1984 By Orwell And Totalitarian Society Essays -

1984 By Orwell And Totalitarian Society Living in a society with limited freedom of expression is not, in any case, enjoyable. A Totalitarian society is a good example of such a society, because although it provides control for the people, it can deny them a great deal of freedom to express themselves. The fictional society in George Orwell's "1984" stands as a metaphor for a Totalitarian society. Communication, personal beliefs, and individual loyalty to the government are all controlled by the inner party, which governs the people of Oceania in order to keep them from rebelling. Current society in America is much more democratic. It contrasts with Orwell's society of 1984 because communication, personal beliefs and the people's loyalty to the government are all determined by the individual. In order to keep the people of Oceania in conformity with the desires of the governing Inner Party; the Inner Party controls several aspects of the people's lives. Communication, for one, is controlled for the benefit of the nation. Newspeak is a modified version of language that is enforced upon the people in order to limit their expression. Syme and Winston, two middle-class workers in Oceania, discuss the concept of Newspeak. Syme reveals that he supports the system, demonstrating how he has been brainwashed by the Inner Party who enforces the system. "It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words... You haven't a real appreciation for Newspeak, Winston... Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thougtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. (p. 46)" One can detect from this quotation that the people of Oceania, as a group, have been brainwashed by the Inner Party to use only Newspeak. Syme, for one, understands the purpose of it, and he still complies with the system because he has been trained to do so. The concept of Newspeak is designed to control personal beliefs of the citizens by limiting their form of expression as Syme explains. But when the governing system is not followed, Thought Police are used to prevent thoughts that oppose the nation. "How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. (p. 6)" There is no doubt that - through both Newspeak and Thought Police - the system of government in "1984" has adequately prevented the people from thinking against it. When all this surveillance is placed on the people, they learn to comply with their country and eventually begin to value it automatically. At the end of the story, after Winston is accused by the Thought Police of thoughtcrime and is tortured, he finally conforms to the general thoughts of Oceania. "He had finally won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother. (p. 245)" This quote indicates that the inner party has done everything that was necessary to preserve Winston's loyalty to the nation. Even Winston, who at one time was against his government, has now been "fixed" to support it and love his leader. The government of Oceania has gone to great lengths to change Winston's mind, and as always, they have gotten what they desire. America in 1999 is much different from Orwell's 1984 because, for one, freedom of expression is a dominating factor in American communication. In conversation as well as newspapers and magazines, a variety of views and opinions are openly expressed. Censorship is not enforced to a high degree. As an example, demonstrations and protests are often held which counter certain governmental policies; laws or propositions are often spoken out against in public. The fact that these rebellious actions are not punished by the government proves that the government of America is much more lenient than that of "1984". The expression of such a variety of beliefs comes from the freedom of individual beliefs. The government does not maintain the thoughts and opinions of the individual; the government does not have a system to control the thoughts of the individual. This is why one commonly sees such a variety of beliefs and ideas spread in advertisements and media. For instance, while there are often advertisement for meat, leather or fur products in magazines and such, other advertisements often try to suggest a more humane treatment of animals, therefore contradicting the idea that animals should be killed for human consumption. The modern American government fully allows any given belief of the individual people. And because

The world of second jobs for teachers

The world of second jobs for teachers Being a teacher is an important professional calling- but it’s no easy task. Some people look at the profession and imagine it’s an easy job, with summers off and plenty of free time in the afternoon once the students go home. However, those in the know regarding what it’s really like to be a teacher know that this generalization couldn’t be further from the truth. Being a teacher is as tough as it is important. Teachers often work long hours- with tremendous responsibilities that extend both in and out of the classroom- and are constantly dealing with an array of challenging student personalities, needs, and demands (not to mention the needs of the parents and their school administrators).Another key factor working against most teachers is compensation. The notion that teachers are overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid has become a professional clichà © of sorts in the United States, and has led to a growing phenomena among educators- getting a sec ond job to make ends meet. According to a recent Washington Post article, â€Å"Many teachers are paid so poorly, in fact, that they have to take second jobs to pay their bills. A study released earl`ier this year found that in 2015, the weekly wages of public school teachers in the United States were 17 percent lower than comparable college-educated professionals- and those most hurt were veteran teachers and male teachers.†The article points out that this unfortunate situation is not isolated to any specific teaching grade level or geographic region of the country: â€Å"Nationally the situation is bleak. While other professions have seen compensation growth, teachers’ salaries have stagnated for four decades. In fact, over the last decade in 30 of 50 states, teacher pay has actually not kept pace with the cost of living. Forty-seven states face teacher shortages, and there has been a 30 percent decrease in enrollment in teacher credentialing programs in recent year s.†Since the phenomena of teachers taking on second jobs doesn’t seem to be decreasing or ending any time soon, a good strategy for these intrepid educators is to leverage their professional experience, skillsets, and work schedules to their advantage. If you’re a teacher looking for additional employment, consider the following ideas to earn some extra money and help make ends meet.Freelance EditorMost teachers have a great eye and ear for the effective flow of ideas, proper word use, and grammar, and can often spot a mistake quickly- often the result of reviewing countless student essays and reports. That’s why seeking work as a freelance editor can be a rewarding and lucrative option for teachers.Freelance editors are typically well compensated (average hourly wages can range from $25–$40 per hour or more, depending on the project and your experience level), and opportunities are available in all genres, from nonfiction to fiction and more, so yo u can feasibly work on subject matter that naturally interests you. Also, depending on the project deadline you can carve out a schedule that works around your teaching chores and other life responsibilities, making this a potentially attractive option.TutoringGetting paid to tutor individuals outside of work seems like a natural fit for someone who’s already employed as a teacher- and if it’s in a subject that you’re well versed in, then you’ll have little or no prep involved to get started. Since tutors generally set their own hours and pay scales (often based on level of commitment and subject complexity), how much you make can entirely depend on you. Furthermore, you’ll have the flexibility to set your own hours and venue.Technical WriterDo you have a talent for clearly and easily explaining complicated or technical processes? If so, then consider looking for additional work as a technical writer. Technical writers create and review instruction manuals, journal articles, company documents, and how-to guides in an effort to make technical or scientific information easier to understand. This typically requires a background in science, technology, engineering, or computers, but the good news is that if you teach in this area, it may be a great choice for you for a second job.The pay is typically good (average hourly wages can range from $30-$50 per hour or more, depending on the project and your experience level). Plus, you can sometimes work on a per-project basis, allowing you to control how much additional work you take on, and work around your existing schedule.Childcare WorkerMost teachers have a background in and propensity for working with younger people, which may make employment as a childcare worker an easy transition for them. If you have a capacity for caring for children, then consider a second job as a childcare worker. You can often do this type of work with an agency or as a self-employed individual (meaning you can set your own fee scale and availability), and because peoples’ needs for childcare varies you can likely find work for whatever time of day makes sense for you.DriverAlthough this might not seem to be the most instinctual choice for a second job for teachers, take a moment to think about it. In the era of Uber, Lyft, and Seamless, the need for drivers and delivery people has never been greater, and you shouldn’t have a problem finding extra work. In addition, shifts are often available at night, early in the morning, or on weekends, which means you can pick up some extra pay without interrupting your teaching schedule. Also, after a tough, mentally taxing day of teaching, driving as a second job might be a nice change of pace.If you’re a teacher, you may not be looking forward to the idea of a second job, but it may be a necessity for you. If this is the case, you can make it easier on you by choosing your second job wisely. Use the information and ideas presented here to help you make the choice for a second job as easy as possible.

Free Essays on Valeriano Weyler

General Valeriano Weyler was born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. He was also educated there. Weyler followed his father’s footsteps. His father was a military doctor, so he started a military career. Weyler graduated from the Infantry school in Toledo and by age 20 he had attained the rank of lieutenant. He served in Cuba and organized a group of volunteers for some sort of reason. In 1878 Weyler was made a general. In 1895 he was given the Grand Cross-of Maria Cristina (?) for his command of troops in the Philippines. In 1896 when rebellion was very popular at the time for in Cuba, Weyler was named governor with full powers to suppress the insurgency and return the island to political order and the sugar industry to greater profitability. First, Weyler was greatly frustrated by the same reasons that had made victory difficult for all generals of traditional standing armies fighting against an insurgency (rebellion). While the Spanish troops marched in regulation and req uired a good amount of supplies, their opponents practiced hit-and-run tactics and lived off the land, blending in with the non-combatant (No intent for war) population. He came to the same conclusions as his predecessors (People from the past) as well that to win Cuba back for Spain, he would have to separate the rebels from the civilians by putting the latter in safer areas, protected by loyal Spanish troops. By the end of 1897, General Weyler had relocated more than 300,000 into such reconcentration camps. Although he was successful moving vast numbers of people, he failed to provide for them. Of course, these areas became areas of hunger, disease, and starvation where thousands died from it. Even though I couldn’t find out when Weyler died, I think he died in the late 1920’s.... Free Essays on Valeriano Weyler Free Essays on Valeriano Weyler General Valeriano Weyler was born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. He was also educated there. Weyler followed his father’s footsteps. His father was a military doctor, so he started a military career. Weyler graduated from the Infantry school in Toledo and by age 20 he had attained the rank of lieutenant. He served in Cuba and organized a group of volunteers for some sort of reason. In 1878 Weyler was made a general. In 1895 he was given the Grand Cross-of Maria Cristina (?) for his command of troops in the Philippines. In 1896 when rebellion was very popular at the time for in Cuba, Weyler was named governor with full powers to suppress the insurgency and return the island to political order and the sugar industry to greater profitability. First, Weyler was greatly frustrated by the same reasons that had made victory difficult for all generals of traditional standing armies fighting against an insurgency (rebellion). While the Spanish troops marched in regulation and req uired a good amount of supplies, their opponents practiced hit-and-run tactics and lived off the land, blending in with the non-combatant (No intent for war) population. He came to the same conclusions as his predecessors (People from the past) as well that to win Cuba back for Spain, he would have to separate the rebels from the civilians by putting the latter in safer areas, protected by loyal Spanish troops. By the end of 1897, General Weyler had relocated more than 300,000 into such reconcentration camps. Although he was successful moving vast numbers of people, he failed to provide for them. Of course, these areas became areas of hunger, disease, and starvation where thousands died from it. Even though I couldn’t find out when Weyler died, I think he died in the late 1920’s....

