The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 35

Elena leaped backward as the phantom caught fire. She was so close that the heat of the flames burned her cheeks, and she could smel her own hair smoking. Shielding her face with her hands, she eased her way forward as silently and sneakily as she could, closer and closer to the phantom. Her legs shook, but she wil ed them stil and steady. She was consciously not letting herself look at or think about Stefan's body crumpled on the floor of the garage, in the same way she had kept herself from looking at Damon and Stefan's fight when she needed to think. Suddenly a burst of flames shot into the air, and for one dazzling second, Elena dared to hope that Damon had done it. The phantom was burning. Surely no creature of ice could withstand that. But then she realized that the phantom was not only burning. She was also laughing. â€Å"You fool,† the phantom said to Damon, in a soft and almost tender voice. â€Å"You think fire can hurt me? Jealousy can burn hotter than fire as wel as colder than ice. You of al people should know that, Damon.† She laughed her strange clinking laugh. â€Å"I can feel the jealousy, the anger that burns in you al the time, Damon, and it burns so hot I can smel the hatred and despair that live in you, and your little petty hurts and rages are meat and drink to me. You clutch them to you and pore over them like treasure. You may have succeeded in casting out a tiny piece of the multitudes of hurts that burden you, but you'l never be free of me.† Around the phantom's feet, tiny blue lines of flame ignited and spread quickly across the floor of the garage. Elena watched in horror: Were these burning traces of oil left by Mrs. Flowers's ancient car? Or was it simply the phantom's maliciousness made solid, spreading fire among them? It didn't real y matter. What mattered was that the garage was on fire, and while the phantom might be impervious to the flames, the rest of them weren't. Smoke fil ed the musty space, and Elena and her friends began to cough. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand. Streaking past Elena, Damon snarled and leaped for the phantom's throat. Even in their current dire situation, Elena couldn't help admiring Damon's speed and grace. He col ided with the phantom and knocked it to the floor, then recoiled, protecting his face with his leather-clad arm. Fire, Elena remembered with a frisson of terror. Fire is one of the few things that can kill a vampire. Her eyes watered from the smoke, but she forced them to stay open as she moved closer, circling around behind the phantom, who was back on its feet. She could hear her friends shouting, but she concentrated on the fight. The phantom was moving more awkwardly than it had been earlier, and did not immediately attack Damon. Through the flames, Elena could see that thick greenish fluid was stil trickling down its solid torso from the wound Meredith had given it. Where the liquid touched the flames, they flickered with a greenish blue tint. Damon lunged for the phantom again, and it flung him off with a shrug. Snarling, they circled each other warily. Elena skittered around behind them, trying to stay out of Damon's way, trying to see how she could help. A crackling from across the room distracted Elena for a second, and she glanced back to see fire climbing the far wal , reaching for the wooden shelves set around the room. She missed seeing what exactly happened next, but suddenly Damon was skidding across the floor on his back, an angry red burn glowing on his cheek. He was up again in a second and prowling back toward the phantom, but his eyes had a slightly wild glint to them that made Elena nervous. Even injured, the phantom was stronger than Damon, and, after his long fight with Stefan, Damon's reserves must be waning. He was growing reckless. Elena gathered her courage and moved closer to the phantom again, as close to the flames as she could stand. The phantom glanced back at her for a second and then away, focusing on the stronger threat. It sprang forward to meet Damon, its fiery arms spread wide and a savagely joyous smile on its face. And suddenly Meredith was there beside Damon. She looked solemn and pale as a young martyr, her lips tight and her eyes wary, but she moved as fast as lightning. Her stave sliced through the air almost too quickly to see, leaving another long cut across the phantom's stomach. The phantom howled, and the flames on its torso hissed as more greenish fluid gushed from the wound. But the phantom remained upright. It snarled and reached for Meredith, who danced rapidly backward, just out of range. Meredith and Damon exchanged a wordless look and moved to flank the phantom, one on either side, so that it couldn't watch both of them at once. Damon cuffed Jealousy, a short, intense blow, and pul ed back a reddish, blistering hand. Meredith swung her stave again, nearly catching the phantom on the arm but instead cleaving only a wisp of smoke. There was a crash as a burning shelf col apsed onto the floor. The smoke grew thicker. Away from the fight, Elena could hear Bonnie and Matt coughing. Elena moved closer stil , again coming toward the phantom from behind, safely out of Meredith and Damon's way. The phantom's heat was like a bonfire. Meredith and Damon were moving in tandem now, as smoothly as if they had rehearsed, dancing in and back, sometimes catching the phantom with a blow, more often passing through a curl of smoke or mist as the phantom transformed its parts from solid to airy shapes. A voice rang out. â€Å"Impera te desistere.† Mrs. Flowers leaned against the supporting arms of Matt and Alaric. But her eyes were clear and her voice was steady. Power crackled in the air around her. The phantom slowed only slightly in its fight, perhaps no more than a half second behind in its thrusts and transformations. But this was enough to make at least a little difference. More of Damon's and Meredith's blows landed, and they were able to dodge a few more of the phantom's. Was it enough, though? The phantom flinched when a punch hit home, and it bled horrible green goo where the stave cut it, but it was stil steady on its feet as Meredith and Damon hacked and choked in the smoke and stumbled away from the flames. The rose in Jealousy's chest pulsed a steady dark red. Elena exhaled in frustration and immediately began to cough again. The phantom wasn't staying in one place long enough for Elena to get a good shot at grabbing the rose-heart. Meredith sliced at it with her fighting stave, and this time the stave slid through smoke, and the phantom grabbed the stave in one hand, swinging Meredith toward Damon. Col iding, they both fel heavily to the ground, and the phantom, stil slightly hobbled by Mrs. Flowers's spel , strained toward them. â€Å"I've envied Meredith for her brains!† shouted Bonnie. Her face was smudged with smoke and tears, and she looked incredibly smal and fragile, but she was standing straight-backed and proud, yel ing at the top of her lungs. â€Å"I know I'l never be as good at school as she is, but that's okay. I cast my jealousy out!† The phantom's rose dimmed to a dark pink for a moment, and it staggered ever so slightly. It glanced at Bonnie and hissed. It was only a tiny pause in the phantom's advance, but it was enough for Damon to spring to his feet. He stepped in front of Meredith, shielding her as she clambered up. Without even looking at each other, Meredith and Damon began circling in opposite directions again. â€Å"I've been jealous that my friends have more money than I do!† Matt shouted, â€Å"but I cast the jealousy out!† â€Å"I envy the way Alaric truly believed in something unproven, and turned out to be right!† Celia yel ed. â€Å"But I cast it out!† â€Å"I've envied Elena's clothes!† Bonnie cried. â€Å"I'm too short to look good in lots of things! But I cast that out!† Damon kicked at the phantom, pul ing his smoldering leg back quickly. Meredith swung her stave. Mrs. Flowers chanted in Latin, and Alaric joined her, his low voice in counterpoint to hers, reinforcing her spel . Bonnie, Celia, and Matt kept shouting: dredging up smal jealousies and hurts that they were probably usual y hardly aware of, casting them out to pepper the phantom with tiny blows. And for the first time, the phantom looked†¦ baffled. It swung its head slowly from one to another of its opponents: Damon stalking toward it, fists raised; Meredith, her stave swinging surely as she watched the phantom with a cool and considering gaze; Alaric and Mrs. Flowers reciting strings of Latin words, hands lifted; Bonnie, Matt, and Celia shouting confessions as if they were throwing rocks at it. Jealousy's glassy eyes passed over Elena without real y seeming to notice her: Standing stil and quiet among the entire hubbub, she was not a threat. This was the best chance Elena was going to get. She nerved herself to move forward, then froze as the phantom turned toward her. Then, miraculously, Stefan was there. He grappled at the phantom's back, throwing one arm around its neck as the flames licked at him. His shirt caught fire. The phantom, briefly, was pul ed backward past Elena, its torso toward her, unprotected. Without hesitation, Elena plunged her hand into the fire. For a moment, she barely felt the flames, just a gentle, almost cool touch against her hand as the flames flickered around her. Not so bad, she had a moment to think, and then she felt the pain. It was pure and agonizing, and dark fireworks of shock went off behind her eyes. She had to fight to overcome the almost irresistible instinct to pul her hand back out of the fire. Instead, she groped at the phantom's torso, searching for the cut Meredith had made just above its rose. It was slippery and smooth, and her hand fumbled. Where is it? Where is it? Damon had thrown himself into the flames alongside Stefan, yanking at the phantom's arms and neck, keeping its torso clear for Elena, preventing the phantom from ripping free and throwing her across the room. Meredith beat at Jealousy's side with her stave. Behind her, her friends' voices rose in a babble of confessions and spel s as they did their part to keep the phantom off balance and disoriented. At last Elena's hand found the cut and she pushed inside. It was icy cold in the phantom's chest, and Elena yelped at the contrast – the cold was excruciating after the heat, and the flames stil licked at her wrist and arm. The freezing liquid inside the phantom's chest was so thick, it was like feeling through gelatin. Elena shoved and reached, and the phantom screamed with pain. It was a horrible sound and, despite al that the phantom had done to her and her friends, Elena could not help flinching in sympathy. A moment later, Elena's hand closed on the rose's stem and a thousand thorns pierced her burned flesh. Ignoring the pain, she pul ed the rose out of the freezing liquid, out of the fire, and staggered backward, away from the phantom. She didn't know what she'd expected to happen, exactly. For the phantom to melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, perhaps, leaving nothing but a puddle of vile greenish water. Instead, the phantom stared at her, its mouth open, its pointed, shining teeth on ful display. The tear in its chest had expanded, and fluid oozed rapidly, like an untended faucet. The flames burned low and green where the liquid tracked down its body and dripped to the floor. â€Å"Give it to me,† Stefan said, appearing at Elena's side. He took the rose from her hand and ripped at its petals, now fading to a lighter pink, and scattered the petals into the fire burning up the sides of the garage. The phantom watched with a stunned expression, and gradual y its blazing fire thinned to smoke, its solid form slowly vaporizing. For a moment, a smoky, malevolent image hung in the air before them, its eyes fixed sul enly upon Elena. And then it was gone.

