Do Video Game Kill

â€Å"Do Video Games Kill? † Since the released of a video game called Doom in 1993, certainly one of the most popular first-games shooters games. It is like a double-edged sword, because it does not help video gaming grow into a multibillion dollar industry, but is would teach kids how to kill. In â€Å"Do Video Games Kill? † sociology professor Karen Sternheimer talked about that the â€Å"video game explanation† for kids violence has become more pervasive. In this article, the author talked about politicians and 199 newspaper articles think that the video games teach young people how to kill and are the culprit.They blame video games. However, the author dose not think the video games are negative products. Because she thinks that guns, poverty, families, and the organization of schools may also influence youth violence. When we want to understand why young people, particular in middle-class or otherwise stable environments, become homicidal, we need to look a t what the games they play. â€Å"While all forms of media merit critical analysis, so do the supposedly ‘good’ neighborhoods and families that occasionally produce young killers†(244).Politicians and other moral crusaders created a name for video game, called â€Å"contemporary folk devils†, because they seem to pose a threat to children. Newspaper articles proposed that the video games are constructing culpability, and they are the culprit. But in author’s mind, she does not think the video games are not only way to teach young children how to kill. This is the biggest problem with media-effects research that â€Å"Poverty, neighborhood instability, unemployment, and even family violence fall by the wayside in most of these studies.Ironically, even mental illness tends to be overlooked in this psychologically oriented research† (16). For instance, African-American young people are involved more than twice as often as white in the juvenile j ustice system. So the author thinks poor males of color be killers easier than others. For example, many people now can not find job, so they just feel sad and lost their mind. They think it is unfair, so decided to kill others. So the video games are not only ways to teach killed. On the other hand, the author thinks playing video games can improves spatial skills and reaction time.When we play the video game, we need to improve our attention, and to decided some decision immediately, so playing the video games actually can improve our intelligence. She found evidence about the video games do not increase aggression. She uses some reports quotation to contract and then points out video games does not increase aggression. For example, â€Å" The Boston Herald quoted a clinical psychologist who said, ‘ Studies have already shown that watching television shows with aggressive or violent content makes children more aggressive’’(15). So the media effects are clear, consistent and conclusive.But the author thinks that news reports do not use academic sources to do the media effects research. In conclusion, the video games are not only ways to teach youth how to kill. They killed maybe because of poverty or families, because of unemployment or neighborhood. There are many other facilities to lead youth people kill. And the video games also have some positive sides, like it can improve the spatial skills. So it is not just like politicians and news articles thinking, the video games are not folk devils and are not culprit. ———————– 1

Is Your Glass Half Full or Half Empty Essay

Shakespeare quotes â€Å"there is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so. † These are words of wisdom, as Shakespeare had discovered centuries ago that are still relative to the daily events that occur for the average twenty-first century adult. People often waste too much time thinking about small negative aspects of their day which creates added stress that is not necessary. Like over analyzing every detail of a minor nuisance you’ve encountered. Stress from daily negative occurrences throughout the day everyday add up and have significant harmful effects on mental and physical health. Stress, however is subjective and lies in the eye of the beholder. Therefore stress really does not exist at all, it is all in your mind and you are the one that makes the decision to over analyze every little detail of a situation or not, which allows your thinking, perceptions, attitudes, and appraisals of events to determine what is stressful to you. What initially causes stress is anything that you look upon that is bad or negative in some way. It is how and what we perceive to be negative that brings upon stress on one’s daily life. A decision is based on one’s judgments of their own estimation of value, worth, and quality given a specific situation. According to Cannon-Bard’s theory of emotion, the response comes after the fear experience. Therefore one will experience fear, or stress from threats, illness, change, danger, pressure, conflict, long term frustration, or anxiety. Stress and fear can evolve from any form of threat that is real or perceived. Cognitive reactions are the result of Shakespeare’s quote, therefore the responses to stress after the initial threat or fear. Cognitive reactions teach you methods to change your perception of the way you think for future prevention. Neuroticism is the response that includes emotional, anxious, insecure, and vulnerable aspects regarding stress. Health consequences include both physical and psychological effects. Physical effects include hypertension, eating disorders, procrastination, low immune system, and high levels of cortisol. Psychological effects include impaired memory, impaired performance, and inability to respond to a situation. Health psychology is the most current approach to increase the potential of general well-being. Health psychologists believe in prevention rather than treatment. Therefore they help to predict the onset before an episode. Changing one’s behavior plays a huge role in the resolution of healthy living. Cognitive Therapy is the modern approach which involves changing the way you think and understanding the reason to abandon your old reasoning for a new different perspective on the same thought. The ABC model, where the B in the model stands for beliefs is the most crucial part when analyzing Shakespeare quote. The problem is that people have different believes, opinions, and perceptions of what is good and bad. Unconsciously we begin to form a belief system of what we believe is good and bad from parents, peers, and school. We use beliefs to interpret ourselves, other people and the world in general. In conclusion, the essence on Shakespeare’s quote is to never say anything bad about yourself therefore you avoid the entire idea of the negative pessimistic attitude. The power of positive thinking will change your perspective and feelings. From a cognitive perspective, you can create happiness by decreasing your negative thoughts and increasing your positive optimistic thoughts and views and reducing stress to live a healthy and positive life. When analyzing the question â€Å"is your glass half full or empty? † is hinting at how you view life in general either with an optimistic or pessimistic view. The decision is ultimately up to you.

Child Factors Essay

The first child factor that was found out to be the source of challenging Behavior is Temperament (Douglas, 1989, p. 3). Bates 1980 as cited from Douglas (1989, p. 3-4) have defined temperament as having a â€Å"constitutional basis†, in addition, such a behavior is perceived to appear even in early childhood, and could even persist on the latter part of one’s life. In addition, it is perceived as to be one of the â€Å"definable characteristics of the individual† and finally, is greatly affected by the environment. Thomas et al (1968) and Thomas and Chess (1977) as cited from Douglas (1989, p.4) claimed that there are two types of temperamental characteristics in children. The first is the difficult temperament child and the second is the easy temperament child (p. 5). The first cluster involves children who are â€Å"negative in mood, avoid/withdraw, non-rhythmical and settle slowly† (Douglas, 1989, p. 5). On the other hand, easily temperament children are more â€Å"positive in mood, approach new events and people, rhythmical in schedule and adjust quickly to new surroundings (p. 5). In addition with this, the temperamental difficulty has been viewed by the research of Thomas et al (1983) as cited from Douglas (1989, p.5) as something that is biological in nature, as it has been perceived as part of a child’s biological make up. However, criticisms emerge if such a temperamental behavior indeed stem out of the child’s biology or is a result of the mother’s perception among the child. Tomas et al has claimed that there might be a so-called â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecies† that mothers bestow among their children, every time that they perceive their child as badly tempered; most especially on the early days of childhood (Bates, 1980 as cited from Douglas, 1989, p. 4-5).

Writing assignment II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing assignment II - Essay Example For instance, police officers target individuals basing on their looks. The Supreme Court for the reason that the justices have no case, proof, or record of accomplishment, which suggests that the officers misuse the â€Å"reasonable suspicion† requirement, upheld these provisions. The law drives most immigrants, be they illegal or legal, and makes them hesitant in working with police to resolve crimes (Thomas 13). The wave of immigration regulations that has existed in the state since 2006 indicate only a few symbols of letting up, where state legislators are expected to introduce approximately 1,400 bills. This is regardless of the fact that five years into this lawful surge, the harshest laws have failed to recast immigration in the manner that legislators intended them to. The law is no longer needed because it peacefully removes unauthorized immigrants out of the U.S detaching them from their jobs, property, and families to meet the arcane labor market laws designed by progressive politicians (Johnson & Trujllo 56). It also inflicts recognizable economic harm. The law scares away investment, business, and workers since businesses that intentionally hire illegal immigrants get their licenses revoked as an offense, thus killing the entrepreneurship sector. Throughout history, the United States has served as a destination of freedom and opportunity for many people across the world. As such, immigration has been an integral part of the development of the United States, socially, politically and economically. More often than not, the United States has had to rely on foreigners to diversify the American society as well as to boost the economy. Prior to analysis the history of immigration policies in eth United States, it is worth having an overview of the history of immigration itself. Thus, the first immigrants to come to the United States arrived from Europe. Most of them came for came voluntarily for commercial, settling and religious

Gulf Oil Spill Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gulf Oil Spill Paper - Essay Example Both the air and water pollutants are primary pollutants (Norse & Amos, 2010). This is because the hydrocarbon fumes, smoke, and the oil are released from the source of pollution directly into the environment. They also keep hold of their chemical components. Question 2 There are a number of effects which are associated to the spill. Numerous different species of animals and coral died. The demise of these marine creatures could be seen as both short-term and long-term effects on the environment and wildlife. Nonetheless, there are other short-term effects of the spill on the wildlife and environment. One, water pollutants may lead to a significant decrease of the marine creatures. Two, oil may penetrate the bodies of marine animals, lessening their insulating capacity, and making them more susceptible to temperature changes and less active in water. The long-term effects include, one, water pollutants may lead to the extinction of species because of the bottlenecking that may happen to attempt to repopulate the creatures. Two, creatures that depend on scent to locate their mothers or babies disappear due to the stout oil smell. This causes the rejection or abandonment of babies, hence their starvation and eventual death (Norse & Amos, 2010). Question 3 The troposphere is closest to the surface of the earth. It has the ability of diluting pollutants. It also moves air pollutants from high pollution production areas to lows production pollution areas. The stratosphere is above the troposphere. Pollutants in this layer remain in the atmosphere for long because they do not disperse. In the mesosphere, temperature lessens with height. Therefore, pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a prolonged period. Temperature augments with height in the thermosphere. Therefore, pollutants are moved from where they have high concentration to other areas. The exosphere is the external layer. This layer enables the movement of pollutants to far distances because molecules and a toms are widely spread. The identified pollutants from the spill will affect the atmosphere. This is because the burned oil releases hydrocarbon fumes and smoke which react to develop ozone in the atmosphere (NOAA, 2013). Question 4 The different cleaning procedures include bioremediation, dispersants, skimming, and natural degradation. Bioremediation Bioremediation entails the employment of micro organism metabolism to get rid of pollutants. It may include ex situ or in situ technologies. Ex situ entails the elimination of the polluted material to be cleaned at a different location. Conversely, in situ entails treating or cleaning the polluted material at the site. Dispersant Dispersants are chemical elements that break the tension that separates water and oil. When a dispersant is sprayed on oil, the oil collects in reduced droplets making them to sink. This facilitates a natural breakdown. Skimming Skimming equipment with fine filtering systems may be utilized to clean up oil spi lls. First, the spill is controlled using booms then the oil is skimmed from the surface. Booms can be made from stout material or neoprene. Natural Degradation The most appropriate way of dealing with an oil spill if it is not probably going to pollute coastal regions or fishing areas is to let it naturally break down (NOAA, 2013). Question 5 There are several new regulations and safety measures for oil drilling. One, organizations are required to provide

