Economic Indicators

Housing starts lowest in months Housing starts are the number of new residential construction projects that a re being done at a given time. When housing starts are particularly low it could mean bad news for the economy and also for both large and small businesses. If houses are not being built, pep people are not spending money on the initial construction. If there's not construction, there a re no jobs being created. If there are no homes being built then their are no homebuilders esp. ding money on the items to furnish their homes.Therefore small and large businesses are not a able to generate business. 2. ) Fed lowers discount rate and interest rates tumble When the Federal discount rate is low, interest rates tend to be lower as well. This could be a bad indicator for the economy because most times lowering interest rates is a technique used to try to stimulate the economy. The economy only needs stimulated when it is NT doing so well. Once the interest rates are lowered people are more likely to be able to borrow w which will be read for the economy and for large and small businesses.When money is boo rowed, it will then be spent, creating a boost in the overall economy. 3. ) Retail sales up 4 percent over last month Retail sales being up is a very positive indicator for the economy. It means that t people are spending money, which means people are making money. This is also good n sews for both small and large businesses because when sales are higher in small business, more product must be ordered from the larger businesses. 4. ) Business debt down from last year Business debt being lower can be both a good and bad indicator for the icon mom.It's bad because it could mean that businesses are less confident and worried about t aging on more debt. It's good in the sense that overall, businesses are making enough money to eke pep themselves out of debt. This is especially good for small businesses. Less debt can be bad of r larger businesses that are invol ved with debt collection, for obvious reasons. 5. ) Businesses are buying more electronic equipment Businesses buying more electronic equipment could be both a bad and a go indicator.It's bad because it is indicating that some businesses are replacing people with electric Ionics or machines which will decrease the need for human labor. When that need is lowered it will show a decrease in the job market and ultimately raise unemployment rates. The buy Wing and selling of electronic equipment is good because with the higher demand for any type of product comes more jobs for the larger businesses, the manufacturers. It could also be good for both larger and small businesses, not just the retailers but also the tech support and repair b sinuses. Economic Indicators Housing starts lowest in months Housing starts are the number of new residential construction projects that a re being done at a given time. When housing starts are particularly low it could mean bad news for the economy and also for both large and small businesses. If houses are not being built, pep people are not spending money on the initial construction. If there's not construction, there a re no jobs being created. If there are no homes being built then their are no homebuilders esp. ding money on the items to furnish their homes.Therefore small and large businesses are not a able to generate business. 2. ) Fed lowers discount rate and interest rates tumble When the Federal discount rate is low, interest rates tend to be lower as well. This could be a bad indicator for the economy because most times lowering interest rates is a technique used to try to stimulate the economy. The economy only needs stimulated when it is NT doing so well. Once the interest rates are lowered people are more likely to be able to borrow w which will be read for the economy and for large and small businesses.When money is boo rowed, it will then be spent, creating a boost in the overall economy. 3. ) Retail sales up 4 percent over last month Retail sales being up is a very positive indicator for the economy. It means that t people are spending money, which means people are making money. This is also good n sews for both small and large businesses because when sales are higher in small business, more product must be ordered from the larger businesses. 4. ) Business debt down from last year Business debt being lower can be both a good and bad indicator for the icon mom.It's bad because it could mean that businesses are less confident and worried about t aging on more debt. It's good in the sense that overall, businesses are making enough money to eke pep themselves out of debt. This is especially good for small businesses. Less debt can be bad of r larger businesses that are invol ved with debt collection, for obvious reasons. 5. ) Businesses are buying more electronic equipment Businesses buying more electronic equipment could be both a bad and a go indicator.It's bad because it is indicating that some businesses are replacing people with electric Ionics or machines which will decrease the need for human labor. When that need is lowered it will show a decrease in the job market and ultimately raise unemployment rates. The buy Wing and selling of electronic equipment is good because with the higher demand for any type of product comes more jobs for the larger businesses, the manufacturers. It could also be good for both larger and small businesses, not just the retailers but also the tech support and repair b sinuses.

Bullying Essay

According to cyberbullying. org, cyber bullying can be defined as the harassment, humiliation, torment, embarrassment a child, preteen, or teen faces from another child, preteen, or teen. The perpetrator uses the Internet, interchangeable technologies, or even their cellular phones to carry out the illegal act. Those who are faced with such an issue should reach out and make their voices heard. Bullying by any means, is undoubtedly wrong and painful for those who are victimized by it the effects cyber bullying can have on a child or teen can be utterly dangerous or in some extreme cases, deadly. Quite recently, in the news, was a story about Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi, committing suicide allegedly due to two students streaming a video of him and another male being intimate. The two students who live streamed and recorded Clementi were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy. It is reported that 9 out of 10 gay children are harassed or bullied and are four times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual children. In my high school, a dear friend of mine felled prey to cyber bullying. A group of classmates discovered a video online of a girl, who looked somewhat similar to my friend, in a sexual act. These classmates then went around the entire school, showed everyone the video, and attempted to convince students that the girl recorded was in fact my friend. However, the girl in the video and my friend had significant differences about them that made it clear to me that these bullies were simply targeting her based on their personal vendetta against her. As a result, unfortunately, my friend started missing many school days and later I discovered she was cutting not only her arms but her legs as well. Any type of bullying can lead to emotional distress, lack of self confidence, and thoughts of suicide; these effects could last a lifetime. According to bullyingstatistics. org and statistics from the I-safe  foundation, over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying. Countless amount of teens are unaware of the fact that the many things they post online, whether it be good or bad, can eventually come back and haunt them in the future, especially when applying for a job or college. What can truly be done about cyber bullying? Sadly, most incidents of cyber bullying go unreported; possibly because a great number of people don’t find the issue that big of a deal. In my opinion, cyber bullying can be averted by educating students on the matter, not only in schools but at home as well. Schools should set up programs and seminars educating students about bullying and its effects. The College of Mount Saint Vincent has taken the initiative of creating the counseling center where students can walk in and discuss any issues that their having with counselors who are more than willing to listen and offer their support. Parents should monitor their children and their actions. They should be conscious of who their children are talking to and who their friends are. For many like my friend and Tyler Clementi, cyber bullying has already taken a dramatic toll on their lives, but if more students come forth and speak on their experiences on the issue it is without a question that this horrific trend can  end.

Does globalisation benefit the third world or does it in fact make Essay

Does globalisation benefit the third world or does it in fact make them worse off and increase inequality - Essay Example It is this structural feature that is at the very core of explaining why individuals are worse off as a consequence of globalization. Finally, this analysis will provide empirical evidence reflecting the consequences of these structural and systemic inequalities. Consideration will be paid to living conditions and the exploitation of labour as evidence of greater inequality and a worse situation under globalization. INTRODUCTION: In the past decade, the process of globalization has become solidified as a central political agenda in the developed or Western world. That this phenomenon has lead to the â€Å"polarization† between the â€Å"rich† and â€Å"poor† is substantiated in countless studies [Rapley, 2003: 87; Murshed, 2002: 2; Beck, 2000: 57; McGrew and Poku, 2007: 7]. It will be argued in the following analysis, that there is greater inequality precisely because of the structural conditions that have created globalization. It will be argued that the neolibe ral agenda in theory, practice and influence are precisely what makes inequality an indisputable problem. Thus, inequality due to globalization is systemic in nature, and measured in impact by an increased degree of polarization between the rich and poor. It will be argued that globalization increases inequality. NEOLIBERAL BACKGROUND: Globalization is largely a post-war (1945 -) phenomenon. It describes the process whereby ‘trade’, ‘economies’ and ‘communication’ become more integrated on a world scale [Ohmae, 1991: 192]. Largely speaking, it has been facilitated by a marked increase in a variety of technologies, such as progress in the areas of transportation and telecommunications, and it has been also facilitated by relative political stability and a consensus of market capitalism. As a term, it was coined in the early 1950's but did not come into prominence in political literature until the late 1960's [Hopkins, Ed., 2004: 4ff]. One of the defining features of this process, is that it is largely market-driven, and as Moody [1998] argues, legitimated by the rise of neo-liberalism coinciding with the decline of Keynesian economic models [Moody, 1998: 119]. That is, and in brief, Keynesian economic theory, posited that the means of creating economic growth was to centrally control an economy to some extent, and this entailed establishing a social infrastructure which placed money directly into the hands of individuals within a society. The theory suggested that by increasing the amount a government spent in areas such as social programs, the greater the prospects that the benefactors would generate revenue for the economy in general or a â€Å"believe that money earned by the richest would trickle down to the poorest† [Boyle and Sims, 2009: 27]. By contrast, neo-liberalism maintained that by cutting social programs, and in turn, reducing government spending and therefore taxes, more wealth would be generated thro ugh the reinvestment of income which would have been paid in taxes: â€Å"this new policy approach was neoliberalism: a mixture of neoclassical economic fundamentalism, market regulation in place of state guidance, economic redistribution in favor of capital (known as ‘supply-side’

