Thursday, November 28, 2019

Voice Loyalty Essay Example For Students

Voice Loyalty Essay Another key issue discussed in Exit, Voice, and Loyalty is loyalty and its effects upon an individual in a firm or organization. Hirschman cites that when choosing between voice and exit, a loyal person is less likely to exit. He asserts that the greater the degree of loyalty, the more voice will be used and the longer the time period that elapses before exit. Furthermore, Hirschman states that a loyal should use voice and the threat of exit in order to accomplish his goal and effect change. Another fundamental issue involved with loyalty is whether the individual remains with his struggling firm (thus demonstrating loyalty) as a sacrifice (because of dedication and commitment) or because of self-interest. It is most arguable that Senator Jeffords displayed a very negligible amount of loyalty due to self-interest and then exited on account of the same selfish reasoning. The first piece of evidence testifying to Jeffords limited loyalty was his refusal to negotiate with the Bush administration. We will write a custom essay on Voice Loyalty specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The President and his staff offered Jeffords several compromises (and already planned to boost education spending by more than 513 billion dollars), all of which he deemed unacceptable because of their inconsistency with his personal goals regarding education reform. This unwillingness to compromise indicates and reinforces the existence of selfishness and ambition in the Senators agenda. Another factor alluding to Jeffords disloyalty is the absence of the threat of exit. In fact, the only people to whom he voiced his deliberations over leaving the GOP were the Democrats. Thus, his exit came as a surprise to the very people who it most profoundly affected, and their awareness was gained only after it was already too late for any preventative measures to be taken. Furthermore, despite the fact that Jeffords did express his views on the inside and before the tax legislature was passed-a typical demonstration of loyalty over ambition-in this instance voice was the only way for him to obtain his goals, which implies self-interest. The final and most convincing substantiation of Jeffords ambition and egotism is his incomplete exit. In a clear and obvious desire to further his own desires at any cost, before officially deciding upon or announcing his defection, the Senator bargained with the Democrats for a committee chairmanship so that he would not be forced to resign and leave the Senate. If he truly felt as strongly as he professes, why did he not have the courage to resign his House seat in Congress to stand for re-election as a Republican in a special election? Why didnt he prove his professed loyalty and decline the committee chairmanship promised him by Daschle? It appears as though Jeffords may perhaps need to reconsider the validity of some of his chief assertions.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Most Abundant Types of Insect Fossils

The Most Abundant Types of Insect Fossils Since insects lack bones, they didnt leave behind skeletons for paleontologists to unearth millions of years later. How do scientists learn about ancient insects without fossilized bones to study? They examine the abundant evidence found in the different types of insect fossils described below. For the purpose of this article, weve defined a fossil as any preserved physical evidence of insect life from a time period prior to recorded human history. Preserved in Amber Much of what we know about prehistoric insects is derived from evidence trapped in amber, or ancient tree resin. Because tree resin is a sticky substance – think of a time when youve touched pine bark and come away with sap on your hands – insects, mites, or other tiny invertebrates would quickly become trapped upon landing on the weeping resin. As the resin continued to ooze, it would soon encase the insect, preserving its body. Amber inclusions date as far back as the Carboniferous period. Scientists can also find preserved insects in resin dated just a few hundred years old; these resins are called copal, not amber. Because amber inclusions form only where trees or other resinous plants grew, the insect evidence recorded in amber documents the relationship between ancient insects and forests. Put simply, insects trapped in amber lived in or near wooded areas. Studying Impressions If youve ever pressed your hand into a freshly poured bed of cement, youve created the modern equivalent of an impression fossil. An impression fossil is a mold of an ancient insect, or more often, a part of an ancient insect. The most durable parts of the insect, the hard sclerites, and wings, comprise the majority of impression fossils. Because impressions are just a mold of an object that was once pressed in the mud, and not the object itself, these fossils assume the color of the minerals in which they are formed. Typically, insect impressions include only a mold of the wing, frequently with sufficiently detailed wing venation to identify the organism to order or even family. Birds and other predators that might have eaten the insect would find the wings unpalatable, or perhaps even indigestible, and leave them behind. Long after the wing or cuticle has decayed, a copy of it remains etched in stone. Impression fossils date back to the Carboniferous period, providing scientists with snapshots of insect life from up to 299 million years ago. Compressions Some fossil evidence formed when the insect (or part of the insect) was physically compressed in sedimentary rock. In a compression, the fossil contains organic matter from the insect. These organic residues in the rock retain their color, so the fossilized organism is conspicuous. Depending on how coarse or fine the mineral comprising the fossil is, an insect preserved by compression may appear in extraordinary detail. Chitin, which makes up part of the insects cuticle, is a very durable substance. When the rest of the insect body decays, the chitinous components often remain. These structures, such as the hard wing covers of beetles, comprise most of the fossil record of insects found as compressions. Like impressions, compression fossils date back as far as the Carboniferous period. Trace Fossils Paleontologists describe dinosaur behavior based on their study of fossilized footprints, tail tracks, and coprolites – trace evidence of dinosaur life. Similarly, scientists studying prehistoric insects can learn a great deal about insect behavior through the study of trace fossils. Trace fossils capture clues to how insects lived in different geologic time periods. Just as hardened minerals can preserve a wing or cuticle, such fossilization can preserve burrows, frass, larval cases, and galls. Trace fossils provide some of the richest information about the co-evolution of plants and insects. Leaves and stems with obvious insect feeding damage comprise some of the most abundant fossil evidence. The trails of leaf miners, too, are captured in stone. Sediment Traps Younger fossils – if one can call 1.7 million-year-old fossils young – are recovered from sediment traps representing the Quaternary period. Insects and other arthropods immobilized in peat, paraffin, or even asphalt were entombed as layers of sediment accumulated over their bodies. Excavations of such fossiliferous sites often yield tens of thousands of beetles, flies, and other invertebrates. The La Brea tar pits, located in Los Angeles, is a famous sediment trap. Scientists there have excavated well over 100,000 arthropods, many of them carrion feeders that were preserved along with the large vertebrate carcasses on which they fed. Sediment traps provide scientists with more than a catalog of species from a certain geological time frame. Quite often, such sites also offer evidence of climate change. Many, if not most, of the invertebrate species found in sediment traps, are extant. Paleontologists can compare their fossil finds with the current known distributions of living species, and extrapolate information about the climate at the time those insects were entombed. Fossils recovered from the La Brea tar pits, for example, represent terrestrial species that inhabit higher elevations today. This evidence suggests the area was once cooler and moister than it is now. Mineral Replications In some fossil beds, paleontologists find perfect mineralized copies of insects. As the insects body decayed, dissolved minerals precipitated out of solution, filling the void left as the body disintegrated. A mineral replication is an accurate and often detailed 3-dimensional replica of the organism, in part or whole. Such fossils typically form in places where water is rich with minerals, so animals represented by mineral replications are often marine species. Mineral replications give paleontologists an advantage when excavating fossils. Because the fossil is usually formed of a different mineral than the surrounding rock, they can often dissolve the outer rock bed to remove the embedded fossil. For example, silicate replications can be extracted from limestone using an acid. The acid will dissolve the calcareous limestone, leaving the silicate fossil unscathed.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Stress and Fatigue in Police Personel and how it affects them Research Paper

