and quicker, however, eventually, it tends to reach a much smaller audience. In 2016, a tenth of conservative Republicans accounted for consuming sixty-five percent of fake news (Carey, 2018). In order to tackle this problem, Facebook has embedded a fact-checking service into flagged articles so the consumer knows it is misinformation before they choose to share it (Hunt). Fake news and â€Å"fake news† are both very real problems as legitimate journalism is of value and should be protected. Censorship is a dangerous tool that should be used in a very selective manner as it can deprive individuals of necessary information. In the United States of America, it is incredibly important that the First Amendment is upheld as it provides all citizens with a voice and platform to both share and receive thoughts, information, news, and ideologies. Free speech and free press absolutely has its downsides as dangerous misinformation can easily be shared and believed but the benefits of freedom of speech and press are so much greater. Protection of freedom of the internet is essential in order for the United States to remain a democratic, liberated, and just nation. References Berinsky, A. J. (2015). Rumors and Health Care Reform: Experiments in Political Misinformation. British Journal of Political Science,47(02), 241-262. doi:10.1017/s0007123415000186 Censorship [Def. 1]. (2018, April 25). In The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved April 29, 2018, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censorship 2018 World Press Freedom Index(Rep.). (2018, April 25). Retrieved May 3, 2018, from Reporters Without Borders: For Freedom Information website: https://rsf.org/en/ranking/2018 Hull, M. (1999). Censorship in America : A Reference Handbook. Retrieved May 1, 2018, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/[emailprotected]essionmgr120&vid=0&format=EB&lpid=lp_I&rid=0 Jensen, C. (n.d.). Censored News Stories. Retrieved May 3, 2018, from http://projectcensored.org/about-us/ Joslyn, M. R., & Sylvester, S. M. (2017). The Determinants and Consequences of Accurate Beliefs About Childhood Vaccinations. American Politics Research. doi:10.1177/153267317745342 Kunda, Z. (1990). The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin,108(3), 480-498. doi:10.1037//0033-2909.108.3.480 Nyhan, B., & Reifler, J. (November 30, 2016). Do People Actually Learn From Fact-Checking?Evidence from a longitudinal study during the 2014 campaign. University of Exeter. Retrieved April 17, 2018. Shin, J., Jian, L., Driscoll, K., & Bar, F. (2016). Political rumoring on Twitter during the 2012 US presidential election: Rumor diffusion and correction. New Media & Society,19(8), 1214-1235. doi:10.1177/1461444816634054 Thorson, E. (2015). Belief Echoes: The Persistent Effects of Corrected Misinformation. Political Communication,33(3), 460-480. doi:10.1080/10584609.2015.1102187 United States Constitution,  § Amendment I (1787). Walker, C., & Orttung, R. W. (2014). Breaking the News: The Role of State-Run Media. Journal of Democracy,25(1), 71-85. doi:10.1353/jod.2014.0015

Public accountants duty to provide due professional care in all their c

The situation that Willis and Company, CPAs have found themselves in regarding Geiger Company’s claim that Willis was negligent, underscores the need for public accountants to provide due professional care in all their contractual obligations. The level of fault that Willis is liable for can vary depending on the circumstances and approaches taken in examining this situation. This fact will be evident when examining this case from the Known User Approach, the Securities Act of 1933, as well as the Securities Act of 1934. These differing options result in varying degrees of liability that Willis and Company or any CPA firm can be held accountable for. Known User Approach When considering Willis’s actions under this Known User Approach, the New York Court of Appeals set the precedent in handling future cases. The New York Court determined that CPAs are held liable for ordinary negligence solely to the CPA’s client and specifically identified third parties (Whittington & Pany, 2012). In order for this to be true though, it must be evident that the company, in this instance Geiger and the specifically identified third parties are listed as specific users of the audit reports (Whittington & Pany). In relation to the loss incurred by the bank loaning funds based on misstated financial statements, the same precedent holds true. The bank, as a third-party beneficiary, must have been specifically named as a known party to the use of the auditor’s report in order to have a claim to recover the loss sustained (Whittington & Pany). The New York Court of Appeals further states that the third-party must not only be known or listed in the auditor’s report as a user but the said third-party must have take some sort of action to prove the ... ...934 also provides a greater protection to auditors as well, because it requires of proof of both misstatement and intent to cause harm as well as reduces liability proportionally. Under the Known User Approach, auditors can be liable for ordinary negligence, but the plaintiffs bringing suit must be specifically named in the statements for their allegations to be considered. These three approaches highlight the seriousness with which auditors and CPA firms should approach all established contracts in order to lessen the liability they face in carrying out their public duties. Works Cited Conahan, J., Nolette, P., & Young, A. (2003). Securities Fraud. The American Criminal Law Review. 40(2). Ps. 1041-1107. ProQuest doi: 230355736. Whittington, R., & Pany, K. (2012). Principles of auditing and other assurances (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Ford Motor’s Financial Health Progress Report Essay

