Monday, September 30, 2019

The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was a significant event in the years leading up to the American Revolution. By 1773 tensions were mounting as British America’s relationship with Mother England became increasing strained. The British Empire has secured victory in the French and Indian Wars but had run up an incredible war debt. King George III and the British Government looked to taxing goods in the American colonies as a means to replenish its treasury. It was in this the passing of the Tea Act 1773 that ignited a standoff and brought the issue of taxation without representation in Parliament to head.As a result, the colonists took action and began overt revolt to British rule in the Americas (Boston Tea Party Historical Society). This paper will explore the incidents that led up to the Boston Tea Party and its impact on subsequent events leading up to the American Revolution. The incident that has been termed the Boston Tea Party occurred on December 16, 1773, when government officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed-imposed tea to Britain. A group of colonists boarded the ships in disguise and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor (BTPHS).The Tea Act of 1773 essentially allowed one of Britain’s greatest commercial interests of the day, The East India Company, a monopoly over tea imports to all British colonies. Due to increased competition from the Dutch and the already high tax the Crown placed on tea, the East India Company had a surplus of tea. The solution that King George III and Parliament came up with was to force this tea on the colony (Knollenberg 93). Basically, a captive market was created for British products by the British Government. There was fear amongst the colonists that this could extend to products other than tea.The colonists’ actions and the government reaction widened an already growing chasm between Crown and colonists (Larabee 106). During the years of 1754 through 1763, the British Empire was involved in The French and Indian War, a protracted conflict with rival power France for control of settlements in America. The French allied themselves with Native American tribes to rid the colonies of the British. At the end of this conflict, Britain was successful in securing the conquest of Canada. During this period of time, the thirteen American colonies flourished and grew ncreasingly less dependent on Great Britain. With the need to re-establish control over the Colonies and recoup their war costs, Parliament passed a series of acts to which did nothing but agitate the already frustrated colonists and further strain relations between the Crown and the Colonies (Cave 2004). There were two major actions by Parliament that exacerbated the already strained relationship with the Colonies. First, the Stamp Act of 1765 met with significant colonial resistance. This act required that printed material in the colonies carry a tax stamp.These printed materials included: legal docu ments, magazines, newspapers and other types of paper frequently used throughout the colonies (Goldfield 144). Second, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts. These five Acts has the purpose to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of governors and judges so that they would be independent of colonial control, to create a more effective means of enforcing compliance with trade regulations, to punish the province of New York for failing to comply with the 1765 Quartering Act, and to establish the precedent that the British Parliament had the right to tax the colonies (Larabee 32-33).Both items created resentment and highlighted the issue of taxation without representation. The Boston Tea Party event was not a singular incident and it had very little to do with the tea itself. The tea shipment became a sticking point between the British and the colonists as it was the taxation on the tea that was objectionable. The core issue of being taxed without having fair legislative say in the government had been a recurring theme in the years leading up to 1773. When the Boston Tea Party incident took place, the more militant colonists felt they had no other options available to them.Previous complaints or entreaties to Parliament, Prime Minister Lord North, or King George III went without resolution (Alexander 126). As such they took matters into their own hands. American Patriot Samuel Adams argued at the time that the incident was not the act of a lawless mob, but rather a protest based on principle. The colonists felt their rights were eroding and were moved to action (Alexander 129). The fallout from the Boston Tea Party was severe and greatly impacted the economy of Boston. Authorities in Britain and the colonies were outraged and felt that this action could not go unpunished.A series of acts were passed by Parliament in 1774 that were collectively called the â€Å"Coercive Acts. † The Boston Port Act closed the Port of Boston as punishment until the destroyed tea was paid for in full and the king was satisfied that Boston was firmly under British control. This created animosity as it affected all of Boston, regardless of connection with the Boston Tea Party and did not allow for a defense to be given against the charges. The Massachusetts Government Act took away the colonists’ ability to select their own local officials.All members of the colonial government had to be appointed by the governor or king. This reverberated throughout the colonies as it was feared that such a thing could happen elsewhere (Ammerman 9-10). The Administration of Justice Act allowed the governor to move trials of accused royal officials to another colony or to Great Britain if he believed the official could not get a fair trial in Massachusetts. Although the act stipulated that witnesses would be paid for their travel expenses, in practice few colonists could afford to leave their work and travel to England to testify in a trial.There was also there fear that British officials could harass American colonists and escape justice. The Quartering Act applied to all of the colonies, and sought to create a more effective method of housing British troops in America. Previously, the colonies had been required to provide housing for soldiers. However, colonial legislatures had not been cooperative. Here under this act the governor was allowed to house soldiers in other buildings if suitable quarters were not provided (Ammerman 10). The Coercive Acts did not have the desired effect.The British felt that these acts would isolate radicals in the colonies and push the American colonists to concede the authority of Parliament over their own elected governments. Great Britain miscalculated how these would be taken and soon learned that harsh nature of these acts galvanized support against Parliament. Many viewed the Coercive Acts as a violation of their constitutional rights, their natural rights, and their colonial charters. They ther efore viewed the acts as a threat to the liberties of all of British America, not just Massachusetts.The acts promoted sympathy for Massachusetts and encouraged colonists from the otherwise diverse colonies to form the First Continental Congress. The Continental Congress created the Continental Association, an agreement to boycott British goods and, if that did not get the Coercive Acts reversed after a year, to stop exporting goods to Great Britain as well. The Congress then also pledged to support Massachusetts in case of attack. Which of course meant that all of the colonies would be drawn into the American Revolutionary War began at Lexington and Concord (Ammerman 15).Over time, the Boston Tea Party has become synonymous with unfair taxation and the abuse of government overstepping its boundaries. In 1773 Boston, the seeds of the American Revolution were being sewn. Through miscalculation and sheer abuse of the colonial system, Britain strengthened support for a growing movement toward independence. The Boston Tea Party then became more than a principled protest action against taxation; it became an event that demonstrated that a power cannot sustain rule with â€Å"consent of the governed. † The governed in this case, went on to fight and die for their rights. For the British government, its shortsightedness brought about its own downfall in this case.Works Cited Alexander, John K. Samuel Adams: America's Revolutionary Politician. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman ; Littlefield, 2002. Print. Ammerman, David. In the Common Cause: American Response to the Coercive Acts of 1774. New York: Norton, 1974. Print. Cave, Alfred A. The French and Indian War. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2004. Web. 12 February 2010. Knollenberg, Bernhard. Growth of the American Revolution, 1766–1775. New York: Free Press, 1975. Print. Labaree, Benjamin Woods. The Boston Tea Party. Originally published 1964. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1979. Print. â€Å"W hat Was the Boston Tea Party? † Boston Tea Party Historical Society. 2008. Web. 12 February 2010. Goldfield, David R. , Dejohn-Anderson, Virginia and Abbot, Carl. The American journey: a history of the United States. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. Young, Alfred F. The Shoemaker and the Tea Party: Memory and the American Revolution. Boston: Beacon Press, 1999. Print.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Music Therapy Essay

