Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Keeping Her Nose in Front Essay

Keeping Her Nose In Front, a cartoon by Bill Leak, Highlights the constant web of lies that spiral with Julia Gillard. Through the exaggeration, symbolism and caricature, the artist attempts to provoke an amused response from readers regarding serious problems. This is encouraged to understand the lies that came from our Prime Minister. The artist represents leadership issues in Australian politics in a humorous manner. He weaves the intertextuality with the story of Pinocchio. Ultimately, readers are positioned to worry about what promise will be broken next in this effective political cartoon. The people that are portrayed in Keeping Her Nose In Front are Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd both being dressed as Pinocchio. The artist is trying to convey a negative effect on this cartoon saying that everything they promise is just a lie, in the foreground you see Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard both being dressed as Pinocchio and each frame one of the politicians says something, â€Å"THERE WILL BE NO CARBON TAX, THERE WILL BE NO LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE and THERE WILL BE POKIE REFORMS â€Å"and just like the story of Pinocchio each time he tells a lie his nose will grow and that is what happened in this cartoon. The tone of the picture is serious, talking about the leadership proposition that Julia and Kevin both stated but didn’t keep to their word. Taking a clever approach to this cartoon, the author is mixing caricature and serious issues with Julia and Kevin with the carbon tax and as well as the leadership challenge. Bill Leaks is trying to poke fun of these politics by resembling them to Pinocchio. The Author positions the audience to question what these two powerful people might say and if so will it either have a positive impact or maybe a negative impact to the Australian public. From my personal view, I think that the labour party, (specifically Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard) need to stop spinning intricate lies Throughout their own party, because this is akin to the type of backstabbing nonsense that happens every day outside of the government, and it should certainly not be happening in the political party that is trying to run the country. By explaining my personal view about this comic, I think it also explains the targets that the author was aiming for. It explains how the labour party are lying even to each other and not only the country. The target of this cartoon is in fact the country, and it is trying to emphasis on the issue that these people are the party that is leading the nation.

Do violent video games cause bad behavior? Essay

Does playing violent video games pose a threat to the human child mind? Who can forget the little virtual plumber, â€Å"Super Mario†, who squashed Goombas (mushroom shape deviants) and the Koopa Troopas (turtles with running shoes), hurled over Bullet Bills (missile- like creatures), avoided and or sometimes burned the Piranha Plants (who hid in plumbing tubes) with special fire ball powers (that were acquired from a special plant that he consumed), this act of courage and valor was shown through various stages of the game, all in order to save the lovely Princess Peach (ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom) from the ferocious, fire breathing, evil commander of the â€Å"Koopa Troopas† Bowser. â€Å"Super Mario Bros† was one of the games that revolutionized the gaming industry, back in the early 80’s. The game was sort of a comedic genre; it also had action, adventure and a story line behind it, which is what kept the player(s) entertained. Video games such as à ¢â‚¬Å"Super Mario Bros†, a game that started it all, set the bar high for all future video games. The games of today are very; graphical, intense, exhilarating, and violent, but also at often times they can seem very realistic. Most of these games tend to allow the player to pretend or portray the type of character they would like such as; good or bad, human or monster, etc. For example games such as â€Å"Grand Theft Auto† is a game in which the player(s) can go around kill other characters, steal things, do drugs, pick up prostitutes off the streets and engage in ‘certain activities’. Although these contemporary games offer a sense of excitement and also a sense of adrenaline, the disparity between where video games started out offering and what is picked up today is startling. In a world that is so dependent and reliable on technology, society often tends to get too involved and addicted, that they cannot deter fantasy and real life. Craig Anderson Professor of Iowa State University and author of â€Å"Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence† argues that young children and teenagers should be deterred from violent video games, as they pose a great threat to their psychological state of mind. On the other hand, Henry Jenkins, an MIT Professor and author of â€Å"Reality Bytes: Eight Myths about Video Games Debunk† states that violent  video games are not to blame, for the behavior of children. In â€Å"Reality Bytes: Eight Myths about Video Games Debunk† by Henry Jenkins, Henry argues that violence in general within our youth group, is at it’s all time low, meaning it has decreased over the years tremendously â€Å"According to federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30 year low. Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person in the general population† (445). While on the other hand, Anderson’s research claims that, â€Å"Early aggression researchers were interested in discovering how youth learn to be aggressive. Once they discovered observational learning takes place not only when youth see how people behave in the real world but also when they see characters in films and on television.† (445). What Anderson claims here is that children’s behavior development is affected by many factors such as; what they observe other people doing, the environment they live in and the media content they are exposed to on a day-to-day basis. Both writers make excellent claims and show great support of their texts. In actuality, Craig Anderson has had some hands on experience in some of the research done to determine what effects violent video games ha ve on a person, boosting his credibility to the subject. Jenkins goes on to argue, â€Å"no research has found that video games are a primary factor or that violent video game play could turn an otherwise normal person into a killer.† (449-450). Jenkins debunks the idea that violent video games have an effect on a stable person’s mental health. However, Anderson suggests, â€Å"In any field of science, some studies will produce effects that differ from what most studies of that type find. If this weren’t true, then one would need to perform only one study on a particular issue and we would have the â€Å"true† answer. Unfortunately, science is not that simple.† In this statement, Anderson explains that although some research studies have disregarded the effect of violent video games on an audience, it is difficult to determine exactly what the outcome of violent video games may be. Jenkins makes a comment where â€Å"Play allows Kids to express their feelings and impulses† (452). He believes that k ids play these types of video games to express their feelings and blow off some steam. â€Å"Exposing children and adolescents (or â€Å"youth†) to violent visual media increase the likelihood that they will engage in physical aggression against  another person† (445). Here Anderson is saying that violent video games have an effect on the audience behavior and would more likely engage in a violent manner towards another person. Once again both writers have good values in their arguments. While they are both providing good support from actual research that was conducted, for the purpose of seeing how children react to such materials, Jenkins statement quickly dismisses any effect of violent videogames to children. On the other hand, Andersons claim is that there is a negative effect with the exposure of such content, which is proven through various studies. In conclusion Craig Anderson and Henry Jenkins both have great arguments when it comes to whether or not violent video games may or may not cause children to act aggressive to another person. However, the fact of the matter is that all children are different from one another and therefore, you cannot categorize and generalize based on a study that is being conducted on all children the same exact way and therefore the question of â€Å"Does playing violent videogames pose a threat to the human mind?† still remains. Work Cited: Anderson, Craig. â€Å"Violent Video Games and Other Media Violence.† Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, Ninth Edition. By John D. Rampage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 445-48. Print Jenkins, Henry. â€Å"Reality Bytes: Eight Myths about Video Games Debunked.† Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, Ninth Edition. By John D. Rampage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 449-52. Print

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Is Mankind Harming the Environment? Essay

This paper will discuss whether mankind has played a role in harming the environment. It will talk in detail about the various human activities that have had an impact on our natural habitat and will also give specific examples of what we should expect in the future as a result of our activities and how we should deal with them. Mankind has several natural resources at his disposal. These include the oceans, atmosphere, forests etc. Any misuse or overuse of these resources will eventually destroy the sustainability of these resources. The fish population may become extinct, climate changes may result in an increase in natural disasters, forests may not be replaceable etc. In short, abuse or improper use of the environmental resources may result in long term consequences for the entire mankind. (Ostrom, Elinor et al: 2002) There is significant evidence to prove that mankind has indeed played a major role in harming the environment. Most the earth’s fisheries have already been destroyed and the Amazon rain forest is also near destruction. â€Å"Humans have destroyed more than 30 per cent of the natural world since 1970 with serious depletion of the forest, freshwater and marine systems on which life depend. † (Guardian: 1998) This combined with the persistent increase in greenhouse gas emissions have resulted in a massive increase in ozone layer depletion and global warming. This in turn has resulted in climate change all over the world causing an increase in the frequency of floods, droughts, hurricanes, extremities of weather, coastal erosion, melting glaciers etc. No doubt global warming is the result of man’s own activities. Human activities which produce increasing amounts of greenhouse gases especially carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuel are causing global warming all across the world. Global warming has even caused the sea level to rise between four and eight inches during the last hundred years and every year seal level now rises one tenth of an inch. If mankind continues to emit greenhouse gases at the same rate it will result in serious environmental degradation as well as negative effects on human health. (Mank, Bradford: 2005) As Athanasiou and Baer put it, â€Å"Even if we move quickly to cap the emission of greenhouse pollutants [a politically and diplomatically impossible scenario at present], the consequences of global warming will soon become quite severe, and even murderous, particularly for the poor and the vulnerable. And in the more likely case where we move slowly, the impacts will verge on catastrophic. † Maximum contribution towards environmental degradation comes from industrialized countries as about one-half of all greenhouse gas emissions come from these regions. For example the United States produces about one quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases. (Harris, Paul: 2003) Climatologists suggest that average temperatures globally are expected to increase between three and ten degrees Fahrenheit by the next century. They also predict that climate change will also cause new problems because of a persistent degradation of our ecosystem. Rising sea levels, severe natural disasters such as hurricanes, drought, floods, air pollution, spread of diseases like malaria and cholera and other environmental disasters are all negative consequences of global warming. (Smith, Daniel S. : 2001) Some scientists have even predicted that human activities and increasing greenhouse gases will make the Earth so warm that the inhabitants will be unable to adapt to the changing climate. â€Å"The predicted results of this warming include melting of the polar ice caps, flooding of coastal cities, massive extinction of species, and the deterioration of civilization as we know it. † (Parsons, Michael L. :1995) Increasing globalization and man’s desire to accumulate more and more profit has also played a major role in harming the environment. Increased use of energy has resulted in a widespread increase in greenhouse gas emission from fossil fuel use and this has resulted in an increase in global warming. If humans don’t take any action, global warming will continue to increase. â€Å"The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that basic changes in personal consumption, mostly in the realms of electricity use, climate control, and transportation, can reduce the average American’s carbon emissions by roughly one-third, from 15,000 to 10,000 pounds per year. Further reductions can be achieved through changing consumption patterns of food and consumer goods, neither of which is included in those calculations. If combined with more efficient technology, this sort of realignment of priorities would substantially reduce the threat of global warming, as well as variety of other environmental problems. † (Smith, Daniel S. : 2001) Mankind’s level of water consumption is also constantly on the rise and it is predicted that water shortage may become mankind’s biggest problem in the twenty first century. It is estimated that up two thirds of the world’s countries will face moderate to high water shortages by 2025. This accompanied with increasing air, water and waste pollution due to extensive industrial development has further deteriorated our environment. Greater use of fossil fuel and biomass burning and land clearing have led to a increase in nitrogen that has in turn, diminished the absorptive capacity of natural system. While the above evidence demonstrates mankind’s contribution to environmental deterioration, there are supporters who insist that man has played such a negative role. They feel that there hasn’t been such a major impact on the environment to begin with and that the consequences have been exaggerated to a large extent. Those who support globalization and deny its negative impact on the environment feel that economic progress is closely linked to environmental performance but in a positive manner. They feel that it is in fact economic prosperity that may lead to a cleaner environment. The logic behind this argument is that by adopting new and improved technologies, industries will have a less harmful impact on the environment and economic progress would enable countries to bring changes into their mode of operation and save the environment from harm. (John, Detlef). On the other hand a report by by the Working Group on Development and Environment in the Americas (U.S, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and El-Salvador) shows that industrial development and globalization has caused severe damage to the environment and highlights that the Americas now have growing problems with air, soil and water contamination as a result of globalization, urbanization and modernization. (Schalatek, Liane: 2004) Human activities have destroyed our natural habitat, have resulted in accelerating global warming and have contributed to air and water pollution. The amount of greenhouse gases being emitted today is sufficient to cause considerable damage to the environment. The ozone layer is being depleted continuously, a number of pesticides and other organic pollutants have been spread globally endangering hormonal balances and the immune system in man and animals. Increasing dependence on natural resources has resulted in a rapid depletion of tropical forests and fisheries. Many regions are facing problems of water shortage, resource depletion, climate change; risks from biological agents etc. (Dahl, Lynn: 1998) There has been a decline in plants, animals, insects and birds. According to the UN, the current extinction rate is up to 1000 times faster than in the past. It is estimated that around 844 animals and plants have disappeared in the last 500 years. â€Å"The global demand for biological resources now exceeds the planet’s capacity to renew them by 20%†. (Adam, David: 2006).

