Leadership and Management - 2878 Words

Introduction This report includes information about Recardo Semler and his organization Semco. It shows link between leadership and management. It also explains different types of leadership theories and management theories. It shows link between these theories. It also includes future leadership skills required in semco. And also shows method to plan the development of leadership skills. Answer: - 1 Ricardo Semler has situational leadership style. He is very close to Democratic leadership style. Philip (2003, p.63) describe the meaning of democratic leader â€Å"democratic leader, encourage the members of his or her group to share the decision making process and sees him or herself as a coordinator of group effort, rather than as the†¦show more content†¦Job rotation offers employees the opportunity to learn new skills, discourages empire building, offers a broad view of the company, creates an environment of understanding, succession planning, and opportunity for advancement. (Book Review of: Maverick, 2000) In some situation Ricardo Semler acted as laissez faire leader. A essortment website on the leadership style states that â€Å"The laissez-faire leadership style is also known as the â€Å"hands-off ¨ style. It is one in which the manager provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible. All authority or power is given to the employees and they must determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own.† In semco, there are 3,000 employees. They set their own work hours and pay levels. Subordinates hire and review their supervisors. Employees are encouraged to spend Monday morning at the beach if they spent Saturday afternoon at the office. There are no organization charts, no five-year plans, no corporate values statement, no dress code, and no written rules or policy statements. (Ricardo Semler s Grupo Semco: The Democratization of Work, 2005). All employees, Semler included, receive their own guests, make their own copies, and draft and send their own correspondence. There are no private offices. Semco has no receptionists, secretaries, or personal assistants. To illustrate Semler’s â€Å"hands-off† management style, he states, â€Å"I don’t sign a single check, I don’t approveShow MoreRelatedLeadership And Management And Leadership1569 Words   |  7 PagesLeadership is about seeking constructive change and management is about establishing order (Northouse, 2015). Warren Bennis (1997) wrote in  Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader  that â€Å"There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial.† (Leiding,Read MoreManagement And Leadership : Leadership1023 Words   |  5 PagesManagement and Leadership In Leadership, Leadership, Leadership Are We All Chanting the Wrong Mantra, the authors says, â€Å"Leadership is simply management of higher level things† (McCormack, 2009, p.1) and that the leader manages the vision, people’s perception and their own behavior (p.1). McCormack continues his analysis by saying, â€Å"There are times when leadership simply cannot take place† (p.2). McCormack appears to believe that organizations and universities should not teach, encourage or tolerateRead MoreLeadership And Management : Leadership835 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership Verses Management The world is made up of leaders and managers. There are leaders and managers in every aspect of life. In many instances leadership and management are referred to as being the same. This paper will evaluate the differences between leadership and management. In today s organizations, leaders and managers are needed in order to operate successfully. Even though managers and leaders are different, they both have many similarities that will be discussed in this paperRead MoreLeadership And Management And Leadership1146 Words   |  5 Pages Leadership and Management Contrary to popular belief, the terms leadership and management are often thought of as hand in hand, but in retrospect they both have very strong different meanings and are not the same. There are some similar characteristics that can very much persuade some that they align in the same manner. They can be notably known as terms that are used interchangeably in the business world. â€Å"Management is a function that must be exercised in any business, whereas leadershipRead MoreLeadership Vs. Management : Leadership And Management1550 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor of On Becoming a Leader: The Leadership Classic, is best known for, that addresses why there is a difference between Leadership versus Management (Murray, What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?, 2009). Just like most people, I use â€Å"leadership† and â€Å"management† interchangeably because one feels that they are probably the same thing or embody the same characteristics. Further di scussion will provide details on what leadership is, what management entails, and why they are differentRead MoreLeadership, Management And Management1081 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership and Management Businesses require some sort of hierarchy of power to be successful. They cannot operate on the basis that everyone has the same job level if they plan to make a profit. However, the individuals that are placed in the higher power positions fall into two categories, leaders and managers. Many would say these are the same thing, when in reality they are not. They are two different styles that are used when operating a business and using the right one at the right time isRead MoreLeadership, Management, And Management876 Words   |  4 PagesLeadership and Management Name Institutional Affiliation Leadership and Management The achievements of organizations depend on their management and the manner in which their leaders conduct several operations within the organization. It is worth mentioning that successful organizations attribute their positive impacts in the market and general employee-employer relation to the influence spearheaded by the management team (Hiriyappa, 2013). This paper narrows down to evaluateRead MoreLeadership And Management And Leadership1173 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership is a term that is often misunderstood and misinterpreted in the business world. In the world of CEOs, CFOs, vice-presidents and managers, it is important to distinguish the difference between what is considered management and what is considered leadership. While these two terms are not mutually exclusive, but it is imperative that they are not comprehended as mutually inclusive either. In this context, I will be comparing leadership and management as presented in the college textbookRead MoreLeadership And Management : Leadership1126 Words   |  5 PagesAs we know that, leadership is nothing. But the influencing flowers. Leadership includes three fundamental clusters of skills creating vision, garnering commitment to that vision, an managing progress toward the realization of that vision. powerful and effective leaders plays very vital role to reach the maximum production for any organization. This is why, Organizational renowned scholars have been studying of this very significant topic of leadership for literally hundreds of years. Because.Read MoreManagement Vs. Leadership : Management And Leadership1061 Words   |  5 PagesManagement vs. Leadership Introduction Presently many of us have learned that managers are primarily administrators who have learned to write business plans, utilize their resources and keep track of progress. We must learn that we are not limited by job title, and that means we can utilize our management skills in any position that we are in. We must also know that we can use our leadership skills in the same situations. On the other hand we have also learned that leaders are people who have

Cell Phone Use in Schools Free Essays

Cell Phone Use in Schools. With all the innovation in the last decade, cell phones have become apart of daily life for people all over the world between using cell phones to contacts family and friends to playing a little game of bejeweled. But what many schools are considering, is allowing the use of cell phones in schools. We will write a custom essay sample on Cell Phone Use in Schools or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cell phones can offer as a learning tool to students. Also, cell phone use in class brings some harm to the classroom. In addition, Policies about cellular devices have altered in schools across the U. S. A critical issue affecting many is allowing or banning cell phone use among students. Cell phones offer as an easy, accessible learning tool that most students already have. Besides a convenient tool for students, cell phones make it easier on teachers. Teachers can create a class blog for students to communicate or debate on issues from class (Rogers). This class blog gives them the ability to constantly have access to talk to their classmates via web from home, the classroom, and potentially anywhere (Rogers). The teacher can monitor the class blog at her convenience as well, not just in a classroom setting (Rogers). Also, way a cell phone may be used in a classroom setting as a research tool. Students can search for background information on subjects. Rather than looking for words in a dictionary or spending time in the library looking for that book, all the information a student could possibly need is at the tip of his/her fingertips. Lastly, teachers and administrators can set up polls using websites like wiffiti. om or polleverywhere. com enable students to answer polls anytime, anywhere (Engel and Green). Teachers and administrators can set up polls for a class, a certain grade, or something that involves the entire school. Now it’s easier for students to be involved with issues on campus and have on say about the decisions or changes being made about their school (Engel and Green). Overall, the endless benefits of cell phone use for students will provides unlimited learning tools. Throughout the U. S. many schools have cell phone policies specific to their high school but many schools are changing the policies. Many schools across the board have become more lenient in allowing cell phone for students in the classroom or on campus. At Dickison High School, like many other high schools, their policy has been lifted and allows students to use phones during lunch (Wishmayer). Lifting the policy was intended to give the high schoolers enough freedom so less texting and calling would take place during class (Wishmayer). Although cell phones include disadvantages such as being a distraction to students or being used to cheat on assignments, with the help of schoolteachers and administrators, strategies of preventing abuse of cell phones can be enforced among students. One solution to cell phones abuse is making the phones visible to the teachers (Ferriter). Most teachers and professors worry about sneaky students texting answers to other students. William Ferriter says his solution is, â€Å"†¦require students to place their cell phones on the top right-hand corner of their desks when they come into class. That way you will know if someone is texting or calling a friend when they’re supposed to be learning. † Secondly, teachers should holds kids accountable and force them to act responsible (Ferriter). Talking about responsibility and accountability will not get to the rebel sitting in the back corner or kid that attends class once every two weeks but some of the kids will be understanding and aware of the choices they are making. Using threats of banning cell phones is not the right approach and will probably be ignored anyways. Lastly, unless school policies state otherwise, if a student is not using his or her cell phone appropriately, the teacher may confiscate the phone until the end of the class period or even day. For violating dress code, students receive punishments of some sort. If breaking the rules of dress code has a punishment, cell phone policies should be able to have punishments for cell phone abuse. With all the advanced in the last few years, cell phones have become a major apart of every day life for people across the United States. Firstly, cell phones may provide as a learning tool with the endless resources. On the other hand, cellular telephones can distract students and could be used as a way of cheating. In addition, policies about cellular devices have altered in schools across the U. S. Lastly, there’s ways to prevent abuse of cell phones with help and support of faculty. In order to make a decision in being for or against cell phones, schools must weigh the benefits and harms of cell use of students and find a solution with the best interest of the school. How to cite Cell Phone Use in Schools, Papers