HRM Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HRM 1 - Assignment Example The Tata Consultancy Services management had a very difficult task especially during the recession period as they spent most of their valuable time dealing with legal risks, financial, marketing and production while giving absolutely no consideration to its contingency plan. The absence of the company’s human resource professionals in the company seriously affected Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) business activity and the management came to realize when it was already too late that this was actually a key component in its management strategies. There was high employee turnover which transpired at the time the company least expected and it almost made the entire management to close down its business by retrenching all its employees. A contingency plan was the best possible practice as it could assist the company (Tata) management to define how it would continue or recover its critical functions from the turnover of staff incident. This contingency plan remains very critical since key employees and other members of the entire team remain an integral part and kit of any recovery strategy that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has to put together. The contingency plan would in future reassure Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employees that their jobs remain secure during preparation and implementation of the contingency plan. This remained as the second human resource challenge faced by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).Tata Consultancy Services however, failed to have an insight of the oncoming recession period that would impose some destruction on its business and so it was vital for the company’s top management to engage the employees by looking into strategies that can enhance the company’s human resource capabilities and sustainability so as to achieve the ultimate objective of the company. This can make the employees to engage and interpret the likely challenges. Tata

The Negro in the American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Negro in the American Revolution - Essay Example In the northern states slavery was completely abolished by 1840. Very often we witness the change in treatment of historical events by official history, presented in the school and university textbooks. This is quite natural and understandable as histories are written by people, who are inevitably influenced by their background, political or cultural preferences. But witnessing such changes with so different approaches and learning the events we just can't but seek witnesses' memories to be able to make conclusions ourselves. For some time the position of Black people in the Revolutionary War was explained as their wish to help, however it was not so. The Negro's role in the Revolution can best be understood by realizing that his major allegiance was not to place nor to his people, but to a principle. Whoever invoked the image of liberty, be he American or British, could count on a ready response from the Blacks Published in 1961, "The Negro in the American Revolution" remains the most inclusive chronicle of the many roles performed by African Americans during the American Revolution. For the first time Quarles addresses the diplomatic reverberations which were the result of the British evacuation of African Americans shortly before the war. Benjamin Quarles's initial concern in his book is to attract more attention to the Negro as an overlooked participator during the revolution period. Quarles supposed that the American Negroes saw and understand the independence movement through their own longing for liberty, and were induced to action not by allegiance to a definite banner or place, but rather by a newly aroused expectation of personal independence and private "unalienable rights". Quarles says that it was reasonable, that a Negro became closer to the side that gave the best promise of liberty, even when it was made by the British, exactly the nation that the white colonists were revolt ing against under wail of enslavement. With the help of comprehensive research and many specific examples to portray the feelings and emotions of Negroes as a whole, Quarles proves this thesis with success. The Negro's significant role in the Revolutionary War originates from the inevitable fact that both sides needed black manpower. And both sides proposed the Negro his liberty as a reward. The author of this valuable book does not pay much attention to the outstanding sense of the Revolutionary period reality and shows us the state of America's society. In the Revolutionary war the American Black People were participators and symbols. They took active part in the battle actions and were active behind the lines; in their hopes and in the gains they inscribed within the war period, they embodied the aim of that liberty in the name of which the fight was waged. According to the author, "the Negro's role in the Revolution can best be understood by realizing that his major loyalty was not to a place nor to a people, but to a principle. Insofar as he had freedom of choice, he was likely to join the side that made him the quickest and best offer in terms of those "unalienable rights" of which Mr. Jefferson had spoken. Whoever invoked the

Annotated Bilbliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Annotated Bilbliography - Essay Example By incorporating this process, organizations will see a trend in accelerated innovation, which will be realized in operations, products, and processes. Agresti, A. (2000). Categorical Data Analysis. New York: Wiley. The book explains the use of statistical methods for categorical data and explains its importance for various applications especially in biomedical and social sciences. The book explains different methods using a variety of real data in different settings such as medical trials, environmental opinions and much more and is useful for researchers in different fields as is provides statistical methods used in evaluating and analyzing data that will be used for categorical responses. The book offers an introduction to the most important methods used in categorical data analysis and offers the latest methods for repeated measurements and other forms of clusters of categorical data that include marginal models, associated generalized estimation equation methods and mixed models that have random effects. Argyris, Chris. (1977). Organizational Learning and Management Information Systems. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 2(2), 113-123. The journal re-examines the ongoing debate concerned with the implementation crisis of management information systems considering the theory of organizational learning. The journal explains the need for information management in organizations and elaborates on the use of management information systems to achieve proper information handling. The author explains that organizational knowledge is one of the most important assets of an organization and uses management information systems to show how organizations can ensure growth through proper information handling. It explains the need of management information systems in organizations for detecting and correcting errors that occur in the information requirements of organizations and explains that recommendations made for different organizations fail because they are either in adequate or inconsistent with the organizational structures. Brown, A. (2004). Innovation Management and Contemporary Small Enterprise Research. Sydney: Edith Cowan University, Australia. The book is about the process of innovation that has become an integral and critically important activity for the businesses of present age. The author explains how the process of innovation can help the companies in attaining the maximum productivity and benefits by getting competitive edge upon their competitors. Caron, Raymond J, Sirkka, L Jarvenppa & Stoddard, Donna B. (1994). Business Reengineering at CIGNA Corporation: Experiences and Lessons Learned from the First Five Years. MIS Quarterly, 18(3), 233-250. The journal explains the uncertainty and confusion that exits concerning business reengineering and when it is effective and provides a longitudinal view of CIGNA Corporation’s experiences with business reengineering over time. The authors give an overview of CIGNA, which is an established insurance and financial services provider in the United States and the various reengineering practices it has conducted and enabled it to save large sums of money. The author explains how each fund invested in reengineering has brought returns in form of benefits as it leads to reduction of operational costs, maximizes on use of time,

Criminal Justice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Criminal Justice - Assignment Example This specific crime prevention strategy consists of dissuading potential criminal offenders, with regard to specific targets. The basis of this strategy is that denial of access to a target prevents crime. Examples of this tactic are security guards and home security systems. A would be offender, on encountering these systems, would hopefully perceive that the risk of apprehension would far outweigh any potential benefit. However, this strategy could result in a displacement of crime (Siegel & Welsh 79). These measures endeavor to familiarize delinquents with the dire consequences that await criminal behavior. The rational criminal will be significantly deterred by the fear of punishment, and the realization that criminal activity could prove to be a costly affair. These strategies entail, aggressive policing, and compulsory sentencing. The difficulties envisaged by this group of strategies are that the offender may not fear punishment and the fact that the risk of being apprehended and punished is not very great (Siegel & Welsh 79). This strategy involves the adoption of draconian measures. For instance, an offender will be punished with great severity; and this will be of such harshness that these criminals would not recidivate. This entails incarceration in detention centers or maximum security prisons. This strategy was on occasion, seen to increase rather than decrease future delinquency (Siegel & Welsh 79). Another strategy to reduce crime, especially among the criminals who invariably recidivate, is to ensure that they do not obtain an opportunity to engage in crime. It can be achieved by imposing prison sentences that run for very long periods; and by incarcerating a much larger number of criminals. The difficulty involved with this strategy is that even non – dangerous offenders will be imprisoned for very long periods;

Art of Negotiation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art of Negotiation - Research Paper Example Matt, in order to develop his business in Australia, needs to avail quality supply of fabrics from Red Star Holding in China. The negotiation between the two is essential from the perspective of Matt, as the delay in the deal could cause bankruptcy. It is important to note that the fabrics used for the purpose of making shirts also cause rashers to the users. In this regard, there is a need for effective negotiation between the two parties. The effective negotiation would only occur if there is a collaborative approach between the two and hence, seeking for a win-win scenario for both.The theory of Integrative Based Bargaining can be applied in the negotiation process between the two parties. By taking into concern this theory, Matt should focus on the goals of each party and hence, consider the negotiation. Matt should negotiate with Red Star Holding by ensuring that the latter promises to deliver fabrics, which do not cause rashes to the users. This negotiation should be as such th at it creates a win-win situation for both the parties. In this regard, Matt should promote the flow of information between the two parties and hence, understands the need of other parties. This would lead towards emphasizing the attainment of common objectives and the minimisation of any sort of difference prevailing between them. In the course of considering the international context of engaging with business partners from China, it can be affirmed that it is essential to consider certain important factors before the negotiation round.

