Othello: Pathos Essay

Shakespeare has used pathos in vast ways to support character development and to build the readers or audiences’ relationship with the characters. Shakespeare makes his readers feel sympathy for certain characters by the way the antagonist treats them. In Othello, Iago used Roderigo, tricked Othello, and mistreated the female characters in the play. Iago helps develop the theme of jealousy throughout the play by exploiting some of the major characters. The truths about some characters are shown clearly to the audience which helps them establish their opinions and feelings about them. Shakespeare uses pathos to get his reader’s point of view of a character. In the beginning of the play, the audience was able to discover that Iago was misusing Roderigo for his own benefit. He was taking his money and lying about loyalty. Iago could care less about Roderigo; all he could think was to get back at Othello and release his jealousy towards him and Cassio. At this point, the audience feels sympathy for Roderigo and somehow relate to his pain. Having to live without someone you love dearly can lead to dramatic conclusions, like the one Roderigo was thinking of. â€Å"It is silliness to live, when to live is torment.† (I, iii, 305) Even though Iago acts like a loyal friend to Roderigo and promises him he will get Desdemona for him, the audience knows he is only taking advantage of him. Because of Iago, Roderigo is feeding off of his jealousy towards Othello, and doing everything Iago tells him to do for a woman he will never have. In contrast, tricking people into thinking that false statements are true and going out of your way to hurt someone is another flaw Iago relinquishes; this time, on the star of the play. He tricks Othello into thinking that his wife is cheating on him with his best lieutenant. Knowing this false fact, Othello is devastated and his jealousy towards Cassio builds greatly. Every little thing that Iago hints at increases Othello’s jealousy by another level. â€Å"She did deceive her father, marrying you; / And when she seem’d to shake and fear your looks/ She lov’d them most.† (III, iii, ). However, Othello falls into â€Å"Honest Iago’s† trap and considers him a loyal and trustworthy friend. The audience would think otherwise. This shows the readers that Othello is naà ¯ve and easily jumps to conclusion without even talking to his wife. Nevertheless, the audience cannot help but feel sympathy towards him for being so dim-witted, yet gullible. Lastly, Iago uses another trick up his sleeve aiming at the ladies in the play. He mentally, emotionally, and physically abuses the women just to go forth with his plan. Iago ruins Desdemona’s happiness for his own selfish reason and jealousy takes complete control of him once he starts to include innocent women in his malevolent plan. Not only he, but Othello as well gets badly influenced by jealousy and ends up vowing to murder his wife. In comparison, Iago stabs Emilia for revealing the truth. â€Å"I hold my peace, sir? no; / No, I will speak as liberal as the north; / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all, cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak.† (V, ii, ). These actions create pathos for these two women and the audience knows that these women were never wrong. Even though Desdemona and Emilia were one of the major components on building the theme, for them to be accused and have their rights taken away helps the audience understand the theme of jealousy better. Shakespeare uses pathos in this play to develop the theme of jealousy. He makes the antagonist and his actions the key point of displaying jealousy and exploiting the major characters in the play. Shakespeare describes to the audience how the influence of jealousy can affect so many people and make them do unlawful acts. Similar to how Iago was disloyal to Roderigo, dishonest to Othello, and abusive to Emilia and Desdemona. However, the truth about these characters helps the audience understand them better so that they can create their own opinion about them.