LASIK Surgery Essay Example For Students

LASIK Surgery Essay Seeing well without contact lenses and glasses is the dream of millions of Americans and modern medical science has enabled that dream to come true (Caster, 8). Since first grade, Dede Head, a 30-year-old fitness trainer in North Carolina, has worn glasses to correct sever nearsightedness and astigmatism. Over the years she became accustomed to wearing glasses and contacts, but this has limited many important aspects of her life, including sports. She then heard of a laser eye surgery that ?supposedly?, helped to correct a persons vision by means of lasers. She immediately signed up for the procedure and ever since that day, she has not worn glasses or contacts. Dede is just one of the eight hundred-fifty-thousand people who have undergone a procedure by the name of LASIK or Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis. If surgical procedures were movies, LASIK would be this years box office smash as it has received much media coverage and many praises; however, not that many people know what LASIK is, what the advantages and disadvantages are, and most importantly if LASIK is right for them (Buratto, 1). LASIK is basically a type of laser surgery which can help correct nearsightedness (myopia), which is the inability to see distant objects, farsightnedness (hyperopia), which is the inability to see close, and astigmatism, the inability to focus light waves evenly. LASIK has grown greatly in the last year, mostly because of 4 reasons; it is fast (procedure takes about 5-10 minutes), safe, painless, and the results are almost always prolific. The eye is just like a camera because it works by focusing light waves that pass through it. Light rays that enter the eye must first pass through the most outer layer of the eye called the cornea. The cornea performs 2/3 of the focusing process, the remainder of is then completed by the crystalline lens which further focuses the light on the retina. This requires extreme precision in that the focused light must fall exactly at the level of the retina (Gallo, 126). The retina is a nerve tissue that carpets the inner surface of the eye, much like wallpaper covers all aspects of a wall. The retina converts the light into electrical signals, which are transmitted to the brain by the optic nerve. Just as a camera cannot produce clear photographs of the image if the incoming light is not focused on the film, we cannot produce a clear vision if the cornea and crystalline lens do not focus the light precisely on the retina. This is where LASIK steps in. A laser is a device that creates a very special kind of light energy that is usually invisible to the human eye (Caster, 16). In LASIK, ophthalmologists use a certain type of laser called the excimer. By using invisible ultraviolet light, the excimer is able to break covalent bonds between molecules. What sets excimer aside from other lasers used in medicine is the wavelength used. At one-hundred ninety-three nm (nanometers), excimer lasers remove tissue by breaking the covalent without creating much thermal energy (Slade, 25). This allows for precise removal of tissue with minimal surrounding tissue damage. The very thin layer of the cornea that is removed, changes the curvature of the cornea ever so slightly, thus then results in a change in the light focusing ability. In nearsightedness (myopia), light rays from distant objects are not focused on the retina, but instead they are focused in front of the retina (See Figure 1). Therefore to correct nearsightedness in a LASIK procedur e, the curvature of the cornea must be decreased or in another words made flatter by removing corneal tissue in a disc-shaped pattern, or from the central cornea. A computer determines the exact pattern and number of pulses that are needed to do this. In farsightedness (hyperopia), light rays from distant objects are focused not onto the retina, but behind it (See Figure 1). To correct this, the central portion of the cornea must be made steeper; and this is accomplished by removing corneal tissue in a donut shaped pattern, or in another words more from the peripheral areas. Eyes with astigmatisms focus light waves unevenly because of the irregular shape of the cornea; football shaped as opposed to the usual round, basketball shaped corneas. The excimer laser can remove corneal tissue asymmetrically, and so the end result is a round, symmetrical surface (Sloat, 90). LASIK, did not just develop suddenly overnight in some ophthalmologists mind; however, LASIK is part of an evolved procedure (Gallo, 127). Todays vision correction revolution dates back decades through the sheer genius, persistence, and ingenuity of Professor Jose Barraquer (Slade, 8). Refractive surgery, which is the type of surgery LASIK is characterized as, started in Bogota, Columbia in 1948 when Barraquer started performing a procedure called Freeze Keratomileusis. This procedure involved adding a disc of corneal tissue (donated from another person) with a predetermined curvature in the cornea giving it structure. In a journal found 2 decades after this procedure, it stated that patients who had myopia could see better after the procedure; however he stated a few months after the surgery, that some patients would lose their eyesight due to infection. The reason for this was that Barraquer used an unsterilized shaver to cut the cornea. It was not until the late 1970s that refract ive surgery resurfaced when US surgeons visited the Soviet Union. The surgeons brought back a procedure called Radial Keratotomy (RK) which made spokelike incisions in the cornea by using a handheld diamond scalpel. The results were good, but scientists noticed that the incisions structurally weakened the eye. Scientists and doctors worked for 2 decades to develop Radial Keratotomy into a procedure that was both safe and produced good results. Then in 1994, a company by the name of Summit Technologies developed the first excimer laser that could be used for surgery. A year after, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this excimer laser and stated that it could only be used to correct mild nearsightedness in a procedure called Photorefractive Keratectomy (PK). In PRK, surgeons scrape away the very outer layer of the cornea (less than 5% thickness of the entire cornea) and then use the excimer laser to vaporize the underlying corneal tissue to a predetermined depth (no more than fifty percent thickness of the cornea). These results were very good as 90 percent of the cases showed that the patients achieved at least 20/40 vision, which is the usual standard to pass a drivers license test; however, the surgery had many drawbacks.While the procedure itself was not painful, patients had significant pain and discomfort for almost a week after the surgery (Gallo, 129). Worst of all, it often took a week to even see anything and six months to get the full benefits of the surgery (Gallo, 129). Dr. Stephen Slade, a refractive surgeon, summarized the procedure well by saying, ?PRK works well, but it hurts and the results take too long. To be honest, patients dont like it.? Soon after PRK was introduced, surgeons began testing a procedure called Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis, which was first partially introduced by the father of ophthalmology, Barraquer in 1950 (Slade, 8). Keratomileusis is derived from the Greek root keras (horn-like cornea) and mileusis (carving ) and basically it is a procedure that involves slicing and peeling back the outer layer of the cornea (anterior cornea), leaving a hinge on one side, while the laser sculpts the tissue underneath (corneal stroma). After the excimer laser is done, the flap is placed back to where it was before, and no stitches are needed because the corneal flap heals by itself when left to dry. You are probably wondering if they still used the diamond scalpel, and the answer thankfully is not. Surgeons use a very precise instrument called the microkeratome (See Figure 3) which makes LASIK very unique compared to other surgeries. This device is a mechanical shaver that has a sharp blade, which moves back and forth at very high speeds (See figure 2). After a suction ring has been placed on the cornea, the microkeratome is place on top of the cornea and advances across it at very small increments creating a flap that is only 1/3 inch in diameter. This instrument cuts the cornea at a uniform thickness and creates a portion of the cornea uncut. After the suction ring and the microkeratome have been removed, the corneal flap is folded back (See Figure 4), exposing the middle portion of the cornea. Also in LASIK surgery, the excimer laser can be used at different frequencies and therefore produce different desired results in the same patient. Each laser pulse in a LASIK procedure removes ten-millionths of an inch of corneal tissue in twelve-billionths of a second while in a PRK procedure, the laser removes about twice as much in about the same time. The amount of corneal tissue removed depends on how nearsighted or farsighted the patient is (Gorman, 60). The more nearsighted a patient is the more tissue must be removed to obtain a flatter cornea, and the same goes with farsightedness, except the cornea has to be made steeper. The growth of Bitcoin EssayLittle research is available on LASIKs long-term safety and effectiveness, but there is information available on PRK. Last year, a review in ophthalmology traced eighty-three British patients who underwent PRK in 1990, and found no serious complications in any of them. This is attributed to the amount of untouched, deep cornea (approximately fifty percent of the entire cornea), which maintains the eyes original overall shape. This is opposite of RK which left only 10% of the untouched cornea (Voelker, 1494). Despite its increasing popularity, LASIK is not for everyone. People with extra-thin corneas are not good candidates of this surgery because the surgeon does not have enough tissue to work with. Ophthalmologists also turn away people who have rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes because they have problems with dry eyes, and are hence poor healers. As people approach forty years old, they begin to lose the ability to change their focus from far to near (presbyopia), but dont worry, it is natural in everyone. Baby boomers who have LASIK to try to correct presbyopia, usually trade their distance glasses in for reading glasses (or vice versa). Surgeons are now answering this problem with ?mono-vision?, which is correcting one eye for far distance and the other for focusing on close distances. After this procedure, the brain adapts, using each eye for different functions; however, patients often experience blurry midrange vision and have depth perception problems. ?Most patients dont mind it , but it drives some people nuts,? says Dr. Slade. ?There is a revolution happening in vision correction,? says Dr. Guy Kezirian, a refractive surgeon in Arizona, and spokesman for the International Society of Refractive Surgery. ?Were seeing a stampede of people interested in a surgical alternative.? The question I ask is, why not? Glasses can be very inconvenient, and contacts can be a hassle, so why not venture in this vast, growing field of LASIK? LASIK is not just an eye operation anymore, it is a 2 billion dollar a year industry that has revolutionized the way surgery is looked at. Usually costing two thousand dollars per eye, LASIK is not a surgery that anyone can afford, especially since it is not covered by insurance. Yet when asked, a LASIK patient consistently states that the surgery was one, if not the, best thing which they have ever done for themselves: no worries of sleeping with contact lenses and contracting a sight threatening infection (Slade, 254). No fear of scuba diving or swimming with contacts, and no fear of waking up 3 a.m. after having heard noises downstairs, and not being able to find your glasses. LASIK surgery gave Diane, a forty-five-year-old doctor assistant, a newfound sense of freedom. Before the surgery, she couldnt clearly see her feet when she was in the shower, but now after LASIK, she is taking rock-climbing lessons with her twelve-year-old daughter; something she would have never done if she were wearing glasses or contacts. Stories like this are becoming common as Americans flock to eye doctors at record rates for this ?surgical fix?. LASIK is blossoming like a flower in the Fertile Crescent and soon everybody will be taking advantage of its wondrous gift that it provides; the gift of sight.

Symbolism Used in Poker Flat Essay Example

Symbolism Used in Poker Flat Paper Human societies all across the world follow a set of beliefs which influence their attitude and thinking. There are certain values which are honored and followed by the members of these human societies. Among these values, the value of virtue and purity is considered to be most important for the welfare of the society. The significance attached to virtuous behavior and purity in human society is depicted in the short story â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† by Bret Harte. The story follows the journey of four outcasts who are exiled from their community named Poker Flat. Although these four outcasts are expelled from their community for failing to follow the values of virtue and purity, they display their virtuous qualities in the course of their journey when they seek to protect a young couple of lovers. Through the element of symbolism, the author brings forth the mistaken notion of virtue held by the people in the community of Poke Flat. Symbolism People regard that virtuous behavior is the most important factor which influences the welfare of a human society. If the members in a particular society are virtuous, then the peace and harmony in the society is maintained. But if some of the members of the society indulge in immoral behavior, then the peace of the society can be threatened. It is this thinking that induces the people of the town in the story â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat†, to banish four individuals, who are thought to be indulging in immoral activities, from Poker Flat. These four individuals are John Oakhurst, The Duchess, Mother Shipton and Uncle Billy. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism Used in Poker Flat specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism Used in Poker Flat specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism Used in Poker Flat specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer John Oakhurst was a gambler whereas Uncle Bill was a drunkard, who was also doubted of being a robber. Mother Shipton owned a brothel while The Duchess worked as a saloon girl. The people of the town desired to deport immoral persons living amongst them hoping that the town will flourish after the departure of such people. â€Å"A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper persons. † (Harte 23). These four people were judged by the society as immoral persons so the people of the town ordered them to leave the town. After being exiled from their town, the four people embark on a journey to reach another camp which was less respectable compared to the Poker Flat. In course of their journey, they decide to halt at a place to take rest, where they are joined by Tom Simson and Piney Woods, young lovers who have eloped from their homes. Owing to a snowstorm and stealing of mules by Uncle Billy, all of them are forced to stay in a cabin discovered by Simson. It is during their stay in the cabin, that the virtuous qualities of the four outcasts are revealed. Although the outcasts behaved in a manner which was unacceptable to their society, they strove hard to protect the lives of the young lovers. Being at the mercy of nature, the outcasts struggled to keep them alive with the aid of the rations available in the cabin. Mother Shipton sacrifices her life to save Piney by leaving her rations for Piney. â€Å"It contained Mother Shiptons rations for the last week, untouched. â€Å"Give em to the child,† she said, pointing to the sleeping Piney. † (Harte 30). By giving her life for the sake of saving Piney, Mother Shipton reveals her virtuous quality. The same virtuous quality of the outcasts is presented in the story when Piney and The Duchess hold each other and sleep peacefully. The snow covers them and the author describes this happening in a manner which represents the purity of The Duchess and Piney. â€Å"Feathery drifts of snow, shaken from the long pine boughs, flew like white-winged birds, and settled about them as they slept. † (Harte 31). The white-winged birds are symbolic of virtue and purity. In their death, Piney and The Duchess looked so peaceful that it was hard to point out who was the sinner and who was innocent. â€Å"And when pitying fingers brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. † (Harte 32). The snow washed away all the sins of the outcasts. Through the symbolism in the story, the author brings forth the virtues of the outcasts who were exiled from their community for improper behavior. The snowstorm aids in revealing the virtues of the outcasts and the snow expunges the distinction between the sinner and the innocent. The snow in the story is symbolic of the purity of the outcasts. Conclusion The story â€Å"The Outcasts of Poker Flat† by Bret Harte depicts the journey of the four outcasts who are considered to be improper individuals by the people of the town. But their virtuous qualities are revealed when in course of their journey, they make every effort to save the lives of young lovers. Being held back in their journey by the snowstorm, the outcasts and the lovers stay in a cabin surviving on the rations available there. One of the outcasts, Mother Shipton sacrifices her life to save Piney from death. Her sacrifice brings forth her virtue which was overlooked by the people of the town. Similarly, the virtue of The Duchess is exposed when in death she looks similar to the Piney who was pure and innocent. The snow in the story is a symbol which represents the purity and virtue of the outcasts. Works Cited Harte, Bret. Selected Stories of Bret Harte. BiblioBazaar LLC. 2006.