Albatross Anchor Proposal

Introduction Processes and technologies have many variables; planning, analysis, designing and innovations. Albatross Anchor needs to become more effective with the opportunities and challenges in its operating environment. Albatross’ operating system must be capable of producing quality products (anchors) that are n demand within a time frame that is acceptable to the industry. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost or Production: The first issue that needs to be addressed is; how much of the fabricating of the anchors could be outsourced? Albatross, a vertically integrated company has an antiquated and technology-deprived plant as well as non-compliant on safety and environmental issues. The factors that can make outsourcing desirable to Albatross Anchors are quality and speed. Quality, which is â€Å"standardization of parts, supplier certification, and supplier involvement in design can improve the quality of supplied parts. † (www. allbusiness. om) Speed of the supplier can produce the components quicker, with adaptability, flexibility and reliability then this is a time benefit for outsourcing. Albatross Anchors is lacking the production capabilities to output products in relation to the industry and customers demands. Outsourcing would be a benefit to the production of the customized and specific anchors and a valuable asset to put into action and still be able to keep the competitive edge. Albatross’ ability to produce the anchors on a larger scale with fewer, less expensive costs needs to be implemented. Technology, specialized trained employees and bulk purchasing are factors that contribute to the economic scale. An investment in specific technological production techniques would give Albatross more of a competitive advantage over other â€Å"anchor† companies. Increasing production efficiency would allow Albatross to reduce the company’s expenses. Reduced expenses means more cash to spend on operational expansion. Experienced and a specialized skilled labor force would improve Albatross Anchor because the ore skilled workforce the more capable workers would be to complete complex tasks. Albatross could hire more skilled labor force to reduce the workforce for their competitors. The advantage of a more highly skilled workforce is to improve the economies of scales because they could produce more anchors in less time. b) Economies of Scale: The ability to grow and expand would lead Albatross to purchase materials in bulk. Bulk purchasing would allow Albatross Anchor to benefit from a reduced average cost per unit. Economies of scale refers to the decreased per unit cost as output increases. More clearly, the initial investment of capital is diffused (spread) over an increasing number of units of output, and therefore, the marginal cost of producing a good or service decreases as production increases. )† (www. uslaw. com) c) Cost of Raw Materials Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: d) Cost of Finished Goods Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: To stay competitive, Albatross needs to implement the â€Å"Just-in-time† inventory control system. This system identifies that a â€Å"finished product should be produced just in time for delivery and the raw materials should be delivered just in time for production. † (www. referenceforbusiness. com) The â€Å"Just-in-time† system is used so materials and goods never sit idle for extended periods of time. If products or materials sit for long periods of time in warehouses, Albatross is wasting money and valuable space. Inventory management is another key factor for the success of Albatross Anchors. If Albatross wants to maintain an effective inventory of their materials, regular maintenance needs to be a priority. Inventory maintenance on a regular basis needs to 1) review all transportation alternatives and how this affects inventory and warehouse issues, 2) do periodic reviews of inventory, especially raw materials and finished products to ensure that customers orders are filled in a timely fashion and 3) establish a review system for managing inventory to ensure that obsolete materials are disposed of properly. Success of Albatross Anchors depends on a successful inventory management system. 2. Speed of manufacturing process from order to finished product. Albatross’ manufacturing speed needs to be improved in order to stay competitive in the industry. Albatross Anchors would benefit from the use of a computerized production scheduler, this scheduler creates schedules for the production down to the very second. Using flowcharts as well as a computer-based scheduler will take the guess work out of production and increase speed so to improve the lead time, reduce inventories, satisfy customers and still stay competitive. 3. Flexibility in filling order(s): Implementing a flexible manufacturing system would enhance and increase the speed of fulfilling the anchor orders of Albatross. The ability to easily make changes in the production of anchors would be a major strength for flexibility in volume and product. The manufacturing flexibility has three components: 1) the flexibility to produce varieties of different sizes of anchors by using the same machines and producing the same anchors on different machines, 2) the ability to produce new sizes of anchors on the existing machines and 3) using the flexibility of the current machines to design changes in the anchors. The present time, Albatross has dedicated machinery which lacks flexibility. Utilizing an FMS would produce benefit as less waste, quicker tool change, better control of quality, efficient uses of machinery and labor force, reduction in inventory, faster shipping and receiving as well as reduction in expenses. 4. Technology Technology in manufacturing operations is a vital part of the success of Albatross Anchors. Implementing automated and flexible manufacturing systems can aid the company to make collaborative decisions about the production of specific and different anchors. Applying current process, manufacturing, product and information technologies will benefit Albatross to supply employees, suppliers and customers with the best output for their marine craft, whether large or small. 5. Capacity and facilities The current facility layout for Albatross is inefficient for several reasons. The current flows of work, materials, receiving/shipping are not grouped together. Albatross can reduce manufacturing costs and improve profitability by improving the plant layout. Product layout would be the most beneficial for Albatross Anchors. This type of layout is an assembly line and workers have their stations with tools, materials to complete the manufacturing process for the anchors. Once the anchors have been manufactured, shipping them to a warehouse for storage is the most effective way. Product layout has a sequential arrangement of manufacturing processes, a continuous mass production and assembly, special equipment, a fixed path for material handling, balance for scheduling and efficiency. Implementing the product layout for Albatross will; 1) minimize material movement, 2) minimize the cost of handling materials, 3) provide work flow in an orderly and efficient manner suitable for the repetitive operations of manufacturing anchors. 6. Service to customers (what types of services would an anchor company provide to marine wholesalers? In any organization, service that is provided to customers must be held at a high standard. Exceptional service will generate a return of customer and profitability. Services that a marine wholesaler would look for would be; databases for products and manufacturers, on-time delivery, cost effective and efficient supply solutions as well as understanding customer’s requirements. â€Å"Technical expertise, alliances with strategic partners, logistics, supply chain management and specialized outsourcing provides strength to customer base. † (www. anchormarinesupplies. com) Question Two There are many ways that mushroom/bell anchors may be manufactured. Albatross Anchor is considering two new manufacturing processes (Process A and Process B) to reduce costs. Analysis of the information below will help determine which process has the lowest breakeven point (this validates the process is more cost effective). For each process the following fixed costs and variable costs are identified below: |Anchor and Process |Process A |Process B | |Sale price per anchor |$ 42. 0 |$ 42. 00 | |Total Fixed cost |$ 650,000. 00 |$950,000. 00 | |Variable cost per anchor |$ 36. 00 |$ 29. 99 | Based on the information in the table above complete the table below: Anchor and Process |Process A |Process B | |(a) Fixed costs per anchor |3,900,000   |11,409,500   | |(b) The total number of anchors to attain |108,334   |79,101   | |break–even point for Process A and Process B | | | c) Based on your calculations which Process (A or B) that you would recommend for adoption (you can select only one). Please make sure to explain how you arrived a t your conclusion. I would recommend Process A for Albatross Anchors. The fixed costs per anchor are lower than the total fixed costs which would generate a profit for the company but, the number of anchors to manufacturer is greater. Producing a larger number of anchors is a benefit when Albatross purchases bulk materials for process A. If Albatross can produce a large number of anchors on a monthly basis with lower production expenses then the company will turn a profit. Process A has the factors that all management supervisors want, low costs with a high number of products coming off of the production floor. Conclusion Albatross Anchors has the abilities to mass produce anchors for small, medium and large marine vessels. Albatross Anchors is a company that began in 1976 and has grown rapidly. In order for the company to make a large profit, the plant needs to be updated with technology, expand the production of the anchors and be a more friendly manufacturing environment. Providing exceptional service to customers, updating the facility, technology, flexibility with fulfillment of orders, speed of the manufacturing process, cost of production and materials as well as utilizing inventory, Albatross can become competitive once again. Through enhancing the manufacturing processes, Albatross Anchors will be the leader in the manufacturing of anchors in the future. References Evans, J. (2005). Total Quality Management, Organization, and Strategy, (4th Ed. ). Thomson, South-Western. Wilson, Dennis R (2004, March 22). Outsourcing Production and Jobs: Cost and benefits.. Retrieved May 10, 2011, from http://www. allbusiness. com www. uslaw. com www. anchormarinesupplies. com www. referenceforbusiness. com