Speaking Out About Malt

Speaking Out about Malt Case 8. 3 Page 404-405, Moral Issues in Business The case of Whitewater Brewing and Mary Davis touches upon several views and moral issues that are not specifically black or white. Case 8. 3 specifically deals with a business called Whitewater Brewing Co. Whitewater Brewing, as its name sounds, is a manufacturer of alcoholic refreshments, selling its brands to various consumers. The article in particular focuses upon a specific Whitewater product, Rafter. Rafter is being targeted to match other similar products that are bottled in a 40 ounce size. The unfortunate part is that these 40 ounce size refreshments are not only popular with inner-city teenagers but in the area where Whitewater sells these 40 ounce products there is already a community alcohol related problem. Whitewater is not in foreign territory, numerous other companies already have sold similar products in the same area targeting the same clientele. More importantly due to its popularity this product produces good revenue for Whitewater. Enter into this scenario an employee of Whitewater Brewing Co. , Mary Davis, an Associate Vice President. Mary has decided to further her education and is attending a course at an outside school, with her husband who was pursuing his MBA. My intention is to try to determine whether or not Mary or Whitewater were following any ethical practices, determine why they made the choices they did, and to attempt to determine if there is any validity to their reasoning. Mary begins working on a term project studying the making of wine and beer. Research shows Mary that several companies’ market products that are high alcohol based and sold at a very low price point, and not considered a premium product, strictly to satisfy a specific market niche. As Mary’s investigations continue she begins to insert her own feelings and viewpoints into her findings and her paper become a reflection of her personal viewpoints, and not necessarily those of her employer. For the opposite side of the case Whitewater Brewing is basically working like it should; trying to maximize profits for its shareholders marketing products to satisfy consumer needs. In this case, that need is a malt liquor sold in 40 ounce containers and targeted to specific customers. This is nothing new, as other businesses are already in this market. The one caveat here is that none of the companies markets their malt liquors under their name; almost to distance themselves from the negative social implications resulting from the sales of malt liquors, specifically to this target audience. Separately and apart neither Mary Davis or Whitewater marketing products would have been a â€Å"Case 6. 3† were it not for the fact Mary Davis IS an employee of Whitewater. More so it never would have bubbled to the surface had Mary Davis done what she did; which was to ultimately write an article for a paper discussing her personal views on malt liquors wherein she states, again her views, as to the social responsibilities of businesses that produce malt liquors. In stating her personal opinions Mary now has pitted herself again the views of the business. Because Mary’s article is viewed negatively by Whitewater, the CEO of Whitewater fears the article will have a negative impact to profits and to the product(s) they sell. They also feel this could lead to legislation that would ultimately result is direct product loss and loss of revenue. These would be fairly legitimate concerns for any business, in my opinion. So if a socially responsible company produces bad products are they bad? One can argue especially in the case of liquor manufacturers that there is heavy investment to provide a product that is intended for good use and that they aggressively help to pass legislation helping to address those who use their products in a negative manner. So morally and ethically Whitewater, in my opinion, is doing what they are intended to do. Specifically they are trying to make money, and to do so in an ethical manner. No company can be wholly responsible, in every circumstance (but in a specific few), for the immoral or unethical behavior of others utilizing their products. Ralph Jenkins, CEO of Whitewater, writes to Mary Davis to express the company’s views on her behavior and to ask her to first clear all further comments (regarding her personal views on liquor production) with the business. Mary feels this to be an invasion of her right to free speech. Additionally Mary informs Ralph Jenkins that she seeks to pursue her article further and even speak at an engagement about her views (personal ones). Mr. Jenkins remains adamant that Mary adhere to his requests further escalating things to state she can either comply or resign. So does Davis have a moral right to free speech in the workplace, or can Whitewater determine the extent to her ‘free’ speech? Also what would Davis’s best path ethical path be? The second is the easiest to answer so I will do that now. Davis could simply put resign, enabling her to champion her beliefs and become a martyr for her cause, as it were. As for the first question the answer is not a simple clear cut one, and ultimately will be an individual one. Currently there is already legal precedent that allows companies to require employees not to â€Å"act or speak disloyally†. Take the following case: In Korb v. Raytheon, 574 N. E. 2d 370, 410 Mass. 581 (1991), Raytheon terminated Lawrence Korb after receiving complaints of his public involvement in an anti-nuclear proliferation nonprofit known as the Committee for National Security (CNS) and his advocacy of reduced defense spending. On February 26, 1986 The Washington Post ran an article describing Korb's speech at a press conference held the day prior as â€Å"critical of increased defense spending. † Following the publication of the article, several military officials â€Å"expressed their disapproval† of Korb's comments. [77] Despite writing a letter of retraction which ran in The Washington Post, Raytheon terminated Korb's position after it continued to receive â€Å"Navy, Air Force, and Armed Services Committee objections. [78] In adjudicating Korb's claim of wrongful discharge, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts found â€Å"no public policy prohibiting an employer from discharging an ineffective at-will employee. † His claim under the State Civil Rights Act was dismissed as well. In affirming the lower court’s decision to dismiss, Justice Abrams wrote: â€Å"Although Korb has a secured right to speak out on matters of public concern, and he has a right to express view s with which Raytheon disagrees, he has no right to do so at Raytheon's expense. [79] The above article shows one perspective of the courts on this matter. Furthermore Mary Davis needed to be sure her personal opinions could withstand the scrutiny of being challenged for slander, unless there was very strong specific data supporting her views. Despite Mary’s strong personal views, even if validated, she is in conflict by the very nature of working for Whitewater and having such strong personal views. She may have morally sound arguments about liquor products but she is ethically wrong then for working in the liquor industry. My view is that Mary’s intent, though ethically sound, is still less ethical than that of Whitewater. Mary attempts to peanut butter spread the first amendment right to free speech across the board, when in fact Whitewater too has rights and expectations within the first amendment. While Mary is entitled to do as she chooses outside of work; there are limitations when her choices can have specific negative impacts to her employer. And for these impacts she can be held accountable legally, despite her moral righteousness. In conclusion there is no clear path to moral righteousness and ethical behavior. What I feel is important is that in the end we can do either in a manner that withstands legal implication (much of it already established) and exercise our own personal moral conviction in a manner that does not leave us conflicted. QUESTIONS FROM THE BOOK. 1. Do you think Mary Davis acted irresponsibly or disloyally? I don’t believe at the time Mary Davis intended to act irresponsibly or disloyally; however Mary should have thought more about the big picture and talked with her management first about her intentions. This is a particularly tough issue; as this does touch upon the right to free speech. Depending upon what sort of agreement the company has with Mary would speak volumes as to her ‘rights’ outside of work and expectations as to how she is expected portray her company. Mary also should have known that media sensationalism is what they are in business for. Her views were liable for their interpretation and hence liable to be misconstrued or mis-utilized; as they were. Does Whitewater have a legitimate concern about her speaking out on this issue? Mary’s concern is legitimate; of that there is no doubt. However as an emissary of her company she is responsible both inside work and outside work to present an image of her company that is positive. Or she could choose to work elsewhere. If Mary were to choose her moral high ground and leave the company she would be commended for her actions that follow her beliefs. Does the company have a right to abridge her freedom of expression? The company does have some right to abridge her freedom; particularly if they have a company handbook which specifies their expectations (within reason). Mary’s views and activities outside of work have no real concern to her company; but ethically Mary is working in an industry where serving liquor is the nature of business. These companies often display and rely on laws and policies to inflict rules regarding consumption and abuse. That individuals abuse their products is really not completely their fault. Ethically they are trying to be responsible and they are after all in the business to sell and make a profit. 2. Is your answer to question 1 affected by whether you agree or disagree with the views Mary Davis expressed? I think for the zealots on either side of the spectrum individual views would impact whether they agreed or disagreed with Mary Davis. However, it is my belief that you need not side nor disagree with Mary to realize that her behavior and that of Whitewater brewing are dealing with ethical grey matter. The company has rights as much as Mary does; and each can make choices that would resolve this conflict. Mary can leave Whitewater and then no longer be under their scrutiny or Whitewater can have specific policies on expected behavior that reflects the company position. Communication is at the core of the problem. If either side had communicated among themselves could have avoided this situation; and who knows; perhaps Whitewater being community responsible may have given Mary a different tact to utilize that would have made her and Whitewater happy. 