Government Expenditure essayEssay Writing Service

Government Expenditure essayEssay Writing Service Government Expenditure essay Government Expenditure essayToday, the problem of the high government spending raises the debate over the possible reduction of the government spending that will stimulate the economic growth of the US. However, the government spending tends to increase rather than decrease and this trend is likely to persist. In such a situation, it is important to understand the main items comprising the core of the government spending today.The government expenditure is the subject to the public debate because the government spending is one of the primary concerns in the time of the economic downturn, while cuts in the government spending affect a large part of the population. At the same time, in spite of economic problems and policies conducted by the government, the government spending tends to increase in the US. At this point, it is possible to refer to the article â€Å"What Is Driving Growth in Government Spending?† by Nate Silver, where the author explores the historical change of t he government spending and reveals major trends in the government spending and how it affects the US economy and society.In fact, the author of the article provides the detailed analysis of the development of the government spending and stresses key changes that occur in this field in the US. In this regard, it is worth mentioning key findings of the author. First, the government spending on the defense comprised over 40% as share of GDP and comprised the lion share of the total government spending not only during World War II but also after the war.However, in the course of time, the government spending has shifted toward the higher spending on social welfare programs and entitlement programs. The author places emphasis on the fact the government spending on the entitlement programs comprised the larger part of the total government spending by 2010. At the same time, the author points out that the government debt and interests on the national debt remain low. At first glance, such a trend is paradoxical, because the national debt keeps growing but the author explains the low costs of interests on the national debt for the federal budget by the fact that borrowed money and interest rates are cheap borrowings. Therefore, it is possible to trace three major trends: 1) the cut of spending on defense; 2) the growth of the government spending on entitlement programs; 3) the low costs of interest rates that makes the public debt a cheap instrument to cover the budget deficit.Eventually, Silver arrives to the conclusion that the growing spending on entitlement programs may become too costly for the US government, while Americans will take the government spending on diverse social programs for granted. As a result, Silver compares the federal government to insurance brokers, who takes risks and covers health care and other costs of their clients, who do not even care about them.However, some points made by Silver in the article are debatable/many researchers () disagr ee that the public debt is as attractive as Silver believes. In fact, the public debt is still the costly instrument because the government will have to serve the debt in a long run. As a result, the growth of the public debt will still increase the government spending on interest on the public debt. Many researchers () insist that if the public debt keeps growing, it will become the unbearable burden for the federal budget.At the same time, I believe that the growth of spending on entitlement programs is a very important trend but it is not necessary as negative as Siler believes. To put it more precisely, the government spending on entitlement programs means the funding of health care programs, educational programs and other entitlement programs. If the government cuts abruptly costs spent on these programs, a large part of the population will be unable to cover those costs that may have disastrous effects putting many people on the edge of survival. Moreover, another effect of th e possible cut of the government spending on entitlement programs will be the reduction of revenues of businesses and organizations that rely on the government funding. For example, health care organizations will have to cut their services provided for the population covered by welfare programs sponsored by the government. As a result, the cut of the government spending on entitlement programs may trigger the deterioration of the socioeconomic situation in the US and, more important provoke the large scale social conflict.Thus, the government spending tends to increase today basically due to the growth of entitlement programs. Silver warns that this trend may have negative effects on the US economy and society in a long run. In this regard, the reduction of spending on defense and infrastructure remain almost unnoticed by the author, who considers that such reduction is not significant and disastrous. However, the conclusion of the author that the rise of the government spending on entitlement programs is negative is questionable because, otherwise, i.e. in case of cuts of the government spending on entitlement programs, the US may face the profound socioeconomic crisis.

Using Forest Fire Weather to Prevent Forest Fires.

Using Forest Fire Weather to Prevent Forest Fires. Predicting Wildfire Behavior Using Weather Data Predicting wildfire behavior is as much an art as it is a science and very much based on understanding weather conditions that influence wildfire. Even seasoned firefighters have trouble reading fire behavior and in predicting a forest fires potential threat to property and lives. One tool at a fire bosses disposal is USDA Forest Services Wildland Fire Assessment System. Wildland Fire Assessment System Daily bits of information are compiled at 1,500 weather stations throughout the United States and Alaska. The values of this data are used in assessing current wildfire conditions and you can find valuable information on the Internet. Every incident command center should have an  Internet connection to these sites. USDA Forest Services Wildland Fire Assessment System provides the support and supplies fire weather and mapping sources. Fire Danger Maps A fire danger rating map is developed using current and historical weather and fuel data. These data are transferred to models to give present condition information and also predicts what may happen tomorrow. Maps are developed to give a visual presentation of the potential danger of fire in a particular region. Fire Weather Observations and Next Day Forecasts Observation maps are developed from the fire weather network. The latest observations include the 10 minute average wind, the 24-hour rain total, the temperature, the relative humidity, and the dew point. There are next day forecasts displayed as maps as well. Live Fuel Moisture/Greenness Maps A fuel moisture index is a tool that is widely used to understand the fire potential for locations across the country. Fuel moisture is a measure of the amount of water in a fuel (vegetation) available to a  fire  and is expressed as a percent of the dry weight of that specific fuel. Living fuels  play a major part in the potential of fire. Vegetative Greenness is a major determinant and predictor of fire spread. The greener the vegetation, the lower the fire potential. This map depicts the green you would expect to see from the air. Dead Fuel Moisture Fire potential is heavily dependent on dead fuel moisture  in forest fuels. There are four classes of dead fuel moisture - 10-hour, 100-hour, 1000-hour. When you have a drying of 1000-hour fuels, you have major potential for fire problems until a general soaking occurs. Wildfire Drought Maps There are several maps that depict drought as determined by measuring soil and duff moisture. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index measures soil capacity to absorb water. Another index is the Palmer Drought Index which is linked to the National Climate Center Regional and updated weekly. Atmospheric Stability Maps The stability term is derived from the temperature difference at two-atmosphere levels. The moisture term is derived from the dew point depression at a single atmosphere level. This Haines Index has been shown to be correlated with large fire growth on initiating and existing fires where surface winds do not dominate fire behavior.

Paper based on instruction (READ CAREFULLY) Essay

Paper based on instruction (READ CAREFULLY) - Essay Example The first piece is a book written by Naomi Wolf entitled â€Å"The Beauty Myth.† The book gained significant amount of popularity after it was published in 1991. It discusses the backlashes of feminism. Wolf states, â€Å"The contemporary backlash is so violent because the ideology of beauty is the last one remaining of the old feminine ideologies that still has the power to control†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wolf, 1991, p.487). Wolf claims that society has set a standard about beauty that still holds women imprisoned up to this age. In Alex Pham’s article entitled â€Å"Boy, You Fight Like a Girl,† the author describes the current trend of online gamers who play characters representing the opposite gender. He describes that such trend provides an opportunity to experiment the crossing of genders. These two pieces of information will be analyzed in order to come up with an insight regarding how women are still trapped in the issue of physical looks in both the eyes of femal es and males. Claims Both authors claims that there is still an issue regarding the perception of society on women. Wolf claims that after the supposedly triumph of feminist groups in 1970s, women were able to acquire a certain form of equality with men that allowed them to â€Å" gain(ed) legal and reproductive rights, pursue(ed) higher education, enter(ed) the trades and the professions, and overturn(ed) ancient and revered beliefs about their social role† (Wolf, 1991, p.486). However, Wolf states that despite these seeming freedom and newly founded rights, women did not truly feel so free after all. She claims this statement two decades after the triumph of feminism. It is said that after breaking through the power structure that had once been oppressive to women, â€Å"the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us† (Wolf, 1991, p.486). Accordingly, one could look at Pham’s article where he states, â€Å"Female characters generally get treated better in the male-dominated world of virtual adventuring† (Pham, 2001). This may sound like something good coming from men. However, Pham also states that if someone uses a female character, they â€Å"must constantly brush off unwanted advances, and their female characters are not taken as seriously† (Pham, 2001). It does not sound so good after all. These statements clearly say that there is something wrong about society’s perception of the female gender. Approaches Wolf is known as an advocate of the modern day feminists. Her book would have made a strong impact had it not targeted only those who have a strong feminist side. Wolf sometimes uses statements that may be deemed abrasive by the rest of the audience. For example, Wolf states â€Å"The affluent, educated, liberated women of the First World, who can enjoy freedoms unavailable to any women ever before, do not feel as free as they want to† (Wolf, 1991, p.486). In reading the book, one can actually say that Wolf presented the sides of her argument, but not the other side. Due to this, the book somewhat have an abrasive tone to it. Such approach to the argument is similar to Pham’s. In his article, Pham mainly addresses individuals who understand the virtual world

Air conditioning. What and when was it invented How did it develop Essay

Air conditioning. What and when was it invented How did it develop - Essay Example It was fan-powered. It was Ding Huan who made a fan which passed air from cold water which then spread in the house. This idea was found in the dynasties of Tand and Song. First, people powered the fans manually. Later on, water was used to drive the fans. One very difficult design of powering the fan was found in the Tang dynasty in which the fountain water that went upwards was used to push the gears and hence, the fans were turned on. In the air-coolers in which water was used as the main cooling thing, the evaporation of water made the space very humid. Michael Faraday as a scientist of British origin who in 1820 made a compressor in which, ammonia was used. The challenge in front of Faraday was to exhaust the fumes of ammonia. This was difficult because of the toxic property of ammonia. Although the cooling agent was unsafe, yet the technology of compressing he introduced is used even today. Compression was later used by John Gorrie who was from Florida. He made ice with it. With this ice, he cooled down the structures. The commercial air conditioner was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in the year 1902 (â€Å"History of Air Conditioning†). Carrier was a very hard working person. â€Å"I fish only for edible fish, and hunt only for edible game even in the laboratory† (Carrier cited in Bellis). His air conditioner was to be used to lower down the temperature of the machinery that was used in the process of printing. But one thing that Carrier noticed and was very good about his design was that in addition to cooling down the air, his air conditioner also regulated the humidity in the air. This property assisted in calibrating the ink in the printing press and also made the alignment of the papers very good. This was a very wonderful achievement and laid the basis of air conditioning in both the commercial and the industrial sectors. Carrier decided to do good business with his air conditioners, so he opened up