Monday, July 29, 2019

Gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gun control - Essay Example It is easy to deem this as a trigger happy syndrome but the fact remains to be very volatile and fearful. The statistics that have been formulated in regard to continuations of violence and the sources of the violent behavior have become staggering. In November 1998 a Japanese student new in California was shot dead when he tried to find a specific address from a middle aged resident at the middle of the night due to miscommunication and language problem. (King, 317) Such examples are abundant and this is the reason it is necessary to look into the matter of gun control policy. Furthermore, experts amidst researchers and policymakers should managed considerable thought toward understanding how short and long term influences of abuse, including drugs, alcohol, and other substance abuse along with mental health stress. The understanding of immediate affects abuse would have, how it relates to voluntary behaviors. The main objective of the research would to develop a form of argumentative system that would be instrumental in helping out the policymakers and enable them to lead a normal logical conclusion on the subject of gun control policy and life within the main stream of the society. (Lamb, 37) 2. 2. For this purpose it is needed to formulate a policy or practice that would enable the government to determine a policy to put restriction on the guns. It s important to include population from different walks of life and interview them for their views on the subject opposing the policy unrestricted access to firearms. The formulation of this research would be based on the surveys taken on the various government officials, general population and adolescents whereby it would be ascertained about the amount of agreement on the topic of gun control in the United States. Alongside a large amount of data would be collected to determine the detrimental affects of free ownership of guns in the mass population without government restrictions. This would also be accompanied by data regarding firearms related crimes in the United States and United Kingdoms. United Kingdoms would be taken into consideration to evaluate the effects of government regulation of firearms and the firearms rela ted crime rates of the two nations would be compared. A memorandum prepared in this process would be a vital part of the proposal to eradicate the policy unrestricted access to firearms.It is believed that the adolescents suffering from victimization goes through a huge psychological defoliation therefore it is important to address this case and the ultimate affect when some of them get free access to firearms. The government officials would be taken into consideration, specifically security and law enforcement officials, because these are the section that could convey the actual result of free access to firearms. Lastly, the general population would be considered because they are the main sufferers and it is important to incorporate their individual and social views. The main memorandum backed by the amount of research would certainly prove to be helpful while influencing the policymakers of the US authority. It is obvious that the policy of presenting well researched memorandum is viable to expose risk of unrestricted acce

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Black Plague Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Black Plague - Essay Example The result was a change in the way that most focused on the urban development, specifically with a different perspective toward construction and use of materials. In the novel, â€Å"A Journal of the Plague Year,† by Daniel Defoe, there are references to how individuals began to think after the plague. The reference wasn’t only toward the outcomes and tragedies associated with the plague, but instead led to the beliefs that those who didn’t have the lower social status and misled construction also weren’t subjected to the outcome of the plague. This line of thinking is seen throughout the book, as well as the belief that the plague was a sign to restructure into the modern urban development. The way in which most began to think about the Black Plague after it had been stopped from overtaking Europe was based on preventative measures that wouldn’t allow another disease to take over the land. The objective became the need to find ways and means to cha nge society, specifically which would safeguard individuals from being weakened and dying from the plague. According to Huppert, there was an understanding that the society needed to change so it didn’t exceed the resources that were available. When the plague began to decrease in 1700, there was also a change in how many farmed and lived. This included smaller plots of lands, a focus on not having as large of populations in one place and living within confines that didn’t use as many natural resources.... There are references to the market that is in the city, specifically which is a sign of the plentiful ness of the country. There are references to several coming to town with large amounts and supplies of different items which could be used for those that were going to the market. However, during and after the plague, this began to change with constrained resources that could be monitored and widely used for those that were in need of food or other farm items. â€Å"Without interruption [they] came up to that market known still by the name of Bear – Key, where they supplied the City plentifully with Corn, when Land Carriage began to fail, and when the people began to be sick coming from many places in the country† (Defoe, 252: 1817). This shows the transition which was made between using the extra resources and the response to the plague from what happened to those who took advantage of the excess resources. Another concept which appears in Huppert’s recounts of the Black Plague and from the book is the rebuilding of both urban and rural society. The Black Plague was known to wipe out almost one-third of the population and led cities to have to rebuild for years. This led to several years of trying to restructure the way that the cities should function while being cautious about another plague coming into the cities. The changes were based first on several experiencing life outside of the past constraints from politics and the agendas that were associated with peasants. Many of the peasants began to look for freedom, emancipation and ways to rebuild society in a way where they weren’t considered as slave labor for higher society. The main ideal was to get land without permission from land owners, buy and sell heritages and to work with the bourgeoisie and land

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Visual Literacy in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Visual Literacy in Business - Essay Example However, there is more to the poster than just what meets the eye. In the year 2008, America was facing one of its worst moment. The poster portrayed Obama as what America needed to get back to its feet. He was the hope for America. The variety of solid colors used in the poster represented all the races in America. It sold him as being a president who represented all the races equally. ‘’We can do it† poster was trying to sell the idea to women that they could also join the Second World War. However, the poster is acting as a platform to promote feminism. It has a message that communicates to women to arise and shine. They are encouraged to take up the challenging tasks through the message displayed and the use of an image of a woman. Old Spice advertisement is trying to sell the body wash. However, it is interesting because it sends the message that everything is possible when a man uses Old Spice. The man is portrayed to have a good body and wealthy. Every woman desires this type of a person and, therefore, most will buy the product for their men. This form of communication can lead to some ethical issues. They include sexism and feminism, for example, the Old Spice advertisement. It has objectified men and most would struggle to look like the man in it to make them attractive. If it were a female half-naked, it would have lead to a lot of reaction from the public therefore promoting

Friday, July 26, 2019

Company IT Upgrade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company IT Upgrade - Essay Example History Christa group was established in 1988 and was incorporated into Delaware two years later. Since then they have acquired security companies like hightech security in 1998, dimension data in 2000 and many others. They have also worked with like-minded companies like technology associates in 1995, and breakthrough technologies in 1999 to mention but a few. They continue their operations guided by the Delaware state laws. Organizational chart PRESIDENT V.P FINANCE & PLANNING V.P SALES & MARKETING V.P OPERATIONS MANAGER ACCOUNTING MANAGER PLANNING MANAGER MARKETING MANAGER SALES MANAGER DEVELOPMENT MANAGER CONSULTANCY MANAGER HUMAN RESOURCE Departments The company has seven main departments namely; consultancy, development, human resource, sales, marketing, planning, and accounting. The planning department is responsible for formulating long term, short term, and annual development and financial plans for the company. The accounting department is responsible for keep records of re ceipts and expenditures in the company on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. These two departments are headed by the company’s vice president in charge of finance and planning. The human resource department is responsible for hiring members of staff; this involves attracting new employees and keeping all positions in the organizations filled with highly qualified and motivated staff. The consultancy department meets with prospective clients who have requested a new security system, and also look for opportunities i.e. other organizations that would require a new system or improvement of their existing one. This department is responsible for advising the clients accordingly. Another department is the development one responsible for development of the technical security solution suggested by the consultancy department. They also develop systems for individual use. These three departments are headed by the vice president of operations. Two departments under this section of the o rganization are responsible for generation of revenues for the company. The sales department is responsible for attracting and retaining of clients. The marketing department is responsible for the following four main tasks; Provide leadership on serving the clients better Support sales team and distribution partners Manage advertisement and promotions Manage client relations These two departments are under the overall leadership of the vice president sales and marketing. Mission statement To become a world leader in the provision of technical solutions to all our clients. Business model Our business model will outline our strategies to provide the best technical solutions to all our clientele. Our products are aimed at small medium and large organizations. To generate additional funds, advanced security systems for use by the general public will be developed. We have two main departments who will help the company achieve its goals namely; the consultancy department that will offer c onsultation services to our clients and the development department that will develop and implement the solutions provided by the consultation department for the clients. The development department will also be responsible for development of systems for personal use. In this particular case it is of paramount importance to know exactly what the targeted users want. This