3. Should there be any limits on an employee’s freedom of expression? If not, why? If so, under what circumstances is a company justified in restricting an employee’s right to speak out? This is a tenuous issue as there are already many amendments to current laws of free speech. I understand that businesses have a right to ensure viability and employee comments can adversely affect them. I think so long as there is clear communication up front about business policies regarding this and that they are communicated regularly and clearly then it becomes a buyer/employee beware situation. Again within reason individuals should still be able to express themselves; particularly when there is no direct verbiage that is specific about a business. I am an opponent to a business screening by Facebook etc as what a person does on their time does not necessarily prove they would be bad at work. Statistics aside we all know you can make data to support whatever view you want today. The bigger question is the legal one; and companies basically in my opinion wield a heavy sword (meaning they have deep pockets for legal issues) to drive their views and challenge you to dispute them. So one question we should be asking is once hired by a business â€Å"Are you now their property which can be used in any way, and discarded when no longer needed? † After all, today one can be dismissed without cause, employee at will. Take for instance the following article:http://www. bs2. com/freespch. htm The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution establishes freedom of speech in the USA. There are several major limitations on this freedom: Only the government is prohibited from restricting speech. Private corporations are free to censor speech of their employees. Freedom of speech is not absolute, even when government regulation or law is concerned. For  example, freedom of speech does not give one the right to commit perjury. See the beginning of my essay on infotorts for more examples. Since 1977, the U. S. Supreme Court has retreated from protecting freedom of speech even for government employees, as explained in my separate essay. Fundamentally, an at-will employee in the USA can be terminated at any time, and for any reason – or  no  reason  at  all – and the courts will not intervene to protect the ex-employee from allegedly unfair treatment by the employer. Courts have repeatedly recognized that â€Å"any  reason† includes a â€Å"morally  wrong† or â€Å"morally  reprehensible† reason. I  have briefly discussed the history of at-will employment in the USA and criticism of this doctrine in a separate essay. The combination of: o legal protection for freedom of speech of employees of for-profit and non-profit corporations and other non-governmental employers, and the freedom of employers to terminate employment at any time, for any reason means that employees in private industry have no legal rights to freedom of speech. (end of art icle) The case presentation doesn’t specify whether the newspaper article identified Mary Davis as an employee of Whitewater. Is that a relevant issue? Whether Mary Davis was identified or not is not necessarily relevant. Once stated, today there should be an assumption that someone, anyone, can ultimately determine ownership. This is especially true if the information is anything but verbal and has been recorded in any way, manner, or form. Does it matter what position in the company Mary Davis holds? To a degree the fact that Mary Davis is high up in the corporate chain bears a more significant impact. In a higher position Mary is more an emissary of the business and as such expected more to promote the business image. However despite her position as an employee of a business she is bound to the requirements of that business, especially once specified to her. Or she can choose to follow her conscience and resign. . What do you think Mary Davis ought to do? Clearly Mary Davis should resign; or fold to the demands of her boss and refrain while employed by Whitewater from expressing her personal views on any liquor related issues. What moral considerations should she weigh? Mary simply needs to weigh what is important to her; her work, money, job and family stability or her moral considerations and the poss ibility that she would need to shift employment in order to not have direct involvement in an industry she believes to be practicing unethical behavior. Does she have conflicting obligations? Mary does have conflicting obligations. If so what are they? They are her obligations to survival, money, job stability, employment, etc. On the other side is her obligation to her conscience and her moral beliefs, particularly the one that is contrary to the production and sale of malt liquor to individuals (specific individuals). 5. Is the company right to be worried about what Mary Davis writes or says, or is the board of directors exaggerating the potential harm to Whitewater of her discussing these issues? The company is totally right to be worried about Mary Davis. There is many a story about David and Goliath where a single individual toppled a business based upon their personal beliefs. 6. Assume a CEO like Ralph Jenkins is legitimately worried that an employee is making damaging statements about the company. How should the CEO handle the situation? My opinion is that the CEO would need to sit with the employee and state the business doctrine as it were. Next would be to ask open ended questions to see if there was an option where both needs could be met satisfactorily without any negative repercussions to either party involved. Is discharge or some sort of discipline called for? Initially, discharge or discipline may not be called for; unless policies had been clearly stated beforehand. Should the company adopt a formal policy regarding employee speech? All companies should have formal policies regarding employee speech. Moreover these should be communicated in plain simple language and reiterated yearly to ensure everyone remains cognizant of the policies. If so, what policy would you recommend? I recommend a policy that is developed with the individuals at all levels of the business to ensure varied concerns are addressed and the needs of the business (their viewpoint) is clearly understood. Works Cited Customer, A. â€Å"Amazon. com: Moral Issues in Business (9780495007173): William H. Shaw, Vincent Barry: Books. † Amazon. com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. . â€Å"First Amendment to the United States Constitution. † Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. . â€Å"Freedom of Speech. † Dr. R. Standler's Professional Homepage. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. ;http://www. rbs2. com/freespch. htm;.

Cloud Services Go Mainstream

Case Study 3. 4 – Salesforce. Com: Cloud Services Go Mainstream 1. How does Salesforce. com use cloud computing? Salesforce. com provides customer relationship management and other software applications using the software-as-a-service business model over the Internet. Cloud computing, also known as on-demand computing, eliminates the need for a business to make large up-front hardware and software investments and reduces the time to implement new programs. Subscribers to Salesforce. om don’t have to purchase or maintain any hardware (albeit personal computing devices) nor do they have to install any special operating systems, database servers, or application servers. Other than the monthly user subscription fee, businesses reduce their licensing and maintenance fees. Users access the Salesforce. com cloud through a standard Web browser or a mobile handheld device. Businesses using the Salesforce. com’s cloud have an easier time scaling their system as they increa se or decrease their workforce – they adjust the number of subscriptions to the cloud.Salesforce. com offers some customization of its software so a business can adjust the software to unique business processes. It offers three types of clouds: Sales cloud, service cloud, and the custom cloud. The sales and service clouds help businesses improve sales and customer service. The custom cloud provides a venue for customers to develop their own applications for use within the broader Salesforce network. 2. What are some of the challenges facing Salesforce as it continues its growth? How well will it be able to meet those challenges? Challenges include: Increased competition both from traditional industry leaders and new challengers hoping to replicate Salesforce’s success -Expanding its business model into other areas -Ensuring the system is available 24/7 with no outages -Defending the system against security breeches Salesforce is answering the first two challenges by pa rtnering with Google and combining its services with Gmail, GoogleDocs, Google Talk, and Google Calendar to allow its customers to accomplish more tasks via the Web . Salesforce. comand Google both hope that their Salesforce. com for Google Apps nitiative will galvanize further growth in on-demand software. By partnering with Apple, Salesforce. com can expand its applications to iPhone users who will have access to their data anywhere any time. Through its partnership with Amazon. com, Force customers can tap into Amazon. com’s cloud computing services that can handle â€Å"cloud burst computing† tasks that require extra processing power or storage capacity. Salesforce opened up its Custom Cloud (also known as Force. com) application development platform to other independent software developers and listed their programs on its AppExchange.The company introduced a development tool for integrating with Facebook’s social network that allows customers to build appli cations that call functions at the Facebook site. Small businesses can go online and download software applications, some add-ons to Salesforce. com and others that are unrelated. In order to grow its revenues to levels that industry observers and Wall Street eventually expects, Salesforce will need to change its focus from selling a suite of software applications to providing a broader cloud computing â€Å"platform† on which many software companies can deliver applications.To ensure system availability, Salesforce. com provides tools to assure customers about its system reliability and also offers PC applications that tie into their services so users can work offline. 3. What kinds of businesses could benefit from switching to Salesforce and why? Small to medium-size businesses are probably the most likely ones to switch to Salesforce. com because of cost factors and the lack of having in-house resources to provide the same level of computing capacity.Businesses that are tr ying to increase the sophistication of their computing capabilities could also benefit from switching to Salesforce as long as the two are compatible. Businesses that rely on smart customer management would benefit greatly from using the tools available at Salesforce. com. Also companies that have small sales and marketing teams can benefit from the software-as-a-service business model. 4. What factors would you take into account in deciding whether to use Saleforce. com for your business?Businesses should assess the costs and benefits of the service, weighing all people, organization, and technology issues. Does the software-as-a-service application integrate well with the existing systems? Does it deliver a level of service and performance that’s acceptable for the business? Does the SaaS fit with the business’ overall competitive strategy and allow the company to focus on core business issues instead of technology challenges? 5. Could a company run its entire busine ss using Salesforce. com, Force. com, and App Exchange?Explain your answer. Depending on the type of business, a company probably could run its entire operations using Salesforce. com, Force. com, and App Exchange. All four major functional areas of a business are supported: Sales and Marketing, Manufacturing and Production, Finance, and Human Resources. There are dozens of applications available to fully support all of these areas. It would be a matter of integrating the software from Salesforce. com and App Exchange with any existing legacy systems within the business.