Music therapy is the use of music by health care professionals to promote healing and enhance quality of life for their patients. Music therapy may be used to encourage emotional expression, promote social interaction, relieve symptoms, and for other purposes. Music therapists may use active or passive methods with patients, depending on the individual patient’s needs and abilities. The idea of music as a healing influence which could affect health and behavior is as least as old as the writings of Aristotle and Plato. Native Americans and other indigenous groups have used music to enhance traditional healing practices for centuries. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners have used music for healing. Traditional ragas (â€Å"melodic modes† used in classical music in India) have also been used to create different states of mind for healing. The 20th century profession formally began after World War I and World War II when community musicians of all types, both amateur and professional, went to Veterans hospitals around the country to play for the thousands of veterans suffering both physical and emotional trauma from the wars. The patients’ notable physical and emotional responses to music led the doctors and nurses to request the hiring of musicians by the hospitals. It was soon evident that the hospital musicians needed some prior training before entering the facility and so the demand grew for a college curriculum. A very brief historical glimpse of this fascinating profession follows, below. The earliest known reference to music therapy appeared in 1789 in an unsigned article in Columbian Magazine titled â€Å"Music Physically Considered.† In the early 1800s, writings on the therapeutic value of music appeared in two medical dissertations, the first published by Edwin Atlee (1804) and the second by Sam uel Mathews (1806). Atlee and Mathews were both students of Dr. Benjamin Rush, a physician and psychiatrist who was a strong proponent of using music to treat medical diseases. The 1800s also saw the first recorded music therapy intervention in an institutional setting (Blackwell’s Island in New York) as well as the first recorded systematic experiment in music therapy (Corning’s use of music to alter dream states during psychotherapy). Early associations with the interest in music therapy continued to gain support during the early 1900s leading to the formation of several  short-lived associations. In 1903, Eva Augusta Vescelius founded the National Society of Musical Therapeutics. In 1926, Isa Maud Ilsen founded the National Association for Music in Hospitals. And in 1941, Harriet Ayer Seymour founded the National Foundation of Music Therapy. Although these organizations contributed the first journals, books, and educational courses on music therapy, they unfortunately were not able to develop an organized clinical profession. In the 1940s, three persons began to emerge as innovators and key players in the development of music therapy as an organized clinical profession. Psychiatrist and music therapist Ira Altshuler, MD promoted music therapy in Michigan for three decades. Willem van de Wall pioneered the use of music therapy in state-funded facilities and wrote the first â€Å"how to† music therapy text, Music in Institutions (1936). E. Thayer Gaston, known as the â€Å"father of music therapy,† was instrumental in moving the profession forward in terms of an organizational and educational standpoint. The first music therapy college training programs were also created in the 1940s. Michigan State University established the first academic program in music therapy (1944) and other universities followed suit, including the University of Kansas, Chicago Musical College, College of the Pacific, and Alverno College. I was going to pick a few of these and talk about them but, all in all, music therapy helps so many people that I will talk about the overall outcome of what music therapy does for everyone I have listed: Children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with mental health needs, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other aging related conditions, substance abuse problems, brain injuries, physical disabilities, and acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor, plus soldiers with PTSD. Scientific studies have shown the value of music therapy on the body, mind, and spirit of children and adults. Researchers have found that music therapy, when used with anti-nausea drugs for patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy, can help ease nausea and vomiting. A number of clinical trials have shown the benefit of music therapy for short-term pain, including pain from cancer. Some studies have suggested that music may help decrease the overall intensity of the patient’s experience of pain when used with pain-relieving drugs. Music therapy can also result in decreased need for pain medicine in some patients, although studies on this topic have shown  mixed results. In hospice patients, one study found that music therapy improved comfort, relaxation, and pain control. Another study found that quality of life improved in cancer patients who received music therapy, even as it declined in those who did not. No differences were seen in survival between the 2 groups. A more recent clinical trial looked at the effects of music during the course of several weeks of radiation treatments. The researchers found that while emotional distress (such as anxiety) seemed to be helped at the beginning of treatment, the patients reported that this effect gradually decreased. Music did not appear to help such symptoms as pain, fatigue, and depression over the long term. Other clinical trials have revealed a reduction in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, insomnia, depression, and anxiety with music therapy. No one knows all the ways music can benefit the body, but studies have shown that music can affect brain waves, brain circulation, and stress hormones. These effects are usually seen during and shortly after the music therapy. Studies have shown that students who take music lessons have improved IQ levels, and show improvement in nonmusical abilities as well. Other studies have shown that listening to music composed by Mozart produces a short-term improvement in tasks that use spatial abilities. Studies of brain circulation have shown that people listening to Mozart have more activity in certain areas of the brain. This has been called the â€Å"Mozart effect.† Although the reasons for this effect are not completely clear, this kind of information supports the idea that music can be used in many helpful ways. Music affects people in ways that no other art or therapy can match; it distracts the mind, slows the body’s rhythms, alters moods, and influences behavior. It seems that music holds universal appeal and provides a bridge in a non-threatening setting between people and individuals within their environment. It facilitates relationships, learning, self-expression and communication. Music captures and helps maintain attention, it is highly-motivating and can be used as a natural â€Å"fortifier† for desired responses. Music therapy can enable people without verbal communication to communicate, participate and express themselves nonverbally. It also ass ists in the development of verbal communication, speech, and language skills. Music provides concrete, multi-layer/sensory stimulation, in visual, tactile, vestibular, and auditory. Researchers have shown that the power of rhythmic drumming helps  those with motor control illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease. In that it uses regular tempo and rhythms to overcome their fast, slow and sometimes frozen moments. Using music in labor and delivery, helps the mother with improved abilities to walk and decreased pain in labor. In children fighting cancer exposed to singing showed an increase of the antibody IgA – a key component in stimulating immune system that helps the body fight the disease. For those with profound cognitive impairments, autism, and mental and physical disabilities, their brains respond more easily to music therapy than to speech. When in tachycardia, cardiac patients were able to reduce their heart rates to 50-60 beats per minute when listening to music that was exactly 50-60 beats a minute. Mentally handicapped children participating in music therapy programs has increased concentration, performance, self-control, and improved speech. For chronic pain patients, bringing into resonance the vibrations of pain with the vibrations of music alters the psychological perception of pain – even altering the pain or eliminating it. Increasing brainwaves has proven effective for people with ADHD and ADD, and various other learning disabilities. Slowing down the brainwaves has shown to help patients get to sleep, relax, find passion and happiness. The ability of music to change our mood seems to be related to the production of different chemicals in the brain. Endorphins triggered by music listening and music-making provide a kind of natural pain relief, where dopamine leads to feelings of buoyancy, optimism, energy and power. Impacts are even more potent for group music-making, because shared, positive experiences also release oxytocin, a brain tool for building trust. In this way, musical relationships develop encouraging non-verbal and emotional expression and building self-esteem, motivation and confidence. Symposium organizer Gabe Turow, a visiting scholar at the time in Stanford’s Department of Music, compared the effects of music therapy to taking medication. â€Å"We may be sitting on one of the most widely available and cost effective therapeutic modalities that has ever existed†, he also stated â€Å"Systematically, this could be like taking a pill. Listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medications, in many circumstances.†

Saturday, September 28, 2019

HR practices and policies with the organizations culture or business Assignment

HR practices and policies with the organizations culture or business objectives - Assignment Example 6). Another part of its culture is the radical drama that imbues every consumer wherein the aroma of the Starbucks coffee products would seem to hallucinate the consumer’s minds to be stimulated with its fragrance. The drama of the coffee is not a drama at all; it is for real that it makes the consumers taste the coffee as satisfying that could make the consumers gratified for it with the transparent service of Starbuck crews. This would go along to how Colquitt, LePine, and Wesson (2012) described the workers as the one who are responsible to actively answer and take the concerns of the customers with energy, enthusiasm, and zest. Starbucks place is well-soothing and environmental friendly as it seems that it dwells in every heart of consumers who find their service amazing (Batchelor & Krister, 2012). Michelli (2007) has been great in explaining that Starbucks has continued to become â€Å"extraordinary† in which the culture has been shaped with its own perspective an d principle that includes the unique concepts that the company engages, how every little thing matters to the company (the suggestions and opinions of others that could make the company more improved), how the customers would be enlightened, and how the company would switch on the attention of its flaws in order to minimize and diminish the factors that could hamper to its own success. In a specific manner, Starbucks induces the privilege of making their strategic business centralized unto the satisfaction of what the customers truly need. The objective of the Starbucks company is to make their company attractive to the perceptions of the people (Tu, Wang, & Chang, 2012). This could mean that Starbucks wanted to make their brand of names to be lucid enough that could build a lasting rapport to its customers. With this, one could merely say that the company truly upholds the juncture of aiming to be globally known specifically in some parts of Asia, such as

Friday, September 27, 2019

The four management functions in relation to operation management Essay

The four management functions in relation to operation management theory - Essay Example The paper tells that there are four functions that a manager accomplishes in a business organization. These four functions are known as planning, controlling, organizing, and leading. This section of the paper will look at these individual functions closely. Planning involves the "ongoing process of developing the business' mission, and objectives, and how they will be accomplished." The planning process can be used in a broad sense to take into account the whole organization. This will include devising the company's mission and vision. It can also be applied in a specific situation such as the formulation of a strategy to increase the company's market share. Organizing, on the other hand, refers to the creation of the company's organizational structure. This involves determining the functions to be done as well the resources to accomplish them. Organizing also includes how processes will be managed and coordinated. In summary, the organizing function encompasses how managers distrib ute tasks to job holders and focus on division of labor, coordination, control of tasks, and flow of information within the organization. The third managerial function is leading to other writers refer to this function as directing. Leading "is influencing people's behavior through motivation, communication, group dynamics, leadership, and discipline." The real essence of leading is for the manager to equip the employees with their needs to realize the organization's objectives while giving them room to achieve their respective career objectives. Controlling is the managerial function which necessitates the identification of the company's specific goals. Controlling is a "four-step process of establishing performance standards based on the firm's objectives, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two, and taking corrective or preventive action as necessary." Put simply, the controlling function of management is the check and balance system which tries to reveal th e inefficiencies in the strategies employed in realizing the goals of the organization. Controlling is very significant as it tells the managers the loopholes and enables them to correct their systems in order to enhance the company's performance. The operation is one of the functional areas of an organization. Operations management is essentially the area which carefully manages the processes of the company's value chain in order to efficiently produce and distribute its products and servicesÃ'Ž Operations management is indispensable in the functioning of any business organization may it be a small start-up entity or a large manufacturing firm. Operations management deals with the management of the company's core activity. Therefore, the functions of operations managers vary with the major activity of a business entity. The operation manager of a company engaged in the manufacture of children’s toys is basically tasked to oversee the firm’s value chain from the procu rement of raw materials, assembly, sales, and after sales services such as handling of complaints and warranties. On the other hand, the operations managers of a service company like a spa handles day to day activities like management of workforce to service the customers.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Social Media Effect On Teenagers Annotated Bibliography