Lawrence's horse dealer's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lawrence's horse dealer's - Essay Example She and her three brothers will have to live their separate lives now. All his brothers have found a way to support themselves but she has nowhere to go. She does not know what to do with her life and she felt that it was the end of the line for her. Her mind was on a turmoil and she thought, â€Å"This was at an end† (Lawrence, n.d.). I think that if she only had money left, she would not have thought of committing suicide. This can be concluded from the statement in the story, â€Å"But so long as there was money, the girl felt herself established, and brutally proud, reserved† (Lawrence, n.d.). But since there was no more money now, Mabel felt there was no reason to live anymore. All she wanted was to be with her dead mother. The other character that completes the love story is Dr. Jack Ferguson. Like Mabel, his life was also dull and pointless. There was nothing but work for him. He even said he hated the â€Å"hellish hole†, his description of the town where he did his practice. There is so much symbolism in this story by Lawrence. One such symbolism is the pond where Mabel tried to commit suicide. It was described as dead and cold. It symbolizes the feelings of both Mabel and Jack before the rescue incident. Both of them did not have any passionate feelings for each other.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Money management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Money management - Essay Example If I invest the KD 500,000 with a life insurance company then I may be able to earn a stable income each year with adjustments for inflation. Based on discussions with my insurance company the following table reflects the amount that I would receive if I invest in an insurance policy that makes adjustments for inflation and pays my estate the balance of my policy at death. Table 1 in Appendix 1 provides the necessary information. The table shows an initial investment of KD 500,000 and indicates that over a 20 year period and assuming a 3.5% rate of interest and an inflation rate of 3%, I would be able to have an inflation adjusted income of KD 15,000 in year 1 continuing to $26,302 payment in year 20. The table only shows 20 years because I assume that the number of years that I will live after retirement is approximately 20. This policy however, continues as long as I am alive. The balance on the account at year 20 suggests that there will be sufficient funds for me to earn an income many years after year 20. In fact, my principal amount only starts declining in year 12 suggesting that I will be paid out of interest earned on the investment only up to year 11. After year 11 the payments will start affecting my principal. My total receipt up to year 20 would be KD 403045.62 with a balance on the account of KD 443,861.55. This indicates a net return of KD 346,907.17 ((KD 403,045.62 + KD 443,861.55) – KD 500,000). In the event that I choose to manage the funds personally then I would be able to make earnings at rates between 3 to 7 per cent. This fund would consist of a mixture of bonds and stocks with at least 60% of the funds in stocks. I would use the income generated from the fund n the first year – year 1 as a basis to determine my future income if I am to maintain the same standard of living. I therefore allow for an inflation rate of 3% as with the life insurance option. Table 2 in Appendix 1 provides information on this fund. An average rate of

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Assignment - Essay Example Hence, the different views of freedom in the society create different parties. These parties have different beliefs and views regarding freedom. In the United States, the rivalry of two parties has been popular which started the second party system. Two of the most known parties which opposed each other are the Democrats and the Whigs. These two parties have been opposing with each other in the perception of freedom even in the early 1830’s. The democrats are known as Jacksonian party. The first major leader of the party was Andrew Jackson. Democrats have viewed freedom as in favor of states’ right more than the federal government. They believe that the state can be very influential as a positive factor in assisting the people in the society (Herrick and Stuart 336). Also, they see equality as vital factor for freedom in the society. Democrats believe in a sense of equality in the society because for them, it gives an impact to people that long for belongingness. As wha t Herrick and Stuart stated, â€Å"Democrats believe in equality because it reduces alienation and creates a greater sense of social belonging† (336). Moreover, democrats view the society that is composed of rules for â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have not† (Norton et al. 325). Democrats view freedom having such just, humanitarian, and democratic society. It is on their belief that freedom should be considered as private that individuals are entitled to secure its stability. Democrats chose to believe that by having equal rights, it is the best way to ensure the effectiveness of having freedom in the society. As what Herrick and Stuart note that the state is the one who can control the economy by using social and rational planning as what Democrats believe (336). Also, the state is held responsible for economic planning so that the needs of the people in the society will be achieved. On the other hand, Whigs viewed freedom as having an active federal government. They b elieve that having an active government can help enhance the freedom of the society. Whigs are more in favor in an activist government in terms of economic expansion (Norton et al. 325). Hence, they are more supportive with regard to corporate charters, paper currency and even the national bank, which is the total opposite of Democrats (Norton et al. 325). Obviously, Whigs see freedom as a result of having social reforms and progress. For the Whigs, giving influence to the political minorities regarding reform associations can best express freedom in its form of serving the society for the common good (Norton et al. 325). However, this idea is viewed by Democrats as an improper way of giving freedom to the society. As Democrats favored equal rights, Whigs on the other hand, favored equal opportunities. In addition, Whigs insist that federal government can help instill and put a self-disciplined and self-directed freedom for each individual. The energetic government and active moral reform can best exercise freedom as what Whigs believe (Norton et al. 325). Thus, Whigs support new banks, availability of corporate and bank charters, and paper currency. However, Democrats never agreed for a paper currency (Norton et al. 325). Whigs have favored bank corporations, while Democrats have not. While Whigs remain to be industrialists and nationalists, Democrats stayed to the belief that every individual can take position. Indeed, these two parties have an opposite view regarding freedom in the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

The Apollo Group, Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Apollo Group, Inc - Case Study Example Unlike other universities, UOP is a for-profit institution. Synopsis of the Situation The University of Phoenix catered to the working adults who wanted to continue their education. It was one of the first institutions to target this growing market. They are considered the giant in the industry and as such have earned $2.5 billion in revenues in 2006. While many colleges employed full-time faculty members, UOP hired working professionals as teachers. The success of the Apollo Group emanates from the fact that they were able to tap an unserved niche in the market, that is, the working adults. Key Issues The key issues of the case are the growing demand for online education not only in the US but also in the developing countries, the need to open up new local campuses and the need to improve the existing technology that UOP utilizes. Define the Problem The problem presented in the case is how to change the reputation of UOP from a â€Å"diploma mill† establishment to one which i s offers accredited degree programs and an institution that will introduce new undergraduate and graduate degree programs that will meet the needs of both the adult working population and the traditional collegiate market. Alternative Solutions There are several solutions that may be adapted by UOP namely: Use the media to give information about programs that they offer, the competence of their faculty members and the academic system that they use Highlight the low cost of tuition as compared to other colleges Create tie-ups with large corporations to encourage their employees to enroll at UOP; discounts may be given to corporations which enrolls a certain number of their workers at UOP Advertise through the internet to capture foreign markets and increase its student population Put emphasis on the concept of offering quality education at schedules that are accessible even to working adults Need to invest more on latest technology available for educational institutions especially wi th regards to online education Selected Solution to the Problem The selected solution to the problem is a combination of all the alternative solutions presented above. UOP cannot just rely on a single solution to its problems. It should improve its course and program offerings and hire more competent faculty members. It is also essential that UOP keep abreast with the latest technological advancements in the industry. After improving on the said aspects, it must allocate the necessary funds to come up with an advertising strategy that will improve its reputation by highlighting its unique selling point and emphasizing the quality of its education. Implementation The solutions suggested would take several months to implement. The first step to do is to research on the latest technology available for online education. This is of utmost importance because several schools are already offering online programs and if UOP does not adapt the latest technology, they might not be able to reta in its market leadership. The next step is to beef up its marketing to other developing countries. This should be done because in case they lose their leadership in the US market, the foreign market can augment any decline in enrollment in the local market. Expanding overseas is the way to go for online education. Hand in hand with marketing to the foreign market, UOP must recruit new faculty members to maintain the ratio of students to