Watson's Caring Theory on Postpartum Disorder Essay

Watson's Caring Theory on Postpartum Disorder - Essay Example The idea is to inform nursing practice and to ensure the best possible care for patients. This paper will explore Jane Watson’s philosophy and science of caring theory. The structure of this paper will begin with the description of the medical condition and is followed by a discussion of the nursing theory and its application. Medical Condition: The Postpartum Disorder The postpartum depression also called as Baby Blues (depending on the severity of the condition) was one of the topics considered for this paper along with other conditions relating to newborn infants. The decision to focus on the disorder stem from the fact that it is quite prevalent but often left untreated or undiagnosed, hence, often misunderstood from the point of view of healthcare providers. Recent statistics show that at least 400,000 women in the United States suffer from postpartum disorder annually and that one in four first time mothers experience the illness (Johnson, 2003, p.141). According to Rose nfield (2006), "after their follow-up gynecologist examination, the only contact most women will have with medical providers during the postpartum year is at their baby's well child examination," and that "the concept of pediatricians screening for postpartum depression has not caught on widely so diagnosis at these visits is unlikely" (p.61). In addition, postpartum symptoms are often considered subclinical, cross-cultural and are associated or misunderstood as other medical and psychological conditions such as "marital dissatisfaction, lack of social support, personality characteristics, family history of depression, and autoimmune thyroid disease" (Cooper, 2007, p.35). So what exactly is postpartum disorder? To illustrate the experience, severity and trends about postpartum disorder, a mother's experience and view is cited below: PPP (postpartum psychosis) was the worse experience of my life... I lost the joy of new motherhood. I lost "me" for the first two years of my daughter's life and even longer to put the pieces together (Twomey, 2009, p.xv). The above account demonstrates the impact of postpartum disorder. This is highlighted by the fact that, for years, the condition has been largely ignored. Today, it is considered and widely known as a mental disease that could endanger the lives of both the mother and the baby. There is no specific or standard definition for postpartum disorder. This is at least true according to the available literature on the subject. There are those who identify the depression experienced by women after giving birth as the basic symptom for the disorder. Out of these, Taeusch et al., (2005) offered a comprehensive definition by explaining that postpartum depression is characterized by "significant distress or impairment in all areas of functioning" that are not medically induced or caused by a loss of a loved one (p.96). Heath further cited that the disorder manifests within 3 to 6 months after giving birth (p.96). Some studie s have recorded longer periods such as the previous example cited by Twomey. Postpartum disorder is classified into several types. The classification, which varies according to researcher or expert, is commonly based on the degree of its severity. For the purposes set by this paper, Ahuja's (1999) classification will be used, which categorized postpartum disorder into three. These are: 1) Type I: Postpartum psychosis also known as brief reactive psychosis; 2) Type II: Adjustment reaction with depressed mood (e.g. postpartum

Why do policy makers see the family as central to the solutions of Essay

Why do policy makers see the family as central to the solutions of social problems - Essay Example In this paper, I will discuss the problem of older people in the United Kingdom and see why this issue related to the family is so important for policy makers. The demographics of the United Kingdom have been changing over the years in a manner that the proportion of older people is increasing. As a result of higher life expectancy at birth as well as above 65 and lower birth rates - at 2.2 per woman - the proportion of the elderly is expected to grow even further (Jeevans, 2004). It is estimated that by 2025, over 30 percent of the UK population will be above the age 55. Not just that, the government projects that as early as 2014, the number of people above 65 will be higher than those below 16. In 1981, the life expectancy of men at 60 was another 16 years while that of women was another 21 years. In 2003, it was 20 for men and 23 for women. The government projects that in 2026, it will be 24 and 27 for men and women respectively (Jeevans, 2004). According to the International Longevity Centre - UK (2006), the population in the UK and Wales is expected to grow by 6.5 million till 2031, of which 5.6 million will be above 65 years and 2.3 million above 80 years. The south east and north-west parts of the country have the highest number of people above 65 years while the east Midlands and the east are expected to have the highest growth in the number of elders by 2028. Although the baby boomer generation looks at ageing in a considerably different manner than did earlier generations, with more people above 65 having gainfully employed lives and 30 percent of people above 75 helping out other older people who are in need (Jeevans, 2004), there are frequent media reports of institutional abuse on the elderly, particularly on those who suffer from dementia or learning disabilities. According to the International Longevity Centre - UK (2006), 1 in 100 people in the UK suffer from dementia. The figure is 1 in 20 for the age group between 70 and 79 years, 1 in 5 for people between 80 and 85 and 1 in three for those above 90. Hence, the issue of abuse takes crucial importance for such elders who are not able to look after themselves. The prevalence of elder abuse While the proportion of older people in the population of UK, there is also an increasing tendency of treating seniors in an abusive manner. Although there is little academic research on elder abuse in the United Kingdom, the lack of social awareness regarding this problem subjects older people to pathetic conditions at the twilight of their lives. To make things worse, elder abuse is quite prevalent in the family setting, making this a concern for social policy makers. The most comprehensive study on elder abuse was conducted by Ogg and Bennett (1992) who surveyed a sample of about 2,000 people. They found that about 5 percent of the elders above 60 years of age suffered verbal or psychological abuse while 2 percent suffered physical or financial abuse from family and relatives. However, it must also be noted that not many older people would like to report abuse from the family. A survey by the Community and District Nursing Association found in 2003 elder abuse was as prevalent as 88 percent and 12 percent of elders reported abuse at least once

Legal memoranda Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal memoranda - Research Proposal Example The episode has also attracted class action for damages under ss 82 of the Trade Practices Act by a number of customers, led by the Pharmacists Association of Australia. Can any agreed statement of facts between DIARCOR and the ACCC be used as evidence against DIARCOR in any subsequent civil damages proceedings that its former clients may be seeking to bring against it Any agreed statement of facts between DIARCOR and the ACCC is bound to cover issues that the former clients of DIARCOR may be seeking to bring against the latter. It is difficult to predict with certainty whether the statement of fact could be used as evidence by aggrieved clients. It depends on the nature and extent of punitive measures ACCC metes out to DIARCOR. It also depends on the contents of the statement of facts and the court's verdict. As statutory authority, ACCC is in the right position to consider damages under ss 45, 45A and 82 of the Trade Practices Act and submit a proposal to the court that must assuage the grievances of the clients besides settling with a deterrent fine for DIARCOR. (Focus on Competition Law July 2001) The statement of facts is not a single format. It comes in various forms. Ideally, statement of facts must leave no scope for dispute. However, this is not possible all the time. In some cases, there may be certain points of dispute or contention where the two parties have agreed to disagree for the time being, or which a statutory authority like ACCC has allowed to be left pending due to insufficient time or data with an undertaking to wrap up the pending issues within a certain time limit. (Preparation for Hearing) There is also the issue that DIARCOR cannot be tried two or more times for the same offence. The relevant factors that the Court will take into account when assessing the quantum of the pecuniary penalty The main charge against DIARCOR, DISY and CALENDEX is that they have been involved in the nefarious activity of price fixing for quite some time. The managing director of DIARCOR has informed that they have been involved in the price fixing cartel for about five years. The price fixing arrangements were done verbally in secret rendezvous so that they do not leave any paper trial. The court will rely on circumstantial evidence in the absence of material proof. The court will also go into the enormity of the contraventions under ss 45, 45A and 82 of the Trade Practices Act 1974. Under these subsections, the court will examine the extent of gains made by unfair means by the price fixing cartel under ss 45, evidence of the price fixing charges regardless of any loss to competition under ss 45A, and losses and/or damages suffered by competition due to the cartel and the quantum of penalties to be imposed on the cartel as fines under ss 45 and 45A (Local Government and the Trade Practices Act), and recoveries for loss suffered on behalf of the competition

Production and Operations Management Term Paper

Production and Operations Management - Term Paper Example Taking four days to reach Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), it further takes 10 days to reach Marathons Robinson, Ill refinery which is processed into gasoline, diesel, fuel, and other petroleum products such as fuel oil, kerosene, asphalt, jet fuel, tolvene, xylene, and benzene within 8 days in Phase III. The refined products are later shipped to Marathon owned terminals in further 8 days after which are stored for six days before being transported to jobbers, dealers or other convenience stores which are further transported to brand stations of Marathon. It should be noted that refined products are stored at the terminals for three to six days before being transported to various centres (www.marathonpetroleum.com). According to video, it takes almost 35 days to offer oil products to Americans and this could be reduced further if the storage time is limited to few days or may even directly transport the products to jobbers, dealers, convenience stores and brand stations of Maratho n. Hence, Phase V could be improved to reduce the time for supply of oil fuels in the United States. 2) In order to understand the relationship between the retail price of gasoline and the world demand for crude oil, it is necessary apply the law of demand to the problem. According to the law demand, when price raises, the demand for the good falls and when the price falls, the demand rises (Mankiw and Taylor, 2006, p.65). This law is in complete contrast to oil product because it is the top prioritized good which runs the national and international economy. It is important to mention here that the United States imports 42 million gallons of gasoline every day in addition to the gasoline produced by U.S. refineries apart from importing crude oil in order to meet the high demand of gasoline. The world demand for crude oil is 87.7 million barrels per day while U.S alone requires 19.7 mmbd out of which 46 percent is used for the production of gasoline (www.marathonpetroleum.com). World demand for crude oil is increasing day by day and consumption of gasoline is increasing 0.5 to 0.10 percent each day. United States share of purchasing crude oil depends of the world demand because if world demand decreases the US can import more crude oil which will have positive effect on the market making the government possible to supply gasoline and meet the ever increasing demand. Otherwise, the price of gasoline will increase due to shortage of supply in US market and increasing world demand for crude oil. Thus there is a definite relationship between gasoline prices and world demand for crude as the decrease in latter will result in the decrease of prices in United States 3) Marathon delivers the products to jobbers, dealers and other convenient stores through various modes of transports. However, Marathon also operates its own convenience stores branded as ‘Speedway’. It is the wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon. Oil is a commodity which powers the internatio nal economy. Most of the organizations are dependent of refined oil products which make it more important for the companies dealing in oil products to formulate a strategy in advance citing future crisis of reduced global production of crude oil (www.marathonpetroleum.com). Marathon, which already operates chain of convenience stores, must design a strategy to attract customers without changing the prices even if the global production decreases. Fuel