Strategic Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation Essay Example for Free

Strategic Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation Essay Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service !!Case Write-Up 2 Hamayun Khan In der krà ¼mm 8 65934 Frankfurt E-Mail: [emailprotected] ID: 6495923 16.11.2017 Submitted to J.-Prof. Simone Wies Strategic Market Management M.S. Program Marketing Analytics Goethe University Frankfurt Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Winter Term 2017/2018 Success is the best when it shares, according to case study Starbucks branding strategy, was live coffee which associates to keep national coffee culture and also provide high quality coffee. Starbucks  ´Ã‚ ´Service ´  ´to customize the drink that customers want. Their brand strategy was a big large location to make an environment to gathered peoples, in order to pursue customer satisfaction. One of the distribution strategies in high traffic areas was retail centers, and university campuses etc. Depending on stores, size and it offers a variety of coffee accessories. To reach their customers Starbucks creates third parties distribution like joint venture with Pepsi. Delivering quality service, well-trained workers are important as Starbucks focused. Just say  ´yes ´ policy to deliver best service to the customer. The main problem that Starbucks faced is that their customers customized their products which also affects product quality and customer focus for the company. Mystery shopper program, which is called Customer snapshot, was also a good tool to monitor better service, product quality, speed of service and the most important is cleanliness, that also customers rated high importance in creating customer satisfaction. A great move of the company ´s growth is RD in product innovation and Starbucks also innovates 3rd waves coffee experience which is also a good move for better service, that new fancy reserve stores which are large. Starbuck introduce a concept in urb an areas an evening program. Also a mobile app which offers to customers order and pay from their smartphone. Another big idea to brews up delivery service, which is not free but according to research suggests that people will pay additional surcharge but its riskier too like Frappuccino loses cream balm in some time and whipped cream also it mild into hot drinks. If it fails it will be a huge dark spot in a company. The campaign  ´Ã‚ ´Halo ´Ã‚ ´ effect also increased sales of bottled Frappuccino. This successful campaign also affects business model. I think its possible to deliver customer intimacy through different strategies like customer loyalty programs or music event because most of customers are young and university students. And increasing customers touch points. The Starbucks cards and reward programs brought a big change for customer loyalty and retention, and also to investigate customer ´s need and want. Another way to gain competitive advantages as well as customer satisfaction is low cost leadership and high quality product and service. In todays business world most of the companies focus more on CSR activities like not only to sell a product or provide service but also to do something for the community. Fairtrade is the best way. Consistent customer base and tailored marketing campaign is also possible way to achieve customer satisfaction. Starbucks always pride in retail service but not meeting customer experiences in area of customer satisfaction. To improve speed of service, reduce employees stress increase customer satisfaction. Because companies who build customer intimacy they understand customer ´s world which also helps to closer and trustful relationship with customers.

Nude in art Essay Example for Free

Nude in art Essay The nude has changed dramatically throughout time in terms of its role in the art world. It has been used to portray a person’s power and their weakness, the way they see themselves and the way others see them. The majority of nude artworks are of the female nude, as highlighted by John Berger, ‘men look at women, women look back at themselves being looked at. ’ Vanessa Beecroft, a contemporary artist deems to challenge the way society views the nude in both high art and everyday contemporary society. She challenges the way women are judged on their appearance a base concept that is seen throughout many pervious images of the nude in art. In 1599 Pieter Pauwel Rubens depicts just that, the judgment of a women based on looks in his painting, The Judgment of Paris, which depicts Venus the goddess of beauty and love being judged as the most beautiful female by the judge Paris. In contrast to these female nudes, during the renaissance, Michelangelo’s nudes consisted of mainly males. He used the nude to show both desire and strength as well as his devotion to religion and art. The nude in art can been seen changing as society does throughout time. In the contemporary society we live in today, we, the audience, are more likely to accept the nude as part of everyday life because of the way mass media has influenced us as a society. However, before times when the nude was common sight and open sexual desire was seen as something preposterous, artists used the nude as a way of portraying their personal aesthetic ideals though religious figures, showing their love for both the art itself and their nude subjects. Michelangelo was first and foremost a sculptor. One of his most famous nude sculptures was that of David – depicted in the moments before he defeated Goliath. Created in 1504, Michelangelo sculpted for four years to create, in his own eyes, the finest sculpture of David possible. Michelangelo’s own dedication to the piece highlights his love for the subject as well as the art form. David was depicted as athletic but natural with some fetchers such as his hand and head enlarged for emphasis. David’s naked form symbolised his high religious status to Michelangelo. He felt that perfection such as David’s should not be hidden, this can be seen throughout a range of Michelangelo’s works, both sculpted and painted where he depicts religious figures of high value as nudes and covers lower class subjects with the cloth of a slave as if to cover their shame. Therefore, it can be seen that Michelangelo mirrors his own ideals in the form of religious figures to depict the perfection he desires as well as display this to the audience for them to subconsciously judge the subjects of his work under their own ideals. During the Baroque era, Rubens depicts the scene of the judgment of Paris, this painting allows the male subject to openly judge the female on their beauty alone. While depicting this mythological tale Rubens also himself paints the Venus to meet his ideal expectations of a woman’s desirable qualities, both physically and temperamental and offers her to the audience’s judgment also. Rubens has posed the women to show off their bodies in the most desirable way as well as highlight their key fetchers’ such as their nipples and lips in deep red and gold against their pure skin, he paints the woman with small breasts and wide hips – the ideal representation of female beauty at the time. Implied innocence hides the male voyeurism in this scene – all figures are equally naked however, only the female body is on show, all male’s in the image are either turning away from the audience or are modestly hidden by lavish draping’s, furthermore, the woman are surrounded by small winged children named, Putti; these figures are associated with love and sexual encounters. The ultimate goal for all the women in this painting is to win the love of Paris through their beauty and Venus’ ideal attraction symbolises the high value placed on this virtue and highlights their love and physical beauty as the most important quality they have to offer. Contemporary artist, Vanessa Beecroft challenges the way the nude has been viewed throughout past art as well as how it is perceived in modern society. Beecroft is most known for her confronting live performances in which a selection of like women are stood on high heels and not much else, facing the audience’s gaze. Beecroft aims to provoke reaction from the audience, both male and female, the gaze these models hold as well as their physical closeness to the audience highlight the fact that these women know they are being looked at and judged and consequently look back and judge the audience creating an uncomfortable but eye opening experience for both the models and the viewer. Beecroft challenges the way the nude body is perceived by both high art and by the public and questions a woman’s need to conform to societies expectations as well as focusing on how the concept of beauty can change over a period of time, Beecroft states, ‘maybe if they (the audience) see it twenty times they’ll start not to think of it in the same way, I’m not sure, it’s an experiment. In conclusion it can been seen that the nude has changed dramatically throughout time however, it has always been associated by different forms of beauty and judgment, due to the human nature of the artists that create such works. It can also be highlighted that the way the audience as well as the artist sees the nudes they depict can change during the artwork or during their lifetime depending on how they are influenced by the changing world around them.