Question of Authorship Essay Example for Free

Question of Authorship Essay For the past five decades, the world of literature has come to venerate the great works of one man. The tremendous contribution of Shakespeare in Literature remains unparalleled. The sheer volume of the plays and sonnets he had written remain unmet, and the quality of its art remains unmatched. So much so, that there is probably no one inhabiting this earth who hasn’t the knowledge of the great writer. No one graduates from school without having the experience of Shakespeare in their education: his plays are celebrated through staging and his works are the subject of study in, and even outside of, Literature classes. Also, the celebration of Shakespeare and his works are not limited to the confines of education. Theatrical companies earn a sizeable proportion of their profits in staging Shakespeare’s five-century old works. Publishing companies benefit largely in the millions of hardbound copies they have printed of Shakespeare’s works, and the literature he and his works have inspired. With the picture that has been painted, we can see how influential and how big a pillar Shakespeare is in Literature. However, with the exception of literary scholars, not many people are aware of the issue that has surrounded Shakespeare’s authorship of the works that have been claimed to be his since the time man can remember. William Shakespeare of Stratford has always been regarded as the man who wrote the immortal plays and sonnets. But ever since speculations have started to arise, various names have also mushroomed through the investigations of scholars who claim that these names are the ones which we should be celebrating, and not that of the businessman William Shakespeare of Stratford. The speculations started when Alexander Pope brought to the attention of readers the authenticity of the attribution to Shakespeare in a number of his works. Pope attacked Shakespeare’s on the genuineness of works that had been excluded from the 1623 Folio, a collection of Shakespeare’s most compelling works. His criticisms made in the 17th century continued to influence the generations that followed with respect to their opinion on the matter. Primarily though, what has unsettled critics are the dissonance in his the experiences and education received by a theater man in Stratford and the quality and content of the works he allegedly produced, as stated by one source, â€Å"The work attributed to Shakespeare shows a knowledge of geography, foreign language, politics, and an immense vocabulary that many find inconsistent with what’s known about Shakespeare’s education,† (Lanciai). Authorship Majority of the investigations were done through a historical point of view. If we take a look back in history during the time Shakespeare wrote his plays, we would find out how authorship was perceived as insignificant, even illegitimate, in the writing of the book. According to another source, traditional narratives that present the Middle Ages as a ‘golden age’ of forgery for which questions of authorship and authenticity were unimportant (King). What triggered this was the inability of novice writers (especially people of rank) to publish their own name in their works under the regime of Queen Elizabeth. A gentleman of rank could not publish under his own name lest he be suspected of having a profession. This policy was followed, and writers of rank either circulated their work privately or they made use of pen-names (Lanciai Christian). Also, the theater industry during Shakespeare’s time was an unsurveyable community (Lanciai). It therefore follows that while theater was an important industry of the era, it is very challenging to examine the works of the industry. These reasons ultimately lead to the graying of the trace to the real authorship of the works attributed to Shakespeare. Why not Shakespeare? It has been mentioned in this essay that the theater industry was an unsurveyable community during Shakespeare’s time. A piece of information that is known though is that the owners of the theaters were communally owned by the actors, according to Lanciai’s article. Only the exceptional rise in the business, and William Shakespeare was one of them, as he was an accomplished capitalist of those times. Therefore, we can surmise that Shakespeare the businessman was a person considered of rank in his age. If we remember the rule that was imposed on writers of rank, another source argued thus: â€Å"If Shakespeare was a gentleman of rank, then William Shakespeare could not he his real name. By contrast, the William Shakespeare who was a play-broker, part owner of an acting company, and resident of Stratford as well as London would have been in a good position to use and appropriate work written by an anonymous high-born author,† (Price, Diana). How Shakespeare was perceived The man’s (Shakespeare of Stratford) social and professional position in question was described by Pope as this: â€Å"He writ to the People; and writ at first without patronage from the better sort, and therefore without aims of pleasing them: without assistance or advice from the Learned, as without the advantage of education or acquaintance among them: [and] without the knowledge of the best models, the Ancients, to inspire him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From this description, King surmised that Pope regarded the dialogue of the actors in his works as â€Å"bad conversations†, and that he was only able to get away with this because of the Court patronage. Also, he had drawn from the quote that the quality of Shakespeare’s dramatic writing improved in direct proportion to his level of social and linguistic contact with ‘the better sort’. With this we can already see how Pope has de-merited Shakespeare from the level of literary genius which has always been associated to his name. It also evident that Pope deemed Shakespeare of this position because of the social position he was in, as according to the same article, Shakespeare’s social contamination by his inferior associates and conversation partners contributed to the de-meriting. An argument from another author supported Pope’s claims when another author said, â€Å"It appears that Shakespeare of Stratford was not much respected (or liked) while Shakespeare the author was† (Price). The other side of Shakespeare of Stratford that Pope pointed out in concurs with the knowledge of the author. According to Price’s book, Shakespeare of Stratford was identified by contemporary documents as a money-lender, play-broker, wheeler-dealer, social climber, and sometime actor. No contemporaries of Shakespeare called him as an author, not even people from his community. What also strengthens this argument is the lack of surviving documents written by him which have any literary significance (Price). Aside from these, what’s also disturbing for scholars is the fact that the will left by Shakespeare did not mention of any books that he owned. In Elizabethan period, books were considered important items and therefore were to be bequeathed to relatives or fellow writers. His passing also spoke of his merit as a celebrated modern playwright in his time. Unlike other playwrights, his death did not stir any public notice. Add to that the issue brought about the will he left behind, these things make a lot of people wonder about his merit as a writer. It seems that his will was the only trace of Shakespeare’s literary works. A man named Reverend James Wilmot was said to have searched all of Warwickshire to look for any piece of evidence that would present Shakespeare’s literary activity. Reverend Wilmot did not find any anecdote, letter, document or any memento (Lanciai). Surely, anyone who is claimed to be a writer will have volumes of writings in his home, or any piece of writing at all. The article also explained that Reverend Wilmot’s discovery led him to conclude that Shakespeare really must have another writer. His education also proved nothing but extraordinary. According to Price’s book also, the businessman from Stratford only acquired a grammar-school education at most. While possible, it is difficult to believe that a person of such educational attainment could produce the level of intellect and cultivation found in his works. It is almost unquestionable when one makes the claim that Shakespeare’s works have shaped the way English dramas are to be written, as put by another source, â€Å"He creates and establishes the English verse drama, he gradually develops the English drama into the form which subsequently and invariably becomes the Shakespeare standard (Leahy, William). † This particular writer is one with the critics who says it is impossible that these works of great quality could have been produced by a man with little educational background. Leahy added in his article, â€Å"It’s not likely that Shakespeare could master this form directly without preparatory work in such an accomplished professionalism which is already evident in the first Shakespeare dramas. † What made him say this is due to his non-existent education and lack of experience of Cambridge, France, and Italy. Aside from this, Price adds how scholars point out that his knowledge of several foreign languages is deemed dubious. The article explained that there is no indication that Shakespeare knew any languages other than English, or that he ever left England. The discrepancy between the images of the two persons has fuelled the debates for the authenticity of the businessman from Stratford’s authorship in the Shakespearian works. The Real Shakespeare Among the numerous strings of allegations and speculations regarding Shakespeare of Stratford’s merit to claiming authorship to a number of literary works, a lot of names have also surfaced. Among these people was Francis Beaumont, a young dramatist who passed away in the same year William Shakespeare died. As death could sometimes speak of the greatness of a person, we could surely say that Beaumont was considered as one of the significant people in English drama. The whole of England mourned for his death and paid tribute to the dramatist. Aside from this young dramatist, another man is claimed to be the real Shakespeare. Ben Jonson, who also completely dominates the preface to the first edition of the complete works of Shakespeare, which appeared in 1623, is also suspected to be the real author of the plays (Lanciai). Lanciai adds that Ben Jonson himself has published his complete works first, which could have led him to think that the Shakespeare dramas should also be published. In addition, Christopher Marlowe has been alleged to be the original Shakespeare. Born in Canterbury, he was a learned man who received his education in the King’s School Canterbury, as well as Corpus Christi College, Cambridge through scholarships. The resonance with the quality of education has convinced many scholars, but what was more convincing was the practice he was able to gain in translations, poetry, and playwrighting (Oleg, et al). Lanciai also mentions another probable author to the works in question. After the discovery of Reverend Wilmot regarding the absence of Shakespeare’s literary work, the Reverend believed that a man named Francis Bacon should be recognized as the authentic author. The Reverend concluded that Shakespeare must have been the protective name for Bacon. According still to Lanciai’s article, Bacon’s education, experience and knowledgeableness could be better reconciled with the intellectual level exhibited by the works. Also, as the authorship clearly indicates that the experience were collected from at least the Cambridge university, Italy, and France, Bacon proved to be a probable candidate to the authorship as he had extensively went to these places. To add, Bacon’s education allowed him a position as an ambassador and to also serve as a member of the House of Commons. He was knighted and moved to higher political positions after the ascension of James VI (Oleg, et. al) In conclusion, the works of Shakespeare are not to be questioned with respect to the contribution in Literature and the quality of art that it contains. While the question of the Shakespeare authorship has been around for hundreds of years and is therefore a very important matter to be settled, it would be more important and more contributory if aspiring writers who are inspired by these works to focus their attention to â€Å"what† and not as to the† who. † Works Cited: King, Edmund G. C.. In the Character of Shakespeare: Canon, Authorship, and Attribution in Eighteenth-Century England Lanciai, Christian. A Summary of the Shakespeare Problems. Research Journal Volume 06 2009 Online Research Journal Article. The Marlowe Society. 2009 Price, Diana. Shakespeares Unorthodox Biography: New Evidence of an Authorship Problem Seletsky, Oleg, Huang, Tiger, Henderson-Frost William. The Shakespeare Authorship Question.