Family structures and roles Essay

We use the word role today meaning a function or part played in life. As a member of a family or a work situation the roles we have in life depend on the situation we are in at the time. I myself am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a care assistant, a student and a friend. As you can see I have many different roles in my everyday living. The main role in my life will be the role within my family unit. This project will look at the roles of members in a family unit and how this has changed over the last 25-50 years. Nuclear family The roles within the nuclear family used to be the father being the main provider and working long hours to support his family and the mother looked after the children and the home. Because men were the ones with the money they took charge inside the family. This was considered the norm but over time changes came about when the wife began to reject the housewife role and demanded a greater say in decision making in the home. They wanted to be considered equal to their husbands. Women began insisting men carried out tasks around the home. This lead to husbands spending leisure time with family instead of spending time with his male companions down the pub after work, it resulted in close emotional bonds with his wife and children, he began to help with household tasks and childcare. With the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960’s women were able to limit the number of children they had and gave them the freedom to obtain paid employment. A marriage now became a partnership with the husband and wife now sharing the routine of everyday life. Attitudes changed in society, it was now considered normal for husbands and wives to both work and share household tasks and childcare. In today’s society it is not unusual for the wife to be the main provider and the husband stay at home to keep house and look after the children. The term househusband is now well known. There are three different roles: Joint roles; where couples work together in the house or garden. Complementary roles: where couples helped one another such as one may paint the other may paper. Segregated roles; where couples have separate jobs to do, e.g. the wife does the ironing the husband mows the lawn. Extended family The role of members in the extended family did not vary greatly from those of the nuclear family. The daughter settled in close proximity to her mother and they saw each other on a daily basis. This gave the grandmother the opportunity of a supporting role in the upbringing and education of the child(ren). They were also if able to give financial support. The extended family members usually took on the role of caring for an elderly parent. A person is now expected to live well into their 70th or 80th year, this means there has been a huge growth in the number of three-generation families. Nursing homes and residential homes are now on the increase in today’s society and the role of looking after a parent in their old age within the family unit has now decreased. The roles within the extended family have varied greatly due to women and men now having equal opportunities and both going out to work. The care of the child while the parents work is more often than not taken on by a family member e.g. grandparent aunt or uncle. Whilst the local extended family takes on the role of childcare it is both the parents responsibility to take on the role of providing for their family. Reconstituted family Reconstituted families became more popular after the divorce reform act of 1971 was introduced making it easier to obtain divorce. The roles within the reconstituted families can be very difficult due to stepparents taking on their new role and children rebelling against the discipline given out by a stepparent. In reconstituted families both the man and the woman take on the role of the living expenses and food costs of the home. Joint financing of the stepchildren’s expenses is less common, it is much more common for the mother to receive financial help from the stepfather in order for her children’s expenses. Both parents along with household tasks usually take on the role of childcare and educator. Members of the extended reconstituted family also take on the childcare role when both parents work. One parent family The role of the single parent can be a difficult one, as they have to take on the role of mother, father, carer, provider and educator. This itself can become a huge task especially if there is no immediate family around to offer support Single parents have become more popular in today’s society for a variety of reasons. There are more women than men who take on the role of the single parent but it is probably a harder role for a man to cope with. A mans role in life is seen to be masculine; they define themselves by their work role. Single fatherhood requires men to look at their priorities around work and family and so their role in life now becomes the sole provider for his child(ren). Partnership arrangements There are many types of families in today’s society including gay and lesbian couples. The public’s opinion of these couples has changed enormously over the last few years. The role of carer and educator within this type of family usually falls on both individuals. Benefit such as income support or working families tax credit is paid to the natural parent of the child and does not include the other persons income, as the law does not recognise them as a couple, therefore the main provider will probably be the natural parent but not in all cases. Cultural influences There are many people from many cultures settled in Britain today. Being of a different cultural background has resulted in prejudice. Prejudice still exists today, and although there is discrimination out there, it is against the law and much harder to prove. Because of so many cultures in our lives we have seen many changes in society, namely the opening of shops, supermarkets, take-away food shops and restaurants. Many years ago it was unusual for families to eat outside their home or the home of a family member, today take-away food and eating out is a part of every day life. We now have new tastes ranging from Chinese to Indian and Italian to Mexican. Why roles have changed Many changes have taken place over the years especially the roles within family life. The introduction of the pill made it easier for women to take control of their bodies resulting in fewer children being born. The influences that have changed the way we think the way we see the family and the roles we play are due to the media, television newspapers and magazines. Legislation has given us equal pay, equal opportunities for all and equal rights regardless of our class gender or culture. Women can now own or rent their own home and are considered equal owners in the case of divorce. Women can now take out loans or credit agreements without their husband or fathers consent. Health care has improved considerably over the years and screenings for women’s problems has been forced into action. Overall life has become better for women today. They now have the same rights as men and are considered an important part of our society today.

John Hinckley Jr Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

John Hinckley Jr - Case Study Example The case caught the public eye partly because the facts of the case showed a lonely, friendless, withdrawn man from an affluent family who was living alone in a constricted shell where he enlivened it by his own fantasies and delusions and when everything else exploded in his mind, he resorted to stalking his perceived inamorata Jodie Foster and finally hatching a plan to assassinate President Reagan so that he will forever be narcissistically linked to her in a unique bond. The 20th and 21st centuries had seen an alarming increase in cases of insanity in America. Such increase was so disturbing that it was termed 'the insanity epidemic" or the 'invisible plague" and many rationalized that it was the end result of so many factors including "immigrants, alcohol, inbreeding, degenerating morals and others" (Torrey & Miller 2001, p. 315). Today's increase of insanity has reached the panic level. Because of the utter number of the insane, America has largely not been able to deal with the problem head-on. The root of the treatment problem is that America has find it "difficult to hospitalize many patients in need of treatment and the competition for the limited number of beds all but ensures that they will be discharged prematurely". and the dismal consequence of all of these failures is that many of those afflicted with insanity especially schizophrenia end up using the penitentiary system as their locus of public mental health services ( Appelbaum 2008,p 1493). Respected psychiatrist Torrey had also come up with a finding that "severely mentally ill individuals are responsible forHinckley 3 at least 5% of all homicides in the United States and that the seriously mentally ill account for 3-5% of all violence committed in USA (Appelbaum 2008,p. 146). So many crimes of violence and homicide had been reported wherein the insane committed such crimes under the delusion that he is "redressing or revenging some supposed grievance or injury or of producing some supposed public benefit" (Morris 1982, p. 395). United States v John Hinckley Jr. The case of John Hinckley Jr., however, was unique because the attempt to assassinate the most powerful man in the universe at that time, US President Ronald Reagan was not done out of some imagined grievance or injury to the would-be assassin or to effect a public benefit but to call

Immigration and Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Immigration and Poverty - Essay Example Immigration assists in the development and understanding of cultural diversities and help in promoting anti-racist sentiments (Rowthorn 2004). But at one time immigration becomes a problem for the host country as many say that it has become a problem for United States as it has reached its peak. Many point out this argument and this would be further discussed in this essay along with the argument of the proponents of immigration who believe that immigration is helping the countries to prosper in every way. Immigrants mainly belong to the underdeveloped nations where the financial crisis pushes them to immigrate. Policies which include the rules of free trade actually serve as a burden rather than reliefs for the poor countries making them dip into poverty even more. These underdeveloped nations have debts to pay off and much of their income goes into actually paying the interest on these debts. Moreover, the developed nations to pledge to assist these countries by providing them aid but these developed countries never reach their set goal. All these factors contribute to the increasing poverty in the world to an extent that it has been reported that over the past three decades 60 nations in the world have sunk deeper into poverty. The people living in these countries are left with no options and the final ray of hope for them is immigration. It is the only way for them to lead a better life ahead (Education for Justice 2006). Immigration can also serve to be beneficial for the countries where these people migrate.  

Classify and categorize various careers in hospitality field Essay

Classify and categorize various careers in hospitality field - Essay Example The current global economy based on integration and free trade is expected to further transform growth in the industry. With rising economic integration through globalization, careers in hospitality have increasingly provided flexibility in the country of operation, especially in chains of hospitality firms which exist in various countries. Chuang has pointed out that following the development of hotel industry, the bar for skilled personnel has gone up substantially (14). The industry arguably experiences the greatest diversity of knowledge assets compared to other professions. Careers in the hospitality industry can be classified into: food and beverage handling, front office management, housekeeping, sales and promotion, accounting, maintenance among others (Ladkin and Weber 385). The current world has witnessed a sharp increase in business activity, resulting to more business and holiday travels, hence more careers in the sector. Eligibility The eligibility for various careers in the hospitality industry ranges from diploma certificates higher learning institutions to university degrees (Chuang 15). Depending on the nature of the organization, Hotel and Restaurant management, Casino management, Cruise Ship Hotel Management, Airline Catering and Cabin Services, Administration and catering for health facilities and education or training institutions, Hotel and Tourism, Lodges, and Guest Houses are some of the avenues that can be exploited by those keen on pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. Trained persons may also open businesses for self-employment in order to realize their economic dreams. Generally, Zahari et al (69) have pointed out that careers in the hospitality industry can be grouped in to several categories namely: Operations, Customer Care, Cuisine services, Bookkeeping, Maintenance, Sales and Promotion, Security, and House-keeping. General Operations A General Manager is usually responsible for the coordination and management of human r esources, financial management, service provision, and projection of the company image through the front office, and quality control (Zahari et al 78-91). Depending on the nature and size of the organization, general managers often have subordinate managers working in various departments to complement their effort. Front Office careers Chuang has noted that front office is the nerve center of all operations in the service-based hospitality industry (14). Important operations such as receiving the visitors, making reservations for rooms and conference halls, managing correspondence and processing bills as well as maintaining records of the services rendered to guests are usually processed at the department (Chuang 16). In most cases, the front office manager is often in charge of the supervision and co-ordination of the processes. Subordinates to the front office manager may include an Assistant Manager, front office executive, lobby manager, information staff, receptionist, bell cap tain, and doorman among others. The responsibilities of these staffs may vary from one facility to another. House Keeping careers According to Zhong, Couch and Blum (10), house-keepers are usually charged with ensuring that the facility, the rooms, the hallways, bars, the restaurants, and the compounds among other places are kept tidy. House-keeping careers mainly involve ensuring the comfort of the

Relationship among Religion, Biology, and Science Essay

Relationship among Religion, Biology, and Science - Essay Example The paper is going to handle three main religions common in the world mainly Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Christianity Different geographical regions have diverse cultures and beliefs which are characterized as conflicting, in harmony or even with little interaction. Religion and science explain the natural laws and the universe using different methodologies. Science is mainly based on empiricism, reasoning, and evidence. Empiricism is a philosophical view that knowledge is and should always be based on experience. Empiricism is taken to be a fundamental starting point of science inclusive of the invention in religion. Scientific empiricism has the assumption that the scientists are independent, impartial, and completely unrelated to the phenomena under investigation. In contrast, religion is based on sacredness, revelation, and faith. Religion is argued to support its facts by use of supernatural powers that are hard to investigate in that they are not part of nature. Religious investigators have difficulties in their investigations in that during the research; they defend their religion instead of explaining the problem under study. In the United States, acceptance of the scientific facts such as natural selection especially in the line of human beings has been influenced by religion so much showing that religion and sciences are in a fight. However, the National Academy of Sciences has documented some facts that proofs of evolution are in accordance and compatible with some religious groups (NAS, 2008). According to Archbishop Habgood John, science is descriptive while religion is prescriptive. Schilling and Coulson claimed that religion and science are related so much in that both revolve around a three-fold structure of experience, theoretical interpretation, and finally the practical application of the new idea. Coulson continued to argue that the fields of science just like religion brings it facts by creative imagination but not from mere figures (Brandt-Rauf, 2006).        