The Watergate Scandal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Watergate Scandal - Essay Example The Watergate Complex includes several administrative and hotel building located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., but unlike hundreds other complexes of similar caliber the Watergate is known to almost any adult citizen in the US and abroad. In fact, the event was so important that the term 'Watergate' is more commonly associated with a series of political scandals that culminated in constitutional crisis than with the hotel. The Watergate Scandal occurred during the presidency of Richard Nixon and began with arrest of five burglars at the Watergate hotel complex in Washington, D.C. and ultimately resulted in dramatic resignation of President Nixon on the 9th of August, 1974.In the months preceding the Watergate break-in, Nixon and his administration had been extremely preoccupied with their public image, and took every possible step to avoid negative publicity. The preoccupation was reasonable: Nixon's policies regarding the Vietnam War generated much criticism, and the lea king of the documents concerning the US involvement in the Vietnam War submitted to the New York Times by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 only fueled the criticism (Bernstein and Woodward 165).In order to prevent further leaks, Nixon established a special unit nicknamed the "Plumbers". The unit led by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt (both of them were close to Nixon) took advantage of the situation to get involved in investigation of the private lives Nixon's critics justifying their actions with national security consideration. Evidently, the true motives underlying many actions of the Plumbers had more to do with protecting the President's public image from criticism and preparing the base for the forthcoming elections (Bernstein and Woodward 207). The Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP) was established in 1972 and in December the same year G. Gordon Liddy, one of the Plumbers, was appointed as general counsel to the Committee. This appointment made CREEP a powerful weapon in the hands of Nixon with Liddy behind most of CREEP's activities. In 1972, Liddy designed a serious intelligence operation against the Democrats. One of the steps within the framework of that operation was a small-scale burglary of the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate office complex (Westerfeld 35). On June 17, 1972, five burglars were arrested by police inside the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate office building in Washington DC. Four of the burglars were Cuban anti-Communists and one White House employee: they were caught during an attempt to bug the office. The Washington police convicted James McCord, Virgilo Gonzalez, Bernard Barker, Eugenio Martinez, and Frank Sturgis of 2nd degree burglary (WHT 820). The burglars had an impressive amount of tools and materials, namely a walkie-talkie, two 35-millimeter cameras, lock picks, pen-size teargas guns, advanced bugging devices, and 40 rolls of unexposed film. Besides, they also had $14,000 in hundred dollar bills that could be traced directly to CREEP (Bernstein and Woodward, 15-16). Therefore, it immediately became clear that those people had links to Nixon's Committee to Re-Elect the President. Thus, McCord was a former CIA officer employed by the CREEP as a security director. However, despite charges filed against Liddy and Hunt for their role in organization of the burglary no serious damage was done to CREEP's reputation. There were at least two reasons for that: firstly, the information disclosed at that moment was too incomplete which resulted in huge underestimation of CREEP's role; secondly, Nixon's leading positions during the pre-election period allowed him to successfully avoid any further investigations and accusations at that time (Westerfeld 45). Nixon read about the break-in on the 18 of June and the whole thing seemed so weird to him that he did not believe it and initially dismissed it as a political trick (Nixon 625-626). Charles Colson, a

IT GOVERNANCE FOR A SERVICE ORGANISATION Assignment

IT GOVERNANCE FOR A SERVICE ORGANISATION - Assignment Example The application of innovative technologies and tools in diverse industrial sectors has reported an increase in value appreciation and speed of operations that has a positive impact on productivity and profitability of business establishments. However, the implementation of IT tools and technologies is not an easy task since it requires huge investment outlays, personnel training and a changed outlook to existing governance practices that adapt to new methods of operation. The advantages and scope of implementation of these tools and technologies must be supported by strong governance practices that support a highly advanced system of work operations. â€Å"The problem of how to deploy IT in such a way that it adds value to the business is far from new and has been the focal area for information managers for a number of years† (ISACA, 2008). ... The organization chosen for this report was Dell owing to its global market presence and leading service provider to millions of customers around the world. Dell – an overview The role of IT in the present business environment has assumed increased significance with most organizations adopting it as the prime strategy to achieve business goals. Leading IT companies like Dell have influenced the ways in which the conventional role of IT thus has shifted from being an operational support mechanism to a primary enabler contributing to increased efficiency and effectiveness in organizational performance. The report provides a deeper insight into the IT governance standards and controls adopted by one of the leading IT service organizations, Dell. Regulatory compliance and audit controls over organizational operations have become a reality today with more and more companies adopting globally accepted IT governance frameworks for increased returns on investment and increased securit y in operations. IT organizations like Dell today operate under increased legislative pressures to ensure high standards of service, effective compliance with governance and legislative requirements, and optimizing work processes for increased information security. IT governance has been defined by ITGI (2009) as the â€Å"responsibility of the board of directors and executive management. It is an integral part of enterprise governance and consists of leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the organization’s IT sustains and extends the organization’s strategies and objectives†. The controls and standards established through various frameworks like ITIL and Cobit provide the IT companies with the direction to control

Managing uncertainty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing uncertainty - Essay Example In addition, millennial are more willing to take risks and highly educated compared to the preceding generations. These differences are bound to result in some friction at the workplace, where in the past it has been noted that organizations have opted to leave them to resolve themselves. However, this is proving to be unfruitful as millennial are leaving the workforce to start their own businesses and operate as consultants. Having realized their importance, organizations have to identify ways of attracting and retaining this workforce as well as ensuring they work in cohesion with the older generation (Cahill et al 2012, p.4). Popular social science has attempted to categorize the living generations into five- matures/veterans or builders, baby boomers, and the subsequent generation X, Y and Z. Presently, baby boomers, generation X and Y are the ones actively engaged in the workforce. Every generation is identified with its own unique traits with the baby boomers- born between mid- 1940s and mid-1950s, and builders- usually in their late 60s and 70s, sharing a similarity of being able to work for long hours in a structural manner. Whilst the rest are known for being flexible, having an increased understanding of technology and overall seeking a balanced life, the latter being particularly so for generation X born between mid-1960s to early 1980s. The challenge for HR professionals lies in striking a balance between meeting the needs of an organization and the burgeoning expectations of the multigenerational workforce. Mostly, generation Y and Z desire to have a flexible work schedule that implies them not being tied to the office a whole day. Notably also, organizations are faced with the uphill task of recognizing and dealing with the competing issues of generation Y and Z and the clients/customers which may not be mutually exclusive. HR managers have to recognize and appreciate the different points of view held by a multigenerational workforce (Mitchell 2008 , p.666). Organizations have to re-examine their needs and goals from a holistic standpoint and design a job description that will offer employees an opportunity for growth along with various responsibilities; which in turn will result in them being retained and satisfied in their job. This is complicated by the fact that there will be miscommunications, misapprehensions and detachments in a multigenerational workforce, with respect to work commitment and entitlement. In addition, operational areas such as frontline employees have had to be restructured as management practices have evolved over the years and modes of communication have changed from top-down, task-based instructions to linear contemporary ways of communicating. Clerical positions have also become unnecessary owing to efficiencies created by recent office technologies. This implies that certain positions have become redundant and employees who have been with an organization over a long period will need to have their p rior positions reconsidered. HR managers should look to their strengths and allocate new responsibilities accordingly as opposed to letting them go as their experience creates an opportunity for mentorship to the younger, incoming workforce (Mosley & Kaspar 2008, p.94). Furthermore, HR managers have

Internal analysis (General Resources for Mr.Empanada) Assignment

Internal analysis (General Resources for Mr.Empanada) - Assignment Example One of the main areas of focus is the general resources of the company which include its reputation, relationship with other stakeholders and how the company and its brands are associated with reliability and quality. The first characteristic is that of reputation. This seeks to analyze how the company and its brands are perceived among their customer base. A good reputation can result in the company attracting more customers thereby increasing its revenues. A bad reputation on the other hand could negatively impact on the company as some customers would rather not associate with it. The company has a strong presence in the Tampa Bay area where it has a lot of clients and customers. In this area, the company has great reputation since its brands are a favorite to a majority of the people in the area. The company however faces a lot of challenges outside the Tamp area as its brands are not widely known. The reputation of the company and its brands needs to be improved outside Tampa Ba y area in order to attract more customers. The company’s main food, Empanada, is not known to most people outside the Tampa Bay area. This is the main brand of the restaurant and needs to be well known among its target customers. The company needs to do a lot of marketing in other regions to promote its brand. This will lead to a great reputation of the company and its brands thus increasing its general resources. ... This means that services have to be reliable and that its foods as well as services have to be of the best quality. Mr. Empanada restaurant’s services are evidently reliable in the areas in which the company operates. This is because the restaurant has managed to consistently attract more customers since its reopening in 2003, which has prompted the company to open other subsidiaries in other areas and planning to open other in the near future. The fact that more people are taking up their services implies that they appreciate the company’s quality and reliability. In areas where the company is popular such as Tampa bay FL, there are cases of repeat buying from loyal customers. The restaurant has a buy-price premium over competing brands among its loyal customers. In other areas, there is need for more to be done in order to ensure the company’s services are recognized in order to be able to compete with leading brands in the industry. The last general resource t hat needs to be taken in to consideration is the company’s relationship with other stakeholders including customers, employees, suppliers, creditors and debtors among others. The company has a strong and positive relationship with its stakeholders. The company has a great organizational culture that emphasizes on customer service. The employees are encouraged to relate well with the customers and other stakeholder. Following this analysis, several recommendations can be put forward to enable the company to expand its operations and be able to compete with leading companies in the industry. Like most of the successful restaurants, franchising is the best model. Mr. Empanada should adopt the business format franchise where it can partner with several outlets