Social Media Effect On Teenagers - Annotated Bibliography Example Why youth (heart) social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. MacArthur Foundation series on digital learning–Youth, identity, and digital media volume, 119-142. Retrieved from http://sjudmc.net/lyons/civicmedia1/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/boyd-Why-teens-heart-social-media.pdf. This is a report documenting a comprehensive research on social networking peer-based sociality. The author evaluates the effects of social networking in relation to teenage identity and status. He also compares social networking interactions with face-to-face public life.Butler, M. G. I. (2010). Online social networking and the impact on well-being: implications for school counselors. Retrieved from http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-915/BUTLER-MASTERS-REPORT.pdf?sequence=1. This author reviews recent literature on online social networking and its psychological impact on teenagers. The article identifies and discusses cyber bullying a nd sexting as the greatest negative effects of online social networking on teenagers.Dinakar, K., Jones, B., Havasi, C., Lieberman, H., & Picard, R. (2012). Common sense reasoning for detection, prevention, and mitigation of cyber bullying. ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems. Retrieved from http://web.media.mit.edu/~lieber/Publications/Bullying-TiiS.pdf. This article focuses on cyber bullying as a negative effect of social networking sites and its effect on healthy interpersonal relationships in teenagers.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Pride in Bury My Heart in Wounded Knee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pride in Bury My Heart in Wounded Knee - Essay Example In this movie however, pride is presented as strength. To begin with, the White settlers exhibit pride when they employ pretence to gain access to the land of the natives. After gaining the access, they maltreat the natives and reportedly kill the natives ‘for their energy resources’ (Voluk 154). The strong pride in this case makes them to maintain that the contentious land resource does not belong to anyone. This is regardless of having found the native inhabitants therein. Ultimately, this enables the Whites to have access to the resource. Also worth appreciating that the inherent pride gives the Americans the strength to persist on. Pride in this case is the driving force of all the activities. The White soldiers believe that they deserve only the best and this enables them to conquer the natives. Certainly, it is pride that made General Custer to carry and fight on even after the gruesome defeat in 1876. The soldiers at this point believed that the then defeat was temporary and could not demoralize them. Thus pride in this case can be considered a strength that contributes significantly to the success of the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Google Glass Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Google Glass - Essay Example Since its inception into the market, there have been diverse concerns about the use of Google Glass and this is especially the case when it comes to its potential of violating privacy rights. Privacy rights advocates have raised concerns about Google Glass users being able to identify strangers through the use of facial recognition software or even record private conversations and broadcast these conversations. This is a matter that might lead to potential legal problems for Google Glass because its widespread usage might become an inconvenience for others in society. It is for this reasons that some institutions and companies have opted to make sure that they place signs banning the use of Google Glass within their premises (Streitfeld, 2013). Organizations such as the FTC Fair Information Practice have set up guidelines which are meant to ensure that privacy rights are upheld and these have become important especially in regulating new technology such as Google Glass. Despite the privacy concerns, the development of Google Glass is one of the most fascinating stories of the twenty first century. This is because it has evolved from a prototype weighing some 8 pounds in 2011 to being lighter than the average sunglasses; showing the rapid development of this technology over such a short time. However, its original incarnations were not very appealing as a result of their not being fashionable and this has triggered Google to make this product more appealing to the market by making it more fashionable (Friedman, 2015).

Monday, September 23, 2019

Trade unionism in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Trade unionism in the UK - Essay Example They organise a particular section of skilled or unskilled workers and with them as members of the Union, the office bearers become the legal representatives of such workers and union by attaining the power of representing them in all matters of employment and thus, in most of the countries they attain the status of an important legal entity. They negotiate collectively on behalf of their members over pay, working hours, wages, terms and conditions, cleanliness, perks, benefits, pensions, etc. If bargaining fails, Unions can undertake industrial action and strike and can cause immense harm to a well-running business and in major cases, to the economy of the entire country. Since the late 1970s there had been a rapid decline in unionisation in UK. This failure had been attributed to the inability of unions to organise new establishments in the same lines as they did twenty years ago, though it is not as simple as that. "The sharpest falls in unionization occurred in private manufacturing establishments set up post-1980, with significant falls also occurring, but from a lower initial level, in private sector services" http://158.143.49.27/machin/pdf/bjir2000.pdf There had been overwhelming arguments that the age of establishments has a lot to do with the decline of unions. Younger organisations pitted against the older ones, have shown totally different trends of conducting business, recruiting people, retaining them, or even retrenching them, to which unions are not fast enough to adjust themselves. "Finally, there is some evidence that age of workplace, rather than age of worker, is the critical age based factor as the negative association with unionization is found for all age groups in workplaces set up post-1980" ibid. Unions of yore had different sets of principles and ways of working. They were mainly centralised with highly centred authority wielded by the Union Leaders, who could sway the entire massive group of workers by a word or deed. In recent years, this trend has received a set back, with more and more vociferous demands by workers for a democratic set up. "Since the 1960s a democratic ethos has developed within the trade union movement Whilstleaderships may be formally in control, their power is constrained and checked on a number of issues (Hodgson 1981: 135)", in Webb (1992, p.83). Lately, there had been extensive arguments about the possible reasons for decline of Trade Unions in Britain. As a matter of fact, it is a universal trend, which came before the globalisation started and Britain had only been part of it. Her participation in the decline could not be stemmed and we have to agree that the influence and strength of trade unions have definitely suffered a major set back, with managements having an upper hand in every situation. "In the economic arena, unions face more confident managements, implementing politics of restructuring often without explicit reference to Unions. No longer are trade union leaderships party to the formulation of policy and programmes which take into account the specific concerns and interests of their memberships," Fairbrother (2000, p.10). The trend started with a steady decline in trade union membership. In last three decades and to put it mildly, it had been

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Stylistic - the Bluest Eye Essay Example for Free

Stylistic the Bluest Eye Essay In the passage from The Bluest Eye, written by Toni Morrison, the author writes about difficult challenges that not only the young girls in the book have to face but everyone of that time has to endure. Taking place in the 1940’s the author uses many stylistic devices to demonstrate life at the time, such as The Great Depression, and the realization young girls grow up to find. The early 1940s brought about the end of The Great Depression leaving the country in economic turmoil. Growing up in this time could not have been easy families were split apart in search for jobs, and nothing would grow on the dry grounds. In the passage Claudia reflects over a time in the life when she remembers nothing would grew and having to face difficult challenge of growing up. The passage starts with Claudia saying â€Å"there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941† an allusion to the ending of The Great Depression, a time of economic hardship, started by the stalk market crash and the lack of crop yielded. Claudia reflects back now understanding what was happening saying â€Å"our seeds were not the only ones that did not sprout†. Claudia continues on admitting â€Å" but so deeply concerned we were with the health and safety of Pecola’s baby†; explaining that Claudia and her sister planted marigold, thinking that if they sprouted it would bring about the safe and healthy delivery of Pecolas baby. The author uses a popular quilocial symbolism of the south at the time to convey the â€Å"magic† Claudia and her sister are attempting to bring about; â€Å"we could think nothing but of our own magic; if we planted the right seed and said the right words, everything would be alright. It was common in the south at the time for the blooming of marigolds to represent life, the author uses this quiloquial symbolism to make the reader understand the â€Å"magic† the young girls thought they possessed. In the last part of the passage the author uses a smilie to convey Claudias now mature vision of what happened. Claudia says â€Å"we had dropped our seeds in our little plot of black dirt like Pecolas’ father had dropped his seeds in his own plot of black dirt†. This simile conveys that Claudia now understands that Pecola’s father impregnated his daughter, comparing it to her planting the marigolds. In the next line the author uses a sharp juxtaposition comparing the girls innocence and Pecola’s fathers lust, many people after the Depression were left distraught facing mental illness; Pecola’s Father is a presentation of the unstable mental state of many people at the end of the 1940’s. Claudia realized that not everything in life was magical and would always be ok, he innocence was lost with this realization, like many young girls coming to terms with this same realization, many of whom had never faced economic hardship. Claudia reflects for the last time saying her innocence was lost and all that was left was the â€Å"unyielding earth†. Like many girls her age she realizes in the end that not all people are good, and things are not always going to be ok, this loss of innocence helped her to grow and mature. Following The Great Depression the country lay in an economic reaction that brought about despair and loss of hope for many people. This despair made many people mentally unstable, up until then many young girls had not had the chance to experience this type of hardship, like Claudia the were forced to grow up in order to survive. Claudias story is a representation of the struggles a young girl faced growing up in the 1940’s. It was a time when childhood fairytales were exposed leaving the whole country feeling as if they had lost some of there innocence as well. The earth did not produced as it always had throwing the delicate stock market out of balance, no marigolds bloomed for america in the 1940’s.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Mother Tongue Language And Mathematics Essay Example for Free