Essay on Horizontal Recruiters Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Horizontal Recruiters - Essay Example It is the only cemetery that is under the Armys jurisdiction while the other 113 are under the Veterans Administration. He notes that although these men and women who are buried there were once regular citizens like the people who come to read their names, they are seen as heroes. The Army has glorified these corpses as something that should be revered and that it is something that people should be humbled by because these soldiers laid down their lives for their country. The author also suggests that President Kennedy also became a heroic entity within the walls of Arlington because of his assignation and the fact that he is the most visited grave in the cemetery. He talks about the fact that although he was under court martial his father was able to get him out of it and this act led to him being elected president later. All of this information made the author angry about what he was seeing how the Arlington Cemetery as a tribute to the militarys need to emulate its victims. Another historical fact that he brings to light is the fact that Arlington was once named "Freedom Village" and it served as a place where free slaves were living just after Lincoln freed them. This was a place where they could receive permanent housing and community service. This was an established village for them for over 30 years. Unfortunately because it was under the jurisdiction of the Army, many residents complained that the living conditions were like living in slavery. After the war it was more difficult for the ex-slaves to get the help they needed and the federal assistance they were receiving was reduced. He makes the point that the Arlington National Cemetery brought this about and created a welfare state before there was welfare available to the nation. Another travesty that this young man is upset about is the fact that in Arlington National Cemetery blacks and whites could not be buried together. This created another way for the slaves to be separated within the

Solution on how Engineering Text Books could be made affordable to Essay

Solution on how Engineering Text Books could be made affordable to Mechanical Engineering students - Essay Example A Mechanical Engineer is required in many fields such as Internal Combustion Engines, Power Plants such as Hydraulic and Gas turbines, in fields of Design, Manufacturing of Safety Equipments, Material Handling, in Refrigeration, Heat Ventilation and Air conditioning, and in production of Equipments and Machines such as Automobiles, Locomotives, Marine & Pressure Vessels, Boilers, Furnaces, Heat Exchangers, and Machine Tools etc... And important of all, Analysis of all the above fields. Mechanical Engineering is employed in Huge Industries which deals with manufacturing of Steel products, Transportation, Aerospace, Nuclear Power plants, Oil refining, Chemical, Paper, Sugar, Rubber, Textile Industries, in production of Non Conventional, Artificial fuels and in Transmission and Construction. It is a logical thing that for studying the Subjects and problems related to it weather for an Engineer or who is studying Engineering; he/she requires books and now coming to our question i.e. the solution on how these important text books can be made Affordable. First of all the information regarding the books which are required for the studies and research should be available or made available by the respective university or college and i.e. called as Academic Regulation Course Structure and Detailed Syllabus Book in which all the information regarding the degree is their, it includes all the subjects with respect to the each semester, credits, Books recommended, Reference Books and Book Prescribed of those particular subjects, it also includes information about the respective University i.e. Course of study, Rules & Regulation and General Topics.

Organisations & Behaviour (OB) Assignment Dissertation

Organisations & Behaviour (OB) Assignment - Dissertation Example The human resources form the basic component of each organisation and their behaviour has an impact on their performance as well as the way the organisation operates. From this assertion, this report seeks to evaluate different factors that affect human behaviour through an analysis of two organisations namely Tarmac and Google. The report will focus on organisational structure and culture, approaches to management and leadership, motivational theories as well as teamwork in the chosen organisation. Task 1 Organisational structure and culture 1 a. Difference between organisational structure and culture In order to compare and contrast organisational structure of Tarmac and Google Inc, it is important to define the terms first as a way of gaining a clear understanding. An organisational structure is mainly concerned with the way job tasks are divide among the employees working in the organisation (Robbins, Odendaal & Roodt 2001). Organisational culture on the other hand is defined as values, norms, beliefs as well as attitudes that are shared among the members of the organisation and these also shape their behaviour and the way they interact (Armstrong 1994). Tarmac has an organisational structure that provides clear lines of control, responsibility and communication (http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--how-roles-functions-contribute-to-organisational-performance--109-355-1.php). Tarmac is a large business hence it is important for the individuals to understand their roles and responsibilities which is a major contributor to the success of the organisation. In its operations, it uses the best practice approach and it is committed to uphold ethical principles as well as responsibility among the members and this helps the members of the organisation to understand their role expectations so that they can pull their efforts towards the attainment of the set organisational goals. One advantage of this structure of Tarmac is that it is adaptive and it emphasises on flexibility to adapt to the changing environment in which the organisation operates. This can positively enhance performance and it can be noted that the success story of the organisation is mainly as a result of the structure of the organisation which is functional in nature and the roles are clearly defined such that every member knows what is expected of him or her. On the other hand, Google Inc has a flat structure whereby every employee has the opportunity to contribute towards the decision making process in the organisation. The organisation also uses the best practice approach to ensure that the employees are satisfied with their work. This approach also emphasizes on motivation of the employees for them to put optimum performance in their operations. One advantage of this structure is that in a decentralized organisation, action can be taken more quickly to solve problems. Many people

Introduction To HRM 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Introduction To HRM 2 - Coursework Example Before review, human resource management was characterized by punishing employees who were not performing according to Cafe Co instead of training them. Employees were not highly valued but treated just like any other resource and paid minimum wages Furthermore, employee engagement and communication was not valued and human resource activities were aligned to company’s strategy only. All human resource roles were left to human resource department only. Cafe Co was only concerned with employee performance and not development. After the review, the company adopted much of the soft approach though it continued to align human resource activities to company’s strategy. Soft human resource classifies employees as special and treats them as human beings that need to be respected and trusted. Theory explains that employees’ skills need to be developed and nurtured. It also stresses better remuneration and taking good care of employees. Cafe Co accepted to adopt soft appr oach by appointing human resource representative to the company’s board. Kim adopted much of the soft approach after the review because she emphasized development of employees’ competency, advocating for increase in employee compensation and prioritized retention of employees. Employees are valued and referred to as colleagues and partners towards achievement of company’s vision and mission. ... There are a number of both advantages and disadvantages of devolving HR activities to line managers at Cafe Co. Employees are likely to receive quick response from their line managers, appropriate employees are likely to be selected because line managers are more likely to make correct decisions and there is possibility of increased employee productivity as employees concerns are responded in time. Devolving HR activities on the other hand may increase work load to the line managers, decrease importance of human resource specialists and line managers may be incompetent on human resource issues. Cafe Co is likely to benefit from devolving HR activities to line managers. Employees are likely to develop commitment and loyalty when their issues are responded to on time because they feel cared for. As a result, much of employee time will be used to work thus increasing their productiveness. Line managers are more likely to motivate and mentor their employees than overall HR specialists. H ow each of Ulrich’s HR roles could help the HR manager solve some of the problems in Cafe Co. According to Ulrich, human resource department act as a strategic partner, administrative expert, change agent as well as employee challenge (Holbeche, 2009). As a strategic partner, human resource department can align human resource initiatives and activities with mission and vision of Cafe Co. Strategic partner role informs Kim (human resource manager) to design work positions, strategic compensation and benefits, appraisal systems, succession and career planning as well as employee development to respond to the needs of the company. Strategic partner role pushes Kim to make employees to be more

