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Monday, September 30, 2019

JROTC Leadership and Characterization Essay

Leadership is defined as the process in which an individual influences the group of individuals to attain a common goal. The goal is attained by mutual cooperation and behavior. A leader has a sense of positivity and directs others to reach the specified goal. In The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, (JROTC) the leaders teach us how to become better leaders. They also teach us to build character and leadership by providing guidance and putting us cadets in a position that we are not accustomed to. This helps us adapt to new types of things.We also have to set the example for the school, especially when we wear our uniforms. When we put on that uniform it means we are to be a leader. People watch us because we have the uniform on and they know we are a part of JROTC therefore they expect more out of us. A leader is someone who stands not only for their cause but takes responsibility and motivates other individuals also. There is a difference between being a boss and a leader. A leader is a motivation for others and inspires individuals to aim higher and attain that aim.However, a boss only supervises over his inferiors. Power naturally comes to a leader but power has to be earned by a boss. The best leaders are those who can lead and direct without misuse of their power. They must be able to inspire others in a direction or greater good. They must be strong enough to stand firm in decision making and leading others without a selfish attitude. In order to be a successful leader it is essential to have good character. You must have honesty, confidence, communication, and commitment.You have to have honesty because if someone is doing something wrong you need to be able to have honest feedback. You need communication because you need to be able to command your platoon. You need to have commitment because you need to stick with it and create a relationship with your platoon so you, and they, will feel more comfortable. You need to have confidence because you need to be sure of what you are doing at all times. No one wants or needs a weak leader. I think have confidence is one of the most important traits to be a good leader.One person that I think has all of these characteristics and is a great is leader is President Barack Obama. He sets a great example for the country. He is honest, he has not quit and always looks focused on his work. I think I am a good leader because I have all of those character traits. I also have respect, passion, and am very supportive. JROTC has helps me a lot with my character and my personality. I do not have to be a follower anymore. I am now a leader because of JROTC.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Dual nature of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the duality between good and evil Essay

The struggle between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde reflects upon the duality of man, in between good and evil. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novel in the 1800 where T.V and other forms of entertainment didn’t exit, therefore the Victorian audience, found it entertaining to read. The novel explores the attitudes of the Victorians people with regard to their obsession with keeping a respectable society However, despite this public decency, Stevenson appears to be suggesting that underneath the surface, people’s behaviour was not quite as respectable as it should be. Stevenson believed that there is light and dark in all of mankind- man is not truly one, but truly two. Most of the characters are seem as having professions considered to be important and influenced, such as lawyers, doctors and politicians, all representing respectability. Mr Jekyll liked to indulge in pleasures but his status prevented him to do so, he creates an alter ego for himself to live out his passions. Dr Jekyll dependence on Mr Hyde became an addiction, although Jekyll says that he ‘can be rid of Mr Hyde at any point’ his lack of control helps Mr Hyde to over power him and take over. Robert Louis Stevenson was born and bread in Edinburgh. He was a very sick boy thought his childhood which had confined him to a bed. His nurse used to read to him the Pilgrims Progress and the Old Testament, telling him stories about evil, causing him to suffer nightmares. Stevenson grew up in Edinburgh which itself had two faces on one hand the modest, religious and respectable ‘New Town’ and on the other hand a bohemian Edinburgh- the dark one. This Edinburgh was symbolized with brothels and shadiness. The contrast of the two was a bit like the nature of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is largely allegorical. In the first chapter we see the theme of duality when the two characters Utterrson and Enfield are a taking a walk and they see a door which described as ‘bore in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence’. The door stood out from the rest of the street because all the other buildings were well kept. Mr Enfield has a flash back, he remembers the time Mr Hyde tramples over the girl and describes him as a ‘juggernaut’. The first victim of Hyde was the little girl. I think the reason why Stevenson chose a little to be the first victim of Hyde is because a child represents innocence and he is trying to say that Hyde is pure evil with a cold heart. The description of the street reinforces the theme of duality because it is a dingy neighbourhood and there are shops like ‘rows of smiling women’ this raises a question why is Dr Jekyll living in a tawdry neighbourhood. Jekyll appearance is a lot different from Hyde he is smoothed face where as Hyde looks as if though he is deformed and short. I think the reason why Hyde is short is because the evil side of Dr Jekyll hasn’t developed properly. Hyde becomes Jekyll’s demonic, monstrous self. Stevenson presents him as such from the outset. Hissing as he speaks, Hyde has a kind of black sneering coolness†¦.’like satin’. He also strikes those who witness him as being deformed, ‘pale and dwarfish’ As the story progresses, Hyde becomes more and more violent, culminating with the death of Sir O.Carew. The maid describes the murder as horrific but before the murder there is a pleasant description of the setting ‘the soft, clear night, the romantic nature of the maid, the full moon, and the sweet loveliness of the old man’. This is another example of the use of duality and the theme of good and evil because Stevenson describes the setting with a romantic aroma ‘full moon’ but then everything changes from good to evil. The horrific description of the murder includes a ‘storm of blows’ and bones being ‘audibly shattered’ once again Hyde is described as ‘disgusting looking’. The description implies Stevenson views of the world of certain, inherent evilness in people, something that can be detected by merely glancing at a person. Stevenson explores the theme of double through symbols and characters. Most of the novel is set at night, and the fog becomes almost a character hiding people in the city. Where ever wine is present there is positive happening but it can also symbolize evil because too much wine can transform a person making him drunk. This happens to be like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, when he drinks the potion. Stevenson tries to create an atmosphere which is based on (emphasise) tension between order and disorder-duality. He finds the truth. However, even Utterson seems to have a double life, and in his quest he examines his own conscience â€Å"and the lawyer, scared by the thought, brooded a while in his own past, groping in all the corners of memory, lest by chance some Jack-in-the-Box of an old iniquity should leap to light there† Dr Lanyon dies because he was exposed to the pure evilness of Jekyll’s experiment that went wrong. The evil, Jekyll created, killed Dr Lanyon, indirectly. When forced to confront his divided self, Lanyon could not bear to think that he may have his own Mr Hyde in him. So he kills himself.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Tragic Hero in Aristotle Definition Essay

The word tragedy is when an event ends in misfortune. However, when the word tragedy is put in context within a play or a story it is a story circling around a protagonist who is of high power and stature. A tragedy is usually the development of a protagonist whose in conflict with a more superior force; the superior forces that the protagonist could be faced with is his destiny, free will and the Gods that rule over them. The end of a tragedy is usually the protagonist whose in a state of deterioration in which he loses everything. A tragic hero is meant to define his fate by himself, usually by actions that he inflicts on himself which then lead him to wreck his own life. Aristotle is considered as one of the many ancient influential philosophers there is and therefore his view of Oedipus being an ideal tragic hero is considered as highly powerful in the world of literature. Aristotle defines tragedy as the conflict between humans being good yet being defeated by reality as their actions done with good intentions can actually bring back outcomes that were not initially wanted. In the play Oedipus by Sophocles, Oedipus is classed as a classic tragic hero by Aristotle for many of the characteristics he possesses. According to Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero; the tragic hero has to be realistic, true to life, consistent and true to themselves, consistent within the context of the narrative and has to make errors of judgement throughout the play but the results of what has been done should be the opposite of what was initially intended. A tragic hero should be able to arouse feelings of pity and fear; this is because, the feeling of pity is aroused by our deep sympathy for someone whose life is falling out of place whereas that person is neither too good nor too evil to have deserved such a misfortune, and the feeling of fear is aroused by the sheer horror that such a tragedy can fall upon anyone regardless of their stature. According to Aristotle’s definition Oedipus is a tragic hero because he is a man of great power and influence over the city he rules and his life begins to deteriorate in front of everyone’s eyes as he goes on a quest to find out who he is. Aristotle says that a tragic hero must be the one to cause their own downfall in which Oedipus persistently decides to carry on asking questions about his origins. Also, the tragic hero’s fate is not deserved and his punishment exceeds his wrongdoings and  that a tragic hero must be someone important and influential and he must be someo ne who makes an error of judgement. This error of judgement is seen when Oedipus forces Tiresias in anger to answer his questions of who his parents are, â€Å"Who? Wait; who are my parents?†, it is Oedipus’s own mistake in forcing answers in which he does not wish to hear or know.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Paper2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper2 - Essay Example However, the period between completing high school and joining university gave me enormous insight into what I really wanted, which was to learn. The actual choice of my college hinged on its ability to land me in an environment in which I developed communication and interpersonal relations, and learnt at the same time. The experience was fulfilling. I graduated with a 2:1 from college, but I feel that I was a first-class student and should have graduated with first-class honors. As referenced in question one, I viewed college as a place to interact and learn, but after joining I indulged myself too much and my grades suffered. My only exemplary year was as a sophomore, but the rest of the years I underachieved. I also missed out on a lot of placements due to misplaced priorities while in my senior year. In summary, my life was not balanced. If I had an opportunity I would: I would run for student leadership positions; I would work towards improving the relationship between students and faculty; and I would engage in social and volunteer work as part of my contribution to the surrounding community. For me, there is no better feeling than helping students overcome the very same challenges I faced in college and either failed to triumph over, or emerged from heavily-scathed. I imagine freshmen and sophomore students struggling to balance their class work with their social life and I saw myself. Being a practical person, this was a chance for me to steer young people to the right direction and create confident, successful individuals. I joined as a tutor and graduated to a lecturer a year after completing my masters. Two years after getting my post-graduate diploma, I was promoted to a senior lecturer. I am now an assistant professor and still on course to become a full professor by 40. I was the chairperson of the journalism club, vice-chairperson of the student’s union and secretary of the exchange students association. I am currently a member of the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 38