Contract Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract Law - Case Study Example If Y makes an offer to Z, it is a specific offer and Z is the only person who can accept it. But in many cases, it is immaterial to whom the offer is made. Offers made by advertisement are the commonest form of offers made to the world at large, and can be accepted by anyone by acting on them. 2 For this case, Igor made an offer through advertisement and it was to be accepted by anyone who acted on the advertisement. Jonquil acting on the advertisement accepted the offer through the post in an acceptance letter he wrote on January 29th. The advertisement said that anyone accepting to the offer must reply to the Ritz Hotel in London by February 1st. A contract had already been entered into between Igor and Jonquil immediately a letter of acceptance was posted. It is immaterial that Igor sold the guitar since he had not received any acceptance from Jonquil. The acceptance is considered complete immediately the letter of acceptance is posted, even if it is lost or destroyed in the post so that it never arrived. As long as the offeree can prove that he posted the letter of acceptance, the court will enforce the contract. b) Ali had made a contract between him and Blessing Builders for a fixed price of 5,000 but when the repair of the kitchen was half way finished Ali added them a further 700 since he heard the they were likely to abandon the work since they had under priced the job. It is immaterial for Ali to fail to pay them the extra 700 he had added them just because he lost money on the stock market. The extra 700 he added to encourage them to complete the repair of the kitchen had not been attached to any condition that failure of not making enough money on the stock market, would make him not pay them the extra amount. For this case, Blessing Builders should be paid their promise of an extra 700 since it was not attached to any condition. It is immaterial that he is failing to pay them since he made losses on the stock market. For this case, Blessing Builders may sue Ali for damages. Ali should not withhold the extra 700 he promised to give Blessing Builders upon completion of repairing the kitchen. 4 c) On the case where Neil was advised by his uncle to leave Manchester where he worked as an insurance clerk to undertake a dentist course as he give him monthly allowances, the uncle should be sued for breach of contract. Neil enjoyed a full social life in Manchester as he worked as an insurance clerk. His uncle disrupted his social life by advising him to take a dentist course in London as he promised to give him monthly allowances while studying. For this case, there was an intention to create

SWOT &TWOS analysis of QATAR NATIONAL BANK and MASHREQ bank Essay

SWOT &TWOS analysis of QATAR NATIONAL BANK and MASHREQ bank - Essay Example The Qatar National Bank is one of the most secure banks in the world. The number of recorded cases of fraud and theft in Qatar national Bank is recorded to be at the minimum. This is mainly because of the sharia laws that they uphold and their tight security when it comes to safeguarding their assets. Although it is the most dominant bank in the middles east and North Africa, it has not exploited the western and westernized countries whose main religion is Christianity such as Americas, Europe and southern parts of Africa. Since it is an Arabic/Islamic Bank, most western investors and would-be clients in countries such as Germany, The USA and Europe, are resilient to bank with them due to the notion that they might be supporting terrorists or due to their strong diplomatic loyalty to their country. Most African countries have a high number of Muslims and Arabs. Due to this the Qatar National Bank has a high opportunity to expand in these areas through acquisitions and promoting more people to join Islamic banking. (Hossain & Leo, 2009) Over the years there has been an increase in the demand for bond market in the Middle East, most Islamic states and Qatar in general. This is a great opportunity for Qatar National Bank to expand as the actions propel the growth of banks There is a great opportunity to exploit the western countries. This can be done through campaigns to discourage acts of terrorism and campaigns to unite the eastern and western countries together to eradicate the fear that western clients might have. Due to the recent introduction of more banks who are offering services at a lower price, their might be a decrease in foreign investments in the Middle East and Qatar which will in the long run affect the bank (Mostafa 2009) Mashreq bank is globally known and is one of the most productive and effective banks in the United Arab Emirates UAE. It has also achieved recognition by the

Robert Mondavi and the Wine Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Robert Mondavi and the Wine Industry - Essay Example However, owing to the economic downturn the sales of wine had reduced over the tenure of six months. Moreover, the company has been facing several threats from various sectors of the society both at national and international level. The economic downturns have affected the wine market leading to a fall in the sales of wine over the tenure of the past six months. The company has been planning to change the strategy so that it can increase the sales of the company and ensure long term sustainability. However, it was noted that the Robert Mondavi’s wine industry to maintain the high quality of the wine used grapes from the personally owned vineyards. It has also been observed that the cost of land acquisition has also gone up, which has led to the increase in the cost of production. Conversely, the company even has an intangible strength of being innovation oriented. This initiates the ability of the company to enhance their quality as per the changing taste and preferences of the consumers. This would help the company to meet their sales need in the long run. Providing quality as per the preferences of consumer is an important consideration fo9r the business sustainability (Roberto 1-32). Contextually, Mondavi in order to maintain their competitive advantage should be selecting a particular segment and then market their product. This would help the company to gain a profitable index providing the company with brand equity and incorporate the culture of innovation. Since, the company is inclined towards producing high-quality of wine it would be able to meet the changing needs of the consumers successfully. In order to develop its productivity the company should provide clarity to their product. This would enhance their share in the US market. Moreover, with a positive trend in the growth of wine consumption the company can claim its competitive advantage in the long run.

Outline Influence of Childhood Experiences on Adult Relationships Essay Example for Free

Outline Influence of Childhood Experiences on Adult Relationships Essay Individuals differ in their relationships; psychologists have researched whether adult relationships are related to early experiences in life. Bowlby believes that the type of relationship the individual has with their primary caregiver gives a basis of a future relationship. This is called the internal working model. The fear of strangers represents an important survival mechanism, which is by nature, babies display social releasers which helps them ensure contact or proximity with the primary caregiver, as they similarly will with their partner in their adult relationship. Another example of the internal working model is the continuity hypothesis, which is a key theory to explaining childhood or adolescent experiences on later adult relationships, where it states that childhood relationships will affect your future relationships, Mary Ainsworth explores this by looking at our relationships as infants as concluded three types: Secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant. Secure is where the infant is in a calm state even without the presence of the primary caregiver, secure avoidant is where shows little distress, avoids contact with caregiver when returns, and insecure-resistant is when child shows a lot of distress, anxious and nervous. This demonstrates the relationship that the child has with the primary caregiver when they are present and not present. This gives the child a set of beliefs about themselves and the nature of the relationship with others, the continuity thesis see’s this as a predictive behaviour of future relationships. Hazen and Shaver also devised a theory that supports the continuity thesis, they say that when a child perceives a threat to a relationship or themselves, they will feel frightened or worried, therefore they seek the primary caregivers attention. Depending on the situation the attachment behaviour varies depending on the need of the child. They also observed adult relationships, where adults normally feel safer and more secure when their partner is nearby and responsive, the partner may be used as a secure base, when they may feel sick or threatened they will seek attention of partner which mimics their infant-mother relationship. Another psychologist Freud, also looks into unresolved conflicts as a child, he links this into adult relationships, where he concluded that this could cause difficulty forming. He explains this using our defence mechanisms. Again, Hazer and Shaver supports the thesis as they published the ‘love quiz’ in an American Newspaper, and found that the majority of responses were secure attachment which gave them long lasting happy and stable relationships, however this could be due to a social desirability, as only certain category of people would reply to the newspaper advertisement, for example middle class, or those that are happy in their relationship are more likely to respond to the ad rather than those in an unhappy unfulfilling relationship. The participants were given 3 statements which each reflected the type of attachments that Mary Ainsworth found, he found those who were securely attached trusted each other and was in a happy stable relationship, those who were insecure avoidant were uncomfortable being close to others and insecure resistant were likely to be possessive and preoccupied about their relationships. However this study has been criticised for social desirability as participants may respond different knowingly that their information would be shared, and also for being retrospective as they are doing this from memory However there has been other explanations that suggests otherwise, for example Kagan presents the temperament hypothesis where different infants simply may just have different personalities, for Kagan the strange situation measures the temperament rather than attachment and the attachment behaviours displayed are a reflection of this infants temperament. However the bizarre case study of the Czech twins would go against the continuity theory as to where their childhood attachment were abusive, unsatisfied and had no social or emotional bonds went to the opposite after they were adopted by two loving sisters who they formed a normal loving bond and both went onto have long lasting stable relationships, this doesn’t show that adult relationships replicating childhood attachments as they are still able to have normal relationships without experiencing it at childhood. The continuity thesis is also very reductionist as they don’t take in any other consideration or factors that can affect their relationships, for example peer influence, cultural differences for example, a collectivist culture is more likely to spend most their time mothering the child, so they are more likely to form an insecure attachment, but can still go on to developing normal relationships.