Talking on the Phone in Japanese

Talking on the Phone in Japanese Even when you start to understand a language better, it is still difficult to use when talking on the phone. You cant use gestures, which can be helpful at times. Also, you cant see the other persons facial expressions or reactions to what you are saying. All of your efforts must be spent listening very carefully to what the other person is saying. Talking on the phone in Japanese might actually be harder than in other languages; since there are some formal phrases used specifically for phone conversations. The Japanese normally talk very politely on the phone unless speaking casually with a friend. Lets learn some common expressions used on the phone. Dont be intimidated by phone calls. Practice makes perfect! Phone Calls in Japan Most public phones (koushuu denwa) take coins (at least a 10 yen coin) and telephone cards. Only specially designated pay phones allow international calls (kokusai denwa). All calls are charged by the minute. Telephone cards can be purchased in almost all convenience stores, kiosks at train stations and vending machines. The cards are sold in 500 yen and 1000 yen units. Telephone cards can be customized. Occasionally companies even them as marketing tools. Some cards are very valuable and cost a fortune. Many people collect telephone cards in the same way postage stamps are collected. Telephone Number A telephone number consists of three parts. For example: (03) 2815-1311. The first part is the area code (03 is Tokyos), and the second and last part are the users number. Each number is usually read separately and the parts are linked with the particle, no. To reduce confusion in telephone numbers, 0 is often pronounced as zero, 4 as yon, 7 as nana and 9 as kyuu. This is because 0, 4, 7 and 9 each have two different pronunciations.The number for directory enquiries (bangou annai) is 104. The most essential telephone phrase is, moshi moshi. It is used when you receive a call and pick up the phone. It is also used when one cant hear the other person well, or to confirm if the other person is still on the line. Although some people say, moshi moshi to answer the phone, hai is used more often in business. If the other person speaks too fast, or you couldnt catch what he/she said, say, Yukkuri onegaishimasu (Please speak slowly) or Mou ichido onegaishimasu (Please say it again). Onegaishimasu is a useful phrase to use when making a request. At the Office Business phone conversations are extremely polite. Yamada-san (o) onegaishimasu. Ã¥ ± ±Ã§â€ °Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£â€šâ€™Ã£ Å Ã© ¡ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Could I speak to Mr. Yamada?Moushiwake arimasen ga, tadaima gaishutsu shiteorimasu. ç” ³Ã£ â€"è ¨ ³Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£ Å'㠁Ÿã   Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã¥ ¤â€"å‡ ºÃ£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£ Å Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Im sorry, but hes not here at the moment.Shou shou omachi kudasai. Ã¥ °â€˜Ã£â‚¬â€¦Ã£ Å Ã¥ ¾â€¦Ã£  ¡Ã£  Ã£   Ã£ â€¢Ã£ â€žJust a moment, please.Shitsurei desu ga, dochira sama desu ka. Ã¥ ¤ ±Ã§ ¤ ¼Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ Å'㠁 ©Ã£  ¡Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£ â€¢Ã£  ¾Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Whos calling, please?Nanji goro omodori desu ka. ä ½â€¢Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ£ â€Ã£â€š Ã£ Å Ã¦Ë† »Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Do you know what time he/she will be back?Chotto wakarimasen.  Ã£  ¡Ã£â€šâ€¡Ã£  £Ã£  ¨Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œIm not sure.Mousugu modoru to omoimasu. も㠁†ã â„¢Ã£  Ã¦Ë† »Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£  ¨Ã¦â‚¬ Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢He/she should be back soon.Yuug ata made modorimasen. Ã¥ ¤â€¢Ã¦â€" ¹Ã£  ¾Ã£  §Ã¦Ë† »Ã£â€šÅ Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œHe/she wont be back till this evening.Nanika otsutae shimashou ka. ä ½â€¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£ Å Ã¤ ¼ Ã£ Ë†Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â€"ょ㠁†ã â€¹Can I take a message?Onegaishimasu. 㠁Šé ¡ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Yes, please.Iie, kekkou desu. 㠁„㠁„㠁ˆç µ Ã¦ §â€¹Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢No, its O.K.O-denwa kudasai to otsutae negaemasu ka. 㠁Šé› »Ã¨ © ±Ã£  Ã£   Ã£ â€¢Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¨Ã£ Å Ã¤ ¼ Ã£ Ë†Ã© ¡ËœÃ£ Ë†Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Could you please ask him/her to call me?Mata denwa shimasu to otsutae kudasai. 㠁 ¾Ã£ Å¸Ã©â€º »Ã¨ © ±Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£  ¨Ã£ Å Ã¤ ¼ Ã£ Ë†Ã£  Ã£   Ã£ â€¢Ã£ â€žCould you please tell him/her Ill call back later? To Somebodys Home Tanaka-san no otaku desu ka. ç” °Ã¤ ¸ ­Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ®Ã£ Å Ã¥ ®â€¦Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Is that Mrs. Tanakas residence?Hai, sou desu. 㠁 ¯Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Yes, it is.Ono desu ga, Yuki-san (wa) irasshaimasu ka. Ã¥ ° Ã©â€¡Å½Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ Å'ゆ㠁 Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ¯Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£  £Ã£ â€"ã‚Æ'㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹This is Ono. Is Yuki there?Yabun osokuni sumimasen. Ã¥ ¤Å"分é â€¦Ã£  Ã£  «Ã£ â„¢Ã£  ¿Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œIm sorry for calling so late.Dengon o onegaishimasu. ä ¼ Ã¨ ¨â‚¬Ã£â€šâ€™Ã£ Å Ã© ¡ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Can I leave a message?Mata atode denwa shimasu. 㠁 ¾Ã£ Å¸Ã¥ ¾Å'㠁 §Ã©â€º »Ã¨ © ±Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Ill call back later. How to Deal With a Misdial Iie chigaimasu. 㠁„㠁„㠁ˆé â€¢Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢No, you have called the wrong number.Sumimasen. Machigaemashita. 㠁™ã  ¿Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€œ éâ€"“é â€¢Ã£ Ë†Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€"㠁ŸIm sorry. I have misdialed.

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal Assignment - 1

A letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal - Assignment Example Additionally, he also made mention of emerging markets as reaching attractive levels because of short-term troubles that brought price levels to near- bargain levels. What his article basically said is that investment advisers made wrong guesses or bets as to which way the markets will go and those investors who believed in the advice are now sorry. However one looks at it, any investor should do his or her own homework and not accept as the gospel truth any so-called â€Å"sage advice† offered by some self-proclaimed financial market experts. It is worth noting that any investor who looks at the long-term prospects (whether stocks, bonds, or other investment vehicles) is bound to come out ahead if the investment horizon is long enough for dividends and price appreciation to take its effect (meaning, the time element kicks in like in the time value of money when invested). Anyway, most investors have a wrong or unrealistic time frame when they invest, so many are well advised to listen to reason (Jaffe para. 9) and look at the longer term instead. (Note: word count = 295) Jaffe, Chuck. â€Å"Always invest in what scares you: How to build a portfolio with a long-term outlook.† Wall Street Journal, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

Theories of Marketing Strategies Research Paper - 10

Theories of Marketing Strategies - Research Paper Example Companies, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and other businesses strive to cut for themselves a niche in the market. To achieve this goal they employ marketing strategies to enable them to attain customer satisfaction. Today’s business environment is totally different from the traditional one. Technological advancement has completely changed the phase of customer demands. Nowadays customers demand the supply of sophisticated goods and services which comply with the latest technology in the market. Therefore, to gain market control it is crucial and essential to fully satisfy the needs and desires of customers (Neal & Quester, 2006).  Marketing strategies enable organizations to achieve dominance over a targeted market niche thereby increasing their sales. This is because marketing strategies help organizations to focus their resources and energies on activities that will definitely lure the attention of potential customers. Marketing strategies emulate marketing goals sti pulated by an organization and portray a mechanism of achieving them within a given time span. Moreover, marketing strategies combine marketing control elements such as product development, distribution, promotion and pricing among others thereby enabling organizations to attain their vision (Neal & Quester, 2006).  Furthermore, organizations are able to allocate their resources accordingly. This enables them to identify appropriated target market segments, marketing mix, and position. In the process organizations effectively engage with their customers by the implementation of effective corporate strategies, goals, and mission thereby competently dealing with the market competition (Neal & Quester, 2006). Therefore, this research paper will elaborate on theories of marketing strategies that enable organizations to achieve market control.