Monday, July 22, 2019

Ratio Analysis on Literature of Review Essay Example for Free

Ratio Analysis on Literature of Review Essay I also declare that I have done my work sincerely and accurately even then if any mistake or error had kept in it, I request the readers to point out these errors and guide me to remove these errors in future. Presentation Incharge Signature of the Candidate Practical work experience is the integral part of individual learning. An individual who is learning managerial concepts has to undergo this practical experience for being a future executive. It is the result of various factors. Primarily because of rising cultivations of BT. cotton (Bacillus thuringnsis) and reduce the farmers input costs, while the yield as well as quality are substantially much larger compared to traditional varieties. In view of this development, the cotton cultivation acreage has been steadily going up in India. The farmers have become more knowledgeable to follow scientific methods to cultivate high yielding long staple cotton varieties. Besides individual mills are also simultaneously taking steps to improve the cotton production along with Technology Mission on cotton (TCM), the cotton development research Associations of organizations (CITI), South Indian Textiles Mills Association (SIMA) and Kerala State Textile Corporation (KSTC). The resultant factor is quality and quantity of raw material supply has substantially improved in the country. Due to globalization of our economy, the conscious of quality inputs and pricing have become competitive to the international standards and prices. Supply of quality raw material availability sources of raw material from major cotton exporting countries. Every organization is a deliberate and planned Endeavour of people whose common goal can be achieved through attainment of targets and goal by individual members in it. No organization can survive for long unless it takes care of prudent utilization of resources particularly human resources. In brief, good business is generally the result of good organization which can emerge only if it consists of good people who work together as a team. The textile industry occupies a unique place in our country. One of the earliest to come into existence in India, it accounts for 14 per cent of the total industrial production, contributes to nearly 30 per cent of the total exports and is the second largest employment generator after agriculture. The Indian textile industry is one of the largest in the world with a massive raw material and textile-manufacturing base. Indian economy is largely dependent on the textile manufacturing and trade in addition to other major industries about 27 per cent of the exchange earning are on account of export of textiles and clothing alone. In India organized textile mill sector has increased from 1787 in 2003-04 to 1789 in 2004-05. During the year 2003-04 the production of yarn was 3051. 07 million kg and it had increased to 3220. 59 million kg in 2004-05. The number of workers worked in textiles mills during the year 9, 18,000. India has the second-largest yarn-spinning capacity in the world (after China), accounting for roughly 20 percent of the world’s spindle capacity. India’s spinning segment is fairly modernized; approximately 35 to 40 percent of India’s spindles are less than 10 years old. During 1989-98, India was the leading buyer of spinning machinery, accounting 2003-04 was 9,28,000 and it have decreased during the year 2004-05 was for 28 per cent of world shipments. India’s production of spun yarn is accounted for almost entirely by the organized mill sector, which includes 285 large. Man-made fibers, wool and silk segment grew by modest 4. 5 per cent per annum during the 5-year period 2000-01 to 2005-06. During the first year of quota-free global trade, production increased leaps and bounds. Textiles production increased 10 per cent over 2004. The growth was fuelled by a 22 per cent rise in production of other textiles (including apparels). Cotton textile also posted an increase of nine percent. In the last six years, an estimated US$ 6. 7 billion has been invested in the textiles sector, aided by the Technology Up gradation Fund (TUF) scheme. The TUF scheme expires in March next year (2007) and the quotas on China will be lifted in 2008. Hence, companies will continue to add capacities over the next year. Also, according to CRISIL, the sector is likely to rise over US$ 3. 5 billion from the capital markets in the next few years. The cotton textile industry, one of the oldest and major consumer industries in India, has assumed national importance by virtue of size, investment, output and employment. The industry produces a wide range of fabrics to suit specific needs of consumers. Further, the cotton textile industry occupies a pre eminent place in the Indian economy by contributing a major share and to the countries industrial production and providing cloth to its millions. The industry also serves by providing direct employment to 60, 00,000 workers in several of its related activities. India is one of the largest textile producing countries in the world. The share of the industry in the export basket of India is around 20%. However, textile industry is vast developing sector and when the competitions are exorbitant especially in its design and quality we have to adopt modern technology management, machine so as to complete with other countries in the international market.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Auditing Is The Accumulation And Evaluation Of Evidence Accounting Essay

Auditing Is The Accumulation And Evaluation Of Evidence Accounting Essay Auditing is the accumulation and evaluation of evidence about information to determine and report on the degree of correspondence between the information and established criteria. Auditing should be done by a competent, independent party and communicate the results to interested users. (Elder, and others, 2007, p .4) The purpose of audit is to enable the auditor to express an opinion whether the financial statements present a true and fair view in accordance with the identified financial reporting framework, and will enhance the credibility of financial statements. Audits can improve a companys efficiency and profitability by helping the management better understand their own work and financial system. The management, as well as the shareholders, suppliers and financers, is assured that the risks in the organization are well-studied, and effective systems are in place to handle them. Furthermore, audit can identify areas in an organizations financial structure that need improvement, and how to implement the proper changes and adjustments. It uncovers inaccuracies and discrepancies within an organizations records, which may be indications of weak financial organization or even internal fraud, and reduce the risks. (Auditing, n.d.) At present corporate scandals and fraud continues to be a pervasive problem and is very common across the world. However these scandals and fraud are so massive that every time many people especially employees of the company lose their jobs and investors are bearing from major losses in these incidents. Corporate fraud is any fraud committed against a business and is used to include many different wrongs that may occur within a business. Corporate fraud takes many forms, including insider trading, embezzlement, false billing schemes, securities fraud and forgery, Asset misappropriation fraud, Business opportunity fraud, Employment fraud, Short and long firm fraud, Employee fraud etc. Among the most dangerous forms of corporate fraud is known as long firm fraud, which occurs when a business is founded on legitimate grounds, and then lead by certain unethical individuals toward a purpose of defrauding over a long time. (Corporate fraud, n.d.) It is difficult to expect such scandals prior to the exposure as these involve complex methods for misusing funds, overstating revenues, understating expenses, etc. According to studies conducted in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia (2010) states that corporate fraud increased in the previous 12 months and economic conditions have w orsened. The studies also found that the dollar amount lost to fraud also had increased as well. The study conducted by Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE, 2009) estimated that fraud cost U.S organizations 7 percent of annual revenues, or $ 994 billion in losses based on 2008 gross domestic product. Although financial statement fraud less frequent, however it typically involved more than $ 2 million. Simultaneously, in the United Kingdom KPMGs Fraud Barometer found  £1.3 billion of fraud in 2009. National head of forensic Gary Gill (2010) states that 2009 Australia KPMGs Fraud Barometer found million in major fraud cases. And they highlighted that although the number of cases remain same compared to first to second half of 2009, the value or cost of the fraud doubled. This could weaken investors and shareholders confidence. In order to prevent or reduce from corporate fraud auditors do have a duty to detect errors and fraud hence auditors need to ensure that the financial statements are presented in true and fair view in accordance with the identified financial reporting framework. This research will assist the auditors to find out what they can be done or what would be their responsibility to reduce the massive corporate fraud which, is rapidly spreading around the world. Auditors obtain a reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement caused by error or fraud. One of the challenges faced by the auditor in detecting fraud is the independence of the auditor. Some companies management will not allow the auditor to act with integrity and exercise objectivity and professional skepticism. The other challenge faced by the auditor is that the management does not provide sufficient information to detect the fraud. The auditors would not get enough supporting documents to prove that whether the transactions are correctly recorded. Maintaining public trust is also one of the challenges that auditors would face, hence the public has raised the question as to whether audit functions can be trusted, after financial statement fraud committed by big companies such as Enron, Tyco, and World.com. In order to prevent such problems from occurring, this research has been conducted in order to help auditors to enhance audit quality, preve nt and detect potential fraud before it is too late. Brief description of project objectives. (i.e. scope of proposal, constructs used, limitations and significance) Andrew Marshal (2009) said that when it comes to corporate fraud, nowhere is safe, hence there are fraud scandals occurring everywhere in the world. CPA Journal (2008) estimated that a typical organization loses 5 percent of its annual revenues to fraud, or about $ 4,500 per employee each year. Furthermore the CPA Journal (2008) states that most frauds involve a lack of adequate internal controls (opportunity), the need to maintain an expensive lifestyle or pressure to meet goals (incentive), and the perpetrators lack of awareness that their actions are wrong (self-rationalization) or simple lack of integrity. However, investors expect auditors to give them absolute assurance for detecting material misstatement due to fraud. The majority of investors want from an audit absolute assurance the financial statements are free of all types of material misstatement. The main objective or the aim of this research will be on how and what are the methods that auditors can contribute to minimiz e material misstatements from financial statements and reduce corporate fraud. The other objective of this research is to identify the difficulties in detecting corporate fraud and how to enhance audit quality. Besides that this research will evaluate the gaps in internal controls and how auditors can come out with a financial statement without any biasness. Scope of the Study The scope of this study will concentrate on auditors and their responsibilities towards the public. In addition it will focus on fraud awareness, fraud risk and the corporate governance in the organization. Furthermore this study will focus on the abilities and the knowledge which auditors should have to accomplish their obligations. Limitations of the Study The limitations of this research will be the difficulty in collecting primary data; hence this research will be conducted with face-to-face structured interviews and a survey questionnaire. The time limit for the interview may not be enough based on the availability of the participants, therefore interview has to be scheduled for the availability of participants. Significant of the Study This research will facilitate the auditors to maintain public trust and will enhance audit quality. By enhancing audit quality auditors can reduce the corporate fraud and make the companies trustworthy. When audit quality is enhanced auditors will be more responsible in detecting and preventing fraud. And auditors will perform their work more carefully as a result the companies will not experience financial trouble or difficulties. This research will gather information about how corporate frauds can be reduced and auditors as a key people who needs this information to be applied in the corporate world to reduce corporate fraud. Brief description of the models/theories/concepts that will be used in this proposal. (i.e. consumer behaviourism model, CSF and etc.) This project does not require any concepts, theories or models to be used in the process of doing it. E Academic research being carried out and other information, techniques being learnt. (i.e. literature what are the names of books you are going to read / data sets you are going to use) The books that this research will use are Audit and Assurance Books, Internal and External Auditing books. Magazines, online articles and journals which are related to corporate fraud and auditors will be used. Journals include such as Audit disaster futures: antidotes for the expectation gap by Fran M. Wolf, James A. Tackett and Gregory A. Claypool. And CPA journals such as Auditors responsibilities with respect to fraud: a possible shift. In addition this research will use the Audit firms reports such as KPMG. Other relevant sources include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5AJ03S20091120 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1717856320100317 http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2009/Nov/20/Corporate_accounting_fraud_increasing_around_the_world.html http://www.kpmg.com/AU/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Press-Releases/Pages/Press-release-fraud-doubles-16-Feb-10.aspx http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=213768,00.html http://www.anonymousemployee.com/csssite/sidelinks/corporate_fraud.php http://www.procurement.travel/news.php?cid=corporate-fraud-rises-employees-layoffs-economy.Mar-10.31 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=868441show=html Brief description of the materials/methodologies needed by the proposal. (i.e. data collection methods, sampling, sample size and target group etc.) The data for this research is intended to be covered from Malaysia. Primary data will be collected from listed companies and Audit firms of Malaysia. Data will be collected with the help of questionnaires and interviews. Face-to-face structured interviews will be carried out. The interview will be kept short to respect the time constrains of the participants, hence would not be exceeding 30 minutes. Where clarification is required, further follow-up interviews can be carried out over telephone or e-mail where necessary. A total of 150 questionnaires would be prepared and distributed to the employees of listed companies of Malaysia and Certified Public Accountants (CPA) of Malaysia. The questionnaire would also be distributed to the shareholders for the listed companies of Malaysia and other employees who are working in financial institutions as well. The questionnaires would be more closed ended structured while there would be some open ended questions included as well. Most of the secondary data will be taken from online journals, Emerald, other websites and Athens database. G Brief description of the evaluation and analysis proposed for this project. (i.e. project deliverables and hypothesis, correlation test etc) Hypothesis of the Research This research would benefit the Audit firms, public and private limited companies and shareholders and stakeholders of the public companies. This research not only benefits to Audit firms, public and private companies, but for the public as a whole. The hypothesis testing would show the effect and the changes of audit quality. This hypothesis testing would be the relationship between internal auditors and the external auditors, being independent between the internal auditors would assist the external auditors to work independently and detect fraud and prevent them re-occurring. In addition this research would expect that there is a relationship between internal control and the audit quality and relationship between audit ethics and audit procedures that the external auditors carried out. Deliverables The end result of this research would provide empirical information to all auditors and the top management of the company. Especially this information would facilitate the directors to come out with reliable financial statement to its users. This research will provide theoretical information to all the directors and to the management of the company in order to prevent the financial statements from misstatement and fraud. This information helps the company from losing billions of dollars per year from corporate fraud and will safeguard the shareholders interest and the stake holders of the company. H. Illustration of how this project will benefit the future employability Relevance to Industry All the accounting and financial industries will benefit from this research. As an audit firm this research will help both enhancing the audit quality and will facilitate the new methods to detect fraud and will encourage new audit firms to perform the audit with due care. Auditing is one of the challenging works which assist the auditors to use their knowledge and experience and at the same time the new auditors will learn and gain experience in the audit field and would learn new methods on detecting frauds. This research would benefit all the corporations to minimize their corporate fraud cost. Significance to Modules This research is directly related to Audit and Assurance, Forensic Accounting. And also somehow this research is related to corporate governance as well.