What Came First Thought Or Lan :: essays research papers

Language came after Thought In order to be able to prove the statement 'Language came after thought', the words 'language' and 'thought' first will have to be defined. Language could be described as a system for formulating and communicating information, thoughts and feelings. There is, however, not one adequate definition of thinking, since most definitions do not cover all aspects of thought. It could be defined as a mental activity, but also as the way one's mind perceives one's senses. Having gathered this information, the concepts of language and thought will be looked at, and the relationship between the two concepts will be found. Firstly, a distinction has to be made between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. There are infinitely more thoughts in our mind than we can ever perceive. The German psychologist Fechner, who lived in the second half of the nineteenth century, compared the mind to an iceberg. This iceberg has only a fraction of all the information and thoughts stored in the mind above the water level, on the surface of consciousness, but by far the biggest part of it is hidden underwater, in the unconscious mind. Recent research has shown that only a very tiny proportion of our unconscious thinking is converted to conscious thinking. This conversion processes like the search engine in a computer: this 'search engine' unconsciously selects the thoughts we want to be available for our conscious mind. Then a small part of the thoughts from the unconscious component of the mind, the part that is aware of, and to a certain extent induces the person's choice of action, is consciously translated i nto language. This means that the meaning a person wishes to express provides the strategy for the proper word. In the conscious mind there are words, whereas in the unconscious mind there are only concepts. Creativity, for instance, can be found in the unconscious mind. Inspirations for paintings or for music compositions are found in the unconscious mind. Human beings, however, do not encounter them in the form of words. Musicians in general are much more likely to think in form of harmony instead of in a melody: they do not think in the form of chords, but in the form of harmony and melody. This harmony is in that musician's subconscious mind, and is expressed through his conscious mind in the form of a melody. Even scientists often do not think in language.

Does Internet Enhance or Reduce Social Interaction Essay

Papers like HomeNet publications have been following the effects, positive or negative of Internet on its users. The findings are interesting as it reports both positive and negative results. Initially the effect was negative on those who relied heavily on internet for communication. However that scenario has changed with time. Current studies no longer show the overall negative effects of the past. Using internet to communicate with families and friends as well as being involved in community activities has been on the rise. Negative effects are generally experienced by people with less support economically and introverts and positive effects experienced by people with good social resources and extraverts. Some people who have integrated internet into their ordinary lives have generally benefited, but they now experience new social problems. These problems are highlighted in this discussion in depth and a summary made in a table. Those internet users who find communication important, have good reason to expect that Internet has positive social impact on their lives. For such people communication, including contact with neighbors, friends, and family, and participation in social groups, improves their level of social support. To them interacting with internet gives them fulfilling personal relationships, a sense of meaning in life, and commitment to social norms with their communities. Their psychological and physical well-being (Diener et al. 1999; Cohen and Wills 1985; Mirowsky and Ross 1989;). They think through the use of internet for communication, they could have important positive social effects on individuals (McKenna and Bargh 2000), groups, organizations (Sproull and Kiesler 1991), and communities (Hampton and Wellman 2000), including society at large (Dertouzos 1997; Hilts). Just like the telephone did, they think broad social access could increase people’s social involvement, and facilitate formation of new relationships (Fischer 1992; Wellman 1996). People who are generally isolated could find new social identity and commitment (Katz and Aspden 1997). Isolated members of communities could participate in group organizations at a distance (Sproull and Kiesler 1991). Internet is also handy for political mobilization (Bonchek 1997). Whether Internet has positive or negative social impact depend upon the quality of the people online, their activities and what they give up to spend time online. Stronger social ties generally lead to better social outcomes than do weaker ties (Wellman and Wortley 1990). As we go through the discussion we find that the ease in communication that internet offers has encouraged people so much that they now spend more time alone, talking online with strangers and very little time with their communities. Increasingly people are connecting to each other through the internet, and looked at positively, one would say internet has increased the frequency of communication among its users. There are pertinent issues to look at today regarding our social interaction compared with the past: †¢ Has our social relation one-to-one improved or diminished? †¢ Has it provided more evidence of the difference between our virtual self and real self? †¢ Has our group interaction improved or diminished? Users of internet are socially withdrawn because they are most of the time lonely and hooked onto the net. Research has found that the more people are online, the more they become socially isolated ( James E. Katz). The study further shows that people who are constantly online the more they become isolated from social life and that there is a relationship between depression, stress and strength in social ties created by extensive use of the internet. This on the extreme can weaken the social ties that people normally have. Robert Kraut who is a researcher in the field and professor in the Department of Communication at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N. J. is the leading author of the study. However the finding has been seriously challenged as inadequate and lacking in rigor. The critiques say there needed to have been a control group used for comparison purposes and that the sample size was too small. On the contrary, computer experts are quoted as saying internet has greatly increased their human interaction. They say that they can now meet more people than ever before. But sociology experts say this is more a manifestation of people in a state of denial than the truth. But the truth is that there are two divergent views about computers and its social effect on people. Hoffman and partner Tom Novak at Vanderbilt University’s Project 2000 have for example have conducted a collaborate research with Georgia Institute of Technology in which they find many web users find the net browsing enriching and satisfying and that they are usually left in a happy state of mind far from being depressed. Philip Aspden, executive director of the Center for Research on the Information Society, surveyed 2,500 Internet users and found no evidence of social withdrawal. The study found that online participants are no less likely to join religious, leisure or any community organized activities than people who aren’t online. Virtual interaction is the norm in internet activities. People using portable computers can work in one office, one project without necessarily being physically in a place. They could be several kilometers away and do everything together that they could do in one environment, one office, and location. They can talk and hold meetings and discussions together. Internet has made the world look like a one local village. The issue is what is the social implication of this arrangement? Is it positive or negative socially? The answer is positive because the physical location can be anywhere most convenient for the individual. It can be your house / study room, supermarket; or inside your car. People work better when they operate from premises of their liking. Negative because supervision, control, co-ordination and monitoring becomes difficult. People find such arrangements new and odd though not necessarily bad socially. With time we shall be used to it and our sense of belonging will change. In this discussion we try to bring into focus the positive and negative social impact of internet. However we seem to agree that internet users have more social problems than usual. They are among other things withdrawn from normal social life and in virtual solitude as is commonly known. It is interesting to hear what some of these people say. Please allow me to quote some experiences from people who use internet. â€Å"Every time I go through the process it seems more and more like a religious ritual. When I reflect that I am connected to thousands or millions of people across the world, I forget that I am seated in a solitary confine of my computer room. I admit it is a strange feeling, one that I really like to the extent that I forget the social pleasure I normally find socializing with people outside there. Sometimes I also get frightened that I am beginning to like my computer mediated communication (CMC) better than talking with most real people with whom I come into daily contact face to face. Though I find it sad to say, I have never enjoyed serious discussions before where people say what is in their heart. Social opportunities and even academic opportunities for such discussions are dwindling. Our culture has become more and more trivial and superficial. † Through CMC people can find intellectual stimulation. It is easily available and comfortable. But the human touch is more natural and more satisfying. We are social animals and we need to meet and chart. Intellectualism has its time just as social life also has its time. The other negative aspect of internet is privatization which was introduced by Marshall McLuhan. This theory states that as entertainment and information becomes readily available to people, they are less likely to seek them outside their homes. As that happens, social interaction is becoming less and less frequent. We can select the people to talk to and use special words and mode of communication. Soon we shall be out of touch with the real world where we have different type of people needing different types of communication. My entertainment, amusement, and even communication have become private rather than public. Family people have very little time for each other because they spend all that time on the net. The young ones are the most affected. During the day, they are out in school and their parents are out for work. When they come home they cannot meet either, because everybody is busy with internet. When will they talk or learn from the parents one would ask? All that they imitate are programs from the internet, some very weird indeed. As parents we might overlook and despise the experience we got through social interaction with our peer groups and communities while we were young. It taught us to be at peace with our environment. In this environment there is richness found in diversity. The diversity found in behavior and culture of its people. We come to be more informed that the world is made of both order and disorder and become equipped to handle both occurrences. That is how we have been molded to be strong and resilient. The world of internet is denying our children that freedom and experience. Children never play together at home and very little in school. Computer mediated communication CMC is a new phenomenon in the computer world. There are other technologies more commonly used such as e-mail and interactive chat on the internet. These modes of communication have both bad and good sides. They have made communication, fast, easy and affordable. The physical location of the people we communicate to is no longer a barrier. We talk to people anytime anywhere by a mere touch of a button. When we play with our peers and join social clubs we meet people and friends and that is healthy for our body and mind. We are able to do some exercise which our body needs to avoid aging. We use our bodies more than our minds. To conclude my analysis on the effects of the internet talking about pornographic ideologies is no new phenomena as it is one of the high condemned vices of the internet as it is being used in all ways. Income generating activities, a source of employment to others but highly exploitative and seriously abusive in all ways, it ranges from child pornography to adult pornography.

Life, its problems, the good and the bad of human experience, are major concerns of Simon Armitage’s poetry

There are three poems I have chosen to help me discuss and write about my thesis ‘Life , its problems, the good and the bad of human experience, are major concerns of Simon Armitage's poetry'. They are the Untitled poem â€Å"I am very bothered†, â€Å"Poem† and â€Å"It Ain't What You Do, It's What It Does To You†. â€Å"Poem† is one of Armitage's life problem poems When You don't remember the good things a person has done but the bad things a person has done you remember. This poem has many lines which start with ‘and' which is a sort of list of things this person has done. Also he starts off the poem with â€Å"And if it snowed and snow covered the drive† which is like the poem is the second part of another poem or he has left out the beginning and got to the important part. There are three verses describing things he did. Mostly everything is good things about him for example â€Å"And for his mum he hired a private nurse† apart from the last sentence which describes him doing bad things for example â€Å"And twice he lifted 10 quid from her purse† (Mother). This made the reader only remember the bad things because it was the last thing the reader remembers about him from the whole paragraph. The last verse is about how people rated him as a bad person who he was only occasionally like everyone else in the world. There was one sarcastic part of the poem when he said â€Å"every week he tipped his wage† and soon after said â€Å"what he didn't spend he saved† because he would not have nothing to save if he spent half on alcohol. I think Armitage's poems puts in these sarcastic bits and bad or wrong doings spread over the poem so you are al ways reminded he is a bad person but he is clearly an average person but people judge you on all the things you do so you should be careful on what you do. â€Å"I am very bothered† is a poem of the bad of human experiences. It's about what you do to try to attract attention which has good and bad consequences. Simon Armitage shows how he feels about his experiences when he looks back on them. He feels very troubled when he remembers a time when he was in school as a child in a science lab. He put a pair of plastic handled scissors over a hot Bunsen burner until it was soft and melting slowly and gave it to a female pupil. When she held it around her fingers he described the scene as â€Å"O the unrivalled stench of branded skin as you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  meaning it was so bad no other bad smell could compete with it and that it left a mark of dull, dark, black, burnt skin. There was a burnt ring around one of her fingers and one of her thumbs that were marked for life. He described his feelings of this horrific atrocity by saying â€Å"Don't believe me if I say that was just my butterfingered way at thirteen, of asking you if you would marry me† butterfingered way meaning not really meaning it, not seriously so he means don't believe be if I said I was only joking when I said will you marry me. Finally, the poem â€Å"It Ain't What You Do It's What It does To You† is about human experiences which are mainly good. It starts off with him not have gone to America with hardly anything but then say he has lived with thieves in Manchester which are both bas experiences in the first verse. In the second verse he talks about only one thing he hasn't done which is gone to the quiet, peaceful Taj Mahal â€Å"padded through Tag Mahal, barefoot†. In the third verse he talks about only one thing he has done. Which is skimmed a flat stones across Black moss on a day so still he could hear every sound which is normally unheard of â€Å"hear each set of ripples†. In the fourth verse he starts off with him not have sky dived from an aircraft but he says â€Å"I held the wobbly head of a boy at a day centre, and stroked his fat hands† which has a really big effect on your life to see someone in a bad state. All these examples shown of things done or things he hasn 't done means he is saying our experiences effect our behaviour and ways of thinking and makes us more wiser on the things we do. Like In the final verse he describes the feelings of doing all those things inside of us as a â€Å"sense of something else† which I believe it's a feeling so out of this world that you have to do it to find out. All these poems we have studied show that Simon Armitage thinks deeply about humans and how they react to life experiences. Whether life experiences bring problems or happiness we all have to deal with them in the right way. For example from the poem ‘Poem' the problem of the man only remembered by the bad points and that man has to deal with that in the right way by defending himself and the people who rate him also have to be careful on what they say about people. We have to try and live through it all without it bringing us down and making us feel miserable. For example ‘The untitled poem about him very bothered about the girls burnt fingers we have to deal with the fact that it happened and to let it go and get on with our lives. We also have to make sure we don't make wrong decisions just to make ourselves feel happy and don't care about the others. For example again to the untitled poem Simon should of thought of the consequences and the pain of others but he didn't he was only seeking attention for himself. Now I hope you now know Simon Armitage poems are based on life's good and bad experiences.