The purpose that HR serves in the organization and to society also Research Paper

The purpose that HR serves in the organization and to society also encourage an understanding of one HR practice - Research Paper Example However, for a company to benefit and manage its resources accordingly there is a need to have human resources department to oversee the organizational management process and procedure (Bogardus 26). In an organization, there are three main organs, which must coordinate in order to achieve the organizational goals; the shareholders, management and employees. The shareholders are the top leadership who recruits the management to run the organizational programs on their behalf; the employees are the junior staff and sources of labor to handle the organizational operations as scheduled by the management (Gaspar 19). Through the human resources management department, employees are assigned duties that must be monitored to affirm that the employees are working in accordance with the terms and conditions that they accepted during the recruitment process (Kamoche 40). In order for a strategy to be implemented in an organization, the human resources management department must be involved being the management consultants employed by the executive leadership of the organization to hire, monitor employee performance and keep the best workforce and fire the unproductive workforce leaving the employees who would work towards the accomplishment of organizational objectives (Price 44). The mandate of the human resources management is to ensure that the organization is operational meaning that the set return goals and objectives are met with adequate investment returns (Armstrong 06). However, according to the requirements of an organization, the human resource management should be well vast with company laws and regulations in order to implement the same on the employees and reduce cases of unnecessary claims hence shaping the whole organization towards the management process (Price 85). Any organization does not only benefit the employees and workers; the community and society are also able to

Volcker Rule Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Volcker Rule - Essay Example These governments argue that the rule would make it hard for them to access loans for their public operations and projects (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 1). The business community argues that the rule should be made more permissive in case it restricts the bank’s capability to procure capital and loans (Eichler 2012, par. 7). Local and state officials state that the Volcker Rule will make it more costly for them to gather money from investors to pay for expenditures such as housing assistance and environmental cleanup. Within the Washington region, the rule could influence borrowing costs for various agencies. Authorities that can be adversely affected by the rule include those that operate Dulles International airport, Reagan National airport, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 2). The European governments caution that the rule could further worsen the debt crisis which is already affecting the global financial markets. Foreign governments and municipalities are complaining that the legislation will considerably limit their purchasing of bonds by the banks. Thus, it will increase the interest rates that the issuers of bonds have to pay in order to attract investors (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 8). If the Volcker Rule would be implemented, it would indicate that the banks will have to close their prop trading desks and consequently, 10,000 employees will probably lose their jobs. There are also concerns in relation to how the United States’ banks will be able to compete with the financial institutions in Europe that are less affected by the proposed legislation. Most of the US banks’ business model will be influenced by the proposal indicating that they will have lower competitive advantage in comparison with their counterparts in Europe (Brinded 2011, p1; Lynch 2012, par. 1). The huge US banks fixed income business models offer a considerable amount of prop

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Leadership in a Changing World - Essay Example Henry Ford recognized the fact that the company can use the right technology to avail quality cars to the public at an affordable price. With an efficient production line, Ford manufactured many cars at lower costs. The company relied on innovation to become the most successful car-producer in the U.S (Niemann 2013, p. 2). Today, the company aims at delivering the world’s best cars, utilities, and trucks, including a lineup of vehicles that are more sustainable in how they make them and how they operate (Niemann 2013, p. 4). The company depends on its employees to deliver its mission that includes building great products that contribute to a better world (Niemann 2013, p. 4). The company abhors sustainability by adopting strategies and goals that minimize environmental impacts, including reducing contribution to climate change (Niemann 2012, p. 5). Moreover, the company plays a role in developing and implementing solutions to the global water challenge (Niemann 2012, p. 5). The company enhances vehicle safety by giving customers peace of mind and making the world safer by developing advanced safety technologies and making them available across a wide range of vehicles (Niemann 2013, p. 6). As such, the company continues to gain competitive market advantage by reducing the environmental impact of our products and facilities, supporting positive social change, and ensuring economic viability for long-term growth (Niemann 2013, p. 7). Indeed, Ford Motor Company manufactured the best-selling brand in Americ a where it sold more than 2 million cars in 2012 (Niemann 2013, p. 4). Moreover, the company introduced six new choices of electrified vehicles and by March 2013, the company was the second leading seller of these vehicles in America with a 15 percent of the hybrid sales. However, it is quite notable that Ford Motor Company faces strategic issues and options in the global market and in the motor vehicle

How has China been affected by globalization Essay Example for Free

How has China been affected by globalization Essay In the late 1970s China made perhaps its most significant strategic political manoeuvre of the 20th Century when it embarked on a series of economic reforms that embraced globalization (Bijian, 2005). Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders believed that to further Chinas development, participation in an open global economy would be crucial to its survival (Chow, 2002) During the three decades since these reforms Chinas political and economic institutions have undergone a dramatic transition (Overholt, 2005 and Economy, 1998). China has shifted from the worlds greatest opponent of globalization into a committed member of a global economy and advocate of globalization (Overholt, 2005). The pinnacle of this transformation and Chinas economic growth was its admission into to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 11 December, 2001 (Allen et al, 2006 and Fishman, 2005). Consequently, China is now subjected to international trends and forces to a degree unprecedented since 1949 (Bijian, 2005 and Chow, 2004). In this essay I will analyse the effect that globalization has had on Chinas political, economic, legal and technological institutions. Furthermore, I will also analyse whether China has been forced to change to pander to the international economic community or whether it has voluntarily instituted change for its own benefit and development. However before analysing the effect that globalization has had on China it is important to understand what the term globalisation means. Globalisation became a buzz word in the 1990s because of its influence in creating a world in which geographic location became increasingly irrelevant (Immerfall 2006). In essence globalisation refers to the unrestricted flow of goods, capital, information, technology and people across national borders (Chow, 2005a). Globalisation is, however, by no means a new phenomenon and China has been subjected to its effects for many centuries (Alford, 1999). In fact, the effects of globalisation in China go as far back as the Han dynasty (206BC-220AD) when trade took place between the Han Chinese and neighbouring people in the North-west through the Silk Route (Chow, 2004: 3). Despite this, in the Qing Dynasty and the early stages of the Chinese Communist Partys rule, right up until Deng Xiaopings open door policy, China tried  to close its doors and restrict the influence of globalisation (Street, 2000 and Chow 2004 and 2005a). This was not the first time that China was forced to confront and implement a national strategy to either embrace or combat the effects of globalisation. In fact, as recently as the 1990s, China was confronted by this conundrum, namely: whether to continue its global economic expansion in the face of the Asian financial crisis or to once again close it doors and retreat inwards to protect itself from the economic fallout of a struggling region (Fishman, 2005 and Nolan, 2001). However, by carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of economic openness the Chinese government decided to open up the Chinese economy even more, and eventually joined the World Trade Organization by implementing large economic reforms (Bijian, 2005). There is no doubting that these economic reforms and Chinas embracement of globalisation has brought stunning results. Since starting to open up and reform its economy in 1978, China has averaged 9.4 percent annual GDP growth, one of the highest growth rates in the world (Bijian, 2005: 3). One of the reasons for the huge leaps in growth has come from direct foreign investment that has been facilitated by Chinas admission to the WTO. For example, in the space of a few days in 2004, a North Korean Steel Company launched a $500 million steel project in the Dalian development zone; Frances St Gobain invested $70 million in one of its existing glass production lines in China; Germanys Siemens opened its fortieth office in China for development of software; and Finlands Stora Enso invested $1.6 billion in a paper pulp project in Guandong Province (Hall et al, 2004). Such results have seen China become the third largest trading country in the world and the envy of many developing economies around the world (Chow, 2005b). While such economic statistics are regularly celebrated by the Chinese government as a success of Chinas inclusion into the WTO, many in China are in fact lamenting the negative effects of globalisation and the scrutiny that WTO membership has brought. In fact WTO membership came at a very high price for the domestic Chinese economy (Overholt, 2005). Throughout the 80s  and 90s China initiated structural changes such as the phasing out of direct subsidies for exports and began cutting tariffs in preparation for inclusion into the WTO (Pearson, 2001). Over the three years from 1994 to 1997, the countrys average tariff rate was lowered from about 43 to 17 per cent and at the time of Chinas entry into the WTO in late 2001, the overall average