Marketing - Essay Example This new phenomenon is known as integrated marketing communication (IMC). As such, this paper seeks to critically evaluate the effectiveness of IMC in the operations of McDonald’s restaurant in the UK. The paper starts by explaining the meaning of IMC in order to gain a clear understanding of the whole concept. The paper will also explain how the concept of IMC is applied by the above mentioned company in its operations. Picton and Broderick (2005) define integrated marketing communications as â€Å"A process which involves the management and organisation of all agents in the analysis, planning, implementation and control of all marketing communications contacts, media, messages and promotional tools focussed at selected target audiences in such a way as to derive the greatest economy, efficiency, effectiveness and coherence of marketing communications effort.† Basically, integrated marketing communication is mainly focused on the strategic coordination of roles of a variety of communication disciplines such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, direct marketing and public relations (Cant, 2000). Integrating the various communication channels used by the firm seeks to create the contact points where the firm can interact with the customers while the customers can also discover the firm and its brands. McDonald’s Corporation is viewed as a force to reckon within the fast food industry in the world today. The company is renowned for its burgers as well as its sophisticated delivery system that has greatly contributed to its success (Wiley, 2012). However, though the company has often come under fire for â€Å"its genetically modified practices,† it has sought to present itself as a giant in the fast food industry (Alford, 2012). The company uses different marketing communications in order to appeal to the interests of the customers as well as to retain the consumers that already exist. For instance, mass techniques

Mesozoic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mesozoic History - Essay Example The sediment part from the bone is removed. Acid is used for preservation but in a very little amount as the bone is constructed of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. Ascetic acid and formic acid are commonly used for the purpose. The dinosaur bone that I own is from the Mesozoic period. Dinosaur bones are very helpful as index fossils and there are some specific reasons behind this phenomenon. First of all, dinosaur bones can be traced very easily. Understanding the age to which they belong is not hard if someone deals with the index fossils. Invertebrate Life: there were a few life forms existing during this period. Shells of silica and calcium carbonate are the two main forms. Class Sardonica was very important during this time. Marine invertebrates developed rapidly during the Mesozoic period. Vertebrate Life: there were three distinguished sections in Mesozoic vertebrate life and they were: sauropod, theropod and ornithischian dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were among the best known creatures which dominated the world at that period. Plant Life: this was the era when some of the major plants existed. Among them the mentionable ones are ginkoes, ferns and cycads. There were also some flowering plants present in the Mesozoic era too. Insect pollinating was one of these plants' characteristics. Mesozoic was a period the dinosaurs are believed to have become extinct from the world.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Sarbanes Oaxley Act And Reporting Of Employee Compensation Essay

Sarbanes Oaxley Act And Reporting Of Employee Compensation - Essay Example The reason of the new law is to defend depositors by developing the accurateness and consistency of company revelations. The law formed a sovereign Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to supervise the inspection of public companies to shield the interest of investors and additionally the public interest in offering functional and correct information. Further sections of the act comprise but are not inadequate to Corporate Responsibility, Auditor Independence, and Enhanced Financial Disclosures. The law also deals with company and illegal scam, and it gives illicit punishments for defrauding shareholders of publicly dealt companies. Since the SEC has oversight and enforcement influence over the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, it is expected that the SEC will have input into auditing and corporate authority concerns after the establishment of the board in 2003 and as its rules come into existence. The Act forbids companies from expanding, openly or not directly, acclaim in the shape of private loans to its executive officers and directors. Accessible loans (as of July 30, 2002) are grand fathered as long as the terms of such loans are not customized. This ban influence ordinary performance like cashless exercises of stock options, advances and loans to help with home purchases, and might influence certain slit dollar arrangements and 401(k) plan loans. The Act a Closedown Limitations Notice Necessities The Act atonement the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") to need that plan administrators of distinct payment plans offer advance notice to plan members of an imminent "blackout period." For this reason, a blackout phase is described as a period of three (3) or more successive business days through which members' aptitude to direct or branch out possessions in their accounts, or to attain loans or to division from a plan, is restricted or limited. A blackout period does not embrace any postponements, limits or boundaries that (1) happen by cause of request of the securities laws, (2) pertain to simply one member, or (3) are alterations to the plan that offer for a frequently programmed deferral, restriction or constraint, provided such alterations are revealed to members. Plan members usually should obtain notice of the blackout period at least 30 days earlier than the beginning of the blackout period. The notice must offer: Causes for the blackout period; Pretentious investments; Duration of the blackout period; A declaration that members and recipients should assess the suitability of their present investments in light of the limitations forced throughout the blackout period. Any other matter required under system. The Department of Labor is authorized under the Act, to accumulate a civil fine of up to $100 a day per member for collapse to offer the notice. The Department in addition, is aimed at issuing a replica notice no

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

What are the ultimate principles of morals for both Hume and Kant Essay

What are the ultimate principles of morals for both Hume and Kant - Essay Example He goes on to observe that only good will is good sans qualification. Good will is always good in itself and not just for the things that it produces. Will is good if will comes from duty, as well as other moral motives, which do not simply conform to duty. For instance, grocers who give the right change because of fairness, rather than from the fear of being caught, do so from good will. The reasoning goal is not in producing happiness but rather producing will that can be seen to be good in it. The satisfaction of man’s desires, which is happiness, is not determinate enough to use as a workable guide. Good will cannot act as the complete and sole good, although it is the worthy condition of being happy and the highest good. Complete good can only be goodwill combined with happiness. Rationality possesses its own laws of objectiveness. Because man is rational only partially, he experiences the various laws as constraints and imperatives that he is required to follow. These im peratives are grounded on the premise that is valid for all rational beings as such. These imperatives, according to Kant, could be hypothetical, i.e. if one wants to get to end E, then he should do A, or categorical, which is he ought to perform A. Ethics that are based on imperatives that are hypothetical are heteronymous because they involve following laws set by another. Categorical imperatives are hard to understand, although their content is clear. The basic imperative of category states that man acts on principle and these principles can be willed on everybody (Laursen 21). Ethics and morals are autonomous if they are based on categorical imperatives because man follows their own laws. Kant’s supreme moral principle is the universal law formula, which contends that man should act on a maxim that they follow to be used as a universal law (Laursen 23). Kant continues by applying his formula to two duties that are perfect and exception-less. These are not making promises with deceit and not committing suicide, as well as two imperfect duties, which to help those who have needs and development of one’s talents. These ideas can be expressed more loosely in two ways. Firstly, it is to treat all humanity, both you and others, not as a means only, but also as an end in itself (Laursen 23). Secondly, man should act as if one’s action maxim would be turned into nature’s universal law. Kant also connects freedom with morality. According to him, to be free means to follow one’s own principles of rationality rather than following our desires only. This means that one should follow their own legislation and act on maxims that they would follow, rather than the universal laws (Laursen 24). Therefore, freedom is morality. So morality and freedom, ultimately, are the same mystery. It is not possible to explain what free will is. It is only possible to assume what it is and reject all objections against it. Man knows that he/she is free through knowledge of his/her duties. Since probably an individual could have acted in a different way, then one is free. In order for man to recognize himself as free, he needs to see himself as being a member to two worlds. These worlds are a higher intelligible world and a sensible world. Acting in a moral way, therefore, has a supreme moral worth since through it, one participates in an existence of a higher order. This can be perceived as the foundation of human dignity as an end to itself (Laursen 24). Hume, on the other hand, contends that reason and moral sense combine to make our moral judgments. He says that moral sense is essential in making a distinction between virtue and vice,

Monday, September 23, 2019

Tech Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Tech Article - Essay Example The current market price for RFID tags is between 20 and 40 cents. A company that is currently utilizing RFID tags to improve its supply chain is Wal-Mart Inc. Wal-Mart is the world largest retailer and biggest employer. The use of RFID has allowed Wal-Mart to improve its warehouse logistics. For example Wal-Mart is using RFID technology to scan tags on products as pallets are moved through a dock or scanning cases on high shelves in a warehouse (Rfidjournal). Companies can also use the technology to track the movement of merchandise as it is moved by trucking companies. The auto-id system developed for use in RFID tags must be open source so that there won’t be any compatibility issues. A good system will use the internet to connect users to the information in real time. As the cost of RFID continues to decrease its application will become the new standard in the packaging industry. Work Cited Page Rfidjournal.com. 2011. â€Å"What is RFID?’’ RFID Journal. 1 Ma rch 2011. Wordiq.com. 2010. â€Å"RFID- Definition.† 1 March 2011.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Personal Reflection Essay Example for Free