A study of girish karnads yayati

A study of girish karnads yayati As a reader of Karnads plays, one has to pay attention to their sources. Almost every text has a source in that the plot is derived from somewhere. The common sources of his plays include myth, folk tale, Puranas, historical chronicles, epics etc. He seems to have inspired from Shakespeare who follows the same tendency of adapting recognized plots. The modern dramatists tend to use original plots, or any well known historical or political event, or adapt a popular Greek myth. There is nothing wrong with the practice of adapting any known or unknown text since it may provide you with the new insight into the source text. Some critics even say that every literature is based on another literature as it carries the echoes of its procreator. For Peter Allen, literary texts are built from systems, codes, and traditions established by previous works of literature (2000: 1). The exercise of finding how the original texts are adapted and the new meaning generated in the process is worth attem pting; it offers us with a new perspective on the subject, event, plot etc. The adaptation is normally a process of putting a source text into another genre, a kind of switch over. Many fictions have been transformed into successful plays or films and vice versa: Jhumph Lahiris Namesake, for instance, is made into a film. In the West, it is a popular practice to dramatize a prose narrative or fiction. Sometimes, the adapted text provides a kind of commentary on a source text (Sanders: 18). It offers a new perspective, a viewpoint which is not realized or focused in the source text. It tries to simplify a difficult or unintelligible text to the new readership. Modern Shakespeare is a very good example of such practice. It is a kind of reinterpretation of the canonical texts either by moulding them into a different genre or relocating their cultural context. Besides, the more the adaptation deviates from the source text, the more creative and original it becomes. The question of fidelity towards the source text is irrelevant as it undermines the creativity and innovativeness of the adapted text. The recent success of adaptations is a clear rejection of all those who term these acts as imitations, copying or plagiarism, or repetition. This is because they sustain or prolong our pleasure of the source text. As John Ellis puts it, Adaptation into another medium becomes a means of prolonging the pleasure of the original presentation, and repeating the production of a memory (1982: 4-5). Adaptation is a never ending process; as long as the source text sustains its relevance, a need to adapt it would be felt. Adaptation of a popular story is a profitable enterprise for many reasons. It has already attracted the attention of readers. It has reached a large section of people, and its properties- title, author, characters-may be a franchise in or of themselves already (wikipedia). All these reasons prompt writers to attempt adaptations regularly thereby to be assured of the success of their works. Though adaptation into a stage play is a common activity, it has its own limitations due to the spacio-temporal restrictions of the stage. A playwright has to work within these restrictions by adopting various techniques such as ellipsis, interpolation, narrative etc. Karnad engages himself in what Genette calls transgeneric practice i.e. adapting mythic narratives, folk narratives and historical chronicles into drama. He takes plots from these sources and delivers them in new dramatic forms. In that sense all his plays are transpositions in which the original narratives are adapted with the aesthetic conventions of an entirely different generic process (Sanders: 20). Moulded into a new form these texts offer a new perspective of life which is relevant in the present context. Karnad derives plots from these sources because he feels that they are relevant and enable him to reflect on the contemporary social and political life in a more subtle and systematic way. There are many taboos and forbidden things in the world which can not be discussed overtly. Otherwise you would invite the irk of society unnecessarily. Sources such as myth, folk or historical events/lives of historical figures offer him with a safety valve which enables the expression of the unacceptable or forbidden ideas in an acceptable manner. To put it simply, one can camouflage ones comment on the present social and political conditions with these adaptations. Take the example of Tughlaq which is considered to be a critique of Post-Nehru era in Indian politics. Tughlaq helps Karnad in expressing the disillusionment after the death of Pandit Nehru effectively. The play that started Girish Karnads successful career as a playwright was Yayati. It was penned over a few weeks in 1960 when Karnad was planning to leave India for Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar for three years against the wishes of his parents. Hence, the play had its relevance that older generation demand sacrifices on the part of younger generation. Unlike his other play, it was Priya Adarkar who first translated the play. It served the purpose until Girish Karnad himself felt the need to translate it in 2008. Actually he was reluctant to touch the play, a work of his juvenilia (written when he was only twenty two.) The present translation of the play by Karnad is, therefore, modified and enriched with the suggestions from Satyadev Dubey, Dr. Shreeram Lagoo, and C. R. Simha. On the suggestion of Kurtkoti, Karnad, in Yayati, tried to reinterpret the myth psychoanalytically like Eugene ONeill. Karnad was very much influenced by ONeills Mourning Becomes Electra and wanted to achieve the same kind of intensity. Karnad found the myth of Yayati-Devayani-Sharmishtha rich in possibilities for the expression of psychological and physiological needs of human beings and social obligations. It was moulded on John Anouilhs plays as he was influenced by Alkazi (who had tremendous influence of Anouilh). He experienced Anouilh through Alkazi and wrote his first play Yayati which was inspired from Anitigone. The myth of Yayati-Devayani-Sharmishtha has been continuously adapted in Indian literature. It has been turned into many plays and novels. There are films based on the myth. In Marathi literature, the two Jnanapith Awardees Khandekar and Shiravadkar (Kusumagraj) adapted the myth into a novel and a stage play respectively. Indian writers fascination with the myth of Yayati still exists and works based on the myth pour in every year. However, Karnads adaptation holds an important place in these outnumbering adaptations. He challenges the very authority of parents by inventing the character of Chitralekha who questions the moral authority of Yayati in taking over her husbands youth on the very first night of their marriage. According to Devdutta Pattaniak (2006 article: Myth Theory), in Hindu mythology there is a famous Yayati Complex, that is, parents expecting sacrifices on the part of their children to fulfill their selfish motives. He termed it as reverse Oedipus Complex. In Greek mythology, there are numerous tales depicting a son responsible for the death of his father. For example, the famous tale of Oedipus Rex. However, in Hindu mythology we have the reverse situation i.e. a father destroys his son to fulfill his ambitions. Whether it is Bhisma, Rama or Pooru, they have to sacrifice for the sake of their fathers. The Yayati Complex indicates the moral obligations in Indian family which even Karnad had to abide by when he decided to go to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar for three years. Hence, Karnad employed the myth to show the intricacies of Indian family structure and challenge its moral authority which makes sons like Pooru to sacrifice their prime and precious things to keep it intact. He write s, While I was writing the play, I saw it only as an escape from my stressful situation. But looking back, I am amazed at how precisely the myth reflected my anxieties at that moment, my resentment with all those who seemed to demand that I sacrifice my future. By the time I had finished working on Yayati-during the three weeks it took the ship to reach England and in the lonely cloisters of the university the myth had enabled me to articulate to myself a set of values that I had been unable to arrive at rationally. Whether to return home finally seemed the most minor of issues; the myth had nailed me to the past (2008: 74). Karnad sticks to the original story as far as the past of the characters is concerned. The prenuptial conflicting relation of Devayani and Sharmishtha, Yayatis encounter with Devayani whom he found in a well after her quarrel with Sharmishtha, and his marriage with Devayani form the part of exposition which is spread through the play. In the play, Yayatis liaison with Sharmishtha and willingness to marry her angers Devayani. She makes her father Shukracharya curse Yayati for his transgression to become decrepitude. In the original story, Devayani learns about the marriage between Sharmishtha and Yayati from their sons. Interpolation is a common feature in adaptations. Karnad too invents the character of Chitralekha as a wife of Pooru. Her function is to questions the moral authority of Yayati in taking her husbands youth for his sensuous pleasure. She suggests Yayati to take over the role of husband. Chitralekha: I did not know Prince Pooru when I married him. I married him for his youth. For his potential to plant the seed of the Bharatas in my womb. He has lost that potency now. He doesnt possess any of the qualities for which I married him. But you do. Yayati (flabbergast): Chitralekha! Chitralekha: You have taken over your sons youth. It follows that you should accept everything that comes attached to it. Yayati: Whore! Are you inviting me to fornification? (2008:65-66) The suggestion of Chitralekha makes Yayati realize his mistake and her suicide forces him to return Poorus youth. Swarnalatas character like that of Chitralekha is invented and runs parallel to the disenchantment experienced by the latter. She has also lost her husband and thinks that death brings peace, the deliverance from uncertainty (2008: 60). However, she repents her proposition when she finds Chitralekha, taking cue from her speech, commits suicide. Just as Swarnalatas husband deserted her when he learned about her relationship with her teacher, Devayani too deserts Yayati after he makes love to Sharmishtha. Swarnalatas married life is Karnads addition to the original tale. Tranpositional practices form the core of adaptation activity as genre-switch is mostly what is expected of it. Karnad takes the story from one genre i.e. mythic story as it appeared in Mahabharata and delivers it to new audiences by means of the aesthetic conventions of an entirely different generic process, a stage play. Yayatis story which happened over many years is shown to be happening in a very limited span of time in Karnads Yayati. He has to cut or shorten many action units to focus on the core part of the myth i.e. transplantation of age. Most of the events are merely narrated and conveyed or suggested by characters the past of Devayani and Sharmishtha, Shukracharya cursing Yayati, Poorus marriage and many other events. The identity of Poorus mother is not revealed until the third and fourth Act. In the first Act, there is an impression that Devayani is Poorus mother unlike in the original tale. However, it becomes clear from the third Act that it is Sharmishtha not Devayani who is the mother of Pooru. The revelation of Sharmishtha as Poorus mother makes us understand that Yayati has been in love with her for a long time keeping Devayani in ignorance. It is only in the second Act that she becomes witness to their transgression and decides to leave the palace. That means Sharmishtha is not shown married to Yayati as in the original tale. And it is more than mere vengeance on the part of Sharmishtha in the play. She remains firm behind Yayati and tries to prevent him from exchanging his decrepitude with anyone including Pooru. She wants him to accept his fate and lead a life of an ascetic. Overall Karnad has been faithful to the source text of Yayati. However, he has made few changes to intensify the theme of social obligations and ripeness is all. As Karnad says: †¦old age brings no knowledge, no self realization, only the senselessness of a punishment meted out for an act in which he (Pooru) had not even participated (2008: 73). The play shows that mere old age (i.e.Yayati) should not be revered but the maturity of a youth (i.e. Pooru). The adaptation of the myth of Yayati by Karnad has its relevance not only at the time it was written but also to the present time when children have to sacrifice their wishes to the whims of their parents who are competing with other parents. However, some children are also forcing their loved ones to bend to their wishes. So it is very clear that adaptations provide us with new perspectives and points of view.

Steel Plant EAF Electrical System :: essays research papers

The modern steel plant receives low current, high voltage power from the generators of the electrical utility company. The purpose of the steel plant primary transformer is to step-down this voltage. The transformer thus provides high current, low voltage power for the EAF furnace. Large furnaces with transformers rated at 100MVA or higher is not uncommon. There are usually two stages to this process. The transformer first steps-down the voltage from high to medium levels. There are different standards for a â€Å"medium-level voltage† in different countries; usually between 30 to 33 kV for Europe and Japan, but for the USA it is usually 34.5 kV. Finally, a heavy duty furnace transformer powers the EAF. This special furnace transformer is designed to allow the electric arc to operate within the desired current and voltage range. To safeguard the EAF electrical system from the primary power supply are two types of switches: a vacuum switch and a motorized disconnect switch. These two switches are designed to isolate the EAF electrical system from the primary transformer in case of an emergency. Other electrical systems around the EAF are the delta closure, the power cables, the current conduction arm, and the electrode holders. The power cables provide a connection between the delta closure and the current conducting arm. It is usually made of copper wires, with a rubber water jacket around the outside for water-cooling the cables. The power cable is connected with the current conducting arm, usually made of copper clad steel or aluminum alloys. This system weighs a lot less than the old bus-bar design that a lot of the older furnaces used. The current conducting arm conducts current directly from the power cable to the electrode holders. The electrode holders must withstand thermal cycling (not so much for our furnace, since our furnace should have a continuous feed) and severe mechanical loading and wear due to vibrations, torsion forces and such.