Stress and Fatigue in Police Personel and how it affects them - Research Paper Example Research has also revealed that male and female police personnel perceive stress and fatigue differently (Zhao, et al; 2002).According to Keinan & Pines (2007), professional stress always directly impacts work performance of the employees; since police job is a sensitive and significant profession, there should be some strategy to reduce this work stress faced by police personnel. 1.2 Nature of Job Dealing with stress greatly depends upon one’s coping skills, however, Gaines & Jermier, 1983) have identified that job related fatigue is encouraged and elevated due to emotional exhaustion in high stress organizations (Zhao, et al; 2002). Police department in itself is a high stress department where police personnel get exposure to all dark and criminal sides of life. Gaines & Jermier (1983) further point out that the nature of police job and mandate of police in society is a bit contradictory and emotionally critical; which is why special attention is needed in this field to devi se and implement stress reduction strategies. 2. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE A lot of academic and scholarly literature is available on the topic. Some of the relevant researches are reviewed under the three categories below: 2.1Causes of Stress and Fatigue among Police Personnel and its effects Abdollahi (2002) conducted a detailed review based study to investigate the stressors faced by police force personnel. The results of the study revealed four categories of stressors: Intra personal (Factors related to personality), Occupational, organizational and health related. According to Haines (2003), more police officers face stress due top relationships rather than job, because the tough nature of police job impacts their personal and family life. In another study, White and colleagues (1985) explored the factors that cause stress among police professional and found that these stressors can be broadly distributed into the three categories namely: physical or psychological threat, l ack of support and evaluation systems. Research has also focused on the job burnout in prison department. One study by Keinan & Pines (2007) has revealed that not only there are differences in perceived stress among personnel from various police departments like security, administration and treatment; differences are also found in stress level experience as per seniority position or rank wise. The main stressors identified include: working extra shifts without compensation, low salary packages and excessive work load. Boyce (2006) has explained stressors faced by police personnel in terms of external and internal factors. External factors of stress as per Boyce (2006) include: negative publicity, untimely court appearances, distorted police related press accounts, negative attitude and discouragement from friends and family on choice of profession. 2.2 Gender differences in Police Stress According to Boyce (2006), the female police personnel face an extra stress of proving themselve s since their ‘handling the situation’ skills are more often questioned as compared to those of males. Gachter and colleagues (2009) investigated gender differences in stress among police personnel. They measured stress on two scales, one for physical and other for psychological stress. Their findings were