was just 15 per cent. Such drastic economic changes were at the behest of the WTO and the result being that a lot of factories and domestic industries have gone bankrupt because many people prefer foreign products which have become cheaper as a r esult of Chinas inclusion into WTO (Solinger, 2005). Furthermore, Moore (2002) also argues that Chinas accession into the World Trade Organization could be viewed as more beneficial to the rest of the world rather than China itself. WTO commitments made by China do not in any way protect Chinas domestic producers and therefore the argument that that the greatest benefit of Chinas WTO membership is enjoyed by foreign companies is indeed a valid one (Moore, 2002: 311). Yang (2004: 307) argues that admission into the WTO was in fact too big of a restructure step for China and continues by noting that Chinese involvement in the WTO is great for foreign companies and bad for local ones because one of the first laws enacted to ensure WTO membership was designed to attract and protect investment from overseas. It is clear that this lack of protectionism, although beneficial to the outside world, has been disrupted the income to domestic businesses. Of particular note is the fact that with Chinas WTO membership foreign investors have been allowed access to markets that were previously restricted or highly regulated (Samuelson, 2004 and Pearson, 2001). These incursions have been most evident in the insurance, telecommunications, and financial industries (Prasad, 2004). Such competition is however of great benefit to the domestic Chinese consumer. In fact, fifteen years ago China barely had any mobile telecommunication services, whereas now it claims more than 300 million mobile phone subscribers, more than any other nation (Bijian, 2005). Whether this is a result of modernisation or globalisation is highly debatable, but it is clear that Chinese consumers are embracing the increase in products and services provided by many foreign companies. Other than the local businesses being hurt by foreign investments and industries, the labour market in China is also suffering from major unemployment as a result of the forces of globalisation (Chow, 2004). While entry into the WTO has in itself not created joblessness, it has however heightened a number of trends that were already underway, including accelerating the rate of insolvency of state owned enterprises. The result being the discharge of tens of millions of workers who, when they were younger, were once assured of employment by the socialist state (Economy, 1998 and Chow 2004 and 2005b). According to Prasad (2004: 6) the unemployment problem is in fact likely to worsen over the next few years due to restructuring in the rural and state enterprise sectors, the very type of restructuring that has been mandated upon China by the World Trade Organisation. Another cause of the unemployment problem currently facing the Chinese economy is its shift away from sunset industries such as manufacturing, mining and construction to newer industries that demand workers with specialised skills (Prasad, 2004; Solinger 2005 and Yang 2004). Similar changes are evident in Chinas effort to upgrade its technology industry, which has not only involved the replacement of much unskilled labour but in many cases also reduces the need to employ as many skilled blue-collar workers (Nolan, 2001 and Economy, 1998). While this can not be directly liked to WTO membership it is clear that the forces of globalisation are having a major impact on the Chinese economy, the products it produces and its labour force. The amazing growth in Chinas economy as a result of its increased participation and integration in a global economy is also having social and political consequences. Most notable a growing divide between Chinas rich and poor. Obviously China would not have self imposed such drastic economic changes purely to encourage direct foreign investment to the detriment of domestic businesses, but it is clear the benefits of the global marketplace are not being shared around Chinas 1.3 billion people (Solinger, 2005 and Chow, 2004). It is very much the case in China that the rich are getting  richer and the poor are just getting left behind. This is also evident in the growing regional inequalities in China. Despite the governments attempts to rectify the situation, foreign investment has continued to flow to those provinces where education levels are the highest, infrastructure most well developed and political power most concentrated (Overholt, 2005 and Economy, 1998). Moreover, while the wealthier provinces in theory pay taxes to the centre to compensate the poorer provinces, in practice this system has failed allowing corruption to flourish, resulting in power becoming de-centralised from Beijing to local authorities. Not surprisingly such inequality has contributed to serious political tension between the haves and have nots (Bijian 2005 and Economy 1998). Overholt (2005: 7) however argues that despite the growing divide between the rich and poor, the Chinese overwhelmingly support further globalisation. Overholt (2005: 7) asserts that no large country in human history has ever experienced such rapid improvements in living standards and working conditions as China has in its acceptance of adjustments to accommodate the forces of globalisation. So while the economic dividends of Chinas rapid growth are not being shared equally around the country, the majority are nonetheless better off. One of the reasons for such widespread approval of the modernisation of the economy has been the upgrading of technology, especially telecommunications which has been an essential aspect of the Chinese governments plans for continued economic growth (Chow, 2004 and 2005a and Econommy, 1998). Normally if there is general contentment among the population then this would provide little in the way of difficulties for those in power. Fred Tipson (1998: 12) however, notes a difficult conundrum for the Chinese government in their embracement of economic globalisation. The Chinese leadership has repeatedly emphasized the central role of telecommunications and information technologies in building its modern economy†¦..on the one hand, actively promoting a modern communications infrastructure, while on the other hand, repeatedly trying to control the content and uses of the information that pulses through it. Tipson (1998) concludes that the  communications revolution will diminish the need or inclination of most Chinese to defer to central authority or accept routinely the governments characterization of reality.The Chinese government is more than aware of the threat to its power that the technological revolution and global scrutiny presents. Given the current uprisings and discontent in Tibet the government has blocked access to many websites to control the flow of information to not only its own people, but the international community (Maunder, 2008). So while the forces of globalisation may have brought prosperity to China, the Chinese government also has to work overtime to maintain its grip on power. When evaluating the impact that globalisation has had on China it is important not to lose sight of the big picture. Economic growth alone does not provide a full picture of a countrys development and despite Chinas population of 1.3 billion, its Chinas economy is still just one-seventh the size of the United States (Bijian, 2005). However, the open-door policy that was first advanced by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s has been of great success in modernising China. It is true that such rapid growth has presented China with some problems, including the demise of some domestic industries, unemployment and minor political instability, however given its current path it appears that Chinas rise to superpower status is inevitable. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alford, William (1999) Does the rule of law really rule? paper presented before the Conference on Policy Reform in China, Center for Research in Economic Development and Policy Research, Standford University, November 18-20, 1999 (Online) Available from: http://www.cdy.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/11/3/287.pdf [Accessed 10th March 2008]Allen, Franklin. Jun Qian and Meijun Qian (2006), Chinas Financial Reform: Past, Present and Future in Loren Brandt and Thomas Rawski, ed. Chinas Economic Transition: Origins, Mechanism, and Consequences. University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School: MimeoBijian, Zheng (2005) Chinas Peaceful Rise to Great-Power Status Foreign Affairs September/October 2005Chow, Gregory (2002) Chinas Economic Transformation Oxford: Blackwell Publishing CompanyChow, Gregory (2004) Knowing China Singapore: World Scientific Publishing CompanyChow, Gregory (2005a) Corruption and Economic Reform in the Early 21st Century Princeton University, California: MimeoChow, Greogry and Yan, Shen (2005b) Demand for Education in China Princeton University, California: MimeoEconomy, Elizabeth (1998) China Confronts the Challenge of Globalization New York: Rockefeller Brothers Fund, IncFishman, Ted (2005) How the rise of the next super power challenges America and the world New York, N.Y.: ScribnerHall, D., Jones, R., and Raffo, C. (2004) Business Studies 3rd Edition, Lancashire: Causeway Press LtdImerfall, Stefan (2006) Territoriality in the Globalizing Society: One Place or None? (Online) Available from: http://www.amazon.com/Territoriality-Globalizing-Society-European-Transatlantic/dp/3540643222 [Accessed 9th March 2008]Maunder, Patricia (2008) The Great Firewall of China The Age, March 20, 2008 (Online) Available from: http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/the-great-firewall-of-china/2008/03/18/1205602389513.html? [Accessed 21st March 2008]Moore, Thomas (20 02) China in the World Market New York, NY: Cambridge University PressNolan, Peter (2001) China and the Global Economy: National Champions, Industrial Policy and the Big Business Revolution New York, N.Y: PalgraveOverholt, W (2005) China and Globalization Testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, May 19, 2005. Santa Monica, California: Rand CorporationPearson, Margaret (2001) The Case of Chinas Accession to the GATT/WTO, in David M. Lampton (ed.), The Making of Chinese Foreign and Security Policy in the Era of Reform, 1978-2000 Stanford: Stanford University PressPrasad, Eswar (2004) Chinas Growth and Integration into the World Economy: Prospects and Challenges International Monetary Fund Publications, June 17, 2004. Samuelson, Paul (2004) Where Ricardo and Mill Rebut and Confirm Arguments of Mainstream Economists Supporting Globalization Economic Perspectives, 18: 3 Summer, 2004Solinger, Dorothy (2005) Chinese Urban Jobs and the WTO The China Journal, May 2005Street, N., Lynch, M and Marilyn, J (2000) American Business in China: Balancing Culture and Communication (Online) Available from: http://www.cald.org/website/polparties_asia.htm [Accessed 5th March 2008]Tipson, Fred (1998) China and the Information Revolution China Joins the World: progress and Prospects New York: Council for Foreign Relations PressYang, Dali (2003) Remaking the Chinese Leviathan Stanford,