Feminism Essay -- essays research papers

Feminism Feminism is the belief that women should have economic political and social equality with men. This term also refers to a political movement that works to gain equality within a male and female relationship. In a male and female relationship both the roles of the male and female should be equal. Equal in many ways ten one: they should trust each other, share responsibilities, listen to one another, respect each other, and of course love one another equally. This type of relationship is not found now a days because of the many traditions which imply that women are inferior to men. They also imply that women should stay home all day watching soap operas, taking care of the children, and making the food for their tired husbands coming home from a long day of work. Many cultures think this is how a family should be. In other cultures the woman is thought to be so inferior to the man that the woman can not even go outside of the house without having her face covered with some type of cloth so another man (other then the husband) will be able to see the woman’s beautiful face. Some people were brought up to think that the woman is inferior to the man whether it be from the traditions in the culture to the many sitcoms people watch everyday or even years ago. Some of these normal sitcoms show the wife watching TV and eating junk food all day and when the husband comes home from a hard day of work and the wife nags the husband’s ear off (Married With Children). Even tho...

The Catcher In The Rye :: essays papers

The Catcher In The Rye In a novel, the theme is the insight of real life. J.D. Salinger’s initiation novel, The Catcher In The Rye, describes the adventures of 16-year old Holden Caulfield, the protagonist and first person narrator, who refuses to grow up and enter manhood. The most important theme developed by Salinger is Holden’s problem of dealing with change; he has trouble dealing with death, he refuses to accept children’s loss of innocence as a necessary step in the growing-up process, and has difficulties with growing up. Holden has a near obsession with the death of his younger brother Allie, who died at age thirteen due to leukemia. Holden had punched and broke all the windows in the garage out of anger; he says that his hands still hurt from the incident. Throughout the novel, Holden dwells on Allies’ death. From Holden's thoughts, it is obvious that he loves and misses Allie. In order to hold on to his brother and to minimize the pain of his loss, Holden brings Allie's baseball mitt along with him where ever he goes. The mitt has additional meaning and significance for Holden because Allie had written poetry, which Holden reads, from the baseball mitt. Towards the end of the book, Holden proves again that he can’t cope with death. Phoebe, his younger sister, is putting him on the spot by asking him what he likes, but Holden can only think of two nuns and a boy, James W. Castle. James W. Castle was a boy who Holden had lent his sweater to, Castle died unfortunately by being th rown out of a window wearing Holden’s sweater. Another thing that haunts Holden is the fact that during roll call in class, his last name always is called after Castles’ last name. After the brief moment of reminiscing, Holden irritates Phoebe by saying, â€Å"I like Allie†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He has trouble acknowledging the death of his brother. Holden cannot accept the loss of innocence as a step into the growing up process. The ones that he loves most, are those who are younger to him, they are innocent, and untouched by society’s truths. Holden says, â€Å"†¦I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big. I mean – except me.