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Data Mining and Big Data Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data Mining and Big Data - Assignment Example It is very essential to note that a deep scrutiny of real world commercial implementation of data, makes the International Business Machines (IBM) come out as one of organizations with a high quality ‘Big data’ hub. At this company’s ‘Big data’ hub, large volumes of information are handled, which are actually very hard to process in a traditional database. The data hub is composed is of data mining engines integrated to aid in easy handling of data. The integration of data mining in IBM has made very easy and fast for the company to manage and process data in its globally placed (using cloud technology) immense data warehouses. Thus, this makes it clear that although the data is large, it is realistically the simplest and easily tolerable data volumes in data mining. In this sense, I hereby agree that the term ‘Big data’ is actually an over-hyped buzzword for data mining. Microsoft Incorporation is one of the most successful software companies globally. Due to the large data volumes handled at the company, the subject of ‘Big data’ in the company has also been a subject of concern. At this company, issues related to ‘Big data’ have usually been experienced in scenarios where the organization’s traditional database system is exhausted with the ever-increasing data volumes. This includes operating system files, cache files, customer data and management information system data. However, through the adoption of data mining engines, Microsoft Incorporation has smoothly been handling all the large amounts of data that it shares globally with clients and partners. Therefore, this case study further makes me agree with the statement. Thirdly, Facebook Incorporation is a social network website that manages online communication for over a billion global users a month. These users share messages, photos, poking, placing status and storing personal data. In essence, the company handles very immense and

Monday, November 18, 2019

Types, Purpose and Historical Background of Bridges Research Paper

Types, Purpose and Historical Background of Bridges - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the building of the bridges could be traced back to the thirteenth century when the wooden logs and stones were used to cross the stream or river. In fact, the basic idea of the bridge has been bestowed by nature in form of simple logs fallen across a stream or river. The human mind gradually refined the idea and employed its creativity and architectural skills and capabilities to give this idea an enhanced and modified form. The human beings started building the bridges using the cut pieced of wooden logs and pranks. After which they started using the wooden stones to support the crossbeam arrangements. The use of trees and bamboo poles was also started by the Americans for crossing the small caverns and well that allowed them getting one place to another. The proper bridges were started building in the 13th century BC by the Greeks however, the ancient Romans gained proficiency in the building of the bridges by constructing various arc hes and aqueducts. During the Greek Bronze Age, an arch bridge was constructed between Tiryns to Epidauros in Peloponnese named Arkadiko Bridge. This old arch bridge still existed whereas several other intact arched stone bridges built during that era could be found in different locations in Southern Greece.  The Romans built numerous bridges that were constructed using the techniques to overcome the problems faced with the early bridges.  