Microsoft updates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Microsoft updates - Essay Example a. Windows Memory Diagnostic which scans the memory of the computer for errors. It is mostly applicable when a computer freezes abruptly, after RAM modules have been altered or after one upgrades the system. b. System Image Recovery is the other tool used when one wants to restore the system image. It is mostly applicable when other tools have failed to restore the system to its optimal functioning. Its only failure is that once it is used, it can only restore files and folders which were present at the time when the system image was formed. c. Mason et al., states that, System restore is used to restore the Windows system to earlier versions but does not alter user files. One only needs to choose a restore point where the configuration works properly (Mason et al., 2012). e. Command Prompt is used by advanced users in order to conduct recovery related tasks. However, it should only be used by advanced users, since its use without proper knowledge may aggravate the condition

INFLUENCE OF LABELED ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS IN CERTIFIED ORGANIC Dissertation

INFLUENCE OF LABELED ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS IN CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS ON SALE - Dissertation Example Thus, the proponent would like to address the following question at the end of the study. Are customers satisfied with the artificial ingredients mixed with organic products? I have to rely on my supervisor when it comes to the implementation of the actual study most particularly in formulating questions in order to generate answers or responses from the respondents regarding their satisfaction level with artificial ingredients in organic foods. The supervisor should therefore have substantial knowledge in organic foods and including the remarkable impacts of artificial ingredients on organic foods. Background This study is about finding significant customers’ responses on labeled artificial ingredients in certified organic products on sale. This primarily would find out specific customers’ stand on issues about artificial ingredients being mixed with certified organic products. Thus, this is a specific marketing activity aiming to understand customers’ buying be haviour especially on organic products mixed with artificial ingredients. In marketing, it is important to understand the point of view of customers because it would exactly tell about the areas, in which the marketers should substantially do the necessary strategies that would enhance products in various aspects and eventually create needs of certain product offerings (Boone and Kurtz, 2011; Kotler et al., 2008). In line with this, it is a great area of concern to find out some points of reference and eventually evidences to understand the influence of labeling organic foods with artificial ingredients. Primarily, it is important to know specific response from the customers regarding this issue. After all, customers have substantial ideas about organic products and even important reasons of buying them. Natural products are identified as either 100 percent organic and no artificial which means all ingredients are organic and no artificial components, 95 percent components are organ ic (organic), 75 percent components are organic (created with organic), and 70 percent components are natural (organic parts). For example, dairy products are organic when their productions primarily employed organic foods (Flack, 2011). This means the livestock in which milk production takes place should be given with only natural foodstuffs and no artificial foods or chemicals should be employed. In this way, the customers will be ensured that the dairy products they are using come from natural process of production. However, the idea about organic products is not only focused on this situation. Some organic raw materials are substantially processed. In this case, they are highly susceptible to be mixed with artificial ingredients for the purpose of either enhancing their tastes, quality or longevity, just to name some of the most important reasons. For instance, there are many finished products available in the market, produced with mixed organic and artificial ingredients leadin g to different flavours (Schlosser, 2012). At some point, combining artificial ingredients in the production of organic products would help increase productivity. The government seeks to ensure the welfare of the people by providing substantial food in their table through increased food production. For example, Organic Trade Association (OTA) amendment to substantially use synthetic materials in the production of foodstuffs that include organic materials, and allow the US Department of Agriculture to add other

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) Essay

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) - Essay Example This substance blocks/narrows the coronary arteries thereby decreasing the blood that flows to the heart muscle. Severe blockage can lead to heart attack, shortness of breath, and chest pain or discomposure/angina. One way in which CHD is treated is through CABG, whereby a cardiothoracic surgeon grafts/connects a healthy vein/artery from the body to the obstructed coronary artery. The grafted vein/artery bypasses the coronary artery’s obstructed portion, which forms a new passage, and the surgeon routs oxygenated blood around the obstruction to the heart muscle (Nih.gov, 2010). Parks explains that a bypass usually involves open-chest surgery as well as making use of a heart-lung bypass machine for circulating blood and oxygenating it. He gives a number of newer, bypass surgery methods that are less invasive and that can be used in place of open-chest surgery in some cases. One such technique entails the use of minimally invasive procedures/keyhole procedures in place of open-c hest surgery. Keyhole procedures involve the use of a number of smaller chest openings and they may not or may call for the use of a heart-lung machine. In procedures where a heart-lung bypass machine is not used, medicine is used to slow the heart although is continues beating during the process (Parks, 2009).

Rising Fuel Costs and US Transport Industry Essay

Rising Fuel Costs and US Transport Industry - Essay Example Consequently, comfort is often sacrificed in an attempt to cut back on the fuel budget. Often, Americans have had to make do with fewer cars, or shift to fuel efficient ones. In addition, car pooling has become a common practice among friends and families while air travel is not only restricted, but also limited to either official travels, or longer journeys that would otherwise be uneconomical with the use of a car (Coyle et al, 2006). By and large, the use of public modes of transport has increased. In fact, ridership by public transport in the United States rose by 15 percent in 2007. For those in the taxi business, these have especially been hardest hit , and this has forced some of the operators to increase fares, only to have their customers walk away from them (ACTE, 2008). The airlines too, have not bee spared either, with a coupe of them such as Delta and American airlines recording massive annual losses in the range of $ 1 billion (KLEIN, 2008). With such a gloomy picture having been slapped on the American transport industry, is there any respite for the Americans in the near future For the last six years, the price of gasoline, crude oil and natural gas has significantly risen. In 2000, a barrel of crude oil ranged from $ 25 and $ 30 per barrel. This was later to rise to a high of $ 75 per barrel six years later. Due to this, such petroleum products as jet fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel, and which are primarily dependent upon by the transportation industry in the United States, have risen sharply. In addition, the price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline almost doubled to $ 2.36 in 2006, up from $ 1.46 in 2000. The rate at which both India and China are developing, has led to a sharp demand for oil, and this has had a massive impact on the petroleum-based products such as gasoline (Hiare & Machemehl, 2007). The reliance of the transport industry on fuel is in no doubt, and its usage keeps on increasing by the day. In 1973, the consumption of petroleum was pegged at 9.05mb/day, and this was later to rise to 13.9mb/day by the year 2005. In addition, there was a strong growth in petroleum consumption to 28.2 percent in 2005, up from 24.6 percent in 1973. Furthermore, the annual average vehicle per capita mileage has also immensely improved from 5,440 miles in 1970, to 10, 087 miles in 2005 (ACTE 2008). Automobiles For the automobile makers, they too have not been spared by the rise in fuel cost, as customers are no longer shopping for cars. Both Ford and General Motors have witnessed a slump in sales in recent years, leading to a recording of major losses. As a result, the auto makers have had to institute changes (VOA news, 2008). According to Rich Wagoner, the chairman of General Motors, the company has no choice but to close down some of its factories, following in the footsteps of Ford motors, who proceeded by closing shop on the manufacturing factories for non-fuel efficient vehicles. The General Motors boss views this as a proactive move, in a bid to ensure the survival and success of the company. This will mean that thousands of jobs will have to be cut down. There is also a shifting trend in the auto industry towards the manufacturing of

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay Example for Free

Louis Pojman’s We Don’t Deserve What We Earn Essay Merit and desert are two terms that are always in opposition to one another. While merit measures value in terms of success or failures, desert presupposes that value is not only measured in terms of success or failure but also the intentions must be assessed. Desert asseses â€Å"whether or not one had good or bad intentions, whether or not one was responsible for the success or failure†. While it is tempting to decide on issues with regards to their value in terms of the intentions of doing them as well as the success or failure of the object to meet our specific demands, I do believe that we merit is the best way of making a decision; we deserve what we earn. Athlete who has been training for long hours everyday deserves to win a race because of his attempt to train, and not marely because he is tall or has some long strides. Merit presumes that a person deserves something provided that he has some qualities. This is in contrast to desert which assumes a person to deserve something given that he attempts or does something. The criterion for deciding whether we deserve what we earn may be either through merit or desert, but one fact is that we generally deserve what we earn. The society itself is full of pointers to the fact that we get what we â€Å"saw†. To begin with, the laws governing our actions in the society show a justice. The concept of justice is found in most cultures and religious institutions. An ancient Greek poet, Simonides, defined justice as â€Å"giving each person his due† an idea which is unequivocal in the ancient Greek laws which also defined justice as giving the people what they merited. This idea of justice is also evident in most religions. The concept of the final judgment done on the basis of ones goodness or badness cuts across all religions; in the Hindu scriptures the notion of reward got after reincarnation is portrayed as being proportional to the person’s deeds. This same idea is also exemplified in the Quran and explicit in the Hebrew and Christian bibles. The bible for example states that what a person sows such shall he reap. In the current world affairs, we can look at the US election as one indicator of the criteria by which the society measures its values. We can decide to look at Obama as deserving the win from two perspective, from a meritorious point of view or from a desert based point of view. If we look at it from a merit-based point of view, then we can say that Obama deserved the win because he planned well, mounted a successful campaign machinery and was successful in convincing the young people, many of whom voted for him. On the other hand, we can decide to say that Obama deserved to win because he represented a minority community which has been oppressed and so deserved to win the election on this ground. Reference Pojman, L. Merit: Why do we value it. Journal of Social Philosophy. New York. Vol 30:83-102.