In the coming week, Learning Team B will discuss the financial health of Ford Motor Co. The discussion will include an analysis of the current financial condition after calculating profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, activity ratios, and solvency ratios. We will answer questions about where the company began, how the company manages their investments, and where the company is now financially. We will also look at the DuPont Method as it relates to Ford Motor Co. and their financial troubles. Specific Task that have been Accomplished How Much the Company has borrowed? It has been discovered that Ford Motor Co. borrowed 23.5 billion dollars in 2006 from the government in an effort to reduce debt. Ford Motor Company’s debt liabilities, long term-debts, current notes is the total of what the company has borrowed. Define the Business Need Because of the money borrowed, Ford is in better shape than General Motors and Chrysler. The financial ratios, profitability, liquidity, activity, solvency, have already been calculated. The business need will include high-level deliverables to resolve problems. The business needs of the Ford Motor Company is to improve in the area of return on equity and return on capital by addressing customer service needs and customer satisfaction as a means of retention of reputation and quality assurance. How liquid is the Company The liquidation of Ford Motor Company can easily be defined as the ability in which as asset can be converted into cash, to meet short-term financial obligations. In order for Ford to meet this obligation, the company has to have more liquid. The company can calculate their liquids by using financial rations such as cash ratio, quick ratio, and current ratio. How Efficiently the Organization is using its Assets This will be determined by using the Debt Ratios of the company’s liabilities and assets. Additionally, the straight line depreciation method will be used to determine if assets are profitable or assuming greater debt to the company. Strength and weakness The strength and weakness of an organization is crucial. According to (Titman, Keown, & Martin, p. 79), â€Å"Financial ratios provide a second method for standardizing the financial information in the income statement and balance sheet. Ratios answer questions about the firm’s financial health or strength and weaknesses.† The relevant questions are how liquid is the firm, will it be able to pay on time, did the firm finance the purchase of assets, is the management efficient in utilizing assets to generate sales, is ROI adequate based on the organization financial goals and objectives, and are shareholders getting value for their investment. The ratio mechanism is liquidity, capital structure, and asset management efficiency, profitability, and market value ratios assessments. â€Å"The acid test is the current ratio to assess firm liquidity; we assume that the firm’s accounts receivable will be collected and turned into cash on a timely basis and that its inventories can be sold without an extended delay. But the truth is that a company’s inventory might not be very liquid at all, (Titman, Keown, & Martin, p. 80).† Debt & Equity Financing According to (Investorwords.com, 2014), â€Å"Debt financing requires borrowing money, usually as a loan from a bank, financial institution or commercial finance companies, to fund investment of the organization.† Organizations must keep in mind that debt builds credit that s supports lower insurance rates and future borrowing. Additionally, an organization can gain a tax deductible interest rate to lessen the impact of repayment. Equity financing requires investment partners that provide funding for a share of ownership. Each type of financing has advantages and disadvantages of appeal, organizations use both to finance investment ventures. Problems, Solutions, and Potential Issues The high-level of deliverables occurs according to the Britannica (2014)  website â€Å"because of financial struggles at the beginning of the 21st century, the company sold off Aston Martin in 2007 and both Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008.† In addition to selling â€Å"Ford manufactures passenger cars, trucks, and tractors as well as parts and accessories.† Next Steps The team should further expound on the business need of Ford Motor Co. The Market Value Added (EVA) and Economic Value Added (EVA) have been research, but need to be further researched to explain difference it makes for Ford Motor Co. All ratios and ROE need to be calculated and explained: ELIZABETH Profitability Ratio Liquidity Ratio Activity Ratio Solvency Ratio ROE DuPont Method Finally, the team needs to determine how profitable the organization is at the end of the research. Conclusion In concluding, Learning Team B discusses the financial health of Ford Motor Company within a progress report. The report includes an analysis of the current financial condition after calculating profitability ratios, liquidity ratios, activity ratios, and solvency ratios. The report answer questions about where the company began, how the company manages their investments, and where the company is now financially. The report finally looks into the DuPont Method as it relates to Ford Motor Co. and their financial troubles.