Personal Reflection Essay This reflection will discuss personal diffidence and how it has influenced my academic studies, including my practice within placement settings. Gibbs reflective cycle (Gibbs, 1998) has been utilised as it illustrates a clear structure for the process of reflection. To conclude this reflection will draw together the themes which have emerged and highlight a clear action for future learning that will be used in order to enhance my future practice. Within my previous occupation as a health care assistant I was subject to workplace bulling which was allowed to continue for an extensive period of time due to ineffective management of the situation. Vartia (2001, p. 68) suggests that one of the consequences for the targets of workplace bulling is a feeling of low self confidence. This is indeed true of myself; although this occurred prior to commencement of university, I perceive that I am diffident stemming from this experience. This diffidence has influenced my academic studies and my practice upon placement. Feelings: I feel that I find it challenging to settle down within new groups of people. Whilst on placement I feel it takes a significant amount of time to work within my fullest capacity within the team. Spouse (2008, p. 21) state that entering a new placement area can be a daunting experience; suggesting this may be because you are joining a team of strangers who already know each other. However I feel that my previous experience has heightened my apprehension and indeed Bach and Grant (2009) suggest past experience contributes to our attitudes and values and affects what we notice about other peoples behaviour and how we interpret it. Therefore I may unintentionally be vigilant for behaviour that represents past experience. I feel I become emotive when conflict arises both upon placement and within the university environment; therefore I have a tendency to avoid sources of conflict. Furthermore; although I am aware of the need to challenge poor practice witnessed and have done so within the past; it is something that I find particularly challenging and uncomfortable to deal with. I find it uncomfortable to challenge people because I perceive this as a negative source of conflict. I am somewhat afraid of the reactions this may evoke and the impact this could have on my working relationships within the team I am placed. Within my academic studies in the university learning environment specifically; this diffidence has manifested as an apprehension of speaking within groups. This is especially apparent when it is required to perform group presentations. Although my one to one communication and communication within familiar groups is of good quality, communication within unfamiliar groups can be hindered by this diffidence. I am concerned that if allowed to continue; diffidence could be detrimental to my future practice as a nurse. Hagbaghery et (2004) qualitative research findings suggest that nurses perceive competence and self confidence as the most important personal factors influencing nurses clinical decision making, therefore in order to enhance my future practice I feel that it is imperative that I overcome this. Evaluation: Upon evaluation of these feelings I perceive I have progressed and gained confidence thus far, however there is still margin for improvement. I feel that upon a recent eight week placement period whereby I moved across four placement settings; I had an abundance of practice within adapting and participating within new teams. Although I felt that transition across four settings somewhat hindered myself working to my fullest capacity; the positive aspect of this was that it facilitated gain in self confidence. Nash, Lemcke and Sacre (2008) suggest that initially when encountering a new workplace culture trying to be accepted within this new culture can be uncomforting and lead to feelings of inadequacy; however by the end of this eight week period I feel I gained a significant amount of self confidence and I felt confident with my ability to integrate into new teams effectively. Communication is the interaction with people and is at the core of nursing according to McCabe and Timmins (2006, p. 4), therefore I acknowledge that in order to work to my fullest capacity within the nursing profession it is imperative I overcome this apprehension of speaking within groups and performing presentations. I have reflected upon previous experiences within university; contrasting performing our first group presentation to a recent group presentation experience. I perceive a vast improvement however again there is still margin for improvement and gain in confidence. Brankenbridge and Blows (2008, p. 216) have highlighted that there are different ways in which you can challenge, constructive and destructive. Constructive challenges highlight alternatives and leave the person with something of which they can reflect upon, build upon and change. Destructive challenges are delivered in an unskilful fashion leaving the person who has been challenged feeling put down and bad and potentially could be a source of conflict and negative feeling. This is why in the past I have perceived challenging people in practice as a negative action, possibly due to lacking differentiation between destructive and constructive criticism. Analysis: Although I perceive myself as diffident upon analysis I am unaware of how others may perceive my self. According to Barber, McLaughlin and Wood (2009, p. 76) The Johari Window; Luft and Ingham (1955) can show us aspects of ourselves that we believe is how others perceive us, however they further suggest that these aspects may only be a small part of our ‘personality’ as a whole and not necessarily how others perceive ourselves. Which means although I perceive myself as diffident; others may not necessarily perceive my self in this manner and it is essentially necessary that I develop further self awareness. Barber, McLaughlin and Wood (2009, p. 76) perceive development of self awareness as crucial in highlighting how we view and respond to others and in turn how they view and respond to us. The National Health Service (NHS) Modernisation Agency Leadership Centre (2005) have corroborated this view by suggesting self awareness can assist with understanding ones own emotions and the impact of one’s behaviour on others. Therefore one of the many benefits of self awareness for myself may be understanding my colleagues, learning to relax, identifying my strengths and weaknesses and indentifying my own learning needs, Burnard (1997). I perceive assertiveness of which Siviter (2008, p. 116) defines as respecting the rights and feelings of others whilst standing up for yourself and your own rights as a necessary skill which will further facilitate a gain in self confidence. In order to be assertive it is necessary to possess the ability to express your feelings in a direct, open, honest and appropriate manner. Breckenbridge and Blows (2008, p. 217) further suggest that assertive communication is the key to successful relationships for patients, family, nurses and colleagues alike; therefore further development of my assertive communication skills will enhance my future practice and communication with staff, family and patients alike. Development of assertive communication skills may aid when and if the need arises in future practice to challenge colleague’s actions or the actions of people in general. Indeed Breckenridge and Blows (2008, p. 17) suggest assertiveness is a key feature within effective challenging and therefore is an essential skill of which is required to be developed. Assertiveness aids conveyance of important messages and helps individuals stand up for the rights of themselves and others; one example of such being advocacy. Advocacy is reflected within The code in full (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008) who state that nurses must act as an advocate for those within their care. Therefore learning to be assertive is not a choice, it is a must if I am to live up to what is expected of me within my role as a student and future nurse. Conclusion and Action Plan: The challenge for the future is that I totally overcome this diffidence. I envisage being able to achieve by developing self awareness. I could develop self awareness by using a tool such as The Johari Window. Academically the challenge is to overcome apprehension regarding communication with unfamiliar groups of colleagues. I anticipate achieving this by taking more time to consider what I am going to before I begin and being prepared for situations where I am required to speak. With regard to performing presentations I will be prepared and rehearse what I am going to say in advance.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Life Cycle Assessment Of Laptops And Printed Notes Engineering Essay