Mother Tongue Language And Mathematics Essay In what ways does your mother tongue language and mathematics resemble and differ from each other? Mathematics and language both act as a source of communication, thus both mathematics and language play an important role in life. According to the dictionary, language is defined as a communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. In comparison, the dictionary defines mathematics as a the study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. Both language and mathematics use symbols, thus both concept are seen as a form of communication. The symbols represent values, which can be understood by the human mind. Language is defined as a code, and both the mother tongue and mathematics are made up of unique symbols that are consistent in their rules in order to be understood properly. Mathematics is a very complex, straightforward concept that has fixed meanings. If x = y = z, then x = y, x = z and y = z. This is a universal phenomenon accepted world wide. Mathematics has been used in the study of science. An example would be the physician Albert Einstein and the discovery of his equation e = mc2. Mathematics is composed of a combination of factors, which can be simplified and broken down. Factorisation of equations is an example. However, if an equation can be factored, then there is only possibility in which it can be broken down. Each equations has its universal values that cannot be altered. Even though mathematics exemplifies logic, it is not as simple to understand. In order to understand the concept of mathematics, a person has to learn a language first. Whether the language is English, French, Spanish or German does not matter. Mathematics is a fundamental base of our daily life and society, but it is not as essential as the communication between humans through the usage of language. Language is a much simpler concept than mathematics. Language does not have a fixed meaning or value, whereas this is the case in mathematics. 5 + 3 = 8. This is always true, it cannot be denied due to the mathematical code and its rule. In language this is not the case. Statements can be understood of accepted differently according to the individual. For example, Anna says to Tom, I really like you. This has no fixed meaning, because according to what tone this statement is said, it can either be true or false. Anna could emphasise through language that she in reality does like Tom. On the other hand, she has the ability to state it as a sarcastic phrase. This would mean, that in reality she doe not like Tom. Language also plays an important role in culture. Through language, the origin of individuals can be assumed. If somebody is mainly speaking German, then one can assume that the person is German. Even within the German language, different dialects are spoken. This makes language less specific than mathematics. There is the Hoch-Deutsch spoken in Germany, the Austrian German spoken in Austria and finally the Swiss German heard in Switzerland. Language is expressed in different forms, either written by the usage of symbols, orally through the usage of sounds and finally through the form of body language. Again, language illustrates a less specific concept than mathematics. All three forms can express certain values and one statement, such as I like you can be expressed in all three different forms. Even though both mathematics and language have codes, these can be misunderstood. In mathematics your result is an error, while in language misunderstandings can result in several problematic situations. The fundamental difference between mathematics and language is that one is universal in its concept, while the other is altered around the globe. Mathematics is universal, it has the same code throughout the world where 2 + 2 = 4 in every country. Language however, can be altered. If a Chinese speaks in Chinese to a Portuguese, it is unlikely that they will understand it each other. In conclusion, mathematics and language share both common concepts but also differ from each other. They are both essential for life, while language is the base to understand mathematics. The concept of mathematics has always been relevant in nature, such as 360à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ circles. Language is the invention of the human race in order to establish and maintain the communication between each other.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Becoming a teacher

Becoming a teacher Individual Essay Like most of my peers, I joined the teaching profession with some preconceived notions, to a certain extent based on observations of my teachers, both good and bad, and partly on my opinion of how things should be like in a perfect world. Personal Philosophy Every child having a sense of belonging As a child, I have good memories of my experience and education in primary school. I studies at an all-girls school where corporal punishment was still used to punish disobedient pupils. I remember that my language teacher who was also the discipline teacher was very strict, but I also remember that I respected her to a great deal and so do most of my peers. I felt that in a way this had formed my initial notion about teaching where teachers are respected and should maintain a level of control in the classroom. However, I am glad that we have progressed from corporal punishment as a way to maintain order in our classrooms. There are many other ways in which the teachers can gain their students’ respect and keep their classrooms orderly. I believe that it is important for me to show genuine care for my pupils through the way I teach and in the time I devote to my pupils. I believe this kind of caring nature is bound to positively affect the pupils. I believe it is also importan t for me to create a positive atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to discuss questions. Pupils should not be afraid of making mistakes as they are treated as opportunities to explore misconceptions and not reflection of their abilities. School being their second home, it is important that my classroom is a place where it is safe for them to make mistakes, a place where differences are tolerated and compromised on. Common sense and research tell us that students are more likely to cooperate with teachers whom they see as caring, trustworthy, and respectful (Weinstein, 2006 as cited in Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011). It is important to develop a supportive and respectful relationship with pupils not only to gain cooperation but also for them to be seriously engaged in learning, to share their thoughts and feelings, to take risks and to develop a sense of social responsibility. Thus, I need organise my classroom in such a way that my pupils will feel safe and cared for emotionally, intellectually and physically. I remembered conducting the ‘Heart-to-heart’ session with my pupils during my contract teaching and I find this very useful in getting to know the pupils better. Also, pupils were tasked to write at least one journal entry every week on something special. These activities has helped me to know my pupils better and are a great stepping stone to improve the teacher-student relationship. Thus, I hope to continue to implement them in my class in the future. Focus on Students’ Strengths What really triggers me to join the teaching profession was the weekly tuition session I volunteered for during my university days and continued to this day. Working for a non-profit community organisation gave me the best experience in social interaction and interpersonal skills that I would have not learnt of. I hoped my experiences and encouragement would help them find a clearer path to their interests in life and work, but I found that I learned so much from them about bravery, tolerance and ambition to succeed. It is really heart-warming to know that the boys are grateful for the help and support of volunteers and love to engage in learning and games. This gave me a completely new view of life, communities and education. There’s no doubt that I found great satisfaction in sharing and encouraging the boys but I was surprised by how enlightening and fulfilling the whole experience was. Thus, I believe that it is important for me to develop their full potential by guiding t hem in their route of discovery. As children are our future, it is crucial for me to allow them to express their opinions and nurture their own ideas. These reasons confirmed my decision that teaching was what I want to do in life. At times, we need to tap into the life experiences of our pupils to discover what they can do beyond their academic achievements. As a teacher, I used to focus on what my pupils do not know or cannot do, and try to fix the problems. However, after going through the teaching experience and courses in NIE, I learned that responsible teaching also involves searching for strengths. This is important to develop the confidence and self-competency of my pupils (Lim, Thaver, Slee, 2008). I will need to create opportunities for pupils to succeed while challenging them. I was told that we need to scaffold for pupils to understand the concept better but little did I know that these small successes will also lead to increased pupils’ confidence. Engaged and Active Learning During my contract teaching stint, I learnt that each and every individual student in the class had a different background and there is a great diversity in there. Each student had their unique learning style and abilities. Their family backgrounds ranged from lower to the top tier of society. I learnt that different stakeholders, i.e. parents, school, child and teacher, all play a part in nurturing students. The socio-economic class of students affected their abilities and academic success, and different family structures gave different levels of support. All these differences made me understand that when conducting lessons, I cannot expect all students to have the same experiences. Learning is superficial unless the pupils are actively engaged. Therefore, I will need to use different teaching strategies in my class such as questioning, collaborative learning, hands-on activities and experiential learning events that will encourage active and constructive learning. However, conducting a class that actively engages the pupils require a lot of planning. Therefore, I need to ensure that I am well prepared by not only knowing the content knowledge but also the teaching objectives and strategies. The activities planned will also need to match the concepts, skills and goals of the lesson. When pupils are actively engaged, they focus on what is being taught and better process new information (Lorain, 2010). As pointed out by Tom Good and Jere Brophy (2008), when students must wait with nothing to do, there is a higher probability to result in undesirable behavior and a loss of valuable learning opportunities (Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011). Through the various courses in NIE, I have learned how to better prepare myself for lesson and designing activities that are able to develop pupils’ relational understanding. This course also discusses various cooperative learning strategies such as think-pair-share, round table, and jigsaw which I could apply in my classroom to promote active learning. Also, to ensure that the group activities are carried out successfully, I need to ensure that there are certain classroom rules and routines to keep the classroom running smoothly. My Evolution as a Teacher-in-Training Establishing Productive Learning Environment One concept taught in this course that struck me most was the model for creating an inclusive learning environment which was adapted from Stice’s problem-solving model. This model helps me to understand and reaffirm some of the teaching practices which I have observed and learned during my teaching internship, relief teaching or contract teaching. The model aims to aid classroom learning environment that are not only academically inclusive but also socially. Creating a conducive physical environment can influence the way teachers and students feel, think and behave (Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011).Thus, it is important for me to ensure that the physical furniture in my class are strategically arranged to suit the needs of the pupils. During my contract teaching, my teacher mentor created a reading corner at the back of her class with carpets and cushions for the pupils. I find this arrangement useful in managing the class. Once the pupils have completed the assigned work, they will proceed to the reading corner with a book and read silently. I felt that this has helped to inculcate in the pupils the love for reading. This also helps her manage the class and reduce unnecessary disruption when the pupils have completed their work. Occasionally on a rotationally basis, pupils are given 10 minutes break time where they are allowed to use the educational board games created. This encourages pupils’ self-directed learning as they exp lore different concepts in a fun and interactive manner. I have also learned that it is important to ensure that the notice boards are up-to-date with information and pupils work. Environment psychologists point out that the effects of the classroom environment can be both direct and indirect (Proshansky Wolfe, 1974 as cited in Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011). For example, if pupils seated in straight rows are unable to carry on a class discussion because they can’t hear one another, the environment is directly hindering their participation. Students may also be affected indirectly if they infer from the seating arrangement that the teacher does not really want them to interact. Therefore, I need to be mindful on how my pupils are arranged in the class as it will send a message to them about how they are supposed to behave due to the link between classroom environment and student behaviour. Through this course, I also learned that it is important to create a sense of belonging for the pupils by providing them opportunities to make decision on how they want the classroom to be such as giving them the responsibility to decorate the class or as simple as putting up pupils work. Behaviour Management Another aspect which I find very useful is the various behavior management models which teachers could employ. I understand there is no one size fit all solution to various issues a teacher might face in school and each model has its own pros and cons. It is therefore up to the teachers’ discretion to choose the model that best suit their teaching style and the class profile. Personally, the concept of taking ownership under inner discipline resonates with me. I believe that it is important for students to accept ownership of their problem. Students need to learn that they are capable of taking ownership of their problems regardless of age. As teacher, I must trust that they also are capable of taking full responsibility for the problems their behaviours can create, not because of fear but because it is the right thing to do. Assertive Discipline is a direct and positive approach to make it possible for the teacher to teach and the students to learn. During my contract teaching, there were times when I felt I was unable to deliver the lesson properly due to poor class control and denied pupils the opportunity to learn. However, after seeking advice from the senior teachers, I made certain changes such as implementing the rewards and punishment system. As a result, I was able to deliver most of the lessons without much interruption. Students should be rewarded for good behaviour and punished fairly for bad behaviour. I think that having a short list of classroom rules posted in the class is beneficial. That way, from day one, they are aware of what is expected from them. However, it is necessary to exercise punishments with cautions to make sure students would not be more rebellious. I have also learned the various teaching style and I would prefer to adopt the democratic teaching style which the teacher p rovide firm guidance and leadership by establishing rules (Edwards, 2008). Pupils will then be taught how to establish an inner control that permits them to choose behavior compatible with their best interest. I realized that teaching was indeed a calling. One needed a passion to teach and to make a difference in peoples lives. One had to follow their heart and not their brain to appreciate the true difference made by being a teacher because being a teacher was hard work with many untold roles. One had to be unafraid to admit that mistakes have been committed and constantly reflect on lessons conducted so as to continually improve. Bibliography Edwards, C. (2008). Classroom discipline and management (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Lim, L., Thaver, T., Slee, R. (2008). Exploring Disability in Singapore. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education (Asia). Lorain, P. (2010). Teaching That Emphasizes Active Engagement. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from National Education Association: http://www.nea.org/tools/16708.htm Weinstein, C. S., Romano, M. E., Mignano, J. A. (2011). Elementary Classroom Management Lessons from research and practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Dredd Scott Decision Essay -- Supreme Court Scott v. Sanford