Why Voting Is Important

Voting is one of the most important things that can be done as an American. Voting gives people the right to voice their opinion on pending laws, ordinances, and who they want to be in local and state officials. It also will let people decide who will be the leaders of our country. Voting makes it impossible for someone or one party to stay in office longer than the legal amount of time. Voting gives people the power so there cannot be laws passed without them having a say on it.If a law is being voted on the members of the community, which it will be affecting will have a chance to vote on it. Some elections are won by a very small margins and it could have gone in the other direction if everyone that was eligible to vote, would register and actually go out and vote. People who do not vote, others decide what is good for the way that they will living our lives. Voting decides how American is going to be run and everyone’s voice will be heard.Voting is part of being an America n, and everyone should take advantage of it. Voting is important because it exercises our right to vote as an American citizen to express our issues and ideas. Voting is the most powerful way to express your ideas and opinions. If you didn’t vote you would never be able to argue your opinion on such things as abortion, gas prices, tax dollars, or more better paying jobs. Voting exercises your right as an American citizen to express your issues and opinions.The leaders of our country have always been chosen through the presidential election since the beginning of constitution and by laws. Voting helps decide who will run our nation for the next term. Without voting our country would be ran by monarchy or dictatorship. Voting to decide who will run our country for the next four years is more than important to our survival as a nation of strong free people. Voting makes the difference from being lead by someone we chose as the people than by someone who took charge without the p eoples consent or by their bloodline.

Saving Face

Saving Face was a romantic comedy unveiling the truth about how characters identity can cause personal and cultural conflicts. Will and Ma had been keeping a secret from their family making it hard for them to come to terms with themselves and connect with others. However, between it all, motifs were seen throughout the whole movie expressing thoughts, feelings and presence. For instance, Ma’s constant calls to Will, and tight camera angles in the movie symbolize an intrusion from the outside world. Through those motifs, food was the central motif. It expressed emotion, intimacy, and true feelings for an individual without anyone‘s influence in Saving Face. Food was the central motif in the romantic comedy Saving Face because it was the only reoccurring pattern that would show an individuals identity. However, Ma’s phone calls to Will and the tight camera angles in the movie made it captive for anyone to embrace their identity. The tight camera angles were able to show pain and scorn one was facing as they started to peal their identity away. As this would happen, one saw how hard it could be in being upfront and honest about themselves to others. When Ma was faced with explaining to her father she was pregnant, with no husband , the movie captured Ma boxed in. In this shot, Ma was in a room, sitting down closed in by the narrow hallway leading to where she was sitting. Her father was in the same room as her not seen, but only heard. This shows how the â€Å"outside† influences make it difficult to accept one’s state and affects making connections with others. Ma now felt she had to marry someone, even if she wasn’t interested in him. Will had witnessed her mother getting scolded by her grandfather (superior figure to Ma), thus, making it even more complicated and intimidating for Will to tell her family the secret (being a lesbian and having a partner; Vivian). Throughout, Saving Face, Ma would call Will, ironically, just as soon as an intimate scene with Vivian would come on. This is a motif because it was a constant reminder of how big of an impact the Chinese culture and family traditions were on Will. Anything outside of Chinese tradition was frowned upon by her family. Especially with how hard Ma would try to set Will up with a date at the family gatherings, Will knew how hard it would be in being accepted. Will being a lesbian would cause havoc in her family and would have her disowned from the elders in her family. Just as they wouldn’t accept Ma, they would do likewise to Will. When Ma would call Will, while she was with Vivian, Will would randomly start acting distant towards Vivian and rush to go home. Vivian would respond to this in confusion and at a lost of words with knowing how Will felt for her. Ma’s phone calls made it hard for Will to not only be honest to her family, but to herself. If you aren’t true to who you are, no one is going to be able to see who you want to be looked as. This motif symbolized a wall in the relationship with Vivian and Will. Ma’s constant phone calls and the tight camera angles were both symbolic of Will v. Vivian, Will v. her family, and Will v. herself. These specific motifs were the block to help Will capture her true identity and share it with others. Will knowing she is a lesbian and coming out to it is hard enough on a person. However, with Will’s family and traditional culture having such an impact/influence on her life makes it even more of a complex situation because she doesn’t want to shame her family. However, this leads to food being the central motif because unlike the two other motifs food captivates sincere feelings/expression. Food was able to capture an identity of an individual in Saving Face without the fret of anyone judging you, forming it to be the central motif. Food can be seen as comfort for a person. For instance, when Ma was watching porn she had traditional comfort food alongside her. Food was capable of showing that Ma is interested in seeing/learning new things. As a result, this shows that Ma isn’t all for keeping with tradition. Also, in the beginning of the movie food was capable of capturing a mutual interest between Will and Vivian at the vending machine. Food expresses the truth in a situation. It lets one block out any outside influences. Food is the central motif because its able to form connections with others and to connect with oneself. Food shows a deeper meaning and understanding to a situation. Saving Face is a romantic comedy that shows how traditions can have an individual lead a life of lies affecting not only themselves, but others. Tradition in a family is very hard to break out of and is especially most important to elders of a family.