Life Cycle Assessment Of Laptops And Printed Notes Engineering Essay For the last few years, the society had started to use electronic devices for reading instead of using printed paper especially for university students. However, the paper is still used for printing and other usage. Paper is one of the main causes of global warming as trees will be cut down and processed into wood as wood is the main ingredient of producing paper. Without trees, there will be less photosynthesis phenomena occurring to reduce carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced by human activities such as breathing, power generation, combustion etc. To reduce the cutting of trees, several electronic devices have been introduced to replace the paper used for several purposes. 1.2 Life Cycle Assessment Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method used to analyze the impacts caused by products and services to the environment surrounding. It is used to study the life cycle from the extraction of raw materials, processing, transport, use, reuse, recycling or disposal of the products and services. There are four stages in LCA which includes goal identification, life cycle inventory, impact analysis and improvement analysis. LCA is used to identify and analyze the input and output of materials, energy and waste emissions in solid, liquid and gaseous state in order to make the improvement from the environmental impacts determined. (Life cycle assessment n.d) 2. Goal and scope definition 2.1 Goal of this study The goal of this study is to compare the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the service between reading printed lecture notes and reading lecture notes on the laptop. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of printed and computer document as learning materials for an undergraduate engineering student of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus is conducted. The LCA of this study is done by the undergraduate Civil Engineering students of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus. The results of this study is based on the two reports titled Scanning Life Cycle Assessment of Printed and E-paper Documents based on the iRex Digital Reader by Sebastiaan Deetman and Ingrid Odegard in March 2009 and Life Cycle Assessment of a Laptop Computer and its Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Anh Hoang, Wei li Tseng, Shekar Viswanathan and Howard Evans. The study will compare the environment impacts of the printed paper and laptop. 2.2 Scope of this study Scope of this study consists of function and functional units. Function of the product will be analyzed and functional units will be included in this study is used to make comparison of the services and the LCA of the laptop. 2.2.1 Function Laptop can be useful in reading lecture notes and making notes in a document files. These are the functions that will be analyzed. However, laptop can also be used to read online newspaper, journals, magazine and for doing assignments. These functions will not be included in this study but they can definitely help in reducing the environment impacts. The use of Microsoft Office software in laptop enables students to make own notes and read lecture notes for e-paper and printed documents. This function has made the comparison between computer documents and printed paper viable. In this report, it is assumed that the time taken for a student to download lecture notes from the BlackBoard System used by Swinburne University of Technology into the computer is the same. Therefore, it can be excluded from this study because initially, both alternatives need to use this function. Besides, the wireless connection in Swinburne University should be neglected as both printed notes and e-notes require the wireless connection to download the lecture notes from the BlackBoard System. 2.2.2 Product System a. Manufacturing The manufacturing and assembly of components for the laptop including packaging result in releasing greenhouse gases. b. Distribution To distribute the laptop to retails, transportation of the laptop is included in this study. The greenhouse gases also will be released through the transports used. c. Use The usage of the laptop will be four years equivalent to the four years course. The total usage of laptop including lecture, tutorial and self-study per unit for one week is included in this study. So, the laptop usage for one year can be calculated. d. End of life End of life in this study is about recycling a laptop that can no longer be used or function anymore. The laptop will be recycled under the US recycling requirements. 2.2.3 Functional Unit The functional unit of LCA is to study the service of the paper used for printing notes for a student which is four years as the engineering courses for Swinburne University of Technology takes four years to complete. However, the laptop is assumed to replace all the printed notes in this study throughout the four years course. The assumptions of the laptop and printed paper that need to be taken into the consideration in this study are as shown as below. Assumptions: 1. The life span of the laptop and printer are four years as engineering courses take four years. 2. Plug is used for laptop for all the time instead of using battery. 3. Laser printer is used for printing. 4. Wooden uncoated paper is used for printing. 5. The printed paper is in greyscale. 2.2.4 Impact Categories In this study, the laptop usage and the printed paper are compared to analyze the data of greenhouse gas emission for both alternatives which contributes to Global Warming Potential (GWP). 3. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) In this report, the data collected are the manufacturing, distribution, use and end-of-life of a standard laptop. The CO2-e emission of each stage are also calculated and included in the report. 3.1 Inventory of Laptop Computer 3.1.1 Manufacturing It includes the manufacturing and assembly of components as well as manufacturing and assembly of laptop which comes with packaging. On the whole, the greenhouse gas emission is approximately 160 kg CO2-e which is obtained from the graph on a report entitled Carbon Footprint of a Typical Business Laptop from Dell which is written by Markus Stutz (2010). 3.1.2 Distribution Transportation of laptop by all means to assembly locations and distributed to local retails, including transportation to customers themselves. For this report, the greenhouse gas emission of distribution of laptop is approximately 50 kg CO2-e (Stutz 2010) following the US region. However, the transportation may vary with region. So the emissions will vary as well but not much difference. 3.1.3 Use The life span of the laptop is estimated to be four years which is assumed to be used for the whole four years course of engineering students of Swinburne University Sarawak. One laptop is used by one student only. It is assumed that for one week, the total usage (hours) of laptop is 28 hours inclusive of 3 hours lecture, 2 hours tutorial and 2 hours of self-study per unit. There are four units altogether so 7 hours multiply by 4 equals to 28 hours. Assuming two semesters which consists of 32 weeks (inclusive of exam weeks) are equivalent to one year, the total hours is 896 hours. Hence, for four years, the total hour is 3584 hours. To calculate the power consumption and greenhouse gas emission, the mode taken into consideration is Active mode. Based on the report written by the students of National University entitled Life Cycle Assessment of a Laptop Computer and its Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the electricity used for average Active mode is 0.032 kWh. The power consu mption is tabulated in the table below. Electricity Used (kWh) Hours for 4 Years Power consumed (kWh) Active (Average) 0.032 3584 114.69 Based on the report too, the formula is converted to kWh. Hence, the greenhouse gas emission for usage is equal to 45.88 kg CO2-e. 3.1.4 End-of-life Once the laptop can no longer be used or it is unable to function anymore, the laptop will be sent for recycling. Sometimes laptops can be reformatted but it will not perform as well as before. Hence, according to Stutz 2010, it is assumed that 75 percent of the laptop will be recycled under the US recycling requirements. So, the greenhouse gas emission of -30 kg CO2-e is obtained. Stages Kg CO2-e released Manufacturing 160 Distribution 50 Use 45.88 End of life -30 Total 225.88 Table 1: The CO2e emission for laptop 3.2 Print Alternative Other alternative is that, the lecture notes, tutorial sheet and solutions can be printed out for study. The significant part which manipulates the GWP value is the type of paper used for printing. In this inventory, woodfree uncoated paper will be used to print out the lecture notes as well as tutorial questions. The GWP of manufacturing, distribution, use, end-of-life stage was taken from the LCA done by the ecoinvent for the inventory of the print alternative. 3.2.1 The use of printer A laser printer is used to print all the lecture notes and tutorial exercises. According to the report of LCA done by the student of University of Technology in Delft, they are using the process description of Ecoinvent database, which includes the life-time of printer, energy use during 3 different operational modes(active, stand-by and off), the print speed and average paper consumption. These numbers were all converted to an average inventory for an hour of printer use, as summarized in Table 4 below [Lehmann, 2007]. Process/part description Amount (per hour of printer use) Unit Ecoinvent name Electricity use 0.0402 kWh Electricity, low voltage, production UCTE Printing paper 0.214 kg Paper, woodfree, uncoated, at regional storage [RER] Laser Printer Scenario 1: Scenario 2: piece piece Printer laserjet, b/w, at plant [GLO] Toner 0.0644 kg Toner, black, used for printing [RER] Transport 0.0215 tkm Transport, freight, rail[RER] Table 1: The usage of printer and papers per hour In table 4, the usage of printer, paper and toner was converted to per hour usage. This is because Ecoinvent database recorded the lifetime of a printer is about four years. However, the usage of the laserjet printer will not be operating twenty four hours per day for four years. Therefore, the inventory is converted to per hour determination. 3.2.2 Paper Uncoated woodfree paper is the type of paper that we used most for printing. The dataset of the production and distribution of the type of paper is based on the Ecoinvent database. And according to the database, the uncoated woodfree paper contains at least 90% of fibres in the form of chemical pulp. Calculation: The estimation of paper used in 4 years. The approximate number of paper used for 1 chapter=15 sheets There total chapters for 1 subject= 8 chapters Subjects in 1 semester= 4 Semesters in 1 year=2 There are approximately 960 sheets of paper used in one year. And one student will consumed approximately 3840 sheets of paper in four years time. Paper disposal There are three types of paper disposal flows are defined in Ecoinvent, they are: Â · [G139] disposal, paper, 11.2% water, to municipal incineration [CH] Â · [G449] disposal, paper, 11.2% water, to sanitary landfill [CH] Â · [G1984] paper, recycling, with deinking, at plant [RER] The first two processes, however, differ from the third. The disposal processes have economic outflow the service of the disposal of 1 kg of the paper, as what is expected. A physical mass of recycled paper is the output for the recycling flow. According to Ecoinvent, there isnt recycling paper service and recycling gives out recycled paper as output. This means that the printer not only provide service of printing, but also produce recycled paper. Part of the total process to the recycled paper and part of the total process to the use of printer were allocated. This means that the environmental impacts of recycling the paper as waste are taken into account. 4.0 Impact Assessment This stage is to assess the impacts will affect on human health and the environment associated with energy and raw material inputs and environmental releases quantified by the inventory. We have done the impact assessment for the category of global warming potential (GWP). From the result, we do a comparison of CO2-equivalent between the laptop and printed paper. 4.1 Break-even Point: GWP Break-even point is when the GWP of both alternatives is the same occur. This can determine which alternative is more sustainable to the environment. When the GWP of both alternatives meets at this point, their emission is equal. After that, based on different situation, which ever goes higher is considered as not sustainable. GWP (kg CO2 equivalents) Print Alternative Scenario 1 Printing 3840 pages for four years Printing with woodfree uncoated paper 13.53 Laptop 225.88 Table: GWP values (in CO2-eq) of printed notes and laptop usage. From the table above, the relationship between the print alternative and laptop computer between two scenarios was assumed. After that, it can generate the graph as seen in figure below. Figure: From the figure, the impact assigned to the laptop computer remains constant as it is used daily for reading and studying. The graph shows the GWP of print alternative is much lower than the laptop computer. The break-even point is too far that it is probably about 70000 prints for four years. 5.0 Improvement Analysis Based on the research done, the usage of e-paper (laptops) still releases quite a high amount of CO2e which leads to Global Warming Potential. Hence, a few improvements to reduce emissions should be done. Improvements that could be done are as follows: Optimization of electricity usage when manufacturing laptops Minimize the number of transportation of laptops by distributing as many laptops as possible delivery process Turn off laptop when it is not used (i.e when taking a break from studying lecture notes) Purchasing laptops which has Energy Star label. Energy Star is a program by US government which helps to protect environment using superior energy efficiency. (Energy Star n.d.) Public awareness give talks on managing electricity and power usage In order to reduce the effect of global warming potential for paper, improvement can be done in the ways of: Conserving paper by printing on the both sides of the paper. Select to print what is really needed. Print only a few pages that are needed instead of the whole book. Recycle the used paper and use sustainable paper too. Return the empty printing cartridges to the supplier for recycling. 6.0 Conclusion From the life cycle assessment, we have compared the carbon dioxide equivalent of a laptop and paper for four years. It is shown that the CO2-e of a laptop is higher than paper. In other words, print alternative is a better choice to reduce the environmental impacts. It is more environmental friendly to study the lecture slides by printing paper instead of using laptop as paper emits less CO2e. The results above can only be applied to study lecture notes, not for office use and others.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Early Years Education and Children With Disabilities