Dynamics of Modernity: Berman Canclini

Dynamics of Modernity: Berman Canclini Compare and contrast Marshall Bermans and Nestor Garcia Canclinis account of the dynamics of Modernity To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction. It is to be overpowered by the immense bureaucratic organizations that have the power to control and often to destroy all communities, values, lives; and yet to be undeterred in our determination to face these forces, to fight to change their world and make it our own. (Berman:1983:13-14) Modernity has long been hailed as one of the most powerful forces to have emerged in the world, with the capacity, according to Marx, to move mountains, and to ensure that all that is solid melts into air. Within the statement by Berman that begins this essay, we can see one of the dynamics that has created this impression. Modernity, despite its deeper roots, begins to be talked about by a series of thinkers who combine a high degree of abstraction with a imperative to act. Thus Marx argues for huge motors of historical telos that exist outside of our will, and at the same time argues for an immanent need to change historical conditions. This relationship between abstraction and concreteness is perhaps the most fundamental dynamic of modernity. It gives rise to the planned economies of communism, and the controlled biopower of modern states that Foucault (1998) talks about, which attempt to rule over the function of life itself. At the same time is gives rise to what Badiou (2005:12 ) calls the passion for the real; the search for an authentic existence in the absence of the certainties with which previous epochs lived. What is crucial about these two movements is the way in which they inflect each other. The idea of authentic will becomes possible only with the collapse of grand narratives and the rise of administered life, and the administered life then uses the same notion of self-fulfilment within consumerism to further be able to administer biopower. It is this covalence that is fundamental to modernity, and which this essay will argue is entirely misunderstood by Berman. One of the reasons for this is that, as Braudel (1995:14) notes, â€Å"each civilisation tends to overestimate its own objectivity.† Likewise, each age tends to see itself as more unique than the last. However, this is particularly a problem with the period called modernity because during this period it was thought reason could break with the past, and a utopia of the state was possible. We can see this legacy in both the Communist economies and in the artistic movements such as Marinettis futurism, which had as its mot to: â€Å"make it new.† It is precisely this trap that Berman falls into: confusing the ideas of modernity with the effects of modernisation. In fact, Bermans fetishished notions of will and authenticity, played out in the ahistorical telos of his modernist planar development, resemble nothing as much as a 19c treatise on the movement of history. Perhaps part of the reason for this is the combination of Bermans European sources with his background in the strong individualist tradition of American pragmatism, as we can see in his first book (1970). Canclini stands just south of Berman, but from the perspective of Mexico, modernity is a not a finished project to be talked about nostalgically in the way Berman does. Because this project is unfinished, Canclini is much better placed to understand the complex and intertwined relationship between what is constructed as tradition and what is constructed as modernity. His notion of hybridity, placed in the context of a heavy reliance on Gramscis theory of hegemony, allows one to understand that supreme category of modernity: tradition. For instance, Canclini notes (1995a:53) that there is no clear line between popular and hegemonic culture, because (ibid:75) peasant culture is necessary for capitalism as a symbol of national identity and because (ibid:83) it offers the construction o f a hegemony through the management of cultural fragmentation.† Thus modernity can be seen here as a hybrid form whereby old identities are mobilised rather than changed and uprooted. Canclini understands that modernity, if it means anything, means a change in underlying structure rather than the type of cultural universalism which lies as the undertone of the work of Berman. This essay will consider how Berman sets up the dynamics of modernity within this ahistorical schema, and argue, as previously alluded to, that he misses the important aspects of the relation. It will also be argued that Canclini, within his much more modest project, understands the underlying dynamics of the abstract and the concrete to a far greater degree. Perhaps Bermans problems begin with his tripartite division of modernity into modernity, modernisation and the modern, without every looking at how these categories are mutually constitutive of each other. Modernity, Berman explains is (1983:15): â€Å"a mode of vital experience – experience of space and time, of the self and others, of lifes possibilities and perils.† Bermans book is more of an evocation than a scholarly argument, but nonetheless is seems pertinent to insist on some evidence for such a claim: did other ages not experience space and time? The problem here is not simply that Bermans generalisations do not tell us anything about modernity, but that they conceal the real dynamics of the process. For instance, Berman often insists on the sense of newness, of authentic experience, within modernity. Yet understood as what Berman construes it to be, the sense of the new is not an experience particular to modernity at all. What is important here about the dynam ics of modernity is the way in which the experience of the new, what Berman calls modernity, is an essential part of the process of modernisation. This has been argued well by one of Bermans claimed inspirations, Walter Benjamin, whose Arcades Project (2002) traces the way in which a sense of wonder was used to create the consumer sensibility. This is also laid out in the work of Canclini, who chronicles the powerful political effect created by constructing modernity as something to come – around which one can mobilise people towards new identities and on new political projects. However, this is a discursive effect, rather than a fundamentally new ontological possibility for the modern subject, and Berman asserts the latter as a property of the former without giving a single argument. Instead, Berman (1983:15) gives us evocation and adjective, one strung after the other. The underlying dynamic of modernity for him is: â€Å"modernity is a paradoxical unity, a unity of disunity: it pours us all into a maelstrom of perpetual disintegration, of struggle and contradiction, of ambiguity and anguish.† Underlying all this purple prose is Marxs statement, that inspires the books title, that all that is solid melts into air. Yet what Marx is talking about is the ability of capital to undermine use-value and create a world of people alienated from their labour and extracted of surplus value. Now one can take issue with Marxs account, (as Baudrillard (1983) most usefully does by pointing out that use-value is also a fetishisation, this time of authenticity, and that the original alienation occurs with the construction of value) but what he draws attention to is the way people see the imaginaries of capitalism as real: capital is perceived by people in Marx as somethin g actually existing, rather than a maelstrom of perpetual disintegration. Here, Berman fails to give proper account of why he diverges from Marx. What can we salvage from Bermans account of the dynamics of modernity? It is true to say that the political subject in modernity was thought of as massively flexible and capable of continual reinvention. Though it must be added that this notion has much broader historical roots that Berman gives credit for: one can already see it in Machiavellis (2004) notion that people are capable of masking their intentions and this constitutes the basis for politics. However, this continual possibility for reinvention led to some of the most firm sets of continuities the world has seen for some time: the idea of class war, the tradition of the French bourgeoisie, and the modern state. Berman writes off in a few lines most of the great thinkers who have analysed this mutually constitutive relationships, Adorno here meriting a line. Canclini, in contrast, is alert to the way the supposed newness of modernity function to preserve power, and in his account of modernity in Mexico draws attention to th e the way newness is made a continuity of ritual and hegemonic power. Berman then separates out modernization as the social process that brings this maelstrom into being. In doing so he outlines some clear divisions between the phases of modernity. These phases resemble nothing so much as the clear evolutionary steps of early modern thinkers like Morgan. In doing so he makes a mockery of the patient work of people like Arrighi (1994), who have worked to uncover all the continuities that exist between different periods. Furthermore, his account is not even internally consistent. There is insufficient clarity in his work as to the difference between the 19C and 20C: Pushkin and Biely are made manifestations of the same movement, despite the widely different impulses that inform their work. What Canclinis work manages to do very well is to understand the way in which modernity, more than any other epoch (for it is the epoch of men who make history themselves without reliance on religious narratives) is complicit in its own construction of history. He trac es the way in which history is used as a political tool, and that the function of the type of planar divisions Berman uses is to extract a continuity from a succession. Which is to say that such divisions function as a political tool to extract a notion of destiny and objective inevitability from a history which is contingent and uncertain. Bermans one-sided and simplistic reading of modernity reaches its apex in his account of the American city. His account is a one sided view of power, as if Le Corbusier had artfully created American cities and all the modern man needed to do was stand up against this bloody tyrant. Canclini (1995b: 743-755) charts the way in which the modern man is complicit in the spaces that he builds, and that the solution is to problems of alienation that occur in such spaces is not some type of revolt by a careful reworking of the practices and delimitations of space that occur in the city. It is working through the very dynamics of modernity that one resolves its problems, and to do so requires an understanding of their complex inter-relation. Such an understanding is accurately posed by Jameson (1992:335) in his understanding of how it was the very construction of space in Los Angeles that led to the possibility of that constructions overthrowing. Furthermore, Berman misunderstands how contest ed Le Corbusier is in architectural theory. He fails to see the varying currents that inform modernity and that produced a diverse and heterogeneous formation of space, even within Le Corbusiers own school (Rabinow: 1991). Theoretically, he also fails to see what De Certeau (2002:19) has persuasively argued for, which is that it was the very relationship of time and space in modernity that leads states to forget the possibility of space. He argues that the spatial organisation laid out by the modern state was predicated on a notion of time as mode of organisation (e.g. wage labour) and a possibility of reinvention which necessarily allowed the particularities of space (as somewhere one has a proper place and a tradition that cannot be reinvented) to left to the people. Thus the conditions for contesting the state in modernity emerges from the intertwining of the micro and macro processes. These complex processes are ignored by Berman, because he is looking for a will-to-power to set against what he sees as the large bureaucratic structures of modernity. This is why he is so against Foucault, who attempts to set out the co-relation between these things. In attempting to find human creativity outside of any sort of system (though without offering any kind of rigorous account of how that might be achieved) he gives to much credit to bureaucratic systems. Canclini, in understanding how the four divisions of modernity he sets out (the rationalising, renovating, emancipatory and democratising projects) are frequently in conflict and lead to a conflicting and contested legacy, is in a much better position to understand. Ultimately, Bermans work seems as if it was written with a long nostalgia to badly understood 19C authors. He uses a notion of freedom as fetishised will (where he deploys what one could reasonably call a notion at all) without understanding that the development of modernity has destroyed this very category. As Zizek (1999:389) artfully pointed out it is the search for the real, for fetishised will, that, when not placed in a grand narrative, ends up in indulging in its simulacrum; the real emptied of risk. Likewise, it is the bureaucratic form of government that has led to the globalisation and decentralisation of its own form. These processes are ignored by Berman, who sees modernity as a universalism, even if a contradictory one, issuing like a new beacon of hope from a centre in Europe. Canclini understands modernity as a hybrid formation that cannot be tied to Europe, and has begun to chart the complex ways that modernity brings to bear on itself, and construct it own legacy. Bibliography Arrighi, G. 1994: The Long Twentieth Century. London: Verso. Badiou, A. 2005: La Sià ¨cle. Paris: Seuil. Baudrillard, J. 1983: For a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign. London: Telos. Benjamin, W. 2002: The Arcades Project. Harvard: HUP. Berman, M. 1983: All that is Solid Melts into Air: Experiences of Modernity. London: Verso. Berman, M. 1970: The Politics of Authenticity: Radical Individualism and the Emergence of Modern Society. New York: MacMillan. Braudel, F. 1995: A History of Civilisations. London: Penguin. Canclini, N. G. 1995a: Hybrid Cultures: Strategies for Entering and Leaving Modernity. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. Canclini, N. 1995B: Mexico: Cultural Globalization in a disintegrating city. American Ethnologist. Vol. 22, No. 4: pp. 743-755. de Certeau, M. 2002: The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley: UCP. Foucault, M. 1998: The History of Sexuality: The Will to Knowledge. London: Penguin. Jameson, F. 1992: Postmodernism: Or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. London: Verso. Machiavelli, N. 2004: The Prince. Oxford: OUP. Rabinow, P. 1991: French Modern: Norms and Forms of the Social Environment. Mass: MIT. Zizek, S. 1999: The Ticklish Subject: The Absent Centre of Political Ontology. London: Verso.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis of McKibben’s Article, Power Play Endangers Hawaii