Look At What Is Counselling Psychology Essay

Look At What Is Counselling Psychology Essay Counselling in the broad sense of the term is simply expressing your ideas about how someone can improve their situation. Human beings are always faced with issues that involve a degree of anxiety. An obstacle or challenge is presented by poor choices or circumstances, and a decision must be made about how to approach the issue in order to reduce the tension and restore hope. Everyone becomes a counsellor for themselves or for others whenever the challenge is presented or arises. Counselling is a principled relationship characterised by the application of one or more psychological theories and a recognised set of communication skills, modified by experience, intuition and other interpersonal factors. It may be of very brief or long duration, take place in an organisational or private practice setting and may or may not overlap with practical, medical and other matters of personal welfare. It is both a distinctive activity undertaken by people agreeing to occupy the roles of counsellor and client. The goal in learning counselling skills is to present ideas in a way that is intentional and that can be predicted to improve a situation faced by the person. (Daniel Keeran, 2012). 2. Making clients feel safe in a counselling session The main focus of Person Centred counselling is in creating a therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client.   The client needs to be able to talk about whatever they need to, share their intimate thoughts and explore sometimes difficult feelings.   For this the client needs to feel able to fully trust the counsellor; they need to  feel safe, supported and that they will not be judged. The  counsellor works at creating the right environment in which a client feels able to look at  themselves and develop a greater understanding of their own thoughts, feelings and meanings. The counsellor is not there to analyse the client or give them advice, but instead to be alongside them, supporting them and helping them to explore their own issues, with the belief that the client with come to find their own answers. Paying attention to meeting, greeting and seating For counselling to be effective, the counsellor needs to work at building a relationship for equals especially in the early stages where the counsellor might be feeling vulnerable and insecure. Also considering that the client is meeting the counsellor on unfamiliar territory.i.e. The counsellors consulting room. Striving to keep the room neutral is a positive step the counsellors can take in order to keep the equality gap i.e. free from personal belongings such as books and family photographs. (Daniel Kareen, 2010) Greeting the client can be fairly informal especially greeting clients with their first names, it can make clients feel comfortable and accepted and introducing yourself by your first name can break down the barriers. If the client does not feel comfortable, the counsellor can ask the client how they would like to be addressed. BUILDING SAFETY Be aware of helping the client feel safe in counselling If a client is very resistant, not willing to talk, what hes telling us nine times out of ten is that he doesnt feel safe enough to talk about whatever he needs to talk about. And so Ill say to him, I wonder if you feel safe enough in this setting to talk about the things that you need to talk about? There are also people who say they didnt think of anything worth talking about. They didnt think anyone wanted to listen because theyve had a history of nobody listening. You can make a reflection of that. You could say, So maybe youre saying that what you have to say is not worth talking about, or you feel other people dont care about what you have to say? Id want to hear more about that. Id say, Say more about that. Where is that coming from? Whats that about? So reflect that back to them and keep the process going:Talk more about that. If you have a client who is aware of counselling skills you may engage her in lighter conversation, something thats easier to talk about, something safer. That may be feeding into the defence, though. Its saving her from the difficulty. So what I may be willing to say is, Maybe youre feeling a little uncomfortable about talking about this right now? Is that accurate? (Candy P. Feeler R. Rocco C, 2003) 3. Characteristics of an effective counsellor Good counsellors are emotionally stable Effective therapists have resolved (or at least are aware of) their own emotional issues. Theyre able to handle the stress of helping others deal with psychological disorders, without letting their own issues cause problems. Good counsellors are Introspective and Self-Aware Effective therapists are aware of how their own culture, education, socioeconomic status, values, and religious beliefs affect their practice and interaction with patients. To have a successful career in psychology, a psychologist must set aside his or her own personal beliefs when working with patients. Good counsellors Need Strong Interpersonal Skills Effective therapists are comfortable working with different types of people from all walks of life! A psychologist can have introverted personality traits and still have a successful career in psychology. Good written and verbal communication skills are part of strong interpersonal skills. Good counsellors are Tolerant and Open-Minded Effective therapists are open to new research (that may challenge previously held beliefs in psychology) and new ways of thinking. A good psychologist must also accept clients who cant or wont work on their psychological disorders or issues. Good psychologists also ensure their clients feel comfortable and safe as theyre confiding their deepest secrets and most embarrassing problems. A psychologist also has to inspire trust in the process of therapy. Good counsellors are Patient Effective therapists understand that significant periods of time can pass before clients are able to make changes in life. To have a successful career in psychology, a psychologist must be able to communicate this patience to their clients and their clients families! Good counsellors are Ethical, Moral, and Law-Abiding Effective therapists understand the ethics in working with patients, and know the importance of keeping client sessions confidential. Psychologists must understand the difference between ethics and morals A psychologist must also understand and work within the state or provincial laws and regulations that control the industry. To have a successful career in psychology, a psychologist has to work within the boundaries of the law. Good counsellors Believe in Continuing Education Effective therapists are always learning about new findings in psychological research and new ways to communicate with and help clients. The best psychologists are always brushing up on their own therapeutic skills and people skills; theyre also constantly expanding their knowledge base. Some of these personality and other traits of good psychologists are innate, but most can be learned and developed over time. Individuals who go into a psychology career with many of these personality traits will often find they excel in the field. Good counsellors are Compassionate and Caring Effective therapists are compassionate and can empathize with a clients pain, psychological issues, and other difficulties without judging or making the client feel worse about the problem. (Laurie Pawlikkienlen, 2009) 4. Unconditional Positive Regard, Empathy Congruence are the counsellors or therapists conditions needed to facilitate change. Without these conditions being present a healing relationship cannot form 4.1Understanding unconditional positive regard Besides empathy and congruence, unconditional positive regard is one of the most important core conditions in person-centred counselling. All trained counsellors must therefore be able to demonstrate an understanding of this attribute confidently. Unconditional positive regard requires that a counsellor suspends any form of personal judgment, and accepts the client, regardless of the content of any disclosure they may have made. A judgment is made in a very short amount of time, and overcoming this instant reaction can be difficult for many people. A counsellor however, has undergone specific counselling skills training and is able to provide this unconditional form of therapeutic support. During one-to-one counselling a client is able to freely express his/her emotions, feelings and thoughts, in a safe, totally confidential environment. They are free to explore all thoughts without having to maintain any level of behaviour, and are acceptably able to do so without any fear of condemnation or reject from the counsellor. 4.2Understanding congruence It could be called genuineness, realness, or congruence. The more the therapist is himself or herself in the relationship, putting up no professional front or personal facade, the greater is the likelihood that the client will change and grow in a constructive manner. This means that the therapist is openly being the feelings and attitudes that are flowing within at the moment. Thus, there is a close matching, or congruence, between what is being experienced at the gut level, what is present in awareness, and what is expressed to the client. Once the client is treated as an equal communication will start. If the therapist comes across as an authority or an expert the client will start to tailor their answers to suit this 4.3 There is also empathic understanding. This means that the therapist senses accurately the feelings and personal meanings that the client is experiencing and communicates this understanding to the client. When functioning best, the therapist is so much inside the private world of the other that he or she can clarify not only the meanings of which the client is aware but even those just below the level of awareness. This kind of sensitive, active listening is exceedingly rare in our lives. We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know. Empathy or empathic understanding is the next core condition. This is where the therapist picks up on the feelings of the client and reflects this back to the client. This is the process where the therapist can act as a support to the client by making them feel as if the therapist is there experiencing their array of emotions. (The counsellors guide, 2010) 5. Importance of self care for the counsellor Stress Management / Relaxation Techniques An important step in  avoiding burnout is having an awareness of helpful ways to manage stress and exercise counsellor self-care. Know yourself It is important to acknowledge when you feel overwhelmed or distressed. As a professional, it is necessary for you to pay attention to your personal behaviours, body rhythm and physical health. Be aware of the differences between stress and burnout and when you should become concerned. If you are unsure about what you are experiencing,  click on the  link below for a self-assessment to help you determine whether your behaviours and emotions meet the criteria for compassion fatigue.  The  test can be taken at anytime, and  the data collected will determine how at risk you are for burnout as well as measure whether your feelings about helping others have changed. It is a good idea to complete some form of assessment periodically to ensure you maintain your balance and care for yourself  in order to provide  excellent care for your clients. Resting The adult human body requires between 7 to 8 hours of rest for robust health. Sleep deprivation affects the mind and body and can increase stress levels, moodiness and irritation and  negatively impact  mental alertness and physical energy. At the end of the day, it is essential to find ways to relax and let go. Establish a routine before going to bed and make sure to get enough Deep Sleep, allowing for brain rejuvenation. If not enough Deep Sleep is accomplished the body will compensate by shortening other sleep cycles, including the REM cycle. If this cycle is shortened, the brain does not have an opportunity to process and integrate emotions, memories and stress from that day, leaving you emotionally deprived. Eating Well Good nutrition fuels the body and provides the building blocks that help a person handle the stresses of everyday life. Counselling requires considerable physical and mental energy; consuming foods such as fruits and vegetables will ensure you are functioning at the highest level of fitness. With a busy schedule, short lunches, paper work and counselling sessions it is easy to skip meals, eat unhealthy meals or snacks and over-consume caffeinated beverages. These things add little nutritional value, if any, to personal well being. The goal is to consume a balanced diet, eating foods from each food group, drinking lots of water and eating  three balanced meals a day, along with healthy snacks. By eating the proper foods the body is able to restore lost vitamins, minerals and nutrients, an essential part of maintaining your overall health. Exercising Exercising improves individual physical fitness and mental well being.   During exercise endorphins are released, decreasing stress levels and improving endurance, health, mental clarity and fitness. It is suggested that  individuals spend 30 minutes a day doing some form of moderate exercise.  Activities such as taking a walk, jogging, riding a bike, swimming or aerobic classes and weight training improve physical fitness and increase energy levels.   In addition to the physical benefits, exercise has also  been proven to stimulate memory. Relaxing and Renewing On occasion it is crucial to do something for yourself. As a counselling professional, you spend your time caring for others. It is vital to remember you must also care for yourself. This can be accomplished by participating in exercises such as yoga, prayer, meditation, Tai chi and reflective writing. These techniques allow you to escape from the busy world and become one with your soul, giving you time to recharge your spirit. Personal Counselling Having others to share your thoughts and feelings with can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Supervisors and colleagues can provide advice and support through difficult circumstances. It is recommended that helping professionals seek professional counselling, as you will continually face subjects or situations which will require you to address unresolved feelings and emotions.   Reflecting Think about your life, what is important and what is not. A person rarely gets everything they want. Be careful not to dwell in negativity. The mind is powerful. The more negative our thoughts about things, the more our actions become negative  or more reflective of those thoughts. We behave as we think. Learn to live a joyful life, doing your best and let the rest take care of itself!   Strive to do well in all things and be thankful. It is important to remember things could be a whole lot worst, no one is perfect, and as long as there is life, there is another chance.  There are a number of exercises that can be used throughout the day to allow you to stop and reflect on things.  A good way to prepare your mind and body for reflection is learning deep breathing exercises and listening to soft music. Time Management Use the time you have wisely. It is critical to use a calendar and prioritize those things in your life that must be done. Remember, no one can do everything and no matter how hard you try you will never be able to make everyone in your life happy. Commit only to those things you feel passionate about and learn to say no to things that do not fit into your plans and priorities. Organize your day, but remain flexible. No matter what our plans include, things will  occur to change  those plans.  Being prepared to make necessary adjustments lessens the pressure you may feel. Humour Laugh until it hurts. It is difficult to be sad and happy at the same time. Laughter releases endorphins, which are responsible for  improving your mood  and helping you to relax. Learn to laugh at yourself and find humour in life stressors. Do not take things so seriously that you miss out on the beauty of laughter and the opportunity to see things through a different lens. On occasion, engage in an amusing comedy show or film and always keep a book of good jokes on hand. (Steven, C, 2004)

Essays --

Read analyzes the possibility of manipulating a persons’ memory by simply allowing the persons’ own skills of relating memories against them. When a something influences what a person remembers the resulting effect is false memories. A false memory is the seeming recall of an instance that did not actually happen. A person usually associates words and items together, making intrusions of false words easy. Subjects often hold confidently that the words they recall were all actually on the list read to them. Read demonstrated the ability to create these false memories in people by doing two experiments. In his first experiment Read read a list of 12 words to his subjects; a class of 41 introductory psychology students. The list was comprised of slumber, tired, rest, night, dark, comfort, sound, eat, bed, snore, dream and awake After the reading of the list there was a five minute filled pause before the participants were then asked to recall as many words from the list as possible in three minutes. The participants were asked to rate between a one and a five for each word in order to reflect their confidence that the word was actually in the list of 12; one being no confidence and five being extremely confident. Like other experiments done in the past Read asked the participants to specify whether the actually recall hearing the word or, instead, simply knew that it had been part of the list. The third thing that was asked of the participants was to state whether or not they remembered something strange about how the list of words was said, such as the sound, timing of when each word was said, and placement in the list. To finish this first experiment Read had the participants assign a number between one and twelve to each recall... ...ter than the experimenter. I do not doubt the findings that Read found; because I believe this study to be reliable and valid. Though I think the actual writing out of the results could have been done in a more strategic way so that they were easier to follow. I think the Read went wrong when he did not go into detail about his participants; because of this it is hard to determine generalizability. Even with these desired changes I believe that overall this article and study to be an educational benefit to those who read it. References Don Read, J. (1996). From a passing thought to a false memory in 2 minutes: Confusing real and illusory events. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 3(1), 105-111. Retrieved from http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/439/art%3A10.3758%2FBF03210749.pdf ?auth6 6=1392479326_b7da4d31e7b890f8d493e4c278ce1ed9&ext=.pdf