Factors Affecting Blood Glucose Levels

Factors Affecting Blood Glucose Levels This essay discusses the factors affecting the blood glucose levels to fluctuate, the natural mechanism of the body to control it, the inability of the body to control it and the disease it causes. The Human body is perfection in its own way. The controlled balance of factors keeping the internal environment of the body constant is a vital process that keeps one healthy. Any slight changes in these factors disrupt the internal environment causing disequilibrium. This maintenance of internal environment of the body between limits is called homeostasis and the parameters being controlled include: body temperature, blood pH, carbon dioxide concentration, blood glucose concentration and water balance. When the control of the blood glucose level does not work effectively the concentration can fall or rise beyond normal limits. This condition is called diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels that result from defects in insulin secretion, or action, or both. Diabetes mellitus was first identified as a disease associated with sweet urine, and excessive muscle loss in the ancient world. Elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) lead to spillage of glucose into the urine, hence the term sweet urine. Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, meaning that although it can be controlled, it lasts a lifetime. Blood glucose level is controlled by a hormone (insulin) produced by the beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans in the endocrine gland pancreas. After a heavy carbohydrate enriched meal the blood rise exponentially and thus have to be brought down within the normal limits. The high concentration is detected by receptors which then activate the beta cells in the pancreas to produce insulin which converts glucose into a polysaccharide form glucagon and store it in the liver thus removing glucose from the blood. The history of diabetes indicates that it was present as early as the First Century B.C. when it received its name from a Greek physician, Aretaeus of Cappadocia, after the word dia-bainein which means to siphon. This was related to the patients passing excessive amounts of urine. Several centuries after that in 1921 Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin as a diabetes medication and won a Nobel Prize for their discovery. Insulin is the hormone that controls that lowers the blood glucose concentration and its deficiency or insensitivity by target cells causes diabetes. Later after a few years of discovering insulin in 1936 Sir Harold Percival Himsworth distinguished diabetes type 1 and 2. There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes: also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is caused by the destruction of insulin beta cells. The onset of this type is usually during childhood (hence the name juvenile diabetes) and as the beta cells produce insufficient insulin, insulin injections are used to control the glucose levels (hence the name insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus). Diet cannot control this type of diabetes as it does not increase or decrease the amount of insulin produced by the beta cells. The classical symptoms of type 1 diabetics are frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue and weight loss in spite of increased appetite. These symptoms may be explained by the fact that due to the uncontrolled high levels of glucose the osmotic pressure of the blood changes owing to the increased solute concentration (glucose) in the blood and the body gets rid of all the extra glucose from the body through the urine as it cannot st ore it efficiently. Eventually this leads to the other symptoms. High amounts of glucose in the urine can cause increased urine output and lead to dehydration. Dehydration thus causes increased thirst and water consumption. Apart from these acute effects of high blood glucose level other chronic effects of diabetes include eye complications, kidney damage and nerve damage. Moreover Diabetes accelerates hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) of the larger blood vessels, leading to coronary heart disease (angina or heart attack), strokes, and pain in the lower extremities because of lack of blood supply (claudication). So far the researchers have concluded that a combination of genetic susceptibility, diabetogenic trigger and exposure to a driving antigen are the leading causes of inducing the Type 1 diabetes however other risk factors have also been identified. These include: environmental factors, triggering beta cells damage due to a virus, diet and other chemicals and drugs. Type 2 Diabetes: also known as adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and is far more common than type 1 as it is the most common and frequent type of diabetes. It usually occurs in late stages of life, but younger youth are being diagnosed with this disease more frequently. The pancreas organ produces less insulin to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range, often because the target cells are no more sensitive to the insulin. Similar to the symptoms of type 1 diabetes, type 2 symptoms are frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, fatigue, increased appetite and in some cases, blurred vision. Insulin injections are not usually needed to control this type of diabetes (hence the name non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) and more stress is laid on controlling the patients diet by limiting it to low carbohydrate foods, exercising and if the condition worsens medication is often prescribed. Similar to type 1, genetics (family history) is thought to be a leading cause in inducing Type 2 diabetes in combination with a few other risk factors such as lifestyle, eating habits, age over 45 years, gestational diabetes giving birth to a baby who weighs more than 9 pounds, heart disease, high blood cholesterol level, obesity, not getting enough exercise, polycystic ovary disease (in women), previous impaired glucose tolerance and some ethnic groups (particularly African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic Americans). Gestational diabetes: is when high blood sugar levels develop at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have any form of diabetes. Women who have gestational diabetes are at a much higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the future. The risk factors of this kind of diabetes are similar to the risk factors of type 2 diabetes as gestational diabetes lead to type 2 diabetes. In general, no cure has been found for diabetes. Treatment for diabetes can involve various medicines, a balanced diet, and frequent exercise to control blood glucose levels and minimize symptoms with a long term aim to prevent the chronic complications of diabetes and to prolong patients life and reduce symptoms. Apart from achieving this through the use of insulin injections, diet control and exercise, blood pressure and cholesterol levels control, careful control of blood glucose levels and an educational background and awareness about diabetes play a vital role in treating and diagnosing diabetes. Testing for diabetes is easy and very handy nowadays. Testing of the urine may be used to look for glucose and ketones from the breakdown of fat. However, a urine test alone does not diagnose one with diabetes. This is because the presence of glucose in not necessarily due to the patient being a diabetic and could have been caused by the damage of the basement membrane in the kidney or the malfunction of the kidney. For diabetes diagnosis the following blood tests may be Fasting blood glucose level diabetes is diagnosed if higher than 126 mg/dL on two occasions Hemoglobin A1c test Normal: Less than 5.7% Pre-diabetes: Between 5.7% 6.4% Diabetes: 6.5% or higher Oral sugar tolerance test diabetes is diagnosed if sugar level is higher than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours. This test is also used more for type 2 diabetes. Random (non-fasting) blood glucose level diabetes is suspected if higher than 200 mg/dL Diabetes is a leading disease in many parts of the world causing innumerable deaths each year. Statistics show that diabetes affects 25.8 million people of all ages 8.3 percent of the U.S. population out of which only 18.8 million people are diagnosed while the rest remain oblivious to their medical condition. The severity of this disease goes unnoticed or unacknowledged by several people who label this disease as sugar and confine it to being related and associated with the intake of sweet things only. Very few know that diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. However, over the years diabetes has emerged as one the leading health threats in third world countries and so a lot of research is being concentrated on curing, managing and preventing this disease. Curing the diseases has positively motivated several scientists to further their stem cell research and using the stem cells of the diabetic patient create a healthy fully developed and functioning pancreas or even healthy Islets of Langerhans that produce insulin. This will not only cure type I diabetes but also eliminate post operation complications like tissue rejection and immune suppressant drug dependence etc. Similarly, gene therapy is also being used to switch on certain genes on the chromosomes that would trigger insulin production. Medicines have been introduced and drugs to increase target cell sensitivity are continuously being invented but they mainly revolve around monitoring the disease not curing it. Portable blood glucose meter, insulin pumps etc are all new inventions aimed at helping diabetics control and follow their blood glucose level thus making their life a lot easier. Lastly as mentioned before, as yet there is no cure for diabetes but as the saying goes prevention before cure, educating the population about the risk factors and dangers of diabetics is at the moment the nest way to prevent the number of people suffering from diabetes and so awareness should be spread. [word count: 1603]