The Camera Never Lies Essay Example for Free

The Camera Never Lies Essay It is usually thought that photographs are a little slice of the real world. Traditionally, they have played the rule of adding realism to written text. The text becomes a commentary of the frozen shot of real life encapsulated in the photograph. However it could be argued that this is not the case. There are several aspects of the photographic image, which make it less than real. These aspects all have different ways of showing that cameras arent always correctly right. Even simple pictures can represent a number of qualities. It is possible to understand a number of different meanings from one picture, this is called decoding. For instance visual images can be false by editing and cropping detail out of the photographs/pictures. This process changes the frame and can sometimes exclude main or minor parts of the picture. These missing images occasionally can back up the authors article and help the audience understand the meaning. Cropping occurs in the media to suit the audience and to express the opinions of the writer. We can also argue photographs can distort the truth by the selection of the picture. The illustration always is chosen for a particular event or story, but the final image is selected from a wide range of material. This allows the author flexibility, in choosing the correct image for his motive in his text. Sometimes the pictures arent always appropriate, but have certain ways of backing up the article. As the photographs only show one aspect of the situation, the image could always be unrepresentative and tell many different stories from the single picture. These images often make statements about the link between what is being displayed in the photograph and the type of person viewing the article. The picture can be misleading a bare no relation to the text. This is a good example of poor selection of photographic material. All photographs are not reality, but iconic signs. Iconic sings are a way of demonstrating a particular subject. When we observe a photograph in print, it is only a symbol not the real image as we see in real life. All pictures have captions describing the image; the captions anchor the meaning of a photograph which offers a clear preferred reading. The text of the article also performs and shows this function. A photograph alone without a caption can be interpreted in various ways. As well as having iconic meaning, photos make meaning and signify because of the associations we have with the image. Denotation is the simple literal meaning of all the images viewed in the picture, basically defining the illustration. On the other hand connation is the associations we have with the sketch. These associations are viewed in many different ways and automatically display and imply numerous opinions on certain situations. The top photograph (Fig.1) shows Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness leaders of Shin Fane situated outside a conference surrounded by the media. The denotation in this image shows the leaders surrounded by paparzates, divided by some form of barrier. Barbed wire fencing is in the rear of the photograph; this gives the impression of security and restriction. A lot of people are surrounding the leaders, giving the feeling of interest or trouble. The connation of the sketch is basically of immense interest in these powerful Shin Fane leaders. With the photograph being taken so far away from the incident its hard for individuals to be identified and described. This particular photo was probably selected for this quality, to show the mass interest. The barrier shows disgrace for Shin Fane, with the leaders being barred from the conference. This specific image is chosen as an example to show the media had interest in Shin Fane. Having no open text it is difficult for the reader to know exactly what is occurring, it would be impossible to guess what the photograph is trying to display. In the photograph (Fig.2) it shows the viewer a close up of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, behind bars. This gives a dramatic feeling of exclusion and shame. The denotation in this image is easy to identify and describe with the shot being so close and clear. We can view two very well known faces, restricted from going into somewhere with solid bars. The Shin Fane leaders are dressed formally, which gives the impression of the conference being important and themselves being powerful. In the background faded faces can be seen, this can be interpreted in various ways. For example Shin Fane Supporters/Shin Fane Protestors or Paparzates. The connation is one of power and conflict; this particular picture of the leaders gives publicity for their cause. This image has a closer propaganda feeling, and the bars give a feeling of jail and prison, which makes the photo even more dramatic. Its easy to understand what the picture is displaying, even without a caption. The difference between Fig.1 and Fig.2 is that the leaders can be identified easily and not so much is occurring in the image, which makes it easily understandable. In photograph Fig.3 The Mobs Brief Rule, the first impression is that it shows an argument between a protestor being held by police and a West End Shopper. The caption below this endorses this impression. The donation in this image is that there is a riot-taking place, with people being restrained by the Police and non-protestors being caught up in the chaos. In the background we can clearly see the West-End buildings and a telephone box. The connation in this photo is that the male protestor is being restrained presumably for wrongdoing and the by-passer has entered in conversation with him. Without the caption this photograph is simple to follow and gives you a slight understanding of the disorder. Having read the accompanying letter to the editor from the eye-witness (West End Shopper), it is obvious the camera can be misinterpreted and this is an example how the media can use images to achieve a particular purpose. The letter explains exactly what did happen, which was that the shopper was walking down the street in the early evening hearing a group of cheerful poll-tax protestors. With police aligned along the pavements, the lady suddenly saw four of the riot squad police grab a young girl in her late teens for no reason and brutally forced her onto the crowd control railings. The man you view in the image is her boyfriend recklessly trying to reach for her, but being held back by a policeman. The lady is urging the man to calm down or he will be arrested, she is not having an argument with him as your first impressions thought. I looked at the same events reported in two different Sunday papers, to see if they had represented the photographs differently. The subject of these images is the same, but the photographs attached to the article differ. Reports on the Israel Conflict The Sunday Times and The Sunday Express wrote articles on the Israel conflict, each took a different approach on the issue. Both photographs in the papers produce the same sort of meaning just in different ways. The Sunday Times took a conservative attitude to the conflict in as much as the article dealt only with the Israel Conflict. The photograph (Fig.4) alongside the article shows President Bush casually dressed in typical Texan fashion. It was very informal and displayed the idea of him and Tony Blair being chums. In the image Bush and Blair are seen to be united together, which reflects the text in the article. The denotation of the picture shows the two powerful, respected leaders together. Blair supports Bush and pays compliments for the Presidents U-turn on Israel. The connation in this photo implies American society and the United Kingdom have combined together to sort out problems over in the Middle East. The caption on this photo doesnt exactly reflect much of the article, but gives the reader some idea about them uniting and the toughness they will have over in the Middle East. Unlike some images, without any open text this photo could mean a variety of things. The Sunday Express included a similar article, which was more dramatic and combined the two issues of the Israel Conflict along with the possibility of war within Iraq. The photograph (Fig.5) alongside was more formal showing the president handshaking Tony Blair. The image is personally more appropriate than the Sunday Times photo, with the denotation showing the two countries flag in the background and them both being in recognized clothing. This particular photo has been chosen because it is simple with few figures and it portrays a strong meaningful picture for this serious article. The connation implies the same issue as in the other Sunday paper, showing them becoming united. With the handshake and them looking pleased in this image you speculate something respectable has happened. Unlike the other image you have a vague idea of the situation without the open text caption. The next photograph (Fig.6) Im going analyse appeared in the Mirror, alongside articles paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mothers funeral. The denotation shows Lady Thatcher and her husband Dennis taking their seats in Westminster Abbey. This image is a good example of misrepresentation as with out the caption the read would have no idea what was happening. The connation in the left picture could imply just grief or Dennis having an accident. Their expressions do not indicate any physical injury. In contrast the photo on the right, gives more idea that Lady Thatcher is the one in pain. With the caption we can tell she is in agony due to Dennis treading on her toes. This article seemed rather out of place, alongside the funeral tributes. After analysing these five different images, I have learnt due to editing and selection photos can misrepresent the truth. The Media producers are constantly competiting with each other to make money. New and exciting ways of representing information/pictures can have impact and ensure success. A good photograph of something can help audiences make sense of a complicated issue. The media uses photographs that will hopefully not date and always support the authors text. Without cropping, selection and photographs being anchored, the images would put across a more truthful statement. As can be seen from my examples, the camera can distort the truth or even lie.