INTRODUCTION United States Supreme Court case Scott v. Sanford (1857), commonly known as the Dred Scott Case, is probably the most famous case of the nineteenth century (with the exception possibly of Marbury v. Madison). It is one of only four cases in U. S. history that has ever been overturned by a Constitutional amendment (overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments). It is also, along with Marbury, one of only two cases prior to the Civil War that declared a federal law unconstitutional. This case may have also been one of the most, if not the most, controversial case in American history, due simply to the fact that it dealt an explosive opinion on an issue already prepared to erupt - slavery. Thus, many scholars assert that the Dred Scott case may have almost single-handedly ignited the ever growing slavery issue into violence, culminating ultimately into the American Civil War. It effectively brought many abolitionists and anti-slavery proponents, particularly in the North, "ov er the edge". BACKGROUND Dred Scott was a slave born in Virginia who early in life moved with his owner to St. Louis, Missouri. At this time, due to the Missouri Compromise of 1820, Missouri was added as a slave state, but no state may allow slavery if that state falls above the 36 degree 30 minute latitudinal line. Later, in 1854 under the Kansas-Nebraska Act, states were allowed to vote on whether they will allow slavery or not, known commonly as popular sovereignty. In St. Louis, Scott was sold to an army surgeon named Dr. John Emerson in 1833. A year later, Emerson, on a tour of duty, took Scott, his slave, to Illinois, a free state. In 1836, Emerson's military career then took the both of them to the free Wisconsin territory known today as Minnesota. Both of these states, it is important to recognize, where both free states and both above the 36 degree 30 minute line. While Emerson and Scott were in Wisconsin, Scott married Harriet Robinson, another slave, and ownership of her was subsequently transferred to Emerson. Dr. Emerson himself took a bride while on a tour of duty in Louisiana, named Eliza Irene Sanford, whose family happened to live in St. Louis. While the slaves (Dred and Harriet) stayed in St. Louis with Eliza and the rest of the family, Dr. Emerson was posted in Florida in 1842, where the Seminole war was being fought. He returned a year later but died within... ...dment, which abolished slavery altogether, and the 14th Amendment, which pronounced all persons born in the United States to be citizens of the U.S. regardless of color or "previous condition of servitude." Also, this case was the first to employ the substantive due process clause which would be referred to again later in many other cases. AREAS FOR FURTHER STUDY There was one specific issue that puzzled me, and I confess I was unable to find any adequate answer to the query. I am referring to how a slave, in this case Dred Scott, was able to marry another slave, Harriet Robinson, in the free territory of Wisconsin, which was well above the 36 degree 30 minute line. Why was she a slave at all? Hadn't the Missouri Compromise, still constitutional in the 1830's, eliminated slavery there? Or perhaps she was not "technically" a slave at all but a free black living in that territory, then why would she marry a slave? And if she did, why would she then fall under the ownership of Dr. E merson if she had already been freed? This is an area I would suggest further research be employed so that our understanding of the slavery situation in the territories at this time be more fully enhanced.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Meaningless Lives in 7 Stories :: essays research papers

?If you remain imprisoned in self denial then days, weeks, months, and years, will continue to be wasted.? In the play, 7 stories, Morris Panych exhibits this denial through each character differently. Man, is the only character who understands how meaningless life really is. All of the characters have lives devoid of real meaning or purpose, although they each have developed an absurd point or notion or focus to validate their own existence. In this play, the characters of Charlotte and Rodney, are avoiding the meaninglessness of their lives by having affairs, drinking, and pretending to kill each other to enhance excitement into their life. Charlotte and Rodney are blind to the meaninglessness of their life because they avoid it by having an affair. They are the first characters introduced to Man in the play, and they go to this place to escape from their own corrupt marriages. ?A lovely picture of your lovely wife,? (pg.6) proves the tone of the situation, and the sarcasm in how much Rodney doesn?t care about his wife and family at home. ?I started having another affair. You can?t believe how complicated that is. Cheating on the man you?re cheating with,? (pg.42) as Charlotte expressed how bored she was wither own life, and that this was the only way that she could avoid her own meaningless life. Another way these characters avoid living their life is by drinking continuously, in a way to make the time pass by faster and forget. ?Haven?t you had enough? She loses count after 10 cocktails,? (pg.11) proving to the audience her own self denial, and how she wastes every day. Unfortunately, there are many, who in society today, do the same thing to get out of a situation they?re trying to hide or a difficult time they?re going through. This relates back to their affair which they?re obviously hiding and trying to get through this time in their life. Thirdly, Charlotte and Rodney pretend to kill each other to try to enhance and excite their boring lives. They use this technique as many people do in every day life to not show their true self, because they think that they will be more interesting this way. ?It gives him a tremendous amount of power to hear me gasping for air,? (pg.40) which shows how Rodney gets excitement into his life by this role-playing. ?The world according to Rodney. Life would be so ?

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Guidance and Counseling Essay

1. Five terms in counseling with their definitions and why you chose them? a. Individualization – A client is unique and sine the client is different techniques in helping him should be different. I chose this term because it is pretty obvious that it is very important to know the differences of each client to help them more effectively. b. Controlled Emotional Involvement – the client also need to receive appropriate response to his feelings. The counsellors response must be must be based on the thorough knowledge and understanding of the client’s feelings, guided by purpose and not by emotion. While I was reading the hand-outs I was amazed with the principles of the counseling. This is my first time to know that trained counsellors are guided by principles and not by emotions. c. Acceptance – The counsellor views the client as a whole person with strength and weaknesses, positive and negative feelings, congenial and non-congenial qualities. I agree with this principle because a counsellor must not choose whom he want to give counsel and must welcome anyone who needs it. d. Nonjudgmental attitude – A client should not be judged. The counsellor’s role is to objectively evaluate and understand the client and his situation. A counsellor must not be subjective in evaluating a client and must leave a compassionate and understanding attitude to a client. e. Follow up – It is very important to make a client feel the concern of a counsellor to help him not just as a client but as a person or more as a friend. 2. Five terms in excellence and discuss why they are important to you. a. Never! Never! Never! Give up! I always believe that in journey to excellence will never be complete without disappointments and failures. The greatest glory is not in ever falling but in still standing despite all the obstacles that life may bring. Those people who do not commit mistakes are those who do not do anything at all. b. Attitude – Talent may bring us up in the heights of success but our attitude will make us stay there. Â  c. Dream! Excellent people are dreamers. They have their own invisible blueprints written in their hearts and minds that only them can see and they live each day believing and doing it. d. Afflicted. How can one claim victory without fighting a war? We should accept afflictions as though we are body builders who treat the burdens of weights as something that can build them not hurt them. e. Continued on. Quitters never win and winners never quit. No one can limit us. It is us who are limiting ourselves. Let not trials stop us! The earth is experiencing a lot of destructions each day but it never stopped.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Nursing Constipation Essay Essay