The Race That Left Me Rolling :: Racing Sports Essays

The Race That Left Me Rolling It was a Saturday morning, and all I could think about was the days race at Placerville speedway. I woke up early to eat a good breakfast, and to allow enough time to get my racecar ready. It wasn’t until about 2:30 p.m. that I finally loaded my midget light into the trailer. Then I drove straight to the racetrack where I stood in line until 4:00 p.m. It looked like it was going to be a great night for racing. At about 5:00 pm, I rolled onto the track to start mudpack (this is where you pack down the excessive mud from the racing surface). I finally felt as though the night had begun. After mudpack was finished, I moved straight into the hot laps (four to five laps of practice). My car was running good in hot laps, which satisfied me. Next were the heat races; the heat races are a very important part of the night, they decide weather I transfer to the main event. The 12-car field lined up to take the green flag, and I knew that I needed to finish at least fourth in order to transfer to the main. I knew finishing fourth would be know problem, because I was starting on the out side of the second row (that puts me in 4th position). When I got the â€Å"one to go† sing, telling me it was one lap until the race started, my heart began pounding. When the green flag waved, I darted to the top of the racetrack passing into third position in the first corner. I stayed high out of turn two a nd got right beside second place. My car was going as fast as it could entering turn three allowing me to blow by the second place car beneath me. Now that I was in second position, all I needed to do was drive smoothly to transfer. On the last lap, one of the faster guys from, that started in the back of the field, caught up to me and slide his car under me to put me and into second. Even though I finished in third place, I still transferred to the main event. With all the excitement of the heat race, it was no doubt that I was anxious to start the main event. It was finally time to start readying myself for the main.

How Global Warming Impacts the World

Nowadays, we are concerned with the increasing temperature nowadays, which has a great effect on the earth. When it becomes hotter, the most evident change we can see is in sea level. Icebergs all over the world are melting and change from ice to water, which has larger volume. As a result, more space has to be occupied to contain water instead of icebergs, and sea level increases. Many beaches are getting smaller, and some islands are even disappearing. It was also reported that some countries based on the islands of East Asia had to move to Australia because of the increasing sea level. Animals and human are suffering from the process. Not only polar bears, but also penguins and other animals have less space to live on or less food to eat because of the melting icebergs. Meanwhile, they are used to cold weather and are forced by global warming to get used to a higher temperature, which may increase their death rate. Human are also affected. The number of people dying from extreme hot weather is increasing, which makes the others worry al lot. In an addition point, global warming also has impacts on agriculture. Weather conditions and soil change in response to global warming, and as a consequent, places like Russia benefit from global warming for they can grow more kinds of food in a larger area, while places like Africa suffer from the expanding deserts results from global warming. Despite agriculture, there are also other indirectly effects on economy and many other aspects, and people are now finding solutions for them. The first thing to do is giving out less Carbon dioxide or other gases related to global warming. To achieve the goal, less electricity should be used, car should be driven less frequently, and alternative energy resources should partly replace the traditional ones. Greater emphasis has been put on planting trees to absorb Carbon dioxide. In the short term, special zoos can also be set up for animals like polar bear to provide them with enough food and places. As it can be seen, climate change has directly or unconsciously impacts on ecology, agriculture and other aspects. Serious though it seems, it can be solved with technology and everyone's efforts.

Chicken a La Carte Reaction

Reaction on Chicken A La Carte by Ferdinand DimaduraGuide questions:What affected you? Why?What are your realizations?What does it tell you as a student of Biology?What affected me was seeing how the less fortunate were so easily satisfied and happy with just having leftover food. The children could not wait to get their hands on the food brought by one man from their community. Seeing how they happily yet hungrily feasted on the chicken pieces that other people had already consumed made me want to wish I could go to them and be able to give them proper food.Being part of the better-heeled sector of the society, we easily get what we want. We have food on our tables everyday, three times a day. We have proper shelter and proper clothing. Our needs are well provided for, even greater than that of what is necessary yet we take them for granted. The scene wherein the family said grace before partaking of the leftover that their father brought home for them really touched my heart. The t hings that we most often take for granted is seen by others as a blessing. We demand a lot of things but it never crossed our minds that there are those who wish they had what we have.Have we even thanked the Lord for the things, how little it may be that he has given us? I am not sure what the short film should tell me as a Biology student, aside from that I am required to watch it and make a paper about it because it is a requirement in the ETAR class that is part of the curriculum. However, being a student in itself and being a part of a society where the situation showed is held true, part of the realizations it brought to me was that I can do something to make the situation better.I could start by being part of an outreach program that provides food, education, etc. It does not matter whether what I do may be big or small, whether I get recognition for it or not. What is important is that I am able to impart something in their lives and share the blessings that I have. I can on ly hope that my fellow students (and others who were able to watch the film) may also realize what I have realized and may also act upon their realizations. We are a part of a humanity that needs hope and healing and being as simple as a student is not a limitation to achieve it.