Sexuality in Men and Women

Sexuality in Men and Women Sexuality Men Women Outline two or more different approaches to the study of sexuality. Sexuality is mainly conceived as being a natural drive or instinct, which becomes inevitably part of the biological make-up of an individual, which only seeks fulfilment through sexual activity. Such a view of sexuality, which sees such as a natural entity, is most commonly referred to as essentialism. The majority of essentialist theories present today have presented sex as a natural instinct needed for the purpose of reproductive activity. In such a way, Weeks (1986) outlines that in such an essentialist approach there is an apparent link between sexuality and biological sex/gender. â€Å"Modern culture has assumed an intimate connection between the fact of being biologically male or female (that is having appropriate sex organs and reproductive potentialities) and the correct form of erotic behaviour (usually genital intercourse between men and women)† (Weeks 1986 p.13) In regards to an essentialist viewpoint, one is left to distinguish between men and women, in particular reference to their independent sexual desires and needs. It has been noted that women tend to have a natural tendency to promiscuity while men, on the other hand are described as having a much stronger sex drive. Therefore, in reference to this particular discourse, human sexuality is heavily rooted in biological terms, whereby a heterosexual drive intended for the purpose of procreation would be considered â€Å"normal.† Thus, under such an approach, lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women have been largely considered deviant and unnatural, while any individuals who categorise themselves as any of these are subsequently not considered â€Å"real† men or women. â€Å"We learn very early on from many sources that â€Å"natural† sex is what takes place with members of the â€Å"opposite† sex. â€Å"Sex† between people of the same â€Å"sex† is therefore, by definition, â€Å"unnatural.† (Weeks 1986 p.13) For both men and women, heterosexuality is clearly the norm under such an approach, while sex is ideally expressed in monogamous and marital relationships in an ideal world. Jeffrey Weeks, who happens to be one of the key critics of essentialism has been known to reject any approach that fails to consider the historical and social forces that shape sexuality. Weeks suggests that the diversity of sexual identity and desire is also important to acknowledge. He rejects the notion that there is a true essence of sex, there is no â€Å"uniformed pattern† which is â€Å"ordained by nature itself† (Weeks 1986 p.15). The essentialist argument comes as simplistic to Weeks, as it reduces the nature of sexual relations and identities to biological factors. Many other theorists have acknowledged the simplistic nature of essentialism, by agreeing that sexual desires may appear to be natural, but also acknowledging the idea that our sexual responses and identities may in fact be socially constructed. When we learn the patterns of our behaviour, we are subjected to the meanings attached to such behaviours as well. Such behaviours then become a product of certain social and historical forces; which can immediately be extended to include our sexual attitudes, feelings and the ways in which we feel about sexuality itself and hence our sexual identity. It has been said that sexuality is very much shaped by the culture in which we live. The very factors that make up our society (laws, religious teachings, social policies, the media) all attach their own meaning to such meanings that are conveyed to us. This approach does not deem biology as insignificant; inevitably the body imposes some limits due to sheer distinction between being male or female i.e. we experience different things in regards to what genitalia we possess. Yet having said this, anatomical structure and physiology do not directly influence what we do and the way we act, not does it determine the meaning we attach to the actions we choose to make. â€Å"All the constituent elements of sexuality have their source either in the body or the mind, and I am not attempting to deny the limits posed by biology or mental processes. But the capacities of the body are given meaning only by social relations†. (Weeks 1986 p.15). In relation to social construction, the body is said to gain certain meaning in certain social contexts as different parts of the body can be defined in many different ways. For example, in the 1960s it was stated that a new cultural context emerged. It was at this point in time that the â€Å"G-spot† was discovered. Such a discovery led to the vast publication of books, with the added introduction of classes to help women explore their bodies and find their so-called â€Å"G-spot.† In such a way, the physical anatomy of women stayed the same as before but at this point it had a different social significance. This particular part of the body was given a particular and new social meaning, which was constructed to become an object of desire. Foucault (1981) has been a very influential early theorist by shedding light on the social construction of sexuality. He argues that there is no one truth about sex. Hence various discourses, whether this be it law, religion, medicine or psychiatry have established their particular view of the body and its relative pleasures. Sexual desire is created through a set of bodily sensations, pleasures and feelings. It is such desires which shape our sexual values and henceforth the meaning we attach to our bodies. Sex is therefore not some biological entity governed by natural laws (as suggested by essentialism) but is more like an idea specific to certain cultures and particular historical periods. The creation of definitions and in particular the categorisation such that of heterosexual, homosexual and lesbian etc becomes the ingredients of sex. It is through this that we try to make sense of it. However, the work of Foucault, although recognised as very important has been criticised for not paying enough attention to the way gender influences sexual desire and identity. In tangent with the work of Foucault, Weeks highlights that sexual identity is historically shaped. Weeks was apprehensive with the way in which sexuality and especially homosexuality has been embedded in an ever-changing and highly complex history over the past 100 years. With a number of influences, cited as being feminists, gay and lesbian activists and Foucault himself, Weeks developed the hypothesis that many sexual categories that we ultimately take for granted are actually the product of social and historical labels. The distinction between the â€Å"natural† and secure are all subject to continuous labelling. Weeks felt it important to study the history of sexuality, in order to gain an understanding of the many forms of identities existent in society today, in terms of demographics such as class, ethnicity, gender and sexual preference. Again, he emphasises the point that it is reductionist to reduce the complexities of reality to essentialist biological truth. Sexual identity, therefore, according to Weeks is not achieved simply by an act of individual will but rather through social construction. In addition to the above, â€Å"the biological justification for heterosexuality as normal, it might be proposed, has fallen apart. What used to be called perversions are merely ways in which sexuality can legitimately be expressed and self-identity be defined.† (Giddens 1992 p.179). Giddens suggests that it is late modernity that has changed sexuality from being a single hegemony and replaced it with sexual pluralism. This significant shift brought on by the fact that sexuality as a term was largely replaced by â€Å"sexual identity,† which nonetheless is defined by individual choice, whereby sexual choice falls under one of the elements of an individual’s â€Å"lifestyle† choice. In a historical sense, such a shift took place in a very short period of time. Sex and ways of thinking about it, provided a science of sex so to speak. These were accompanied by clear distinctions between the normal and abnormal. Such ways of thinking have produced a series of accounts of the way people behave sexually. Such accounts different to the work of the early sexologists such as Freud. Giddens introduces the notion of institutional reflexivity to explain the shift. Through the process of reflexivity, it is the distinctions between the â€Å"normal us† and the â€Å"perverse them† that vanish. Sexual diversity, although still regarded by many hostile groups as perversion, has moved out of Freuds case-history notebooks into the everyday social world (Giddens 1992 p.33). It has been found that there has been evidence to support the claim that the notion of perversion has been replaced by diversity, that our expressions of sexual desire rank alongside other expressions of self-identity, that sexual pluralism has replaced sexual monism. Some caution is necessary with this however, as Weeks points out (1986 p.81) â€Å"the admitted fact of diversity need not lead to a norm of diversity.† Such arguments and criticisms establishing the complex nature to the study of sexuality. Amongst the essentialist/social constructionist debate, there has been a large amount of contribution from radical feminists. Radical feminists, (the assumed extreme ended form of feminism), has come under criticism for employing an essentialist viewpoint, whereby radical feminists themselves would claim to be following a social constructionist viewpoint. The essentialism that radical feminists are thought to applied to radical feminist thought is not the traditional biological sense, but a more social sense. Radical feminists view the subordinate position of women as being universal and hence unchanging, therefore leading to a failure in acknowledging historical and cultural difference. As Ann Ferguson states â€Å"though these social constructionist theories may not technically be biologically essentialist, they are still a form of social essentialism: that is, they assume a social divide between male and female sexual natures which is unconvincingly universal, static and ahistorical.† (Ferguson 1989 p.54) Typically, radical feminist thought on sexuality has pondered on the way in which patriarchy impacts women in particular social contexts. Radical feminists have not assumed sexuality to be universal and hence unchanging. A large part of the belief system of many radical feminists is the view that sexuality is socially constructed and therefore can be changed and reconstructed in many different ways; views on sexuality can change and be opposed. Nonetheless, all preceding points have been ignored, as the view that radical feminists are essentialist has largely been adopted. IN addition to this, it appears that the recent that the influence of postmodernist ideas within feminism has re-instated this. For example, the words â€Å"patriarchy†, â€Å"woman† and â€Å"man† have been classifies as essentialist and problematic. Such issues and conceptions highlight the difficulty in theorising sexuality with one dominant approach. It has been suggested that queer theory, as it emerged in the 1980s in the United States, was the distinctive factor that provided intellectual challenge to the categories that were established in the 19th century. It was queer theory that opposed the idea that heterosexuality was the only natural and normal form of sexuality, in addition to challenging the idea that homosexuality was in fact a distinct category of people that act in a particular way. All binary divisions that were imposed on sex and sexuality were rejected by such an approach. It was argued that the theoretical basis for the rejection of existing categories was due to the fact that such categories fails to reflect real differences, whether this be biological or otherwise, but instead reflected discourse. Such categories therefore, were part of the language of heterosexual dominance and hence had no truth outside it. (Stein Plummer 1994). Furthermore, queer theory also criticized the notion of distinct sexual identities. Similar to postmodern thought on sexuality, queer theory recognized that the conception of identity was made up of many different things. â€Å"Individuals can construct and reconstruct themselves through their choice of lifestyles, moving across categories and boundaries as they please† (Epstein 1994). Queer theory not only provided a refreshing sociological analysis of the importance of social categories but also had a political aim as well. However, such a viewpoint is open to sociological criticism as some may argue that fails to recognize the sheer volume of social construction, hence leaving the approach fairly simplistic. Judith Butler’s work (1990, 1991) represents a postmodern attempt to theorise sexuality. Butler challenges the assumed causal links between sex, gender and sexual desire. She emphasises that the person individuals’ desire is seen to lead from either being masculine or feminine, whereby the norm construction is for desire to be directed towards the opposite gender. Not only does Butler challenge such a notion, but further goes on to address the assumption that heterosexuality is the only valid form of sexual desire. To her, heterosexuality is simply one element of desire. What is important to point out at this point is the fact that heterosexuality is the only form of desire that has come to be seen as natural. Butler highlights that once these notions and so called links are challenged then both gender and sexual desire will become â€Å"fluid† – something which is not extensively present today. Butler is one of the few theorists who contests all forms of sexual norms. â€Å"It is not just the norm of heterosexuality that is tenuous. It’s all sexual norms† (Butler in Osbourne and Segal 1994) Going into further detail, Butler proposes that no gender is a â€Å"true† gender. Gender is a performance; it is more about what is done at particular times rather than a universally fixed notion. Butler sees heterosexuality as the â€Å"naturalized† original, while a binary model of sexual identity i.e. the â€Å"either/or† of hetero/homosexuality is unstable as each requires the other as a reference point. For Butler, â€Å"there is no proper gender, a gender proper to one sex or the other, which is some way that sexs cultural property (Butler 1991 p.21). There are, rather, illusions of continuity, by which heterosexuality naturalises itself. Such an illusion is thought to depend on the idea that â€Å"there is first a sex which is expressed through a gender and then through a sexuality† (Ibid). However, Butler argues the opposite, stating that a â€Å"regime of sexuality mandates as compulsory performance of sex† (ibid p.29). We have already established that the performance relied on masculinity and femininity. According to Butler, the linked chain of sex, gender and desire, which becomes the make-up of heterosexuality is thought to be required yet fragile at the same time. The claim of such a chain being fragile is addressed in Butler’s Gender Trouble (1996), whereby Butler outlines a fundamental interpretation of the â€Å"Oedipal struggle† as developed by psychologist Freud. Within this text, Butler chooses to focus on the original denial of same-sex desire. She readily argues that it is homosexual incest that was the original taboo, as compared to heterosexual incest as was claimed. â€Å"The young boy and the young girl who enter into the Oedipal Drama with incestuous heterosexual aims have already been subject to prohibitions with dispose them in distinct sexual directions. Hence the dispositions that Freud assumes to be primary or constitutive facts of sexual life are effects of a law, which internalised, produces and regulates discrete gender identity and heterosexuality.† (Butler 1990 p.64) Therefore, the gender identification within the oedipal struggle is one that is produced by the repression and denial of same-sex desire. Such a disposition is caused by the effects of laws that see same-sex desire negatively. Some may argue that such a statement supports the idea of social constructionism. In regards to heterosexuality, there are certain expectations that are placed on the body which relate to gender performance in order to acquire sexuality. A â€Å"feminine† woman and a â€Å"masculine† man are expected to experience pleasure via penetration of their respective genitalia. This nonetheless explains the problems faced by transsexuals and the belief that successful acquisition of gender identity is impossible without the appropriate genitalia. Therefore, the transsexual’s gain or loss of a particular body part to establish a certain desired identity is not a â€Å"subversive† act but rather an act that portrays the nature and existence of the link between sex, gender and desire have become â€Å"naturalized.† Although the work of Butler has been highly influential in the discipline of gender studies, it appears that a number of criticisms have been attached to her work. A major critic to the work of Butler has been Nancy Fraser, who argues that the concept of performance in relation to gender and sexuality and Butler’s immediate focus on it is somewhat ignorant of â€Å"everyday ways of talking and thinking about ourselves.† Many others have also focused on such an issue in their criticism of Butler’s work. For example, Speer and Potter also argue that Butler’s work is difficult to apply to real-life situations, as the focus on language and meaning leads to problems relating to validity. Generally, over the past couple of decades, it appears that there have been significant shifts in the understanding and acceptance of sexuality, especially homosexuality. There has clearly been an emergence of new sexual identities, with fundamental challenged to traditional frameworks. However, having examined a number of approaches to the study of sexuality and looking closely upon the basis of the arguments presented by many of the theorists addressed in this essay it appears as though their arguments are in a nutshell rooted within the essentialist/social constructionist argument. While there are theorists who view sexuality as determined by a particular factor whether this be it biological or anything else, there are those that view that society and history have their part to play as well. I feel that such a construction and these same assumptions, in whatever form they may come, will always remain. Sexuality will perhaps always be subjected to such connotations. What I do find important, however, is the factor of gender and its relationship to sexuality. It appears that gender is in fact an integral part of sexuality and the understanding of it. However, even discourse on sexuality and gender are yet to clearly direct us to a definitive understanding of sexuality. References BUTLER, JUDITH (1990) â€Å"Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity†, London: Routledge, pp. 21-29 BUTLER, JUDITH (1991) â€Å"Imitation and gender subordination† in D. Fuss (ed.) â€Å"Inside/out Lesbian theories, Gay theories†, London: Routledge, pp 64-65 EPSTEIN, STEVEN (1987) â€Å"Gay politics, ethnic identity: the limits of social constructionism†, Socialist Review, 93/94: pp 9-54 FERGUSON, ANN (1989) â€Å"Blood at the Root: Motherhood, Sexuality and Male Dominance†, London: Pandora Press, pp 54-55 FOUCAULT, MICHEL (1981) â€Å"The History of Sexuality Volume 1: An Introduction†, Harmondsworth: Penguin FRASER, NANCY (1994) â€Å"False Anthitheses† in â€Å"Feminist Contentions: A Philosophical Exchange†, London: Routledge, p 67 GIDDENS, ANTHONY (1992) â€Å"The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love and Eroticism in Modern Societies†, Cambridge: Polity Press, p 33 p 179 HAWKES, GAIL, (1996) â€Å"A sociology of sex and sexuality†, Buckingham: Open University Press, pp 134-141 MARSH, IAN (2000 ed) â€Å"Sociology making sense of society†, London: Prentice Hall, pp 327-380 OSBOURNE, PETER and SEGAL, LYNNE (1994) â€Å"Gender as performance: an interview with Judith Butler.† in MARSH, IAN (2nd ed), â€Å"Sociology making sense of society†, London: Prentice Hall, pp 373 RICHARDSON, DIANE (2000) â€Å"Rethinking sexuality†, London: Sage, pp 19-67 SPEER, SUSAN and POTTER, JONATHAN (2002) â€Å"From Performatives to Practices† in McILVENNY, PAUL (ed) â€Å"Talking Gender and Sexuality†, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Company, pp 150-180 STEIN, ARLENE and PLUMMER, KEN (1996) â€Å"I can’t even think straight†: â€Å"queer† theory and the missing sexual revolution in sociology†, in SEIDMAN, STEVEN (ed.), â€Å"Queer Theory/Sociology†, Oxford: Blackwell. WEEKS, JEFFREY (1986) â€Å"Sexuality†, London: Tavistock, pp. 13-81