For the purpose of this assignment I have changed the chosen patients name to Scott to maintain patient confidentiality (Nursing & Midwifery Council 2004). Scott is a young boy that is 7 years of age who stays at home, in the suburbs of Aberdeen, with his mother and father and has no siblings. His mother is unemployed and father works offshore so is often not at home for long periods of time. Scott was admitted to hospital after having not had any bowl movements for a week and the previous week having only passed two stools. He reported pain whilst he passed these stools along with anal bleeding. This was not the first time he had been admitted to hospital with these symptoms in the past year. These symptoms lead to his diagnoses of suffering from chronic constipation. It was found that there were no underlying organic causes for his constipation. The modern diet of children, with a lack of fibre, can be the cause of constipation (SULLIVAN, P. B. et al, 2006). This could be true in Scott’s case as he is fussy with what foods he eats which may be a contributing factor to his constipation. Constipation is very common throughout childhood and constipation is internationally reported to affect 0. % to 36% of children (Smith and Derrett 2006). Many factors can influence constipation in children such as pain, dehydration, issues with toilet training, dietary and fluid intake and history of constipation within their families (NICE GUIDELINES). There are many symptoms for constipation and these can vary slightly in infants and children. When assessing constipation it is important that any more serious underlying causes are ruled out such as Hirschprungs’s disease, Cystic fibrosis, metabolic causes, heavy-metal poisoning or sexual abuse. This is because normal treatment for constipation in these cases will not always be the first course of action. Constipation that has no organic cause or cannot be explained by any physiological abnormalities is described as idiopathic constipation. This is almost always the diagnosis in children over the age of one (Biggs and Dery 2006). When assessing a child with constipation a discussion with the parents or guardians and child will help collect information. Stool patterns should be discussed (NICE 2010). Less than 3 proper stools per week, overflow soiling, odour more unpleasant that normal, rabbit dropping type stools or large infrequent stools are symptoms which should be noted. The Bristol Stool Chart can be used to help assess stool patterns as it classifies stool into 7 types with types 4 and 5 being normal and types 1 – 3 suggesting constipation. Distress, pain and straining whilst passing stools are also important in assessing constipation. The NICE guidelines state that if two or more of the previous symptoms are found then the child is to be diagnosed with constipation. Any previous medical history should also be addressed, like in Scott’s case, as his most recent stay in hospital was the second time in the past year that he had been admitted to hospital for constipation. Also diet should be discussed as a diet low in fiber can have a major impact and be a cause of constipation. Any family history in relation to constipation should be discussed. A physical examination can also be used to help assess the problem and would help in discovering any ‘red flags’ that could indicate that the constipation would require further investigation. The NICE guidelines also outline methods of assessing the problem that shouldn’t be carried out. Scott was assessed using the aforementioned methods. First his previous medical history was discussed. This uncovered that not only had he previously been admitted to hospital with this problem but that he didn’t often have regular bowl movements. He was experiencing difficultly when passing stools over the previous weeks and he found it very painful which lead to him trying to avoid using the toilet. This avoidance of passing stools because of fear of the pain can advance to stool retention and further reduce bowl movements (Biggs and Dery 2006). Scott’s stools were compared to the Bristol Stool Chart and found to be type 1. On discussing his diet and during his stay in hospital it was apparent that he was quite fussy about what he ate so this could perhaps have lead to a low fiber intake, which can cause constipation. However there is not currently a British recommendation for fiber intake (Sullivan, P. B. et al 2011). Scott after finding no underlying problems for his symptoms was treated for constipation. Treatment for constipation in children involves having a clear understanding of the factors affecting the individual. In some cases more than one approach may be taken. In managing constipation the steps taken are to get rid of any impaction, to establish regular bowl movements that cause no pain for the child and to try to prevent any further episodes of constipation. Firstly disimpaction of the build up fecal matter should be dealt with. There are different methods to manage this but usually medication will have a positive result without the need for surgical intervention. (NICE 2010). Laxatives are important as first line treatment and should commence as soon as possible (Rogers 2011). Movicol Paediatric Plain (Movicol PP) has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for children presenting with impaction (Hardikar, 2007). Enemas and rectal suppositories, although effective in treating impaction, are very invasive and can upset the child having a negative effect in trying to get them to pass stools. These would only be used in cases when all other oral medication has failed to clear the retained stool. After the retained stool has been cleared Movicol PP is often used for month after to help maintain regular bowl movements. The NICE guidelines recommend that this may take several months and in some cases children may require laxative therapy for several years to prevent relapse. Family education is important in the maintenance of healthy bowl movements and also education of the child if he or she is old enough. Dietary and behavioral advise can be given to help the parents or guardians to understand why the child has had a problem with passing stools. Dietary changes such as increasing fiber intake and generally maintaining a healthy diet is often advised. This as well as encouraging drinking water regularly is usually advised to prevent dehydration, which can be a cause of constipation. (Rogers 2011). Another important issue to be addressed is toileting habits. Toileting after meals should be encouraged and the childs’ comfort on the toilet should also be addressed to reduce straining. Regular exercise can also have a positive affect in maintaining healthy bowels. Poor follow up on patients progress is a main reason for failure in treatment which is why nurses can be invaluable in ensuring success of treatment and management of children with constipation (Burnett et al, 2004). Scott was treated during his stay in hospital with Movicol PP however this in itself presented a problem, as he was very reluctant to drink it because he really didn’t like the taste. This was dealt by rewarding him when he drank all of his medication using a sticker chart as a visual encouragement. Also the nurses would play games with him surrounding drinking his Movicol to give him a positive view of drinking it to try to stop him thinking about the unpleasant taste. This worked successfully and Scott was soon drinking it with little encouragement. Scott’s stools were monitored to ensure returning o normal and drinking plenty of fluids was encouraged. The nurses tried to educate his parents on why this had happened and how to prevent it happening in the future. When his stools became less painful to pass he became less frightened to use the toilet, his fear being a main reason of his fecal impaction. Scott although living with both his parents he was normally cared for by his mother as his father worked offshore so was away for long periods of time. Scott was confident around other children in the ward but around his mother became slightly reserved. On discussion with Scott and his mother it was found that she would sometimes get frustrated with him when he wouldn’t go to the toilet and when he experienced overflow soiling which was something, which was out of his control. This would be a stressful environment for Scott, which could have worsened the situation as well as affect his mental health. Another main factor affecting Scott’s health is his diet. He didn’t eat as much as he should and when he did eat he would prefer to eat sweets and snacks rather than proper meals. This issue was addressed with his mother. Scott was kept in hospital longer due to child protection issues that were raised by a nurse regarding his mother. These issues were resolved but the negative interactions between Scott and his mother would have a serve impact on his mental health. A positive factor influencing Scott’s general health was that he was very outgoing and did well in school, which was a boost to his self-esteem. He talked of achievements in school and how well he got on with his classmates. Scott is quite an intelligent boy so educating him on things he could do to help himself not have to experience this problem again was easy to do. Scott saw his father as a role model so he would have a great part to play in Scott’s health. His father could support him in managing the problem. His family being supportive is important, as punishing Scott for the issues surrounding his constipation would only worsen the problem. Scott got quite emotional and had very negative thoughts surrounding using the toilet. These could be related to early life when he was toilet trained and be a contributing factor to his constipation.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

By Steven L. McShane, The University of Western Australia

As a formerly government-owned telephone monopoly, Profitel enjoyed many decades of minimal competition. Even today as a publicly traded enterprise, the company’s almost exclusive control over telephone copper wiring across the country keeps its profit mar- gins above 40 percent. Competitors in telephone and DSL broadband continue to rely on Profitel’s wholesale business, which generates substantially more profit than similar wholesale services in many other countries.However, Profitel has stiff competition in the cellular (mobile) telephone business, and other emerging technologies (voice- over-Internet) threaten Profitel’s dominance. Based on these threats, Profitel’s board of directors decided to hire an outsider as the new chief executive. Although several qualified candidates expressed an interest in Profitel’s top job, the board selected Lars Peeters, who had been CEO for six years of a publicly traded Euro- pean telephone company, followed by a brief stint as CEO of a cellular telephone company in the United States until it was acquired by a larger firm.Profitel’s board couldn’t believe its good fortune; Peeters brought extensive industry knowledge and global experience, a high-octane energy level, self-confidence, decisiveness, and congenial yet strongly persuasive interpersonal style. He also had a unique â€Å"presence,† which caused people to pay attention and respect his leadership. The board was also impressed with Peeters strategy to bolster Profitel’s profit margins.This included heavy investment in the latest wireless broadband technology (for both cellular telephone and computer Internet) before competitors could gain a foothold, cutting costs through layoffs and reduction of peripheral services, and putting pressure on government to deregulate its traditional and emerging businesses. When Peeters described his strategy to the board, one board member commented that this was the same strategy Peeters used in his previous two CEO postings. Peeters dismissed the comment, saying that each situation is unique. Peeters lived up to his reputation as a decisive executive.Almost immediately after taking the CEO job at Profitel, he hired two executives from the European company where he previously worked. Together over the next two years they cut the workforce by 5 percent and rolled out the new wireless broadband technology for cellphones and Internet. Costs increased somewhat due to downsizing expenses and the wireless technology rollout. Profitel’s wireless broadband subscriber list grew quickly because, in spite of its very high prices, the technology faced limited competition and Profitel was pushing customers off the older technology to the new network.Profitel’s customer sat- isfaction ratings fell, however. A national consumer research group reported that Profitel’s broadband offered the country’s worst value. Employee morale also dec lined due to layoffs and the company’s public image problems. Some industry experts also noted that Profitel selected its wireless technology without evaluating the alternative emerging wireless technology, which had been gaining ground in other countries. Peeters’ aggressive campaign against government regulation also had unintended consequences.Rather than achieving less regulation, criticizing government and its telecommunications regulator made Profitel look even more arrogant in the eyes of both customers and government leaders. Profitel’s board was troubled by the company’s lacklustre share price, which had declined 20 percent since Peeters was hired. Some board members also worried that the company had bet on the wrong wireless technology and that subscription levels would stall far below the number necessary to achieve the profits stated in Peeters’ strategic plan.This concern came closer to reality when a foreign-owned competitor won a $1 billion government contract to improve broadband services in regional areas of the country. Profitel’s proposal for that regional broadband upgrade specified high prices and limited corporate investment, but Peeters was confident Profitel would be awarded the contract because of its market dominance and existing infrastructure with the new wireless network.When the government decided otherwise, Profitel’s board fired Peeters along with two executives he had hired from the European company where he previously worked. Now, the board had to figure out what went wrong and how to avoid this problem in the future. Questions: 1. Which perspective of leadership best explains the problems experienced in this case? Analyze the case using concepts discussed in that leadership perspective. 2. What can organizations do to minimize the leadership problems discussed above?