London Dispersion Force Definition

London Dispersion Force Definition London dispersion force is a weak intermolecular force between two atoms or molecules in close proximity to  each other. The force is a quantum force generated by electron repulsion between the electron clouds of two atoms or molecules as they approach each other. The London dispersion force is the weakest of the van der Waals forces and is the force that causes nonpolar atoms or molecules to condense into liquids or solids as temperature is lowered.  Ã‚  Even though it is weak, of the three van der Waals forces (orientation, induction, dispersion), the dispersion forces are usually dominant. The exception is for small, readily polarized molecules (e.g., water). The force gets its name because Fritz London first explained how noble gas atoms could be attracted to each other in 1930. His explanation was based on second-order perturbation theory. Also Known As: London forces, LDF, dispersion forces, instantaneous dipole forces, induced dipole forces. London dispersion forces may sometimes be loosely referred to as van der Waals forces. What Causes London Dispersion Forces? When you think of electrons around an atom, you probably picture tiny moving dots, spaced equally around the atomic nucleus. However, electrons are always in motion, and sometimes there are more on one side of an atom than on the other. This happens around any atom, but its more pronounced in compounds because electrons feel the attractive pull of the protons of neighboring atoms. The electrons from two atoms can be arranged such that they produce temporary (instantaneous) electric dipoles. Even though the polarization is temporary, its enough to affect the way atoms and molecules interact with each other. London Dispersion Force Facts Dispersion forces occur between all atoms and molecules. It doesnt matter whether they are polar or nonpolar. The forces come into play when the molecules are very close to each other. However, London dispersion forces are generally stronger between easily polarized molecules and weaker between molecules that are not easily polarized.The magnitude of the force is related to the size of the molecule. Dispersion forces are stronger for larger and heavier atoms and molecules than for smaller and lighter ones. This is because the valence electrons are further away from the nucleus in large atoms/molecules than in small ones, so they are not as tightly bound to the protons.The shape or conformation of a molecule affects its polarizability. Its like fitting together blocks or playing Tetris. Some shapes will naturally line up better than others. Consequences of London Dispersion Forces The polarizability affects how easily atoms and molecules form bonds with each other, so it also affects properties such as melting point and boiling point. For example, if you consider Cl2 and Br2, you might expect the two compounds to behave similarly because they are both halogens. Yet, chlorine is a gas at room temperature, while bromine is a liquid. Why? The London dispersion forces between the larger bromine atoms bring  them close enough to form a liquid, while the smaller chlorine atoms have enough energy for the molecule to remain gaseous.

Substance Abuse and Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Substance Abuse and Prostitution - Essay Example The situation can escalate quickly when someone is under the effects of Ecstasy, often needing to rush them to the bathroom and purge their bodies with water so they don't dehydrate. It also becomes difficult to prevent people influenced under many of these drugs from having unprotected sex, which is another major health indicator. The two go hand in hand. But this is not the only problem with drug abuse around the state. According to a study done about the use of tobacco within the University of Minnesota, those who smoke regularly (which is roughly 25% of the current population of the university) are 6.3 times more likely to use marijuana 5. Part of the problem with marijuana too is the fact that it is easy to get a hold of. Through personal experience and people I know, even though I don't use the drug myself, there are roughly about ten or so people I could talk to who could get me some marijuana within a couple of days, and for fairly cheap as well. With only $20, a person can get significant amount. Part of the problem is the rising prostitution and drug traffickers around the Metro Area. It is a little known fact that the Twin City Area harbors some of the highest levels of prostitution. Even more alarming is the fact that most prostitutes within Minnesota start at the young age of 14, and that there are approximately 1,000 prostitutes who are under the legal age in the Metro Area 6. Not only that, but the Yellow Pages lists over 140 escort services.

Constantine and Christianization Research Paper

Constantine and Christianization - Research Paper Example His mother was a Christian and it is assumed that her influence may have been a factor in his conversion, although this is based on speculation since there is no record relating to the reasons for his faith. He was undoubtedly a man of conviction who changed his spiritual allegiance out of sincere motives, but his individual beliefs do not explain the gradual consolidation of the Christian place which took place during his lifetime. In order to explore this fascinating period of history and explain the rapid process of Christianization in this period it is necessary to look at the political and economic conditions of the time as well as some of the religious and philosophical debates which were carried out in clerical and academic circles. Constantine became emperor of the whole Roman Empire in 324 at a time when most of the Roman authorities were convinced that the stability of the empire depended upon persecuting Christians and promoting the traditional polytheistic religion of Roman antiquity, while admitting some secular and philosophical debate drawn from the widely popular Greek culture of the time. According to Gill (1) Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was one major contribution to Western history but it is matched by his creation of the illustrious city of Constantinople, which became a model for other cities to follow and a rival to the glory of Rome. His massive building plan gave greater credibility to the Christian faith, particularly as he was interested in Church architecture and devoted significant sums of money to Christian projects. Constantine was a remarkably generous patron to the arts and architecture, leaving his mark on the history of European culture in the form of many ambitious buildings which together characterise what came to be known as Byzantine culture. Some important

Investment & Private Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Investment & Private Banking - Essay Example In this era, corporate issuers search for any form of low-cost funds and then use the derivatives market to alter those claims in a risk profile that cater the financing needs of the corporation (Bethel & Ferrell, 2006). The increased use of derivatives has given sophisticated institutional investors a way to attain risk exposures that they desire and the ability to manage their existing risk exposures in a dynamically cost-effective way. Derivatives are increasingly becoming more and more accepted in the financial markets with competitive prices and margins. But the margins earned by the institutions are declining and thus they have began to engineer more complex securities known as structured products. As the derivatives became more advanced, corporate as well as private investors wanted to protect their downside as well as upside participation in the bear market and bull market respectively. This paved the way for a new kind of derivatives called the structured investment products or structured finance products (Bethel & Ferrell, 2006). Structured products have no exact definition in the business or in the regulatory framework. Definition used by SEC, NASD and NYSE for structured products is that it is an instrument or security that is derived from another security, index, commodity or basket of commodities (Bethel & Ferrell, 2006). This is a broad definition that includes a wide range of products such as equity linked, collateralized debt obligations, credit-default swaps, commodity-linked debt and reverse convertibles. For this reason, according to Hens & Reiger (2009) structured products are also called equity linked or index linked notes that combine one or more assets such as stocks or bonds with a derivative providing a bundle that have specific characteristics for different investors like participation and protection of capital.

Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Article - Essay Example The article suggests that ,Vogan firm assisted an accused named Julian Green , who is arrested for storing child pornography images on PC to go free . According to Montaldo ,(2013)â€Å"Almost all pedophiles have a collection of pornography, which they protect at all costs. Many of them also collect "souvenirs" from their victims. They rarely discard either their porn or collections for any reason†. At the Julianne Green's home enormous numbers of child porn images were found, which led to the accusation of being a pedophile. The images stored in his computer were a firsthand proof to the police to accuse him as a pedophile. The convicted Julian Green is saved by Vogon, due to latter’s professional approach and eye for detail. The hard disk of Greene acquired by Vogon is detected for virus infection to understand whether the pornographic images were downloaded and stored due to malware functioning. As per American Associated Press (2009) â€Å"Of all the sinister thing s that Internet viruses do, this might be the worst: They can make you an unsuspecting collector of child pornography†. Green could have been unaware that the images stored on his PC could lead to his arrest. The Effort of Vogon in releasing Greene Greene is acquitted of pedophile act on the basis of evidence found on his PC which was 172 images of child pornography. The police arrested Green on the basis of the evidence they collected from his computer. The pictures were unknowingly harbored by the Trojan virus in the PC but Green is imprisoned for 10 years for this abusive act. The solicitor Chris has approached Vogon to confirm the reason behind the storage of child porn images, as they were suspicious that it could be the act of virus .The hard drive of Greene is cloned and processed to understand presence of Trojan which infected his pc with images. The computer specialist unraveled this malware in the hard drive of Green with utmost care and skill. The real culprit detec ted by the software specialist was the unsolicited e-mails opened by Green. The computer specialist Gibbs detected 12 Trojan programs on Green’s computer and this was a solid evidence for the solicitor to prove Green’s innocence. According to Kaspersky(2013)â€Å"A common scenario is that a person receives what looks like a perfectly legitimate e-mail or computer update, often from a trusted source. When the user tries to open the file, it seems that nothing happens. In fact, they may have installed a Trojan horse on their hard drive†. Only on the basis of this strong professional evidence, the court decided to drop this case. The credit for Green’s relief from acquitting solely goes to the Solicitor and Vogon Forensic laboratory. According to Forensic Control Limited (2013) â€Å"Computer forensics is the practice of collecting, analyzing and reporting on digital information in a way that is legally admissible. It can be used in the detection and preven tion of crime and in any dispute where evidence is stored digitally† The pedophile cases on Trojan and its consequences The author explains that, a person named Karl Scofield escaped accusation of being a pedophile on the basis of Trojan infection. Apart from this, Aaron Caffrey , the teenage hacker who is accused of crippling Houston web -based system