SWOT Analysis for Employability Skills

SWOT Analysis for Employability Skills Introduction With the rapid development of society, the competitions between companies are also increasing, what the employers want for the graduates are not only focus on the degree but pay more attention to their employability skills. In order to win their competitors in the fierce competition, employers want graduates who have a wide range of skills to bring to the work environment and need the employees with multi-skilled to fulfil many different roles. à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.4à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. So graduates who coming into the workforce must have the skills needed by employers. With the purpose of making ourselves become more competitive in the future job market first we should find out what the employability skills the employer want for graduates, then according to the employability skills do the personal SWOT analysis and make an action plan to improve ourselves. Discussion of employability skills What skills do employers want Employability skills are defined as skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve ones potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions. (DEST 2002a) Today, despite the degree, companies are paying more attention to the employability skills of the graduates, but there is no uniform standard of employability skills. What employability skills the graduates should have are depend on companys actual operating conditions and different companies have different standards. Through a wide range of literature research, the result of what the employability skills needed by companies are almost the same, and can be roughly divided into the following eight basic skills: Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Problem solving skills , Self management skills, Planning and organizing skills, Technology skills, Life-long learning skills and Initiative and enterprise skills. (MONASH, nd) Why do companies want these skills? Communication skills The CIPDs views are based on the latest CIPD/KPMG quarterly Labor Market Outlook, a survey of over 1,400 UK employers, the key attributes employers look for in school leaver recruits are communication skills (40% of employers rank this in their top three required attributes), work ethic (39%) and personality (32%). (CIPD,2006) .Communication happens all the time in the workplace, having effective communication skills can make us have a good relationship with colleagues and superiors ,thus can create a good working environment and help us complete the work more efficiently. Whats more , have good communication skills not only can make the existing customers become more satisfy with the products and services provided by our company but also can attract more clients cooperate with us . Teamwork skills In Todays society, only have the individual working ability is not enough, more and more works need a group of people to complete together .Work in groups can speed up the progress of work and also through brainstorming to create a better idea of the company Problem solving skills In this competitive world, companies will faced various problems at any time, solving the problem successfully enable the company ride out the storm or it will fail. Self-management skills Companies also need graduates have self-management skills to complete the work alone or almost alone, without the need for someone to stand over the employees constantly and tell them want to do.à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ Foster, 1998, p.14à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. Planning and organizing skills Employers need graduates to make plans and organize the limited sources to achieve both short and long-term goals of company. Technology skills In the technological age, technology skills become increasingly important, company need employees use computers and telecommunications systems proficiency, understanding current trends and gathering information to predict the companys operating condition through technology. Life-long learning skills In order to make the company development sustainably, only require employee continuous learning can let the company keep pace with this rapid-developing society, and employees who have the life-long learning skills can also bring benefits to the company. Initiative and enterprise skills Employees recruited by the company are all with multi-skilled, the company may frequent transfer their employees to different departments and to take different roles within a company. (Heather and Peter, 2006, p.2) .So this require the employee have the initiative and enterprise skills to adjust themselves easily to new situations and can take the job quickly. Personal SWOT Analysis After identify the employability skills that needed by companies, I make a personal SWOT analysis based on actual experience and self assessment test through the internet. Strengths : I have good team work and organizing skills. According to the results of my self assessment test, I have a great mark in humanistic-encouraging and affiliative. (See Appendix 1) In the group work I can build on ideas with other members and as team leader I usually will make plans to allocate tasks to the group members to make sure everyone enjoys the tasks they are assigned to. I am good at Self management. I can management my time well and get thing done without being pushed. Usually I will write down the things what I need to do and sort them out according to the importance and the time sequence. After that I will write them to the calendar so that I can know clearly what and when should I do next I do well in learning. I willing to put in time and effort to learn new skills. As a student, beside the major I also join the free English class and the Assessment Centres mini module to improve myself. I have technology skills. I am not only having the basic computer skills but also can use specialised software packages. Since I have learned the business decision modelling in my first year and now I also learning the applied management and decision modelling, all of them need to use the specialised software packages so I learned how to use them in the course. Weaknesses I have no employment experience, even the part-time job experience. I am weak in problem solving; when I face problems usually I can not see all sides of them and can not provide good solution of them. My Communication skills are weak. I am an introvert (Result in appendix ) and I am not good at communicate with others .I feel shy when I talking to strangers. Opportunities I can find a part-time job through the future of our school to learn new skills to enhance my CV. I am more employable than others if I get work experience in UK. 65% of international employers indicate that they are more willing to employ graduates with overseas work experience. (Archer and Davison, 2008.). I have an opportunity to get a good job if I return to China after I graduate. China is widely expected to become the worlds largest human capital market in the future, requiring an explosive number of talented professionals. Companies seeking to hire Mainland Chinese returnees: born and raised in China, studied/worked in the U.S. or Europe and then returned to China. They offer international experience, plus language and cultural skills but are in short supply (Davy, Lau). I can enjoy a variety of preferential policies for overseas student which provided by the Chinese government if I back to China. Threats In recent years, explosive growth trends of Chinese overseas students choose to return home which will increase the competition of getting jobs in China. Employment pressure both in China and UK. Not only Chinese graduates for job-hunting with anxiety, graduates of British also face the same problem. The jobs shortage was blamed on a substantial backlog in the number of jobless graduates from previous years creating additional pressure on the employment market in 2010. (Articlesbase, 2010). Personal Action Plan After I finished the personal SWOT analysis, according to my own situation I make an action plan base on SMART Skill to be improved Specific Actions Measure Target date Communication skills: Participating in the activities that organized by school community orinvolvingin the school communitydirectly. Make a lot of friends. Take the initiative in making acquaintances. Do not feel nervous when talking to strangers Next month Take the mini module about communication that provided by the future in our school Presenting and participating in class discussions Semester 2 Through the IELTStestto improve my English speaking, writing, reading and listening skills. Take the IELTS test Christmas holidays Problem solving skills Apply for the volunteer opportunities provide by the futureHelping people solve problem while improving my problem solving skills. Become a volunteer Semester 2 Analysis the requirements of school assignments Meet the assignment requirements of teachers Deadline of assignments Initiative and enterprise skills Find part-time jobs in our school or become a volunteer Get part-time jobs, become a volunteer Semester 2 Become a trainee of a company for 1-2week Work in a company as a trainee Christmas holidays Teamwork skills Working on group assignments Do the Group work assignments Deadline of group assignments Planning and organisation skills Arranging study and daily lives at university Make plans everyday and do thing according to plans Everyday Self-management skills Summing upthe gaps in skills and knowledge Doself-reflection whenteachers give assignment feedback At the end of semester 1 Learning skills Learning new skills that needed by employers Attend courses and finish courses Semester 2 Technology skills Learn something about Photoshop or database. Participatethe relevant courses During semester 2 Conclusion There is no doubt that employees who having a good degree will gain an excellent starting point, since a good degree helps employees open the door of finding a job, however, a degree alone is not enough, employers want much more from their graduate employees, they want employees can bring benefits to the company and let the company in an invincible position during the fierce competition. Through extensive research I summed up eight kinds of employability skills that most needed by companies. And I made a personal SWOT analysis based on employability skills and self assessment test through the internet and actual experience which made me become more aware of myself. After that I made an action plan for myself. Ill stick to the plan and I hope that it would help me improve my employability skills after I finish it .And get a good job in the competitive job market after I graduate.

Welsh Language Census Report :: essays research papers

Sociolinguistics LING 2150 Assessment 1 Use the census data available on Welsh to build up a picture of what happened to a chosen small area of Wales over a period for which data is available in the census. The focus of your discussion should be on the rise/fall/stability of the minority language. Try to use data about the age of speakers, and degree of literacy. For this essay, I plan to look at what has happened to the number of speakers of Welsh in both Swansea and the Lliw Valley over time by using census data, comparing the two areas which both lie in South Wales in the county of West Glamorgan. These areas are of a similar size, with Swansea recorded in the 1991 census as being 24,590 hectares, and the Lliw Valley as 21,754 hectares. These measurements do not differ more than 500 hectares from year to year in the data I will use, however, I will have to take into account the fact that the boundaries for Welsh counties sometimes change between censuses. For this reason, I will have to be very careful when choosing my data. The population of my chosen areas differs dramatically though. In the 1991 census it was recorded that the population of Swansea was 181,906 and the Lliw Valley was 63,099. This means that in Swansea there are 7.4 persons per hectare contrasted with 2.9 in the Lliw Valley. Due to this, I thought it would be interesting to compare such an urban area as Swansea with a rather more rural area as the Lliw Valley to see if there are any differences that can be found regarding the number of Welsh speakers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We can see these two areas on the following map. Note the dense network of major roads around the Swansea area contrasted with the small amount in the Lliw Valley. Also, we can see that the counties of Dyfed and Powys are large rural areas, with sparse scatterings of major roads: (The public's library and digital archive, 1993) â€Å"Of the languages spoken at the present time in mainland Britain, Welsh has been here by far the longest,† (Price, 1984:94), so why, may we ask, has it come to be that it is only spoken by a minority of the Welsh population? We can see from the following table the extent to which the number of speakers of Welsh in Wales has declined since 1901:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Speaking Welsh only  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Speaking English and Welsh  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total