Cyber Bullying Is Growing Rapidly Psychology Essay

Cyber Bullying Is Growing Rapidly Psychology Essay Although bullying has been around for centuries, it has only been in the past twenty years that researchers have tried systematically to measure bullying (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). In 2001, the first study of bullying in the United States was conducted with more than 15,000 students in grades 6 through 10 (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008; Nansel, et al., 2001). Tanya Nansel and her fellow researchers found that, within a single school term, 17% of children and youth said they had been bullied sometimes or more often, and 19% had bullied others sometimes or more frequently and 6% said they had been bullied and had bullied others sometimes or more often. In 2005, David Finkelhor and his colleagues conducted telephone interviews with children and parents, and found that 25% had been teased or emotionally bullied during the previous year (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008; Finkelhor, Ormrod, Turner, Hamby, 2005). The researchers estimated that 13.7 million children and youth were physically bullied and 15.7 million were teased or emotionally bullied each year in the U.S.(Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). The massacre at Columbine High School in 1999 seems to have been pivotal in focusing attention on bullying in the United States. Although the specific motivations for this (or other school shootings) may never be fully understood, retrospective accounts in the popular press and in the research literature pointed to bullying as a contributing factor in many of these crimes (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008; Limber, 2006; Fein, et al., 2002). A search of the Lexis/Nexis database using the search terms bullying and schools demonstrates how much school attention to school bullying has changed in recent years within the United States. In 1998, the year prior to the Columbine shootings, school bullying was in the headlines of American newspapers, magazines, and other popular press periodicals 145 times. The following year, the number of articles on school bullying doubled, and, in 2001, shot to more than 750. There has also been an increase in attention to bullying among researchers since that time. In a search of the Psych Info database using bully or bullying as search terms, there were only five publications in 1990. By 2000, the number increased to 94. In 2004, there were nearly 250 such publications. Cyber bullying wasnt even an issue in the 1990s. However, with advances in technology, children are now exposed to a new form of bullying cyber bullying (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). Cyber bullying occurs only between minors. If an adult is involved, the behavior is labeled cyber harassment or cyber stalking (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). Much of the attention in the popular press and professional literature has focused on sexual predators that seek out their victims through online venues such as Facebook and Myspace. The same cannot be said of cyber bullying. Significantly less attention popular, academic, and/or legal has been devoted to the topic of cyber or electronic bullying. The reality, however, is that the majority of children are more likely to be targeted by a person who cyber bullies than by a stranger they have met on the Internet who is trying to arrange an offline meeting(Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008). In 2005, it was estimated that 17 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 use the internet, and 74 percent of teens IM (Lisante, 2005; TEXAS STUDY, 2009). Today, 87% of U.S. teens use email and 93% use the internet (Jacobs, 2010). WHAT TYPES OF CB ARE OCCURING THE MOST? Although traditional bullying is still more common, cyber bullying is increasing rapidly. Cyber bullying may occur through phone calls, text messaging, email, picture and video clips, instant messaging, web sites, and chat rooms. The number of people who own a cell phone is on the rise. There are a number of ways that cell phones can be used in bullying. Cell phones are a popular device used to cyber bully because unlike computers, cell phones are typically left on when not in use. When someone is done using a computer, they generally shut it off. Cell phones, however, are left on all hours of the day. The fact that cell phones are portable allows the bully to make contact with the victim throughout the day. Cyber bullies may use text messaging to attack their victim or they may use digital photos. Many bullies will call and leave abusive messages for the victim also. Since most cell phones have a built in camera, it is easy for the bully to use photos as another form of bullying. Bu llies may capture their victims changing in a locker room or using the bathroom. They can then disseminate these photos to others to embarrass their victim. Another form of bullying is called happy slapping. Happy slapping typically occurs when embarrassing images of someone are caught on a camera or on a camera phone. Many times, the person is not aware that they are being recorded. In many instances, these recordings may be set up and planned out. In April 2008, the beating of a 16-year-old girl was videotaped by other female students. The incident sparked outrage after the bullies posted the video on MySpace and YouTube. The victim suffered a concussion, damage to her eye and ear, and numerous bruises. Eight girls faced charges of felony battery and false imprisonment for the attack on a fellow teen. This event sparked national outrage brought to light the importance of educating youth on teen bullying. Cyber bullying also occurs regularly in chat rooms. Most victims of cyber bul lying say abuse occurs in chat rooms, where people who are in the room send and receive messages, called chatting. People inside chat rooms generally use screen names, or nicknames, and all the screen names of people in the chat room are listed on each users screen. A person can read messages from others in the chat room, and type and send his or her message as a reply. What someone types instantly appears on the screen as part of the chat (Breguet, 2010). Another form of cyber bullying that can occur is by exclusion. If a person is intentionally left off of a buddy list, in order to have their feelings hurt, then they have been cyber bullied. These chat rooms not only exist on the computer, but in video gaming as well. It can be difficult for adolescents to separate their character from themselves. Bullies who cheat and gang up on other gamers are called griefers (Bailey, 2010). Like traditional bullying, minor forms of cyber bullying include being ignored, disrespected, picked on, or otherwise hassled. The more debasing forms involve the spreading of rumors about someone, stalking or physically threatening another person through some medium or method of electronic communications (Hinduja Patchin, 2010). More indirect forms of cyber bullying include disseminating denigrating materials or sensitive personal information or impersonating someone to cause harm (Willard, 2007). Add info on social networking WHICH ADOLESCENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE VICTIMS OF CB? Five signs that indicate a student is being cyber bullied are as follows: Changes in mood or demeanor after being online Avoids talking about school, friends, or what they do online Has crying, anxiety, or depression episodes, especially after using the computer or cell phone Makes excuses not to go to school Withdraws from friends or usual activities (Tiano, 2008; Borgia Myers, 2010). The highest numbers of incidences of bullying occur at the middle school level. Bullying can start with children in elementary school. By the time students reach middle school, the bullying becomes more physical. Boys and girls typically bully in different ways. Boys usually push, shove, and hit. Girls on the other hand, usually start rumors or exclude girls from being a part of their social network of friends. A series of studies found that the chance of being a victim of cyber bullying increases as youngsters grow older (Kowalski and Limber, 2007; Patchin and Hinduja, 2006). Other studies found lower cyber bullying rates for students 15-18 years old than for students 12-15 years old (Slonje Smith, 2007). Still other studies found no relationship between age and being the victim of cyber bullying (Vandebosch Van Cleemput, 2009; Smith et al., 2006). Cyber bullying is occurring less frequently than traditional bullying and most cyber bullying is occurring outside of the school environment (Smith, Mahdavi, Carvalho, Fisher, Russell, Tippett, 2008). However, it is the responsibility of the school district to provide a learning environment that is in a safe environment. Studies show that 85% of high school students spend at least an hour a day on the internet. Many of the shows that teenagers are watching on television at night are reality shows. There is a lot of fighting and verbal confrontations that occur during these shows. It is believed that confrontations keep the audience entertained and wanting more. ARE F2F BULLIES GENERALLY CBs ALSO? Researchers who investigate online behavior recognized that people engage in activities online that they would not be as inclined to engage in if they were in the real world. Researchers use the term disinhibition to describe this phenomenon (Willard, 2007). There are several reasons why a bully may choose the internet to torment a victim. Cyber bullying can be done anonymously, with little effort, and the bullying can be carried out repeatedly and at a convenient time for the bully. One of the most important reasons a bully torments online is because there is a constant, captive audience to witness his or her handiwork and the victims humiliation (Breguet, 2010). Males are more likely to be traditional face to face bullies. Females, on the other hand, are more involved with cyber bullying. This could be due to the indirectness that cyber bullying plays a role in. Since females generally do not like confrontation, they are more like to participate in a form of bullying in which they do not have to face their victim. Cyber bullying allows the female students the opportunity to bully without confronting their victim. In accordance with the relationship between age and being a cyber bully, no clear tendencies could be discarded. Since cyber bullying can be anonymous, a bully can victimize someone much older or much younger than themselves. In 2006, Megan Meier committed suicide at the age of thirteen. Megan killed herself after receiving cruel messages on MySpace from who she believed was a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans. Joshs identity was actually created by Lori Drew. Drew was the mother of a former friend of Megansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Many individuals who bully have issues controlling their anger, come from violent homes or neighborhoods, have overly authoritarian parents, or may be acting out because of other problems at home (Goodstein, 2007). Some bullies may have poor social skills and trouble adapting to new or overwhelming situations (Goodstein, 2007). As a result of being bullied, many victims in turn begin to bully individuals who are younger or weaker than themselves. Many kids try to be funny as an attempt to be cool while at school. Making fun or ridiculing others is sometimes considered funny. So as an attempt to be cool, bullying may occur. Bullies are not always the friendless, mean loners many people assume them to be. Bullies actually can be quite popular. Many times, they are very connected to school life through athletics, academics, or other extracurricular activities. Bullies generally are strong, confident, and aggressive, much more so than their victims, who, by comparison, tend to be weak, timid, and nonassertive (Bolton Graeve, 20). Some cyber bullies are angry loners or misfits, sometimes seeking revenge for having been bullied themselves. Experts say it is common for online abusers to be popular students with plenty of self-esteem who are trying to strengthen their place in the social hierarchy. They do it by intimidating those they perceive to have less status (Billitteri, 2008). Its not really the schoolyard thug character. Its the in-crowd kids bullying those who dont rank high enough, says Nancy Willard, executive director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use (Billitteri, 2008). Mark Wei ss, education director of Operation Respect, says, I think the culture is angrier. He went on to say, The things on TV, the laugh tracks of situation comedies, its all about making fun of each other and putting each other down, and reality TV is all about humiliation(Billitteri, 2008). WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS FELT BY THE VICTIMS OF CB? Although cyber bullying is occurring most frequently at home and not at school, it affects students at school. Even when its off campus, the impact is coming to school in the form of young people who have been so tormented they are incapable of coming to school to study, which leads to dropouts ,fights, violent altercations and suicide, said Nancy Willard, a former attorney and former teacher of at-risk children (Billitteri, 2008). Patchin and Hinduja (2006) found that 42.5 percent of the cyber bully victims were frustrated, almost 40 percent felt angry, and about 27 percent felt sad (Vandebosch Van Cleemput, 2009). One teenager said, It makes me hurt both physically and mentally. It scares me and takes away all my confidence. It makes me feel sick and worthless (Hinduja Patchin #1). Victims who experience cyber bullying also reveal that they were afraid or embarrassed to go to school. In addition, research has revealed a link between cyber bullying and low self-esteem, family problems, academic problems, school violence, and delinquent behavior. Cyber bullied youth also report having suicidal thoughts, and there have been a number of examples in the United States where youth who were victimized ended up taking their own lives (Hinduja Patchin #1). Even though suicide rates have decreased 28.5 percent among young people in recent years, upward trends were identified in the 10- to 19-year-old age group (Hinduja Patchin #2 plus others). Youth who are bullied, or bully others, are at an elevated risk for suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed suicides. The reality of these links has been str engthened through research showing how experience with peer harassment (most often as a target but also a perpetrator) contributes to depression, decreased self-worth, hopelessness, and loneliness-all of which are precursors to suicidal thoughts and behavior (Hinduja Patchin #2 plus others). In a research conducted by Hinduja Patchin (2010), cyber bullying victims reported that they were almost twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyber bullying. Traditional bullying and victimization have also been linked to loneliness, peer rejection, low self-esteem, poor mental health, and other psychological and physiological ailments among youthful populations (Hinduja Patchin, 2010; Crick Bigbee, 1998; Forero, McLellan, Rissel et al., 1999; Hershberger DAugelli, 1995; Mills, Guctin, Lynch et al., 2004; Prinstein, Boegers,, Spirito, Little et al., 2000; Prinstein, Boegers, Vemberg, 2001; Rigby Slee, 1993; Salmon, James, Smith, 1998). After considering the extent research on bullying and suicidal ideation, it can be said with confidence that a strong relationship exists (Hinduja Pachin, 2010; Balry Winkel, 2003; Kim, Koh, Leventhal, 2005; Mills, Guerin, Lynch, et al., 2004; Roland, 2002; Seals Young, 2003). The research on cyber bullying flourished following the school shooting at Columbine High School. Research from the Secret Service and the United States Department of Education on thirty-seven school shootings, including Columbine, found that almost 75 percent of the shooters felt bullied, threatened, attacked, or injured by other. Several shooters also reported experiencing long-term and severe bullying and harassment from their peers (Goodstein, 2007). According to Goodstein (2007), victims of bullying usually miss more school, have higher dropout rates, and have problems concentrating on their schoolwork. They also tend to show higher levels of insecurity, anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, physical and mental symptoms and low self-esteem. The consequences of being cyber bullied quickly creep into the classroom where the students eventually face the damage to their psyches or their reputations(Borgia Myers, 2010). Children have always been encouraged to not tattle tell. Once these children are bullied, many withhold the experience they are going through as a result of what they have been taught. Parry Aftab, of wiredsafety.org, says 45,000 students-85 percent to 97 percent of her audiences-reported having been victims of cyber bullying in 2007. Yet, only 5 percent will tell a trusted parent or adult (Billitteri, 2008). Another reason many victims do not report that they have been bullied is because they worry that the problem will escalate. An 11-year old from Michigan said, She kept texting me so many mean things that I wanted to throw my phone against the wall. I told my mom and she called her. After that the mean girls texted me, wow you cant fight your own battles (Billitteri, 2008)! Although online comments have the potential to spread at a much faster rate than conversations in a school hallway, dealing with it could possibly be easier. Teens have the capability of ignoring the comments online by merely turning off the computer and not reading them. Since comments were made online, the victim is able to print the comments to turn them over to the local police unit. Victims can also report incidences to their ISP. School districts and parents need to make themselves responsible for educating youth on cyber bullying. Since most cyber bullying occurs away from school, parents may attempt to protect the bully by arguing that they have the freedom of speech to express their thoughts aloud. Conclusion: It is very important as parents to monitor childrens online activity. Parents should be aware of social networking sites that their children participate in. It is critical to educate children about the proper language that should be used online. Experts believe that cyber bullying is going to worsen because most bullies enjoy the idea that they have a large audience witnessing their attacks on the victims. As the price of computers continues to drop and as internet use gets faster, cheaper, and more far-reaching, it only makes experts believe that cyber bullying will continue to grow. Therefore, it is critical for parents to talk to their children about the impact of cyber bullying on youth. When kids are confronted about being a cyber bully, many of the kids respond that they didnt know that they were actually hurting the other person. Since many cyber bullies do not face their victims, it is difficult to witness the effects that the bullying is having on the victims.