Thai Environment Support Physical Activity Health And Social Care Essay

Introduction:In older grownups, physical activity is necessary to supply and keep wellness. ( 1 ) Physical environment, a construct of environment which includes both natural characteristics and human concepts, ( 2,3 ) is significantly associated with physical activity engagement within older people. ( 4-8 ) While the significance of physical environment is good recognized, an accurate step to place the specific features of the physical environment in relationship to one ‘s physical activity, with regard to older Thai people ( aged 60 old ages and older ) , presently non good established. Most of the physical environment questionnaires presently being used have been developed in Western states and most of these graduated tables used within all ages. ( 9-12 ) Furthermore, different dependability among urban and rural respondents have been noticed. ( 14 ) Some questionnaires are designed utilizing either neighborhood-focused graduated tables or community-focused graduated table to measure the physical environment ( 5,12,14 ) , whereas others uses both. ( 8,15 ) Prior research has found that facets of physical environment, i.e. safety, traffic volume, street lighting, unattended Canis familiariss, pavements and accessible public diversion installations, influence one ‘s physical activity, ( 5-8 ) whereas other groundss suggest ambiguous consequences. ( 12,14,16 ) These incompatibilities may be related, peculiarly in older grownups, to the type of measuring used to measure the physical environment. The Environmental Supports for Physical Activity Questionnaire ( ESPA ) is a measuring designed to capture and measure the back uping societal and physical environment for physical activity typically performed by all ages. ( 4,17 ) While non all ESPA attributes apply to the aged Thai who live in either urban or rural countries, most properties are closely congruous with this population. In add-on, the coefficient differences between urban and rural respondents of the ESPA were little when compared with other questionnaires. ( 13 ) As a consequence, ESPA was chosen for physical environment appraisal in senior Thai individuals. The differences in geographic characteristics, civilization and forms of life of aged Thais, may be influenced non merely by their vicinity and community environments but besides place environment. Merely over three-quarterss of senior Thais resided in their ain places. ( 18 ) Most spend the bulk of their twenty-four hours in family jobs, household attention activities, horticulture, every bit good as take parting in community groups activities. ( 5-6 ) With progressing age, the place environment and close milieus become the major life infinite where senior citizens perform their mundane activities and spend most of their clip. ( 19 ) Harmonizing to the findings of the preliminary survey in 10 older Thais, place was most often mentioned as a favourite topographic point for prosecuting in physical activity because of safety concerns and convenience. Even though ESPA focuses chiefly on vicinity and community environmental properties, the relationship of place environment and physical a ctivity of older people is still unknown. After obtaining written consent from the writer, the ESPA was translated into Thai by the translation-back interlingual rendition method. ( 20 ) Some points of the ESPA questionnaire were deleted and the questionnaire format reviewed. Deleted points reflected physical activities and topographic points that are unfound in the Thai context. Five pages of the graduated table and assorted types of picks that was thought by the research worker to be hard to reply were besides removed from the questionnaire. Furthermore, a demand exists to measure home-focused graduated table as an facet of the physical environment of aged Thais. The modified ESPA was conceptualized to include three subscales, with the six points functioning as supportive vicinity and community environments, and four new points as supportive of place environment. The new one page questionnaire was named â€Å" Thai Environment Support for Physical Activity in older Tai people ( TESPA ) † . However, if there is low m istake in the appraisal, the account of the relationship between physical environment and physical activity will be raised. For these grounds, the TESPA needs to be validated for the older Thai population.AimThe intent of this survey was to measure TESPA among Thai seniors for dependability and cogency.InstrumentsFour instruments were used to roll up informations. They included: demographic informations questionnaire ; the Chula Mental Test ( CMT ) ; the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Long signifier ( IPAQ-L ) ; and the TESPA Demographics: The research worker designed a demographic information questionnaire which was used to obtain demographic and socioeconomic informations about each topic. The Chula Mental Test ( CMT ) : The CMT is a 13 points, interview manner, used to mensurate cognitive map of older Tai who have trouble reading and authorship. ( 21 ) Entire tonss indicate cognitive map and scope from 0-19. The cogency and dependability of the CMT was acceptable. ( 21 ) The IPAQ-L: The IPAQ-L assesses the frequence, strength and continuance of all day-to-day physical activity undertaken by five spheres including: work-related activities ; transport-related activities ; domestic jobs ; leisure clip related activities and clip exhausted sitting during the old 7 yearss. ( 22 ) The entire physical activity equals the MET ( metabolic equivalents ) mark, which is the amount of proceedingss spent in each sphere multiplied by the MET value. ( 23 ) Threshold values for the IPAQ-L in this survey included the undermentioned classs: insufficiently active ( & lt ; 600 MET-min/week ) , and sufficient active ( & gt ; 600 Met-min-week ) . ( 24 ) After obtaining written consent from the writer, the IPAQ-L was translated into Thai by the translation-back interlingual rendition method. ( 20 ) The content was validated by three experts in gerontologies and a content cogency index ( CVI ) of 0.96 obtained. The stableness by test-retest over two hebdomads utilizing the S pearman correlativity coefficient of the IPAQ-L was reported to be 0.77 in the pilot survey. The TESPA: the TESPA is composed of 10 points: three vicinity points, three community points, and four place points ( see Table 1 ) . Neighborhood environment is referred to older people ‘s perceptual experiences of support including: features, entree, and barriers to physical activity in an country within a 10-minutes walk from their place. ( 17 ) Community environment support refers to older people ‘s perceptual experiences of convenience and the safe behavior of physical activity in their community within a 20-minutes thrust from their place. ( 17 ) Home environment support is defined as participants ‘ perceptual experiences of convenience and safety, both in and around their place, in relation to their physical activity battle. The Likert graduated table was used to measure physical environment for physical activity. Possible responses were 1 ( strongly disagree ) , 2 ( disagree ) , 3 ( neither agree nor disagree ) , 4 ( agree ) , and 5 ( strongly agree ) . The possible tonss ranged from 10 to 50. Higher tonss indicated a higher degree of sensed physical environment support towards physical activity.MethodThe cross-sectional design was conducted in two stages. Phase I involved quantifying the TESPA that had been implemented during the pilot survey. Phase II included using TESPA to the current survey ; concept cogency was accomplished through usage of confirmatory factor analysis and the known-group method.Phase 1: Quantification of the TESPAValidation and finding of the dependability of TESPA ‘s psychometric belongingss was accomplished. Three geriatric experts determined the content cogency of the TESPA graduated table. When the CVI reached an acceptable value, the pilot survey was conducted. Prior to garnering informations, two research helpers, nursing alumnuss with maestro ‘s grades who had old research experience, were trained to interview participants who met the standards. The research helpers were instructed and tested to corroborate their apprehension of sample standards, definitions, and base constructs of each questionnaire until a satisfactory degree had been reached at the discretion of the research worker. Each research helper and the research worker interviewed 5 samples and inter-rater dependability was assessed. Agreement between the research helpers and the research worker ranged from 78-92 % , with an mean understanding of 87 % . The pilot survey was carried out on October 2008. The purposes were to measure the feasibleness, and to measure psychometric belongingss utilizing TESPA. After obtaining moralss blessing from the IRB, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, consent was obtained from the managers of two Primary Care Units ( PCU ) , in two small towns ( one located in an urban environment and the other in a rural country ) , in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. Participants were older Thai people who met the undermentioned inclusion standards ; 60 old ages of age and over, nomadic and cognitively capable of replying inquiries accurately. No wellness jobs or ongoing interventions that would disrupt engagement in physical activity such as holding suffered a recent cardiovascular event ( anterior 6 months ) , nephritic failure, liver cirrhosis, human immunodeficiency virus, major surgery in the last 6 hebdomads, or a history of medicine usage for the bosom or blood vass during the last three months. Fifteen older people from each puting were recruited utilizing purposive sampling. Each possible participant was given an informed consent signifier that explained the intents of the survey, undertakings to be completed and the length of clip needed to finish the interview, every bit good as its benefits, hazards, types of questionnaires they would be asked to reply, and that they could retreat at anytime without reverberations. The participants were interviewed at their places or at a local temple, whichever suited them. A codification figure was assigned to each participant to maintain confidentiality. Furthermore, stableness of dependability of the TESPA was obtained in two hebdomads, whereas internal consistence was assessed at baseline. The participants were preponderantly older ( average age = 70+ 4.19 old ages ) , lived with partner ( 53.3 % ) , employed ( 62.6 % ) , females ( 76.7 % ) , who had an simple instruction ( 80 % ) and a household income of less than 5,000 Baht ( USD 147 ) per month ( 76.7 % ) . A significant proportion ( 63.3 % ) of them had lived in a municipal country for an norm of 44.6 old ages in their ain abode. Although 50 % ( n=15 ) of the participants felt they had a sufficient degree of physical activity, 20 % ( n=6 ) said their physical activity degree was low. Merely 23.3 % ( n=7 ) reported holding no current wellness jobs, and 16.7 % of them were hypertensive. Their most frequent type of physical activity was household-related activities, followed by leisure clip, transportation-related and occupational activities.Phase 2: Measuring the InstrumentPhase II involved finding of the concept cogency of the TESPA. A sample of 320 aged was obtained via multi-stage random trying from 12 small town s in six states of Thailand. One individual from each household was selected utilizing a systematic random trying technique from a list of household names provided by the PCU unit of each small town. None of the selected names were involved in any of anterior pilot surveies. Datas were collected between November 2008 and April 2009. Prior to the interview, the research worker introduced herself, established resonance, explained the intent of the survey, the parts the participants would do, the choice standards and emphasized the confidentiality or namelessness of the information being collected. Potential participants were eligible if they scored & gt ; 15 on the CMT, were able to ambulate without assistive devices and were willing to take part. The interview procedure took about 15-20 proceedingss. A 5 minute remainder was given after completion of each questionnaire. Participants were ab initio asked to finish the questionnaire on personal informations, and the TESPA, followed by the IPAQ-L questionnaires. Each participant were given a hankie for their clip take parting in the interview.Datas analysisDescriptive informations are presented as average + SD. The internal dependability of the graduated table was based on an alpha coefficient greater than o r equal to 0.70 ; ( 25 ) stableness of the graduated table was analyzed by merchandise correlativity coefficient. Reliability of each point, overall dependability, and concept cogency of the graduated table were determined utilizing structural equation mold ( SEM ) . ( 26 ) The known-group technique was conducted utilizing the multivariate analysis of discrepancy, to compare the physical environment of those who reported sufficient physical activity and those who did non. Statistical significance for analyses except SEM was defined as P & lt ; 0.05. SPSS version 17.0 was used.ConsequencesTable 1 depicts participants ‘ age, which ranged from 60 to 94 old ages old. One-half of the participants ( 50.0 % ) age ranged in between 60-69 old ages. The participants were preponderantly females ( 55 % , n=176 ) , and married ( 64.4 % , n=206 ) who had an simple instruction ( 75.6 % , n=242 ) .In add-on, family activities had the highest degree of engagement, followed by transit related activities, leisure, and business, severally.Insert table 1 herePhase 1: Quantification of TESPAThe CVI of the TESPA questionnaire was 0.92. The dependability coefficients and the test-retest dependability of the graduated table were 0.73 and 0.76 severally. Besides, the alpha coefficient of place had the highest value, followed by vicinity and community, severally ( i= 0.83,0.66, and 0.06 ) . The TESPA was culturally appropriate for aged Thais and the processs were followed without any trouble.Phase 2: Measuring the InstrumentThe entire amount tonss of the TESPA ranged from 19.00 to 50.00, with a mean of 34.87 ( SD=6.47 ) . Based on collateral factor analysis, the findings demonstrated that the concept of TESPA was composed of place, vicinity, and community environment subscales. The correlativity among points ranged from 0.02 to 0.77 and the entire graduated table could explicate 61.01 % of the discrepancy of physical environment. The place, vicinity, and community subscale could account for 29.4 % , 19.7 % , and 12.0 % of the discrepancy, severally. The measurement theoretical account testing was designed to gauge which ten points were used as indexs for the theoretical account. Although the original theoretical account was statistically important, th e theoretical account was non consistent with the informations /df= 4.59 and a RMSEA value greater than 0.05 ( = 151.54, df= 33 ; P & lt ; 0.0001 GFI= 0.91 ; RMSEA= 0.06 ; NFI= 0.88 ; CFI= 0.91 ) . Based on alteration indices, mistake covariances were allowed to correlate. The revised measuring theoretical account ( see Figure 1 ) was re-assessed and findings indicated that overall fit indices had improved. The revised theoretical account was fit with the following data/df= 1.33 ( =33.27, df= 25, p=0.13, GFI= 0.98, RMSEA= 0.03, NFI= 0.98, CFI= 0.99 ) . Furthermore, the correlativities between subscales presented significantly low to chair values ( Home-Neighborhood, r=0.51, P & lt ; 0.01 ; Home-Community, r=0.29, P & lt ; 0.01 ; Neighborhood-Community, r=0.38. P & lt ; 0.01 ) .Insert figure 1 hereTable 2 illustrates the burdens with t-values and squared multiple correlativity coefficients among each ascertained variables for the TESPA graduated table. The squared multiple correlativ ities for ascertained variables of the latent variables ranged from 0.02 to 0.92. The R2 of points 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were acceptable indexs, but points 1, 7, 8, 9, and 10 which were less than 0.40.Insert Table 2 hereTable 3 shows differences in the TESPA subscale between the two physical activity degree ( P & lt ; 0.05 ) .Insert Table 3 hereDiscussion:Testing of the TESPA measuring provided extra grounds for the cogency and dependability. The findings are discussed in the undermentioned subdivision. The content cogency and concept cogency of the TESPA graduated table were acceptable. Continued support for the concept cogency of the graduated table was besides provided through collateral factor analysis ( LISREL 8.80 pupil edition ) and the known-group method. The TESPA measuring theoretical account demonstrated that all measured sub-scales had important low to high parametric quantity estimations, which were related to their specific concepts and validated the relationships among ascertained variables and their concepts. The known-group technique is an scrutiny of relationships based on theoretical anticipation. ( 27 ) Within the known-group method, the findings demonstrated that all three physical environment all three subscales and entire tonss were significantly correlated with physical activity. This determination indicated that older people who had sufficient degree of physical activity scored significantly higher in each of three factors – supportive place, vicinity , and community environment – than those who did non. The bulk of the seniors sampled have lived in their place for a average 30 old ages ; accordingly, they were familiar with the physical features of their environment in and outside the place. In add-on, engagement in family activities had the highest degree of engagement, followed by transit related activities, leisure, and business, severally. As a ground, senior citizens determine the facets of their physical environment to which they are exposed, and in bend, that physical environment modifies their behaviour. It is possible that the friendly environment contributed to physical activity battle, while unfriendly environments discouraged activity. Therefore, although place environment is restricted by country and instruments, the determination demonstrates that it can be included as an extra facet for supplying physical activity battle. Sing dependability, the TESPA exceeded the coveted standard of 0.70 for new graduated tables, peculiarly ; place subscale had the highest value. However, the dependability for vicinity and community subscale were depicted less than the old survey. ( 13 ) Although the R2 for points 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10 indicated that they were irrelevant for the TESPA graduated table, the measuring theoretical account had a good tantrum with the empirical information. It is the first clip this graduated table has been validated in aged Thais, moreover this survey produced normative informations for comparing in the aged, which were non found in other surveies. Approximately 61 % of the discrepancy in the TESPA graduated table was explained by the 10 points, whereas 39 % of the discrepancy in this graduated table remains unexplained. Matching with the SCT attack, Bandura argues that about all facets of the physical environment can act upon one ‘s determination about physical activity battle. ( 3 ) O wing to the fact that the TESPA measuring includes merely safety, convenience, and handiness ; it is possible that other facets such as policy ( 28 ) may farther lend to physical activity. Extra work is needed to place these yet unidentified facets.Restrictions and recommendations:This survey was limited by homogeneousness of the sample. The bulks of participants were female, married, with low socioeconomic position, and lived in their place. Continued rating of the psychometric belongingss both in other samples and extra new points are recommended. Additionally, the usage of an utilizing nonsubjective measuring should be considered, to further add to the cogency of the findings and confirm the subjective study. However, based on three subscales of the TESPA, use of these factors with cognitive behavioural and policy schemes may promote the aged to increase their physical activity battle. This consequence can widen cognition of the physical environment for physical activity measuring.DecisionsThe TESPA was developed from the modified ESPA and the findings of a qualitative survey of older Thai people. Psychometric rating of the TESPA graduated table, including cogency and dependability, were chiefly satisfactory. Although the testing of the TESPA graduated table represents an initial effort, the consequences of the current survey suggest that the definition of the physical environment should include the place environment, every bit good as vicinity and community environment as these besides contains both incentives and obstructions for older Thai people set abouting physical activity.