Alcohol Consumption in College for Diabetics :: Diabetes Alcohol

Alcohol Consumption in College So, you’re in college now and you want to enjoy the â€Å"full college experience.† For many people, a very large part of this experience involves alcohol. Diabetics need to be careful when consuming alcohol because diabetes and alcohol can potentially be a very dangerous and even deadly combination. If you do decide to drink, please do so responsibly because drinking until you are â€Å"stupid† not only harms you, but it puts a lot of stress on friendships; who will bring you out of that seizure or fainting spell that was brought on by the hypoglycemia that resulted from drinking too much without eating first? Whoever it is will not appreciate having to do so.* What happens when a person with diabetes ingests alcohol? One study showed that when an alcoholic beverage was ingested with an evening meal, there may be a delayed hypoglycemic episode the morning after, or up to 16 hours after ingestions. However, there was no acute event of hypoglycemia immediately after ingesting alcohol WITH a meal. (Richardson et al. 2005) On the other hand, alcohol on an empty stomach increases the risks of hypoglycemia in several ways. First, ingestion of even small amounts may impair the ability of the individual to detect the onset of hypoglycemia at a stage when they are still able to take appropriate action, i.e., eat carbohydrates. Second, hypoglycemia per se may be mistaken for intoxication by third parties with legal as well as health consequences. Third, alcohol has been shown in some studies to directly impair the hormonal counterregulatory responses to low blood glucose levels (4). Fourth, recent data indicate that small amounts of alcohol can augment the cognitive deficits associated with hypoglycemia in individuals with type 1 diabetes (5). (Richardson et al. 2005) Anyway, if you drink responsibly, everyone will surely have a good time. For a slightly more comprehensive write-up, visit: http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/alcohol.jsp *On a side note, just taking care of yourself is important for that reason, too. I have talked to people who have had to take care of their friends/boyfriends/girlfriends who wouldn’t take care of themselves, and these people were basically glad to get out of the relationships they had with these people with diabetes because it was too much stress.

Causes and Solutions of Obesity Essay

If you can prolong your life, and make yourself feel better about who you are then why not overcome this overweight issue. In today’s world we are facing an epidemic that seems to be affecting even are young at an early age. We all know that obesity can have adverse effects on health, well-being, and relationship, and can be solved by eating organic food, exercising, and discipline. We are here to find out the different causes of obesity, and find out what we can do to overcome this fast growing epidemic. â€Å"Although people in the Unites States might not be eating more, they are gaining weight. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, fat consumption by people in the United States has declined during past decades, but calorie expenditure has gone down as well. Adults are not burning the calories they are consuming, and as a result, obesity rates increased by 214 percent between 1950 and 2000. Two out of every three people in the U.S. were obese or overweight in 2010†. (Bird, 2011, March 26, p.1). They are several solutions that can be implemented to these causes, and some are individual, community, and government solutions. I feel it is everyone’s own responsibility to make they maintain their own health. Obesity could occur in all humans, obesity does not care what race you are or even the time you have lived in. â€Å"Ancient Egyptians are said to consider obesity as a disease, having been drawn in a wall of depicted illnesses†. â€Å"The Aztecs believed that obesity was supernatural, an affliction of the gods†. (Miles, 2006, p.1). Obesity begins in a membrane enclosed organelle known as mitochondria. Mitochondria can be defined as the part of the cell that is responsible for energy production. According to research mitochondria is believed to be the source where obesity begins. â€Å"My clinical work and research with patients with immune disorders, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivity and obesity have led me to the conclusion that the primary site of catabolic maladaptation, and the obesity that it causes, is in the mitochondria.† (Where Does Obesity Begin,p.1). There are many speculations that obesity has been around for a long period time, but does anyone r eally know when obesity really started. There are many causes of obesity, and genes play a small role in how it can affect a person in the future. â€Å"Science shows that genetics plays a role in obesity. Genes can directly cause obesity in disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome†. (Etiology, n.d.p.1). Even though genes play a role other factors come into play like the behavior of the individual. It can also depend on incidence of obesity in the family . â€Å"It is now well established that overweight and the different forms of obesity are conditions tending to concentrate within a family. Obesity risk is two to eight times higher for a person with a family history as opposed to a person with no family history of obesity, and an even higher risk is observed in cases of severe obesity†. Furthermore the way are genes have been sequenced can be linked to obesity. â€Å"Sequence variations within a pool of 56 different genes have been reported as being related to obesity phenotypes, h owever, only ten of those genes showed positive results in at least five different studies†. (Etiology, n.d. p.1). Even though genes play a part in cases of obesity they can still be overcome with different solutions. For example, I come from a family that is generally overweight, but I have chosen to change my lifestyle. I learned to exercise more frequently and not consume more than I need to at times. â€Å"Since there is only a small population of obese people who have been affected by the genetics of their family tree, it suggests that genes are not necessarily a fate that cannot be outdone. Obesity and the prevention of obesity can be aided with lifestyle changes and behaviors that include a healthy diet, increased physical activity, as well as medication†. (What Role Does Genetics, para.1). We are all born with genes, and it is normal to inherit these genes from your parents which can influence obesity. We as people enjoy tasty food which makes us devour unhealthy foods. This is where the fast food industry takes an immense toll on our country. There are certain items placed in these foods that can make people feel the need to eat these foods on a regular basis. â€Å"Almost all items on fast food menus are deep fried or packed with sugar, and many even contain chemicals or preservatives that further their addictive capabilities†. Just the other day I was affected by these hormones as I craved a ultimate cheeseburger from Jack in the Box. There are also factors which consist of what are fed to the sources of these treats. The animals are given certain hormones that are returned to us since we are consuming them in the process. â€Å"Many chains add hormones to the feed that they give to their livestock, which in turn ends up on a burger or in a wrap. These hormones are mainly used to increase the size or productivity of the animals being used, and some are both addicting and harmful to humans†. (Brad, 2009, p.1). Furthermore, convenience of these places makes it stress-free for societies to continue to purchase foods at these establishments. For instance, for people who are always in a rush are not able to make lunches for them, so they turn to the most convenient way to fill their hunger. â€Å"If you’re trying to manage a busy career, start a side business, have community responsibilities, and have a spouse and children at home (a situation that sounds awfully familiar to me), convenience can be an enormously important factor†. There is another issue of money if you are low on funds are looking for something to your taste you are able to purchase items off the dollar menu. Fast food industries can be found in almost every corner so it can be defined as a major role in our struggle. Even if they are numerous causes for obesity there are still many solutions that can be implemented to reduce or even cease this issue. There are plenty of forms of exercise that can be performed to lose weight, and exercise plans can be made to keep the pounds off once lost. â€Å"Obesity exercise solutions can help obese people lose weight and body fat safely. An exercise plan that is designed for obese people who have a limited range of motion can be an effective obesity treatment when combined with a nutritious diet plan†. (Obesity Exercise, 2009, p.1) Even if you do not have time to spare there is always other things like parking further away at the parking lot. There other benefits that comes hand in hand with physical training, and these are the health benefits. â€Å"Reducing your risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes† (Arthur, 2009, p.1). According to surveys conducted the leading cause of death in the United States come from cardiovascular disease. Physical health has been implemented for ages now, and it can be performed in certain jobs that require manual labor. In conclusion it might be the best way to reduce the chance of becoming obese or cure obesity. â€Å"Experts agree that regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent obesity.† (Arthur, 2009, p.1). If you require motivation to help you hit the gym or apply a certain exercise routine to your life do it with a buddy. You can also join groups like the zumba classes, or you can make a goal for yourself to make it like a game. A diet of healthy eating can be ministered to help overcome obesity. Have you ever wanted a fresher taste to compliment your taste buds? Well organic foods are the way to go. Organic foods can be defined to encourage a healthier way of life, and even start to show positives outcomes to your body. â€Å"Organic food promotes healthy patterns of cell division and differentiation, and lays the groundwork for normal endocrine system regulation of blood sugars, lipids, energy intake, and immune system functions†. (Organic Pathways, para.1). I know some people are very limited when it comes to spending money on expensive food, but organic foods can even be grown to save money. Furthermore you are able to buy organic foods at wholesale prices at your convenience. Also adding small portions to your healthy diet plan can help reduce weight in the long run. â€Å"When you eat a large portion of food, glucose levels rise quickly. When your bloodstream is flooded with glucose, your pancreas releases insulin to move that glucose into your cells for use. But the faster glucose levels rise, the more likely it is that your pancreas will produce too much insulin, leading to low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia. Your brain is tricked into thinking you need more glucose and you start to feel hungry†. (Maura, 2011, p.1). Adding this to your daily regimen can help control over eating, and it can also stabilize your hunger. Talk to a nutritionist to see what would be best for your current situation. In conclusion, they are numerous causes and solutions that are associated with obesity, and it is up to you to decide which choices would best to make. If we do not do anything about it now obesity will continue to rise and overtake us in a very young age. According to statistics if we maintain this rise in obesity by 2030 eighty five percent of the United States will be obese. Implementing these solutions we can succeed in creating a better way of life for all people. We do not need to be like the society in the movie Wall E where all the people are obese! References Arthur S. (2009) Obesity and Exercise Retrieved from http://weight-loss.emedtv.com/obesity/obesity-and-exercise.html Beverly B. (2011) How much has obesity rates raised since the 1950? Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/384722-how-much-have-obesity-rates-risen-since-1950/ Brad V. (2009) Is fast food addictive? Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1477052-fast-food-addictive-addiciton-unhealthy-chemicals-mcdonalds-kfc-wendys-corporations Etiology (n.d.) Retrieved from http://obesity.ulaval.ca/obesity/generalities/genetic.php Where Does Obesity Begin (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.majidali.com/where.htm Maura S. (2011) Three benefits of eating smaller portions Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/507006-three-benefits-of-eating-smaller-portions/ Milos P. (2006) The history of obesity Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-of-Obesity&id=357342 Obesity and Pregnancy surprising facts (2009) Retrieved from http://www.3fatchicks.com/obesity-exercise-solutions-for-a-limited-range-of-motion/ Organic Pathways (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.organicpathways.co.nz/community/story/654.html Trent (2011) Fast food, convenience and money Retrieved from http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2011/12/13/fast-food-convenience-and-money/ What role does genetics play in obesity (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.free-fad-diets.com/what-role-does-genetics-play-in-obesity.html