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Earthquakes result

Earthquakes result from disturbance in the outer layer of the Earth. This causes the vibration of the Earth’s surface. Another reason for the occurrence of earthquakes is the sudden release of energy that had been dormant in the core of the Earth. This energy creates strain in the rocks, subsequently; it is transferred in the form of waves to the Earth’s surface (Bolt, 2005 ). The force or magnitude and the period of time that had elapsed determine the destructive effect of an earthquake. The seismic waves and their intensity determine the destructive power of an earthquake.Structural damages caused by an earthquake depend on the design of the structure and the materials used in its construction. Earthquakes differ in magnitude. They may be small or unnoticeable or they may be so large that their intensity can be detected from distant places. The aftermath of an earthquake may cause the distortion of the ground or damage to buildings. Some earthquakes occur under the se a and cause tsunamis. Whatever the form of the earthquake, many of them endanger the lives of humans through their destructive force (Bolt, 2005 ).The surface of the Earth consists of lithospheric plates. These plates are always in motion and this causes compressional stresses at their edges. The sudden release of such stress can be attributed to earthquakes. Most earthquakes are caused due to the moving of these lithospheric plates. During the course of their movement, these plates collide with each other and enormous tensional stress is released through the faults present in the earth’s crust. The vibrations of the earthquake spread throughout the earth in the form of waves.Shallow earthquakes occur due to volcanic eruptions, the falling of huge rocks, landslides and bomb explosions. Such earthquakes are limited to the area surrounding the place of such occurrences (Earthquake, 2004). The impact of an earthquake spreads through a large area surrounding the epicenter of the earthquake. The surface of earth cracks due to the transmission of faults to the surface from within the earth. This results in horizontal and vertical deformation of the surface for over several meters. There is no such transfer of faults to earth’s surface during major earthquakes.Shallow earthquakes can be felt through the cyclical movements of the earth’s surface, which is termed as fault creep. The characteristics of the ground determine the magnitude of an earthquake’s vibrations and its destructive power. For instance, river beds, or nonintegrated ground surface could carry the effect of an earthquake to large area. Whereas, areas made up of bedrock transmit an earthquake that is significantly weaker. Loss of human lives would be more in places where buildings are not constructed to withstand immense shocks and vibrations.In those areas L waves of an earthquake could cause the pipe lines that supply gas to burst thereby causing destructive fires (Earthqua ke, 2004). Injuries and deaths could result from the collapse of buildings and sharp objects transported by the wind. Structural characteristics could also result in damages. For instance, flexible structures constructed on bedrock suffer less damage where as rigid structures built on loose soil suffer greater damage. In hilly regions, earthquakes cause landslides and mudslides, which could submerge the inhabitants.Earthquakes that occur under the seas could cause tsunamis, which give rise to destructive waves of water from the epicenter of the earthquake and flood the cities on the coast (Earthquake, 2004) The sudden movement of rocks along a fault causes vibrations and the transmission of energy through the Earth. Such waves are termed as body waves and their propagation is subterranean. These waves are classified as P waves or primary waves and S waves or secondary waves. The latter tend to displace the ground forwards and backwards and are consequently known as shearing waves (B olt, 2006).The world experienced a number of earthquakes in the year 1990. The Iranian earthquake in the month of June of that year claimed nearly fifty thousand human lives and its intensity was measured at 7. 7 on the Richter scale. Earthquakes are caused by plate tectonics and most of the earthquakes occur in regions that are in close proximity to the margins of the Earth’s plates. Fault activity is the main reason for earthquakes in these regions. Iran is located on the boundary between the Arabian and the Asian plates.Areas where there was no fault activity also suffered from earthquakes such as Missouri in the US where an earthquake occurred on the 26th of September 1990, Welsh borders and Sheffield in the UK sustained an earthquake on the 2nd of April and the 8th of February 1990 (Seismology: Earthquake Prediction, 2005). Stanford University developed measures to predict the occurrence of earthquakes by detecting the fluctuations in very low frequency radio waves that were transmitted through rocks a few hours before the occurrence of an earthquake.This phenomenon is a result of electrical currents produced by pressure in the rocks and is also attributed to the opening of microscopic cracks in the rocks. Japanese scientists discovered that electromagnetic radiation was emitted before an earthquake. (Seismology: Earthquake Prediction, 2005). A number of earthquakes occur in the seas, which do not cause damage, but major earthquakes occurring in densely populated areas could result in immense destruction to property and life.In order to limit the dangers of an earthquake, it is necessary to develop a system of earthquake prediction. At present the seismic gap theory has met with some success in locating earthquake prone regions. Most earthquakes occur in the region of the San Andreas Fault in California since the North American plate and Pacific plate move past each other. The North Pole is being shifted towards Japan at a slow pace of six centimet ers in every hundred years by earthquakes. This drift of pole is as result of major earthquakes that occur along shore the Pacific Rim (Earthquake, 2005).Despite the fact that earthquakes cannot be prevented the severity of the destruction caused by them can be mitigated appreciably by adopting suitable communication strategies, appropriate structural design of buildings, implementing a well planned course of action during an earthquake, appropriately educating the public and ensuring that safer building standards are in place. Several countries have instituted earthquake safety and regulatory agencies in response to the severe damage caused to life and property by earthquakes.In respect of Tsunamis, a proper early warning system can significantly reduce the damage caused, due to the fact that tsunami waves are propagated at low speeds. These waves are slower than seismic P and S waves and travel at a tenth of the speed of seismic waves in the rocks below. Thus, seismologists have a mple time at their disposal to warn the areas that could be affected by the killer waves (Bolt, 2006). The occurrence of intraplate earthquakes is much less in comparison to plate boundary earthquakes. They occur due to the internal fracturing of rock masses.Examples of such earthquakes were 1811 New Madrid earthquake and the 1812 Missouri earthquake, which were very severe. From the reports of the damage recorded, scientists have opined that their intensity should have been of the order of 8. 0 on the Richter scale (Bolt, 2006). Around eighty percent of the energy released by earthquakes can be attributed to the earthquakes that take place in the area surrounding the Pacific Ocean. More than a thousand tremors of intensity in excess of 3. 5 in magnitude occur in Japan annually.Another region that is notorious for earthquakes is the western coast of North and South America (Pendick). One of the techniques employed by seismologists in order to measure earthquakes is the Richter magni tude scale, which was developed by Charles Richter. The Richter magnitude is determined on the basis of the maximum vibration strength and the distance from earthquake’s epicenter. This scale is logarithmic and accordingly, a 6 magnitude earthquake is ten times stronger than a 5 magnitude earthquake. However, the Richter magnitude is inaccurate if the earthquake being measured is more than 310 miles from the seismograph.Accordingly, seismologists developed other earthquake magnitude scales; however these scales cannot be applied to all type of earthquakes due to the resulting inaccuracies (Pendick). As the distance increases the seismic waves exhibit a loss of strength. In general, the greatest effect of an earthquake will be at its epicenter. Some earthquakes are so powerful that the ground shaking can be greater than the acceleration due to gravity and this could result in rocks and boulders being propelled into the air with great force. This actually transpired in 1897 whe n a major earthquake occurred in Assam, India (Pendick).In the USA, earthquakes are a major cause of loss to property and endanger about seventy – five million US citizens. The loss caused by earthquakes can be significantly mitigated by efficient disaster planning, adoption of preventive measures like implementing better safeguards while constructing buildings and providing information about earthquakes that could occur immediately to the populace. The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the team leader of the effort to warn people in a timely manner regarding earthquakes about to take place in the US (USGS Science Helps Build Safer Communities Earthquake Hazards—A National Threat ).Earthquakes claimed millions of human lives in the past five hundred years. In the year 1976, the infamous T’ang – Shan earthquake that hit China claimed nearly two hundred and forty thousand lives. Earthquakes also cause immense damage to property and structures. Precautionary measures to counter the effects of an earthquake such as education, planning in emergency, and flexible, structural designs could contain the severity of the damage caused by an earthquake . (Bolt, 2005 ). References 1. Bolt, B. (2005 ). â€Å"Earthquake. â€Å". Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006 [DVD] . Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.2. Earthquake. (2004). Retrieved June 21, 2007, from 2004: http://www. xreferplus. com/entry. jsp? xrefid=4270901&secid=. 1. – 3. Earthquake. (2004). Retrieved June 21, 2007, from http://www. xreferplus. com/entry. jsp? xrefid=4270901&secid=. 3 4. Earthquake. (2005). Retrieved June 21, 2007, from In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas: http://www. xreferplus. com/entry/6422915 5. Seismology: Earthquake Prediction. (2005). Retrieved June 21, 2007, from In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas: http://www. xreferplus. com/entry. jsp? xrefid=6481861&secid=. 1