Differences in People’s Perception of Reality in the Context of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

The inadequacy of humans' ability to discern what is real amid complex situations is a factor that forces people to have different meanings and views on all things existing. Heightened by people's internal and external conflicts, the different perspectives of reality are proven to be an unconquerable source of conflict in the society. The differences in people's perception of reality transcend beyond the definition of a systemic psycho-social problem because such differences include opposing value systems, institutionalized beliefs, social ethical codes and the omnipresent patriarchal ideology in the socieities.Such differences are all seen in gender issues as men have their own vision of reality built with their ethical and moral constructs in which women are of inferior status. One insightful literature that exposes the differences in people's perception of reality as a major source of conflict is the book titled A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams. This book is a reflection of how patriarchy remains dominant in the struggle against people's incapacity to discern what is real. This book reveals the uncertainty of destiny and failure to cope with complex situations.The female characters in the story, Blanche and Stella are passionate women who are controlled by their external and internal conflicts. These conflicts overshadow their strong desire for love and freedom making them vulnerable and susceptible to harsh attacks from the patriarchal society. The external conflicts that overpower the life of Blanche are a valuable factors that give great contradictions to her. Economic background is one external conflict inherent in the character of Blanche. Even though she has noble features embedded in her personality, and a lofty social background, her destiny is doomed from the very beginning.This is because she is ignorant about how complex and cruel life can be amid wealth and luxury. As Belle Reve, the family mansion has been traded in exchang e for the epic fornications of their grandfathers, uncles, and their father, Blanche goes to Stella's refuge to start a new life but is failed to do so (Tennessee 2004). Her shift from high social status becomes her external conflict that weakens her against the male characters, the domineering Stanley and Mitch. She lives under the pressure of a failed status and failed marriage and the social rules in which Stanley is the tyrant.Living with Stella, Blanche fails to see the â€Å"reality† of the world that contrasts with her beautiful and luxurious dreams. Blanche fails to overcome the cruelity of the real world because she has covered her eyes with horror, uneasiness, revenge and frustration. She never find a way to face the truth head on and all the she does is to take a detour and away from the world that she does not expect. The inner conflict existing in Blanche include her sexual involvement with strangers as the embodiment of her irrational indulgence for sex and cari ng for a lonely heart.The satisfactions of her desire has been the main context of her living and she will take no initiatives to suppress it. She makes her own reality by committing to take her passion to life while neglecting ethical standards and moral values. Her untamed tongue is a reflection that she would not take any negation and considerations when it comes to her desire. As for Stella, she fails to see the cruelty of her husband because her eyes are pointed only to one direction and one belief: that her man cannot do such a thing because of love and commitment. Stella's external conflict is her marriage to her husband.She cannot face the harsh truth because she defines her marriage as fidelity and righteousness alone. She is blinded by her love and cannot see the several dimensions surrounding marriage such as lust. Another conflict in Stella's character is her economic role of making her own living (Tennessee 2004). Stella is so consumed with making money and establishing her own life that she forgets to be sensitive to the needs of her significant others. All that she cares for is her marriage and moneymaking. Stella's one vision of reality reflects a peaceful and successful marriage with Stanley whom she loves most and loves her faithfully in return.Her reality is built within the constructs of society's ethical and moral standards. Her whole life is controlled by fantasy to which she creates an unbreakable bond. The male characters in the story Mitch and Stanley represent life's antagonistic feature that human beings tend to negate or consider as unreal. As the antagonists, they are the object of the assumption that conflicts arise when humans fail to recognize cruelty as part of llife's reality. The imperfection of the two characters substantiate the fact that Stella and Blanche are blinded by their illusions, fantasies and fulfillment of their desires.Stanley and Mitch bring the illusion of the female characters into fierce confrontation with t he cruel reality. Mitch and Stanley also represent the dominance of patriarchy in conflicts. They have the edge in the conflict because they fulfill the illusion and dreams of Stella and Blanche while at the same time make up the cruel reality of the female characters' lives. Mitch and Stanley are the unconquerable force that lead to the external and internal conflicts of the female characters. Stella and Blanche tend to establish that men are solely owned by their worlds of dreams instead of considering them as objects of life's reality.The differences in people's perceptions of reality are determined by their external and internal conflicts. These differences create an outwardly conflict that may destroy personal relationships. Such differences arise when people focus on only one aspect or dimension of life instead of creating a holistic picture of life's reality. The external and internal conflicts lead to such differences and bring constant suffering. The male antagonists symbol ize tension and cruelty which are all part of life that tend to crush people emotionally and physically.

Oracle

How is the IKEA operations design different from that of most furniture retail operations? IKEA is known as one of the world’s largest furniture retailer that focuses highly on cost control, operational process and product development. IKEA differentiates itself from most furniture retailers by offering a wide range of well designed array of home furniture at very attractive prices that remain affordable to a large group of diverse customers. There are some unique features of IKEA as compared to most furniture retail stores (IKEA, 2012) Self – Service’ (minimal service or influence from sales person) Details of all products are made ubiquitous in the showroom thus making sales assistance unnecessary which this in return helps to reduce the hiring cost of labor. Layout of Products (product exposure) Ikea stores are designed in a one-way ‘walk-through layout’ that requires customers to be exposed to the entire products which is unlike from most furnitu re retail stores where by customers may choose to go directly to the section they preferred.Hence, the flow allows increased efficiency from entering the showroom, selecting of products to lastly making payments. Furniture Most of Ikea products are self – assembled products, this helps to reduce the costs of shipping as higher volume of bulk packaging can be done. Unlike most furniture retail stores where free delivery and assembly is given, additional charges apply if fixing of product is required by the customers. Lastly, four dimensions of operations (Volume, Variety, Variation and Visibility) will be used to determine the differences between IKEA operations to that of most furniture retail stores.High Volume – IKEA’s operations are of very large scale, major land space and huge car parks are developed to cater to all customers, everything about the design of IKEA’s operations encourages high volume of throughput as compared to most furniture retail st ores (IKEA, 2012). High Variety of product but Low Variety of service – The variety of products showcase in IKEA is much more than most furniture retail stores, from small items such as kitchen appliances to large items such as tables.However, as far as the variety of service is concerned it is relatively narrow. Most products are self – assembled and there is no sales person to provide any service to the customers, leaving themselves to figure out and make their own decision for the purchase. High Variation on demand – Public holidays and weekends usually attracts more crowded as compared to normal week days, hence result in high variation.However, there will not be any difficulty of getting part-time staff into IKEA during the peak period as the operations in IKEA are well designed. Unlike most retail store which require staff with specific expertise that requires time to hire. Low Visibility – Customer contact is high in certain extend, but overall it is lower than most furniture retail stores considering most of the things are done (‘self-service’) solely by the customers from the start till it reaches the point of payment where it is also a standardized process by IKEA.This ultimately reduces the costs of the transaction as far as IKEA is concerned. What do you think might be the major problems in running an operation like IKEA? Having such huge variety and high volume of product being transacted, it may be tough for them to manage the inventory for all items. Shipping of high volume bulk items may take time and IKEA may face stock-out period, hence their operations planning has to be done and calculated accurately.As all sales are done on ‘self-serviced’ manner, it may not create a great shopping experience as compared to most retail stores where sales person are able to cater a more specific and unique first-hand experience to all customers to create loyalty. Lastly, IKEA being the largest furniture retailer require a lot of natural material such as wood, which may harm the global environment (IKEA, 2012). Reference IKEA (2012) Our Vision and Business Idea. Available at: http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_SG/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/our_business_idea/index. html (Accessed 29 January 2013)