Garlic And Abate As Larvicide Against Mosquito Larvae Biology Essay

Garlic And Abate As Larvicide Against Mosquito Larvae Biology Essay This experiment was designed to investigate and compare the effectiveness of garlic as the natural larvicide and Abate as the chemical larvicide against mosquito larvae. The effectiveness of the larvicides was determined by the time taken for all the mosquito larvae to be killed. The mosquito larvae were placed in separate plastic cups containing garlic extract and Abate respectively. They were monitored at fixed time intervals and the time taken for all the mosquito larvae to die was recorded. The experiment was repeated with different concentrations of garlic extract and Abate. A two-way ANOVA statistical test showed that Abate is more effective against mosquito larvae at 5% significance level compared to garlic, corresponding to the experimental hypothesis. Research and Rationale Mosquitoes originate from the family Culicidae.13 Like many other insects, they go through a life cycle from egg to larva, pupa and finally adult. They are generally well-known as blood-sucking insects to human and they are responsible for many fatal diseases such as dengue, malaria and yellow fever. Some commonly known genera are Aedes, Culex and Anopheles. Usually, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water like ponds, marshes and swamps and they thrive in warm climates.9 (210 words) In order to control mosquitoes, chemical larvicides are used. One commonly used larvicide, Abate is applied to stagnant water to kill larvae of a wide range of pathogen-carrying vectors (mosquitoes) to hinder their development into adult mosquitoes.2 Consequently, this prevents disease-carrying mosquitoes from hatching and transmitting the pathogens to human via bites. Although the active ingredient of Abate, temephos is said to be effective against mosquito larvae (affects the nervous system by inhibiting cholinesterase enzyme), it has its downsides. Research has shown that certain mosquito species (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) have developed resistance for Abate.4 In addition, rats exposed to temephus showed organic phosphorus poisoning while some fish are vulnerable to temephus. Temephus also harm inverterbates such as shrimps and crabs. Accumulation of temephus may also cause drastic impacts on cholinesterase activity involved in nerve signal transmission.6 Plant extracts such as those of garlic are potential alternatives to Abate. Crushing garlic releases thiosulfinates which convert into diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide if mixed with water.10 These two products formed are effective against mosquito larvae. Trials conducted in Bombay have shown that several species of mosquito larvae are susceptible to garlic extracts. Allicin helps to curb malaria by preventing the formation of circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium sporozoites to infect host cells.10 They are effective, safe, environmental-friendly and economical. The objective of this experiment was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of garlic as the natural larvicide and Abate as the chemical larvicide against mosquito larvae. The results from this experiment indicate that the spread of pathogen-causing diseases by mosquitoes can be curbed by using natural substances such as garlic as well as chemical larvicide like Abate. Garlic is a potential alternative to Abate as it is effective, easily available and eco-friendly. Although it might not be as fast-acting as chemical larvicides, garlic has none of the downsides of Abate such as accumulating in the environment and killing other invertebrates. Thus, more research is being conducted to investigate the efficiency of garlic as a larvicide. (545 words) Experimental hypothesis There is a significant difference between the effectiveness of garlic and Abate as larvicide. Abate is more effective larvicide compared to garlic. Null hypothesis There is no significant difference between the effectiveness of garlic and Abate as larvicide. Variables Manipulated variable : Types of substances Responding variable : Time taken for all the larvae to die Fixed variables : Number of mosquito larvae, volume of distilled water, room temperature Apparatus 100mL measuring cylinder, electronic balance, plastic cups, label stickers, pestle and mortar, disposable droppers, glass rod Materials Mosquito larvae, garlic cloves, cinnamon powder, fennel powder, Abate 1.1G, distilled water Planning A trial experiment was conducted to determine which natural substance has the most significant effect on mosquito larvae. The three natural substances used were cinnamon powder, fennel power and garlic cloves. Three labelled plastic cups were used. About 1% of each respective natural substance extracts were made by either dissolving 1g of the powder in 100mL of distilled water or pounding 1g of garlic and then mix with 100mL distilled water. Using a disposable dropper, 5 mosquito larvae were inserted into each cup and they were allowed to sit for 24 hours. The number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours was counted. (750 words) Types of natural substances Number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours Cinnamon 3 Fennel 5 Garlic 0 Table 1: Number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours with respect to natural substances The results imply that garlic showed the most significant effect on mosquito larvae since none of the mosquito larvae was left after 24 hours. A second trial was carried out to determine the method to measure the effectiveness of garlic and Abate. The first method was to count the number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours while the second was to measure the time taken for all larvae to die. Three concentrations were used for each substance and method. Substance Number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours for each concentration 1% 2% 3% Garlic 0 0 0 Abate 0 0 0 Table 2: Calculating the number of mosquito larvae left after 24 hours Substance Time taken for all larvae to die for each concentration (minutes) 1% 2% 3% Garlic 420 360 120 Abate 90 75 55 Table 3: Measuring the time taken for all larvae to die The results showed that method 1 was not practical to use since no mosquito larvae is left after 24 hours for both garlic and Abate. Therefore, method 2, which is to measure the time taken for all larvae to die, was used to compare the effectiveness of both substances as larvicides. (983 words) Real Experimental Procedures 1g of garlic clove was weighed using an electronic balance. The garlic clove was placed in a mortar and it was pounded lightly using the pestle to obtain garlic extract. 100mL distilled water was measured using a measuring cylinder and it was poured into the mortar to form an extract solution of concentration 1%. The solution was then transferred into a labelled plastic cup. Using a disposable dropper, five mosquito larvae were transferred into the beaker. At 5-minutes interval, the number of dead mosquito larvae in the beaker was counted and recorded to measure the time taken for all larvae to die. Dead larvae are those that cannot be induced to move when they are touched with the tip of the dropper. Steps 1 to 6 are repeated twice to obtain an average time taken. Steps 1 to 7 are repeated for garlic cloves of 2g, 3g 4g and 5g. The time taken for all larvae to die for each respective garlic concentration was tabulated. Steps 1 to 9 were repeated using 1g, 2g, 3g, 4g and 5g of Abate 1.1. A graph of mean time taken for all larvae to die against concentration of larvicides was plotted. A two-way ANOVA test was used to analyse the data statistically. Risk Assessment The experimental procedure is ranked low-risk. The risk of accidental introduction of mosquito into the environment had been considered and precautions were taken to ensure that pupae which had developed into mosquitoes were not released, but killed in the water. The container containing larvae were closed at all time. Gloves were worn to avoid direct contact with Abate which is toxic. Hands were washed before and after handling garlic extract, Abate and mosquito larvae. After using droppers, they were disposed properly. When the experiment had completed, the solution containing dead mosquito larvae were drained into the laboratory sink. (1307 words) Results Concentrations (%) Time taken for all mosquito larvae to die (minutes) Garlic Abate1.1G 1 2 3 Mean 1 2 3 Mean 1 360 345 370 358.3 90 85 90 88.3 2 300 310 300 303.3 75 75 70 73.3 3 120 115 120 118.3 55 50 60 55.0 4 100 90 110 100.0 45 40 40 41.7 5 80 80 70 76.7 30 35 35 33.3 Table 4: Time taken for all larvae to die for different concentrations of garlic and Abate Figure 1: Graph of mean time taken for mosquito larvae to die with respect to concentrations of larvicides (1409 words) Statistical Analysis Two-way ANOVA test was used to analyse the data to show whether there is a significant difference between the two larvicides. The Columns P-Value (8.58E-24) is less than the significance level (ÃŽ ± = 0.05). There is a significance difference between the larvicidal properties of Abate and garlic. Abate is a stronger larvicide than garlic. Therefore, the experimental hypothesis is accepted and the null hypothesis is rejected. From the analysis also, the calculated Sample P-value (3.62E-22) is less than the significance level tested as well (ÃŽ ± = 0.05). This shows that there are statistically significant differences between different concentrations of garlic and Abate. The Interaction P-Value (3.01E-19) indicates that there was a statistical significant interaction between the larvicides and the concentrations used. Higher concentrations of both larvicides are more effective against the mosquito larvae compared to lower concentrations. (1548 words) Substances Garlic Abate Total 0.01 Count 3 3 6 Sum 1075 265 1340 Average 358.3333 88.33333 223.3333 Variance 158.3333 8.333333 21936.67 0.02 Count 3 3 6 Sum 910 220 1130 Average 303.3333 73.33333 188.3333 Variance 33.33333 8.333333 15886.67 0.03 Count 3 3 6 Sum 355 165 520 Average 118.3333 55 86.66667 Variance 8.333333 25 1216.667 0.04 Count 3 3 6 Sum 300 125 425 Average 100 41.66667 70.83333 Variance 100 8.333333 1064.167 0.05 Count 3 3 6 Sum 230 100 330 Average 76.66667 33.33333 55 Variance 33.33333 8.333333 580 Total Count 15 15 Sum 2870 875 Average 191.3333 58.33333 Variance 14458.81 445.2381 Table 5: Summary of the data (1656 words) Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit Sample 137903.3 4 34475.83 880.234 3.62E-22 2.866081 Columns 132667.5 1 132667.5 3387.255 8.58E-24 4.351243 Interaction 69970 4 17492.5 446.617 3.01E-19 2.866081 Within 783.3333 20 39.16667 Total 341324.2 29 Table 6: Calculations for two-way Anova test (1701 words) Data Analysis The two-way ANOVA test revealed that Abate is a stronger larvicide than garlic. The Columns P-value is less than the significance value (ÃŽ ± = 0.05), which indicated that Abate and garlic are significantly different in terms of larvicidal properties. This supports the experimental hypothesis that the effectiveness of Abate is greater than that of garlic. Table 4 shows that for all Abate concentrations, the mean time taken for all the mosquito larvae to die are shorter compared to that of garlic. For both larvicides, as their concentrations increased, the mean time decreased. From the data in Table 4, it can be evaluated that there is a bigger percentage difference in the mean time taken between garlic and Abate for the first two concentrations (about 75%). For 3%, 4% and 5% concentrations, the percentage differences in mean time range from 54% to 58%. This is illustrated in Figure 1. It clearly suggested that Abate is much more effective than garlic. Abate is a chemical larvicide while garlic is a natural larvicide. Both contain the active substances which are capable to kill mosquito larvae. Within 24 hours, all mosquito larvae would have died in Abate as well as garlic solutions. It was therefore not practical to calculate the number of live mosquito larvae after 24 hours. Hence, the time taken for the mosquito larvae to die was used as a measure of the substances effectiveness. The shorter the time taken, the more effective the compound is. Dead larvae can be identified by touching them with the tip of a rod or dropper. They cannot be induced to move. Abate contains temephos which is an organophosphate compound.11 It is able to inhibit acetylcholinesterase enzyme which is required to stop a nerve impulse after it has crossed the synapse. As a result, there is a continuous stimulation of the nerve, resulting in tremors and uncoordinated movement.11 Garlic, when crushed and mixed with water, will convert thiosulfinates to diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide,10 both which are organosulfur compounds. They are effective against mosquito larvae. (2043 words) The experiment showed that Abate is a more effective larvicide compared to garlic. Both organophosphorus and organosulfur compounds worked against mosquito larvae. This explains that during the trial experiment, after allowing both solutions to sit for 24 hours, all mosquito larvae died. Nevertheless, the experimental results showed that Abate which contains organophosphorus compounds took a shorter time to kill all the mosquito larvae compared to garlic (organosulfur compound), implying that organophosphorus compounds are more effective against mosquito larvae. However, this may also be due to the purity of the active substances. The industrially-produced Abate contain pure temephos, whereas allicin found in garlic is impure. For an active ingredient to work effectively, it has to be extracted and processed to give optimum results. Although results showed that Abate is a more effective larvicide, it should be noted that Abate is harmful to certain animals such as mice and fish, as well as to some invertebrates. Abate is also liable to accumulate within the natural environment, posing risks to human health. Garlic is an option to replace Abate as it is easily obtainable, cheap and does not pose harm to the environment. Nevertheless, garlic takes a longer time to kill mosquito larvae compared to Abate. Time is a crucial factor when dealing with disease-carrying mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti. Therefore, although garlic might be effective against mosquito larvae, it may not be practical to use such a time-consuming substance to alleviate the problem with mosquito larvae. (2287 words) Evaluation To increase the accuracy, the base of the garlic, together with its skin was removed before the garlic cloves were weighed using an electronic balance. The garlic cloves were pounded lightly using a mortar and pestle to prevent heat from destroying the chemical contents of garlic, which might decrease the effectiveness of garlic. Disposable droppers were used to avoid contamination of substances being tested and in the container used to collect mosquito larvae. Besides, plastic cups were used instead of laboratory glassware in order to prevent contamination as well. Each cup was closed with a perforated cover to ensure that air flows into the cup. The cup was covered as a precaution to prevent the introduction of any mosquito into the environment in case any larvae managed to complete its life cycle. Results from the trials showed that all mosquito larvae were killed by the larvicides within 24 hours. Therefore, if the number of live mosquito larvae were noted after 24 hours, there would not be any significant differences. As an alternative, the time taken for the mosquito larvae to be killed was measured. It was also impossible to run a stopwatch to measure the time as it would be difficult to estimate when to stop it. Instead, the mosquito larvae were observed every five minutes and any dead larva was noted. Hence, the time measured was estimation as it would be hard to check on the larvae every minute for hours. To increase the precision of results, the experiment was repeated twice to obtain an average time. It was also impossible to differentiate the types of mosquito larvae. Different larvae species might have different response towards larvicide. However, in this experiment, they were assumed to be of the same species. The larvae were also of different days old. Larvicides might have different effects on larvae of different days old. Besides, the solutions might not contain the exact concentration which was supposed to be tested. This is because garlic juice might not be able to be extracted and dissolve in distilled water completely. Abate granules also did not dissolve completely in distilled water. (2641 words) An ethical issue that may be questioned is the accidental introduction of mosquitoes into the environment. In this experiment, mosquito larvae are collected from ponds, which are mosquito breeding grounds. These mosquito larvae are actually prevented from turning into adult mosquitoes, which may transmit certain diseases. Larvae collected are placed in a covered container and are monitored to prevent accidental introduction of mosquitoes in case any larva managed to complete its life cycle. This investigation could be modified by grinding the garlic cloves and dissolve it in ethanol to form garlic solution of a particular concentration. This would increase the reliability of the results. Besides, mosquito larvae of the same species could be used to ensure that the effects of larvicides on that particular type of mosquito larvae only are determined. This reduces the probability of results occurring by chance. Mosquito larvae of a specific species could be cultured rather than collecting them from a pond. The number of mosquito larvae could also have been increased to obtain a more reliable result. Conclusion Chemical larvicide, Abate is significantly more effective than garlic in killing mosquito larvae. This was determined by the notably shorter time taken by Abate to kill all the mosquito larvae than shown by garlic. (2848 words) Source Evaluation Source 2 contains information on agricultural products such as vector control by BASF, the worlds leading chemical company and a corporate group. Hence, it is trustable and reliable. Source 4 is a journal, so contains sound scientific information. It contains a research note written by authors from several research universities. Therefore, it should be trustable and reliable. Source 6 is a data sheet on temephos, the active ingredient in Abate. The data sheet is provided by IPCS INCHEM, cooperation between International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCHOS). IPCS INCHEM compiles information regarding management of chemicals and their risks based on data from World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Therefore, this source is reliable and not biased. Sources 8 and 13 are published books. Therefore, they are credible sources with reliable contents written by notable experts in the respective fields. Source 10 is a trustable review as it is written by credible experts in the particular area. Source 12 is a reliable and credible governmental website by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in regulating pesticides; therefore, all facts and information provided are updated. Source 14 is guidelines for laboratory and field testing of mosquito larvicides by World Health Organization, so should contain sound scientific information.