Rhetorical Analysis of McKibben’s Article, Power Play Endangers Hawaii's Rain Forest Protecting Hawaii’s rain forest from the invasion of Corporate America is Bill McKibben’s intention as an environmentalist. His 28-paragraph article, â€Å"Power Play Endangers Hawaii’s Rain Forest,† appeared in Rolling Stone, a popular culture magazine, on May 31, 1990. He argues that producing power through geothermal drilling harms the Wao Kele o Puna rain forest, the environment, and the people that live nearby. He also presents alternative methods for power, hoping that people will consider these, such as solar-water heating systems and energy efficient gadgets. Unfortunately, his elevated, subjective stance and attempt to convince his audience through emotion distracts the reader from considering the other side of the argument because he appears to be a reliable, educated author. McKibben’s writing style makes it difficult for readers to truly understand the argument he presents; therefore, they are gullible to accepting his opinions. McKibben embarks on a rampage in this article, seeming to continuously ramble on with concepts that fly over the average person’s head. He uses words such as â€Å"Class C forest,† â€Å"A-2 forest,† â€Å"peak-load electricity,† â€Å"geothermal drilling,† and â€Å"hydrogen sulfide emissions.† McKibben must not be thinking of his audience because for the audience to grasp his argument thoroughly he needs to define these concepts well. If he were writing for a science magazine in which his audience would be well educated in environmental issues, his writing style would be accepted. But this article appeared in Rolling Stone where the audience is not educated on these issues. His bitter and intense voice makes the reader feel as if th... ...and often sits in the dark when the sun is not out to express his dissatisfaction with exploiting the resources of the rain forest. McKibben inserts this example because it makes the reader feel that he has an obligation to save the rain forest at the expense of their comfort. Therefore, McKibben’s tactics aim to move the reader into an emotional ride of responsibility to the rain forest versus living life normally. In conclusion, McKibben’s writing style and use of pathos sway the reader to accept his argument as truth even though his arguments may not be valid. Since McKibben portrays himself as a credible author, the audience believes him especially because he is writing to the general public through a pop culture magazine. The issue of preserving the rain forest versus using the resources that it provides will continue to be in debate in the years to come.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Nat King Cole Essay -- essays research papers

Nat "King" Cole Music is a universal language, a language that many can speak; however, one that only few can master. One of those masters was Nat "King" Cole. A true legend, Nat not only could carry a song with his voice, but also through his incredible skills with the piano. Today, Nat is most remembered for that soft, soothing and so powerful voice; however he is recognized as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all-time. The man today known as Nat "King" Cole was actually born in Nathaniel Adams Coles, in Montgomery, Alabama on March 17, 1917. By the age of four, his father, Edward James Coles Sr. and his mother, Perlina Adams Coles, decided it would be best that the family move to Chicago. By the time Nat reached four years of age, his father quit his job as a grocer and moved his family to Chicago, where he became a preacher. This decision would have had a huge impact on the family as a whole, but especially in the case of Nat. Moving to Chicago was the first step in Nat’s rise to fame, the place where the foundation of a jazz superstar would be built. As a child, Nat dreamed to be a big band leader and soloist in the tradition of his idol, Earl "Fatha" Hines. By twelve years old, Nat was already playing the organ at church, amazing for such a young man only trained by his mother. Later, Nat would be enrolled in formal piano lessons, which only further add to his impressive repertoire. At fifteen years old, Nat decided to drop the "s" in his name, to become Nathaniel Adams Cole. By the age 17, Nat formed a 14-piece band, composed of students from both Wendall Philips and Dusable High schools in Chicago. The band would go around Chicago, working for as little as $2 or $3 a night. In 1936, Nat made his first recording for Decca, as part of his brother Eddie’s band, the Solid Swingers; however, his time with the band would not last. Later in 1936, Nat left Chicago for Los Angeles, where he would eventually land his big break. In Los Angeles, Nat joined a Eubie Blake’s revival of "Shuffle Along", in 1936. Here he worked with a dancer Nadine Robinson, who would later become his future wife. Nat continued his role in the musical until it disbanded in Long Beach California, in 1937. When Shuffle’s run was ended, Nat became intensely involved in the c... ...f his time. During his heyday, he was as popular as anyone, including the legendary Frank Sinatra. This is even more remarkable when one takes into account the fact that Nat refused to play in segregated halls – his popularity was such that he was one of the few African-Americans who could do so. 	On February 15, 1965 the music world lost one of its greats. By the time his life was over, he was already a legend, having influenced the likes of Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal. Nat had performed with some of the best including Duke Ellington and performed for some of the best, including the Queen ¨, he was even friends with John F. Kennedy. Though he is often remembered today as a great singer, he was also one of history’s greatest jazz pianists. It is said that as a pianist, he developed the intricate right-hand style of initiated by Hines and the sparse left-hand of Count Basiel. His records have been released and re-released and even to this day they are still popular. Through the marvels of modern technology, Nat and his daughter, Natalie (who is also a well-known artist) were reunited for a rendition of the classic, "Unforgettable", which he certainly is.