Change Management Or Leadership Change Management Essay

Change Management Or Leadership Change Management Essay Change, is the process of moving from the current state to a vision of the future Practical Management Skills, 2012. This transition sometimes puts fear, which often causes distress for people in the organization (source: www.pratical-managemet-skills.com, 2009-2012). Leadership and management have very wide-ranging and complex domain, and their elements are perceived in various ways. The history has created a lot of great leaders and managers, whose stories bring us valuable leadership and managerial lessons to examine. The concepts of Change Management and Leadership Change however, have been interchangeably used and interpreted by different people. Ricketts (2012) argues that, some individuals see these terms as synonymous and frequently use them interchangeably throughout phrases and sentences. However, the misinterpretation and misunderstanding of these terms has generated a controversy among scholars over the assertion change management or Leadership change? Which is more important? This paper will commence by reviewing change management as well as leadership change. The paper discusses the similarities and differences between the two. Also, the key theories and models of change management and change leadership will be discussed in this report. The study will therefore, conclude by critically analyzing and juxtaposing the two and see which is more important or if it will be necessary to integrate them as well. Understanding Change Management Leadership Change Change management is defined as a set of processes employed to ensure that significant changes are implemented in a controlled and systematic manner (University of Adelaide, Australia, 2011). It involves the use of basic tools and structures to control and manage any organisational change efforts. This means that a change manager in every organisation is duty-bound to initiate and lead change in an organization. It really clarifies that, management implies leadership and leadership is a subset of management. The change management focuses on people, their resistance, their coping mechanisms and ultimately how they accept change in the workplace (Gotsill Natchez, 2007). On the other-side of the coin, leadership is the lifting of peoples vision to a higher sight, raising of their performance to a higher standard, building up of their personality beyond its normal limitations (Drucker, 1986). It concerns with the visions, driving forces and processes that fuel large-scale transformation (Kotter, 2011). Looking at the definitions above, each one of them put much emphasis on influence, vision, raising of peoples performance and binding them together. This really makes leadership a key part of the management. In this context, the leader of the change effort is duty-bound to transform the work place openly and transparently to ensure proper management in the workplace. Hannagan (2008, p. 40), opines that, leadership change motivates and inspire people to act in a particular way to achieve specific goals. This can be attributed to those with charismatic and transformation leadership styles. Such people like Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, among others speak to inspire their people. Those leaders are democratic and sometimes apply certain style of leadership based on the situation. Griffith and Karyl, (2007) argue that, change leadership set principles, techniques or activities applied to the human aspect of executing change to influence intrinsic acceptance while reducing resistance. Change leaders who are charismatic use several techniques for aligning people and through effective communications, direct those whose corporations will be needed. However, because of their situational style of leadership, they sometimes adopt an autocratic style of leadership just to eradicate if not possible reduce resistance. Nelson Mandela who is seen as one of the democratic leaders in the world at a certain point in time became a dictator and autocratic with the aim of reducing resistance among his people. Similarities differences between change management and leadership Change management based on its definitions, focus on minimising the distraction and impacts of the change, whiles, change leadership is much more concerned with putting an engine on the whole change process to make it move faster (Kotter, 2012). Also, change management brings a degree of order and consistency in an organization. On the contrary, leadership change does not produce consistency and order, it rather produces movement. Change management sets up plans, budget, organize, staff, control and solve problems in the organization. On the other-side of the coin, change leadership direct, communicate, coordinate, assess, and make decisions (Drucker, 2007). This shows that, change leaders establish and direct where a group of people should go, and energise them to overcome the inevitable obstacles that may come on their way. Kotter (2011) believes that, leadership creates a vision for the future along with strategies for producing the change needed to achieve those visions. Comparatively, the two are clearly similar in some ways. This is because; when it comes to taking decisions on what needs to be done, creating networks of people and relationship that can accomplish an agenda, both of them are involved. They both try to ensure that employees get the job done. It is now obvious that those who believe that management is an implementation part of leadership ignores the fact that the leadership has its own implementation processes which is aligning people to new directions and then inspire them to make the change happen. On the contrary, those who also think leadership is only part of the implementation aspect of management ignore the direction setting aspect of leadership (Griffiths and Karyl, 2007). Brief Explanations of the Various Models in Change Management There are several change management models but the most preferably used by companies are basically three: they are; Kotters 8 steps of change model, Mckinsey 7-S model and Lewins change management model Kotters 8 steps of change model The first model which is Kotters 8 steps of change was postulated by Harvard University scholar and Professor, John Paul Kotter (born 1947). Kotter (2007, p.1), opines that, leaders who successfully transform business do eight things and they do them in the right order. The 8 steps involved in this model are: 1. Increase the urgency for change. 2. Build a team dedicated to change. 3. Create the vision for change. 4. Communicate the need for change. 5. Empower staff with the ability to change. 6. Create short term goals. 7. Stay persistent. 8. Make the change permanent McKinsey 7-S Model Our assertion is that productive organizational change is not simply a matter of structure, although structure is important. It is not also simple as the interaction between strategy and structure, although the strategy is critical too. Our claim is that effective organizational change is really the relationship between structure, strategy, systems, style, skills, staff, and something we call superordinate goals (Waterman, Jr et al., 1980, p.17). The above quotation shows how the Mckinsey 7-S framework was developed. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/McKinsey_7S_framework.svg/350px-McKinsey_7S_framework.svg.png (Adapted from Waterman Jr. et al (1980:p.18) The Mickinsey 7-S model was propounded by Robert H. Waterman, Jr., Thomas J. Peters, and Julien R. Philips in the early 1980s. The model is used to assess and monitor changes in the internal situation of an organization. Lewins Model Lewins Model of Change Management which is the third model to be discussed in this paper was propounded by a German-American psychologist, called Kurt Lewin in the 1950s. His model was based on Unfreeze, Transition (change) and Refreeze as demonstrated below (source: www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM). http://www.mindtools.com/media/Diagrams/Lewin.gif Unfreezing Transition (change) Refreezing (Adapted from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_94.htm) According to Lewin, in order to initiate change in an organization, you must melt the ice in the cup to make it amenable to change (Unfreeze). Then from there, you can mold the ice water as demonstrated above in the shape you want it to be (that is- change) and when change takes place, you can also solidify the new shape if you want a new shape (Refreeze) (source: www.mindtools.com) To conclude, change management should be a process that focuses on people, their resistance, their coping mechanisms and ultimately how they accept change in the workplace (Gotsill Natchez, 2007). Review of Leadership Theories Several academic scholars such as Dulewicz Higgs, 2003; Handy, 1982; Partington, 2003 have categorized leadership theory into six main schools of thoughts over the last seventy years. Diagrammatically, these are the six theories of leadership. However, due to the nature of the question, only three out of them will be treated in order to beat the word limit. The trait school The idea behind the trait theory is that, leaders Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Ghandi, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great are extraordinary people who are born with leadership qualities and they are destined to lead. Situational theories As the name implies, this leadership style requires the leader to be dynamic. This is because some situation may require a different style of leadership such as autocratic style or democratic style. For e.g. Mandela at a certain point in time adopted the autocratic style in order to make his people accept the change he wanted to bring. Transformational Theory The central concept here is change and the role of leadership in envisioning and implementing the transformation of organisational performance (Bolden et al, (2003). (Adapted some of them from Wikipedia, Kendra (2012) Bolden (2003)). Analysis on Change Management or Leadership Change? Which is more important? From the explanations above, successful implementation of major managerial innovation such as customer-centric restructuring, six sigma and the likes, which are critical to the survival of every organization relies on integrating both change management and change leadership (Griffith and Karyl, 2007). To them, integrating both creates value on a given project or initiative for a number of reasons. Lewthwaite (2010), argue that, a leader who lacks basic skills in management is unlikely to get any further than a manager who cannot lead. She maintained that, although a leader can fire people up with a vision, but he might lack the ability to make it into a reality. On the contrary, change management may know the nuts and bolts of getting things done but he might have to drive the team every step of the way (Lewthwaite). Griffith and Karyl (2007) pointed out that, since organisational change focuses on the people side of change, working with all levels of staff to ensure that employees are willing and able to make the change, they might need change leadership which will set principles, techniques or activities to influence the intrinsic acceptance of their employees. They expatiate that, this will help to eradicate, if not possible, reduce resistance of employees to its minimum. To Hannagan (2008), the most effective managers are also leaders and the quality of leadership has become increasingly important of management ability. He further argued that, in an entrepreneurial role, whereas change management initiate and lead change in an organization, change leadership sees opportunities and challenges and make decisions to deal with them. In addition, the best strategic planning is of no value if the organisation is not ready to execute the strategy proactively through a timely and dynamic change leadership process Griffith and Karyl, (2007, p.17). These two scholars believe that, when technical activities and people side activities are combined, the right steps can be taken at the right time in the project lifecycle to help employees embrace change and produce the right outcomes for the project. They argued that, crafting of a vision, motivating and adhere to people affected by the change in an organization to make sure they adopt and support the change is the work of the change leadership. In view of this, Hannagan (2008) sees leadership as a subset of management. To him, the management concerns itself with behaioural and non-behavoural matters. Massie and Douglas (1977) argued that, whereas managers are corned with developing strategies, putting resources together and organising and controlling activities to achiev e organizational objectives, change leadership would select these goals and objectives of the orgainsation, decide what is to be done and inspire people to do it. Last but not the least, Griffith and Karyl (2007), argue that, based on the activities, scope and nature of the discipline, both are equally important. This is because, the two combined encourages the free flow of information and solves communication barriers. To them, the combined approach will make sure the affected employees are receiving the appropriate information. Hence, the project team receives effective feedback on adoption, usage and reaction to the change. Summary To summarize everything, the study has revealed that, whiles management makes systems of people and technology work well through planning and budgeting, organising and staffing, controlling and solving problems, leadership creates the systems that managers administer and transition them through creating a vision and strategy, communicating and setting directions, motivating action and aligning people to avoid hazards (Kotter, 2011). Also, whiles management takes complex systems and technology and make them run efficiently, leadership as a discipline creates those systems that managers can administer and transform them in times of growth, evolution, opportunities and hazard avoidance in the organization (Kotter, 2011). Hannagan (2008) summarizes his argument by saying that, whereas change management is about coping with complexity, leadership is about coping with change. He concludes that, leaders set directions and managers plan, organize and oversee the change. Conclusion To amass everything, this study strongly agrees with Griffith and Karyl (2007) that, change management and change leadership are equally important in a sense that, when an organization introduces a change with a project or initiative, that change needs to be effectively managed on both the technical side and the people side. The technical side ensures that the change is developed, designed and delivered effectively. The discipline of leadership change provides the structure, processes and tools to make this happen. On the contrary, the people side focus seeks to ensure the change is embraced, adopted and utilized. Change management provides the basic structures, processes and tools to make this happen (Hornstein, 2012).