Friday, November 15, 2019

Nutritarian Diet Plan

Nutritarian Diet Plan The Nutritarian Plan The goal of the Nutritarian diet plan is to make sure that all the raw nutritions your body needs to maintain excellent health are supplied in the most favorable amounts. The Nutritarian Food Pyramid (A) Vegetables Eat lots of raw green vegetables and a big portion of cooked green vegetables every day. Shoot for one pound of raw vegetables daily. Cruciferous vegetables are those in the broccoli and cabbage family. They include kale, collards, broccoli, broccoli rabe, broccollina, Brussels sprouts, watercress, bok choy, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, arugula, kohlrabi, red cabbage, mache, turnip greens, horse radish, rutabaga, turnips, and radishes. Cruciferous vegetables contain phytochemicals that can prevent toxic compounds from causing DNA damage that could lead to cancer. Recommended Salad Vegetables Lettuces all varieties Onions and scallions Tomatoes Radishes Zucchini Cauliflower Carrots Sprouts Broccoli Fennel Baby bok choy Snow peas Cucumber English peas String beans Endive Snap peas peppers Celery Hearts of Palm Stewed Mushrooms (chilled) Water Chestnuts (B) Fruits, Beans, Nuts, Seeds, and Grain Products Fruits eat a few fresh fruits with breakfast and one with lunch and dinner. Limit dried fruits, such as raisins and dates, to a minimal amount as a flavor enhancer. No fruit juices. Beans up to a cup with each lunch and dinner, two cups total a day. Nuts and seeds one ounce a day for overweight females; 1.5 ounces for overweight males. Do not eat over 2 ounces per day if you are overweight. Make sure the seeds and nuts do not exceed one ounce when youre also eating the permitted amount of half an avocado. Grain products Grain products are lower on the nutrient density scale, so limit yourself to one serving per day of whole grain or intact grain. Avoid all grains products in phase one of the program. Intact grains are whole grains that have not been ground up into a fine powder so they are digested slowly and have a more favorable GL. (C) Animal Products, Refined Grains, Sweeteners, and Processed Foods Animal products Eliminate or limit animal products to 1-2 ounces per day of wild, low-mercury seafood or naturally raised fowl. Do not exceed 8-10 ounces per week for a woman and 10-12 ounces per week for a man. Avoid all animal products in phase one of the program, or if you are dealing with moderate or severe heart disease. Avoid whole milk, cheese, butter, and red meat. You can use nonfat dairy products could as a flavoring in small amounts once or twice a week. Refined Grains, High Starch Carbs, and Sweeteners Avoid all refined flour products, breads, white rice, white potatoes, precessed/cold breakfast cereals, sugar, and other sweetening agents. Processed Foods Read the label of packaged, processed products. Generally, avoid foods in packages. Note the sodium content of the packaged food items you purchase and look for foods that are labeled no salt added or low sodium. Be careful of products labeled reduced sodium; all that means is that they contain 25 percent less sodium per serving than the regular version of that food, which could still be very high. (D) Beverages Avoid soft drink, sports drink, or soda (regular or diet). No fruit juices. The Eating Plan Breakfast A few fresh fruits; or hot cereals made with intact grains; or squash-based breakfast soup; or baked eggplant Or a serving of coarsely ground whole grain bread with raw nut butter Try to eat one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds or chia seeds daily with breakfast Do not drink fruit juices Lunch A big salad with a nut/seed based dressing Vegetable bean soup One serving of fresh fruit Dinner A salad with a healthful dip A large plateful of steamed green vegetables A vegetable dish that has some starchy component or intact grain with it A small amount of fruit for dessert Desserts You can make fruit sorbets and ice creams in minutes by blending frozen fruit with some nuts or seeds, some dried fruits, and a splash of nondairy milk. Tips and Tricks for Nutritarian-Style Cooking Blending Make smoothies and blended salads by blending together raw leafy green vegetables, fruits, and seeds and nuts Make salad dressing by blending nuts, seeds, and avocados Make creamy soups by blending raw nuts into the soup Make fruit sorbets and ice cream by blending frozen fruit, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. Steaming Vegetables Boil water in a pot with a tight lid, then add the vegetables, cover, and start your timer. Stop steaming when the veggies have just started to become tender and still retain some firmness. Water-sautà ©ing and Cooking with a Wok Since you should limit oils in your diet, we recommend sautà ©ing vegetables with water or cooking them in a wok. These methods are preferable to boiling, baking, or roasting. To water-sautà ©, use a small amount of water to sautà ©; the vegetable, including onions and garlic. Heat a skillet, wok to high heat. Then add a tablespoon or two of water and add the vegetables and cook, covering occasionally. Add additional liquid as needed until the vegetables are tender, but dont add too much water. To wok or stir-fry, you cut ingredients into uniform-size pieces and give hard vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower a head start before adding other softer vegetables. Do not overcook vegetables, which causes them to lose valuable nutrients. Cooking with Herbs and Spices for Flavor and Health Learn to use flavorful herbs and spices instead of salt to season your foods. Turmeric is a popular Indian spice that has a warm, mild flavor resembling a cross between ginger and orange. It gives Indian curry its flavor and yellow color. Studies have shown that Turmeric contains curcumin, which may reduce inflammation, help fight infections and some cancers, and treat digestive problems. Gingerroot has the ability to soothe nausea and gastrointestinal distress. Ginger helps to reduce the bodys inflammatory response. The sweet-spicy flavor of cinnamon enhances the taste of entrees, breakfast, and desserts. For people with diabetes, cinnamon may play a role in regulating blood sugar because it contains phytochemicals that enhance insulin signaling and facilitate glucose uptake and storage by the bodys cells. Radical Weight Reduction Menu Sometimes, a radical nutritional intervention is needed: To save the life of a person who is at high, short-term risk For psychological reasons, to get some radical results up front Because of intolerable medication side effects For an upcoming surgery or medical procedure that is too dangerous to pursue at the present body weight. For these and other reasons, a dietary design that is nutritionally superior yet more aggressively low in calories and glycemic load is needed. This takes the place of a fast or modified fast, and physicians can use it to achieve short- and long-term goals, as it is sage to maintain for extended periods or until the patient has lost the desired amount of weight. Weight loss of 40 pounds within the first two months can easily be achieved for obese individuals. The only documented risk of rapid weight loss is gallstone formation, which I have seen only rarely with this approach. The high fiber and nutrient levels and the use of nuts and seeds all limit bile production and stone formation. The easiest way to achieve this aggressive goal is to limit eating to two meals day. That means a late brunch around 10 am and an early dinner around 4 pm. When you do this, fat burn accelerates because you spend more time in the fat-burning phase of the digestive cycle. Once postprandial (after the meal) glucose levels have returned to baseline, the body increases its use of fat. The design of the menus that follow allow for mazimum fat burn by limiting tiem spent eating and digesting food. After the first three days, when withdrawal symptoms from unhealthy eating habits lessen considerably, you will not be uncomfortably hungry,.drinking a cup of lemon waterm green tea, or other herbal tea can help you avoid the desire to eat when you wake up in the monring. Note that this phase has only two fruit servings a day and a limited amount of nuts and seeds for further caloric reduction usually 1 ounce for women and 1 1/2 ounces for men. Stay with this phase until you and your doctor decide you are out of danger. It is important not to consume more than a very limited amount of caffeine, as it will enhance withdrawal symptoms making it much harder to not eat. Brunch 1 cup fresh or frozen berries or pomegranate kernels, covered with flax, hemp, or chia milk (made by blending 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds with 1 cup water and , if desired, some cocoa powder) Raw greens such as romaine lettuce hearts, baby greens, sliced peppers, fennel, or celery Choose one additional option: Oven-roasted, balsamic-glazed peppers, tomatoes, and onions with defrosted frozen asparagus or artichokes Eggplant baked until soft and served with water-sautà ©ed or diced raw onions and cinnamon Zucchini steamed with dill and onion Edamame and frozen peas with roasted garlic Early dinner A big green salad with lettuce, thin-sliced red onion, tomatoes, and other assorted vegetables and a healthy dressing. Or raw vegetables with a Nutritarian dip such as Italian Dressing with Roasted Garlic Choose one or more of the following options: A bowl of vegetable bean soup Defrosted frozen green vegetable such as broccoli, kale, collard greens, bok choy, string beans, or artichokes, steamed or cooked in a wok. These should be made with steamed or water-sautà ©ed mushrooms and can be flavored with mashed, roasted garlic, dry-pan-sautà ©ed, or diced raw onions. One serving of a low-sugar fruit, such as a green apple, orange, two kiwis, or strawberries Note that even foods that are moderately glycemic are reduced in this menu and are not included with breakfast because insulin resistance is highest in the morning.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