Early Years Education and Children With Disabilities Partnership and Participation e.g. Sure Start or Direct payment Introduction The Local Government Act of 2000 requires all local authorities to consult with all other appropriate bodies when they are considering strategies for education and care in the community. This attitude to service provision is termed partnership. The Local Authority may call on representatives from service providers, businesses, the voluntary sector, and community groups, as they see fit in order to provide a joined-up approach to care in the community. This approach applies to health services, community and social care services, job centres and education. Such local strategic partnership should also involve, and take on board the views of, people in the community. Partnerships that are formed in areas where social deprivation, social exclusion and health inequalities exist will need to find ways of addressing such problems within that community.[1] Participation refers to the part played by individuals in a community in decision making within local partnerships. Numbers of Government departments, voluntary sector organisations, and community groups are in agreement that children and young people should have more involvement in decision making, in this way they participate in the plans for their future. It is envisaged that such participation will lead to change that benefits young people and the wider community.[2] The Children and Young People’s Participation Project (CHYPP) believes that involving young people in the decision process will only be achieved through effective partnership working.[3] Partnership, as already outlined, and incorporated in the Sure Start initiative means that the information on a child and its family will be shared with other professionals. The Children’s Trust Phase 1 report found that some professionals were concerned about information sharing because of data security. Parents, howev er, were in favour of greater co-operation between agencies and of information sharing providing the security of data was protected. This paper will assess Government discourses of partnership and participation by looking at the inclusion of children with disabilities in the early years sector and whether this is best achieved through initiatives such as Surestart or through Direct Payments. The early years of a child’s life are the most important in terms of their general well being, their emotional and social development, and their physical, intellectual and emotional growth. A very high proportion of what children learn takes place in the first five to seven years of life. Children, whether or not they have disabilities, develop at different rates. What happens in the home is extremely important to development in early childhood. There is also a growing perception that this is a time when children are most open to high quality care and learning experiences. In light of this Government have developed policy for the early years that aims to provide a full and comprehensive range of services for the very young. In line with its initiatives on social inclusion the Government also encourages a more integrated approach to services for children with disabilities or other special needs. In 1999 Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships were set up in each local authority to promote the expansion of early years education. Delivery of services was to be co-ordinated through Sure Start, local authorities and voluntary organisations. The Government introduced Sure Start Children’s centres in the most deprived areas. These were designed to combine nursery provision, employment information and family support on one site. The Sure Start Children’s Centre programme is based on the concept that providing integrated education, care, family support and health services are key factors in determining good outcomes for children and their parents. The concept itself is not a new one. Sure Start Children’s Centres are about building on existing good practice, rather than starting afresh.[4] At Sure Start Centres under the new regulations parents will be able to access all the information they need and will be able to participate in the decisions that affect them and their children. However, the plan to introduce multi-agency working throughout childhood and to document young people’s progress from early years on into the workforce suggests increasing government control of people’s lives. The document Every Child Matters pledges an overhaul of the early years sector and more and better provision.[5] These policies were introduced in an attempt to encourage greater participation and combat social exclusion, however it is Billington’s (2000) contention that current practice tends to pathologise rather than celebrate and incorporate difference. Power relations that are reproduced in the everyday processes of social interaction which are generated by governments and institutions need to be resisted as they tend to support the pathologising of difference. In November 2005 the first piece of legislation relating to early years provision the Childcare Bill was introduced in Parliament. Under this Bill parent’s expectation of high quality childcare and children’s services for the under fives will become enshrined in law. The Bill aims to achieve greater user participation and give the parents of children with disabilities more say in the provision of care. Nutbrown (2004) suggests that the multitude of early years policy developments in the UK in recent years have had an impact on the effective inclusion of children with disabilities or other special educational needs into pre-school settings. Under the 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act social services have a duty to find out who are the people with disabilities, how many there are in their area and what help it can give people. It also has a duty to publish details of its services and to inform clients of their rights in relation to such services.[6] The 1995 DDA covers everyone with a mental or physical disability. The needs of disabled children are also covered by legislation relating to special educational needs (sen) as identified in the 1996 Education Act. All LEAs and educational settings have duties under this act. SEN duties are integrated with the duties defined in the DDA which focuses on the removal of barriers, increased access and prevention of discrimination. The 1996 Education Act specifies that all those professionals involved with the needs of a child are required to provide advice to LEAs so that they can make decisions about a child’s educational needs and placement. The Act states that Disabled children should not be treated less favourably than other children. Adjustments should be made to accommodate disabled children in the setting Increase access to the physical environment The curriculum must be accessible to disabled children Integrated partnership working to ensure continuity for disabled children Regular review of policies and practice to anticipate and address barriers for disabled children. Despite such legislation not all childcare centres are equipped to deal with the needs of children with disabilities and numbers of them do not have sufficient funding for a designated SENCO to address the needs of such children. Government claim that the new Childcare Bill means that parents will be able to choose the services that best suit their needs. They will be able to access services provided through Surestart Centres even though they may not live an area covered by Surestart. Under the terms of the Bill all Local Authorities must: improve the well-being of young children and reduce inequalities in relation to Being healthy physical and mental health and emotional well-being Staying safe protection from harm and neglect Enjoying and achieving education, training and recreation Making a positive contribution to society support for the vulnerable and positive outlooks Social and economic well-being parents in employment Integrated early childhood services must include Early years provision (integrated childcare and early education) Social services Relevant health services e.g. health visitors, ante-natal, post-natal care Services provided by Jobcentre Plus to assist parents to obtain work Information services (under the revised duty in clause 12) (Every Child Matters: Childcare Bill 2005:2). The Bill promises to put early childhood education at the centre of Local Authority Activity. Targeted Surestart funding will be used so that child centres can be sustained for the long term. Thus giving more resources to local communities to tailor these services to meet the needs of local people. The Bill states that Local Authorities will need to have specific regard for the childcare element of Working Tax Credit and for childcare that is suitable for disabled children (Childcare Bill, 2005:4). The Authority will need to review the childcare needs of everyone in their area while paying particular attention to the needs of those families who may have a child with disabilities. The Government is determined, through its introduction of Childcare Trusts, to encourage greater participation of families and young people in the decision making process. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2001, following assessment parents of children with disabilities are entitled to direct payments in lieu of social services in an attempt to give them greater choice and flexibility in the care of their children. In 2003 parents of children with special needs were issued with a guidance booklet on how to get the best value in care and services and how to interview and employ carers themselves. Families with disabled children would also be entitled to a key worker so that they have one point of contact for information regarding their entitlement and choice of care. Government guidelines recommend that the best way of using Direct Payments should be decided by Local Authority Partnership schemes and participating users who would then draw up a plan that best suited their local needs. The Guidelines also recommend that Authorities produce promotional material with respect to the benefits of using Direct Payments. Parents who have children with disabi lities and who use direct payments to access services are still entitled to regular assessments of their situation by the Local Authority. Conclusion Recent policy making encourages partnership between organisations and greater participation of service users in decision making. At the same time such policies might be viewed by some social workers as just another form of social control where Government and other agencies seek control over people’s lives from the cradle to the grave. Although Government are providing more childcare and more inclusive measures for those families who may have children with disabilities, and this is to be applauded, other aspects of this policy making may result in the exclusion of those who most need help. While the Government maintains (Direct Payments Guidelines 2003) that people will have a choice whether to receive Direct payments or to access care through social services, at the same time it is incumbent on Local Authorities to increase the number of people in receipt of Direct Payment and this will be monitored by the Government. It is arguably the case that Direct Payments are just another move in the process of dismantling welfare provision in this country. Monitory Local Authorities in this way is usually a result of budgetary concerns and so it seems fair to postulate the Government are cutting costs under the banner of providing greater choice. References http://www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/settings/surestartchildrenscentres/ http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:PV4FziMsekYJ:www.rcu.gov.uk/articles/news/everychildmatters.pdf+every+child+mattershl=en http://www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.html http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1133744 http://www.participationworks.org.uk/Categories/Findoutabouttheimpactofparticipation/tabid/76/Default.aspx Billington, T. 2000 Separating, Losing and Excluding Children: Narratives of Difference New York, Routledge. Nutbrown, C. 2004 ed. Research Studies in Early Childhood Education London, Trentham Books 1 [1] http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1133744 [2] http://www.participationworks.org.uk/Categories/Findoutabouttheimpactofparticipation/tabid/76/Default.aspx [3] http://www.participationworks.org.uk/AboutParticipationWorks/tabid/58/Default.aspx [4] http://www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/settings/surestartchildrenscentres/ [5] http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:PV4FziMsekYJ:www.rcu.gov.uk/articles/news/everychildmatters.pdf+every+child+mattershl=en [6] http://www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.html

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Anglo-Saxon Values Essays -- essays research papers

Throughout the Anglo-Saxon and Middle Age periods the main characters always had a similar established value; honor. This value is prominent in Beowulf, â€Å"The Seafarer†, and The Canterbury Tales. Each of the main characters portray honor either to himself, his followers, his king, and/or his God. These poems are the different aspects of honor intertwined together to form the most prevailing value during this time frame.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beowulf is a story of a brave warrior who fights Grendel in the timeless battle of good versus evil. This era was an age of fierce battles coupled with equally fierce honor and loyalty to rulers. â€Å"†¦He and all his glorious band of Geats thanked God that their leader had come back unharmed.† The author is referring to the universal devotion expr...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Comparig To Kill A Mocingbird And The Man Without A Face :: essays research papers