A critical review of the harlem dancer and her storm

A critical review of the harlem dancer and her storm Claude McKay’s â€Å"The Harlem Dancer† is a poem immersed in the rich cultural aesthetic of a cultural renaissance that is unable to conceal its somber song of oppression, even in an atmosphere trying relentlessly to exorcise those sour notes. The infected atmosphere in question is a Harlem nightclub, in which a beautiful, black female dances away her hardships as â€Å"laughing youths,† â€Å"prostitutes,† and the speaker watch. Using the speaker’s unique perspective, and the strict sonnet form, McKay illuminates both the beauty of resilience and degradation of the African American â€Å"self† perpetuated by racial oppression. Initially, a division is drawn between the speaker and the rest of the audience because of a difference in race and perhaps morality. Critic Beth Palatnik agrees, stating that the speaker â€Å"identifies himself and the dancer with blackness† (Palatnik). According to her analysis, the speaker assumes a position of moral superiority over the rest of the audience that sexualizes the dancer’s â€Å"half clothed body† (McKay 2). She notes that the speaker is more preoccupied with the woman’s â€Å"swaying palm† than he seems to be with her scantily clad figure. Though Palatnik seems to believe that this evidence alone proves the speaker’s moral superiority, the speaker is nevertheless an audience member himself in the nightclub, watching this sexualized dance. Therefore, it seems hypocritical to suggest that he is morally superior to those around him who are watching the same show. However, perhaps the difference involves not what the speaker sees, but what the audience does not see during the performance. The other audience members are described as â€Å"laughing,† â€Å"eager,† and â€Å"passionate†; diction that alludes to their unburdened enjoyment of the performance. The speaker is separate from these â€Å"boys† and â€Å"girls,† and the slow, deliberate meter of this sonnet, antithetical to the raucous atmosphere of the nightclub, allows the reader to infer that the speaker is a more reserved and thoughtful presence. Critic Eugenia W. Collier confirms that the â€Å"slow, measured, dignity o f the sonnet† form, contrasts with the â€Å"wild world† of Harlem (Collier). The speaker’s demeanor contrasts with those around him just as the structure of this poem contrasts with its setting. Maybe, as Palatnik suggests, his behavior is derived from his repudiation of the audience-projected eroticism, which she labels as â€Å"cultural rape†or maybe, as Collier speculates, he behaves differently because of the age disparity between him and the other audience members (Palatnik). Yet, it is a third explanation that best defends the critical assertion that the speaker of this poem is morally superior to those around him. In the ending heroic couplet following this sonnet’s volta, the reader learns that the speaker sees the dancer’s â€Å"self† as well as her body, creating a psychological connection rather than just a corporeal fascination. The audience and the speaker are both voyeurs, enjoying the aesthetic pleasure of watching the dancer, but unlike the audience the speaker sees the dancer as a fully actualized being, spiritually separated from her body and gender, if not race. The speaker sees her as a person as well as the attractive subject of his voyeurism, particularly a person similar to himself because of their shared ethnicity. He recognizes the intersection of beauty and pain that both define her humanity and, as the speaker implies, the African-American race. Using the dancer as an archetype, the speaker and poet illuminate the codependence of beauty and adversity in relation to the African-American woman, and the black community in general. In accordance with the philosophy of this poem, adversity begets beauty and this is emphasized through McKay’s use of a storm as an extended metaphor for the hardships faced by the black population through the course of American history. The poem states that the dancer had â€Å"grown lovelier for passing through a storm† (McKay 8). Palatnik is correct in her assertion that this storm is a metaphorical storm of racial oppression, supported with the emphasis on race in this poem and exemplified in the euphonic phrase â€Å"blown by black players,† the description of the dancer’s neck as â€Å"swarthy†, as well as through McKay’s other works that focus on race (ie: â€Å"Mulatto†). Critic Cary Nelson argues that the dancer’s beauty and pride, epito mized through her graceful movements and â€Å"proudly swaying palm,† represent the gains black people had made from overcoming adversity (McKay 5-7). Still, while the dancer may seem beautiful and triumphant, the description of her as â€Å"falsely-smiling† in the final heroic couplet implies that the resilient â€Å"self† that she projects to the audience may be as much of a performance as her dance. Although analysis of the speaker establishes his recognition of the dancer’s â€Å"self,† further examination of the last phrases of this poem suggests that what the speaker is seeing is not the â€Å"self† but the absence of the â€Å"self,† resulting from the dancer’s continued experience of racial subjugation. The speaker states that he knew the dancer’s â€Å"self† was not in the â€Å"strange place† of the nightclub. This line contains two metrical deviations from standard iambic pentameter; a pyrrhic followed by a spondee that emphasize the words â€Å"strange place†. This spondee’s function is to separate â€Å"strange place† from the rest of the line, creating a division between itself and the word â€Å"self† and therefore a thematic separation of the dancer’s internal self from her external environment. This tactic conveys that the dancer has overcome adversity through adaptation, pro tecting the â€Å"self† through separating it from her body, which exists in an environment of racial oppression and sexual exploitation. The music playing in the Harlem nightclub fades with a final somber note. Though triumph is found at the beginning of this poem, it is only a triumph of adaptation. In this poem, McKay insinuates that the oppressive conditions African Americans endured for centuries still persist into his current era and that any projected contentment on the community’s behalf is as much a facade as the dancer’s â€Å"falsely-smiling† face.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Raymond Carvers Catherdral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Raymond Carvers Catherdral - Essay Example Robert had just lost his wife and was meeting her relatives in Connecticut. The narrator’s wife offers him a place to spend the night. While conversing with Robert, the narrator suddenly realizes that though Robert is blind, he is able to ‘see’ far better than the narrator with his eyesight. Thesis Statement The narrator comes upon the realization that even though Robert is blind, he is a better communicator because he uses his other senses of touch and perception as a means to establish a rapport with not only the narrator’s wife but his own wife Beulah as well. Thus Robert has had a much richer understanding with the narrator’s wife than the narrator himself- in comparison, their own conversational exchanges are few, terse and tensed. Discussion The short story writer Raymond Carver (1938-1988) has been acclaimed as one of the best proponents of this form of literature in the USA. His short but eventful life was tragic and interspersed with poverty and want. In a strange way, this state of affairs mirrors the life of Edgar Allan Poe, another short story writer of Gothic fiction. Both were slaves to the bottle. Born into a blue collar family where his father was a worker at a sawmill and his mother a waitress, Raymond nevertheless harbored a desire to write. This desire was sparked when Raymond attended creative writing classes in 1958 at Chico State College under the tutelage of John Gardner, another short story writer of some repute. Gardner took Carver under his wing and advised him to shorten his words from twenty five to fifteen to have a better effect. If that were not damning enough, the stringent editing of Carver’s editor Gordon Lish resulted in a further admonition and Carver having to condense his stories even further into five words for every fifteen. Of course, this would stifle Carver’s creativity and he ultimately rebelled against Lish (Halpert, 2005, 33). All writers love to have their own poetic license and freedom of expression. They also like the company of comrade souls with similar interests and outlook. This was probably one reason why Carter chose to divorce his longtime wife Maryann who was his childhood sweetheart (they had married when he was 19 and she 18 and had 2 kids by the time they were 20) and married another writer, Tess Gallagher in 1988. Their happiness was short lived though, Carver dying just six months into the marriage due to lung cancer. Carver uses a minimalist style and his stories are often sad and melancholy, yet they usually have a moral or lesson attached. One of more of the characters is likely to have been recovering from a tragedy, or set to become a victim of it. What is important is the reaction to this tragedy or circumstance. In Cathedral, the emphasis is on seeing rather than looking, feelings rather than appearances. The narrator does not seem to have a very good relationship or understanding with his wife. Their conversations are few and terse and strained, as though they are estranged or do not really understand or care for each other. For one, the narrator’s wife seems to recall her working experience with the blind man with pleasant memories. She especially recalls the way he touched her face, her neck, her hands etc. on her last day of work (Carver, 2008, 305). There is no sexual connotation here, it is just the element of feelings that the author wants to highlight. Despite his blindness, Robert seems to be imbued with a deep sense of

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Assignment 3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

3 - Assignment Example The spot gasoline prices are the prices that have an influence on the wholesale of gasoline. This is the price paid by stations when filling their storage tanks. The current price of commodity is $2.18 per gallon (Roseman n.d). This changes depending with season. For instance, during winter the prices are likely to go down by almost a half. The specifications for the commodity have changed since 1998 (Brand n.d). This is as way of keeping up with the new technologies being invented and especially in the oil production and refinery sectors. Also, the changes in the commodity specification are a method of creating environmental friendly products thereby reducing the products negative impacts on the environment (Roseman n.d). Sulphur levels in the Canadian gasoline are not to average more than 30 parts per million. Similarly, the sale of Benzene has been limited to 1.5% by volume. The current future of gasoline is that the prices are likely to shoot. This is because this is what has been trending from February 2015 until March 9 2015 (Roseman n.d). For example, the price was $2.332 on February 23 2015, $2.473 on March 2 2015 and $2.487 on March 9 2015 (Brand n.d). This explains the trend that the prices are going up every week. I expect the price of gasoline to average $3/bbl. The reason for this projection is that the current futures are suggesting a very high uncertainty in the overall price outlook. For instance, the future contracts for May 2015 averaged $52/bbl. This indicates an average of 52% volatility and 95% upper and lower limits. This confirms that the market expectations will widen over time. In my opinion, I would recommend that the projections for the commodity be set a month before the release of the commodity. The executive committee should avoid long duration’s predictions as this is affecting the price of gasoline. For example, if they predict the price shall go up even when the economy is doing great, the