What is Adequate Health Care and Who Has the Right to Receive It? :: Ethics and Health Care

Introduction Throughout the world, in countries rich and poor, people have no access to basic physical and mental healthcare nor to immunizations from infectious disease. Some people have no access because they lack the resources to buy and the state does not provide it. Others may be able to afford healthcare but because there are no services available in their communities they must do without it. In some countries because of discrimination or social stigmas such as a person ¡Ã‚ ¦s status as a prisoner, refugee, immigrant or a member of a lower class or caste they are deprived of this basic human right. However all people should have access to affordable universal healthcare. In a nation of such wealth and abundance, rights and freedoms, there is no justification for an individual to be without healthcare. The  ¡Ã‚ §right to health ¡Ã‚ ¨ extends to all things which promote health and well-being and prevent illness and disease, not just access to medical care. This includes, among many others, the right to education, food and shelter, to freedom from discrimination and persecution, to information, and to the benefits of science. Every woman, man, and child has the human right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, without discrimination of any kind. Enjoyment of human right to health, is vital to all aspects of a person ¡Ã‚ ¦s life and well-being, and is crucial to the realization of many other fundamental human rights and freedoms. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world in which healthcare is not a right of citizenship. As a result, the United States has the worst healthcare statistics in the industrialized world. Thesis Statement Poor health and inadequate health care are often related to human rights violations; violation that under fulfillment of human rights are often due to poor health and lack of access to health care. The link is direct in the case of other basic social and economic human rights such as the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself, and one ¡Ã‚ ¦s family. Nevertheless, poverty and lack of health protection are indirectly linked to failures to secure civil rights. Some of the realizations of other human rights are not possible if an individual cannot maintain his/her own health. Most crucial health needs includes the prevention of stillbirths and infant mortality; the improvement of environmental and industrial hygiene, the prevention treatment, and control of diseases, with the provision of medical care to the sick.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Critical Thinking Essay