Women Egypt Arab

Women Egypt Arab The first thing that comes in mind when we mention â€Å"Arab women† is housekeeping and domestic chores. For some time this concept was true. But nowadays, Arab women have proved themselves in many aspects of the society. Still, there are some that believe that a womans place is at home, but for the most part the society have gotten used to seeing women at work. This is not to put down from the value of house wives, they do as much work and are as appreciated as any other woman who holds a high rank in society. In this section of the article we will dedicate it for Egyptian women. History of Womens Liberation Women in Egypt have been battling for their legal right, access to education, and economical rights for centuries. Because Egypt was under the British rule at one point, its women have been exposed to the western ideas, especially those of the upper class. The fight was not only important to those westernized women that have discarded the veil publicly, but also by those who chose to keep the veil but wanted their legal rights. Among those women are Huda Sharawi and Zainab al-Ghazaly. These two women were the first women that adopted the war for womens rights in Egypt. Although there have been associations made by women to discuss and find solutions for womens legal rights in Egypt, Huda Sharawi is still considered the mother feminization in Egypt. She is the founder of the Egyptian Feminist Union in 1923. She campaigned for womens voting rights, equal access to education and change in the Egyptian marriage laws, especially that her own experience with marriage was not a successful o ne. In 1923, Sharawi attended an international womens conference in Rome. After her return she stopped wearing her face veil. Her argument was that the veil is a symbol of womens lower status in Egyptian society. The veil was greatly criticized by western feminists in the conference. But she continued to wear a scarf covering her hair which agrees with Islamic traditions and customs. Zainab al-Ghazali, a disciple of Sharawi, took a different approach. She was the founder of the Muslim Womens Association in 1936. The associations goal was to educate Muslim women to take pride and understand their traditions better. Status of Egyptian Woman Today Egyptian woman today is definitely different from the past. Nowadays women hold critical positions in the society. Where before women were more or less confined to their homes and bearing and raising children, today women are in political, medical, and high social ranks. Women in Egypt are even involved in the military. But women are found also in very odd position. Theres the female truck driver, bus driver, and even taxi drivers. Women are not only allowed to vote, theyre also allowed to run for political positions. They can demand their rights to divorce their husbands if theyre treated badly. They are also responsible for raising their children in the best manner and in accordance to the culture and traditions. So, it is obvious that the status of women have greatly evolved into one that is almost equal to man. Although in some areas, such as Upper Egypt, women are still being oppressed and cannot fully implement their full rights; this problem is on its way to being resolved. Working Women The Egyptian woman is now involved in many fields of the society. Women are great doctors and scientists, politics and great thinkers. It was the first lady Jihan el-Sadat who entered the political field and fought for womens rights to run for political positions. She succeeded to dedicate 30 seats for women in the Peoples counsel. Unfortunately, this legislation was canceled after the death of president el-Sadat. Nowadays, first Lady Suzan Mubarak is a symbol of a great woman involved in politics. Her efforts and the efforts of other women in the Egyptian National Counsel for Women that women are now being involved the upcoming plan national development. There are many known names in political society that are women. Although women have gained status in the political field, but still some in some areas theyre being fought against. As an example, theres a controversy these days about women holding positions as judges. 75% of males working in the judging field, courts in general, refuse to have a woman that has an authority over them at their work. In a survey that questioned 100 member of the field, 51% of the judges refused to have a woman judge among them and 49% accepted but only on the condition that the woman is to do advising work only, not as a judge. What are strange are the excuses these men used to their refusal. One of the judges said that it is not appropriate (forbidden by religion) that he sits alone with a lady judge in the discussion room, especially if the lady is attractive. Another was questioning what should be done in case the woman judge asked for a maternity leave of any other vacation that she legally deserves (as a woman). And from the 75% that refused a woman to be the bo ss of them is the secretariat of the court of Sohag. He said that he would rather work as a microbus driver than work under the rule of a woman. These views still show that most men in the society do not believe a woman can do their job, and even better. This also shows that the society (male society) views women as housekeepers and that their place should be at home. Even after the fact that one woman (Advisor Tahany el-Gabaly) was appointed as a judge in the High Court in 2002. After that no other woman was appointed such a position in almost four years. Commenting on that is one Judge that said that the government was right when they appointed a female judge, and that she was placed in the right place away from being in direct contact with the common citizens, because we are a conservative society. Education for Women It is clear that the percentage of women that are being educated has increased. Yet the overall literacy rate in Egypt is about 50%, it is not surprising to find that most of these educated are men. Girls are allowed to study up until they reach an age where they can get married. But this phenomenon is mostly practiced in the villages of Upper Egypt and poor areas of large cities. Most fathers now are eager to let their girls learn up until they finish higher education. Girls that leave school at an early age are either to work to help with the family income or because their fathers still think with the old ideology that a womans place is at home. Women at Home It is very clear from the previous sections in this article that most Arab men prefer their wives to stay at home and look after the kids. Only a few are happy with their wives working. And usually these wives are torn apart between their jobs and their house work. It is very difficult and frustrating for women to be working, especially in a male dominated society like ours. Beside her day job, she is obligated to clean the house, study for the kids, prepare dinner before her husband returns from his work, and does the entire house work. It is very rare to find a man who helps his wife with the house work or even helping with the kids. It is also very rare to find a man who is willing to leave his job to stay at home with the kids instead of his wife, even if the wifes job pays more than his. These rare husbands are very common in western societies, not in our eastern ones. Conclusion Women are no doubt a very important pillar in the community. Without women there would be no life. Theyre the symbol of delicacy, love, and utmost compassion. God Almighty has put in them very delicate feelings to care for other. He also put in them the strength to take on any difficulties that may face their families. Woman is a word that includes mother, sister, lover and wife, partner for good and for worse, a shoulder to cry on and hand that would stretch out to help. She could be the weakest creature when shes in love and the strongest one when someone threatens her or her family. So please remember that God created Eve to be a helper for Adam, and not his servant. Women in Kuwait Women and politics Kuwait is a small and oil-rich state where women are said to be among the most emancipated in the Gulf region, which is incredibly conservative. Women in Kuwait can travel, drive, and work without their fathers or husbands consent and they even hold some senior government positions. But women in Kuwait have not yet gained the one right that most of them desire: the right to vote. Although the ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber al-Sabah, issued a royal decree in June of 1999 that stated women should be allowed to vote and run for office in the next election, a measure to put his will into law was defeated, 32 to 30, by legislators in November of 2000. When compared to a place such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwaiti women have it good. In Saudi Arabia, no one has the right to vote and women still dont have the right to drive a car (Muslim Womens League). But this does not appease the Kuwaiti women. For the very first time in Kuwaits history, women of all ages and backgrounds turned out in force during the 29th June landmark parliamentary elections to exercise their newfound right of suffrage. Women finally got to fully participate in the decision making process and have their voices heard in the corridors of political power. Since parliaments decision on 16th May 2005 to amend the electoral law, Kuwaiti women have quickly risen to become a major sought-after constituency. With their participation in the elections, Kuwait has witnessed a true democratic celebration. Thousands of women have embraced the elections with a first timers zeal. Although no female candidate won a seat in the parliament, ballot counts have shown the participation of Kuwaiti women in the elections for the first time to reflect major progress.   Even though only 35% of eligible females voted, the level of their participation was higher than womens participation in many other countries including western ones, the first time they exercise suffrage. In Arab countries, men have traditionally been the providers, women the homemakers. This concept is slowly changing, however, as the attitudes of the outside world permeate Arab society. This process is hastened by the influx of foreign women to Kuwait. For some time, Arab women have worked in teaching and nursing, but theyre increasingly also found in other fields, especially banking, finance and the service sector. The majority of expatriate female workers are employed in the service sector as doctors, lawyers, hotel administrators, in advertising, public relations, nursing, education and as stewardesses for the many national airlines. Women and work More local women are entering the work force in Kuwait and some employers view them as harder-working and more reliable than the average local male worker (and invariably cheaper to employ). Women rising to positions of power and influence tend to come from middle and upper echelon families. Indeed, for a woman to rise to a position of influence at work she needs the support of her family, especially the male members. Most expatriate workers whether western or eastern are male. Their wives often have a restriction in their passport which prohibits them from working. Should the wives wish to work, they must obtain their own sponsorship and work visa, but employers tend to be biased against giving work visas to women. Women are often offered work (illegally) and, while this isnt a major crime, it can result in the company being fined and the woman losing her job. Women are generally safe in the workplace, with little sexual harassment because of the severe punishments for this. The influx of female ‘tourists (i.e. prostitutes) from eastern Europe in recent times, however, has reduced the level of respect that foreign females hitherto enjoyed. Women should also be careful not to be too friendly towards Arab men in the workplace, because this can be misunderstood as flirtatiousness. In fact, the legal liabilities and social discrimination to which women in Kuwait are subject reach beyond political rights. According to Freedom in the World 2003, Freedom Houses annual worldwide survey of political rights and civil liberties, Kuwaiti women are legally disadvantaged in matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance, must have the permission of a male relative to obtain a passport; and cannot confer citizenship on their children. In addition, and though the proportion is growing, women remain under-represented in the labor force. But there are other reasons, rooted in Kuwaiti culture and history, to believe that suffrage is within view for Kuwaiti women and that the freedom they now enjoy will lead to further gains in the acquisition of civil rights. For starters, although excluded from political life, Kuwaiti women enjoy a relatively high degree of participation in professional life. They hold prominent positions in journalism, at the universities, in private business, in medicine, and in government ministries. They serve on the board of the Kuwait Petroleum Company. They constitute a little more than a third of the Kuwaiti labor force, and their numbers are likely to grow. This is because women are flourishing in academic life in Kuwait. They constitute over 70 percent of the students at Kuwait University, and about half of those studying engineering and medicine. This is a result of two factors. The first, stressed by Kuwait social scientist Haya al-Mughni in Women in Kuwait, the leading book on the subject, is that in the late 1960s the government adopted the policy that women should be integrated into the work force. To this end, women were provided with educational opportunities. In particular, the government made education compulsory for all Kuwaiti children up to the age of 14, and women were admitted to the University of Kuwait. These associations have been the chief vehicle through which Kuwaiti women activists, almost from the moment the countrys constitution was ratified in 1962, have sought their political rights. Prominent among these associations has been the Womens Cultural and Social Society, founded in 1963. The WCSS believes that the struggle for womens suffrage in Kuwait stands on firm constitutional ground: The Kuwaiti constitutions preamble proclaims devotion to democratic rule, and article seven declares that Justice, Liberty and Equality are the pillars of Society. Through conferences, consciousness-raising, and lobbying members of the national assembly and the government, the Society has sought to overturn the election law passed in 1963, which provides the legal basis for excluding women from politics by providing rules and regulations covering only Kuwaiti men. Last year, a lawsuit, which the WCSS supported, challenging the constitutionality of the election law, was dismissed on procedural grounds. According to Rasha Al-Sabah, a member of the ruling family, under minister of higher education, and the highest-ranking woman in the Kuwait government, Kuwaits distinctive culture and history accounts for its openness to freedom. Located at the crossroads between the Arabian Desert and the Arabian Gulf, and blessed with a capacious natural port at the Gulfs northern reaches, Kuwait originated as a trading center and served as a home to a seafaring and shipbuilding population. Kuwaits commercial character also shaped its political development. As an important trading port since the eighteenth century, Kuwait has been in constant contact with the outside world, particularly East Africa and India, and its diversity of beliefs and practices. And while the men were often at sea pearl-diving or trading for weeks