Policing in Angola

Abstract With a need to maintain order and protect the citizens, nations such as Angola are grappling with how to create and maintain a police force. This study assesses the strengths and weaknesses of using non-state police forces in a law keeping and enforcement capacity. The results of this study illustrate that there is a high potential for corruption, yet, the need for protection is greater than the possibility of abuse. This study will be of interest to any person delving into the strengths and weaknesses of a non-state policing solution. 1 Introduction The need to ensure the security of the ordinary citizens in the nation of Angola on a day to day basis has prompted the consideration of creating and applying non-state policing actors (Hallsworth et al., 2011; Baker, 2006). With too little money from the regional government given for a police force, outside actors including businesses, private citizens and foreign nations can be utilized as investors in order to provide the service of policing the community. Non-state police forces are often unregulated and have the potential to take on a wide variety of forms that will speak to the characteristics of the surrounding population (Wood et al., 2007; Gill, 1994). Yet, it is necessary to avoid varied forces including vigilante groups that seek their own goals to neighbourhood watches and instead seek to stabilize a community made up of equally varied members giving the population to find them working against the same mutual enemy. Violent crime as well as rampant civil rights abuses has continuously promoted the need for a policing force throughout Angola and the entire African continent (Johnston et al., 2003; Wood et al., 2007). Alongside the need to keep the peace is the inherent need of the underlying community to support the force and the policies resting behind the enforcement of the tenants of the region. What cannot be denied is that despite the potential for abuse, there is a need for a centred and recognizable police force, whether a state or non-state actor, in order to ensure that day to day activities that contribute to the long term health of the nation are attended to. This brief illustrates the pro and con arguments surrounding the non-state police agenda and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the system. 2 Non state policing in Angola2.1 Pro non state policingThere is several sound reasons that a government such as Angola’s would choose to create and implement a non-state policing force (Wood et al., 2007; Hallsworth et al., 2011). Ranking as the primary motivation is the need for community security that allows for day to day activities to progress without hindrance. Furthermore, this perception of cultural stability aids in the operation of the underlying and associated financial and consumer markets that are themselves integral to the stability of the state (Crank et al., 2007; Baker, 2010). With a law abiding citizenry comes the opportunity to build a sound financial base that allows the operation of external and internal projects. With high crime rates to blame for abuses against the most vulnerable of Angola, the absence of a police force allows the criminal element to come to the fore, which in turn is directly against the needs of the regional population to grow and p rosper (Hallsworth et al., 2011; Baker, 2006). Enforcement of the law is only one facet of any regions police force, making the need for a working unit critical to Angola (Johnston et al., 2003). Absent the taxpayer funds to establish and operate a working force, the non-state police option provides a method that can accomplish the goals of both the government and the consumer community. With a private force the tax payer does not typically feel the sting of payment that these forces need to remain relevant in the states interest (Gill, 1994; Baker, 2006). This element provides many opportunities for private investors to step forth and equip the non-state police force in a manner that some of the poorer nations, such as Angola, can only hope to afford. Furthermore, a key advantage of many outside or private police entities are the established outside contacts and expertise that is brought into the region as a result of the engagement (Crank et al., 2007; Baker, 2006). In many cases the skilled labour may not be present in the im mediate area, requiring the need to look to the outside community for better talent and resources. Another opportunity provided by the consideration of a non-state police force in Angola is the potential to transform relations with neighbour nations or allies by incorporating elements of their working infrastructure (Gill, 1994; Johnston et al., 2003). It is become more common of multinational police forces to work together towards a goal that serves to benefit the entire international outlook by ensuring the stability of the region. Furthermore, this form of non-state or shared policing builds bridges and understanding between enforcement departments that often have work across national and international borders in order to address the issue at hand (Hallsworth et al., 2011). In summary, the primary positives resting behind the non-state police force in Angola is the increase in talent, decrease in state funds spent and the opportunity to find international partners that will assist to maintain order in the long run.2.2 Against Non-state policingAs with any employee or outside agency, bringing in an outside police force to Angola, holds the potential to be abused and subverted to the interests of others (Hallsworth et al., 2011; Baker, 2010). Private interests often play a pivotal role in choosing, maintaining and implementing any form of non-state policing, making the persons behind the effort at once suspect and complicit in the case of corruption. Lending itself well to the spectre of corruption, non-state policing can have chilling impact on the target community by stifling business and community activities to the point that there is a visible loss of enthusiasm and production (Johnston et al., 2003; Wood et al., 2007). Furthermore, this perception o f public abuse on the part of the policing efforts contributes to criminal activity and unproductive behaviour on the part of the local population. A secondary concern when dealing with a non-state police force in Angola is the need for the organisation to properly understand the community that they are assigned to protect (Wood et al., 2007; Crank et al., 2007). Many times an outside operator will mistake a cultural element as a risk, which in turn may lead to an issue that should never have been created in the first place. Furthermore, the local populace may not hold a great deal of confidence in the outside force, which can become a substantial hindrance in the operation of day to day policing activities (Baker, 2002; Wood et al., 2007). If the community is not helpful many opportunities will be lost to the non-state police effort. Yet, this can many times turn into a private citizenry that expects special favours of the police force, leading to another issue that has the potential to lead to widespread abuse and corruption. The level of training and professionalism among these private forces can quickly become a liability in the effort to sustain a working police force (Johnston et al., 2003; Baker, 2002). With many forces seeking to cut corners and save money whenever possible, there is a real potential to provide a undertrained and ill equipped force that could possible cause more harm than good in the region. Furthermore, the less training provided to the force enhances the opportunity for corruption and the skewing of the original effort to protect the citizenry (Baker, 2010; Crank et al., 2007). Finally, with a force that relies on funding there is the real possibility for a rich person or outside organisation to negatively influence the operation of the police force, making the need for oversight both critical and expensive (Wood et al., 2007; Gill, 1994). In summary, the negative aspects of using a non-state police force include possible corruption, lack of training and the absence of cultural sensitivity that aids in conducting many day to day police centred operations. Furthermore, there is the very real opportunity for a well-funded outside entity to have a substantial impact on the operation of the police force, which in turn can produce a range of further negativity. 3 Conclusion The need to ensure the security of the ordinary citizen on a day to day basis throughout Angola has prompted the consideration of a non-state policing system. As this brief indicates, there is a need for a police force in order to create a sustainable and liveable condition in the nation of Angola. Yet, as the evidence insists, the presence of corruption and abuse is likely. However, the need for citizenry protection and stability outweighs the possibility of negative policy. It would seem possible for an Angolan effort to keep the policing force transparent would lead to a working force that benefits the population more than the special interests. Coupled with the reduction in overall state costs, the prospect of a working police force provides outside investors with a reason to hope for stability, thereby increasing the likelihood of investment which aids in the building Angolan infrastructure. In the end, no matter the negative potential, the evidence suggests that a non-state policing force offers more benefit than detriment, leading to the recommendation of creating and implementing a non-state policing force in the African nation of Angola. References Baker, B. (2002). Living with non-state policing in South Africa: the issues and dilemmas. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 40(01). Baker, B. (2006). The African post-conflict policing agenda in Sierra Leone. Conflict, Security & Development, 6(1), pp.25-49. Baker, B. (2010). Grasping the Nettle of Nonstate Policing. Journal of International Peacekeeping, 14(3-4), pp.276-300. Crank, J. and Giacomazzi, A. (2007). Areal policing and public perceptions in a non?urban setting: one size fits one. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 30(1), pp.108-131. Gill, P. (1994). Policing politics. London: F. Cass. Hallsworth, S. and Lea, J. (2011). Reconstructing Leviathan: Emerging contours of the security state.Theoretical Criminology, 15(2), pp.141-157. Johnston, L. and Shearing, C. (2003). Governing security. London: Routledge. Wood, J. and Shearing, C. (2007). Imagining security. Cullompton: Willan. ZIMBABWE: Security Sector Reform Deadlock. (2011). Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series, 48(7), pp.18921C-18923C.

Going Green at an Oil Company () Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Going Green at an Oil Company () - Case Study Example Six months later, an even bigger leak occurred at a refinery within the vicinity of Curitiba – a million gallons of oil flowed into two rivers. Once more, the company was criticized for using outdated technology to detect leaks and for inadequate staffing and lacking emergency plans. The Curitiba accident elicited the worst negative publicity in the history of the company and led to a fine of $115 million being imposed on Petrobras. Just when the company thought that the worst was over, an even worse accident came in March 2001 when the company’s P-36 oil drill sank. Valued at $350 million, the facility was the world’s largest floating production facility. The accident killed 11 of the Petrobras’ employees and leaked over 300, 000 gallons of oil. The three major and several other accidents had far-reaching implications for the company – employees were demoralized, the image of the company was damaged and investor relations suffered (Barros de Cerqueira Pae, 2012). In addition, the hefty fines imposed on the company ate into its profits. Something drastic had to be done. The then CEO of Petrobras responded to the disasters by creating the new position of Director of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and introduced the Program for Excellence in Environmental and Operational Safety Management (PEGASO). These two interventions created a springboard from which Gabrielli dived into the business transforming Petrobras into a green oil company when he became the company’s CEO in 2005. In order to turn around Petrobras, Gabrielli adopted a three-point strategy on the environment (Gabrielli de Azevedo, 2009). First, he embarked on improving internal operations. At the heart of Petrobras’ internal strategy is the company’s HSE program. The program is a massive one – between 2009 and 2012, the company committed $2.5 billion in the program. The program is based

Micro1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Micro1 - Essay Example The cost is nil as well for attendees whose higher degree provides upward revision of earnings. The components of opportunity cost include fees paid for tuition purposes, foregone earnings, book prices, leisure time. The percentage of opportunity cost and the money value is closely correlated. Tuition fees of colleges can be treated as the greatest cost of attending college. Answer 2 Decisions taken at the margin are one of the key factors in decision making processes. The marginal cost accrued to a decision is taken into account by the decision maker at the margin. The decision maker judges whether the cost is greater than the benefit when the decision will take effect. An example is as follows: an employer judges the additional cost of recruiting an extra employee with the benefit the organization gains from recruiting that additional person. If it is analysed that benefit exceeds the salary, then the employer decides to recruit the person. Average cost is used while determining de cisions on investments and tax. Answer 3 The statement is as follows: â€Å"HSBC in Talks on Possible Sale of Ping An Stake†. The statement is a positive statement as it can be accepted or rejected depending on the available evidences (The Wall Street Journal, 2012a). The statement is as follows: â€Å"Sahara Feeling heat over bond sales†. ... The statement is a positive statement as it can be accepted or rejected depending on the available evidences (The Wall Street Journal, 2012d). Answer 4 The scenario under assumption is seamstress decides to produce more dresses in an hour than the seamstress usually does. The incentive behind such action of the seamstress can be listed as follows: 1) Subsidy on dress prices from the part of the government; 2) Fall in price of raw materials; 3) Reduction in transport prices necessary for supply of goods to the market; 4) Rise in demand conditions; 5) Possibilities of exports opening up. There may also be some disincentives like fall in the export possibilities of the goods, uncertainty getting accrued to the production process, and sudden fall in demand expectations. The scenarios based on political, legal or cultural aspects are unavoidable. Answer 5 It is assumed that the farmer uses the available land in efficient fashion. The following diagram denotes the total amount of corn and beans he can produce. The farmer has the luxury to produce 150 units of beans if he chooses not to produce any corn. On the other hand, he can produce 300 units of corn if he chooses not to produce any beans. In economics, such an action is defined as efficient use of resources. The opportunity cost of corn at each level of production is 25 units of beans. The marginal cost of the farmer at each level of production is the cost of 25 units of beans. The slope of the line is 25. The slope of the line is same as the marginal cost. Answer 6 The costs of producing corn and beans are needed to determine the level at which the farmer should produce. Answer 7 Answer 8 The skills that have been taken under consideration to be compared are