The four keys to a sound decision making are recognizing that the person is actually facing a very important decision. Then it would be followed by consideration of the possible alternatives. After doing so, one will need to evaluate these alternatives and would finally need to act with discipline to be able to choose the best possible alternative. Such decision making process was present in my life during my fourth year in high school wherein I would have to finally pick a college course. My parents want me to become an ordinary businessman. I, on the other hand would want to enter the military school. I weigh between the two alternatives of which would be my best choice. I believe that doing something that I have no enthusiasm would not likely to benefit me. In the end, I chose to persuade my parents into letting me go to the military school instead of the other way around. Knowing what alternative it is that one really wants and believes to be the best. Having an alternative that is proven to work and that would yield more benefit than the other/s is the one alternative that shall be chosen. In my case, I chose what I really want over the alternative of following the advice or the wants of my parents. It serves me well and I am happy that I made such decision. 7. Briefly describe the early decision making years (2-11 years of age) and the adolescent decision making years (12-17 years of age). Now review in your mind your recollections about your life as an adolescent. Ask yourself the following questions .a. Can you identify some ways in which you were influenced by the media as an adolescent? Elaborate. In the adolescence years, most of my decisions were roughly based on how I want others to treat me and see me. Since the adolescence period is a time wherein individuals try to find themselves and create their own identity advertisements have been really influential. One of the things that I remember about being influenced by the media was through promotions of white and lean is handsome or beautiful. As far as I can remember there have been television advertisements that promote being good looking in the concept of having more muscles. Television shows mostly have leading actors who are muscularly built and dressed ruggedly. The view on how to measure success was also influenced by the media. I grew up reading articles about rugs to riches stories and what have inspired this people. I tried to imitate their actions, nevertheless, as far as my character is concerned, I am different person in a different neighborhood with a different capability and attitude in life; although, those stories had got stuck in mind up until today. b. Can you identify one bad habit you formed as a result of poor adolescent decision-making? Elaborate. One bad habit that have formed in me resulting from a poor adolescent decision making would be attempting to rebel from my parents. During those years I felt as if my whole world is being so much manipulated by my parents. I guess, that’s how people usually think when parents started being over protective during those years when everyone else is trying to have a good time. As a usual adolescent I tried to sleep over, drink alcohol, and skip classes, smoke cigarette and marijuana. Those kinds of things seem to be the natural things to do. Then here comes my parents shouting at me telling me to straighten my life or else I would not be receiving anything from them. I felt so sick about how they treat me. It seems like I am still a little baby who cannot decide on his own. Thus, I have decided to run away from home. After a week, I have seen what life is without my parents. I mean, at first it is an overwhelming sense of freedom and success. Afterwards you will find everything lousy. Your life would seem to have no direction and you will realize, â€Å"I should have listened†. c. To what extent did your decisions during adolescence reflect an attempt on your part to gain recognition and acceptance from other adolescents? My decisions during my adolescence reflected my attempts on gaining recognition and acceptance from my peers when I run away from home just to go with them on a road trip. My parents have been so against my friends, since they are the kind of people who indulged on so much smoke and liquor. Disobeying my parents and prioritizing my friends over my studies have been my best attempt for them to accept me. They lived their lives that way and I believed that time that in order for me to have friends, I must try to be like them. It did work, but I then understand that I should just be myself and real good friends would stick with me. 8. The text lists seven steps to sound problem solving. Identify a situation from your own experience where you have applied those steps. List how you applied each and how they impacted your ability to solve that particular problem. I have been able to apply the seven steps of problem solving in my life during my stay hear in Iraq. My goal in being here in Iraq is to serve my country. However, there have been several issues that seem to denote that I am doing something that is wrong. Since, there are so many people who believe that soldiers in Iraq are unnecessary or that soldiers in Iraq are being used by the American government to express its hegemonic capacities. It is not that I do not have faith or trust to the government of America but since I, as a soldier have experience seeing people cursing us on behalf of the American government, I decided to make some research regarding the views of people especially of those who are residing here in Iraq about the American government and how they see it as a threat and why. Depending on the various information and opinion that I have collected in the internet and through other people I have inferred that generally the people with a communist or Marxist background and those who have an affinity or sympathy with the actions and principles of the Jemai Islamia view the United States government as a modern colonizer. I decided that in short term I could talk people out of such idea by presenting them with logical explanation. However, I figured out it would be dangerous since peoples beliefs and philosophy is deeply embedded in their consciousness; a consciousness that was formed by experience and constant reinforcement of ideological beliefs. It would be hard to talk to them and convince them to believe other wise. A long term action I could do is to create blogs or article in the internet that would voice out the interest and opinion of the people who are actually involved in the rehabilitation of Iraq in order to explain better about what is the need for soldiers and America to continue supporting the Iraqi government. In order to do this I have talk about some of my friends and sort of interview them regarding the matter. They believe that it is a good idea to create articles that would voice out our side of the issue. This article would better be available to other people who would like to know a holistic view of the story. The strategy that I decided to apply is to send emails to my friends and relatives to view a discussion panel on the internet. This panel would be focused on the war in Iraq and would generate the views from different people. However, it would be hard to promote the site. So I am still thinking of other strategy. One of my fellow soldier decided that we should create a book that would reflect our experiences here in Iraq. I guess that will be a better alternative. But it would take a long time from now since we don’t have enough time and resources to do a book at the present moment. 9. Provide a personal example for each of the two forms of irrational problem solving. Discuss how these were irrational and what you might have done differently? Thinking irrationally follows from not being able to reason out, it is doing something out of sheer habit or false belief. Egocentric thinking or solving a problem based on selfish or self-centered view often results to negative effect. As when a person is thinking only of personal wants, such wants may not be the same wants that other people like. If so, one would be imposing his wants and others might hate him for that. Also, in problem solving when a person acts according to his emotions he would not think about other people and would only think about a solution that has personal bias. Such solution may not be good for a long term or for a group of individuals and thus, it is more likely to fail than to succeed. If a person is jealous, the person would not think about the reason why things happened, instead the person would view things in accordance to how the person feels things are going. There are certain decisions that might not have been done if jealousy was set aside. Another irrational problem solving is doing what you are told without critically examining the reasons for a certain action. For instance you are told that you should go to church and believe in Christ since you are a child. If you would just believe what others tell you and not think about them in a more critical manner. When you have a problem regarding your religion or someone offered you a counter argument, such things might ruin or shatter your faith, since you cannot reason it out. References Paul, R. and Elder, L. (2006). Critical Thinking. 2nd ed. Person Prentice Hall. Richardson, B. (2006). Theme of the Month: The Tyranny of the â€Å"Fifth Constraint†: Taking Your Thinking Off Autopilot . allPM. com. Retrieved on November 24, 2007. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://allpm. com/modules. php? op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1580&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0.