Courage is a valuable and rare attribute in people today. In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is shown by a reclusive character named Arthur "Boo" Radley. In Mel Gibson's movie, The Man Without a Face, courage is shown by Justin McLoud. Due to the noble actions of others, one can discover the true meaning of courage. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Arthur Radley is a person who has not left his house for many years. Because of this, the townspeople have made up many rumors about him, most of which are not true. These rumors added to him not wanting to come out in public. His neighbors, Jem and Scout Finch, are the only ones who try to communicate with him, and he gives them gifts. Arthur Radley shows courage later on in the book, when the two children are attacked by Bob Ewell. Arthur Radley, a person who lived inside for years, ran outside with a kitchen knife to save his only friends. He proceeds to help Jem home, and in doing so reveals himself to even more people. If Jem and Scout had not been friendly to him, Arthur Radley probably would not have come out of his home. In The Man Without A Face directed by Mel Gibson, a hideously scarred former teacher named Justin McLoud lives in solitude on a large estate, like Arthur Radley. Also like Arthur, Justin has not made contact with anyone for seven years. One day, a struggling student named Charles Norstad come to Justin's house to be tutored. Over the summer, the two become friends. Because of Charles, Justin has the courage to teach again, and tries to clear his name of charges made against him. Like Arthur Radley, the friendship of a child gave Justin courage. Like Justin and Arthur, a child younger than me gave me help dealing with a problem. My younger sister was listening to me tell my older brother about a person older than me who was bothering me and my friends. She turned to me and said, â€Å"Well, why don’t you tell him to stop bothering you or he will get in trouble? But you gotta make it sound scary!† So, I told this person that if he didn’t stop bothering me, he will get in trouble with my brother.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Media and the Criminal Justice System Essay

Media has a strong influence on today’s society and the criminal justice system. Interaction with the media continues to create problems in overcoming the racial disparities in this nation, due to crime that is committed by ethnic minorities in the media increasing racial stereotypes. Media also has a great influence and disadvantages regarding high profile criminal cases, affecting the way Americans view the criminal justice system. High exposure to the news and entertainment media has been proven it increase fear,which can rise the crime rates in communities. In any case, when turning on the news and looking through the pages of a local newspaper, minorities , mostly African-Americans are the central focus of crime ,creating the portal that blacks are the main source of crime in our nation (see figure 1). The graph below shows the increasing amount of black on black crimes over the years. A 2007 special report released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, reveals that approximately 8,000 — and, in certain years, as many as 9,000 African Americans are murdered annually in the United States .The media has led to racial stereotypes of African-Americans due to the amount of â€Å"black on black† crime that is reported everyday. Fig. 1. Homicide victims by race and gender of the victims 1933-2005;Department of Justice Report;2007 More so, informing the public of what occurred instead of solutions to the problem. This issue results to a misunderstanding by the viewer who assumes that the images and facts portrayed are representations of racial groups as a whole, instead of those particular people that are being mentioned. Read more:  Advantages and Disadvantages of Mass Communication The media can also influence the law enforcement opinion of blacks, they have been many illegal actions on the basis of an individual race and ethnicity known as racial profiling. In addition,victims who are an ethnic minority are rarely featured on the news, unlike Caucasian victims who claim the spotlight in media entertainment. Such as the murder of Teryvon Martin. As a result, of the media’s false portrayals of crime and offenders has resulted in the continuation of prejudicial beliefs in our country. The main point of this issue is the problem of racial profiling that exists in various communities within our society including the criminal justice system. However, media coverage or press attention in criminal cases poses its advantages and disadvantages. Publicity can cause unknown witnesses to come forward so that their information may be considered and the facts correctly determined. It can also help to ensure that the person who is charged is being treated fairly by subjecting their decisions to the public. Media coverage can also provide the encouragement for needed changes in the criminal justice system . Media in criminal cases can also have its disadvantages. Publicity may cause some judges or prosecutors, particularly those who must re elected , to act in a manner to help his or her votes rather than in the manner of fairness and justice. The media can also influence the jurors decision. There are laws that protects a jury from being influenced by media reporting, but there have been situations where criminal cases hear claims that a defendant cannot get a fair trial because of the media. These concerns are taken seriously by judges and also by reporters and editors who can face imprisonment for compromising the legal process. Yet there has been many opinions from lawyers and journalists, that most juries are sophisticated enough to ignore media reports when they are asked to return a verdict.There have been many high profile cases where the media influence the public and exposed themselves in a negative manner , as well as informed the public of the wrongdoing of the criminal justice system. For example, The Treyvon Martin case exposed the worst in the media. Similar to what I stated in the beginning of this paper. The media rarely broadcast victims that are African-American. It took one month for the Treyvon Martin shooting to air on the news. Another incident that shows the lack of integrity in the media, is the video of George Zimmerman arriving at the police station. After ABC News aired surveillance video of George Zimmerman, entering a police precinct without any apparent injuries, another news program enhanced still images from the video and concluding that it found â€Å"what may be an injury to the back of his head.† The site’s photo â€Å"analysis† photoshopped the back of Zimmerman’s head with yellow arrows and stated this it†indicates what appears to be a vertical laceration or scar several inches long.† These statements were lately deemed as false. As, I mentioned above, the media can inform the public of the wrongdoing in the criminal justice system. The Drew Peterson trial allowed hearsay to be presented as evidence in the case,though hearsay is stated as unconstitutional. A change in the law was made in order to use the hearsay against him. The media informed the public of the matter. The Daily Center is also the same news program that published the 152 pages of Martin’s tweets from a social networking site known as Tweeter. The judge, Debra S. Nelson of Seminole County Circuit Court, said Mr. Martin’s Twitter, Facebook and school records were relevant in the self-defense case. The media influenced the judge to allow the tweets to analyze Martin’s personality , which might have been seen as a typical high school male, focused on girls, sex and getting out of class early, or to be used against him in order to show whether a victim â€Å"had an alleged propensity to violence† or aggression, the judge said. Similar to any other teenager his â€Å"tweets† focused on ditching school and girls, using them in a criminal case is a bias approach to the situation. Another show, The Today Show underwent an internal investigation from NBC regarding the editorial process after its morning show aired an edited conversation between George Zimmerman and a 911 dispatcher recorded before the shooting. The investigation came after Fox News and others pointed out that the network joined two parts of the call together, making it appear as if Zimmerman had said, â€Å"This guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.† In reality, Zimmerman was answering a dispatcher’s question: Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about. Dispatcher: OK, and this guy–is he black, white or Hispanic? Zimmerman: He looks black.(02 April 2012) The actions that the media took influenced the public and the courts and showed the negative aspects of allowing the media to inform the public. This case in particular showed the amount of racism, lack of integrity that exist in media entertainment. The fear of crime can be associated with media exposure. The media in general tends to exaggerate the crime . For example, the crime that you are more likely to see on the news are in relation to gun violence, the same thing can be found on the internet and newspaper. Crime through media is intended to draw the reader in, and interest them. Yet a daily exposure can encourage fear in the viewer. The fear of crime can outweigh the actual risks. Those who are in fear of crime tend to stay home rather than venture outdoors, this can increase the amount of crime. Signs of incivility in a community rises the crime rate due to â€Å"criminals being drawn to communities where they perceive a lack of of social control by local residents†(p.281). Another reason for promoting a certain fear of crime is money. By increasing the idea of violent crime, the dominant culture are more likely to invest in certain protections. The media lacks integrity due to broadcasting stories that attacks the reputation of African-Americans and other ethnic minorities. They exaggerate stories that can create moral panic and this can also be seen as a way of controlling how the public behaves. Racial profiling is associated with the media due to people seeing mostly blacks committed crimes. Mass media can control the outcome of criminal cases by brainwashing the jurors, controlling the verdict of the case. The relationship between media and crime creates strong influence on the publics view of crime and the criminal justice system, overall having a power influence on both. Works Cited