Organizational Behavior, Mintzbergs Managers

Introduction The theory our group will be discussing and explaining in depth is the leadership styles of top management using Mintzberg’s managerial roles. Mintzerg named ten different roles, all separated into three categories. The first category is interpersonal. This includes figurehead, leader, and liason. The second category is informational which includes monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. The last category is decisional which includes entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator.These roles are all used in the leadership styles of top management and we will find throughout research which roles are most frequently used and which seem to be the most effective. We have selected five companies in which we will research and in turn, be able to apply Mintzberg’s roles to each company individually. Our company selection includes Nokia, Walt Disney, Apple, Microsoft, and city utilities. We look forward to researching these companies and fin ding exactly which roles are most important to each company specifically, as well as comparatively.Theoretical Identification Mintzberg’s managerial roles are categorized into ten different roles, separated into three categories. The liaison role is under the category interpersonal roles, and it focuses on the manager’s interpersonal work with people that are not a part of his/her own organization. It describes the information and communication that is obligated by a manager, for example that the manager must create networks and engage in information exchange via trade shows, joining boards of directors to gain access to more knowledge.A successful liaison would be networking with the right amount of people in the right circles so that they also would be either a step ahead of their competitors, or at least up to date with the right knowledge. The monitor role is under informational roles, and it focuses on regularly seeking information related to the organization and industry to look for changes that are relevant to the companies’ environment. This is important to the company and to its employees who value being able to adapt to changes that happen in their environment as well.It is also the monitor’s role to be the one to monitor the team in terms of productivity and the team’s well -being to make sure that they always have productive and satisfied employees. Figurehead is considered a symbol, but is required to perform a number of routine duties of a legal or social nature. The figurehead is not always considered a decision maker within a company. Steve Jobs was a perfect example of someone who made business decision, but he was also considered someone that represented the company socially.The other form of figurehead could be Ronald McDonald representing McDonalds, but he has no authority in business decisions. Figureheads are important in helping sell the brand as well as creating a positive image. Figurehead performs ce remonial and symbolic duties. Figureheads are crucial in a company for the brand name, and how they can help build a company. Leader is responsible for the motivation and direction of employees. Every company will have leaders throughout all levels of the company. You will have someone at upper level, middle level and lower level management.Upper level management has someone leading sometimes through board of directors or CEO. Middle Management has a manager in charge of lower level. A leader cannot be taught, but it is a person who has always been a natural born leader. Leaders will direct and motivate subordinates, train, advice and influence. These tasks are crucial in keeping the company flowing smoothly and keeping the product moving out the door. Leaders are crucial in deciding tasks to elevate the company. They are making decisions that the everyday employee has no control over.The disseminator and spokesperson roles, classified under the informational category, are closely r elated. The disseminator role refers to the manager who takes information received from outsiders or employees, and shares it with upper level members of the organization. The spokesperson role takes information from inside the organization and relates it to the public. Good disseminators and spokespersons need to have good communication skills in order to interact with company heads as well as the public.A successful spokesperson needs to be able to speak during conferences with confidence and also be able to maintain a consistent relationship with the media. If a manager is both a spokesperson and disseminator, they are excellent in communicating both inside and outside of the company. The decisional category includes four roles: entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. The entrepreneur role is one in which managers take initiative and seek out opportunities that will both benefit the organization as well as create innovation. These managers work on m ajor rojects and are proactive in accomplishing goals as well as bettering the organization. The disturbance handler role refers to managers who are responsible in taking action when problems or disturbances occur. Every organization faces conflict, most of which are sudden and unexpected. The disturbance handler steps in to handle this conflict and attempts to resolve and correct the problem so that the organization can continue successfully. Organizations Identification/ Introduction and Descriptions Disney The Disney Company was founded by its namesake Walt Disney on October 16, 1923.In 1923, Walt Disney left his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri on his way to California with a cartoon of a little girl in a cartoon world called Alice’s Wonderland (Disney). Disney decided to use his cartoon to make some Alice Comedies which first made him successful with his brother, Roy. The Disney Company’s original name in 1923 was Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio which then changed to Walt Disney Studios at the request of Disney’s brother (Disney). After a few years Disney decided to transition to an all cartoon show Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and he made his first business mistake.When he went to his distributor for more money for a second season of the cartoon he realized the distributor sold the rights to a studio who made the cartoons for a cheaper price and that upon further review of his contract he did not own the rights to Oswald the distributor did. However, this was probably a great error because right after this incident Disney created Mickey Mouse, the figurehead for the Disney Company. According to Mintzberg’s managerial role not only is Mickey the figurehead of Disney but so is Walt Disney himself.The Disney Company has expanded greatly over the last 80 years since the company was started by Walt Disney and his brother. The company has moved from cartoons to feature films, amusement parks, merchandise and even Broadway. Walt Disney di ed December 15, 1966 and the company continued with his brother Roy who followed plans Disney left behind (Disney). Once again the Disney Company was not satisfied with its success and decided they should make another theme park on the east coast called Disney World, which opened October 1, 1971. Roy Disney who ran Disney after the death of his rother died in 1971, the company was run for the next decade by people trained by the Disney brothers. The community of tomorrow or EPCOT was one of Disney’s last ideas and it was realized in the larger Disney World Park. The now CEO, Robert Iger, showed that he had what it takes to lead such an innovative company. He became the Disney Company CEO in 2005 and after that the companies stock jumped 42% (Steptoe). In 2007, he increased the fiscal profits almost 80% over the previous year to 2. 63 billion dollars (Steptoe). Disney is one of the most innovated and widely diverse companies around the world.Toyota Toyota joined the automobile industry in 1936 based out of Japan. Toyota has always been a top tier automobile company that has top of the line manufacturing. Toyota will continue to stay top of the line in automobiles with cars such as the Hybrid. The Hybrid has revolutionized the automobile industry to new heights, and that is owed to the management team who has had their struggles. It was large news not too long ago about Toyota recalling several cars, because the accelerator was sticking. The severity cannot be explained in this paper for people involved with this scenario.Mintzberg’s managerial roles might not be the direct idea companies are using, but they are being used by everyone in certain situations. Mintzberg has ten managerial roles divided into three categories of informational, interpersonal and decisional. The crisis Toyota dealt with for the last several years heavily involved the category, decisional. The start was with interpersonal and the leaders to make a decision to go public wit h their apology. It does not make the public happy for the current situation, but it lets the public no Toyota realizes they made a mistake.The leader also had to make some large cuts within the company to show they realized the mistake. The leader also had to motivate employees, so they did not have another lapse that would ruin Toyota. The decisional aspects consume of disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator. The negotiator had to deal with all the complaints, and they had to negotiate all the lawsuits aimed at Toyota. The negotiator did pretty well by taking a small hit in the large scheme of the company. They were able to find settlements for over half the cases dealing with the incidents.It took years to uncover a lot of these settlements, but Toyota was willing to take that hit to rebuild the brand name to its original strength. The other two decisional roles are disturbance handler and resource allocator. The disturbance handler is someone who takes corrective action in a crisis and solves problems at hand. This could have been the ending result of Toyota with so many lives in jeopardy, but this person dealt with the problem by confronting it head on. They took the approach of no excuses, and making it publicly none of the problem and recalling the vehicles.It was going to take a hit for taking blame in such large failure of automobiles, but it would save their image in the long run. The resource allocator was in charge of dealing with the issues inside the vehicle to make sure no problem occurs like this again. Toyota continues to bounce back by having top of the line vehicles with minimal complaints. The resource allocator has seemed to done their job in fixing the problem with newly acquired resources. Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington.The company develops, manufactures, licenses and supports a wide range of products and services that’s related to electr onics and software. Microsoft is also one of the world's most valuable companies. As of 2012, Microsoft is a market dominant in both the PC operating system and office suite markets. It was founded on April 4, 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Paul Allen was born in Seattle, Washington, Allen attended Lakeside School, a private school in Seattle, and befriended Bill Gates, who was almost three years younger and shared a common enthusiasm for computers. Gates was born in Seattle, Washington, to William H. Gates, Sr. nd Mary Maxwell Gates. Gates father was a prominent lawyer, and his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way. Gates graduated from Lakeside School in 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT and enrolled at Harvard College in the autumn of 1973. Gates joined Paul Allen at Honeywell during the summer of 1974. The following year they saw the release of the MITS Altair 8800 based on the Intel 8080 CPU, and Gates and Allen saw this as the opportunity to start their own computer software company. Gates dropped out of Harvard at this time and that was the start of Microsoft Corporation.Bill Gates management style was very different. Gates's role at Microsoft for most of its history was primarily a management and executive role. From Microsoft's founding in 1975 until 2006; Gates had primary responsibility for the company's product strategy. He aggressively broadened the company's range of products, and wherever Microsoft achieved a dominant position he vigorously defended it. He gained a reputation for being distant to others; as early as 1981 an industry executive complained in public that â€Å"Gates is notorious for not being reachable by phone and for not returning phone calls. As an executive, Gates met regularly with Microsoft's senior managers and program managers. Accounts of these meetings described him as verbally combative and they were worried about the long term agreement with the company because of the way Bill Gates operated things, he was for example very known for the way he would interrupt presentations and be rude and harsh. Gates's role at Microsoft for most of its history was primarily a management and executive role. Microsoft has a top 12 over their management style which is: Total World Domination The Top Five PercentMicrosoft rigorously attempts to hire only the smartest people, those who are within the smartest 5% of the total population. Bet the Company Winning in the game of business is about being willing to make bets at good odds. Require Failure At most companies, to succeed is good, but to fail is unacceptable. This type of policy means that, as a risk/reward scenario, the risk of failure vastly exceeds the reward of success. Managers Are Qualified At Microsoft, the most important qualification for a manager is expertise in the functional area over which (s)he is managing Perform, Perform, PerformPerformance is all that matters at Microsoft, so mu ch so that excuses are flat-out irrelevant â€Å"Shrimp vs. Weenies† Even with its billions upon billions in cash, Microsoft is as frugal as Ebeneezer Scrooge. It's a company that buys canned weenies for food, not shrimp. Commander Steve Ballmer flew coach. (For scheduling Size Does Matter Bill is Watching Esprit de Corps Again alluding to Microsoft being less like a big company than it appears, Thielen asserts that Microsoft has esprit de corps like that of a start-up where everyone involved is focused on a common goal.Stop the Insanity The plague of most big companies is bureaucracy and stupid rules. Home Away From Home Microsoft has a simple way of maximizing its employees' productivity: It allows each individual's office to be as individualized as one desires. Nokia Nokia was founded in 1865 by a man named Fredrik Idestam. He set up two paper mills on the banks of rivers in Finland, the second one on the Nokianvirta River. This is where he came up with the name we all kno w, Nokia. It is ironic that Nokia began by making paper, one of the most important communication tools in history.The first step Nokia took towards the technology industry was in 1912 when Arvid Wickstrom set up Finnish Cable Works. They worked closely with Nokia and in 1962 they created their first electronic device, a pulse analyzer for nuclear power plants. In 1963 Nokia started developing products for the army and shortly after became the biggest computer brand in Finland and the third largest TV manufacturer in Europe. Throughout Nokia’s history there is a trend of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking from its managers.In 1991, the Finnish Prime Minister made the world’s first GSM phone call using a Nokia device. The Nokia President and CEO at the time, Jorma Ollila, decided to focus exclusively on manufacturing mobile phones and telecommunication. This marks the beginning of the Nokia Company that we all know to date. With its aggressive grown strategy and foc us on mobile communication Nokia quickly became the largest mobile communications company in the world. More recently, Nokia has been making many changes due to the increase in competitors in the smart phone market.Fresh blood was brought into management when Stephen Elop was appointed the new President and CEO. He has a history of being a top decisional manager according to Mintzberg’s managerial roles. His job is to keep up with the changing industry and stay competitive in the smartphone market that has been dominated by apple in recent years. In the few years that Elop has been CEO he has made further changes to the management team of the organization. A new vice president of operations has been appointed along with new vice presidents of sales & marketing, mobile phones, and communications.Elop is clearly taking action to make up some of the market share lost to apple in the past years. Apple Apple, a multinational and billion dollar company, was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. It was incorporated January 3, 1977 without Wayne, who sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak. Apple is best known for the Mac line of computers, the iPod, the iPad, and the iPhone. It is the world’s largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia and was named the most admired company in the United States in 2008 and in the world from 2008 to 2012.The Apple market cap is larger than that of Google and Microsoft combined and its worldwide revenue totaled $156 billion in 2012. Apple uses Mintzberg’s managerial roles throughout its corporation to function on a daily basis. Application and Analysis/ Relationships and Inconsistencies Apple While there are many similarities as well as inconsistencies between Apple and Mintzberg’s managerial roles, I find there to be mostly positive relationships between this organization and our topic. The strongest role that Apple focuses on is the leadership role.M intzberg described leading as motivation, direction, and communication from managers to their employees in an effective manner. Steve Jobs was the soul of Apple and his leadership skills and qualities lead this company to extreme success. He was an innovator who focused not only on the needs of the stakeholders, but also on how the organization could reinvent or create new products, markets, customers, and services. Job’s leadership skills followed Mintzberg’s definition of leadership precisely.Along with the similarities of Apple and our topic come inconsistencies. The main inconsistency I found was Apples ability to use Mintzberg’s disturbance handler role effectively. Mintzberg describes this role as the one to take corrective action when the organization faces important, yet unexpected disturbances. Apple has faced many challenges and crossroads in its past and many of these were not solved in the best of manners. A stronger decisional role, such as the dist urbance handler, may have made such challenges easier to handle.Mintzberg’s managerial roles are important and used within all organizations and relationships, both positive and negative, are present. Disney The Disney Company is most well known for its figurehead Mickey Mouse an important role according to Mintzberg. Disney utilizes the figurehead role in a positive way to influence the company and the fans. The Disney Company continued to gain in success after the creation of Mickey Mouse when they realized that they could make more money by selling Mickey merchandise. Then they moved on the first Mickey book and comic strip.In 1934, Disney decided to break into the animated feature films starting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White was a huge success and was the highest grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by Gone with the Wind (Disney). Walt Disney knew that his cartoons were successful but the future of his company was in the feature films where he continued to be successful but eventually wanted to expand his company again. This time he moved to amusement parks and Disneyland was opened on July 17, 1955, which fans later called theme parks (Disney).In the 1950’s Disney came out with movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the sea and perhaps the finest culmination of his career Mary Poppins (Disney). According to Mintzberg’s roles, Disney was a great leader by not only running a successful company but by influencing the grand expansion of his company from cartoons to films, amusement parks, and even Broadway. He also knew how to inspire and teach his young proteges how to be good leaders and entrepreneurs. After Disney’s death, the new group of leaders decided to keep the Disney expansion going by building a Disney theme park in Tokyo, the first international theme park.In the 1980’s the new management team began the realization of Disney’s own cable network, The Disney Channel. Over the next tw enty years Disney expanded their movie, television, and theme park networks. In 1994, Disney moved to Broadway with their production of Beauty and the Beast (Disney). In 2005, Robert Iger became the CEO of Disney and he is still the CEO today. Many people were skeptical because Iger was a weatherman who had worked himself up the ranks and was now the leader of a large company (Steptoe).However, Iger showed that he could be a great leader like Walt Disney and it was Iger who changed Disney into a technologically savvy company. Iger proved his business smarts by meeting with Steve Jobs the Apple and Pixar chief executive and Disney bought Pixar in 2006 for $7. 4 billion (Steptoe). Robert Iger uses Mintzberg’s role of negotiator in a positive way by making a deal with Steve Jobs for Pixar which really helped expand Disney’s company and increase their profits. Iger uses a laid back management style different from his predecessor and encourages the senior executives to entr epreneurial.The hardest roles of Mintzberg’s to see if they are being utilized by Disney are the informational ones, monitor and disseminator because it is hard to tell if Iger is good at the interoffice communication. Disney has been a thriving company for almost 80 years, starting with cartoons and blossoming into a company with diverse roots in television, movies, theme parks, and Broadway. The Disney Company utilizes the entrepreneur role positively throughout the company’s history from Walt Disney all the way to the leaders of the company today.Implications and Conclusions The concept of Mintzberg’s managerial roles is one that is used throughout every organization on a daily basis. The roles that Mintzberg describe are crucial to the success of any organization and they directly relate to the real world. These roles, although unique in their own, come together to form a single working unit that creates effective and productive employees. Without the knowle dge of Mintzberg’s managerial roles, organizations will struggle to understand how to work together as well as how to form a useful system for success.While learning about Mintzberg’s managerial roles, our group retained information that will further help our understanding when working in an organization. We studied three important categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional. It is important to be able to distinguish the differences in these categories and to be able to see the significance of each. Each individual role plays an important part in the success of an organization. The more organizations focus on these roles and allocate them to their employees, the more successful and organized they will be.