Woodstock: A Peaceful Rock Revolution Essay -- Woodstock History Histo

Woodstock: A Peaceful Rock Revolution To some, the 60s were a decade of discovery as Americans first journeyed to the moon. Others remember the time as a decade of America’s moral decline with the advent of rock and roll and its representation of "sinful", inappropriate ideals. Yet for many people, the 60s symbolized a decade of love and harmony. Hippies exemplified these beliefs, and in 1969 they gathered at a music festival known as Woodstock to celebrate their music, their love, and their freedom in a concert that has remained on of the most influential events of the 60s. The youth of the 60s were known as the "Love generation". They made love promiscuously and openly, and preferred open to formal marriages. Weekend "love-ins", free form gatherings, communal living quarters, and rock festivals were held in response to the "love movement". The "love movement" was the hippie belief for peace and harmony. It reached its peak in the summer of 1967, and by then it had over 300,000 followers who referred to themselve s as the "love children" or the "gentle people". They gathered in San Francisco, the hippie center of the world, during the summers. During these "Summers of love", they lived on the streets of Haight-Ashbury, sitting in groups along the street and strumming their guitars (Frike 62). These "love children", otherwise known as the hippies were the result of the antiwar movement that was sweeping the nation during the Vietnam war. Hippies were resolutely against the war. They participated loudly, and often violently in countless anti-war protest rallies and marches. They were known to publicly burn draft cards, and some even renounced military service for prison (Hertsgard 124). Hippies were not only antiwar, they were predominantly antiestablishment. The status symbols of their elders were decisively rejected: wealth, social position, culture, physical attractiveness, and economic security. They held in disdain, cosmetics, expensive jewelry, nightclubs and restaurants and all other re finements of the affluent society. Wealth meant nothing to them. Personal freedom to express oneself was believed to be the most important thing in life. They were antiauthority, antirace discrimination, and antipollution, in short they were rebels against the society, fighting against the moral standards of America they felt were unjust (Hertsgard 153). Events such... ...peace. They knew about art and nature. They lived for a weekend in the still eye of the hurricane" (Woodstock). Works Cited "All Nature is but Art: Woodstock Music and Art Fair." Vogue. December 1969:194-201. "Big Woodstock Rock Trip." Time. August 1969:14b-22. Ewen, David. All the Years of Popular Music. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.,1977. Fass, Don. "The Sixties." http://www.sixties.net (19 March 1999). Frike, David. "Minor Epiphanies and Momentary Bummers." Rolling Stone. August 1989:62-91. Grunwald, Henry. "Youth Trip." This Fabulous Century: 1960-1970. 1986 ed. Hertsgard, Mark. A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles. New York: Dell Publishing Groups Inc.,1995. Huges, Rupert. Music Lover’s Encyclopedia. New York: Doubleday Inc.,1984. "Rock Audience Moves to Dusk-to-Dawn Rhythms." New York Times. 18 August 1969:25. "Tired Rock Fans Begin Exodus From Music Fair." New York Times. 20 August 1969:1-3. "What Happened in the Sixties?." http://www.bbhq.com/sixties2.htm (19 March 1999). "Woodstock: Dawn of the Bigtime." Economist. August 1989:75. "Woodstock Music and Art Fair." Newswe ek. August 1969:88. "Woodstock: Peace Mecca." Billboard. August 1969:1,10.

Personal Response to Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe Essay -- Robinso

Defoe's novel, Robinson Crusoe relates one man's spiritual journey in search of self and his goal of setting things right and making amends. Finding the self may take a lifetime. It took twenty-eight years on the island for Robinson Crusoe to discover more about himself, and, of course, he had to wait that number of years before he could make up for past mistakes. However, we do not have an ocean preventing us from making amends, and if only readers were to open themselves to this book, for all its clumsiness, flat style and Eurocentricity, it can, by illustrating one man's life, illuminate ours. To begin opening ourselves we must begin to identify with Crusoe. This is not as easy as it might seem. For one thing, in my case, he is a man, and I am a woman. He lived two hundred years ago so had very different values. He was white. I am not. It is, however, necessary to push these things aside and go to the text. Look especially at instances when Crusoe is not the most politically correct of heros- -when he seems most at odds with our thinking. Consider Crusoe's treatment of Friday. Friday has no name of his own, and he, the "savage," automatically becomes a servant. Here, Crusoe is condescending and racist. Yet, when I look at my own actions towards others, I have to admit that many times they fall short of being good or just. Let us be honest, don't we all shun or dislike those not like ourselves in color, age, social standing, or religion, at some time or other? One other important flaw--some might not call it a flaw at all--is Crusoe's bond of utility rather than bond of mutual respect that forms the basis of his friendships. Crusoe is a man that, early in the novel, is a friend when the other person c... ...eight years on a desert island. We learn that what really keeps us down is our human self absorption and that we have to rise above this terrible selfishness. We learn that finding the self is acknowledging our frailty and working, in spite of it, towards making our spiritual side strong. If I realize what is important in life, I know I have learnt from Crusoe's experiences and will never have to cry "Oh had there been but one .... "The one book that teaches all that books can teach" Rousseau "I shall pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being let me do it now, let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." Stephen Grellet Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Ed. Thomas Keymer. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Oxford World's Classics.

Sample questions and Exam

Sample questions Note: The purpose for providing sample questions is to show the format of questions that will be given in the midterm exam. The midterm exam will have more of both true false questions and short answer problems than those presented here. For more short answer problem types please look at the exercises sets. True-false questions: T Consider the two statements: I. X is an inferior good. II. X exhibits Giffen’s Paradox. The following is true: II implies I, but I does not necessarily imply II. F T F Suppose that at current consumption levels an individual’s marginal utility of consuming an extra hot dog is 10 whereas the marginal utility of consuming an extra soft drink is 2. Then the MRS (of soft drinks for hot dogs)—that is, the number of hot dogs the individual is willing to give up to get one more soft drink is 1/5. If the price of X falls, the budget constraint shifts inward in a parallel fashion. T F T F Suppose a cup of coffee at the campus coffee shop is $2. 50 and a cup of hot tea is $1. 25. Suppose a student’s beverage budget is $20 per week. The algebraic expression represents the budget constraint. Suppose a cup of coffee at the campus coffee shop is $2. 50 and a cup of hot tea is $1. 25. Suppose a student’s beverage budget is $20 per week. Suppose the student simply prefers more caffeine to less and that the tea sold has exactly one-third the caffeine as the coffee. The student will buy a mix of coffee and tea. T F (The student will buy only coffee) T F In economic theory, the demand for a good must depend only on income and its own price and not on the prices of other goods. T F If two goods are substitutes, then an increase in the price of one of them will increase the demand for the other. 1 T F If consumers spend all of their income, it is impossible for all goods to be inferior goods. A good is a luxury good if the income elasticity of demand for it is greater than 1. A rational consumer spends her entire income. If her income doubles and prices do not change, then she will necessarily choose to consume twice as much of every good as she did before. A consumer has the utility function U(x; y) = min(x,2y) If the price of good x is zero and the price of good y is p; then the consumer's demand function for good y is m/2p. Suppose a teenager likes both rap music (R) and country music (C) with a set of preferences so that U = C1/2R1/2. Point (C, R)=(100, 1) makes the teen the happier than point (C, R)=(25, 25). If a person’s indifference curves can be represented as a straight line, the person views the goods as complements (but not perfect). T T F F T F T F T F Short answer problems 1. Walt consumes strawberries and cream but only in the fixed ratio of three boxes of strawberries to two cartons of cream. At any other ratio, the excess goods are totally useless to him. The cost of a box of strawberries is 10 and the cost of a carton of cream is 10. Walt's income is 200. How many boxes of strawberries does Walt demand? Ans: Walt demands 12 boxes of strawberries. (NOTE that the utility function is U=min{2x,3y}) 2. Fanny consumes only grapefruits and grapes. Her utility function is U(x; y) = x3y6; where x is the number of grapefruits consumed and y is the number of grapes consumed. Fanny's income is 48, and the prices of grapefruits and grapes are 1 and 3, respectively. How many grapefruits will she consume? Ans: 16 3. Katie Kwasi's utility function is U(x1; x2) = 2(ln x1)+ x2. Given her current income and the current relative prices, she consumes 5 units of x1 and 20 units of x2. If her income 2 doubles, while prices stay constant, how many units of x1 will she consume after the change in income? Ans: 5 3. Suppose a new healthcare initiative for the working poor will be paid for with a reduction to the earned income tax credit. Suppose the average working poor family has income of $12,000 from work and an additional $4000 from the EITC. If there are two goods, H (healthcare) and C (all other consumption), what will be the equation for a budget line with the EITC? (Let prices of all goods and healthcare be normalized to 1). Ans: C = $16,000 – H 4. Suppose a teenager has $20 and likes both rap music (R) and country music (C) with a set of preferences so that U = C1/2R1/2. Suppose that the iTunes price of a rap music song is and the price of a country music song is . What is the greatest level of affordable utility? Ans: v50 3