Monday, September 16, 2019

Tobacco Smoking Among Teenagers: Issues and Remedies

SAMPLE OF ESSAY CIVIL ENGINEERING (100L) GST 113(philosophy and human existence) Review of the chapter one (1) of olusegun oladipo (thinking about philosophy) Philosophy is not easy to define because it is difficult to identify the subject matter of it, on like biology, political science and so on. Also we cannot say philosophical method, the way we talk of scientific method. But according to the preface of the book, philosophy is an intellectual Endeavour to acquire self knowledge.Three questions comes to mind and best summarize the intellectual Endeavour called philosophy, 1) formulation or construction of world view, 2) critical thinking and, 3) the rational, but non-scientific, quest for understanding. PHILOSOPHY AS WORLD VIEW – These are not arbitrary statement or products of fantasy. Rather they are products of reflection and speculation, which most people take for granted in their everyday lives. According to G. Chatalian, he conceived philosophy â€Å"essentially as t he pursuit of wisdom† and consequently, â€Å"the search for the guide to life. For a genuine philosopher, two things are required in this view, they are; Insight and Commitment to human well-being. Considering the handbook of Epictetus, 1) believing that what you have is yours and what you don’t have is on its own, you will have no enemies, life will go easy. 2) Do not seek life to go your own way instead let it happen as do happen and life will be easy. PHILOSOPHY AS CRITICAL THINKING – This entails that human knowledge is always partial.If this is the case then the best intellectual attitude is that which does not take any believe or assumption for granted, but is ready to examine the grounds for the validation of a belief or opinion that is presented as being true or possible. It is this attitude that the philosophical activities of critical thinking promotes. THE ENTERPRISE OF PHILOSOPHER – According to Dilthey, â€Å"the philosophic spirit† i s both critical and reconstructive. Philosophers use or dominate their expertise by addressing certain questions, typically called philosophical questions.These questions are beyond the scope of specific areas of knowledge. The primary goal of philosopher in addressing these questions is, in the manner of Socrates. Thus, philosophy is a kind of a rational inquiry that begins in doubt and ends in the generation of beliefs. TOOLS OF PHILOSOPHY – LANGUAGE and LOGIC are the two key tools of philosophy. According to A. J. Ayer’s point, language is the means to the achievement of the kind of clarity of thought without which the philosophical enterprise can hardly succeed language matters in philosophy because much of what philosophers do involves conceptual elucidation.Logic also matters in the enterprise because much of philosophy has to do with providing good reasons for our view or positions. Secondly it is important because philosophers are generally concerns with the lo gical assessment of arguments. USE OF PHILOSOPHY – â€Å"Elevation† of mankind. The elevation as used in the context can be defined in terms of; enlightenment, open-mindedness, breading of sensibility and so on.Also, it stimulates people to think about the basic problems of existence as they affect them as individuals and as social collectives. PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT – philosophy has a very importance role to play in the production, clarification and propagation of the ideas and values guiding the thought and life of people. Also it promotes the kind of self understanding that would provide some basic for determining the kind of social-cultural that will enable Africans with the challenges of contemporary life.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Mother Jones advertises itself as smart, fearless journalism Essay

Of all mothers, Mother Jones advertises itself as â€Å"smart, fearless journalism. † If only we all had mothers who looked this deeply through current events. This is a unique journal which holds itself to high standards in both a journalistic and moral sense. As the website says, they look for articles that are â€Å"Hard-hitting, investigative reports exposing government cover-ups, corporate malfeasance, scientific myopia, institutional fraud or hypocrisy, etc. † It’s a journal that likes to get facts, shocking facts, about what people care about. The pages of the journal are ridden with ads devoted to the environment and environmentally concerned companies. Even financial investors advertize themselves as â€Å"green† investors (pg3). A cigarette company has an entire page add with â€Å"Natural† as their larges printed word. Educational institutions also claim add space that contributes to the worldly responsibility saying â€Å"change yourself, change the world† (pg 21). By using the adds in this journal alone, you could help end animal cloning (pg.33), drink organic coffee (pg 32), invest in economically sensitive companies (pg 25), get information about fixing your pet (pg 21), and even discover how to take part in the â€Å"green festival† (pg 35). All of it is riddled with the underlying message of social responsibility. In the mission statement found on the journals website, it says â€Å"the Mother Jones produces revelatory journalism that seeks to inform and inspire a more just and democratic world. † Notice they used the word â€Å"world,† and not just nation. Both advertisements and articles aim to sway opinions towards helping to change the world. In a single publication, there are articles on global warming, several on current American politics, the possible dangers plastic pose to the environment, oil spills in Brooklyn, education of troubled and disabled students, and the lack of protests on the behalf of today’s college students. It’s clear that this journal is out to change the world and hold us all accountable for higher moral and ethical standards. But that begs a question; what kind of standards? It’s tricky to lay a claim on whether this journal is liberal or democrat, let alone identify any defining moral statement as it has articles reflecting both sides of the generalized views of those parties. Perhaps this sentence taken from the websites advertising policies page can help explain the confusion; â€Å"we’re in business to produce great public interest journalism, no strings attached. † Or maybe this one; â€Å"Mother Jones respects and values free expression and dissenting voices. † Sounds very intelligent and fair – idealistic almost – but what’s the catch? Well it’s clear that a magazine is a business, and like any business you have to sell. Mother Jones does this with shock value. They publish articles about torturing children and one entitled â€Å"Gay by Choice? † It also has an article depicting news corporations as bias and even creating â€Å"fake news. † Mother Jones tells their readers all about the things they cannot trust, and reasons why from the experts who claim it. The writers for Mother Jones are experts to say the least. Most of their columns are written by freelancers, but darn good ones. Their cover story â€Å"School of Shock† was written by Jennifer Gonnerman after a yearlong investigation. Gary Greenberg is a contributing writer who is also psychotherapist, and his work has appeared in The New Yorker and Best American Science and Nature Writing. It’s clear that they editors believe, as their website claims, that they â€Å"assume that our readers are sufficiently smart and skeptical. † Though, when reading the articles it is clear that a degree is not needed to read this journal. Technical terms are not used freely or thoughtlessly. All in all, this journal claims, and lives up to those claims, to be a smart and justifiable journalism. It’s a publication that’s not a slave to it’s advertizers, and respects different viewpoints. I could see favor given to stories with shock value, but the overall theme of the journal, of global responsibility, would not be compromised. A Journal of Interest In Jennifer Gonnerman’s article â€Å"School of Shock,† she describes the extremely controversial disciplinary actions of the Judge Rotenberg Educational center located in Massachusetts. The center was originally set up for children with such extreme behavioral problems that they could not be a part of a normal classroom. Electric shocks are used on about half of the 234 children within the facility which charges $220,000 a year for each student. These children are diagnosed with sever autism, metal retardation, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or are emotionally disturbed. By relaying the stories of children who have been through traumatic events in the facility, as well as her own personal experience interviewing them and visiting the school, Gonnerman creates a very emotional piece. After reading it myself, tears nearly ran down my cheek; and I’m a man who rarely tears. Surprisingly, most of the article is factual, with some informative narrative. The voice of Gonnerman is present, as are her thoughts and opinions, but they are not stated outright. By doing this she lets the reader feel through the facts and experience rather than preach to them. It could be very easy to push such an article in the face of readers with strong visual images, but instead the images are simply those of children sitting or standing, usually with an adult looking over them. There are no images of children being shocked, but there are also no pictures of children misbehaving. In this way, the article is neutral in it’s portrayal of the school. Though I cannot imagine anyone who believes that shocking a child with the voltage described is an ok thing to do, the article voices both sides of the argument. Numerous examples are given of a extreme behavior such as inducing vomiting, biting chunks out of his/her own tongue, setting fires and cutting him/herself. It’s a place where any child can go, despite their history or severity of behaviors. In some ways, it sounds like a necessary evil. The writing is clearly seeking to shut the school down, but it does not give a solution for its necessity. It does not give any alternatives for students or parents. I leave the article wondering how else to handle such violent and disturbed children. A Journal of Freelance Of the articles published in Mother Jones, most of it comes from freelance writers. That doesn’t mean, however, that just anyone can write for them. A slew of experts and highly educated, and highly published, writers contribute to this journal. But if you don’t want to go and get your doctorate just to be published, here are a few things to think about in order to get published: Subject, Experience, and Tone. The Subject, first and formost, must be one of large consequence. Either look to meet a large interest with a large number of people, or look for a topic that would shock a large number of people. Also, the topic must be something that can be affected or has subsequent consequences. To sum it up in a few words, it should be a new view on a popular subject. As for your experience with the subject, well years of schooling aren’t required to write for Mother Jones, but years of experience might be. Not only will this journal hold your writing and journalistic talents to a high level, but many people who have written on a subject for the journal have also written a book about it; and it’s been published. If you’ve been published in big name journals like The New Yorker, or Rolling Stone, that might work also. And finally the tone of your writing must be affirmative action. The editors of this magazine seek to change the world with it, so think along the lines of that. Other than a lot of research, aim to persuade readers to take action. Who knows, maybe Mother Jones will change the world some day, and you could be a part of it.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Important People