Friday, November 8, 2019

++i and i++ Increment and Decrement Operators

++i and i++ Increment and Decrement Operators These increment operators and the corresponding decrement operators are perhaps a little confusing to anyone who hasnt come across them before. To start with there are several different ways to add or subtract one. i i 1;i 1;i;i; For subtracting one there are the same four choices with - substituted for each . So why exactly does JavaScript (and other languages) provide so many different ways to do the same thing? Well, for one thing, some of these alternatives are shorter than others and so involve less typing. Using easily allows any number and not just one to be added to a variable without having to enter the variable name twice. That still doesnt explain why both i and i exist since both can only be used to add one and both are the same length. The reason for the two alternatives is that these are not really intended to be used as stand alone statements but are really designed to be able to be incorporated into more complex statements where you actually update more than one variable in the one statement.statements where you actually update more than one variable in the one statement. Probably the simplest such statement is as follows: j i; This statement updates the values of both of the variables i and j in the one statement. The thing is that while i and i do the same thing as far as updating i is concerned they do different things with regard to updating other variables. The above statement can be written as two separate statements like this: j i;i 1; Note that combining them together means we have eight characters instead of 13. Of course, the longer version is much clearer where it comes to working out what value j will have. Now if we look at the alternative: j i; This statement is the equivalent of the following: i 1;j i; This, of course, means that j now has a different value to what it had in the first example. The position of the either before or after the variable name controls whether the variable gets incremented before or after it gets used in the statement that it is used in. Exactly the same applies when you consider the difference between i and i where the position of the determines whether one is subtracted before or after the value is used. So when you use it separately as a single statement it makes no difference whether you place it before or after the variable name (except for a microscopic speed difference that no one will ever notice). It is only once you combine it with another statement that it makes a difference to the value that gets assigned to some other variable or variables.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Harsh Punishment Backfires in Prison, Researcher Says

Harsh Punishment Backfires in Prison, Researcher Says Currently, the U.S. leads the world in the rate of incarceration. The current numbers show that 612 people per 100,000 residents age 18 or older are imprisoned.   According to some criminal justice experts, the current prison system puts too much emphasis on harsh punishment and not enough on rehabilitation and it simply does not work. The current system only provides a breeding ground for more aggressive and violent behavior, according to Joel Dvoskin, PhD of the University of Arizona and author of Applying Social Science to Reduce Violent Offending. Aggression Breeds Aggression Prison environments are replete with aggressive behaviors, and people learn from watching others acting aggressively to get what they want, Dvoskin said. It is his belief that behavior modification and social learning principles can work inside prison just as they do outside. Certainty vs. Severity of Punishment In criminological research performed by Valerie Wright, Ph.D., Research Analyst at The Sentencing Project, it was determined that certainty of punishment, rather than the severity of punishment is more likely to deter criminal behavior. For example, if a city announces that police will be out in force looking for drunk drivers during a holiday weekend, it would likely increase the number of people who decide not to risk drinking and driving. Severity of punishment attempts to scare potential criminals because the punishment that they could receive is not worth the risk. This is the bases behind why states have adopted the tough policies such as Three Strikes.   The concept behind severe punishments assumes that the criminal is rational enough to weigh out the consequences before committing the crime.   However, as Wright points out, since half of the criminals that are locked up in U.S. prisons were drunk or high on drugs at the time of the offense, it is unlikely that they had the mental capacity to logically asses the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, because of a shortage of police per capita and prison overcrowding, most crimes do not result in arrest or criminal incarceration. Clearly, enhancing the severity of punishment will have little impact on people who do not believe they will be apprehended for their actions. says Wright. Do Longer Sentences Improve Public Safety? Studies have shown that longer sentences result in higher rates of recidivism. According to Wright, accumulated data of 50 studies going back as far as 1958 on a total of 336,052 offenders with various criminal offenses and background showed the following: Offenders who averaged 30 months in prison had a recidivism rate of 29 percent. Offenders who averaged 12.9 months in prison had a recidivism rate of 26 percent. The Bureau of Justice Statistics did a study tracking 404,638 prisoners in 30 states after their release from prison in 2005. The researchers found that: Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.Within five years of release, about three-quarters (76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.Of those prisoners who were rearrested, more than half (56.7 percent) were arrested by the end of the first year. The research team theorizes that although offender services and programs may have a direct effect on desistance, individuals must decide independently to transform themselves into ex-offenders. However, the numbers do support Wrights argument that longer sentences result in higher rates of recidivism. Reaccessing the Economics of Current Crime Policies Both Wright and Dvoskin agree that the current money spent on incarceration has drained valuable resources and has not been effective in making communities safer. Wright points to a study done in 2006 that compared the cost of community drug treatment programs vs. the cost of incarcerating drug offenders. According to the study, a dollar spent on treatment in prison yields about six dollars of savings, whereas a dollar spent in community-based treatment yields nearly $20 in costs savings. Wright estimates that a savings $16.9 billion annually could be saved by a 50 percent reduction in the number of incarcerated non-violent offenders. Dvoskin feels that the rising prison population with the corresponding lack of increase in prison staff has reduced the ability of prison systems to supervise work programs that allow prisoners to build skills.   This makes it very hard to re-enter into the civilian world and increases the likelihood of going back to prison, Dvoskin said. Therefore, the priority should be placed on decreasing prison populations, he said: This can be done by paying more attention to those with the highest risk of violent behavior rather than focusing on lesser crimes, such as minor drug offenses. Conclusion By reducing the number of non-violent prisoners, it would free up the necessary money to invest in detecting criminal behavior which would increase the certainty of punishment and also allow for more effective programs that could help in reducing recidivism. Source: Workshop: Using Social Science to Prevent Violent Crime, Joel A. Dvoskin, PhD, University of Arizona College of Medicine Saturday, Aug. 8, Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Deterrence in Criminal Justice, Valerie Wright, Ph.D., The Sentencing Project.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Why China wants RMB currency undervalued Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Why China wants RMB currency undervalued - Essay Example China has adopted a policy of intervention to control the appreciation of its currency, the renminbi (RMB), against the dollar and other currencies. This policy measure is heavily criticized by most of its trading partners, especially the United States (Morrison and Marc 1).China's policy of pegging its currency against the U.S. dollar has resulted in severe devaluation of RMB. This undervaluation gives RMB an unfair advantage over competitors in exports. Critics argue that this policy has resulted in China's huge current account surplus, and global trading imbalance (Chen and Mai 4).Some analysts argue that China makes a deliberate effort to manipulate its currency in order to get an unfair trade advantage over other trading partners (Morrison and Marc 1).U.S. claims that RMB's undervaluation is leading to U.S. manufacturing job loss and trade deficit. On the other hand, China strongly condemns such allegations and asserts that international pressure is a form of protectionism and i nterference in China's domestic economic policy. This research paper explores the reasons behind Chinese currency's undervaluation and implications of appreciating it. Renminbi (RMB) is the official name of Chinese currency, and it is divided in the Yuan units, RMB and Yuan are used interchangeably. China has been under extreme criticism and international political pressure to revalue its currency. The pressure is primarily led by the United States of America who asserts that competitive undervaluation of the Chinese RMB and other Asian currencies have significant influences on the U.S. economy (Bergsten). According to Cline and Williamson's estimate, RMB's 25-40 appreciation would lead to reduction of annual U.S. current account deficit by $100 billion to $150 billion. On the other hand, proponents believe that currency appreciation is the solution to China's own problems as it can work as a tool to curb high inflation, lower import price, and dampen the demand for exports(Goldstei n and Lardy 2006; Bergsten 2010; Tyers et al. 2008; Tung and Baker 2004 qtd. in Yang, Wei, and Simla 1). Nevertheless, there are widespread concerns about a major RMB appreciation. Within China, it is believed that a major currency appreciation would lead to slow economic growth and leave adverse employment influences on labor-intensive export sectors (Xu et al. 2011; Tang 2011; Lin 2011; Duan 2011 qtd. in Yang, Wei, and Simla 1). Background on China's Currency Policy Recent empirical studies reveal that undervalued currency leads to faster economic growth. It is because exports rate grow relatively faster than import rates. Therefore, the producing country generates more foreign exchange and enhances its production capacity (Abola qtd. in Joyce). When a country's currency is undervalued, exports grow more than imports because it will provide cheaper goods as compared to their competing trading countries (Joyce). In past, currency valuation has been used by countries who intend to p romote their exports, such as, Japan and South Korea, and now China (Diokno qtd. in Joyce). Until 1994, China practiced a dual exchange rate system. It included an official fixed exchange rate system used by government, and comparatively market-based exchange rate system used by exporters and importers in "swap markets". China restricted access to foreign exchange in order to limit imports which resulted in large black market for foreign exchange.There was significant difference in the two exchange rates. In 1993, official exchange rate with dollar was 5.77 Yuan while 8.70 Yuan in the swap markets. United States criticized China's dual exchange rat