An Ethical Theory Applied to Business Organizations Essay -- Business

The object of this essay is to establish whether there is an ethical theory that can be successfully applied to business organizations. In order to answer this question, it is necessary first to define the major ethical theories, which are utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics, before determining whether there are any other options. After that, the ethical needs, problems and limitations of work organizations will have to be examined so that the different theories can be evaluated in this context. It will also be important to draw a distinction between the terms â€Å"accurate† and â€Å"useful† as these actually result in two different questions the answer to which need not necessarily be the same. Another essential part of this discussion is the more general question why there should be ethics in work organizations in the first place, and to what extent ethical behavior is feasible in the business world. Hopefully this will provide a framework within which the answer to the essay question can be included. To begin with, the â€Å"traditional† approaches to solving moral problems will be defined, namely those of act-utilitarianism and deontology. These are traditional not because they have existed longer than virtue ethics, but because for a long time they have been the approaches most commonly used as a basis for trying to solve ethical problems. After looking at these two moral theories, the approach of virtue ethics regarding moral dilemmas will be investigated in order to compare differences and advantages as well as problems. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It adopts the consequentialist view that it must be right to make the world a better place and therefore the right action is the one that produces the best consequences. Utilitarianism takes this one step further and defines the action that will produce the best consequences as the one that produces the most happiness. Act-utilitarianism holds that each case should be judged separately in terms of which possible action would maximise happiness; this means that there are no rules to follow, but the theory seems to provide a decision-procedure to act upon in that one acts upon a principle of justice. Intuitively this seems to be an appealing solution to ethical dilemmas. To maximise happiness makes utilitarianism a noble ideal. Furthermore... ...usiness Ethics, Vol.19, No.3, April II 1999 Cicero: Selected Works. Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth - England 1971 Donaldson, D. and Davis, E.: ‘Business Ethics? Yes, But What Can it Do for the Bottom Line?’ Management Decision, Vol 28, 6, 1990 Legge, K.: ‘Is HRM ethical? Can HRM be ethical?’ in Parker, M. (ed.): Ethics and Organisations. Sage Publications - London 1998 Madsen and Shafritz Essentials of Business Ethics. Penguin Books 1990 McDonald, G.: ‘Business Ethics: Practical Proposals for Organisations.’ in Journal of Business Ethics, Vol.19, No.2, April I 1999 McNamara, C.: ‘Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers.’ The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits 1999 (http://www.mapnp.org/library/ethics/ethxgde.htm) McNaughton, D.: Moral Vision. Blackwell - Oxford 1988 Norman, R.: The Moral Philosophers. Clarendon Press - Oxford 1983 Pearson, G.: Integrity in Organisations. McGraw-Hill Book Company - London 1995 Richards, R.: ‘Cicero and the ethics of honest business dealings.’ The Online Journal of Ethics 1997 Townley, P.: ‘Business Ethics: Commitment to Tough Decisions.’ Vital Speeches, pp. 208-211, 1992 (Jan)

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Cost of Living in America

Samad Saadiq Cost of Living in America America is the best place to live. But â€Å"money is the key to survival† (Crute) which all Americans live by. With the economy growing fast so is the cost of living. The cost of living is the amount of money it cost to survive with the basic necessities. Even though majority Americans survived off of the cost of living, they believed that things would get better, and they would be able spend money on things other than necessities. The changes in the type of jobs, necessities, and how people spent money 50 years ago to now increase the cost of living.This is why the cost of living provides more jobs, better pay, and better places to live. With work being the only source of income people viewed it as an â€Å"obligation† (Crute). â€Å"Work was something that everyone did, and wasn't considered a job† (Crute). People worked because they had to; it was the only way to survive. Families could not survive if their parents did n ot work, because there was no money. Although most of the money that came into the households came from the parents; children also worked and brought in money.The only jobs that existed were jobs that provide goods and services needed for survival. â€Å"My mother was an in house nurse and worked barely for minimum wage† (Crute). The average American would pay â€Å"$49,000 for a house, 35 cents for cigarettes, and one cent for candy† (Crute). A place to stay and food to eat are the necessities. Rarely was money spent on things such as movies, candy, or eating out. Living was just living and we survived just fine off of the basic needs in 1960. The 21st century is a lot different compared to how people viewed the world 50 years ago.Most people go to work because they enjoy what they do or they enjoy the benefits from the job. There are jobs for just about anything you want to do in the world, encouraging more Americans to work. Majority of Americans work, but the gover nment is more  involved  in helping  struggling  families who don't work to survive. There are child labor laws that prohibit children from working until they turn at least 14 years old. The economy is in such a terrible state that nothing is cheap, increasing the cost of living. The average loaf of bread cost about $3. 9 which is more than a gallon of gas. Even though nothing is cheap we do spend money on more than necessities. People pay thousands of dollars to put rims on their cars instead of hubcaps.This is like throwing away money. Hard earned money should be spent but not wasted. Crute remembers paying 25 cents for a gallon of gas, that we now pay $2. 79 for. In order to keep up with the increasing prices of these products and people living their lavish life styles, they have to pay workers more money to survive. With the cost of living now at â€Å"$8. 5 per hour† (WHD) people feel encouraged to spend it on the finer things in life. Such as the $49,000 dollar home this now costs $350, 000, or a $30,000 car. Even though the cost of living is expense it created better opportunities for American citizens. Money is everything and Americans have been given more over the years because it costs more to live it in a beautiful place. Citizens still need the necessities but now there are more than just food and shelter that are considered necessities. If it wasn’t for cost of living costing so much we wouldn’t be able to enjoy our money like we do now.It would feel like the people who worked 50 years ago like an obligation but it doesn’t. Everything has increased from the number of jobs to the amount of money we bring home in just one month. The cost of living is now more than survival it’s about living life.Word Count: 672 words Works Cited Crute, Samad. â€Å"Cost of Living. † Telephone interview. 1 Nov. 2010. â€Å"U. S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division (WHD) – Minimum Wage Laws in t he States. † The U. S. Department of Labor Home Page. N. p. , n. d. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. <http://www. dol. gov/whd/minwage/america. htm>.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Cultural interview