or months at a time, women ran households and developed the ability to fend for themselves. And where does the royal family stand on the question of womens suffrage? Here too informed Kuwaitis differ. In 1999, under some pressure as a result of promises he had made to enlarge freedom in Kuwait after the 1990 Iraqi invasion, the emir finally issued an emergency decree, while parliament was dissolved, granting women the right to vote. However, such decrees eventually must be approved by a majority vote when the national assembly reconvenes; when it did, it rejected the measure by a vote of 32 to 30. Some Kuwaiti liberals, such as Mohammed Al-Jassem, contend that this legislative defeat represented a kind of victory for the democratic process, for what the parliament was telling the emir, in Al-Jassems view, was that laws of such import should arise not by emergency decree but from the legislature. Others, such as Fatima Hussain, argue that the defeat of the measure merely reflected a lamentable lack of political will on the part of the government. Only one political group in Kuwait strongly opposes giving women the right to vote and that is the influential minority whose ultimate aim is to make Muslim law not just one source of Kuwaiti law, as the constitution declares, but the sole source of Kuwaiti law. I mentioned the Islamist view — that Islam itself prohibits the participation of women in politics — to the students at GUST, and wondered how such a religion could ever be reconciled with democracy. Shaikha Al-Ali, seven months pregnant and among those who had expressed little concern about lacking the vote, replied with steel in her voice and fire in her eyes that there was no problem because there was no contradiction between womens political participation and her interpretation of Islam. Nobody can say just when women in Kuwait will acquire the right to vote, but where the press is robust and free, where women avidly form voluntary organizations to help others and to advance their own interests, and where the willingness to live between cultures and to submit religious questions to the authority of ones personal judgment becomes second nature, respect for the just claims of equality cant be far behind. Women in Saudi Arabia Introduction Saudi women become the principle problem of Saudi society. Women in Saudi society are different from women in any other Muslim societies where women have political and social rights. Islam set up rules to regulates the relationships between male and female. Some countries as, Saudi Arabia, is considered male societies and have no value for women. In Saudi Arabia, males are considered the backbone of the societies and women do not share in any decisions about their lives. In this society women are forbidden their simplest rights as, discrimination against women is performed and the laws or other measures counteract discrimination are absence. The most important problems are education, working and marriage. Background Saudi-Arabia is considered one of the countries that emphasize religious aspects without its spirit. Women cannot have higher levels of education. If they want to work, they cannot work in high position. They have limited places for work. They cannot share in any important discussion and cannot hold any political positions. Women cannot depend on themselves. They only listen to their familys orders without refusing. In Saudi Arabia, women cannot choose her husband who will share her life forever. Authorities put wrong instructions for womens lives. They hide under Islams slogan, although Islam clarified womens rights in the society as, society is consider a combination between men and women and cannot be formed without one of the both. Education In the past Islam defined the family as a social arrangement regulating the bond among men and women. At the beginning, Saudi Arabia used the right rules of Islam toward women as; women were able to receive education in 1962 and were progressing in various fields. They were at the beginning to take their life like other Countries. The coming of Muslim brothers to Saudi Arabia sixties and seventies, escaping the tyranny of Gamal Abdel Naser and in Eighties , escaping the massacre of Muslim Brothers in Syria and their accession to Saudi citizenship and work in education.(Al-nabulsi). They controlled the education system and prevented the communication among gender. The society depends on the male power and authorities. Muslim Brothers thought that women are created only to be homemakers and bring children. Women were forbidden from their simplest rights that Islam has given to them. There are many countries like Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia where women have social and political rig hts. These countries are like Saudi Arabia in their emphasizing on their Islam, but they applied the true rules of the society. From age to age traditional and customs moved from placed to another place and women prevented from their rights in the life. Women at work Before the spread of Islam, women were treated like animals. Islam raised the importance of women in the society and clarified all their rights to live a good life among male. During early Islam ages, women had the ability to be educated different types of educations and could work in the suitable places. The best example working women, the prophet wife who worked in the business. Saudi Arabia tried to follow the early Islamic ages, but authorities put wrong rules for womens lives. Women cannot complete their education to high levels as found in other countries. They must go to other countries to complete their educations. In their countries, they do not find available jobs for their educations because the society is male dominated which does not care about women. Women face a lot of obstacles at work due to the different traditions and customs in the society. They cannot reach to high political position. According to Samar Fatany, chief broadcaster for Radio Jeddahs English account for fifty-five percent of Saudi graduates but make up just under workforce. Marriage Other problems that face women are marriage. Most women do not have the ability to choose their husband they only listen to their family orders. In this society male does not know the real value of women. According to the family physician Maha Alatta, in the article Saudi women pioneers Divorce and polygamy are particular problems: These two problem are considered the most problems facing women in these societies Male has the ability to marriage four wives, Islam stipulated the polygamy as, a msn must treat all wives fairly and equally. According to the article Saudi women struggle to confront the religious guise of male power Mohammed Saqr clarified that women were better than they arrived of Muslim Brothers as, women could go shopping without covering their face. Muslim Brothers change the lives without using Islam rules as they said. Discussing the Situation There are a lot of conferences that were established to discuss womens problem in Saudi Arabia. According to the article Saudi Arabia: Gross human rights abuse against women. Which clarified the opinion of Prince Turki Bin Mohammed, when he was asked in the conferences of Amnestys campaign against human rights about the problem of women; he kept silent and said that suffering of women for no reasons other than their having been born female. In the same article, other examples of conferences that established for convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). Saudi Arabia has ratified several international labor organization (ILO) conventions. One of the clear evidence about this problem what happened in Nejd, Asir and south region. As Amal al Ahmari said that female artists are forced to sign their work with pseudonym because Saudi society looks down on them. According to the least world view to Saudi women, ninety-five percent of women are consider homemakers and they preferred sons than daughters. There are a lot of example that prove that women have fought for political and civil equality, when Saudi women derived car during the gulf war, they were immediately arrested and those working were dismissed. Conclusion The more pressures put on government in Saudi Arabia, the more conflicts in the society. Due to all these restrictions on women freedom, they leave their country to other countries enjoying all their right in different aspects of the life. No one can deny that a lot of women struggle and lost their life to have their rights without any benefits. Problem of Saudi women remain a complex one where women become the social problem in the country. Women are forbidden their simplest rights. They cannot educate to higher levels or setup in high position or choose their husband. All these problems can be solved in many steps; first the government must put new rules for the society including all rights of women as find in the Quran. Second, women must have the ability to educate, working in political position and have the ability to choose their husband. All other Arabic countries must help them to solve this problem by send professions in these problems. Women in Syria Introduction The role of the Syrian women in their country is intensified nowadays in many aspects of life. This is recognized by many organizations in many Europe countries. The traditions of Syrian women is discussed by women called Asma Al Asaad. The very noble posture of the young, elegantly beautiful Syrian first lady, Asma al-Assad, at the breakfast meeting reminded me of Nizar Kabbanis words. Kabbani, studying at Damascus University, asks, Is it the Syrian woman who gives her beauty to Syria, or is it Syria that gives her an inner beauty, nobility and femininity? As Asma al-Assad was born and raised in London, she is often asked just how much she has integrated into Syrian culture. The first lady said while she was living in London she went to Syria every summer and never found Syria or its culture strange. She described herself as embodying British-We stern culture. She emphasized they have also started in Syria the kind of revolution developing countries are currently experiencing. She was mostly impressed by the fashion show she watched in Istanbul, and said that the striking synthesis of the traditional and modern in the fashion world could be applied to real life. She firmly believed the traditional and modern will unite. Turkey is a very good model for us, Mrs. Assad said, stressing that Turkey with its synthesis is a role model for the region. The greatest obstacles facing women living in freedom and independently are the customs and traditions, she stated in perfect English. Syria does not only lead Turkey by 10.4 percent in the numbe r of women present in Parliament, it also overwhelmingly leads Turkey in women involvement in local politics. However, the woman is identified with her family not as an individual. The concepts of family and honor are binding for women in Arab culture. Though Mrs. Assad said, We keep asking for more, and we want more progress, it is obvious that the women involved in social and political events are all from the upper class. No woman from the middle or lower class can easily break through the invisible barriers. It is known that there were no civil society organizations (CSOs) until three years ago in Syria, where there is tight state control. Mrs. Assad, who heads the first civil society organization that was established by the state, is also the head of the independent CSOs, most of them established under state control. The word feminism in questions asked on feminism, headscarf and honor killings made her laugh slightly. I think this reaction stemmed from the conceptual structure of feminism in the East. Mrs. Assad tried to explain that there is individualism and an individual behind feminism, but the fact that Syrian culture is based on the family embraces the cultural structure with a different understanding. I listened to her without forgetting the 100 cases of honor killings that appeared in newspapers in 2000-2003. As I was listening to the first lady, I thought about the very colorful and diverse ethnic structure of Syria, where 30 percent of the population are Nusayris. Her role in the Family The womans role as a mother, sister, wife and aunt is important, not her individual rights and demands. 396 of the 767 business women in Syria are entrepreneurs who have established their own business. The newly established SYEA is the first association founded by young entrepreneurs. When she said, Syrian women are eager and ambitious, she made a realistic point, in my opinion. Women are in secondary positions in the society, and the customs and traditions crush them under the mask of religion. Religion is a very private and individual matter, she insisted. What is essential is the Holy Quran, not practical religion, and we must look at this, Mrs. Assad said, adding that she also believed in the importance of reaching a consensus with religious scholars. Hence, they have launched an educational project to make religious scholars work for the betterment of women. This is very important, in my opinion, to get women involved through persuasion and education — not by excluding th em The 20th century was that of men, and the 21st century will be that of women, she said as she was shaking hands with the participants. I believe a womans hand should reach out to the Middle East.† Her role at Work Nowadays the role of the Arab Syrian women in agriculture is intensified is as Two IFAD evaluations published in 1999 provide an important perspective on the role of women in agriculture. In Syria, farming usually a household activity, except among the wealthier farm households. Information on labour in agriculture shows that the usual pattern is that women are completely responsible for caring for the livestock and poultry. Grazing is the exception: here men do an estimated 37% of the work. In crop production, women participate at all stages. Womens farm work in Syria usually involves the following activities: ââ€"  planting; ââ€"  seeding, thinning, weeding; ââ€"  harvesting; ââ€"  fruit collection; ââ€"  crop residual collection and pruning; ââ€"  animal feeding (which often requires frequent trips to the fields to collect fresh fodder); and ââ€"  milking and egg collection. However, Syrian women have little role in marketing. In 91 % of households, marketing is a male task. There are obvious implications for control of income generated from the sale of produce or livestock. Rural women in Syria also tend to have little decision-making power within the household on the disposal of family income. A sociological survey of married rural women found that two thirds of them spent an average of six hours working outside the home. The other third spent seven to ten hours. While much of this time is likely to be spent on the above agricultural tasks, some also goes to fuel and water collection, particularly where sources are far from the home. In addition, women spend a considerable amount of time on work within the home, such as baking bread, preparing meals and looking after children and the elderly. Like women everywhere, they try to combine household tasks and productive tasks. Womens labour input is disproportion^ to their control of agricultural resources. An FAO study in Syria found the following pattern of ownership among women: land: only 5% animals: about 7%-8%, but with variation according to the type of livestock and the area of the country (males own about 97% of sheep, 93% of cows, 96% of goats and even 98% of chickens); and Agricultural machinery: 1%. The agrarian reform of the late seventies redistributed land to all farmers, and Sharis law rec