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) Essay

Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) - Essay Example According to the research findings, Starbucks has not been left behind and has also joined the campaign to make the livelihood of the people better through the Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) practices program. Environmental care and sustainability form the basis of a positive society, a fact clearly reflected through C.A.F.E. This program ensures that the coffee firm outsources its raw materials in a sustainable way that safeguards the lives of the farmers and the environment. Through this program, Starbucks gives back to the community through developing their lives and making them self-reliant and empowered. However, this program does not work in isolation. The initiative works in similar dynamics like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) initiative in two main dimensions. First, they both empower civil organizations in regulating the activities of their jurisdictive organizations. More so, they help in achieving line sustainability missions for the people in their areas of operation. This paper compares the two initiatives in terms of the two main areas of similarity in order to know their effectiveness. Both initiatives have hugely empowered the civil groups as regulators in their social responsibility plans. First, they have done so by outsourcing some of the services from the civil groups. Starbucks, for example, has outsourced the carbon sustainability area to SCS Global, which sets the standard for their carbon sustainability limits. SCS Global is also tasked with setting the standards for other sustainability initiatives that are undertaken by Starbucks in order to ensure that the organization is acting within correct limits of sustainability. On the other hand, according to Dacy, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has outsourced their initiatives to social groups in the United Kingdom that deal with forest initiatives and school in order for them to help in regulating the level of sustainability that they push into the forestry. Fo rest Stewardship Council (FSC) has also outsourced to government-sponsored forest rehabilitation centers to enhance the scope of sustainability of the initiative.