Adriana was going to react to plastered topics/questions and this do me perceptive somewhat conducting the query. I was scatterbrained that she might feel endangered astir(predicate) her perceive impediment since she is a reclusive soul. She was ridiculed in school and did non hold many a(prenominal) an(prenominal) friends. I was oblivious(predicate) if Adriana would countermand questions or become stirred up nigh her peasanthood. I was as well apprehensive active raiseing her nationality and if she felt up that she had see racism. I remained sympathetic and nonjudgmental passim the built-in interview.Adriana is presently a 33-year-old Mexi earth-closet the Statesn left(a) conked female with a earshot balk. She catamenialy has no as realing in her right ear and has just now 10% in her left ear. She has both earreach support and is equal to(p) to go by by reading lips, text messaging, and by email. She is non adequate to(p) to elapse utiliz ing a teleph maven. She has been bilingua numerateist (Spanish and English) since the condemnation of well-nigh tail fin. Adriana broken to the highest degree of auditory modality at the age of sevensomesome because she was struck with polio. She mentioned that she was sick for a hebdomad and was neer ho vomitalized.She suffered from high fevers and mixed-up the bulk of her find outing over the logical argument of a eek. She went from existence able to hear the chirping ofa boo to solely being able to hear muffled representatives She vexed earreach aids ab off dickens weeks by and by being afflicted with polio. She went through extensive amounts of actors line therapy during and out of doors of the school setting. However, she has ever so excelled academi bandy in school. She claims that or so of the t all(prenominal)ers were accommodating and allow her nonplus in the front of the class. However, she did mention that she was ridiculed passim her grade sc hool years.She claims that her classmates would open spit balls at her and make enjoyment of her wrangle impediment. She never lashed out at hoi polloi and tried to ignore their fledgeless behavior. She mentions that she was successful to welcome sometime(a) fellows that were very(prenominal)(prenominal) protective. umpteen people felt that she was large-mindedloading because of her Mexican heritage and did non get to go to sleep her or even recognize that she was withal an American. She mentioned that her parents came to America legally n their fleeceable nibs) and became Mexican American citizens. Adriana mentioned that she was non common and only associated with a few friends.She was very stimulated during this topic She would tear up at times because she felt standardized she was live over bad memories. She felt equivalent no one could relate to her because no one else had a constipation and was a nonage. It was similarly toughened for her to realiz e that her sense of hearing was gradually deteriorating She presently has a Bachelors pointedness in Media and the Fine Arts and an Associates grade in Medical care and cryptanalysis. She is currently working at a doctors bit mathematical mutantction time utilizing her Medical Billing and Coding degree.She does non appear wild round her Job because she is in a esoteric office (by herself) doing computer coding. She feels excluded because she cannot get together the perfect Job description. She is only able to transact the paperwork/ omputer portion of her current position. She is futile to communicate by telephone and feels inapt because of her public lecture/hearing impediment. She always dreamt approximately comely a nurse and treasured to check in the footsteps of her older siblings. She knew that she would be otiose to fulfill her dream because her hearing deviation would affect her Job performance.Despite seek and having a low self esteem, she appo int a husband that is able to facet agone her hindrance. Her body language and intent of voice seemed to change when we were talk a spell her husband. She seemed to be very comfortable talking nigh him and was very open bout respondent questions. Her face lit up, at that place was hullabaloo in her answers, and she appeared less tense. She has been unify for five years to her husband named Gabriel and resides in Portage, Indiana. She has no children exactly has two cats and dogs She always has nephews and nieces that communicate the night.They refer to her as the preferred aunt. She verbalise, l drive in spending time with my nieces and nephews, even when I produce had enough then(prenominal) I can cast them home. They call her Auntie Nana and she displays their artwork proudly end-to-end her domiciliate and on the refrigerator. Adriana grew up in a single-family household in Whiting, Indiana. Her m separate was in her bread and moreoverter for roughly se ven years. She claims that he cheated on her engender and she kicked him out of the house. Adriana is a middle child of quaternsome brothers and sisters. Her amaze worked at a breast feeding home as a Janitor and did not make untold money.Her older brother and sister would oft tonicity after the younger children when her get was at work. She was elevated Catholic and presently attends church weekly. She grew up in a bilingual and unmitigated household. She was expected to arrest chores and cookery do by the time her set out was home. She hushed remains close with her family and sees them on a regular basis. I was take aback to take on out that she has not utter to her military chaplain for almost a decade. She excessively confided in me that she has about(predicate) 15 fractional brothers/sisters from her fathers mistresses. She has emailed four of them and does not know anything about the other siblings. I was to a fault surprise that since she has such(pre nominal) a large Mexican family, she only participates in some Mexican traditions. She mentioned that her large, lengthy family gathers together for birthdays, Cinco de Mayo, and holidays. They typically scotch in Mexican Cuisine, such as tamales, guacamole, tacos, and flautas. She stated that growing up with a balk and being Mexican was never easy. Adriana mentioned that she experienced racism when she was younger. She experienced racial write and was referred to as a Spic. They would contain her if sne nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide a green card and it sne was an under-the-counter alien. Her mothers lower socioeconomic spot was reflected in Adrianas wardrobe. She also mentioned she received unloosen and decreased school lunches. Her classmates ridiculed her for all of these things. She did not fondise with many students and often sit down by herself in the cafeteria. She felt only when because of her disability and race. She often felt that eople were make fun of her and talking behind her back. In her current work environment she often feels looked overmatch upon because of her hearing disability.Adriana still has an welfare spirit patronage all of the adversities in her life. She views herself as being successful and accomplished. She overcame the odds and went to college and restrained two degrees. She is married, has a Job, and owns a home. She assign much of her success to having a encouraging and loving family. Her mother always boost and animate her to pursue her dreams and never set her other than from any of her other siblings (without disabilities). Adriana was embossed with love and discipline. Her mother was never disconcert to penalise her or her siblings in public.They were taught that zip fastener is free and that they consider to work hard for what they have. there are three nurses in her family and each of her siblings has their own homes and Jobs. She did mention that she grew up in a poverty in love envir onment. Her mother was on welfare and feed stamps throughout the course of her childhood. Her raiment was every from grace of God and/ or second hand clothing from her older siblings. She lived in a three-bed get on house and shared a room with four of her sisters. As a counselor, I have versed not to have a pre-conceived notion about a node.I have also learned that you cannot gauge a book by its cover. Adriana has get across many obstacles/hurdles in her life that most people could never imagine. She is legally deafen and has never once tending(p) up on pursuing her goals. She mentioned that she is a panorama for the cochlear implant besides does not penury to undergo the procedure. She apprised me that she has learned to adjust her life around her hearing deficit. I have learned that she is not defined by her disability scarce by her ability I felt empathetic towards the amount of intimidate that she had endured.She was never once vengeful but was saddened that ce rtain individuals could physically and emotionally swearword someone. As a counselor, I would aid for this client by helping her obtain learning on disability and social security. payable to her socioeconomic status, transportation may motivation to be pass ond for appointments to/from the counseling sessions. I would also provide her with a list of vocational rehabilitation offices to help her obtain tuition related to employment, assistive technology, and spiritual rebirth services.Other resources that can be valuable to Adriana overwhelm a sign language interpretive program and a videophone. I can also provide information on support groups for individuals with hearing disabilities. I feel that she would wellbeing from individual and family counseling despite having a positive(p) outlook on her scenario. This interview make me realize that someone with a nonage/disability can spank obstacles that seem nonexistent to someone without a disability or a minority. She ma y have had many struggles throughout her life, but was rosy-cheeked to have the support of her mother nd siblings.Even though Adriana is a minority with a disability, she has a positive military strength towards life. She takes everything in stride and does not want sympathy. Adriana has always been successful and seems to excel despite her disability. Overcoming many adversities, sne remains optimistic about ner tuture. She is ag advocate and role moulding for minorities with a disability. She is a role poseur to her nieces and nephews. She incessantly encourages them to pursue their dreams and a high education. She does not let her disability cook her life-style or outlook on life. heathenish interviewAdriana was going to react to certain topics/questions and this made me apprehensive about conducting the interview. I was nervous that she might feel vulnerable about her hearing impediment since she is a private individual. She was ridiculed in school and did not have many friends. I was unaware if Adriana would avoid questions or become emotional about her childhood. I was also apprehensive about mentioning her nationality and if she felt that she had experienced racism. I remained empathetic and nonjudgmental throughout the entire interview.Adriana is currently a 33-year-old Mexican American left handed female with a hearing disability. She currently has no hearing in her right ear and has only 10% in her left ear. She has two hearing aids and is able to communicate by reading lips, text messaging, and by email. She is not able to communicate utilizing a telephone. She has been bilingual (Spanish and English) since the age of about five. Adriana lost most of hearing at the age of seven because she was afflicted with polio. She mentioned that she was sick for a week and was never hospitalized.She suffered from high fevers and lost the majority of her hearing over the course of a eek. She went from being able to hear the chirping ofa bird to only bein g able to hear muffled voices She obtained hearing aids about two weeks after being afflicted with polio. She went through extensive amounts of speech therapy during and outside of the school setting. However, she has always excelled academically in school. She claims that most of the teachers were accommodating and let her sit in the front of the class. However, she did mention that she was ridiculed throughout her grade school years.She claims that her classmates would throw spit balls at her and make fun of her speech impediment. She never lashed out at people and tried to ignore their immature behavior. She mentions that she was lucky to have older brothers that were very protective. Many people felt that she was freeloading because of her Mexican heritage and did not get to know her or even recognize that she was also an American. She mentioned that her parents came to America legally n their green cards) and became Mexican American citizens. Adriana mentioned that she was not popular and only associated with a few friends.She was very emotional during this topic She would tear up at times because she felt like she was reliving bad memories. She felt like no one could relate to her because no one else had a disability and was a minority. It was also hard for her to realize that her hearing was gradually deteriorating She currently has a Bachelors Degree in Media and the Fine Arts and an Associates Degree in Medical Billing and Coding. She is currently working at a doctors office part time utilizing her Medical Billing and Coding degree.She does not seem passionate about her Job because she is in a private office (by herself) doing computer coding. She feels excluded because she cannot fulfill the entire Job description. She is only able to complete the paperwork/ omputer portion of her current position. She is unable to communicate by telephone and feels incompetent because of her speech/hearing impediment. She always dreamt about becoming a nurse and wa nted to follow in the footsteps of her older siblings. She knew that she would be unable to fulfill her dream because her hearing loss would affect her Job performance.Despite struggling and having a low self esteem, she found a husband that is able to look past her disability. Her body language and tone of voice seemed to change when we were talking about her husband. She seemed to be very comfortable talking about him and was very open bout answering questions. Her face lit up, there was excitement in her answers, and she appeared less tense. She has been married for five years to her husband named Gabriel and resides in Portage, Indiana. She has no children but has two cats and dogs She constantly has nephews and nieces that spend the night.They refer to her as the favorite aunt. She stated, l love spending time with my nieces and nephews, however when I have had enough then I can send them home. They call her Auntie Nana and she displays their artwork proudly throughout her hou se and on the refrigerator. Adriana grew up in a single-family household in Whiting, Indiana. Her father was in her life for about seven years. She claims that he cheated on her mother and she kicked him out of the house. Adriana is a middle child of four brothers and sisters. Her mother worked at a nursing home as a Janitor and did not make much money.Her older brother and sister would often look after the younger children when her mother was at work. She was raised Catholic and presently attends church weekly. She grew up in a bilingual and strict household. She was expected to have chores and homework done by the time her mother was home. She still remains close with her family and sees them on a regular basis. I was shocked to find out that she has not spoken to her father for almost a decade. She also confided in me that she has about 15 half brothers/sisters from her fathers mistresses. She has emailed four of them and does not know anything about the other siblings. I was als o amazed that since she has such a large Mexican family, she only participates in some Mexican traditions. She mentioned that her large, extended family gathers together for birthdays, Cinco de Mayo, and holidays. They typically indulge in Mexican Cuisine, such as tamales, guacamole, tacos, and flautas. She stated that growing up with a disability and being Mexican was never easy. Adriana mentioned that she experienced racism when she was younger. She experienced racial profiling and was referred to as a Spic. They would ask her if sne nad a green card and it sne was an illegal alien. Her mothers lower socioeconomic status was reflected in Adrianas wardrobe. She also mentioned she received free and reduced school lunches. Her classmates ridiculed her for all of these things. She did not socialize with many students and often sat by herself in the cafeteria. She felt alone because of her disability and race. She often felt that eople were making fun of her and talking behind her back . In her current work environment she often feels looked down upon because of her hearing disability.Adriana still has an upbeat personality despite all of the adversities in her life. She views herself as being successful and accomplished. She overcame the odds and went to college and obtained two degrees. She is married, has a Job, and owns a home. She credits much of her success to having a supportive and loving family. Her mother always encouraged and inspired her to pursue her dreams and never treated her differently from any of her other siblings (without disabilities). Adriana was raised with love and discipline. Her mother was never embarrassed to punish her or her siblings in public.They were taught that nothing is free and that they have to work hard for what they have. There are three nurses in her family and each of her siblings has their own homes and Jobs. She did mention that she grew up in a poverty stricken environment. Her mother was on welfare and food stamps thro ughout the course of her childhood. Her clothing was either from Goodwill and/ or second hand clothing from her older siblings. She lived in a three-bedroom house and shared a room with four of her sisters. As a counselor, I have learned not to have a pre-conceived notion about a client.I have also learned that you cannot Judge a book by its cover. Adriana has overcome many obstacles/hurdles in her life that most people could never imagine. She is legally deaf and has never once given up on pursuing her goals. She mentioned that she is a candidate for the cochlear implant but does not want to undergo the procedure. She assured me that she has learned to adjust her life around her hearing deficit. I have learned that she is not defined by her disability but by her ability I felt empathetic towards the amount of bullying that she had endured.She was never once vengeful but was saddened that certain individuals could physically and emotionally torment someone. As a counselor, I would a dvocate for this client by helping her obtain information on disability and social security. Due to her socioeconomic status, transportation may need to be provided for appointments to/from the counseling sessions. I would also provide her with a list of vocational rehabilitation offices to help her obtain information related to employment, assistive technology, and transition services.Other resources that can be valuable to Adriana include a sign language translator and a videophone. I can also provide information on support groups for individuals with hearing disabilities. I feel that she would benefit from individual and family counseling despite having a positive outlook on her scenario. This interview made me realize that someone with a minority/disability can overcome obstacles that seem nonexistent to someone without a disability or a minority. She may have had many struggles throughout her life, but was fortunate to have the support of her mother nd siblings.Even though Adri ana is a minority with a disability, she has a positive attitude towards life. She takes everything in stride and does not want sympathy. Adriana has always been successful and seems to excel despite her disability. Overcoming many adversities, sne remains optimistic about ner tuture. She is ag advocate and role model for minorities with a disability. She is a role model to her nieces and nephews. She constantly encourages them to pursue their dreams and a higher education. She does not let her disability limit her lifestyle or outlook on life.