Franklin D. Roosevelt- He was the first president who understood how to use media and the radio. He made speeches on the radio called Fireside chats. He made about 28- 33 of these. He was elected to office four times. In one of his speeches he talked about how there was more employment now than 4 years ago. He used radio to give his own points of view and defend the New Deal. Used radio because it was intimate. Superman/ Clark Kent- Cartoon (sept. 18, 1942) superman takes the war to the enemy in a time that we could not do it. He did something that they were incapable of doing, defeating the enemy. he was fighting the military (not TERRERISM) not blowing business building just military items. He represents our country. Clark Kent is supermans alter ego who is a reporter for the Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet. Herman Goering- (1893 – 1946). He was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor, and commander of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). He was a veteran of WWI as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Merite (â€Å"The Blue Max†). He was the last commander of Jagdgeschwader I, the air squadron of Manfred Von Richthofen â€Å"The Red Baron†. After the WWII he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but committed suicide by cyanide ingestion the night before he was due to be hanged. Max Fleischer- (1883 – 1972) He was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios. He brought such animated characters as Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, Popeye, and Superman to the movie screen and was responsible for a number of technological innovations like the idea of the rotoscope which was a concept to simplify the process of animating movement by tracing frames of live action film. Lois Lane- she is a reporter for the Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet. She represents our individual attitudes. She is willing to die for what she believes in and is a hero. She represents American stubbornness and she’s a hero because she never once calls for help. Iva Toguri- (1916 –2006) She was an American citizen who participated in English-language propaganda broadcast transmitted by Radio Tokyo to Allied soldiers in the South Pacific during World War II. Although on the â€Å"Zero Hour† radio show, Toguri called herself â€Å"Orphan Ann,† she quickly became identified with the moniker â€Å"Tokyo Rose†, a name that was coined by Allied soldiers and that predated her broadcasts. William Joyce- (1906 – 1946) He was nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw and was a fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He was hanged for treason by the British government as a result of his wartime activities. Joseph Goebbels- (1897 –h 1945) was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of German dictator Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism. He was the chief architect of the Kristallnacht attack on the German Jews, which historians consider to be the commencement of the Nazi violence culminating in the Holocaust. From our notes: he said to Hitler that he needed to sell his ideas and form an enemy. Neville Chamberlain (1869 – 1940) was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany. When Adolf Hitler continued his aggression, Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of World War II. Hughes flying Boat H-4 (hk-1) Hercules (â€Å"Spruce Goose†)- was a prototype heavy transport aircraft designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft company. The aircraft made its only flight on November 2, 1947. Built from wood because of wartime raw material restrictions on the use of aluminum, it was nicknamed the â€Å"Spruce Goose† by its critics. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and has the largest wingspan and height of any aircraft in history. It survives in good condition at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, USA.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Analyze and research 2 original works of art Paper

Analyze and 2 original works of art - Research Paper Example However, there are exemptions and contradictions to the said expression of belief in art. An example of this can be exemplified through the marble statue of the Old Woman. At the present, both are located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These two pieces, when studied closely, have seemingly diverse themes in artistic approach. Both have also left numerous mysteries and secrets with questions and answers waiting to be revealed – revelations of stories each once told. In this light, this paper will focus on the mentioned classical marble monuments that exhibit extensive pieces of evidence about the classical period. It will describe each of the respective piece’s physical characteristics and figures. Then, an analysis of artistic style based on the classical techniques will be given. Thereafter, both will be compared based on the individual analysis conducted. The mentioned statues will also be historicized based on the prevailing themes they possessed. Such historical study will explain the type of society and political atmosphere where these statues were conceptualized. In the physical and technical attributes of the marble statue Hermes, it can be said that the piece is a close life size depiction of Greek god Hermes, the messenger to Zeus. It stands at 71 1/4 x 29 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches. The statue’s left hand, nose, and tips of some fingers have been duly restored in its present museum condition. Its artist, Polykleitos, displays Hermes with a graceful stance. One can begin to imagine how the sculpture came about. In the viewer’s plain sight, it was as if Hermes was present and posing for the artist. Polykleitos depicts Hermes’ stance using contrapposto, meaning â€Å"counter poise.† This particular stance applies all of the subject’s weight shifting to his left leg, with his right leg slightly bent ahead of the other. He stands tall, with might, shoulders back and head tilt forward. This pose causes the figur e’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposite angels and gives it a slight and almost unnoticeable s-curve to the torso. The statue’s head is tilted forward, as if he gazes down upon something and with his left arm, reaching out for something. Such particular pose implies the notion of the god giving a hand out to travelers, as if to assist them in a safe and easy journey as many Greeks would do when they called out and made sacrifices to Hermes before any trips were conducted.2 The statue’s chitin is held at his left shoulder, draped off the body with remainder of the material gathered in the left arm. The marble statue of Hermes is of many similar Greek originals and Roman copies, as they constantly display desired physical beauty and idealism in lieu of concrete beauty and realism. It is from this technical characterization that the style where Hermes was based can be deduced. From what was mentioned earlier, the classical Greek art can be attributed to the them es of naturalism and idealism. The technique of naturalism is evident within Hermes through the very image of the Greek god where the male figure exhibits nudity. Nudity, in a classical and artistic sense, can be seen as being one with the natural world. The utter simplicity in physical attributes can be shown through the sole use of a piece of clothing draped upon one’s shoulder. This natural attachment to the world is the core

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Give a historic and analytical overview of special educational needs Essay

Give a historic and analytical overview of special educational needs (SEN) provision in England 1870 to present - Essay Example Today â€Å"All teachers should expect to teach children with special educational needs and all schools should play their part in educating children from their local community, whatever their background or ability. Training for teachers, appropriate funding for schools and improvements in the way their achievements are judged is vital† (SEN, 2010). Although training is not always equalized, significant progress has been made. In 1870, the Elementary Education Act was established by Liberal MP William Forster started to standardize education, and â€Å"made provision for the elementary education of all children aged 5-13 and established school boards to oversee and complete the network of schools and to bring them all under some form of supervision† (Education, 2010). However, at the time, SEN children were often seen as a blight on society, better isolated in institutions rather than mainstreamed with their peers. Theoretically, there has been a change in terms of how s pecial needs and handicapped children are treated by educational and healthcare systems since. Unfortunately, special education programs are a recent phenomenon and parents, teachers, and other professionals therefore should know that special group programs only began to become widespread in the latter half of the twentieth century, as the public perception of institutions began to change and the government began to shift the parameters used for classifying disabilities. At the beginning of the 20th century, some accountability for SEN children had started to creep into the legislation, albeit not in a very strongly worded way. â€Å"Not surprisingly, therefore, the Elementary Education (Defective and Epileptic Children) Act of 1899 empowered - but did not require - school boards to provide for the education of mentally and physically defective and epileptic children† (Education, 2010). As the 20th century progressed, a shift towards group programs became more popular, especi ally for high-functioning disabled student individuals, and special education services became more widespread as well, leading to a decrease in the number of functioning individuals with disabilities being constrained to home or institutional life. This gradually progressive process is spoken of in terms of deinstitutionalization as well as socialization and inclusion. As one thinker notes, â€Å"It is not fully clear who among the deinstitutionalized population would have been the long-stay patients in earlier areas† (Special, 2007). Often the process of institutional facility offered by long-stay programs is impaired by the perception that these programs keep socially maladjusted individuals from encountering problems in a complex outside world that is often defined by the same sense of boundary offered. During the first half of the twentieth century, before more environmentally inclusive programs were offered, many individuals were constrained in adolescence and held well into middle age. In many circles, prevailing wisdom still seems to state that psychotherapy is an appropriate treatment method. But the number of group therapy patients has combined with many private-sector programs which can differ from state to state and region to region, in terms of prevalence. After the first World War, â€Å"Lloyd George set about an ambitious programme of post-war social reform: the national insurance scheme was extended to cover almost all workers, old age pensions were doubled, local authority house building

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Solution on how engineering text books could be made affordable to Essay - 1

Solution on how engineering text books could be made affordable to mechanical engineering students - Essay Example Amadallo D.1 argues that, "I could have performed much better than I am doing now if all or at least a good fraction of the text books I've always needed were made available. My grades are affected negatively by the fact that I do not have most of the recommended books". Asked to explain why this is so, the student claims that though the texts are available in the stores, the price tag on each is disappointing! The cry of this student reflects that of the many students taking the course in the many higher institutions of learning all over the world. There is need to find a solution to this "price tag" problem, so that we can be certain that the future mechanical engineers are trained appropriately as per the demands of their dynamic field. Publishers of the mechanical engineering books on the other hand do not see any unjustifiable reasons for the high costs of the products; the books have higher production costs anyway, even in terms of quality production as compared to the other fields! The scope or range of material that a particular book customary includes and the contents, referring to the subjects or topics usually covered in any engineering book directly implies higher costs (D. W. King and C Tenopir.1999). The publishers claim that the blame should be laid on the stringent authorship restrictions, the policy imposing the limitations on who is eligible to submit any material for publication, which renders the field duly uncompetitive. The expensive acquisition of the many international publications that enjoy well deserved reputation, regional disparities that might exist, for example, addressing a methodological topic having little relevance elsewhere and high editing costs are also to blame. Students on the o ther hand do no agree with the claims laid by the publishers. They blame the publishers of taking advantage of the belief that the course is generally expensive citing the current price of a new algebra textbook approaching $110 with the publishers bringing out a new edition every three to four years just to prevent students from selling their used books (digg, 2006). The quality of the text contents should never be compromised and the validity of the authors should even be exposed to more stringent rules to protect the authenticity of any publications made. The students argue that techniques should be devised to make the unaffordable texts available to the students who need them, and this basically involves a modulation of the publishing costs. This can, for example be achieved by introducing mergers where senior engineering students and any willing departmental lecturers and scholars with a motivation to engage in the business of publishing are involved in editing, marketing or in sales and in any other aspect related to publishing operations, as a cost sharing initiative between the publishers of mechanical engineering text books and mechanical engineering students. To facilitate the provision of high quality and latest text books to the students at reasonable costs, it has been proposed that the books recommended for each course in the entrusted curriculum should be adopted as textbooks by all the universities (Revised Curriculum of Mechanical Engineering, 2003). The need for technical speciality is another major reason that contributes to the high cost of