Daniel Defoe and Robinson Crusoe :: Defoe Robinson Crusoe Essays

Daniel Defoe was an extraordinary man. Although he never had the benefit of a university education, he spoke six languages and was able to read even more. His curriculum included having been a government spy, a shopkeeper, and a journalist. As the latter, he was employed by both major parties. Of course, serving two lord is impossible, so after he got into trouble with both of these parties, he turned to writing as another means of living. The first major difference between Defoe's work and most other books dating from this time is that Robinson Crusoe is really entertaining, quite exhilarating and at times even amusing to read. This is in sharp contrast to most contemporary novels which stuck to a Spartan diet of unreality and dullness, their only charm lying in the complete strangeness to anything human. Basically, most stories at the time were chronicles of wonderful, magical events, not even attempting to resemble human life at all. Robinson Crusoe was one of the first few books to have characters with whom a reader could actually identify. Therefore, it was very popular and this idea of recognition of oneself in a character in a book is nowadays only discussed when it fails, implying that it now has become a natural 'recipe' for writing any book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of today's popsongs become 'hits' due to a hook; a melodic chorus or instrumental piece which basically does not need to convey any meaning whatsoever. Its only function is to keep the listener listening. Defoe also had grasped the idea of a hook. Only his is fairly bigger, namely about 10 pages, than your average popsong-hook, which contains 4-5 words, if any... For sometimes the lyrics are degraded to a repeated monosyllabic sound. Defoe put this theory into practice in Robinson Crusoe. First, he has Robinson's father lecture him on `the middle station' which is apparently `the best state in the world.' Of course, this little section is only needed to charm his middle-class audience. By refusing his father's ideas, Robinson already seems like an ungrateful son in the eyes of the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Defoe adds more Christian morals as Robinson sinks deeper into sin. He drinks his repentance away after his first encounter with a storm, he refuses to listen to the captain who tells him 'you ought to take this for a plain and visible token that you are not to be a seafaring man.

The Odyssey :: essays research papers

During the night Odysseus tosses and turns, worrying about the outcome of his encounter with the suitor. Athena appears to himin a dream and promises that he will aid in the struggle. Penelope also unable to sleep and prays to Artemis, begging that she be rescued from marriage to another man, even if it means her death. In the morning Odysseus appeals to Zeus for a sign of his favor and is answered by the rumbling of thunder and lightning. Others notice the sign and a general mood of imminant danger sets in. Odysseus observes the behavior of his servants to identify the faithful. Melanthius arrives with the goats for the banquet and persists in harasses Odysseus. Eumaeus comes to the place, driving the hogs for the slaughter, demonstrating his goodness. Another loyal servant, Philoetius, the chief cowherd, arrives from the mainland. The suitors, again plotting to assassinate Telemachus, eventually return to the place. As they lunch, Ctesippus insults Odysseus and throws a bone at him. Telemachus is outraged and gives a scolding to the suitors in which he lists all the bad stuff they have done.. His unexpected boldness shocks the group, but they are drunk and laugh at his warnings. , Theclymenus cautions them that a catastrophe is impending in which they will suffer for their evil ways, but they mock the him until he leaves the palace in a rage. The suitors continue to drink, and dont heed the warning. New Charters: Philoitios - the cattle foreman Vocabulary banter v. - to speak to or address in a witty and teasing manner. lustrous adj. - radiant in character or reputation. dregs n. - the most undesirable part stint n. - a definite quantity of work assigned coverlets n. - bedspread saunter v. - to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner hulking adj. - massive sardonic adj. - disdainfully or skeptically humorous : derisively mocking jeered v. - to speak or cry out with derision or mockery braying v. - to crush or grind fine Epic Conventions Epic Similies p. 411 - line 14 â€Å"as a bitch mounting over her weak, defenseless puppies growls, facing a stranger, bristling for a showdown- so he growled from his depths, hackles rising at their outrage.† p.411 - 28 â€Å"as a cook before some white-hot blazing fire who rolls his sizzling saussage back and fourth, packed with fatand blood- keen to broil it quickly, tossing, turning it, this was, that way- so he cast about† Supernatural Involvment In this book the gods are constantly involved. Once, when Athena visits Odyssues in a dream to tell him that she favors him. A second time, when they pray to Zeus

Fashionably Loud :: essays research papers

Do you choose what you wear or does the media choose it for you? I am one of the million Americans who struggle with keeping up with the new trends of the season. The media works their hardest to try to persuade us into buying new things for our home, work, and family. The media today is the largest advertisements money can buy and many large companies spend millions of dollars for a one-minute commercial on one of the major stations. Television and Magazine elaborate not only on what to wear and when to wear it but also on what others are wearing such as movie stars, models, music artists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Television, one of the largest media world, gives us the â€Å"gossip† on who is wearing what and what is fashionable for the season. Television shows like Entertainment Tonight, The National Inquirer TV, and Fashion TV are few of the shows that give us information on new trends for all different types of people and in all different countries. Television commercials give us the backbone we need to fall into all the schemes for selling. Designers such as Calvin Klein, Levi’s and many others try to catch our eye with their cool and crazy commercials. Television influences the way we shop. It accents to each and every one of our wardrobes with telling us what is hot and what is not. Teenagers, especially, give a lot of their attention to these television programs and try to be just like the models on the runway. The commercials try to target the younger generation because they will have them in the palm of their hands for the rest of their lives. Also t hey are easily influenced by Television with the billions of dollars spent on advertisements they have them trapped. Hearing all this, the way these television programs have influence my life is that I love to be in style, as they say. I love to keep up with all the new trends of the season. Since I was a little girl I always had someone to look up to considering my sister was eight years older than I was, I found myself always wanting to be older and always wanting to look and dress just like her and her friends. Also I used to watch all those shows that had to do with modeling and clothing, another example of these shows is House of Style that used to air on MTV.

Advantages and Disadvantages in Sport Technology Essay

Technology in sports is constantly changing in today’s era. This change is making a big impact, whether the technology is a disadvantage to the sport and slows down the speed of the game or uses the technology to an advantage and speeds the game up to help make accurate calls. People are always looking for the technology to be able to get ahead of other opponents. The use of technology has crept into the athletes’ games. Technology may not be a drug but a large amount of people use it. It is hard to say whether the use of technology is more of an advantage or disadvantage. One of the main reasons technology compromise a sport experience is that people are watching the games at home instead of watching the games that are played live. Some people would rather stay at home than spend the money to go to the game. With the games being shown on television that means fewer supporters in attendance. Fewer supporters mean less money for the teams in terms of income and profits. The enhance experience of technology has made it easy for teams to know and learn about the opposite teams. Some people believe that it was necessary for technology. The technology used in the National Football League has come a long way. For example, the â€Å"1st and Ten† graphics system has enhanced the football game to another level. The purpose of the â€Å"1st and Ten† line is displayed in a yellow color that shows the yards needed to make a first down. This system displays live to the television viewers only, it does not physically show on the field of play. The example I chose that enhances or compromises the sport with technology is in football with the use of instant replay, during a National Football League game. Everyone knows that the umpire or the referee is not always right. With football, the coaches are allowed to throw out a flag of their own and challenge the call on the field. The challenges are made toward the disputed call made by the on-field referee and they pass it on to the television official. If the official did not get the call right and the instant replay shows it as such, the team retains the time out and wins the call. If the instant replay shows what the official called, the team loses the call and a time out. The monitors are positioned in several spots on the field so the camera can capture the play at different angles whether it is in slow motion or game speed. The technology of instant replay sounds good to the viewers at the game or at home, but there is a lot of pressure for the official to get the call right. The instant replay can distract the players from the game or make them lost momentum if the process takes too long. Some challenges are considered thoughtless or in vain as a distraction. There are problems with the instant replay system that needs to be leveled out, but the system allows the game to get a stage future in technology in sport. Possible guidelines for the use of technology in spot are first of all the instant replay. The officials in the booth should be able to make the decision about the disputed play to save time and keep the game going smoothly. As far as clothes goes, the Haptic Sports Garment is a clothing line that should not be used during game time. The garment helps the athlete to uphold the most advantageous speed. In relevance to the Internet, the applications Venuing and Twackle are used by fans where they get involved with the players and teams to much. Next is the use of the DVD. The player’s highlights are being displayed to the scouts to use them to their advantage. A scout should not be allowed to get a highlighted DVD of a player unless they have the player’s permission. Finally, the swimming designer Speedo’s that bonds seams ultrasonically and reduce drags with the fabric made of water-repellent should not be used if all the swimmers are not using them during the race.