Effects of Caffeine on Cognitive Performance and Mood essays

Effects of Caffeine on Cognitive Performance and Mood essays There is a wealth of research demonstrating that caffeine can improve aspects of cognitive performance and mood, but few has concluded that caffeine could enhance working memory. This study measured the effects of caffeine on several measures of alertness and cognitive performance, while cognitive performance focused on tasks that need the use of working memory. Forty-eight undergraduates at the University of Hong Kong participated in the study. They were asked to perform in three tasks, i.e. the finger tapping task, forward digit span task and backward digit span task, and were also asked to fill out an alertness questionnaire. The level of alertness and psychomotor speed were significantly increased, but there were no significant differences in the performance of the working memory tasks. Discussion focuses on whether caffeine could really have an effect on cognitive performance or that it only induces effects on certain cognitive tasks. It has been suggested that glucose when comb ined with caffeine would enhance memory, but not when consuming caffeine alone, and this is the area which we find it beneficial to all and worth having further research on. Caffeine is present in many widely consumed drinks, such as coffee, tea or coke; but very few of us would stop and think about its effects on our alertness and cognitive performance. There is now a very large literature on the behavioural effects of caffeine, and it has remained the subject of debate despite the years of research. However, one difficulty faced by researchers trying to determine the effects of caffeine is that the research evidence is always far from consistent. For example, many studies found that consuming caffeine would reduce reaction time comparing with a placebo (e.g. Scholey and Kennedy 2004; Yeomans et al. 2002), but on the other hand, some studies failed to find any effect of caffeine on mood or performance (e.g. Foreman et al. 1989; Smith et al. 1997). T...

The Failure of the Somme essays

The Failure of the Somme essays On the 1st July 1916, after a weeklong artillery bombardment; General Haig launched the "Big Push" attack across the river Somme. With the French Army being hard-pressed to the south at Verdun the British intended to breakthrough the German defences in a matter of hours. The mistrust that Haig had of the so-called "New Armies" showed itself in the orders to the troops to keep uniformed lines and to march towards the enemy across no-man's land. This, with the failure of the artillery bombardment to dislodge much of the German wire, or to destroy their machine-gun posts, led to one of the biggest slaughters in military history. When the attack began the Germans dragged themselves out of their dugouts, manned their posts and destroyed the oncoming waves of British infantry. There were also other factors, which contributed to the failure of the Battle of the Somme: 1) The Night before the initial attack men were sent into No-mans land to cut holes in the Allied barbed wire to allow troops to pass through the next day. After they had done this they then proceeded to tape the gaps, which allowed the troops to see where the gaps were. But this also allowed the Germans to see where they were coming from, so when the battle started they got up from the trenches and aimed their machine guns at the holes and the proceeded to mow down the incoming Allied troops. 2) Secondly, the five-day artillery bombardment had no affect on the barbed wire except for making it a larger deadlier mess. This was because the shells threw the wire into the air and then made it tangled which made it even more difficult for the Allied troops to advance towards the German Trenches. 3) Before the initial attack the Allies started stockpiling supplies and men behind the lines to prepare for the upcoming major attack. The Germans then found out about the attack because of reconnaissance planes who spotted the additi ...

Essay on Baseball, the American Dream

Essay on Baseball, the American Dream Essay on Baseball, the American Dream Essay on Baseball, the American DreamStarting from ancient times people liked sports, along with historical development of human population, various types of sports appeared and the existing were transformed. Nowadays there are numerous types of sports and it is really easy to choose the one, appropriate exactly for concrete individual, taking into consideration his type of character, age, physical form, state of health and so on. For millions of teenagers as well as adult people baseball remains the only beloved sport in their lives. Further we will study the general information about this type of play, some facts from its historical background, cultural and social meaning, it is considered to have for America.Baseball – this is a bat-and-ball game, which is played between two teams, each of them consisting of nine players. â€Å"The offense attempts to score runs by hitting a ball thrown by the pitcher with a bat and moving counter-clockwise around a series of four bases: f irst, second, third, and home plate. A run is scored when a player advances around the bases and returns to home plate† (Block 15). Nowadays baseball is considered to be the integral part of America’s national leisure time. This game is rather old, it appeared around the early 1800s in America. Interesting is the fact, that at that time there were no unified rules, they could have some differences, depending on the concrete locality. Another specific detail was the absence of the commonly accepted type of bats for plating, so people used the variants, which were comfortable for them, sticks of bats. The name of Alexander Joy Cartwright is historically associated with the appearance of the first baseball field in 1845. In the same year, he issued a unified list of rules for baseball, which were further used in all regions. During those years, the players used variety of bats – they were of different size and length, some were heavy, others were lighter and so on. Soon most players came to the conclusion that bats should be with rounded barrels for easier use. â€Å"The bats could be no larger than 2.5 inches in diameter but they could be any length the players wanted. Ten years later in 1869, another rule was added stating the bats could be no longer than 42 inches in length† (Block 22). This length is still actual till nowadays. By the 1890s the concrete rules were issues, which regulated not only the play itself, but also the bats used. Nowadays, there are special uniforms, bats and other equipment for baseball available, as this type of sports really won the hearts of numerous people all over the world and of all ages.Most researches, taking into consideration the fact how wide spread is baseball and how much loved it is by its fans and players for many decades already, started to investigate the problem of cultural connection between baseball and American life. Often baseball game is closely related to the famous notion of America n Dream. Some scientist talk about â€Å"the increasing corporatization, changing material conditions, and technological improvements that have created the same disparities of wealth in the sport as in the society† (Block 48). Others find the reflection of social implications of women in baseball in the culture of the country. According to Elias, one of the scientists, who studied the relations between the vision of American Dream and playing baseball, â€Å"hard work is no guarantee of financial reward, gender and racial equality remain fictions, and injustice, political repression, and limited economic choices are reality for many Americans. Baseball represents the American Dream and reflects both the successes and failures of the American way (Riess 13). Finally the researcher concludes, that baseball has all the chances to contribute seriously to the formation of the egalitarian society and make the notion of American Dream more real.Viewing baseball from the social and cultural points of views helps partially to understand, why so many people adore this game, are fascinated by watching it and playing it. Baseball is considered to be a great combination of team- sports, at the same time integrating some features of non-teams sport activities. Thus it is often compared to tennis in this relation. Tennis players are taking part in duels, standing one opposite of the other, baseball could be considered a duel only for some period of the game, still being not less intense and attention attracting than that of tennis.Some people tend to criticize baseball for the lack of action, but in fact this is a huge mistake. They think that the action itself is when the ball is put into the play by the batter, others think, that action in baseball starts only as soon as one of the players gets a hit. Such conclusions could be made only by those, who are not really interested and involved into the game itself and are not able to realize that the real action in this game is the pitch. As soon as you view and follow each pitch, you will not be able to complain that there is not action in this game or the actions are too slow. In this relations baseball is even quicker than a football. The problem of those, who don’t like the game is that they simply don’t know it sufficiently enough to be able to get pleasure from at least watching it, moreover even playing it. Not all views of baseball are able to single out the differences between a curve ball and a fastball for example. And in reality each pitch – this is a strategy, and baseball is really a metal game along with physical abilities.There are a lot of professional and amazing baseball players nowadays, but my favorite is still Bryce Harper, professional baseball outfielder for Washington Nationals. He earned the Golden Spikes Award in 2010 and later on became the youngest player ever selected to All –Star-Game. Baseball analytics considered him to be the number two corner outfielder in the MLB.Overall, baseball is a great game a great sport activity, it has a long history, to could be without any doubts called one of the most â€Å"American† sports, as it is closely related to the history of our country, to its social development; baseball seems to have wide future perspectives and is absolutely not likely to lose its popularity and be forgotten. The beauty of baseball can not be understood by all usual watchers, there is a need to sink deeper into the rules, into the strategy of the game, into the game itself. The long baseball season is able to bring a lot of tension, a lot of fun, a lot of new discoveries, related to this game.