Fredrick Jackson Turner Essay

Fredrick Jackson Turner was an American Historian who examined the unique characteristics that defined American Culture.   Turner was a well educated man receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884 and his Masters Degree in 1888.   He continued his education at John Hopkins University and received a PhD in history.   He taught most of his professional life at the University of Wisconsin and then Harvard in 1910.   Rise of the West, and Significance of Sections in American History for which he received the Pulitzer Prize have become standards in the study of American History.    He is most well known for his â€Å"Frontier Thesis† which he developed in 1893.   Shortly, after the United States Census Bureau in 1890 declared the American Frontier officially closed, Jackson’s interest was peaked and he set out to study and analyze America’s relationship with it’s own frontier.   In   1893 he publicly spoke about this thesis in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition. He stated â€Å"Up to our own day American history has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West.†Ã‚   In 1921, Fredrick Jackson Turner published a full length text titled The Frontier in American History.   In it he explores his thesis which stated â€Å"The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development† (Turner 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Turner’s fascination with the frontier and probably   his inspiration for studying and understanding the importance of the American Frontier in American History stems back to his childhood.   He grew up in in Portage, Wisconsin.   His backyard bumped right against the meeting of two bodies of water – Fox River and Wisconsin River.   The small town had many characteristics that would have been found in frontier town.   When he describes his childhood he tells of the Native American teepees where he fished as a boy.   Native Americans were often in   town to sell various pieces of craft and jewelry to the local stores.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To understand America and its culture it was extremely important to understand the frontier and America’s connection to it.   Turner believed that the frontier â€Å"Americanized Americansâ€Å".   This Americanization lasted close to 300 years, starting at the colonization of the New England coast and continuing until the west was completely settled.   The free land offered in the west, the frontier, was a safety net which offered property ownership opportunities to people who traditionally could no afford to own anything.   In the text of The Frontier of American History, he comments â€Å"†So long as free land exists, the opportunity for a competency exists, and economic power secures political power† (Turner 32). Discontent and poverty revolts were almost unheard in those 300 years.   He argues that the frontier produces and shapes a particular type of man who is full â€Å"of coarseness and strength†¦acuteness and inquisitiveness, (of) that practical and inventive turn of mind†¦(full of) restless and nervous energy†¦ that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom.†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Turner 37).   Turner’s believed that the western movement was the main factor contributing to the basis of American’s institutions and culture.   Conditions of living and conquering the wilderness permanently altered the European settlers of the New England coastline to a new national breed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Turner goes on to compare the American Frontier to Europe.   In explaining their similarities, he states† What   the Mediterranean Sea was to   the Greeks, breaking   the bonds of custom,   offering new experiences, calling out new institutions and activities,   the   Ã‚  ever-retreating   frontier has been to   the United States directlyâ€Å" (Turner 38).   Turner continues to explain that to   the while Europe had it’s own frontiers, it effected them â€Å"more remotelyâ€Å". Turner believed that the frontier shaped the American character and the closing of the Western Frontier signified the United States graduating from it’s initial development into something much more mature. Turner summaries by commenting â€Å" four centuries from   the discovery   of America, at   the end of a hundred years of life under   the Constitution,   the   frontier has gone, and with its going has closed   the first period of   Ã‚  American   history† (Turner 38).   In The Frontier of American History, while he writes about America as an example he gives a detailed general explanation that he believes could be used in understanding other nation’s cultural growth patterns.   Fredrick Turner believes that the growth and settlement is the first period of progress in any nation’s development.   This expansion is followed by followed by periods of social and economic development.   Each of which is frontier all it’s own.   Turner explains with an example: Stand at Cumberland Gap and watch the procession of civilization, marching single file–the buffalo following the trail to the salt springs, the Indian, the fur-trader and hunter, the cattle-raiser, the pioneer farmer–and the frontier has passed by. Stand at South Pass in the Rockies a century later and see the same procession with wider intervals between (Turner 12)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He believed that the American West created the first truly free man.   The European Frontier was nothing more than people recreating Old World values and deferring to authority.   The frontier in America had no law, no authority, and men lived by their wits.   America thinks of it’s frontier as being within the country not at the edge.   There is no line which separates the frontier from settled land.   America’s frontier is transient and terrestrial.  Ã‚   However, the European frontier is fixed, and completely permanent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Turner’s research and thesis contrasted strikingly with his historic contemporaries who believed that America was based on Europe.   And it was the European historical legacy brought over with the colonists that gave America it’s uniqueness.   Fredrick Turner believed that the American Frontier and the surrounding experiences should be respected and spoke about of with dignity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of course there are several flaws in his thesis.   He failed to speak about the effect of the American Frontier on women and minorities.   Turner’s theory was deemed ethnocentric and nationalistic.   His premise also showed a large separation between rural American and the future urban or city culture.  Ã‚   Another problem with his safety net proposal is that it is not true for anything after the Civil War.   In the slavery ridden South many blacks sought refuge in the frontier before the Civil War.   However, after the Civl War, the poverty stricken south it was impossible for people to have enough money for transportation, and setting up homesteads in the West. It is important to note that Turner’s Frontier Thesis goes head to head with the theory that slavery was the defining factor in American history.   The government actually gave away more free land after the official closing of the American Frontier than in all the years preceding 1890.   Turner’s thesis and research were not, at the time of it’s original, publication embraced.    Much of that coldness he received from his peers was due to his blunt, forceful nature and writing style.   When he spoke about his â€Å"Frontier Thesis†, he commanded his fellow historians to turn their mindset from European history to the American West.   He comments often that American Historians ‘had it all wrong’ and he was right.   His aggressive preaching may have turned other researchers off to even considering his thesis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fredrick Jackson Turner does a good job of fleshing out his thesis.   I do agree that the American Frontier had a huge effect on defining what America is and who Americans are.   I do think that Turner’s â€Å"Frontier Thesis† has it’s problems which I stated above.   I think it is important to point out that understanding the birth of truly American Ideals you must look at several different theories developed by various Historians.   I agree with the points that Fredrick Turner makes.   Especially concerning how settlers of the frontier needed to be self sufficient and self governing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regardless, if historians agree with Turner or agree to disagree the impact of his â€Å"Frontier Thesis, is indisputable.   He introduced the idea that daily events of regular people make up history – that is it is true history.   He nurtured and detailed his belief that the physical land can be a major factor in defining and shaping a culture, particularly the American Culture.   Fredrick Jackson Turner breathed life into the American Western landscape,   letting the Frontier transform from a mere setting to a powerful tool in chiseling the America’s historical and cultural legacy.   Bibliography Hutton, T.R.C. â€Å"Beating a Dead Horse?: The Continuing Presence of Frederick Jackson Turner in Environmental and Western History.† International Social Science Review (2002): 47+. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 . Ritchie, Robert C., and Paul Andrew Hutton, eds. Frontier and Region: Essays in Honor of Martin Ridge. 1st ed. San Marino, CA: Huntington Library Press, 1997. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 . Turner, Frederick Jackson. The Frontier in American History. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1921. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 . White, Richard, and Richard White. â€Å"Chapter Ten When Frederick Jackson TurnerAnd Buffalo Bill Cody BothPlayed Chicago in 1893.†Ã‚   Frontier and Region: Essays in Honor of Martin Ridge. Ed. Robert C. Ritchie and Paul Andrew Hutton. 1st ed. San Marino, CA: Huntington Library Press, 1997. 201-211. Questia. 10 Dec. 2005 .

The Study of Simon’s Character in Lord of the Flies

From a Freudian perspective, the tripartite components of the human psyche—id, ego, and superego —are enacted symbolically by Jack, Ralph and Piggy, in the respective order. Simon’s existence in the story serves no purpose to portray this psychic mechanism whereas the other three main characters wrestle with each other and attempt at role balancing in response to survival need. Jack is the id-ridden one, who follows the primitive instinct of the body, and hunting and killing to his satisfaction at any cost.Obviously, even as one of the Hunters, Simon’s apathy about hunting and his abstinence from eating meat evince the dominion of his mind over his body. Considering the superego, readers might confuse Simon with Piggy and equate their roles as both of them stand for the ethical voice on the island, trying to maintain moral standards by which the ego, Ralph, operates. In fact, the characteristics possessed by Piggy are more consistent with the core of super ego.Intending to be socially conventional, Piggy constructs an ethical frame according to the rules imposed by adults, by which he emphasizes their importance whenever in the face of injustice. In contrast, Simon knows man’s essential illness as a result of long time introspection, in a natural shelter concealed in undergrowth from humanity. On the other hand, Simon’s altruistic tendency, shown by his feeding of the hungry horde of neglected littluns, intensifies his saintliness, as the divisions of the psyche essentially embody three levels of desires.Recalling the scene when Simon, Ralph and Jack find the candle-like plant, the difference in their interactions with the outside world is clearly demonstrated. Ralph denies their illuminating functions and Jack shows contempt for their inedible quality. They associate an external object with its possible practical use in reality. Simon differs in â€Å"seeing† the candle buds, treating an experience as a pure comm union, through which insights would have developed according to his sense of impression. Such internal individual perception is limited to affect his inner world of beliefs, but never the others’.This account for the great difficulty Simon encounters when he tries to explain the beast that he â€Å"sees†, actually a concept, is true when those utilitarians cannot even understand Piggy’s practical and logical consequence. Another item worth mentioning is Simon’s inclination to be internally or spiritually satisfied—he detects the candle buds after telling his companions that he is hungry. Candles are a commonly used decoration in religious venues, generally meaning a connection to spirit. Similar instance occurs when the others think that he would be bathing in the lagoon, he seeks solitude— a cleansing of his mind.Although realizing that the beast-innate evil nature of mankind does exist, Simon is steadfast in his faith in original virtue of humanity, which was once heroic and sick. If the island is personified as a female, Simon is prone to embrace its beauty and tranquility, meditates alone in a glade surrounded by white glimmering flowers of the candle buds, which symbolize mankind’s spiritual purity. He is not ever disturbed by the affirmed discovery of the beast, and feels completely at ease with going by himself across the forest to rejoin Piggy’s group.The other boys interpret the island in an opposite manner, and become more aware of her danger and hostility as time passes by, giving vent to this restlessness by claiming the existence of the beast. During an assembly, Simon makes a valiant and unsuccessful effort to indicate the essence of the beast- â€Å"maybe it is only us†, implying that he expects the beast is one of the two dimensions of our nature . Then he questions the crowd, asking â€Å"what is the dirtiest thing there is? †, assuming mankind’s natural tendency to h ave an affinity with the clean- the virtuous side of himself.This belief is radically undermined when he witnesses the brutal killing of a sow with a sense of violent sexual imagery comparing it to a rape, rendering the glade a filthy and bloody place. The concrete ugliness of the body—the spilled guts and the pungent smell, juxtaposes with the abstract one—the hunters’ indulgences to bestial impulse . Nature, which he used to hold in regard for her sacred beauty, is tainted with the sin of flesh, where its root is man’s body, an indispensable part since birth.The pig’s head on a stake, foul but magnetizing a flock of flies, changes into the Lord of the Flies in Simon’s hallucination, in which he remains conscious, suggested by his comment on the self-proclaimed beast- merely â€Å"a Pig's head on a stick†. The Lord of the Flies is an externalization of human sin envisaged by Simon, acting as a medium for presenting his inner conflict with choosing between compliance and self-preservation, the ignorant lie and the despairing truth, at last the abusiveness of evil and the fragility of virtue.Through the monologue in a form of phantasm, Simon refutes his previous notion of human nature and brings a new definition to it—the beast is part of us instead of being in dichotomy; â€Å"Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! † he said to himself. He comes to recognize his own plight and that of the island, having a premonition of death as the Lord of the Flies promises to have â€Å"fun† on the island. Awake, Simon defies the threat and accepts his fate, as â€Å"What else is there to do? †.He undergoes a physical and spiritual transformation-â€Å"The usual brightness was gone from his eyes and he walked with a sort of glum determination like an old man†. The unmasking of the supposed beast on the top of the mountain which he finds to be a dead parachutist, conf irms his belief- the beast is within us. Before climbing down the mountain to make public the truth, he frees the corpse of the fallen man from the bondage in compassion, with a significance of â€Å"dust thou art, to dust returnest†, enabling nature to purge the sin from the body.In his last and desperate attempt in liberating mankind from sin, Simon fails, albeit his love and unwavering faith in mankind, believing that confronting the truth would achieve them a conversion into goodness. His death is inevitable, as a testament to his hypothesis—he stumbles into a circle of insanity before he can explain the nonexistence of the beast, then being torn apart by a group of dancing and chanting â€Å"beasts† that have their predatory instinct unleashed and their identities lost. In the arms of the sea, a sign of life’s eternality, Simon finds the homeland of his soul.The ‘strange, moonbeam-bodied creatures with fiery eyes’ that forms a halo aroun d his head give a little consolation to his death, but they are actually low form of life similar to flies, which are aesthetically accepted by nobody. It is Simon’s noble spirit, under that decaying body, makes them glow. Simon’s death produces no corrective effect on the boys’ ignorance of their inner beast, as ironical as his death, most of the boys give in to such bestiality afterwards so as to gain a psychologically completeness of the brutalities that they have committed, and the island soon ends up being an earthly hell in blaze.The participation of Ralph and Piggy in Simon’s murder, driven by the need to join the â€Å"demented but partly secure society†, indicates the irreversible loss of the boys’ innocence to animality, as the two are the only left on behalf of rationality, yet being insensible to the internal beast, believing that ‘evil is somewhere else’. Even for Piggy, who reasons scientifically, has his own limit ation to reach the understanding of their defects by nature, and simply concludes Simon’s death as an accident when he ants to exculpate himself. This explains the futility of Science when tackling with the dark side of humanity. The story itself is a miniature of mankind history, and the reason for the collapse of a society can be inferred- neither determined by the fire nor the conch. The former represents technology—can be the first spark ever ignited but also a destructive atomic bomb, helps, at the same time, totally destroys civilization.And the latter refers to a democratic parliamentary system which Golding had elaborated on in his speech-â€Å"The moral is that the shape of a society must depend on the ethical nature of the individual and not on any political system however apparently logical or respectable. † Therefore, Simon is the final resolution for all chaos, who exemplifies the ideal moral that individual should have- he is temperate in sensual d esire, sacrifices for mankind’s welfare expecting nothing in return, sees through man’s latent ill nature but martyr for a faint possibility of healing it.Nonetheless, here comes the paradox- Simon is not a convincing character that can come to life. The author had him idealistically created and endowed him a propensity to put overly the spiritual above the material: basically, he does not express the normal desire to survive, neither in a primitive society nor a civilized one, for the structural model of psyche is inapplicable to him. Again, he spontaneously has an insight into human nature with a covert thinking process, likely to produce an ill-founded outcome for his reliance on idealism (of philosophy) if being in reality.Rather than calling him an idealistic thinker, he suits better to the role of a visionary, having a supernatural intuition that Ralph could go home eventually. Thus the only way to justify for his motivations is that he is deliberately intended t o be a Christ figure, admitted by Golding in an interview, in which he also said, â€Å"What so many intelligent people†¦find, is that Simon is incomprehensible. †¦a person (Simon) like this cannot exist without a good God.Therefore the illiterate person finds Simon extremely easy to understand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, Simon is designed to be a symbol of religion, because of the parallelism between his fate and Jesus’s which is found by many critics. Unlike Jesus, Simon’s death is not redemption of the world from sin. It indeed coincides with an assertion made before the outbreak of World War II, by a German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche—†God is dead†, literally meaning that the conventional Christian God is no longer a feasible source of any absolute moral principles.

Application for Gaining Admission to a Course in Optometry in the SCCO

It is my heartfelt objective to study in the graduate school of the Southern California College of Optometry or the SCCO, in order to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Optometry. Some of my reasons for choosing the SCCO are that it has a highly erudite and accessible faculty, who are always willing to bestow their personal attention to the genuine needs of their students.Further, I came to know about the high academic standards that are always maintained at the SCCO from a student who is in her final year of graduation at the SCCO. Moreover, the SCCO has had a formidable reputation for excellence in education for several years; therefore, I am totally convinced that I will acquire an excellent clinical and didactic education at this school.Another reason for my choice is that I am endowed with an open and inquisitive mind, which would be of immense benefit in this school, because it imparts to students the latest technological changes in their field of study.Since, I am committed to devoting a lot of effort and time to acquiring knowledge in this field of study; I will be benefitted to a very great extent, as this school makes the maximum effort possible to help students to succeed in their chosen field of study.Furthermore, I am highly desirous of studying this course at this school for the reasons appended in the sequel. The avowed goal of the Doctor of Optometry, a four year course, is designed to groom primary health care professionals who are well versed with the latest technological developments in their field of study.Every student of this course is given thorough training in anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, clinical patient care and practice administration and management. In addition, there are several clinical programs on offer, which ensure that students become proficient in a number of health care delivery systems and in succoring patients hailing from a variety of social, economic, racial, ethnic and educational milieu (Why attend S CCO?).In addition, the SCCO offers clinical programs that contain patient encounters, which are unique and progressive. Such programs are the best on offer in Optometry education. Moreover, the faculty of the SCCO comprises of erudite scholars in the basic sciences and clinical medicine.These faculty members are not only highly qualified but also highly experienced in their field of specialization. This unique combination of knowledge and experience proves to be extremely beneficial to the students of optometry in the SCCO (Why attend SCCO?).The extent to which the faculty members involve themselves with their students can be evaluated from the fact that these faculty members work very hard to make the students acquire a mastery over optometry and to this end they encourage personal interaction, exchange of ideas and discussions on the outlook of the students towards their chosen profession.  In all these endeavors, an undercurrent of total professionalism is always evident (Why a ttend SCCO?).Moreover, students at SCCO constitute a highly privileged class. These students come from a vast array of cultural, educational and geographical backgrounds and therefore, they are provided with an excellent opportunity to acquire a large amount of social knowledge.Further, students learn in an atmosphere of health and keen competition, due to the proliferation of class notes, study groups and review sessions. It goes without saying that this competition enables the students to perform at their optimum academic level (Why attend SCCO?).In addition, there are a number of activities, in which students are persuaded to engage in. Some of these are intercollegiate contests and competitions, activities that relate to the community, service activities, lectures, social functions and fraternal activities. These activities help the students to become highly proficient in interacting with society and each other (Why attend SCCO?).The above features, which are made readily availa ble to every student at SCCO, make it extremely beneficial and attractive to study at the SCCO. It is an indisputable fact that The SCCO has rendered and continues to render yeoman service in the field of optometry education. Therefore, it is my earnest desire to participate and contribute my mite to this endeavor.ReferencesWhy attend SCCO? (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2007, from Southern California College of